"We can expect a lot more profitable operation going forward," said a Kenyan official, who highly praised the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Commentary: Pelosi's evil intentions behind toxic Taiwan stunt

Xinhua) 08:07, August 08, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region earlier this week despite Beijing's strong opposition and stern representations.

Out of her self-interests, Pelosi staged such a pure political stunt. Insisting on going to the island, she apparently does not care about harming China-U.S. ties, or putting peace across the Taiwan Strait on the line.

This unscrupulous farce has only laid bare in front of the international community the nature of Washington politicians: a bunch of egoists, opportunists and hypocrites, who prioritized their own political calculations ahead of and above everything else.

It is certainly not that Pelosi was not clearly aware of the fallout ahead. She just wanted to make global headlines. She has no regard for Washington's promises or due responsibilities in global affairs.

The sneaky visit has already stirred sharp criticism both inside the United States and around the world.

For sober minds worldwide, the move is merely a political gamble for the scandal-ridden Pelosi herself, and for the Democratic Party, whose outlook in the coming midterm elections does not augur well.

The China Times, a Taiwan-based Chinese-language daily, commented recently that Pelosi is using Taiwan as a bargaining chip for the Democratic Party's midterm race, which is "not only immoral, but also likely to generate terrible war risks."

"The intention of directly roasting Taiwan on the stove regardless of Taiwan's interests is really sinister," it argued.

U.S. media have analyzed that with a visit to China's Taiwan region, Pelosi intends to turn the tables for Democrats and deflect popular attention from the scandal of her family. Her husband Paul Pelosi has recently come under fire for a stock insider trading scandal and involvement in a drunk driving accident.

An experienced opportunist, Pelosi is clear-eyed about an anti-China countercurrent surging in U.S. politics. She knows all too well how she can cash in on China-bashing or CPC-bashing for political gains.

Pelosi's provocative visit capped her three decades as a veteran China hawk, who has been at the forefront of Washington's anti-China campaigns.

In 2008, she urged then U.S. President George W. Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a so-called bill on Tibet-related issues, a gross interference in China's internal affairs. In 2021, she picked up the same old trick again by boycotting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

During her sneaky visit to Taiwan this time, she rehashed the unfounded "human rights" and "democracy" charges against Beijing.

As the third highest-ranking U.S. government official, Pelosi has been bent on finding fault with other countries while turning a blind eye to the backsliding democracy and deteriorating human rights conditions back in her own country. What a ruthless hypocrite!

Within its borders, the United States has been plagued by ever rampant and bloody gun violence, a botched COVID-19 response leading to the death of more than 1 million Americans and deeply entrenched racism that can arbitrarily take away the lives of people like George Floyd.

Beyond, bloody wars and conflicts pushed by Washington have wreaked appalling havoc on Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, among other regions.

The world will not forget how back in 2019, she thumbed up to the disruptive, violent activities in Hong Kong as "a beautiful sight to behold," seeking to whitewash the illegal demonstrations and cheer up the anti-China rioters.

In fact, many in Taiwan are well aware of her hypocrisy and evil intentions. The local United Daily News reported that a recent poll showed 63 percent of Taiwan netizens clearly did not welcome her to the island.

Throughout her conscienceless political career, Pelosi believes nothing but political showmanship. In her eyes, politics is just a business. Although Washington does not lack such politicians, she is so much more prominent for being an egoist, opportunist and hypocrite at the same time.

While she was betting on her visit to Taiwan as a highlight moment of her political career, the world has already seen through the preposterous stunt as well as the true and ugly face of her and her like.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
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Police officers are demanding better equipment to combat the gangs

Packed with close to 400 parishioners, Sunday mass on 24 July was like any other at the Assembly of God on the outskirts of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, Pastor Samuel Lucien says.

Warning: This article contains descriptions from the beginning which some readers may find upsetting.

All until, just after midday, a group of balaclava-wearing armed men entered the church and killed Police Inspector Reginald Laleau.

The 45-year-old led a unit which regularly patrols territory controlled by one of the capital's most feared gangs, called 400 Mawozo.

"I tried to seek cover but there were so many bullets, such heavy fire. I've never heard anything like it before in my life. It was like a warzone," recalls Pastor Lucien.

After murdering Inspector Laleau, the gunmen left the church, taking his body with them.

Later that evening, 400 Mawozo shared a video showing the gang's leader next to Laleau's tortured body, threatening to kill everyone in his policing unit.

Outgunned

Even before 400 Mawozo had posted its gruesome warning, police officers knew they had become targets.

"It hurts us to see how they are treating police officers, how they are killing policemen," says Lionel Lazarre, head of the police union.

Outmanned and outgunned by the well-armed gangs, officers, who earn less than $100 (82) a month on average, are demanding the government do more to back them up.

"We need more support and more equipment urgently," insists Mr Lazarre. "We urgently need the government to make this their priority."

While Mr Lazarre says he still believes that the Haitian police can solve the current security crisis, murders like that of Inspector Laleau are a brutal sign of the control that gangs now exert in Haiti's capital.

Ghost town

An estimated 60% of Port-au-Prince is now classed as "lawless" by human rights groups.

The city, similar in size to sprawling Los Angeles, has been paralyzed by a battle for power and territory between dozens of gangs.

Once buzzing with nightlife, the city centre now looks and feels like a ghost town. The shops are shut and many residents have abandoned their homes out of fear of being caught in the crossfire.

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Children from Cite Soleil have taken refuge at a school after escaping gang violence in their neighbourhood

On the outskirts, huge swathes of the community are living hand to mouth, without electricity or access to clean water.

Bloody July

While gang related violence had been on the rise since the assassination in July 2021 of President Jovenel Moise by mercenaries, it has reached shocking new levels in recent weeks.

The BBC has mapped five major incidents which illustrate the levels of violence residents faced all in the space of one month this year.

Recent violent incidents in Port-au-Prince

8 July: A 10-day long turf war erupted between the G9 and G-Pep gangs in the residential neighbourhood of Cite Soleil. According to UN figures, 209 people died, of which 114 were gang members. More than 3,000 residents were forced to flee their homes.

24 July: The killing of Police Inspector Reginald Laleau during Sunday Mass. His death has taken the number of officers killed in the first six months of 2022 to more than 30.

26 July: A brutal kidnapping by armed men in balaclavas is captured on CCTV. Locals can be seen running from the scene which took place right outside a school in which more than 300 displaced children and adults were sheltering from the ongoing turf war in Cite Soleil.

27 July: G9 launch an assault on G-Pep in Port-au-Prince's city centre, close to the presidential palace. A turf war over the Bel Air neighbourhood ensues.

27 July: During the turf war, the city's temporary cathedral is set ablaze. The original cathedral was destroyed in 2010 during an earthquake.

A city wracked by violence

The BBC has also mapped which gangs control which parts of the city, as of July 2022.

Relentless turf wars between the groups mean many of the boundaries are in constant flux.

Main gangs' zones of influence

The G9, an alliance made up of nine gangs, controls the city's major coastal ports and oil terminals, giving it a stranglehold over much of the city's economy. It may not be the gang to command the most territory, but it arguably is the one with the biggest economic power.

Led by former police officer Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, the G9 is notorious for seizing lorries transporting goods and extorting businesses.

US officials allege that Barbecue and the G9 were behind a brutal massacre in 2018, in which at least 71 people were killed in the La Saline neighbourhood of the capital.

The gang which commands the biggest swathe of territory is 400 Mawozo.

Last year, it became infamous for kidnapping 17 North American missionaries, including children.

The influence of 400 Mawozo is not limited to the capital either. It controls the road to the Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic as well as access to the north of the country.

Access to Haiti's south is in the hands of 5 Segonn (5 Seconds), a gang which has boasted on social media of seizing entire buses full of people travelling out of Port-au-Prince.

A community in shock

Since the murder of Inspector Laleau, no church service has been held in the Assembly of God.

Pastor Lucien says the community is still in shock: "People are still too scared to attend church."

"Everybody knows the risks, that something could happen," he says. "But we never imagined it would happen in a church, let alone our church."

"I believe Haiti must and can change."
The Daily Beast

Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / GettyAt the risk of awarding the title prematurely, we think weve found the weirdest study published in 2022. Scientists strapped GoPro cameras to the bodies of six dolphins trained by the U.S. Navy, and recorded them hunting for food and consuming their prey in grisly detail. According to the study, there was a purpose behind this potential invasion of dolphin privacy; namely, to learn more about how the mammals hunted and ate.Scientists
Looking to enjoy the last few weeks of summer with some live music? White Bear Lake United Methodist Church is offering free outdoor entertainment.

As part of their 2022 ReConnect: The Music and the Message series, the church will be hosting three different concerts. They each start at 4 p.m. on Sundays on the churchs north lawn, 1851 Birch St, White Bear Lake. Sunday the theme is The Music of Simon & Garfunkel with the Super Duos. Aug. 21 it will the The Magic of Disney Music with Trish Sisson and Jay Soulen. The final session on Aug. 28 will be Country Music through the Decades with Hitchville, a Midwest country band.

Everyone is welcome and no reservations are required. Attendees should bring a blanket or chair for seating, and their own non-alcoholic beverages.

Sunday morning services continue as normal at 10 a.m. in-person and online during the concert dates.

For more information, contact the church office at 651-429-9026 or email office@wblumc.org.

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The man who was shot Sunday after a five-hour standoff with SWAT team officers remains in critical but stable condition at a Wichita hospital, police said Monday.

Travis B. Davis, 38, was struck once in the torso after firing deliberate, intentional shots at police and police vehicles from a backyard shed, Wichita police Captain Jason Stevens said at a Monday news conference.

Officers arrived at 400 West 45th Street North around 9 a.m. Sunday and learned that Davis had barricaded himself in a shed on a property owned by family members.

It was the second domestic disturbance call of the day associated with Davis, who was first reported taking an ax to car windows in the 4800 block of North Seneca on Sunday morning, Stevens said.

When they arrived on the scene, they contacted witnesses who reported a family member, Travis Davis, arriving on a motorcycle and he was witnessed breaking windows on two vehicles at that location with an ax, Stevens said.

Davis had left the scene by the time law enforcement arrived, Stevens said.

At 9:02 a.m., 911 dispatch received a call of a disturbance with a weapon at the 45th Street residence. Officers were dispatched.

They learned that [Davis] had pointed a handgun and threatened a family member. He then went outside and they heard what they believed were gunshots and he again damaged two additional vehicles in the driveway of that location with an ax, Stevens said.

The suspect then barricaded himself in a shed on his relatives property.

Police made numerous attempts to establish contact with Davis and get him to surrender, Stevens said.

They attempted to establish telephone contact with him, as well as using a loudspeaker from a patrol car vehicle, both of which had no successful results.

At one point, Stevens said, officers saw Davis standing in the open walk-in shed door, holding a handgun.

At that time, they notified the Wichita Police Department negotiators at approximately 9:55 a.m. and requested their response to the scene so that they could use their expertise to further negotiations to get Mr. Davis to submit to arrest, Stevens said.

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Davis did not comply with requests or demands by law enforcement. He could be heard making verbal threats to the officers, shouting erratically and beating on doors and walls inside the shed, Stevens said.

SWAT team backup was requested, and officers began arriving just before noon.

During the time that they were arriving on scene, Mr. Davis continued his erratic behavior and presented himself at the open door another time, Stevens said. One of the patrol officers that was still in what we would term the inner perimeter made the decision to deploy a less-than-lethal tactic and fired one beanbag round from a 12-gauge shotgun.

Davis retreated back into the outbuilding and SWAT team members took over the inner perimeter. The suspect returned to the open doorway minutes later, still holding the handgun, Stevens said.

At 2:07, officers heard gunshots coming from within the shed. Police later identified five bullet holes in the door of the building.

Then he opened the walk-in door several minutes after that and actually fired shots, deliberate, intentional shots, directly at the SWAT officers who were posted behind an armored vehicle, Stevens said.

Two shots struck the windshield of a police vehicle, showering bullet fragments down on one of the officers. No officers were struck directly by the gunfire.

After retreating once more into the outbuilding and closing the door behind him, he re-emerged and was met by counter-fire.

At that time, another SWAT officer fired one shot to prevent him from firing additional shots at the SWAT officers that were located nearby, striking him one time in the torso, Stevens said.

The suspect fell, and Sedgwick County EMS moved in to administer emergency aid.

Police later recovered two handguns from the shed.

The officer who shot Davis, a 28-year veteran of the WPD, has been placed on paid leave while the officer-involved shooting is investigated, as is policy, Stevens said.

Davis was known to McPherson County law enforcement, where he had allegedly threatened two deputies in May, and was also suspected of discharging a firearm at a family members house, Stevens said.

On May 30, he was arrested in Park City on misdemeanor warrants, and on June 1, he was arrested by the McPherson County Sheriffs Department for criminal threat, aggravated assault and criminal damage to property, Stevens said.

Stevens said Davis has undergone at least one surgery in the hospital and remains under police guard.

The case will be presented to District Attorney Marc Bennett.
The Daily Beast

Tennessee Department of CorrectionA woman who shared a kiss with a prisoner during a visitation in Tennessee has been charged with murder after the inmate died shortly after their exchange.Rachel Dollard was taken into custody over the weekend by special agents from the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) and the Dickson County Sheriffs Department, the TDOC confirmed in a statement on Tuesday. She is accused of smuggling drugs into the Turney Center Industrial Complex.Dollard is facing ch
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are escalating following Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan last week. Chinas military conducted a series of military drills over the weekend  66 planes and 14 warships were spotted around the island on Sunday, according to Taiwans defense ministry.

Susan Shirk, UC San Diego Researcher Professor and 21st Century China Center Chair, described the political and social implications of Speaker Pelosis visit.

Its quite possible that Xi Jinping has taken advantage of the Pelosi visit to mobilize support for himself and to kind of create a new normal in which Chinese military planes and ships and other gray zones, even Coast Guard vessels, will be pressing Taiwan, Shirk told Yahoo Finance Live.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expressed heavy opposition to the Speakers visit. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Pelosis actions a violation of the One-China principle and affirmed there was no room for Taiwan independence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China also imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members on Friday.

These measures come ahead of President Xis unprecedented third term and the 20th National Congress of the CCP this November. According to Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) research fellow David Sacks, Xi does not want to risk looking weak, which is why China is taking a harsh stance on Pelosis visit.

This is about demonstrating the Peoples Liberation Armys capabilities to put a blockade around Taiwan, squeeze Taiwan, until it agrees to, you know, potentially what they would like to see is until it agrees to reintegrate with the mainland, Shirk added.

Shirk warns that some multinational firms operating in Asia could experience economic blowback in the future.

Chinese consumers are much more nationalistic, so consumer-facing businesses really do have to make a choice here. If the China market is important to them, they have to be sensitive to these political considerations and how they talk about Taiwan, Shirk said.

Story continues

In this photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at right reacts to Chen Chu, the President of the Control Yuan and Chair of the National Human Rights Commission, during a visit to a human rights museum in Taipei, Taiwan on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meeting leaders in Taiwan despite warnings from China, said Wednesday that she and other members of Congress in a visiting delegation are showing they will not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island. (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Candybar maker Mars Wrigley issued an apology to China on Friday for implying Taiwan was a country. Moreover, Chinese companies have distanced themselves from the Pelosi controversy for fear of retaliation from the Chinese government.

Shirk also noted that Pelosis visit put Democrats in a tough position ahead of the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election.

It was [a] very odd thing for a Democratic Speaker of the House to put a Democratic President, President Biden, in an extraordinarily difficult position by deciding to go to Taiwan now. The president didnt have complete control over the Speakers decisions, of course, and I think was reluctant to try to constrain her because there are many other politicians who would criticize the Biden administration for caving in to China. So it's certainly not good for the Democratic prospects in the mid-term or in 2024."

Biden and his party have an uphill battle to fight. Recent CBS News/YouGov polling data show Democrats losing control in the House, and potentially the Senate this fall. The presidents approval rating has also plummeted to 39.6%, and a new CNN poll indicated that 75% of Democrats support nominating someone other than Biden for the 2024 presidential bid.

Yaseen Shah is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @yaseennshah22

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Top Japanese lender MUFG Bank has won approval from Chinese authorities to conduct fund transfers out of the country for select clients in a way that reduces scrutiny by Beijing and slashes paperwork.

The clearance applies to MUFG Bank clients based in Shanghai's Lingang economic development zone. A group company under Japanese trading house Itochu has begun using the service.

These clients are exempted from China's requirement that companies sending funds across the border submit paperwork detailing information such as the purpose of the transfer. Authorities scrutinize movement of money to prevent capital outflow and to stabilize the value of the yuan.

The requirement creates a heavy workload for companies, which must provide banks with documents such as business contracts and invoices.

Lingang is part of Shanghai's pilot free trade zone, which offers incentives to draw major companies. ...continue reading
A retired officers donation to the Council Bluffs Police Department was recognized last week.

Matt Elder, who retired from the department in 1987, donated four rifles to be given to active police officers.

Typically, rifles must be purchased by the officers themselves. Elder asked that applicants be officers with young families, with the idea that their extra money often goes to things their children need.

This is a great opportunity, said police Capt. Scott Milner. The officers certainly appreciate it.

Milner said the department received 10 to 15 applications for the donation program, from which they selected the four recipients. Elder said he expects to donate six more rifles in the near future.

I was surprised these officers didnt have them, Elder said.

The city provides the department with handguns and shotguns. Following proper certification, officers are permitted to have their own rifles for use in certain situations, but they generally are kept locked away during routine work.

Elder said he wanted to give back to help protect officers, especially in a world where school shootings are on the rise. With mass shooters often using these types of rifles, police need them to have a fair chance out here on the street, Elder said.

They say you dont take a knife to a gun fight, he said. Similarly, he noted, you dont take a handgun to a rifle (fight).
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The government the Democratic Republic of the Congo said that it would reassess the MONUSCOs withdrawal plan from the country in light of the recent protests against the mission, a decision which MONUSCO said it supported.

The mission is due to withdraw by 2024 according to a plan drawn up in 2021 but the government reportedly aims to speed up its departure. This comes as suspected Islamist militants killed around 20 people in attacks on two villages in the eastern parts of the conflict-torn country over the weekend, the army and a local human rights group said on Sunday, August 7.

Fighters believed to be from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who killed residents and burned down houses are being pursued by Congolese forces, the army spokesperson said.

The DRC Government also announced last week that the MONUSCO spokesman must leave the country, blaming him for stoking tensions that led to deadly protests.

The decision was announced in a statement from the foreign affairs ministry after thirty-six people, including four UN peacekeepers, were recently killed in protests against the mission. Hundreds of protesters vandalized and set fire to the missions buildings in several cities in the countrys east, accusing it of failing to protect the civilians from armed gang violence that has long plagued the region. The government said that the spokesman, Mathias Gillmann, had made indelicate and inappropriate statements which contributed to the tensions between the population and MONUSCO.
The Malian army and white soldiers were involved in the killing of 33 of civilians, in Mali according to a report by United Nations experts.

The disappearance of these civilians on March 5 in Robinet El Ataye, in the Segou region near the Mauritanian border, had caused a stir in Mali and Mauritania. Mauritania accused the Malian army of recurrent criminal acts against Mauritanian citizens in this border region. Bamako had said that nothing implicated its army. The two countries had launched a joint investigation, the results of which had not been published to date.

The white soldiers are believed to be part of the paramilitary group Wagner, which has been deployed alongside the Malian military since January, according to a New York-based diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Bamako has repeatedly denied the presence of mercenaries, referring to the presence of instructors, while Moscow says it has nothing to do with this company present in Mali on a commercial basis.

On 5 March, a group of FAMas, the Malian Armed Forces, took away 33 men, 29 Mauritanians and four Malians (Tuareg) from the village. After the departure of the soldiers, the local women waited for the return of the men but it was in vain. The next day, relatives discovered the bodies four kilometers from Robinet El-Ataye, explain the UN experts. They had been shot and then burned, the text of the report concludes.

The Malian army has conducted numerous military operations to hunt down jihadist groups in the Segou and Mopti regions of central Mali since the beginning of the year. Its soldiers have been accused of abuse on several occasions by NGOs.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi-Egyptian Investment Company (SEIC) that will invest in swathes of Egypts economy from infrastructure and real estate to pharmaceuticals.

The fund in a statement said SEIC is interested in the countrys promising sectors including infrastructure, real estate development, healthcare, financial services, food and agriculture, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical, along with other investment opportunities.

The statement also indicated that together the private sector and SEIC will help to enlarge PIFs access to investment opportunities across the Arab country.

In light of the economic growth in the region, SEIC will capitalize on lucrative investment opportunities within a number of promising Egyptian economic sectors, which will also support the expansion efforts of Saudi businesses and other PIF portfolio companies, Deputy Governor and Head of MENA Investments at PIF Yazeed Alhumied said.

SEIC activities will increase significantly the kingdoms investment in Egypt whose economy has been hit hard by the pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Saudi Arabia had previously pledged $15bn to support Egypt.

Egypt is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new loan and has secured pledges of more than $22bn in deposits and investments from the kingdom and other oil-rich Gulf states, including the UAE and Qatar.
The governors of the central banks of Tunisia and Libya held Sunday talks in capital Tunis to improve cooperation between the two institutions.

Marouen Abassi of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) hosted his Libyan counterpart Seddik Omar Kebir.

A statement from Libyas CBL indicated the two governor discussed issues of mutual concern in the banking and financial aspects and reviewed some cooperation agreements.

The two banks signed last year a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the areas of joint work. The MoU aims at developing financial transactions, launching initiatives and training Libyan youth to keep pace with development in the banking field.
The signing of a peace agreement between Senegal and rebels in Casamance is an important step towards ending the nearly 40-year conflict in the southern region of Senegal, a mediator said.

Under the peace deal signed in neighboring Guinea-Bissau last week between Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), the Casamance rebels have pledged to lay down their arms and work for the definitive return of peace in this region.

An emissary of Senegalese President Macky Sall and rebel leader Cesar Atoute Badiate, head of a unit of the MFDC, signed the agreement at the presidency of Guinea-Bissau.

This is an important step towards definitive peace. For nearly four years, the MFDC has said it would lay down its arms but had never signed it, former minister Robert Sagna, head of the Groupe de reflexion pour la paix en Casamance (GRPC), a mediator in the crisis in Casamance, told iradio (private).

The Senegalese Head of State has made definitive peace in Casamance one of the priorities of his second term. His negotiations for a settlement of the conflict have not led to a final agreement, complicated by divisions within the MFDC.

You went into the bush when I was 10 years old. Today I am 50. I think thats enough now. () How many people have died, been maimed or left their villages? We will accompany you in the search for peace, said Guinea-Bissau head of state Umaro Sissoco Embalo, addressing the rebel leader. I can assure you that we are going to be the guarantors of this agreement, continued Embalo who is also the current president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The MFDC has been waging a low-intensity conflict since 1982, causing several thousand deaths. This conflict remained latent until the launch in January 2021 by the Senegalese army of a major offensive against the rebels. The Casamance rebels, accused of trafficking in timber and cannabis, have often taken refuge in Gambia or Guinea-Bissau, which also shares a border with Senegal.
A group of young Moroccans took part in the Future We Want: Model United Nations, a global initiative for Young Leaders, held lately at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The FWWMUN is the worlds largest platform for youth empowerment on diplomatic and international affairs, civic engagement and global citizenship.

During their participation in FWW meetings and debates, the young Moroccan leaders tackled the issues of water scarcity, energy transition, human rights and multilateralism.

They also met with several UN ambassadors and senior officials of the United Nations.

FWWMUN is one of the worlds largest youth forums for young leaders. It is committed to promoting a united international community, a better future, and a more sustainable world through the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Initiative brings together future generations of leaders from all corners of the globe to gain first-hand experience in international relations. It enables young leaders to engage directly with diplomats, ambassadors, and government officials, and benefit from a unique experience of deep immersion into the United Nations system.

Meanwhile, young Moroccans and foreigners are participating in Marrakech this August 6 through 9 in the 1st edition of the Model United Nations conference (Model UN) held under the topic: Resolution of international conflicts according to the United Nations standards.

The conference, organized by the Moroccan Youth Forum, in partnership with the Master Linguistics and English Language of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Marrakech, and the English Language Center WLC, aims to improve the communication skills of young people according to the standards of the United Nations.

It is also meant to improve their language skills, introduce them to debate and discussion techniques, and strengthen their interest in international issues and conflict resolution techniques, and involvement in decision-making, in addition to building up their diplomatic capacity to enable them to defend national interests according to UN standards.

The gathering provides a platform to present and discuss issues inherent to youth, including scientific research, education, training and coexistence, as well as an occasion to sharpen their communication skills, a mechanism that carries values and principles.
Over 530,430 travelers entered Morocco through Tanger-Med port since the start of Marhaba operation 2022, the annual summer crossings of Moroccan expatriates to spend holidays in their homeland through the strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean ports.

The number of inbound passengers increased this year by 10 pc compared to 2019, says Tanger-Med port authority. The Marhaba operation, which was launched on June 5, is taking place smoothly thanks to the coordination and mobilization of all security and health authorities in coordination with the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity.

The Marhaba operation was halted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and diplomatic row between Morocco and Spain over the Sahara. The two neighboring countries have resumed this year their cooperation for the safe crossing of Moroccan Diaspora after having resolved their differences.

There are about 6 million Moroccans living in Europe, mainly in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Most of them prefer to travel by car due to the relatively short distance separating Morocco from Europe, but nearly 1 million prefer the faster air travel.
Photo: The Canadian Press An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Less than four hours before departure, Ryan Farrell was surprised to learn his flight from Yellowknife to Calgary had been cancelled.

Air Canada cited "crew constraints" and rebooked him on a plane leaving 48 hours after the June 17 flight's original takeoff time.

Farrell was even more surprised six weeks later, when he learned his request for compensation had been denied on the basis of the staff shortage.

Since your Air Canada flight was delayed/cancelled due to crew constraints resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, the compensation you are requesting does not apply because the delay/cancellation was caused by a safety-related issue, reads the email from customer relations dated July 29.

The rejection feels like a slap in the face," Farrell said.

"If they don't have replacement crew to substitute in, then the flight (was) cancelled because they failed to assemble a crew, not because any other factor would have made it inherently unsafe to run the flight, he said in an email.

I think the airlines are trying to exploit a general emotional connection that people make between COVID-19 and safety, when in reality if you put their logic to the test it doesn't stand up.

Air Canadas response to Farrell's complaint was no outlier. In a Dec. 29 memo, the company instructed employees to classify flight cancellations caused by staff shortages as a "safety" problem, which would exclude travellers from compensation under federal regulations. That policy remains in place.

Canadas passenger rights charter, the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), mandates airlines to pay up to $1,000 in compensation for cancellations or significant delays that stem from reasons within the carriers control when the notification comes 14 days or less before departure. However, airlines do not have to pay if the change was required for safety purposes.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), a quasi-judicial federal body, says treating staff shortages as a safety matter violates federal rules.

"If a crew shortage is due to the actions or inactions of the carrier, the disruption will be considered within the carriers control for the purposes of the APPR. Therefore, a disruption caused by a crew shortage should not be considered 'required for safety purposes' when it is the carrier who caused the safety issue as a result of its own actions," the agency said in an email.

That stance reinforces a decision made July 8  three weeks before Farrell learned he'd been denied compensation  when the CTA used nearly identical language in a dispute over a flight at a different air carrier. The regulatory panel's ruling in that case emphasized airlines' obligations around advance planning "to ensure that the carrier has enough staff available to operate the services it offers for sale."

In the December memo, which was issued at the height of the Omicron wave of COVID-19, Air Canada said: "Effective immediately, flight cancellations due to crew are considered as Within Carrier Control  For Safety."

"Customers impacted by these flight cancellations will still be eligible for the standard of treatments such as hotel accommodations, meals etc. but will no longer be eligible for APPR claims/monetary compensation."

The staff directive said the stance would be temporary. But Air Canada acknowledged in an email on July 25 that the policy "remains in place given the continued exceptional circumstances brought on by COVID variants."

Gabor Lukacs, president of the Air Passenger Rights advocacy group, said Air Canada isbreaching the passenger rights charterand called on the transport regulator for stronger enforcement.

"They are misclassifying things that are clearly not a safety issue," he said of Canada's largest airline, calling the policy "egregious" and "unlawful."

Consumers can dispute an airline's denial of a claim via a complaint to the CTA. However, the agency's backlog topped 15,300 air travel complaints as of May.

Lukacs also noted that European Union regulations do not exclude safety reasons from situations requiring compensation in the event of cancellations or delays. Payouts are precluded only as a result of "extraordinary circumstances," such as weather or political instability.

"This document, along with the previous declarations and behaviour since the beginning of the pandemic, shows that Air Canadas priority is clearly to try to limit the costs of the flight cancellations instead of providing good service to its clients," Sylvie De Bellefeuille, a lawyer with Quebec-based advocacy group Option consommateurs, said after reviewing a copy of the directive.

She said Air Canada aims to deter passengers from requesting compensation in the first place. "This tactic does not, in our opinion, demonstrate that the company cares about its customers."

Air Canada disagrees with that characterization.

"Air Canada had and continues to have more employees proportionate to its flying schedule when compared prior to the pandemic," the company said in an emailed statement, indicating it had done everything it could to prepare for operational hiccups.

"Air Canada follows all public health directives as part of its safety culture, and during the Omicron wave last winter that affected some crew availability, we revised our policy to better assist customers in their travels with enhanced levels of customer care for flight cancellations related to crew contending with COVID."

John Gradek, head of McGill University's aviation management program, said the transportation agency is partly responsible for the "debacle" because it established looser rules than those in Europe and the United States.

"Carriers have been making strong efforts to point fingers and claim delays are outside of their control to reduce liability," he said in an email.
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All of Auburn Universitys 12 colleges this past year participated in a special research project, led by an unusual principal investigatora sixth grader in Corning, California. Her project? To get as much information about Auburn as possible.

The Auburn Department of Art & Art History received a handwritten letter from the Maywood/Da Vinci Academy of Arts and Sciences student in fall 2021 requesting information so she could complete the research project for school.

I am interested in receiving information about your department at Auburn University. I would like to know about admission requirements, financial aid, student life at Auburn University, and anything else you could send me, the letter read. If I receive more information about your university than any other student writing to other universities, we will decorate our classroom in your school colors and mascot Aubie the Tiger. Thank you for your time. Go Aubie the Tiger!!

Charmed by the letter and by the students interest in Auburn, Art & Art History Administrative Associate and 2021 College of Liberal Arts Staff Employee of the Year Nita Robertson shared the project with every college on campus. And every single college responded, sending boxes of shirts, scarves, buttons, brochures and other swag to be shipped to California.

I had a very positive response from every college. Whether we won or not, the whole point was to share Auburn with her, Robertson said. With her being from California and being from a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) school, she reached out to a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) school, so I wanted to show her what Auburn has to offer and what were like down here.

Maywood/Da Vinci Academy of Arts and Sciences teacher Martin Jimenez, who has assigned the project for 14 years, said Auburns response was the most overwhelming hes ever seen. Beyond the 80 pounds of information and swag sent to the school, he said Auburns enthusiasm captured the heart of the project.

Auburn University responded in such a great way, Jimenez said. These kids were so excited because they know that somebody is out there, in the world, motivated and excited to give them the opportunity to learn about their school and get them excited about education.

Each semester, Jimenez assigns the research project to his students so they can engage with universities and colleges around the nation. Corning, California, is a small town that doesnt host a college, so the purpose of the project is to educate students of the value of higher education and expose them to the various opportunities they have outside of the community.

For Jimenez, who was a first-generation college student himself, the project is important because it sets middle-schoolers up for success in the future.

I want to help as much as I can, as soon as I can, to guide these kids so they know that there are opportunities out there for them, Jimenez said. A lot of classes they take in middle school affect what classes they can take at the high school level, which will have a direct effect on the credits or necessary classes they need to apply to universities. When you let them know that what they do now has a possible impact on their future, it starts to open their eyes.

To celebrate Auburns winning response, students in Jimenezs class created a mural of the Auburn logo that hangs in the classroombringing the interaction full-circle back to the arts, where it started in the Department of Art & Art History.

We were thrilled that a student at a STEM school contacted the Department of Art & Art History. She understood that the acronym should really be STEAM, with art integrated as a crucial component, Department Chair Joyce de Vries said. When we received this letter, we immediately thought it was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate across campus to show this student and her fellow sixth-graders in rural California what Auburn University is about: the generous and enthusiastic advancement of knowledge.
troll gonna troll

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Hes such a loser. All three of them are but especially this shit stain.

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JUST IN: Kid Cudi walks off stage after people kept throwing things at him during his Rolling Loud set pic.twitter.com/jy8V62O3mO  XXL Magazine (@XXL) July 23, 2022

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I don't know him obvs but he seems like a nice enough fellow, that made me kind of sad.

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The amount of ignorant ass takes on Twitter. We wanted Ye flop ass taste, you got an upgrade tbh

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Its cudi!!!!! Wtf they should be happy

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comparing cudis recent discography to kanyes is like night and day. cudi is a huuuuge upgrade.

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further context: he was replacing Kanye as a headliner and then Kanye showed up anyways as a special guest of another performer at the festival that same night

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i was confused about where he mentioned cudi and then i saw the little line at the bottom. hes such a dick.



edit: i love typing on my phone.



Edited at 2022-08-08 04:18 pm (UTC)

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I saw in another video someone actually hit him with what they threw. Fuck that noise, they're lucky he didn't leave then.

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I just heard about this last night. I'm glad he walked off. Imagine preferring Kanye over Cudi in the year of our lord 2022... flop crowd.

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Aw I feel bad :(

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i saw this when it happened smdh



i hope cudi blows up again just so he can say a big fuck you to kanye tbh

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Why is humanity so fucking rude

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he's pathetic

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What an idiot. He's been through about three "girlfriends" and five lawyers during the time Kim and Pete were a thing. He should focus on his own messy personal life.

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Yes but Kim is his property, obviously.



/s

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I think that's what it is more than anything else. If he had filed, he'd have moved on and just talked shit about her. The fact that she left a genius like him  is eating him alive.

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It's just who he is. When he was with Kim he stayed obsessed with Amber Rose

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This is unhinged

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Team nobody. This man is 45 years old.

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If she's back with him, how fucking stupid.

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Also, I reported it. Ban him from Instagram again.

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Thanks for mentioning it, I reported it too.

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How should I report it as? Sometimes instagram doesn't accept my reports.

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What a horrible thing to say. He's just trash.

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ngl a little part of me hoped kim & pete would be endgame against all odds, simply because fuck kanye for all this

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He is just awful. I could care less about Pete Davidson but something about this really bothers me idk how many times now has he wished or fantasized about this man being dead? Its just creepy

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I do think its extra terrible because Pete has been very open with his mental health struggles and it was widely reported on when he was suicidal in the past. Trash behavior

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not just that. he has certainly endangered pete by stirring up his deranged fanbase with his nonsense rhetoric.

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yeah didnt he release a whole creepy music video about pete getting tortured and killed? its beyond creepy and pete is incredibly lucky that nothing physically happened to him during his relationship with kim

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This image mocks two men that have mentioned mental health struggles/depression. Kanye is a horrible person.

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Can you imagine posting shit about your ex wifes ex? How thin-skinned, small-minded, and pathetic must you be to race to social media with that?

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and its especially absurd that he refers to himself as a ~genius and a god 

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And she is the mother of his kids too... at least have some respect for your own kids

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Yeah this isn't cute. Shitty behaviour as usual.

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expected nothing less than the world's most narcissistic and immature Gemini.

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The rest of us Geminis would like to be excluded from this narrative!

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as much as it pains me to say this, since I'm a gemini, Johnny Depp and Trump are also born under the same sign

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Any hopes held by international oil companies (IOCs) that the Baghdad-based Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) was just bluffing about blacklisting IOCs operating in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq have been dashed. A letter sent on 12 June by Hassan Muhammad Hassan, the deputy director general of the state-run Basra Oil Company (BOC) called on all lead contractors and sub-contractors of IOCs working in Iraqi Kurdistan to pledge that they would no longer work in Kurdistan and that any current contracts should be terminated within three months. This has been followed up in the last few days with an order from the BOC director general, Khalid Abbas, to all lead contractors that orders them to suspend dealing with the following subcontractors and never invite them to any future works or projects in BOC oil fields as per the licensing contracts signed with your companies. According to local reports, multiple oil companies working in the northern Iraq Kurdistan region (including DNO, Western Zagros, Gulf Keystone, Genel Energy, and ShaMaran Petroleum received a letter on 19 May summoning them to appear at the Commercial Court in Baghdad on 5 June), whilst the most notable of the four IOCs blacklisted a few days ago was U.S.-Irish oilfield services giant, Weatherford International, according to Iraq news sources.

These moves were all presaged by two landmark legal rulings made in February by the Supreme Court of the Federal Government of Iraq in Baghdad, analysed in depth at the time by OilPrice.com. The first of these is that sales of oil and gas by the government of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq (the KRG), based in Erbil, done independently of the central government in Baghdad, is unconstitutional and that the KRG must hand over all oil production to the Federal Government of Iraq, represented by the Ministry of Oil. The second ruling, and an even greater direct threat to all oil and gas operations of IOCs operating in the northern region, is that the Ministry of Oil has the right to: Follow up on the invalidity of oil contracts concluded by the Kurdistan Regional Government with foreign parties, countries and companies regarding oil exploration, extraction, export and sale.

Legally, the issue of what oil (and gas) resources the Kurdistan region in the north or the Federal region in the south owns is unclear. According to the KRG, it has authority under Articles 112 and 115 of the Iraq Constitution to manage oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region extracted from fields that were not in production in 2005  the year that the Constitution was adopted by referendum. In addition, the KRG maintains that Article 115 states: All powers not stipulated in the exclusive powers of the federal government belong to the authorities of the regions and governorates that are not organised in a region. As such, the KRG maintains that as relevant powers are not otherwise stipulated in the Constitution, it has the authority to sell and receive revenue from its oil and gas exports. The KRG also highlights that the Constitution provides that, should a dispute arise, priority shall be given to the law of the regions and governorates. However, the FGI in Baghdad and Iraqs State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) argue that under Article 111 of the Constitution oil and gas are under the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates.

A practical solution to this enduring legal problem was agreed on by both sides in November 2014 and the agreement was that the KRG in the north would export up to 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from the northern region of Kurdistans oilfields and Kirkuk via the Baghdad-based SOMO in the south. In return, Baghdad would send 17 percent of the federal budget after sovereign expenses (around US$500 million at that time) per month in budget payments to the Kurds. Although apparently fair to both sides, the agreement rarely functioned as it should, with the KRG frequently, and accurately, being cited by the FGI in Baghdad of selling oil independently of SOMO, as per the agreement, and the FGI in Baghdad being cited frequently, and accurately, by the KRG of not dispersing the requisite funds from the budget on time or in the correct amounts. This already difficult situation was complicated further by the involvement initially of Iran and then of Russia after it effectively took control of the northern Iraq oil sector in 2017, as analysed in-depth in my latest book on the global oil markets. The unwillingness of the FGI in Baghdad to upset Iran in the first instance, given the ongoing influence that Tehran exerted over Baghdad via its military, economic, and political proxies, and then not to offend Russia, given its deadly build-out of influence across the region from that point in 2017, meant that no effective substitute deal for the 2014 agreement was made.

Two key events, though, have conspired to give Baghdad the confidence to take the harder line on the KRG that the oil market is now seeing. The first of these was the U.S.s end of combat mission in Iraq in December 2021, and its similar withdrawal from Afghanistan a few months earlier  seen together by many leaders in the Middle East (and China and Russia) as a signal of a broader retreat by Washington from long-running political, economic, and military missions without a clear end-goal in sight. Indeed, former U.S. President Donald Trump had said as much not long before: We are restoring the fundamental principles, that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations but defend and defend strongly our nation from foreign enemies. We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending Americas vital interests. It is not the duty of U.S. troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of. We are not the policemen of the world. The second factor that has emboldened Baghdad has been Russias increasing marginalisation in the global geopolitical mix since it invaded Ukraine in February.

These two factors together appear to have catalysed Baghdads resolve to move to consolidate all of Iraqs oil and gas industry into one countrywide hydrocarbons sector from now on, administered from Baghdad, regardless of any considerations relating to the KRG in the north. The marginalisation of both the U.S. and Russia, at least overtly and at least for the time being, also appears to be a key factor behind the withdrawal from parliament of Moqtada al-Sadr and his 73-member power bloc, the largest in the legislative body. His calls for new elections are part of what he regards as a no-lose situation for him, according to a senior Iraq political source spoken to by OilPrice.com last week. On the one hand, if they go ahead, then he can expect his bloc to gain even more seats, but if they dont then there is no head of government, which means he [al-Sadr] still calls the shots, he said.

Precisely what al-Sadr wants longer-term is difficult to pin down, the source added, but  despite the firebrand cleric leading countless bloody and effective assaults against U.S. troops from 2003 to 2008 and opposing several Iranian initiatives in Iraq  it may be that he is more of a pragmatist than is widely assumed. Fundamentally, he does believe in one Iraq - and one Iraq only - not beholden to any other country, and free from any such external political interference, but he is clever and pragmatic, and he knows how to make deals with those who can sponsor him to the top leadership position for a long period of time, and that is where we are now, the source concluded.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The UN Secretary-General is calling for international access to the nuclear plant to ensure the safety and security of the plant.

Ukraine and Russia are trading accusations over the recent shelling of Europes largest nuclear plant.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on August 8 for international inspectors to be given access to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant after Ukraine and Russia traded accusations over the recent shelling of the facility.

Any attack on a nuclear plant "is a suicidal thing," Guterres told a news conference in Japan.

His comments followed a visit to Hiroshima over the weekend, where Guterres gave a speech to mark the 77th anniversary of the world's first nuclear bomb attack.

Ukraine said renewed Russian shelling on August 6 had damaged three radiation sensors and hurt a worker at the Zaporizhzhya facility, Europe's largest nuclear-power plant. It was the second strike to hit the plant in consecutive days. Russia has claimed that Ukraine is responsible for the strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of waging "nuclear terror" that warranted more international sanctions, this time on Moscow's nuclear sector.

"There is no such nation in the world that could feel safe when a terrorist state fires at a nuclear plant," Zelenskiy said in a televised address on August 7.

The plant, about 200 kilometers northwest of the Russian-held port of Mariupol, has been under Russian supervision since Moscow's troops seized it early in the war, but the Ukrainian staff continues to operate the facility.

The Russian-installed authority of the area said Ukrainian forces hit the site with a multiple-rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and an area near a storage facility. The Russian Embassy in Washington also released a statement blaming Ukrainian nationalists for the damage.

The fighting at the Zaporizhzhya site has alarmed the world.

Guterres said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needed access to the plant.

"We fully support the IAEA in all their efforts in relation to [creating] the conditions of stabilization of the plant," Guterres said.

IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi warned on August 6 that the latest attack "underlines the very real risk of a nuclear disaster.

Grossi urged all sides in the conflict to exercise the "utmost restraint" near the nuclear site.

The IAEA chief added that it was "of paramount importance" that the agency be allowed access to the plant "to provide technical support for nuclear safety and security."

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has warned that there is a "very real risk of a nuclear disaster" due to the situation around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine due to regular shelling.

In a tweet, Grossi said, "The @iaeaorg team must go to Zaporizhia just as we did to Chornobyl and South Ukraine earlier in the year. We can put together a safety, security and safeguards mission and deliver the indispensable assistance and impartial assessment that is needed."

The Zaporizhia nuclear plant is controlled by the Russian forces, which seized it in the early days of what Moscow calls a special military operation in Ukraine. Since then, Ukrainian agencies have accused the Russians of using Zaporizhia as a launchpad for shelling attacks on various targets.

Reporting on the IAEA's director general's warning, the BBC wrote that according to Ukrainian sources, there had been damage to some parts of the plant though not the reactors, including the plant's external power supply system.

There has been fighting with the Ukrainian forces over the nuclear plant since the Russian forces seized it.

"Military action jeopardising the safety and security of the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant is completely unacceptable and must be avoided at all cost," Grossi said.

"Any military firepower directed at or from the facility would amount to playing with fire, with potentially catastrophic consequences," Grossi said.

"I strongly and urgently appeal to all parties to exercise the utmost restraint in the vicinity of this important nuclear facility, with its six reactors. And I condemn any violent acts carried out at or near the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant or against its staff."

The top IAEA official also said, "For the sake of protecting people in Ukraine and elsewhere from a potential nuclear accident, we must all set aside our differences and act, now. The IAEA is ready."

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Russias ESPO crude blend shipped to Asia has recently seen spot deals at parity with Middle Eastern benchmarks in a sign that the export grade Russia is shipping out of its Far East port Kozmino is recovering in pricing amid high demand from Russias top buyers China and India.

At least two cargoes loading over the next two months have been sold with ESPO prices at par with the Dubai benchmark, trading sources told Reuters on Monday.

In the early weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ESPO slumped to a discount of as much as $20 per barrel to regional benchmarks as traders and companies were confused about potential sanctions on Russian oil shipments.

Prices have rebounded from those lows, at least for some cargoes, as India and China continue to buy Russian oil. Moreover, the EU has recently decided to add exemptions to the sanctions on Russia, which would allow countries from outside the bloc to deal with sanctioned Russian entities, including banks and state companies such as Rosneft.

While ESPO is being sold below or close to benchmarks, Middle Eastern producers are selling their crude to Asia at record or near-record premiums for contracted term supply, while spot prices are also at premiums to Dubai/Oman.

For example, Saudi Arabiathe worlds top crude oil exporterlast week raised the official selling price of its crude oil to new highs for September loadings.

Russias share of the Indian oil market is growing at the expense of Saudi imports, with Russian oil selling at a sizeable discount to Saudi crude. Russia became the second-biggest oil supplier to India in June, after Iraq, which remained the biggest oil supplier to the subcontinent.

China and India, always sensitive to pricing and on the lookout for cheap supply, are buying spot Russian cargoes out of Russias Far East for lower prices.

Russian oil is very popular among Asian refiners and at these prices its a great value, a trading source told Reuters.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Gov. Pete Ricketts and Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard, traveled to Kuwait last week for a rare overseas change of command from one Nebraska Army Guard team to a detachment of fellow Nebraskans.

A Kearney-based detachment of the 1057th Military Police Company relieved a Scottsbluff-based team of the 1057th at Camp Arifjan Army Base. The Scottsbluff team deployed in October last year and is heading home now.

The 1057th has been tasked with securing the base and ensuring law and order. Camp Arifjan is south of Kuwait City, the capital of a Persian Gulf state that shares its northern and western borders with Iraq and its southern border with Saudi Arabia.

The companys jobs include doing background checks and regular screening of everyone who works on the base, whether contractors, military personnel, State Department diplomats or local service providers. Given the large size of the base, people enter it every day to provide routine services such as delivering food and supplies or collecting trash.

Speaking to the two detachments, Ricketts congratulated the first team on a successful deployment and offered prayers for the safety and success of the second team. He noted that Nebraska Guard members rarely deployed overseas 25 years ago, but now prepare for and expect deployments.

Theyre eager to support U.S. military missions abroad, and they have the training and skills to take on major responsibilities, Ricketts said.

Bohac joined the governor in thanking the Guard members.

Although nowhere on our uniform does it say Nebraska when we serve overseas with our U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force fellows, our soldiers and airmen of the Nebraska National Guard distinguish themselves through their skillful and dedicated service, he said.

They represent the people of our great state exceedingly well and make all of us proud.

The two officials were then headed to Qatar, where they were to visit with members of the Nebraska Air National Guard deployed there. Qatar occupies a peninsula in the Persian Gulf and shares a border with Saudi Arabia.

The Nebraska Guard currently has 425 soldiers and airmen supporting U.S. military missions around the world.

Ricketts left Nebraska on Aug. 1 and returned Aug. 5. He took a commercial flight and paid for it personally, spokeswoman Alex Reuss said. She described the trip as an official one.
A young protester in India makes a statement about dangerous levels of air pollution. Prakash Singh/AFP via Getty Images

What do these have in common? They represent the new frontier in human rights.

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on July 28, 2022, to declare the ability to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment a universal human right. It also called on countries, companies and international organizations to scale up efforts to turn that into reality.

The declaration is not legally binding  countries can vote to support a declaration of rights while not actually supporting those rights in practice. The language is also vague, leaving to interpretation just what a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is.

Still, its more than moral posturing. Resolutions like this have a history of laying the foundation for effective treaties and national laws.

The Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is strewn with trash and contaminated by industries and waste. Its one of several heavily polluted rivers around the world. Munir Uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images

I am a geographer who focuses on environmental justice, and much of my research investigates relationships between development-driven environmental change, natural resource use and human rights. Here are some examples of how similar resolutions have opened doors to stronger actions.

How the concept of human rights expanded

In 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, the newly formed United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in response to the atrocities of the Holocaust. The declaration wasnt legally binding, but it established a baseline of rights intended to ensure the conditions for basic human dignity.

That first set of rights included the right to life, religious expression, freedom from slavery and a standard of living adequate for health and well-being.

Todays triple planetary crisis

The world has changed dramatically since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written, perhaps most notably with regard to the scale of environmental crises people worldwide face.

These threats can undermine the right to life, dignity and health, as can air pollution, contaminated water and pollution from plastics and chemicals. That is why advocates argued for the U.N. to declare a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Smog has gotten so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

The U.N. has been discussing the environment as a global concern for over 50 years, and several international treaties over that time have addressed specific environmental concerns, including binding agreements on protecting biodiversity and closing the ozone hole. The 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming is a direct and legally binding outcome of the long struggles that follow initial declarations.

The resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was approved without dissent, though eight countries abstained: Belarus, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Syria.

The human right to water

Voluntary human rights declarations can also be instrumental in changing state policy and providing people with new political tools to demand better conditions.

The human right to water is one of the strongest examples of how U.N. resolutions have been used to shape state policy. The resolution, adopted in 2010, recognizes that access to adequate quantities of clean drinking water and sanitation are necessary to realize all other rights. Diarrheal disease, largely from unsafe drinking water, kills half a million children under age 5 every year.

A woman in Sudan fills a water bottle for a child during the 2017 drought. Ashraf Shazly/AFP via Getty Images

The rights of Indigenous peoples

Enxet and Sanapana Indigenous peoples of Paraguay protest in 2015 to demand land restitution and protection of their human rights. Joel E. Correia

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples discusses a right to free, prior and informed consent about development and industrial projects that would affect Indigenous people. That has been a powerful tool for Indigenous peoples to demand due process through the legal system.

In Canada, Paraguay and Kenya, Indigenous peoples have used the resolution to help win important legal victories before human rights courts with rulings that have led to land restitution and other legal gains.

Tools for change

U.N. declarations of human rights are aspirational norms that seek to ensure a more just and equitable world. Even though declarations like this one are not legally binding, they can be vital tools people can use to pressure governments and private companies to protect or improve human well-being.

Change can take time, but I believe this latest declaration of human rights will support climate and environmental justice across the world.

___

Joel E. Correia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

___
Trump says FBI conducted search at his Mar-a-Lago estate

WASHINGTON (AP)  The FBI has searched former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence. That's according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Trump says agents opened up a safe at his home and describes their work as an unannounced raid that he likened to prosecutorial misconduct. The FBI and Justice Department have not confirmed the search. It marks a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the former president.

Father, son get life for hate crime in Ahmaud Arberys death

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP)  The white father and son convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arberys fatal shooting after they chased the 25-year-old Black man through a Georgia neighborhood have been sentenced to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime. A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael on Monday in Brunswick. Both were previously sentenced to life without parole in a state court for Arberys murder. The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Neighbor William Roddie Bryan, who recorded cellphone video of the slaying, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

US pledges $1 billion more rockets, other arms for Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration has announced another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine. Monday's pledge promises what will be the biggest yet delivery of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces. The Pentagon announcement of a massive new shipment of arms comes as analysts warn that Russia is moving troops and equipment in the direction of the southern port cities to stave off a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The latest announcement brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $9.1 billion since Russian troops invaded in late February.

Albuquerque killings send fear through Islamic communities

Authorities have identified the fourth victim in a series of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the deaths sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities nationwide. Three of the slayings happened in the past week. Now law enforcement officials are seeking help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the killings in New Mexicos largest city. The common elements were the victims race and religion. Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, and ambush shootings killed three other Muslim men over the past nine months. Police are trying to determine if the homicides are linked.

Biden surveys flood damage in Kentucky, pledges more US help

LOST CREEK, Ky. (AP)  President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are witnessing firsthand the damage from deadly and devastating storms that have resulted in the worst flooding in Kentuckys history. Biden and the first lady are meeting with families and first responders in Kentucky, where at least 37 people have died after last month's deluge. Flooding remains a threat with more thunderstorms in the forecast this week. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and his wife, Britainy, joined Biden, who has increased federal assistance to the state to help its recovery. The White House says the floods and extreme weather around the country are reminders of the intensifying effects of climate change.

Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy in 'Grease,' dies at 73

NEW YORK (AP)  Olivia Newton-John, the superstar singer who was everyones favorite Sandy in Grease, has died. She was 73 and her husband said she died Monday at her California ranch. Newton-John reigned on pop, country, adult contemporary and dance charts with record sales that topped 100 million. Her fast-stepping duet with John Travolta Youre the One That I Want and the bouncy, R-rated smash Physical were some of the era's biggest songs. She had 14 top 10 singles just in the U.S. and won four Grammys. Her husband said she was a symbol of hope after sharing her journey with breast cancer.

Misfired rockets may have killed over a dozen in Gaza battle

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  The Israeli military says that close to one-third of the Palestinians who died in the latest outbreak of violence between Israel and Gaza militants may have been killed by errant rockets fired by the Palestinian side. That assessment appears consistent with independent reporting by The Associated Press. Israel says 47 Palestinians were killed in the weekend of fighting  at least 14 of them by Islamic Jihad-fired rockets that fell short. No one in Gaza with direct knowledge of the explosions in question is speaking about them publicly. But live TV footage showed militant rockets falling short in densely packed residential neighborhoods. And AP visits to the sites of two explosions lent support to suspicions they were caused by rockets that went off course.

What to watch in Wis., 3 other states in Tuesday's primaries

The Republican matchup in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race in Tuesday's primary elections features competing candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence. Democrats are picking a candidate to face two-term GOP Sen. Ron Johnson for control of the closely divided chamber. Meanwhile, voters in Vermont are picking a replacement for U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, as the chambers longest-serving member retires. In Minnesota, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar faces a primary challenger who helped defeat a voter referendum to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety.

Ezra Miller charged with felony burglary in Vermont

Actor Ezra Miller has been charged with felony burglary in Vermont, the latest in a string of incidents involving the embattled star of The Flash. Vermont State Police said in a report Monday that they responded to a burglary complaint in Stamford on May 1. Police found that several bottles of alcohol were taken from a residence while the homeowners werent present. Police charged Miller after consulting surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses. Police said they located Miller shortly before midnight on Saturday and issued a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court on Sept. 26 for arraignment.

Do spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humans

NEW YORK (AP)  New research suggests that jumping spiders show signs of sleep cycles, similar to humans and some animals. Scientists trained cameras on baby jumping spiders to find out what happened during the night. The footage showed patterns: Their legs twitched and parts of their eyes flickered. In a study published Monday, the researchers described this pattern as a REM sleep-like state. In humans, REM, or rapid eye movement, is an active phase of sleep when parts of the brain light up with activity. Some animals have been shown to experience REM sleep. But creatures like the jumping spider havent been studied very much.
Photo: The Canadian Press Conservative leadership candidate Roman Baber shakes hands with Jean Charest and Scott Aitchison following the debate, Wednesday, August 3, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

When three Conservative leadership hopefuls met this past week for a debate, the same word kept getting repeated.

Unity. Or more precisely, the need for it.

In a contest largely seen as a battle for the party's soul, which has put decades-old fissures on display between groups that make up its very coalition, what might it take to achieve unity after results are revealed Sept. 10?

As that question lingers, many in the party and beyond are preparing for a scenario in which Pierre Poilievre takes victory.

Much of that thinking is based on the longtime MP's popularity with the existing grassroots, coupled with his ability to draw big crowds and sell what his campaign claims to have been more than 300,000 memberships.

But after winning comes the challenge of leading.

"Somebody has to give some thought to the morning after," said Garry Keller, former chief of staff to Rona Ambrose, who served as the party's interim leader after it lost government in 2015.

Of the 118 other members in caucus, a whopping 62 endorsed Poilievre. That's compared to the party's 2020 leadership race when the caucus was more evenly split between Peter MacKay and the eventual winner, Erin O'Toole.

O'Toole's inability to manage caucus after losing the 2021 election to the Liberals ultimately led to his downfall. He was forced out by a vote from his MPs under provisions in the Reform Act, measures which will remain in place for the next leader.

Poilievre has said his campaign message of "freedom" serves as a great unifier among Conservatives. However, Keller said if some in caucus are taking that to mean they will be able to say whatever they want on social media, they shouldn't.

"I think people will be solely disabused of that notion."

Poilievre and his supporters have throughout the race been accused of sowing disunity in the party by instigating personal attacks against rivals, namely ex-Quebec premier Jean Charest.

Most recently, MPs endorsing Poilievre  along with Scott Aitchison, a rural Ontario representative and fellow leadership competitor  have called into question whether Charest, who has spent the past 20 years out of federal politics, plans to stick around the party after the race is over.

Longtime British Columbia MP Ed Fast, a co-chair on Charest's campaign, tweeted "the purity tests must stop" and cautioned party members that when Conservatives are divided, Liberals win.

Fast himself resigned from his role as finance critic after criticizing Poilievre's vow to fire the Bank of Canada governor, which ruffled some feathers inside caucus.

"Its a sad situation that Jean Charest, a patriot and champion of Canadian unity, continues to have his loyalty questioned by party members looking to stoke division," said Michelle Coates Mather, a spokeswoman for his campaign.

"Whats the endgame here exactly? Lose the next federal election by alienating Conservative members who support Charest? Seems a poor strategy for a party looking to expand their base and win a federal election."

While Poilievre enjoys the majority support of the party's caucus, most of the party's 10 Quebec MPs are backing Charest, opening the question of what happens next if he is not successful.

Asked recently about that possibility, MP Alain Rayes, who is organizing on Charest's campaign, expressed confidence in the former Quebec premier's chances, saying the party doesn't need "American-style divisive politics."

"I'm deeply convinced that our members will make the right choice," he said in a statement.

The group Centre Ice Conservatives, a centre-right advocacy group formed during the leadership race, contends the party has room to grow if it leaves the fringes and concentrates on issues that matter in the mainstream.

Director Michael Stuart says both Charest and Poilievre have policies that speak to the centrists, and what they're hearing from supporters of their group is a desire for more focus on "dinner table issues," such as economic growth and jobs.

"There's a lot of distraction with noise around vaccines and the convoy and those sorts of things."

Not only did Poilievre support the Freedom Convoy, he used his message of "freedom" to campaign on the anger and frustration people felt because of government-imposed COVID-19 rules, like vaccine and mask mandates.

How he will handle social conservatives also remains an open question.

Poilievre has pledged no government led by him would introduce or pass legislation restricting abortion access.

Jack Fonseca, director of political operations for the anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition, said many of those who strongly oppose vaccine mandates also share values with social conservatives.

"They are largely pro-freedom, pro-family, and yes, even pro-life and pro-faith," he said.

Social conservatives have traditionally been a well-mobilized part of the party's base during leadership contests and helped deliver wins for O'Toole and former leader Andrew Scheer, who is now helping Poilievre in the race.

While Fonseca and other anti-abortion groups are encouraging members to pick social conservative candidate Leslyn Lewis as their first choice, he said the "freedom conservatives" Poilievre recruited will expect results.

That includes giving Lewis a critic role, he said.

"He will be forced to face that reality and to deliver policy commitments to the freedom conservatives and social conservatives that are his base."

"If it doesn't, the peril is you become a flip-flopper like Erin O'Toole," he said, referring to walk-backs the former leader made on promises after winning the leadership.
As Nebraskans prepare to start a new school year, new COVID-19 cases are running at almost double the rate they have been the past two years.

Nebraska recorded 3,726 new cases last week, down slightly from 4,120 the previous week and roughly flat compared to two weeks ago, according to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data for the week ending Friday. Cases in the state have generally been running between 3,000 and 4,000 cases the past nine weeks.

However, as the state prepares to open schools for the third time since the start of the pandemic, cases are well above where they were each of the past two years. Nebraska recorded roughly 2,000 cases per week during the first week of August in both 2020 and 2021.

In both those years, cases rose rapidly after classes resumed.

Students in the Millard Public Schools return to school Wednesday. Bellevue, Papillion La Vista and Gretna Public Schools start Thursday. Elkhorn students start Aug. 16, Bennington and Springfield Platteview students return Aug. 17 and most Omaha Public Schools students return Aug. 17-18.

Both Douglas and Sarpy Counties are listed as high under the CDCs community risk levels. The community levels, which can be low, medium or high, are determined based on hospital admissions for COVID, the percentage of staffed beds occupied by COVID patients and new cases.

At the high level, the CDC advises that people wear well-fitting masks in indoor public spaces. The agency also recommends that people get vaccinated and boosted as they become eligible for additional shots.

According to the CDC, everyone 5 years and older is eligible for one booster in addition to their primary series of vaccines. Those 50 and older and people with compromised immune systems are eligible for two boosters.

In the U.S., only 60% of the 12-17 population is vaccinated and only 30% of 5- to 11-year-olds have gotten their shots.

Nebraska ranks below average in child vaccinations against COVID, with 56% of those ages 12-17 and 29% of those 5-11 fully vaccinated. Iowa is even lower at 50% and 26%, respectively.

The best states for child vaccinations  Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts  each is above 50% for younger children and above 80% for older children.

The Douglas County Health Department will offer shots for people ages 5 and older at two back-to-school events Saturday. The first is the Omaha Public Schools Back-to-School Bash at Baxter Arena, 2425 S. 67th St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The second is the Back to School Community Fair at Omaha Church of Christ, 1920 Robertson Drive, from noon to 3 p.m.

Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said last month that local school officials should be prepared for some kind of COVID wave this fall.

The protocols and procedures that schools should follow, he said, consist primarily of nonpharmaceutical measures, such as washing hands and staying home when sick.

He said he does not anticipate a return to mask mandates, although locals districts and individual school districts may ask people to exercise additional precautions, depending on local spread of the virus.

Nationally, cases are falling, down 19% from last week. Only 12 states recorded rising numbers in the past week, among them Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

Hospitalization numbers also are flattening in Nebraska. The daily average of 206 Nebraskans hospitalized for COVID-19 last week was unchanged from the prior week.

On Monday, 148 individuals were hospitalized with COVID in the Omaha metropolitan area, including four pediatric cases.

Nebraska recorded four more COVID deaths last week, bringing the total for the pandemic to 3,493. Nearly 520,000 COVID cases have been recorded in the state since the pandemic began.
Update, 9:30 a.m. Monday:

The rain that passed through the Omaha area Sunday night into Monday morning left .88 of an inch of rain at Eppley Airfield.

The National Weather Service reported that the Millard Airport recorded .22 of an inch of rain. The weather service's Valley office reported only a trace.

----------------------------

A return to school is just around the corner, but summer will still be going full blast in Omaha this week, even with a somewhat cooler start.

The temperatures are going to be a little cooler (Monday in Omaha) with highs back into the low 80s, said meteorologist Van DeWald of the National Weather Service in Valley. There will be a front settling into the area that will give us a day of respite, with a high of 83, that will feel pretty good.

Temperatures will begin to ratchet back up on Tuesday, a week before the Omaha Public Schools and other districts open for the fall semester. Families looking to take full advantage of summer before school returns need not be concerned about rain because chances for precipitation are unlikely, DeWald said.

Early Monday morning will present the best chance for some moisture with a few spotty showers lingering. Those chances will disappear by noon.

There will be no chances for rain then for the rest of the week, DeWald said.

Overall, Monday and Tuesday look to be the most pleasant days of the week in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Highs on Monday will range from the upper 70s to lower 80s across the area.

DeWald said highs Tuesday are forecast to rebound into the mid- to upper 80s. Humidity will not be as much of a concern as over the past weekend, he said.

The dewpoint wont be as bad as Saturday, certainly, DeWald said. The heat index will be about the same (as the temperature). Saturday we had a heat index of 112.

The high heat will return by Wednesday as a high-pressure system settles over the Central Plains. Temperatures will climb into the mid-90s starting Wednesday and reach a high of 96 on Saturday, he said, although the dewpoint will remain in the 60s.

The result is expected to be a less uncomfortable dry heat that will continue through Sunday. The high temperature Sunday is forecast to be 91 degrees.

The bigger story is that were not going to get rain, DeWald said. The drought in Omaha is back in the abnormally dry category. Without any rain, Im afraid, well see a continued degradation of our drought status.
Omaha police have arrested three people in connection with a shooting Saturday night that killed an 18-year-old man.

Police were called to the area of 34th and Davenport Streets about 11 p.m. for a report of shots fired and located Dayton Wenz suffering from gunshot wounds. Wenz, a 2022 graduate of Omaha Central High School, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died, a police spokesman said.

Jordan Humphrey, 21, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony, possession of a defaced firearm, tampering with evidence and two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute.

Police also arrested two teenagers on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony: Schuyler Buckingham-Yeoman, 18, and Alicia Granneman, 19.
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Monday he would not call for a special session to debate stricter abortion restrictions in Nebraska, citing a lack of votes in support of proposed legislation.

The announcement came after Ricketts received a letter from Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers featuring signatures from 30 senators supporting a special session to debate a 12-week abortion ban. That is three votes short of the 33 votes needed for a filibuster-ending cloture motion, which Ricketts noted in his explanation for not calling a special session.

It is deeply saddening that only 30 Nebraska state senators are willing to come back to Lincoln this fall in order to protect innocent life, Ricketts said in the announcement.

The letter Hilgers sent proposed changing Nebraskas current statute that bans abortions at 20 weeks after fertilization to a 12-week ban.

Marion Miner of the Nebraska Catholic Conference has said Nebraska has one of the most permissive and extreme abortion policies in the world.

Hilgers said he thought the proposal would attract the most support within the Nebraska Legislature, though he said many of the 30 senators who signed likely would support stricter restrictions.

Earlier Monday, Ricketts said he still was working with Hilgers and indicated he was open to calling a special session. Ricketts did not comment on whether he would support a 12-week ban over a complete ban. He said only that he wanted to see what more the state could do to protect preborn babies.

Many Southern and Midwestern states have passed abortion bans in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade. In the spring, Nebraska lawmakers attempted to pass a trigger bill that would have banned all abortions in the state upon the ruling, but it failed when it couldnt muster 33 votes to end a filibuster against it. The final vote was 31-15.

After the high courts ruling, many lawmakers considered a special session to be inevitable. But as more than a month went by without word from the governor, senators began to doubt that there were enough votes to support a ban.

The 30 votes represented in the letter are an indication that the effort to strengthen abortion restrictions has lost two votes, with Sens. John Stinner of Gering and Robert Hilkemann of Omaha  who both voted yes on the trigger bill  not listed in the letter calling for a special session. (In the 31-15 vote this spring, Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha, who was ill, was not present to cast a vote on the trigger bill. Pahls, who has since died, has been replaced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, who signed the letter in support of a special session.)

In his announcement, Ricketts urged Nebraskans to thank the 30 senators who signed the letter and encourage the 19 remaining senators to change their minds. On his monthly radio show, Ricketts said he would reconsider a special session if enough lawmakers changed their minds to support further abortion restrictions.

Hilkemann and Stinner said Monday that they shared the same reasoning for not signing the letter. They said the issue was too important to debate in a special session, which can last as little as seven days. They both said the issue deserved to be debated in full during a regular session.

This is too important of an issue, Hilkemann said.

Hilkemann said if a special session had been called, he likely would have supported a 12-week ban, depending on the specifics of the bill. He said he told Hilgers this, but he also said he didnt want to debate it during a special session. Hilkemann said Hilgers wanted his commitment that he would vote yes, but Hilkemann said he didnt want to commit to anything without first seeing the bill.

Stinner said Monday he rather would pass a 15-week ban, but he said he would have listened to arguments for a 12-week ban. He voted yes for the trigger bill in the first round, but even then he said he wanted there to be amendments to it if it had moved forward.

The politically charged environment of a special session gives little opportunity for amendments or serious debate, Stinner said, both of which he thinks are necessary for this issue. He said he considers abortion restrictions one of the most important topics for the Nebraska Legislature to address.

Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, who introduced the trigger bill, said she didnt buy Stinner and Hilkemanns reasoning. She said the issue was important enough to warrant the urgency of a special session.

Were talking about lives here, Albrecht said.

Albrecht said she never told Hilgers that she would vote for a 12-week ban because she would prefer a more extreme restriction than that. She criticized Stinner and Hilkemann, saying they were elected to serve Nebraskans all the way to the end of their terms, including outside of regular sessions.

Both Stinner and Hilkemann are term-limited and will not be serving in the next regular session.

Albrecht called the lack of a special session a travesty, but she said she understood Ricketts decision. She said she will continue to work behind the scenes to figure out what abortion legislation might be successful in the next regular session.

Well do what we need to do in January, Albrecht said.

Meanwhile, Ricketts decision was considered a victory for officials in the abortion-rights camp.

I am glad that women and their doctors are safe until at least the next regular session, said Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln.

Nebraska Democratic Party chairwoman Jane Kleeb called the decision good news in an emailed statement, but urged lawmakers and voters to continue resisting attempts at passing further restrictions.

Though conservative lawmakers, including Albrecht and Ricketts, have continued their assertions that Nebraska is a pro-life state, more people are beginning to question whether that is true. Kleeb said in her email that a majority of Nebraskans support keeping abortion access legal, and a recent ACLU poll found that 55% of Nebraskans were against a complete abortion ban.

A caller to the governors radio show Monday also questioned the assumption. The caller, identified as Steve from Lincoln, said he doesnt think Nebraskans want tighter abortion laws and he thinks Ricketts and other GOP governors and senators are out of touch with rest of the nation.

I think the majority is kind of OK with Roe v. Wade, he said.

Even Hilkemann, a moderate Republican who said he has supported all anti-abortion legislation in the past, said most of the recent emails his office received from constituents were against a special session and were against a complete abortion ban.

World-Herald staff writer Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.
Despite the urging of the states health department to resume school-based COVID-19 testing for students this fall, officials at several Illinois districts said this week they are halting the program due to waning interest from parents and the availability of home tests.

Weve decided not to offer SHIELD testing as we start the new school year, but were always cautious, and will be ready to pivot back to that partnership if things change, said Mary Gorr, superintendent of Mount Prospect School District 57.

The SHIELD Illinois program offers K-12 students weekly PCR saliva screenings they can opt into with the permission of a parent or guardian. Gorr said while the free testing was not a financial burden, it disrupted learning time and was a lot for our nurses and front office staff.

Another group who may have found the weekly screenings disruptive: parents making quick arrangements for their children to stay home from school if they tested positive on a routine screening, even if they werent sick.

We feel like were turning a corner now, with all of the availability of testing and vaccines, and we hope our schools can return fully to institutes for learning, Gorr said. The demand from parents for school testing started dwindling last year, and now, it really isnt there.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced in June it renewed an agreement with SHIELD offering every public school outside of Chicago as well as the states private schools the opportunity to use the University of Illinois saliva-based testing platform at no cost for the 2022-23 school year. Chicago Public Schools has a separate testing program.

School districts were asked to sign up by July 15 in order to guarantee testing on the first day of school.

Around 180 of the roughly 850 public school districts in Illinois have signed up for SHIELD testing so far, and given the programs rolling enrollment, that number is expected to increase during the coming weeks, said Beth Heller, a spokeswoman for SHIELD Illinois.

Last year, 258 public school districts signed up for the program, with testing conducted at about 1,700 public and private school buildings, Heller said.

Bloomington-Normal's major school districts are split on whether to get the state tests or not.

Bloomington District 87's COVID plan for 2022-23 includes recommending at home and healthcare provider testing for people with symptoms, but not testing at school. District Communications Director Gina Lavazza confirmed the district does not plan to have school nurses doing testing.

The district's guide for students recommends students get tested if they have COVID symptoms, and then to stay home for at least five days if they test positive or make their decision based off the district's general illness guidance in the student handbook if they test negative.

McLean County Unit 5 will be providing testing in schools, spokeswoman Dayna Brown said. The testing will be voluntary, being for those students whose parents want to use the service. It is also only for students who are showing symptoms.

As always, Unit 5 is also asking students who are sick to stay home.

A spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday, Protecting access to in-person learning is the states top priority.

Thats why IDPH and ISBE (the Illinois State Board of Education) have worked diligently to ensure school districts have access to free resources, like tests, to control the spread of coronavirus, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement.

In addition to SHIELD testing, The state will also make one million rapid tests available to schools, Abudayyeh said.

In 2021-22, through various federal funds, $136 million from the IDPH plus roughly $10 million from Chicago Department of Public Health was used on around 6 million tests in K-12 schools, community colleges, universities and community-based sites in Illinois, Heller said.

The cost of the program for 2022-23 is unknown, but expected to be much less, Heller said.

The program covers the cost of testing supplies, support for collection and transportation of samples, and lab work. But schools producing fewer than 50 samples on a given day must collect and deliver the samples for analysis themselves, though they are reimbursed $8 for each test they collect and transport, according to Heller.

Over the past year plus, SHIELD Illinois has worked to reduce as many barriers as possible to make this manageable for schools, Heller said. We know how challenging their roles are and COVID is not their only concern.

One way SHIELD is trying to make the initiative more accessible is to give schools choices on how they want to run their programs, including selecting an option for unobserved testing, where students collect their saliva samples at home.

They do have to consider their own community and bandwidth as they decide what to do and once they select testing as a way to keep their community safe from COVID, SHIELD will help them with that process, Heller said.

While it is too early to predict the impact of the virus once schools reopen, Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern Universitys Institute for Global Health and a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine, said the easing of virus mitigation requirements statewide in recent months is already having consequences for public health.

Nobody should be surprised when cases are up, hospitalizations are up and deaths are up, Murphy said.

I think everyone has COVID burnout, but COVID is not burned out, he said. Everyone is tired of it, but you cant let your guard down in the middle of a pandemic.

Officials who are resuming SHIELD testing say given the surge of the highly contagious BA.5 variant  as of Friday, all six counties covering the Chicago area reported high community levels  it is important for school districts to remain vigilant.

The great thing about SHIELD is it catches the virus even before a student shows symptoms, which means we can immediately take them out of circulation so they dont infect anyone else, said Robert Machak, superintendent of Woodland School District 50 in suburban Lake County.

Last year, the district handled an average of 3,000 tests per week, collecting a total of 90,000 samples during the 2021-22 school year, Machak said. Of those, 2,000 came back positive.

Machak said the pre-K-8 school district tested more than half of its roughly 4,800 students once a week and honored the requests of the parents who decided to opt out.

We found almost 2,000 cases, around 2% of the tests, and those 2,000 people did not have symptoms, so screening allowed us to find them and keep them out of school while they were in quarantine, he said.

SHIELD has been a game changer for us, and has helped us keep everyone healthy, Machak said. Were all looking at the greater good, and its wonderful to see the community pulling together.

While those who agree to have their children participate in SHIELD programs say they appreciate the convenience of free, school-based screenings, others, including Deerfield parent Michelle Hammer, say as students begin their fourth year of school during a pandemic, its time to move on.

It will perpetuate unnecessary anxiety for students to start testing them again, said Hammer, whose 16-year-old daughter is a junior at Deerfield High School, which is resuming SHIELD testing later this month.

Hammer said school-based COVID-19 testing is disruptive and leads to unnecessary absences.

Were not testing for the cold, flu or strep ... Why is this being dragged on? she asked. We need to go back to the days of when if your kids dont feel good, they stay home from school. Its just common sense.

Still, for parents with children who are at risk of serious illness if they are infected with COVID-19, the states lifting of mandatory indoor masking and easing of other virus mitigation tools makes SHIELD screenings a valuable safeguard.

I really felt like SHIELD testing was a win-win, because its not an extra expense for the school district, and the goal is to keep our kids healthy and in school by preventing outbreaks, said Alexis Hammond, a mother of two children enrolled in Arlington Heights School District 25, one of whom, Carter, 8, was diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

Last year, Carter qualified for District 25s home-based instruction, and was provided with a tutor five hours a week. But after improvements in Carters medical condition in recent months, Hammond said her son is excited to meet his new classmates at Patton Elementary School later this month.

Our family is still choosing to mask indoors, but a lot of families are not, so I hope no one bullies them, Hammond said.

The bottom line is, were not all looking at the public health guidance, which is there to protect everyone in the community, especially kids like Carter, Hammond said.

The Pantagraph's Connor Wood contributed to this report.
VA CAREGIVER PROGRAM

About 33,000 families are enrolled in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Initially, the program was open only to post-9/11 veterans, but in 2018 Congress approved expansion to other generations of veterans as well. Veterans who served before May 1975 were admitted starting in 2020, and all remaining veterans will be eligible starting fall 2022. The program offers a series of legal and support services to families, but the most prominent benefit is the monthly caregiver stipend. Today, monthly stipends vary based on where the veteran lives, but generally hover about $3,000 for the full Level 2 stipend and $1,800 for the partial Level 1 stipend. A full-time caregiver to a veteran who is unable to self-sustain in the community can receive the full monthly stipend, while a caretaker of a vet with lesser but still life-altering limitations can receive a partial payment. In the fall of 2020, the VA announced a review of the original caregiver cases to determine whether they met the new guidelines for eligibility. At the time of the review, officials estimated that about one-third of the nearly 20,000 legacy participants could be dropped from the program because of eligibility changes. The VA promised to keep paying benefits to the affected veterans until at least the end of 2022. Browse "VA PCAFC" program for more detailed information and how to apply for benefits.

PACT ACT

The PACT Act (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act) has passed and has been sent to the presidents desk to be signed. The most significant part of this act will increase the number of veterans eligible for increased compensation for exposure to Agent Orange by about 600,000 of the 1.6 million living Vietnam veterans. Additionally, veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll will be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange and could receive compensation for illnesses presume to have been caused by their exposure. More details will be available after the president signs the act into law. Other toxic exposures include burn pits.

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL ADDITION DEDICATED

The Forgotten War Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., has been expanded to include the names of the 36,634 American and 7,174 KATUSA soldiers who served with American forces during the Korean War. The KATUSA soldiers were part of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, which was a program created at the outbreak of the Korean War through an agreement between the United Sates and the Republic of Korea. The original Korean War memorial was dedicated in 1995, with the addition financed through donations from Americans, Koreans and businesses in Korea. President Biden issued a proclamation marking July 27 as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.

DESERT STORM WAR MEMORIAL GROUNDBREAKING

The groundbreaking for the Desert Storm War Memorial in D.C. was held July 14, the culmination of several years' effort to gain approval for the location and funding for the memorial. The site is on the southwest corner of 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue near the Commission of Fine Arts, about a block from the US. Department of State. The memorials $40 million price tag was raised through donations and $10 million from Kuwait in 2020, which was the country that the Desert Storm War liberated! A heartfelt salute is owed and given to those who served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and the Gulf War conflicts.
Zeepay, the leading cross-border payments company operating as a challenger mobile money company today announces a raise of US$10 million.



The medium-term debt raise, which forms part of its A.5 series, comes to support Zeepay in a bid to augment its fast growing remittance to wallet business. The raise was led by Symbiotics BV with US$9 million and supported by a Mauritius-based fund with US$1 million totalling US$10 million.



According to the Founder and Managing Director, Andrew Takyi-Appiah I, the raise was necessary and comes at the time when we are planning to increase our annual turnover from US$1.5 billion circa 2021 to US$200 billion over the next five years.



Godfried Boakye, CFO, mentioned that the raise had become mission critical as we expand our service offering and African expansion and well within a manageable Loan to value ratio of 9percent. This will help augment support from local African banks the likes of Ecobank, Fidelity Bank and Absa.



Kwabena Appenteng, Transaction Advisor at Verdant Capital, said: we are delighted to see the close of this component of the round, and urge local financial institutions and pension funds to find their niche, to enable them to participate alongside international lenders in the future as we work to deepen the African fintech ecosystem.



JLD & MB Legal Consultancy acted as legal counsel to Zeepay in connection with the funding. Zoe P. Takyi  Appiah, a senior partner of the firm mentioned, this is another notable milestone for Zeepay. Indeed, the company continues to break boundaries and expand its borders. We are delighted that this transaction has been realized and to have been a part of it.



About ZEEPAY



Zeepay is the fastest-growing FINTECH into Mobile Financial Services across Africa with Operations in Ghana and United Kingdom and terminating to 20 countries across Africa and with termination agreements in over 90 jurisdictions globally. We specialize in Remittance termination into mobile wallets and are completely network and partner agnostic.



Zeepay is a wholly-owned Ghanaian company, regulated in the UK by Financial Conduct Authority-FCA # 592538 and in Ghana by The Bank of Ghana- #00001 under the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987).

Zeepay supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 and is considered a Financial Inclusion Company positioned to improve last mile access. Visit myzeepay.com for more information.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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While the challenges facing healthcare delivery, especially within Africa, are varied, one fundamental problem hospitals grapple with on a daily basis is the prolonged stay of patients after they have been discharged. Aside from increasing already-existing healthcare costs, this phenomenon causes overcrowding and increases the risk of morbidity among patients since they are more prone to get further illnesses.



The problem for the majority of these patients is raising the necessary funds to pay their medical bills, especially if they are the breadwinners of their families. In some very deprived communities, opinion leaders, including pastors, headteachers, and family heads, rely on the contributions of their constituents to provide support for hospitalised members of their community.



Hospitals across the country are forced to occasionally write-off these debts or have some flexible arrangements with families in order to make room for other people who need medical care. Individuals and organisations occasionally come to the rescue of these distressed patients, while some patients do the unimaginable by seneaking out of the hospital.



Through its Homecoming initiative, Vodafone Ghana has been consistent in helping the country address this challenge. For a decade now, the charity arm of the organisation, Vodafone Ghana Foundation, has gone to the aid of over 3,000 patients in various hospitals across the country.



Besides reuniting families, this remarkable initiative has given back hope to families and communities as patients have gone back to their livelihoods and are able to fend for their families, while some are now able to pursue their dreams. The joy of families who have been impacted by this initiative is met with tears of joy and usual euphoria in the entire community as patients return home.



One of the beneficiaries of this initiative is five-year-old Joseph Sackey, who was treated for severe burns. He spent eight weeks in the hospital because his family abandoned him in their efforts to raise the required funds. Joseph was reunited with his family in Weija, Accra in 2013.



In 2018, Vodafone went to the aid of William Mehuadzo, a victim of the Nkonya and Alavanyo conflict. William, who is a farmer, was shot from behind while working on his farm one early morning. He became unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital and then transferred to Korle-Bu. He prolonged his stay like other patients because raising the said amount for his treatment was a challenge until the Vodafone Ghana Foundation came to his rescue.



The Vodafone Ghana Foundation continues to receive commendations from stakeholders within the healthcare delivery space. The Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, in a recent remark, said:

"Through this initiative, Vodafone is changing lives, putting smiles on the faces of people and reuniting families. I believe this great gesture represents what the Vodafone Foundation evidently stands for, bringing relief and support to the vulnerable in our communities.'



Vodafone Homecomings contribution to decongesting hospitals during this pandemic cannot be overstated. In 2020 and 2021, Vodafone sent more than 700 patients home from hospitals in all sixteen regions of Ghana. This also helped slow the spread of the pandemic in a way.



In its efforts to find a lasting solution to this challenge, the Vodafone Ghana Foundation has registered and renewed cards for almost 1,000 beneficiaries on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable them to continue to receive quality healthcare at a very reduced cost.



The Vodafone Ghana Foundation and Sustainability Lead, Amaris N.A. Perby said:

"Vodafone Ghana Foundation is dedicated to improving livelihoods and communities throughout the country. Healthcare is one of our focal areas for the Foundations strategic orientation, and we will continue to champion this course with our various health initiatives.



Many health institutions have benefitted from Vodafones benevolence. These include, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi South Regional Hospital, Sunyani Regional Hospital, Worawora Government Hospital, Jasikan District Hospital, Bibiani Government Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Goaso Municipal Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, Nkwanta, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), Shai Osudoku Hospitals, Eastern Regional Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ho Teaching Hospital, and Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.



The 2022 edition of Vodafone Homecoming has just begun, and it has already reached out to patients in selected hospitals within the Northern Region.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Photo: The Canadian Press Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault.

Quebec's independent police watchdog is investigating allegations that a Senegalese diplomat was detained and beaten by police in an Ottawa suburb last week.

Guy Lapointe of the Bureau des enquetes independantes says the watchdog started its probe by requesting copies of the reports made in the wake the incident.

The Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the diplomat, who works at the West African nation's embassy in Ottawa, had to be hospitalized after being handcuffed and beaten by police on Aug. 2 at her Gatineau, Que., home.

Gatineau police said in response that they arrested a woman after she hit a police officer in the face, adding she was tackled to the ground after allegedly biting another officer.

Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault on Saturday asked the watchdog to investigate, saying there are questions surrounding the event.

Lapointe says the watchdog is not publishing a news release with preliminary information about the facts of the case, as it usually does, in part because the Gatineau police have already publicized their version of events.
Mr. Sule Salifu, Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive has expressed concern about the rising rate of prostitution in the Tamale Metropolis.



He said it had become a bane of authorities because all attempts to combat it had failed, adding, it had become appealing to both local people and foreigners.



He expressed concern when addressing this year's International Youth Week celebration in Tamale, organized by the National Youth Authority and partners.



Sex workers flood major streets in the metropolis all night, especially around the Police Barracks, Bank of Ghana and Victory Cinema areas.



Mr. Salifu said the sex workers had also recruited young men in the city and placed them in strategic locations to protect and inform them about any threats to their night-time activities and urged landlords and landladies to thoroughly investigate their tenants' backgrounds before renting out their rooms to help reduce such crimes.



He warned that the security agencies would soon come after them since their activities had effects on the younger generation.

Source: GNA









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The Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Council has appealed to President Nana Akufo Addo and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure that justice is served to the 27-year-old woman gruesomely murdered in the area some months ago.



The deceased, Martha Tetteh, a resident of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region was alleged to have travelled to Sefwi Bekwai on June 27, 2022, to consult a spiritualist but met her untimely death.



Three suspects have so far been arrested by the Western North Regional Police Command, one of whom is alleged to be the Sanaahene of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area, last month came as a surprise to the chiefs.



Speaking at a press conference at the forecourt of the traditional palace, the acting President of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area, Katakyie Kwasi Afful II, who doubles as the Benkumhene of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area and Chief of Sefwi Apenkrom expressed the displeasure of the council about the rampant murder cases in the area.



The traditional leaders, thus, demanded the whereabouts of the missing head of the lady (Martha Tetteh) from the police and appealed to the IGP, the President, prosecutors and judges to allow justice to prevail.



Their appeal is against the backdrop of an allegation that some elements within the council wanted to use the money to influence the trial of the case.



The Paramount Queen Mother of Sefwi Bekwai, Obaahemaa, Nana Abena Aniwaa II, expressed the belief that the crime could not have been executed by the three suspects alone and that there were other accomplices.



She, therefore, appealed to the prosecution to make all efforts to trace and fish out the rest of the perpetrators for justice to be served and warned town folks linking her to the arrest of the Sanaahene of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Council Kwasi Kokoreh to stop and allow the police to do their investigations.



The Mmrantene of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area, Nana Kwesi Apoh, who spoke on behalf of the youth in Sefwi Bekwai and its environs also pleaded with the Police to try as much as possible to arrest all the perpetrators who murdered the 27-year-old woman to redeem their image.



He added that fair judgement about the case would go a long way to serve as a lesson to others and save the people of Sefwi land from a global tag of murder.





Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed optimism that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will make history in the 2024 general election by breaking the eight-year political rule cycle.



That, he said, could be achieved if the government remained resolute and held on to the momentum of the ongoing developmental drive.



He noted that despite the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war on the economy, if the government did not listen to "unnecessary comments" and remained focused and worked hard, it would put the NPP in a good position to break the eight-year political cycle in 2024.



Breaking the eight is very feasible. Many people forget that in 2008 when we lost, we nearly broke the eight if you look at the vote margin. Overall, we were short by 40,000 votes. That was a tiny margin so it tells you that if NPP puts things together, we can make history," he noted.



President Akufo-Addo said this in a radio interview with Nalerigu-based Nobya FM as part of his tour of the North East Region last Saturday (August 6, 2022)



Legacies



Addressing the people via the local radio, he said it was extremely important for Ghanaians to repose their confidence in the NPP in 2024 because the "NPP is the only political party that has the capacity to develop the country systematically".



He said it would be his greatest legacy to leave the party to go over that historic hurdle, while ensuring the peace and development of the country.



"I came to office with Ghana as a peaceful and united country; I will like to leave that also as part of my achievement in office. I also want to see a Ghana which is growing rapidly again with the seven to eight per cent growth rate we went through in my first term in office to open opportunities for young people and to have a very strong educational structure," he said.



"I will like to be in a situation whereby in 10 years down the lane people will remember that Akufo-Addo's period saw Ghana expand and grow and become stronger," he said.



Terrorists scare



On the recent threats of terrorism attacks, President Akufo-Addo called for collective efforts to ward off possible threats of terrorism from neighbouring countries.



He admonished the people to remain vigilant and report suspicious characters in their localities to the security agencies.



Courtesy call



Earlier, the President paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, to kick start his tour of the region.



Naa Bohagu Sheriga lauded the President for initiating a number of projects which were impacting the lives of the people.



He also thanked the President for appointing the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Zuweira Lariba Abudu, as Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.



As part of the tour, President Akufo-Addo also paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Yunyoo, Naa Dauda Yamyia Tooka II, at his palace.

Source: Graphiconline









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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His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, supported by the Deputy CEO of the Youth Employment Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru and a number of ministers, has commissioned a newly built multi-purpose North East Regional Office of the Agency.



The office is to aid the new Headquarters of the agency in the North East Region to begin full operations and in line with the President's vision of job creation, decentralisation and infrastructural development, actualize equitable implementation of the "One Million Jobs" agenda.



President Akufo-Addo, who on the occasion also commissioned another newly built magnificent edifice to serve as the administrative head of the North East Region, was elated at the development of infrustructure at the Region.



Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark the commissioning, President Akufo-Addo called on all and sundry to support the employment agenda of his government.



He believes this initiative will help maintain peace in the Region and the country at large as well as bring about development.



Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations at the Youth Employment Agency acting on behalf of the CEO Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua thanked the President for his resourcefulness and support for the agency since 2017.



Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru pointed out a deficiency which impeded the operations and effective implementation of modules of the agency that had been infested with corruption in the previous years.



"Management took a bold decision of revamping and reforming the Agency into an enviable one, a result of which we are experiencing today", he said.



According to Mr. Bashiru, two of such Regional offices have been completed in the Oti, Western North and Ahafo Regions with others at various stages of completion in other Regions and districts.



He explained that all these are intended to bring life to the agency's innovative programmes like the Agric-based Flagship projects, YEA Jobcentre, Artisan Directory, CHWS etc.

Mr. Bashiru further assured the President and the entire country of consistent hardwork and innovation to bring more development and create more jobs for the youth of Ghana.



North East Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency, Nurudeen Mohammed was thankful to the President, Lawyer Frimpong Kodua and Ibrahim Bashiru for their immense support and bringing the agency closer to the people.



The event was also graced by the Overlord of the Mamprugu traditional area, Naa Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, North East Regional Minister Mr. Zakaria Yidana, Local Government Minister Mr. Dan Botwe, other cabinet ministers, Presidential staffers, staff of YEA among others.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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In 2021, the Noyam African Dance Institute teamed up with ME Dance Company and Conception Dance Africa from UK and Grenada respectively with support from the British Council.



The collaboration leveraged available technology to produce Oceans of Independence, an experimental dance piece performed simultaneously with three different countries across three different time zones in the COVID-19 era.



After a successful experiment last year, Noyam African Dance Institute (Ghana), ME Dance Professional Company, ME Dance Youth and Graduate Company, and Conception Dance Theatre (Grenada) have been joined this year by Eloquent Praise Dance Company, Kidderminster College, amongst others at the Birmingham 2022 Festival in the United Kingdom.



The festival, which forms as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games currently ongoing in Birmingham, will be presenting Chain Stories; an exciting site-specific performance telling the story of those who came to contact with the chains made in the Black Country, and how that links the region to Commonwealth Countries.



Reflecting over the weeks of intensive rehearsal at the Newhampton Arts Centre, the director of the Noyam African Dance institute, Nii-Tete Yartey stated, "It is sad to think that years ago people were captured from their homes, put in chains, and sent across the ocean against their will. However, we are happy to be able to use dance and music to tell the stories of real-life people who fought for equality as well as the struggles and pain of those who were affected.



For Noyam African Dance Institute, the journey from West Africa, Ghana to the United Kingdom to perform at the Birmingham Festival 2022 presents an opportunity to project not only Ghanas traditional dances but also importantly, its vibrant and calculative contemporary dance form.



This event is sponsored by the British Council, Arts Council England, Canal & River Trust, and Black Country Touring. The project is also hosted by ME Dance UK, and directed and choreographed by Marica Edwards (UK), Nii-Tete Yartey (Ghana) and Cecilia Griffith (Grenada).







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Comedian Janno Gibbs jokingly asked filmmaker Darryl Yap to make a movie about him. (Photos: Janno Gibbs/Instagram, Darryl Yap/Facebook)

In an apparent dig at the factual inaccuracies in filmmaker Darryl Yap's movie Maid In Malacanang, comedian Janno Gibbs has jokingly made a request of Yap to make a movie about himself.

Gibbs asked Yap to portray him with flattering features: "Direk Darryl, gawan mo naman ng movie ang buhay ko. Request: Gawin mo kong matangkad, matangos at hindi nale-late sa work. Wag mo na rin isaman yung mga chicks na na-link sakin. "

(Director Darryl, make a movie of my life. Request: Make me tall, with a sharp nose and never late for work. Dont include the women that are linked to me.)

Gibbs signed off his post with, "Labyu Direk." (I love you Direk.)

In case people misunderstood that he was merely joking, Gibbs also requested news outlets not to remove the emojis in his post.

"Babala: Sa mga news portal na mag pick-up nito; wag nyo tanggalin ung Emojis at gawing seryoso ha!" Gibbs said.

(Warning: To the news portals that will pick this up  dont remove the emojis and make it serious!)

Historical inaccuracies in Yap movie

Maid In Malacanang, directed by Darryl Yap, is supposedly a reenactment of the Marcos family's last three days in the Palace before they were forced to flee the Philippines during the EDSA Revolution in 1986. The Viva movie, starring Cesar Montano and Ruffa Gutierrez, was released this month.

Veteran director Joel Lamangan has pledged to make a movie to counter historical accuracies in Yap's film.

A scene in Maid In Malacanang portrayed the EDSA protesters who stormed the Palace as carrying flaming torches, when they did not carry such torches in real life.

The movie also inaccurately portrayed the reaction of former president Corazon "Cory" Aquino to Ferdinand Marcos Sr. being driven out of the Palace by protesters.

Furthermore, regarding a scene that depicted Aquino playing mahjong with the sisters of the Carmelite Monastery in Cebu, the nuns said that the movie trivialized their role during the EDSA Revolution.

Story continues

The controversy surrounding Maid In Malacanang is part of ongoing fears that the Marcos family is attempting to revise history in order to depict themselves in a better light.

Yap made the movie in consultation with Senator Imee Marcos, daughter of then-president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Businessmen and Marcos-affiliated politicians reportedly gave away tickets to the movie for free.

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Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

The killing of those involved in illegal drugs is not a solution, said newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

Instead, the goal should be to pursue the masterminds of the drug trade.

According to The Philippine Star, Azurin stressed increased contact with barangay chairmen who can identify the personalities involved in the drug trade, and also elaborate on the drug situation in their respective areas and the necessary solutions.

Through this, said Azurin, many lives will be saved but those responsible for selling and making illegal drugs will be jailed.

The PNP chief added that he will give priority to the Malaskit, Kaayusan, Kapayapaan and Kaunlaran framework, which prioritizes the development of each area.

Earlier, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said that the war on drugs under the administration of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. will be as intensive as before under his watch, he said in an interview.

However, Abalos assured that he will institute reforms in the conduct of the drug operation, make a stronger case against drug offenders and push for fewer dismissal of cases, clean the ranks of police and provide them support, and address the root cause of the drug problem in the country.

Marcos on August 1 ruled out any plans for the Philippines to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC)

"The Philippines has no intention of rejoining the ICC," Marcos told reporters, adding that he has consulted with his legal team in the previous week to discuss the resumption of the ICC investigation.

The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019. Then President Rodrigo Duterte accused the ICC of prejudice by starting a preliminary examination into thousands of killings by police.

An ICC prosecutor plans to resume an investigation into the Duterte government's bloody "war on drugs".

Human Rights Watch (HRW) estimates that the war on drugs has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 Filipinos, the majority of whom are urban poor. At least 2,555 of the killings have been attributed to the Philippine National Police.

Story continues

Duterte and other senior officials have instigated and incited the killings in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity, added HRW.

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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Teresa Watkins worked to salvage a few mud-caked belongings from her home on a Breathitt County branch of the Kentucky River after July 28 floods slammed her neighborhood for the second time in 17 months.

The 54-year-old, who has lived off Quicksand Road since she was a teenager, said the flooding in recent years"more and more, worse and worse"has left difficult dilemmas in a county where median household incomes of $29,538 are less than half the national average.

She pointed to a mobile home one family abandoned last year. Now, more say they're leaving for safer areas, she said, but it's not that easy.

"I don't know how they can afford it, or where they're going to go. Any property is basically along the river line or creek banks," she said. "And if they go up on the mountains, the mountains slide."

Devastating floods that killed at least 37 people in Kentucky and recent damage in other parts of Appalachia, including Virginia and West Virginia, are fueling urgent questions about how to mitigate the impact of hazardous flooding that is only expected to increase as climate change fuels more extreme weather.

But in one of America's most economically depressed regions, there are few easy answers.

The region's mountainous landscape, high poverty rates, dispersed housing in remote valleys, coal-mining scarred mountains that accelerate floods and under-resourced local governments all make solutions extremely difficult.

Measures such as flood wells, drainage systems or raising homes are expensive for cash-strapped counties. Buyouts or building restrictions are difficult in areas where safer options and new home construction are limited. Many are unable or unwilling to uproot.

And tamping down extreme weather by reducing climate-changing emissions nationwide is a goal that is politically fraught, including in a region with coal in its veins, that promises no quick relief.

"If we had all the money in the world, and we had the political will and cooperation, we could go a long way towards solving these problems," said William Haneberg, director of the Kentucky Geological Survey and a professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky.

Even as Kentucky's devastation renews attention to longstanding challenges, some residents say they have little hope that effective protections will arrive anytime soon.

For now, the emphasis is on trying to rebuild what was lost. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said recently that he may call a special legislative session for more aid to the region, and FEMA is providing housing and other help.

Still, repeat floods have prompted some officials to search for longer-term answers. Buchanan County, Virginia, for example, is drawing up a flood-resiliency plan to identify projects to blunt flooding's impact. But those projects would still have to be paid for.

Some residents are fatalistic or doubt the government can do much. Others are pushing for more protections in areas where many have few options to move and can't afford flood insurance.

In the Buchanan County community of Pilgrim's Knob, Sherry Honaker, 55, this week watched crews remove debris from her niece's home on Dismal Creek. It was gutted in a major flood about two weeks before the Kentucky floodsthe county's second this year.

"Something needs to be done," she said.

How susceptible is Appalachia?

Central Appalachia is no stranger to flooding. But the latest high water in Eastern Kentucky was record-breaking, and experts expect more to follow.

Amid the larger pattern of extreme weather in the United States, from wildfires to heat waves, meteorologists and climate scientists say human-driven climate change comes with a warmer atmosphere capable of holding more moisture.

That can mean more bouts of intense rainfall, and more rain in a short period of time fuels flash flooding, said Antonia Sebastian, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill specializing in flood resilience and mitigation.

The region's topography also contributes to how "flashy" a flood can be, Sebastian said.

The steep slopes of the Appalachians allow water to rush quickly into the narrow valleys below, sometimes swamping hollows before residents have a chance to escape.

In 2019, an Inside Climate News analysis of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers streamflow data and satellite images of disturbed land from strip mining found areas such as the Big Sandy watershed, which straddles the Kentucky and West Virginia state line, to be among the most threatened by climate-change-fueled extreme weather within the Ohio River Basin.

The region's history of coal mining, as well as logging, can exacerbate flooding, experts said, by dramatically altering the landscape.

With surface mining, trees are the first to go, then sometimes hundreds of feet of rock are blasted away from the tops and sides of mountains to get at underground seams of coal.

"Normally, on a forested hillside, the trees and their roots will absorb 40% to 50% of the rain that falls, then slowly release it," said Jack Spadaro, a former top federal mine safety engineer. After mining, surfaces robbed of vegetation help fuel flash flooding, he said.

Housing patterns also contribute to the area's vulnerability, with many residences scattered in smaller communities along a road that often winds along a creek lined with steep hillsides.

In Kentucky's Breathitt County, for example, half of all homes are at a high risk of flooding, according to data provided to U.S. TODAY by the First Street Foundation, a research and technology nonprofit that tracks flood risks.

The same is true of 46% of homes in Perry County and 58% in Letcher County.

"You hear people say, 'Oh, you know, they shouldn't live in a floodplain. They should move someplace else.' But if you look at a lot of these towns, there are really not a lot of good options," Haneberg said.

Added to that is the area's economic vulnerability. Many residents cannot afford flood insurance.

Amid coal's decline, good jobs are hard to find. Breathitt County's poverty rate is 28%, more than twice the national rate of 11%. The median home value of $53,000 is less than a quarter of the national average, according to the U.S. Census.

The region has higher rates of chronic disease and populations that have fallen in recent decades.

Jessica Willett, 34, whose remote Jackson home was pushed downstream by flooding while she and her two children were inside, said she was nervous about rebuilding on Bowling Creek.

But it's also a home she doesn't want to leave.

"My aunt down the road, she is going to move. She lost everything," she said. "It's just hard because down here, there's a lot of family land. We want our kids and grandkids to grow up on it."

The 'pain points' of climate change

Standing near Dismal Creek in Virginia, Honaker looked over a giant pile of rubble. She said she wants officials to ramp up unclogging draining culverts or increasing the creek's depth.

She looked at her niece's home: "Maybe stilts would have helped," she said.

While it's impossible to halt heavy rains and flooding, counties and towns can consider measures to limit their impact, said Tee Clarkson, a principal at First Earth 2030, a company helping Buchanan County develop its flood resiliency plan.

That could include flood walls, strengthening creek banks, dredging creeks to greater depths and expanding piping and drainage systems, he and others said. Houses could also be raised on stilts.

"It's hard to keep areas from flooding, but you want to lower the pain points" for residents and infrastructure, he said.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, who represents Eastern Kentucky, said in an area with a "long and daunting history of flooding," he's helped secure more than $800 million over 40 years to help build flood walls, levees, tunnels and other public safety projects.

"However, this flash flood was a natural disaster that turned small creeks and mountain run-off into raging rivers that chartered a new destructive course through our valleys and hollows," he said. "These types of floods have always been one of the greatest challenges to mitigate in the mountains, and I will continue to advocate for every possible resource that we can afford to protect our mountain communities."

What could also help, experts say, is tackling the hundreds of thousands of acres of former mine land in Appalachia still to be reclaimed, according to a 2021 report by the environmental group Appalachian Voice.

Counties can also restrict building or add stricter building requirements, but that is easiest for new constructionin places like Perry County, Kentucky, few new building permits were issued in recent years, according to the U.S. Census.

Perry County Judge-Executive Scott Alexander said he's looking for ways to make his county more flood-resilient, such as raising bridges or expanding reservoirs. He said a future discussion might include raising homes in flood-prone areas.

"We've got to start looking at preventive flooding measures," he said. But he cautioned that "when you get to 12 inches of rain, especially in Appalachia, there's not a whole lot of anything that can handle that."

Federal Emergency Management Agency buyouts have been an option, but they take time and can be fraught with potential harm, Sebastian said. The Central Appalachian population is one of the poorest in the country and moving that population out of a region with a generally low cost of living could bring further economic hardship.

And the properties in the most flood-prone areas tend to be the most affordable, further endangering the very poorest Appalachians, said Colette Easter, president of Kentucky's section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

"That involves gut-wrenching questions about moving away from a place that you've lived for a very long time, maybe generations, and you're very connected to," Eric Dixon, a researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, said with a deep sigh. "But maybe you don't have another choice. Maybe that's literally what you have to do. That's the real heartbreaking part of this, I think."

Flooded residents, difficult choices

For 15 years, Angie Rosser has lived along the Elk River in Clay County, West Virginia.

In 2016, a powerful flood hit the state, killing 23 people and causing more than $1 billion in damage.

Six years later, Rosser said her community still doesn't have a grocery store. She hasn't replaced much of the furniture she lost. In Rosser's house today, you'll find a bed, but no couch and no dining table.

"My house is pretty empty, because I am expecting another flood to happenwhich is not a great way to live," said Rosser, the executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition.

Rosser understands the commitment to stay and rebuild shared by many of her neighbors, but "I'm not one of those people," she said. "If it floods again, I'm out. I can't do it again. It was just too exhausting."

That same weary uncertainty has spread across hard-hit counties in Kentucky this week, where the next disaster lurks behind each heavy rainfall to come.

Dee Davis was a Hazard, Kentucky, kindergartener when a flood devastated the area in 1957. It is seared into his memory. He recalls his grandmother and great-uncle taking a canoe to buy groceries.

"We lost everything," he said.

That flood 65 years ago set a record water level for the North Fork Kentucky River, at 14.7 feet in Whitesburg. Locals never forgot the damage it wrought.

The most recent flooding put that same river at about 21 feet. The water rushed in with enough force to destroy the U.S. Geological Survey sensor designed to monitor the water level.

On Whitesburg's Main Street this week, the stuffy odor of mud lingered everywhere. The sidewalks were littered with growing piles of discarded furniture, rubble and children's toys.

For now, the path ahead starts by reckoning with what was lost.

"You mourn the dead," Davis said, "and you find a way to go forward."

Explore further 16 dead in Kentucky flooding, toll expected to rise

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Apple trees respond to a common viral infection by targeting a gene in the same pathway that genetic scientists are aiming at, find scientists from The University of Manchester. The discovery published in Current Biology shows that the fruit trees, which develop rubbery branches when infected, mirror how scientists are trying to genetically modify trees.

Apple rubbery wood virus (ARWV), which causes apply rubbery wood disease, is now largelyif not totallyeliminated from commercial apple trees. However, an extensive survey in the UK during the 1950s when ARWV was widespread revealed that in some cases, over 50% of apple trees sampled were infected with the virus. The widespread presence of the virus across the globe is well documented.

Though their branches become more flexible, no adverse effects to humans who have eaten fruit from the infected trees have been recorded and there have been no adverse environmental consequences.

The study also provides important insight into how scientists might one day be able to process woody plant tissue so that it efficiently produces sugars needed for biofuels. Woody plant material represents a vast renewable resource that has the potential to produce biofuels and other chemicals with more favorable net carbon dioxide emissions. However, scientists haven't yet worked out an efficient way to release its substantial store of sugars, estimated to be at around 70%.

The scientific team showed that the symptoms of ARWV infections arise from a reduction in lignina complex organic polymer that forms key structural material supporting the tissues of most plants.

Using next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze the expression of all the genes in the rubbery apple tree branches, they discovered that phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), an enzyme responsible for lignin biosynthesis, was suppressed by the plant in response to the infection.

The response to ARWV infection results in the plant generating multiple small interfering RNAs, known as (vasiRNAs). The vasiRNAs then target several of the plant's own genes to be downregulatedor degradedin what is assumed to be part of an antiviral defense response.

One of the genes downregulated by the plant is PAL, and this leads to the decrease in lignin biosynthesis that gives the increased flexibility of the branches and facilitates the release of sugars.

The mechanism used by the apple rubbery wood virus to alter lignin closely resembles how scientists have been altering lignin in genetically modified trees to make it easier to process. Despite the altered lignin, the trees manage to grow normally.

Lead author Professor Simon Turner said, "Widespread genetic engineering of many plants is limited by regulatory hurdles and public opposition, and this appears particularly true for trees. These research findings offer an important contribution to that debate.

"It is apparent from our work that technologies considered as new and under regulatory oversight exhibit similarities to events considered to occur naturally.

"It seems that unbeknown to us, the ARWV infections have been performing something akin to a huge field trial.

"Since the disease has been present across the globe for many decades, even conservative estimates would suggest that many thousands of infected apple trees were propagated.

"Millions of apples from ARWV-infected trees were eaten with no known adverse health or environmental consequences despite the siRNA-induced alterations in lignin caused by the plant's response to the virus."

He added, "Currently, the biofuel industry uses huge areas of agricultural land to produce corn starch that is used to generate 60 billion liters of bioethanol.

"That's relatively inefficient in terms of CO 2 savings, but may also impact on global food production systems.

"But our increased understanding of this mechanism may one day unlock the potential to isolate the sugars within the woody tissue, making the production of biofuels much more efficient."

Explore further CRISPRing trees for a climate-friendly economy

More information: Holly Allen et al, Flexible and digestible wood caused by viral-induced alteration of cell wall composition, Current Biology (2022). Journal information: Current Biology Holly Allen et al, Flexible and digestible wood caused by viral-induced alteration of cell wall composition,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.005
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and James Cook University (JCU) have identified an "exquisite" natural mechanism that helps plants limit their water loss with little effect on carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) intakean essential process for photosynthesis, plant growth and crop yield.

The discovery, led by Dr. Chin Wong from ANU, is expected to help agricultural scientists and plant breeders develop more water-efficient crops.

Study co-author Dr. Diego Marquez from ANU said the findings will have significant implications for the agricultural industry and could lead to more resilient crops that are capable of withstanding extreme weather events, including drought.

"Plants continuously lose water through pores in the 'skin' of their leaves. These same pores allow CO 2 to enter the leaves and are critical to their survival," Dr. Marquez said. "For every unit of CO 2 gained, plants typically lose hundreds of units of water. This is why plants require a lot of water in order to grow and survive.

"The mechanism we have demonstrated is activated when the environment is dry, such as on a hot summer day, to allow the plant to reduce water loss with little effect on CO 2 uptake."

The researchers believe this water preserving mechanism can be manipulated and, in turn, may hold the key to breeding more water-efficient crops.

According to lead author Dr. Wong, the ANU team's findings are a "dream discovery" from a scientific and agricultural perspective.

"The agriculture industry has long held high hopes for scientists to come up with a way to deliver highly productive crops that use water efficiently," Dr. Wong said.

"Plant scientists have been dealing with this big question of how to increase CO 2 uptake and reduce water loss without negatively affecting yields.

"Having this mechanism that can reduce water loss with little effect on CO 2 uptake presents an opportunity for agricultural scientists and plant breeders researching ways to improve water use efficiency and create drought-tolerant crops."

Although the researchers have confirmed there is a system in place that is working to limit the amount of water being lost from the leaf, they still don't know what's causing it.

"Our main target now is to identify the structures inside the plant that allow this control. We think that water conduits, called aquaporins, located in the cell membranes are responsible," Dr. Marquez said.

"Once we're able to confirm this, we can then start thinking about how we can manipulate these systems and turn them into an asset for the agricultural industry."

Co-author Distinguished Professor Graham Farquhar from ANU said: "Finding the mechanism itself was one step, a big one, but there is still work to do to translate this discovery into the industry.

"We expect that both government and industry will see the value of contributing funds to achieve this goal."

Dr. Wong first alluded to this water preserving mechanism 14 years ago, but the research team has only now been able to officially confirm its existence thanks to years of experimentation and corroboration of their results.

The research is published in Nature Plants.

Explore further Scientists show drought-tolerant crops need skin in the game

More information: Graham Farquhar, Humidity gradients in the air spaces of leaves, Nature Plants (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41477-022-01202-1 Journal information: Nature Plants Graham Farquhar, Humidity gradients in the air spaces of leaves,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01202-1
Re: Highrises too close to water (Castanet, July 25)

On July 26, City of Kelowna council voted 7-1 in favour of allowing UBCO and UBC Properties Trust to build its 46-storey megatower at 550 Doyle Avenue.

The lone dissenting vote came from Coun. Charlie Hodge, who expressed concerns about the tower's height and the additional traffic it will generate in the downtown core.

Coun. Luke Stack remarked: We took a bit of a tongue lashing tonight. But thats how our city works and how democracy functions.

How was it democracy when only eight people got to decide whether a precedent-setting 46-storey tower can be built in the downtown core?

Instead, council could have pressed the pause button and agreed to an assent vote (formerly known as a referendum), held in conjunction with the Oct. 15 municipal election. A possible question could be: "Are you in favour of the UBCO Tower at 550 Doyle Avenue to be built to a height of 46 storeys?"

Now that would be democracy in action.

The city's Policy 4.4.3 states buildings can be taller than the heights in the 2040 Official Community Plan if they bring significant benefits to the city. Significant benefits is just a political smokescreen for a policy that allows city planners to create new Comprehensive Development zones ad infinitum, so councillors can approve the height of any building they want.

The planner-magicians created the CD28 zone out of thin airPresto!which allowed the UBCO tower to go to 46 storeys.

Professor Lesley Cormack is UBCO's principal and deputy vice-chancellor. In her introductory remarks to city council, Cormack said, in part: "...we actually now have a waitlist of 1,300 students waiting for on-campus student housing.... I mentioned we opened two new student residences in the last few years but they're a drop in the bucket compared to our short- and long-term needs. On our main campus, with our proximity to the airport, we're very restricted in height and therefore the density of what we can build."

Last May, UBCOs new Skeena residence officially received Passive House certification, a stringent set of efficient design and construction standards, making it the first student residence in Canada to receive that status.

The residence is six storeys and houses 220 students. If UBCO builds six more identical residences, it would house an additional 1,320 students, as each storey houses an average of 37 students. Four 10-storey residences of this type could house close to 1,500 students.

Nav Canada is the privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system. It is responsible for the safe flow of air traffic in Canadian airspace.

At the hearing, Hodge asked Cormack why UBCO did not consider building the tower on the campus by the airport. Cormack said Nav Can would not allow it to do that.

"Sorry?" Said Hodge.

"Nav Can will not allow us to do that, said Cormack. We are very very limited in the height of our buildings on our main campus and they are as high as they can be because of the planes taking off across the (highway).

"That's a really good answer, replied Hodge.

The only way Nav Canada can determine if any proposed structure has any impacts on the air navigation system is through the Land Use Assessment process. During the assessments, Nav Canada ensures the physical structure doesnt impact any of its services (instrument procedures, line-of-sights, interference to their navigational aids, etc).

Nav Canada doesn't have any predetermined height restrictions, as everything is assessed on a case-by-case basis. It has received four submissions in the last two years within two kilometres of UBCO, but none at UBCO, and none for a 46-storey building.

David Buckna, Kelowna
Credit: Mdf, CC BY-SA 3.0

Monty and Rose, who achieved local fame in 2019 as the first federally endangered piping plovers to raise a family in Chicago in almost 60 years, are gone from the North Side beach where they spent three summers.

But the hope that the jaunty little shorebirds sparked for their species continues to grow.

The Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team has announced a record-breaking 2022 breeding season, with 149 wild chicks reaching the fledglingor flyingstage, the most since official counts began in 1984.

"I feel ecstatic," said Jillian Farkas, the Great Lakes piping plover coordinator at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who noted that in 2020, only 87 wild chicks survived to become fledglings.

"The fact that we had almost 150 fledged chicksjust with the wild populationis fantastic. When you have that high a fledge rate, it makes you really excited for what is to come," Farkas said.

In addition, she said, there's one more wild chick that's expected to fledge this summer, and there are 10 more chicks in captive rearing that have fledged, or are expected to do so.

Declared endangered in 1986, the Great Lakes region's piping plovers likely benefited from this year's lower lake levels, which created more habitat, as well as monitoring, predator management at several sites and a lack of major storm events, Farkas said.

Overall, there are now 72 breeding pairs of piping plovers in the Great Lakes region, Farkas said, less than half the 150 pairs needed for the birds to be taken off the endangered species list.

A bit larger than sparrows, with big dark eyes, stubby beaks, bold black and white markings and orange feet, piping plovers are charismatic little birds, and Chicagoans quickly embraced Monty and Rose when they started breeding at Montrose Beach in the summer of 2019.

The birds appeared on shirts and beer cans, and in two documentary films.

The pair returned to nest at Montrose in the summers of 2020 and 2021, and produced a total of seven fledglings.

This year's piping plover season began in sorrow. Rose never returned from her wintering grounds, and Monty died suddenly of a respiratory infection at Montrose Beach on May 13.

But even while they mourned at Monty's funeral, fans noted the presence of Monty and Rose's son Imani, born in 2021, who touched down at Montrose 10 days after his father died.

"I hope that the sadness is melting away and being replaced by joy and gratitude," said Leslie Borns, a longtime Montrose Beach dunes steward, as she watched Monty and Rose's son.

Apparently ready for love, Imani dug shallow nests in the sand and chased off larger birds.

"He basically had a territory close to (the) pier and anyone who got close, he was constantly chasing them away," said Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for the Chicago Piping Plovers monitoring program. "That was fun to watch, because it reminded me so much of Monty."

Unfortunately, Imani didn't find a mate at Montrose this year, and he left around July 11.

Rose never showed up at Montrose this summer, a sign that she has likely died, although a very small percentage of piping plovers will miss a summer season at the Great Lakes, according to Itani.

After Imani left Montrose, a fledgling piping plover, hatched just this summer, touched down for a few days.

The mystery bird wasn't banded, but it's possible that he'd hatched at a nest in Michigan where monitors had been unable to band the chicks, Itani said. The mystery plover could also have come from an unmonitored nest in the Great Lakes region, or even the Great Plains.

While Montrose is the only place where piping plovers have been observed breeding successfully in Chicago, the birds have been spotted passing through Rainbow Beach on the South Side.

With the birds' annual southern migration now underway, there may be additional chances to see them at Montrose Beach, Rainbow Beach and Waukegan Municipal Beach in Lake County, said Itani. She asked that fans continue to take measures to protect the birds, such as keeping dogs off the beach.

"We want to give them safe passage," Itani said. "Here in Chicago, we really pride ourselves on how much we love our piping plovers."

Explore further Endangered shorebird nests in NY; first time in over 30 years

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Location of archaeological sites with evidence of Y. pestis and S. enterica subsp. enterica from the LNBA (A) Map of Eurasia indicating relevant LNBA sites with genetic evidence of Y. pestis (circles) and S. enterica subsp. enterica (triangles). Hagios Charalambos in pink, previously published sites in black. (B) Map of Crete showing the location of Hagios Charalambos (pink) and important Bronze Age palatial sites (black). Credit: Current Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.094

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, the British School at Athens and Temple University has found evidence of pathogens in the teeth of individuals from the Bronze Age that could explain why two ancient civilizations failed. In their paper published in the journal Current Biology, the group describes their genetic study of teeth found inside a cave called Hagios Charalambos on the island of Crete.

Prior research has shown that the Old Kingdom of Egypt and the Akkadian Empire, both Bronze Age civilizations, experienced sudden declines in population several thousand years ago. It has been suggested that climate change and/or other unknown factors led to the decline, which also resulted in damage to infrastructure, reductions in trade and major cultural changes. In this new effort, the researchers have found evidence suggesting that diseases could have been behind the decline.

The work involved studying the teeth from the remains of people dated back to approximately 2290 and 1909 BCE that had been brought to them from the dig site on Crete. They found evidence of typical bacteria found in the modern human mouththe kind that can lead to tooth decay. But more importantly, they also found evidence of Yersinia pestisthe bacteria behind the plagueand Salmonella enterica, which is the bacteria responsible for typhoid fever. The findings suggest that an epidemic could have been responsible for the population decline in either or both of the Bronze Age civilizations.

The researchers note that there is one caveatthe strain of Yersinia pestis they found was not the same one that devastated so much of Europe centuries later; it has gone extinct, as has the Salmonella enterica strain they found. Thus, it is not known how transmissible either were, or how deadly. Still, the evidence of such pathogens means that historians must factor in the possibility of disease as a reason for the fall of the two major civilizations. They suggest further genetic studies be done on other ancient samples to determine how widespread such infections may have been.

Explore further Researchers discover bacterial diversity in Justinianic Plague

More information: Gunnar U. Neumann et al, Ancient Yersinia pestis and Salmonella enterica genomes from Bronze Age Crete, Current Biology (2022). Journal information: Current Biology Gunnar U. Neumann et al, Ancient Yersinia pestis and Salmonella enterica genomes from Bronze Age Crete,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.094

 2022 Science X Network
Heteroclinus argyrospilos (Silverspot Weedfish) is known from south-western Australia (SA & WA) in 55-100m depth. Only two specimens of this elusive species are currently known. The color of weedfish species often matches the color of the marine vegetation they inhabit. Credit: CSIRO

In a win for biodiversity, CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has revealed 139 new species were named and described by its researchers and partners in the past year. With only about 25 percent of Australia's species known to science, scientific names are vital for researchers, governments and the community to better understand the nation's vast ecosystems.

CSIRO scientist John Pogonoski, who helped name four new species of marine fish, said the work highlighted the importance of scientific collections including CSIRO's National Research Collections Australia. "We named three new species of small, brightly-colored anthias by comparing specimens of related species held in fish collections," Pogonoski said.

"New species of anthias are still being recognized because they are rarely encountered due to being outside of normal diving depths, small in size, or living in habitats difficult to sample."

Pogonoski said the new Silverspot Weedfish, Heteroclinus argyrospilos, was described from only two known specimens collected from south-western Australia by researchers on the former CSIRO Research Vessel Southern Surveyor in 2000 and 2005.

"The Weedfish were found 55 to 100 meters below sea level, which is interesting because they live deeper than other known members of the genus," he said.

In addition to 117 insects named during the past year, scientists named 14 other invertebrates including 11 jumping spiders, one millipede, one earthworm and one marine trematode which was discovered inside a fish.

CSIRO Entomologist Dr. David Yeates said the known but newly named ant Anonychomyrma inclinata was particularly special, with its support of the endangered Bulloak Jewel Butterfly, Hypochrysops piceatus. "The ecological requirements for this beautiful butterfly are very narrow, which is probably why it is so rare," Dr. Yeates said.

"The ant species we've now named needs to be nesting in a mature bulloak, Allocasuarina luehmannii. The butterfly caterpillars live under bark and are carried to soft bulloak leaves to feed at night by 'babysitter' ants. The ants protect the caterpillars from predators and receive a sugary gift from the caterpillars, a win-win for both species," he said.

The newly-named species also highlight the importance of collaboration, with most scientific papers involving authors from multiple scientific collections and universities across Australia and overseas.

"Working together with our research community to name species is incredibly importantit is the first step in Australia understanding and managing its biodiversity," Dr. Yeates said.

"As a country, we are still in the very exciting phase of species discovery," he said.

Undarobius howarthi, one of the two new species of weevils in the new genus Undarobius found in lava caves at Undara Volcanic National Park in north-eastern Queensland. Although this weevil does not have eyes, patches of pigment and a lack of setae (bristly hairs) give the appearance of eye spots. Credit: CSIRO

New species at a glance:

Marine fishes (4)

Heteroclinus argyrospilos (Silverspot Weedfish) lives in waters 55 to 100m deep in south-western Australia (SA and WA).

Pseudanthias paralourgus (Purple-tip Anthias) lives in waters 110 to 119m deep in southern Queensland.

Tosana longipinnis (Longfin Threadtail Anthias) lives in waters 62 to 252m deep from the central Queensland coast to the central NSW coast.

Tosana dampieriensis (Dampierian Threadtail Anthias) lives in waters 66 to 177m deep in northern Western Australia.

Plants (3)

Lobelia pachytricha is a creeper with pretty blue to mauve flowers with yellow markings.

Gomphrena axillaris and G. longistyla were described using specimens held in Australian herbaria.

Frog (1)

Philoria knowlesia mountain frog from south-east Queensland.

Insects (117)

39 gall wasps from the Americas.

34 beetles, including the 2 weevils in the new genus Undarobius found in lava caves at Undara Volcanic National Park in north-eastern Queensland.

16 katydids

13 caddisflies

12 thrips

1 antAnonychomyrma inclinata, the obligate attendant for the rare and beautiful Bulloak Jewel butterfly Hypochrysops piceatus.

1 flyTeratomyza ismayi, the first fern fly known from New Guinea.

1 buga treehopper found near Canberra and named Wallaciana namadgi after Namadgi National Park.

Other invertebrates (14)

11 Jumping spiders

1 Millipedethe first millipede with more than 1000 legs.

1 Earthworm

1 Marine trematode Enenterum petrae was found inside a species of fish, the Brassy Drummer (Kyphosus vaigiensis), collected off Lizard Island in Queensland.

Explore further New species of mollusk discovered by museum curator
This image series, taken from a video, shows the formation of a gigantic jet over Oklahoma in May 2018. Credit: Chris Holmes

A detailed 3D study of a massive electrical discharge that rose 50 miles into space above an Oklahoma thunderstorm has provided new information about an elusive atmospheric phenomenon known as gigantic jets. The Oklahoma discharge was the most powerful gigantic jet studied so far, carrying 100 times as much electrical charge as a typical thunderstorm lightning bolt.

The gigantic jet moved an estimated 300 coulombs of electrical charge into the ionospherethe lower edge of spacefrom the thunderstorm. Typical lightning bolts carry less than five coulombs between the cloud and ground or within clouds. The upward discharge included relatively cool (approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit) streamers of plasma, as well as structures called leaders that are very hotmore than 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

"We were able to map this gigantic jet in three dimensions with really high-quality data," said Levi Boggs, a research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the paper's corresponding author. "We were able to see very high frequency (VHF) sources above the cloud top, which had not been seen before with this level of detail. Using satellite and radar data, we were able to learn where the very hot leader portion of the discharge was located above the cloud."

Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl8731

Boggs worked with a multi-organization research team, including the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Texas Tech University, the University of New Hampshire, Politecnica de Catalunya, Duke University, the University of Oklahoma, NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The research is reported Aug. 3 in Science Advances.

Steve Cummer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke, uses the electromagnetic waves that lightning emits to study the powerful phenomenon. He operates a research site where sensors resembling conventional antennas are arrayed in an otherwise empty field, waiting to pick up signals from locally occurring storms.

"The VHF and optical signals definitively confirmed what researchers had suspected but not yet proven: that the VHF radio from lightning is emitted by small structures called streamers that are at the very tip of the developing lightning, while the strongest electric current flows significantly behind this tip in an electrically conducting channel called a leader," Cummer said.

Doug Mach, a co-author of the paper at Universities Space Research Association (USRA), said the study was unique in determining that the 3D locations for the lightning's optical emissions were well above the cloud tops.

Radio mapping sources extending up from the convective structure of the storm. The gray plane represents the storm top. Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl8731

"The fact that the gigantic jet was detected by several systems, including the Lightning Mapping Array and two geostationary optical lightning instruments, was a unique event and gives us a lot more information on gigantic jets," Mach said. "More importantly, this is probably the first time that a gigantic jet has been three-dimensionally mapped above the clouds with the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument set."

Gigantic jets have been observed and studied over the past two decades, but because there's no specific observing system to look for them, detections have been rare. Boggs learned about the Oklahoma event from a colleague, who told him about a gigantic jet that had been photographed by a citizen-scientist who had a low-light camera in operation on May 14, 2018.

Fortuitously, the event took place in a location with a nearby VHF lightning mapping system, within range of two Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) locations and accessible to instruments on satellites from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) network. Boggs determined that the data from those systems were available and worked with colleagues to bring it together for analysis.

"The detailed data showed that those cold streamers start their propagation right above the cloud top," Boggs explained. "They propagate all the way to the lower ionosphere to an altitude of 5060 miles, making a direct electrical connection between the cloud top and the lower ionosphere, which is the lower edge of space."

That connection transfers thousands of amperes of current in about a second. The upward discharge transferred negative charge from the cloud to the ionosphere, typical of gigantic jets.

The data showed that as the discharge ascended from the cloud top, VHF radio sources were detected at altitudes of 22 to 45 kilometers (13 to 28 miles), while optical emissions from the lightning leaders remained near the cloud top at an altitude of 15 to 20 kilometers (9 to 12 miles). The simultaneous 3D radio and optical data indicate that VHF lightning networks detect emissions from streamer corona rather than the leader channel, which has broad implications to lightning physics beyond that of gigantic jets.

Why do the gigantic jets shoot charge into space? Researchers speculate that something may be blocking the flow of charge downwardor toward other clouds. Records of the Oklahoma event show little lightning activity from the storm before it fired the record gigantic jet.

"For whatever reason, there is usually a suppression of cloud-to-ground discharges," Boggs said. "There is a buildup of negative charge, and then we think that the conditions in the storm top weaken the uppermost charge layer, which is usually positive. In the absence of the lightning discharges we normally see, the gigantic jet may relieve the buildup of excess negative charge in the cloud."

For now, there are a lot of unanswered questions about gigantic jets, which are part of a class of mysterious transient luminous events. That's because observations of them are rare and happen by chancefrom pilots or aircraft passengers happening to see them or ground observers operating night-scanning cameras.

Estimates for the frequency of gigantic jets range from 1,000 per year up to 50,000 per year. They've been reported more often in tropical regions of the globe. However, the Oklahoma gigantic jetwhich was twice as powerful as the next strongest onewasn't part of a tropical storm system.

Beyond their novelty, gigantic jets could have an impact on the operation of satellites in low-earth orbit, Boggs said. As more of those space vehicles are launched, signal degradation and performance issues could become more significant. The gigantic jets could also affect technologies such as over-the-horizon radars that bounce radio waves off the ionosphere.

Boggs is affiliated with the Severe Storms Research Center, which was established at GTRI to develop improved technologies for warning of severe storms, such as tornadoes, that are common in Georgia. The work on gigantic jets and other atmospheric phenomena is part of that effort.

More information: Levi D. Boggs et al, Upward propagation of gigantic jets revealed by 3D radio and optical mapping, Science Advances (2022). Journal information: Science Advances Levi D. Boggs et al, Upward propagation of gigantic jets revealed by 3D radio and optical mapping,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl8731
Credit: ESA-Remedia

Although this pure gold pin is not much bigger than the tip of a pencil, it is the "pulsing heart" of ESA's Low Earth Orbit Facility, LEOX. Part of the Agency's Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory, based at ESA's ESTEC technical center in the Netherlands, this test facility is vital for developing materials capable of withstanding the highly-erosive individual oxygen atoms prevailing at the top of the atmosphere, the result of standard oxygen molecules of the same kind found just above the ground being broken apart by powerful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

All missions that orbit less than about 1,000 km above Earth's surface must be designed to resist atomic oxygen. To realistically simulate the low-Earth orbit environment, the LEOX atomic oxygen facility generates atomic oxygen traveling at 7.8 km/s.

Atomic oxygen is not easy to generate on Earth, because it is so reactive. This means that the materials used to make the simulator must be as robust as the materials flown in space. This sturdy gold pin is used to inject tiny pulses of oxygen gas molecules into a vacuum chamber, where the molecules are split into atoms using a powerful laser.

Pure gold, though expensive, is one of the few materials that can resist the combined impact of the laser and the highly erosive atomic oxygen, allowing the simulator to pulse millions of times during each test campaign. The pins do eventually erode and need to be replaced. These pins can't be found in a local hardware storeengineers had to search far and wide for a reliable supplier. With the help of ESTEC's Mechanical Workshop, they found a jewelry shop in Italy that offered to manufacture the pins, using their experience supplying miniature mechanical gold parts for clockmakers and other industries.

Explore further Readying spacecraft to surf Venus' atmosphere
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Gender bias against women in entrepreneurial finance is turned on its head in the context of reward-based crowdfunding, according to new research published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Specifically, female crowdfunding entrepreneurs can actually profit from using more innovation language when launching campaigns in male-typed categories, which implies that women may have more freedom to resist traditional gender stereotypes in the case of reward-based crowdfunding.

The research team of Benedikt David Christian Seigner and Hana Milanov of Technical University of Munich, Germany, along with Aaron F. McKenny of Indiana University, contributes to a stream of research that investigates reward-based crowdfundingin which backers receive rewards such as future products or services for their investmentas a favorable context for female entrepreneurs. The research helps to nuance the findings of a 2017 PricewaterhouseCoopers report that showed female entrepreneurs on nine leading crowdfunding platforms succeeded at a 32% higher rate in acquiring funding than men. This success rate is at a stark contrast to other traditional fundraising contexts, such as venture capital, in which women are at a severe disadvantage to their male counterparts.

The researchers used Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) as a framework for the study, which helps explain when going against stereotypic expectations will be rewarded or punished. "In our case, we study two expectancy violations for women: first, when women portray their crowdfunding campaigns as innovative (because innovation behavior is stereotypically portrayed as a masculine attribute), and second, when women launch their campaigns in a male-stereotyped category like technology" Seigner explains.

To test the effects of female entrepreneurs using innovation language for crowdfunding performance, the team used a field study on Kickstarter. To further understand the backers' interpretation of campaign claims, they also conducted an experimental study using Amazon MTurk to show that backers trusted more in a woman's ability when she launched her crowdfunding campaign in a male-typed category, compared to a female-typed category.

Whether the counterstereotypical behavior studied was rewarded or punished relied on two key factors: the interpretation of the behavior as positive or negative, plus the attitude toward the individual engaging in said behavior. Innovation claims were interpreted as ambiguous in this case: crowdfunding backers like novelty, yet delivering more innovative rewards could be perceived as more complex and difficult. That meant the interpretation of this counterstereotypical behavior was determined by the attitudes towards individuals engaging in this behaviornot by the interpretation of the behavior itself.

"In crowdfunding, the overall tendency to fund women preferentially as compared to men suggests that even ambiguous counterstereotypical behavior will be evaluated positively for women," Seigner says. The effect is further amplified when the campaigns occur in a male-typed category.

The implication is that female crowdfunding entrepreneursespecially when using rewards-based platformscan profit from using more innovation language when launching their campaigns in male-typed categories. The study adds to existing research that underscores how categories, people, behavior, and products might evoke gender stereotypes, and the team hopes to study other entrepreneurial contexts using a gendered perspective to better understand how gender biases impact entrepreneurs and their ventures.

More information: Benedikt David Christian Seigner et al, Who can claim innovation and benefit from it? Gender and expectancy violations in rewardbased crowdfunding, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal (2022). Benedikt David Christian Seigner et al, Who can claim innovation and benefit from it? Gender and expectancy violations in rewardbased crowdfunding,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/sej.1426

Provided by Strategic Management Society
A multi-channel approach to extension services to help smallholder farmers tackle fall armyworm in Rwanda has proved beneficial, the CABI-led study suggests. Credit: Bartay 2017

A multi-channel approach to extension reaps greater benefits for smallholder farmers fighting the fall armyworm pest in Eastern Rwanda according to new CABI-led research published in the journal Food and Energy Security.

The study, which was led by Dr. Justice Tambo and included colleagues from CABI's regional center for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), surveyed 720 smallholder and found maize yield increases between 10% to 34% depending on the channel.

Dr. Tambo and the team found that exposure to a combined mass extension campaign consisting of plant health rallies, radio dramas and SMS all contributed to better identification of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) as well as more environmentally-friendly ways of managing the pest.

The findings suggest that while there is a growing popularity in the use of digital extension approaches to deliver timely information to farmers in a cost-effective manner, much greater gains can be achieved if they are combined with other low-cost face-to-face extension methods, such as plant health rallies.

A study by Rwomushana et al. (2018) has shown that if not well managed, the fall armyworm has the potential to cause annual maize production losses of up to 17.70 million tons (equivalent to USD $4.66 billion) in 12 maize-producing African countries alone.

In Rwanda, fall armyworm was first reported in Nyamagabe district in February 2017, and within 2 months, its presence was recorded in all of the country's 30 districts. It is causing severe damage to maize crops, resulting in economic losses, worsened food security and intensive pesticide usage among smallholder maize farmers.

Dr. Tambo says that they "examined the effectiveness of three complementary mass-extension channels in enhancing farmers' knowledge and management of fall armyworm (FAW), an invasive pest that is causing substantial damage to maize production in several countries across Africa, Asia and Oceania. We also assessed the effects of the information channels on maize productivity."

"Our findings suggest that exposure to the campaign channels is associated with increased knowledge outcomes, including knowledge of the correct identification of FAW, the use of cultural practices as the first resort to FAW management, timely planting to limit infestation and timely spraying for effective control of the pest."

"However, the positive effects of the campaign are statistically significant only when the field-based extension method is combined with digital extension approaches. Moreover, we found that the effects are greater for households that were exposed to all the three channels, suggesting complementary effects of the channels."

Dr. Tambo added that the results showed, for instance, that receiving FAW messages through any of the channels is correlated with in a 7 percentage point increase in farmers' level of knowledge on fall armyworm. But the knowledge gain could increase to up to 23 percentage points when the information is received through all the three channels under study.

"Households exposed to the information channels were significantly more likely to regularly monitor their maize fields for fall armyworm, and adopt cultural, chemical, mechanical measures for fall armyworm control than those who did not receive the fall armyworm information," Dr. Tambo said. "The impact estimates are less pronounced for chemical control than for other management practices, implying that the campaign is associated with the use of more environmentally friendly approaches to fall armyworm management."

The scientists, in conclusion, say that future research could concentrate more on the intensity of exposure to the information channels as well as using experimental designs to test the findings of the current study.

Explore further Households in Zimbabwe affected by fall armyworm are 12% more likely to experience hunger

More information: Justice A. Tambo et al, Sustainable management of fall armyworm in smallholder farming: The role of a multichannel information campaign in Rwanda, Food and Energy Security (2022). Justice A. Tambo et al, Sustainable management of fall armyworm in smallholder farming: The role of a multichannel information campaign in Rwanda,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/fes3.414

Provided by CABI
Credit: Shutterstock

Imagine if one day blood transfusions from strangers were not needed because they could be produced from cells that line your own blood vessels' cells.

While that day is still some years off, medical researchers at UNSW Sydney have made an important first step by identifyingin micea mechanism that is used naturally in mammals to make blood from cells that line blood vessels.

It was already known that a process termed "endothelial to hematopoietic transition" takes place in mammalian embryos, whereby cells lining blood vessels (endothelial cells) change into blood stem cells.

But the identity of the cells that regulate this process had up until now been a mystery.

In a paper published recently in the journal Nature Cell Biology, UNSW Health & Medicine's Professor John Pimanda, Dr. Vashe Chandrakanthan and a team of researchers describe how they solved this puzzle by identifying the cells in the embryo that can convert adult endothelial cells into blood stem cells. The cellsknown as "Mesp1-derived PDGFRA+ stromal cells"reside underneath the aorta.

While more research is needed before this can be translated into clinical practice, the discovery could be an important step in regenerative medicine by providing a potential new tool to generate engraftable hematopoietic stem cells.

Explore further Elusive stem cells could help repair damaged blood vessels

More information: Vashe Chandrakanthan et al, Mesoderm-derived PDGFRA+ cells regulate the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells in the dorsal aorta, Nature Cell Biology (2022). Journal information: Nature Cell Biology Vashe Chandrakanthan et al, Mesoderm-derived PDGFRA+ cells regulate the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells in the dorsal aorta,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00955-3
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A new study published in CABI Agriculture & Bioscience has revealed that major empowerment resources and decision-makings that are valuable to men and women vary across gender and farming systems in Ethiopia.

Lead author Wole Kinati, from the University of New England, Australia, and fellow researchers found that, although, major decisions related to livestock and crop are valued by both genders, agency dimensions related to decisions on financial assets and social capital are not equally valued by gender groups across study areas implying the role of context.

Women place a greater importance on autonomous decisions about social relations which the men did not; men, on the other hand, valued financial related decisions which the women in turn did not.

Regarding empowerment resources, psychological well-being was found to be one of the most important resources, for women as well as men.

Assessment of the basic psychological needsautonomy, self-acceptance, and positive relationsstatistically yielded no significant differences between the gender groups.

However, the effects of location and the intersection of location with gender were both found to be statistically significant, suggesting that being men and from Horo is associated with higher scores on self-acceptance and personal relation subscales.

Mr Kinati says that "women's empowerment constitutes an important aspect of the development agenda. Although it is highly contextual in nature, empowerment literature so far has focussed on identifying factors associated with empowerment, neglecting the importance of understanding which empowerment resources and agency dimensions are more important for whom and under what contexts."

"This is important, because we cannot talk of empowerment for those who are not in a disempowered condition or who do not value it."

"We examined the gender differences in the relative valuations of empowerment resources and decision-making areas across different farming systems, and examined the most valued empowerment resources."

"We conclude that gender and location play important roles in forming contextual conditions for empowerment and agency implying that empowerment efforts need to consider both."

"More specifically, policies and intervention efforts to empower individuals or groups must begin by first building their psychological assets and consider contextual gendered perceptions of resources."

Mr Kinati and the researchers also suggest that women's basic psychological needs are largely unfulfilled and they are marginalized from major decision-making, mainly due to their masked ineffectiveness.

Women's lack of confidence, stemming from low self-esteem, is often cited as one of the major obstacles to women's equitable participation in the major decision-making processes, they say.

"We recommend that building people's agency through cultivating the capacity to aspire and self-confidence among women (men) would lead to enhance their access, ownership, and control of the other empowerment resources," Mr Kinati adds. "This could be done through implementing polices that attract more women extension agentsfor instance, availing incentives, women pro-facilities and career opportunitieswho are socially appropriate to reach out to women more easily."

More information: Wole Kinati et al, Empowerment resources, decision-making and gender attitudes: which matter most to livestock keepers in the mixed and livestock-based systems in Ethiopia?, CABI Agriculture and Bioscience (2022). Wole Kinati et al, Empowerment resources, decision-making and gender attitudes: which matter most to livestock keepers in the mixed and livestock-based systems in Ethiopia?,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s43170-022-00114-6#Sec14

Provided by CABI
Molecular dynamics simulations of a supercooled nickelaluminum alloy reveal that crystal-like preordering and interfacial tension are important in crystal nucleation and growth, highlighting a critical gap in classical nucleation theory. Credit: Hajime Tanaka from University of Tokyo

Crystallization in liquids is a fundamental phase transition. While for many years, the understanding of crystallization was governed by classical nucleation theory, recent research has shifted focus to non-classical pathways in crystallization. In a new study, scientists from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, reveal that the crystal precursor structure, which forms spontaneously as a structural fluctuation in a supercooled liquid, has a critical impact on crystal nucleation and growth.

Crystallization, the formation of homogenous, ordered solids from liquids, is a crucial process in a variety of fields, ranging from atmospheric science to pharmaceuticals to semiconductor manufacturing. As such, an understanding of crystallization on a molecular level is a critical research area with wide applicability. For decades, crystallization has been understood in terms of classical nucleation theory (CNT). CNT states that microscopic solids (nuclei) form randomly and spontaneously from the liquid and begin growing into a crystal once they exceed a certain size. However, more recent research in the field has demonstrated that CNT is not always valid and that non-classical pathways need to be explored to fully understand the phenomenon of crystallization.

Studies on the structural properties of glass-forming liquids (liquids which form a non-crystalline, amorphous "solid" upon supercooling) have shown that, contrary to predictions by CNT, nucleation is not random. Instead, crystal nuclei are induced in specific preordered regions of the supercooled liquid that have local orientational symmetry which is consistent with the crystal. Moreover, recent research into fast crystal growth, which cannot be predicted by CNT, has cast doubt on one of the fundamental assumptions of CNTthat crystal growth rate is independent of interfacial tension (the propensity of a liquid to have a minimum free surface when in contact with another immiscible liquid).

To address these questions about CNT, a research team from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo (UTokyo-IIS), delved into the role of preordering on crystal growth and nucleation. The research team consisted of Professor Emeritus Hajime Tanaka of the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, UTokyo (formerly from Utokyo-IIS) and Dr. Yuan-Chao Hu, Yale University (formerly from Utokyo-IIS). The study, published in Nature Communications, highlights critical shortcomings in CNT and proposes critical modifications to address them.

In this study, the research team performed extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a supercooled nickel-aluminum alloy (NiAl). "We found that NiAl follows a non-classical crystallization pathway and that structural fluctuations in the precursors of crystals dramatically influenced crystal growth," reveals Dr. Hu.

The research team then developed a novel "order-killing strategy" to suppress preordering. They found that the order-killing strategy successfully reduced crystallization rate over several orders of magnitude. "Preordering reduces interfacial energy," explains Prof. Tanaka. "Our findings indicate that preordering and its associated reduction in interfacial energy are critical to crystal nucleation and growth, which exposes an important gap in CNT."

The figure depicts (a) the time-dependent fraction of crystallized atoms and their various structural orderings, indicating that crystal-like (here, bcc-like) preordering is a significant process in the growth of crystals. (bd) show the different atomic configurations of the crystal at different times (t), indicating that preordering is transient and fluctuates in space, and that crystal nuclei are born from and grow from the crystal-like preordered regions. (c) highlights the critical nucleus in this condition. Credit: Hajime Tanaka from University of Tokyo

Prof. Tanaka and Dr. Hu then accounted for interfacial energy in their simulations by including an interfacial energy-related factor. They then evaluated the interfacial energy-related factor in eight different systems with different bonding types and crystal structures. "Our findings suggest that liquid preordering could be the most important contributor to crystallization kinetics and glass formation. This could have a significant ripple effect in both fundamental science and industrial applications," concludes Prof. Tanaka.

The findings of the study provide novel insights into crystallization kinetics. The implications of this study are sure to influence a wide-range of crystal-related applications, such as the control of silicon crystallization in the semi-conductor industry.

Explore further Liquid-liquid transitions crystallize new ideas for molecular liquids

More information: Yuan-Chao Hu et al, Revealing the role of liquid preordering in crystallisation of supercooled liquids, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Yuan-Chao Hu et al, Revealing the role of liquid preordering in crystallisation of supercooled liquids,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32241-z
The whale was first spotted on Tuesday in the river that runs through Paris to the English Channel.

A malnourished beluga whale that has swum up France's River Seine is no longer progressing but is still alive, environmental group Sea Shepherd said Monday.

Hopes are fading to save the animal, which was first spotted on Tuesday in the river that runs through Paris to the English Channel.

"It is alert but not eating," Sea Shepherd France president Lamya Essemlali told AFP in a text message.

There was, however, "no worsening of its condition", she said.

Since Friday, the whale has been between two locks some 70 kilometres (44 miles) north of the French capital.

Rescuers are considering last-ditch efforts to extract the animal from the Seine as the river's warm water is harming its health.

One alternative would be to open the locks in the hope that the beluga will swim towards the English Channel, authorities said.

Opening the locks would harbour the risk of the whale moving further upriver towards Paris, which would be even more disastrous.

Several attempts to feed the whale have failed in the past days.

A three-person team from Marineland, Europe's biggest sea animal theme park located in the southern French resort of Antibes, was expected to arrive on site later Monday.

Beluga whale.

"We've been following the operations at a distance from the start," said Isabelle Brasseur, in charge of education, research and conservation at Marineland.

"We are slowly making progress," she told AFP. "There's not an ideal solution, we must weigh the pros and the cons" of each option to rescue the whale.

One of the experts on the team is a specialist for sea mammals, she said, adding they were bringing a stretcher and other equipment to try and move the animal.

On Saturday, veterinarians administered "vitamins and products to stimulate its appetite", said a statement on Sunday by the police in Normandy's Eure department, which is overseeing the rescue effort.

Belugas are normally found only in cold Arctic waters, and while they migrate south in the autumn to feed as ice forms, they rarely venture so far.

An adult can reach up to four metres (13 feet) in length.

According to France's Pelagis Observatory, specialised in sea mammals, the nearest beluga population is off the Svalbard archipelago, north of Norway, 3,000 kilometres from the Seine.

Explore further Health fears over Beluga whale spotted in France's Seine river

 2022 AFP
Credit: Emily Faith Morgan, University of Virginia Communications

The average human swallows 500 to 700 times a day. Imagine if each of those swallows were a struggle.

For many who suffer from esophageal motility disorders like dysphagia, which affect the way the muscles in the esophagus deliver food and liquids to the stomach, the act of swallowing can be difficult or even painful. It can turn something as simple as a sip of water into a violent fit of coughing.

Brought on by conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD), degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, and even just old age, these disorders can lead to problems like dehydration, malnutrition, pneumonia and choking, and it affects the quality of life of approximately half a million Americans every year and as many as one in five individuals over the age of 50.

The causes of these conditions are not well understood by medical science, but a study published this month in the journal Cell Reports by a team of scientists from the University of Virginia's College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and UVA's School of Medicine identifies the unique genetic fingerprint of the nerve cells that govern the motor function of the esophagus. According to the scientists involved, this opens a new avenue of approach to the treatment of esophageal motility disorders that could lead to new therapies and new pharmaceuticals, offering hope to those who live with the debilitating effects of dysphagia and other disorders affecting the esophagus.

The study, led by doctoral student Tatiana Coverdell, began as an attempt to identify the neural pathways from the brain that control heart rate. The human body contains a complex array of neural pathways that connect the brain to each of the body's organs, and much about how these pathways are organized and function is still not understood.

Coverdell and her co-authorsJohn Campbell, a molecular neuroscientist and biology professor with the college, and Stephen Abbott, a pharmacology professor with UVA's School of Medicinewere focused on a region of the hindbrain in the lower part of the brainstem called the nucleus ambiguus. Previous studies have suggested that the nucleus ambiguus is connected by nerve projections to the heart, the larynx, the pharynx (which carries air, food and fluid down from the nose and mouth) and the esophagus, controlling how they function. In the process of looking for a specific pathway to the heart, they discovered a particular neuron subtype that controls axons (or nerve fibers) leading to the esophagus, which when activated, causes esophageal contractions.

"A lot of our projects begin with generating a parts list for a particular region of the brain," Campbell said. "We want to know all the different cells that make up that region and what they do, and we profile their gene expression to identify them. To figure that out, we look at where each cell type sends their axons because that tells us what organ it controls. That's how we ended up down this road."

Current therapies for esophageal disorders involve stimulation of the vagal nerves, the main nerve system that controls body functions referred to as "resting and digesting" that can't be consciously controlled. However, that pathway also controls a wide range of other functions like cardio-respiratory and digestive functions, and these therapies can create a variety of unwanted effects.

"The vagus nerve is a superhighway of information between all of your visceral organs and your brain, and these motor neuron axons are found within that," Campbell said. "But when you stimulate that, you're activating everything: all these different pathways between the brain and the other connected organs. Having a more targeted approach to affect just esophageal motor function would allow these therapies to be more precise."

Campbell and Coverdell realized that their findings could have practical clinical applications, and they reached out to neurophysiologist Stephen Abbott to help them characterize the function of the cells they discovered.

"The discovery has a lot of clinical significance, because it allows us to more specifically target the esophagus rather than targeting the entire region and having a lot of off-target effects," Coverdell said. "Future research can look at this and develop more targeted therapeutics for disorders of swallowing."

"We now have a complete gene expression profile for these esophageal motor neurons," Campbell added. "We know all the receptors that they express, all the neuropeptides and other signals that they expressany of these could be pharmacological targets in treating esophageal motility disorder. It also gives us access to the whole neural circuitry that controls swallowing. So, we can work backward from these neurons that control the contractions of the esophagus, and that will give us a complete picture of how the swallowing program is represented in the brain."

Abbott agrees that the discovery will have significant implications for the field of medicine, especially as the U.S. population continues to age.

"The ability to identify and study the nerve cells controlling esophageal function allows us to study issues of esophageal motility disorders, and we hope this will promote improved treatments for these disorders that are prevalent in the elderly," Abbott said. "We have all the possibilities in front of us now that we have this information."

According to Deborah Roach, chair of the College's Department of Biology, the findings are important evidence of the role cross-disciplinary research is having in advancing the boundaries of both science and medicine.

"This is a wonderful example of how collaboration between fundamental research done in the College of Arts & Sciences' Department of Biology and applied research done in the School of Medicine can potentially lead to major breakthroughs," she said.

Explore further Difficulty swallowing linked to chronic opioid use

More information: Tatiana C. Coverdell et al, Genetic encoding of an esophageal motor circuit, Cell Reports (2022). Journal information: Cell Reports Tatiana C. Coverdell et al, Genetic encoding of an esophageal motor circuit,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110962
Credit: Kasturi Laxmi Mohit on Unsplash, uv6lUONd19w

We might all agree that trees do good things for the air, for shade and for the climate, but we might not all see eye-to-eye on where and how they should be planted in our own backyards. In a recent paper, North Carolina State University researchers described a series of strategies to guide tree planting, greening or park planning efforts to ensure they aren't unintentionally imposing values on people and perpetuating practices that have oppressed people of color and Indigenous groups in the past.

The Abstract spoke to co-authors Lincoln Larson and Bethany Cutts, who are both associate professors of parks, recreation and tourism management at NC State, about the strategies that they proposed in a recent paper in Conservation Letters.

How have conservation efforts perpetuated colonialism and racism?

Lincoln Larson: If you think about conservation, you might think: "It's great. We're saving land, we're preserving ecosystem serviceseverybody wins." But when you dig deeper, you start to see a different story. When we think about the founding of the national parks, for example, we find many of the leaders in the early conservation movement sought to create parks in the United States to "save" landscapes from Indigenous people. People with power wanted to preserve these lands so that rich, white people could enjoy them.

Some say we've progressed past these oppressive, racist beginnings. But when you look at conservation today, you start to scratch your head and say: "Have we?" The ideal of nature as a forested landscape undisturbed by people is based on this premise: That the only way that we can protect nature from humans is to separate the two. Who is creating this vision? Who is being pushed out?

Bethany Cutts: Modern conservation will continue to serve white ideals if we don't examine history. The good news is that organizations can change. And we are seeing conservation organizations re-examine their definition of nature as a "fortress" that excludes people, and understand how that definition has historically created advantages for white elites while disadvantaging people of color.

What is 'urban greening,' and in what ways have greening projects excluded or and marginalized people?

Larson: Urban greeningby that we mean tree planting initiatives or park development projectsoften focuses on greening for health and well-being or climate mitigation. These are great goals that we should support, but not everyone might see it that way when it comes to urban greening in their own backyards. Taking urban tree canopy expansion as an example, a community's relationship with trees might be different if they suffered severe storms where many trees destroyed their houses. Or, it might be different if a park built in a nearby area rapidly drove up property taxes and fueled "green gentrification" by displacing families who had lived there for generations.

Cutts: Conservation leaders need to think about whether anyone would be harmed by these projects. Otherwise, urban greening can burden those without power.

What can conservation groups do?

Larson: In this paper, we focus on three practices that can help urban planners and conservation practitioners be mindful of environmental justice. The first thing to consider is how green spaces, parks, or other types of environmental amenities are distributed. This means you have to recognize that the legacies of discriminatory policies or systemssuch as "redlining" practices that deliberately denied racial/ethnic minorities access to wealth and resourcesimpact the distribution of what we see on the landscape today.

For example, past research has shown that the most vulnerable communities take the biggest share of hazardous substances, or even energy infrastructure.

Fortunately, thanks to technology, we have a lot of tools at our disposal to address distributional injustice. You can use online spatial tools to pinpoint which communities are most disadvantaged and prioritize developing green infrastructure. But building new parks and planting more trees alone is not enough.

The next strategy is about recognitionrecognizing that different groups of people will have different needs or priorities for 'green infrastructure.' Can you explain?

Larson: An NGO might see trees or parks as a universal benefit, but the story could be quite different through the eyes of local residents. Understanding the past relationship of a community to nature can help to inform how we pursue greening and conservation in those spaces.

Conservation projects can certainly benefits people and nature in many ways. We're encouraging people to take a step back, and think about: How is this playing out, who's going to benefit, and who is going to suffer?

Your last recommendation is about 'procedural justice'what does that mean?

Larson: You have to empower local people to be a part of the decision-making process. There are things we can do generate more equitable greening, but we have to be intentional about it. Offering a local comment period as part of the planning for a greening or conservation projectwhere local residents may or may not be ignoredis inadequate.

Cutts: Organizations have to unstack the decks. This means making it easier for those who have been underserved or harmed by past decisions to have a say in how projects get done. Treating people with respect and making sure that discussions don't simply favor the best-funded perspective is important.

Explore further How Stockholm applied greening concepts and what we can learn from it

More information: Lauren E. Mullenbach et al, An antiracist, anticolonial agenda for urban greening and conservation, Conservation Letters (2022). Journal information: Conservation Letters Lauren E. Mullenbach et al, An antiracist, anticolonial agenda for urban greening and conservation,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/conl.12889
Pluses (+) represent stars in the three OCs of the study, located in 5D phase space. Credit: Ye et al., 2022.

Using data from ESA's Gaia satellite and the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), astronomers have investigated three open clusters near the Aquila Rift cloud. They found that two of them, designated UPK 39 and UPK 41, constitute a primordial binary open cluster. The discovery is reported in a paper published July 28 on arXiv.org.

Open clusters (OCs), formed from the same giant molecular cloud, are groups of stars loosely gravitationally bound to each other. So far, more than 1,000 of them have been discovered in the Milky Way, and scientists are still looking for more, hoping to find a variety of these stellar groupings. Expanding the list of known galactic open clusters and studying them in detail could be crucial for improving our understanding of the formation and evolution of our galaxy.

Recently, a team of astronomers led by Xianhao Ye of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, has observed open clusters in the region around the Aquila Rift cloud. They further inspected three OCs with similar proper motions and radial velocities, namely UPK 39, UPK 41 and PHOC 39.

"We investigate the three open clusters near Aquila Rift cloud, named as UPK 39 (c1 hereafter), UPK 41 (c2 hereafter) in Sim et al. (2019) and PHOC 39 (c3 hereafter) in Hunt & Reffert (2021), respectively. (...) Their proper motions and radial velocities, estimated using data from Gaia and LAMOST are very similar," the researchers wrote in the paper.

The study found that UPK 39, UPK 41 and PHOC 39 have similar proper motions and that the difference in radial velocity between UPK 39 and UPK 41 is less than 3 km/s. The ages of UPK 39, UPK 41 and PHOC 39 were estimated to be about 6.3, 8.1 and 21.8 million years, respectively.

LAMOST data indicate that UPK 39 and UPK 41 have median metallicity at a level of approximately -0.26 dex. This value was calculated by taking into account 21 member candidates of each cluster with the smallest metallicity uncertainties.

All in all, based on relative distances, kinematics, ages, and metallicities, the astronomers assume that UPK 39 and UPK 41 are a primordial binary cluster, formed simultaneously. When it comes to PHOC 39, it formed earlier and has a higher metallicityapproximately -0.12 dex.

The researchers added that it is unlikely that PHOC 39 triggered the formation of the other two clusters. However, they do not exclude the possibility that this OC may capture UPK 39 and UPK 41 in the future.

"We conclude that c1 and c2 are a primordial binary open cluster, which are likely to have been formed at the same time, and c3 may capture c1, c2 in the future," the authors of the paper wrote.

Explore further Study inspects properties of four galactic open clusters

More information: Xianhao Ye, Jingkun Zhao, Terry D. Oswalt, Yong Yang, Gang Zhao, Revisit of open clusters UPK 39, UPK 41 and PHOC 39 : a new binary open cluster found. arXiv:2207.14229v1 [astro-ph.GA], Xianhao Ye, Jingkun Zhao, Terry D. Oswalt, Yong Yang, Gang Zhao, Revisit of open clusters UPK 39, UPK 41 and PHOC 39 : a new binary open cluster found. arXiv:2207.14229v1 [astro-ph.GA], arxiv.org/abs/2207.14229

 2022 Science X Network
A schematic of Plasma interactions in aqueous media. Electric field, ions, electrons, neutrals, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species is produced. The charge distribution of Cell is changed and creates electric dipoles. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16277-1

Cold atmospheric plasma can affect cell adhesion with a significant role in stem cell adhesion. In a new study now published in Scientific Reports, Kobra Hajizadeh and a team of researchers in the departments of physics and plasma research at the Islamic Azhad University and the CNRS, France, studied the effect of plasma treatment on human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (HBMMSC) adhesion to understand cell differentiation and cell fate.

The research team looked at adhesion modification to explore cell-extracellular matrix interactions and investigated areas between suspended cells to observe enhanced adhesion. The scientists noted increased cell-ECM adhesion during plasma therapy due to the enhanced production of integrin protein. The researchers investigated the role of plasma therapy on van der Waals forces existing between cells at three levels, including plasma induced dipole formation, modifications of the cell culture medium, and cell roughness modifications. The outcomes showed how the support of van der Waals forces (VDWFs) enhanced the process of cell adhesion to provide new insights to plasma therapy at the cellular level.

Influence of cold atmospheric plasma on cell adhesion

Cold atmospheric plasma has a variety of applications in science, with recent therapeutic demonstrations in the clinic. While the presence of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species (RONS) in the physical environment of the plasma and plasma-activated media is a primary-factor in atmospheric plasma-based therapy, the effects of the electric field to induce cell polarization leading to dipole formation is significant. As a result, plasma can influence van der Waals forces between the cell-cell and the cell-extracellular matrix. The capacity to regulate cell adhesion is important for stem cells to communicate and regulate cell extracellular matrix mechanical communications to maintain cell performance and function. The process of cell adhesion stimulates signaling pathways to activate and enable cell function, leading to physical changes in cell properties, including cell stiffness, mobility and extracellular matrix interactions. The process of plasma-generated cell adhesion can influence van der Waals forces existing between cells, and between the cells of the extracellular matrix, which remains to be studied.

Schematic of de-adhesion assay. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16277-1

The schematic of plasma-treated cells in cell-suspension. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16277-1

De-adhesion dynamics of cells and other experiments

The scientists developed a de-adhesion test to understand the area of treated and untreated cells. They noted contracted and rounded up cells divided into early delay, fast cell contraction, and saturation frames, where the adhesion strength of the cells treated with higher doses of plasma increased in comparison to non-treated cells. The increased adhesion of the cell-substrate after plasma treatment led to increased expression of the integrin protein and improved activity for cell-substrate adhesion. The team next conducted focal adhesion assays to monitor the impact of cell-adhesion in a dose-dependent manner. When they introduced shear-stress to the media, there was no significant difference in the physical resistance to shear between plasma treated and untreated cell types. When they exposed the first group of cells to either gas or plasma, while exposing the second group to argon treatment alone, they noted increased cell adhesion as a consequence of increased VDW (van der Waals) forces between the cells.

Focal adhesion images for: (1) before treatment and before FA formation, (2) cells treated with Argon (plasma-off) after the formation of FA, and from 3 to 8 the cells were directly exposed to plasma (power = 20 W) for different exposure times: (3) t = 30 s, (4) t = 50 s, (5) t = 70 s, (6) t = 90 s, (7) t = 100 s, (8) t = 120 s. As can be seen in 38, more focal points are formed. Increase in FA points depends on the exposure time. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16277-1

A schematic of the VDW force between temporary dipoles. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16277-1

Outlook

In this way, Kobra Hajizadeh and colleagues examined the influence of the plasma on cell-extracellular matrix adhesion and cell-cell adhesion strengths via de-adhesion and focal adhesion analysis. Increased cell-ECM adhesion was dose-dependent and the time exposure resulted in the increased production and activity of the integrin protein in the medium. The researchers, however, credited rising cell adhesion to increasing van der Waals forces, rather than integrin production and activation. The work took into account the temperature and cell surface roughness effects using atomic force microscopy analysis. The team showed how cell adhesion determined the differentiation and fate of the cells. Based on the study outcomes, the researchers showed how increasing the cell-cell adhesion led to an increase in van der Waals forces. The cells also underwent a change in roughness due to increased van der Waals forces, to further validate the effect of the intercellular force.

Explore further Glycerol phosphate serves as a terminator of glycan elongation in cancer malignancy

More information: Kobra Hajizadeh et al, A van der Waals force-based adhesion study of stem cells exposed to cold atmospheric plasma jets, Scientific Reports (2022). Kobra Hajizadeh et al, A van der Waals force-based adhesion study of stem cells exposed to cold atmospheric plasma jets,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16277-1 Sui Huang et al, The structural and mechanical complexity of cell-growth control, Nature Cell Biology (2002). DOI: 10.1038/13043 Journal information: Nature Cell Biology , Scientific Reports

 2022 Science X Network
Myovant Sciences and Pfizer Receive U.S. FDA Approval of MYFEMBREE, a Once-Daily Treatment for the Management of Moderate to Severe Pain Associated With Endometriosis

Details Category: Small Molecules Published on Monday, 08 August 2022 13:29 Hits: 1202

Data from the Phase 3 SPIRIT program showed MYFEMBREE reduced menstrual pain and non-menstrual pelvic pain in premenopausal women with endometriosis, and a loss of mean bone mineral density of less than 1% from baseline through one year of treatment

Myovant and Pfizer will continue to jointly commercialize MYFEMBREE, with product available immediately

Myovant to host conference call and webcast on Monday, August 8, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time / 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time

BASEL, Switzerland and NEW YORK, NY, USA I August 05, 2022 I Myovant Sciences (NYSE: MYOV) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved MYFEMBREE (relugolix 40 mg, estradiol 1 mg, and norethindrone acetate 0.5 mg) as a one-pill, once-a-day therapy for the management of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis in pre-menopausal women, with a treatment duration of up to 24 months. The approval is supported by one-year efficacy and safety data, including 24-week data from the Phase 3 SPIRIT 1 and SPIRIT 2 trials, which were published in The Lancet, and the first 28 weeks of an open-label extension study for eligible women who completed either SPIRIT 1 or SPIRIT 2. MYFEMBREE also is approved for heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in pre-menopausal women. Myovant and Pfizer will continue to jointly commercialize MYFEMBREE in the U.S. and product is available immediately.

Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease with limited therapies to manage symptoms, said Juan Camilo Arjona Ferreira, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Myovant Sciences, Inc. The new MYFEMBREE indication helps advance our mission to redefine care for women by helping address a disease with high unmet need, giving women and physicians a new meaningful treatment option to manage moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis.

This approval is an important milestone reflecting Pfizer and Myovants commitment to womens health in areas of significant unmet need, said James Rusnak, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer, Internal Medicine and Hospital, Global Product Development at Pfizer. We look forward to making MYFEMBREE available to women with endometriosis and broadening their options in managing this complex disorder.

MYFEMBREE offers an effective, once-daily treatment option for the management of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis, with a treatment duration of up to 24 months. Endometriosis is a serious chronic condition that requires long-term interventions. Optimization of medical therapies is the recommended treatment paradigm.1,2,3 MYFEMBREE introduces an option for up to two years of pharmacological management of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis in pre-menopausal women.

The data from the SPIRIT studies showed the clinical benefit that relugolix combination therapy can have on moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis and how it can impact patients, said Linda Giudice, M.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Chair, SPIRIT Program Steering Committee. This newly approved option for patients with pain from endometriosis offers the convenience of one pill taken once daily with a mean change in bone mineral density of <1% that did not appear to worsen at 12 months of treatment; however, monitoring is recommended.

This approval is supported by one-year data from the Phase 3 SPIRIT program, which included two 24-week multi-national clinical studies (SPIRIT 1 and SPIRIT 2) in more than 1,200 women with pain associated with endometriosis, as well as the first 28 weeks of an open-label extension study to assess its longer-term use. Overall, these studies showed MYFEMBREE reduced menstrual pain and non-menstrual pelvic pain with a loss of mean bone mineral density of less than 1% from baseline through one year of treatment.4

SPIRIT 1 and 2 each met their co-primary endpoints with 75% of women in the MYFEMBREE group in both studies achieving a clinically meaningful reduction in dysmenorrhea compared with 27% and 30% of women in the placebo groups at Week 24, respectively (both p <0.0001). For non-menstrual pelvic pain, treatment with MYFEMBREE demonstrated a clinically meaningful reduction in pain in 59% and 66% of women, compared with 40% and 43% of women in the placebo groups (p < 0.0001). Adverse reactions occurring in at least 3% of women treated with MYFEMBREE and greater than placebo were: headache, vasomotor symptoms, mood disorders, abnormal uterine bleeding, nausea, toothache, back pain, decreased sexual desire and arousal, arthralgia, fatigue, and dizziness.

The open-label extension study for eligible women who completed either SPIRIT 1 or SPIRIT 2 showed mean bone mineral density loss of less than 1% from baseline through one year of treatment; some patients (19.7%) had losses >3%. Annual bone density measurement is recommended while treating women for endometriosis.

MYFEMBREE is available immediately to patients with moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis with a prescription from their healthcare provider. Myovant and Pfizer also are committed to supporting women in the U.S. who are prescribed MYFEMBREE throughout their treatment journeys. The MYFEMBREE Support Program provides access support services, including insurance benefits checks, prior authorization support, co-pay support for commercially insured patients, and patient assistance for qualifying uninsured patients. Program terms and conditions apply. For more information and additional resources, please contact 833-MYFEMBREE (833-693-3627), 8 a.m.  8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday  Friday.

Myovant Conference Call

Myovant will hold a conference call on Monday, August 8, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time / 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss the FDA approval of MYFEMBREE for the management of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis. Investors and the general public may access the live webcast here. The live webcast can also be accessed by visiting the companys investor relations page of Myovants website at: https://investors.myovant.com/.

About Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining is found outside of the uterine cavity, which often causes disruptive symptoms like painful periods, fatigue, pain in the lower back and abdomen, heavy menstrual bleeding, and even painful or difficult sexual intercourse. For endometriosis-associated pain, current treatment options include prescription and over-the-counter pain medications, combined oral contraceptives, progestins, danazol, GnRH agonists and antagonists, and surgical interventions.

Endometriosis can also impact general physical, mental, and social well-being, requiring a multi-disciplinary approach to care. Approximately 190 million women suffer from symptoms of endometriosis globally.5 In the U.S., there are approximately 7.5 million premenopausal women with endometriosis and approximately 75-80 percent of them are symptomatic.6,7,8,9 Many women with pain associated with endometriosis are not able to manage their pain symptoms with current treatment options, underscoring the high unmet need for this disease.10 It can take between four and eleven years to get an endometriosis diagnosis11,12,13 and for some women, current treatment options do not provide relief.14

About MYFEMBREE

MYFEMBREE (relugolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate) is a once-daily oral treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the management of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis, with a treatment duration of up to 24 months. It is also currently available in the U.S. for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in premenopausal women, with a treatment duration of up to 24 months. MYFEMBREE contains relugolix, which reduces the amount of estrogen (and other hormones) produced by ovaries, estradiol (an estrogen) which may reduce the risk of bone loss, and norethindrone acetate (a progestin) which is necessary when women with a uterus (womb) take estrogen.

For full prescribing information including Boxed Warning and patient information, please click here.

Indications and Usage

MYFEMBREE is indicated in premenopausal women for the management of:

Heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine leiomyomas (fibroids)

Moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis

Limitations of Use: Use of MYFEMBREE should be limited to 24 months due to the risk of continued bone loss which may not be reversible.

About Myovant Sciences

Myovant Sciences aspires to redefine care for women and for men through purpose-driven science, empowering medicines, and transformative advocacy. Founded in 2016, Myovant has executed five successful Phase 3 clinical trials across oncology and womens health leading to three regulatory approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for men with advanced prostate cancer, women with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids, and pre-menopausal women with moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis, respectively. Myovant also has received regulatory approvals by the European Commission (EC) and the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids and for men with advanced hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Myovant has a supplemental New Drug Application under review with the FDA for updates to the United States Prescribing Information (USPI) based on safety and efficacy data from the Phase 3 LIBERTY randomized withdrawal study (RWS) of MYFEMBREE in premenopausal women with heavy menstrual bleeding due to uterine fibroids for up to two years. Myovant also is conducting a Phase 3 study to evaluate the prevention of pregnancy in women with uterine fibroids or endometriosis. Myovant also is developing MVT-602, an investigational oligopeptide kisspeptin-1 receptor agonist, which has completed a Phase 2a study for female infertility as part of assisted reproduction. Sumitovant Biopharma, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., is Myovants majority shareholder. For more information, please visit www.myovant.com. Follow @Myovant on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients Lives

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 170 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.Pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @PfizerNews, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.

1 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Treatment of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril. 2014;101(4):927-35.

2 Becker CM et al. ESHRE guideline: endometriosis, Human Reproduction Open. 2022 Feb 26;2022(2): hoac009.

3 Taylor HS et al. Endometriosis is a chronic systemic disease: clinical challenges and novel innovations. Lancet 2021;397(10276):839-52

4 Giudice LC, et al. Lancet. 2022 Jun; 399(10343): 2267-2279.

5 Adamson, G. et al. Journal Endometriosis. 2010; 2:3-6

6 US census 2019 (table 1; approx. 75 million women in the US ages 15-49). Available online at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=United%20States&t=Age%20and%20Sex

7 Shafrir. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2018 Aug; 51:1-15

8 Fuldeore Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2017;82:453-461

9 Bulletti J Asist Reprod Genet 2010

10 Becker CM, et al. Fertil Steril. 2017 Jul;108(1):125-136.

11 Zondervan KT, et al. NEJM. 2020;382(13):12441256

12 Nnoaham KE et al. Fertil Steril. 2011;96(2):366.e8373.e8

13 Ballard K et al. Fertil Steril. 2006;86:1296301

14 Soliman et al. J Womens Health. 2017. 26(7): 788-797

SOURCE: Myovant Sciences
TRENTON  AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division, is one of nine New Jersey medical facilities being provided federal funding to support anti-gun violence programs.

The funds are a part of a $10 million investment in state Hospital-Based Violence Intervention (HVIP) programs Gov. Phil Murphy and state Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on Monday.

This round of funding is through American Recovery Plan money and builds on a $20 million investment from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to assist the nine programs in January 2020.

When the $20 million was announced, selected hospitals received two years of HVIP funding, some of which the hospitals then redirected to community-based providers. After the two-year grant period, the Attorney Generals Office made a third year of VOCA funding worth $10.3 million available, Murphys office said.

Murphy on Monday said funding is important in making New Jersey a safer state, referring to his gun-safety package he signed into law earlier this year.

Todays continued funding of the Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program is another step toward that reality, Murphy said in a written statement.

AtlantiCares program, which was launched in March 2021, focuses on early intervention and follows a national model to link victims of violence and various types of trauma, such as gun violence, to appropriate services for help, said Dr. Brian Isaacson, who helps manage the program.

AtlantiCare developed its plan after being awarded money from the first round. The program uses an entire team available 24/7 to connect patients that have experienced trauma due to violence to resources that can provide them with a high-level of care, he said.

The program focuses on individuals ages 13 to 40.

Untreated trauma can have detrimental outcomes, including job loss or housing disparities. Studies also show patients carrying their untreated trauma are more likely to have future traumatic experiences or other psychological consequences, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Isaacson said.

The program is already yielding success, where patients have ended substance abuse and relocate to improve housing situations. Two have also received their GED through the program, Isaacson said.

Its really been a variety of positive outcomes thats really impacted the health of those individuals and our community at large, Isaacson said.

While addressing psychological and physical issues caused by trauma are important, using the program to end a circle of violence can help reduce repeat incidents.

Isaacson added that the program is particularly vital in helping younger adults that have faced traumatic experiences, especially violent crimes. A national model shows about 40% of people that have experienced trauma due to violence are more likely to be show a type of retaliation, he said.

Experts have considered HVIPs vital in breaking gun-violence cycles and supporting victims of violent crimes involving gunfire. By partnering with community-based organizations to provide services to victims and families in hospitals following a shooting, the programs have shown effectiveness in ending a gun-violence cycle, Murphys office said.

Funding, like the federal money announced on Monday, is vital to supporting programs like AtlantiCares because it helps erase insurance issues, making the program better fit to help anyone who needs it, Isaacson said.

Contact Eric Conklin:

609-272-7261

Twitter @ACPressConklin
CAPE MAY  As it turns out, two votes on City Council were enough to approve a complicated liquor license transfer that will allow alcohol sales at the Southern Mansion.

With one member absent and Mayor Zack Mullock abstaining, the Cape May City Council on Aug. 2 voted on the license transfer, with two votes in favor and one opposed. At the meeting, city attorney Christopher Gillin-Schwartz said the resolution needed three votes, a majority on the five-member council, to pass.

Hes been convinced otherwise. Marcus Karavan, an attorney representing the applicant, sent a letter to the city and to Gillin-Schwartz after the vote, citing precedent that the rules for votes on the transfer of alcohol licenses are different than other City Council decisions.

Karavan argued that in this instance, the City Council was operating as the local issuing authority for the states division of Alcohol Beverage Control, citing a court case from 1951 in support of his position. In a response sent Friday, Gillin-Schwartz said he checked with the officials with the ABC and the deputy attorney general, who confirmed that if there is a quorum at a meeting, and a majority of that quorum votes in favor, that is enough for an approval regardless of the requirements under state statute for a majority of all members.

This is an esoteric and very narrow exception, was how Gillin-Schwartz described the issue Monday morning. Since the opinion is from the ABC, which would hear any appeal of the decision, Gillin-Schwartz suggested it would be a waste of time and city resources to now fight the license transfer.

His letter to Karavan confirmed that the license transfer vote would be recorded as an approval, but added that the conditions imposed on the license by City Council still apply.

Karavan said Monday that it is his understanding that the license transfer is now approved, retroactive to last weeks vote.

At the Aug. 2 meeting, Karavan said his clients agreed to several conditions aimed at reducing the potential impact on neighbors.

As approved, the license will allow a new limited liability company to sell alcohol within a leased area inside the Southern Mansion on Washington Street. Under the stipulations agreed upon, the LLC will only serve alcohol to guests staying at the inn or to people attending events there, most often weddings.

The license had been held by The Merion Inn on Decatur Street, and became available when the building was purchased by the owners of the Mad Batter on Jackson, according to Mullock, who said in an interview last week that both businesses, adjoining in the rear, now operate under a single license.

But state laws prevent the Southern Mansion from acquiring the license, because owner Barbara Wilde also owns Willow Creek Winery in West Cape May, Mullock said. State law prevents someone from simultaneously holding two types of licenses to sell alcohol, in this case a farm winery license and a plenary license.

Her daughter, Hamilton Wilde, founded New Jersey Farmers Cooperative Group LLC, taking the name from a non-profit organization of which Barbara Wilde is the director.

Documentation provided to City Council states that the Southern Mansion is owned by the Bray Family Partnership, in which Hamilton Wilde holds no interest, while Barbara Wilde holds no ownership or interest in New Jersey Farmers Cooperative Group LLC.

A new vote will not take place, according to Gillin-Schwartz.

There is a chance a second vote would not go the same way as the first. City Council member Stacy Sheehan had expressed concerns about the planned transfer, but could not attend the last meeting. Other members suggested that with Sheehan at the meeting, the vote would have likely been two-two, with one abstention.

Mullock had said at the meeting, and afterward, that the Southern Mansion did a good job of listening to neighbors and communicating the plan. He said he abstained because he is a neighbor of the property.

Several neighbors spoke at the Aug. 2 meeting, with some opposing the license transfer. Council member Michael Yeager said the proposal could be an improvement, with trained bartenders at weddings and a convenience for the guests when there is not an event underway.

According to the inns website, the Southern Mansion at 720 Washington St. was built in 1863 as a private home, later seeing use as a boarding house before falling into disrepair. The current owners began extensive renovations in 1994, with the project completed in 1997.

Contact Bill Barlow:

609-272-7290

Twitter @jerseynews_bill
BRIDGETON  A city man received a 20-year long prison sentence for killing 28-year-old Keon Butler in 2015.

Raheem Jacobs, 33, was convicted of second-degree reckless manslaughter on May 26 following a two-week trial.

Under the No Early Release Act, Jacobs must also serve 85% of his prison term, equal to 17 years, before he can seek parole, the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office said.

Judge Christen P. DArrigo also ordered Jacobs to pay over $7,000 in restitution for Butlers funeral costs and be on parole for three years after hes released from jail, the Prosecutors Office said on Friday.

Jacobs shot Butler while the 28-year-old was being pursued in his minivan by another car in October 2015.

Police were called to North Laurel and Myrtle streets after the minivan crashed into a pole. They found Butler slouched in the seats dead, having been shot in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jacobs was arrested later that month following an investigation by city police and the Prosecutors Office.

Jacobs was initially charged with murder, attempted murder and other weapons offenses, according to past reports.

Investigators determined a passenger in Butlers vehicle was the initial target, not the 28-year-old. That passenger was not identified following Jacobs arrest.

Contact Eric Conklin:

609-272-7261

Twitter @ACPressConklin
NORTH WILDWOOD  It was a chance to shine a light on South Jersey history.

About two dozen people gathered at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse on Sunday to celebrate National Lighthouse Day. The audience listened to a presentation about the inlet and lighthouse along with speeches from state and federal guests of honor.

North Wildwood historian W. Scott Jett spoke about the importance of the lighthouse to the city and its residents. He praised those who have worked to maintain the lighthouse and hosted National Lighthouse Day.

State Sen. Mike Testa, R-Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, spoke at the ceremony. He praised the fixtures role in history and highlighted it as an important part of his districts history.

Todays celebration pays tribute to the important role which lighthouses plays in the history of our country and out state and the values of safety, heroism and American ingenuity which they represent, Testa said.

For much of the ceremony, Jett focused on what happened to the lighthouse and inlet during World War II. He said that in July 1942 a nationwide order was issued to extinguish all lighthouse beacons on the East Coast to keep them from aiding German U-boats patrolling the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouses remained in the dark until May 1945, after the defeat of Nazi Germany on VE Day.

Robert ONeil, then the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse keeper, joined the Navy and went out on patrol. Volunteers tried to maintain the property while the inlet and lighthouse grounds were used by Coast Guard auxiliary patrol. The beach had been covered in oil by damaged ships.

It was something that my mother used to tell me you just got used to in those years because thats what was happening right off shore, Jett said.

The person who featured most prominently in the ceremony was Carlyle Dennis, who served as the commander of the Hereford Inlet Lifeboat Station from 1951 to 1958. During World War II, Dennis served in the Coast Guard and eventually received the rank of lieutenant. Jett described Dennis time fighting in the Pacific Theater and how he was recognized for his valiant service.

Ive never seen Carlyle Dennis name in the headlines, Ive never saw him on the front page of a paper, but if theres anyone whos a hero in the eyes of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse community, its Carlyle Dennis, Jett said.

Diana DeNote, Dennis granddaughter, was in the audience Sunday. She donated a photograph of her grandfather to be hung inside the lighthouse.

I can feel him next to me, DeNote said of her familys legacy. And I feel like hes looking down from heaven.

Patrick Murphy, the former Under Secretary of the Army and a former Pennsylvania congressman, spoke at the ceremony honoring the lighthouse. As the first Iraq War combat veteran to serve in Congress, Murphy said the story of Dennis particularly resonated with him. He thanked those who served in the military and celebrated the role of the lighthouse.

This Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is a guiding light to this community and for so many that reside here, Murphy said.

The history and specifications of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse are laid out on its website. While whalers and sailors had been using the inlet itself since the 17th century, the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse was established in May 1874.

A storm in August 1913 severely damaged its foundation at the spot where it had stood for more than 39 years. The lighthouse was then moved 50 yards west to its current location.

It ceased active use until 1964  nine decades after its opening. North Wildwood eventually secured a lease to the lighthouse from the state Department of Environmental Protection in 1982 and organized its restoration.

The Coast Guard continues to actively use the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse as a navigation aid for sailors.

Stacey Friedman, a North Wildwood resident, was in attendance Sunday. She recalled how she used to visit the lighthouse with her mother and how landmarks like the lighthouse were importing to building a family community in North Wildwood.

Were more than a town, were more than North Wildwood. Were a family community, and thats what it should be here, Friedman said.

National Lighthouse Day is celebrated annually on Aug. 7. The date commemorates when President George Washington in 1789 signed the Lighthouse Act into law, creating federal oversight of lighthouse operations and maintenance.

While national in scope from the outset, the holidays origin does have roots in South Jersey, according to the website of the United States Lighthouse Society. Jett said that U.S. Rep. William J. Hughes, who represented several South Jersey counties, was a leading advocate for the joint resolution of Congress that first created the holiday in 1988. The date was chosen so that the first National Lighthouse Day could be celebrated on the bicentennial of the 1789 Lighthouse Act.

The designation was only for the year 1989. Jett said he hoped South Jersey state and federal politicians would continue to push for the day to be proclaimed every year.

The ceremony held at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse on Sunday was originally scheduled to take place during National Lighthouse Day in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are other big plans in store for the lighthouse. Jett said he was looking forward to National Lighthouse Day 2024, which will be the year of Hereford Inlet Lighthouses 150th anniversary.

That light shined in my bedroom when I was growing up, one white flash every 10 seconds on the wall above my bed, Jett said. And I wouldnt change that for anything. That was always like someone was watching out for you.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misstated a person's town of residency.
Workers at the Intelligentsia cafe in the Monadnock Building in the Loop recently voted to unionize Aug. 8, 2022. (Raquel Zaldivar/Chicago Tribune)

Workers at Chicago-based specialty coffee company Intelligentsia Coffee voted to unionize Monday, the latest in a string of union votes at coffeehouses across the city in recent months.

The vote affects nearly 30 workers at Intelligentsias five Chicago cafes, including two in the Loop, and one each in Lakeview East, East Ukrainian Village and Logan Square.

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Brett Lyons, a business representative for Local 1220 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said the union hopes to organize the approximately 20 employees of the companys West Town coffee roastery later this year.

Intelligentsia becomes the second Chicagoland coffee chain to be represented by Local 1220, after Colectivo Coffee, where workers began bargaining for their first contract this summer, the union said in a statement. Nearly 500 Colectivo Coffee workers across Chicago and Milwaukee are represented jointly by Local 1220 and Local 494 in Milwaukee, Lyons said.

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Jordan Parshall, a shift lead at Intelligentsias cafe in the Monadnock Building in the Loop, said he worked briefly at Colectivo when he first moved to Chicago and was inspired by their union campaign. When a man wearing an IBEW hat walked into the Monadnock store last year, Parshall asked if he could help the Intelligentsia workers get in touch with someone from the union.

Jordan Parshall stands in front of the Intelligentsia cafe where he is the shift lead in the Loop on Aug. 8, 2022. (Raquel Zaldivar/Chicago Tribune)

The man gave Parshall a number to call, and Intelligentsia employees filed for union representation in May.

We just want the terms of our employment to be in a contract that is solid and secure, and every few years we know we can bargain to make it even better, Parshall said. Right now, our company, they decide the terms of our employment, they decide how many holidays we get, they decide what our health care is. And we dont have any tangible way to hold them accountable for those things.

Ten out of approximately 27 eligible voters turned in mail-in ballots, with nine out of 10 voting to join IBEW, said Kayla Blado, a spokesperson for the National Labor Relations Board. There is no minimum voter turnout required to win an election, Blado said.

Parshall attributed the low voter turnout to some ballots having gone out to old addresses where his co-workers no longer lived.

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Mondays election comes amid an upsurge of union activity across the country. Coffee shop unions in particular have gained steam this year, with the national Starbucks union push perhaps the most high-profile campaign.

So far, workers have unionized more than 200 Starbucks cafes in 36 states, according to late July data from the NLRB. In Chicago, baristas at five Starbucks have unionized since May.

I think that a lot of it comes from the instability that a lot of us experienced when we were all laid off from our jobs in March of 2020, said Parshall, who was laid off from his coffee-shop job in Minneapolis at the start of the pandemic.

In a statement, Local 1220 business manager John Rizzo said the union was thrilled by the results of Mondays election.

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A collective bargaining agreement is one of the strongest tools that workers have. It gives employees an ability to have their voices heard at work, Rizzo said. Intelligentsia employees will now have a seat at the table and a say in their employment and working conditions.

Intelligentsia first opened in Chicago in 1995. In addition to its five Chicago cafes, the specialty coffee roaster has locations in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Austin.

As we have done throughout the election process, and while the NLRBs certification of the election results is pending, our Chicago coffeebars are operating and our employees are delivering extraordinary coffee to our customers every day, said Lisa Strangis, a spokesperson for Intelligentsia, in a statement.
TRENTON  The state Senate unanimously approved William E. Reynolds, of Absecon, as Atlantic County Prosecutor at a special session Monday.

So many different people of both parties came up to say, You sounded really good. Im happy for you, Reynolds said as he drove home after the vote. It was really humbling.

He credited state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, with advocating for his appointment.

The senator did a really good job negotiating and letting the governors office know what was important to him and the people of Atlantic County, Reynolds said.

Earlier in the day the senate Judiciary Committee had also moved Reynolds nomination.

Bill is kind, humble and cares about people, said Sen. Joseph Lagana, D-Bergen, Passaic, at the Judiciary hearing. Lagana has known Reynolds for years and worked with him in his role as state arbitrator.

He exhibits all the qualities a person should have, Lagana said.

In his nine weeks as acting prosecutor, Reynolds has made a definite mark, working with Atlantic City officials to start a special program to get repeat shoplifters and other criminals off the street and either into substance abuse or mental health treatment or jail.

Everyone said, Tread lightly. Youre acting. You could ruin your nomination, Reynolds said of advice on how to approach the job before the final vote.

But that isnt his way, he said.

Im going to be myself, thats what got me here, Reynolds said. Im always open to good ideas. I dont have to be the originator. Im always willing to help and that is going to continue.

A former municipal prosecutor, he brought his twin 12-year-old sons with him to Trenton on Monday, as well as other family members.

He replaces former Acting Prosecutor Cary Shill, who has been in the job since former Prosecutor Damon Tyner resigned last year under pressure from lawsuits and ethics charges.

Reynolds nomination drew no questions from the senators in the Judiciary hearing, unlike the nomination just prior of Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, of Montclair, as state Attorney General.

That nomination was affirmed by the committee after four hours of questions of the nominee, and testimony from pro-life and Christian groups opposing the nomination.

A full Senate vote on Platkins nomination is expected in the fall.

Groups opposing it, such as New Jersey Right to Life, said it was because of his support for legal abortion and concerns about his stance on parental rights regarding what children in kindergarten to third grades are taught about gender issues.

Sens. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, Somerset, and Michael J. Doherty, R-Hunterdon, Somerset, Warren, voted against Platkins nomination in committee.

They said they felt his advice to Gov. Phil Murphy in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic, when Platkin was the governors chief counsel, resulted in Murphy overstepping his office and leaving the legislature out of key decisions on business closings and more.

They also stressed Platkins role in the handling of the Katie Brennan sexual abuse case as reason he should not be approved.

Brennan, a campaign volunteer and state worker, accused another campaign worker and state employee of sexual assault, and said Platkin and the governors staff tried to ignore her allegations.

In 2019, then state Senate President Steve Sweeney called for Platkin to resign over that case, and a report from a legislative investigation found poor legal advice led to the mishandling.

Brennan settled a lawsuit against the state and Murphys campaign for $1 million in 2020, and took a job with the administration of former Mayor Bill de Blasio in New York City.

The committee and full Senate also approved nominations of Jeffrey Wilson, of Atlantic City and Frank C. Testa, of Princeton, as Superior Court judges.

Frank Testa thanked his cousin, state Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, for his help.

This means a lot to our family, Sen. Michael Testa said after the Senate vote.
A 16-year-old female has charges pending after a short pursuit with a police officer ended with a vehicle crash Friday, Aug. 5, in the 1700 block of Lincoln Road in Bettendorf.

Emergency services responded to the accident at about 9:30 p.m.

A Bettendorf officer was attempting to make a stop on a white Dodge Caravan for traffic charges, but the driver failed to stop and a short pursuit followed. The driver traveled westbound, began to drive recklessly, ran the stop sign at the intersection of 18th Street and Lincoln Road and collided head-on with a red Chrysler Town and Country that was traveling eastbound.

The driver of the red Chrysler was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries, while the passenger was treated on scene and released.

The 16-year-old was also treated for minor injuries at the hospital and is awaiting charges. The white Dodge Caravan she was driving was found to be stolen out of Davenport.

Iowa State Patrol is assisting the Bettendorf Police Department in the ongoing investigation.
CHICAGO  When Serena Stoneberg walked down the aisle of a North side church on Friday, her wedding continued a family tradition that spanned seven previous brides across three generations and multiple Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs.

Stoneberg became the eighth bride to say her vows in the satin gown that was previously worn by her grandmother, great-aunt, aunt and cousins on their wedding days. Her late grandmother purchased it for $100.75 at the Brides' Room at the former Marshall Field's on State Street and was the first bride to wear it in 1950.

The family heirloom has made seven more brides look good since then, with all but one of the weddings taking place in and around Chicago. Many of those brides gathered in Serena Stoneberg's River North Hotel room Thursday afternoon, the day before the wedding, to socialize.

The third bride to wear the dress, Sharon Larson Frank, 77, who was the youngest of the first generation of brides to wear the dress, said it didn't start out as a significant tradition to be married in the same gown.

"We never talked about it and said 'well, you'll wear the dress,'" Larson said. "It just sort of evolved."

'I just always knew'

But over time, they said, the garment has taken on deep meaning as a connection to one another and to Chicago.

Larson's daughter and the seventh bride, Julie Frank Mackey, 42, who got married in 2013 and was the last person to wear the dress before this week, said she never considered being married in anything else.

"You were going to make it work," Mackey said. "Even when it didn't fit me. It was really important just to be a part of that tradition. I just always knew from when I was a little girl that I would wear that dress."

The dress is long-sleeved, with a high collar and floor-length train.

Serena Stoneberg, 27, added a few of her own flourishes for her ceremony. She wore her own shoes, her own jewelry and a new veil from her great aunt, the third woman to be married in the dress.

"But other than that, I'm really excited to fit into the tradition as it is," Stoneberg said.

The family has made some slight modifications to the dress over the last 72 years.

Mackey, who is taller than average, had her mother add an eight-inch wide ribbon to the hem and a back panel to make the bodice fit.

Jean Milton Ellis, the sixth woman to wear it, added a crinoline to "give it a little boost" and avoid modifying the hem.

But they've done their best to stay true to the original design of the dress, which the oldest living bride, Eleanor "Elly" Larson Milton of Northbrook  who is the middle sister in the first generation  described as a classic.

"I think that's why eight brides are willing to wear it, because it doesn't scream 1950 or 1970," she said.

Fans of Marshall Field's

Milton credited her older sister and the first bride, Adele Larson Stoneberg, with the smart buy. Adele Larson Stoneberg, who died in 1988, is the only one of the women who will not be at the dress' eighth matrimonial occasion.

Adele Larson Stoneberg's choice to purchase the dress at Marshall Field's was an obvious one, her sisters said. Their mother, Anna Larson, was a devoted patron of the massive Chicago department store on State Street, and when the time came in 1950 to pick out a wedding dress, they doubted Adele would have gone anywhere else.

"My mother (Anna) loved Marshall Field's," Sharon Larson Frank said. "So I don't think she could have gone to any other store. And [Adele] went to the bridal shop because they would have wanted it to be a beautiful dress.

Sharon Larson Frank said her mother, Anna Larson, would travel on the "L" train to do her shopping downtown "and then the Marshall Field's truck would deliver it the next day to the house," in Lincolnwood.

Every year at Christmas, the family would gather in Marshall Field's Walnut Room to see the giant Christmas tree and celebrate with a meal together.

"None of these women drove, so we would take public transportation," Sharon Larson Frank remembered, adding that their Aunt Lil would come in from the West Side of Chicago and she and her mother would head in from the North Side, with everyone meeting up at Marshall Field's.

The store played an important role in the family's everyday life as well as its celebrations.

When Elly Larson Milton had daughters, Marshall Field's became a place where they could meet Anna Larson, their grandmother, for tea.

Jean Milton Ellis grew up in Glenview and would often meet her grandmother.

"Grandma would often say, 'hey, tomorrow, let's meet at Marshall Field's on State Street,'" she said. "And I would enjoy taking a bus down and I'd meet her on the old third floor waiting room and have a Field's sandwich and Frango Mint pie for lunch."

When Jean Milton Ellis left the region for school, she would get "packages of Frango Mints because of the withdrawal from those little green boxes," she said.

On Saturday mornings, Elly Larson Milton's father, Elmer, would drive his wife Anna down to Clark Street to shop.

"That was still her neighborhood, even though she lived out in Lincolnwood," Elly Larson Milton said. "She wanted to pick up the coffee cake. We always had coffee cake and limpa"  a dark Swedish rye bread  and lutefisk, a traditional Swedish dish made from dried fish.

Swedish Andersonville

The family's Swedish heritage didn't just dictate their Saturday morning shopping, but also where their marriages took place.

The first three weddings that included the dress from Marshall Field's were at Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Foster Avenue in Andersonville, where Serena Stoneberg's ceremony will also take place.

Anna and Elmer Larson, Serena Stoneberg's grandparents, were committed members of the church and friends with the ministers. They had their daughters Adele, Elly and Sharon baptized and confirmed there.

"Being married in the church was a very familiar place," Elly Larson Milton said. "We had all gone to Sunday school there. We worshipped there on a regular basis. So Ebenezer Lutheran Church was our second home."

After Adele Larson Stoneberg's wedding, they had three urns of coffee and a cake from a bakery on nearby Foster Avenue or Clark Street  the women couldn't remember which.

The oldest brides said it was markedly different from the way many people celebrate weddings today.

"We got married and then we went across the hall to the Sunday school room and had cookies and coffee," Sharon Larson Frank said. "But there was no band or dancing."

"Or booze," Elly interjected.

The next generation of weddings were scattered throughout the northern suburbs.

Adele Larson Stoneberg's daughter Sue Stoneberg McCarthy was the first to wear the dress in a church that wasn't Ebenezer Lutheran. She got married in Park Ridge at St. Luke's Lutheran Church.

Later, Sue Stoneberg McCarthy's house on Park Ridge's Delphia Avenue was a frequent gathering place for the whole family. Jean Milton Ellis said one of her strongest memories of visiting there was how the house, like much of Park Ridge, was directly in airplanes' flight path to O'Hare International Airport.

And when it was her turn to wear the dress  after her sister Carol Milton Zmuda and cousin Sue Stoneberg McCarthy  Jean Milton Ellis married at the Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette.

The dress has spent the last decade in Pittsburgh since Mackey's 2013 marriage, on a dress form after a specialized cleaning.

In the 72 years since the dress has appeared at the Larson-Stoneberg-Milton-Frank family weddings, no one who wore it has gotten divorced.

"All the marriages, they've all lasted long," Elly Larson Milton added. "Truly long, healthy, happy marriages."

Julie Frank Mackey said it's a lucky object.

"I think about the dress, and all of the happy marriages that started after that dress walked down the aisle, and I only wish the best to Serena and Chris because it's a lucky dress," she said.

Serena Stoneberg said wearing the dress for her own wedding would connect her to all the brides while she's at the altar, as well as to the one bride not at the wedding: Adele, Serena's late Mormor (grandmother in Swedish).

"It's super special [to be] wearing her original dress," Serena Stoneberg said the day before the wedding. "It'll probably feel like she's there a little bit."
Officers have identified the two individuals who were in a single-vehicle, rollover crash on Highway 61 on Friday, Aug. 5, near Eldridge that left them hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Ty'Ollie Bright, 22, of Davenport, lost control of his 1998 Toyota Corolla, struck a guardrail on the west side of the roadway and rolled several times before coming to a rest in the west ditch. The passenger was a 14-year-old relative of Bright's who is also from Davenport.

Both individuals were transported to Genesis Medical Center. The juvenile was later airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa State. Both remain hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

At about 2 p.m., the Scott County Emergency Communications Center received an emergency call for a motor vehicle incident at the southbound 124.5 mile marker on Highway 61 near Eldridge.

Emergency personnel determined the driver and passenger both were ejected from the car.

The accident remains under investigation by the Scott County Sheriff's Office Accident Investigation team.
A Pennington County jury convicted a 23-year-old Springfield man of second-degree murder on July 28, following a Christmas Eve 2020 shooting in Rapid City that left one man dead.

Elias Richard faced a first-degree murder charge in the death of Vernall Marshall. The jury found Richard not guilty of first-degree murder, but convicted him of the lesser second-degree murder charge. Second-degree murder is a class B felony, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison according to South Dakota law. Richard could also face a fine of $50,000.

Richards trial started with jury selection on July 25 and ending with a verdict at 1:30 p.m. on July 28. Presiding Circuit Judge Craig Pfeifle presided over the trial. Assistant Attorney General Trevor Thielen represented the state. Gregory Sperlich defended Richard.

Court documents show Marshall was found lying on the 1000 block of Silverleaf Avenue in Rapid City at about 11:01 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2020 with two bullet holes in his back, one in his left shoulder blade and one in his right mid-back. A states exhibit photo showed the wounds.

Another exhibit showed a police drawing of the scene, denoting Marshalls body in the eastern lane of the road, and items scattered around him: two shell casings, a left shoe, a right shoe, a wallet, a pipe and a broken lens.

Richard is one of four people charged for involvement in Marshalls death. Kaleb Lukkes, 22, of Rapid City, and Clint Marshall, 22, of Rapid City, are charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder and aiding and abetting aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Lukkes is also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The fourth defendant, Masheka Barnett, 43, also of Rapid City, is charged separately from the other three with aiding and abetting aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misprision of a felony  having knowledge of the commission of a felony and concealing it or not immediately disclosing it to authorities.

According to Journal archives, a document filed by the Pennington County State's Attorney Office that argued against Richard's request to be tried separately from his co-defendants laid out the alleged motive.

Marshall allegedly sent inappropriate messages to one of Barnett's teenage relatives, law enforcement learned through its investigation. In response, the four male defendants set up a fake drug buy so they could beat Marshall up.

The men picked Marshall up in downtown Rapid City shortly before 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve 2020 and headed toward Silverleaf Avenue as they fought in the car. The men allegedly pushed Marshall out of the car and started attacking him on the street.

Richard eventually took out a gun and shot Marshall before the entire group fled.

Barnett, Lukkes and Clint Marshall agreed to speak with police, the document said, but the prosecutors only summarized the male defendants' interviews.

During a Dec. 28, 2020 interview, Lukkes admitted to being involved in the homicide after initially denying it. He said the plan was to set Marshall up by making a fake offer to sell $20 worth of drugs, even though they didn't have any with them.

Lukkes said he took the money from Marshall and Richard immediately confronted Marshall about the alleged messages he sent. Richard was already pointing a gun at Marshall when they started fighting with each other in the back seat of the car, Lukkes said.

Lukkes said he got out of the car and hit Marshall in the head multiple times while Clint Marshall began kicking him. He said Richard then walked up to Marshall and shot him while he was on the ground.

Clint Marshall was interviewed the next day. He said Lukkes called on Christmas Eve to ask if he wanted to go on a drive but didn't mention its purpose.

He agreed to go along and said Lukkes showed up driving a white car with Barnett in the front seat and Richard in the back. Clint said he eventually overheard the group talk about robbing Marshall as they headed downtown.

"There he is right there!" Clint Marshall remembers Barnett saying when he saw Vernall Marshall.

Lukkes stopped the car and Richard got out and told Marshall to get inside the vehicle, Clint Marshall said. After Vernall Marshall got inside, Lukkes asked if he had the money, which Marshall handed over.

Richard began hitting Vernall Marshall right after the exchange, Clint Marshall said. Clint Marshall said he "reacted" after Vernal Marshall hit him.

All of the men then got out of the car, Clint Marshall said. He said he kicked the victim twice before Richard shot Vernall Marshall, who was on the ground.

Barnett, Lukkes and Clint Marshalls cases are ongoing. Lukkes and Richard are being held at the Pennington County Jail. Richards sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 26.
Ex-Russian TV journalist fined for discrediting Russian army

MOSCOW, August 8 (RAPSI)  Former Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova was fined 40,000 rubles (about $650 at the current exchange rate) after being found guilty of discrediting the country's armed forces in social media post, the press service of the Moscow Cheremushkinsky District Court told RAPSI.

The administrative case against Ovsyannikova was opened after she had posted yet another negative message about the Russian military. The defendant pleaded not guilty and said she would appeal the decision.

This July, Ovsyannikova was fined 50,000 rubles (about $830) for a similar offense.

In March, the Moscow Ostankinsky District Court found Ovsyannikova guilty of committing an administrative offense, that is a violation of the established procedure for organizing or holding a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picketing, and imposed an administrative fine on the ex-editor in the amount of 30,000 rubles ($500).

The fine was imposed after Ovsyannikova had demonstrated a poster against the special operation in Ukraine in the course of a live broadcast of the Vremya program on Channel One.
Major reported crime rose 28% in Richmond during the first six months of this year, although property crime  not violent crime  was the driving factor, Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith said during a crime briefing Monday.

Property crime for the year is up 32%, and this a whopping difference of over 1,000 [offenses], Smith said. This is whats driving crime right now. Not violent crime, but property crime is pushing the envelope for us here in Richmond.

Reported violent crime  homicides, rapes, robbery and aggravated assaults  rose by a modest 1.7%, from 522 offenses during the first six months of 2021 to 531 for the same period this year. By comparison, property crime  larcenies, burglaries, vehicle thefts and arson fires  surged from 3,119 offenses to 4,134, the chief reported.

The number of homicides remained even from Jan. 1 through June 30  a total of 31 killings  compared with the same period in 2021. Of those, 28 were committed by firearms. Smith noted the department has created a new category that tracks killings by guns.

Nonfatal shootings also were even  109 offenses  for the first six months of 2021 and this year.

The chief began Mondays briefing with a statement about the ongoing controversy concerning the alleged mass shooting that police said was planned for Dogwood Dell on July 4.

We are closing all discussion about the planned Fourth of July mass shooting, Smith announced at the onset. The matter is now in the hands of the federal government. As it has already been stated, well follow wherever the investigation leads us.

The chief then reiterated his previous account that the investigation started with a tip about a mass shooting plot on July 4, and that the tipster provided information about firearms and other noteworthy information to assist in the investigation. While the tipster did not explicitly say Dogwood Dell as the location, the department, based on all information available at the time, determined Dogwood Dell was the most likely target.

At briefings end, two reporters tried asking questions about the incident, but Smith quickly squelched further discussion.

During a preliminary hearing last week in Richmond General District Court for the two men charged, a Richmond prosecutor told Judge David Hicks that he had no evidence that the alleged July 4 mass shooting was planned for Dogwood Dell. The prosecutor said there was evidence to support the potential for a shooting but not at a specific location.

The prosecutor then withdrew state charges against Guatemalan immigrants Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 38, and Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas, 52, because he noted the U.S. Attorneys Office has assumed prosecution of the case and filed federal charges against the pair.

Both men are scheduled to appear Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Richmond for detention hearings.

Continuing with his crime report, Smith noted the surge in property crime was fueled by a 33% jump in larcenies  from 2,403 offenses in 2021 to 3,194 so far this year.

Weve seen vehicles being the main target, he said. Car break-ins, theft of vehicles. Were also seeing quite a few packages that are being stolen. Lock your cars, keep your valuables in your car out of sight.

Reported vehicle thefts rose 32%, from 340 to 449. Dont leave your car running, even if youre running into the convenience store, the chief said. Take your key fob with you; also, dont leave your valet key in the car. That is a great deal of how these thefts happen, is the valet key is left in the car, and people are just going through cars and will take the valet key and take the car.

Arson fires spiked a whopping 254%, from 11 in 2021 to 39 so far this year. Between April 1 and June 30 alone, there were 15 buildings, six vehicles and six super cans set ablaze, Smith said.

Break-ins also rose during the first six months of this year, but less significantly than the other categories of property crime. A total of 410 burglaries were reported through June 30, a 21% increase over the 339 reported during the same period last year.

Under violent crime, reported rapes inched up from 24 to 27, while robberies dropped from 162 to 133, or 18%. Reported aggravated assaults rose from 305 to 340, or 11%.

As part of the departments ongoing efforts to reduce gun violence, Smith noted that officers seized 532 firearms through the first six months of the year.

Weve gone back five years to find out where exactly the violent crime occurs, and weve located some areas  and 2% of [the citys] land mass for the last five years account for 26% of the violent crime here in Richmond, the chief said.
A man receives the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at Jabra Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 11, 2021. A new philanthropic project hopes to invest $100 million in up to 10 countries mostly in Africa by 2030 to support up to 200,000 community health workers. (Marwan Ali/AP)

A new philanthropic project hopes to invest $100 million in 10 countries, mostly in Africa, by 2030 to support 200,000 community health workers, who serve as a critical bridge to treatment for people with limited access to medical care.

The Skoll Foundation and The Johnson & Johnson Foundation announced Monday that they donated a total of $25 million to the initiative. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which will oversee the project, matched the donations and hopes to raise an additional $50 million.

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The investment seeks to empower the frontline workers that experts say are essential to battling outbreaks of COVID-19, Ebola and HIV.

What have we found out in terms of community health workers? said Francisca Mutapi, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, who helps lead a multiyear project to treat neglected tropical diseases in multiple African countries. They are very popular. They are very effective. They are very cost effective.

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On a recent trip to Zimbabwe for research, Mutapi described how a community health worker negotiated the treatment of a parasitic infection in a young child who was part of a religious group that doesnt accept clinical medicine.

Shes going to the river, getting on with her day-to-day business, and she notices that one of the children in her community is complaining about a stomachache, said Mutapi.

The woman approached the childs grandmother for permission to bring the child to a clinic, which diagnosed and began treating the child for bilharzia. That would not have happened without the womans intervention, Mutapi said.

Ashley Fox, an associate professor specializing in global health policy at Albany, SUNY, said evidence shows community health workers can effectively deliver low-cost care when they are properly equipped and trained and paid  thats a big caveat.

Though the current number of these workers is not well documented, in 2017, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the continent required 2 million to meet health targets. Many of these workers are women and unpaid, though The Global Fund advocates for some sort of salary for them.

Its hard to think of a better set of people that you would want to be paying if you think about it from both the point of view of creating good jobs as well as maximizing the health impact, said Peter Sands, the funds executive director.

The Global Fund, founded in 2002, channels international financing with the aim of eradicating treatable infectious diseases. In addition to its regular three-year grants to countries, it will deploy these new philanthropic donations through a catalytic fund to encourage spending on some of the best practices and program designs.

Last Mile Health, part of the Africa Frontline First health initiative, has worked with the Liberian government to expand and strengthen its community health program since 2016.

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In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, former Liberian president and Noble Peace Prize recipient, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, convened Last Mile Health and other organizations to grapple with a response.

We were all kind of seeing the deja vu moment of recalling back to a couple of years ago where Liberia was beset by this tragic epidemic of Ebola, said Nan Chen, managing director of Last Mile Health. And as President Sirleaf reminded us: the tide was turned when we turned to the community.

Along with the other organizations that specialize in the financing, research and policy of public health, they set about designing an initiative to expand community health programs and to capitalize on the attention the pandemic brought to the need for disease surveillance.

The catalytic fund is the result. I think the pandemic has shone a light on the critical role of these health workers, said Lauren Moore, vice president of global community impact at Johnson & Johnson.

Don Gips, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, emphasized that these workers also can raise early warnings that benefit people everywhere.

Its critical not just for delivering health care in Africa, but this is how well also catch the next set of diseases that could threaten populations around the world, said Gips, who is also the former U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

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Last Mile Health won a major donation from Skoll Foundation in 2017 and has also received large donations from the Audacious Project from TED and Co-Impact, another funding collective. The organizations co-founder, Raj Panjabi, now serves in the Biden administration.

What philanthropy has noticed about Last Mile Health is that we were not only taking direct action on the problem by actively managing community health worker programs, but that we were seeing our innovation adopted in national policy at scale, said James Nardella, the organizations chief program officer.

SUNYs Fox and other experts say linking the work of community health care workers to the national health system is a priority, along with securing sustainable funding for their programs.

The Global Fund said it will assist countries with the design of proposed community health care worker expansions over the next year.

Chen acknowledged there is no silver bullet for the issue of sustainability.

Part of the work that organizations like Last Mile Health have to do is to sit in that discomfort and wrestle with it, with our partners, with donors, until we incrementally squeeze out the solution here, Chen said.

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Mutapi said eventually governments must fund the programs themselves and she argued the experiences of places like Zimbabwe and Liberia with community health workers could benefit people in other contexts as well.

Actually having lived on Scottish islands, which are inaccessible, she said, the innovation of community health workers is something that actually can be exported to Western communities that are remote because that connection between a health provider and the local community is really important for compliance and for access.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Several members of the Town Council are raising questions about whether Christiansburg needs to continue paying into a tourism program that they fund along with the town of Blacksburg and Montgomery County.

Christiansburgs governing body, in a 4-2 vote last month, approved the submission of a notification of intent to withdraw from the agreement they formed with Blacksburg and the county to create and implement the program. The agreement requires a participating entity to provide a notice 12 months ahead of when it would formally decide on whether or not to pull out of the arrangement.

Town council plans to review this decision in two months with Tourism Executive Director David Rotenizer, though [it] wanted to provide the notice of intent at this time, reads the notice, which was signed by Christiansburg Town Manager Randy Wingfield and addressed to Montgomery County Administrator Craig Meadows and Blacksburg Town Manager Marc Verniel.

Rotenizer heads the Montgomery County Blacksburg Christiansburg Regional Tourism Office, an entity that is funded by a fraction of the funds each of those three localities get from their lodging tax.

Officials outside of Christiansburg have voiced concerns about how regional tourism efforts could be impacted should the town later decide to get out of the agreement.

Such a move would also be unusual as Christiansburg is usually a key partner in a number of New River Valley organizations and services that have membership from multiple localities.

Verniel said the the county and its two towns pulling their resources together allows them to get more bang for their buck when it comes to overall efforts to attract visitors to the area.

When it was created, the intent was to work on tourism jointly, the Blacksburg town manager said. If Christiansburg pulls out  their portion of the funding will go away, and well have to regroup and figure out how to promote tourism in the county and Blacksburg.

The regional tourism office currently has a budget of $371,333. Of that amount, $181,000 comes from Blacksburg, $164,333 from Christiansburg and $26,000 from the county, according to figures Rotenizer provided this past week.

While the county provides the smallest share of the funding, Rotenizer said the value of support that localitys departments regularly provide his office far exceeds that amount.

The tourism office works to promote the areas attractions. Its website, gotomontva.com, includes information on local destinations such as the Huckleberry Trail and the Starlite Drive-In theater in Christiansburg.

While the recent notice doesnt take Christiansburg out of the agreement for now, it is a key first step the locality needs to take if it wants to eventually stop regularly funding the tourism office.

I think this  letter is putting the county and tourism office on notice. I think it is more of a notice that they need to do more as far as website updates and things like that, Christiansburg Mayor Mike Barber said this past week. Its a serious notice.

Barber didnt vote on the noticehe only votes in the event of a tiebut he did provide some defense of the offices work when his colleagues debated the issue last month.

When the need to use Christiansburg taxpayer money in the best way possible was brought up, Barber said the funds from lodging doesnt necessarily come from town residents.

This 1% of lodging tax revenue, that is not our citizen taxpayers money, the mayor said. Those are people that come here, stay here and they may stay here and use it as a center to go to Floyd  This doesnt cost our tax paying citizens a penny.

Unless youre [a resident] staying at a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn three nights a week, then youre not paying any of that tax.

Barber cited some figures to highlight the amount of revenue the lodging tax has pumped into the town over the years. He said the town averages about $1.7 million a year, an amount he described as not a bad deal when considering the money the town gives the regional tourism office.

Barber also brought up past reports presented by Rotenizers predecessor that tracked the tourism dollars generated in Montgomery County every year. The mayor said, if he recalls correctly, several millions of dollars would track into Christiansburg.

While the lodging tax might not always directly apply to Christiansburg residents, some council members said the issue is of local concern.

Councilman Henry Showalter, one of the four members who voted in favor of the recent notice, said hotel and motel operators want the town to use the money it puts into tourism initiatives to help fill rooms.

At the end of the day, it is a Christiansburg tax base that were using, he said. There is some responsibility we owe to our merchants who collect that.

Showalter, along with Councilman Tim Wilson, raised concerns about the accuracy of some of the gotomontva.com content intended to promote Christiansburg.

Wilson pointed to a section of the site on the Christiansburg and Blacksburg downtowns. For Christiansburg, a link is paired with an image of a structure at Sinkland Farms, which he said is not part of the downtown and not even within the town limits.

Thats not downtown Christiansburg, said Wilson, who had met with Rotenizer months ago to go over the matter. I think we deserve better service. Sometimes there are ways you have to ask for better service.

Wilson said this past week he views the partnership as a valuable asset, but argues its not being administered to the level he believes is adequate for the town.

Showalter also called for improvements to the regional tourism website.

Councilwoman Johana Hicks, who has in the past questioned other multi-locality entities of which Christiansburg is a member, touted some of the promotional work the locality has done on its own and particularly town spokeswoman Christina Edney, whom the council member quipped during the talk last month could probably get a raise with the money provided to the regional tourism office.

I think we need to see if were getting our moneys worth, Hicks said last month. This is a lot of money out of our towns budget, and I personally feel like we can do that job internally.

There are some council members, however, who staunchly oppose the suggestion Christiansburg pull out of the tourism agreement.

Councilman Sam Bishop, who voted against the notice, said Rotenizer still hasnt been given enough time to fulfill the issues raised by other council members. Rotenizer started his tenure in the tourism job late last year.

Things dont happen overnight, said Bishop, who was among those who supported inviting Rotenizer to a future council meeting to present his work and to hopefully prompt other council members to drop the issue. I mean, we got new leadership, hes trying to get help.

Rotenizer, who is slated to appear before Christiansburg council next month, said theres a great deal going on with the program thats not all on the surface.

For example, Rotenizer spoke about representing the Montgomery County area at a multi-day event that will be put on by the International Bluegrass Music Association at the end of next month in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. He said hell man a booth, paid for by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, that will allow him to interact with many people and promote the countys attractions, including Christiansburgs.

Rotenizer said it would be unfortunate if Christiansburg pulled out of the agreement.

Its basically united we stand. Our strength is in working together. We need to be working together, the two towns and the county, said Rotenizer, who also noted the effects of the pandemic on tourism.

Verniel said Christiansburg and other parts of the county often benefit even if people from outside the area come here due to an event in Blacksburg or at Virginia Tech.

They dont really see the boundaries, he said, adding that they might come to the area for something in Blacksburg but will stay and eat in Christiansburg.

Verniel pointed to other activities such as Tech sporting events, which he said often leads to hotels across the entire Montgomery County area to fill up.

Structured tourism development is much more than the posting of social media and website content  you dont paint the trim on a new house before the foundation has been built, Rotenizer wrote in an email.
" " Hisashi Ouchi was a handsome, powerfully built, former high school rugby player with a wife and young son when he was exposed to what was probably the highest dose of accidental radiation in history. HowStuffWorks/Peaked Interest/YouTube/Wikipedia

On the morning of Sept. 30, 1999, at a nuclear fuel-processing plant in Tokaimura, Japan, 35-year-old Hisashi Ouchi and two other workers were purifying uranium oxide to make fuel rods for a research reactor.

As this account published a few months later in The Washington Post details, Ouchi was standing at a tank, holding a funnel, while a co-worker named Masato Shinohara poured a mixture of intermediate-enriched uranium oxide into it from a bucket.

Suddenly, they were startled by a flash of blue light, the first sign that something terrible was about to happen.

The workers, who had no previous experience in handling uranium with that level of enrichment, inadvertently had put too much of it in the tank, as this 2000 article in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists details. As a result, they inadvertently triggered what's known in the nuclear industry as a criticality accident  a release of radiation from an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction.

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How Much Radiation Did Ouchi Receive?

Ouchi, who was closest to the nuclear reaction, received what probably was one of the biggest exposures to radiation in the history of nuclear accidents. He was about to suffer a horrifying fate that would become a cautionary lesson of the perils of the Atomic Age.

"The most obvious lesson is that when you're working with [fissile] materials, criticality limits are there for a reason," explains Edwin Lyman, a physicist and director of nuclear power safety for the Union of Concerned Scientists, and co-author, with his colleague Steven Dolley, of the article in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

" " Officials check for radiation Oct. 2, 1999, in a rice field near the scene of the nuclear accident at the JCO Co., Ltd. uranium processing plant in Tokaimura, Japan. KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

If safeguards aren't carefully taught and followed, there's potential for "a devastating type of accident," Lyman says.

It wasn't the first time it had happened. A 2000 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission report noted that before Tokaimura, 21 previous criticality accidents had occurred between 1953 and 1997.

The two workers quickly left the room, according to The Post's account. But even so, the damage already had been done. Ouchi, who was closest to the reaction, had received a massive dose of radiation. There have been various estimates of the exact amount, but a 2010 presentation by Masashi Kanamori of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency put the amount at 16 to 25 gray equivalents (GyEq), while Shinohara, who was about 18 inches (46 centimeters) away, received a lesser but still extremely harmful dose of about 6 to 9 GyEq and a third man, who was further away, was exposed to less radiation.

Internet articles frequently describe Ouchi as 'the most radioactive man in history,' or words to that effect, but nuclear expert Lyman stops a bit short of that assessment.

"The estimated doses for Ouchi were among the highest known, though I'm not sure if it's the highest," explains Lyman. "These typically occur in these kinds of criticality accidents."

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What Does a High Dose of Radiation Do To the Body?

The radiation dose in a criticality accident can be even worse than in a catastrophic accident at a nuclear power plant, such as the 1986 reactor explosion at Chernobyl in Ukraine, then a part of the Soviet Union, where the radiation was dispersed. (Even so, 28 people eventually died from radiation exposure.)

"These criticality accidents present the potential for delivery of a large amount of radiation in a short period of time, though a burst of neutrons and gamma rays," Lyman says. "That one burst, if you're close enough, you can sustain more than a lethal dose of radiation in seconds. So that's the scary thing about it."

High doses of radiation damage the body, rendering it unable to make new cells, so that the bone marrow, for example, stops making the red blood cells that carry oxygen and the white blood cells that fight infection, according to Lyman. "Your fate is predetermined, even though there will be a delay," he says, "if you have a high enough dose of ionizing radiation that will kill cells, to the extent that your organs will not function."

According to an October 1999 account in medical journal BMJ, the irradiated workers were taken to the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba, just east of Tokyo. There, it was determined that their lymphatic blood count had dropped to almost zero. Their symptoms included nausea, dehydration and diarrhea. Three days later, they were transferred to University of Tokyo Hospital, where doctors tried various measures in a desperate effort to save their lives.

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Ouchi's Condition Continued to Deteriorate

When Ouchi, a handsome, powerfully built, former high school rugby player who had a wife and young son, arrived at the hospital, he didn't yet look like a victim of intense radiation exposure, according to "A Slow Death: 83 Days of Radiation Sickness," a 2002 book by a team of journalists from Japan's NHK-TV, later translated into English by Maho Harada. His face was slightly red and swollen and his eyes were bloodshot, but he didn't have any blisters or burns, though he complained of pain in his ears and hand. The doctor who examined him even thought that it might be possible to save his life.

But within a day, Ouchi's condition got worse. He began to require oxygen, and his abdomen swelled, according to the book. Things continued downhill after he arrived at the University of Tokyo hospital. Six days after the accident, a specialist who looked at images of the chromosomes in Ouchi's bone marrow cells saw only scattered black dots, indicating that they were broken into pieces. Ouchi's body wouldn't be able to generate new cells. A week after the accident, Ouchi received a peripheral blood stem cell transplant, with his sister volunteering as a donor.

" " Residents of Tokaimura were checked for radiation, Oct. 2, 1999, after the accident. Kaku KURITA/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Nevertheless, Ouchi's condition continued to deteriorate, according to the book. He began to complain of thirst, and when medical tape was removed from his chest, his skin started coming off with it. He began developing blisters. Tests showed that the radiation had killed the chromosomes that normally would enable his skin to regenerate, so that his epidermis, the outer layer that protected his body, gradually vanished. The pain became intense. He began experiencing breathing problems as well. Two weeks after the accident, he was no longer able to eat, and had to be fed intravenously. Two months into his ordeal, his heart stopped, though doctors were able to revive him.

On Dec. 21, at 11:21 p.m., Ouchi's body finally gave out. According to Lyman's and Dolley's article, he died of multiple organ failure. Japan's Prime Minister at the time, Keizo Obuchi, issued a statement expressing his condolences to the worker's family and promised to improve nuclear safety measures, according to Japan Times.

Shinohara, Ouchi's co-worker, died in April 2000 of multiple organ failure as well, according to The Guardian.

The Japanese government's investigation concluded that the accident's main causes included inadequate regulatory oversight, lack of an appropriate safety culture, and inadequate worker training and qualification, according to this April 2000 report by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Six officials from the company that operated the plant were charged with professional negligence and violating nuclear safety laws. In 2003, a court gave them suspended prison terms, and the company and at least one of the officials also were assessed fines, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Now That's Important Radiation exposure can be expressed in different sorts of units. Rads or grays reflect the amount of radiation absorbed, while rems and sieverts reflect the relative biological damage caused by the dose, according to MIT News.
Erika Rojas, 38, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 102 months in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Rojas admitted to her role in a drug ring that sold large quantities of meth in the tri-state area. She and her co-defendants received meth from Mexico through the mail in the form of decorative masks that covered a wax/meth mixture. They would then extract the meth from the masks and sell it throughout the Sioux City area. Authorities searching Rojas' storage locker found masks and multiple pounds of meth.
Trial evidence showed that on March 17, 2020, Valdez Romero and others possessed about 20 pounds of meth hidden in 1-pound packages in the gas tank of a rental vehicle that had been driven from California to a shed in rural Dickinson County for distribution in Northwest Iowa. While executing a search warrant at the shed, authorities seized 15 pounds of meth from a safe and 5 pounds being driven away from the property, including 1 pound in a vehicle driven by Valdez Romero. Agents also seized $1,600 in cash used by agents earlier in the day to buy a pound of meth.
SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to award a $2.3 million contract to an engineering company for the construction of the Pierce Street water main replacement.

The project includes the replacement of the existing watermain on Pierce Street from Fifth Street to Seventh Street, abandonment of combined sewers, and replacement of street paving for utility repairs.

According to city documents, Sioux City Engineering Co. submitted the lone bid for the project, $2,360,187.10, which was nearly 37% above the engineer's estimate of $1,725,000.

On June 27, the council voted 4 to 1 to adopt plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the project. Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott cast the lone "no" vote, noting that the city "could've bid it a lot earlier."

A 110-plus-year-old cast-iron water main broke near the intersection of Fifth and Pierce streets on June 23. The water main has suffered at least three breaks in the past year or so, with two of those being directly in front of the Orpheum Theatre.

After the latest break, the Orpheum and Aalfs Downtown Library lost running water, and the fire-suppression systems of the theater and the Frances Building were down. A stretch of Pierce Street was reduced to one lane.

There is a $100,000 incentive to complete work in stage 1 of the contract prior to Nov. 23 and another $100,000 incentive for project completion before July 3, 2023.

The project, which has an early start date of Aug. 3 and a late start date of May 15, 2023, is expected to be completed within 60 working days. The project is being funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
The white father and son convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arberys fatal shooting after they chased the 25-year-old Black man through a Georgia neighborhood have been sentenced to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime. A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael on Monday in Brunswick. Both were previously sentenced to life without parole in a state court for Arberys murder. The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Neighbor William Roddie Bryan, who recorded cellphone video of the slaying, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
By 2014, the 34-year friendship between John Rzeznik and Robby Takac had frayed to the point of zero communication. That was a problem since they were still playing in the same band, the Goo Goo Dolls, which had peaked in the '90s with the MTV hits "Name" and "Iris." "I don't think we ever stopped caring about each other," Rzeznik recalls, in a 15-minute phone interview from a Boston tour stop. "But there were points in time where he was a disaster and I couldn't deal with it, and there were points in time where I was a disaster and he couldn't deal with me."

For Rzeznik, who is married and has a nearly 2-year-old daughter, the change-my-life moment came in November 2014, when he drank himself into unconsciousness. Upon reawakening, he checked himself into a rehab center and spent three months getting sober. "I got away from everything and everybody until I felt like I could function," he says. "And then I called (Takac) on the phone and said, 'I want to meet you and talk to you.' I apologized for my part of what went wrong in our relationship and he apologized for his part and then it was sort of left behind."

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Since that crucial healing period, the Goo Goo Dolls have put out 2016's "Boxes" and this year's live "The Audience Is Way." For its new tour the band is revisiting a 20-year-old album, "Dizzy Up the Girl," the result of a difficult period of attempting to follow up the smash success of "Name." The album with the young woman lying face down on the bed in a dress on the cover was full of pop hits that were written in surprisingly complicated ways, beginning with the ballad "Iris."

"The songs on that record don't sound like it, but the guitar parts are deceptively hard," Rzeznik says. "I sat and listened to the album and I'm like, 'Oh, I know what I did there.' ... It helped me understand my process of writing a lot better, sitting there relearning these songs. It's like closing the door on a part of us -- once it's done, you carefully, lovingly put it away, and move on."

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Rzeznik grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., with a father who was an abusive alcoholic and a mother who was, as he once told the Buffalo News, a "German disciplinarian." He had a tough childhood, but discovered music at age 13, first by playing the accordion for exactly one week, then shifting to an electric guitar and amplifier his mother had bought him. Then his father had a heart attack and died of pneumonia in the hospital; his mother died of a heart attack a year later.

At 16, he coped by playing obsessively, then hooked up with Takac to form the Sex Maggotts, which morphed into the Goo Goo Dolls. They specialized in fast-and-loud punk rock, spicing up their early albums with covers of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) the Reaper." On 1989's "Jed," Rzeznik took over from Takac on lead vocals.

"There was a moment where I got brave enough to go up and get in front of a microphone. I'd been in the studio and I'd had a few drinks. And I started singing all the songs I was writing, over time," Rzeznik recalls. "I was doing that for a couple of years, and I had to start taking singing lessons because I would lose my voice every other day, just screaming as hard as I could."

After another couple of albums, the band shifted directions, and Rzeznik began to write more acoustic, catchy pop songs that were easier on his voice -- one of his first such compositions was 1995's "Name," a slick, soulful smash in an era of gritty grunge and metal. "I just followed my own lead. I got really sick of playing just, like, 'Bop-bop-bop-bada-bop-bop-bada-rapa-pah,'" he says, imitating the rhythmic sounds of punk bands. "Just playing that 190-beats-per-minute punk-rock songs, I didn't feel it anymore. And I always loved melody -- when you looked back on those early records, there's always a hook buried in there somewhere.

"We took some s--- for it, but who cares?" he continues. "I wanted to say something. I was just like, 'You know what? I've got to do what I do.'"

The Dolls peaked commercially in the late '90s, then started to droop when 2002's "Gutterflower" sold disappointingly and bands like Train and Maroon 5 began to do similar mixtures of pop and rock with younger faces on the album covers. They were always a strong concert draw, though, and the Rzeznik-Takac partnership survived a lengthy difficult period. The band had moved from New York to Los Angeles just before recording "Dizzy Up the Girl," but Takac returned to the East Coast in 2005 and Rzeznik landed in Westfield, N.J., 10 years later.

"In the time since I've gotten sober, we've put out two albums and I built a house and did a couple of tours and had a daughter who's going to be 2," Rzeznik says. "And my friend Robby actually calls me to say hi."

Steve Knopper is a freelance writer.

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onthetown@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @chitribent

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.

Tickets: Sold out; 312-462-6300 or www.msg.com/the-chicago-theatre

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Authorities on Monday identified the fourth victim in a series of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the deaths sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities nationwide.

Three of the slayings happened in the last two weeks. Now law enforcement officials are seeking help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the killings in New Mexicos largest city. The common elements were the victims race and religion, officials said.

Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, and ambush shootings killed three other Muslim men over the past nine months. Police are trying to determine if the homicides are linked.

The killings have spread fear beyond New Mexico, where Muslims comprise less than 1% of adults in the statewide population of 2.1 million, according to the Pew Research Center.

The fact the suspect remains at large is terrifying, Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, wrote on Twitter. Who is next?!

In a phone interview, Almontaser said that a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab head covering shared with her over the weekend just how rattled she was. Shes like, This is so terrifying. Im so scared. I travel alone, Almontaser said.

Hussain, 25, was from Pakistan. His death came just days after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The earliest case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.

Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community reeling from the killings, its grief compounded by confusion and fear of what may follow.

We are just completely shocked and still trying to comprehend and understand what happened, how and why, she said.

Three of those killed attended the center, and the fourth was well-known in the community, Abad said.

Some people have avoided going out unless absolutely necessary, and some Muslim university students have been wondering whether it is safe for them to stay in the city. The center has also beefed up its security, she said.

Police said the same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides  a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with dark tinted windows. Authorities released photos hoping people could help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Investigators did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in the slayings. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency has received tips regarding the car but did not elaborate.

We have a very, very strong link, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. We have a vehicle of interest  We have got to find this vehicle.

Gallegos said he could not comment on what kind of gun was used in the shootings, or whether police know how many suspects were involved in the violence.

President Joe Biden said he was angered and saddened by the killings and that his administration stands strongly with the Muslim community.

These hateful attacks have no place in America, Biden said Sunday in a tweet.

The conversation about safety has also dominated WhatsApp groups and email groups that Almontaser is on.

What weve seen happen in New Mexico is very chilling for us as a Muslim minority community in the United States that has endured so much backlash and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks, she said. Its frightening.

Few anti-Muslim hate crimes have been recorded in Albuquerque over the last five years, according to FBI data cited by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino.

From 2017 through 2020, there was one anti-Muslim hate crime a year. The highest recent number was in 2016, when Albuquerque police recorded six out of a total of 25 hate crimes.

That largely tracks with national trends, which hit the lowest numbers in a decade in 2020, only to increase by 45% in 2021 in a dozen cities and states, Levin said.

Albuquerque authorities say they cannot determine if the slayings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and a motive.

Louis Schlesinger, a forensic psychology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said bias killings are often perpetrated by a small group of people, typically young white men. A lone perpetrator is rare.

These are basically total losers by every dimension, whether its social, economic, psychological, what have you, he said. Theyre filled with hatred for one reason or another and target a particular group that they see, in their mind, to blame for all their problems in life.

It was not clear whether the victims knew their attacker or attackers.

The most recent victim was found dead after police received a call of a shooting. Authorities declined to say whether the killing was carried out in a way similar to the other deaths.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had worked as a field organizer for a local congresswomans campaign.

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury issued a statement praising him as one of the kindest and hardest working people she has ever known. She said the urban planner was committed to making our public spaces work for every person and cleaning up legacy pollution.

As land-use director for the city of Espanola  more than 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of Albuquerque  Hussain worked to improve conditions and inclusivity for disadvantaged minorities, according to the mayors office.

The city staff has lost a member of our family, and we all have lost a brilliant public servant, Espanola Mayor John Ramon Vigil said in a news release.

Dazio reported from Los Angeles and Fam from Winter Park, Florida. Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and AP news researchers Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gazas sole power plant resumed operations Monday and Israel began reopening crossings into the territory.

Israel also lifted security restrictions on southern Israeli communities after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday.

War-weary people in Gaza and Israel were left to pick up the pieces after another round of violence  the worst since an 11-day war between Israel and the territory's militant Hamas rulers last year.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.

Over three days of fighting, 46 Palestinians were killed, including 16 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Twelve of those killed were Islamic Jihad militants, one was from a smaller armed group, and two were Hamas-affiliated policemen who were not taking part in the fighting, according to the armed factions.

Israel estimated a total of 47 Palestinians were killed, including 14 killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets. It said that 20 fighters and seven civilians died in Israeli airstrikes and that it is still investigating six deaths.

No Israelis were killed or seriously wounded in the fighting.

The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and an unraveling of economic understandings with Israel, including the issuing of Israeli work permits that provide a vital source of income for thousands of Gaza residents.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the group overran the territory in 2007. The clashes have exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territorys 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

The latest violence may have bolstered the political fortunes of Israels caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, who lacked experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job.

All our goals were achieved, Lapid said Monday. The entire senior military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza was successfully targeted within three days.

Israel began to reopen crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and said it would fully open them if calm continued. Fuel trucks were seen entering the main cargo crossing and heading for the power plant, which shut down Saturday after Israel closed the crossings.

That added to the misery at the height of the summer heat in the territory, which is under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and suffers from a chronic power crisis that leaves residents with only a few hours of electricity a day.

Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence, even as the country's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted many of the rockets.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on an Islamic Jihad commander, saying there were concrete threats of an anti-tank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of a senior Islamic Jihad member in the occupied West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank following a spate of Palestinian attacks.

Israel killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike on Saturday.

Both sides boasted of their successes. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite losing two commanders. This is a victory for Islamic Jihad, he said.

Despite that claim, the group undoubtedly sustained a blow. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets.

Israel said some of the deaths in Gaza were caused by errant militant rocket fire, including in the Jebaliya refugee camp, where seven Palestinians were killed Saturday. The army said the deaths of five Palestinians in Jebaliya were still under investigation, apparently referring to five children killed in an explosion in a cemetery on Sunday.

The cease-fire deal contained a promise that Egypt would work for the release of two senior Islamic Jihad detainees held by Israel. The weekend fighting is also bound to complicate Islamic Jihads relations with Hamas.

In the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli troops demolished the homes of two Palestinians suspected of carrying out a deadly attack against Israelis in the city of Elad in May. The soldiers faced a violent protest during the operation, the military said.

Tor Wennesland, the top U.N. Mideast envoy, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the cease-fire is fragile and any resumption of hostilities will have devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis and make any political progress elusive.

He condemned the Palestinian rocket fire while recognizing Israel's security concerns. He said any use of force must be proportionate, with all feasible steps taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 1,100 rockets toward Israel, with about 200 landing inside the Palestinian enclave. The army said its air defenses intercepted 380, including two fired toward Jerusalem. The military did not specify what happened to the remainder, but they most likely fell in open areas or broke up in flight.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israel's destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

Over the past year, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza laborers and has held out the prospect of 2,000 more.
China says it is extending threatening military exercises surrounding Taiwan that have disrupted shipping and air traffic and substantially raised concerns about the potential for conflict. Military leaders say the exercises will include anti-submarine drills, apparently targeting U.S. support for Taiwan in the event of a potential Chinese invasion. China has said the exercises involving missile strikes, warplanes and ship movements crossing the midline of the Taiwan Strait are a response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the self-ruled island last week. China has ignored calls to calm the tensions, and there was no immediate indication when it would end what amounts to a blockade.
Commentary: Using Taiwan to contain China bound to fail

Xinhua) 08:08, August 08, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- As China demonstrated the strong resolve and ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, anti-China politicians using Taiwan to contain China will be nothing more than "a mantis trying to stop a chariot," as the Chinese proverb goes.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region earlier this week despite China's strong opposition. Her trip was made to seek personal political gains, build her so-called "political legacy" and divert public attention from her family scandal.

It is also the latest demonstration that anti-China politicians in the United States are using Taiwan as a pawn to strategically contain China. The Chinese people and international community have long seen the sinister intentions of Pelosi and others, which are bound to be shattered.

In response to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China has taken a series of firm and forceful countermeasures against "Taiwan independence" separatist actions and external interference.

China announced on Friday sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members and eight other countermeasures. The Chinese People's Liberation Army has organized joint combat exercises and training in the waters and airspace off Taiwan.

Looking through the past century, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has neither backed down in the face of oppression and bullying by foreign powers nor given in to external interferences. Any attempt to obstruct China's complete reunification, delay or even block the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will only make the Chinese people more united. Looking to the future, China will tackle all the obstacles with the utmost determination, confidence and endurance.

China must be reunified, and will surely be reunified, as is determined by the historical trend of the Chinese nation. The Taiwan question, which arose from national weakness and chaos, will be solved amid national rejuvenation. All the Chinese across the Taiwan Strait will share the glory of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. No one and no force can stop this.

History will prove that the despicable actions taken by anti-China politicians and attempts to rely on the United States to seek "Taiwan independence" are against the general trend of history. This is equivalent to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The Chicago Police Department is dedicated to ensuring that the people who ride the CTA are safe, Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference Monday following the fatal shooting of a man riding the Red Line over the weekend.

Brown said the departments police officer deployments to the transit system are strategic and data driven and officers are being pulled from desk duties to help meet demand. Despite the recent fatal shooting, Brown emphasized that CTA crime is down 43% when compared to 2019 numbers before the pandemic, but crime numbers are up when compared to last year.

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A single incident can color everything we do, Brown said. Were committed to adding more and more resources to do whatever it takes to make sure our CTA is safe.

The 29-year-old man was fatally shot just after 2 a.m. Saturday in the first block of West 79th Street while riding the Red Line, according to Chicago police. The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died from multiple gunshot wounds at 2:33 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiners office.

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The man has not yet been identified, according to the medical examiners office.

No arrests have been made, police said.

We ask all residents on the CTA to report what they see thats suspicious so we can respond, Brown said.

Chicago police are searching for two people captured on CTA surveillance video who detectives believe were involved in the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man on a CTA train car around 2 a.m. Aug. 6, 2022, in the first block of West 79th Street. (Chicago Police Department)

Brown would not elaborate on specific number of officers being deployed to the CTA, citing security concerns.

At a Saturday news conference, CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said the fatal shooting was a senseless act of violence that has no place anywhere in the city, and especially not on the CTA.

The CTA is doing everything they can to stem these egregious acts of violence, Carter added.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Brown, on Saturday, announced another team of Chicago police officers will be added to the CTA. The CTA will also bring back K-9 security guard teams, Carter said.

Police and CTA officials on March 9 announced plans to address crime and rule-breaking. They planned to double the number of unarmed security guards and add more police officers and supervisors to patrol the transit system.

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Commuters at the Chinatown "L" station and the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago, Aug. 8, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

This isnt the first time K-9s have been used for CTA security. In 2019, the CTA canceled its contract with a security firm that struggled to train its guards to handle dogs, and the transit agency decided it would no longer use dogs to deter crime. The change came after the CTA learned that most dog handler applications for the guards were deficient.

The Chicago-based security agency, AGB Investigative Services, started providing canine security teams on CTA trains and platforms in May 2019, taking over from a previous firm. But the CTA ended what was to have been a two-year contract in August 2019. After pulling the dogs, a CTA spokesperson said, we dont believe canines are the most effective deterrent service.

According to Tribune archives, the CTA had hired more than 50 canines  German shepherds, Doberman pinschers and Rottweilers  to patrol the transit system in the late 1980s.

pfry@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @paigexfry
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  Maryland's Frederick County will decertify the results of last month's primary and reconvene this week to rescan all mail-in and provisional ballots because of a discrepancy attributed to human errors in ballot accounting, county and state elections officials announced Monday.

The Frederick County Board of Elections discovered a discrepancy between the total number of votes in the certified results and the number of accepted mail-in and provisional ballots while preparing for a recount for the Democratic nomination for County Council District 3, the local and state board of elections said in a news release.

The discovery led to a further review of the ballots cast in last month's primary election.

The ongoing review indicates the discrepancy is due to human errors in ballot accounting that occurred during the mail-in and provisional canvassing process, the state board of elections said Monday. As a result of this discovery, a comprehensive review of ballot accounting documents is being performed.

The results of the county council district race had indicated that Frederick County Council President M.C. Keegan-Ayer was losing by three votes to challenger Jazmin Di Cola. Keegan-Ayer had requested a recount.

About 17,000 provisional and mail-in ballots were cast in the county. There were about 33,400 ballots cast on Election Day and during in-person early voting.

The state board was first briefed about the discrepancy Saturday and immediately started working with the local elections board to provide the equipment and support needed for the rescan.

The rescanning of ballots is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning at the Frederick County Board of Elections' office, the local board said. It is expected to take two days. The local board will certify the election results after the rescan. Also, the recount initially scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled, because a recount can only be requested after the rescanning and re-certification of the election.

After the election is recertified, the State Board of Elections will work with the Frederick County Board of Elections to review its ballot accounting procedures and, where appropriate, implement best practices for ballot accounting, the state board said.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP)  The white father and son convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arberys fatal shooting after they chased him through a Georgia neighborhood were sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime.

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael, 66, in Brunswick. Both were previously sentenced to life without parole in a state court for Arberys murder.

A federal jury in February convicted Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael and neighbor William Roddie Bryan of violating Arberys civil rights, concluding they targeted him because he was Black. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after the 25-year-old ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun.

The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar. Investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood said Monday that Travis McMichael had received a fair trial.

And its not lost on the court that it was the kind of trial that Ahmaud Arbery did not receive before he was shot and killed, the judge said.

Before the two sentencings, she heard from members of Arbery's family. His mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, said she feels every shot that was fired at her son every day.

Its so unfair, so unfair, so unfair that he was killed while he was not even committing a crime, she said.

Greg McMichael addressed the Arbery family before he was sentenced, saying their loss was beyond description.

Im sure my words mean very little to you but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen there was no malice in my heart or my sons heart that day, he said.
With an estimated shortage of about 100 school bus drivers to fulfill roughly 500 bus routes, leaders in Buffalo Public Schools are considering a new route: paying parents for driving their kids to school.

Reimbursing parents 58.5 cents per mile is one of several solutions under consideration by Buffalo to address a severe driver shortage that is impacting schools across the nation.

But with school starting Sept. 6, time is short to assess parents' interest, and a district committee is also exploring other possibilities that could include consolidating bus routes or adjusting school start times.

While the committee's decision hinges on the results of a parent survey, its members faced questions Friday about why the process is still in doubt a month before school begins.

"It will not be chaos," Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Tonja M. Williams told reporters Friday at City Hall. "I don't engage in chaos. We've being very intentional, very deliberate, and what we don't want to do is have a hodgepodge of things that we're trying to do at the same time and not really doing any of them well."

The committee, which includes BPS leaders, stakeholders, district parents and community members, would not elaborate on deadlines for changes to student transportation, but Williams said all solutions might not be in place when school begins.

Under the committee's proposal, parents or guardians of Buffalo Public School children would be reimbursed 58.5 cents per mile, a federally determined rate, with the distance between their household and the child's school predetermined. Parents would not be able to drive children from outside their family.

How to overcome a school bus driver shortage is a familiar debate in districts across the country. The shortage existed before Covid-19, but the pandemic exacerbated the issue. A charter school in Delaware last year offered parents willing to drive their children to school $700 per child for the full year, while a school district in Pittsburgh delayed its start last year to address the issue.

Michael Cornell, president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association and Hamburg Schools superintendent, said these shortages  which extend beyond bus drivers to school social workers and more specialized roles  are a microcosm of the country's workforce participation rate. Labor force participation rate has dropped by more than 1% since February 2020, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Cornell called paying parents to drive a "smart approach" that he has used previously in Hamburg on a small scale. But he emphasized that different-sized districts can require different solutions.

"It's going to take a mosaic of solutions to really get at the problem of 'how are we going to get all of our kids to school each day?' " Cornell said.

For Buffalo Public Schools, there are no solutions yet in place, and school begins Sept. 6.

Most pressing is learning whether parents in the district want to drive their kids to school if they were compensated for mileage. The decision hinges on the results of a survey sent to each household with a BPS student, said John Gonzalez, the district's associate superintendent of school leadership.

The six-question survey, accessible at Buffalo Public Schools' Office of Parent and Family Engagement Facebook page, is due at the end of the day Monday, officials said. Responders are asked to provide their area code, specific Buffalo Public schools involved, whether they used yellow bus transportation last year, whether they would opt out of yellow bus transportation this coming year, and whether their student requires special transportation due to a disability. There were about 2,500 responses as of Friday morning.

Neither Gonzalez nor Williams could say how parents would be reimbursed in terms of payment form or frequency.

Other potential solutions to be considered by Buffalo Public Schools include collapsing or consolidating bus routes, adjusting school start times and extending the hours of after-school activities, said Louis Petrucci, president of the Buffalo School Board.

Petrucci offered a hypothetical situation a Buffalo Public Schools parent that does not have a vehicle might face, an example of what the committee is trying to avoid.

"How do we serve the single mom of two kids that is forced to make that decision in the morning: 'My child missed the bus and I'm going to pay that rideshare service premium to get my child to school. Is it worth it? If it's going to take my full shift's pay to get him to school that day, I'll just let them stay home that one day because one day isn't going to impact them that much.' And we know that every day is precious when it comes to education."

Bishop Michael Badger, a community member in the committee, said that the average bus ride for a Buffalo Public School student is 55 minutes one-way. "That's way too long," he said, before advocating that the committee's solutions trim that metric.

Like past years, the district will not know for sure how many bus drivers it has until the first day of the school year, and Rob Hummel, a representative from First Student, BPS' school bus partner for four decades, said his company has amplified its recruiting by raising starting wages by almost 30%, to $25 an hour, and added bonuses up to $5,000.
Omaha police have arrested three people in connection with a shooting Saturday night that killed an 18-year-old man.

Police were called to the area of 34th and Davenport streets about 11 p.m. for a report of shots fired and located Dayton Wenz suffering from gunshot wounds. Wenz, a 2022 graduate of Omaha Central High School, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died, a police spokesman said.

Jordan Humphrey, 21, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony, possession of a defaced firearm, tampering with evidence and two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute.

Police also arrested two teenagers on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony: Schuyler Buckingham-Yeoman, 18, and Alicia Granneman, 19.

The slaying is the 13th homicide recorded this year in Omaha. That compares with 23 homicides at this time in 2021 and 25 in 2020.
After being arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault and second-degree trespassing outside the Nebraska GOP convention in Kearney last month, Republican Matt Innis won't face criminal charges.

Buffalo County Attorney Shawn Eatherton said Friday that his office did not have strong enough evidence to prosecute Innis or anyone else involved in the case. In a letter sent to Innis on Thursday, Eatherton told Innis he was not required to appear in court on Aug. 10.

Based on the information this office received and a review of the evidence, please be advised our office has decided NOT to file a case against you at this time, Eatherton said in the letter. "Therefore, you do not need to appear in court on Aug. 10, 2022, at 2:30 p.m."

Innis, of Crete, could not be reached for comment Friday.

He was arrested after he tried to enter the convention center and was stopped by security staff, leading to a scuffle that prompted staff to call the police, the Nebraska Examiner reported. One staffer alleged that Innis lunged at him and assaulted him, though Innis claimed he was shoved or grabbed by someone and he defended himself, not knowing it was security.

In a social media post, Innis disputed the account by security staff, writing that "when someone came forward stating a video shows the head of security was lying about the initial incident, the security people were then removed, the person they claimed was such a threat was allowed into the convention, and the convention continued without any security on site."

Eatherton said his office reviewed video footage and witness testimony among the evidence of the incident.

Innis, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump who hasn't been afraid to criticize fellow Republicans, was one of six Republicans who had their credentials revoked so they could not serve as delegates at the convention. Some said they had their credentials revoked because they had vocally criticized or directly challenged Republican leadership or nominees, including Gov. Pete Ricketts and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen.

Innis, along with at least one other delegate who was denied entry, Fanchon Blythe, arrived at the convention center to challenge the decision.

Their removal was the subject of one of many heated debates that day. Some delegates argued that revoking their credentials was an attack on free speech.

After Innis' arrest, the remaining delegates voted to reinstate his credentials, along with four of the other delegates, including Blythe. Innis later returned to the convention center to serve as a delegate.

Later that day, a majority of delegates voted to fire GOP Chairman Dan Welch and elected Eric Underwood as the new chairman.

Days later, Innis and Blythe both attended a media event at GOP headquarters where Underwood weighed in on the party's goals and direction going forward.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A southwest Iowa company that makes metal castings used by military contractors in helicopters and other equipment has reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging the company failed to test the castings and falsely certified test results over seven years.

Wellman Dynamics, a Creston company that manufactures large metal castings used by military contractors including Bell Helicopter, Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing Co. will pay $500,000 in restitution to the U.S. government to settle the allegations, court documents indicate.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court against Wellman after employee Bradley Keller filed a complaint under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Keller had worked in areas of the factory responsible conducting various tests on the metal to ensure it met quality standards. He said after he reported the improper testing and falsification of records between 2014 and 2021 he was laid off, but documents indicated he was later rehired.

Keller will receive $90,000 out of the settlement amount under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claim act. The company also must pay him $15,000 to settle a retaliation claim and his attorneys more than $63,000.

A U.S. Department of Justice official said in a statement that proper testing is critical for ensuring the proper performance of the equipment that is provided to the military.

We will hold accountable those who knowingly falsify or fail to conduct required tests and put our military at risk. said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the departments civil division.

In the settlement agreement the company denies the allegations but indicated the case was settled to avoid the delay, uncertainty, inconvenience and expense of protracted litigation of the claims.

The company and its attorney did not immediately reply to a message.

The agreement does not prevent the government from investigating further and pursuing criminal charges against some individuals if warranted. The company must cooperative with any such investigation.
WILBER  Sixty-one years ago, Doris Ourecky brought her young children to what her 1,400-person town believed would be a small celebration of Czech heritage.

Things didnt go according to plan.

When 10,000 people arrived, festival organizers were overwhelmed. Ourecky said they were in a frenzy to make more food for the unexpected crowd, roasting duck after duck in neighborhood kitchens.

It was a nightmare, Ourecky said Saturday, laughing.

The town decided to give it another go the following year, this time with enough concessions for everyone. The Nebraska Czech Society, formed for the purpose of hosting the event, found the second festival to be a success.

This weekend, the town is continuing the tradition by holding the 61st annual Wilber Czech Festival.

The Czech capital of the U.S. kicked off the festivities Friday afternoon with an art show, childrens parade and music from several local bands.

Saturday morning, the fun continued with traditional Czech dancing and the annual Duck and Dumpling Run.

By afternoon, the hot sun beat down on thousands of festival-goers as they watched the parade and listened to the trill of the Wilber-Clatonia Alumni Band.

Another parade will be held Sunday afternoon.

Saturday evening, competition in the Miss Czech-Slovak pageant began. It featured candidates from Nebraska, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Kansas. The winner will be announced Sunday evening.

Cecilia Minchow of Lincoln is representing Nebraska this weekend.

Ourecky remembers the first Miss Czech-Slovak pageant. She used to be much more involved in its planning process, but the now-87-year-old has had to relinquish a few of her duties.

Even though her role has shifted, Ourecky hasnt missed a Czech Festival.

Today, she's president of the Wilber Czech Museum. She sits in the air-conditioned space as hundreds filter in.

They come from all over, she said. You just never know where theyre going to be from.

The festival has even welcomed several visitors from the Czech Republic.

She recommends visitors try an authentic Czech beer from the Fox Hole Tavern or stop by the historic Hotel Wilber for a look around. Shes sure all will be impressed with the festivals selection of Czech food.

Oureckys granddaughter, Brandi Burkett, sits next to the museum guest book, encouraging her Czech brothers and sisters to sign.

They wear dresses with frilly collars and vests with red stitching. Visitors with flower crowns stop to read the plaques next to a costume display.

Burkett hasnt missed a Czech festival either. The family has a passion for celebrating its heritage, and she shares that enthusiasm.

Were all from somewhere, she said. I think it's important for people to know and understand where they came from, and carry on those values into the next generation to come.

For Ourecky, attending the Czech Festival is a no-brainer no matter the weather.

She was there when Robert F. Kennedy dedicated Wilbers Czech Village in 1968, and shell continue to come as long as she can.

I just enjoy visiting with the people and getting to know more about it every year, she said.
Tariq Trotter, better known to the world as Black Thought, has been such a great rapper for so long that pointing out his greatness, often in ways that imply no one else sufficiently recognizes it, has started to feel like something of a cliche, or at least a recurring meme. Black Thought turns 51 years old this year and has been recording music since 1993, and yet seemingly every time some new electrifying freestyle or casually brilliant performance hits the internet, it sparks a new round of conversation on rap-fan Twitter about how Thought is underrated, how Thought needs to be in your Top 5, how no one ever mentions it but Thought has a case as the GOAT.

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The greatest rappers are sui generis and effectively incomparable to one another. Rap fans love ranking their favorite MCs, but arguing that Biggie is definitively better than Lil Wayne or that 2Pac is better than Nas or that Scarface is better than Ghostface quickly becomes subjective to the point of meaninglessness. It can be fun to talk about music the way people talk about sports, but doing so is also even dumber than the way people talk about sports. This much, though, is certain: No one has ever been markedly better at rapping than Black Thought, and precious few musicians on earth have perfected their instrument to the extent that he has.

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On Aug. 12, Black Thought will release Cheat Codes, an album-length collaboration with the reliably inventive beatmaker Danger Mouse. Cheat Codes is terrific, a work whose sample-based aesthetic and formal brilliance will thrill classicists, and which yet pulses with such joy and ingenuity that it could never be mistaken as a sop to hip-hops moldy figs. Its a trim and muscular work, 12 tracks that span roughly 40 minutes in total. There are guest appearances from such luminaries as Raekwon, Run the Jewels, and Conway the Machine, but the undisputed star of the show is Black Thought himself, commanding the proceedings like a maestro, a consummate technician in full command of his art.

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Black Thought has more than earned the spotlight, and the notion that he has been serially underappreciated isnt without merit. Much of this can be traced back to the earliest years of his career. He first rose to success as one of two rappers in the Roots, alongside his late counterpart Malik B. When the Philadelphia-based group first broke out with their 1995 sophomore album Do You Want More?!!??!, the Roots were heavily marketed under the novelty that they were a traditional band, featuring Ahmir Questlove Thompson on drums, Leonard Hub Hubbard on bass, and a piano prodigy named Scott Storch on Fender Rhodes. (Storch would soon leave the band to become a wildly successful songwriter and producer, his keyboard-heavy beats a fixture of turn-of-the-21st-century Top 40 radio.)

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Precious few musicians on earth have perfected their instrument to the extent that he has.

The Roots frequent association with playing real instruments resulted in a number of odd byproducts. It made them a hit on the jam band circuit and among certain other audiences that otherwise didnt have much interest in hip-hop, which had the perceived effect of distancing them from the genres mainstream. The idea that the Roots approach was a novelty was also a misconception, as real instruments had been floating around hip-hop literally since its earliest recordings: Sugar Hill Records, the most influential and successful label of the musics earliest years, employed a house band. The use of samplers didnt become widespread until the second half of the 1980s, and even then it was never an exclusive practice. Two of the most influential hip-hop albums of the 1990s, Dr. Dres The Chronic and Outkasts Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, both of which were released prior to Do You Want More?!!??!, featured plenty of live instrumentation. They just werent explicitly advertised as such. And of course the implication that turntables, samplers, and sequencers werent real instruments was pretty ignorant at the time, and only feels more so in retrospect.

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The emphasis on the Roots instrumentalism also tended to distract from what great MCs they had in Malik B and especially Black Thought. The Roots would follow up Do You Want More?!!??! with a pair of masterpieces, 1996s Illadelph Halflife and 1999s Things Fall Apart, the latter of which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. In 2001 they were tapped as the backing band for Jay-Zs live MTV Unplugged album, a gig that boosted their mainstream profile but which had the unfortunate effect of sidelining Black Thought himself, who doesnt perform on the album. And since 2009, the group has served as the house band for late-night host Jimmy Fallon, first on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and, since 2014, The Tonight Show, gigs where the musical MC is always going to play second fiddle to the actual MC.

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Cheat Codes, then, serves as an excellent reminder of what an exquisite rapper Black Thought has been for decades now. His style is marked by an inimitable mixture of dense wordplay and intricate conceptual complexity, with neither of these elements coming at the expense of rhythm or voice. During the Roots late-1990s heyday, the term backpack rap occasionally came with a pejorative connotation, conjuring MCs more adept at scribbling in notebooks than rocking parties. That term never got thrown around to describe Black Thought, or at least if it did, it shouldnt have.

Quoting Black Thought lyrics often feels like a futile act, in part because his flows tend to be so expansive theyre not easily excerptable, but also because words on the page cant begin to encapsulate his command and charisma as a vocalist. When hustlin became an art/ the mantra is manage not to faint/ when shit aint for the faint of heart/ the rated-R, everybodys wrists got razor marks/ at projects, townships, favelas, and trailer parks, he raps on Cheat Codes title track, a characteristic flurry of assonance, alliteration, and internal rhymes. Or, from Aquamarine, My words should be studied up in Berklee and Juilliard/ All my bars is hard as solid gold bullion/ My name in the Quran like the kingdom of Suleiman/ You done lost your mind trying to call me a mlinyan, certainly the first time Ive ever heard New Yorks most prestigious conservatory rhymed with an Italian racial slur.

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Cheat Codes high-water mark is its sixth track, Belize, featuring the late MF DOOM, who made his own album-length collaboration with Danger Mouse back in 2005. Its a showcase for two virtuosos, Thoughts fiery verbosity a perfect foil for DOOMs playful surrealism. Danger make a groove off a glitch/ made your boos booty twitch and the crew rich, bitch/Always wanted to say that/ ever since the days in hallways taunting a stray cat, raps the masked supervillain at one point, and I dont think I ever expected a wistful recollection of animal cruelty to come so close to moving me to tears. Its two great musicians operating at the highest echelons of their craft, and for about four minutes, it made me feel lucky to have shared time on earth with artists like this, one of whom left us far too soon, the other of whom is still out here making some of the most vibrant music of his life. If Black Thought remains underappreciated, thats on us, but theres also no real way to over-appreciate him.
This has been the summer of Colleen Hoover, a recent viral TikTok announced, editing together clips of young women at the beach reading books by the Texas novelist. Furthermore, just a couple of months ago we had a Colleen Hoover spring and before that a Colleen Hoover winter and before that a Colleen Hoover fall. On any given week for more than a year now, the 42-year-old Hoover has had three to six books on Publishers Weeklys top 10 bestseller list. Currently three of the top five titles on the New York Times combined print and e-book fiction list are Hoovers. The most popular of these novels, It Ends With Us, isnt even new. It was published six years ago. A forthcoming sequel to that novel (or possibly a prequel, its not yet clear), It Starts With Us, will be published in October, its perch at the summit of both lists guaranteed.

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Observers typically attribute Hoovers success to BookTok, the segment of TikTok dedicated to authors and readers. And Hooverknown as CoHo to her fans, who call themselves Cohortsis indeed the queen of BookTok, an adept TikToker herself, as well as the subject of countless videos in which young women appear clutching huge stacks of candy-colored CoHo paperbacks and proceed to rank their favorites among her 24 titles. But while Hoover might just be the ideal author to preside over TikTok, the platform is only the latest online vehicle she had ridden to fame and fortune. She sometimes presents herself as surprised by her own virality, but Hoover has been a savvy self-promoter since 2012, when she distributed free copies of her first, self-published YA novel, Slammed, to influential book bloggers. She was big on BookTube (the YouTube book community) and big on Bookstagram well before TikTok came along. Furthermore, her storysocial worker and mom transformed into blockbuster author via whatever new technology of the moment is ostensibly revolutionizing the book business (self-publishing, blogging, Instagram, TikTok)is catnip to traditional news outlets.

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But a new technology cant make readers love a book. It can only persuade people to read it. What is it about Hoovers work that makes it so popular, so infectiously recommendable? Her novels do seem particularly well-suited to the currently ascendant TikTok because the platform favors big, grabby displays of emotion, as opposed to the tasteful lifestyle curation of Instagram, formerly touted as the hot new way to sell books. CoHo fans on TikTok record themselves sobbing, screaming, gasping in astonishment, and pressing her books to their hearts in winsome displays of adoration. Often, actual words are superfluous to communicating the readers responsein fact, they may be more of a hindrance than a help. Above all, BookTok conveys that Hoovers fiction delivers power jolts of unadulterated feels.

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Currently three of the top five titles on the New York Times combined print and e-book fiction list are Hoovers.

Hoovers books are more varied than the work of many bestselling novelists. You pretty much know what youre getting when you grab a James Patterson thriller before boarding a long flight. But Hoover has written YA, romantic comedies, a ghost story, a gothic suspense novel, problem novels exploring such difficult issues as domestic violence and child sexual abuse, and steamy romances like Ugly Love, a novel about an affair between a nurse and an airline pilot that I estimate to be about 70 percent sex scenes. Not all of the Cohorts adore all of her books, but theyve shown themselves to be willing to follow her into relatively uncharted territory and to appreciate what they find there. (Note to anyone reading further: There will be spoilers.)

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Romance of one kind or another plays a role in every Hoover novel, and to judge by her TikTok fans, they speak to an audience with a well-developed awareness of the romance genres establishednot to say shopworntropes. The heroine of 2015s November 9 is just such a reader, explaining to her love interest what qualities make a kiss book-worthy and informing him that she doesnt like stories featuring insta-love (the central couple falls for each other madly on first sight). In It Ends With Us, Hoover presents Ryle, one third of a love triangle involving the heroine Lily, as a classic romance hero. Hes handsome; has a glamorous, remunerative career as a neurosurgeon; is fantastic in bed and gallant outside of it; and cant stand up straight. (Seriously, for some reason the heroes in romance fiction are constantly leaning on walls and doors, one of the many ways they fail to resemble real-life men.) Deploying all the fictional techniques used to make romance readers swoon over a male character, Hoover sets up Ryles reluctance to commit as the main obstacle to Lily and Ryles relationship. When they (inevitably) overcome this and he falls for her, Hoover wallops the reader with the romances true impediment: Ryles violent temper, which for Lily dredges up the nightmare of her own fathers abuse of her mother.

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As the novels title indicates, the only responsible choice Lily can make is to leave Ryle, despite the fact that shes pregnant with his daughter. She delivers this decision in a tear-jerking climax during which she asks Ryle what hed tell their child if she came to him with the same dilemma her mother faces: Tell me. I need to know what you would say to our daughter if the man she loves with all her heart ever hurts her. Ryle admits that hed want her to leave, and everyone (many readers included) collapses into weeping.

Not all abusive husbands would concede so readily, but Ryle is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde figure who only behaves like a jealous, brutal monster when he snaps. This may strike some as implausiblearent most abusive men controlling and belittling in minor ways before they become violent? But by making Ryle a handsome prince who only occasionally turns into a fearsome beast, Hoover invests her readers in the romance between him and Lily and the possibility of a happily-ever-after ending in which they work it out. That happy ending is a readers primary expectation of the genre, an expectation that mirrors the self-deceiving romanticism that leads some women to return to abusive partners. When Lily pulls the plug (this marriage cannot be saved), she breaks the conventions of the romance novel and makes the reader feel how hard it can be to leave a man who hurts you. (It does help that Lily has an old flame lurking in the background, a master chef who says things like In the future if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again fall in love with me.)

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The explanation offered for Ryles peculiar psychology is a childhood accident in which he shot and killed his brother. Thats another big CoHo theme: trauma, specifically trauma bonding, as romance fans refer to fictional couples drawn together when they discover theyre both laboring under past wounds. In the first line of Verity, a writer named Lowen witnesses, from close quarters, a man being hit by a truck on the streets of New York: I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me. A handsome, kindly bystander helps her to a cafe restroom to clean up, and then they stand around swapping horror stories like battle veterans comparing scars: Her mother has just died, and he recently carried the drowned corpse of his eight-year-old daughter out of a lake. It Ends With Us begins in a similar fashion, with Lily and Ryle meeting on a rooftop and agreeing to exchange naked truths: She just buried her abusive dad, and he just saw a five-year-old die on the operating table.

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This has led some BookTok critics to shrug off Hoovers fiction as trauma porn, a complaint that is not entirely unfounded. While none of Hoovers novels approaches the litany of torments depicted in, say, Hanya Yanagiharas A Little Life (another BookTok fave), they do partake of the current vogue for defining personality through suffering and emotional damage. Theres something adolescent about the belief that trauma automatically makes a person interesting or deep, but Hoovers characterization needs all the help it can get to make her heroes and heroines seem more than generic. Often the only distinguishing traits they possess are their traumas: past abuse, burn scars, the death of a child (or children), a conviction for manslaughter in the accidental death of a former lover, a loveless childhood, and so on.

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The blandness of Hoovers characters makes them easy for anyone to identify with, and the smooth, featureless quality of her prose makes her novels easy to breeze through in a day or two. They are built of cliches, which is not necessarily a drawback in romance fiction, where the deployment of familiar devices feels comforting. This also appeals to people who view themselves as nonreaders because they lack the patience for or interest in literary prose. For such readers, C.S. Lewis once wrote, cliche makes reading effortless because:

 it is immediately recognizable. My blood ran cold is a hieroglyph of fear. Any attempt, such as a great writer might make, to render this fear concrete in its full particularity, is doubly a chokepear to the unliterary reader. For it offers him what he doesnt want, and offers it only on the condition of his giving to the words a kind and degree of attention which he does not intend to give. It is like trying to sell him something he has no use for at a price he does not wish to pay.

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Hoover never, for example, wastes words in conjuring a sense of place or atmosphere. She might set a novel in Boston or San Francisco or upstate New York, settings chosen seemingly at random, and with a minimum of research. Theres no such thing as local color in Hooverland. Hilariously, in It Ends With Us, she has two teenagers in a small Maine town discuss their desire to move to Boston, where the people talk in such a funny way, saying cah instead of caras if Mainers dont pronounce the word similarly, with an even heavier Yankee accent.

In the absence of what feels like tedious verbiage to unliterary readers, Hoover supplies angsty love stories, extensive sex scenes, catchy premises, and outrageous plot twists. Plenty of popular fiction relies on these proven winners, but its less common to see them all deployed at once. November 9, for example, lifts the premise of the 1939 movie Love Affair (reprised in 1957s An Affair to Remember, and referenced in 1993s Sleepless in Seattle) of a couple who cant be together but agree to meet once a year. The hero of that novel, a writer, borrows the self-deprecating wit of a John Green protagonist, and the result is not without charm, as their passionate annual reunions coax the traumatized heroinean actress whose career has been scuttled by scarring from a house fireto believe in herself again. Then, just as theyre about to get together for real, she discovers that he was responsible for the fire, which he set at her fathers house (not realizing anyone was inside), because he blamed her father for his mothers suicide.

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Hoovers books are the everything bagels of popular fiction.

The absurdity of this twist is rivaled by that of Verity, a gothic novel heavily influenced by Gillian Flynns Gone Girl and Daphne du Mauriers Rebecca. The heroine, Lowen, agrees to complete the final volumes in a series of bestselling books whose author, the title character, has become catatonic (or paralyzed, its not clear). Hired by the authors dreamy husband, who is mourning the deaths of the couples twin daughters, she moves into their creepy rural mansion to go over Veritys notes. Among the papers, she discovers the manuscript of a memoir revealing that behind the facade of a loving wife and mother, Verity was in truth a sex-crazed sociopath who murdered one of the little girls. Which is handy, because Lowen has fallen in love with Veritys husband. And then, in the novels final twist, she discovers a letter in which Verity claims that the memoir was a fabrication, just a writing exercisebut only after Lowen and the husband have killed Verity, who was only pretending to be paralyzed. Whew!

There are a few abiding mysteries about Hoovers books: Why, for example, is the airline pilot hero of 2014s Ugly Love named after Sam Spades murdered partner in The Maltese Falcon? But I do believe Ive identified the secret to Hoovers success: Her books are efficient delivery mechanisms for the maximum dosage of multiple crowd-pleasers: love stories, unabashed smut, trauma plots, tear-jerking soap opera, and wild narrative twists. They are the everything bagels of popular fiction. And as far as her fans are concerned, who could ask for anything more?
Alabamas execution of Joe Nathan James Jr. last month offered the latest evidence that lethal injection is a notoriously bad way to put people to death.* His execution took more than three hours to complete. It was a gruesome affair from start to finish.

Once touted as Americas most humane method of execution, lethal injection has proven itself to be unreliable and very difficult to get right.

From 1900-2010, 7 percent of all lethal injection executions carried out in the United States were botched, far more than for hanging, the firing squad, the electric chair, or the gas chamber. Over the last decade, as death penalty states have turned to new and untested drugs and drug combinations, the situation has only gotten worse.

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More than ever, there is a very real risk that anyone put to death by lethal injection will suffer some version of James fate.

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But rather than openly address lethal injections fatal flaws, Alabama, like other death penalty states, has tried to hide them and to make it hard to know when its executions are botched.

Death penalty states need to come clean about lethal injections flaws and face the facts of its troubled history. When they do, it will become even clearer that it is time to put an end to execution by lethal injection in this country.

Joe Nathan James Jr. was executed for the 1994 murder of Faith Hall. USA Today reports that, Prosecutors said James briefly dated Hall and became obsessed after she rejected him, stalking and harassing her for months before killing her.

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Right from the start there were serious problems with the James execution. Death was delayed for three hours as corrections officers tried, outside of public view, to find a useable vein to insert the IV line. During that time, we dont know exactly how many times, or where, James was jabbed with a needle.

After the James execution, the Alabama Department of Corrections said that The protocol states that if the veins are such that intravenous access cannot be provided, the team will perform a central line procedure. Fortunately, this was not necessary and with adequate time, intravenous access was established.

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Difficulty finding veins or in securing IV lines is common in lethal injection executions. The training for the people responsible for doing so is limited, if it exists at all. Many of those whose job it is to set IV lines and administer the drugs have no idea what they are doing.

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As one member of an execution team in California told the New York Times in 2007, Training? We dont have training, really. It was frequently the case that for team members, the day of execution was  the first timein their life they have picked up a syringeso its a little stressful for them to be doing this.

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And as a 2014 article in Mother Jones noted:

States typically have had few requirements for those serving on an execution team. At one point, in Florida, the only criteria was that a potential executioner be at least 18 years old. Wardens, prison guards, phlebotomists, paramedics, and nurses are sometimes in the mix.The actual makeup of execution teams is often a state secret that officials work hard to conceal.

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None of the early proponents of lethal injection imagined anything like the three hours of jabbing and poking that James experienced. As Jay Chapman, who first developed the drug cocktail for lethal injection, said in a 2007 New York Times interview, It never occurred to me when we set this up that wed have complete idiots administering the drugs.

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The James execution was not the first time that an Alabama execution team had run into problems finding useable veins.

In 2018, Alabamas execution team spent two and a half hours searching for a suitable vein in order to execute Doyle Hamm. They left him with a dozen puncture marks, including six in his groin. Their attempts damaged his bladder and penetrated his femoral artery. Finally, exasperated officials and medical personnel called off the execution. Hamm joined a grim fraternity of a few inmates whose lethal injection was botched, but who lived to tell about it. (He died in prison last year of cancer-related complications.)

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James was not so lucky. Alabama uses a three drug cocktail in its lethal injection executions, starting with the sedative midazolam that has been involved in many badly botched executions. It is supposed to render the inmate unconscious and insensate so that they do not feel anything when the other two drugs (rocuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium chloride, a drug that stops the heart) are administered. In James case, midazolam appears yet again to have failed to do its job.

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A witnesses to the execution reported that as the other drugs began to flow James had made several movements. His eyelids fluttered, his body, including his lips and eyes made significant movement after which James breathing appeared to be labored, and several minutes later James eyes opened slightly.

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If James had been adequately sedated his body would not have been able to make these movements. As Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor described it in 2017:

Execution absent an adequate sedative thus produces a nightmarish death: The condemned prisoner is conscious but entirely paralyzed, unable to move or scream his agony, as he suffers what may well be the chemical equivalent of being burned at the stake.

But instead of devoting themselves to preventing the problems that marked James execution and working to ensure that it was humane, correctional officials were preoccupied with other things. They were focused on policing the wardrobe of a female reporter who wanted to witness the execution. Officials first told her that she would not be allowed to do so because her skirt was too short and her open-toe high-heeled shoes were too revealing. While an obvious sideshow to the horror that befell James, focusing on a womans clothing as the state was botching James execution only emphasizes the grotesque incompetence of many officials involved in administering the death penalty.

When it comes to the lethal injection procedure itself, Sotomayor got it right when she observed, What cruel irony that the method that appears most humane may turn out to be our most cruel experiment yet. Ending that cruel experiment would be a critical step toward ending the death penalty itself.
Elizabeth French sits with Chicago police Officer Joshua Blas and Officer Carlos Yanez Jr. and his family during a memorial service marking one year since her daughter, Officer Ella French, was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

On Aug. 7, 2021, Chicago police Officer Ella French was shot and killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop. One year later, fellow officers, friends and family gathered on a rainy afternoon to remember her and honor her life.

A picture of French smiled brightly upon those assembled at the Gold Star Families Memorial fountain.

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On days like today, when its easy to get lost in sadness, and maybe anger, we are called to remember joy and gratitude, police Superintendent David Brown said. I believe its what Ella would have wanted. She did what she loved doing and helped better peoples lives while she did it. Thats how we remember Ella.

French, who was 29 when she was killed, had been working for the Chicago Police Department since April 2018. She was part of a community safety team tasked with patrolling dangerous neighborhoods.

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Elizabeth French sits with Chicago police officer Joshua Blas and officer Carlos Yanez Jr. and his family during a memorial service marking one year since her daughter, Chicago police officer Ella French, was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop on Aug. 7, 2022, at the Gold Star Families Memorial in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

The fatal shooting occurred near West 63rd Street and South Bell Avenue. French and two other officers, including Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., were conducting a traffic stop on three people in a vehicle when one of them shot at the officers, said First Deputy police Superintendent Eric Carter the day after the shooting. At least one of the officers returned fire, Carter said. One of the suspects was shot alongside Yanez and French.

Emonte Morgan was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and other charges. His brother, Eric Morgan, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon as well as one count of obstructing justice. The third person in the SUV was not charged.

At Sundays memorial, attendees hugged. Some held on tightly to tissues. Some wore pins with Frenchs face on them. A woman carried flowers. The weather  a steady, unrelenting rain  echoed the mood.

People attend a memorial service marking one year since Chicago police officer Ella French was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago police officer Valdadez wipes away tears during a memorial service marking one year since Chicago police officer Ella French was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Lori Lightfoot was in attendance as well. French was the first Chicago police officer to be shot and killed while on duty since Lightfoot became mayor in 2019.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Officer French was truly the epitome of what it means to be called to serve, to be called to give of oneself in sacrifice, Lightfoot said. As anyone who knew Officer French would tell you, she was simply perfect for this role. Her kind and loving and caring nature, paired with her bright spirit, made her a joy to be around and to work with.

Today we thank Officer French for choosing to help protect our city. We also always thank and remember her mother, Elizabeth, a paragon of strength and resilience, Lightfoot added.

Frenchs mother was sitting in the front row. Earlier in the day at a ceremony at police headquarters, she enshrined her daughters Chicago police star, placing it into the superintendents star case

At the afternoon ceremony, other speakers also addressed Elizabeth French in their remarks.

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Elizabeth French is greeted by visitors during a memorial service marking one year since her daughter, Chicago police officer Ella French, was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop on Aug. 7, 2022, at the Gold Star Families Memorial in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Miss French, I cannot imagine the pain and heartache youre enduring today, in every minute of your day without your beautiful Ella, said CPD chairwoman of Gold Star Families Maria Marmolejo. Im a mother myself, and I get it: This just was not the natural progression of how things should be  losing a child.

Im here to tell you that, today and always, your daughter Ella French is a star amongst the stars, and she will shine bright always for the woman she was, the life she lived and the sacrifice she made to protect the city of Chicago, Marmolejo said. Among all those names etched on stone behind us, police Officer Ella French will forever be respected, honored and, most importantly, never forgotten.

Down a pebble path and past a statue of a man in a wheelchair surrounded by family  honoring catastrophically injured officers  there is a circular concrete wall with the names of police officers who have died in the line of duty etched into black granite. The newest inscription reads Ella Grace French.
The Alex Jones defamation and emotional damages trial in Texas, the first of three such cases brought by dogged Sandy Hook families, ended on Friday with an impressive $49.3 million punitive damages tag for Jones, following a $4.1 million compensatory damages award. Despite the satisfaction one could take in Jones compounding woesincluding a dustup over his lawyers transfer of years of emails and texts to plaintiffs counsel that now exposes Jones to yet more liability and sweeps him directly into the Jan. 6 hurricaneit feels not nearly enough. Despite his much-shared public spankings by opposing counsel, the trial judge, and perhaps most memorably by Scarlett Lewis, the mother of six-year-old Sandy hook victim, Jesse Lewis, the general vibe, post-trial, is still very much yes-but.

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It is true that Jones finally faced some music, on camera for his years of risible efforts on Infowars to claim that Sandy Hook was a false flag hoax, that the 20 dead children and six adults killed in the 2012 mass school shooting were crisis actors, and that their parents who have faced unimaginable suffering were part of a conspiracy plot to take away guns. Due to Jones defamation, these parents have been harassed, threatened and even forced into hiding. But despite Jones concession that he knows that Sandy Hook was 100 percent realit all feels inadequate to both the grievous harms done, the booming economics of grifting off lies, and the permanence of the problem of post-truth. On top of everything, a cap on punitive damages in Texas could significantly limit the ultimate amount Jones is made to pay Jesse Lewis bereaved parents.

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So, yes, but this will do nothing to correct for the rampant spread of misinformation. And yes, but the mainstreaming of Jones paranoid style of infotainment is in no way curtailed by this verdict. And yes, but Jones is not even remorseful. He emitted a meager note of contrition, citing affliction with a form of psychosis, as Pamela Paul wrote. It was a non-apology to outdo all non-apologies, constructed in the mistakes were made patois of our times. But did anyone believe for a second that Jones would be remorseful? Dan Friesen, co-host of the podcast Knowledge Fight, has been valiantly bird-dogging Jones for years. As Friesen told my colleague, Aymann Ismail last week, its important to recall that Jones doesnt care.

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Hes rewritten his own history in his mind like a child might, in order to absolve himself of any blame for any of his actions. He can abstractly maybe think like, Oh no. Their kid died. Thats real sad. That doesnt have anything to do with me. I was just asking questions! and go about his life.

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If the net result of this grueling, years-long, media spectacle of a Sandy Hook trial is indeed that InfoWars continues to broadcast; that Jones continues to rake in spectacular amounts of revenue while shielding himself through bankruptcy; that misinformation spreads, harassment by listeners goes unchecked, the victims receive no meaningful apology or reckoning, and defamation trials largely leave fake news untouchable, then what is the point? Are we simply doomed to live in a world of split screens, wherein Jones says precisely what he must say in order to minimize jury damages, while simultaneously broadcasting the precise opposite to his adoring listeners?

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Of course, any expectation that any given legal proceedingsuch as the Mueller probe, Trumps two impeachments, and even the very effective Jan. 6 committee hearingsmight lift us out of the misinformation quagmire in which we find ourselves has proven again and again to be too fanciful.

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But unlike those other proceedings, the Alex Jones trial offered one important thing: It forced Jones to inhabit the same space as his victims, to at least pretend to listen to them and to feign respect for a judge. It showed us all what a genuine encounter with the other sidea side that couldnt be dismissed, threatened, and insulted with impunity, at least just this onceactually looks like. Thin gruel in the grand scheme of post truth, maybe, but still instructive and illuminating in the extreme.

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This trial was fundamentally different from the Jan. 6 hearings or two impeachments in that the defendant had to sit in the room, look into the eyes of his victims and hear their truths. Its easy to say yes, but to this as well. Expecting Jones to grow, or change, or stop would be insane. He is one of a handful of men who has built an empire around his delusions. He will not stop doing what he does any more than Roger Stone, or Donald Trump, or Marjorie Taylor Greene might stop their own runaway trains of money-printing fantasy. They are incurable, they are indefatigable, and the movement they have built transcends any one of them, anyhow. To quote Friesen, they dont care. They wont care.

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But the point is not to make them care. These people will never change but some still might. And everything we now know about deradicalization suggests that it demands face to face encounters with those you have deemed less than human; those you believe to be crisis actors and paid operatives.

It will remain true that Alex Jones sees the entire world as a series of crisis actors and operatives and fake conspiracies that magically center him. This was fully on display at trial, Jones having attacked the victims, the judge, and the jury mid-trial. So, yeah, no. Alex Jones is not sorry and no, he doesnt care. Every person in the courtroom is a player in a fantasy conspiracy to get him. But the ultimate project here cannot have been that a legal process would meaningfully damage the hazy reality of a post-truth ecosystem. The most and least satisfaction we were ever going to receive from Jones himself out of these proceedings came when Travis County District Court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble memorably got him to shut up, even if only for a few moments:

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You believe everything you say is true, but it isnt. Your beliefs do not make something true. That is what were doing here. Just because you claim to think something is true does not make it true. It does not protect you. It is not allowed. Youre under oath. That means things need to be true when you say them. Dont talk.

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It also still matters immensely that he had to sit face to face as Scarlett Lewis lectured him for 90 minutes about truth and in the importance of shared truth. Youre still on your show today trying to say that, implying, that Im an actress, that Im deep state. You have, this week. And I dont understand, Lewis told Jones Tuesday. Truth is what we base our reality on and we have to agree on that to have a civil society. Sandy Hook is a hard truth.

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Lewis pressed Jones relentlessly on whether he still believed that she was an actor. No I dont think youre an actor, Jones replied, before the Judge instructed him to stop speaking until it was his turn to testify. My son existed, Lewis said in a clip that has been viewed more than 100,000 times. She added, I know you believe me and yet youre going to leave this court house and youre going to say it again on your show.

And he did. Because nothing is going to change Alex Jones, who sees speech as a cash-generating and cash-reducing product, and not as a means to an end connected to truth. The catharsis of the trial, to the extent there could be one, is not about repudiating lies-for-dollars or conspiracy theorists, or even in checking those who would incite physical violence by just asking questions. It was about putting these peoplewho live their lives in air-conditioned studios staffed by hollowed-eyed minions and fluffersinto the same physical space as those upon who they prey. Such moments, in our bubbled world the bubbled world about which Jones himself complains relentlesslyare few and far between.

My son existed Lewis told Jones. To his face. It was both everything and also, in this present moment not enough. But for those of us who watched, it offered at least the possibility that someday, with enough such brushes with the reality and humanity of people we have written off, something more than catharsis may come, and that at least some of the reachable might someday come home.
In Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court jettisoned the guarantee of abortion care, triggering a cataclysm of state bansand it did so while trivializing and dismissing the profound consequences for pregnant people. But the Supreme Court need not have the final word on the case.

By centering the human rights of those marginalized by the Supreme Court, counsel for the pro-choice litigants can effectively appeal the Dobbs decision: Counsel can file a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the multilateral body tasked with promoting human rights across the Americas. Even if the U.S. does not ultimately implement the commissions ruling, bringing the case to this body could prove to be a potent strategy in the fight for reproductive justice.

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The commission is more than 60 years old and based in Washington D.C., although domestic awareness of its existence and functions is minimal (by contrast, the commission is a household name in many Latin American countries). One of the bodys main functions is to adjudicate cases brought against member countries that have violated human rights standards. In general, a case is only admissible once the violating countrys highest court has rendered a decision; indeed, the commission is designed to be a forum of last resort.

If counsel files a petition, assuming it meets all of the technical requirements, the commission will review the Supreme Courts decision, as well as the actions (and non-actions) of other government organs. The U.S. will submit multiple rounds of briefing trying to defend the countrys rollback of abortion care. The commission will then issue its own decision, explaining the pertinent human rights dimensions and likely ordering an array of remedial measures.

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Although the U.S. regularly participates in commission proceedings, administrations of every political stripe have posited that the country is not bound by the bodys rulings. In all probability, the government will not treat the commissions decision as legal authority, and there is no enforcement mechanism to compel implementation.

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There are at least three reasons why counsel should consider bringing the case anyway.

First, a decision by the commission would help reframe access to abortion care from an issue of purported originalist interpretation to one of basic human dignity. Human rights standards seek to codify our innate and inalienable dignitywhich the government cannot take away. The panoply of human rights supporting access to abortion care include the right to equality and non-discrimination; the right to health; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress; and the right to life (despite international lobbying efforts by anti-choice movements attempting to coopt this right). A ruling from the commission elucidating how the Dobbs decision violates these rights would provide normative validation that abortion bans are an affront to the inherent dignity of pregnant people. Such validation could help shore up resistance and serve as a bulwark against settling into the current reality as a new normal.

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Second, the case could bolster recent commission jurisprudence and advocacy movements promoting access to abortion care throughout the Americas. While the international human rights system, on balance, has been explicit in supporting access to abortion care, Inter-American bodies have been relatively loath to confront the issue. Their circumspection tracks the refusal of several member countries to legalize abortion. In recent years, however, local advocacy efforts have brought about greater legalization in Mexico, Argentina and Colombia, among other countries. Progress at the national level has coincided with (and possibly emboldened) official statements and a case against El Salvador in which the commission squarely addressed governmental strictures on abortion. The commission explained that such strictures implicate a range of human rights and that countries cannot reverse existing access to abortion. While any type of litigation carries some risk of a less-than-ideal ruling (and while only a few years ago this risk may have militated against seeking the commissions review), the body has now signaled that it is a hospitable forum for abortion cases. Bringing Dobbs to the commission could help solidify access to abortion care as a regional human rights concernone that countries must provide to their residents without any type of regression.

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Third, elevating the case to the commission may help galvanize action by the executive branch. International human rights law looks at a countrys impact as a whole; government organs cannot point fingers at each other to evade accountability. Thus, the State Department, which litigates commission cases on behalf of the U.S., may need to answer for the Supreme Courts decision, states (particularly Mississippis) abortion bans and the failures of other organs to pursue corrective measures. This awkward posture could motivate the Biden administration to do more to protect access to abortion care, including declaring a public health emergency and asserting FDA preemption over abortion pills. Pressures from other countries, media outlets and reproductive justice advocates scrutinizing the case could provide further motivation to explore all viable options.

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These potential benefits support appealing Dobbs to the commission. Counsel has six months from the date of the Supreme Courts decision to do so. The sooner the better because, although it can take several years to reach a decision on the merits, the commission can issue a preliminary opinion with precautionary measures within a matter of weeks.

The architects of the international human rights system intended for regional bodies, including the commission, to safeguard rights when national governments fail to ensure them. The Dobbs decision, brazen in its disregard for the human rights of pregnant people, amounts to such a failure.

This is the moment to invoke and an opportunity to engage with international human rightsa crucial last resort.
The life of a former U.S. president has long been a performatively dignified one. The typical modern ex-POTUS writes a mostly unremarkable memoir, retires to a house on a plot that has its own name (e.g. The Oak Aspen), endorses his partys nominee every four years at the national convention, engages in occasional diplomatic and humanitarian work, and otherwise hopes the national press will gradually forget the controversial, stupid, and cowardly things he did during his actual career so he will be eulogized when he dies as a great leader and role model. (Barack Obama has shaken up the tradition by working with glamorous figures like Bruce Springsteen, but only on the least glamorous activity, podcasting.)

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There are two stories in the news today, Monday, about the U.S.s most recent ex-president, Donald Trump.

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 Axios reports, with visual proof, that the New York Times Maggie Haberman has obtained photostaken during Trumps term at locations where he had just been presentof toilets in which torn-up documents bearing words written in his handwriting are visible.

In a February 2022 scoop (also given to Axios by the Times reporter in a confusing book-publicity maneuver), Haberman had revealed that Trumps staff periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging his toilets and believed him to have been responsible for attempting to flush them. (Discarding paper in a toilet is a violation of best practices concerning both presidential record-keeping and plumbing.) Trump had called this reportthe report that he, an adult man, was apparently under the belief that one can successfully dispose of office documents by putting them in a toiletfake news. But now it has been proved fairly definitively that the president tried (many times) to flush regular paper down a toilet in the White House and then lied about it.

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 The New Yorker has printed an excerpt from a different forthcoming book (co-authored by a different Times reporter) in which Trump is said to have asked his chief of staff, exMarine Corps general John Kelly, why American military officials couldnt be like the German generals who, in Trumps imagination if not in real life, were totally loyal to Hitler.

The former president, who has already been in the news a number of times for stories relating to toilets and his evident admiration for Hitler, lives in Florida and is not known to engage in diplomatic or humanitarian work.
The U.S. has declared monkeypox a public health emergency. Luckily, monkeypox is not a new disease, so there is a vaccine. It was originally developed for smallpox, but it works. The bad news, however, is that its hard to get. In many big U.S. cities, finding the two coveted doses is a struggle.

Right now, the worlds only supplier for monkeypox vaccine is this tiny company in Denmark called Bavarian Nordic. It has a small factory that is capable of producing 30 million doses a year. This already limited capacity has been constrained by an unfortunately timed lab renovation.

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And while production, distribution, and supply chains all limit vaccine access, one of the biggest obstacles rarely gets discussed: intellectual property rights, the exclusive monopolies pharmaceutical companies obtain over a vaccine after its developed.

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On Sundays Episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Zain Raivi, who researches pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine for the advocacy group Public Citizen, about how pharmaceutical companies intellectual property rights get in the way of public health and what that means for the monkeypox crisis. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Emily Peck: When a pharmaceutical company invents something, they get a patent, an exclusive right for a limited time period to their invention. What should we know about intellectual property, especially trade secrets, here?

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Zain Rizvi: Intellectual property is about power. Its the power to make decisions about how medical technologies are produced, where theyre produced, for whom theyre produced, at what price theyre produced, and how many of them are produced. You see this operate through a range of different legal forms, so you have patents. Patents give you the right to exclude someone from making an invention, so if you have a patent and someone else starts making your invention, you can say, You are forbidden from making my invention, and you have a legal right to enforce that claim.

Trade secrets is more about the secret sauce, the recipe that goes into making the vaccine or the health product in question. With complex medical technologies like vaccines, theres an interplay of both patents and trade secrets.

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Lets take a step back and talk about COVID vaccination and intellectual property. In 2020, Moderna announced they wouldnt enforce the patent on their vaccine. Did it help at all?

When we talk about the Moderna vaccine and what Moderna has done, really what were talking about is what the U.S. government and Moderna have done together. Moderna is is built off a technology that was funded by taxpayers. You had this constant federal support in the background as this company was developing its technology. Yes, Moderna did this thing about patents, but it left out this whole other spectrum of action that it could have taken. And most importantly, what it could have done and what it did not do was actually share some of the knowhow. So the key question, for COVID 19, for monkeypox, but also for any kind of health disease in the future, is: Should the knowledge that is funded by taxpayers be kept a secret? Should that knowledge be kept a secret if it can help end an epidemic?

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In terms of keeping this a secret on monkeypox vaccine, Im reading reports now daily in the United States that people cant get vaccinated. The populations that need access are scrambling, they cant get appointments, etc. Is that because of IP and secret hoarding also?

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It is in a sense, because right now the decisions are being made by this company sitting in Denmarkabout how doses are allocated, about how doses are delivered, and how theyre filled and finished. And so we are introducing again, this layer of scarcity by allowing this mechanism of IP to interfere. What a better [way] would look like would be the U.S. government stepping up, taking some responsibility, disclosing how many doses exist in the world right now, disclosing what production capabilities are at Bavarian Nordic. What can be done? What other partners are out there that can make this?

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It seems the U.S. on the front end is spending billions of dollars on these drugs that we all have a big public health interest in. And then when push comes to shove at the end of the day, they dont exercise that power and leverage it into distribution. Its like, what are we waiting for here?

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most powerful industries in the world. There are huge, huge, sums of money at play, and the industry is, lets put it gently, not in favor of proposals that would increase the role of the public sector in pharmaceutical production and pricing.

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The main argument in favor of strict intellectual property laws is that they spur innovation. Making vaccines and medication takes a ton of time research and money. Pharmaceutical companies say that without these protections, they just wouldnt have the incentive to develop new medical treatments. The COVID vaccine has been incredibly profitable for Pfizer and Moderna. Were talking billions and billions and billions of dollars. Everyone says, Well, look, thats the perfect example. They wouldnt have done it without IP. Would you agree?

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No matter how small or no matter how large the reform, the argument will always be, Youre about to kill innovation. How could you do that? Theres many different ways to proceed. One is that, of course, under the existing system we understand that its not just industry thats driving innovation. The public sector is playing this huge role in supporting and propelling innovation forward. The National Institutes of Health alone spends $40 billion a year on biomedical research and development. And so when youre talking about supporting R&D, its important to be inclusive of public sector R&. What is the return when we allow, for example, Pfizer to make $36 billion off of COVID 19 vaccines in the year 2021 alone? What investment did we actually need to induce that kind of research and development? How much is enough to induce Pfizer to do this in the first place?

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IP laws dont just allow pharma companies to set pricing. They allow the companies to choose who theyll sell their products to, and when theres a limited supply of a vaccine, the companies largely get to decide where those doses go.

It should not be up to Pfizers CEO to dictate to national governments, Well, youre going to get X, youre going to get Y supply. Youre going to get Z supply.  I think thats whats really the core of the problem.

So youre saying abolish patents? I think youre saying that.

The term I wouldnt use is abolish necessarily, but I think the patents certainly need to be overridden for the public interest. The U.S. government has existing authority that it actually uses all the time in different sectors. Perhaps my most compelling point here is that the Defense Department doesnt care about patents. The Defense Department, when it needs a technology, it uses that technology. Itll get a contractor to use a patent, and if a patent holder wants to sue, they can do that. There is a law that allows a patent holder to sue the U.S. government and get some compensation, but what the Defense Department does not allow to happen is for one contractor to get up and be like, Hey, I have a patent, you cant use this invention, now pay me. For some reason, the Department of Defense doesnt do that, but the CDC, the NIH, the HHS, and our public health apparatus cannot stand up to pharmaceutical corporations in the same way. And so when we talk about going beyond IP based systems of drug development and innovation, we can look to actually what we do elsewhere.

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One thing that really struck me in reading about vaccine sharing with COVID was the hoarding. It really seems like that comes around full circle and hurt us. The U..S had hoarded vaccines, the Global North had hoarded vaccines, COVID spread like wildfire in the Global South, and we got these new strains, we got delta, we got omicron. It turned out that hoarding wasnt even in our best interest, and I wonder if the same things going to happen now with monkeypox.

The U.S. government is in a little bit more delicate position for monkeypox than it might seem because the factory is located in Denmark and not in the U.S. Had the Danish government taken the same response to monkeypox that the U.S. did for COVID 19, there actually would be no monkeypox vaccines in the U.S. right now because you could imagine that the Danish government, the European Union, and others starting to hoard their vaccines.

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Where do you see the monkeypox outbreak going and future disease outbreaks if nothing changes with the current IP structure?

I think one thing we can say for sure is that this is not the last time this happens. We are living in an interconnected world where new viruses are emerging, there are new diseases, some old diseases that are making a comeback, and so we just really have to do a deep think on what we can do to prepare and respond to that. And our understanding is that one key component of that is this distributed global network of manufacturers, so there should be a vaccine manufacturer, for example in Sub-Saharan Africa, in Latin America, in North America, all around the world, that is capable of rapidly shifting and rapidly pumping out doses for that next new disease threat. And there are promising initiatives underway including at the World Health Organization to set up mRNA capabilities around the world, so we can better respond to new outbreaks. But I think until we get there, and until really we take public health seriously, until we fund public health appropriately, until we take seriously the idea of making vaccines and treatments global public goods. This is not going to be a problem that really goes away anytime soon, so we do need ways to manage it better.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Janet Gedjeyans first job after nursing school was as a bedside nurse in the heart and lung transplant division at a Los Angeles hospital. I loved it, the 29-year-old Californian tells me. Well, she loved some of it: About a year in, I started realizing that patient care was a fraction of what my job entailed, she explains. Gedjeyan spent much of her days dealing with physicians, social workers, and hospital administratorsnot the sick people who needed her support. It was less McDreamy, more McPaperwork.

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As Gedjeyan was seeking alternatives to a career in the hospital, her mother was undergoing plastic surgery. I went with her to her follow-up appointment and the nurse just happened to mention she was doing Botox,  Gedjeyansays. In California, Gedjeyan learned, registered nurses like herself are legally allowed to inject cosmetic neuromodulators like Botox and dermal fillers like Juvederm, so long as they do so under the direction of a physician. They called it cosmetic nursing, aesthetic nursing,  Gedjeyan says. She knew it was her golden ticket.

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Today, Gedjeyan has a gig doing Botox, filler, threads and more at a self-care bar in Southern Californiaas well as 23,000 followers on Instagram, where she goes by Nurse Janet and posts photos of her handiwork and tips for getting into the booming field of medical aesthetics.

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In the past year, 1,300 new med spas have opened, according to the American Med Spa Association, an industry organization. Their average annual revenue comes in just shy of $2 million a year. Clients are mostly women between the ages of 35 and 54 who may not want or need full-blown plastic surgery but arent satisfied with at-home anti-aging serums, either. These client-patients want to have their faces balanced with dermal fillers, their arm hair lasered into oblivion, their tummy fat frozen away, their bodies pumped full of beauty bag IV treatments with prime nutrients for glowing beauty inside and out, and so much more. While its still too soon to say, investors are hoping this all proves recession-proof. Who doesnt want to look beautiful, even in this economy? I think people will invest in making themselves look and feel better, says Terri Ross, a med spa business consultant.

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The medical aesthetic industrys growth comes at a time when more traditional health care settings feel inhospitable for medical professionals, and nurses in particular. Even before the pandemic, female nurses died by suicide at twice the rate of their non-nurse peers. Burnout and depression are common, yet resources for those in distress are scarce. The pandemic has only amplified the problem. Roughly 34 percent of nurses say they want to leave their current job by the end of the year, according to a survey from Incredible Health. The result is a staffing shortage that shows little sign of abating, as nursing schools struggle to expand enrollment to meet demand. Young nurses are picking up on [the fact] that working in a hospital, its a lot of burnout from a young age, Gedjeyan says. Her line of work offers an appealing alternative.

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Call it the aesthetic brain drain: While some students are enrolling with the express goal of working in beauty, based on my conversations with those in the field it seems the majority of aesthetic nurses are fleeing from emergency medicine, bedside nursing, and related work.

For these nurses, aesthetics offers something other fields cant. I saw a lot of autonomy in it and I saw a lot of growth in it, Gedjeyan says. The average full-time salary for an RN in medical aesthetics is about $80,000 a year, on par with RNs in other fields. But aesthetics is seen as more flexible than other nursing roles. You have some really big deal injectors doing tons and tons of injections, working their butts off, and earning their money, says Caroline Barnes, an RN who transitioned from emergency medicine to aesthetic nursing in 2017. But you also have parents who want a three- or four-day workweek and extra time with their kids.

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Gedjeyans career has so far run the gamut. In her first year as a bedside nurse, she made $74,000. Her first year as an aesthetic nurse, she made $104,000 (though she was now responsible for covering her own health insurance, retirement plan, and related expenses). While her current employer doesnt allow her to disclose her salary, Gedjeyan says she is doing just finewhile working three eight-hour days per week. I just knew that if I did well, the money would take care of itself, and the money sure enough did, she says.

For the nurses I spoke to, aesthetics also offers a sense of autonomya key factor in preventing and healing from burnout. For artistic individuals, injecting can feel like a creative outlet. A lot of people think aesthetics is looking fake or even looking very plasticy, but I think with our training now, aesthetics is just meant to enhance your natural beauty, says Sabrina Pham, an eyelash tech-turned-RN. For entrepreneurial people, medical aesthetics offers a chance to promote their work through social media, build up a client list, and even open up their own med spa.

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There can be potential conflicts of interest for those trying to be both medical practitioners and salespeople. Youre a clinician first, but you also have to have in the back of your mind, what are some of the things I can do to retain this patient? says Mimi Martins, a former family medicine physician and owner of Estar MedSpa in Maryland. But the field also presents an opportunity for connection: A lot of my relationships are so meaningful, Pham says of the industry, and a lot of my patients are my friends, too.

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Aesthetic nurses know not everyone sees their work as noble. If I told any of my nursing professors, Im going into aesthetics, they would have found a way to fail me on the spot, Gedjeyan says. And making the leap from saintly bedside nursing to the wild world of beauty isnt always easy. While a nursing degree is a prerequisite for working as an RN in a med spa, aesthetics arent taught in school. Instead, nurses who want to work in a med spa must pursue additional training, typically out of pocket, from private educators who teach the fundamentals of anatomy, injecting technique, and more. Every nurse injector is different, Pham says. I think of it as going to a hair stylist or nail technician; everyone has their own sense of style. On-the-job training is also essential, Barnes told me. Before moving full-time into medical aesthetics, she developed her skills by working part-time in the ER and part-time in a med spa setting.

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The idea of pulling nurses away from other fields and into aesthetics may sound concerning. But the nurses I spoke to wouldnt have it any other way. If youre the person on the receiving end of these needles, they want you to be sure that youre in good hands. The benefits of having a nurse do your injections (or hair lasers, or IV bags) versus an unregulated operator, or even a cosmetic surgeon who spends all day in the operating room, is that these treatments are an aesthetics nurses singular focus. Theres a very large value to be said of, this is all that I do, all the day long, Barnes says. Knowing what she knows, I dont think Id ever let a doctor touch my face, to be perfectly honest.

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But these nurses say you shouldnt let the spa-like atmosphere fool you: They really are dealing with the workings of the human body. Their clients can experience allergic reactions and brow ptosis (which causes their eyelids to droop) in response to Botox, vascular occlusion (when the blood can no longer pass through the vessel) as a response to fillers, and burns from improper laser hair removal technique. A skilled aesthetic nurse should be able to avoid many of these complications in the first place, and correct a situation thats threatening to go awry. As George Baxter-Holder, an aesthetic nurse with Skin Spirit, puts it: The most important part of medical aesthetics is the fact that its medical.
Welcome to State of Mind, a new section from Slate and Arizona State University dedicated to exploring mental health. Follow us on Twitter.

Theres a familiar rhythm to the responses to mass shootings. From those who oppose gun control, among the calls for thoughts and prayers are often allegations that the perpetrator was taking antidepressantstypically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, like Lexapro and Prozacwith the insinuation that the medication made them do it. We saw it after Uvalde; we saw it after Highland Park. Most prominently, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and right-wing social media influencer Jack Posobiec have directly blamed shootings on the increase in prescriptions for SSRIs. They based this on an utterance from the Highland Park shooter that he was a depressed drug user, but (as with most of these cases) there is no information on whether he had a prescription for SSRIs or any other psychopharmacological intervention. When a U.K. newspaper recently covered an academic umbrella analysis disputing the role of serotonin imbalances in depression, the comments ran over with anti-psychiatric responses to the story, including pharmaceutical conspiracy theories.

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These claims stem from an area of scientific discussion in the early 00s. In a somewhat infamous early case, a patient taking Prozac (fluoxetine) went on a rampage killing eight people and then himself in 1989; his family blamed the incident on the antidepressant. In the years that followed, SSRIs became a major psychopharmacological treatment, and several public health analyses in the early- to mid-d00s raised concerns about the prescription of SSRIs, particularly about side-effects including violence and suicidality (especially in patients under 25). As a result, the FDA adding a black-box suicide warning to SSRIs and shifting guidance within the psychiatric community on their prescription.

There are reasonable questions about whether the black-box warning was a good idea. Some say that the black-box warning is harmful because it discourages doctors and patients from using SSRIs when they may be the best course of action. I would argue that the purpose of the black-box label is to ensure patients and doctors are aware of and consider these risks, though the informed consent issue is outside of the scope of this discussion.

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But as with many such conspiracy theories, the politicians trying to blame people taking SSRIs for mass shootings are misunderstanding of the issue. Recent partisan endorsement of conspiracy theories and outright attacks on psychopharmacology (and SSRIs in particular) is roughly analogous to the problem we have seen around coronavirus vaccination. When basic standards of care are seen as a political partisan issue, people who are on the anti-medical side of the partisan divide are significantly less likely to get treatment and less likely to trust their own doctors and health care providers. But it is not just about trust between providers and patients.

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Now we need to worry anti-SSRI positions becoming policy.

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Adverse events for medical interventions are common. Theres a reason why prescription medications should be used with the supervision of a medical professional who keeps up with the literature on possible side effects. When used consistently with best practices, SSRIs are an effective tool in treating a range of psychiatric conditions, especially in combination with therapy (which provides the requisite oversight to address adverse events). There are reasonable concerns within the medical community about how and when to prescribe SSRIs, especially to patients under 25. But certain members of the GOP want to turn those discussions into fear mongering about the historical recognition of side-effects and turn shifts in labeling into a reason to defund and even actively disrupt the best standard of care available in mental health.

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There are people who will suggest that merely discussing this is itself fear-mongering, noting that the people who are coming out against SSRIs are themselves largely fringe GOP figures with very little influence on federal-level GOP policy. But we should look at the role which issues that started as fringe conspiracy theories now play in contemporary national-level GOP politics. Birtherism went from a looney conspiracy theory that the John McCain presidential campaign wanted to shut down, to an incumbent-killing strategy during the Tea Party wave; the great replacement went from a 4chan conspiracy theory to a winning GOP presidential issue.

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There are two ways to look at the current anti-medical posture of the conspiracy theory wing of the GOP as it applies to a wide range of issues across the spectrum of public health and mental health. The first is to examine conspiracy theories as a political strategy since the Tea Party wave of 2010 (including public health conspiracy theories about death panels); the second is to look at the more recent development of coronavirus-related public health conspiracy theories. Both of these are important to understanding how a Republican politician like Greene can go on Twitter after a mass shooting and baselessly blame mass shootings on commonly prescribed medications that can be effectively used to treat a range of conditions. However, GOP opposition to mental health funding long predates the conspiratorial turn of the party.

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In the 60s and 70s, Presidents Kennedy, Ford, and Carter pushed for substantial reforms American mental health, moving away from institutionalization and toward community mental health programs, culminating in Carters Mental Health Systems Act of 1980.

But then President Reagan was elected. Since the early 80s, the GOP has used budget policy to justify cuts to public health services, especially mental health services. In his 1981 budget, Reagan allocated funding in block grants that allowed the states to use money however they wanted. Instead of setting up the community mental health programs, states redirected that money into the carceral system, and jails and prisons became major providers of mental health services in America. Reagan had a history of exercising this strategy as governor of California as well. Thats a glossy summary, but its relevant to recognize that GOP opposition to mental health standard care also comes out of GOP financial policy.

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Mental Health Americas 2021 survey report ranked Texas dead last in the country for access to mental health services, despite being among the worst states (44 out 51, DC included) for prevalence of mental illness. The report notes that the major shift in Texas was the number of patients who could not see doctors due to prohibitive costs.

Now, imagine conspiracy theories about psychopharmacology and the GOP preference for block grants merge. Under the Affordable Care Act, funding for prescription drugs under Medicare Part D was significantly expanded and includes access to some standard SSRI treatments. At least for now, the federal requirements of Medicare Part D require access to a range of SSRI and other psychopharmacological treatments.

But that could change. The GOPs attempt to repeal Obamacare in 2017 would have, among other things, implemented block granting for Medicare (including and especially Part D, which covers medications). That would have returned administration of prescription drug programs to the states, allowing state-level legislators to change the list of approved drugs covered by their programs. If states then want to take that money for prisons and gay conversion therapy, then theyd be free to do that on a state level.

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Should that happen in the future, GOP-controlled state governments could adopt anti-psychopharmacology positions. That would mean either outright prohibiting the use of such funds for SSRIs and other standards of care in psychopharmacology or directing the funds to groups that do not provide the accepted standard of care in the field. This isnt hypothetical; the GOP has utilized similar strategies in other areas of health care since the 1980s, from the refusal to fund evidence-based treatments for LGBTQ+ people during the gay panic of the Reagan era to the contemporary opposition to treatments that satisfy standards of care for transgender people in GOP-run states (especially in the southeast). GOP-led states did it with throughout the coronavirus pandemic, fighting over whether to fund ventilators and personal protective equipment and insisting that health care funds be directed to ineffective and even dangerous coronavirus treatments like ivermectin. We are seeing it now in GOP-controlled states after Dobbs, where state-level legislation regarding how to assess risk during missed miscarriages results in serious, dangerous delays in abortion access to women in dire medical situations. Those are the most publicly visible examples; a comprehensive list would consume this whole article.

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More pernicious still, even the moderate wing of the GOP has historically embraced the idea of block granting to states. That means even if the opposition to SSRIs were never to become a national issue on the scale of vaccine denial, the embrace of those conspiracy theories by less-notable state-level GOP politicians in a position to handle appropriation of mental health resources (already largely distributed through such block grants) would have a similar effect on outcomes. The result would be to drive down access to medical treatments that work for mental health.

Let me be clear: SSRI use doesnt cause mass shootings; they are not even positively correlated. The countries with the highest per capita consumption of SSRIs (Iceland, Portugal, and Canada) all have far lower rates of mass shootings than the United States.

The GOP panic about SSRIs is an attempt to change the subject. It wont address Americas mass shooting problem; it will just make getting adequate medical treatment harder for people in need.

State of Mind is a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that offers a practical look at our mental health systemand how to make it better.
Spain calls for dialogue and diplomacy between the US and China



The Spanish Government has advised against any military measures

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, has urged China and the United States towards dialogue and diplomacy amid rising tensions following the visit of the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan last week.

"We are with the maintenance of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, as we also have a very clear position favourable to the one-China policy, but everything that escalates military measures never leads to anything positive," Mr Albares said on Saturday August 6.

China has believed in reunifying Taiwan with the Peoples Republic ever since the island assumed independence in 1949 following a civil war, which culminated in a transition to democracy in the 1990s.

Although there is no official agreement between the US and Taiwan, Ms Pelosi's visit has caused uproar in China, particularly since Washington is technically the islands main arms supplier and would be its greatest ally in the case of a military invasion.

Image: Jose Manuel Albares on Twitter
Tomko was 98 years old.

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On Monday morning, Slovak Cardinal Jozef Tomko died in Rome. He was 98 years old, reported the press office of the Conference of Bishops of Slovakia (KBS).

He worked in the Vatican since 1945 and, after the death of Jan Korec, was the last living Slovak cardinal. As of last year, he was the oldest living member of the College of Cardinals.

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Funeral services will be held in Rome and in the Cathedral of St Elizabeth in Kosice. Further information will be provided by the KBS in the near future.

Exiled

In the past, Tomko had an important position in the Vatican. Under Pope John Paul II he served as the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He was also the president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

Jozef Tomko was born on March 11, 1924 in the village of Udavske in the district of Humenne. He started studying at the Roman Catholic Cyril-Method theological faculty of the Slovak University in Bratislava in 1943.

In 1945, Bishop Jozef Carsky of Kosice sent him to study in Rome. After 1948, Tomko could not return to his homeland as the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power. Since then, he continued his studies in Rome and served in various positions.

Tomko could come to Slovakia only in 1968, but during the time of the so-called normalization, his involuntary exile continued. He did not return until 1989. His appearance at the Slovak National Council session on April 21, 1991 was a historic event.

Highest state award

His literary work was also rich. Among other works, he wrote, for example, the study Meaning of St. Cyril and Methodius in Slovak Catholicism and Slovak History (1984), which he also published in English. He also published several books describing his missionary journeys on different continents.

In 2002, President Rudolf Schuster awarded him the Order of the White Double Cross, 1st degree, the highest state award.
With coalition crunch-time approaching, Matovic turns to his proven tactic.

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Welcome to your weekly commentary and overview of news from Slovakia. As time runs out, more creative solutions to the coalition crisis emerge from its members. Why foreigners choose Slovakia, and what Slovaks fear the most.

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Matovic returns to what he does best

Slovakias ruling coalition has been suffering from a protracted terminal illness for which there seems to be no cure. Heatwave after heatwave, one slow-news week after another, the patient is expiring, though not for lack of creative ideas about how to resuscitate it.

One month ago, the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), which now also includes most of the former Za Ludi caucus (which now numbers only four MPs), issued its ultimatum to the rest of the coalition: either Igor Matovic goes, or we do. As summer draws on, it is becoming ever clearer that the latter outcome is the more likely.

If this were not Matovic-era Slovakia, many of the minor events of the past month could be filed under politically bizarre. But, like it or not, the Matovic era is the one we currently live in, and occurrences like the following, to name just a few, are now normal: only days after SaS announced its ultimatum, its leader, Economy Minister Richard Sulik, stood side by side with Finance Minister Matovic at a press conference announcing the latest big automotive investment in Slovakia, making it perfectly unclear for ordinary folk what all the talk of crisis was really about. Then there was the idea that Christian fundamentalist MPs from the ultra-rightwing Life party could preserve the coalitions majority even if SaS were to leave  though that kind of evaporated after two of them, Kuffas senior and junior, were presented with criminal charges for practices that make you wonder if the kind of mafia that Matovic keeps going on about is really the only kind.
Kindergarteners, a few with face masks, sing and jump during class at Iroquois Community School in Des Plaines on Aug. 5, 2022. Despite the urging of the states health department, many Illinois school districts are pausing their weekly COVID-19 SHIELD testing for students this fall. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Despite the urging of the states health department to resume school-based COVID-19 testing for students this fall, officials at several Illinois districts said this week they are halting the program due to waning interest from parents and the availability of home tests.

Weve decided not to offer SHIELD testing as we start the new school year, but were always cautious, and will be ready to pivot back to that partnership if things change, said Mary Gorr, superintendent of Mount Prospect School District 57.

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The SHIELD Illinois program offers K-12 students weekly PCR saliva screenings they can opt into with the permission of a parent or guardian. Gorr said while the free testing was not a financial burden, it disrupted learning time and was a lot for our nurses and front office staff.

Another group who may have found the weekly screenings disruptive: parents making quick arrangements for their children to stay home from school if they tested positive on a routine screening, even if they werent sick.

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We feel like were turning a corner now, with all of the availability of testing and vaccines, and we hope our schools can return fully to institutes for learning, Gorr said. The demand from parents for school testing started dwindling last year, and now, it really isnt there.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced in June it renewed an agreement with SHIELD offering every public school outside of Chicago as well as the states private schools the opportunity to use the University of Illinois saliva-based testing platform at no cost for the 2022-23 school year. Chicago Public Schools has a separate testing program.

School districts were asked to sign up by July 15 in order to guarantee testing on the first day of school.

DePaul University professor Marta Shcherbakova makes sure she is submitting enough saliva for a COVID-19 test through SHIELD Illinois on Jan. 20, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Around 180 of the roughly 850 public school districts in Illinois have signed up for SHIELD testing so far, and given the programs rolling enrollment, that number is expected to increase during the coming weeks, said Beth Heller, a spokeswoman for SHIELD Illinois.

Last year, 258 public school districts signed up for the program, with testing conducted at about 1,700 public and private school buildings, Heller said.

A spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday, Protecting access to in-person learning is the states top priority.

Thats why IDPH and ISBE (the Illinois State Board of Education) have worked diligently to ensure school districts have access to free resources, like tests, to control the spread of coronavirus, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement.

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In addition to SHIELD testing, The state will also make one million rapid tests available to schools, Abudayyeh said.

In 2021-22, through various federal funds, $136 million from the IDPH plus roughly $10 million from Chicago Department of Public Health was used on around 6 million tests in K-12 schools, community colleges, universities and community-based sites in Illinois, Heller said.

The cost of the program for 2022-23 is unknown, but expected to be much less, Heller said.

Saliva samples submitted for testing through SHIELD Illinois are seen at the DePaul University Loop campus on Jan. 20, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The program covers the cost of testing supplies, support for collection and transportation of samples, and lab work. But schools producing fewer than 50 samples on a given day must collect and deliver the samples for analysis themselves, though they are reimbursed $8 for each test they collect and transport, according to Heller.

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Over the past year plus, SHIELD Illinois has worked to reduce as many barriers as possible to make this manageable for schools, Heller said. We know how challenging their roles are and COVID is not their only concern.

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One way SHIELD is trying to make the initiative more accessible is to give schools choices on how they want to run their programs, including selecting an option for unobserved testing, where students collect their saliva samples at home.

They do have to consider their own community and bandwidth as they decide what to do and once they select testing as a way to keep their community safe from COVID, SHIELD will help them with that process, Heller said.

Chicago Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, does not use SHIELD testing but hired a private company through a request for proposals last year, and will be requesting reimbursement of their costs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, CPS spokeswoman Sylvia Barragan said.

Last year, nearly 94,000 of 270,432 students, or about 35%, participated in the school-based testing program, Barragan said.

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A separate testing agreement with the Chicago Department of Public Health covers testing in non-CPS schools in Chicago, including private, parochial and charter schools, IDPH officials said.

While several large suburban districts, including Naperville Community Unit School District 203 and Evanston/Skokie Community Consolidated School District 65, plan to resume their SHIELD testing programs, others are opting out.

As of now, we are not planning on using the SHIELD saliva screening, Arlington Heights School District 25 spokesman Adam Harris said. Testing is now widely available throughout the community as well as with at-home test kits.

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In addition to the availability of other testing options, Barrington Community Unit School District 220 Superintendent Robert Hunt cited the impact on staff and the disruption to the school day as reasons for discontinuing the program.

Community Consolidated School District 62 in Des Plaines, which used the program last year, does not plan to conduct mass testing again in the fall but still signed its contract with SHIELD this week, Superintendent Michael Amadei said.

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We have one school that already started on July 11, and which weve been closely monitoring, and their COVID cases are very low, Amadei said. But we want to be proactive, and not lose our free testing. The idea is its better to be safe than sorry, and we dont want to miss out on having testing available in case we need it.

Second graders receive their drawing boards during class at Iroquois Community School in Des Plaines on Aug. 5, 2022. Community Consolidated School District 62 in Des Plaines, which used the SHIELD Illinois PCR saliva screening program to test for COVID-19 last year, does not plan to conduct mass testing again in the fall but still signed its contract with SHIELD this week just in case they need to use it. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

A spokeswoman for Elgin-based School District U-46 said the district has paused their plans to participate in the SHIELD program this fall so officials have the chance to explore all of our options.

Wilmette Public Schools District 39 is pausing SHIELD testing so officials can see what conditions are like in the community, but has left our lines of communication open, said Tony DeMonte, the districts administrator for technology and safety.

Part of our decision to not offer testing when schools reopen is were hoping to present a school environment for students that is as normal as possible, DeMonte said. And with the availability of testing and vaccines, were not in the same boat we were in earlier in the pandemic.

While it is too early to predict the impact of the virus once schools reopen, Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern Universitys Institute for Global Health and a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine, said the easing of virus mitigation requirements statewide in recent months is already having consequences for public health.

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Nobody should be surprised when cases are up, hospitalizations are up and deaths are up, Murphy said.

I think everyone has COVID burnout, but COVID is not burned out, he said. Everyone is tired of it, but you cant let your guard down in the middle of a pandemic.

Officials who are resuming SHIELD testing say given the surge of the highly contagious BA.5 variant  as of Friday, all six counties covering the Chicago area reported high community levels  it is important for school districts to remain vigilant.

The great thing about SHIELD is it catches the virus even before a student shows symptoms, which means we can immediately take them out of circulation so they dont infect anyone else, said Robert Machak, superintendent of Woodland School District 50 in suburban Lake County.

Last year, the district handled an average of 3,000 tests per week, collecting a total of 90,000 samples during the 2021-22 school year, Machak said. Of those, 2,000 came back positive.

Machak said the pre-K-8 school district tested more than half of its roughly 4,800 students once a week and honored the requests of the parents who decided to opt out.

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We found almost 2,000 cases, around 2% of the tests, and those 2,000 people did not have symptoms, so screening allowed us to find them and keep them out of school while they were in quarantine, he said.

SHIELD has been a game changer for us, and has helped us keep everyone healthy, Machak said. Were all looking at the greater good, and its wonderful to see the community pulling together.

While those who agree to have their children participate in SHIELD programs say they appreciate the convenience of free, school-based screenings, others, including Deerfield parent Michelle Hammer, say as students begin their fourth year of school during a pandemic, its time to move on.

It will perpetuate unnecessary anxiety for students to start testing them again, said Hammer, whose 16-year-old daughter is a junior at Deerfield High School, which is resuming SHIELD testing later this month.

Hammer said school-based COVID-19 testing is disruptive and leads to unnecessary absences.

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Were not testing for the cold, flu or strep ... Why is this being dragged on? she asked. We need to go back to the days of when if your kids dont feel good, they stay home from school. Its just common sense.

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Still, for parents with children who are at risk of serious illness if they are infected with COVID-19, the states lifting of mandatory indoor masking and easing of other virus mitigation tools makes SHIELD screenings a valuable safeguard.

I really felt like SHIELD testing was a win-win, because its not an extra expense for the school district, and the goal is to keep our kids healthy and in school by preventing outbreaks, said Alexis Hammond, a mother of two children enrolled in Arlington Heights School District 25, one of whom, Carter, 8, was diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

Last year, Carter qualified for District 25s home-based instruction, and was provided with a tutor five hours a week. But after improvements in Carters medical condition in recent months, Hammond said her son is excited to meet his new classmates at Patton Elementary School later this month.

Our family is still choosing to mask indoors, but a lot of families are not, so I hope no one bullies them, Hammond said.

The bottom line is, were not all looking at the public health guidance, which is there to protect everyone in the community, especially kids like Carter, Hammond said.

kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
The far-right party is not a real threat today, the Prosecutor Generals Office claims.

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Prosecutor General Maros Zilinka will not submit a proposal to dissolve the Peoples Party Our Slovakia, an extremist political party better known as the LSNS, to the court because it is not a threat to democracy.

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The prosecutor general is the only authority that can file such a proposal to the court.
The country's ratings affirmed at A2.

A gas pipeline station in Vyrava, eastern Slovakia, near the Slovak-Polish border. (Source: TASR)

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Moodys, a rating agency, has changed the outlook on Slovakia to negative from stable, while affirming the countrys ratings at A2.

The affirmation of the ratings demonstrates that the rating agency considers Slovakias economic growth to be solid.

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When it comes to the negative outlook, Moodys decided to make the change due to Slovakias energy dependence on Russia, explaining that if Russia permanently reduced gas supplies to Slovakia, it would impact the countrys economy.

The agency has, however, noticed the Slovak governments efforts to diversify its gas sources by booking capacity in several European liquefied natural gas terminals and by importing Norwegian gas.

Still, the negative outlook suggests an upgrade [with regards to the ratings] is unlikely in the near term, Moodys added.

Exposure to energy supply disruptions

In its published decision, Moodys points out that Slovakia is a landlocked country that imports all its oil and 75 percent of gas from Russia.

Read also:

Read also: Slovakia bypasses Russia to secure gas for winter, but it will be costly Read more

As a result, Russian imports accounted for 57 percent of Slovakias energy mix in 2020, well above the European average of 24.4 percent, the rating agency said, noting that Slovak economy is therefore exposed to severe energy supply disruptions and, potentially, energy rationing.

If the country, moreover, had to reduce its industrial production due to the disruptions, the risk of an economic recession would increase.

Given Slovakias interconnectedness with the rest of the EU, which accounts for around three quarters of the countrys total exports, an economic downturn in the region would further intensify negative pressures on Slovakias economic activity, Moodys added.

Read also:

Read also: Russia curbs gas to Slovakia, catastrophe not imminent Read more

In the long term, the agency noted, a permanent cut in gas supply could also affect the countrys public finances negatively.

Today, Slovakias levels of gas storage are at 68.8 percent of total capacity.

When it comes to Slovakias short-term supply of oil, this is unlikely to be affected over the next year, according to the agency. The country enjoys several exemptions under the sixth package of anti-Russian sanctions.

Moodys forecasts Slovakias real GDP to grow by 1 percent this year, followed by 1.3 percent in 2023.

Drawing of EU funds poor

As for the A2 ratings, Moodys praised Slovakias reform and investment projects within its recovery plan, which the European Commission has endorsed.

In June 2022, the Commission also approved the first payment for the countrys projects.

Nevertheless, Moodys cites poor drawing from EU funds and a fractious political landscape, which are believed to be slowing down Slovakias ability to benefit from its recovery plan.

Moreover, the agency is rather sceptical when it comes to the legislation and the implementation of the pension reform.

It is said to help mitigate the impact of ageing on Slovakias public finances.

The draft law has not yet been passed in the parliament.
Women dressed in white hold hands in front of the Water Tower as supporters of Ukraine protest Russias military action before a silent march along Michigan Avenue. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Hundreds of women dressed in white stood hand-in-hand, tape placed across their mouths to show solidarity for Ukraine. Marching from Water Tower Place to Millennium Park on Sunday, the group spoke no words, but their message was clear.

This protest is asking American people, asking the government, asking President Biden to designate Russia as a terrorist state, said Liliia Popovych, one of the protest organizers. I am calling this terrorism because when youre bombing a shopping mall, when youre bombing children sleeping in their PJs in their bedroom, its not a war.

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Popovych, who immigrated from Ukraine, has lived in the United States for 11 years and said she is one of hundreds of women who joined the protest who have a friend or relative who lives in Ukraine.

Women dressed in white hold hands in front of the Water Tower as supporters of Ukraine protest Russias military action before a silent march on Aug. 7, 2022, along Michigan Avenue. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Every single day its very hard to get sleep because you want to make sure your loved one is awake tomorrow, Popovych said. My friend is not alive anymore, but Im so proud because he died for the freedom of Ukraine.

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Each protester held a sign across her chest; many had the same message scribbled on a poster board.

Tetaina Baidin held up one of the more popular posters:

I want to tell you more about Russian terrorism but this is sensitive content for social media.

Our women and kids are dying, Baidin said. We are here today so that all of the world knows that Russia is a terrorist state.

Women dressed in white hold hands in front of the Water Tower as supporters of Ukraine protest Russias military action before a silent march on Aug. 7, 2022, along Michigan Avenue. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Popovych said some of the events happening in Ukraine are being blocked from public viewing, which was the inspiration for the silent protest.

At the end of the protest, all of the women stood together and peeled the tape off their mouths to sing the U.S. and Ukrainian national anthems before parting ways.

Help Ukraine save the world, help us get more weapons, and stop evil now is the main message, Popovych said. Evil that is not stopped just gets stronger.
Illinois state Sen. Elgie Sims was approached in the spring by federal authorities investigating potential influence peddling involving a police body-camera manufacturer that hired the law firm where Sims works as a lobbyist, sources have told the Tribune.

Sims, 51, a Chicago Democrat who spearheaded the states massive criminal justice reform law passed last year and represents portions of the South Side and south suburbs, was contacted by the FBI in early May as the investigation intensified, according to two sources who have knowledge of the investigation but are not authorized to speak about it publicly.

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Sims attorney told the Tribune the senator has done nothing wrong.

The ongoing probe involves Axon Enterprise Inc., an Arizona law-enforcement technology company that hired law firm Foley & Lardner LLP to lobby the legislature in Springfield and Chicago, according to the sources. Sims is an of-counsel attorney at Foley, specializing in government affairs and public policy.

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Investigators are looking into whether Axon  either directly or through other lobbying entities  improperly tried to influence Sims in his official duties as a member of the Illinois legislature working on the criminal justice legislation, which, among a slew of other reforms, requires every police officer in the state to wear a body camera by 2025, according to the sources.

Sims connections to Axon go back to at least 2020, when he listed the firm as one of his clients in a 2020 lobbyist disclosure form with the Chicago Board of Ethics, records show. On the form, when asked if he had received or anticipated receiving compensation for lobbying for Axon, Sims replied yes, though he later clarified in a letter to the board that he was only providing legal services.

As of Friday, no charges have been filed against anyone as part of the probe.

Sims criminal defense attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin, told the Tribune in a statement that Sims actions on behalf of his constituents have never been compromised or otherwise influenced.

In addition to being a State Senator, Elgie Sims is also an attorney with the Chicago law firm of Foley & Lardner, a well respected national and international law firm, Durkin wrote in the statement. At no time has Senator Sims done anything whatsoever inappropriate on behalf of Axon or any other client of the firm.

When reached directly by telephone last week, Sims declined to comment.

Axon did not answer a list of questions sent by the Tribune but instead emailed a statement saying the company is committed to conducting business with integrity and in accordance with both the law and the highest ethical standards.

We take these matters seriously and as part of our extensive efforts to assist the government have found zero indication of any unlawful conduct by Axon or its employees, the statement read. We respect and appreciate the process and will continue to fully cooperate.

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Representatives of Foley & Lardner did not return multiple calls and emails seeking comment on the investigation.

Sims is the latest in a wave of current or former state lawmakers to come under federal scrutiny since 2019, including former House Speaker Michael Madigan, and former state Sens. Martin Sandoval, Terry Link, and Thomas Cullerton.

The probe lies in a familiar gray territory of Illinois politics, where lax ethics laws have made it legal for state lawmakers to lobby other units of government or provide legal services for businesses, even as those companies may have other direct interests in legislation or policy in Springfield.

In 2019, then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who moonlighted as a lobbyist at Chicagos City Hall, was charged with attempting to bribe a colleague in the senate to sponsor legislation that would have been beneficial to a sweepstakes gaming company that Arroyo was representing. Arroyo pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier this year to nearly 5 years in federal prison.

Lobbying was certainly in high gear when it came to the criminal justice reform package, a mammoth, 750-page piece of legislation sponsored by Sims and pushed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus after the outcry that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

In addition to the body camera requirements, the array of changes in state law proposed in the bill ranged from ending cash bail to creating a robust system of tracking police misconduct and removing some impediments that prevent people from filing complaints against officers.

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The changes drew praise from reform advocates and catcalls from Republicans and many in law enforcement, who have tried to tie the legislation to recent spikes in violent crime throughout Chicago and Illinois, even though many measures havent even taken effect yet.

Sims emerged as a driving force in negotiating the sweeping package, working behind the scenes and championing passage. When the bill headed to a final Senate vote in the closing hours of the previous legislative session in January 2021, Sims gave an impassioned speech.

It is bold. It is transformational. It is supposed to be, Sims said on the Senate floor, according to a transcript. The people of Illinois sent us here. They sent us here to do better by them, not by ourselves. This bill is not about who we are, it is about the Illinois that we strive to be!

The bill was passed in the Senate on a 32-23 vote just before 5 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2021, only hours before a new legislative session was to start. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law a month later.

The new law had huge potential benefits for Axon, a publicly traded company that is one of the nations largest suppliers of body-worn cameras, stun guns and other law enforcement-safety equipment.

Formerly known as TASER, Axon already had contracts with the Illinois State Police and dozens of county sheriffs offices and Illinois municipalities across the state, records show. One of its biggest clients is Chicago, which has paid Axon more than $43 million since 2016 for thousands of later-model Axon 2 body cameras and its line of SMART Tasers for Chicago police officers, records show.

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Axon hired a variety of lobbyists in Springfield beginning in 2017, ranging from Washington K Street firm National Strategies to local contract lobbyists with political connections, public records show.

Beginning in 2019, Axon registered Esmael Ansari of Sausalito, California, as its main lobbyist and hired on contract Oak Brook-based GPG Strategies lobbyist Michael Axelrod, who remains listed through this year, records showed.

In January 2021, though, Axon again employed National Strategies Inc., a firm that connects businesses with lobbyists in various spheres of government interest across the country.

Over the course of 2021, National Strategies then hired various lobbyists. They included Rosemont-based Fidelity Consulting Group, which went on to contract with Scarabaeus LLC, which is the lobbying firm of former state Sen. Donne Trotter, a Chicago Democrat and former budget guru whose legislative staffers once included Sims.

Trotters firm listed Axon Enterprise on 2021 state lobbyist records as whats known as a subclient.

Trotter said in an interview Sunday he was hired to lobby to help Axon pass a follow-up bill to the major crime overhaul later in the spring session of 2021, and the subject he dealt with was not body cameras.

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The follow-up bill sought to define in state law that using a Taser, another Axon product, was a less lethal option for police than a gun when apprehending a suspect in a crime, he said.

Trotter said the amendment was heavily negotiated with lawyers on both sides of the issue. It passed the House and did not come up for a vote in the full Senate, where more negotiations took place.

He said he lobbied the House, and that Sims was one of several lawmakers he talked to in the Senate. But Trotter said Sims was not the Senate point person on the proposed changes.

Trotter said he had not been contacted by federal authorities or subpoenaed.

National Strategies Inc., through local attorney Andrew DeVooght, released a statement Sunday, saying the company unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.

For 26 years, NSIs work across the country, including in Illinois, for hundreds of clients, has been both transparent and lawful. NSI is fully cooperating with the governments investigation into this matter,' the statement said.

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Also in Springfield, Foley & Lardner listed Axon Enterprise as a client in July 2021, with attorney Myles Mush Berman as lobbyist. Foley & Lardner did not list Axon as a client in 2022, according to the secretary of state online records.

Berman did not respond to messages sent by the Tribune. Ansari, meanwhile, referred questions back to Axon.

Sims most recent economic interest statements, which he filed as a lawmaker in March, listed only Foley & Lardner as a source of any outside income in excess of $7,500.

In Chicago, meanwhile, Sims registered in 2020 as a lobbyist employed by Foley & Lardner and listed Axon as a client throughout the year, and National Strategies during three of the years quarterly reports, online records show.

Sims city lobbyist disclosure showed National Strategies, on behalf of Axon, had a contract that retained Foley & Lardner as a consultant. The scope of the contract is redacted in the online city disclosure.

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Records show Sims registration as a city lobbyist brought some scrutiny from the Chicago Board of Ethics. In a May 2020 letter to the board, Sims confirmed that he had been contacted by the boards legal counsel a month earlier regarding potential concerns with his representation of various companies, as well as any exemptions that might apply to elected officials.

As mentioned in our conversation, the heart of my representation of all four of the aforementioned clients has been to provide legal services by and on behalf of my law firm, and my registration for each entity demonstrates my desire to adhere to both the spirit and letter of the Chicago Ethics Ordinance, Sims wrote on Foley & Lardner letterhead.

Sims letter pointed to an exemption that allows elected officials to provide legal services to people seeking quasi-judicial, administrative or legislative action before the city.

While I have communicated with City of Chicago officials on behalf of two clients, Axon and L3 Technologies, Inc., all communications have been consistent with my legal representation of both entities and consistent with the exemption provided under city ordinance, the letter stated.

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By January 2021, Axon was no longer on Sims list of city lobbying clients. His registration documents in that year listed only one firm, Splunk Inc., a San Francisco-based software company.

Sims has listed no clients at all in his 2022 city lobbying forms.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Sire Stay Hungry swept the two third-preliminary round divisions of the $162,620 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) for two-year-old pacing colts at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday night (Aug. 7), and both divisions were clocked in 1:51.3 over "sloppy" going.

The colt Lyons Surfing capped a big stakes night for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr. when he was up for a nose victory in one division. Lyons Surfing tucked fifth from post 7 in a field of eight as favoured Bugaboo Lou made the early lead by the :27 quarter, yielding to previous PASS winner Ken Hanover before reclaiming the lead to a :56 half. Lyons Surfing had to come first over  but in pacing a :54.3 individual last half, he had gotten close to the lead by the 1:23.4 three-quarters. He then just kept coming gamely, working to defeat the Pocono Pike-shooting Ken Hanover by the tightest of margins. Bugaboo Lou had an excuse in finishing third, three-quarters of a length back, when returning with broken equipment.

The win was the second straight for Lyons Surfing, after a victory in a division of the Arden Downs on Adios Day. The freshman, whose dam is Surfside Sexy, is owned by Threelyonsracing.

The other division matched Ervin Hanover  the only double winner in the first two PASS legs  against two other previous PASS winners and a double Stallion Series winner, and it was won by the gelding Annapolis Hanover (dam All Night Long), who won his fourth-straight race, a streak that now includes two pari-mutuel PASS legs. Annapolis Hanover was three wide through a hot :26.4 quarter, with Ervin Hanover inside and Fulton between horses, and then followed Fulton on to the lead under David Millers guidance before a half in :55.3. The swift early action took some steam out of his two early foes, but Annapolis Hanover stayed on and withstood the first-over bid of Stay Grounded through and past the 1:23.4 three-quarters and prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths.

Annapolis Hanover now has six wins in eight starts, and equaled his mark. He is owned and trained by Mitchell York, a retired PA State Trooper, who in the afternoon won a stakes race at the nearby Honesdale (PA) Fair  but this victory was approximately 29 times more lucrative.

Tetrick won three of the five $20,000 companion Stallion Series races, including guiding another Stay Hungry gelding, Dempsey Hanover (dam Deer Valley Miss), to a 1:55.2 victory to make him the only three-time winner in the Pennsylvania Stakes program winner on either pari-mutuel side. Dempsey Hanover got a soft :58.2 half on the lead, but he still had to fight hard to ward off the pylon-shooting Major Decision by a neck for trainer Todd Luther and Black Magic Racing LLC.

Two other Stallion Series divisions fell to Team Tetrick/King with sons of Captaintreacherous: the gelding Secret Captain (dam Dark Secret), who took his second-straight Stallion Series race in a lifetime-best 1:53.2 for owner Jo Ann Looney-King; and another for the ownership of Threelyonsracing, the colt Lyons Spirit (dam Southwind Serenity), who also became a double Stallion Series winner with a 1:55.1 mile, pacing two :27.2 back quarters uncovered in impressive style.

A third Stallion Series-winning son of Captaintreacherous paced the fastest time of the five sections, as the gelding Quixote (dam Love Canal) paced his own third quarter in :27.2 to charge from fourth to first, then tacked on a :27.4 kicker to lower his mark to 1:52.4 for driver David Miller and trainer Nifty Norman. Norman co-owns the winner with Let It Ride Cooper Stables, Bottom Line Racing LLC, and Howard Taylor. Quixote has now won Stallion Series races in his only two career starts.

The other Stallion Series section was taken by the longest-priced winner of the entire night, 6-1 shot Just Bet It All, a Betting Line-Just Fine gelding, who was yet another first-over winner. He took a maiden mark of 1:54 for driver Mark MacDonald, trainer Linda Toscano, and the ownership of West Wins Stable, Calhoun Racing LTD, Pit Bull Stable LLC, and Mac Nichol.

There will be 1:30 p.m. (EDT) afternoon cards on Monday (Aug. 8) and Tuesday (Aug. 9) at Pocono. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.

(PHHA / Pocono)
The glamour boys were at Georgian Downs tonight for a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions, and the father-son duo of Gregg and Doug McNair was victorious in each.

Sport Secret started the night off earning his first stakes victory in the $102,200 division in Race 1.

Doug settled the Sportswriter colt off a brisk early pace set by the dueling trio of St Lads Sterling, Southside Eddy and Magical Arthur, who led the field through a first quarter of :26 as they battled for position.

They mixed her up big time on the front end, and he benefitted from that, said Gregg.

Southside Eddy, the betting favourite, emerged to take the lead at the half in :54, but was overtaken by St Lads Sterling as he powered to a three-quarter time of 1:22.

As the field entered the stretch, Sport Secret found racing room and closed from third with a final panel of :28.1 to win by a length over a late-charging Century Inspector and Ron.

Making his third OSS start, the third time was the charm for Sport Secret getting a quality trip.

Weve only raced him in two stakes races and last Gold he got parked the whole way, said Gregg. Then the start before that he was first over, and it was tough for him, but he raced good tonight.

The win was Sport Secrets sixth of 2022, pushing him over $175,000 in earnings for Gregg and his ownership partners Frank Brundle (East Garafraxa, Ont.), Jeffrey Skinner (Hammonds Plains, N.S.), and Ross Holmes (London, Ont.).

Century Inspector made a valiant effort to finish second, after going off at 53-1. Bob McClure was in the race bike for trainer John Pentland. Eric Rosene from Bolton, Ont., owns the Hes Watching colt, who now has over $180,000 in career earnings.

Ron flew down the lane to finish third in a photo. It was the James Dean trainees second straight top-three finish at the Gold level. Phil Hudon was driving as the colt passed the $200,000 mark for owners James and Wilma Mackenzie.

In Race 3, the second $101,300 OSS Gold division, Stonebridge Helios picked up his third consecutive win since transferring to the McNair barn.

The Sunshine Beach colt was impressive from start to finish. Sent at 1-9 from post four, he settled off the :26.4 first quarter and made a powerful first-up move as the field passed the grandstand for the first time, going from fourth to the front, and leading the rest of the way to win by two lengths.

His final time of 1:49.4 is only three-fifths of a second off his career mark of 1:49.1 set his last time out.

He seems to be getting stronger every start, said Gregg. He went a nice mile last week at Mohawk, and tonight was a big trip, doing quite a bit of the work and leading them through the half in :54. It was a good mile for him.

He now has $491,000 in earnings for owners John Fleischman (Ottawa, Ont.) and Angie Stiller (London, Ont.).

Id be lying if I said I didnt like him. Hes a nice horse and he has a lot of go, said Gregg. Hes a nice horse to be around, and he was nice when we got him, and he is still a nice horse.

Shawn Steacy trainee Macho Phil was second. Bob McClure was in the race bike as the colt was second for most of the mile and was unable to catch Stonebridge Helios tonight. Hudson Standrdbrd Stb Inc. (Hudson, Que.) owns the son of Shanghai Phil.

Cold Creek Queso finished third. Austin Sorrie piloted the Murray Brethour trainee to his best OSS finish of 2022. The result moved him over $100,000 in career earnings for owner Cold Creek Standardbred (Grafton, Ont.).

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Georgian Downs.

(With files from Ontario Sires Stakes)
Mark Ferriss of Essex, Ont. passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 3 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 57.

Mark learned to train and drive Standardbred racehorses at an early age from his father, Murray. Together, they raced mainly in Southwestern Ontario. Later, Mark turned his hand at the hay and straw business up until the closing of Windsor Raceway.

Mark always had a love of the sport of harness racing, but also loved to travel, farm and hunt.

He is survived by the love of his life, Allyson, and his sister, Kelly.

Cremation has taken place as per Mark's wishes.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Mark Ferriss.
The Richmond areas two historically Black universities intend to build college partnership laboratory schools, seizing an opportunity Gov. Glenn Youngkin introduced this year and backed with $100 million in startup funding for the statewide effort.

Details are scant. Leaders for Virginia State University in Ettrick and Virginia Union University in Richmonds North Side cant say where the schools will be built, how many students will populate them or who will teach the classes.

A spokesperson for Virginia Union declined to speak in detail about the universitys plan.

But a VSU dean said opening a lab school brings the university closer to its community, delivers real-life experience and innovation to K-12 students, and helps education leaders learn more about what works and what doesnt between a teacher and the classroom.

Were definitely interested in partnering with our surrounding community to effect change in education, said Willis Walter, dean of the College of Education at Virginia State.

The two universities are among the first colleges in the state to announce such plans.

In June, the General Assembly allocated $100 million of the state budget toward seed funding for the establishment of lab schools. Youngkin had sought $150 million for the initiative by taking funds from existing K-12 coffers. But legislators resisted and approved the lesser amount.

The law allows for colleges and universities with teacher education programs to open lab schools. Public and private four-year universities plus community colleges are eligible.

Lab schools can have specific focuses, such as STEM, at-risk students, special education or career and technical education, according to Virginia law. They can begin in preschool and last through the 12th grade. The schools, which can offer alternative instruction, scheduling, management and structure, award spots through a lottery based on availability, and students pay no tuition.

They will be funded through the College Partnership Laboratory School Fund, and the Board of Education will decide how much of the pot each school receives. Individual schools will manage their own budgets.

To begin the process, a college must apply for a lab school by detailing 31 separate items, including its vision, targeted student population, proposed location, estimated enrollment, names of proposed founding governing board members, a calendar and daily schedule, an academic program and more.

Once a school receives approval from the Board of Education, it must reapply every five years.

At the time of his announcement, Youngkin specifically mentioned historically Black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, expressing hope they would participate. VSU and VUU are among the first to throw their hats in the ring.

The Richmond areas other four-year schoolsVirginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond and Randolph-Macon Collegehavent indicated their plans. A spokesperson for the State Council of Higher Education said she did not know which colleges in the state plan to apply.

Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for the governor, said there is great interest across the commonwealth to launch lab schools, which will expand opportunities for students in need of a different approach to learning.

One such example might be found at Southside Virginia Community College, which has seven campuses across the southern end of the state. The college is planning a collaboration between Microsoft and the schools Center for Information Technology Excellence to mold eventual data center technicians.

Lab schools would take a step beyond the colleges program, Youngkin said, because they have the ability to reach younger students.

I heard a lot of the word partnership,  the governor said in South Hill on Friday during a roundtable of Southside school officials and SVCC staff and students. I heard a lot about ninth and 10th grade. A lot about licensure. And I keep hearing hands on and thats so important to get students of all ages, 6 to 60, to engage with the future.

Its a challenge keeping students focused on math classes when they can meet the Standards of Learning requirement by grade nine or 10, Mecklenburg County school Superintendent Paul Nichols told Youngkin during the roundtable.

The city of Petersburg has expressed interest in partnering with VSU, university leaders said. Its unclear if the school would be in Petersburg or on VSUs campus, which sits across the Appomattox River from downtown.

Julius Hamlin, Petersburg schools interim superintendent, did not respond to a request for comment.

But VSU also predominantly serves Chesterfield, Dinwiddie and Prince George counties and the city of Colonial Heights, Walter said, and VSU could partner with all five localities. Lab school partnerships arent limited to a single school division.

VSUs lab school could focus on agriculture, engineering or computer science, Walter said, three fields the university already prioritizes. In the past three years, VSU has introduced students to augmented reality, virtual reality, three-dimensional printing and computer codingall of which could find a place in a K-12 setting.

Virginia State professors and students already conduct robotics activities with nearby children and visit preschools across the street in Ettrick. A lab school would be a continuation of some of these efforts, Walter said.

It remains to be seen if teachers, professors or both would teach the classes.

Not only would a VSU lab school give students and families a new educational opportunity, it would present VSU professors and students with living, breathing research subjects for the field of education. The school would literally become an education lab.

Thats why theyre called lab schools, Walter said. There are numerous examples of lab schools across the country that VSU can look to as models.

Supporters of lab and charter schools say such initiatives give parents in struggling school districts a new option for educating their children. But critics say they can become yet another way to separate the haves from the have-nots or segregate white students from Black students.

This is where location and transportation are critical. If a school doesnt provide free transportation, families without cars may not be able to access it.

Walter said its a priority for VSUs lab school to benefit the vast majority of students. How thatll happen, he doesnt know yet.

Starting a lab school is a great opportunity to reconnect with one or more school divisions or communities in a much stronger way, he said.
Virginias U.S. senators have added their names to a federal bill to address hazing on college campuses following the death of a Virginia Commonwealth University student last year.

The bill, the Report and Educate About Campus Hazing, or REACH, Act, would require similar provisions to a law Virginia legislators passed this year. The Virginia statute is nicknamed Adams Law for Adam Oakes, a 19-year-old freshman who died after a fraternity party in February 2021.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., said too many families have lost loved ones because of hazing.

Parents who send their kids off to college never imagine that their child may be injured, seriously impaired or killed by the actions of their friends or peers, the senators said in a statement.

The REACH Act would require colleges to report hazing incidents as part of their annual crime report. It would establish a definition for hazingnot all states have oneand it would require colleges to establish an educational program about the dangers of hazing.

Virginias law, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed, requires schools to report instances of hazing in a separate document each September. Colleges nationwide are already required to report the number of sexual assaults and other campus crimes each October as part of the Clery Act.

Adams Law also requires student organizations in Virginia to undergo hazing prevention training. Virginia already has a definition for hazingto recklessly endanger the health or safety of a student or to inflict bodily injury in connection with the initiation to a student organization, regardless of whether the student participates voluntarily.

Hazing is a Class 5 misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail. Oakes family urged the General Assembly to pass a bill upgrading the crime to a felony, but the bill failed to gain consensus.

Since 2000, there have been more than 100 deaths associated with hazing, according to Hank Nuwer, a former University of Richmond professor who tracks hazing deaths across the country.

The REACH Act got its first push from Julie and Gary Devercelly. Their son, Gary Devercelly Jr., died at Rider University in 2007 following an alcohol-infused party for the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.

Federal lawmakers introduced bills in 2017 and 2019, but they failed to reach the House or Senate floors for voting.

Eric and Linda Oakes, Adam Oakes parents, met with Warner and Kaine recently in hopes of gaining their support. Eric Oakes said Rep. Don McEachin, D-4th, and Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-10th, have indicated they will vote in favor, too.

Right now, weve got a lot of momentum, Eric Oakes said. Id love to see all Virginia reps get behind this.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., reintroduced the Senate version of the bill last year, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has introduced similar legislation.

We owe it to parents and students to pass this legislation to provide transparency and accountability around these incidents, as well as education on the dangers and life-long consequences of hazing, Warner and Kaine said.
Corn grows in Saunders County, Nebraska, just outside Ashland. These crops, like all plants, sweat out moisture pulled from the ground as a means to keep cooler in the heat. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

ASHLAND, Nebraska  Nebraskans like to complain about the humidity this time of year. But some might not realize that the corn and soybeans that help power the states economy are part of whats making farmers and their customers sweat.

All plants release into the air much of the moisture their roots absorb from the ground. But the weather is muggier in these parts in July and August than it otherwise would be because corn and soybeans release more moisture than most crops.

Scientists and farmers call this evapotranspiration. The more common term is corn sweat.

Those who monitor the impact of that moisture say corn and soybeans make it more humid here because Nebraska and its neighbors grow a lot of both.

Nebraska farmers produced 1.85 billion bushels of corn in 2021, third most in the nation, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Farmers here raised 351 million bushels of soybeans, good for fourth in the nation.

Barb Mayes Boustead, an Omaha-area meteorologist, helped spark discussion about corn sweat recently by writing a column about it for the Washington Post. She wrote that densely planted acres make summers in the Midwest and Great Plains feel hotter.

Corn releases a lot of sweat: One acre of planted corn can release up to 4,000 gallons of water a day, she wrote. Soybeans are no slouch, either, she explained. Evaporated moisture from rivers, ponds, lakes and the Gulf of Mexico make a difference, too.

Evapotranspiration from corn and soybeans arent the only factors, Boustead said in an interview Friday.

But the moisture they release into the air does add in a measurable way to the humidity  of more than just the fields, Boustead said. People can feel it in cities like Omaha and Lincoln.

State Sen. Curt Friesen grows corn and soybeans on his 1,300-acre farm in Henderson, a town of 991 people southwest of York. He said summertime spikes in midsummer humidity are just part of life when you live out here in the middle of corn country.

He chuckled at Bousteads finding that an Iowa cornfield can be muggier than Miami Beach. Its rough this time of year to change a tire on an irrigation center pivot in the middle of a humid cornfield, where no breeze can reach you, he said.

You just deal with it, Friesen said. Its just the way its always been. I always think its more stifling in the city when youre surrounded by concrete, and the buildings block the wind.

Friesen, who formerly served on both the Nebraska Corn Board and National Corn Growers Association, said his slice of east-central Nebraska was a little less muggy in the 1950s and 1960s, when fewer acres of farmland were irrigated. He said you can feel the difference when the plants let out more moisture.

Al Dutcher, the Nebraska Extension agriculture climatologist, said irrigation plays some role in whats changing. Federal farm programs and their impact on farmers planting choices also have significant influence, he said.

More acres in parts of Kansas, Nebraska and North and South Dakota that used to plant wheat have been shifting toward corn and soybeans. That matters, he said, because wheat reaches its peak point of letting moisture go in the spring and fall.

Because more people are planting corn and soybeans from Texas to central Canada, Dutcher said, the midsection of the United States is seeing more concentrated moisture from crops that release more moisture at the same time of year, in midsummer.

Nationally, 90 million acres have been planted with corn and soybeans. Thats the equivalent, he said, of planting Nebraska border to border 3.7 times with the top two crops contributing moisture into the atmosphere.

The reason Im confident we are seeing more moisture is the expansion of the Corn Belt, Dutcher said. Some has to do with farm programs, how theyre set up  and individual producers looking at prices and chasing an opportunity.

Dennis Todey, who directs the U.S. Department of Agricultures Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, Iowa, said Iowa and other Midwestern states are used to the humidity spikes of corn sweats because they long ago shifted to corn and soybeans.

Great Plains states are feeling more of that shift today, he said. Corn sweats and the combined effects of a changing climate are making it feel hotter, boosting dew points and the heat index.

Weather and climate experts say were seeing fewer 100-degree days than in the past, combined with warmer nights. Thats because the extra moisture in the air makes it harder for temperatures to swing in either direction  higher or lower.

Higher-than-normal overnight low temperatures affect how much water it takes to grow crops, the livelihood of livestock in cattle ranching states such as Nebraska, and the ability of people to rest well without air conditioning, Todey said.

It is adding to that effect, where its increasing the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, he said. Even in cities, though were not close to fields, there are enough corn and soybeans out there that its influencing what were feeling.

SAlthough evapotranspiration is an issue worth highlighting, Dutcher said, he thinks members of the media are over-using the term corn sweat.

Friesen said he understands the fascination over corn sweat and chuckled, saying people might be more interested to learn about corn sex and the distinctly sweet smell emitted when corn starts to pollinate.

Boustead, who said she wanted to help scientists more easily communicate why some of this months summer heat wave feels worse than usual, wrote about corn sweat in all its glory.

If its muggy in Mid-America in midsummer, she wrote, go ahead and blame the corn. Just dont forget its friends: soybeans, soil and waterways, just to name a few.
Editors note: Eighteen years ago, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus passing over the Chicago River unleashed a torrent of foul-smelling waste onto a tour boat and passengers below. At the time, nobody knew who was responsible for the dumping, but the Chicago Tribune was first to report it based on interviews with passengers, including a Tribune reporter, and the tour boat company. The incident would eventually be connected to the band, and criminal charges, apologies and at least one lawsuit would follow. Read the original story and see additional coverage below.

At the outset of a Chicago River boat tour Sunday, Capt. Sonja Lund deadpanned that passengers should not look up with their mouths open when passing under the citys grated bridges, lest they get a true taste of Chicago.

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About 15 minutes later, passengers got more than that. They got a deluge when the boat was doused with a foul "liquid substance" that appeared to drop from one or two charter buses as the boat passed under the Kinzie Street bridge, passengers and tour officials said.

Witnesses said they had just begun the Chicago Architecture Foundation's 1 p.m. tour when they passed under the bridge and a cascade of a "brownish-yellow" substance rained on them. About two-thirds of the passengers seated on the upper deck of Chicago's Little Lady were soaked. Passengers said they looked up to see at least one, possibly two charter buses rumbling above.

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A volunteer tour guide at the boat's helm reassured passengers that they had been splashed with water. But the foul smell prompted suspicion.

There was "stunned silence initially. Then sort of this horrible realization as they began to smell themselves as to what happened," said Steedman Bass, 35, of Boston, who was a passenger on the boat but was not sprayed. "It was horrific."

[ 15 years after the Dave Matthews Band let loose over the Chicago River, we survey the damages and uncover a new victim ]

Passengers shouted that police should be called and demanded the boat be turned around. Within minutes, the tour headed back to the dock at Michigan Avenue and Lower Wacker Drive, speeding as "fast as the boat would go," Lund said.

Some passengers became sick from the smell and made use of the boat's lower-deck bathrooms, Bass said.

At the dock, the 120 passengers disembarked and were given refunds for the $25 tickets, exchanges or open-ended tickets for later tours. Some were given cab fare to get back to hotels and some passengers' dry-cleaning bills will be paid, foundation officials said. The boat's crew swabbed the deck clean and set off only slightly delayed for the 3 p.m. tour.

[ Aug. 10, 2004: Band's driver denies drenching boat ]

"We feel very badly for these people who have had this day's event ruined," said Bastiaan Bouma, vice president of marketing and tours for the foundation. In 50 years of operation, the tour has never experienced something like this, he said.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

"Obviously, this wasn't our fault. But we were just trying to make it as comfortable for the passengers as possible."

Bouma said that he was told that someone recorded license plate numbers from the bus or buses and reported the plates to police. He said he hoped to know the name of the company by Monday morning and would demand the company's buses be inspected for defects.

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"Tomorrow morning we'll find out what buses were involved, and hopefully we'll get some answers," he said.

[ March 10, 2005: Matthews Band bus driver pleads guilty to dumping waste in river ]

Police confirmed a report had been made, but said it was not being investigated as a crime.

A local tour bus company official said he had never heard of a bus unloading liquid waste into the river from a bridge. Charter bus companies typically contract with disposal companies to get rid of their waste or dump it at their own disposal sites, he said.

Passengers said they were shocked at the awful timing of the improbable hit.

If you tried to orchestrate this, it would be an almost impossible scenario, Bass said.
Editors note: Information is provided by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department and local law enforcement agencies. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Burglary  Woodland police Saturday arrested Israel James Lofdahl, 21, of Grants Pass, Oregon, on suspicion of motor vehicle theft, second-degree burglary, second-degree possession of stolen property, second-degree theft, obstructing a public servant and second-degree malicious mischief.

Order violation  The Washington State Patrol on Saturday arrested Shawn Michael Shells, 41, of Washougal, Washington, on suspicion of violating a protection order.

Editors note: A software switch at Cowlitz County dispatch has prevented the agency from temporarily supplying 911 call logs and officer notes past June 6. The agency is working to create new reports to supply media outlets.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is scheduled to take place on August 10, however, design and key specs are already tipped.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is just a couple of days away and the images of Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 have been eaked online, giving a sneak peek into the design of the upcoming handsets. Popular leakster with Twitter handle that says Noh_tech has dropped the real-life images of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Samsung Galaxy Flip 4. The leaked photos show Galaxy Fold 4 in a blue-ish gray color and the Galaxy Flip 4 in a blue color shade. While the Galaxy Flip 4 doesn't seem to have any major design changes, the metal around the hinge looks slimmer, and the edges look flat as compared to its predecessor.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Fold 4 is speculated to arrive with an interesting design. As reported by 9to5Google, the hinge area on the handset looks much smaller alongside the outer display, while it might look slightly wider in the hand. The leaks further suggest an under-display front camera. Not only the design but the report also gave a sneak peek into the key specs of upcoming handsets.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 key specs leaked

According to a 9to5Google report, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will feature a 6.2-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch main screen. While the outer display will offer a 23.1:9 aspect ratio, the unfolded display will offer a 21.6:18 aspect ratio.

Further it will feature a "Dynamic AMOLED 2X" panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The handset will measure 15.8mm in thickness (unfolded).

Meanwhile, Samsung has opened pre-reservations for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 with up to $200 in extra credits. Those willing to pre-book the phones, can go to the Samsung website and click on the smartphone section for instructions and pay a token amount of Rs. 1,999 to pre-book either of these upcoming devices.
Asteroid OC4 will approach Earth tomorrow, August 9, says NASA. Heres more about it.

An asteroid nearly the size of a bus is expected to just whizz past Earth on August 9. Although the asteroid isn't on a collision course with Earth, it will pass so close to Earth that it has attracted NASA's attention. Read on to find out more.

Astronomers at NASA keep a check on all Near-Earth objects (NEOs) for any potential danger towards Earth and this also includes asteroids, . The asteroid, named Asteroid 2022 OC4 was discovered just a month ago and it is already on its way to Earth. If all goes according to calculations by NASA, the asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of just 1.5 million kilometers.

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office monitors the sky with telescopes and keeps a track of upcoming flybys by Near-Earth objects (NEOs). With the help of advanced telescopes, more than 750,000 asteroids have been discovered to date out of which over 27,000 are near-Earth asteroids.

This asteroid is expected to be nearly the size of a bus. It is confirmed that it belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids which are Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with perihelion distances less than 1.017 AU, and semi-major axis greater than 1 AU.

This is not the first time that an asteroid has passed Earth closely this year. On May 9, Asteroid 467460 (2006 JF42), flew close past Earth. Just a couple of days ago, an Asteroid named Asteroid 2022 OX3 passed Earth in close proximity at 6:45pm on August 2. Most recently, Asteroid named Asteroid 2022 OE5 flew close past Earth during the early hours of August 5. Another asteroid of nearly the same size just whizzed past Earth on August 7.

These past months have seen a sudden increase in the frequency of asteroid flybys. However, people will be relieved to know that none of them will be any potentially world-ending asteroids. In fact, such an asteroid is not expected for at least a century or more.

A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore, and our calculations don't show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years, says Davide Farnocchia of NASA's Near-Earth Object Studies Center.
Asteroid 2022 PF will fly close past Earth tomorrow, August 9.

The latest asteroid to approach Earth, named Asteroid 2022 PF, is expected to miss Earth by just a few million miles. Notably, the Earth is being bombarded by asteroids as this is the third one to fly by our planet so closely in just a week. The asteroid is expected to pass Earth during the early hours of August 9, around 8:34am UT.

NASA keeps a check on all Near-Earth objects (NEOs) for any potential danger towards Earth. The Asteroid 2022 PF was discovered just a month ago, heading for Earth. The asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of nearly 9.4 million kilometers.

The Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are monitored by NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office which monitors the sky with telescopes and keeps a track of upcoming flybys. Keeping a track of these NEOs has become relatively easy with the advancement of technology. With the help of advanced telescopes, more than 750,000 asteroids have been discovered to date out of which over 27,000 are near-Earth asteroids.

This asteroid is nearly the size of a house. It is confirmed that it belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids which are Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with perihelion distances less than 1.017 AU, and semi-major axis greater than 1 AU.

This is not the first time that an asteroid has passed Earth closely this year. On May 9, Asteroid Asteroid 467460 (2006 JF42), flew close past Earth. Then, on April 28, Asteroid 418135 (2008 AG33), passed by our planet. Just a couple of days ago, an Asteroid named Asteroid 2022 OX3 passed Earth in close proximity at 6:45pm on August 2. Another asteroid named Asteroid 2022 OC4 is expected to whizz past Earth on the same day.

Although you might wonder what would happen if any of them might actually hit Earth someday. Well, NASA has already made preparations for that. NASA is readying itself to potentially defend the planet against a very similar threat that is posed by asteroids. A NASA mission is in the works to deflect an asteroid off the collision course with Earth by smashing a spacecraft into it at a staggering speed of 23,000kph. The mission is named Double Asteroid Detection Test or DART.
Chinese Scientists are preparing to study the mystery of the origin of the Universe. Heres more about it.

Have you ever wondered about how the universe came into being? Or what were the conditions in the initial days after the formation of Earth? If you've got such questions and more, then Chinese scientists might be able to answer them soon with this new Moon mission.

The mission, approved by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' New Horizons Program, is called Discovering the Sky at the Longest Wavelengths (DSL) mission. According to media reports, the mission will involve sending 10 satellites to orbit around the Earth. The satellites will then pick different cosmic signals while blocking any electromagnetic interference that may be human caused.

Although it is difficult to collect signals near the Earth due to the presence of the ionosphere, a mother satellite will be orbiting the far side of the Moon while collecting data from the rest of the satellites.

According to media reports, this mission will cover various topics of study such including astronomy, exploration, Earth science, heliophysics and exoplanet missions. This mission is being led by Chen Xuelei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

According to South China Morning Post, during the initial days of the Earth there was a faint, stretched out, ultra-long wavelength light emitted by hydrogen atoms created by the Big Bang which was the cause behind the formation of the universe.

Wu Ji, a senior Chinese space scientist told South China Morning Post, The proposal is an innovative alternative to the much more costly and technically challenging route of setting permanent telescopes on the surface of the lunar far side.
Indian-origin woman selected by NASA for its astronaut training programme jointly run by NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the National Research Council of Canada.

Indian-origin Athira Preetha Rani has been chosen for NASA's 2022 astronaut training programme. The 24-year-old woman is a Thiruvananthapuram native. If she successfully completes the training that goes for around 3 to 5 years, then Athira would be the next Indian woman to fly to space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. The training programme is jointly run by the NASA, Canadian Space Agency and National Research Council of Canada. Twelve trainees from across the world are selected for this astronaut training programme. Athira went through various stages including medical tests by NASA.

Who is Athira Preetha Rani?

Athira is a Peyad, Karnataka native. She is daughter of V Venu and Preetha. Athira has been interested in space and astronauts since her childhood. She has attended the classes of Astra, an astronomical society in Kerala's capital city where she met her husband Gokul. Athira later got in at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada, at a very young age and studied robotics. According to onmanorama.com, she was on a scholarship there. She wanted to become a pilot, so she started saving money for training to join the airforce. She also did her robotics course with good grades. She married Gokul and the duo started a startup in Canada for research related to space studies. They have also started the Exo Geo Aerospace company. She told the portal that she wishes to do research in bioastronautics after her Nasa astronaut training programme. Athira is the first Keralite to be an astronaut.

Meanwhile, Sunita Williams, former Indian-origin American astronaut and a navy officer, is known for holding records for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 195 days.She did seven spacewalks in 50 hours and 40 minutes.
Here is what NASA says about an asteroid that crashed into Earth on March 15, 2022.

Earth keeps on pulling objects in outer space towards itself because of its strong gravitational pull. But imagine if every object starts hitting or crashing into the planet! Such events are rare though because when any object from outer space reaches Earth's atmosphere it gets destroyed to a large extent. Only a few objects like asteroids, meteors, etc. which are very large in size can manage to actually hit the Earth's surface. And when did that happen last, you would probably be thinking. The answer is shocking. It happened as recently as on March 15, 2022. Yes, an actual asteroid crashed into our planet.

According to the information provided by NASA, it was a small asteroid that hit Earth's atmosphere over the Norwegian Sea before largely disintegrating and then crashing into the planet. "But this event wasn't a complete surprise: Astronomers knew it was on a collision course, predicting exactly where and when the impact would happen," NASA said.

Also Read: Asteroid PF rushing towards Earth, says NASA! Will it hit the planet tomorrow?

Two hours before the asteroid made impact, K. Sarneczky at the Piszkesteto Observatory in northern Hungary first reported observations of the small object to the Minor Planet Center  the internationally recognized clearinghouse for the position measurements of small celestial bodies. The object was posted on the Minor Planet Center's Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page to flag it for additional observations that would confirm it as a previously unknown asteroid.

NASA's Scout impact hazard assessment system then took these early measurements to calculate the trajectory of 2022 EB5. As soon as Scout determined that 2022 EB5 was going to hit Earth's atmosphere, the system alerted the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, and flagged the object on the Scout webpage to notify the near-Earth object observing community.

Maintained by CNEOS at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Scout automatically searches the Minor Planet Center's database for possible new short-term impactors. CNEOS calculates every known near-Earth asteroid orbit to improve impact hazard assessments in support of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

From observations of the asteroid as it approached Earth and the energy measured by infrasound detectors at time of impact, 2022 EB5 is estimated to have been about 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) in size. Asteroids of this size get bright enough to be detected only in the last few hours before their impact (or before they make a very close approach to Earth). They are much smaller than the objects that the Planetary Defense Coordination Office is tasked by NASA with detecting and warning about.

Also Read: Asteroid OC4 hurtling towards Earth, says NASA; big as a bus, it will be upon us tomorrow, June 9

Tiny asteroids like 2022 EB5 are numerous, and they impact into the atmosphere quite frequently  roughly every 10 months or so, said Paul Chodas, the director of CNEOS at JPL, as quoted by NASA. But very few of these asteroids have actually been detected in space and observed extensively prior to impact, basically because they are very faint until the last few hours, and a survey telescope has to observe just the right spot of sky at the right time for one to be detected.

A larger asteroid with hazardous impact potential would be discovered much farther from Earth. NASA's goal is to keep track of such asteroids and to calculate their trajectories in order to have many years' notice ahead of a potential impact should one ever be identified. But this real-world event with a very small asteroid allowed the planetary defense community to exercise capabilities and gave some confidence that the impact prediction models at CNEOS are highly capable of informing the response to the potential impact of a larger object.

"2022 EB5 is only the fifth small asteroid to be detected in space before hitting Earth's atmosphere. The first asteroid to be discovered and tracked well before hitting Earth was 2008 TC3, which entered the atmosphere over Sudan and broke up in October 2008. That 13-foot-wide (4-meter-wide) asteroid scattered hundreds of small meteorites over the Nubian Desert. As surveys become more sophisticated and sensitive, more of these harmless objects will be detected before entering the atmosphere," NASA informed.
An illustration of the team's hierarchical construction of free-standing woolen yarn artificial muscles for humidity-responsive smart textiles. Credit: Peng et al.

In recent years, material scientists have designed a wide range of innovative materials that could be used to create new technologies, including soft robots, controllers and smart textiles. These materials include artificial muscles, structures that resemble biological muscles in shape and that could improve the movements of robots or enable the creation of clothing that adapts to different environmental conditions.

As part of an ongoing project focused on textile-based soft actuators, a team of researchers at Jiangnan University in China recently developed new artificial muscles based on free-standing, single-helical woolen yarn. Their artificial muscles, introduced in a paper published in Smart Materials and Structures, could be used to easily and affordably produce twisted actuators that can detect and respond to humidity in their environment.

"We are trying to design flexible and versatile actuators by leveraging the hierarchical structure design of textiles, ranging from microscales (e.g., molecular chains and aggregation structures) to macroscales (e.g., fiber morphology and textile architectures)," Fengxin Sun, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Tech Xplore. "Realizing a yarn-based artificial muscle with free-standing and single-helical architecture via eco-friendly and easy-fabrication manufacturing process is still challenging."

The primary objective of the recent work by Sun and his colleagues was to overcome some of the common challenges faced when designing artificial muscles based on yarn (i.e., spun thread). Most notably, past studies have showed that reliably twisting yarn to create free-standing artificial muscle structures without using harmful chemicals or processes is far from an easy task.

The researchers at Jiangnan University, however, were able to identify an eco-friendly treatment strategy for the reliable production of single-helical yarn-based muscle. Their fabrication method is based on a combination of UV illumination and plasma etching, a plasma processing technique often used to produce integrated circuits.

This processing technique can limit the dissipation of energy from the woolen fibers, thus enhancing the artificial muscles' actuation performance. In addition, it is effective, scalable and easy to implement, thus it could be ideal for fabricating these muscle-like structures on an industrial level.

"The woolen yarn artificial muscles we created display reversibly torsional actuation when alternatively exposed to wet and dry environments," Sun explained. "The yarn muscles display an impressive torsional actuation upon wetting, as a result of the amplified hygroscopic expansion of the highly twisted wools. The solidified helical morphology in the wools resulting from the reformed disulfide networks endows the woolen yarns with a 'shape memory effect.'"

Due to the unique design and fabrication approach used by the researchers, the yarn that makes up their artificial muscle structure can recover its original helical shape after it is dried, without requiring the integration of an external spring. In initial tests, the single-helical yarn-based muscles exhibited reversible and moisture-sensing actuation, as well as a high moisture-actuating performance with lower energy dissipation.

Remarkably, the fabrication process employed by Sun and his colleagues is also eco-friendly, as it does not require any chemical and toxic additives. As their artificial muscles are made of wool, which is inherently biodegradable and renewable, they could be used to create more sustainable technologies and smart textiles.

"Single-helical structures are generally considered unstable and prone to untwist without external torsional tethering, but we here harness the inside-tether effect of reformed disulfide bridges in the helical structure state of wools to stabilize the inserted twists in yarn muscles via UV-light illumination and autoxidation," Sun said. "Such strategy is completely eco-friendly and greatly improves the actuation performance of woolen yarn muscles."

In the future, the recent work by this team of researchers could inspire the development of new yarn-based actuators and artificial muscles for robots that can be produced sustainably, at reasonable costs and on a large-scale. In addition, the single-helical woolen yarn they produced could be used to create comfortable, breathable, nontoxic and skin-friendly textiles for smart clothing, smart camping gear and other smart textile products.

"In the next stage of our research, we will explore the route towards the Industrial fabrication of our artificial muscles, to realize their mass-production and promote technological innovation towards the commercial application of the yarn muscles in smart textiles," Sun added. "Imaging a shirt, the yarn can adapt to different weather conditions by switching the air holds on the fabric intelligently, that would be fascinating. We hope this kind of clothes will become available in our daily life at a low cost."

Explore further Sheaths drive powerful new artificial muscles

More information: Yangyang Peng et al, Free-standing single-helical woolen yarn artificial muscles with robust and trainable humidity-sensing actuation by eco-friendly treatment strategies, Smart Materials and Structures (2022). Yangyang Peng et al, Free-standing single-helical woolen yarn artificial muscles with robust and trainable humidity-sensing actuation by eco-friendly treatment strategies,(2022). DOI: 10.1088/1361-665X/ac7fca

 2022 Science X Network
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Writing in the International Journal of Intellectual Property Management, a digital technology leader at telecommunications conglomerate Verizon discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital transformation and digital fraud in the U.S. economy.

Shashidhar Hiremath reiterates just how much of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the U.S. economy, broadly speaking. Of course, a similar picture is seen across the globe. Tourism, air travel, the housing market, information technology, hospitality, and food industries have perhaps been detrimentally affected the most. However, there have also been some upturns in the fortunes of those companies facilitating working and learning from home and people sharing activities remotely.

An unwanted area of growth during the pandemic was, of course, cybercrime, says Hiremath. The incidence of internet theft, phishing scams, and financial fraud all increased during the pandemic. This was presumably partly due to it being a time when many people were at their most vulnerable and susceptible. Moreover, infrastructure and IT support that would provide checks and assurances were not necessarily in place in the home, or remote-working, environment for countless computer users in the workforce.

Criminals will always find a way to exploit vulnerabilities and even create new ones. The nature of social change that was wrought by the emergence of a lethal coronavirus at the end of 2019 has given us what is euphemistically known as the "new normal." Unfortunately, the new normal has given criminals new opportunities. It is time for a detailed study of how the world has changed in this realm, suggests Hiremath. In the new normal, we may well need new laws and policies to help protect people from the ever-changing landscape of cybercrime and digital fraud, internet theft, and more.

Explore further Africa grapples with way forward on cybercrime

More information: N.A. Shashidhar, Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation and digital frauds in the US economy, International Journal of Intellectual Property Management (2022). N.A. Shashidhar, Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation and digital frauds in the US economy,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJIPM.2022.124648
Comparison of the results obtained by means of CFD and CNN. Credit: UPV/EHU

Research at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Faculty of Engineering of the UPV/EHU has used convolutional neural networks to predict airflow characteristics in the aerodynamic profiles of high-power wind turbines, and has shown that flow control devices can be studied using these neural networks, with tolerable errors and a reduction in computational time of four orders of magnitude. The study has been published in Scientific Reports.

Wind energy has become an important source of electricity generation and aims to achieve a cleaner, more sustainable energy model. However, in order to compete with conventional energy resources, the performance of wind turbines needs to be improved. To do this, flow control devices are deployed on the airfoils to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the wind turbine rotors.

"So, with the same wind turbine you can produce more megawatts, the cost per megawatt hour is reduced, and when that is transferred, for example, to an offshore wind turbine (which is huge), means that the implementation cost is negligible, but the aerodynamic improvement may be in the region of 8 or 10 %," explained Unai Fernandez-Gamiz, lecturer in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Fluid Mechanics of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country.

Simulations involving Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are the most popular method used to analyze devices of this type: "The software simulates the movement of fluids, which requires considerable computing capacity, i.e. very powerful computers and a lot of computing time," explained Fernandez-Gamiz. But in recent years, with the growth of artificial intelligence, the prediction of flow characteristics by means of neural networks has become increasingly popular; in this respect, the UPV/EHU student Koldo Portal-Porras deployed a convolutional neural network (CNN) that determines a series of parameters used for the flow control of wind turbines.

A fast, flexible, inexpensive tool

The results show that the CNN proposed for field prediction is able to accurately predict the main flow characteristics around the flow control device, displaying very minor errors. As for the aerodynamic coefficients, the proposed CNN is also able to predict them reliably, and is able to correctly predict both the trend and the values. "Compared with CFD simulations, the use of CNNs reduces computational time by four orders of magnitude," said the researcher Portal-Porras. "Fast, almost immediate results have been achieved, with an error of 56% in some cases. A fairly tolerable error for an industry that primarily seeks rapid results," added Fernandez-Gamiz.

"First we launched CFD simulations using two different flow control devices (rotating microtabs and Gurney flaps), and that provided the output data, which we take as real and use to train the convolutional neural network," explained Portal-Porras. "What we do is to insert the geometry as input and the results obtained via CFD as output. That way the network is trained, and then if we insert a different geometry into it with the results it produced previously, it is capable of predicting the new velocity and pressure fields."

According to Fernandez-Gamiz, Portal-Porras has come up with "a fast, flexible, inexpensive tool. Industry nowadays requires rapid solutions. To apply networks of this type you don't really need big computers, computer clusters, etc. What is more, we have come up with a flexible tool, because it can be applied to any aerodynamic airfoil, to all types of device systems and even to other types of geometries." Portal-Porras pointed out that the network is suitable for any type of wind turbine, "but the training data we input were for a specific aerodynamic airfoil. So, if you input a different aerodynamic airfoil, you would have to do the whole training process, in other words, insert the input and output data of the other wind turbine."

Both agree on the importance of artificial intelligence: "This is a fundamental step if we want our industrial environment to be competitive. If we don't get involved in artificial intelligence, we are not going to drive forward competitiveness on international markets."

Explore further Bionic wing flaps improve wind energy efficiency

More information: Koldo Portal-Porras et al, CNN-based flow control device modelling on aerodynamic airfoils, Scientific Reports (2022). Journal information: Scientific Reports Koldo Portal-Porras et al, CNN-based flow control device modelling on aerodynamic airfoils,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12157-w
(A) Schematic of the joint angles and the hoverboard plate orientation (side view). (B) The feet are oriented 45 to the left of the hoverboard, corresponding to conditions A1 and A2. (C) Feet orientation in condition B. (D) Movement trajectory in the x-y plane from a representative participant #9 in condition A2. The line color (from red to blue) indicates the time. Grey lines indicate the goal lines participants had to cross. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08291-0

Engineering researchers have some simple advice for people learning to ride hoverboards: it's all in the ankles.

An experiment using sophisticated cameras and sensors attached to first-time riders revealed that ankle movements, not knee or hip movements, are the key to catching on to the increasingly popular devices.

"Those who learned faster and performed better had strongly adopted an ankle strategy, meaning that they controlled their ankle motion by activating or co-activating the muscles around them," said Arash Arami, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo and senior author of a new study.

Hoverboards have a motor and two wheels connected by a platform. Riders steer and balance with their feet, although some models are self-balancing.

While new riders would be wise to concentrate on ankle movement, the study by researchers in Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan also showed the central nervous system somehow seems to just know the best strategy to use.

After a short familiarization session, volunteers were primarily relying on ankle movements within a few minutes of maneuvering hoverboards back and forth using three different foot positions.

"The process of learning how to ride a hoverboard is largely subconscious," Arami said. "Interestingly enough, our central nervous system can usually figure it out without much instruction, so take it easy and enjoy the ride."

Researchers theorize ankle movement is primarily used to learn to ride because they're the joints closest to the board, primates generally learn better with their hands and feet, and the central nervous system often tries to minimize muscular effort.

The researchers used hoverboards as a tool to investigate how the central nervous system, including the neural networks in the brain and spinal cord, controls human movement.

The results have implications for the design of platforms for balance training for older adults at risk of falls and stroke survivors in rehabilitation clinics. They could also help with the design of hoverboards and similar devices, such as snowboards.

Researchers are ultimately interested in using technology to develop assistive and rehabilitative robotics systems to allow people with impairments to regain movement.

"Hoverboards, as simple as they appear, help us dig into how we control our lower limbs and deepen our understanding of human motor control," Arami said.

Arami and Mohammad Shushtari, lead author and a Ph.D. candidate at Waterloo, collaborated with engineers at NTT Communication Science Laboratories in Japan and the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in the UK.

A paper about their work, "Balance strategy in hoverboard control," appears in the journal Scientific Reports.

More information: Mohammad Shushtari et al, Balance strategy in hoverboard control, Scientific Reports (2022). Journal information: Scientific Reports Mohammad Shushtari et al, Balance strategy in hoverboard control,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08291-0
At University Health hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, COVID hospitalizations had been running high in January, notes Gina Kaufmann, a locally based NPR correspondent. Medical teams once again had to keep in-person contact to a minimum.

For hospital chaplains, this means that their only direct contact with patients can be through in-room telephones. Doing this makes it hard to make a connection, let alone address a patient's spiritual needs.

In a medical team, a chaplain represents that person they can "talk to, someone to cry with, someone who knows how hospitals work," Kaufmann writes. For family members and loved ones, they are there to listen and help them decide what to do while in a state of stress and confusion.

To give a picture of how these interactions can work, Kaufmann shares a story told to her by Ramona Winfield, a chaplain on the palliative care team at University Health.

Winfield tells her of being called to a room where a non-COVID patient had died. As she entered the room, she saw that a grieving relative had climbed into bed beside the deceased. The relative was unresponsive to what the nurse standing bedside was saying to him. Winfield immediately stepped into the relative's line of vision, and the nurse moved aside. She made some quiet attempts to start a conversation with no results. She decided to change her approach. After standing there quietly for a moment, she began to sing a peaceful song. The family member began to cry.

"He just lay there and cried. And I got some tissue, and I wiped the tears away as I was singing. And then the family member began to talk," Winfield tells Kaufmann. He spoke to his deceased relative, not Winfield, and said his goodbyes.

Next, she calmly explained to the grieving relative that soon someone from security would be coming to take the body to the morgue and that he had just a few more minutes to be with the body. The family member responded "OK." As Winfield stood in the background continuing to hum her song, the man took a towel and wiped the patient's face, hands and feet.

"As he was doing this, the family member would say, 'You've done so much with these hands, taking care of your family. You worked hard,'" Winfield told Kaufmann. "And as he wiped the feet, he would say, 'Those feet have walked so many miles just to make sure that your children had all that they needed.'"

"After being immobilized with grief when Winfield arrived, the relative left the room in peace, on his own terms," says Kaufmann.

In a June 2020 article, during the early days of the COVID outbreak, when so much media coverage was being rightly focused on our remarkable hospital first responders, I mentioned how one important service rendered was being overlooked: the role of the hospital chaplain. Mentioned at the time was Father Radu Titonea, a hospital chaplain at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital.

Given the overwhelming stress heaped upon doctors, nurses, tech workers and those responsible in keeping the hospital clean and functional, Father Titonea admitted to having to often shift his attention to checking in on the mental well-being of staff. As to dealing with death and grief caused by a raging pandemic, he pointed out how hospital chaplains are well-experienced in dealing with uncertainty. "We live in that world, of people not knowing what's going to happen to them," he said.

"Chaplains are non-anxious, non-judgmental people who have the ability to be still, especially in a place ... that's not a still place," said Allison Kestenbaum, a certified educator and supervisor of University of California, San Diego Health's Spiritual Care & Clinical Pastoral Education, in describing a chaplain's role in a recent story in the San Diego Union Tribune. They try to recognize the humanity of each person they encounter.

While much has changed since 2020, what remains is a lack of recognition of the contribution these spiritual counselors have made and are making as integral members of a hospital health care team. According to Zippia, a career data website, there are more than 9,600 chaplains currently employed in the United States. Clearly, not all hospitals provide specialized pastoral care. It is said to be taught only minimally at seminaries and religious institutions.

Chaplains are generally board-certified by one of several bodies such as the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, a national, not-for-profit 501(c)(6) affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains. According to Kestenbaum, despite the job they face daily, chaplains have some of the lowest rates of burnout in the health care field.

"While chaplains often are integral members of hospital care teams, their role isn't widely understood even by the hospital's staff," reports the San Diego Union Tribune's Cathi Douglas. "Many times it's assumed that chaplains minister only to overtly religious patients and families, but chaplains say that they are there for everyone, no matter their faith tradition  even if they have no faith whatsoever. ... And while patients and their families may not specifically request religious counseling, chaplains can offer them the most critical service they need  a listening ear."

Jonathan Rudnick is a rabbi and community chaplain at Jewish Family Services who visits patients at various hospitals within the Kansas City metropolitan area. "People come to hospitals, almost always, for the physical," he explains to NPR. "They've got a problem and they need/want to have it fixed. ... The unintended consequence is: Things get very imbalanced with all this focus on the physical. Something needs to heal physically. At the same time, it's like, 'What about the rest of me?' We are multidimensional creatures and when one dimension is being related to so intensively, the other ones can get lost."

Tracy Balboni is a senior physician at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and professor of radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School. She is also the lead author of a newly released study by researchers at Harvard on the role of spirituality in health care.

"Our findings indicate that attention to spirituality in serious illness and in health should be a vital part of future whole person-centered care," she says.
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A breastfeeding workshop and celebration event hosted by the Central District Health Department is planned for Thursday at the Grand Island Public Library.

Every August we like to do something special to recognize breastfeeding in our community and to help bring partners together to help support clients and other families with breastfeeding, said Rachel Sazama, CDHDs WIC program supervisor.

Nebraskas Women, Infants and Children program provides healthy food at no cost, breastfeeding support and nutrition information to program clients.

The workshop should be especially beneficial as baby formula continues to be in short supply.

Weve had moms call who are specifically looking for how they can build their milk supply up, because maybe they were doing both, said Nancy Esch, WIC lactation consultant. With relactation, moms who have stopped breastfeeding for weeks or months can relactate. Its a process, but they can do that.

The workshop will be is planned for 2 to 4:30 p.m.

A class will be offered in English at 2:30 p.m. and translated in Spanish at 3:30.

For moms who are pregnant here at WIC, if they choose, we do a breastfeeding class via Zoom, Esch said. Its a PowerPoint presentation just going over the basics and benefits of breastfeeding, how to latch your baby, and some of the newest research thats coming out.

It just gives them a real heads-up when they go and have their baby, she added.

Breastfeeding might seem like an obvious and natural function, but theres more to it.

It is a learned behavior. And its a learned behavior for the newborn, too, Esch said. Its like walking. It takes a while for that child to get the latch down correctly, and mom and baby working together as a dyad. We get rid of some of those notions that it is a simple task.

We dont make it sound like its hard either, but were here for them.

While some people think WIC is a formula-based program, it is one of the largest breastfeeding promotion programs in the country.

CDHD has an 88% initiation rate for breastfeeding, Sazama said.

That means 88% of our babies have actually breastfed at some point, she said. Were really excited about that and try to get them to breastfeed as long as moms want to.

CDHD is also experiencing a formula shortage, just as retailers have since spring, Sazama said.

Right now the WIC program has a waiver process so that WIC clients are able to get different types of formula, she said. Before it was structured so you can only get one specific formula with your benefits, so theyve increased that.

People call daily to have their formula changed, Esch said.

They call from the store, that they cant find the formula, and ask if they can please get a different brand, because its specific on their card, she said. We have that technology now that we can change it while theyre in the store to get them another formula so theyre not going without.

Both Sazama and Esch advocate the benefits of breastfeeding.

Esch described it as absolutely the best food for babies.

There are dangers in giving formula, she said. Formula is not a sterile product. Breast milk is. Once the milk is established, its less time consuming for moms. The health benefits are amazing. Theres over 100,000 ingredients in breast milk. And its species specific. Mom is making it for her baby.

She added, I could go on for a really long time about the benefits.

There are several lactation consultants in the Grand Island area, Esch noted.

Consultants include: Alycia Parker and Shawnee Williams at CHI Health St. Francis; Chelsey Kennedy and Brandi Stein at CHI Womens Clinic; Libby Crockett at Grand Island Clinic; Tina Vettel at Grand Island Regional Medical Center; Julie Ahlman at Hastings Mary Lanning; and Jennifer Harney at Aurora Memorial Community Health.

No sign-up is necessary for Thursdays breastfeeding workshop. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information about CDHD programs and services, visit www.cdhd.ne.gov.
A 48-year-old Lincoln man has been jailed on suspicion of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.

Prosecutors charged Diego Carter Sr. on Friday with first-degree sexual assault of a child. At a brief court appearance, his bond was set at $750,000.

In court records, LPD Investigator Jacob McCord said on July 24, the girl's father reported to police that she had disclosed sexual abuse committed by Carter starting a month earlier.

Carter allegedly provided the girl alcohol before the assaults, which are alleged to have occurred in Lincoln and Kansas City, Missouri.

Police arrested him on the allegations Thursday.
Staffing Crisis

Amid Shortage, Mississippi Initiative Offers Free Praxis Prep Resources for Aspiring Teachers

Education policy nonprofit Mississippi First on Monday announced it has partnered with Study.com to launch Study.coms Keys to the Classroom initiative statewide, providing cost-free resources to help aspiring teachers pass their Praxis exams and earn teaching certificates, according to a news release.

Mississippi is facing a worsening teacher shortage crisis, state education officials have said, and nearly two out of three public schools across the state are classified as critical shortage areas, according to a recent report by Mississippi First.

That report, entitled Voices of the Shortage, was based on a Mississippi First survey of 6,496 teachers across the state; more than half of respondents reported they are likely to leave their Mississippi teaching job within the next year, with a majority citing low compensation as a primary reason.

Recruiting new teachers has become more urgent since the start of the pandemic, and Mississippi First noted that the staffing shortages are not likely to improve on their own.

The Praxis exam required to obtain a teaching certificate averages a pass rate of just 50% for first-time test takers, according to a 2019 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, and a quarter of test takers never pass. In contrast, 92% who used Study.com's test prep resources reported passing their test on the first try, Mississippi First said.

Through the initiative, Study.com will donate Praxis preparation materials and resources to aspiring Mississippi teachers, according to the announcement. Mississippi districts that have diverse student bodies, as well as those that have low socioeconomic conditions, will be prioritized for the licenses in an effort to address the rising teacher shortage crisis and ensure the demographics of Mississippi students are being represented in the classroom and across the state's teacher pipeline, Mississippi First said.

The nonprofit noted that Mississippi is also dealing with a decreasing number of teachers of color; Mississippi Department of Education statistics show that while 57% of Mississippi preK12 students identified as non-White, 70% of Mississippi teachers are White.

Creating a more diverse and representative teacher pipeline is necessary to ensure students feel represented and encouraged. As Mississippi statistics show, this isn't being reflected in the classroom but is statistically proven and needed, said Study.com Senior Vice President Dana Bryson. Our goal with bringing Keys to the Classroom to Mississippi is to diversify the teacher pipeline and help reduce the teacher shortage by removing the barriers to becoming a teacher.

The Keys to the Classroom initiative was first launched last winter in Nevada, which was experiencing a shortage of teachers by about 3,000 at the time, according to news reports. Since then, about 600 teacher test prep licenses have been donated to aspiring teachers in Nevada, Study.com said. The Keys to the Classroom initiative also launched in South Carolina this spring.

Learn more about the initiative at the Keys to the Classroom website.
For the third consecutive fall, local higher education institutions are keeping a watchful eye on COVID-19 trends as they look to begin another semester of in-person classes.

At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, masks are recommended but not required in most campus buildings. However, face coverings will be mandatory in health care settings including the Student Health Center. The campus will no longer require weekly testing for most students, faculty and staff members who have not been fully vaccinated.

Testing will be available on Tuesday afternoons. Additionally, plans are to continue enhanced cleaning protocols.

In a message to the campus community, Chancellor Austin A. Lane said, Vaccinations and treatments have put us in a much better place than we were two years ago, and I am pleased to report the vast majority of employees and students are fully vaccinated.

John A. Logan College is also recommending masks for high-traffic areas of the campus, but reports that since the statewide COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate has expired, students will no long have to provide proof of vaccination or undergo weekly testing if they are unvaccinated.

On-campus testing has been discontinued and the college is requesting those who do test positive to inform the Office of Student Affairs so that excused absences can be processed.

Jonathon Walters, spokesman for Rend Lake College said that testing will not be required for students, faculty or staff members and the college is collecting proof of vaccinations and asks students or employees who test positive for COVID-19 to observe all recommend quarantine guidance and self-report to the college.

Southeastern Illinois College reports no change to its COVID-19 requirements or protocols for the upcoming semester.

Shawnee Community College will continue to make masks available for students, but will not require them, according to guidelines distributed by the college late last week. Additionally, temperature checkpoints will remain at entrances to the main building at the Ullin campus.

College President Tim Taylor said Shawnee will, like the other area campuses, continue to monitor COVID-19 levels and work within recommendations of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

We will remain vigilant and responsive to the advice of public health professionals. However, we look forward to planning new and exciting activities at Shawnee Community College that will benefit our students and the people in the communities we serve, Taylor said.
Taylor Millers daughters attended the same child care center as normal Monday, but it was not in the normal location.

Along with their friends, classmates and teachers from Marions Robins Nest Education Center, Kenzie and Andi went not to their usual building, but instead to the childrens wing at Cornerstone Church, which will serve as the centers temporary home during clean-up and renovations at Robins Nests building on Virginia Street are complete following flooding Thursdays extensive rainfall.

Cornerstone Administrative Pastor Tivo McCrary said the church recently completed remodeling of its own childrens areas recently, and Robins Nest will be using all of the facilitys preschool wing and some of the elementary-aged classrooms for the next week or two.

The area is perfect for what they needed from space to restrooms and security, he said. It is wonderful to have them in the building, hearing the laughter of the kids and getting to interact with them and their families.

Robins Nest team members worked late into the night Thursday to move equipment ranging from nap cots to cribs, food and diapers. Even though the church has much of the necessary equipment and supplies, Robins Nest Director Jena Parson said hosting children all day, every day requires much more than childrens programming during worship services.

The team and I  and especially the parents  could not be more grateful, Parson said. Within an hour of first talking to Cornerstone, everything came together. We literally have our own space in the building and it is phenomenal.

McCrary said providing space to Robins Nest is simply a way for the church to serve the community.

We want to be known for more than just helping people follow Jesus, he said. We want to be know that we are for the community where we are, whether it is Marion or all of Southern Illinois. Our desire is to show that we love and care for and invest into the community.

Parson said she hopes the center can be back in its own facility within a week.

For now, we are taking it day-by-day and the church says whatever we need, they are here for us, she added.

Parents such as Miller, who lives in Tunnel Hill, are glad that Robins Nest was able to remain open in Marion.

Its a huge deal, especially with me not living in Marion. It would have been very difficult if the girls would have had to go to the Carterville or Carbondale location, she said. The job I have is not just one where you can switch shifts with somebody; they rely on me to be there so Im so grateful that they were able to find somewhere as quickly as they did.
CHICAGO - A group of law enforcement officials and experts from around Illinois and across the country gathered in mid-June to begin crafting a plan to increase awareness among the general public and fellow cops of a three-year-old state law aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous people.

About midway through the agenda, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly posed a direct question to the nearly two dozen in attendance, according to minutes of the meeting: Why are (firearms restraining orders) not being used?

During a short discussion, at least one police leader noted there was confusion about when and how to use the orders, which allow a judge to temporarily bar ownership of a firearm if a person is deemed a danger to themselves or others.

About two weeks later, a gunman who had allegedly made comments threatening others and had a history of troubling, firearm-related postings online opened fire at the Highland Park Independence Day parade, killing seven and wounding dozens of others in yet another deadly mass shooting that grabbed the nations attention.

Robert Crimo III, who last week pleaded not guilty to 117 counts related to the shooting, legally purchased his guns. Questions have been raised about whether Illinois laws could or should have been used to either bar his purchases of firearms or subsequently removed them from his possession.

One focus of that discussion has been the Firearms Restraining Order, the states so-called red flag law.

In the days after the shooting, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told CNN the state needs to look at changing some of the verbiage in the law on red flags so that something could have been filed that would have prevented Crimo from being able to obtain a firearm owners identification card and, ultimately, a gun.

The governor also said a family member would have had to step forward to ask a judge for a restraining order, something that never happened in the Crimo case, though Illinois law also allows law enforcement to petition a court.

Whether a restraining order could have prevented the Highland Park shooting is unclear. But those familiar with Illinois law say public details of the case appear to suggest an intervention could have been considered and authorities should examine why it was not.

Its a tool in the toolbox, and they need to know when to implement it, said state Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback, a Skokie Democrat and former gun violence prevention advocate. This is the kind of situation the firearms restraining order was designed to address.

Since the law took effect in 2019, just 228 of the orders have been granted in Illinois, according to Illinois State Police. In Maryland, an estimated 2,000 red flag orders have been granted since the law went into effect in late 2018, according to data from the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. Researchers in California, meanwhile, say about 1,000 were granted there between 2016 and 2019.

The Tribune found inconsistent use of the orders in the 3  years theyve been in effect in Illinois, with at least 70 issued in DuPage County, but just 31 in Cook County and 21 in Lake County, home to Highland Park, according to data from Illinois State Police. Seven were filed in both Will and Kane counties, three in Winnebago, which includes Rockford, and two in downstate Madison County.

Overall, the orders were issued in 33 of the states 102 counties.

Meanwhile, in the weeks following the shooting, the Illinois attorney generals office scheduled several trainings about the red flag law. And the states police certification board is working to meet its obligation under a new law that went into effect June 1 to lead training for officers on how to use it.

Experts agreed the small number of cases filed in Illinois cry out for more training. Especially because they know of hundreds of mass shooting threats in other states that resulted in a red flag order to remove firearms.

I think we need to be more comfortable with this responsibility in a country where we have agreed that people should have ready access to guns, said Shannon Frattaroli, a professor and expert from Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions in Baltimore.

How law works

Firearms restraining order laws, often called red flag laws, have been established in 19 states and Washington, D.C., most of them in the wake of tragic shootings.

The Illinois law, which was approved with bipartisan support and went into effect in 2019 after years of negotiations in the state legislature, is designed to temporarily limit access to guns, gun parts and ammunition when people pose a significant threat to themselves or others.

There are two types of firearm restraining orders under state law: An emergency order that lasts up to 14 days and a six-month order, but only after court proceedings. The petitioner in such cases can be a spouse, ex-spouse, a parent, anyone related by blood or marriage, a roommate or a law enforcement officer.

If an emergency order is issued, a full hearing is scheduled as soon as possible so the subject has the opportunity to present a defense and a judge can consider whether the order should end or be extended for six months.

Judges can also extend a firearms restraining order for another six months depending on whether the petitioner goes back to court to raise more concerns.

A review of firearms restraining orders filed in Cook County since the law took effect includes people threatening to shoot themselves or family members, including an allegation of someone pointing a gun at a spouse. One report describes a man who had suicidal thoughts and threatened a family member after buying weapons from local gun shops, including the purchase of an assault rifle.

Just two months after the law went into effect, police in Sangamon County filed for a firearms restraining order against a 33-year-old man who refused to stop his car for police and barricaded himself inside the vehicle for seven hours.

A Sangamon County sheriffs deputy reported seeing a black handle of a pistol in the center console, according to court records.

(Expletive) you I have nothing to lose, the man reportedly said. Im ready to die.

Two rifles, two shotguns, two revolvers, another handgun, a nonfunctioning shotgun barrel and 1,100 rounds of ammunition were seized within 24 hours of the confrontation, records show.

But use of the law has been relatively rare in Illinois compared with other states that have passed similar measures, and its essentially unheard of for restraining orders to be used proactively to keep people from getting guns.

Frattaroli said this is a common misconception about red flag laws.

There are two provisions of Illinois which is common across all the  states, Frattaroli said. Which is they temporarily prohibit possession. But they also temporarily bar new gun purchases.  We have found (this) needs to be better understood.

Use uneven, unclear

Of the 228 firearms restraining orders issued in Illinois, DuPage County has led the way with 70, according to state police data.

Illinois is not unusual in these numbers, Frattaroli said, noting the difference between DuPage and the rest of the state. This variation to me signals there is work that needs to be done in order  to allow for these to be part of the infrastructure of gun violence safety.  People need to engage in these laws. Law enforcement needs to be knowledgeable. They need to know how to use them.

In a statement to the Tribune this week, the Illinois attorney generals office acknowledged that the firearms restraining order law rolled out without any funding for training.

When the Illinois Firearm Restraining Order Act became law in 2019, it did not provide a process or funding mechanism for training, the statement reads.

In late 2020, the office developed training and materials to raise awareness and has since trained law enforcement agencies, states attorneys offices, crime victims organizations, gun safety groups and veterans service providers, the statement read.

DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin said after reviewing the red flag legislation in 2018, he immediately added the topic to his annual training for law enforcement. He has also assigned an assistant states attorney to help with the filing of the orders, and he met with the countys chief judge to set up a process to handle the filings, which are all heard in the same courtroom.

We knew it would be effective, Berlin said of the law. We got out in front of it.

Frattaroli, the Johns Hopkins expert, pointed to a similar outcome in Maryland, where Montgomery County Sheriff Darren Popkin led training and education efforts not only in his county but across the entire state.

Before Marylands law went into effect in 2018, Popkin said, law enforcement had few options for keeping guns away from people experiencing mental health problems.

This one was a common sense approach to what to do when somebody was an immediate threat to themselves or others and had access to firearms, said Popkin, whose county is located outside of Baltimore.

Popkin, who sits on the commission working to improve implementation of the Illinois law, said he was part of a group that put together regional programs for law enforcement to train the trainer in order to more quickly educate some 17,000 law enforcement officers throughout Maryland on how that states law works.

About 60% of the red flag petitions have been filed by law enforcement, and the remaining cases have been filed by health care professionals, family members or someone close to the gun owner, he said.

He said law enforcement often gets pulled into cases through 911 calls. Family members of a gun owner or someone close to the person might become alarmed by a threat of violence or signs of a mental health crisis.

Thats why the training of law enforcement was so incredibly important, Popkin said.

The story is similar in California, where training has been key to increasing the use of the law, said Veronica Pear, a University of California at Davis professor.

After fewer than 100 red flag orders were filed in each of the first two years the states law was in effect, the city attorney in San Diegoled an effort to increase awareness and coordinate the response of courts and police, and filings there increased, Pear said.

While Popkin wouldnt say whether he thinks Illinois red flag law could have prevented the Highland Park shooting, he said there were great similarities to cases hes seen in Maryland, with similar types of behaviors attributed to mental health and people in crisis.

Berlin, the DuPage states attorney, said hes not aware of any cases where the Illinois law has been used to prevent someone who isnt already a gun owner from getting firearms. The Highland Park shooting, however, demands a closer look at whether the law could be used more proactively, he said.

I am absolutely convinced we saved lives by using this law, Berlin said. I think, obviously, with what has happened in Highland Park and in places across the country that this is an opportunity to educate the public and the police that the law does allow for an order to prevent someone from obtaining a gun.

Highland Park case

Crimo in February 2020 purchased the rifle he allegedly used to fire from a rooftop onto the parade. He bought the rifle at a federally licensed gun dealer in the Chicago area.

Whether there was an opportunity, based on Illinois laws, to prevent that purchase or remove firearms from his possession once he had them is far less certain.

In the months before getting approved to carry an Illinois gun permit, or FOID card, Highland Park police made two visits to Crimos home.

Neither resulted in an arrest, however. But there were signs of trouble documented in police reports released by Highland Park.

The first contact was in April 2019 when police responded to a report that Crimo had allegedly attempted suicide, according to the reports. Officers determined that the matter was being handled by a mental health professional. Five months later, police returned to the home, this time to investigate a report that Crimo made threats to kill everyone, according to the records.

Police spoke with Crimo, who admitted to being depressed on the day he allegedly made the threat. The reports notes also that he was not forthcoming as to the language that he used ... nor was his mother.

Police removed more than a dozen knives from his bedroom closet. His father, who did not live in the home, said they were his.

No arrests were made, but Highland Park police did submit a Clear and Present Danger report to Illinois State Police.

Such a report is required of law enforcement and school officials when they determine someone might pose an imminent threat of harm to themselves or others and should therefore have a FOID card revoked or denied.

Crimo, at that time, did not have a FOID card or an application for one. State police reviewed the case anyway and determined he was not an immediate threat. Then, under the agencys interpretation of the Clear and Present law at the time, they purged Crimos record.

Since the shooting, state police have implemented new rules that will allow the agency to retain and expand the use of such reports.

How and whether a firearms restraining order could have been used is a completely separate matter. But its also an essential question in the wake of the tragedy, experts and law enforcement officials said.

Highland Park police and Lake County authorities pointed to several reasons why, despite those 2019 police interactions, a restraining order was not sought.

For one, there were no weapons in the house and no firearm-related threat. Police on the scene did not observe any violence or hear a threat.

In an interview in July  prior to a judge issuing an order sealing investigation materials and forbidding prosecutors and defense attorneys from disclosing them  Highland Park police Chief Lou Jogmen said the department understood the Clear and Present Danger report to be the most robust and immediate action they could take to protect the public at the time by making sure Crimo couldnt get a gun.

The police department said it has filed more than 400 of those orders since 2017.

Jogmen and other law enforcement authorities also told the Tribune that the Illinois red flag law has not been commonly understood by police to stop a first-time purchase

But they also emphasized that they do not think, even with this understanding, that the circumstances of the police visit would have met the legal standard to obtain a firearms restraining order.

The family also had the authority under the law to seek a firearms restraining order. The Tribune contacted the Crimo family attorney to ask whether law enforcement ever made them aware of the option. My understanding is that that was never discussed, the attorney said.

State officials have reported that the family helped Crimo secure his permit and ability to purchase guns. In 2020, his father sponsored him for his FOID application because of his age.

Potential fixes

Even before the shooting, the Illinois General Assembly had already targeted the restraining order law for an overhaul.

Legislators last year amended state law to promote awareness and better training for police on how to implement the orders, leading to the launch in June of the statewide task force meeting where Kelly spoke.

In addition to working to improve implementation and awareness of the law, the commission is tasked with developing a policy for relinquishing guns in a timely manner, whenever a firearms restraining order is issued. .

The amendment, which also made ex-spouses and parents who share minor children eligible to file red flags, was sponsored by Stoneback, the former gun safety advocate who was elected to the House in 2020.

In states where this type of law is implemented, petitions have been filed to prevent mass shootings, hate crimes, domestic violence gun crimes and suicides, Stoneback said during the May 2021 debate over her legislation on the House floor.

She pointed to a case in Washington where authorities used the states red flag law to disarm the leader of a hate group and to a study that examined 21 cases in which Californias law was used in efforts to prevent mass shootings.

The law is not effective unless people are informed and empowered to use it, and it has been underutilized in Illinois, Stoneback said during the debate.

Lawmakers are expected to return to Springfield, possibly as soon as next month, for a special session on protections for abortion rights, but theres also been discussion about addressing gun laws as well.

House Democrats have created a working group, led by state Rep. Bob Morgan, a Deerfield Democrat who was marching in the Highland Park parade, to work on gun-safety legislation, including potential fixes to the red flag law.

Everything is on the table, said Democratic Rep. Maura Hirschauer of Batavia, another gun safety advocate turned lawmaker appointed to the working group.
CHICAGO - A suburban Woodridge man was arrested in the South Sides Englewood neighborhood earlier this week after police found several loaded weapons and notes with ramblings about mass shootings in a minivan, according to Cook County court documents.

Chicago police officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at 3:30 p.m. Thursday after one round was fired in the 1200 block of West 57th Street, where they found Alexander Podgorny, 29, near a minivan with its driver and passenger doors open, according to a Chicago Police report.

One of the officers looked at nearby camera footage which showed a round from what looked like a shotgun had been fired into a nearby park, the report said.

In a pat-down search, officers found a handgun in Podgornys left pocket with a round in the chamber and live rounds in the magazine, the police report said.

In the front drivers seat of the minivan, officers found a shotgun loaded with seven live rounds, and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with a live round in its chamber and in its magazine, the report said.

Additionally, in a plastic bucket on the front passenger seat, police found at least two more handguns.

All firearms were readily accessible and ready to be fired, officers wrote in the police report.

Officers also found more than 300 shell casings, an ammunition box, six pistol magazines with live rounds and two AR magazines with live rounds and a Beretta shotgun, according to the report.

Additionally, in the minivan, police found a large number of handwritten notes and documents with incoherent rants and references to mass shooting events, police said in the report.

Officers found Podgorny had a valid firearm owners identification card and no concealed carry license, the report said. Officers completed a clear and present danger form, which is intended to revoke a persons FOID card.

Podgorny, who was charged with five counts of unlawful use of a weapon charges, all of which are felonies, appeared in court on Friday, where Cook County Judge Maryam Ahmad set a $300,000 cash bail.

Several messages to a lawyer for Podgorny, listed as James A. Podgorny, went unanswered.

Podgorny is due back in court on Friday.
After reportedly sideswiping more than a dozen vehicles Saturday afternoon, a 45-year-old party bus driver was arrested by Chicago police in yet another example of party bus-related mayhem behind the citys yearslong desire to call last call on party buses  and curb them for good.

Around 2:55 p.m. Saturday, the bus went careening south in the 3500 block of North Broadway, according to an online media notification from Chicago police. A video taken by an eyewitness shows the bus traveling erratically and slamming into parked cars  at one point nearly running head-on into the car from which the witness was filming, all as pedestrians shouted. The bus eventually was stopped by authorities near North Recreation Drive and North Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, just north of Belmont Harbor, where the driver was arrested, officials said.

There were no reported injuries.

A Chicago police spokesman Monday morning said Gregory Baldwin, 45, had been charged in connection with allegedly driving the party bus into parked cars. Baldwin faces one felony charge of criminal damage to government property and four misdemeanors: reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision and disregarding a traffic light, police said.

It wasnt immediately clear whether anyone else was on the bus, and it wasnt known whether the bus had been chartered that day. Vehicle damage included shattered mirrors, flat tires, scrapes along car doors and bumper damage, according to published reports.

Asked whether police suspected the crashes were drug- or alcohol-related, a police spokesperson said they could not provide that information.

The party bus belonged to Black Label Limos, located in Valparaiso, Indiana, videos show. Black Label could not be reached for comment.

Party buses long have been a source of contention in Chicago.

The vehicles exist in a gray area when it comes to violence, as gun bans that apply to restaurants and bars dont apply to vehicles, despite the fact the buses operate similarly to bars. Additionally, the city has had to crack down on illegal party bus operators in recent years.

In June 2017, a city ordinance created more stringent rules for chartered vehicles with more than 15 riders, including displaying signage to identify illegal operators, telling passengers about prohibited acts on buses and requiring drivers to have a camera and a security guard in the vehicle if alcohol was present.
Consumers in Illinois and other states are suing health insurance giant Centene and its Chicago-based subsidiary Celtic Insurance Co., alleging the insurers defrauded them by overcharging them for plans that didnt deliver the benefits they promised.

Six consumers, including two in Illinois, are seeking class-action status for the lawsuit, which was filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

They allege that the companies, which sell plans called Ambetter on the Affordable Care Act exchange, give customers incorrect lists of provider networks. A provider network is a group of doctors and other health care workers who have contracted with an insurance company to provide care to its members.

The consumers said, in some cases, they called doctors listed in the network directories only to find that almost none of them took Ambetter plans. As a result, consumers faced delays in treatment, couldnt get treatment or had to pay out-of-pocket for other doctors because they couldnt find any in Ambetters networks, they allege in the lawsuit.

Plan members have difficulty finding an in-network provider and sometimes cannot find any provider who accepts Ambetter insurance, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit also alleges that Ambetter plans routinely refuse to pay for medical services and medications that the plan purportedly covers. That can leave patients paying for medical bills without insurance, the lawsuit alleges. In some cases, the bills are sent to collections, leaving consumers stuck between disputing the bill for years and paying for medical care that the Ambetter plan purportedly covered, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses the insurance companies of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, of unjust enrichment and of violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, among other things.

Centene defended itself in a statement Monday, saying that it and its subsidiaries have worked, since the Affordable Care Act became law, to help members and their families gain access to comprehensive, affordable and high-quality Marketplace health plans.

This lawsuit is merely one more attack on the Health Insurance Marketplace and the ACA itself, Centene said in the statement. Centene will fight this lawsuit vigorously and will continue to uphold the important purpose of the ACA to improve the health of our communities, one person at a time.

More than 2 million people have Ambetter plans, according to the lawsuit, and the plans are sold on Affordable Care Act exchanges in 26 states. In Illinois, about 54,000 people have Ambetter plans, according to recent rate filings by the company.

The lawsuit alleges that the insurance companies often targeted low-income consumers, advertising the Ambetter plans to people who no longer qualified for Medicaid, which is a state and federally funded health insurance program for people with low incomes.

One of the Illinois consumers who filed the lawsuit, Alden Henriksen, alleges that after he signed up for an Ambetter plan in 2019 he called dermatologists on Ambetters list of in-network providers only to find that almost none of them accepted Ambetter. He then called the general practitioner in his area that Ambetter assigned him to, and that doctor also did not take Ambetter, he alleges.

The other Illinois plaintiff, Melody DeSchepper, bought an Ambetter plan in January 2021 after she lost her job and needed insurance, according to the complaint. She alleges that she called 29 providers that were on Ambetters list of in-network providers or were recommended by Ambetters assistance line, and none of them took Ambetter.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the money they were allegedly overcharged for Ambetters plans as well as a permanent injunction that would put an end to defendants fraudulent and unlawful conduct, according to the lawsuit.

Celtic is among a number of insurance companies that have proposed raising rates in Illinois for individual plans, including those sold on the ACA exchange, for 2023. Celtic has proposed raising its rates by an average of 13.7% in Illinois for next year.
(TBTCO) - Thi truong chung khoan hom nay co them mot phien xanh vo o long. Ap luc ban a ro hon trong phien hom nay do khong co nhom co phieu nao noi bat dan dat, viec thi truong con giu uoc thanh qua trong phien la do luc keo tu cac co phieu tru, voi cong au en tu VIC.
A non-profit group, the "Frenn vun der Festungs-Geschicht" (Friends of Fortress History Luxembourg), has expressed their dismay at plans to expand the tram network and the repercussions on the city's historical foundations from the Glacis, through Porte-Neuve, to Boulevard Royal.

"We are not opponents of the tram, but there must be compromises on construction which also respect the city's heritage," said the FFGL, which works alongside the authorities on larger construction projects.

The tram network could see an expansion added from the Glacis down to Boulevard Royal, turning right down Boulevard Prince Henri, and following the curve of the municipal park.

However, Robert Wagner, president of the FFGL, explained to RTL that there are vestiges of the city's history on either side of the proposed expansion past the Fondation Pescatore, particularly around the Kinnekswiss field and the Areal. Beneath these areas lies the fairly intact Fort Royal, which dates back to the time of Louis XIV.

Treasure trove of military history

In this area lies a "treasure trove of military history", said Wagner, a true jewel of architectural elements. Any tram construction would have to take into consideration the historical structure of the area, even if it is not visible on the surface, as is the case at the Kinnekswiss.

The concern is whether the tram line and the construction work required could even take place without affecting the historical casemates, hidden galleries and the underground vestiges of two extremely rare forts.

Unique in the world

To complicate matters, Wagner explained that after the fortress was closed in the 19th century, the government handed the land over to the City of Luxembourg, on the condition that nothing other than the park would be laid on top of the site. The convention of that time would need to be checked in order to confirm whether it would permit a tram line.

In addition, previous building work in the 1970s discovered a bridge under the existing Boulevard Royal, with construction dating back to between 1626 and 1636. Wagner said this bridge would absolutely need to be preserved. However, there are concerns over whether the bridge could handle any further building interventions, as it struggled to cope at the time of its rediscovery.

The bridge itself has historical value, but modern machines pose a challenge as yet unknown in terms of the repercussions on both the bridge and other vestiges of the city's foundations.

The FFGL as a whole is ready to compromise, said Wagner, but not at the expense of the capital's fortress history.
A refugee couple with a 2-month-old baby were kicked out of a ONA structure belonging to the National Reception Office last week, according to reports.

Antonia Ganeto, spokesperson for Finkape, Luxembourg's afrodescendant network, said it was a complex matter, but it was clear the situation required intervention.

The couple, originally from Nigeria, had initially fled to Ukraine, before leaving for Luxembourg when Russia invaded earlier this year. They were refused temporary protection in the Grand Duchy, although Ganeto says this must be put into context:

"It is clear the couple were refused, but the baby was born here in Luxembourg and this must be taken into consideration in their file. The mother also suffered from health problems."

Ganeto said it should not be the case that a couple with a new baby could simply be abandoned to the streets:

"We know there are structural issues in Luxembourg with finding accommodation, and it is difficult for vulnerable people to simply leave overnight. This is why we believe such people should be given protection for the duration of the period they have in which to appeal the decision."

Certainly, the couple should have been given notice that they needed to leave. But Ganeto points out that from this moment onwards, they would have been offered no further support, but the lack of accommodation renders them more vulnerable:

"We think the situation should have been handled differently, given the family have such a young baby. A different approach was needed, with a solution in mind from the start."

The Finkape spokeswoman underlined that this situation required intervention from the outset. The organisation has supported the couple in collecting their things and helping them find a hotel room. The network is also making calls to find alternative short-term accommodation for the otherwise homeless family.

RTL was unable to interview the National Reception Office or the Ministry of Immigration on the matter, on the basis that an individual case could not be discussed for data protection reasons. However, the ONA said the family could be accommodated in one of its structures on a provisional basis.
Around 130 kilograms of meat was destroyed in two supermarkets after food safety authorities found the packaging did not meet hygiene standards.

Agents from the Health and Support divisions of the Customs and Excise Administration conducted three checks of three different supermarkets recently, accompanied by officers from the food safety authority in Luxembourg.

As a result of the checks, the Diekirch prosecutor ordered the destruction of around 130 kilograms of meat from two different supermarkets. According to a statement issued on Monday, the various types of meat did not meet hygiene standards and had not been safely packaged.

The products were seized and destroyed. A report was drawn up against each proprietor of the stores.
Two more petitions have reached the required threshold of 4,500 signatures, and will now be passed to the Chamber for a public debate.

Petition 2301, which garnered over 4,600 signatures, proposes a new maternity ward in northern Luxembourg, as well as an emergency room specifically for paediatrics which should be open 24/7. The debate will take place at 9am on Wednesday 21 September.

Petition 2332 received over 4,800 signatures and demands parental leave for nine months, extending the current allowance, which is six months. The petition argues it could benefit parents struggling to balance childcare with looking after a small child, and added the leave could be taken on a voluntary basis. There is no fixed date for the public debate at present.

The Chamber's petitions commission is also preparing a public debate for petition 2309, which will take place on 23 September at 3pm, and will focus on reimbursing the cost of psychologist consultations.
About an hour bus ride from central London in a nondescript neighborhood in a nondescript building is a storage building belonging to the British Museum. Its one of the museums smaller storage spaces. Nevertheless, the crates stretch far in the cavernous space like the warehouse scene from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Arc.

University of Wyoming law student and member of the Northern Arapaho tribe Alyson White Eagle-SoundingSides took that long bus ride one day this summer along with her friend Darby Clark, UW law professor Darrell Jackson and UW Art Museum Director Nicole Crawford. White Eagle-SoundingSides sat quietly, looking out the window at the passing landscape.

The British Museum curator met them at the storage building and showed them to a room. In the room sat a tribal headdress on a stand.

The headdress belonged to White Eagle-SoundingSides great-great grandfather, Northern Arapaho Chief Yellow Calf. He lived from 1861 to 1938 and was one of the Northern Arapaho Tribes most important and respected leaders, according to UW. The golden eagle feathers, tips decorated with horsehair. The red, white and green beading well-preserved. White Eagle-SoundingSides leaned in close to look. She started to cry.

I started thinking about him as a person, White Eagle-SoundingSides said. We have stories of him and the things that he did for our people. I started thinking about the headdress and what it meant to him. I kept thinking about the stories that I was told about how it ended up over there.

White Eagle-SoundingSides is the first Arapaho tribal member to see the headdress in 100 years. She introduced herself to the headdress in Arapaho, told the headdress that she had come a long way to see it.

Im sorry you cant go home today, but youre going to someday, she said.

Tribal elders told her that the headdress was taken from Yellow Calf during the filming of The Covered Wagon, a 1923 silent film that he was part of. Shes never seen the film.

I dont want to watch it, she said. I dont want to because it was made in a time when our people were objectified, and I refuse to see our people in that context.

The people she spoke with had different stories about how the headdress was taken. In one version, Yellow Calf was sitting on set with the headdress behind him, and when he reached for it, the headdress was gone. In another version, he and other actors in the film were staying in teepees on set. While they were filming, other people went around and stole their possessions. White Eagle-SoundingSides found in her research that the headdress was donated to the British Museum in 1939. Since then, its popped up intermittently in different exhibits. Its been in storage since 2001.

White Eagle-SoundingSides didnt know until recently that Yellow Calfs headdress was at the British Museum. She was roaming the hallways of the law school building one day when she saw a flier advertising a study abroad course called Stealing Culture: The Intersection of Criminal Law and Museums. The course is led by Jackson and Crawford, whom White Eagle-SoundingSides hadnt met at that point. The course would bring students to museums and historical sites in Scotland, England and Greece, with students giving presentations at each place.

Jackson and Crawford have worked on the Stealing Culture project for several years now. They work with museums and universities across the world to repatriate cultural items, often taken without communities knowledge or permission. This past summer was the first study-abroad version of the class.

White Eagle-SoundingSides was interested in taking the class. But she didnt think she could go. Shes a mother of two kids. Her husband, who works for the Northern Arapaho Tribal Historic Preservation Office, has to travel a lot for his job. The trip costs money. Shed never been outside of the country before.

I was like, What are the odds Im going to be able to go to this class?

Right around the same time, the Northern Arapaho Tribal Council happened to be in Laramie, and White Eagle-SoundingSides talked with Northern Arapaho Chairman Jordan Dresser about the trip. He encouraged her to go and told her that she could try and see Yellow Calfs headdress at the British Museum.

I didnt know up until that point that it was there, and I was like, What is it doing way over there in London?, she said. I was shocked.

A couple of weeks later, White Eagle-SoundingSides was in class, struggling with imposter syndrome, when Jackson and Crawford walked in to talk about the trip.

In walk professor Jackson and Nicole, and theyre like a powerful force, theyre all professional in the black suit and dress and Im like, dang, she said.

This is going to sound really, really corny, but in that moment, I felt like somebody was with me and telling me, you need to go and you need to make this happen, youre going to get to see that headdress.

White Eagle-SoundingSides told Jackson and Crawford about Yellow Calfs headdress during her interview to get into the class. They said they would try and help her see it and accepted her into the class. Crawford and the UW Art Museum funded White Eagle-SoundingSides flight and started working with the British Museums curator to get permission to see the headdress.

But even once she was on the trip, White Eagle-SoundingSides wasnt sure whether that would happen. The class had been in Scotland visiting museums and historical sites for a few days, and they were getting ready to leave for London the next morning. At that point, White Eagle-SoundingSides still hadnt gotten a confirmation. She called her mom.

Do you have an answer yet? her mom asked.

I dont know, she responded. She was mentally preparing herself to be told no.

But Crawford texted her right after she got off the phone, telling her that the curator said yes, White Eagle-SoundingSides could see the headdress.

I got in the room and the first thing I remember seating was, Wow, she said. The feathers were very well taken care of the beadwork was all intact, the fabric for the cap in the back was clean, it was just  it was amazing.

White Eagle-SoundingSides eyes filled with tears remembering the experience.

Every time I talk about it, I cry, she said, laughing. I hope I get to a point where I dont.

White Eagle-SoundingSides talked with her mom after learning that Yellow Calfs headdress was at the British Museum. She had a lot of questions: Why is it over there? What is it doing over there? How come I didnt know? Her mom told her that at that time in history  the early reservation era  their peoples lives changed. They couldnt freely hunt anymore. They went through traumatizing experiences.

At that point in time, our people were just trying to survive, White Eagle-SoundingSides said. Some things were lost in that.

Lately, White Eagle-SoundingSides said shes been asking herself what she should do now that shes back home. She wants to continue her research about Yellow Calf and his headdress. She wants to keep talking with her community, especially with the tribal elders. She wants to start piecing the puzzle together.

I think one of the most beautiful things in those stories that they have of Yellow Calf arent the bad things that happened to him, she said.

Theyre the decisions that he made for our people that allow us to be here today. The stories about his role in our ceremonial ways, his role in our language, his role in all of these things that benefitted us. I just want to find out more of who he was.

Leaving the British Museum storage building, White Eagle-SoundingSides looked at the window of the room where she had seen the headdress.

It felt like I was leaving somebody behind, she said. Its painful for me, it was difficult for me to leave. But it also kind of gave me that push, that little determination to keep going, because law school is very difficult. Its really hard.

For White Eagle-SoundingSides, one of the most important parts of repatriation is healing. She doesnt know how long it will take, or how it will happen, but she said shes set on bringing the headdress back to the place where it came from.

Ive made up my mind: Its coming home.
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming endorsed Megan Degenfelders Republican candidacy for superintendent of public instruction on Sunday.

It seems all too fitting for the person in charge of Wyomings school system to be a product of it, Lummis said in a statement.

Megan has a deep-rooted understanding of our state, schools, businesses and families.

Degenfelder is a sixth-generation Wyomingite who grew up in Casper. She graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2012 with degrees in business economics and political science and earned her masters degree in economics from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China.

Since then, shes worked in the private energy sector and also served as the Wyoming Department of Educations chief policy officer under former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. Shes now the government and regulatory affairs manager at Morningstar Partners Oil & Gas.

Megan Degenfelder announces bid for schools superintendent A former top official at the Wyoming Department of Education announced Thursday she will run for superintendent of public instruction.

Degenfelder said shes known Lummis for a large part of her life. She got to know her first as a volunteer page at the Republican state conventions when she was in junior high and high school. While she was a student at UW, Degenfelder served as a central Wyoming coordinator and deputy state field director for Lummis campaign, during which she got her first taste of what its like to be on the campaign trail. She was also an intern at Lummis Washington D.C. office during the lawmakers first year in Congress.

I have looked up to her for most of my life as a lifelong Wyomingite who came right here from Wyoming and has worked hard her entire life to give back to the state, she said.

Degenfelder didnt know beforehand that Lummis intended to endorse her. She said in the statement that she was honored to have Lummis support, whom she considers a lifelong mentor.

What matters most to me is the support of Wyoming leaders who have built this state into what it is today, she said.

Degenfelder wants to focus on prioritizing parental involvement in public schools and getting government out of the way so teachers can do what they do best. She also wants to increase direct classroom spending.

In addition to Lummis, Degenfelder has also been endorsed by former state superintendent Judy Catchpole and other current and former conservative Wyoming leaders, according to a statement from Degenfelders campaign. Shes also supported by the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Contractors Association, Wyoming Realtors Association and the Wyoming Mining Association.

State superintendent candidates shared their views in a forum. Here are some takeaways. Community members got to hear from GOP candidates for the Wyoming superintendent of public instruction position during an election forum in Casper. Here are the candidates' take on some issues.

Over 350 individual donors have contributed to Degenfelders campaign, according to the statement. More than 90% of those donations are from within all 23 of Wyomings counties.

I am incredibly humbled by the local grassroots support of my campaign, Degenfelder said in the statement. My supporters are Wyoming parents, Wyoming business leaders and Wyoming educators who have built this state into what it is today and value our mission of empowering parents as the number 1 decision makers in their childrens education, partnering with industry, and getting government out of the way so teachers can do what they do best.

Degenfelder is facing off against three Republican state superintendent candidates in the primaries.

Incumbent Brian Schroeder was appointed to the post in January after former state superintendent Jillian Balow left to take a similar position in Virginia. He formerly headed Veritas Academy, a private Christian school in Cody, and has experience as a family and youth coordinator and as a teacher and administrator in private schools in California, Wisconsin and Michigan.

He advocates for more parental control in public schools. Hes pushed back against federal action meant to increase protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientations in public schools and has called for Wyoming to enact a law similar to Floridas Parental Rights in Education Act, which, among other things, bars discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels.

Former president Donald Trump announced on Friday his endorsement for Schroeders candidacy for the position.

Degenfelder said she supported Trump in 2016 and 2020 and was disappointed not to get his endorsement, but that the endorsements shes received from local Wyoming conservatives are more important.

Theyve had the chance to assess all candidates up close, and theyve concluded that my agenda and my mission to empower parents, to keep politics out of the classroom, to offer more school and industry partnerships, is truly what Wyoming needs, Degenfelder said.

Schroeder has also been endorsed by Gun Owners of America and Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen.

State schools chief gets Trump endorsement Former President Donald Trump endorsed State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder in his bid for election to the post.

Candidate Jennifer Zerba is a Casper-based substitute teacher and cosmetologist who wants to find ways to better use the educational opportunities and resources Wyoming already has to offer. Robert White is an underground trona miner and wants to focus on school safety.
Our guest today is Warren Madden, who leads the Air Force's Chief Aerial Recon Coordination of All Hurricanes (aka CAR-CAH) at NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Warren was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Air Force in 1985, worked on the air as a meteorologist in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1990s, and joined the Hurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron in 1998.

Before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2012, he flew into some of the most historic hurricanes on record: Floyd, Ivan, Rita and Wilma.

In this first episode of a two-part series, Warren provides background on how he got interested into weather and meteorology, and explains how aircraft can be used during hurricane season.

Previewing the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season | Across the Sky podcast  The Across the Sky podcast discusses the 2022 hurricane season with a guest from the National Weather Service.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.
A Nebraska woman is facing five criminal charges  including three felonies  alleging she helped her teenage daughter abort, burn and bury her fetus earlier this year.

Jessica Burgess, 41, of Norfolk, pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in Madison County District Court. Her then-17-year-old daughter Celeste Burgess  who is being tried as an adult  also pleaded not guilty to three charges, including a felony.

And a 22-year-old man accused of helping the two bury the fetus pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor and will be sentenced later this month.

A Norfolk police detective launched his investigation in late April, chasing a tip that Celeste Burgess had miscarried and that she and her mother had buried the body, according to a search warrant affidavit.

The detective obtained her medical records, and determined shed been more than 23 weeks  or nearly six months  pregnant at the time, and was expected to deliver July 3.

When he interviewed them a few days later, they told him Celeste Burgess had unexpectedly given birth to her stillborn baby in the shower, in the early morning hours after midnight, court records say.

She woke her mother, and they put the babys body in a bag and stowed it in the back of their van, he wrote.

Later  the records dont say when  they drove a few miles north of town and buried the body, with help from a 22-year-old man.

On April 29, they showed the detective where  on a property owned by the mans parents. He told investigators the mother and daughter had tried to burn the body before it was buried. And when authorities exhumed it, it showed signs of what the detective called thermal wounds.

In early June, the two women were each charged with removing, concealing or abandoning a dead human body, a felony, and a pair of misdemeanors: concealing the death of another person; and false reporting.

But the investigation wasnt over. A week after the two were charged, the detective served a search warrant on Facebook, to get access to their accounts.

He found messages between them suggesting Jessica Burgess had obtained abortion pills for her daughter, and gave her instructions on how to take them.

C. Burgess talks about how she cant wait to get the thing out of her body and reaffirms with J. Burgess that they will burn the evidence afterward, the detective wrote.

A month later, Madison County Attorney Joseph Smith added two more felonies to the charges against Jessica Burgess  for performing or attempting an abortion on a pregnancy at more than 20 weeks, and performing an abortion as a non-licensed doctor.

That was the first time Smith had filed those charges in his 32 years as the countys prosecutor.

I dont think Ive ever had a case like this, he said Friday. Usually, abortions are performed in hospitals, and doctors are involved, and its not the type of stuff that occurred in this case.

The attorney representing Jessica Burgess declined to comment on the case, and her daughters attorney did not return a call seeking comment.
LARAMIE  While there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox in Wyoming, the virus is spreading elsewhere across the United States. At the same time, the BA.5 subvariant of COVID-19 is now the most dominant in the state. In the third year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox now also is raising concern for health officials across the county.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced a public health emergency declaration for the monkeypox outbreak during a press conference Thursday.

Nationwide, 6,617 people have tested positive for monkeypox. This number has increased by more than 1,000 cases in the past week.

There are no cases of the virus recorded in Wyoming, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The global outbreak of monkeypox continues to increase and spread, said Albany County Health Officer Jean Allais, adding that unlike the viral nature of COVID, monkeypox is more difficult to spread through casual contacts.

Monkeypox does not spread easily between people without close contact, she said. Anyone who has had contact with someone who has a probable or confirmed case of monkeypox is at high risk for infection. Many cases in this outbreak have been in men who have sex with men.

Monkeypox infection can cause flu-like symptoms and a rash. The symptoms generally resolve on their own without treatment over the two to four weeks it takes for the illness to run its course, Allais said.

The best way to protect against monkeypox is to avoid close skin-to-skin contact with anyone who is feeling ill or has unexplained rashes on their body, Allais said.

People also should avoid touching objects a person with monkeypox has used.

If you or your partner have recently been sick, currently feel sick or have a new or unexplained rash, do not have sex and see a health care provider, Allais said.

There are two vaccines available for monkeypox, and vaccination is recommended for anyone who has been exposed to monkeypox or has had more multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks in an area where monkeypox is present.

Supply of the vaccine Jynneos is limited in the United States, but is available through public health offices. The vaccine is given in two doses 28 days apart and typically has minor side effects, Allais said.

It best prevents onset of disease when administered four days after exposure, but still may reduce symptoms up to 14 days after exposure.

The Wyoming Department of Health will work to provide access to the vaccine, which may become more broadly available in the future, Allais said.

A more broadly available vaccine in the United States is ACAM2000, which was originally intended for use against smallpox.

It is administered in a single dose using a bifurcated needle. It takes four weeks for optimum development. It should not be used by anyone with a weakened immune system, cardiac condition, eczema or similar skin conditions, Allais said.

As a live, replicating virus vaccine, ACAM2000 can cause serious adverse events in the vaccinated individual and can be transmitted to close contacts, Allais said.

Health officials expect cases to continue to rise in the coming days and weeks, though part of this increase could be attributed to more widespread testing across the country. About 80,000 tests per week are being administered for the virus, and the federal government is working on ramping up its production and distribution of vaccines and treatments, Becerra said.

The emergency declaration should help health officials better increase vaccine production and gather data on the outbreak.

The White House also is working to engage rural communities in monkeypox outreach and education by working with trusted community health groups and LGBTQ organizations, said White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator Demetre Daskalakis.

I think from the LGBTQ community this is a clear statement of the lives of people in that community, Daskalakis said. I think it represents an important commitment by the administration to the community.

In terms of COVID-19, the BA.5 subvariant is now the most dominant variant in the Cowboy State, Allais said.

The variant is known to spread easily but cause less severe illness.

The Wyoming Department of Health recommends that people stay up to date with their vaccinations and be sure to isolate and wear a mask if they test positive for the virus.

Statewide, there have been 493 confirmed active cases and 1,137 probable and confirmed cases of COVID in the past seven days, according to data from the state last updated Tuesday.
Political leaders, social organizations from multiple countries blast Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan

Xinhua) 08:08, August 08, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Political leaders and heads of social organizations from many countries have criticized Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region.

In messages addressed to the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, they said Pelosi's visit was a grave infringement upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a serious breach of international law and the basic principles governing international relations.

Evo Morales, Bolivia's former president and president of the Movement Toward Socialism party, said Pelosi's visit was a political provocation against China and a violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Tiong King Sing, president of the Progressive Democratic Party of Malaysia and the Malaysian prime minister's special envoy to China, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, adding that Malaysia will always abide by the one-China principle.

Ayad Allawi, Iraq's former prime minister, said Pelosi's visit interfered in China's internal affairs. He said Washington's real concern is not democracy but its own interests.

Noting that Pelosi's visit grossly interfered with China's internal affairs, Belete Mola, chairman of Ethiopia's National Movement of Amhara and minister of Innovation and Technology, said the international community recognizes the one-China principle and the Ethiopian side supports China's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Winston Alarcon, general secretary of the Communist Party of Ecuador, said Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region violated the one-China principle universally recognized by the international community, posing brazen provocation to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and putting world peace at risk.

Vlad Batrincea, executive secretary of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova and deputy speaker of the parliament, said that the dangerous manipulation of the Taiwan question by the U.S. side triggered further escalation and jeopardized global security, adding that Moldova has always supported the one-China principle and sees Taiwan as part of China.

Jimson Tanangada, president of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party of the Solomon Islands, said Pelosi's visit, in disregard of China's strong opposition, violated the basic principles of international law and infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of the People's Party of Kazakhstan Yermukhamet Ertysbayev, Leader of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan Ishak Masaliev and Chairman of the Central Committee of the Democratic Patriots' Unified Party in Tunisia Mohamed Jamour also expressed firm support for the one-China principle in different ways.

Others who expressed support for the one-China principle following Pelosi's visit include General Secretary of the Dominican Republic's United Left Movement Miguel Mejia, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, former Guinea-Bissau's Prime Minister Rui Duarte de Barros, Member of the Presidential Advisory Council of Indonesia and former Speaker of the People's Representative Council Agung Laksono, Executive Secretary of the World Peace Council Iraklis Tsavdaridis and President of Peace Committee of Armenia Grigor Petrosyan.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
THE recent, and perhaps ongoing, difference of opinion between Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) and the Tobago House of Assemblyover the limitations on the national air carriers service on the Tobago routeled me to question whether CAL needs to be responsible for the domestic airbridge.
A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy is in critical condition at the Port of Spain General Hospital after bei
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The magical charm of the Manzanilla-to-Mayaro vista is not the only gift of nature that could be lost to future generations. Natural phenomena combined with the human-induced impacts of climate change are already altering our lives, and are projected to do so in even more drastic and dramatic ways within the lifetimes of most people alive today.
Museum displays a range of ancient paintings from late intellectual Deng Tuo's former collection.



A donation ceremony was held at the National Art Museum of China in July for the addition of just one calligraphy work to its collection.

The work, written on two separate pieces of paper, was created by the late editor-in-chief of People's Daily, Deng Tuo, in 1965. It has verses from a poem by Chairman Mao Zedong.

The donation was made by Deng's family on the sidelines of an ongoing exhibition at the museum in Beijing that shows a selection of Chinese paintings from Deng's former collection.

Deng was well-versed in literature, art and music. He also built a personal collection of classic Chinese paintings, reflecting a fine discernment of the ink art tradition in the country.

Soon after the National Art Museum was opened to the public in 1963, Deng donated more than 140 ancient paintings he had obtained through years to boost the museum's collection and academic research. The donation includes quality works by ancient master painters, which offer a glimpse of the development of art between the Song (960-1279) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

An exhibition dedicated to Deng's donation was held in 2012 to mark the centennial of his birth and his generosity and commitment to preserving Chinese cultural traditions. Selected works from this collection have also been exhibited at group shows to inspire art donations to public museums.

Deng once said he collected art because he loved the country's cultural traditions, and while he owned many artworks, he didn't want to be "a servant" of them, so he donated the personal assembly to the museum.

The current exhibition, An Intellectual's Commitment to Cultural Inheritance, running through Aug 25, gathers more than 70 paintings from Deng's collection. He acquired a large part of the artworks after 1959 when he led a team responsible for the construction of the National Museum of Chinese History, now the National Museum of China in Beijing. The role allowed him an exposure to varied categories of Chinese antiques, including classic paintings and calligraphy works.

Wu Weishan, director of the National Art Museum, says the collection reflects Deng's cultural accumulation and a broad vision of history.

"The works in his donation include, basically, the most important painters and schools of Chinese painting in history, showing the scope and the evolution in the styles and techniques of Chinese art," he says.

Wu says the collection also offers clues to the development of literati painting, featuring those renowned intellectual-painter collectives such as "the four masters of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)", the Wumen (Suzhou and neighboring areas) school and the Yangzhou school.

Literati painting, or wenrenhua, was an integral part of the system of Chinese painting. It was viewed as an ideal form of expression among scholar-painters, who, when depicting natural elements, prioritized a reflection of individual erudition and alter ego over the subjects' physical attractiveness.

"Deng's collection shows his interest was not only collecting but also authenticating and appreciation, which is essential to the commitment of a scholar-collector in Chinese cultural traditions," Wu adds.

Paintings depicting bamboos and rocks constitute an important part of Deng's donation.

Ancient Chinese valued the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Intellectuals imbued objects from nature with fine moral qualities, which they expressed in literature and art, for example in literati paintings.

A section at the ongoing exhibition is dedicated to the paintings of bamboos and rocks, the two subjects of rich symbolic meaning.

Bai Juyi, a preeminent Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet and statesman, once said that bamboo represented integrity, honesty and firmness. He also said that the rock was like "a friend who can't talk but is righteous, frank and wise".

His praise inspired generations of artists to draw bamboos and rocks together as a way to hail high morality. A leading figure in this trend was Su Shi, a noted Song Dynasty scholar, politician and artist, who pioneered literati painting and said that he couldn't live without bamboos for even one day.

Very few paintings attributed to Su have been found, but one has been Bamboos and Rocks which is on show at the current exhibition.

Mi Fu, the painter who, like Su, is deemed one of "the four masters of the Song Dynasty", said that the hard lines in the painting revealed Su's depression at the time.

A monochromatic ink work of rarity, Bamboos and Rocks bears long commentaries by artists, critics and collectors, reflecting their admiration of Su.

The painting was presented to a panel of prominent experts, including Xin Zhiliu, Qi Gong and Xu Bangda, for authentication of important classic Chinese paintings in the early 1960s. It received divided opinion on whether it was a genuine work of Su, and Deng collected it despite the mixed views.

The uncertainties surrounding the painting have inspired more interest among people who are likely to visit the show for a view of it.
The monkeypox vaccine will be distributed in Pima County the same way shots were first planned for COVID-19: Those at highest risk go first.

Based on what health officials know so far, the risk of monkeypox infection for the general population remains very small, said Pima Countys Health Department director, Dr. Theresa Cullen. Nationally there have been about 7,500 cases reported, including 100 in Arizona, and six in Pima County.

Local numbers are expected to increase this week, Cullen said, because they are currently investigating some suspected, but as yet unconfirmed, cases.

Those considered at high risk include health care workers in contact with infected patients, people directly exposed to a friend or family member with an active infection and individuals who have multiple male sex partners. However, monkeypox is not being classified as a sexually transmitted disease. Instead, its skin-to-skin contact thats one of the main ways it transmits, Cullen said.

People with monkeypox get a rash that may be located on or near their genitals or anus as well as on their hands, feet, chest, face or mouth, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. The rash may look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy. Scabs will form before healing.

Other symptoms of the virus can include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, headache and respiratory symptoms such as a sore throat, congestion or cough.

Overall, the symptoms are similar to those once seen in smallpox patients, although less severe. The case death ratio currently reported by the World Health Organization is 3% to 6%.

The county is using the vaccine called Jynneos, which is also known as Imvamune or Imvanex, thats being imported to the United States from Europe. The drug is approved to prevent monkeypox and smallpox.

Overall, the supply is inadequate for what we are seeing not only with the number of cases but the subsequent risk for individuals that are self-identifying (as high risk) based on behavior and exposure, Cullen said.

For this reason, the county is considering following what other jurisdictions are doing and just giving the first dose  which she said gives 85% to 90% protection  instead of the recommended two doses, which are to be administered 28 days apart.

People who are getting the vaccine here so far include those who filled out an online health questionnaire and then were invited to a county clinic for a shot. The online monkeypox risk questionnaire can be found at pima.gov/monkeypox.

Arizona has received 7,914 vaccine doses so far, with about 6,500 more expected during August. Half of that second round is scheduled to be shipped in mid-August, state Health Department spokesman Steve Elliott said, and the other half late in August.

Over the last weekend, about 398 county residents received the vaccine and about 230 more were distributed last week. Anyone who believes they have come in contact with an infected person is urged to contact the countys health department in order to get vaccinated, and also to help the county trace cases.

One of the points of that case investigation is to ensure that the individual has appropriate access to care but also to ensure that we can identify contacts, she said. Those contacts then become eligible for the vaccine.

People can prevent infection by reducing the number of sex or intimate partners in their lives, Cullen said. In order to reduce the spread of the disease, Cullen said people who are high risk should check their skin regularly. Only one lesion is needed for there to be in infection.

The disease is also believed to spread through respiratory droplets, but only after many hours of exposure. Bedsheets are also believed to be a way the virus can spread if an infected person used the sheets and then another person sleeps against the sheet for at least six hours.

Now, that may modify as we go along and learn more about this disease, Cullen said.

The vast majority of the cases are not occurring in those situations, she said, but with skin-to-skin or intimate contact.

On Wednesday, the county and Tucson Medical Center will offer a monkeypox Webinar starting at 6 p.m. The website is tucne.ws/1l3o
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Scott Crow, who helped oversee the state's return to carrying out the death penalty after a nearly seven-year hiatus, announced Monday he's stepping down.

In a statement announcing his resignation, Crow did not cite a reason for stepping down, but called it one of the most difficult decisions I've ever encountered."

Crow, who was appointed director by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2019 following nearly 25 years with the agency, helped oversee the states return to carrying out lethal injections. In 2020, he joined Stitt and then-Attorney General Mike Hunter in announcing that the state had secured a source for the lethal injection drugs and planned to move forward with executions that were put on hold following a series of death-chamber mishaps.

Crow was inside the death chamber for the last four lethal injections in Oklahoma, including the October 2021 execution of John Marion Grant who convulsed and vomited on the gurney as he was executed.

During testimony before a federal judge earlier this year, Crow confirmed that the state used the wrong drug labels during three recent executions, but said despite the error, he remained 100% confident" the proper drugs were used.

I was not at all happy about that development," Crow said during the hearing.

Crow joined the agency in 1996 after a career in law enforcement. His last day as director will be Oct. 31.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  The Michigan Attorney General's office is asking that a special prosecutor investigate whether the Republican candidate for state attorney general and others should be charged in connection with an effort to gain access to voting machines after the 2020 election, according to published reports.

The Detroit News reported Sunday that Attorney General Dana Nessels office has asked that the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, a state agency, appoint a special prosecutor to consider charges against nine people, including Republican attorney general candidate Matt DePerno, state Rep. Daire Rendon of Lake City and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf.

The newspaper reported that the details of allegations were made in a letter sent Friday by Nessel's chief deputy attorney general, Christina Grossi, to Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

They involved convincing local clerks to hand over voting tabulators, breaking into them and performing tests," according to the letter.

The request for a special prosecutor was made because of the potential conflict of interest since Nessel likely will face DePerno in the November election.

DePerno, a lawyer, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The political newcomer supports Trumps false claims about his 2020 loss in the swing state to President Joe Biden. DePerno was endorsed by Michigan Republicans at their state convention in April. He will be officially nominated at a second convention later this month, but that was considered a formality.

Dana Nessel knows she is losing this race," DePernos campaign manager, Tyson Shepard, said in a statement Sunday night, The News reported. "She is desperate to win this election at all costs and is now targeting DePerno, her political opponent. Her actions are unethical and will further demonstrate to the voters that she is unfit for office.

Five tabulators were taken from Roscommon and Missaukee counties in northern Michigan, and Barry County in western Michigan, according to the petition, which further states that Ben Cotton, Jeff Lenberg, Douglas Logan and James Penrose broke into the tabulators and performed tests on the equipment.

Cotton, Lenberg, Logan and Penrose have all been involved in efforts to question the 2020 election. Cotton, Lenberg and Penrose were cited as experts by DePerno in a lawsuit involving Antrim County, The News reported.

Logan is the founder of Cyber Ninjas. He was involved in an audit of results in Maricopa County, Arizona.

The News said Leaf didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday and Rendon couldnt be reached.

Obtaining undue possession of a voting machine used in an election is a felony punishable by five years in prison, the newspaper reported.
Second-quarter losses for electric vehicle start-up Canoo, which has production plans for Oklahoma, increased 46% percent on Monday.

The company reported a loss of $164.3 million, or 68 cents per diluted share, compared to a loss of $112.5 million, or 50 cents per diluted share, over the same period a year ago.

We have more than $1 billion in our sales pipeline which includes our recently announced commercial order, Canoo chairman and CEO Tony Aquila, said in a statement.

We have successfully completed 90% of our structural crash testing in the quarter and are now moving to the final phase of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard certification.

We have navigated a tough global economic backdrop in the first half, and will continue to take a disciplined, long-term, strategic and focused approach to deliver on our announced built in America vehicles, which are for and by America first with the intent of making EVs available to everyone.

We have also introduced phase one of our just-in-time, milestone-based approach to accessing the capital markets which aid us as we continue to build on access to non-dilutive capital. We are advancing to start of production in Q4 (quarter 4) and our product resonates with the most discerning customers.

The company said a year ago that it intended to provide at least 1,500 jobs by building a factory with 3-million-plus square feet of space at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor.

Aquila said earlier this year that a plant capable of producing 300,000 vehicles annually could be operational at MAIP by 2024.

Retail giant Walmart recently signed an agreement with Canoo to purchase 4,500 delivery vans to support Walmarts e-commerce business. The pact contains an option for Walmart to buy an additional 5,500 vehicles.

As part of that deal, Canoo agreed not to sell any vehicles to Walmart competitor Amazon.
Tom Gilbert Chief Photographer I joined the Tulsa World in 1988 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. I lived in Saudi Arabia before graduating from Broken Arrow High School. I'm married to Karen Gilbert and have three grown children. Phone: 918-581-8349 Follow Tom Gilbert Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Wild Brew, the Sutton Avian Research Center's fundraiser, also has a beer to help raise funds. That beer is the beer of the week.

Tony Peck, Dead Armadillo's brewmaster, tells us about Wild Brew Tangerine IPA.

"We are lucky enough to brew the Wild Brew beer, the official beer for them again," Peck said. "It's awesome to be back together. This year, we're releasing it on IPA Day. So, of course, we had to do an IPA."

Peck described the beer as a tangerine IPA with Simco, Centennial and Citra hops.

"It comes in at 7% ABV, so it's up there, but it's very drinkable and I think it's because all that citrus and those great hops just make it super crushable and it's dangerous, but we love it," Peck said.

The beer will be available at your favorite liquor stores in six packs very soon. It is available now at the Dead Armadillo taproom at 1004 E. Fourth St. Dead Armadillo will serve the beer at the Wild Brew event on Aug. 27 at the Cox Business Center. For tickets: wildbrew.org.

"Wild Brew supports the Sutton Center up in Bartlesville," Peck said. "They are responsible for helping a lot of different bird species that are on the edge of extinction come back. They were just telling me they've got a big batch of prairie chickens that they have hatched and nurtured to health and they're putting them out in the wild."

Dead Armadillo was able to test its beers at Wild Brew before it was even a brewery. However, this year the ABLE Commission has stopped that practice by not allowing breweries in planning to participate in festivals. For many years, homebrewers and breweries in planning have served their beers to see what beer fans like. Not anymore. Hopefully, the ABLE commission will reverse this decision.

Past Beers of the Week:
Last call: Tuesday is the final day for families to pick up five days worth of breakfasts and lunches for free from Tulsa Public Schools.

Grab-and-go meal service will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at six sites around the district: College Bound Academy, the former Grimes Elementary School, McLain High School, Webster High School, Will Rogers College High School and the Ross Child Nutrition facility, 8934 E. Latimer St.

Help wanted: Along with current and retired teachers, the Oklahoma State Department of Education is seeking college students to join the states Math Tutoring Corps for the 2022-23 school year.

Funded with federal COVID-19 relief dollars, the program provides online math tutoring to up to 1,500 seventh, eighth and ninth grade students across the state.

Tutors enrolled at an Oklahoma college or university who are residents of the state will earn $25 per hour for all training, tutoring, planning and required meetings.

Applications may be submitted through Wednesday at tinyurl.com/OKMathTutor.

Free haircuts: Clary Sage College is hosting its annual Cuts for Kids on Tuesday and Wednesday at 3131 S. Sheridan Road. Free haircuts will be available to all children from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days.

Free haircuts will also be available Saturday at Lacy Parks back-to-school block party, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Financial accolade: For the 30th consecutive year, Union Public Schools Finance Division received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

The associations certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Shot clinics: The Wagoner County Health Department will host back-to-school immunization clinics from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. Mondays event is set for the departments Wagoner branch, 212 N. Pierce Ave., and Wednesdays event will be at the Coweta branch, 28596 E. 141st St.

Through the lunch line: Catoosa Public Schools has announced its 2022-23 school meal prices.

Full-price breakfast will be $2 for all students and $2.25 for adults. Full-price lunch will be $2.75 for elementary students, $3.25 for secondary students and $4.50 for adults. Reduced price breakfast and lunch are 40 cents for all qualifying Catoosa students.

Running after all: After Tulsa Public Schools Aug. 1 school board meeting, ELena Ashley walked back a previous comment that she had not submitted organizational documents for reelection.

In a July 26 interview, Ashley said she had not filed a campaign committee declaration for the 2026 election cycle. However, documents obtained by the Tulsa World show that a campaign committee statement of organization for 2026 was filed with TPS on June 22.

The east Tulsa representative was elected to a four-year term in April.

That was a mistake, she said. I filed it myself. The paperwork is in. That was on me.

School board calendar: The boards of education for Allen Bowden, Anderson, Berryhill, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Collinsville, Coweta, Glenpool, Jenks, Liberty, Mounds, Owasso, Prue, Sapulpa, Skiatook, Sperry, Union and Verdigris all have meetings scheduled for Monday.

The boards of education for Keystone and Wagoner are scheduled to meet Tuesday, as is the State Virtual Charter School Board.

The board of Inola Public Schools is scheduled to meet Wednesday.

The board of Bixby Public Schools is scheduled to meet on Thursday.
A Tulsa nonprofit that recently relinquished operations of its partnership school to Tulsa Public Schools has regained its nonprofit status.

According to a letter dated Friday from the Internal Revenue Service, the Met Cares Foundations tax-exempt status has been retroactively restored back to Nov. 15, 2021.

The organization automatically lost its tax-exempt status earlier this year due to missing tax returns for 2019, 2020 and 2021. That in turn led the Met Cares Foundation to hand over operations of its partnership school, Greenwood Leadership Academy, to TPS in late July.

On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Met Cares Foundation said that despite the reinstatement, the school will still be run by TPS and the transfer of operations will remain unchanged.

The first day of classes for Greenwood Leadership Academy and other TPS sites is Aug. 18.

TPS approved an application in 2017 from the Met Cares Foundation to convert one of its schools into a partnership school, which is a hybrid between a traditional public school and a charter school.

A partnership school has more autonomy with respect to curriculum and staffing than a traditional public school, but it still answers to the districts Board of Education. On the flip side, the district must offer transportation and is still accountable for students performance.

Academy Central was selected for the partnership school in large part due to a steep enrollment decline and nearly half of the students in its attendance area transferring to other schools.

Greenwood Leadership Academy opened in fall 2017 and began sharing a building with Academy Central. The partnership school initially served only prekindergarten through first grade and completed its expansion in 2020-21 to serve students through fifth grade.

Student count data from the Oklahoma State Department of Education show that 348 students were enrolled at Greenwood Leadership Academy in 2021-22, an increase of 46 from the previous year.
Oklahoma children continue to fare more poorly overall than their peers in other states, according to an annual report released Monday.

The 2022 Kids Count Data Book, published yearly by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, ranks the state 40th in the country for child well-being.

The report, which reviews recent household data from all 50 states to analyze how children and families are doing, determines the overall grade from four major categories.

Oklahoma again scored in the bottom 10 in three of them, including health, education, and family and community context.

The states overall ranking of 40th is an improvement from 2020 and 2019, when it came in at 42nd and 45th respectively.

But that rise can be misleading, said Gabrielle Jacobi of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the states host agency for Kids Count.

Its improvement by default, because some surrounding states are just doing worse than they were, she said.

Oklahomas individual category rankings include 32nd in economic well-being, 41st in family and community context, 45th in education and 42nd in health.

Economic well-being rose one spot from last year due primarily to federal pandemic relief funding, Jacobi said.

Health held steady at 42nd. But theres good reason to believe that will improve, Jacobi said, as the report data predated Oklahomas Medicaid expansion.

This years report zeroes in on childrens mental health, as children in America increasingly struggle with anxiety and depression.

In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 11.8% of children ages 3 to 17 nationally (7.3 million) experienced anxiety or depression. Thats a 26% increase from 9.4% (5.8 million) in 2016.

In Oklahoma, nearly 1 in 8 children between ages 3 and 17 had anxiety or depression in 2020, up 15% from 2016.

The increase in anxiety and depression among Oklahoma children is especially troubling and signals a need to make investments in their well-being, Jacobi said, adding that with only the first year of the pandemic reflected in the data, how it trends from there remains to be seen.

Moreover, mental health has a direct relationship to an increase in the child-teen death rate, which from 2019 to 2020 rose from 33 to 36 deaths per 100,000, she said.

Reflecting the national trend, that includes more deaths from firearms (suicide, homicide and accidental) and drug overdoses.

Breaking the rankings down further, Oklahoma continues to rank in the bottom half of states in 15 of the 16 metrics used for the survey.

The only metric in which Oklahoma ranked in the top half of states was children living in households with a high housing-cost burden  those spending over 30% of their income on housing.

Oklahoma is doing better there, with a ranking of 19th.

But the cost burden still affects 1 in 4 Oklahoma families, the report notes, and will likely increase with the current housing and rental market.

As the 40th state overall, Oklahoma ranked just behind South Carolina and one ahead of Alaska in the report. New Mexico came in last at 50th.

The bottom line, Jacobi said, is that Oklahoma continues to lag behind states that are making meaningful investments in the health, education, and overall well-being of their children.

The net result is that far too many children in our communities live in poverty, have unhealthy lives, and are behind the educational outcomes of their peers in other parts of the country.

To view the 2022 Kids Count Data Book, go to aecf.org/resources/2022-kids-count-data-book.
The Stitt administration has made good on its threat to sue a Florida company it hired to administer a federal education program that the U.S. Department of Education says was mismanaged.

On Friday, the state filed suit in Oklahoma County District Court against Kleo Inc., which does business under the name Classwallet, charging breach of contract and negligence and/or fraudulent misrepresentation. It also asks that Classwallet be found responsible for producing documentation demanded by federal investigators.

Classwallet had no immediate response to the suit.

The administration claims that Classwallet is to blame for an unflattering federal audit of Oklahomas handling of the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund, known as GEER. The state received nearly $40 million through GEER, which was a component of the COVID-related federal CARES Act.

That audit, released in July, said the money administered through the Oklahoma State Department of Education was properly managed but that $31 million under the control of Gov. Kevin Stitts office lacked sufficient documentation and in some cases seemed to be spent improperly.

Several million dollars of the states GEER allocation were not spent at all.

The audit recommended that the U.S. Department of Education pursue the return of more than $6 million from the state. It is particularly critical of two programs, Bridge the Gap and Stay in School.

Bridge the Gap provided grants to parents for education-related expenses, and Stay in School was supposed to help low-income students make private school tuition payments.

The audit found that some Bridge the Gap grants were used for such things as household appliances, security cameras, televisions and stereos and that the eligibility of Stay in School recipients was not sufficiently verified.

Stitt and Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters maintain that Classwallet, which they hired to oversee the programs, is to blame.

The federal audit directs its attention to Walters, who was involved in choosing Classwallet while still a private citizen and not yet a member of the Stitt administration. Emails cited in the audit indicate that Walters declined to use a security setting that would have prevented Bridge the Gap funds from being spent with multi-line retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot. Walters said he did not want to limit recipients retailer options.

Walters is now a Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction.

The lawsuit was randomly assigned to Oklahoma County District Judge Sheila Stinson, who was originally appointed to the bench by Stitt and is the wife of state Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond.

Tulsa World Opinion podcast: Tulsa Public Schools targeted by state leaders
China's foreign trade saw double-digit growth in the first seven months of 2022 amid policy support and a boost from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreements.



During the January-July period, the country's foreign trade of goods jumped 10.4 percent year on year to 23.6 trillion yuan (about 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars), official data showed Sunday.

Exports rose 14.7 percent year on year to 13.37 trillion yuan, while imports increased 5.3 percent from a year ago to 10.23 trillion yuan, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

In July alone, foreign trade jumped 16.6 percent from a year ago, with the Yangtze River Delta region seeing rapid growth of 25.7 percent, according to GAC spokesperson Li Kuiwen.

Swift and steady

During the period, China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States expanded 13.2 percent, 8.9 percent and 11.8 percent from a year ago, respectively.

From January to July, China's trade with Belt and Road countries soared 19.8 percent year on year, and its trade with other RCEP members rose 7.5 percent.

Private enterprises posted strong performances, with their imports and exports growing 15.3 percent year on year in the seven months, accounting for 50 percent of the country's overall trade volume.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products expanded 10.1 percent to account for 56.6 percent of the total, while exports of labor-intensive products increased 15.2 percent, the data showed.

RCEP a key booster

In July, trade with RCEP partners reached 1.17 trillion yuan, soaring 18.8 percent year on year and boosting China's overall foreign trade growth by 5.6 percentage points, Li said.

The RCEP agreement -- the world's largest free trade deal between 10 ASEAN member states plus China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- came into force on the first day of 2022, and Chinese foreign trade enterprises have since benefited from various trading dividends.

The RCEP framework has further deepened regional economic connectivity as well as trade and investment cooperation, and it has provided new drivers for regional economic recovery and development, Li said.

The countries under the framework account for roughly 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product and population. Over 90 percent of trade in goods among approved member states will gradually become tariff-free.

Resilient and attractive

With a slew of measures to stabilize foreign trade and investment having paid off, China's foreign trade of goods and the amount of foreign capital actually used both posted marked growth in the first half of the year.

The foreign trade growth continued the upward trend that began in May, making positive contributions to stabilizing the macroeconomic market, Li said.

China's gross domestic product expanded 2.5 percent year on year in the first half of 2022, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 17.4 percent year on year to 723.31 billion yuan in the first half of the year.

The country's high-tech industries saw a rapid FDI increase of 33.6 percent in the first half of 2022. Foreign investment in high-tech manufacturing rose 31.1 percent, and that in the high-tech services sector jumped 34.4 percent.

According to a June report from the European Chamber of Commerce in China in partnership with the Mercator Institute for China Studies, many European companies are optimistic about China's huge market potential and the rapid commercial application of China's R&D achievements, and will increase their R&D spending in China this year.

Next, China will further boost exports, expand imports and promote the introduction of technology and foreign investment, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee that analyzed the current economic situation and arranged economic work for the second half of the year.

Efforts should be made to enhance the stability and international competitiveness of industrial and supply chains, and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation should also be promoted, the meeting said.
Oklahoma voters sent a message in 2016: Stop sending people to prison on minor drug and property crimes. Direct money saved to counties for drug and mental health treatment.

State lawmakers still havent gotten the second half of that.

Nearly seven years later, not a dime has been invested in the County Community Safety Investment Fund, established by passage of State Question 781 to cover the costs of treatment in all 77 counties.

Thats where the burden shifted when voters approved State Question 780, reclassifying many drug-related felonies and sending offenders to county jails rather than state prisons.

Instead, legislators have been appropriating funds into a separate diversion program managed by state agencies.

Rather than appropriate dollars to this fund, theyve appropriated directly to individual agencies or programs that are  I think the word they used was in the spirit of the State Question 780  related back to mental health and things like that, said Caden Cleveland, a spokesman for the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

When 58% of voters supported reclassifying low-level offenses and 56% voted to channel the saving to counties for treatment, they werent casting ballots for the spirit of the law, said Damion Shade, executive director of Oklahomans For Criminal Justice Reform.

It is entirely true to say that they have invested in some diversion programs, Shade said. The diversion programs that they have invested in are not the diversion programs and not the resources that voters demanded. Its not.

Thats just a material fact. When they say theyre fulfilling the spirit of the law, that means that they are not fulfilling the letter of the law.

Zero dollars

One such diversion program is Smart on Crime, which was intended to reduce the incarceration cost on the state by getting people into treatment programs. Theres an important distinction: While addressing problems of mental health and substance abuse in state prisons, Smart on Crime doesnt allot funds specifically for counties.

Gov. Kevin Stitts first budget proposed that the Legislature put $10 million into the fund in 2020. State lawmakers never appropriated it. Stitt administration spokesperson Carly Atchison declined Oklahoma Watch requests.

A state financial report on County Community Safety Investment Fund couldnt be generated by the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services, Cleveland said. He said if he pulled the report it would say zero dollars.

It took nearly five years for the Legislature to work with criminal justice advocates and the state Department of Corrections and agree on how to calculate the savings from voter-approved sentencing changes.

State Rep. Justin Humphrey, chairman of the House Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections, said the unclear language of State Question 780 contributed to the delay.

It had no expectations of whats going to happen to all these people, said Humphrey, R-Lane.

Yet Shade said the state question was clear in its intent that all 77 counties could have funding for mental health courts, drug courts and sentencing-diversion programs.

We dont want people struggling with addiction behind bars, Shade said. We want them with doctors getting treatment and getting better, to whatever extent that is possible.

The need in counties

Rural county drug court administrators said they need the funds set forth in State Question 781. Noel Bagwell, executive director of the Payne County Drug Court, said the funds would further existing services such as drug testing.

Even in Oklahoma County  with a drug court graduation rate over 80%  staffing levels are dangerously low and funding is lacking for housing assistance, indigent drug testing and transportation, said Oklahoma County Drug Court Judge Kenneth Stoner.

People have to go to treatment. They have to come to court. They have to come down to take a drug test. And so we have to buy lots of bus passes, Stoner said. And, frankly, we dont really get funding for bus passes. We just have to try to figure out how to help people.

Said Bagwell: At the end of the day, weve got to be sure that weve done everything possible for our clientele. Funding would make that more possible.

Robert Hicks graduated from Oklahoma County Drug Court in July. He had been trapped in a cycle of addiction since age 14, and hes been incarcerated several times. Now approaching 60, Hicks said his life changed in 2020 after police pulled him over while he was driving under the influence of pills.

I had my grandson in the car with me when I got pulled over, and they put a child endangerment charge on me, Hicks said. And I thought about what could have happened to him. 

It just made me see what I had been doing and how many chances I took and how many times I had gotten away with it. That was really the final straw, and I couldnt do this anymore.

Among the 36 bills Humphrey authored during the 2022 legislative session is one that would force legislators to appropriate funds to the County Community Safety Investment Fund. The bill passed the House unanimously but was never heard in the Senate.

Yet after authoring House Bill 3294, Humphreys said he was surprised to learn that some money has been set aside. He is hosting an interim study this fall in hopes of learning more.

The hope is that we quit talking and we actually develop a bill,  so I would say creating real legislation that results in real action to change our entire criminal justice system and begin to work on community corrections, progressive discipline, real data, and real accountability with actions toward criminal behaviors and substance abuse behavior, Humphrey said.
After Vietnam's tax authorities enhanced the collection of taxes from traders on digital platforms, including social networks and e-commerce sites, many traders are seeking ways to avoid paying them or pass the buck to buyers.

Shopping on websites, e-commerce platforms, and social networks is a national trend.

E-commerce has boomed in Vietnam with revenue of some US$13.7 billion in 2021.

The figure is forecast to reach $39 billion by 2025.

However, the tax revenue from this sector has not risen commensurately its growth.

Multiple tricks to avoid taxes

Minh Thu, living in Thu Duc City, a district-level city in Ho Chi Minh City, said after ordering a pair of shoes from an online trader on Facebook, she was surprised as the trader announced that from August 1, customers must make payments in advance and the trader will not offer the cash-on-delivery (COD) service as earlier.

Money transfer descriptions must not include the words 'buy' or 'sell,' but Facebook or Zalo accounts.

The trader explained that was a way to cope with tax agencies because from August 1, the taxman will collect taxes from online traders through delivery service providers, such as Giao hang tiet kiem, Giao hang nhanh, Ninjavan, and Vietnam Post," Thu said.

Therefore, the trader must change her trading methods.

"If customers still want to pay for goods at the time of delivery, the trader will collect taxes equal to 1.5 percent of the price."

Many online vendors on social networks and e-commerce platforms have sought ways to avoid paying taxes or pass the buck to buyers. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Online traders shift the blame to customers when they ask those using the COD service to pay taxes.

After tax agencies started reviewing transactions through delivery firms and banks, online vendors, besides asking customers to make payments for goods in advance, hide their bank account numbers on their Facebook instead of pinning them to the top of their pages timeline.

They are afraid that tax bodies will review their bank accounts and revenue.

Furthermore, instead of trading on their personal Facebook accounts or public pages, many vendors have established private groups to dodge the taxman's attention.

These groups, including tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of members, have mushroomed and operated actively.

T. in Hanoi said she had a store and sold products through Facebook groups and e-commerce platforms.

Each month, she can secure 200-300 orders, earning a stable income.

Many vendors have sold products through live streams, even from the U.S., and secured dozens of orders.

Despite their high revenue, they still find tax payments unfamiliar.

L.T.H., residing in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, said her monthly income had increased thanks to online trading, especially over the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the revenue increase is due to a goods price hike of 5-7 percent per year.

This year alone, many products have seen their prices surging 20 percent over last year.

I think that the taxable income threshold of VND100 million [$4,275] for online vendors is unreasonable," H. explained the reason why she has yet to declare and pay taxes.

"The revenue increase does not result from me doing business well or securing many orders.

Phone and delivery costs are taken into account before calculating taxes, so my profit has reduced despite a rise in revenue."

The owner of a store of household appliances and consumer goods on Nui Truc Street in Hanoi said she stopped leasing the store three years ago and now sells products on Facebook and e-commerce platforms only.

Upon the announcement about the tax collection, vendors began to tell each other ways to avoid taxes, including opening many accounts at several banks, and even temporarily using relatives accounts.

She also sends goods through two to three delivery firms and in her husbands and daughters names.

Tax obligations in doing business

Dang Ngoc Minh, deputy head of the General Department of Taxation, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that Vietnam has 139 companies operating e-commerce platforms, including 41 platforms offering products and 98 providing services, and three partners of foreign companies.

These partners can represent foreign firms to make payments to individuals and organizations conducting transactions with the foreign firms.

From August 1, 2022, many online traders ask their customers not to include the words 'buy' or 'sell' in the money transfer descriptions to avoid paying taxes.

There are some 3.5 million daily visits to e-commerce platforms.

However, the ballooning of e-commerce and cross-border digital services has raised many issues, especially difficulties in tax management.

To deal with the tax evasion of online vendors, tax agencies will continue awareness campaigns and urge them to declare and pay taxes in line with the law.

Moreover, the taxman will enhance inspections of e-commerce platforms, focusing on foreign suppliers without headquarters in Vietnam and some owners of e-commerce platforms.

In reality, the General Department of Taxation has sent statements to the State Bank of Vietnams Banking Supervision Agency and the Ministry of Public Securitys Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes, seeking their support in the management of online traders tax payment.

Additionally, the general department has proposed asking operators of e-commerce platforms to declare and pay the value added tax (VAT) on behalf of vendors.

To employ this solution, the VAT, personal income tax and tax administration laws, and documents guiding the enforcement of these laws should be amended.

According to Nguyen Viet Anh, senior public sector specialist at World Bank Vietnam, it is required to determine the role of digital platforms in traders declaration and payment of the VAT.

He said owners of e-commerce platforms have to fulfill the obligation of collecting and paying the VAT for products sold on their platforms.

Meanwhile, online vendors proposed doubling the revenue threshold subject to taxes to at least VND200 million ($8,550).

If so, sellers can take the initiative in tax declaration and payment. The VND100 million level which has been applied for many years is no longer appropriate and has put traders at a disadvantage, said Tam, an online seller on e-commerce platforms.

Strengthening inspections to prevent tax evasion

Pursuant to the Ministry of Finances Circular 40 coming into force on August 1, 2021, individuals and organizations that are owners of e-commerce platforms must provide information about individuals doing business on their sites, such as their full name, ID/passport number, tax identification number, address, email address, phone number, types of goods and services, revenue, bank account, and other details as requested by tax agencies.

After the circular took effect, the General Department of Taxation has directed local tax offices to enhance inspections of tax evasion in the e-commerce sector, said a leader of the taxman.

Local tax offices must regularly review, classify, monitor, and get updates on information about individual traders and companies doing business on e-commerce platforms and earning incomes from e-commerce activities, such as enterprises generating incomes through Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon.

Moreover, enterprises selling goods online, those offering online hotel room booking services (such as Booking.com and Agoda), and enterprises operating e-commerce platforms (such as Sendo, Lazada, and Shoppe) should also be reviewed.

Starting from delivery firms, ecommerce platforms

A leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department told Tuoi Tre that online business activities have developed quickly but most traders fail to declare and pay taxes.

These traders can easily evade taxes because most buyers on Facebook and e-commerce platforms do not require invoices.

Tax agencies have been enhancing the collection of taxes from traders on e-commerce platforms as the tax revenue has not been corresponding to the sectors huge revenue. Photo: Q.D. / Tuoi Tre

In addition, traders receive payments through COD services, e-wallets, or bank accounts which are not registered at tax agencies.

Individuals and organizations trading on e-commerce platforms think that tax authorities will not find their revenue, so they do not declare and pay their taxes for many years.

However, under Government Decree 52/2013, traders on e-commerce platforms have to fulfill their tax obligations, while e-commerce platform operators must support the state management agencies to investigate illegal business activities on their sites.

Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department wrote to the operators of Lazada, Shopee, and Tiki, requiring them to ask individuals and organizations selling goods there to issue invoices.

The platform operators must provide the list of traders failing to issue invoices every quarter, no later than the 30th day of the following quarter," he said.

However, only one e-commerce platform operator has provided the list which is not sufficient."

In addition to e-commerce platforms, the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department asked providers of logistics and delivery services which collect money from buyers on behalf of online sellers to report the volume and collected amount to the department.

Payment intermediaries were also asked to provide data about money transferred by buyers to online traders.

However, many units have cited multiple reasons to avoid satisfying the requirement.

They reason that they do not know the regulations, or their parent companies save data in Vietnam for only six months.

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China's Hainan, an island province dependent on tourism, locked down more areas on Monday, state media reported, as it battles its worst COVID-19 outbreak after seeing very few cases the past two years compared with many other regions in the country.

The island in the East Vietnam Sea, which recorded just two local symptomatic COVID-19 cases last year, has reported more than 1,400 domestically transmitted infections this month, including 982 symptomatic ones. Although that is small by global standards, it is the province's biggest outbreak since the virus was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

The sharp increase in cases comes amid a pick-up in interest in tourism after China slightly eased curbs aimed at domestic travel, accounting for the shorter incubation period of the Omicron variant, which facilitates a shorter quarantine time.

However, the curbs in Hainan, in line with China's "dynamic COVID-zero" policy that aims to stamp out outbreaks as soon as possible, point to persistent uncertainty shrouding travel. That may further dampen confidence in the tourism and hospitality sectors, which are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 restrictions.

The provincial capital city of Haikou, with about 2.9 million residents, and two smaller towns, Ledong and Chengmai, locked down its residents on Monday, according to state media reports.

At least eight cities and towns, with a combined population of about 7 million, said their residents must not leave where they live except for necessary reasons such as COVID-19 tests, grocery shopping or essential job roles. They also suspended public transport services.

The measures will stay in place for varying periods, with the shortest scheduled for a few hours, state media reports show.

About 25,000 tourists were stranded in Sanya, the hardest-hit city in Hainan's outbreak and the island's key tourist hub, as of Sunday. Although cities have said tourists can leave after COVID-19 tests, many were frustrated about the disruption.

In Qionghai city, scheduled to be locked down for three days, all flights at Qionghai Boao Airport scheduled for Monday were cancelled because of "public security reasons".

Shares fall

Chinese stocks in tourism, transport, and consumer staples all retreated on Monday morning, with China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp down about 5% after Sanya began closing duty-free malls on Aug. 5.

The lockdowns in several cities on the tropical island dashed hopes for a quick rebound for the country's ailing aviation sector, which had counted on a summer travel boom to help trim record losses.

Hainan Airlines fell 1.5% on Monday morning, hovering around their lowest level since February last year, when the airline was in the midst of a restructuring to settle a multi-year liquidity crisis.

The airline said in July that its first half net loss is expected to be 11.95-12.96 billion yuan ($1.77 billion-$1.92 billion), even bigger than the 880.9 million yuan loss a year earlier.

Nationwide, China reported 807 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections for Aug. 7, of which were 324 symptomatic and 483 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said.

There were no new deaths, keeping the nation's fatalities unchanged at 5,226.

As of Sunday, mainland China had confirmed 231,266 cases with symptoms, including both local patients and symptomatic international travellers.

China's capital, Beijing, reported two new local symptomatic cases for Aug. 7, while Shanghai and the southern technology hub of Shenzhen reported no new local cases.

($1 = 6.7633 yuan)
A German diplomat in Rio de Janeiro, Uwe Herbert Hahn, was arrested on Saturday night in connection with the death of his Belgian husband, police said.

Hahn said that his husband, Walter Biot, had died on Friday when he fell from their apartment in the Ipanema neighborhood after suffering a sudden illness.

But police arrested him on suspicion of murder after their forensics found bloodstains in the apartment and the autopsy of Biot's body showed multiple wounds.

Television images showed police taking Hahn away in a police car.

"The circumstances of the death are evident. We realized there was a violent death from the traces of injury in different parts of the body," police investigator Camila Lourenco told reporters.

The foreign ministry in Berlin said its embassy in Brazilia and consulate in Rio de Janeiro were in close contact with the Brazilian authorities investigating the case. It declined to give any further details due to ongoing investigations and to protect individuals' privacy.

According to Brazilian news portal G1, the couple had been together for 23 years. Biot was 52.
MADRID -- Spanish state-owned railway operator Renfe suspended the bullet train service between Madrid and Barcelona on Monday morning after cables were stolen, the company said in a statement.

A 19-year-old man was detained after he was found close to train tracks near Santa Oliva in Catalonia, local police said on Twitter.

Police have not ruled out making more arrests, they added.

Renfe established an alternative train route bypassing the high-speed network to take travellers from the capital to the country's second-largest city, Barcelona, the statement said.

The tourism industry's vigorous post-pandemic recovery this summer has stretched Spain's transport infrastructure, as it has in other European countries, leaving it vulnerable to any kind of disruption.
Large pumps sucked water from a flooded coal mine in Mexico on Saturday as authorities weighed whether to send divers to try to save 10 miners who have been trapped underground for more than three days.

The miners became trapped at a mine in the northern border state of Coahuila on Wednesday afternoon when their excavation work caused a tunnel wall to collapse, triggering flooding in three wells.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Saturday would be "decisive" in determining whether divers could safely enter the mine. But by afternoon, Coahuila Governor Miguel Riquelme said water levels were still too high.

"Time is against us," he told families at the site, Mexican media reported.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador visits a coal mine that collapsed leaving miners trapped in Sabinas, Coahuila state, Mexico August 7, 2022. Photo: Mexico Presidency/Handout via Reuters

Relatives keeping vigil outside said they were pinning their hopes on the possibility the miners had found a pocket of air.

"We're tired, we're desperate, but with a little bit (of) hope," said Cecilia Cruz, adding that she had heard about mining accidents in her native Coahuila for decades before the incident that trapped her nephew, 42-year-old Sergio Cruz.

The possibility of mud-filled tunnels and underground collapses could make it impossible for rescue teams to search for the miners, even if enough water is extracted, she noted.

"Do they want to risk more lives? It would be an even bigger tragedy," she said.

General view shows the mine shaft of a coal mine that collapsed leaving miners trapped, in Sabinas, Coahuila state, Mexico, August 7, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Six divers from Mexican Special Forces were sent to aid the effort at the mine, where three wells, each 60 meters (200 feet) deep, were initially more than half-flooded.

Five miners managed to escape. One, Fernando Pompa, recounted in an interview with a Coahuila radio station how he was hauled above ground in a cart used to transport coal after the accident unleashed a huge gush of water.

"The hope is that there's a little bubble of air," he said.

Rescue teams work at the mine shaft of a coal mine that collapsed leaving miners trapped, in Sabinas, Coahuila state, Mexico, August 6, 2022. Photo: Reuters

The mine, in the municipality of Sabinas, opened in January and had no "record of complaints for any type of abnormality," according to the Labor Ministry.

Sergio Martinez, whose brother Jorge Luis Martinez, 34, is trapped, said workers above ground told him they heard a thundering noise accompanied by an jet of air when the accident happened. They raced to the mine and threw down a rope, pulling up workers by hand, but didn't reach Jorge Luis.

"We hope there's a miracle so he gets out alive," Martinez said.
Read what is in the news today:

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Ministry of Health documented 1,381 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising the national tally to 11,347,518, with 9,973,122 recoveries and 43,094 deaths.

Society

-- Vietnam strives to reduce at least 30 percent of methane emissions by 2030 in comparison with 2020, according to the governments latest plan of action.

-- The elevated section of the Nhon-Ha Noi railway station metro line must be completed no later than December 31, 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered on Sunday.

-- A house fire killed a woman and her two children on Trung Nu Vuong Street in Hai Chau District, Da Nang City on Sunday afternoon.

-- Police in central Quang Ngai Province on Sunday proposed prosecution against a 32-year-old local man for raping a person under 16 years old after he had had sex with a 13-year-old girl multiple times given her consent.

-- Two Vietnamese artists, who were accused of raping a minor on Majorca island in Spain at the end of June, have returned to Vietnam after a local court returned their passports, Spanish media reported on Sunday.

Lifestyle

-- About 10,000 people participated in a boat racing festival held on the section of the Thu Bon River in the Thanh Ha pottery village of Hoi An City in central Quang Nam Province on Sunday.

-- Authorities on Co To Island off northern Quang Ninh Province have announced a pilot program to ban visitors from bringing plastic products onto the island starting September in an attempt to boost sustainable tourism.

Sports

-- The Vietnamese delegation to the 2022 Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games) in Indonesia arrived home on Sunday after claiming 183 medals, including 65 golds, 62 silvers, and 56 bronzes, ranking third on the medal table at the biennial multi-sport event, which had concluded a day before.

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Two Vietnamese artists, who were accused of raping a British girl on Majorca island in Spain at the end of June, have returned to Vietnam after a local court returned their passports, Spanish media reported on Sunday.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ta Quang Dong confirmed their return on Monday morning.

Spains Ultima Hora and Majorca Daily Bulletin newspapers reported on Sunday that the Provincial Court of Palma in Majorca decided to return the passports of two Vietnamese citizens accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old on August 3.

No additional information was reported about the conclusions drawn by investigators or the court.

The two, a musician and an actor, were arrested on June 25 after a 17-year-old British girl reported an alleged rape at a hotel in Sant Elm, Majorca, according to Majorca Daily Bulletin.

She had met the men at a restaurant on June 24.

They went to the beach, where she said they began to get intimate, and then came to one of the mens hotel room.

She told the Spanish national police force Guardia Civil that they forced her to have sex, after which they made her shower in order to eliminate any trace of bodily fluid.

Having made the report to the Guardia Civil, she and her family left Mallorca.

When they appeared in court, the two Vietnamese refused to testify as per their rights.

The court released them without bail but withdrew their passports.

While the mens identity and occupations were not revealed by the Majorca authorities, local reports said they were an actor and a musician aged 37 and 42.

Courts in Palma. Photo: Majorca Daily Bulletin

Following the spread of the incident, famed musician Ho Hoai Anh and popular actor Hong Dang have made front-page news in Vietnam as a video of the duo enjoying a trip in Majorca uploaded on June 24 cast suspicion on their relation to the rape case.

Anh and Dangs state-run management agencies also suspended their working schedules while national broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) has censored programs featuring the two artists.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Anh Tuan, director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, where Anh has worked for 20 years, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday morning that he just acknowledged the two artists receipt of their previously-withdrawn passports via the media, but is unaware of their return to Vietnam.

Tuan added that the management board of the academy would summon Anh for a working session later this week.

Ho Hoai Anh is a Vietnamese musician and music producer born in 1979.

He won the Musician of the Year prize at the prestigious Cong Hien (Devotion) Music Awards in 2010 and was awarded the state title of Meritorious Artist in 2015.

Hong Dang, whose full name is Le Hong Dang, is a Vietnamese actor born in 1984 and managed by the Hanoi Opera House and the Vietnam Drama Production Center under VTV.

He started his acting career in 2004 and has played roles in many VTV dramas, but only rose to stardom in 2011.

He won the Impressive Actor award at VTV Awards in 2016 and 2018 and the prize for Best Actor in a TV Series at the 2016 Golden Kite Awards, Vietnams version of the Oscars, by the Vietnam Cinema Association.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
On Thursday Foreign Correspondent turns its attention to US politics with battle lines drawn in Wyoming over Republican Party prospects.

Wyoming is the most pro-Trump state in the country. And respected Republican Liz Cheney is about to find out what that means.

The people of Wyoming are going to tell Liz Cheney Youre fired, get the hell out of here, get out of here, says the former president.

Ms Cheney, who represents Wyoming in Congress, is the embodiment of the Republican establishment. The daughter of the former US Vice President Dick Cheney, she rose to be the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress and is famously conservative.

Despite consistently backing Trump in office, shes now one of his staunchest critics, attacking him for refusing to concede defeat in the 2020 election, and for his actions on January 6.

I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible. There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone but your dishonour will remain.

As she seeks her partys nomination for a 4th term in Congress, Donald Trump is going all out to stop her, endorsing and campaigning for another candidate, whos also switched sides.

Harriet Hageman was a Never Trumper who tried to stop his run for the presidency in 2016. Now she enjoys his support and campaigns on his record. And the polls show its working.

Cheneys stance on Trump has divided Republicans in Wyoming, angering many, leading to death threats.

Its a battle between the Trump Republican Party and the Republican Party of the past, says Mary Kay Turner, a Cheney family friend. Its dividing the community terribly.

Former Washington bureau chief Kathryn Diss travels through the vast and spectacular wilderness of the Cowboy State to talk with locals about the upcoming primary elections.

Many feel Cheneys role in the January 6 hearings has distracted her from local issues.

Shes been focused completely on the January 6 commission when people here are worried about the price of food at the grocery store, the price of gas at the gas pump, says local state politician Cheri Steinmetz.

Most of her time is being spent trying to convict Donald Trump.

But loyalists support her principled stand.

I would be so sorry to see someone like Liz Cheney lose because its more than Liz Cheney that loses. We lose a lot of Republicans like herthat care a great deal for our country, says Mary Kay Turner.

Diss also heads to Washington to speak with leading Democrat congressman Jamie Raskin whos sitting alongside Liz Cheney on the January 6 Committee.

He says the stakes for the US couldnt be higher.

I want to make sure that American democracy survives and that proposition is at odds with Donald Trump ever getting anywhere near the White House.
Nine has appointed Gareth Parker as Nine News Perths Director of News, as he hangs up his mic from 6PR Breakfast.

Parker has also been a columnist for WAtoday, previous host of 6PRs Morning Show and a former reporter with The West Australian newspaper for over 13 years. He has won the Matt Price Prize for WA Columnist of the Year, WA Journalist of the Year at the 2021 WA Media Awards, as well as a nomination for a Walkley Award.

Darren Wick, Nines Director of News and Current Affairs, said, Gareth is an outstanding journalist with a track record of breaking major stories. He is committed to getting to the heart of issues that matter for West Australians. We have a great team at 9News that will flourish under his leadership.

Clive Bingwa, Managing Director of Nine Perth said: Gareth is WA born-and-bred. He is one of the states finest journalists and knows the local community better than anyone.

We have delivered strong year-on-year audience growth in news across board, with 9News WA First, our interactive 5pm bulletin, attracting new audiences and recording substantial year-on-year numbers leading into our flagship 6pm bulletin with Michael Thomson and rounded out with the national late bulletin produced from Perth Monday through to Thursday.

Its a privilege to have Gareth on board to continue the positive trajectory established by Michael Best.

Parker said, I am going to miss the 6PR listeners terribly and it has been a great privilege to sit behind the mic for the past six years.

I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to lead such a talented and hungry team at 9News Perth as we bring the people of WA the stories that matter in news bulletins they trust.

Parker replaces Michael Best after 3 years, who resigned last July for a new Communications role with Andrew Forrest.

Clive Bingwa, previously noted,  .Besty is a great mate and since joining us from London we have struck up a fantastic personal and professional relationship. I will be sad to see him go.

Parker will step into the role as 9News Perths Director of News in the coming months and his replacement on 6PR Breakfast will be announced in due course.

Updated.
Envoys from 30 Islamic countries visited northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Aug. 1 to 5 at the invitation of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The diplomats from countries including Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan visited the regional capital city of Urumqi, Kashgar Prefecture and Aksu Prefecture, learning about the region's economic and social development.

They witnessed Xinjiang's achievements in social stability, economic development, the improvement of people's livelihoods, religious harmony and cultural prosperity, expressing their hopes that exchanges and cooperation with the region would be deepened.

"The fruit here is so sweet, just like the life of people here," said Hassane Rabehi, Algerian ambassador to China, adding that during this visit, he got to know the real situation of Xinjiang, where the rights of people of all ethnic groups are well protected.

Hassane Rabehi said that Algeria hopes to conduct more cooperation with Xinjiang on infrastructure construction, modern agricultural development, education and scientific research.

Abdulrahman Ahmad H. Alharbi, ambassador of Saudi Arabia to China, said that Xinjiang's achievements are remarkable and its ties with the world are growing closer.

According to the ambassador, Saudi Arabia is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with Xinjiang, make good use of the advantages of both sides, and invest more in technology, knowledge and other fields.

Bruneian ambassador to China Pehin Dato Rahmani said that after years of effort, Xinjiang has made remarkable achievements in development. People of all ethnic groups here are living together in harmony and enjoying the freedom of religious belief. People's livelihoods have also been improved.

"We hope to work with China to jointly defend the multilateral system with the United Nations as the core, adhere to the values of peaceful development, and further strengthen people-to-people exchanges," said Anyin Choo, Guyana's ambassador to China.
Stan has entered a major new multi-year strategic content partnership with Sony Pictures Television, for exclusive and premium scripted drama.

Adding to existing deals with Lionsgate, MGM, NBCU and Paramount, the partnership builds on current deals for Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, both extended under the new agreement.

Amongst new titles are Twisted Metal, a half-hour action-comedy series about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Based on the PlayStation video game franchise and written by Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai), Twisted Metal stars Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Thomas Haden Church (Spider- Man: No Way Home) and Neve Campbell (The Lincoln Lawyer).

Other premium dramas coming soon include Straight Man, a mid-life crisis tale starring Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) as William Henry Devereaux Jr, the unlikely chairman of a Pennsylvania college English department; Panhandle, starring Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Tiana Okoye (The Good Place) and set in the Florida panhandle, with the series following arm-chair detective Bell Prescott (Kirby) and reluctant traffic cop Cammie Lorde (Okoye) as they wrestle with personal demons, shocking twists, and a few Florida gators on their journey to heal themselves and their town; and Passport to Freedom, which tells the story of Aracy de Carvalho (Sophie Charlotte), an employee in the Brazilian consulate in Hamburg, Germany in the lead up to World War II, who managed to save many Jews by issuing passports to allow them to travel to Brazil.

Rights also include The Nanny, Dawsons Creek, For Life and more, plus film franchises, including Spider-Man, Jumanji, Men in Black and many more.

Stan Chief Executive Officer Martin Kugeler said: Stans major new strategic content agreement with Sony Pictures Television will bring a large suite of world-class, premium drama to our subscribers exclusively. This deal is the latest addition to our existing partnerships with major Hollywood studios and will give Stan an even stronger long-term lineup of exclusive first run premium content.

From Better Call Saul to Spider-Man, Sony Pictures has created some of the most iconic characters and best loved franchises for our screens. Since bringing us Better Call Saul, Sony Pictures has long been an important partner of Stan. We look forward to building onour well-established relationship as we enter this new strategic partnership.

Mike Wald, Sony Pictures EVP for International Distribution & Networks, said: With their wide array of premium international and local content, Stan has been a great partner forus to reach Australian audiences. We are thrilled to extend our strong relationship with them and to have Stan as the future home for so many of our most exciting TV series and global franchises.
For 20 years, Darrell Cotton climbed the ranks from history teacher to school administrator in Quaker education. Now he's poised to make an even greater impact through the University of Dayton's online doctor of education program.

After successfully navigating faculty, staff and 200 students as a headmaster through the pandemic at High Point Friends School, in High Point, North Carolina, Cotton is now principal of Steele Creek Preparatory Academy, a charter school of more than 600 students, most of them from low-income families.

"I think getting the job had everything to do with the doctoral program," Cotton said. "My background does not necessarily match the requirements of the job, but my years of experience along with this degree created the opportunity."

UD's online doctor of education program graduated its first students July 22. The program launched in 2019, reaching beyond Dayton to Cotton in North Carolina.

"Over the last several years Ive been thinking about how I can further enhance my leadership and I was trying to find an appropriate graduate doctoral program," Cotton said. "There was something about the University of Dayton, and its emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion was particularly appealing to me. I realized the Marianist values and Friends values are very similar."

The program is rooted in the Marianist charisms of community and inclusivity. Students are encouraged to address issues in their organizations and communities from these lenses, which helped Cotton implement several initiatives at High Point Friends School. Most notably, he designed an engagement strategy for families of color to gather for meals, talk about challenges being in a predominantly white community, and build a path forward together.

"What I've been doing the last three years has all been a culminating activity that has meshed well," Cotton said. "Every class that I've taken, pretty much every paper that I've written, has helped me to frame my engagement strategy for my dissertation and my future."

Cotton said he will bring his Love Centered Model for Navigating in Moments of Doubt, which he outlined in his dissertation, to his new position. He said he hopes the model will help his new school develop its identity as a melting pot for students from various ethnicities united and grounded in a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.

More information about the program can be found at https://educationonline.udayton.edu/edd/.
An Egypt-brokered truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza appeared to be holding early Monday, raising hopes that the conflict, which cost at least 44 Palestinian lives, has ended. Fuel trucks have been allowed into southern Gaza.

The truce officially started at 11:30 pm (2030 GMT) on Sunday night. It follows the worst violence in Gaza since an 11-day war last year.

A number of strikes and rocket attacks took place in the run-up to the truce, with sirens sounding in southern Israel moments before and after the deadline, neither side had reported any major violations of the agreement after four hours.

While both sides have agreed to the truce, each has warned the other that it will respond with force to any violence.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire, thanking Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his country's role in brokering it. Biden also called for investigations into civilian casualties, which he called a "tragedy".

In a statement, UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: "The situation is still very fragile, and I urge all parties to observe the ceasefire."

Fuel trucks entered Gaza on Monday in the wake of the truce. The trucks passed from Israel through the Kerem Shalom goods crossing, closed by Israel last week.

Israel insists on right to respond

Since Friday, Israel has carried out heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza, with the militants firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation.

Buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble, while Israelis have been forced to shelter from the barrage of rockets.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office late Sunday thanked "Egypt for its efforts" as it agreed to the truce, but said it that "if the ceasefire is violated", Israel "maintains the right to respond strongly".

Islamic Jihad member Mohammad al-Hindi had already confirmed the militants had accepted the truce, but the group added in a statement that it too "reserves the right to respond" to any aggression.

In addition to the 44 people killed, 15 of them children, the Gaza health ministry said 360 people had been wounded in the Palestinian enclave, which is run by the Islamist group Hamas.

Three people in Israel have been wounded by shrapnel, while 31 others have suffered minor injuries, emergency services said.
The 'gigantic jet' rose 50 miles into space from a thunderstorm (Chris Holmes)

A huge lightning bolt which rose 50 miles into space above a thunderstorm has offered new insights into mysterious gigantic jets , which carry huge amounts of electrical charge.

Scientists believe up to 50,000 gigantic jets may occur every year - and the new research may help to explain why they shoot up into space rather than down towards the ground.

The gigantic jet rose out of a thunderstorm in Oklahoma and is the most powerful ever studied.

Normal lightning bolts carry less than five coulombs of electrical charge: the gigantic jet moved an estimated 300 coulombs of electrical charge into the ionosphere, the lower edge of space.

The upward discharge included structures known as leaders which were 4,400C, as well as streamers of cooler plasma.

Corresponding author Levi Boggs, a research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) said, "We were able to map this gigantic jet in three dimensions with really high-quality data.

We were able to see very high frequency (VHF) sources above the cloud top, which had not been seen before with this level of detail.

Using satellite and radar data, we were able to learn where the very hot leader portion of the discharge was located above the cloud."

Read more: Melting snow in Himalayas drives growth of green sea slime visible from space

Steve Cummer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke, uses the electromagnetic waves that lightning emits to study the powerful phenomenon.

He operates a research site where sensors resembling conventional antennas are arrayed in an otherwise empty field, waiting to pick up signals from locally occurring storms.

Cummer said, "The VHF and optical signals definitively confirmed what researchers had suspected but not yet proven: that the VHF radio from lightning is emitted by small structures called streamers that are at the very tip of the developing lightning, while the strongest electric current flows significantly behind this tip in an electrically conducting channel called a leader,".

Story continues

Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right

Gigantic jets have been observed and studied over the past two decades, but because there's no specific observing system to look for them, detections have been rare.

Boggs learned about the Oklahoma event from a colleague, who told him about a gigantic jet that had been photographed by a citizen-scientist who had a low-light camera in operation on May 14, 2018.

Fortuitously, the event took place in a location with a nearby VHF lightning mapping system, within range of two Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) locations and accessible to instruments on satellites from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) network.

Boggs determined that the data from those systems were available and worked with colleagues to bring it together for analysis.

Boggs explained, "The detailed data showed that those cold streamers start their propagation right above the cloud top.

They propagate all the way to the lower ionosphere to an altitude of 5060 miles, making a direct electrical connection between the cloud top and the lower ionosphere, which is the lower edge of space."

Why do the gigantic jets shoot charge into space? Researchers speculate that something may be blocking the flow of charge downwardor toward other clouds.

Records of the Oklahoma event show little lightning activity from the storm before it fired the record gigantic jet.

Boggs said, "For whatever reason, there is usually a suppression of cloud-to-ground discharges.

There is a buildup of negative charge, and then we think that the conditions in the storm top weaken the uppermost charge layer, which is usually positive. In the absence of the lightning discharges we normally see, the gigantic jet may relieve the buildup of excess negative charge in the cloud."

Estimates for the frequency of gigantic jets range from 1,000 per year up to 50,000 per year.

Watch: Lightning spiders across the sky in Florida
Scotlands First Minister has called for an urgent meeting between the heads of the devolved administrations to address the cost-of-living crisis.

In a letter sent on Monday, Nicola Sturgeon urged the Prime Minister to move a proposed meeting between the heads of the UKs Governments from September to this week.

Last week, the Bank of England announced projections that could see inflation rise above 13% in October, while another projection found that the energy price cap could rise to 3,358 annually from October, and could hit 3,615 from January.

Many of the levers of government required to tackle the issue remain reserved to Westminster, the First Minister said in her letter, adding that actions taken by devolved administrations will not be enough.

2/ Action is needed now and a clear plan to help those in need must be developed for autumn/winter. I have therefore written to the PM seeking a 4 Nations Heads of Government Council meeting this week. The current Westminster paralysis cant go on. People need help now pic.twitter.com/RyLrlmT5Rc  Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 8, 2022

You suggested a first meeting of the Heads of Government Council to take place in September, the First Minister wrote.

However, as I am sure you must recognise, the situation is fast deteriorating and many people across the UK simply cannot afford to wait until September for further action to be taken.

I am therefore writing to seek an emergency meeting of the Heads of Government Council and propose that we, as leaders of our respective Governments, meet as soon as possible this week to discuss and agree urgent steps to help those in most need now, and also formulate a plan of action for the autumn and winter ahead.

She added: The current crisis requires clear, focused and determined leadership and co-operation to develop and deliver  at pace  a package of interventions to protect those most impacted.

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In her letter, the First Minister stressed that targeted support was necessary for the most vulnerable, while hitting out at tax cuts proposed by those vying to succeed Boris Johnson in No 10.

In response, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said: We recognise the pressures families across the United Kingdom are facing due to rising prices caused by global challenges.

Thats why the UK Government is providing 689,000 households in Scotland with the 650 cost-of-living payment, 300 for all Scottish pensioners and 400 to help people with their energy bills.

We have also provided an extra 82 million for the Scottish Government to help vulnerable families at their discretion  in addition to the significant income tax and welfare powers they already have.

The UK Governments spending review provided the Scottish Government with a record 41 billion annual settlement for the next three years and we will continue to work collaboratively with them.

Gordon Brown called for the UK Government to initiate its emergency response committee (Nicholas T Ansell/PA)

It came as the Government was warned by business leaders that it must have all hands to the pump to address the crisis ahead of the autumn.

Tony Danker, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), joined former prime minister Gordon Browns call for swift intervention to address rising energy costs.

But Downing Street said Mr Johnson had no plans to introduce major new fiscal measures before the end of his premiership.

Mr Danker said: The economic situation people and businesses are facing requires all hands to the pump this summer.

We simply cannot afford a summer of Government inactivity while the leadership contest plays out followed by a slow start from a new prime minister and cabinet.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor should be taking the next few weeks to grip the emerging crisis and the planning required to tackle it. This will also give their successor  whomever that may be  the very best chance of getting quickly out of the blocks.

He added that the Prime Minister and the candidates vying to replace him  Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss  should come together to agree a common pledge to support people and help quell fears.

The CBI also called for top civil servants to be directed to draft options to help struggling households ahead of a new prime minister being selected.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Mr Johnson  who is back in No 10 following his holiday in Slovenia  would be speaking to Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi to ensure that support measures due to come into effect later in the year remained on track.

But the spokesman added that any further measures would be a matter for Mr Johnsons successor once the Tory leadership contest concludes.

Mr Johnson has been urged by Mr Brown to trigger the UK Governments emergency response committee to deal with the crisis.

Writing for the Daily Record newspaper on Monday, the former prime minister issued a plea for urgent measures to cover further rises in fuel bills amid millions standing on the edge of a financial precipice.

He urged Boris Johnson to unite with Tory leadership hopefuls Ms Truss and Mr Sunak to prepare and agree on an emergency budget  or face growing pressure to recall Parliament and force them to do so.

Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats said Octobers energy bill price cap increase should be cancelled.

Party leader Sir Ed Davey said the Government should cover the shortfall to energy suppliers to ensure they can supply customers at the current rates.

The party estimated the cost of the policy would be 36 billion and suggested the windfall tax on oil and gas company profits should be expanded to help cover it.

Sir Ed said: This is an emergency, and the Government must step in now to save families and pensioners 1,400 by cancelling the planned rise in energy bills this October.
Poker Player Dan Shak in Hot Water Over Alleged Gold Market Spoofing

August 08 2022 Jon Sofen

Dan Shak, who was quite active at the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP), was charged by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with "spoofing," a term for when securities buyers place market orders and then cancel them before the order is fulfilled. Spoofing is illegal and can carry steep penalties.

The high-stakes poker player is alleged to have repeatedly placed orders on gold and silver futures with the intention to cancel them before execution, and this isn't the first time he's been in trouble with the CFTC.

In 2013, the former principal of SHK Management, LLC was ordered to pay a $400,000 fine for attempting to manipulate the price of Light Sweet Crude Oil (WTI) futures contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). As a result, he was permanently banned from trading in any Crude Oil markets.

Pattern of Similar Business Practices

Shak also settled a claim against him in March 2015 related to trading during the closing minute of gold and silver futures markets despite being ordered not to do so by the CFTC. In December 2020, following a Business Conduct Committee investigation, he paid a $65,000 fine for engaging in disruptive activity in the silver and gold futures markets by entering orders without the intent to trade. He neither admitted nor denied the allegations.

The new charges against the poker enthusiast, as revealed in a CFTC press release, are quite similar. Once again, he's accused of manipulating gold and silver markets. By doing so, he could manipulate the market price and then turn around and sell the commodities he already owns for more than they were previously valued.

According to the press release, the "complaint alleges that from February 2015 through March 2018, Shak repeatedly engaged in manipulative or deceptive acts and practices by spoofingbidding or offering with the intent to cancel the bid or offer before executionwhile placing orders for and trading gold and silver futures contracts on the Commodity Exchange, Inc."

Shak is said to have, on "hundreds of occasions," placed large orders of gold and silver futures with no intention of ever actually executing the contract. In short, he'd supposedly place the orders, then cancel them before the order was fulfilled, and did so numerous times over the course of a three-year period.

These charges demonstrate once again that the CFTC will vigorously prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, misconduct that has the potential to undermine the integrity of our markets, said CFTC Acting Division of Enforcement Director Gretchen Lowe.

Regular on the Poker Circuit

Dan Shak

Shak, who resides in Las Vegas, was active at the 2022 WSOP and has a lengthy history of competing in high-stakes tournaments and cash games. He isn't technically a poker pro, but he's a familiar player at the tables.

During this summer's WSOP, he cashed in seven events  mostly min-cashes  including a 954th-place finish in the Main Event for $17,000. His overall live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob, surpass $11.7 million, although that doesn't take into consideration buy-ins, so it's unclear just how much he's actually profited (or lost) in tournaments lifetime.

Shak's largest career score was for $1,178,400 in a $100,000 buy-in high roller at the 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), a second place finish.
Sanya Phoenix International Airport has canceled all inbound and outbound flights for Sunday to curb the new COVID-19 outbreak which has been prevailing rapidly in the resort city since the first case was detected on Monday, according to the local authority.

The city, at the southern tip of Hainan island, reported a total of 615 confirmed locally transmitted cases and 212 asymptomatic carriers from Monday to Saturday according to the local COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control headquarters.

A city-wide lockdown was imposed starting at 6 a.m. on Saturday. While services for basic social operations, epidemic prevention and control and emergencies are fully guaranteed, public movement is now under strict control and all public transportation services has been suspended.

With the first confirmed case of COVID-19 detected in Sanya on Monday, the new outbreak has spread across Hainan island. The total confirmed locally transmitted cases and asymptomatic carriers had reached 723 and 237 respectively as of midnight on Saturday, according to the Hainan Provincial Health Commission.

Supporting teams with the State Council's joint prevention and control mechanism are arriving in Hainan from Guangdong, Sichuan, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Jiangxi to help cope with the developing situation in the island province.
The Starlight Celebration and fireworks event on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus is set for Saturday, Aug. 27.

"Starlight is a UNG tradition that connects our campus with the community in a meaningful way each year, and I look forward to celebrating the start of the academic year with our students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members," UNG President Bonita C. Jacobs said.

Gates will open at 6 p.m. for the event, which is full of performances and concludes with fireworks at dark. UNG students, faculty, and staff and community members are welcome.

All activities will take place in the G.W. Bailey Amphitheater at 3820 Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood, Georgia.
Responding to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan by firing missiles into the waters of Japan's exclusive economic zone "is going to backfire on China," said Senator Chris Van Hollen.

Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appeared on the August 7 broadcast of NBC's "Meet the Press." Beijing's military demonstration might lead Japan to beef up "its defense spending and seek even closer military engagement and cooperation with the United States," said the Maryland Democrat.

'Saber-rattling' and 'chest-bumping.'

Van Hollen accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of deciding to "manufacture a crisis over Pelosi's visit." Xi was indulging in "saber-rattling" and "chest-bumping" ahead of this year's 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said the senator. At the congress, said Van Hollen, Xi was expected to seek a third term as the country's leader.

WATCH: Sen. @ChrisVanHollen (D-Md.) member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan was worth it, despite the fallout.



"What President Xi decided to do was manufacture a crisis. ... This is saber rattling, and chest-thumping." pic.twitter.com/up9BYbWJA8  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 7, 2022

'China doesn't get to dictate'

The senator said the trip by Pelosi, a fellow member of the Democratic Party, had been worthwhile.

He said it was important to show "that China doesn't get to dictate" which Americans could visit Taiwan. The American government had not abandoned the One China Policy, but it opposed the forced reunification of the self-governing island with China, said Van Hollen.

Making Taiwan stronger

An invasion of Taiwan was not inevitable, the senator said.

He said the United States had to continue strengthening Taiwan's ability to deter Chinese aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin had expected an easy conquest of Kyiv. Still, the war in Ukraine had shown the world how effectively a free people could resist subjugation by a larger country, he added.

On August 7, The New York Times reported that the military exercises, which had included the firing of the missiles, were expected to end later that day.

The flexing of muscle might dissuade other Western leaders from visiting the island, but it might also have diminished any hopes of reaching a peaceful reconciliation between Taiwan and the CCP, the paper said.

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd quoted the paper as saying the show of force had increased "the overall probability of crisis, conflict or even war" between China and the United States. Suppose the CCP succeeded in influencing Taiwan's 2024 presidential elections. In that case, the island might again be offered peaceful incentives to accept a "one country, two systems" path to unification with the mainland, the paper said.

The paper quoted Zhou Yezhong, a professor of law at Wuhan University, saying the island would be much harder for Beijing to govern than Hong Kong. The academic went on to say the islanders would need to be "re-Sinified" in order for them to be receptive to China's official values.
You are here: China

China Gas officially moved its global headquarters to Hongling of Luohu on July 25.

The company said it would cooperate with Luohu district in green energy, smart city, and other aspects in the future.

With more than 100,000 employees and over 1,500 affiliated companies, China Gas is one of China's largest cross-regional energy supply service suppliers. It supplies fuel gas to more than 150,000 people.

In 2021, Luohu introduced 89 technology enterprises. So far this year, 27 technology enterprises have been attracted to the district, thanks to its rule-of-law business environment featuring predictability, transparency, efficiency, services, and policy support.
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conducted a field inspection on the Nhon - Ha Noi Station metro line yesterday, underlining the need to avoid further delays and follow the planned schedule.

The PM paid a visit to the underground construction of S9 Station on Kim Ma Street and rode on the route from S8 Station at the University of Transport and Communications to the depot area in Bac Tu Liem District.

Speaking to contractors and investors during the trip, PM Chinh listened to challenges to the progress and solutions to address these issues.

He also required stakeholders to make full efforts to meet the planned schedule, saying that there is no reason for delays as the capital has been fully allocated.

Following the field visit, PM Chinh chaired a meeting at the Government headquarters, which addressed the current obstacles relating to the Nhon - Ha Noi Station urban railway line.

The project spans 12.5 kilometres with a total capital of VN32 trillion (US$1.4 billion) and was set to be completed in 2015.

The meeting aims to pinpoint problems, responsibilities and issues related to funding and implementation, as the PM said the project could not be delayed any further.

PM Chinh suggested forming a specialised working group for the metro line, while adding that lessons must be learnt for urban railway development in Ha Noi in the future.

75 per cent completed

In the latest report on the project implementation, vice chairman of Ha Noi Peoples Committee Duong uc Tuan said that after 11 years of construction, all of the 10 bidding packages have been deployed, with the overall progress reaching approximately 75 per cent.

As of July this year, over VN568 billion (US$24.3 million) of the project capital has been disbursed, equivalent to 17.2 per cent of the plan.

The capital citys Peoples Committee also expressed concern over the delay in package CP05 of Ha Noi Construction Corporation (Hancorp), which has caused a significant impact to the progress of construction above ground, and other equipment packages.

CP05 is an important package that concerns the urban railway operation and maintenance, which includes the central transport management building, train storage, electrical engineering, and other ancillary construction.

Land clearance is also facing challenges, with the 4-kilometre construction affecting the foundation of 50 buildings in the area.

There have also been complaints and disputes due to differences between the FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) contracts and current Vietnamese laws.

Contractors for the CP03 package (underground stations and tunnels) have halted construction since August last year.

Vice chairman Tuan said that in the working session between the city Peoples Committees Chairman and project contractors, the committee has agreed to finish land clearance work and hand over the rest to contractors before October 15 this year.

The city will also make an advanced payment to a contractor for an implementation delay before August 28, negotiating appendices and following contract terms to resume construction the same month.  VNS
Decarbonisation

Sustainability is now on the main agenda of countries, also be a social license for companies. Multinational real estate firms such as Frasers Property are in a privileged position to play a major role in reducing their carbon footprint.

In line with group-wide sustainability goals, Frasers Property Vietnam is making significant progress towards its main sustainability goals. These are: being a net-zero carbon corporation by 2050; being climate-resilient and establishing adaptation and mitigation plans by 2024; green-certifying 80 per cent of its owned and asset-managed properties by 2024; financing the majority of its sustainable asset portfolios with green, sustainable financing by 2024; and training all of its employees on sustainability by 2021.

Frasers Property recognises that emerging technologies and solutions will be critical to help the company accelerate its sustainability goals, so it is an ongoing journey to keep track of these possibilities and improve its processes and systems to reach sustainability goals faster.

A key proof point, Melinh Point, a Grade A office building in Ho Chi Minh Citys central business district (CBD), has undergone a major asset enhancement initiative to be redeveloped with new green features with the adoption of environmental-friendly and advanced technologies to transit to lower-carbon energy sources, which are important in the companys contribution to the fighting of climate change.

Worc@Q2, another new-prestigious office building of Frasers Property, is now getting ready to certify as a green building with a key focus on energy-efficient solutions.

Frasers Property Vietnam recently joined industrial property development, the hottest property segment in Vietnam, with high respect for clean and sustainable development. Binh Duong Industrial Park (BDIP), its first industrial park in Vietnam, is on track to be a green industrial park that achieves LEED certification. It is expected to reduce 40 tonnes of CO2 and substitute 16 tonnes of coal burned every year.

Binh Duong Industrial Park, a sustainable industrial park developed by Frasers Property Vietnam

In its effort, 15 per cent site area of the park is covered by indigenous trees. Low-power-density LED lighting is installed for premise zones while internal roads are lit up by solar lighting and controlled by a timer.

Solar photovoltaic systems, meanwhile, are being implemented while vegetative roof systems are installed to improve indoor air quality. To lower personal environmental footprint, Frasers Property encourages tenant staff to cycle to work with support in bicycle parking lots and showering facilities for cyclists, as well as charging stations for those going green with electric cars.

For many tenants, particularly multinational groups, the choice of green buildings is growing in importance, partnering with every stakeholder in the value chain to achieve sustainability goals.

Most tenants in commercial developments such as Melinh Point are currently on green leases, and the same approach will follow for Worc@Q2 as well as its first industrial project at the BDIP to spread awareness on climate issues. The One Bangkok, developed by Frasers Property (Holdings) Thailand, is the outstanding format that the company has followed for many other projects. Being Thailands largest integrated development over 16.7 hectares, the One Bangkok aims for sustainable development that improves the quality of life for users and is part of the community fabric.

At One Bangkok, sustainable construction management uses circular economy principles to recycle concrete waste into precast panels and develop holistic waste and pollution management plan.

Careful sustainable waste management is expected to reduce around six tonnes of CO2. Once complete, One Bangkok is expected to meet LEED certification and the WELL Platinum global standards, setting a new benchmark for green development in Thailand.

Hua Tiong Lim joined as one of the panellists speaking at the Urban Land Institute

Decentralisation

City urban planners have to be responsive in reviewing and updating zoning plans and regulations to allow greater flexibility in response to the changing landscape. Apart from key projects located in the CBD areas, many others are built in areas further afield. Worc@Q2, offering approximately 4,500 sq.m of net leasable area that takes 15 minutes to the CBD, is poised to capitalise on the trends for office decentralisation and the setting-up of backup offices within Ho Chi Minh City.

The BDIP is located at a prime location that takes 20 minutes to Thu Dau Mot city, a destination for investors in advanced logistics. It has synchronous infrastructure, easy connectivity, and is labour-abundant. The One Bangkok is set to be a city within a city, within 15-20 minutes on foot or bicycle to key parts of Bangkok. The district will be peppered with activated public spaces, a place that tourists and locals alike will want to go to and keep returning to; a place to work, shop, play, and create.

Digitalisation

Cities and businesses have to tap into technology/digital solutions to meet their customers needs. Having seen the possibilities and benefits, maintaining decent productivity will help accelerate the rise of smart cities and buildings.

Frasers Property Vietnam recognised early in 2021 that the handover of its newly completed apartments in Q2 Thao Dien may be disrupted due to lockdowns and the curtailment of overseas travel. To overcome this, the company assessed a third-party digital solution, HoloBuilder, that offers real-time virtual visits via pre-captured 360-degree panoramic high-definition photography of individual apartments and shared facilities including the library, swimming pool, and community room. This enabled customers to do a virtual walk-through to experience their new home.

In addition, homeowners were able to submit comments for a list of possible defects directly within the app without being physically present. For homeowners who wished to purchase furniture or appoint interior design services, exact measurements within individual apartments were also displayed.

More than 90 per cent of units handed over utilised this solution, a first in Vietnam, which helped ensure the health and safety of homeowners and the companys staff. With the success and positive feedback, Frasers Property has had for this innovative deployment, they are further implementing the same solution across their commercial and industrial developments.

In the One Bangkok project, the entire community is made possible by a smart, centralised infrastructure system, the first of its kind for private development in Thailand. This system is responsible for district cooling to enhance liveability in its tropical climate, centralised security, water and energy management systems, a data centre, and more than 250,000 smart sensors that identify opportunities for preventative maintenance and oversee facility management.

Apart from those, a mobile platform connects building users and operations while video analytics with AI features support public safety. A digital twin of a physical and operating environment enables automation of operational processes, and a secure high-speed all-fibre network with seamless Wi-Fi connectivity is built throughout the district.

Disclosure

With Frasers Propertys consistent and continuous efforts made toward sustainable development, its projects have had recognised with respective awards.

Following the completion of the refurbishment works in early 2021, Melinh Point became the first existing non-residential building in Vietnam to achieve the prestigious Green Mark Platinum Certification awarded by Singapores Building and Construction Authority.

Frasers Property Group topped the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) rankings with five global and regional sector leadership positions. They are also taking part in this journey and developing in an attempt to get high-score certification from the GRESB annually.

Also in 2021, to further embed environmental, social, and governance considerations across their value chain, Frasers Property unveiled its responsible sourcing policy. It outlines an approach that will be integral to the success of its net-zero carbon goal and the resilience of its business in the long term, towards responsible sourcing and establishment of the expectations it has on all suppliers. Frasers Property believes that adopting a partnership-based approach with reputable third parties like strong organisations, who recognise its sustainability efforts, will be integral to the success of the companys net-zero carbon goal and the resilience of its business in the long term.

Frasers Property committed to sustainable development Multi-class real estate developer Frasers Property is expanding its portfolio in Vietnam. Lim Hua Tiong, CEO of Frasers Property Vietnam, shared with VIRs Quynh Chau the Singaporean groups target to explore other investment fields towards sustainable development in the market.

Frasers Property Vietnam choses CBRE as exclusive agent for Worc@Q2 Frasers Property Vietnam on August 18 officially named CBRE Vietnam as the exclusive marketing and leasing agents for Worc@Q2, its premium office component of the Q2 Thao Dien mixed-use development.

Frasers Property Vietnam pushes green standards at flagship project Singaporean developer Frasers Property is one of Vietnams pioneering developers which has incorporated green factors into its projects across the country, complying with the highest qualifications on building and operating projects.

Frasers Property to move ahead by pursuing aggressive M&A strategy Mergers and acquisitions in real estate have been more muted in Vietnam, but investor interest is predicted to perk up with recovery. Bich Ngoc talked with Lim Hua Tiong, CEO of Frasers Property Vietnam, about how he sees this investment method and what the future looks like for M&A in real estate in Vietnam.

Frasers Property Vietnam raises $21,000 for children impacted by typhoons Responding to an appeal from Vietnam Red Cross Society's "Back to School" initiative, Frasers Property Vietnam organised a charity campaign raising a total amount of VND500 million ($21,740).

Frasers Property Vietnam unveils first industrial development Multi-functional real estate developer Frasers Property Vietnam has unveiled its first industrial development in the country, named Binh Duong Industrial Park.

Frasers Property diversifies its portfolio across Vietnam Frasers Property, a Singaporean multinational company that develops, owns, and manages a wide range of integrated properties, is now diversifying its portfolio in Vietnam. VIRs Bich Ngoc talked with Chong Chee Keong, general manager of Industrial Property at Frasers Property Vietnam, who shared the groups sustainability goals and strategies as a purpose-driven organisation.

Frasers Property targets key projects in Vietnam Vietnams real estate market has seen the first signs of resuming business after two years of hardship. Truong An Duong, general manager of Residential at Frasers Property Vietnam, talked with VIRs Bich Ngoc about the companys investment strategy and key projects in the Vietnamese market.

Frasers Property Vietnam commits to net-zero carbon future on Earth Day On April 22, Frasers Property Vietnam announced it is on track locally to become a sustainable business by meeting its commitment to become a net-zero carbon corporation by 2050.

Frasers Property Vietnam offers enticing warehouse and factory concepts Industrial and logistic real estate are becoming increasingly more attractive as Vietnam benefits from the shifts in global supply chains, the strong effects of many free trade agreements, and its liberalised trade base.
Industrial real estate attracts foreign investors via the M&A method

Acquiring a well-established local entity is a preferable market-entry strategy for many foreign companies, particularly in the industrial real estate market. What are domestic enterprises advantages in attracting foreign industrial real estate developers?

In the M&A playground, foreign investors often have an advantage in terms of capital and experience. Meanwhile, the biggest strength of the local side is its insight, which is shown in its overall understanding of policies, the planning of industrial parks (IP), transport infrastructure, and even urban planning around IPs. In addition, they understand the characteristics of each region and the demographic, which will help businesses recruit employees more easily.

To establish an IP, it needs the approval of the prime minister and dozens of signatures from various authorities, thus having an insight into policies and flexibility will create favourable conditions for investors throughout the process from completing the procedures to building and operating the IP.

Selecting the M&A method will help foreign investors reduce part of the burden of the administrative procedures, which is one of their greatest concerns.

To my knowledge, foreign industrial real estate developers do not directly apply for permits to develop IPs. They just rent land that is planned for the development of IPs, build facilities, and invite manufacturers.

What problems can foreign investors face during the process of negotiating M&A deals for industrial property?

Enterprises implement M&A transactions in three common ways, namely asset purchase, the acquisition of shares or capital contributions from target companies, or through a merger or consolidation. Each transaction type has pros and cons for investors, depending on the case.

During asset purchases, the process of buying each asset will take time with complex documents required for each asset type.

For example, an Australian business  that is a customer of Redsunland  wants to buy a factory from a domestic partner for $6.5 million. The problem is that the domestic partner is a business with a 5 per cent state-owned stake, and it is extremely complicated to transfer the asset to the foreign side it may have to return a part of the asset to the state in the future.

Thus the Australian company could not accept this regulation and then gave up on the deal. The investors are also advised to prepare for a very high tax rate  as much as 20 per cent  for the purchase of the property.

Another example is a customer who has the intention to buy an IP in the northern province of Hai Duong. The two parties reached a compromise on the contract and the IP does not have any legal issues. The only problem is that the director of the IPs investor was in prison, thus the foreign investor could not complete the procedures to hand over the IP.

Business valuation and transparency are the two most important factors determining the success of M&A deals.

The investors may face also conflicts of culture between the merging companies. During operation, parties face difficulties balancing the interests of all stakeholders (shareholders, employees, and management team), which is crucial to ensure the smooth operation of the merged company.

Furthermore, some parties cannot reach a compromise on the term of the cooperation. Foreign investors are often interested in cooperating with partners to develop an IP when the land clearance work is completed, while domestic enterprises want their partners to be involved from the start.

What are the most important factors that determine the success of M&A deals?

Business valuation and transparency are the two most important factors determining the success of M&A deals. According to Redsunlands experience, the most regular issue is that domestic sides often offer a much higher valuation for the deal compared to their businesses real value. Thus, the deals fail because the parties can not reach a compromise on the deal price.

In addition, when foreign investors decide to acquire shares and capital contributions from partners, the buyer automatically inherits all financial liabilities and might face unforeseen disputes or compliance issues down the line. Thus, transparency is one of the leading criteria when foreign investors look for partners.

As a result, it is important to have intermediary agencies in charge of the due diligence that can foresee the potential risks of the target company and ensure transparency. These intermediaries do not work as brokerage agencies (which connect the buyers and sellers), they are in charge of consultant firms that can value the business accurately so the parties can reach a deal more easily.

For example, Redsunlands customers often estimate their business at double their real value. Our consultant teams work is to assess the sellers assets in detail, along with the total investment in the facilities and machinery infrastructure.

In cases where investors want to buy an IP or cluster, we also have to value the fees for land clearance and compensation, among others. This work helps sellers to understand their businesss real value. In many cases, after having Redsunlands valuation, the business value reduces by half compared to their initial expectation.

The lack of transparency when providing information from domestic enterprises is one of the most serious concerns for foreign investors. To avoid this situation, we have to study legal dossiers carefully and identify any unresolved problems relating to the tax, other debts, or property disputes.

Our company often fully resolves the above problems before setting up meetings for buyers and sellers, so the success rate is much higher.

What are the legal proposals to foster M&A deals in terms of industrial real estate?

The current legal regulation for this method is quite complete, the important factor in creating smooth deals is law enforcement.

The government should issue policies with detailed guides to encourage new IP models that can catch up with the latest investment trends. Decree No.35, which replaces Decree No.82 from 2018, offers some notable changes in the management of IPs and economic zones. For example, the new decree specifies conditions for the conversion of industrial parks into urban-service areas.

Besides this, Decree 35 classifies the types of industrial zones, including supporting industrial zones, specialised industrial zones, high-tech industrial zones, industrial parks, and urban-service developments. These adjustments will contribute to attracting more industrial real estate developers.

Developers clamour for legal clarity Real estate leaders suggest that detailed regulations are needed to promote a healthy condotel, officetel, and resort villa sector in Vietnam.

Large industrial zones set up to attract FDI Several large-scale industrial zones were being set up from the beginning of this year to capture the opportunity of attracting both foreign and domestic manufacturers in the wave of post-pandemic production and business recovery.

Key localities stepping up industrial real estate moves The industrial real estate market in Vietnam is bouncing back, with positive growth being witnessed thanks to new deals being made in key locations.

Industrial arena meeting greener requirements Instead of just leasing land and factories as before, industrial real estate is currently being more exclusively funded by many domestic and foreign investors in services, urban areas, and especially green and sustainable industrial ecosystems.

Banks anticipate real estate credit rally As the Vietnamese authorities continue to tighten controls on potentially hazardous industries, financial institutions are beginning to place more restrictions on real estate-backed loans.
Kattiya Indaravijaya, KBanks CEO

KBank will leverage its financial expertise and 77-year experience in Thailand to satisfy customers from all segments with world-class digital solutions. The bank aims to lead the market for both business and retail clients, with targets of serving 1.2 million customers and disbursing over $500 million in loans by 2023.

Last November, KBank Ho Chi Minh City opened its doors with a goal to empower all customer groups through digital banking platforms in line with KBanks Regional Digital Banking strategy.

KBanks CEO Kattiya Indaravijaya said, Vietnam is an emerging star of Southeast Asia as evidenced by its exponential economic growth. The brighter economic prospects in the country can be attributed to the success of the governments pandemic policies along with its promotion of a cashless society.

According to the World Bank, Vietnams GDP growth for 2022 is projected to reach 5.5 per cent. In addition, Vietnam has tremendous purchasing power thanks to its huge tech-savvy, working-age population, which comprises 60 per cent of its 100-million total.

Given this abounding opportunity, KBank aims to take a digital-first strategy to bring to Vietnam our world-class services and solutions, which have been widely recognised by our 18 million-plus users in Thailand, Indaravijaya added.

KBank has the ability to enhance regional connectivity in AEC+3 countries by offering fully-fledged digital solutions to all customer segments, including small and large businesses and local and international investors operating in trading, services, basic infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

Following the State Bank of Vietnams policy, KBank will improve its payment acceptance system via digital means. For retail banking, KBank has capitalised on its technological capabilities by using its proprietary K PLUS prototype in Thailand, a key tool that we will use to create a digital lifestyle ecosystem for our customers in Vietnam," she added.

In line with the governments direction towards a cashless society, a greater emphasis will also be placed on cashless payments and digital loan products, beginning with the KBank Biz Loan for small retail stores.

These efforts aim to promote financial inclusion among small business customers by leveraging strategic partnerships and local platforms in joint investments with the bank's investment arm Kasikorn Vision.

KBank has also established KBTG Vietnam, a subsidiary of Kasikorn Business - Technology Group, to serve as a research and IT system development centre for KBank in the country.

Kasikornbank pledges seven-decade experience to Vietnamese SMEs Thai-based Kasikornbank (KBank) in conjunction with the Ministry of Planning and Investment held the co-organising seminar titled "Holistic empowerment of SMEs: How public and private sectors can join hands to develop SME landscape" on March 30.

Thai KBank moves another step to bolster local SMEs KASIKORNBANK and Vietnams Agency for Enterprise Development last week signed a memorandum of understanding on the promotion of the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises and economic co-operation between Thailand and Vietnam.
The transaction worth about VND87 billion ($3.78 million) was done on August 2 by NutiFood Binh Duong Nutrition Food JSC.

After the transaction, NutiFood increased its ownership ratio in Quang Ngai Sugar to 19 million shares, equaling a 5.33 per cent stake.

NutiFood is the fourth-largest shareholder in Quang Ngai Sugar, following Thanh Phat Trading Co., Ltd, general director Vo Thanh Dang, and investment fund VinaCapital.

This ownership ratio is still quite low, however, since the end of last year, there have been many speculations on the stock market that NutiFood is trying to increase its influence in Quang Ngai Sugar.

Quang Ngai Sugar could be an ideal piece for NutiFood to increase market share in the food and beverage sector.

Notably, at the end of last year, Phuoc An Coffee JSC  a member of NutiFood deputed an expert of RongViet Securities Corporation to hold 29.35 million shares, equaling an 8.2 per cent stake in Quang Ngai Sugar. Meanwhile, RongViet Securities is a consultant firm for NutiFood.

Owing soy milk brand Vinasoy, in collaboration with other products such as beer, mineral water, and confectionary, Quang Ngai Sugar could be an ideal piece for NutiFood to increase market share in the food and beverage (F&B) sector.

In the first half of this year, Quang Ngai Sugar acquired approximately VND4.05 trillion ($176.08 million) in revenue and VND541 billion ($23.5 million) in profit after tax, signifying increases on 10 per cent and 4 per cent on-year.

The soy milk segment contributed more than VND2.1 trillion ($91.3 million) to this, equaling half of the companys total revenue. The companys capitalisation is nearly VND16 trillion ($695.6 million).

Vietnamese consumers growing interest in Australian F&B products Accelerated by the removal of import tariffs for Australian products under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement that came into force in January 2010, they have seen an increasing demand among Vietnamese consumers in recent years.

World opening eyes to exciting Vietnamese offerings in F&B Vietnamese food and beverage groups are increasingly making their presence felt in numerous countries worldwide thanks to the remarkable quality improvement of goods, with a huge trade fair this week set to put even more of these goods on show.

Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2022 recognise exhibitors for their F&B excellence From May 24 to 28, Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2022 Taste Innovation Show Awards is encouraging innovative food and beverage (F&B) industry operators to inspire exhibitors, event participants, and F&B players locally and internationally.

A week of F&B innovation and a journey into the future of food at Thaifex Running from May 24 to 28, ThaifexAnuga Asia 2022 food and beverage trade fair officially welcomes exhibitors and visitors to IMPACT Muang Thong Thani for the regions biggest event created to meet the needs of food and beverage (F&B) industry operators and product innovators.
The latest figures from Thai Nguyen Department of Statistics showed that the province further secured impressive growth in its industrial production in July, with the local industrial production index surging 9.6 per cent against the previous month and showing a 15 per cent jump on-year.

The province is focused on export-oriented production and increasing the number of high-tech products, Photo: Le Toan

Notably, the local processing and manufacturing industry rose 10.1 per cent against the previous month and fetched 16 per cent hike on-year. Generally, in the first seven months of this year, Thai Nguyens total industrial production index hiked 11.2 per cent on-year compared to 9.81 per cent growth in the previous month, with that of the processing and manufacturing industry rising 12 per cent on-year.

During the period, top-performing groups of items were TV cameras with 52.4 million products, soaring 32.9 per cent; earing devices reaching 35.6 million pieces, showing a 26.6 per cent jump; and apparel items with 53.7 million items, up 22.8 per cent.

Several groups of key products also registered encouraging results, such as commercial power reaching nearly 3.25 billion kWh, up 6.7 per cent; and smartphones touching 57.5 million items, up 5.4 per cent.

Nguyen Ba Chinh, director of Thai Nguyen Department of Industry and Trade, has attributed the provinces impressive industrial growth in the year to three factors.

The province is one of the top performers nationwide in industrial production, accommodating more than 8,000 production firms in which over 60 per cent of the units operate in industrial production, Chinh said. Secondly, Thai Nguyen did well to contain the pandemic, keeping the mind of businesses at ease to stabilise production and trading activities. Finally, provincial leaders have been deploying a wide range of measures to support development, including diverse supportive policies.

One of the more efficient measures is the business cafe model, where provincial leaders listen to questions and proposals from members of the business community. Through such meetings, many difficulties that businesses are facing have been tackled in a timely manner, bringing efficiency to their operations.

In late July, Chairman of Thai Nguyen Peoples Committee Trinh Viet Hung signed a document requiring management agencies to increase dialogues with entrepreneurs and businesses in order to help them quickly fix their problems.

In the forthcoming months, the Thai Nguyen industrial sector aims to reach a 9 per cent average growth in the gross output of industry annually during 2021-2025, with industry and construction holding a leading proportion of 61 per cent in local economic structure by 2025, followed by the services sector with 31 per cent, and agro-forestry-fisheries the remaining 8 per cent.

The local industrial structure will be geared towards quickly increasing the groups of high-tech products with large added value and export-oriented production, along with gradually moving labour-intensive industries and those not requiring high labour skills to rural areas, and maximally attracting development resources from outside.

Further steps include accelerating the development of industrial zones and industrial clusters attached to seamless infrastructure and urban system, striving to shape up an increasingly modernised industrial sector as the provinces pride.

Amid resuming economic growth both locally and globally, the flexible management and support of local management at all levels, and the deployment of effective measures for business development will provide the catalyst for Thai Nguyen to accomplish industrial development targets, contributing to achieving the 8 per cent growth target set for this year.

RoK firm adds 920 million USD to project in Thai Nguyen Authority of the northern province of Thai Nguyen on February 16 handed over a licence to Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam Co., Ltd (SEMV) under Samsung Corporation of the Republic of Korea to add 920 million USD to its project in the Yen Binh industrial park (IP) in Pho Yen town.

Thai Nguyen ranks second in FDI attraction in two months The northern province of Thai Nguyen with the issuance of of a licence to to Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam Co., Ltd under Samsung Corporation of the Republic of Korea to add 920 million USD to its project, ranked second in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first two months of 2022, behind Bac Ninh.

Thai Nguyen ready to leapfrog in funding attraction While betting on ample competitive advantages and strong commitments to investment attraction through policy incentives, Thai Nguyen province in the north has left a strong impression on those attending a recent conference on investment promotion in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thai Nguyen's master plan for 2021-2030 got greenlit All members of the Appraisal Council reached a consensus and approved Thai Nguyen's master plan for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, at the recent conference at the Ministry of Planning and Investment's (MPI) headquarters.
According to a forecast from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), thermal power plants across the country will need 35 million tonnes of coal to serve power production this year, the major part of which needs to be imported. The figure is expected to increase to 46.5 million tonnes in 2025 and 123.7 million tonnes in 2045.

The soaring increase in foreign currency used to import coal stems from the rising demand around the globe, causing a cost escalation and a shortage of supply.

At its peak, the selling price on the global market was pushed up to $450-490 per tonne.

The MoIT is increasing coal imports from Australia and South Africa to ease the recent shortages that resulted in power losses at manufacturing facilities and to ensure national energy security.

Along with this, thermal power plants are also working with partners to diversify the fuel supply sources for their facilities.

A representative of the Nghi Son thermal power plant in the central province of Thanh Hoa told VIR, The plant started operation in February this year, thus we still have storage coal to serve for the plants operation. However, in the long-term, we will work will partners in South Korea and the Philippines to diversify supply sources and ensure the stable operation of the plant.

Statistics from the UN Comtrade showed that Vietnam imported about 126,000 tonnes of coal  worth $7.6 million  from South Africa in 2019, 2.6 million tonnes at a cost of $123.4 million in 2020, and spent $360 million on about 7.5 million tonnes in 2021.

Mitsubishi sells 15 per cent stake in Vung Ang II thermal power plant Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc. from Japan has completed the purchase of a 15 per cent stake in Vung Ang II thermal power plant from Mitsubishi Corporation for $87 million, despite the global trend to move away from coal.

No more new coal-fired thermal power plants for Mekong Delta by 2030 There will be no more new coal-fired thermal power plants licensed in the Mekong Delta region by 2030, except for the ones currently under construction.

30 Japanese enterprises look for investment opportunities in Thanh Hoa 30 Japanese enterprises look for investment opportunities in the central province of Thanh Hoa in manufacturing, resort real estate, and other sectors.

Kicking of construction of Nhon Trach 3 and 4 PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power) is completing preparations to start the construction of Nhon Trach 3 and 4 thermal power plants on April 30.

Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant to start operations by May 10 All employees and managers are making an effort to put the first turbine of the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant into operation by May 10. According to information from the projects managing board, the construction is currently 92 per cent complete and the fire prevention system is almost completed.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering over an offer from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to provide Russia with 100,000 North Korean troops. This maneuver comes at a time when Russian troops have lost a substantial number of military members as a result of the stout opposition put up by the Ukrainians. North Korea is also apparently willing to deploy laborers to assist in reconstructing the Donbas area for the benefit of Russia.

Russian official media reports that North Korea has reportedly offered the Kremlin 100,000 "volunteer" soldiers to assist Russia in winning the war against Ukraine. These forces would help Russia defeat Ukraine.

According to the New York Post, a comment made by a military analyst from Russia named Igor Korotchenko was shown on Channel One Russia. He said there are rumors that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are preparing to participate in the fight. This indicates that some Western intelligence analysts have interpreted it as a message that Vladimir Putin does not have the political capital to organize a mass mobilization inside Russia; this interpretation was made based on the fact that the sign was taken.

According to the story in the newspaper, Korotchenko lauded the North Korean military for their "depth of expertise in counter-battery combat."

According to an article published in the military journal 1945, after the decision made by the United States to supply a dozen HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) to Ukraine, effective counter-battery warfare is of greater significance to the Russian armed forces. Last month, a military analyst told Sinead Baker of Insider that the long-range, high-precision missiles that Ukraine has been using had made "a significant impact" in the country's attempts to fight the conflict.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, located in New York, North Korea's armed forces have about 1.3 million active troops, which places them in fourth place globally in terms of military size. Additional reserve troops bring the total number to 600,000.

According to the CFR, defense experts have said it works using outdated equipment and technology.

According to the Daily NK, a publication published in South Korea, North Korea has volunteered to provide laborers to aid Russia in reconstructing a post-war Ukraine.

Following reports that the Russian ambassador to Pyongyang said North Korean workers could help rebuild Ukraine, Daily NK has learned that the North Korean authorities have already selected workers to be dispatched to the pro-Russian Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. This comes after the reports that the Russian ambassador to Pyongyang said North Korean workers could help rebuild Ukraine.

According to various sources who spoke with Daily NK, the leadership of North Korea is keen to deploy its countrymen to Ukrainian land while the conflict is still in its early stages.

Daily NK was informed on July 25 by a source working in Russia that the North Korean authorities had given orders to enterprises operating in Russia that they should make ready to transfer employees to the conflict zone.

More than a thousand North Korean employees are now located in Russia, and the North Korean government has plans to move them to the Donbas area.

As a direct consequence of this development, North Korean businesses operating in Russia have until the end of the month to provide Pyongyang with the names of employees to be deported.

In addition, the authorities in North Korea have picked citizens from inside the nation to transfer to the Donbas area in Ukraine.

Some personnel on the waiting list have been dispatched to combat zones in Ukraine by the Overseas Construction Leadership Bureau, the Rungna Guidance Bureau, the Ministry of Fisheries, and the Ministry of Railways. According to a source located inside North Korea, such organizations are the same ones that recruited the majority of employees who were sent to Russia in the past.

It seems that the North Korean authorities want to begin by dispatching employees currently in Russia to the Donbas area. Subsequently, the North Korean authorities intend to send more personnel to North Korea in response to any requests made by the Russian government.

Even after sealing the national border in January 2020 to prevent the inflow of COVID-19, the North Korean authorities continued sending laborers to various sections of Russia to earn foreign cash. Daily NK has this information.

It seems that the North Korean authorities have been sending North Korean laborers to Russia in very small groups due to the difficulties that are now associated with sending North Korean workers abroad in big numbers.

According to reports, a sizeable portion of those who were supposed to be sent to the conflict zone at the behest of the Russian government has shown reluctance to do so because they would be required to do hazardous and low-paying labor.

Consequently, recruiting efforts in Pyongyang ground to a halt, and most of the people whose names were added to the dispatch list were from the provinces.

Despite this, the North Korean authorities have not yet issued an order for its citizens to relocate to the Donbas area.

According to a source in North Korea, the administration plans to dispatch employees at an opportune moment while monitoring the situation on the ground if the conflict has not yet ended.

"The Workers' Party is making enthusiastic preparations because it views the Russian request as a good chance to obtain foreign cash," he continued. "The Workers' Party regards the Russian request as a good opportunity to acquire foreign currency."

Russia-Ukraine War l Will Kim Jong-Un Send His Forces To Help Putin Tackle Troop Shortage?
WATERLOO  On Thursday, water mains will be flushed in the area from West Ninth Street to Sheffield Avenue, between West Ridgeway Avenue and East Mitchell Avenue.

Water may be a brownish color during and after the flushing but the water is bacterially safe. Waterloo Water Works urges customers within the area and several blocks of it to not plan clothes washing on Thursday.
Restrictions on international passenger flights were loosened on Sunday in order to further refine COVID-19 prevention and control measures, while at the same time encourage economic recovery and international travel.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China released a notice on Sunday to optimize its "circuit-breaker mechanism" on international passenger flights.

According to the notice, if five or more confirmed COVID-19 cases are discovered on a single flight and those cases make up at least 4 percent of the entire passengers, the flight service will be suspended for a week. A two-week suspension would be applied if the proportion reaches 8 percent.

These new proportions represent a loosening of the previous restrictions. Previously, if five cases were confirmed, regardless of the total number of passengers, future flights would be canceled or operated at a much lower capacity.

The administration launched the circuit-breaker mechanism back in June, 2020, and has adjusted it several times in the past two years in accordance with the nation's epidemic control policy.

"It's quite a positive signal to the aviation industry. The threshold has shifted from 'five confirmed cases' to '4 percent', which indicates that the airlines have incentives to carry more passengers," said Xu Guangye, a public relations manager at online travel platform Qunar.

"To travelers themselves, the adjustment means there is a lower possibility that their flights may be suspended and that can help reduce the cost of getting back into the country. The adjustment will be beneficial to future international communications," she added.

In the past few months, the nation has optimized its prevention and control policy against the novel coronavirus epidemic. Late in May, the State Council Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided to increase domestic and international passenger flights and release some supportive measures to facilitate the travel of foreign companies' staff members.

The nation also shortened the quarantine time for inbound travelers in June. Passengers are required to be placed in centralized quarantine for seven days upon arrival followed by three days of health monitoring at home. Previously, international travelers had to be placed in centralized quarantine for 14 days and monitor their health at home for seven days after.
'We have the best line-up weve ever had in 16 years of Iowa Irish Fest. We have so many new experiences to offer this year. ... The entire fest will be a ton of fun.'
WATERLOO  A man who tried to use CashApp to collect robbery proceeds in April has been sentenced to prison.

Isaiah Malik Pratt, 20, of Waterloo, had been charged with robbery and burglary after demanding money from people in Cedar Falls parking lot. But he pleaded to a reduced charge of first-degree theft and Thursday was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

As part of the plea, deferred judgments in earlier assault and drug cases were revoked and he was sentenced to 30 days to run concurrent with the theft case.

Authorities allege Pratt approached people in a vehicle parked at Planet Fitness on University Avenue around 10 p.m. April 20. He asked for money, and when they declined he climbed in the vehicles back seat and threatened to stick them, police said.

He demanded they send him money through the CashApp mobile payment system. One of the occupants sent him $47 through the app.

Police found Pratt a short time later. Police seized and searched his phone as part of the investigation.
WATERLOO  Police arrested a 17-year-old boy who allegedly fired a handgun outside Saturday evening in the 200 block of Reber Avenue, said Sgt. Jordan Ehlers.

The boy was charged with reckless use of firearm, minor carrying dangerous weapons, persons ineligible to carry dangerous weapons, and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said Sunday.

Officers responded to the shots fired call at 227 Reber Ave. at 7:22 p.m., or what was the first of two calls that evening when evidence of gunfire was found.

On this occasion, police found one spent shell casing.

The teen, who police have encountered before in response to previous incidents, was found with a 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and arrested at 8:03 p.m.

One arrested in May shootout outside Waterloo nightclub WATERLOO  One person has been arrested in connection with a shootout outside a Waterloo nig

There were no injuries or property damage. Why exactly the teen fired the gun was not stated in the latest update.

Ehlers said its believed to have been an isolated incident, and the public is not in any danger.

About a mile away and a little more than three hours later, at 10:31 p.m., police responded to another shots fired call at 915 Grant Ave.

Sgt. Melissa Ludwig said officers found four spent shell casings and damage to the back side of a house, but no weapons or people in the vicinity.

Within the past five days, police have responded to the same address on two occasions, once for a weapons violation and the other for a drug violation.

Another arrest in money laundering investigation WATERLOO  Bond has been set at $100,000 for the latest person to be arrested in an investig
WATERLOO  On a weekend when sailors from both the decommissioned and active ships USS The Sullivans reunited at Iowa Irish Fest, a new memorial depicting the original Navy ship was unveiled Sunday near the corner of Commercial Street and U.S. Highway 63 (W. Mullan Avenue) in Waterloo.

The occasion came a few months in advance of the 80th anniversary of the sinking of USS Juneau during World War II and the death of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo  Albert, George, Francis, Joseph and Madison  who were of Irish descent.

The sailors brought Navy camaraderie to Waterloo to dedicate a trio of special white cement mixing drums from Manatts Inc., one bearing an iconic image of the Sullivan brothers overlooking the now-retired USS The Sullivans DD-537 vessel at sea and its familiar emblem.

Since Waterloo is the home of the Sullivan brothers, we just thought this would be a great way to honor not only the Sullivans, but all veterans as well as active service members, said Chris Manatt, north area manager.

Former sailors from the now-retired USS The Sullivans DD-537  celebrating 79 years since it was commissioned and named after the five brothers  as well as former and current sailors from USS The Sullivans DDG 68 were on hand.

Members of the USS Iowa SSN 797 also were in attendance.

One of the coolest parts was having the sailors here and interacting with them, Manatt said. They dedicate their lives to protecting us, and it was pretty awesome seeing the veterans from the 537 looking up there and seeing their ship.

James R Diefenderfer Jr., commander of the DDG 68, cut the ceremonial red ribbon, surrounded by about a dozen members of the Navy faithful, a number of whom were from his crew and in uniform.

Kelly Sullivan, a granddaughter of the late Albert Sullivan, told the veterans in attendance that the spirit of the five Sullivans is in all of you, with your patriotism and your dedication to honoring our country.

After the ceremony, Diefenderfer, from Delaware, reflected on what it meant to be stationed on the USS The Sullivans.

I knew it was a special ship. I knew it had a special history behind it, said Diefenderfer. When I got to the ship and served on board for a year or so, it really felt even more special. Being back here in Waterloo, where the five boys walked around and went to restaurants and bars downtown, its really special to see the streets that they grew up on, and a town that embraced them when they were here, and then embraced their family when they were gone.

Lost Island Theme Park general manager talks about its first months of operations As Lost Islands first season is in its final month, the parks owner is working to address public feedback.

The new memorial has a second mixing drum depicting another U.S. Navy icon, the USS George Washington. A third drum, in the middle of the other two, had the Manatts Inc. logo.

They were mounted on concrete slabs, some 12 feet high, in front of the Manatts plant and distinctively placed right next to the highway bridge over the Cedar River.

A concrete sidewalk, bench and two flag poles, one with the American flag and the other with the Iowa state flag, round out the new display.

The reunions been very great. Its a pleasure to get both ships together because of the camaraderie that we have as sailors, said Bill Galarneau Jr., 79, from Massachusetts, a machinist who served on DD-537 from 1963-1965. Its always good to see old friends.


Telugu audiences are always special. They have always come forward to encourage good content irrespective of who the actor or star is. Now Dulquer Salmaan is an example of this.

Sita Ramam which has Dulquer in the lead role is running to packed houses everywhere. Telugu audiences who were craving good content started encouraging this love story. They got connected to Dulquers performance and are owning him just like a Telugu hero.

The collections for the film are superb and are just improving day by day. This is really a great thing for a Malayali hero who doesnt have a significant market here earlier. Also, the common audience is in awe of the actors own Telugu dubbing which is just flawless.

Going by all these Dulquer is all set to create a good market for himself. The audience who used to watch his Malayalam films on OTT are flocking to the theatres to watch Sita Ramam.

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Weather Alert

...Thunderstorm Chances Through Thursday... * Monsoon moisture will bring thunderstorms to the region this week, with the best chances extending through Thursday before diminishing into the weekend. * A few light showers are occurring early this morning, with thunderstorms developing again this afternoon. Most areas will see a 25-50% chance of storms in the afternoon and early evening hours today and Thursday. Nocturnal showers and thunderstorms are expected tonight as well. * Impacts will range from lightning, new fire starts, and strong outflow winds with blowing dust, to periods of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. * Ensure you have a way of receiving weather alerts. If you live in a flash flood prone area, especially near a burn scar, be ready to act quickly if heavy rainfall occurs.
Weather Alert

...Showers and Thunderstorm Chances Through Thursday... * Monsoon moisture will continue to provide chances for showers and thunderstorms across the eastern Sierra and western Nevada through Thursday with chances diminishing into the weekend. * These fast moving storms will be capable of dry lightning strikes across portions of northeast California and far Northwestern Nevada tonight into Thursday morning. * Wetter storms are expected over areas roughly south of I-80 in the Sierra and western Nevada through this evening and into Thursday morning. Localized areas of heavy rainfall with localized areas of flash flooding will be possible across areas of steep terrain and across recent burn scar areas. * Storm potential will trend down on Thursday and Friday with the best chances for isolated storms remaining across northeast California and Northwest Nevada. A few of these storms could be stronger with the potential for hail, heavy rainfall, and gusty outflow winds. * Ensure you have a way of receiving weather alerts. If you live in a flash flood prone area, especially near a burn scar, be ready to act quickly if heavy rainfall occurs.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, sent a message of condolence on Monday to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel over explosions at a fuel storage facility in Cuba.

In his message to Diaz-Canel, also first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, Xi said he was shocked to learn about the fuel farm explosions in Matanzas province in Cuba, which caused serious casualties and property losses.

Xi noted that on behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, he expressed deep condolences for those killed in the explosions and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured, adding that China is ready to provide assistance to Cuba.
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Police on Sunday announced a possible break in the investigation of the shootings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, slayings that have thrust Albuquerque into the national spotlight and drawn outrage from President Joe Biden and countless others.

These hateful attacks have no place in America, the president said on social media, echoing the condemnation expressed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Mayor Tim Keller at a Sunday afternoon news conference, part of which was carried live by CNN.

Four Muslim men have been shot to death in the last nine months  three of them in the last two weeks. The most recent homicide occurred late Friday night.

Authorities are asking for the publics help in finding a sedan police suspect may have been used by the shooter or shooters.

We have a very, very strong lead, Keller said during the news conference. We have a vehicle of interest.  We have got to find this vehicle.

The Albuquerque Police Department said the vehicle officers are looking for is a dark gray or silver, four-door Volkswagen, perhaps a Jetta or a Passat, with tinted windows. Deputy Chief Cecily Barker said there may be some damage to the sedan.

Police wouldnt say when or how the vehicle piqued investigators interest.

There are several things in common with all four of the homicides, said Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman.

Police are urging the public to contact authorities and not take matters into their own hands.

Anyone with information about the vehicle is asked to call 505-843-STOP, go to crimestoppersnm.com, or contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Crime Stoppers is offering a $20,000 reward and the Council on American-Islamic Relations is offering another $10,000 for information leading to an arrest, the city announced.

The first shooting happened Nov. 7, when Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, was killed behind a halal market he owned with his brother. Police said Saturday they are trying to determine if that killing was related to the more recent homicides. APD had previously said there was a strong possibility that it was.

Aftab Hussein, 41, was shot July 26 close to his home near Wyoming and Central NE.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was also shot outside his home near Yale and Coal SE on Aug. 1.

Naeem Hussain, who is in his mid-20s, was shot late Friday outside of an organization that offers services for refugees and asylum seekers near San Mateo and Copper NE.

Police said they are keeping many details of the investigation under wraps to protect the case.

Were in close coordination with the (District Attorneys) Office so that we do this in a way that will stick and will hold up in court. And that will ultimately bring justice, Keller said.

Officials respond

The shocking crimes have upended a sense of security in the Muslim community and left government leaders trying to respond.

Deputy Chief Josh Brown said that officers have adjusted shifts and schedules so that police will have some presence at all mosques and places of prayer in the Muslim community. The city is working with University of New Mexico Police on a safety plan for students returning to campus and is coordinating with Albuquerque Public Schools police to ensure the safety of students.

APD has also pledged to keep two mobile investigative vans parked near the Islamic Center of New Mexico and Highland High School, so there are places for people to provide tips about the case.

Some city departments will be delivering groceries and hot meals to people who are too afraid to go out and run errands. And the city is making trauma counseling available through the Albuquerque Community Safety Department. Those services can be accessed by calling 311.

This is a frightening time for many, we have members of our Muslim community who are afraid to participate in everyday activities, Keller said.

Stand up against hatred

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris denounced the killings on social media.

While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community, Biden wrote on Twitter.

I am deeply disturbed by the killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, Harris tweeted. As law enforcement continues to investigate these heinous attacks, we remain clear that we stand with the Muslim community in New Mexico and around our country.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe also issued a statement saying it stands in support of our Muslim brothers and sisters during this time of crisis.

The senseless murders of these upstanding members of our community bring sorrow to all of us, the Archdiocese said.

Among those speaking at the news conference Sunday was Gov. Lujan Grisham, who said the state stands ready to do whatever is necessary to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.

First, I want to say to the Albuquerque Islamic community, and frankly that community statewide, I am incredibly angry about this situation, she said, adding that every New Mexican should stand up against the hatred.

We will bring this person or these persons to justice, the governor pledged. We will provide justice to the families who have lost everything.

Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury also attended the Sunday news conference. Muhammad Afzaal Hussain worked on her campaign.

He was a member of our campaign team, she said. A kind, funny, brilliant, amazing young man from Pakistan who came to the United States to pursue his career and his lifes dream.

Ahmad Assed, president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, at the news conference attested to the polices response to the shootings. He said he was confident the team of investigators will solve the case.

Were hopeful because good is going to defeat evil, he said.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gazas sole power plant resumed operations Monday and Israel began reopening crossings into the territory.

Israel also lifted security restrictions on southern Israeli communities after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday.

War-weary people in Gaza and Israel were left to pick up the pieces after another round of violence  the worst since an 11-day war between Israel and the territorys militant Hamas rulers last year.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.

Over three days of fighting, 46 Palestinians were killed, including 16 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Twelve of those killed were Islamic Jihad militants, one was from a smaller armed group, and two were Hamas-affiliated policemen who were not taking part in the fighting, according to the armed factions.

Israel estimated a total of 47 Palestinians were killed, including 14 killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets. It said that 20 fighters and seven civilians died in Israeli airstrikes and that it is still investigating six deaths.

No Israelis were killed or seriously wounded in the fighting.

The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and an unraveling of economic understandings with Israel, including the issuing of Israeli work permits that provide a vital source of income for thousands of Gaza residents.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the group overran the territory in 2007. The clashes have exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territorys 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

The latest violence may have bolstered the political fortunes of Israels caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, who lacked experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job.

All our goals were achieved, Lapid said Monday. The entire senior military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza was successfully targeted within three days.

Israel began to reopen crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and said it would fully open them if calm continued. Fuel trucks were seen entering the main cargo crossing and heading for the power plant, which shut down Saturday after Israel closed the crossings.

That added to the misery at the height of the summer heat in the territory, which is under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and suffers from a chronic power crisis that leaves residents with only a few hours of electricity a day.

Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence, even as the countrys sophisticated Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted many of the rockets.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on an Islamic Jihad commander, saying there were concrete threats of an anti-tank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of a senior Islamic Jihad member in the occupied West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank following a spate of Palestinian attacks.

Israel killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike on Saturday.

Both sides boasted of their successes. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite losing two commanders. This is a victory for Islamic Jihad, he said.

Despite that claim, the group undoubtedly sustained a blow. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets.

Israel said some of the deaths in Gaza were caused by errant militant rocket fire, including in the Jebaliya refugee camp, where seven Palestinians were killed Saturday. The army said the deaths of five Palestinians in Jebaliya were still under investigation, apparently referring to five children killed in an explosion in a cemetery on Sunday.

The cease-fire deal contained a promise that Egypt would work for the release of two senior Islamic Jihad detainees held by Israel. The weekend fighting is also bound to complicate Islamic Jihads relations with Hamas.

In the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli troops demolished the homes of two Palestinians suspected of carrying out a deadly attack against Israelis in the city of Elad in May. The soldiers faced a violent protest during the operation, the military said.

Tor Wennesland, the top U.N. Mideast envoy, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the cease-fire is fragile and any resumption of hostilities will have devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis and make any political progress elusive.

He condemned the Palestinian rocket fire while recognizing Israels security concerns. He said any use of force must be proportionate, with all feasible steps taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 1,100 rockets toward Israel, with about 200 landing inside the Palestinian enclave. The army said its air defenses intercepted 380, including two fired toward Jerusalem. The military did not specify what happened to the remainder, but they most likely fell in open areas or broke up in flight.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israels destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

Over the past year, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza laborers and has held out the prospect of 2,000 more.

___

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
CLOVIS  A New Mexico State Police vehicle driven by an officer who thought an active-shooter drill Wednesday at Clovis Community College was a real event overturned after another vehicle struck its passenger side, according to a state police news release.

The officer received minor injuries in the crash. A 45-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl riding in the other vehicle, a Nissan Rogue, were taken to Plains Regional Medical Center with injuries not considered life-threatening, the news release said.

The state police news release said the Nissan was traveling north on Norris Street when it struck the passenger side of the state police vehicle, which was traveling east on Seventh Street. The release did not assign blame for the accident.

After the crash, NMSP learned the report of an active-shooter threat at CCC was only a training exercise being conducted by the Clovis Police Department, the news release stated.

NMSP had not been made aware of the training exercise, officials from both agencies said.

In an email, Clovis Police Capt. Roman Romero wrote, We did not inform the New Mexico State Police about our training, we never do. This training had been coordinated with CCC and the Clovis Fire Department to test our combined capabilities for an event I hope we never have to go through again.

Romero stated that Clovis police posted a brief note on Facebook, so our community realized that the multiple emergency vehicles at Clovis Community College were engaged in training. It has been a rough couple of months for our community, so letting them know that seemed important.

Romero said that while Clovis police do not know how state police learned of the exercise, it is heartening to know they will respond to assist our community for such an event.

Romero, who was at the active shooter drill at CCC, stated he originally thought the accident involved a Clovis city police vehicle.

Establishing radio communications with the New Mexico State Police has been a topic of conversation for some time, he stated, and state police, Clovis police and the Curry County Sheriffs Department are working to mitigate the situation.

The crash investigation is still active and ongoing and is being led by the New Mexico State Police, the news release stated.
Albuquerque police are investigating after a maintenance worker was killed Sunday night while doing a random check on vacant apartments in the complex where he lived.

Lt. Ray Del Greco, with the Albuquerque Police Department, said officers were dispatched to a shots fired call at an apartment complex on the 500 block of Madeira SE, near Zuni and San Mateo SE, around 11 p.m. He said when they arrived they found a person dead.

Del Greco said neighbors told officers that the maintenance worker, who also lived on the property, was checking on the property when he was shot. He said no one is in custody and there is no suspect information.

The maintenance worker is not of the Muslim religion or Middle Eastern descent and there are no indications at this point in time that this matches any of the (modus operandi) of the killing of four other Muslims, Del Greco said.

The city has been on edge after police revealed last week that they believe the fatal shooting of four Muslim men over the period of nine months, three of which happened over a week and a half, may be connected.
Part two of a two-part series

For the past year or so, the New Mexico Black Leadership Council has been laying the groundwork to achieve a goal of ultimate transformation of the International District and its residents.

As a key step, the group, led by founder and director Cathryn McGill, has worked to establish a relationship with the police officers who patrol the neighborhoods.

If you look at what is going to make the kind of resilient and thriving community that all of us desire, how does that happen in the absence of communication? McGill said.

That means having courageous conversations  a trademarked framework for a dialogue on matters of racial equity. As McGill explains it, the pillars of the conversation are to stay engaged, be civil, expect to experience discomfort, speak your truth, and expect and accept a lack of closure.

Tensions over policing in Albuquerque are nothing new. But they flared anew last month when a Black teenager died of smoke inhalation inside a house on the southeastern edge of International District. SWAT team members threw tri-chamber flameless CS grenades into the home after they said 15-year-old Brett Rosenau and 27-year-old Qiaunt Kelley refused to exit. The house caught fire in the early morning hours of July 7, and when firefighters entered they found Rosenau dead.

His death was met with backlash from the community and hundreds protested in the weeks that followed as they criticized the actions of law enforcement.

Because Rosenau died while police were taking someone into custody, the incident is being investigated by the Multi-Agency Task Force and the results will be forwarded to the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office. It will also be the subject of an administrative investigation to determine if any policies were violated and will be examined by APDs Force Review Board and the superintendent of police reform.

In addition, APD Chief Harold Medina sent a letter to Attorney General Hector Balderas on July 12, asking his office to conduct an independent review of the case.

Because of their existing relationship  NMBLC meets weekly with members of APDs Southeast Command  the tragedy became the focus of a July 13 meeting at the NMBLC office, 1258 Ortiz Drive SE. Among those invited were representatives of the citys Community Safety Department, Violence Intervention Program and Equity Office, along with other community leaders from the International District.

I had a chance to ask McGill if she was satisfied with the conversation. The short answer is no because police officials wouldnt share specifics about what happened, citing the ongoing investigation. APD on Friday said that a tri-chamber canister thrown by a Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office SWAT team member cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire, which Albuquerque Fire Rescue has ruled as accidental.

That information wasnt available during the July 13 sitdown.

True to courageous conversation standards, a lack of closure didnt keep McGill from moving the conversation forward. If police couldnt provide the information she and other stakeholders sought, what could the group talk about?

So the conversation became about how to help the victims of the fire  the family of the dead teen and the family that lost a home  and APDs standard operating procedure.

Let me understand that, McGill said, so when we get this explanation that could be 120 days out, we know what the framework is. We know what should have happened, then well be able to evaluate if that did happen.

These conversations, in addition to establishing mutual understanding, help NMBLC hold the department accountable for its actions. Theyre also an entry point to earning the trust of the communities NMBLC wants to serve.

Were still learning and making ourselves worthy of being able to approach people who have been promised so many things and had so many broken promises and have, perhaps, different origin stories than we do, McGill said. If we say we want to serve and fill needs in the community and we want things to be transformed, then we have to keep talking  but what we do is connect that to accountability.

McGill describes NMBLCs work as non-attributable victories in gaining access to equity. Take the first letter of each word in that description and you get navigate.

The non-attributable victories may not be apparent to the person walking down the street. But what were doing way in the background in many cases is saying, Were going to address these situations, hopefully to obviate tragedies from occurring, prevent them, and if they do ultimately happen  and they will  then we have a way to respond to them as opposed to react.

NMBLC and the Albuquerque Police Department are on the same page with a desire to have a relationship. The goal is to make sure we always have communication and that were not trying to establish the relationship after an incident; that we have relationships before an incident, APD Chief Harold Medina told me last week. That established relationship seems to have helped keep the deadly fire from becoming a flashpoint.

However, its important to note that NMBLCs aim is to have a dialogue with police, not insulate them from criticism. And McGill acknowledged a productive relationship is a two-way street.

The communities of the I.D. have a role, she said. We have to actively participate, if we choose to, and there are going to be people who dont choose to on both sides of the equation. Right now, were sort of trying to figure out how to negotiate that muck and mire, if you will, to get to ultimate community resiliency. Thats the transformation were seeking.

A brighter side

Some of NMBLCs work is gritty, street-level outreach  knocking on doors and telling people about available services or assistance they might not be aware of. But the organization also emphasizes cultural vibrancy and positive youth development. Supporting the Black community in New Mexico has become more important in the wake of a national reckoning over systemic racism spurred by the unjust killings of Black people like George Floyd. But NMBLCs goal is to help all members of the International District, many of whom do not fit neatly into what NMBLC calls the tricultural myth or the idea that New Mexico is a harmonious blend of Anglo, Hispanic and Indigenous people.

So NMBLC and the New Mexico Family Asian Center started an annual True New Mexico art show last year giving youth who self-identify as Black/African American and Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian a chance to showcase works of art reflecting their True New Mexican story.

McGill has been a driving force for change for more than a decade. Shes the founder of NMBLC precursor, the New Mexico Black History Organizing Committee. In 2011, it organized the Roots Summer Leadership Academy, a free three-week camp open to students aged 8 to 16 from all parts of the International District.

The camp is multicultural, attracting people from all walks of life, including students experiencing homelessness and those from refugee communities.

Zavier Thompson, 21, was part of the inaugural camp in 2011 and participated each summer after. He credits the experience with fanning his passion for music. On summer break from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y, where he studies music technology and business communications, Thompson attended the camps closing ceremony at First Unitarian Church July 19, which included a song-and-dance performance by campers.

He was there to show support for a program that had a profound influence on his life, but also to reconnect with McGill, who he credits with creating a safe space to learn, grow and experience a sense of community.

Thompson remembers almost being star struck seeing another Black person in Albuquerque as a kid. The camp put him in touch with other Black youth, many of whom became lifelong friends. And the camp provided a sense of cultural pride that had been lacking in his life.

The camps mission is to teach leadership skills and bring out students different strengths via an education steeped in the arts, with a curriculum that meets all state Public Education Department standards.

So, while some of NMBLCs work is behind the scenes, some of it is celebrated and beloved by communities that too often appear invisible to their fellow New Mexicans.

Journal community engagement editor Andy Smith writes columns based on conversations with diverse individuals and groups throughout our community. He can be reached at asmith@abqjournal.com. Coming tomorrow: A potential flashpoint  the death of a Black teen during a standoff off with police in the International District  becomes the focus of a courageous conversation between NMBLC and APD.
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday during his visit to Bangladesh that the United States is mistaken in three aspects regarding a reckless tour to China's Taiwan region by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

He made the remarks in response to the latest situation and the quibbling of the U.S. side.

Firstly, Wang said, the U.S. side grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, adding that despite China's repeated notifications and warnings, the United States went on its own way, and arranged for the third-ranking U.S. government official to make the so-called "visit" to China's Taiwan region.

It must be understood that Taiwan is not a part of the United States, but a part of Chinese territory, and the U.S. side has made a public commitment about this, said Wang, adding that the U.S. side's action is therefore a serious infringement on China's sovereignty.

Secondly, the United States connived at and supported the "Taiwan independence" forces, he said, noting that any country must safeguard national unity and never allows separatist elements to behave recklessly.

Wang said the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the Taiwan region has included the pursuit of "independence" in its party platform, and in recent years it has tried every possible means to seek incremental "Taiwan independence" and create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives openly backed it up, siding with the separatist forces against the Chinese people, he added.

Thirdly, it deliberately sabotaged peace across the Taiwan Strait. The United States, as known to all, always creates a problem first and then uses it to achieve its own strategic end, Wang said.

He noted that there are signs showing that the United States, by orchestrating Pelosi's reckless tour to Taiwan, is trying to repeat its old tricks.

Washington is taking the opportunity to build up its military deployment in the region, which deserves high vigilance and resolute boycott from all sides, Wang warned.

He said China's firm stance, as well as its justified, reasonable, lawful, necessary, open and proportionate countermeasures are aimed at safeguarding China's sacred sovereignty and territorial integrity, preventing the U.S. attempt from "using Taiwan to contain China," crushing the Taiwan authorities' illusion of "seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda," and earnestly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability.

Wang emphasized that the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs is the "golden rule" for the development of state-to-state relations and the "magic tool" for developing countries to protect their sovereignty and security.

Wang said China appreciates the understanding and support for China's position by various countries, adding that as unilateral bullying acts happen from time to time, the international community should reach an even clearer consensus and make an even louder voice so as to jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and international law, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all developing countries.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexicos ranking in overall child well-being slipped from 49th to 50th, according to the Kids Count Data Book for 2022.

The COVID pandemic caused major challenges for families that blunted the progress New Mexico had been making to improve child well-being, said Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, which manages the states Kids Count program.

More importantly, and on a positive note, the data book also shows that New Mexico has seen consistent improvement over time in most indicators, she said.

Comparing rankings from one year to the next often results in an incomplete picture, Wallin said. The national data book, compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, looks primarily at 2016 through 2020 to determine the 2022 national rankings. But compared to rankings from a decade ago, there has clearly been improvement in many of the 16 indicators assessed in four major domains.

In economic well-being New Mexico is ranked 48th; in education were ranked 50th; in health were ranked 39th; and in family and community the state is 48th. Using a formula that compares all states and all 16 indicators, New Mexicos overall ranking is 50th, Wallin explained.

One of the biggest improvements that weve seen is in teen birth rates, which decreased by 58% since 2010, dropping from 53 births per 1,000 teens in 2010, to 22 births per 1,000 teens in 2020, she said.

There has also been a dramatic improvement in the number of children who now have health insurance, Wallin said. On average from 2016 through 2020, 6% of children had no health insurance, compared to 2008 through 2012, when an average of 11% of kids had no health insurance.

Weve improved in the indicator of young children not in preschool and are now ranked 27th, an improvement over last years ranking of 29th and a ranking of 42nd a decade ago, Wallin said. So in raw numbers that means 6,000 more kids are enrolled in preschool than a decade ago. There is also long-term improvement in the number of high school students not graduating on time  25% as of pre-COVID 2019, according to the data book, compared to 37% who did not graduate on time in 2011.

While New Mexico ranks 48th in childhood poverty, Wallin said, theres 20,000 fewer kids living in poverty today than there were in 2012.

Whats not reflected in the data book is great policy progress in the past few years that put kids first, she said, noting a number of legislative changes made from 2019 forward.

Among them are the new child tax credit, the doubling of the tax credit for working families with kids and the expansion of child care systems to most every kid in New Mexico, she said.

These unprecedented investments in kids and families are all good reasons to hope that well see progress in the future, but only if we keep up those investments in our kids and keep creating opportunities for our students, for day care teachers, for our K-12 education classrooms and for the economic security of our workers, Wallin said.

Those are the ways that we improve this long term, and it feels like were just getting started in the state to see what that would look like.
BEIJING  China said Monday it is extending threatening military exercises surrounding Taiwan that have disrupted shipping and air traffic and substantially raised concerns about the potential for conflict in a region crucial to global trade.

The announcement further increases uncertainty in the crisis that developed last week with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

The exercises will include anti-submarine drills, apparently targeting U.S. support for Taiwan in the event of a potential Chinese invasion, according to social media posts from the eastern leadership of Chinas ruling Communist Partys military arm, the Peoples Liberation Army.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and its leader, Xi Jinping, has focused on bringing the self-governing island democracy under the mainlands control, by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty.

Xi is seeking a third term as Communist Party leader later this year. His control over the armed forces and what he has defined as Chinas core interests  including Taiwan, territorial claims in the South China Sea and historic adversary Japan  are key to maintaining his nationalist credentials.

The military has said the exercises, involving missile strikes, warplanes and ship movements crossing the midline of the Taiwan Strait dividing the sides, are a response to Pelosis visit.

China has ignored calls to calm the tensions, and there was no immediate indication of when it would end what amounts to a blockade.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China would firmly safeguard Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely deter the U.S. from containing China with the Taiwan issue and resolutely shatter the Taiwan authorities illusion of relying on the U.S. for independence.

Asked in Dover, Delaware, on Monday about Chinas response to Pelosis visit, U.S. President Joe Biden said: Im not worried, but Im concerned theyre moving as much as they are. But I dont think theyre going to do anything more than they are.

Chinas slowing economic growth, which has reduced options among migrant workers as well as college graduates, has raised the specter of social unrest. The party has maintained its power through total control of the press and social media, along with suppression of political opponents, independent lawyers and activists working on issues from online free speech to LGBTQ rights.

China doesnt allow public opinion polls, and popular opinion is hard to judge. However, it generally skews in favor of the government and its efforts to restore Chinas former dominant role in the region that puts it in conflict with the United States and its allies, including Japan and Australia.

Taiwans defense ministry said Sunday it detected a total of 66 aircraft and 14 warships conducting the naval and air exercises. The island has responded by putting its military on alert and deploying ships, planes and other assets to monitor Chinese aircraft, ships and drones that are simulating attacks on the island of Taiwan and our ships at sea.

Meanwhile, Taiwans official Central News Agency reported that Taiwans army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung county on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises.

The drills will include snipers, combat vehicles, armored vehicles as well as attack helicopters, said the report, which cited an anonymous source.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called on the international community to support democratic Taiwan and halt any escalation of the regional security situation. The Group of Seven industrialized nations has also criticized Chinas actions, prompting Beijing to cancel a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.

China has cut off defense and climate talks with the U.S. and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit.

In Washington, Taiwanese de facto ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao said China had no reason to be so furious over Pelosis visit, which follows a long tradition of American lawmakers visiting Taiwan.

Well, you know, we have been living under the threat from China for decades, Hsiao told CBS News on Sunday. If you have a kid being bullied at school, you dont say you dont go to school. You try to find a way to deal with the bully.

Colin Kahl, the U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, told reporters Monday that Beijings reaction to Pelosis visit was a manufactured crisis, noting that the U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China remains unchanged and that Congress is an independent body of government.

Clearly, the PRC is trying to coerce Taiwan, clearly theyre trying to coerce the international community. And all I say is, were not going to take the bait and its not going to work, he said.

He said U.S. forces in the region would continue to operate, fly and sail wherever is permitted under international law, including the Taiwan Strait.

On a visit to Myanmar, whose Chinese-backed military government has been accused of murdering its opponents, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington was taking the opportunity to build up its military deployment in the region, which deserves high vigilance and resolute boycott from all sides.

Chinas firm stance is aimed at earnestly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability, Wang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for a cooling of tensions. Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge deescalation, and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for, and the whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored, Wong told reporters in Canberra.

___

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Dover, Delaware, and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  In a recent closed-door meeting with leaders of the agencys counterterrorism center, the CIAs No. 2 official made clear that fighting al-Qaida and other extremist groups would remain a priority  but that the agencys money and resources would be increasingly shifted to focusing on China.

One year after ending the war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden and top national security officials speak less about counterterrorism and more about the political, economic and military threats posed by China as well as Russia. Theres been a quiet pivot within intelligence agencies, which are moving hundreds of officers to China-focused positions, including some who were previously working on terrorism.

Intelligence officials stress that the counterterrorism fight is hardly being ignored. Just a week ago, it was revealed that a CIA drone attack killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Kabul. But days later, China staged large-scale military exercises and threatened to cut off contacts with the U.S. over House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan. It underscored the message CIA deputy director David Cohen had delivered at that meeting weeks ago: The agencys top priority is trying to understand and counter Beijing.

The U.S. has long been alarmed by Chinas growing political and economic ambitions. China has tried to influence foreign elections, mounted campaigns of cyber and corporate espionage, and detained millions of minority Uyghurs in camps. Some experts also think Beijing will in coming years try to seize the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan by force.

Intelligence officials have said they need more insights on China, including after being unable to definitively pinpoint the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beijing has been accused of withholding information about the origins of the virus.

And the war in Ukraine has underscored Russias importance as a target. The U.S. used declassified information to expose Russian President Vladimir Putins war plans before the invasion and rally diplomatic support for Kyiv.

Supporters of the Biden administration approach note that the fact the U.S. was able to track and kill al-Zawahri is evidence of its capabilities to target threats in Afghanistan from abroad. Critics say the fact that al-Zawahri was living in Kabul, under the apparent protection of the Taliban, suggests theres a resurgence of extremist groups that America is ill-equipped to counter.

The shift in priorities is supported by many former intelligence officers and lawmakers from both parties who say its overdue. That includes people who served in Afghanistan and other missions against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said he believed the U.S. had been overly focused on counterterrorism over the last several years.

A far greater existential threat is Russia and China, said Crow, a Colorado Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees. Terrorist groups, he said, will not destroy the American way of life  the way China can.

CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp noted that terrorism remains a very real challenge.

Even as crises such as Russias invasion of Ukraine and strategic challenges such as that posed by the Peoples Republic of China demand our attention, CIA will continue to aggressively track terrorist threats globally and work with partners to counter them, Thorp said.

Congress has pushed the CIA and other intelligence agencies to make China a top priority, according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. Pushing resources toward China has required cuts elsewhere, including in counterterrorism. Specific figures were unavailable because intelligence budgets are classified.

In particular, lawmakers want more information about Chinas development in advanced technologies. Under President Xi Jinping, China has committed trillions of dollars in investment on quantum science, artificial intelligence and other technologies that are likely to disrupt how future wars are fought and economies are structured.

As part of the shift, congressional committees are trying to better track how intelligence agencies spend their funding on China, seeking more detail about how specific programs contribute to that mission, one person familiar with the matter said.

We are late, but its good that were finally changing our focus into that region, said Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. That means in people, in resources, in military assets, and in diplomacy.

The CIA last year announced it would create two new mission centers  one on China, one on emerging technologies  to centralize and improve intelligence collection on those issues. The CIA is also trying to recruit more Chinese speakers and reduce wait times on security clearances to hire new people faster.

Inside the agency, many officers are learning Chinese and moving into new roles focused on China, though not all of those jobs require language training, people familiar with the matter said.

Officials note that intelligence officers are trained to adapt to new challenges and that many were moved more quickly into counterterrorism roles after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Advances from counterterrorism work  including better use of data and different sources of intelligence to build networks and identify targets  are also useful in countering Russia and China, former officers said.

Its the analytics and targeting machine that has become extraordinary, said Douglas Wise, a former CIA senior officer who was deputy chief of operations at the counterterrorism center.

The CIAs Counterterrorism Center, renamed the Counterterrorism Mission Center in a 2015 reorganization, remains a point of pride for many people who credit its work for keeping Americans safe from terrorism after Sept. 11. CIA officers landed in Afghanistan on Sept. 26, 2001, and were part of operations to displace the Taliban and find and kill leaders of al-Qaida including Osama bin Laden.

And 13 years after a double agent tricked officers pursuing al-Zawahri and blew himself up, killing seven agency employees, the CIA killed him in a strike with no reported civilian casualties.

The CIA was also involved in some of the darkest moments of the fight against terrorism. It operated secret black site jails to hold terrorism suspects, some wrongly, and was found by a Senate investigation to have used interrogation methods that amounted to torture. Elite Afghan special operations units trained by the CIA were also accused of killing civilians and violating international law.

Theres long been a debate over whether counterterrorism pulled intelligence agencies too far away from traditional spying and whether some of the CIAs work in targeting terrorists should instead be done by special forces under the military.

Marc Polymeropoulos is a retired CIA operations officer and former base chief in Afghanistan. He said he supports a greater focus on China and Russia but added, Theres no reason to diminish what we had to do.

This notion that somehow all the CT work we did, somehow that was wrong, that we took our eye of the ball  just remember on Sept. 12 what everyone was feeling, he said.

Re-orienting the agencies toward more of a focus on China and Russia will ultimately take years and require both patience and recognition that the agencys culture will take time to change, Wise said.

For decades, we have been doing counterterrorism, Wise said. Weve got to have a rational plan to make this adaptation, which doesnt take so long that our enemies can exploit a glacial process.
BRUNSWICK, Ga.  The white father and son who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood each received a second life prison sentence Monday  for committing federal hate crimes, months after getting their first for murder  at a hearing that brought a close to more than two years of criminal proceedings.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood handed down the sentences against Travis McMichael, 36, and his father, Greg McMichael, 66, reiterating the gravity of the February 2020 killing that shattered their Brunswick community. William Roddie Bryan, 52, who recorded cellphone video of the slaying, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

A young man is dead. Ahmaud Arbery will be forever 25. And what happened, a jury found, happened because hes Black, Wood said.

The McMichaels were previously sentenced to life without parole in state court for Arberys murder and had asked the judge to divert them to a federal prison to serve their sentences, saying they were worried about their safety in the state prison system. Bryan had sought to serve his federal sentence first. Wood declined all three requests.

The sentences imposed Monday brought an end to the second trial against the men responsible for Arberys slaying, which along with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky fueled a wave of protests across the country against the killings of unarmed Black people.

The Justice Departments prosecution of this case and the courts sentences today make clear that hate crimes have no place in our country, and that the Department will be unrelenting in our efforts to hold accountable those who perpetrate them, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a news release. Protecting civil rights and combatting white supremacist violence was a founding purpose of the Justice Department, and one that we will continue to pursue with the urgency it demands.

In February, a federal jury convicted the McMichaels and Bryan of violating Arberys civil rights, concluding they targeted him because of his race. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan, a neighbor, joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun. The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar, but investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.

Im very thankful, Arberys mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told reporters outside the courthouse after all three sentences had been imposed. Its been a long fight. Im so thankful God gave us the strength to continue to fight.

The hearings marked the first time the men involved in the deadly chase expressed any remorse to Arberys family. Only Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots, chose to remain silent when given a chance to speak in court.

Greg McMichael told Arberys family their loss was beyond description.

Im sure my words mean very little to you, but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen, he said. There was no malice in my heart or my sons heart that day.

Bryan said he was sorry.

I never intended any harm to him, and I never would have played any role in what happened if I knew then what I know now, Bryan said.

In giving Bryan a lower sentence, Wood noted he had not brought a gun to the pursuit of Arbery and preserved his cellphone video, which was crucial to the prosecutions.

Travis McMichaels attorney, Amy Lee Copeland, said a lighter sentence would be more consistent with what similarly charged defendants have received in other cases, noting that the officer who killed Floyd in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin, got 21 years in prison for violating Floyds civil rights, though he was not charged with targeting Floyd because of his race.

Greg McMichaels attorney, A.J. Balbo, also cited the Chauvin sentence as well as his clients age and health problems, which he said include a stroke and depression.

During the February hate crimes trial, prosecutors fortified their case that Arberys killing was motivated by racism by showing the jury roughly two dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racist slurs and made disparaging comments about Black people.

Prosecutor Christopher Perras said the trial evidence proved what so many people felt in their hearts when they watched the video of Ahmauds tragic and unnecessary death: This would have never happened if he had been white.

A state Superior Court judge imposed life sentences for the McMichaels and Bryan in January for Arberys murder, with both McMichaels denied any chance of parole. All three defendants have remained jailed in coastal Glynn County, in the custody of U.S. marshals, while awaiting sentencing after their federal convictions.

Because they were first charged and convicted of murder in a state court, they will be turned over to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their life terms in a state prison.

Copeland argued unsuccessfully for Travis McMichael to remain in federal custody, saying he has received hundreds of threats that he will be killed soon after arriving at state prison and that his photo has been circulated there on illegal phones.

I am concerned your honor that my client effectively faces a back door death penalty, she said, adding that retribution and revenge were not sentencing factors, even for a defendant who is publicly reviled.

Arberys father, Marcus Arbery Sr., said Travis McMichael had shown his son no mercy and deserved to rot in state prison.

You killed him because he was a Black man and you hate Black people, he said. You deserve no mercy.

___

Associated Press writer Sudhin Thanawala contributed to this report from Atlanta.
TEHRAN, Iran  Millions of Shiite Muslims  from Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan  were marking the festival of Ashoura on Monday, one of the most emotional occasions in their religious calendar, commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammads grandson Hussein.

Security forces, particularly in Taliban-run Afghanistan, were on high alert for any violence. In the past, bloody attacks have marred the festival across in the Middle East, as Sunni extremists who view the Shiites as heretics seize on the holy day to target large gatherings of mourners.

Shiite Muslims were to mark the holy day on Tuesday in Iraq and also in Lebanon, where a major procession typically shuts down Beiruts biggest suburb. With power split in Lebanon among the countrys religious sects, Ashoura presents an opportunity for Lebanons Shiites to show force.

In the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine, religious charities laid out vats of rice, bread and beans to feed the pilgrims. Thousands typically rush toward the shrine to symbolize their desire to answer Husseins last cries for help in battle.

Crowds of mourners were thin in Kabul, where the countrys Shiites have suffered a wave of brazen attacks by the local Islamic State affiliate, which has tried to undermine the new Taliban government. Repeated bombings have rattled Afghanistans ethnic minority Hazara Shiites, who previously experienced persecution under the Taliban and fear their new rulers  who seized power a year ago, as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew  will let violence continue against their community.

Shiites represent over 10% of the worlds 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Husseins death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.

Over 1,340 years after Husseins martyrdom, Baghdad, Tehran, Islamabad and other major capitals in the Middle East were adorned with symbols of Shiite piety and repentance: red flags for Husseins blood, symbolic black funeral tents and black dress for mourning, processions of men and boys expressing fervor in the ritual of chest beating and self-flagellation with chains.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, authorities cut mobile phone services in key cities holding commemorations for fear of militant bombings. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed Monday that Afghanistan was experiencing significant service disruptions.

Pakistani police were out in force along procession routes. The Taliban shut down roads leading to Shiite neighborhoods and mosques in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have encouraged Shiites to carry out their devotions. However, they did not designate Ashoura a national holiday this year, as Afghanistans authorities have in the past. They also banned major processions for fear of violence after a string of bombings targeting Shiite-dominated areas.

Despite the threat of attacks, hundreds of frenzied Shiites turned up on the streets of Kabul to beat their heads and chests in unison. They whipped themselves with knife-edged chains to the point of blood splattering onto the streets.

The Afghan mourners struck a defiant tone.

Those who want to stop us from commemoration of this day will take their wish to grave with themselves, said Habibullah Bashardost, adding that the community had braced itself for more violence.

Even if these people who are commemorating today are martyred, we have our coming generation to continue this path, Bashardost said.

Another participant, Ahmadullah Hussaini, said his presence at the bloodletting ritual under the shadow of targeted attacks delivered a succinct message: We are not scared of anything, not even death.

In Shiite powerhouse Iran, thousands of men and women shrouded in black thronged the streets of Tehran. Green plumage, the color of Islam, fluttered in the air. Camels covered with multicolored cloth paraded through the city, evoking how Hussein set out from Mecca with a small band of companions. Iranians pounded their chests in mourning and chanted in unison, while some mourners clad in black wept.

Somehow, I feel like I must go to mourning, because Imam Hussein was brutally and unfairly treated, said Nasrin Bahami, a 65-year-old participant in the Tehran procession. I love his pride, his bravery. He is a symbol, a role model.

In Iraq, where the largest Ashoura gatherings were expected to take place on Tuesday, black flags of grief fluttered over the capitals major thoroughfares. Portraits of the revered saint hung from the doors of nearly every house in the Shiite-dominated suburb of Sadr City.

This years Ashoura in Iraq coincides with a deepening political crisis between Shiite political rivals. Thousands of followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the parliament building last week to prevent Iran-backed parties from forming a government. Their sit-in continues, with al-Sadr invoking the sacrifices of Hussein to whip up religious fervor.

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Associated Press writers Samya Kullab in Baghdad, Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
PHOENIX  A Pinon man has been arrested in connection with the death of a Navajo woman who was reported missing in 2019, according to authorities.

Federal prosecutors said 30-year-old Tre C. James was taken into custody last week on suspicion of first-degree murder and multiple counts of domestic violence.

Roberta McVickers, an attorney for James, declined to comment Monday when reached by The Associated Press.

Prosecutors said James is accused of fatally shooting Jamie Yazzie of Pinon. She was last seen on the Navajo Nation and reported missing in the summer of 2019.

Yazzies remains were found in November 2021 on the neighboring Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona.

James next scheduled court appearance is Tuesday in U.S. Magistrate Court in Flagstaff.
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Israel confirmed on Sunday it has agreed an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, ending the deadly Israeli airstrikes and the barrage of Palestinian rockets for three days.

Lior Hayat, head of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate, said in a statement that the cease-fire would take effect at 11:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT).

"If the cease-fire is violated, Israel reserves the right to respond forcefully," Hayat added.

Israel also thanked Egypt for mediating the cease-fire.

Starting Friday, Israel unleashed a series of airstrikes targeting PIJ sites in Gaza, killing at least 43 people including 15 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.

In response, the PIJ and other militants in Gaza fired more than 950 rockets at cities in southern and central Israel, causing no fatalities.
As India gears up to celebrate her 75th year of Independence, we at Adgully are tracing the journey of Advertising and its contribution to the Indian society at large  whether it is bringing about a change in mindsets, or a societal pattern, or empowering different communities or ushering in new thoughts  basically, Soch badal ke rakh diya.

Click here to Register Now

Our aim is to collate 75 most impressive and significant ways in which Advertising has impacted India over the decades. For this, we are reaching out to the Advertising Honchos of India to share the most significant contributions of Advertising to the Indian society and why they consider them to be important developments. We will serialise the story on Adgullys website in the lead-up to the Independence Day this year in this special series: India @75  Through the Advertising Lens.

In an interaction with Adgully, Hari Chakyar, Creative Director - Copy, Chimp&z Inc, noted, Sure, advertising has a bad rap for faking campaigns for awards. But advertising is also responsible for creating powerful stories that got people talking about important issues.

Chakyar lists four of his favourite ads

Do Boond Zindagi Ke - If we have managed to eradicate polio from the country, advertising surely has had an important role to play in it. Advertising took the pulse polio campaign to everybodys doorstep. It let people know that oral drops for children are safe and will cause no side effects. It gave the health workers on the ground the confidence to do their work with pride and dignity without the need to educate parents.

Balbir Pasha ko AIDS hoga kya? - This campaign took an uncomfortable topic and got people talking about it. Till date, this is the most popular AIDS awareness campaign in the country.

Share The Load - This campaign spoke about something everybody was aware of but turned a blind eye to. Invisible, unpaid labour at home. Share the load asked men to be nicer and share the burden of running a household. Yet another example of advertising initiating the conversations required to bring about changes in society.

Kerala Is Open - Kerala was recovering from the worst flood situation when Samsonites balm of a film dropped. It let the world know that Kerala was back to welcoming tourists once more. The film made its audience emotional and helped the state get back to its feet by encouraging tourism.
Pullman New Delhi Aerocity launched its first ever digital campaign We Will Mind Your Business with top influencers from across India in April 2022. The campaign was focused on positioning Pullman Aerocity as the ultimate destination for business travellers through a series of Instagram videos by influencers like Abhinav Mathur, Suhavini Singh and Aman Vohra! Aimed at showcasing specific needs of business travellers and how Pullman covers every unique need, we came up with scripted video and visual content to showcase what the property had to offer.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pullman New Delhi Aerocity (@pullmannewdelhiaerocity)

The campaign highlights Pullman New Delhi Aerocitys offering of multiple spaces based on each business travellers needs. Pullman takes the Work Hard, Play Hard motto from the boardroom to the spa, inventing new ways of doing business. These rooms are developed around the Business Playground concept where it serves an environment which is conducive to ideas for the global nomads. With 13 modular meeting rooms and 3 boardrooms, the rooms are designed with creative interior elements, original food and beverage breaks and state-of-the art technology - everything a BUSINESS ENTHUSIASTS NEEDS.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pullman New Delhi Aerocity (@pullmannewdelhiaerocity)

The campaign shows how each experience is built to cater each individual needs, be it the choices of breakfast or lunch, various ways to rejuvenate yourself at the pool or spa; or just to have some focused time at the gym, Pullman Aerocity makes it All About You. Abhinav Mathur showcases how he likes to stay focused without losing out on time and Pullman ensures that each moment is valued. Suhavini Singh draws attention to the time spent at the hotel and finding inspiration working out of multiple working spaces while Aman Vohra is seen enjoying the F&B and wellness services of the hotel.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pullman New Delhi Aerocity (@pullmannewdelhiaerocity)

Speaking about the campaign, Parinita Samanta, Director of Marketing and Communication, says, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity has always taken pride in being a place where every business traveller finds their safe haven. We believe in making each experience unique keeping in mind that a creative mind is at its best when they have a complete package of rejuvenation, F&B and top class amenities under one roof. Hence, this campaign was the perfect way to showcase that.

The campaign was a great success as it garnered a reach of more than half a million being the first initiative in the digital space.
Boeing is to open a new R&D center in Nagoya, Japan to develop sustainable aviation technologies such as hydrogen propulsion and composites.

The new center is to open as part of an extension to a joint research agreement originally made with the Japanese Government in 2019.

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The new R&D center will focus on developing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), electric / hydrogen propulsion, robotics, digitization and composites. The center will produce future flight and urban mobility concepts to promote zero climate impact aviation.

We are excited to open our latest global research and technology center here in Japan, said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief engineer and executive vice president of Engineering, Test & Technology.

The new center will expand upon Boeing-wide initiatives in sustainable fuels and electrification, and explore the intersection of digitization, automation and high-performance aerospace composites for greater sustainability in our future products and production systems.

Nagoya is already home to many of Boeings major industrial partners and suppliers. Boeing already has R&D centers in Australia, China and Korea.

Boeing has also joined an industrial consortium called Act for Sky which aims to commercialize, promote and expand the use of SAF produced in Japan. Act for Sky was founded by the airlines All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL), along with engineering company JGC Holdings Corporation and biofuel producer Revo International.

Masahiro Aika, from Act For Sky, said, We welcome the participation of Boeing. We look forward to Boeing collaborating with the other members to Act for the commercialization, promotion and expansion of SAF in Japan.

Boeing has worked with ANA and JAL on SAF-powered flights previously and the companies have also signed agreements to partner on studying advanced sustainable technologies, including electric, hybrid, hydrogen and other novel propulsion systems to reduce the carbon footprint of aircraft.

Boeings chief sustainability officer Chris Raymond said, To ensure the enormous societal benefits of aviation remain available for generations to come, we must continue to partner with capable innovators and leaders to support the industrys commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
I purchased these stickers from Amy Yardley a few weeks ago. This one is on my front door, slightly doctored to reflect 3 residents, in case of emergency. I used to hesitate to "advertise" my daughters' autism like this. How about you? The fact is, if police, fire or EMS came to our home, it would be unfair not to give them a heads up, and unsafe for my daughters.



Speaking of police, on Saturday I took a mid afternoon shower. As I was dressing, Miss G came into my room and said, "The police are here." Not what you want to hear while toweling off. I quickly threw on a sundress and looked out the window. Sure enough, a police SUV was right in front of my house. Uh oh. My first though was that she'd called 911 by accident. Miss G kept saying, "The police are here! At the house." She was very matter of fact, not at all disturbed. (I was!)



As we walked outside, I saw a utility truck installing something atop a telephone pole. Ah HA! Police stay when utility work is being done, even on a tiny dead end street like ours. Gianna and I walked toward the officer. She made me smile when she said, "The police keep us safe." I have drummed safety into her head every day for a long time!



I signaled to the officer to please roll down his window (I am roll down the window old, friends.) I explaine d that Miss G has autism. and she had alerted me to his presence. He told her he was proud of her and was kind in communicating with her. Then I told him what she had said, "Police keep us safe." He smiled. I imagine he's heard a lot worse.



If you'd like a sticker, reach out to Amy Yardley, who created these durable, brightly colored, 4' x 3" stickers. They cost $5 apiece plus $1 dollar for shipping. You can email Amy Yardley at amyisnow@hotmail.com.
Israel confirms cease-fire with Gaza after 3 days of deadly strikes

Xinhua) 08:11, August 08, 2022

Streaks of smoke are seen as Israel's Iron Dome defense system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, southern Israel, on Aug. 7, 2022. Israel confirmed on Sunday it has agreed an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, ending the deadly Israeli airstrikes and the barrage of Palestinian rockets for three days. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel confirmed on Sunday it has agreed an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, ending the deadly Israeli airstrikes and the barrage of Palestinian rockets for three days.

Lior Hayat, head of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate, said in a statement that the cease-fire would take effect at 11:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT).

"If the cease-fire is violated, Israel reserves the right to respond forcefully," Hayat added.

Israel also thanked Egypt for mediating the cease-fire.

Starting Friday, Israel unleashed a series of airstrikes targeting PIJ sites in Gaza, killing at least 43 people including 15 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.

In response, the PIJ and other militants in Gaza fired more than 950 rockets at cities in southern and central Israel, causing no fatalities.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
 Flash

Five people were killed and seven others were injured in a car accident on Sunday morning in southern central part of Myanmar's Bago region.

The accident took place at around 9 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) in Bago Township of Bago Region, when a hijet minicab truck hit a 12-wheeled lorry which was stopped on the side of the road, an official from the Kalyana Mitta rescue organization told Xinhua.

"Three passengers in the minicab truck, two women and a 12-year-old child, died on the spot," Maung Myittar, a rescue worker from Phayagyi Reserve Fire Brigade, told Xinhua.

The passenger minicab truck carrying 12 passengers onboard was on its way to Yangon on the old Yangon-Mandalay highway when the accident occurred, he said.

"When we arrived, we dragged the driver out of the car. At that time, the driver and another man in the car's headroom did not die yet, but they were in critical condition," Maung Myittar said, adding that they died in the hospital.

The other seven passengers who sustained minor injuries were sent to the Bago General Hospital to get treatment, he added.
When I was a child in Arkansas, even the cotton fields were segregated. I picked cotton with my mother and grandmother on my granduncles farm. My grandfather died on the eve of the Great Depression, and my grandmother had to sell the family farm to her brother. Those cool October days we were field hands working beside my granduncle and his wife picking cotton from dawn to dusk. I dont remember how much I made, but I do remember, I was paid with coins each time our cotton sacks were weighed and emptied into the wagon.

Blacks also picked cotton, but seldom in the same fields as Whites. Much has changed in the decades since my childhood. Yet today we are still dealing with our history. It isnt that we havent tried. The problem is what we have done hasnt always worked. Government programs designed to help single mothers led to more single mothers. Black fathers were pushed out of the homes so mothers could receive benefits. Today, a majority of Black children live with a single parent. Those well-intended programs contribute to Black poverty today.

In its next session, the Supreme Court will again look at the issue of whether minorities, Blacks in particular, should receive preferential college admissions. Colleges and universities discriminate against Whites and Asians in favor of Blacks. The reason given for preferential treatment is our history of slavery and segregation. The question before the Supreme Court is whether our past justifies the current practice. Is a half-century of reverse discrimination enough? If a half-century isnt enough will there ever be enough?

Past decisions by the Supreme Court have held that race can be a factor in admissions, but not the only factor.

Historically, colleges and universities have relied heavily on test scores and grades when making admission decisions. Work experience, applicant essays, and letters of recommendation are also considered. A result of using these factors often is the under representation of Blacks. Some colleges and universities simply add being Black to the admission process to raise the number of Black students. Being black while driving may be a problem, but not when applying for college. Whites and Asians who are denied admission feel they are the victims of discrimination. Should Whites and Asians who have higher grades and test scores be denied admission in order to make room for Black applicants who, based on commonly used criteria, are less qualified?

Those who favor affirmative action admissions say that educational institutions benefit from a diverse student body. But there are many kinds of diversity. Would admitting students because they grew up in an impoverished coal mining town add to diversity? What about admitting an applicant who lost a parent in Afghanistan or Iraq? What about considering admissions for students with disabilities?

I argue that race is quite simply the wrong factor to add to the decision process. It divides us. It creates animosity. The primary reason race is the wrong factor is that adding race often means that applicants who come from financially well-off families are the ones who gain admission. The Black candidate whose grades and test scores are not quite up to par may be the daughter of a Black physician or the son of a Black judge.

We should not look at the candidates race. We should increase the number of disadvantaged applicants who attend colleges and universities by directly considering economic station. We should consider whether the applicant comes from an impoverished family. We should consider whether the applicant attended an underperforming school. What about relying on the applicants class standing?

The goal should not be to increase minority enrollment in our colleges and universities, it should be to reduce poverty. We should offer advantages to the disadvantaged. I argue that major universities would benefit more from admitting the son of a coal miner or daughter of a janitor than the son of one more judge or the daughter of one more physician.

Disadvantaged applicants cannot afford tuition at top-ranked private universities or at many state universities and colleges. It is high tuition that is preventing low-income high school graduates from attending major universities. Low-income high school graduates cannot afford tens of thousands of dollars of annual tuition at prestige institutions. Some heavily endowed prestige universities could easily operate without tuition. The administration of the institutions could change the character of their schools by eliminating tuition and offering admission to the top graduates regardless of their economic standing.

There is no secret to economic success. Develop a valuable job skill. Work hard. Spend, save, and invest wisely.

It is that first step, developing a valuable job skill, that prevents too many young people from achieving economic success. Working hard without a valuable job skill pays, but pays poorly.

We shouldnt be telling everyone that they need a college degree to do well financially. Most jobs dont require a college degree, and many college degrees are worth very little financially. Graduates who earn those degrees are often saddled with large student loans. Still most careers that pay well require special training. Long-haul truckers, flight attendants, electricians, dental hygienists, paralegals, postal workers, plumbers, police officers, and air-traffic controllers are often paid well. Training programs should be made available to a wide range of students at low tuition or no tuition state-supported schools. Perhaps schools that offer degrees with little demand should think about offering programs that financially benefit those who enroll.

No one expects aloof Ivy League institutions to train long-haul truckers. It would be refreshing, but it wont happen in todays world. But that doesnt mean there isnt a place for such training. These programs can benefit students who arent at the top of their high school class. They can be offered to anyone and everyone one who has the basic skills required for the job without screening for irrelevant factors such as race.

Our efforts to reduce poverty should focus on aiding disadvantaged individuals so they can develop the job skills that will lead to economic success. Giving preferential treatment to individuals because of their race rather than their personal economic status is factious and ineffective. Admitting wealthy Black applicants over disadvantaged White applicants doesnt make sense. Perhaps the Supreme Court will also find it is unconstitutional.

Image: NYPL Public Domain Collection
Gas lighters in the media and in Washington D.C. continue to tell the few who still listen to their words that former President Donald Trump is irrelevant.

One Trump-loathing Republican-in-name-only, final-term Rep. Adam Kinzinger, declared, Trump is becoming irrelevant.

In a Sunday news/snooze fest interview he told ABCs This Week, I am hearing a lot of anecdotal stuff, around the edges, of people who've been hardcore with Trump who now just can't stand him.

I suspect he is hearing his anecdotal stuff from his January 6 co-NeverTrumper Rep. Liz Cheney or other former conservatives in Washington, D.C., grasping for relevance, such as Bill Kristol, Max Boot, Jennifer Rubin, or George Will.

Outside of D.C., the GOP elites have the same attitude.

As reported by the Trump- and Republican-hating New Yorker, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also believes Trump to be irrelevant: Every speech that the governor of Georgia gives is intended as a little shove, to push the former president a little more emphatically into the past.

A photo appears in the article of Kemp and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, which says it all.

Remember how failed presidential candidate Christie was photographed sunbathing his svelte physique on a Jersey Shore beach that he closed to the hoi polloi, but not to his family?

And he thinks Trump is irrelevant, calling for a smaller Trump presence?

A good measure of Trumps continued political relevancy is the value of his endorsements. Last weeks primary elections, Trump endorsed candidates made a clean sweep in Arizona, despite efforts and delays aimed at denying the GOP gubernatorial primary victory to Kari Lake.

A former Michigan Republican Party chairman and GOP consultant astutely observed: Trump is still the 800-pound gorilla. He has significant influence.

Breitbart reported after last weeks primaries,

Candidates backed by former President Donald J. Trump are now 172-10 in statewide and federal races in 2022 after a perfect night in Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri. His candidates are undefeated so far in Arizona  but results are still pending in the gubernatorial race  while he also has two candidates in Washington whose races are still awaiting results.

Subsequently, Arizona became a clean sweep. Washington state is still too close to call. What irony it is that virtually every country in the world, far more populous than Washington or Arizona, can hold an election and know the results hours after the polls close, whereas these states need days or weeks to count (or manufacture) votes. No wonder only half of Americans believe our elections are fair.

Dont forget J.D. Vance and Dr. Oz, both jumping in the polls and winning their U.S. Senate primaries after receiving a coveted Trump endorsement.

Aside from endorsement success, Trump is currently the most popular politician in America.

As Breitbart reports,

According to the latest polling from Harvard Caps Harris Poll, despite seven years and billions of corporate dollars spent to destroy him, despite two fake impeachments and this Kangaroo January 6th Committee, Trumps favorable rating is higher than any other politician in Americaincluding politicians the fake media have spent billions of dollars propping uplike Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Fascist).

CNN, in a rare moment of journalistic honesty and integrity, reported: Donald Trump has become more popular since the January 6 Capitol attack. How could this be? CNN notes,

A majority of Americans (55%) now believe that Trump was either not or only partially responsible for the rioters who overtook the Capitol, according to a recent NBC News poll. That's up from 47% in January 2021. Today, Trump's polling position with Americans overall is one of his best, and he remains the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination. In raw numbers, Trump's been ahead in more polls against Biden over the past few months than he was for the entirety of 2020.

Trump also handily won last weekends CPAC straw poll, beating his closest rival, Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, by almost a three to one margin with the rest of the GOP contenders at this point in the very low single digits.

Everything the left has thrown at Trump since his 2015 escalator ride at Trump Tower has either not stuck or backfired, bigly. Two nonsensical impeachment efforts, failing to remove Trump from office, are prime examples. So is the January 6 insurrection fiction, whose sole purpose is to indict and prevent Trump from running for president in 2024.

If Trump is an irrelevant buffoon as his opponents on both sides of the political aisle claim, why are they so worried about him?

I dont see similar worry from the GOP over holy spirit Trump-slayer Michael Avenatti, being pardoned by Biden and released from his long prison sentence to run against Trump. Yet Democrats are obviously worried about and afraid of Trump running again.

And winning.

Democrats are so worried that in their spite for Donald Trump, they now love the Cheney family, specifically Dick and Liz. Once upon a time, Dick Cheney was Darth Vader. Now the left is gushing over the Cheneys as they did jailbird Michael Avenatti.

Liz is the supposed leading voice of reason and fairness on the January 6 committee, hoping to see Trump behind bars. Father Dick, who famously led the Saddam has WMDs fable, getting America into a needless and expensive war in Iraq, now calls Donald Trump a coward.

Cheney went on, In our nations 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. Trump is an ex-president. He holds no political office and is as relevant as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, or Bill Clinton in running the nation.

As to the coward label, Cheney managed to avoid serving in the Viet Nam war, telling the Washington Post, I had other priorities in the 60s than military service. Irony knows no bounds with the Cheney family.

Suddenly, the enemy of my enemy is my friend Dick Cheney is the darling of Morning Joe and his gaggle of Trump haters. On a recent MSNBC panel, their dour faces speak volumes about the state of the Democrat party and prospects in November 2022 and 2024.

MSNBC screen grab

If no one likes Trump and he is such a reprobate, why are they so worried and why do his endorsed candidates keep winning? As usual the media is gas lighting the nation, but the voters are no longer falling for it.

Trumps Great Red Wave strategy is working. The America First-MAGA coalition is large and motivated, enough of an electoral tsunami to overwhelm the ruling class elites of both parties, the uniparty that views Trump and his supporters as an existential threat to their wealth and power. Perhaps this is The Storm that Trump once cryptically referred to. Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride.

Brian C Joondeph, MD, is a physician and writer.

Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor

Truth Social @BrianJoondeph

LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph
If you want to see what a company committing suicide looks like, look no further than CNN. Its profits have slipped below $1B for the first time in years and its viewership has fallen below 640K -- about a quarter of the 2.4 million nightly viewers of Big Bang Theory reruns. CNN+ was supposed to be the companys path to future riches. It was cancelled only one month after its launch -- much to the delight of Chris Wallace critics. It never occurred to the brain trust at CNN that if you cant get people to watch your drivel for free, getting them to pay for it may not be in the cards.

CNN should have learned that around the clock anti-Trump coverage is not a sustainable programing strategy for a company that claims to be a news network.

CNNs viewers are leaving, and its revenue is following them out the door. Apparently, it was beyond Jeff Zuckers understanding of the industry that you cant sell time on a network that nobody watches. It turns out advertisers are a bunch of greedy capitalists that dont understand the social importance of the work being done by the Commie News Network.

But those problems are all temporary. CNN has hired Chris Licht to fix it. As his first order of business, he has promised that the network is going to be much more balanced in its coverage. That means that Jim Acosta, Don Lemon, Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, and Jeffrey Hands Under the Table Tobin are now going to be actual news reporters. Theyll be reporting the facts rather than spinning narratives -- and somehow, theyre going to acquire these new skills without going to a multi-year remedial training program.

The reality facing Licht is that CNN has spent 20+ years trashing its own credibility. Getting it back is going to take a lot more than a declaration from the new CEO.

CNN led the charge in attacking George W. Bush for eight years. Remember the Bush lied; people died mantra repeated endlessly? When the country needed to come together to fight a common enemy, CNN and the Democrats did everything possible to divide us.

The network followed that with eight years of willful blindness about the Obama administration -- calling it the most scandal-free administration in history. But it only seemed that way because CNN didnt bother to cover Fast and Furious, Benghazi, spying on journalists, DoJ corruption, NSA domestic spying, Obamacare deception, and IRS weaponization. Scandal free has about as much connection to President Obama as credibility does to CNN.

CNN then moved on to Donald Trump, with five years of talking about nothing but Russian collusion. Adam Schiff spent so much time on the network that his image is burned into the pixels of the dozen or so TVs actually tuned to CNN. But there was something CNN left out of its coverage. The only person actually colluding with Russia was Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump. The talking heads forgot to say anything about that, even though it was obvious from the beginning.

Finally, the most trusted name in news has treated us to almost three years of propaganda to drag Joe Biden over the inaugural finish line and keep him there. They accomplished this feat by never mentioning Hunter Bagman Bidens laptop without also including the word disinformation in the same sentence.

For a business that trades in credibility, the CNN crew sold theirs on the cheap. They sacrificed it all to push a socialist ideology that is destined to fail, and to get the most lackluster candidate in history inaugurated as President. What they got is a President who is so bad that its now obvious to everyone but the most delusional, that CNN was a significant player in one of the biggest hoaxes ever played on the American people. Now Chis Licht is asking Americans to trust him -- CNN has changed.

So, how is Licht going to make CNN credible again? Thats not going to be easy, but hes working on it.

Last month Licht was at the U.S. Capitol courting Republicans to come back on CNN as guests, because he needs the patina of ideological objectivity that only a few RINOs can provide. Actually courting is not the right word. He was begging. Part of his pitch was to assure Republicans that they can trust him to be treated fairly and with respect -- says the guy from the network with no credibility.

I expect Liz Cheney to be the only Republican accepting his offer. Of course, shes not interested in giving vital information to the American people, or even helping CNN with its credibility problem. For her its a job interview, because by now even she must see that Trump hatred isnt enough to get reelected -- not even with an endorsement from her daddy, Dick Deadeye Cheney.

Eventually Licht may learn that credibility is not something that can be acquired through begging. Its value is far too high to be given away like spare change at the street corner. It must be earned. Licht will not have even started earning it back until there are mass terminations among the highly-paid help at CNN. And no, a token Fredo termination is not enough.

CNNs only chance to survive is to rebuild credibility with its audience -- which is hard to do when the audience isnt watching anymore. Im not even sure if its possible. It may be, but Im pretty sure that Licht isnt going to pull it off.

There are a great many industries that depend on credibility, even though they may not realize it:

News

Law enforcement

Science

Medicine

CNN is a cautionary tale that they should all be paying attention to.

A law enforcement agency cannot convict criminals if the citizens it serves dont trust it. The public wont cooperate with crooked cops and juries wont convict on the basis of testimony from known liars. Has the FBI learned this lesson from their Whitmer kidnapping stunt? It doesnt appear so.

Scientists cant influence public opinion if the prevailing public opinion is that theyre all full of crap. Thats a lesson that the climate change priests are going to learn very soon. All of their predictions have been proven false, but the suffering from their solutions has been quite real. Have they seen the news from Sri Lanka? Do they really think that starving people are just going to turn the other cheek in response to being deceived?

Medical professionals cant steer public policy after theyve endangered lives with deception and cover-ups. Almost everything the CDC and NIH said about preventing the spread of COVID was wrong, and the Fauci/Birx comedy act knew they were deceiving us the whole time they performed for the cameras. Weve even discovered that scientists supposedly working for us accepted royalties from the very companies that they monitor. Do they really expect us to trust them on monkeypox? I dont think so.

Professionals who depend on credibility to accomplish their lifes mission need to take a close look at CNN. They need to decide if thats the future they want.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker, American Free News Network, and The Blue State Conservative. He can be followed on Facebook or reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image: CNN
While most may not realize it, North Carolina is ground zero for the battle over woke primary education at the state level. The state education board is majority progressive with one appointed member an anti-racist activist who openly supports the Black Panther-founded Rainbow Coalition of the 60s. The North Carolina State Board of Education meeting room prominently displays the Robert Wood Johnson Health Equity Infographic as an official logo. The elected Republican education superintendent supports CASEL Social Emotional Learning and employs the leftist tactics of redefining terms when supporting equity practices in education:

Its important to define what equity and education mean, because were starting to lose our way in this battle of ideologies. Equity in education means providing every child what they need at the time they need it, said Truitt. It does not mean ensuring equal outcomes.

In February 2022, NC conservative state board of education member Todd Chasteen resigned, stating that the boards direction was moving, away from education towards activism. He also wrote about the contested 2021 Social Studies Standards, expressing his frustration that the board passed Social Studies Standards by a slim majority, standards that many of us concluded, and thousands of parents agreed, were unproductive, regressive and unhelpful to the students of this wonderful state. Among the controversial concepts (including Whiteness and Systemic Racism) passed in the Glossary of the Standards was Gender Identity.

In fact, radical concepts behind Gender Identity have long been included in North Carolinas educational system, and not just at the local level. Currently the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is reviewing and updating its Healthful Living Standards. The administrator overseeing these standards is Chief of NC Healthy Schools, Ellen Essick, Ph.D. Dr. Essick introduced the Genderbread Person and the Gender Unicorn as early as 2015 on behalf of the NCDPI as legitimate educational resources during the state education agencys Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement and other education meetings. Her slides included Getting to Know Gender-Neutral Pronouns and pictures of an innocent little boy holding a doll with the title, Trans-Positive.

North Carolina also incorporated an even more woke variant of the Gender Unicorn in the state-run gifted and talented Governors School program. The Governors School is a prime opportunity for progressive state activists to indoctrinate high school students away from family, for the program occurs over five weeks as a summer residential experience on selected NC college campuses. Curricula at this state program -- kept secret from parents -- included power-points of harmful binary gender norms and surveys based on the Flying Gender Unicorn, a graphic developed by an Associate Director of LGBTQ Initiatives at Florida International University. FIU described (link now removed) the Unicorn as being able to fly off, escaping the limitations of gender binary.

In addition to talks about the social construct of gender, Governors School assigned lists of privilege, including Cisgender Privilege, as journal prompts to the states best and brightest. The Daily Effects of Cisgender Privilege included statements such as, Strangers dont assume they can ask me what my genitals look like and how I have sex, and, I do not have to worry that someone wants to be my friend or have sex with me in order to prove his or her hipness or good politics. Governors School is run by Sneha Shah-Coltrane, wife to Geoff Coltrane, the senior education advisor to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

North Carolina citizens are not just paying for Leftist indoctrination in their schools, however. Now taxpayers will be footing the bill for children of state employees to receive controversial puberty-delaying treatment and sex transition surgeries. In 2019, five plaintiffs sued leadership in the Office of the NC Treasury for depriving transgender enrollees of coverage for the treatment of gender dysphoria. The NC Treasury Department oversees the NC State Health Plan for Teachers and Employees (NCSHP). Two of the five plaintiffs in Kadel v Folwell included families seeking state coverage for the gender-conforming healthcare of their minor-aged children. At the time of filing, one child was 13 and the other was 16. Both had undergone hormone therapy, and the 16-year-old plaintiff underwent double mastectomy or top surgery, the removal of bilateral breasts.

This June, U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs ruled for the plaintiffs. She determined that the NCSHP must pay for sex transition surgeries, not only for adult state employees, but for their children. In the concluding opinion, the court wrote, Defendants attempt to create scientific controversy through experts who mix their scientific analysis with hypothetical speculation and political hyperbole.

In all but declaring puberty blockers and sex reassignment surgeries in those younger than 18 a settled science, this U.S. District Court arrogantly ignored the controversies surrounding the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors. In 2021, the show 60 Minutes faced significant criticism for featuring a report on young detransitioners, those who transitioned to the opposite sex but then transitioned back. And while the District Court was commenting on the attempt to create scientific controversy, Englands National Health Service was preparing to announce the shutdown of its Gender Identity Development Service, commonly known as Travistock. The decision to close Travistock was based in part on an independent report by Dr. Hilary Cass, a pediatrician who had been a President of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health. The following statement from the report determines gender treatments in youth are hardly settled (emphasis my own):

The disagreement and polarization [of gender identity in young people] is heightened when potentially irreversible treatments are given to children and young people, when the evidence base underlying the treatments is inconclusive, and when there is uncertainty about whether medical intervention is the best way of resolving gender-related distress.

The report further discusses unresolved problems with puberty blockers. In writing about these independent report findings and the subsequent Travistock shutdown, James Kirkup in the Spectator concludes, Yes, an NHS review has found that the drugs that the NHS has been giving to some children may disrupt their brain development and leave them less able to make complex decisions.

We dont need to rely on England to understand the controversy behind potentially irreversible medical and surgical therapies for gender dysphoria in minors. One can look to the University of North Carolina Medical Center. A March 2022 talk by the UNC Transgender Health Program/Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic for Gender Wellness clearly stated, Surgery is not a part of pediatric gender affirming care; patients must be 18 to undergo surgical treatment for gender dysphoria at UNC.

So how does a U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina reconcile that the NCSHP be responsible for sex-change surgeries in state employee dependents, but the states own medical system wont perform surgeries of this type for minors? How soon will North Carolina doctors be forced to perform surgeries they dont think appropriate all while North Carolina residents foot the bill?

Although many Americans think of North Carolina as Red, the state has perhaps the most progressive education system in the United States. Gender Unicorns fly around gifted and talented classrooms and Critical Race Theory is infused in Pre-K training. Now, the states taxpayers literally will be paying the price for indoctrination in gender-affirming ideologies in education: the state must cover sex reassignment operations and medical therapies for adolescents who place their faith in the states activist agenda.

Judge Biggs, in deciding Kadel v Folwell in favor of the plaintiffs, has sided with the activists driving the state educational system: gender ideology is settled science, even if one needs a cartoon mythical creature to teach it.

UPDATE: This article has been updated to include the entire quotation from the North Carolina Superintendent regarding equity in education in the context of concerns about Critical Race Theory. This replaces an abbreviated version of that same quotation.

Image: PxHere
In the past few weeks, I have received numerous inquiries about ten-year Navy veteran William Henry Teele III. After years of quietly providing information to me and other investigators into the July 1996 destruction of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island, Teele has gone public and is naming names.

I shared some of Teeles information in my 2016 book, TWA 800: The Crash, The Cover-Up, The Conspiracy. Teele did not claim to be on the ship that fired the missile. He was on the USS Carr, a guided missile frigate that was one of the combatants in the battle group that destroyed the unfortunate 747 and killed the 230 souls on board. Everything that I could verify about Teeles account back then checked out.

In the six years since, Teele has reached out to many of his fellow sailors and fleshed out his account. Although he has appeared on several podcasts in recent weeks, his uninterrupted narrative on the Duke Report is the most compelling. I would welcome those with relevant experience to contact me through my website, cashill.com, to offer your assessment of Teeles account or to provide additional information. My research suggests Teele is the real deal but I remain open, as all journalists should, to contrary information.

In the way of background, Teele joined the Navy in 1994. In 1996, according to his Navy transcript, he was serving as a seaman apprentice receiving advanced training in specialized Navy occupations. Teeles training went well enough that in 1998 he was made an operations specialist, one who, operates radar and associated equipment; identifies and maintains a display (plot) of the movement of ships, aircraft, missiles, and natural objects detected by observing a radar. In 1999, he was made an instructor.

As to the USS Carr, after undergoing major upgrades in 1995, the ship began a Combat Systems Ship Qualification Test, the goal of which was to certify her newly installed Mk 92 Mod 6 Fire Control System. In early 1996, according to a Navy history site, this testing ultimately led to two highly successful dual missile firing exercises in the North Puerto Rican Operations area. On July 12, 1996, just five days before disaster, Commander Keith L. Wray took control of the ship. The Carr history then skips from July 12 to November 25, 1996, when the Carr got underway from Norfolk, Va., with the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group. The real story is what happened between those dates.

On the evening of July 17, 1996, as Teele relates, the Carr was trying out new AN/SPY-1 Alpha radar as well as new AN/SPS 49 radar. For this simulated air attack, the target was to be a drone pulled by a military aircraft using a thousand-or-so foot chain. Teele was among the personnel monitoring this activity from within the ships combat information center (CIC).

In its November 1997 summary the FBI acknowledged that three submarines -- the USS Normandy, the USS Trepang, and the USS Albuquerque -- were in the immediate vicinity of the crash site. So too, said the FBI, were the USS Normandy, an Aegis cruiser, and a US Navy P-3 Orion. The P-3, in fact, just happened to be flying about seven thousand feet above TWA 800 when the plane was blown out of the sky.

Teele puts the USS Carr in this group as well. Although he has not said so publicly, Teele strongly believes that the USS Leyte Gulf, another Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, was involved. With Teele confirming there was a drone in the mix, the U.S. Navy had all the combatants needed for a Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) missile test.

In 1996, the Navy was in the process of introducing this enormously complex system. The CEC was created to integrate the information coming from each of the combatants sensors -- range, bearing, elevation, Doppler updates etc. -- and feed the integrated picture back to the individual combatants. In the CEC live-fire tests, which began as early as 1994 in Puerto Rico, drones played the role of unknown assumed enemy. The P-3s role was to relay data among the various units involved. In this way, as Teele explains, one ship could track the assumed enemy, and another ship could fire.

Teele describes the assumed enemy as a low, slow flier flying toward us. The tragedy that followed would likely have been averted had not air traffic control held the Paris-bound TWA 800 at 13,700 feet to allow US Air 217 heading north to pass safely overhead. I believe we jumped the gun, said Teele. We had a track on a contact that came out that fit the profile that we were given. TWA 800 became the assumed enemy. Says Teele, It matched the drill.

Two missiles were fired. Over his headset, Teele heard the announcement, Birds away. A few minutes later, he heard Splash, meaning the missiles had hit the target. Soon after that, he heard someone say, Wo, wo, wo. And another person added, Wait a minute. We hit an Airbus.

In fact, eight years earlier, at the tail end of the Iran-Iraq War, an Aegis cruiser, the USS Vincennes, fired two Standard Missiles at a commercial Iranian Airbus, IR 655. IR 655 had reached 13,500 feet, a final altitude almost identical to TWA 800s. Capt. Will Rogers III gave the order to fire. Rogers and his crew had mistaken the ascending passenger jet with 290 people on board for a descending Iranian F-14, a fighter plane. Stuff happens.

The stuff that happened on the night of July 17, 1996 outraged Teeles CO, Captain Wray. These have got to be the dumbest idiots Ive ever seen in my life, Teele remembers Wray as saying. How do you accidentally fire a missile? You dont know the color of missiles? One is blue. One is white. Blue mean training. White means live. Youve got to be stupid to put a white on the rail. Although his memory as to which ship was responsible is admittedly uncertain, Teele believes it was the Leyte Gulf.

Despite the long-established mandate that neighboring ships rush to the scene of an accident, the Carr turned tail and headed out to sea at top speed. Teeles leading petty officer made it so clear that he was to say nothing of what he saw or heard. He then issued the order, Pull the RD390 tapes, close all positional log books, including the bridges, tape them and leave them on the DRT table!"

The documents were then taken to a place called the shred room where they were destroyed using salt water and a shredder. We ran to Bermuda where we were not allowed to leave the ship, no phone calls, emails secured, and nothing was to be discussed! says Teele. Everyone that was involved was told in CIC, This didn't happen! As far as the major media are concerned, it never did.

I would welcome those with relevant experience or hard evidence to contact me through my website, cashill.com.

Image: National Archives
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905

Over the course of the 20th Century, murder by communist government acccounted for the deaths of over 100 million people. The brutalities are well knownor should bethere are countless histories of the terror inflicted upon citizens by believers in Marxian doctrine. In fact, the scourge persists still today, most notably in China. Despite the tremendous amount of evidence (both historical and current) detailing the most unspeakable horrors at the hands of men like Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, and Joseph Stalin, Colombia just agreed to a Marxist takeover by way of the ballot box in the form of a man named Gustavo Petro:

Colombias first leftist president will be sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and heralding a turning point in the history of a country haunted by a long war between the government and guerrilla groups. Petro, 62, has promised to tackle Colombias social and economic inequalities [emphasis added] by boosting spending on anti-poverty programs and increasing investment in rural areas.

And just like that, the revolution is afoot. Communistic philosophy relies on polarization; theres always the aggravation of a class struggleas Saul Alinsky said, to achieve radical change, one must first rub raw the sores of discontent. Weve seen this inflammatory rhetoric before: Marxs bourgeoisie and proletariat and Alinskys Haves and Have-nots, so it should be entirely anticipated.

A report published by France 24 said:

On the campaign trail, Petro had promised during his four-year term to raise taxes on the rich, invest in health care and education, and reform the police[.]

And...

Here begins a government that will fight for environmental justice[.]

Sound like any political figures you know?

Petro followed the playbook of every Marxist before him to seize power: appealing to the masses, before exploiting a social or economic discrepancy that is attributed to an either real or perceived injustice. Eventually, Petro wont need the people anymore, theyll have served their purpose, just like they did for Pol Pot, Mao, Castro, and Stalinand we all know what happens then. The same forces seeking to subjugate the people of Colombiaeven if that means genocideare the same forces active in these United States. The antidote to Marxism is a strong culture founded in Judeo-Christian ethics, as godlessness cannot flourish when a society reveres the true Creator.
Seventy-seven years ago Saturday, August 6, 1945, American servicemen in their airplane Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb, Little Boy, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, another group of American servicemen released Fat Man, another atomic bomb, over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. As a result of this relatively peaceful display of American power, Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Americans on August 10, 1945.

"Relatively peaceful!" very unpeaceful lefty demonstrators will screech in harsh opposition, as they gather once again  e.g., here  to mourn the final chapter of the brutal war, while denouncing Americans as warmongers.

Our vigil will feature origami cranes in honor of hibakusha ("bomb-affected person") Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was just 2 years old during the bombing, and died from radiation effects 10 years later. Before her death, she took on a project of folding 1,000 paper cranes, which by tradition meant she would be granted a wish. On August 6th, we'll share concrete actions toward a nuclear-free future[.]

Yes, "relatively peaceful," you unpeaceful so-called peace-lovers who ignore the ultimate sacrifice of so many others so you might live and continue to spout your  at best  deranged nonsense.

As the National World War ll Museum notes:

By July 1945, Germany had surrendered, and the war in Europe was over. Japan, however, refused to submit to the terms outlined in the Allies' Potsdam Declaration. It appeared to American leaders that the only way to compel Japan's unconditional surrender was to invade and conquer the Japanese home islands. Although an estimated 300,000 Japanese civilians had already died from starvation and bombing raids, Japan's government showed no sign of capitulation. Instead, American intelligence intercepts revealed that by August 2, Japan had already deployed more than 560,000 soldiers and thousands of suicide planes and boats on the island of Kyushu to meet the expected American invasion of Japan. Additional reports correctly surmised that the Japanese military intended to execute all American prisoners in Japan in the event of an Allied landing. These frightening figures portended a costlier battle for the United States than any previously fought during the war. By comparison, US forces suffered 49,000 casualties, including 12,000 men killed in action, when facing less than 120,000 Japanese soldiers during the battle for the island of Okinawa from April to June of 1945. At least 110,000 Japanese soldiers and more than 100,000 Okinawan civilians, a third of the island's prewar population, also perished in the campaign. American casualties on Okinawa weighed heavily on the minds of American planners who looked ahead to the invasion of Japan. Japan's leaders hoped to prevail, not by defeating American forces, but by inflicting massive casualties and thereby breaking the resolve of the American public.

Oh, that! Yes! That! Although they lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, "Japan's leaders hoped to prevail, not by defeating American forces, but by inflicting massive casualties and thereby breaking the resolve of the American public."

So don't be deceived by images of graceful young Japanese quietly placing delicate flowers on memorials in the now thriving but once devastated cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as they yada-yada peace.

And if you should come across one of these unpeaceful vigils in America, do invite the participants to join you on December 7 as you protest war. December 7? Why, yes, December 7, 1941  "a day which will live in infamy," the day Japan unleashed an unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Oh, and by the way, if you ever vacation in Hawaii, do invite some of the many Japanese tourists to join you on your visit to pay respects at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. It seems that although the Japanese enjoy vacationing in Hawaii, few visit Pearl Harbor. Indeed, some have never heard of it. Just like their American unpeaceful peacy lefty American counterparts.

Image: ChristianIS via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Will Trump run again for president in 2024? Nobody really knows. My advice to him would be to keep 'em guessing. When asked directly if he's planning to be a candidate, he should steal a line from Jesus and reply with: "You say that I am." After all, he's already accomplished his mission...to take the widespread anger toward a corrupt and incompetent political establishment and bring it into focus. "The D.C. swamp" is now a permanent entry in the political lexicon.

I would further advise President Trump to maintain positive and harmonious relations with the other possible nominees, such as DeSantis, Noem, Pompeo, and Haley. Let the Democrats lurch into fratricide due to the poison pill of Biden's crippled incumbency, along with the frightening specter of his continuing eligibility. California's Governor Hair Gel is certainly showing lots of ankle toward wanting the nomination. Harris should be considered, at least by default. Hillary is tan and rested and yearning to see how history repeats itself. And then there's my personal favorite: Beto. He's youthful and stupid...just like the remaining Democrat base.

Delving into context, the upcoming Wyoming primary will likely send a frightening message to Trump's enemies within the GOP. Then November's midterms may well put the Republicans back in control of Congress, but the majority won't be anywhere near veto-proof. Thus, Biden will be compelled to repeatedly thwart the will of the people in order to satisfy his handlers.

And then what of Trump himself? He's even older than me. Point of fact: He changed the Republican Party  rather, the dogged opposition to modern, gooey socialism  once and for all. Let someone else with a longer time horizon continue.

The mold has been formed. The task is now to find suitable material to be cast into the next generation of dragon-slayers and thus to pass the torch. There seems to be an adequate supply of talent, especially when compared to the Democrats' feeble bench. The selection process still has two years to run, which, unfortunately, is an eternity in politics. But, more fundamentally, America has been changed. Even though the left, by seizing academia, has turned out a swarm of useful idiots, the school of hard knocks has converted many into commonsense pragmatists, along with the rest of us.

Bottom line: We Americans are particularly covetous of our standard of living. We also all want to protect and preserve our natural environment. But when misery is widely broadcast because of a pseudo-scientific hoax, we seriously want to punish the craven demagogues who are responsible. It's certainly far from a done deal. Every flood and drought or any other newsworthy weather event is reported as further empirical proof of human depravity, and the compelling need for a more totalitarian form of government.

Image: Gage Skidmore.
I imagine that a lot of people are feeling betrayed right now. They followed "the science" and got injected with a biologic that has caused, for many, some serious side-effects. Stuff like myocarditis, fertility and menstrual changes, even a rise in cancer, and our newly discovered "sudden adult death syndrome." The actuarial data prove a sharp increase in the death rate that corresponds closely with the increase in "vaccination." People got COVID shots and, despite assurances of safety, at least one in ten suffered or died from them. Now the "vaccinated" are getting COVID despite the shots. In fact, in our hyper-vaccinated California neighborhood, almost everyone I know who got his shots has had COVID by now, some more than once.

Today, I emailed someone in New York, only to find he had COVID. I took my wedding ring to be re-sized a couple of weeks ago and found out that the whole staff of the shop (except the elderly, unvaccinated owner) was out with COVID. My friend's daughter just got married, and ten people got COVID at the rehearsal dinner  an entire table, every diner, all close family and, of course, all vaccinated. Roaming our neighborhood, lots of other dog-walkers say they are "just getting over" COVID. They wear masks, keep their distance, complain of tiredness, and tell me that "at least they were vaccinated, so they didn't get too sick."

Joe Biden has just had COVID and relapsed after taking Paxlovid. He is one of the ultra-vaccinated  double-boosted. The virus is becoming as common as the common cold, it seems. The secret nobody dares speak aloud is that, if one took the shots, having had the virus doesn't confer immunity. Instead, the stuff reduces your body's ability to fight off infection, as knowledgeable virologists predicted.

Funny thing, that. You trusted your government to tell you the truth. You didn't listen to idiots like me, who repeatedly begged family and friends not to get the shots. You proudly showed your "vaccine passports" to dine in a restaurant. You wore your useless face diaper. And still, you got COVID.

Yesterday I ran into old students of mine at the farmers' markets. He had an N95 mashed tight into his prolific beard, and she, also tightly masked, hung back and didn't engage. With an ultra-muffled voice, he said, "We haven't been coming here until recently."

At this point, there is enough literature out there, enough studies and factual pieces, to prove that countries that didn't get lots of the vaccine had their COVID experience end far faster, and with much less death. Countries that used ivermectin and HCQ routinely for stuff like dengue fever didn't get much COVID at all. Countries that locked down tight and forced everyone to mask, vaccinate, stay home, fared worst. But sheeple being sheeple, there are still some doubters out there.



Image: Lining up for vaccine.

All I can say is, anecdotally, I know plenty of people who got all their shots and had bad reactions to them, from anaphylactic shock to shingles. I can't prove that any of the people I know who got virulent cancers and subsequently died got those cancers (or recurrences) from the vaccine, but I have strong suspicions. If one has a check-up and is securely in long-term remission, then gets vaccinated and is dead from the cancer a month or so later, it speaks to me. That, I have seen. I can't prove that miscarriages occurred because of the vaccine, but I suspect so. All you need to do is look at the rapidly declining birth rate to have that suspicion verified statistically.

Bottom line: The vaccine hasn't kept anyone from getting COVID. It hasn't been proven to make symptoms less severe, despite that being the base rationale for believing in taking the stuff. It has caused significantly more problems and deaths than it has prevented.

Masks, as well, haven't proven to be effective in stopping the virus. They can cause more problems than they solve  my own six-month battle with a virulent stye is one example. Foegen's effect is real: viruses are driven deeper into the bronchi with mask use. Particulate matter from masks does get into the lungs. A study linked in the article I linked above concludes (emphasis mine):

While no cause-effect conclusions could be inferred from this observational analysis, the lack of negative correlations between mask usage and COVID-19 cases and deaths suggest that the widespread use of masks at a time when an effective intervention was most needed, i.e., during the strong 2020-2021 autumn-winter peak, was not able to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, the moderate positive correlation between mask usage and deaths in Western Europe also suggests that the universal use of masks may have had harmful unintended consequences.

I have one prescription for the COVID pandemic: go back to normal life. Live healthily; lose some weight if you need to; eat fresh, healthy food. Get enough sleep. Make sure your vitamin D levels are good. Take a bit of zinc, too. Treat yourself kindly, but live your life. If you get COVID, treat it  with things that work (like ivermectin) not with Paxlovid, especially if you are vaccinated. All that stuff appears to do is suppress the virus temporarily. Look at Biden as an example.
Last Friday, a Texas jury ordered Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million in compensatory damages he must pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nation's deadliest school shooting was a hoax.

Jones has since acknowledged that the shooting was real but has claimed that his statements about Sandy Hook were protected by the First Amendment.

The news of Alex Jones being fined was met with unrestrained jubilation across liberal precincts.

The New York Times carried a piece headlined "Why Alex Jones's Trial Won't Stop the Spread of Lies," and that headline was altered to "Don't Expect Alex Jones's Comeuppance to Stop Lies." CNN carried a piece headlined "Will the Alex Jones trials change conspiracy culture?" MSNBC called Jones a "Sickening liar."

CBS News carried a piece headlined "Alex Jones judgment: The cost of lies." The Washington Post carried a piece with a juvenile headline: "Liar Liar, Alex Jones on Fire." NPR carried a piece titled "How Alex Jones mainstreamed conspiracy theories." The Associated Press carried a piece headlined "Alex Jones' $49.3M verdict and the future of misinformation."

"Comedians" John Oliver and Stephen Colbert gleefully mocked Alex Jones following the verdict. Piers Morgan was elated.

The fact that compulsive fabricators in the media failed to see the irony proves that the self-righteous seldom have any self-awareness.

So let's look very briefly at the record of the mainstream media on being factual:

When Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016, all of the mainstream media worked with various government agencies and Hillary Clinton's allies to amplify the Trump-Russia collusion hoax.

The gist of the conspiracy theory was that Trump had defeated Hillary by colluding with the Russians. The promoters of the theory couldn't explain the details of how Trump and the Kremlin worked together. They couldn't provide any proof that any votes were altered by Russian agents. They couldn't offer any proof that Trump had any connections with Kremlin. Yet they ran with the story and amplified it every day.

Fanatical Democrat operatives such as Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell frequently outdid each other in the department of outrageousness and mendacity, as did many pundits in the media. Some even claimed that Trump was groomed by the Kremlin during the '80s. "Comedy" shows such as SNL also played their part in promoting the hoax.

The noise got so loud that even cowardly GOP members were compelled to concur with the fabrication. In the end, it caused the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose team consisted of Trump-hating Democrats. The media carried it with glee; every day, they would cite leaks from unnamed sources that the walls were closing in on Trump and that he may even be forced to resign.

After 674 days, which is almost two years, the probe was completed, and not even a smidgen of evidence of Trump-Russia collusion was found. Mueller purposefully worded his report to leave some ambiguity about Trump's innocence. The Democrats and the media used vagueness to claim that there was indeed collusion, but Trump was such a master criminal that he had left no evidence despite colluding. To this day, crackpots call Trump an agent of Putin.

This was the most preposterous conspiracy theory in the history of modern America. Donald Trump has lived all of his life in the public spotlight, for decades, and his successes are well documented. To claim that Trump is a Russian agent is ludicrous. Only a loony conspiracy theorist would make such an absurd claim. Yet the mainstream media carried it with malicious intent.

It not only was a personal attack on President Trump and his supporters, but also an accusation of treason  which carries the death penalty. The relentless lies eroded trust in the foundation of democracy  i.e., elections  among a strikingly wide swath of the public.

It most likely cost the Republicans the House during the 2018 midterms. Once the Democrats took control of the House, it was probes galore. Those charades continue to this very day with the January 6 congressional committee investigation.

The news media thus helped normalized a conspiracy theory and made it part of mainstream history.

New York Times opinion columnist Bret Stephens recently conceded that the news media, intelligence agencies, and the Democrat party have waged war on Trump and spitefully spread misinformation about nonexistent collusion and even the "golden shower tapes." Even far-left "comedian" Jon Stewart ridiculed the media for carrying the hoax.

But apart from these two, few have had the civility to even admit that they erred. Some of them did, after all, have Pulitzer Prizes on their walls for it.

Will anybody in the media who promoted this insane conspiracy theory be punished or be compelled to pay damages?

We all know the answer to that.

In addition to the Russia collusion narrative, the media peddled numerous other fabrications about President Trump. They claimed that Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office. They claimed he called neo-Nazis "very fine people." They claimed that a protest on January 6 that went overboard as a crowd control issue was a violent insurrection. On some occasions, Trump was branded bigoted, senile, and clueless, and on others, he was a bigoted, evil criminal genius.

Beyond Trump, the media also carried myriad lies about COVID-19 and the effectiveness of vaccines. The media also suppressed information about the harmful side-effects of the vaccine. Perhaps it is time that the relatives of those who suffered from the vaccine take the media to court, too.

Back to news media coverage of the Alex Jones verdict:

The WaPo carried a piece headlined "How Alex Jones was embraced by Trump, Rogan years after Sandy Hook lies."

This is the reason the media are delighted to see Alex Jones in trouble. Alex Jones and Infowars were among the first pro-Trump groups to be deplatformed by Big Tech. Some in the media are claiming that Jones may have lied on the stand during the trial and hence could be charged with perjury.

It would be worth knowing who paid the legal fees of the parents, given the alignment of the left in this case.

The left sees Jones, who's hardly a conservative, as an ally of President Trump who hence has to be silenced and crushed. They think Jones is one of the reasons Trump was elected in 2016, because he maligned their favorite, Hillary Clinton.

A TODAY show presentation noted that Jones had been emailing with former Trump adviser Roger Stone, and that the January 6 committee was "looking into" allegations that Jones was involved in the chaotic riot.

It seems a little distant as a thing to mention in this case, but that's because it's not really about Sandy Hook.

Perhaps the media think they are the only group that can malign others with impunity.

Legal egalitarianism that causes all citizens to be equal before the law is a fundamental tenet of any civilized democracy. There cannot be dual standards; the penalty for the same offense has to be identical across the board.

If Alex Jones, who is perceived as a pro-Trump and an anti-establishment figure, is penalized for spreading misinformation, but the Democrats' establishment loyalists who peddle insane conspiracy theories are honored with Pulitzer Prizes, something is gravely wrong.

Image: Screen shot from video posted by TODAY via YouTube.
As Samsungs Galaxy Unpacked draws closer, the volume of leaks has gone up. The latest we have is some official promo material for the Galaxy Watch 5 series. Popular leaker SnoopyTech has shared leaked promo images that highlight various features of the new smartwatches.

Firstly, we have a Galaxy Watch 5 sitting on its charging puck, with the screen showing 45% charged. It appears we are looking at the visual version of a previous leak from the same source, claiming that the new Samsung smartwatch would charge from 0 to 45% in just 30 minutes. It supports 10W fast charging, twice the speed the company offered with the Galaxy Watch 4 last year.

These numbers are likely for the base model (40mm) though, which reportedly packs a 284mAh battery. The 44mm Galaxy Watch 5 (410mAh) and the 45mm Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (590mAh) would take longer to reach the same level of charge. Nonetheless, Samsung is taking a huge leap forward regarding the battery life of its smartwatches.

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The latest leak contains two more promo images highlighting the Galaxy Watch 5s health tracking features. Samsung is promoting the advanced sleep monitoring capabilities of the watches, as well as other wellness features. The slide notes that you will need specific versions of the Samsung Health app to access certain features.

Lastly, we have a slide that shows the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro in all their glory. It appears to be the header image for the product landing page on Samsungs official website for Spain. The promo image mentions a free Galaxy Buds Live for those who pre-order the new smartwatches. This offer will be valid until the 25th of August. The general sales are expected to begin the next day.

The Galaxy Watch 5 series will shake up Wear OS smartwatches

Samsung entered the Wear OS smartwatch market last year with the Galaxy Wath 4 series. The companys previous Galaxy Watch models run its in-house Tizen OS. It significantly improved the Korean firms smartwatch offerings. Samsung is now preparing to shake things up in the Wear OS market with the Galaxy Watch 5 series in a couple of days. The new models would address a lot of issues in this space, with the battery life being one of the biggest.

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Samsungs big launch event is scheduled for this Wednesday, August 10. Along with the Galaxy Watch 5 series, the event will also see the unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
Since 2019, Google made a tradition of launching a mid-range version of its Pixel series phones under the Pixel a name. The latest in that series, the Pixel 6a, has just launched, and its making the rounds. The question is whether this phone is worth the $449. Lets find out in this review of the Pixel 6a.

It looks similar but feels different

So, we cant expect the cheaper Pixel phone to feel just like its premium siblings. While the Pixel 6a is similar in size to the Pixel 6 proper, its a bit smaller and considerably lighter. You can tell that it was made from less premium materials.

That being said, this phone doesnt feel cheap in and of itself. Picking it up, it feels reasonably heavy and sturdy in the hand. You can feel the metal of the frame as you grip it, and that assures you that the Pixel 6a can take a tumble without taking damage.

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When it comes to the design, its extremely similar to its more premium brethren, but there are a few differences. For starters, the visor is noticeably smaller on the 6a. It juts out from the device less, and it also got a height reduction.

Second, theres an ovular ring around the camera sensors. We see that the majority of the glass on the visor is opaque with the exception of the glass inside of the ring. Its a small aesthetic change that helps differentiate the Pixel 6a from the others.

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The display is amazing

It can be hard sometimes finding phones with nice displays in this price bracket. One good example is the Galaxy A53 5G; the Pixel 6a is another good example. It has a 6.1-inch AMOLED display at a 2400 x 1080 resolution. Its the same panel as the Pixel 6, and its a beautiful display.

I didnt see any difference in the color science or the brightness, so I dont think Google made any differences or tweaks to the display before putting it on the phone. The only difference between these displays is the refresh rate. The Pixel 6a caps out at 60Hz.

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Youre not going to have any issues with this display, as its one of the best on the market. Even though its on a cheaper version of the Pixel 6, its still just as good.

The speakers did have a slight improvement

Since this Pixel 6a is a less expensive version of the Pixel 6, you wouldnt expect there to be any sort of improvements. However, the Pixel 6a did improve in one department over the Pixel 6: the speakers.

Both phones have a set of front-facing speakers that are pretty amazing. The Pixel 6 was able to be my phone of choice compared to other phones like the Moto Edge+.

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While that is true, the speakers on the Pixel 6a have seen a slight improvement over the Pixel 6. While comparing the two sets of speakers, I could hear that the Pixel 6as speakers have just a little bit more body and a bit more low-end.

One of the very few things that the Pixel 6s speakers lack is a bit more on the bass. The bass isnt all that much louder on the Pixel 6a; rather, you hear just a bit more of a ring on the low-end. The bass notes resonate slightly better, and that makes the listening experience a little better. Its pleasing to hear if you want to use your phone as a replacement for your Bluetooth speaker.

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Weve seen this camera before, and thats not a bad thing

One of the compromises that Google made to keep the Pixel 6as price down was in the camera department. This phone uses the camera sensors that we saw in previous Pixel phones. This is the same hardware we saw in phones from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 5a.

That being said, theres nothing about this camera that makes this phone a slouch. Pixel phones, even with the older hardware, remained some of the best camera phones on the market.

Since the Pixel 6a is using last generations hardware, you can expect the pictures to be similar to pictures from the previous Pixel phones. The pictures come out incredibly with great colors and details. You have the advantage of the HDR+ that Googles been working on over the years.

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When it comes to low-light photography, the story is the same. Taking the camera indoors gave me great results. Pictures came out bright and punchy, as the lights went down, and the Night mode only made the images better.

Overall, you wont go wrong with the camera on the Pixel 6a. Its just as good as the previous Pixel cameras, and thats great for pretty much every situation.

Battery life

The Pixel 6a has a decent 4400mAh battery, and it was able to deliver some nice mileage. It will last you the full day no sweat under light to moderate usage. Even under a heavy load, the battery was able to give me some good screen-on time.

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On the heaviest day, I spent two hours video streaming, two hours gaming, and two hours scrolling through social media. After the six solid hours of usage, the phone had 30% remaining.

When it comes to charging, youre not getting fast charging speeds. Youll be waiting more than an hour if you want to charge the battery from 0%-100%. Also, to much criticism, Google did not include a charger in the box with this phone, so youll want to make note of that.

Performance

The Pixel 6a uses the same Tensor chip thats in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. While its not as fast as the latest Snapdragon chips, Googles Tensor chip is still capable of flagship performance.

During my testing, I didnt experience any instances of lag or stutters in the software. This is the same story when it comes to gaming. I played games that were both modest and graphic-intensive, and I got smooth performance across the board.

Connectivity

When it comes to connectivity, I was able to get a good signal using the Pixel 6a am AT&T SIM. The Pixel 6 proper had some issues connecting to 5G signals regardless of the carrier. However, the Pixel 6a seems to have improved the signal pick-up.

Along with 5G, the Pixel also has Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. I was really glad that Google didnt opt to take out the NFC functionality. You can use Google Pay for your purchases.

Should you buy the Pixel 6a?

A review of the Pixel 6a is more of a comparison to the Pixel 6. Both phones are similar in several aspects to the point where youre basically using the same phone. Youd be hardpressed to find a difference when it comes to the camera quality, performance, and display quality.

The build quality isnt as premium, the display caps out at 60Hz, and the camera isnt as new. But, those are small trade-offs for the amazing package youre getting with this phone. If youre interested in getting into the Pixel series of phones, and you dont want to spend too much money, you should definitely pick up a Pixel 6a.
(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 8 - Centrist Azione (Action) party leader Carlo Calenda on Sunday pulled out of an election pact with the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) boosting the opposing right/centre right alliance's already high chances of coming to power in Italy on September 25.

The former industry minister said he had been forced to withdraw by the PD's teaming up with two leftwing parties, Italian Left (SI) and Green Europe (EV), and Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio's new Civic Commitment (IC) party.

"I found myself side by side with parties who voted 54 no-confidence votes in (outgoing premier Mario) Draghi," said Calenda who is campaigning on continuing the agenda of the former European central banker.

PD leader and former premier Enrico Letta accused Calenda of "consigning the country to the right", where a Brothers of Italy-led coalition is favoured to win next month's vote.

There is speculation that Calenda may now team up with another centrist leader, former PD leader and ex-premier Matteo Renzi, whose Italia Viva (IV) party had been set to run alone having been shunned by the centre left.

Calenda's erstwhile allies More Europe are expected to keep to the pact they signed with the PD a week ago.

More Europe bigwig and former foreign minister and European commissioner Emma Bonino said "it doesn't make sense to change your mind every three days".

More Europe are polling at around 2%, as is Azione, while the SI-EV alliance is at around 3.5% and IC 3%.

The rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI), led by premiership candidate Giorgia Meloni who could become Italy's first woman prime minister, is leading the race on over 23% with the PD second on just under 23%.

FdI's rightwing ally the League has about 14% and the third ally, Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, about 8%.

Together, the rightwing coaltion has over 45%, more than enough to see it claiming power.

Letta had been seeking to widen the centre left's appeal with an alliance with former premier Giuseppe Conte's populist 5-Star Movement (M5S), but that bid was scuppered when Conte became the prime mover in a shift to defenestrate Draghi that gathered momentum when the centre right and right came aboard.

Meloni on Monday reaffirmed her right to be her coalition's premiership candidate, on the basis of the rule that the party that gets the most votes on September 25 will see its leader vying to get a role that is in the ultimate gift of President Sergio Mattarella. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 8 - A heavy rainstorm on Monday forced tourists out of Orvieto's iconic St Patrick's Well as well as damaging part of the pavement in the centre of the Umbrian town.

Officials ordered the tourists out after the rain engulfed the 50 metre deep well and also knocked out its power supply.

The Pozzo di San Patrizio was built by the architect-engineer Antonio da Sangallo the Younger of Florence, between 1527 and 1537, at the behest of Pope Clement VII who had taken refuge at Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and feared that the city's water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. The well was completed in 1537 during the papacy of Pope Paul III.

The name was inspired by medieval legends that St. Patrick's Purgatory in Ireland gave access down to Purgatory, indicating something very deep.

The well is Orvieto's second most famous tourist attraction after the Duomo with its Last Judgment by Luca Signorelli.

Northern and central Italy have been hit by a wave of thunderstorms breaking the sticky afa heat in the last two days.

(ANSA).


TUNIS - A unit of the Tunisian navy on Saturday rescued 22 migrants on a boat having difficulty at sea off the island of Kuriat in the Monastir governorate.



The Tunisian defense ministry reported the news and said that among those rescued were three women and nine children.



It added that the boat had weighed anchor from the Monastir coast between Aug. 5 and Aug. 6 "with the aim of reaching European space".



The migrants were then "transferred to the Monastir port and handed over to the National Guard to finalise necessary procedures", according to the statement issued.



On August 6, the Tunisian Coast Guard blocked three attempts at irregular migration from the same coast, stopping 43 migrants, the news agency TAP reported in quoting a security source.



The source said that the first two attempts were by 31 people of sub-Saharan origins, including 9 women and 4 children, while the third was of 12 young Tunisians from the Gafsa and Monastir governorates.



Those detained have been handed over to the National Guard and the boats and large sums of money have been seized, the source added.




Labours deputy leader has cautioned against going anywhere near another Scottish independence referendum as she claimed a Labour government would make the changes we need.

Angela Rayner told a crowd in Edinburgh that having a Labour government after the next election would make all the difference in policies enacted in Scotland.

The comments come as the Scottish Government is locked in a legal battle that could allow Holyrood to legislate for another vote.

Speaking during a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with broadcaster Iain Dale, Ms Rayner also reiterated her partys reluctance to work with the SNP after the next election to lock the Tories out of Downing Street.

Its not a possibility that we would work with the SNP  we want to win a majority, she said.

She added: I dont think the people of Scotland should leave behind the people of Ashton-under-Lyne, either.

The poverty that we face is the poverty they face and we both need a Labour government in order to make the changes that we need to make, whether thats in Scotland or in England.

When asked about the likelihood of winning seats north of the border in the next election, Ms Rayner said the party was making progress in Scotland.

Respect is earned, its not given and I think weve been making progress to earn that respect, she said.

But I think breaking up the union is not the answer.

Leaving us to perpetual Conservatism at Westminster is not very nicebut actually having a Labour government could make all the difference.

Ms Rayner went on to say that the Labour Party was behind on devolution, adding that actually engaging with devolution could be the key.

She continued: Scotland is absolutely key, its key to Manchester, its key to the whole of the United Kingdom.

Im against us going anywhere near a second referendum, if Im honest. I think the Brexit referendum was enough for me.

When asked if her position showed disrespect to the people who voted for the SNP or Scottish Greens in last years Holyrood elections, Ms Rayner pushed back.

I wouldnt say its me showing disrespect, Id say it was me being honest as a politician with people, she said.

You can disagree with me on that position  and thats completely finebut I think its better for Scotland and I think its better for my constituency that were part of the union, but I think its also equally important that we dont have the Conservatives in power in Westminster  I think that is the biggest damage thats being done in Scotland.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain QC last month referred a prospective referendum Bill to the Supreme Court in a bid to ascertain if it was within the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Oral arguments will be presented to the Court on October 11 and 12.

Meanwhile, the deputy leader also said that her party was still struggling to communicate the detail of Brexit to the country.

The event in Scotlands capital was also interrupted by environmental campaigners from the group Green New Deal Rising, who asked to meet with Ms Rayner, but were shouted down by members of the audience.

Four campaigners held up a banner during the final minutes of the show, while another videoed their exchange with the leader.

The campaigner recording the disruption was removed by security.

In response to a question from the campaigners, Ms Rayner stressed the need to tax the profits of oil and gas firms such as BP  which reported a profit of 6.9 billion in the second quarter of this year  as well as building green industries across the country.
Health researchers need to do more to gain the trust of Muslim people, new research suggests.

New data indicates that Muslim people living in the UK think health research is very important, but only a small number have taken part in any genetic research studies.

According to a new report, commissioned by Genomics England and compiled by Muslim Census, 86% of Muslims see health research as very important.

More than half (56%) said they would be willing to participate if asked  views which are broadly representative of the general population.

However, only 4% of more than 1,000 Muslims surveyed said they had taken part in genetic research.

Genomics England ambassador Aman Ali is leading the drive to increase awareness of the benefits of genetic research among Muslim communities.

He said: Its clear from this report that most Muslims recognise the benefits of health research but a lot more work needs to be done by the scientific community to increase engagement with Muslims and improve their representation, particularly in the field of genetic research.

Zaynah Asad, Project Manager at Muslim Census, an independent organisation that collects representative data, to highlight issues faced by the UK Muslim community, said: While Muslims largely trust the NHS and have a clear interest in scientific developments, they are more sceptical of sharing data with universities and other healthcare institutions.

Almost all survey responses highlighted the need for transparency from researchers to build trust with the Muslim community.

Researchers should continue to engage directly with the Muslim community and Muslim-led health organisations to raise awareness and ensure Muslims are represented in genetic research.

The report found that opinions varied between different groups within the Muslim community on the issue of trusting healthcare institutions to protect their data.

More than 63% overall said they would be happy for the NHS to use their data for healthcare research and Arab Muslims (48 polled) were especially open to the idea, with more than 72% willing to trust the NHS with their data.

But less than 55% of black Muslims surveyed (84) said they would be willing to allow the NHS to use their data for research and only 20.9% said they would participate in medical research.

Genomics England wanted to understand how Muslim communities viewed medical research because, to date, studies of genetic diseases have been largely based on European ancestry, with ethnically diverse people being massively under-represented.

It says the use of imbalanced and biased datasets has crucial implications for the increasing use of genetics in UK healthcare.

This is because it can result in misdiagnoses, poor understanding of certain conditions and inconsistent delivery of health care.

It can also lead to uncertainty among under-represented communities around the collection and use of their genetic data.

Maxine Mackintosh, Genomics Englands programme lead on diverse data, said: We want to make sure that all patients have equal, effective, and affordable access to genomic medicine and, to achieve this, scientists need greater availability of genomic information from diverse populations including our Muslim communities.

She added: We can see from this report that UK Muslims are generally highly supportive of health research though its important to recognise the diversity of views amongst different groups within UK Muslim communities.

Acknowledging that those doing research and providing healthcare services have not always done enough to address inequities, I think is an important first step.

Now we need to dig deeper to understand and tackle the reasons for a lack of trust in specific communities, especially on the issue of protecting peoples medical data.

The report is titled Attitude towards health and medical research within the Muslim community.
Euphoria star Jacob Elordi says he is worried that his actor lifestyle is sanding down my edges and will make it difficult for him to prepare for future roles.

The Australian actor, 25, said he was afraid of becoming accustomed to one way of being and losing the ability to feel anything.

Speaking to GQ, he revealed that when he first moved to Los Angeles, he had crashed on a friends sofa for two weeks and that his audition for the popular HBO show was intended to be his last before returning home.

I wasnt booking jobs, I think I had  I dont know, 400 or 800 dollars left in my bank account, he said.

The Euphoria star, 25, said he was afraid of becoming accustomed to one way of being and losing the ability to feel anything (Eli Russell Linnetz/PA)

Euphoria was my last audition before I went home for a little while to make some money and recuperate.

Euphoria, which also stars Emmy-winner Zendaya and Emmy-nominated Sydney Sweeney, follows the story of recovering drug-addict Rue.

The show has run for two series and received wide critical acclaim.

Speaking about the effects of his success as part of the show, Elordi continued: The fear (is that) going on a walk in Byron Bay (New South Wales), at my home, (and) maybe one day that wont hold the same value to me, because Ive sanded down all my edges.

I have no taste anymore. I have no taste for life.

I only know this one way of being, which is smile, and wave, and being graceful all the time, and not feeling anything, and always being the graceful one in a situation, and always knowing what the right thing to do is, and always knowing how to handle myself.

The full interview can be found in the September issue of British GQ, which is available via digital download and hits newsstands on August 23.
Just over half of councils in England have started making payments to Covid-hit firms from a 1.5 billion support package, almost 18 months after it was first launched.

Real estate experts have said it is too little too late and could mean thousands of companies miss out on almost 700 million of available funding.

In March 2021, the Government said that businesses affected by Covid-19 outside the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, and therefore ineligible for the pandemic business rates holiday, would not be able to appeal their payments for the property tax.

However, it announced a 1.5 billion business rates relief fund for these companies, which include office operators and property firms.

Rishi Sunak, the chancellor at the time, gave councils the responsibility to hand out the cash to businesses which applied to the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (Carf).

Nevertheless, the results of Freedom of Information requests by property consultancy Gerald Eve have found that hundreds of millions of pounds remain unpaid despite less than two months being left before the schemes deadline.

The FOI requests to 309 councils in England resulted in 207 responses.

Slightly over half, 119 councils, said they started making any payments to businesses.

Responding councils which have started making payments account for 632m of the 1.5 billion funding package but have collectively paid out just 329m.

Gerald Eve said that if this trend was extrapolated across Englands remaining councils, a maximum of 820 million from the total 1.5 billion available would have been paid out.

Jerry Schurder, business rates policy lead at Gerald Eve, said: This fund was supposed to help businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic, but which were denied other business rates support.

The Government claimed Carf was the fastest and fairest way of getting support to businesses that need it the most, but the past 17 months has shown this to be complete hyperbole.

In fact, the opposite is true.

Sadly, its a case of too little, too late for the hundreds of thousands of firms that were retrospectively denied their rights to appeal their rates bills but have yet to receive a penny from the local authorities.

A Government spokesperson said: The Government has provided an unprecedented package of support for businesses, including a total of 26 billion in grants to those affected by restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19.

Councils are responsible for allocating funding and targeting it to businesses, based on local circumstances.
This week in legal news Yahoo Finance is following Big Tech's apparent dodge of bipartisan antitrust legislation that appears to be stalling, as Congress heads into its traditional August recess.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's derailment of his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter (TWTR) now includes claims of fraud against the social media company. As Musk and Twitter gear up for an October trial, their lawyers are pressing for documents and witness testimony.

Finally, baby formula manufacturer Abbott (ABT) is facing increasingly consolidated litigation tied to infants who became ill or died after ingesting formula contaminated with bacteria.

Abbott's under fire over tainted formula

A group of 18 lawsuits alleging that contaminated Abbott-manufactured baby formula caused sickness  and in some cases death  in premature infants has moved to a federal court in Chicago. The transfer to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Friday brings the cases, some of which allege less serious, economic injuries, into a court where 97 similar cases are being heard.

The cases raise high-stakes legal pressure on the pharmaceutical giant as they blame Abbott for the infiltration of a life-threatening bacteria, Cronobacter sakazakii, into its Sturgis, Michigan manufacturing facility. If held liable for the infiltration, the company could be ordered to pay millions in damages.

NORTH BERGEN, NJ - MAY 26: Shelves are empty at a Walmart store during a baby formula shortage on May 26, 2022 in North Bergen, NJ. A recent shortage of baby formula started when safety issues surfaced during inspections at a plant owned by a major supplier named Abbott Nutrition. (Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress)

The contamination incident and its connection to infant illness and death is currently under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Abbott has recalled four formulas: Similac, Similac 60/40, Elecare, and Alimentum. The FDA said it hasn't directly linked the contaminated formula to infant injuries. According to the FDA, the bacteria can cause bowel damage and lead to infection and inflammation to membranes that safeguard the brain and spine.

Musk makes new fraud claim against Twitter

Elon Musk raised the stakes in his court battle with Twitter on Friday, filing a countersuit accusing the social media company of fraud. And this week, Musk and Twitter continue their competing requests to disclose information to each other before their highly anticipated October trial.

In a 126-page countersuit made public on Friday, Musks lawyers elaborated on arguments first made in a July 8 letter to terminate the Tesla CEO's agreement to acquire Twitter in a $44 billion merger. According to Musk's new claim, Twitter defrauded him by making false and misleading estimates in its regulatory filings concerning fake and spam accounts. Twitter counters in its response to Musk's claim that its securities filings are true.

On Monday, Musks lawyers sought the deposition of a Twitter representative. Meanwhile Twitters lawyers requested documents from individuals and companies associated with Musk, including Oracle founder Larry Ellison; Bob Swan, an operating partner for Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz; and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital.

Big Tech still dodging antitrust reform

Lawmakers are about out of time to push through bipartisan antitrust legislation targeting Big Tech competition. The dwindling clock is translating to diminishing hope among proponents of tougher antitrust regulation that Congress will bring such legislation to a vote ahead of Congress August recess and the undecided balance of power following Novembers midterms.

One bill that had gained traction among Democrats and Republicans  the American Innovation and Choice Online Act  was introduced by House Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). The bill, which includes companion legislation introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), would block major technology companies like Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Facebook (META) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) from favoring their own products and services over the products and services of competing companies that list on their platforms.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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DES MOINES, Iowa  A 'doggy Disneyland' inspired by canine retreats across the country is set to open in Iowa this month.

Millions of pets found homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and spending on pets trended upward as more households adopted pets.

As many humans have since returned to in-person work, one business in Des Moines will offer a plethora of ways to still pamper and spend time with their pandemic pup  all under one roof.

Paws & Pints, a one-stop shop that will provide a destination experience for dogs and owners alike, broke ground last year. The 33,000-square-foot "ultimate canine retreat" sits on 4.5 acres.

When will Paws & Pints open? What will be offered?

Paws & Pints is set to open by Aug. 22. The facility will be an all-in-one doggy destination with four main businesses:

A 10,000-square-foot dog hotel and spa providing boarding, grooming and day care services.

A 16,000-square-foot dog park attached to an indoor-outdoor coffeehouse, a full-service bar and kitchen (for humans and dogs alike) called Your Best Friend's Bar, food trucks and a live-music stage.

3,800 square feet of rental space for dog trainers.

A 2,850-square-foot veterinary clinic.

Bringing your pet on vacation?: Here's what you need to know for your first post-pandemic trip

Paws and Pints, a membership-based ultimate dog retreat and human bar, is set to open by August 22 in Des Moines. Synthetic turf specifically designed for dogs lines both the indoor and outdoor dog parks.

Paws and Pints, a membership-based ultimate dog retreat and human bar in Des Moines, includes an outdoor live music stage sponsored by Nationwide pet insurance.

A pup enjoys the indoor dog park during the soft opening of Paws and Pints, an ultimate dog retreat in Des Moines.

A 'doggy Disneyland'

Dogs will be able to cool off in water features at Paws and Pints, a membership-based ultimate dog retreat and human bar in Des Moines.

Kyle and Megan Casey of Norwalk didn't always know they would run a dog utopia.

"I kind of jokingly say that the love for our beloved (dog) Porter changed the trajectory of our lives," Kyle said. "We were in corporate America and hated it. After 16 years of it, I had to do something. I was going crazy."

Flying with your dog? Here are three tips to prepare for your trip

During a road trip with their Bernese mountain dogs Porter and Kora, the Caseys discovered a dog park combined with a bar in Denver.

A few months later, the couple began working on Paws & Pints. For research, they took their pups to dog-friendly pubs and destinations across the United States, with stops in Kansas City, Denver, Florida, Dallas, Minneapolis and Seattle.

Kyle and Megan Casey hope to open Paws and Pints next year. They recently visited a brewery in Boulder, Colorado, with their Bernese mountain dogs Porter (left) and Kora.

"The thought was, let's kind of pull 'doggy Disneyland' and everything fun for dogs and their owners under one roof, with also all of your less glamorous but necessary dog services," Megan said.

Paws & Pints is one of the first businesses in the Des Moines area to combine multiple dog-related services with a human bar and social venue under one roof, but dog park bars popping up across the country are proving to be popular.

Paws & Pints is still looking to fill available positions, jobs that include employees' biggest perk: bringing their dogs to work every day.

Humans without dogs are also welcome

The bar plans to serve cocktails and 20 craft beers on tap, with a small menu for humans and dogs on the way. The Caseys plan to serve turkey and sweet potatoes among the canine-friendly dishes and bagels for humans.

Though Paws & Pints is a membership-based facility, dogs can gain one-day access for $5. Humans without dogs are also welcome.

Grace Altenhofen can be reached at galtenhofen@registermedia.com or on Twitter @gracealtenhofen.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New 'Doggy Disneyland' canine retreat in Iowa is more than a pet hotel
Miami doctor Armando Valdes didnt just lose his freedom last week when he was sentenced to federal prison after a six-year healthcare fraud run through a West Miami-Dade office  he lost his house, four other houses or condominiums in South Florida and an empty lot adjacent to one of the houses.

READ MORE: Miami doctor living luxurious lifestyle gets 5 years in $38 million healthcare fraud

While Valdes, 63, does his time in federal prison, the above residential real estate will be sold as property bought with the $38 million he made while ripping off United Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield through Gasiel Medical Services. State records say Gasiel listed Hilario Isaba as president, but it was owned and operated by Valdes. Isaba has not been charged.

Here are the properties Valdes gave up as part of pleading guilty to one count of health care fraud with information from public property records.

 Sabbia Beach Condominium, 730 N. Ocean Blvd., No. 505, Pompano Beach: Built in 2019, open for occupancy in 2020, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, , 1,830 sq. feet, bought for $1.2 million in January 2020 by listed owners Armando Valdes and Sabrina Olga Silva.

One of the pieces of residential real estate taken in forfeiture from Armando Valdes is in this Pompano Beach high rise condominium.

 Aventura Park Square Residences, 2960 NE 207th St., No. 1114: Built in 2018, one bedroom, two bathrooms, 868 sq. feet, bought for $562,000 on Sept. 20, 2018 by listed owner Armando Alexander Valdes.

 Place at Corkscrew development, 19302 Elston Wy., Estero: Built in 2020, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, 2,251 sq. ft., bought for $395,000, Dec. 1, 2020 by listed owner Armando Valdes.

The Estero home owned by Armando Valdes.

 3574 Lakeview Dr., Sebring: Built in 2004, four bedrooms, 3,633 sq. feet, bought for $355,000 on March 12, 2019 by listed owners Armando Valdes and Armando Alexander Valdes. 3566 Lakeview Dr. is the empty lot next door.

 15618 SW 14th St., West Miami-Dade: Built in 2003, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, 6,000 sq. ft. total area, 3,480 sq. ft. living area, bought for $359,490 on Jan. 30, 2004 by listed owner Armando Valdes.

This is the home on which Valdes claimed a homestead exemption and was listed in the forfeiture agreement as substitute property because, the forfeiture agreement said, other directly forfeitable property cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence; has been transferred, sold to or deposited with a third party; has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the Court; has been substantially diminished in value; or has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken approaches a stage to give a speech in Pretoria, South Africa. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

With Russia and China looming in the background, Americas top diplomat pitched a new chapter in U.S.-African relations on Monday, promising robust trade and calling for democracy despite political upheaval in much of the continent.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken insisted his five-day swing through sub-Saharan Africa is aimed at making the region a priority for the administration in a dynamic of equal partners.

But Blinken made no secret of his condemnation of Moscow and Beijing and what he said was their exploitation of African countries and resources.

Weve seen the consequences when international infrastructure deals are corrupt and coercive; when theyre poorly built or environmentally destructive; when they import or abuse workers or burden countries with crushing debts, Blinken said, alluding to what Washington officials regard as predatory lending practices, particularly by China.

Thats why its so important for countries to have choices, he added.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech on U.S.-Africa relations in Pretoria, South Africa. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

The Biden administration has been disappointed that South Africa and its neighbors have not joined the U.S.-led effort to isolate Russia over its invasion of Ukraine nearly six months ago. Blinken's trip to South Africa Monday, to be followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda later in the week, is taking place in the shadow of his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, who has also been crisscrossing the continent, reportedly with arms deals on offer.

If Blinken had hoped he could persuade the South African government to get on board in punishing Russia, he was mistaken.

He received a receptive welcome  to a point.

Blinkens host, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, said countries should not have to choose sides between the West on one hand, and Russia and China on the other.

I hate being told, 'Either you choose this, or else,' she said at a joint news conference with Blinken. We cannot be a party to a conflict between China and the U.S.

As for Russia, Pandor said, South Africas position is to urge the United Nations to resolve the conflict with Ukraine through diplomacy, not sanctions.

Pandor, a formidable woman with a commanding voice, was not finished. Asked about inconsistencies in U.S. foreign policy, she likened Ukraine to what she called Palestine, and emphasized that Palestinians deserve a homeland as much as Ukrainians. She said South Africans had authority to speak about the matter having experienced apartheid ourselves," referring to the white-minority rule that oppressed black South Africans for decades.

Some human rights advocates have likened the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to a form of apartheid. Israel firmly rejects the characterization, as does the U.S. government.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visits jeans designer Tshepo in the Victoria Yards neighborhood in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

Blinken has kept a full-court press in Africa. He said he was accompanied by 50 U.S. officials  in recent weeks, numerous senior officials from the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. mission to the United Nations and others have paid visits to numerous African countries.

Blinken launched the U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa in a series of documents followed by a speech at the University of Pretoria. The main points include human rights and democracy; fighting terrorism and ending armed conflict; pandemic recovery; hunger and climate change.

Blinken warned that 193 million people worldwide face famine  primarily in Africa  and another 40 million could be in a similar predicament, according to the World Bank. Russias blockade of Ukraines Black Sea ports has led to scarcities in grain, cooking oil and fertilizer.

The U.S. is there for African countries in this unprecedented crisis, because thats what partners do for each other, Blinken said. The United States will not dictate Africas choices, and neither should anyone else. The right to make these choices belongs to Africans, and Africans alone.

Still, the growing clout of China and Russia on the continent has been a principal motivating factor behind the U.S. strategy.

Seven coups and attempted coups in the last two years have felled or threatened African governments, and some foreign policy experts blame China.

Blinken also cited the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group, a network of mercenaries that has shown up in countries including Mali, where he said it exploits instability to pillage resources" and commits widespread atrocities, according to human rights organizations.

Joseph Sany, a veteran peace and governance expert originally from Cameroon, said he welcomed a new tone in the Biden administrations approach toward Africa, but said the U.S. has lost a lot of ground. Numerous U.S. embassies in the region, for example, are not fully staffed. In particular, China is a powerful adversary, he said.

China is beating us, said Sany, vice president of the Africa Center at the U.S. Institute for Peace. Their diplomats are on the ground, engaged all the time. You cannot Zoom [call] your way into these relationships.

Russia has less influence but is deadly, he said.

What Russia has is the ability to disrupt in unstable countries, Sany said. Its vulture diplomacy. When a country is bleeding, [Russia] comes along with paramilitary groups. They are disruptive actors. But keep an eye on China. The strategic competition is with China.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Investigators from the Boise Fire Department determined that the grass fire in the Boise Foothills that began blazing Sunday night was human-caused, spokesperson Lynsey Amundson told the Idaho Statesman by email.

Amundson said authorities are still investigating the fire, however.

Crews from the Boise and Eagle fire departments responded to the blaze, which began in the 7400 block of Pierce Park Lane just before 8 p.m Sunday, according to a tweet from Boise fire. The Bureau of Land Management assisted, Amundson said.

By 9:30 p.m., crews had the fire surrounded and it was burning within their control lines, according to a tweet that showed video of the work. The fire was contained and controlled by morning.

Update: Crews currently have the fire surrounded and it is burning within their control lines. pic.twitter.com/S4palueMtL  Boise Fire Dept. (@BoiseFire) August 8, 2022

Amundson said officials didnt yet know whether the fire was set deliberately, and she didnt have additional information on the cause. No civilians or firefighters were reported injured.

A 7:55 a.m. Monday tweet from the Boise Fire Department said the fire was 100% contained. Amundson said by email that one crew from Boise Fire Engine 4 was staying at the scene until Monday afternoon to make sure nothing flares back up.

Just a few days ago, a total of nine fires engulfed roughly 60 acres of land throughout the Boise area. The Ada County Sheriffs Office said it believes some of the fires may have been set intentionally.

The fire Sunday night burned more than 5 acres, officials said. Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Caleb Ashby told the Statesman by email that it was private land, but the bureau responded because of the proximity to federal lands. He said there were no habitat issues.

Residents within a half-mile of the fire were notified via the Code Red system from the Ada County Sheriffs Office, but no structures were threatened, Boise fire said. Hikers and bikers were told to avoid the area.

Amundson said no trails were burned, but there was a trail that the fire bumped up against.
A Palestinian woman cleans her damaged home following an Israeli airstrike on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. (Fatima Shbair / Associated Press)

A fragile cease-fire deal to end nearly three days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza held throughout the night and into Monday morning  a sign that the latest round of violence may have abated.

The flare-up was the worst fighting between Israel and Gazan militant groups since Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers fought an 11-day war last year, adding to the destruction and misery that have plagued blockaded Gaza for years.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza while the Iran-backed Palestinian Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.

Over three days of fighting, 44 Palestinians were killed, including 15 children and four women, and 311 people were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Twelve of those killed were Islamic Jihad militants, one was from a smaller armed group and two were Hamas-affiliated police officers who were not taking part in the fighting, according to the armed factions.

Israel estimated that a total of 47 Palestinians were killed, including 14 by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets. It said that 20 fighters and seven civilians died in Israeli airstrikes and that it is still investigating six deaths.

No Israelis were killed or seriously wounded in the fighting.

Israel said it was partially reopening crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and would fully open them if calm was maintained. Gaza's lone power plant came back online Monday after fuel trucks entered a cargo crossing for the first time since crossing points were closed last week. The closure prompted a fuel shortage that ground the plant to a halt on Saturday. Gaza suffers from a chronic power crisis.

Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence. Security precautions imposed in recent days on residents of southern Israel were being gradually lifted Monday, the military said.

Both sides boasted of their successes. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite losing two of its leaders. This is a victory for Islamic Jihad, he said.

Despite that claim, the group undoubtedly sustained a blow during Israel's fierce offensive. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets without striking a single Israeli, thanks to Israel's missile defense system, which shot most of them down. Its own rockets may have killed several Gazans, according to Israel.

The cease-fire deal contained a promise that Egypt would work for the release of two senior Islamic Jihad detainees held by Israel, but there were no guarantees this would happen. The weekend fighting was also bound to complicate Islamic Jihads relations with Hamas.

A senior Israeli diplomatic official said the offensive had set Islamic Jihad's capabilities back decades. The flare-up was a successful counter-terrorism operation because Israel achieved its goals in a brief period of time, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the operation with the media.

The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but ended up being contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and the undoing of economic understandings with Israel, including Israeli work permits for thousands of Gaza residents, that bolster its control over the coastal strip.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the group took control of the territory in 2007.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on a leader of Islamic Jihad, saying there were concrete threats of an antitank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of another senior Islamic Jihad member in Israeli-occupied West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank to round up suspects following a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israel.

Israeli forces killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike Saturday.

Israel said some of the deaths during this round were caused by errant rocket fire, including one incident in the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza in which six Palestinians were killed Saturday. On Sunday, a projectile hit a home in the same area of Jebaliya, killing two men. Palestinians held Israel responsible, while Israel said it was investigating whether the area was struck by an errant rocket.

In the West Bank on Monday, Israeli troops demolished the homes of two Palestinians suspected of carrying out a deadly attack against Israelis in the city of Elad in May. The soldiers faced a violent protest during the operation, the military said.

The outburst of violence in Gaza was a key test for caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who lacks experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep his job.

President Biden said he welcomed the cease-fire.

Over these last 72-hours, the United States has worked with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, and others throughout the region to encourage a swift resolution to the conflict, he said in a statement Sunday.

The United Nations Security Council was to hold an emergency meeting Monday on the violence. China, which holds the council presidency this month, scheduled the session in response to a request from the United Arab Emirates, which represents Arab nations on the council, as well as France, Ireland and Norway.

We underscore our commitment to do all we can towards ending the ongoing escalation, ensuring the safety and security of the civilian population, and following up on the Palestinian prisoners file, Tor Wennesland, the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 1,100 rockets toward Israel, with about 200 of them landing inside the Palestinian enclave itself. The army said its air defenses had intercepted 380 of them, including two fired toward Jerusalem. The military did not specify what happened to the remainder, but they likely fell in open areas or broke up in the air.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israel's destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

Hamas had a strong incentive to avoid another war. Last years war and previous conflicts have exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territorys 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

Over the last year, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza laborers, and has held out the prospect of granting another 2,000 permits.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Professor Camilo Mora feels the impacts of climate change in his knees.

During a 2014 visit to his native Colombia, heavy rains caused the worst flooding his hometown had seen in decades and boosted the mosquito population. A mosquito bit Mora, transferring the chikungunya virus and making him a patient during an unprecedented outbreak in the region.

His joints ache still today. He blames a warming world.

In a study published Monday, Mora and his colleagues at the University of Hawaii canvassed tens of thousands of studies to analyze the global impacts of climate change on infectious diseases that affect humans. They determined that nearly 220 infectious diseases  58% of the total studied  had become bigger threats because of climate hazards.

Systems have been evolving for millions of years and now humans have come along and changed things, Mora said. We are punching nature, but nature is punching us back.

The study, which ultimately analyzed more than 3,200 scientific works, is one of the most thorough examinations of climate changes overall impact on diseases worldwide.

Its only in the recent past of infectious disease research that we really focus in on climate change as a driver of infectious disease, said Jessica Leibler, an environmental epidemiologist at the Boston University School of Public Health who wasn't involved in the research.

Fifty-eight percent seems like a really high number, she said, but it reflects the reality that infectious diseases are driven by whats going on in our environment.

A mother takes care of her son, who suffers from dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, on Nov. 22. (Fareed Khan / AP file)

The research is not without limitations. Scientists often have a hard time quantifying how much climate change is contributing to disease outbreaks, since its an indirect process.

Climate hazards also diminished some impacts of infectious disease. For 16% of diseases, these hazards reduced the ailments impact or produced mixed results.

Climate hazards bring people and animals closer together

When Mora and his team examined the effects of 10 climate hazards on 375 infectious diseases, they found more than 1,000 ways that climate change spurred disease transmission. Rising temperatures were the biggest driver of pathogenic diseases, followed by precipitation, floods and drought.

Most often, infectious diseases were spread to humans from animals such as mosquitos, snakes, birds or rodents.

Voles, for instance, depend on snow cover for winter habitat, Mora said. But diminishing snowpacks have sent the creatures seeking shelter inside peoples homes, where they have been documented transmitting hantavirus.

Climate drives habitat change and disruption around the world. That also brings humans into contact with animal species in ways that we were not in contact with them historically, or havent been in the recent past, Leibler said. Our recent pandemic is an example to the extent that the leading hypothesis is that bats might have played a role.

Rising temperatures have also increased the habitat ranges for creatures like ticks, fleas and mosquitoes, growing the footprint of infections like West Nile virus, Zika and dengue fever.

Mosquitoes are obviously the big one that cause a tremendous amount of mortality internationally, Leibler said.

Other climate-linked diseases spread directly to humans through food, water or air. Fecal pathogens like E. coli or salmonella, for instance, can enter drinking water after a flood or hurricane, and rising temperatures may increase their chance of survival.

Theres a good deal of evidence that as temperatures rise, its more likely that different sorts of pathogens will be present in drinking water globally, Leibler said.

People walk through the fumes after a worker sprays pesticide to kill mosquitoes at a public park in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 14, 2021. (Sultan Mahmud Mukut / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP file)

Climate hazards even put direct stress on the human body and make people more vulnerable to infection.

What happens with warming countries in particular is that drought, because it undermines nutrition and increases malnutrition, compromises our bodys ability to fight infection, said Amir Sapkota, an epidemiology and biostatistics professor at the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. Sapkota was not involved in the research.

Mora said heat waves could be pushing some viruses, through natural selection, to tolerate higher temperatures. Thats bad news, he said, because one of the human bodys key weapons against a viral invader is heat from a developing fever.

Scientists worry about a Pandoras box of new pathogens

Moras study also raises concerns about the potential for new diseases to spread.

In the Arctic Circle, for instance, ancient pathogens in the bodies of animals frozen beneath permafrost have begun to re-emerge with some nasty effects. Through genetic analysis, scientists traced a 2016 anthrax outbreak in Siberia to buried prehistoric animals exposed during a heat wave.

Melting permafrost may expose pathogens that are frozen in time, Sapkota said. We dont even have any idea of what they are and what they would be like if they were to infect us today.

Mora said its possible that rising temperatures in the Arctic could open a Pandoras box of new pathogens for which human immune systems havent had exposure.

Scientists are also worried about the potential for new viruses to spill over from animals to humans.

With drought, what happens is animals may start to move over larger areas in search of food, so that brings this opportunity for what we call this viral spillover event, Sapkota said. The same thing goes with regards to humans encroaching on their area.

Moras study found that some disease-carrying creatures are becoming more prevalent or developing new advantages in a warmer world. So scientists said its important to increase surveillance in areas where humans and animals closely interact.

One question that comes to mind is: What if that new viral spillover event is something very unique? Sapkota said. Its as efficient as the coronavirus in terms of spreading from one person to another, but as efficient as Ebola virus in terms of killing people.
Cuban authorities were still struggling Monday to contain a raging fire at an oil storage facility at the port of Matanzas, after new explosions spread the flames to other oil tanks, raising questions about the countrys disaster preparedness and its ongoing energy crisis.

According to the governments version of events, the fire started around 7 p.m. Friday when lightning struck a crude-oil storage tank in the unloading area in the port known as the Matanzas Supertanker Base. The fire extended to a second tank on Saturday and a third one on Monday.

Local authorities and state media outlets have published contradictory information, but the governor of Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, confirmed Monday morning that a third tank was burning.

Indeed, the risk that we had announced occurred, and the fire in the second tank compromised the third tank, which is now burning, he said.

The storage facility at the port of Matanzas has eight tanks.

Several firefighters are among those injured in a fire that started in an oil tank in the port of Matanzas. Another 17 firefighters are missing, authorities said.

Sabines Lorenzo said the second tank exploded late at night on Sunday, spilled oil and spread the flames to a third tank and back again to the one where the fire ignited first, which is burning again. Previously, authorities had said they were able to extinguish the fire in the tank that was struck by lightning.

Three people suffered minor injuries after the second tank collapsed.

A large explosion was captured live during a television news program on state media on Monday afternoon around 2 p.m., showing flames and a dense cloud of smoke. Another one happened around 5 p.m., according to images shared on state television.

Health authorities have advised Matanzas residents to use face masks and avoid exposure to the gases and rain, but have said little about the environmental consequences of the disaster.

More than 4,000 residents of nearby areas have been evacuated, but local government officials insisted the city of Matanzas, on the other side of the bay, is not in danger, as several people were leaving the city on their own initiative.

Cubas Ministry of Public Health said Sunday that Juan Carlos Santana Garrido, 60, a firefighter from Cienfuegos who was among the 17 firefighters who have been reported missing, had died fighting the blaze. No other bodies have been recovered so far.

According to the latest figures from the ministry, 125 people suffered injuries, and 24 remain hospitalized, two with severe injuries and five in critical condition.

Workers of the Cuba Oil Union, known by the Spanish acronym CUPET, watch a huge rising plume of smoke from the Matanzas Supertanker Base, as firefighters work to quell a blaze which began during a thunderstorm the night before, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. Cuban authorities say lightning struck a crude oil storage tank at the base, causing a fire that led to four explosions which injured more than 50 people.

Cuba struggles to put out the fire

As the fire remained out of control, questions have mounted about how the missing firefighters might have died and the level of disaster preparedness, or lack of, shown by Cuban authorities.

The government has not explained why the facilitys lightning-protection system failed and if the tanks were equipped with fire protection systems up to international standards.

Information provided by the government and media outlets suggested authorities did not have enough firefighting foam, chemicals and technical equipment on hand, prompting a call for international assistance.

They were not prepared to handle a disaster of this magnitude, said Jorge Pinon, the director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy and Environmental Program at the University of Texas at Austin, who monitors Cubas oil industry. Looking at the shipments from Mexico and Venezuela, they didnt have the pumps for cooling the tanks nor the foam. So you can see that the Matanzas facility was not prepared for this catastrophic event.

Mexico sent three helicopters and 85 military personnel and specialists from the Mexican state oil company Pemex. Venezuela sent 35 firefighters and 20 tons of foam and chemical agents to help extinguish the fire. Another three flights from Mexico were expected on Monday.

The machine needed to pump the foam and chemical agents was also flown in from Venezuela and assembled in Cuba, a task finished in the early hours Monday, the head of the Communist Party in Matanzas, Susely Morfa, said on Twitter.

Sale ensamblada ya para la @UebDtcc , la bomba venezolana Dominator de 5000GPM, encargada de bombear el agente quimico sobre las llamas, tarea de primera prioridad en estos momentos.#FuerzaMatanzas #MatanzasNoEstaSola pic.twitter.com/xj00aLGdEK  Susely Morfa Gonzalez (@SuselyMorfaG) August 8, 2022

But the Matanzas governor said the collapse of the second tank has delayed the use of the foam.

According to his statement, the oil storage facility lacked a pump of large dimensions, which is what we need so the water can reach the top, he said.

A report by the state news agency ACN also suggests that during the first hours, there were not enough firefighters and trained personnel to respond to the incident.

Esteban Grau, a Red Cross volunteer who works for an environmental foundation in Matanzas, told ACN that from the first day of the incident, the members of the Red Cross assumed the mission of supporting the firefighters on the front line to help solve problems and support the assembly of the technical equipment.

Grau said he and other Red Cross workers were with the firefighters who were burned and are still missing.

We survive because we knew how to hide and get under the grass and get out crawling, he added. It was an odyssey.

Despite being on the front line, the Red Cross workers did not have heat-protective clothing.

Grau and other Red Cross volunteers also witnessed the explosion of the second tank on Sunday night, and the firefighters threw themselves on top of us with their blankets and with their clothes open so that the heat would pass over us and not burn us, because the Red Cross suits are made of cloth that does not provide enough protection for the heated gas, he said.

We faced the choice of trying to take off our clothes and jump into the water swimming when the oil spilled, he said.

Energy situation worsens

Cuban authorities have also said little about how the fire could affect local oil production and electrical service, already disrupted by frequent blackouts.

The Matanzas Supertanker Base is a central oil distribution node in Cuba. Crude oil extracted in wells nearby is stored there and then transferred to Cuban tankers for delivery to power stations to generate electricity. Imported oil is usually unloaded there too, Pinon said.

Matanzas terminal is very important for Cuba, so I am concerned about what will happen to the oil production and distribution to the power stations, he said.

Cubas energy system is tattered, with several generating units already out of commission or under maintenance. Last month, authorities said electrical service cuts could not be avoided, because the system is operating with a third of its generating capacity with no backup.

On Monday, Cubas Electrical Union announced that it shut down the Antonio Guiteras power station, located very close to the blazing fire. Previously, authorities had said the power station only had oil for two days. Several neighborhoods in Matanzas and Havana had no electricity Monday afternoon.
Less than two weeks after Gov. Henry McMaster vowed that a Beaufort County barrier island would stay in the University of South Carolinas hands after the school hadnt used it in over a decade, USC had a plan.

A two-page draft document drawn up in July by the USC-Beaufort marine biology faculty and its natural sciences department chair boast research plans for Pritchards Island that range from establishing a summer undergraduate research program to monitoring and characterizing the rich ecology of the island.

We start with marine biology, but it doesnt have to end there, Anna Ponder, USCB Vice Chancellor for Advancement, said. (Pritchards Island) is a rich environment of possibility for our students.

Ponder, who physically produced the glossy document that was given to island donor Philip Rhodes family during a July 19 dinner with USC and USCB leadership, said draft proposals like these are typical to hand out when meeting with vital stakeholders.

The draft plans  including long-term goals, current and immediate action, long-range research plans and collaborative projects  are what Ponder called Round One. And its all in an effort to revive an island the school largely has not used since 2009, what they say was due to rapid erosion typical to a barrier island and lack of private, state and federal funding.

Only a sea turtle program, run through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, has remained up and running on the island.

Recently, in June, the Rhodes family said USC wasnt fulfilling its obligations to the island as Philip Rhodes intended.

The obligations rest in decades-old deeds signed by Philip Rhodes and the then-Carolina Research and Development Foundation. They required USC to keep Pritchards Island in a wilderness state and to use it for scientific, educational, charitable and general public purposes. Stipulated within the 1980s deeds was a clause that said USC could lose control of the island to the University of Georgia or The Nature Conservancy if it doesnt uphold its end of the bargain.

On July 6, McMaster left a message with the Rhodeses: South Carolina will live up to every single thing that is in the agreement, which is between the  university and your grandfather.

Whats in the draft proposal?

According the draft proposal, two marine biology faculty members and its natural sciences department chair have met to consider with renewed focus how best to execute Philip Rhodes vision of conservation, public education, and research since fall 2021.

Those meetings were informal and occurred after the university hired two new marine biology faculty, one in 2019 and the other in 2020.

Our internal discussions focus on sustainable, consistent use of Pritchards to bring attention to its importance in coastal processes in the Lowcountry, the eastern seaboard, and coastal systems worldwide, the two-page document said.

Now, with a draft proposal in hand, the future is becoming slightly clearer for Pritchards fate as a research and education island. Currently, a preliminary budget is still in development stages.

Long-term:

Create a summer undergraduate research experience with a focus on barrier island biology, ecology, chemistry and geomorphology.

Learn about biological shifts between pristine and impacted barrier islands.

Learn how environmental change, the warming ocean, acidification and sea level rise, will impact the ecosystems of the Lowcountrys coast.

Current and immediate:

Assess shoreline variability in barrier islands over the last approximately 100 years.

Partner with Pritchards Turtle Patrol for USCB summer internships.

Create a natural lab experience for a handful of USCB departments.

Organize seasonal beach sweeps for removal of trash and debris.

Meanwhile, 10 long-range research plans span from monitoring horseshoe crab population density during breeding season to characterizing historical changes in plankton communities. The university also is interested in partnering with outside groups such as the Port Royal Sound Foundation.
Dr. Anil Kesani was celebrating his anniversary in Hawaii in 2019 with his wife when the calls from patients started.

People who had just received spinal surgery from Kesani in Dallas-Fort Worth saw multiple news articles about a lawsuit filed against him alleging medical malpractice. The patients were all doing fine, Kesani said, but the reports scared them.

Kesani was confused, but he reassured his patients their recoveries were going well and told them to get second opinions with other doctors if that helped. He soon found out the reason for their anxiety  one of Kesanis patients had filed a lawsuit against him alleging he had botched her spinal surgery in 2017, lied about it and caused her debilitating, permanent damage.

Kesanis lawyer initially advised him not to comment on the suit. Medical providers  bound by privacy laws  usually do not comment on patients care, especially when litigation is involved. But three years after the suit was filed against him, Kesani said the media reports and court case are still impacting his practice, as well as the life and careers of his family members. He and his wife, Shaily Kesani, decided to speak out about what they say are inconsistencies and lies in the allegations made against Anil Kesani.

I am 100% honest with my patients, I am transparent with them, I truly care about their well being, Anil Kesani said. What Ms. Swanson has done is portrayed me as being dishonest, nontransparent and reckless. Which is not the case at all.

The case is set to go to trial in October.

The surgery

Lesa Swanson sued Kesani in April 2019 after a spinal surgery at Baylor Medical Center in Trophy Club. In the suit, which was filed in Tarrant County and is still ongoing, Swanson said Kesani misplaced four of six screws in her back during a surgery.

According to the lawsuit, three of the screws went directly into Swansons spinal nerves. After the surgery, Swanson said she woke up with severe pain, according to the suit, and x-ray images of Swansons spine showed the screws were severely, incorrectly positioned.

Swanson alleges Kesani did not tell her the screws were misplaced and lied about the complication. She went back into surgery on April 28  the day after the first surgery  and the screws were replaced. After the surgery, another CT scan showed bone debris in Swansons back, but Kesani ignored it, the suit says.

While Anil Kesani said the screws were misplaced in Swansons initial surgery, the error is a common complication that was immediately recognized and corrected within 24 hours, he said. The follow-up surgery went well, and Swanson would not have been left with permanent damage, Anil Kesani said.

Swansons suit alleges she had continued symptoms after the second surgery. Her suit says that as of 2019, she still could not feel her right foot, her right calf or part of her right thigh at all, and she could not stand on her right foot alone without falling. She is seeking damages over $1 million in the suit, saying she cannot work, travel or live as she did before the surgery.

Casey Campbell, Kesanis attorney, said he believes Swanson took advantage of the initial complication from the surgery and decided to sue Kesani for personal gain.

The lawsuit

According to court documents filed by Swansons attorney, Todd Smith, Swanson was not able to return to work because of Dr. Kesanis negligence and Mrs. Swansons subsequent pain and multiple disabilities. According to a letter from Smith  which demanded a settlement of over $1 million in the suit  Swanson cannot stand for long periods of time, travel on airplanes, lift heavy objects or climb stairs.

However, Campbell said Swanson has flown on a plane at least 17 times since her surgery in 2017, and initially lied about taking those flights when Campbell interviewed her in her deposition for the case. For example, according to Swansons deposition  a copy of which was provided to the Star-Telegram  Swanson initially told Campbell she had not been to Florida after her surgery. However, a few minutes later, Swanson admitted she had flown to Florida for her birthday.

Campbell said his defense team obtained surveillance footage that shows Swanson doing many of the activities she claims she cannot, such as driving long distances, working and carrying heavy objects. Campbell said those videos will be shown at trial.

Swanson also resigned from her position before the surgery happened, according to her deposition, saying she chose to resign beforehand because she did not know whether she would be able to climb the stairs at her job post-surgery.

She is in much better shape after Kesanis surgery than she was in before, Campbell said. Its frustrating she got the outcome she wanted, and she is still suing because there was this complication that Dr. Kesani corrected.

Swanson had a long medical history of lower back and right leg pain long before the spinal surgery with Kesani, according to an orthopedic surgeon who is set to appear as an expert witness in the case. The expert witness, Bernie McCaskill, reviewed Swansons medical records at the request of Kesanis attorney and noted, for example, that Swanson saw a doctor about numbness and pain in her back in 2015  two years before the spinal surgery.

Impact

Shaily Kesani, who is a dermatologist, said the lawsuit against her husband affected their family and patients. Her husband was denied a mortgage because of the pending litigation and she had to apply for it instead. Anil Kesani was starting his own practice when the lawsuit was filed, but the office he planned to sublease backed out after the media attention. Fewer patients came to the office, and physicians stopped referring patients to him, Shaily Kesani said.

The amount of stress it caused on us was inexplicable and trying to raise a young family all while being branded Dr. Death 2.0 is just so devastating, Shaily Kesani wrote in an email to the Star-Telegram.

She noted that some comments on the initial media reports likened Kesani to a Dallas-based surgeon dubbed Dr. Death. That surgeon, Christopher Duntsch, was convicted in 2017 after maiming dozens of patients and killing two, according to D Magazine.

This is unfortunately a classic case of a patient experiencing a known risk of a medical procedure and is attempting to exploit it as an opportunity for secondary gain, Anil Kesani said in a statement. Due to privacy laws, healthcare providers like myself are limited in what can be discussed; however, what is publicly known shows her credibility in this matter is absent.
Stacked mailing boxes from the US Mail service. These are the post office bulk mailer trays - useful for bulk mailing, EDDM, direct mail marketing etc. (Gradivis via Getty Images)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  An Ohio man is in custody after being accused of sending about three-dozen feces-filled letters to lawmakers around the country, including Ohios 25 Republican state senators in early July.

Police arrested Richard Steinle, a 77-year-old from Mogadore, Ohio, and former Portage County Common Pleas Court mediator on Friday. Steinle is charged with sending injurious articles as nonmailable, violating a federal law that prohibits mailing certain things, including hazardous material, according to court records.

The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum prison sentence of one year and a $100,000 fine. A message seeking comment was left with Steinle's lawyer.

The feces mailed in early July prompted an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, but investigators said Steinle has been sending such letters since August 2021 to elected officials in Washington D.C., Kentucky, California and Ohio.

Mailroom employees in the Ohio Statehouse and post offices in Cleveland and Akron intercepted the 25 letters, which never made it to their intended recipients. The return addresses on the letters were deemed fake. Some letters contained words such as pig and racist on them, according to court records.

In late July, investigators for the U.S. Postal Inspection service conducted surveillance on Steinle's home after a tip from another court employee that Steinle might be involved in sending the letters. Investigators witnessed Steinle mailing a letter while wearing a glove and after retrieving the letter, determined it to be contaminated with feces. The letter was addressed to Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, according to court records.

A message was left with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seeking comment. It is not clear if the feces were human or animal.

Senate GOP spokesperson John Fortney called the incident in early July outrageous and a serious health risk.

This type of biohazard attack doesnt just stop with the people its directed towards, Fortney said. This is something that could potentially affect every single employee at the Ohio Statehouse, regardless of their political affiliation.

Steinle was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond and his next hearing is set for Aug. 25.

___

Samantha Hendrickson 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. Follow Samantha Hendrickson on Twitter.
By Nathan Layne

(Reuters) -The Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting equipment while hunting for evidence to support former President Donald Trumps false election-fraud claims, according to a Reuters analysis of court filings and public records.

The analysis shows that people working with Matthew DePerno - the Trump-endorsed nominee for the states top law-enforcement post - examined a vote tabulator from Richfield Township, a conservative stronghold of 3,600 people in northern Michigans Roscommon County.

The Richfield security breach is one of four similar incidents being investigated by Michigan's current attorney general, Democrat Dana Nessel. Under state law, it is a felony to seek or provide unauthorized access to voting equipment.

DePerno did not respond to a request for comment.

The involvement of a Republican attorney general nominee in a voting-system breach comes amid a national effort by backers of Trumps fraud falsehoods to win state offices that could prove critical in deciding any future contested elections.

In Arizona last week, three Trump-backed candidates who claim the 2020 election was stolen won Republican primary elections for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, the top official overseeing elections. In Pennsylvania, Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano has vowed to decertify any election he considers fraudulent through his appointed secretary of state. Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania are all presidential election battlegrounds.

Trump lavished praise on DePerno before a large audience this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas. Hes going to make sure that you are going to have law and order and fair elections, Trump said, pumping his fist as DePerno stood up in the audience and waved. Thats an important race.

Reuters established the connection between Michigans DePerno and the Richfield voting-system breach by matching the serial number of the townships tabulator to a photograph in a publicly released report written by a member of DePernos team. The photograph showed a printed record of a vote-tabulators activity, which also included a string of ten digits. Reuters confirmed that those numbers matched the serial number of a Richfield vote tabulator through public records obtained from the township. State officials had previously identified Richfield as the site of a voting-equipment security breach.

DePerno had submitted the report as evidence in a failed lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results in a different Michigan county, Antrim. The report claimed that Dominion and ES&S election equipment was vulnerable to hacking and vote-rigging.

Reuters asked an election-security expert to review the materials. Kevin Skoglund, president and chief technologist for the nonpartisan Citizens for Better Elections, an election-security advocacy organization, said the matching numbers indicate that DePernos team had access to the Richfield Township tabulator or its data drives.

DePerno led the "Michigan Antrim County Election Lawsuit & Investigation Team, which included himself, Detroit attorney Stefanie Lambert, private investigator Michael Lynch, and James Penrose, a former analyst for the National Security Agency, according to promotional material for a July 2021 fundraising event in California sponsored by a conservative group that advertised appearances by DePernos team members. Penrose, who had assisted other prominent Trump allies in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, authored the report that Reuters tied to a tabulator involved in the Richfield Township security breach.

Lambert, Lynch and Penrose did not respond to requests for comment.

The previously unreported link to GOP attorney general candidate DePerno and his associates comes as Democratic incumbent Nessel advances her probe, which she launched in February 2022. Nessel is seeking re-election, which would create a conflict of interest if her political opponent became a suspect in her offices investigation.

The attorney generals office declined to comment on the specifics of its investigation but said Nessel would take appropriate steps to remove herself and her department should a conflict arise.

Those steps include requesting a special prosecutor to look into the election breaches, according to a letter from the attorney general advising the secretary of state of the request. The request was sent to the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, an autonomous entity within the attorney generals office that would decide whether a special prosecutor is warranted.

Nessels office started investigating the voting-system security breaches after a request from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. In a February statement, Benson said that at least one unnamed third party" had gained access to tabulation machines and data drives from Richfield Township and Roscommon County.

Jake Rollow, a spokesperson for the secretary of state, said the office does not believe DePernos team had legal approval to access ES&S voting equipment. Rollow declined to comment further on the attorney generals investigation but emphasized its importance. To ensure Michigans elections are secure in the future, there must be consequences now for the people who illegally accessed the states voting machines, he said.

ES&S did not respond to requests for comment.

SEIZING ON A GLITCH

Voting and vote-counting equipment is subject to strict chain-of-custody requirements to ensure accuracy and guard against fraud. Access to tabulators is tightly restricted, and any machine compromised by an unauthorized person is typically taken out of commission.

The four cases being investigated by Nessel are among at least 17 incidents identified by Reuters nationwide in which Trump supporters gained or attempted to gain unauthorized access to voting equipment. Michigan accounts for 11 of them, reflecting how conspiracy theorists sought to capitalize on an error in the initial reporting of 2020 results in Antrim County to allege widespread fraud in the state, without evidence.

A state review of the Antrim County incident found that a failure to properly update software caused a computer glitch that resulted in county officials initially reporting Joe Biden as the winner of the reliably Republican county. The officials quickly acknowledged and corrected the mistake, and Trump's victory was affirmed by a hand tally of every vote cast.

DePerno seized on the confusion, filing a lawsuit making the unfounded claim that tabulators made by Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems had been rigged to flip votes from Trump to Biden in Antrim County.

No evidence of machine fraud or manipulation in the 2020 election has ever been presented in Michigan or any other state, and courts in Michigan and elsewhere have dismissed such claims as baseless, Dominion spokesman Tony Fratto said.

In early December 2020, 13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer granted DePerno's legal team permission to take forensic images of Antrim County voting equipment to search for evidence of election fraud. The court order was limited to Antrim, where only Dominion equipment was used. The order did not extend to other jurisdictions or machines made by other voting-system providers.

Yet DePernos team submitted two reports in April 2021 to the court that revealed they had also examined equipment made by Election Systems & Software (ES&S).

The report written by Penrose, dated April 9, contained a photograph of a "summary tape" with information about a tabulators activity on election night, such as when results were submitted to the county. Among other things, the tape showed a sequence of figures: 0317350497.

That is the serial number for one of two ES&S DS200 tabulators Richfield Township used during the 2020 vote, according to copies of documents obtained by Reuters through a public-records request.

Skoglund, the election-security specialist consulted by Reuters, said the matching numbers indicate that the reports author had access to either Richfield's tabulator or a data drive containing the results and other information on the machine.

"Theres no doubt in my mind that the Penrose photograph is output from that same DS200  that he had physical hands-on access," Skoglund told Reuters.

A second person familiar with the workings of ES&S voting equipment examined the records obtained by Reuters and concurred that the tabulator tape shown in the Penrose report matches the machine with the same serial number.

MORE MACHINES

The Penrose report was part of a series of submissions from DePernos team that failed to convince Judge Elsenheimer. At an April 12, 2021 hearing, the judge shut down DePernos attempt to subpoena several Michigan counties for access to election data and equipment.

DePerno gave an interview later the same day to two right-wing websites, Gateway Pundit and 100 Percent Fed Up. DePerno said that Penrose had examined an ES&S machine. He added that the team had also looked at Dominion equipment "outside of Antrim County." The attorney said he didn't consider Elsenheimers ruling a dead-end.

"Maybe there will be some county somewhere that decides to come forward and cooperate. That would be nice," DePerno told the websites.

In reality, DePerno's associates had already taken possession of voting machines from local officials in Richfield Township in Roscommon County and Lake Township in Missaukee County, according to police records and text messages acquired through public records requests.

Lynch, the private investigator who worked with DePerno on his Antrim county case, exchanged texts with Lake Township clerk Korinda Winkelmann on March 20, 2021. Lynch asked for help accessing a Dominion device she had provided to him, according to the messages, obtained by Reuters through a public-records requests. Winkelman shared with Lynch an operational manual and a password for the device, while also speculating on how election systems might be rigged.

Lynch had no authorization to examine the machine, and the incident remains under state investigation. Winkelmann did not respond to requests for comment.

Elsenheimer dismissed the Antrim suit in May 2021, a decision that was affirmed this year by the Michigan Court of Appeals. DePerno's fraud claims have been widely debunked. A Republican-led Michigan Senate committee issued a scathing report in June 2021 that called DePerno's various allegations "demonstrably false."

In September 2021, Trump endorsed DePerno as the Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general, praising his pursuit of fair and accurate elections and his ongoing effort to reveal the truth about the Nov. 3 presidential election scam.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne; additional reporting by Peter Eisler; editing by Brian Thevenot)
Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani speaks at a news conference in 2020. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

Rudolph W. Giuliani will not appear as scheduled Tuesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta thats investigating whether former President Trump and others illegally tried to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, his lawyer said.

A judge last month had ordered Giuliani, a Trump lawyer and former New York mayor, to appear before the special grand jury Tuesday.

But Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, told the Associated Press on Monday that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, had excused Giuliani for the day.

Judge Robert McBurney excused him pending a hearing tomorrow on the motion to continue," Costello wrote in a text message.

Nothing in publicly available court documents indicates that Giuliani is excused from appearing, but McBurney has scheduled a hearing for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to hear arguments on a court filing from Giuliani seeking to delay his appearance. In a court filing Monday, Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis asked the judge to deny Giuliani's request for a delay and to instruct him to appear before the special grand jury as ordered.

Willis opened an investigation early last year, and a special grand jury with subpoena power was seated in May at her request.

Last month she filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump advisors and associates, including Giuliani. Because they dont live in Georgia, she had to use a process that involves getting a judge in the state where they live to order them to appear.

New York Supreme Court Justice Thomas Farber on July 13 issued an order directing Giuliani to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 9 and on any other dates ordered by the court in Atlanta.

In a court filing, Giuliani attorney William Thomas asked the judge to delay Giuliani's appearance. He explained that Giuliani inadvertently missed a hearing before Farber because he was recovering from a medical procedure and subsequently learned he'd been ordered to appear in Atlanta.

On Aug. 2, a lawyer for Giuliani asked Willis' office to delay his appearance because he was unable to travel because of the recent medical procedure, according to court filings. That request was rejected after Willis' team found evidence that he had traveled since his medical procedure.

Thomas wrote that a Giuliani attorney then clarified to Willis' team that he was not cleared for air travel, but Willis still refused to postpone his appearance.

In her Monday court filing, Willis wrote that her team had obtained records indicating that between July 19 and July 21, Giuliani bought multiple airline tickets, including tickets to Rome, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland, for travel dates between July 22 and July 29, the filing says. If Giuliani is not cleared for air travel, she wrote, her team offered to provide alternative modes of transportation, including bus or train fare.

Thomas wrote that Giuliani had also offered to appear virtually, for example by Zoom.

It is important to note here that Mr. Giuliani is no way seeking to inappropriately delay, or obstruct these proceedings or avoid giving evidence or testimony that is not subject to some claim of privilege in this matter, Thomas wrote, noting that Giuliani had appeared virtually before the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and testified for more than nine hours.

Mr. Giuliani is willing to do the same here under conditions that replicate a grand jury proceeding, Thomas wrote.

In the petition for Giulianis testimony, Willis identified him as both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his campaign.

She wrote that he and others presented a Georgia state Senate subcommittee with a video recording of election workers that Giuliani alleged showed them producing suitcases of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.

Within 24 hours of that hearing on Dec. 3, 2020, Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office had debunked the video and said that it had found that no voter fraud had taken place at the site. Nevertheless, Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread voter fraud using that debunked video, Willis wrote.

Evidence shows that Giuliani's appearance and testimony at the hearing "was part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere, the petition says.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hilton Head Mayor John McCann will not run for reelection, he announced Monday afternoon during a press conference at Town Hall.

When I first became mayor, I told everyone Id be a one-term mayor, he said. I meant that.

McCann, 81, was elected mayor in November 2018, and has been a member of the Hilton Head Island Town Council since 2012. Before becoming mayor he served on the Town Council in Ward 6. He also served as chairman of the Finance and Administrative committees and the Parks and Recreation Commission.

The mayors last day in office will be Dec. 5. Beginning Dec. 6, the newly elected mayor will take office. The mayoral election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Its been a privilege to serve as mayor of Hilton Head Island and represent the residents who live here, he said. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the community in this capacity and working alongside a dedicated and caring group of Town Council members, our Town Manager and our Town Staff.

McCann is also stepping down to keep a promise: He said he had privately pledged to support Alan R. Perry if he ever ran for the position following his term.

Hilton Head Mayor John McCann announces he will not run for a second term. Evan McKenna

Perry, a longtime Hilton Head resident and a senior loan officer at Mortgage Network, announced his candidacy in February. He filed to run for mayor last week, as did Michael Santomauro.

Perry could not be immediately reached for comment.

McCann said he will formally announce his endorsement for the race Friday.

When asked to summarize his legacy, the one-term mayor said he was leaving this place in a better place than where we got it.

McCanns tenure was often marked with controversy, with some residents criticizing the mayors extravagant spending during his four years in office. Notable is McCanns trip to Verona, Italy, to sign a sister city friendship pact, which cost Island taxpayers over $14,000 and wasnt approved by the Town Council.

In his first year, McCann took four major trips, including three to Verona and one to Washington D.C., to attend a state dinner with then-President Donald Trump and the Italian president. A trip to Verona in June 2019 cost Hilton Head Island taxpayers $7,231 on air fare alone for first-class flights for McCann and then-Town Manager Steve Riley and Rileys wife, the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported previously.

Hilton Head Island Mayor John McCann distributes free face coverings supplied by the The Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, June 27, 2020 at the Kroger in Shelter Cove Towne Centre on Hilton Head Island. Drew Martin/dmartin@islandpacket.com

Taxpayers also paid $20,039 for meals, travel, meetings and office expenses  on top of McCanns $25,000 salary  in his first year in office. By comparison, the previous mayor, David Bennett, charged the town $25,414 over his four years in office for expenses.

The Town pays $50 for every meeting the mayor and councilmen attend on official town business, plus mileage, and lunch for him and his guests. McCann frequently entertained guests for lunch and called them businesses lunches, so much so that he had a special table with his name on it at one local restaurant, the newspapers reported.

His term also was marked by:

 Wrangling over the widening of U.S. 278 and the controversy over whether to build one new bridge or two.

 The need for more workforce housing on the island, and how to pay for it.

 The coronavirus pandemic and its impact on local businesses, tourism and the beaches. The town closed the beaches and passed a mask ordinance, despite vocal public opposition to both and a state ordinance that said masks would be optional. Government meetings were held on Zoom for months.

 A flap over attempts to silence critics at Town Council meetings.

 A lawsuit filed by the Town against Beaufort County over a special fee the county imposed on Hilton Head residents for police services by the Sheriffs Office. Hilton Head officials said the island was already paying for those services.

Despite contention surrounding the towns handling of the U.S. 278 bridge plan, McCann said he considers the project to be a success of his term.

It will be done, he said. The agreements will all be signed before I leave.

McCann said he hasnt yet figured out whats next for him. After his term ends in December, he plans to take a short break, but says hell likely end up somewhere in public service.

(The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette will publish a comprehensive list of candidates for all races after the filing period ends at noon Monday, Aug. 15.)
In an Idaho summer that has seen a number of water-related deaths, a drowning in the Salmon River that occurred over the weekend is the latest tragedy.

Idaho County Dispatch received several 911 calls to help a man at Shorts Bar Recreation Site at about 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, according to the Idaho County Sheriffs Office.

A man was observed swimming when he suddenly went underwater, Idaho County Coroner Cody Funke told the Idaho Statesman. Two women who are nurses witnessed the event, pulled him from the water and administered CPR, according to Funke.

First responders from Riggins, deputies and a Bureau of Land Management officer arrived to assist, but rescue efforts were not successful, according to the release.

In a news release, the sheriffs office identified the drowning victim as 32-year-old Steven Hunt, of Lucile.

Shorts Bar is a frequent put-in spot for floating the Lower Salmon River at Riggins, according to the Bureau of Land Management website.

Hunts family was notified and the sheriffs office sent its deepest sympathy to them. The Riggins community has come together to set up a fund to help the family with funeral costs, and some local businesses have donation jars as well.
A person was shot and killed by police Sunday night on Kansas Citys East Side.

The shooting occurred in the area of 55th and Prospect Avenue, according to Capt. Leslie Foreman, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.

The shooting was reported at about 9:45 p.m., Sgt. Bill Lowe, a Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman, told reporters at the scene. The highway patrol is investigating the shooting.

Kansas City police initially identified a stolen SUV in the parking lot of the Phillips 66 on Prospect Avenue, Lowe said. The officers went to check the vehicle while the person who had been in the SUV was in the gas station mart.

When the individual who had been in the stolen vehicle came out of the mart, the officers were still in the gas station parking lot. Both officers were in uniform and standing outside the van when the individual came out of the mart and got into the vehicle, Lowe said.

Kansas City police officers were involved in a shooting Sunday night near 55th and Prospect.

He came out, he then got in the vehicle, proceeded to back up and when he turned around, he turned around and sped directly towards one of the officers that was outside his vehicle, Lowe said. At that point in time the officer dove out of the way and the suspect vehicle struck the van, the Kansas City Police Department van. At that time, thats when the shots were fired.

The person shot by police was declared dead at the hospital, Lowe said, declining to provide any information on the person, including their gender, age and name, until family was notified.

Video from the gas station and police body camera footage is being reviewed by the highway patrol, Lowe said, adding that authorities are also interviewing witnesses, including children who were present at the time of the shooting.

No information was immediately available on how many officers fired their weapons or how many times they fired their weapons.

One person who said he was in the area at the time of the shooting said he heard about 16 shots. Another man told The Star he heard a lot of gunshots.

Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker were among those gathered at the scene well into the early hours of Monday.

I just want to ensure the community that we are committed to 100% cooperation with the highway patrol, Mabin said during a brief news conference.

This was the third fatal police shooting involving Kansas City police this year.
As Kansas grapples with the most severe teacher staffing shortage in state history, Wichita school officials say theyre still in need of 100 teachers and 125 support staff to help out in classrooms.

That may sound like a lot, but Sean Hudspeth, chief human resources officer for the states largest school district, says its actually pretty consistent with the start of other school years.

As of now, we have nine elementary school [teacher openings], 24 middle, 24 high school and 43 special-education openings, so were sitting right now at about 100 teacher positions and we are still needing roughly around 125 para professionals as support staff in our schools before we start the school year, Hudspeth said.

Para professionals, who arent required to have a degree but do need at least 60 hours of college credit, are trained to help teachers  primarily in classrooms with a high student-to-teacher ratio or where students have special learning needs.

Hudspeth said the number of teachers in Wichita Public Schools fluctuates between 4,000 and 4,500 during any given school year.

Statewide, there are about 1,400 teacher vacancies, or roughly 4% of all teaching positions, according to data from the state department of education.

Forty years ago, there were up to 100 applicants for every (teaching) job in Kansas, Education Commissioner Randy Watson told KMUW in July.

This fall, he said, even large districts will be lucky to get 10 applicants.

New research published by the RAND corporation found that heightened stress levels brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are leaving more educators burnt out and questioning their career paths.

Yes, we have experienced a lot of the same struggles that many other school districts across the state have, and across the country, Hudspeth said.

He said the districts worst staffing crisis of the pandemic came during the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, when education went fully remote as the virus ravaged the country.

Going into the 2020 fall and 2021 school year, thats where we saw our numbers drop, Hudspeth said. Our true dashboard is really in our guest staffing or what we call our substitute staffing.

USD 259 started the 2020-2021 school year with 507 active working-desk teachers on call to be substitutes. By last school year, that number had recovered to 725.

This year, weve got 650 that have actively been processed with another 179 that are in the pipeline, Hudspeth said. So were looking at roughly 829 guest staff members or teachers and paraprofessionals. If I take that number and compare it to pre-pandemic, were right at about 85% of where we were.

The district is hosting one more interview and hiring fair on Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Alvin E. Morris Administrative Center at Lincoln and Edgemoor.

Potential employees will get the chance to interview for positions as substitute teachers, paraeducators, clerical workers and custodians, Hudspeth said.

Starting pay for substitutes is $119 a day with an emergency sub license.

Pay rates continue to go up from there based on how much education they have as well, Hudspeth said.

Anyone with a diploma who can pass a background check qualifies to obtain a temporary substitute teaching license this fall. Last month, the state board of education voted to make it easier for retired teachers to return to classrooms as subs if they wish.

The school year begins for Wichita schools on Aug. 15.
A New Jersey man who admitted his role in a GoFundMe scam that netted more than $402,000 and garnered national attention has been sentenced to five years in state prison.

Mark DAmico, 43, was also ordered to make full restitution to GoFundMe in connection to the scandal in which he and two co-defendants tricked people into donating money to a homeless veteran, according to a press release from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

DAmico, of Florence, New Jersey, was charged in late 2018  along with his then-girlfriend, Katelyn McClure of Bordentown, and Johnny Bobbitt of Philadelphia  with crafting a story that misled donors into believing the money would go to help Bobbitt, a homeless veteran living in Philadelphia.

DAmico pleaded guilty in December 2019 to misapplication of entrusted property, a second-degree felony, in connection to the more than $402,000 case.

At the time, the office reported, it was the largest fraud executed through the crowdfunding company. GoFundMe voluntarily reimbursed the donors, according to the release.

People genuinely wanted to believe it was true, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said in the news release Friday. But it was all a lie, and it was illegal. Our office is pleased to bring justice for the more than 14,000 kind-hearted people who thought they were helping someone who was living in a desperate situation.

Bobbitt pleaded guilty in March 2019 to conspiracy to commit theft by deception, also a second-degree felony, and was admitted into the New Jersey Judiciarys Recovery Court program when sentenced in April 2019. The program allows those with addiction problems to seek treatment instead of being incarcerated.

Under rules of a plea agreement, if Bobbitt fails to adhere to treatment and recovery services, which includes frequent testing for drug use, he could be sentenced to five years in state prison.

McClure admitted that she advanced the false narrative about Bobbitt, saying it was at DAmicos direction, and pleaded guilty in April 2019 to theft by deception, a second-degree felony, in exchange for a four-year term in state prison.

She is set to be sentenced on Sept. 9.

Ex-girlfriend sentenced in GoFundMe scam: New Jersey woman sentenced to 1 year in prison for $400K homeless vet GoFundMe scam

The cases against the trio in New Jersey Superior Court were put on hold while charges were pursued on the federal level by the U.S. Attorneys Office in the District of New Jersey.

DAmico was sentenced in April to 27 months in federal prison. His state and federal sentences are running concurrently, officials said. McClure was sentenced last month in federal court to a term of one year and one day. The two were ordered by the federal judge to make full restitution to GoFundMe.

Officials said Bobbitt is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 23 in U.S. District Court in Camden.

Paying it forward?

According to prosecutors, the Paying it Forward GoFundMe campaign was created Nov. 10, 2017, soon after DAmico took a picture of McClure and Bobbitt standing on an exit ramp on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.

"The fairy tale narrative that accompanied the photo indicated that McClure had run out of gas, and Bobbitt spent his last $20 to help her get back on her way," officials wrote in the news release.

The campaign listed a goal of $10,000 to provide Bobbitt with apartment rent, a vehicle, living expenses, and other things.

But donations far exceeded their expectations, authorities said, and were quickly spent by McClure and DAmico on casino gambling and personal items including a BMW, a New Years trip to Las Vegas, a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and Louis Vuitton handbags.

'One date ... and now I'm being sued': Woman sues man for $10K for standing her up on a date

All the money was spent within a few months of the campaigns creation, officials said. Once he realized the money had been squandered, Bobbitt took civil action against DAmico and McClure. He alleged in August 2018 that he had received only about $75,000 of the money raised on his behalf.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Jersey man gets 5 years prison in $402K homeless vet GoFundMe scam
FILE - This photo combo shows, from left to right, Travis McMichael, William "Roddie" Bryan, and Gregory McMichael during their trial at at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga. Months after they were sentenced to life in prison for murder, the three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood faced a second round of criminal penalties Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, for federal hate crimes committed in the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man. (Pool via AP, File)

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP)  The white man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery after chasing the 25-year-old Black man in a Georgia neighborhood was sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime.

Travis McMichael was sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge in the port city of Brunswick. His punishment is largely symbolic, as McMichael was sentenced earlier this year to life without parole in a Georgia state court for Arberys murder.

McMichael was one of three defendants convicted in February of federal hate crime charges. His father, Greg McMichael, and neighbor William Roddie Bryan had sentencing hearings scheduled later Monday.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun.

The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar. Investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP)  Months after they were sentenced to life in prison for murder, the three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood faced a second round of criminal penalties Monday for federal hate crimes committed in the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood scheduled back-to-back hearings to individually sentence each of the defendants, starting with Travis McMichael, who killed Arbery with a shotgun after the street chase initiated by his father and joined by a neighbor.

Arbery's killing on Feb. 23, 2020, became part of a larger national reckoning over racial injustice and killings of unarmed Black people including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. Those two cases also resulted in the Justice Department bringing federal charges.

When they return to court Monday in Georgia, McMichael, his father Greg McMichael and neighbor William Roddie Bryan face possible life sentences after a jury convicted them in February of federal hate crimes, concluding that they violated Arbery's civil rights and targeted him because of his race. All three men were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels face additional penalties for using firearms to commit a violent crime.

A state Superior Court judge imposed life sentences for all three men in January for Arbery's murder, with both McMichaels denied any chance of parole. Federal life sentences give you a backstop in the event that an appellate court decides there was some kind of error in the course of the state trial, said Michael Moore, an Atlanta lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

All three defendants have remained jailed in coastal Glynn County, in the custody of U.S. marshals, while awaiting sentencing after their federal convictions in January.

Because they were first charged and convicted of murder in a state court, protocol would have them turned them over to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their life terms in a state prison.

In a court filings last week, both Travis and Greg McMichael asked the judge to instead divert them to a federal prison, saying they wont be safe in a Georgia prison system thats the subject of a U.S. Justice Department investigation focused on violence between inmates.

Arberys family has insisted the McMichaels and Bryan should serve their sentences in a state prison, arguing a federal penitentiary wouldnt be as tough. His parents objected forcefully before the federal trial when both McMichaels sought a plea deal that would have included a request to transfer them to federal prison. The judge ended up rejecting the plea agreement.

A federal judge doesnt have the authority to order the state to relinquish its lawful custody of inmates to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Ed Tarver, an Augusta lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. He said the judge could request that the state corrections agency turn the defendants over to a federal prison.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and jumped in a truck to chase Arbery after spotting him running past their home outside the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck, helping cut off Arbery's escape. He also recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery at close range as Arbery threw punches and grabbed at the shotgun.

The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery had been stealing from a nearby house under construction. But authorities later concluded he was unarmed and had committed no crimes. Arbery's family has long insisted he was merely out jogging.

Still, more than two months passed before any charges were filed in Arbery's death. The McMichaels and Bryan were arrested only after the graphic video of the shooting leaked online and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local police.

During the February hate crimes trial, prosecutors fortified their case that Arbery's killing was motivated by racism by showing the jury roughly two dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racist slurs and made disparaging comments about Black people. A woman testified to hearing an angry rant from Greg McMichael in 2015 in which he said: All those Blacks are nothing but trouble.

Defense attorneys for the three men argued the McMichaels and Bryan didnt pursue Arbery because of his race but acted on an earnest  though erroneous  suspicion that Arbery had committed crimes in their neighborhood.
Miamis proposal to place up to 100 tiny homes on Virginia Key for people experiencing homelessness, which led to opposition from the county and a weekend protest, will be put on hold for now.

Mayor Francis Suarez and Commissioner Joe Carollo, who sponsored the concept, announced Monday afternoon that the city plans to hold off on pursuing a transition zone on the islands northeastern shore for at least 6 months.

Suarez and Carollo agreed to ask the City Commission to pause the effort while the city works with Miami-Dade County officials on three key issues. They said the city wants the county to help make more shelter beds available, identify alternative sites for temporary housing facilities and stop releasing homeless people from jail within Miami city limits.

We feel that its an unfair burden for the city to have to take care of all the homeless without more help from Miami-Dade County, Suarez told reporters.

The announcement about putting the Virginia Key plan on hold comes after an outcry from people across the community, criticism from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and County Commissioner Raquel Regalado and opposition from several groups that bike, hike and paddle around Virginia Key. The chairman of the agency that manages the historic Black beach park on Virginia Key, a formerly segregated beach, also objected to the tiny homes plan.

Carollo said he was willing to sponsor a temporary pause on the Virginia Key plan since county officials appear to be willing to work with the city on the problem. He said the city has been forced to consider options such as the Virginia Key plan because Miami-Dade County, along with its Homeless Trust, has not done enough to address homelessness.

We dont want to be in the business of doing tiny homes, getting involved with the homeless, Carollo said. But if the county doesnt want to live up to the responsibility, then we have no choice to move on this.

The mayor and Carollo need City Commission approval to formally pause the Virginia Key plan, and that is expected to pass easily with support from Carollo and Chairwoman Christine King, two of the three commissioners who voted in favor of the tiny homes proposal. That vote is expected in September.

The mayor had not made any public statements on the plan since it passed the City Commission on July 28. He has spoken in the past about wanting to dramatically reduce homelessness in Miami, which involved steering federal COVID relief aid toward a slew of social services agencies and shelters.

On Monday, Suarez said his plan to reduce homelessness to functional zero, first introduced in January, has not been fully implemented. He said multiple agreements to send federal aid to local agencies are pending, and he wants to give some time to see the impact of the funding boost. He said the money will pay for more short-term and long-term shelter beds and mental health and drug addiction programs.

As with all projects, implementation of such an audacious plan like functional zero takes tremendous coordination, and in many respects, there are factors that are out of our control, the mayor said.

Maxie Espinosa, City of Miami outreach referral specialist, tries to persuade a homeless person in downtown Miami to be taken to shelter to stay ahead of the chilly weekend on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022.

READ MORE: Miami OKs funding to end homelessness, even while city gets aggressive with homeless

Carollo chastised county officials for not doing more sooner, shamed opponents of the plan by calling them elitists who simply didnt want to see homeless people near them, and accused critics of pulling the race card by objecting to the Virginia Key plan because it would be near the historic Black beach on the island, a formerly segregated beach.

What does this have to do with the historical Black beach? Carollo said, responding to a question at the press conference. Thats a mile and a half away, the place that were looking at. Its got nothing to do with the historical Black beach, and those that are using that as the final straw to throw at us, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Suarez emphasized that his plan to fund other organizations could go a long way toward reducing the number of people living on the streets. In particular, he said he was hopeful about the potential impact of the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery, a facility that is slated to received $750,000 from the city. Championed by mental health advocate Judge Steve Leifman, the facility could open by the end of the year and is expected to have the capacity to house up to 200 people dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse.

Ron Book, chairman of the Homeless Trust, said a tiny homes proposal with a housing-first strategy to create permanent housing units for people living on the street is in line with the Trusts goals and worth further discussion.

We are hopeful after that dialogue, including conversations with Commissioner Christine King, that we will get to a better solution as a result of the proposal, he said.

Days after releasing a memo listing concerns with the Virginia Key plan, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cavas office said in a statement on Monday that the county is committed to working with the city.

We are encouraged that the City is taking time to further evaluate the program, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate on innovative solutions to homelessness, said Loren Parra, Levine Cavas director of communications.
In the realm of Kentucky politics, the first Saturday in August means one thing: Fancy Farm.

Elected officials and aspiring officeholders alike make the trek to Graves County in far Western Kentucky each year, where St. Jerome Catholic Church hosts the annual fundraising picnic. There, a rambunctious crowd boos, heckles and jeers its way through opponents speeches and waves signs and cheers in support of their chosen candidates.

With a few Democrats back on the stage after skipping last year, the 142nd picnic saw insults and zingers flying across both sides of the aisle.

Missed all the action this weekend? Heres a rundown of the days best quips:

Republicans tee off on Democrats

House Speaker and Fancy Farm emcee David Osborne, R-Prospect, said that it was tough to be funny given recent mass-scale tragedies on both ends of the state between flooding in the East and tornadoes in the West, but that people need to laugh.

His introductions were often filled with barbs for politicians of both political stripes.

Osborne made quick reference to a legislative letdown for some: the failure of the General Assembly to pass a bill legalizing sports betting. The measure was supported by Osborne and passed the House this session, only to be blocked by the more socially conservative Senate.

For gambling on any sport other than the blood sport of politics, youre gonna have to go across the river to Missouri or Illinois, Osborne quipped.

The makeup of the state legislature was also fair game for Osborne, who leads a 75-25 majority in the House that could grow after Republicans drew maps generally beneficial to their own candidates.

In our own caucus I have factions larger than the entire Democratic party, Osborne said.

The speakers digs on Democrats were generally harsher, though he didnt exclude Republicans.

He referenced reporting that showed Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman setting up friends with unemployment claims while the state was inundated with such claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We dont really know why the lieutenant governor couldnt be here, she just said she wasnt coming  kind of like those unemployment checks she promised, Osborne said.

He also jokingly consoled First Congressional District Congressman James Comer on his narrow GOP gubernatorial primary loss to former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin in 2015, saying that youre the one still elected, and on top of that youre the only one still in Frankfort.

Comer and his wife have owned a residence in Franklin County  they also own a house in Monroe County, where he is from, as well as multiple farm properties there according to local property value administrators. Some have suggested that Comers home in Franklin County is the reason that the once-entirely Western and Southern Kentucky district to have snaked North into Central Kentucky during the GOP-led redistricting process.

Kelley Paul, wife of Sen. Rand Paul, focused much of her speech on anti-transgender rhetoric, the economy and the diminishing presence of Democrats in Kentucky.

But, speaking in place of her husband because the Senate was in session, Paul didnt hold back in criticizing Democrat Charles Booker for paying himself $150,000 from his own Hood to the Holler foundation.

You know what? I have a good idea for him: Maybe he should rename it From the Hood to the Dollar, she said.

She also said that Bookers ad featuring himself in a noose, meant to criticize Pauls opposition to an early version of an anti-lynching law, looks like it was inspired by Jussie Smollett. Smollett is an actor who infamously staged a hate crime against himself.

Further, she tried to tie Booker to Quintez Brown, a prominent young writer who attempted to assassinate Louisville Democratic mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg.

Greenberg called Kelley Pauls effort to do that reprehensible in a Twitter post Saturday night.

The terrible incident in which my staff and I were shot at was referenced today in an attack on my friend @Booker4KY. Let me be clear - Charles contacted me immediately after this horrible event and to try to tie him to it is reprehensible. (1/2)  Craig Greenberg (@RunWithCraig) August 6, 2022

Attorney General Daniel Cameron spent much of his speech making a serious case for his run for governor. He notably pumped his fist proclaiming to law enforcement that he would always have your back and we will always support the blue while Democrats chanted Breonna Taylor.

But he offered at least one joke on the stage Saturday.

In reference to a recently announced endorsement he scored from former president Donald Trump, Cameron said that would spill the beans about how it came to fruition. He poked fun at a false rumor that his wife Makenze is related to Senator Mitch McConnell and referenced McConnells fraught relationship with the former president.

All I had to do was assure Trump that Mitch McConnell is not Makenzes grandfather, Cameron said.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears change of plans (he initially was scheduled to visit Israel over the weekend) left some Republicans with less strong material given his work in Eastern Kentucky responding to the deadly flooding there. But that didnt stop some from poking fun at what they characterized as Beshears hunger for cameras and credit.

Agriculture Commissioner and candidate for Governor Ryan Quarles speaks during the 142nd annual St. Jeromes Fancy Farm Picnic before politicians deliver speeches in Fancy Farm, Ky., Saturday, August 6, 2022.

2023 governor candidate and Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles joked that people flocked to Fancy Farm like a moth to a flame, like Andy Beshear to giant checks, like an attorney general to the governors race.

Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, who announced her endorsement for her 2023 gubernatorial run from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie during her speech, was not afraid to turn some of her barbs at her fellow GOP electeds, calling her gubernatorial opponents the opposite of the Dos Equis beer guy. Theyre the least interesting men in politics.

Candidate for Governor Savannah Maddox speaks the crowd gathered for the 142nd annual St. Jeromes Fancy Farm Picnic before politicians deliver speeches in Fancy Farm, Ky., Saturday, August 6, 2022.

Cameron, she said, was in hiding during Beshears COVID-19 lockdowns, and Quarles has the cleanest boots and least-muddy truck of any farmer she knows. But her sharpest comments were reserved for tyrant Beshear, who Maddox said needs to be de-throned.

2023 gubernatorial candidate Auditor Mike Harmon focused on tying Beshear to President Joe Biden, whose approval rating nationally is much lower than Beshears in Kentucky. He carried on with a Jeff Foxworthy-style you might be a Beshear-Biden Democrat if routine.

State Auditor and candidate for Governor Mike Harmon speaks during the 142nd annual St. Jeromes Fancy Farm Picnic in Fancy Farm, Ky., Saturday, August 6, 2022.

Democrats focus their jabs at Paul, Cameron

Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge heaped praise on Beshear for his response to the December tornadoes that tore through Western Kentucky and the recent flooding that devastated parts of Eastern Kentucky.

But he didnt leave the stage before getting his digs in at the GOP, calling out Rand Paul for an atrocious vote against military veterans while the Kentucky National Guard is deployed to help in the floodings aftermath in Eastern Kentucky.

Imagine being so afraid of a Black guy from the West End of Louisville ending your career that you dont show up to debate, he said of Paul, who is facing Booker in the general election this November.

Democratic Chair Colmon Elridge speaks before U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker during the 142nd annual St. Jeromes Fancy Farm Picnic before politicians deliver speeches in Fancy Farm, Ky., Saturday, August 6, 2022.

Elridge dedicated much of his time to the highly anticipated 2023 governors race, which has already attracted a crowd of GOP hopefuls.

Now, I want to be clear, because weve got the attorney general here, and hes not used to practicing law. So when I say beat I dont mean in the physical sense. I mean beat like Steve Beshear beat David Williams and Ernie Fletcher. I mean beat like Andy Beshear beat Matt Bevin. I mean beat like when Andy Beshear beats whatever Republican makes it off the Gilligans Island of the GOP primary, unless Kelly Craft gets off her yacht to buy the island first.

Elridge took aim at several of the GOP candidates in attendance:

Mike Harmon is here, he deadpanned, adding nothing else.

Maddox, he said, she runs with a tough crowd of insurrectionists and white supremacists. And if that offends them, Colmon advised they Try Jesus, but dont try me.

Colmon mocked Camerons poorly timed campaign tweet asking for jokes  posted just 45 minutes before the federal Department of Justice announced charges against four officers in the Breonna Taylor case, renewing scrutiny of the first-term AGs handling of the state investigation  saying he always sends someone else to do his job.

Booker, too, spoke of the recent natural disasters that have hit the commonwealth, noting Kentuckians lock arms to help one another.

Kentuckians show up, so thats why it should be no surprise to anybody that Rand Paul is nowhere to be found, Booker said to raucous cheers from his supporters. I know Rand Paul sent his better half, but thats unfortunate because its his job that Im going to take.

U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker speaks the crowd gathered for the 142nd annual St. Jeromes Fancy Farm Picnic before politicians deliver speeches in Fancy Farm, Ky., Saturday, August 6, 2022.

Paul, who did not attend the Fancy Farm picnic because of a conflicting Senate vote, also couldnt miss his monthly hair appointment, Booker said.

That perm wasnt gon fix itself, he said.

Booker called Paul a joke, a clown, an embarrassment, a fraud, a crisis actor, a conspiracy theorist and a liar.

And thats just what Donald Trump would say about him, Booker said, prompting boos from Pauls supporters in the crowd. And dont get me started on what Mitch McConnell thinks about Rand Paul.

First Congressional District Democratic candidate Jimmy Ausbrooks, who is gay, didnt go for many jokes, but did pivot his speech to address anti-LGBTQ comments made by Pauls wife, Kelley Paul.
The N.C. Green Partys first pillar is grassroots democracy, which requires the participation of the many, not the few.

We are tired of being corralled into the dead-end politics of fear and cynicism that marks political parties beholden to Wall Street money and corporate interests. We are trying to fundamentally redefine what an American party is and to move beyond the era of Coke vs Pepsi politics where voters are presented two unlikable options without much input and then fear-mongered into believing these candidates are owed our vote.

Tony Ndege

When the N.C. Green Party approached war veteran Matthew Hoh about running, the office that made the most sense was U.S. Senate. A strong anti-war voice is desperately needed in our political debates.

From the outset of 2021, we sensed there would be a higher level of scrutiny in our bid to get back on the ballot. During the height of the pandemic we asked the governors office to allow electronic ballot petition signatures, which would reduce our signature requirement while protecting the safety of our petitioners and the hundreds of thousands of people they would have to approach.

We received no reply. Correspondence with the State Board of Elections was often strained and involved inadequate information.

Our petition drive was exceedingly difficult. Over the winter we had to rely on our own supporters for over 90% of our signatures. A spring rebound helped us surpass our goal of 19,000 signatures. We collected 22,500.

By refusing to certify our party in a timely manner in accordance with state statute, the SBOE has caused damage to our party and compromised future petition endeavors.

This left the door open for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and other operatives to engage in unprecedented harassment and intimidation of thousands of people who signed the N.C. Green Party petition. Signers were relentlessly texted, auto-dialed, and even visited at their homes by paid operatives who asked them to remove their signatures and said that having the Green Party on the ballot would harm Democrats at the polls.

The SBOEs actions have favored the Democratic Party and resulted in serious injury to the democratic process.

Their claims have undermined the reputation and standing of county election boards across the state, casting a cloud over them and forcing workers to engage in many hours of signature-checking and tedious paperwork.

If the SBOEs intention is to ensure democracy, it should make getting on the ballot easier. For example, the board could push for the N.C. General Assembly to allow electronic petition signatures and reduce the number of signatures required.

Now, the N.C. Democratic Party is seeking to circumvent the Green Partys federal court complaint by filing a complaint at the state Superior Court level. Outrageously, the lawsuit claims that having the Green Party on the ballot will somehow hurt the Democrats vast resources and make it harder for them to get their voters to the polls.

There is a reason why unaffiliated voters have become the largest voting block in our state. People are dissatisfied with the non-solutions of the politics of fear and division. They are hungry for new ideas and solutions.

The N.C. Green Party collected well over the required signatures for party recognition because we speak to the concerns of millions of voters and our independent voice must be allowed on the ballot this November and beyond.

Tony Ndege is Co-chair of North Carolina Green Party . He lives in Winston-Salem.






A Chapel Hill woman was found guilty Thursday of paying kickbacks and bribes for nearly $35 million in physical therapy services that were never provided, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

Jaroslava Ruiz, 50, was convicted by a federal jury in Miami, Florida, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and nine counts of health care fraud, department officials said in a news release.

She could serve up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count, and up to 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count, they said. She could be sentenced in a federal district court on Oct. 26.

Ruiz was accused of working with others to defraud private health insurers of over $34.6 million in false and fraudulent claims for physical therapy services, Justice Department officials said in the release Monday.

According to a court filing, Ruizs co-defendant Jesus Porras managed and operated four Miami clinics involved in the scheme: Ramirez Rehab Center, Long Life Medical Services, AA Ortiz Medical Center and Perez Medical Center.

Ruiz, who lived in Miami-Dade County at the time, was an office administrator for Porras, the court filing said. Two more defendants, Anisley Gomez Anuez and Lidia Rodriguez Oviedo, also worked as office administrators, it said.

Prosecutors accused Ruiz of paying kickbacks and bribes to patients and patient recruiters in return for allowing the Miami physical therapy clinics to bill for services that were never provided to patients. The clinics submitted over $34.6 million in false and fraudulent claims and were paid roughly $7.7 million from several private insurers, they said.

A Chapel Hill woman was found guilty of conspiring with others to commit insurance fraud in August 2022, the Department of Justice reported.

The fraudulent claims were filed between June 2016 and October 2020 with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Health Group, as well as employer-offered, private Administrative Services Only insurance plans, according to a court document.

The suspects falsified medical records to give the impression that the physical therapy services were medically necessary, prescribed by a doctor, and actually rendered, the release said. In truth and fact, none or virtually none of the purported services had been provided.

The fraudulently obtained proceeds were used for their personal use and benefit, the use and benefit of others, and to further the fraud, a court document said.

In March, a judge ordered that Porras be considered a fugitive from justice, court documents show. His co-conspirators are set for sentencing in September.

Rodriguez Oviedo pleaded guilty to two counts of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in June, and Gomez Anuez pleaded guilty to health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in July.

The FBI is continuing to investigate the case, justice officials said.
MARSHALL, N.C. (AP)  When schools in one North Carolina county reopen later this month, new security measures will include stocking AR-15 rifles for school resource officers to use in the event of an active shooter.

Spurred by the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead in May, school officials and Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood have placed one of the semiautomatic rifles in each of the county's six schools. Each of the guns will be locked inside a safe, Harwood said.

The North Carolina school district and sheriff's office are collaborating to enhance security after the Uvalde shooting revealed systemic failures and egregiously poor decision-making, resulting in more than an hour of chaos before the gunman was finally confronted and killed by law enforcement, according to a report written by an investigative committee from the Texas House of Representatives.

Those officers were in that building for so long, and that suspect was able to infiltrate that building and injure and kill so many kids, Harwood told the Asheville Citizen Times. I just want to make sure my deputies are prepared in the event that happens.

The idea of having AR-15s in schools does not sit well with Dorothy Espelage, a UNC Chapel Hill professor in the School of Education who has conducted decades of study and research on school safety and student well-being.

Whats going to happen is were going to have accidents with these guns," Espelage told WLOS-TV. Just the presence of an SRO increases violence in the schools. Theres more arrests of kids. Why is it that they have to have these AR-15s? It doesnt make any sense.

AR-15 rifles on display at Burbank Ammo & Guns in Burbank, Calif. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Madison County Schools Superintendent Will Hoffman said school administrators have been meeting regularly with local law enforcement officials, including Harwood, to discuss the updated safety measures.

Harwood said the countys school resource officers have been training with instructors from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Harwood said the safes where the AR-15s will be kept will also hold ammunition and breaching tools for barricaded doors.

Well have those tools to be able to breach that door if needed. I do not want to have to run back out to the car to grab an AR, because thats time lost. Hopefully well never need it, but I want my guys to be as prepared as prepared can be," he said.

Schools are scheduled to reopen Aug. 22, according to the Madison County Schools website.

While the optics of school resource officers potentially handling AR-15s in schools may be discomforting to some, Harwood said he believes it is a necessary response.

I hate that weve come to a place in our nation where Ive got to put a safe in our schools, and lock that safe up for my deputies to be able to acquire an AR-15. But, we can shut it off and say it wont happen in Madison County, but we never know," Harwood said.
A number of critically endangered fish have returned to the Sawtooth Range this year, with numbers at a way station along their journey at an eight-year high.

Eighteen of the rare fish had made it to the Sawtooth Valley so far this summer as of Friday, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Sockeye leave the ocean in the early summer, arrive in the Sawtooth Valley between late July and September, and spawn in Idaho in October.

At the Lower Granite Dam in eastern Washington, after which the fish have 450 miles of open water to swim through to get to the high-elevation valley, sockeye numbers are close to three times the 10-year average and are the third-highest since 1975, according to a news release.

So far, 2,072 sockeye salmon have passed the dam. In the Sawtooths, nine of these fish were trapped at Redfish Lake Creek, between Redfish Lake and Little Redfish Lake. The other nine were trapped at the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery, a mile upstream from the junction with Redfish Lake Creek on the main Salmon River, said Dan Baker, the hatchery manager at the Eagle Fish Hatchery.

The fish that are trapped in the Sawtooth Valley are trucked to the hatchery in Eagle, where some spawn in captivity while others are released back into lakes in the Sawtooths in September, where they spawn in the wild.

But fish returns remain vastly reduced, as more than a century of overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and dams have imperiled the species.

Why have numbers ticked up?

Ocean conditions have improved over the last couple years, which has improved ocean survival for Sockeye, Baker said in an email. The cool, wet spring has also benefited sockeye survival as the adults have been migrating upstream.

As fish swim upstream, they can die from low water in the Snake and Salmon rivers and warm temperatures along the way, the release said. The numbers of fish that return each year can fluctuate a lot. In Idaho, fish are bred at hatcheries to try and sustain their populations.

A series of four dams were built along the lower Snake River between 1955 and 1975, after which Idaho sockeye were listed as endangered, in 1991. Between 1991 and 1999, only 23 fish returned to lakes in the Sawtooth Valley.

In the West, scientists say climate change is exacerbating drought conditions and warming stream temperatures.

Environmentalists and American Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest have long pushed for breaching those dams, which produce electricity and allow for barge shipping, to save the fish.

In July, President Joe Bidens administration released a report arguing that dam removal may be necessary. Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee, both Democrats, are working on a report on the topic to be released later this summer.

Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson already supports a plan to breach the dams and replace their economic benefits. Idahos other Republican leaders in Congress and Gov. Brad Little are opposed to breaching the dams.
A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge was sworn in to serve on a California Court of Appeal on Aug. 3, according to a news release from the Judicial Branch of California.

Hernaldo J. Baltodano was confirmed as an associate justice on the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 6 in Ventura, after a unanimous vote by a three-member panel from Californias Commission on Judicial Appointments, the release said.

Baltodano was nominated to the position by Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 3, but his appointment was not official until Wednesday, after his confirmation hearing. The Division 6 Court of Appeal, where Baltodano will now officially be serving, oversees appeals for San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Santa Barbara superior courts.

Previously, Baltodano had served on the bench at the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court since his appointment in 2017. During his tenure as a Superior Court judge for over four years, Baltodano led the efforts to create mental health diversion treatment and to implement a misdemeanor diversion program and was the supervising criminal judge for nine months.

Fellow SLO County Superior Court Judge Jacquelyn H. Duffy, who spoke as a witness during Baltodanos confirmation hearing, highlighted Baltodanos extraordinary work ethic and dedication and integrity as well as his cultural awareness stemming from his experiences as child of immigrants, according to a preliminary transcript of the hearing given to The Tribune by a spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California.

When I first learned of Hernaldos nomination to the Court of Appeal, Division 6, I had mixed feelings, Duffy said at the hearing. I, along with all of his colleagues here in San Luis Obispo, feel (the) personal loss of a friend and colleague who has had an enormous impact on our court and legal community. However, we all recognize that he will be an exceptional justice if confirmed, (and) the greater legal community will benefit from his humanity, wisdom and commitment to justice.

After being sworn in, Baltodano spoke of how his familys experiences when they immigrated to the U.S. paved the way for his future as an appellate justice. Baltodanos family left Nicaragua when he was 15 months old because of the growing political violence and turmoil in their home country, a situation which continued to grow as they made a life for themselves in California.

In the almost five decades since I was born, Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the northern hemisphere, has been mired in civil war, economic and political turmoil and a complete disregard for the rule of law, Baltodano said at the hearing.

Baltodano said that while in California, his father wrote a letter to President Jimmy Carter asking for political asylum for the family, which was granted by immigration officials, setting in motion a 15-year period that culminated in the family receiving American citizenship when Baltodano was 19.

I would not be standing here today but for my mother and fathers foundational contributions born from their desire to come, as the governor proclaimed, to this land, to work hard, to seek opportunity and protection and give a better life to their children, Baltodano said.

At the hearing, Baltodano also thanked the deputy judicial appointment secretary for their work on behalf of Gov. Newsom to help ensure judiciary that reflects the broad and rich diversity of life experiences in California.

A judiciary that mirrors the diverse people of our state instills confidence and trust in our government, and democratic institutions, Baltodano said. We need that now more than ever.

Elizabeth J. Macias, president of the California Latino Judges Association, of which Baltodano is a member, told The Tribune that Baltodano serves as a role model for all and expressed CLJAs hopes that SLO Countys Superior Court would continue to ensure Latinx representation in the countys courts.

With Justice Baltodanos elevation, we hope the governor will appoint another Latinx judge to the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo to carry on Justice Baltodanos legacy, Macias said.

In his new position, Baltodano fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Martin J. Tangeman.
Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire on Monday questioned the early prison release of a Sacramento man accused of murder and burglary in the death of an elderly woman whose body was found dismembered last month in her North Highlands home.

Our community wants to know why this man was released after serving less than half of his prison sentence, Gire said in a news release. Our office, along with the Amador County District Attorneys Office, twice opposed the release of this dangerous inmate. These early-release decisions are having deadly impacts on our communities, and our residents need to know how and why these decisions are being made.

Pamela Garrett May, 77, was found dead on the morning of July 19 at her home in the 5200 block of Field Street. Her body was dismembered beyond recognition, Sacramento County sheriffs officials said. Its likely she had been killed days before her body was found.

Darnell Erby, 44, of Sacramento, was arrested later on the same day authorities found Mays body. Erby is accused of murder and burglary in connection with Mays death, charges that make the case eligible for the death penalty. The Sacramento County District Attorneys Office has not yet decided whether it will seek the death penalty.

May lived alone after her husband was moved to a care home, because he had extensive medical problems, her friends and neighbors said. She lived in a house with boarded-up windows and a front yard littered with garbage that could give others the idea her home was abandoned or at least vacant.

Erby was convicted of home burglary in September 1997 in Sacramento County and in August 2017 in Placer County, according to a criminal complaint filed July 21 in Sacramento Superior Court.

Gire said Erby was convicted and sentenced in August 2017 in both Placer and Amador Counties to serve over 12 years in prison. Erby was was eligible for early parole in 2018 under the states non-violent early parole program.

The District Attorneys Offices in Placer and Amador counties wrote letters, arguing against Erbys prison release in 2018 and again in 2021, according to Gire. Erby was denied parole in 2018 and again in 2020. Gire said Erby was released from prison in 2021.

In a letter sent on Monday to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Kathleen Allison, Gire asked:

 What was the process in determining the release of inmate Erby despite the opposition of both the Placer and Amador County District Attorneys Offices?

 What specific rule or regulation authorized the early release of inmate Erby?

 What measures did CDCR take to alert officials and his victims of your decision to release this inmate?

 Given that inmate Erbys rehabilitation programming during incarceration was deemed unsatisfactory in March 2020, what, if anything, changed in his programming by his release in 2021?

 Given that part of inmate Erbys denial of parole in 2020 was due to criminal activity noted during inmate Erbys incarceration, was this criminal activity considered for inmate Erbys release in 2021?

 Is CDCR willing to consider changes to the early parole program to ensure inmates who pose a risk of violence to the community remain incarcerated?

Erby was admitted to CDCR custody from Amador County on June 7, 2017, to serve nine years and four months for using someone elses ID to obtain personal identifying information and forgery as a second striker, said Dana Simas, CDCR press secretary.

While incarcerated he was sentenced in Placer County on Aug. 21, 2017, to serve two years and eight months for first-degree burglary as a second striker, which was discharged for time served, Simas said in an email to The Sacramento Bee.

Erby was released on parole April 9, 2021, and discharged from parole on April 11. Simas did not respond to The Bees request for a comment from CDCR on Gires letter.

Gire said that a January 2021 letter of opposition to Erbys early prison release argued that continued incarceration appears to be the only way to guarantee that this inmate will not continue to victimize people.

Placer County prosecutors argued in a 2018 opposition letter that Erbys repetitive behavior of committing felonies soon after being released from prison and his mindset is indicative of a current unreasonable risk of violence. The District Attorneys Office argued in January 2021 that the indisputable fact that institutionalization has done nothing to correct the inmates criminal behavior.

Amador County prosecutors argued in their 2018 opposition letter that he has only been free from incarceration for about 5-6 years in the past 20 years. In that time, he has been convicted of 8 different crimes and arrested 20 times. Inmate Erby has been unable to go more than two years without committing a serious felony. His criminal history clearly demonstrates that he is a threat to society and unwilling to be rehabilitated.

The path to redemption is a noble one. CDCRs efforts to provide positive rehabilitative programming for inmates are laudable and most appreciated, Gire wrote in his letter to Allison. Unfortunately, it was abundantly clear from inmate Erbys extensive record and lack of progress while incarcerated that he was unsuitable and undeserving of early release.

Erby on Monday afternoon remained in custody at the Sacramento County Jail, where hes being held without bail. Hes scheduled to return to court Aug. 24.
BURLINGTON  A 42-year-old Nevada man pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Burlington for his role in helping arrange the kidnapping and murder of a Vermont man stemming from a financial dispute.

Aron Lee Ethridge is one of four men who have been charged in the kidnapping of Gregory Davis from his Danville home Jan. 6, 2018. Davis was found shot to death in a snowbank the next day.

As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors and Ethridge's defense attorney agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 27 years or less. The actual sentence, scheduled for December, will be up to the judge. Ethridge could be sentenced to life in prison.

Prosecutors say Ethridge arranged for Jerry Banks, 34, of Fort Garland, Colorado, to kidnap and then kill Davis. Banks allegedly called Ethridge the day after the kidnapping to inform him that Davis had been successfully kidnapped and killed.

A Vermont State Trooper, center, speaks to a homeowner on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2018 near an area on Peacham Road, in Barnet, Vt., where the body of Gregory Davis was found. Federal prosecutors say a conspiracy that resulted in the murder of Gregory Davis grew out of a financial dispute between him and one of the men now charged with arranging to have him killed. In a Monday, May 30, 2022 filing, prosecutors said that Davis had been threatening to go to the FBI with information that Serhat Gumrukcu was defrauding him in a multi-million dollar oil deal.

Banks has only been charged with kidnapping, but prosecutors allege he killed Davis. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held pending trial.

Previous coverage:Feds say conspiracy resulting in 2018 murder of Vermont man grew out of financial dispute

In court Friday, Ethridge, dressed in a black and white prison jumpsuit, pleaded to two charges in the death of Davis, that he arranged for Banks to travel to Vermont to kill Davis and that he conspired with others to arrange for the killing of Davis.

During the 40-minute hearing, Ethridge answered a series of questions from U.S. District Court Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford by saying yes, sir or no, sir. When asked for his plea to the two charges against him, Ethridge answered guilty.

Prosecutors allege that Ethridge served as a middleman between Banks, Berk Eratay, 35, of Las Vegas, and Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles, who were arrested in May on charges of conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of the murder-for-hire that resulted in the death of Davis.

Prosecutors say Davis had been threatening to go to the FBI with information that Gumrukcu, the co-founder of a Los Angeles-based biotechnology company, was defrauding Davis in a multimillion-dollar oil deal that Gumrukcu and his brother had entered into with Davis in 2015.

More news:National report shows no consequences for Williston church after 2018 sex abuse case

Eratay and Gumrukcu are both in custody pending their transfer to Vermont, where they will answer the charges after they arrive. It's unclear when they will arrive in Vermont.

Gumrukcu's Vermont attorney, David Kirby, was in court Friday. He declined to answer questions about the case.

Eratay paid Ethridge more than $110,000, some of which was paid to Banks. After Davis' death, Eratay allegedly provided Ethridge with an additional payment in bitcoin.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Aron Lee Ethridge pleads guilty in 2018 Vermont murder-for-hire case
KYIV (Reuters) - A Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to 10 years in jail on Monday after finding him guilty of violating the laws and customs of war by firing a tank at a multi-storey apartment block, an interior ministry official said.

The court in northeast Chernihiv found Mikhail Kulikov, who was captured while fighting, guilty of hitting the residential building on Feb. 26, two days after Russia invaded Ukraine, said Anton Herashchenko, an aide to Ukraine's interior minister.

Kulikov pleaded guilty at the trial and sought a more lenient punishment because he said he had been following orders, the Ukrainian general prosecutor's office said.

The residential block that was hit in the city of Chernihiv was not a military target or being used for military purposes, it said.

Russia denies its forces deliberately target civilians in what it calls a special military operation.

Ukraine is investigating almost 26,000 suspected war crimes that were committed during the war and has charged 135 people, its chief war crimes prosecutor told Reuters last week.

Of those charged, around 15 are in Ukrainian custody and the remaining 120 remain at large, the prosecutor said.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Nick Macfie)
(Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Monday for international inspectors to be given access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after Ukraine and Russia traded accusations over shelling of Europe's largest atomic complex at the weekend.

"Any attack (on) a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing," Guterres told a news conference in Japan, where he attended the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on Saturday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing.

Despite the shelling, the nuclear reactor complex was operating in "normal mode", Interfax news agency quoted Yevgeniy Balitsky, the Russian-installed head of the local administration, as saying on Monday.

Russian forces captured the plant in Ukraine's southeast in early March, shortly after Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion of its neighbour, but it is still run by Ukrainian technicians.

Ukraine blamed Russia for renewed shelling in the area of the plant on Saturday that had damaged three radiation sensors and injured a worker. It was the second reported hit on the plant in as many days, following damage to a power line.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a televised address on Sunday, accused Russia of waging "nuclear terror" that warranted more international sanctions, this time on Moscow's sprawling nuclear power sector.

The Zaporizhzhia region's Russian-installed authority said Ukrainian forces hit the site with a multiple rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and a storage area.

Russia's embassy in Washington itemised the damage, saying Ukrainian artillery damaged two high-voltage power lines and a water pipeline, but critical infrastructure was unaffected.

Reuters could not verify either side's version of what happened.

Ukraine has said it is planning to conduct a major counter-offensive in the Russian-occupied south, apparently focused on the city of Kherson, west of Zaporizhzhia, and that it has already retaken dozens of villages.

Armed conflict near a Soviet-era nuclear power station has alarmed the world.

Guterres said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needed access to the plant. "We fully support the IAEA in all their efforts in relation to creat(ing) the conditions for stabilisation of the plant," he said.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned on Saturday that the latest attack "underlines the very real risk of a nuclear disaster".

GRAIN EXPORTS PICK UP STEAM

Elsewhere, a deal to unblock Ukraine's food exports and ease global shortages gathered pace as two grain ships sailed out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Monday, raising the total to 12 since the first vessel left a week ago.

Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday are expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening, Turkey's defence ministry said, and would be inspected on Tuesday, while the first vessel to sail since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion docked.

The two latest outgoing ships were carrying almost 59,000 tonnes of corn and soybeans and were bound for Italy and southeastern Turkey following inspections. The four that left on Sunday bore almost 170,000 tonnes of corn and other food.

The July 22 grain export pact brokered by Turkey and the United Nations represents a rare diplomatic triumph as fighting churns on in Ukraine and aims to help ease soaring global food prices arising from the war.

Before Moscow's invasion, Russia and Ukraine together accounted for nearly a third of global wheat exports. The disruption since then has raised the spectre of famine in parts of the world.

Ukraine hopes to export 20 million tonnes of grain in silos and 40 million from its new harvest to help rebuild its shattered economy, the country's economic adviser, Oleh Ustenko, said in July.

GRINDING BATTLE FOR DONBAS

Russia says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to rid it of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities. Ukraine and the West describe Russia's actions as an unprovoked imperial-style war to reassert control over a pro-Western neighbour lost when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991.

The conflict has displaced millions, killed thousands of civilians and left cities, towns and villages in ruins.

It has evolved into a war of attrition concentrated in the east and south of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces are trying to gain full control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region where pro-Moscow separatists seized territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014.

"Ukrainian soldiers are firmly holding the defence, inflicting losses on the enemy and are ready for any changes in the operational situation," Ukraine's general staff said in an operational update on Monday.

Russian forces stepped up attacks north and northwest of Russian-held Donetsk city in the Donbas on Sunday, Ukraine's military said. It said the Russians pounded Ukrainian positions near the heavily fortified settlements of Piski and Avdiivka, as well as shelling other locations in Donetsk province.

Russia is also trying to entrench its position in southern Ukraine, where it has been building up forces in a bid to fend off any counter-offensive near Kherson, Kyiv has said.

Interfax quoted a Russian-appointed official in Kherson as saying on Monday Ukraine had again shelled the Antonivskyi bridge there, damaging construction equipment and delaying its reopening.

The bridge is one of only two crossing points for Russian forces to territory they have occupied on the western bank of the major Dnipro river in the south.

It has been a key Ukrainian target in recent weeks, with Kyiv using high-precision U.S.-supplied rockets to try to destroy it in possible preparation for a counter-attack.

In the northeast, one person was killed and one wounded by a Russian rocket strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, regional governor Oleh Synehubov wrote on Telegram.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Stephen Coates and Mark Heinrich; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Nick Macfie)
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Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels and former President Trump listens at an Aug. 5 rally in Waukesha, Wis. (Morry Gash / Associated Press)

The Republican matchup in the Wisconsin governor's race on Tuesday features candidates alternately endorsed by former President Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence. Democrats are picking a candidate to face two-term GOP Sen. Ron Johnson for control of the closely divided chamber.

Meanwhile, voters in Vermont are choosing a replacement for U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy as the chamber's longest-serving member retires. In Minnesota, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar faces a Democratic primary challenger who helped defeat a voter referendum to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety.

What to watch in Tuesday's primary elections in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut:

Wisconsin

Construction company co-owner Tim Michels has Trumps endorsement in the governor's race and has been spending millions of his own money, touting both the former president's backing and his years working to build his familys business into Wisconsins largest construction company. Michels casts himself as an outsider, although he previously lost a campaign to oust then-U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in 2004 and has long been a prominent GOP donor.

Establishment Republicans including Pence and former Gov. Scott Walker have endorsed former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who, with Walker, survived a 2012 recall effort. She argues she has the experience and knowledge to pursue conservative priorities, including dismantling the bipartisan commission that runs elections.

With Senate control at stake, Democrats will make their pick to take on Johnson. Democratic support coalesced around Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes late in the race, when his three top rivals dropped out and threw their support to him. He would become the states first Black senator if elected.

Several lesser-known candidates remain in the primary, but Johnson and Republicans have treated Barnes as the nominee, casting him as too liberal for Wisconsin, a state Trump won in 2016 but lost in 2020.

Four Democrats are also running in Wisconsins 3rd Congressional District, a seat that opened up with the retirement of veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind. The district has been trending Republican, and Derrick Van Orden  who narrowly lost to Kind in 2020 and has Trumps endorsement  is running unopposed.

Minnesota

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz faces a little-known opponent as he seeks a second term. His likely challenger is Republican Scott Jensen, a physician and former state lawmaker who has made vaccine skepticism a centerpiece of his campaign and faces token opposition.

Both men have been waging a virtual campaign for months, with Jensen attacking Walz for his management of the pandemic and hammering the governor for rising crime around Minneapolis. Walz has highlighted his own support of abortion rights and suggested that Jensen would be a threat to chip away at the procedures legality in Minnesota.

Crime has emerged as the biggest issue in Rep. Omar's Democratic primary. She faces a challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who opposes the movement to defund police and last year helped defeat efforts to replace the city's police department. Omar, who supported the referendum, has a substantial fundraising advantage and is expected to benefit from a strong grassroots operation.

The most confusing part of Tuesdays ballot may be for the 1st Congressional District seat that was held by U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died this year from cancer. Republican former state Rep. Brad Finstad and Democrat Jeff Ettinger, a former Hormel chief executive, are simultaneously competing in primaries to determine the November matchup for the next two-year term representing the southern Minnesota district, as well as a special election to finish the last few months of Hagedorns term.

Connecticut

Its been roughly three decades since Connecticut had a Republican in the U.S. Senate, but the party isn't giving up.

In the GOP primary to take on Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the party has endorsed former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. She's a social moderate who supports abortion rights and certain gun control measures and says she did not vote for Trump in 2020. Klarides contends her experience and positions can persuade voters to oppose Blumenthal, a two-term senator who in May registered a 45% job approval rating, his lowest in a Quinnipiac poll since taking office.

Klarides is being challenged by conservative attorney Peter Lumaj and Republican National Committee member Leora Levy, whom Trump endorsed last week. Both candidates oppose abortion rights and further gun restrictions, and they back Trump's policies.

Vermont

Leahy's upcoming retirement has opened two seats in Vermont's tiny three-person congressional delegation  and the opportunity for the state to send a woman to represent it in Washington for the first time.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, the state's at-large congressman, quickly launched his Senate bid after Leahy revealed he was stepping down. Leahy, who is president pro tempore of the Senate, has been hospitalized a couple of times over the last two years, including after breaking his hip this summer.

Welch has been endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and is the odds-on favorite to win the seat in November. He faces two other Democrats in the primary: Isaac Evans-Frantz, an activist, and Dr. Niki Thran, an emergency physician.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan, retired U.S. Army officer Gerald Malloy and investment banker Myers Mermel are competing for the nomination.

The race to replace Welch has yielded Vermonts first wide-open U.S. House campaign since 2006.

Two women, including Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, are the top Democratic candidates in the race. Gray, elected in 2020 in her first political bid, is a lawyer and a former assistant state attorney general.

The winner of the Democratic primary will be the heavy favorite to win the general election in the liberal state. In 2018, Vermont became the last state without female representation in Congress when Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate.

Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Doug Glass in Minneapolis; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The majority of NHS dental practices in the UK are unable to offer appointments to new adult patients, according to a survey.

The British Dental Association (BDA) and BBC identified 8,533 dental practices across the UK that were believed to hold NHS contracts, and attempts were made to call them all.

Across England, 91% of NHS practices were not accepting new adult patients, 4,933 of 5,416, rising to 97% in the East Midlands, and 98% in the South West, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Of those practices not taking on adults in England, 23% (1,124) said they had an open waiting list, and 16% (791) said the wait time was a year or longer, or were unable to say how long it would be.

Out of 152 local authorities in England, BBC researchers did not successfully reach any practices accepting new adult NHS patients in 56 (37%) local authorities.

In England, 79% of NHS practices were not accepting new child patients  4,293 of 5,416.

The calls made by the BBC found that across Northern Ireland, 90% of NHS practices were not accepting new adult patients.

For Scotland it was 82% and the figure for Wales was 93%.

Shawn Charlwood, chairman of the British Dental Associations general dental practice committee, said: NHS dentistry is at a tipping point, with millions unable to get the care they need and more dentists leaving with every day that passes.

Were seeing the results of years of chronic neglect, set into overdrive by the pressures of the pandemic. The question now is will ministers step up before its too late?

Nothing weve heard from government to date gives us any confidence this service has a future.

Without real reform and fair funding NHS dentistry will die, and our patients will pay the price.

The BDA previously said that since March 2020, some 3,000 dentists are understood to have moved away from NHS work entirely.

A BDA poll of 2,200 high street dentists in England found that 45% have reduced their NHS commitment since the start of the pandemic.

The figures, shared with the PA news agency, also found that 75% are likely to reduce, or further reduce, their NHS commitment in the next 12 months.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: Improving patient access to NHS dental care is a government priority and the new reforms to the dental contract announced last month are an important step, allowing the best performing practices to see more patients, making better use of the range of professionals working in the sector such as dental therapists, hygienists and nurses, while also rewarding dentists more fairly for providing more complex care.

The NHS commits around 3 billion to dentistry each year and have made an extra 50 million to help bust the Covid backlogs, building on the unprecedented 1.7 billion support we provided during the pandemic, to protect teams and patients by paying dental practices for the work they would normally have carried out if it were not for Covid regulations.
Three days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Melissa Janssens water broke.

But Janssen, 35, was just 18 weeks pregnant, too early for the baby to have a good chance of survival.

I was in absolute shock and just kind of numb, she said.

Doctors told Janssen she had two options. First, she could wait and see, although the baby most likely would die and shed be at increasing risk for sepsis, a dangerous infection.

Melissa Janssen with her husband, Mijail Constante. Janssen's water broke when she was just 18 weeks pregnant, most likely too early for the baby to survive. (Courtesy Melissa Janssen)

Her other option was to terminate the pregnancy. But Janssen lives in Wisconsin, which immediately banned nearly all abortions once Roe was overturned in late June.

It was just mind-blowing, she said. I just couldnt believe this was happening and this was me.

Janssen wanted to terminate; she was already showing symptoms of an infection, including a low-grade fever and tenderness in her belly, and the babys heart rate was becoming elevated. But the change in the law meant her OB-GYN, Dr. Jordan Crow, faced a dilemma. In Wisconsin, the only exception allowing for an abortion is when the mothers life is in danger. Without symptoms of a full-blown infection, legally it was a tough call to make.

To be a doctor in that position, then to be in this situation where youre uncertain, you think, will the hospital let me do this? Will the DA go after me and I end up fined or in jail? Crow said. Its this feeling of helplessness and utter confusion for everyone involved.

Janssens case is a living example of the struggle doctors across the country now face.

Melissa Janssen holds a paper card with her child's hand and foot prints. (Courtesy Melissa Janssen)

Ten states have near-total abortion bans. Four other states prohibit the procedure after six weeks. While all of them have exceptions for the life of the mother, doctors say that what constitutes imminent death has remained vague under the laws, which could put pregnant patients in grave danger.

The situation has been playing out in Texas for nearly a year since Senate Bill 8 was enacted in September, banning abortions as soon as cardiac activity is detected, which is typically around six weeks.

A July study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that the bill has had dire consequences for some pregnant women who faced serious complications, like Janssen.

Prior to SB8, most providers would offer the patient an opportunity to induce labor or have a procedure in order to prevent those complications from happening, said Dr. Anitra Beasley, an OB-GYN and associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, who wasnt involved with the research. And now were waiting till the complications are happening. It can be really dangerous. Thats the reason why its not something we want to do.

The study, from researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, looked at 28 women whose water broke before 23 weeks into their pregnancies, too early for the fetuses to be viable. The women were made to wait nine days on average before doctors would intervene and terminate the pregnancies. Nearly 60 percent of the women experienced serious complications, including infection and hemorrhaging  nearly double the proportion of those in states without bans.

As time goes on, those risks increase, Beasley said. So the worse the infection is when youre developing sepsis, that can be life-threatening. When youre having really heavy bleeding, that can be life-threatening, and thats our concern.

UT Southwestern declined to grant any interviews about the study. It said in a statement that the findings speak for themselves.

Beasley is a co-author of a perspective paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine that described SB8 as having a chilling effect on patient care.

Beasley and co-authors interviewed 25 clinicians and 20 patients across Texas.

We found that the definition of emergency care is a little bit vague, she said. And so the interpretation of whats going on means that patients, pregnant patients, arent able to get the evidence-based care that they need, want and deserve until they are often really sick  so until their emergency has turned into something thats often life-threatening.

Houston residents Elizabeth and James Weller experienced that firsthand in May.

Elizabeth Weller was pregnant with their first child when her water broke at 18 weeks.

Her doctor wasnt hopeful.

She told me that you must understand that the likelihood of her being able to reach the week of viability is very low, Weller said. And if she does reach the week of viability and were able to deliver her, the fact of the matter is that your baby is going to be born with horrible physical disabilities that will completely deplete her quality of life.

With Weller at risk of sepsis and scared that their baby would suffer, she and her husband agreed that terminating the pregnancy was the best option.

I just couldnt imagine having to put my baby through that type of suffering, Elizabeth Weller said. And for the rest of that night, we just held each other and we cried over my belly, knowing that we were having to come to terms with the fact that we were choosing to terminate a pregnancy.

But the next day, their doctor told them the hospital wouldnt allow it. Weller wasnt showing symptoms of infection and therefore wasnt immediately at risk of dying.

She and the nurses essentially told me youre being sent home to develop the signs of an infection, Weller said. Because due to the laws and due to the conversations that are being had right now, because this is during the time of the Roe v. Wade leak, were in a position to where the administration will not give us the clearance for this.

So she went home and waited to get sicker.

Four days later, she experienced a foul-smelling yellow discharge, a symptom of infection. Just as she got to the emergency room, she learned that the hospitals ethics committee had finally given approval to terminate the pregnancy.

I still had to go through this ordeal, even with the outline that there was an exception for when my life was in danger, she said, referring to SB8. But the thing is, where is that threshold of danger? Where does that come up? Is knowing that Im going to get to that point enough for them to act, or is me having really to come in with a uterus in danger? Is that the line that we have to draw?

Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, the author of SB8, said he finds stories like the Wellers concerning.

A doctor should follow the standard of care, and the standard of care and Texas law says if the mothers life is in jeopardy, or serious risk to a major bodily function, which clearly would be the case you just described, he said. The doctors should do their duty to treat their patient. Nothing in Senate Bill 8, nothing in Texas law, prevents the doctor from giving that treatment.

He said he has reached out to the Texas Medical Association and other medical groups to clear up confusion about the law and is considering making the statute more specific. When the Legislature comes back into session, well be looking at that, he said.

Since the Roe v. Wade decision, doctors look at whats happening in Texas as a preview of what could come in states with bans, like Wisconsin.

I dont think its just a warning, said Crow, Melissa Janssens doctor. Its a clear indication of what is coming.

In Janssens case, Crow knew that terminating the pregnancy was the best treatment both medically and ethically, and he wasnt going to give up easily.

Crow consulted with two other physicians, who agreed that terminating the pregnancy was the best course. The hospital eventually approved, too. But it still took hours of waiting before Crow could act.

Ill be damned if some law is going to stop me, he said he remembers telling Janssen. I dont know what the consequences will be, but if it means someday this goes all the way to the Supreme Court in Wisconsin, then so be it.

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The cargo ship Polarnet arrives to Derince port in the Gulf of Izmit, Turkey, Monday Aug. 8, 2022. The first of the ships to leave Ukraine under a deal to unblock grain supplies amid the threat of a global food crisis arrived at its destination in Turkey on Monday. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

ISTANBUL (AP)  The first of the ships to leave Ukraine under a deal to unblock grain supplies amid the threat of a global food crisis arrived at its destination in Turkey on Monday.

The Turkey-flagged Polarnet docked at Derince port in the Gulf of Izmit after setting off from Chornomorsk on Aug. 5 laden with 12,000 tons of corn.

This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine wont abandon you," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. "If Russia sticks to its obligations, the 'grain corridor' will keep maintaining global food security.

A total of 10 ships have now been authorized to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations  eight outbound and two headed for Ukraine.

The first ship to depart Ukraine, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which left on Aug. 1, still hasn't reached its destination in Lebanon and was anchored off Turkeys southern coast on Sunday evening, according to the Marine Traffic website.

Meanwhile, two more ships, carrying corn and soybeans, departed Ukraines Black Sea ports on Monday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

The Sacura left Yuzhny carrying 11,000 tonnes of soybeans to Italy and the Arizona left Chornomorsk with 48,458 tonnes of corn bound for Iskenderun in southern Turkey.

Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday are expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening, the Defense Ministry said. They are due to be inspected on Tuesday.

Under the arrangement, ships leaving Ukraine are checked by officials from the three countries and the U.N. to make sure they carry only grain, fertilizer or food and not any other commodities. Inbound vessels are checked to ensure they are not carrying weapons.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Hot. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Hot. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. China's military announced fresh military drills on Monday in the seas and airspace around Taiwan - a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises to protest against last week's visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Reuters reports.

China's Eastern Theatre Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani authorities are again spreading disinformation falsely accusing the Armenian military in opening gunfire.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry continues spreading disinformation falsely accusing the Armenian Armed Forces in shelling Azerbaijani positions in several directions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the last few days. The situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said in a statement.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Defense of Russia has confirmed that the Azerbaijani military breached the ceasefire in the Sotk section of Gegharkunik Province, which led to an Armenian serviceman being wounded.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that in the past 24 hours they recorded one incident of ceasefire violation committed by the Azerbaijani military in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers in Gegharkunik provinces Sotk section, which led to one serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces being wounded.

It said that the peacekeeping command, working with the Azeri and Armenian sides, resolved the incident and that violations of the line of contact of the sides were not allowed.

The ceasefire breach was reported by the Armenian military on August 7.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Shipping in the Taiwan Strait showed signs of returning to normal on Monday, though Chinas announcement of a new military exercise near the island may spark renewed caution among vessel owners, Bloomberg reports.

More than 40 vessels have transited through Chinas drill zone south of Taiwans main port since Saturday, according to Bloomberg.

Shipping in the Taiwan Strait, a key route for supply chains and commodities, has faced uncertainty and delays since Beijing began military drills i in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ambassador to Ukraine Vladimir Karapetyan spoke about the Armenian prisoners of war who are still being held captive in Azerbaijan during an interview with the Public TV and Radio of Ukraine.

Ambassador Karapetyan said that Azerbaijan confirms that it is holding 38 Armenian servicemen in captivity, whereas Armenia finds that another 26 servicemen must be in the number of the captives.

He emphasized that there was an agreement on the highest level that the exchange of prisoners must take place "all for all". The Armenian side handed over all prisoners, even convicted criminals who were serving prison sentences for unrelated crimes, including murder.

The Armenian side has documents and video evidence, as well as the testimonies of former PoWs whove already returned to Armenia proving that Azerbaijan is holding another 26 servicemen captive in addition to the 38.

Karapetyan added that Azerbaijan released some of the Armenian servicemen in exchange for the minefield maps.

As a sign of goodwill gesture the Armenian leadership handed over the minefield maps which were in our possession back from the 1990s, from the years of the first Nagorno Karabakh war, the Ambassador said.

Ambassador Karapetyan said that the transferred minefield maps have significantly decreased the landmine-related fatal incidents.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan has publicly and numerously complained about the accuracy of these maps, after we gave it to them the number of explosions decreased significantly, and only one or two fatal incidents happened. Our maps are very accurate, but the time that passed must be taken into account.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. On November 11-13, 2022, the first Convention of The Future Armenian will be held in Yerevan based on the citizens assembly model of participatory democracy, The Future Armenian announced in a press release.

200 participants selected from the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora will discuss three of the 15 goals of The FUTURE ARMENIAN Initiative: "Armenia-Diaspora Unity", "Historic Responsibility" and "Growing Population", to highlight existing problems, challenges and adopt package of proposals to overcome those challenges.

Realizing our collective responsibility in building a stable and safe future for the Armenian nation and predetermining the path of our development, each of us can become a part of this important process.

Applications for participation in the Convention can be submitted through the official website of The FUTURE ARMENIAN: https://futurearmenian.com/convention/.

Applications can also be submitted by contacting the organizers at +374 (60) 700 800 (ext. 333), or via email: [email protected]
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Peoples Republic of China is calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid escalating the situation in the region, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing, RIA Novosti reported.

We hope that both sides will adhere to the ceasefire agreements, and will avoid further escalation of the situation, Wenbin said.

The spokesperson added that Armenia and Azerbaijan are friendly countries for China.

He expressed hope that Yerevan and Baku will find opportunities to resolve disputes within the framework of political dialogue.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. 2 of 19 soldiers wounded as a result of the provocation of Azerbaijani units in the border area of Artsakh Republic have discharged from the hospital, spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia Aram Torosyan said.

The other servicemen continue to receive treatment. 10 wounded servicemen receive treatment in Yerevan, including the serviceman who is in critical condition. a positive tendency is observed in the health condition of the latter. Of the other 9 servicemen, the condition of 1 is assessed as serious, the latter is recovering.

The tension in Nagorno-Karabakh started on August 1, when, according to the Artsakh Defense Army, Azerbaijani units resorted to provocation in a number of parts of the northern and northwestern border zone of the Artsakh Republic starting at 09:00 in the morning, trying to cross the contact line. As a result of the Azerbaijani provocation, the serviceman Albert Bakhshiyan was injured. Aggressive actions of the Azerbaijani side continued in the following days. On August 3, around 3:00 p.m., Azerbaijani units launched a new attack in the northwestern direction of the contact line, using attack drones, as a result of which two servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army were killed, and 19 more servicemen were wounded in various degrees.
And my actionssin thisslifetime do not speak well of me, and certainly do not qualify me assa teacher.

Children who are told, There, there, dont cry, have a hard time crying assadults. After all, theyve been told all their life not to do that. So they repressstheir grief.

helped me. You have made the affair far more difficult. What sort of burglars are they who steal silver and then throw it into the nearest pond?

Nurse to Juliet.

helped me. You have made the affair far more difficult. What sort of burglars are they who steal silver and then throw it into the nearest pond?

And my actionssin thisslifetime do not speak well of me, and certainly do not qualify me assa teacher.

Pride is the distorter of souls; cheerfulness the helper; love the beautifier; sorrow the redeemer.

the time to look out. After a pretty woman has had her first child, she,

No, I am a soul, and you know no more about souls than I do

Here Fatty Bolger halted Good bye, Frodo

the time to look out. After a pretty woman has had her first child, she,

On the fine summer evenings, at the time when the close streets are empty, when the servants are playing shuttle-cock at the doors, he opened his window and leaned out. The river, that makes of this quarter of Rouen a wretched little Venice, flowed beneath him, between the bridges and the railings, yellow, violet, or blue. Working men, kneeling on the banks, washed their bare arms in the water. On poles projecting from the attics, skeins of cotton were drying in the air. Opposite, beyond the roots spread the pure heaven with the red sun setting. How pleasant it must be at home And he expanded his nostrils to breathe in the sweet odours of the country which did not reach him.

Thank you, he said, for bringing those singing voices and the music, a banquet, young and lovely women with fair faces and dark tresses, all the pleasure of life Bid them wait for mefor I am about to begin life anew.

the time to look out. After a pretty woman has had her first child, she,

helped me. You have made the affair far more difficult. What sort of burglars are they who steal silver and then throw it into the nearest pond?

There issno delaytogether they repair to the waterssof Cephissus, though not yet clear, yet now cutting their wonted channel. Then when they had sprinkled the watersspoured on their clothessand their heads, they turn their stepssto the temple of the sacred goddess, the roof of which wassdefiled with foul moss, and whose altarsswere standing without fires.[67]

dice-box into the company of a mere smugglershut up with a poor little contraband trader, whose papers are wrong, and whom the police lay hold of besides, for placing his boat as a means of getting beyond the frontier at the disposition of other little people whose papers are wrongand he instinctively recognises my position, even by this light and in this place. It

And my actionssin thisslifetime do not speak well of me, and certainly do not qualify me assa teacher.

dice-box into the company of a mere smugglershut up with a poor little contraband trader, whose papers are wrong, and whom the police lay hold of besides, for placing his boat as a means of getting beyond the frontier at the disposition of other little people whose papers are wrongand he instinctively recognises my position, even by this light and in this place. It

The Nightside of Character

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill-country with haste, into a city of Judah

Here Fatty Bolger halted Good bye, Frodo

Pride is the distorter of souls; cheerfulness the helper; love the beautifier; sorrow the redeemer.

Well, then, is it Bellamy and that big son of his? They were not too sweet upon Mr. McPherson. Could they have done him a mischief?

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill-country with haste, into a city of Judah

dice-box into the company of a mere smugglershut up with a poor little contraband trader, whose papers are wrong, and whom the police lay hold of besides, for placing his boat as a means of getting beyond the frontier at the disposition of other little people whose papers are wrongand he instinctively recognises my position, even by this light and in this place. It

ve trusted him, since then, with everything I have,money, house, horses,and let him come and go round the countryand I always found him true and square in everything.

No, I am a soul, and you know no more about souls than I do

Say at once say this very moment: To your health, your Majesty for if you dont say it youll lose your life, whispered he
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The solid relationship with China has provided great benefits to Cambodia's socio-economic development and poverty reduction, a Cambodian academic said on Monday.

Senior economist Ky Sereyvath, director-general of the Institute of China Studies at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said China is the largest donor, investor and trading partner of Cambodia, and that the ties between the two countries are currently "as solid as the Great Wall of China."

"Chinese aid and investment have played a very important role in supporting Cambodia's socio-economic development and poverty reduction through creating hundreds of thousands of jobs," he told Xinhua.

Sereyvath said under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has helped build many mega-projects such as roads, bridges, ports, airports, hydropower plants, economic zones, and a national stadium in the Southeast Asian nation.

The expert noted three remarkable Chinese invested projects in Cambodia, namely the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, the first ever Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville expressway, and the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport. "These projects have provided and will continue to provide great benefits to Cambodia."

Moreover, he said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade pact and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, both of which entered into force in January, have been giving a big boost to Cambodia's economic growth.

"The two free trade agreements have provided larger market access for made-in-Cambodia products, and there is no doubt that Cambodia's exports to China and other RCEP countries will be bigger and bigger in the future," he said.

Sereyvath also highlighted the growing China-Cambodia relations, saying that the ties have withstood the test of regional and international vicissitudes and grown even stronger since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1958.

He said the two countries upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in December 2010 and bilateral ties are currently at an all-time high.

"The iron-clad friendship between Cambodia and China is made based on mutual trust, respect, help and support," he said. "The ties between the two countries should serve as a role model of country-to-country relations."

Sharing his view on the future of China-Cambodia relations, Sereyvath said bilateral ties would continue to deepen.

"Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have not only protected millions of Cambodian people's lives and stabilized the health system, but also helped boost Cambodia's economic recovery," he said.

Buoyed by its high vaccination rate, Cambodia has resumed all socio-economic activities with confidence and reopened its borders to travelers without quarantine since last November.

"The Sino-Cambodian ties are currently very stable and unbreakable, and I think that the relations will be closer and stronger in the future, especially in politics, economics, trade, investment, tourism, culture and agriculture," he said. 
much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly,

Judith's eyes were wide and dismayed.

much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly,

found around the neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a hard knot,

found around the neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a hard knot,

Recent worksson the psychology of character have had much to say upon thisspoint.[88] Somepersonssare born with an inner constitution which issharmonioussand well balanced from the outset.

We will go in the cool of the evening, chela, said the lama. That doctor, learned in physic and courtesy, affirms that the people among these lower hills are devout, generous, and much in need of a teacher. In a very short time so says the hakim we come to cool air and the smell of pines.

Judith's eyes were wide and dismayed.

He poured them out two full bowls from a stone jar but from a different jar The taste was not the same as it had been the night before: it was earthier and richer, more sustaining and food like, so to speak While the hobbits drank, sitting on the edge of the bed, and nibbling small pieces of elf cake more because they felt that eating was a necessary part of breakfast than because they felt hungry, Treebeard stood, humming in Entish or Elvish or some strange tongue, and looking up at the sky

want to say a word against my own sister, but she was always meddlesome and hard to please, was Sarah.

A shiver chased up and down Billys spine. He knew the Sheriff by sight only; and he was so inseparable from the handcuffs the boy had seen protruding from a pocket, that Billy felt it would almost fasten suspicion on a fellow just to be seen speaking to the officer.

It is not a good fancy, said the lama. What profit to kill men?

That is for us to find out, said Sherlock Holmes with peculiar gravity. What is your London address, Mr. Green?

In the village of W, in western Missouri, lived Mrs. Loring and her son Guy, a little boy about ten years old. They were very poor, for though Mr. Loring, during his life time was considered rich, and his wife and child had always lived comfortably, after his death, which occurred when Guy was about eight years old, they found that there were so many people to whom Mr. Loring owed money, that when the debts were paid there was but little left for the widow and her only child. That would not have been so bad had they had friends able or willing to assist them, but Mrs. Loring found that most of her friends had gone with her wealth, which, I am sorry to say, is apt to be the case the world over.

He poured them out two full bowls from a stone jar but from a different jar The taste was not the same as it had been the night before: it was earthier and richer, more sustaining and food like, so to speak While the hobbits drank, sitting on the edge of the bed, and nibbling small pieces of elf cake more because they felt that eating was a necessary part of breakfast than because they felt hungry, Treebeard stood, humming in Entish or Elvish or some strange tongue, and looking up at the sky

Monsieur de Watteville spent his existence in a handsome workshop with a lathehe was a turner He perceived from the first days of his married life that he would never be his wife,

Not, said Pooh anxiously, not like a small black cloud in a blue sky?

No, I cannot say that. But I have heard words which were nearly as badwords of cold, cutting contempt, even before the servants.

It is not a good fancy, said the lama. What profit to kill men?

Not, said Pooh anxiously, not like a small black cloud in a blue sky?

Then I said, 'Now, I must give it up, for the Lord isstelling me of it inside, and the woman outside,so the tobacco must go, love it assI may.' There and then I took the tobacco out of my pocket, andthrew it into the fire, and put the pipe under my foot, 'ashessto ashes, dust to dust.' And I have notsmoked since. I found it hard to break off old habits, but I cried to the Lord for help, and he gaveme strength, for he hasssaid, 'Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee.' The dayafter I gave up smoking I had the toothache so bad that I did not know what to do. I thought thiswassowing to giving up the pipe, but I said I would never smoke again, if I lost every tooth in myhead. I said, 'Lord, thou hast told ussMy yoke isseasy and my burden isslight,' and when I said that,all the pain left me. Sometimessthe thought of the pipe would come back to me very strongbut theLord strengthened me against the habit, and, blessshissname, I have not smoked since.Bray'ssbiographer writessthat after he had given up smoking, he thought that he would chew alittle, but he conquered thissdirty habit, too. On one occasion, Bray said, when at a prayer-meeting at HickssMill, I heard the Lord say to me, 'Worship me with clean lips.' So, when we gotup from our knees, I took the quid out of my mouth and 'whipped 'en' [threw it] under the form.

Not, said Pooh anxiously, not like a small black cloud in a blue sky?

want to say a word against my own sister, but she was always meddlesome and hard to please, was Sarah.

Recent worksson the psychology of character have had much to say upon thisspoint.[88] Somepersonssare born with an inner constitution which issharmonioussand well balanced from the outset.

He poured them out two full bowls from a stone jar but from a different jar The taste was not the same as it had been the night before: it was earthier and richer, more sustaining and food like, so to speak While the hobbits drank, sitting on the edge of the bed, and nibbling small pieces of elf cake more because they felt that eating was a necessary part of breakfast than because they felt hungry, Treebeard stood, humming in Entish or Elvish or some strange tongue, and looking up at the sky

Du Tillet, to use a Bourse term, _executed_ Nathan, who, for lack of money, gave up his place on the newspaperand the celebrated man received but five votes in the electoral college where the banker was elected.

It is not a good fancy, said the lama. What profit to kill men?

want to say a word against my own sister, but she was always meddlesome and hard to please, was Sarah.

It is not a good fancy, said the lama. What profit to kill men?
China's drills around Taiwan in response to Nancy Pelosi's visit are continuing. In four days, 110 aircraft and 41 Navy ships maneuvered near the island. About 11 ballistic missiles were fired. Taiwan reacts with artillery exercises. Most Taiwanese expected a strong response from the mainland.

Taipei (AsiaNews)  China announced fresh military exercises near Taiwan. Last Thursday, it began a four-day drill in six areas around the island in response to the visit by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to the island.

China has not said how long the new manoeuvres will last or where they will take place; however, the Taiwanese government relaxed recent restrictions on air and maritime traffic near the areas chosen by Beijing for its drill.

Taiwans Defence Ministry reported that in four days, 110 Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwans defensive air zone and beyond the midline in the Taiwan Strait, which informally divides the waterway between the two sides.

Some 41 Chinese Navy ship also crossed the median line firing 11 ballistic missiles into designated areas.

Nevertheless, the Taiwanese government pointed out that Chinese aircraft and ships never violated its airspace and territorial waters.

With these exercises, the Chinese effectively closed off the Strait for days, as well as simulated a military blockade of the island.

According to Taiwan, mainland China also carried out an invasion scenario. Taiwanese authorities reacted by announcing three days of artillery drills starting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the mood on the island itself remains largely calm. Most Taiwanese expected a strong response from Communist China to Pelosi's visit,

Of course, people compare it with the 1995-96 crisis and might conclude that we are facing a more challenging environment, said Marc Cheng, executive director of the European Union Centre in Taipei, speaking to AsiaNews.

However, the situation on the island will depend on the duration and scope of Chinas exercises. For now, people still have confidence that any further military operations benefits no one, Cheng added.

Fausto Chou, journalist and editor-in-chief of Eat News, agrees. In his view, the island is safe for now. In fact, All embassies and offices in Taiwan have not issued special warnings to their citizens in Taiwan that they need to evacuate, which means that the chance of a Communist China invasion of Taiwan is relatively low.
Mediated by Egypt, the truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad has been holding since 11.30 pm Sunday. As he waits to be let back in Gaza, Fr Romanelli, remains in contact with his deputy and local nuns. The current situation, which feeds a desire to flee, undermines all the work done to "heal traumas". For him, there is a lack of "political will" to reach true peace.

Gaza (AsiaNews)  Israel's military operation in Gaza in response to rockets launched by Islamic Jihad (IJ) group against Israel last weekend "was a blow to the population, which was "taken by surprise, said Gazas pastor Fr Gabriel Romanelli, ,who is still waiting for Israeli permission to return to the Strip.

"They have let through journalists, UN diplomats, but not yours truly who lives there, in Gaza," said the Argentine-born priest of the Incarnate Word. Hopefully, he will be able to get back as soon as possible thanks to the embassy and the Latin Patriarchate.

Meanwhile, the truce agreed upon seems to be holding, said the clergyman, who heads Gazas Holy Family parish, and remains in constant contact with his deputy and the local Sisters.

People are used to violence, clashes, but over the past year, since the May 2021 fighting, the situation has been relatively calm  a strange time, without bombing even at night, an almost unreal silence.

What is more, more than 10,000 permits to work in the West Bank were granted to Gaza residents, and the travel permits granted to Christians for Easter were extended until the end of June.

All this nurtured a cautious optimism and a climate of "serenity that vanished in the past few days of bombing.

The ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad came into effect yesterday, at 11.30 pm local time, after three days of Israeli strikes in the Strip and rockets launched by the extremist group across the border into Israel.

Sources with Hamas, which rules the Strip and has not been involved in the latest round of violence, report that operation "Breaking dawn" killed at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children, three women and an elderly person, wounding 360.

Material damage has been reported in Israel but no dead or wounded thanks to Israels Iron Dome defence system, which intercepted most of about a thousand rockets and mortar shells fired from the Strip.

The agreement to reopen the borders, mediated by Egypt, provides for the release of Bassam al-Saadi, IJ commander in the West Bank. His arrest, which took place in Jenin in early August, is one of the factors that triggered the violence.

Israeli air strikes came in response to repeated IJ rocket attacks from the Strip. In total, the Israeli defence Forces (IDF) hit at least 140 targets, including an attack tunnel used by the IJ, and killed two of its senior officers.

Israeli ministers received intelligence about possible attacks that could endanger the population, noted Fr Romanelli. This led to the decision to pre-empt.

However, all this is speculation, rumours with no official confirmation. Hamas itself stood on the sidelines, choosing not to get involved in the escalation.

It has been a hard blow for us [Catholics and clergymen]  who work to heal traumas and guarantee a future for young people  because it undermines the work done so far.

Such incidents feed the desire to flee and fuel a sense of resignation and deep discouragement, especially among Christians.

Over the weekend, the parish put on hold all activities, including the summer camp and the meetings to prepare the new school year. Only Masses and worship of the Blessed Sacrament were maintained.

"As soon as they grant me permission to return, we will resume work, trying to get back to live in a reality that I would define as hyper-surrealist.

Some months were strange, no bombs, so people went back to the beach and the sea. Now the first consequences are already being felt, with electricity cut from eight hours a day to four.

"For Gaza it is not true that there are no solutions. There is a lack of political will to find answers, but as John Paul II put it, peace in the world depends on Jerusalem and the Holy Land. While many are interested in hindering it, it takes good will and commitment to achieve it.
San Angelo, TX (76909)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Train crew Fionah communicates with passengers on a Mombasa-Nairobi Railway passenger train, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Station attendant Peter Mwadime works at Mombasa Terminus Station in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Mark works in the kitchen of a Mombasa-Nairobi Railway passenger train, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Signal workers Daniel Kibe (L) and Patrick Mburu check signal equipments at Mombas Terminus Station in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Mercy Gesare cleans the aisle on a Mombasa-Nairobi Railway passenger train, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Kenyan drivers John Pius (L) and Brian Kemboi confirm safety with platform staff at Ngong station in Kajiado, Kenya, March 25, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Long Lei)

Passenger train inspector Cheruiyot Kiptoo Steve checks equipments on a Mombasa-Nairobi Railway passenger train, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Train conductor Joseph Mwangi waits for confirmation of departure information at Mtito Andei Station on the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, Kenya, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Mombasa Terminus station master Cosmas Makewa (R) and passenger transportation director Peterson Njeru Gitonga work in an office in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

On-board inspector Faustine Tanui checks equipments on a Mombasa-Nairobi Railway passenger train, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Ticketing clerk Agnes sells tickets at Mombasa Terminus Station in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Announcer David Mwangi Ndungu works at Mombasa Terminus Station in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Passenger attendant Monicah Chepkemboi guides a passenger to take the elevator at Mombasa Terminus Station in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Mombasa Terminus station master Cosmas Makewa (R) talks to security inspectors at the station in Mombasa, Kenya, July 27, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)
Share This: 1Collision proudly announced the addition of Car Centers four locations in Michigan.

Established 30 years ago, Car Center operates collision repair facilities in Big Rapids, Burton Heights, Cedar Springs and Greenville. The company prides itself on offering quality auto body repair and exceptional customer service.



We are delighted to be bringing on a quality MSO like Car Center," said John Hollingsworth, 1Collision's director of new location development. "Their owner, Nick, strives to always better their operation while taking care of their No. 1 priority, the customer. We look forward to providing them value and helping them reach their goals.



Nick Edwards, owner of Car Center, said the MSO joined 1Collision for the support and rebates offered.



The support 1Collision offers was very attractive to us, said the second-generation body shop owner. The deal closer was probably the rebates that 1Collision was able to negotiate and knowing we could get those resources at a pretty affordable price.



Bill Edwards, Nicks father, opened Greenville Car Center in 1997. Four years later, he changed the businesss name to Car Center and added a full-service mechanical shop. Over the years, Car Center expanded to include four locations.



Nick grew up working in the shop, washing cars and sweeping floors. After graduating with a business degree from Ferris State University in Michigan, Nick became involved in...
The GT, for example, was available with lots of goodies that set it apart from the rest of the crowd, starting with the typical GT tags and the exterior trim and ending with the bench seat that was offered as standard.The car could also be ordered with other exclusive upgrades, including a GT handling suspension package with heavy-duty springs and shocks. In terms of engines, the Torino GT was fitted as standard with a 302 (4.9-liter) small-block, with numerous other options, including the almighty 427 (7.0-liter) 4-barrel.The Torino GT rapidly became a symbol thanks to its sporty look, so a 1968 convertible was chosen as the 1968 Indianapolis 500 pace car.With all of these being said, its easy to understand why this Ford Torino GT that was posted on eBay by seller lds1234 is such a popular listing.Having received more than 20 bids since the Torino GT made its way to the web, the car is now fighting for a second chance under new ownership. Of course, its pretty clear it needs a full restoration, especially as it shows occasional signs of rust and other metal problems.Most of the parts, however, are rather solid, including the frame rails, but of course, a full inspection is totally recommended for any potential buyer.The engine under the hood is the standard 302, and surprisingly, it still runs and drives today. However, the seller clearly states that the Torino GT cant be considered road-worthy just yet.The bidding for this Torino GT is projected to come to an end in less than 24 hours, but unfortunately, the reserve is yet to be unlocked. The WWW thus needs to do better than $4,150 to give this legendary model another chance.
A journey that little over a decade later, the U.S. most likely wished it never had a thing to do with. This is the story of a rigid airship's first circumnavigation of the Earth. It is the story of LZ 127, the Graf Zeppelin, a ship that derived its name from an old German noble title. The king of the famed Zeppelin familyFerdinand von Zeppelin was a German inventor who, in many ways, helped give rise to a wealth of eccentric, brilliant, and sometimes twisted inventors in the later years the country would be defined by in the 20th century. An experienced military man with 36 years of service under his belt, he'd only devote his life to his passion for lighter than air vehicle travel in later life.Legend has it that von Zepplin devised the idea for his future Luftschiffbau Zeppelin company during a trip to the U.S. as an observer with the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War. Doing so in a chance meeting with the American inventor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, who envisioned manned balloons as the future of military surveillance. Over three decades, years later, with the help of fellow German engineer Theodor Kober, von Zepplin's first experimental rigid airship, the LZ 1, took to the skies. Spawning a lineage that gave but both the Hindenburg and the LZ 127 Graf Zepplin.First taken to the skies on September 18th, 1928, LZ 127 was one of the final hydrogen airships ever constructed in Germany. The eternally tragic Hindenberg disaster and the coming World War all but assured this fate. But for a brief period between the late 20s and mid to late 1930s, all eyes in aviation deviated ever so slightly away from airplanes and marveled at lighter-than-air titans of the sky.There likely wasn't much to do most of the time for residents near the Lakehurst Maxfield Field in Ocean County, New Jersey, in between New York City and Philadelphia in the summer of 1929. That would explain why a proverbial sea of what must have been tens of thousands gathered to watch the 236.6-meter (776 ft 3 in) long, 30.5-meter (100 ft 1 in) wide, and 33.5-meter (109 ft 11 in) tall leviathan of a machine take off that bright August afternoon.In fairness, such a show would probably still draw a crowd today, just with more people holding cell phones and streaming to their Instagram followers instead of people in funny hats and overcoats. The American newspaper mogul, business, and fervent anti-cannabis lobbyist William Randolph Hearst paid for the journey in part. Hearst was notorious in the early 1900s for funding grand journeys of aviation that stretched the limits of aeronautical technology of the day.From New Jersey, Graf Zepplin LZ 127 traveled due east. Its five Maybach V-12 engines propelled it at a steady speed of 60 miles per hour (97 kph). The 560 horsepower engines were so efficient and powerful that even the Americans bought eight of them each for both of their U.S. Navy airships, the USS Acron and USS Macon.

With stops back in Germany, the Soviet Union, and Japan, the ship returned to U.S. soil via San Francisco. LZ 127 landed back at Lakehurst on August 29th, completing the trip in 21 days, five hours, and 31 minutes. The ship was used as a propaganda tool by the rising power in Germany, the Nazi party, in the later years of its life.That was before the aforementioned Hindenburg disaster left the ship as less than an effective propaganda tool. It was scrapped in an effort to garner more materials for military aircraft production in March 1940. Never again would airships of any kind command the same respect in the sky as at this one point in the late 1920s.
The 32,000 nautical miles (51,499 km) journey, dubbed 'Ant Arctic Lab,' will take place aboard Koch's Innovation Yachts Open 60AAL, testing the direction and sustainability of the vessel's fully recyclable yacht building concept. He is the founder of the company that leads the industry in building boats from Volcanic fibers.The voyage is expected to take six months and will be the ultimate test of the former Vienna Tram operator-turned sailor's seamanship capabilities. This will not be a maiden voyage for the experienced sailor. He was the first German -speaking skipper to compete in the Vende Globe, arguably the most difficult sailing race in the world, and did so on two occasions. Koch also completed his first circumnavigation of the world, spanning two years and 26,000 miles (41,843 km) from 1996-1998.The IY Open 60AAL was built using fully recyclable and sustainable materials, testing the limits of responsible boat-building solutions. She is fully electric with two electric motors that also provide hydroelectricity while under sail. Solar panels provide additional energy and allow the vessel to be totally self-sufficient. She is 60 feet (18.28 meters) long with a beam of 19.1 feet (5.82 meters). The hull is constructed of volcanic fiber with a balsa core and a 20,943 pound (950 kg) displacement.In an excerpt from the Innovation Yachts website, the company says, The nautical shipbuilding industry has a major role to play in encouraging respect for the environment and in producing clean products and technologies. We believe shipyards-such as Innovative Yachts, that embrace green technology and reduced floating footprint (through recycled materials, reduced carbon emissions, and sustainability) show responsibility for our environment to future end customers.Embarking from Les Sables d'Olonne, France, the journey will take Koch and the vessel carrying 2,400 pounds (1,088 kg) of supplies through the North Atlantic Ocean and into the Barents Sea, rounding the Svalbard Archipelago before skirting the eastern coast of Green southbound. Slicing between Greenland and the western coast of Iceland, the route continues south along the entire length of the North and South Atlantic Oceans, then east around the Cape of Good Hope on the African continent.Sailing easterly through the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, Koch will then skipper the yacht clockwise around the entire landmass of Antarctica. Rounding the western shore of the southern polar continent, the journey then will cross the Drake Passage to round Cape Horn at the bottom of the South American continent.The final leg of the journey has the vessel heading north passing the Falkland Islands and the eastern shores of Brazil before once again crossing the North Atlantic and returning to Les Sables d'Olonne.The voyage will be tracked by ISAX, providing updates every four hours.
When your private boat is a jaw-dropping superyacht worth $66 million, youve got to flaunt it. Thats what Jimmy John Liautaud seems to be doing. The billionaires luxury toy was recently spotted anchored off the Lerins Islands on the French Riviera. True to its name, the Rock.It luxury yacht was not shy about making its presence known at the glamorous location.Even though it made its debut back in 2014, Rock.It is still one of the most impressive custom yachts built by the well-known Feadship. The 200-foot (60.4 meters) pleasure craft was supposed to look fast on the outside, but cozy on the inside. According to the team at Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design, which was in charge of the project, this is what the future owner wanted.No stranger to luxury toys, he allegedly owns seven Ferraris, including a rare LaFerrari. Like most billionaires, Liautaud had owned several boats before, including a fishing yacht, and had also chartered luxury vessels. His story is a classic American success tale, centered around a small sandwich shop that Jimmy John opened when he was only 19-year-old.By 2018, he was one of the names on Forbes list of the worlds wealthiest people, with a fortune estimated at $1.7 billion. Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches had turned into a fast-food empire.As far as technology goes, Rock.It was an innovator. According to the manufacturer, its name will always be linked to the first-time application of a dedicated intuitive control and maneuvering system on a superyacht. This advanced control system includes a semi-DP autopilot system. In addition to that, a three-axis steering joystick with a rotational factor ensures the smoothest cruise with various maneuvering modes. Achieving the cozy factor was more difficult than you might think because every little part of the interior was custom-made. Meant as a vacation yacht for Liautauds family and occasional guests, Rock.It is mainly a fun boat, but with a sophisticated, classic-inspired interior. It boasts several bars, a home cinema, a gaming table, and a raised jacuzzi on the generous sun deck. Premium leather, high-gloss wood, marble, and precious works of art are present throughout.Although it looks right at home in fancy places such as the French Riviera, Rock.It traveled to many remote destinations, including the Galapagos Islands. At cruising speed, it can easily cover more than 5,000 nautical miles (5,750 miles/8,000 km), but it can also reach higher speeds of up to 15 knots (17 mph/28 kph).
Kentucky is part of our @Ford family, so were working w/ @FordFund to support the communities affected by the devastating floods by sending #F150Lightning Pros & F-150s w/ Pro Power Onboard. The trucks will be used for cleanup efforts & mobile power sources in the region. ?????? pic.twitter.com/MNlFR0w2On  Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 4, 2022

When Ford launched the F-150 Lightning in April, a power outage conveniently happened just in time to prove how useful its vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature can be. Of course, there was laughter all over the internet, and people started joking that wherever the F-150 Lightning shows up, theres got to be a power outage. But sometimes, life takes precedence, and the deadly Kentucky floods brought power outages across the region. This time, the Ford electric pickup truck saved the day for real.The floodings have since subsided, and rescue teams have started getting the flood victims back to their homes. But power supply in the region has not been fully re-established, hindering operations. This is where Ford stepped in, lending four F-150 trucks, including two electric F-150 Lightning able to provide much-needed power to the crews. Just like the Lightning, the hybrid version of the F-150 has power outlets that can be used to power lighting, power tools, or simply to make coffee for tired workers.For us, a truck will support five to seven gray shirts [Team Rubicon volunteers] who can usually get 10 to 15 families back in their homes per day, said William Porter of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit run by military veterans and first responders. A lot of times, electricity is scarce because power lines are down from a hurricane or tornado or flood waters. Ford has helped us with being able to generate power from the site and allow survivors to have a safe space to stay (at home) as opposed to a shelter.The four trucks are not the only help Ford has offered. Ford Fund has also contributed money to emergency relief in previous disasters. Team Rubicon has used Ford hybrid trucks before, during Hurricane Laura in Louisiana in 2020 and Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Washington is calling white black claiming China 'manufactured crisis'

08:15, August 08, 2022 By China Daily editorial ( Chinadaily.com.cn

As predicted, the United States has brazenly sought to put the blame on China after Beijing took a series of justified measures in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reckless visit to Taiwan last week.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US has "nothing to rectify" over Taiwan, and called Beijing's moves "irresponsible". These moves include military drills around the island, sanctions on Pelosi and suspending and canceling exchanges with the US in various fields, including the military and climate change.

In his address at a foreign ministers' meeting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations hosted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Beijing "not to manufacture a crisis" and not to "seek a pretext" to increase its "provocative military activities".

But as a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Beijing had repeatedly warned the US through various channels of the grave nature of Pelosi's visit and warned that it would not sit idly by and allow room to be created for Taiwan separatist forces. All the consequences arising from her visit therefore must be borne by the US.

The world knows that China is defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it is Washington that is seeking a pretext to justify further provocations. That's why more than 160 countries have censured Pelosi's visit to the Chinese island.

And what pretext did Pelosi put forward for her "peaceful" visit? To advocate "democracy". But she would not have done this were it a US state that was seeking to secede from the US and declare independence as a pawn of foreign powers. Her support of the secessionist-minded Tsai Ing-wen administration on the island was advocating her own ideologically motivated anti-China credentials.

Such pretexts are characteristic of the value diplomacy US politicians employ to cover up the US' trampling on international laws.

The promise that Pelosi made to Tsai that the US will not "abandon" Taiwan belies the true purpose of her visit, which was to reassure the secessionists on the island of Washington's support. But it is the Chinese government, not the US government, that has been steadfast in supporting the well-being of people living on the island. To Washington they are as discardable as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many other places.

The cause and effect of the latest escalation of tensions across the Straits and the rights and wrongs on it are both clear. The fact that an aircraft carrier strike group escorted Pelosi on her visit shows that the US was well aware that she was acting as a provocateur and creator of a crisis.

Moreover, the US has not only unilaterally drafted the so-called Taiwan Relations Act and paralleled it with the three Sino-US joint communiques, but also openly put the "six assurances to Taiwan" in its one-China policy statement. These practices all demonstrate the US' steady hollowing out of its commitment to the one-China principle and its willingness to make playing the Taiwan card a long-term practice to put pressure on Beijing.

Does the US really have "nothing to rectify" over Taiwan? If not, the Tsai administration would not be eating the Chinese meal that Washington ordered for it.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed by an Afghan national with a knife in a scuffle in southeastern Iran, the local media reported on Monday.

The assailant, who committed the murder in Rafsanjan on Sunday evening over personal disputes, has been arrested by Iranian police, the Entekhab news website quoted Rafsanjan's Governor Hossein Rezaei as saying.

The victims, all men, comprised six Afghan nationals and four Iranian citizens, said Rezaei, adding that the Afghan victims have been among the assailant's relatives.

Rezaei said the assailant did not seem to have balanced psychological health when being arrested, and had inflicted minor wounds on himself in the act of self-harm before being seized.

Based on the testimonies from the assailant's friends, the murderer is addicted to methamphetamine, Rezaei told the Iranian Students' News Agency.

He added further investigations are underway to determine the murderer's identity and whether he is a legal migrant. 
GM is trying to curb reselling of their most in-demand vehicles, such as the Chevy Corvette Z06, by voiding the cars warranty if sold less than a year after the purchase. The dealers have recently received new guidance, including a form to be signed by the new owners at delivery time.

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The Japanese automaker showcased a rakish crossoverthat seemed to have lots in common with the Cadillac Lyriq luxury crossover, so it was only logical that it would be produced alongside  at the General Motors Spring Hill assembly plant in Tennessee. Alas, let us not forget that teasers are a bit deceptive.As such, with help from our spy photographer partners, we soon noticed that Hondas upcoming 2024 Prologue has more similarities with the Equinoxand Blazer EV releases from Chevrolet than with the Lyriq  which is not necessarily a surprise since all of them share the BEV3 electric vehicle platform and Ultium technology without making too much of an EV fuss. So, how is the Prologue going to be styled?Well, as far as the OEM calendar is concerned, we still need to wait a little while longer to find out. But automotive virtual artists are always keen to share our impatience and Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based pixel master better known as KDesign AG on social media, is now seeking to paint in CGI the teasers and spy shots about Honda's next EV.Naturally, to avoid a CGI hodgepodge , the digital expert had to settle on just one GM sibling  and he obviously chose the recently announced 2024 Chevy Blazer EV to serve as the foundation of his imagined future crossover electric from Honda  the Prologue. Well, we appreciate the bluntness, though we also need to take all this with a big pinch of salt.Not that we do not trust Honda and GM to push through with their partnership, but rather we are not so sure that a CR-V-sized Prologue will have more stuff in common with the mid-size Blazer EV rather than its compact Equinox EV sibling.
NHTSA

Plan teams were assigned responsibility for the investigation. They reported their initial findings to the Product Safety and Compliance Committee on April 27th, and the results prompted the PSCC to review CCTV footage to determine any non-confirming vehicles. Video records from May 2022 revealed that the scope of this issue was not limited to vehicles built for the U.S. alone, and that the Vehicle Assembly Plant team was not able to qualify vehicles where no video records existed. Intriguing, isnt it?Given these circumstances, the Solihull plant in the United Kingdom was requested to understand the full scope of potentially affected vehicles and determine how vehicles could have been built to the incorrect specification. So to speak, the PSCC had seen enough incompetence.On July 6th, the plant team reported that a change in the taillight specification for the F-Pace had been implemented from the 2021 model year onwards. Jaguar highlights in a document filed with thethat sufficient controls were not introduced at that time to control the specification of tailgate lamp for installation during tailgate sub-assembly.The issue was presented to the Recall Determination Committee for review on July 13th, and the next day, the RDC concluded that it represented an unreasonable risk to safety. Also worthy of note, Euro-spec taillights fitted to a U.S. vehicle do not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard number 108. Jaguar says that part of the rear indicator may not be illuminated as per the requirements of motor vehicle safety standard 108.A grand total of 5,297 vehicles from the F-Pace range are potentially affected. Jaguar estimates that one percent of them were fitted with incorrect taillights. Owners of the Jaguar F-Pace will be notified of the recall on September 16th. Dealers have already been instructed to inspect the rear lamps and replace them, if necessary, with U.S.-specification assemblies.
Three days later, the organization determined that certain vehicles were produced with damaged taillamp side markers that arent in compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standard 108. No fewer than 99,186 vehicles are called back in the United States, split between 354 examples of the Grand Cherokee and 98,832 examples of the Grand Cherokee L.The build dates for the Grand Cherokee range from May 17th, 2021 to November 18th, 2021 for the 2022 model year. The Grand Cherokee L, meanwhile, is listed from December 3rd, 2020 through November 23rd, 2021 for the 2021 and 2022 model years. According to the aforementioned standard, the NTHSA requires each vehicle to be equipped with at least two red steady burning taillamp side markers. The units fitted to affected SUVs do not illuminate, thus not meeting the steady burning requirement.The taillight assembly supplier is Automotive Lighting Corporation of Auburn Hills, Michigan. FCA US LLC notes that one percent of the recall population exhibits this problem. Dealers will be instructed to inspect and replace both taillamp assemblies, as needed, on September 16th. Thats also when known customers will be notified of the safety recall by mail.Presented in September 2021, the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee is currently available from $38,720 excluding destination freight charge. Customers are offered a grand total of eight trim levels. The off-road Trailhawk specification is exclusive to the Grand Cherokee given its shorter wheelbase that makes it better off the beaten path than the Grand Cherokee L.The seven-seat sibling is available from $40,720 at press time with rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive adds $2,000 to the tally. Another difference between these SUVs is the 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is exclusive to the Grand Cherokee from $60,695 excluding freight.
If you do a Google search about rapper Camrons cars, youll be pink-vaded. He used to own a 2003 Range Rover and an Audi R8 , both pink, both strikingly outrageous.He seems to have outgrown that phase because he hasnt shown off a pink vehicle in a while. Instead, he has just introduced everyone to his new whip  a satin black Lamborghini Aventador S. Its interior follows the same theme, with subtle red accents throughout the cabin. The supercar is powerful and striking enough not to need any additional head-turning paint or wrap, because it can attract attention all by itself. Especially when going for a ride in Harlem, New York. But the rapper seems to think it needs something extra.Besides displaying an exotic design, like any Lambo does, its powerful and fast. In 2017, the Sant'Agata Bolognese-based brand introduced another upgrade for the Aventador models, the S version, with changes to the exterior to improve the aerodynamics and extra oomph. The Aventador S is put in motion by a 6.5-liter V12 engine, placed in front of the rear axle. Paired up with the standard Lamborghini lightweight seven-speed Independent Shifting Rod transmission, it delivers 730 horsepower (740 ps) and 509 lb-ft (690 Nm) of torque to all wheels.Based on these figures, it runs from zero to 62 mph (100 kph) in just 2.9 seconds, before maxing out at 217 mph (349 kph).His brand-new Lamborghini has gathered quite some attention online, with people tagging the rapper when they see the supercar out in the street. Which might make him reconsider adding another pink vehicle to his garage in the future.
Royal Caribbean signed the agreement for the cruise terminal back in 2019, with its partner being the Port of Galveston, which is the fourth most active cruise port in North America, according to the cruise company. The $125 million structure has 170,000 sq ft (15,793 sq m) and is located in the eastern section of the port, also referred to as Pier 10.Initially scheduled to open in the fall of 2021, the cruise terminal is still in the works due to delays and complications caused by the pandemics. However, Royal Caribbean has reached the final stages of the construction and the terminal should open its doors this November, with the first ship to be received being Allure of the Seas.The vessel is part of Royal Caribbeans Oasis-class, which includes the largest passenger ships in service. Launched in 2009, the watercraft was the worlds largest passenger ship (measuring 1,187 ft/362 m in length) until 2015, when Harmony of the Seas took its place, with the latter boasting a length of 1,188 ft (362.12 meters).Back to Royal Caribbeans cruise terminal in Texas, it boasts features such as facial recognition and mobile check-in and includes a staging and loading area, bus and taxi staging areas, and very large parking. The terminal will help attract more visitors to the island and will contribute to the economic growth in the region by also generating new jobs. According to Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean CEO, the world-class facility will increase the number of guests in the region by 50 percent, generating a $100 million economic impact within the first year of operation alone.You can see a timeline of the terminals building process in the video below.
kW

This is the story of Octopussy, the first superyacht to become the worlds fastest by breaking the 50-knot (57.5 mph / 92.6 kph) barrier. Delivered to the owner in 1988, with all the specifications included in the briefing, it is one of the most iconic and historically relevant naval builds of modern times. The fact that its still around, albeit no longer up to par with its prior performance, only adds more intrigue to the story.Octopussy was named this way because its owner, and the man largely credited for its existence, because it was his dream for the world record that fueled the project  was a huge James Bond fan. John Staluppi is an American businessman and car guy, a passionate collector and founder of the Atlantic Auto Group, a huge 007 fan, and an avid seafarer. Hes a multi-millionaire, too, just to be sure. So far, hes owned 21 boats of varying sizes , but none of them as special as Octopussy.Octopussy was Staluppis second boat and its most daring project. At the time he came up with the idea to build the worlds fastest superyacht, in the mid-80s, things in the industry were not exactly thrilling: shipyards were focusing on blocky designs that would fit in as many amenities as possible. Staluppi believed he could have a superyacht, with all the trappings of the A-list life and performance of the kind hed only get in his racers. A breakneck fast superyacht.Since money was no issue, the only problem for Staluppi was that no one else believed such a combination was possible.Before he even found a designer and a shipyard for the project , Staluppi went ahead and bought the engines for it: three MTU 16V 396 TB94 engines of 2,520and 3,500 hp each and three Kamewa waterjets. In a move that was described then as unheard of, he had the propulsion system and wanted to build a boat around it; that approach remains highly unlikely to this day.This was when Frank Mulder of Mulder Design came into the picture. Mulder told Staluppi that he would try to see if such a boat could be built and if, at the end of six weeks, it would prove possible, hed do it free of charge. Staluppi was thrilled, but his excitement would only grow after the deadline when Mulder informed him that tank testing had shown such a boat could, indeed, be constructed.they found a shipyard willing to take the challenge.At the time, Heesen Yachts from the Netherlands was a smaller shipyard. Itd been in the business for just a few years, and while it delivered quality vessels, it was yet to break through on an international scale. On a dare, Frans Heesen agreed to build this impossible boat; just as Staluppi was starting to lose hope that theyd ever find a builder since theyd been looking everywhere for over a year.Because this was the kind of project never attempted before, it came with high risks for everyone involved. Staluppi insisted on penalty clauses in the contract to make sure hed get the 50 knots promised: if the ship delivered under that, hed be paid $100,000 for each knot missing; if it went under 48 knots, he could ask for his money back and refuse delivery.In 1988, Octopussy was delivered. It marked a new era in naval design both for Heesen and the industry as a whole. Because of the focus on its expected performance, it was built with great attention to overall weight: with an aluminum hull and superstructure, it was built with the lightest materials available. Total length ended up at 142 feet (43.58 meters), and it came with super thin polyester panels, floors of multiplex and balsa wood, and the most underdressed interiors penned by Art Line and Joachim Kinder Yacht Design on the Mulder Design architecture.Accommodation onboard was for 10 guests across five suites, and amenities included a jacuzzi, sun deck, swim platform, and generous lounge areas. Octopussy, for all the weight-shaving, was a proper superyacht that did not skimp on comfort or the level of luxury offered.During the first round of sea trials, Octopussy was tracked by Maas Radar from Europoort and by Staluppi himself, using a police radar gun  and delivered an astounding 52 knots (59.8 mph / 96.3 kph), well above the contractual limit. Any other man would have probably settled for this record, but Staluppi believed the boat had even more in it with the right adjustments. After speaking with the team, including Heesen and Mulder, they cut off sections from the bottom of the hull, the boxes next to the waterjets, in a bid to make it even lighter. It was another risky move, but it paid off, as Octopussy gained another knot, hitting the official top speed  and world record  of 53.2 knots (61.2 mph / 98.5 kph).In the years that have passed since, Octopussy has lost its hold on the title of worlds fastest. It has changed hands several times and has become a popular charter vessel, which means its been upgraded to accommodate more guests and includes more amenities, which, in turn, have added weight. Top speed has dwindled down to 15 knots (17.2 mph / 27.7 kph), which is still decent, but not for a heavyweight like this one.In June this year, Octopussy was brought into Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center in South Florida for a refit that will restore it to its former glory, down to the stellar performance. Mulder Design is involved in the refit, which is expected to be completed in 2023. Until then, lets relive together the good ol days: heres the Octopussy launch and a 2020 Heesen documentary on the build process.
Many Batman fans would go to great lengths for the chance to emulate the Dark Knight, but one of them has definitely crossed the line. A rich realtor from California called a Sheriff friend and had him raid a shop that builds Batmobile replicas, because he was unhappy with the delayed delivery time.

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This niche of the tiny house market isnt as overcrowded yet as the more budget segment, but thats not to say that it isnt of interest. Builders like Custom Travel Homes and Timbercraft Tiny Homes , both of which we covered on previous occasions, believe the future of downsizing doesnt have to mean compromise but, on the contrary, more comfort, more space, and a more luxurious feel.For instance, Alabama-based Timbercraft Tiny Homes (TTH) offers the Denali XL model, which is a massive tiny house (an oxymoron, but it works) that offers a full kitchen, a full bathroom, and sleeping for up to four people in life-size quarters. Sitting on a five-axle 41-foot (12.5-meter) trailer, it offers a generous floorplan of up to 400 square feet (37 square meters), along with the feeling of living in an actual home. The Denali XL is to downsizing what a penthouse is to city living.This is one such Denali XL unit, customized to the specifications of the owner, as shown in the latest video on the Tiny Home Tours YouTube channel (see the video below). The one doing the honors is the owner, Janis. She is a recent retiree who owns a brick-and-mortar home in Portland but started looking into downsizing with the start of the 2020 international health crisis. The Portland home will soon be put on the market because Janis partner Glen is also on the verge of retirement, so the plan is to move into the tiny full-term.Calling the home a tiny is an understatement. If the Denali XL comes across as huge in photos, it feels even more so on video. Janis says they settled for TTH as the builders because they make everything that goes inside on-site by hand and dont rely on third-party furniture that might compromise on quality. The fact that they were allowed to customize their choices and were presented with a wide range of options also helped.The result is a tiny home that presents like a proper home, with the only exception that it sits on wheels. Because of its size, its not particularly mobile: Janis says they had it towed from Alabama to Oregon by a professional, and its now located at the Tiny Tranquility Park, so it was not built to move around. The layout includes a loft above the bathroom, where a secondary bedroom will be set up, and high ceilings with a second row of windows throughout.The home has a full-size kitchen with everything you could possibly need, from a large farm sink to a dishwasher, breakfast bar, large fridge, and more storage than we need. Prior to moving into this tiny, Janis and Glen lived out of a remodeled 30-foot (9.1-meter) 1978 Airstream , and they found it too cramped for comfortable living. So when they chose their next home , they really went for that extra space.The bathroom, for instance, is larger than what youd find in some city apartments. It has a laundry area with a washer and drier, custom sink with vanity, large walk-in shower, and plenty of storage space. Next to it is a hallway with a pantry and the large staircase that leads up to the loft, with built-in deep drawers.On one end is the living room, which has an electric fireplace and two skylights, while the bedroom is at the opposite end. The master bedroom also integrates storage, and theres also a large wardrobe in there as well. You often hear about tiny homes that the more compact space will mean prioritizing among your belongings and cutting down on unnecessary stuff, but that clearly doesnt apply to a Denali XL. With this one, you get pretty much the same amount of storage space youd get in an actual house, if not more.At the moment the tour was filmed, Janis had lived in the tiny for a little over a week and, while its clear she was yet to settle in full, she said she found the idea of living in it thrilling. For extra comfort , she had a patio deck installed outside the French doors, with a view out on the meadow, which made it the perfect spot for meal-taking in good weather.What Janis doesnt say in the video is the final cost of the build. TTH homes start at $81,000, but the base price for a larger Denali XL is around $125,000. Considering Janis opted for customizing a lot of things, from the tiles in the bathroom and the backsplash in the kitchen to the color combination on the exterior, its probably safe to assume her budget was at least $150,000.
For Blake Alvarado, the guy who saw his 2022 Toyota GR86 left powerless because of a well-known problem with the FA24 engines, the story had a happy ending. The social media campaign he started pressured Toyota to take a stand, and he was announced that his cars engine would be rebuilt for free. But for countless other GR86 owners with similar problems, the struggle is still ongoing. Toyota still does not budge from its weird warranty conditions for North America, which prohibit using the GR86 in racing events.Although the Toyota GR86 (and other GR-branded vehicles, including the GR Supra) is marketed as a car for racing enthusiasts, Toyota doesnt want its U.S. customers to actually go racing. The North American warranty conditions exclude damage that results from racing. In contrast, the European version specifically says that attending Track Days or similar events will not invalidate the vehicles warranty. In the case of Blake Alvarado, his warranty was void the moment a Toyota representative saw a picture of him drifting the car on social media.After public outcry , Toyota contacted Alvarado and offered a free engine rebuild. Nevertheless, Toyota did nothing to change the situation of dozens of other GR86 owners. Many reported a clogged oil pickup tube because the factory uses too much RTV (room-temperature-vulcanizing) silicone sealant. This is why Alvarados engine experienced a failed rod bearing in cylinder number four.The public response ultimately brought to light the elephant in the room that is marketing vs warranty policy, wrote Alvarado in a follow-up post. This is something that wont get solved overnight, but I would like to see Toyota regain the trust of the enthusiast market it intends to capture with their GR brand. A step toward this would be reaffirming that track days and similar events should NOT void a valid warranty claim for a manufacturer defect.In a mail to Carscoops , Toyota admitted its not changing its North American customers warranty conditions. Instead, the Japanese carmaker states that the warranty claims are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Even though racing falls under these conditions, Toyota should acknowledge that it not only promoted the GR86 with racetrack videos but outright encouraged people to use the car on a racetrack. Denying the warranty because of this is unfair, to say the least.The clogged oil pickup tube has nothing to do with racing, although the oil starvation condition might worsen while racing. This is a well-known problem with the cars engine, which is thoroughly documented. The forums and social media are littered with posts about this problem. Toyota should not only repair the affected engines on warranty, but they should issue a recall to verify and remedy the problem. This is what a responsible carmaker that cares for its clients and reputation would do.
BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, sent a message of condolence on Monday to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel over explosions at a fuel storage facility in Cuba.

In his message to Diaz-Canel, also first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, Xi said he was shocked to learn about the fuel farm explosions in Matanzas province in Cuba, which caused serious casualties and property losses.

Xi noted that on behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, he expressed deep condolences for those killed in the explosions and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured, adding that China is ready to provide assistance to Cuba. 
This is another work that must not have been too difficult for the rendering artist to conclude. Were talking about the same car in different versions, which makes matching the body lines a less complicated task. It is still a skilled job  especially considering the final results  but a lot simpler than other renderings we have already seen Theottle perform.As the video shows, Theottle had already prepared the images to make this transformation, just like he did with the Honda Civic Type R Sedan . That is probably so that the videos get shorter and have more views. Besides working for magazines and websites, Theottle also makes a living from YouTube. That said, if you like his work, try to support him by subscribing to his channel and liking his videos. The man will thank you for that.Regarding the GR Corolla Sedan, we know it would be a way to have Corollas most popular body with the same performance package, but it is not the ideal one. Unlike the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla has a station wagon that would be the perfect pick for a GR derivative. Just check what BMW did with the M3 by giving its first official Touring version in history.As much as the larger trunk compartment on the sedan is compared to the hatchback, the gooseneck hinges occupy a precious cargo space. You just cant carry longer objects there  such as keyboard cases. A station wagon would never do that to you. Some sedans also spare you this hassle with articulated (or pantographic) hinges, which cost more but are much better than what Toyota currently offers in its best-seller.As much as wed love to see a GR Corolla SW, the sedan allows us to compare it to its fictitious Honda competitor. If you could choose one of them for real, which one would it be and why? Theres a great discussion to have with our other readers in the comments box below.
It was 1954 when the first nuclear-powered submarine was commissioned at Groton, Connecticut. A team of scientists and engineers at the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission had developed a nuclear propulsion plant that would pave the way for a new generation of underwater vehicles.The following year, Nautilus made its first journey on nuclear power. After its first sea trials, on the way to Puerto Rico, USS Nautilus already set a world record that hasnt been surpassed to this day. And that was the longest submerged cruise and the highest submerged speed sustained by a submarine for more than an hour. The powerful vessel had stayed submerged while covering 1,381 miles (2,222 km) in 89.8 hours.In 1957, Nautilus would demonstrate its game-changing capabilities once again. Until then, U.S. submarines couldnt operate in the frozen northern oceans because of the limitations of diesel propulsion in icy conditions. Nautilus was the first to make it to the Arctic, a great achievement that allowed access to the previously protected waters of the Soviet Union.After a long and successful career, the almighty submarine was decommissioned in 1980. By that time, the U.S. Navy was already operating a modern fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, thanks to the pioneering work of Nautilus. Six years later, it would be open to the public as a historic ship, as part of the new Submarine Force Museum.Last year, the Navy announced a massive $36 million preservation project meant to ensure USS Nautilus stayed in good shape for 30 more years. The 319-footer (97 meters) recently made it back home at the Museum, American Military News reports, after having completed the refit at the Naval Submarine Base.Thats where it got a full paint job, a thorough inspection of its internal and external tanks, upgrades of its lighting and electrical systems, and brand-new wood decking. The preservation work also included adding extra access points for staff members.Throughout August, maintenance work will continue at the Museum, Lt. Cmdr. Derek Sutton, officer-in-charge of the Nautilus, told American Military News. The Museum will reopen on August 19, but the newly-refurbished historic ship wont be revealed until later this year, on September 9.Thats the first day of the popular Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival, a perfect occasion for the public to step on board the USS Nautilus and rediscover this important piece of the American naval history.
Speaking at a gathering of Turkish diplomats in Ankara on Monday, Cavusoglu reportedly also reiterated his countrys vision of peace in the South Caucasus region.

After the end of the war [in Karabakh], Turkey is making efforts to ensure peace in the region. Now we are talking not about Azerbaijans occupied territories, displaced people, refugees and a conflict that can start again at any moment, but about regional peace and cooperation. We again call on Armenia to refrain from participating in new provocations [against Azerbaijan in Karabakh], Cavusoglu said.

On August 3, ethnic Armenian authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said that two Armenian soldiers were killed and nearly two dozen others wounded in what they described as an attack by Azerbaijani forces against their military positions along the Lachin corridor conducted with the use of drones, mortars and grenade launchers.

Baku, for its part, said that an operation codenamed Retribution was launched by its forces after one Azerbaijani soldier was killed by ethnic Armenian forces in the area on August 1.

Azerbaijan also claimed to have captured some strategic heights in the mountainous region overlooking the corridor linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia that has been controlled by Russian peacekeepers since the end of a deadly 2020 war in which Baku managed to regain control of large swaths of territories in and around the disputed region.

Nagorno-Karabakhs ethnic Armenian leader Arayik Harutiunian ordered a partial mobilization of army reservists in the wake of the incidents, but the situation did not further escalate amid reported agreements that Armenians would be leaving several villages along the Lachin corridor that are to be handed over to Azerbaijan as part of the 2020 Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Despite what appears to be de-escalation that had also been urged by the United States and the European Union, the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh still remains relatively tense as Armenians and Azerbaijanis continue to accuse each other of regular ceasefire violations.

Armenia said that one of its soldiers was wounded along the border with Azerbaijan on Saturday, a claim denied by Azerbaijan, but confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry in its latest news bulletin on the Nagorno-Karabakh peacekeeping operation.

Turkey, which is Azerbaijans top military and political ally, has been engaged in a normalization process with Armenia since late last year. Ankara, however, has made it clear that establishing diplomatic relations and opening borders with Armenia depends on Yerevans accepting Bakus key demands. Commenting on prospects for normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations in July, Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said that Yerevan should specifically negotiate a peace accord sought by Baku and open a land corridor to Azerbaijans Nakhichevan exclave.
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The white father and son convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arberys fatal shooting after they chased the 25-year-old Black man through a Georgia neighborhood have been sentenced to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime
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BEIRUT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday agreed with ministers on the initial criteria and steps to be adopted for the implementation of the strategy to return Syrian refugees to their homeland, Lebanon's Presidency said in a statement.

"We have agreed with President Aoun on many points related to the Syrian refugees' return plan, and we coordinated our positions hoping to hold more meetings next week to agree on the basic steps to be taken to start with the return process," said Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar, following his meeting at Baabda Palace with Aoun and the Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

Hajjar assured that coordination with Syria on the matter is still ongoing and has never stopped.

On July 4, Lebanon announced a plan to send back 15,000 displaced Syrians monthly but has yet to secure written approval from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who insisted that Syria is not safe for home return.

Lebanon insisted on implementing its plan regardless of the UN position as the country suffers from an unprecedented financial crisis and the presence of a big number of refugees which weighs heavily on the economy and infrastructure.

Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with the government estimation of 1.5 million Syrian refugees. 
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP)  Derek Kerr might have the hardest job in the airline business.

Kerr is the chief financial officer of American Airlines, and his task is to fix a balance sheet that has been battered by borrowing needed to survive the pandemic.

American has the most debt among all U.S. airlines, more than $36 billion. The airline is trying to fly through a bumpy recovery in travel during which revenue is rising but so are costs like fuel and labor.

Kerr spoke recently to The Associated Press. The answers have been edited for length.

Q. American is coming off its first profitable quarter, excluding government aid, since the pandemic started. Planes are packed. What's going to happen to revenue after Labor Day, when leisure travel slows down?

A. Leisure is really, really strong. Small business is back 100% also, because those businesses had to survive, they are out flying. Corporate business is back about 65%, 75%. As we look out at bookings ... we dont see any huge change from a revenue standpoint as we go forward.

Q. Spot prices for jet fuel prices have eased in the last couple of months, but they're still double the price before the pandemic. Why doesn't American hedge against fuel spikes like Southwest does?

A. Hedging is insurance. Its very expensive, and you cant insure your entire portfolio of fuel. The airline industry is the No. 2 user of fuel. If we all hedged fuel, we'd move the fuel price and actually drive the fuel price up. Plus you put a risk on the company (if oil prices fall). And then the last thing is you have a natural hedge today  as fuel increases, the industry can raise revenues. We have passed on pretty much the fuel increases that are out there.

Q. American predicts nonfuel costs in the third quarter will be up 12% to 14% compared with the third quarter of 2019 on a per seat, per mile basis. Can you get costs under control?

A. Its not necessarily a cost issue, it's a utilization of the fleet issue. If we flew our entire fleet, that (cost per seat per mile) would only be up about 2%. Weve built these airlines, from a cost perspective, to fly more, and were not flying more because of the resources that we need to do that.

Q. How will you fly more? Do you need more pilots?

A. There is a pilot shortage at the (regional airlines) because the mainline carriers (like American, Delta and United) hire from the regionals. Well continue to work through that. That may take a couple of years to resolve itself. At the mainline, it's more about a throughput of training. We can bring the pilots on, we have to get them through training. I hope by the beginning of next year, middle of next year, we'll work through that and well be able to have the whole mainline fleet up.

Q. When will your profit margins return to pre-pandemic levels?

A. It's actually the same answer, because obviously that growth will come back at a much cheaper cost because the costs are already here. That will improve the margins over time.

Q. You've got $15.6 billion in liquidity. When are you going to use that to pay down debt?

A. Right now were going to hold on to that liquidity until we feel like weve totally turned the corner. We did have one profitable quarter. That's awesome, it's great, Im proud of everybody here that that worked to get to that point, but we need to sustain that. We are going to take ($15.6 billion of liquidity) down into the $10 (billion) to $12 billion range at some point in time  just not ready to do that yet, but hopefully pretty soon.

Q. Can you refinance your debt with interest rates rising?

A. Were in really good shape that we dont have any debt that has come due. We paid off the $750 million unsecured (senior notes that matured in June). Our next big payment is a $1.2 billion term loan (for work at Reagan National and LaGuardia airports) that comes due at the end of next year. The second thing we have to do is finance aircraft. Every aircraft we have is financed through the end of the third quarter. Were working hard to finance the back half of the year, and there are a lot of good proposals out there, even in a rising interest environment.

Q. Where do you find sources for financing planes?

A. We can do commercial banks. We can do market EETCs (publicly traded securities called enhanced equipment trust certificates). The market for EETCs is open still right now. Its probably at 100 or 200 basis points bigger than what we have done in the past, but that's still very attractive financing in this environment.

Q. Is an equity raise on the table?

A. It is not on the table right now. We have enough liquidity to make it through any downturn.

Q. What about share repurchases when the prohibition (a condition of federal pandemic aid) expires Sept. 30?

A. There is no plan to do any share repurchases. All of our excess liquidity will go to pay off debt.

Q. How would a recession change how you manage American's finances?

A. If it does impact revenues, we would hold on to liquidity longer than than we have. It doesnt mean that were not going to hit our $15 billion number (the target for debt reduction by the end of 2025). It might mean that we dont accelerate paydown of that debt. But Im fully confident with the liquidity we have at $15.6 billion that if there is a recessionary environment, that we will be able to withstand anything like that.

Q. American's stock is being shorted much more often than the shares of Delta, United or Southwest. Why are those investors betting, in effect, that the stock price is going to fall?

A. It doesnt concern me, but its really driven by the balance sheet and the differences between the airlines. We need to continue to make profits. We need to continue to stay on the plan that were on, return the airline to profitability, return the reliability of the airline, and everything will take care of itself.

Q. You were the CFO at America West right after 9/11, at US Airways during the airline downturn in the 2008 financial crisis, and at American since late 2013. For the airline business, how does the pandemic compare with those earlier crises?

A. This COVID time has been the hardest of all the times. A recession is one thing, where revenues go down 5% or 10%. When you get to a situation where you have zero receipts and you dont know when youre going to get out of this, that was the toughest time.

Q. Could American have survived without the federal aid?

A. American had negative receipts in the month of April 2020. You are refunding more money going out the door than you have coming in. Its like nothing weve ever seen. It would have been really hard for all of us to make it through that.
A Beaumont pizza restaurant launched a new website that features online ordering capability.

Neches Restaurant Group's Crown Pizza, located at 5535 Calder Ave. in Beaumont, just launched its new website eatcrownpizza.com.

Crown Pizza is a sister restaurant of Willy Burger.

"Crown Pizza uses an authentic oven from Naples, Italy and makes the claim as the 'original craft pizza of

Beaumont, Texas,'" Neches Restaurant Group said in a news release Monday. "This points to the unique, eclectic mix of flavor fusions for craft pizzas including the likes of crawfish and etouffee sauce, cilantro and BBQ sauce, macaroni and cheese topped with Flamin

Hot Cheetos, and even a mustard-based cheeseburger pizza complete with pickles, onions and French fries."

RELATED: Willy Burger sees increased business after launching new website

The website is designed to be mobile friendly, full of information, has convenient links for ordering online, a new menu, videos, customer reviews and a blog with news and events, according to the news release.

The website is meant to serve as a "streamlined" menu for customers to order online, owner and CEO Dallon James said in the news release.

Theres been a sort of trend weve followed in recent years for small, local restaurants to simply rely on their social media pages in lieu of a website," James said in the news release. "And while that may be easier for small businesses, its not easier for customers to go through all the extra clicks of Facebook and third-party delivery platforms to order pizza. Were on a mission to serve our customers and be more accessible; so that means removing hurdles like these."

RELATED: 7 questions with... the owner of Willy Burger

Chief Marketing Officer Lance LaRue said in the news release the website will work to grow with the business and reflect the menus classic-meets-creative personality.

LaRue himself designed the website.

Were opening Crown Pizza in Katy very soon, we have new menu items involved, and so many things in the works, LaRue said in the news release. Our new site puts us in a strong position for serving our guests and for advancing our brand in a more strategic manner that supports rather than solely relies on social media.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  The attorney who represented Mystikal on rape and kidnapping charges that were dropped in late 2020 said Thursday that he is once more representing the 51-year-old rapper  and is confident that he will again be cleared.

I think theres zero chance this goes to trial, Joel Pearce said as he drove back to Shreveport from the Ascension Parish jail in Gonzales, where he met with Michael Tyler.

Tyler, who served six years in prison after pleading guilty in 2003 to sexual battery, was arrested Sunday on charges accusing him of raping and choking a woman at his home Saturday.

Pearce represented him in December 2020, when prosecutors in northwest Louisiana's Caddo Parish dropped rape and kidnapping charges that had kept him jailed for 18 months

On Tuesday, Tyler was denied bond at what is called a 72-hour hearing.

State District Judge Steven Tureau said evidence against the rapper, his past history and the victims fears met the standard for holding him without bail

There was no evidence given on my clients part, Pearce said. He said he will request a full bond hearing at which evidence can be presented.

Defense attorney Roy Maughan Jr., who had asked for $250,000 bond, told The Advocate after Tuesday's hearing that Tyler probably wouldn't appeal the bond ruling.

Maughan is no longer on the case, Pearce said. He said he is working with Timothy Yazbeck of New Orleans, who worked with him on the Caddo Parish case.

He said he will also ask for what's called a preliminary examination. Tyler hasn't been indicted, so we get to test the states case. Its a little mini-trial, Pearce said.

Mystikal, who grew up in New Orleans and now lives in Prairieville, is accused of attacking the woman, taking her keys and holding her against her will, according to an arrest warrant.

He never threatened her, never choked her, Pearce said.

Sheriffs Detective Garrett Keith testified that the woman went to Tylers home Saturday night to talk about alleged financial commitments he had made to her.

According to the detective, Tylers behavior reportedly changed abruptly after he went into the bathroom and returned: He accused her of stealing cash, choked her and pulled out her hair.

Keith also said she had many cuts and bruises.

I want to see the actual medical report, Pearce said.

He said he also will be looking for a protective order that Tyler told him he was granted against the woman about eight years ago.
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland on Monday described a cease-fire in Gaza and Israel as fragile, and called for talks toward a two-state solution to end the cycles of violence.

The past days witnessed a deeply worrying escalation in the Gaza Strip between Israeli military forces and Palestinian armed groups, primarily the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Wennesland told a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

On Sunday night, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced in separate statements that a cease-fire had been agreed, he said, noting that cease-fire remains in place so far.

Citing the crucial role played by Egypt in securing the cease-fire alongside the United Nations, as well as support by related parties, Wennesland said the de-escalation of the situation helped prevent the outbreak of a full-scale war and allowed for the delivery of much-needed humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza starting earlier Monday.

But he pointed out that the most recent escalation had its roots in deeper tensions.

"I want to make the Council aware of the following: the cease-fire is fragile. Any resumption of hostilities will only have devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis and make any political progress elusive," he said in his briefing to the Security Council.

Wennesland reiterated calls to the Israeli and Palestinian leadership, along with the international community, to strengthen diplomatic efforts to return to meaningful negotiations toward a viable two-state solution.

"Ultimately, the underlying drivers of this and previous escalations remain. These cycles of violence will only cease when we achieve a political resolution of the conflict that brings an end to the occupation and the realization of a two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 lines, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements," he said. 
An Indonesian policeman says he killed a fellow officer on the order of his superior, his attorney said Monday, the latest twist in a murder at the home of one of Indonesias highest-ranking police officials last month that has transfixed the nation.

The suspect has sought protection from the Victim and Witness Protection Agency, while the man who headed internal affairs for the national police  and at whose home the killing took place  has been sacked and taken into custody for allegedly tampering with evidence.

[H]e received an order from his superior to shoot, CNN Indonesia quoted attorney Muhammad Burhanuddin as saying in referring to his client, Second Patrolman Richard Eliezer.

I cant name names, but it was from the police statement and information given to his lawyer, he was pressured to shoot, ordered to shoot, Burhanuddin said.

When contacted by BenarNews, the attorney declined to provide further details, saying, the case is in the advanced stage of investigation.

On July 8, Brigadier Yosua Hutabarat was killed at the official residence of Inspector General Ferdy Sambo. In a previous account, police said Eliezer shot Yosua, who was assigned as chauffeur for Sambos wife, after he caught Yosua allegedly sexually assaulting her.

Yosuas relatives and advocates for the family challenged the allegation, claiming the killing was premeditated.

Responding to public skepticism, national police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo set up a special team to investigate the case. The team exhumed Yosuas body and conducted an autopsy involving an independent team of forensic doctors late last month.

Results will be available in late August at the earliest, according to the head of the forensics team, Ade Firmansyah Sugiharto.

Firmansyah said he found several wounds on the victims body but he could not yet say how or when they were inflicted. He did not comment on possible gunshot wounds.

We found a lot of wounds. However, we cant say whether the injuries occurred after or before death. Even the cause of the injuries couldnt be established, he said late last month.

On Saturday, police arrested Sambo, who was sacked last week as head of the national polices internal affairs division, at the Mobile Brigade headquarters just outside Jakarta. He was taken into custody for allegedly ordering the removal of security cameras around his house after Yosuas death, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said.

After special questioning, it has been determined that Inspector General FS [Sambo] committed a violation related to the unprofessional management of the crime scene, Dedi told reporters.

Burhanuddin, the attorney for Eliezer, said his client was willing to cooperate with law enforcement to uncover the case in accordance with the Witness and Victim Protection law, in exchange for leniency.

Indonesias coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Mohammad Mahfud MD, told Yosuas father and lawyers last week that the case was not an ordinary criminal one.

The day before, Mahfud MD said, President Joko Jokowi Widodo had called for this case to be investigated thoroughly.

I will not go into the substance except for one thing, that the president asked that this case be exposed openly, he said. Any attempt to hide something will be exposed.
A worker mans a furnace during the nickel smelting process at Indonesian mining company PT Vales smelting plant in Soroako, South Sulawesi, March 30, 2019.

American electric carmaker Tesla has signed contracts worth several billion U.S. dollars to purchase nickel from two companies in Indonesia, a government minister in Jakarta said Monday.

The Southeast Asian country has been trying to woo Tesla for the past few years as it tries to take advantage of being the worlds largest producer of nickel, a critical element in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

Tesla agreed to a five-year contract with nickel processing companies including Zhijang Huayou, a Chinese mining company that operates plants in Morowali, a regency on Indonesias nickel-rich Sulawesi island, said Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for investment and maritime affairs.

The good news is they [Tesla] have purchased [nickel] products from Indonesia, Luhut told CNBC Indonesia in an interview.

The contract is probably worth around U.S. $5 billion.

The announcement came less than three months after President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk in Texas, and despite environmental advocacy groups warning in late July that the Indonesian nickel industry was polluting rivers and damaging rainforests.

Luhut said Teslas planned investment in Indonesia had been delayed, among other things, by a bid by Musk to buy Twitter, the social media giant.

Indonesian media reported that the other company that signed a contract for nickel with Tesla was CNGR Advanced Material, a Chinese battery maker.

According to Luhut, the Ford Motor Company, another U.S. carmaker, as well as Germanys Volkswagen had also signed cooperation agreements with Indonesian firms, as the two long-time auto industry giants embrace electric vehicles, which are supposed to leave no carbon footprint.

Ford signed [an agreement] three weeks ago. The investment value is US$ 2.5 billion. It could be bigger than that  this is just an initial figure, Luhut said.

The minister said he was expecting a Tesla delegation to visit Jakarta to discuss investment in Indonesia.

I made an appointment on Monday [Aug. 8] to talk with the team about the progress, Luhut said.

Neither Luhuts spokesman, Jodi Mahardika, nor representatives of Tesla Asia-Pacific could be reached immediately for comment.

In May, Indonesian Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said that Tesla had agreed to invest in battery and electric vehicle manufacturing in Indonesia, following a meeting that month between Jokowi and Musk in the wake of the U.S.-ASEAN summit in Washington.

Bahlil did not provide details but hinted that the project might begin this year.

Indonesia has set a goal that by 2025, one fifth of cars made in Indonesia will be electric vehicles.

Indonesia produces 1 million cars a year that are mostly fueled by gas tanks but is trying to develop its electric vehicle market.

South Koreas Hyundai recently launched its first electric vehicle manufactured at its Indonesian plant, the Ioniq 5. Meanwhile, Chinas Wuling Motors has also unveiled a small electric car, the AirEv, which was assembled at its Indonesian plant.

In this photo taken with a fish-eye lens, Tesla Model X electric cars recharge their batteries in Berlin, Nov. 13, 2019. [Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters]

The deals, however, will not benefit Indonesia greatly if Tesla only buys raw nickel and processes it at its gigantic factory in Shanghai, where it produces half a million electric vehicles annually, an analyst warned.

If it supplies the factory in China, its a shame, said Taufik Ahmad, executive director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), a private Indonesian think-tank.

We must have the courage to push them to make batteries here, he told BenarNews, as he urged the government to disclose details of the deals to the public.

Defiyan Cory, an economist from the Constitutional Economic Forum, another think-tank here, said the sale of nickel by Chinese companies in Indonesia to Tesla might violate the countrys regulations.

Even though they pay taxes to the Indonesian government, the sale of nickel as raw materials is not constitutionally justified, Defiyan told BenarNews.

The government must explain whether there is a violation by the two companies or whether theres corruption and collusion involved in the contracts, he said.

Septian Hario Seto, a deputy at Luhuts ministry, defended the companies with nickel operations in the country, saying these were benefitting Indonesians.

Their factories is in Indonesia, the workers are Indonesian, the tax is paid in Indonesia, even though the companies are Chinese, the news website Kompas.com quoted him as saying on Monday.

Industrys tainted side

Meanwhile late last month, Indonesian and U.S. environmental groups urged Tesla to reconsider its plans for investing in Indonesias nickel industry.

The nickel industry in Indonesia has a record of environmental damage, criminalization threats that abuse democracy and equity, the threats to the vulnerable groups, and multiple violations of law, the groups said in an open letter.

More than 4,400 hectares (10,872 acres) of rainforests in South Sulawesi had been destroyed because of pollution from nickel mining, while in Bungku Beach in Central Sulawesi, mining waste increases silt in nearby rivers and beaches, threatening the livelihood of local fishermen, according to the letter.

Terminate any potential direct investment plan in the nickel industry in Indonesia because the ongoing practices from the nickel industry reveal potential widespread damage to both the environment and the communities in Indonesia, said the letter, addressed to Musk and other Tesla shareholders.

Prohibit nickel sourced and produced in Indonesia in every business line of Tesla Inc. to prevent perpetuating the widespread damage to both the environment and communities in Indonesia, it added.
Updated at 10:41 a.m. ET on 2022-08-09

Calls are growing louder for Malaysias government to explain why a multi-billion dollar project to build littoral combat ships has produced nothing after eight years, with Transparency Internationals local chapter calling it a colossal procurement and governance failure.

As he responded to questions in parliament on Monday, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein  who initiated the project back in 2014  said the first of these six ships for the navy would be completed within the next year or two.

He did not give a reason for the delay.

We are trying to make sure our ship reaches the Royal Malaysian Navy. I am also disappointed but we must look forward, Hishammuddin said.

Malaysian shipbuilder Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) has been paid just over 6 billion ringgit (U.S. $1.36 billion), according to a report released by Parliaments Public Account Committee last week, but none of five of these ships scheduled for delivery this month has made it to port.

Meanwhile, Transparency International-Malaysia, part of the global anti-corruption watchdog group, called for a probe.

With all this in place, how could the LCS [Littoral Combat Ships] project, which started in 2013 be allowed to become a colossal procurement and governance failure for so long, it said in a statement Monday, noting that the project began before the contract was signed in 2014.

How could they collectively have missed all the red flags? Where is the oversight, governance and accountability?

Muhammad Mohan, the president of Transparency International-Malaysia, proposed stopping payments until the ships were delivered and for authorities to investigate contractors and subcontractors to determine if unnecessary, intermediary dummy companies were used.

The six-ship, 9 billion ringgit ($2 billion) award in 2014 to BNS, a subsidiary of Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd, is the largest in the history of the countrys defense ministry.

On Thursday, Public Accounts Committee chairman Wong Kah Woh submitted his bi-partisan groups 250-page report for parliamentary debate after a two-year investigation of the project.

The result of the proceedings found that the LCS project was awarded to BNS through direct negotiations, with the government paying 6.083 billion ringgit, but that not one LCS ship had been completed despite the original schedule stating that five ships would be ready to be handed over by August 2022, Wong told reporters.

The committee found 1.4 billion ringgit ($314 million) in overspending, including 400 million ringgits ($90 million) to pay debts from an old patrol ship project, Wong said as he called on the ministry to keep the committee informed about the project.

The defense ministry is to present a substantive plan on military procurement to the parliamentary special select committee on defense and security from time to time by involving all stakeholders, he said.

Wong said his committee recommended that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) act on his groups findings and those from the Special Committee on Governance Investigation, Government Procurement and Finance. Prosecution, if called for, should be expedited, the MP said.

The committee also recommended that the ministry review all options and set the best direction for the project to ensure that public money is spent responsibly, and for the ministry to present a progress report every three months until the project is completed.

MACC probe

The commission is in the final stages of an investigation into the project, Malaysian media quoted chief MACC commissioner Azam Baki as saying over the weekend. But, he added, findings could not be revealed at this time because they involve sensitive matters.

Investigations into the matter have been going on for the past few years. I have said many times that we are investigating and are nearly at the end of the probe, he told reporters.

I have to be mindful of the sensitivity of the investigation as it does not only involve the MACC, but other agencies as well, including the Attorney Generals Chambers, he said.

Opposition seeks stoppage

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, has called for construction of the projects sixth ship to be canceled.

We recommend Putrajaya to complete existing projects and stop the 571 million ringgit ($128 million) LCS project, which hasnt started. This money should be returned to the people to address the rising cost of living and solve issues concerning the welfare and pension of the Armed Forces, he told reporters at Parliament last week.

On Monday, Mohamad Sabu, who served as defense minister during the Pakatan Harapan government (2018-2020), and his former deputy, Liew Chin Tong, demanded that the defense ministry declassify documents and letters linked to the project, according to local media reports.

Without the following documents being declassified, many questions will remain unanswered, Mohamad Sabu said.

Nisha David and Noah Lee in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.

CLARIFICATION: This report has been updated to clarify the comments by the head of the anti-corruption commission.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) speaks with incoming military chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro at the change-of-command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, the military headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Aug. 8, 2022.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on police officers Monday to use force only when it is necessary and justifiable, as he warned them about relentless criticism from people who oppose his new government.

Marcos was addressing members of the 226,000-strong Philippines National Police at a ceremony marking the forces 121st anniversary, during which he discussed the role of its new leader, Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

Human rights groups had accused the national police under Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos predecessor who left office in late June, of killing thousands of people during his administrations war on illegal drugs.

In the previous years, the PNP has proven its seriousness and intent to prevent criminality and solve crimes for peace to reign supreme in our land, Marcos said.

For instance, the use of force must always be reasonable, justifiable and only undertaken when necessary. Execution of authority must be fair, it must be impartial, it must be devoid of favoritism or discrimination regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, political affiliation, religious belief and the like, he said.

Marcos is the son and namesake of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the late Filipino dictator whose government was accused of widespread human rights abuses during 14 years of martial law (1972-1986). The younger Marcos was elected president in a landslide on May 9.

On Monday, Marcos reminded officers that they need to keep the publics support.

Given the gravity, the seriousness, the difficulty of the responsibility and relative influence that you carry, it is a must that the application of your mandate is firmly grounded on moral principles, integrity, accountability, and honesty to ensure continued public rapport and support from the public for the PNP, he said.

Hours later, Marcos attended the change-of-command ceremony where Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro assumed leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Speaking to the police officers, Marcos said Azurins mandate is to overhaul the image of the police force, which saw its trust ratings fall during Dutertes six-year term.

The obstacles in front of you will be difficult. Let us not try to say that they will not. They might be overwhelming at times.  Baseless and unfair criticism will be forthcoming and this will come from the center, the left and the right, he said.

And these attacks, warranted or not, unfortunately will be relentless. But I know that you are made of sterner stuff.

He also called on the public to stand with police against those who intend to inflict harm and disorder within our midst.

In his own speech at the ceremony, Azurin promised to build on the past and to uphold Marcos policies, the state-run Philippines News Agency reported.

Our collective dedication and focus enabled us to strengthen peace and security and promote public order and safety where it mattered the most, at the grassroots where quality police service is most needed by the Filipino people, he said.

Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., the new leader of the Philippine National Police, speaks to officers during the 121st Police Service Anniversary at its headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Aug. 8, 2022. [Philippine National Police/Facebook]

Marcos spoke to police a week after he announced that the Philippines, under his government, would not move to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is seeking to investigate drug war deaths under his predecessor.

While in office, Duterte pulled the country out of a treaty that had led to the ICCs creation. The former presidents daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpion, is the vice president under Marcos.

About 8,000 suspected addicts and dealers were killed in the Duterte administrations crackdown on drugs, according to official government statistics. Rights groups have said that the number of killings by police and vigilantes could be three times higher.

An investigation by the justice department last year showed that 154 police were linked to shooting deaths of drug suspects in more than 50 cases it had reviewed. Only three officers have been tried and were found guilty in one case  the murder of Kian Loyd delos Santos, 17, whose killing was captured on CCTV footage.

Change of military command

While speaking to Philippine troops later in the day, Marcos talked about the task facing Bacarro and the military forces under his command.

I know that you know well that the journey will not be an easy one. It will be sometimes treacherous, always complex. It will be difficult and at times seemingly unbearable. But with the AFP beside us, assisting and putting in place the fundamental prerequisites for nation-building, we shall overcome and emerge victorious in the end, Marcos said.

Bacarro, who survived a fierce gunfight with communist rebels in 1991, promised to crush the long-running communist insurgency, which is among various militant groups operating in the Philippines. The military in June placed the communist rebels strength at 2,700 nationwide, a far cry from about 25,000 in the 1980s.

Over the years, we have seen the value of collaboration in curing the ills of the nation, he said as he officially took leadership of the military. The AFP will continue strengthening its partnerships with our peace stakeholders.

This has been especially effective in ending local communism and even the battling of the coronavirus, he said.
TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian Foreign Ministry official said Monday that partial progress has been achieved toward resolving some remaining issues in the Vienna nuke talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, according to the official news agency IRNA.

During the past few days, four rounds of "intensive negotiations" on the outstanding issues have been held with the other sides to make sure they take into account Tehran's considerations and concerns, the Iranian diplomat told IRNA on condition of anonymity.

The Iranian official said European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora on Monday proposed some ideas on the remaining issues to relevant parties based on the latest discussions, and Iran has "conveyed our initial response and considerations as soon as we received the ideas, but the ideas naturally require comprehensive studies."

The official added that Tehran will express its final views and considerations to the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the other sides.

The "main principle" of the Iranian negotiating team is safeguarding Iran's national rights and interests, the official noted, adding the team also strives to have the other sides guaranteed fulfillment of their obligations under the nuclear deal and prevent the recurrence of illegal U.S. actions.

According to a report by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), as the latest round of the talks in Vienna on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal came to an end, the Iranian team is expected to return to Tehran in the coming hours.

Iran's consultations and contacts with the European Union and the other sides will continue, the ISNA added.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.

The latest round of talks has begun on Thursday following a five-month hiatus. 
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
People attend a June 26 rally at Park Square in Pittsfield to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade, shortly after the Supreme Court issued its official decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Some 22.1 million Kenyans will vote on Aug. 9 to elect, among others, the country's fifth president, members of the National Assembly, senators, and county governors, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The polling stations across the country will be opened at 6 a.m., local time, Tuesday, and close at 6 p.m. with voting being extended in areas that will not have finished.

Only Kenyans who are 18 years and above are eligible to vote, but one must have registered as a voter to be allowed to cast the ballot.

Results are expected to start trickling in from Tuesday evening, although the IEBC constitutionally has seven days to officially name the winner.

The constitution stipulates that for one to win the presidential election, a candidate must receive over 50 percent of the total votes cast and at least 25 percent of the votes in at least 24 of the 47 counties.

A runoff is scheduled within 30 days of the first election if no candidate receives more than half of the votes cast in the election and at least 25 percent of the votes cast in 24 counties.

Those to take part in the runoff will be the first and second candidates and the person who receives the most votes in the fresh election is declared elected as president.

A president-elect is sworn in on the 14th day after the date of the declaration of the results of the presidential election. And that is only if the results are not challenged at the Supreme Court or there is no runoff.

Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta will not be eligible to contest as he is constitutionally barred from having served the maximum two terms.

The two leading candidates are veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and sitting Deputy President William Ruto.

The elections are hotly contested, with President Kenyatta backing Odinga. The most recent opinion polls have shown a tight race between Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja (Resolution for Unity) One Kenya Coalition, and Ruto of Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance.

Both candidates have urged their supporters to turn out in large numbers to guarantee a round-one win to avoid a runoff. 




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





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Entries are still open for the 2015 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Competition, honouring Africa's best journalistic talent. The entry closing date has been extended to 18 May.

Register on the website and enter your best stories of 2014. Category information and full details on how to enter, also can be found at the Awards' website.
The inaugural Migration Media Awards will recognise the work of 35 journalists from 16 countries who had reported on the migration to the Euro-Mediterranean region. The entries were selected based on the objective and information-based reporting of the challenges and opportunities of such a complex subject.



The international jury consisted of senior journalists and evaluated more than 120 English, French, and Arabic entries that were submitted in the video, print, online, and radio categories. The Migration Media Awards is funded by the European Union and was developed in collaboration with EUROMED Migration IV, OPEN Media Hub projects, the European Asylum Support Office, and Malta's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



The first, second, and third prize winners will be awarded at a special award ceremony that will be held in Valletta, Malta on 14 June 2017.
The African Academy of Sciences alongside the African Federation of Science Journalists and the South African Science Journalists Association through the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is accepting pitches from African journalists every month for the Africa Science Desk. The project is aimed at building the capacity of science journalism on the continent.

The call is open to journalists to produce newspaper stories, TV documentaries, short web videos, explainers, short or long-form investigative reports and data stories aimed at local or global news markets. The project will also provide funding to journalists in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa to produce science stories aimed at local or global news markets.

The application for the July round is open and the next deadline is 5 July 2018; pitches are submitted through the AAS Ishango Online system.
Government must intervene as political will is required to help drive transformation in the advertising sector while clients need to demand that local agencies be prioritised when dealing with the South African market.

Image supplied. Peter Vundla, one of the indsutry pioneers who was honoured with a Lifetime Achiever Award at the recent BANA launch

This is according to Groovin Nchabeleng, co-founder and executive chairman of Blueprint Group and chairperson of Black Agencies Network Association (BANA), who addressed the attendees at the official launch of the Association, held recently at the Industrial Development Centre in Sandton.

Lion's share

The vision of the BANA is to establish an enabling and sustainable business environment for Black advertising and communication professionals.

Its purpose is to serve as the new driver and thought leader in accelerating the transformation of the industry, through the facilitation of increased black-owned and black-run agencies, advocating for policy changes at government level, lobbying the advertisers to include BANA members in pitches, and collaboration with all stakeholders in the creation of a conducive environment for sustainable growth of Black-owned and Black run agencies in the industry.

"There are over 6,000 South Africans working in the sector and influencing over 60 million people. The least that can happen is that those people must be allowed a lion's share of this industry," says Nchabeleng.

A woman of her generation

The CEO of BANA Boitumelo Mohube shared her sentiments as a black woman in the industry.

I was a huge fan of the television drama Generations. The character Aus Karabo played a huge role in influencing us, the 1980s babies, the born- frees," she says.

She explains that for those born in that era, it was a complete mind flip to see a woman represented in that manner, boldly walking into boardrooms, and owning them without shame!

"I became the woman of that generation, having the courage to start a business in a male-dominated environment, and to take up space and be the Karabo of my generation and create the magic!

Industry pioneers

The event was attended by industry pioneers Happy Ntshingila, Reuel Khoza, Peter Vundla, Dennis Mashabela, Beatrice Kubheka, Peter Vundla, Letepe Maisela, Dimape Serenyane, Jannie Ngwale, Nkwenkwe Nkomo, Beatrice Qubeka, Horace Mpanza, Madala Mphahlele, Nimrod Mkele, Gary Morolo, Tholi Ngwenya and Eric Mafuna.

Also in attendance was the Deputy Minister of the Presidency, Thembi Siweya, who addressed the audience about the efforts made by government to drive transformation In this sector.
Sakina Nosarka, the highly-regarded head of retail for Old Mutual Properties (OMP) and incoming CEO for OMP, has just taken on the additional role of South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) president, working to spearhead innovative solutions that cement the retail landscape as a key contributor to South African society.

Sakina Nosarka, new SACSC president. Source: Supplied

With more than 15 years of experience in retail property in particular, Nosarka takes pride in the retail industry being a prominent employer of women in SA, and cheers on the growing female leadership within the property industry at large. At the same time, she reminds businesses that they have a responsibility to drive real and meaningful company-wide change that paves the way for a more inclusive professional environment.

We chatted to Nosarka for Women's Month to learn more about her passion for property, what inspiring leadership looks like to her, and building back better in post-pandemic retail.

Sakina, congrats on your appointments as SACSC president and Old Mutual Properties CEO. What's first on your to-do list in your new roles?

Listen, listen, listen and really hear so people feel heard and know that their input is both important and valued in order to solidify the business foundation by being a uniter of our culture.

At the same time, the way in which I communicate is just as important. I will focus on sharing the strategic intentions of the business and in doing so approach stakeholders and strategic team leaders with the same three pertinent questions:

What should we start doing? What should we stop doing? What should we continue doing?

How would you describe your climb up the corporate ladder?

As author Tony Robbins said, setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. By nature, I have been unafraid to push boundaries and have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. I have welcomed change and have been inspired to walk the path that few have walked before me.

I have focused not only on my personal growth but my want to contribute to an industry that revolves around growth, sustainability and innovation which has been a contributing factor to my own personal success.

My passion for property has enabled me to focus on leadership, strategic thinking, and having an innovative mindset while using my negotiating skills and networks to find solutions.

Its more than just a position, its a mindset, its a way of life, and its inspiring to be able to shift and adapt with this wave of unpredictability to find working solutions that keep our assets attractive and bustling.

You need your finger on the pulse and your mind constantly exploring ways to innovate and be solution-driven. You also need foresight to ensure our offerings continue to resonate, which ultimately translates into feet in-mall and the economy of retail property pulsating and evolving.

I have been intent on developing my abilities and leading extended teams with conscious humility, creativity, motivation, vision, empathy and integrity, while encouraging every team member to see themselves as custodians, which I believe reinforces unity and a sense of pride.

Evolution is at the core of what I  we  do both professionally and personally.

With Women's Month being observed in South Africa this August, who are the women who have had a particularly positive influence on your life?

The most important is my mother  my greatest support and supporter. I wouldnt be where I am today, without her advice and unconditional love.

I have been lucky enough to have worked with some phenomenal individuals, but especially female leaders in SA who have shown me that you can participate at the highest level with integrity and have a good work life balance. Passionate about property, having access to this incredible platform will enable me to contribute towards transforming the industry and inspiring young women to discover how incredible and rewarding it can be.

In a global context, I admire Angela Ahrendts who is a dynamic and stylish businesswoman. As CEO she transformed Burberry, the iconic British heritage fashion house, into a luxury global brand and nearly tripled revenue from $1bn to more than $3bn before moving to Apple.

As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, how are you feeling about retail industry recovery, particularly within malls and retail centres?

The pandemic was an unprecedented time that required resilience. As a community we came together while being forced apart, as property owners and tenants we collaborated and supported each other. The new norm placed greater emphasis on web between property owners and tenants; the more we worked together, the larger the audience, the higher the footfall and the greater the bottom line.

As we emerge from the pandemic, we enter a phase of rethink and rebirth - a time to unveil and become something that potentially serves as inspiration to a consumer that we may not have reached pre-pandemic.

We are essential. We provide a service. We bring an experience. We enable dreams. We contribute towards an economy. We inspire. We navigate the brick-and-mortar rebound set against the backdrop of this incredible and fast-paced online and digital pandemic trend. We shift in the very essence of what retail was, to an opportunity of what we could be.

It is how we define how online retail finds a home with its brick-and-mortar big brother that matters. It is capturing the die-hard online consumers who dont put their smartphones down, who browse the offering. The success is in merging both in a symbiotic way and finding the magic in the combination of a consumer online experience merging with a tangible way in-centre.

What do you think could be done differently within South African retail spaces to accelerate recovery?

Innovation, reconfiguring the experience, recreating the offering and refocusing are the underlying formulas to augment reality using technology to reinvent unique in-store experiences. This narrative needs to continue with friends of the brand who are in essence appointees and influencers of the market through which we connect with our audience and engage through tactile, live brand experiences in-centre.

This conversation is alive and robust on social media and while it defines at the same time it redefines. It is not constant. It is forever evolving. It is in real time. It is integral to our growth both as a brand and a tenant, a shopping centre or a precinct.

Consumers are looking at life through a new normal and distinctive lens. Different generations have different priorities, none more or less valid, and each as important as their undisputed values.

Consumers are not only shopping through the lens of aesthetics and desires, but with their conscience and heart. Ethical retail is not a trend, it is a defining reality.

Consumers, brands and property owners must align ever more clearly on the environment and sustainability tapping into emotion, focusing on human connection while constantly concentrating on discovery and community.

Brick-and-mortar retail continues its metamorphosis into high-touch, sensory-driven experience with the concept of a day of shopping making a profound comeback where a leisure outing includes browsing, shopping, dining, and socialising.

Do you feel there is enough of a female voice in the industry that you work in?

I am proud to say that the retail sector continues to be one of the largest employers of women in South Africa, providing a source of both livelihoods and income to many families and dependents. Growth and change comes from challenging our own ideas and preconceptions. We need to test our thinking and create opportunities for female leaders.

South Africa is benefitting from greater female empowerment and gender equality, more women have become involved in the industry and have risen to become leaders who have made their mark.

The property industry is seeing a healthy increase in female leadership, with a larger number of women in management positions today than 10 years ago.

How do you decompress when work responsibilities feel overwhelming?

Having a good work life balance is essential to success professionally. When I need to take time out and step away from the pressure of work, I turn to my family, my husband and two incredible boys, who keep me on my toes!

My other passions include reading, shopping  both locally and internationally  where I find inspiration in beautifully crafted and quality goods. Travelling opens ones eyes to new experiences, creates a narrative and aids with personal and professional growth.

At the end of the day, what is life if we dont challenge ourselves to explore, to move beyond our comfort zone, to lean into our experiences and evolve while feeling overwhelmed?

What is your hope for future generations of women in your field?

My hope for future generations is that women know their worth, be resilient and focused while knowing the importance of attaining their goals. Persevering while staying true to themselves, to their values. Trusting their instincts.

Know it is okay to be driven; its important to be authentic, it is not a weakness to be kind. Aspire, dream big, be open to learning and evolving.

More awareness and conversation on gender is surely a good thing, but is this "noise" masking a lack of real action and progress? Attracting and developing more women in leadership roles requires company-wide change, driven from the top. OM is a good example of this.

Retention, succession, addressing the skills gap while committing to inclusion are some of the ways organisations can challenge the status quo.

My experience has taught me that if companies address culture as a priority in their business, we would accelerate progressquickly. While the industry encourages women to raise their hands higher, we must place equal focus on employers taking action to actually fix the problem.

Creating an inclusive environment is about more than just policies and hiring practices, its an ongoing process and tradition of expectation that everyone shows up and brings their whole self to work each day, feeling valued, heard and able to make an impact while progressing their careers.

The single most powerful thing an organisation can do to promote more women leaders is to create a culture of conscious inclusion building the desire, insight and capacity of people to make decisions. Lead, think and act with the conscious intent of inclusion for everyone. Our economic growth, workforce participation and future generations depend on it.
South Africa's working women have made progress in achieving equal pay for equal work, but the financial scales are tipped against them by the country's tax system that treats women and men equally, but with unequal results.

Applying affirmative action to tax laws, to redress the disproportionate impact of Vat and personal-income tax on women, especially single mothers, would support South Africas goal of inclusive economic growth and encourage greater labour-force participation and entrepreneurship by women, says Dr Lee-Ann Steenkamp, head of the postgraduate diploma in financial planning at Stellenbosch Business School and contributor of the 2022 Womens Report released last week.

South Africas tax statistics tell a story of gender inequality in womens lower-income levels and in discrimination against single-earner households, which carry a far greater tax liability than dual-earner households at the same income level.

"With the high prevalence of households with a female breadwinner only, and single mothers carrying the most child-rearing responsibility, this places a disproportionate tax burden on women, she said.

Steenkamp is one of the authors of the 2022 Womens Report by the SA board for people practices (SABPP) in partnership with Stellenbosch Business School.

South Africas previous discriminatory tax system of the apartheid years, which especially disadvantaged working married women, was repealed post-1994 and the tax laws now treat men and women the same, irrespective of marital status.

However, Steenkamp said equal treatment has not had equal outcomes.

Despite the removal of the explicit tax discrimination of the past, the new dispensation intended to treat all taxpayers equally has had unintended consequences due to the realities of society today.

"By disadvantaging single-earner households, the revised tax system with its unisex tax tables has in fact deepened inequality in taxation between men and women, she said.

Steenkamp illustrates the point with the example of the tax liability of a dual-earning household with two minor children and a combined income of R204,000 per year versus a single-earner household, also with two minor children earning the same amount.

While both partners in the dual-income household benefit from the primary tax rebate of R16,425, resulting in a total tax liability of R3,870 per annum, the single-earning household only benefits from the rebate once and so pays R20,295 in tax, on the same income.

Source: Supplied.

Given the fact that nearly one-fifth of South African households consist of a single person, this tax discrepancy warrants closer attention, especially as it has a significant gender-bias impact, Steenkamp said.

More than 40% of South African households are headed by a sole female breadwinner, she said, while far more children (41.7%) live with single mothers than with single fathers (4.4%), meaning that the added tax liability of single households falls predominantly on women.

The Sars tax statistics also illustrate that the gender pay gap still persists  while women make up almost half of taxpayers (46%), a proportion that has been slowly but steadily increasing, they pay only about one-third of total income taxes and are concentrated in the lower tax brackets.

South Africas progressive income tax system, where higher earners are taxed at a higher rate, is designed to achieve wealth redistribution, but it also shows that womens levels of taxable income are still much lower than those of men, with women making up only 14% of the earners in the highest bracket. This disparity is symptomatic of the countrys historical gender pay gap and socio-economic inequalities, she said.

Steenkamp also analysed the impact of Vat, the countrys second-largest tax-revenue stream, and argues that as a consumption tax it falls disproportionately on women.

As primary caregivers - generally carrying more of the responsibility for collective household needs such as food, health and education - women spend a greater share of their already lower income on these needs, and thus carry a greater burden of Vat contributions, she said.

She proposes that government consider expanding the zero-rating of Vat on goods and services that support households, as well as incorporating elements of affirmative action in favour of women into the income-tax regulations.

These could include higher tax thresholds for women, tax breaks for female-owned businesses, reduced tax rates on property owned by women, and tax deductions for childcare costs.

Re-introducing the child tax rebate that was available pre-1994 should be considered, she said, as a form of tax relief for childcare costs. Capping the rebate by income level and means-testing would ensure equitable treatment, ensuring that those in higher tax brackets do not benefit unfairly.

On the government expenditure side, Steenkamp said that under-resourced public services such as health and education often resulted in women and girls having to take on unpaid or low-paid care work.

Broadening access to free or affordable healthcare, -education, -water and social protection, or by way of social payments (grants) for care work, would free up more women to earn a decent income.

Fiscal policy can, and should, be used to redress gender inequities and support the nations broader transformation agenda, Steenkamp said.

Womens Report editor Prof Anita Bosch, the research chair for women at work at Stellenbosch Business School, said the 2022 report analyses South Africas fiscal policies through the lens of gender equity.

Although men and women are treated the same on paper regarding taxation, retirement funds and social grants, the policies in practice create lifelong financial inequality for women.

Bosch said the report provides a deeper understanding of the myriad balls that women have to juggle, trying to progress while also providing.

This edition of the Womens Report shows that greater consideration of the facts of life in South Africa that hamper womens advancement is needed in fiscal policy-making.

"Such an approach - covering tax, social grants, retirement funding and gender-based budgeting - should aim to halt the downward spiral of odds that progressively stack up against women as they navigate life.

Without such informed and dedicated action and targeted fairness, addressing the plight of the poorest of the poor and eradicating the cycle of poverty for the current generation of children, will remain merely a noble aspiration, she said.
South Africa and Botswana have agreed to fund the improvement and extension of rail links between the countries in a bid to boost trade and better connect Botswana to export markets, South African state-owned logistics firm Transnet said on Friday.

Source: Bob Adams via Wikimedia Commons

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) will collaborate with Botswana Rail (BR) to fix parts of the 126 km (78 mile) rail line between Swartruggens, in South Africa's North West province, and Mafikeng, on the border with Botswana, helping South Africa's landlocked northern neighbour get its minerals, including thermal coal, to market.

European countries are scrambling to meet their coal needs after a ban on imports of the fossil fuel from Russia, and coal-rich countries like Botswana are looking to cash in on the surge in demand.

The rail revamp will enable heavy haul trains to travel from Botswana to South Africa's ports of Richards Bay and Durban, TFR said. The project aims to be up and running in the next 24 months. Financial terms were not disclosed.

TFR and BR will also build a rail line from Mamabula in Botswana to Lephalale in South Africa's Limpopo province.

The two rail companies will work together to fight the "scourge of cable theft and infrastructure vandalism" that is impacting rail services, TFR said, adding this was a "rising problem" in Botswana.

Massive-scale theft of copper cables in South Africa has dented TFR's ability to transport minerals such as coal and prompted some miners to use trucks instead of trains.
NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Raila Amollo Odinga, the 77-year-old doyen of Kenya's opposition politics and son of former Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, has defied great odds to emerge as one of the most resilient politicians in East Africa's largest economy.

Now at the height of his political career and making his fifth stab at the presidency under the Azimio La Umoja (Resolution for Unity) coalition of 26 political parties, the stakes are very high for Odinga as Kenya gears up for general elections on Aug. 9.

Born on Jan. 7, 1945, Odinga is a hero of the second liberation and a maverick politician who has a huge following in many parts of the country.

To his admirers, he is fondly known by various names -- Agwambo (mysterious), Tinga (tractor) and Jakom (chairman).

Odinga was among Kenyan progressives who agitated for political pluralism in the 1970s and 1980s, paving way for the introduction of a multi-party system in 1991 and thereafter broadening the country's democratic space.

In addition, Odinga was at the helm of a crusade that culminated in the enactment of a new constitution in August 2010, ushering in a golden era for Kenya's civic space, management of national resources, cohesion and stability.

A mechanical engineer by profession, Odinga became an elected lawmaker to represent Nairobi's Lang'ata Constituency (now renamed Kibra) in 1992 when Kenya held its first multiparty elections.

In 1997, he took a stab at the presidency, coming the third after the late President Daniel Arap Moi of the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) and Mwai Kibaki, the late Kenyan third President who by then was the official leader of the opposition.

Odinga had a political alliance with Moi shortly after the 1997 general elections, and became the secretary general of the ruling KANU, placing him in a vantage position to become a future president.

Odinga's short-lived marriage with Moi ended in 2002 when the latter refused to endorse him for the presidency, instead opting for Uhuru Kenyatta, the current and fourth Kenyan president.

Toward the end of 2002, Odinga utilized his mobilization skills and political acumen to rally supporters toward supporting Mwai Kibaki's candidacy for the presidency.

His famous Kibaki Tosha (Kibaki is enough) declaration saw the late accomplished economist clinch the presidency in December 2002 under the giant National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) political outfit.

Odinga was appointed Minister for Roads by Kibaki but the duo fell out politically shortly over alleged Kibaki and allies' refusal to honor a pre-election deal where Odinga was to become the country's prime minister.

Odinga later mobilized political allies to campaign against a constitutional draft championed by Kibaki, who later sacked Odinga and his allies amid disruptions in government and divisive national politics that followed later.

In 2007, Odinga made his second stab at the presidency, competing against the incumbent Kibaki in polls that were marred by violence and accusations of irregularities.

The 2007-2008 post-election chaos that captured global attention forced Kibaki and Odinga to agree on a power-sharing deal, with the latter becoming the Prime Minister until 2013 when he again run for presidency under the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

Odinga lost to the current President Kenyatta during the March 2013 general elections, though he remained a formidable player in Kenya's opposition politics until 2017 when he again made his fourth stab at the presidency under the giant National Super Alliance (NASA) political outfit.

Though Kenyatta's victory was quashed by the country's Supreme Court over irregularities, Odinga refused to run again for the top seat, giving Kenyatta an easy win during the second round of voting.

As political divisions escalated in Kenya in the first quarter of 2018, Odinga stunned friends and foes when he made a truce with Kenyatta under the well-known handshake the duo had on March 9, 2018.

The handshake between Kenyatta and Odinga became a watershed moment for Kenyan politics, as it restored peace, stability, cohesion and optimism, earning accolades from the international community.

Odinga is running neck to neck with William Ruto, his former rival for the presidency and the sitting deputy president, and has already launched a manifesto outlining his agenda for social justice, economic reforms, women and youth empowerment.

Currently, Odinga is the African Union (AU) Special Envoy for Infrastructure Development, a position that has seen him engage the continent's bilateral partners to promote the implementation of mega infrastructure projects like roads, ports, railways and bridges. 
Pre-pandemic, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimated that women accounted for 54% of all tourism employees globally, compared to 39% in the broader economy. And yet in Africa, the figure was much, much higher (closer to 70%).

Source: Wasant Tonkun via 123RF

In fact, in 2019 Fedhasa reported that women accounted for 60% of all employees in the accommodation sector alone.

Fast-forward to 2022 and its no surprise that women have suffered disproportionate job and income losses in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors  arguably the hardest hit by Covid-19.

As the International Labour Organization points out, inequalities between women and men worldwide, whether youre talking loss of income, pay gaps, or leadership positions, have all been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving much work to be done.

And yet, women remain the backbone of the hospitality industry, which means theyll play a significant role in its recovery  and future success.

We caught up with four women who are excited by the potential within the industry, the opportunity to do things differently, and who are ready to lead the way:

1. Debbie-Lee Cockrell, GM, Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa

Debbie-Lee Cockrell, Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spas General Manager

"Gender isnt supposed to determine whether or not a person can be a remarkable leader. A persons leadership abilities should depend on their individual strengths and personality traits."

With both her parents working in hospitality, Cockrell grew up on resorts, experiencing the excitement of the environment first-hand, and seeing families and friends coming together to enjoy each others company while looking for new experiences and adventures. Her unique upbringing ignited a lifelong passion for hospitality, and she has developed a deep love and understanding of the industry  including the pressures it can put on family life.

"My childhood memories have driven every decision in my career path. Im always looking for a unique platform to enable me to be a part of what I am passionate about: developing teams and creating beautiful spaces where people come together to enjoy authentic hospitality."

Cockrell is determined to see her colleagues grow and succeed and is quick to recognise their need for flexibility and support in a sector often characterised by shift work, long hours and unpredictability.

"We have to recognise that women  and men  are more than their jobs. They're partners, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers  and spending quality time with your family, and doing things you love, is so important. In hospitality, you need empathy for and an understanding of people's lives outside of work if you want to be a successful leader," she says.

Alongside empathy, integrity is key. "Often you learn as a leader through not getting it right, and thats okay. It pushes you to do better each day, to remain humble and to always have a learning attitude. Importantly, you have to hold onto your integrity. As leaders we hold influence, and we need to be mindful of how we use it, as our decisions impact teams of people."

With lockdowns and restrictions a thing of the past, Cockrell is excited to see the industry, like many others, start to truly rebuild.

"I am pleased to share that since the beginning of the year, Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa has seen a steady start to its recovery, with the return of international visitors. But were mindful and appreciative of the local support we received too. For sustainable recovery within our businesses, I believe we all need to foster relationships with our local visitors, guests and supporters, while working towards the much-needed recovery of the international market. I believe through surviving Covid as a business, we now understand the true value of building a sustainable business for the future, which requires it to be resilient in so many ways."

Of course, there are challenges. "The pandemic forced many people out of the industry, or to reinvent themselves in order to survive. Many have not returned, choosing to stay in other industries. I am positive that this will change as we move into more settled waters, although for now, this remains a hurdle we need to collectively overcome as an industry," concludes Debbie-Lee.

What advice would you give to young women still at the very start of their hospitality careers?

Remember, you have chosen your career path for a reason. It drew you in, so hold on to that energy and excitement and let it propel you in the decisions you make and the path you choose to navigate while building your career. Only you can make a success of your future, people can give you opportunities, but its up to you as to how you act on them. Very importantly for us women within any industry, lets support one another and build each other up, we all achieve more in an environment of care.

2. Jessica Redinger, GM, voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank

Jessica Redinger, GM, voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank

"Hospitality is still very male dominated at senior management levels and regional levels, however, there is a shift taking place and more women are moving into management roles and General Manager positions. Voco is a great example."

A small-town girl originally from Mtubatuba in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, Redinger realised her gift for the hospitality industry (and her knack for working with both staff and guests alike) when she began working as a waitress at an iconic Durban hotel two decades ago. Over the years, shes worked in various roles in the industry, culminating in her dream of managing a leading hotel.

"I had been in the hotel industry for almost 20 years when the opportunity at voco presented itself. I persevered through the recruitment process, which took almost 9 months due to Covids impact on the hospitality industry! The quirkiness and uniqueness of voco really resonated with me, and I love that every day is unpredictable and ever-changing, especially in these times when the hospitality industry needs to be reinvented. It forces me to be creative and keep coming up with new ideas," says Redinger.

Redinger has learned over her career that while guests may come and go, your staff remain. "We spend most of our time at work, so it must be a fun and enjoyable environment. I have also learnt from personal experience how important family is, my motto is that family comes first. This is to ensure a work-life balance."

For Redinger, the next few years at voco will be exciting. "The pandemic has forced us to rethink how hotels operate, to streamline processes, and be versatile across different departments and roles. Its brought to light what is essential in operations, and what was simply carried over from the past, or is just a luxury. We really had to cut back on anything unnecessary, and it made us think."

Jessica believes that recruiting and investing in a skilled workforce has to be a priority now  as well as promoting diversity, equality and inclusion in the industry. We have so many unique staff members, and we allow them to be who they are and embrace what they identify with. We are not afraid to ask staff these questions so that we have a better understanding of who they are. I am very lucky to have a small, intimate team, so I get to spend time with each one of them on a regular basis. After all, happy employees make for happy guests."

Although Jessica believes the hospitality industry will take time to recover (with pre-Covid levels returning towards the end of 2023), she is looking forward to leading her dynamic team, and seeing voco The Bank positioned as the number one hotel in the Rosebank node!

What advice would you give to young women still at the very start of their hospitality careers?

Hospitality is a demanding industry; boundaries are very important to ensure that you have a work-life balance. It is possible to have a family and be career driven simultaneously, I ensure this with my team.

3. Patience Masebe, GM, Bon Hotel Rustenburg

Patience Masebe, GM, BON Hotel Rustenburg

"My team makes me a successful GM, and I do my best to pour the best of me into them. We need each other; hospitality is not a one-person show."

Masebe says hospitality is a "giving" industry, which can easily lead to burnout. Thanks to the support, leadership, and educational opportunities she has been gifted in her career, she has been able to achieve her dream role as GM of Bon Hotel Rustenburg.

Masebe has two pieces of advice for women in the sector. The first is to seek support and mentorship so you can consistently grow into the best version of yourself. Both personally and professionally. The second is always to be prepared to chip in when work beyond your scope becomes necessary  doing this will enable you to lead confidently.

"Proving oneself as a young woman in the industry can be difficult, but it's all worth it when you have the passion and determination to succeed. My team is supportive, and they help me to stay focused on my goals  which tells me I am doing something right," she says.

Hard work and passion are traits Patience has in buckets. Her drive comes from her desire to make her parents proud. Her first experience in the hospitality industry was doing an internship for a leading hotel in Klerksdorp, which she describes as "the most difficult week of my life". Unthwarted, she pursued a career in hospitality, working her way from receptionist to her current role as GM.

"I have had to grow and expand quickly and painfully, but I wouldn't change a thing. It was uncomfortable to grow, it still is, but I will keep on growing and learning for as long as I live," she says.

Adopted and raised in an Afrikaans family, Masebe says she knows the importance of learning from and sharing life experiences in a team. "Our property is multi-cultural and multifaceted. It is such a joyous experience to come to work daily and pick up a new phrase in Zulu or Afrikaans, and I can only wish this for every company out there. We are a multi-cultural nation, and each company should represent that," she says.

As for supporting women working in hospitality, she says it starts with "empowering our women to have the confidence to do anything their heart desires".

What advice would you give to young women still at the very start of their hospitality careers?

Hospitality is a passion, not a job. The hours, the workload, it can get very tiring. Be prepared to work hard and have a passion for people. Often you only see the passion when you start to do the work, but once you realise what its all about, you will love every second of it. Realise that most of life is hospitality. People need to work and sleep (business trips), eat (restaurants), get married (events), have business meetings (conferencing) and much, much more. Hard work is one part, the other part is teamwork. You cant do it alone.

4. Viwe Sona, Sales Executive, The President Hotel

Viwe Sona, Sales Executive, The President Hotel

"I love young people, and love using my story as an example that anything is possible when you put hard work in."

Sona heads up Fedhasa's Young Professional Sector, and her role on the Fedhasa board has allowed her to realise her dream of "empowering our youth" to create a generation of "go-getters.

Sona began her career in the front office after achieving a tertiary qualification in tourism and hospitality. She quickly rose through the ranks and is now working in sales; responsible for "getting bums in beds", setting up rates and contracts with clients (government, corporate, leisure, groups, and conferencing) and visiting current and potential clients to make sure that theyre happy with the service received.

"I love people and I love dealing with people, even under difficult circumstances! I love that each day is different and that you can create a memorable experience for visitors that they can talk about and remember. I love showing off our beautiful country, what we have to offer, and then delivering on it. The joy that you see on someones face is exhilarating."

As the industry grapples with a shortage of skills, Sona believes that we need to see more women in leadership positions.

"The industry is slowly embracing women in the industry, but I still feel that we need to see more women in leadership positions. There is just something about a womens touch! Women are great at multi-tasking, we have empathy, but we also have a no-nonsense approach. Young women are becoming more confident and stepping up to leadership roles and responsibilities. We need each other and that is something that has been overlooked for decades."

Looking back, Sona is proud of the strides she has made in the industry, both as a role model and as an advocate for other women. "When I meet with the staff I led at my previous jobs, it fills me with joy. It's great to hear how people have benefited from my guidance and what they have learned from me," she says.

"Our society has allowed us to believe certain things about ourselves and our environments. I am here to change that using my journey. The change started with me, and I want all young people to know that they have the power within them to make a difference," Sona says.

What advice would you give to young women still at the very start of their hospitality careers?

Learn, learn, learn and learn. Apply your knowledge and skills and be noticed. Give your best, even when situations arent always favourable. Look at what is positive for you at that point in time and let that be your motivation to carry on. The industry is fun, you can be creative and create wonderful memories for yourself and with your guests.
On 25 July 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the government's intention to implement various "bold, courageous and decisive action[s] to close the electricity gap" in South Africa and bring an end to load shedding. We unpack the legal and practical considerations of five key interventions as proposed by the government below.

Source: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

1.The procurement of new generation capacity

President Ramaphosa announced that Eskom is taking active steps to add new generation capacity to the grid on an urgent basis. The following noteworthy steps are proposed in order to procure new generation capacity:

(i) Surplus capacity bought from generators with excess power:

As an immediate measure, Eskom will buy surplus capacity from existing independent power producers (IPPs), mines and other private entities which generate excess power. This will be beneficial for entities that have built projects with excess capacity which can be sold to Eskom.

If Eskom purchases this electricity while the current legislative regime is in place, a determination in terms of section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act, 4 of 2006 (ERA) will need to be issued. In terms of section 34 of the ERA, the minister will identify the procurer and whether or not a procurement process should be followed for that purchase. It remains to be seen how the surplus capacity will be procured and whether or not a procurement process will be required, or whether the section 34 determination will deviate from such a requirement. It is also unclear how the tariff will be determined for the purchase of surplus capacity, especially if no procurement process is followed.

(ii) Acceleration of IPP procurement programmes:

2,600MW of capacity has been procured through Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), which should add capacity to the grid from early 2024. Efforts are being made to ensure that all Bid Window 5 projects commence construction as scheduled. These efforts include taking a pragmatic approach to local content requirements (which have been a major difficulty for the Bid Window 5 projects due to a lack of the requisite manufacturing capacity in the local market) and prioritising the need to build new capacity as quickly as possible. Clarity is required on what this "pragmatic approach" would entail.

Any change to the Bid Window 5 local content requirements may be subject to legal challenge by unsuccessful bidders on the basis that it results in the procurement process being unfair because it benefits the preferred bidders to the detriment of both unsuccessful bidders or entities that failed to submit a bid as a result of the specified onerous local content requirements. A mitigating factor may be that the relaxation of these requirements would open the door for any such bidders to participate in a less stringent Bid Window 6.

2,000MW of capacity has been procured through the Risk Mitigation IPPP Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). The majority of RMIPPPP projects are struggling to reach financial close, with only three of the 18 selected projects having reached financial close to date. Financial close for RMIPPPP has also been repeatedly postponed from the original date of 31 July 2021. It is noted that no government efforts were specifically mentioned to ensure that RMIPPPP capacity is realised, and it is unclear whether or not the government has any plans to prioritise addressing the challenges facing the RMIPPPP projects.

President Ramaphosa has announced that the generation capacity to be procured through REIPPPP Bid Window 6 will be doubled from 2,600MW to 5,200MW. This significant increase in the Bid Window 6 generation capacity raises some practical issues:

The bid submission date for Bid Window 6 is currently 11 August 2022. It is not clear whether bidders can expect an extension of the bid submission date, although an extension may not be necessary as previous rounds have been oversubscribed in terms of the MWs bid.

As matters stand, only bidders registered under Bid Window 6 would be entitled to bid projects into Bid Window 6. New bidders would therefore be excluded from participating in Bid Window 6 at this stage because they are not registered bidders. It is not clear at this stage whether the DMRE will re-open registration under Bid Window 6.

The Eskom network in the Northern Cape faces capacity constraints, with bidders across the various programmes competing for Budget Quotes on a first come, first served basis. It is unclear whether or not there are any plans or strategies in place to increase the capacity of the Eskom network, particularly in the Northern Cape.

(iii) Power purchased from the SAPP:

Eskom will purchase power from neighbouring countries, such as Zambia and Botswana, that have excess electricity capacity, through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). We note that Eskom is already a member of the SAPP.

If a cross-border project is intended prior to the enactment of new legislation, then there must be due regard of the requirements in regulations 6(4) and 8 of the Electricity Regulations on New Generation Capacity (as issued in terms of ERA). These require, among other things, that the minister needs to be satisfied (when issuing a section 34 determination for a cross-border project) that adequate agreements, memoranda of understanding or arrangements are in place or will be in place between the government and the relevant foreign government or international organisation, as are necessary to enable that cross-border project.

(iv) Procurement of battery storage and gas-fired power:

Eskom will be constructing its first solar and battery storage projects at Komati, Majuba, Lethabo and several other power stations. This will result in over 500MW being added to the grid. By storing excess power for a later time when it is most needed through battery storage technologies, the grid is able to deploy that power to address demand during peak periods.

A request for proposals for battery storage capacity will be released by September this year, and a further request for proposals for gas power will follow. We note that there has been no mention of new coal, nuclear or hydro procurement in the president's address.

2. Easing of distributed generation regulations and new legislation

In June 2021, the licensing requirement for generation projects up to 100MW was removed. President Ramaphosa has now announced the complete removal of the licensing requirement for embedded generation. This will incentivise further private investment in electricity generation and reduce the lead times to commence construction of projects. While these projects will not require licences, all new generation projects will still have to register with Nersa, comply with environmental legislation, and meet technical requirements for grid connection. Although this development is welcomed, some practical concerns arise that will need to be clarified by Nersa:

The reference to "embedded generation" by the president creates some uncertainty because it is a term that is understood differently in different contexts. For example, it is not clear whether wheeling projects are included or not within this term.

A question arises about transitional arrangements. What happens to projects that are envisaged to be above the 100MW threshold and have already submitted licence applications to Nersa? Will these applications be carried through, or will they be converted into registration applications? Nersa will need to consider any changes in law in assessing the approach to such projects.

Special legislation will be tabled with parliament on an expedited basis to address the legal and regulatory obstacles to new generation capacity, for a limited period. In the meantime, government will waive or streamline certain regulatory requirements where it is possible to do so within existing legislation. The following has been proposed:

Reduction of the regulatory requirements for solar projects in areas of low and medium environmental sensitivity.

Expansion of Eskom power lines and substations without needing to get environmental authorisation in areas of low and medium sensitivity and within the strategic electricity corridors.

Establishment of a single point of entry for all energy project applications to ensure coordination of approval processes across government.

Departments and entities are reviewing all existing timeframes to ensure that all applications are processed on an urgent basis.

To meaningfully address legal and regulatory obstacles, the "special legislation" will also need to meet other regulatory and permitting requirements and provide a regime for how these can be expedited. These include the following:

Environmental and land consents, e.g., environmental authorisations, water use licences, heritage consents, agricultural consents, building plan approvals etc.;

Ministerial approvals in terms of the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act, 70 of 1970, for the long-term letting or sale of portions of agricultural land;

Section 53 consents in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002, for use of land surface;

Local municipal requirements regarding land use (zoning) as well as general compliance with municipal by-laws (such as those relating to water); and

Appeals and review proceedings, including how objections and appeals can be dealt with in an expedited manner.

3. Incentivising investment in rooftop solar through feed-in tariffs

Government has acknowledged the potential for households and businesses to install rooftop solar solutions and to connect this power to the grid. To incentivise greater uptake of rooftop solar, Eskom will develop rules and a pricing structure, known as a "feed-in tariff", for all commercial and residential installations on its network. This means that those who have installed solar panels in their homes or businesses will be able to sell surplus power to Eskom.

There are some complexities here as most of these installations occur within municipal distribution systems rather than Eskom's transmission systems. It is unclear at this point the extent to which municipalities have bought into this regime and it will be interesting to see what proposals are made to deal with issues of net metering and billing within the municipal system.

4. Improving the performance of Eskom's existing power stations

To address the red tape around buying spares and equipment to effect critical repairs at power stations, it was announced that Eskom's budget for critical maintenance will be increased over the next 12 months. Eskom is actively recruiting skilled personnel who will work towards reinstating world-class operating and maintenance procedures.

We suspect Eskom will be relying on emergency procurement procedures which allow deviation from the ordinary requirements to have to go through a competitive tender process in order to buy spares and equipment on an urgent basis. This is something which is self-evidently open to abuse and has the potential to be a vehicle for corruption and looting of this increased budget allocation. It remains to be seen what structural mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the by-passing of the ordinary processes, with their associated protections, does not result in abuse.

5. The fundamental transformation of the electricity sector and positioning it for future sustainability

National Treasury is finalising a sustainable solution to Eskoms R400bn debt, and the minister of finance will outline how this matter will be dealt with in the October Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. Government will use climate funding provided through the Just Energy Transition Partnership to invest in the grid and will also repurpose power stations that have reached the end of their lives.

Government has previously announced that the restructuring of Eskom will result in the establishments of three entities, namely an electricity generation entity, an electricity transmission entity, and an electricity distribution entity. Eskom has already established an independent transmission company and is on track to separate its generation and distribution businesses by the end of 2022. It will soon be appointing boards for the transmission and generation entities.

The grid will remain state owned, despite these interventions. The unbundling of Eskom and the broader reforms to establish a competitive electricity market will allow more generators, both private and state-owned, to compete on an equal footing.

Broader reforms to establish a competitive electricity market will be expedited through the finalisation of the amendment of ERA to promote private sector investment. The second amendment Bill to the ERA was published in February 2022 and the DMRE has been engaging with various stakeholders to incorporate comments and release an amended Bill later in 2022.

To ensure that these measures are implemented in a coordinated manner, President Ramaphosa has established a National Energy Crisis Committee (NECC) which is chaired by the director-general in the presidency and brings together all the departments and entities involved in the provision of electricity.

Conclusion

The government interventions proposed by President Ramaphosa to address South Africa's electricity supply crisis are very positive and long overdue. The implementation of these measures will be critical to rescue South Africans and their economy from the ravages of the ongoing load shedding and lead them towards sustainable economic growth and well-being.
This Women's Month, we chatted to Sam Gqomo, founding director of the Womandla Foundation, who shared with us more about the work that she does through the foundation and its impact so far, as well its third Women in STEAM Awards.

Sam Gqomo, founding director of the Womandla Foundation

The Womandla Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to bridge the gender gap in Africa through women empowerment.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I am a marketing communications and PR specialist by trade and run a PR and comms consultancy. I'm also the founder of the Womandla Foundation. I have recently been appointed as a global Youth Giving Summit ambassador representing South Africa, connecting with do-gooders around the world.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Absolutely crazy! I wake up at 7am and do my devotions, get ready for work and get cracking on the admin between 8am-9am. Thereafter, I get to work, and this can look like meetings, follow-ups, doing the comms work and managing my team. I also attend many networking and fundraising events.

Share with us more about the work that you do through the Womandla Foundation.

Womandla Foundation is a non-profit company which seeks to bridge the gender gap by upskilling and training African women so they can further their own economic development and make bigger contributions to society. We are committed to providing sustainable, relevant programmes in all spheres within technology, media, skills development, mentorship, and every sector aimed to empower young girls to live out their destiny.

We operate with three key focus areas/pillars namely: entrepreneurship and development (E&D), mentorship and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics).

E&D is where we encourage involvement in entrepreneurial activity from a young age, create opportunities and platforms of engagement with female role models in the field for learning and sharing, and drive females towards entrepreneurship through business masterclasses to spur job creation.

Mentorship is where we give young learners in Langa township our hand to hold through their educational journey to realise their full potential.

Lastly, we have STEAM. This pillar recognises the global movement that STEM is not mutually exclusive to arts. Through our STEAM committee, we have hosted coding workshops and career guidance events, and profiled dynamic young women in STEAM in the online series The STEAM Room and Womandla Women in STEM Awards, recognising local women trailblazing STEM fields.

What has been the measureable impact of the foundation so far?

Our partnerships with other organisations have allowed for 20 women in Africa to receive bursaries through Mancosa to study any of their 21st Century Skills courses. With FEMNet and the Cape Town V&A Waterfront, we have raised global awareness on the plight of women in South Africa who cannot afford sanitary products. We hosted two educational campaigns with them and managed to collect sanitary products for 1,000 girls.

Weve held career expos at two schools in Langa, Cape Town which exposed over 3,000 learners to various careers and funding opportunities like NSFAS.

The foundation is running its third Women in STEAM Awards this year. Why is this particular cause so important to you?

Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields. The gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future, like computer science and engineering.

Giving women equal opportunities to pursue  and thrive in  STEM careers helps narrow the gender pay gap, enhances womens economic security, ensures a diverse and talented STEM workforce and prevents biases in these fields and the products and services they produce. We are intentional about celebrating the unsung African women and role models in these fields who are changing the narrative.

As a thought leader, what do you see as the major challenges and opportunities ahead for women in STEAM?

In our context, the greatest challenges are the unavailability of maths and science teachers in schools. This discourages students and has them choosing subjects that are available to them. Apartheid had also limited previous generations of women and Black people to enter STEM fields, and so a lack of role models also challenges this. However, things are changing and progressing with access to internet which opens a whole new world, narrative and allure to women in STEM-related fields.

This kind of exposure enables more young girls to take a keen interest in participating in extra-curricular activities in STEM, look for funding opportunities to study further and have positive role models to interact with and get mentored by.

Where do you believe does the value lie in diversity and inclusivity, particularly in terms of female representation?

Breaking the biases and traditional roles is important to how the world develops. The participation of women will strengthen the economy, develop nations and give women and girls a sense of purpose beyond what has been historically prescribed.

Who have been some of the inspirational female role models in your life?

Phew! Quite a few from everyday entrepreneurs and changemakers but, more specifically, the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Dr Cindy Trimm.

Do you have any pearls of wisdom to share this Women's Month or words of encouragement?

Fortune favours the bold, and I encourage women to be bold about what sets their souls on fire and wish for them to pursue their God-given destinies against all odds! True fortune is receiving the wealth of love, recognition, and celebration of living out your purpose and positively impacting others.
Telemedicine allowed medical professionals to interact during lockdown with patients regardless of the physical limitations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But is this a future solution for medical care or rather a massive new indemnity headache for health professionals?

Image source: Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the world irrevocably and it had a significant effect on the medical industry. It accelerated a worldwide shift to telemedicine and this will certainly lead to insurance and regulatory change. The emergency caused the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to relax the previous strict regulations regarding telemedicine and allow virtual consultations. It also changed the name telemedicine to that of telehealth to allow other health specialists, such as psychologists, to practise virtually.

The HPCSA has subsequently been urged by many medical aids to bring about permanent regulatory acceptance and has confirmed that the regulations will be reconsidered after the pandemic ends. Be as it may, telemedicine is here to stay and is increasingly gaining traction. Patients have got used to the ease of a virtual consultation in the comfort of their own homes and doctors can consult more patients.

Although doctors are now allowed to consult with patients outside South Africa, insurers are generally not indemnifying Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) consulting outside the borders of South Africa.

Will telemedicine increase insurance premium rates? It remains to be seen exactly what the situation is after the pandemic, but a gut response is that if more patients are seen, there may be more potential liability. Experienced doctors have expressed concerns that the chances of a misdiagnosis or failure to identify important signs are much higher as there is no face-to-face contact and physical examination.

Most patients are notoriously incorrect in their descriptions of symptoms and signs and often have pre-conceived diagnoses which may influence their description of the complaint. Many doctors have expressed concern that telehealth will weaken the doctor-patient relationship and lead to more long-term dissatisfaction. This may ultimately lead to more complaints and claims.

Medical practitioners, especially those doing elective surgery, took a massive knock during the pandemic. Patient numbers were down between 60% and 90%. Generally, there were fewer complaints and claims. Most insurers decreased their premiums or gave premium holidays to policyholders. However, now with the patient numbers rising and elective surgery fully scheduled, it is expected that complaints and claims will increase significantly.

Insurance premium rate increases have slowed but are expected to return to more normal increase patterns as the pandemic becomes part of our lives. It is expected that most practices will be busier than ever post-pandemic. Unfortunately, there is no immediate end in sight for opportunistic claims, the increase in pay-outs and rising legal costs.

However, change may, in the long term, be on its way to help the medical profession and indemnity providers out of the existing chaos. The South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) was requested by Dr Aaron Motsoaledi  at that stage Minister of Health  to investigate medical-legal claims in South Africa.

At the end of 2021, the commission published an in-depth discussion paper. Data was cited indicating that approximately 50% of medical negligence claims are of the cerebral palsy type (of which a small fraction result truly from a birth injury and obstetrician negligence). The report also indicates that in South Africa, no legislation exists to specifically address medical-legal claims.

The issues identified and the interventions proposed by the SALRC are praiseworthy, sensible and the body should be highly commended. However, as stated in the paper:

The best legislation in the world will not make any difference unless it is applied, implemented, complied with and monitored.

Economic factors are increasing the risk of litigation. The cost of appropriate care continues to rise and is more technical, specialised and depersonalised.

With the advent of managed healthcare more than 20 years ago, healthcare funders have increasingly vetoed clinicians decisions, making it impossible to provide the appropriate care. In these situations, a number of adverse results may occur and may lead to complaints or claims. This situation is unlikely to improve. HCPs must consider very carefully before entering into contracts with funders.

The healthcare and professional indemnity systems are both undergoing rapid change. Unfortunately, although there are opportunities for better care, economic factors may increase risks. The possibility of legislative change exists but finally, the importance of the patient-doctor relationship and the duty of care, can never be over-emphasised.
It's been over two months since Comair closed its doors, leaving domestic carriers, the likes of FlySafair, Lift Airlines and Airlink with almost 40% fewer available seats. Since then, SA airlines have been frantically adding routes and increasing their fleets to steer away from inevitable price hikes and shortages.

Shortages prompt passenger outrage

Those in need of air tickets between South Africas major destinations like Cape Town and Johannesburg found themselves in a crisis shortly after Comair signed off, with zero available flights on most domestic carriers.

Amid the growing dissent, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, chief executive of the Tourism Business Council South Africa, called for calm and patience, iterating that Comairs demise offered opportunities for SA Airlines and carriers to add aircraft and build capacity.

He hinted that the time was ripe for fresh players to enter the market and encouraged travellers to book early in order to avoid shortages and high prices. Missing a flight is no longer an option for air passengers in 2022.

Unfortunately, the wheels of progress turn slowly in the airline industry, with air carriers facing a slew of regulatory processes when they want to increase their offering. Still some airlines, like FlySafair, have managed to add capacity and bring some relief to those flying domestically.

New flights from Safair in the air and on the cards

FlySafairs chief marketing officer, Kirby Gordon iterates that the market has lost approximately 9,000 seats per week, and that new planes are one of the best ways to "help plug this gap".

As a result, FlySafair intends to add at least 10 new sub-Saharan African routes to its offering and increase its fleets by five planes in early 2023. Another three aircraft will join the fray by the end of the year.

Soon travellers will be able to book FlySafair flights to Nairobi, Maputo, Victoria, Falls, Lusaka, and Zanzibar.

The airline has already commenced with flights to Mauritius departing twice weekly from OR Tambo International Airport.

FlySafair already offers the largest route network in South Africa, with flights between all major centres, like Cape Town, OR Tambo, Kind Dhaka, East London, Lanseria, Port Elizabeth and a new Cape Town to Bloemfontein route.

Kirby has assured domestic travellers that while FlySafair cant fill the gap left by Comair, it will continue to do what it can to increase capacity and bring relief.

Onwards and upwards for SAA

Likewise, SAA has reportedly stepped in to make up for the demise of Kulula.com by honouring the latters agreement with loyalty card holders with a well-known medical insurance provider.

Members of this popular programme can enjoy three discounted domestic return flights annually which does much to ease the cost of air travel as flight prices continue to climb steadily after Comairs untimely demise. But, for frequent travellers three return flight discounts are soon depleted and comparing prices on a good search engine such as SA Airlines or Travelstart is often the best way to find the cheapest flights.

The national carrier is working steadily to increase its offering back up to pre-pandemic levels in the second half of 2022. The airline has recently signed a codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways, to increase capacity for travel to Dar Es Salaam, Entebbe, Harare, Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Durban and Cape Town.

Additional destinations in the pipeline include Kilimanjaro, Juba, Lusaka, Zanzibar, Ghana, Douala, and Nigeria.

Will prices stabilise as the world gets back to business?

The South African airline industry has suffered blow after blow in the last two years, having to contend with increasing fuel prices, airline closures, travel bans, and slow regulatory processes.

Increased demand is unlikely to assist in bringing fuel prices down as we hasten toward another busy summer travel season, especially in the wake of loosening travel restrictions.

In the light of these unique circumstances, its impossible to compare price increases based on past averages, and a little unfair on the airlines to do so.

Additional routes and larger aircraft can only help to keep the cost of flights as low as possible for the foreseeable future. Both business and leisure travellers are urged to book early, travel during low-demand midweek periods, and find available discounts on a good flight search engine to help reduce costs.

Sources:

https://www.routesonline.com/airlines/4514/south-african-airways/

https://www.travelnews.co.za/article/flysafairs-five-new-aircraft-bring-some-relief

https://www.news24.com/Tags/Topics/flysafair

https://www.capetownetc.com/travel/flysafair-gets-ready-to-soar-with-new-routes-across-africa/

https://newsdigestblog.org/business/96484/flysafair-to-add-new-routes-across-africa/

https://www.businessinsider.co.za/moonlight-flights-from-cape-town-to-mauritius-restart-2022-7

https://travel.flightsite.co.za/airlines/flysafair-flights/




BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI: As tensions mount in the central African nation of Burundi ahead of presidential elections, journalists and activists say they are paying an increasingly heavy price as standard bearers for free speech, reports BD Live.

Civil rights in the small Great Lakes nation, they say, are on the decline - sacrificed at the altar of President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial ambition to defy a two-term limit and stay in power for another five years.

Read the full Journalists, activists bemoan mounting harassment in Burundi.
NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's sitting deputy president William Samoei Ruto, who is contesting the presidency under Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance in the Kenya 2022 general elections scheduled for Tuesday, was born on Dec. 21, 1966.

Like any other rural child born when Kenya had just gained independence from British colonialists, Ruto went to public primary and secondary schools even as he assisted his parents to carry out several chores including herding goats and tending to the farm.

At one point, Ruto used to sell indigenous chickens by the roadside to help his parents supplement household income, a past he relishes narrating to local and foreign audiences to describe his hardscrabble roots.

It was while pursuing a major in zoology and botany at the University of Nairobi in the early 1990s when Ruto dabbled with student politics, which earned him the recognition of officials at the then ruling party, Kenya African National Union (KANU).

In 1992, Ruto joined the Youth for KANU lobby that campaigned vigorously for the late President Daniel Arap Moi, who was facing stiff competition from a rejuvenated opposition.

When he turned 31 in 1997, Ruto won the Eldoret North parliamentary seat in Uasin Gishu County, in the Rift Valley, joining the ranks of youthful leaders who were ready to take over the reins of the ruling party KANU.

During the 2002 general elections, Ruto teamed up with Moi's preferred successor and the current President Uhuru Kenyatta to face off a united opposition.

The relatively youthful Kenyatta, however, lost the quest for the presidency to Mwai Kibaki, Kenya's late third president, and together with Ruto and other youthful KANU leaders, Kenyatta later became the official opposition in the country.

It was while campaigning against the draft constitution in 2005 when Ruto's mobilization skills came to the fore, enabling him to cut deals with a formidable opposition that was emerging to challenge Kibaki's grip on power.

When Kenya held hotly general elections in December 2007 that eventually morphed into deadly skirmishes and displacement of civilians, Ruto was in the opposing camp with Kenyatta, but both were later indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly instigating the chaos. The ICC, however, withdrew the charges of crimes against humanity against Kenyatta in December 2014. It also withdrew the case against Ruto in April 2016 for lack of sufficient evidence.

The duo again closed ranks in 2012 and merged their political parties to form the Jubilee Party that catapulted Kenyatta to the presidency during the March 2013 general elections, with Ruto becoming his deputy.

Ruto has been a formidable player in national politics for more than nine years as the deputy president and despite falling out with Kenyatta in 2018 when the latter shook hands with opposition leader Raila Odinga, the 56-year-old is still determined to scale heights, with the presidency the ultimate prize.

Soon after falling out with Kenyatta politically in 2018, Ruto has been traversing the country with his loyal troops to endear himself to the masses, in readiness for a stab at the presidency.

Together with lawmakers who support him, Ruto walked out of the ruling Jubilee Party to join a nascent party called United Democratic Alliance (UDA) that he used to bargain with other national leaders and form a giant coalition called Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) that has nominated him to run for the presidency.

In the last four years when he was seen as acting as an outsider in government, Ruto has been promoting the bottom-up economic model to appeal to the low-income masses.

Ruto's main challenger is Odinga, a veteran opposition leader. The two are running neck and neck in the polls.

Ruto's critics accuse him of promoting populist economic policies that could destabilize the country's social and political order but he has vowed to soldier on for the long haul, with the hope of clinching the presidency, despite humble roots. 
A gay-married couple from Georgia is being accused of making child pornography with the adopted children who they acquired.

William and Zachary Zulock have been charged with this ghastly crime, allegedly abusing the children that were placed under their care. According to the Walton County Sheriffs Office, the men were producing homemade child sexual abuse material with at least one child who lived in the home.

The sheriffs office also stated that they found evidence that the gay couple were engaging in sexually abusive acts and video documenting this abuse. It has not been said whether or not they were sharing the pornography with other perverts.

Each men is being charged with aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, and sexual exploitation of a child. Additionally, William Zulock is being charged with child molestation.

It should come as no surprise that the accused pedophiles are apparently both hardcore liberal activists who posted Love Trumps Hate on social media and supported the far-leftist Human Rights Campaign:

Big League Politics has reported on the nationwide epidemic of the LGBT grooming of children as predators brag about targeting children and converting them to their depraved lifestyle:

A video titled A Message From the Gay Community features a gay choir from San Francisco, Calif. admitting that they are grooming kids for their sexual pleasure.

The video, which is overwhelmingly unpopular on YouTube, seems to validate the Christian Rights long-standing concerns about giving homosexuals standing in society.

Do you think were sinful? You fight against our rights. You say all lead lives you cant respect. But youre just frightened. You think that well corrupt your kids if our agenda goes unchecked. Funny, just this once, youre correct! a homosexual predator boasted in the video. Well convert your children. Happens bit by bit. Quietly and suddenly, and you will barely notice it, he confessed LGBT predators have never felt more emboldened. They are clearly after the souls of the children, and most of society is happy to look the other way due to cowardice. If America does not suffer damnation, God may owe Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.

The worst fears of the Christian Right are coming to pass now that LGBT perversion is considered mainstream and acceptable by society. The souls of the children are being feasted upon, and these emboldened perverts will continue to move their cultural agenda forward until they are stopped.
Los Angeles voters will cast their ballot on a proposal that could force hotels to house the homeless, a policy that has many hotel owners concerned about how it will impact public safety.

President of the Northeast Los Angeles Hotel Owners Association Ray Patel joined "Fox & Friends Weekend," Sunday, to discuss why the policy is not a long-term solution and his worry if the policy is adopted.

"This is not a solution, it's just a temporary fix," Patel told co-host Carley Shimkus. "And during Project Roomkey, a great example, they housed the unhoused in the hotels  but the government never provided an end solution. They never provided transitional services to permanent housing; and simply issuing hotel vouchers impacting our hotels and our marketability of those rooms to the pain tourist, corporate travelers and locals is not a solution now."

Patel touted the COVID-era program to secure housing for the homeless, but stressed his concern surrounding how the policy would impact public safety as crime continues to spiral out of control.

If passed, the voucher program would require hotels to send information on their vacant rooms for the day by 2 PM daily, but Patel stressed that many guests have not yet checked in by that time.

"That just doesn't make sense because at 2 PM people are barely checking into the hotels, and they're asking us to combine both populations in a hotel - the paying guests and those that have hotel vouchers that would be issued by the city," Patel said.

"And our great concern is the safety of our guests, our staff and also our neighbors that surround the business communities," he continued.

The homeless crisis has been a long-time issue in Los Angeles, but has worsened in many cities nationwide since the pandemic began.

According to the L.A. Homeless Services Authority, over 66,000 people were homeless in 2020, which was a 12% increase from 2019.

"I think this is something that the government should have resolved long time ago," Patel said. "It's been politicized, and you'll hear this from all the homeless advocate groups, too, looking for housing for the unhoused, as they seem to be taking on as a topic when politicians are running for office - but there's no solution provided."
You can always tell how important narrative control is by watching the way people react when their control of the narrative is jeopardized.

Empire apologists are raging at Amnesty International for pausing its aggressive facilitation of western imperialism to issue one brief criticism of the way Ukrainian forces have been endangering civilian lives with their warfare tactics against the Russian military.

Amnesty is far from the first to highlight this extensively documented issue; that Ukrainian forces have been deliberately positioning themselves in civilian populations without taking proper measures to protect noncombatants is a concern that has been voiced repeatedly since the war began and reported on by both mainstream western news outlets and the United Nations.

Nevertheless, Amnestys claim that Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harms way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals has drawn fire from Ukrainian officials, from mass media pundits, from the brainwashed rank-and-file on social media, and from President Zelensky himself.

A common criticism circulating among the outrage is that Amnesty is facilitating Russian propaganda, has been influenced by Russian propaganda, or has itself become an instrument of Russian propaganda.

The head of Amnesty Internationals Ukrainian branch resigned as a result of the report, saying that the organization created material that sounded like support for Russian narratives and that in an effort to protect civilians, this study became a tool of Russian propaganda.

It is a shame that the organization like Amnesty is participating in this disinformation and propaganda campaign, tweeted Zelensky advisor Mykhailo Podolyak.

Amnesty International can go to hell for this garbage, tweeted Human Rights Foundation Chairman Garry Kasparov. Or go to Ukraine, which Putins war is trying to turn into hell. As with their actions on Navalny, it reeks of Russian influence turning Kremlin propaganda into Amnesty statements.

The Daily Mail called the Amnesty report a coup for Vladimir Putins propaganda machine.

The organization gives a huge assist to Russian propaganda, tweeted Oleksiy Sorokin, chief operating officer of the NATO propaganda outlet Kyiv Independent.

Shameful victim-blaming. Russia invaded Ukraine and is committing unspeakable war crimes there. Please do not amplify Russian lies, tweeted Paul Massaro of the US governments Helsinki Commission.

The underlying premise behind these complaints, of course, is that it is Amnesty Internationals job to help Ukraine win a propaganda campaign against Russia. Which is odd, because Amnestys reporting on the war has actually been overwhelmingly biased in favor of Ukraine this entire time.

Anger directed at Amnesty is surprising given that it is the first critical piece the group has written on Ukraine since the war began, reports Unherd. Over the last six months, Amnesty has published 40 articles on Ukraine, nearly all of which condemn Russias invasion, with only one exception  its latest  that could be conceivably described as critical of Ukraine.

Even the Amnesty report currently sparking all the outrage contains repeated condemnations of Russias actions in Ukraine, citing indiscriminate attacks by Russian forces and war crimes Amnesty has found Russia guilty of committing, as well as decrying the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons, including internationally banned cluster munitions.

But even ninety-nine percent loyalty to the official line is not enough for imperial spinmeisters and the empires useful idiots. Anything short of 100 percent compliance counts as Russian propaganda.

But thats precisely the notion that has been drummed into western consciousness with ever-increasing fervor since 2016: that any dissent about US foreign policy is Russian propaganda. Dont support western interventionism in Syria? Youre spouting Russian propaganda. Worried about nuclear war? Russian propaganda. Dont think the fight for US unipolar domination is worth all this dangerous brinkmanship? Russian propaganda. Dont like the idea of an expensive proxy war with no exit strategy whose economic fallout is making life harder and harder for more and more people all around the world? Russian propaganda.

I myself am accused of being a peddler of Russian propaganda many times per day, and have been for years. This despite my hardly ever consuming Russian media, never receiving a penny from Russia, and never having worked for the Russian government or any other government at any time. Russian media have at times chosen of their own initiative to amplify my work since I have a standing invitation for anyone to do so, but Im literally just an Australian woman writing her opinions online with her American husband. I only qualify as Russian propaganda because I disagree with US foreign policy.

Ask anyone who says a criticism of the western empires Ukraine policy is Russian propaganda to name a critic of western Ukraine policy who they dont consider a Russian propagandist. They wont be able to. For them, disagreeing with ones government about Ukraine is itself Russian propaganda.

For empire apologists the measure of what constitutes Russian propaganda about Ukraine has nothing to do with whether or not whats being said is true or valid; its literally just a question of obedience to ones government about the decisions its been making with regard to that nation.

If the measure of whether something qualifies as propaganda is defined entirely by whether it agrees with ones government, then that measure is itself propaganda.

Thats exactly whats happening with criticism of the wests interventionism in Ukraine. Something doesnt have to come from Russia to be considered Russian propaganda, and its source doesnt need to have any connection to the Russian government. It doesnt even have to be false. All it needs to be is disobedient.

We saw this illustrated this past June when The Guardian published a NATO-backed claim that journalist Aaron Mate was the most prolific spreader of disinformation among a Russia-backed network of Syria conspiracy theorists, despite being incapable of citing a single false thing in Mates Syria reporting, and despite The Guardian having to hastily edit out their Russia-backed claim.

We also saw this illustrated this past June in a University of Calgary briefing paper on disinformation about the war in Ukraine which warns about five primary narratives being circulated online:

1. Implying NATO expansionism legitimizes the Russian invasion 2. Portraying NATO as an aggressive alliance using Ukraine as a proxy against Russia 3. Promoting a general mistrust in institutions and elites 4. Suggesting that Ukraine is a fascist state or has extensive fascist influences 5. Promoting a specific mistrust of Canadas Liberal government, and especially of Prime Minister Trudeau

There are arguments of varying strengths to be made for every one of those points, but more importantly it is self-evident that all of them are matters of opinion and none of them meet any sane definition of disinformation. They also cant in and of themselves rightly be called either Russian or propaganda.

Russian propaganda certainly exists, and the Russian government certainly has a vested interest in influencing western thought in its strategic favor to whatever extent it is capable. But its capability is very, very limited, especially compared to the exponentially greater influence that western institutions have over our minds.

Russia has a few trolls and some media outlets that were barely viewed by westerners even before they were banned; the US-centralized empire has the billionaire media, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and the education system. Comparing the two is like comparing a candle to the sun, and the sun aint Russia. But thats the one whose influence over our minds were meant to worry about.

In reality we are swimming in propaganda that is favorable to the US empire our entire lives; its so ubiquitous that people dont even notice it. Claiming your support for US foreign policy on an issue has nothing to do with being propagandized is like someone who was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church claiming it was pure coincidence that he happens to agree with the church on the sinfulness of homosexuality. It pervades our minds and shapes our society, but they want us all freaking out about the virtually nonexistent problem of Russian propaganda.

This is a thought-killing dynamic, and it is a major problem. It is not good that propaganda is shoved into our minds manufacturing consent for dangerous escalations between the worlds two greatest nuclear powers while anyone who opposes any part of it is dismissed as a Russian propagandist or a useful idiot of the Kremlin.

We should be using our minds more at this critical juncture, but these dynamics put in place by imperial narrative managers have instead got us using them a lot less.

Old joke:

A Russian and an American get on a plane in Moscow and get to talking. The Russian says he works for the Kremlin and hes on his way to go learn American propaganda techniques.

What American propaganda techniques? asks the American.

Exactly, the Russian replies.

_________________

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Amnesty International has basically said it is sorry, not sorry for revealing that Ukraine is deliberately placing military forces in residential areas in violation of international law.

The organization attracted controversy for accusing Ukrainian armed forces of violating international humanitarian law and endanger[ing] civilians.

According to the original report, Amnesty observers have witnessed Ukrainian forces stationed in the vicinity of residential areas and schools in at least 19 towns and villages across the country, thereby endangering civilians who are under increased threat from Russian bombardment.

Such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets https://t.co/EysZtcqqci  Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 4, 2022

President Zelensky reacted to the report in his usual manner, by accusing Amnesty of being an accomplice of Russia  a terrorist country  and a terrorist themselves and a participant in the killings, asserting that Ukraine is a victim.

After receiving a massive backlash, Amnesty appeared to back pedal, telling the media that it deeply regrets the distress and anger that our press release on the Ukrainian militarys fighting tactics has caused.

However, dig a little deeper and its clear that the group is not retracting its original claim.

Amnesty emphasized that its sole objective in publishing the report was to ensure that civilians are protected.

The group made it clear that it fully stand[s] by our findings, with Amnesty Internationals secretary general Agnes Callamard asserting, being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law.

In other words, sorry, not sorry, and yes Ukraine is violating international law by placing civilians in harms way.

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The FBI and other law enforcement organizations have historically used corrupt and potentially lethal covert tactics, although many people may not be aware of this. There hasnt been much if any, discussion of this potentially fatal corruption among especially covert law enforcement organizations like the FBI and perhaps even local police, which may be done on purpose.

People in local and federal governments probably dont want Americans to know about their covert and secretive activities.

Some of these unethical covert or covert acts by the FBI and other law enforcement, intelligence, and police organizations are described in a U.S. Senate report (pdf below). Although the 1976 U.S. Senate report cannot be fully described in this article, there is reason to suspect that corruption has increased rather than decreased since that time. The examples in the report may not be the absolute worst, but they should still be considered.

A concerned citizen may want to consider whether events in the news are real, false information and propaganda, or hoaxes propagated by the FBI or possibly even local police entities after reading this articles description of some of that corruption, particularly the use of covert propaganda and potentially lethal tactics. It could be interesting to consider the types of cutting-edge, remote and covert surveillance and torture technologies and tactics that such entities might employ.

FBI and Intelligence Communitys deadly vicious tactics

Numerous examples are given in the U.S. Senate report, including the following:

Unsavory and vicious tactics have been employed  including anonymous attempts to break up marriages, disrupt meetings, ostracize persons from their professions, and provoke target groups into rivalries that might result in deaths. Intelligence agencies have served the political and personal objectives of presidents and other high officials. While the agencies often committed excesses in response to pressure from high officials in the Executive branch and Congress, they also occasionally initiated improper activities and then concealed them from officials whom they had a duty to inform.

In addition to using vicious tactics such as obstructing a persons employment possibilities, government officials have also advocated and defended their right to break the law over a long period of time. They have attempted to provoke targeted groups into schisms, most likely using covert stalking techniques that fool one person or group into believing that the other group committed the deed, when in fact the FBI or another law enforcement agency was responsible. Such a technique involves anonymous attempts, most likely made through emails or forged letters, to break up marriages. This is also referred to as divide and conquer. Many people are probably not surprised by this. It is important to remember this since similar approaches may be used.

Secret offensive actions against Americans and covert efforts to influence political action

In the study, the FBI is also criticized for using tactics unworthy of a democracy, and occasionally reminiscent of the tactics of totalitarian regimes. (Page 3) The FBI formerly employed clandestine methods with totalitarian regimes. According to the document, repressive activity was engaged in by the corrupt actions of the FBI and its predecessor, and over time, the FBI and domestic intelligence activities beyond investigation of criminal conduct toward the collection of political intelligence and the launching of secret offensive actions against Americans. (Page 21)

Anyone should find it troubling when the FBI or other government agencies engage in secret offensive actions against Americans. Few people have the legal ability to challenge the FBI or other government agencies, especially given how difficult it is to prove that the FBI or other entities committed crimes.

The document also claims that over a number of years, the FBI and other organizations repeated the corruption. (Page 21) As a result, it appears that totalitarian tactics were not just the work of a small number of corrupt individuals; corruption persisted, and it is reasonable to assume that criminals themselves were likely looking for employment in the nearly limitless power of the FBI and other organizations. It seems that organizations like the FBI are still capable of engaging in otherwise illegal activity.

The FBI utilized intelligence as a vehicle for covert efforts to influence social policy and political action, according to a report from the U.S. Senate. (Page 240) This is important and might be especially relevant in light of recent events in the United States and perhaps even in other nations. The FBI is an international police entity.

It is crucial to reiterate that the FBI expressly engaged in covert efforts, in other words, the FBI carried out covert offensive actions against Americans and attempted to influence social policy and political action in secret. Without a sizable number of covert or secret police personnel working for the FBI or another secret police organization that the FBI employs for its hoaxes, ruses, ploys, and otherwise illegal activity, it is unlikely that such covert actions could be carried out. These covert efforts to influence social policy and political action have probably been, and likely still are, significant events that make local or national news.

Although it cannot be further explained here, it should be noted that the U.S. Senate report on the FBIs alleged covert efforts to influence social policy and political action was reportedly published in 1976. What social policies and political actions the FBI covertly affected before 1976 may be a point of contention.

FBI allowed to covertly commit otherwise illegal activity

A covert effort to influence social policy and political action could be what? One type of covert effort to influence social policy might be for one or more FBI employees or non-employees directed by the FBI to commit a crime and then attempt to falsely accuse a person or group of the crime the FBI committed (page 12). The FBI appears to allow itself to engage in otherwise illegal activity in this way.

As an example, there might be a group of individuals who have openly labeled specific behaviors as intrinsically evil and/or disordered. It appears possible that, based on what is stated in the U.S. Senate report, the FBI might actually commit a crime, try to have the crime reported in the local or national news, and then try to falsely accuse a person or group in order to discredit them and win the false sympathy of America or local communities. Therefore, this could covertly influence social policy and political action to favor the goals of corrupt government officials. Given their own policies, which supposedly permit them to engage in otherwise illegal activity, it would seem that the FBI should be potential suspects in some or many crimes if there is a just system in America.

Such covert effort to influence social policy and political action may also involve hoaxes, ruses or ploys and legal strategic deceptions, which the FBI reportedly used frequently, or at least allegedly employed frequently at one point in the past. (Page 132) A pandemic that is false or baseless is one option. Other possibilities could be discovered by simply noting the numerous and frequently bizarre alleged crimes that frequently make local or national news, seem to be timed to divert attention from the corruption in the U.S. federal government, and are then immediately used, frequently by liberals, to influence social policy and political action. One would want to doubt the validity of such events after learning about the history of the FBI and other law enforcement or police entities use of ruses, ploys, and hoaxes, even though some or many of the major events in the news may be true.

Necessary distinction: evil people in government vs. government itself

It is essential to distinguish between government and evil individuals inside it because the FBI, intelligence community, and (mainly) covert law enforcement institutions in the aforementioned U.S. Senate document engaged in lying and other evil actions. Such individuals may have been bad before working for the government; they may have purposefully sought employment with the FBI or another secret law enforcement agency in order to conduct crimes against people they dislike without facing consequences. While it may be impossible to determine if the FBI and other clandestine organizations are more or less corrupt today than they were in the 1930s through the 1970s, it can be claimed that the American government at the moment contains a sizable amount of evil.

One may legitimately conclude that given the substantial increase in the use of community-oriented policing strategies introduced by then-Senator Biden in numerous places across America, such corruption not only persists but may have become significantly more widespread. (108 STAT. 1807) These individuals are most certainly clandestine or secret FBI, police, intelligence, or other law enforcement personnel, or at the very least they may be.

Totalitarian regimes, of course, deploy widespread monitoring and torture against their own citizens, often for as little as opposing or criticizing government officials. This is not something that can be discussed here.

A genuinely concerned citizen might try and identify all of the potential causes of those major occurrences when observing current events and what are said to be major crimes or other major occurrences (like what is reported to be the COVID-19 pandemic) published in the national news, local news, and even the international news. Due to the FBIs and possibly other law enforcement agencies seemingly limitless authority, wealth, corrupt past, prior history of often employing strategic deception and hoaxes as covert efforts to influence social policy and political action, covert propaganda, probably numerous covert employees in local communities, and U.S. federal laws that appear to permit the FBI and local police to commit hoaxes and spread false information in the news, it seems that an FBI or even local police hoax should be considered to be a possible cause of at least some of those occurrences described in the news.

While it cannot be discussed here, it could be interesting to consider what kinds of cutting-edge new surveillance technologies and strategies such entities might employ.

The law enforcement exemption in U.S. Federal Law, which appears to allow the FBI and possibly local police to commit hoaxes and spread false information, as well as numerous other law enforcement exemptions not mentioned here, should be repealed because it is impossible for human beings to live in a society without mutual confidence that each is being truthful to the other. With the help of cutting-edge innovative remote and covert surveillance and torture technologies, it is likely that such powerful and corrupt individuals who believe they can do whatever they want and get away with ituntil they stand before the Just Judgment of God, Who does not permit such actionswill continue to commit the crimes mentioned in the U.S. Senate report and possibly even worse crimes. If future government employees are less corrupt, they might be able to use just laws to do genuine good and avoid evil. At the very least, such people cannot argue that what they are doing is legal.

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Amnesty International on Sunday apologized for the "distress and anger" they caused by releasing a report criticizing Ukrainian forces' use of human shields.



The report detailed how Ukrainian forces were occupying populated residential areas and using them to launch attacks.





 Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harms way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas.  Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 4, 2022

Such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets https://t.co/EysZtcqqci  Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 4, 2022



"Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harm's way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, as they repelled the Russian invasion that began in February," Amnesty stated in a press released on Thursday.



"Such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets. The ensuing Russian strikes in populated areas have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure," Amnesty's report continued. "Most residential areas where soldiers located themselves were kilometres away from front lines. Viable alternatives were available that would not endanger civilians  such as military bases or densely wooded areas nearby, or other structures further away from residential areas."



"Survivors and witnesses of Russian strikes in the Donbas, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions told Amnesty International researchers that the Ukrainian military had been operating near their homes around the time of the strikes, exposing the areas to retaliatory fire from Russian forces. Amnesty International researchers witnessed such conduct in numerous locations," Amnesty reported.



"International humanitarian law requires all parties to a conflict to avoid locating, to the maximum extent feasible, military objectives within or near densely populated areas. Other obligations to protect civilians from the effects of attacks include removing civilians from the vicinity of military objectives and giving effective warning of attacks that may affect the civilian population."



Amnesty's report was quickly condemned by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the publication "cannot be tolerated."



Zelensky suggested Amnesty supports terrorism and said the publication shared in "the responsibility for the death of people."



"Anyone who amnesties Russia and who artificially creates such an informational context that some attacks by terrorists are supposedly justified or supposedly understandable, cannot but realize that it helps the terrorists," Zelensky said in a nightly video address last week. "If you provide manipulative reports, then you share the responsibility for the death of people with them."



On Sunday, Amnesty apologized for the "pain caused" by their report and double-underlined their support for Ukraine but said they still "fully stand by our findings."



From Amnesty International, "Statement on publication of press release on Ukrainian fighting tactics":

Amnesty International deeply regrets the distress and anger that our press release on the Ukrainian militarys fighting tactics has caused. Since Russians invasion began in February 2022, Amnesty International has been rigorously documenting and reporting on war crimes and violations committed in Ukraine, speaking to hundreds of victims and survivors whose stories illuminate the brutal reality of Russias war of aggression. We have challenged the world to demonstrate its solidarity with Ukrainians through concrete action, and we will continue to do so.



Amnesty Internationals priority in this and in any conflict is ensuring that civilians are protected; indeed, this was our sole objective when releasing this latest piece of research. While we fully stand by our findings, we regret the pain caused and wish to clarify a few crucial points.



In our press release, we documented how in all 19 of the towns and villages we visited, we found instances where Ukrainian forces had located themselves right next to where civilians were living, thereby potentially putting them at risk from incoming Russian fire. We made this assessment based on the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL), which require all parties to a conflict to avoid locating, to the maximum extent feasible, military objectives within or near densely populated areas. The laws of war exist in part to protect civilians, and it is for this reason that Amnesty International urges governments to comply with them.



This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country.



We must be very clear: Nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations. Russia alone is responsible for the violations it has committed against Ukrainian civilians. Amnestys work over the last six months and our multiple briefings and reports on Russias violations and war crimes reflect their scale and the gravity of their impact on civilians.



Amnesty International wrote to the Ukrainian government detailing our findings on 29 July. In our letter, we included GPS coordinates and other sensitive information about the locations, including schools and hospitals, where we had documented Ukrainian forces basing themselves among civilians. We did not make this information public in our press release due to the security risks it would pose to both Ukrainian forces and to the civilians we interviewed.



Amnesty International is not attempting to give the Ukrainian military detailed instructions regarding how they should operate  but we call on the relevant authorities to abide by their international humanitarian obligations in full.



Amnesty Internationals priority will always be ensuring that civilians lives and human rights are protected during conflict.

None of what they reported was groundbreaking. If anything, it was a cover-up because they refused to use the term human shields.



Another report from the UN released last month, which was far more damning, found that Ukrainian forces took over a nursing home and used its residents as human shields, then accused Russia of committing war crimes when they attacked their military outpost.



When Zelensky was asked in April by Fox News' Bret Baier about reports of Azov Battalion forces committing atrocities, he appeared to brush them off by saying, "They are what they are, they were defending our country."





Bret Baier asked Zelensky about Azov Battalion's shooting of Russian POWs.



Zelensky's answer? "They are what they are."



Zelensky also claims that some were prosecuted after 2014 and given prison sentences. He doesn't mention that those convictions were overturned. pic.twitter.com/5m3EOlJhU6  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 2, 2022



Fox News edited Zelensky's disturbing comments out of their interview when they uploaded it to YouTube and FoxNews.com.



As I reported earlier this morning, CBS News on Sunday night pulled their own bombshell documentary "Arming Ukraine" which exposed how only 30% at most of the tens of billions of dollars worth of US weapons aid sent to Ukraine is making it to the front lines.



They claimed the assessment was dated and the documentary would be "updated" and aired at a later date.



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LAGOS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Eight gunmen were killed and six kidnapped victims were rescued by the military and police in Nigeria's northern Katsina state, police said on Sunday.

Gambo Isah, the police spokesperson in Katsina, said in a statement that police operatives conducted on Saturday morning an intelligence-based operation, repelling gunmen and rescuing the six kidnapped victims.

Eight gunmen on the run were killed in a follow-up operation by the Nigerian air force in the same area on Sunday, Isah said.

The most populous African country has been plagued by a series of armed attacks in recent months. 
Dogs in offices. Flexible work hours. Mental health days. It may sound simplistic, but most workplace change stems from an employee wanting to improve their life and a leader brave enough to listen and implement.

As a Scottish business owner in Australia, I used to take great pleasure in my annual 30-hour transit back home. It was my time to clock off and think big. I didnt work, I didnt jump on my laptop, but when I landed I ended up roaming around Europe, hunting for a notepad and pen when growth plans came to me.

Travel was a great way to stimulate the mind, before COVID hit. Credit:Istock

Unfortunately, COVID-19 killed the romance of running a business. But I didnt stop working  I worked harder.

My business partners and I worked 80-hour weeks for two years. We hired staff, took on big projects and I joined Harvard Business School. As an advocate of anti-burnout culture, you have to wonder what was I thinking. My rationale was it wasnt possible to burn out because we were physically stagnant, unable to go anywhere but into the vortex of our own business plans.
A nine-month-old baby has been found dead in a home in Sydneys west after emergency services responded to a call for a welfare check.

Police and ambulance services were called to the home in Doonside at about 10am on Monday, when they found the baby to be unresponsive.

Paramedics were unable to revive the child.

Police said they were investigating the death.

Just after 10am ... emergency services were called to a home on Yindi Place, Doonside, following a concern for welfare report, according to a police statement.
Former Police Association boss Paul Mullett was hung out to dry by Victoria Police and denied the chance to prove he was the victim of a plot to oust him after the failure to provide him with documents from the Lawyer X scandal, an appeals court has heard.

In 2016, a Supreme Court judge rejected Mulletts claim he was the victim of a malicious prosecution over his suspension from Victoria Police in 2007, after allegations at the time he tipped off a detective who was the subject of a murder investigation.

Paul Mullett, the former secretary of the Police Association, in 2009. Credit:Craig Abraham

Mullett resigned from his position as Police Association secretary in 2009, and later had charges of attempting to pervert justice and perjury dropped. Years later, he sought a multimillion-dollar settlement against former chief commissioner Christine Nixon and two other senior police officers, until the Supreme Court ruled against him.

Almost six years on from that judgment, Mullett now argues the failure to disclose to him before his trial documents related to the scandal involving disgraced barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo gives him grounds to have retried his case against Nixon, former deputy commissioner Kieran Walshe and Superintendent Wayne Taylor, with the state of Victoria and Victoria Police added as new respondents.
John Barilaro recommended his media adviser and later girlfriend Jennifer Lugsdin for a role at Investment NSW in August last year, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Lugsdin was in the job when the agency advertised the US trade role, which attracted the interest of the former NSW deputy premier.

John Barilaro giving evidence during the inquiry. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Barilaro recommended Lugsdin for the role at Investment NSW in a phone call to agency boss Amy Brown in August last year. On Monday, Barilaro told the inquiry that he was unable to remember when that conversation took place, but insisted he was not in a relationship with Lugsdin at the time.

I put forward her credentials for why she would be a good candidate, Barilaro said under questioning. I was not in a relationship with [Lugsdin] while I was deputy premier or a trade minister.
Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro insists he did not know a plum US trade post was vacant when he first asked about the role, and revealed he also told Treasurer Matt Kean about his intentions to apply.

Barilaro has told a parliamentary inquiry he had contact with Premier Dominic Perrottet, then-trade minister Stuart Ayres and Kean before he applied for the lucrative New York role, but that no concerns were ever raised.

John Barilaro giving evidence on Monday. Credit:Kate Geraghty

He said he wished he never applied for the trade commissioner role after the personal hell he has endured in the seven weeks since his appointment and subsequent withdrawal from the role.

If I knew what I know now, I wish I never had applied, he said on Monday. If I knew what I know now, I wouldnt have walked into this shit show. Im going to use those terms, Im sorry to say, because the trauma Ive gone through over the last six, seven weeks has been significant.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guys election prospects have been dealt another blow, with new state electorate boundaries predicted to give Victorian Labor a net gain of two seats ahead of Novembers state election.

An analysis of redrawn electoral boundaries by the Victorian Electoral Commission found that if the 2018 vote were repeated, two seats currently held by Labor would be won by the Liberal Party, but four seats held by Coalition MPs would be returned to Labor.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy addresses the media on Sunday. Credit:Scott McNaughton

The electoral commission announced the new boundaries in October.

Releasing its analysis of the changes on Monday, the commission found the Coalition would suffer a net loss of one seat after the boundary redistribution, based on the 2018 vote.
Why did Nancy Pelosi go to Taiwan last week? For the same reason that Xi Jinping responded with a tantrum of historical proportions.

Politics. Not geopolitics. Domestic politics. The Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz famously held that war is politics by other means. So it pays to heed the politics if you wish to understand the war.

Illustration by Dionne Gain Credit:Fairfax Media

Pelosi has a long history of defending Taiwans democracy, but she has a short history ahead of her as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Unless something dramatic happens, that is. She is contesting her seat at the US Congressional midterm elections in three months. For a 19th term. She shouldnt have any trouble winning her seat. But shes also hoping to be re-elected as the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives. And, if the party can hold enough seats, she could return as Speaker. For a fifth term. At 82 years of age, presumably itd be her last.
Supporters of the Biden administration approach note that the fact the US was able to track and kill al-Zawahri is evidence of its capabilities to target threats in Afghanistan from abroad. Critics say the fact al-Zawahri was living in Kabul, under the apparent protection of the Taliban, suggests theres a resurgence of extremist groups that America is ill-equipped to counter. Loading The shift in priorities is supported by many former intelligence officers and lawmakers from both parties who say its overdue. That includes people who served in Afghanistan and other missions against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. Representative Jason Crow, a former army ranger who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said he believed the US had been overly focused on counter-terrorism over the past several years. A far greater existential threat is Russia and China, said Crow, a Colorado Democrat who serves on the House intelligence and armed services committees. Terrorist groups, he said, will not destroy the American way of life ... the way China can.

CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp noted that terrorism remains a very real challenge. Even as crises such as Russias invasion of Ukraine and strategic challenges such as that posed by the Peoples Republic of China demand our attention, CIA will continue to aggressively track terrorist threats globally and work with partners to counter them, Thorp said. Taliban fighters guard at the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan in June. Credit:AP Congress has pushed the CIA and other intelligence agencies to make China a top priority, according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. Pushing resources towards China has required cuts elsewhere, including in counter-terrorism. Specific figures were unavailable because intelligence budgets are classified. In particular, lawmakers want more information about Chinas development in advanced technologies. Under President Xi Jinping, China has committed trillions of dollars in investment on quantum science, artificial intelligence and other technologies that are likely to disrupt how future wars are fought and economies are structured.

As part of the shift, congressional committees are trying to better track how intelligence agencies spend their funding on China, seeking more detail about how specific programs contribute to that mission, one person familiar with the matter said. We are late, but its good that were finally changing our focus into that region, said representative Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who serves on the House intelligence committee. That means in people, in resources, in military assets, and in diplomacy. US President Joe Biden: resolute on his decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan. Credit:AP The CIA last year announced it would create two new mission centres  one on China, one on emerging technologies  to centralise and improve intelligence collection on those issues. The CIA is also trying to recruit more Chinese speakers and reduce wait times on security clearances to hire new people faster. Inside the agency, many officers are learning Chinese and moving into new roles focused on China, though not all of those jobs require language training, people familiar with the matter said.

Officials note that intelligence officers are trained to adapt to new challenges and that many were moved more quickly into counter-terrorism roles after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Advances from counter-terrorism work  including better use of data and different sources of intelligence to build networks and identify targets  were also useful in countering Russia and China, former officers said. Loading Its the analytics and targeting machine that has become extraordinary, said Douglas Wise, a former CIA senior officer who was deputy chief of operations at the counter-terrorism centre. The CIAs Counterterrorism Centre, renamed the Counterterrorism Mission Centre in a 2015 reorganisation, remains a point of pride for many people who credit its work for keeping Americans safe from terrorism after September 11. CIA officers landed in Afghanistan on September 26, 2001, and were part of operations to displace the Taliban and find and kill leaders of al-Qaida including Osama bin Laden.

And 13 years after a double agent tricked officers pursuing al-Zawahri and blew himself up, killing seven agency employees, the CIA killed him in a strike with no reported civilian casualties. The CIA was also involved in some of the darkest moments of the fight against terrorism. It operated secret black site jails to hold terrorism suspects, some wrongly, and was found by a Senate investigation to have used interrogation methods that amounted to torture. Elite Afghan special operations units trained by the CIA were also accused of killing civilians and violating international law. There has long been a debate over whether counter-terrorism pulled intelligence agencies too far away from traditional spying and whether some of the CIAs work in targeting terrorists should instead be done by special forces under the military. Marc Polymeropoulos, a retired CIA operations officer and former base chief in Afghanistan, said he supported a greater focus on China and Russia but added: Theres no reason to diminish what we had to do. This notion that somehow all the [counter-terrorism] work we did, somehow that was wrong, that we took our eye of the ball  just remember on September 12 what everyone was feeling.
Washington: Lets be clear up front: No one knows for sure whether Archibald Butt and Francis Davis Millet were in a romantic relationship. In the times and society in which they lived, for such a thing to become known would have meant ruin.

Heres what we do know. Butt never married. Millet was estranged from his wife and had a previous relationship with a man. Butt and Millet lived together in a mansion in Washingtons fashionable Georgetown neighbourhood, where they threw parties for the citys elite  including Butts boss, President William Howard Taft.

Presidential aide Archibald Butt in 1909, left, and artist Francis Davis Millet in 1910. Credit:Library of Congress/Archives of American Art/Smithsonian Institution

And in the weeks before they died on the Titanic, they were vacationing together in Europe.

The enduring partnership of Butt and Millet was an early case of Dont ask, dont tell,  historian Richard Davenport-Hines wrote in 2012, referring to the policy that once required gay members of the military to keep their sexuality secret. A National Park Service page for the White House memorial fountain in their honour says they were widely believed to have been romantically involved with one another.
KHARTOUM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of Sudan's ruling Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Monday stressed Sudan's position in condemning all forms of extremism, terrorism and criminal activities.

Al-Burhan made the remarks when addressing a workshop organized by the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in Sudan's capital Khartoum on "Role of Deradicalisation and Rehabilitation in Combating Terrorism."

"Sudan, like other countries, faces the phenomenon of violent extremism and terrorism," said Al-Burhan.

"We are making great efforts to combat these phenomena through various means, including the security services, issuing a number of legislation and laws, and ratifying many regional, international and bilateral agreements," he said.

The Sudanese leader further underscored the CISSA's role in confronting terrorism, extremism, cross-border crime and illegal immigration as well as overcoming all security challenges in the African Continent.

Established in Nigeria in 2004 to address the security challenges confronting the African Continent, CISSA currently comprises 54 African intelligence bodies. 
Its not often that an entire town is put on the market but thats exactly whats on offer in one Victorian rural hamlet  and it will only set you back a few million dollars.

Australias own Schitts Creek is up for sale, with the rare opportunity to purchase an entire town for the same price as a Melbourne house.

The Netflix comedy series Schitts Creek was based on the rich and glamorous Rose family, who purchased the town of Schitts Creek as a joke, but were forced to relocate to the remote town full of quirky characters after their family business went bankrupt.

Read more: Australian Mortgage Awards 2022 - Excellence Awardees revealed

Now prospective buyers have the chance to buy their own small country town  Coopers Creek, about 180km east of Melbourne. The town has been listed for sale and it includes a charming historical pub (pictured above).

Set on 4.4ha on the Thomson River, Coopers Creek is a former mining township settled during the Victorian gold rush in the 1800s.

Listing agent Ian Mason (pictured immediately below), of Mason White McDougall, said Coopers Creek was once home to a population of approximately 250 people.

The town was purchased by the Holyoak family bit by bit from the 1960s after they fell in love with the idyllic riverside locale, Mason said. The town sale consists of 21 lots ranging in size from 660sqm to over 12,000sqm, including a fully equipped pub with pool room, dining area, stage, open fireplaces and a commercial kitchen, as well as a two-bedroom home with beautiful views from the veranda.

Mason said it was hard to put a price on an entire town, however he expected it might sell for around $2.5m to $3m, which he said was about the same price as a single house in Kew or Hawthorn.

If you have ever wanted to own your own town or be the mayor of your own domain, this is the place for you, he said. Whether its setting up a tourism business or a desire to live off grid immersed in nature, Coopers Creek offers endless opportunities including a break from city life and a change of scenery in one of Victorias most pristine natural environments.

Read more: Adelaide property price growth soars

Mason said with its picturesque location, nestled in the mountains near Walhalla and surrounded by beautiful bushland on the Thomson River, the town was a haven for bushwalkers, 4WD enthusiasts, kayakers, fishermen and horse riders.

Coopers Creek has mostly been used for camping, adventure holidays and music festivals in recent times, he said. Like the Rose family in Schitts Creek, Coopers Creek could be a life-changing move for the right buyer.
Grow Finance has announced the appointment of Ryan Armstrong as senior partner, head of structured finance operations.

Armstrong (pictured above) will be based in Grows Sydney CBD headquarters and will be heavily focused on streamlining operations to facilitate greater scalability, as well as applying his technical expertise to enhance the lenders low friction tech platform to expedite funding.

Armstrong has 17 years of financial services experience with the HSBC Group across Asia, the Middle East and Australia. During his time with the bank, he concentrated on global trade, receivables finance and supply chain finance.

Armstrong said his goal for the non-bank lender was to be a market leader for structured finance products, along with contributing to Grows aggressive growth targets.

Coming from a banking background, being part of the growth journey of a leading fintech was highly appealing, Armstrong said. I believe Grows offering is cutting edge and Im excited to be part of this dynamic team that prioritises new product development and innovative technology.

Read more: How is asset finance performing?

Grow Finances co-CEO David Verschoor said the appointment of Armstrong was part of Grows broader team extension to manage increased deal flow, improve service levels and ensure brokers were well supported.

Ryan will work closely with Grow Finances managing partner, structured finance and payments Andrew Speers and in conjunction with David Keelings product development team, Verschoor said.

Ryan has deep product and sector expertise that directly aligns with our long-term focus of structured finance expansion.

Verschoor said the appointment of Armstrong would help Grow combat supply chain challenges with tailored invoice finance, trade finance and asset-based lending facilities.

Were delighted to welcome Ryan to the asset-based lending team, he said. He has extensive financial services experience in multiple markets and we have no doubt that his specialist knowledge of trade and supply chain finance will be invaluable for Grows ongoing product enhancements, extensions and refinements.

Read more: Australian Mortgage Awards 2022 - Excellence Awardees revealed

Verschoor said Grow Finance was there to support mortgage brokers after it recently launched its new real-time app through its broker portal, which provides instant decisioning.

The app was designed to provide an application outcome within two hours from submission, which Grow said more than 80% of app users received.

It is a custom-built portal by our team and we have enabled any accredited broker to be able to log in and submit a client's application to us, Verschoor said. From our standpoint, it gives us a huge edge in taking data requirements and pushing them through a platform to allow us to provide almost instant client approval. With that decision occurring, we have seen an uptick in volume from brokers on our product and seeing them benefit.
Private lenders IDFC First Bank and and state-owned have put their loans to Ltd in the high-risk category, the latest setback for the airline, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The lenders are concerned about SpiceJet's cash flows and have held discussions seeking assurances from the Indian budget carrier as it is behind on payments to some aircraft lessors, the sources said.

SpiceJet's shares fell as much as 4.8% on the .

The discussion comes as SpiceJet's approved fleet was halved for eight weeks this summer by regulators due to safety snags and as lessors have filed formal applications to de-register four planes. The two moves have raised concerns the airline's tight liquidity could be further strapped amid high fuel prices and rising competition from new entrants like Akasa Air.

One of the sources said "there is no positive about SpiceJet" after earnings had been under pressure for several years due to the pandemic. The airline's outlook does not look encouraging, the source said.

said that no bank has put its account on high alert.

"Loans are being serviced as per the agreed terms. We are not aware of any bank having any 'concern' nor has there been any communication regarding the same to SpiceJet," a company spokesperson told Reuters in an email.

The banks did not respond to Reuters' requests seeking comment on the current loan size, concerns with SpiceJet's financial position and if it had asked for more funds.

Chairman Ajay Singh and his wife, who control 59% of the airline, as of June 30 had pledged shares representing a 26% stake, mostly to these three lenders for credit facilities for company use, according to a regulatory filing.

(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 Limited (IHCL) on Monday reported a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 170 crore for the quarter ended June, mainly due to surge in demand as the occupancy and rates exceeded pre-COVID levels.

The hospitality group had reported a loss of Rs 277 crore during the corresponding period of the previous financial year, IHCL said in a statement.

The company's revenue surged by 249.45 per cent to Rs 1,293 crore during the quarter under review, compared to Rs 370 crore in the year-ago period.

"We have reported its best first quarter in the company's history. This performance has been boosted by a surge in demand across markets and segments, with occupancy and rates exceeding pre-Covid levels.

"This has resulted in a milestone EBITDA Margin of 31.3 per cent, which is an improvement of 1,140 bps over the first quarter of FY20," IHCL Managing Director and CEO said.

Going forward, he told PTI that with growth in demand, rates will continue to hold up or grow due to constraints in supply.

July finished with a very strong performance and the first seven days of August have been equally strong as the first quarter. Therefore, the company is expecting a double-digit revenue growth in the second quarter, he added.

"It will be an interesting quarter with long weekends like Independence Day and the Parsi new year. Looking at the bookings, we expect double-digit revenue growth in the next quarter as well," he added.

Talking about the international markets, Chhatwal said business has not reached pre-COVID levels yet, but things are looking up. The US market is positive, in the UK July was the best month, Dubai did well except the holy season and in South Africa, the summer will begin from October which looks promising, he noted.

The Sri Lankan market is struggling due to the political crisis in the country, however, business is slowly beginning to come back, he added.

The hospitality company currently has 242 hotels, of which 179 are operational and 63 in pipeline. In India, IHCL has 163 hotels.

The company, under its Ahvaan 2025 initiative, aims to build a portfolio of over 300 hotels. IHCL also plans to restructure its portfolio and achieve a 50:50 mix between its owned/leased and managed hotels.

In a statement, IHCL Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Giridhar Sanjeevi said the revenue performance in the quarter has been encouraging as it is broad based across key markets and brands.

"This combined with continued cost monitoring measures has led to margin expansion across all IHCL group . IHCL Consolidated has thereby reported a strong free cash flow of Rs 198 crores for the quarter and continues to be net cash positive," he added.

IHCL shares on Monday closed at Rs 33.20, up 2.95 per cent on BSE.

(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 Rs 23,500-crore Torrent Group has set the ball in motion for the third generation of the Mehtas to take over the groups power and pharma businesses. On Monday, announced the appointment of Varun Mehta as a director on its board. About a week back, the groups pharmaceutical arm had appointed Aman Mehta as a director on its board.

Group insiders say with the new generation slowly taking charge, the Group plans to diversify into various sectors.

Varun, the son of Sudhir Mehta (68), has worked across different business segments of the company  renewables, thermal generation and distribution. A graduate from the University of Warwick, UK, and an MBA from INSEAD, France, Varun started his career in the renewables business, where he formulated the entry strategy of the Group into the sector. He even set up the initial set of renewable energy projects, and eventually moved on to the thermal generation business. Here he spearheaded the strategic initiative of importing LNG directly from overseas, and was the first Indian power company to do so.

Varun is the executive director at and heads the distribution licence, transmission and cables business. Torrent Group said under his leadership, Torrents distribution business has widened its lead over competition.

Torrent Power accounts for 60 per cent of Torrent Groups turnover.

Succession planning started a few years back at the Ahmedabad-based group which was led by brothers Sudhir Mehta and Samir Mehta, sons of the founder UN Mehta.

In 2014, Sudhir stepped down as the chairman of Torrent Pharma, and his brother Samir took over. Both Sudhirs sons  Jinal and Varun  have been associated with the Groups power business for years. Four years later, Samir became Torrent Power chairman and Jinal Mehta was made the MD of Torrent Power. Samir Mehtas son Aman Mehta has been inducted into the board of Torrent Pharma recently.

Sudhir and Samir started working actively in their fathers pharmaceutical business in the early 1980s. In 1983, Torrent Pharma got their first export order to then Soviet Russia, a key milestone for the group, according to an insider. This led to the eventual diversification into the power sector in the 1990s. The brothers are thick, and even the first cousins bond very well. They are all based in Ahmedabad, and decisions are always taken together, the veteran executive says.

He adds that the sons rise in both Torrent Pharma and Torrent Power have been seamless processes, and not knee-jerk. They have all joined as management trainees and they have learnt the ropes of the business slowly. In his times, Sudhir Mehta would make doctor visits to understand the market dynamics, he says. More diversification into newer lines of business are expected with the next generation taking charge.

Plans are afloat to enter the diagnostics business. Torrent also tried its hands at winning an IPL franchise. These are all new ideas that the younger generation brings, a senior executive says, adding that the working styles are largely similar among the senior Mehtas and the juniors.

UN Mehta, an erstwhile medical representative with Sandoz, had started Torrent Pharma in the 1970s with his lifes savings. He was smart to choose a psychotropic drug and target a small niche of doctors, psychiatrists to avoid stiff competition from MNCs. Torrent Pharma went on to make some major acquisitions  Unichem and Elder  under his sons.

Shy and reticent Mehtas have been calculated risk takers.

Sudhir Mehta, an astute businessman, was quick to foresee the emerging opportunities in the power sector. In 1991, when the Union government allowed private sector participation in the power sector, Sudhir started buying Ahmedabad Electricity Company Ltd and Surat Electricity Company Ltd shares, finally acquiring majority stakes in these by the late 90s. Simultaneously, he announced plans to set up a 655-MW dual-fuel combined cycle power project in Gujarat and also proposed the 1,147.5-MW Sugen gas-fired power station, the largest gas-based power project of an independent power producer.
At least 40 people were injured after the bus in which they were travelling overturned at Bagnan in West Bengal's district in the early hours of Monday, police said.

The condition of five of the injured is critical", they said.

The accident happened around 3 am when the bus, which was headed to Digha, turned turtle at Chandrapur on National Highway-16, a senior police officer said.

The injured passengers are undergoing treatment at Uluberia Sub-divisional Hospital, he said.

"There were 70 passengers in the bus... The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, the officer 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.)
on Monday continued its unprecedented military drills around Taiwan, extending the schedule of war games launched in retaliation to the visit by US House Speaker to the breakaway island which Beijing claims is part of its territory.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees Taiwan, said on Monday it would continue drills in waters near island, focusing on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes, state-run Global Times reported.

The PLA conducted joint drills involving all wings of its armed forces in six areas around the island from August 4 to 7.

The PLA's latest announcement notice did not specify the location of the exercises nor did it mention when they would end.

The PLA on Sunday proceeded with the plan and continued realistic combat-scenario joint exercises in the sea and air space around the island of practicing island capturing drills and bomber deterrence flights in Strait, a rehearsal for real operation, state-run Global Times reported on Sunday.

The PLA Command in a late last night press release said its forces continued its joint combat training exercises as scheduled on Sunday in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan island.

The focus on Sunday was set on testing the capabilities of using joint fires to strike land targets and striking long-range air targets, an early Monday state-run Xinhua news agency report said.

The air force under the theatre command deployed multiple types of warplanes, including early warning aircraft, bombers, jamming aircraft, fighter-bombers and fighter jets, to conduct drills on such combat missions as joint reconnaissance, airspace control operation, strikes on ground targets, and air support and cover.

Supported by naval and air combat systems, the air strike forces, together with long-range multiple launch rocket systems and conventional missile troops, conducted drills of joint precision strikes on targets.

Multiple bomber formations flew across the Taiwan Strait from north to south and from south to north, while several fighter jets conducted joint drills with destroyers and frigates.

The operation has tested the tactics of systems warfare under information-based conditions, and honed and improved the capabilities to destroy crucial island targets with precision strikes, Zhang Zhi, an air force officer of the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, said according to the report.

During the four-day exercises, several batches of multiple types of warplanes attached to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command conducted systematic island attack drills, with the focus being honing the joint land attack and long-range air strike capabilities, the PLA Eastern Theatre Command said.

While there is no official announcement here on ending the drills, reports said the PLA is reviewing the impact of the unprecedented war games involving all wings of its military as questions remained about its next move, heightening Beijing's dilemma over the future course of action.

In the last four days, the Chinese military flew hundreds of planes, drones and fired missiles with different ranges which Taiwan termed as simulated attacks and appealed for international help.

also suspended a range of defence and military exchanges with the US besides imposing sanctions on Pelosi as part of a slew of countermeasures to protest against her trip to Taipei on Tuesday and Wednesday that infuriated Beijing, which saw it as a violation of the one- policy.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence emphasised that its military was keeping a watch on the situation and dispatched aircraft and ships to respond accordingly.

Facing rare public criticism at home for not being able to stop the visit despite high voltage rhetoric, China carried out the heaviest mobilisation of its naval, air force and missile forces to carry out targeted bombardment in the busy Taiwan Strait, a lifeline of transportation of vital cargo shipments, since Thursday, the day after Pelosi left Taiwan.

The visit of Pelosi, the top US leader in 25 years to visit Taiwan, came at a politically sensitive time as President Xi Jinping who is set to complete his second five-year term this year and is widely expected to continue in power, unlike his predecessors who retired after a 10-year tenure.

The third term for Xi, 68, is widely expected to be endorsed by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), which is expected to be held in the next few months.

China apprehends that Pelosi's visit will open floodgates for similar visits by world leaders, especially from Japan and the European Union (EU), undermining the credibility of its claims over the island whose majority population preferred to remain independent.

Chinese experts said tensions triggered by Pelosi's Taiwan visit will continue to mount, but military conflict over the issue is unlikely.

Shi Yinhong, international relations professor at the Renmin University of China, said strain in international relations is a natural result of strategic interactions but the US and China are not close to engaging in combat.

"Confrontation will (escalate) but a conflict is still unlikely, even as the suspension of military communication has surely made prevention of incidental clashes more difficult, " Shi told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Sunday.

After the Chinese military began four days of intensive live-fire drills around Taiwan, the Pentagon said its Japan-based aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan would be extending its scheduled deployment in the Western Pacific.

"We will conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, consistent, again, with our long-standing approach to defending the freedom of the seas and international law," national security spokesman John Kirby said.

And, we will take further steps to demonstrate our commitment to the security of our allies in the region, Kirby said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Washington on Saturday not to stir up a bigger crisis after the US announced it would take further steps by sending aircraft and warships to the waters near Taiwan in the coming weeks.

The PLA has also announced month-long drills in the Yellow Sea facing South Korea, where the US troops are stationed.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister will launch 'Radio Jaighosh' on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of Kakori Train Action as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

The state's Department of Culture is launching the community radio channel to promote folk art, performing art, regional delicacies of and gallantry award winners.

Radio Jaighosh will be available at 107.8 MHz and will broadcast programmes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from the newly renovated studio of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Lucknow.

The programmes will also be available in the radio's mobile application and social media pages.

The Department's Principal Secretary, Mukesh Meshram said: "There are a lot of radio stations in India, but we are bringing a radio station that will promote Indian arts and culture, especially of . With the fast-paced lives, the folk tales and folk lore are not getting transferred to the youth. This initiative will connect youth and children with our ethos, customs and values.

"At the same time, we are also promoting the artists and unsung heroes from several districts and remote villages of the state. Also, we have come up with an idea of a backpack studio where all the recording instruments are taken to the villages to record their folk arts in the comfort of their rural landscape."

Daily shows on the radio will include 'Parakram' that will revolve around gallant soldiers of the pre and post-Independence era and unsung heroes, while 'Shaurya Nagar' will promote folktales from all the 75 districts of the state.

'Kala Yatra' will be based on art, 'Rajya ki Rasoi' on the delicacies of Uttar Pradesh, 'Rang Shala' on theatre artists, 'Rajya ki Raftaar' on government schemes and 'Rang Yatra' on performing arts.

There will also be weekly shows on education.

--IANS

amita/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court on Monday awarded three-year jail term to former Coal Secretary H C Gupta in a coal scam case related to irregularities in allocation of a coal block in Maharashtra, a lawyer associated with the case said.

Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj also awarded two year imprisonment to former joint-Secretary in the Ministry of Coal (MoC), K S Kropha in the case and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, while Gupta was asked to pay a fine of Rs one lakh.

The court had convicted both for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and corruption in the case related to allocation of Lohara East coal block.

The court, meanwhile, awarded four year jail term to Mukesh Gupta, the director of convicted company, Grace Industries Ltd. (GIL), for criminal conspiracy and cheating and imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on him, while the company was also directed to pay a fine of Rs two lakh separately.

Both were convicted for criminal conspiracy and cheating.

The trial of the case was conducted by senior advocate R S Cheema, Deputy Legal Advisor for the CBI Sanjay Kumar and senior public prosecutor A P Singh.

H C Gupta was earlier convicted in three other coal scam cases and his appeal against those convictions is pending before the Delhi High Court. He is currently on bail along with other convict persons in the case.

According to the CBI, between 2005 and 2011, the accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy and cheated MoC, Government of India by dishonestly and fraudulently inducing the MoC to allocate 'Lohara East Coal Block' in favour of GIL on the basis of false information about net worth, capacity, equipments and status of procurement and installation of plant.

The CBI also stated that the company, in its application, claimed its net worth as Rs 120 crore whereas its own networth was only Rs 3.3 crore, and that the company also falsified its existing capacity as 1,20,000 TPA against 30,000 TPA.

The Supreme Court had on August 25, 2014 cancelled the entire allocations of coal blocks.

This is the 11th conviction in coal scam cases secured by prosecution.

(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.)
China-built modern railway helps foster job creation for local people in Kenya

Xinhua) 08:21, August 08, 2022

Train crew Fionah communicates with passengers on a Mombasa-Nairobi Railway passenger train, July 29, 2022. Launched on May 31, 2017, the 480 km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed mainly by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has fostered job creation for local people.

Afristar, the company operating the SGR, has employed Kenyans in 123 railway professions which fall under 5 railway departments, including railway transportation, locomotive, track, signal, and rolling stock.

As of July 31, there are currently 1,359 employees working at Afristar, among them 1,049 are Kenyan employees. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan posted a current account surplus of 3.51 trillion yen (25.96 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2022 from a year earlier, down 63.1 percent, as rising prices for oil and a weak yen expanded a goods trade deficit, the government said in a report on Monday.

According to the Finance Ministry, the country had a goods trade deficit of 5.67 trillion yen (41.93 billion dollars) in the January-June period, marking the second-largest deficit since 1996 when comparable data became available.

The ministry also said in its preliminary report that the country's service trade deficit rose from 2.09 trillion yen (15.45 billion dollars) in the January-June period of 2021 to 2.49 trillion yen (18.41 billion dollars) in the first half of 2022.

Japan's primary income, which reflects returns on investments made overseas, meanwhile, saw a surplus of 12.87 trillion yen (95.16 billion dollars), rising 22.4 percent from a year earlier, the latest data also showed.

In June alone, the country posted a current account deficit of 132.4 billion yen (978.97 million dollars), moving into negative territory for the first time in five months, dragged down by the goods trade balance turning negative, the ministry said.

Japan's current account surplus is one of the broadest measures of its trade with the rest of the world.

The data is keenly eyed by the Bank of Japan and the Finance Ministry ahead of new potential policy changes or monetary easing or tapering measures.

In Japan, the current account surplus increases the nation's net foreign assets by the corresponding amount, and a current account deficit does the reverse.

Both the Japanese government and private payments are included in the calculation and it is called the current account because goods and services are generally consumed in the current period. 
As continues to witness a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, the government has now directed the district magistrates (DMs) to ensure that Covid-appropriate behaviour is being followed across the city.



The government further issued directions to 11 DMs of revenue districts, "to increase drives to issue challans in case people are not following norms."

According to a report by news agency PTI, experts have attributed this upward trend in the Covid cases to the carefree nature of people towards maintaining social distance and wearing masks. With the nearing, experts are now worried about a sudden surge in the number of cases, owing to the laxity of the people.

According to a govt official, "We're implementing all possible measures to prevent the spread of the infection. At the same time, we also appeal to the citizens to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour in public and keep a check on their health".

The rate of admission has also gone slightly up in the national capital, but it is among those who have some sort of co-morbidities or are unvaccinated, said the report.

While the govt officials are constantly trying to encourage people to the precautionary booster dose, a doctor, requesting anonymity, added, "it needs to be studied whether there are any mutants that are more transmissible to ascertain whether this surge is being caused by them."

Delhi has been reporting over 2,000 cases for the last couple of days with the positivity rate inching closer to 15 per cent. On Saturday, the city witnessed 2,423 Covid cases against 2,311 reported on previous day, and two further deaths.



The increase in Covid infections in the national capital is coupled with the fact that as many as 63 per cent of people based in did not undergo any test despite showing Covid-like symptoms in the last month.

The survey, which was released by a digital community-based platform LocalCircles also added, "While 25 per cent of the respondents said they opted for Rapid Antigen Test, the response of 12 per cent was 'both RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Test'.

The community feedback hints at the fact that 2 out of 3 people are either not getting tested or taking the treatment, while one-third of people are opting for the self-kit to test themselves at home.
On August 15, 2022, India will celebrate its 75th . To mark the event, the government of India is organising several events under 'Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav', with the theme 'Nation First, Always First'. The government also aims to hoist 200 million Tricolours to mark the special occasion.

The day is special for all Indians. The Prime Minister addresses the nation from the in Delhi. This was a tradition started by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of independent India, and continues to date. This year, PM will deliver the address.



Also Read | Har Ghar Tiranga: How India plans to take the Tricolour to every corner

So, how did become India's

History of Indian Independence Day

The 'Purna Swaraj' resolution was adopted in the 1929 Lahore session of the Congress. The INC shifted to its demand for complete independence, a deviation from the erstwhile dominion status.

The resolution was adopted as the talks between Lord Irwin and Indian delegates failed. Britishers wanted to grant dominion status to India. Indians, represented by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and Tej Bahadur Sapru, wanted complete independence.

As the delegates failed to reach any conclusion, INC decided to demand only complete independence and chose January 26, 1930, as the first ' .'

After the INC adopted the resolution, Nehru, on December 29, 1929, hoisted the flag on the banks of the Ravi in Lahore. "The Congress is holding its most momentous session and is going to take a great step forward in the fight for the country's freedom," he said.

Since then, till 1947, India celebrated January 26 as Independence Day. It was the same date on which, in 1950, India adopted the Constitution and became a republic. We celebrate the day as today.

Why was chosen as India's Independence Day?

After years of struggle, the Indians forced the Britishers to give up their hold of the country. The British parliament then gave the mandate to Lord Mountbatten to transfer the power to India by June 30, 1948. Mountbatten was the last British governor-general of India.

Indian freedom fighters objected to the delay in granting India independence.

Mountbatten decided to advance the date to August 15, 1947. He justified it by saying that he did not want bloodshed or riots.

Mountbatten chose as the date of the Indian independence to also mark the second anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War 2.

In his own words, as quoted in Freedom at Midnight, Mountbatten claimed, "The date I chose came out of the blue. I chose it in reply to a question. I was determined to show I was the master of the whole event. When they asked if we had set a date, I knew it had to be soon. I hadn't worked it out exactly then  I thought it had to be about August or September, and I then went out to August 15. Why? Because it was the second anniversary of Japan's surrender."

Japan's emperor Hirohito addressed his country on August 15, 1945, announcing the surrender. Severely damaged by nuclear bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, respectively, Japan was the last of the axis powers to surrender.

After Mountbatten's decision, the British House of Commons passed the Indian Independence Bill on July 4, 1947. It was decided to establish two separate dominions of India and Pakistan.

Why is Pakistan's Independence Day celebrated on August 14?

According to the Indian Independence Act, both India and Pakistan were to celebrate their independence on August 15. Even the first stamp issued by Pakistan carried August 15 as the date of independence.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Jinnah said, "August 15 is the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan. It marks the fulfilment of the destiny of the Muslim nation which made great sacrifices in the past few years to have its homeland."

In July 1948, Pakistan released its first commemorative stamps, mentioning August 15, 1947, as its Independence Day. However, the date was later changed to August 14. The reasons for this change are not clear, however.
The (CJI) on Thursday recommended Uday Umesh Lalit take the reins of the highest judicial office in the country. From being the special public prosecutor in the 2G spectrum case to delivering the judgement, experts say his 74-day tenure will be like that of a very good interim Pope.

Sanjay Hegde, a Senior Advocate and someone who has seen Justice Lalit in the corridors of the Supreme Court, says one cannot expect magic from his short tenure, but he is sure that Justice Lalit will do justice to his post. As a former neighbour and friend at the Bar, we know him as a practitioner of the highest standards of professional conduct. He will always do the honourable thing. To borrow an analogy from the Catholic Church, his tenure will be like that of a very good interim Pope, Hegde says.

While he was a Senior Advocate in 2011, Justice Lalit was appointed a special public prosecutor in the 2G spectrum allocation case. A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly had directed the Centre to appoint Lalit as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case, ignoring the objections of the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate that he was not qualified for such an appointment.

However, his history of criminal case accolades doesnt end there. He had represented the government, opposing Dr Binayak Sen's bail plea when he was held on sedition charges. He has also represented former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in a corruption case and actor Salman Khan in the blackbuck poaching case.

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was elevated to a judge in the on August 13, 2014. His father, UR Lalit, was also a lawyer who later became a judge in the Delhi High Court.

Sameer Jain, Managing Partner, PSL Advocates & Solicitors, says one important expectation from the next CJI would be to dispose of Constitutional Bench matters. Justice U U Lalit will have a rather short tenure of two months as the . The Bar expects listing and filing procedures to be simplified, and the CJI is the best judge to assess the consumption of the roaster, he said.

Lalit joined the Bar in June 1983 and has been practising in the apex court since 1986. In 2004, he became a senior advocate.

As an apex court judge, Lalit was part of a five-judge bench and the 3-2 majority in the 2017 cases, which ruled the practice as illegal and unconstitutional.

He had earlier recused himself from the Ayodhya hearing because he had appeared for former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh in a case related to the Babri Masjid demolition.

Justice Lalit was also a part of the bench of the apex court, which held that the sexual intent, and not the skin-to-skin contact with the child, is the most important factor to establish that a child has been sexually assaulted. The top court bench had ruled this after quashing two judgments of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.
At least three people were killed on Morning morning after a stampede at Rajasthan's Khatu Shyam temple in Sikar during a monthly fair. A stampede-like situation occurred at the entrance door of Khatu Shyam temple at nearly 5 am on Monday, reports said. "The demise of three women is unfortunate. My condolences to the bereaved families. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured devotees," CM said in a statement.

India on Monday registered 16,167 new Covid cases to take its tally to 44,161,899. With 41 new deaths, including 15 reconciled by Kerala, India's toll due to the pandemic has now reached 526,730. With 15,549 recoveries in the past 24 hours, India's tally of cured Covid cases has now reached 43,499,659. India on Sunday administered 3,475,330 Covid vaccine doses, taking the count of total vaccination to 2,065,654,741.

PM said on Sunday that states should develop a clear time-bound road map for the implementation of the Education Policy (NEP) and focus on promoting trade, tourism and technology. He also asked for collective action to increase collections. This was the first in-person NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting since 2019 and the PM interacted with chief ministers of states and lieutenant governors of Union Territories.

The US Senate on Sunday (local time) passed a sweeping $430 billion bill by Democrats that is intended to fight climate change, lower drug prices, and raise some corporate taxes. The bill is being seen as a major victory for President that Democrats hope will aid their chances in this year's midterm polls.

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Outgoing Vice President Monday had a word of advice for the government and the Opposition when he said in a democracy, there should be tolerance towards people's mandate and members of the treasury benches in should let the other side have its say.

Naidu said this while addressing his farewell function organised by the members of in the House complex.

He underlined the need for patience in political life and said those seeking a change of guard should go back to the people to achieve it. "If you don't have patience, you will become a patient," he said.

The Rajya Sabha chairman also said the government, despite having a majority, should give respect to the Opposition.

"Let the Opposition have its say, then the government will have its way because it has the majority....This is my advice," he said.

In his address, he recalled his association with veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, saying he considers them as "next to god".

The vice president said he is proud of his humble background as he comes from a farmer family -- "kisan" -- and recalled how he had to walk for kilometres to reach school.

Naidu said whatever feedback he gets from the people, he passes it on to the prime minister. He said he cannot breach protocol and only informs the PM of the inputs.

Referring to the growth story of India, the outgoing vice president said some people are unable to "digest" the growth of the country. Some of the western countries are unable to digest the fact and suffer from "indigestion", he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House Mallikarjun Kharge were present on the occasion, besides several MPs.

A farewell message on behalf of the Rajya Sabha members was presented to Naidu by Harivansh.

In the message, the members of the Upper House said: "As an immaculate wordsmith, you (Naidu) have often added a dash of humour when tensions ran high by weaving words together in a rhyming but meaningful way. Your oratorical brilliance laced with instant wit and humour makes you one of the finest speakers we have witnessed in our parliamentary polity in recent times."



"Sir, we are beholden to you for deftly steering the functioning of the House during the unprecedented Covid pandemic. Your concerns in ensuring our personal health and safety during the difficult time while making the House functional will be remembered for times to come," it read.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra's district has reported 169 new COVID-19 cases, taking its infection count to 7,35,293, a health official said on Monday.

With the addition of the latest cases on Sunday, the district currently has 1,009 active COVID-19 cases as compared to 925 the previous day, he said.

There was no report of any death on Sunday and the COVID-19 fatality toll in the district stood at 11,931.

The recovery count has reached 7,22,936, the official added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From farmers' plight to GST revenue, chief Ministers of States raised several issues in the 7th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and held in the national capital on Sunday.

Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma discussed the modernization of the agriculture sector while attending the Governing Council meeting of in Delhi.

He said the meeting mainly concentrated on the reduction of imports and finding more ways to produce paddy, millet, oil, pulses and others.

The Assam CM said, "Last year, export was around Rs 50 lakh crore and the Prime Minister is now working on increasing it. In the discussion, representing Assam, I informed about the implementation of the National Education Policy, modernization of the agriculture sector and urbanization in the state."

Participating in the Governing Council meeting, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday expressed his commitment to move forward with a determination to uphold the state as a role model of development and good governance in the country.

Speaking at the meeting, Patel said Gujarat has earned first place in various categories of Good Governance Index, Logistics Performance Index, State Energy and Climate Index, Export Preparedness Index and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 3.0 released by the Government of India. He said the state has scaled new heights of development through several ambitious projects like GIFT City, Dream City, 30 GW hybrid renewable energy park, Dholera SIR and Statue of Unity.

Referring to the initiatives and achievements of the urban sector in Gujarat, Chief Minister Patel said that the state government is fully committed to realising the dream of the Prime Minister of making Gujarat's cities world-class. Giving details of this, he said that for speedy development of cities, the state government has given top priority to various welfare schemes for planned urban development and citizen-oriented governance.

He informed that a three-tier urban development roadmap has been prepared for the planned development of the cities of the state.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that in the Himalayan states, the should make a model of development through science and technology, which is based on ecology, population, and environmental sensitivity.

Dhami said work is also being done at a fast pace, at the World Prasadav Pilgrimage Site Badrinath under Kedarnath's Master Plan. He said Uttarakhand is the leading state in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Giving information about development work in different areas in the state, Chief Minister Dhami said that there is immense potential for agricultural diversification in the state. Mandua, Jhingora, Madira, Ramdana, mountainous pulses such as rajma etc. and medicinal plants are being consistently promoted. Aroma Park has been established on 40 acres in the state. In which the establishment of Aroma industries will have to invest around Rs 300 crore and more than 5,000 job opportunities. Horti-tourism is being developed to promote tourism and Horticulture in the state.

Dhami further said in order to promote online education, Virtual Class Room has been established in 500 schools in all 13 districts of the state. In 200 schools, 08 business education courses have also been started.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who attended the NITI Aayog's governing council meeting here on Sunday, said that he raised the issues of farmers including Minimum Support Price (MSP) while adding that he was happy with the meeting.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Mann said, "Today was NITI Aayog's 7th meeting and it was the first for me after becoming the Chief Minister. It is unfortunate that no one has come from in the last three years. I went with detailed homework today and kept Punjab's issues. The biggest issue was of the variety of crops." Chief Minister Mann said he was satisfied with the NITI Aayog's meeting as all issues were listened to.

"We are caught up in wheat and rice. Our water levels have decreased to a dangerous level. We demand MSP for farmers and demand a reformed committee as there are no stakeholders in it. I am happy with the meeting and all issues were listened to," he said.

At the NITI Aayog's meeting, Mann suggested holding the G20 meeting in Amritsar.

Chief Minister on Sunday suggested that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) should be implemented in rural areas located near cities and cities with a population of less than 20 thousand.

Chief Minister Baghel also suggested that agricultural research institutes should be given the responsibility of providing free seeds of newly developed crop varieties, mini kits and breeder seeds on a large scale to ensure crop diversification and increase in the production and productivity of pulses, and oilseeds.

" is self-sufficient in the production of food grains and has taken many innovative measures to increase the production of pulses and oilseeds in the state," he said.

Baghel also reiterated the state's demand of GST compensation, transferring of the amounts collected as 'additional levy' from coal block companies and reimbursement of expenditure of Rs 11 thousand 828 crores made by the state government for eradication of Naxalism.

The Chief Minister said that there has been a loss of revenue to the states due to the GST tax system, the Center has not made arrangements to compensate for the loss of revenue of about Rs 5000 crores to the state in the coming year, so the grant should be continued for the next 5 years even after June 2022.

He said has received less shares of central taxes by Rs 13,089 crore in the Union Budget of the last three years, resulting in extreme pressure on the resources of the state. In the coming budget, the share of central taxes should be given to the state completely.

He also demanded that Rs 4,140 crore deposited with the center at the rate of Rs 294 per tonne on coal mining from coal block companies should be transferred to Chhattisgarh soon.

Baghel made five demands for the welfare of the people of the state. He urged the revision of the royalty rate of the main minerals, including coal.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said NITI Aayog can take up the role of an ombudsman and can resolve disputes between States and central governments in the implementation of central schemes.

"We all accept that the State and central governments are political entities and sometimes there are disputes in the implementation of central schemes. NITI Aayog can resolve these issues like an ombudsman," Patnaik said in his remarks during the Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog.

Further in his remarks, Odisha has been historically neglected in the subjects that are in the central list such as telecom, railways and banking.

"We have the lowest density in all these crucial infrastructures and I would urge the central government to give special focus for Odisha," Patnaik said.

Odisha is impacted almost every year by natural disasters.

"It's important to have disaster resilient infrastructure to protect the state and its people from the vagaries of nature. I would sincerely request the central government to make Odisha a special focus state and allocate funds for disaster proofing," he added.

Speaking about Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana, he said the scheme has some implementation issues in the field level because of which genuine farmers were deprived in some cases.

"Nitiayog may study this and suggest ways to protect the interest of farmers," he said without exactly explaining the issues.

The 7th governing council meeting of NITI Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at Rashtrapati Bhawan's Cultural Centre in the national capital on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by Chief Ministers of the States and Union Territories, legislators, Lt Governors of UTs, Ex-Officio Members, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Full-Time Members of NITI Aayog and Union Ministers as Special Invitees. However, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the meeting.

Notably, this meeting is the first in-person meeting of the Governing Council since July 2019.

The agenda of the NITI Aayog meeting includes crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses; implementation of the National Education Policy-school education; implementation of the National Education Policy-higher education; and urban governance.

(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 on Monday expressed anguish at the death of devotees in a at a temple complex in .

Three women were killed in the outside the the Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar district early in the day.

Long queues were seen outside the temple as devotees had gathered on the occasion of 'Gyaras', an auspicious day as per Hindu calendar.

Modi tweeted, "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, . My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest.

(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 Monday granted four weeks interim bail, on medical grounds, to Amrapali Group's former Chairman and Managing Director Anil Kumar Sharma.

On August 4, the top court had issued notice on Sharma's plea seeking bail on medical grounds. A bench headed by Justice U.U. Lalit asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to file a report on Sharma's medical condition and scheduled the matter for hearing on August 8.

On Monday, the top court granting interim bail, asked Sharma to surrender after expiry of four weeks.

In the previous hearing, Sharma's counsel had contended before the top court that his client's condition was deteriorating and urged it to grant bail to Sharma for six to eight weeks keeping in view his medical condition. Sharma is lodged in Mandoli prison here.

Amrapali Group's ex-directors, including Sharma, are behind bars after multiple cases have been registered against them for allegedly diverting home buyers' money.

The top court, on June 9, allowed Sharma's surgery to be conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for the repair of a "bilateral inguinal hernia" within a week. However, noting that allegations against Sharma are serious, it did not entertain a plea by his counsel seeking bail for four weeks.

The SC had directed an Enforcement Directorate probe into the alleged money laundering by the realtor.

On March 21, the court had declined to order clubbing and transfer of several cases lodged against Amrapali directors and other officials of the group's firms.

The counsel of Shiv Priya, one of the Amrapali officials behind the bars, submitted before a bench headed by Justice Lalit that trial in over 80 criminal matters can be transferred to one court from seven different courts in the capital.

Refusing to either club or transfer the cases, the bench said every complainant will have different versions and it will create issues for the court, and the trial court judge concerned will find it difficult to deliver the judgement.

As counsel cited clubbing of matters in the coal scam, the bench pointed out that the coal scam cases involved government officials as accused and the Prevention of Corruption Act provides transfer and clubbing of cases. The counsel emphasised that the crux of all the FIRs is that the home buyers were cheated.

--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 issued a notice on a petition against permission granted to Corporation Limited to purchase lands for the Hill Station project in 2002.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna issued a notice on a plea challenging the Bombay High Courts orders in February this year. The High Court(HC) had refused to interfere with the matter challenging the purchase of lands.

The petitioners contended before the HC that the permission given for the allotment of the lands was illegal as they were politically influenced. The allegations were against Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar, his daughter and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule, and then the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for influencing the officials of the State government and Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation to take decisions prejudicial to the public interest, the petition stated.

The High Court had noted that since the allegations against the politicians were not countered by them it would appear to be true.

However, the HC Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni refused to interfere in the matter saying that the petitioner had delayed in approaching the court and the farmers must have lost their interests in the disputed lands.

The petitioners then moved the apex court saying that the High Court had dismissed their petition on a technicality of delay and had not gone into the merits of the case.

Even though the High Court had recognized the abuse of power, it had failed to pierce the veil and the functional immunity accorded to the holders of public offices to hold them accountable and has failed to attribute even an iota of responsibility for their continuous grave wrongs, the petition before the stated.

For short-term relief, the petitioners have sought a stay on the construction works in the 18 villages of .

It is to be noted that the lenders for Lavasa Corporation had started an insolvency process against the company earlier. A Mumbai-based firm Darwin Platform Infrastructure Limited had won the 1864 crore bid to acquire Lavasa Corporation through the insolvency process. The bid was approved by the lenders of the corporation but the petitioners have sought a direction to the company law tribunal to not approve the bid until the current petition is decided.
JAKARTA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc. has signed a deal worth 74.5 trillion rupiahs (5 billion U.S. dollars) to buy nickel products from two Indonesian producers, a minister said Monday.

"The contracts are applicable for five years with two companies operating in the Morowali regency (Central Sulawesi province). The nickel materials will be used for Tesla's lithium batteries," Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said in a virtual discussion.

Indonesia, one of the world's largest nickel producers, is seeking a leading role in EV battery industries. The country has been wooing Tesla to invest in the nickel industry and supply of EV batteries in Indonesia.

As of January 2020, Indonesia had 72 million tons of nickel ore reserves, according to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

That accounted for 52 percent of the total amount of nickel ore around the world. The country's nickel production reached 2.47 million tons in 2021.

Pandjaitan said the Indonesian government would keep approaching Tesla, hoping the company would establish an EV manufacturer in the country.

"We're still in an ongoing negotiation with Tesla," he said. 
A delegation of the RSS-affiliated Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram has met President and urged her to ask state governors to ensure implementation of the PESA Act, its senior functionary said on Sunday.

The PESA Act was enacted by in 1996 to ensure self-governance for people living in scheduled areas. States were required to formulate rules for effective implementation of the Act to strengthen gram sabhas in these scheduled areas.

The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram works for tribals, particularly in the tribal-dominated regions in the county. Senior functionary of the organisation Pramod Pethkar said the delegation met Murmu on August 5.

Members of the delegation requested the President to emphasise the implementation of laws such as the PESA Act when she chairs meeting with all governors.

They also presented Murmu the special Independence day edition of its monthly magazine 'Van Bandhu'.

The Constitution has given governors special powers regarding tribal areas, mainly to check land-related transactions involving scheduled tribes so that the people from the community are not deprived of their rights.

(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.)
Tensions are brewing between Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) and the (BJP) in . On Sunday, CM skipped the Niti Aayog governing council meeting chaired by PM Modi. This is the fourth consecutive time since July 17 that Kumar has steered clear of the invitations to meetings by the BJP-led government.

On Sunday, Nitish reportedly called and asked for an appointment, according to News18. He had earlier skipped the oath-taking ceremony of the President of India, .

JDU president Lalan Singh has also accused the of trying to weaken Kumar's hold over the party, according to NDTV. Singh said that in the 2021 elections, the ensured that Kumar's votes were split. JDU won 43 out of the total 243 assembly seats.

"Two conspiracies were hatched against in recent times  one the Chirag model of 2020, which was responsible for bringing down our Assembly seats to 43. Another had been in the making and was nipped in the bud," Singh said.

The second conspiracy is around RCP Singh. According to reports, Nitish had been uneasy that Singh accepted a ministerial post in the central government without his go-ahead. Nitish did not nominate Singh for the Rajya Sabha, after which he quit the party on Saturday amid a souring of relations with the CM.

JDU has also reportedly been unhappy with Bihar's projection as a 'terror haven state' by the central government. A News18 report also stated that Kumar never wanted to be a part of the BJP's central government, and Singh made a move on his own.

Nitish has also asked all the MLAs of JDU to reach Patna by Monday evening. This has fired up the speculations about the future of the Bihar government.

However, has been trying to placate Kumar. Speaking at a party meeting in Patna, Home minister said that BJP and JDU will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Assembly elections together.

What unfolds in Bihar is yet to be seen.
The commerce ministry's arm DGTR has recommended imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of a kind of cutting tool from China, for five years, to protect the domestic industry from cheap inbound shipments.

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the duty after conducting an investigation on the dumped imports of 'resin bonded thin wheels'.

It is used in various sectors ranging from welding and cutting.

The directorate in its findings has concluded the item is being imported from China into India in significant quantities in both absolute and relative terms.

The imports are undercutting the prices of the domestic industry, it added.

"Definitive antidumping duty...is recommended to be imposed for five years...," the DGTR has said in a notification.

The recommended duty was in the range of USD 78.38 per tonne and USD 90.12 per tonne on imports.

While DGTR, which is under the commerce ministry, recommends the duty, the finance ministry takes the final decision to impose the same within three months of the recommendation.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to check if their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in below-cost imports. As a countermeasure, they impose duties within the multilateral regime of the WTO (World Trade Organisation).

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. It is not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in the cost of products.

The directorate had received an application from Grindwell Norton Ltd and Carborundum Universal Ltd for initiation of anti-dumping investigations.

(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 seeks to restrict Chinese makers from selling devices cheaper than Rs 12,000 ($150) to kickstart its faltering domestic industry, dealing a blow to brands including Corp.

The move is aimed at pushing Chinese giants out of the lower segment of the worlds second-biggest mobile market, according to people familiar with the matter. It coincides with mounting concern about high-volume brands like Realme and Transsion undercutting local manufacturers, they said, asking not to be identified discussing a sensitive matter.

Exclusion from Indias entry-level market would hurt and its peers, which in recent years have increasingly relied on India to drive growth while their home market endures a series of Covid-19 lockdowns that crippled consumption. Smartphones under $150 contributed to a third of Indias sales volume for the quarter through June 2022, with Chinese companies accounting for up to 80% of those shipments, according to market tracker Counterpoint.

Xiaomis shares extended losses in the final minutes of trading in Hong Kong on Monday. It slid 3.6%, extending their decline this year to more than 35%. Its unclear whether Prime Minister Narendra Modis government will announce any policies or use informal channels to convey its preference to Chinese companies, the people said.

" shipments may fall by 11-14% a year, or 20-25 million units, with sales decreasing by 4-5%, we calculate, if India enacts a ban on China-made mobile phones retailing under $150. It accounts for 25% of the segment in India, which is Xiaomis most important overseas market, with 66% of its smartphones priced under $150," according to IDC's analysts.

New Delhi has already subjected Chinese firms operating in the country, such as Xiaomi and rivals Oppo and Vivo, to close scrutiny of their finances, which has led to tax demands and money laundering allegations. The government has previously employed unofficial means to ban Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. telecom equipment. While theres no official policy prohibiting Chinese networking gear, wireless carriers are encouraged to purchase alternatives.

The move shouldnt affect Apple Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., which price their phones higher. Representatives from Xiaomi, Realme and Transsion didnt respond to requests for comment. Spokespeople from Indias technology ministry also didnt respond to Bloomberg inquiries.

India amped up pressure on Chinese firms in the summer of 2020 after more than a dozen Indian soldiers died following a clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbors on a disputed Himalayan border. It has since banned more than 300 apps, including Tencent Holdings Ltd.s WeChat and ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok, as relations between the two countries fray.

Homegrown companies such as Lava and MicroMax comprised just under half of Indias sales before new entrants from the neighboring country disrupted the market with cheap and feature-rich devices.

Chinese smartphone players now sell the vast majority of devices in India, but their market dominance has not been on the basis of free and fair competition, MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Business Standard last week. Recurring annual losses posted by most Chinese handset makers in India, despite their leading position, add to criticism of unfair competition.

In private, the government continues to ask Chinese executives to build local supply chains, distribution networks and export from India, suggesting New Delhi still very much wants their investment, the people said.
The area under  the biggest foodgrain during the kharif season  was almost 13 per cent lower in the week ended August 5 as compared to the same period last year despite a slight pick-up in rains in the main growing regions, triggering fears of a 10-12 million-tonne drop in final output.

Sources said with the peak sowing season for almost coming to an end in the big-growing states, any uptick in coverage from here onwards may not give the desired yields.

With 30 per cent of normal average area in which is grown every year remaining unsown till early August, there is a limited chance of a big uptick in output, trade and market sources said.

In the previous kharif season, India produced over 111 million tonnes of rice.

In several states, farmers have already moved on to other short-duration crops such as pulses and abandoning paddy.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), between June 1 and August 8, the southwest monsoon is around 7 per cent more than normal (cumulatively across the country).

However, in major paddy-growing states of UP (-40 per cent), West Bengal (-25 per cent), Jharkhand (-48 per cent), Bihar (-35 per cent) and Odisha (-9 per cent), the rains are woefully short.

Together, the five states account for more than 40 per cent of Indias total annual rice production, estimated to be over 120 million tonnes.



Less paddy acreage has been reported from West Bengal (1.2 million hectares), Jharkhand (0.93 million hectares), Bihar (0.48 million hectares) and Chhattisgarh (0.43 million hectares).





The situation is similar in Uttar Pradesh (0.38 million hectares), Madhya Pradesh (0.37 million hectares), Odisha (0.35 million hectares) and Telangana (0.28 million hectares).

India, the worlds second-largest producer and top exporter of rice, commands a 40 per cent share in global rice trade.

It exported 21.2 million tonnes of rice in 2021-22, of which 3.94 million tonnes was the basmati variety.

The weekly data also showed that apart from paddy, area sown under pulses is down marginally to 11.64 million hectares down from 11.94 million hectares.

However, the acreage under coarse cereals, oilseeds, cotton, and jute as well as mesta is higher till August 5, 2022, as compared to last year. For most crops, the sowing is almost over.

Data showed that the acreage of increased to 16.03 million hectares up from 15.44 million hectares. Oilseeds sowing area was up at 17.47 million hectares till August 8, from 17.38 million hectares last year.

sowing increased to 12.12 million hectares, up from 11.35 million hectares.

Total area under coverage for all kharif crops was down at 90.86 million hectares till August 5, against 93.66 million hectares during the same period last year.

On the back of bumper production and high procurement in the last few years, the Centre is sitting on a stock of 47 million tonnes of rice (including rice equivalent of unmilled paddy) as on July 1. This is against the buffer norm of 13.5 million tonnes.

The Centre can use rice from its own godowns to intervene in the market, in case of price rise.

Already, the Centre is supplying more rice instead of wheat through ration shops. This is because its procurement of wheat fell sharply to 19 million tonnes this year from 43 million tonnes last year.

Armed with high levels of stock in the central pool, the government is providing rice at Rs 3 per kg under the food law and free of cost under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to around 800 million people, incurring huge amounts of subsidy.

The PMGKAY is valid till September and it will be interesting to see whether the government further extends it or not, given the tight stock situation in wheat.
State Council of Higher (APSCHE) has finally announced the results for Integrated Common Entrance Test (AP ICET) 2022 on Monday. Candidates who appeared for the AP ICET 2022 exam can check their results by visiting the official website of the state board- cets.apsche.ap.gov.in.

The AP ICET 2022 exam was conducted on July 25, 2022 in two sessions. The exam was conducted by Kakatiya University, Warangal, on behalf of the State Council of Higher .

The answer key for the same was released on July 27, 2022. Qualifying percentage of marks in the entrance test is 25 per cent, that is, a candidate has to score a minimum of 50 marks out of 200 to qualify the exam. However, no minimum qualifying percentage has been set for candidates belonging to Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Here's how you can check your AP ICET 2022 results:

Go to the official website- cets.apsche.ap.gov.in

Click on the tab that reads AP ICET on the homepage

Next, click on results/download rank card

Enter your details including registration number, date of birth, and ICET hall ticket number

Click on "view rank card/result

Your AP ICET 2022 result will be displayed on the screen

Download and take a printout of the same for future reference.

AP ICET is exam conducted for admitting students into Master of Business (MBA) and Master of Computer Application (MCA) courses.
Axios has agreed to sell itself to Cox Enterprises in a deal that values the digital media firm at $525 million, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Atlanta-based Cox, a family-owned conglomerate that also owns the Dayton Daily News and other newspapers in Ohio, said the acquisition will help diversify its business.

Axios is selling at roughly five times its projected 2022 revenue of more than $100 million, according to the source.

Founded in 2017, Axios is known for its bulletin-style reporting of politics, business and technology news.

Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz started the media company after they left news website Politico in 2016, which VandeHei also helped found. Politico went on to sell itself to German publisher Axel Springer for more than $1 billion last year.

VandeHei, Allen and Schwartz will continue to lead editorial decisions at Axios, Cox Enterprises said, adding that Cox Chief Executive Alex Taylor will join Axios' board.

Communications software business Axios HQ will become an independent company majority-owned by Axios co-founders and Cox Enterprises will be the sole minority investor.

The New York Times first reported about the deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Internet giant Baidu on Monday said it will soon ply fully driverless taxis in Chongqing and Wuhan cities via its autonomous ride-hailing unit called Apollo Go, becoming the first company in the country to herald autonomous driving.

The search engine group recently showcased a new generation of self-driving vehicles.

Baidu has now secured permits to offer a fully driverless commercial robotaxi service, with no human driver present, reports TechCrunch.

Baidu has also secured a permit to run driverless cars on open roads in Beijing but here, the permit still requires a human operator in the front passenger seat.

However, it will be the first time an autonomous vehicle company is able to offer a fully driverless ride-hailing service in in Wuhan and Chongqing cities.

"This is a tremendous qualitative change. We believe these permits are a key milestone on the path to the inflection point when the industry can finally roll out fully autonomous driving services at scale," said Wei Dong, vice president and chief safety operation officer of Baidu's Intelligent Driving Group.

In Wuhan, Baidu's service will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m and cover a 13 square km area.

In Chongqing, the service will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in a 30 square km area to begin with.

Last month, Baidu revealed designs for its sixth generation electric robotaxi, the Apollo RT6 EV that costs around $37,000.

Baidu plans to expand its ride-hailing service to 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030, said the report.

Self-driving car service Cruise recently began driverless commercial service in San Francisco, and Waymo has been offering such autonomous services in the city of Arizona since 2020.

--IANS

na/

(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.)
China announced new military drills around on Monday, eliciting concern from U.S. President Joe Biden, a day after the scheduled end of Beijing's largest exercises to protest last week's visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China's Eastern Theatre Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations - confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would keep pressure on Taiwan's defences.

Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned the move, saying China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own, was deliberately creating crises. It demanded Beijing stop its military actions and "pull back from the edge".

"In the face of military intimidation created by China, will not be afraid nor back down, and will more firmly defend its sovereignty, national security, and free and democratic way of life," the ministry said in a statement.

Biden, in his first public comments on the issue since Pelosi's visit, said he was not worried about but was concerned about China's actions in the region.

"I'm concerned they are moving as much as they are," Biden told reporters in Delaware. "But I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later condemned China's drills. "We've been condemning them since they started escalating," Jean-Pierre said. "They are provocative, irresponsible and raise the risk of miscalculation. And that's what he - the president - was referring to."

VISIT ANGERS CHINA

Pelosi's visit infuriated China, which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as well as by ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington, including theatre military talks and on climate change.

Counter narcotics cooperation on illicit fentanyl trafficking was among the channels Beijing suspended, a move the head of U.S. drug control policy Rahul Gupta on Monday called "unacceptable".

The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected 39 Chinese air force planes and 13 navy ships in and around the Taiwan Strait on Monday. Twenty-one Chinese air force planes had entered Taiwan's air defence zone, including fighter jets that crossed the median line in the northern part of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned of the potential for miscalculation over tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which he said were unlikely to ease soon amid deep suspicion and limited engagement between the United States and China.

"Around us, a storm is gathering. U.S.-China relations are worsening, with intractable issues, deep suspicions, and limited engagement," Lee said in a televised address on the eve of the city-state's national day.

'DEEPLY TOUCHED'

Shortly before the latest drills were announced, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, telling him she was moved by his determination to visit despite China's military pressure.

"Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. These statements have deeply touched us," Tsai said at a welcome ceremony for Gonsalves in Taipei.

The Caribbean country is one of only around a dozen nations to have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not China.

It was unclear if Tsai had invited Gonsalves before or after Pelosi's visit. "We don't disclose internal planning or communications between governments," the Taiwanese foreign ministry said when asked by Reuters.

Beyond the firing of 11 short-range ballistic missiles during the four earlier days of exercises, Chinese warships, fighter jets and drones manoeuvred extensively around the island.

Shortly before those drills ended on Sunday, about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan manoeuvred at close quarters around the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved with security planning.

A Chinese state television commentator said late on Sunday that the Chinese military would now conduct "regular" drills on the Taiwan side of the line.

MILITARY TALKS SHELVED

In Taipei, defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters that Taiwan's armed forces had "calmly" handled the Chinese drills. Earlier, the ministry had said the drills had used warships, aircraft and drones to simulate attacks on the island and its navy.

China's designated no-fly zones, and crossings of the median line, have "compressed" Taiwan's training space and will affect the normal operation of flights and air routes in the future, the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China was conducting normal military exercises "in our own waters" in an open, transparent and professional way, adding that Taiwan was part of China.

China's defence ministry meanwhile maintained its diplomatic pressure on the United States, defending its shelving of some military-to-military talks.

"The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the U.S. side on its own initiative, and the U.S. side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this," defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.

"The bottom line cannot be broken, and communication requires sincerity," Wu said.

The White House has said the United States has done nothing to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and that China is using Pelosi's visit as a pretext to ramp up pressure on Taiwan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President on Sunday (local time) welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza-based militants after three days of hostilities.

Biden said that over last 72 hours, the United States has worked with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, and others throughout the region to encourage a swift resolution to the conflict.

"I thank Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and the senior Egyptian officials who played a central role in this diplomacy as well as Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and his team for helping to bring these hostilities to an end," Biden said in a White House statement.

These remarks by Biden come as airstrikes were carried out across the Gaza Strip under Israel's operation Breaking Dawn against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

President Biden said that his support for Israel's security is long-standing and unwavering--including its right to defend itself against attacks.

"Over these recent days, Israel has defended its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks launched by the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the United States is proud of our support for Israel's Iron-Dome, which intercepted hundreds of rockets and saved countless lives. I commend Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his government's steady leadership throughout the crisis."

He noted that the reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza.

"My Administration supports a timely and thorough investigation into all of these reports, and we also call on all parties to fully implement the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza as the fighting subsides."

Recalling his trip to Israel and the West Bank, Biden said, that during his visit he made clear that "Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy."

"My Administration will remain engaged with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to support that vision and to implement the initiatives launched during my visit to improve the quality of life for Palestinians and Israelis alike," he concluded as saying.

Meanwhile, United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency closed-door meeting on Monday to discuss the latest escalation between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, media reports said citing a statement by the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour.

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PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Monday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) needs to stand in unity to address key challenges for the sake of regional peace, stability and sustainable development.

In a video message to mark the ASEAN Day, Hun Sen, chair of ASEAN for 2022, said Cambodia is committed to upholding and promoting ASEAN centrality, unity, and solidarity to address common regional challenges and to enhancing the bloc's contribution to regional and global peace, stability, security, and sustainable development.

"ASEAN needs to stand by on our unity for cooperation and mutual interest," he said. "We will strive to focus on actions that bind us together for (the) greater prosperity of our region."

Hun Sen said it is true that ASEAN cannot guarantee the absence of wars and conflicts, but at least, ASEAN has served as an open platform for constructive dialogue and consultation, which has enormously contributed to upholding peace and stability in the region.

He said more than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN has managed to overcome this global crisis and its adverse effects on public health, society, economy and daily livelihood of the people.

He added that the bloc has come up with many initiatives to curb the impacts of this health crisis by adopting a broad ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework to safeguard people's lives and maintain social stability and economic growth.

"We can safely say that we are now in the recovering phase," Hun Sen said.

"In sum, we believe that ASEAN can forge ahead with strength, solidarity, and friendship to overcome all the challenges that are facing us for the common good of our peoples and our region, in line with the core spirit of ASEAN: 'One Vision, One Identity, One Community'," he added.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 
The Chinese resort island of Hainan has placed more cities, including the provincial capital, into lockdown as a Covid-19 outbreak spreads, stranding tens of thousands of tourists in one of the nations most popular holiday destinations.

The province reported 504 cases on Sunday, taking the current outbreak to almost 1,500 since the first infection was detected a week ago. The provincial capital Haikou -- a major flight hub for the island -- and the beachside resort city have been placed into lockdown, while Wanning and Qionghai are under static management, a term commonly used when referring to lockdowns.

Overall, reported 807 cases for Sunday, up from 736 on Saturday and the most in two weeks. The flare up in cases, from less than 300 as recently as Wednesday, shows the difficulty of meeting Chinas strict Covid-Zero policy in the face of more infectious omicron sub-variants. After taming outbreaks in megacities like Shanghai and Shenzhen, cases continue to pop up in other regions.

Tibet recorded four infections Sunday, the first in 920 days. The remote, mountainous region had detected just one prior case since the pandemic started.

As of Saturday, 25,000 tourists were stuck in hotels in Sanya, according to a briefing by the provincial government on Sunday. Arrangements have been made for more than 3,000 tourists at Sanya Phoenix Airport to stay at nearby hotels. The stranded travelers will have to pay half the room bill this week.

More than 81 million tourists visited the island in 2021 and tourism spending rose to 250 billion yuan ($37 billion), both figures rising about 26% year-on-year.

The lockdowns coincide with Hainans peak travel season, dealing a blow to the provinces duty free retail industry -- the most important duty free shopping market in . Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. shares fell as much as 7.5% in early trading Monday, before paring losses to recently be down 3%.

The tropical citys outbreak has spread to 10 cities and counties in Hainan, and to at least four other provinces, including Hunan and Guizhou, with each on Sunday reporting one infection coming from Sanya.

Meantime, China has shortened the length of suspensions for inbound airline flights that carry passengers infected with Covid. The so-called circuit breaker for flights that bring in five people with Covid, or 4% of the total passenger load, has been cut to one week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said.

Authorities have been adjusting restrictions to staunch some of the fallout for the worlds second-largest economy, while remaining committed to its core Covid Zero policy. As omicron sub-variants become ever-more infectious, Xis zero tolerance resolve is growing stronger -- leading many experts to warn the approach could continue well beyond 2022.

In June, China cut in half the length of time inbound travelers must spend in quarantine to 10 days, making it easier for citizens to return and foreign companies to tend to business in the worlds second-largest economy after 2 1/2-years of isolation.
Inc on Monday agreed to pay $5.4 billion in cash for sickle cell disease drugmaker Global Blood Therapeutics, as it looks to capitalize on a surge in revenue from its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment.

will pay $68.50 per GBT share, which represents a 7.3% premium to its Friday closing price. The deal is at a more than 40% premium where GBT was trading before the Wall Street Journal reported that was in advanced talks to buy it on Thursday.

Pfizer's 2021 revenue of $81.3 billion was nearly double the mark from the previous year, due to COVID-19 vaccine sales. With the addition of its COVID-19 antiviral pill Paxlovid, Pfizer is expected to generate around $100 billion in revenue this year, but sales from both products are expected to decline going forward.

Pfizer has been on the lookout for acquisitions that could bring in billions in annual sales by the end of the decade.

"We have very deliberately taken a strategy of diversification in our M&A deals," Aamir Malik, Pfizer's top dealmaker, said in an interview. He said the company was focused on improving growth for the second half of the decade, rather than large deals that generate value through cost cuts.

"We think that there are opportunities across all therapeutic areas that we're active in," Malik said, noting that the company was also agnostic about size for future deals.

In May, Pfizer struck an $11.6 billion deal for migraine drug maker Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding and recently also completed a $6.7 billion deal to buy Arena Pharmaceuticals.

With the acquisition of Global Blood Therapeutics, Pfizer adds sickle cell disease treatment Oxbryta, which was approved in 2019 and is expected to top $260 million in sales this year.

It will also pick up two pipeline assets - GBT601 and inclacumab - targeting the same disease.

Pfizer said if they are all approved, it believes GBT's drugs could generate more than $3 billion in sales annually at their peak.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people in the United States.

GBT Chief Executive Officer Ted Love said that Pfizer's resources and multinational infrastructure will allow the company to launch Oxbryta in additional markets and boost its uptake.

"We really have no infrastructure outside of that (U.S. and western Europe) and it takes time and money to build out those infrastructures and Pfizer already has all of it," Love said.

Shares of Global Blood rose 4.5% following the deal announcement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The fourth set of human remains were found in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in US where the water level has dropped to unprecedented lows amid a 22-year drought, authorities said.

Park Rangers responded to a call about the discovery of the remains at Swim Beach at Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Saturday, the National Park Service said on Sunday.

They were assisted in their investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department dive team, reports dpa news agency.

The skeletal remains are the second set to be found at Swim Beach.

Authorities provided no additional information about the discovery. A spokesperson with the Clark County Office of the Coroner-Medical Examiner could not be reached for comment.

This is the fourth time since May that human remains have been discovered in the lake that provides water to 25 million people and millions of acres of farmland in several states in the Southwest, including California.

The first set of skeletal remains was found in May in a barrel and likely belonged to a gunshot victim killed in the 1970s or 1980s, officials said.

About a week later, another set of remains was found at Callville Bay.

A third set was recovered last month at the lake's Swim Beach.

Authorities believe the region's extreme and Lake Mead's dropping water levels will lead them to discover more remains.

None of the remains discovered have been identified.

In addition to human remains, the receding waters have revealed watercraft, including a World War II-era boat that had been put into service at the lake before sinking.

--IANS

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on Monday sued high-tech speaker and audio technology company Sonos again, alleging that the company infringed on its patents around smart speakers and voice control technology.

The tech giant filed two lawsuits in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, and plans to file similar lawsuits with the US Trade Commission soon, reports The Verge.

The lawsuits are being filed to "defend our technology and challenge Sonos's clear, continued infringement of our patents," a spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.

Sonos "started an aggressive and misleading campaign against our products, at the expense of our shared customers," alleged.

In a ruling in January this year, the US Trade Commission (ITC) said that Google violated five patents of high-tech speaker and audio technology company Sonos, relating to smart speakers.

A US judge had ruled in August last year that Google infringed upon the Sonos patents.

In January 2020, Sonos first sued tech giant Google for allegedly copying its wireless speaker design, urging the ITC to ban Google products like laptops, phones and speakers.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence testified before the US House antitrust committee that Google "blocked the company from enabling both Amazon's Alexa assistant and the Google Assistant from being active at the same time".

Google had said "we do not expect any impact to our ability to import or sell our products".

According to Sonos, starting in 2016 shortly after the first Google Home was launched, it began warning Google about patent infringement but to no avail.

Sonos said it accused Google of infringing on a total of 100 patents.

Google countersued audio company Sonos for patent infringement, alleging that the tech giant contributed "substantial Google engineering resources" to help Sonos in the past.

Google has always maintained that its technology was developed independently and it was not copied from Sonos.

--IANS

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By Uditha Jayasinghe

COLOMBO (Reuters) - has given approval for India's Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) to open 50 new fuel stations, a company official said on Monday, as part of efforts to reduce severe shortages that have crippled the island nation.

is caught in its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years as a shortage of foreign exchange has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of food, medicine and, critically, fuel.

LIOC, the smaller player in the island's fuel supply duopoly, already has 216 fuel stations and will invest about 2 billion rupees ($5.5 million) on the expansion, its Managing Director Manoj Gupta told Reuters.

LIOC is a subsidiary of India's Indian Oil Corporation and is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.

"We have been trying for some time to get this approval and we are more than willing to come forward and play a larger role to support and work with to resolve its challenges," Gupta said.

The country's largest fuel retailer, state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), operates around 1,190 fuel stations.

LIOC's retail expansion follows a separate agreement signed in December to gain control of 75 oil tanks in a strategically important storage facility near Sri Lanka's eastern port of Trincomalee.

The company has also stepped up supplies to CPC in the last two months after Sri Lanka ran short of dollars to pay for shipments, forcing consumers to wait in long queues, sometimes for days.

India has poured about $4 billion into its southern neighbour this year to prop up the economy, including swaps and multiple credit lines to purchase fuel, food and fertilizer.

Sri Lanka is also in discussions with the Monetary Fund (IMF) for a possible $3 billion bailout package, besides seeking assistance from China and Japan.

(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Susan Fenton)

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US carmaker has signed contracts worth about $5 billion to buy materials for their batteries from processing companies in Indonesia, a senior cabinet minister told CNBC .

Southeast Asias biggest economy has been trying to get to set up a production facility in the country, which has major reserves. President Joko Widodo met founder Elon Musk earlier this year to drum up investment.

We are still in constant negotiation with Tesla ... but they have started buying two excellent products from Indonesia, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said in an interview broadcast on Monday. He said Tesla signed a five-year contract with processing companies operating out of Morowali in Sulawesi island. The nickel materials will be used in Teslas lithium batteries.

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For years, the United Kingdom (UK), specifically London, has continued to be a haven for economic offenders from other nations. Russian oligarchs have kept their money parked in the country in the form of property and other assets. It has earned the city an unenviable nickname, 'Londongrad'.

Even Indian businessmen, like and Vijay Mallya, who have been declared fugitive economic offenders (FEOs) by the Indian government, have been living in the UK, seeking asylum.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has brought the topic back to the discussion. In March, the British Parliament passed the economic crime act to ease the process of conducting trials of people with corruption cases against them.

A report by The Economist said that the country has a money-laundering problem amounting to $125 billion per annum.

But what makes a money-laundering hotspot?

Various reports have discussed why is the 'Laundromat' of global 'dirty' money. The first reason cited is the weak enforcement of the laws.

According to a report by Financial Times, the money can be transferred to a company from foreign bank accounts without much trouble. Although the laws require the company's details to be recorded with the government, these laws are not implemented strictly.

The money is usually transferred to the shell companies in the and then moved across various bank accounts to 'clean' it.

Apart from implementation, the report also said that a nexus of accountants, lawyers and oligarchs have been formed in the country. Lawyers and accountants help oligarchs evade the tax laws. Oligarchs, in return, pay them hefty fees.

How does in take place?

There are four steps in which the whole process takes place, according to FT.

The first step is "placement". The money is brought into the country through foreign bank accounts and parked in shell companies' bank accounts.

Second, the transactions are "layered". Here, several complicated financial transactions are conducted with the money. This makes it difficult for the agencies to keep track of the origin of such funds. Several banks, too, are a part of the process. FT identified 86 such banks in its report.

Then, the money is "integrated" into the system. Costly assets like houses, watches, cars, and jewellery are bought with the money to integrate the money into the system.

In the UK, offshore companies are allowed to buy a property without revealing the details of the person who is ultimately buying it. Around 84,000 houses have unknown owners in the country.

Lastly, if any cases are filed against the launderers, they are "defended" by the nexus of accountants and lawyers. According to a report by Transparency International, 86 banks, 81 law firms and 177 educational institutes have accepted dirty money.

What is the doing to fight it?

After the war in Ukraine broke out, the UK House of Commons passed the Economic Crime Act, which makes it mandatory to register overseas entities and their beneficiaries with the government. It also aims to intensify sanctions enforcement in the country.

Since the passage of the bill, Britain has sanctioned over 1,600 individuals and businesses, including 100 Russian oligarchs, according to a report by The Economist.

An Economic Crime Act 2.0 might also be introduced by the government in the coming months, FT added. It might give the authorities the power to seize crypto assets and exchange information on to speed up the investigation.
Over 4,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in seven wildfires that are still burning in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain, according to local firefighting services.

At least 2,000 hectares have so far been ravaged by the largest fire close to the city of A Coruna. There have not been any casualties, but the flames have forced the evacuation of 700 people from a campsite in the A Pobra do Caraminal, Xinhua news agency reported.

The fire in the province of Ourense has burned 600 hectares after starting simultaneously in 10 different places, but has been brought under control.

Most of the fires were thought to be started intentionally, according to local media reports.

The leader of the main opposition party (PP) Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who is also the former president of the Regional Government of Galicia, called for the "full weight of the law" to be brought on those responsible for the fires.

According to data collected by the Copernicus satellite on Saturday, around 230,000 hectares of land have been burned in wildfires in the driest summer on record in this year.

The central government on Monday approved a new law to help prevent future fires, which includes measures such as increasing all-year-round vigilance and removing undergrowth to prevent flames to spread rapidly.

--IANS

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in is based on an element of vindictiveness which often tends to make the creator or supporter of a particular law, victim of his own doing. This vicious political cycle has affected the lives and careers of several prominent politicians in the country and would now come to haunt former Prime Minister .

The accusations against Khan in the Toshakhana case is far more complex than it appears and is a matter of serious concern for the former premier. While on the face of it, the case might not appear as part of a major corruption scandal involving embezzlement of crores of state funds, it nevertheless hinges on a principle stand adopted by the Supreme Court on need for earnings to be declared by politicians, including Prime Ministers.

In the case of Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court had disqualified him from participating in national for life, which also became the basis for his removal from the post of Prime Minister. In the Sharif case, the accusation against him was for having not declared a certain amount which he was to have received (but had not yet received) from certain sources. The initial part of the Supreme Court declaration in the case had mentioned: "It is hereby declared that having failed to disclose his unwithdrawn receivables constituting assets from XYZ sources in his nomination papers filed for general elections held in 2013, Sharif remains disqualified from being member of Parliament as per Article 62(1)F of the Constitution."

It is worth noting that in the Nawaz Sharif case, even though he had not received the said amount, the fact that he was due to receive the amount, and had consciously avoided declaring the same in the statement of returns before the Election Commission, led the Supreme Court to come up with, what many members of the Pakistani legal fraternity considered as, a 'controversial' and 'harsh' decision. However, the fact remains that the decision was implemented and Nawaz Sharif was removed from position. Members of the PTI and PML-Q celebrated the occasion appreciating the decision of the Supreme Court.

According to reports, Khan had earned around 36 million PKR by illegally selling three watches gifted to him by foreign dignitaries to a local watch dealer. Apparently, Khan during his tenure as prime minister earned millions of rupees from these jewel-class watches collectively worth over 154 million PKR. The watches were gifted to him by foreign leaders. The most expensive watch, of more than 101 million PKR value, was apparently retained by Khan at 20 per cent of its value after his government amended the Toshakhana rules and settled the gift retention price at 50 per cent (not 20 per cent) of its original value. Moreover, he did so without ever declaring the gifts to the Election Commission and getting them evaluated.

If Nawaz Sharif was considered 'dishonest' by the Supreme Court for not declaring an amount he had not received, in the case of Khan his having received a certain amount from the sale of gifts received by him during his foreign tours and not declaring the same, poses an ever more serious threat to Khan. The precedence thus set by the Supreme Court would be a challenge to Khan to deal with. The more sinister aspect of the Khan case is that on receiving the costly gifts, he failed to declare them to the Toshakhana and retained them with him before disposing them.

Khan had received most of the gifts in 2018 during his foreign travels and should have ideally declared these in the 2019 statement of returns. Likewise, he did not declare the gifts received in 2019 in the 2020 statement of returns, thus committing a serious act of "dishonesty" towards the nation and the people of .

Even though the Supreme Court decision against Nawaz Sharif was considered 'drastic' and 'unusual' and was criticised by the legal fraternity and political analysts, the fact remains that the Supreme Court decision has become a precedence and remains in place. Moreover, considering Nawaz Sharif had to give up the post of Prime Minister and has been banned for life from participating in elections, based on this decision of the Supreme Court, there is no reason why the same norms would not apply in the case of Khan.

The Sharif brothers would ensure that Khan is not spared on this count even though Khan would try to exploit his support base in the public domain to create strong opposition against the decision. The situation undoubtedly looks bleak for Khan as his fate now remains in the hands of the judiciary and the establishment.

--IANS

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will spend about USD 5.4 billion to buy Global Blood Therapeutics as the pharmaceutical giant continues to invest some of the cash influx reaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

said Monday that the acquisition will boost its capabilities in rare hematology. Global Therapeutics makes Oxybryta tablets for treating sickle cell disease. Oxbryta sales were about $195 million last year.

The latest deal follows Pfizer's $11.6 billion acquisition of Biohaven, which the announced in May, and a $6.7 billion acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals announced last December.

also announced in April a smaller acquisition to buy the privately held ReViral Ltd., which is developing a treatment for respiratory syncytial virus.

Pfizer Inc.'s top-selling COVID-19 vaccine and treatment have left the New York City drugmaker flush with cash to spend on an acquisition feel. The vaccine and treatment brought in more than $16 billion combined just in the recently completed second quarter.

Aamir Malik, the company's chief business innovation officer, told analysts recently that Pfizer was leaving very few stones unturned in looking for expansion opportunities. Malik said Pifzer was looking for deals that will speed up growth in the back half of the decade and can add substantial value either scientifically or commercially.

I think we're very excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us and the flexibility that our balance sheet gives us to pursue those, he said during a call to discuss second-quarter results.

Pfizer will pay $68.50 per share in cash for each share of Global Blood Therapeutics.

Both companies' boards have approved the deal, which still needs regulatory approval and approval from GBT shareholders.

Shares of Global Blood Therapeutics Inc., based just outside San Francisco, rose 4% before the opening bell. Shares of Pfizer were essentially flat.

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A Wuling Air EV car is pictured during the roll-out ceremony at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

BEKASI, Indonesia, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, through its local unit SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), on Monday launched here its production of the electric vehicle in Indonesia, named Wuling Air EV.

"The Air EV is the newest version of battery-based electric vehicles manufactured by SGMW for the world, and Indonesia has become the first station," President Director of Wuling, Shi Guoyong, said in the roll-out ceremony at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province.

The production capacity of Wuling Air EV at the factory is targeted to reach 10,000 units per year for both the domestic market and export, according to the company's director for brand and marketing, Dian Asmahani. Specific prices for the electric car will be announced soon.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto attended the launch ceremony and said the Indonesian government appreciates the performance of Wuling.

The minister said Wuling brings Air EV with the latest technologies to Indonesia, which support the Indonesian government's strategy for energy saving, emissions reduction, and environmental protection.

"The launching of Air EV drives major changes to the entire Indonesian automotive industry chain, from product research and development, manufacturing, to marketing, etc., and also drives the rapid development of the electric vehicle industry in Indonesia," he said.

The minister said Wuling Air EV will be used as one of the official cars for the G20 Summit to be held in Bali this November.

SGMW invested 1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to build a 60-hectare automotive industrial park in Bekasi, as an automotive production base for the Indonesian and Southeast Asian markets.

Data showed that in June 2022, Wuling had 140 local dealers in Indonesia, with a total of six types of vehicles produced and sold locally. 

A Wuling Air EV car is pictured during the roll-out ceremony at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022.

SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, through its local unit SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), on Monday launched here its production of the electric vehicle in Indonesia, named Wuling Air EV. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Guests attend the Wuling Air EV's roll-out ceremony at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022.

SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, through its local unit SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), on Monday launched here its production of the electric vehicle in Indonesia, named Wuling Air EV. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

A hostess briefs people on Wuling Air EV during the roll-out ceremony at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022.

SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, through its local unit SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), on Monday launched here its production of the electric vehicle in Indonesia, named Wuling Air EV. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2022 shows Wuling Air EV cars at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia.

SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, through its local unit SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), on Monday launched here its production of the electric vehicle in Indonesia, named Wuling Air EV. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

People take photos of Wuling Air EV cars at Wuling's production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022.

SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, through its local unit SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), on Monday launched here its production of the electric vehicle in Indonesia, named Wuling Air EV. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)
Groups said he plans widespread cost cutting at his Japanese conglomerate and its Vision Fund investment arm after a record $23.4-billion loss on plunging portfolio valuations and foreign currency losses.

The Tokyo-based company lost the vast majority of that money  $17.3 billion  in the Vision Fund, as it marked down the value of holdings such as Coupang, SenseTime Group and DoorDash. also reported a $6.1-billion foreign exchange loss because of the weaker yen.

The 64-year-old struck a darkly sombre tone after the results, taking responsibility for buying into start-ups at the height of the market and pledging to slash expenses to get back on track. Son said he will review everything for potential cuts without any sacred cows. will scrutinise senior and junior employees in both front and back offices to an extent never experienced before.

The loss is the biggest in our corporate history and we take it very seriously, Son said during a press conference after the results. We have to resort to big cost-cutting efforts at Vision Fund. The cost cutting efforts will have to include a reduction in head count  something Ive made up my mind to do.

Son detailed extensive problems and missteps in his portfolio, unusual for a self-made billionaire who tends to emphasise the positive. He said SoftBank had marked down 284 companies in its portfolio in the latest quarter, while only 35 went up in value. The markdowns included publicly traded portfolio companies, but also hundreds of private companies whose estimated values had dropped because of weak performance or lower comparisons.

A quarter earlier, SoftBank still had profits of about 3 trillion yen ($22 billion) in its investment arm, which includes the first and second Vision Funds as well as Latin American funds. As of June, essentially all of those profits had disappeared.

We really believed we could do it and we had our heads in the clouds, Son said. Of course, the market was bad, there was a war, and there was the coronavirus. We can point to a lot of reasons, but these are all excuses. We have to self-reflect about the fact that if wed been more selective and had invested more properly, it wouldnt come to this.

Asked about what lessons he has learned from the experience, Son said, There are too many to count.

With the first Vision Fund, Son said he was trying for home runs and struck out with companies like WeWork. In Vision Fund 2, he tried a more modest approach of getting on base, but valuations were too high. Now, he will sharply scale back.
With global recession fears looming, some of the biggest names in the technology world have some ominous words to spare: Big Tech has hired more people, but only some of them are doing the work.

Meta (earlier Facebook) Founder Mark Zuckerberg fired the first salvo. It was the weekly Q&A on June 30, and he had said that the economy was headed for the worst downturns that weve seen in recent history.

Then he continued.

Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldnt be here, Zuckerberg said on the call, according to a Reuters report. And part of my hope by raising expectations and having more aggressive goals, and just kind of turning up the heat a little bit, is that I think some of you might just say that this place isnt for you. And that self-selection is okay with me.

In addition to reducing hiring, he said, the firm was leaving certain positions unfilled.

and Alphabet chief echoed the sentiment when he told employees that productivity was not high enough, considering the number of people on the companys rolls, CNBC reported.

There are real concerns that our productivity as a whole is not where it needs to be for the head count we have. [We need to] create a culture that is more mission-focused, more focused on our products, more customer-focused, he said. Pichai had recently said that the firm would cut hiring and investment through 2023, pushing staff to work with greater urgency and more hunger than demonstrated on sunnier days. It came after the firm reported its second consecutive quarter of weaker-than-expected earnings and revenue. Revenue growth slowed to 13 per cent in the quarter from 62 per cent a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg noticed that it was getting harder to get all the employees to attend a meeting as they were sometimes taking time out in a day for personal work. So the Meta boss said that, in an effort to be cost-conscious, he was freezing or reducing staffing for low-priority projects and slashing engineer-hiring plans for the year by 30 per cent, reports added.

To be sure, the Covid-induced pandemic saw Meta embark on a massive hiring spree, growing its number of full-time staff from 48,000 at the end of 2019 to more than 77,800  a 62 per cent jump. But now the firm must prioritise more ruthlessly and operate leaner, meaner, better executing teams, Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox wrote in a memo, which appeared on the companys internal discussion forum Workplace before the Q&A.
The Biden administration announced another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine on Monday, pledging what will be the biggest yet delivery of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces.

The U.S. pledge of a massive new shipment of arms comes as analysts warned that Russia was moving troops and equipment in the direction of the southern port cities to stave off a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The aid includes additional rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Systems, or HIMARS, as well as thousands of artillery rounds, mortar systems, Javelins and other ammunition and equipment. Military commanders and other U.S. officials say the HIMARS and artillery systems have been crucial in Ukraine's ongoing fight to try to prevent Russia from taking more ground.

The latest announcement brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to roughly $9 billion since Russian troops invaded in late February.

Until now, the largest single security assistance package announcement was for $1 billion on June 15. But that aid included $350 million in presidential drawdown authority, and another $650 million under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

Monday's package allows the U.S. to deliver weapons systems and other equipment more quickly since it takes them off the Defense Department shelves.

For the last four months of the war, Russia has concentrated on capturing the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists have controlled some territory as self-proclaimed republics for eight years. Russian forces have made gradual headway in the region while launching missile and attacks to curtail the movements of Ukrainian fighters elsewhere.

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Equity-oriented mutual fund (MF) schemes received net inflows of Rs 8,898 crore in July  the lowest since October 2021  and half of average monthly inflows received during the first half of the calendar year.

Industry players blamed volatile market conditions and profit-taking for the sharp decline in net inflows.

In June, had seen intense sell-off amid sustained selling by overseas funds on concerns of a hard landing of the global economy due to aggressive monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve.

staged a comeback in July. However, uncertain market conditions could have weighed on sentiment. Also, some investors cashed out, taking advantage of the 9 per cent bounce last month, said industry players.

Investors could have taken some profits as went up. The momentum has been diminishing all through the past few months as the markets were correcting. If not for systematic investment plan (SIP) numbers, we might have witnessed actual net negative sales in July, said Akhil Chaturvedi, chief business officer, Motilal Oswal MF.

Inflows via SIPs remained strong at Rs 12,139 crore  only marginally below Rs 12,276 crore in the preceding month. Sustained inflows through the SIP route have underpinned 17 straight months of positive inflows into equity schemes. This, in turn, helped markets offset the heavy selling of over $30 billion by foreign portfolio investors since October 2021.

Continued retail investor interest is reflected in all-time SIP assets under management (AUM). Positive flows in almost all categories of MF schemes, except for hybrid funds, stand in good stead as economic recovery will pick up pace in the next few quarters, said N S Venkatesh, chief executive officer, Association of in India.

AUM for SIPs breached Rs 6 trillion for the first time ever in July. Equity AUM rose to Rs 14.15 trillion, from Rs 12.86 trillion at the end of June. The sharp upmove in the market boosted equity AUM. The average AUM for the industry rose to Rs 37. 8 trillion. In June, they had dropped to a 11-month low of Rs 35.64 trillion.

The increase in AUM was largely on the back of appreciation in equity assets. Debt AUM remained flat month-on-month at Rs 12.6 trillion.

Net inflows into debt schemes remained muted at Rs 4,930 trillion in July, with redemptions in liquid funds (outflows of Rs 7,693 crore), corporate bond funds (Rs 2,582 crore), and banking and public sector funds (Rs 2,810 crore) encumbering overall tally.

Overnight funds, meanwhile, saw the highest net inflows of Rs 19,919 crore.

Low-cost investment avenues like exchange-traded funds and index funds logged strong net flows of close to Rs 14,000 crore.

Market players expect flows to once again pick up in August, thanks to the strong new fund offer pipeline. Also, a sharp rebound in the market could entice investors sitting on the sidelines to invest.

Benchmark indices are now up close to 15 per cent from their June lows.

India is the best-performing global market during this period. However, the market surge has once again made valuations expensive, compared to historical averages.

Instead of looking to time the markets, Industry players advised investors to tread the SIP path to tide over volatility.
Mahanagar Gas reported 9.25% fall in net profit to Rs 185.20 crore despite a 136.36% jump in net revenue from operations to Rs 1,454.75 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

Cost of natural gas or cost of conversion into CNG for retailing, jumped to Rs 1,004.53 crore from Rs 191.04 crore last year.

EBIDTA declined by 6.07% to Rs 285.55 crore in Q1 FY23 from Rs 303.99 crore in Q1 FY22. EBIDTA margin was 19.63% in Q1 FY23 as against 49.39% in Q1 FY22.

Total volumes jumped by 43.76% to 313.75 SCM million in Q1 FY23 from 218.25 million in Q1 FY22. CNG sales volume stood at 231.09 SCM million (up 63.7% YoY) while total PNG sales volume aggregated to 82.66 SCM million (up 7.15% YoY) during the period under review.

There is overall growth in volumes compared to corresponding quarter in the previous year (which was impacted due to 2nd wave of COVID). However, reduction in EBIDTA is mainly due to higher gas cost in the current quarter, the company said in a statement.

MGL is one of India's leading natural gas distribution companies. It has a natural gas distribution network in Mumbai and its adjoining areas. GAIL (India) (Maharatna Company of Govt. of India) is the promoter of MGL and holds 32.50% stake in the company.

The scrip advanced 3.82% to currently trade at Rs 819.95 on the BSE.

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State Bank of India (SBI): SBI's net profit fell 6.7% to Rs 6068 crore on 10.85% rise in interest income to Rs 7,676 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL): HPCL posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 8557.12 crore in Q1 FY23 as against net profit of Rs 2003.90 crore in Q1 FY22. Total income rose to Rs 121829.51 crore from Rs 78204.72 crore.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL): BPCL posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 6147.94 crore in Q1 FY23 as against net profit of Rs 3214.16 crore in Q1 FY22. Total income rose to Rs 138753.77 crore from Rs 90131.33 crore.

Tata Motors: Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, and Ford India Private Limited (FIPL), signed a Unit Transfer Agreement (UTA) for the acquisition of FIPL's manufacturing plant situated at Sanand, Gujarat for a total consideration, exclusive of taxes, of Rs 725.7 crore.

Marico: Marico's posted consolidated net profit of Rs 377 crore in Q1 FY23 as against net profit of Rs 365 crore in Q1 FY22. Total income rose to Rs 2575 crore from Rs 2552 crore.

NHPC: The board of directors of NHPC in its meeting scheduled to be held on 10 August 2022 may consider the proposal regarding monetization of future cash flow (consisting Return on Equity, Capacity based Incentive) of one or more power station (s) of the company for suitable tenure, as part of the funding plan of CAPEX of the company for the current financial year 2022-23.

SJVN: SJVN bagged a 200 MW solar project worth Rs 1,200 crore in an e-reverse auction by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL). The tentative cost of Construction / Development of this project is around Rs 1,200 crore.

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The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition party never saw eye-to-eye, but their confrontation has palpably intensified. Initially, took to the streets against the questioning of its top leadership by the (ED) and now it is taking on the government on price rise, the imposition of on items of daily consumption and .

Last Friday, party MPs and functionaries led by the Gandhi family protested dressed in black to "raise peoples' issues". even claimed that Indian democracy was now nothing more than a memory. The BJP, on the backfoot over rising prices and unemployment, claimed that Congressmen were dressed in black because of their opposition to the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, the anniversary of whose foundation-laying ceremony also happened to be on August 5. Meanwhile, the ED's announcement that it may soon summon Sonia and to face another set of questions suggests that tensions will continue to rise.

The protests began with the questioning of and later of the ageing over several days. Despite rumours, the ED has not arrested either of the Gandhis. There was some expectation that such an eventuality could turn into a watershed moment leading to the revival of the Congress. Partymen perhaps recalled the revival of the Congress following the arrest of Indira Gandhi in October 1977. However, such hopes are belied by the political context and the state of the Congress party today.

Indira Gandhi's arrest occurred months after Congress lost the March 1977 general election in the aftermath of the Emergency. While the party was psychologically on the back foot, its countrywide structure was intact. Morarji Desai's government was indecisive; there was labour unrest, and prices were rising. Today, the is dealing with a more debilitated and enfeebled Congress after losing two consecutive general elections and a series of state assembly elections. The spirit of its workers is crushed, and their self-confidence is at its lowest ebb. Despite price rise and increasing unemployment, the government appears politically decisive compared to a Congress that cannot even elect a full-time President. Putting a Gandhi behind bars now is unlikely to lend them the martyr's aura and rally the flock the way Indira Gandhi's arrest did, allowing the Congress to make a comeback just three years later in 1980.

The public cannot be blamed for being wary of the current Congress protests against price rise and . They have too closely tailed protests directed against the ED summons to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the Associated Journals--Young Indian share transfer case. At one level, people begin to wonder whether the Gandhis should consider themselves above the law. This lends credibility to propaganda that the Congress is not serious about the people's issues it is espousing, as its protests are only to pressure the government to stop questioning the Gandhis.

Perhaps the linking of the two protests was unavoidable for the Congress. As parliament reopened for its monsoon session, the government stalled discussion on the worsening state of the economy and price rise for more than a week. So, the first agitation inevitably segued into the second.

However, now the Congress will have to disaggregate the two protests. It may be trying to do so by transforming protests by Congress workers against price rise etc., into mass mobilisation events. Its proposed rallies and marches to protect the Constitution in every district of the country from August 9 to 15 on the occasion of 75 years of Independence may be a part of this strategy. The six-month-long "Bharat Jodo (Unite India) Yatra", which has been brought forward by a month to begin in September, maybe another step toward mass mobilisation. If the momentum builds up after Congress workers hit the road, the party can build a counter-narrative to that of the BJP. It might also help shape a pro-people agenda for the Congress to pursue in the run-up to 2024. Can the party successfully transform what have, till now, been Congress protests into a larger mass movement? If it manages that shift, it may yet be able to build a credible opposition to the BJP.

Meanwhile, the BJP's onslaught against the Gandhis is likely to continue. In the ED case, it can prolong investigations against the Gandhis and limit the process to only filing a politically damaging charge sheet against them before 2024. Or it can go a step further and get them convicted, stopping short of putting them behind bars. Both strategies would give the BJP ample ammunition for the 2024 election campaign. The public narrative will be filled with allegations and refutations about share transfers, whether there is a difference between a trust (Associated Journals) and a not-for-profit-company (Young India), whether such companies can give any benefit to their promoters and whether the Gandhi family has really acquired the land and building assets of Associated Journals as their personal property in a questionable manner. The people will be none the wiser about any of these issues, but the Gandhis and the Congress would have been painted black and put on the defensive.

If the government chooses to secure the conviction of the Gandhis before 2024, it will disqualify them from contesting polls. The BJP has the next year and a half to take that call. The significance of the ED case against the Gandhis for the BJP's electoral strategy must not, therefore, be underestimated.

To escape this narrative the Congress has no option but to create a groundswell of public on larger issues of public concern through a mass movement. It is too early to say whether the mass-contact programme of the Congress will convince the Indian people that existential questions both as citizens and as a nation must triumph over ideological brainwashing, which emphasises past glory but has a hazy roadmap of the future.
Amid a brewing political crisis in Bihar, the leading opposition party RJD on Monday said it was ready to embrace Chief Minister and his JD(U) if he broke ranks with the .

The and Left parties too indicated on Monday that they would support such a move, intensifying speculation which has been rife for some time that a final break between Kumar's JD(U) and the saffron camp is imminent.

Announcements that MLAs of both the Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal would be holding meetings tomorrow have only fed the political frenzy in this highly politicised state. Ostensibly, Kumar has convened a meeting of JD(U) MLAs and MPs on Tuesday to discuss the scenario that has emerged following the exit of former national president RCP Singh.

A day ahead of a key meeting, the Janata Dal (United) on Monday significantly said whatever decision is taken under the leadership of Chief Minister will be accepted by everyone in the organisation.

JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said, " is the undisputed leader of the JD(U). He commands respect in the rank and file of the party. Therefore there is no question of any kind of split in the party. Whatever decision is taken by the party under Nitish Kumar's leadership will be accepted by everyone."



RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said that convening meetings of legislators by both parties on Tuesday were a clear indication that the situation was extraordinary.

Personally, I am not aware of the goings on. But we cannot ignore the fact that both parties, which together had sufficient numbers to muster a majority, have convened such meetings when an assembly session is not round the corner, Tiwary told reporters here.

If Nitish chooses to dump NDA, what choice do we have except to embrace him (gale lagaenge'). RJD is committed to fighting the . If the chief minister decides to join this fight, we will have to take him along, said Tiwary.

He was also asked whether the RJD would be willing to forget bitter episodes of the past.

Kumar had done a volte face and returned to the NDA in 2017 leaving a coalition government with RJD and which he led as chief minister, high and dry.

This happened after the wily leader, who had been a chief minister of a coalition government with for three terms, left the NDA in 2014 to join hands with and RJD and form a new grand alliance government.

In politics, we cannot remain prisoners of the past. We socialists had started off opposing the Congress which was then in power. The Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi was imposed invoking the Constitution.

The BJP, which has now become a behemoth, seems out to destroy the Constitution. We have to respond to the challenges of the times, Tiwary said.

Speculations of yet another political volte face by Kumar have been fueled by his skipping the farewell of former President Ram Nath Kovind and the swearing in of Droupadi Murmu last month. More recently the chief minister also skipped the Niti Aayog meeting on Sunday, following which his party also announced that that it will not send any representative to the central cabinet after the departure of RCP Singh. None of these events are seen as auguring well for the NDA alliance in the state.

Ties between the two parties had frayed over the last few months following a series of disagreements between them over a host of issues including caste census, population control and the Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme.

Bhattacharya said the crux of the row between JD(U) and BJP stems from the recent statement by J P Nadda, president of the saffron party, who said probably regional parties have no future.

Our belief is that the BJP will try and do a Maharashtra in and replace Nitish Kumar as chief minister before 2024 (if the NDA alliance in the state continues), he said.

The CPIML(L) leader added his belief stemmed from BJP's history of breaking up and gobbling smaller or regional parties such as the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) in .

In March this year, all three MLAs of the VIP defected to the BJP, while a rebellion within Shiv Sena in June saw the government led by it fall to be replaced by a BJP-supported coalition led by Sena rebel Eknath Shinde.

The Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) of which the Left parties, RJD and Congress are a part, had won 110 seats in the 2020 state elections with RJD securing 75 seats to be the largest party in the state. The BJP had bagged 74 seats out of the 125 seats won by the NDA, but with the defection of legislators from its ally VIP, the saffron party is now the single largest party in Bihar.

However, in case the JD(U) severs ties with BJP and takes the help of the Mahagathbandhan', it can easily form a government in the politically important state.

Meanwhile, AICC national secretary and MLA Shakil Ahmed Khan said whatever was happening in Bihar was shubh sanket (a good sign) as the BJP, which has a history of creating trouble for its allies, is getting a taste of its own medicine.

"We always believe that parties with similar ideologies (samaan vichardhara) should come together. If the CM's JD(U), which believes in socialist ideology, quits BJP we will definitely welcome it. But these are early days. We will discuss the unfolding situation at the meeting in the evening, Khan told PTI-Bhasha over phone.

He, however, declined to comment on reports in a section of the media that Kumar spoke to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over phone Sunday night.

Meanwhile, state BJP leaders were maintaining a studied silence, apparently upon advice of the top leadership to rein in their loquacity, which could rock the boat.



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Chief Minister has demanded that the Centre declare Eastern Canal Project (ERCP) a project and increase financial assistance for various .

He was speaking at the seventh meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday.

Gehlot has been indirectly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "forgetting" the promises made to the state leading to verbal duals with Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on several occasions. This time, he pitched for his demand right in front of Modi.

In the meeting chaired by Modi, Gehlot strongly presented the issues related to his state and said that ERCP is an ambitious project of Rs 37,000 crore which will help augment irrigation facilities in an area of around 2 lakh hectares in 13 districts of .

He said that eastern is a leading area in the production of oilseeds. Besides, declaring it a project will also solve the potable water problems in these districts.

Reminding the Prime Minister of his earlier promises of adopting a positive stance with regard to this project, the chief minister said that it will also help in successful implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission.

There is an additional financial burden on the states due to the changes made in financial participation pattern in various centrally sponsored schemes, he said. He demanded that the Centre extend the period of GST compensation by five years to June 2027 and release the GST compensation of approximately Rs 3,780 crore in a lump sum outstanding from 2017-18.

Gehlot said that Rajasthan has emgered as a model state in the field of providing free medical facilities to the general public. The entire treatment is being provided free of cost and all the tests are also being conducted free of cost in all the government hospitals under 'Nirogi Rajasthan Yojana'.

'Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana' is the next step in this direction, in which 88 per cent of families in the state have been provided with insurance cover. Rajasthan tops the list in this sector in the entire country. Under the scheme, 1.34 crore families are getting free treatment in government and private hospitals.

Till now, more than Rs 2,202 crore has been spent on treating 18 lakh patients. The facility for liver, heart and kidney transplants is being provided under this scheme. He demanded that the Centre increase the ambit of 'Ayushman Bharat Swasthya Bima Yojana' on the lines of this scheme.

Gehlot also urged increase in assistance to farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana

He said that the Rajasthan government is giving a benefit of Rs 1,000 per month as electricity subsidy to each farmer's family and has implemented a separate agriculture budget. He said that the central government should increase its share to 75 percent on all the schemes related to agriculture.

The Chief Minister demanded a special grant for the colleges that have been opened in scheduled areas in the state like those given in North Eastern states and to open a Global University in Rajasthan. The Chief Minister in the meeting demanded to implement the recommendation of giving central assistance of Rs 400 crore to Digital University in Rajasthan by the 15th Finance Commission. He said that the State Government is ready to spend Rs 200 crore to build this Digital Fintech University in Jodhpur.

--IANS

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The amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003  which seek to allow private players in the perpetually loss-making power distribution sector  were introduced in the on Monday. Though the Centre has retracted its earlier stance of delicensing the power distribution sector, it looks to allow multiple players to operate in an area.

After tabling the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Union Power R K Singh said it has been sent to the Standing Committee on Energy for examination. Through a proposed amendment to Section 14 and 42 of the Act, the Centre is looking to allow the use of distribution networks by anyone who applies for a distribution licence in a state. This shall allow consumers to choose among multiple power suppliers in an area.

The said provisions of the Bill have already triggered protests by Opposition parties and employee unions. Several non-BJP states -- led by Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala -- have been opposing several provisions of the Bill since consultations started in 2020.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter: The Opposition protested the very introduction of the highly contentious Bill that has been objected to by many states and farmers. At least, the Bill has found its way to the Standing Committee concerned. Hopefully, it will follow a consultative process.

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi chief minister, took to Twitter to claim that the Bill was dangerous, and requested the Centre to not rush ahead with it. In a press conference, he said instead of fretting over free access of basic amenities like electricity, we should be worried of the Rs 10-trillion debt that the Centre has waived of its corporate friends.

The Delhi CM was responding to Singh, who said that any state can give free power but should pay from its pockets and not burden the financials of discoms. Speaking to TV channels, Singh said the Bill would be discussed in detail by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and there was no provision in the Bill to stop electricity subsidies given to farmers.

Last week, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), which represents engineers of state owned power utilities, in a statement last week, called to cease work and organise mass demonstrations to protest the provisions in the Bill, including privatisation of the power distribution.

Speaking to Business Standard, Swadesh Debroy, secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), welcomed the move to send the Bill to the committee. Since the Bill has been sent to the standing committee, CITU will also lead a delegation to the committee, he said.

The legislative proposal to have multiple electricity sellers comes at a time when the Centre has floated a Rs 3-trillion scheme to revive the power distribution sector. State-owned discoms across the country are financially and operationally beleaguered despite four reform schemes in the past 15 years. The earlier discom reform scheme UDAY concluded in FY20 with most states failing to meet their stipulated targets and still in the red.

Another significant amendment proposed is the empowerment of the Load Despatch Centre or the power grid operator, which can now regulate electricity supply to discoms/states which default on their payment to power generating companies (gencos). The amendment is in wake of rising dues of discoms to generating companies which stood at a record high of Rs 1.12 trillion as of July end.

Other agencies to be empowered are the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) and SERCs, which will now have the status of a civil court. SERCs can also now issue suo moto tariff orders, even if discoms don't file regular tariff revisions.
BEIRUT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The first shipment of grain exported from Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukraine crisis is now looking for a new buyer after the initial Lebanese buyer rejected it due to the delay in delivery, the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon said on Monday.

"The initial buyer in Lebanon refused to receive the shipment due to the delay in delivery for more than 5 months. Therefore, the shipment supplier is now looking for another buyer who could be in Lebanon's Tripoli city, or in another country or port," the embassy said in a statement.

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tons of corn, left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Aug. 1 after a landmark U.N.-backed deal was signed by Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine to unblock Ukrainian grain exports amid the conflict.

Ukraine is one of the biggest grain suppliers worldwide and the stuck in its grain exports has raised the threat of a global food crisis. 
chief on Monday exhorted party workers to focus on increasing the membership, as this will prove crucial before the (EC).

Addressing party workers at his residence 'Matoshree', Thackeray said the party's membership should swell 10 times and alleged that the Eknath Shinde-led faction had engaged professional agencies for this work.

Following the split in the party, the EC had asked the rival factions led by Thackeray and Shinde to submit documents by August 8 in support of their claims on the election symbol of the Sena.

The EC has sought documents, including letters of support from the legislative and organisational wings of the Sena and the written statements of the rival factions.

The Shinde faction has support of the 40 of 55 MLAs of and at least a dozen MPs.

The rebellion has dented the Shiv Sena's traditional support base at many places in the state with local leaders and sainiks crossing over to the Shinde faction.

"Our membership should reach a level, where no one even dares to needle the . The EC will ask about membership and the number of affidavits the party (his faction) has," Thackeray said.

With both rival groups claiming to be the original party, membership will play a crucial role when the fight goes before the EC to decide which faction is the real Shiv Sena.

"The membership should swell 10 times. It should go over a lakh in Nashik. They (the Shinde faction) have engaged professional agencies for the task, but I only have you (workers)," the Sena chief said in his appeal to party workers.

Thackeray asked the party workers to hold on to the bhagwa (saffron flag of the Sena) tightly.

"Forget snatching, the hand that dares to touch the bhagwa should break," Thackeray said.

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Keeping her date with the media that she will be revealing more, on Monday, the prime accused in the case, Swapna Suresh slammed Chief Minister on his role which helped an Egyptian-born UAE escape the law.

The UAE was caught by the CISF Cochin airport authorities with a Thuraya satellite phone.

Explaining to the media, Swapna Suresh said it was on July 4, 2017 that the airport security officials apprehended an Egyptian-born UAE with a Thuraya phone.

"On that day, I got a telephone call from the UAE Consulate officials (in the state capital city) asking me to speak to Vijayan on this case. So I called his secretary M. Sivasankar and informed about it and he said he will speak to Vijayan. In around 10 minutes I got a call from Sivasankar asking me to send an official, Gopalakrishnan Warrier," said Swapna.

This UAE national, according to Swapna, had arrived in on June 30 at the Kozhikode airport.

"Without even probing what this UAE national did for four days in Kerala, he was allowed to fly out after a note from Warrier. The police officials at Kochi kept this UAE national in the police station from 4th July to 6th July and on 7th July he flew out," said Swapna.

Swapna in July said that she has documents to nail Vijayan on how he has been misusing his powers and promised to reveal to the media the anti-national activities being carried out by him.

"It is natural for the UAE officials to get in touch with the officials in when it comes to their nationals, but how can Vijayan be part of it and wish to ask him, if he represents UAE. All this illegal act is being done by him to ensure that his daughter Veena Vijayan is able to start a business in the UAE," added Swapna.

Suresh also took a dig at the media, saying, "the next time you meet Vijayan, please ask him why he is doing all this."

"First he said he doesn't know me, then he said he has seen me, and later he said I came with the UAE Consulate officials here to his house. Please ask him to break his silence and speak about all that I have raised. I will in the coming days again come out with more revelations against the chief minister," said Swapna.

After her first revelation in June this year that Vijayan, his wife and daughter were "engaged in smuggling gold and currency", Vijayan has rarely spoken to the media.

--IANS

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Chief Minister will expand his 40-day-old ministry on August 9, a close aide of the CM said on Monday. Shinde was sworn in as the CM on June 30 along with Devendra Fadnavis, who took oath as Deputy CM.

A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday's ceremony, scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 12 pm, a close aide of Shinde told PTI.

The next round of expansion would take place later, the aide said.

The monsoon session of the state legislature has to be held at the earliest, so we decided to induct 12 legislators in the ministry expansion. Some of those taking the oath on Tuesday would be from the Legislative Council, the aide said.

Shinde, who emerged as a surprise choice for the top post after managing to take most of MLAs with him, will have a difficult task to accommodate all of them in the ministry, sources said.

Shinde has made seven visits to New Delhi in the last one month, and with every visit there was talk that the ministry expansion was round the corner.

Ajit Pawar, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, said Shinde had promised a ministerial berth to every MLA who joined him.

Now Shinde is not able to fulfil his promise, hence the delay in . The chief minister should also reveal what led to the delay, Pawar said.

Pawar also said there has been no invitation to him so far from the government for Tuesday's ministry expansion.

It is clear that not all of the 40 rebel Sena MLAs who are in the Shinde group will get the ministerial berth, he added.

The delay in is small compared to Telangana, where in 2019, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao waited for 61 days to form a full-fledged council of ministers, a political observer 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.)
Monday passed a bill to convert the Rail and Transportation University, a deemed-to-be university, into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous central institution.

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, which also seeks to expand the scope of the University from beyond the railways to cover the entire transport sector to support the ambitious growth and modernisation in the field, was passed by a voice vote after a brief discussion.

The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote. It was cleared by the Lok Sabha last week, also by a voice vote.

Union Railways and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded to the debate on the bill on Monday in the Upper House.

"Railways' training institute is established in . This university covers the entire transport sector. Railway plays an important role in that," Vaishnaw said.

He said several campuses of the university will be set up in various parts of the country and children will be able to take admission.

The minister said the bill has provision to use the existing training infrastructure.

He said the railways, metro and transportation sector is a very complex sector and many disciplines including mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, signalling and civil come together to run the railway system.

"This is a public university. Already, the Ministry of Railways has made provision of Rs 166 crore in the budget plus there is another budget being worked out for the construction of the building. This is going to be a publically funded university," Vaishnaw said.

The minister said the university is going to have global standards of education.

"If we look at correlated institutes of the world then MIT in the US is probably the best in the world. The way they have taken up transportation focussed courses and created the best cadre of people who are serving all over the world," the minister said.

He said the government has already collaborated with the MIT.

"We will be tying up with many other institutes in the world. The thought process will be that the students who come out of this university not only serve the transportation sector of India but also they should be capable and be prepared for serving the transportation sector all over the world," Vaishnaw said.

Participating in the discussion for consideration and passage of the proposed legislation in the Rajya Sabha, Dola Sen of the Trinamool Congress said the government needs to ensure that sufficient infrastructure and adequate funds are made available to all all Central universities.

Sen supported the Bill "but with a high hope that the government will address other incompatibilities".

Several members raised the issue of vacant posts in Central Universities across the country.

V Vijayasai Reddy of the YSRCP said over 20,000 posts are lying vacant in 45 Central Universities under the purview of the Ministry of Education, a view echoed by V Sivadasan CPI(M).

Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP) also called for filling up the vacancies in institutes of higher education in a time-bound manner. Some members also talked about vacancies in the Railways.

Members cutting across party lines supported the bill but gave suggestions on how to improve the country's education infrastructure.

Vaishnaw in reply said the Railways has given employment to around 3.5 lakh people between 2014-22.

"This is not a small number. If some honourable members need more details, more details can be provided but don't please quote selectively and mislead the House," the minister said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As India gears up to roll out its 5G services likely this month, a new report by Ookla, showed that 89 per cent of consumers wish to upgrade to the spectrum and 48 per cent would switch their service providers. Only 20 per cent of the survey respondents would wait for their network provider to upgrade to the services. Addressing the inaugural event of the International Telecommunication Union's Regional Standardisation Forum (RSF) for Asia and Oceania region, Minister of State for Telecom Devusinh Chauhan on Monday said the services are expected to be rolled out in about a month. India is likely to deploy indigenously developed and manufactured 5G telecom gears by end of this year, he added.

The report released on Sunday, the connectivity insights provider conducted a survey consisting of 2,000 smartphone users, aged between 18 and above, spanning across urban and rural India.

While 14 per cent of the consumers would like to avail the services after upgrading their handset to a 5G-enabled one, 7 per cent would like to wait for their current contract to come to an end.

Only 2 per cent respondents suggested that they would not like to upgrade to technology.

The report stated that 70 per cent of the respondents would increase their use of video streaming and 68 per cent would like to boost their mobile gaming, only if the mobile internet connections were to get better.

Only 1.4 per cent of respondents stated that they are happy with the current technology and are not likely to upgrade to 5G.

Sylwia Kechiche, principal analyst, Ookla, said, "while mobile users in India are among the most data-intensive users in the world, India's 4G/LTE networks have become a bottleneck for demand." India's biggest ever auction of telecom spectrum that concluded on August 1 received a record Rs 1.5 trillion of bids, with Mukesh Ambani's Jio cornering nearly half of all the airwaves sold with an Rs 88,078 crore bid.

Jio acquired the most spectrum, especially in the sought after C-band spectrum (2,440 MHz), but it was the only operator that acquired the 700 MHz band. Bharti Airtel, on the other hand, has already reached out to Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung to deploy 5G services.

"Both and Jio splurged on C-band spectrum at auction, acquiring spectrum in all of the 22 telecom circles, while Vodafone acquired spectrum only in its priority circles. Having access to contiguous spectrum helps to achieve faster, lower latency, and greener 5G services", added the report.
New Delhi [India], August 8 (ANI/GPRC): While we have heard doctors and engineers bagging heavy salary packages, here is an example of teachers making it big.

Suraasa - the leading teacher training platform recently announced that Indian teachers who were trained and developed under their Teachers Training Programme, have bagged some of the best jobs in the USA with packages as high as Rs 64 lacs per annum.

In the recent weeks, several teachers from their inaugural batches have received confirmed job offers from reputable public schools in the United States with salary packages ranging from Rs 40 Lac to Rs 64 Lac per annum.

Until now, Indian techies and management enthusiasts have been creating waves by bagging such high paid salary packages for jobs outside the country and establishing India's thought leadership in the international market. However, the people behind the success of India's budding talent--teachers, rarely get a chance to explore their full potential - internationally.

Enhancing the global opportunities for teachers in India. The company has shared that teaching enthusiasts like Reena R. and Neha C. have been placed in a school in Montana US as a Classroom Teacher and SEN Teacher respectively. Their respective annual salary packages are INR 39 lacs and INR 46 lacs. The highest package has been bagged by Dr Saima A. in a School in Arizona as a Classroom Teacher with an annual package of INR 64 lacs.

"It gives us immense pride to know that Indian teachers are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Teaching is a profession that is constantly evolving and especially so with the dynamic changes in our world today which is why at Suraasa we empower our Indian teaching force to upskill and deliver lessons in a contemporary manner that further empowers each student. Our teachers bagging jobs in the USA is another testament to their expertise," shares Rishabh Khanna, CEO & Founder of Suraasa on the successful placement of teachers.

Sharing her journey with Suraasa, Reena R. who is one of the teachers placed shares, "I enrolled with Suraasa during the pandemic & was also working as a school teacher & special educator. During the 4th month of my programme, I received 4 job interviews from the US & I aced 2 of them. I fetched my dream job in the USA. Suraasa ensures what we learn & teach has a long lasting positive impact. I inculcated skills & strategies & I have seen a lot of positive impact. ."

This accomplishment makes way for India to become the ultimate supplier of credible, skilled and qualified teachers that are trained to handle dynamic teaching environments. Suraasa's commitment to building this reality for the education industry in order to showcase India as a world-class source of skilled teaching professionals is beyond commendable.

For more information, you can visit: (https://www.suraasa.com)

This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
When the global headwinds became stronger and foreign investors started losing faith in Indian equity markets, its the domestic investors who filled the void. Their belief in Indias growth story, and in its strong economic fundamentals appeared unshakable.

A research report by Morgan Stanley says that since 2015, the holdings of foreign portfolio investors (FPI), in a sample of 75 Indian companies, have declined about 230 basis points (bps) to 24.8 per cent, while domestic mutual funds (MFs) have increased their stake by 580 bps to 9.5 per cent and individual investors by 157 bps to 9 per cent in the same period.

The selling has been brutal since October last year. During the nine-month period since October, the investors net sold equities worth Rs 2.56 trillion, owing to a series of factors including geopolitical uncertainties and tightening monetary policy across central banks. In the June month alone, FPIs pulled out over Rs 50,000 crore, making it the worst sell-off in nearly two years. However, the tide turned in July as foreign investors turned net buyers, investing Rs 5,000 crore in Indian .

But the FPIs selling in the recent past cannot be the only reason why domestic investors came out on top. Let us take a larger sample. That of 1,770 NSE-listed companies for which the shareholding patterns are available.

So, in these companies, the share of domestic institutional investors (DIIs) along with retail and high networth individual (HNI) investors in the NSE-listed companies reached an all-time high of 23.53 per cent as of June end, according to data from primeinfobase. Domestic investors include domestic institutions such as mutual funds, insurance companies and pension funds etc.

The share of mutual fund holdings in Indian companies climbed to 7.75% in FY22 from 4.99% in FY17, while that of insurance companies and institutional investor LIC has declined during the same period.

The massive inflow of retail investors into the equity via Systematic Investment Plan or SIP and other routes has also contributed to the rise of domestic investments. According to the data available, there are about 55.5 million mutual fund SIP accounts through which investors regularly invest. Since FY17, SIP contributions have nearly tripled to Rs 1.24 trillion as of FY22.



The SIPs assets under management (AUM) climbed to Rs 5.76 lakh crore at the end of FY22, growing over 30 per cent annually in the last five years, according to data from Association of Mutual Funds in India. Retail investors total ownership in stocks climbed to 7.42% at the end of FY22 from 6.79% in FY17.

In addition, Indias pension fund EPF investments since 2015 in equities have ensured steady inflows into the . The EPFO had invested around Rs 1.23 trillion in exchange-traded funds (ETF) as of FY21. It has also invested in a pool of public sector companies over the years.

So, will this trend sustain? And is it a good sign that markets are not too dependent on foreign investors, who were once touted to be the price setters? Given their growing clout, Morgan Stanley has even handed over the tag to domestic investors.

Experts say that FIIs shareholding in Indian companies will rise over a period of time, given their relative under-allocation to India. At the same time, domestic investors' shareholding will continue to remain strong. And it all bodes well for the market.
A heatwave in China has brought drought to regions that rely on the Yangtze river, the countrys longest. In Southwest Chinas Chongqing, local media reports more than 600,000 people and 36,000 hectares of crops are affected. Further east, the extreme weather is also threatening crops in Jiangxi province. Local authorities have issued warnings for high temperatures and carried out drought relief measures in parts of the country

Aug 17, 2022 05:59 PM
VIENNA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Wang Qun, on Monday urged the United States to make immediate political decisions to help promote an early agreement in the Iran nuclear talks.

Wang made the remarks on the sidelines of the talks, which resumed in the Austrian capital last week after a five-month hiatus. The talks are aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Wang, China's chief negotiator, said the resumption of the Vienna talks shows that bridging differences through dialogue and negotiation is the only way to resolve the Iran nuclear issue.

"Thanks to all negotiating parties' unremitting efforts for more than a year, the prospect of reaching an agreement is now within sight," Wang said. "But the opportunity, if not grasped, will be fleeting."

He urged all parties to seize the current window of opportunity, adopt pragmatic and flexible approaches, respect each other's concerns and interests, create a favorable atmosphere, and resolve outstanding issues with a package solution.

The Chinese envoy noted that the United States has recently doubled down on its threatening rhetoric against Iran and imposed new sanctions on many entities including China. He warned that the U.S. actions "will not help with negotiations, but will only escalate the situation."

"The United States, as the originator of the Iran nuclear crisis, should understand the current situation, show sincerity, abandon politicization and stop applying double standards on non-proliferation issues. It should make immediate political decisions to promote an early deal," Wang said.

He emphasized that China has been promoting peace and dialogue to help the Vienna negotiation reach a deal.

"But it must be noted that China has been doing so only on condition that its own legitimate rights and interests are safeguarded," he said. "Any attempt to undermine China's interests is unacceptable, and no country should have unrealistic illusions about this."

The world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and other profound changes unseen in a century, said Wang.

Against such a backdrop, China's constructive participation in the Vienna talks shows its commitment to multilateralism, he said, adding that China's efforts in promoting such talks also highlight its endeavors to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity.

"We firmly believe that the international community is not a dog-eat-dog world. Unilateralism goes against the historical trend and will only backfire," Wang said. "Multilateralism is the only feasible solution to global challenges."

Practicing multilateralism is the general trend, he added, and the China-proposed Global Security Initiative, as well as a new common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept are the keys to solving international and regional security issues.

Iran signed the nuclear deal with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of U.S.-led sanctions. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

Talks on reviving the JCPOA began in Vienna in April 2021, but were suspended in March this year due to political differences between Tehran and Washington. 
ATHENS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday condemned the phone surveillance of the leader of the opposition party carried out by the country's national intelligence service (EYP).

In a statement to the nation, the prime minister said that the surveillance of the PASOK-KINAL party, and member of the European Parliament Nikos Androulakis, was wrong. Mitsotakis added that if he had been aware of these activities, he would not have allowed them.

"Although everything was done lawfully, the National Intelligence Service underestimated the political dimension of that action. It was formally adequate, but politically unacceptable. It should not have happened," Mitsotakis said in a live address transmitted by public broadcaster ERT.

A scandal broke out after opposition leader Nikos Androulakis filed charges at Greece's Supreme Court ten days ago, for mobile tapping attempts with spyware. He was notified by the European Parliament.

EYP chief Panagiotis Kontoleon, and the secretary general of the prime minister's office Grigoris Dimitriadis, both resigned on Friday.

The Greek prime minister has announced an overhaul of EYP in order to strengthen its accountability, and improve supervision of the parliament through the Institutions and Transparency Committee. Enditem.
Photo: Dan Toulgoet/File photo. The Chinese government is scolding Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart after a Chinese language newspaper quoted Stewart for supporting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosias controversial visit to Taiwan

The Chinese government is scolding Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart again.

This time, it comes after a Chinese language newspaper quoted Stewart for supporting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis controversial visit to Taiwan.

Last fall, then-Consul-General Tong Xiaoling publicly berated Stewart for considering a friendship city relationship with Taiwans second-biggest city, Kaohsiung.

Tong finished an almost five-year term at the end of July. But, last week, an unnamed spokesperson at the Peoples Republic of China consulate in Vancouver called Stewarts remarks to Sing Tao Daily on Aug. 3 ridiculous and unacceptable.



In the story, translated to English, Stewart said [Pelosi] is a politician who has long supported democratic, free human rights. Her decision is right. He also told a reporter that he wants to visit Taiwan.

A statement on the consulates Chinese website told Stewart to be cautious in his words and deeds on Taiwan-related issues, and to focus on solving the livelihood and security of [Vancouver] citizens, especially in eliminating crimes of hatred and discrimination against Asians.

Dont waste your time to win fire for Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China, take advantage of the Taiwan issue to gain personal political interests, and don't play with fire on the Taiwan issue and send wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, otherwise those who play with fire will burn themselves.

The latter phrase echoed Chairman Xi Jinpings words in a July 28 call with U.S. President Joe Biden, who has pledged to defend Taiwan. Pelosis visit triggered live fire war games by Chinas navy and air force off Taiwans coast and in Taiwanese airspace. China also sanctioned Taiwanese businesses and stopped climate change talks with the U.S. Foreign ministers of G-7 countries, including Canada, criticized China for its unnecessary escalation.

Stewart said in 2021 that he would not meet with Chinese government officials after Beijing sanctioned several Members of Parliament, including friend and Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong. Chinas move was in retaliation for Canadian government sanctions several senior officials after the House of Commons declared China is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

In the Sing Tao story, Stewart said he is critical of the Chinese government, but has no prejudice toward Chinese people and treats all citizens equally. He also said he would be willing to talk to the mayor of Guangzhou, Vancouvers Chinese sister city. I just choose not to meet with Chinese government officials, he said.

Stewarts office has not responded for comment.

At the end of May, Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents warned Stewart that the Chinese government could meddle in the Oct. 15 civic election.

The Chinese Communist Party maintains an official program called the United Front Work Department which aims to influence foreign countries via state-sponsored disinformation, hacking, spying, co-opting of politicians and intimidation of the Chinese diaspora.

CSIS director David Vigneault has pinpointed the governments of Russia and China as primary threats to Canadas national security.

Efforts by foreign states to target politicians, political parties, and electoral processes in order to covertly influence Canadian public policy, public opinion and ultimately undermine our democracy and democratic processes represent some of the most paramount concerns, Vigneault said in a 2021 speech.

The United Nations has recognized only Mainland China since 1971 and Mainland China considers Taiwan a rebel province. Xi has threatened to use force to take control of Taiwan, an independent, democratic country with a free press and 23 million people living on a land mass similar in size to Vancouver Island.
Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Uzma Bukhari on Sunday said that former Pakistan Prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and his accomplices would have to surrender themselves before the law of the land as their threats to institutions were doomed to fail, Radio Pakistan reported.

Referring to the ongoing probe into the PTI's foreign funding case, the senior PML-N leader accused Imran Khan of embezzling the donation funds and said that he should be held accountable for it.

"Imran has also deceived overseas Pakistanis as he was caught red-handed in utilising donation money for creating chaos and anarchy in the country," she added.

"He must be ashamed of himself when his provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accepted American aid, including 34 keys of donated vehicles from the US ambassador in Pakistan the other day," Bukhari added.

Speaking to the media, the PML-N leader said that despite extraneous efforts, Imran Khan had failed to bring proof against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PMLN's Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

She urged the government to take immediate action as Pakistani political parties were not ready to tolerate Imran Khan, who devoured the money received from prohibited sources and used that money for destabilising the country and sabotaging China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, a local media report said.

On Sunday, Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb also accused Imran Khan of destroying the country's economy and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in exchange for foreign funds.

Blaming Imran Khan for the country's faltering economy, Marriyum asserted that he took a wrong decision by approving the appointment of Sikandar Sultan Raja as the Chief Election Commissioner, and said that Khan rendered the youth jobless and is responsible for the current crises which were created to fulfil the commitments made with foreign funders.

The minister said Imran Khan misled the nation by consistently telling lies over a case that was investigated by the ECP for eight years and remarked the funds were also received in the personal accounts of other PTI leaders including Asad Qaiser, Imran Ismail, Shah Farman, Saifullah Niazi and others.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan on Saturday summoned 10 leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf including former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid, former MPA Seema Zia and others to address questions during the probe.

The probe agency has also identified four employees of the PTI secretariat, whose personal and salary accounts were used for receiving foreign funding. The agency said funds were received in the bank accounts of Muhammad Arshad, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Rafique, and Nauman Afzal.

The foreign funding case is pending since November 14, 2014, and it was filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar who had alleged that there are some financial irregularities in the PTI's funding from Pakistan and abroad.

On January 4 this year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)'s scrutiny committee submitted its report on the PTI's foreign funding case after 95 hearings.

The ECP's committee was formed in March 2018.

(ANI)

Also Read: Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad and counterstrikes continue, but Hamas will decide if these escalate into war
Russell Dyer, Ed.D., director of Cleveland Schools has this message for the community:

"Every student in Cleveland City Schools deserves and has the right to free and appropriate education. Education is a fundamental right and our students are the primary reason for the school district to even exist. Over the last few years, our system, as well as schools across the country, have dealt with an ongoing pandemic. The pandemic and related issues have taken a substantial role on students and staff alike. That is especially true when dealing with the mental health of some of our most vulnerable students. Our academic core is very important to the mission and vision of our school system. To that end, our teachers and support staff have worked tirelessly to implement a high-quality curriculum to meet the stringent standards set forth by the Tennessee State Department of Education and the Tennessee State Board of Education.

"This past year, our student achievement rates showed improvement at the elementary level in English and math. At Cleveland Middle, academic achievement rates rose for English, math, and social studies. Finally, at Cleveland High, our students showed academic progress in Algebra 1, Biology, English I and II, and U.S. History. Also at the high school level, this past year showed the highest success rate yet for students taking Advanced Placement courses and scoring 3 or higher on their exams. Many colleges grant students that score a 3 or higher college credit for those courses. Diving deeper, nearly 50 percent of students in AP Literature scored a 3 or higher and there was a 16 percent increase in the number of students in AP Human Geography that scored a 3 or higher. Those percentages are higher than Tennessee and global averages for those courses. We also saw improvements in AP Psychology, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, and AP European History. I am also proud to say that our ACT and Ready Graduate percentages are also continuing to climb.

"I say all of this to simply state this - students are learning in our schools. Our benchmark assessments show academic achievement is happening every day in our classrooms. Our teachers and support staff are highly educated, trained, hard-working professionals who not only know their subject areas, but they know their students by name and ability. Cleveland City Schools is proud to be one of the more diverse school systems in our state. Here are some statistics, just so the public understands our diversity better:

42.1 percent of our student population is considered economically disadvantaged

Our Race/Ethnicity:

51 percent White

26.3 percent Hispanic

10.3 percent Black

9.6 percent Multi-Ethnic

1.9 percent Asian

.1 percent Native American

15.3 percent of our students are English as a Second Language



"Again, this diversity is a strength for students in our district and it prepares them for life outside of school. The improvements we are seeing are a result of teachers, students, support staff, and our families working together. That work must continue forward, but it will take time to recover and not all goals may be achieved in one or two years. Teachers, administrators, students, families, the school board, and others will have a voice in the direction we take to ensure our shared vision and mission for Cleveland City Schools continues.

"To our teachers and administrators, you are appreciated and supported by me, our board, and our community. To our support staff, thank you for your role in making sure our students cared for each day. To our community and families, I appreciate your role in showing care and concern for our students and staff. Finally, to our students. Youre my why and our collective why. I support you wholeheartedly and will continue to champion you in decisions that are made in our central office as well as by our school board.

"This year my goals are simply this:

1. Actively engage, support, and listen to our teachers and all employees;

2. Be present in the lives of our students by visiting classrooms and their activities;

3. Build deeper connections with our Cleveland community to showcase the positive in Cleveland City Schools



"To the residents of Cleveland, your school system is thought of highly in our state and region. Trust me when I tell you that we continue to be a system of choice for our students, employees, and other school systems wanting to come and visit and take away new ideas. This doesnt just happen. Our employees, school board, student body, and our community make a difference.

"Thank you for trusting Cleveland City Schools with our childrens education and I wish each of

you the best as we open the 2022-2023 school year.
Floyd Interchange is at U.S. 27 and Morrison Springs Road in Red Bank

In recognition of former State Rep. Richard Floyds years of service to Red Bank, Hamilton County and Tennessee, he was honored with the naming of an interchange in a ceremony on Saturday.

Rep. Patsy Hazlewood and Senator Bo Watson honored Mr. Floyd along with other officials.

The program was held at the U.S. Highway 27 northbound exit ramp to Morrison Springs Road.

Rep. Hazlewood and Senator Watson helped support inclusion of the designation in a recent transportation infrastructure bill.

It recognizes Richard Floyd as a dedicated and exemplary public servant who selflessly served the citizens of the city of Red Bank and this state during his eight-year tenure as a member of the House of Representatives.
Xenophon Wheeler had a fine home with a wing running off to one side and a cannon out front on the East Terrace. He was still another of the Union officers who wound up on Cameron Hill.

Wheeler was born in Ohio in 1835 and went to Oberlin College for three years. His parents were natives of Vermont. He graduated from Yale, then studied law in New York City.

When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in October 1861 with Ohio troops. He was seriously wounded in the first battle of Winchester, Va., on March 23, 1862. He spent 14 weeks in a hospital.

Wheeler married Amanda Elizabeth Knowlton of Utica, Ohio, on July 14, 1863. He and his young bride moved to Chattanooga in 1865, and he entered the law firm of Stanley, Henderson and Wheeler. Afterwards, he was a law partner with W.S. Marshall for many years.

In 1879, Xenophon Wheeler was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. He served as the fourth president of the Tennessee Bar Association in 1884 and 1885. He was also involved in many local endeavors, including helping to organize the Chattanooga Savings Bank.

Wheeler was one of the organizers of the city's first public library and was its first president. He was a trustee of the University of Tennessee from 1892 to 1913.

When his first wife died in 1887, Wheeler three years later married Mrs. Elizabeth Whitman Brown of San Francisco.

Xenophon Wheeler was still living on the East Terrace when he died Jan. 31, 1914. His widow lived in the house for some time, then it was apparently torn down.

Wheeler children included Anna who married Winchester Dickerson, Ethel who married Frederick Joseph Waddell, and Shelton King Wheeler who married Grace Murphey.
If there has ever been a more complex and controversial member of the federal judiciary in Tennessee than Judge Robert Love Taylor who served as the United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee from 1950 to 1987 their identity has not been revealed.



To some like Chief Justice Warren Burger of the United States Supreme Court, Judge Taylor was described as one of the finest, ablest, and fairest judges in the country.



To some lawyers who appeared before him they literally considered him a judicial tyrant. He had little patience with attorneys who took too long to try their case and may not have been completely prepared. In 2009 the late Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Charles D. Susano of Knoxville edited the collection of war stories in 220 pages by attorneys who had endured Judge Taylors wrath and arranged them in a book, Remembering United States District Judge Robert L. Taylor: A Collection of Memories (Tennessee Valley Publishers.)



Prominent Knoxville attorney Donald F. Paine (1939-2013) wrote an article in the May 2009 Tennessee Bar Journal publication and did a review of Judge Susanos work and, although enjoying the humorous nature of many of the Judge Taylor stories, was quick to point out that lawyers and judges need to remember Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct where it states: A judge shall be patient, dignified and courteous to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers and others with whom the judge deals in an official capacity...



Paine closed with the short quip about the jurist. My memories of Judge Taylor? Ive tried to repress them.



Off the bench many attorneys remarked what a pleasant person and sometimes even in court he would have compassion for individuals who came from the poor sections of the mountains of Appalachia who may have engaged in the unlawful practice of manufacturing and distributing moonshine whiskey.



Nominated and appointed to the federal bench in 1950 by President Harry S. Truman he came from a prominent historical Tennessee family.



Both his father Alfred Taylor and his uncle Robert Taylor served as governors of the state of Tennessee and ran against each other in the famous 1886 War of the Roses election.



He was appointed by Chief Justice Burger to preside over racketeering corruption trials of Illinois Governor Ottis Kerner in 1973 and Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel in 1977.



Other significant trials that he presided over included the Clinton school desegregation contempt of court cases in 1956 and 1957.



The environmental cases involving the threatened extinction of the small snail darter species against the Tennessee Valley Authority and the proposed construction of the Tellico Dam were also initially tried in Judge Taylors court.



A short individual who was known as Little Bob Taylor by some in private but not mentioned in public was both admired and feared by the legal community and many others!



* * *



Jerry Summers

(If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)
The family of Marielyn Newport Hardin share the news of her passing on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

Marielyn was a treasured and loved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Those she leaves in life will miss her dearly and treasure her memories always.

Born in the peaceful Tennessee town of Oneida, Marielyn was the eldest of three. She was the eldest big sissy to her dear youngest sister Felecia and her brother Ewen.

Marielyn graduated from Cumberland College, Williamsburg, KY and then continued her education at Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN. It was there she met the love of her life Tyra Ty'' Courtney Hardin. Marielyn and Ty married on Feb. 4, 1961, moved to Paducah, KY and had their eldest daughter, Tira. Moving back to Tennessee and settling in Chattanooga, they continued growing their family with their two sons Hamilton Scott Hardin and Paul Courtney Hardin. Marielyn and Ty were married for 57 wonderful years.

As the self-appointed neighborhood mom on Black Oak Circle, Marielyn was a constant presence in many of the children's lives. She could often be seen in her little red jeep, piling her own kids in the back to take them to school. And when it rained, she went searching for her neighborhood kids in the rain to make sure they had a ride to school.

A devoted Christian, one of her favorite activities was traveling to gospel concerts with her Stuart Heights Baptist Sunday School group. Her lifelong friends were made in her Sunday School class, and she treasured the memories and fellowship in Christ she made with those best friends.

When her youngest went to kindergarten, she had a strong maternal pull to stay around children. So she went to school too, starting her career in kindergarten at Rivermont Elementary school. For years, her classroom was a space for education, fun, and joy for the little ones she taught.

Never one to remain idle, Marielyn continued her career after teaching to pursue her passion in decorating. With a fierce and proud attention to detail, Marielyn was a favored interior decorator in the Chattanooga area and an extremely skilled seamstress. Houses across the Tennessee valley bore her touch, leaving behind a unique and personal feeling of home.

As a grandmother to Ashton, Eli, Chandler, and Chase, she became Meemaw. Meemaws house was a place to be warm, welcoming, and continues to hold thousands of fond memories. There was nothing she loved more than seeing her family on holidays spread out, room to room, enjoying fellowship and each others company. She could always be found offering a meal for her loved ones, while watching her beloved bouquet of hummingbirds flutter outside her kitchen window.

Marielyn was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Tyra Ty Courtney Hardin, her mother Nora Smith Newport, her father Ewen Newport, her brother-in-law Steven Reynolds, her cousins Earl and Jody Bible.

Marielyn is survived by her children, Tira Chastain (Chad), Scott Hardin (Susan), and Courtney Hardin (Barri); her grandchildren Ashton Kyker (Aaron), Eli Hardin, Chandler Clifford (Mark), and Chase Chastain; her sister Felecia Reynolds and her brother Ewen; her nieces and nephews Stephenie Crowley (Brandon), Joshua Reynolds (Stephanie), and Nicole (Buddy) Kitchings; grand nieces and nephews Lucas and Layla Reynolds, Kellen and Lennox Crowley, and Katelyn Kitchings; her cousins Donna Johnson (Steve) and Sybil Bible.

Visitation will be from 12-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at the Lane Coulter Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, Tn. 37415. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Interment will follow at 2 p.m. in the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation to your favorite charity or HaCoBACare Ministries of Chattanooga.

Pallbearers will be Scott Hardin, Courtney Hardin, Eli Hardin, Chad Chastain, Chase Chastain, Mark Clifford.
Sheriff-Elect Austin Garrett announced that attorney Brian Bush will serve on his executive staff as general counsel for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office.

The general counsel "serves as the primary legal representative for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office and provides assistance with a variety of legal matters including contractual agreements, MOUs, subpoenas, human resources related issues, legal training for both new cadets and annual in-service training, and is responsible for the open records process.

General counsel also serves as liaison between the HCSO, the District Attorneys Office, the Hamilton County Attorneys Office, and the Hamilton County judiciary.

"The general counsels duties also includes addressing issues involving Corrections Services with attorney-client visitation, inmate medical inquiries, sentence calculation, and general information that attorneys and court personnel need regarding specific inmates. Counsel also assists with Internal Affairs, public relations inquiries, and the overall support for Sheriffs Office operations."

Sheriff-Elect Austin Garrett said, I am excited to have Brian join my executive staff and we look forward to the experience and skills he brings to our agencys operations. The role of general counsel is vital to the efficient and professional delivery of services we provide to the citizens of Hamilton County,

A Hamilton County native, he received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a bachelors degree in Political Science from Maryville College, in Maryville, Tn.



Prior to joining the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office as general counsel, attorney Bush served as an assistant district attorney in the Hamilton County District Attorney Generals Office prosecuting violent crimes and felonies. Most recently, his practice involved civil litigation as an attorney at the firm of Spears, Moore, Rebman, & Williams, P.C.

Attorney Bush is also a commissioned intelligence officer, serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He serves his community on various boards, and he is dedicated to serving the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office. His wife is Mauriel.

General Counsel Bush officially joined the Sheriff's Office on Monday.
Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union on Monday announced that its service area is growing from 13 to 17 counties in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia with the addition of Chattooga, Gordon, Murray and Whitfield counties. Anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers within TVFCUs 17-county service community is eligible to join the credit union.

We are both humbled and delighted as we extend TVFCUs services to new communities across North Georgia, said Todd Fortner, president and CEO of TVFCU. As always, we remain dedicated to supporting our members financial health and enhancing their lives through outstanding products and services, friendly and efficient service and an active presence within local organizations and community events.

As the National Credit Union Association approved TVFCUs application to expand, qualifying individuals within Chattooga, Gordon, Murray and Whitfield counties are now eligible for checking accounts, savings accounts, personal loans, mortgages, business loans and a wide variety of other vital financial products and services.

Through the credit unions use of technology in member service, TVFCU is prepared to serve new members before any branches are built in their communities. At tvfcu.com, anyone can learn more about the credit union, open new accounts and access the tvfcuLIVE Stream app or desktop function which offers direct access to a TVFCU personal consultant through video chat. Additionally, members and non-members may call the tvfcuLIVE Line at 634-3600 for any questions about the credit union and their account(s). Loan processes can also be completed remotely through tvfcu.com or by calling 634-LOAN [5626].

Our team is eager to meet new people, visit new places and continually build relationships in Whitfield, Murray, Gordon and Chattooga counties, said Mr. Fortner. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, our continuous goals are to boost the financial health and success of our members, provide outstanding member service and become a community-wide asset everywhere we operate.

For more information about TVFCU, please visit tvfcu.com or call the tvfcuLIVE Line at 634-3600.




Kenneth S. Cox, 86, of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, passed away on Sunday, August 7, 2022.

Kenneth was born in Chattanooga, to the late Mr. Adolphus Cox and Mrs. Isabell Patterson Cox on April 17, 1936.

Kenneth was a true patriot, serving his country in the United States Army and retired from Vesicol after many years of service. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. Kenneth loved being at the homestead, Over Home. Kenneth loved his family and most of all, he loved being Poppy to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His great sense of humor and love for his family will surely be missed by all those who knew and loved him.



Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joyce Hagewood Cox, Danny (Pam) Cox, Keena (David) Barnes, and Rhonda (Jason) Harp, grandchildren; Daniel Cox, Sarah Gill and Jordan Clementson, and great grandchildren; Hunter Lee and Benjamin Cox, Josephine, Jett , and Jewel Gill, and Jaxon Clementson.



A graveside service for Kenneth will be conducted at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Friday, Aug. 12, at 1:30 p.m. with military honors rendered.



The family will receive friends at Lane Funeral Home and Crematory South Crest Chapel on Friday, August 12, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.



Please visit www.wecare@lane-southcrestchapel.com to leave online condolences for the family.



In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the American Diabetes Association or to the American Glaucoma Society.



Lane Funeral Home and Crematory South Crest Chapel is honored to serve the family in this difficult time.


George Harrison initially started writing one of The Traveling Wilburys hit songs, End of the Line, like a Bob Dylan song. The former Beatle thought of his bandmates music a lot.

George Harrison and Bob Dylan | Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

George Harrison said he started writing The Traveling Wilburys End of the Line like a Bob Dylan song

In a 1988 joint interview for MTV (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) with his fellow Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne, George explained how he wrote the bands song End of the Line.

The interviewer pointed out, Theres all these questions about who wrote what on the album, and you can kind of tell because whos singing, but everybody is singing this song.

Petty added, You cant tell, theyre all wrong. George said,  some of them we said, OK, we need somebody to sing this one; why dont you do it, because it suited you. So you cant really tell.

George said, I wrote the All right bit under a banyan tree in Hawaii, because I was thinking, Well, we better try and write one thats like a Bob Dylan song. Wrote that bit, and then we made up the rest later, and everybody wrote the words.

The interviewer asked, So it started like a Bob Dylan song? George replied, Well, just the [sings guitar riff] ding-dinga-dinga-dinga, ding-dinga-ding.'

RELATED: Tom Petty Said George Harrison Quoted Bob Dylan Like People Quote Scripture

Its not hard to believe George Harrison thought of Bob Dylan while writing End of the Line

From the first time he heard Dylan, George was enraptured. They wrote their first song, Id Have You Anytime, together in 1968. Then, they became bandmates in The Traveling Wilburys. George was amazed at everything that Dylan did.

In a video about the making of The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, George talked about working with Dylan. He was astounded by how Dylan worked on the track Tweeter and the Monkey Man.

It was just fantastic watching him do it because he had like one take warming himself up and on take two, he sang Tweeter and the Monkey Man right through and what he did was change some of the lyrics, George said. Maybe in about four places, hed change a couple of lines and improved them and dropped those lines in. And that was it.

The way he writes the words down, like very tiny. Looked like a spiders written it. You can hardly read it. And thats the amazing thing. Its just unbelievable seeing how he did it.

Its not hard to believe that George would start a song thinking of Dylans work.

RELATED: George Harrison Called the Fans Who Walked out of a Bob Dylan Concert Idiots: Whos Laying Down the Rules?

Tom Petty said he got emotional hearing The Traveling Wilburys song

George wrote End of the Line thinking of his good friends music. However, every time Petty heard the song, it made him think of The Traveling Wilburys at their best.

In 2007, Petty told Mass Live, Theres one number, The End of the Line  whenever I hear that its just very emotional for me, he said.

I really think thats the Wilburys at their best, it was just a terrific time. How often do you write a song thats for four or five people? Its not very often that happens but we really collaborated and put our heads together and made those songs happen.

George wrote something special when he wrote End of the Line. It might have started like a Dylan song, but it became a song for each Traveling Wilbury.

RELATED: George Harrison Didnt Want to Perform With Bob Dylan During His 1988 Tour: He Just Needs Himself
Giada De Laurentiis Makes This Summer Recipe Almost Daily  But Its Not Her Only Mouthwatering Idea for Burrata

Giada De Laurentiis is an expert in Italian cuisine  especially when burrata cheese is involved. The Food Network star has a mouthwatering summer recipe for the white Italian cheese that she makes almost daily. But De Laurentiis can also get quite creative with burrata, and she has a number of other ways to serve it.

Giada De Laurentiis | Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for SOBEWFF

Giada De Laurentiis makes this summer burrata recipe nearly every day

Burrata cheese is often paired with Italian table basics like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and basil. But for the perfect summer appetizer, De Laurentiis likes to take those flavors to the next level by adding three unexpected ingredients to the mix: sweet corn, fresh nectarines (or peaches), and Fresno chile.

The celebrity chef says that she is such a big fan of this flavor combination that she could easily make a whole meal out of it every day during the short period when both nectarines and corn are in season at the same time.

I make this almost every day. Sometimes the corn is so sweet I dont even cook it; otherwise I grill it briey to bring the sugars to the surface. Its a casual, family-style starter, but honestly, I like it so much Id make it my lunch and dinner! Its everything I love about summer food, she wrote in a Giadzy blog post.

Ingredients needed for Burrata with Nectarines and Corn

It takes less than an hour to make this yummy summer dish, and you only need a handful of oils, spices, and fresh, in-season ingredients. This recipe calls for two small ripe nectarines that are cut into wedges and one-third cup of chopped fresh basil.

Next on the list is one fresh Fresno or serrano chile, thinly sliced, two teaspoons of white balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil (plus a little extra when needed), and a half-teaspoon of kosher salt.

Finally, youll need eight slices of rustic Italian loaf, four ears of corn (shucked and silk removed), eight ounces of fresh burrata (drained and patted dry), and a half-teaspoon of Maldon flake salt.

We should reiterate that De Laurentiis uses the white variety of balsamic vinegar for this recipe because it is more syrupy and sweeter than the regular kind. Plus, its more milder in acidity, and she says its a fantastic way to dress up burrata.

How to make Giada De Laurentiis favorite Burrata recipe

In a medium bowl, gently combine the nectarines, basil, chile, vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt. Next, set it aside and let it marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Or, for up to two hours in the refrigerator.

Towards the end of the marinating time, heat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Then, brush your bread slices with olive oil and grill them on both sides  about two to three minutes for each side.

Add the corn to the pan and grill it on all sides long enough to get it warm with a few charred spots. Then, use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off of the cobs and add those kernels to the nectarine mixture in your bowl.

To serve, spoon the peach mixture onto a platter. Tear the burrata into 8 to 12 good-size pieces and arrange them over the salad. Sprinkle the ake salt evenly over the cheese and drizzle the cheese with a little extra olive oil. Serve with the grilled bread, the recipe reads.

Peach, Corn, and Burrata is a celebration of summer

A very similar idea to the corn and nectarine recipe is De Laurentiis Peach, Corn, and Burrata Bruschetta. As the celebrity chef explains, This bruschetta is a celebration of summer! Sweet corn and peaches are balanced with a kick of spice from Fresno chile slices and super creamy burrata.

The ingredient list is very similar, but not exactly the same. Youll need two ears of corn with the kernels cut off, two small peaches sliced into thin wedges, a thinly-sliced Fresno or serrano chile, one-third cup of chopped fresh basil, two teaspoons of white balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling), and a half-teaspoon of kosher salt.

The recipe also calls for eight half-inch thick slices of ciabatta bread, a quarter-cup of olive oil, eight ounces of burrata cheese (drained and patted dry), and a half-teaspoon of flaky sea salt.

Try Giada De Laurentiis Romesco Pasta Salad with Burrata

The Food Network star makes burrata shine in her recipe for Romesco Pasta Salad. She describes Romesco as the Spanish version of pesto. But instead of basil and Parmesan, the sauce gets most of its flavor from roasted red peppers.

Youll often see it with tomatoes as well, but we kept it simple for this tasty pasta salad. The sauce gives a great smoky sweetness to everything, while the burrata makes everything so deliciously creamy  and you cant go wrong with some cherry tomatoes and arugula too, De Laurentiis shares.

This is a great pasta salad to make a few hours or a day ahead of when you want to eat it  it holds up well, and the flavors develop even more the longer it sits.

Burrata puts a delicious spin on Roasted Caprese Salad

De Laurentiis is such a big fan of Caprese Salad that she says shell take it in any form. She puts her own delicious spin on it with her recipe for Roasted Caprese Salad with Burrata, which she promises everyone will love.

When tomatoes arent at their seasonal peak, but I think a menu could use a good Caprese salad, this is the recipe to turn to, De Laurentiis says.

Roasting tomatoes pulls out all that excess water, so it concentrates the tomatos flavor  and makes them super deliciously sweet! Topped with basil, arugula, and lots of torn burrata cheese, salt and olive oil does it get any better than that?

Giada De Laurentiis says this is her favorite way to cook beets

One of the Food Network stars favorite ways to cook beets is to roast them with other aromatics, like she does with her recipe for Roasted Beet and Burrata Salad. She likes to cook beets this way because they absorb so much flavor. And in this specific recipe, the beets get a bright flavor by being cooked down with fresh thyme and champagne vinegar.

De Laurentiis says that you can cook the beets in advance and put them in the refrigerator until you are ready to throw your salad together.

A quick shallot and dijon vinaigrette, arugula, burrata cheese, and a hefty sprinkle of pine nuts, and you have a beautiful salad fit for any meal, she says. Note that if you cant find baby beets, regular-sized beets work just as well  they just may need more time in the oven to get tender.

Giada at Home is now streaming on fuboTV and Discovery+.

RELATED: Giada De Laurentiis Always Has These 6 Italian Staples In Her Pantry
Less than two years after shocking the science world with the discovery of a material capable of room-temperature superconductivity, a team of UNLV physicists has upped the ante once again by reproducing the feat at the lowest pressure ever recorded.



In other words, science is closer than its ever been to a usable, replicable material that could one day revolutionize how energy is transported.



UNLV physicist Ashkan Salamat and colleague Ranga Dias, a physicist with the University of Rochester, made international headlines in 2020 by reporting room-temperature superconductivity for the first time. To achieve the feat, the scientists chemically synthesized a mix of carbon, sulfur, and hydrogen first into a metallic state, and then even further into a room-temperature superconducting state using extreme pressure  267 gigapascals  conditions youd only find in nature near the center of the Earth.



Fast forward less than two years, and the team is now able to complete the feat at just 91 GPa  roughly one-third the pressure initially reported.

A Super Discovery

Through a detailed tuning of the composition of carbon, sulfur, and hydrogen used in the original breakthrough, scientists are able to produce a material at a lower pressure that retains its state of superconductivity.



These are pressures at a level difficult to comprehend and evaluate outside of the lab, but our current trajectory shows that its possible achieve relatively high superconducting temperatures at consistently lower pressures  which is our ultimate goal, said study lead author Gregory Alexander Smith, a graduate student researcher with UNLVs Nevada Extreme Conditions Laboratory (NEXCL). At the end of the day, if we want to make devices beneficial to societal needs, then we have to reduce the pressure needed to create them.



Though the pressures are still high  about a thousand times higher than youd experience at the bottom of the Pacific Oceans Mariana Trench  they continue to race toward a goal of near-zero. Its a race thats gaining steam exponentially at UNLV as scientists gain a better understanding of the chemical relationship between the carbon, sulfur, and hydrogen that make up the material.



Our knowledge of the relationship between carbon and sulfur is advancing rapidly, and were finding ratios that lead to remarkably different, and more efficient, responses than what was initially observed, said Salamat, who directs UNLVs NEXCL and contributed to the latest study. To observe such different phenomena in a similar system just shows the richness of Mother Nature. Theres so much more to understand, and every new advancement brings us closer to the precipice of everyday superconducting devices.

The Holy Grail of Energy Efficiency

Superconductivity is a remarkable phenomenon first observed more than a century ago, but only at remarkably low temperatures that preempted any thought of practical application. Only in the 1960s did scientists theorize the feat might be possible at higher temperatures. The 2020 discovery by Salamat and colleagues of a room-temperature superconductor excited the science world in part because the technology supports electrical flow with zero resistance, meaning that energy passing through a circuit could be conducted infinitely and with no loss of power. This could have major implications for energy storage and transmission, supporting everything from better cell phone batteries to a more efficient energy grid.



The global energy crisis shows no signs of slowing, and costs are rising in part due to a U.S. energy grid which loses roughly $30 billion annually because of the inefficiency of current technology, said Salamat. For societal change, we need to lead with technology, and the work happening today is, I believe, at the forefront of tomorrows solutions.

According to Salamat, the properties of superconductors can support a new generation of materials that could fundamentally change the energy infrastructure of the U.S. and beyond.

Imagine harnessing energy in Nevada and sending it across the country without any energy loss, he said. This technology could one day make it possible.
Birth rates in the United States are near record lows, but not for everyone.

Under the surface of the fertility decline is a little-noticed fact: Births have declined much more among nonreligious Americans than among the devout.

Data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) from 1982 to 2019, along with data from four waves of the Demographic Intelligence Family Survey (DIFS) from 2020 to 2022, point to a widening gap in fertility rates between more religious and less religious Americans.

In recent years, the fertility gap by religion has widened to unprecedented levels. But while this difference may comfort some of the faithful who hope higher fertility rates will ultimately yield stable membership in churches and synagogues, these hopes may be in vain. Rates of conversion into unfaith are too high, and fertility rates too low, to yield stable religious populations.

Past religious fertility

Since 1982, the NSFG has asked respondents about their religious attendance and their recent fertility history. In recent years, it has operated as a continuous annual survey.

As a result, data from over 70,000 women surveyed from 1982 to as recently as 2019 can be used to estimate fertility rates for three broad groups of women: those without any religious affiliation, those with religious affiliation but less than weekly attendance, and those with at least weekly attendance.

Total fertility rates are estimated by using a given groups current birth rates by age to guess how many children a woman would end up having over the course of her life. In practice, however, birth rates shift as women get older, and of course religious identity can change over time, as well, so fertility measures of this kind are unlikely to perfectly predict outcomes.

Figure 1 shows estimates from the NSFG for the three religious attendance groups.

Its evident that birth rates among Americans who attend weekly have never dropped much below 2 children per woman, and as recently as 2008 were around 2.4 children each. Fertility among religious people did decline after the 2008 recession, but by 20172019, it was rising again.

In other words, there was no long slump in births to the most devout parents.

Religious women who attended church less than weekly had lower fertility in all time periods but especially during the 2000s. Whats most striking is that, since 2016, fertility rates for weekly- and less-than-weekly-attending women have moved in opposite directions, with fertility falling among the more nominally religious.

Finally, fertility among nonreligious women rose considerably from 1982 to 2005, then again from 2008 to 2012, showing a very different pattern than the one we see for religious women.

From 2010 to 2013, nonreligious women had about the same birth rates as women who attended religious services less than weekly, before their fertility slumped through 2019.

Heres the most notable takeaway: Virtually 100 percent of the decline in fertility in the United States from 2012 to 2019 can be explained through a combination of two factors: growing numbers of religious women leaving the faith, along with declining birth rates among the nonreligious.

Before going further, its worth reflecting on the large cultural difference this represents. In 2019, most religious Americans had similar fertility rates as women in India, Libya, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Iran, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Peru, or Mexico. That same year, the least religious Americans had birth patterns similar to Hong Kong, Japan, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Singapore, or Moldova.

COVID-19 has not reduced these differences. From fall 2020 to spring 2022, across four waves of the DIFS (which included about 9,000 participants), women who never attended church reported a fertility rate of around 1.3 children per mother, versus 2.1 for women who attended weekly. Those rates are very similar to the ones found in the NSFG for 2019.

Declining religion in America

But fertility rates arent the only thing driving birth trends. The number of women to whom those rates apply may vary as well. Figure 2 below shows the share of women ages 1844 who were in each religious grouping, according to the NSFG.

Since 2002, the share of reproductive-age women who attended church weekly or more has fallen from about 35 percent to 24 percent. In the DIFS data, the share was even lower: only about 18 percent of women.

In other words, while the fertility rate among religious women has been stable, society has still become less religious on the whole, meaning the overall number of births to religious mothers has trended downwards.

Heres the second striking takeaway, then: Despite a widening fertility gap, the ongoing trend of young Americans becoming more secular more than offsets the fertility advantage enjoyed by people of faith. Religious birth rates simply are not high enough to offset losses from the move to irreligion.

Data from the 2014 Pew Religious Life Survey suggest that net conversions in and out of American religions lead to about a 16 percent loss in religious people over the course of a generation. To offset that, religious American women would need to have 2.44 children each on average.

Among weekly attending women, the true figure is just 2.1. If we add in women who are irregular attenders to count all people of faith together, then religious women in 2019 had a fertility rate around 1.8 or 1.9 children each.

With birth rates at just 1.8 or 1.9 children per woman, versus a conversion-adjusted replacement rate of 2.44, religious communities in America will tend to decline by about 25 percent in each generation.

If these trends continue, then within three generations, religious communities in America will have shrunk by more than halfa devastating loss.

Key differences across religious groups

However, its not right to lump all religious groups together when it comes to fertility. Using data on conversions and births from the Pew Religious Life Survey (PRLS) in 2014, its possible to describe some crucial differences.

Using data from the PRLS, I separated individuals from different major world religions, and within Christianity, I broke out six distinct subgroups: Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox (grouped together, since there are few Orthodox respondents); Pentecostals; Protestant denominations in which at least 75 percent of respondents said they believed the Bible is the Word of God; groups that fall under the 75 percent marker; and nondenominational groupings over or under 75 percent on the same question.

Prior research has suggested that beliefs about the Bible are a good indicator of fertility behaviors in general.

Figure 3 below shows two indicators. First, it details the total fertility rate (TFR)or number of children born per womanthat a religious group would need to achieve to experience growth, given the conversion rates, and assuming theres zero immigration into the country.

The second indicator is an estimate of the actual TFR for that demographic, using between-group differences observed in the PRLS in 2014, then applied to actual fertility trends in 2019.

When the needed TFR is higher than the estimated TFR, it means that a religious group is likely to shrink over the next generationunless it receives new members through immigration.

As the figure above shows, liberal Protestant denominations appear to be facing a dire situation. Given high rates of conversion out of these traditions, they need to achieve fertility rates of 3 children per woman to grow over the next generation. They only have about 1.5 or 1.6.

Conservative Protestants who believe the Bible is the Word of God have higher fertility rates (around 1.8 children per woman) and less-negative conversion rates, meaning they only need to have around 2.4 children per woman.

As a result, liberal denominations can expect a 48 percent decline in a generation, versus just a 26 percent decline for conservative denominations. (Again, thats assuming no members are gained through immigration.)

On the other hand, there has been robust growth among nondenominational churches. Liberal nondenominational movements have roughly the fertility rate they need for stability (1.8 or 1.9), but conservative nondenominational movements have seen extraordinary growth: They only need to have about 0.8 children per woman to grow, but in fact they have around 1.9.

This means they will more than double in size over the next generation, even without immigrants. Likewise, Pentecostal churches will grow, with actual fertility (2.1) appreciably above needed fertility (1.8).

On the other hand, Catholic and Orthodox churches will see appreciable decline, with an average of 1.9 children born per womannowhere near high enough to offset high rates of conversion out of these faithsyielding a needed fertility rate of 3.1.

Roman Catholic churches can expect a 40 percent decline in the next generation, unless immigration offsets that trend. (Numbers for other faith groups are included in the full brief.)

Although nonreligious fertility rates are very low, high rates of conversion into the no religious affiliation category will result in over 50 percent growth in the nonreligious population over the next generation.

In sum, faith groups in America in general face the prospect of stark decline. However, different segments will have different experiences.

For institutionalized Protestantism, Catholicism, and many of the other major world religions, the decline will be swift and deep, with high rates of religious exit and modest-sized families.

Some conservative denominationsfor example, the Presbyterian Church in Americawill be able to stave off serious decline for the immediate future. But fertility drops will still be the average experience. Its only within nondenominational Christianity, Pentecostalism, Orthodox Judaism, heterodox offshoots of Christianity, small religious movements, and secularism that well see significant fertility growth.

Takeaways for the church

For reasons Ive described in length elsewhere, religiosity in America is declining. Changes in education, parenting styles, marital trends, and the geography of American neighborhoods have all conspired to suppress faith across the last several generations.

Meanwhile, the fertility gap between religious and nonreligious Americans has been growing for two decades and is now the widest its ever been. This fertility advantage, however, is nowhere near large enough to offset losses from the rejection of faith.

To compensate, religious Americans would need to have about 2.4 children each, and in some religious subgroups, even more. Most faith communities in America are having fewer children than they need for long-run stability, and as a result, the next few generations are likely to see a considerable decline in American religion.

However, this decline is not inevitable: Achieving growth again would not require American churches to do impossible things. Having one more child on average, successfully integrating a modest share of immigrants into the US, or achieving higher conversion rates could all stave off decline.

Lyman Stone is a research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), chief information officer of the population research firm Demographic Intelligence, and an adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Published in collaboration with IFS. The full research brief is available here.
He fought until the end: Archie Battersbees mom grieves loss; friend calls hospitals actions barbaric

The mother of the 12-year-old Archie Battersbee announced her son's death on Saturday after his life support was withdrawn due to a High Court ruling, saying he fought right until the very end, but a family friend called the process barbaric.

Archie, who had been hospitalized on life support at Royal London Hospital since his mother found him unconscious with a ligature around his neck at her home in Essex in April, died at 12:15 p.m. local time on Saturday, The Telegraph reported.

His mother, Hollie Dance, announced her sons death as she walked out of the hospital in Whitechapel.

It is with my deepest sympathy and sadness to tell you all that Archie passed  today, she was quoted as saying. I would just like to say I am the proudest mom in the world. He was such a beautiful little boy. He fought right until the very end, and I am so proud to be his mom.

By Friday, the boys parents had exhausted all legal options in their fight to keep him alive or moved to a hospice.

The High Court ruled Friday that his parents could not move him from the hospital to a hospice center, saying it was not in Archies best interest.

After Archies parents were denied permission to appeal the High Courts decision by the Court of Appeal, they applied to the European Court of Human Rights on Friday, but the ECHR said it would not intervene in the case.

A family friend, Ella Carter, who supported Dance throughout the familys legal battles over Archies medical care, said the process was barbaric.

He was taken off all medication at 10 a.m. and his life stats remained completely stable for two hours until they removed all ventilation and he went completely blue, The Times quoted her as saying. There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate. No family should have to go through what weve been through  its barbaric.

Dance earlier said she believed her sons condition was the result of a TikTok challenge.

While doctors diagnosed Archie as brain-stem dead, his parents insisted that was not so. Dance elaborated on her belief in a video released earlier by the Christian Legal Centre, which represented the parents in litigation. Hes held my hand. Ive got video of him gripping two fingers, she said at the time.

If Archie is denied oxygen if and when life-support is removed I will continue to give him oxygen, Dance said in a statement to Christian Concern last week. If they refuse permission for us to take him to a hospice and for him to receive palliative oxygen it will simply be inhumane and nothing about Archies dignity.

In an interview with Times Radio on Thursday, Dance said she wanted Archie to spend his last moments with his family in private away from the noise and disturbances at the hospital.

We cant even have the chance to be in a room together as a family without nurses, she told Times Radio. Theres absolutely no privacy, which is why, again, the courts keep going on about this dignified death  why arent we allowed to take our child to a hospice and spend his last moments, his last days together privately? Why is the hospital obstructing it?

Article 10 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities declares: States Parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. According to Article 12, persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law.

Article 6 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children states that States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life and that States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.

For its part, the U.K. government has maintained that the U.N. injunction was not binding.
Biden visits flood-ravaged Kentucky as Christian charities step up to help survivors

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden traveled to flood-ravaged Kentucky Monday to visit families affected by the recent devastating floods that killed at least 37 people and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses as Christian charities are on the ground to meet the needs of the victims.

According to the White House, the Bidens visited "families affected by the devastation from recent flooding and survey recovery efforts" at one of the region's Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery centers.

The flooding, which began July 28 and lasted for about a week, damaged hundreds of homes and displaced thousands in Knott County, Breathitt County, Perry County, Clay County and Letcher County, among others.

The Bidens landed in Lexington just after 10:30 a.m. and arrived in Chavies, Kentucky, just after 11:30 a.m. They were greeted by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and transported by SUV to the FEMA center at Marie Roberts-Caney Elementary School in Lost Creek.

"It's unfortunate. It's my second visit to Kentucky for a crisis," Biden said, according to a pool report.

"I promise you  as long as it takes, we're going to be here. We [the federal government] are committed. There's absolute 100% coverage of cost for the next few months."



"People don't realize those piles of heavy debris, it takes a lot of time, a lot of money to take it away," Biden added.

The president said he was saddened to see cars and buses washed into creeks as he flew over the state.

Beshear called the flooding "the most devastating and deadly flooding event certainly in my lifetime, unlike anything we've ever seen."

The governor said thousands of people are staying with friends and relatives, "but it's going to take us some time to stabilize people with needs for housing." He added that the National Guard airlifted 1,300 people while other agencies rescued thousands more.

"We've got power to everybody but about 200 homes. That is incredible. Water to more people than we ever thought was possible in this period of time," Beshear said. "Today is beautiful but the weather has not helped us out. It has either been raining or altogether too hot."

The Bidens departed the school at around 2 p.m. and stopped about three minutes later at Doran J. Hostetler Memorial Bridge. He spoke with locals recovering from the storm.

On the ground helping those impacted by the storm is the international Evangelical humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse.

"I can't imagine what you all have gone through. We're praying for you," Edward Graham, vice president of operations at Samaritan's Purse, told a community during his visit to affected areas last week. "I'm so sorry for your loss. We're here, so please let us know if we can help."

Samaritan's Purse volunteer teams are working in Floyd and Breathitt Counties in eastern Kentucky, helping homeowners mud out their homes, remove debris and otherwise clean up properties.

The organization deployed volunteer teams after last year's flooding in the region and had only recently concluded its long-term rebuild effort. The teams had to return.

"Everywhere we go, there are people hurting. We want to come along and meet people's needs," Luther Harrison, vice president of North American ministries with Samaritan's Purse, said. "This is heartbreaking to see. We were here before. We just left two weeks ago and now to see that it's worse. This is a Christian commitment. We're back to help these people to get back dried out and to go forward again."

During the visit, Edward Graham was joined by Will Graham, vice president and associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The Christian humanitarian and disaster relief organization Convoy of Hope is also responding to the floods in eastern Kentucky, sending supplies worth more than 300,000 pounds.

"This historic flooding was catastrophic for so many families," said Ethan Forhetz, national spokesperson for Convoy of Hope, in a statement. "In just moments, their lives were turned upside down. Convoy of Hope is working to bring relief and hope to people who are beginning to recover and is in daily communication about the needs of the area."

The group is working with a school system to get food and supplies to people who haven't yet been able to evacuate.
Christian school will receive govt lunch funding despite concerns with Biden's LGBT policies

A Christian school in Florida will retain access to a federal lunch program benefiting low-income students despite initial concerns that it would be barred considering LGBT discrimination policies enacted by the Biden administration.

Grant Park Christian Academy of Tampa sued government officials last month to secure its access to the National School Lunch Program, which provided lunches to 56 low-income students enrolled at its school.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group representing Grant Park, announced the approval of the school's application to continue receiving funds on Monday.

The Biden administration and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried informed the school on Friday that "they intend to approve the schools application for funding," according to ADF.

ADF Legal Counsel Erica Steinmiller-Perdomo believes it "shouldn't have taken a lawsuit to get the government to respect religious freedom."

"Now, provided the government follows through and approves Grant Park Christian Academy's application and confirms its exemption, this private school can continue feeding dozens of children healthy meals every day," Steinmiller-Perdomo said in a statement.

"We will defend other public and private schools across the country who remain under the burden of this unlawful mandate that violates religious beliefs."

Last month, the ADF filed a lawsuit on behalf of Faith Action Ministry Alliance, Inc., which operates Grant Park, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.

Defendants named in the lawsuit included Fried, President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack.

At issue was the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service announcement in May interpreting the Title IX prohibition on discrimination based on sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

"As a result, state and local agencies, program operators and sponsors that receive funds from FNS must investigate allegations of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation," stated the FNS.

"Those organizations must also update their non-discrimination policies and signage to include prohibitions against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation."

The FNS oversees the National School Lunch Program, which provides low-cost and free lunches to children at tens of thousands of public and nonprofit private schools nationwide.

The ADF lawsuit argued that such a policy would force Grant Park to abandon its gender-specific student dress code, allow biological males into girls' restrooms and force teachers to use students' preferred pronouns.

Late last month, 22 states filed suit over the Biden administration's announced anti-discrimination policy, arguing it would force Christian schools to adopt LGBT ideology or lose out on the program.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that the new standard would "penalize states that have taken basic commonsense actions like just recognizing the importance of women's sports."

"They're threatening to take away lunch money from poor kids as punishment from us protecting women's sports. Think about how deranged that is," said DeSantis.

Fried, a Democrat candidate for governor of Florida and one of the defendants in the Grant Park lawsuit, denied the claim that the program was under threat from the federal government in a statement last week.

"The National School Lunch Program has nothing to do with bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports. Our department passed on nondiscrimination guidelines from the federal government  which only apply to the lunch line  saying that children can't be discriminated against by being denied meals at school. That's it. Nothing else," stated Fried.

Fried claimed that the lunch program controversy was "just another culture war" for DeSantis "to wage to score political points to run for president."

"The only people who are inappropriately imposing sexuality in schools are Republicans who seem to be obsessed with which bathrooms kids are using," she added.

"It's perverted and deeply inappropriate. Governor DeSantis should be ashamed of himself and parents should be concerned about why he and his administration seem to be intent on sexualizing every aspect of schooling in Florida."
Indiana becomes first state to pass almost-total abortion ban since Roe's reversal

Indiana has passed a law that bans most abortions, becoming the first state since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade to pass a near-total ban on abortion.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 1 into law last week following a special session of the state legislature. The new legislation is scheduled to take effect next month.

The new law clarifies that it doesn't apply to in vitro fertilization, and allows for abortions in cases of rape, incest, lethal fetal deformity and serious health emergency for the mother.

In a statement, Holcomb said that after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, he was willing to support legislation that made progress in protecting life.

SEA 1 accomplishes this goal following its passage in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly with a solid majority of support, he stated.

These actions followed long days of hearings filled with sobering and personal testimony from citizens and elected representatives on this emotional and complex topic. Ultimately, those voices shaped and informed the final contents of the legislation and its carefully negotiated exceptions to address some of the unthinkable circumstances a woman or unborn child might face.

Holcomb commended state Sen. Sue Glick and Rep. Wendy McNamara for their brave authorship of SEA 1, saying they have demonstrated a steady hand and uncanny poise while carrying this once-in-a-generation legislation.

The Biden administration, which has been pursuing various efforts to undermine local and state-level abortion bans, denounced the passage of the Indiana law.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement calling the newly passed Indiana ban radical and a devastating step.

Yesterdays vote, which institutes a near-total abortion ban in Indiana, should be a signal to Americans across the country to make their voices heard. Congress should also act immediately to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe  the only way to secure a womans right to choose nationally, stated Jean-Pierre.

Until then, President Biden is committed to taking action to protect womens reproductive rights and freedom, and access to care they are afforded under Federal law.

On June 24, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson that abortion was not a constitutional right, overturning the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.

As a result of the decision, several states have had trigger laws go into effect to ban abortions in most circumstances, while other states have debated whether their state constitutions still protect abortion. Indiana is the first state to pass a ban through both houses of its state legislature since last month's ruling.

Last week, West Virginia had the opportunity to become the first state after both houses passed an abortion bill but couldn't agree on amendments adopted in the Senate version. The bill has been delayed until next month.

Last Tuesday, a majority of voters in Kansas rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have clarified that abortion was not a constitutional right.

Known as the Value Them Both Amendment, the measure would have allowed the state to ban elective abortions. The measure failed as 58.8% voted no while only 41.2% voted yes.
Justin Welby agrees to meet with BBC host who says pastors are bigots for opposing gay marriage

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby says he is willing to meet with lesbian BBC host Sandi Toksvig, who criticized his recent declaration at the Lambeth Conference that the Anglican Communion still holds an official stance that homosexual sex is "incompatible with scripture."

"I would love to sit down over coffee talk with you," Welby wrote in a letter to Toksvig, who hosts "QI"on the BBC.

Toksvig wrote an open letter to the archbishop saying if they were friends, she "could persuade you that you have made a horrible mistake."

She wrote about "several credible death threats" she's faced over her sexuality.

"Each and every one of those threats has come from an evangelical Christian. Inevitably they have wanted to kill me on God's behalf because although he may be omnipotent apparently he's also very busy," Toksvig stated.

Welby replied that the "hatred and threats that you  and so many other LGBTQI+ people  have experienced in the name of Jesus Christ are a sin."

"I have absolutely no doubt about that and want you to be in no doubt of my position," he clarified. "The Church of England agrees with this view and vigorously opposes conversion therapy."

In her open letter, comedian and broadcaster Toksvig responded to Welby's statement at the Lambeth Conference, a meeting of 650 bishops that took place from July 26 through Aug. 8 in Canterbury, Kent. Leading up to the conference, there was a call to reaffirm a resolution passed at the 1998 Lambeth Conference to establish that "homosexual practices" are "incompatible with Scripture."

The call was titled the Lambeth Call on Human Dignity. The original draft of the resolution shared before the conference called for "a reaffirmation of Lambeth I.10 that upholds marriage as between a man and a woman and requires deeper work to uphold the dignity and witness of LGBTQ Anglicans."

After pushback by progressive members of the Anglican Communion, the text of the call was amended to eliminate language on the man-woman definition of marriage and to state that views on marriage within the communion are divided.

The Anglican Communion boasts nearly 100 million members worldwide. The Lambeth Conference, held once roughly every 10 years, is attended by bishops who represent autonomous member churches from 165 countries. This year's conference took place after a gap of 14 years, instead of 10 years, due to differences over controversial issues and the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

In an address last Tuesday, Welby told Anglican bishops that "the validity of the (1998) resolution  is not in doubt." He said that the call "states as a fact that the vast majority of Anglicans in the large majority of Provinces and Dioceses do not believe that a change in teaching is right."

"Therefore, it is the case that the whole of Lambeth 1.10 1998 still exists. This Call does not in any way question the validity of that resolution," he said.

Toksvig, who is married to Debbie Toksvig, a psychotherapist, wrote: "It was a sin in 1998 and you just wanted to make clear in 2022 that no one in your finely frocked gang has moved on from that."

She questioned what punishment would be if a Church of England church married a same-sex couple.

"Apparently you feel you have balanced out this shocking statement of exclusion by saying you won't punish churches who conduct same sex marriages," she wrote. "What would this punishment be? Does the Church of England have a naughty step where loving priests sit before being allowed back at the bigot's table?"

Anglican Communion-affiliated denominations in some countries, including the U.S., Scotland, Wales, Canada and Brazil have backed same-sex marriage to some degree.

In his reply to Toksvig, Welby acknowledged: "The Anglican Communion is a complicated global group of churches."

"We can talk about this when we meet," Welby wrote. "There are deep differences in many areas. This week we have been honest about the differences and nevertheless, accept each other."
What does separation of church and state really look like?

Pastor, attorney and former lieutenant governor nominee in Virginia, E.W. Jackson, joined My Faith Votes, to challenge Christians to stand and participate in the public square. Discussing some of the cultural lies intended to convince Christians to remain inactive in the voting booth, E.W. Jackson encourages us to think biblically about the issues and understand our valuable history.

Watch the conversation here.

You have said that the Left is focused on social injustice in America. What is it that they want Americans to believe?

In my view, social injustice is a euphemism for socialism because justice doesnt need a qualifier. Things are either just, or theyre not. For example, right now, theres a debate around the country about being able to transgress parents wishes and teach kindergarten children things that the parents disagree with in the name of social justice. And if you oppose this, you are labeled hateful and bigoted.

The sacred relationship between parents and children is being trampled. Acknowledging that relationship is proper justice. Social justice is a Trojan horse used to bring ideas entirely antithetical to justice.

True justice requires righteousness. If God justifies you, he makes you righteous. Without the righteousness of God, people create arbitrary concepts and ideas about justice.

For example, it is supremely unjust to tell a child they are either an oppressor or oppressed based on their skin color. Putting them into these categories makes them perpetrators or victims. Thats not just at all. Its the opposite.

Ive heard people say that America has fallen for two main reasons: As Christians, were not sharing our faith. And as Americans, were not standing for the uniqueness of our nation.

Our founding fathers wisely did not want us to have an official religion. And I believe that America should not try to designate one somehow. On the other hand, American culture is Christian. Most of our founding fathers were Christians, no matter how much people try to deny it.

Still, about 70 percent of Americans identify as Christians. America is a Christian nation, and the more we run away from our founding Judeo-Christian principles, the more we miss our national destiny that God has in mind, a destiny that can only be fulfilled by obedience to him.

George Washingtons first Thanksgiving proclamation said, It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.

Obey God. Do his will. Thats who we are. Thats our legacy, and those who try to deny that try to deny us our true identity.

Too many are misinterpreting the idea of the separation of church and state, believing we cant bring our faith into the public square.

The separation of church and state was intended to protect the church and Christians from the state, not stop Christians from getting involved in politics and public policy.

Thats why I love your organization, My Faith Votes. Youve got to vote, or youre not even in the arena. It is possible to win, but youve got to stay in the fight. I am encouraged by Americans all over the country waking up, and I think Virginia was a forerunner.

Elections have consequences. The gubernatorial elections in Virginia and California in 2021 reminded the country why elections matter.

Im close friends with the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He said parents would have a say in what their children are taught. Then he implemented policies that allow parents to influence what their children are taught. Hes restoring the principle of individual liberty by allowing Americans to assess and make decisions for themselves.

His election demonstrated what happens when people stand up for their beliefs and go to the polls. And I hope the same happens in 2022.

In 2022, we have nearly 100,000 elections, including 81,000 school board elections. What would you say to the person questioning whether or not they should vote?

I would say 2022 is the year of breakthrough. But youve got to do it.

If you want to see this country reverse its slide into radical progressivism, youve got to take action. I believe God is with us because were standing on biblical principles. But if we dont do anything, if we sit back and take it for granted, then we will end up perhaps in worse condition than we were before.

To every American who believes in our way of life, our constitution, Judeo-Christian values and personal responsibility, you have to get out there and vote for people who represent your values at every level, from the school board to the White House.

So if Americans stand up for who we are and what we believe in without hatred, just doing what we know is right, we will win.
Dog Lovers Show held after three-year break in Sydney

Xinhua) 08:40, August 08, 2022

Dogs are seen on Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

A dog plays skateboard on Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows dogs on Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

People visit the Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

A visitor touches a dog on Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

A girl touches a dog on Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

Dogs are seen on Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

People visit the Dog Lovers Show in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 7, 2022. After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney's largest event dedicated to dogs, Dog Lovers Show, has once again brought pooch fans into a heaven of furry fun.

Dog breed clubs representing more than 40 breeds in the state of New South Wales (NSW) took part in the two-day weekend event, bringing over 800 dogs to the show, which provides a good chance to educate, entertain and inspire dog owners and lovers. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Pastor, author Stuart Briscoe dies at 91

Stuart Briscoe, author of over 40 books and former Wisconsin megachurch pastor who was known for his telling the Truth radio ministry, has died from natural causes unexpectedly at the age of 91, according to his family.

It is with deep sadness we inform you that Stuart Briscoe died of natural causes unexpectedly during the evening of Aug. 3rd. For many of you he was preacher, pastor, mentor or friend. To us, he was Stu, Dad and Poppa and we already miss him achingly, Telling the Truth ministry said on social media.

A memorial service for Briscoe was yet to be announced by the church, as of early Sunday.

Stuart dedicated his life to sharing Gods Word with the world, the ministry says on its website. And were so thankful to have learned from his steady fortitude to follow Jesus and his faithful commitment to love and serve people.

The British-born Briscoe immigrated to the United States in 1970 to serve as a senior pastor at Elmbrook Church in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield. He retired in 2000 but remained active in the ministry with his wife, Jill.

Briscoe had earlier left his career in banking to serve at the Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers and became a popular conference speaker in the U.S. by the 1960s.

Telling the Truth, whichbegan airing on Londons Premier Christian Radio station, now airs online and on SiriusXM in the U.S.

The books authored by Briscoe include Brave Enough to Follow, A Countercultural Life, and Hes Still on the Throne.

Eight years ago, he wrote a letter, saying it was to be read by his colleagues when I have departed this earthly scene and have gone to my eternal destiny!

Over the intervening years there have been many changes in society as a whole, many new ideas about ministry, many theories about how to do church, and even not a few ventures into developing new theologies. But Telling the Truths original intent has not changedwe simply want to release the Word of God in the hearing of as many people as possible and to apply it to as many situations as we are enabled, he wrote.

 With untold gratitude to the Lord for allowing us to do what has been done and utter confidence that this ministry will carry on doing things Gods way as He continues to bring about surprise after surprise, I move on and look forward to you eventually catching up with me. And if we have timein eternity!!you can bring me up to date on what happened when I had left you to Keep calm and carry on.

Briscoe is survived by his wife, three children and 13 grandchildren.
CCCU criticizes news article claiming biblical view of marriage is 'homophobic'

An association of Christian colleges and universities is taking issue with a news outlet describing faith-based educational institutions' hiring practices as "homophobic," maintaining that embracing biblical views of marriage "does not mean religious institutions are hostile to LGBTQ people."

Amanda Staggenborg, the chief communications officer for the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, wrote a letter to the editor of Inside Higher Ed Thursday titled "Christian College Policies Are Not 'Homophobic.'" CCCU advocates on behalf of the interests of its over 180 member Christians higher education institutions across the globe.

The letter addresses the content of an Aug. 1 article titled "Seattle Pacific Sues Washington AG."

The piece highlighted the litigation involving Seattle Pacific University, a Christian college based in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the CCCU, and the state's Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

Seattle Pacific is suing Ferguson after the state opened an investigation into the institution's "employment policies and practices that permit or require discrimination based on sexual orientation, including by prohibiting same-sex marriage and activity."

"The article describes the hiring policies of SPU as 'homophobic,'" Staggenborg wrote. "We believe this mischaracterizes the university's Lifestyle Expectations and labels all Christian colleges and universities that follow a faith-filled mission in accordance with Biblical marriage standards unjustly."

The article, as it currently appears, contains one mention of "SPU's homophobic hiring policies." Staggenborg requested that the website "remove the word 'homophobic' from the article," expressing gratitude that "the title was already amended" to remove the term.

In a Google search result Monday, the article's headline read, "Seattle Pacific sues Washington to keep homophobic policies." The URL for the article includes the words "keep homophobic policies."

However, the earliest version of the piece captured by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine shows the current headline.

The Employee Lifestyle Expectations Staggenborg referred to in her letter explain that "SPU employees are asked to make behavioral and lifestyle choices consistent with moral integrity, social consciousness, and effective Christian witness."

The list of expectations identifies behaviors "university employees are expected to refrain from," including "sexual behavior that is inconsistent with the University's understanding of Biblical standards, including cohabitation, extramarital sexual activity, and same-sex sexual activity."

"The CCCU supports the religious mission of our member institutions and advocates for a robust understanding of religious freedom where the right to practice these beliefs includes the right to hire for mission. Our institutions uphold Biblical views of marriage as between one man and one woman. Following these views is a choice that each student, faculty member and employee makes when attending, teaching or working at a Christian institution," Staggenborg added.

Reiterating her belief that it was "incorrect and unfairly pejorative to label Biblical views of marriage as 'homophobic,'" she cited the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

"The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths, and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered."

"Homophobia, as used in the article, implies a hostility or fear of LGBTQ people that is dangerous and prejudicial," Staggenborg stated. "To be clear, LGBTQ people are welcome at Christian colleges and universities. Respecting the tradition of marriage in accordance with upstanding moral behavior is not homophobic. It is grounded in the Bible and a foundation for a moral society as lived throughout the mission and practices of each CCCU institution."

She stressed CCCU's belief that "all human beings, without exception, are invested with inherent worth and dignity" and that "in a pluralistic society, we must respect people with different views from ours."

"The words and tenor of this article did not show respect for constitutionally protected views that may differ from those of the author," she wrote. "[H]omophobia has no place in Christian colleges and universities" and "also should not appear when describing them."

In its lawsuit against Ferguson, Seattle Pacific University contends that the attorney general is "wielding state power to interfere with the religious beliefs of a religious university, and a church, whose beliefs he disagrees with."

SPU believes Ferguson's actions are "a blatant form of entanglement barred by both Religion Clauses of the First Amendment."

It also alleges that Ferguson is infringing on the university's rights to "decide matters of faith and doctrine, to hire employees who share its religious beliefs, and to select and retain ministers free from government interference."

As noted in the lawsuit, Seattle Pacific University's policies have gained attention due to a January 2021 lawsuit filed by "a faculty applicant alleging sexual orientation discrimination."

In the months following the complaint, faculty members and students called on the school's Board of Trustees to change its policy regarding human sexuality. When the Board declined to do so earlier this year, a group of students organized a protest and demanded that Ferguson take action against the school.

In the June 8 letter to Seattle Pacific University sent on behalf of Ferguson, Washington, Assistant Attorney General Daniel Jeon asked the institution to "identify and describe every instance in which the policies  have been applied in connection with a decision whether to hire, promote, discipline, and/or terminate any prospective, current, or former University faculty, staff, or administrator, as it relates to their sexual orientation or status of being in a same-sex marriage and/or intimate relationship."

Jeon suggested that the "possible discriminatory employment policies and practices by Seattle Pacific University" may "violate the Washington Law Against Discrimination."

The Washington Law Against Discrimination declares "The right to be free from discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, [and] sexual orientation" as "a civil right" that includes the "right to obtain and hold employment without discrimination."
Viktor Orban pushes back against criticism: A Christian politician 'cannot be racist'

Warning of what he called a clash of civilizations throughout the world, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pushed back against criticism of his policies and accusations of racism by asserting that a Christian politician cannot be racist.

In an address Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas Texas, the prime minister took on a range of both political and cultural issues from globalism and illegal immigration to marriage and gender ideology.

Orban, who was reelected in April on a platform of what he called a brand of Christian democratic, conservative, patriotic politics, told CPAC attendees he sees some parallels between Hungary and Texas reputation for valuing independence and freedom.

If this is true  and it must be true, as I look around  then we have something in common, even if Hungary is over 5,000 miles from Dallas, he said. My country, Hungary, is the Lone Star State of Europe.

Following criticism over a recent speech in which he attacked what he called an ideological move by the internationalist Left to claim that Europe is inherently populated by peoples of mixed race, Orban pushed back against allegations of racism over his statement about not wanting to become "mixed race," saying, a Christian politician cannot be racist.

I can already see tomorrows headlines: Far-right European racist and anti-Semite strongman, the Trojan horse of Putin, holds speech at conservative conference, he said. "But I dont want to give them any ideas. They know best how to write fake news.

Orban called on American conservatives to fight against regimes that are opposed to what he described as the Wests Judeo-Christian heritage.

The horrors of Nazism and communism happened because some Western States in continental Europe abandoned their Christian values. And todays progressives are planning to do the same. They want to give up on Western values, and create a New World, a Post-Western World, he said.

The 59-year-old prime minister pointed to the Obama administration as an example, saying that under former President Barack Obama, the U.S. pressured Hungary to delete Christian and national values from it.

Both Obama and former President George W. Bush refused to take meetings with Orban. The Obama administration also denied visas for Hungarian officials who had allegedly been suspected of corruption in 2014.

By comparison, Orban enjoyed close ties with the U.S. under former President Donald Trump and received praise from social conservatives worldwide and like-minded governments as conservative parties rose to power in the U.S. (2017) and Brazil (2018).

In his CPAC speech, Orban took shots at a range of political figures, including Obama, billionaire George Soros, and the Democratic Party.

They hate me and slander me and my country as they hate you and slander you and the America you stand for. We all know how this works, he said.

He also warned of the consequences of a world increasingly being transformed by modernization across the Chinese, the Indian, lets say the orthodox world, and even Islam, adding that rival civilizations have adopted Western technology and have mastered the Western financial system, but they have not adopted Western values  and they have absolutely no intention of adopting them.

Orban alluded to those values  including at one point a verbatim citation of Hungarys constitutional definition of marriage between a man and a woman  and touted Hungary's strong policies against illegal migration and "gender ideology".

"Less drag queens and more Chuck Norris," he said.

Orban once called Christianity "Europe's last hope" in a 2018 speech, while accusing leaders in Brussels, Berlin and Paris of paving the way for the "advance of Islam."

Warning EU leaders that he was not prepared to fall in line with the UN and EU approach to migration, Orban said Europe's leaders had "opened the way to the decline of Christian culture and the advance of Islam."

In a separate media appearance this week, Hungarian Political Director to the Prime Minister Balazs Orban (no relation to the prime minister) said Soros plays an outsized role in his countrys political theater.

George Soros is a very talented Hungarian man, but the role he is playing in Western politics is not a very good role, Orban told Glenn Beck on Thursday.

He just wants to influence things behind the curtain, he added. Unfortunately we don't have independent opposition, George Soros owns them.

When asked about parallels between America and Hungary, Orban said the fact that Hungary has had a clear cut conservative Christian government proves that such types of governments dont always necessarily lead to what Beck described as gulags and secret police.

I think its proof that if you stand up for your values, and you can formulate a stable government  then you can bring prosperity for your country, said Orban.
What is true conversion?

Jesus said, Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3). Jesus is clear that if a person of this world is to be accepted into this other kingdom  the kingdom of Heaven  he must be converted. Put very simply, to be converted is absolutely necessary to enter the kingdom of God.

What does the word conversion mean? In the biblical sense, conversion means a turning  a spiritual turning away from sin in repentance and to Christ in faith. It is a dramatic turning away from one path in order to pursue an entirely new one. It involves turning ones back to the system of the world and its anti-God values. It involves a turning away from dead religion and self-righteousness. It involves a complete pivot, an about-face, in order to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life.

Conversion also involves the idea of changing direction. A true spiritual conversion radically alters the direction of ones life. It is not a partial change wherein one is able to straddle the fence between two worlds. It is not a superficial turning, a mere rearranging of the outward facade of a persons life. Conversion is not a gradual change that occurs over a period of time, like sanctification. Instead, a genuine conversion occurs much deeper within the soul of a person. It is a decisive break with old patterns of sin and the world and the embracing of new life in Christ by faith.

This spiritual conversion is so profound that it involves many changes in a person. It involves a change of mind, which is an intellectual change; and a change of view, a new recognition of God, self, sin, and Christ. It involves a change of affections, which is an emotional change, a change of feeling, a sorrow for sin committed against a holy and just God. It involves a change of will, which is a volitional change, an intentional turning away from sin and a turning to God through Christ to seek forgiveness. The entire person  mind, affections, and will  is radically, completely, and fully changed in conversion.

Theologically speaking, regeneration and conversion are two sides of the same coin. Regeneration is Gods sovereign activity by the Holy Spirit in the soul of one who is spiritually dead in sin. Regeneration is the implantation of new life in the soul. Regeneration gives the gifts of repentance and faith. On the other side of the coin, conversion is the response of the one who is regenerated. Esteemed British pastor D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: Conversion is the first exercise of the new nature in ceasing from old forms of life and starting a new life. It is the first action of the regenerate soul in moving from something to something. Regeneration precedes and produces conversion. There is a cause-and-effect relationship between these two. Regeneration is the cause, and conversion is the effect. Put another way, regeneration is the root and conversion is the fruit.

To affirm true conversion implies that there is also false conversion. Put simply, there is such a thing as non-saving faith. Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord has entered the narrow gate (Matt. 7:21). People may know the truth and may have felt grief regarding their sin, but it is a selfish sorrow over what their sin has caused them to suffer, not how it has offended a holy God. The most stark example of a false conversion we have in Scripture is that of Judas Iscariot. In a counterfeit conversion, there is no death to self, no submission to the lordship of Christ, no taking up a cross, no obedience in following Christ, no fruit of repentance  only empty words, shallow feelings, and barren religious activities. On the contrary, with a true conversion sin is abhorred, the world renounced, pride crushed, self surrendered, faith exercised, Christ seen as precious, and the cross embraced as ones only saving hope.

The whole purpose of conversion is to bring men and women into a right relationship with God. This is why Christ came, and it is the reason for which He died. It was God who was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself  (2 Cor. 5:19). Conversion is the crying need of the soul. Until ones life is turned from sin to Christ, nothing else matters.

This article was first published in Tabletalk, the Bible study magazine of Ligonier Ministries. Find out more at TabletalkMagazine.com or subscribe today at GetTabletalk.com.
Archie Battersbee to be taken off life support Saturday after family loses appeal for hospice care

UPDATED AUG. 6 at 10:20 AM ET: Archie Battersbee died on Saturday afternoon local time sometime after he was taken off the ventilator that was sustaining his life. On Friday, his parents had exhausted all legal options in their fight to keep him alive or moved to a hospice.

Original report:

Archie Battersbees life support will be withdrawn Saturday after the High Court ruled Friday that the boys parents cannot move their son to a hospice center.

Justice Lucy Theis denied the request of Archie Battersbees parents to move their son from the hospital to a hospice in the latest setback in their effort to keep their preteen son on a ventilator for life support.

The Telegraph reports that Archies ventilator will be withdrawn at around 10 a.m. local time Saturday. In her ruling, Theis decided that transporting Archie from the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel to a hospice would be against his best interests.

Archie, aged 12, has been hospitalized on life support at Royal London Hospital since his mother found him unconscious with a ligature around his neck at her home in Essex in April. According to doctors, he has remained unconscious throughout his hospitalization.

After Archies parents were denied permission to appeal the High Courts decision by the Court of Appeal they applied to the European Court of Human Rights on Friday. However, the ECHR said it would not intervene in the case.

The childs mother, Hollie Dance, believes her sons condition was the result of a TikTok challenge gone wrong. Since June, the parents have been engaged in a legal battle with the hospital against removing Archie's ventilator after doctors diagnosed him as brain-stem dead.

Archies parents insist that their son is not brain-dead. Dance elaborated on her belief in a video released by the Christian Legal Centre, which is representing the parents in litigation. Hes held my hand. Ive got video of him gripping two fingers, she said.

On Thursday, Battersbees parents asked the High Court to allow them to move their son from Royal London Hospital into a hospice so he could receive palliative oxygen, which would help him breathe if or when his life support is removed.

If Archie is denied oxygen if and when life-support is removed I will continue to give him oxygen, Dance said in a statement to Christian Concern. If they refuse permission for us to take him to a hospice and for him to receive palliative oxygen it will simply be inhumane and nothing about Archies dignity.

In an interview with Times Radio on Thursday, Dance said she wanted Archie to spend his last moments with his family in private away from the hospital.

"We cant even have the chance to be in a room together as a family without nurses, she told Times Radio. Theres absolutely no privacy, which is why, again, the courts keep going on about this dignified death  why arent we allowed to take our child to a hospice and spend his last moments, his last days together privately? Why is the hospital obstructing it?

In addition to pushing back on the doctors' belief that her son is brain-dead, Dance has maintained that When he is to die, we believe it should be in Gods way and in Gods time.

Highlighting Dances belief that the whole system has been stacked against us, Christian Concern said, the family have had offers from doctors in Japan and Italy to treat Archie and are considering those options. Dance has indicated that we will fight to end for Archies right to live.

The legal battle between doctors and the parents began after a judge on the Family Division of the High Court gave Royal London Hospital permission to remove his life support. Archies parents appealed the ruling, only for a different judge on the Family Division to once again determine that removing the ventilator was in the childs best interest.

When the Court of Appeal denied their request to appeal the ruling, Archies parents took their case all the way to the U.K. Supreme Court as well as the ECHR. In both cases, the courts sided with the doctors over the parents.

In the interim, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities issued an injunction stating that the British government must keep Archie on life support while the Committee reviewed the parents allegation that withdrawing ventilation would constitute violations of Articles 10 and 12 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities and Article 6 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children.

Article 10 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities declares: States Parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. According to Article 12, persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law.

Article 6 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children states that States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life and that States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.

For its part, the U.K. government has maintained that the U.N. injunction was not binding.

Archies case has garnered international attention. A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING the child and his family may need, including medical fees, rehabilitation, second opinions, legal advice, [and] home renovations to cope for Archies medical needs has raised over $41,600 (34,550).
Queen Elizabeth tells Lambeth Conference the 'teachings of Christ have been my guide'

Queen Elizabeth II issued a message to the Lambeth Conference in London this week, telling the Anglican Communion's decennial gathering that the teachings of Christ have served as a "guide" in her life.

The queen's message was sent to the conference on Wednesday, the same day bishops were set to visit Lambeth Palace to launch the Anglican Communion forest initiative.

The 96-year-old monarch sent "warm greetings" and expressed "great pleasure" that the Lambeth Conference could take place after a delay of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishops from over 165 countries are attending the conference, which runs from July 26 until Aug. 8.

"As we all emerge from the pandemic, I know that the Conference is taking place at a time of great need for the love of God  both in Word and deed," she wrote in the address.

"The bishops of the Anglican Communion set out a path for an ongoing commitment towards Christian unity in a changing world; a task that is, perhaps, even more important today, as together you look to the future and explore the role of the church in responding to the needs of the present age."

Queen Elizabeth reflected on how she views the current time as a period of "immense challenge for bishops, clergy and lay people around the world" as many of them have been serving in places of "suffering, conflict and trauma."

"It is of comfort to me that you do so in the strength of God," she stated.

She also warned that the world is in a "time when the effects of climate change are threatening the lives and livelihoods of many people and communities, not least the poorest and those less able to adapt and adjust."

"I was interested to learn that the focus of your programme at Lambeth Palace today is reflection and dialogue on the theme of the environment, a cause close to the heart of my late husband, and carried on by The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge," the queen continued.

Towards the end of her message, she said the "message and teachings of Christ have been my guide" throughout life.

"[A]nd in them I find hope," she stressed. "It is my heartfelt prayer that you will continue to be sustained by your faith in times of trial and encouraged by hope at times of despair."

"I send my warmest good wishes to you all for a successful Conference and may God bless you in your ministry and service in his world," she concluded.

In early June, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 70th year on the throne through her Platinum Jubilee commemoration.

"When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee," the queen wrote in a message issued at the end of the commemorations.

"While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family."

Over the years, Queen Elizabeth has not refrained from highlighting her Christian faith. In her Royal Christmas Message in 2018, the monarch declared that Jesus Christ's message of "peace on Earth and good will toward all" is "never out of date" and "needed as much as ever."

In 2016, the queen called Jesus Christ "the King she serves."

Her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in 2021, was attributed with having "persuaded" her to talk more about her Christian faith during her broadcasts.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Queen Elizabeth gave her first-ever Easter address.



"The discovery of the risen Christ on the first Easter Day gave his followers new hope and fresh purpose, and we can all take heart from this. We know that coronavirus will not overcome us," she said at the time.

"As dark as death can be  particularly for those suffering with grief  light and life are greater. May the living flame of the Easter hope be a steady guide as we face the future."
luoman/Getty Images

As many travelers this year may attest, flying from one airport to another without delay or incident is far from a given in 2022.

Staff shortages, overflowing members' lounges and mass cancelations have become the norm as COVID-19 restrictions wane and travelers return to the skies, and one airport seeming to struggle particularly with the influx of passengers is London's Heathrow Airport.
A former Southwest Airlines flight attendant has been awarded millions in damages after filing a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and her former flight attendant union claiming she was wrongfully terminated for messages she sent to union leaders about their participation in a demonstration that in part supported abortion rights.

The Dallas Morning News' Kyle Arnold reported Thursday that a North Texas jury ruled in favor of Charlene Carter in her suit against the Dallas-based airline and Transport Workers Union Local 556, awarding her $5.4 million in back pay and damages for her pain and suffering resulting from her firing from the company in 2017.

A 2019 case opinion featuring court documents stated Carter was fired by Southwest Airlines in March 2017 for violating company policies regarding "social media, harassment and bullying." Carter's lawsuit maintains she was retaliated against by the company after sending emails to TWU Local 556 President Audrey Stone lambasting the union leader for participating in the Women's March in Washington, D.C. in January of that year. In her messages Carter called Stone "truly despicable" and criticized what she claimed to be union leader's politicization of the workplace.

"This is what you supported during your Paid leave with others at the Women's March in D.C." Carter wrote in a Facebook message to Stone, according to court documents. The message in question featured video of an aborted fetus. "You are truly despicable in so many ways," Carter wrote.

Three days after this, Carter responded to an email sent by Stone to Local 556 members with a message expressing her own support for Donald Trump and disdain for union leadership.

"First off I do not want your Propaganda coming in to my mailbox...YOU all DISGUST ME!!! OH and by the WAY I and so many other of our [flight attendants] VOTED FOR TRUMP...so shove that in your Propaganda MACHINE!"

The 2017 Women's March, which took place on January 1 of that year, was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history and occurred in response to the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency in November 2016. The demonstration was supported by a coalition of groups that included Planned Parenthood and other organizations that advocate for women's reproductive rights. Carter's suit alleged Southwest Airlines and the union had "discriminated against her for her religious beliefs" and engaged in violations of labor laws protecting her right to speech advocating against Local 556's participation in the event.

The 2019 case opinion states that Carter became a member of Local 556 in 1996 and remained so until the fall of 2013, at which point she opted to resign and become a "nonmember objector" until the time of her termination in 2017. At the time of her resignation Carter had exercised her right "to object to paying the union's compelled fees because of its political, ideological, and other non-bargaining spending," according to the case opinion. Documents state that in 2013 Carter began publishing "numerous posts in a Facebook group open to all Southwest flight attendants expressing her disagreement with Union leadership and policies."

Carter's suit stated she "is a Christian who believes that abortion is the taking of a human life contrary to the teachings of the Bible and the will of God" and that her "sincere religious beliefs require her to share with others that abortion is the taking of a human life."

As first reported by Arnold, Mark Mix, president of the anti-union group National Right to Work Foundation, issued a statement this week supporting Carter's victory in court.

"Charlene Carter is a committed Christian," Mix stated. "And she strongly believes union officials have no business injecting themselves in policy battles over issues outside the workplace that are fundamental to her faith."
Spirit and Frontier Airlines are making moves in the Houston market as strong travel demand continues throughout the summer months.

Frontier announced Tuesday that the ultra-low-cost carrier will begin flying a daily route between its base of operations at Denver International Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, according to Houston Business Journal's Olivia Pulsinelli. Introductory fares for flights scheduled between September 7 and October 28 will begin at $69 for travelers who purchase tickets before July 27, according to the company. These prices do not include ancillary charges for additional bags or preferred seat assignments.

"We are excited to announce a new ultra low-fare flight option between Denver and Houston Hobby with daily nonstop service beginning in September," said Fronter Senior VP of commercial Daniel Shurz, per Pulsinelli. "There is strong consumer demand for flights between these two destinations, and consumers can now enjoy the convenience and affordability of Frontier's 'Low Fares Done Right.'"

Spirit officials on Tuesday announced plans to open a new base of operations at Houston's George Bush International Airport which would base 150 pilots and 300 flight attendants at the Bayou City's largest airprot. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the carrier's new aircraft maintenance facility at Bush, officials with the Florida-based carrier praised Houston as a strategic foothold for the company's future expansion plans, according to Pulsinelli.

"Houston is perfectly suited for a new crew base because of its strategic location within Spirit's network, and it will complement Spirit's diverse mix of domestic and international flight activity out of IAH," the carrier announced in a statement. Nick Bartolotta, Spirit VP of Operations, said the company sees Houston as a vital part of its flight network going forward. "Houston is a key international gateway in our flight network, and we greatly appreciate the strong partnership with the city and airport that helped make this opportunity a reality."

"This year marks our 10th anniversary in Houston, and it's the perfect time to celebrate this expansion that will bolster the foundation of our operation as our airline continues to grow," Bartolotta said.

Spirit and Frontier's expanding Houston footprint comes as the two companies navigate a potential merger that has seen a number of delays and complications this summer. Last week, Spirit delayed a shareholder vote on its merger with Frontier for the fourth time in two months, according to The Wall Street Journal's Will Feuer. The proposed acquisition would make the combined airline the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S. Negotiations, however, have been muddied by a surprise bid from low-fare competitor JetBlue Airways, which in May launched a hostile takeover bid offering to buy out all of Spirit's outstanding stock at a substantial markup.

JetBlue has since incrementally raised its offer in an effort to sweeten the deal. The bidding war comes as U.S. airlines contend with historic demand from travelers returning to the skies this summer.
DALLAS (AP)  Federal officials say that Southwest Airlines and the union representing its pilots have resisted cooperating with investigations into accidents and other incidents and pushed to close the matters quickly.

In one instance disclosed Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration cut short an investigation of a 2019 incident in Connecticut even though the agency determined that there was pilot error. Both wings of the Southwest jet were damaged as pilots battling wind tried to land at Bradley International Airport, outside of Hartford.

The FAA said Southwest and union officials resisted interviews with agency representatives in that and other cases. Sometimes the delaying tactics worked. An investigation into why pilots placed duct tape over sensors outside a plane before a flight fizzled when the FAA employee took another job.

Neither Southwest nor its pilots' union responded immediately to requests for comment.

The FAA investigation was disclosed Wednesday by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which represents federal whistleblowers. It reported another accident  a plane that went off the runway in Burbank, California  in which an FAA review was fast-tracked under pressure from Southwest. In a separate review of that incident, the National Transportation Review Board found that the co-pilot's conduct was highly unprofessional.

The FAA said it agreed with some of the allegations raised by three whistleblowers and took corrective steps including more training and development of audits to ensure compliance with aviation-safety guidelines.

The special counsel's office investigated eight allegations raised by four whistleblowers. The office forwarded its findings to the White House and Congress.

In a response to the special counsel's office, the FAA said it found mismanagement and lack of oversight by the office monitoring Southwest that has persisted despite management and staff changes over the years. The FAA said new executives will provide a fresh opportunity to evaluate the oversight of Southwest.

Some of the whistleblower accusations have been leveled before, including Southwest's use of planes bought overseas without verifying their maintenance and inspection records. In more than half of those cases, the airline found that the planes had undergone repair work that wasn't documented or couldn't be verified.

The FAA said some of the whistleblower allegations couldn't be proven, including a claim that Southwest routinely assigns too much work for mechanics to handle.

A separate allegation that the FAA improperly certified Southwest for long overwater flights  approval the airline needed to sell flights to Hawaii  was examined by the Transportation Department's inspector general, who could not verify the claim.

An FAA spokeswoman said the agency takes the special counsel's concerns seriously and has adopt its recommendations.

Dallas-based Southwest has faced questions about safety over the years and has paid millions to settle safety violations, however, it has a good record over its five-decade history.

No passenger had died in an accident involving a Southwest plane until 2018, when a woman was killed after an engine broke apart over Pennsylvania and debris shattered the window next to her seat. In 2005, a 6-year-old boy riding in a car was killed when a Southwest jet landing in Chicago skidded off the runway, crashed through a fence and hit the car.
NEW YORK (AP)  David McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose lovingly crafted narratives on subjects ranging from the Brooklyn Bridge to Presidents John Adams and Harry Truman made him among the most popular and influential historians of his time, has died. He was 89.

McCullough died Sunday in Hingham, Massachusetts, according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. He had been in failing health and died less than two months after his beloved wife, Rosalee.

I think because of David a lot of us feel a twin obligation, fellow historian Jon Meacham said Monday. One is to the historical record and to the analysis. And the other is to the reader who would like to be transported, both intellectually and viscerally.

A joyous and tireless student of the past, McCullough dedicated himself to sharing his own passion for history with the general public. He saw himself as an everyman blessed with lifelong curiosity and the chance to take on the subjects he cared most about. His fascination with architecture and construction inspired his early works on the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge, while his admiration for leaders whom he believed were good men drew him to Adams and Truman. In his 70s and 80s, he indulged his affection for Paris with the 2011 release The Greater Journey and for aviation with a best-seller on the Wright Brothers that came out in 2015.

Beyond his books, the handsome, white-haired McCullough may have had the most recognizable presence of any historian, his fatherly baritone known to fans of PBSs The American Experience and Ken Burns epic Civil War documentary. Hamilton author Ron Chernow once called McCullough both the name and the voice of American history," while on Monday Burns tweeted that McCullough was a friend and gifted teacher" to him.

McCulloughs celebrations of the American past also led to the toughest criticism against him  that affection turned too easily to romanticization. His 2019 book The Pioneers was faulted for minimizing the atrocities committed against Native Americans as 19th century settlers moved westward. In earlier works, he was accused him of avoiding the harder truths about Truman, Adams and others and of placing storytelling above analysis.

McCulloughs specific contribution has been to treat large-scale historical biography as yet another genre of spectatorial appreciation, an exercise in character recognition, a reliable source of edification and pleasant uplift, Sean Wilentz wrote in The New Republic in 2001. Interviewed that same year by The Associated Press, McCullough responded to criticism that he was too soft by saying that some people not only want their leaders to have feet of clay, but to be all clay.

But even peers who found flaws in his work praised his kindness and generosity and acknowledged his talent. And millions of readers, and the smaller circle of award givers, were moved by his stories. For years, from a wireless cottage on the grounds of his house on Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, McCullough completed works on a Royal Standard typewriter that changed minds and shaped the marketplace.

He helped raise the reputations of Truman and Adams, and he started a wave of best-sellers about the American Revolution, including McCulloughs own 1776. Well into his 80s, his books remained popular and seemed to inspire renewed interest in the subject.

Often, as I wrote on an old typewriter in the small shed in which I work, I would think of David, writing on an old typewriter in a small shed very like mine, and feel a sense of comradeship, Robert Caro wrote in an email statement to The Associated Press. I have lost a friend. The world has lost a great man of letters.

McCullough received the National Book Award for The Path Between the Seas, about the building of the Panama Canal; and for Mornings on Horseback, a biography of Theodore Roosevelt; and Pulitzers for Truman, in 1992, and for John Adams in 2002. The Great Bridge, a lengthy exploration of the Brooklyn Bridges construction, was ranked No. 48 on the Modern Librarys list of the best 100 nonfiction works of the 20th century and is still widely regarded as the definitive text of the great 19th century project. Upon his 80th birthday, his native Pittsburgh renamed the 16th Street Bridge the David McCullough Bridge.

McCullough also was a favorite in Washington, D.C. He addressed a joint session of Congress in 1989 and, in 2006, received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Politicians frequently claimed to have read his books, especially his biographies of Truman and Adams. Jimmy Carter cited "The Path Between the Seas as a factor in pushing for the 1977 treaties which returned control of the Panama Canal to Panama, and politicians on both sides of the issue cited it during debate. Barack Obama included McCullough among a gathering of scholars who met at the White House soon after he was elected.

David brought some of the most important people and events of our past back to life with rich research, vivid writing, and his wonderful, recognizable, trustworthy voice, former President George W. Bush said in a statement. "While we and our country will miss David, we need only reach for the bookshelf to be with him again.

The historian was non-partisan for much of his life, but spoke out against Donald Trump in 2016, leading a group of peers that included Burns and Chernow in denouncing the Republican presidential nominee as a monstrous clown with a monstrous ego. McCullough also had one emphatic cause: education. He worried that Americans knew too little about history and didnt appreciate the sacrifices of the Revolutionary era. He spoke often at campuses and before Congress, once telling a Senate Committee that because of the No Child Left Behind act history is being put on the back burner or taken off the stove altogether in many or most schools, in favor of math and reading.

Impassioned about the past, McCullough was active in the preservation of historical regions. He opposed the building of a residential tower near the Brooklyn Bridge and was among the historians and authors in the 1990s who criticized the Walt Disney Companys planned Civil War theme park in a region of northern Virginia of particular historical significance.

We have so little left thats authentic and real, McCullough said at the time. To replace what we have with plastic, contrived history, mechanical history is almost sacrilege.

McCullough took on a few rascals in his books, notably the conniving New York politicians involved with the Brooklyn Bridge, but he preferred to write about people he liked, comparing it to the choice of a roommate. Revulsion at the private life of Pablo Picasso drove him to abandon a planned book on the artist, while his biography on Adams was originally supposed to be on Adams and Thomas Jefferson, whose character also proved too flawed.

McCullough, whose father and grandfather founded the McCullough Electric Company, was born in Pittsburgh in 1933. He loved history as a child, recalling lively dinner conversations, portraits of Washington and Lincoln that seemed to hang in every home and the field trip to a nearby site where Washington fought one of his earliest battles. He majored in English at Yale University and met playwright Thornton Wilder, who encouraged the young student to write. McCullough worked at the United States Information Agency, Sports Illustrated and the American Heritage Publishing Company before deciding that he wanted to try a book about an event that took place in his home state in 1889  the Johnstown Flood, which killed more than 2,000 people and was as much a disaster in its time as Hurricane Katrina was more than a century later.

McCullough researched the book in his spare time, and pleaded in vain with Little, Brown and Company to publish him. He ended up with Simon & Schuster, which released the book in 1968  for an advance of $5,000  and remained his publisher for the rest of his career.

The Johnstown Flood was successful enough that McCullough worried he would be typecast as an author of failure, Bad News McCullough. Publishers were asking him to write about the Chicago Fire and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. So for his next book, The Great Bridge, he told a story of success. That I knew little or nothing about civil engineering, that I had never done well in math or physics or had much interest in things mechanical didnt deter me in the least, he later wrote. I was too excited. There was so much I wanted to know.

McCullough followed with The Path Between the Seas; and Mornings on Horseback, published in 1981 and praised by Gore Vidal as part of a new and welcome genre: the biographical sketch. Mornings on Horseback won the National Book Award, but, Vidal noted, was overshadowed by the release of Edmund Morris Pulitzer Prize-winning The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. It would be the last time a McCullough book received second billing.

He had considered a biography of Franklin Roosevelt, but instead related to Roosevelts less dynamic, more forthright successor, Harry Truman. McCullough spent the next decade writing the book, living for a time in Trumans hometown, Independence, Missouri, and making a daily routine, as the former president did, of a morning walk.

Truman, published in 1992, was a million seller that capped and confirmed a long rise in the standing of a man who had left office 40 years earlier with an approval rating under 30% and now was virtually canonized as an honest and tenacious leader. Among the books fans were presidential hopeful Ross Perot, who bluntly compared himself to Truman, and the first President Bush, who even consulted with McCullough during his unsuccessful bid for re-election.

John Adams, published in 2001, was just as popular and just as helpful to its subject, with Congress passing legislation later that year to build a monument in honor of the second president. 1776 came out in 2005, followed by an illustrated edition two years later. An HBO miniseries based on John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, aired in 2008. Tom Hanks was planning a miniseries based on McCulloughs book on the Wright brothers.

McCullough had five children and an affinity for happily married politicians such as Truman and Adams that could be traced to his wife, Rosalee Barnes, whom he married in 1954 and who died in June. She was his editor, muse and closest friend. At his home in Marthas Vineyard, McCullough would proudly show visiting reporters a photograph of their first meeting, at a spring dance, the two gazing upon each other.
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Actress Jennette McCurdy claims she was once offered $300,000 in hush money to ensure that she would not publicly discuss her time at Nickelodeon or experiences with a man she worked with, referred to as The Creator, in a new excerpt from her upcoming memoir, Im Glad My Mom Died (via Vanity Fair).

McCurdy was a prominent figure on Nickelodeon during the late-2000s and early 2010s, first starring on iCarly, and then reprising her role in a short-lived spin-off called Sam and Cat that co-starred Ariana Grande. The new excerpt from Im Glad My Mom Died includes scenes from a dinner McCurdy had with The Creator while the Sam and Cat spin-off was being worked out, and later, a scene from the shows final days, after The Creator had been accused of misconduct.

The excerpt ends with a relieved McCurdy learning that Sam and Cat had been canceled after just one season. On a call with her various lawyers, managers, and agents, McCurdy says her team told her Nickelodeon was also offering her $300,000, of which one of her managers allegedly said, Theyre giving you three hundred thousand dollars, and the only thing they want you to do is never talk publicly about your experience at Nickelodeon. Following this quote, McCurdy writes, Specifically related to The Creator.

McCurdy says she immediately turned down the hush money offer, though she later admits she second-guessed her decision. Still, she pointedly writes, Nickelodeon is offering me three hundred thousand dollars in hush money to not talk publicly about my experience on the show? My personal experience of The Creators abuse? This is a network with shows made for children. Shouldnt they have some sort of moral compass? Shouldnt they at least try to report to some sort of ethical standard?

A representative for Nickelodeon did not immediately return Rolling Stones request for comment.

Elsewhere in the excerpt, McCurdy details an uncomfortable dinner she had with The Creator before the start of Sam and Cat. She claims during the dinner that The Creator cajoled her into drinking some alcohol when she was still 18 and later place[d] a hand on my knee. She then says The Creator, thinking McCurdy was cold, took his coat off, placed it around her, began patting her shoulders, and then massaging her. I want to say something, to tell him to stop, but Im so scared of offending him, McCurdy writes.

In the part of the excerpt covering her time on Sam and Cat, McCurdy writes honestly about grappling with the death of her mother in 2013, her struggles with bulimia, falling out of love with acting, and the fear that her time on Nickelodeon will pigeonhole her for the rest of her career. She also recalls the fallout on set after The Creator got in trouble for accusations of his emotional abuse, adding, I feel like its been a long time coming, and should have happened a lot sooner.

According to McCurdy, part of The Creators punishment was that he was no longer allowed to be on set with any of the actors. I appreciate the amount of trouble hes gotten in. It wasnt just a slap on the wrist sort of thing, she writes, adding, The Creator sits in a small cave-like room off to the side of the soundstage, surrounded by piles of cold cuts, his favorite snack, and Kids Choice Awards, his most cherished life accomplishment.

McCurdy never explicitly identifies The Creator in the excerpt. Both iCarly and Sam and Cat were created by Dan Schneider, who helmed several successful Nickelodeon shows. Schneider and Nickelodeon parted ways in 2018 after an investigation found that he could be verbally abusive; there was no evidence of sexual misconduct, but some said Schneider could make people feel uncomfortable, claiming he asked employees for massages and texted child actors outside of work hours. In a 2021 interview with The New York Times, Schneider denied acting inappropriately with people he worked with. A rep for Schneider did not return Rolling Stones request for comment regarding the Im Glad My Mom Died excerpt.
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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Israels caretaker prime minister took a gamble with his preemptive strike against Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza, less than three months before he is to compete in general elections to retain his job.

Yair Lapid had counted on Gazas militant Hamas rulers to stay out of the fight, thus enabling Israel to weaken Hamas smaller sister group while avoiding a full-blown escalation. At the same time, he may also have gained political ground ahead of the polls.

With a cease-fire between the sides holding on Monday, after three days of violence, the calculation appears to have been accurate.

Hamas remained on the sidelines as Israeli jets pounded targets in Gaza, killing two Islamic Jihad leaders in targeted attacks, and Israels missile shield intercepted many of the hundreds of rockets fired by Islamic Jihad.

Long-suffering Gaza civilians once again bore the brunt of the violence, with 44 Palestinians killed, among them 15 children and four women. Israel said some were victims of rockets falling short.

The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire, which took effect late Sunday, capped one of the shortest rounds of fighting since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Israel and Hamas fought four wars over the past 15 years, as more than 2 million Gazans endured a suffocating Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Since the last war in May 2021, Lapid and his governing partner Naftali Bennett have tried to create more incentives for Hamas to maintain quiet along the Gaza border, with the implied acknowledgement that this would cement the militants rule.

As part of this strategy, Israel issued permits for 12,000 Gaza workers to enter Israel, with the promise of handing out more if the situation remains calm. Qatar and Egypt have also been engaged in rebuilding Gaza, with Israels support.

On Monday morning, Israel partially reopened Gaza crossings that had been closed during the fighting, signaling a quick return to the understandings that were in place before the fighting.

Some said Lapid scored political points at home with the short military campaign.

Lapid is in a much stronger position than he was before because the main claim against him is he is not experienced enough, said Gayil Talshir, a political analyst from Jerusalems Hebrew University. He might also be able to claim that hes trying to achieve a change of paradigm underpinning Israels Gaza policy.

Going into the Gaza offensive, the centrist Lapid, a former TV host and author, lacked the security credentials that Israelis often seek in their leaders. It was seen as a glaring weakness as he faces off against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who portrays himself as a security hawk, in November elections.

By Monday morning, Lapid appeared to have burnished his security prowess for beating back what he said was an imminent threat from the Palestinian militant group.

Its crucial to his campaign, said Tal Schneider, a veteran Israeli political correspondent. Its helpful when you have more of a military activity experience when you go into election.

The events of the past few days also underscored Hamas' shifting priorities, as it focuses on governing and staying in power.

Hamas doesnt want a war every other day. If it joined publicly, this means destruction of buildings, infrastructure, and the Egyptians played an influential role in preventing Hamas from joining the battle," said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Gazas al-Azhar University.

The Israeli work permits are a lifeline for Gaza's economy, battered by widespread destruction from Israeli strikes over the years and crippling movement restrictions.

The permits are "definitely very important to Hamas as it governs Gaza and has governing responsibilities, said Hossam al-Dajani, political scientist at the Islamic University of Gaza.

Lapid, meanwhile, has signaled other policy shifts.

Throughout the fighting, Lapid has refrained from mentioning Hamas, diverging from Netanyahu, who held Hamas responsible for any fire emanating from Gaza.

At the same time, the outgoing Lapid-Bennett government struck back at any and all fire from Gaza, including incendiary balloons. And Lapid appears to have gone further than self-styled security buff Netanyahu whose strategy largely involved striking Gaza in response to rocket attacks. Lapid chose a preemptive strike in the most recent round, citing concrete threats by Islamic Jihad.

This government has a zero tolerance policy for any attempted attacks - of any kind - from Gaza towards Israeli territory, Lapid said at the onset of the operation Friday.

Lapid was the architect of the outgoing coalition government  an alliance of eight diverse parties spanning the Israeli political spectrum that was bonded largely by their shared antipathy toward Netanyahu.

The coalition, which for the first time in Israeli history also included an Arab party, ended the 12-year reign of Netanyahu, who was Israels longest-serving prime minister. His Yesh Atid party is expected to be the second-largest in parliament in the November elections and he could get a chance at forming a government.

Unlike Netanyahu, who served in an elite unit in Israel's compulsory military in the late 1960s, Lapid was a soldier-journalist at a weekly magazine published by Israel's military. As prime minister, Netanyahu guided Israel through three wars with Gaza, stepped up a campaign to strike enemy targets in Syria and rattled sabers with Iran over its nuclear program.

Lapid came to prominence promising to address standard of living issues and became a hero for the mainstream, secular middle class, wooed by his telegenic mien and his pledges to stretch their shekels. They cared little about his less-than-heroic military service.

But Lapid has been unable to break through into other constituencies in part because he has little of a security background. In his stints in government, he has served as finance and foreign minister, gaining valuable skills in politics, governance and diplomacy but failing to gain security experience.

In the weeks following the offensive, Netanyahu will likely seek to tear down what is seen in Israel as a military achievement. But after having dragged Israel into three, far costlier wars in Gaza, and being unable to stamp out rocket fire from Gaza throughout his decade-plus in power, Netanyahu might not succeed.

Lapid will be able to claim that the policy he led together with Bennett was more effective than that of the man who is trying to replace him in the prime ministers office, Anshel Pfeffer, a columnist, wrote in the Haaretz daily.

___

Rose reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Fares Akram contributed to this report from Gaza City, Gaza Strip.
Henrietta Wildsmith/AP

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP)  The mayor of Shreveport cannot run for reelection because he signed up for this fall's elections using the wrong address, a Louisiana appeals court ruled Monday.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a state district judge who ruled last week that Mayor Adrian Perkins cannot be on the Nov. 8 ballot. The ruling came in a lawsuit that said Perkins, who was elected mayor in 2018, is disqualified because when he signed up, he did not use the address of a residence he bought in 2019, where he now claims a homestead tax exemption.
A judge set bail at $5 million on Monday for a man suspected of killing four people and trying to burn down their homes in the small northeast Nebraska town of Laurel last week.

Court records show Cedar County Judge Douglas Luebe set bond at 10% of $5 million for 42-year-old Jason Jones, meaning he would have to put up $500,000 to be released from jail while he awaits trial.

The defendant is considered an extreme danger to public safety, the judge wrote in his bond order.

Neither Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc nor a spokeswoman for CHI Health St. Elizabeth in Lincoln, where Jones is being treated for serious burns, would give Jones current medical condition on Monday.

Jones is charged with 10 felonies, including four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of arson and four weapons counts. Investigators have said Jones shot and killed his neighbor across the street, 53-year-old Michele Ebeling, early Thursday morning before setting her house on fire, then went three blocks south, broke into another home and fatally shot three people there: 86-year-old Gene Twiford; his wife, 85-year-old Janet Twiford; and their 55-year-old daughter, Dana Twiford.

Jones also set fire to the Twiford home, police said.

During the investigation into the killings, the Nebraska State Patrol said they found a backpack and receipts belonging to Jones showing the purchase of a gas can and other items. A pistol registered to Jones was also found at the Twifords' home, the patrol said.

Authorities have not commented on a possible motive for the killings, but charging documents allege Jones killed the Twifords while trying to carry out a burglary.

Laurel is a small city of about 1,000 that lies about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Omaha.
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Sabine Lake boaters and anglers will soon be able to use the Broadway and Mesquite Point boat ramps again thanks to a donation from the Cheniere Foundation.

The two boat ramps were heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, but rising costs created a funding gap that has been filled with private dollars and local public funds, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife release.

However, in addition to the federal dollars from NOAAs Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery fund, money from the city of Port Arthur, Jefferson County and the Cheniere Foundation were able to bridge the gap.

The Port Arthur City Council approved $1 million last week for the Broadway boat ramp, and the Cheniere Foundation committed $125,000 to go toward the $2.3 million project. Earlier this year, the Jefferson County Commissioners Court approved up to $650,000, and Cheniere committed $125,000 for the $1.3 million Mesquite Point boat ramp.

RELATED: County to repair Mesquite Point boat ramp

We are proud to support the reconstruction of two pivotal boat ramps in Jefferson County, said Maas Hinz, Vice President and Plant Manager of Chenieres Sabine Pass facility. These boat ramps ensure community members have safe access to our waterways and support our local marine emergency services.

The building of the bridge by Walter Umphrey State Park, as well as the passage of industrial shipping boats through the channel, stirred up sediments that eroded the end of the ramp.

This caused safety hazards and property damage for constituents.

RELATED: Pine Island boat ramp reopened

The Broadway boat ramp into Sabine Pass is the major launching point for anglers who want to access the Gulf of Mexico. Besides upgrading the three ramps there to accommodate deeper-hulled boats, it will also be enhanced with amenities including a covered fish cleaning station and a floating dock for easier access.

The Mesquite Point ramp at the base of the causeway between Louisiana and Texas is a major access point into Sabine Pass and Sabine Lake. A new facility will provide two new ramps and the structure will be modified to better withstand swift currents.



These new facilities will be a huge improvement for boaters and anglers who want to enjoy the water and fisheries resources of Sabine Lake and the Gulf of Mexico, said Carey Gelpi, Ecosystem Leader for the Sabine Lake Field Station. We are grateful that Cheniere and local elected officials understand and appreciate the value of these boat ramps to the local community and all those who visit.

There is hope that both ramps will be ready for the 2023 boating season.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Thaddeus L. Johnson, Georgia State University and Natasha N. Johnson, Georgia State University

(THE CONVERSATION) The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Police forces requiring at least a two-year college degree for employment are less likely to employ officers who engage in actions that cause the deaths of Black and unarmed citizens, according to our new peer-reviewed study of data on 235 U.S. city police departments from 2000 to 2016.

Findings from our analysis conducted alongside colleagues professor William Sabol and David Snively, interim police chief in Morrow, Georgia, also revealed that Black citizens were no more likely than white citizens to die during police encounters in places where police are required to have more college education.

With a few exceptions, most prior research shows officer education level and department college requirements do not significantly affect deadly police outcomes. That research is mostly limited by data availability and methodological challenges preventing more rigorous studies.

Further, no one has really looked at racial differences in the effects of college requirements on police-caused deaths until our study.

Because research into the effects of college requirements on the use of lethal force by police  especially against Black people  is lacking, we analyzed a unique dataset developed from various government and crowd-sourced databases to conduct our research.

This dataset included roughly one-fifth of all documented police-involved fatalities and a quarter of Black people killed by police in the U.S. from 2000 to 2016.

Our results demonstrated that college minimums are associated with as much as three times lower rates of police-related fatalities involving Black people than police forces without a college degree requirement.

These more educated police were also responsible for unarmed citizens dying at a rate two times lower than their counterparts.

Why it matters

Recent high-profile police killings of Black Americans, including George Floyd in 2020, have underscored long-standing issues with racial disparities in police-caused deaths.

These tragedies renewed questions about police recruitment, hiring standards and educational requirements for police forces.

Since the early 1900s, public leaders have heralded college-educated officers as ideal candidates.

The assumption is that departments would then be composed of officers who serve communities fairly while reserving potentially deadly actions for only the direst circumstances.

We can only speculate on the underlying reasons for our studys findings.

But a key contribution of this research is that it clarifies several questions regarding college education policies in law enforcement, making it a valuable tool for police administrators.

For one, our study reveals that an associate degree requirement, at minimum, shows the most promise for reducing the frequency of fatal police encounters.

Next, as evidenced in our supplemental analysis, police agencies trying to reduce fatal confrontations should consider ways to recruit college-degreed applicants while at the same time support college attendance among current officers.

The final point is that the impact of a more educated police force may emerge during only the most dangerous encounters that often precede the use of weapons.

The positive effects of education minimums are clear, based on our research.

But we also made an alarming discovery  Black residents were arrested four times more frequently in cities requiring a college degree for new officers.

Indeed, more studies are needed.

What still isnt known

Several critical gaps remain in our research on the value of higher education in policing. Available data on police-caused homicides, including the Fatal Encounters data that we used, do not provide reliable information on case dispositions and whether the police actions were justified or not.

Nor do the available statistics tell us anything about police actions that do not result in death.

Also, we used college degree requirements to estimate the educational composition of police departments.

Ideally, we would examine the actual number of college-degreed officers in police agencies. Such national data remain unavailable.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/college-requirements-for-police-forces-can-save-black-lives-but-at-what-cost-187251.
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Actor Ezra Miller has been charged with felony burglary in Stamford, Vermont, the latest in a string of incidents involving the embattled star of The Flash.

In a report Monday, Vermont State Police said they responded to a burglary complaint in Stamford on May 1 and found several bottles of alcohol were taken from a residence while the homeowners weren't present. Miller was charged after police consulted surveillance footage and interviewed witnesses.

The police report said Miller was located shortly before midnight Sunday and was issued a citation to appear for arraignment in Vermont Superior Court on Sept. 26.

The felony charge adds to Miller's mounting legal woes and reports of erratic behavior. The 29-year-old actor was arrested twice earlier this year in Hawaii, including for disorderly conduct and harassment at a karaoke bar. The second incident was for second-degree assault.

The parents of 18-year-old Tokata Iron Eyes, a Native American activist, also earlier this year filed a protection order against Miller, accusing the actor of grooming their child and other inappropriate behavior with her as a minor from the age of 12. Tokata Iron Eyes recently told Insider that those allegations were false.

Attorneys for Miller didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the Vermont felony charge or the protection order related to Tokata Iron Eyes.

After appearing in several films for Warner Bros. and D.C. Films as the Flash, Miller stars in the upcoming standalone film The Flash, due out in June 2023. Though Warner Bros. last week axed the nearly completed Batgirl film, the studio has suggested it remains committed to releasing The Flash.

In an earnings report last week, David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery referenced The Flash. We have seen The Flash, Black Adam and Shazam 2. We are very excited about them," said Zaslav. "We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better.

Representatives for Warner Bros. didn't respond to messages Monday.
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HAVANA (AP)  A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread on Monday, threatening to plunge the island into a deeper energy crisis as it forced officials to shut down a key thermoelectric plant.

Flames around dawn enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle to fight the massive blaze in the western province of Matanza that began just days after the government announced scheduled blackouts for the capital of Havana.

I am very worried about the children, the elderly, the economy of Matanzas and the country, said Dailyn de la Caridad, a 28-year-old resident. We don't know how this is going to end.

At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facilitys eight tanks on Friday night. A second tank caught fire on Saturday, triggering several explosions at the facility, which plays a key part in Cuba's electric system.

The risk we had announced happened, and the blaze of the second tank compromised the third one, said Matanzas Gov. Mario Sabines.

By late Monday, four tanks were compromised, Lt. Col. Chief Alexander Avalos of Cuba's fire department told Television Cubana.

The fire has taken on a greater magnitude, he said.

Firefighters had sprayed water on the remaining tanks over the weekend to cool them but failed to stop the fire from spreading. On Monday afternoon, the government's power company announced that the fire had forced the shut down a thermoelectric plant that provides power to the island's western region after it ran out of water, according to the official Cubadebate website. No further details were immediately available.

The governments of Mexico and Venezuela have sent special teams to help extinguish the fire, with water cannons, planes and helicopters fighting the fire from several directions as military constructions specialists erected barriers to contain oil spills.

Local officials warned residents to use face masks or stay indoors given the billowing smoke enveloping the region that can be seen from the capital of Havana, located more than 65 miles (100 kilometers) away. Officials have warned that the cloud contains sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances.

The majority of those injured were treated for burns and smoke inhalation, and five of them remain in critical condition. A total of 24 remain hospitalized. Over the weekend, authorities found the body of one firefighter as relatives of those still missing gathered at a hotel to await news about their loved ones.

Sabines and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said it was impossible to search for the missing firefighters given the roiling temperatures.

The blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city prompted officials to evacuate more than 4,900 people, most of them from the nearby Dubrocq neighborhood. The facilitys eight huge tanks hold oil used to generate electricity, although it wasnt clear how much fuel has been lost as a result of the flames. The first tank that caught fire was at 50% capacity and contained nearly 883,000 cubic feet (25,000 cubic meters) of fuel. The second tank was full.

Jorge Pinon, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas, said officials should inspect the walls of tanks that aren't on fire to ensure they weren't affected. He also warned that the government must be careful before bringing the system back online once the fire is extinguished.

If not, there'll be another catastrophe," he said. "Unfortunately, this is going to take time.

Pinon noted that the facility receives Cuban crude oil  operating an oil pipeline that crosses the center of the country  to be transferred via small tankers to the thermoelectric plants that produce electricity. It is also the unloading and transshipment center for imported crude oil, fuel oil and diesel, with Cuba producing only half of the fuel required to keep its economy afloat.

The blaze comes as Cuba struggles through a deep economic crisis and faces frequent power outages amid a sweltering summer, issues that helped unleashed unprecedented antigovernment protests last year. Officials have not provided a preliminary estimate of damages.

___

Associated Press videographer Osvaldo Angulo in Matanzas, Cuba, contributed.

___

Andrea Rodriguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Shoes off, an almost-empty container of leftovers, an unfinished glass of wine -- this was the exhausted portrait of one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington after Senate passage of President Joe Biden's sweeping health, climate and economic package.

New York's Chuck Schumer effectively moved from minority to majority leader of the U.S. Senate on the morning of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, and he has helmed the chamber through a tumultuous, messy and yet surprisingly productive run with the longest evenly split 50-50 Senate in the nation's history.

Methodical he is not, as the crumbs scattered on the senatorial carpet in his office off the Senate floor attest.

But with a willingness to broker politically unpleasant compromises and a New Yorker's drive to keep pestering his colleagues, Schumer is using his party's fragile control of the Senate for substantive, sizable accomplishments unseen in recent years.

Persistence. I persist, Schumer said in an interview late Sunday evening after the round-the-clock session and Senate passage of Biden's bill.

The $740 billion package, less than once envisioned but still huge, would be a big legislative win for any president and his party. For Biden and the Democrats, it builds on long-running aspirations of lowering health care costs, taxing big corporations that skip paying their share and launching the nations largest investment, some $375 billion, to fight climate change. With revenue raised from corporate taxes and allowing the federal government to negotiate some prescription drug costs with pharmaceutical companies, the remaining $300 billion goes to deficit reduction.

Not everyone is cheering Schumer.

Republicans deride the Democrats' effort as yet another reckless taxing-and-spending spree, as Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell put it. Over the weekend, he argued that the Democrats have mistaken their slim control, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast a tie-breaking vote, as a mandate for far-reaching policy goals.

And the 755-page bill comes on top of a string of similarly pared-back initiatives, deep disappointments for the party's liberal wing. But some have been backed by Republicans with rare bipartisan accord, adding up to a Congress with unexpected gains.

The toughest gun violence measure in a generation, a bipartisan effort to tighten who can own guns, is now law. This week Biden is about to sign into law a $280 billion bipartisan bill to boost the semiconductor industry as well as a nearly $300 billion measure to help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

By themselves, Democrats muscled through a $1 trillion COVID-aid package that McConnell calls a buffet of all-you-can-eat liberal spending. But McConnell and Republicans joined Schumer in passing the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill for the nation's roads, broadband and other needs.

In addition to legislation, over the past 18 months under Schumer's leadership the Senate held the nation's fourth-ever presidential impeachment trial, eventually acquitting Donald Trump on charges he incited the Capitol insurrection; ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, and confirmed the first Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, as a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"This is the longest theres ever been an evenly divided Senate, and it is a real tribute to leader Schumer that he has managed to corral all 50 Democrats behind a legislative agenda," said Sen. Chris Coons, the Delaware Democrat.

Remember, any one of those would have been the biggest bill passed in the Congress. Oh, didnt we do a huge bipartisan infrastructure bill last year? That was the biggest in a generation? And before that the American Rescue Plan? Yes, we did.

Unlike previous highly productive sessions of Congress, Schumer does not enjoy the big majorities typically required to get work done. The filibuster tradition, with its 60-vote threshold to advance most measures, is a powerful tool wielded by McConnell and Republicans (and Democrats, when they are the minority party) that can block almost any initiative.

With zero room for error, Schumer has relied on a vital skill  talking

When he first became Democratic leader, in the minority then, he famously expanded his leadership team to include almost half the caucus, ensuring all segments  from Bernie Sanders on the left to Joe Manchin more to the right  had a seat at the table. His flip-phone has become such an integral part of his communication strategy that Schumer now holds it up as a prop, a reminder of how he works.

And then there are the dinners.

After Manchin abruptly walked away from talks with Biden over the party's original Build Back Better proposal, Schumer invited the West Virginia senator out to dinner.

I said look, Joe, we have to get something done here, Schumer recalled.

Over spaghetti and meatballs the day after Valentine's Day at an Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill, Schumer got down to business.

And I said, Look, you have a lot of clout here. You proved you're willing to stop the whole thing. But I got to get 49 senators to vote on this. This cant just be what you want," Schumer told the former governor he had recruited to run for the Senate a decade ago. "Theres got to be a compromise.

That willingness by Schumer to take the political bad with the good  in Manchin's case, the coal-state senator's insistence on policies for the oil and gas industry that liberals deplore  infuriates liberals and somewhat threatens Schumer's hold on power.

Sanders lambasted the final package as insufficient, even as he voted for it, and Sanders' fellow progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has been eyed as a powerful New York Democrat who could one day challenge Schumer in a primary election. There are several senators who could imagine themselves as the majority leader some day.

Schumer's view: My job is to get things done.

Its very easy to be a Mitch McConnell, he said about the Republican who prided himself on sending to the "graveyard bills from House Speaker Nancy Pelosis Democrats when he was majority leader.

Its easy to stop things, particularly in a Senate thats designed to stop things. Its hard to get things done.

Schumer has always wanted to be the leader of the Senate since his election more than 20 years ago. But even he was somewhat surprised when two Georgia Democrats, Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, won their Jan. 5, 2021, special elections, tipping the majority.

At 4 a.m. on the morning of Jan. 6, Schumer got word of the final election night tallies. He was delivering a Senate speech as the presumptive leader just hours later when a Capitol police officer grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him from the floor.

Ushered to a secure location as the mob of rioters loyal to Trump stormed the Capitol, he and the other congressional leaders agreed to return to session that night, determined to finish certifying the presidential election and move on to the the work of the new Congress.
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CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The U.S. deputy secretary of state said Monday the prime minister of the Solomon Islands missed an important opportunity by failing to attend a memorial service to mark the anniversary of a key World War II battle, amid concerns the South Pacific island nation is building closer ties with China.

Wendy Sherman and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy were among dignitaries who attended a dawn service near the capital of Honiara on Sunday to commemorate the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Shermans father, Marine Mal Sherman, and Kennedys father, the late President John F. Kennedy, almost died in fighting on the Solomons. Kennedy had been the commander of a patrol torpedo boat that was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Sherman was wounded during the Guadalcanal campaign, which was the Japanese armys first defeat of WWII.

Local media reported that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who signed a security pact with China this year, appeared to have snubbed the ceremony, a claim his office later denied.

Sherman declined to say whether she considered the prime ministers absence a snub. She said Sogavare will have to answer to his own citizens about why he made the choice that he did, in an apparent reference to the next election.

I said to the prime minister directly that I was so sorry that obviously his schedule did not allow him to come because he missed an important opportunity, Sherman told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

This was a place where international leaders gathered to say that the work with Solomon Islanders, at the time of World War II, was decisive in victory, in ensuring freedom and democracy. And so I really felt sorry for the prime minister because I think he missed an important opportunity, she added.

Sogavare denied a snub, telling the Solomons Star News newspaper in a statement that the government was well represented at all events over three days marking the anniversary at ministerial levels.

The statement said newspaper claims of a snub were misleading and lacked understanding of protocols applied at such events.

The pact with China has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australias northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, the U.S. territory that hosts major military bases.

Both the Solomons and China have denied their pact will lead to a Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific.

Sherman said Sogavare had repeated the assurance during her recent visit that there would be no Chinese base.

This is a situation where we will all watch very carefully to see what happens here. It is quite critical, Sherman said.

In April, a U.S. delegation to Honiara led by Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, warned that the United States would take unspecified action against the Solomons should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

Sogavare accused the U.S. and Australia of threatening and disrespectful behavior.

Chinas growing influence in the Pacific has led the United States to commit to reopening an embassy in Honiara that it closed in 1993. Washington has also committed to opening embassies in Tonga and Kiribati, a Micronesian state that, like the Solomons, recently switched its allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing.

A Solomons ceremony on Monday, a day after the commemoration that Sherman and Kennedy attended, was briefly interrupted when an assailant armed with a pair of scissors attacked a Japanese sailor.

Radio New Zealand reported that the victim was part of a Japanese navy media team and was stabbed in the neck, receiving minor injuries.

The report quoted medics as saying the sailor required stitches but was doing well. Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighboring community and was under the influence and mentally unstable.

Also attending the ceremony were Makoto Oniki, Japans state minister of defense, and Peeni Henare, New Zealands defense minister.

The suspect reportedly tackled the sailor to the ground during the attack before locals and U.S. military personnel stepped in and detained him. Police then took him away. The ceremony resumed after a short break.
The tightknit Muslim community in Albuquerque was rocked by the killings of two Muslim men within a week's span of each other this summer. After funerals were held Friday for the two men, "we thought, OK, we're going to catch a little breather," said Tahir Gauba, director of public affairs at the Islamic Center of New Mexico.

But later that night, another Muslim man from the community became the latest victim in a string of killings that officials suspect are linked.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, who was fatally shot on Monday, worked on the campaign team of Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury, D-N.M., the congresswoman said during a news conference Sunday.

She described him as "a kind, funny, brilliant, amazing young man from Pakistan who came to the United States to pursue his career and his life's dream and to study at the University of New Mexico."

The most recent victim, Naeem Hussain, had attended the funerals of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, on Friday before heading to the center for a post-service meal, Gauba said in a phone interview. Naeem Hussain, who was in his mid-20s, and the other two men were "regulars" at the Islamic center, Gauba said. (Though the men share a common surname, they were not related, he said.)

Naeem Hussain, who had taken the oath of citizenship just a month earlier and dreamed of being an entrepreneur, was found dead Friday evening shortly before midnight. His body was discovered in the parking lot of Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, a nonprofit that provides adoption and refugee services.

The police said his identity was not yet "positively confirmed," but Gauba said he had spoken with Naeem Hussain's family about his death.

Officials also said Sunday that they had identified a "vehicle of interest" - a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta or Passat. It is possible the vehicle is damaged, officials added. They did not disclose further details but asked the public for tips or information about the car.

As of Sunday, authorities said they had not yet determined a motive for the killings.

Albuquerque detectives have "determined there is a connection" between the two earlier killings and suspect that the latest "may be linked," the police said in a statement on Saturday. Detectives are also probing whether the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi outside a business he ran with his brother was connected. (Gauba said Ahmadi was not a regular member at the Islamic center.)

Aftab Hussein was from Afghanistan but had passed through Pakistan before coming to the United States, Gauba said. Naeem Hussain and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain were from Pakistan and Ahmadi was from Afghanistan, according to police.

Albuquerque police had said the three earlier killings were done in a similar fashion - "ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed," the Associated Press reported - but declined at a news conference on Saturday to say whether Friday's killing followed the same pattern.

The FBI's Albuquerque office is assisting Albuquerque police in the investigation, said Frank Fisher, a spokesman for the office.

Ehsan Shahalami, Naeem Hussain's brother-in-law, said in an interview that the family has been devastated by the killing of the man he described as "the most kind, the most giving, the most generous." Left behind, he said, is a grieving wife, parents and siblings.

"Everybody that knew him even for an hour is crying," said Shahalami, 37, of Virginia, "because he has touched their life."

Naeem Hussain came to the United States in search of the American Dream, Shahalami said. He found work as a truck driver, eventually saving up enough money to buy a truck of his own. When the pandemic hit, he insisted on continuing to make deliveries, saying that "the country and people need us more than any time."

He took the oath of citizenship on July 8; with that milestone behind him, he was planning for his wife to come from Pakistan and join him in the United States. They hoped to buy a house together.

"You know, he was in love with America," Shahalami said.

Gauba said the string of deaths has been "horrific" for the community of about 5,000 Muslims in Albuquerque, a city of more than 560,000. "I've been in the United States since '95," Gauba said. "I've been through 9/11. I've been through the Trump era. I've never felt this helpless and in fear."

"The lives of Albuquerque Muslims are in danger," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the national deputy director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "Whoever is responsible for this horrific, hateful shooting spree must be identified and stopped - now."

CAIR, which advocates for the civil rights of Muslims in the United States, said in a statement Saturday that it was offering $10,000 for information "leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible." The organization called on the Biden administration to "take a direct role" in the matter.

President Joe Biden said he was "angered and saddened by the horrific killings."

"While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims' families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community," he said in a tweet. "These hateful attacks have no place in America."

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D, said during a news conference Sunday that those responsible would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but that authorities would need community support to identify the vehicle of interest.

"We will bring this person or persons to justice," she said. "We will provide justice to the families who have lost everything."

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller pledged to support the local Muslim community.

"We're also here to support the families, grieving for the losses of a loved one," he said. "We're also here in solidarity, in prayer, and in service for our Muslim brothers and sisters in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces in their time of need."

Shahalami said that in his 20 years in the United States, he has seen "a lot of good in this country." But, he added, "these pockets of things that do happen, it just paints a bad picture to the world of who we are as Americans." He said he wanted people to know about his brother-in-law - that a "genuine, pure-hearted human being passed away, was killed in this brutal manner with all his dreams."

He said Naeem Hussain loved the outdoors and had been excited to buy a Toyota 4Runner perfect for camping. He loved fishing so much he carried a rod in his truck, taking time between deliveries to seek out fishing spots. He let Shahalami's two young daughters, who now cannot stop crying, put their hair clips in his beard.

"It's not just one life they took," Shahalami said of the unknown killer. "It's many lives they shattered."
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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Republican candidate for governor Rebecca Kleefisch downplayed Donald Trump's endorsement and rally for her opponent during her final campaign push across Wisconsin Monday, and declined to respond to the former president's criticisms.

Kleefisch faces Trump-endorsed Tim Michels in Tuesday's primary, with the winner advancing to face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Trump derided Kleefisch as a career politician and a political insider" during a rally for Michels in suburban Milwaukee on Friday night. He called her the handpicked candidate of the failed establishment.

When asked at an early morning campaign stop Monday whether she had any comment on Trump's criticisms, Kleefisch responded: No thoughts that I can share.

The Michels campaign sent an email Monday casting the election as a fight between Trump backers and Republicans who oppose him.

If we dont get Trump supporters to the polls to vote for Tim Michels on Tuesday, the Never Trumpers will win like they did in 2020 when they encouraged Wisconsin conservatives to vote for anyone except Trump, the email said. If Kleefisch wins, the Michels campaign said, the media will falsely report Wisconsinites have rejected Trumps endorsement.

Kleefisch, a former two-term lieutenant governor, downplayed the Trump endorsement of Michels, saying she didn't know whether it would help or hurt Michels with primary voters. Michels co-owns the state's largest construction company, Michels Corp.

To me, the only endorsements that are going to matter, ultimately, are the ones that are counted tomorrow night from the people of Wisconsin, Kleefisch said. She is backed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who campaigned for her in Wisconsin last week, GOP legislative leaders and a majority of county sheriffs.

Both Kleefisch and Michels say decertifying the 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden in Wisconsin is not a priority. They both also said at a town hall last week that they would accept the results of Tuesday's election. Longshot candidate state Rep. Tim Ramthun, who is running on the platform of decertifying the 2020 presidential election, is also on the ballot and said last week that he too would accept the results.

Michels was spending the day before the election attending a private event for cancer research, attending the Wisconsin State Fair in the afternoon, then hosting a rally with supporters in Delafield. Kleefisch was traveling across the state, with multiple stops before ending in Brookfield, close to where Michels will be, in suburban Milwaukee's Waukesha County.

In Madison on Monday, Kleefisch touted herself as the only proven conservative reformer in the primary, while also keeping focused on Evers, a former state superintendent for schools.

There is nobody better to take it to Tony Evers on education than a p- off mom," Kleefisch said.

One of Kleefisch's backers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, is being challenged by Trump-backed candidate Adam Steen. He wants to decertify the 2020 election, while Vos opposes it because it is unconstitutional. Trump at his Friday rally announced that the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice hired by Vos to investigate the election was backing Steen.

Michael Gableman recorded a robocall in support of Steen, saying Vos never wanted a real investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin. Taxpayers have spent more than $1.1 million on Gableman's investigation. He was paid $11,000 a month by taxpayers under the contract Vos signed.

Justice Gableman knows overturning the election is both unconstitutional and impossible," Vos said in a statement. "His attempts to lie to voters and gain favor with Adam Steen are sad and show how desperate he is to remain relevant.

WisPolitics.com first reported on Gableman's robocall.

Gableman was also slated to appear at a late Monday afternoon Vos Tossing Slingshot Contest with Steen, whose campaign said a puppet representation of Vos would be shot across a field using a bungee slingshot.

Also on the ballot Tuesday, Democrats will be picking their nominee for U.S. Senate to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has emerged as the clear frontrunner after his top opponents dropped out and endorsed him. There are also primaries for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general on the Republican side.
ATLANTA (AP)  Rudy Giuliani will not appear as scheduled Tuesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta thats investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, his lawyer said.

A judge last month had ordered Giuliani, a Trump lawyer and former New York City mayor, to appear before the special grand jury Tuesday.

But Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, told The Associated Press on Monday that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, had excused Giuliani for the day.

Nothing in publicly available court documents indicates that Giuliani is excused from appearing, but McBurney has scheduled a hearing for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to hear arguments on a court filing from Giuliani seeking to delay his appearance. In a court filing Monday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked the judge to deny Giuliani's request for a delay and to instruct him to appear before the special grand jury as ordered.

Willis opened an investigation early last year, and a special grand jury with subpoena power was seated in May at her request.

Last month she filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump advisers and associates, including Giuliani. Because they dont live in Georgia, she had to use a process that involves getting a judge in the state where they live to order them to appear.

New York Supreme Court Justice Thomas Farber on July 13 issued an order directing Giuliani to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 9 and on any other dates ordered by the court in Atlanta.

Giulianis legal team last week asked Willis office to delay his appearance, saying he was unable to travel because of a medical procedure. That request was rejected after Willis team found evidence on social media that he had traveled since his medical procedure.

A Giuliani attorney then clarified to Willis's team that Giuliani is not cleared for air travel, but Willis still refused to postpone his appearance, the motion says.

In her Monday court filing, Willis wrote that her team had obtained records indicating that between July 19 and July 21, Giuliani bought multiple airline tickets, including tickets to Rome, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland, for travel dates between July 22 and July 29. Willis said her team offered to provide alternative transportation  including bus or train fare  if Giuliani wasn't cleared for air travel.

Giuliani had also offered to appear virtually, for example by Zoom, his motion says.

It is important to note here that Mr. Giuliani is no way seeking to inappropriately delay, or obstruct these proceedings or avoid giving evidence or testimony that is not subject to some claim of privilege in this matter, the motion says, noting that Giuliani had appeared virtually before the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and testified for more than nine hours.

Mr. Giuliani is willing to do the same here under conditions that replicate a grand jury proceeding, the motion says.

In the petition for Giulianis testimony, Willis identified him as both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his campaign.

She wrote that he and others presented a Georgia state Senate subcommittee with a video recording of election workers that Giuliani alleged showed them producing suitcases of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.

Within 24 hours of that hearing on Dec. 3, 2020, Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office had debunked the video and said that it had found that no voter fraud had taken place at the site. Nevertheless, Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread voter fraud using that debunked video, Willis wrote.

Evidence shows that Giuliani's appearance and testimony at the hearing "was part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere, the petition says.

___

Tucker reported from Washington.
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Relatives of a 19-year-old Black man who died during a struggle with police officers on Maryland's Eastern Shore have reached a $5 million partial settlement of their wrongful death lawsuit, an agreement that also requires improvements in police training and policies, family attorneys announced Monday.

The family's federal lawsuit accused police of using excessive force on Anton Black after they chased him and tried to restrain him outside his familys home in rural Greensboro, Maryland, in 2018. Officers handcuffed Black and shackled his legs before he stopped breathing.

The lawsuit also accused police of trying to cover up an unjustified killing, falsely claiming that Black was high on drugs and exhibiting superhuman strength.

Black's death fueled calls for an independent investigation and inspired legislative reforms. A state law named after Black expanded public access to records about police disciplinary cases. It took effect last September.

The lawsuit's settlement resolves the family's claims against three Maryland towns  Greensboro, Ridgely and Centreville  and several individuals: former Greensboro Police Officer Thomas Webster IV, former Greensboro Police Chief Michael Petyo, former Ridgley Police Chief Gary Manos, Centreville Police Officer Dennis Lannon and former Greensboro Town Manage Jeannette Cleveland.

The $5 million settlement amount includes attorneys' fees and costs, according to a family lawyer. The agreement requires the three towns to update their policies governing police officers' use of force, to provide officers with mental health training and annual training on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques.

Black had been diagnosed with a severe form of bipolar disorder. He was hospitalized less than two weeks before his death after his father called police, concerned that his son had been acting strangely at home.

The agreement doesn't resolve the family's claims against former Maryland chief medical examiner David Fowler and the state medical examiner's office. The medical examiners autopsy report listed Blacks death as accidental and said a congenital heart condition, mental illness and stress from the struggle likely contributed to his death.

An expert for the lawsuits plaintiffs, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University, concluded that asphyxiation was the cause of Blacks death.

There was nothing accidental about it, family attorney Rene Swafford said at a news conference on Monday.

A police body camera captured parts of Blacks encounter with police on Sept. 15, 2018. The video shows Webster confronting Black in response to a 911 call that a man was roughly dragging a child down the road in a headlock.

The boy, a friend of Blacks family, told the officer that Black was "schizophrenic" and had been acting strangely. When Webster ordered Black to place his hands behind his back and told him he was under arrest, Black said, I love you, and then turned and jogged in the opposite direction.

Manos and Lannon were off duty when they tried to help Webster arrest Black.

After Black jogged back to his familys home and got into a car, Webster used a baton to smash a car window and then used a stun gun on Black. Later, during a struggle on the porch of his familys home, Black lost consciousness as Manos, Lannon and Webster tried to restrain him.

"Even after Anton was handcuffed, the officers ignored the danger they were causing and kept Anton in a prone restraint for approximately six minutes as he struggled to breathe, lost consciousness and suffered cardiac arrest," the lawsuit says.

Blacks mother stood nearby, yelling his name and begging for him to respond. Black later was pronounced dead at a hospital.

They had to know that he was dying, said Anton's father, Antone Black. They killed my son for no reason.

In January, a federal judge refused to throw out the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake said body camera video of the deadly encounter doesnt conclusively contradict the familys claims that police used excessive force on Black. The judge concluded that a reasonable jury could reach more than one conclusion about whether officers used a reasonable degree of force against Black.

A county prosecutor didnt ask a grand jury to consider criminal charges in Blacks death.

Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland are among the attorneys representing Blacks family.

Attorneys for the three towns and other municipal defendants didn't immediately respond to a telephone call seeking comment on the settlement.

The family and the Coalition for Justice for Anton Black filed their lawsuit in December 2020. The suit said Black died in a chillingly similar manner" as George Floyd, the Black man whose May 2020 killing by a Minneapolis police officer led to global protests against racial injustice and police abuses.
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BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP)  The white father and son who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood each received a second life prison sentence Monday  for committing federal hate crimes, months after getting their first for murder  at a hearing that brought a close to more than two years of criminal proceedings.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood handed down the sentences against Travis McMichael, 36, and his father, Greg McMichael, 66, reiterating the gravity of the February 2020 killing that shattered their Brunswick community. William Roddie Bryan, 52, who recorded cellphone video of the slaying, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

A young man is dead. Ahmaud Arbery will be forever 25. And what happened, a jury found, happened because hes Black, Wood said.

The McMichaels were previously sentenced to life without parole in state court for Arberys murder and had asked the judge to divert them to a federal prison to serve their sentences, saying they were worried about their safety in the state prison system. Bryan had sought to serve his federal sentence first. Wood declined all three requests.

The sentences imposed Monday brought an end to the second trial against the men responsible for Arberys slaying, which along with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky fueled a wave of protests across the country against the killings of unarmed Black people.

The Justice Departments prosecution of this case and the courts sentences today make clear that hate crimes have no place in our country, and that the Department will be unrelenting in our efforts to hold accountable those who perpetrate them, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a news release. Protecting civil rights and combatting white supremacist violence was a founding purpose of the Justice Department, and one that we will continue to pursue with the urgency it demands.

In February, a federal jury convicted the McMichaels and Bryan of violating Arberys civil rights, concluding they targeted him because of his race. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan, a neighbor, joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun. The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar, but investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.

Im very thankful, Arberys mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told reporters outside the courthouse after all three sentences had been imposed. Its been a long fight. Im so thankful God gave us the strength to continue to fight.

The hearings marked the first time the men involved in the deadly chase expressed any remorse to Arberys family. Only Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots, chose to remain silent when given a chance to speak in court.

Greg McMichael told Arbery's family their loss was beyond description.

Im sure my words mean very little to you, but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen, he said. There was no malice in my heart or my sons heart that day.

Bryan said he was sorry.

I never intended any harm to him, and I never would have played any role in what happened if I knew then what I know now," Bryan said.

In giving Bryan a lower sentence, Wood noted he had not brought a gun to the pursuit of Arbery and preserved his cellphone video, which was crucial to the prosecutions.

Travis McMichael's attorney, Amy Lee Copeland, said a lighter sentence would be more consistent with what similarly charged defendants have received in other cases, noting that the officer who killed Floyd in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin, got 21 years in prison for violating Floyds civil rights, though he was not charged with targeting Floyd because of his race.

Greg McMichael's attorney, A.J. Balbo, also cited the Chauvin sentence as well as his client's age and health problems, which he said include a stroke and depression.

During the February hate crimes trial, prosecutors fortified their case that Arberys killing was motivated by racism by showing the jury roughly two dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racist slurs and made disparaging comments about Black people.

Prosecutor Christopher Perras said the trial evidence proved "what so many people felt in their hearts when they watched the video of Ahmauds tragic and unnecessary death: This would have never happened if he had been white.

A state Superior Court judge imposed life sentences for the McMichaels and Bryan in January for Arbery's murder, with both McMichaels denied any chance of parole. All three defendants have remained jailed in coastal Glynn County, in the custody of U.S. marshals, while awaiting sentencing after their federal convictions.

Because they were first charged and convicted of murder in a state court, they will be turned over to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their life terms in a state prison.

Copeland argued unsuccessfully for Travis McMichael to remain in federal custody, saying he has received hundreds of threats that he will be killed soon after arriving at state prison and that his photo has been circulated there on illegal phones.

I am concerned your honor that my client effectively faces a back door death penalty," she said, adding that retribution and revenge were not sentencing factors, even for a defendant who is publicly reviled.

Arberys father, Marcus Arbery Sr., said Travis McMichael had shown his son no mercy and deserved to rot" in state prison.

You killed him because he was a Black man and you hate Black people," he said. You deserve no mercy.

___

Associated Press writer Sudhin Thanawala contributed to this report from Atlanta.
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MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexico will attempt to send an aquatic drone into a collapsed coal mine where 10 miners have been trapped since last week.

Laura Velazquez, national Civil Defense coordinator, said Monday that images from the drone could help authorities decide whether to send in divers without putting them at risk.

She also said that 25 pumps were working to remove water from the flooded shafts. Water that was once 111 feet (34 meters) deep was now between 55 and 78 feet (17 and 26 meters) deep.

The mine in Sabinas, Coahuila about 70 miles southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas, collapsed last Wednesday with 15 miners inside. Five managed to escape with injuries. Authorities say the miners breached a neighboring space filled with water. There has been no contact with the remaining 10.

The miners families are desperate and some complained Sunday that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gave them little information when he visited the site.

I appreciate that he has come to take a photo with my pain, the pain of my family and the pain of everyone of us here, said Lucia Rodriguez, mother of one of the miners, in a video circulated on social media. I hope that his photographs serve his policy well.

The president said that as a public servant you have to be willing to always pay the tax of humiliation, but that his conscience is clear because the rescue teams arrived to the site in two hours and have been working day and night to rescue the miners.

The state and federal prosecutors offices have opened investigations to determine those responsible for the accident. Such small mines are often the result of locals who get concessions and then contract teams of miners. Experts say they seldom have the safety plans and equipment necessary to reduce the risk of accidents.

In June and July of 2021, cave-ins at two Coahuila mines claimed the lives of nine miners.

Mexicos worst mining accident also occurred in Coahuila on Feb. 19, 2006, when an explosion ripped through the Pasta de Conchos mine while 73 miners were inside. Eight were rescued with injuries including serious burns. The rest died and only two of their bodies were recovered.

Lopez Obradors administration promised two years ago to recover the remaining 63 bodies, a highly technical endeavor that has still not begun.
The new defense team for a Collinsville man's murder trial has been granted a private investigator and DNA expert.

Robert "Bobby" J. Tarr is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Leslie Reeves of Troy, Illinois, and one count of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Chris Smith of Farmersville, Illinois.

DNA had been the subject of many pre-trial hearings since Tarr's preliminary hearing in January, but Tarr's attorney withdrew and now the Montgomery County, Illinois public defender has taken his case and didn't hold back from putting motions in play to move the case forward.

Read more: Attorney withdraws from defending Tarr in murder case

The four motions brought to the court include a private investigator with a $3,500 cap, according to court documents.

"That's how defendants go about getting their own investigation, is to hire a private investigator," Erin Mattson, Montgomery County public defender and Tarr's new attorney said. "It is very customary  on a case such as this  for the defense to have its own investigator look into things.

"Especially to interview witnesses that if the attorney were to do it alone, then the attorney might need to become a witness. So it's good to have an investigator do that for us  to be able to hear what the witnesses say and ask questions."

Other motions brought to the court included seven hours a week for Tarr to review discovery evidence in the Montgomery County jail's multipurpose room and a motion to have some of Tarr's personal property seized by investigators as potential evidence.

Tarr hand-wrote a motion to Judge Jim Roberts regarding his personal property before Mattson became his attorney. She filed a similar motion that court records identify as "deferred (except partial agreed orders)." Tarr told the court at a previous hearing the items he requested for release are not related to the case.

Read more: Tarr wants evidence dismissed, says jail is overpopulated

A motion for Mattson to obtain the transcripts from Tarr's preliminary hearing was also granted.

Tarr is scheduled to be back in court again via Zoom Friday, September 2, at 2 p.m.

Read more: Accused killer left home twice the night of Farmersville homicide
Bryan Leonard had a dream.

Our family was growing and we hoped to find some land and build a house, Leonard said, and I always thought it would be cool to find one of these old log cabins to use for a place for visitors to stay.

That dream has blossomed into an Airbnb sensation as Bryan, his wife, Heather, and their six children welcome visitors from around the world every week at a restored log cabin and a separate, restored historic agricultural bunkhouse on their rural Jacksonville property.

We have long lost track of the number of countries that weve had people from, all over Europe, South Africa, Australia, China, Bryan Leonard said. The structures are conveniently located, they are unique, they have a story, and they are quaint and fun.

The tale of how two rural historic buildings were moved from their original locations and are now hosting visitors is at least as unique as the structures themselves. The story began when Bryan and Heather, who had frequently stayed overnight in several restored log cabins in the Nauvoo area, had a conversation with the man who owned the buildings.

Bryan got to know him and they became buddies, and one day the guy called and said hey, theres a log cabin in Lima, Heather Leonard said. And Bryan was like, Ive got to go get that cabin'.

Bryans family owned a log cabin in Michigan when he was young and his grandparents lived in a log cabin west of Jacksonville, so the desire to have a log cabin of his own came naturally. He and Heather stopped by the cabin in question on the Adams-Hancock counties border, left a note on the door for the owner, and the owner later called and agreed to let them take the cabin.

Bryan and several church friends spent a Saturday dismantling the late-1800s cabin, loaded it on a trailer, and then moved the pieces to Jacksonville. The trailer was stored for a year at Leonard & Six Plumbing and Heating, a business owned by Bryans family, as Bryan and Heather searched for property on which to build their new house and to re-build their historic log cabin.

The couple eventually purchased land just south of Interstate 72 and built their home, and Bryan spent nearly eight years of just me and Saturdays restoring the historic log cabin just to the west of their new residence. It was furnished with pieces from his grandparents estate.

We actually lived in the log cabin for about six months while we were building our house, and then we asked ourselves, what are we going to do with this? Bryan said. So we decided to put it on Airbnb and see what happened. We never dreamed it would be as popular as it has been.

Bryan used materials from several different structures in the Airbnb log cabin. The ceiling beams came from a barn near Carrollton, some of the siding is from a barn west of town, the floors came from the old Rushville lumber yard barn, an interior door is from the old Cherry House that was torn down in Jacksonville.

Heather said many people seek out Audreys Abode, named for Bryans grandmother, because of the unique log cabin experience coupled with the modern conveniences of electricity, plumbing and air conditioning.

Some people want to have the Lincoln experience, to stay in a log cabin and take the kids to see the Lincoln sites, Heather said. Its often like having new neighbors. If they bring kids sometimes our kids will play with them.

The log cabin Airbnb was so successful that Bryan and Heather began thinking of ways to add a second historic structure. Bryan found a likely candidate where Orleans Road passes over I-72 near Alexander, a farm with several old buildings including a cute little structure with a chimney off to the side

The structure was an agricultural bunkhouse from the 1930s or 1940s. Bryan contacted the farms owner, Paul Armstrong, and before the phone call was over, Bryan had his second historic building.

That was the easy part. The hard part was moving the structure, intact, the 18 miles from rural Alexander to the Leonard homestead.

The same church friends who helped move the log cabin (so basically he has a lot of favors he owes, Heather said) assisted Bryan in the summer of 2019 as they lifted the bunkhouse onto a trailer and began the slow, all-day trip to its new home.

Fortunately we had about 6 inches to a foot of clearance with all of the wires between Alexander and here. The Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative came out and measured every wire for us, Bryan said. They had fun, I think, in the process too. We had to lift one or two wires to get it underneath but we didnt have to take any down.

The restored structure is called Bunkhouse 74 because it originally sat at mile marker 74 along the interstate. The Leonards have rented it as an Airbnb since 2020.

Its a tiny house and Bryan put a bathtub outside. And people love that bathtub! Heather said. Its very private, but people talk about just sitting in that bathtub for a long time.

Heather said Audreys Abode and Bunkhouse 74 are popular for their pricing as well as their pedigrees.

We are a family of eight (ages 7 to 19) and we dont want to overprice anybody. We wanted to have places that we could afford to rent ourselves, Heather said. Some people charge pretty large cleaning fees, but we only charge a cleaning fee if you bring a pet. Were not trying to get rich, because we enjoy it.

When he isnt turning historic structures into Airbnbs, Bryan is the director of marketing and communications at Illinois College. Heather is a registered nurse at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital. The Leonards have paid for all of the work out of pocket on their historic lodging places. And it appears that they arent satisfied to just sit back and admire what they have accomplished on their property.

Id love to add a small, restored barn. It would be a rebuild with materials that are fully reclaimed, Bryan said. Theres a couple of spots where we have room.

To which Heather immediately replied, and where would we put it? And who will clean it?

Bryan needs a creative outlet at all times. Hes very project-oriented, he cant pick up a book and read it, he has to make something, Heather said. He has said that he enjoys the process of figuring it out almost more than actually doing it.
OTSEGO, Minn. (AP)  Sheriff's deputies fatally shot a man armed with a knife who was having a mental health crisis in a Minneapolis suburb, according to authorities.

The Wright County Sheriff's Office said the man was having mental health challenges early Sunday morning and threatened to harm his family and himself at a home in Otsego.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  A late night roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan struck a vehicle carrying members of the Pakistani Taliban group, killing a senior leader and three other militants, several Pakistani officials and militant figures said Monday.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Sunday night killing of Abdul Wali, also widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, in Afghanistan's Paktika province. His death is a heavy blow to the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan group or the TTP.

The TTP blamed Pakistani intelligence agents for the killing, without offering evidence or elaborating.

The three other slain militants included Khurasani's driver and two of his close aides. No one else was in the car at the time of the attack, according to Pakistani officials and the TTP members who spoke to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the attack has not yet been publicly announced.

A statement from the TTP was expected later Monday.

The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan a year ago as the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout.

The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 14 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction of Pakistani military presence in the countrys former tribal regions.

Khurasani, a senior TTP leader, split in 2014 to form his own militant group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which later joined the Pakistani Taliban. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2016. Rewards for Justice, the U.S. State Department's counter-terrorism rewards program, offered up to $3 million for information on Khurasani.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is accused of launching multiple attacks against Pakistani forces and religious minorities. The group also claimed responsibility for killing two Pakistani employees of the U.S. Consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar in March 2016.

That same year, it claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore that killed more than 70 people.

The TTP  an umbrella group of several militant factions  has also been behind numerous attacks on Pakistani troops and civilians over the last 15 years.

Khurasani was part of the TTP's negotiators who were holding talks with Pakistani officials since May. Three other militants killed in the bombing were identified by security officials and TTP members as Hassan Ali, Mufti Hassan and Hafiz Daulat. It was not immediately known where were they buried.

It was not immediately clear if and how Khurasani's killing would affect about three monthslong cease-fire between TTP and Pakistan's government. The truce was originally announced in May and was later extended for an indefinite period after talks between the Pakistani government and the TTP hosted by the Afghan Taliban in Kabul.

The cease-fire has mostly been holding, raising prospects for progress in the talks between the two sides.

TTP has long fought for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in Pakistan, release of their members from government custody, and a reduction of military presence in Pakistan's former northwestern tribal regions.

The Pakistani Taliban became more infamous across the world for their 2012 shooting of Malala Yousafzai in Swat Valley. She was just 15 years old at the time and had enraged the Taliban with her campaign for girls education. Two years later, Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The TTPs more large-scale claims of responsibility include the horrific 2014 attack on a Pakistani armys public school in Peshawar that killed 147  mostly children, some as young as five years old.

Islamabad has demanded that the new Taliban rulers in Afghanistan prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan. Before the Taliban takeover next door, Islamabad and Kabul had often traded blame and accused each other of sheltering militants.

Pakistan now says it has finished the construction of more than 93% of a fence along the border with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border militant attacks.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.
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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Polish authorities were working Monday to repatriate injured passengers aboard a bus that crashed on the weekend in Croatia, killing 12 people as it ferried Polish pilgrims to a popular Catholic shrine.

The bus with 44 passengers aboard veered off a motorway north of Zagreb in the early hours of Saturday. The accident left 32 passengers injured, some of whom are in critical or serious condition.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. The driver was among those killed according to a Croatian official quoted by Polish broadcaster TVN24. Some early reports suggested the driver that Polish media said was 72 might have fallen asleep at the wheel, but this hasn't been confirmed.

Polish police officers, who were in Croatia already to help with the large numbers of Polish tourists visiting Croatia's popular Adriatic coast, were redeployed to support Croatian emergency workers helping the injured.

The bus was taking pilgrims to the Catholic shrine in Medjugorje, a town in southern Bosnia. The shrine is Europes third-most popular pilgrimage destination after Lourdes and Fatima.

Pope Francis expressed his sorrow on Sunday and offered prayers for the victims.

Poland's state-run news agency said four severely injured victims were airlifted to Warsaw over the weekend for specialist care. Polish Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska said Monday authorities aim to bring more people back home this week.

A Health Ministry spokesman, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, said three of the injured were due to be brought home either Tuesday or Wednesday and that another 10 people with injuries of various degrees of severity would be airlifted later.

Currently, 28 people remain hospitalized in Croatia, including 17 severely injured and two in critical condition, according to the Polish health ministry.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

George Grispos, University of Nebraska Omaha and Austin C. Doctor, University of Nebraska Omaha

(THE CONVERSATION) Farmers are adopting precision agriculture, using data collected by GPS, satellite imagery, internet-connected sensors and other technologies to farm more efficiently. While these practices could help increase crop yields and reduce costs, the technology behind the practices is creating opportunities for extremists, terrorists and adversarial governments to attack farming machinery, with the aim of disrupting food production.

Food producers around the world have been under increasing pressure, a problem exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and rising fuel and fertilizer costs. Farmers are trying to produce more food but with fewer resources, pushing the food production system toward its breaking point.

In this environment, its understandable that many U.S. farmers are turning to modern information technologies to support decision-making and operations in managing crop production. These precision agriculture practices lead to more efficient use of land, water, fuel, fertilizer and pesticides so that farmers can grow more, reduce costs and minimize their impact on the environment.

As researchers in cybersecurity and national security at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, we see cause for concern. The advent of precision farming comes at a time of significant upheaval in the global supply chain and as the number of foreign and domestic hackers with the ability to exploit this technology continues to grow.

New opportunities for exploitation

Cyberattacks against agricultural targets are not some far-off threat; they are already happening. For example, in 2021 a ransomware attack forced a fifth of the beef processing plants in the U.S. to shut down, with one company paying nearly $11 million to cybercriminals. REvil, a Russia-based group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Similarly, a grain storage cooperative in Iowa was targeted by a Russian-speaking group called BlackMatter, who claimed that they had stolen data from the cooperative. While previous attacks have targeted larger companies and cooperatives and aimed to extort the victims for money, individual farms could be at risk, too.

The integration of technologies into farm equipment, from GPS-guided tractors to artificial intelligence, potentially increases the ability of hackers to attack this equipment. And though farmers might not be ideal targets for ransomware attacks, farms could be tempting targets for hackers with other motives, including terrorists.

For example, an attacker could look to exploit vulnerabilities within fertilizer application technologies, which could result in a farmer unwittingly applying too much or too little nitrogen fertilizer to a particular crop. A farmer could then end up with either a below-expected harvest, or a field that has been over fertilized, resulting in waste and long-term environmental ramifications.

Slow to appreciate the threat

Disruption to sensitive industries and infrastructure gives attackers higher returns for their efforts. This means that the increasing stress on the global food supply raises the stakes and creates a stronger motivation to disrupt the U.S. agriculture sector.

Unlike other critical industries such as finance and health care, the farming industry has been slow to recognize cybersecurity risks and take steps to mitigate them. There are several possible reasons for this sluggishness.

One is that many farmers and agricultural providers havent viewed cybersecurity as a significant enough problem compared with other risks they face such as floods, fires and hail. A 2018 Department of Homeland Security report that surveyed precision agriculture farmers throughout the U.S. found that many did not fully understand the cyberthreats introduced by precision agriculture, nor did they take these cyber-risks seriously enough.

This lack of preparedness leads to another reason: limited oversight and regulation from government. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture classified cybersecurity as a low priority. While this classification was upgraded in 2015, the farming sector is likely to be playing catch-up for years. While other critical infrastructure industries have developed and published numerous countermeasures and best practices for cybersecurity, the same cannot be said for the farming sector.

The Biden administration has indicated that it is willing to help farmers take steps to protect their cyber infrastructure, but as of this writing it has not released public guidelines to assist with this effort.

All-hands approach

In addition to the pressing need for policy guidance and resources from federal, state and local governments to prevent this type of cyberattack, there is room for academia and industry to step up.

From an academic research perspective, multidisciplinary efforts that bring together researchers from precision agriculture, robotics, cybersecurity and political science can help identify potential solutions. To this end, we and researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have launched the Security Testbed for Agricultural Vehicles and Environments.

Farming equipment manufacturers and other industry organizations can help by designing and engineering equipment to account for cybersecurity considerations. This would lead to the manufacture of farming equipment that not only maximizes food production yields but also minimizes exposure to cyberattacks.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/rise-of-precision-agriculture-exposes-food-system-to-new-threats-187589.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  A 2019 collision that killed seven members of a Marine motorcycle club would've happened even if the truck was in the middle of its lane because the lead biker was headed in that direction, a crash reconstruction expert said Monday on the final day of testimony in the truck driver's trial.

Closing arguments are set for Tuesday in the trial of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 26, who faces negligent homicide, manslaughter and reckless conduct charges in connection with the June 21, 2019, crash in Randolph, New Hampshire.

Prosecutors have argued that Zhukovskyy, who had taken heroin, fentanyl and cocaine that day, repeatedly swerved back and forth before the head-on crash and told police he caused it. But a judge dismissed eight charges related to whether he was impaired, and his attorney blames the lead biker, Albert Woody Mazza, saying he lost control of his motorcycle and collided with the truck while driving drunk.

Testifying for the defense, William Howerton of Scientific Boston, Inc., was asked where the collision between Mazza's motorcycle and Zhukovskyy's truck occurred.

The impact occurred on the double yellow line, directly over, he said. The left front wheel of the pickup truck was just a little bit left of center of the double yellow line, still on the yellow line.

Howerton also said that based on his analysis, the truck was aligned with the road while the motorcycle was angled toward the center line just before impact. Asked if the crash would've happened had the truck been in the middle of its lane, he said,  If the truck was in the middle of its lane, would the crash still have happened, he said, Yes. The motorcycle was headed in that direction.

The motorcyclists who died were members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and ranged in age from 42 to 62. They were part of a larger group that had just left a motel along the highway and were headed to an American Legion Post in Gorham for a fundraiser.

Killed were Mazza, of Lee, New Hampshire; Edward and Jo-Ann Corr, a couple from Lakeville, Massachusetts; Michael Ferazzi, of Contoocook, New Hampshire; Desma Oakes, of Concord, New Hampshire; Daniel Pereira, of Riverside, Rhode Island; and Aaron Perry, of Farmington, New Hampshire.

The trial in Coos County Superior Court in Lancaster started July 26.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Beckoned to the stage by former president Donald Trump just days before Wisconsin's primary for governor, Tim Michels touched on an issue important to many Republican voters in this battleground state.

"I'm telling you, we are going to have election integrity here in Wisconsin," the construction executive assured the crowd on Friday night.

He then quickly moved on to other topics.

What was conspicuously absent from Michels's comments ahead of Tuesday's primary were details. As he has throughout his campaign, Michels avoided addressing whether he would certify the 2024 presidential election or attempt the legally impossible feat of reversing Trump's 2020 loss.

Michels's profile contrasts with those of other gubernatorial hopefuls Trump has endorsed. In Pennsylvania, he picked state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican who led an effort to overturn the election in the state and was in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol came under attack. In Arizona, Trump backed former television anchor Kari Lake as she campaigned on false claims that Trump won in 2020 and promised to change the way votes are cast and counted in the state. In Michigan, Trump endorsed former anchor Tudor Dixon after she raised her hand during a debate when asked if she believed the election was stolen. Mastriano, Lake and Dixon all won their primaries.

Now, Trump is banking on a different type of candidate in Wisconsin - one who won't spell out what he would do when it comes to elections. In doing so, Trump overlooked two other major contenders: state Rep. Tim Ramthun, who has rallied behind Trump's false assertions, and former lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who has argued the 2020 results were rigged by election officials.

At his rally in suburban Milwaukee on Friday, Trump indicated he'd made his endorsement calculation for Wisconsin based on who he believes is most capable of defeating Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who for 3 1/2 years has blocked Republican efforts to rewrite election laws.

Public polling has been scant for Tuesday's primary, but Ramthun has distantly trailed the others, and Trump has insisted that Kleefisch cannot win in November.

"Rebecca Kleefisch does not have what it takes to beat Tony Evers," Trump said.

Trump has also harbored a grudge against Kleefisch. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the former president in an April meeting with Michels criticized tweets about Kleefisch's teenage daughter going to homecoming with the son of Brian Hagedorn, a state Supreme Court justice who ruled against Trump in one of his lawsuits seeking to overturn the 2020 results.

Changes to election rules could have implications for who wins the next presidential election in a state that is often narrowly decided. Evers told supporters recently that if a Republican beats him this fall, "we will see the elections change to the point where the legislature makes the final decision - and that should scare the living crap out of everybody in this room."

Joe Biden beat Trump by about 21,000 votes out of 3.3 million cast in Wisconsin - a margin similar to the one that Trump enjoyed four years earlier. Courts have repeatedly ruled Wisconsin's election was properly called for Biden, and a legislative audit and a review of votes by a conservative group found no evidence of significant fraud.

Michels's cautious strategy reflects the 50-50 nature of Wisconsin, where candidates need the support of independent voters to win. The Republican nominee will need to capture those swing voters, as well as the segment of the Republican base that is obsessed with how the 2020 election was conducted.

The three Republicans running for governor in Wisconsin have said they want to keep in place a recent ban on most ballot drop boxes, bar nonprofit groups from making donations to help pay for elections and ensure voters can't have someone else return their absentee ballots on their behalf. They also want, in some fashion, to get rid of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which was created by Republican lawmakers in 2015 to oversee elections and enforce voting laws.

Michels has avoided being pinned down at every turn on election matters. He has largely dodged reporters and skipped a June debate that he knew would center largely on election issues.

Of the three Republicans, Michels has been the least specific about what he wants to do with the elections commission. In May, he said that, as governor, he would force the state's six commissioners out of their jobs so new ones could be named. Three weeks later, he changed course and said he wanted to eradicate the commission. In June, he said he would soon offer a third plan for the Wisconsin Elections Commission - but so far hasn't. At a debate last month he said he would create what he called a "WEC 2.0" that features members from across the state.

Michels's lack of a hard line has not gone over well with some in the Republican base.

"We're getting rid of it and we're going to start a new one," Michels said of the elections commission at a conservative gathering in June. "We're going to build it from scratch."

The crowd was stunned.

"Wait. You're not getting rid of it?" one man asked.

Michels reiterated that he planned to dismantle the commission and create a new one. Some in the crowd groaned.

In July, six weeks after receiving Trump's endorsement, Michels sidestepped questions from Madison TV station WKOW about whether he would try to decertify the 2020 results, saying he would have to "see what these bills look like." Soon afterward, Trump put pressure on Michels and noted he had left open the possibility he would seek to revoke the state's 10 electoral votes.

"Tim Michels will win if he remains strong on the Rigged and Stolen Election. Otherwise, he has no chance," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

A day after Trump's post, Michels put his attention on the 2020 election during a rally in the parking lot of a trucking company along Interstate 94 south of Milwaukee in Mount Pleasant.

"My very first priority is election integrity," he said as his supporters sipped Miller Lite. "Everywhere I go on the campaign trail, people, the media, everybody says, 'Tim, Tim, was the election fixed? Was the election rigged?' I have a lot of questions, as everybody else has questions."

In a brief interview afterward, Michels wouldn't say whether he would try to reverse the 2020 election if he wins.

"I won't get sworn into governor until January of 2023," he said. "You know, that's a long time after the 2020 election, and the 2024 election cycle will have already started. That's what we need to focus on."

At a debate days later, Michels said decertifying the 2020 election is "not a priority." A week after that, during the final primary debate, he expressed more openness to decertification, saying, "I will look at all the evidence and everything will be on the table, and I will make the right decision."

Michels, 60, is a longtime donor to Republican candidates and has invested nearly $8 million of his own money in his campaign for governor. He and his brothers took over the family construction business after their father died in 1998. Their firm, Michels Corp. of Brownsville, Wis., employs 8,000 workers and builds highways, dams, pipelines, transmission lines and tunnels. Eighteen years ago, he ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Russ Feingold.

Kleefisch, 47, in an interview criticized Michels for not being clearer with voters about his views on elections, saying his dodging on the issue "might have been a chance for voters to lose trust in Michels."

Kleefisch said there is "no clear path" to decertifying the 2020 election. She said as governor she would certify the 2024 presidential results because by then she would have changed the state's election policies.

Kleefisch recently received the endorsement of former vice president Mike Pence, who refused to go along with Trump's demands after the 2020 election to not count the results from Wisconsin and some other states he lost. Kleefisch in February would not answer whether she believed Trump or Pence was right in that dispute.

Like Michels, she has avoided answering some other questions about elections. In the fall she said Biden won but later declined to acknowledge that point. This spring, she declined to say whether she would have certified the 2020 results had she been governor then.

Kleefisch has insisted the 2020 election had been "rigged" because Democrats on the state elections commission prevented the Green Party candidate from getting on the ballot because the paperwork the party filed was inconsistent. Republicans had hoped the Green Party would have picked off some of Biden's votes. But Kleefisch said she wouldn't make up her mind on whether the election had been stolen outright until Republican lawmakers complete a stalled review of the 2020 election that they launched last year.

"I think that until we get to the bottom of what happened in 2020, and we actually have a conclusion from which we can move forward, then we need to continue to investigate the 2020 election," she said.

She wants to disband the elections commission and gives its duties to a committee of lawmakers or the secretary of state. Unlike many other states, Wisconsin's secretary of state has few responsibilities for elections.

At Friday's rally in Waukesha, Trump noted Kleefisch was lieutenant governor when Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers approved creating the elections commission seven years ago.

"This commission is a disaster," Trump told the crowd. "It was created on her watch."

Ramthun, who wants to give the elections commission's powers to the secretary of state, is going much further than either of his opponents. At a recent news conference in the state Capitol, he said sheriffs might want to consider seizing voting machines and ballots. As he has for months, he called for invalidating the 2020 results.

"In a way, we don't know exactly the true outcome of the election," he said, even though the results are known from the official canvass, recounts and court rulings. "So how can you certify something that is unknown? And yet it was certified. So we have to decertify that to turn that switch back off again."

Some Republicans aren't buying Ramthun's talk. At the Jefferson County Fair last month, corn and soybean seed salesman Gregory Cook said he wanted the candidates to focus on pocketbook issues instead of the last election.

"Some of them are making it too much of a point," Cook said after picking up a Kleefisch yard sign. "And no one cares. That's my opinion. We're past it. It's two years ago."

Evers in an interview said Republicans are reckless in how they're talking about elections - especially by attacking a commission that Republicans put in place.

"The bottom line is they created it," Evers said. "It's been fair and safe and secure. We have a bipartisan commission - let's let it work. And what they're doing will cause fewer people to vote. Simple as that. And they must think that that's to their advantage."

At Trump's rally Friday for Michels, speaker after speaker fired up the crowd by questioning how the 2020 election was conducted. Trump repeated his false claims about a stolen election, telling the crowd: "I ran twice, I won twice - did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions more votes in 2020 than we got in 2016."

But when he invited Michels to the stage, Trump barely mentioned election rules and instead talked about construction equipment and Michels' success as a businessman.

"He's all over the world building these big tunnels that go through incredible granite mountains," Trump said. "I was with him, I spent more time talking about that than I did, frankly, politics. . . . He's big. He's big time, is the point. This is big stuff. The biggest in the world at what he does."
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration said Monday it was shipping its biggest yet direct delivery of weapons to Ukraine as that country prepares for a potentially decisive counteroffensive in the south against Russia, sending $1 billion in rockets, ammunition and other material to Ukraine from Defense Department stockpiles.

The new U.S. arms shipment would further strengthen Ukraine as it mounts the counteroffensive, which analysts say for the first time could allow Kyiv to shape the course of the rest of the war, now at the half-year mark.

Kyiv aims to push Russian troops back out of Kherson and other southern territory near the Dnipro River. Russia in recent days was moving troops and equipment in the direction of the southern port cities to stave off the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

At every stage of this conflict, we have been focused on getting the Ukrainians what they need, depending on the evolving conditions on the battlefield, Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, said Monday in announcing the new weapons shipment.

The new U.S. aid includes additional rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as well as thousands of artillery rounds, mortar systems, Javelins and other ammunition and equipment. Military commanders and other U.S. officials say the HIMARS and artillery systems have been crucial in Ukraines fight to block Russia from taking more ground.

While the U.S. has already provided 16 HIMARS to Ukraine, Kahl said the new package does not include additional ones.

These are not systems that we assess you need in the hundreds to have the type of effects needed, Kahl said. These are precision-guided systems for very particular types of targets and the Ukrainians are using them as such.

He declined to say how many of the precision-guided missile systems for the HIMARS were included in Monday's announcement, but said the U.S. has provided multiple hundreds of them in recent weeks.

The latest announcement brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to more than $9 billion.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for the package, and said 100% of it we will use to protect freedom, our common freedom.

Until now, the largest single security assistance package announcement was for $1 billion on June 15. But that aid included $350 million in presidential drawdown authority, and another $650 million under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides funding for training, equipment and other security needs that can be bought from other countries or companies.

Monday's package allows the U.S. to deliver weapons systems and other equipment more quickly since it takes them off the Defense Department shelves.

In addition to the rockets for the HIMARS, it includes 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery, 20 mortar systems and 20,000 rounds for them, 1,000 shoulder-mounted Javelin rockets, and other arms, explosives and medical equipment.

For the last four months of the war, Russia has concentrated on capturing the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists have controlled some territory as self-proclaimed republics for eight years. Russian forces have made gradual headway in the region while launching missile and rocket attacks to curtail the movements of Ukrainian fighters elsewhere.

Kahl estimated that Russian forces have sustained up to 80,000 deaths and injuries in the fighting, though he did not break down the figure with an estimate of forces killed.

He said the Russian troops have managed to gain incremental ground in eastern Ukraine, although not in recent weeks. But that has come at extraordinary cost to the Russian military because of how well the Ukrainian military has performed and all the assistance that the Ukrainian military has gotten. And I think now, conditions in the east have essentially stabilized and the focus is really shifting to the south.

The new funding is being paid for through $40 billion in economic and security aid for Ukraine approved by Congress in May.

This is the 18th time the Pentagon has provided equipment from Defense Department stocks to Ukraine since August 2021.

The U.S. and allies still are evaluating whether to supply aircraft to Ukraine, Kahl said. It's not inconceivable that western aircraft down the road could be part of the mix, he said.

Zelenskyy early in the war made near-daily appeals for warplanes, calling them essential to protecting Ukraine's skies. The U.S. and some other NATO countries feared that could draw them into more direct involvement with Ukraine's war against Russia, and have not provided Western aircraft.

Separately Monday, the Treasury Department said it was sending $3 billion more in direct economic assistance to Ukraine. Thats part of a previously approved $7.5 billion in economic assistance, with $1.5 billion yet to be disbursed.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.
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JOHANNESBURG (AP)  The United States sees Africa's 54 nations as equal partners in tackling global problems, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in South Africa Monday.

Our strategy is rooted in the recognition that sub-Saharan Africa is a major geopolitical force  one that has shaped our past, is shaping our present, and will shape our future, Blinken said at the University of Pretoria in a speech detailing the Biden administration's policies for Africa.

Its a strategy that reflects the regions complexity, its diversity, its agency; and one that focuses on what we will do with African nations and peoples, not for African nations and peoples, he said.

Blinken said that the United States and African nations cant achieve any of our shared priorities  whether thats recovering from the pandemic; creating broad-based economic opportunities; addressing the climate crisis; expanding energy access; revitalizing democracies; or strengthening the free and open international order  if we dont work together, as equal partners.

South African academics and students responded warmly to Blinkens speech, which was a broad declaration of U.S. intentions toward sub-Saharan Africa. The United States is often faulted for overlooking the continent in recent decades, opening space for Russian and Chinese interests to make significant inroads.

The United States' top diplomat is in South Africa as part of a three-nation tour of Africa including Congo and Rwanda in what is seen as a contest between Western nations and Russia to win support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.

Blinkens tour follows recent trips to African countries by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

South Africa is among many African countries that have taken a neutral stance on the Ukraine war.

Before his speech, Blinken met in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, with Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor. Pandor appears to have maintained her country's refusal to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, in a press briefing following the meeting, Pandor criticized the U.S. and other Western powers for focusing on the Ukraine conflict to the detriment of other international issues.

We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine, as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine, she said.

Before the closed-door meeting with Pandor, Blinken had said that the United States' good relations with South Africa would allow them to be frank in discussing their differences.

Many African countries have declined to follow the U.S. lead in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some were among more than a dozen African governments that have signed security deals with the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian mercenary group that the U.S. and other countries say is backed by the Kremlin.

Sub-Saharan nations also have been major recipients of Chinese investment through its Belt and Road Initiative, which supports infrastructure developments.

___

AP journalists Chris Megerian and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, D.C. contributed.
The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol has shown the destructive result of telling lies to the public about our elections.

Testimony from former Oath Keeper Jason Van Tatenhove and Jan. 6 rioter Stephen Ayres made clear that lies about the 2020 election were their primary motivation for attacking the Capitol. And make no mistake, the consequences of these lies could have precipitated a constitutional crisis and prevented the peaceful transfer of power, as conservative Judge J. Michael Luttig told the committee earlier this summer.

As a former Republican secretary of state from Kentucky, I take seriously the necessity to defend the integrity of Americas electoral system from conspiracies and lies like those that led to Jan. 6, 2021. Thankfully, the committee has shouldered this burden, relying on top Trump administration officials like former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, both of whom testified that government agencies could not produce any tangible instances of election fraud.

Furthermore, a recent report by several prominent Republicans titled Lost, Not Stolen carefully examines and convincingly refutes each false claim made by President Trump and his allies.

I remain involved with our nations election administration, and I can assure the American people that the quality of our election system is nothing like a Third World country, as Trump once said. During the aftermath of the 2020 election, Christopher Krebs, a former director of the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, rightly noted that the 2020 election was the most secure in American history. The reason is simple: States across the nation have implemented a sophisticated and secured system for receiving, counting and reporting ballots.

All Americans should feel pride that  as the worlds oldest democracy  our electoral system is so secure. Nothing is perfect, but we remain the gold standard for democracy. The improvements that can be made should be about bolstering access to and confidence in our system, not denigrating it.

One such policy  automated verification and registration  has been implemented in 20 states and Washington, D.C. Automated verification and registration automatically updates voter rolls when a change of address has occurred. With interstate data sharing, states can remove voters from their rolls when they have left the state. Combining these two systems replaced the older, paper-based voter registration system, making it cost-effective and accurate.

Then there are the voting machines. Thanks to the Big Lie, Dominion Voting Systems has become a household name. But for all of the conspiracy theories and lies that have been spread about the vulnerability of the machines, Dominion Systems are incredibly secure. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, there was no evidence that the systems were compromised in any election that the voting machines have been used.

And even if Republicans cannot reject election lies out of duty to the nation and the truth, too many of my fellow Republicans are advocating draconian measures to restrict voting access in the name of security. This could hurt Republicans at the ballot box, especially when focusing on our solutions to major national crises in contrast with the recent Democratic governing record. During the 2020 election in Kentucky, officials enacted policies to make it easier for our residents to cast a ballot without having to put their health at risk by expanding mail-in and early voting options. The results were expected: record turnout and Republican victories across the Bluegrass state.

Even with all the advanced technology, software and streamlined-yet-secured systems in place, the most important aspect of election infrastructure is the thousands of dedicated men and women who help run our elections. In some of the most compelling testimony to date, Georgia election worker Shaye Moss detailed how she and her familys lives were upended after she and her mom were the targets of far-right conspiracy theories. Election administrators across the country rely on countless Americans with roles similar to Shayes who helped our elections run smoothly and securely. They make a patriotic commitment to ensuring that every eligible American can exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Just like Shaye, I took pride in ensuring Kentuckys elections were secure and accessible because of how important it is for the public to trust that their democracy works. Thats why other elected officials should spend their time refuting lies by Trump and far-right media figures instead of staying silent or, in the worst cases, helping spread them. We now know the consequences of doing otherwise.
Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A CPAC panel featuring a Houston-area state school board candidate proudly displayed a banner proclaiming "We Are All Domestic Terrorists" during a Saturday session in the main event hall.

The panel was preceded by an announcer's voice stating: "Ladies and gentlemen: We are all Domestic Terrorists!" over the venue's speaker system. The announcement was matched by white text superimposed on a blue backdrop and banner that displayed the same message, according to video captured by a freelance reporter @Acyn.
Governor Greg Abbott's ongoing practice of bussing migrants detained near Texas' southern border to metropolises in other states has touched a new nerve with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who told reporters on Sunday that asylum seekers have arrived against their will in his city after being misled by officials in the Lone Star State.

On Sunday, Adams told Politico's Erin Durkin that more than 4,000 asylum seekers have attempted to seek refuge at the city's homeless shelters since May. "This is horrific, when you think about what the governor is doing," Adams said while meeting a bus of arriving migrants at the Port Authority bus terminal.

Governor Abbott announced in a Friday press release the arrival of the first bus sent to the city from Texas. Abbott called New York City "the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing the Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city."

Adams on Sunday maintained that a spike in the number of individuals seeking board at the city's homeless shelters in recent months is due to bussing efforts by state leaders in Texas and Arizona, which he says has been conducted without communication to city leaders and against the will of some asylum seekers.

"Some of the families are on the bus that wanted to go to other locations, and they were not allowed to do so," Adams said, per Durkin. "They were forced on the bus. Our goal is to immediately find out each family's needs and give them the assistance they want."

Abbott's office on Monday responded to Adams' remarks, castigating the mayor and denying migrants were coerced or misled into making the trip to New York City.

"What's horrific is the thousands of illegal immigrants overrunning and overwhelming our border communities with populations smaller than a New York City borough, and Mayor Adams is hypocritically upset about welcoming a few dozen into his sanctuary city," Abbott Press Secretary Renae Eze said in a written statement. "These migrants willing chose to go to New York City, having signed a voluntary consent waiver, available in multiple languages, upon boarding that they agreed on the destination."

Of the 40 passengers expected on the bus Adams met Sunday, only 14 individuals arrived at the New York City Port Authority terminal. The missing individuals appeared to have disembarked at stops along the way, according to Adams.

"It is unimaginable what the governor of Texas has done, when you think about this country, a country that has always been open to those who were fleeing persecution," Adams said. "We've always welcomed them. And this governor is not doing that in Texas. But we are going to set the right tone of being here for these families."

The New York mayor renewed appeals to the federal government for help in accommodating asylum seekers and blasted Abbott for failing to organize its bussing campaign with local authorities.

"It's unfortunate that the governor of Texas isn't coordinating," Adams said. "They're not giving us any information."

The mayor's remarks follow weeks of escalating words between himself and Abbott, who in an Aug. 1 letter invited Adams and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to "see firsthand the dire situation" at Texas' U.S. border. Adams rejected the offer in a statement provided to the New York Daily News' Michael Gartland.

"Instead of a photo-op at the border, we hope Governor Abbott will focus his energy and resources on providing support and resources to asylum seekers in Texas as we have been hard at work doing in New York City," Adams spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a written statement. "We continue to work with federal partners to receive additional financial resources immediately, but will never turn our backs on those in need who are arriving here."
WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, August 7, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Riverside County in southern California...

San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 630 PM PDT.

* At 253 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain

has fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,

urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

mainly rural areas of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.

* WHERE...A portion of Southern California, including the following

county, Riverside.

* WHEN...Until 400 PM PDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

Water over roadways.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 257 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to

thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly in the advisory area.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Idyllwild-Pine Cove, Anza, Mountain Center, Hwy 74 Between

Hemet And Mountain Center, Hwy 74 Between Mountain Center And

Anza, Lake Hemet and Cahuilla Indian Reservation.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Riverside County in southern California...

* Until 630 PM PDT.

* At 217 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of

rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,

urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Cottonwood Visitor Center.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.

* WHERE...A portion of Southern California, including the following

county, San Bernardino.

* WHEN...Until 315 PM PDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 218 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to

thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly in the advisory area. Between 0.25 and 0.5 inches of

rain have fallen.

- Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.25 inches are expected

over the area. This additional rain will result in minor

flooding.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Baldwin Lake, Hwy 18 Between

Baldwin Lake And Lucerne Valley, Hwy 38 Between Onyx Summit

And Sugarloaf, Woodlands and Fawnskin.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

North central Imperial County in southeastern California...

Riverside County in southern California...

* Until 330 PM PDT.

* At 244 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles northeast

of Bombay Beach, or 16 miles southeast of Chiriaco Summit, moving

northwest at 10 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Chiriaco Summit, Bombay Beach and Imperial Hot Mineral Springs.

This includes the following highways...

CA Interstate 10 between mile markers 75 and 89.

CA Route 111 between mile markers 48 and 65.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

If on or near the Salton Sea, get away from the water and move

indoors or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can strike out to

15 miles from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you

are close enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter

now! Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SAN DIEGO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY

Flood Advisory

National Weather Service San Diego CA

303 PM PDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...FLOOD ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues.

* WHERE...A portion of Southern California, including the following

county, San Bernardino.

* WHEN...Until 400 PM PDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 303 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to

thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly in the advisory area.

- Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.25 inches are expected

over the area. This additional rain will result in minor

flooding.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Baldwin Lake, Hwy 18 Between

Baldwin Lake And Lucerne Valley, Hwy 38 Between Onyx Summit

And Sugarloaf, Woodlands and Fawnskin.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Western San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 615 PM PDT.

* At 305 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or

expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water

crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Barstow, Daggett, Owl Canyon Campground, Newberry Springs, Nebo

Center and Lenwood.

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 15 in California between mile markers 81 and 95.

Interstate 40 in California between mile markers 1 and 21.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are

potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded

roads. Find an alternate route.

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

North Central Imperial County in southeastern California...

Riverside County in southern California...

* Until 715 PM PDT.

* At 307 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain in Box Canyon Road. Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain

have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,

urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

Chiriaco Summit, North Shore, Bombay Beach and Imperial Hot

Mineral Springs.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

1248 PM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Litchfield

County through 130 PM EDT...

At 1246 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

New Preston, or 7 miles east of New Milford, moving northeast at 25

mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

New Milford, Thomaston, Terryville, Woodbury Center, Oakville,

Northwest Harwinton, Watertown, Plymouth, Woodbury, Harwinton,

Bethlehem, Washington, Morris, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Candlewood

Springs, Hotchkissville, Reynolds Bridge, Hancock and River Road

Reserve.

Heavy rainfall is also ocurring with this thunderstorms and showers

and may produce ponding of water on roadways and poor drainage

flooding of low lying areas.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4149 7337 4151 7339 4150 7342 4159 7346

4175 7309 4180 7302 4179 7302 4164 7299

4163 7302 4161 7302 4161 7306 4159 7306

4159 7308 4157 7309 4156 7316 4151 7317

4151 7332 4148 7333

TIME...MOT...LOC 1646Z 234DEG 20KT 4163 7327

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM EDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values in the mid 90s to lower 100s.

* WHERE...In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In Massachusetts,

Southern Berkshire County. In New York, Eastern Greene,

Columbia, Ulster and Dutchess Counties.

* WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 8 PM EDT this

evening. For the second Heat Advisory, from 10 AM to 8 PM EDT

Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Binghamton NY

803 PM EDT Sun Aug 7 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT MONDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values of 95 to 100 degrees expected.

* WHERE...Yates, Seneca, Southern Cayuga, Onondaga, Steuben,

Schuyler, Chemung, Tompkins, Madison, Southern Oneida, Tioga

and Broome counties.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT Monday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows will be elevated in the

upper 60s to mid 70s offering little relief. The highest heat

index values will be located across lower elevations and urban

areas Monday afternoon through early evening.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT

MONDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 101 expected.

* WHERE...In New York, valley locations in eastern Sullivan

County. In Pennsylvania, lower elevations of Bradford,

Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Pike counties.

* WHEN...From 11 AM to 8 PM EDT Monday.

evening. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and

shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM EDT MONDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values in the middle 90s to lower 100s

expected.

* WHERE...In New York, the Capital District, Mid Hudson Valley,

Mohawk Valley, central and southern Taconics, and Glens Falls

Saratoga Region. In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In

Massachusetts, southern Berkshire County. In Vermont, eastern

Windham County.

* WHEN...From noon to 8 PM EDT Monday.

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED...

Heat indices have fallen below 95 degrees this evening, allowing

the advisory to expire.

Temperatures have dropped below heat advisory criteria, but warm

and muggy conditions will persist overnight.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Binghamton NY

534 PM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

Rain cooled air has settled in and allowed heat indices to drop

below 90.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 100.

* WHERE...In New York, Sullivan county. In Pennsylvania,

Lackawanna, Luzerne and Pike counties.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Fulton and

northwestern Saratoga Counties through 615 PM EDT...

At 534 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Caroga Lake Public Campground, or 8 miles west of Gloversville,

moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

Gloversville, Johnstown, Ephratah, Broadalbin, Edinburg, Northville,

Mayfield, Cranberry Creek, Caroga Lake Public Campground, Day Center,

Northampton Beach Public Campground, Caroga Lake, Mount Pleasant,

Berkshire, Bleecker, Meco, Munsonville, Tenantville, Sweets Crossing

and Shaw Corners.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4324 7442 4324 7433 4322 7432 4322 7422

4325 7422 4326 7414 4330 7415 4335 7394

4311 7385 4299 7456 4318 7465

TIME...MOT...LOC 2134Z 256DEG 36KT 4308 7450

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Oswego County in central New York...

* Until 345 PM EDT.

* At 244 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Battle Island

State Park, or near Oswego, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines.

* Locations impacted include...

Oswego, Pulaski, Selkirk Shores State Park, Mexico Point State

Park, Battle Island State Park, Hastings, Scriba, Richland, Palermo

and New Haven.

This includes Interstate 81 between exits 33 and 37.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Warren

and northern Washington Counties through 330 PM EDT...

At 245 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Chestertown, or 8 miles north of Warrensburg, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Winds up to 40 mph and heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

Warrensburg, Hague, Rogers Rock Campground, Chestertown, Bolton

Landing, Huletts Landing, West Haven, Putnam, Wright, Thurman,

Shelving Rock, Chipman Point, Starbuckville, Putnam Station,

Pottersville, Snody Dock, Sabbath Day Point, South Horicon, Riverbank

and Chipmans Point.

This includes Interstate 87 between exits 24 and 26.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4377 7335 4369 7340 4363 7343 4362 7342

4362 7338 4363 7337 4363 7330 4360 7329

4360 7330 4359 7338 4361 7338 4361 7342

4358 7343 4351 7394 4371 7392 4379 7359

4381 7338

TIME...MOT...LOC 1845Z 255DEG 32KT 4364 7379

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 9, 2022

_____

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Spokane WA

315 PM PDT Sun Aug 7 2022

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 11

PM PDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures in the

100 to 108F range with night time low temperatures in the mid 60s

to mid 70s.

* WHERE...Quincy, Winchester, Brewster, Waterville, Culdesac,

Nespelem, Ephrata, Wenatchee, Pomeroy, Othello, Okanogan,

Mansfield, Peck, Moses Lake, Bridgeport, Omak, Clarkston Heights,

Lapwai, Malott, Cashmere, Lewiston, Entiat, Clarkston, Gifford,

Nighthawk, Monse, Palisades, Oroville, and Chelan.

* WHEN...From Noon Monday to 11 PM PDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Excessive heat will significantly increase the potential

or heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or

participating in outdoor activities. Residents without air

conditioners will experience a build up of heat within their homes.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The hottest temperatures are expected to

occur on Tuesday for most locations. This event will be shorter

than the last heat wave and temperatures generally won't be quite

as hot.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of

the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose

fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning

or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and

heat stroke.

To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in

shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat

should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an

emergency! Call 9 1 1.

100 to 106F range. Overnight lows will be in the mid 60s to lower

70s.

* WHERE...Grand Coulee, Coulee City, Odessa, Creston, Ralston,

Electric City, Lamona, Stratford, Harrington, Coulee Dam,

Ritzville, and Wilbur.

Stay cool, stay hydrated, stay informed.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 11 PM PDT

TUESDAY...

* WHAT...High temperatures on Monday into Tuesday will be in the mid

90s to around 102F.

* WHERE...Portions of North and North Central Idaho. Portions of

North Central, Northeast, and Southeast Washington.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures will significantly increase the

potential or heat related illnesses, particularly for those

sensitive to heat. Residents without air conditioners will

experience a build up of heat within their homes during the

afternoon and evening hours.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
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As organizations brace for challenging economic conditions, they will need to be strategic and flexible on where they spend their resources to maintain business resilience. Proactive intelligence and automation tools will be essential as organizations enter survival mode, focusing on sustaining growth and efficiency. More importantly, organizations should ensure that even with a limited workforce and tightened budgets, the value and services they deliver to customers arent impacted.

However, monitoring and maintaining the myriad of infrastructure and application platforms that support business services is difficult when only using traditional methods. Investing in a solution that automatically and securely collects, aggregates, and analyzes data can enable teams with proactive intelligence to help organizations achieve quick time to value and be more productive.

With proactive intelligence, businesses can get ahead of potential issues and reduce both downtime and time to resolution so teams can focus on key priorities that maintain critical operations. This has a critical impact on businesses: one hour of IT downtime can often exceed one million to over five million dollars for mid-size and enterprise companies according to ITICs 2021 Hourly Cost of Downtime Survey. In addition, strategic investments in automation can help teams proactively identify and prevent problems while increasing security, reliability, and productivity. Rather than spending time firefighting, teams can focus on tasks that bring value to the business.

Automated Issue Avoidance

Between the move to the cloud, remote work, and the accelerated adoption of new technologies  IT complexity continues to grow with workforce attention already spread thin. Solutions that enable proactive intelligence services can help reduce pressure on IT teams by helping identify the problematic issues that cause downtime. Through AI/ML, more quickly through automated collection and analysis of product usage data. These capabilities provide a more effective mechanism for identifying potential problems, guiding how to remediate, and ultimately avoiding challenging service requests.

A large part of the support process today is dedicated to identifying the problem and determining its underlying cause. Without proactive support tools, companies are leaving value on the table. Expecting the unexpected in your IT environment means your business is solving problems that are broken  not just symptoms of problems  and avoiding issues before they occur.

Automate Common Workflows with APIs

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) can be a powerful tool in automating common support workflows. APIs are a highly technical yet important aspect of a businesss underlying IT infrastructure  they are integral to bridging systems and enabling seamless transfer of information and connectivity. APIs enable different systems, applications, and platforms to connect and share data with one another and perform varied types of functions. Without APIs, enterprise tools and their benefits could become siloed  resulting in a reduced bottom line.

As organizations scale their environments, APIs are key to improving the developer experience as they facilitate collaboration and reusability. A better developer experience means better DevSecOps productivity which translates into immediate business value. Creating a software development culture that optimizes the developer experience allows teams to invest less time in internal processes and more time in creating something valuable for their customers. By automating common tasks and eliminating manual intervention, APIs can help organizations foster better developer productivity while significantly reducing costs.

Improved Productivity

The process of identifying a problem, determining its root cause, and troubleshooting can be time-consuming, and requiring the customer administrator to communicate and contextualize information for every support request logged further adds to this time. Proactive intelligence capabilities can help arm customers with holistic visibility into their environment fostering a faster, smarter, and easier way to maintain a healthy and productive environment. Intelligence tools like VMware Skyline can help to empower teams with the insights to solve issues on their own, and enable those organizations to move from reactive, fire-fighting mode to a proactive, predictive, and prescriptive posture.

When enterprises have tools that empower proactive responses and automate issue resolution, teams can increase productivity and dedicate more time to other business priorities. In addition, by improving overall security posture and environmental health, businesses can realize performance improvements to translate to greater operational efficiencies.

Succeeding in todays business environment requires innovative approaches that lead to greater business operational agility. Break/Fix support is not enough anymore to monitor and support the extensive infrastructures enterprises have today that can span on-premises, remote sites, and the cloud.

Proactive intelligence and machine learning tools allow organizations to embrace an automated approach for troubleshooting, pinpointing root/cause analysis, guiding remediation and when needed an improved support experience that translates to more productivity for teams and better visibility into systems.

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Amnesty International

Amnesty International has said we fully stand by our findings following its report which said Ukrainian fighting tactics endanger civilians.

A report from the organisation alleged Ukrainian forces put civilians in harms way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas. A dispute over the report led the head of Amnesty Ukraine to resign.

Oksana Pokalchuk, head of Amnesty International Ukraine, said in a Facebook post on Friday that the report became a tool of Russian propaganda.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Amnesty International of an attempt to shift blame from the aggressor to the victim of aggression.

The orgainsation said its priority is ensuring that civilians are protected and added that this was our sole objective when releasing this latest piece of research.

We fully stand by our findings'

Amnesty International's statement said it stands by the report's findings, but deeply regrets the pain caused and wishes to clarify a few points.

It said: In our press release, we documented how in all 19 of the towns and villages we visited, we found instances where Ukrainian forces had located themselves right next to where civilians were living, thereby potentially putting them at risk from incoming Russian fire.

We made this assessment based on the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL), which require all parties to a conflict to avoid locating, to the maximum extent feasible, military objectives within or near densely populated areas. The laws of war exist in part to protect civilians, and it is for this reason that Amnesty International urges governments to comply with them.

This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country.

We must be very clear: Nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations. Russia alone is responsible for the violations it has committed against Ukrainian civilians. Amnestys work over the last six months and our multiple briefings and reports on Russias violations and war crimes reflect their scale and the gravity of their impact on civilians.

An Amnesty International UK spokesperson said: We stand firmly by our findings that the Ukrainian military have in some cases endangered Ukrainian civilians by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, while - of course - weve also spent months documenting numerous indiscriminate attacks and likely war crimes by Russian forces during their illegal invasion of Ukraine.

These findings are similar to earlier ones by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and by other human rights organisations.

We will not be commenting on specific statements from other parts of Amnesty International, but its important to note that this research was conducted in exactly the same way as all of our human rights research - with extensive due diligence, internal discussion and rigorous fact-checking.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
The Charity Commission is assessing concerns raised about the Barrowman Foundation, a significant donor to the Princes Trust.

Yesterday, the Guardian reported that the Charity Commission is investigating the Foundation over allegations that it received unsecured loans.

The regulator confirmed that it has opened a compliance case into the Foundation, which is listed as a platinum patron of the Princes Trust, a charity set up by Prince Charles in 1976.

Meanwhile, the Princes Trust said it has not received any funds from the Foundation's founder Doug Barrowman since February 2019 and does not intend to accept any further donations.

Princes Trust: We have no plans to accept further donations

A spokesperson from the Princes Trust said: We have not received any funds from Mr Barrowman since February 2019 and have no plans to accept any further donations.

The Charity Commission has made no findings of wrongdoing at this time and is unable to comment any further while the investigation is ongoing.

A Charity Commission spokesperson told Civil Society News: We have now opened a regulatory compliance case into the Barrowman Foundation and will engage with trustees to assess concerns raised.

Civil Society News has contacted the Barrowman Foundation for comment.

Funding arrangements

Founded by businessman and philanthropist Barrowman in 2017, the Foundation supports charities that work with vulnerable young people.

In 2016, Barrowman pledged to give 2m to the Princes Trust to build a centre in Manchester. Barrowman also sat on the board of the One Million Lives Campaign, which had raised 40m to support the work of the trust.

The Foundations accounts show that it made grants and donations of 620,740 in 2020 and 532,341 in 2018-19. The Foundations main pledges for both years were to the Princes Trust. It had no income for the financial year ended 31 December 2020 and three trustees.

According to the Guardian, the Foundation is funded by loans from Barrowman, amounting to around 1.5m. The Princes Trust previously came under fire for making the Foundation a platinum patron, with critics saying that it was an inappropriate decision.

Barrowman owns the Knox Group of companies, an independent group of businesses with assets under management and administration approaching 3bn. Earlier this year, it was accused of being involved in tax avoidance schemes and fined by HM Revenue and Customs 150,000 for not complying with a tax investigation .

Editors Note: This piece has been updated to clarify that the One Million Lives Campaign has now stopped.

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HAVANA (AP)  A fire set off by a lightning strike at an oil storage facility raged uncontrolled Saturday in the city of Matanzas, where four explosions and flames injured 121 people and left 17 firefighters missing, Cuban authorities said.

Firefighters and other specialists were still trying to quell the blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, where the fire began during a thunderstorm Friday night, the Ministry of Energy and Mines tweeted. Authorities said about 800 people were evacuated from the Dubrocq neighborhood closest to the fire,

The government said it had asked for help from international experts in friendly countries with experience in the oil sector.

Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said the U.S. government had offered technical help to quell the blaze. On his Twitter account, he said the proposal is in the hands of specialists for the due coordination.

Minutes later, President Miguel Diaz-Canel thanked Mexico , Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of help. The first support flights from Mexico and Venezuela were expected to arrive at Matanzas airport Saturday night.

The official Cuban News Agency said lightning hit one tank, starting a fire, and the blaze later spread to a second tank. As military helicopters flew overhead dropping water on the blaze, dense column of black smoke billowed from the facility and spread westward more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) toward Havana.

Roberto de la Torre, head of fire operations in Matanzas, said firefighters were spraying water on intact tanks trying to keep them cool in hopes of preventing the fire from spreading.

Cubas health minister reported late Saturday that 121 people were injured with five of them in critical condition. There were no deaths. The Presidency of the Republic said the 17 people missing were firefighters who were in the nearest area trying to prevent the spread.

The accident comes as Cuba struggles with fuel shortages. There was no immediate word on how much oil had burned or was in danger at the storage facility, which has eight giant tanks that hold oil used to fuel electricity generating plants.

I was in the gym when I felt the first explosion. A column of smoke and terrible fire rose through the skies, resident Adiel Gonzalez told The Associated Press by phone. The city has a strong smell of sulfur.

He said some people also decided to leave the Versailles district, which is a little farther from the tank farm than Dubrocq.

Many ambulances, police and fire engines were seen in the streets of Matanzas, a city with about 140,000 inhabitants that is on Matnzas Bay.

Local meteorologist Elier Pila showed satellite images of the area with a dense plume of black smoke moving from the point of the fire westward and reaching east to Havana.

That plume can be close to 150 kilometers long, Pila wrote on his Twitter account.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LIND, Wash. (AP)  A small town in Washington state that was evacuated due to a fast-moving fire was largely spared Friday, while in California crews made progress against the states deadliest and largest wildfire of the year.

Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner said the fire that had been threating the eastern Washington town of Lind was contained after burning six homes and eight other structures. He said firefighters were watching over hot spots.

The sheriffs office had told Linds residents to evacuate on Thursday afternoon because of the encroaching flames. With the help of state and local resources, the fire started to calm down and by 8 p.m. Thursday all evacuation orders were lifted for the community of about 500 people approximately 75 miles (121 kilometers) southwest of Spokane.

Wagner said Friday that a firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation and was flown to Spokane for treatment had been released and was recuperating at home.

State officials said Friday that Washington is experiencing its worst fire activity of the year between the fire in Lind and several others that sparked this week, The Seattle Times reported.

With rising temperatures and thunderstorms in the forecast, its likely to get worse before it gets better, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and officials with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources said at a media briefing.

Meanwhile, in California, fire crews on Friday had a massive wildfire 30% contained and had managed to carve firebreaks around much of the week-old blaze.

The McKinney Fire destroyed much of the small hamlet of Klamath River near the Oregon border and killed four people, whose identities havent been confirmed by authorities.

The blaze forced thousands from their homes and destroyed more than 100 buildings, including at least 87 residences, authorities said at a Friday night community meeting.

The fire hasnt advanced much for days as thunderstorms dumped brief but heavy rain on the fires eastern flanks and more firefighting resources were sent to battle the blaze, which has burned about 93 square miles (241 square kilometers).

However, some of the storms didnt produce much rain but released gusty winds that drove flames _ especially when the blaze first erupted on July 29 _ and lightning that sparked dozens of smaller blazes, which firefighters managed to prevent from spreading.

Forecasts were calling for triple-digit temperatures and plunging humidity levels this weekend, along with possible winds that could create conditions for further wildfire growth.

The conditions Sunday and Monday are going to be almost identical to when this fire started, fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns said. The biggest fear is that  we have a jackpot of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter.

The concern is that the tinder-dry trees and brush could burn so hot that they create a towering pillar of smoke that can make its own weather, including lightning, Burns said.

California and much of the rest of the West is in drought and wildfire danger is high, with the historically worst of the fire season still to come. Fires are burning throughout the region.

The Moose Fire in Idaho as of Friday had burned more than 105 square miles (273 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest near the town of Salmon. Steep terrain and extremely dry fuel conditions were continuing to pose challenges for firefighters but officials said firefighters were hoping to extend and strengthen containment lines with more favorable weather forecast in the next few days.

Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. California has seen its largest, most destructive and deadliest wildfires in the last five years.

Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Haven Daley in Klamath River, Calif., and Lisa Baumann in Seattle contributed to this report.

About the photo: This photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows smoke from a wildfire burning south of Lind, Wash. on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. Sheriffs officials are telling residents in the town of Lind in eastern Washington to evacuate because of a growing wildfire south of town that was burning homes. (Washington State Department of Transportation via AP)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Clifford Chance hires US litigation and regulatory partner Vasu Muthyala, further strengthening Asia Pacific Litigation team

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance announced that today partner Vasu B. Muthyala joins its Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice, based in Singapore.

As one of the few former US Department of Justice prosecutors and US Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement lawyers in Asia, Vasu brings extensive experience advising on a broad range of cross border government investigations and regulatory enforcement matters. His practice focuses on US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, anti-money laundering, sanctions and securities fraud.

Nish Shetty, Head of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice for Asia Pacific said, "We are delighted to welcome Vasu to the team. His impressive track record representing individuals and multinational corporations on the full range of government investigations and regulatory matters builds on and deepens our comprehensive offering to clients in the region."

Matthew Newick, Global Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution added, "We continue to see strong demand from our clients across the entire spectrum of international regulatory issues. Vasu's experience and credentials mean he is ideally placed to help our clients navigate these challenges. Our teams in Asia Pacific and in the US are looking forward to working with him closely."

Rob Houck, Americas Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution said, "Vasu is an exciting addition to our US L&DR offering in Asia Pacific, covering FCPA violations, AML, sanctions and securities fraud. He will be able to bring significant value to our clients navigating issues in real time as part of our global team."

Vasu served as a prosecutor with the US Department of Justice and as an enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was also a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group of US President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, focusing on financial crimes relating to the financial crisis and economic recovery efforts.

Vasu joins from Kobre & Kim. He is qualified in Washington DC and California.

The addition of Vasu is the latest in a series of targeted senior level hires designed to further strengthen the firm's leading global white-collar crime practice. These include the appointment of CFIUS and Trade Control partner Renee Latour and anti-money laundering and data governance counsel Jamal El-Hindi in Washington DC, regulatory and white-collar defence counsel Tom Joksimovic in New York, and Christopher David as director of white-collar crime in London.
In this photo provided by Chinas Xinhua News Agency, a People's Liberation Army member looks through binoculars during military exercises as Taiwans frigate Lan Yang is seen at the rear, on Friday, Aug. 5. China is holding drills in waters around Taiwan in response to a recent visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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U.S. keeps sanctioning Iran as "pressure leverage": Iranian lawmaker

Xinhua) 08:50, August 08, 2022

TEHRAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- While the ongoing negotiations in Vienna are aimed at the removal of anti-Iran sanctions, the United States keeps sanctioning as leverage to pressure the Islamic republic, an Iranian spokesperson told official IRNA news agency on Sunday.

"Although we emphasize that the sanctions are oppressive and against the rights of our people and should be removed, and we are negotiating in Vienna to remove these sanctions, the other side (U.S.) is trying to use sanctions and the increase in the number of sanctioned companies as a pressure leverage and influence in the negotiation process," said Abolfazl Amoui, spokesperson of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament.

His remarks were a reference to Iran's informal negotiations with the European Union over the past weeks to thaw the ice in the Vienna process, while the United States imposed a series of new sanctions against entities related to Iran's petrochemical exports recently.

Emphasizing that sanctions against Iran should not go unanswered, Amoui noted that "the decision of the Islamic republic is a logical decision which shows that it has the capability to increase the capacity of uranium enrichment."

Therefore, the opposite party must have accurate calculations in applying pressure against Iran, and that action against Iran does not go without reaction, the Iranian lawmaker stressed.

Regarding the recent injection of gas into the advanced centrifuges in Iran, he said that Iran has acquired "good capabilities in the nuclear industry and centrifuge production, including the production of advanced generation or IR6 centrifuges, which can accelerate the process of enriched uranium."

The new round of talks to revive the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), began in Vienna on Thursday after a five-month hiatus.

Iran signed the nuclear deal with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
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As regulators hand out hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for record-keeping failures related to the use of social messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, the finance industry faces a choice: properly enforce bans on the use of these apps or find ways to make them compliant.

The explosion of new electronic communications channels  and the pervasive use of these  raises lots of red flags for the regulators, said Anthony Diana, a partner at law firm Reed Smiths Tech & Data Group. The fear is that, if bad things are happening, they're happening on these personal apps, not on the sanctioned communication channels that are surveilled.

Anthony Diana Anthony Diana, a partner at law firm Reed Smiths Tech & Data Group.

Apps such as WhatsApp have been around for years, but their use in the financial sector grew during the COVID-19 pandemic as financial advisers and traders worked from home and sought ways to keep in contact with colleagues and clients.

Banks typically banned such consumer apps outright, but that stance has begun to shift for some firms who are now opting instead to capture conversation data for compliance purposes. That allows staffers to use the communication tools they prefer  and, most importantly, the tools their clients prefer  while staying on the right side of regulators.

"Addressing regulatory requirements around capturing, archiving, and monitoring the use of mobile communications is a difficult problem, said Raul Castanon, senior analyst at 451 Research, a division of S&P Global Market Intelligence. The shift to hybrid work and the growing use of mobile communications post-pandemic make it increasingly relevant for organizations to enable compliant communications.

Said Diana: There's recognition that people are still going to use some email, but there has to be other ways of communicating. Now, the rush is on to identify the channels that make the most sense from a business perspective, and then make sure the technology is in place to make sure it's captured and surveilled correctly.

With two billion active users, WhatsApp is the most popular consumer messaging tool, though its far from the only one. iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Telegram, and Signal have all made their way into the workplace as smartphones have proliferated and corporate bring your own device schemes mature.

It comes down to simplicity and convenience, said Ari Lightman, distinguished service professor, digital media and marketing, at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Why would you use a platform that's theoretically not provided by your company? Because of ease of use. We spend so much time in email that it becomes a time sink; everybody becomes horribly inundated, so they go to messaging apps.

While the use of unsanctioned communication apps can be a headache for any company, the problem is more acute in highly regulated industries. Banks are compelled by regulators to keep a record of employees business-related communications to help tackle fraud, insider trading, market manipulation, and other forms of misconduct.

Ari Lightman Ari Lightman, Distinguished Service Professor, Digital Media and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

Even if the vast majority of messages sent are harmless, the use of social messaging apps means regulators lose visibility into whats being said. That's the crux of it: if you don't know what's happening on those platforms, there's suspicion associated with it, said Lightman.

US regulators target tier-one firms

Its not a new problem in the finance sector. Fines have been levied for uncompliant use of various communications technologies for years, but regulators have begun to take an even tougher stance around personal messaging apps in recent months.

Most notably, JPMorgan was hit with a combined $200 million in fines from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in December for failure to monitor and store electronic communications between 2018 and 2020. The SEC cited the use of WhatsApp, text messages, and personal email accounts for business matters  a common practice even among senior staff members tasked with enforcing compliance with corporate policies.

And its proved to just be the start: Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and HSBC were among the banks that announced cooperation with an SEC investigation in annual financial results statements earlier this year. Reports have since emerged that Citi, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs are in talks with regulators to pay around $200 million due to a failure to monitor unauthorized messaging apps. Barclays and Morgan Stanley have both reportedly set aside a similar amount for related fines.

But while its the large banks that have drawn the ire of regulators so far, the issue is widespread across the industry. Every financial institution thats subject to these regulations is in the crosshairs of the regulators, said Diana. Theyre starting with the big [banks] because that sends the message to the entire industry that this is a focus.

Capturing WhatsApp messages

Banks have long been able to access software and services from compliance technology vendors that enable the recording of SMS and voice data. As the use of social messaging apps has become more pervasive, some vendors have added capabilities to track social messaging apps in recent years too.

There are different approaches to achieve this. For some, it involves provisioning a separate, corporate version of WhatsApp on users phone, with a different phone number to hand out to clients. A WhatsApp wrapper can be deployed via a mobile device management (MDM) or enterprise mobility management (EMM) platform to provide archiving for WhatsApp messages on iOS and Android devices, as well as desktop versions of the app. Other options include the use of virtualization technology that enables co-hosting of two or more secure virtual environments on a single mobile device, said Castanon.

Its typically possible to capture instant message data from direct messages and group chats, as well as voice and video calls, shared links, files and other attachments.

Some of the main vendors offering WhatsApp capture include Guardec, LeapXpert, Movius, Symphony, TeleMessage, and Voxsmart.

Movius, which also sells software to monitor and record voice calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages on mobile devices, counts JPMorgan Chase and UBS among its customers. The Financial Times recently reported that German lender Deutsche Bank has told its staff to install the app on smartphones.

Movius Movius' software can monitor and record voice calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages on mobile devices.

Movius declined to comment on its customers. but Movius CEO Ananth Siva said banks are increasingly aware of the need to provide staff with whichever tools they use to conduct business.

If you don't equip them with a channel that the clients of the firm are asking to interact on, then you're going to have all these challenges [with regulators], said Siva. All the firms we're working with right now are very, very conscious of this. Some of them have been working at it for a number of years and are better equipped to address these challenges, others can be fast followers.

Movius approach is to provide an app that can be downloaded on an employee device, creating a separate phone number that is used for business-related communications. All messages sent or calls made via the number can be automatically recorded. With the app installed, finance professionals can send WhatsApp messages to clients, who receive a notification asking them to opt in to monitoring on of the conversation  though clients dont need install the app on their own device.

The prospect of monitoring messaging apps inevitably raises privacy concerns, even in an industry thats already subject to extensive monitoring. A requirement that employees install monitoring apps on their personal smartphones could lead to some difficult conversations, not least with senior executives.

However, Siva said the Movius app siloes communications from the rest of a user's smartphone, enabling them to have an independent WhatsApp profile for personal use. In that case, personal messages should  theoretically, at least  be exempt from monitoring. Our technology facilitates that work/personal separation on the same device, he said. The instances are completely separate.

Once conversation data has been captured, it can be treated like any source of communication data thats monitored for compliance purposes.

Bank staff rely on a variety of authorized digital tools to communicate internally and externally, such as chat functionality within Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters Eikon terminals, as well as widely used collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and video platforms including Zoom. By capturing WhatsApp conversations, the data can be made available for e-discovery and monitoring, just like any other channel, said Shiran Weitzman, CEO of Shield, a communication compliance software vendor. In the same way that we're doing this for Bloomberg chat or an email, it's being done also on WhatsApp, he said. We basically make the channel irrelevant for the compliance work.

In addition to collating and archiving communications for audits, natural language processing can be applied to the conversation data to flag signs of potential misconduct. Its also possible to monitor and raise alerts when employees try to shift a conversation to unapproved channels, highlighting phrases such as lets move the conversation to Telegram, that might appear in an email exchange or Teams chat.

Steeleye Americas Brian Lynch, president of SteelEye Americas.

We have a module in our surveillance platform that looks specifically for words like, 'Let's move this WhatsApp, or to Telegram, Ping me on Signal, or whatever it might be, said Brian Lynch, president of US operations at SteelEye, a compliance monitoring and reporting software vendor. It gives an indication in the existing monitored channels that might belie some use of WhatsApp.

Would an outright WhatsApp ban even work?

Despite the prevalence of WhatsApp as a business communication tool, relatively few actually monitor the app's use. Only 15% of financial institutions currently monitor the platform, according to a survey of 170 senior compliance professionals conducted by SteelEye. Even fewer track popular workplace collaboration app Slack (9%), while Microsoft Teams (40%), Bloomberg Chat (40%) and Zoom (25%) are more likely to be on the monitored. (The survey data covers finance firms in a range of sizes, so the results may not be representative of the stance taken by the largest, tier one firms.)

The SteelEye research also found that 41% of financial services firms see communication monitoring as an priority in the next 12 months, indicating a potential shift in attitude.

Its unsurprising that so few institutions monitor the use of WhatsApp, said Lynch, given that many rely on internal policies to enforce bans on the use of such tools. There's a significant number that have decided that policy is how they're going to manage [the use of messaging apps], he said.

John Lukanski John Lukanski, a partner in Reed Smiths Financial Industry Group.

Even in the face of increased regulatory scrutiny, many financial services firms will be content to double down on enforcing policies to limit the use of messaging apps. But for those that choose this approach, its important to recognize that these apps are still likely to be accessed by staff, and to take sufficient steps to enforce policies.

A firm can choose which way it wants to go, but it can't just be, We're going to ban it, versus We're going to allow it, said John Lukanski, a partner in Reed Smiths Financial Industry Group. If you're going to ban it, you certainly need a supervisory process in place to police that. I don't think you can say, 'We're not going to let you use this,' but then, with a wink and a nod, know that it's going on nevertheless.

Whichever approach they take, financial institutions should be considering their strategy as regulators loom. The regulators are looking to have a reckoning moment, so you've got to be smart enough to recognize that and do something about it, said Lukanski.

Hybrid/remote work increases use of messaging apps

Whichever approach banks adopt, its clear that personal messaging apps arent going anywhere  and while WhatsApp is the most popular tool currently, the landscape can quickly change. With the different ways that people can communicate, it's going to be an ever-present, evolving challenge to keep up, said Lukanksi.

Beyond the proliferation of different mobile messaging tools, the frequency with which they're used is likely to have increased during the pandemic as staff worked from home and turned to a variety of digital tools. The UKs Financial Conduct Authority warned last year that the risk from misconduct or market abuse may be heightened by homeworking with increased use of unmonitored messaging tools.

The use of all of these personal communications channels was certainly accelerated by the pandemic, because people needed a new way to communicate, said Diana. A lot of the control functions that have been used in the past  like limiting what they could do from the desktop  fell by the wayside."

Although theres been high-profile pushback by some finance firms over employees working remotely, it appears that hybrid work is likely to remain commonplace across the financial sector. A survey on behalf of technology vendor Riverbed indicated that most (83%) of IT and business decision makers at financial services firms expect at least 25% of their employees will continue working on a hybrid model post-pandemic, while almost half (42%) of respondents expect half of their workforce will be hybrid.

If thats the case, firms will be hard pressed to end the use of personal messaging apps entirely.

Were seeing a complete disruption of how we work, how we communicate, and how we engage; mechanisms that are much more convenient and usable have just exploded, said Lightman. The genies out of the bottle: you have to figure out how to live symbiotically with these types of platforms.
Singapore falls in rankings of highest expatriate packages

Expatriate salary and benefits packages in Singapore rose by a modest 4% in 2021 in local currency terms despite the citys fall to 22nd place in the rankings of the costliest places to employ expatriates globally.

This was one of the findings of the latest MyExpatriate Market Pay Survey published annually by ECA International, the world's leading provider of knowledge, information, and software for the management and assignment of employees around the world.

ECA International's MyExpatriate market pay research- breakdown of Asia's top 10 expatriate packages. Photo courtesy: ECA

When considering the cost of an expatriate package, companies need to factor in three main elements: the cash salary, benefits  such as accommodation, international schools, or cars  and tax. To assist companies relocating staff with benchmarking their packages against the market, ECA conducts its annual MyExpatriate Market Pay Survey of pay levels for expatriates around the world, including benefits, allowances, salary calculation methods, and tax treatment.

Although rates of pay growth were relatively modest in local currency terms, once package values were converted into USD, their total value rose by a total of 10%, which represented a significant recovery from the year before, said Lee Quane, Regional Director  Asia at ECA International. Salaries recovered after falling by an average of USD 1,000 per annum in 2020, while benefits costs, such as those around accommodation expenses, also rose as many employers provided financial assistance to their expatriate staff in meeting rising accommodation costs as the rental market bounced back in 2021.

Overall, the cost of employing an expatriate in Singapore rose by approximately 10% to just under USD 250,000 per annum, with cash salaries seeing increases of about 9.5% in USD terms, Quane added.

Asia Highlights

Elsewhere, Australia and New Zealand both saw significant rises of eight and 16 positions in the global rankings to 7th and 13th place respectively, owing to a variety of reasons including the strengthening of their currencies, increased benefits costs, and income tax changes in the past 12 months.

China remains the location with the third-highest expatriate packages in the region after Japan and India.

While its position in the rankings remains unchanged, cash salaries paid to expatriate staff increased by over 11% in 2021 in USD terms compared to the year before, said Quane. This was partly influenced by the relative strength of the Chinese Yuan, but may also be attributed to companies having to offer higher salaries in order to attract and retain expatriate staff, as China continued to impose its zero-Covid policy throughout the year.

On the other hand, while expatriates in most other locations in the region saw their salaries rise at an average rate of 9% and overall packages by 10% in 2021, expatriate packages in Hong Kong saw much lower increases compared to the regional average, with salaries rising by 4.5% and overall packages rising by only 1%.

Salary and benefits packages for expatriate staff in Hong Kong recovered slightly in 2021 following a fall at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cash compensation packages rose by 4.5% in USD terms, but this was lower than rates of growth seen in other regional economies such as Japan and Singapore.

Furthermore, the costs of benefits continued to decrease, as they did in 2020, contributing to a fall of three places for Hong Kong to 8th in our rankings, Quane added.

Many countries also joined Singapore and Hong Kong in falling down the rankings. These included Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Quane explained, While all locations in the region saw an increase in the pay packages for expatriate staff, many still fell in our rankings as their rates of growth were lower than those experienced elsewhere in the world. Japan, for example, saw the value of expatriate packages increase by 4% in 2021. Nevertheless, it is no longer the location with the highest expatriate packages worldwide, having been overtaken by the UK, where the overall value of an expatriate package rose by over 9% in USD terms.

Malaysia remains the location in the region with the lowest expatriate salary and benefits packages, even though cash salaries rose by 11% in 2021. Expatriates in Malaysia saw their cash compensation rise at a rate which was higher than the regional average, explained Quane. Despite this, Malaysia remains the location in the region with the lowest salary and benefits packages for expatriate staff.

Read more Singapore News and Expats News here
While ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) are leading causes of security incidents for businesses, geopolitics and deepfakes are playing an increasing role, according to reports from two leading cybersecurity companies.

VMwares 2022 Global Incident Threat Response Report shows a steady rise in extortionary ransomware attacks and BEC, alongside fresh jumps in deepfakes and zero-day exploits.

A report based on cases involving clients of Palo Alto Unit 42's threat analysis team echoed VMwares findings, highlighting that 70% of security incidents in the 12 months from May 2021 to April 2022 can be attributed to ransomware and BEC attacks.

VMware, in its annual survey of 125 cybersecurity and incident response professionals, noted that geopolitical conflicts caused incidents with 65% of respondents, confirming an increase in cyberattacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Deepfakes, zero-days, API hacks emerge as threats

Deepfake technologyAI tools used to create convincing images, audio, and video hoaxes is increasingly being used for cybercrime, after previously being used mainly for disinformation campaigns, according to VMware. Deepfake attacks, mostly associated with nation-state actors, shot up 13% year over year as 66% of respondents reported at least one incident.

Email was reported to be the top delivery method (78%) for these attacks, in sync with a general rise in BEC. From 2016 to 2021, according to the VMware report, BEC compromise incidents cost organizations an estimated $43.3 billion.

VMware also noted that the FBI has reported an increase in complaints involving the use of deepfakes and stolen Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to apply for a variety of remote work and work-at-home positions.

In the 12 months to June this year, at least one zero-day exploit was reported by 62% of the respondents, up by 51% year over year, said VMware. This surge can also be attributed to geopolitical conflicts and thereby nation-state actors, as such attacks are fairly expensive to carry out and mostly useful just once, according to the report.

Meanwhile, more than a fifth (23%) of all attacks experienced by respondents compromised API security, with top API attack types including data exposure (42%), SQL injection attacks (37%), and API injection attacks (34%), according to the VMware report.

As workloads and applications proliferate, APIs have become the new frontier for attackers, said Chad Skipper, global security technologist at VMware, in a press release. As everything moves to the cloud and apps increasingly talk with one another, it can be difficult to obtain visibility and detect anomalies in APIs.

Seventy-five percent of VMwares respondents also said they had encountered exploits of vulnerabilities in containers, used for cloud-native application deployment.

Fifty-seven percent of the professionals polled by VMware also said they had experienced a ransomware attack in the past 12 months, while 66% encountered affiliate programs and/or partnerships between ransomware groups.

Ransomware uses known exploits to maintain offense

On its part, the Unit 42 study also noted that ransomware continues to plague cyberspace, with a handful of evolved tactics. LockBit ransomware, now in 2.0 release, was the top offender, accounting for almost half (46%) of all the ransomware-related breaches in the 12 months to May.

After LockBit, Conti (22%), and Hive (8%) led the ransomware offensive for the year. Also, finance ($7.5 million), real estate ($5.2 million), and retail ($ 3.05 million) were the top segments, with respect to the average ransom demanded.

Known software vulnerabilities (48%), brute force credential attacks (20%), and phishing (12%) were the leading initial access means, acording to the Unit 42 report. The brute force credentials attacks typically focused on the remote desktop protocol (RDP).

Apart from zero-day exploits, a handful of common vulnerabilities contributed significantly (87%) to this years tally, including Proxyshell, Log4j, SonicWall, ProxyLogon, Zoho ManageEngine, ADSelfService, and Fortinet, according to the Unit 42 report.

While insider threats were not the most common type of incidents Unit 42 handled (only 5.4%), they posed a significant threat considering that 75% of the threats were caused by a disgruntled ex-employee with enough sensitive data to become a malicious threat actor, the security group said.

On its part, VMware reported that 41% of respondents to its poll said they encountered attacks involving insiders over the past year.

Top cybersecurity predictions and recommendations

Unit 42 report made a few key predictions from the observations made from its incident report cases. The predictions include:

Time from zero-day vulnerability reveal to exploit will continue to shrink

Unskilled threat actors will be on the rise

Cryptocurrency instability will increase business email and website compromises

Difficult economic times may lead people to turn to cybercrime; and

Politically motivated incidents will rise

VMwares conclusion from the study recommends sanitary practices such as focusing on cloud workloads holistically instead of segmenting and quarantining affected networks; inspecting in-band traffic to eliminate imposters; integrating network detection and response (NDR); continuous threat hunting; and zero trust implementation.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  In a recent closed-door meeting with leaders of the agencys counterterrorism center, the CIAs No. 2 official made clear that fighting al-Qaida and other extremist groups would remain a priority  but that the agencys money and resources would be increasingly shifted to focusing on China.

One year after ending the war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden and top national security officials speak less about counterterrorism and more about the political, economic and military threats posed by China as well as Russia. Theres been a quiet pivot within intelligence agencies, which are moving hundreds of officers to China-focused positions, including some who were previously working on terrorism.

Intelligence officials stress that the counterterrorism fight is hardly being ignored. Just a week ago, it was revealed that a CIA drone attack killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Kabul. But days later, China staged large-scale military exercises and threatened to cut off contacts with the U.S. over House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan. It underscored the message CIA deputy director David Cohen had delivered at that meeting weeks ago: The agencys top priority is trying to understand and counter Beijing.

The U.S. has long been alarmed by Chinas growing political and economic ambitions. China has tried to influence foreign elections, mounted campaigns of cyber and corporate espionage, and detained millions of minority Uyghurs in camps. Some experts also think Beijing will in coming years try to seize the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan by force.

Intelligence officials have said they need more insights on China, including after being unable to definitively pinpoint the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beijing has been accused of withholding information about the origins of the virus.

And the war in Ukraine has underscored Russia's importance as a target. The U.S. used declassified information to expose Russian President Vladimir Putin's war plans before the invasion and rally diplomatic support for Kyiv.

Supporters of the Biden administration approach note that the fact the U.S. was able to track and kill al-Zawahri is evidence of its capabilities to target threats in Afghanistan from abroad. Critics say the fact that al-Zawahri was living in Kabul, under the apparent protection of the Taliban, suggests there's a resurgence of extremist groups that America is ill-equipped to counter.

The shift in priorities is supported by many former intelligence officers and lawmakers from both parties who say its overdue. That includes people who served in Afghanistan and other missions against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said he believed the U.S. had been overly focused on counterterrorism over the last several years.

A far greater existential threat is Russia and China, said Crow, a Colorado Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees. Terrorist groups, he said, will not destroy the American way of life ... the way China can.

CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp noted that terrorism remains a very real challenge.

Even as crises such as Russias invasion of Ukraine and strategic challenges such as that posed by the Peoples Republic of China demand our attention, CIA will continue to aggressively track terrorist threats globally and work with partners to counter them, Thorp said.

Congress has pushed the CIA and other intelligence agencies to make China a top priority, according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. Pushing resources toward China has required cuts elsewhere, including in counterterrorism. Specific figures were unavailable because intelligence budgets are classified.

In particular, lawmakers want more information about China's development in advanced technologies. Under President Xi Jinping, China has committed trillions of dollars in investment on quantum science, artificial intelligence and other technologies that are likely to disrupt how future wars are fought and economies are structured.

As part of the shift, congressional committees are trying to better track how intelligence agencies spend their funding on China, seeking more detail about how specific programs contribute to that mission, one person familiar with the matter said.

We are late, but it's good that we're finally changing our focus into that region, said Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. That means in people, in resources, in military assets, and in diplomacy.

The CIA last year announced it would create two new mission centers  one on China, one on emerging technologies  to centralize and improve intelligence collection on those issues. The CIA is also trying to recruit more Chinese speakers and reduce wait times on security clearances to hire new people faster.

Inside the agency, many officers are learning Chinese and moving into new roles focused on China, though not all of those jobs require language training, people familiar with the matter said.

Officials note that intelligence officers are trained to adapt to new challenges and that many were moved more quickly into counterterrorism roles after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Advances from counterterrorism work  including better use of data and different sources of intelligence to build networks and identify targets  are also useful in countering Russia and China, former officers said.

Its the analytics and targeting machine that has become extraordinary, said Douglas Wise, a former CIA senior officer who was deputy chief of operations at the counterterrorism center.

The CIA's Counterterrorism Center, renamed the Counterterrorism Mission Center in a 2015 reorganization, remains a point of pride for many people who credit its work for keeping Americans safe from terrorism after Sept. 11. CIA officers landed in Afghanistan on Sept. 26, 2001, and were part of operations to displace the Taliban and find and kill leaders of al-Qaida including Osama bin Laden.

And 13 years after a double agent tricked officers pursuing al-Zawahri and blew himself up, killing seven agency employees, the CIA killed him in a strike with no reported civilian casualties.

The CIA was also involved in some of the darkest moments of the fight against terrorism. It operated secret black site jails to hold terrorism suspects, some wrongly, and was found by a Senate investigation to have used interrogation methods that amounted to torture. Elite Afghan special operations units trained by the CIA were also accused of killing civilians and violating international law.

There's long been a debate over whether counterterrorism pulled intelligence agencies too far away from traditional spying and whether some of the CIA's work in targeting terrorists should instead be done by special forces under the military.

Marc Polymeropoulos is a retired CIA operations officer and former base chief in Afghanistan. He said he supports a greater focus on China and Russia but added, Theres no reason to diminish what we had to do."

This notion that somehow all the CT work we did, somehow that was wrong, that we took our eye of the ball  just remember on Sept. 12 what everyone was feeling, he said.

Re-orienting the agencies toward more of a focus on China and Russia will ultimately take years and require both patience and recognition that the agencys culture will take time to change, Wise said.

For decades, we have been doing counterterrorism, Wise said. Weve got to have a rational plan to make this adaptation, which doesnt take so long that our enemies can exploit a glacial process.
STAMFORD  The company that touts its mission to help people get jobs is set to remain one of the states largest corporate employers for the foreseeable future after reaffirming its commitment to its hometown.

Indeed, one of the worlds largest career-services providers, has renewed its office leases in downtown Stamford, where it has added several hundred employees in the past few years. The new leasing deals validate state officials decisions in the past few years to make Indeed eligible for tens of millions of dollars in jobs-focused subsidies, reflecting their belief that companies such as Indeed are crucial to Connecticut becoming a hub in the digital economy.

We are honored to be a part of the Connecticut community, Indeed said in a statement, in response to an inquiry. Connecticut offers access to a strong talent pool from across a broad number of occupations. Indeed is excited to continue growing our employee base in Connecticut.

The company did not make anyone available for an interview for this article.

The lease renewals involve two properties. At 177 Broad St., the company is leasing 150,273 square feet, which the company said is more space than it took previously, but it declined to quantify the increase. A couple of blocks south at 107 Elm St., it doubled its footprint from about 24,000 square feet to approximately 48,000 square feet.

A total of about 1,100 employees are based in those offices, with the companys customer success and sales departments having the largest representation. The Stamford offices comprise the companys joint headquarters, alongside the other headquarters in Austin, Texas. Worldwide, the company employs about 13,300.

On its website, Indeed describes itself as the No. 1 job site worldwide, one that is available in more than 60 countries and 28 languages and receives more than 250 million unique visitors per month.

While the company has maintained a presence in Stamford since its 2004 founding, the state Department of Economic and Community Developments support in recent years has reinforced its commitment to Connecticut.

In July 2017, Indeed and DECD announced in an event at 177 Broad their first agreement, at which point the company employed about 750 in Stamford. Indeed qualified for a $7 million loan and up to $15 million in tax credits. The loan would be fully forgiven and the maximum amount of tax credits would be delivered if the company creates 500 additional jobs by the end of 2031.

State officials were keen to secure a long-term job commitment from the company, especially since Connecticut was struggling to recover from its 2008-2010 recession. They were also worried about the possibility of more corporate exits in light of GEs move in 2016 of its headquarters from Fairfield to Boston.

The reality is we are competing with other states and other counties and other cities, and we certainly understand that, then-Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said at the July 2017 event. I think for a long period of time Connecticut did not understand that and moved entirely too slowly.

Malloy bristled at those who questioned the deal, adding that, If people complain about a loan forgiveness that totals that little money for 500 (new) jobs, on top of 750 jobs  most of which grew over the last couple of years in Connecticut  then they should stop reporting on things like GE.

In 2019, DECD bolstered its support of the company through another jobs-focused contract. Under the 2019 agreement, Indeed qualified for a $10 million loan and $5 million in tax credits. The 2019 loan would be fully forgiven and the tax credits would be disbursed if the company increases its Connecticut contingent to 1,700 employees by the end of 2031.

Indeed is an important part of Connecticuts high-tech landscape, and I am thrilled the company chose to invest and grow here, DECD Commissioner David Lehman, who took the job following Gov. Ned Lamonts election in November 2018, said in a statement. Their contributions, however, extend beyond the jobs they have created and the economic benefits they generate for our economy. Indeed is also an active and engaged partner with the state on policy matters and other issues, which is something I really value.

In contrast with the criticism of state subsidies awarded to companies that have struggled to meet their job goals  most notably, banking giant UBS, which has shed several hundred jobs in Connecticut in the past few years  state legislators on both sides of the aisle appear generally supportive of the state incentives for Indeed.

Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, a Democrat, showed her support by attending the July 2017 event. At the time, she was serving as a state representative and co-chairwoman of the legislatures Commerce Committee.

Their decision to expand in Stamford demonstrates that our city is a vibrant and attractive place for young people to live and work and for businesses to start and grow, Simmons said at the time. We hope we can continue to attract more business growth and job creation like this in Stamford so that we can reduce our unemployment rate and provide more job opportunities.

Simmons was not available to comment for this article, following several messages sent to a spokesperson. Messages left for a spokesperson for state Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol, the ranking Senate member of the Commerce Committee, were not returned.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
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FAIRFIELD  Lauren Seeliger was a typical teenager  going to high school, working as a lifeguard and babysitter and hanging out with friends.

Then she started experiencing symptoms of what was eventually diagnosed as a rare brain tumor that were making it difficult to maintain her normal life.

I noticed I was losing hearing in my left ear in the fall of 2020, she said. My hearing just slowly started to decline.

Seeliger, 16, said her friends and mom teased her about it, saying she needed to get her ears checked. But last November, other symptoms started to appear.

I noticed my balance was progressively getting worse. I had Bells palsy in November, she said, noting the facial weakness only lasted a few weeks. November is when things started to pile up a little bit more. In April of 2022, I felt like I was losing peripheral vision in my left eye.

Seeliger said her balance got so bad she could barely walk in a straight line or go up the stairs without gripping the railing. She also noted that she had been experiencing hip pain.

Seeliger said she was on the rowing team up until last fall, but was getting so fatigued that she would come home after practice and fall right asleep. She was so low energy that she would fall asleep in school sometimes, which was not normal for her.

I definitely noticed my energy levels were off, she said. I had a hard time focusing in school.

Seeliger said tried to live with her issues, assuming they would go away. It was not until her vision started to go that she knew something was really wrong.

After many trips to different doctors, it was discovered that she had a large tumor on her brainstem, as well as tumors on her spine, which were causing her symptoms. After a stint in St. Vincents Medical Center, she was admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital, where she had surgery to remove the brain tumor on May 27.

Dr. Jennifer Moliterno, the Yale Medicine neurosurgeon who performed the operation, said the large tumor on Seeligers brainstem was dangerous and causing a build-up of spinal fluid. She noted that type of tumor is more commonly found in adults.

Its incredibly rare in this age group, she said. Of course, weve seen it, because we see everything here.

Surgery

Seeliger said one of the doctors at St. Vincents Medical Center who read her MRI told her they needed to make a plan right away for the brain tumor.

She added they did not know about the other tumors on her spine until she had a full body MRI in New Haven in May.

The doctors at Yale were incredible, Seeliger said, and made sure she understood what was happening without overwhelming her with too much information at once. She said her parents were also very helpful, noting she had a great support system.

While she did not feel scared the night before the surgery, Seeliger said, she remembers feeling scared as they brought her in for the operation.

There were so many people around me, she said. That was a little bit scary. I had never seen so many doctors in one place  all focusing on me at the same time.

Moliterno said the surgery removed that tumor and alleviated the back-up of fluid, noting a shunt was later put in to allow the fluid to drain. She said there are a number of risks involved in dissecting a tumor on such a critical area of the body, but that the surgery went well.

She said Seeliger brought a really beautiful attitude into the situation.

On our end it was about experience, she said. But on her end, we had a really great, motivated patient. Shes a really sweet girl.

Recovery

Moliterno noted that Seeliger still has facial weakness that will take a longer time to recover than other parts of her body.

Seeliger said she and her doctors have not yet come to a conclusion on how they will address the other tumors. She said she will have frequent MRIs to monitor them for growth and check for new ones.

Theres, of course, chances, for more brain tumors to grow, she said.

Seeliger lost hearing in her left ear permanently, but said it is not that bad and she is learning to live with it.

I dont know what exactly fully recovered means, but I consider myself fully recovered, she said. I am back to doing my normal activities now. I am doing a lot better than I was a year before surgery.

This experience changed her perspective on life in several ways, Seeliger said, noting first that she had a lot more appreciation for doctors. But, she said, it also changed the way she thinks about how the world works.

There are so many people going through things that you wont even recognize, she said. I dont know how long the tumor was growing inside of me, but you would have never known.

Seeliger said she also appreciates the basic things she can do again that the brain tumor was impacting  like walking, hearing, working out or hanging with friends without falling asleep.

Little things that you take for granted, but Im more appreciative now of everything that I can do, she said. Im almost like a little kid just happy to be exploring the world again.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
Crabgrass rules!!!.

In this dry, hot summer, the more genteel grasses in my yard are browned up, burnt up.

But in August, the ever-resilient crabgrass is thriving, filling up the bare spaces, taking over the corners and the edge along my driveway. The grass is always greener, if somewhat indelicate, where it grows.

Nor is my yard alone. Across the continent, in village green and city sidewalks, along dirt roads and interstate highways, crabgrass is growing. In a droughty year like this one, it doubles down.

This year is terrible, said landscape architect Camilla Worden, of Sherman. Its growing like gangbusters.

Ive got it all over the place, said Nancy Alderman, president of Environment and Human Health in New Haven.

What to do?

If I was a responsible keeper of lawns, I would have applied a pre-emergent herbicide on my lawn in the spring. Or I would spend a few precious hours of every day digging every crabgrass stalk out of my lawn, believing against all odds that next year, it will be gone.

Or I can do what Ive done all my life. Let it be. Laissez le bon crabgrass rouler. Its an annual. It dies off in the fall. Because it is a prolific seed producer  150,000 seeds per plant  I know it will return.

It is, in fact, an ancient plant, found around the world. Its common name comes from its appearance  its leggy stalks grow out like a crabs legs. Its Latin name, Digitaria, means fingers.

Crabgrass is a grass. The U.S. government sang its praises in the 19th century when it encouraged farmers in the Midwest to plant it as a forage crop  it grows almost everywhere and is nutritious livestock feed. If you are so inclined, you can still buy crabgrass seed for your fields.

Settlers from Central and Eastern Europe brought crabgrass with them, using its seeds as grain  it was known as Polish millet. In western Africa, a close cousin of crabgrass seed  fonio  is still harvested and considered a delicacy.

Today, it is considered by almost everyone as a weed.

The Farmers Home Almanac defines a weed as a plant that among other things is simply undesirable where it is growing Crabgrass, the almanac says, is a perfect example of a lawn weed.

(On the other hand, Ralph Waldo Emerson defined a weed as a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.)

Crabgrass went from forage and seed crop to non-native invasive annoyance in part because farmers discovered others  wheat and corn  that grew better and were more profitable

In the post-World War II era, the concept of the perfect suburban lawn arose. It needed an enemy. Crabgrass  unloosed and growing prolifically  was a perfect target.

In the 1950s, there were newspaper articles calling crabgrass the No. 1 enemy, said historian Ted Steinberg of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. During a political campaign, John F. Kennedy was asked what his position on crabgrass was  the idea being that if he was against it, hed get the suburban vote.

Steinberg is a historian of the intersection of environmental, social and legal history. His 2006 book American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn is about how the chemical industry sold Americans on the need to surround their homes with a perfect green carpet.

Steinberg said the herbicides developed after World War II  especially 2-4-D  work great on plants like dandelion and clover. It has no effect on grasses. But crabgrass is a grass. All the herbicide does is make it stand out more.

Which Steinberg said, is why the lawn care industry now promotes using pre-emergent herbicides on crabgrass in the spring.

It kills crabgrass and God knows what else, he said.

Lawn care is now a more than $40 billion a year industry in North America. It requires a lot of money, a lot of work, a lot of chemicals and a huge amount of watering to keep that monoculture green carpet unblemished. Its been estimated that 30 percent of the water on the East Coast is expended on lawn watering.

Alderson of Environment and Human Health said, if you live in a neighborhood that depends on wells for drinking water, you probably should be testing that water if your neighbors are lawn perfectionists.

Pesticides dont stay in one place, she said. Groundwater travels.

Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com
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DENVER (AP)  A woman and a sheriff's deputy were fatally shot at a home in southern Colorado over the weekend and the suspected gunman was later found dead inside the home, authorities said Monday.

El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Peery, 39, was wounded Sunday after he arrived with two other law enforcement officers to investigate a report of a shooting at the home in the community of Security-Widefield near Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs police said in a statement. John Paz, 33, fired at the officers, hitting Peery, and another sheriff's deputy returned fire, police said.
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Nicole Schmidt vividly remembers the pain she felt watching body camera footage of her daughter Gabby Petito sobbing while Utah police officers questioned her about a fight with her boyfriend.

The video was released last summer after Petito had gone missing during a cross-country van trip with her boyfriend. Schmidt was desperately looking for her daughter and on the video she saw a young woman crying for help.

Instead of answering those cries, police in the tourist town of Moab, Utah, allowed the couple to leave after requiring them to spend one night apart.

Petitos strangled body was discovered the next month on the edge of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, admitted killing her in a notebook discovered near his body in a Florida swamp, where he took his own life, authorities have said.

The officers actions that day are the center of a wrongful death lawsuit the Petito family announced Monday they plan to file against Moab, arguing the officers failed to recognize their daughter was in a life-threatening situation last year and in need of help.

I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her, said Schmidt, wiping away tears as she appeared by video at a news conference to announce a notice of claim filed Monday.

After the notice of claim was filed, Moab city government spokesperson Lisa Church declined to comment, saying the city does not comment on pending litigation.

Notices of claims are required before people can sue government entities and the familys claim said that the lawsuit will seek $50 million in damages. Moab officials have 60 days to respond before the family can file a lawsuit based on the claim.

The family's lawyer, James McConkie, told reporters in Salt Lake City that the officers fail to recognize the serious danger that she was in, and failed to investigate fully and properly.

He added: "They did not have the training that they needed to recognize the clear signs that were evident that morning, that Gabby was a victim and that she was in serious need of immediate help."

Public workers such as police officers typically have immunity from lawsuits in many states, including Utah. Debate over that legal doctrine, known as qualified immunity, emerged after police shootings in 2020 and has reached both Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Petito familys attorneys said they planned to argue that applying Utahs governmental immunity law to wrongful death claims is unconstitutional and a roadblock to accountability.

The only effective way to correct these problems is to hold our institutions accountable for failures, including law enforcement, said another Petito family attorney, Brian Stewart.

The search for Petito drew worldwide attention, spurring amateur sleuths to scour social media for clues. It also brought scrutiny of authorities and the news media, both of which have been criticized for focusing more attention on missing white women than on women of color.

Earlier this year, an independent investigation found that police in Moab made several unintentional mistakes when they came across Petito and Laundrie. In the report, police said it was very likely that Petito was a long-term victim of domestic violence, whether that be physically, mentally, and/or emotionally.

Petito and Laundrie were originally from Long Island, New York.

In addition to filing the notice of claim, Schmidt recently announced a $100,000 donation from the Gabby Petito Foundation to partner with the National Domestic Violence Hotline to help others survive turbulent and violent relationships.

Schmidt told The Associated Press in an interview last week that she still has many unanswered questions about what went wrong.

Looking back, I didnt really see any signs. I think the only two people that will ever know what happened in that relationship was Gabby and Brian. And we can guess and we can make assumptions but we dont really know what happened, she added. Most likely the scenario ended that way because something was happening for a while.
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HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong will reduce the mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to three days from a week, the citys leader said Monday.

The southern Chinese city remains one of the few places in the world, together with mainland China, to require a quarantine to guard against travelers spreading COVID-19 to the local population. The policy taking effect Friday will be Hong Kongs shortest quarantine for arrivals since the pandemic began.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said arriving travelers must quarantine three days in a designated hotel, then undergo four days of medical surveillance during which their movements will be restricted via the use of a health code system.

Lee said the new policy of just three days in quarantine was made after scientific evidence and data had been analyzed to control the risk factors.

We also have to balance the risks against the economic activities and the social lives of (people in) Hong Kong, Lee said.

(The data) gives us the indication that the risk factor of people who have finished three days' quarantine in a designated hotel  is actually no more than the risk level of transmission in society, he said.

The changes to COVID-19 policies come in spite of an increase in daily infections, which city health officials warn could double to 8,000 in the coming weeks.

During their week of quarantine and surveillance, travelers will also have to test regularly for COVID-19 and those who are infected must stay in isolation.

Those who test negative can use public transit and enter malls and markets, but they can't enter bars and amusement parks or visit elderly homes, schools and certain medical facilities.

For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong has imposed some of the world's strictest COVID-19 entry restrictions. At one point, Hong Kong required up to 21 days of compulsory hotel quarantine for travelers and a circuit breaker mechanism that would ban flights from certain airlines into the city if they imported too many COVID-19 cases.

These measures have devastated the city's tourism industry and disrupted business travel in a city known for being an international financial center and a business hub.

Sally Wong, CEO of the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association, welcomed the reduction in quarantine, describing it as a major step forward.

She said quarantine in Hong Kong would have to be removed altogether for the city to regain its competitiveness.

But what can move the dial is  how we can go from three days to zero, Wong said. Many conferences, meetings, etc. are planned months ahead and if the government can (shed) light on the next step, it would be extremely helpful."

Since the pandemic began, hundreds of thousands of residents have left Hong Kong. Many companies have also relocated to countries like Singapore where quarantine-free travel has resumed.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, which has allegedly helped to launder more than $7 billion worth of virtual currency since its creation in 2019.

Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control says Tornado Cash's systems were used, among other things, to launder more than $96 million drawn from the June Harmony blockchain bridge theft and August Nomad crypto firm heist.

Mixing services combine various digital assets, including potentially illegally obtained funds and legitimately obtained funds, so that illegal actors can obscure the origin of the stolen funds.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the U.S. "will continue to pursue actions against mixers laundering virtual currency for criminals and those who assist them.

The new sanctions point to the growing use of digital assets to perpetuate illegal acts by state actors and individuals. Lawmakers and administration officials have voiced concerns about the use of cryptocurrency to engage in illicit acts.

The United States will not hesitate to use its authorities against malicious cyber actors, to expose, disrupt, and promote accountability for perpetrators and enablers of criminal activities, Blinken said.

Mondays actions are the second-ever set of sanctions imposed on a digital currency blending firm.

The U.S. accuses Tornado Cash of helping to launder a portion of the more than $600 million stolen by Lazarus Group, the sanctioned North Korean cyber hacking group, in one of the largest-known virtual currency heists to date.

In May, the U.S. announced sanctions against North Korean digital currency mixing firm Blender.io, accused of helping Lazarus Group to carry out the digital currency heist in March.

And while the government says Tornado Cash has laundered around $7 billion, Tom Robinson, co-founder of Elliptic, a blockchain analysis firm, estimates that the amount of funds laundered through Tornado is much lower, but at least $1.5 billion.

Robinson said it should be noted that there are legitimate uses of mixers such as Tornado, such as to preserve financial privacy.

Tornado Cash has repeatedly failed to impose effective controls designed to stop it from laundering funds for malicious cyber actors on a regular basis and without basic measures to address its risks, said Brian Nelson, Treasurys undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

He said the agency will continue to aggressively pursue actions against mixers that launder virtual currency for criminals and those who assist them.

In March, President Joe Biden issued an executive order on digital assets, in part calling for federal regulators to help mitigate the illicit finance and national security risks posed by misuse of digital assets.

___

Frank Bajak in Boston contributed to this report.
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NEW HAVEN  The current stretch of hot weather is expected to linger until Monday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters issued a heat advisory for Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties early Sunday morning, as well as portions of New York and New Jersey, to continue through 8 p.m. Monday.

The heat index  a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature, according to the National Weather Service  was expected to reach 102 degrees across much of the state on Monday, officials said.

Forecasters advised residents to seek air-conditioning, stay out of the sun, check up on relatives and neighbors and to reschedule strenuous outdoor activities to the early morning or evening.

Anyone overcome by the heat should be moved to a cool and shaded place, officials said, noting that heat stroke is a medical emergency.

The heat index was expected to reach into the upper 90s in New Haven county on Sunday, officials said. Significant humidity is likely, with winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour.

There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, according to the service.

In Hartford, the head index may hit 101 on Sunday. Gusts up to 23 miles per hour are possible as well, and there is some chance of rain.

In Torrington, a high of 88 is expected on Sunday; in Bridgeport, a high near 90 and heat index values near 98 is in the offing.

On Monday, heat index values are forecast at 101 degrees, officials said. There is also a 20 percent chance of rain, officials said, with humidity expected again.

The forecast for the weekend comes on top of several days of hot and humid weather in Connecticut.

Earlier in the week, Gov. Ned Lamont announced he would activate the states extreme hot weather protocol, which allows state and local municipal officials to coordinate the opening of cooling centers for vulnerable populations.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
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CINCINNATI (AP)  At least nine people were wounded  none critically  in a shooting outside a Cincinnati bar early Sunday, police said.

The shooting took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside Mr. Pitifuls bar in the Ohio citys Over-the-Rhine district, a popular nightlife area. Most of the victims suffered wounds to their lower halves, Lt. Col. Mike John of the Cincinnati police told reporters.

John said during a Sunday news conference that eight men and one woman ranging in age from 23 to 47 were wounded. All nine people treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center had been released, hospital spokesperson Heather Chura told The (Cincinnati) Enquirer.

A police officer fired one round at a suspect who fled the scene, but it was unclear if that person was hit, something John called a little unusual." More shots were fired after that person fled, so police believe at least two people were shooting, he said.

What I can tell you is that the individual that he fired at was actively shooting a firearm at that time, John said. The suspect fled the scene. He said he believed there was no question" that the officer's immediate response saved lives.

Police said a fight broke out between two groups, and officers saw at least two people involved brandish firearms and shoot at each other, The Enquirer reported.

John said police used what he called two bang balls  a percussion instrument with a very loud noise  to disperse a crowd they said had gathered around officers trying to provide aid to the wounded.

Another shooting in the neighboring Central Business District left two wounded, but police said it wasn't related.

Mayor Aftab Pureval called the gunfire completely and totally unacceptable."

The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture," Pureval said, lauding officers for a quick response that likely saved many more from injury and prevented the loss of life."
BROOKFIELD  The attorney representing a college student who was the victim in a hit-and-run crash says his client heard the tires peel out as the Dodge Charger sped away after totaling her Kia Optima.

The driver of the state-owned Charger  Connecticut State Police Sgt. Catherine Koeppel  was issued a misdemeanor summons for following too close and evading responsibility three days after the July 24 crash, state police said. She was released on a promise to appear this week in state Superior Court in Danbury. Koeppel was originally scheduled to appear Tuesday, but her court appearance has been pushed back to Friday.

She was stopped at a red light, and she got rear-ended  twice  by the same person, who then sped off, attorney Joseph Foti said in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media, describing what happened to his client, a 20-year-old New Milford college student.

Two weeks since the crash, state police have released few details about the incident. State police have not said where the off-duty Koeppel went following the crash, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. July 24 on Route 7 in Brookfield. State police have also not said why Koeppel left the scene without checking on the other driver.

The state police Public Information Office has declined to answer questions, citing an ongoing internal affairs investigation.

Koeppel, 36, is still reporting to work for desk duty, but her police powers have been suspended, state police said.

She could not be reached for comment and her attorney, Gene Zingaro, declined to comment.

State police said Koeppel and the driver of the car she is accused of hitting had no apparent injury.

However, Foti said his client was injured in the crash and is scheduled to start physical therapy for neck and back injuries.

Foti said his clients car, which he said she needs to drive to work to pay for college, was totaled in the crash.

According to the state police, the collision occurred on Route 7 near the intersection with Route 202 in Brookfield. State police responded to and investigated the crash because Route 7 is a state road.

Both vehicles were in the lane for northbound traffic when Koeppels Charger rear-ended Vehicle No. 1, the Kia, according to a brief police report known as an Accident Information Summary. Foti said his client was stopped at a red light when she was rear-ended.

The accident report indicates one tow truck company responded to the scene of the crash to remove the Kia. The report also states another company towed the state police vehicle, but it doesnt indicate where the Charger was located when it was towed.
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BEIJING (AP)  China said Monday it is extending threatening military exercises surrounding Taiwan that have disrupted shipping and air traffic and substantially raised concerns about the potential for conflict in a region crucial to global trade.

The announcement further increases uncertainty in the crisis that developed last week with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

The exercises will include anti-submarine drills, apparently targeting U.S. support for Taiwan in the event of a potential Chinese invasion, according to social media posts from the eastern leadership of Chinas ruling Communist Partys military arm, the Peoples Liberation Army.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and its leader, Xi Jinping, has focused on bringing the self-governing island democracy under the mainlands control, by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty.

Xi is seeking a third term as Communist Party leader later this year. His control over the armed forces and what he has defined as Chinas core interests  including Taiwan, territorial claims in the South China Sea and historic adversary Japan  are key to maintaining his nationalist credentials.

The military has said the exercises, involving missile strikes, warplanes and ship movements crossing the midline of the Taiwan Strait dividing the sides, are a response to Pelosis visit.

China has ignored calls to calm the tensions, and there was no immediate indication of when it would end what amounts to a blockade.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China would firmly safeguard Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely deter the U.S. from containing China with the Taiwan issue and resolutely shatter the Taiwan authorities illusion of relying on the U.S. for independence.

Asked in Dover, Delaware, on Monday about Chinas response to Pelosis visit, U.S. President Joe Biden said: Im not worried, but Im concerned theyre moving as much as they are. But I dont think theyre going to do anything more than they are.

Chinas slowing economic growth, which has reduced options among migrant workers as well as college graduates, has raised the specter of social unrest. The party has maintained its power through total control of the press and social media, along with suppression of political opponents, independent lawyers and activists working on issues from online free speech to LGBTQ rights.

China doesnt allow public opinion polls, and popular opinion is hard to judge. However, it generally skews in favor of the government and its efforts to restore Chinas former dominant role in the region that puts it in conflict with the United States and its allies, including Japan and Australia.

Taiwans defense ministry said Sunday it detected a total of 66 aircraft and 14 warships conducting the naval and air exercises. The island has responded by putting its military on alert and deploying ships, planes and other assets to monitor Chinese aircraft, ships and drones that are simulating attacks on the island of Taiwan and our ships at sea.

Meanwhile, Taiwans official Central News Agency reported that Taiwans army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung county on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises.

The drills will include snipers, combat vehicles, armored vehicles as well as attack helicopters, said the report, which cited an anonymous source.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called on the international community to support democratic Taiwan and halt any escalation of the regional security situation. The Group of Seven industrialized nations has also criticized Chinas actions, prompting Beijing to cancel a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.

China has cut off defense and climate talks with the U.S. and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit.

In Washington, Taiwanese de facto ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao said China had no reason to be so furious over Pelosis visit, which follows a long tradition of American lawmakers visiting Taiwan.

Well, you know, we have been living under the threat from China for decades, Hsiao told CBS News on Sunday. If you have a kid being bullied at school, you dont say you dont go to school. You try to find a way to deal with the bully.

Colin Kahl, the U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, told reporters Monday that Beijings reaction to Pelosis visit was a manufactured crisis, noting that the U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China remains unchanged and that Congress is an independent body of government.

Clearly, the PRC is trying to coerce Taiwan, clearly theyre trying to coerce the international community. And all I say is, were not going to take the bait and its not going to work, he said.

He said U.S. forces in the region would continue to operate, fly and sail wherever is permitted under international law, including the Taiwan Strait.

On a visit to Myanmar, whose Chinese-backed military government has been accused of murdering its opponents, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington was taking the opportunity to build up its military deployment in the region, which deserves high vigilance and resolute boycott from all sides.

Chinas firm stance is aimed at earnestly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability, Wang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for a cooling of tensions. Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge deescalation, and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for, and the whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored, Wong told reporters in Canberra.

___

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Dover, Delaware, and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
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MANSFIELD  A 21-year-old man was arrested Sunday after leading troopers on a high speed chase in a stolen Ford Mustang before crashing and attempting to escape from officers by diving into a lake, according to state police

The pursuit began around 11 a.m. when troopers investigating a report of a stolen white Ford Mustang observed Jacob Cormier, of Willington, operating the vehicle on Ashford Center Road in Ashford, state police said in a news release Sunday.
Shortly before appointing Patrick Griffin to be Connecticuts chief states attorney, Criminal Justice Commission Chair and Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald brought up a systemic dilemma involving the states money bail system.

McDonald pointed to two recent cases to illustrate the disconnect between the public perceptions of how bond recommendations are made and how they are actually determined.

The first involved a 15-year old Latino boy who was jailed on a $150,000 bond in Stamford for allegedly having an inappropriate sexual relationship with an 11-year-old. The other featured a white attorney in Litchfield County charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm, whose bond was set at $50,000.

Cases like these, McDonald suggested, feed into the distrust that members of communities of color have of the criminal justice system.

Theres a raging debate across the country whether cash bail should even be used, and some states have jettisoned it all together, McDonald said. And, you know, in a perfect world, it can work well. In an imperfect world, where we all dwell, it can have devastating consequences.

In Connecticut, those devastating consequences have, in some cases, meant staying in jail for years, awaiting a jury to find someone innocent because they cant afford to post bail.

One of the states that has scrapped cash bail is New Jersey. The legislature, with the backing of then-Republican Gov. Chris Christie, passed a bill in 2014 that largely eliminated the states money bail system. The result: thousands fewer people are held in jail who otherwise might not have been able to purchase their freedom.

We had a provision of our constitution that required bail in all cases other than capital cases, and we didnt have the death penalty, which meant you had bail in every case, said Alexander Shalom, the senior supervising attorney and director of Supreme Court advocacy for the ACLU of New Jersey. But it was a totally ephemeral because courts did not interpret it to mean that you had a right to a bail that you could afford. It was just that you had a right to bail.

Attorneys say the situation is similar in Connecticut, which also allows for a constitutional right to bail except in capital cases.

Thats the Connecticut status quo, said Alex Taubes, a civil rights attorney who appealed an emergency bond reduction motion all the way to the state Supreme Court in 2020. A lot of times, bails are set at levels where you might as well add a zero or two zeroes or three zeroes to it, because its just completely unrealistic, and its just a de-facto detention order. Its indistinguishable from no bail at all.

New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2014, largely ending cash bail and transitioning the state to a risk-based pretrial system. Three years later, Connecticut legislators compromised with the powerful commercial bail industry and preserved elements of the cash bail system.

Connecticut has been touted as a leader in criminal justice reform, becoming the first state in the U.S. to cut its incarcerated population in half since its peak in 2008. But unlike in Illinois, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., Alaska and California, Connecticut has not eliminated its cash bail system  and key members of the criminal justice community are not in favor of uprooting it.

As the point person on criminal justice policy for former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Michael Lawlor was among those who led the charge to end money bail in 2017.

Lawlor, a former legislator who was chair of the Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2011, said the for-profit cash bail system  which, besides the Philippines, is unique to the U.S.  pressures people to plead guilty to get out of jail. Often, Lawlor said, they agree to a sentence of probation and, ultimately, get trapped in the criminal justice system.

The No. 1 crime for which people are incarcerated is violation of probation, said Lawlor, now an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven. If I had the power to do one thing to improve the criminal justice system, I would eliminate money bail. That is one thing that is almost unique about the United States, and where Connecticut is falling a little bit behind the curve of reforms that youre seeing elsewhere in the country.

Not for lack of trying. The Connecticut Sentencing Commission is finishing a report detailing alternatives to the states cash bail system. Despite broad agreement that the money bail system can keep poor people locked up who otherwise would be able to go home if they had the money to bond out, members arent going to give any recommendations that could lead to the end of cash bail in Connecticut.

We couldnt reach an agreement on the proposal, said Alex Tsarkov, the commissions executive director.

One of the issues is that there are criticisms of the systems in every state that has abolished money bail, Tsarkov said; maybe the list of crimes for which someone can be detained pretrial is too wide-ranging, or the legal bar to keep people detained pretrial isnt high enough.

There is not yet a perfect model out there for Connecticut, Tsarkov said. If we had a great model, I think it would be easy to argue in favor of it.

A new system, familiar disparities

In March 2013, the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes alternatives to the war on drugs, published a bombshell report about New Jerseys jails. They found that 1,547 people  12 percent of the entire jail population  were locked up solely because they couldnt afford to post a bond of $2,500 or less. About 800 of those people, none of whom had been convicted of their crimes, couldnt scrape together $500. ,

It kind of just put numbers to a flawed system that many of us were already aware of but hadnt really thought through the way that study emphasized, said Joseph Krakora, New Jerseys public defender.

After the report came out, Krakora wrote a letter to the states chief justice, asking him to set up a committee to review the cash bail system.

The Chief Justice created a joint committee of advocates, defense attorneys and prosecutors. A year later, their recommendation was unanimous: move away from cash bail and instead move toward a risk-based model, where people are held pretrial based on the likelihood their release poses a danger to the community.

Krakora said the old system, where a persons likelihood of getting out of jail was tied to how much money they had, did not make a person any more likely to show up to court, supposedly its foundational premise.

Our clients arent any more likely to come back to court because grandma put up a thousand bucks than if they were just released and told to report to court by the judge, said Krakora.

The cash bail system is premised on the risk of flight, said Krakora. The idea, he explained, is that if you have to pay money to get out of jail, and getting that money back is dependent on you coming back to court, then youre more likely to show up for your hearings.

So, Krakora said, the cash bail system should only be based on a persons risk of fleeing.

But of course, thats where the fiction lies, right? Krakora said. Because the judge is obviously going to set a higher bail if he or she is concerned that this person is likely to go out and shoot people or rob people or rape people if you let them out before trial. It has nothing to do with whether hes going to come to court.

After the joint task forces recommendations, legislators got to work. The Democratic legislature had the support of Republican Gov. Christie, whom Shalom said wanted a preventative detention model, essentially locking people up pretrial to keep them from committing crimes or avoiding prosecution.

His idea was he wanted to be able to say we can now lock up the kingpins, the murderers, the whatever, said Shalom.

Christie was so supportive of doing away with money bail, Shalom said, that he called legislators in for a joint special session when the bill based on the task forces recommendations faltered.

Having the governors support was invaluable, said Shalom. There was concern that doing away with money bail would threaten public safety, or would actually worsen racial disparities of the incarcerated population.

There was enough skepticism among some Democrats that it needed to be bipartisan, he said. And the governor has a lot of sway over the minority party that he is affiliated with.

That bipartisanship insulated both parties from political pushback when  not if, said Shalom  someone inevitably was let out under the preventive detention model and committed a crime that made headlines.

When the first bad case happened, people werent going to say, See? Bail reform, Shalom said. Instead, what people said is, This is a tragedy, or this was a f-up, or both. But, remember, this also happened under the money bail system.

It would take three years after voters approved the constitutional amendment for the cash bail system to end.

How it works

The system that replaced money bail in 2017 created a new pretrial system. Shalom explained it as follows: cops in New Jersey can now either give someone a summons  a ticket telling you when to go to court  or serve you a complaint warrant. If you get the warrant, youre taken to the police station and receive a preliminary risk assessment. You are locked up for 24 to 48 hours before appearing in front of a judge for a release hearing, where the judge assesses if you can be released on your own recognizance and on what conditions.

Prosecutors can seek preventative detention if a judge decides to release someone they think is dangerous. If prosecutors try to keep someone locked up pretrial, they could be held for up to five more days before theres a detention hearing, at which they are represented by a lawyer and have a right to discovery  meaning prosecutors have to share evidence with the defendants attorney  and they have the presumption of release unless they are charged with murder or a crime that carries life imprisonment.

Shalom said prosecutors are successful in arguing for preventative detention about half the time that they try.

Before the shift, Krakora said, judges were using money bail as a means of detaining a person they didnt want to be let out.

But under New Jerseys new system, lawyers in court hearings are arguing over whether a person poses a risk to the community, what their prior record is, when was the last time they were charged with a crime.

Theres an intellectual honesty that exists in a risk-based system, Krakora said. Were not doing this fiction of barely talking about how much money it would take to assure his appearance to court.

Money bail still exists in New Jersey, but its much rarer than it used to be. Shalom said judges can only set cash bail if theres a risk of the defendant not showing up for court. And the prosecutor isnt allowed to seek a cash bail unless they make the finding first that a defendant can afford it.

Shalom said the list of crimes for which people can be held pretrial is too large. Every felony is detainable, as are all domestic violence cases, including misdemeanors.

That doesnt mean they will be detained, but they are detainable, he said.

The tradeoff of making that many crimes detainable offenses was the political price for abolishing cash bail, said Shalom. Advocates pushing for reform decided it was worth a preventative detention model if it meant thousands of people would be let out of jail who otherwise couldnt afford to go home.

Krakora said the effects have been significant. There are 40 percent fewer people, on average, in pretrial detention since the law went into effect. Some counties are closing their jails.

Just 14 people were held on bail of $2,500 or less as of 2020, compared to more than 1,500 in 2012.

But racial disparities are virtually the same. To Shalom, the reasoning is clear: We havent done anything to address it.

True change would require reforming other elements of the justice system, including policing, prosecution and disparities in sentencing.

You have to be proactive to address racial disparities, and just hoping that theyll go away when you get rid of one element of unfairness is putting too many eggs in that basket, he said. We did have an unfair system, which was both racially biased and penalized poor people. Now we have a system thats just racially biased, but doesnt penalize poor people to the same extent.

An attempt at change

Its not like Connecticut hasnt tried to end money bail. When he was governor, Malloy tried to eliminate bail for many misdemeanors in 2016, to no avail. In 2017 he tried a different tack and advocated for proposals that would have taken a big chunk out of the commercial bond industry in Connecticut.

The policies would have barred judges from setting bond in most misdemeanor cases and allowed judges to release defendants on a cash deposit of 10 percent of the bond. The cash they would have had to put down was similar to the fee charged by bail bond agents, except defendants would have gotten that money back had they showed up to court.

The opposition from the bail bond industry was super intense, said David McGuire, the executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut. Theres just a huge amount of resources that the bail bonds industry will pour into any push to change or eliminate our cash bail system.

Legislators ultimately compromised with the bondsmen, barring judges from imposing cash-only bail, a practice that effectively denies bail to hundreds of indigent and moderate-income defendants, and from setting bail in most misdemeanor cases.

Two years later, a committee of Superior Court judges voted to allow criminal defendants to bond out by posting 10 percent of their bond if the total amount is $20,000 or less. Unlike if they use a bail bondsman, they get the money back once their case is resolved.

The reforms took a significant chunk out of the commercial bail industrys income.

We need a volume of good and bad transactions in order to remain solvent, said Andrew Marocchini, the founder and general manager of BailCo Bail Bonds. And essentially, what has been done is, the good part of these transactions has been removed from our marketplace.

By the end of 2021, almost two full years since the rule change went into effect, one in four defendants released from custody at a police department got out by posting 10 percent of their bond. Professional surety companies, which were responsible for over 80 percent of financial releases in 2019, now make up only 45 percent of releases, according to data reported by the Sentencing Commission.

Whats more, data suggests defendants who post the 10 percent option dont show up to court less than other defendants and are rearrested at slightly lower rates than defendants posting through professional sureties.

The Judicial Branch estimated $1.75 million has been returned to defendants between Jan. 1, 2020 and Jan. 5, 2022 through the 10 percent rule.

As the number of all pre-trial detainees has increased since the pandemic, those held on the highest bond  more than $100,000  have accounted for a greater portion of them. In January 2020, about 55 percent of all pretrial detainees had bond over $100,000, and by January 2020, the percentage had increased to 62 percent.

Some people are still staying locked up in jail for years, waiting for a trial.

At least two Black men charged with murder have been acquitted by juries over the past year. Brandyn Grant-Ford spent four years in prison waiting for his trial, unable to post his $500,000 bond. A jury found him not guilty of murder last August. In May, a jury found Hakeem Atkinson not guilty in a fatal 2012 shooting. Atkinson spent almost five years in jail on a $1 million bond.

Most murder case defendants are not out on bond, said Attorney John Gulash, who represented both men. But not because they're necessarily at higher risk of flight. It's just kind of a bit of a reaction to the gravity of the charge.

Grant-Ford, Atkinson and others with bonds they cant afford often face an agonizing choice: post bond and, if you use a bail bondsman, never see that money again, or use that money to hire a private attorney but stay jailed.

A lot of people don't have bail money. So, that's one strike against them. They're incarcerated, sitting in pretrial, fighting their cases while they're inside, said Jewu Richardson, co-director of the CT Bail Fund. You're telling people that, 'Hey, if you want to defend yourselves adequately, you have to pay the ransom of a bond.'

McGuire said the reforms were well-intentioned but not as successful as advocates had hoped. Despite the changes, just like in New Jersey, people  disproportionately minorities  are still sitting in jail because they can't afford to bond out, McGuire said.

We as advocates, and a lot of folks, looked at it as a building block for eventually ending cash bail entirely in Connecticut, McGuire said, and figuring out a way to have preventative detention that is used sparingly and in a way that does not exacerbate our racial inequities in the state.

The roadblocks

McGuire's fears about preventative detention are one of the challenges to ending cash bail in Connecticut: that whatever replaces it will disproportionately impact people of color, worsening the states already wide racial disparities in its incarcerated population, which as of May 1 was 42 percent Black.

I always have to be concerned that Black and brown people will continue to get the brunt of an unjust system, said Barbara Fair, a member of Stop Solitary CT.

As co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Gary Winfield has played a major role in passing significant criminal justice reforms in recent years, including reducing solitary confinement in prisons and reforming policing in the wake of George Floyds murder. He has gotten major criminal justice bills through the legislature and to the governor's desk for years.

But political success is one thing. Achieving policy change  and reducing the criminal justice system's disparate impact on minorities  is another. The criminal justice system seems to course-correct itself, Winfield said, always ensnaring people in its grip, no matter what Winfield and his legislative colleagues do. The weary legislative tactician wondered if that course correction was because lawmakers always start from the perspective that the system is deserving of reform, as if the origins of mass incarcerated weren't rooted in racism.

"You're saying, 'Well, clearly, it's been exposed that this system has a disparate impact on people. Is there something we can do to make the system have less of a disparate impact, make it work a little better?'" Winfield said. "But that's not the same thing as saying, 'Should we be doing what we're doing at all?'

Winfield isn't against ending money bail. Everything to me is dependent upon what we do in its place," he said.

The element that was so essential to the elimination of cash bail in New Jersey  bipartisan support  doesnt exist in Connecticut.

Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said he hasnt heard any concerns from constituents about the states money bail system. He said the purpose of bail is to make sure someone comes to court and faces their charges, and though they are innocent until proven guilty, Kissel thinks their likelihood of committing more crimes should be factored into their bond amount.

The ultimate primary purpose of bail is not to keep someone incarcerated because they may commit another crime, but if they have a track record, I think it's appropriate for the court or whoever is imposing the bail to consider those factors, Kissel said. We have to create a good balance where the bail system fulfills its appropriate ends, with also an eye toward maintaining public safety, and at the same time do whatever we can within reason to make sure no one is unjustly incarcerated pending their trial, simply because they're poor.

Any shift from a cash bail system in Connecticut would require a constitutional amendment, a high legislative bar that likely would require support from members of both parties.

Bipartisan support would also provide political insulation when someone inevitably commits a crime after being released following an arrest. Without bipartisan support, bail reform would be a political lightning rod wielded as a cudgel against those who voted for it.

Reform in New York, for instance, has been highly politicized, despite data suggesting that its working.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, police, and tabloid newspapers have decried the new policies, depicting a city in chaos. Figures published by the New York City Comptroller showed that, while reforms reduced the number of people subjected to bail, there was no change in the share of people rearrested while awaiting trial in the community. However, bail continues to be a big reason for pretrial detention and continues to take money from low-income communities of color.

Despite Adams' public statements, his Office of Criminal Justice published data showing most of the people arrested in the city do not have pending cases.

Of the nearly 48,000 people in March 2021 waiting at home for their criminal cases to be resolved, 96 percent were not rearrested at all during that month, and only 1 percent were rearrested for a violent felony offense, according to New York criminal justice data.

And yet, almost two-thirds of New Yorkers think bail reform led to an increase in crime, an indication that the fear-mongering over reform is souring the publics understanding and support for it.

Critics of the money bail system point out that it doesnt prevent crime. Dangerous individuals with access to financial resources can simply post bail and go home, while less-dangerous people who don't have money stay stuck in jail.

Even members of the bail bonds industry say that Connecticuts current bail system wasnt created to protect public safety.

It was designed to guarantee appearance in court and guarantee the defendants pretrial liberty, said Jeff Clayton, executive director of the American Bail Coalition.

Just like when the public clamors for change when someone commits a crime after getting out of jail thanks to bond reform, Lawlor predicted that, eventually, someone is going to commit a crime after posting bail.

Sooner or later, some guy who was able to post a million dollar bond is going to kill somebody while he's out, Lawlor said. And then people are going to say, 'why was that guy out?' And the answer is going to be, 'Well, because in Connecticut, you can't hold a person without bail, because of what our state constitution says.

It already happened.

Russell Peeler was out on bail when he killed Rudolph Snead Jr. in a barbershop in 1998. And he was out on bail when he masterminded the deaths of Karen Clarke and her 8-year-old son, Leroy Brown Jr., who had been set to testify against him for trying to kill Snead the year prior.

Mary Anne Casey, owner of Casey Bail Bonds, Inc. who has been licensed in Connecticut for more than four decades, claimed in legislative testimony in 2011 that Peeler got out of jail prior to getting his brother to kill Brown and Clarke thanks to a widespread practice known as rebating, which is when defendants post bond at a discounted rate through a deal struck with a bail bondsman.

Our legislature just turned a blind eye, Casey said.

More recently, Jose Cajigas allegedly fired a gun at a Hartford police officer a few hours after allegedly murdering a Hartford woman. Hed been arrested 11 days earlier on probation violation, weapons and drug charges. He paid $19,000 in cash on a $270,000 bond and was able to get out of jail. Department of Correction records indicated he is still incarcerated pretrial, held on a $7,520,000 bond.

Gun violence is a complex thing with many causes, but there's no question that we're missing opportunities to keep repeat violent criminals from committing further acts of violence," said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

The mayor raised another point: defendants can reach agreements with bail bondsmen to post bond.

I think a lot of people look at a bond and say, 'Wow, how is somebody going to come up with $200,000 bond?' But if you only have to come up with 10 percent of that, and particularly if you are involved in criminal activity that can be lucrative, it's not all that hard, Bronin said. Bonds are financeable, and they're regularly financed.

Such rebating continues today, Casey said, thanks to an underfunded regulatory system that allows people of means who pose a danger to society to simply buy their way out of jail by posting bail either themselves or through a bondsman at a discounted rate.

The average person has no idea what is going on, Casey said. There is a tremendous public risk here, and no one is paying any attention.

Steady habits

Cash bail in Connecticut isn't going anywhere any time soon. The Sentencing Commission is putting the final touches on a report on pretrial justice in Connecticut. The assessment looks at states that have mostly eliminated money bail and describes how a pretrial system without money bail might look.

Public defenders and the Division of Criminal Justice both objected to eliminating money bail in a draft version of the report. Each claimed a different model would have the opposite effect: public defenders claimed that too many people would get stuck in jail; prosecutors claimed that such a system would allow too many people to get out of jail and not be held pretrial.

In an unsigned document outlining the departments stance, the Office of the Chief Public Defender expressed concerns that eliminating money bail would harm poor communities and communities of color, because poverty exacerbates factors that might make it more likely for a person to be held in jail in a preventative detention system. Plus, the public defenders warned, a preventative detention model might lead to more people being held in jail simply because of the nature of their criminal charge.

A preventive detention system is likely to result in an increase in certain classes of accused being held at a significantly higher rate, specifically those accused of offenses like domestic violence and animal abuse offenses, the document reads. These crimes, while not statistically related to an increase in flight or general risk of reoffense, are emotionally sensitive and likely to lead a prosecutor to request detention. The court system in general is risk averse and judges are likely to grant detention requests in these cases.

The Division of Criminal Justice, meanwhile, said in a different unsigned opinion that it opposed proposals that excluded certain crimes from a list of detainable offenses, and those that didnt take into account a defendants criminal history, their track record of failing to show up to court and their compliance with past conditions of release like probation.

Such a system would produce the absurd situation of a Court being unable to detain a person even if the person stood in front of the Court and announced that he or she was not going to appear again, the document reads. This model fails to recognize the fact that the risk of financial forfeiture often is sufficient to guarantee an accuseds presence in court while sparing him detention while his case is determined on the merits.

But there are perhaps practical reasons for the system remaining the way it is, said Tsarkov, the executive director. Judges, prosecutors and public defenders went to law school and have been practicing their whole careers with a money bail system.

Its hard to step out and think that anything else remotely even is possible, said Tsarkov.

Then there's the matter of public pressure. Tsarkov said there is no statewide campaign to end cash bail, as there was in Illinois, pressuring lawmakers to reimagine the pretrial system.

"We really have not had a grassroots movement to end money bail," Tsarkov said. When we think about why this hasnt happened yet, lets think about who is affected: what kind of power do they have? Poor people, and poor people of color, dont have the type of power that middle class and upper-class people have, who can post bond.

Also, the cash bail system is an effective way of processing cases quickly, said Lawlor. Money bail can be used to pressure someone to plead guilty so they can get out of jail without having to pay anything. All they have to do is plead guilty to get time served or receive a term of probation that they can comply with outside of jail.

If you want to keep a guy locked up pretrial, you ask for a bail that's a little bit beyond what this person can post, Lawlor said. That way, you know you have leverage to move the case, because the only way the guy's getting out of jail is to plead guilty.

There are benefits to quickly resolving cases, in that it keeps the system afloat and gets people out of jail, Tsarkov said, but its the burden that falls on those people without means, because they dont have the means to purchase their way to freedom.

Echoing McDonalds comment at Griffins chief state's attorney interview, Tsarkov acknowledged that the conversation over whether to end cash bail is happening all over the country.

At some point we have to have this debate, Tsarkov said. We cant escape it forever.
Opinion: Construction sites disruption of noise ordinance laws calls into question why we have them in the first place.

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Some time ago, I had a spiritual calling to speak out against Eugenes construction practices. In a dream, the Beastie Boys, clad in chains and oversized snapbacks, hovered down to me from glowing, parted clouds. A blissful mix of calm and purpose filled my soul. One had a harp. He began to softly strum and another screeched, "Kick it!" The third put his oily hand on my forehead. His palm burned my scalp and when he pulled away I knew my third eye had been opened; my chakras aligned. I've never seen the band members' faces before  they are more of a kitschy radio presence to me  but I knew it was them from the familiar chords of their 1986 hit "Fight For Your Right." Only then did I understand the visions meaning.

Except, of course, this didn't really happen. How could it? I don't dream. I don't sleep.

Why not, you may ask? The answer can be heard nearly every morning on Eugene's Broadway Street, where three apartment buildings have been under construction for some time. Construction at the upcoming Union on Broadway apartment complex has been in the works for nearly two years. It begins as late as 12 a.m. and goes on until 5 a.m. some days. There have been several weeks where the construction noise would last through the night, every night.

I know this because I lived, sleeplessly, right next to this particular site. I took videos, sent texts to friends and family, and lay awake in my bed as the sound of machinery blasted through the thin walls and windows of The 515 apartment building. I tried different types of ear plugs that varied in sound cancellation and comfortability, but at the end of the day the fact remains that the ever-growing construction presence in Eugene does not just exist; it exists loudly.

All. Night. Long.

I admit, the sounds of construction do not affect all equally. Even my roommates, while situated a bit further down the hall from the incessant sounds of construction, have only been bothered by the near nightly noise a few times this year. And, yeah, Ive been called a light sleeper. But were talking about a bigger issue here! Were talking about the sanctity of laws; the sanctity of sleep!

College age people need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, which is no easy task for UO students given the rampant construction across our town and campus. It should similarly not be commonplace to require construction workers to work through the night without necessity. With the undertaking of many major building projects across Eugene, I am far from alone in construction-noise victimhood.

The nightly construction is not limited to off-campus residences, either. As a freshmen, I lived in Living Learning Center South, right next to the Hayward field construction, which at times similarly began as early as 5 a.m. It was one morning when  after being awoken by the sounds of drills, beeping machines or what have you  I wondered: how is this legal?

Eugene's city noise ordinance laws state that between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day, it is unlawful to knowingly create any noise disturbance. Per Eugene's Environmental Noise Disturbance code, this law indeed extends to the "constructing (including excavating), demolishing, altering or repairing any building."

Here is where the line of law blurs. There is a lengthy application process for a variance, whereby noise disturbers may contest and advocate for their right to, well, disturb. The code lists the many steps for attaining and retaining such a variance, including the required notification of all persons living within 300 feet of the activity, the prioritization of property and public health, a fee and more. None of this actually matters, though, because construction sites may just operate anyway, variance-free.

One night, in a state of sleep deprivation and desperation, I forgot my fervent mistrust of lawmakers and called the non-emergency police line as construction raged on at about 2:30 a.m. I gave my location and explained the situation, and was told I'd be called back shortly. Still awake, of course, an officer called back at around 4 a.m. He explained that the construction company had been issued a special permit to construct in these hours and I, delirious, agreed. Sure, I yawned. That makes sense. Perhaps my upstairs neighbors also received this so-called special permit to be egregiously loud through the wee hours of the night.

It wasn't until the Beastie Boys appeared to me that I realized how wrong and wronged I'd been.

I phoned the Permit Information Center and learned that, according to them, the construction site next to my apartment had never applied for a variance, and the permit the policeman had referred to did not exist. If construction companies and police alike can simply say theyve obtained permits to bypass noise ordinance laws, then why even have these laws at all?

Now, my Beastie Boy-anointed third eye calls for Oregon Ducks to fight for their rights, together. If construction can go on until 5 a.m., then so can we! Never before did I think I would advocate for a frat live-out to be able to play early 2000s music as late as they want, but it's only fair. Why should the people of Eugene be prosecuted or warned off nightly noise-making by police when construction companies aren't? This double-standard of noise suppression will not stand!

Given an increased police presence and citations of students, I doubt many are feeling up for the challenge of fighting for our right to party. Still, what's stopping students from applying for a variance to be as loud as we freaking want? Drown out the construction, I say!

If your right to party isn't fight-worthy, then maybe your right to sleep is. There seems to be little information shared by police and the citys online presence on what measures people should take against illegal, nightly construction. The Permit Information Center offered me the phone number of Eugenes Code Compliance office, who you can call to issue a stop work order next time a construction site keeps you up through the night: 541-682-5819.

I would think the annoyance of listening to a voicemail hardly compares to 4 a.m. bulldozing, so leave a message if they dont pick up! In fact, the only thing worse than the sound of construction might just be the Beastie Boys. I think next time I'll just blast them until I receive a noise ordinance warning of my own  they're hard to get, apparently.
When did Archie Battersbee die? The record will state that his death occurred at 12.15 pm on Saturday, a quarter of an hour after his ventilator was switched off by the care team at the Royal London Hospital in East London.

But in the view of the doctors involved, the 12-year-old boy had been 'brain-stem dead' since soon after they had begun looking after him in April. He had been found unconscious at home by his mother, with a ligature around his neck. Archie never regained consciousness: the fatal result, apparently, of pursuing some sort of social media challenge.

Since then there have been four months of legal battles, extending not just to the High Court and Court of Appeal in this country but also the European Court of Human Rights and even the United Nations, as Archie's parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, fought the hospital's application to have his life-support systems unplugged  and, ultimately, to have their son moved to a hospice to die 'away from the machines'.

How can the hospital both override the parents' desire that life-support systems be maintained, insist that all treatment is terminated  and yet still complain that 'moving Archie to a hospice' would have been an unacceptable 'risk' to his life?

It is easy to understand why Archie's parents fought like tigers to prevent his life-support being removed. He would have been warm to the touch, his face would have had its normal colour, and his chest would have risen and fallen just as it would if he had been breathing normally.

Distressing

This was explained shortly before his death by a palliative care doctor, Rachel Clarke, on her Twitter feed.

But, Dr Clarke went on to point out, the court documents revealed that Archie 'has no blood flow through his brain stem, his brain stem is necrotic and has been pushed out of the skull into the spine'. She concluded that this was 'overwhelming additional evidence to suggest conclusively that Archie is brain dead'.

So far, this all makes sense to me. But then Dr Clarke supported the hospital's refusal  backed by a final High Court judgment  to allow Archie to be taken to a hospice.

Such a transfer, she said, would be 'so risky  attempting to move him might trigger his death in transit'. Or, in the hospital's own words: 'Transferring him even a short distance involves significant risk.'

Hold on a moment. How can the hospital both override the parents' desire that life-support systems be maintained, insist that all treatment is terminated  and yet still complain that 'moving Archie to a hospice' would have been an unacceptable 'risk' to his life?

Moreover, if they were right that he was 'brain-stem dead', then what possible further harm to the boy could have been done by moving him to a hospice?

Mr Justice Hayden, one of the judges involved in this distressing process, declared that Archie was 'moribund' and 'beyond pain'. Surely, then, it is nonsensical to suggest that any 'suffering' would have been caused by such a transfer. But pain is not just physical. There is such a thing as mental pain  otherwise known as anguish.

The people who were feeling that anguish most intensely were Archie's parents. This, apparently, was not a consideration for the courts: they supported the hospital's view that its interpretation of Archie's 'best interests' should be supported.

This is in accordance with the law, which rightly prioritises the child's interest (for example, in the extreme case of making sure that the child of Jehovah's Witnesses gets a life-saving blood transfusion, against the wishes of parents opposed to such a procedure).

I recall an earlier case, four years ago, presided over by Mr Justice Hayden, involving Alfie Evans, a child in the care of Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital. There, too, the parents fought the medics' application to have Alfie's feeding tube and ventilator removed, at which point he would expire

But, as I say, if the court and the hospital believed Archie to be 'moribund', then he no longer had any 'interests'. At this point it was perverse to override the wishes of his parents, the people who gave him life and loved him.

The courts, however, claimed that notice still needed to be accorded to what they termed Archie's 'dignity'. I cannot see that it would have been any less 'dignified' for his life to have ended en route to the hospice, if that had happened as a consequence of acceding to his parents' final wish.

This is not the slightest criticism of the efforts that were made in looking after Archie for many months, by the nurses in the Royal London's intensive care unit, who deserve none of the abuse that has been directed at them.

It seems clear from the court documents that they had become distressed by the hopelessness of his condition, and of their work for him. I can imagine that.

Honest

The parents' lawyer, Ian Wise QC, argued that 'the reaction of the nurses should play no part' in the court's decision. Mr Justice Hayden pronounced, when supporting the application to remove life support: 'With respect to him, I disagree.'

This also seems odd. It is absolutely understandable that the nurses had become deeply dispirited by the prospect of continuing to care for Archie in such a hopeless predicament; but if only the interests of the child count, as the law states, of what possible relevance are the feelings of the nurses? It would have been more honest of the hospital to have said: 'We have many demands on our services, and on our nurses: we have to prioritise the cases in which we can do some good.'

But that would have gone down less well in a court which prefers to cloak its judgments in meaningless cant about 'dignity'.

I recall an earlier case, four years ago, presided over by Mr Justice Hayden, involving Alfie Evans, a child in the care of Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital. There, too, the parents fought the medics' application to have Alfie's feeding tube and ventilator removed, at which point he would expire.

The Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome offered to continue the child's care  at zero cost to the British taxpayer. But the Judge refused, declaring both that Alfie's brain 'had been wiped out  it is almost entirely water' and that to move him to Italy would cause him further suffering.

I wrote at the time: 'Both propositions could not simultaneously be true.'

I did so after consulting Dr Rajesh Munglani, a friend who happens to be this country's leading authority in the field of pain and author of countless papers in this field. He explained that 'suffering' is a higher cognitive function, simply not experienced by those in the circumstances of Alfie Evans or Archie Battersbee.

Conflicts

Over the weekend I raised the cases of Alfie and Archie with Jeremy Hunt, the former Health Secretary and now Chairman of the House of Commons Health Select Committee. He told me that such cases represented 'the worst of NHS paternalism' and added: 'I will be asking my colleagues to consider if we should look at this as part of a future enquiry.'

The need for such an enquiry is also urged by the leading expert in this field sitting in the Upper House. This is Ilora Finlay, who as well as being a member of the House of Lords is professor of palliative medicine at Cardiff University.

Lady Finlay argues that it would be much less tortuous for all concerned if there were a system of 'independent mediation' to address such conflicts between families and the NHS.

'Nobody wants to go to court,' she said. 'The parents don't want to go to court. The doctors don't want to be in court. Hospital management doesn't want to be paying out legal fees and being in court. We have to find a better way of managing the really difficult communication when there is a difference of view over how things are going with the child.'

Lady Finlay has also supported the idea of 'Charlie's Law', a campaign launched by the parents of Charlie Gard, who died aged 11 months in 2017, after a lengthy legal battle with their son's doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

It had refused to allow the infant to be transferred to a U.S. hospital which had offered to treat him  a refusal that was, again, backed by British courts. The purpose of such a law would be to give parents more say in such extreme cases.

I agree: we cannot go on like this. There must be a better way.
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The Parent Trap star Elaine Hendrix left film fans in a frenzy recently when she uploaded a TikTok video in which she justified her character Meredith's actions and insisted that she didn't deserve to be portrayed as the villain of the hit movie.

More than two decades after she shot to fame while portraying the manipulative Meredith in the 1998 Disney flick, Hendrix, 51, shared some thoughts on the character's role within the film, which also starred Lindsay Lohan in her breakout role as twins Hallie and Annie, as well as Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as divorced couple Nick and Elizabeth.

While the movie has become a classic for many in the 24 years since it was released, Hendrix breathed new life into the storyline when she posted a TikTok video about her character in order of its premiere anniversary.

Using the popular 'he's a ten but..' meme to explain why her character's fiance, Nick Parker - played by Quaid - should also face criticism for his behavior, noting that he lied to Meredith about the fact that he had two daughters, not one, and hid all information about his ex-wife and second child from her.

In the video, Hendrix opened up a bottle of wine as Adele's Easy on Me played in the background.

'He's a ten but he had twins he secretly separated at birth when he broke up with their mother and didn't tell you about it until the twins discovered each other at camp and swapped places to try and get their parents back together,' the text read.

Honoring The Parent Trap's 24th anniversary, Hendrix took to TikTok to defend her character Meredith

She also argued that her character felt threatened when she 'not so accidentally ran into all of them at the same hotel right before your wedding' which is why she organized the bonding camping trip but had to put up with 'little brats' putting a 'lizard on her head' and pushing her 'air mattress into the lake' as she was sleeping.

Fans took to the comments section to support her theory and some even declared that Meredith wasn't the true villain of The Parent Trap.

'Growing up is realizing Meredith Blake was a victim of circumstance not a villain,' one user wrote.

'Justice for Meredith Blake she was a successful woman who fell for a hot wine dad who lied about his family & was still in love with his ex,' another penned in all caps.

As Hendrix has everyone reevaluating the film, here's what she and the rest of The Parent Trap cast have been up to 24 years after the film hit theaters.

Lindsey Lohan crashed and burned after becoming a child star but is attempting to reinvigorate her career and her reputation

Lohan starred as twins Annie and Hallie in the film The Parent Trap at age 11 (pictured left) and in 2022 (pictured right) she declared she'd return to acting

Lohan, 36, was a beloved child star who first won over audiences while starring as twins Annie and Hallie in the 1998 hit movie The Parent Trap - a role that she secured at the tender age of 11.

During the 2020 Parent Trap reunion with Katie Couric, Lohan shared how much the groundbreaking role meant to her.

'I was so young and it was just so fresh,' said Lohan. 'For me, my first movie audition, my first screen test. My first time in front of, you know, people like Nancy and Charles, and on a sound stage. So, I was just, like, a kid.'

The actress connected to her characters as her parents, Dina and Michael Lohan, were also in the process of getting divorced.

'My parents were kind of separating at the time when this was all going on,' she shared. 'And it made it a lot easier for me to play these characters that were figuring it out.'

Lohan admitted that it was 'heart wrenching' how much she missed her castmates and how watching back some of the scenes 'really tear me up.'

'I didnt feel like I was working. It just felt like a really incredible learning experience for me. And a lot of fun,' she said of making the film.

She added: 'How do you not want to only act for the rest of your life after doing a film like this, with such great actors . . . I mean, its beautiful, its timeless and its special. Its just really special. And I just feel really blessed and really grateful to have been a part of it.'

After featuring in the movie, Lohan skyrocketed to fame, quickly racking up a slew of other high-profile credits, including Freaky Friday in 2003 and Mean Girls in 2004.

'I was so young and it was just so fresh,' said Lohan of her groundbreaking role in The Parent Trap and called the experience 'a lot of fun'

Lohan starred in the 2003 movie Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis

She starred in the hit 2004 film Mean Girls along with Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert

However, the pressures of the industry took a toll on Lohan.

Lohan made headlines in 2007 when she was arrested for cocaine possession and drunk driving. She described the arrest as 'totally irresponsible  a stupid mistake' on CNNs Piers Morgan Live and insisted it was her first time trying cocaine.

'And from then on, the press were on me all the time,' Lohan said. 'It was the first time Id taken drugs. I was out in a club with people I shouldnt have been with, and took cocaine, and got in the car. It was so stupid.'

The actress initially claimed the first time she had tried cocaine was when she was 21 and was never much of a drinker - even though she claimed to have had her first hangover at age 17.

She insisted that since that incident, she had only used the drug three or four times. During that same interview, she admitted she uses 'pot' and 'Ecstasy' as her drug of choice.

However, her father Michael claimed that was far from the truth and that she had been doing drugs at least since she was 18 years old, revealing a time he got a call about her overdosing.

'Lindsay was filming in New Orleans and I got a call saying she had overdosed on cocaine. One of her assistants had given her the drug,' he told The Sun. 'I was so angry I got a gun from the house and planned to go to New Orleans to kill him.'

He also accused her of abusing Adderall and vodka at that point.

It was then that the Mean Girls star got at least a little more candid about her history with drug use.

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the actress admitted that she had used cocaine closer to ten to 15 times.

'I was terrified of being judged,' she admitted, and additionally fessed up to being an 'addict' when it came to alcohol.

Lohan was arrested in 2010 (pictured left) and was sentenced to prison once again in 2011 after violating her probation (pictured right)

Since starting her recovery, the former child star returned to the screen, filming an upcoming Netflix movie, Falling For Christmas, with Chord Overstreet in 2021

She also took part in a commercial for sneaker brand All Birds earlier this year

In July 2022, it was revealed that the actress had secretly tied the knot with her boyfriend Bader Shammas, who she got engaged to in 2021

'That, in the past, was a gateway to other things for me,' she said. 'I tried cocaine with alcohol.'

'I never felt good the next day,' she said while explaining that she'd have the drug because it 'allowed me to drink more. It was a party thing. People would have it, and Id do it.'

Lohan had been in and out of rehab six times by that point. She also opened up about the jail time she did in 2010 for violating her probation and how she saw her own cry for help.

'Having all the chaos around me that I was so comfortable with, I somewhere inside knew I wanted to go to jail,' she said. 'And I think that that was subconsciously being put out there just by my actions, or lack thereof.'

She fell of the radar for sometime but re-emerged as a business owner in 2019 and continues to identify as being in recovery. After opening a since-shuttered nightclub in Greece, the former child star got engaged to Bader Shammas in 2021 and announced that she plans on returning to acting.

So far, she has filmed Falling For Christmas with Chord Overstreet - set for release later this year - and some commercials for companies like Planet Fitness and All Birds.

Plus, in July 2022, it was revealed that she and Shammas secretly tied the knot.

Dennis Quaid continued to be a movie star in the 00s - but his salacious marriage has dominated headlines in recent years

Quaid played Lohan's father in The Parent Trap (pictured left) at age 44 and the star continues to act to this day (pictured right in 2019)

Quaid, 68, already had a name by the time he landed The Parent Trap due to his work in Breaking Away (1979) and The Right Stuff (1983).

The Parent Trap was a more light-hearted gig compared his previous work. At age 44, he played Nick, the father of twins who were separated at birth and want to bring their family back together. Even though he's engaged to Meredith he finds his feelings for his ex-wife, Elizabeth.

During the Parent Trap reunion, Quaid praised the film and note why he felt it ended up being such a big hit.

'When it comes down to it, this movie just had some sort of stardust, that was just sprinkled on it, just happened in the ether,' Quaid explained.

Not long after, he worked on some of his biggest projects including Frequency (2000), Far From Heaven (2002) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004).

Quaid described The Parent Trap as a 'movie just had some sort of stardust, that was just sprinkled on it'

Quiad went on to star in films like the 2000 film Frequency (pictured left) and 2003's Far From Heaven (pictured right)

Quaid made headlines when he tied the knot with Laura Savoie while he was 66 years old and she was 27 years old, both pictured in 2022

The actor even went on to receive an Emmy nomination for playing Bill Clinton in the 2010 miniseries The Special Relationship.

His love life also made it in to limelight. He not only made headlines for his tumultuous marriage with Meg Ryan but also his recent controversial marriage to Laura Savoie.

He got engaged to the PhD student when he was 65 years old and she was 26 years old and the two tied the knot a year later.

He still acts to this day. He's currently starring on the show The Rookie and recently filmed the biopic Regan.

During an interview with Broadway World, he described playing the late former president as 'probably the biggest acting challenge of my life.'

He also has tapped back into his musical side and announced that he would tour solo with his music in April 2022.

Elaine Hendrix has been saying Meredith wasn't the villain for years - while making a name for herself on the small screen in Dynasty

Hendrix played Meredith in The Parent Trap (1998) at age 26 and started defending her character as a victim rather than a villain in 2020 (pictured right)

Hendrix, 51, had just started to make a name for herself in Hollywood when she landed Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and then The Parent Trap a year later at age 26.

'I was still new in Hollywood. At that time, I think I was living in this one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood and Romy and Michele had just come out,' the actress told Us Weekly of the time.

She added: 'I was just navigating Hollywood. Not knowing anything. I was driving a Honda Civic and just kind of living my best life trying to figure all this out.'

She was initially asked to join the Mortal Kombat series - both the original and the sequel - but had other conflicts. Fortunately, this allowed for her to be free to join The Parent Trap which ultimately built her legacy.

'Anytime you book a gig, much less starring role, in a big studio movie  I was 26 years old; that felt like such an accomplishment. I had Merediths same drive and ambition,' she told Vulture of landing the role.

Speaking of Meredith, Hendrix's viral TikTok isn't the first time she has defended her The Parent Trap character.

She praised the people who had already began to broaden their horizons and see Meredith as an 'inspiration' during her 2020 Vulture interview.

Hendrix's first role was in Romy and Michele which lead to her booking The Parent Trap

Hendirx stayed in touch with her The Parent Trap co-star Lisa Ann Walters and they're besties to this day

Hendrix currently stars on Dynasty

'I absolutely am shocked but love that present day theres scores of gals, a whole generation now, that dont see Meredith as a villain. They see her as an aspiration,' she shared.

This is the way Hendrix has felt about the character ever since she first landed the role.

'With every character that an actor plays, we have to justify our behaviors, she explained. 'So, you know, Elaine Hendrix, the actress, knew that Meredith Blake was the villain, but as far as Meredith Blake goes  she just was doing what she needed to get what she wanted in life.'

'She saw nothing wrong with any of this. There is definitely a part of me that feels happy for Meredith Blake that shes been vindicated,' she added.

After The Parent Trap, Hendrix went on to book some a number of TV gigs, her biggest being the 2015 series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll and Dynasty - which is still currently running.

Even though The Parent Trap was over 20 years ago, she has managed to stay in touch with some of her co-stars including Lisa Ann Walter, Simon Kunz and Maggie Wheeler.

In fact, the Internet recently lost its mind after she wished Walter a happy birthday.

'Happy Birthday to my ride or die. My life sister. My bestie. The one who always has my back and with whom I'm growing old,' she wrote on Instagram of Walter.

'I sure as heck am glad you were born. What I'm the world would I have done if you hadn't been? I shudder to think. I love you. Happy Birthday.'

Natasha Richardson tragically died nine years after The Parent Trap's release following a horrific skiing accident

Richardson played Elizabeth in 1998 film The Parent Trap (pictured left) and is remembered by her co-stars dearly after she passed away in 2009 (pictured right) due to a brain injury at age 45

Natasha Richardson's role in The Parent Trap was one of the many legacies she left behind after tragically passing away in 2009.

Richardson died at the young age of 45 after falling during a ski trip and sustaining a brain injury that ended up being fatal.

At age 35, she played Elizabeth, the doting mother of the twins who, thanks to their help, ends up reconnecting with and falling in love with their father again.

During the Parent Trap reunion, he co-stars gushed about how lovely it was to work with the late actress.

'Natasha had such an elegance and grace, and she was so maternal to me,' Lohan said of her on-screen mom.

In The Parent Trap, she played Elizabeth, the doting mother of the twins who, thanks to their help, ends up reconnecting with and falling in love with their father again

Richardson starred in Maid in Manhattan in 2002 (pictured left) and Asylum in 2005 (pictured right)

Richardson was revered for being 'elegant' on set and praising her husband Liam Neeson, pictured above in 2008

'Somebody so giving and so glad to be there and transmitted that joy of being able to do what we do. And it just made everything that much better,' Quaid said of his on-screen love interest.

Hendrix, who wasn't present for the reunion, also doted on the late star during an interview with Us Weekly, sharing how much the actress praised her husband, Liam Neeson, and their kids.

'I just remember in real life, thinking how elegant Natasha was and how she literally would swoon when she talked about Liam Neeson and when she talked about her children,' she shared.

Her son, Micheal, has only backed that up and over time, has proven how much his mom meant to him. While speaking with People, he shared that re-watches The Parent Trap when he misses his mother.

'I just see her so much as that person,' he revealed. 'I'm so lucky too, because she's passed away, I can still watch her and see how she worked and also it's a great thing to have.'

On top of The Parent Trap, she starred in Maid in Manhattan (2002), Asylum (2005) and Wild Child (2008) before she passed.

Lisa Ann Walter still gets recognized her The Parent Trap character on the set of Abbott Elementary

Walter played Lohan's nanny Chessy in The Parent Trap (pictured left) at age 35 and continues to act in 2022 (pictured right) at age 59

Lisa Ann Walter landed the role of Chessy in the Parent Trap, one of her biggest roles at age 35. Her character was Lohan's character's nanny and was revered as a fan favorite.

The actress, 59 took her preparation for the role very seriously. During an interview with TODAY, the actress explained what she did to her appearance in order to land the role.

'I went in for the first read and they said, "don't dress up' and 'dress down and don't be fancy." So I wore what I thought was dressed down,' she explained. However, it didn't seem to be enough.

'The second time I went in they were like "No seriously, dress down,"' she shared so she really delivered for the second audition.

She not only wore 'no makeup' and 'put her hair in a pony' but she also 'wore her son's pants' and 'tried to look as goofy as possible.'

Walter said that 'shooting was not easy' since Lohan played twins and they had to film everything twice

Since The Parent Trap, the actress went on to star in the 2003 film Bruce Almighty

Walter claims that she and her co-star Hendrix became 'best friends' by 'creating their own fun' behind the scenes while filming The Parent Trap

Walter says kids still recognize her as Chessy while filming Abbott Elementary in 2002

When discussing the process of filming The Parent Trap, she surprisingly said the most fun part was in between scenes rather than being on camera.

'Shooting was not easy because the technology of shooting both sides [of Lohan playing the twins] was so new. Now CGI has grown so it's not so painstaking,' she explained, adding that what they were doing was 'groundbreaking' at the time.

However, with the boredom blossomed a beautiful friendship with her co-star Elaine, who played Meredith.

'We did everything twice. So part of the reason Elaine and I became best friends on that set is we spent a lot of time creating fun for ourselves back in the trailers while we waited for setups to happen,' she added.

Since The Parent Trap, the actress went on to star in the 2003 film Bruce Almighty. She also landed TV gigs like GLOW and most recently, Abbott Elementary.

Funnily enough, the kids in Abbott Elementary recognize her for her the Parent Trap role decades later.

'On set the little kids that we have are six, seven years old. Theyll hear me talk. I mean, I think I look similar, but with dark hair, and Im not blonde anymore,' she told Us Weekly.

But the kids recognize my voice and then theyll go, You were the nanny! And Quinta [Brunson] will just sit there and go, That is an entire baby that just recognized you from a movie that was shot 24 years ago.

Kat Graham's role in The Parent Trap led to a successful acting career

Graham got her big break after playing Jackie in The Parent Trap (pictured left) at nine years old and continues to act to this day, pictured in 2022 (pictured right) at age 32

The Parent Trap served as Kat Graham's first-ever Hollywood role. At just nine years old, Graham played Jackie - one of Annie's closest camp friends.

The role holds a very special place in Graham's heart and at age 32, she remembers it well even though she was just nine years old at the time.

'I was in it and it was like, the first film I did, and I went with my mom to the set and I remember Lindsay very, very well, and Hallie and all the kids there... I remember a lot more of that even more than even the things over the past 10 years,' she told ET in 2020.

"And I also remember etiquette. I remember being on set and really observing what being on set was like and how, you know, what made people happy and what made people sad. You know, what was frustrating, what went easy.'

She landed her biggest role as Bonnie Bennett in The CW series The Vampire Diaries in 2009 and continued to play the role until the show ended in 2017

One of her biggest on screen credits includes the 2020 film Cut Throat City

To this day, Graham says she has vivid memories of filming The Parent Trap

'As a kid, you know, you forget, and sometimes people underestimate what a kid pays attention to. When I was a kid, I paid attention to a lot. And that experience in a lot of ways shaped who I wanted to be.'

She also recalled how she and Lohan grew closer while having to return for reshoots.

'She introduced me to Hanson's 'MMMBop' ... and also ... Sugar Ray,' she shared. 'She introduced me to a whole new age of music and I went down that rabbit hole for a minute. ... I definitely remember her introducing me to some really cute pop.'

Graham's career continued to blossom after The Parent Trap. She landed her biggest role as Bonnie Bennett in The CW series The Vampire Diaries in 2009 and continued to play the role until the show ended in 2017.

Since then, she has returned to the big screen in films like All Eyez on Me (2017), How It Ends (2018) and Cut Throat City (2020).

Hallie Meyers-Shyer followed in her director mom's footsteps after The Parent Trap

Meyers-Shyer played Annie's friend Lindsay in The Parent Trap (pictured left) at age 11 and has gone on to act more and direct (pictured 2018)

Hallie Meyers-Shyer, 35, played a very important role in The Parent Trap. Not only did she play one of Annie's closest friends, Lindsay, at age 11, but the film was also dedicated to her.

The Parent Trap's director, Nancy Meyers, is Meyers-Shyer's real-life mother. Plus, the film's writer, Charles Shyer, is her father. So it's safe to say The Parent Trap was truly a family affair.

After The Parent Trap, she continued to act in What Women Want (2000) and The Affair of the Necklace (2001).

The Parent Trap's director, Nancy Meyers, is Meyers-Shyer's real-life mother, both pictured in 1998

She followed in her mother's footsteps directing, writing and producing the 2017 film Home Again

Nowadays, she's enjoying life with her husband Ophir Tanz

Prior to that, she had been in Father of the Bride (1991) and I Love Trouble (1994).

The actress then began to follow in her mother's footsteps. She directed, wrote and produced the 2017 film Home Again which starred Reese Witherspoon.

Nowadays, she's enjoying life with her husband Ophir Tanz and their son Julien Benedict, who was born in April 2021.
People feeling nostalgic for the nineties and noughties has seen fashion trends coming back and entering Gen Z's wardrobes, while people are obsessed with Friends re-runs and 'Bennifer' are a couple again.

But sadly, some retro delights haven't made a comeback - including tasty treats enjoyed by people in the UK and Europe.

Now The Daddest has compiled a list of drinks and snack that people would love to see make a comeback.

From the elusive clear Crystal Pepsi, to Cadbury's Astros, to a whole jug of Hubba Bubba matter, these treats will make you feel nostalgic for your younger years.

While initially released in the US. and Canada from 1992 to 1994, Crystal Pepsi was also briefly available in the UK and Australia. The flavour was very similar to original Pepsi but without the caramel colouring

Lifesavers are still a candy staple in the US, but that isn't the case for its Holes project. Reports suggest the product was discontinued following a recall in 1991 over packaging being a potential choking hazard

It is not known why these beloved Cadbury's sweets - which included a chocolate and biscuit filling - were discontinued, but fans were delighted when they reappeared on the shelves at B&M in July this year

Although this popular creamy chocolate snack had a huge fanbase, it was taken off UK shelves in the 2000s, although is still available in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

This brightly-coloured jug featured powdery nuggets which turned into the trademark fruity gum

It is not clear why these beloved biscuits, with a gooey chocolatey centre - gradually disappeared from British stores

Clad with a fun TV ad and tagline - 'Give it a swirl!' - this packet of oatmeal, which came with a nifty little flavoured sachet, was introduced in the 80s and had been discontinued in the 90s

Why have one texture when you can have three? This was the kitsch idea behind Kraft's tri-layered product in the U.S., which was reportedly gradually phased out from the 80s due to falling sales

Despite its flashy appearance, Orbitz - sold in Canada - was out almost as quickly as it was in, being discontinued within one year

The Skippy Squeeze movement worked hard to tackle the clumsiness of fishing peanut butter out of the jar with a butter knife. It is not clear when or why the portable nut butter snack was discontinued

U.S. cereal maker Trix worked with a variety of flavours for its two-toned yogurts. This classic snack wasn't discontinued until 2016 - but last year made a comeback
How joyous to pick a scent to celebrate August's carefree days, an aroma of good times.

For some, summer says flowers. But to my mind, flowers mean spring  epoch of first shoots. By August, even Mother Nature is over petals, meaning we need to think beyond the increasingly droopy bouquet.

Blooms as part of something more compelling, however, are worth pursuing.

Lily Starling, fragrance buyer at John Lewis, informs me that 'grown-up vanilla' is the laid-back, comfort scent of the moment.

Hannah Betts says that by August, even Mother Nature is over petals, meaning we need to think beyond the increasingly droopy bouquet

'Vanilla is the trend of summer 2022,' she says. 'Sales of Floral Street's Wild Vanilla Orchid (from 25, johnlewis.com) have risen 156 per cent on this time last year. It's a real holiday hit, with its blossom and citrus-infused twist on traditional vanilla.'

'Jo Malone Vetiver & Golden Vanilla Cologne Intense (from 102) is also up 25 per cent, and Juliette Has A Gun's Vanilla Vibes (from 20) up 17 per cent. While Viktor & Rolf's new Good Fortune (from 59) has also sold well, with its base notes of jasmine and vanilla.'

Personally, I shy away from novelty acts  especially anything pushed at Duty Free. Not that Duty Free isn't a great place to buy perfume, just make sure to hunt out some glorious treasure rather than a temporary hit which may well pass its sell-by-date come September 1.

I've found myself longing to imbibe my mother's Fidji by Guy Laroche (26.95, amazon.co.uk), the heady green floral released a year before 1967's Summer of Love. It was marketed to Baby Boomers as the opposite of the voluptuous femininity of the 1950s, a paean to travel, exoticism and freedom.

Hannah says: 'Although about my own neck I favour the brand's Lierre (107), conjuring an ivy-clad house with the sun on it, a breeze stirring its fronds'

In fact, it is fabulously, intriguingly womanly itself, with aromatic galbanum (a bitter Asiatic gum resin) in its top, a bouquet at its heart, and amber, musk and patchouli at its base. Euphorically uplifting stuff.

Fig plays very well as an August fragrance  sun-warm and bosky. The big hitter here is Diptyque's mid-1990s Philosykos (from 29, diptyqueparis.com). The eau de toilette encompasses the entire tree (green leaves, pale wood, ripe fruit); the eau de parfum focuses luxuriantly on its bark. Both are sublime.

Although about my own neck I favour the brand's Lierre (107), conjuring an ivy-clad house with the sun on it, a breeze stirring its fronds.

And, then, I remembered Diptyque's Tam Dao (from 78). This tribute to temple offerings amid the forests of Vietnam launched in 2003, all creamy sandalwood, offset by the tang of cypress and myrtle. God it's good: soulful, serenely epic and an absolute cracker in the heat.

Diptyque also sells a Tam Dao Perfumed Bracelet (68)  a black, dental-floss style dispenser with enough black-and-white thread to create 30 subtly-scented wrist ties.

Sandalwood is the thinking woman's summer scent. Simple, yet sophisticated, easy yet enigmatic, sultry while never too overt, it's the kind of aroma that separates the women from the girls. (You think vanilla is sensuous? For my money, vanilla is saccharinely cloying at any time of year. Time to move on from the sweet shop.)

Hannah recommends: 'Diptyque also sells a Tam Dao Perfumed Bracelet (68)  a black, dental-floss style dispenser with enough black-and-white thread to create 30 subtly-scented wrist ties'

If you're looking for a passion beyond a holiday romance, Guerlain's Santal Pao Rosa ('sandalwood meets rose') is sensational (from 185, guerlain.com). Launched last year as part of its Haute Parfumerie collection, it is hypnotically potent  a little of this expensive elixir going an extremely long way.

Or there's the immortal Bois des Iles (from 207, chanel.com), Chanel's 1926 concoction created by Ernest Beaux, the Russian-born French perfumer who gave the designer her legendary No. 5. It is exquisite and sensual as summer skin.

Still, the investment need not be major. Having become addicted to its Ayumi's Sandalwood & Jojoba Soap (2.99, ayumi.co.uk), I adore the British ayurvedic brand's Sandalwood & Ylang Ylang Body Lotion (6.99), which you can buy as part of its Body Trio Bundle with a body wash and a scrub for a bargain 13.98.

Then daub yourself with Aromatherapy Associates' Deep Relax Rollerball (22, aromatherapyassociates.com): sandalwood fused with vetiver and camomile. It's deeply relaxing so just be careful not to nod off. On the other hand, it's August  so knock yourself out.

RACE YOU TO IT!

GINZING Energy Boosting Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer Origins' global bestseller has had a refresh that's the perfect consistency for this time of year. Its Ginzing Energizing Gel Moisturizer (29, boots.com, then in shops nationwide from September 1) contains niacinamide and ten plant-derived ingredients to leave skin energised. Shop

MY ICON OF THE WEEK

DAVINA MCCALL

The TV presenter, 54, has used Garnier Ultralift Anti-wrinkle Firming Day Cream (8, superdrug.com) for years

The TV presenter, 54, has used Garnier Ultralift Anti-wrinkle Firming Day Cream (8, superdrug.com) for years. She is a fan of Trinny London Miracle Blur (26, trinny london.com) to conceal pores, then applies Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara (22, cultbeauty.co.uk), plus Clinique Chubby Stick (20, clinique.co.uk) on her lips.

COSMETIC CRAVING

Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil Victoria Beckham is eye-pencil obsessed, meaning that once sampled, it's extremely difficult to go back to non-Beckham versions. This latest incarnation  Victoria Beckham Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil (pictured, 22, victoriabeckhambeauty.com)  is the best of the best: her take on the old make-up artist trick of using a nude or white pencil on the lower inner eyelid to brighten, dispel redness and make the entire eye area look larger. There are cheaper versions available. However, at their worst, these will irritate your eyes; at their best, they're simply not as good. All in all, this long-lasting, impeccably comfortable inner eye liner has become such a must-have that I live in fear of losing mine.

Shop

HEATWAVE BEAUTY KIT

Huda Beauty Silk Balm Icy Cryo-Plumping Lip Balm Billed as 'frostier than the Ice Age', this tingling gloss cools, plumps and leaves a blue-toned shine. Shop

Prai Beauty MenoGlow Hot Flush Cool Fix Serum A rollerball dispensing a collagen-boosting gel with a menthol chill. Shop

Skin Proud Frozen Over An addictively cooling gel-moisturiser and sell-out hit, this can be frozen for up to three hours for an icy treat. Shop

Margaret Dabbs Fabulous Feet Foot Cooling & Cleansing Spray A refreshing and deodorising spritz to relieve tired, hot, puffy and aching feet. Shop
Dog-sitters in the UK are charging more than 100 a night to look after one dog after a huge rise in demand caused prices to soar.

A combination of 3.2 million new pets bought during the pandemic and a shortage of dog walkers and sitters has led to the enormous price rise as dog owners are desperate to find people to watch their pooches.

Another factor contributing to the squeeze is that lots of kennels were forced to close down during the Covid lockdowns.

Dog-sitting website Rover.com told FEMAIL they had seen a 246% global rise in bookings since the beginning of the pandemic.

Dog-sitting website Rover.com said there has been an increase in demand of 246% since the pandemic began in 2020

Between 2021 and 2022 alone the service saw an 81% increase in new and repeat bookings.

In particular, the rise has most commonly stemmed from metropolitan areas.

One dog-sitter based in south London, who lists her services on Rover.com, charges 115 minimum per night to dog-sit.

She charges significantly less for house-sitting (where she looks after the pooch in their own home).

However, another woman on the site, based in the same area, charges 104 for a night of dog-sitting both in her own home and in the pooch's home.

Claiming to have 10 years' experience looking after pets, she describes herself as an animal lover and has two stellar reviews singing her praises.

In March 2021, just before the third Covid lockdown came to an end, UK supermarkets warned of a potential shortage in supplies of cat and dog food due to a rise in demand as the number of pandemic pets soared.

Figures released by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association revealed that 56% of new animal owners were under the age of 35, while 59% of the new owners had children at home.

Nicole Paley, deputy chief executive of the PFMA, said: 'With millions working from home or furloughed from their jobs, many have clearly considered the numerous benefits of pet ownership.

'Now, more than ever, we know that the companionship and joy pets can bring to peoples lives shouldnt be under-estimated.'

She added that, amid the huge increase in dog ownership, people should think about the 'long-term responsibilities' of bringing a pet into your life and how your working situation may change in the future, meaning you're not working from home as much.

It is thought that summer holiday season has spiked the demand for dog-sitting services even more, as many pet owners are planning to jet off abroad for weeks at a time.

MailOnline previously reported that one in five people who had bought a new pooch during lockdown were considering rehoming their new pets after Covid restrictions began to ease.

Two Pomeranian Chihuahua crosses, just eight weeks old, are up for sale in Haringey, London, after owner was 'offered a new job and change of circumstances'

A seven-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier for sale in Chingford, London, due to owners 'not having enough time for him'

Research from The Kennel Club said 17% of new dog owners were concerned that offices, restaurants and pubs, which were all beginning to reopen to people, would not be dog-friendly.

Spokesperson for The Kennel Club, Bill Lambert, said: 'If dogs can't go to places with their owners, and fit their lifestyle post-pandemic, some will be left home alone for too long, or even sadly rehomed or abandoned.

'These consequences could be quite devastating for the nation's dogs, who frankly don't deserve to be left behind after being a lifeline for so many during lockdown.'

In January 2021 The RSPCA said it was concerned about the number of adverts popping up online of people either selling their new pets or giving them away for free.

Heartbreaking photos of adorable puppies and kittens were posted on websites like Gumtree selling the animals.

One listing, which advertised two Chihuahua-Pomeranian cross puppies in Haringey, north London, said the current owner of the dogs was giving them up due to 'a change of circumstances'.

And a seven-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Chingford, Essex was put up for sale after the owners admitted they didn't 'have enough time for him'.

It was also reported that puppies bought during the pandemic in the US were showing signs of stress and anxiety as their owners returned to work.

Researchers from Auburn University discovered that pandemic puppies were more anxious when meeting other people and other dogs because they had spent the first three months of their lives, which are crucial for development, cooped up inside.
A woman competing to be the next Miss England has revealed that she is a former refugee who fled Afghanistan with her family when aged just three - and spent ten years battling to find safety.

Lida Nasiri, 26, who now lives in London, where she works in public relations, was born in Kabul, but her mother Brishna decided to flee to Iran with her daughters after the extremist Taliban rose to power in the capital of Afghanistan in the 1990s.

From there, the family travelled to Russia, where Brishna worked for two years to pay people-smugglers for their passage, first to Poland, then by dinghy to Germany.

They journeyed to Poland on foot with a large group of refugees, all carrying their few belongings - while also being told to squeeze into lorries that were under the smugglers control.

After escaping deportation and travelling to neighbouring Germany by sea, the family - which included Lida's four-year-old sister Surya - then claimed asylum in the Netherlands in 2001.

Lida, who came to Britain legally via Holland in 2011 and has permanent citizenship in the UK, told The Sun: 'It was nearly six years later when they told us we could stay and gave us Dutch citizenship. Finally, after all wed been through, we were safe.'

Lida Nasiri (pictured), 26, who now lives in London, where she works in public relations, was born in Kabul, but her mother Brishna decided to flee to Iran with her daughters after the extremist Taliban rose to power in the capital of Afghanistan in the 1990s

From there, the family travelled to Russia, where Brishna worked for two years to pay people-smugglers for their passage, first to Poland, then by dinghy to Germany. Pictured, Lida

They journeyed to Poland on foot with a large group of refugees, all carrying their few belongings - while also being told to squeeze into lorries that were under the smugglers control. Pictured, Lida with sister Surya, right, in Russia

'The hardest part was knowing that my life could end at any moment, that I could lose my mum,' Lida said when recalling her journey from Poland to Germany.

'I was holding her hand at all times, not knowing what would happen. But we thought that if we went back to Afghanistan, we would die.

'We were fighting for everything we wanted, chasing safety and peace. Europe for us represented peace and life, instead of death. And my mum was determined we would make it.'

She also recalled how when arriving in Poland, she and her family were placed in a gym hall with other refugees.

After escaping deportation and travelling to neighbouring Germany by sea, the family - which included Lida's four-year-old sister Surya - then claimed asylum in the Netherlands in 2001. Pictured, Lida

Lida (pictured) came to Britain legally via Holland in 2011 and has permanent citizenship in the UK

For her, Lida (pictured) said the Miss England contest - which she entered after winning a competition celebrating natural beauty - is not about being the most beautiful

Lida explained that everyone was terrified and feared they would die if forced to return to Afghanistan.

For her, Lida said the Miss England contest - which she entered after winning a competition celebrating natural beauty - is not about being the most beautiful.

Instead, it is about all she has suffered over the years, and shining a light on her family's struggle.

The Miss England contestant will now compete for one of 15 places in the grand final on August 22.

Lida (pictured) recalled how when arriving in Poland, she and her family were placed in a gym hall with other refugees
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Queen Letizia of Spain showed that style clearyl runs in the family as she stepped out for an evening shopping trip with her mother-in-law and two teenage daughters.

The family outing in Palma de Mallorca saw the foursome visit the La Llonja summer craft market in Paseig de Sagrera, where they bought some traditional Mallorcan produce and souvenirs.

Letizia, 49, showed off her enviably tanned and toned legs in a 32.99 pink mini dress from high street brand Zara, teamed with matching espadrilles from Spanish brand Clooui.

Her mother-in-law Queen Sofia, 83, was every inch the glamorous grandmother in a patterned trouser suit, while her two teenage daughters Princess Leonor, 16, and Princess Sofia, 15, echoed their mother's outfit choice by wearing Zara dresses.

After strolling through the market, the family were seen dining at Beatnik Restaurant at the Puro Hotel.

Queen Letizia of Spain with her mother-in-law Queen Sofia , Princess Leonor de Borbon, 16, and Infanta Sofia de Borbon, 15, on an evening out in Palma de Mallorca

Princess Sofia donned a beige striped mini dress from Zara for the outing (left). Princess Leonor wore a a blue and white patterned shirt dress from Zara, paired with white Mint & Rose Sardinia espadrilles (right)

Queen Sofia took her daughter-in-law's arm as they strolled through the streets and visited a market to purchase local souvenirs

Queen Letizia, Queen Sofia and Princess Leonor were seen examining the art, crafts and jewellery on offer at the market, which is held in the evenings

Leonor was perfectly in sync with her mother's style, wearing a 32.99 blue and white patterned shirt dress from Zara, paired with white Mint & Rose Sardinia espadrilles.

She teamed the outfit with a white Adolfo Dominquez shoulder bag, while Queen Letizia showed her support for local business and carried a pink ikat wallet made by a local business Feel Mallorca, costing 47

Proving their commitment to high street dressing, Sofia, 15, also opted for a Zara dress, donning a cream mini dress with beige stripes and a cutout at the waist.

And she too co-ordianted with her mother and older sister by finishing off her outfit with a pair of wedge espadrilles.

Queen Sofia looked vibrant in a puple patterned trouser suit, which sthe teamed with a white satin blouse and beaded necklaces

Happy families! Letizia, her mother-in-law Queen Sofia, and her daughter Sofia, 15, paused to pose for a photograph during their evening outing

Style sisters! Queen Letizia teamed her Zara min dress with pink espadrille wedges, while her daughter Sofia, (right) also wore a cut out mini dress from the high street brand

Princess Sofia, 15, linked her grandmother's arm as they made their way through the night market in Mallorca, and perused the local souvenirs and products on offer

It was a recycled piece for Sofia, who was spotted wearing the same dress on the family's annual excursion to Palma last year.

The family decamp to the Balearic Islands every summer and spend a few days carrying out official duties before spend the rest of their break privately.

And the family appeared to be enjoying each other's company, with Queen Sofia taking her daughter-in-law's arm as they strolled through the streets.

Last week, they visited the Cartuja de Valldemossa in Mallorca, which was built in the 14th century.

King James II of Mallorca originally built the palace for his son Sancho - however by the end of the century it became disused when the kingdom of Mallorca was incorporated into the kingdom of Aragon.

Style sisters! Future Queen of Spain Leonor, were the picture of summery perfection in Zara dresses, with the teenager opting for a blue floral shirt dress and her mother choosing a pink number

The outing to the night market forms part of the royals' official appeareances during their holiday and they will later spend time on the island privately
A tragic Austrian royal will be getting The Crown treatment in an upcoming Netflix six-part series.

The Empress, which is being launched by the streaming service in the UK on September 29, will chart the remarkable life of the Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria, who lost her first child in infancy, her second in a murder-suicide and her sister to an accidental fire before being assassinated by an Italian anarchist.

Also known as Sissi, she was the Empress of Austria for the latter half of the 19th century after marrying Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary (who will be played by Philip Froissant in the series) when she was just 16.

She will be played by German actress Devrim Lingnau in the Netflix drama, which will chart her devastating life, from her controlling mother-in-law, and the tragic deaths of her loved ones, to her murder in 1898, with an anarchist stabbing her in her heart.

German actress Devrim Lingnau (pictured) plays the tragic Sissi in Netflix's upcoming six-part series The Empress, which will document the life of the Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria, who was the Empress of Austria for the latter half of the 19th century

Tragic: the real-life Sissi, who was born Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria, suffered a number of tragedies in her life, including the loss of two children before she was murdered

Philip Froissant as Franz (left) and Devrim Lingnau as Elisabeth (right) in the drama, which tells the tragic story of Sissi's life

The Empress is also expected to delve into the tragic royal's obsession with her appearance, and the lengths she went to in order to maintain her looks, having been dubbed the 'loveliest woman in Europe' at the age of 38.

The fitness fanatic performed 20 pull-ups every morning, before being laced into corsets to achieve a 19-inch waist and spent her days horse riding or hiking.

She also indulged in some less than conventional beauty treatments, including using veal face-masks, bathing in goats' milk, drinking five salted egg whites (which she thought reduced stomach bloating) and washing her tresses in eggs and cognac.

However, her larger-than-life approach to her looks are just one part of the royal's remarkable character and story.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of Hungary by marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I, was born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach.

Nicknamed Sisi (also Sissi), she enjoyed an informal upbringing before marrying Emperor Franz Joseph I at the age of 16.

Sissi (played here by Devrim Lingnau) was just 16-years-old when she married Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary (played here by Philip Froissant)

Sissi was made the Empress of Austria for the latter half of the 19th century after marrying Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary as a teenager (pictured, with Franz Joseph)

The marriage thrust her into the much more formal Habsburg court life, for which she was unprepared and which she found uncongenial.

Early in the marriage she was at odds with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, who took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters, one of whom, Sophie, died in infancy.

Sophie had intended Franz to marry Sissi's elder sister Helene. However, he fell in love with Sissi at first sight after spending time with both the girls.

The birth of the heir apparent, Crown Prince Rudolf, improved the Empress' standing at court, but her health suffered under the strain, and she would often visit Hungary for its more relaxed environment.

She came to develop a deep kinship with Hungary, and helped to bring about the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867.

The death of her only son and his mistress Mary Vetsera in a murdersuicide at his hunting lodge at Mayerling in 1889 was a blow from which Elisabeth never recovered.

The programme is also likely to document her obsessive beauty routine, which became legendary during her lifetime

She withdrew from court duties and travelled widely, unaccompanied by her family.

In 1890, she had a palace built on the Greek Island of Corfu that she visited often.

The palace, Achilleion, featuring an elaborate mythological motif, served as a refuge.

Netflix's The Empress: the story of 'a young woman ahead of her time' According to Netflix: 'Elisabeth is told as a young woman ahead of her time, rebelling against the rigid rules of the 19th century and the court. 'She meets Franz, a multi-layered ruler with fractures who played a major role in shaping modern European history. 'Against the backdrop of jealousy, intrigue and power struggles behind the scenes of the Habsburg court - and the emerging question of freedom of the people - the audience is taken into a glittering illusory world, in which a young Sissi must fight for her place at court, as well as the right to be the figurehead of an ailing empire' Advertisement

Photographs of her in her 40s and 50s show she was still astonishingly beautiful, with enviable flowing locks.

In 1897, her sister, Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, died in an accidental fire at the 'Bazar de la Charite' in Paris.

Meanwhile, while travelling in Geneva in 1898, she was mortally wounded by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni, who stabbed her in the heart.

Lucheni originally planned to kill the Duke of Orleans; but the Pretender to France's throne had left Geneva earlier for the Valais.

Failing to find him, the assassin selected Elisabeth when a Geneva newspaper revealed that the elegant woman travelling under the pseudonym of 'Countess of Hohenems was the Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

When Franz Joseph received the telegram informing him of Elisabeth's death, his first fear was that she had committed suicide. It was only when a later message arrived, detailing the assassination, that he was relieved of that notion.

Against this backdrop of jealousy, intrigue and power struggles behind the scenes of the Habsburg court, the makers of the historical drama, which will air in September no doubt hope the series will be as successful as The Crown.

Eva van Leeuwen, Manager Local Originals for Netflix, said: 'We are immensely pleased to be able to retell the story of this dazzling and much-loved figure - with all the complexity that made up the empress - and thus to delight both an audience that will rediscover Sissi as well as the fans of the cult films from the 1950s.

'Hardly any other historical figure possesses so much fascination and charisma - even beyond the borders of Austria and Germany.

Photographs of her - in her 40s and 50s - show she remained astonishingly beautiful throughout her life

'We can't imagine a better team in front of and behind the camera to tell the story of Sisi and Franz and the Habsburg court for Netflix.'

Showrunner Katharina Eyssen said she and her co-writers Bernd Lange and Jana Nandzik are thrilled about the production, saying: 'The Empress offers us the chance to tell the moving story of Empress Elisabeth for a contemporary audience.

'According to a modern image of women. Devrim is not only a highly talented, multi-faceted actress, but for me embodies this very woman: intelligent, passionate, rebellious.

'Philip Froissant, for his part, will make of the role of Franz Joseph something we have not seen before: An ambivalent and fascinating ruler whose conflicts are more topical than ever.'
Phoebe Gates is enjoying time in London with her mother and her boyfriend after facing a barrage of racist online abuse over their relationship.

The 19-year-old, who is the daughter of billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, took to Instagram Stories to share photos from their weekend together, including a sweet image of the mystery man chatting with her mom.

Phoebe posted a snapshot of herself cuddled up next to her beau at dinner on Sunday evening, writing: 'Love having you here with me [heart emoji].'

Phoebe Gates, 19, has been enjoying time in London with her boyfriend (pictured) and her mother, Melinda French Gates

The Stanford University student took to Instagram Stories on Sunday to share photos from their weekend, including a sweet snapshot of herself posing with her mom at lunch

The Stanford University student was dressed to impress in a $2,170 hand embroidered mini dress from the Annie's x Clio Peppiatt capsule collection.

Inspired by Victorian fairytale illustrations, the sparkly midnight blue frock features a whimsical scene of gold beaded fairies dancing under the moon.

'Thank you for making me feel like a butterfly. Dress and alterations by @cliopeppiatt @anniesibiza,' she captioned two photos of herself striking a pose in the dress.

Phoebe also documented their adventures from earlier in the day, sharing footage of her 57-year-old mother walking in front of her in a crisp white button-up dress with a tiered pleated skirt.

Another image from the day showed Phoebe's boyfriend sitting in a park, chatting with her mother, who was listening intently to him with a smile on her face

Phoebe posted footage of her mother walking in front of her in a crisp white button-up dress, writing: 'Who let this pretty lady foam the streets of London'

'Who let this pretty lady roam the streets of London,' she captioned the video.

The teen couldn't resist posting a snapshot of their 'stunning lunch view'

The mother and daughter posed for a photo together during lunch, and Phoebe matched her mom in white, though she opted for a sweetheart strapless frock.

'Love you mama,' the teen wrote in the on-screen text.

Another image from the day showed Phoebe's boyfriend sitting in a park, chatting with her mother. Melinda seems to be a fan of her youngest daughter's new man.

The mother of three could be seen listening intently to what her youngest daughter's boyfriend was saying while Phoebe had her leg comfortably resting across his.

It's unclear how long Phoebe has been staying with her mother in London, or when her boyfriend arrived in the UK.

On August 1, the college student posted a photo of herself drinking a glass of bubbly at Sketch restaurant and gallery in London. Unlike the US, the legal drinking age in the UK is 18, allowing her to imbibe.

Phoebe had a mini photo shoot on the terrace before heading to dinner on Sunday night

Phoebe was dressed in a $2,170 hand embroidered mini dress from the Annie's x Clio Peppiatt capsule collection, which featured gold beaded fairies dancing under the moon

The college student showed off her outfit one last time after dinner, revealing that she borrowed her mom's pink purse for the night

The following image showed her mother at the door, and she hinted in the caption that it was just the two of them that night.

'Swipe to see my cute date,' she wrote.

A few days later, Phoebe posted photos of herself posing outside of Peggy Porschen Cakes  a pastel pink bakery decorated with lush florals  in a $700 checked white and black leather and suede crop top and matching skirt set from Annie's Ibiza.

Phoebe's visit with her boyfriend in London come weeks after she first featured him on Instagram, seemingly making their romance social media official. However, she has yet to share his name or their relationship status.

On August 1, she posted a photo of herself drinking a glass of bubbly at Sketch restaurant and gallery in London. Unlike the US, the legal drinking age in the UK is 18, allowing her to imbibe

Phoebe also shared an image of her mother at the door, writing: Swipe to see my cute date'

A few days later, Phoebe posted photos of herself posing outside of Peggy Porschen Cakes, a pastel pink bakery in London that is decorated with lush florals

The picture showed him giving her a kiss on the cheek as she leaned toward him, a gesture many took to be a confirmation of their romance.

The image was swiftly reposted by multiple accounts on both Instagram and Twitter, with dozens of users making crude comments about the couple.

Online trolls insinuated that Phoebe's boyfriend was using her for her family's money and her father wouldn't approve of their interracial relationship.

'When Phoebe Gates' boyfriend get added to the joint checking account,' one person commented while sharing a video of a black man doing a celebratory dance.

Phoebe was dressed in a $700 checked white and black leather and suede crop top and matching skirt set from Annie's Ibiza

Phoebe sat outside the bakery and crossed her legs to show off her funky ankle boots

Phoebe's visit with her boyfriend in London come weeks after she first featured him on Instagram, prompting a barrage of racist online abuse over their relationship

Someone else tweeted a video of a black man waving a gun around while swerving his car across a road, writing: 'Phoebe Gates and her boyfriend pulling up to Bill Gates' house for Thanksgiving.'

'Bill about to smash a vase against the wall,' someone else added.

'Now we know why Bill Gates been tellin' his kids they aint gon inherit s**t,' one person claimed, referring to the billionaire's previous revelation that he will not leave the majority of his wealth to his children.

The philanthropist, who is one of the richest men in the world with an estimated net worth of $123.7 billion, announced at a TED conference in Canada in 2014 that he intends on leaving most of his fortune to his family's foundation.

Phoebe ignored the vitriol and posted another romantic snapshot of herself with her boyfriend after online trolls crudely suggested he was just using her for her family's money

Phoebe (pictured with her father, billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, in June) is due to start her sophomore year at Stanford University next month

Phoebe (pictured left) is the youngest child of Bill, 66, and his ex-wife, Melinda, 57. In addition to their daughters, Jennifer (center), 26, and Phoebe, they have a 23-year-old son, Rory (right)

But that hasn't stopped social media users from making sordid suggestions about Phoebe's rumored new romance, with several crudely urging the unnamed suitor to 'get her pregnant' while others claimed that he has 'secured the bag.'

Phoebe ignored the vitriol and posted another romantic snapshot of herself with her boyfriend on her Instagram Stories.

The picture showed him kissing her on the cheek during an evening outing in London last month.

Melinda also shares an older daughter, Jennifer, 26, and a son, Rory, 23, with her ex-husband, but Phoebe's other siblings haven't been pictured with them in London.

Phoebe will likely be returning stateside in the next coming weeks as Stanford's fall quarter starts on September 26.
A stunning new bar is wowing customers with its mysterious decor, world class cocktails and 'lost island' themed bar menu.

Much to the delight of Sydney foodies, Baby Dragon Bar has launched where the popular Saga Bar was in the inner west suburb of Newtown.

Described as a 'sweet lost island sanctuary', the spectacular bar is hidden behind a large door on Enmore Road and boasts a lengthy drinks list and eye-popping decor including a huge 'sacred' Sakura cherry blossom tree over the bar.

A stunning new bar is wowing customers with its mysterious decor, world class cocktails and 'lost island' themed bar menu

Much to the delight of Sydney foodies, Baby Dragon Bar has launched where the popular Saga Bar was in the inner west suburb of Newtown

Described as a 'sweet lost island sanctuary', the spectacular bar is hidden behind a large door on Enmore Road and boasts a lengthy drinks list and eye-popping decor including a huge 'sacred' Sakura cherry blossom tree over the bar

The sensual and moody space is dimly lit and oozes holiday vibes, with 15 waterfalls, wooden detailing, vines, murals, small lit palm trees and florals at every turn

The sensual and moody space is dimly lit and oozes holiday vibes, with 15 waterfalls, wooden detailing, vines, murals, small lit palm trees and florals at every turn.

Open every evening but Monday, the bar offers an array of mouthwatering treats including beef and vegetarian dumplings, spring rolls, chicken wings, cheese boards, island spiced mixed nuts and sweet potato fries.

The cocktail menu is where the bar really comes to life, however, with its star tipple the Dragon Flower ($21) which is made with Wheatley Vodka, Cassis & Chambord with raspberry, lemon and Prosecco.

The cocktail menu is where the bar really comes to life, however, with its star tipple the Dragon Flower ($21) which is made with Wheatley Vodka, Cassis & Chambord with raspberry, lemon and Prosecco

Open every evening but Monday, the bar offers an array of mouthwatering treats including beef and vegetarian dumplings, spring rolls, chicken wings (pictured), cheese boards, island spiced mixed nuts and sweet potato fries

The La Perla Negra is made with Grenall's Gin, shaken with rose, blackberry, Aquafaba, lemongrass, Kaffir lime and activated charcoal and garnished with wild flower

Other standouts include the Island Spritz ($20) made with White Rum & Maraschino Liqueur, lime, pink grapefruit and Prosecco and the Lost Island Iced Tea ($25) which is made with Wheatley Vodka, gin, white rum, Triple Sec, Absinthe and Red Bull.

For those with a sweet tooth, the Smashed Jaffa ($20) is made with a dark chocolate Liqueur, Triple Sec, orange and cream and the King Colada ($22) offers a tasty mix of white rum, coconut rum, coconut, pineapple and cream.

The bar also offers an impressive mix of alcohol-free cocktails ($10-$12) including the Island Zen (made with cloudy apple, elderflower, ginger and mint) and the Piece of the Island's Heart (made with pineapple, lime cordial and cream).

To find out more about The Baby Dragon Bar visit their Instagram or website here.
Domino's has just announced its new venture into the 'burger market' - but there's an unexpected twist.

Domino's Burger Joint Pizza Range offers a fresh, new take on the beloved cheeseburgers and hamburgers with four new pizzas available from August 8.

The exclusive range can be ordered via the Domino's App and include the Burger Joint Cheeseburger ($10.95) to the Burger Joint Hamburger ($18.95).

Australia's largest pizza company has just announced their new venture into the burger market

Domino's Burger Joint Pizza Range offers a fresh, new take on the beloved cheeseburgers and hamburgers with four exciting new pizzas available from August 8

Domino's ANZ CEO David Burness also spoke highly of the quality of their food after being delivered in comparison to other restaurants.

'We have taken almost 40 years of experience and developed a burger specifically for the delivery generation,' said Burness.

He added, 'No more soggy bread rolls and limp lettuce. Domino's is bringing home the burger  on a pizza!'

The pizzas are loaded with premium burger ingredients like 100% Aussie beef burger pieces, authentic American burger cheese, butter pickles, and special burger sauce.

Domino's ANZ CEO David Burness spoke highly of the quality of their food after being delivered in comparison to other restaurants

The exclusive range can be ordered via the Domino's App and prices range from the Burger Joint Cheeseburger ($10.95) to the Burger Joint Hamburger ($18.95)

Domino's Culinary Innovation & Development Chef Michael Treacy revealed that while it was not the first time pizza and burger had stepped out together, Domino's four new Burger Joint pizzas were 'a whole new burger experience.'

'We live in the Golden Age of Delivery and burgers have yet to ketchup,' said Treacy.

He added, 'They're often cold or falling apart by the time they reach your door because they were simply never designed to be delivered.'

'What makes our Burger Joint pizzas so incredible is that our premium ingredients were carefully chosen for maximum burger goodness, while ensuring they could be delivered hot and fresh just like a Domino's pizza.

Domino's Culinary Innovation & Development Chef Michael Treacy revealed that while it was not the first time pizza and burger had stepped out together, Domino's four new Burger Joint pizzas were 'a whole new burger experience'

Domino's Burger Joint Pizza Range Burger Joint Cheeseburger  loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American cheese slices, mozzarella and butter pickles topped with special burger sauce.

 loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American cheese slices, mozzarella and butter pickles topped with special burger sauce. Burger Joint Bacon Cheeseburger  loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American burger cheese slices, mozzarella, butter pickles and crispy bacon topped with special burger sauce.

 loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American burger cheese slices, mozzarella, butter pickles and crispy bacon topped with special burger sauce. Burger Joint Hamburger  loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American burger cheese slices, red onion, fresh tomato, mozzarella and butter pickles finished with mayonnaise and tomato ketchup.

 loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American burger cheese slices, red onion, fresh tomato, mozzarella and butter pickles finished with mayonnaise and tomato ketchup. Burger Joint Bacon Hamburger  loaded with 100% all beef burger pieces, American burger cheese slices, red onion, fresh tomato, mozzarella, butter pickles and crispy bacon finished with mayonnaise and tomato ketchup. Advertisement

Thousands flooded the pizza chain's Instagram with excitement.

'Oh my GOD,' said one man. 'I never knew I needed this.'

'This looks absolutely amazing, I can't wait to try it.'
One of Australia's favourite popcorn brands is releasing two new limited-edition flavours at Woolworths.

Cobs Natural Popcorn has just introduced 'Tiramisu' and 'Parmesan & Cracked Pepper' to their wide range of unique flavours.

The sweet and salty treats will be available in-stores and online in the coming weeks for $2.10.

Cobs Natural Popcorn has just introduced 'Tiramisu' and 'Parmesan & Cracked Pepper' to their wide range of unique flavours

The Tiramisu flavour is described to be extremely decadent with a combination of cream, coffee, and cocoa.

While the new Parmesan and Cracked Pepper is set to join several fan-favourites like the Cheddar Cheese Popcorn and the Cheesy Cheddar oven-baked puffs.

But Cobs is not the only Aussie favourite to release a new and exciting flavour.

The renowned flavour of Oak chocolate has put a twist on the classic Golden Gaytime and giving it a rich chocolate flavour.

The new treat has an indulgent Oak-inspired centre dipped in a layer of chocolate and coated in the Golden Gaytime's famous biscuit pieces.

Oak milk have teamed up with Golden Gaytime to release a new chocolate flavour of the classic Aussie ice cream which is available now in selected stores

Customers can pick up a box of four for $9.90 from IGA, Ritchie's and Drakes & Romeos from today.

Coles, convenience stores and petrol stations will be stocking the new Oak Gaytime from September.

This isn't the first time Golden Gaytime has been given a flavour twist with a Coco Pops, Birthday cake and Crunchy Nut variety also available now.

The decadent new treat has an indulgent Oak-inspired centre sipped in a layer of chocolate and coated in the Golden Gaytime's famous biscuit pieces

Golden Gaytime spokesperson Annie Lucchitti said the new ice cream is sure to be a 'crowd pleaser'.

'Golden Gaytime Oak brings the iconic elements of Golden Gaytime together with the unmistakable Oak Choc Milk flavour hit. It's creamy, crumbly, choccy - delicious,' she said.

The ice cream isn't the first classic Australian treat to be given a unique twist.

A new Violet Crumble Espresso Martini has launched across Australia, leaving sweet-toothed cocktail fans delighted.

Feminae Beverage Co. have teamed up with the classic Aussie chocolate to create a decadent boozy treat that is available to purchase now but only until stocks last.

Each box is $79.95 and contains two-litres of ready-to-drink martini as well as a 30g bar of Violet Crumble to be crushed and used as a garnish.

An Aussie cocktail company has teamed up with a classic chocolate to create a Violet Crumble Espresso Martini but foodies better be quick if they want to get a bottle for themselves

The Feminae X Violet Crumble Espresso Martini is an indulgent blend of cold drip coffee, premium vodka and Australian cream.

The blend is infused with the chocolaty, caramel and honeycomb flavours of the famous Violet Crumble.

Perfect as a party-starter or after dinner treat the luxuriously creamy cocktail can be enjoyed straight from the fridge into a martini glass or shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice with a sprinkle or Violet Crumble crumbs.

Feminae Beverage Co. have teamed up with Violet Crumble to create a decadent boozy treat that is available to purchase for $79.95 now but only until stocks last

The two-litre box makes 24 standards drinks and is available to purchase online from the Feminae website for a limited time with shipping starting from Monday August 1.

Foodies online have been tagging their friends and expressing their excitement at the unique new collaborative cocktail with one saying it could be their 'new favourite'.

Feminae is an Australian owned beverage company that makes unique cocktails from Melbourne including the popular passionfruit and pavlova cosmopolitan and pink grapefruit gin.
An Australian couple have made more than $10million in a year after launching a seltzer brand during the height of the Covid pandemic.

Model Chloe Fisher, 30, and her Grammy-nominated DJ husband Paul, 35, are the brains behind Hard Fizz, a company they brought to fruition after lockdowns and the global health crisis saw Paul's gigs cancelled for months at a time.

'After spending so much time in the States, we knew how huge hard seltzer is there - it was an untapped market in Australia,' Ms Fisher told NewsWire.

Model Chloe Fisher, 30, and her Grammy-nominated DJ husband Paul, 35, are the brains behind Hard Fizz, a company they brought to fruition after lockdowns and the global health crisis saw Paul's gigs cancelled for months at a time

'After spending so much time in the States, we knew how huge hard seltzer is there - it was an untapped market in Australia,' Ms Fisher told NewsWire

So they procured a brewery in the Gold Coast suburb of Miami and began churning out various low calorie flavours of Hard Fizz, a vodka-based alcoholic beverage.

The company motto 'Fizzy on the Lips and Light on the Rig' is testament to the changing attitudes around alcohol, with more millennials looking to have fun without the excess of a traditional cocktail or beer.

At $70 a case for 16 drinks it's almost $4.40 a can but they're proving so popular in Australia they've become the nation's third most popular seltzer behind White Claw and Smirnoff.

Customers can enjoy passionfruit & guava, orange & mango, watermelon & berry, lychee & apple and pineapple agave.

At $70 a case for 16 drinks it's almost $4.40 a can but they're proving so popular in Australia they've become the nation's third most popular seltzer behind White Claw and Smirnoff (the Hard Fizz team)

It's celebrity-approved with the likes of DJ Tigerlily (pictured), TV personality Brooke Evers, professional surfer Laura Enever and Aussie chef Hayden Quinn fronting the brand, alongside Chloe and Paul's myriad of high profile friends

There is also a range of merchandise including a tote, crew neck and cap available on the website.

It's celebrity-approved with the likes of DJ Tigerlily, TV personality Brooke Evers, professional surfer Laura Enever and Aussie chef Hayden Quinn fronting the brand, alongside Chloe and Paul's myriad of high profile friends.

'When the pandemic first started, Paul and I were at home on the Gold Coast wondering what we were going to do,' Ms Fisher said.

'His gigs were cancelled, he couldn't tour and then we were pitched the idea of a seltzer company.'

They've already made more than $10million in sales this year and $7.5million in 2020, with a team predominantly made up of women.
Britain's dental crisis has reached a 'tipping point' with desperate patients resorting to performing surgery on themselves, health bosses have warned.

A new survey found nine in 10 practices are refusing new patients. Those who are accepted are faced with waits of up to five years to get registered.

People are increasingly turning to 'DIY dentistry' because they are unable to get an appointment, the national director of Healthwatch England said.

It is 'not unusual' to hear stories of patients pulling out their own teeth or crafting artificial ones and sticking them in using superglue, the watchdog added.

Millions of Britons are without a dentist after thousands quit the NHS during the pandemic.

Some regions in England are far worse than others for access to NHS dentistry. It is poorest in the North West, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber where 98 per cent of practices won' accept new patients. This was followed by the East Midlands with 97 per cent, the South East with 95 per cent, the East of England with 93 per cent, and the West Midlands with 84 per cent. London was the best performer for NHS dental care, but even in the nation's capital over three quarters (76 per cent) of practices were not accepting new patients

Official health service data, which records the number of adults seen by NHS dentists in 24 month periods shows the drastic decline in the number of people seeing a dentist since the pandemic. While people struggled to access NHS dentistry services before Covid due to a lack of appointments, the situation has deteriorated further with 6million fewer people seen compared to pre-pandemic levels

Millions of people have been left without access to dental care after the number of NHS dentists fell to their lowest level ever last year

The survey of nearly 7,000 NHS dental practices across the UK found 91 per cent are unable to adult accept adult patients.

The poll, by the British Dental Association (BDA) and BBC, also found around eight in 10 practices were not accepting child patients.

Healthwatch England's national director Louise Ansari told BBC Radio 4s Today programme the situation was 'dire'.

'So many people cant get an NHS dentist appointment, theyre in pain, theyre anxious, some people cant eat or speak properly,' she said.

'And suddenly, indeed, its not unusual for us to hear stories of DIY dentistry, things like making teeth out of resin and sticking them in to their gums with superglue, which is an absolute desperate situation for somebody to be in.'

Asked if she had heard of people pulling out their own teeth, Ms Ansari added: 'Yes, absolutely.'

BDA officials said NHS dentistry is now at a 'tipping point'.

According to the UK-wide survey, 90 per of the nation's NHS dental practices were not accepting new adult patients.

How much does NHS dentistry cost, compared to private? There are 3 NHS charge bands: Band 1: 23.80 Covers an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish, and planning for further treatment. Band 2: 65.20 Covers all treatment included in Band 1, plus additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal treatment and removing teeth (extractions). Band 3: 282.80 Covers all treatment included in Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures and bridges. For comparison, check-ups can cost between 20 and 120 at private dentists, according to Which?. Dentures and bridges can also cost up to 2,520, the consumer watchdog says. Advertisement

Wales was the worst for NHS dental access in the UK, with 93 per cent of its practices unable to accept new patients.

This was followed by England where 91 per cent of 5,416 practices did not accept new patients, with Northern Ireland next with 90 per cent, and Scotland performing the best with only 82 per cent of practices not accepting patients.

By English region, NHS dental access was poorest in the North West, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber where 98 per cent of practices had no capacity for new patients.

This was followed by the East Midlands with 97 per cent, the South East with 95 per cent, the East of England with 93 per cent, and the West Midlands with 84 per cent.

London was the best performer for accessing NHS dental care, but even in the nation's capital over three quarters (76 per cent) of practices were not accepting new patients.

Of the NHS practices not taking on patients in the UK, about one in six (17 per cent) said their waiting lists to become a patient were at least a year or more.

Patients at one practice in Cornwall have been told they face five-year waits.

The survey also found no NHS dentist practice was accepting any new patients in just over a third (35 per cent) of the nation's 217 local authorities.

The situation was equally dire for children in England, with only 79 per cent of NHS practices not accepting new child patients.

The BDA's general dental practice committee chairman, Shawn Charlwood, said: 'NHS dentistry is at a tipping point, with millions unable to get the care they need and more dentists leaving with every day that passes,' he said.

'Were seeing the results of years of chronic neglect, set into overdrive by the pressures of the pandemic. The question now is will ministers step up before its too late?

'Without real reform and fair funding NHS dentistry will die, and our patients will pay the price.'

Patients across the UK are struggling to access NHS dentistry with 93 per cent of practices in Wales, 91 per cent in England, 90 per cent in Northern Ireland and 82 per cent in Scotland not accepting new adult patients

Turky Teeth: 'Mislead millennials are signing up for a lifetime of unnecessary and painful treatments' Experts at the Harley Street Smile Clinic in London say they have been inundated with young people who are seeking remedial work after taking part in dental tourism. In an alarming blog post, the clinic says mislead millennials are committing to 'a lifetime of unnecessary, expensive and painful treatments'. It adds: 'Our clinic has been inundated over the last couple of years with young people who have been misled by bargain cosmetic dental centres in Turkey. 'Having been left with the harsh reality of a lifetime of dental work, costing far beyond the cost of having veneers done in the UK, often our clients have no idea what work they've actually had done, or what's involved in rectifying the issue. Dr Maurice Johannes, Principle Dentist at Harley Street Smile Clinic, added: 'I can't stress enough that people need to be 100% clear about exactly what they are signing up for when they go abroad for cosmetic dental treatment. 'Although patients are under the impression they are having veneers, in reality they are having crowns placed, which means much more aggressive tooth reduction.' Source: The Harley Street Smile Clinic Advertisement

The BDA previously said some 3,000 dentists have moved away from NHS work entirely since March 2020.

And a poll of 2,200 high street dentists in England found that 45 per cent have reduced their NHS commitment since the start of the pandemic.

They also found that 75 per cent are 'likely' to reduce, or further reduce, their NHS commitment in the next 12 months.

Responding to the survey, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the Government was already acting to support NHS dentistry.

'The NHS commits around 3 billion to dentistry each year and have made an extra 50 million to help bust the Covid backlogs, building on the unprecedented 1.7 billion support we provided during the pandemic, to protect teams and patients by paying dental practices for the work they would normally have carried out if it were not for Covid regulations,' they said.

Last month health chiefs unveiled a plan for healthy NHS dentistry patients to only see a dentist every two years for a check up to help ease appointment waiting times and care backlogs.

In another move designed to ease pressure on dentists, dental therapists will also be allowed to carry out fillings, crowns, and a range of treatments.

NHS dentistry has been in crisis for many years. Many dental surgeries say it is no longer financially viable to offer NHS procedures, leading to an 'exodus' of dentists into the private sector.

It's not uncommon for Britons to have to call up to 40 practices to find an NHS dentist in their area taking on new patients.

Official health service data, which records the number of adults seen by NHS dentists in 24 month periods, shows only 15.8million English adults saw a dentist between December 2019 and the end of 2021.

This is 6million less than the same period between December 2017 and end of 2019.

Additionally the NHS now has the smallest dentist workforce in a decade, with each dentist having a caseload of about 2,000 patients.

The situation has led to some desperate patients resorting to risky at-home procedures  including pulling out their own teeth with pliers.

Others have flew 6,000 miles to Brazil to be seen.

The BBC and BDA survey was carried out between May and July with researchers contacting 6,880 dental practices offering NHS services.
The increasing popularity of plus-sized models may be driving a surge in bum lifts and breast implants in the West, a study suggests.

Researchers said the rise of curvy celebrities like Ashley Graham could be behind growing demand for the sometimes dangerous procedures.

A study compared the social media presence and body measurements of more than 100 models.

It found no significant difference in the share of likes, comments and posts among plus-sized or traditionally thin models.

This, the researchers claim, indicates that voluptuous women are becoming increasingly popular.

The modelling industry was previously accused of promoting unhealthily slim body-types, which was linked to eating disorders like anorexia in young girls.

But there has been a rise in the number of British women going abroad to get procedures that accentuate women's curves over the last decade.

Lead researcher Dr Neelam Vashi, a dermatologist at Boston University, said the results showed the changing standard of beauty in pop culture.

He added: 'Plastic surgeons may see an increased interest in procedures, including breast and buttock augmentation, that embrace a curvaceous plus size body type.'

Boston University academics said the presence of larger models like Ashley Graham (left) and Jordyn Woods (right) could be increasing demand for bum lifts and breast implants

The modelling industry was previously accused of promoting unhealthily thin body-types, which was linked to eating disorders like anorexia in young girls. Pictured: Kate Moss at the Elite Model Agency party in London in 1993

But the newly popular cosmetic surgeries have been linked to a host of health problems.

Brazilian bum lifts  when fat is taken from one part of the body and injected into the rear  have the highest risk of death of any cosmetic procedure.

The injected fat can cause blockages in blood vessels in the lungs.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has advised against carrying them out until more is known about risks.

Despite this, they are still available in the UK as well as the US for up to 8,000 ($9,600).

At least three women in Britain have died in the last three years from complications of surgeries carried out in Turkey, where procedures are often cheaper.

Brazilian butt lifts: The world's fastest growing surgery Brazilian butt lifts have become the world's fastest growing surgery, despite concerns about the procedure's dangers. The number of butt lifts performed globally has risen 77.6 per cent since 2015, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The procedure  when fat is taken from one part of the body and injected into the rear  have the highest risk of death of any cosmetic procedure. The injected fat can cause blockages in blood vessels in the lungs. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has advised against carrying them out until more is known about risks of the increasingly popular 8,000 surgery. Despite this, they are still available in the UK as well as the US. At least three women in Britain have died in the last three years from complications of surgeries carried out in Turkey, where procedures are often cheaper. Advertisement

The latest study, published in the scientific journal Cureus, tracked the social media presence of 159 plus-sized models.

They were compared to the highest paid 10 mainstream models in the world.

Researchers looked at their follower count, average number of likes, comments and posts on Instagram to see how their social media presences differed.

The top 10 plus-sized models had an average of 3.8million followers each, compared to 38million in the mainstream models.

But, relative to their follower counts, there was no significant difference between the average likes per post, average comments per post, and total posts between the top mainstream models and top plus-size models.

Ashley Graham had the largest amount of followers of all plus-sized models, with more than 12 million.

She was followed by Jordyn Woods (11.7million), who was formerly best friends with Kylie Jenner.

Iskra Lawrence (4.6million), a 31-year-old British model, and Ashley Alexis Smith (2.2million), an American model and swimwear entrepreneur, were the next most popular curvy models.

For comparison, the largest accounts for mainstream models were Kendall Jenner (154million)  who has a 24in waist  and Gigi Hadid (64.4million).

Writing in the journal, the researchers said: 'Over time, the presence of plus-size models has increased within the fashion industry.

'Societal pressures on retailers to incorporate an increased body diversity that fully represents their consumer base of society with an average dress size of 14 to 16 and BMI of 26.5 is likely contributory to the increasing presence of plus-size models.

'This shift can be seen within the results of this study, as many of the top plus-size models had a significant social media presence.'

Plus size modelling kicked off in the mid-2000s, after Jean-Paul Gaultier and John Galliano used larger women in their Spring 2006 showings in Paris.
Despite the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declaring monkeypox a public health emergency last week, one key expert is still hopeful that the virus can be contained before it develops into a full fledged outbreak.

Dr Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration and current board member at pharma-giant Pfizer, told CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday that while difficult, it is possible to prevent monkeypox from becoming an endemic virus - a prospect officials likely failed with Covid.

He says that the response to the virus has to be wider to control it, though. At the moment, testing has mainly been reserved to just gay and bisexual men - who make up a overwhelming majority of cases. Gottlieb believes that more cases would be found if testing was expanded beyond just that community.

His comments come days after HHS declared a public health emergency over the virus on Thursday. The 7,510 recorded cases are the most of any country in the world so far. Per capita, the nation's one case per million residents on August 5 is around half of the 1.93 per million cases being recorded in Spain.

One of these cases is among a daycare worker in Illinois. The unnamed employee in Eastern Illinois tested positive recently, potentially exposing the vulnerable children at the facility to the virus. Officials are screening children and staff for the virus and offering the potentially exposed the Jynneos vaccine.

Theres a potential to get this back in the box but its going to be very difficult at this point,' Gottlieb said.

'Were continuing to look for cases in the community of men who have sex with men, its primarily spreading in that community, but there's no question it has spread outside that community at this point and I think we need to start looking for cases more broadly.

While exact federal data is not available, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing last week that they still make up a majority of cases.

Former FDA Chief Dr Scott Gottlieb (pictured) told CBS' Face the Nation that the CDC should expand monkeypox testing and launch wastewater surveillance for the virus

In mid-July, New York City officials revealed that 95 percent of cases in the Big Apple - the nation's monkeypox hotspot - were is men with at least three-in-five also identifying as gay, bisexual or lesbian.

America is facing a shortage of both testing and vaccines at the moment, though, meaning that they have been reserved for men who have sex with other men to this point.

The CDC has greatly expanded its testing capacity in recent weeks, now being able to perform 80,000 per week across its own testing and agreements set up with private partners.

Last week Walensky said that only around ten percent of America's testing capacity was being used, opening the door for significant expansions in the amount of people that should be tested.

Gottlieb said that any person with an atypical case of either shingles or herpes should be tested for monkeypox at this point.

Expanding testing will either find more cases - giving officials more information they can use to control the outbreak - or will confirm more people as negative and confirm areas where the virus is not spreading.

He also believes the CDC should begin wastewater surveillance - which can give more general pictures of where the virus is spreading without individual testing.

Despite his concerns, Gottlieb does not think the virus has reached a point where the average American should be worried.

I dont think this is something people need to be generally worried about,' he explained.

'I think the incidence of this infection in the broader community is still very low. Your risk of coming into contact with monkeypox is still exceedingly low outside of certain social networks where you see a higher case rate.

'If you want to contain it we need to start looking more widely for it.

The U.S. has confirmed 7,510 cases of the virus since it was first found stateside in May. Another 408 cases were added to the ledger over the weekend.

Not a single death has been tied to the virus in the U.S., though nearly a dozen have internationally as part of this current outbreak.

New York has far and away recorded the most cases of any U.S. state. The Empire State has logged 1,862 as of Monday morning. No other state has logged more than 1,000.

Wyoming remains the lone state not to have recorded a monkeypox infection, though this could be due to a lack of surveillance in the state.
Millions of us regularly rely on them to keep us free from pain and discomfort  but could taking some over-the-counter painkillers actually mean we end up suffering even more?

That is the disturbing conclusion of new research by Canadian scientists who analysed what really happens to back-pain sufferers who use anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin.

Absurd as it sounds, this latest research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, echoes several previous studies which suggest that, counter-intuitively, painkillers taken even for a few days may cause chronic symptoms by interfering with our bodies essential natural healing processes.

Millions of us regularly rely on them to keep us free from pain and discomfort  but could taking some over-the-counter painkillers actually mean we end up suffering even more?

Around 24 million Britons suffer from chronic pain, according to the private healthcare charity Nuffield Health. In an attempt to solve such problems we spend more than 90 million on over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin every year.

But are we wasting our money? The new paper, from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, suggests inflammation that occurs, for example, in painful backs and joints  swollen, red and painful though it may be  actually helps resolve acute pain (the short-term discomfort we get from an injury).

It also prevents it from becoming chronic pain (defined as lasting longer than 12 weeks). And blocking that initial inflammation, while it might provide short-term pain relief, may interfere with this natural process and lead to harder-to-treat pain further down the line, the researchers warn.

The study analysed the health records of some 500 people with lower back pain in the UK Biobank database of health records from half a million Britons.

I wish I had never taken that first dose Angela Putney Hillsley, 46, is from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Until four years ago, my life was normal. I was a busy mum working as a support worker for children in their homes. I spent my weekends socialising with my husband Steve, 48. Life was good. One day in 2018, I was kneeling, sorting clothes out on my bedroom floor with my daughters Jade, 23, and Kaylee, 21. When I stood up, I heard a popping sound and pain seared through my left leg. I hobbled to the kitchen. I took some paracetamol and hoped it would pass. But the pain just got worse. Around a month later, I couldnt walk upstairs without crying. Steve took me to A&E, where I had an X-ray and an MRI scan. They gave me some crutches to use, then two weeks later I returned to see the consultant where he told me there was a tumour in my knee. I was stunned. Angela Putney Hillsley, 46, is from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, says: 'One day in 2018, I was kneeling, sorting clothes out on my bedroom floor with my daughters Jade, 23, and Kaylee, 21. When I stood up, I heard a popping sound and pain seared through my left leg' I had a whole-body bone scan a few days later, which, thankfully, showed it was benign and not a cancerous tumour. I was told to go back to my GP for pain management who, a month after being diagnosed, prescribed me Oramorph  liquid morphine  and signed me off work for six months. But by six months after the accident, I was falling asleep constantly from the morphine, and the pain just seemed to be getting worse. My doctor prescribed more powerful medication including morphine patches. Despite this, I continued to worsen. The pain was constant and excruciating but the tiredness from the drugs was almost as bad. I couldnt get off the sofa. I cancelled social gatherings and I stopped leaving the house. My family were shocked. I was nothing like how I was before. My year off work had run out and, reluctantly, I had to resign. I was devastated as I loved my job. My GP sent me for counselling, group therapy and even mirror therapy with a physiotherapist to see if my movements were causing the pain. Nothing has worked. The drugs made me feel sick and woozy and didnt seem to dull the pain  yet no one ever suggested they could be worsening the problem. I wanted to wean myself off the drugs but was too scared to do it without guidance. I told my doctor that, in all honesty, I wanted to cut my leg off  thats how bad the pain is. Now I cant work, barely leave the house except for medical appointments and am nothing like the mum, wife and friend I was before. I take 33 painkillers and drugs a day to control the pain and deal with side-effects from some of the medicines. I wish Id never taken that first morphine dose as I am still in pain regardless. Interview: JULIE COOK Advertisement

It found that those who were taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen to treat it were more likely to have pain for up to ten years later than those who didnt take the anti-inflammatories. Indeed, this effect was not seen in people taking paracetamol  which dulls pain but does not dampen inflammation.

Why should this be so? The researchers also looked at pain mechanisms in both humans and mice and found that a type of white blood cell, known as a neutrophil, seems to play a key role.

Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in humans and have multiple roles in our immune systems.

They capture and destroy invading microorganisms, but they can also be responsible for regulating levels of inflammation in response to an infection or injury, so that the inflammation helps healing but itself does not subsequently become over-active and cause damage.

They normally arrive on the scene of the injury early during inflammation when it starts to hurt  around the same time that many of us start taking painkillers. The McGill team blocked the action of neutrophils in mice with an injury and found the creatures pain subsequently lasted up to ten times longer than normal.

When they gave them anti-inflammatory drugs, despite providing short-term relief, they found they had the same pain-prolonging effect. The new research suggests it may be better not to block inflammation and instead allow the neutrophils to do their inflammation-damping work, says Jeffrey Mogil, a professor of pain studies at McGill University and one of the lead researchers.

Inflammation occurs for a reason and it looks like its dangerous to interfere with it, he says.

What weve been doing for decades not only appears to be wrong but 180 degrees wrong. You should not be blocking inflammation. You should be letting inflammation happen. Thats what stops chronic pain. Thus, we may be better off either taking painkillers that dont block inflammation, such as paracetamol, or putting up with pain  if possible  in the reassuring knowledge that its actually part of our natural healing process.

Its not the only new evidence that we might be better off without pills when we get a painful twinge. Last week, a major new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that the key to controlling chronic back pain lies in retraining the mind  not turning to tablets.

Around 24 million Britons suffer from chronic pain, according to the private healthcare charity Nuffield Health. In an attempt to solve such problems we spend more than 90 million on over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin every year [File photo]

Scientists from the University of New South Wales, Australia, offered 138 back-pain sufferers a 12-week brain-retraining programme, where they underwent specific brain exercises to change the way they perceived their condition so it was no longer seen as a defect, or a barrier to movement.

Gradually, this allowed them to perform more and more physical movements  including lunges  that increased their strength and reduced their pain. The results showed that by the end of the course, pain scores had almost halved.

Its not just over-the-counter painkillers that can make things even worse. The much stronger painkiller morphine, available only on prescription, can cause some patients to suffer chronic pain, a condition called opioid- induced hyperalgesia.

The prevalence of this is unknown, although a 2014 study in the British Journal of Anaesthesia warned that patients given high amounts of opioid drugs after surgery tend to suffer higher levels of post-operative pain, which can turn into long-term chronic pain.

In 2018, researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder, U.S., reported that lab rats given opioids to quell pain after stomach surgery experienced pain for at least three weeks longer than rats not given opioids.

The report, in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia, also found that repeated opioid doses can prime specialised immune cells in the spinal cord, called glial cells, to be more reactive to pain.

Perhaps worst of all, damning research suggests that using morphine to block the intense pain suffered during a heart attack may actually worsen peoples chances of survival. This is because the drug seems to prevent the bodys natural stem-cell repair system from working.

Normally, in response to the physical pain of a heart attack, the body sends stem cells to the damaged heart to repair damage and rebuild tissue. However, when this pain is blocked by morphine, the stem-cell repair response is also blocked off.

Other medicines that can ramp up your symptoms Popular painkillers arent the only medicines that can make things worse not better. Decongestants that bung you up Nasal spray decongestants clear the airways by shrinking tiny blood vessels in the nasal cavity that are inflamed because of the presence of a virus or allergen. Most rely on pseudoephedrine, a drug which makes the muscles controlling these blood vessels contract, allowing air to pass through more freely. But if used for more than seven days, pseudoephedrine can cause fatigue in these muscles and they stop responding to the drug. Patients then tend to use even more of the spray to clear the blockage  just making the problem worse. Indigestion pills that ramp up heartburn Indigestion drugs called proton pump inhibitors, taken by millions of people in the UK, suppress the release of acid by cells in the stomach lining called proton pumps. But once you stop taking them, those cells initially react by producing even more acid than they did in the first place  a kind of rebound effect. This happens in around 50 per cent of patients on the drugs. Experts recommend asking your GP to taper the dose gradually, as this can reduce the risk of rebound effect. Acne drug can trigger spots Around 30,000 people in the UK take the drug Roaccutane for severe acne. It clears spots by reducing the amount of natural oil (called sebum) made by the skin, so the pores are less likely to block. But the drug initially causes the inner lining of hair follicles to break down and the debris from this breakdown causes a blockage  the perfect breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria. It often takes a couple of weeks to settle down, once the skin has dried out a little. Anti-fever drugs prolong infection Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen for a fever caused by a bug may seem like common sense. But it can actually prolong a viral infection because when body temperatures soars, viruses dont replicate well. Lowering your temperature by taking medicines may help the virus survive inside the body for longer. Ear wax drops block your ears Most over-the-counter ear drops contain sodium bicarbonate, which dissolves hardened wax. But during the early stages of the softening process, the wax expands as it breaks down, making the blockage worse at least for a few days. Advertisement

This was discovered in 2012 by Paolo Madeddu, a professor of experimental cardiovascular medicine at Bristol University. His study, published in the journal Circulation, found that during a heart attack pain signals from cardiac nerves help to attract stem cells from bone marrow to repair damage to the heart muscle, and restore blood flow after a clot has starved the heart of oxygen-carrying blood. The investigations were first done on mice, and then with human patients.

The actual sensation of pain may be very important here, he says, because it seems to cause the brain to start physiological processes that are involved in the repair mechanism.

Professor Madeddu told Good Health that the new McGill University study on anti-inflammatory drugs and back pain is different from ours on pain after a heart attack  but it has something in common as far as the suppression of the healing response is concerned.

He adds that the loss of healing inflammation seems to be the problem, regardless of whether the drug is ibuprofen, aspirin or morphine.

Any injury can trigger the release of inflammatory-like cells, he says. These cells have healing properties. In the case of heart attacks, blood cells promote healing by promptly stimulating the formation of new blood vessels, as in our Circulation paper. But if the response is blocked [by painkilling drugs] the initial acute injury and tissue damage can persist and become chronic.

Dr Rajesh Munglani, a consultant in pain medicine at the Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, agrees that inflammation, nasty though it might feel, is essential.

Inflammation is part of the healing process, he says, This explains why long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs can cause serious damage to the gut lining, because they inhibit the inflammatory response in the gut, which is part of the guts self-repair mechanism.

With anti-inflammatories you should take the smallest dose for the least possible time, because they are a blunderbuss that inhibits pain but also inhibits healing.

Dr Munglani says that people who are taking anti-inflammatories long-term  for weeks and months rather than days  should try taking them only every other day. Give yourself every other day off and try something else, he says. If its chronic joint pain, for example, you can try putting icepacks on the painful sites and non-drug remedies, such as ginger and curcumin.

Chronic pain can have many biological causes as well as psychological ones, he adds. Different remedies work for different people and, rather than relying on one drug, I recommend patients try a range of things to see what might work for them.

But Dr Franziska Denk, who researches the nervous systems involvement in chronic pain conditions at Kings College London, is more cautious about the new McGill University findings.

Its a very interesting study, but it needs to be replicated in more detail to confirm its conclusions, she says. I would not say we should take anti-inflammatory painkillers like Smarties. But if I had just put my back out, it would not put me off taking ibuprofen for around three days.

I wouldnt use it for more than a few days though, she adds. In general, it is not an easy drug to use  not only because of the risk of stomach ulcers but also because research evidence shows that if you take more than 15 ibuprofen doses a month you can increase your risk of migraine headaches. Professor Madeddu, however, says that for back pain we are best off avoiding anti-inflammatory drugs altogether  because they simply dont work well. He says that several meta-analyses (where data from numerous previous trials is aggregated to produce numerically robust conclusions) show that the drugs bring only a very modest reduction in acute pain symptoms.

These studies include a major survey by the authoritative Cochrane Library in 2020 of 32 previous research studies.

Instead, comprehensive large-scale studies, such as one by the University of Sydney in 2015 in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, have recommended chronic back-pain sufferers engage in regular gentle exercise to build muscles that support and protect the back and help to salve injuries, which for some patients could include Pilates and yoga.

There is little evidence that anti-inflammatory drugs should be used to combat chronic pain, says Professor Madeddu.

Instead, it can be much more worthwhile investigating the reasons behind peoples chronic pain. It could be simply due to the fact these people continue to avoid following simple advice such as reducing body weight, doing proper exercise and maintaining correct posture at work and when resting.
The morning my mother came to tell me that she had cancer, I was out shopping.

Shed never been one for arriving unexpectedly, so I was disconcerted when my husband called to say shed just turned up and I should hurry back.

When I got home, she was sitting at my kitchen table, still wearing her coat. Her lovely warm smile briefly settled my disquiet.

I have something to tell you, she said, before revealing her diagnosis and the urgent need for surgery in sentences punctuated with tears. I was shocked  but even more so when I heard the details.

My mother, Carole, had vaginal cancer. She struggled to say the words, relying instead on George, her husband of 26 years, to relay the information.

I could barely believe it. I hadnt even realised that it was possible to get cancer in a womans most intimate place.

I had so many questions: only later did I realise that every answer Mum gave was to pacify me. She reassured me her cancer was curable. I clung to that and so did she. It would be hard, but I said wed get through it.

Yet in June last year, only three months after wed reassured one another, my mother was dead and I was utterly bereft.

The morning my mother came to tell me that she had cancer, I was out shopping. Shed never been one for arriving unexpectedly, so I was disconcerted when my husband called to say shed just turned up and I should hurry back

My sister asked why I, a seasoned journalist who had written about pioneering medicine, hadnt thought to investigate the facts of my own mothers cancer?

And my sister was right. But like many others, Id clung to optimism and the few facts Id been given. Had I done the research, I would have discovered that vaginal cancer is one of the rarest types, with only 260 new cases diagnosed in the UK each year.

You might expect that having spent 17 years as a specialist NHS gynaecological oncology nurse, and providing expert information for the cancer charity The Eve Appeal, Hilary Maxwell would have seen multiple cases  yet she has dealt with only one.

Its that rare, she confirms. While clinicians know to fast-track referrals when women present with certain symptoms, women themselves are often reluctant to go to the doctor with such symptoms. Theyre too private and too embarrassed. But if they dont overcome their self-consciousness and see a doctor early enough, then the likelihood is the cancer will spread.

They could be dying of embarrassment. Literally.

I dont know how quickly my mother sought help, but Hilary says that, at the age of 78, she was part of a generation who dont talk about things like that.

This is not unique to vaginal cancers. As Dr Jane Benn, a GP for 33 years with a private practice in Harrow, Middlesex, explains: Women of this generation didnt talk about that part of the body  and there is still a reluctance to use the word vulva or vagina even among the younger age group, who resort to euphemisms.

My sister and I were raised with those affectionate euphemisms for private parts. My mother was liberal and frank about so much, but modesty mattered to her and she was deeply private.

Its typically diagnosed in women over 60, which is also the age group most reluctant to bother doctors during the pandemic. A file photo is used above

I will never know when she first experienced any of the symptoms attributed to vaginal cancer, which include unexpected bleeding after menopause, pain, constant itching, or a lump or growth.

The risk factors and the way vaginal cancer presents are very similar to cervical cancer and, as with cervical cancer, it is also associated with HPV [the Human papillomavirus], which is very common, explains Dr Adeola Olaitan, a consultant gynaecological oncologist at University College London Hospital (UCLH).

Four out of five women will get HPV at some stage and, in most instances, it is a transient and harmless infection. But for some women it persists and can cause vulval, vaginal and anal cancer.

It also presents late, probably because some patients have been reluctant to seek help.

This is reflected in the negligible ten cases of vaginal cancer each year in Dr Olaitans NHS catchment of two million people, which includes eight hospitals.

Looking back, I realised my mother had been hiding the truth for weeks. In lockdown, it was easier to suppress her pain and worry.

And though youthful-looking and energetic, at 78 she was deemed vulnerable to Covid, and the rules meant only one person  her husband, but not me  was allowed to accompany her to hospital appointments.

Her age also put her in the prime category for vaginal cancer. Its typically diagnosed in women over 60, which is also the age group most reluctant to bother doctors during the pandemic.

My mother and I were incredibly close, yet I didnt know about her first call to the GP in January 2021, or the subsequent appointment in February  after which she was referred to UCLH.

On paper, the dates confirm she was fast-tracked  yet the clock was clearly ticking loudly, her chances of recovery critically dependent on early diagnosis.

Covid had a huge impact, as services had to be changed to protect the vulnerable, says Hilary Maxwell. But weve seen a huge decline overall in people attending, and NHS data Im collecting shows there has been a massive drop in more preventable types of cancer such as endometrial [affecting the lining of the womb].

These cases disappeared off the face of the earth and, if were not seeing women with the most common gynaecological cancer, you can almost kiss goodbye to anything thats rare.

I still cant believe I had to say goodbye so quickly to my mother, taken by a cancer which I had never heard of.

I only realised the grave reality of her situation when I read the email I received from her surgeon just before she died.

He wrote: The disease had spread when she came to us and was an aggressive type. Despite this, we had hoped that removing it, and adding radiation and chemotherapy after surgery, would be able to cure it. This was the only life-saving option.

I think able to cure may well have been the only words my mother heard in that meeting, enabling her to calmly relay her prognosis to me.

Hilary has seen this response in other patients  who when receiving bad news immediately go into denial and negate almost anything theyve been told.

If my mother could not process the horror, how could she tell us?

Three weeks after surgery, the cancer returned. It was now incurable and George broke the news by phone.

Deprived of the truth from the start, I was totally unprepared. Desperately, I investigated other treatments from eminent oncologists  but it was too late.

This is the worst thing in the world for you, isnt it, Brigit? said my mother as I wept, watching her rapid decline over two weeks.

She was right. But her secrecy left me wishing shed felt more able to discuss her most private pain with me and my sister.

In grief, what haunts me most is wondering how quickly she sought help. Thats the question she may have been fearful of, suggests Hilary. I only wish I knew.

Doctor Ink The tattoos being used for medical purposes. This week: To camouflage damage to the eye Scarring or disease can cause the cornea  the clear, front layer of the eye  to become cloudy, known as corneal opacification. In a study in India, patients had their eyes tattooed for aesthetic reasons  to mimic the look of the iris, which was hidden underneath. In the research, published by the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, eight patients aged between 11 and 80 underwent the procedure. Six had their entire cornea stained black, one had their cornea stained dark brown and, in the last patient, the centre of their cornea was stained black while the periphery was stained dark brown. After treatment, the majority of patients reported being satisfied with the results. Advertisement
Synthetic chemicals common in food packaging and some kitchenware may quadruple the risk of cancer, a study warns.

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC), in Los Angeles, found 'forever chemicals' can increase a person's risk of non-viral hepatocellular carcinoma  a common liver cancer.

People who had the most recorded exposure to the man-made toxins suffered up to a 4.5-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with the disease compared to those with the least.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns these chemicals are everywhere  from non-stick cookware, tap water, to seafood, waterproof clothing, cleaning products and even shampoo.

This study comes as part of a growing body of research showing the danger of these compounds that were relatively unknown until recent years.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cut the acceptable level in household products more than 99 percent in June.

Experts fear the damage may have already been done, however, and that many Americans could face significant health issues in the future.

Researchers found that 'forever chemicals' on many popular at-home products, like dishes and cookware, can increase a person's risk of developing liver cancer (file photo)

The chemicals disrupt the metabolism of a person's liver, putting them at risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). NAFL sufferers are at an increased risk of suffering lung cancer, prior research finds (file photo)

Perfluooctane sulfate, often referred to as PFOS, is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, called PFAS.

It is colloquially referred to as 'forever chemicals' by experts because they can take years to degrade in the body or environment.

'Liver cancer is one of the most serious endpoints in liver disease and this is the first study in humans to show that PFAS are associated with this disease,' Dr Jesse Goodrich, a postdoctoral scholar at USC said in a statement.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver - the dangerous disease that may soon affect 30% of Americans Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a term used for liver issues that are not tied to alcohol consumption It affects around 25% of Americans, with rates expected to jump to 30% by 2030 It is often caused by complications related to being overweight, obesity or to diabetes. People with high cholesterol are at an increased risk as well People suffering from NAFLD will often experience pain in their kidney, fatigue and sometimes swelling in their abdomen of blood vessels Having NAFLD also significantly increases a person's risk of suffering from liver cancer Advertisement

The USC team gathered data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study - a project similar to the UK biobank that gathers massive amounts of medical data from people in Hawaii and in the Los Angeles area.

From a pool of more than 200,000 people, 50 that had developed the liver cancer were chosen and matched with 50 others that did not.

Researchers analyzed blood samples from the cancer patients before their diagnosis, and compared it to the control group of those who never developed the disease.

'Part of the reason there has been few human studies is because you need the right samples,' said Dr Veronica Wendy Setiawan, a professor of population and public health sciences at USC, said.

'When you are looking at an environmental exposure, you need samples from well before a diagnosis because it takes time for cancer to develop.'

They found that many of the people who did eventually develop cancer had multiple types of the chemicals in their blood streams.

Higher levels also increased a person's risk of having the cancer as well. Their assessment found that people in the top ten percent of exposure to the chemicals were 4.5 times more likely to suffer from the cancer.

The chemicals will usually enter the liver after being ingested in some way - just like many other harmful things the body eventually consumes does.

Forever chemicals will become embedded in the liver, though, and significantly alter its processes as a result.

The USC team found that PFOS seem to alter glucose metabolism, bile acid metabolism and of amino acids in the liver.

As a result of the disruption, more fat will form around the liver and put a person at an increased risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

People who suffer from the condition are at an increased risk of developing liver cancer. There has been a surge in cases around the world in recent years, believed to be tied to increasing obesity rates in many parts of the world.

Most dire projections show nearly one-in-three Americans suffering from the condition by 2030.

The EPA took drastic action against these chemicals in June. It issued an advisory drastically reducing acceptable levels of forever chemicals in household goods.

As per the new guidance, the EPA no longer recommends drinking water with more than 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) of PFOA and 0.02 ppt of PFOS.

Previous guidance had a maximum recommended amount of ppt at 70, a massive shift by America's top environmental agency.

'People on the front-lines of PFAS contamination have suffered for far too long,' Michael Regan, administrator of the EPA, said in a statement.

'That's why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and to help protect concerned families from this pervasive challenge.'

Experts have long known that the chemicals were lingering on many household products, but were allowed as long as they were beneath what was deemed acceptable levels.

The EPA now says that the previous acceptable levels were way too high, and significantly reduced them.
The thrust areas for revamp of the government schools under Nadu-Nedu were introduction of toilets with tap water, drinking water facility, major and minor repairs, electrification with tube lights and fans, furniture, green chalkboard, painting of the entire school, English Lab, kitchen and compound wall.  Representational Image/DC

VIJAYAWADA: The modernization of the government schools under Nadu-Nedu and the post Covid financial difficulties to the people are prompting more and more parents to send their children to state schools. These schools now offer quality education free of cost.

The government schools registered 44.30 lakh enrolments across the 26 districts, compared to the 37.21 lakh enrolments in the previous year. The English medium education, free textbooks and other education kits, betterment of the amenities etc are encouraging parents to opt for government schools.

According to the education department, the enrollment in all schools in the state was 72.33 lakh during the 2014-15 academic year. This dropped to 69 lakh by 2018-19. The enrollment has risen to 73.68 lakh by 2021-22.

The enrollment in government schools was 37.21 lakh by 2018-19 and this reached 44.30 lakh in 2021-22. Nearly seven lakh new students joined the government schools in AP.

The thrust areas for revamp of the government schools under Nadu-Nedu were introduction of toilets with tap water, drinking water facility, major and minor repairs, electrification with tube lights and fans, furniture, green chalkboard, painting of the entire school, English Lab, kitchen and compound wall.

The modernization of 15,715 government schools under the first phase of Nadu Nedu-Mana Badi at a cost of Rs 3,699 crore changed the government education scenario in the state. Under Nadu-Nedu (then and now), government schools would undergo a major makeover in three phases at an estimated cost of Rs 16,025 crore.

At present, in the second phase of the scheme, 25,000 government schools are under renovation at a cost of Rs 11,267 crore.

According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), admissions in government schools in AP increased largely in 2021, with 70.6 per cent enrolment. Of these, 77.2 per cent were girls and the rest 63.7 per cent boys.

AP has the upper hand against Telangana State in the enrolment of students. Some 60 per cent enrolment, in which 62.9 per cent was girls and the rest boys, was registered in TS government schools  as against 70.6 per cent in AP.

The free education system, with free provision for bilingual textbooks in English and Telugu medium, schoolbags, notebooks, workbooks, belts, socks and shoes, is prompting parents to send their children to the government schools in AP. For instance, the AKTP High School and several other government schools in Vijayawada as also other districts are full with admissions this school-year.

Parents, G Ramesh and Sk Khadar said the Covid-19 financial crisis affected a lot of families. The free schooling with quality education in government schools was of help to parents.

They noted that the government schools have been modernised on par with private and corporate schools in terms of basic amenities. Earlier, the girl students used to face difficulties due to lack of proper toilets.

Education officials said digital education has been started in the primary classes and this is also encouraging parents to opt for state schools.

Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana said the government is developing schools under Nadu-Nadu. No government school will be closed under the New Education Policy. Hence the parents and students need not worry about the future of state schools, he said.
Household names from Tesco to Ocado are failing to give enough information about how they will survive in a 'greener' economy, according to data.

The firms are among a group of 'laggards' on the FTSE100 which are making only brief mention of issues such as meeting net-zero goals and reducing carbon emissions in their investor reports, the research from Insig AI, seen by the Daily Mail, found.

It comes just weeks after Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it was launching an investigation into Asos, Boohoo and Asda over fears that they were 'greenwashing'  making sustainability claims about their clothes which could not be backed up.

'Laggards': The firms are making only brief mention of issues such as meeting net-zero goals and reducing carbon emissions

Insig said 70 per cent of the UK's blue-chip firms were not meeting expectations on climate related disclosures. While the top 30 businesses were setting the bar on the volume of information they were giving out, the remainder did not keep up.

And there was a wide discrepancy between those top-performing firms and the bottom 30, which are reporting 87 per cent less on their climate-related risk.

Diana Rose, head of climate-related research at Insig AI, said: 'Despite the burden that comes with comprehensive reporting, other benefits come from engaging on these challenges and it's a strategic opportunity to take leadership as we transition to a low-carbon economy.'

Top reporters on climate change, according to Insig's data, include some of the firms which are most vulnerable to changes in the environment and efforts to make the world less reliant on fossil fuels.

Energy supplier SSE, oil giants Shell and BP, and the National Grid were all dedicating significant sections of their reporting to address worries about their contribution to climate change, and how they would function in a low-carbon world.

Financial firms such as Aviva and NatWest were also singled out by Insig as being good examples. They have been under pressure to improve reporting their vulnerability to climate change, since banks lend to and insurers back many firms which could be crippled by natural disasters or the switch away from fossil fuels.

The data follows claims from business experts that swathes of companies are publishing misleadingly healthy accounts because they are failing to factor in how climate change will affect their business.
Boris Johnson, touting a green industrial revolution, set ambitious targets that, if followed through, could seal the fate of vans and cars powered by internal combustion.

His 10-point plan would bring down the curtain on sales of the vast majority of petrol and diesel polluters by 2030, though hybrids would be available for another five years.

Electric vehicles will be part of the solution, but they're not a panacea.

However efficient batteries become, there are limits to deployment, not just in transportation, but across other areas of the growing circular economy.

Libertine Holdings makes linear generator products, which enable clean and efficient power generation from renewable fuels. Car and truck manufacturers General Motors, Volvo and, most recently, Toyota have tried to develop linear generators with limited success.

Hydrogen, wind, solar and biofuels will all have their role to play as Britain looks to address the severe climatological neglect first detected in the 1950s.

Innovation will be key, which means a growing Sheffield company may find itself at the forefront of a technological arms race as the big manufacturers look to find new green solutions in transportation and energy.

Libertine Holdings (16.5p) is the maker of linear generator products, which enable clean and efficient power generation from renewable fuels. Or more correctly, it has created a technology platform for the creation of linear generator products across a range of applications.

The market leader in this new product category is a US-based company called Mainspring Energy, which has already created and launched a successful linear generator that customers use to create green electricity.

Libertine's target applications include small, packaged generators, but its platform has a host of other uses, including in hybrid powertrains for road transportation.

One of its corporate videos uses the example of a haulage company, where large battery-driven trucks are currently impractical on a number of levels, with recharging the main impediment to their commercial roll-out. Linear generator units would enable lorries to derive clean power from fossil-free fuels.

Car and truck manufacturers General Motors, Volvo and, most recently, Toyota have tried to develop linear generators with limited success.

None of these developers has moved the technology out of the lab. One of the main challenges has been the precise control of combustion as a result of the generator's lack of a crankshaft.

Overcoming this issue requires a mix of sophisticated precision engineering, electronics solutions and software.

Libertine's platform technology, intelliGEN, is a linear electrical machine and control technology platform that obviates the aforementioned technical obstacles.

'Our technology combines e-machine hardware, embedded power electronics and controls along with the cooling and the bearing systems and the bounce chamber,' explains Libertine chief executive, Sam Cockerill.

Using its patented know-how, Cockerill and his team aim to help equipment manufacturers, known as OEMs, create linear generators quickly, and relatively cheaply.

'We aim to take away the pain and the risk and the hundreds of millions of dollars of cost and the high likelihood of failure which is normally been the case [with linear generators],' says the Libertine CEO.

'That's our proposition, and we expect this is going to turn the journey of making a linear generator from being one or two decades of painful development and investing hundreds of millions of dollars, into something that you can get done in five years for a few tens of millions.'

Interest in the technology is growing and Libertine is currently working on the MAHLE Powertrain to showcase the potential of linear generator technology to its prospective OEM customers.

It also has partnerships with as-yet-unnamed companies in India, Sweden, Australia, Italy and here at home in the UK spanning power and transportation.

Commercially, the group operates a three-pronged model, where it is deriving or will generate cash from engineering fees, IP licence payments and sales royalties.

In late December, Libertine floated on AIM, raising 9million, which will be invested in expanding the engineering team and workshop facilities, while building out a business development operation

'Essentially, this [money] is providing us with the means to scale, doing what we've already done, nut just without the constraints of organic growth,' says Cockerill.

However, the 'break-out point' for the company, which was founded over 12 years ago, was not the initial public offering but came in 2017 when it received backing from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

This provided Libertine with the financial wherewithal to set up its current facility in Sheffield and create a technical team.

'[Since then] we have gone from revenue of a couple of hundred thousand a year, with a big component of that being grant revenues to around 3mln [of revenue] in this financial year,' says Cockerill. 'Over a third of that is commercial revenue.'

Interest in the Libertine story will no doubt be enhanced by the success of others in the sector, including the pathfinder, Mainspring Energy.
PwC has been fined 2.5m for its audit of BT after a fraud at the telecom giant's Italian arm.

The accounting giant failed to properly challenge BT's 2017 results, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said, even after the discovery of the fraud a year earlier wiped billions off BT's value and prompted a criminal trial which is still ongoing.

Richard Hughes, PwC's audit engagement partner for BT, was also fined 60,000.

The penalties were reduced to 1.75m and 42,000 respectively for PwC's cooperation and admissions.

The wrongdoing at BT happened in 2015 and 2016. Prosecutors in Milan claimed BT Italia and a network of staff sought to inflate revenues and conceal losses of 250m in a sophisticated fraud.

When the scandal came to light in 2016, after a whistleblower alerted bosses, BT adjusted its financial statements by around 513m.

While the FRC did not say these results were misstated, or that the total sum of the adjustments was wrong, it did find that PwC had failed to apply the 'necessary professional scepticism' when checking the numbers. The paper-trail which showed how PwC approached its audit work was also inadequate, the FRC added.

Of the 23 originally accused of fraud at BT, a former manager of BT Italia has already been jailed for a year, while the ex-chief executive, Gianluca Cimini, died two years ago.

A spokesman for PwC apologised for not meeting the 'required standard', adding: 'We have made significant investment in strengthening audit quality in recent years, which has been recognised in improved quality inspection results. We remain committed to maintaining and building on this progress.'
New role: Former chancellor Lord Hammond

Former chancellor Lord Hammond has been lined up to join the advisory board of a new 1billion fund that will invest in fast-growing UK fintech companies, Sky News reports.

The Fintech Growth Fund will seek to raise funds from institutional backers and will have no links to the Government.

Barclays, the London Stock Exchange and Mastercard are among the investors who have been approached to provide initial seed funding to launch the initiative.

Alastair Lukies, a long-serving government fintech ambassador, and Phil Vidler, a former Treasury official who heads the FinTech Alliance industry group, are other names linked to the fund.

A government-sponsored review of the UK fintech industry in 2021 urged the creation of pools of capital to fund tech businesses.
The Conservative Party is split over the reign of Boris Johnson and whether he should remain in frontline politics.

Analysis of polls of party members by MailOnline shows that Mr Johnson's powerbase is firmly rooted in the over 50s and pensioners.

Almost six-in-10 believe that MPs were wrong to resign en-masse, forcing him out of No10 in July by making him unable to govern, according to a recent analysis by YouGov.

A similar proportion takes a dim view of Rishi Sunak's role in his downfall, saying he should have remained in No11.

But younger members are more opposed to the prime minister. In the YouGov poll 55 per cent of those aged 18-49 said MPs did the right thing by forcing Mr Johnson to step down.

Additionally, 54 per cent believe Mr Sunak was personally right to walk out.

However, a separate poll at the end of July suggested young Tories could be disenchanted - with almost half saying they would not vote for either candidate to take power next month.

The rancorous end to Mr Johnson's premiership has become a central theme to the leadership race between Mr Sunak and Liz Truss to replace him.

Analysis of polls of party members by MailOnline shows that Mr Johnson's powerbase is firmly rooted in the over 50s and pensioners. Almost six-in-10 believe that MPs were wrong to resign en-masse.

But younger members are more opposed to the prime minister. In the YouGov poll 55 per cent of those aged 18-49 said MPs did the right thing by forcing Mr Johnson to step down. Additionally, 54 per cent believe Mr Sunak was personally right to walk out.

Analysis of polls of party members by MailOnline shows that Mr Johnson's powerbase is firmly rooted in the over 50s and pensioners.

A separate poll of Tory members last month suggested that younger Tories are not hugely impressed with either candidate in leadership race

The former chancellor has been grilled at each hustings about his role in Mr Johnson's downfall.

The rancorous end to Mr Johnson's premiership has become a central theme to the leadership race between Mr Sunak and Liz Truss to replace him.

The former chancellor has been grilled at each hustings about his role in Mr Johnson's downfall.

Ms Truss, who stayed on in government, has however joined him in suggesting Mr Johnson would not get a job in her Cabinet if she wins.

It came as one of Mr Johnson's closest allies today refused to rule out him remaining in frontline politics after September 5.

Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, told the Telegraph 'it's always dangerous to try and second guess what the future will bring'.

'What I do know, having worked very closely with the Prime Minister, is the strategic focus he has, which he really demonstrated on Ukraine,' he told the paper.

'He very much, together with the Defence Secretary, led the thinking and challenged some of the thinking internally around our response, and built an extremely strong relationship with President Zelensky and showed real leadership on that issue.

'Likewise, he did in terms of driving the fastest vaccine roll-out, working with NHS colleagues and the vaccines taskforce.

'So in a number of areas he's shown real leadership and obviously has great talents which I hope will contribute to society in different ways.'

The Conservatives do not publish data about their 160,000 or so members, so it is difficult to infer how data will affect the leadership race. But they are generally though to be skewed towards older Britons .

A separate poll of Tory members last month made headlines by suggesting that Mr Sunak was only 5 percentage points behind Ms Truss, when other polls have suggested a yawning chasm in favour of the Foreign Secretary.

But less reporter numbers in the Techne poll suggested that younger Tories are not hugely impressed with either candidate.

While Ms Truss was more popular with members aged 18-34 (29 per cent to Sunak's 24 per cent), almost half of those polled (47 per cent) said they would not vote for either candidate.

Almost a third of members aged 35-44 felt the same way, though there was a majority of support for Liz Truss.

Tamworth MP Mr Pincher, 52, resigned as deputy chief whip in late June after being accused of drunkenly groping a man.

Last week Mr Sunak defended his role in bringing down Mr Johnson after being criticised live on television by a party member.

The former chancellor was accused of a 'cynical' move designed to put him in No10 as he faced Tory members at a Sky News debate.

Boris loyalists including Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries have accused him of stabbing the PM in the back with a calculated move.

But when this was put to him by an audience member called 'Steve' last Thursday he defended his actions.

When the Tory member suggested he had been plotting for months, including setting up a campaign website last December, he said: 'That is simply not true. I was due to give a speech with the prime minister the next week (after the resignation) and in the conversations about putting that speech together on the economy it was clear our differences were too big to reconcile. So that was the reason.

'Plus, let's not look at the past with rose-tinted spectacles here. Everyone remembers what was going on with Chris Pincher.

'That was a serious ethical question that the government was on the wrong side of - again - and I could not defend it.

'Maybe you are ok to defend that but I was not ok to defend it, 60 other remembers of the government were not ok to defend it, because it was wrong.

'And that is why we are here because we need to change things to bring trust and integrity and decency and honesty back into politics. That is what I want to do as prime minister.'
Station footage shows Hopp laughing about the arrest with colleagues as they watch the body cam footage

Garner's family has said her condition deteriorated after her arrest and she requires around-the-clock care

Former officer Austin Hopp, who arrested Garner after she left a store without paying for about $14 worth of items, was sentenced to five years of jail

She had faced up to 60 days in jail for failing to intervene, a crime created by lawmakers following protests over racial injustice and police brutality in 2020

Daria Jalali earlier pleaded guilty in the 2020 arrest of Karen Garner in Loveland

A former Colorado police officer who did not stop another officer from being rough with a 73-year-old woman with dementia was sentenced Friday to 45 days in jail and three years of probation.

Heartless Daria Jalali earlier pleaded guilty after the violent arrest of Karen Garner in Loveland, about 50 miles north of Denver, in June 2020. The officer was placed on leave in 2021.

Former officer Austin Hopp arrested Garner after she left a store without paying for about $14 worth of items - including a candy bar, a can of Pepsi and a t-shirt.

The callous officers were seen celebrating after leaving the disheveled woman suffer in a jail cell after snapping her arm while they cuffed her.

Police body camera video released last year shows Garner repeatedly saying that she was trying to go home.

After Garner turned away from him, footage showed Hopp grabbing her arm and pushing her to the ground and handcuffing her.

Later, he pushed her against the hood of his car and, after she tried to turn around, he moved her snapped left up arm up near her head.

Soon after, Garner began to slump toward the ground. Jalali, who arrived after Garner was handcuffed, says, 'Stand up! We're not going to hold you.'

Daria Jalali, a former Loveland police officer who did not stop another officer, Austin Hopp, from being rough with a 73-year-old woman with dementia has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and three years of probation on Friday

Police station surveillance video from 2020, which was released by Garner's lawyer from Hopp's trial, shows the ex-cop, Jalali and a third officer, Tyler Blackett, talking, fist-bumping and at times laughing or joking about the arrest as they watch the body camera footage with Garner in a holding cell nearby.

The two former cops were also in a romantic relationship at the time of the scandal and had moved in together while Hopp was still married to his wife of six years, of whom he divorced from in June 2020.

Several neighbors of Jalali's confirmed to DailyMail.com that Hopp and Jalali were reserved and weren't very friendly.

Karen Garner, now 75, had walked out of a Walmart store with less than $14 in products

This video from Loveland Police Department body camera footage shows Karen Garner on the ground while being arrested on June 26, 2020

Hopp (left) and Jalali (right) appeared to exchange a fist bump after placing Garner in a cell

Jalali faced up to 60 days in jail for failing to intervene, a crime created by lawmakers as part of a police reform bill passed during protests over racial injustice and police brutality in 2020.

Hopp was sentenced in May to five years in prison for his treatment of Garner. He had faced a mandatory prison sentence of between 10 and 32 years under an original, more serious assault charge.

Loveland settled a $3million lawsuit filed by Garner for a dislocated shoulder, a broken humerus and a sprained wrist. Her family has said her condition deteriorated after her arrest and she requires around-the-clock care as a result.

Jalali apologized to Garner and her family in court, the Loveland Reporter-Herald reported. She told Judge Joshua Lehman that she thought Garner was intoxicated and believed Garner was only complaining about her handcuffs so she could get out of them.

'I wanted to be a good police officer and my heart was in the right place, but I still came up short,' she said.

Jalali (pictured with Hopp) thought Garner was intoxicated on the day of her arrest on June 26,2020 and thought the victim was only complaining about her handcuffs so she could get out of them

Garner, pictured in 2008, also suffered from a snapped humerus, dislocated shoulder, and a sprained wrist

Photos taken in the aftermath of the arrest show Garner with a severely bruised and swollen arm

Larimer County Sheriff's Office photo shows Austin Hopp in Fort Collins, Colo. Hopp, a former Colorado police officer shown on body camera video roughly arresting Garner and later seen joking about it with colleagues was sentenced to five years in prison in May

Jalali's lawyer, Anna Geigle, said Loveland police and another department let her stay on the job despite a pattern of poor performance recorded in her personnel files. A neuropsychological evaluation showed Jalali did not have the 'psychological makeup' to act with the precision and awareness expected of police officers, she said.

Lehman said Jalali should have known Garner was a 'delicate' woman suffering from a mental health issue.

'She just sounds out of it and terrified to me,' he said after watching body camera footage from the arrest for the first time in court. 'The fact that two law enforcement officers couldnt comprehend that is incomprehensible to me.'

Garner's son, John Steward, told the judge Jalali had no idea of the stress, pain and sadness the arrest has caused his family.

'We all have choices to make in life, and all our choices have consequences,' he said. 'I ask that justice be served for my mom today.'
Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high seas 'cat and mouse' last night as Beijing's four days of military exercises in the region are finally due to come to an end.

About 10 warships from each country sailed at close quarters in the Taiwan Strait, with some Chinese vessels crossing the median line - an unofficial buffer separating the two sides, according to officials.

The island's defence ministry said multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react 'appropriately'.

In a statement later on Sunday, the ministry said it had detected 14 Chinese warships and 66 Chinese aircraft in and around the Taiwan Strait.

It comes after Beijing carried out four days of military drills in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan last week.

China regards the self-ruled island as its territory and responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over the island's capital for the first time and the cutting of some areas of dialogue with Washington.

Taiwanese Navy warships are anchored at a harbour in Keelung on Sunday afternoon

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her 5-member congress delegation depart Taipei Songshan Airport last week

It was not immediately clear if China had ended the drills on Sunday, as previously announced. But a late-evening commentator on Chinese state television said the Chinese military would now conduct 'regular' drills on the Taiwan side of the line, saying the 'historic task' of China's 'reunification' could be realised.

As Chinese forces 'pressed' the line, as they did on Saturday, the Taiwan side stayed close to monitor and, where possible, deny the Chinese the ability to cross, said the person with knowledge of the situation who declined to be identified.

'The two sides are showing restraint,' the person said, describing the manoeuvres as high seas 'cat and mouse'.

Taiwan said its shore-based anti-ship missiles and its Patriot surface-to-air-missiles were on stand-by.

The defence ministry said its F-16 jet fighters were flying with advanced anti-aircraft missiles. It issued photographs of Harpoon anti-ship weapons being loaded on another.

Speaking during a visit to Bangladesh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country's actions were 'legitimate, reasonable, in accordance with the law,' and aimed at protecting China's 'sacred sovereignty'.

'It must be borne in mind that Taiwan is not a part of the United States - it is China's territory,' Wang's ministry cited him as saying.

The Chinese exercises, centred on six locations around the island, began on Thursday and were scheduled to last until midday on Sunday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported last week.

There was no announcement from China on Sunday on whether the exercises had ended and Taiwan said it was unable to verify whether China had stopped them as scheduled.

Warplanes of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conduct operations during joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island

Nevertheless, Taiwan's transport ministry it was gradually lifting restrictions on flights through its airspace, saying notifications for the drills were no longer in effect.

But it added that Taiwan would continue to direct flights and ships away from one of the drill zones off its east coast until Monday morning.

China's military has said the sea and air joint exercises, north, southwest and east of Taiwan, had a focus on land-strike and sea-assault capabilities.

The United States called the exercises a significant escalation in China's efforts to change the status quo.

'They are provocative, irresponsible and raise the risk of miscalculation,' a White House spokesperson said. 'They are also at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.'

China says its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter and it reserves the right to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China's claim, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

China has warned the United States not to 'act rashly' and create a greater crisis and the state-run Xinhua News Agency said in a commentary that Pelosi had staged a 'political stunt' out of self-interest.

'Insisting on going to the island, she apparently does not care about harming China-U.S. ties, or putting peace across the Taiwan Strait on the line,' it said.

Pelosi, a long-time China critic and a political ally of President Joe Biden, arrived in Taiwan late on Tuesday on the highest-level visit to the island by an American official in decades, despite Chinese warnings. She said her visit showed unwavering U.S. commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy.

Warplanes of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conduct operations during joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island

Speaking at a news conference in Japan on Friday, Pelosi said her trip to Asia was 'not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region'.

Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned China's 'aggressive and provocative' exercises and urged it 'to immediately stop such tension-escalating behaviours that have endangered the common good of the region and the world'.

As part of its response to Pelosi's visit, China has halted dialogue with the United States in a series of areas including contacts between theatre-level military commanders and on climate change.

Chiang Kai-shek's defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists, who proclaimed the People's Republic of China in Beijing.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei, David Brunnstrom in Manila, Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Meg Shen in Hong Kong, Jeff Mason in Washington Additional reporting by Ryan Woo Writing by Tony Munroe and Greg Torode Editing by Robert Birsel and Frances Kerry)
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Celebrity weight loss guru and horse breeding heiress Savannah Daisley - who is currently facing charges of repeatedly having sex with a 14-year-old boy - has appeared at court amid more drama in her personal life.

Daisley, the 45-year-old founder of the multi-million dollar Smart Cleanse brand, visited a police station in Sydney's north on Monday supported by her renowned horse breeder father, Ross Daisley.

Dressed in a fur-lined coat, black skivvy and skirt, Daisley grinned as she climbed into a white Range Rover, shortly before lawyers for her former partner faced Hornsby Local Court charged with allegedly assaulting her.

Police prosecutors withdrew the charge against the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

However, he was ordered to comply with the conditions of a restraining order sought against him for Daisley.

Daisley was released on $100,000 bail in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court last month following four weeks behind bars charged with four counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child aged between 14 and 16.

Each of the charges allegedly occurred over a 24-hour period.

Savannah Daisley visited Hornsby police on Monday morning and soon afterwards the assault charge against her ex-boyfriend was withdrawn

Savannah Daisley and her famous horse trainer father visited Hornsby police station and within an hour of their visit an assault charge against her former partner was withdrawn

The latest drama in Daisley's personal life came after her former partner, from Sydney's lower north shore, had an apprehended domestic violence order taken out against her in 2019.

The order was withdrawn and dismissed months later in Hornsby Local Court.

In 2020, police took out an apprehended violence order against the man on Daisley's behalf and charged him with common assault. He was granted bail in Hornsby Local Court in September 2020.

The matter was then delayed for two years before it returned to court on Monday morning, when prosecutors indicated the common assault charge would be dropped.

Daisley is staying at her parents' sprawling Southern Highlands estate while on bail for the child sex charges.

Ms Daisley is on bail on four charges of having sex with a 14-year-old boy and is living with her parents at their estate in the NSW South Highlands

Savannah Daisley looked elegant in a pencil skirt and stilettos as she walked out of Hornsby police station and got into her father's car and drove off

The 45-year-old the Instagram influencer's family offered $100,000 as bail security to have her released from Silverwater Women's maximum security prison.

While in jail, she complained that her mental health was deteriorating and her business was losing 'millions of dollars', a court has previously heard.

Instead of returning to her $10million waterfront mansion in Sydney's lower north shore, she was ordered to live under strict bail conditions with her parents while she 'rebranded' her health business.

Daisley's father is the famous horse breeder Ross Daisley, who raced renowned thoroughbred Choisir at Royal Ascot.

Smart Cleanse founder Savannah Daisley (pictured) has been released on bail after spending the past four weeks behind bars

Horse breeder Ross Daisley (pictured with Savannah in 1993) was at his daughter's court hearing on Monday

Pictured: The Sydney Harbour view from Daisley's $10million home on Sydney's lower north shore

Daisley is a successful entrepreneur and founder of Smart Cleanse - a 14-day program comprising capsules and powers that promise to detoxify clients' bodies, eliminate stress, shed kilos, and 'reverse ageing'.

Daisley's products now sell across Australia after she secured deals with pharmacy giant Priceline in 2018, and with supplement giant Mr Vitamin in 2020.

She launched the company in 2014 and quickly attracted a celebrity following, including Neighbours star Jodi Gordon, who featured in a video testimonial for Smart Cleanse in June 2021 - spruiking the program as her 'health and beauty secret'.

Daisley was bailed last month after her lawyers said further imprisonment meant a 'substantial financial deterrent' to her wellness business of 'millions of dollars'.
The shattered parents of a young mother pregnant with her second child had spoken of their pain after she died when a severe infection went undiagnosed and untreated over several hours in a hospital.

Annie Moylan, 37, was 18 weeks pregnant and otherwise fit and healthy when she developed a fever and was admitted to a Melbourne hospital in 2017.

But her parents Marg and Brian Moylan say a series of blunders by the first hospital, Holmesglen Private, the second hospital, St Vincent's, and the private pathology laboratory resulted in her not being given life-saving antibiotic therapy until it was too late.

When the 'bright and successful' lawyer fell ill, she went to Holmesglen Private after representatives from its owner, Healthscope, assured her then-practising GP father that the brand new facility was state-of-the-art.

When Ms Moylan was admitted, she was hooked up to an intravenous fluids drip and her condition briefly improved.

But when she started to have abdominal pain, and health staff became concerned she could miscarry, a critical problem emerged - there was no obstetrician at the facility.

Brian and Marg Moylan (pictured) say more could have been done to save their daughter

'They weren't equipped to deal with a pregnancy complication. It is very, very difficult,' Brian Moylan told 60 Minutes in a segment that aired on Sunday.

Ms Moylan, who had a high fever and was in pain. had developed sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection.

'A 37-year-old woman with no underlying health problems would have an excellent chance of survival if they were treated with antibiotics and other supportive care,' sepsis expert Professor Simon Finfer told 60 Minutes.

But the sepsis went undiagnosed and, unable to properly treat Annie, staff called an ambulance to transfer her to St Vincent's.

Paramedic records obtained by Mr Moylan reveal they had been instructed an obstetrician would be waiting.

However, when they arrived, and with Annie in increasing danger, there was none.

'The truth's missing somewhere. Who told the ambulance officers? It's there in the record. And then the obstetrician wasn't waiting,' he said.

Annie was having a miscarriage and getting sicker but antibiotics could still have given her a very good chance of survival at that stage - with Ms Moylan conscious and responding to paramedics.

After presenting at Holmesglen at 7.30pm, she finally was seen by an obstetrician at 1.30am who immediately diagnosed sepsis and ordered antibiotics, which were administered another hour later.

Shortly after, Ms Moylan was put on life support and passed away.

'That was terrible (but) we got to say our goodbyes,' Annie's mother Marg said.

Annie Moylan was a mother to a 14-month-old and was pregnant with her second child (pictured) when she died following an infection

Further documents obtained by the couple allegedly reveal that Holmesglen's pathology laboratory closed at 5pm - despite having an after-hours emergency room.

Ms Moylan's tests had to be sent out to a private laboratory.

'I was surprised, yes. They've got an intensive care at the hospital, so yes, I expected it (the pathology lab) to be there,' Brian Moylan said.

After being couriered to the wrong location, the test sample was rerouted but wasn't tested until the next morning.

'They did the blood culture test two hours after she passed away,' Mr Moylan said.

Marg Moylan added: 'We were stunned. Yeah. We just melted (when we found out).'

The test itself took three hours to return results, which would have given doctors ample opportunity to treat Ms Moylan if it was run when she was first admitted.

The Moylans wrote to the Victorian Government about their daughter's case and were told a review would be conducted by Safer Care Victoria.

The review provided little answers with the two hospitals and pathology lab conducting internal investigations and the government body lacking the teeth for a meaningful outcome.

The Moylans are now demanding an overhaul of the private hospital system in Victoria and say that is what their daughter would have wanted.

'Annie's just beating away. This is what's kept us going, it really has,' Marg said.
A Democratic Florida prosecutor vowed Sunday to fight his suspension from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis over his promise not to enforce the state's 15-week abortion ban and support for gender transition treatments for minors.

Andrew Warren, a Democrat suspended on Thursday from his twice-elected post as state attorney in Hillsborough County and escorted from his office, said in a Facebook video message that he plans a 'vigorous defense' by his legal team.

DeSantis, who is seeking re-election in November and is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, accused the Democratic attorney of 'incompetence and willful defiance.'

The Republican governor DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez to serve in Warren's place during his suspension.

In a press conference on Thursday announcing his decision, DeSantis described Warren as being 'Soros-backed,' a reference to liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

Andrew Warren says he has a 'vigorous defense' against Governor Ron DeSantis' decision to suspend him from his post as state attorney in Hillsborough County

Warren has been twice-elected to the position and Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez will serve in Warren's place during his suspension

Warren addresses the media after learning he was suspended of his duties by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

'I'm not going down without a fight,' Warren said on the video. 'I refuse to let this man trample on your freedoms to speak your mind, to make your own health care decisions, and to have your vote count.'

He added: 'Ron DeSantis is trying to overthrow democracy in Florida. His plot to suspend me blatantly violates the most fundamental basis of our democracy  your vote.'

Warren went on: 'I was elected because the people of this county share my vision for criminal justice, trust my judgment, and have seen your success. I swore to uphold the Constitution, and that's exactly what I've done. DeSantis is trying to take away my job for doing my job.'

The three issues that DeSantis cited as the reason for the suspension were: Warren's promise not to prosecute women or abortion providers who defy the state's 15-week abortion ban, his office's policy not prosecuting low-level first time offenses and for pledging not to prosecute anyone providing gender reassignment surgery to minors.

The governor said in his statement on Thursday: 'State Attorneys have a duty to prosecute crimes as defined in Florida law, not 'to pick and choose which laws to enforce based on his personal agenda'

DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez to serve in Warrens place during his suspension

In his defiant video, Warren added: 'DeSantis is trying to take away my job for doing my job. He came down to Tampa, to Hillsboro County, to illegally remove me as part of some political circus.'

'Ron DeSantis doesn't get to hand-pick Flordia's state attorneys," Warren said. "You, the people do. We've all seen the consequences of politicians who think they're above the law and can do whatever they want. That's why DeSantis and his abuse of power must be stopped.'

Warren said in conclusion: 'I refuse to let this man trample on your freedoms  to speak your mind, to make your own health care decisions and to have your vote count.'

Since his suspension, Warren has appeared on liberal talk shows such as The Reid Out with Joy Reid and American Voices with Alicia Menendez.

Warren contended Sunday the governor was essentially seeking to nullify the will of voters in the Tampa area who first elected him in 2016.

In 2020, Warren won 53.4 percent of the vote, a tally of nearly 370,000 ballots.



Florida's new abortion restriction became effective July 1 and remains under court challenge by abortion providers and allies. It prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant womans life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality.

It does not allow exemptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking.

In July, Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper found that Florida's abortion ban violates the state's constitutional right to privacy. That ruling is under appeal.

The governor said in his statement on Thursday: 'State Attorneys have a duty to prosecute crimes as defined in Florida law, not to pick and choose which laws to enforce based on his personal agenda.'

In the same press release, Warren's temporary replacement Susan Lopez said: 'I have the utmost respect for our state laws and I understand the important role that the State Attorney plays in ensuring the safety of our community and the enforcement of our law.'

She added: 'I want to thank the Governor for placing his trust in me, and I promise that I will faithfully execute the duties of this office.'

Lopez is a Hillsborough County Judge and a native of Tampa. She was appointed to the bench by DeSantis in 2021. Previously, Lopez was the assistant state attorney in the 13th judicial circuit.

She is a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and her law degree is from Suffolk University in Massachusetts.

On the day that Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June, Warren tweeted: 'With my hand on the Bible I swore to defend the US & FL Constitutions. Florida has a privacy right protecting abortion.

In 2020, Warren won 53.4 percent of the vote, a tally of nearly 370,000 ballots

On the day that Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June, Andrew Warren tweeted: 'With my hand on the Bible I swore to defend the US & FL Constitutions. Florida has a privacy right protecting abortion.'

He added: 'Reversing #Roe doesnt change that. While Tallahassee passed an unconstitutional bill & hopes judges condone it, Im upholding the law.'

Under Florida law, the Republican-controlled state Senate has authority to reinstate Warren or uphold his removal from office. Warren could also take his case to court.

The governor's office did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Sunday. DeSantis said Thursday, however, that Warren was acting 'above the law' and 'displaying a lack of competence to be able to perform' the duties of his office.

'I don't think the people of Hillsborough County want to have an agenda that is basically woke, where youre deciding that your view of social justice means certain laws shouldnt be enforced,' said the governor.

Following Warren's suspension, Clearwater First Amendment attorney Luke Lirot told the Tampa Bay Times: 'There is no case Im aware of where (Warren) declined to prosecute anybody. So at this point, its directly retaliatory for his political speech.'

Lirot continued: 'It just seems to me to be outrageous that the governor would take these steps to remove a properly elected official simply because they made statements that are inconsistent with the governors political viewpoints.'

Violators of the new abortion law could face up to five years in prison. Physicians and other medical professionals could lose their licenses and face administrative fines of $10,000 for each violation.

Florida has not enacted laws criminalizing gender transition treatments for minors.
VIJAYAWADA: While use of sedition law, is now a point of debate, it was widely invoked during the Indian freedom struggle. Within Andhra Pradesh, it was first applied in Bapatla, recalled representatives of Forum for Better Bapatla (FBB) while celebrating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav here on Sunday.

Marking the 113th anniversary of what is well known as the Bapatla Sedition Case, FBB secretary P.C. Sai Babu recalled that after the sedition law was first enacted, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first to be imprisoned under it in 1908. Launched a year later by the then British India government was the Bapatla Sedition Case of 1909 involving Lakkaraju Basavaiah, a landlord of Bapatla. Basavaiah was accused of printing and circulating a seditious pamphlet in Telugu titled Swarajya Sampadana  Attaining Independence.

The landlord ensured that the pamphlet got widely distributed, including to school boys. The prosecution charged Basavaiah with inciting hatred among people and contempt against the British government. The then Guntur District Sessions Judge found the accused guilty and sentenced Basavaiah to transportation for five years.

Sai Babu said Basavaiah appealed to the High Court wherein the defence lawyer was Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu. Public prosecutor T. Richmond argued for the British government. Then Bapatla Postmaster was invited as a witness for the prosecution. Hearings in the case came to an end on December 21,1909. Judges Ralf Benson and Abdul Rehman reduced Basavaiahs sentence by two years.

The FBB secretary said after Independence, the Government of India honoured Basavaiah by including his name among Who is Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh. Sai Babu underlined that the people of Bapatla played a quite significant role right through the Indian Freedom Struggle by launching a series of freedom protests and agitations till India attained Independence.
Police have been forced to patrol a cemetery in Sydney's west amid fears violent clashes will erupt between the grieving family members of rival gangsters.

In recent weeks, officers from Auburn have visited the Rockwood Cemetery to ensure the city's largest burial site remains safe for innocent mourners.

The police presence follows a nasty clash between the mother of slain Comanchero bikie boss Mick Hawi and former Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu.

Nazlioglu had been paying respects to a dead friend while Mrs Hawi had been visiting her son's grave, a police source told the Daily Telegraph.

While some sources have claimed Nazlioglu spat at the slain bikie's mother, others have insisted he was not to blame for the incident earlier this year.

Officers from Auburn have visited the Rockwood Cemetery (pictured) in recent weeks to ensure the city's largest burial site remains safe for innocent visitors

Nazlioglu was once accused of killing former Comanchero bikie boss Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi (left), who was shot in front of a gym in 2018

Nazlioglu had once been accused of murdering Hawi, the former president of the bikie gang, but was acquitted by an NSW Supreme Court jury in 2018.

In June, Nazlioglu was gunned down in a hail of bullets after an unidentified killer opened fire in the parking complex under his apartment in Rhodes, in the city's west.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Hawi's relatives were involved in Nazlioglu's death.

In the wake of his death, underworld sources revealed the slain gangster and Mrs Hawi had been involved in a dispute at the cemetery.

'It was in late May and was never reported to police, and when they went to see Mrs Hawi she didn't want to make a complaint, but it 100 per cent happened,' they said.

Police have conducted patrols at the Rockwood Cemetery, the city's largest burial site, in recent weeks (pictured, Ghassan Amoun is buried by family and friends in January)

Police hope the presence of officers at the site will ensure gang-related violence doesn't escalate as Sydney's underworld war rages on (pictured, mourners at Rockwood Cemetery)

Police hope the presence of officers at the site will ensure gang-related violence doesn't escalate after the deaths of over a dozen in Sydney's underworld war.

'There have been conflicts there between the different families when they go to visit,' a police source said.

'It's more the families when they go to pay their respects, rather than the gangs.'

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the patrols would keep innocent mourners safe as they attended the graves of their loved ones.

The police presence at Rockwood follows a nasty clash between the mother of slain Comanchero bikie boss Mick Hawi and former Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu (pictured, officers keep a close eye on the funeral of Hamze family member Ghassan Amoun)

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the patrols would keep innocent mourners safe as they attended the graves of their loved ones (pictured, police attend the funeral of Comanchero bikie Omar Zahed)

'As part of our commitment to keeping our community safe, police undertake regular high-visibility patrols of places where we know members of organised criminal networks may congregate,' he said.

'It is our job to make sure these criminals don't cause problems or put the safety of good people at risk.'

Nazlioglu's death marked the end of a six-week run without a fatal shooting in Sydney as the city grapples with a bloody underworld war, with at least 14 men gunned down over the past two years.

Sources claim the executed bikie had recently stirred trouble with a member of a well-known Sydney crime family after stealing his Bentley.

Emergency services cart Nazlioglu out of the Rhodes building in June after he was shot up to ten times in the head and chest

They said the vehicle was one of several luxury cars the former Lone Wolf bikie had allegedly stolen and then used for extortion.

One source said Sydney was a dangerous place at the moment and was 'only a matter of time' before Nazlioglu was killed.

Daily Mail Australia understands the gunman was waiting in a silver hatchback for Nazlioglu to get out of the car before he unleashed on the underworld figure.

Residents said Mrs Nazlioglu was seen wailing in the foyer and saying 'why did they have to kill him' as emergency service tried to save her husband.
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This is the moment four teens in Minnesota crashed a stolen Kia against the median of an interstate before frantically running across traffic in an attempt to avoid arrest.

The incident may be part of a troubling TikTok trend that has promoted and instructed on ways of hotwiring Kia and Hyundai vehicles with as little as a USB cable.

Law enforcement agencies across the country have raised concerns about the trend, which began on TikTok in 2021 courtesy of a Milwaukee based group known as the 'Kia Boyz.'

The thefts generally involve Kia's newer than 2011 and Hyundai's newer than 2015. The cars typically do not have immobilizers and can be accessed through backdoors without setting off alarms.

This most recent incident occurred in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday afternoon along Interstate 35E Northbound.

The video of Saturday's incident begins showing the white Kia drifting across lanes in St. Paul, Minnesota

Eventually, the Kia hits the median along Interstate 35E before it begins smoking

As the car starts to smoke, the teenage driver of the car abandoned the car

Soon he is joined by three other cohorts who all begin a suicidal run across the busy highway

According to Fox 9, the driver was trying to evade police tire deflation device when he began running up against the wall.

The video shows the car smoking and the four teens, a 14-year-old boy, and three girls ages 15-17, running across the busy highway. All four were eventually arrested by state troopers.

One girl is seen running into a black SUV as the group heads towards the off ramp. Two of the girls suffered injuries and were treated in a local hospital.

St. Paul Police Public Information Officer Mike Ernster told Fox 9 that around 5:30 pm on August 6, police received a call from a Minneapolis rental company who said that a 2021 Kia Forte had been stolen. The GPS indicated that the car was in St. Paul.

A state police helicopter was deployed and quickly located the car in a residential area in the city. Police cruisers went to the area and converged on the Kia.

Ernster said at that point, the teen driver sped away through the area and eventually on to the highway. The state police helicopter remained in pursuit.

The video shows one teenage girl being hit by an SUV. According to police, two teenage girls were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital

The crash in the video occurred around 15 minutes after the car was first located.

This style of theft is thought to have originated in Wisconsin beginning in 2021. As how-to videos spread on social media showing usually teenagers stealing the cars and crashing or dumping them before they are arrested.

In June, Fox 9 reported that across the Twin Cities there was an uptick in Kia and Hyundai thefts.

At the time a woman who had just bought a Kia Sol only to see it stolen and written off just outside of her home in Minneapolis, told the station that had she known how easy it was to steal the cars, she would have bought something different.

A 'Kia Boyz' style theft was linked to the death of a 70-year-old woman named Phoua Hang who was killed when the car she was traveling was slammed into by a stolen Kia, reports TwinCities.com.

Various viral videos have spread since 2021 showing tips on how to hotwire Kia and Hyundai cars

The issue is a particularly bad in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where 'Kia Boyz' related thefts account for two thirds of the city's stolen cars

At the time of writing there have been no arrests in relation to Hang's death.

The issue is a particularly bad in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where 'Kia Boyz' related thefts account for two thirds of the city's stolen cars. It's gotten so bad in Milwaukee that authorities have advised Kia and Hyundai owners to buy steering wheel locks or to invest in an a more advanced security systems.

In May, WISN reported that one member of the 'Kia Boyz', 19-year-old Antonio Carter was accused of pointing a 'long gun' at a police officer as he attempted to arrest him.

Carter was also accused of driving the stolen red Kia at 90 miles per hour in the 'wrong lanes of travel' in city.

At the time of his arrest, Carter was out on bail in two open felony cases.

The raft of thefts was so rampant towards the end of 2021 that the Milwaukee's city council, the Milwaukee City Attorney openly said that their office was looking into filing a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia over how apparently easy it was to steal their cars.

KTVZ quoted a city alderman saying during a council meeting that 50 percent of the thieves are under the age of 16 and that the crimes rarely resulted in prosecutions.

In St. Louis, there has been a 254 percent increase in Kia thefts and a 222 percent increase in Hyundai thefts in 2022, Auto News reports.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom told Michigan Live in July: 'Most of the offenders are juveniles, so you throw the curveball in there of, Yes, we can arrest them, but what sort of accountability are the kids facing and what sort of services are available to make sure that this isnt a catch-and-release and theyre back out in the morning and doing it again.'

The Auto News article reports that there has been a significant increase in the Korean cars in other cities such as Cincinnati, Memphis and Grand Rapids.

The Columbus Dispatch in Ohio reported in July that Hyundai and Kia thefts accounts for four of 10 vehicles stolen in 2022. By comparison, in 2021 Hyundai and Kia's made up just 10 percent of car thefts, according to the Dispatch.

On July 25, two 14-year-olds were killed in the city when they crashed their stolen Hyundai, reports ABC 6.

Kia said in a press release that as of 2022, all of their new cars will come equipped with an immobilizer in order to prevent thefts.

In a statement on the thefts Kia said: 'Kia America is aware of the rise in vehicle thefts of a subset of trim levels. All 2022 models and trims have an immobilizer applied either at the beginning of the year or as a running change.

'All Kia vehicles for sale in the U.S. meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Kia customers with questions regarding their Kia vehicle should contact the Consumer Assistance center directly at 1-800-333-4542.'

While Hyundai said: '"Hyundai Motor America is concerned with the rise in local auto thefts. The safety and well-being of our customers and the community is and will remain our top priority.

'These vehicles meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and engine immobilizers are standard equipment on all new Hyundai vehicles. Hyundai customers who have questions can always contact the Hyundai Consumer Assistance Center at 800-633-5151.'
A union push to teach primary school students about intersex identity and gender diversity through picture books has been slammed.

The NSW Teacher's Federation union is urging educators to deliver the lessons to students during English and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) classes across NSW schools even though the state has a ban on any lessons in gender fluidity.

The JPL says on its website it 'seeks to enhance the quality of teaching and of public education' and calls itself the 'professional development arm' of the teacher's union.

The website contains a range of academic articles including ones pushing for more lessons about gender identity.

A union push to teach primary school students about intersex identity and gender diversity through picture books has been slammed

The union is urging teachers to deliver the lessons to students from kindergarten onwards during English and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education classes across NSW schools, even though the state has a ban on any lessons in gender fluidity.

'English in primary school provides rich opportunities for students to learn about gender diversity in relation to themselves, each other, and the world at large,' academics claim.

'We encourage teachers to stay attuned for primary school texts that feature intersex identities.'

The academics suggest teachers include books about a child who is born as a boy but identifies as a girl, a child who does not identify as either gender, and a boy who likes to dress in girl's clothes.

The books have been recommended by the Journal of Professional Learning - the professional learning unit of the NSW Teacher's Federation Union.

One Nation MP Mark Latham has slammed the push saying parents should be responsible for teaching their children about personal topics.

He has raised the issue with education minister Sarah Mitchell,' Daily Telegraph reported.

'The Minister has been ineffective in stopping organisations like the NSW Teachers Federation infiltrating our schools with gender propaganda, such as in these books,' he said.

2GB host Ben Fordham, who has previously slammed an after school centre for teaching children about gender theory, posted about the push on Facebook.

Social media users were quick to vent their outrage over the material.

Among the books include a child who is born as a boy but identifies as a girl, a child who does not identify as either gender, and a boy who likes to dress in girl's clothes

THE BOOKS THE NSW TEACHER'S FEDERATION RECOMMENDS IN LESSONS ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY Be Who You Are - a book about a child born in the wrong body that does not match assigned gender Are You A Boy Or A Girl - a book about a child who does not identify as a boy or a girl My Shadow Is Pink - a book about a boy who likes to dress in female clothing Advertisement

'Absolutely not. Surely we get a say in our kids education and a change like this would have to go to some sort of referendum??' one person wrote.

Another added: 'Really!!! Stop effing with kids heads and get back to teaching spelling, counting etc and loving who they are.'

Ms Mitchell shot down the push to bring in the picture books saying public schools had to stick to the NSW curriculum.

The NSW curriculum does not currently include gender identity education programs such as Safe Schools.

'Safe Schools is not part of the NSW curriculum and is not taught in public schools,' Ms Mitchell said.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the NSW Teachers Federation Union for comment.
Aboriginal senator Jacinta Price has accused author and journalist Peter FitzSimons of being 'rude and aggressive' to her during an interview.

In a piece published on Sunday, Senator Price spoke to FitzSimons about her staunch opposition to the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which he strongly supports.

In a social media post on Sunday, the Country Liberal Party senator wrote: 'I don't know if I'd do another interview with the bloke again. He accused me of giving racists a voice but that wasn't printed.'

FitzSimons denied Senator Price's characterisation of how the interview went and said her claims were 'complete and utter ... nonsense'.

Aboriginal senator Jacinta Price accused author and journalist Peter FitzSimons of being 'rude and aggressive' to her in a telephone interview conducted last week

In the since-deleted post on Facebook, Senator Price claimed the interview with FitzSimons last Thursday started out well, but claimed that he became 'aggressive... condescending and rude' to her.

She said it 'was like talking to a brick wall' and that she felt 'insulted'.

'I'm not a wilting violet but he's a very aggressive bloke, his interview style is very bloody aggressive, he doesn't need to launch in,' she said.

'Accusing me of somehow giving power to racists because the issues I raise are confronting  he loses the point completely.

'I said to him, "Get down from the bloody ivory tower and come out to one of my communities".'

FitzSimons strongly refuted Senator Price's claims. The interview was a 'professional exchange', he said.

'Every single word recorded, as I told her,' FitzSimons told The Australian's Media Diary.

He said the interview was conducted without a raised voice and that Senator Price approved the final story.

'This is not remotely a matter of interpretation. Friendly interview, nice text exchange at its conclusion,' he said.

Peter FitzSimons (right) is pictured with his wife, television presenter Lisa Wilkinson, in 2016

Senator Price said she was shocked by FitzSimons' stance on Indigenous issues.

'I was really taken aback and I was exhausted by the energy it took having to defend myself,' she said.

'I was made to feel as though what I was trying to do is wrong and my voice is not as legitimate as those who purport to suffer from 250 years of colonisation.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted both Senator Price and FitzSimons for comment.

In the interview published in Nine newspapers, Senator Price has accused supporters of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament of buying into 'racial stereotypes'.

She had also used her maiden speech to parliament on July 27 to rail against the concept of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and a proposed referendum to enshrine it in the constitution.

Senator Price told FitzSimons the broad bipartisan support for the Voice is a result of too many Australians 'drinking the Kool-Aid' and not listening to a silent majority of Aboriginals.

Instead of being a unifying voice to promote Indigenous issues, she claimed it would be just another layer of bureaucracy that would divide her people from white Australia and assume they would always be 'victims'.

Senator Price also defended another bitter critic of the Voice, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, as someone who 'cares deeply for Indigenous Australians'.

This came after Senator Hanson stormed out of the upper house rather than sit through an acknowledgement to country.

Senator Price said travelling around the world with her teacher parents - an Indigenous mother and white father - when she was 13 opened her eyes 'to how we're all human'.

Senator Price said she became politically active when she observed 'narratives about indigenous Australians' she didn't agree with

She said she was too busy for politics when she was young as she had her first baby when she 17 and two more by the time she was 21.

But she later became politically active when she observed 'narratives about Indigenous Australians' she didn't agree with.

Though she acknowledged the difficulties faced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, she believed an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was not needed.

'Colonisation and subsequent laws had a lot to do with some of the critical issues. I'm not denying that,' she told FitzSimons.

'But I know full well, that another part of it is we accept violence within our culture. It's a patriarchal culture and meantime, the Voice to Parliament like this one, it doesn't actually detail how it's supposed to help.'

Senator Price defended One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) saying she is not racist and in fact 'cares deeply for Indigenous Australians'

The former deputy mayor of Alice Springs said it 'feels like just another bureaucracy' and she didn't know why it needed to be enshrined in Australia's Constitution.

In her maiden speech to Parliament on July 27, she outlined her opposition to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

'Perhaps a word of advice, since that is what you are seeking: listen to everyone, not just those who support your virtue-signalling agenda but also those you contradict,' she said.

'I personally have had more than my fill of being symbolically recognised.'

FitzSimons said he was astonished she supported keeping Australia Day on January 26, the anniversary of white settlement.

Senator Price replied that for her, 'it's not about the impact of colonisation on us black fellas. It's about how we've since come together as people from all different backgrounds'.

She said that you could pick any day of the year where you'd find that something horrible happened on that day in Australian history.

Australian Parliament's 11 Indigenous MPs JACINTA PRICE: Nationals senator for the Northern Territory MARION SCRYMGOUR: Labor member for Lingiari JANA STEWART: Labor senator for Victoria LIDIA THORPE: Greens senator for Victoria LINDA BURNEY: Labor Minister for Indigenous Australians PAT DODSON: Labor senator for Western Australia MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Labor Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians GORDON REID: Labor member for Robertson DORINDA COX: Greens senator for Western Australia KERRYNNE LIDDLE: Liberal senator for South Australia JACQUI LAMBIE: Independent senator for Tasmania Advertisement

FitzSimons also put it to Senator Price that in many people's view it is 'time to recognise the shocking past... and do everything possible to fix the future', but she has been 'a very prominent voice howling us down'.

Senator Price said that view was just a narrative created to suggest most Aboriginal people felt that way.

She said many indigenous people didn't view themselves as victims of history on Australia Day, instead seeing themselves 'as proud Australians'.

FitzSimons asked Senator Price if it ever bothered her that among her supporters were 'people with little to no respect for the Aboriginal people' such as Pauline Hanson.

She replied that she didn't think Senator Hanson was racist and in fact 'cares deeply for Indigenous Australians' and her concern was about 'taking more practical approaches towards solving some of our problems'.

Senator Price added that it was a pity that more concerned Indigenous Australians didn't speak up about domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and alcoholism in their communities.

'They're more concerned about how the wider public view them as opposed to actually solving some of these issues, so they remain silent,' she said.

Senator Price, who is one of 11 Indigenous parliamentarians, said the the reason First Nations people 'have failed so much' was because they were always regarded as a separate entity.

She said she 'can't support this idea... We are all just Australian citizens, and we should be treated as such'.

A Voice to Parliament, if it was enshrined in the constitution would mean indigenous people would be see as victims forever when they should instead stand on their 'own two bloody feet', Senator Price said.

She claimed having a 'bureaucracy based on race' placed into the constitution would drive a wedge between black and white Australia and that she has no desire for the constitution to treat her differently.
Qantas has asked senior executives to leave their cushy jobs and work full-time as baggage handlers for up to three months as the airline battles staff shortages across the 'Spirit of Australia'

Colin Hughes, the airline's chief operating officer, wrote to high-level staff last week saying it was looking for at least 100 managers to work in a variety of airport roles for up to five days a week.

Mr Hughes said there was 'no expectation that you will opt into this role on top of your full-time position', but noted it was a necessary action to take as a response to growing criticism of Qantas' ability to handle passenger demand.

Qantas has asked senior executives to leave their cushy jobs and work full-time as baggage handlers for up to three months

The move would see the airline's most senior members work as baggage handlers in the latest astonishing move from Qantas (pictured: CEO Alan Joyce

The program would see executives sorting baggage, scanning tags and even driving luggage tugs on the tarma

'During your time in the contingency program, you'll be an embedded resource within the ground handling partners,' the airline's COO wrote.

'This means you'll receive a roster, be scheduled to operate and be supervised and managed in the live operations by our grand handling partners.'

The program would see executives sorting baggage, scanning tags and even driving luggage tugs on the tarmac.

Under the extraordinary plan, managers would be packing planes with people's belongings and moving cargo between flights.

'It's our singular company focus to support our teams to get our operation back to where it should be and provide our passengers the experience they expect from the airline,' wrote Mr Hughes said.

Qantas said the 'contingency plan' was in response to not meeting customers' expectations.

'We've been clear that our operational performance has not been meeting our customers' expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves  and that we've been pulling out all stops to improve our performance,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'As we have done in the past during busy periods, around 200 head office staff have helped at airports during peak travel periods since Easter.

'While we manage the impacts of a record flu season and ongoing COVID cases coupled with the tightest labour market in decades, we're continuing that contingency planning across our airport operations for the next three months.'

Vanessa Hudson, chief financial officer of Qantas will get more than a $1million in stock if she meets performance targets (pictured)

The airline's chief operating officer wrote to high-level staff last week saying it was looking for at least 100 managers to work in a variety of airport roles (pictured: Domestic CEO Andrew David)

It's not known yet if any of Qantas' highest-paid executives have been asked to lug around customer's bags - but Qantas confirmed the note was sent to senior executives.

CEO Alan Joyce earns $2million a year, plus bonuses paid in shares. He has 669,000 shares, worth $3.7 million.

Andrew David, Qantas' Domestic and International CEO, took home $1.4million in base salary in the 2021 financial year, as did Jetstar boss Gareth Evans.

CFO Vanessa Hudson earned $1.25million in base, with Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth also earning $1.25million.

Jetstar boss Gareth Evans (left) and loyalty program CEO Olivia Wirth (right) have been offered performance bonuses

QantasLink topped the list for cancelled flights in April this year with 591 getting the chop closely followed by Qantas with 426, data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics shows.

May was even higher with one in every 13 Qantas flights cancelled or 7.6 per cent of the airline's total flights, up from 5.1 per cent the previous month.

But in a statement to the ASX in June, Qantas revealed four senior executives would be paid company shares worth a combined total of more than $4million on top of their salary.

Qantas CFO Vanessa Hudson will be eligible for $1.15million in shares, Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans will be handed $1.22million, Qantas domestic and international CEO Andrew David will receive $1.15million, and Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth is up for $985,000 in stock.

The bonuses will be paid in August 2023 if the executives meet performance targets, though Mr Evans has since resigned.

The Transport Workers Union took Qantas to court in late 2020, when it was ruled the airline illegally sacked nearly 2,000 baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff before outsourcing their jobs to foreign-owned providers, including Swissport.

The Federal Court found Qantas had breached laws, but the airline is appealing it in the High Court.

CEO Alan Joyce has been attempting to cut the airline's costs, with a target of $1billion to be wiped off its books. Most of that has come in worker salaries.

Issues with its operations remain however, with customers reporting bags being lost, extensive wait times for call centres, cancelled flights and a lack of communication from staff.
An abandoned Boeing 737 is parked in the middle of a field in Bali and it has been sitting there for years and is now a popular tourist attraction.

The large plane sits in a limestone quarry near the Raya Nusa Dua Selatan Highway, not far from the Pandawa beach - a tourist hub.

Some Balinese have suggested the plane was brought in as parts and reassembled there by an ambitious entrepreneur keen to get a restaurant up and running inside it.

However, it's rumoured the restauranter ran out of cash to finish the project, leaving the plane lying abandoned in the quarry.

The plane sits with runway stairs seen propped up against the front entrance.

The abandoned plane on Bali's Bukit Peninsula (pictured) has been sitting there for years and has become a popular tourist attraction

The Boeing 737 (pictured) lives out its retirement near a limestone quarry close to tourist hub Pandawa beach in Bali

The 737 in the field near a major highway (pictured) is said to have had its parts brought there and reassembled on site for a tourist attraction

The aircraft has become a tourist attraction with a travel guide saying it is hard to spot and is next to a collection of shipping containers (far left)

The aircraft has become a tourist attraction with a travel guide saying it is hard to spot and is next to a collection of shipping containers.

The enclosed plane has no identification or branding on it.

It's not the only retired Boeing 737 on the island, as other disused planes have been spotted in other parts, some used as tourist attractions.

One of them rests right next to nearby Dunkin Donuts, with its wing resting on the diner's wall.

One Boeing sits next to a Dunkin Donuts diner in Bali (pictured) 6km from Kuta Beach and was thought to be used as an event venue, or an abandoned restaurant or a plan for someone's new home

Some guessed that jet, which has no engines, was another abandoned restaurant idea or had planned to be used as a home.

It is thought to have been there since 2007 and was used as an event venue in 2018.

One other retired jet was seen on top of a cliff at Nyang-Nyang beach in 2021.

The plane was hauled to the top of a seaside cliff in Bali last year thanks to investment from Felix Demin.

Last year, Demin said he hoped the attraction would help revive the area's tourism sector, which has been badly hit when Indonesian borders were amid the Covid pandemic.

He expects it to become a popular photography spot and is planning to convert the aircraft into tourist accommodation.

The Russian entrepreneur and Bali resident told AFP that the disassembled plane was about to be sold as scrap metal to China when he purchased it.

It took a week to transport the plane's parts to the cliff after securing necessary access permits.

Demin said the project offered hope for a revival of tourism in Bali, but some social media users expressed worry that it would spoil the seaside view.

On the seaside cliffs of Nyang-Nyang beach on the Bukit Peninsula lay half a Boeing that was there to lure tourists, with plans for it to be turned into a villa (pictured, in 2021)

The Nyang-Nyang Beach attraction in Bali (pictured in 2021) shows disassembled plane parts
The Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting equipment while hunting for evidence to support former President Donald Trumps false election-fraud claims.

An analysis of of court filings and public records shows that people working with Matthew DePerno - the Trump-endorsed nominee for the states top law-enforcement post - examined a vote tabulator from Richfield Township, a conservative stronghold of 3,600 people in northern Michigans Roscommon County.

The Richfield security breach is one of four similar incidents being investigated by Michigan's current attorney general, Democrat Dana Nessel.

Under state law, it is a felony to seek or provide unauthorized access to voting equipment.

Matthew DePerno, who is running for the Michigan Republican party's nomination for state attorney general was allegedly involved in a scheme to seize and tamper with voting machines

DePerno did not respond to a request for comment.

The involvement of a Republican attorney general nominee in a voting-system breach comes amid a national effort by backers of Trumps fraud falsehoods to win state offices that could prove critical in deciding any future contested elections.

In Arizona last week, three Trump-backed candidates who claim the 2020 election was stolen won Republican primary elections for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, the top official overseeing elections.

In Pennsylvania, Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano has vowed to decertify any election he considers fraudulent through his appointed secretary of state.

Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania are all presidential election battlegrounds.

Trump lavished praise on DePerno before a large audience this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas.

An investigation by Michigan State Police and the attorney general, Dana Nessel, pictured revealed voting machine breaches took place in several Michigan counties

'Hes going to make sure that you are going to have law and order and fair elections,' Trump said, pumping his fist as DePerno stood up in the audience and waved. 'Thats an important race.'

The Reuters news agency established the connection between Michigan's DePerno and the Richfield voting-system breach by matching the serial number of the townships tabulator to a photograph in a publicly released report written by a member of DePerno's team.

The photograph showed a printed record of a vote-tabulators activity, which also included a string of ten digits.

Reuters confirmed that those numbers matched the serial number of a Richfield vote tabulator through public records obtained from the township. State officials had previously identified Richfield as the site of a voting-equipment security breach.

DePerno had submitted the report as evidence in a failed lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results in a different Michigan county, Antrim. The report claimed that Dominion and ES&S election equipment was vulnerable to hacking and vote-rigging.

Reuters asked an election-security expert to review the materials.

Former President Donald Trump has taken an outsize interest in promoting Matthew DePerno to be Michigan's next Attorney General

Kevin Skoglund, president and chief technologist for the nonpartisan Citizens for Better Elections, an election-security advocacy organization, said the matching numbers indicate that DePernos team had access to the Richfield Township tabulator or its data drives.

DePerno led the 'Michigan Antrim County Election Lawsuit; Investigation Team,' which included himself, Detroit attorney Stefanie Lambert, private investigator Michael Lynch, and James Penrose, a former analyst for the National Security Agency, according to promotional material for a July 2021 fundraising event in California sponsored by a conservative group that advertised appearances by DePernos team members.

Penrose, who had assisted other prominent Trump allies in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, authored the report that Reuters tied to a tabulator involved in the Richfield Township security breach.

Lambert, Lynch and Penrose did not respond to requests for comment.

The previously unreported link to GOP attorney general candidate DePerno and his associates comes as Democratic incumbent Nessel advances her probe, which she launched in February 2022.

Nessel is seeking re-election, which would create a conflict of interest if her political opponent became a suspect in her offices investigation.

Trump lavished praise on DePerno before a large audience this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas

The attorney general's office declined to comment on the specifics of its investigation but said Nessel would 'take appropriate steps to remove herself and her department should a conflict arise.'

Nessel's office started investigating the voting-system security breaches after a request from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. In a February statement, Benson said that 'at least one unnamed third party' had gained access to tabulation machines and data drives from Richfield Township and Roscommon County.

Jake Rollow, a spokesperson for the secretary of state, said the office does not believe DePernos team had legal approval to access ES&S voting equipment.

Rollow declined to comment further on the attorney generals investigation but emphasized its importance. 'To ensure Michigans elections are secure in the future, there must be consequences now for the people who illegally accessed the states voting machines,' he said.

ES&S did not respond to requests for comment.

Former President Donald Trump endorses Matthew DePerno in April. DePerno is running for the Michigan Republican party's nomination for state attorney genera

Voting and vote-counting equipment is subject to strict chain-of-custody requirements to ensure accuracy and guard against fraud. Access to tabulators is tightly restricted, and any machine compromised by an unauthorized person is typically taken out of commission.

The four cases being investigated by Nessel are among at least 17 incidents identified by Reuters nationwide in which Trump supporters gained or attempted to gain unauthorized access to voting equipment.

Michigan accounts for 11 of them, reflecting how conspiracy theorists sought to capitalize on an error in the initial reporting of 2020 results in Antrim County to allege widespread fraud in the state, without evidence.

A state review of the Antrim County incident found that a failure to properly update software caused a computer glitch that resulted in county officials initially reporting Joe Biden as the winner of the reliably Republican county.

The officials quickly acknowledged and corrected the mistake, and Trump's victory was affirmed by a hand tally of every vote cast.

DePerno seized on the confusion, filing a lawsuit making the unfounded claim that tabulators made by Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems had been rigged to flip votes from Trump to Biden in Antrim County.

'No evidence of machine fraud or manipulation in the 2020 election has ever been presented in Michigan or any other state, and courts in Michigan and elsewhere have dismissed such claims as baseless,' Dominion spokesman Tony Fratto said.

In early December 2020, 13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer granted DePerno's legal team permission to take forensic images of Antrim County voting equipment to search for evidence of election fraud.

The court order was limited to Antrim, where only Dominion equipment was used. The order did not extend to other jurisdictions or machines made by other voting-system providers.

Yet DePernos team submitted two reports in April 2021 to the court that revealed they had also examined equipment made by Election Systems & Software (ES&S).

The report written by Penrose, dated April 9, contained a photograph of a 'summary tape' with information about a tabulators activity on election night, such as when results were submitted to the county. Among other things, the tape showed a sequence of figures: 0317350497.

That is the serial number for one of two ES&S DS200 tabulators Richfield Township used during the 2020 vote, according to copies of documents obtained by Reuters through a public-records request.

Skoglund, the election-security specialist consulted by Reuters, said the matching numbers indicate that the reports author had access to either Richfield's tabulator or a data drive containing the results and other information on the machine.

'Theres no doubt in my mind that the Penrose photograph is output from that same DS200 -- that he had physical hands-on access,' Skoglund told Reuters.

A second person familiar with the workings of ES&S voting equipment examined the records obtained by Reuters and concurred that the tabulator tape shown in the Penrose report matches the machine with the same serial number.

The Penrose report was part of a series of submissions from DePernos team that failed to convince Judge Elsenheimer. At an April 12, 2021 hearing, the judge shut down DePerno's attempt to subpoena several Michigan counties for access to election data and equipment.

DePerno gave an interview later the same day to two right-wing websites, Gateway Pundit and 100 Percent Fed Up. DePerno said that Penrose had examined an ES&S machine. He added that the team had also looked at Dominion equipment 'outside of Antrim County.'

The attorney said he didn't consider Elsenheimers ruling a dead-end.

'Maybe there will be some county somewhere that decides to come forward and cooperate. That would be nice,' DePerno told the websites.

In reality, DePerno's associates had already taken possession of voting machines from local officials in Richfield Township in Roscommon County and Lake Township in Missaukee County, according to police records and text messages acquired through public records requests.

Lynch, the private investigator who worked with DePerno on his Antrim county case, exchanged texts with Lake Township clerk Korinda Winkelmann on March 20, 2021.

Lynch asked for help accessing a Dominion device she had provided to him, according to the messages, obtained by Reuters through a public-records requests. Winkelman shared with Lynch an operational manual and a password for the device, while also speculating on how election systems might be rigged.

Lynch had no authorization to examine the machine, and the incident remains under state investigation. Winkelmann did not respond to requests for comment.

Elsenheimer dismissed the Antrim suit in May 2021, a decision that was affirmed this year by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

DePerno's fraud claims have been widely debunked.

A Republican-led Michigan Senate committee issued a scathing report in June 2021 that called DePerno's various allegations 'demonstrably false.'

In September 2021, Trump endorsed DePerno as the Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general, praising his pursuit of 'fair and accurate elections' and his ongoing effort to 'reveal the truth about the November 3, 2020 presidential election scam.'
President Joe Biden has deplored the killings of four Muslim men in New Mexico, which police say may be linked.

The president took to Twitter Sunday to say he was 'angered and saddened' by the slayings and reiterated his administration 'stands strongly with the Muslim community.'

Police in Albuquerque - New Mexico's largest city - are investigating the murders of three Muslim men that they suspect are related to a fourth homicide from last year.

The latest victim, Naeem Hussain, was discovered overnight Friday just hours after he attended a funeral service honoring two other recently murdered Muslims.

President Joe Biden has deplored the killings of four Muslim men in New Mexico, which police say may be linked. Naeem Hussain (left) was fatally shot on Friday and Mohammad Ahmadi (right) was killed in November

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, (left) and Aftab Hussein, 41, (right) had been fatally shot near their homes on Aug. 1 and July 26, respectively

Hussain was found shot to death Friday near a Lutheran Family Services office that provides assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.

He had attended a funeral service for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, Friday afternoon.

They had been fatally shot near their homes on July 26 and Aug. 1, respectively. The two men were members of the same mosque.

After the ceremony, Hussain and other mourners shared a meal at the Islamic Center of New Mexico. He left the dinner and was killed several hours later, just before midnight, the Islamic Center told The Albuquerque Journal.

Albuquerque police on Saturday revealed detectives believe Hussain's murder 'may be connected to three recent murders of Muslim men also from South Asia.'

The department was referring to the fatal shootings of Hussein, Afzaal Hussain and Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, who was killed last November behind the halal market he co-owned with his brother.

Police said the all four killings were done in a similar fashion - 'ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed.'

Officials identified a 'vehicle of interest,' a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta or Passat, that is possibly connected to the slayings. The vehicle may be damaged.

President Joe Biden expressed solidarity with the Muslim community on Sunday after a fourth Muslim man was killed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Biden is pictured Sunday as he walks along the South Lawn of the White House to Marine One for a trip to Delaware

The president took to Twitter Sunday to say he was 'angered and saddened' by the slayings and reiterated his administration 'stands strongly with the Muslim community'

Police said the all four killings were done in a similar fashion - 'ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed'

'I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque,' Biden posted to Twitter on Sunday.

'While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims' families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America.'

The president's statement echoed that of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham who said Saturday: 'The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque is deeply angering and wholly intolerable.'

'I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought. This is not who we are.'

Grisham warned: 'We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers - and we WILL find them.'

Officers investigate a homicide at Copper Ridge Apartments located at 557 Tramway Blvd NE Photographed on Sunday, August 7

Officials identified a 'vehicle of interest,' a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta or Passat, that is possibly connected to the slayings. The vehicle may be damaged

Altaf Hussain sprinkles dirt over the grave of his brother Aftab Hussein at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, August 5

Hussain, who police say was in his mid-20s, had became an US citizen just two weeks ago and dreamed of being an entrepreneur.

After he came to America, Hussain found work as a truck driver and eventually saved up enough money to buy his own rig. And, when the pandemic struck, he continued to make deliveries telling his loved ones: 'the country and people need us more than any time.'

Following his oath of citizenship, he planned to have his wife come from Pakistan and join him in the US. They wanted to build a home together.

'You know, he was in love with America,' his brother-in-law Ehsan Shahalami told The Washington Post. 'Everybody that knew him even for an hour is crying, because he has touched their life.'

Hussain's friends said he was a 'really kind person' and there was 'no reason for someone to kill him like this.'

Naeem Hussain (pictured), who police say was in his mid-20s, had became an US citizen just two weeks ago and dreamed of being an entrepreneur

The first murder was carried out on the evening of November 7.

Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, was found outside the cafe he ran with his brother Sharief A. Hadi - Ariana Halal Market & Cafe.

The Afghan-born brothers emigrated to the United States with their father in the early 1980s: first living in Pennsylvania, then moving to New Mexico after Hadi, making a living selling gemstones, came across the region and loved it.

Albuquerque Mayor Tom Keller issues a statement on the slayings

'I had to travel all over, then I got to New Mexico,' Hadi told ABP News Online. 'I like it  the weather and the people were so nice. And I chose to stay here because of my business.'

Hadi and his brother opened the market in 2008, with Ahmadi working as a cook, specializing in traditional Afghan dishes and often catering for groups at the nearby university.

Hadi said he left Ahmadi at the shop to finish cooking, and suspects his brother had gone out to smoke a cigarette when he was shot around 6pm.

'I left at 5 o'clock and he had laid down in the back,' Hadi said. 'When I went home someone called me and said 'Sharief what's going on at your store?' When I came back the police were all over.'

Hadi in January said he was baffled by the unsolved murder.

'I don't have anything to tell you,' he said. 'He is my brother. I loved him, he loved me.'

Eight months later, a second Muslim man was murdered: 41-year-old Aftab Hussein, who moved to New Mexico in 2016.

Working as a busser for a local cafe, Hussein rented a second-story apartment near the Mesa Verde Community Center with two roommates and told them he had recently got engaged to a woman back home in Pakistan.

Aftab Hussein, 41, a busser at a local restaurant who lived with roommates, was murdered on July 28

He was working to get his passport and other travel documents together so he could go to Pakistan and get married, his friend Iftikhar Amirjan told The Albuquerque Journal.

'He was very happy. He said 'I'll go to Pakistan and get married and bring my wife here' and he said 'I'll make my life,' you know,' Amirjan said.

'He said 'I'll buy a house later on and have children.''

Hussein was shot in the evening of July 26 in the parking lot of the complex where he lived.

His roommates, frightened, have since moved out, while Hussein's brother has flown in from the United Kingdom.

The third killing was on Monday, when well-known local community organizer and city planner Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was murdered outside his home.

Born in Pakistan, he moved to the United States in 2017 to get a master's degree in community and regional planning at the University of New Mexico and served as president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association from 2019 to 2020.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was shot dead outside his home while his brother cooked dinner inside on Monday

He worked with Representative Melanie Stansbury's campaign for Congress and then got a job as the planning and land use director for the city of Espanola, 90 miles north of Albuquerque.

Hussein had been commuting for the past year but was shortly to move to Espanola.

His older brother, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain, a former prosecutor who moved to the U.S. in 2014 to continue studying law, had been staying with his sibling, and brought his two young children with him.

Imtiaz Hussain told The Albuquerque Journal that Afzaal Hussain stepped outside around 9pm, likely to call friends or family in Pakistan, while he cooked dinner.

Neighbors reported seeing a car pull up alongside his brother as someone inside opened fire, shooting once and then four to six more times.

'My brother  he was such a decent, lively young man, an unmarried person involved with the community, all the time helping everyone,' Imtiaz Hussain said.

'So what is the motive. Why did they shoot him? If he's shot, how are we safe?

'I want a proactive, rigorous investigation, detailed and speedy trials so that those people who want to take life for another person for nothing.

'Maybe they were stealing his phone, I don't know, whatever.

'But this is life and many lives are connected to him.'

Jordan Yutzy, the Espanola city manager, said the team was in shock.

'He is going to be truly missed by the city,' Yutzy said.

'He was very smart, very dedicated, and really cared about the community as a whole. His will be very big shoes for the city to fill.'

People spread dirt over Aftab Hussein's grave at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, August 5

An Imam leads a group of men during the Dhuhr afternoon prayer at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Sunday, August 7 after the fourth Muslim man was murdered in Albuquerque

Leaders from local and federal law enforcement said they have working together and devoting all possible resource to the investigation.

'On top of our investigations into this murder, we're devoting resources to key patrol areas and neighborhoods within Albuquerque,' Police Chief Harold Medina said during a press conference Saturday.

'We lifted overtime caps for our officers so that we could utilize several of our specialized units to help ensure the strong presence of Albuquerque officers to keep the community safe.'

New Mexico State Police, the FBI and the US Marshals Service are among the agencies helping in the investigation.

The city of Albuquerque's Office of Equity and Inclusion has called on citizens to report any information about the slayings to authorities.

'We urge our entire interfaith community of Albuquerque and all the people of Albuquerque to help law enforcement identify and catch the person or persons responsible,' said Michelle Melendez, the office's director. 'Please, please, call with any bit of information.'
An Asian-Australian hairdresser has decided to publicly shame one of her sleazy male clients in the hope of deterring others in her town from making the same type of requests.

Kim Tran, 29, became the proud owner of the Walk In Barber Shop in Geraldton, a mining town in Western Australia's mid-west, two years ago.

But since opening her shop, the hairdresser of 15 years said she has been asked to perform sexually explicit services such as 'happy endings' almost every day.

Kim received more than 200 of the lewd requests in her first month of business and after two years, the hairdresser is at breaking point.

'Enough is enough,' she told Daily Mail Australia tearfully. 'I can't take it anymore.'

Kim Tran, 29, became the proud owner of the Walk In Barber Shop in Geraldton, a town in Western Australia's mid-west region, two years ago

The hairdresser of 15 years told Daily Mail Australia that since opening she has been asked to perform sexually explicit services almost daily (pictured, Kim's Walk In Barber Shop)

Kim has been having trouble sleeping and suffers anxiety from the constant messages, phone calls and in-person visits from sleazy clients who want more than just a haircut.

On Friday, she exposed one of the hundreds of messages she receives from single and married men, asking for sexual services.

Kim posted screenshots of messages from the man - including his phone number - and pleaded with others not to mistake her hairdressing services with those of a sex worker.

'I would like to book in for a shave and trim with a happy ending please text me a time and cash amount,' the man's first message reads.

'What happy ending are you asking about?' Kim replied.

The customer then explained in disgusting terms: 'Just nice rub to unload please!'

'I don't do happy ending! You have to stop this,' Kim hit back, saying she would report the man to local police.

Kim published one of the hundreds of explicit messages she receives from single and married men asking for sexual services (pictured, the text exchange with the client)

Kim (pictured) said she was scared to go to the police over fears of retaliation and said she was so busy she couldn't take a day off to lodge a report against the men who ask for lewd requests

Kim said she was too scared to go to the police over fears of retaliation and said she was so busy she had no time to take a day off and lodge a report.

'Sometimes I worry if I report them, then they will know and get angry and they will come back to hurt me,' she said.

The hairdresser said the non-stop requests for sexual services had put a strain on her relationship and caused arguments with her partner.

'He gets angry and upset,' Kim said.

'He sometimes asks me for their numbers so he can call them and tell them to leave me alone'.

The 29-year-old wears her engagement ring to work every day but said it does little to stop the advances - some of which come from men who know her partner.

The 29-year-old (pictured) wears her engagement ring to work every day but says this does little to stop the advances - some of which come from men who even know her partner

The clients who ask for sexual services can be as young as 19, but the majority come from men in their mid 30s to late 60s.

Kim said she gets in-person requests about twice a day and texts and phone calls asking if she offers explicit services every third or fourth day.

She has even put signs on the door and salon mirrors to remind customers she was a 'hairdresser only' but said the signs are mostly ignored.

One client offered her $2,000 to perform an explicit act while others have even tried to grab her mid-way through their haircut or while she's holding the door for them.

One customer told the hairdresser he liked 'small Asian girls'.

Since opening, Kim has had signs on the door and salon mirrors (pictured) that remind customers she is a 'hairdresser only' but they go mostly ignored

'Men go to Vietnam and Thailand and it's easy to get a girl for one night. They see an Asian girl and they think maybe she does that same service,' Kim said.

The hairdresser is usually able to ignore the onslaught of requests for sexual services, but said in recent weeks, the unwanted attention had become unbearable.

'I've been having some really rough times,' she said through tears.

A large part of her job has become telling men no - which Kim said she does politely.

'I say, "I'm very sorry but I am a hairdresser, I don't do those jobs, please understand and leave me alone",' she said.

'I have never got angry or crazy, even when I feel very sad. Even when people try and touch me in my shop. I tell them I am trying to earn a living for my family.'

Kim (pictured in her shop with her six-year-old daughter) said she is usually able to ignore the onslaught of lewd requests but that in recent weeks it had become unbearable

The hairdresser last week posted screenshots of a text exchange with a male customer to the Facebook page 'Geraldton Neighbourhood Watch'.

'I am often looked down upon by others because I am Asian,' she wrote.

'Many people think that Asians are mostly prostitutes, so I am often texted or harassed by customers at the store.

'I believe there are many other women who have the same problem as me but the difference is that they don't dare say to say it because they are shy or don't want people to judge them.'

Kim said this was why she had included the man's personal phone number.

'If anyone is a relative of the person with the phone number below I hope they will find out the true face of the husband and father they are living with,' she wrote.

Kim has also got in touch with Desert Blue Connect, a women's advocacy group, who made her feel 'much better' and said she deserved to be respected

The hairdresser ended her post by saying she hoped others wouldn't do things that 'affect the work psychology, joy or vitality' of others.

'I am just a barber. Please respect. Barber only,' Kim reiterated.

Geraldton locals were quick to come to her defence with dozens of Facebook users condemning the 'disgraceful' request.

'That is disgusting and no one should have to be subjected to such disgraceful and disrespectful behaviour,' one woman wrote.

One man slammed the customer as a 'sad individual' and encouraged Kim to 'rise above' and leave it 'along with the person who sent it in the gutter'.

'So sorry you have to deal with this revolting creep and others like him,' another said.

'Hold your head high and good on you for posting this sicko's number'.

One woman said she had received the same request mid-way though a haircut and urged her fellow hairdresser to 'stay safe'.

Kim (pictured) hopes her post will stop the onslaught of requests from 'creepy' customers and give other victims of the same harassment the confidence to speak up

Kim hopes that by speaking about her experience it will stop 'creepy' customers from asking her to perform sexual services in her shop.

She got in touch with Desert Blue Connect, a women's advocacy group, who made her feel 'much better' and said she deserved to be respected.

The hairdresser said working two jobs has left her little time to read the comments but said she felt 'very lucky' to receive the support of the community.

Kim also hopes sharing her story will give other women a voice.

'I hope many other victims read my post,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
This is the dramatic moment French police foiled an attempted Channel crossing by a group of around 45 migrants by puncturing the boat and smashing up its engine.

Just after sunset on Saturday evening in the sleepy holiday resort of Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, migrants wearing red life vests emerged from the sand dunes and made a dash for the water.

Several women and men carried young children in their arms while a large group of mostly young men followed behind, hauling a black dinghy above their heads. But they were intercepted by a police car which raced across the beach, with officers bursting out to puncture the dinghy with a knife as the migrants scattered.

One fell to his knees with his hands covering his face as an officer appeared to use pepper spray. Police then smashed the outboard engine to pieces with a hammer and bemused holidaymakers looked on as the migrants walked dejectedly back to the dunes. No arrests were made.

This is the dramatic moment French police foiled an attempted Channel crossing by a group of around 45 migrants by puncturing the boat and smashing up its engine

Just after sunset on Saturday evening in the sleepy holiday resort of Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, migrants wearing red life vests emerged from the sand dunes and made a dash for the water

The migrants were intercepted by a police car which raced across the beach, with officers bursting out to puncture the dinghy with a knife as the migrants scattered

Despite their elation, it came on a day when 10 small boats carrying 337 migrants successfully launched from the French coast and made it to the UK - with the total number this year alone now surpassing 18,000, according to Ministry of Defence figures.

The grim milestone was broken just five days after 696 people were rescued by Border Force and brought to shore last Monday, the busiest day for Channel crossings so far this year.

It is likely crossings will continue this week, with the Met Office predicting warm weather and calm winds on the south coast.

The location at Gravelines has been used by at least five smuggling gangs in recent months who are seemingly becoming ever-more brazen by attempting dangerous night crossings.

Elia Carpentier, 20, who works in the tourist office on the beachfront, told how she had seen a boat full of migrants leave the beach at 7pm on Friday.

I was really surprised because normally they leave when the sun goes down or at dawn, she said.

An inflatable craft carrying migrants crosses the shipping lane in the English Channel towards the white cliffs at Dover earlier this month. the total number this year alone now surpasses 18,000, according to Ministry of Defence figures

The boat waited for them at the edge of the water. Im not sure how many got on but there were men, women and children in the group.

The French police operation was the culmination of a tense, three-hour-long game of cat-and-mouse between officers and the migrants hiding in the scrubland behind the dunes.

From 6.30pm until sunset, a reporter and photographer from the Daily Mail lay in the sand at the waters edge, taking cover behind a pair of French bird hunters.

From that vantage point, it was possible to observe through binoculars two officers constantly monitoring a group of 18 young male migrants who kept moving through the scrubland.

Miss Carpentier, 20, who lives next to the beach at Gravelines, said it was an open secret where the migrants hid before attempting to cross the Channel.

At the far end of the beach there is a campsite and beyond that is a forest, she said.

They set up camp there for one or two nights before waiting for a boat. They just leave their stuff - I see it when I walk my dog.
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao lashed out at the divisive forces who were insulting Mahatma Gandhi. He called upon the people not to tolerate any insult to Mahatma Gandhi, adding that no country would insult its own heroes. He said that the nation had the power to banish black sheep who threatened peace with communal violence.

Rao asked people to gear up to work at the national-level to protect the country from divisive forces and if needed, Telangana would stand at the forefront in the fight against such forces.

Launching the two-week-long Swatantra Bharata Vajrotsavalu to mark the 75 years of India's Independence at HICC here on Monday, Rao said it was unfortunate that Mahatma Gandhi was being insulted and disrespected. When Barack Obama visited India as the US President, he stated that he would not have become President had Mahatma Gandhi not been born. Freedom fighter icon and South African President Nelson Mandela stated that he drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and he was his role model.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr, the US civil rights activist, said Christ gave us goals and Mahatma Gandhi gave us tactics. Eminent scientist Albert Einstein also stated he drew inspiration from the Mahatma, Rao noted.

When other countries recognise India as the country of Mahatma Gandhi, it is unfortunate that a few disruptive forces are insulting Gandhi in our own country. This should no longer be tolerated," Rao said.

He said poverty was plaguing the country even after 75 years of Independence. Real development was possible only if poverty was eradicated. "Protests and fights are normal. Even before the freedom struggle, there were revolts in Telangana, followed by the Naxal movement. Today, many communities are still fighting for their needs in the country. Dalits and minorities are complaining about their struggles of life. There will always be struggle and protests until poverty is not eradicated. Only when poverty is mitigated will the country be peaceful, he said.

Rao said the Telangana government took up several novel initiatives for the upliftment of poor and marginalised sections in the last eight years to eradicate poverty.

The Chief Minister said these celebrations were being organised by the state government to inform the new generations about the spirit of India's independence struggle. He said people of older generations must educate the younger generations about India's battle for Independence.
A group of wildlife rangers captured the heart-stopping moment they were chased by an angry cassowary.

The wildlife rangers were riding quad bikes as they conducted track inspections along Wuthathi Country on the Northern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland.

A territorial cassowary then began to give chase charging after them at full speed for hundreds of metres.

Video showed the cassowary coming within metres of the quad bike as the vehicle sped away down the track.

A wildlife ranger manages to take a photo of the cassowary after being chased by the animal

The animal ducks under tree branches and runs at full speed and doesn't appear to slow down throughout the entire chase.

Cameron Wilson said he was the first one on his team to encounter the cassowary.

He was driving his quad bike ahead of the other wildlife rangers when he felt an uneasy presence creep up behind him.

He turned around and spotted a cassowary chasing after him at full speed.

His quad bike hit an embankment and Mr Wilson stared down the cassowary for a good eight minutes before fellow ranger Clayton Enoch pulled up.

'Cam was waving at me to slow down and I was like, 'What for?' Mr Enoch told Australian Rural and Regional News.

'Then he held two fingers up to his eyes and pointed behind me and I saw the cassowary in the scrub. I thought, 'Holy s***'.'

Mr Enoch pulled Mr Wilson onto his quad bike and the pair tried to make their escape when the cassowary gave chase.

Cameron Wilson said he was the first one on his team to encounter the cassowary

Cassowaries are considered to be the deadliest bird in the world despite their extremely shy nature

A group of wildlife rangers captured the heart-stopping moment they were chased by an angry cassowary

Cassowaries can stand as tall as 1.8metres and weigh up to 70 kilograms

'I got whacked by a branch with green ants on it and had them crawling all over me at the same time,' Mr Enoch said.

He said the animal stopped chasing them and turned its attention to the other rangers who were travelling along the track in a six-seater buggy.

Area coordinator Sophie Halt described it as a scene from the hit movie thriller 'Jurassic Park'.

Cassowaries are considered to be the deadliest bird in the world despite their extremely shy nature.

They can stand as tall as 1.8metres and weigh up to 70 kilograms. Their legs can deliver powerful kicks and their claws grow as long as 10 centimetres.

The cassowary was photographed by the wildlife rangers following the terrifying chase

Wildlife rangers managed to avoid any injuries after escaping the dangerous cassowary
Prince Charless former right-hand man has not been questioned by police almost a year after he was accused of being part of a cash for honours scandal.

Michael Fawcett, 59, was forced to quit as chief executive of The Princes Foundation amid claims he helped to secure an honour for a Saudi tycoon who donated more than 1.5 million to royal causes.

The former valet was accused of helping to fix a CBE for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, 52, who was honoured by the prince at Buckingham Palace after pledging large sums to help restore royal residences in Scotland.

Michael Fawcett, 59, was forced to quit as chief executive of The Princes Foundation amid claims he helped to secure an honour for a Saudi tycoon who donated more than 1.5 million to royal causes

Scotland Yards special enquiry team began examining the allegations after they appeared in The Sunday Times last September.

In February, it launched a full investigation into potential offences committed under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925  raising the prospect of Charles being interviewed by the police.

But six months on, Mr Fawcett has not been interviewed. His wife, Debbie, said: No questions have been submitted by the police. My husband... will fully co-operate with the police.
The former deputy premier of NSW, John Barilaro, has got into a heated debate with Labor MPs at an inquiry into his appointment to a plum $500,000 New York job.

There were angry raised voices on both sides over the timing of his resignation from the NSW Parliament and when a submission to change the appointment process for the role were addressed by the Liberal-National cabinet.

Labor MPs suggested Mr Barilaro knew about former premier Gladys Berejiklian's resignation in advance because he was interviewed by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in private on September 10, 2021.

Mr Barilaro said 'I will absolutely refute that disgusting slur and accusation'.

He was then asked, 'Which part of it is disgusting?' He replied: 'Youre making me out to be corrupt.'

Mr Barilaro later said he was 'the victim... not the perpetrator'.

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro is pictured leaving the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Addressing the submission to change the appointment process for the job Mr Barilaro would eventually get, Labor's Daniel Mookhey said: 'It does look like that that cabinet submission was being put forward urgently because you knew that at some point (Ms Berejiklian) was likely to have to resign.

'If were to believe your version of events, Mr Barilaro, we have to basically conclude that youre one of the luckiest men in NSW politics.'

Mr Barilaro replied: 'Actually, (Im) the unluckiest man in NSW politics, I'd argue, because of those series of events.

'I must be the most powerful man in NSW... to get a whole cabinet to approve something that they werent supportive of.'

Investment NSW head Amy Brown returned in the afternoon to give evidence for the third time and was asked about her agencys employment of Mr Barilaros girlfriend and former staffer Jennifer Lugsdin.

John Barilaro's partner Jennifer Lugsdin (pictured) previously worked as his media adviser

Ms Brown said Ms Lugsdin was hired through a contractor to start with Investment NSW on August 16, 2021.

She was asked if she recalled what Mr Barilaro said to her about Ms Lugsdin.

'He said that there was a senior media adviser in his office who was looking for new opportunities [and] that he'd heard through the grapevine that we were building out our media and communications team,' she replied.

'I said to him, that is likely to be the case, shes welcome to... apply for opportunities.'

Ms Brown clarified that Mr Barilaro made no comment about any relationship he had with Ms Lugsdin, other than a professional one.

Mr Barilaro had earlier said he could not remember when that conversation with Ms Brown took place, but that he was not in a relationship with Ms Lugsdin at the time.

'I was not in a relationship with her while I was deputy premier or trade minister,' he said.

Ms Brown said Investment NSW asked Ms Lugsdin to make a conflict of interest declaration in December 2021, after media reports about her relationship with Mr Barilaro.

'But we dont actually have records of that happening. Most likely because we finished up her employment with us on the 22nd of December, which was only a number of days after,' she said.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann (pictured) is chairing an inquiry into former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro's appointment to a plum $500,000 New York job

Labor MP Penny Sharpe said the opposition introduce evidence when Mr Barilaro returns on Friday that shows Ms Lugsdin was involved in media releases advertising the New York trade role.

'We're flagging that we will be spending more time on this... which is how (Mr Barilaro) came to know about the job,' she said.

'Someone you are in relationship with... clearly was aware about the various processes associated with the advertising and the nature of this position.'

Ms Brown later said the chief of staff to then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet told he to consider paying a 'private sector size salary' to an applicant for the London agent-general position.

She said she called the staffer about the salary negotiations for the London role, for which the applicant expected $800,000.

'I think the initial basis for my phone call was (that a) salary that high for any public service role is ridiculous,' Ms Brown said.

Though she was not allowed to pay someone that high a salary under the government sector employment act, Ms Brown said she was encouraged to consider offering more money.

'They just told me to bear in mind the importance of the role and the opportunities, and that if were going to attract someone of high calibre, we needed to pay a private sector size salary,' she said.

Earlier, Mr Barilaro said he made the decision to retire on the first weekend of October 2021 after Ms Berejiklian resigned as the state premier.

'As I said, if the events of (that day) didn't occur, I would have stayed on for who knows how long... I had some of my colleagues, urging me not to retire,' he said.

He added that he 'made it clear on the day I resigned I just couldn't do it anymore, emotionally and mentally.'

Labor MP John Graham then referred to a document that Mr Barilaro served in a court case in which he says he had already made a decision to retire.

The suggestion was that Mr Barilaro knew, while still in cabinet, that he was intending to leave the parliament but had not told his colleagues.

It was around the same time a submission to change the appointment process for the foreign trade roles were addressed by the Liberal-National cabinet.

A shouting match ensued in the inquiry which is being held in the NSW Parliament.

Award-winning Australian businesswoman Kimberley Cole (pictured) was drawn into the NSW New York trade job scandal

Mr Barilaro said it had always been his intention to resign and he was making that public.

His court statement did not specify a date - just that he would resign before the next election.

'What youre trying to say is that I was advocating to change these roles to benefit me now.

'I was changing these roles based on leadership meetings based on the request of some MPs and ministers,' Mr Barilaro said.

'This wasnt about a cabinet submission for me.'

The inquiry chair, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann asked Mr Barilaro if he could 'see why the public is suspicious about this whole process?'

'I absolutely understand. That is why Im here today, voluntarily, to explain the process,' he said.

'It was a public service, independent process. Just because youre a former member of parliament doesn't exclude you.'

Mr Barilaro added that 'Im the victim, Im not the perpetrator.

'What did I do wrong? I got offered a job, I accepted the job... I cant tell you what occurred behind closed doors because I wasnt involved in it.'

Mr Barilaro opened the afternoon session of the inquiry by revealing that former premier Barry O'Farrell is the mysterious third referee in his job application.

Mr Barilaro told the inquiry that he wished he had 'never applied' for the job.

John Barilaro's opening statement to NSW Parliament inquiry into New York trade commissioner role 'I refute any suggestion of wrongdoing. Refute the suggestion that I created the role for myself. 'I refute any suggestions that I sought out any special treatment during the public service job process where an independent panel, on merit, put me forward as the preferred candidate. 'We've heard from long term, professional senior public servants, that I was a credible and capable candidate that brought many attributes to fill this important role for the people of our great state. 'For that, I had my credentials and application publicly derided and what is nothing less than an abuse of my privacy. 'Let me make this clear. I applied for a public service job as a private citizen. Nothing excluded me in doing so. 'I followed the exact same process that was afforded to others. 'I went through several interviews, psychometric testing and police checks. I was offered a job. I accepted the job. I then withdrew from this job. 'From that moment, I've enjoyed what can only be described as a personal hell, unfair and unjust. 'I look forward today to stating my case to this committee.' Advertisement

Just before the inquiry broke for lunch, Mr Barilaro was resolute that he would not name the person, despite it already having emerged that his other two referees were senior public servant Gary Barnes and Australia's US Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos.

But after contacting Mr O'Farrell during the break, he was able to reveal his name when the inquiry resumed.

Mr Barilaro said Mr O'Farrell 'was one of the reasons I got into politics. He inspired, he's been a dear friend,' he said.

'Ive been lucky enough in my life journey to have met some wonderful people.

'Mr OFarrell knew, and knows, my ability and capabilities. Hes been a supporter and a friend, and I asked him.'

In the morning session, Mr Barilaro said 'If I knew what I know now I wish I had never had applied. If I knew what I knew now I wouldn't have walked into that s**t show.'

Mr Barilaro said this was because 'the trauma I have experienced in the past six to seven weeks is significant'.

He later said that in applying for the job, he 'had no other information that every other candidate wouldn't have had'.

'I refute that I somehow used information not available to anyone else.'

There was a heated debate when Labor MPs pressed Mr Barilaro to name who the third referee in his application for the New York job was.

It had already emerged that his other two referees were Department of Regional NSW secretary Gary Barnes and Australia's Ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos.

Mr Mookhey said it was a lawful question.

'Youre the person who got the job, your referee was highly influential... The final report that was signed makes it very clear that your referees were a very important consideration,' he said.

Ms Faehrmann told Mr Barilaro that he may be compelled to answer the question in the future.

He replied that he would ask the referee during the lunch break if that person is comfortable with being named.

Mr Mookhey asked if Mr Barnes, who Mr Barilaro had appointed to his position, was doing doing him a favour in return.

Mr Barilaro said that was 'a slur on an a-political public servant' who 'is honest (and) trustworthy'.

In his opening statement, Mr Barilaro said the upper house inquiry is 'an inquiry to clear my name'.

He said being a former MP did not take away his 'fundamental right' to a presumption of innocence.

'I refute any suggestions that I sought out any special treatment during the public service job process where an independent panel, on merit, put me forward as the preferred candidate,' he said.

Mr Barilaro said he had 'endured what can only be described as a personal hell, unfair and unjust' over the scandal that has also dragged in three high-flying female executives.

A senior public servant was initially promised the elite level trade job in New York before it was given to Mr Barilaro.

He told the inquiry on Monday that became interested in the New York job last November, after he had announced he would resign from parliament but before he left.

Mr Barilaro said he mentioned his interest in the position to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet in a 'passing comment' in late November.

'He was checking in on me, and on one of those occasions I flagged [it]... I said that I'd be interested. He had nothing more to say than "go for it".'

Mr Barilaro said he was not aware that the New York job was vacant at the time. 'I just flagged the option, and the idea, of a trade role.'

The scandal surrounding the appointment of Mr Barilaro to a New York trade role dragged in three high-flying female executives and destroyed a friendship between two of them.

Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey MLC (pictured) asks questions during the inquiry into the appointment of John Barilaro as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney

The public servant in charge of hiring for the job, Investment NSW executive Amy Brown, told a parliamentary inquiry looking into the recruitment process on that the experience had been a 'confusing' and 'disheartening' one.

The political drama has also drawn in highly accomplished businesswoman Kimberley Cole and former NSW Investment executive Jenny West, once a friend of Ms Brown's.

Both lost out to former NSW deputy premier Mr Barilaro for the New York role even after Ms West received a text, complete with champagne and Statue of Liberty emojis, from Ms Brown that she had job before seeing it ripped away in 2021.

The job was readvertised this year and Ms Cole was the preferred candidate after interviews but failed to impress then trade minister Stuart Ayres after being given just 12 minutes to chat with him over video link.

The job eventually went to Mr Barilaro, who signed a contact in June but stepped down last month after public outcry.

He said he did not know that Jenny West was the successful candidate in the first recruitment round last year.

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro gives evidence during the inquiry into his appointment as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney on Monday, August 8, 2022

'I didnt know that Jenny West was... offered the job. I only found that out during these proceedings,' he said.

Mr Barilaro was asked why he signed a brief identifying Ms West as the successful candidate.

"That has a digital signature on it, it hasnt got my personal signature on it,' he said.

'I wouldnt say that, under oath, if I didnt believe it to be the case.'

He said he was 'a big fan of' Ms West. 'Im going to make this absolute clear in this forum.

'She was a strong professional, a fantastic public servant and someone that did a fantastic job for me in that role.'

The now abandoned Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas job has seen two months of negative headlines for the NSW Liberal-National Coalition government and has already cost one minister his job.

Amy Brown (pictured) outlined the processes that saw two high-flying women passed over for trade role that eventually went to former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro

Mr Ayres, the former deputy Liberal leader, resigned last Wednesday after a draft review into the scandal found he may have breached the ministerial code of conduct.

Speaking at a lengthy press conference last week, a stressed-looking NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said Mr Ayres' 'intention to resign follows a briefing I received from the Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary yesterday afternoon'.

'I subsequently discussed the issues raised in that briefing with Mr Ayres,' said Mr Perrottet.

He added that the draft report 'raised a concern as to whether Mr Ayres had complied with the ministerial code of conduct'.

'When I put these matters to Mr Ayres, he offered his resignation from the ministry and as deputy leader Parliamentary Liberal Party,' Mr Perrottet said.

'An investigation will now be undertaken to determine if Mr Ayres has breached the ministerial code of conduct.'

Former Investment NSW senior executive Jenny West (pictured) told the inquiry in July that Ms Brown said the New York trade job was a 'present for someone', which Ms Brown denies

The Premier hinted that Mr Ayres had little choice but to resign, saying 'very simply, I based my decision making on the information that I received'.

Mr Barilaro said he 'genuinely believed' that Mr Ayres had done nothing to help him.

'I dont believe he was going to bat for me and I think hes been quite public about that,' he said.

Mr Ayres was the second NSW ministerial casualty in just four days.

Mr Perrottet sacked NSW Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos over bullying allegations.

Ms Petinos was accused of calling a staff member 'ret**ded' and 'stupid', allegations she strenuously denied.

In a dreadful couple of months for the Liberal-National Coalition, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption also found former minister John Sidoti engaged in 'serious corrupt conduct' over family-owned properties.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet (pictured) is under pressure following an alleged 'jobs for the boys' scandal

And Kiama MP Gareth Ward resigned from the ministry and moved to the crossbench due to a police investigation into him.

In March, Ward was charged over allegations of sexual abuse against a man and a 17-year-old boy.

The appointment of the former NSW deputy premier and Nationals leader Mr Barilaro to a US trade job earlier this year has been an escalating scandal for the government.

Mr Barilaro and his new partner were filmed lunging at camera crews after being confronted outside a bar on Sydney's northern beaches late last month, in a sign the pressure of the situation may have been getting to him.

He was locked in a scuffle with two cameramen after he was confronted during a night out, with police now investigating the very public row.
US air travel is suffering a 'breakdown' and the 'job is not sustainable' for overstretched staff, a flight attendant union rep warns as American travelers are hit by another weekend of travel chaos with more than 1,000 cancelations.

America's airport nightmares continued on Friday as thunderstorms on the East Coast halted thousands of planes.

According to FlightAware, which tracks the status of flights around the world, 1,142 flights within, into or out of the United States were called off on Friday, while 3,944 flights were delayed.

Canceled flights on Saturday were totaled at 657 and had nearly doubled that number on Sunday by 8 p.m. with as many as 912 flights canceled and 6,512 delayed.

US flight attendant Allie Malis, who is also the government affairs representative at the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, a union representing American Airlines air crew, told CNN Travel her thoughts on the chaos.

'There's some kind of breakdown happening that I believe should be preventable,' Malis said.

She described 'uncomfortable' situations where crew members, having been delayed on incoming flights, would find themselves sprinting through the airport to make their next flight.

'Sometimes the passengers are cheering that you're arriving because it means their plane's going to go, or even that they're upset -- they think it's your fault that the flight has been delayed when you can't work two flights at once, although I'm sure the airlines wish we could,' Malis said.

Many airlines cut back and have operated with a skeleton staff for the better part of the last two years due to the pandemic. But now that travel demand is back, the airline industry is struggling to keep up.

According to FlightAware, which tracks the status of flights around the world, 1,142 flights within, into or out of the United States were called off on Friday, and 912 as of 8pm Sunday

America's airport nightmares continued this weekend starting with thunderstorms on the East Coast that halted thousands of planes on Friday

Southwest Airlines recorded the most canceled flights on Sunday, with 177 flights called off and another 1279 flights delayed

'The lack of staff, delays, cancellations, no baggage -- I think it's a very difficult situation for everybody,' Germany-based Lufthansa flight attendant Daniel Kassa Mbuambi told CNN Travel.

Mbuambi said the situation has led to strain on the crew, who have been sometimes forced to sleep in the airport while they wait for their next flights which are often operated with minimum staff onboard.

Malis added that when airlines suggest current issues are due to staff absenteeism, it's disheartening.

'It's kind of offensive that we're being blamed for any type of labor shortage or operational mismanagement, because the airlines have failed to adequately plan,' she adds.

The veteran flight attendant continued: 'Flight attendants are being maxed out, working the longest days we've had, with the shortest rest periods overnight that we've had and that does get you sick, that does lead to exhaustion and fatigue and weakens your immune system.'

Malis added: 'Why would anyone want to apply to be a flight attendant or any other airline worker when we're kind of getting worked to the bone?'

Summer air travel is always expected to stretch the system, but Malis hopes this fall could 'be a great opportunity to reset, to make sure our systems are working properly to handle high volumes of traffic.'

Travelers wait for their flight at Los Angeles International Airport as thousands of flights cancel

Travelers aired their frustrations on Twitter, with photos of long lines and hopes of getting to their destination on time. More than 1,000 flights were canceled over the weekend

One user tweeted about the customer service with American Airlines as they wait for help after their flight was canceled without promise of hotel or food vouchers

Another traveler tweeted about their Delta flight being canceled three times

Travelers wrote about being delayed hours in the airport and again on the plane

A traveler in Seattle tweets about being stuck on Sunday as 912 flights are canceled

Malis added that she believes the long-term solution would need to come with revamping the current air travel system.

'We, as flight attendants, we're right there with our passengers, we're in it with them, we feel their frustrations firsthand, if not even more, because this has happened to us so frequently, since we fly for a living,' Malis said.

'We want to do right by our passengers, we can see these poor people who are just trying to get to where they need to go, we can read their stress, we can see their anxiety and so we really just do want them to get to where they want to go, we want to hopefully say goodbye with a smile.'

The current number of Americans traveling has increased since the height of the pandemic, but remains lower than the pre-covid era. On Wednesday, The US Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.1 million passengers at airports nationwide, about 86 percent from the same day in 2019.

An apparent aviation expert stepped in and offered their opinion on Twitter, stating that safety is the reason flights are canceled

Flight officials say there's a strain on the crew, who have been forced to sleep in the airport while they wait for their next flights which are often operated with minimum staff onboard. Pictured: Travelers wait at LAX for their flight as many are canceled over the weekend

A flight attendant's guide to dealing with summer travel chaos Flight attendant Allie Malis' provided CNN Travel with top tips for traveling right now: - Pack your patience: Travelers should leave home expecting some sort of travel disruption. - Pack your snacks: Come prepared to fuel yourself through any delays. Bring an empty water bottle and fill it up as soon as you're past security so that you have water in case you're stuck on a flight that's grounded on the runway. Some flights won't provide beverage and food service if the weather is bad due to safety reasons, Malis says. - Book early morning flights: Earlier flights might be less disrupted, Malis says. 'Usually the operation is kind of reset in the morning.' She added that if you get shifted on to a later flight, and you're at the airport first thing, there should be more options available. Weather-related delays also tend to occur more in the afternoon and evening, Malis adds. - Leave buffer time: Try and avoid tight connections where you can, Malis advises. If you're traveling for an important event, like a wedding, try to fly in a day or two in advance. Advertisement

This weekend, the three major airports in the New York City area and Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., recorded the most cancellations.

Southwest Airlines had the most on Sunday, with 177 flights canceled and another 1279 flights delayed.

United followed behind with 81 flights canceled and 622 delayed. American Airlines recorded 64 flights canceled and another 931 flights delayed. Delta recorded 53 cancelations and 602 delays.

Jet Blue had the least amount of disruption on Sunday with just 14 flights canceled and 443 delays.

The continued chaos this weekend comes as American Airlines announced it would be cutting two percent of flights from its schedule in September and October, CNN reported.

According to the airline, the cuts were 'proactive adjustments' in order to accommodate the resources it currently has available and build a 'buffer' into the remainder of its summer schedule.

The airline says it will reach out to passengers directly with 'alternative travel options' and provide full refunds to those who reject the new flight arrangements.

The airline also announced it will be cutting service to four smaller cities starting on September 7. They said they will no longer be flying to Islip and Ithaca in New York, Toledo, Ohio or Dubuque, Iowa.

American Airlines spokesperson Brian Metham said the changes were due to a 'lack of regional pilots.'

'Like many network carriers, we have reduced our regional flying in recent months in response to the regional pilot shortage,' he said.

The flight scrambles come as the US Department of Transportation proposed a new rule that would expand the circumstances when airlines must offer refunds.

Currently, passengers are only entitled to refunds if an airline has 'made a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the travelers chooses not to board the flight.

The DOT does not define what 'significant' means in this context, but the new proposal would change that.

Under the new rule, significant changes would be defined as changes that affect departure or arrival times by three hours or more in domestic flights and six hours or more for international flights.

It also includes if changes are made to the airport the flight is arriving at or departing from, as well as changes to the number of connections and if someone experiences a big downgrade in their travel experience.

'This new proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines,' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

Travel bounced back faster than expected - to about 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels in July - and airlines weren't able to increase staffing fast enough. They have been cutting back on schedules in an attempt to make remaining flights more reliable.

Airlines flying in the U.S. had a bad June, canceling more than 21,000 flights or 2.7 percent, up from 1.8 percent in June 2019, before airlines pushed workers to quit during the pandemic. The airlines did better in July, however, canceling about 14,000 flights, or 1.8 percent. Delays have been more persistent - above 23 percent, in both June and July.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Anglican bishops to speak out against unethical treatment of migrants and climate change.

In his latest highly political intervention, Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to take risks and warned that failing to act would make them one of the oppressors.

Calling climate change an undeclared war, the former oil executive warned it could create 1.2billion refugees with consequences tragic beyond anything in human history. To be silent on the unethical treatment of migrants or on war or oppression, on the abuse of human rights, on persecution, is to be one of the oppressors, he told the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Anglican bishops to speak out against unethical treatment of migrants and climate change

He said his institution had been embedded in the Establishment and had tempted us sometimes in the Church of England to be too close, adding: Not so much nowadays, I think both the Cabinet and myself would say. It came after he used his Easter sermon to denounce Home Secretary Priti Patels Rwanda asylum deal.

The Archbishop went on: Climate change, better called the climate crisis or better still the climate emergency, as we know, is the result of the wealthier countries having declared war on Gods creation, unknowingly, unthinkingly starting from the 19th century.

The symptoms of that war now are that the wealthy dump refuse in the oceans.

In his latest highly political intervention, Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to take risks and warned that failing to act would make them one of the oppressors

They tell the poor not to use carbon-generating fuels and they say to the world, too often, not by their word but by their actions we will keep our wealth and you, the poor, must discover new paths.

He said the Rwanda proposal would not stand up to the judgment of God, adding there were serious ethical questions about sending asylum seekers overseas.

His criticisms, and similar private remarks reported to have been made by Prince Charles, led PM Boris Johnson to acknowledge the Rwanda deal had drawn opprobrium from slightly unexpected quarters.
A desperate search for an eight-year-old boy after he mysteriously vanished in far northern NSW has come to a happy end after he was found safe and well.

Kaiser Pattemore was last seen on Franklin Street, Banora Point near Tweed Heads about 4pm Sunday and hadn't been seen or heard from until police located him on Monday.

'A boy missing from the states far north has been located safe and well,' NSW Police said.

'Police would like to thank the public and media for their assistance.'

Kaiser was missing for almost 24 hours before he was found on Monday, just after 12pm.

Kaiser Pattemore (pictured) went missing in the Tweed Heads region for 18 hours after he went missing on Sunday afternoon

Kaiser was last seen wearing black pants and a black hooded jacket, with a bum-bag and white sneakers.

An appeal posted online by NSW Police went viral and attracted more than 300 shares within minutes.

Anyone who has seen Kaiser or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
The Attorney General will this week tell teachers they have no legal requirement to allow transgender pupils to switch school uniform.

Suella Braverman, the Governments chief legal adviser, will say schools can ignore requests from children who want to change gender about how they wish to be treated.

In a speech on Wednesday, she will say there is no legal obligation to accommodate transgender pupils preferred pronouns and no duty to allow children to wear the uniform of a different gender.

Mrs Braverman will warn that it is unlawful for schools to allow children who are a different biological sex to share lavatories. Instead she will say that children who are transitioning should be offered a third alternative to preserve single-sex safe spaces.

Her speech to the Policy Exchange think-tank is a precursor to guidance expected to be published by the Department for Education this autumn.

The Attorney General will tell teachers that there is no legal requirement to allow transgender pupils to switch uniform

A source close to Mrs Braverman told The Sunday Times: She feels some teachers are under the misapprehension that there is a legal obligation to accommodate pupils who want to change their gender.

The Daily Mail revealed last week that Mrs Braverman has scrapped diversity and inclusion training in her department having discovered that hundreds of her lawyers spent 1,900 hours on the woke lectures last year.

They were being given lectures on microincivilities and how to be a straight ally.

Mrs Braverman branded the diversity industry a new religion in which zealots seek to punish unbelievers while others are too scared to speak out.

The Cabinet minister, who stood for the Tory leadership before being knocked out last month, says it is downright dangerous for Whitehall lawyers to be taught they cannot challenge anyone who says they have been offended by a particular phrase.

This does nothing to create solidarity and support but rather keeps emphasising difference, creating a sense of other and pitting different groups against each other, she wrote.

The Attorney General compared diversity zealots to the witchfinders of the Middle Ages.

She said some believe in the cause and don the outfit of the inquisitor and never tire of rooting out unbelievers but others simply wear the priestly clothes to ward off their rivals or nod along and recite the creed because they are too scared to dissent.

She added: None of these approaches are acceptable in modern Britain.
A fundamental principle of natural justice is that the accused has the right to be tried without prejudice or partiality.

Like Caesar's wife, judges have to be above suspicion. If not, faith in the system breaks down. Equally, the prosecuting authority must prove the defendant acted with mens rea  the deliberate intent to commit the offences alleged.

On both counts, the kangaroo court (aka the Commons privileges committee) set up to rule on whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over Partygate fails miserably.

It may not be a criminal trial but everything about this case screams malice and prejudgment.

A kangaroo court (aka the Commons privileges committee) is set up to rule on whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over Partygate

To begin with, chairman Harriet Harman has been openly contemptuous of the Prime Minister on social media, saying he had shown 'complete disregard for the rules' and his behaviour was 'unspeakable'.

Ironically, the committee's standing chairman, Chris Bryant, recused himself because he had been scathing about Mr Johnson, so felt his presence could lead to the 'imputation of unfairness'. Given her own antecedents, the idea that Miss Harman will be any fairer is simply preposterous.

The committee also includes a former shadow minister under Jeremy Corbyn and a Scottish nationalist who retweeted his leader Ian Blackford's rant about the PM supposedly telling 'a litany of lies'.

Furthermore, it was originally set to decide whether Mr Johnson had 'knowingly' misled Parliament but later removed that word from their remit.

So against all convention, the accused is to be damned even if he inadvertently broke the rules. What a stitch-up!

It's true that Conservative MPs make up a majority on the committee (though none of them stood by Boris to the end and at least one is known to have voted against him in June's confidence motion).

If they have any sense of honour, the Tory members will do the right thing and quit this vindictive charade. Enough is enough.

Mr Johnson has already paid the ultimate price for his perceived failings  which were monstrously exaggerated by his enemies.

By carrying on, the Tory members are playing into the hands of spiteful opposition parties and implacable Remainers who want to prolong the agony for political purposes.

If they step aside, the rug will be pulled from under the Boris-haters, who will be left shouting into a malevolent echo chamber.

This isn't justice, it's naked vengeance. No self-respecting Conservative should have anything to do with it.

Perils of Don't Pay

The Daily Mail instinctively agrees that the best way to help families through the cost of living crunch is by taking less money off them in taxes.

But such is the scale of the shock coming down the track that the worst-off in society may need more targeted help to cope with spiralling energy bills  which is why Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss is wise to keep that option open along with tax cuts.

Extremely unwise, however, is the nascent Don't Pay UK campaign, apparently being promoted by church figures and charities.

Defiant non-payment of bills may seem justified given the obscene profits being made by energy producers, but it is a truly dangerous path  especially for the poorest.

Any credit rating they have would be wiped out by county court judgments for non-payment, leaving them vulnerable to bailiffs and loan sharks.

That would only serve to make a bad situation infinitely worse.
The beginning of the university year could be shifted to January under Liz Trusss planned shake-up of education.

It would result from the Tory leadership favourites pledge to automatically invite all pupils receiving straight A*s at A-level to an interview at Oxford or Cambridge.

To achieve this, the admissions system would have to be changed so they apply after getting their results.

At present, universities make offers based on predicted A-level grades, with places confirmed once the results have been published.

Two possible options to carry out Miss Trusss pledge would be for sixth-formers to sit A-levels earlier or for the start of the university year to move from September to January.

Liz Truss pledges to automatically invite all pupils receiving straight A*s at A-level to an interview at Oxford or Cambridge, meaning the start of the university year could move to January. Pictured: Stock image of a teacher with university students

However, the latter would mean universities in England would be out of step with those in the rest of the UK and around the world.

Yesterday her rival Rishi Sunak set out his plan to transform post-16 education.

This includes boosting the prestige of vocational training by creating a grouping of world-class technical colleges comparable to the Russell Group of top British universities.

The former chancellor also wants to clamp down on degrees which saddle students with debt without improving their life chances.

In addition, he plans a new British Baccalaureate requiring all 16-year-olds to study core subjects, including maths and English, beyond GCSE.
Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan while dropping his strongest hint yet that of a potential 2024 presidential bid.

The former president told fellow Republicans 'the time is coming' for him to make a formal announcement about his next bid for the White House.

Trump said he believes 'people are going to be very happy' with his decision while noting that America has 'lost everything' under Biden's leadership.

His proclamation comes as a prominent GOP donor who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns told DailyMail.com he does not believe former president will run for president again.

Instead, the donor said he could see Trump anointing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to take on the national MAGA torch.

Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan while dropping his strongest hint yet that of a potential 2024 presidential bid

Trump, giving the keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas this weekend, confirmed he will be making his plans to run for office public in the near future.

'It's certainly not a very long period, the time is coming,' Trump said Saturday when Fox News asked when Republicans could expect a formal announcement.

'I think people are going to be very happy, our country has never been in a position like this, we've lost everything.'

He argued the nation was facing both domestic and foreign policy crises, stating America lost its 'prestige' when Biden withdrew US troops from Afghanistan last year.

'Our country has never been at a worse point,' Trump said.

'They gave away $85 billion worth of equipment, dead soldiers, you still have Americans over there probably as hostages, eventually will be hostages, there has never been a time like this.'

Trump (left, pictured Saturday) argued the nation was facing both domestic and foreign policy crises, stating America lost its 'prestige' when Biden (right, pictured Sunday) withdrew US troops from Afghanistan last year. Trump alleged 'our country has never been at a worse point'

'They gave away $85 billion worth of equipment, dead soldiers, you still have Americans over there probably as hostages, eventually will be hostages, there has never been a time like this,' Trump said of the Afghanistan withdrawal. PICTURED: Hundreds of people run alongside an Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 16, 2021

PICTURED: A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III safely transports approximately 640 Afghan citizens from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 15, 2021

He also claimed the US is a 'nation that allowed Russia to devastate a country, Ukraine, killing hundreds of thousands of people, and it will only get worse.'

Trump complained that Biden turned 'the safest border in US history by far' into 'the worst border ever in history.'

'Just last month, an illegal alien here in Texas was indicted for the cold blooded murders of four elderly women throughout the state. And he's been linked to the deaths of at least 24 people,' he said.

'What we do in the next few months and the next few years will determine whether American civilization will collapse and fail or whether it will thrive, frankly like never before.'

He added: 'We'll be making an announcement in the not too distant future.'

Trump (pictured Saturday) promised his followers he would be 'making an announcement in the not too distant future' about his decision to run in 2024. He also commented on the 2020 election, which he continues to maintain was 'rigged and stolen'

Trump retains a hold on the base of the party. And merchandise bearing his name or likeness dominated the exhibitor stands at the CPAC Texas conference in Dallas

Trump also commented on the 2020 election, which he continues to maintain was 'rigged and stolen.'

'The election was rigged and stolen, and now our country is being systematically destroyed. And everybody knows it. ... I ran twice and won twice,' he declared.

'America is on the edge of an abyss. And our movement is the only force on Earth that can save it. We have to seize this opportunity to deal with the radical left socialists and fascists.'

His remarks came shortly after the CPAC unveiled a poll showing the former president as an 'overwhelming favorite' for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Trump captured nearly 70 percent of the ballots cast at the conference. DeSantis was a distant second at 23.7 percent.

Since leaving office, Trump has remained active within the Republican party, including having endorsed a long list of candidates for all levels of government - local, state and even the US Senate.

The results show Trump strengthening his grip on the conservative grass roots. He increased his lead over second place DeSantis to 45 points since the last poll was done in February

However, some analysts suspect that Trump may actually endorse DeSantis in 2024 instead of running for office himself.

Dallas businessman Doug Deason spoke to DailyMail.com's senior political reporter, Rob Crilly, in the offices of his financial empire in Dallas shortly before the former president arrived to speak at CPAC.

Although, Trump delighted the crowd by trailing the idea of a 2024 run, Deason said the former president had a lot to lose by running.

'I think Donald Trump is enjoying life,' he said. 'And I think that he is in a position as the power broker.

'He's the kingmaker and why would he want to go back and get the crap beat out of him all the time, and have all the responsibility and not be building his empire?

'He's had to go back and help rebuild it and you know, why let it deteriorate?

'Why would it fall apart again? Because he's just gonna get attacked just like he was.

'And he can be the kingmaker without being the king.'

Top Republican donor Doug Deason said he did not believe Donald Trump will run in 2024. Although he would win the party primary he would likely lose in the general election, he said

Deason (centre) campaigns on criminal justice reform, and advised President Trump on the issue. He was co-chair of the Texas Trump Victory campaign in 2020 and is a friend of Don Jr

Trump retains a strong hold on the grassroots of the Republican Party.

So Deason's comments will be seen as a hint to the former president that powerful party backers would rather see him step aside rather than risk defeat.

Deason was a key player in helping Trump secure Texas. He was co-chair of the state's Trump Victory fund in 2020 and in 2016 he and his father Darwin Deason donated more than $900,000 to help elect Trump and other Republicans.

This time around, he said he was not turning his back on Trump, who he said would still likely win the Republican nomination if he decided to run.

But he talked up the appeal of DeSantis and his wife Casey.

'I think Ron DeSantis would be Donald Trump without all the baggage.

'I mean Donald J. Trump had the best policies of any president in my lifetime, including President Reagan.

'But you know he could be petty about things, and he wouldn't let things go. And you know, you love it and hate it.'

Trump cutouts are used to sell conservative cellphone plans at CPAC Texas in Dallas

Deason has held fundraisers for DeSantis as he campaigns for another term as Florida governor.

43-year-old DeSantis's emergence on the national scene has triggered talk that he could represent a changing of the generational guard.

His efforts to keep Florida open through the pandemic and his leading role in the nation's culture wars have kept him in the headlines.

As a result, polls consistently place him second to Trump (albeit a distant one) when Republicans are asked who they want as their nominee in 2024.

Deason, who advised Trump on criminal justice reform, said DeSantis would be a more inclusive leader.

'He'll sit and listen and let people engage, and he won't dominate a conversation,' he said, contrasting that approach with Trump. 'I think Ron would be a wonderful president.'
China, Bangladesh pledge to strengthen partnership, deepen cooperation

Xinhua) 08:52, August 08, 2022

DHAKA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met here Sunday with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with both sides vowing to strengthen partnership and deepen bilateral cooperation.

Wang said China and Bangladesh enjoy a strong friendship forged by the older generation of the leaders of the two countries, which features a deep historical, social foundation and profound public support, and both sides have always trusted, respected, supported and helped each other.

China has always been a reliable strategic partner of Bangladesh, and will continue to firmly support the South Asian country in safeguarding its national independence and dignity, adhering to a development path suitable to its own national conditions, and playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, Wang said.

He noted that China is willing to enhance the dovetailing of the Belt and Road Initiative with Bangladesh's Vision 2041, share development experiences and advanced technologies, and deepen cooperation in infrastructure, digital economy, green development and clean energy.

For her part, Hasina said Bangladesh pursues a foreign policy of "friendship for all, no enemy for all," values its traditional friendship with China, and regards China as an important partner in maintaining peace and seeking common development.

Bangladesh looks forward to deepening the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides, and would like to learn from China's successful experiences in poverty reduction and alleviation, she said.

She pledged Bangladesh's firm commitment to the one-China policy, saying Bangladesh disapproves of the provocative acts of certain countries, and hopes to jointly maintain a peaceful and stable environment for development.

China appreciates the vast majority of developing countries including Bangladesh for having openly stood up and voiced their support for the one-China principle and China's legitimate position, Wang said.

Wang stressed that the U.S. action seriously infringed on China's sovereignty, acutely interfered in China's internal affairs and severely violated the basic norms governing international relations.

China's countermeasures are aimed at defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity and truly maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, in Asia and the world at large, he noted.

Wang stressed that the 21st century is an era of revitalization for developing countries, and developing countries' jointly striding toward modernization is huge progress of human civilization.

"We should continue to support each other, remove disturbances, focus on development and stride forward with confidence towards the stated goal of achieving the revitalization of our respective nations," he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on the issue of people seeking shelter in the border areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Wang said China welcomes the consensus that Bangladesh and Myanmar have achieved in their recent consultations and supports the early start of the first batch of repatriation, and stands ready to continue to play a constructive role to this end.

During his visit, Wang also met with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen and the two witnessed the signing of cooperation documents on infrastructure, disaster prevention and mitigation, culture and tourism, and maritime affairs.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The government told Parliament this month the Indian Space Research Organisation will conduct its first abort demonstration test on Indias ambitious astronaut mission before December 31. Its hoped Indias first uncrewed mission will be launch by 2023s end, as part of a `9,023- crore project.

The Gaganyaan mission is one of Isros most challenging undertakings and four Indian Air Force officers, whose names remain confidential, are training for the mission and working with Russias Roscosmos.

India is among only a dozen nations that have put an object in orbit. We first did this 40 years ago, and this is something the worlds richest man hasnt been able to do though his space company is two decades old. The reason so few succeeded is that orbit is hard. Things stay in orbit only if they achieve a speed horizontal to the earth of 27,000 kmph. If this escape velocity isnt achieved, the object falls back. The restrictions physics imposes on rocket design is what makes this difficult: over 90 per cent of a rockets weight is just fuel.

Advances in rocket technology happened broadly in two phases. The first was in the 1950s and 1960s. The Russians put the first object in orbit, the first living thing (a dog) and satellite, the first man in orbit and the first spacewalk. The Americans followed. Within a decade, the world went from having no satellites to humans on the moon.

But after that, the high costs, boredom from the American public and the failure of the Soviet moon rocket ended the energetic race. After 1972 the US went from having a capacity to put humans on the moon (deep space) to limited capacity in lower earth orbit, just a few hundred km. After the Space Shuttle programme ended a decade ago, America had no ability to put humans even in low earth orbit.

Today that capacity exists only with Russia using its very old rocket, China and SpaceX. China first put humans in orbit around two decades ago and has a manned space station orbiting 400 km above the earth, something only the United States and Russia have done, before a group of nations (that doesnt include India) developed the International Space Station.

Isro has plans to put humans in orbit in the next few years. This wont be easy. The rocket for this failed earlier this month when its third stage didnt fire. Even so, India has done very well, though its capacity is limited by funding and access to technology. Our rocket boosters are powered by an ancient engine first designed by France and using low-efficiency, toxic fuels called hypergols. We have some experience in more efficient cryogenic or supercooled fuels (that failed third stage was cryogenic) running on an indigenous engine, but Indias capacity largely isnt at the level of more advanced countries and companies. Isro has no ability to reuse rockets, raising costs.

In the past few years, a new space race has begun. Its being driven by private companies and China. The motivations are different. America wants a base on the moon, there are plans to colonise Mars (the gigantic second stage of the rocket for this was test-flown in Texas this year). To get a sense of its scale, consider it will take 150 tons to Mars, while Isros Mangalyaan orbiter sent to Mars in 2013 weighed 15 kg. There are plans to mine asteroids for rare minerals and bring them to earth, to occupy Mars permanently and change its climate to make it more earth-like. Thats the scale of the ambition, and its being pursued as you read this.

What this means is that a vast technological gap is opening up and will continue to open up between those doing this  some private firms, the US and China  and the rest of the world. This gap wont be limited to the resources their capacity gives them access to. It will also empower them with new technologies they will develop in the next decade as they do things that nobody else is doing or can do.

The spinoff tech from the first space race and tens of billions of dollars put into innovation six decades ago produced the personal computer, the mouse, Lasik, artificial limbs, freeze-dried food, water purification and GPS. More breakthroughs of this magnitude will come, first to those who develop them and perhaps then for wider commercial use later. We will see these before the decades close.

We must consider what colonies of humans, of many nationalities, on another planet may mean for earth. The idea of nation-states and borders will appear to be a little silly when our species is colonising the solar system. It is possible enormous change will sweep over the world when breakthroughs at a planetary level come, and they will not be easy to predict or stop.

Perhaps all of this wont happen for some reason and the space race will end or pause. As we have seen, innovation in space technology collapsed immediately after the moon landings. America lost its capacity to land men on the moon and still does not have it. Something could hinder or pause the current race as well. But its hard to think what this might be: there is considerable progress and interest already and the billionaires funding it arent only eyeing profits as they push mankind out into the stars.

It appears India will be among the nations consigned to being among the watchers and not participants in this key phase. We must consider the implications and what that means for us in a future that we are rapidly hurtling into.
Australia's richest postcode isn't in Sydney or Melbourne but Perth where a $200,000 salary would be well below average, new tax office data shows.

Half of the top-paying jobs by taxable income also require a degree in medicine plus postgraduate study, with surgeons having the highest average taxable salary of $406,068.

But when it came to postcodes, Sydney's eastern suburbs on the harbour was beaten on the elite salaries list by mining rich Western Australia.

Peppermint Grove and Cottesloe in Perth, stretching from the Swan River to the beach, was No. 1 in 2019-20, with an average individual taxable income of $325,343, the Australian Taxation Office has revealed.

Australia's richest postcode isn't in Sydney or Melbourne but Perth, new tax office data shows. Peppermint Grove and Cottesloe (pictured), stretching from the Swan River to the beach, was No. 1 in 2019-20 with an average individual taxable income of $325,343, the Australian Taxation Office has revealed

The 6011 postcode, the home of mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, was well ahead of Point Piper in Sydney's east, with Australia's richest individuals benefiting from China's insatiable demand for iron ore, needed to make steel. The area is next door to Dalkeith where fellow billionaires Gina Rinehart and Kerry Stokes live.

Australia's richest postcodes by average taxable income 1. COTTESLOE, PEPPERMINT GROVE (6011): $325,343 2. POINT PIPER, DARLING POINT, EDGECLIFF (2027): $205,957 3. BELLEVUE HILL (2023): $195,204 4. DOVER HEIGHTS, ROSE BAY, VAUCLUSE, WATSONS BAY (2030): $186,025 5. TOORAK, HAWKSBURN (3142): $184,939 6. MOSMAN, SPIT JUNCTION (2088): $177,645 7. HUNTERS HILL, WOOLWICH (2110): $175,907 8. WOOLLAHRA (2025): $172,600 9. NORTHBRIDGE (2063): $170,619 10. DOUBLE BAY (2028): $170,051 Advertisement

The 2027 postcode on Sydney Harbour, covering Darling Point and Edgecliff, came second with an average taxable income of $205,957.

This area of waterfront mansions is the home of former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and retired Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond.

Sydney had eight spots on the top 10 list, with five of them in the eastern suburbs and three on the north shore or the northern side of Sydney Harbour.

Melbourne had one spot in the top 10 with Toorak in the city's inner-east in fifth place.

None of Australia's richest postcodes now has a federal Liberal MP, with teal members Kate Chaney, Allegra Spender and Kylea Tink respectively representing Curtin in Perth, Wentworth in Sydney, and North Sydney, while Labor for the first time ever holds the Melbourne based seat of Higgins, with new MP Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah.

Five postcodes on the list have an average, taxable income that is more than double Australia's average, full-time salary of $90,917.

Bellevue Hill, in Sydney's east, has an average taxable income of $195,204, followed by nearby Vaucluse and Dover Heights, the clifftop home of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick, on $186,025.

Toorak in Melbourne was fifth with an average taxable income of $184,939.

Sydney's lower north shore entered the list in sixth place with Mosman and Spit Junction having an average taxable income of $177,645.

The 6011 postcode, the home of mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, was well ahead of Point Piper in Sydney's east. It is next door to Dalkeith, the home of fellow billionaires Gina Rinehart (pictured) and Kerry Stokes

A little further west on the northern side of the harbour, Hunters Hill and Woolwich came seventh with an average taxable income of $175,907.

Highest paid jobs in Australia by average taxable income 1. SURGEON: $406,068 (4,159 individuals) 2. ANAESTHETIST: $388,814 (3,509 individuals) 3. INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST: $310,848 (9,906 individuals) 4. FINANCIAL DEALER: $279,790 (4,754 individuals) 5. PSYCHIATRIST: $252,691 (3,030 individuals) 6. OTHER MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS: $232,903 (28,696 individuals) 7. JUDICIAL OR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS: $189,538 (3,940 individuals) 8. MINING ENGINEER: $188,083 (9,120 individuals) 9. ENGINEERING MANAGER: $161,514 (25,728 individuals) 10. FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISER OR MANAGER: $155,882 (20,679 individuals) Advertisement

Woollahra, near Paddington in Sydney's east, was eighth with a taxable income of $172,600.

Northbridge on Sydney's lower north shore, where former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke lived until his death in 2019, was ninth with a taxable income of $170,619.

Double Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs rounded out the list with an average salary of $170,051.

When it came to broadly-defined careers with the highest average salaries, half of those in the top 10 require a degree in medicine.

The tax list was based on occupations with at least several thousand people, which explained why members of parliaments, with a base salary of $211,250 in 2019-20, weren't in this top ten.

Surgeons topped the list at $406,068 with 4,159 listing this occupation on their tax return.

Anaesthetists were next on $388,814 with 3,509 individuals who administer strong pain killers before operations listing this occupation.

Internal medicine specialists were third on $310,848 with 9,906 people doing this job.

Financial dealers, who buy and sell shares on behalf of clients, were fourth on 279,790 with 4,754 individuals listing this occupation.

Psychiatrists, who must have a Bachelor of Medicine and can administer drugs, was fifth with an average salary of $252,691 with 3,030 in Australia.

The other medical practitioners category was sixth with an average salary of $232,903 covering 28,696 people.

The 2027 postcode on Sydney Harbour, covering Point Piper (pictured) Darling Point and Edgecliff, came second with an average taxable income of $205,957

Judges and lawyers were seventh on the list, with an average taxable income of $189,538 in a profession with 3,940 practitioners.

The resources sector entered the list in eighth place with mining engineers having average salaries of $188,083 with 9,120 listing this occupation.

They earned more than engineering managers on $161,514 with 25,728 people associated with the structural integrity of buildings, bridges or machinery.

Financial investment advisers and managers rounded out the top ten list with average taxable incomes of $155,882 with 20,679 people doing this job.
A NSW egg farmer told Daily Mail Australia the shortage could last until October

Egg producers culled their flocks due to a drop in demand and flocks remain low

Coles have introduced a two carton limit per shop to all stores in Australia

A shortage of egg production has hit supermarkets around the country

Eggs are the latest product caught up in supply chain issues, with near-empty shelves at local supermarkets across the country, causing Coles to introduce a restriction on egg purchases.

Coles customers are now restricted to purchase a maximum of two cartons of eggs in one shop.

A Coles spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they are continuing to monitor supplies and improve availability across all stores.

Eggs are the latest food product caught up in supply chain issues, with near-empty shelves at local supermarkets across the country leading to Coles introducing a restriction on egg purchases to a maximum of two cartons in one shop

'We're continuing to monitor supply and work hard with our suppliers to improve availability and will keep customers updated on any changes,' the spokesperson said.

Coles have also introduced a limit of 2 boxes of tissues per shop as well.

A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia reduced production by egg farmers was responsible for the shortages but they are working hard with suppliers to increase the availability of eggs across their stores.

A Coles spokesperson said: ''We're continuing to monitor supply and work hard with our suppliers to improve availability and will keep customers updated on any changes.'

'The market-wide supply of locally produced eggs in some regions have recently been impacted by reduced production on a number of farms,' a Woolworths spokesperson said.

'While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, customers may notice reduced availability at the moment and we thank them for their patience and understanding.

'Were in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible.'

Woolworths say eggs continue to be delivered into stores on a regular basis despite the market-wide supply being constrained.

NSW egg farmer, Brett Langfield, told Daily Mail Australia the shortage could last for months.

Mr Langfield said across NSW flocks are down around 10 per cent, partly as a Covid hangover.

He said demand for eggs was high during lockdowns but when people came out of lockdown, the demand for eggs dropped.

So farmers cut their flocks by around 20 per cent.

They haven't yet recovered to full numbers and farmers 'lack confidence' that boosting flocks will be worth it to them because of the increased costs of fuel and grain - the latter due to the Ukraine war.

Egg producers culled their flocks due to a drop in demand and flocks remain low with a NSW egg farmer suggesting the shortage could last until October

Owner of Chooks at the Rooke, a free-range egg farm in Melbourne's south-west, Xavier Prime told 3AW Radio a large issue with egg production is the current cold weather and shorter days that come with winter.

'Part of it is the time of the year. With free-range eggs, in that sort of space the birds are open to the elements, and with the daylight hours being shorter, that has a lot to do with how many eggs the chickens lay,' he explained.

Mr Prime said 'to lay the optimum', hens needs between 15 and 16 hours of daylight each and every day yet at the moment they are experiencing between 10 and 11.
An irate Ray Hadley has walked off a live broadcast from the Royal Queensland Show after technical difficulties turned his morning radio program into a 'fiasco'.

Hadley told listeners on Monday his broadcast from the show, known as the Ekka, had been a disaster from when he went on air shortly after 9am and he would not continue.

The 2GB announcer had been heavily promoting the Brisbane visit on his program and had been supposed to be at the Ekka all week.

Hadley ran the usual introduction to his show, which is also played on Brisbane's 4BC and dozens of network stations around Australia, but it quickly descended into chaos.

'Just a couple of little technical problems as we're at the Ekka and things will be rectified by the time I get here tomorrow, I can assure you,' Hadley said.

An irate Ray Hadley has walked off a live broadcast from the Royal Queensland Show after technical difficulties disrupted his morning radio program

'Now I'm going to take a little break and come back and look at the weather very shortly. The time is coming up now to 25 past nine.'

After playing commercials and enduring continual glitches including periods of silence Hadley came back on and said, 'Look, we're gonna take another break'.

More advertisements followed before Hadley said the problems were ongoing and he would be 'having discussions' when the program finished at midday.

'All I can do is apologise most sincerely for the first 30 minutes of the program which has been a complete and utter fiasco,' he said.

'But I do apologise. I'm broadcasting from the Ekka, which I didnt get a chance to tell you because nothing seemed to work.

Hadley told listeners his broadcast from the show, known as the Ekka, had been a fiasco from when he went on air shortly after 9am and he would not continue

Hadley repeatedly apologised to his listeners for the technical disruptions. A ride at The Ekka is pictured

'I hope it is currently working and we'll see what happens from here on in but I do apologise most sincerely to network stations and the listeners on 2GB and 4BC for what's basically been a fiasco for 30 minutes.

'And obviously we'll be having some discussions at midday about the fiasco I've presided over. '

After another break the difficulties had still not been resolved and Hadley said his regular stand-in, Mark Levy, would be taking over the show.

'Look, we are having some rather severe technical problems here at the Ekka to the extent that Mark Levy will be looking after the program after ten o'clock this morning, for which I do apologise to Mark and everyone else.'

Hadley said he would be returning to Sydney to host his program but a spokeswoman for Nine Entertainment, which owns 2GB, said he would be saying in Brisbane and broadcasting from the Ekka for the rest of the week. Hadley is pictured with wife Sophie Baird

'... While I'm on air there are people here trying to fix things - unsuccessfully I might mention - at the moment.

'There's no point trying to, as we do from time to time, get through three hours of this without much help because technically we don't have anything here in front of me that's actually working at the moment.

'So we'll lumber on until ten and then Mark will take control.'

As the clock ticked closer to 10am, Hadley told listeners he was heading for the airport.

'I'll make my way back to Sydney and I'll be broadcasting from the studio in Sydney tomorrow given the problems we've encountered this morning.'

Daily Mail Australia understands Hadley has been assured the technical issues would be fixed. He will resume broadcasting from the Ekka on Tuesday.

'Ray will be remaining in Brisbane and broadcasting from the Ekka this week,' a spokeswoman for Nine Entertainment, which owns 2GB, said.
A mysterious steel container found floating off the coast of Australia could contain contaminated material inside of it.

The container was discovered by a group of fishermen working on the Wildcard vessel in the Gulf of Carpenteria, north-east of Groote Eylandt.

The crew were unable to tow it back to shore prompting them to attach a marker bouy to it and make it stand out in the ocean so other vessels wouldn't collide with it.

Crew member Prue Davey said they had first tried to open the container by the hatch but later decided against it incase it contained dangerous material inside.

'It looked a bit dangerous to open it,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

A mysterious steel container found floating off the coast of Australia could contain contaminated material inside of it

Crew member Prue Davey (pictured, with partner Tiger) said they had first tried to open the container by the hatch but later decided against it incase it contained dangerous material inside

'We weren't sure if it had contaminated material in it, like fuel, or waste.'

Her partner Tiger Davey said the object probably came from another vessel as the Gulf of Carpenteria was a major shipping route.

Australian Marine Conservation Society plastics campaign manager Shane Cucow labelled the Gulf a 'hotspot for debris'.

'We have seen much higher than average counts of debris around the Gulf,' he said.

Mr Cucow explained the Gulf was located on the edge of the global ocean currents meaning that waste was pulled in from all over the world to the area.

He said local and international fishing vessels travelling along the shipping route added to the debris with discarded fishing nets and equipment lost in the water.

Maritime Safety NT issued a maritime safety warning following the discovery of the container.

'A coastal notice to mariners has been issued for the waters off North East Groote Eylandt after a large floating container was spotted in the area,' the notice read.

'All vessels in the vicinity to keep a sharp lookout and navigate with extreme caution.'

It is unclear if the container has been retrieved since it was spotted by the Wildcard.

Daily Mail contacted NT Marine Safety for comment.

Wildcard crew filmed the moment the container was spotted in the water.

'Holy shiver me timbers,' one person says off-camera.

The crew are heard discussing how to reel in the mystery box saying it would be too dangerous to leave for unsuspecting vessels.

'That is the stuff of nightmares at night,' another person says off-camera.

The container was discovered by a group of fishermen working on the Wildcard vessel in the Gulf of Carpenteria, north-east of Groote Eylandt

Mr Davey said the 'sizeable chunk of steel' measured between five by four metres.

'We were only passing about 300m off [the container] when we spotted it,' he said.

'If you weren't paying attention or it was night time, it is highly unlikely that it would have been visible on radar or seen by somebody.'

A crew member dived into the water to inspect the object but were unable to open the hatch.

'We think it's a fuel pod or some sort of storage pod because it has some lifting lugs and a big hatch on the top,' Mr Davey said.

'It has a hose coming off it, so I would say it's off a boat and it's been lost overboard or dropped.'
Ms Thaiday said the taxi did not stop and 'drove off' after the driver saw her

The young woman's pick up location was a home address in Cairns, Queensland

Ms Thaiday said she was asked if she was drunk or had enough money to pay

An Indigenous woman claims she was racially profiled when the taxi she ordered refused to pick her up.

Australian beauty influencer Sari-Ella Thaiday recently ordered a taxi over the phone to pick her up from an address in Cairns, North Queensland.

But Thaiday claims the cab, supplied by Cairns Taxis, refused to stop when it saw her waiting at the given location.

Erub, Saibai and Yidinji woman Sari-Ella Thaiday (pictured) said she was racially profiled when a taxi driver refused to stop after she ordered the cab to an address in Cairns, Queensland

@sari_ella_thaiday I literally sat in the gutter and cried, this was before we had uber btw  original sound - Sari

On Friday, the Erub, Saibai and Yidinji woman shared her experience in a TikTok video with her 184,900 followers.

'I never spoke about this before but now I'm going to,' Ms Thaiday said. 'This is why I will never catch a taxi in Cairns again.'

After the taxi 'just drove off' Ms Thaiday said she called the company back and informed them that the cab did not stop.

The taxi driver did not stop because they 'reported a problem', Ms Thaiday said was told.

Ms Thaiday alleges the taxi company rudely questioned her asking if she was drunk or had enough money to pay for her fare.

'How is a taxi driver supposed to know if I am drunk or have any money if I didn't get the chance to speak to them, why did they just drive off as soon as they saw me?' Ms Thaiday responded.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman said she then asked another person to order a taxi to the same location but the company refused.

Ms Thaiday said a taxi was the only way to get home at the time - she now uses Uber - and was so upset by the ordeal that she 'sat in the gutter and cried'.

The beauty influencer (pictured) shared her experience in a TikTok video and explained Cairns Taxis questioned whether she was drunk or had enough money to pay for her fare

TikTok users shared similar experiences and labelled the 'entire (cab) system' a 'nightmare'.

'Sometimes they pull up from afar just to check who they picking up then they just take off, nek (next) min sends cancellation by text,' one user commented.

After getting turned down by taxi drivers one user shared the way they hail a taxi: 'We used to get our non-Indigenous friend to order the taxi and wave it down for us then we'd run to it.'

'Cairns taxis are so racist! they made my boyfriend and his friends pay before the ride (because) the driver thought they didnt have money,' a third user claimed.

A spokesperson for the company told Daily Mail Australia: 'We are concerned about this incident as much as the person featured in the video.

'The person has not approached Cairns Taxis for us to investigate this claim.'

'All complaints about drivers/call centre operators are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken to prevent such incidents.

'All calls are recorded for quality and training purposes, with the date and time Cairns Taxis would be able to investigate the incident.

'However we were not given this opportunity. If this incident actually happened we would like to ascertain who the taxi driver and operators were so appropriate action can be taken.'
Grace Tame has blasted the Albanese government in a scathing rant on her Instagram story - just weeks after showering the new Prime Minister with praise.

The former Australian of the Year slammed the Labor and Liberal parties for not letting an Auslan interpreter on the floor of Parliament and preventing a disabled MP from chairing the NDIS committee.

Ms Tame, who posed for photos with Mr Albanese ahead of his election win and celebrated the change of government, described politicians as 'old' and 'ableist' in the spray on Sunday afternoon.

Grace Tame (pictured earlier this year) has blasted the Albanese government in a scathing rant on her Instagram story

The former Australian of the Year slammed the Labor and Liberal parties on Instagram (pictured) for not letting an Auslan interpreter on the floor of Parliament

'Must be such a slog for these poor old, elected, ableist toffs to breathe in there, for all the privilege stifling the parliament,' she wrote.

'What a crock of w***.

The rant came after the Government and Opposition had denied independent senator David Pocock's request to have an Auslan interpreter stand next to him during his maiden speech.

The major parties turned down his request to have a 'stranger' on the floor of parliament because of 'precedent' it may set.

Instead they allowed TV screens in the senate to display a live Auslan translation.

Ms Tame had backed Mr Albanese ahead of the 2022 election - but has now criticised his government

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John's bid to chair the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme was turned down by the major parties

The two major parties also ganged up to deny the Greens' bid for disabled senator Jordon Steele-John to chair the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Ms Tame sarcastically wrote: 'The general public apologises for making any attempt to try and increase engagement.

'We'll happily go back to ignoring your echo chamber of whitewashed white noise, if that's what you'd prefer.'

Ms Tame has been credited with helping to bring down the Morrison government after making several public appearances denouncing the former Prime Minister.

She publicly backed Mr Albanese ahead of the May 21 poll.

Ms Tame, who was raped by her 58-year-old maths teacher when she was 15, won Australian of the Year 2021 after campaigning for women's safety.
The Los Angeles woman who lost an 'entire lifetime of possessions' after actress Anne Heche drove a car into her home, sparking a fire that nearly claimed both women's lives, was identified Sunday by her neighbors.

A GoFundMe page set up for the woman, Lynne Mishele, by members of her westside Los Angeles community raised more than $50,000 in a single day after being created over the weekend.

The page details how Mishele, who is referred to as a 'kind and generous person,' 'very narrowly escaped physical harm' following the horrific crash.

A massive fire sparked when Heche ran her Mini Cooper into the home at speeds nearing 90 miles per hour, according to police. The resulting blaze took 59 firefighters more than an hour to extinguish.

As a result of the fire, Heche - who is best known for her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres and her acting roles in the 1990s - was taken to a local hospital and intubated. She remains in the ICU but is expected to survive.

Mishele managed to escape shaken but unhurt.

The crowdfunding page says that Mishele's home was 'immediately red-tagged' after crews extinguished the fire - meaning the home was listed as unsafe to return to until repairs can be made.

Mishel said she initially thought that something had fallen from the sky and exploded into her house, neighbor David Manpearl told DailyMail.com.

Shes lucky to be alive. She was shaking when she told me she had just been in the living room right where the car had crashed,' he said.

Just minutes before Heche careered into the nearly 70-year-old home, the Donnie Brasco star was pictured after crashing into a different garage further up the same street.

Shortly before destroying Mishele's house, Heche's blue Mini Clubman was shown on a doorbell camera speeding past a home along South Walgrove Avenue in the Mar Vista neighborhood around 90 miles per hour.

Mishele's home is located at 1766 South Walgrove Avenue - around 15 miles from Heche's home in the Eastern Columbia Lofts building in the Broadway Theater District of Downtown Los Angeles.

Homeowner Lynne Mishele, seen in the maroon, standing across the street from her home looking dazed and confused following Friday morning's crash by Anne Heche into her house

A GoFundMe page that has been set up for Lynne Mishele, pictured here on her Facebook page, has raised close to $45,000 in a single day

Actress Anne Heche was rushed to a local hospital after the crash where she was intubated and treated for burns. She is listed as being in stable condition

The goal of the GoFundMe page, which was set up by neighbors John and Jennifer Durand is $100,000.

'Lynne lives with her beautiful pups Bree and Rueban, and tortoise Marley in the Mar Vista home that was destroyed this week by a car driving into the home at a high rate of speed, catching the house on fire.

'Even more distressing is that Lynne lost her entire lifetime of possessions, mementos, all equipment for her business including her laptop and iPad, all of her clothing and basic necessities, and all household items.

'With firefighters' help, she was able to pull a few damaged sentimental belongings from the wreckage. Everything else is gone,' the page reads.

Mishele's neighbor Lynne Bernstein told People Magazine that her friend was 'extremely fortunate' to survive. She added: 'So were the dogs and her turtle.'

Mishele can be seen outside of her wrecked home in the minutes following the crash - Heche's Mini still on the right, waiting to be removed

Mishele can be seen, left, as she surveys the damage to her home

Mishele can been seen trying to salvage what she could after the fire was put out

Heche's blue Mini Cooper is shown on a doorbell camera speeding past a home along South Walgrove Avenue in the Mar Vista neighborhood around 90 miles per hour

The home is located around 15 miles from Heche's home in the Eastern Columbia Lofts building in the Broadway Theater District of Downtown Los Angeles

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the crash caused 'structural compromise and erupting in heavy fire'

In a tweet, the LAFD said that it took 59 firefighters about 65 minutes to put out the blaze. The home is now 'uninhabitable'

In a report from the scene prior to Heche's extraction around 11:30 am, Fox 11's Stu Mandel said: 'If there's somebody alive in there this is going to be a miracle'

According to the GoFundMe page: 'With firefighters' help, she was able to pull a few damaged sentimental belongings from the wreckage. Everything else is gone'

A neighbor described Mishele's initial reaction to the crash saying: ''I don't think she got what was going on. She said, 'What happened? What happened?''

Bernstein said that Mishele was luckily in a different part of the home than where the crash occurred.

She described her initial reaction to the crash saying: 'I don't think she got what was going on. She said, 'What happened? What happened?''

Bernstein also said that Heche's car went 'almost all the way through' the home and 'almost immediately' burst into flames.

According to her LinkedIn page, Mishele is the founder of Creative Organization, a company that helps to organize 'your home, your office and your life. We help you simplify everything!'

Mishele pictured on her Facebook page with Hollywood star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2016

According to her LinkedIn page, Mishele is the founder of Creative Organization, a company that helps to organize 'your home, your office and your life. We help you simplify everything!'

Actress Anne Heche has been intubated in a critical condition after crashing her Mini into a garage before speeding off and smashing it into a home k where it exploded

A photo from earlier on Friday shows Heche moments before the second accident at the wheel with a bottle of vodka with a red cap plonked in the cup holder

One resident estimated the car to have been traveling at close to 100mph. The video ends seconds later with a loud crash

She describes herself as an 'Effective organizing professional with expertise in approaching organizing issues with a creative outlook. An innovative organizer that has a proven track record with establishing successful systems for each individual client.'

Mishele says on her LinkedIn page that she founded the company in 1993. Previously, she worked as a travel director at Citigroup and as a marketing associate for Sony Pictures.

The entrepreneur is a graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

While on her Instagram page, Mishele regularly posts self-help videos. A few days before the accident that destroyed her home, she posted a video titled: 'Don't leave a burden for your loved ones.'

In the video, she encouraged her followers not to leave things to loved ones after they die without asking them first if they want the items.

The 53-year-old suffered horrific burns during the collision and was recorded being dragged out of the mangled wreck by firefighters after it burst into flames in LA around 11am

Heche can be seen being removed from the scene on a stretcher and taken towards a waiting ambulance

An interior shot shows the Mini Clubman's airbag had blown out along with most of the decor being burnt through following the crash

Pictures and video showed her looking dazed at the wheel after the first crash, with a witness capturing her with a bottle with a red top on it in her car. It is not clear what was in the container but it looked like a vodka bottle

Before the crash, a slurring Anne Heche joked on a podcast about drinking vodka with wine chasers - claiming at the time that she was having a 'very bad day.' The episode of 'Better Together', which she co-hosts, aired just hours before she crashed her car into the house.

She and co-host Heather Duffy even tell the audience at one point that Refined - a vodka distillery which sponsored one of their shows - provided them with free alcohol.

'We each have a bottle in front of us because our friends sent us a bottle of Refined and I think we even did a bad commercial for them in the beginning of our days.

'Dr. Rahm said that we should be drinking vodka instead of wine,' Duffy says, to which Heche adds, 'and we listened, and we are drinking it.'

Duffy then reveals they are using wine to chase down the vodka, before Heche reveals: 'Today's been a very unique day.

In Friday's episode of Better Together, Heche appears to slur her words as she and co-host Heather Duffy tell the audience they are drinking vodka with wine chasers. The two co-hosts are pictured in an earlier podcast

Heche, 53, goes on to talk about how she was having a bad day in the most recent podcast episode. It is unclear whether it was recorded on Friday before her crash, or if that is just when it aired. She is pictured here in an earlier podcast

'I don't know what happened, sometimes days just suck and I don't know if you ever have them [but] some days, those no good, very bad days, and some days days just end up like this.

'Sometimes days just suck and I don't know if you ever have them, but you know some days, Mama says just gonna be like this,' she continues. 'Some days there's those no good, very bad days.

'And I don't know why some days just end up like this, and things don't really rock me like that.'

She later revealed how she has had a tough week, explaining how people interrupted her meditating at her apartment.

It remains unclear if the podcast was recorded on Friday, or if that is just when it aired.

EXCLUSIVE: Anne Heche's son, 20, is comforted by two female friends at his LA home as his mother recovers in hospital from horrific burns in fiery car crash

Anne Heche's eldest son, Homer Laffoon, spent his Saturday in the company of two young women.

Laffoon, 20, is the son of the troubled actress and her former husband, Coleman 'Coley' Laffoon. The couple were married in September 2001 and split in February 2007.

In exclusive DailyMail.com photos, Laffoon is seen shirtless showing his two female friends to the door. His two dressed-up friends leave his home in Los Angeles, Calif.

In exclusive DailyMail.com photos, Laffoon is seen shirtless showing his two female friends to the door. His two dressed up friends leave his home in Los Angeles, looking as though the trio pulled an all-nighter

It's unclear if Laffoon is in a relationship with either of his female friends. The star's son makes no reference to a girlfriend on his various social media accounts

It's unclear if Laffoon is in a relationship with either of his female friends. The star's son makes no reference to a girlfriend on his various social media accounts.

Her second son, Atlas, was born to Heche and actor James Tupper in 2009. He was born just days after her marriage to Laffoon's father officially ended. Heche and Tupper split in 2018.

Following Heche's car crash on Friday, in which she first slammed into a garage at an apartment building, then careered into a home in her blue Mini Cooper leaving her 'severely burned' and 'intubated' in a Los Angeles hospital, Tupper posted a photo of his former partner and wrote on Instagram: 'Thoughts and prayers for this lovely woman, actress and mother tonight anneheche. We love you.'

On his Instagram page, Laffoon takes his mother's name going by Homer Heche.

Laffoon, 20, is the son of the troubled actress and her former husband, Coleman 'Coley' Laffoon

On his Instagram page, Laffoon takes his mother's name, going by Homer Heche

Laffoon graduated from high school in the summer of 2020, according to Heche. The ceremony was held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles

Anne Heche, pictured here with her ex-husband Coley Laffoon in 2002, was involved in multiple car crashes on Friday in which she first slammed into a garage at an apartment building, then careered into a home in her blue Mini Cooper leaving her 'severely burned' and 'intubated' in a Los Angeles hospital

Laffoon graduated from high school in the summer of 2020, according to Heche. The ceremony was held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles. In an interview, the Donnie Brasco star took the opportunity to rail against Covid-19 protocols in California.

His famous mother told Page Six: 'Hes 18. Excitedly looking forward to this major event in his life. So where was it held? In a parking lot. The Rose Bowl parking lot in LA.'

Following her divorce from Coley Laffoon, the pair became embroiled in a bitter custody dispute that took ten years to resolve

'We had to enter wearing masks. Cars were spaced far apart. Nobody allowed outside their vehicle. The graduates onstage were masked and allowed only one second to remove that and mumble thank you. It was surreal. Bizarre.'

She concluded: 'Your pass was preprinted out. You were allowed one car per family. No extra guests. Allowed photos were without the graduates face being visible. The security stationed around all wore black masks. Everything else nearby was boarded up, locked up, chained up. It was watching California disintegrate.'

Since birth, Heche has said that her two sons share a close and intimate bond. She told People Magazine in 2011 when Laffoon was nine and Atlas was two: 'The two are having an incredible bond right now. They already look out for each other.'

Despite splitting in 2007, as recently as 2017 Heche and Coleman Laffoon had to renegotiate their child support and custody arrangements.

The pair agreed at the time to share custody of then-14-year-old Homer Laffoon. Back in 2014, Heche lost primary custody of her son.

Heche and Laffoon's divorce was finalized in March 2009, and according to court documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, the actress had to cough up $3,700 a month in child support as well as a $500,000 lump sum. She also had to pay 75 percent of Homer's private school tuition.

Heche disclosed in a 2007 interview on The View that her son, then seven, flew to be with her twice a month from his home in Los Angeles to Vancouver were she was shooting her show, Men in Trees. She told the hosts: 'Homer flies a lot  twice a month to see me. It's hard. You've to got to open up your heart as if he's right in front of you.'

During their custody dispute, Heche was accused of cursing in front of her son and berating his father in front of him, she was also accused of not caring for her son when he visited on set, instead leaving him with aides and of showering with her son and new then-new boyfriend, James Tupper, while wearing bathing suits.

In retaliation Heche said that Coley Laffoon would regularly watch pornography and gamble while he was supposed to be looking after their son. During an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Heche called her ex as 'lazy a**.'

Following the end of Heche's relationship with James Tupper, she became involved in an equally fiery custody fight.
John Barilaro, the former deputy premier of NSW, finally lost his cool on Monday afternoon after sustained blows from Labor at the inquiry into his appointment to a plum $500,000 New York job.

After hours of weathering questions from Opposition MPs about why he got appointed to an elite trade job in New York, when it was initially promised to someone else, Mr Barilaro erupted.

He said it was 'disgusting' to suggest he sought to change the process so he could apply and get the role which sparked a 'sh**show' that led him to resign before he even took it up.

Mr Barilaro blasted the questioners and described himself as 'the victim'.

'I will absolutely refute that disgusting slur and accusation (that he pushed to change the process to favour himself),' he said.

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro gives evidence during the inquiry into his appointment as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney on Monday, August 8, 2022

He was then asked by Labor, 'Which part of it is disgusting?'

He replied: 'Youre making me out to be corrupt', later adding that he was 'the victim... not the perpetrator'.

Mr Barilaro was also rattled by questions on his relationship with Jennifer Lugsdin, who he made inquiries for about a job she was interested in and subsequently got.

Ms Lugsdin was his media adviser at the time he made the phone call on her behalf to Investment NSW head Amy Brown.

Mr Barilaro said he could not remember when that conversation with Ms Brown took place, but that he was not in a relationship with Ms Lugsdin at the time.

'I was not in a relationship with her while I was deputy premier or trade minister,' he said.

Ms Brown later gave evidence that Investment NSW asked Ms Lugsdin to make a conflict of interest declaration in December 2021, after media reports about her relationship with Mr Barilaro.

'But we dont actually have records of that happening. Most likely because we finished up her employment with us on the 22nd of December, which was only a number of days after,' she said.

Labor MP Penny Sharpe said the opposition would introduce evidence when Mr Barilaro returns on Friday that shows Ms Lugsdin was involved in media releases advertising the New York trade role.

'We're flagging that we will be spending more time on this... which is how (Mr Barilaro) came to know about the job,' she said.

Johnn Barilaro was rattled by questions on his relationship with Jennifer Lugsdin (pictured), who he made inquiries for over a job she was interested in and subsequently got

'Someone you are in relationship with... clearly was aware about the various processes associated with the advertising and the nature of this position.'

The inquiry chair, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann asked Mr Barilaro if he could 'see why the public is suspicious about this whole process?'

'I absolutely understand. That is why Im here today, voluntarily, to explain the process,' he said, sitting in front of a sign saying 'Engage, examine, inform.'.

'It was a public service, independent process. Just because youre a former member of parliament doesn't exclude you.'

Mr Barilaro added that 'Im the victim, Im not the perpetrator.

'What did I do wrong? I got offered a job, I accepted the job... I cant tell you what occurred behind closed doors because I wasnt involved in it.'

Amy Brown (pictured) was a witness at the inquiry into John Barilaro's appointment to a plum $500,000 job in New York

Before the inquiry broke for lunch, Mr Barilaro was resolute that he would not name the third referee on his application for the New York job, despite it already having emerged that his other two referees were senior public servant Gary Barnes and Australia's US Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos.

But after contacting the referee - former NSW premier Mr O'Farrell - during the break, he was able to reveal his name when the inquiry resumed.

Mr Barilaro said Mr O'Farrell 'was one of the reasons I got into politics. He inspired, he's been a dear friend,' he said.

'Ive been lucky enough in my life journey to have met some wonderful people.

'Mr OFarrell knew, and knows, my ability and capabilities. Hes been a supporter and a friend, and I asked him.'

With the pressure on him beginning to show, Mr Barilaro said 'If I knew what I know now I wish I had never had applied (for the New York job).

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro is pictured giving evidence during the inquiry into his appointment as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney on Monday, August 8, 2022

'If I knew what I knew now I wouldn't have walked into that s**t show.'

He said this was because 'the trauma I have experienced in the past six to seven weeks is significant'.

While there it is understandable that Mr Barilaro views recent events as 'traumatic', it was less so when he said that in applying for the job, he 'had no other information that every other candidate wouldn't have had'.

'I refute that I somehow used information not available to anyone else,' he said.

Sparks will surely fly on Friday when Mr Barilaro returns to the inquiry, with Labor indicating they have a lot more tricky questions to come.

Monday's events may just turn out to have been the calm before the storm.
The average Australian doesn't have nearly enough money to retire on - with a typical balance of just $145,388, new tax office data has revealed.

This is well short of the $535,000 recommended by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (AFSA) for those retiring at 67.

Only some of the wealthiest Australians, earning more than $180,000-a-year, had more than the recommended retirement savings while workers on middle and average salaries were well short.

It comes amid a national debate over how much money Australians need to retire - with bestselling Barefoot Investor author Scott Pape slamming AFSA's figures as unrealistic.

The average Australian (young women at Sydney's Randwick racecourse, above) doesn't have nearly enough to retire on with a typical balance of just $145,388, new tax office data has revealed. This is well short of the $535,000 recommended by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia for those retiring at 67

New Australian Taxation Office figures showed the typical worker had an average balance of $145,388 in the 2019-20 financial year. Men had an average balance of $161,834 compared with $129,506 for women.

Average super by tax bracket AVERAGE SUPERANNUATION BALANCE: $145,388 $18,200 OR LESS: $143,479 $18,201 TO $37,000: $92,490 $37,001 TO $90,000: $116,698 $90,001 TO $180,000: $249,830 $180,000 OR MORE: $575,470 NO TAX RETURN: $99,468 Australian Taxation Office figures for 2019-20 Advertisement

Both levels are well below the $164,000 ASFA recommends someone needs to have saved up by age 40 to hit its comfortable retirement savings goal of $535,000 for home owners getting the aged pension at 67.

Meanwhile, workers in the top tax bracket, of more than $180,000, had average super balances of $575,470 - making them the only group outpacing ASFA's retirement recommendation.

Middle and slightly below-average income earners, in the $37,000 to $90,000 tax bracket, had average super balances of $116,698.

This covered the average, taxable salary of $63,882, including $74,559 for men and $52,798 for women, with the figures including both full and part-time employees.

Those in the $90,000 to $180,000 bracket - including average, full-time workers on $90,917 - had average retirement savings of $249,830.

Intriguingly, those earning less than $18,200, the tax-free income threshold, had average super account balances of $143,479, which suggests this bracket is dominated by baby boomer retirees who live on the part pension and don't earn income.

They had higher average super balances than those earning $18,200 to $37,000, who typically had $92,490 in retirement savings.

Only Australians earning more than $180,000 a year, to be in the highest tax bracket, had more than enough recommended retirement savings while workers in the middle and average area were well short (pictured is a stock image)

Pape said the ASFA recommendation of $535,000 for those receiving the pension at 67 - or $545,000 for those retiring a bit earlier - was unrealistic as that is based on an individual needing $46,494 a year to live on.

Bestselling author Scott Pape, better known as the Barefoot Investor, said the ASFA recommendation of $535,000 for those receiving the pension at 67 - or $545,000 for those retiring a bit earlier - was unrealistic

'For far too long the super industry has played to the millionaires in the members' stand,' Pape said.

Instead, he endorsed a recommendation from Super Consumers Australia, which believes $258,000 is sufficient for an individual who has paid off their mortgage.

Xavier O'Halloran, the director of Super Consumers Australia, said the new tax office figures, showing average super balances by tax bracket, were misleading because wealthy people of any age group could distort the results.

'What this doesn't factor in is age and closeness to retirement,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Super Consumers Australia took heart from the tax office figures showing median retirement balances of $180,000 for men, aged 65 to 69, and about $175,000 for women of the same age group. Together, they added up to $355,000 - slightly more than the $352,000 it recommends for couples living on $56,000 a year with the part pension

Instead, Mr O'Halloran took heart from tax office figures showing median - as opposed to average - retirement balances of $180,000 for men, aged 65 to 69, and about $175,000 for women of the same age group.

Together, they added up to $355,000 - slightly more than the $352,000 his group recommends for couples living on $56,000 a year with the part pension.

'For the couples, it looks like they're about on target,' he said.

'There are advantages and cost savings you can share in couple households.'

The median figures for the 60 to 69, age group however, showed single people would struggle unless they relied on an equity release scheme, where they can sell a portion of their home to get a lump sum to fund their costs of living.

'It's singles that are behind a bit,' Mr O'Halloran said.

'They'll be needing to look at other ways that they can make savings, work for longer or look at what their expectations are for retirement and if they do want to make cutbacks.'

Super Consumers Australia recommends that a frugal individual who had paid off their home would need to have $73,000 saved up to survive on $29,000 a year.

A renter, however, would need to have $140,000 in retirement savings to cope with unexpected cost of living increases.

It recommends $743,000 for individuals wishing to live a lavish retirement lifestyle, costing $51,000 a year, which would pay for an annual overseas holiday and a new car every few years.

Australia's employer super contribution rate rose to 10.5 per cent on July 1, from 10 per cent, and is rising by half a percentage point each year until it reaches 12 per cent in 2025.

The median super balance, capturing those in the very middle, was even more dire at just $49,374 with men having $56,425 and women having $44,634, the tax office figures showed.
Penny Wong has re-iterated Australia's belief that Taiwan is part of China and revealed she has not spoken to any Taiwanese officials in recent days in comments that may help sooth tensions with Beijing.

The Foreign Minister again called for de-escalation after China launched ballistic missiles during live-fire exercises near Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to the island last week.

China sees the island as a breakaway province to be annexed by force if necessary, and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty.

What is the One-China policy? The one-China policy states there's only one sovereign state under the name China, as opposed to the notion that there are two: the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China aka Taiwan. The basis of Australia's one-China policy is the 1972 communique issued by the Commonwealth of Australia and the PRC, which states: The Australian Government recognises the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, acknowledges the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China, and has decided to remove its official representation from Taiwan before January 25, 1973. Source: ASPI Advertisement

On Friday, Senator Wong released a statement criticising China's launch of missiles into waters off Taiwan's coast as 'disproportionate and destabilising'.

But her comments were met with a furious rebuke from the Chinese embassy in Canberra, which released a statement saying 'finger pointing' against Beijing was 'unacceptable'.

China claims it was merely 'safeguarding' its sovereign territory with the missile strikes.

In her calls for calm on Monday, Senator Wong avoided criticising the Chinese strikes and re-enforced Australia's commitment to a 'one-China' policy which states that Taiwan is part of China.

Asked if she has spoken to any Taiwanese officials in recent days, Senator Wong said: 'No, not as yet.'

Asked if she planned to speak to the Taiwanese government at a ministerial level, she hosed down the idea, saying: 'We will continue to act in ways consistent with our long-standing bipartisan one-China policy and I think our public statements are clear.'

It is likely that The Australian Office in Taipei - a de facto embassy - is in contact with the Taiwanese government but Senator Wong does not want to risk infuriating Beijing by publicly announcing any higher-level talks.

But she also played down the chance of meeting the Chinese ambassador.

'I will express my views publicly, if there's going to be discussion with the ambassador it will generally be at departmental level,' she said.

Speaking after a meeting with the Latvian foreign minister in Canberra, Senator Wong urged restraint over Taiwan.

'What is most crucial at the moment is that the temperature is lowered and calm is restored when it comes to cross-Strait tensions,' she told reporters.

'Australia is not the only country that is concerned about escalation - the region is concerned about escalation - the region is concerned about the risk of conflict.'

This map shows where China launched its live military fire drills late last week

China suggested Sunday that the U.S. is trying to claim Taiwan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit there. Pictured: Pelosi (left) waves alongside Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that Taiwan is not part of the United States in the latest diplomatic escalation after Pelosi's congressional delegation trip through Asia.

Wang said during a visit to Bangladesh on Sunday that the US is engaged in 'sophistry', or fallacious and deceiving arguments, when it comes to its intentions regarding Taiwan.

He also said China's actions when it comes to the island are appropriate and legal and made in attempts to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Beijing raged at Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defense. On Friday, China also imposed sanctions on the California Democrat.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (pictured Friday) said Taiwan is not part of the U.S. and claimed the self-governed island nation is Chinese territory

'In disregard of China's grave concerns and firm opposition, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting China's Taiwan region. This constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs. It gravely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' a China foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

It added: 'In response to Pelosi's egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the People's Republic of China.'

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday after days of speculation about whether she would make the trip and potentially intensify tensions with China, which views Taiwan as a territory that will eventually be reunified with the mainland.

With the visit, Pelosi became the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in decades. It prompted China to launch its largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan, which drew to a close on Sunday following Pelosi's controversial visit to the self-ruled island.
A real estate agent has been inundated with phone calls after listing a quaint country town for the same price as a house in the city.

Ian Mason, the director of Victorian real estate agency Mason White McDougall, said his phone had been ringing off the hook since the Gippsland town of Coopers Creek hit the market last week.

Coopers Creek is around three hours, or 170km, from Melbourne's CBD.

'Interest from the public and the media just exploded,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I've had huge amounts of emails, the phone just keeps on ringing.'

Mr Mason said the interest had been 'off the charts' and he had received hundreds of calls.

'Some of the interest has come from people who have an affiliation with the place and others who are wanting a big life change and have been thinking about how they can live off the grid and get closer to nature,' he said.

A real estate agent has been inundated with phone calls after listing a quaint country town for the same price as a house in the city (pictured, Coopers Creek from above)

The property is complete with a fully-functional pub (pictured) complete with pool tables and a commercial kitchen as well as a spacious two-bedroom home

The town, which has been owned by the same family since the 1960s, consists of 21 titles that span across 11 acres of lush parkland in Victoria's Gippsland Region.

The property is complete with a fully-functional pub complete with pool tables and a commercial kitchen as well as a spacious two-bedroom home.

Coopers Creek, located about 170km from Melbourne, has an asking price of $2.5million to $3million - roughly the price of a renovated house or terrace in Sydney or Melbourne.

The asking price is less than half the median house price for a home in Sydney's eastern suburbs and about the same for a home along the Mornington Peninsula.

Mr Mason said he has received interest from buyers in both Sydney and Melbourne as well as from the United States and the United Kingdom.

The town, which has been owned by the same family since the 1960s, consists of 21 titles that span across 11 acres of lush parkland in Victoria's Gippsland Region (pictured, the home)

Coopers Creek, located about 130km from the city, has an asking price of $2.5million to $3million - roughly the price of a house in Sydney or Melbourne

'The interest is coming from a few different parties,' the agent said.

'People who want to set up a high-end country restaurant, camping groups, private school groups as well as wealthy individuals.'

Even a 4WD group has expressed interest.

'This is the perfect holiday destination and is a favourite for the 4WD community, hikers and kayakers,' the listing reads.

'Located just 15 minutes drive from Rawson and a few hours drive from Melbourne, Coopers Creek also has close accessibility to Traralgon and Mt Baw Baw.'

Coopers Creek sits on the Thompson River and boasts countless walking and horse trails as well as the opportunity for visitors to kayak and fish.

Mr Mason estimated it would take about 15 minutes to walk from one side of the township to the other - with the river running straight through the middle.

The historic town has been in the Holyoak family for over four decades.

Coopers Creek sits on the Thompson River and boasts countless walking and horse trails as well as the opportunity for visitors to kayak and fish

The Holyoak family have decided now is the time to pass the town into the next set of hands who have the same drive and passion to do the area justice (pictured, inside the pub)

The agent said the family have decided to pass the town into a new set of hands who have the same drive and passion to do the area justice.

Mr Mason said the Holyoak's ancestors had travelled to Coopers Creek to find accomodation, with no real plan of where they would travel next.

He said they woke the next morning and decided they would never leave.

'I think this property has captured of lot of people's imagination,' he said.

'They may be feeling as if they're stuck in some sort of rut and and this property gives them the chance to do something out of the ordinary.'

The entire town of Coopers Creek is being sold for roughly the same amount as a home in Sydney or Melbourne (pictured, pool tables inside the property's pub)

Coopers Creek is a former copper and gold mining township and was once a thriving town home to 250 residents

Coopers Creek was once a thriving copper and gold mining town home to 250 residents during its boom.

Some of the more noteworthy tenants were the Grollo family, Italian emigrants who worked in the mines during the 1930s to 1950s.

The family later moved to Melbourne and build a property, tourism and investment company and one of Australia's most successful construction groups - Grocon.

Grocon went into liquidation in November 2020 after 70 years in business.
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters believes Joe Biden is a 'war criminal' who is 'fueling the fire in Ukraine.'

Waters, 78, who is currently on a solo tour, branded Biden with the provocative title during a montage played at his rock show.

The British musician got into a heated debate with CNN host Michael Smerconish over the weekend after the journalist questioned Waters' decision to include Biden in the provocative segment of his show.

Waters justified including Biden in his war criminal montage by saying the US president committed a 'huge crime' by not encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate and put an end to 'this horrific, horrendous war.'

The pair also argued over America's role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan.

Waters believes the US has overstepped by involving itself in these foreign affairs and is pushing 'liberator propaganda.'

Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters believes Joe Biden is a 'war criminal' who is 'fueling the fire in Ukraine'

Poll Do you think Roger was right to wade into politics and blast Biden? Yes, his passion is impressive No! He should stick to music Do you think Roger was right to wade into politics and blast Biden? Yes, his passion is impressive 395 votes

No! He should stick to music 438 votes Now share your opinion





Amid his highly political This Is Not a Drill Tour, Waters sat down with Smerconish to discuss the messages depicted during the concert.

The CNN host began the interview by probing Waters about the 'war criminal' label he slapped Biden with.

'Well, he's fueling the war in the Ukraine,' the Pink Floyd co-founder responded. 'That is a huge crime. Why won't the United States of America encourage Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?'

Smerconish hit back, accusing Waters of 'blaming the party who got invaded,' however the musician countered by accusing NATO of forcing Russia's hand.

'Well, any war, when did it start? What you need to do is look at the history, and you can say, 'Well, it started on this day." You could say it started in 2008,' Waters argued.

Amid his This Is Not a Drill Tour, Waters sat down with CNN host Michael Smerconish to discuss the highly political messages depicted during the concert

During the concert, Waters shows a montage of politicians he believes are war criminals. He included Joe Biden in the mix, alleging the US president committed a 'huge crime' by not encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate and put an end to 'this horrific, horrendous war'

Waters also included Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, among the 'war criminals'

'This war is basically about the action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border, which they promised they wouldn't do when [Mikhail] Gorbachev negotiated the withdrawal of the USSR from the whole of Eastern Europe.'

Smerconish suggested the US has a history of taking on the role of global 'liberator,' which Waters immediately dismissed.

'You got into World War II because of Pearl Harbor. You were completely isolationists,' the musician alleged.

'Thank god the Russians had already won the bloody war by then. Twenty-three million Russians died, protecting you and me from the Nazi menace.'

Waters alleged that Biden is fueling the conflict in Ukraine and accused NATO of forcing Russia's hand into war. PICTURED: A sunflower is seen among the debris of a collapsed residential building following a Russian air strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022

Relatives and friends of defenders of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol hold a rally on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022 demanding to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism after killing Ukrainian prisoners of war

He also addressed the ongoing conflict between China and Taiwan, which saw heightened tensions after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a surprise visit to the self-ruled island nation.

Pelosi issued support for the nation and vowed China 'would not isolate Taiwan' by preventing US officials from traveling there. Her remarks came as Beijing increased its military intimidation and launched ballistic missiles towards Taiwan.

'I would suggest that you go away and read a bit more, and try to figure out what the US would do if the Chinese were putting nuclear armed missiles into Mexico and Canada,' Waters told Smerconish.

The journalist hit back: 'The Chinese are too busy encircling Taiwan as we speak.'

Roger Waters is no stranger to making political statements during his shows

Roger Waters makes a statement against then-President Donald Trump during an October 2016 concert in Indio, California

Waters, unamused by the response, said: 'Taiwan is part of China. That has been absolutely accepted by the whole of international community since 1948. If you don't know that you aren't reading enough.

'You are believing your side's propaganda. You can't have a conversation about human rights and Taiwan without actually doing the reading.'

'The Chinese didn't invade Iraq and kill a million people in 2013,' Waters added. 'Who have the Chinese invaded and slaughtered?'

'Their own,' Smerconish replied, seemingly referring to the Uyghurs and other mostly-Muslim populations that Beijing has placed in 're-education camps,' subjected forced sterilization and forced label.

Waters slammed Smerconish's response, saying: 'Bullocks! That's absolute nonsense! Absolute nonsense!'

Waters also accused the US of spreading propaganda about the conflict between China and Taiwan, which was heightened by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to the island nation. Pelosi, left, and Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen, right, are pictured during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022

China ratcheted up its military intimidation of Taiwan Thursday by firing ballistic missiles which flew over the island and landed in Japanese waters

The musician's comments sparked backlash on Twitter, with many suggesting his allegations were completely ridiculous.

'What the Division Bell is Roger Waters on?' Alex Bristow, deputy director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Defense, Strategy and National Security Program tweeted. 'He's clearly been living on The Dark Side of the Moon.

'Taiwan has never been ruled by communist China.'

Lahav Harkov, Diplomatic Correspondent at The Jerusalem Post, said: 'Rule of thumb: Anything Roger Waters says about geopolitics is wrong.'

The musician's comments sparked backlash on Twitter, with many suggesting his allegations were completely ridiculous

'Hey @rogerwaters, first you say there wont be a war, because Putin is too good,' tweeted Olexander Scherba, former Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria.

'Than (sic) there is a war - and you say well, its a war for a good reason. Why dont you already move to Russia, you gutless, heartless, merciless, lost little person?'

Olga Lautman, co-host of the Kremlin File podcast, replied to Scherba, adding: 'According to the Chinese garbage propaganda he was spewing about Taiwan it seems he has a choice of where to move. Russia and China. Wonder if he is on the payroll of both.'

'Seems to be a shortage of Taiwanese analysts or even just citizens in the contact list of CNN. And a shortage of intellectual flexibility in the mind of Roger Waters,' echoed journalist and author Jojje Olsson.

Some internet users rushed to defend the musician, alleging he was just 'exposing CNN propaganda'

Some internet users rushed to defend the musician, alleging he was just 'exposing CNN propaganda.'

'Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, exposes CNN anti-China propaganda!' wrote Dominic Lee, a Hong Kong-based law maker and tech entrepreneur.

'@Rogerwaters attempts to educate @smerconish of CNN about the propaganda they spread,' Johnny Akzam, a failed congressional candidate from Minnesota wrote.

'Look at how Roger Waters (founder of Pink Floyd) demolished CNN lies and propaganda in 90 seconds,' a Somalia-based Twitter user added.

'I wish our Somali politicians and citizens would learn how to confront those who disrespect our integral territory and sovereignty with force.'
An aspiring actor from Albania and his wife plunged to their deaths from their sixth-floor apartment in the Bronx on Saturday morning.

The couple, identified by friends and neighbors as Florind Belliu, 35, and Ornela Shehi, 28, were found in the courtyard of 2199 Cruger Avenue at Pelham Parkway South in Morris Park about 9:15 a.m. Saturday, police sources told the New York Daily News. They were pronounced dead about 10 minutes later.

Neighbors say they heard shouting just before the couple fell and now police sources say investigators are looking into the deadly incident as the tragic result of a possible fight between the pair.

Their young sons, ages 6 and 2, were inside the apartment at the time with one neighbor recalling hearing a child cry out, 'Mom! Mom!' after the tragic fall.

Video reportedly shows Shehi plunging from the building's sixth floor first and landing in the alleyway, with her husband Belliu following seconds later.

The couple's cause of death was still pending Sunday, according to the Medical Examiner's office, as it awaits 'additional investigative information.'

Florind Belliu, 35, (pictured) and his wife, Ornela Shehi, 28, were found around 9:15 a.m. in the the courtyard of their sixth-floor apartment on Cruger Avenue in the Bronx on Saturday

Video reportedly shows Shehi plunging from the building's sixth floor first and landing in the alleyway, with Belliu following seconds later. They were pronounced dead at the scene

Family members and friends mourned outside the Bronx apartment building on Saturday. The New York Daily News reported that Belliu's devastated mother collapsed and could be seen sobbing in response to the news of her son's death.

Police sources told the Post that Belliu had previously been reported to be 'emotionally disturbed' and missing in April, before police located him.

Yet, sources say police had never received reports of domestic violence related to the couple, who moved into the building just four months ago. They have two sons who neighbors say were home at the time of the tragic incident.

'I've seen them always buying things for the house, like every day together, with two kids together, we didn't recognize there was something wrong,' Shadie Perkaj, the wife of the building's super, told the Daily News.

Neighbors told local media that the pair were a 'quiet couple' who 'kept to themselves,' but recall seeing Belliu in an angry state on Friday.

Neighbor Robert Sanchez described Belliu as someone who didn't have a friendly demeanor.

'When you would walk next to him he just didn't have a friendly demeanor so I would just keep it moving,' Sanchez said. 'They kept to themselves and were very isolated.'

An employee at Zymi, a nearby cafe, agreed with the sentiment.

'He was never in the right state of mind. He would come have a coffee or eat and would not interact with the fellow members of the community,' the employee said. 'The wife never really said anything. She was always quiet and isolated but they always seemed to have the kids (with them).'

Belliu was a graduate of the University of Arts in Tirana, Albania, and performed on TV and in the theater before moving to the US, according to EuroNews Albania.

Belliu graduated University of Arts in Tirana, Albania, and performed on TV and in the theater before moving to the US, where he was recently working on two books and a movie script

Neighbors told local media that the pair were a 'quiet couple' who 'kept to themselves,' but recall seeing Belliu in an angry state on Friday. Their deaths are under investigation

Friends and family mourned the couple's loss on social media while questioning why he allegedly hurled himself off the building

The outlet also report he had been working on two books and a movie script. He may have also been working as a livery driver in recent months to provide for his family, sources said.

Friends and family mourned the couple's loss on social media while questioning why he allegedly hurled himself off the building.

'Why bro, why bro...did you choose this path? What was missing when you all had us in your arms and supported you? What made you to take a road without a beginning and an end?' Albanian actor Andi Llabuti posted.

'What do we say to [your] mother when she sees us on the street that we cannot protect you? Why didn't you think a little about your family, your mother and your sisters? We all knew your abilities and the values you had, but never this wisdom! You made us so sad that there is no explanation! May Allah have mercy on you!'

Albanian comedian Cela Irgen posted a tribute on Instagram stating that Belliu broke his heart.

'I can't believe I'm making this status for you,' he wrote in a Sunday post. 'You are embedded in my mind and my heart for all those beautiful memories we have together and the passion we shared for acting. May you both rest in peace my dear friend and may God give strength to both families in these difficult times.'
Pictured: Helen Coulston

A tradie is being hailed a hero after rushing to save a woman who was stabbed in the chest in one of Australia's most exclusive suburbs.

Mother-of-two Helen Coulston, 46, is now fighting for life at St Vincents hospital after being knifed when she answered the front door of her Dover Heights home in Sydneys east.

Peter, a builder working nearby, heard her desperate screams for help and came running to her aid as the blood-soaked woman managed to wrestle the blade away from the knifeman before throwing it into the street.

The Trident Design and Construction worker picked up the knife as the attacker closed in and demanded he hand it over.

He refused and the tense standoff eventually ended when the attacker jumped into a white Audi and sped off.

But the quick-thinking tradie called the police and gave them the registration details.

The luxury car was then intercepted by heavily-armed police on Campbell Parade at Bondi Beach moments later and a man, 46, was arrested. He is now facing a charge of attempted murder.

Peter and his construction team stayed with the woman and rendered aid until a NSW Ambulance crew arrived at the bloody scene.

A hero builder comes to the rescue of a woman who was stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife in Dover Heights

Peter (left), a nearby builder managed to grab the knife from the street while the man who is alleged to be the offender demanded the weapon to be handed over

Paramedics landed at nearby Dudley Page Reserve and assessed her, before she was taken to hospital by ambulance

Johnny Spili, Peter's boss, told Daily Mail Australia he couldn't be more proud of his worker, who was working on a house two doors down at the time of the attack.

'I am very proud of Peter's conduct and how he intervened. I am very happy he contained himself, stood his ground protected the lady and then he kept his cool, it could have turned out so much worse,' said Mr Spili.

Mr Spili said Peter had called him multiple times this afternoon since the attack and said he was shook up but he is 'a tough kid'

He said Peter told him the woman managed to grab the knife off the attacker and throw it away for Peter to then pick it up.

Mr Spili says Peter told him he 'stood his ground ready to go and told the attacker to come and get it'.

'I think he is doing well, he is just pretty shooken [shaken] up and is just taking some time to relax and process what happened,' Mr Spili said.

'He has called me a few times and he is in shock but he will be fine, he is a tough kid.'

When approached by the alleged attacker, Peter kept his cool moving backwards as the alleged offender closed in - before eventually the man calmly walked away, hopping in a white Audi and driving off

Police have arrested the 46-year-old man, his white Audi has been towed and will be forensically examined

In a statement, paramedics said three ambulances and the helicopter ambulance were dispatched.

Paramedics landed at nearby Dudley Page Reserve and assessed her, before she was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Police closed part of Weonga Rd and established a crime scene.

It's understood the woman's husband attended the property a short time later.

Police have arrested the 46-year-old man, his white Audi has been towed and will be forensically examined.

NSW Ambulance say paramedics managed to stabilise the woman and she was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical but stable condition

NSW Ambulance Inspector Giles Buchanan said paramedics managed to stabilise the woman and she was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical but stable condition.

'This was a very traumatic scene to arrive at with a significant, life threatening stab wound,' Mr Buchanan said.

'Paramedics administered IV fluids, stemmed the bleeding and provided pain relief to stabilise the patient.

'Stabbing wounds are generally confronting incidents and this patient has suffered a very serious injury.'
A walker has snapped an image of a Sphinx-like rock carving on the cliffs of Sydney, with hundreds of locals saying they'd be hunting down the hidden rock.

The photo showed a Sphinx bust carved into a rock, with half of it covered in moss on the popular Manly to Spit walking track in the northern beaches region.

Kevin Decosta, who posted the photo on Sunday, told Daily Mail Australia there are 'a number of' other sculptures scattered around the northern beaches.

'Two others that I know are on private waterfront properties on the Pittwater [Bay] ... as for the others, there are two around Newport,' Mr Decosta said.

The Sphinx of Sydney will be hunted down by plenty of keen locals after a walker posted the rock art (pictured) on Sunday

The post (pictured) amazed some on social media who said they had no idea the carving existed

The unusual rock art was found along the Manly to Spit track, with claims there were nine others in the Northern Beaches area (pictured, a view from the track)

He said the rock he took a picture of had been shifted by recent weather events.

'I come to this location often but this is my first time in for quite some time due to the crappy weather,' Mr Decosta wrote on Facebook.

'The carved face rock has been tilted by the big seas/storm surge. Manly to Spit track, Sydney Harbour National Park. My photo. The face was one of ten or so carved post-WWII on the northern beaches.'

The post led to social media responses guessing where it was exactly, with one claiming it was at Washaway Beach, a small bay on the track.

One suggested the carving could be from a commune of artists squatting on the cliff in the 1970s.

Another said they would put the Sydney Sphinx on their bucket list, while others said they had no idea it existed.

The carved face was found at Washaway Beach (pictured), one of the small bays on the Manly to Spit walk
Killed: Lieutenant-Colonel Nikolay Gorban, 36, an FSB commander, was killed 'somewhere in Ukraine' on August 2

A senior FSB commander has become the latest Russian colonel to be killed in Ukraine, amid reports Vladimir Putin has sacked six generals over poor performance.

Lieutenant-Colonel Nikolay Gorban, 36, led elite Spetsnaz special forces troops into battle was was killed 'somewhere in Ukraine on August 2', local media has reported.

Meanwhile, British intelligence says Putin has fired six of his generals over failings which has seen his invasion stall and military suffer astonishing casualties.

General-Colonel Aleksandr Chayko and General-Colonel Aleksandr Zhuravlev, who commanded Russia's Eastern and Western Military Districts respectively, are 'highly likely' to have lost their posts, the MoD said on Sunday.

Zhuravlev has been replaced by General-Lieutenant Vladimir Kochetkov.

General Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov, known as the 'Butcher of Syria' who was appointed commander of the whole Ukraine invasion back in April as the battle of Donbas got underway, has also been removed, the MoD thinks.

General Gennady Valeryevich Zhidko, who was in charge of the Southern Grouping of Forces, is another to have been given the sack.

He has been replaced by General Sergei Surovikin, the MoD believes.

Sacked: General Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov (right, with Putin left) has been fired as overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine for 'poor performance', Britain believes

Sacked: Colonel-General Alexander Zhuravlyov (left) has been fired as commander of Western Military District and replaced with General-Lieutenant Vladimir Kochetkov (right)

'The poor performance of Russia's armed forces during its invasion of Ukraine has been costly for Russia's military leadership, highly likely resulting in the dismissal of at least six Russia commanders since the start of hostilities,' it said.

'These dismissals are compounded by at least 10 Russian generals killed on the battlefield in Ukraine.

'The cumulative effect on consistency of command is likely contributing to Russian tactical and operational difficulties.'

Ukrainian media say Gorban is the latest senior Russian commander to die on the battlefield - believed to be the most-senior officer the FSB has lost in the war so-far.

An official online citation mourning his loss said he 'participated in the conduct of combat activities and special operations both in Russia and abroad.

'In the course of carrying out combat missions, he proved himself to be a courageous and decisive officer. He was proud of his service in the Russian FSB.'

In another blow to the Kremlin, Colonel Vasily Kleshchenko, an army aviation commander, was also listed as killed.

Sacked: General-Colonel Aleksandr Chayko, former commander of the Eastern Military District, has been fired from his position, Britain believes

Sacked: General Gennady Valeryevich Zhidko (left), former leader of the Southern Grouping of Forces, has been replaced by Colonel General Sergei Surovikin (right)

He was deputy head of the 344th combat use and retraining centre for elite helicopter pilots and snipers.

Before the war he ran the world's only aerobatic team based on Berkut combat helicopters based in Russia's Tver region.

He was the 98th known colonel or lieutenant colonel to die.

The latest deaths show how Putin's war is haemorrhaging commanders in his armed forces and security services.

Russia has also seen a dozen generals slain in the war.

Last week Kremlin forces lost Olga 'Korsa' Kachura [correct], 52, Putin's first woman colonel to die in the Ukraine war.

She was a colonel in the forces of Russian puppet state Donetsk People's Republic, where she commanded a rocket artillery division deployed against Ukraine.

Putin posthumously awarded her the Hero of Russia honour 'for courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty'.
A Japanese sailor has been stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors during a World War II memorial service in the Solomon Islands.

The victim was part of a Japanese Navy media team at this morning's event attended by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman when he was attacked by the 'mentally affected' man.

Video of the incident showed half a dozen servicemen, including US forces, trying to control a bearded man in a yellow T-shirt struggling on the ground.

A Japanese sailor has been stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors during a World War II memorial service in the Solomon Islands (pictured: the attacker in a yellow shirt)

Video of the incident showed half a dozen servicemen, including US forces, trying to control a bearded man in a yellow T-shirt struggling on the ground

The attacker was trapped in a headlock and carried away by local officials after the stabbing this morning

Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighbouring community

A dawn service was held in the Solomon Islands today to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal

The victim was part of a Japanese Navy media team at this morning's event attended by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman (pictured)

One of the servicemen loses his cap, falls over and rolls a short way down a hill as the assailant scrambles away before being trapped in a headlock and carried away by local officials.

The injured man was a 27-year-old media spokesman on the Japanese destroyer JS Karasame, which was visiting as part of a regional training exercise, said an official at the Japanese embassy who asked not to be named.

The embassy official said the injured member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force was given first aid by an ambulance at the scene.

The ambulance rushed him to a hotel for further treatment by US medical staff who were staying there.

He was then taken back to his ship, where he was confirmed to have 'no problem at all', the embassy official said.

The injured man was a 27-year-old media spokesman on the Japanese destroyer JS Karasame

Commemorations are being held over three days in the Solomon Islands to mark the anniversary of the battle

Bloody Ridge is a small hill where in September 1942, US Marines held off a Japanese force that was attacking a military airfield

The sailor needed stitches but was expected to recover.

Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighbouring community.

The Solomon Islands' culture and tourism ministry, which hosted the memorial, formally apologised to Japanese officials in a ceremony shortly after the assault.

'We know it was not targeting any particular Japanese, it could have been anyone,' said Barney Sivoro, permanent secretary of the ministry.

'We know it could have been worse, could have threatened his life,' Sivoro said, applauding the 'swift action' by those standing nearby to bring the man under control.

'I would like to say here that it is an isolated incident by somebody (who) - from information we had - is mentally affected,' he added.

Japan's Defence Minister Makoto Oniki (left) was among those attending today's ceremony

Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighbouring community

The Solomons official said others living in the surrounding national park did not condone such an 'uncivilised act of cowardice'.

The man had been arrested 'on the spot' by police and would be dealt with according to the law, Sivoro added. 'The government and its people are really sorry for what happened today.'

The Solomon Islands government was hosting the dawn service at Bloody Ridge as part of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Also attending the ceremony were Makoto Oniki, Japan's state minister of defence, and Peeni Henare, New Zealand's defence minister.

Commemorations are being held over three days in the Solomon Islands to mark the anniversary of the battle.

Bloody Ridge is a small hill where in September 1942, US Marines held off a Japanese force that was attacking a military airfield.

Ms Sherman's trip comes after the US and several Pacific nations expressed deep concern about a security pact the Solomons signed with China in April, which many fear could result in a military build-up in the region.

As part of her trip, Ms Sherman has also visited the Pacific nations of Samoa and Tonga and plans to visit Australia and New Zealand.
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Another 150 migrants including small children and a baby were picked up in Dover after being rescued from the English Channel today - amid calls from MPs to restart the Rwanda plan as soon as possible.

A total of 18,284 people have crossed the Channel so far this year - with 1,885 of those migrants arriving in August alone, according to data released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The first group of at least 80 people were brought into Dover, Kent, on-board Border Force ship Typhoon shortly before 7am.

They were escorted off the vessel by Border Force staff, before being loaded onto a coach to be taken for processing.

Two men could be seen supporting each other by holding hands as they walked along the gangway.

A second group of approximately 50 people arrived at the harbour on Border Force cutter Ranger at around 8am.

At least four children and a small baby wrapped in a blue blanket were among those led along the walkway by soldiers in camouflage fatigues.

And a further group were escorted ashore into Dover on Border Force vessel Volunteer at around 3.45pm today.

The group included a number of young children, with a soldier seen carrying a small baby along the gangway to be processed by UK officials.

Other migrants were spotted carrying their possessions in plastic carrier bags as they disembarked the boat.

While the MoD is yet to release the official figures for today, it is thought that at least 150 migrants have crossed the English Channel by small boat so far.

A group of around 50 migrants were escorted ashore into Dover, Kent, this afternoon after being picked up by Border Force in the Channel

The group of migrants were escorted off the vessel by Border Force staff, before being loaded onto a coach to be taken for processing

The group included a number of young children, with a soldier seen carrying a small baby along the gangway to be processed by UK officials

A migrants gives a thumbs up as he is escorted ashore by Border Force officials this afternoon to be loaded onto a coach and processed

Another 100 migrants including small children and a baby were picked up in Dover after being rescued from the English Channel overnight

The first group of at least 80 people were brought into Dover, Kent, on-board Border Force ship Typhoon shortly before 7am. Two men could be seen supporting each other by holding hands as they walked along the gangway

A second group of approximately 50 people arrived at the harbour on Border Force cutter Ranger at around 8am

At least four children and a small baby wrapped in a blue blanket were among those led along the walkway by soldiers in camouflage fatigues

A total of 18,284 people have crossed the Channel so far this year - with 1,885 of those migrants arriving in August alone, according to data released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)

A lady carries a young child to a bus as a group of people are brought into Dover, Kent

Last night, MPs called on ministers to redouble their efforts to deport migrants to Rwanda following a surge in Albanians using small boats to enter Britain

It comes after the weekend saw more than 500 migrants make the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits in inflatable dinghies and other small craft.

According to official government data, 337 people arrived on British soil in 10 boats on Saturday, while a further 176 migrants were intercepted at sea in five vessels on Sunday.

The French coastguard (CROSS) in Griz Nez prevented a further 42 people from crossing the Channel in the early hours of Saturday morning.

After being made aware of a boat in difficulty in the Calais Straits, the CROSS tasked the French Navy rescue tug Abeille Normandie with rescuing a group of stranded people.

Abeille Normandie picked up 42 migrants and dropped them at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police.

28,526 people made the treacherous journey in 2021 - compared to 8,410 who arrived in 2020.

A Government spokesperson said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable.

'Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws, but they risk lives and hinder our ability to help refugees who come to the UK through safe and legal routes.

'The Nationality and Borders Act will enable us to crack down on abuse of the system and the evil people smugglers, who will now be subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The Rwanda scheme was championed by Home Secretary Priti Patel

'Under our new Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, we are continuing preparations to relocate those who are making dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys into the UK in order for their claims to be considered and rebuild their lives.'

Last night, MPs called on ministers to redouble their efforts to deport migrants to Rwanda following a surge in Albanians using small boats to enter Britain.

Those making the perilous journey are being warned a new Prime Minister will halt all crossings with patrols, while also dropping their charges from 10,000 to 2,000.

Leaked figures have revealed migrants from the Balkan country  a Nato member that wants to join the EU  now make up four in ten arrivals from northern France.

The escalation saw 1,075 Albanians arrive in the UK aboard dinghies and small boats in the six weeks to July 12.

They made up 37.5 per cent of all migrants trafficked to the UK in small boats by gangs during the period  eclipsing all other nationalities including Afghans, Iranians, Iraqis and Syrians.

Tory backbenchers called on the next prime minister to act urgently. Natalie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, said: 'It's clear many Albanians coming to the UK in small boats are not fleeing from war or persecution  they are economic migrants. This is blatant criminality and it underlines the urgency of getting on with Rwanda and similar schemes.'

Elsewhere, the charge for hiding inside a lorry is as high as 22,000, although it carries a much high risk of being caught, The Sun reports.

A source said: 'Albanians are being told hundred of people will be patrolling the Channel, fences will guard the coast and they will be sent back and lose their money.

'It's coming from the gangsters so they can cash in by creating a real influx.

Police officers near the Boeing 767 aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, which failed to take off to Rwanda on June 14

'When there is a PM, a new lie will be created - whatever it takes to keep this evil trade going.'

Tom Hunt, the Tory MP for Ipswich, said the 'truly eye-opening' figures 'underline why it's so critical that the Government gets on and introduces the Rwanda scheme', adding: 'We need to bring this farce to a close. Legislation to bring the Rwanda scheme to fruition should be top of the 'in tray' when Parliament gets back after summer recess.'

Welby blasts 'unethical' treatment The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Anglican bishops to speak out against 'unethical treatment' of migrants and climate change. In his latest highly political intervention, Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to 'take risks' and warned that failing to act would make them 'one of the oppressors'. Describing climate change as an 'undeclared war', the former oil executive warned it could create 1.2billion refugees with consequences 'tragic beyond anything in human history'. 'To be silent on the unethical treatment of migrants or on war or oppression, on the abuse of human rights, on persecution, is to be one of the oppressors,' he told the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops. 'Not so much nowadays, I think both the Cabinet and myself would say,' he added. It came after the Archbishop used his Easter sermon this year to denounce Home Secretary Priti Patel's Rwanda asylum deal, suggesting that 'serious ethical questions' about the plan would not 'stand up to the judgment of God'. Advertisement

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'No one should question this government's determination to break the gangs' business model.'

A source in Liz Truss's leadership campaign said: 'Liz has a plan to expand border force, ensure the European Convention on Human Rights works for Britain, and reform modern slavery laws which are being abused. The need for deterrence is key, which is why we will ensure the migration deal with Rwanda works, and look to strike other deals.'

A spokesman for Rishi Sunak's campaign said stopping crossings would be a top priority for him, adding: 'It is wholly unacceptable that migrants from peaceful countries, like Albania, are trying to enter the UK illegally.'

The number of Albanians who arrived by small boat in the six-week period, latest official data places the country much further down the league table of arrivals.

Just 271 reached Britain by small boat in the first quarter of this year and 757 in the whole of 2021. However, there were a total of almost 5,000 asylum claims made by Albanians in the year to March, suggesting growing numbers may be switching to small boats from other methods of entering the UK, such as hiding in lorries.

The Home Office did not offer an explanation for the rise in Albanian asylum seekers last night.

Richard Tice, of Reform UK, who obtained the leaked report said: 'If these people are not genuinely fleeing for their lives, then it is not up to the British taxpayer to support them.'

Clare Moseley, of refugee charity Care4Calais, questioned whether the Albanian surge could be an 'anomaly'. 'The evidence clearly shows that for the last few years the majority of people crossing the Channel were genuine refugees,' she said. 'If there has been a change, it seems that the success of small boat crossings is affecting the behaviour of smugglers.'

A government spokesman said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. The Nationality and Borders Act makes it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and we have introduced life sentences for those who facilitate illegal entry into the country.'

French police foil migrants looking to sneak across the Channel by puncturing their dinghy with a KNIFE and smashing its outboard motor

ByMax Aitchison For The Daily Mail

This is the dramatic moment French police foiled an attempted Channel crossing by a group of around 45 migrants by puncturing the boat and smashing up its engine.

Just after sunset on Saturday evening in the sleepy holiday resort of Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, migrants wearing red life vests emerged from the sand dunes and made a dash for the water.

Several women and men carried young children in their arms while a large group of mostly young men followed behind, hauling a black dinghy above their heads. But they were intercepted by a police car which raced across the beach, with officers bursting out to puncture the dinghy with a knife as the migrants scattered.

One fell to his knees with his hands covering his face as an officer appeared to use pepper spray. Police then smashed the outboard engine to pieces with a hammer and bemused holidaymakers looked on as the migrants walked dejectedly back to the dunes. No arrests were made.

This is the dramatic moment French police foiled an attempted Channel crossing by a group of around 45 migrants by puncturing the boat and smashing up its engine

Just after sunset on Saturday evening in the sleepy holiday resort of Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk, migrants wearing red life vests emerged from the sand dunes and made a dash for the water

The migrants were intercepted by a police car which raced across the beach, with officers bursting out to puncture the dinghy with a knife as the migrants scattered

Despite their elation, it came on a day when 10 small boats carrying 337 migrants successfully launched from the French coast and made it to the UK - with the total number this year alone now surpassing 18,000, according to Ministry of Defence figures.

The grim milestone was broken just five days after 696 people were rescued by Border Force and brought to shore last Monday, the busiest day for Channel crossings so far this year.

It is likely crossings will continue this week, with the Met Office predicting warm weather and calm winds on the south coast.

The location at Gravelines has been used by at least five smuggling gangs in recent months who are seemingly becoming ever-more brazen by attempting dangerous night crossings.

Elia Carpentier, 20, who works in the tourist office on the beachfront, told how she had seen a boat full of migrants leave the beach at 7pm on Friday.

I was really surprised because normally they leave when the sun goes down or at dawn, she said.

An inflatable craft carrying migrants crosses the shipping lane in the English Channel towards the white cliffs at Dover earlier this month. the total number this year alone now surpasses 18,000, according to Ministry of Defence figures

The boat waited for them at the edge of the water. Im not sure how many got on but there were men, women and children in the group.

The French police operation was the culmination of a tense, three-hour-long game of cat-and-mouse between officers and the migrants hiding in the scrubland behind the dunes.

From 6.30pm until sunset, a reporter and photographer from the Daily Mail lay in the sand at the waters edge, taking cover behind a pair of French bird hunters.

From that vantage point, it was possible to observe through binoculars two officers constantly monitoring a group of 18 young male migrants who kept moving through the scrubland.

Miss Carpentier, 20, who lives next to the beach at Gravelines, said it was an open secret where the migrants hid before attempting to cross the Channel.

At the far end of the beach there is a campsite and beyond that is a forest, she said.

They set up camp there for one or two nights before waiting for a boat. They just leave their stuff - I see it when I walk my dog.
DIY store Wickes is facing a backlash over a controversial float at Brighton Pride promoting trans rights.

The hardware company took part in the parade through the seaside resort with a float featuring a poster reading, 'no LGB without the T' at the weekend.

The words were emblazoned over the pink and white transgender flag, with the strapline, 'we stand with our trans siblings now and forever' underneath it.

But Wickes's campaign sparked a heated debate on Twitter with campaigners on both sides wading in to share their views.

Activist and friend of J K Rowling Allison Bailey tweeted: 'To be clear, this is Wickes promoting unlawful discrimination against lesbians, gays & bisexuals & making our rights conditional on supporting another group.'

Ms Bailey is a long-standing activist for the LGB alliance, a charity which promotes and supports gay, lesbian and bisexual people.

But other supporters praised the hardware giant for its inclusive motto on show in East Sussex, with one tweeting: 'Wickes have won Twitter today... well done to whoever made the decision to do Pride right'.

Hardware store Wickes dived into the trans debate with the poster 'no LGB without the T'

Ms Bailey is a long-standing activist for the LGB alliance, a charity which promotes and 'support gay, lesbian and bisexual people'

In a statement Wickes said: 'We were proud to take part in Brighton Pride this weekend to celebrate their 30th year, and even prouder of our LGBTQ+ Employee Network who work hard every day to make sure everyone can feel at home at Wickes. We are an inclusive home improvement employer and retailer and support the LGBTQ+ community in its entirety.'

The poster prompted a lively discussion online, with activists on either side of the debate weighing in.

Youth Charity worker and former political candidate Nick Buckley posted: 'Companies are now telling gay people what they should accept - all in the name of diversity. Any gay people use Wickes? Will you continue?'

One social media user said: 'I'm confused by the messaging. Are they saying there are no lesbians, gays or bisexuals without trans people?'

Praising the slogan, another wrote: 'Their rivals must be gutted they didn't beat them to 'no LGBTQ without B&Q.'

They added: 'I will say, if corporates are going to be at Pride, it's good to see actual bold messaging.'

Managing Director of the LGB Alliance Kate Barker said: 'We must assume that Wickes have not understood the significance of this slogan.

'They cannot seriously believe that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals may not organise in their own interests without the permission of trans people.

They added: 'It highlights the dangers for businesses in parroting catchphrases fed to them by lobby groups.'

Wickes's campaign caused a storm on social media with campaigners on both sides butting into the debate

Last week Stonewall was forced to row back a tweet claiming children as young as two could be transgender.

Sharing a Metro article about a 'non-conforming' four-year-old whose nursery doesn't respect their attitudes, it wrote: 'Research suggests that children as young as 2 recognise their trans identity.

'Yet, many nurseries and schools teach a binary understanding of pre-assigned gender.

'LGBTQ-inclusive and affirming education is crucial for the wellbeing of all young people!'

But in the face of criticism over the tweet, the charity responded with a statement clarifying what it had meant.

It wrote: 'We were commenting on an article written by a parent reflecting on how their child was being cared for at nursery. The parent was worried that their child was being pressured to fit in with stereotypes about boys and girls.

'While we dont actively work on nursery education, we believe that young children should be able to play, explore and learn about who they are, and the world around them, without having adults ideas imposed upon them.

'We support existing provisions to ensure primary and secondary school pupils learn about LGBTQ+ identities in an age-appropriate and timely manner.'

Polling company YouGov found Britons largely uninterested in the trans debate

Wickes were also campaigning against conversion therapy in Brighton which can in extreme forms include physical violence and torturous practices.

The UK government promised to ban the practice in 2018 but the legislation put forward earlier this year did not include trans people.
Police making first appeal for information in Arabic to solve the mystery

The two Saudi sisters mysteriously found dead in a Sydney apartment believed a private investigator was on their trail.

Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal, 23, were discovered in their Canterbury unit in Sydney's southwest on June 7.

The sisters were applying for political asylum in Australia and a source connected to that case told ABC's Background Briefing the pair thought a private investigator was following them.

After months of investigation detectives are still seeking clues to discover how and why the sisters died in separate rooms of their apartment, where they lay undiscovered for up to six weeks.

Police are now turning to the Arabic-speaking community for help as they make their first direct appeal in that language.

Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24 (pictured) was discovered in a Canterbury unit in Sydney's south-west on June 7

Amaal, 23, was the younger of the two Saudi sisters found dead in their bedrooms (pictured, Amaal Abdullah Alsehli)

Two weeks ago police released the names and photos of the two women at the request of the coroner but did not translate their English language appeal for information.

The newly translated request has been sent out on social media and will be distributed to Arabic-language media outlets.

Police told SBS this was a standard practice without commenting specifically on the case of the Alsehli sisters.

'Translating media releases into target languages to reach specific communities is just one of the strategies the NSW Police Force adopts based on the requirements of detectives investigating cases,' a NSW Police spokesperson said in a statement to SBS.

'That is something the NSWPF (NSW Police Force) does often, again, based on the strategy that police are deploying at the time.'

After coming to Australia in 2017 the sisters lived for a period in the western Sydney suburb of Fairfield, which has a large Arabic-speaking community.

The balcony of the unit (pictured) where police made the grisly discovery of the sisters' bodies on June 7, which was at least a month after the women died

The grisly remains of the two women were only uncovered during a police welfare check.

This was conducted because they owed the landlord about $5,000 worth of unpaid rent having failed to hand over their weekly $480 since mid-March.

Bottles of chemicals such as bleach and other substances were found beside their bodies in separate bedrooms, leading detectives to suspect the pair planned to take their own lives.

Interim toxicology results showed traces of the substances found in the bedrooms inside the women's bodies.

'There's no indication of anyone else being in the unit...no forced entry. It really does appear to be a tragic suicide,' a police source told The Daily Telegraph.

More extensive testing is needed to determine the exact cause of death.

This is despite an extensive week-long public appeal and releasing the names and photos of the sisters at the request of the coroner.

A black BMW coupe covered in dust was removed from the garage of the apartment block the day after the bodies were found

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES - May have fled Saudi Arabia as teens. - Had access to money and drove a BMW. - Both had Australian business names, but police can't confirm what they did for work. - Filed an AVO, and then withdrew it. - BMW was keyed. - Three police welfare checks. - Stopped paying rent. - Bodies found a month after they died. - Cause of death unknown. Advertisement

The sisters' black BMW coupe was seized by police after the women's bodies were found remains in a police holding yard.

The car is expected to be sold to recover debts owed to the women's landlord after they stopped paying rent 10 weeks before their fully clothed but decomposing bodies were found.

The sisters also owed $26.18 in outstanding water bills.

Their remains were uncovered during the last of three welfare checks by police, who initially were contacted by property's building manager who expressed concern for their wellbeing because food was left out in common areas.

Building manager Michael Baird said his first interaction with the girls was when their car was 'keyed' after they moved into the building in November 2021.

'We believed that it was not a personal attack to them because they'd parked their car in an unusual position. And somebody's obviously taken offence to it,' he told the ABC.

The sisters sent him an email at 2:25am on January 26 asking him to check CCTV because they feared their Uber eats food delivery had been tampered with and they were considering contacting the police.

The cameras failed to show this.

'The girls were very scared, very frightened of something, he said.

'We're not sure what is was, something, someone, they didn't tell us so we couldn't pursue it any further.'

A plumber was called into the apartment to fix water leak in late March.

He phoned Mr Baird as soon as he was finished.

SYDNEY SAUDI 'MURDER' MYSTERY TIMELINE 2017: Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, are believed to have fled Saudi Arabia during a family holiday - with $5000. They flew to Sydney, via Hong Kong, and made contact with a refugee centre. 2019: Asra took an AVO out against a man, but it was later dismissed. 2020: They frequently visited a service station around their flat, with locals describing them as 'friendly'. 2022: Police conducted two welfare checks early in the year. In one of the checks, the pair were described as 'timid' and refused to let anyone enter the apartment. They eventually allowed officers to enter, but stayed huddled together in the far corner of the unit. May, 2022: The owner of their Canterbury unit filed a civil case against Asra on May 13. That action was taken four weeks after sheriff's officers went to the apartment to serve the women with an eviction notice. June 7, 2022: Officers conducting a welfare check made the grisly discovery. There was no sign of forced entry. Police believe the sisters died in May, but have not been able to determine a cause of death. Advertisement

'He was concerned that there was something untoward happening in the apartment,' Mr Baird said..

'He goes, 'I don't know. Something definitely wrong with that apartment. Something definitely happening in that place is not good'.'

'The girls look scared for some reason. I don't want to go back.'

Mr Baird asked police conduct a welfare check on the two women.

When the officers visited the flat the women at first wouldn't unlock the door, Mr Baird says.

'Eventually the door was opened and the police stood at the door, asking the girls a series of questions,' he said

'They said they were OK. They didn't want any police involvement. And the police left it at that.'

Michael decided to go the apartment with his day manager pretending to look for a leak.

'I went into the unit, I saw these two little girls stuck in the corner, like two little sparrows,' he says.

'Really, I was looking to make sure there was nobody in the unit as well that was  causing them to be afraid or timid.

'I 'fessed up and said, 'Look, I'm not really here to look at a leak. I'm here to talk to you  Just tell me whatever it is. It's OK.'

But, he says, the women wouldn't speak.

'They more or less wanted us to leave as quickly as possible.'

That is what Mr Baird did and it was the last time he saw them alive.

Reports published in Middle Eastern newspapers last week said the sisters had renounced Islam.

The sisters only left the Canterbury unit to study at TAFE, to go shopping or to work, their former landlord from a property they rented at Fairfield revealed to The Guardian.

The 'shocked' landlord claimed their mother visited the sisters in Sydney but didn't like Australia and left after only a brief visit.

Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft insisted there was 'nothing to suggest' their family was involved in their deaths.

The women were not known to be part of any dissident Saudi networks.
Democrats are successfully pushing unelectable candidates in our primaries to stop the red wave this fall By Rachel Alexander

web posted August 8, 2022 Do some of these MAGA candidates seem too good to be true? Thats because they are. They violate the rule crafted by the late William F. Buckley Jr. known as the Buckley rule. It says to support the candidate the furthest to the right who is electable. This is why a lot of conservatives suck it up and stick with the GOP instead of defecting to an obscure third party where no one gets elected. But the left, always one step ahead outsmarting us, has figured out how to make unelectable fringe candidates look so appealing that people forget the rule. They are pouring money  $44 million this year  into our primary races to help candidates who probably arent electable in the general, and are re-registering to vote in our primaries. The Washington Examiner declared in July, Democrats have been awfully active in the 2022 Republican primaries. While pollsters were once confidently predicting a GOP sweep this fall, possibly taking back the U.S. Senate, this is no longer so. Democrats have figured out that they can help fringe candidates falsely label solid conservatives as RINOs. Theyve been assisted in a few races by Donald Trump, who thought he was doing the right thing in some of these races endorsing candidates, but was fed bad info by people he trusted. In Illinois, Democrats spent millions attacking a black Republican mayor running for governor, Richard Irvin, in order to boost State Sen. Darren Bailey. Irvins campaign said Democrats spent over $31 million in attack ads, with at least $13 million from the Democratic Governors Association and $6 million directly from Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Once Bailey got Trumps endorsement, it was all over and he defeated Irvin. One of the few polls in that race shows Bailey losing to Pritzker by nine points. In Maryland, the Democratic Governors Association spent money to help Dan Cox defeat former Secretary of Commerce Kelly Schulz. Schulz worked in the administration of Gov. Larry Hogan, who surprisingly got elected in the Democratic state, so she was expected to have a good shot at keeping the GOP legacy going. Instead, Cox got Trumps endorsement and won, and is widely expected to lose to the Democrats charismatic Wes Moore, who will become the states first black governor if elected. Hogan lamented , "Trump is trying to insert himself in races all across the country where people he's supporting are crazy. In Pennsylvania, State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is running for governor, spent $840,000 to boost his GOP challenger State Sen. Doug Mastriano over former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta. Trump endorsed Mastriano and he easily won. A Fox News poll from a little over a week ago shows Mastriano ten points behind Shapiro. Democrats were unsuccessful in Colorado, however, spending millions to bolster fringy candidates that went nowhere as all three lost their primary races. And some of their spending did attack truly awful Republican candidates, such as Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan and Rep. David Valadao of California, two of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. Valadao won despite their efforts, but Meijer lost to former Trump official John Gibbs. Democrats merely needed to change voter registration in Arizona to ensure one fringe candidate won. Conservatives there are so wary after years of the late Sen. John McCain that they are quick to jump on the bandwagon calling anyone a RINO. For example, Rep. David Schweikert, who has an outstanding lifetime rating of 96 from the American Conservative Union, is frequently called a RINO despite the fact hes been able to maintain that voting record in what is now the most competitive district in the state.

Blake Masters Funded by four out-of-state billionaires, trainwreck U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters bashed his original main opponent, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich as a RINO and used his boss Peter Thiel to get Trumps endorsement. After he won, betting markets flipped and started predicting Republicans would not win back the Senate this fall. Incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly has raised over $50 million and appears poised to raise $100 million just like he did in 2020. Kelly defeated Sen. Martha McSally, a weak candidate who had been appointed to the Senate seat over the objections of conservatives by Gov. Doug Ducey, by over two points in 2020. At this point in the election cycle two years ago, polls had McSally behind by as little as two points. In contrast, polls currently show Masters performing far worse, losing in double digits, with a poll commissioned by his own supporters showing him down five points. According to CNN , Trump almost stopped endorsing candidates in the primary in May due to how problematic it was, holding off on endorsing Masters until June. Republicans broke records voting in the Arizona primary, due to all the crossover Democrat votes. In fact, in 2022 so many Democrats re-registered as independents in order to vote in the GOP primary that the numbers of independents not only outnumbered Democrats but even outnumbered Republicans in Maricopa County, and while Republicans and independents increased their percentages statewide, Democrats decreased theirs. Other candidates that were able to finagle a Trump endorsement but who might lose the general election include Senate candidate J.D. Vance in Ohio and Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. Vance, who got Trumps endorsement in part due to Thiel just like Masters, is trailing Rep. Tim Ryan by nine points in the latest poll. Mehmet is trailing Mayor John Fetterman by 14 points. These candidates could cause other solid Republican candidates to lose. Independent swing voters who might not necessarily vote will have a visceral reaction to some of the worst GOP candidates, getting them out to vote anti-Republican all down the ballot. Its time to stop rushing to support and endorse anyone who calls themselves MAGA or America First just because they have money, an insider connection and labels their opponent a RINO. Dont be fooled, were getting played. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative . She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home
More severely obese people than ever are having to be rescued by firefighters because they have become unable to physically move by themselves, according to new Home Office figures.

The fire service are being called in to free the growing number of severely overweight people who are becoming trapped in their homes due to their size.

Obesity in adults within the UK has increased from 14.9 per cent to 28 per cent since 1993, The Health Survey for England 2019 found. There are now an estimated 28 per cent of adults in the UK that are obese with a further 36.2 per cent overweight.

When records began in 2012, there were just 429 rescues of what are known as 'bariatric assists'. But firefighters across the country were called out to a record 1,614 rescues in 2020 - some 24 per cent more than the 1,326 the year before.

Many are having to be rescued with lifting equipment, special slings and even through the removal of windows, walls and banisters.

Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, believes these figures 'will continue to rise for many years to come'.

'Even when the government's latest plans to tackle obesity have been finally implemented, there will still be hundreds requiring rescue teams to get them out of their homes and into hospital for treatment,' he said.

'Thirty years of political indifference are responsible for this desperate situation.'

The number of severely obese people needing to be rescued is at an all-time high. (File image)

Many are having to be rescued by the removal of banisters, windows and walls or with the help of lifting equipment and special slings. (File image)

The rescue missions have hit new heights with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service recording a record 29 bariatric assists, doubling the 15 call-outs that occurred before the pandemic in 2019.

Seven of the rescues required between ten and 19 firefighters - with officers occupied for up to two hours on eight separate occasions.

And in 72 per cent of the rescues that took place, firefighters spent between 15 minutes and an hour providing assistance.

Despite dwindling firefighter numbers, rescue missions are requiring between ten and 19 firefighters in some instances. (File image)

The majority of rescues require between 15 minutes and an hour but some officers are having to spend up to two hours assisting. (File image)

Furthermore, at least four fire appliances were called out to help on three occasions and three were required on five call-outs.

Despite officers being called in to assist, the number of available firefighters has dwindled nationally since bariatric rescues first started being recorded ten years ago with a drop in officers from 42,058 in 2012 compared to 35,279.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Bariatric incidents accounted for 0.3% of the 518,261 fire and rescue incidents that occurred in 2020/21.

New rules have been implemented to address the obesity crisis, with businesses who have more than 250 employees now permitted to display calories information on menus. (File image)

How much have bariatric assists increased in England? 2012: When records began, there were just 429 rescues made to assist obese people who were trapped. 2019: There were 1,326 rescues - a significant increase from 2012. 2020: 1,614 bariatric assists were required - a 24% rise from the year before Firefighters are being sent in their droves to assist, with between ten and 19 required in some instances. But the number of firefighters has decreased nationally from 42,058 in 2012 to 35,279 last year. Source: Home Office Advertisement

'Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work - overall they will receive around 2.5 billion in 2022/23.'

In April, new rules were implemented around promoting healthy eating which included displaying calorie information on menus and food labels for businesses with more than 250 employees.

There are also changes being made to restrict the promotion of less healthy foods online - something that will come into force from October.

In February, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan revealed that an academic study showed that Transport for London's ban on advertising junk food contributed to a 1,001 calorie decrease in unhealthy purchases in peoples weekly shopping.

The Mayor received backlash from members of the public who questioned how it could be attributed to TFL.

But the study compared shopping habits against trends in the city before the junk food advert ban began and against purchasing patterns in the North of England, where no such measure exists.

The results equated to each person eating 385 less calories per week, according to the study published by Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
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Emergency services are searching for a four-year-old girl believed to be trapped after a terraced house collapsed following a huge gas explosion and fire in south London this morning.

Neighbours said it sounded 'like a bomb had gone off' on Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath, near Croydon, just after 7am this morning, as 40 firefighters and six fire engines quickly rushed to the scene.

Three people have been hospitalised with potentially life-threatening injuries and the fire brigade confirmed their urban search and rescue crews are searching for one more missing person.

Merton Council has declared a major incident and confirmed it was a gas explosion.

Utility repair and maintenance works were being carried out on the road by Southern Gas Networks, who have been contacted by Mail Online for a comment.

Two neighbours, Kutoya Kukanda, 50, and Delroy Simms, 62, who have been called have been called 'heroes' for rescuing three children from the rubble at around 7am, said they feared a young girl was still trapped inside.

Mr Simms, dressed in his pyjamas by the cordon, said the explosion was like an earthquake and knew what it was because 'that gas was smelling all week, really strong'.

He said that Mr Kukanda passed children out to him as bricks were still falling from the structure.

Videos and pictures shows the house completely reduced to rubble, planks of wood strewn about, and neighbours standing shocked outside in their dressing gowns.

Surrounding properties and vehicles are seriously damaged with tiles and bricks from the destroyed housing laying on top of them.

Around 40 properties have been evacuated as a precaution and a 50-metre cordon is in place.

One man was treated for burn injuries at the scene and witnesses said other people including a child were stretchered away, Thornton Heath Chronicle reported.

A young girl was also seen stood outside with a blanket being treated for burns, as three people are currently in hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said four people have been rescued and are asking people to avoid the area.

The fire brigade are searching for one missing person after a house collapsed following a huge explosion this morning in Croydon, south London

The blast tore a huge hole in the wall of a neighbouring home, causing serious damage to what appears to be a child's bedroom

Following a fire and explosion, approximately 40 firefighters rushed to the scene of a house collapse in Thornton Heath

Residents thought a 'bomb had gone off' when the blast happened around 7am this morning

Neighbours on the road believe a girl aged around four or five is still trapped inside (pictured: Urban Search and Rescue team at the scene in Galpin's Road)

Deputy Assistant Commissioner of London Fire Brigade confirmed one person was missing and being searched for

Emergency services remain at the scene of the completely destroyed house in Croydon, so far London Fire Brigade say four people have been rescued

The house was destroyed in the huge explosion which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak

The house explosion took place in Thornton Heath, Croydon around 7am this morning

Emergency services at the scene in Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath, south London, with the collapsed house in the background

On the road where properties sell for around 430,000, the explosion launched a mass of rubble which seriously damaged houses either side of the blast and across the road.

Neighbours said they had reported a strong gas smell two weeks ago and others said they had been feeling dizzy and sick over the last two days.

One person said they were still able to smell gas after the blast which shattered windows and severely damaged neighbouring properties as other houses in the area were also evacuated.

Residents on the street told The Sun gasworks had been taking place for 'four weeks' there is no suggestion the works have any link to the blast at this stage.





A mother was crying in the street for her son as his bedroom was opposite the completely destroyed house, said one local.

The 25-year-old woman told MyLondon: 'His mum was out on the street crying 'My boy, my boy'.

'They took him to hospital and we've heard since that he's ok.'

She added that a 'little girl' and her dad escaped the destroyed house, and that the mum was rescued afterwards.

One resident, who lives on nearby Carisbrooke Road, said: 'I heard the explosion at 7am, it was just the biggest bang you'll ever hear.

'So I went down the road to see what happened this morning and the whole house is gone, people living nearby said all their windows shook.

'There was police, fire engines, a helicopter going around overhead. There's not actually a fire from what I saw but you can still really smell gas, even two roads away where I am. They're evacuating people from the houses nearby as they're worried about another explosion.

'There was a little girl of about 10 or 11 stood outside with a blanket bless her, god knows how she got out of that but she's being treated for burns.

'They were saying her older brother was still inside but he later got taken out OK I think.'

Dominic Francis, 41, and his partner heard a loud bang this morning, he said: 'It is the third or fourth house explosion in the UK recently.

'Something is wrong, I am worried it will happen to us.'

One Facebook user said: 'I heard it whilst getting ready for work and thought it sounded like an explosion but was hoping I was wrong and that it was at a building site or something.'

Another added: 'That was one loud bang thought a bomb had gone off'.

The house, pictured several years before the blast, was completely destroyed with neighbouring properties also badly damaged sparking the evacuation of 40 people

London Fire Brigade say four people have been rescued from the scene (pictured)

Around forty firefighters attended the scene and the surrounding area was evacuated after the explosion

Nearby properties on Galpin's Road (pictured) have been damaged and four people have been rescued

Police have evacuated and cordoned off the surrounding area following the explosion

At this time, the cause of the fire and explosion is unknown, but a nearby resident said they could smell gas

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We have treated four patients at an incident in Galpins Road, Thornton heath. One was discharged on scene and three others were taken to hospital.

'We remain on scene with our emergency service colleagues.'

Merton council said in a statement: 'We are working with London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police following a major incident at Galpins Road in Pollards Hill.

'Emergency services are on site following a gas explosion at a residential property, at least one property has been destroyed. We are urging people to avoid the area.

'Firefighters are currently carrying out systematic searches and working to make the scene safe.

'An evacuation centre has been established at the New Horizons Centre.'

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said in a statement: 'Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters have been called to a fire and explosion on Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath.

'A terraced house has collapsed following an explosion.

'The Brigade's 999 Control Officers have taken 13 calls to the incident.

'The Brigade was called at 0708. Fire crews from Norbury, Mitcham, West Norwood, Woodside and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

'The cause of the fire and explosion is not known at this time.'

The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers are at the scene. A statement on Twitter said: 'Officers are at the scene in Galpin's Road as part of the emergency services response to this incident. Please follow @LondonFire for updates.'

London Ambulance Service said it is also responding to the incident.
China has announced fresh military drills around Taiwan today, continuing to pile pressure on the self-governing island and its allies in Washington.

Beijing said its forces would carry out live-fire anti-submarine and sea raid drills on Monday, without giving a precise end date.

It comes after four days of live-fire drills which saw China fire ballistic missiles over the island for the first time came to an end last night.

Xi Jinping's regime has justified the drills by saying they are in response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island last week.

But John Kirby, Biden's national security council coordinator, has condemned the war games as an 'irresponsible' and 'provocative' move designed to undermine peace in the region.

Beijing's drills on how to target American ships and submarines during a potential invasion of the island state ran for three days last week before being extended yesterday afternoon

Threatening exercises include missile strikes, warplanes and ship movements across the crucial Median line of the Taiwan Strait (image of warplanes released by China yesterday)

Taiwanese Navy warships are anchored at a harbour on August 07, 2022 in Keelung, Taiwan

As part of the games - which Chinese state media referred to as rehearsal for an invasion - dozens of aircraft and ships have crossed the 'meridian line' that separates Taiwan from China down the center of the Taiwan Strait.

Continuing the drills into Monday has led to fears that China could be preparing for a sustained campaign of pressure on the island, which Xi has vowed to 'reunify' with the mainland.

'The eastern theatre of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued to carry out practical joint exercises and training in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island,' the military said.

The exercises, the PLA's Eastern Command said, were 'focusing on organising joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations'.

Taipei condemned Beijing for extending the drills.

'China's provocation and aggression have harmed the status quo of the Taiwan Strait and raised tensions in the region,' the island's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Beijing was also set to carry out live-fire drills on Monday in parts of the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

Taiwan has remained defiant throughout the Chinese drills.

Its military said it would hold anti-landing exercises in Taiwan's south on Tuesday and Thursday.

'We will practise counter moves against simulated enemy attacks on Taiwan,' Lou Woei-jye, spokesman for the Eighth Army Corps, told AFP.

The Taiwanese army will carry out its own military exercises on Tuesday and Thursday (soldiers pictured during a welcome ceremony today for St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister)

Taiwan Navy soldiers monitor the waters of Taiwan in response to the military exercises by Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), at an undisclosed location in this handout yesterday

They will include the deployment of hundreds of troops and about 40 howitzer guns, the military said.

Taiwan has insisted that no Chinese planes or ships have entered Taiwan's territorial waters during the drills.

But to show how close it came to Taiwan's shores, the Chinese military released a video of an air force pilot filming the island's coastline and mountains from his cockpit.

The Eastern Command also shared a photo it said was of a warship on patrol with Taiwan's shoreline visible in the background.

Ballistic missiles were fired over Taiwan's capital during the exercises last week, according to Chinese state media.

The scale and intensity of China's drills - as well as its withdrawal from key talks on climate and defence - have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Washington is 'determined to act responsibly' to avoid a major global crisis.

But Beijing on Monday defended its behaviour as 'firm, forceful and appropriate' to American provocation.

'(We) are only issuing a warning to the perpetrators,' foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing, promising China would 'firmly smash the Taiwan authorities' illusion of gaining independence through the US'.

'We urge the US to do some earnest reflection, and immediately correct its mistakes.'

Experts say the drills have revealed an increasingly emboldened Chinese military capable of carrying out a gruelling blockade of the island and obstructing US forces from coming to Taiwan's aid.

'In some areas, the PLA might even surpass US capabilities,' Grant Newsham, a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and a former US Navy officer, told AFP.

'If the battle is confined to the area right around Taiwan, today's Chinese navy is a dangerous opponent - and if the Americans and Japanese do not intervene for some reason, things would be difficult for Taiwan.'

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin is pictured at a press conference today. He repeated Beijing's contention that Taiwan is part of China and that its waters are China's

'China's firm stance' is aimed at 'earnestly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability,' Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said in Cambodia over the weekend

A billboard in Taipei welcomed Speaker Pelosi to the island as Taiwanese showed their support

Shortly before the latest drills were announced, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met visiting St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, telling him she was moved by his determination to visit despite China's military pressure.

Chinese official is ridiculed after claiming Taipei's 38 dumpling restaurants proves Taiwan is part of China A senior Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman has prompted a storm of ridicule online, after a late-night tweet where she used restaurant listings to assert Beijing's claim over Taiwan. 'Baidu Maps show that there are 38 Shandong dumpling restaurants and 67 Shanxi noodle restaurants in Taipei,' spokeswoman Hua Chunying posted on the social media site late on Sunday. 'Palates don't cheat. #Taiwan has always been a part of China. The long lost child will eventually return home,' she added. Hua's tweet on Sunday appeared to backfire, as thousands of users on Twitter - a site banned in China and only accessible via special VPN software - piled on to poke holes in the top official's logic. 'There are over 100 ramen restaurants in Taipei, so Taiwan is definitely a part of Japan,' a Twitter user with the handle 'Marco Chu' wrote in Hua's replies. 'Google Maps show that there are 17 McDonalds, 18 KFCs, 19 Burger Kings, and 19 Starbucks in Beijing. Palates don't cheat. #China has always been a part of America. The long lost child will eventually return home,' Twitter user '@plasticreceiver' wrote in a parody of Hua's tweet. Others wondered jokingly if Hua's logic meant Beijing could place claims on territories far beyond the Asia Pacific region. 'There are 29 dumpling houses in the Greater Los Angeles area not to mention 89 noodle restaurants,' a person tweeting under the name 'Terry Adams' wrote. 'Using Hua's logic, LA has always been a part of China.' Sunday's tweet is far from the first time Beijing's diplomats have raised eyebrows with their use of social media that their own government prohibits. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has frequently promoted conspiracy theories on Twitter, including the idea that the US military might have brought Covid-19 to China. Advertisement

'Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. These statements have deeply touched us,' Tsai said at a welcome ceremony for Gonsalves in Taipei.

It was unclear if Tsai had invited Gonsalves before or after Pelosi's visit. 'We don't disclose internal planning or communications between governments,' the Taiwanese foreign ministry said.

Beyond the firing of 11 short-range ballistic missiles during the four earlier days of exercises, Chinese warships, fighter jets and drones maneuvered extensively around the island.

Shortly before those drills ended on Sunday, around 10 warships each from China and Taiwan maneuvered at close quarters around the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a person familiar with the situation involved with security planning.

A Chinese state television commentator said late on Sunday that the Chinese military would now conduct 'regular' drills on the Taiwan side of the line.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported that Taiwan's army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung County on Tuesday and Thursday in response to the Chinese exercises.

The drills will include snipers, combat vehicles, armored vehicles as well as attack helicopters, said the report, which cited an anonymous source.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary.

The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called on the international community to 'support democratic Taiwan' and 'halt any escalation of the regional security situation.'

The G7 has also criticized China's actions, prompting Beijing to cancel a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.

China has cut off defense and climate talks with the US and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit.

The Biden administration and Pelosi say the US remains committed to the 'one-China' policy that extends formal diplomatic recognition to Beijing while allowing robust informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

The US however criticized Beijing's actions in the Taiwan Strait, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling them 'fundamentally irresponsible.'

'There's no need and no reason for this escalation,' Jean-Pierre said.

In Washington, Taiwan's de facto ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao said China had no reason to 'be so furious,' over Pelosi's visit, which follows a long tradition of American lawmakers visiting Taiwan.

'Well, you know, we have been living under the threat from China for decades,' Hsiao told CBS News on Sunday.

'If you have a kid being bullied at school, you don't say you don't go to school. You try to find a way to deal with the bully.

'The risks are posed by Beijing,' Hsiao said.

On a visit to Myanmar, whose Chinese-backed military government has been accused of murdering its opponents, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington was 'taking the opportunity to build up its military deployment in the region, which deserves high vigilance and resolute boycott from all sides.'

'China's firm stance' is aimed at 'earnestly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability,' Wang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for a cooling of tensions.

'Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge de-escalation, and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for, and the whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored,' Wong told reporters in Canberra.

Ahead of Pelosi's trip, Chinese President Xi Jinping had warned that the US would face the wrath of Beijing if she went to Taiwan.

Chinese state media released some excerpts from a two-hour call between Xi and Biden last month, where the Chinese leader was quoted as saying: 'Those who play with fire will only get burnt. Hope the US side can see this clearly.'

The leader of the People's Republic of China also said he firmly opposes Taiwan independence and the interference of external forces.

On the other hand, Biden expressed the US stance on the issue has not changed, according to a readout of the meeting.

'On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' it stated.
A top German diplomat has been arrested in Brazil and accused of beating his husband of more than two decades to death inside their apartment.

Uwe Herbert Hahn, the German consul to Brazil, was arrested late Saturday after 52-year-old husband Walter Henri Maximilien Biot was found dead - with Hahn allegedly telling cops he suffered a fatal fall at their Rio de Janeiro penthouse the night before.

Hahn claims Biot had some kind of fit, began running towards the apartment's balcony, then tripped on a rug and hit his head - causing an injury that proved fatal.

But police say Biot's body was covered in bruises, some of which appeared to come from being stomped on, and he also had lesions from 'aggression with a cylindrical object' that were not consistent with a fall.

Uwe Herbert Hahn (right), German consul to Brazil, has been arrested in Rio de Janeiro for allegedly beating husband Walter Henri Maximilien Biot (left) to death in their apartment

Hahn (pictured) is said to have told officers that Biot had some kind of fit, fell and suffered a fatal head injury, but cops say he had multiple injuries not consistent with that account

It is not clear who called officers to the couple's apartment - in the upmarket beachfront neighbourhood of Ipanema - on Saturday, but police are said to have arrived to find Hahn attempting to clean it.

He was taken for questioning as forensic teams moved in with luminol - a substance that glows on contact with blood - which they used to uncover bloodstains.

Some were said to have been on the tile floors, with a secretary to the couple saying she ordered them to be cleaned after a dog was found lapping up blood.

Meanwhile police found another suspected bloodstain on a sofa that had been recently cleaned.

Hahn is reported to have told officers that Bitot - a Belgian citizen - was suffering a drink problem and had been taking sleeping pills.

He is said to have told police that Biot had been acting 'strangely' in the days before his death, and seemed to be 'panicked or nervous'.

Hahn claimed to have been in the kitchen when he heard Biot get up and start running, before the fall.

He said he heard his husband 'groaning' on the floor and initially thought he was drunk and tried to put him to bed.

Police say Biot - who had been married to Hahn (pictured) for 23 years - appeared to have been stomped on and had lesions from 'aggression with a cylindrical instrument'

Cops are said to have arrived at the couple's beachfront penthouse apartment to find Hahn trying to clean it, before forensic officers discovered bloodstains inside

It was only after sending a picture to a friend complaining Biot was 'drunk again' that Hahn claimed to noticed the blood.

But forensic examinations found Biot had died from a wound to the back of his head, not the front as he would have got from falling forwards.

That, coupled with numerous other injuries Biot had suffered, led officers to conclude that his death was the result of violence.

Officer Camila Lourenco said: 'The version of events given by the consul, that the victim suffered a fall, is incompatible with the conclusions of the forensics report

'The cadaver is screaming out the circumstances of its death.'

Brazilian media reports said Hahn will not have diplomatic immunity given the nature of the crime. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biot was a week shy of his 53rd birthday, according to a picture of his ID card published in the Brazilian press.

Hahn is said to have told police that the couple were considering a move to Hawaii.

They had been married for a total of 23 years.

The German embassy did not immediately respond to a request for information.

But both the embassy and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro are in 'close contact with the Brazilian authorities investigating this case', a source in the German federal foreign office said Sunday.
Newcastle is the latest city to announce it will bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, after organisers said it could not be held in war-torn Ukraine.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) gave the UK the chance to host the event for the ninth time  more than any other country after Sam Ryder came second in the competition.

Ukraine's entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed at this year's competition in Turin, Italy.

Newcastle City Council has announced it will join a variety of cities across the country including London, Manchester and Glasgow in bidding to host the annual music competition.

NewcastleGateshead Initiative is delivering the bid on behalf of Newcastle City Council.

A choir of young Ukrainian residents performed on Newcastle quayside to support the bid for Eurovision 2023. From left, Zhanna, 17, Cabinet member for a Resilient City Cllr Alex Hay, Lyza, 12, Cabinet member for a Vibrant City, Cllr Lesley Storey and Vlada, 13

Destination director Ian Thomas said: 'This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to welcome a huge number of international visitors, performers and media to the north east of England and to showcase our world-class culture, rich heritage and vibrant region to the world.

'The potential impact of Newcastle hosting Eurovision 2023 is phenomenal.

'Eurovision will play a significant role in rejuvenating and sustaining our visitor economy, supporting our businesses and creating an even better place for our residents.'

Mr Thomas said that other 'large events' have significantly boost the regional economy.

'The European Professional Rugby Club finals attract 95,000 fans to the region which contributed 24 million to our visitor economy in 2019,' he said.

'World Transplant Games also in 2019 brought in attendees from over 50 countries which pushed hotel occupancy rates up by 13%, supporting the hospitality supply chain and helping to sustain jobs within the industry.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) gave the UK the chance to host the event for the ninth time  more than any other country after Sam Ryder (pictured) came second in the competition

'Eurovision will be on an even bigger scale, and we welcome this fantastic opportunity to bring this to the region.'

Councillor Alex Hay of Newcastle City Council said: 'We are delighted to be bidding to host Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine and stand in solidarity with its people.

'We are collaborating with partners across the region to help make this a reality for Newcastle, to do Ukraine proud and to embody everything that Eurovision stands for.'

According to the BBC  which broadcasts the contest in the UK and will make the selection alongside the EBU  the winner will be chosen in a two-stage process against requirements that assess the city's capacity and capability.

Once all the applications have been received, a shortlist will be announced on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on August 12.

Ukraine will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations  the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, who each get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event. Pictured, the Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine celebrate winning the Eurovision Song Contest

Announcing London's bid, Mayor Sadiq Khan said that the city is 'ready and willing to step in' with a contest that 'celebrates the people of Ukraine and shows off the very best of Britain'.

Sheffield City Council was also among the first to announce a bid, saying on Twitter: 'We've told Eurovision we'd love to host... watch this space.'

Leeds City Council said it makes 'total sense' for it to host next year as Leeds is the city of culture for 2023.

Two of Scotland's largest cities, Glasgow and Aberdeen, have also announced they will be vying to host the contest in 2023.

Ukraine will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations  the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, who each get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.

The host city is expected to be announced by the autumn.
A British pensioner has been killed in St Lucia after police discovered her body tied up in a pool of blood next to her dead dog in her home on the Caribbean island.

Diana Theodore, 72, was discovered at her house in Morne Sion, Choiseul, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The community activist mother-of-one had been living in St Lucia for more than 30 years and was reported missing by a friend.

Diana Theodore (pictured) has been killed in St Lucia with her body found tied up in a pool of blood under her bed

The pensioner was discovered at her house in Morne Sion (pictured), Choiseul, in the early hours of Saturday morning

The community activist mother-of-one had been living in St Lucia for more than 30 years and was reported missing by a friend (pictured, map showing her home in Morne Sion)

A local resident told local news site Loop News: 'He came to us and said he has not seen her so we all went in search of her but did not find her.

'We all went looking to try to find her as she is always at home. It is not like her not to be seen in this small village. She was friendly and has been living in Morne Sion for many years now.'

Following an extensive police search, Ms Theodore was found tied underneath her bed in a pool of blood with a laceration to her head.

Her dog was also found dead in the house.

Another resident said: 'She was a very nice person, every time you see her, she would be smiling, her teeth always out.

'She's such a nice lady for her to have been treated that way,

'Everybody is just in shock and very sad because she is such a nice lady and did not deserve this at all. Things like that don't occur in Choiseul.'

Ms Theodore left the UK many years ago to settle in St Lucia where she was a community activist

Ms Theodore left the UK many years ago to settle in St Lucia where she was a community activist, and her daughter works in the UK as a university lecturer.

A Police spokesman in St Lucia said that they are investigating the murder.

They said: 'We got an early call today about a woman and her dog who were found dead in her house and are looking into this as a matter of urgency.'

The Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) has extended condolences to the family of the deceased, describing her death as tragic and untimely.

They said: 'Diana was a passionate and vocal advocate for Saint Lucia's natural and cultural heritage.

'She was a long-term member of the Trust who also served on Council and regularly contributed her ideas, concerns, and advice in areas of conservation and community interest.

'Diana will be sorely missed,' the SLNT statement said.
Ben & Jerry's is taking its parent company Unilever to court in New York today to stop the multinational from selling their ice cream in the occupied West Bank.

The woke ice cream company's founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement aiming to pressure Israel into backing away from military action in Palestinian territory.

The company said it no longer wanted to sell products in the occupied West Bank because it was 'inconsistent' with their values.

But consumer goods giant Unilever, which bought out the company in 2000 for $326million, says it has the final say in where Ben & Jerry's is sold.

Aiming to side-step its subsidiary, Unilever decided to spin out the ice-cream maker's Palestine-based business to a local Israeli firm called Avi Zinger.

But such a move was too far for the Ben & Jerry's board members, who sued Unilever on July 5 to try to stop the sale of its business in Israel.

Unilever responded by freezing the salaries of Ben 7 Jerry's board members, which experts described as 'unprecedented'.

Some investors reacted by selling their Unilever stocks and bonds, prompting a legal confrontation between the ice cream company and its parent.

Ben & Jerry's CEO Matthew McCarthy is pictured. The ice cream maker is taking its parent company Unilever to court in New York today to stop the multinational from selling their ice cream in the occupied West Bank

Palestinian protestors wave flags as they demonstrate in support of Gaza, in the West Bank city of Nablus. Unilever and Ben & Jerry's are in court three days after an intense conflict broke out between Israel and Gaza, with the Palestinian death toll reaching at least 36 since the start of the Israeli offensive on Friday

Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever, speaks onstage during the 2019 Concordia Annual Summit. Unilever said the sale of Ben & Jerry's Israeli business has already gone through and cannot be reversed

A subsidiary suing its parents is virtually unheard of, according to legal sources quoted in the Wall Street Journal.

In fact, Unilever argues the lawsuit is in valid and says the two companies are one and the same.

After the lawsuit, Unilever retaliated by freezing Ben & Jerry's directors' salaries in July.

'Unprecedented doesnt begin to describe it,' said Ann Lipton, a professor of business law and entrepreneurship at Tulane University.

Ben & Jerry's accused it of using 'pressure tactics' in the dispute, going on to file a preliminary injunction to block the deal, but Unilever said the sale went through on June 29 and cannot be undone.

The woke company has a history of using its ice cream brand for political activism, releasing new flavors to raise awareness for climate change, same sex marriage and structural racism.

'Ending the sales of ice cream in the occupied territories is one of the most important decisions the company has made in its 43-year history,' the company has said.

Cohen and Greenfield no longer technically control the company but remain its public faces, often speaking out on political issues.

'Well, I disagree with the US policy, we couldnt stop selling in the US,' Fox reported Cohen as responding when asked why the company pulled products in Israel but not in the US, where it publicly disagrees with many policies such as gun control.

The court battle is coming to a head on three days after an intense conflict broke out between Israel and Gaza, with the Palestinian death toll reaching at least 36 since the start of the Israeli offensive on Friday.

Ben Cohen, left, and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, attend a protest in Washington. The company has a history of using its ice cream brand for political activism, releasing new flavors to raise awareness for climate change, same sex marriage and racism

Both sides have brokered a ceasefire, temporarily ending the worst fighting between Israel and Gaza militant groups since since both sides fought an 11-day war last year.

That same year, the Cherry Garcia ice cream maker surpassed $1billion in sales for the first time, becoming one of 13 Unilever brands to achieve such a scale.

Unilever's chief executive Alan Jope said in July during the company's quarterly earnings call that Ben & Jerry's 'long-term future' is 'squarely as part of Unilever.'

Both companies last month tried to reach an out-of-court deal over the spat but notified a federal court they had failed to do so on August 1, leading to Monday's hearing.

The battle has tested how far Unilever is willing to go to give its brands freedom to have social missions.

Unilever has more than 400 brands, including Dove soap, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Knorr soup and Vaseline skin lotion.

Israelis visit the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream factory in the Be'er Tuvia Industrial area, July 20, 2021

'This decision for us to go to court is because of Unilever's sale without our input, which is a clear violation of the letter and the spirit of our original acquisition agreement with Unilever,' Ben & Jerry's board chairperson Anuradha Mittal said in an interview with Reuters.

'If Unilever is willing to so blatantly violate the agreement that has governed the parties' conduct for over two decades, then we believe it won't stop with this issue.'

'If left unaddressed, Unilever's actions will undermine our social mission and essential integrity of the brand, which threatens our reputation and ultimately our business as a whole,' she added.

Unilever, which did not respond to MailOnline's request for comment before press time, has previously said it is 'very proud' of its business in Israel, where it employs around 2,000 people and has four manufacturing plants.

Ben & Jerry's was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment.
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Anne Heche may have been drunk or on drugs when she plowed her car through a house before it exploded into a fireball in Los Angeles, police insiders have said.

The actress, 53, who was intubated with horrific burns after the terrifying crash, is set to be investigated over the 90mph smash in Mar Vista, the sources suggested.

LAPD officers are reportedly poised to seize her blood from her hospital bed within the coming weeks to get to the bottom of whether she was under the influence while behind the wheel.

A picture taken by a witness before the crash showed Heche in her blue Mini Clubman with a bottle with a red top on it looking glassy eyed.

It comes as new images showed the moment the shocked homeowner watched her 'entire lifetime of possessions' go up in flames during the horror collision on Friday morning.

Lynne Mishele was photographed watching on in terror as her life's work erupted in a fireball after the actress tore through it at breakneck speed.

She was seen on the sidewalk outside with her hands in her pockets looking gobsmacked as 59 firefighters battled the huge blaze that took over an hour to put out.

Heche remains in hospital battling horrific injuries from the crash, which somehow only left her injured and came just across the road from an elementary school.

She first pranged her Mini on a garage block, before racing away, plowing it through a hedge and ending up fully submerged in Mishele's home on 1766 South Walgrove Avenue.



A photo from earlier on Friday shows Heche moments before the second accident at the wheel with a bottle of vodka with a red cap plonked in the cup holder

Homeowner Lynne Mishele, seen in the maroon, stands across the street from her home looking dazed and confused after actress Anne Heche slammed a Mini into the side of her house and triggered a large fire

Firefighters pick their way through the charred debris of Lynne Mishele's house after successfully extinguishing the blaze

Devastation is seen at Lynne's house after actress Anne Heche plowed 30ft into the property driving a Mini at high speed

Firefighters enter the property as large clouds of smoke billow from the scene of the high speed crash

A GoFundMe page that has been set up for Lynne Mishele, pictured here on her Facebook page, has raised more than $50,000 in less than two days

Actress Anne Heche was rushed to a local hospital after the crash where she was intubated and treated for burns. She is listed as being in stable condition

Mishele can been seen trying to salvage what she could after the fire was put out

LAPD sources told TMZ Heche may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol when she plowed into the two buildings at around 11am on Friday.

The insiders said they had a warrant to draw her blood because they believe she was intoxicated but it could take weeks to get the results.

They said the minimum the actress could face is hit-and-run charges for the garage crash which saw her quickly take off despite being filmed by shocked witnesses.

The development comes after a somber image emerged of Mishele watching her house and 'an entire lifetime of possessions' burn down before her eyes.

A GoFundMe page set up for her by members of her westside Los Angeles community raised more than $50,000 in a single day after being created over the weekend.

The page details how Mishele, who is referred to as a 'kind and generous person', narrowly escaped death following the horrific crash but was forced to look on as her property crumbled amid the brutal blaze.

The goal of the GoFundMe page set up by neighbors John and Jennifer Durand is $100,000 to try to replace the memories lost in the fire.

The page read: 'Lynne lives with her beautiful pups Bree and Rueban, and tortoise Marley in the Mar Vista home that was destroyed this week by a car driving into the home at a high rate of speed, catching the house on fire.

'Even more distressing is that Lynne lost her entire lifetime of possessions, mementos, all equipment for her business including her laptop and iPad, all of her clothing and basic necessities, and all household items.

'With firefighters' help, she was able to pull a few damaged sentimental belongings from the wreckage. Everything else is gone.'

Mishele's neighbor Lynne Bernstein told People Magazine that her friend was 'extremely fortunate' to survive. She added: 'So were the dogs and her turtle.'

Mishele can be seen outside of her wrecked home in the minutes following the crash - Heche's Mini still on the right, waiting to be removed

Mishele can be seen, left, as she surveys the damage to her home

Heche's blue Mini Clubman is shown on a doorbell camera speeding past a home along South Walgrove Avenue in the Mar Vista neighborhood around 90 miles per hour

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the crash caused 'structural compromise and erupting in heavy fire'

In a tweet, the LAFD said that it took 59 firefighters about 65 minutes to put out the blaze. The home is now 'uninhabitable'

According to the GoFundMe page: 'With firefighters' help, she was able to pull a few damaged sentimental belongings from the wreckage. Everything else is gone'

A neighbor described Mishele's initial reaction to the crash saying: ''I don't think she got what was going on. She said, 'What happened? What happened?''

Mishele pictured on her Facebook page with Hollywood star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2016

According to her LinkedIn page, Mishele is the founder of Creative Organization, a company that helps to organize 'your home, your office and your life. We help you simplify everything!'

Actress Anne Heche has been intubated in a critical condition after crashing her Mini into a garage before speeding off and smashing it into a home where it exploded

One resident estimated the car to have been traveling at close to 100mph. The video ends seconds later with a loud crash

Bernstein said that Mishele was luckily in a different part of the home than where the crash occurred.

She described her initial reaction to the crash saying: 'I don't think she got what was going on. She said, 'What happened? What happened?''

Bernstein also said that Heche's car went 'almost all the way through' the home and 'almost immediately' burst into flames.

According to her LinkedIn page, Mishele is the founder of Creative Organization, a company that helps to organize 'your home, your office and your life. We help you simplify everything!'

She describes herself as an 'Effective organizing professional with expertise in approaching organizing issues with a creative outlook. An innovative organizer that has a proven track record with establishing successful systems for each individual client.'

Mishele says on her LinkedIn page that she founded the company in 1993. Previously, she worked as a travel director at Citigroup and as a marketing associate for Sony Pictures.

The entrepreneur is a graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

While on her Instagram page, Mishele regularly posts self-help videos. A few days before the accident that destroyed her home, she posted a video titled: 'Don't leave a burden for your loved ones.'

In the video, she encouraged her followers not to leave things to loved ones after they die without asking them first if they want the items.

The 53-year-old suffered horrific burns during the collision and was recorded being dragged out of the mangled wreck by firefighters after it burst into flames in LA around 11am

Heche can be seen being removed from the scene on a stretcher and taken towards a waiting ambulance

An interior shot shows the Mini Clubman's airbag had blown out along with most of the decor being burnt through following the crash

Pictures and video showed her looking dazed at the wheel after the first crash, with a witness capturing her with a bottle with a red top on it in her car. It is not clear what was in the container but it looked like a vodka bottle

Before the crash, a slurring Anne Heche joked on a podcast about drinking vodka with wine chasers - claiming at the time that she was having a 'very bad day.' The episode of 'Better Together', which she co-hosts, aired just hours before she crashed her car into the house.

She and co-host Heather Duffy even tell the audience at one point that Refined - a vodka distillery which sponsored one of their shows - provided them with free alcohol.

'We each have a bottle in front of us because our friends sent us a bottle of Refined and I think we even did a bad commercial for them in the beginning of our days.

'Dr. Rahm said that we should be drinking vodka instead of wine,' Duffy says, to which Heche adds, 'and we listened, and we are drinking it.'

Duffy then reveals they are using wine to chase down the vodka, before Heche reveals: 'Today's been a very unique day.

'I don't know what happened, sometimes days just suck and I don't know if you ever have them [but] some days, those no good, very bad days, and some days days just end up like this.

'Sometimes days just suck and I don't know if you ever have them, but you know some days, Mama says just gonna be like this,' she continues. 'Some days there's those no good, very bad days.

'And I don't know why some days just end up like this, and things don't really rock me like that.'

She later revealed how she has had a tough week, explaining how people interrupted her meditating at her apartment. It remains unclear if the podcast was recorded on Friday, or if that is just when it aired.

In Friday's episode of Better Together, Heche appears to slur her words as she and co-host Heather Duffy tell the audience they are drinking vodka with wine chasers. The two co-hosts are pictured in an earlier podcast

Heche, 53, goes on to talk about how she was having a bad day in the most recent podcast episode. It is unclear whether it was recorded on Friday before her crash, or if that is just when it aired. She is pictured here in an earlier podcast

EXCLUSIVE: Anne Heche's son, 20, is comforted by two female friends at his LA home as his mother recovers in hospital from horrific burns in fiery car crash

Anne Heche's eldest son, Homer Laffoon, spent his Saturday in the company of two young women.

Laffoon, 20, is the son of the troubled actress and her former husband, Coleman 'Coley' Laffoon. The couple were married in September 2001 and split in February 2007.

In exclusive DailyMail.com photos, Laffoon is seen shirtless showing his two female friends to the door. His two dressed-up friends leave his home in Los Angeles, Calif.

In exclusive DailyMail.com photos, Laffoon is seen shirtless showing his two female friends to the door. His two dressed up friends leave his home in Los Angeles, looking as though the trio pulled an all-nighter

It's unclear if Laffoon is in a relationship with either of his female friends. The star's son makes no reference to a girlfriend on his various social media accounts

It's unclear if Laffoon is in a relationship with either of his female friends. The star's son makes no reference to a girlfriend on his various social media accounts.

Her second son, Atlas, was born to Heche and actor James Tupper in 2009. He was born just days after her marriage to Laffoon's father officially ended. Heche and Tupper split in 2018.

Following Heche's car crash on Friday, in which she first slammed into a garage at an apartment building, then careered into a home in her blue Mini Clubman leaving her 'severely burned' and 'intubated' in a Los Angeles hospital, Tupper posted a photo of his former partner and wrote on Instagram: 'Thoughts and prayers for this lovely woman, actress and mother tonight anneheche. We love you.'

On his Instagram page, Laffoon takes his mother's name going by Homer Heche.

Laffoon, 20, is the son of the troubled actress and her former husband, Coleman 'Coley' Laffoon

On his Instagram page, Laffoon takes his mother's name, going by Homer Heche

Laffoon graduated from high school in the summer of 2020, according to Heche. The ceremony was held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles

Anne Heche, pictured here with her ex-husband Coley Laffoon in 2002, was involved in multiple car crashes on Friday in which she first slammed into a garage at an apartment building, then careered into a home in her blue Mini Clubman leaving her 'severely burned' and 'intubated' in a Los Angeles hospital

Following her divorce from Coley Laffoon, the pair became embroiled in a bitter custody dispute that took ten years to resolve

Laffoon graduated from high school in the summer of 2020, according to Heche. The ceremony was held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles. In an interview, the Donnie Brasco star took the opportunity to rail against Covid-19 protocols in California.

His famous mother told Page Six: 'He's 18. Excitedly looking forward to this major event in his life. So where was it held? In a parking lot. The Rose Bowl parking lot in LA.'

'We had to enter wearing masks. Cars were spaced far apart. Nobody allowed outside their vehicle. The graduates onstage were masked and allowed only one second to remove that and mumble thank you. It was surreal. Bizarre.'

She concluded: 'Your pass was preprinted out. You were allowed one car per family. No extra guests. Allowed photos were without the graduate's face being visible. The security stationed around all wore black masks. Everything else nearby was boarded up, locked up, chained up. It was watching California disintegrate.'

Since birth, Heche has said that her two sons share a close and intimate bond. She told People Magazine in 2011 when Laffoon was nine and Atlas was two: 'The two are having an incredible bond right now. They already look out for each other.'

Despite splitting in 2007, as recently as 2017 Heche and Coleman Laffoon had to renegotiate their child support and custody arrangements.

The pair agreed at the time to share custody of then-14-year-old Homer Laffoon. Back in 2014, Heche lost primary custody of her son.

Heche and Laffoon's divorce was finalized in March 2009, and according to court documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, the actress had to cough up $3,700 a month in child support as well as a $500,000 lump sum. She also had to pay 75 percent of Homer's private school tuition.

Heche disclosed in a 2007 interview on The View that her son, then seven, flew to be with her twice a month from his home in Los Angeles to Vancouver were she was shooting her show, Men in Trees. She told the hosts: 'Homer flies a lot  twice a month to see me. It's hard. You've to got to open up your heart as if he's right in front of you.'

During their custody dispute, Heche was accused of cursing in front of her son and berating his father in front of him, she was also accused of not caring for her son when he visited on set, instead leaving him with aides and of showering with her son and new then-new boyfriend, James Tupper, while wearing bathing suits.

In retaliation Heche said that Coley Laffoon would regularly watch pornography and gamble while he was supposed to be looking after their son. During an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Heche called her ex as 'lazy a**.'

Following the end of Heche's relationship with James Tupper, she became involved in an equally fiery custody fight.
The founder of a far-right Italian party and frontrunner to be the country's next leader has called for a blockade of Libya to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, wants the Italian navy to blockade the north African coast so that all migrants can be screened before leaving to ascertain whether they are genuine refugees.

Those who can prove their refugee status should be allowed through, Meloni said, while those who cannot should be sent home.

The 45-year-old is current frontrunner to replace Mario Draghi in a general election that is due to be held in September after Draghi's government collapsed.

Giorgia Meloni, current frontrunner to become Italy's next prime minister, has proposed blockading the coast of Libya to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean

Ms Meloni wants all new arrivals - both migrants and refugees - to be detained in Africa so their eligibility to travel can be assessed before any of them are allowed to come to Italy (file)

Meloni, who counts the likes of Italy's former interior minister Matteo Salvini and former leader Silvio Berlusconi as her allies, made the comments at the weekend.

Speaking to a TV channel owned by the Berlusconi family, she said: 'The problem of migrant arrivals on our shores must be tackled at its source, with a "naval blockade".'

Likening the plan to EU proposals to get tough on border security, she added: '[This] is no different than a European mission to negotiate together with Libya, the possibility to block the inflatable boats during their departure.'

But Meloni's plans came under attack by political opponents, who said any attempt to blockade the shores of a foreign nation would be a de-facto declaration of war.

'Meloni, do you know that under international law it is considered an act of war,' tweeted former house speaker Laura Boldrini.

'Do you know that more ships would be required than the navy has? Do you know the number of dead would outnumber those rejected?'

Salvini - who led a campaign against migrant arrivals in his time as interior minister - also distanced himself, having already pitched legal reforms as a solution.

But Meloni remained undeterred, writing on Facebook that: 'Those who blabber on today that the naval blockade cannot be done because it is "an act of war" demonstrate their total ignorance on the issue of immigration.'

Meloni's plans have been put forward by her Brother of Italy party before, but have now come under attack as a de-facto declaration of war on Libya (file image, Italian police boat)

Tens of thousands of desperate migrants arrive in Italy each year, many of them via the tiny island of Lampedusa near the Italian and Tunisian coasts (pictured)

Italy has become one of Europe's main points of arrival for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, with the issue dominating politics in recent election cycles

Meloni is on track to become Italy's first ever female leader following a September 25 election sparked by Draghi's resignation as Italy's Prime Minister.

Her party - Brothers of Italy - is seen as the successor to Italy's old fascist movement, and she began her career in politics in the Italian Social Movement which was founded by ex-fascists after the Second World War.

From there, she found her way into Berlusconi's People of Freedom party before quitting in 2013 to form her own organisation - the Brothers of Italy.

Despite maintaining the Social Movement's old flame symbol as part of their logo, the Brothers deny support for fascism.

Meloni said last year that there was no room for those nostalgic for fascism in her party, and has opposed Italy's unelected technocrat leaders.

But some in the party have been found to have links to fascists.

Last year a Brothers MEP was suspended after an undercover documentary showed him discussing illegal funding with extremists who performed fascist salutes and made racist jokes.

Aside from the naval blockade, Maloni has also proposed fines for NGO vessels rescuing migrants from the sea and bringing them to Italian reception centres.

Cracking down on NGOs was one of Salvini's aims while in office.

Meloni's party is seen by critics as successor to Italy's old fascist movements, and her allies include populists Matteo Salvini (left) and Silvio Berlusconi (right)

Meloni currently leads opinion polls six weeks before Italians vote in a snap election sparked when Draghi was forced to resign as Prime Minister.

The issue of migration has once-again emerged as the dominant issue for Italians, which the political right wing is hoping to capitalise on.

Italy is one of the main 'reception centres' for migrants coming from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, with tens of thousands arriving each year.

In 2021 alone, around 67,500 refugees and migrants arrived in the country - around half landing on the small island of Lampedusa, near the costs of Tunisia and Libya.

Attempts to form a centre-left coalition to take on the right-wingers largely fell apart on Monday, giving a boost to Italy's populists.

Just days after agreeing a pact with the centre-left Democratic Party - who are neck-and-neck with Meloni in opinion polls - the smaller Azione party withdrew, saying it could not work with left-wingers brought in to boost the alliance.

"You cannot explain (to voters) that to defend the constitution you make a pact with people you know you will never govern with," Azione leader Carlo Calenda, a moderate, told Corriere della Sera daily.

Italy's political system favours coalitions, and while Meloni has a strong alliance with Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, Letta is struggling to bring together the disparate progressive parties.

Letta accused Calenda of being unwilling to compromise with anyone, and also railed at former premier Matteo Renzi, leader of the Italia Viva party, for refusing to join his alliance.

"It's a way to help Meloni and Salvini," Letta told La Stampa newspaper, while adding that talks were now over, and he would focus on the campaign.
An Uber driver banned from running taxis has had appeals to get a private hire licence back rejected after a court heard he left passengers feeling terrified and sexually harassed.

Ahmed Salamin, 42, threatened to kill one woman and her children when she told him he had gone the wrong way, the Old Bailey heard.

He invited another woman to 'come and stay at my place in Pakistan' and even a hardened prison worker was left shocked by his graphic bad language.

But Salamin was so desperate to get back behind the wheel he appealed twice against his rejection for a private hire licence.

The Old Bailey heard Salamin has had multiple complaints made against him by passengers dating back to March 2016.

On March 7, 2016, woman claimed he drove dangerously and then left her stranded on the side of a busy dual carriageway.

Genevieve Moss, prosecuting, read the passenger's complaint to the court.

She said: 'My experience was horrific to say the least. I felt endangered and that my safety was compromised.

'The driver did a dangerous U-turn on the Kew Bridge Road and we were beeped at by a number of cars. I felt very unsafe.

Ahmed Salamin, 42, allegedly threatened to kill a woman and harassed another in taxi job

'On the way toward Chiswick, we were clipped by a lorry due to his dangerous driving.

'The lorry pulled over, as did Ahmed, and I stopped the journey as the lorry driver had called the police. As a result, I was left alone on the side of the dual carriageway.

'The most upsetting aspect of the experience is just how unsafe the experience was due to Ahmed's driving.'

Another allegation, in June 2016, a woman claimed she left Salamin's car 'feeling sexually harassed' after he 'over-complimented her throughout the journey.'

When Salamin ended the journey he allegedly said: 'No, I'd like to spend a few more minutes with you.'

In May 2017, Salamin allegedly greeted a woman by shaking her hand before pulling her in to kiss it 'six or seven times.'

This passenger claimed Salamin 'said some inappropriate things and made me feel unsafe as a woman travelling alone.'

In June 2017, a woman made a complaint to Uber alleging that Salamin had 'threatened to kill her and her children' after an argument over a wrong turn.

Uber driver Salamin appealed twice against his rejection and was in Old Bailey for latest try

Other allegations included inviting a woman to Pakistan to stay 'at his place', drinking whilst driving, using a phone whilst driving and swearing obscenely.

One passenger, in September 2018, said: 'As someone who works in a prison, I'm not someone to be offended by bad language but this made me feel unsafe...'

As a result of these complaints, Uber terminated Salamin's account on 29 July 2020.

In Summer 2021, Transport for London refused Salamin's application to renew his private hire vehicle license and in January of this year his application for a new license was also denied.

In April, Salamin appealed against this decision but was denied. He was appealing for a second time at the Old Bailey.

Salamin, denies all the allegations against him, claiming he does not remember the incidents or that his allegedly sexual comments had been 'misinterpreted'.

When asked about the incident in June 2017, Salamin claimed it was he who made the complaint about the woman.

He told the court: 'She asked me 'Why have you come this way?'

'I said 'Can't you see what's going on?'

'She said to me 'You son of a bitch' so I said: 'I'm a son of a bitch?'

'We had an argument...the lady jumped from the car, she opened the back door and she slammed the door into [a] bus.

'I didn't see she'd damaged the car at that moment.

'I closed the door and she came back with policemen.'

After his Uber account was terminated, Salamin began working with Bolt but his account was soon closed when further complaints were made against him.

Rosa Bennathan, for Salamin, claimed is not her client's bad behaviour which has led to his being in court today, but Uber's policy of not properly investigating complaints due to the sheer number of customers.

Rejecting his appeal, Judge Alison Kay said: 'In essence we are to place ourselves in TFL's shoes [and] consider, having regard to TFL's policy and the law generally, whether Mr Salamin is a fit and proper person to hold a license.

'A number of allegations have been referred to and examined.

'Some of them we regard as relatively trivial and possibly based on misunderstanding.

'But there are others which give use greater cause for concern.

'There is considerable concern in relation to taxi drivers as to the safety of those who travel with them.

'There is one very serious allegation, related to an incident on 10 June 2017, [wherein] it has been said that Mr Salamin made a threat to kill a passenger and her children.

'There's nothing to suggest any support for that allegation, and such a serious allegation, if true and if thought to be true, would have been pursued by police.

'If this was an isolated complaint, we would readily have said that it was not sufficient to render Mr Salamin not a fit and proper person.

'However, this is not an isolated incident, there is a pattern of him behaving in an inappropriate manner.

'Although he denies that he has ever done so.

'The number of incidents are not explained away by him in a satisfactory manner.

'We think it unlikely that such allegations have been made without foundation.

'The suggestion is there's always an incentive to make a complaint to get a refund but when one examines the content of what is said, they seem to ring true and to have the sort of detail one might expect if this were someone making a genuine rather than false complaint.

'We are not satisfied on the appropriate test that Mr Salamin is a fit and proper person to hold a license and therefore we refuse the appeal.'

Salamin was also ordered to pay 500 in costs.

He asserted he would not have gone back to Uber, even if his appeal had been allowed.

He said: 'My life, it's upside down.

'I forgive. Even this lady, if she didn't damage my door, I [wouldn't have pursued it].

'I need to work, continue to work and that's it.'

Salamin supports his wife and two children, 4 and 2, who live in Pakistan with his parents.

Since losing his license he has been unable to work, surviving on Universal Credit and dwindling savings.
Third parties in Canada  updated to 2022 (Part Three) By Mark Wegierski

web posted August 8, 2022 Western Canada has also been an area where many third parties have arisen. The Green Party, which has contested more recent federal elections, finally elected its first MP in the 2011 election. The leader of the federal Green Party, Elizabeth May, won the British Columbia riding she was running in. She also won again in the 2015 election. The federal Green Party had won about 4 percent of the vote in successive elections. However, under the first-past-the-post system in Canada, it is rather difficult for smaller parties whose support is widely scattered, to win any parliamentary seats. In the 2019 federal election, the Green Party won three seats, with about 6.5 percent of the country-wide popular vote. In the 2021 federal election, with its leadership in turmoil, the Green Party won two seats, with about 2 percent of the popular vote. In the 2017 election in B.C., the Green Party won 3 seats  and their backing of the NDP had resulted in an NDP government in British Columbia. However, in the 2020 election in B.C., the NDP won a majority, so the 3 seats won by the Green Party are far less important. In the 2018 provincial election in Ontario, the leader of the Ontario Green Party was elected MPP. In the 2022 provincial election, the Ontario Green Party leader was re-elected. The Canadian federal system -- which consists of provinces that are fewer in number, typically territorially larger, and more regionally and culturally delineated between each other than most U.S. states  is clearly one factor that has encouraged the arising of third parties. There are also the northern territories in Canada  which are symbolically quite important to Canadian identity  but have very small populations relative to the rest of the country. There is a Yukon Party in the Yukon. That party was formerly called the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party. Both the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and Reform Party arose in Western Canada. Preston Manning insisted that the Reform Party exist only at the federal level in order to focus strictly on winning the federal government, and not to be diverted into battles in the particular provinces. On November 7, 2007, the Saskatchewan Party (a coalition mostly of former provincial Progressive Conservatives, and former provincial Liberals) won a decisive victory over the provincial New Democratic Party  which had held the provincial government in Saskatchewan since 1991. On October 26, 2020, the Saskatchewan Party won a majority government  and its fourth straight term. In Alberta, the Progressive Conservatives were challenged in the 2012 provincial election by the distinctly more conservative Wildrose Alliance  a party which existed only in Alberta. Although it was widely predicted that they would win the 2012 election, the Wildrose Alliance fizzled in the end. Albertans seemed to have been scared to vote for a party that was seen as extremely conservative. Indeed, Alison Redford, the P.C. winner, was called by some pundits as Albertas first NDP Premier. Ironically, in the May 5, 2015, provincial election, the NDP won a strong majority, with the Wildrose Alliance in second place (with 21 seats), and the P.C.s reduced to only 10 seats. The P.C. leader, Jim Prentice, was seen as arrogant  although he did manage to attract most of the previously sitting Wildrose Alliance parliamentary members to the P.C. Party, before the election. It was widely expected that the Wildrose Alliance would simply fold, but they in fact rallied to win more seats than the P.C.s, who fell to the NDP juggernaut. The NDP victory was tied to the worsening economic situation in Alberta (which has now worsened still further, because of the dropping price of oil in world-markets). In 2017, the Wildrose Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives were able to merge, as the United Conservative Party (UCP). Jason Kenney, who had been a prominent federal Conservative, won the leadership of the new party. In 2019, the UCP won a strong majority under the leadership of Jason Kenney. However, the UCP is now being challenged by the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta (WIPA) (a merger of the Freedom Conservative Party and Wexit Alberta). The UCP has also been consumed by internal conflicts over the now-unpopular leadership of Jason Kenney. On May 18, 2022, Jason Kenney resigned from the leadership of the UCP (and the Premiership of Alberta), after receiving insufficient support in a leadership review vote of the UCP. (He got barely over 50% support, which was technically enough, but clearly insufficient for a strong leadership.) The Wexit Party Saskatchewan was renamed as the Buffalo Party. (Buffalo was the name of a proposed larger province that would have encompassed Alberta and Saskatchewan, before it was decided to form the two smaller provinces.) The federal Wexit Party  which will run candidates throughout the four Western provinces -- was renamed as the Maverick Party, around September 2020. However, the Maverick Party won only two-tenths of a percent of the popular vote, in the 2021 federal election. There is also a Manitoba Party in Manitoba. Speaking of Alberta, one should mention the small Western separatist parties of the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the anti-official-bilingualism Confederation of Regions party, which also had a sporadic existence in Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Ontario. Its height of achievement was being the Official Opposition in New Brunswick in 1991-1995  before it disintegrated as a result of factional conflicts that often seem to plague such small, protest parties. There was also a small, libertarian-oriented, Freedom Party of Ontario (which continues to exist today). In 1992, Mel Hurtig, known mainly as the publisher of The Canadian Encyclopedia, tried to form a party called the National Party. Of course, the name was mostly a reference to left-wing, progressive Canadian nationalism, rather than something more right-wing. The somewhat quixotic Paul Hellyer, who in his political life had been both a prominent Liberal and Progressive Conservative, had eventually established a small party of his own, called the Canadian Action Party. In the Canadian Parliamentary system, there have by tradition been no set election dates  an election can take place at any point within five years from the previous election, at the discretion of the Prime Minister or Premier. (The leader of the party which holds the majority of seats in the federal or provincial parliament.) In more recent years, there have been experiments with legislating a defined date for the upcoming election shortly after winning office. This is in response to criticisms that the ability of the Prime Minister or Premier to call an election at a most politically propitious time, confers too much of an electoral advantage to his or her party. When there is a minority government (when the ruling party holds less than a majority of seats in the legislature) an election can take place any time a more important bill (termed a matter of confidence) is voted down by the opposition parties combining against it. Sometimes, the opposition parties may try to form a coalition government without an election being called. In late 2008, there was an attempt to form an anti-Conservative coalition in the federal Parliament (consisting of the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois). However, Stephen Harpers skillful political maneuvering (and the fact that the coalition idea was extremely unpopular among most Canadians) meant that the putative coalition never took power. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home
A nine-month-old baby has been found dead at a Western Sydney home, sparking a police investigation.

Officers from NSW Police were called to check on the welfare of occupants in the suburban property in Doonside on Monday just after 10am.

The baby was found unresponsive and was unable to be revived by paramedics.

Police have cordoned off the area as forensic teams investigate and detectives speak with the parents.

More to follow.

Forensic police at Doonside on Monday (pictured) after a nine-month-old baby died
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An historic replica of an 18th century Swedish trading ship that sank more than 270 years ago wowed commuters on their way to work today as the boat made a triumphant return to London for the first time in 15 years.

What's on board the Gotheborg of Sweden? LENGTH & WIDTH: 192 feet x 36 feet HEIGHT: 154 feet SAILS: 26 CREW: 20 professional, 60 volunteers GROSS TONNAGE: 788t ARMAMENT: 10 long guns TOP SPEED: 11 knots Advertisement

The Gotheborg of Sweden sailed up the River Thames and underneath the capital's iconic Tower Bridge on Monday morning with its crew in rigging and singing sea shanties to a delighted crowd.

It later moored at Thames Quay in Canary Wharf, where members of the public got the chance to view the remarkable vessel up close on British waters for the first time since its last expedition in 2007.

The extraordinary galleon, which stands 150ft tall, stretches 36ft wide and boasts more than two dozen sails, was painstakingly reconstructed by shipbuilders on a 1:1 scale before it was finally completed to great fanfare in 2005.

Once the world's largest wooden seafaring ship, the original Gotheborg sank in mysterious circumstances after running aground on a notorious submerged rock in 1745.

Today's replica remains one of the largest operational wooden sailing vessels still used in the world today.

It will dock in London for the next four days, where visitors are encouraged to learn of the ship's epic past, which saw it travel to China in the 18th century and help propel Sweden's second city into an economic powerhouse.

The Gotheborg of Sweden sailed up the River Thames and underneath the capital's iconic Tower Bridge on Monday morning with its crew in rigging and singing sea shanties to a delighted crowd

The replica ship, which stands 150ft tall, stretches 36ft wide and boasts more than two dozen sails, was painstakingly reconstructed by shipbuilders on a 1:1 scale before it was finally completed to great fanfare in 2005

Large crowds of Londoners and commuters gather in the capital to watch the Gotheborg of Sweden pass under Tower Bridge

The Gotheborg, which remains one of the largest operational wooden sailing vessels still used in the world today, arrived in Britain on Monday following its departure from Oslo, Norway on July 31, 2022

The history of the Gotheborg: Sweden's flagship trading galleon that ran aground in 1745 The Swedish East India Company operated out of the city of Gothenburg, where it had secured a multi-year monopoly on the trade of homegrown resources such as tar, iron, copper and timber to partners in the Far East. The original Gotheborg was constructed in the Terra Nova shipyard in Stockholm and launched for its maiden voyage in 1739, carrying 30 cannons and an initial crew of more than 140. It was named after the city where the Swedish East India Company were based, with each expedition both beginning and ending in the Western city. From there the Gotheborg completed two successful journeys to China, where it picked up porcelain, tea and other exotic goods. The ship's trading days were short-lived, however, and it ran aground and eventually sank after crashing into the notorious submerged rock, Knipla Boro, in 1745 less than half a mile before it would have docked at its home port. Its sinking had been a relative mystery considering the vast experience of its captain, Eric Moreen, and the calm conditions before slamming into the submerged rock. Some nautical experts now believe the Gotheborg may have suddenly veered starboard due to the 'dead water' phenomenon, whereby the salinity or temperature of the water can produce isolated waves that cause ships to dramatically swerve off its original course. Advertisement

The Gotheborg finally arrived in Britain on Monday following its departure from Oslo, Norway on July 31, 2022.

It will remain moored in Canary Wharf for the next four days where it will be open to visitors who can explore inside.

The ship's onboard exhibitions promise to transport visitors back in time to the 18th century, revealing the eye-opening history of the Gotheborg and its crew all while also experiencing the 'tremendous art of shipbuilding in a contemporary 18th century environment.

Gotheborg's official website said: 'On board Gotheborg you will visit the beautiful weather deck with the helm, capstan and ship's bell.

'Sundeck offers great views of the ship and masts, and down on gun deck there are ten impressive cannons.

'Don't miss the two pieces from the original ship, one piece by the historical cupboard with porcelain and chalk pipes on gun deck, and the other one recessed into the helm.'

The Swedish East India Company operated out of the city of Gothenburg, where it had secured a multi-year monopoly on the trade of homegrown resources such as tar, iron, copper and timber to partners in the Far East.

A thriving commerce centre situated on the west coast, Gothenburg soon grew to become Sweden's second city.

The original Gotheborg ship was constructed in the Terra Nova shipyard in Stockholm and launched for its maiden voyage in 1739, carrying 30 cannons and an initial crew of more than 140.

Once the pride of the trading company's fleet, the vesel was named after the city where the Swedish East India Company were based, with each expedition both beginning and ending in the western outpost.

From there the Gotheborg, whose tonnage exceeded more than 830t, completed two successful journeys to China where it picked up porcelain, silks, tea and other exotic goods.

The ship's trading days were short-lived, however, and it ran aground and eventually sank after crashing into the notorious submerged rock, Knipla Boro, in 1745, less than half a mile before it would have safely docked back at its home port.

Its sinking had been a relative mystery considering the vast experience of its captain, Eric Moreen, and the calm conditions before slamming into the submerged rock.

Some nautical experts now believe the Gotheborg may have suddenly veered starboard due to the 'dead water' phenomenon, whereby the salinity or temperature of the water can produce isolated waves that cause ships to dramatically swerve off its original course.

The ship will remain moored in Canary Wharf for the next four days where it will be open to visitors who can explore inside

Divers near the modern Gothenburg harbour were first able to explore the ship's near-300 year wreck in 1984. Plans were soon drawn up to create a lifesized replica of the ship after examining the original wreckage. Pictured: The ship in London today

Once the world's largest wooden seafaring ship, the original Gotheborg sank in mysterious circumstances after running aground on a notorious submerged rock in 1745

Divers near the modern Gothenburg harbour were first able to explore the ship's near-300 year wreck in 1984.

Plans were soon drawn up to create a lifesized replica of the ship after examining the original wreckage.

Shipbuilders, who struggled to use the same wood and tools used in its construction 275 years ago, ploughed ahead and built the ship using the same techniques and materials as their 18th century counterparts.

10 tonnes of oak logs were ploughed into making the ship's hull, which was laid in 1995 after several years of preparation. A tar and cattle hair blanket was later produced to protect the wooden base from shipworm.

Today the ship is equipped with up to date technology, per modern seafaring health and safety regulations.

It boasts two diesel powered engines capable of hitting 11knots, fire extinguishers and GPS and satellite radar.

The second coming of the Gotheborg launched in April 2022 with a mission to retrace its lost ancestor's last steps.

Ahead of its trip to the capital, the company promoting the Gotheborg's voyage wrote online: 'It is fifteen years since the ship last visited London, in May 2007 on the way home from the first Asia expedition.

'Now it's time again for the ship to sail up the River Thames and greet the Londoners.'
A Chinese beach resort has gone into lockdown after recording less than 500 new cases, stranding 80,000 holidaymakers in their hotels for a week.

Tropical island province Hainan is booming with Chinese families eager to take advantage of the school summer holidays - but they're now stuck amid the shutdown.

Beach resort Sanya has been locked down indefinitely since Saturday, with nearby Haikou city closed for business from 7am to 8pm today.

Those wanting to depart must test negative five times over seven days.

Four other cities and four counties in Hainan also started lockdowns of two days or more on Sunday and Monday.

A closed beach in locked down Sanya is pictured on Saturday as 80,000 tourists are stranded in their hotels for a week. They must test negative five times in seven days to be let free

Crowds of Hainan locals queue at a nucleic acid testing site amid Sanya's lockdown measures

A delivery driver peers over an improvised Covid barrier to make a delivery on Saturday

More than 470 new cases were recorded in the province on Sunday, of which 245 did not show symptoms.

China reported more than 760 new daily cases nationally, the National Health Commission said Monday.

The Chinese Communist Party's hardline zero-Covid policy has not only meant that thousands are now suffering mental health issues.

It has also prolonged global supply chain issues, effectively shutting Shanghai, the world's biggest port - and costing the global economy billions.

The bustling tourist resort, known as China's Hawaii, is mobbed each summer (July picture)

South China Sea resort Hainan is the country's largest and most popular holiday destination

China has credited its approach with keeping hospitalisation and death rates lower than in other countries that have opened up thanks to high vaccination rates and more effective treatments.

Hong Kong announced today it would reduce a mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to three days from the current one week from Friday.

Tens of millions in China returned to lockdown last month despite only 300 infections nationally, with emergency shutdowns affecting Shanghai and Beijing.

The fresh cases and draconian response deepened fears that China may be set to return to the kinds of strict lockdowns from earlier this year, where tens of millions of people were locked down for weeks on end.

A careful beachgoer wears a mask as she scrolls on her phone at Houhai beach (July image)

A woman holds a surf board on Houhai beach on July 23, just days before the new lockdown

In Shanghai, some residents on social media Tuesday reported receiving government food rations - a throwback to the months-long confinement in the spring.

'Let me tell you a scary story, Putuo district is sending out vegetables again,' read one resident's viral WeChat post.

'I'm so nervous, the epidemic has destroyed my youth. I'm about to go crazy,' posted another Shanghai-based Weibo user.

Shanghai's lockdown prompted unusual protests both in person and online against the government's harsh enforcement, which left many residents struggling to access food and medical services and sent thousands to quarantine centers.
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Thousands of birdwatchers flocked to a reservoir in Cambridgeshire on Sunday to catch a rare sighting of a cape gull - the first of its kind to arrive in the UK.

The bird, that is typically found on coastlines in the Southern Hemisphere, drew large crowds to Grafham Water with enthusiasts travelling hundreds of miles to be there.

The subspecies of kelp gull looks very similar to seagulls typically found in the UK, so much so that it may have been in Britain for up to a week before it was identified.

Thousands of birdwatchers flocked to a reservoir in Cambridgeshire on Sunday to catch a rare sighting of a cape gull - the first of its kind to ever arrive in the UK

The cape gull, a member of the Kelp gull species, looks very similar to the UK's own common species - so much so that the bird was actually believed to have arrived a week ago, but was overlooked by bird watchers

Wildlife photographer and ecologist James Hanlon, who captured shots of the bird on Monday, said the primary difference is the cape gull's long blue and grey legs.

Mr Hanlon, who ventured four hours from his holiday in Yorkshire at the crack of dawn to see the 'remarkable' spectacle, said: 'The cape gull is very similar to our common species of gulls.

'The main difference are its legs, but the other dissimilarities are so subtle that you have to have an expert eye to pick up on them - they could only be spotted by a knowledgeable watcher.'

The rare bird from the Southern Hemisphere drew crowds of over a thousand to its spot at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire

The closest record of a cape gull sighting in Western Europe was in Paris in 1995 - which turned up at Paris Zoo, attracted by food scraps

The sighting drew crowds of over a thousand, with keen locals showing up in the early morning and visitors from as far as Scotland arriving after the news spread throughout the country

The bird that has twitchers in a flap: First time visitor is very similar to Britain's own common species of gull Cape gulls are white birds with a brownish/black wing slate

They have a bright yellow beak with a red spot near the tip

They can grow to 65cm in height, 1kg in weight and have a wing span of 128-142cm

Found along most of the southern hemisphere coastline, the southern African population is mostly concentrated along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa

They lay 2-4 eggs between September and January and these are incubated by both parents for 26-27 days

The chicks are dependent on both parents for 12 weeks

Cape gulls are known for scavenging on rubbish dumps and discards from fishing boats. They feed in open sea, lagoons, along rocky and sandy shores on mussels, snails, insects, crabs, frogs, fish and cuttlefish

Their main predators are the Black eagle and Great white pelican.

The estimated population size of Kelp gulls is 3.3 to 4.3 million worldwide. Advertisement

Mr Hanlon, 46, explained the bird has 'long been predicted to make it to the UK one day - and now it has finally happened.'

The closest record of a cape gull sighting in Western Europe was in Paris in 1995 - which turned up at Paris Zoo, attracted by food scraps.

Mr Hanlon initially found out about the bird's sighting from a Twitchers group on WhatsApp - a group of birdwatchers who collect sightings of rare birds.

He explained that a few have claimed to have spotted the three-year-old bird from as early as last Tuesday.

He said: 'Since the bird's discovery yesterday, a couple have come forward to admit they actually saw it last week, but they didn't know what it was.

'So it was present for a week undetected.

'It was officially noted mid morning on Sunday, so I set off straight away - it's a very big event.'

The cape gull is described as a sub-adult bird, due to the species reaching sexual maturity at the age of four.

The bird was seen grazing at the Grafham Water dam, a spot popular for fishermen.

Mr Hanlon explained: 'Many fish are discarded along the dam so it's a great spot for feeding.

'Luckily for us, its location has allowed crowds to view the gull very closely.

'Cape gulls have 11,000 breeding pairs in Sub-Saharan Africa on the coast and a few have been seen in Morocco, much further North.

'Gulls are very capable and versed in long distance travel; they are ocean-going birds and can fly great distances.'

The sighting drew crowds of over a thousand, with keen locals showing up in the early morning and visitors from as far as Scotland arriving after the news spread throughout the country.

Mr Hanlon admits many birders are not interested in gulls. He said: 'Lots of bird watchers do not like gulls because they are very tricky to identify.

'But because of this one's rarity, everyone from all over the UK came to see it.'
Military police have launched an investigation after a soldier awarded a bravery medal was accused of inventing his claim that he threw back a Taliban bomb.

Ex-Rifles sergeant Deacon Cutterham, 38, from Bristol, was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross in 2012, after he claimed he picked up a Taliban grenade and hurled it out of the ditch moments before it exploded - saving the lives of his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan.

But after being accused of inventing the heroic tale by his former comrades, the military police have been forced to launch a probe.

Dozens of witnesses will be grilled by investigators, including at least two Special Forces soldiers.

Ex-sergeant Deacon Cutterham, 38, won the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross in 2012, after he threw a Taliban grenade away from his comrades. Nine years later, his fellow ex-soldiers accused him of inventing the heroic tale, leading the military police to launch an investigation.

When Prince Charles gave him the award, which is second only to the Victoria Cross, Mr Cutterham was praised for his phenomenally brave and incredibly selfless actions that saved lives.

In November 2020 Mr Cutterham sold off his medals at an auction for 140,000 prompting accusations from his former 1st Battalion the Rifles colleagues that he invented the story.

Those present at the incident agree that a grenade had gone off in Nar-e Sarah on May 24 2011 but argue that it was Mr Cutterhams own weapon that exploded.

One of Mr Cutterhams ex-comrades told The Sun: It never happened.

No one saw it. When we got back to camp we realised there was a hand grenade missing.

We put up with him saying how brave he was, but when we saw he was profiting by selling the medals it was too much.

The Prince of Wales awarded him the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross at Buckingham Palace in 2012. In November 2020, he auctioned his medals for 140,000.

Prior to the auction another ex-soldier said: 'I don't believe he earned that medal and now he might make money from it.'

Mr Cutterham, from Bristol, had previously said his critics were envious of his award and that he was extremely disappointed that people were questioning the events of that day.

When the allegation first came to light Mr Cutterham said: Im gutted some people feel that way.

I can only hazard a guess they feel envious.

He added that no one witnessed his heroic act as they had dived for cover when he yelled 'grenade'.

This is the medal collection belonging to Deacon Cutterham which sold for 140,000 in an auction in Mayfair in November 2020. After announcing his plans to sell the medals, his former colleagues accused him of inventing the story that won him the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

The Army insisted that prior to the ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2012, the ex-soldiers story had been rigorously scrutinised.

Recalling the incident in 2011 he said: I heard the 'ching' of the flying off lever and it came over the wall, it all happened so slowly, it landed about two or three metres away.

'I knew what it was and I just went into autopilot. I shouted, 'get down, grenade', and I moved in towards it.

'As soon as I let go of it, it exploded, I still can't believe I didn't lose my fingers.'

He also questioned why they had not come forward in the nine years prior to him selling off his medals.

He added: The action happened as per the citation and I stand by those events.

An Army Spokesperson said: Our service personnel display exceptional gallantry and courage while performing duties at home and abroad.

Acts of courage that warrant an honour or award are rigorously scrutinised before being approved.

If serving personnel have a grievance, there is a formal process for them to register their complaint through their Chain of Command, which would be looked into accordingly.
Authorities investigating whether the killings of four Muslim men are connected said Sunday that they need help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the deaths in New Mexico's largest city.

Albuquerque police said they released photos of the vehicle suspected of being used in the four homicides hoping people could help identify the car.

Police said the vehicle sought is a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen with dark tinted windows, and appears to be a Jetta.

Police did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in any of the crimes.

'We have a very, very strong link,' Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. 'We have a vehicle of interest . We have got to find this vehicle.'

Police are still trying to determine if there are any connections among the killings.

A Muslim man was killed Friday night in Albuquerque and ambush shootings killed three Muslim men over the past nine months.

The news comes after President Joe Biden took to Twitter Sunday to say he was 'angered and saddened' by the slayings and reiterated his administration 'stands strongly with the Muslim community.'

Pictured is a photo of the vehicle released by Albuquerque police, who said they believe the silver four-door Volkswagen with tinted windows may be linked with the killing of a Muslim men killed on Friday night, the latest in a string of alleged murders targeting Muslims

Officials identified a 'vehicle of interest,' a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta or Passat, that is possibly connected to the slayings. The vehicle may be damaged

President Joe Biden has deplored the killings of four Muslim men in New Mexico, which police say may be linked. Naeem Hussain (left) was fatally shot on Friday and Mohammad Ahmadi (right) was killed in November

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, (left) and Aftab Hussein, 41, (right) had been fatally shot near their homes on Aug. 1 and July 26, respectively

Police said the all four killings were done in a similar fashion - 'ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed'

Naeem Hussain, a Muslim from South Asia believed to be in his mid-20s, was fatally shot on Friday. He was found dead after police received a call of a shooting.

Earlier this week, police confirmed that local detectives and federal law enforcement officers were looking for possible ties among the separate crimes.

Two of the men - Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41 - were killed in the past week, and both were from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The third case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, a Muslim man of South Asian descent.

'I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque,' Biden posted to Twitter on Sunday.

'While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims' families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America.'

The president took to Twitter Sunday to say he was 'angered and saddened' by the slayings and reiterated his administration 'stands strongly with the Muslim community'

President Joe Biden expressed solidarity with the Muslim community on Sunday after a fourth Muslim man was killed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Biden is pictured Sunday as he walks along the South Lawn of the White House to Marine One for a trip to Delaware

Police declined to say whether Friday night's homicide was carried out in a way similar to the other deaths.

Authorities said they can't say yet if the shootings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and can determine a motive.

'We will bring this person or these persons to justice,' Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said Sunday.

The latest victim was discovered overnight Friday just hours after he attended a funeral service honoring two other recently murdered Muslims.

Hussain was found shot to death Friday near a Lutheran Family Services office that provides assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.

He had attended a funeral service for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, Friday afternoon.

They had been fatally shot near their homes on July 26 and August 1, respectively. The two men were members of the same mosque.

After the ceremony, Hussain and other mourners shared a meal at the Islamic Center of New Mexico.

He left the dinner and was killed several hours later, just before midnight, the Islamic Center told The Albuquerque Journal.

Albuquerque police on Saturday revealed detectives believe Hussain's murder 'may be connected to three recent murders of Muslim men also from South Asia.'

The department was referring to the fatal shootings of Hussein, Afzaal Hussain and Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, who was killed last November behind the halal market he co-owned with his brother.

Police said the all four killings were done in a similar fashion - 'ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed.'

Officers investigate a homicide at Copper Ridge Apartments located at 557 Tramway Blvd NE Photographed on August 7

Altaf Hussain sprinkles dirt over the grave of his brother Aftab Hussein at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque on August 5

The president's statement echoed that of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham who said Saturday: 'The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque is deeply angering and wholly intolerable.'

'I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought. This is not who we are.'

Grisham warned: 'We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers - and we WILL find them.'

Hussain, who police say was in his mid-20s, had become an US citizen just two weeks ago and dreamed of being an entrepreneur.

After he came to America, Hussain found work as a truck driver and eventually saved up enough money to buy his own rig. And, when the pandemic struck, he continued to make deliveries telling his loved ones: 'the country and people need us more than any time.'

Naeem Hussain (pictured), who police say was in his mid-20s, had became an US citizen just two weeks ago and dreamed of being an entrepreneur

Following his oath of citizenship, he planned to have his wife come from Pakistan and join him in the US. They wanted to build a home together.

'You know, he was in love with America,' his brother-in-law Ehsan Shahalami told The Washington Post. 'Everybody that knew him even for an hour is crying, because he has touched their life.'

Hussain's friends said he was a 'really kind person' and there was 'no reason for someone to kill him like this.'

The first murder was carried out on the evening of November 7.

Albuquerque Mayor Tom Keller issues a statement on the slayings

Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, was found outside the cafe he ran with his brother Sharief A. Hadi - Ariana Halal Market & Cafe.

The Afghan-born brothers emigrated to the United States with their father in the early 1980s: first living in Pennsylvania, then moving to New Mexico after Hadi, making a living selling gemstones, came across the region and loved it.

'I had to travel all over, then I got to New Mexico,' Hadi told ABP News Online. 'I like it  the weather and the people were so nice. And I chose to stay here because of my business.'

Hadi and his brother opened the market in 2008, with Ahmadi working as a cook, specializing in traditional Afghan dishes and often catering for groups at the nearby university.

Hadi said he left Ahmadi at the shop to finish cooking, and suspects his brother had gone out to smoke a cigarette when he was shot around 6pm.

'I left at 5 o'clock and he had laid down in the back,' Hadi said. 'When I went home someone called me and said 'Sharief what's going on at your store?' When I came back the police were all over.'

Hadi in January said he was baffled by the unsolved murder.

Aftab Hussein, 41, a busser at a local restaurant who lived with roommates, was murdered on July 28

'I don't have anything to tell you,' he said. 'He is my brother. I loved him, he loved me.'

Eight months later, a second Muslim man was murdered: 41-year-old Aftab Hussein, who moved to New Mexico in 2016.

Working as a busser for a local cafe, Hussein rented a second-story apartment near the Mesa Verde Community Center with two roommates and told them he had recently got engaged to a woman back home in Pakistan.

He was working to get his passport and other travel documents together so he could go to Pakistan and get married, his friend Iftikhar Amirjan told The Albuquerque Journal.

'He was very happy. He said 'I'll go to Pakistan and get married and bring my wife here' and he said 'I'll make my life,' you know,' Amirjan said.

'He said "I'll buy a house later on and have children".'

Hussein was shot in the evening of July 26 in the parking lot of the complex where he lived.

His roommates, frightened, have since moved out, while Hussein's brother has flown in from the United Kingdom.

The third killing was on Monday, when well-known local community organizer and city planner Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was murdered outside his home.

Born in Pakistan, he moved to the United States in 2017 to get a master's degree in community and regional planning at the University of New Mexico and served as president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association from 2019 to 2020.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was shot dead outside his home while his brother cooked dinner inside on Monday

He worked with Representative Melanie Stansbury's campaign for Congress and then got a job as the planning and land use director for the city of Espanola, 90 miles north of Albuquerque.

Hussein had been commuting for the past year but was shortly to move to Espanola.

His older brother, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain, a former prosecutor who moved to the US in 2014 to continue studying law, had been staying with his sibling, and brought his two young children with him.

Imtiaz Hussain told The Albuquerque Journal that Afzaal Hussain stepped outside around 9pm, likely to call friends or family in Pakistan, while he cooked dinner.

Neighbors reported seeing a car pull up alongside his brother as someone inside opened fire, shooting once and then four to six more times.

People spread dirt over Aftab Hussein's grave at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, August 5

'My brother  he was such a decent, lively young man, an unmarried person involved with the community, all the time helping everyone,' Imtiaz Hussain said.

'So what is the motive. Why did they shoot him? If he's shot, how are we safe?

'I want a proactive, rigorous investigation, detailed and speedy trials so that those people who want to take life for another person for nothing.

'Maybe they were stealing his phone, I don't know, whatever.

'But this is life and many lives are connected to him.'

Jordan Yutzy, the Espanola city manager, said the team was in shock.

'He is going to be truly missed by the city,' Yutzy said.

'He was very smart, very dedicated, and really cared about the community as a whole. His will be very big shoes for the city to fill.'

An Imam leads a group of men during the Dhuhr afternoon prayer at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Sunday, August 7 after the fourth Muslim man was murdered in Albuquerque

Leaders from local and federal law enforcement said they have working together and devoting all possible resource to the investigation.

'On top of our investigations into this murder, we're devoting resources to key patrol areas and neighborhoods within Albuquerque,' Police Chief Harold Medina said during a press conference Saturday.

'We lifted overtime caps for our officers so that we could utilize several of our specialized units to help ensure the strong presence of Albuquerque officers to keep the community safe.'

New Mexico State Police, the FBI and the US Marshals Service are among the agencies helping in the investigation.

The city of Albuquerque's Office of Equity and Inclusion has called on citizens to report any information about the slayings to authorities.

'We urge our entire interfaith community of Albuquerque and all the people of Albuquerque to help law enforcement identify and catch the person or persons responsible,' said Michelle Melendez, the office's director. 'Please, please, call with any bit of information.'
Images allegedly depicting Donald Trump's toilets clogged with torn-up pieces of paper have emerged after the former president denied claims he would flush official documents during his time in the White House.

Maggie Haberman, a New York Times White House correspondent who closely followed Trump during his presidency for an upcoming book, claimed to have obtained pictures of presidential notes stuffed into the residence toilets from a former White House official who worked under the previous administration.

The images published by Axios on Monday purportedly show two sets of notes in the toilets, one of which is said to be located in a White House bathroom, and the other in an undisclosed location abroad during a foreign presidential trip - though the papers appeared to be handwritten rather than official documents.

One of the ripped up papers on top of a stack in the toilet shows what appears to be lawmakers names scrawled down in all capital letters in black sharpie.

Two names can be seen clearly on the paper  Rogers and Stefanik  although the rest of the torn up papers are mostly illegible.

It's likely the names are referencing Republican Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama and GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a Trump defender.

Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich told Axios this week: 'You have to be pretty desperate to sell books if pictures of paper in a toilet bowl is part of your promotional plan.'

'There's enough people willing to fabricate stories like this in order to impress the media class  a media class who is willing to run with anything, as long as it anti-Trump,' he added.

Trump also previously dismissed allegations he was prone to ripping up White House documents when Haberman first tweeted about the alleged incidents in February.

Maggie Haberman, a New York Times White House correspondent who closely followed Trump during his presidency for an upcoming book, claimed to have obtained pictures of handwritten notes stuffed into the bowls. She says this image is from a White House toilet

The images published by Axios purportedly show two sets of notes in the toilets, though they do not appear to be official documents. This image, Haberman claims, is from a toilet on an overseas trip

'Here's some reporting from the book's later years  White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he'd ripped into pieces,' the author said amid promotion of her book Confidence Man which is set for release in October.

Haberman, after Axios released the exclusive images, said that 'gross and important' are two good words to describe the revelations that there is image proof of the torn up documents in toilet bowls.

She also dismissed puns surrounding her reporting, claiming that despite the comical instrument used to destroy the document, the issue is no laughing matter.

'It would still be a story if it was a fireplace,' Haberman told CNN's New Day on Monday. 'The point is about the destruction of records which are supposed to be preserved under the presidential records act, which is a Watergate-era creation.'

'I have had additional reporting afterwards from people confirming that Trump had indeed done this and that it happened on at least two foreign trips, and in the White House throughout his presidency,' Haberman continued.

'Again, it's important because who knows what this paper was? Only he would know and presumably whoever was dealing with him, but the important point is about the records.'

Trump quickly refuted the claims back when they first came out in February. He declared the story 'categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book.'

He also referred to Haberman as 'Maggot' as a play on her name Maggie.

DailyMail.com has contacted Trump's office for comment.

Trump previously dismissed allegations he was prone to ripping up official documents in February, when Haberman first tweeted the allegations. Donald Trump on Saturday dropped his strongest hint yet of a potential 2024 presidential bid

New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman (pictured) said White House staff would routinely find papers clogging up toilet bowls

In response to the reports earlier this year of flushing documents, Congress opened an investigation in February into Trump's handling of White House records.

A new frequently repeated line from Trump claims that he is the most persecuted man in America.

'A friend of mine once said that I was the most persecuted person in the history of our country,' the former president said at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida last month. 'I never thought of it that way. I never had time. I was always fighting these people that were trying to persecute me.'

He doubled down on the claim during the same remarks: 'I didn't have time to think about getting persecuted because I was fighting persecution. Certainly, there's been no politician or president treated like I've been treated.'

The former president said earlier this year that he 'openly and willingly' handed over boxes of documents he took from the White House to the National Archives following reports he improperly handled papers.

Officials recovered 15 boxes of White House materials from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence  in apparent contravention of federal records acts.

There has been no conclusive proof that Trump flushed official White House documents or otherwise during his time in office.

But the National Archives, which obtains a full set of all presidential documents and records for safekeeping at the end of each president's administration, said in February that Trump returned 15 boxes of documents he had 'improperly removed' from the White House at the end of his term in office.

The archives said the trove included 'items marked as classified national security information'.

A federal law called the US Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties, and federal prosecutors are now investigating whether Trump mishandled classified records.

Budowich said at the time: 'President Trump consistently handled all documents in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Belated attempts to second-guess that clear fact are politically motivated and misguided.'

Trump previously confirmed that he agreed to return certain records to the Archives, calling it 'an ordinary and routine process.'

The archives also alleged that government officials were forced to tape back together some White House documents for preservation after the former president tore them up while he was in office.

Haberman's book covering Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and time in office will be released in October

Trump pictured July 20, 2020 with papers in front of him at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The U.S. Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties

It comes as Trump this weekend told fellow Republicans 'the time is coming' for him to make a formal announcement about whether he intends to make another bid for a second term in the White House.

Trump said during his near-two-hour-long remarks Saturday that he believes 'people are going to be very happy' with his decision while noting that America has 'lost everything' under Biden's leadership.

Giving the keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, the former president confirmed he will be making his plans to run for office public in the near future.

'It's certainly not a very long period, the time is coming,' Trump said Saturday in response to questions from Fox News.

'I think people are going to be very happy, our country has never been in a position like this, we've lost everything.'

He argued the nation was facing both domestic and foreign policy crises, stating America lost its 'prestige' when Biden withdrew US troops from Afghanistan last year.

'Our country has never been at a worse point,' Trump said.

'They gave away $85 billion worth of equipment, dead soldiers, you still have Americans over there probably as hostages, eventually will be hostages, there has never been a time like this.'
The family of a grandmother who mysteriously vanished more than a month ago has revealed her body has been discovered a few kilometres from her abandoned car.

Colleen South, 58, drove her Hyundai Getz from her home in Renown Park SA across the Victorian border on July 1 and was spotted stopped on the side of the Calder Highway on July 2 before she vanished the next day.

After weeks holding out hope and searching the area and small town near the vehicle, her devastated loved ones broke the news on Monday night.

'I don't know how to write this. We are heartbroken and in shock,' a family member posted on a Facebook group dedicated to finding her called Bring Colleen South Home.

'Colleen's body has unfortunately been located in a paddock tonight 5km from where her car was found'.

'We don't have any answers on what happened yet but we will update you once we do.'

The family, including Ms South's daughter Veronica, then expressed their gratitude for the wave of support they have received over the last five weeks.

'Fly high out angel,' they wrote.

Veronica South (pictured right with her mum Colleen) insists her mother's disappearance is out of character and should be treated as suspicious

Ms South's niece actress Farah Mak made public appeals for information about Mr South (pictured)

Victoria Police confirmed a farmer discovered the body about 4pm on Monday.

They added they were on the scene and that their investigations are ongoing.

Mary Headon, who spotted Ms South's car on the side of the highway back on July 2 and stopped to check on the grandmother, said she looked ill.

'When we got back there she was just laying in the car with her head back. She looked really, really tired or a little bit ill I thought, her eyes were very glassy,' Mary Headon told A Current Affair.

The next day a farmer noticed the vehicle travelling along nearby Jeruk River Road about 3:30pm.

But later that evening on July 3, her car was found abandoned in a ditch at Bunguluke about 545km from her home back in the Adelaide suburbs.

Her family were desperately seeking answers and are calling on the police to treat the case as suspicious.

Veronica sent a message to her mum on TV a few weeks ago telling her they are 'not giving up' on finding her (pictured with her aunt and Ms South's sister)

None of the surrounding farmers or any of the 600 people in the nearby town of Wycheproof had seen or heard from Ms South.

Her belongings including a bag and journal were found metres from her car, which had the airbags deployed, but her mobile phone has not been located.

About 10 worried relatives had visited Wycheproof since she went missing, to search for any clues.

The was on top of the 40 specialist officers who scoured the area with mounted horses, motorbikes and search dogs.

One relative of Ms South previously claimed her uncle found 'spent shotgun shells at the scene', but detectives 'have not followed up on this, nor reported it'.

While 'out of character', Victoria Police said they were not treating the grandmother's disappearance as suspicious.

Medication found by Veronica South and her friends in the area where her mother disappeared

It's been five weeks since Colleen South (pictured) drove off on her own

Ms South's actress niece Farah Mak, previously took to social media to slam Victoria Police over allegations it had bungled the investigation.

'My cousin found footprints and a lit out fire nearby - @victoriapolice said there was no footprints found,' she wrote.

'Photos taken by @victoriapolice show that there are tyre trucks of a vehicle pulling right up next to my Aunty's personal belongings where she would have been sitting - no crime scene investigation. My cousin and her friends were told 'this could've been from anything'.'

Victoria Police previously issued a statement dismissing the family's claims that Ms South may have become a victim of a crime.

Ms South was last seen by a witness in her Hyundai Getz (pictured) on July 3. The car was found abandoned an hour later

Ms South's personal items, including bags and keys, were found 20 metres from her car

Detectives also hit back at claims a proper investigation had not been conducted.

'Victoria Police commenced a comprehensive search of dense bushland in the surrounding area conducting Air Wing and Drone searches along with Mounted Branch, Canine Unit, officers on foot and in vehicles along with SES,' the statement read.

'Local farmers were also asked to check buildings and sheds on their properties.'

But adding to the mystery was a handwritten note in her abandoned belongings with the words 'help me please'.

Veronica recently told Daily Mail Australia she had made the five-and-a-half hour trip from Adelaide several times to conduct her own searches in Wycheproof.

She believes her mother's disappearance is suspicious because her belongings were left behind with the car door locked.

A concerning note asking for help was found inside Ms South's journal near her abandoned car
Putin's forces are laying 'indiscriminate' butterfly landmines that children could confuse for toys in eastern Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has warned.

Anti-personnel PFM-1 mines deployed in the Soviet Afghan War are thought to have 'maimed high numbers of children who mistook them for toys', the British MoD stated in its daily bulletin on the conflict.

The MoD added: 'It is highly likely that the Soviet-era stock being used by Russia will have degraded over time and are now highly unreliable and unpredictable.

'This poses a threat to both the local population and humanitarian mine clearance operations.'

The relatively small mines can be dropped by rockets and contain 37g of deadly explosives

The small mines were outlawed by the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty - but Russia did not sign the law

An unexploded Russian landmine is pictured at a bombed-out civilian site in Mariupol, August 1. It's thought thousands of the anti-personnel devices have been placed throughout Ukraine

Each PFM-1 mine contains 37 grams of explosives - enough to blow off an adult's foot, according to Forbes.

They can also be transported by rockets, which can drop the mines onto street surfaces without detonating them.

Human Rights Watch estimates thousands of Russian landmines have been laid in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and the Donbas.

Some are activated by contact, with others detonating at random intervals, posing a significant threat to civilians.

A Jack Russell named Patron is pictured sniffing out landmines in Kharkiv early in the conflict

A railway worker is pictured escorting a small child onto an evacuation train in the Donbas

That's despite Ukraine being party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty - although Russia did not sign the agreement.

A Russian diplomat told the UN General Assembly in 2020 that Moscow 'shares the goals of the treaty and supports a world free of mines', but views them as 'an effective way of ensuring the security of Russia's borders'.

Russia has accused Ukraine of placing landmines in its own towns and cities, an allegation Human Rights Watch found 'no credible information' to support.

A group of children are accompanied onto a train at Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine yesterday
A French woman has been mauled by a polar bear which had wandered into her tour group's campsite on a remote Norwegian Arctic island.

The tourist was part of a tour group of 25 people camping at Sveasletta, in the central part of the Svalbard archipelago, more than 500 miles north of the Norwegian mainland.

The campsite is across a fjord from Longyearbyen, the main settlement in the Svalbard archipelago.

A French woman has been mauled by a polar bear which had wandered into her tour group's campsite on a remote Norwegian Arctic island (file image of a polar bear in Svalbard)

The tourist was part of a tour group of 25 people camping at Sveasletta, in the central part of the Svalbard archipelago

Authorities responded to the news of the attack by flying out in a helicopter, according to chief superintendent Stein Olav Bredli.

'The French woman suffered injuries to an arm. Shots were fired at the polar bear, which was scared away from the area,' he said.

Authorities said the woman's injuries were not life-threatening but further details were not disclosed. She was flown by helicopter to hospital in Longyearbyen.

The main newspaper on the Arctic archipelago, Svalbardposten, said the victim was a woman in her 40s, and quoted local hospital official Solveig Jacobsen as saying she was slightly injured.

Mr Bredli said the polar bear was injured and 'our people on site are considering what to do with it'.

Svalbard is dotted with warnings about polar bears. Visitors who choose to sleep outdoors receive warnings from authorities that people must carry firearms.

Johan Jacobus Kootte was killed in 2020 while he was lying in his tent in a camping area near the town Longyearbyen in Svalbard

Mr Kootee, a seasonal worker on the island, was ripped from his tent by the animal while he slept

At least five people have been killed by polar bears since the 1970s, most recently in 2020 when a 38-year-old Dutch man was killed.

Johan Jacobus Kootte was killed during the night while he was lying in his tent in a camping area near the town Longyearbyen, on the island of Svalbard, which is 800 miles from the North Pole.

The 38-year-old was seriously wounded during the attack and died soon after.

The bear was then found dead in a car park near the airport having been shot by locals.

An estimated 20,000-25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic.

In 2015, a polar bear dragged a Czech tourist out of his tent as he and others were camping north of Longyearbyen, clawing his back before being driven away by gunshots.

The bear was later found and killed by authorities.
Preparing for an expected assault from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), Taiwanese F-16 Vipers will be the vanguard and armed with lethal arms.

To fight the PLA of China, Taipei has armed ita four Vipers with a subsonic ship killer called the Harpoon missile to protect the east coasts, remarked Liberty Times.

Taipei's Newest Assets To Face Chinese Warships

The People's Liberation Army of China had severe military drills in six regions bordering Taiwan and its territorial due to Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, reported The EurAsian Times.

Taiwan's Hualien Air Force Base is ready to send up its four heavily armed F-16s with air-launched anti-ship harpoon missiles to defend the east coast.

The Taiwanese airbase has set up preparation for ten combat missions, emphasizing air-to-air combat with close-range sidewinder and medium-range AIM-120 for beyond visual range attack.

In addition to their present loadout, the current variant Vipers have more than air-to-air missiles; to take down Chinese ships with dual Harpoon ship killer missiles. There is an ALQ-184 module on the plane for electronic warfare, with two drop tanks for increased distance.

Too many deployments can wear out the Taiwanese F-16 Viper faster with ways to determine if a Chinese sortie is actual or if the interception is needed, not antagonizing the opposing force.

Read Also: Xi Jinping: 5 Things To Know About China's President

Taiwanese Air Force Gears Up for Defense

Many Taiwanese Air Force personnel are confident they could do their job, which is to sink Beijing's PLA Navy if the Taipei Ministry of National Defense allows an attack. They added all efforts would be made to sink invading ships, no matter the cost.

One of the key threats to Chinese ships is the Harpoon family of a missile capable of mounting on several platforms like air, ship, and submarine-launched versions. It's an anti-ship cruise missile made in the USA that is used by its allies and friends amidst more modern ship-killers made by Russia, China, and India, as mentioned by CSIS.

Intense competition with adversaries has resulted in several development blocks to keep the missile current from becoming obsolete and useless, like better attack range and guidance.

US aircraft can use it as the P-3 Orion, A-6 Intruder, S-3 Viking, Harrier II, F/A-18 Hornet, B-52s, and the Fighting falcon. Many countries and their armies really on this weapon, especially NATO allies.

As tensions rocket around the enclave, recent pictures of a Taiwanese Navy Cheng Kung-class frigate dogging a PLA Navy Type 052C destroyer (hull number 150) occurred in the southwest waters of Kao-hsiung Harbor that, has gone viral on social media.

Reports cited by Navy Recognition say the indication occurred on August 5 at 8 pm, but the Taiwanese authorities have not given a response.

The Taiwan Air Force has been busy training how to deal with an actual incursion, not just practice by the PLA. Its Cheng Kung class are guided-missile frigates serving the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy (ROCN, and part of the Kuang Hua I project. Based on the old US Oliver Hazard Perry class.

The Taiwanese F-16 Viper is the most up-to-date version of the Fighting Falcon with more modern avionics and capacities, although the J-16 and J-15 are Flanker clones used by the Chinese Air Force, have yet to tussle it out.

Related Article: Taiwan Preps Against China's Threats of Invasion, Sets Budget to Buy New Jets Worth $1.4 Billion

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Children were 'sat next to the body of their mother for eight hours' after she died suddenly on a flight as the family returned home to the UK to begin a 'new chapter' after living in Hong Kong for 15 years.

Helen Rhodes, a 'devoted' mother, died suddenly as she was travelling home to the UK with her husband Simon and their son and daughter on August 5 after living in Tung Chung, Hong Kong.

A few hours into the flight, Mrs Rhodes - a midwife - was found unresponsive and could not be resuscitated. It is believed she passed away in her sleep.

Her body then remained in her seat for eight hours next to her devastated children, before the flight landed in Frankfurt.

Mrs Rhodes' body remains in Germany and is yet to be repatriated. Her husband and two children, Nathan and Emma, had to continue onto the UK without her.

A GoFundMe appeal has been set up by family friend Jayne Jeje to help the family 'honour our dear friend Helen' and to help with unexpected repatriation and funeral expenses. So far it has raised more than 10,000 of a 20,000 target and friends and wellwishers have flooded the site with touching tributes.

Ms Jeje described how the family were ready to 'embark on a new chapter' and Mrs Rhodes was 'looking forward' to seeing her aging parents whom she hadn't seen since the start of the pandemic.

Helen Rhodes (right) was travelling home to the UK on August 5 with her husband Simon (left) and their two children Nathan and Emma after living in Tung Chung, Hong Kong, for more than 15 years

She wrote: 'Helen and her family wrapped up a life in Hong Kong of over 15 years to embark on a new chapter living back home in the UK.

'Helen was excited and nervous about the move, but looked forward to seeing her family back home, as she had not seen her family or aging parents since the pandemic began. Sadly, she never got to see them again.'

She continued: 'We are still in disbelief and shock about the sudden passing of our dearest friend Helen Rhodes, whose life has touched many people in Hong Kong and the UK.

'Helen was one of a kind, a gem. She was a midwife by profession, and was always willing to lend a helping hand or advice to anyone who needed it.

'Helen loved to talk and made friends easily. She was the pulse of her community in Tung Chung, in Hong Kong.

'She couldnt walk a few feet and not run into someone she knew by name. She was an early member of a tight knit diverse group, called Tung Chung Mums.

'Over 200 women who first looked to her if they had a question concerning anything medical related.

'Helen always made herself available to help others. She was clever, witty and generous with her time.'

A midwife by profession, the 'one of a kind' mother 'lay in a breathless sleep' in her seat for the remaining eight hours of the flight until the plane landed in Frankfurt. Pictured: Hong Kong

She added: 'Helen was sharp and creative. She ran her own business making amazing bespoke bows and accessories. Helen took pride in everything she did, and her bows were exquisite.

'This fundraiser is to honor this lovely woman who was loved by so many, a dear friend who touched so many people.

'We can only hope she knew how much she meant to us and how her void can never be filled.

'How this loss is so painful and surreal. The grief we feel is paralyzing. Yet, we feel lucky to have known her.'

Describing what happened, Ms Jeje said: 'On August 5, 2022. Helen passed away in her sleep on her flight from HK to UK. Helen was found unresponsive a few hours into the flight.

'Despite all efforts, Helen was not able to be resuscitated. This all unfolded in front of her children. For the remaining 8 hours of the flight, Helen lay in a breathless sleep in her seat.

'Although this was extremely traumatizing to the family, they all had time to say what they needed to say to her.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Jayne Jeje to help the family with unexpected expenses and to 'honour our dear friend Helen'. It has so far raised more than 10,000

'Needless to mention, they are devastated. This loss is unimaginable. Helen was a devoted wife and mother. She was the glue that held her family together.

'After landing in Germany and the protocol that followed, Helen remained in Frankfurt while her husband (Simon) and two young children (Nathan and Emma) had to go on to the UK without her.'

Andrew Spires, admin of Tung Chung Tower Communities' Facebook page, paid tribute to Mrs Rhodes.

He said: 'Sadly Tung Chung's very own Helen Rhodes passed away on a flight back to the UK. She was with her husband Simon, and two kids.

'I knew Helen only on a 'school gates' level but she was the most caring, generous and thoughtful person; also the most chatty! Tung Chung and school pick-up won't be the same without you.

'Wishing all the best to her family going forward - I hope they eventually find some peace.

'Live life to the fullest folks, and hugs the ones you love.'
This is the horror moment a woman taking photos of her friend on a zipline platform was pushed over the edge by a machine and plunged to her death.

The unnamed woman was snapping pictures of a pal from a landing platform at a scenic tourist spot near Fenyang, northern China last week when tragedy struck.

Terrifying security CCTV of the drama shows she was apparently taking snaps of someone climbing on cables above the zipwire.

But she was apparently so engrossed in her photos she did not notice part of the ride's machinery heading straight towards her.

The woman raised her arms to take photos of her friend on a zipline in China. The friend appeared to be posing for the holiday snaps at the park in Fenyang, northern China

The equipment hits the woman head-on, scooping her up and carrying her over the ravine's edge.

Two workers rush to help her but stop just before they topple over the edge themselves.

For a few heart-stopping moments she manages to cling on, but she loses her grip and falls in a plunge that would prove fatal, according to local media.

Rescuers found her hanging from a bush just a few feet above the ground.

Two workers rushed forward to try to save her, but it was too late and she was pushed off it

But the ride's machinery pushed her over the edge after scooping her up and she fell fatally. A CCTV camera captured the moment she was hoisted off the ledge she was balanced on

Other footage shows them climbing on top of a tourist bus trying to get her down.

Local media reported that she died of multiple injuries at Fenyang Hospital.

Officials have not named the victim but have said she was a tourist.

The zipline business has since been shut down and a police investigation into the incident is ongoing.
An unhinged thug stabbed a gay man in the back at the Yankee Stadium subway stop in New York City in what the victim believes was a hate crime as violence surges more than 55 percent compared to last year.

The victim Leo Frasier, 33, said that he was returning from work to his Bronx home and headed up the escalator to transfer trains when the shirtless man, who appeared to be in his late teens or early 20s leaned into him.

The assailant, whose pants were falling down with his underwear hanging out, was bent over in front of Frasier at first but then straightened up and turned to confront him.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Frasier said: 'He leaned into my personal space, saying he wanted to make sure that I didn't take a picture of him.

'Here he was homophobic and I was, like, I didn't take a photo of you. It was hot, I was tired and I was, like, I'm not the one.'

Frasier said to deter the man, he gestured that he had a weapon in his pocket.

Leo Frasier, 33, said that he was attacked because his assailant thought he was gay

Here is the unhinged assailant fleeing the subway station near Yankee Stadium after attacking a gay man

The attacker, pictured here, stabbed Leo Frasier, 33, in the Yankee Stadium subway station, puncturing his lung

The NYPD's Transit District 11 is located in the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium stop where the attack took place

The man went to the top of the escalator and ducked off to the left and waited for his victim to come off.

As Frasier walked to his connection on the four train, he caught a reflection of the attacker coming at him from behind.

Frasier ducked and swung his bag around at the young man and caught him in the neck.

That's when he felt the piercing pain of the stabbing on the left side of his back.

'Someone yelled, 'He's bleeding,' Frasier said. 'There was so much blood. I heard a cracking sound and the doctors said that was my lung being punctured.'

Frasier told DailyMail.com that he believes that his attacker knew that he is gay and that's why he was targeted.

'Even if I don't parade my homosexuality, he assumed that I am gay,' he said in an interview from his hospital bed.

'The doctors said that if I was standing upright, I would have died. That's what pisses me off,' he said.

Now, Frasier, who turns 34 tomorrow, will be spending his birthday in the hospital as doctors evaluate his progress.

'My boyfriend and I were going to do something,' he said. 'But now I'm going to be here.'

Surveillance video caught the attacker fleeing down the escalator and through the subway station without his shirt on, wearing shorts and sneakers with black socks.

No arrests have been made, according to cops.

Frasier said that he would like to see more cops better deployed through out the subway system.

'I do appreciate that they wanted to put more cops in the train station. If they had more cops, this probably wouldn't happen,' he said.

The NYPD's Transit District 11 is located in that subway station, but Frasier said that the cops were usually only around the precinct office.

The attack comes as the city sees crime spiking a whopping 57 percent on the subways in July across the five boroughs since last year.

Prior to her death, Go (pictured) was an executive manager at Deloitte Consulting, according to her LinkedIn. Her death shocked New York City residents and prosecutors from the District Attorney's office previously claimed that Simon was motivated by racial bias against Go, who was Asian American

Murders and shootings have decreased slightly in the hot summer in the Big Apple, but felony assault, like the kind Frazier said he experienced, jumped 19 percent. Rapes are up nearly 11 percent, robbery, which involves violence or the threat of violence, rose an eye-popping 39.4 percent.

Overall, New York City crime surged 36.7 percent, according to the NYPD.

Sometimes the victims are barely in their teens.

On July 9,14-year-old Ethan Reyes was stabbed to death in Harlem at the 137th Street - City College subway stop by a 15-year-old from a rival gang.

The New York Times reported that fear has gripped the subway system after a reporter rode the A train, the city's longest line, for a day.

'I dont feel safe on the trains, Jo-Ann Jones, of Harlem told the paper. Im afraid to go out after 8 oclock.

Ridership on the city's subways has dropped 56.2 percent on the weekdays.

Nina Rothchild, 58, spoke out for the first time since she was pushed down a flight of stairs and hit in the head 13 times with a hammer at a subway station in Queens, New York, in February

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD lieutenant, made cleaning up crime a central part of his administration's platform.

He's promised to deploy more police in the stations, but so far it has not proven effective.

Adams has placed the blame on the crime wave on the 2019 criminal justice reform, that prohibited bail for misdemeanors and some felony crimes.

He has pressed lawmakers in Albany and Gov. Kathey Hochul to change the law to give judges the discretion to withhold bail if the defendant could be a danger to the community.

So far, lawmakers have ignored his request.

From the beginning of the year, the New York City subway has seen some shocking, brutal and senseless crimes.

January saw one of the biggest increase, nearly doubling the year before, with 198 crimes reported compared to 113 in the first month last year.

That was the month when Deloitte analyst Michelle Go was pushed to her death under a Times Square train by a homeless man with a history of mental illness.

The suspect Martial Simon, 61, also had a violent criminal history. He served two years for robbing taxi drivers at gunpoint.

A defiant Frank Abrokwa, 37, is pictured showing a rude hand gesture as he is led into Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday for violating the conditions of his release

After the killing, the newly inaugurated Mayor Eric Adams made safety in the subway system a top priority, holding a press conference in the Times Square station in February. He promised that he would beckon riders back and clear out homeless people using the commuter system for shelter.

Days after his announcement, six people were stabbed in the system, and a city Health Department scientist Nina Rothschild, 58, was pushed down the stairs in a Queens subway station and beaten 13 times in the head with a hammer.

Career criminal William Blount, 57, was arrested for the attack on Rothschild after he was found with the city worker's credit cards and NYC ID. He was charged with attempted murder, robbery and assault.

Rothschild suffered a skull fracture in the attack, but was expected to recover.

Also in February, a man upset that his sexual advances had been rebuffed on a Bronx subway platform, defecated in a plastic bag then smeared it on the head and face of the woman he had hit on.

Frank Abrokwa, 37, got away from the scene of that disgusting crime, but he was nabbed later for throwing a dumbbell through the window of a storage facility where he kept his belongings.

It also came to light that Abrokwa had punched a spit at an Orthodox man in Crown Heights on March 2 in an unprovoked attack that prosecutors are considering a hate crime.

Later in March, in an echo of the attack on the city health worker, a 29-year-old Asian man was beaten with a hammer in a 14th Street subway

Six-foot-two Christian Jeffers, 48, who identifies as female, pulled the tool from her bag on March 9 and struck the victim in the head, asking 'Why the f---- you hit me?' though it appears the violence was unprovoked.

Another hate crime occurred on a northbound A train on March 19 when an unhinged assailant attacked and beat a gay man, according to cops.

'The suspect began spitting at a 22 Y/O male [victim] before attacking him & ripping out his hair while making anti-gay remarks,' according to the NYPD.

Criminal justice reforms, like a limit on the discretion of judges to impose pre-trial incarceration have been blamed and a decriminalization of petty crimes like shoplifting, have been blamed for the crime wave.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who took office in January, announced in his 'day-one memo' that certain gun crimes would not be prosecuted.

On March 23, a 14-year-old boy was punched repeatedly by a gang of attackers at a Brooklyn train station.

The teen was in the Van Siclen Avenue station in East New York when the gang unleashed a brutal series of head and body blows.

Video of the attack show the youth try to protect himself against the violent mugging.

On April 5, a commuter on a northbound 4 train got into an argument with another man who slashed him in the neck with a boxcutter.

A man had his neck slashed with a boxcutter on the subway on Tuesday morning in the latest frightening act of violence in New York City.

NYPD officials say the victim, in his forties, was traveling on a northbound 4 train when he and another man got into an argument.

Adam's 'holistic' plan for combatting crime, which unveiled in February with Gov. Kathy Hochul at his side, seems to have a limited affect on the chaos.

He proposed 30 'Joint Response Teams' made up of mental health workers, cops and community organizers to address poverty, homelessness and crime. He, with funding from Hochul, promised to increase shelter and mental health beds available.

Under his plan the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would force all subway occupants off the trains at the end of the line for cleaning.
The Russian commander in charge of Europe's largest nuclear plant has wired it with explosives and threatened to blow it up if Ukraine tries to take it back, Kyiv claims.

Major-general Valery Vasilyev, who commands Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, has reportedly told Ukraine about the bombs and warned: 'This will be either Russian land or scorched earth.'

Vasilyev also told his men that even if they are given 'the toughest order, we must fulfil it with honor,' according to Ukraine's state atomic energy firm Energoatom.

It comes after a weekend of artillery blasts at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which damaged power lines, knocked out sensor and wounded a worker. Russia and Ukraine have each blamed the other for the strikes.

Zaporizhzhia has been on Russian-occupied territory since March, but continues to be operated by Ukrainian technicians working under the barrels of Moscow's troops.

Russia has been accused of wiring Europe's largest nuclear power plant with explosives that will be detonated if Ukraine tries to take it back (file image)

Vasilyev's words were also shared by Ukraine's culture and information policy ministry, and by Anton Gerashchenko a senior adviser to the interior ministry.

'Nuclear blackmail for the whole world,' Gerashchenko said.

Meanwhile Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom, warned of a 'Chernobyl-style' disaster if containers of spent nuclear fuel at the plant are hit - saying it will be 'impossible to assess the scale of this catastrophe' if two or more are breached.

Kotin called for a 'demilitarized zone' to be set up around the plant, and for an international team of 'peacekeepers' to be sent in to safeguard it.

Antonio Guterres, speaking from Japan commemorating the US nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, described the attacks on Zaporizhzhia as 'suicidal'.

The Zaporizhzhia plant was struck on two separate occasions last week - once on Friday and then again on Saturday, local authorities said.

The first attack damaged a pylon leading to the site, and the second damaged three safety sensors and wounded a worker.

One of the plant's six nuclear reactors had to be shut down after the first attack, Ukraine said, though only as a precaution.

'A nuclear catastrophe was miraculously avoided, but miracles cannot last forever,' Energoatom posted after the attacks ended.

President Zelensky has accused Moscow of using 'nuclear terror' as a weapon as Putin's invasion of the country falters.

But Moscow has accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack, saying Western allies should exert pressure to get the shelling to stop.

Events at the Zaporizhzhia site - where Kyiv alleged that Russia hit a power line on Friday - have alarmed the world.

Guterres said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needed access to the plant.

Antonio Guterres, head of the UN, has called for a team of international inspectors to be sent in - saying strikes on the plant are 'suicidal'

'We fully support the IAEA in all their efforts in relation to create the conditions of stabilisation of the plant,' Guterres said.

IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi warned on Saturday that the latest attack 'underlines the very real risk of a nuclear disaster'.

Elsewhere, a deal to unblock Ukraine's food exports and ease global shortages gathered pace as another four ships sailed out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports while the first cargo vessel since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion docked.

The four outgoing ships had almost 170,000 tonnes of corn and other food. They were sailing under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to try to help ease soaring global food prices that have resulted from the war.

Before Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion, which Russian President Vladimir Putin calls a 'special military operation', Russia and Ukraine together accounted for nearly a third of global wheat exports. The disruption since then has threatened famine in some parts of the world.

Putin's troops are trying to gain full control of the Donbas region of east Ukraine where pro-Moscow separatists seized territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014.

'Ukrainian soldiers are firmly holding the defence, inflicting losses on the enemy and are ready for any changes in the operational situation,' Ukraine's general staff said in an update on Monday.

Russia has already attacked the nuclear plant once before, setting one of the outlying buildings on fire in a gun battle with Ukrainian troops earlier this year

Russia has occupied the plant since March (pictured, a Kremlin soldier on guard duty), but it continues to be run by Ukrainian technicians despite allegations of torture

Russian forces stepped up their attacks north and northwest of Donetsk city in the Donbas on Sunday, Ukraine's military said. The Russians attacked Ukrainian positions near the heavily fortified settlements of Piski and Avdiivka, as well as shelling other locations in the Donetsk region, it said.

In addition to tightening its grip over the Donbas, Russia is entrenching its position in southern Ukraine, where it has gathered troops in a bid to prevent a potential counter-offensive near Kherson, Kyiv has said.

As the fighting rages, Russians installed in the wake of Moscow's invasion have toyed with the idea of joining Ukraine's occupied territory to Russia. Last month, a senior pro-Russian official said a referendum on such a move was likely 'towards next year.'

Zelenskiy said any 'pseudo-referendums' on occupied areas of his country joining Russia would eliminate the possibility of talks between Moscow and its Ukrainian counterparts or their allies.

'They will close for themselves any change of talks with Ukraine and the free world which the Russian side will clearly need at some point,' he said.

Ukraine's chief war crimes prosecutor on Sunday said almost 26,000 suspected war crimes committed since the invasion were being investigated, with 135 people charged, of whom 15 were in custody. Russia denies targeting civilians.

Shelling and missile strikes were reported overnight in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and around military sites in the western region of Vinnitsya, among other places, Ukrainian authorities said. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Have you fallen victim to rip-off prices at DK Oyster or another Mykonos establishment? Email newsus@dailymail.com

A New Jersey couple are the latest to have fallen victim to a notorious rip-off Mykonos restaurant after being charged $560 for a platter of oysters, two glass boots of beer and two cocktails.

Theodora McCormick, a 50-year-old lawyer from New Jersey, said she and her husband were slapped with a $557 tab for a dozen oysters and four drinks at the DK Oyster Bar. McCormick said they only ordered to be polite while stopping in to call a cab during a vacation on the ritzy Greek Island.

She said when they complained about the bill a gauntlet of 'hulking' male waiters intimidatingly surrounded them until they agreed to swallow the bill.

Speaking to The Sun, McCormick recounted the 'weird experience,' and called the restaurant an obvious 'scam' in hindsight.

McCormick said she had expected to pay around $250 for the drinks and food, but she is the latest in a long line of hapless tourists to fall victim to the rip-off restaurant. It has a series of dreadful TripAdvisor reviews warning visitors to Mykonos of its overinflated prices.

McCormick's account comes a week after a young Canadian couple's headline-making tab of $410 for one beer, one cocktail, a dozen oysters at the same restaurant prompted its owner, Dimitrios Kalamara, to call the couple 'wannabe influencers' trying to gain attention.

Theodora McCormick, a 50-year-old lawyer from New Jersey, said she and her husband were slapped with a $557 tab for a dozen oysters and four drinks at the DK Oyster Bar - which they only ordered to be polite while stopping in to call a cab

'I feel foolish because I don't normally fall for those types of scams,' McCormick told The Sun, 'It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. We weren't planning on eating there, but we saw the sign.'

McCormick said she and her husband were looking for a taxi back to their hotel on the last day of their Greek vacation when they saw a outside DK Oyster bar saying they could call a cab inside.

'I told my husband, 'Oh, why don't we call a taxi and grab a drink,'' she said, 'That was my big mistake.'

When she asked for a cocktail menu, McCormick said the waiter didn't bring one and instead listed drink options aloud.

The couple ordered two beers, two martinis, and also a dozen oysters which McCormick said the waiter nagged them into ordering.

The couple ordered two beers, two martinis, and also a dozen oysters which McCormick said the waiter nagged them into ordering

When she asked for a cocktail menu, McCormick said the waiter didn't bring one and instead listed drink options aloud

When the beers arrived she said they were enormous - about three pints brimming to the surface of a pair of great glass boots - and the couple braced themselves to pay premium prices.

'It was Mykonos, we knew it was going to be ridiculous. 250-odd euros, that's what we were thinking,' she said, 'But when we got the bill and it was around 500 euros.'

'My husband was like, 'there's got to be a mistake.'

She said when they complained 'a group of big, hulking men' surrounded them until they agreed to pay the bill. 'They have no female waiters,' she added.

The DK Oyster bar on Mykonos. Numerous customers have described their business model as a scam

DK has a poor rating on Tripadvisor - with scores of former customers warning of its rip-off prices and aggressive staff - but tourists keep on falling for the scam

Rip-off restaurant has infuriated scores of diners Theodora McCormick isn't the only tourist to have fallen foul of the pricing at DK in Mykonos. The establishment is now so notorious questions are being asked as to how people keep being ripped-off by its owners' antics: Earlier in August, Canadian newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen were slapped with a $410 check for a beer, a cocktail and 12 oysters. In May 2019, another group of American tourists were outraged after being charged $1,000 for six plates of calamari, three Caesar salads and six beers. Owner Dimitris Kalamaras was unrepentant at the time, insisting that the quality of food and stunning beach-side location justified its prices. Advertisement

'I told my husband, 'We're in a foreign country. It's ridiculous, but it's obviously some sort of scam. We'll pay up and try to deal with our credit card company later'.'

She said the restaurant clearly had a 'bizarre business model,' which thrived on 'ripping off tourists and making people unhappy.'

'They're never going to have any repeat business, but I suppose they get enough people from around the world that there's always a supply of fresh meat.'

Early this month, Canadian newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen, both 30, shared their experience being gauged by DK Oyster during their honeymoon in May.

The Toronto natives were forced to pay a $410 bill after ducking in for 'a quick snack' of one beer, one cocktail and a dozen oysters.

Lindsay said they were in 'disbelief' when they saw the tab, as restaurant staff gave them menus which did not list prices.

The couple also claim that rather than presenting them with the bill at the table, carpenter Alex was taken to a back room to pay and when he asked for a breakdown they showed him their computer screen which was all in Greek.

Lindsay says her new husband settled the bill without arguing as he wanted to avoid a confrontation.

'He definitely felt intimidated,' she said.

Early this month, Canadian newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen, both 30, shared their experience being gauged by DK Oyster during their honeymoon in May

DK Oyster owner Dimitrios Kalamara. He called the Breens 'wannabe influencers' trying to gain attention

Kalamaras - owner of the infamous bar - defended his establishment as the Breens' story made the rounds online.

'This person who is trying to get famous through Instagram posts under the name of Lyndsay Breen, starts with a lie.

'She claims that she 'repeatedly asked for a cocktail menu', and adds that 'the server didn't seem to want to provide one'.

'Despite that, she placed an order. An influencer, an experienced well travelled person who makes a living through their experiences in the world did what most adults in the right mind would not do, ordered drinks and food from a waiter who refused to present a menu.'

Kalamaras insisted that his staff provides menus, and that there is a blackboard with the menu posted on it in the restaurant. He added that it is not the restaurant's responsibility to make sure every customer does their basic due diligence to acquire a menu if they are concerned about their budget.

'The manager can help before ordering and consuming, not at the time they are requested to pay the charged amounts. I cannot stop every single person entering our premises and explain the significance of such a practice.'

Despite Kalamaras' insistence that the ownness for negative experiences are on the customers, the McCormicks and the Breens are not the only couples to have complained about the restaurant - a look at DK Oyster's Trip Advisor page shows scores of irate customers who have described similar questionable experiences.

'No adult in their right mind would order without seeing a menu': Owner of Mykonos restaurant that charged Canadian couple 400 for 2 drinks and 12 oysters blames THEM - and claims they're 'wannabe influencers'

The owner of a notorious Greek restaurant accused of slapping tourists with eye-watering bills has branded complainers as 'influencers looking for free meals'.

Dimitrios Kalamaras, owner of DK Oyster in Mykonos, has hit back at a couple who this week claimed to have been slapped with a staggering 400 bill for a beer, an Aperol spritz and a dozen oysters.

Canadian honeymooners Lindsay Breen and husband Alex, both 30, this month claimed that staff at the restaurant failed to give them a drinks menu with prices on it before landing them with the hefty sum.

The owner of a notorious Greek restaurant accused of slapping tourists with eye-watering bills has branded complainers 'influencers looking for free meals'

Dimitrios has finally broken his silence and defended his prices, insisting that they are simply 'beyond the budget' of some of his visitors as he called Lindsay an 'influencer looking to get famous' from highlighting her bill.

This is despite the fact she works in recruitment and has no publicly visible social media accounts to indicate that she's an influencer.

Despite DK Oyster's Tripadvisor page being flooded with one-star reviews and other customers alleging they experienced similar treatment as Lindsay and Alex, the owner was unmoved.

TripAdvisor has put a warning on the restaurant's review page which reads: 'Tripadvisor has been made aware of recent media reports or events concerning this property, which may not be reflected in reviews found on this listing.

Dimitrios has finally broken his silence and defended his prices, insisting that they are simply 'beyond the budget' of some of his visitors as he called Lindsay an 'influencer looking to get famous' from highlighting her bill

Canadian honeymooners Lindsay Breen and husband Alex, both 30, this month claimed that staff at the restaurant failed to give them a drinks menu with prices on it before slamming them with the hefty sum

'Accordingly, you may wish to perform additional research for information about this property when making your travel plans.'

Currently 337 have rated the restaurant as 'excellent', whereas 611 ranked it 'terrible'.

Fifty two have deemed it 'very good', 19 rated it 'average' and 33 placed it as 'poor'.

Dimitrios claims that following 'dozens' of similar 'false' claims on TripAdvisor stating that staff at the restaurant refused to give a menu with prices on it, he decided to place three blackboards at the entrance displaying them.

Dimitrios claims that following 'dozens' of similar 'false' claims on TripAdvisor stating that staff at the restaurant refused to give a menu with prices on it, he decided to place three blackboards at the entrance displaying them

He also believes that customers could ask for a manager to discuss the price before they order and that it would be 'ridiculous' for him to explain the menu to every customer that enters.

Dimitrios added that 'no adult in their right mind' would order a drink without seeing how much it costs first and that he has no intention of explaining why they charge more than a supermarket or a traditional taverna.

He also claimed that DK Oyster's 'concept' was completely different.

The restaurant owner said: 'Unfortunately, all of us who work in the hospitality sector have been approached by notorious "influencers" who instead of making their living by advertising products and services to their audience they put pressure on certain businesses for exorbitant fees and free meals.

'In DK Oyster we have advertised in the ways we consider suitable for our restaurant and we will not succumb to the influencers who have been attracted to the beautiful island of Mykonos.

'A very popular destination for the people that certain influencers would very much like to mingle with.

Recruiter Lindsay claimed that rather than presenting them with the bill at the table, carpenter Alex was taken to a back room to pay and when he asked for a breakdown, they showed him their computer screen which was all in Greek

'This person who is trying to get famous through Instagram posts under the name of Lyndsay Breen, starts with a lie.

'She claims that she "repeatedly asked for a cocktail menu", and adds that "the server didn't seem to want to provide one".

'Despite that, she placed an order. An influencer, an experienced well traveller person who makes a living through their experiences in the world did what most adults in the right mind would not do, ordered drinks and food from a waiter who refused to present a menu.

Lindsay says her new husband settled the bill without arguing as he felt intimidated

'This false claim has been used so much against our restaurant by dozens of anonymous users in Trip Advisor, that we decided to place three huge black boards by the entrance of the restaurant displaying the menu and the prices.

'I thought that this way our guests, if the reviews were indeed written by actual customers, would at least have an idea regarding the range of our prices in order to be sure to check the menu thoroughly before ordering.

'Every time I received such a complaint, always by anonymous users through Trip Advisor, I consulted with the personnel, reminding that it is crucial for our reputation to be sure that procedures are followed carefully.

Lindsay said: 'We went to the oyster bar for a bite to eat and a drink. 'They immediately said "do you want oysters?" They were very presumptuous. We said yes and he said "a dozen?" so we said yes because a dozen is a typical order'

'They always assured me that they abide by the rules. So, I used Tripadvisor to encourage our guests to always browse carefully through the menu and the prices.'

Dimitrios then said that a person who feels they were being refused their right to a menu could simply 'leave or request to talk to the manager'.

'The manager can help before ordering and consuming, not at the time they are requested to pay the charged amounts,' he added.

Dimitrios also said: 'I cannot stop every single person entering our premises and explain the significance of such a practice.

'It would be ridiculous. I also believe that if a person who is not malevolent felt that that they do not get the menu, as is their right before ordering, they should either leave or request to talk to the manager.

'Unfortunately, there are people in Tripadvisor, openly encouraging guests to come, eat and drink whatever they want and then refuse to pay the bills.

Lindsay added: 'My husband ordered a beer and I asked for a cocktail menu and he came back with the beer but I had to ask again for a cocktail menu...I said fine I'll have an Aperol spritz because they clearly didn't have a menu that they wanted to give me'

'I understand that some people may find our prices beyond their budget and I totally respect their opinion even if they do not appreciate the value of our services, cuisine, concept and experience.

'Once in a while I post replies on Tripadvisor trying to honestly explain that we are not profiteering.

'We believe that the value of the offered experience is high and we have no intention to explain why we charge more than a supermarket or a traditional taverna, which can be quite wonderful but is surely a completely different concept than ours.

'The influencer claims that some locals spread rumours against us. I don't know if this is a coincidence, but this is another argument used by anonymous Tripadvisor users.

'I see a pattern with claims that may not be verified copied from Trip Advisor.'

A TripAdvisor spokesperson said: 'The stories coming out from travellers about their experiences at this restaurant are horrifying, and we sympathise with any who may have been affected.

'These kind of stories really underline just how helpful a resource Tripadvisor is to travellers looking for guidance on where to visit and which places to avoid.

'A first-hand account of an experience for a place from a fellow traveller is invaluable insight into what can be expected there.

The reviews for this business speak for themselves. We'd urge travellers to refer to Tripadvisor when making plans at home or abroad. The Tripadvisor app makes it easy to do this on the go no matter where you are.'

Recruiter Lindsay claimed that rather than presenting them with the bill at the table, carpenter Alex was taken to a back room to pay and when he asked for a breakdown, they showed him their computer screen which was all in Greek.

Lindsay says her new husband settled the bill without arguing as he felt intimidated.

She said: 'We went to the oyster bar for a bite to eat and a drink.

'They immediately said "do you want oysters?" They were very presumptuous. We said yes and he said "a dozen?" so we said yes because a dozen is a typical order.

Reviewers on Tripadvisor claim to have has a similar experience at DK Oyster

'My husband ordered a beer and I asked for a cocktail menu and he came back with the beer but I had to ask again for a cocktail menu and he started rhyming off different kinds of alcohol he had, vodka, gin but I asked for a menu.

'I didn't know how it was so difficult to see what they had.

'He finally brought me back what they consider their cocktail menu. A laminated piece of paper with the types of alcohol listed but it didn't have the brand or the drinks, nothing.

'So I said fine I'll have an Aperol spritz because they clearly didn't have a menu that they wanted to give me.'
Americans views have hardened against immigration, with 10 percent more people calling for lower migrant flows than did so two years ago  a sign of growing concern about chaos on the southern border.

Only 28 percent of Americans surveyed in 2020 wanted less immigration to the U.S. That rose to 38 percent in a poll released on Monday, suggesting frustration with the administration of President Joe Biden.

The increase was stark among Republicans, where those seeking fewer immigrants rose from 48-69 percent. There was also an uptick among Democrats, with a 13-17 point increase over two years.

The polling reflects growing public concern over chaos at the southern border, caravans and deaths from cross-border trafficking, even as many business chiefs seek more migrant labor to build U.S. manufacturing and the technology sector.

Pollsters noted that U.S. attitudes over immigration were highly fractured and a roughly three-way split between those who wanted people flows reduced, increased, and those who wanted it kept at current levels.

The border crisis of recent years has sparked a highly partisan debate about how to handle the large demand for entry to the U.S. from Central and South America, researchers said.

That is likely affecting Americans' views toward immigration generally.

Americans views have hardened against immigration, with 10 percent more people calling for lower migrant flows than did so two years ago  a sign of growing concern about chaos on the southern border

The poll was released after the first buses packed with migrants from Central And South America sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, arrived in New York City on Friday, followed by another on Sunday

The survey was released after the first buses packed with migrants from Central And South America sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, arrived in New York City on Friday, followed by another on Sunday.

Abbott, who is running for a third term as governor in November elections, has already sent more than 6,000 migrants to Washington since April in a bid to shift responsibility for border crossers to Democratic mayors and Biden, a Democrat.

New York Mayor Eric Adams condemned Abbott for a horrific decision to force migrants onto buses against their will after meeting the new arrivals at the Port Authority bus terminal on Sunday.

Some of the families are on the bus that wanted to go to other locations, and they were not allowed to do so. They were forced on the bus, Adams said, according to Politico.

Our goal is to immediately find out each familys needs and give them the assistance they want.

Adams has declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system. Some 4,000 asylum-seekers have come to NYC since May, Adams' office stated.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has said her city's shelter system has also been strained by migrant arrivals and last month urged the Biden administration to deploy military troops to assist with receiving the migrants.

Attitudes against immigration have haredned among Republicans, Democrats and independents

Juan Manuel, 69, Frankie Michael, 38, and Gail Harper, 85, live close to one of New York's long-established shelters for ayslum seekers, and worry about already-high rates of crime and homlessness in the neighborhood

New Yorkers living close to the citys shelters for asylum seekers told DailyMail.com they were worried about newcomers adding to the problems of crime, homelessness and drugs that already blight run-down neighborhoods.

We don't know anything about them. We don't know if theyre criminals. Theyre refugees so they could be disguising themselves as good people, said Juan Manuel, 69, a retired publisher who lives blocks from the shelter.

Manuel said he feared an influx of new asylum seekers would add to the pretty high crime levels in the city, where a spike in shootings and murders in July fueled a 31 percent increase in the citys crime rate over the same month last year.

Gail Harper, 85, a retired shop assistant, mum of four and now a great-grandmother, warned that her Harlem neighborhood was already overcrowded with undesirables and homeless people erecting makeshift tents in nearby parks.

Why are they gonna have so many more of them come in here? And there's so many homeless that's out there now, Harper said, recalling when eh moved to the area in the 1970s, when it didn't have all the homeless and shootings.

The Gallup survey found that Americans overall remained broadly supportive of immigration, with 70 percent saying it was on the whole a benefit to the country

Farm laborers harvest romaine lettuce on a machine with heavy plastic dividers that separate workers from each other in Greenfield, California. The company, Fresh Harvest, is a major employer of people using the H-2A temporary agricultural worker visas

Frankie Michael, 38, an event manager, said New York was a weird place right now after the Covid-19 pandemic, racial justice protests and deepening social ills and questioned whether the city could accommodate newcomers.

I just saw guys sleeping naked underneath the bus stop, said Michael, pointing towards Amsterdam Avenue.

I've seen a lot of homeless lately, more than ever, and in recent years this area has gotten a little shady, especially at night, with homeless people trying to come off heroin. And the east side is like Skid Row.

Still, others welcomed the new arrivals. Columbia University professor Steven Cohen posted on social media that the economic vitality of New York City is built on immigration.

Lets build on our immigrant tradition and figure out a workaround that enables new immigrants to get started here in New York, Cohen wrote on Monday.

Washington Post columnists Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent on Saturday talked up the benefits of immigration, saying U.S. businesses were struggling to fill jobs and workers from overseas could help rebuild U.S. manufacturing.

The Gallup survey found that Americans overall remained broadly supportive of immigration, with 70 percent saying it was on the whole a benefit to the world's biggest economy.

Biden entered office in January 2021 promising to reverse many of the anti-immigration policies of his Republican predecessor, former President Donald Trump, but some efforts have been held up in legal fights.

Biden is still trying to end Title 42, a Trump-era Covid policy that saw migrants deported straight back to Mexico, but a judge has ordered the president to continue enforcing it.

U.S. border guards have made record numbers of arrests under Biden, including many repeat crossers.

Some migrants who could not be deported quickly to Mexico or their home countries under Title 42 are permitted into the U.S., often to pursue asylum claims in immigration courts.

Some 53 migrants died in San Antonio, Texas, after being packed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in June  the deadliest smuggling incident in the U.S. to date. Four men including the suspected driver have been indicted on an array of trafficking charges.

A total of 207,416 migrants were encountered at the US southern border in June 2022
Three members of the same British family have died in a horror car crash while on holiday in Italy.

Antonino Marsala, 40, his wife Raffaella Marsala, 32, and their son Lorenzo, 15, were travelling in the same car when they smashed into an oncoming vehicle in Piedmont.

The family who lived in Bedford were originally from Calamonaci in Sicily, and were visiting relatives for the traditional festival to celebrate their patron saint Vincenzo Ferre.

Antonino Marsala, 40, his wife Raffaella Marsala, 32, and their son Lorenzo, 15, (pictured together) have been killed in a car crash in Italy

The accident occurred on the Ivrea-Santhia link road that connects the A4 Turin-Milan motorway with the A5 Turin-Aosta

Two cars were involved in the crash, a Toyota Yaris and a Fiat Panda, which ended up on the side of the road (general view of the crash site)

The accident occurred on the Ivrea-Santhia link road that connects the A4 Turin-Milan motorway with the A5 Turin-Aosta, on the border between the provinces of Biella and Turin.

Two cars were involved in the crash, a Toyota Yaris and a Fiat Panda, which ended up on the side of the road.

The Marsala family, who were travelling in the Fiat Panda towards Santhia, all died upon impact, local reports say.

Four people travelling in the Toyota Yaris were all seriously injured and transported by helicopter to a hospital in Novara.

Investigations are ongoing in Italy into the official cause of the accident.

Antonino worked in Bedford as an MOT tester and Raffaella used to work at the Toby Carvery.

Antonino worked in Bedford as an MOT tester and Raffaella used to work at the Toby Carvery

Foreign sources state the Mayor of Calamonaci, Pino Spinelli, published a message of condolence on social media.

He stated the three 'were returning from England to Sicily, for a period of vacation, to meet their relatives again and on the occasion of the forthcoming feast of San Vincenzo Ferreri.'

He said: 'The Marsala family had lived in England for some time, but in Calamonaci they still had many relatives, family and friends.

'From what I learned, they had decided to return to Calamonaci, in these days, precisely to attend the traditional festival dedicated to our patron, San Vincenzo Ferreri, which we are preparing to live after three years of pandemic and restrictions that have not allowed us.'

He added: 'I extend my heartfelt condolences to this family destroyed by pain in this moment of terrible anguish.

'In my name and in the name of the municipal administration of Calamonaci that I preside, we are united with them with prayer and with the solidarity of human and fraternal closeness.

'Misfortunes like this are astonishing and should never happen. May the Lord welcome them into his arms.'
Thousands of police officers have filed to leave the New York Police Department this year, threatening to plunge the force into crisis as the city continues to suffer soaring crime rates.

Pension fund statistics obtained by the New York Post suggest 2,465 officers have filed their notices so far this year, 42 per cent more than the 1,731 who had done so over the same period in 2021.

Meanwhile, a whopping 1,098 cops who turned in their badges did so before reaching a full pension, to which they are entitled after 20 years of service.

The number of 'early' retirees for the same period of 2021 was just 641.

The department faces stunning crime rates in the Big Apple. Overall crime is up by almost almost 37 per cent year-on-year, according to the latest statistics from the NYPD.

Driving that increase is a notable increase in the number of robberies and burglaries, which are up 39.6 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively.

The statistics come as NYC Mayor Eric Adams, himself a former cop, last week called on judges and the New York State Legislature to do away with lax bail reforms he says are keeping criminals on the street.

He said the 2020 reforms, ushered in under former Gov Andrew Cuomo and former mayor Bill de Blasio, made it impossible for criminals to be jailed for any meaningful period of time.

Pension fund statistics obtained by the New York Post suggest 2,465 officers have filed their notices so far this year, 42 per cent more than the 1,731 who had done so over the same period in 2021

A whopping 1,098 cops who turned in their badges did so before reaching a full pension, to which they are entitled after 20 years of service

NYC Mayor Eric Adams, himself a former cop, last week called on judges and the New York State Legislature to do away with lax bail reforms he says are keeping criminals on the street

The President of the NYPD Benevolent Association - the world's largest municipal police union - called on officials to 'admit' to the problems facing the department driving so many cops to hand in their notices.

'This exodus is the result of cops in the prime of their careers deciding they have had enough. They are leaving for other opportunities where they're paid better, treated better and have a better quality of life,' Patrick Lynch said in comments tweeted by the association.

'The NYPD should stop trying to explain this staffing crisis away. Admit there's a problem and help us fix it,' he told The Post.

Lynch cited difficulty with keeping criminals behind bars and anti-cop sentiments as key factors driving the exodus.

Recent bail reforms see many offenders - even those with long rap sheets or a propensity for violent crimes - rapidly released from custody after committing an offence.

Mayor Adams last week revealed that just 10 individual criminals accounted for 500 of the arrests in the city over the last two years, and at least six of them are still walking the streets due to lax bail laws.

At the press conference, Adams, a former cop, fumed: 'You have to work really hard to get to Rykers right now. To get there, you did something that is really bad.'

Police commissioner Keechant Sewell argued a similar point at a NYPD press conference in July.

'We at the NYPD know we have challenges and we step forward to face them, but we should not have to face them from within our own criminal justice system,' Sewell said.

'We would like all of us to be rowing in the same direction, but as we have said repeatedly we have a number of people who are out with open cases and we would like them to be incarcerated as opposed to being out able to commit more offences.'

Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell and NYPD executives brief the media regarding ongoing efforts to keep New York City safe, August 3

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, center, vented about criminal justice reform and the rise in gun crime in New York City

She added that she would like to see more changes to the bail reform law, and judges exercising their ability to consider a suspect's danger to the community when setting bail.

'It's criminal justice reform that we can speak to as the reason that these numbers are what they are... they need to be changed, they need to be tweaked.'

But it's not just New York where the police force is haemorrhaging officers amid soaring crime.

From Philadelphia to Portland to Los Angeles, killings and gun violence are rising at the same time officers worn out by the pandemic and disillusioned over the calls to divest from policing are quitting or retiring faster than they can be replaced.

Departments are scrambling to recruit in a tight labor market, and many have shifted veteran officers to patrol, breaking up specialized teams built over decades in order to keep up with 911 calls.

'Were getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them,' said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Eric Gripp, whose department has been rotating employees from specialty units for short assignments to increase patrols.

'This isn't just an issue in Philadelphia. Departments all over are down and recruitment has been difficult.'

Los Angeles, which is down more than 650 officers from its pre-pandemic staffing level, shuttered its animal cruelty unit and downsized its human trafficking, narcotics and gun details and reduced its homeless outreach teams by 80 per cent.

Seattle recently announced $2 million in hiring bonuses and benefits to lure recruits amid a critical officer shortage that has hampered the investigation of serious crimes.
The Red Cross is in desperate need of your poo - it takes guts, but it's for a good cause.

Perth is home to the only Lifeblood Microbiota Donor Centre in Australia - but many of their existing donors have been wiped out by Covid-19 and the cold and flu season.

Every donation is processed into life-saving faecal microbiota in transplant treatments for patients suffering infections like Clostridioides difficile.

The Red Cross is asking Perth residents to donate their poo, which can be used to harvest life-saving microorganisms

Poll Would you donate your poo in the name of medical science? Yes No Would you donate your poo in the name of medical science? Yes 46 votes

No 17 votes Now share your opinion





Currently just a handful of microbiota donors remain, with 85 per cent of existing donors no longer able to give.

The Red Cross desperately needs 2400 Perth residents to sign up.

Perth A/Microbiome Manager Silvana Miney said to be eligible, donors must not have had Covid, must be aged between 18 and 50, and be able to regularly donate at the Microbiota Donor Centre in Perth CBD.

'FMT is made by collecting stool from a healthy donor, testing and processing it, then supplying it to hospitals to transplant to patients,' Ms Miney said.

'It might seem like an unusual request, but there are more than a trillion life-saving microorganisms in your gut.

'Your healthy microbiota, something that normally gets flushed away, could be used to make FMT that can transform and even saves lives.'

Hand of a researcher showing a close-up of a microbiological culture plate, used to grow the life-giving microorganisms

Donors also have to clean bill of health for a range of other conditions and not be taking prescribed medication, although the contraceptive pill is excluded from this requirement.

Microbiota is an umbrella term used to describe trillions of naturally occurring bacteria, viruses and fungi in the body.

There are up to 1,000 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiome, with each type playing a different role.

While some bacteria are associated with disease, others interact with the immune system and can impact heart, weight and many other aspects of health.

Having healthy microbiome, here seen lining the intestine, are important to many aspects of health, including the immune system and the heart

Ms Miney encouraged people to cast away the stigma and donate their poo.

'Just one in 100 people who enquire will be eligible to donate, so we need as many people as possible to sign-up,' she said.

You can find out more about donating here.
A statue of 16th century playwright Christopher Marlowe has been likened to the Pirates of the Caribbean sea monster Davy Jones.

The 70,000 sculpture, made from woven strips of recycled steel, has drawn disapproval from some locals in Canterbury, Kent due to its lack of facial features.

Among those voicing their disapproval is former Lord Mayor, George Metcalfe, who believes Marlowe deserves an installation which resembles his likeness.

A statue of 16th century playwright Christopher Marlowe has been likened to the Pirates of the Caribbean sea monster Davy Jones

Mr Metcalfe, 85, said: 'Apart from anything else, it's totally hideous. The face on it looks like a scary marine creature out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

'I don't object to there being a statue but I want it to look like a real person - an illustrative, figurative representation of Marlowe - so that people can really appreciate him.

'Lots of famous people were born in Canterbury but he is probably the most famous - he was born the same year as Shakespeare and worked with him on some of his plays.

Among those voicing their disapproval is former Lord Mayor, George Metcalfe, who believes Marlowe deserves an installation which resembles his likeness

'In fact he was the most important playwright of his time, and he was a terrific character.

'I think this chap is really worthy of a statue and we need his face on it.'

Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights and modern scholars consider him to have been the foremost dramatist in London in the years before his mysterious death at the age of 29.

Some academics also believe he influenced William Shakespeare who succeeded him as the most distinguished playwright.

Mr Metcalfe, an ex-chairman of registered charity the Marlowe Society, is keen to see Marlowe honoured with a more realistic representation - similar to statues of Geoffrey Chaucer, Queen Bertha and King Ethelbert which have already been erected in the city.

He added: 'There are some lovely statues in Canterbury - for example, the statue of Chaucer in the town centre.

'When we have lots of visitors, most of whom know nothing about the area, they tend to gather around that statue.

'It's looked at and admired daily by hundreds of people.'

Mr Metcalfe believes the sculpture should be based on the painting of a young man thought to be Marlowe which is held at Corpus Christi College at the University of Cambridge.

Mr Metcalfe, 85, said: 'Apart from anything else, it's totally hideous. The face on it looks like a scary marine creature out of Pirates of the Caribbean

He said: 'The University of Cambridge has a wonderful painting of a man who we believe to be Christopher Marlowe.

'He was very nice looking and, frankly, a beautiful statue of this handsome young man would look fabulous in Canterbury.'

The portrait of the brown-eyed youth was found in 1953 by workmen under some rubble in the college, where Marlowe was a student.

While many scholars believe it depicts the playwright, several critics have questioned whether this is actually the case.

However, campaigners who organised the Christopher Marlowe Statue Appeal, have hit back at George's criticism. They say the statue has been intentionally left faceless because there is no credible depiction of what Marlowe actually looked like

According to Mr Metcalfe, other members of the Marlowe Society - which aims to educate the public on the playwright's work - are unhappy with the statue design.

He added: 'About two or three years ago we were having an annual general meeting of the Marlowe Society in London.

The trials and tribulations of famous 16th century playwright Christopher Marlowe Marlowe was born in Canterbury in 1564, the son of an upmarket shoemaker and a clergyman's daughter. Baptised on 26 February, he was only two months older than Shakespeare, who was baptised on 26 April of the same year. In 1578, Marlowe, 14 was enrolled as a scholar of Kings School in Canterbury, and in 1580 he went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, on a scholarship given to able scholars who could also, if possible, make a verse. Around 1585 many believe he started working as a government agent. In 1593, Marlowe wrote a manuscript that pointed out inconsistencies in the Bible, and he fell under the suspicion of heresy. Another contemporary of Shakespeare's, and Marlowe's roommate, Thomas Kyd, was tortured into giving evidence against him. On Sunday 20 May, Marlowe was arrested for the crime of being an atheist  the penalty being burned at the stake. He was, however, released on the condition that he reported each day to a court officer. While out on bail, Marlowe became involved in a fight over a tavern bill and is believed to have been stabbed to death - at the young age of 29. Advertisement

'These keen ladies presented an idea for a statue with drawings, and I stood up and said it was absolutely horrible.

'I asked people to raise their hands if they agreed and half of the room did so.'

Mr Metcalfe is also concerned about the proposal to erect the sculpture at St George's Tower - the remains of the church where Marlowe was baptised.

He believes its location in the town centre will result in it being vandalised.

The 85-year-old said: 'How the council granted planning permission to put up this ghastly statue by St George's Tower - where it will just get weed on by people - I simply do not know.'

But the campaigners who organised the Christopher Marlowe Statue Appeal, Dr Virginia Webb and Diana Holbrook, have hit back at George's criticism.

They say the statue has been intentionally left faceless because there is no credible depiction of what Marlowe actually looked like.

Ms Webb said: 'We don't even know that the painting at the University of Cambridge is actually of Marlowe.

'It's been a real challenge to incorporate all of Marlowe's assets into one statue without knowing what he looks like.

'But we've employed the best local sculptor, Steven Portchmouth, who specialises in using recycled materials and has already created a wonderful bull sculpture in the city.'

The statue will depict Marlowe holding up the faces of comedy and tragedy in his right hand, in honour of his influence on literature, and a dagger in his left hand - alluding to his mysterious death.

His face will be represented by the leaves of a book and his clothing inspired by typical 16th century dress.

It will also have a QR code printed at the base which visitors can scan to learn more about the poet.

According to Ms Webb, the prototype of the figure produced by the sculptor has attracted a lot of support from the public.

She also stressed that the proposal faced no opposition when passed through the formal planning process.

Ms Webb added: 'The general public have been very complimentary of it.

'We have full planning permission from the council and there were no objections to it.

'We also have a lot of financial and moral support from the King's School, where Marlowe was a pupil, and from the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams.

'Dear George has launched a one-man band project to squash our statue appeal.

'He could've designed a sculpture himself, but he didn't.'
United States senators have called on President Joe Biden's administration to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over its aggression in Ukraine, arguing that they would push Congress to pass a bill issuing the designation with or without the president's support.

The bipartisan pair of senators, Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Republican Lindsey Graham, said on Sunday that the designation should be made either by the president or Congress. They both said that Biden must intensify his pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and continue supporting Ukraine amid the war.

State Sponsor of Terrorism

In a statement, Blumenthal, who represents Connecticut, said that he hoped Biden would decide to adopt the same stance voluntarily and has not dismissed it as a possibility. On the other hand, Graham, from South Carolina, said he wanted the Biden administration to engage with Congress in designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

However, the Republican senator said that Congress was "willing" to advance legislation calling for the designation with or without Biden's support. Graham noted that he would like to work with the president's administration but will push for it regardless, as per CNN.

The two senators traveled together in June to Ukraine, where they then met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They also called on Biden to send more humanitarian aid to the European nation and issue stronger sanctions against Russia over its invasion.

The U.S. State Department is responsible for designating nations as state sponsors of terrorism, and it defines it as a country that has "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism." Currently, there are only four countries that are labeled as state sponsors of terrorism by the U.S.: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

Read Also: Moscow Says Western Claims Russia Will Not Threaten Kyiv With Nuclear Attack Is Baseless

According to Channel News Asia, the situation comes as Zelensky on Saturday accused Russia of using Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for "terror" after the operator of the facility reported major damage at the site. Energoatom, the operator of the plant, said that parts of the facility had been "seriously damaged" by military strikes.

Who Makes the Decision?

The official also noted that one of the facility's reactors was forced to shut down as Friday's strikes had damaged a station containing nitrogen and oxygen and an auxiliary building. Pro-Moscow authorities in the Russian-occupied Kherson region reported the assassination of a senior official.

Furthermore, the head of Amnesty International's Ukraine office resigned from the organization over the group's publication of a controversial report that accused the country's military of endangering civilians.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged blame for the attacks on the Zaporizhzhia power plant, which is Europe's largest atomic power complex. In his nightly address on Saturday, Zelensky once again accused Moscow of terrorism, arguing that "Russian terrorists became the first in the world to use the power plant for terror."

A nation's designation as a sponsor of terrorism requires the secretary to make a determination over repeated international terrorism. The three statutes that provide authority to make these designations do not comprehensively define what is considered "international terrorism," Crisis Group reported.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Experts Warn of Possible Disaster Following Nuclear Plant Shelling; Moscow, Kyiv Blame Each Other

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Former President Trump complained that U.S. military generals were not 'loyal' like Nazis in one of a series of erratic outbursts that almost caused Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to resign.

One week after the riots of June 2020, where Milley, an Army General, came under fire for marching with Trump in uniform toward St. John's Church - before peeling off as he realized the impropriety of his own presence - the chairman drafted his resignation letter, but did not send it.

Resigning would have been a highly unusual move, as those in military posts serve the nation before any political party. After seeking counsel from those across the political and military sphere, Milley decided not to send the damning resignation letter.

'The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,' Milley wrote in the letter, according to a new book. 'It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country.'

Milley chats with former President Trump after he delivered the State of the Union in February 2020

Milley took criticism for marching with Trump in combat fatigues toward a photo op at St. Joseph's Church during the police brutality protests of 2020

The details were provided in a forthcoming book,'The Divider: Trump in The White House' from New York Times writer Peter Baker and The New Yorker's Susan Glasser. Excerpts of the book were published in The New Yorker.

Dressed in combat fatigues, Milley had originally marched with Trump and a cadre of officials toward St. John's, the Episcopal church across from the White House that had been vandalized during police brutality protests after George Floyd's death. Milley peeled off from the crew before they reached the church and got into the black Chevy Suburban that was waiting for him.

The authors wrote that Milley thought his brief appearance a 'misjudgment that would haunt him forever, a "road-to-Damascus moment," as he would later put it.'

There, Trump posed with a Bible out front - a photo op that was meant to display forceful opposition to the protests ravaging the country.

'You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the peopleand we are trying to protect the American people,' Milley said. 'I cannot stand idly by and participate in that attack, verbally or otherwise, on the American people.'

Hours before the photo op, Trump had sparred with Milley, Attorney General William Barr, and the Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, over demands to bring in the U.S. military to quell protests - Trump wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 a to bring in active-duty troops to be used against Americans.

Trump holds a Bible in front of St. John's on June 1, 2020. The photo op was meant to project strength against the racial injustice protests ravaging the country

'We look weak,' Trump said. He demanded that Milley take charge, but Milley and others resisted, arguing the National Guard would be sufficient.

'You are all losers! You are all fucking losers!' Trump shouted at Milley and the others.

He then asked Milley why the military couldn't shoot protesters. 'Can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?'

The remarks echoed similar sentiment Trump had expressed to his then-chief of staff retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly. 'You fucking generals, why can't you be like the German generals?'

'Which generals?' Kelly asked.

'The German generals in World War II,' Trump responded.

'You do know that they tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off?' Kelly said.

'No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him,' Trump insisted.

Milley, who largely refrained from criticizing Trump while he was in office, looks to be attempting to smooth over his reputation by distancing himself from the former administration he served and cooperating with the book's authors.

He now continues to serve in the same role under President Biden.

Milley, in his resignation letter, then implied that he believed Trump held bigoted beliefs and had fascist tendencies.

'I swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States and embodied within that Constitution is the idea that says that all men and women are created equal. All men and women are created equal, no matter who you are, whether you are white or Black, Asian, Indian, no matter the color of your skin, no matter if you're gay, straight or something in between. It doesn't matter if you're Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, or choose not to believe,' Milley wrote in the unsent letter.

'It's obvious to me that you don't hold those values dear and the cause that I serve.'

'Lastly it is my deeply held belief that you're ruining the international order, and causing significant damage to our country overseas, that was fought for so hard by the Greatest Generation that they instituted in 1945. Between 1914 and 1945, 150 million people were slaughtered in the conduct of war. They were slaughtered because of tyrannies and dictatorships,' he wrote.

'That generation, like every generation, has fought against that, has fought against fascism, has fought against Nazism, has fought against extremism. It's now obvious to me that you don't understand that world order. You don't understand what the war was all about. In fact, you subscribe to many of the principles that we fought against. And I cannot be a party to that. It is with deep regret that I hereby submit my letter of resignation.'

After consulting with other political and military insiders, Milley decided not to resign. 'Fuck that s***,' he told his staff, according to the book. 'I'll just fight him.'

Instead he offered a public apology for appearing with Trump at a commencement for the National Defense University one week after the photo op.

'I should not have been there,' he said in the address, without mentioning Trump. 'My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.' It was, he added, 'a mistake that I have learned from.'

'If they want to court-martial me, or put me in prison, have at it,' Milley told his staff. 'But I will fight from the inside.'

Milley filed away the resignation letter and outlined four goals for resisting Trump from within: 1) make sure the president did not get the U.S. involved in unnecessary war overseas 2) make sure Trump did not use the military in American streets to keep himself in power 3) maintain the military's integrity and 4) maintain his own integrity.

Then after the election was called for Joe Biden, Milley and Trump's other Defense officials fretted that Trump would try to use the military to remain in power.

Former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo, til then Trump's staunchest defender, even called Milley and asked if he could visit him at home. 'The crazies have taken over,' Pompeo told Milley.

Trump then fired Defense Sec. Mark Esper and Milley again wanted to resign in protest. 'You can't,' Esper insisted. 'You're the only one left.'

Milley agreed, and instead stepped up his efforts to ensure Trump would not try to usurp democracy and engage the military to protect his power. In the coming weeks, Milley routinely convened the Joint Chiefs, to ensure they were resolute in resisting any scheme to keep Trump in power.
Three of the most senior officers in the Met have announced they are stepping down just weeks before a new commissioner is set to take over with the aim of turning around its shattered reputation.

Sir Stephen House, who had temporarily taken charge as commissioner in April, will quit when Sir Mark Rowley begins his tenure on September 12.

Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball also announced she will retire from policing after 35 years on October 31, while Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave is to move elsewhere in the coming weeks.

All three officers were either appointed or promoted by Dame Cressida and were seen as her key lieutenants.

Today, Sir Mark said he was grateful 'to be given the opportunity to build a fresh leadership team'.

Sir Stephen House (left), who had temporarily taken charge as commissioner in April, will quit when Sir Mark Rowley begins his tenure on September 12. Nick Ephgrave is also leaving

Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball also announced she will retire from policing after 35 years on October 31

The incoming police chief faces an uphill battle to repair the Met's reputation after numerous scandals over misogyny, racism and incompetence led to the force being placed in special measures.

It comes as applications to replace Mr Ephgrave in the 206,274-a-year job opened in an advert on the force's website.

Sir Stephen will lead a review of operational productivity in policing overseen by the National Police Chiefs' Council.

The Scottish police officer has worked in several different forces and was appointed chief constable of Police Scotland in 2012.

However, during his tenure leading the force he faced criticism for his use of armed patrols as well as stop and search.

He resigned in 2015 over the deaths of Lamara Bell and John Yuill, who lay undiscovered in a wrecked car for three days despite a call from a member of the public.

But in 2018, he became an assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police and was promoted to deputy commissioner by the end of the year.

All three officers were either appointed or promoted by Dame Cressida and were seen as her key lieutenants

Incoming commissioner, Sir Mark, said: 'Sir Steve should be extremely proud of his record as a police leader. His influence has left an enduring mark on policing not just in London but far beyond.

'I am grateful for his stewardship of the Met over the recent turbulent months and know his priority has always been the safety of Londoners.'

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: 'I want to thank Sir Steve House for his decades of public service. He has served London in a number of key roles at the Met - including as acting commissioner - and played an important role in the significant success we have made in driving down violence and making our communities safer.

'I wish Sir Steve the very best in his new role.'

Ms Ball joined the force in 1987 but left in 2010 for Thames Valley Police as assistant chief constable.

Today, Sir Mark Rowley said he was grateful 'to be given the opportunity to build a fresh leadership team'

She later returned to work in counter-terrorism policing before taking on a strategic leadership advisor role at the College of Policing.

Mr Ephgrave will undertake a secondment to the National Police Chiefs' Council where he will lead the criminal justice portfolio.

He began his career at the Metropolitan Police but moved to become chief constable of Surrey Police in late 2015.

In 2019, he returned to the Metropolitan Police as an assistant commissioner.

Sir Mark added: 'Both Helen and Nick are formidable leaders of the utmost integrity who have dedicated their careers to public service.

'I wish Helen all the very best in her retirement and am delighted that Nick will bring his wealth of experience from more than three decades of policing to this important work on delivering better outcomes for victims of crime.

'I am grateful to be given the opportunity to build a fresh leadership team to take the Met forward.'

Applications for the assistant commissioner position close on August 29, with the role described as 'one of the toughest but most rewarding jobs in policing'.

Dame Cressida stepped down from her role as commissioner after criticism over her handling of racist, misogynist and homophobic messages shared by a group of officers based at Charing Cross police station and following a series of other scandals.

The Met's reputation has been left in tatters by a series of disturbing cases including the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer; two constables who shared pictures of the bodies of murder victims Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry on WhatsApp and an inspectorate report that revealed 2,000 warrant cards have gone missing.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is hitting the campaign trail for several GOP candidates across the country who won their primary elections after being endorsed by Donald Trump.

The popular Republican official made a name for himself among conservatives for his opposition to the Biden administration on COVID-19 mandates and his Parental Rights In Education bill, which critics have dubbed 'Don't Say Gay.'

Now, he's testing that influence in the key battleground states of Ohio, Arizona, New Mexico and Pennsylvania in a series of rallies held by Turning Point Action titled 'Unite and Win.'

DailyMail.com obtained a copy of Turning Point Action's press release confirming the events. DeSantis' participation was first revealed by Fox.

It adds to speculation that DeSantis could be eyeing a future White House bid - as multiple early GOP voter polls show him close to and even surpassing the former president as the preferred 2024 candidate.

And in all but one of the states scheduled, DeSantis will be campaigning alongside Republicans who won tough primaries thanks, in part, to Trump's support.

In Arizona, DeSantis will appear on August 14 with GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters and gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is hitting the 2022 midterm campaign trail outside of his state for the first time next week with multiple rallies in key battleground states, held by Turning Point Action

Both had their primary elections on Tuesday last week, but Lake was only projected as the winner on Friday thanks to a challenge from a Republican businesswoman backed by former Vice President Mike Pence.

DeSantis goes to Pennsylvania and Ohio on August 19 where he'll speak with GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano and Senate candidate J.D. Vance, respectively.

The Sunshine State governor is also hitting a state where Trump has yet to set foot this year, despite numerous other public appearances across the country as he teases a potential 2024 bid.

New Mexico Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell, who is vying to keep her seat, and gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti will get a boost from DeSantis when he visits their state on August 14.

Trump had remained silent on New Mexico's 2022 elections even while handing out endorsements at both the federal and state level in places like Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Three of the four stops DeSantis is making will see him stump for candidates who are endorsed by Donald Trump, including: Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance (left), Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (center) and Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano (right)

The four rallies appear to be the first time DeSantis is campaigning for a candidate outside of Florida in the 2022 midterm election cycle, though he has made his own appearances at conservative events in Texas and New York this year.

Turning Point Action founder Charlie Kirk lauded the governor as 'a model' for the Republican Party's future in a statement accompanying the press release on Monday.

'Gov. DeSantis is America's Governor and one of the most popular leaders in the country,' Kirk said.

'He has become the model for a new conservative movement that is willing to stand on principe and to actually fight on behalf of the values of his voters.'

Kirk said DeSantis had a 'unique ability to unite conservatives' around candidates in competitive areas.

After winning his own governor's race with Trump's endorsement in 2018, DeSantis' national appeal among Republicans has some election watchers wondering whether 2024 could bring a heated primary race between the two.

Neither has formally announced any intention of running.

DeSantis' appearances are fueling speculation that he could challenge Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential primary - though neither has formally said they are running

The popular Florida governor won his seat in 2018 thanks, in part, to an endorsement from Trump (pictured as a House lawmaker at a rally on November 3, 2018)

DeSantis has not yet ruled out a presidential campaign but has on multiple occasions insisted that he's focused on his re-election bid in Florida this year.

Trump, by contrast, has dropped numerous hints that he'll mount a third campaign.

He told New York Magazine last month that he's already made a decision and is now only weighing whether to make it known before or after the November midterm elections.

The ex-president handily won a straw poll taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas on Saturday, though DeSantis dominated without Trump in the field.

Nearly 7 in 10 attendees polled said they want Trump to be the Republican nominee in 2024, while 24 percent said they'd back DeSantis first.

DeSantis got a 65 percent share of support when Trump was not an option, with Donald Trump Jr. trailing at a distant second place with 8 percent.

DeSantis came out ahead of Trump in early voter straw polls in Florida, Wisconsin and in New Hampshire - where the first presidential primary has been held for roughly a century.
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The Muslim community in Albuquerque is living in fear after a spate of targeted killings against Pakistani and Afghan immigrants.

The serial killer is yet to be found but police believe they are responsible for the shooting deaths of four men; Mohammed Ahmadi, 62, Aftab Hussein, 41, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Naeem Hussain, 25.

All four men are migrants from either Pakistan or Afghanistan. They were shot in separate night-time incidents in quiet streets and near parking lots. Now, members of the Muslim community are terrified that they may be next.

'It's been very difficult for the community, it is pretty scary for all of us,' Abdurrauf Campos-Marquetti, Imam at the Manari Muslim Community Center, told DailyMail.com on Monday morning.

Now, men are being advised not to go out alone at night and to attend events in pairs.

'In general, we have to be more situationally aware. It seems that this person isn't attacking facilities, they are attacking individuals. Some businesses are closing early, it is frightening,' he added.

The serial killer is yet to be found but police believe they are responsible for the shooting deaths of four men; Mohammed Ahmadi, 62, Aftab Hussein, 41, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Naeem Hussain, 25

He believes the killer is targeting the men specifically based on the part of the world they come from. All four have 'Indo-Pak' names, he said.

The serial killer is yet to be found but police believe they are responsible for the shooting deaths of four men; Mohammed Ahmadi, 62, (top right) Aftab Hussein, 41 (bottom right) Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, (top left) and Naeem Hussain, 25 (bottom left)

'Its more of an Indo-Pak name as opposed to an Arabour community is in large part African American. Its more of an Afghani, Pakistani, Iraq name. I think this person is targeting folks from this part of the world.

'Theyre all immigrants too so they seem to be targeting immigrants as opposed to the African American community thats been here for a while,' he added.

Abdur'rauf says he is advising all those who attend his mosque to do so in pairs, especially after dark. Ahmad Assed, the president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, said students were too scared to go out at night.

'Incredibly terrified. Panicked. Some people want to move from the state until this thing is over. Some people have moved from the state. Businesses are closing early.

'Students won't leave their homes. It's affecting people from coming over to the mosque to conduct their services, their prayers.

'So, in every aspect of daily life that we're used to or accustomed to following, it's impacted it in every way possible,' he told CNN.

'Now, people are beginning to panic. Right now it is really tough to deal with it.

'I mean especially right after the funeral, the same day, that thing happened again.

'So its just really crazy,' Tahir Gauba, the spokesman for the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told local paper The Albuquerque Journal.

Police have released an image of the car they think was involved in the shootings; a silver Volkswagen Jetta or Passat, but they have not released a description of the suspect.

Gauba added that the day of his death, Naeem Hussain had approached him after the funeral of the two previous victims to ask him for updates in the investigation.

'He stopped by to say "hey, what's going on?' He was worried. I told him to be careful.

"We thought after burial of these two young men (on Friday), we would have closure and move on and let law enforcement investigate," Gauba said. "Waking up Saturday morning to his death, the whole community just feels helpless. There's a lot of fear."

This is the vehicle being used by the serial killer targeting Muslim men in Albuquerque, according to police

Members of the Muslim community continue to pray but are being told to attend mosque in pairs if at night

The killings have rocked the Muslim community in Albuquerque. They began in November last year then picked back up on July 26

'It's driving everybody crazy,' Gauba added.

President Biden denounced the killings on Twitter. 'I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque.

'While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America,' he said.

Two of the men were waiting to bring their wives to America.

The most recent victim moved to the US in 2016, fleeing Pakistan as a Shia Muslim. He had planned to bring his wife to the US, after officially gaining citizenship last month.

'He was the most generous, kind, giving, patient, and down-to-earth person that I could ever meet. He was very hardworking. He shared whatever he made with his family back home.

'He had a lot of dreams, and he accomplished some of them. His others were cut short by this heinous act,' his brother told CNN.

He had opened a trucking business and planned to save up to buy property with his wife in Virginia, he added.
The world's biggest chocolate factory restarted operations today after closing for six weeks to deal with a salmonella contamination.

Confectionary giant Barry Callebaut's plant in Wieze, Belgium was shut down after the bacteria was found, halting supplies of Hershey's, Nestle and Mondelez chocolate.

Three of the mega-factory's 24 production lines resumed and the first delivery in six weeks has been completed, the Swiss company that runs the factory said today.

Swiss owner Barry Callebaut insisted infected products made at the Wieze factory (pictured) did not make their way into stores. Clients include Hershey, Nestle, Mondelez and Unilever

The Zurich firm halted shipments and claims it told clients about the outbreak in time to prevent contaminated chocolate arriving in shops.

It identified lecithin, added to smooth food textures, as the source of the contamination, prompting weeks of extensive cleaning.

No consumers reported infections caused by salmonella, with symptoms of salmonellosis including diarrhoea and fever.

'We remain cautious because this operation is unprecedented, the process of cleaning and disinfection takes a lot of time,' Barry Callebaut Korneel Warlop told AFP.

Lecithin, added to smooth food textures, was the source of the outbreak (factory interior)

He said that while the factory was currently turning out only a 'fairly low volume', it planned to reactivate more production lines 'in the weeks to come'.

Belgium's food health agency said it was continuing to monitor production from the plant.

The Barry Callebaut plant employs around 600 people and is a key unit in the company's total output, which amounted to 2.2million tonnes in the 2020-2021 financial year, produced in more than 60 sites worldwide.

The company says its Wieze plant is the biggest chocolate factory in the world.

The plant employs around 600 people and is a key unit in the company's 2.2m-ton output

It also provides the cachet of the goods being made in Belgium, which has an international reputation for top-quality chocolate.

The outbreak came three months after salmonella was found at a Ferrero factory in Arlon, Belgium, where Kinder chocolates were being made.

Belgian health authorities said gave the green light to restart the Italian giant's factory for a three-month test period.
An ICU nurse has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter after a fiery 100mph crash left a pregnant mother, her unborn child, one-year-old son and four others dead.

Nicole L. Linton, 37, a nurse from Texas who works in Los Angeles, was charged Monday as she cried in court over the Thursday crash that killed six and left eight others injured. If convicted as charged, she could face up to 90 years in prison.

Police said Linton slammed her car into five other vehicles while driving as fast as 100 mph by an intersection at Windsor Hills.

LA County DA George Gascon revealed during a press conference Monday there was no evidence Linton was under the influence of alcohol during the time of the crash.

She was released from the hospital Sunday and is now held at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, California on a $9 million bond.

Nicole L. Linton, 37, (pictured in court Monday) has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter after a fiery 100mph crash left a pregnant mother, her unborn child, one-year-old son and four others dead

PICTURED: Nicole L. Linton, 37, is being held on a $9million bond following the fatal car crash in Los Angeles. She is expected to appear at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Monday

Linton is expected to be charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Monday

Tabia Johnson, a witness to the crash, took a photo of the suspect, Nicole L. Linton (center), commenting that Linton only appeared to suffer minor injuries in the horrible crash

Linton can be seen here after the crash with blood on her left thigh and left forearm, she appears to be wearing hospital scrubs

An emergency medical worker directs Linton, who can be seen here sitting with a bloody arm

This is the horrific moment the Los Angeles driver Nicole L Linton sent the row of cars hurtling toward another gas station over the road before stopped just before the pumps

Gascon said Linton was traveling at speeds of at least 90mph when she sped through a read light and hit crossing vehicles at the busy intersection of La Brea and Slauson Avenues.

Eight-month pregnant Asherey Ryan, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene alongside her one-year-old child Alonzo Luchiano Quintero and her unborn baby boy following the horrible crash.

The unborn child's father, Reynold Lester, was also killed in the crash after the car split in half immediately on impact, those close to the family confirmed.

Asherey, Reynold, and little Alonzo were on their way to a doctor's appointment for a pregnancy check-up when Linton smashed into the car they were traveling in.

'A young family was destroyed in the blink of an eye,' Gascon said Monday. 'Theres catastrophic damage to the families and friends of those killed and injured.

'Its not only a tremendous loss to their families, but to our entire community, who learned of this incredible tragedy who watched the now viral video of the collision.'

PICTURED: Asherey Ryan, 23, died in the fiery crash with her one-year-old child and her unborn child. Tributes have poured in for the mother, who was expecting another child this year

One-year-old baby boy Alonzo (pictured) was also killed in the horrific collision between South La Brea Avenue and Slauson Avenue on Thursday afternoon

LA County DA George Gascon said Linton was traveling at speeds of at least 90mph when she sped through a read light and hit crossing vehicles at the busy intersection of La Brea and Slauson Avenues. He is pictured during a press conference Monday

Skid marks are seen on the ground at the intersection as investigators on Thursday evening tried to work out what had happened

Graphic shows the direction the SUV was going in along South La Brea Avenue when it ran the red light and caused the horrendous crash

Nicole L Linton (pictured) was the driver of the Mercedes which smashed into multiple cars in Los Angeles. She was arrested last week, cops confirmed

Tabia Johnson, a witness to the crash, took a photo of Linton sitting down on a nearby sidewalk following the crash, with the burning aftermath visible in the background.

Johnson, who condemned the woman's driving, said Linton only appeared to have suffered minor injuries, including bleeding near the head.

The ICU nurse cooperated with investigators, including checking of her bloodwork to see if she was under the influence when the fatal collision took place.

Gascon said during Monday's press conference that 'there was no evidence of alcohol use at this point.'

A woman who identified herself as Linton's friend, previously told reporters she was 'drunk' and 'fighting with her boyfriend' before she got in her car and smashed into a traffic jam.

Gascon acknowledged the woman's allegations during Monday's press briefing and said investigators are working to 'further identify this person.'

He declined to give any additional information about the woman and her allegations.

The ICU nurse, thought to be driving under the influence, smashed into multiple cars and killed six people last week

The mangled wreck of the Mercedes that Linton was speeding in is shown here after the crash. Linton survived the crash but six others died, including Asherey Ryan and her one-year-old son, Alonzo

Stunning video of the crash show vehicles screeching across the street, bursting into flames, before finally coming to a stop in a mangled wreck just feet away from rows of highly flammable pumps.

The gut-wrenching fatal pile up happened between South La Brea Avenue and Slauson Avenue on Thursday afternoon around 1.40pm.

Eight people were left fighting for their lives with horrendous injuries following the devastating smash. Of those injured, six were teens and one suffered major injuries.

LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed and listed Asherey Ryan's death, along with unborn 'Baby Boy Ryan.'

Tributes have poured in for Asherey, who is believed to have been eight months pregnant, and her child after the devastating collision.

Asherey's sister, Seana, who posted a message on Instagram about the incident, said she's still shaken and heartbroken over the loss and condemned the driver who she said slammed into her brother-in-law's car.

Tributes poured in for the mother after she was tragically killed in the violent collision. Her one-year old Alonzo was also pronounced dead at the scene

Mary Thompson prays as she brings a bouquet to the memorial site set after the crash which has taken six lives so far

The father of the unborn child Reynold (right) also died in the deadly crash. He is pictured with Asherey

London Carter, with Southern Missionary Baptist Church, prays over a makeshift memorial across the street from where a fiery multi-car crash left pregnant Asherey Ryan and her one-year-old son dead

'We're looking for legal representation because this doesn't make any sense,' Seana said after reviewing videos of the crash.

'Her taking my sister, my nephew, my brother-in-law, she took my son's only cousin. We're deeply hurt. We have to bury four people,' she added, including the unborn child.

Alonzo's father Luis Fernando Quintero wrote online: 'I dont have any words rn [right now] Im too much in pain because this is something I never expected no one did Im going to miss you both and I didnt get to say goodbye or make up for time lost with you Alonzo my heart is aching may yall rest in piece [peace] god has gained two amazing angels.'

The family have created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs following the horrific ordeal.

Witness Veronica Esquival said that she was pumping gas when debris suddenly started flying through the air during the horrific smash - caused by the female driver, who was alone in the car.

The Mercedes races past a gas station then smashes into the side of a traffic jam, causing a flaming inferno in the Windsor Hills district

The Mercedes coupe can be seen speeding past the gas station toward the intersection before the sickening crash on Wednesday

She said that a baby tragically landed on the floor in the middle of the gas station before panicked workers tried to resuscitate the child.

She said: 'I was about to pump gas and all of a sudden, I hear all of the noises from all of the collisions, and then the fire explosion and I saw things, metal and things flying in the air. So, I just covered myself behind the pump.

'All of the sudden, a baby literally flew from the middle of the intersection to the middle of the gas station and landed right on the floor in front of me.

One woman claimed that the driver was her friend, and that she had been drinking after fighting with her boyfriend prior to the deadly crash

'One of the workers came and saw me with the baby and took the baby out of my hands. Somebody tried to resuscitate the baby, but the baby was gone.'

Linton was alone in the car, officials confirmed.

Another heartbroken witness, Alphonso Word, who was just a few cars away from the intersection when the tragedy struck, told KTLA that the crash sounded 'like a bomb.'

He said that the child was 'ejected from the street' as was the pregnant mother, who 'landed over to the side.'

Devastating images show vehicles left burnt out after firefighters doused the huge flames caused by the crash - after an inferno made it look like 'the whole intersection was on fire.'

The shocking footage, taken from a gas station overlooking the scene, starts as the Mercedes coupe races past the pumps at a blistering pace.

The doomed vehicle fails to break as it bears down on traffic flowing both ways across the packed intersection.

The shocking footage, taken from a gas station overlooking the scene, starts as the Mercedes coupe races past the pumps at blistering pace

The doomed vehicle fails to break as it bears down on the traffic flowing both ways across the packed intersection

It slams into the first car, which immediately bursts into a fireball before plowing through several others that spin from the huge impact. The crash sends them all hurtling towards another gas station across the intersection before finally coming to a stop in a crumpled mess.

The pile up came to a stop just before the second gas station over the road, which is considered an architectural icon.

Images show mangled, burnt-out vehicles splattered across the street in what was described by California Highway Patrol as looking 'like a war zone.'

Debra Jackson, who was filling her car with gas, told CBS Los Angeles: 'All of a sudden, I heard a big explosion and flames went over my whole car. I though my car was on fire.'

California Highway Patrol spokesman Franco Pepi said that 'at least six or seven' vehicles were involved - and three became engulfed in flames.

He added: 'Just unknown reasons for the high speed at this time  Everyone needs to drive with more due regard because a lot of collisions happen, and this just happens to be at the top of the list of how bad they can get.'
A husband accused of murdering his wife by smothering her with a pillow to stop her from 'nagging' him has told a court he 'caused her death'.

Soong Hert Fong, 51, said he didn't mean to kill Pek Ying Ling, who was known as Evelyn Pek, and told the court he doesn't believe there was anything she could have done to make him 'so mad'.

Mrs Pek was found dead at the County Aparthotel in Newcastle on December 6 last year during a European holiday with husband Soong after travelling from their native Singapore.

The 51-year-old was found by emergency services lying with her legs hanging over the bottom of the bed and a pillow over her face.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Fong had told police in the aftermath that he 'lost it' and had tried to 'shush' his wife so he covered her mouth.

The couple, who had been married for 27 years, were in the city where their eldest of three sons was studying at university.

Soong Hert Fong, 51, said he didn't mean to kill Pek Ying Ling (pictured), who was known as Evelyn Pek, and he doesn't believe there's anything she could have done to make him 'so mad'

The court had heard that after the incident, Fong texted him to say: 'I have hurt your mother. She's gone. She's dead.

'I just lost it. I tried to cover her mouth to shush her. I just lost it.'

Fong, 51, of Marine Vitsa, Floor Unit, Singapore, denies murder and is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.

The court heard that the couple would go often go on multiple holidays a year which always included one with the whole family.

Giving evidence today, Fong told jurors that the pair had been discussing plans to cut their holiday short after his health was suffering from a number of falls.

He said: 'Life is full of ups and downs and challenges. We had disagreements and arguments.

'After the hospital visit to Inverness, I believe we had been having that conversation every day (about cancelling the holiday).

'I said I was really in pain. I don't remember if we had a verbal argument.

Mrs Pek was found dead at the County Aparthotel (above) in Newcastle on December 6 last year during a European holiday with husband Soong after travelling from their native Singapore

'I can't come to terms with that (Ms Pek's death). But I accept that I caused her death.'

When asked by counsel Mr Reed if that's what he intended, Fong replied: 'No.'

Mr Reed then asked if Fong intended to cause serious harm, to which said: 'No.'

Mr Reed added: 'The prosecution say that you killed your wife because you got fed up of her nagging. Is that what happened?'

Fong replied with: 'I can't remember but I don't believe. After 28 years of marriage I cannot believe that anything she can say or could do that could make me so mad.'

Mr Reed then asked: 'Do you remember seeing your wife with a pillow over her face?' Fong responded: 'No.'

He then told jurors that the first time he noticed his wife was dead was when he tried to speak to her but wasn't receiving a response.

Newcastle Crown Court (pictured) heard that Fong had told police in the aftermath that he 'lost it' and had tried to 'shush' his wife so he covered her mouth

He said: 'I think I was on the sofa. I tried to get up and I noticed she was on the bed with a pillow over her face, I froze.

'I felt a lot of pain, I simply wanted to die. It was like being ripped apart and the whole world was collapsing, I was totally blank.'

He added that it was the 'thought of my three boys' that stopped him from taking his own life and they 'didn't deserve to lose both parents under such circumstances'.

However, Prosecutor Peter Makepeace QC questioned Fong over why he did not immediately contact the emergency services when he knew his wife was unresponsive.

Mr Makepeace said: 'What you did was turn your phone on and off nine times. The evidence shows it.

'You held her down while you smothered with the pillow didn't you.'

The trial continues.
Axios Media is being acquired by Cox Enterprises, which said Monday that it plans to push the online news provider into new markets while broadening its coverage.

Axios, citing sources, reported that the deal is worth $525 million.

Cox, a conglomerate whose other media companies include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Dayton Daily News, first became an investor in Axios last year.

Axios co-founders and former Politico reporters Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz will continue to hold substantial stakes in the company and will lead editorial and day-to-day business decisions.

The company is selling at roughly five times its projected 2022 revenue, of more than $100 million, according to the New York Times.

The publication said that althugh the company was profitable for the last three years, it is not expected to be profitable in 2022.

Axios chief Jim VandeHei and other founders of the online news outlet are to continue guiding editorial decisions after it is bought by Cox Enterprises in a $525 million deal

The Axios communications software business, Axios HQ, will become an independent company majority-owned by the founders and will include Cox as sole minority investor. VandeHei will be chairman and Roy Schwartz will be its CEO.

Axios, based in Virginia, was launched in 2017 and is known for brief, bullet-pointed stories. The company also publishes daily and weekly newsletters that are targeted to specific industries.

The founders of Axios will keep stakes in the company and continue to lead day-to-day editorial and business decisions, Cox said in a release.

'With so much happening in the world, Axios plays a critical role in delivering balanced, trusted news that people need,' said Cox chief executive Alex Taylor.

Cox Enterprises was founded as a family business in 1898 and is now based in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia.

Cox subsidiaries range from media outlets such as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to internet-service provider Cox Communications and an eponymous automotive sales division.

'Our shared ambitions should be clear: to spread clinical, nonpartisan, trusted journalism to as many cities and as many topics as fast as possible,' Axios chief executive Jim VandeHei said in a release.
A California dermatologist has been arrested for allegedly poisoning her husband and causing him serious injuries after he told police he became sick and handed them video evidence he says proves his claim.

Yue P. Yu, 45, was arrested on Thursday night around 6 pm outside her dermatology office located in Mission Viejo, approximately fifteen miles away from her home in Irvine, California, Lt. Bill Bingham told DailyMail.com.

Bingham said that the husband, who has not yet been named, called the Irvine Police Department earlier in the day on Thursday and shared with them that he was 'being poisoned by his wife' and said he had 'video evidence to share.'

'Our officers reviewed the video,' he said.

No motive for the shocking crime has emerged. Yu, who works at the Providence Healthcare system in Mission Viejo, has had her work headshot removed from her employer's website.

A spokesman said they were cooperating with police.

Dr Yue P Yu, pictured, has been arrested over claims she tried to deliberately poison her husband

The California dermatologist, pictured at work, is said to have been caught on camera preparing the poisons by her spouse

The alleged poison attacks are believed to have happened at their $2.7 million mansion in Irvine, California

'The allegations that were made by the husband was incredibly serious and we thought it was important to take quick investigative action on the case based on the allegation.'

Bingham was not able to disclose the type of poison the husband ingested but said he began to develop symptoms that worsened over the last month.

He said the husband did seek medical treatment once he became ill but was unable to provide details to whether a blood test revealed the poison in his bloodstream.

'Due to the integrity of the case it appears the poisoning happened over a period of time,' Bingham said.

Yu was arrested at her office after she she was interviewed by police.

'Our detectives contacted Yu as she was leaving her place of employment. They interviewed her and following her interview detectives placed her under arrest.'

He added: 'She [Yue Yu] was arrested under a section of California law that alleges she woefully placed a poison or harmful substance in food, drink, medicine or pharmaceutical product,' he said.

Bingham told DailyMail.com that they have not discovered any connection of this incident with Yu's employment.

'The motive is still under investigation. It appears it was a domestic related incident between a husband and wife.'

The husband told officers he had suspected she had been poisoning him and set up surveillance video to confirm it.

Bingham told DailyMail.com that he has seen cases of 'accidental poisoning among children,' but said 'intentional poisoning' cases are not common.

'I've been doing this 22 years and this is a highly unusual and unique case,' he said.

The couple lived together in a $2.7 million home in Irvine, California.

After Yu's arrest, a search warrant was conducted by Irvine police officers at the home.

The attack is said to have left the husband badly injured, although he is now recovering from his injuries.
The U.S. ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has shared a touching moment with the children of two Solomon Islanders who had saved the life of her father and U.S. President John F. Kennedy during World War II.

Ms Kennedy traveled to the islands' capital city Honiara last week as part of an American diplomatic visit to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal.

The series of brutal clashes between allied and Japanese forces in the South Pacific in 1942-1943 marked a significant turning point in the war, and John F. Kennedy was one of thousands of U.S. naval officers involved in the conflict.

In August 1943, a small patrol torpedo boat (PT-109) commanded by Kennedy was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and the entire crew were shipwrecked.

Despite serious injuries, Kennedy managed to drag his surviving crewmates ashore on a nearby Japanese-controlled island and was spared near certain death when, after a week of evading capture, the group were happened upon by Solomon Islanders Eroni Kumana and Biuku Gasa.

Kumana and Gasa, who were members of an allied military intelligence outfit known as the Coastwatchers, took possession of a coconut on which Kennedy had etched a short message detailing their predicament and duly delivered the message to allied command, leading to the miraculous rescue of all surviving members of the PT-109 crew.

Yesterday, Caroline met John Koloni, the son of Kumana, and Nelma Ane, the daughter of Gasa, at a ceremony more than 79 years on from the day her father was saved.

The late president's daughter warmly embraced the pair before presenting them with a replica of the coconut shell which Kennedy had shrewdly used to convey his crew's plight.

Caroline Kennedy, the US ambassador to Australia, hugs John Koloni, the son of Eroni Kumana, who helped rescue her father, JFK, during the second world war

Caroline Kennedy, the United States ambassador to Australia, meets with John Koloni and Nelma Ane at a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the battle of Guadalcanal

The crew of Patrol Torpedo boat PT-109, including U.S. Navy Lt. John F. Kennedy (R), are seen off Guadalcanal, in this handout image taken in July 1943

Despite serious injuries sustained in the shipwreck, Kennedy (pictured during his days as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy) managed to drag his surviving crewmates ashore on a nearby Japanese-controlled island and was spared near certain death by a pair of Solomon Islanders

Kennedy reportedly told Koloni and Ane she was 'so grateful' to meet them at the heart-warming ceremony, according to New Zealand's 1News, and added that she would like to bring her own kids to the island in the future to 'continue the relationship'.

She added: 'Countless Americans and allied families have Solomon Islanders to thank for their survival,' amid the commemoration proceedings.

Koloni responded: 'I'm honoured and proud of my dad, and I'm happy to receive on behalf of him. I wish he was here to receive this medal,' according to Stuff.

But the heroic actions of Kumana and Gasa, instrumental in the rescue of Kennedy and 10 other U.S. naval officers, were largely forgotten in the years after the war.

The pair received no commendation for their involvement in saving Kennedy's life and protecting his crew from Japanese forces, and were even prevented from attending his presidential inauguration.

Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States in January 1961 and had invited his saviours to witness the event, but officials on the Solomon Islands, which at the time was under British rule as a British Protectorate, barred them from attending and instead sent a pair of white representatives.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare did not attend the Battle of Guadalcanal commemoration, to the dismay of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who was present alongside Kennedy at the ceremony.

The Solomon Star News said Sogavare was due to give a speech on Sunday at the memorial service which was also attended by ministers and officials from Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but he did not appear.

Sherman told a news conference Sogavare was on the printed programme for the ceremony, and when she met him later in the day she told him she was sorry he didn't attend.

'The real sorrow here is that I think he missed a real opportunity to commemorate how strong these bonds were 80 years ago that allowed for freedom here in Solomon Islands,' she told reporters, according to a transcript released on Monday.

John F Kennedy is pictured delivering a speech in 1960, three years prior to his assassination

John F. Kennedy is pictured relaxing with his wife Jacqueline and daughter Caroline prior to becoming President of the United States

This handout photograph taken on August 8, 2022 and released by US Department of State shows US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman laying wreath as she attends a Solomon Islands Government-hosted memorial at Bloody Ridge in Guadalcanal on Solomon Islands (Caroline Kennedy is also pictured)

This picture taken on August 7, 2022, shows US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman posing for pictures with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (R) after a ceremony to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal at Skyline Ridge in Honiara, Solomon Islands

Sherman added that her meeting with Sogavare later on Sunday was wide ranging and 'very bold', and that she had raised U.S. concerns over his government's security pact with China amid a recent escalation of tensions following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Honiara and Beijing have denied the pact will allow a military base.

In a television interview on Monday, Sherman said Sogavare had repeated his assurances there would be no Chinese base, but the U.S. and other Pacific nations would 'all watch very carefully to see what happens here'.

'It is the Pacific Island Forum, other countries who care very much that there not be a Chinese military base because that would create a threat potentially to all of the Pacific islands,' she told ABC's 7:30 Report program.

Sogavare 'will have to answer to his own citizens about why he made the choice that he did' to not attend the Guadalcanal ceremony, she added.

Sherman joined Kennedy in praising the role of Solomon Islanders in working with the United States during World War Two.

Solomon Islands ministers had represented the government at the World War Two ceremonies, a statement from Sogavare's office said.
Authorities said on Sunday that further human remains had been discovered in the very dry Lake Mead National Recreation Area east of Las Vegas. As a result of the Western drought, the coastline at the Colorado River reservoir, which is behind the Hoover Dam, is receding for the fourth time since May.

According to representatives of the National Park Service, at 11 am, rangers were called to the reservoir between Arizona and Nevada after skeletal remains were found at Swim Beach on Saturday.

More Human Remains Discovered at Lake Mead

To recover the remains, Rangers and a dive team from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department went, ABC News reported. The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office will attempt to ascertain when and how the individual passed away as detectives review files on missing persons, according to park service officials.

Near Hemenway Harbor, a barrel containing human bones was discovered on May 1. According to police, the corpse was that of a man who died from a gunshot wound. The body was most likely abandoned between the mid-1970s and early 1980s, according to police.

Authorities claim that human skeleton remains were discovered near Calville Bay less than a week later. Recently, on July 25, fragmentary human remains were discovered in the Boulder Beach region.

According to police, as Lake Mead's water level continues to drop, more remains could be found. The findings have sparked discussion regarding decades-old murder and missing persons cases, as well as organized crime and the founding of Las Vegas, which is only a 30-minute drive from the lake.

Read Also: UN Speculates North Korea's Nearing Nuclear Weapons Test as Hermit Kingdom Expands Testing Facilities

Lake Mead Water Levels Continue to Drop

When a man's body was discovered inside a rusting barrel at Hemenway Harbor on May 1, he initially came to light. The man was shot, according to the police, and his attire was from the middle of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s, therefore the case is being looked into as a homicide.

The second pair, which Todd Kolod thinks could be his father, was found six days later. On July 26, a third set of human remains was discovered. Since the 1930s, nearly 300 individuals have drowned in Lake Mead, but that number does not include those whose corpses were never found, like Daniel Kolod, Daily Mail reported.

As the lake's water level drops in the summer, people's bodies, sunken vessels, including a World War II landing craft, and other objects have been found there. When the third corpse was discovered, the coroner stated that her office was still working to identify a man whose body was discovered May 1 in a rusting barrel in the Hemenway Harbor region and a male whose bones were discovered May 7 in a recently uncovered sandbar close to Callville Bay.

Per Fox News, the shorelines of the park have changed as a result of the continuous drought in the West, and as of June, Lake Mead's depth is at its lowest point since 1937. Lake Mead in Nevada has rapidly lost water since 2000, according to NASA pictures published last month. According to NASA, the reservoir's capacity was last achieved in the summer of 1999. The biggest reservoir in the United States, which can contain 9.3 trillion gallons (36 trillion liters) of water when full, may be found at an altitude of 1,220 feet.

Relate Also: US Baby Formula Shortage: Americans Remain Struggling To Feed Their Infants as Biden Administration Fails To Solve Problem

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A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread Monday after flames enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle to fight the massive blaze.

At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facility's eight tanks on Friday night.

A second tank caught fire on Saturday, triggering several explosions at the facility, which plays a key part in Cuba's electric system.

'The risk we had announced happened, and the blaze of the second tank compromised the third one,' said Mario Sabines, governor of the western province of Matanzas where the facility is located.

Firefighters had sprayed water on the remaining tanks over the weekend to cool them and try to stop the fire from spreading.

A helicopter carrying water flies over the Matanzas Supertanker Base, as firefighters try to quell the blaze which began during a thunderstorm the night before, in Matazanas, Cuba

Firefighters move in a truck inside the Matanzas supertanker base to douse a fire that started during a thunderstorm

A sunbather gets out of the water as a huge column of smoke rises from the Matanzas supertanker base

People watch smoke over fuel storage tanks that exploded near Cuba's supertanker port

The smoke could be seen from all over this portion of the communist island nation

A plane flies near the smoke during the third day of the fire of several fuel depots, in the industrial zone

Smoke rises over fuel storage tanks that exploded near Cuba's supertanker port

The governments of Mexico and Venezuela have sent special teams to help extinguish the fire, with water cannons, planes and helicopters fighting the fire from several directions as military constructions specialists erected barriers to contain oil spills.

Local officials warned residents to use face masks or stay indoors given the billowing smoke enveloping the region that can be seen from the capital of Havana, located more than 65 miles away.

Officials have warned that the cloud contains sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances.

The majority of those injured were treated for burns and smoke inhalation, and five of them remain in critical condition. A total of 24 remain hospitalized.

Over the weekend, authorities found the body of one firefighter as relatives of those still missing gathered at a hotel to await news about their loved ones.

Flames rise from a massive fire. Aircraft, firefighters and specialists from Mexico and Venezuela arrived in Cuba on August 7

Several people walk with masks while black clouds are seen over the bay of Matanzas

Members of the Cuban Red Cross wait to be transported to the Matanzas Supertanker Base

View of the industrial zone of Matanzas on the third day of the fire in Cuba

At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facility's eight tanks on Friday night

Sabines and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said it was impossible to search for the missing firefighters given the roiling temperatures.

The blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city prompted officials to evacuate more than 4,900 people, most of them from the nearby Dubrocq neighborhood.

The facility's eight huge tanks hold oil used to generate electricity, although it wasn't clear how much fuel has been lost as a result of the flames. The first tank that caught fire was at 50 percent capacity and contained nearly 883,000 cubic feet of fuel. The second tank was full.

Jorge Pinon, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas, said officials should inspect the walls of tanks that aren't on fire to ensure they weren't affected.

He also warned that the government must be careful before bringing the system back online once the fire is extinguished.

Sabines and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said it was impossible to search for the missing firefighters given the roiling temperatures

People take selfies in front of smoke rising over fuel storage tanks that exploded

The blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city prompted officials to evacuate more than 4,900 people, most of them from the nearby Dubrocq neighborhood

The facility's eight huge tanks hold oil used to generate electricity, although it wasn't clear how much fuel has been lost as a result of the flames

Jorge Pinon, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas, said officials should inspect the walls of tanks that aren't on fire to ensure they weren't affected

Pinon noted that the facility receives Cuban crude oil - operating an oil pipeline that crosses the center of the country - to be transferred via small tankers to the thermoelectric plants that produce electricity

'If not, there'll be another catastrophe,' he said. 'Unfortunately, this is going to take time.'

Pinon noted that the facility receives Cuban crude oil - operating an oil pipeline that crosses the center of the country - to be transferred via small tankers to the thermoelectric plants that produce electricity.

It is also the unloading and transshipment center for imported crude oil, fuel oil and diesel, with Cuba producing only half of the fuel required to keep its economy afloat.

The blaze comes as Cuba struggles through a deep economic crisis and faces frequent power outages amid a sweltering summer, issues that helped unleashed unprecedented anti-government protests last year. Officials have not provided a preliminary estimate of damages.
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President Joe Biden told the people of Kentucky on Monday that he would be back to see their recovery from the flood damage that destroyed homes and killed at least 37 people.

'The bad news for you is I'm coming back because I want to see it,' he said to laughter and applause after his tour of damage from the storms.

Biden forewent his formal remarks to speak off the cuff after he spent Monday afternoon visiting with families affected by the floods and receiving a briefing on volunteer efforts.

He praised the spirits of the people of Kentucky and vowed the government would be there for them.

'I promise you. We're staying the federal government along with the state and county and the city. We're staying until everybody's back to where they were - not a joke,' he said as he walked before the crowd, microphone in hand.

He also seemed to fumble over his words a bit as he said the weather was 'out of our control for now' but not 'beyond our control.

'Everybody has an obligation to help. We have the capacity to do this. It's not like it's beyond our control. The weather may be out of our control for now. But it's not beyond our control,' he said.

Biden spoke on a hot day in Kentucky where more storms were expected later in the week. His shirt was covered in sweat stains and he wore his signature aviator sun glasses. He had disguarded his blue sports jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Jill Biden passed out bottles of water.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk past debris while viewing flood damage and response efforts in Lost Creek, Kentucky

President Joe Biden meets with residents in one of the destroyed neighborhoods

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden meet with families

First Lady Jill Biden helps a child clean their hands as she and President Joe Biden (C) meet with a family who was impacted by flood waters in Lost Creek, Kentucky

President Biden told the people of Kentucky: 'The bad news for you is I'm coming back because I want to see it'

A family who lost their home in flood waters share a box of M&Ms displaying the Presidential seal after the Bidens met with them

He and first lady Jill Biden examined shelled-out buildings and debris-filled yards in Lost Creek, Kentucky.

The president high-fived a toddler and introduced himself to a young boy during a stop in a neighborhood where many homes had been flattened and caked in mud.

The first couple saw damaged homes, destroyed buildings and piles of debris left in the wake of flooding and mudslides that led to 13 counties being declared federal disaster areas.

'Those are pieces of everybody's houses. That's all that's left,' Democratic Governor Andy Beshear told the president as they stood in front of school bus.

'It took out power... just incredible,' Beshear said.

The president's motorcade drove along Lost Creek, whose banks are strewn with flood detritus including guilding materials, clothing, and a plastic laundry basket high in a tree.

At least 37 people have died and two remain missing after July's massivie storm dropped 8 to 10 1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours.

Many have been displaced from their homes while others have been stranded without water, electricity or other critical supplies.

President Joe Biden meets with a family who lost their home to flood waters in Lost Creek

Jill Biden comforts a young boy as she and President Biden listen to Republican Congressman Hal Rogers speak about the storm damage in Kentucky

President Joe Biden speaks as he and first lady Jill Biden visit a flood-ravaged building in Lost Creek, Kentucky, with Democratic Governor Andy Beshear

Jill Biden and Kentucky first lady Britainy Beshear fold and organize donateed clothes

The presidential motorcade ride went past heavily damaged homes in Lost Creek, at least 37 people were killed in the storm's damage

Jill Biden helps President Joe Biden put on his suit jacket as the Bidens prepare to leave Kentucky

There could be more damage to come. The National Weather Service said Sunday that flooding remains a threat, warning of more thunderstorms through Thursday.

The president called the damage to Kentucky 'incredibly heartbreaking' and said the federal government was committed to help, paying '100 percent of the costs for the next few months.'

'People don't realize those piles of heavy debris, it takes a lot of time, a lot of money to take it away,' Biden said.

During his stop at Marie Roberts-Caney Elementary school, he received a briefing and joined Jill Biden in the school gym, where she was helping volunteers sort and folding donated clothing.

Biden fist bumped some volunteers, shook hands with others and chatted with many.

During the formal briefing, he talked about flying over the area.

'It's a magnificent state,' the president noted.

He also pointed out that when a state needs help, members of both parties work together to make that happen, singling out his work with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to help the state.

McConnell and Biden have sparred repeatedly over the president's legislative agenda, but Biden noted they came together during the state's time of need.

'When there's trouble everybody jumps in,' he said. 'Mitch McConnell and I - we have battle all the time on issues but, lucky when it comes to these issues, it's all one team.'

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear view flood damage

President Biden picks up his aviator sunglasses after he drops them

President Joe Biden (R) and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (L) during a briefing on the response to the flooding where Beshear thanked Biden's for his help and the president pledged the resources of the federal government

Damage from flooding and mudslides in Lost Creek, Ky

President Joe Biden holds a notecard while speaking during a briefing on response efforts to the storm damage in Kentucky

Jill Biden helps with volunteer efforts in Kentucky

Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Kentucky last week, freeing up federal funds for emergency work.

'It's my second visit to Kentucky for a crisis or crisis. Now what I said holds true today, gonna take awhile to get through this. I promise you we're not leaving,' he said.

Biden blamed climate change for the damage.

'We've suffered a consequence of climate change - a significant number of weather catastrophes around the nation. This the the year and a half I've been President, I've flown over 1000s of acres of fire. Forest is burning. More forest burned down and in the West and the entire state of New Jersey, New York all the way down,' he said.

Biden scored a major victory on Sunday when the Senate passed sweeping $430 billion bill that includes a clean energy package intended to fight climate change.

The legislation is aimed at reducing carbon emissions and shifting consumers to green energy.

Monday's visit is Biden's second to the state since taking office last year. He previously visited in December after tornadoes whipped through Kentucky, killing 77 people and leaving a trail of destruction.

Jill Biden and Britainy Beshear in the volunteer area of Marie Roberts Elementary School

President Joe Biden participates in a briefing at Marie Roberts Elementary School with, from left, Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Biden, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman

President Biden is making his second trip to Kentucky as president

Marine One flying over storm-damaged Kentucky

Donated clothing for those in need after the flood damage in Kentucky

Beshear lauded Biden for his help.

'He came through'  for 'Team Kentucky,' he said.

'The world has come to our aid with more donations and more dollars that you've ever seen,' Beshear said, though he emphasized that money is far more useful at this point.
Gabby Petito's family on Monday notified Utah officials of plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that police failed to recognize their daughter was in a life-threatening situation last year when officers investigated a fight between her and her boyfriend.

The fight happened in Moab last summer, weeks before authorities say her boyfriend Brian Laundrie killed her while the couple was on a cross-country van trip.

The $50m notice of claim contends police in the tourist town of Moab missed signs that Petito was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Brian Laundrie on Aug. 12, 2021. The officers ultimately allowed the couple to leave after requiring them to spend a night apart.

Police body camera video from that day showing Petito, 22, visibly upset was widely viewed as the investigation unfolded and raised questions about whether a different police response could have prevented her death.

'If the officers had been properly trained and followed the law, Gabby would still be alive today,' said attorney James McConkie in a statement announcing the filing of the notice of claim.

Notices of claims are required before people can sue government entities and the family's claim said that the lawsuit will seek $50 million in damages.

Moab officials did not immediately respond to phone and email messages Monday seeking comment about the claim.

Bodycam footage of the stop shows Petito crying in the back of a police cruiser on August 8, 2021

Petito was reported missing a month after that traffic stop, and her strangled body was discovered on September 19 on the edge of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Laundrie, 23, later killed himself in Florida after being named the only person of interest in her death. Petito and Landrie were originally from Long Island, New York.

The search for Petito drew worldwide attention, spurring amateur sleuths to scour social media for clues.

Earlier this year, an independent investigation found that police in Moab made 'several unintentional mistakes' when they came across Petito and Laundrie.

In the report, police said it was very likely that Petito 'was a long-term victim of domestic violence, whether that be physically, mentally, and/or emotionally.'

Brian Laundrie is seen standing to the side as he speaks with officers

The parents of Gabby Petito have filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against police in Moab, accusing them of negligence. Petito was killed by fiance Brian Laundrie weeks after the pair were pulled over after strangers reported that they were seen fighting

Laundrie killed himself in a Florida swamp, leaving behind a notebook that authorities said contained a confession.

Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, spoke about her daughter last week while announcing a $100,000 donation from the Gabby Petito Foundation to partner with the National Domestic Violence Hotline to help others survive turbulent and violent relationships.

Schmidt told The Associated Press in an interview last week that she still has many unanswered questions about what went wrong.

'Looking back, I didnt really see any signs. I think the only two people that will ever know what happened in that relationship was Gabby and Brian. And we can guess and we can make assumptions but we dont really know what happened,' she added.

'Most likely the scenario ended that way because something was happening for a while.'
This is the first picture of the eight-year-old killed after being hit by a rally car in Madeira on Saturday as she tried to cross the road behind relatives.

The youngster was named locally as Vitoria Yasmin as island prosecutors announced they were launching an investigation into the tragedy.

Initial reports claimed the little girl was struck as she crossed the road to join up with two older children including her sister.

But it emerged the youngster's parents had been watching the race and had crossed seconds earlier with another child of theirs.

The youngster was named locally as Vitoria Yasmin as island prosecutors announced they were launching an investigation into the tragedy

Vitoria Yasmin made the fateful decision to cross on her own thinking the last car had already passed but rally driver Miguel Gouveia's BMW appeared just six seconds after the previous vehicle had gone through the Encumeada area of Madeira where the accident occurred.

The schoolgirl was rushed to hospital after emergency medical attention at the scene but died shortly after arrival at Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in the island capital Funchal.

The tragedy occurred during the 63rd edition of the Madeira Wine Rally, the most prestigious and historic motor racing event in Madeira.

TV footage showed the moment the car that hit the girl came to a stop in a cloud of white smoke after the accident as shocked onlookers moved towards the crash scene to assist, although the images of the collision itself were pixelated.

At least two people thought to be the dead girl's parents could be seen crossing the road in front of the youngster before the collision.

Initial reports claimed the little girl was struck as she crossed the road to join up with two older children including her sister

Rally organisers said in a statement: 'We regrettably confirm the youngster involved in an accident was not able to survive the injuries she suffered. 'In this painful moment we would like to send our condolences to her family and friends.'

Portugal's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said: 'I send my condolences to the family and friends that are grieving.'

Investigators are expected to focus on whether the dead girl's parents or the rally organisers acted negligently.

The schoolgirl was rushed to hospital after emergency medical attention at the scene but died shortly after arrival at Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in the island capital Funchal

Several signs were put up along the rally course banning spectators from crossing while the race was taking place.

A police officer is said to have been standing near the spot where the tragedy occurred, but was unable to do anything before it was too late.

However several witnesses told local press several onlookers had already crossed the road before Vitoria Yasmin and her family.

The Madeira Wine Rally brings thousands of spectators out onto the roads to watch drivers compete through the island's hilly terrain and natural landscapes.

It is traditionally held in the late summer, in August or late July. The first edition took place in 1959.
A masseur who sexually assaulted two women after offering them 'deep tissue massages' has been jailed for 18 months, as police fear it is 'highly likely' he similarly attacked more victims who have not yet come forward.

Jay Steel, 60, assaulted the women five times in various locations in south London between February 2017 and April 2019.

Both were attacked as Steel, of Whielden Road, Stoke, supposedly carried out his 'treatments'.

After the first incident on February 27 2017 at a venue in Southwark, the woman reported the attack to the police and Steel was arrested on March 1.

Jay Steel, 60, assaulted the women five times in various locations in south London between February 2017 and April 2019

Upon being released under investigation Steel was then reported again in March 2019 for another incident in Dollis Hill.

Meanwhile, Detective Constable Victoria Gaunt, who has been leading the investigation, said: 'It is highly likely that Steel carried out other attacks while masquerading as a masseuse.'

Throughout the trial Steel denied the offences claiming he had only carried out professional massage services as described in his advert.

Steel was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault by jury trial at Croydon Crown Court on May 19 2022.

He was sentenced at the same court on August 5 to 18 months in prison and issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting seven years.

Leading the investigation Detective Constable Victoria Gaunt said: 'Jay Steel is a sexual predator who used the guise of a masseuse to assault women, who had placed their trust in him, for his own perverted gratification.

Steel was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault by jury trial at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) on May 19 2022

'The women Steel abused have shown great strength and courage to report their ordeal to police and support our investigation - I hope his conviction brings them some sense of justice.

'It is highly likely that Steel carried out other attacks while masquerading as a masseuse. I would ask any women who believe they have been a victim of Steel to come forward and speak to police.

'I hope his conviction demonstrates the Met's commitment to investigating sexual offenders and ensuring they are held to account for their actions.'
This the moment a pensioner drove into the path of an oncoming van, allegedly causing a crash which killed a five-month-old boy and seriously injuring his mother.

Shelagh Robertson had been driving home from a trip to Tesco when she turned into the path of the van on the A10 at Waterbeach, near Cambridge, on January 22, last year.

The 75-year-old is on trial accused of causing death by careless driving over the incident, which forced the van onto the pavement, where it hit Rachael Thorold and her son Louis Thorold.

Today the jury was shown dashcam footage from the van that hit Mrs Thorold and the Louis was in, with video showing the driver swerving to avoid hitting Robertson's Mazda after it suddenly makes a turn at a junction.

The van, which had been travelling below the speed limit, then hit Mrs Thorold and the pram Louis was in, seriously hurting her and killing the baby.

Robertson denies causing death by careless driving on the grounds of insanity as she had 'undiagnosed Alzeheimer's disease' at the time.

Her trial at Cambridge Crown Court began today, with Robertson sat beside her solicitor and family members in the well of the court, listening to proceedings through a hearing loop.

Shelagh Robertson, pictured here arriving at Cambridge Crown Court today, has been charged with causing death by careless driving

She is alleged to have caused the death of Louis Thorold, who was being pushed in his pram on the pavement by his mother Rachael Thorold (both pictured)

The parents of baby Louis, Chris and Rachael Thorold, sat in the public gallery, and had placed a white soft toy elephant on a wooden ledge looking out over the courtroom beside Mrs Thorold.

David Matthew, prosecuting, said Robertson had turned right, driving her Mazda 2 car into the path of an oncoming Renault van that was travelling south along the A10 at the junction with Car Dyke Road.

'The impact forced the van on to the pavement,' he said.

'Walking along the pavement towards the van were Rachael Thorold and pushing in front of her her five-month-old son Louis in a pushchair.

'The van went over them.'

He said it happened at about 3.50pm and it was light, with sunset not until 4.30pm.

The van was driven by delivery driver Andrew Freestone, Mr Matthew said, describing him as a 'careful and professional driver'.

He said the incident was captured by dashcam footage and that Mr Freestone was driving 'properly, sensibly and within the speed limit' which at the time was 50mph.

Mr Matthew said that Mr Freestone 'tried to steer to his right' to avoid a collision.

'He saw the pushchair, heard thumps, saw the woman with the pushchair go up in the air,' he said.

He said of Robertson: 'Obviously a competent and careful driver doesn't drive into the path of oncoming traffic which has the right of way without looking.'

The prosecution counsel said that a witness said they spoke to Robertson after the crash as she sat in the back of another car, and said Robertson told them: 'I just didn't see him coming.'

The court was told that Louis was killed when a van swerved to avoid Robertson's Mazda. Chris and Rachael Thorold (both right), Louis' parents, arrive at Cambridge Crown Court ahead of a hearing in June

He said that another witness described Robertson as 'alert, agile' and 'able to scoot across the Mazda and leave by the passenger door' after the crash.

Louis was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital, Mr Matthew said.

Mr and Mrs Thorold left the courtroom as around 15 seconds of footage from the van's dashcam, showing the vehicle's approach to the junction and the Mazda pulling into its path, was played to jurors.

The clip stopped before the moment of impact.

PC Matthew Bill, of Cambridgeshire Police, said van driver Mr Freestone had 'less than half a second' to react to the Mazda car pulling out of a filter lane and across his path.

He said that the speed limit of the road has since been reduced from 50mph to 40mph.

The incident, which also left Mrs Thorold seriously injured, took place on the A10 in Waterbeach, near Cambridge, on January 22, last year

Robertson's defence counsel told the jury that it has been 'agreed by any reasonable objective test the way Mrs Robertson drove on the day of the accident fell below the standard to be expected from a reasonable, competent driver'.

James Leonard told the court: 'The issue in this case is whether or not Mrs Robertson was suffering from insanity as it's recognised by law.

'The defence case is that Mrs Robertson had undiagnosed atypical Alzheimer's disease both before the accident and on the day, and that's what will lead to the conclusion that the defence of insanity is made out.'

Earlier in the day the judge, Mark Bishop, told the jury of nine women and three men that for a defence of insanity to succeed they must be persuaded that Robertson was suffering from atypical Alzheimer's disease at the time of the crash and that 'as a result of that disease she experienced disrupted thinking'.

He said this disrupted thinking could either be that as she drove the car she 'didn't know what she was doing' or that she 'didn't know that what she was doing was wrong by the standards of reasonable people'.

The trial, due to last less than a week, continues.
A real estate firm that's appraised a number of Trump Organization properties has handed over nearly 36,000 documents to New York Attorney General Letitia James, court documents show.

Commercial real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield was held in contempt last month after failing to comply with a subpoena from James' office.

In addition to the contempt order, New York County Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron imposed a $10,000 fine for every day the company did not comply with James' subpoena.

The Democratic official's office has been investigating Donald Trump's real estate empire in March 2019 over allegations the company used knowingly misleading financial information in its dealmaking.

James' team claims to have uncovered 'substantial evidence' of tax fraud that goes back more than a decade in the ongoing civil probe.

And last Friday, prosecutor Austin Thompson said in a letter to Engoron that they 'received Cushmans production, which amounts to about 35,867 documents since entry of this Courts contempt order.'

Though it doesn't go into specifics on the documents, the August 5 letter suggests they are more than satisfied with what Cushman & Wakefield has provided.

Donald Trump's family business has been under investigation by the New York Attorney General's office since March 2019

Thompson wrote to Engoron that the real estate firm was in 'completed compliance' with James' subpoena and asked the judge to dissolve the contempt charge 'without any fines due or owing.'

The newest court filing was first reported by NBC News.

DailyMail.com has reached out to James' office for comment.

James' office is investigating whether to bring a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization for allegedly inflating the value of its properties in order to obtain favorable loans and deals, then also undercutting those evaluations to pay less in taxes.

AG Letitia James claims to have uncovered 'substantial evidence' of tax fraud in the ongoing civil probe

Trump has so far consistently denied any wrongdoing and has denounced James' investigation as a 'witch hunt' and James herself as a 'racist.'

Cushman and Wakefield's subpoena covered 'comps' in addition to Trump's properties, so that the court can try to discern how it stacks up against others.

The trial continues to progress, even as Trump signals he could make an early announcement on a potential presidential 2024 campaign.

His son, Eric Trump, gave a deposition in January, and according to James' office invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 500 times.

The case has also featured a subpoena battle over the president's children Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. over their testimony, in addition to Trump himself.

The trio's previously agreed-upon deposition date of July 15 was abruptly rescheduled after the sudden death of Trump's first wife and the mother of his three eldest children, Ivana Trump.

No new date was offered publicly, but people familiar with the investigation told NBC News earlier this month that Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump have sat down with prosecutors in the weeks since their mother's death.

Neither reportedly invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while testifying under oath.

The former president is expected to be deposed in the coming weeks, according to the Thursday report.
The Biden administration said Monday it was shipping its biggest yet direct delivery of weapons to Ukraine as that country prepares for a potentially decisive counteroffensive in the south against Russia, sending $1 billion in rockets, ammunition and other material to Ukraine from Defense Department stockpiles.

The new U.S. arms shipment would further strengthen Ukraine as it mounts the counteroffensive, which analysts say for the first time could allow Kyiv to shape the course of the rest of the war, now at the half-year mark.

Kyiv aims to push Russian troops back out of Kherson and other southern territory near the Dnipro River. Russia in recent days was moving troops and equipment in the direction of the southern port cities to stave off the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

'At every stage of this conflict, we have been focused on getting the Ukrainians what they need, depending on the evolving conditions on the battlefield,' Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, said Monday in announcing the new weapons shipment.

The new U.S. aid includes additional rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as well as thousands of artillery rounds, mortar systems, Javelins and other ammunition and equipment. Military commanders and other U.S. officials say the HIMARS and artillery systems have been crucial in Ukraines fight to block Russia from taking more ground.

The Biden administration approves another $1 billion in aid to Ukraine; above U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cody Brown, right, with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, checks pallets of 155 mm shells ultimately bound for Ukraine this past April

Javelin anti-tank missiles are seen at the Lockheed Martins Pike County Operations facility in Troy, Alabama

President Joe Biden committed approximately $9.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of his administration

While the U.S. has already provided 16 HIMARS to Ukraine, Kahl said the new package does not include additional ones.

'These are not systems that we assess you need in the hundreds to have the type of effects' needed, Kahl said. 'These are precision-guided systems for very particular types of targets and the Ukrainians are using them as such.'

He declined to say how many of the precision-guided missile systems for the HIMARS were included in Monday's announcement, but said the U.S. has provided 'multiple hundreds' of them in recent weeks.

The latest announcement brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to more than $9 billion.

Until now, the largest single security assistance package announcement was for $1 billion on June 15. But that aid included $350 million in presidential drawdown authority, and another $650 million under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides funding for training, equipment and other security needs that can be bought from other countries or companies.

Monday's package allows the U.S. to deliver weapons systems and other equipment more quickly since it takes them off the Defense Department shelves.

In addition to the rockets for the HIMARS, it includes 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery, 20 mortar systems and 20,000 rounds for them, 1,000 shoulder-mounted Javelin rockets, and other arms, explosives and medical equipment.

In total, the United States has now committed approximately $9.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration.

Latest round of aid domes as Kyiv trying to push Russian troops out of southern part of country

Workers unload a shipment of military aid delivered as part of the United States of America's security assistance to Ukraine, at the Boryspil airport, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, in January

For the last four months of the war, Russia has concentrated on capturing the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists have controlled some territory as self-proclaimed republics for eight years. Russian forces have made gradual headway in the region while launching missile and rocket attacks to curtail the movements of Ukrainian fighters elsewhere.

Kahl estimated that Russian forces have sustained up to 80,000 deaths and injuries in the fighting, though he did not break down the figure with an estimate of forces killed.

He said the Russian troops have managed to gain 'incremental' ground in eastern Ukraine, although not in recent weeks. 'But that has come at extraordinary cost to the Russian military because of how well the Ukrainian military has performed and all the assistance that the Ukrainian military has gotten. And I think now, conditions in the east have essentially stabilized and the focus is really shifting to the south.'

The new funding is being paid for through $40 billion in economic and security aid for Ukraine approved by Congress in May.

This is the 18th time the Pentagon has provided equipment from Defense Department stocks to Ukraine since August 2021.

The U.S. and allies still are evaluating whether to supply aircraft to Ukraine, Kahl said. It's 'not inconceivable that western aircraft down the road could be part of the mix,' he said.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelinskyy early in the war launched near-daily calls for warplanes, calling them essential to protecting Ukraine's skies. The U.S. and some other NATO countries feared that could draw them into more direct involvement with Ukraine's war against Russia, and have not provided Western aircraft.

Separately Monday, the Treasury Department said it was sending $3 billion more in direct economic assistance to Ukraine. Thats part of a previously approved $7.5 billion in economic assistance, with $1.5 billion yet to be disbursed.
The man who tackled Dave Chappelle on stage at a Los Angeles comedy show could potentially see his case dismissed if he is found mentally ill, DailyMail.com has learned.

Isaiah Lee, 23, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon after charging towards the comedian with a flick knife during his May 3 performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

Wearing a yellow prison top and blue pants, and with his hands cuffed behind his back, Lee appeared at Los Angeles downtown criminal court Monday for a pre-trial hearing.

His attorney Chelsea Padilla gave notice that she plans to file a motion asking Judge Armenui Ashvanian to send Lee for a 'mental health diversion.'

Judge Ashvanian scheduled another hearing for August 23 to hear the request, which the LA District Attorney, 'will probably object to,' prosecutor Giselle Fernandez told DailyMail.com outside the court.

Isaiah Lee, 23, appeared in LA criminal court Monday for a pretrial hearing on misdemeanor assault charges after he attacked comedian Dave Chappelle on stage in May

Lee was seen wearing a yellow prison top and blue pants, and with his hands cuffed behind his back during the court proceedings

Lee is accused of storming the Hollywood Bowl stage with a foldout knife and trying to tackle Chappelle in front of the audience on May 3

Fernandez explained that mental health diversion is a 'complicated process in which it would be argued that a defendant does not have full mental competency.'

She added that Judge Ashvanian would have to agree to the mental health diversion, and if Lee complied with all the judge's orders and the conditions of the diversion, 'the charges could be dismissed.'

Under California law, a mental health diversion would give a defendant an opportunity to go through a mental health treatment program in lieu of incarceration or traditional penalties.

The charges would be dropped upon successful completion of the program's terms and conditions.

Lee is accused of storming the Hollywood Bowl stage with a replica handgun containing a large blade that folded out of it similar to a pocket knife, and trying to tackle Chappelle in front of the audience which included high-profile guests such as Elon Musk.

People standing in the wings of the stage, including actor Jamie Foxx and rapper Busta Rhymes, rushed on to the stage to try to help Chappelle.

The comedian managed to sidestep the attack and was not hurt, but was clearly blindsided by the ambush.

Security guards chased and overpowered Lee, who was arrested and taken away in an ambulance with a broken arm after the scuffle.

Security guards chased and overpowered Lee, who was arrested and taken away in an ambulance with a broken arm after the scuffle

The alleged attacker is accused of charging towards Chappelle with this replica handgun containing a large blade that folded out of it similar to a pocket knife

Lee's attorney told the court she will file a motion for a 'mental health diversion' - which could allow him to undergo treatment in lieu of jail time

He was charged with four misdemeanors, including battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

During the arraignment in June, Lee was also charged with attempted murder for a separate incident last December in which he allegedly stabbed his roommate at a 'transitional housing program' generally used by homeless people.

LA District Attorney George Gascon credited the publicity surrounding the assault on Chappelle with helping the attempted murder victim identify Lee as his attacker in the earlier episode.

'The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime,' said Gascon in a statement.

Lee has a preliminary hearing scheduled August 19 on the attempted murder charge.

In a jailhouse interview about the Hollywood Bowl incident, he said he wasn't amused by Chappelle's brand of humor and that he attacked the comic because he was 'triggered' by his jokes about gay people and homelessness.

'I identify as bisexual and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering,' Lee said from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles where he's being held.

'I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.'

Lee, 23, said last month that he attacked Chappelle because he found his comedy 'triggering'

The incident took place during Chappelle's set in the last of a four-night stint at the Hollywood Bowl that was part of the 'Netflix Is a Joke' comedy festival

Lee said he was excited to see Chappelle's show, recorded live for Netflix, but grew increasingly angry at the content.

He had been homeless before, and said the jokes made him emotional and upset.

'I'm also a single dad and my son is five,' Lee added.

'It's a struggle and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it's not a joke.'

He said his breaking point came when another comedian in the show's lineup make a joke about pedophilia, which Lee said brought back memories of being molested when he was 17.
A young holiday rep in the French Alps did not seek medical help for her head injury because of the cost despite working in a hotel next to a doctor's surgery, an inquest has heard.

Kayleigh Harris, 23, was hit by a skier when she was out snowboarding as she worked in a hotel at Les Menuires ski resort, an inquest heard.

Kayleigh, from Taunton in Somerset, joked 'what a d**k' after the accident, which left her with a small bump on her head, and refused to go to a doctor.

A coroner at the inquest in Taunton said she 'could have at least had a chance' if she had received medical help sooner, though there was no evidence she would have survived.

Colleagues at the Hotel Skilt said medical bills for minor injuries could easily exceed 600 - similar to a whole month's pay.

Kayleigh Harris (pictured), 23, was hit by a skier when she was out snowboarding as she worked in a hotel at Les Menuires ski resort, an inquest heard

Kayleigh became drowsy shortly after her injury but was well known to be a 'deep sleeper', adding a further delay to her receiving medical treatment.

The coroner said staff misinterpreted symptoms of head trauma as her normal behaviour.

The keen snowboarder, who a work colleague described as a 'Peter Pan character' who embraced her 'inner child', was working for school ski trip company SkiBound before the accident in 2016.

The skier who collided with Kayleigh was never traced, though she later told friends she thought he had a Dutch or Belgian accent when he apologised.

Kayleigh didn't seek medical treatment for her head injury because she was worried about the cost, an inquest revealed. Suzanne Harris, Kayleigh's mother, released the last picture of all her daughters together

The impact shattered a section of her helmet but there was no readily available advice from her employer about what to do in the event of a head injury.

Kayleigh only began to complain of a headache to the hotel's head chef Seann Peters at around midnight on March 30.

Mr Peters said: 'She was quite jovial and proud of her little bump, joking about the skier like 'what a d***, I can't believe he just skied away'.'

In a statement, Mr Peters described Miss Harris as a 'Peter Pan character,' adding: 'She was 100% going to hold on to her inner child, she loved anything pink or glittery.'

Kayleigh with her mother Suzanne, who said: 'I don't want to blame anyone, not even the skier. It was an accident'

Kayleigh was a keen snowboarder. She was working with SkiBoard when she was hit by a skier in 2016, causing her to have a small bump on her head

He said Kayleigh hadn't eaten much and declined a staff night out but that this behaviour was not unusual.

He later found her drowsy on the sofa in her room, the court heard.

Staff at the hotel feared she was concussed but chose to monitor her over the course of the night rather than call an ambulance as they knew her to be a deep sleeper.

Mr Peters said Kayleigh 'got tired easily' and was one of the 'deepest sleepers' he had ever met.

'Kayleigh loved her sleep and would sleep for days on end if she could,' he added.

An ambulance was called at around 8am on March 31 when Miss Harris stopped responding and was in a deep coma by the time paramedics arrived.

She suffered a cardiac arrest as she was being carried to the ambulance and had to be resuscitated on the pavement, meaning she was not taken to hospital in Grenoble until almost midday.

The head chef at Kayleigh's hotel, Mr Peters, described her as a 'Peter Pan character,' adding: 'She was 100% going to hold on to her inner child, she loved anything pink or glittery.' Kayleigh, centre, before the accident with her mother and sisters. From left are Abbie, mother Suzanne, Kayleigh, Lauren, Paige and Jaide

Her life support was switched off on the evening on April 1 to allow her family time to reach her, and they made the decision to donate her organs.

The court heard Skibound has now updated its head injury policy and it is now included in the information pack given to all of its seasonal staff.

Miss Harris' mother Suzanne Harris, a nurse, expressed her frustration at the delay to seeking medical help for her daughter and the lack of a clear head injury policy from Skibound.

She said: 'I don't want to blame anyone, not even the skier. It was an accident.

'They shouldn't be made accountable or punished, but people should just be aware (of head injuries).'

Ms Harris, who also has four other daughters, and her partner of eight years Anita Currie, 45, were on a cruise in the Caribbean, when Kayleigh messaged saying she had banged her head.

She explained: 'I had a message from her saying, 'Fell over, someone skied into my head, wrote off my goggles, wrote off my helmet, and my head is killing'.

'That was the last ever message I ever received from her.'

The next day, when she had docked in Cozumel, Mexico, she received a devastating phone call from Kayleigh's boss in France, informing her that her daughter was being airlifted to the hospital, a two hour drive away from her ski lodge.

Distraught, Suzanne called her daughter Lauren, who phoned their father, Sean Cummins, sister Paige and Kayleigh's uncle  all of whom flew out to France.

Meanwhile, Ms Harris and her partner embarked on a nightmare journey from Cozumel to Mexico City, enduring a 10 hour wait in the airport, before flying first to Heathrow and then on to Geneva, Switzerland  then driving to Grenoble University Hospital at the foot of the mountains.

She explained: 'During out 10 hour wait in Mexico City, my brother told me Kayleigh had no brain activity and had suffered a lack of oxygen to her brain.'

They made it to her eldest child's side two days later, only for doctors to tell her Kayleigh was being kept alive by machines.

Listing the cause of death as head injury, Coroner Samantha Marsh said Miss Harris' colleagues had 'misinterpreted' symptoms of head trauma as just her normal behaviour.

Ms Marsh said: 'I am satisfied (Miss Harris) was encouraged to seek medical attention by friends and colleagues at the hotel and she didn't take the opportunity to do so.

'I am satisfied that one of the reasons she may not have done so was the prohibitive cost.'

The coroner said she had no evidence to suggest that Miss Harris would have survived if medical help had been sought sooner, but said 'she would at least have had a chance'.
China expands its military drills in the Bohai and Yellow seas, escalating military tensions with Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-governing island nation.

Beijing officials announced additional live-fire drills in the two areas as they broadcast the country's fury over the U.S. trip to Taiwan with military exercises. China's Defense Ministry did not reveal the purpose of the expanded exercises, which came as Pelosi's visit frayed U.S.-China relations.

China Expands Military Exercises

The drills are China's greatest show of force near Taiwan territory since the last cross-strait crisis of 1995 to 1996 in what it calls a warning to "provocateurs" who challenge Beijing's claims over the island nation that is home to roughly 23 million people.

On Saturday, China's Maritime Safety Administration announced five exclusion zones in the Yellow Sea where exercises would take place from Aug. 5 to Aug. 15. They also announced an additional four zones in the Bohai Sea where unspecified Chinese operations would take place for a month beginning on Monday, as per the Washington Post.

While China officially seeks what it considers a "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, it also consistently threatens to take the island by force if the Taipei government declares formal independence.

The diplomatic fallout that resulted from Pelosi's visit to the island nation escalated sharply on Friday when Beijing imposed sanctions on her and her immediate family. China also canceled military dialogues and suspended climate talks and other bilateral cooperation on issues including transnational crime.

Read Also: Ukraine War: US Senators Urge Joe Biden to Declare Russia as State Sponsor of Terrorism | What Does That Mean?

According to CNBC, warships from both China and Taiwan played high seas "cat and mouse" on Sunday ahead of the scheduled end of four days of unprecedented Chinese military exercises. About 10 warships each from the two nations sailed at close quarters in the Taiwan Strait, with some Chinese vessels crossing the median line.

Taiwan's Independence

Taiwan's defense ministry said that multiple of Beijing's military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy. Taiwanese officials also said that they deployed aircraft and ships of their own to react "appropriately."

On Sunday, the ministry released a statement saying it had detected 14 Chinese warships and 66 Chinese aircraft in and around the Taiwan Strait. While Chinese forces "pressed" the line, Taiwan's troops stayed close to monitor and, where possible, deny the Chinese the ability to cross.

A person with knowledge of the situation who wished to remain anonymous said that the two sides were showing restraint. They described the maneuvers on the high seas as similar to playing "cat and mouse."

Furthermore, two Chinese drones flew around Okinawa prefecture in Japan on Thursday, which prompted the latter's Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets in response. The military movement comes as China doubles down on rhetoric blaming the U.S. for spiking tensions and forcing it into a response.

In a statement, Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang said that the island nation represented "freedom and democracy" and that "the evil neighbor next door flexed its muscles on our doorstep and arbitrarily sabotaged (one of) the busiest waterways in the world with military exercises," CNN reported.



Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Experts Warn of Possible Disaster Following Nuclear Plant Shelling; Moscow, Kyiv Blame Each Other

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A four-year-old child born a female officially announced his transition to being a boy with a blue gender reveal cannon at Vancouver's Pride Parade - with his grandmother by his side.

Charlie Danger Lloyd, of British Columbia, Canada, was born female but now identifies as a male after expressing his desire to be a different gender from a young age, his mother Alaina Bourrel, 27, confirmed.

Video shared on social media shows the moment when Charlie, who uses he/him pronouns, pops a confetti canon with blue smoke coming out of it to celebrate his decision in July.

'Once they closed the road, Charlie strutted out with Grammy and they faced the sidelines and after a short struggle, the cannon exploded with blue smoke and biodegradable confetti,' the four-year-old's mother, Alaina told the South West News Service.

'Charlie jumped with joy as the crowd cheered him on. He couldn't believe the love and support he was shown from the bystanders.' Charlie ecstatically runs into his mother's arms at the end of the video.

Charlie Danger Lloyd, four, has wanted to become a boy since the young age of two, according to his 27-year-old mother, as he celebrated his transition reveal at the Vancouver Pride Parade on July 31

Bourrel said the moment was inspired by the child's previous gender reveal before his birth and how the smoke didn't properly come out.

'When we told him the story, he asked for a re-do with his granny at the Vancouver Pride Parade  so we bought him a smoke cannon and tucked it away for this day,' she said.

The mother added that her child's happiness comes a long way from a time when she was constantly trolled online by people, who accused her of being a 'pedophile, groomer and rapist' for supporting her son's transition.

Bourrel further said Charlie grew envious of wanting to become a boy starting at the age of two, often telling family members that he wanted to look 'just like daddy'. He would also try to convince people that he's a boy on most days.

'He wasn't your typical little girl. He would play with other boys and the parents would say he was more of a boy than their own children,' Bourrel said, looking back on her son's early days.

The preschooler has had no trouble at school with his transition and was congratulated by staff and peers when he decided to go by he/him pronouns. Pictured: Charlie in his mother's arms at the Vancouver Pride Parade on July 31

Charlie pictured here before her transition, which her mother claims started four months ago

She added that they didn't seriously consider Charlie's wishes until the end of 2021, when he no longer wanted to go shopping for girl's clothing and wanted to cut his hair short.

'He refused to shop in the girl's section, but was too nervous to shop in the boys,' Bourrel further revealed. 'After lots of expressing his feelings and emotions with me, he decided that he wanted a new wardrobe so we set out to find our new style.'

After buying Charlie a new set of clothes for boys, the four-year-old wanted to figure out his hair style.

'We made an appointment with Lia at Big Bros Barbershop, a trans-owned and operated salon in East Vancouver,' Bourrel said. 'After leaving the salon that afternoon, Charlie was a completely new child.'

The four-year-old changed out his entire wardrobe with clothes for boys and cut his hair short. Charlie's parents said that the child's confidence has only gone upwards after he started his transition roughly four months ago

Charlie's parents felt the benefits of these changes as their son's confidence surged.

'We are four months since he began his social transition now,' she said. 'He is still a normal kid that does completely normal little kid things like play with Lego[s], uses his creativity and learns to ride his bike.'

In spite of the hate Charlie's parents receive, often criticizing their support and for 'brainwashing' their child, Bourrel said the family's close entourage has been nothing but vocal of their support for the four-year-old.

'His choices were not questioned and he was congratulated and everyone began using new pronouns,' the young mother said.

'We are so lucky to have the circle that we do,' she added, expressing her gratitude towards the family's inner circle.
A wine fraudster who served less than four years in an Italian prison after fleeing the UK made more than 38million in a tax scam, a court has heard.

Livio Mazzarello had skipped bail days before he was found guilty of fronting a scheme to dodge excise duty on wine being imported into the country from Europe.

The 62-year-old had sent an email addressed to 'the most illustrious judge' at his Old Bailey trial, claiming he needed to return to Italy to see his mother.

He was found guilty of fraudulent evasion of duty, fraudulent evasion of VAT and money laundering, and jailed for 14 years in his absence in July 2017.

A court heard that Italian authorities took over enforcement for his sentence and reduced it to eight years.

He was released from prison in Genoa in June 2021 after serving less than four years in jail.

Livio Mazzarello, pictured here outside the Old Bailey in 2017, was frontman for a massive 38million tax scam

He avoided paying excise duty on the importation of millions of bottles of wine from Europe over a period of five years

He now faces a confiscation hearing, where UK authorities will try to claw back as much money as possible after he dodged millions in excise duty for nearly five years.

Between 2008-2013 he was involved in covering up the importation of millions of bottles of wine from Europe.

Mazzarello avoided paying VAT on an industrial scale by selling cases under the counter for cash at The Italian Wine Company based in Neasden, northwest London.

The fraud enabled the Italian Wine Company to avoid paying both excise duty and VAT in the UK on wine sold on to shops such as Star and Bestbuy.

The total loss to HMRC between June 2008 and March 2013 was 46,579,257.32.

He has been living on licence in Italy, under a range of conditions including not to travel without the permission of a sentencing supervising judge.

The court also heard that there were no outstanding warrants for Mazzarellos arrest in the UK.

As part of a confiscation hearing today, judge Philip Katz, QC, ruled that the total benefit figure the fraudster gained from his offending is 38,725,148.30.

Prosecutor David Hughes initially argued that Mazzarello had gained 40,059,615.75.

The fraud enabled the Italian Wine Company to avoid paying both excise duty and VAT in the UK on wine sold on to shops such as Star and Bestbuy

He spent less than four years in an Italian jail after authorities in the Mediterranean country took over enforcing his sentence

Jonathan Ashley-Norman, QC, defending, successfully argued against some of the sums that made up that original figure.

The 62-year-old was due to appear at the Old Bailey via video link from an Italian court but was absent.

Mr Ashley-Norman explained that his client had telephoned his Italian lawyers only to hear a recorded message which told him that they were on holiday until 24 August.

According to Italian law, no national based in Italy can give evidence in a foreign court unless they do so under a local judge.

Judge Katz adjourned the hearing until tomorrow during which time Mazzarello will contact his advocate to try to arrange a solution.

Mazzarello, formerly of Cricklewood, northwest London, was convicted of fraudulent evasion of duty, one count of fraudulent evasion of VAT and one count of money laundering.
Ukraine arrested two people working for Russian intelligence services who planned to kill Ukraine's defence minister and the head of its military intelligence agency, Ukraine's domestic security service, the SBU, said today.

The Security Service of Ukraine foiled the plot by the Russian GRU military intelligence agency to use a sabotage group to carry out three murders, the agency said in a statement.

The planned killings were of Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov and a prominent Ukrainian activist, according to the SBU.

Ukraine arrested two people working for Russian intelligence services who planned to kill Ukraine's defence minister and the head of its military intelligence agency, Ukraine's domestic security service, the SBU, said today

The Security Service of Ukraine foiled the plot by the Russian GRU military intelligence agency to use a sabotage group to carry out three murders, the agency said in a statement

The assertions could not be independently verified.

There was no immediate reaction to the Ukraine statement from Moscow or Russian state-run media.

The suspects, one a resident of the eastern Luhansk region held by Russia-backed separatists and the other a resident of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, were promised up to $150,000 by Russian handlers for the murder of each of their targets, the SBU said.

The man from Luhansk region entered Ukraine from Belarus and was detained in the city of Kovel in northwestern Ukraine along with the Kyiv resident, the statement said.

The suspects, one a resident of the eastern Luhansk region held by Russia-backed separatists and the other a resident of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, were promised up to $150,000 by Russian handlers for the murder of each of their targets, the SBU said

The man from Luhansk region entered Ukraine from Belarus and was detained in the city of Kovel in northwestern Ukraine along with the Kyiv resident, the statement said

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and security for top officials is extremely tight. Kyiv's government district is cordoned off with checkpoints manned by armed men. Sandbags are piled up in the windows and entrances of government buildings.

The SBU has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy forced out its head and the state prosecutor general last month, citing dozens of cases of collaboration with Russia by officials in their agencies.
The House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack is now in possession of a trove of text messages from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' cellphone, it was reported on Monday.

CNN reports that lawmakers on the bipartisan panel were handed two years' worth of correspondences to and from Jones, as they draw links between the US Capitol riot and Donald Trump and his allies' attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

The panel reportedly obtained the texts from lawyer Mark Bankston, who is representing the parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The parents won a lawsuit against Jones last week after he repeatedly decried the massacre as a 'false flag' and claimed the children who were killed are crisis actors, in addition to a host of other inappropriate remarks about the shooting.

Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million to the two families in punitive and compensatory damages.

A spokesman for the January 6 committee declined to comment when asked by DailyMail.com.

Bankston apparently caught Jones by surprise when he revealed during cross-examination last week that the Defendant's lawyer accidentally sent Plaintiff's counsel a vast tranche of text messages - which Bankston said proved Jones lied under oath when testifying in his own defense.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million in combined damages to the parents of a 6-year-old who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre

'Mr. Jones, did you know that 12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cellphone with every text message youve sent for the past two years?' Bankston asked in the now-viral moment from the trial.

Presiding Judge Maya Guerra Gamble declined a request from Jones' lawyer to shield the texts from House investigators.

'I'm not standing between you and Congress,' Gamble reportedly told Bankston.

Jones previously testified remotely before the January 6 committee in a closed-door session earlier this year.

He revealed the meeting on his radio show after the fact, and bragged that he invoked the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination 'almost 100 times.'

Jones said at the time, 'The questions were overall pretty reasonable. And I wanted to answer the questions. But at the same time, it's a good thing I didn't, because I'm the type that tries to answer things correctly, even if I don't know all the answers, and they can then kind of claim that's perjury.'

The January 6 committee is now reportedly in possession of Jones' text messages that were obtained by the Sandy Hook parents' lawyer

A vocal Trump ally, Jones was a key promoter of the ex-president's 2020 election fraud lies and is accused by the committee of having helped plan his Stop the Steal rally at the White House Ellipse shortly before the riot.

Jones was also present on US Capitol grounds on January 6 but did not enter the building, according to a letter from committee Chair Bennie Thompson sent to Jones in November 2021.

It's not immediately clear when the committee will get to pour over the new trove of texts or whether they will inspire more lines of inquiry.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a member of the panel, said she was interesting in looking at Jones' texts but as of Sunday had not yet seen them.

'Well, we know that his behavior did incentivize some of the January 6 conduct and we want to know more about that,' Lofgren told CNN.

'We don't know what we'll find in the texts because we haven't seen them. But we'll look at it and learn more, I'm sure.'

If they prove useful the texts could play a starring role in the committee's next round of hearings, which were revealed by Vice Chair Liz Cheney in the eighth and final installment of the panel's summer series of presentations.

The additional hearings are expected for this fall, according to the Wyoming Republican.

'In the course of these hearings we have received new evidence, and new witnesses have bravely stepped forward,' Cheney said at the end of the committee's ninth overall hearing on July 21.

'Efforts to litigate and overcome immunity and executive privilege claims have been successful, and those continue. Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has begun to break.'

She added: 'We have far more evidence to share with the American people, and more to gather. So our committee will spend August pursuing emerging information on multiple fronts before convening further hearings this September.'
A British mother-of-four was shot dead in a horrific accident while visiting relatives on a dream holiday to South Africa.

Fatima Issa, 47, had flown out with her daughter Humairah, 19, to spend a fortnight in the sun with family she had not seen for years.

But after a joyous reunion while staying at the residence in the gated Meyersal View Estate in Johannesburg, Issa, who was a school teacher at a Leicester College, tragically died.

Anti-crime campaigner Yusuf Abramjee revealed how the mother was shot dead.

Fatima Issa (pictured) had flown out to South Africa to spend time with family she hadn't seen in years - here she tried her hand at archery

The mother-of-four was accidentally shot at point blank range with a nine millimetre round by a male relative

He revealed a relative was cleaning a gun used for protection in the crime ridden city but appears to have forgotten that it was loaded.

South African media reported that while he inspected and cleaned the revolver he accidentally pulled the trigger and a nine millimetre round hit Fatima at point blank range.

The shocked male relative saw Fatima's body blown to the floor with a fatal bullet wound that left her covered in her blood.

Paramedics raced to the scene and tried desperately to save Fatima but she succumbed to the severe injury.

Last night her brother Ebrahim Lambat confirmed her death on Facebook saying: 'Request duas for my sister Fatima Issa.

'She as returned to the mercy of Allah.'

A South African Police spokesman said they could not comment as it was too early but confirmed a full investigation is underway.

Her three other children had been left at home in Leicester, Leicestershire, with her husband Fayaz, 47, who worked for Leicester City Council.

Fatima's brother Ebrahim Lambat (pictured) broke the news of his sister's death on Facebook

Her husband Fayaz is planning to fly to South Africa following the tragic death of his wife Fatima Issa

Last night husband Fayaz was preparing to fly out to Johannesburg with his son Huzaifah, 21, as police tried to work out exactly what had happened.

Local sources in Leicester have revealed on Facebook that relatives are making plans to fly out to support distraught husband Fayaz.

Fatima's grieving co-workers at The City of Leicester College have expressed their 'shock and sadness' after learning of her death.

Their Facebook post read: 'Everyone at the TCOLC is deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic passing of our colleague and friend Fatima Issa.

'We all wish her family courage and peace during this time.'

Johannesburg is the crime capital of South Africa with most residents living in gated communities with guards and electric fences.

With 58 murders and 150 rapes a day in South Africa and countless armed robberies and car hijackings many residents are now armed.
A 25-year-old mother and her two young sons, ages 4 and 1, were found shot to death in their New Hampshire home in what police are branding a murder.

The victims have been identified as Kassandra Sweeney and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4 and Mason Sweeney, 1, officials said.

Sweeney and her two children were found inside a home on Wethersfield Drive in Northfield, New Hampshire on Wednesday morning around 11:30 pm.

An unidentified person called 911 alerting law enforcement that people inside the home may be hurt. When police arrived they made the grisly discovery.

An autopsy revealed that Sweeney and her two sons died from a single gunshot wound, and their deaths were ruled a homicide, NBC Boston reported.

Her husband Sean has blasted rumors he was involved on social media, but says he cannot share the full truth of what happened. No arrests have been made, and cops say there is no danger to the public.

They have yet to say whether the triple-killing may have been a murder-suicide, with Massachusetts Attorney General's office saying only 'We do not believe this was a random event, without offering further detail.'

A police spokesman added that Sean had been working with a victim witness advocate to help him deal with the tragedy.

The father Sean Sweeney (pictured far left) and victims: Kassandra Sweeney, 25 (pictured center) and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4 (pictured first row, right) and Mason Sweeney, 1, (second row, far right) officials said. Sweeney and her two children were found inside a home on Wethersfield Drive in Northfield, New Hampshire on Wednesday morning around 11:30 pm

He wrote: 'I wanted to thank everyone for the outreach and support, while things will never be "normal" again my body finally shut down and let me get some sleep last night and I woke up feeling as "normal" as possible.

'Thank you to everyone who has spent the last few days ensuring that the random idiots online are properly informed.

'And while I still am unable to confirm anything as to what happened and who is responsible I'm beyond words to those who just know better and are stopping my name from being dragged through the mud and for making sure the rest of the world knows that my beautiful wife was the most amazing, caring, sweetest all around good person that anyone could ever meet and just how much she loved our boys. It is our job now to keep their memories alive..

'Kassandra Rae Sweeney, Benjamin Michael Sweeney, Mason Lee Sweeney

'They will be forever loved and missed and forever in my heart I hope that goes for each and every other person who reads my ramblings.

'Thanks again to everyone the love and support I have gotten from you has truly been what has kept me going I know I havent answered many of you but I am seeing it and I am very greatful.'

The attorney general's office initially called their deaths 'suspicious' but on Saturday determined that their was 'no threat to the general public.'

They said 'investigators reiterated that they have identified 'all involved parties,' according to joint statement by the New Hampshire Attorney General's office, Northfield Police Department and the State Police.



Sweeney's husband, Sean M. Sweeney, who is the father of the two boys has been cooperating with police and prosecutors, according to assistant attorney General Geoffrey W.R. Ward said.

'The father is somebody we have been in contact with, who has been very cooperative and helpful in this investigation,' Ward said.

'Our victim/witness advocate is working with him and his family and providing services. He's obviously beyond devastated as a result of these crimes.'

The scene of last week's murders is pictured. It is still unclear who is behind the triple slaying. No-one has been arrested and investigators say there is no danger to the general public, but they are yet to broach whether the killings were a murder suicide.

The young mother was described as a 'beautiful and a genuine' person.

A GoFundMe has been set up by a family member to help the Sean pay for memorial costs and living expenses.

'Our family is beyond devastated, Alizabeth Dawson, organizer of the fundraiser said.

As of Monday more than $41,000 has been raised towards their goal of $50,000.

Northfield is a small town with less than 5,000 residents.

It is located in Merrimack County, between north of Concord and southwest of the Lakes Region.
This is the haunting moment a father sprints up to a house to try to rescue his kids after a woman looking after them posted a video saying she had killed them.

Jermaine Roberts is seen in the footage parking his white truck before running to the home in New Orleans, Louisiana, around 11am on Sunday.

He smashed his way in through a window and minutes later emerged with the youngsters and rushed them to hospital.

His daughter Paris, four, died from her wounds, while his two-year-old son was in a critical condition.

Janee Pedescleaux, who was with the kids and is listed as a guardian, earlier posted a horrific video on Facebook coated in blood saying she had killed them.

The 31-year-old wailed 'my children are dead' and 'I'm done with life' before trying to blame Jermaine.

She was later arrested for second-degree murder, attempted murder and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.

The footage is understood to have alerted the children's father to the incident and saw him race over and break into the house to try to save his kids (pictured)

Four-year-old Paris Roberts died in hospital while the two-year-old boy - who has not been named - was in a critical condition

The sickening video saw a delirious Janee Pedescleaux yelling at the camera after the brutal attack in New Orleans, Louisiana

Video taken from a neighboring home showed Jermaine pull up in his white truck before getting out and racing over to the house in the Florida area of the city.

He is later said to have burst out of the home with the girl in his arms and the boy trying to keep up behind them.

The desperate dad bundled them into his truck and rushed them to hospital, where his daughter tragically passed away and his son was in a critical condition.

Pedescleaux had earlier posted a delirious clip on Facebook yelling at the camera after the brutal attack.

Pedescleaux, who lives in the Florida neighborhood (pictured) in New Orleans, originally posted the twisted clip on her Facebook page before it was stripped down

Pedescleaux and Jermaine are understood to have been in a custody battle for the youngsters when the vicious attack happened around 11am

Jermaine is believed to have seen the footage, raced over to the house in his white pick-up truck and smashed his way in through a window

She wailed 'my children are dead' and 'I'm done with life' before trying to blame Jermaine.

The footage is understood to have alerted him to the incident and saw him race over and try to save them.

Pedescleaux, who lives in the Florida neighborhood in New Orleans, originally posted the twisted clip on her Facebook page before it was stripped down.

She is seen coated in her children's blood while crying and screaming at the camera as she records herself.

She says: 'I'm done. My children are dead. I'm done. I'm done with life.' She later adds: 'It's all Jermaine's fault.'

Pedescleaux and Jermaine are understood to have been in a custody battle for the youngsters when the vicious attack happened.

Court documents show Roberts claimed she was 'not stable or providing a healthy environment for the kids', with a hearing listed for later this month.

Pedescleaux was booked into Orleans Justice Center on Sunday afternoon.
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The family of a midwife who died on board a flight to Britain had been 'so excited' about returning to the UK and had planned to begin a 'new chapter' and renovate their house after living in Hong Kong for 15 years, neighbours revealed - as a fundraiser to support them nears 20,000.

Helen Rhodes, a 'devoted' mother, died as she was travelling home to the UK with her husband Simon and their son and daughter on August 5 after living in Tung Chung, Hong Kong.

A few hours into the flight, Mrs Rhodes - a midwife - was found unresponsive and could not be resuscitated. It is believed she passed away in her sleep.

Her body then remained in her seat for eight hours next to her devastated children, before the flight landed in Frankfurt.

A GoFundMe appeal has been set up by family friend Jayne Jeje to help the family 'honour our dear friend Helen' and to help with unexpected repatriation and funeral expenses. So far it has raised more than 18,000 of a 20,000 target and friends and wellwishers have flooded the site with touching tributes.

Helen Rhodes (right) was travelling home to the UK on August 5 with her husband Simon (left) and their two children Nathan and Emma after living in Tung Chung, Hong Kong, for more than 15 years

Mrs Rhodes' body remains in Germany and is yet to be repatriated. Her husband and two children, Nathan and Emma, had to continue onto the UK without her.

John Moore, neighbour for 'many years' to Helen, 46, and her husband Simon, 49, today told how her tearful mother said her daughter died of a 'suspected heart attack'.

The 87-year-old said: 'It's a terrible tragedy. She died on the plane coming over. She sort of collapsed. They think she suffered a heart attack. Her mother came round this morning and told me about it. She was in tears and my wife was in tears.

A GoFundMe appeal has been set up by family friend Jayne Jeje to help the family 'honour our dear friend Helen' and to help with unexpected repatriation and funeral expenses. So far it has raised more than 18,000 of a 20,000 target and friends and wellwishers have flooded the site with touching tributes

'I just can't understand it. She was so fit and healthy and she worked in the medical profession. They have had this house for many years. They moved to Hong Kong about 15 years ago. They didn't rent it out. They kept it.

'They were going to have the house done up and were looking forward to coming back home and beginning a new life. I had the keys and used to collect the mail and give it to her mum. We were all looking forward to them coming back and seeing the children.

'We knew they were coming back for good. They were so excited about it. They were supposed to be back on Friday but then this happened.

'The children are with their grandparents. It must be a terrible thing for them with what they have been through. It doesn't bear thinking about.'

Another neighbour, who also knew the family for many years, added: 'It's really, really sad. We've been here for 35 years and they came after us. They were really nice. I was really sad to hear about it today.

'She was only in her mid 40's and the kids are in their early teens. They used to come back every summer and would spend the summer here and then go back again.

'I haven't seen Simon. Her side of the family live nearby and they are taking care of each other there. They had been out there for 15 years. I would speak to them when they came back and they would say they were having a great life there.

'They had a wonderful life. She was such a lovely person. She would talk so positively about her profession in such a positive manner. Her children really enjoyed it over there. They were fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.

'They were a really happy couple, always so positive. It is a great shame they have to go through this now.

'They had a great time there but were looking forward to coming back. They hadn't been here for three years because of Covid and they were looking forward to seeing her parents again after such a long time.

'They were going to come back and do up the house and now this has happened. I just don't know what they will do.

'We were looking forward to having them back. Now, instead I have popped over there with a condolences card.'

Mrs Rhodes' elderly parents were too upset to talk about the tragedy.

A tearful woman answered the door at the home of Edward Yerby, 84, and wife Margaret, 80, in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

She said: 'They're not in a state to say anything I'm afraid.'

Mrs Rhodes' body remains in Germany and is yet to be repatriated. Her husband and two children, Nathan and Emma, had to continue onto the UK without her

Ms Jeje described how the family were ready to 'embark on a new chapter' and Mrs Rhodes was 'looking forward' to seeing her aging parents whom she hadn't seen since the start of the pandemic.

She wrote: 'Helen and her family wrapped up a life in Hong Kong of over 15 years to embark on a new chapter living back home in the UK.

'Helen was excited and nervous about the move, but looked forward to seeing her family back home, as she had not seen her family or aging parents since the pandemic began. Sadly, she never got to see them again.'

She continued: 'We are still in disbelief and shock about the sudden passing of our dearest friend Helen Rhodes, whose life has touched many people in Hong Kong and the UK.

'Helen was one of a kind, a gem. She was a midwife by profession, and was always willing to lend a helping hand or advice to anyone who needed it.

'Helen loved to talk and made friends easily. She was the pulse of her community in Tung Chung, in Hong Kong.

'She couldn't walk a few feet and not run into someone she knew by name. She was an early member of a tight knit diverse group, called Tung Chung Mums.

'Over 200 women who first looked to her if they had a question concerning anything medical related.

'Helen always made herself available to help others. She was clever, witty and generous with her time.'

A midwife by profession, the 'one of a kind' mother 'lay in a breathless sleep' in her seat for the remaining eight hours of the flight until the plane landed in Frankfurt. Pictured: Hong Kong

She added: 'Helen was sharp and creative. She ran her own business making amazing bespoke bows and accessories. Helen took pride in everything she did, and her bows were exquisite.

'This fundraiser is to honor this lovely woman who was loved by so many, a dear friend who touched so many people.

'We can only hope she knew how much she meant to us and how her void can never be filled.

'How this loss is so painful and surreal. The grief we feel is paralyzing. Yet, we feel lucky to have known her.'

Describing what happened, Ms Jeje said: 'On August 5, 2022. Helen passed away in her sleep on her flight from HK to UK. Helen was found unresponsive a few hours into the flight.

'Despite all efforts, Helen was not able to be resuscitated. This all unfolded in front of her children. For the remaining 8 hours of the flight, Helen lay in a breathless sleep in her seat.

'Although this was extremely traumatizing to the family, they all had time to say what they needed to say to her.

'Needless to mention, they are devastated. This loss is unimaginable. Helen was a devoted wife and mother. She was the glue that held her family together.

'After landing in Germany and the protocol that followed, Helen remained in Frankfurt while her husband (Simon) and two young children (Nathan and Emma) had to go on to the UK without her.'

Andrew Spires, admin of Tung Chung Tower Communities' Facebook page, paid tribute to Mrs Rhodes.

He said: 'Sadly Tung Chung's very own Helen Rhodes passed away on a flight back to the UK. She was with her husband Simon, and two kids.

'I knew Helen only on a 'school gates' level but she was the most caring, generous and thoughtful person; also the most chatty! Tung Chung and school pick-up won't be the same without you.

'Wishing all the best to her family going forward - I hope they eventually find some peace.

'Live life to the fullest folks, and hugs the ones you love.'
A New York man was arrested on Friday afternoon for defying a city rule that prohibits people from swimming at Rockaway Beach while lifeguards are off duty, before later accusing police of brutally handcuffing and dragging him through the sand.

Andre Velasquez, 33, had initially gone to the seaside - about 30 miles away from Manhattan - at around 7pm on August 5 to cool off from local soaring temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

Instead, he was taken into custody in a bizarre arrest made by officials with the New York City Parks Department. Velasquez, who owns a dog-business, recalls observing at least a dozen of Parks Department officers from afar during what was supposed to be a time of relaxation.

Once he came out of the water, Velasquez, who is from Briarwood in Queens, was asked to show some proof of identification by local authorities so that they could write him a summons.

The man, however, refused to follow instructions and was adamant that he had done nothing wrong.

Andre Velasquez, 33, and from Briarwood, Queens, was arrested for swimming at Rockaway Beach outside of legal swimming hours on Friday at around 7pm

The swimmer went in the water to cool off from soaring temperatures in the New York area this summer. Pictured: Beachgoers at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York

That's when officers threw Velasquez to the ground before locking him up in handcuffs.

'They all bombarded me at one time. I was like, 'Wait, am I not allowed to swim in the ocean?' Velasquez told The Gothamist in an interview. 'These people tackled me to the ground. I was literally screaming. They had my mouth under the water. It was baffling and traumatizing.'

A spokesperson for the Parks Department maintained that officials were within their rights to place Velasquez into custody, adding that it is 'extremely dangerous' to be swimming when lifeguards officially sign off duty at 6pm.

In most instances, people who swim during after-hours are ordered to leave without any complications. However, 'rare circumstances' when people have been arrested, just like in Velasquez's situation, happen from time to time, Parks spokesperson Dan Kastanis said.

He added that Velasquez was 'non-compliant' for half-an-hour. The swimmer, though, maintains that he came to shore immediately after hearing a whistle blown.

'Our [Parks Enforcement Patrol] staff engage with hundreds of compliant beachgoers daily, through education we remove them from sections of beach where swimming is prohibited without incident every day,' Kastanis wrote in an email to The Gothamist.

'Unfortunately, due to non-compliance, in this incident an arrest was warranted,' he further wrote.

Swimmers are required to leave the water at 6pm, despite the heat wave that is currently keeping temperatures in the 90s. Pictured: Velasquez in handcuffs after refusing to show proof of identification, as ordered by New York City Park Department officials

Velasquez ended up being apprehended at the NYPD's 100th Precinct, shackled against a bench for nearly an hour.

He ended up having a criminal summons filed against him for disorderly conduct and failure to comply with a peace officer's orders.

The NYPD has told Dailymail.com that any inquiries regarding the arrest should be directed at the city's Park Department. No other comment from either local agencies have been made.

The Parks Department has had its hands full this summer, having to manage an increase of shark attacks, drownings and beach closures due to a shortage of lifeguards in the New York City metropolitan area.

And since the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Weekend in May, the New York-area has seen five shark bites at three different beaches on Long Island, according to Fox Weather.

Out on the island, about 80 miles from Rockaway, city officials in Quogue have been asking area swimmers and boaters throughout the summer to be careful after a dead, 7-8 foot shark was washed ashore.

In June, two young adults had drowned just a couple of minutes from one another at an unguarded area of the Rockaway beach strip. Both tragedies took place during regular lifeguarding hours.

Following the incident, the Parks Department vowed to assign more patrolling officers in the area.

Velasquez, however, continues to claim his innocence, saying he only had ocean water up to his waist at the time of the arrest. He also says he is a good swimmer and defends his right to question instructions from beach officials.

'They wanted this to be a spectacle. It felt like a show of force,' he last told The Gothamist. 'It doesn't feel like any of that should've happened because I was swimming at the beach.'

The 33-year-old added that he never wants to go back to Rockaway Beach 'ever again.' He has been asked to appear in court later this month.
An Afghan who hijacked a passenger plane and flew it to Britain 22 years ago was jailed for life yesterday for trying to murder his wife with an axe.

Mohammed Safi, 54, was granted asylum in the UK despite causing a three-day siege at Stansted airport when his gun-toting gang landed with 156 hostages on a flight they seized in 2000.

A High Court judge ruled the hijackers could remain in the UK in 2006, a decision that then-prime minister Tony Blair labelled an abuse of common sense.

A jury found Safi guilty in May of trying to kill his wife Lina, 41, and biting his daughters arm at the family home in Hounslow, west London.

The father of four left Lina requiring several operations. He also stabbed his daughter Minah, 20, as she fought to keep him away from her mother.

Mohammed Safi, 54, was granted asylum in the UK despite causing a three-day siege at Stansted airport 22 years ago. He has now been jailed for life after attempting to murder his wife with an axe at their home in Hounslow, London

Safi and eight accomplices held 156 passengers and crew hostage for three days after landing at Stansted, claiming they did so to escape a Taliban death squad. Pictured: A police marksman walking beside the hijacked Afghan Boeing 727 airliner on February 7, 2000

Lina had left Safi and told him he was no longer welcome at the family home, but last year he tried to smash his way in to the house with a hammer and chisel, prosecutor Jennie Oborne told Harrow Crown Court yesterday.

Minah allowed him in when he said he had come to collect some clothes, but he then subjected Lina to a frenzied assault with an axe, the court heard.

Lina sustained several blows to her head from the axe as she ran up the stairs, while her arms were injured as she tried to protect her head from the attack.

Safi shouted 'I want to kill you' at his wife Lina and daughter Minah and attacked Lina with an axe (pictured), delivering blows to her head

Minah was stabbed in the back with the axe as she tried to protect her mother, the lawyer told the court. Safi had shouted I want to kill you, at the pair.

He had previously admitted intending to cause Lina serious harm and biting his daughter but had denied attempted murder.

Judge Rosa Dean said during his trial Safi had attacked his wifes character, suggested she had attacked him with the axe and showed no remorse.

This was a shocking incident, an execution you had planned to carry out, she said.

Safi was granted asylum in the UK despite the three-day siege. Pictured: Police forensic officers inspect the interior of the Ariana Airlines Boeing 727 that was held at London's Stansted Airport by Afghan hijackers in 2000

Safi has two sexual assault convictions for groping passengers when he worked as a taxi driver in 2016. He also has a caution for assaulting his estranged wife in 2014. Safi was jailed for a minimum of 18 years for the attempted murder and 28 months for biting his daughter, to run concurrently.

Safi and eight accomplices held 156 passengers and crew hostage for three days after landing at Stansted in February 2000, claiming they did so to escape a Taliban death squad.

The eight hijackers were jailed for five years but the convictions were quashed in 2003 when the court of appeal found the trial judge had made errors when summing up.
Russian officials confirmed a western ammunition dump with 45,000 tons was destroyed in Southern Ukraine on Sunday. Reports from the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Ukrainian ammo dump was damaged again, although a US official thinks a maimed Kyiv can extend fighting despite massive losses.

Ukraine Losses Mounts

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, an armory in the Voznesensk section of the Nikolaev region that had 45,000 tons of munitions previously delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by NATO countries was destroyed, reported RT.

Meanwhile, the Russian army continued its attacks against Ukraine's 72nd mechanized brigade units, which were stationed at an agricultural plant in Artemovsk, Donetsk People's Republic. The onslaught wiped out up to 130 soldiers as well as eight transport and armored vehicles, noted The Herald.

Moscow's forces announced the launch of high-precision air-based missiles against a howitzer battery of Ukraine's 95th Air Assault Brigade in the DPR hamlet of Dzerzhinsk.

The assault killed up to 70 service members and destroyed three 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled cannons and four vehicles, citing Hi India.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Volodymyr Zelensky's government is dealing with the deaths of its soldiers in Donbass.

In desperation, the Ukrainian leader decided to send to the frontline mobilized Ukrainian citizens from a training center, even wounded service members who did not have enough time to recover fully, all ordered by Zelensky.

Last Tuesday, fighting in Donbass was clobbering time for his forces, getting killed and pounded by a superior Russian force, including a valuable Ukrainian ammo dump.

Ukraine pleaded for the US and its allies to send in more arms that get destroyed, and even the US HIMARS fell prey to Russia's aerospace forces.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin's 'Girlfriend': 5 Things To Know About Alina Kabaeva

Moscow has consistently warned the West against sending weaponry to Kyiv, arguing that doing so will extend the conflict, increase the number of dead, and have long-term consequences.

US Urges Ukraine To Still Fight

A US official said the losses of men and equipment can sustain a fight until next year with frontlines failing.

Former US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Walker has warned Ukraine, Europe, and Russia to brace themselves for a harsh winter, predicting that violence will likely continue and an energy crisis will loom. He did, nevertheless, vow that Washington would stand by Kyiv's side.

Walker stated frankly, in discussion with Ukrainian media released last Sunday, that he expected the next winter would be harsh for both Ukraine and the EU, as well as Russia.

Extending the conflict into next year, he said Ukraine was doing well despite losing its territory and forces hanging on the edge. As Russia systemically tears into it slowly and Kyiv fails support.

The Kremlin has reiterated that there is no deadline and that the special military operation will pick at Ukraine agonizingly until it reaches its goal.

Confirmation from the Russian MoD of the successful destruction of the Ukrainian ammo dump, that according to a US official, Kyiv can sustain a fight till next year.

Related Article: Moscow Says Western Claims Russia Will Not Threaten Kyiv With Nuclear Attack Is Baseless

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Kamala Harris convened university presidents on Monday to discuss reproductive health with the overturn of Roe v. Wade coupled with heightened instances of sexual assault on college campuses.

'We must trust the women of America to make those intimate decisions for themselves,' the vice president said during a round table in her ceremonial office.

She noted that those most affected by the Supreme Court decision in June are college aged women.

Roberta Cordano, the president of Gallaudet University, a higher education institution for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C., said ahead of the closed-door meeting that women with disabilities are also more disproportionately affected by sexual assault.

She noted during her ASL remarks that the Roe decision will also more gravely affect this community and their ability to make reproductive decisions.

Harris said the Supreme Court made an unprecedented move by deciding 'to take a constitutional right that had been recognized'.

Vice President Kamala Harris convened a roundtable Monday with university leaders to discuss reproductive rights on college campuses now that Roe v. Wade was overturned earlier this summer

Joining Harris were university presidents and chancellors along with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (right of Harris) and American Council on Education President Ted Mitchell (partially in frame on the right)

'Students and others now have a new set of barriers to accessing health care,' Education Secretary Miguel Cardona noted in his brief statement.

Remarks were made for press before a closed-door roundtable moderated by American Council on Education President Ted Mitchell.

Mitchell told press before doors shut that the overturn of Roe v. Wade is 'a real issue for campuses' and 'a real issue for our students.'

He said college students and staff feel 'confusion and uncertainty' by the Dobbs ruling and the fact that there are now more varied state-by-state abortion laws.

Other participants in Monday's event included Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover, President; City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguezl; Dartmouth College President Philip J. Hanlon; Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar; Howard University President Wayne Frederick; University of California-Irvine (UCI) Chancellor Howard Gillman; and Reed College President Audrey Bilger.

While the college leaders spoke, Harris was seen writing on her notepad.

Roberta Cordano, President of Gallaudet University, a higher education institution for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C., said ahead of the closed-door meeting that women with disabilities are also more disproportionately affected by sexual assault. She noted during her ASL remarks that the Roe decision will also more gravely affect this community and their ability to make reproductive decisions

The Vice President's office noted that since May, when a story leaked on the impending overturn of Roe, Harris held more than two dozen meetings with leaders on the frontlines of the fight to keep abortion federally legal.

The Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling ended the federal rights to an abortion, instead sending the issue back to states to decide how to govern healthcare for pregnant women.

Many of the university leaders on Monday said that they know their students will protest and fight to keep abortion legal when they return to school in the fall.
Strict police checks on foreign nationals living in Britain have been secretly abandoned.

Tens of thousands of people from 44 countries  including Russia and China  no longer have to give details to the police when they move to this country.

They include those from Middle Eastern states such as Iraq, Iran and Syria which host terror cells actively boasting a hostile agenda to Britain.

The checks, known as the Police Registration Scheme, were abruptly halted at the end of last week with no public announcement from the Home Office, Border Force or immigration authorities.

As recently as 2016, a Home Office minister insisted the scheme was necessary in order to maintain security.

Police forces have started telling foreign nationals the scheme has been suspended with immediate effect, and all registration appointments have been cancelled.

Tens of thousands of people from 44 countries  including Russia and China  no longer have to give details to the police when they move to this country

An immigration expert advising the Home Office said: It is a shock. It happened overnight. The information collected from these people is an important intelligence asset.

There has been no thought for public safety. It is lunacy right now when we are in the middle of disagreements with Russia and China, each who send their people to study or work in this country.

But a Home Office spokesman said last night: These anonymous claims are wrong and misguided.

This scheme dates back to the First World War and is no longer effective because data provided to the police is already collected by the Home Office when individuals apply to enter the UK.

The police agree with government and recommended that the scheme should be abolished so that officers can focus on policing and solving crimes.

'It is not used by the police to monitor individuals and to claim otherwise is wrong.

44 countries in the scheme Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Macao, Moldova, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Palestinian territories, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen. Advertisement

Registration of long-stay students, workers and visitors with police forces has been routine for decades. It was introduced in 1909 amid concerns about German espionage.

The criteria used by the Home Office to decide which nationalities were required to register with police have never been published.

But they are thought to be countries whose nationals pose a higher risk of terrorism or other crime, or who present a higher risk of committing immigration offences, such as overstaying a visa.

The scheme covered foreign nationals aged over 16 who had been granted permission to live in this country for more than six months.

They were required to attend a police station in person, and pay a 34 fee, to have their documents verified.

They had to keep police informed about any changes to their address, name or visa, and if they moved jobs.

Rules on who was required to register were set out in the Home Offices Immigration Rules, which run to 1,500 pages and have been criticised for their complexity.

Yesterday at a Met Police building in south London, which was used for all registrations by eligible foreign nationals in the capital, a sign on the door read: Police Registration Scheme has been abolished.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed on Friday that the scheme had been repealed.

A statement on its website said: The general requirement under the Immigration Rules for certain foreign nationals to register with the police has ceased. From the time of receiving this notice, you are no longer required to register with the police.

A similar announcement appeared on Nottingham Universitys website.

In 2016, Lord Keen, then a Home Office spokesman in the Lords, described to peers how the Police Registration Scheme allowed details of foreign nationals to be formally logged, and added: This information is then on record for the police and other law enforcement to access, as necessary, in order to maintain security.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: This raises public safety and security issues and the Home Office should think again.

To scrap such checks on Russian and Chinese nationals, in particular, is ludicrous given everything that is going on. It is simply wrong and simply dangerous.

'This is yet another indication of a lack of political will to maintain proper controls over immigration.

The Home Office granted 166,646 visas to Chinese nationals last year, 30,736 to Russians, 8,897 to Afghans, 8,339 to Iranians, 5,929 to Iraqis, 4,098 to Syrians and 1,521 to Libyans.

The National Police Chiefs Council said: The council agreed with the assessment that the scheme no longer provided any public protection benefit to the police and supported the move to modernise reporting requirements of foreign nationals.

'Information which is required by policing to conduct enforcement activity continues to be available against those that are subject to visa conditions.
A senior Tory MP on the committee probing Boris Johnson over Partygate faced calls to quit the inquiry team yesterday after it was claimed that he labelled the Prime Minister dishonest.

Sir Bernard Jenkin is one of three remaining Conservative MPs on the Commons Privileges Committee, which is looking into whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament.

In recent months he has taken aim at the PM over alleged lockdown breaches. He even suggested Mr Johnson should resign with dignity rather than being forced out like Donald Trump clinging to power.

It has now emerged that Sir Bernard, a leading Brexiteer and former Tory deputy chairman, allegedly suggested that Mr Johnson joining the Vote Leave camp ahead of the 2016 EU referendum would be a disaster.

In 2017, ex-No 10 aide Dominic Cummings told author Harry Mount: Bernard Jenkin said to me, I dont think Michael [Gove] will come over. But if he does come over, Boris will come over and that will be a disaster.

According to the book, Summer Madness, Sir Bernard called Mr Johnson dishonest and a philanderer.

Sir Bernard Jenkin (pictured) is one of three remaining Conservative MPs on the Commons Privileges Committee

Boris Johnson pictured giving a statement to Slovenian media yesterday during his honeymoon in the country with wife Carrie

His stinging words Hes dishonest, a philanderer  what Sir Bernard allegedly told Dominic Cummings about Boris Johnson before the Brexit referendum. He says he had no recollection of using these words The backbenches of the Conservative Party need no reminders about how to dispose of a failing leader  to the Commons in January We are looking for a change in the capability and the character of the Government so that we can have confidence that nothing as clumsy or mortifying as this Partygate episode could ever happen again  to Sky News in February Theres no question, its over for Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. 'And I went to tell him that yesterday at lunchtime yesterday after Prime Ministers Questions... I just said to him, look its just when you go now and its how you go, you can go with some dignity or you can be forced out like Donald Trump clinging to power and pretending hes won the election when hes lost  to BBC Radio 4 last month Advertisement

Friends of the Prime Minister yesterday suggested that the senior Tory MPs past comments make it difficult to justify his position on the committee.

One said: Bernards long had a big issue with Boris. He cant possibly give a fair hearing when this shows hes already made up his mind about him.

But last night Sir Bernard denied making the comments, saying: I have no recollection of using these words. I would not have used the word philanderer.

Sir Bernard, the MP for Harwich and North Essex, has not given Mr Johnson an easy ride during his time as chairman of the Liaison Committee, which questions the PM several times a year.

Last month he chaired a particularly humiliating session where he allowed a Labour MP to announce the resignation of members of Mr Johnsons Government on live television as they happened.

In January  as revelations about various Downing Street parties began to emerge  Sir Bernard warned the Commons: The backbenches of the Conservative Party need no reminders about how to dispose of a failing leader.

He told the PM to resign in early July, saying: I just said to him: Look, its just when you go now and its how you go, you can go with some dignity or you can be forced out like Donald Trump clinging to power and pretending hes won the election when hes lost.

Nadine Dorries, who has called for the Tory MPs on the committee to step down, said: The collective hatred of Labour MPs towards Boris Johnson for delivering Brexit and an 80-seat majority for the Government by taking traditional Labour seats knows no bounds.

'This Machiavellian inquiry is the means to a by-election and Conservative MPs should have no part in it.

Conservative peer Baroness Foster said: No problem with scrutiny  but just look at the group who are supposed to be doing it.

'What possible information do they have which has not already been in the public domain?

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said No 10 will continue to assist the inquiry.

Mr Johnson could be found in contempt for unintentionally misleading the Commons about lockdown-busting gatherings even if he did not deliberately lie  and could be sacked as an MP.
A frantic search is underway for a Queensland family who vanished in the NSW outback during a long-distance road trip.

NSW Police said the family left Noccundra Hotel on Warry Gate Road in South West Queensland between 12.30pm and 3pm on Sunday.

Darian Aspinall, 27, along with her two children Winter Bellamy, two, and Koda Bellamy, four, and their grandmother, 50-year-old Leah Gooding, were travelling in far western NSW when they disappeared.

The family had plans to drive to Packsaddle, a remote township in the west of the state, but failed to arrive and were reported missing.

Police have been told that this stop was part of their journey to Adelaide.

Darian Aspinall (left) was travelling with her children Winter Bellamy, two, and Koda Bellamy, four, and their 50-year-old grandmother when the family vanished in the NSW outback

A police investigation was launched after the family of four were reported missing and could not be contacted.

Police said the family were travelling in a charcoal-coloured Hyundai Tucson with Queensland registration 729CV2.

All four travellers have been described as Caucasian in appearance.

Darian has dark brown hair, tattoos on her right arm and wears glasses and the children have brown hair and blue eyes, police say.

Polcice said the family left Noccundra Hotel on Warry Gate Road in South West Queensland between 12.30pm and 3pm on Sunday (pictured, a map detailing their movements)

A geo-targeted text message has been sent to people in Packsaddle, Tibooburra, Broken Hill and surrounding areas in NSW's far west region.

Police said if residents receive a text message from +61 444 444 444 asking for assistance locating the family it is not a scam.

Anyone who may have information is urged to contact Wilcannia Police Station on 8083 8099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
People traffickers are advertising English Channel crossings to Albanians on TikTok - posting videos from inside dinghies saying 'the French won't stop you'.

Leaked figures have shown that Albanians now make up four in ten arrivals from northern France, with 1,075 arriving in the UK aboard dinghies and small boats in the six weeks to July 12.

They made up 37.5 per cent of all migrants trafficked to the UK in small boats by gangs during the period  eclipsing all other nationalities including Afghans, Iranians, Iraqis and Syrians.

Social media adverts are now offering 'bargain' prices for crossings as low as 3,500 - down from 5,000, the Telegraph reports.

The 'summer sale' is said to be contributing to a rise in crossings.

And now multiple accounts have been discovered on TikTok selling Channel crossings and promising 'safe passage' - along with advice on using the asylum system.

One such smuggler told an undercover reporter for The Sun: 'The French won't stop you. On the contrary, they will escort you safely until you reach the UK water border.'

They were then told to contact a solicitor upon arrival in the UK who would help to concoct a 'good story'.

One of the TikTok accounts posted a video offering safe passage from Calais, northern France, for 5,000

Another post on one of the accounts offers a Channel crossing from Dunkirk via a small boat or dinghy

Multiple accounts have been discovered on TikTok selling Channel crossings and promising 'safe passage'

The accounts include footage taken from aboard dinghies and small boats making the dangerous crossing

Three accounts were found advertising the crossings, with one bragging about how the French let migrants through

The smuggler added: 'I can give you a number of a solicitor I have used for my relatives. They have managed to secure documentation (permission to stay) for half the Albanians in London.'

He continued: 'Three months ago one boy was kept in detention for a month, then he was freed by his solicitor.

'All others I have talked to after they arrived were sent to hotels, then they disappeared. They went to their relatives.'

The man was speaking from the TikTok account @franc_gomone_angli1.

It comes as another 150 migrants including small children and a baby were picked up in Dover after being rescued from the English Channel on Monday - amid calls from MPs to restart the Rwanda plan as soon as possible.

Tory backbenchers have called on the next prime minister to act urgently.

Natalie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, said: 'It's clear many Albanians coming to the UK in small boats are not fleeing from war or persecution  they are economic migrants.

'This is blatant criminality and it underlines the urgency of getting on with Rwanda and similar schemes.'

One smuggler referred to himself as Gent and claimed to be the 'god' of people-smuggling when approached

Another advert targeted at Albanians for crossings across the English Channel amid calls for the Rwanda scheme to be 'brought to fruition'

Tom Hunt, the Tory MP for Ipswich, said the 'truly eye-opening' figures 'underline why it's so critical that the Government gets on and introduces the Rwanda scheme', adding: 'We need to bring this farce to a close.

'Legislation to bring the Rwanda scheme to fruition should be top of the 'in tray' when Parliament gets back after summer recess.'

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'No one should question this government's determination to break the gangs' business model.'

The reporter contacted three TikTok pages under the guise of a migrant seeking access to the UK.

One smuggler referred to himself as Gent and claimed to be the 'god' of people-smuggling.

He offered transport to the UK via a luxury yacht for 15,000 per person, while a second smuggler from Birmingham was selling seats in a dinghy for 8,000 for two people.

The @franc_gomone_angli1, which has posted videos from Crossing attempts, also said the Rwanda migrant policy has been 'cancelled' and the Government 'will send you to a hotel'.

A statement from TikTok said: 'This content has no place on TikTok. We don't allow content that promotes people smuggling.

'We work closely with UK law enforcement and industry partners to find and remove content of this nature, and participate in the joint action plan with the National Crime Agency to help combat immigration crime online.'

Home Secretary Priti Patel added: 'Social media posts promoting illegal crossings are totally unacceptable.

'We are looking at reforming the system we use to identify victims of modern slavery, so that we can support genuine victims while making sure that the system is not misused.'
Eric Trump accused the current administration of wanting to attack Bidens greatest threat as FBI agents ransacked his father Donald Trump's office during a raid at the former president's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida Monday morning.

Donald Trump said on Monday that the Florida home was 'under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents' - reportedly raided as part of an investigation into whether he took classified documents with him when he left the White House.

Hours later, Eric Trump appeared on Hannity where he revealed he was the one who alerted his father to the raid and said his father's office was ransacked but that agents found 'nothing in the safe.'

The raid was said to be court authorized and the FBI gave US Secret Service agents at Mar-a-Lago advance notice and they cooperated letting them into the property, NBC News reported.

Eric Trump, who was spotted at Trump Tower on Monday, said he was the one that got the call on the raid and told his father about it

While appearing on Hannity Monday, Eric Trump raged against Democrats as he detailed his involvement in letting his father Donald know of the FBI raid

Eric Trump alleged that Monday's raid of Mar-a-Lago was orchestrated by the Joe Biden-led White House, who he said see his father as their biggest threat

But President Joe Biden's White House had no heads up on the raid. Senior White House officials found out about the FBI's Mar a Lago raid on Twitter, the New York Times reported.

Eric Trump, who was spotted at Trump Tower on Monday, said he was the one that got the call on the raid and told his father about it.

'I was the guy who got the call this morning and I called my father and let him know it happened, and I was involved all day,' he told Fox News host Sean Hannity. 'Welcome to politics in the 2020s.'

'To have 30 FBI agents -- actually more than that -- descend on Mar-a-Lago, give absolutely, you know, no notice, go through the gates, start ransacking an office, ransacking a closet -- you know, they broke into a safe. He didn't even have anything in the safe. I mean, give me a break.'

He charged President Joe Biden's White House as the force behind the raid.

'This didn't come from a local FBI field office in Palm beach, Florida. You know this came from? This came from one place and one building, and that is the White House in Washington, D.C. They want to attack a guy who they view as his greatest threat, Biden's greatest threat,' Eric Trump said.

Biden's White House had no heads up on the matter. Senior White House officials found out about it via Twitter, the New York Times reported.

"My father never got so much as a speeding ticket in his life until he made one decision:



To go down the escalator...and go actually fight for this country..." @EricTrump pic.twitter.com/79BJwqYAkT  Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 9, 2022

Donald Trump was also spotted leaving Trump Tower in New York on Monday night after announcing his Mar-a-Lago home had been raided by the FBI, reportedly as part of an investigation into whether the former president took classified documents with him when he left the White House.

He waved and gave his signature thumbs' up to the gathered, but didn't comment on the investigation as he got into his SUV, surrounded by Secret Service agents.

Trump, in his dramatic announcement of the raid, didn't say specifically what the federal agents were looking for, just that his Florida home was 'under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.'

'They even broke into my safe!' the former president complained.

Donald Trump was spotted leaving Trump Tower in New York on Monday night after announcing his Mar-a-Lago home had been raided by the FBI

Trump didn't say specifically what the federal agents were looking for, just that his Florida home was 'under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents'

But the investigation is focused on material that Trump brought with him to Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House, the New York Times reported, specifically if he has classified information in his private possession, which would be a violation of federal law.

Trump took 15 boxes of material with him in January 2021 after he left Washington D.C. The boxes were returned to the National Archives a year later in January 2022 but agents on Monday were looking to see if Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at his South Florida estate, the AP reported.

The search focused on the area of the club where Trump's offices and personal quarters are, CNN reported, noting Trump's personal attorney Christinia Bobb was present during the search.

And, during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, Trump's attorney showed federal investigators documents that were being kept on site, including some that were marked classified, the network noted.

He waved and gave his signature thumbs' up to the gathered, but didn't comment on the investigation as he got into his SUV, surrounded by Secret Service agents

Lara Trump told Fox News 'look, my father-in-law, as anybody knows, who's been around him a lot, loves to save things like newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, photographs, documents that he had every authority ... to take from the White House.'

She called the raid an attempt to hurt him amid concerns her father-in-law may 'announce any day that he's running for president in 2024.'

The raid comes as Donald Trump is considering another bid for the presidency and his actions after the 2020 election, where he tried to invalidate Joe Biden's victory, are under investigation by lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

It began Monday morning and took several hours. It is highly unusual for a federal raid to take place at the residence of a former commander in chief.

'These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before,' Trump said in shocking statement released on Monday night.

'After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.'

Trump took 15 boxes of material with him in January 2021 after he left Washington D.C. The boxes were returned to the National Archives a year later in January 2022 but agents on Monday were looking to see if Trump had additional material; above workers move boxes out of the Trump White House on January 14, 2021

Armed Secret Service agents stand outside an entrance to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday night

Trump, in his lengthy statement blasting the raid, called it 'prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections.

The Justice Department wouldn't say whether Attorney General Merrick Garland had personally authorized the search but it's highly unlikely a raid on a former president would take place without the AG giving it the stamp of approval.

The FBI gave US Secret Service agents at Mar-a-Lago advance notice and they cooperated letting them into the property, NBC News reported. The Secret Service agents but did not take part in investigation or search.

This meant the FBI did not have to break into the property or bust down any doors.

A search warrant does not suggest that criminal charges are near or even expected but it would have to be court authorized.

Garland and his DoJ are under heavy political pressure of their own - from Democrats who want the former president indicted to Republicans who will blast any probe as election-year politics.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy warned Garland of payback. He pledged to investigate the raid if Republicans win control of the House in November, which they are expected to do.

'Attorney General Garland, preserve your documents and clear you calendar,' he said in a statement on Monday night.

Workers move boxes from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building into a truck on the White House grounds, before the departure of President Donald Trump on January 14, 2021

Police stand outside an entrance to Mar-a-Lago on Monday night

Trump's Florida home: Mar-a-Lago, where agents were reportedly investigating whether Trump took classified documents with him when he left the White House

Trump supporters gathered in front of Mar-a-Lago on Monday night

In his statement, Trump portrayed himself as a victim of shadowy government forces. FBI Director Christopher Wray was appointed to his position by then-President Trump.

Trump complained on Monday that 'such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before.'

'They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States,' he said.

Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence, when the raid took place. The former president was in New York City on Monday. He gave a thumbs up as he left Trump Tower that evening after he announced the raid.

He usually spends August at his golf club in Bedminister, N.J. Photos posted to social media show him there on Sunday, posing with a newly-engaged couple.

The raid was believed to be tied to a DoJ investigation into the boxes of records containing classified information that were taken to Mar-a-Lago.

In February, the National Archives and Records Administration asked DoJ to examine whether the former president violated federal law. There are multiple statutes governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and retain them at an unauthorized location.

National Archives officials recovered 15 boxes of White House materials from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in mid-January.

Among the items Trump had to return were correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Trump has described as 'beautiful letters' and a handwritten letter that former President Barack Obama had left behind in the Oval Office for his successor.

Some Republicans were immediately critical of the raid.

'Using government power to persecute political opponents is something we have seen many times from 3rd world Marxist dictatorships But never before in America,' wrote Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida on Twitter.

Donald Trump was at his golf club in Bedminister, N.J., on Sunday, according to this photo of him posing with a newly engaged couple that was posted to social media

Boxes were spotted just outside the West Wing in the days leading up to former President Donald Trump's last day in office in January 2021

People wait for a moving van as they move boxes out of the Eisenhower Executive Office building on January 14, 2021

Among the documents Trump reportedly took with him when he left the White House were correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Trump has described as 'beautiful letters'; above the two leaders at the DMZ in June 2019

Trump also reportedly took with him the letter Barack Obama left him in the Oval Office when Obama's presidency concluded- above President Obama and President-elect Trump in the Oval Office on November 10, 2016

Trump insisted, at the time, that the transfer of boxes to the National Archives and Records Administration was done 'openly and willingly'.

'Following collaborative and respectful discussions, the National Archives and Records Administration openly and willingly arranged with President Trump for the transport of boxes that contained letters, records, newspapers, magazines, and various articles,' he wrote in the third person.

He added: 'Some of this information will someday be displayed in the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library for the public to view my Administration's incredible accomplishments for the American People.

In response to the seizure of materials, the House Oversight and Reform Committee opened a probe into Trump's improperly removing or destroying White House documents.

'Removing or concealing government records is a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison,' the congressional letter to NARA Archivist David Ferriero noted.

Trump also was known throughout his presidency to rip up pieces of paper, which is a violation of the Presidential Records Act.

The Presidential Records Act requires the White House to preserve all memos, letters, emails and papers the president touches and send them to the National Archives for safekeeping.

But Trump had the odd habit of ripping up papers when he's done with them  what some aides call his unofficial 'filing system.'

A group of staffers in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building was in charge of taping the records back together.

Fragments of paper collected from the Oval Office and the White House's private residence were sent to records management office across the street from the White House to to be re-assembled with scotch tape and then sent on to the National Archives to be properly filed.

The former president also reported flushed records.

Maggie Haberman, a New York Times White House correspondent, claims in her upcoming book on the Trump presidency that Trump would give records the royal flush.

On Monday she claimed to have obtained pictures of presidential notes stuffed into the residence toilets from a former White House official who worked under the previous administration.

The images published by Axios on Monday purportedly show two sets of notes in the toilets, one of which is said to be located in a White House bathroom, and the other in an undisclosed location abroad during a foreign presidential trip - though the papers appeared to be handwritten rather than official documents.

One of the ripped up papers on top of a stack in the toilet shows what appears to be lawmakers names scrawled down in all capital letters in black sharpie.

Two names can be seen clearly on the paper  Rogers and Stefanik  although the rest of the torn up papers are mostly illegible.

It's likely the names are referencing Republican Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama and GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a Trump defender.

Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich told Axios: 'You have to be pretty desperate to sell books if pictures of paper in a toilet bowl is part of your promotional plan.'

'There's enough people willing to fabricate stories like this in order to impress the media class  a media class who is willing to run with anything, as long as it anti-Trump,' he added.

Maggie Haberman, a New York Times White House correspondent who closely followed Trump during his presidency for an upcoming book, claimed to have obtained pictures of handwritten notes stuffed into the bowls. She says this image is from a White House toilet

The images published by Axios purportedly show two sets of notes in the toilets, though they do not appear to be official documents. This image, Haberman claims, is from a toilet on an overseas trip

Trump is involved in several other legal matters, including the Justice Department's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the January 6th insurrection.

And a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia is investigation whether Trump and his close associates sought to interfere in that state's election, which Biden won.

Trump is also being probed by various criminal and civil investigations at the state level in New York.
We know when our pooch is giving us those puppy dog eyes  but having spent thousands of years with our canine friends, it turns out we really can read their moods.

A study found slight changes, from wide eyes to a lolling tongue, can help to detect six different emotions in dogs.

When 105 people were shown pictures of three different breeds, they correctly identified feelings of happiness, sadness, curiosity, fear, disgust and anger in the animals.

Professor Harris Friedman, from the University of Florida and Harvard University, said: Our findings suggest people can naturally understand their dogs emotions from their facial expressions.

A Belgian malinois was one of the breeds recruited for the Floraglades Foundation US study

Researchers recruited a dobermann, a Belgian shepherd called a malinois, and a floppy-eared Rhodesian ridgeback for their study.

The easiest emotion to spot appears to be anger, which was correctly identified in almost 78 per cent of cases.

Dr Tina Bloom, who led the study from Floraglades Foundation in the US, said: It makes sense that, having lived with dogs so long, we can understand their feelings.

The dogs were made to feel happy by being asked if they wanted to play, while a ball was tossed in the air.

When the 105 study participants were shown pictures of the delighted dogs, they correctly identified the expression almost three-quarters of the time.

To make dogs look sad for a picture, they were reprimanded, and people identified this unhappiness in the pooches three-quarters of the time too.

But even more complicated emotions were correctly identified at a far higher rate than would be expected by chance.

Researchers got dogs to look disgusted by giving them a piece of sausage with a bitter antacid and lemon juice put into it.

The disgusted expression of the three dogs in their photographs was accurately identified by the human study group 51 per cent of the time - double the 25 per cent odds of getting it right by chance.

The Doberman and Belgian shepherd reacted with fear to seeing toenail clippers, disliking having their claws cut back, while the Rhodesian Ridgeback was frightened of a person raising a padded stick in an intimidating manner.

People could pick out a frightened dog from the pictures, from their wide-eyed expression and flattened ears, in almost 55 per cent of cases - also higher than the 25 per cent which would be expected by chance.

Almost 49 per cent of the time, people could spot a curious or surprised dog - an emotion caused in the pictures by a jack in the box jumping out in front of them.

The easiest emotion to spot in dogs appears to be anger, which was correctly identified in almost 78 per cent of cases.

The Doberman and Belgian shepherd were angered by a person raising a padded stick, while the Rhodesian Ridgeback was riled up by a noisy leaf blower.

The researchers expected people to do least well at identifying emotions in a Doberman, as these are sometimes stereotyped as aggressive dogs.

Instead, this was the second best breed for people recognising its emotions, after the Malinois, according to the research published in the journal Behavioural Processes.
Last month was one of the three hottest Julys on record globally, satellite data shows  while for southwestern Europe it was the warmest ever in terms of peak heat.

Temperatures over 104F (40C) were observed in parts of Portugal, Spain, France and the UK, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

This led to all-time records for maximum temperature being broken across those those areas, including in Britain, which saw its hottest day ever recorded on July 19, 2022.

On average, July 2022 was the sixth warmest July for Europe on record.

The C3S data reveals the intensity of the prolonged heatwave that started in Portugal and Spain, before continuing north and eastwards towards France, the UK, central Europe and Scandinavia.

The Iberian Peninsula saw an unusually large number of days with maximum temperatures above 95F (35C), underlining the longevity of hot temperatures in this region.

Sweltering: Last month was one of the three hottest Julys on record globally, satellite data shows  while for southwestern Europe it was the warmest ever in terms of peak heat

Temperatures over 104F (40C) were observed in parts of Portugal, Spain, France and the UK, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)

This led to all-time records for maximum temperature being broken across those those areas, including in Britain, which saw its hottest day ever recorded on July 19, 2022

BRITAIN EXPERIENCES ITS HOTTEST DAY IN HISTORY Britain experienced its hottest day on record on July 19, 2022, with temperatures soaring past 40C (104F). The mercury hit an unprecedented 40.3C (104.5F) in Coningsby and 40.2C (104.4F) at London Heathrow Airport at 12.50pm - around an hour after a reading of 39.1C (102.4F) in Charlwood, Surrey, beat the previous all-time UK high of 38.7C (101.7F) in Cambridge in July 2019. In third place is 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003, and 38.1C (100.6F) in Suffolk yesterday is fourth. The extreme heat was caused by a plume of hot air from north Africa and the Sahara and an 'Azores High' subtropical pressure system creeping further north than usual  which experts said was a result of climate change. Advertisement

Globally, July 2022 was one of three warmest Julys on record, close to 0.7F 0.4C above the 1991-2020 reference period.

It was only marginally cooler than July 2019 and marginally warmer than July 2016.

In general, northern hemisphere land masses predominantly experienced well above-average temperatures, the data reveals, while much of Australia and central Asia endured below-average temperatures.

Senior Scientist for the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Freja Vamborg, said: 'We can expect to continue seeing more frequent and longer periods of extremely high temperatures, as global temperatures increase further.

'Heatwaves pose serious risks to human health, and they can increase the intensity and longevity of many other disastrous climate events including wildfires and droughts, affecting both society and natural ecosystems.

'Additionally, dry conditions from previous months combined with high temperatures and low precipitation rates seen in many areas during July may have adverse effects on agricultural production and other industries such as river transport and energy production.'

The C3S routinely publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting on the changes observed in global surface air temperature, sea ice cover and hydrological variables.

All the reported findings are based on computer-generated analyses using billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world.

July 2022 was drier than average for much of Europe, with local low precipitation records broken in the west and drought in several locations of the southwest and southeast of the continent.

Monthly global-mean surface air temperature anomalies relative to 1991-2020, from January 1979 to July 2022. The darker coloured bars denote the July values

Monthly European-mean surface air temperature anomalies relative to 1991-2020, from January 1979 to July 2022. Again, the darker coloured bars denote the July values

These conditions facilitated the spread and intensification of wildfires, experts said.

It was also drier than average in much of North America, large regions of South America, Central Asia and Australia.

Wetter-than-average conditions were especially noteworthy in eastern Russia, northern China, and a large wet band spanning from eastern Africa across Asia to northwest India.

Worryingly, Antarctic sea ice extent reached its lowest value for July in the 44-year satellite data record, at seven per cent below average, well below the previous record.

The Southern Ocean saw widespread areas of below-average sea ice concentration from the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas to the northern Weddell Sea, as well as in most of the Indian Ocean sector.

Arctic sea ice extent was 4 per cent below average, ranking 12th lowest for July in the satellite record, well above the low July values seen in 20192021.
A gigantic new telescope, which will be more powerful than any that currently exist, just got a big boost of funding - $205 million - that will turbocharge its construction so that it can help to unlock cosmic secrets.

The 12-story Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is under construction and will allow scientists to see farther into space and with more detail than ever before because it will have ten times the light collecting area and four times the spatial resolution of the James Webb Space Telescope.

'We are working with some of the brightest engineers and scientists at leading research institutions around the globe,' said Dr. Walter Massey, Board Chair of Giant Magellan Telescope and former Director of the National Science Foundation, in a statement.

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The 12-story Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) - pictured above - is under construction and will allow scientists to see farther into space and with more detail than ever before

The construction process for the powerful telescope has been underway for several years. Pictured above, a graphic showing some of the key differences between the Giant Magellan Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope

'The recent contributions from our investing partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope are collectively pushing the boundaries of astronomy, making the future a reality, and allowing us to answer some key science goals, including Are we alone in the Universe.'

The construction process for the powerful telescope has been underway for several years thanks to an international consortium known as the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization that includes commitments from multiple U.S. institutions and several in South Korea, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy and Chile.

'The GMT will revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos through innovative new technology combined with a world class site in Chile,' said Lisa Kewley, director of the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, one of the founding institutions behind the telescopes construction. 'The telescope will answer some of humankinds biggest questions about the first stars, the first galaxies, the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, and extrasolar planets suitable for life.'

The enormous telescope will have several technical advantages over existing ones and is set to see its first light in 2029. The GMT's seven mirror segments, which are being cast in Tucson, Arizona, will have a total diameter of 82 feet.

The enormous new telescope will have several technical advantages over existing ones and is set to see its first light in 2029. Pictured above is an image from the James Webb Space Telescope (left) and the same image as it would likely be seen from the GMT (right)

Lisa Kewley, director of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, said: 'The telescope will answer some of humankinds biggest questions about the first stars, the first galaxies, the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, and extrasolar planets suitable for life.'

The funds will be used to manufacture the 12-story telescope structure at Ingersoll Machine Tools in Illinois and continue progress on the telescopes seven primary mirrors at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab in Arizona. Pictured above is a huge segment of the Giant Magellan Telescope, which is still under construction

'Six like-minded founders of the Giant Magellan Telescope worked together to close the financial gap between the resources we have attracted to build the telescope and what is required to complete it,' said Eric Isaacs, president of Carnegie Institution for Science.

FACTS ABOUT THE GIANT MAGELLAN TELESCOPE The huge new telescope is under construction now and will be seeing its first light in 2029 It will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile The GMT's mirrors will be 82 feet in diameter, which is almost four times larger than James Webb's The total collecting area of the meters will be 3,961 square feet The telescope will see wavelengths ranging from the visible to the mid-infrared GMT is being funded and constructed by a consortium made up of groups from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, Italy and South Korea Advertisement

'This investment will bring the telescope closer to first light and provide the world with transformational knowledge of our universe. Carnegie is proud to have kickstarted the funding effort and to have worked closely with our peers.'

The funds will be used to manufacture the 12-story telescope structure at Ingersoll Machine Tools in Illinois, continue progress on the telescopes seven primary mirrors at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab in Arizona, and build one of the most advanced scientific instruments, led by UT Austin, called the GMT Near Infrared Spectrograph (GMTNIRS).

'We are honored to receive this investment in our future,' said GMT President Robert Shelton in a statement. 'The funding is truly a collaborative effort from our founders. It will result in the fabrication of the worlds largest mirrors, the giant telescope mount that holds and aligns them, and a science instrument that will allow us to study the chemical evolution of stars and planets like never before.'

Construction of a 40,000-square-foot facility in Rockford, Illinois, to manufacture the telescope structure is already complete.

The production of the telescopes first adaptive secondary mirror is underway in France and Italy. The site in Chile, which sits 8,255 feet above sea level, is being primed for the next stage of construction and for pouring of the foundation.

GMT President Robert Shelton in a statement: 'The funding is truly a collaborative effort from our founders. It will result in the fabrication of the worlds largest mirrors, the giant telescope mount that holds and aligns them, and a science instrument that will allow us to study the chemical evolution of stars and planets like never before.' Pictured above is an artist's rendering of the completed Giant Magellan Telescope
Tesla's next Gigafactory might be built in Canada, if its new lobbying efforts and hints from CEO Elon Musk are correct.

During Friday's annual meeting of stockholders in Austin, Musk said the company is considering the entirety of North America for potential new factories and asked audience members as to where he should build the next gigantic factory for the carmaker.

'We are looking at sites, but we are considering some sites options more broadly in North America, so including Canada and Mexico, and the U.S. as well,' he said. A number of audience members shouted out Canada, as well, when he asked.

'Im half Canadian, so maybe I should,' Musk jokingly told the crowd. His mother Maye, 74, was born in Canada before moving to South Africa.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk, seen above with his mother Maye at the 2022 Met Gala, recently teased Canada as a potential location for one of his new Gigafactories

'We are looking at sites, but we are considering some sites options more broadly in North America, so including Canada and Mexico, and the US as well,' Musk said. Pictured: Tesla cars sit parked in a lot at the Tesla factory on April 20, 2022 in Fremont, California

Another clue emerged recently. Electric Autonomy Canada reports Tesla updated its lobbying registry in July 2022 to include a new objective:

'Engage with the government and its agencies to identify opportunities for industrial and/or advanced manufacturing facility permitting reforms with the intent to increase the competitiveness of Ontario and its ability to attract capital investment through establishing approvals timeframes that are competitive with high-growth manufacturing locations in North America, while also working with government to identify or align incentives programs that could further increase the attractiveness of Ontario for industrial and/or advanced manufacturing investment.'

That sounds like a company that could be laying the groundwork for something new. Electrek reported in November that Tesla was in talks with the Quebec government to make a multi-billion dollar investment into a battery production facility in the province.

Telsa ultimately plans to build 10 to 12 gigafactories ultimately. Each one would have an average output of about 1.5 to 2 million units. Damien Boozer and Paul Jacob work on the general assembly of the Tesla Model 3 at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California

However, Musk has said that Tesla needs to do a lot to ramp up production at its existing factories in Berlin and Austin.

'Theres a host of problems. None of the problems are individually all that difficult. But theres like 10,000 of them. The rate of production is like how fast can you solve the 10,000 problemsessentially. And were solving them fast, but a lot of work to do,' the mogul explained.

The world's wealthiest man has said that his factories are 'losing billions of dollars' due to supple chain chaos and battery shortages.

'This factory is losing insane money right now,' he explained to members of a club of Silicon Valley Tesla owners in Austin in a June interview. 'We should be operating a lot more cars from this factory versus a very puny amount of cars.'

'Both Berlin and Austin factories are gigantic money furnaces right now. Okay? It's really like a giant roaring sound, which is the sound of money on fire,' he told published Wednesday.

Musk said Tesla's Texas factory produces a 'tiny' number of cars because of challenges in boosting production of its new '4680' batteries and as tools to make its conventional 2170 batteries are 'stuck in port in China.'

'This is all going to get fixed real fast, but it requires a lot of attention. It will take more effort to get this factory into high line production than it took to build it in the first place,' he said.

Telsa ultimately plans to build 10 to 12 gigafactories ultimately. Each one would have an average output of about 1.5 to 2 million units.

The company's goal is to sell 20 million cars per year by 2030.
According to Russian official media, North Korea has offered the Kremlin 100,000 "volunteer" soldiers to assist Russia in defeating Ukraine.

Effective counter-battery warfare is of greater importance to the Russian military in light of the US plan to supply a dozen HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) to Ukraine. Korotchenko lauded the North Korean military's "wealth of expertise with counter-battery warfare."

North Korean Troops Prepare To Help Russia

Last month, a military analyst said that the long-range, highly accurate missiles have "made a significant contribution to Ukraine's combat operations. Russian military analyst Igor Korotchenko said that Russia should accept the North Korean soldiers and their knowledge of counterbattery.

According to the New York Post, Korotchenko stated on Channel One Russia that "there are reports that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are preparing to come and take part in the fight." With almost 1.3 million active members, North Korea has the fourth-largest military in the world, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, located in New York. 600,000 more people serve as reserve military.

Defense specialists claim that it uses outdated machinery and technology, according to the CFR. The North Korean government has also volunteered to send laborers to help Russia reconstruct the post-war Ukraine, according to the South Korean publication Daily NK.

According to Daily NK, which cited Russian sources, North Korea intends to send more than 1,000 employees to the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine if Russia prevails in the conflict. These claims come at a time when Russia's armed forces are severely weakened. Furthermore, buildings and infrastructure have been devastated in huge portions of Ukraine as a result of bombing. Russia has so far tried unsuccessfully to take control of important Ukrainian cities and regions, including Kyiv, the capital.

Buildings have been destroyed in several bombed-out areas. Per USA Herald, between 15,000 and 25,000 Russian soldiers are thought to have died. Up to 100 Russian soldiers per day have lost their lives in the assault.

According to reports, Vladimir Putin appealed to Kim Jong Un, the despot of North Korea, for assistance as a result of Russia's defeats. In return, Russia will exchange electricity and food if North Korea donates forces to use in Ukraine. Through Matsegora, North Korea has communicated its willingness to trade construction workers for the reconstruction of war damage and soldiers for Russia's conflict. They also want food and oil in exchange.

Read Also: Brittney Griner Update: Will There Be a Prisoner Swap with Russia After WNBA Star Is Convicted?

Russia Admits That North Korea May Soon Conduct Nuclear Test

Meanwhile, the Russian government acknowledged that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the future but avoided specifying a time frame before pleading with other nations not to place "unilateral" demands on the nation in exchange for the suspension of its program.

According to a classified dossier obtained by DPA, the UN warned on Friday that North Korea is getting ready to perform its first nuclear test since 2017, given activity at the site and expanded fissile material production capabilities at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.

Per New 360 via MSN, North Korea has argued for enhancing its atomic and military capabilities despite tougher sanctions from the UN Security Council, saying that it is necessary to protect itself from what it perceives as aggressive actions by South Korea and the United States.

Related Article: UN Speculates North Korea's Nearing Nuclear Weapons Test as Hermit Kingdom Expands Testing Facilities

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Erling Haalands one and only mistake yesterday was turning the airwaves blue, though his manager Pep Guardiola said he loved hearing Manchester Citys new No 9 curse his luck during his live television interview.

Discussing an Ilkay Gundogan cross he could have met for a Premier League debut hat-trick, Haaland said: 'I should have been there so a bit s*** but that's how it is.' Told to be steady with his language, the 22-year-old responded: 'Oh, sorry, s***, oh sorry!

Guardiola later said it reminded him of Lionel Messi, saying a goalscorer is never satisfied when he could have scored more for his team.

Erling Haaland scored twice on his Premier League debut as Man City beat West Ham 2-0

I like it, Guardiola said. I was fortunate as a manager to be with Messi and if he scored two, he wanted three. If he scored three, he wanted four.

'If he got four, he wanted five. The top goalscorers, the strikers, they are never satisfied. They are always starving.

When Haaland was fouled for Citys penalty, he immediately grabbed the ball to take it himself. I think if someone were to take this ball, he would have punched his team-mates in the face, Guardiola said. Im pretty sure of that and that is a good sign.

Pep Guardiola compared his goal-hungry nature to PSG and ex-Barcelona star Lionel Messi

Guardiola went on to poke fun at those who criticised Haaland after his Community Shield performance against Liverpool last week.

One week ago he would not adapt to the Premier League and now he's the best  alongside Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo, he said.

He is a guy with incredible talent  a scorer of goals. No 9 is numbers but we would like to add something more to his game to be a better player. Not just a guy who scores goals.

Meanwhile, West Ham manager David Moyes bemoaned his lack of defensive options and said: 'We found it very hard. Tactically, they were much better.
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'Attention, attention, this is your captain speaking. We are experiencing engine problems and will be making an emergency landing in three minutes. Stay calm and listen carefully.'

We look out the windows as the plane breaks through thick cloud and the dark blue ocean comes into view. Seconds later, we crash into the sea with a loud thud, lights flashing, alarms ringing.

'Evacuate, evacuate,' the captain barks, as the cabin crew unbuckle their seatbelts and start shouting demands.

Welcome aboard: Harriet Sime joins a class of 16 male and female Virgin Atlantic cabin crew trainees. She's pictured above aboard a Boeing 787 flight simulator in Crawley, near Gatwick airport

Virgin advertised for cabin crew this year and received more than 5,000 applications for only 400 positions

Thankfully, however, this is not a real crash. Nor is it a real plane. And, instead of jumping into freezing cold water, I emerge from a Boeing 787 flight simulator into a brightly lit training centre in Crawley, near Gatwick airport.

I'm here for the week, joining hundreds of Virgin Atlantic flight attendant trainees to see just what the job takes.

Since thousands left the travel industry during the pandemic, airlines have launched huge recruitment drives in a bid to attract new talent. Virgin advertised for cabin crew at the beginning of the year and received more than 5,000 applications  for only 400 positions.

Successful applicants will go from being nurses, teachers, construction workers, and even school students to fully qualified crew in just less than five weeks.

Life-savers: New recruits learn CPR. Harriet says that the cabin crew have to 'be prepared to go from dealing with a drunken assault or engine failure to giving CPR to someone who's gone into cardiac arrest'

But not all of them will make it. They are drilled with theoretical and practical tests every other day, which they can only retake once.

Those who pass will go on to earn a basic starting salary of 18,525 and fly to destinations including Barbados, Cape Town, Mumbai, Hong Kong, and New York. Once there, they're put up in central hotels and given between one and three days to sleep, sightsee or socialise.

Other perks of the job include commission on on-board sales, subsistence allowances while abroad, an iPad, a Virgin wheelie suitcase and red leather handbag, and discounts on car hire, hotels, attractions and goods on the duty-free trolley.

I join a class of 16 men and women. The youngest is 18, the eldest 56  but the majority are twentysomethings. While a few of the trainees have come from other airlines, many are completely new to the industry. Nikita Hughes, 21, has spent the past four years working at a McDonald's in North Wales.

'I've dreamt of being cabin crew all my life,' she says. 'When I used to go to the supermarket with my mum, I'd use the trolley to pretend I was an air hostess. I still see the job as being glamorous, but we also need to be skilled in lots of different areas, which I love.'

Harriet gets to grips with the food and beverage trolley on one of the mock-up planes

Harriet says that everyone seems to 'walk taller and smile brighter' when wearing the Virgin uniform that's nicknamed 'the Viv'

After a morning spent learning emergency evacuation theory in smart classrooms upstairs, we head down to the cavernous warehouse.

As well as two huge flight simulators, there are business-class seats for customer service training, a large inflatable slide for practising evacuation after a water landing, aeroplane door mock-ups and rooms with dummies for 'aviation medicine' classes.

Our sprightly tutor, Adam, who has bright white teeth and a penchant for getting us to remember announcements and procedures through catchy songs and dances, guides us to the top of the inflatable slide.

We're taught how to get away from someone who's grabbing our hair or throat and how to restrain a passenger with handcuffs. It's intensive stuff  but everyone seems to be taking it in their stride.

'Lean forward and shimmy to get momentum,' he says with a comforting smile, as the others film us on their phones, whooping and clapping when we reach the bottom on two feet.

Once the epitome of glamour, life as a flight attendant today looks a world away from when air travel took off in the 1950s and 1960s. This 'golden age of flying', as it became known, saw air hostesses marketed as sexual objects willing to serve the millionaire men who filled the skies.

The women (and they were almost exclusively women) were required to be pretty, young, slim and single; it was not a job considered suitable for wives.

Their image as 'trolley dollies' was reinforced by innuendo-laden adverts, such as Air France's 'Have you ever done it the French way?', Pan Am's 'Hi, I'm Cheryl. Fly Me', and Singapore Airlines' 'This girl's in love with you'.

These days, however, cabin crew face more pressing concerns than which shade of nail polish to wear or how to keep their dramatic hair styles in place during long flights. But has all the glamour been sucked out of cabin crew life? Not entirely.

In the classroom the next morning, a young girl with bright blonde hair and perfectly painted lips whispers to me: 'Have you got the Viv yet?'

As well as two huge flight simulators at Virgin's training centre, Harriet says there are business-class seats (above) for customer service training, a large inflatable slide for practising evacuation after a water landing, aeroplane door mock-ups and rooms with dummies for 'aviation medicine' classes

Unlike all other UK airlines, Harriet says, Virgin Atlantic staff are allowed to have tattoos on show, as long as they're not on the face or neck. She's pictured above with trainer Georgia Jeffery

'The Viv?' I ask.

It turns out this is the nickname for the trademark bright red uniform, designed by Vivienne Westwood, which the trainees can't wait to get their hands on.

So, after lunch, I head to the 'uniform boutique' a few doors down to meet Sophie, who worked as Virgin Atlantic cabin crew for six years before joining the fitting room.

'New recruits are always so excited for their fittings and want to bring their mum or partner along to take pictures,' she says.

I'm given a wasp-waisted jacket with an oversized collar, a shirt, a knee-length skirt, double-breasted coat, high heels for walking through the airport and flats for while on board.

Everything comes in that signature bright Virgin red  apart from the crisp, white shirt, of course.

Unlike all other UK airlines, Virgin Atlantic staff are allowed to have tattoos on show, as long as they're not on the face or neck. In addition, women can choose to wear trousers and are no longer required to use make-up  and the clothes go up to a UK size 30.

During her training, Harriet is taught to use a traffic light system to assess how inebriated passengers are

We spend the afternoon in our uniforms for service training. Everyone seems to walk taller and smile brighter when in the Viv. I certainly do.

So what issues do cabin crew encounter while 38,000 ft in the air? Everything and anything, it seems.

They have to be prepared to go from dealing with a drunken assault or engine failure to giving CPR to someone who's gone into cardiac arrest.

The next day we move on to conflict management, sitting down with a man named Karl who wears an Adidas tracksuit and has a thick Yorkshire accent. He works for an external company that provides training in self-defence and managing disruptive and challenging behaviour.

'Some people's holidays start at 5am drinking Jagerbombs at Wetherspoons,' he tells us. 'So you need to know how to protect yourself and others.'

We're taught to use a traffic light system to assess how inebriated a passenger is. Green is someone who's merry and excited  they should be monitored and subtly served water with alcohol.

Harriet wearing Virgin's trademark bright red uniform designed by Vivienne Westwood, complete with a 'wasp-waisted jacket with an oversized collar'

'It's intensive stuff  but everyone seems to be taking it in their stride,' Harriet says of the training

Amber covers anyone being loud and overly friendly. They should not be sold any alcohol on the plane. Red, meanwhile, is a passenger who's struggling to walk and is unable to hold a conversation. They are refused boarding.

'The last thing you want is to be stuck in the air with them for 12 hours,' says Karl. He teaches us de-escalation techniques (remain calm and relaxed when dealing with anger and don't stand straight-on); which jurisdictions apply when in the air (once the engine has started, it's whichever country the plane is registered to); and what constitutes as an 'on-board offence' (I'm surprised to find out that being drunk is one of them). A trainee from easyJet tells the class how he was once punched in the face when standing up to a verbally abusive passenger.

Then, it's on to the practical side of things. We're taught how to get away from someone who's grabbing our hair or throat and how to restrain a passenger with handcuffs.

It's intensive stuff  but everyone seems to be taking it in their stride.

'It's not just 'chicken or beef' and 'tea or coffee',' says Emma Newbould, a 19-year-old shop manager from Leeds. 'We have to be highly skilled and really know our stuff. We're all studying hard every night to pass. They're preparing us for the very worst and I know now that I'd respond well in an emergency.

'Some crew want to be on board during emergencies and incidents so they can put their training into practice.'

I leave Crawley with a new-found respect and admiration for those who work high up in the skies. And know the next time I'm asked, 'Chicken or beef?', it will resonate like never before.
Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding got into a vicious fight when she pranked him during the Kyle and Jackie O Show's Only Lying segment on Monday.

Rebecca, 31, called her boyfriend of seven years and asked him to do a charity stint for her workplace.

However, the pair got into an argument after he refused to participate in the event.

Andy Lee and his girlfriend Rebecca Harding got into a vicious fight after she asked him to do a charity stint for her workplace during Kyle and Jackie O's Only Lying challenge on Monday

Rebecca called Andy live on-air and said: 'I've got them begging me. They have had someone pull out, they need a celebrity to do this thing in the office tomorrow night and I said you could do it.'

'I've done her favours before, it's no,' Andy responded.

'It will be 15 minutes and you will just have to auction yourself off,' Rebecca insisted.

During the segment, Rebecca called her boyfriend and asked him to do a charity stint for her workplace. However, the pair got into an argument after he refused to participate in the event

A frustrated Andy responded: 'I'm not doing it Ring someone else. The answer is no and you don't even know what the charity is. The answer is no.'

Rebecca then revealed to her boyfriend that she was 'only lying' and the pair broke into a fit of laughter.

'I can't believe I have fallen for this,' a shocked Andy said.

Rebecca called Andy live on air and said: 'I've got them begging me. They have had someone pull out, they need a celebrity to do this thing in the office tomorrow night and I said you could do it'

Andy and Rebecca met in 2015 at a Melbourne cafe where she was working as a waitress.

The TV personality ended up leaving his email address on a napkin for her - and the rest is history.

For years, the rumour mill has been spinning with speculation about the pair getting secretly engaged.
She will reprise her role as DCI Rachel Carey in The Capture later this month.

But Holliday Grainger enjoyed some downtime before returning to TV screens for the second series of the BBC1 thriller.

The actress, 34, was spotted enjoying a dip in the water during a recent beach trip to Devon.

Fun in the sun: Holliday Grainger, 34, can be seen walking across the beach in Devon before she returns to TV screens

She could be seen wading into the sea in a black T-shirt which she wore over a swimsuit.

Later this month Miss Grainger will return for the second instalment of The Capture.

According to the BBC, she finds herself in the middle of a new conspiracy  with a new target.

Low-key look: Grainger was wearing a black T-shirt over her swimsuit as she paddled in the sea on her beach trip

She previously played Lady Chatterley in a 2015 BBC1 production of Lady Chatterleys Lover.

The new six-part season of The Capture six-part drama, which was written and directed by Bafta Award-winning filmmaker Ben Chanan, follows the success of the first series which aired in 2019.

It told the story of soldier Shaun Emery, played by Callum Turner, who was released from prison following a conviction for a murder in Afghanistan being overturned due to flawed video evidence.

Ahoy there! Miss Grainger was seen waving at friends as she paddled in the sea

Natural beauty: Miss Grainger showed off her natural beauty as she went makeup-free for the casual beach outing

He was then falsely accused again and the video evidence wasnt quite as it seemed.

In 2020, The Mail on Sunday revealed that work on the second series of her hit drama The Capture had been put on hold due to her pregnancy.

The actress welcomed twins with her actor boyfriend Harry Treadaway, 37, last year. Harry is also a twin himself with actor brother Luke.

The star of TV hits Strike and The Capture once said that 'the thought of being recognised in the street is petrifying' and she and Harry stay out of the limelight.

Taking it easy: Miss Grainger seemed in good spirits as she enjoyed a relaxing stroll

Casual outing: The actress was enjoying some downtime after filming the second season of her hit BBC drama The Capture

They don't use social media, rarely speak about their six-year-long relationship and have not released any details about their twins, who are believed to have been born last spring.

Miss Grainger has recently finished filming Troubled Blood - the latest series of the returning TV drama based on the Strike book franchise.

The Capture series two will air on BBC1 later this month.

One to watch: The Capture is a BBC1 thriller and Grainger will reprise her role as DCI Rachel Carey (above) in the second instalment
Drag queen Aubrey Haive has revealed the costly price of her wardrobe for Season 2 of Stan's RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under.

The 25-year-old Melbourne-based queen, who only began drag during Covid lockdown, said it cost her a whopping $30,000 for materials to make her outlandish outfits in the lead up the show.

'I kept pretty good track of it because I'm a Virgo and I have to be meticulous about everything,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Drag queen Aubrey Haive (pictured) has revealed it cost her a whopping $30,000 for materials to make her outlandish outfits in RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under

'And I think it got to about the $30,000 mark, which is a lot of money and I worked really hard to get that money as well in the first place.'

Aubrey said her 'main source of income' before Drag Race was through busking on the streets.

'I used to busk all the time on the streets and sing and stuff So, a lot of money was from that, being a frugal little b**h.'

But despite spending an eye-watering amount on her costumes, it wasn't enough to keep Aubrey in the competition.

The drag queen, who hails from Timaru in New Zealand, was unfortunately eliminated in the second episode that aired via streaming service Stan on Saturday.

In the episode, Aubrey impressed judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson during the acting challenge in a prison-themed dramedy called Caged Queens.

The drag queen, who hails from Timaru in New Zealand, was sadly eliminated in the second episode due to a wardrobe malfunction

But her slight wardrobe malfunction in her 'insects on the runway' look saw her lip-syncing for her life alongside Kween Kong.

The pair battled-it-out to Divinyls' classic song 'I Touch Myself', before Aubrey was told to sashay away.

'Very disappointing. It felt incorrect,' Aubrey exclusively told Daily Mail Australia of her elimination.

Aubrey battled-it-out alongside Kween Kong in the final lip-sync challenge, performing Divinyls' classic song 'I Touch Myself'

'But someone's gotta go each week so I'm happy to take one for the team. It's fine.'

The fashion-forward queen added that despite being sent home, she said she still has so much more to offer.

'I have so many things I didn't get to show,' she said.

'It is what it is. I had the wardrobe malfunction, which was such a shame, but I think outside of that I definitely wasn't in "bottom" material. There were a couple of girls that were close to the bottom.'

The fashion-forward queen added that despite being sent home, she said she still has so much more to offer

Aubrey went on to reflect on the cost of her outfits and looks in the lead up to the show, admitting that her early elimination feels worse after spending so much.

'It does give you a bigger kick to the gut when you dont get to show as much of it off,' she added. 'But I will say, when you scroll [on Instagram] and you see it, just remember that I spent $30,000 and give me a like. Thats all I need. It makes me feel better.'

The drag queen, whose first-ever drag performance was in May 2021, noted that being a part of Drag Race was 'so surreal'.

'The thing that I really loved was to show off a look Being on that stage and being able to just fully embody an outfit and walk just felt so empowering,' she said.

'It is what it is. I had the wardrobe malfunction, which was such a shame, but I think outside of that I definitely wasn't in "bottom" material,' she said of her elimination

'It does give you a bigger kick to the gut when you dont get to show as much of it off. But I will say, when you scroll [on Instagram] and you see it, just remember that I spent $30,000 and give me a like... It makes me feel better,' she added

'And we worked so hard on all of those outfits  well, minus my sh***y one  but the rest of them was just like this peak of hard work. And it felt amazing.'

There are now only eight contestants left on this season of Drag Race Down Under - Beverly Kills, Hannah Conda, Kween Kong, Minnie Cooper, Molly Poppinz, Pomara Fifth, Spankie Jackzon and Yuri Guaii.

According to other contestants, the show will be more fierce and fiery than ever as the queens battle it out to reign supreme.

'The claws do come out at Drag Race,' drag queen Molly Poppinz told Daily Mail Australia at Stan's blue carpet premiere last month.

There are now only eight contestants left on this season of Drag Race Down Under - Beverly Kills, Hannah Conda, Kween Kong, Minnie Cooper, Molly Poppinz, Pomara Fifth, Spankie Jackzon and Yuri Guaii

'You're gonna get your drama, you're gonna get your wild moments, good looks, talent, everything!'

There are a number of celebrity guest stars - Australia's beloved wildlife warriors Bindi and Robert Irwin have already made their appearance in the first episode, while Lucy Lawless appeared in episode two.

RuPaul is also joined by returning judges Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson.

There is a diverse range of talent this season, including a fire-breather, an Australia's Got Talent semi-finalist, and queens with First Nations and Maori heritage.

Stream RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under only on Stan, with new episodes available on Saturdays at 4pm
Rande Gerber was seen receiving a haircut from daughter Kaia Gerber in an Instagram post on Sunday.

The 60-year-old businessman was sat outdoors on a dock with trees in the background while daughter Kaia, 20, focused on trimming his shaggy blonde locks.

The New York City native, who is also father to son Presley, 23, with supermodel Cindy Crawford, 56, captioned the shot, '@kaiagerber cuts on the dock, sure beats going to the barber.'

DIY job: Rande Gerber, 60, was seen receiving a haircut from daughter Kaia Gerber, 20, in an Instagram post on Sunday. He captioned the shot, '@kaiagerber cuts on the dock, sure beats going to the barber'

Gerber appeared to with his family at their Ontario, Canada, home on Lake Muskoka, where Crawford has shared multiple social media posts from over the past week.

Last week, Crawford took to Instagram in a shot in which she posed alongside Rande, writing, 'Welcome to Gerber Island,' as their summer home is situated on a seven-acre private lake island.

On Wednesday, she shared a carousel of photos from the getaway, writing, 'First photo dump of the summer.'

The images included an indoor photo of Crawford inside the living room of a beautiful home with her feet up alongside Rande's; an outdoor shot of a patio overlooking a lake; and a shot of a dock flanked by large trees.

Great outdoors: In a montage of clips Cindy Crawford posted Saturday, the couple was seen enjoying an outing on a Honda jet ski at their idyllic lake home

Still got it: Cindy looked amazing in a white tunic with a khaki hat and sunglasses on the summer day

In a montage of clips Cindy posted Saturday set to the Samuel Jack song Feels Like Summer, the couple was seen enjoying an outing on a Honda jet ski, with Cindy looking amazing in a white tunic with a khaki hat and sunglasses.

Rande, who founded the tequila brand Casamigos with actor George Clooney and developer Mike Meldman, was clad in a white T-shirt with gray shorts and a baby blue mesh cap.

The post also included highlights including a drink on a porch, a vase of sunflowers, ducks taking to water and clouds behind the large trees.

Rande took to the social media site last fall to celebrate Kaia's Elle magazine cover, praising his daughter's character in addition to her successful modeling career.

'We used to have this thing we would say together when she was growing up that went like this,' he wrote in November. '"I have big brown eyes and a cute little figure, stay away boys til I get a little bigger" well I sure wasnt prepared for that day to come..my comfort is knowing your Beauty inside is even greater than the outside.'

Last week, Crawford took to Instagram in a shot in which she posed alongside Rande, writing, 'Welcome to Gerber Island,' as their summer home is situated on a seven-acre private lake island
Heather Rae Young showed off her baby bump in a pair of snaps she shared to her Instagram on Sunday.

The 34-year-old reality television star donned a sleet gray jumpsuit that clung tightly to her curves and growing stomach while posing with her husband Tarek El Moussa, 40.

She walked in chunk white-and-gray sneakers and covered up in white sweater top.

Getting ready for another baby: Heather Rae Young showed off her baby bump in a pair of snaps she shared to her Instagram on Sunday featuring husband Tarek El Moussa, 40

Heather's husband donned a light blue t-shirt and black jeans. He stood in white Vans.

His gelled black hair was combed up and off to the right, and a thin beard sprinkled his jaw.

In the first photo, Tarek joked that he was going to take a bite out of Heather's ear.

She captioned the snaps, 'Still pinching myself that this is actually happening [blue heart emoji, angel emoji, butterfly emoji]. Feeling that pregnancy glow and loving every moment of it. I should be feeling flutters and him moving around very soon and I just cant wait for that feeling [hearts, blushing emoji].'

Tight: The 34-year-old reality television star donned a sleet gray jumpsuit that hugged tightly to her curves and growing stomach

Together again: 'Finally reunited!!! Kissing and loving on his baby boy,' captioned the Selling Sunset star after Tarek returned from a trip. '@therealtarekelmoussa I missed you so much'

Tarek responded to the star's post by putting three heart emojis in the comments section.

The duo are back together after El Moussa recently returned from Cabo, during which Young said she had separation anxiety.

Taking to Instagram, Young, who's currently pregnant with their first child, shared a snap of Tarek fondly pressing his head against her baby bump.

'Finally reunited!!! Kissing and loving on his baby boy,' captioned the Selling Sunset star. '@therealtarekelmoussa I missed you so much.'

Party time! Hours later, Young returned to Instagram to unveil her glammed up appearance as she made her way to the launch party for fellow influencer Stassie Karanikolaou's collaboration with Booby Tape

Glam: For the event, Young rocked a long, blonde ponytail and highlighted her growing bump in a black lace dress with long-sleeves. She finished off the look by slipping her feet into a pair of strappy heels with an open toe

Young recently revealed that she'd been experiencing 'separation anxiety' while Tarek was away in Mexico with his two children and other close family members.

The Anaheim native hung back at their Orange County home after her doctor advised her against traveling to Mexico while pregnant.

Sharing a lovely beach photoshoot of the couple on her Instagram, she noted that this was the 'longest time' they'd been apart.

'Missing my best friend while hes away in Cabo with the kids and our families so Im going through photos that I love of us. This is the longest weve been apart since weve been together so Im maybeee getting a little separation anxiety,' she wrote.
He's been criticised for failing to propose to his model girlfriend Rebecca Harding after seven years together.

And on Monday, Andy Lee revealed the real reason he is yet to get down on one knee.

When quizzed by a potential engagement on KIIS FM's the Kyle and Jackie O Show, the 41-year-old comedian comically said: 'I'm just waiting for Bec to do it.'

Andy Lee, 41, revealed the real reason he is yet to pop the question to his girlfriend of seven years Rebecca Harding during a radio interview on Monday

The radio and TV star joked he gets 'so upset' every time the couple go away and Bec fails to ask for his hand in marriage.

Host Jackie 'O' Henderson went on to question if Bec actually would actually do it.

When quizzed by a potential engagement on KIIS FM's the Kyle and Jackie O Show , the 41-year-old comedian comically said: 'I'm just waiting for Bec to do it'

'She might do it,' Andy said, before adding he wouldn't like it if she was the one to ask because ' he is a little bit old school in that regard.'

He went on to say that Bec was 'pretty old school' too, meaning she would wait for him to get on bended knee and propose.

The Hundred host then admitted he loves to trick the paparazzi by getting on his knee and pretending to propose when he would spot them.

The radio and TV star joked that he gets 'so upset' every time the couple go away and Bec fails to ask for his hand in marriage

Andy was recently trolled following the couple's holiday in Greece last month.

Fans flooded his Instagram comments section asking why the radio star is taking so long to make the brunette beauty his wife.

'You need to put a ring on her,' one person wrote. 'Bend the knee,' another said.

Andy was recently trolled following the couple's holiday in Greece last month. Fans flooded his Instagram comments section asking why the radio star is taking so long to make the brunette beauty his wife

'Andy is soo going to propose to Bec on this trip,' another one commented. 'Where's the ring?,' one asked.

'Time to put a ring on it Andy,' another said.

Andy has previously stated his intention to marry Bec.

The couple famously met at a cafe where Bec was waitressing before Andy slipped her his contact details.
Stella Maxwell bared quite a bit of skin in a beach snap alongside a number of other models.

The 32-year-old Belgian model wore just a pair of shorts in the snap and covered her bare chest with her hand.

Stella posed besides Irina Shayk, Imaan Hammam and Ella Balinska, who also rocked Burberry swimsuits.

Showing some skin: Stella Maxwell bared quite a bit of skin in a beach snap alongside a number of other models

Miley Cyrus' ex laid on the blanket next to Irina Shayk who donned a very skimpy plaid bikini.

Imaan Hammam and Ella Balinska also rocked Burberry swimsuits for the racy snap.

Stella captioned the snap, 'TB goddess [fire emoji].'

Bare chest: The 32-year-old Belgian model wore just a pair of shorts in the snap and covered her bare chest with her hand.

Elegant: Maxwell later shared several photos where she wore a bit more than just a pair of shorts

Her bikini clad snaps were taken in Ibiza alongside Irina, Imaan and Ella.

While they posed for work, they also seemed to be enjoying themselves at the beach and around town in previous days.

Maxwell later shared several photos where she wore a bit more than just a pair of shorts.

Leggy: She donned a black, white and orange top with a sheer skirt that showed off her long, slender legs

Leaning: She later leaned against a grand piano, giving a sultry look back over her shoulder while posing

She donned a black, white and orange top with a sheer skirt that showed off her long, slender legs.

Maxwell stood on tall black high heels while elevated on a staircase, her blonde locks styled in messy chic fashion.

She later leaned against a grand piano, giving a sultry look back over her shoulder while posing.

She captioned the photos, 'Eivissa town @riccardotisci17 @burberry [black heart emoji].'
Six-time Emmy nominee Tracee Ellis Ross suited up to run errands in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood on Saturday.

The 49-year-old Black-ish alum was flaunting a hint of cleavage in a $1,050 black Prada 'Openwork Cotton' crop-top.

Tracee - who relies on stylist Karla Welch - wore a baggy black double-breasted blazer like a cape around her shoulders and wore matching pants with Birkenstock-style sandals.

Out and about! Six-time Emmy nominee Tracee Ellis Ross suited up to run errands in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood on Saturday

Ross never let go of her iPhone and toted a black bucket-style bag with her during her summer outing.

The Pattern Beauty founder wore her raven locks in a messy bun and appeared to go make-up free.

On Sunday, Tracee - who boasts 17.9M social media followers - Instastoried a snap of her fresh haircut by 'Curl Queen' Nai'vasha.

Ross is one of two daughters from the legendary Diana Ross' first marriage to her former manager Robert Ellis Silberstein, which ended in 1977 after six years.

Mesh moment: The 49-year-old Black-ish alum was flaunting a hint of cleavage in a $1,050 black Prada 'Openwork Cotton' crop-top

Summer style: Tracee - who relies on stylist Karla Welch - wore a baggy black double-breasted blazer like a cape around her shoulders and wore matching pants with Birkenstock-style sandals

Headed to dinner: Ross never let go of her iPhone and toted a black bucket-style bag with her during her summer outing

Letting her natural beauty shine through! The Pattern Beauty founder wore her raven locks in a messy bun and appeared to go make-up free

Voluminous: On Sunday, Tracee - who boasts 17.9M social media followers - Instastoried a snap of her fresh haircut by 'Curl Queen' Nai'vasha

On the July 28th episode of Hart to Heart, the Girlfriends alum told a story about how badly her famous 78-year-old mother reacted to a silly video Christmas greeting she created back in the nineties.

Tracee used a Hi8 video camera to film herself performing different characters - including a drunk French lady - wishing everyone happy holidays and then sent 52 VHS copies to friends and family.

'You know that face your mother gets when you know you are in trouble? She said, "Tracy? Can I talk to you? Come upstairs,"' Ross recalled to host Kevin Hart.

'Mom and dad equals daughter': Ross is one of two daughters from the legendary Diana Ross' (L, pictured February 25) first marriage to her former manager Robert Ellis Silberstein (R), which ended in 1977 after six years

Anecdote: On the July 28th episode of Hart to Heart, the Girlfriends alum told a story about how badly her famous 78-year-old mother reacted to a silly video Christmas greeting she created back in the nineties

'You know that face your mother gets when you know you are in trouble?' Tracee used a Hi8 video camera to film herself performing different characters - including a drunk French lady - wishing everyone happy holidays and then sent 52 VHS copies to friends and family

Ross recalled to host Kevin Hart (L): 'She sits down on her bed next to me and said, "How many people have you sent that video to?" I said, "52!" She said, "Can you get it back?" I think to her it looked like it was a comment on her parenting. But it was the beginning of my career!'

'It was a full on family affair!' The Brown University grad (2-L) joined Diana and practically all her blended family members onstage the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on July 9 during her opening night concert

'She sits down on her bed next to me and said, "How many people have you sent that video to?" I said, "52!" She said, "Can you get it back?" I think to her it looked like it was a comment on her parenting. But it was the beginning of my career!'

The Brown University grad joined Diana and practically all her blended family members onstage the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on July 9 during her opening night concert.

Tracee is currently executive producing and voicing the titular character in MTV's upcoming Daria spin-off, Jodie.

'So happy to announce our kick a** cast!' Tracee is currently executive producing and voicing the titular character in MTV's upcoming Daria spin-off, Jodie

Jodie is (T-2L)! Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn's critically-acclaimed adult animated sitcom spin-off of Beavis and Butt-Head aired for five seasons spanning 1997-2002 on MTV

According to Variety, the logline reads: 'Fresh from college graduation and full of ambition, Jodie heads to the big city for a prestigious internship at tech behemoth, Firstfinity.'

Grace Edwards will serve as writer, producer, and showrunner of Jodie which also features Pamela Adlon, Dermot Mulroney, Zosia Mamet, and Kal Penn.

Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn's critically-acclaimed adult animated sitcom spin-off of Beavis and Butt-Head aired for five seasons spanning 1997-2002 on MTV.
The will of the people cannot be defied and those who play with fire will end up getting burnt

08:58, August 08, 2022 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

In response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Chinas Taiwan region, an egregious act of provocation against China, China decided to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members and take eight countermeasures against the U.S., Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Aug. 5.

Meanwhile, in order to sternly deter the U.S. and Taiwan from continuing to make negative moves to further their collusion, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has conducted live-fire joint combat exercises and training on an unprecedented scale in the waters and airspace off the Taiwan Island over the past few days.

These powerful actions have fully demonstrated that China has the determination, means, and capability to safeguard its national unity, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

The effective countermeasures taken by the Chinese government and the PLAs proven ability to launch precision strikes and perform area-denial tasks have helped external forces attempting to interfere in Chinas internal affairs and the Taiwan independence separatist forces better understand what did China mean by The will of the people cannot be defied and those who play with fire will perish by it, Lets see what happens if she actually goes, and What needs to be done will be done.

When China said that it firmly opposes secession aimed at Taiwan independence and external interference, and never allows any room for Taiwan independence forces in whatever form, it meant what it said.

Attempting to use Taiwan to contain China, the U.S. made a malicious provocation first, and China has been compelled to act in self-defense. No one is qualified to make irresponsible remarks on Chinas countermeasures.

During the past few days, people from all walks of life in Taiwan have staged protests against Pelosis visit to the island. They exposed Pelosis despicable trick to stir up tensions across the Taiwan Strait, fool the people in Taiwan and bring scourge to the island for her own political gains, and denounced the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities colluding with external forces, deliberately escalating cross-Strait confrontation, and constantly making provocations in pursuit of Taiwan independence.

Widely circulated remarks by protestors in Taiwan include Pelosi has brought a time bomb to Taiwan and People in Taiwan cannot allow politicians to make a mess in Taiwan without cleaning it up.

Such voices have reflected the shared opinions of people in Taiwan who reject manipulation by external forces and refuse to be held hostage by the DPP authorities.

China must be and will surely be reunified, which will not change regardless of the will of some die-hard anti-China forces from the U.S. side or the illusion of separatist forces seeking Taiwan independence.

The plot to incite separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence represents a total misjudgment and miscalculation of the situation. The U.S.-Taiwan collusion will only expedite the destruction of the Taiwan independence forces.

Pelosis visit to Taiwan constituted a gross violation of the one-China principle and a malicious infringement of Chinas national sovereignty. It has not only triggered strong indignation among the Chinese people, but aroused widespread opposition from the international community.

So far, more than 160 countries have spoken up for justice, reiterating their commitment to the one-China principle and support for Chinas efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, while pointing out that the provocative visit made by the U.S. side was a breach of its commitment to China and a violation of the basic norms governing international relations.

As Pelosis Taiwan visit has created tensions, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed the international organizations commitment to the one-China principle at a recent press conference.

Our position is very clear. We abide by General Assembly resolutions, by the one-China policy, and that is the orientation that we have in everything we do, said Guterres.

The international community has seen clearly that by taking resolute countermeasures in response to the U.S. provocative acts of interfering in Chinas internal affairs and undermining Chinas national sovereignty, China is fighting against hegemonism, interference, and secession, and is taking justifiable actions to defend the purposes of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations.

Attempting to build small circles to confuse right with wrong and challenge international law and justice, the U.S. stands in opposition not only to the 1.4 billion Chinese people, but also the overwhelming majority of countries in the world and all the peace-loving people in the world.

Pelosis visit to Taiwan has made it clearer that the root causes of the tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the serious difficulties confronting China-U.S. relations, as well as the major risks to the Asia-Pacific security all lie in the U.S.

Over the past few days, people from all walks of life in the Asia-Pacific region as well as farsighted people in the U.S. have pointed out that Pelosis visit to Taiwan would only undermine regional peace and stability and make the already turbulent international situation more volatile.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus called Pelosis visit to Taiwan a provocation. We are playing with fire when we get pretty close to the line, and Pelosi is pushing us much, much closer to recognizing Taiwan as an independent country. And once we get there, were going to pay a price, Baucus said.

During Pelosis visit to Singapore, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the importance of stable U.S.-China relations for regional peace and security when meeting with Pelosi.

The lukewarm welcome Pelosi got in South Korea has attracted wide attention and sparked extensive discussions.

Its widely believed that Pelosis misdeeds in destabilizing regional situation have turned herself into a veritable hot potato.

The attitudes of countries in the Asia-Pacific region have fully proven that the U.S. attempt to add the Taiwan question to its regional strategy to escalate tensions and provoke confrontation goes against the trend of development of the region and runs counter to the expectations of people in the region.

The complete reunification of China is an aspiration shared by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

China will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and efforts, but if external forces and the Taiwan independence separatist forces continue to provoke it, force its hand or even cross the red line, it will be compelled to take resolute measures.

When it comes to the great cause of national unification, the Chinese people have the gut not to be misled by fallacies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one, and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity.

Any person, any force, and any country that attempt to slow down Chinas development and obstruct the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by provoking China and stirring up trouble for China on the Taiwan question will find their efforts completely futile and end up getting themselves badly hurt.

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

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Former United States President Donald Trump has beaten Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a new Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) straw poll, gaining 69% of the votes to become the GOP's 2024 Presidential Primary.

The attendees of the poll were asked who they preferred to be the Republican Party's nominee for president in the next elections. DeSantis came in second with about 24% of the votes and Texas Sen, Ted Cruz came in third with 2%.

Trump vs. DeSantis

Despite the massive gap in votes, DeSantis was the clear favorite in a field that does not include Trump. CPAC's poll found that 65% chose DeSantis if that were the case, with Donald Trump Jr. coming in second with 8% of the vote and Cruz in third place with 6%.

The former president has consistently come out on top in CPAC's informal straw polls since leaving office in January 2021. The latest survey showed Trump expanding his lead from February's CPAC straw poll where he received 59% of the vote while DeSantis got 28%, as per Newsweek.

A month after Trump left office, a CPAC straw poll showed that 55% of respondents said they would support the Republican in a hypothetical 2024 primary while 21% said they would choose DeSantis.

Read Also: Joe Biden Sends Strong Message to "Working Families" After Senate Passes Massive Health Care, Tax, Climate Bill

However, more recent polls suggest that DeSantis could have a chance at beating Trump for the GOP nomination in 2024. A survey showed that the Florida governor trails Trump by about three points among likely Republican voters in Michigan that found the former president held a large lead among high school-educated voters while DeSantis was backed by college-educated voters.

According to CNN, a pollster for Trump, Jim McLaughlin, who conducted the straw poll, said that the former president was more popular than ever. McLaughlin announced the results from the CPAC Texas main stage roughly two hours before Trump's scheduled appearance.

CPAC Straw Poll

Despite the massive lead, Trump's win over DeSantis was only limited to CPAC attendees and is not representative of the broader GOP electorate. In an interview last month, the former president said that he was still contemplating whether or not he would be a contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

When Trump took the stage on Saturday evening, he declared that the CPAC straw poll is a "very respected" survey. He noted that when one views the numbers there is a great feeling of unity not only at CPAC but for the Republican Party.

However, a poll conducted last month showed that the former president received support from just under half of the Republican primary voters in a matchup with several other candidates. The former president led with 49% followed by DeSantis with 25%.

On Saturday, Trump again teased a potential 2024 presidential run as he falsely claimed that he had won a presidential election "twice," before adding "now we may have to do it again." He noted that the first priority of the Republican Party is to win an "earth-shattering victory" in 2022, referring to the November midterm elections, to allow the GOP to take a majority of both chambers of Congress, Politico reported.

Related Article: US Senate Democrats to Push Bill Addressing Climate Change But International Climate Community Demands More

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It's been billed as one of the most shocking moments in Australian reality TV history.

And on Monday night, viewers finally got to see the moment The Block host Scott Cam tell the stunned Blockheads that fellow contestants Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull decided to quit the show.

The host, 59, was pulled aside by two executive producers who revealed to him the glamourous influencers decided to leave after just 48 hours of being on-set.

The Block contestants were left shocked after host Scott Cam revealed Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull (pictured) had QUIT the show on Monday night

After being told the astonishing news, Scott informed the other contestants about Elle and Joel's decision to leave.

'Last night I gave you all an opportunity - an out - if you thought you couldn't cut it on the show that you could leave if you wanted to,' the fuming host began.

'I didn't think anyone would drop an opportunity like this, but I've just found out that Joel and Elle are on their way to the airport.'

He added: 'They have left their show. They didn't say goodbye, they didn't say thanks for having us. They just left.'

The host, 59, was pulled aside by two executive producers who revealed to him the couple had decided to leave the show

'Apparently The Block is not on brand for them.'

All the remaining contestants appeared shocked, with Sharon Johal saying: 'It was a bombshell.'

'Things played out, we did see in the media things about Joels family but we knew that happened before they got onto The Block because he had told us,' she said.

After being told the shocking news, Scott informed the other contestants about Elle and Joel's decision to quit

The pair reportedly left after Joel's mother broke her coccyx and fractured her wrist during a fall at her home in Adelaide.

Following their exit, Elle, 36, shared a photo to Instagram of the pair's suitcases at Melbourne Airport.

'Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first,' she captioned the image.

'They have left their show. They didn't say goodbye, they didn't say thanks for having us. They just left,' Scott said to the shocked contestants

But Scott has since disputed their reason for leaving, insisting that they didn't tell producer about the AFL star's sick mother before fleeing the set of the series.

Last week, he told the Kyle and Jackie O show The Block would have been prepared to temporarily shut down production to accommodate the couple's visit to see Joel's mother if they had been made aware of the situation.

'They didn't mention the sick mum to us. If they had said to us we need to go see my mum, of course family comes first. We would have flown them back to Adelaide and flown them back,' the long-time host said.

The fellow Blockheads looked furious as they were told the news

'They spoke to our producer and said they had decided The Block isn't on brand for them. It was chaos.'

Scott went on to say Elle also insisted on bringing 'a lot of designer outfits' for filming, despite a strict dress code.

'You have got to wear the hi-vis [workwear] and the boots but [Elle] did have a lot of outfits there ready to go,' he said.

The pair reportedly left after Joel's mother broke her coccyx and fractured her wrist during a fall at her home in Adelaide

Scott previously said at the Logie Awards that Elle and Joel giving up so soon into the competition was 'unAustralian' and 'p**s poor'.

He told TV Tonight: 'We had a 48-hour challenge to choose the house that you get and they scarpered after 48 hours. It's something that's never happened before.

'Forty-five thousand people applied to be on The Block and win life-changing money. These guys got on and they just couldn't handle the pace after 48 hours,' he continued.

But Scott has since disputed their reason for leaving, insisting that they didn't tell producer about the AFL star's sick mother before fleeing the set of the series

Last week, he told the Kyle and Jackie O show The Block would have been prepared to temporarily shut down production to accommodate the couple's visit to see Joel's mother if they had been made aware of the situation

'Which to me is a bit unAustralian! Have a go! It's p**s poor.'

Scott reportedly told the other contestants Elle and Joel left because the renovation show wasn't 'on brand' for them as Bondi influencers.

He also said they had complained 'the toilet paper was too scratchy'.

According to reports at the time, they initially tried to stay on the show but left after they 'couldn't get a definitive answer' from producers as to whether Joel could 'come and go' from the construction site in Gisborne to visit his ailing mother in Adelaide.

However, The Block's executive producer Julian Cress has also disputed this, telling the Herald Sun that Joel and Elle 'never' made such a request.

Mr Cress added that The Block is always willing to accommodate teams during family emergencies, and once shut down production for an entire week in 2013 when the mother of one of the contestants fell ill.
Kate Hudson put on a stylish display as she stepped out for some shopping in New York City over the weekend.

The 43-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur wore khaki overalls with white straps for the Sunday outing.

The mother-of-three went on a spending spree at the trendy home and furniture store Crate & Barrel.

Weekend outing: Kate Hudson put on a stylish display as she stepped out for some shopping in New York City over the weekend

The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star wore her golden blonde locks down, pinning strands in the front with a purple clip.

She wore multiple small earrings and sported a pair of white earphones while she was outside the retailer.

Kate added a touch of glamour to her look as she shielded her eyes in a pair of oversized white sunglasses.

Hudson went makeup-free underneath the frames and at one point wore a black face mask over her mouth and nose.

Stylish: The 43-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur wore khaki overalls with white straps for the Sunday outing

Underneath her modernized version of classic dungarees, the entertainer wore a black netted halter top.

She slung a sporty, dark-colored bag over her shoulder and she stepped out in two-toned black and white sandals.

The stylish businesswoman wore multiple bangles on one of her wrists and was seen handling her several shopping bags with a bellhop.

These days Kate has been busy raising her young children - Bingham Bellamy, eleven, and Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa, three.

Her oldest son Ryder Robinson, who she shares with ex husband Chris Robinson, is 18.

Shopping spree: The mother-of-three went on a spending spree at the trendy home and furniture store Crate & Barrel

In addition to motherhood the multihyphenate is the founder of King St. Vodka, which is 'made with love in Santa Barbara,' according to the brand's Instagram page.

Days ago Kate posed poolside in a blue one-piece swimsuit to promote the company on National Watermelon Day.

She lay on the edge of the pool with a small half of cut melon in her hand with a long, reusable straw in it.

Hudson was fresh-faced as she soaked up the sun with a glossy red manicure.

Entrepreneur: In addition to motherhood the multihyphenate is the founder of King St. Vodka, which is 'made with love in Santa Barbara,' according to the brand's Instagram page

The post was cheekily captioned, 'Taking meeting outside today,' and the fitness enthusiast showed off her trim figure.

Her dirty blonde hair was slicked back and there was a filled cocktail glass set behind her.

The image was a recycled upload from a recent campaign, shared again in honor of the unofficial holiday, which fell on August 3.

King St. Vodka was launched back in 2019, adding to the star's other companies - Fabletics and INBLOOM.
Jennifer Lawrence and her husband, Cooke Maroney, were spotted arriving at JFK Airport in New York City on Sunday afternoon.

The 31-year-old actress stayed close to her 38-year-old husband as they made their way through the international travel center.

The happy couple, who tied the knot in 2019, are currently the parents of a young child, whose name they have not revealed to the public as of yet.

Stepping out: Jennifer Lawrence and her husband, Cooke Maroney, were spotted while arriving at JFK Airport in New York City on Sunday afternoon

Lawrence stayed comfortable in a white t-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting dark gray sweat pants during the outing.

The Hunger Games franchise star rocked a set of high-top white sneakers and kept a sizable bag slung over her right shoulder.

The Oscar-winning performer's gorgeous blonde hair fell onto her back and added a bit of brightness to her look.

Maroney also cut a casual figure, as he wore a white t-shirt, navy blue pants and a set of black Vans sneakers.

Taking it easy: Lawrence stayed comfortable in a white t-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting dark gray sweat pants during the outing

The happy couple donned black facial coverings that kept them protected from COVID-19 during their time in public.

The now-married pair initially met through mutual friends, with their first sighting as a couple taking place in June of 2018.

Lawrence was previously in a relationship with her X-Men franchise costar Nicholas Hoult.

She later began seeing Darren Aronofsky, who directed her in the 2017 feature Mother!

Starting off strong: The now-married pair initially met through mutual friends, with their first sighting as a couple taking place in June of 2018; they are seen in July

The actress went on to begin a relationship with Maroney, and they eventually tied the knot in 2019.

The happy couple subsequently welcomed a child into their lives this past February.

Although she has mainly been focused on parenthood in the recent past, Lawrence is currently prepping for the release of the upcoming feature Causeway.

Putting a ring on it: The actress went on to begin a relationship with Maroney, and they eventually tied the knot in 2019; they are seen in 2018

The performer will star alongside performers such as Brian Tyree Henry and Samira Wiley in the forthcoming film.

In addition to serving as the movie's star, the actress will serve as one of its producers.

Causeway will premiere next month at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, and it will subsequently be released on the Apple TV+ streaming service.
Renee Zellweger defended natural aging in a new interview with The Sunday Times this week.

The 53-year-old two-time Academy Awardwinner shared that she had had a revelation after turning 50 a few years ago.

In her interview, she criticized 'anti-aging' cosmetic products for messages to consumers 'telling us we dont need to look our real age.'

Like a fine wine: Renee Zellweger, 53, noted that she was happier in her 50s than her 20s as she spoke out against anti-aging products to The Sunday Times; seen in March in Hollywood

Zellweger may have shocked some readers when she admitted that she couldn't wait to turn 50, which she saw as an improvement over her 20s.

'Turning 50 felt like a whole new beginning without the nonsense, the point where you can stop listening to all those voices in your head and all those expectations and projections people have of you and become more authentically yourself,' she admitted.

'Like, good luck all you suckers out there because youve got to survive a lot to get to my age, and Ive earned my power and voice.'

But the conversation turned to the actress' appearance, particularly circa the mid-2010s, when she was rumored to have had cosmetic surgery that change the appearance of her famously squinty eyes.

Bad message: 'Youre saying Im not valuable any more because Im 53? Is that what youre saying?' she complained of anti-aging cosmetics; still from Chicago (2003)

In a Huffington Post op-ed from 2016, she appeared to deny having had surgery to change the appearance of her eyes, though the wording was vague enough to leave some wiggle room.

But now Zellweger is fed up with cosmetic products that are advertised in a manner to convince people that they need to look younger than their true age.

'All those ads telling us we dont need to look our real age if we just buy all their creams and their fixes and all that garbage they want to sell us?' she mused to The Sunday Times. 'Im like, what, youre saying Im not valuable any more because Im 53? Is that what youre saying? There is a big difference between being your absolute best, most vibrant self and wanting to be what youre not.

'To be vibrant and beautiful you must embrace your age, otherwise you are living apologetically and to me thats not beautiful at all,' she added.

Going with the flow: 'To be vibrant and beautiful you must embrace your age, otherwise you are living apologetically and to me thats not beautiful at all,' she added; seen in March

Changes? In the mid-2010s, Zellweger was rumored to have gotten surgery to change the appearance of her eyes, which she denied in a Huffington Post op-ed from 2016; seen in 2014

Whether or not The Jerry Maguire star made changes to her appearance years ago, she has returned to her more recognizable look since then and had renewed critical and commercial success after winning her second Academy Award for her Judy Garland biopic Judy.

Elsewhere in her interview, Zellweger opened up about a six-year stint starting in 2010 when she stepped away from Hollywood.

'I guess I reached a point where I had to play a different game,' she explained. 'I dont know if it was because it was a heightened experience for me being a woman of that age or because back then cinema was so culturally important, the center, in a way, of everyones consciousness. But it felt pretty chaotic.'

The actress, who has lately been dating British TV presenter Ant Anstead, mentioned that she tries steer clear of the public's interest in their relationship.

Something new: Elsewhere in her interview, Zellweger opened up about a six-year stint starting in 2010 when she stepped away from Hollywood. 'I guess I reached a point where I had to play a different game,' she explained; seen in March

'I dont pay much attention to any of that,' she said of her boyfriend's occasional gushing Instagram photos featuring her.

She added that she stays off social media herself.

'I dont think it would be a good thing for me, you know?' she continued. 'I have a list of things I like to get done every day. One of them is to text or call my mom. Another is to study language online. If I had this compulsion to check my phone every day, well, that feels scary. Id rather be out hiking with my dogs, Chester and Ellie.'
Heidi Montag was pictured while leaving Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica on Sunday evening.

The 35-year-old reality television personality flashed a wide smile and posed for a selfie while making her way out of the celebrity-favorite restaurant.

The MTV star's outing occurred prior to the arrival of her second child, whom she will share with her husband of over a decade, Spencer Pratt.

Out and about: Heidi Montag was pictured while leaving Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica on Sunday evening

Montag showed off her growing baby bump with a white t-shirt that conformed tightly to her stomach during the outing.

The former cast member of The Hills also donned a pair of black leggings and a set of gray sandals.

The reality television personality accessorized with a Louis Vuitton backpack.

Her voluminous blonde hair fell onto her shoulders and back and added an element of brightness to her look for the evening.

There it is: Montag showed off her growing baby bump with a white t-shirt that conformed tightly to her stomach during the outing

Extra storage: The reality television personality accessorized with a Louis Vuitton backpack

Montag and Pratt, 38, initially met at a nightclub in West Hollywood in 2006.

The pair's relationship later became one of the main focuses of The Hills, which ran from 2006 until 2010.

The two surprised many when they eloped in Mexico two years after their initial meeting.

In the past: Montag and Pratt, 38, initially met at a nightclub in West Hollywood in 2006

Putting a ring on it: The two surprised many when they eloped in Mexico two years after their initial meeting

The happy couple went on to hold a second wedding ceremony that took place in Pasadena in 2009.

Montag and Pratt, however, filed for a divorce the following year, although it was called off.

The pair announced that they would be starting a family in 2017, and the former gave birth to a baby boy named Gunner, aged four, that same year.

The pair waited for five years before they announced that they would be welcoming another child into their lives.

Round two: The happy couple went on to hold a second wedding ceremony that took place in Pasadena in 2009

Baby love: The pair announced that they would be starting a family in 2017, and the former gave birth to a baby boy named Gunner, aged four, that same year

Montag spoke about her feelings regarding her pregnancy during an interview with Us Weekly, where she noted that she wanted to add another baby to her life.

'I just felt like something was missing. I felt like a person was missing in our family that I had this intense love for,' she stated.

The reality television personality then expressed that, although she was grateful for her son, she wanted to bring another child into her family.

Desire: The reality television personality then expressed that, although she was grateful for her son, she wanted to bring another child into her family

'I felt really blessed having Gunner and having such a beautiful healthy son...at the same time, it was such a deep longing in my heart that I had  wanting a sibling for Gunner and wanting to expand our family,' she stated.

Montag went on to express that she and Pratt had grown closer over the course of her pregnancy.

'This whole experience has definitely added another layer to our relationship and marriage,' she said.

The reality television personality's child is currently expected to arrive this coming December.
Paige Thorne and Adam Collard looked more loved-up than ever on Sunday a week after being dumped from the villa.

The couple, who finished in fifth place on Love Island, were reunited once again as they enjoyed a night on the town together.

Taking to his Instagram account, personal trainer Adam, 26, shared an adorable clip of the pair enjoying a romantic moment together.

Kiss: Paige Thorne and Adam Collard looked more loved-up than ever on Sunday - a week after being dumped from the villa

The paramedic, 24, giggled bashfully while her handsome beau wrapped his arm around her and placed a loving kiss on her forehead.

Beaming Paige gushed as she closed her eyes and savoured the special moment while placing her hand on his chest.

Later in the evening, the Geordie hunk also videoed his girlfriend in a club dancing to the Black Eyed Peas hit My Humps.

The Welsh beauty also performed the song with Gemma Owen during the ITV2 shows talent competition and the clip has since become a TikTok sensation.

Hit: Later in the evening, the Geordie hunk videoed his girlfriend in a club dancing to the Black Eyed Peas hit My Humps

Fan: Adam captioned the video: 'Something else' while also tagging his girlfriend's account

Adam captioned the video: 'Something else' while also tagging his girlfriend's account.

The outing comes after the pair were rocked by rumours of a split after Paige attended the show's wrap party without Adam and they initially failed to post any snaps together since being dumped from the villa.

However, the couple brushed aside speculation over their romance as they put on a united display and held hands while attending the Love Island reunion show after party on Thursday which was aired on Sunday.

The couple were in good spirits as they also filmed themselves arriving to the event at Elstree Studios, where they united with their fellow islanders for the show.

Out out: The couple, who finished in fifth place on Love Island were reunited once again as they enjoyed a night on the town together

As they headed home after filming, the duo firmly clutched hands and beamed with happiness as they made their way into a waiting car.

Just day before, Adam confirmed that he and Paige were definitely still together.

When one fan asked him if they were still together in the comments of his latest shirtless post, Adam said he was seeing the brunette on Thursday, and had just been busy with his family.

He wrote: 'I bloody hope so since Im seeing her tomorrow. course we are, I cant wait just family comes first x'.

All good: The couple were in good spirits as they also filmed themselves arriving to the event at Elstree Studios, where they united with their fellow Islanders for the show

Fun times: The pair larked around in the back of their car as they headed to join their fellow islanders for the reunion show

The pair had jetted off to opposite sides of Britain, with Adam going to see his family and friends in Newcastle, while Paige resides in Swansea.

Paige looked sensational in a a black blazer worn over a black body suit and a sheer mesh skirt that showcased her toned legs.

The paramedic added simple black heels to her glam look, while she swept her raven tresses into a sleek, long ponytail.

Adam kept things more casual in a white T-shirt teamed with black trousers and trainers.
She's currently expecting her second child with husband Barron, having announced the exciting news in February.

And Tessa Hilton looked radiant in snaps from her baby shower, which was hosted by her mother-in-law Kathy and sister-in-law Nicky in Malibu on Sunday.

The German countess, 27, looked ready to pop as she cradled her baby bump while wearing a stunning pink maxi dress featuring stylish lace ruffles.

Gorgeous: Pregnant Tessa Hilton cradled her bourgeoning bump in a pink ruffled maxi dress during her baby shower in Malibu on Sunday

She continued her look with a white cardigan while adding inches to her frame with a pair of matching woven wedge shoes.

Accessorising with dazzling gold drop earrings, Tessa beamed from ear-to-ear while posing with Barron's sister Nicky, who looked chic in a floral midi dress

Nicky, who welcomed a baby boy with her husband James Rothschild, 37, over the summer, is already mum to daughters, Lily-Grace, five, and Theodora, nicknamed Teddy, four.

Family: Accessorising with dazzling gold drop earrings, Tessa beamed from ear-to-ear while posing with Barron's sister Nicky (left), who looked chic in a floral midi dress

Exciting: She's currently expecting her second child with husband Barron, having announced the exciting news in February

Beaming: Nicky (left), who recently welcomed a baby boy with her husband James Rothschild, 37, is already mum to daughters, Lily-Grace, five, and Theodora, nicknamed Teddy, four

Looking good: The German countess, 27, cradled her blossoming baby bump while wearing a stunning pink maxi dress featuring stylish lace ruffles

Barron and Tessa shared their baby news with People earlier this year, saying, 'We are so excited!'

The couple also revealed the baby news was unexpected. 'It wasn't planned, but we've realized that the best things in life never are.'

In a rather unusual move, they have chosen not to find out the baby's gender until birth, saying: 'We have decided to wait until the baby's birth to discover the gender.'

Doting mum: Tessa was joined by her daughter Milou Alizee, two, for a sweet shot

Posing: Christine Chui (left) soon joined Tessa (centre) and Nicky (right) for a group shot

Woohoo! Barron and Tessa shared their baby news earlier this year, saying, 'We are so excited!'

Grinning: Tessa and Milou were joined by her father-in-law Richard Hilton for a beaming snap

The American socialite and Tessa - born Tessa Grafin von Walderdorff - revealed that the baby is due at the end of summer.

The two welcomed their first child together, daughter Milou Alizee, in March 2020, thus making their first and second born 2.5 years apart.

Tessa and Barron named their first daughter after the place they met. 'We found the name Milou from where we met  Pointe Milou in St Barths.'

What a pair! Tessa (left) and Christine (right) modelled up a storm at the daytime bash

Pals: Lisi Lerch (left) joined Tessa for a breathtaking snap against the idyllic ocean

Friends: Faye Resnick (left) appeared to be in her element as she stood with Lisi (right)

Pearly whites: Nicky (left) and Lisi Lerch (right) flashed their dazzling smiles for the camera

Buddies: RHOBH's Crystal Kung Minkoff (right) joined Lisi (left) in front of the camera

They also expanded on her second name: 'Her middle name, Alizee, means "trade winds" in French. The winds of the island are what brought us together and then a few years later, it is what brought us Milou. She is a gift from the island.'

The couple met at a restaurant in Saint Barthelemy in 2016 and got married in Gustavia - the capital of the island - in June 2018.

While Paris' sister Nicky announced her birth in July, she and her husband haven't yet shared his name or exact date of birth.

Trendy: Nicky (left) accessorised her outfit with an eye-popping pink leather handbag while Faye (right) opted for a green-and-white jumper and maxi dress combo

Beauty: Nicky wore a full face of flawlessly-applied make-up for the event

Gorgeous: She protected her stunning complexion from the sun with a wide-brimmed woven hat

Cute: Heather Porter was joined by her daughter Clementine as they posed with Richard

Gang: Crystal (left) was joined by her daughter Zoey as they posed with Ursula Nesbitt (centre), Heather (right) and Clementine

'We are officially a party of 5!' Nicky - who boasts 2.7M social media followers - wrote on Instagram.

'Welcome to the world sweet boy. Mom, dad, and big sisters could not be more smitten.'

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills guest star's famous mother Kathy told People in May that she was due to deliver her third child sometime between June 15-22, and her last public sighting was on June 20.

Nicky's (born Nicholai) post received glowing comments from her famous aunt Kyle Richards, her RHOBH castmate Crystal Kung Minkoff, and Donald Faison's wife CaCee Cobb.

Having fun: Farrah Aldjufrie (left) and Faye (right) cosied up while wearing matching shades

Showstopping: Carol Bell looked nothing short of sensational

'I'm just having relaxing family time at home. Hopefully once we're all sorted, we can go and see my family in LA at the end of the summer and introduce the baby to the family,' Hilton told Tatler in April.

The Parsons drop-out's younger brother Barron and his wife Tessa will soon welcome a sibling for their two-year-old daughter Milou Alizee.

Meanwhile, Nicky's older sister Paris and her husband Carter Reum - who wed November 11 - already underwent egg extraction for IVF last year to start their own family.

'I think she'll be an amazing mom,' Hilton told Us Weekly in December. 'If how she is with her dogs is any indication, theyre going to be very, very loved.'
Love Island runners up Gemma Owen and Luca Bish have revealed they have still to make their relationship official - despite being coupled up on the show for almost two months.

In an interview on Monday's Good Morning Britain, the pair told hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley that they aren't yet officially dating and Luca, 23, thinks that Gemma, 19, has 'changed' since they left the villa.

The pair also hit out at rumours they had a fight at the Love Island reunion, with Gemma saying claims of a squabble are 'absolutely' not true.

Relationship: Love Island runners up Gemma Owen and Luca Bish have revealed they have still to make their relationship official - despite being coupled up on the show for almost two months

Richard asked the pair if they've noticed a change in each other since the show ended, with Luca saying: 'You've changed a little. For the better! She's come more out of her shell, when I saw you with your mum and stuff.'

Gemma replied: 'With my mum, I'm super close with my mum so you probably just haven't seen that weird side to me just yet.'

Richard then asked: 'What's the future - are you going to get engaged? Are you going to get married?'

Gemma laughed and said: 'We're not even boyfriend and girlfriend yet!'

Label: In an exclusive interview with Good Morning Britain, the pair told hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley that they aren't yet officially dating and Luca thinks that Gemma has 'changed' since they left the villa

Charlotte asked: 'Are you sort of official then?'

'Not yet,' Luca replied.

Gemma added: 'I mean we're pretty much official, we've just not got a label on it.'

'I will do it,' said Luca.

On their alleged row after the reunion show, where Luca was accused of telling a photographer that the pair weren't talking, Gemma denied the reports when asked if there was a tiff.

'No, absolutely not,' she said.

Claims: The pair also hit out at rumours they had a fight at the Love Island reunion, with Gemma saying claims of a squabble are 'absolutely' not true

Luca added: 'We walked in, I was behind Gemma with her bag. She walked straight in and I don't think any of us said a word, but apparently we spoke.

'Usually I do say something but that night we were pretty quiet.'

Richard then asked Gemma what her dad Michael Owen thought of her time on the show.

She said: 'He just says, "Oh you know, so proud, you didn't do anything to disgrace us," so he's happy. Everyone's buzzing which is really nice.'

Setting the record straight: On their alleged row after the reunion show, where Luca was accused of telling a photographer that the pair weren't talking, Gemma denied the reports when asked if there was a tiff

According to the Liverpool Echo, Luca made a telling comment to a photographer waiting outside the venue at the reunion who spotted some tension between the pair.

The photographer said to Luca: 'You've got your hands full there!'

Luca was then said to have replied: 'Oh don't mate! She's got the right hump with me!'

Change: Richard asked the pair if they've noticed a change in each other since the show ended, with Luca saying: 'You've changed a little. For the better!'

MailOnline contacted representatives for Luca and Gemma for comment at the time.

Luca and Gemma were both seen looking very serious after appearing in jovial spirits on their way to filming.

Luca looked subdued as he sat with his hand over his mouth as he sat beside his partner Gemma in a car on their way home from the reunion.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV & ITV Hub.
Catherine Zeta-Jones shared a series of unseen childhood throwback snaps of her son Dylan as she wished him a happy 22nd birthday on Monday.

The actress, 52, shares her son with Hollywood legend Michael Douglas, 77, who she married in November 2000.

The Welsh screen star shared a number of sweet pictures of her son along with a heartfelt message to celebrate his birthday.

Birthday wish: Catherine Zeta-Jones took to her Instagram on Monday to share a slew of childhood throwback snaps, wishing her son Dylan a happy 22nd birthday

'Happy 22nd Birthday Dylan. Zero to 22!' Catherine began in the caption of her Instagram post.

'You are everything to me and everything is you. The joy you have brought to this world thus far, is immeasurable. I love you more than words can say,' she concluded.

Catherine's adorable collage of images included a photo of her holding him whilst he playfully flexed his arms.

Another shot showed him as he graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, from earlier this year.

All grown up: Another shot showed him as he graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island from earlier this year

Throwback: His movie star dad Michael, 77, also made an appearance on the grid - appearing in a photo of a past birthday showing Dylan about to blow out his candles

Dylan's movie star dad Michael, 77, also made an appearance on the grid - in a photo of a past birthday showing Dylan about to blow out his candles.

Catherine also included a picture of her holding Dylan on his second birthday blowing out a candle from his Thomas the Tank Engine cake.

The proud mother also uploaded an image of Dylan as a newborn as she held him in the hospital.

Looking radiant and fresh faced, Catherine beamed as she welcomed her son into the world.

Make a wish: Catherine also included a picture of her holding Dylan on his second birthday blowing out a candle from his Thomas the Tank Engine cake

Arrival: The proud mother also uploaded an image of Dylan as a newborn as she held him in the hospital

Quality time: Unaware of the photo being taken at the time, the Academy Award winner also uploaded a picture showing her relax on a sofa with her first born as he sucked on his thumb

Proud: Catherine uploaded a gushing Instagram post in tribute to her son

Unaware of the photo being taken at the time, the Academy Award winner also uploaded a picture showing her relax on a sofa with her first born as he sucked on his thumb.

The post comes after Catherine paid tribute to her son while watching him graduate from the prestigious Brown University in May.

The Tony Award-winner was in attendance as Dylan- collected his degree certificate after majoring in political science.

Taking to Instagram following the ceremony, Catherine shared a photo of her son dressed in traditional mortar and gown as he accepted a kiss from his proud mother.

Proud mum: Catherine paid tribute to eldest child Dylan on in May while watching him graduate from Rhode Island's prestigious Brown University

Well done Dylan: Dad Michael also credited his son in an Instagram post at the time

Captioning the image, she wrote: 'Graduation congratulations to my boy, my pride, my joy, Dylan. I am inexplicably proud of you and I love you beyond words.'

The previous evening he was reduced to tears after his uncle Lyndon Jones - Catherine's younger brother - made a surprise appearance at his pre-graduation dinner.

Stunt performer Lyndon, 50, greeted the speechless student with a bellowing song while he dined in Rhode Island with a group of friends.

Capturing the moment in a short video, Catherine wrote: 'Surprise! Surprise! Pre-graduation dinner when my son Dylan sees his Uncle who came all the way from Wales to celebrate this amazing milestone.

'It was tough keeping this a secret but it was priceless.'

Brown, a private Ivy League research university, has previously been attended by celebrities including Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Linney, John Krasinski and Harry Potter star Emma Watson.

Last year Catherine took to Instagram to share a photo of herself and Dylan after she paid him a visit at his college campus.

Well done: Catherine and Michael's youngest child, daughter Carys graduated from high school in 2021 and is expected to follow her brother's path by also attending Brown

Goofing about: In one snap from the ceremony, Dylan was seen affectionately picking up his little sister as she held her diploma

Catherine and Michal's younger child, daughter Carys, 19, graduated from high school in 2021 and is expected to follow her brother's educational path by also attending Brown.

Sharing images from her graduation ceremony, Catherine wrote: 'What a proud day as our daughter Carys graduates with honors for her International Baccalaureate! You rock, we love you.'

Proud dad Michael added: 'Congratulations to Carys and the entire class of 2021! Your Mom and I are so proud of you!'
Alice Evans has risked violating her restraining order from her estranged husband Ioan Gruffudd after once again taking to social media to post about their separation.

The mother-of-two, 54, claimed she was being gaslit and being called 'fat' and 'horrible' compared to 'B' - taken to mean Ioan's new girlfriend Bianca Wallace.

This goes against the terms of the restraining order obtained by Ioan which bans Alice from mentioning him on social media for three years.

Illegal: Alice Evans has risked violating her restraining order from her estranged husband Ioan Gruffudd after once again taking to social media to post about their separation

The Welsh actor, 48, had hoped the new restrictions would end the public falling out between the pair, whose acrimonious split in March 2021 and consequent slanging matches threatened to overshadow their respective careers.

But Alice took to her Instagram on Monday morning, to write: 'Im working out to try to calm myself down because I am being GASLIT. Freaking GASLIT.

'With my kids, with the places I usually go to. Everything. I cant leave the house without being photographed and told that I am fat and horrible whereas B is so slim.

Accusations: The mother-of-two, 54, claimed she was being gaslit and being called 'fat' and 'horrible' compared to 'B' - taken to mean Ioan's new girlfriend Bianca Wallace

She signed off: ' I cannot deal for much longer.'

Ioan had previously won a temporary restraining order against Alice the mother of his two daughters Ella, 12, and Elsie, eight, in February claiming he was inundated with messages and verbal threats from her.

But on Tuesday, a US judge confirmed harsher restrictions had been put in place, including a ruling preventing Alice from leaking private text messages from their children.

Violation: This goes against the terms of the restraining order obtained by Ioan which bans Alice from mentioning him on social media for three years (pictured with Bianca in August)

A source said: 'Ioan had no choice but to up his legal fight over Alice.

'She had become increasingly volatile and seemingly intent on destroying his career with her character assassination. He hopes this will put an end to it.'

Ioan was in attendance inside the LA court to witness the Domestic Violence Restraining Order granted, but Alice did not appear.

In new court documents, Ioan claimed Alice continued to cause him issues and wanted additional provisions added to the existing restraining order.

Order: He demanded Alice should not make any posts on any social media account, 'including but not limited to Instagram and Twitter accounts, disparaging or harassing [Ioan] or the other protected person'

He demanded Alice should not make any posts on any social media account, 'including but not limited to Instagram and Twitter accounts, disparaging or harassing [Ioan] or the other protected person.'

The other person is listed as Ioans new girlfriend, Bianca Wallace, who he started dating shortly after their split.

Plus, he requested Alice not to post his text messages or any other communications to the parties children, or the childrens text messages or any other communications to Ioan, on any social media account.

He also asked for the judge to order Alice not to contact his employer or make disparaging statements about him to his employers.

Further in court documents, Ioan said since the restraining order was put in place, Alice 'has used her social media accounts to continue to harass, threaten, and disturb the peace of both me and my girlfriend, Bianca Wallace.'

Father: Fantastic Four actor Gruffudd filed for joint custody of his two daughters Elsie, eight, and Ella, 12, after his estranged wife, Evans filed for sole custody

Last month, The Vampire Diaries actress Alice shared a screenshot appearing to be between Ioan and one of his daughters, who is thought to be asking him to sign paperwork so that she can stay at her school  amid allegations that he stopped paying her fees.

Alice told her 86,000 Instagram followers: 'You see  I have no money.

'I gave up my career because I wanted the love of my life to have an amazing career and that leaves him being away most of the time.

'And I gritted my teeth and I got through it. I missed working' oh hell I missed working' but I didnt want a day to go by without seeing my two incredible girls. So their was an upside.'

Calling out Ioans alleged spending habits, she continued: He is STILL trying to ruin my name, filling out petition after petition  daring to say that I am the bad parent?

Declaration: Ioan went public with his actress girlfriend Bianca in October last year and was captioned: 'Thank you for making me smile again'

(Check out his Guardian interview from 2020. Ask my kids. As anybody that knows us. Being called a bad parent when I gave up everything for them and dont sleep at night in case and worry about how to feed them, check their health, take them to the dentist. [sic].

Those of you who might think well why is she CONTINUING to post on Instagram when his lawyers are going to take her down for it? But think about it.

'He is spending money that should have gone to the girls education, sports, college, on using a lawyer to gag me.

'I dont have this money and neither do I believe in the corruption of the TRO to shut somebody up when theyre trying to say their piece,' she penned. HE gets to say it. HE get to to lie about me being a bad parent (You couldnt get further from the truth.)

'But me? I get threatened with fines, with jail if I tell MY TRUTH about what is really happening. And all I have is social media because I cant afford a lawyer. Isnt that a microcosm of rich and poor America? I will likely go to court for posting this. (Another example of the way he treats his children).'

Alice added: He may well be lauded for doing the right thing. For going through the courts. He may well get to take my kids away from me (good luck with that dude).'

The previous month in June, Alice claimed she was 'completely out of money for food and bills' while sharing a video of daughter Elsie.

She wrote: 'Trying to hold it all together whilst being threatened, completely out of money for food and bills and just found out somebody tried to break down our outside door last night!

'But its all worth it for this (and the one who doesnt want to be photographed.'

Ioan and Alice met on the set of 102 Dalmatians in 2000 and married seven years later.

The Welsh actor filed for divorce in March 2021 citing irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their split.

The document, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 1, revealed the former couple separated on New Year's Day - a month before they went public with their relationship status.

Ioan went Instagram official with new girlfriend Bianca last October with a post saying: 'Thank you for making me smile again.'

Alice reacted furiously, ranting: 'So it turns out 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 . . . has been in a relationship for three years behind my back.'
A US outlet speculates that western weapons delivered to Kyiv do not make it to frontline Ukrainian troops; about 70% are sold in the black market and dark.

According to reports, the Biden administration is not preserving US interests by repeating mistakes made in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq; loss of security through the use of malign forces is not far away.

Corruption in the Government of Ukraine

According to a recent CBS News story, only around 30% of the armaments sent by the West get to the front lines, despite the US and its allies pledging Ukraine a dramatic increase in military help.

The report mentioned how Volodymyr Zelensky has a hand in the corruption involved and the profiteering on the dark web of western supplied arms, reported RT.

Since February, the US has approved almost $54 billion in economic and military support for Ukraine, while the UK has committed nearly $3 billion in military aid alone, and the EU has spent a further $2.5 billion on armaments for Kyiv.

All kinds of arms are sold in the most corrupt country in Europe. The weapons range from handheld weaponry like rifles and ATGMs to even the US HIMARS MRLS destined for Ukraine that comes through Poland.

Deliveries Don't Reach Ukrainian Troops

An expert, Jonas Ohman, the founder of a company located in Lithuania that provides the Ukrainian military, told a US media site that all western weapons must pass through all political and economic stakeholders, including oligarchs.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

Explains that when it reaches the Polish border, the group does their jobs, until 70% is taken with only 30%, which is a piddling get to where it should be, citing Just the News.

There is no accounting for what occurs after the weapons cross the border, according to Donatella Rovera, a senior crisis consultant with Amnesty International, who spoke to CBS.

She voiced worry that none of the nations supplying armaments and ammunition are aware of their involvement after the weapons are there.

Kyiv Denies Allegations

Yuri Sak, an adviser to Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov, spoke to the Financial Times, that all the reports, even from western sources, say that Kyiv tracks all shipments.

He immediately blamed Moscow for spreading alleged lies to stop the US and allies from sending arms to a corrupt government in Ukraine dealing in the black market.

These irregularities have caused doubt, as a US intelligence source told a major US news publication last April how the Biden White House allowed US taxpayers' money to go unaccounted for. Called Zelensky's regime a "black hole" or "US arms." Even Canada raised doubts about where its deliveries go as well.

Europol alleges Volodymyr Zelensky allowed the weapons to be sold and reach dangerous crime rings in the EU. Moscow said the arms are now in the Middle East and sold for a pittance.

Ukraine is one of the most corrupt nations that got 122/180 on Transparency International's 2021 'Corruption Perceptions Index, with 180 being the worst.

Russia has raised the alarm about how only 30% of delivered western weapons get past the Ukraine border, leaving barely armed Ukrainian troops, while the black market is where the 70% go.

Related Article: Human Rights NGO Declares Ukrainian Forces Exposing Civilians To Undue Risk

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Fans of The Block have hit out at Bondi influencer Elle Ferguson after she decided to quit the long-running Channel Nine series with her fiance Joel Patfull two days into filming.

Just moments after Monday night's episode went to air, Elle, 36, was brutally savaged online by fans of the show, with some viewers calling the pair 'sooks' and 'boring wannabes'.

'Get your 15 minutes of TV fame?' one fan wrote.

Fans of The Block have hit out at Bondi influencer Elle Ferguson after she decided to quit the long-running Channel Nine series two days into filming. Pictured with Joel Patfull

'You're a sook "influencer,"' another savagely commented.

'This season's Tanya,' wrote a third, referring to Tanya Guccione from last season, before another laughed: 'Imagine leaving the block cause of the toilet paper.'

'Weak loser,' another savagely wrote before commenting a second time: 'You and your husband are nobodies.'

Just moments after Monday night's episode went to air, Elle was brutally savaged online by fans of the show, with some viewers calling the pair 'entitled swines'

'What a pair of losers... Glad you're gone. 12 weeks of seeing you would have done my head in,' said another.

'Who do you influence? Perfect example of what not to be,' another chimed in

'It seems that someone can't take criticism. Guess that explains why you left,' wrote another.

However, one fan was clearly going to miss the couple, writing: 'I actually loved your room, wish we could of seen more of what you could do.'

However, one fan was clearly going to miss the couple, writing: 'I actually loved your room, wish we could of seen more of what you could do.'

'Get your 15 minutes of TV fame?' one fan wrote. Elle's latest Instagram photo is pictured

It was billed as one of the most shocking moments in Australian reality TV history.

And on Monday, viewers finally got to see the moment Scott Cam told the stunned Blockheads that fellow contestants Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull decided to quit the show.

During the episode, the host, 59, was pulled aside by two executive producers who revealed the glamourous influencers decided to leave after just 48 hours of being on-set.

The host, 59, was pulled aside by two executive producers who revealed to him the couple had decided to leave the show

After being told the astonishing news, Scott informed the other contestants about Elle and Joel's decision to leave.

'Last night I gave you all an opportunity - an out - if you thought you couldn't cut it on the show that you could leave if you wanted to,' the fuming host began.

'I didn't think anyone would drop an opportunity like this, but I've just found out that Joel and Elle are on their way to the airport.'

After being told the shocking news, Scott informed the other contestants about Elle and Joel's decision to quit

He added: 'They have left their show. They didn't say goodbye, they didn't say thanks for having us. They just left.'

'Apparently The Block is not on brand for them.'

All the remaining contestants appeared shocked, with Sharon Johal saying: 'It was a bombshell.'

'Things played out, we did see in the media things about Joels family but we knew that happened before they got onto The Block because he had told us,' she said.

The pair reportedly left after Joel's mother broke her coccyx and fractured her wrist during a fall at her home in Adelaide.

Following their exit, Elle shared a photo to Instagram of the pair's suitcases at Melbourne Airport.

'They have left their show. They didn't say goodbye, they didn't say thanks for having us. They just left,' Scott said to the shocked contestants

'Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first,' she captioned the image.

But Scott has since disputed their reason for leaving, insisting that they didn't tell producer about the AFL star's sick mother before fleeing the set of the series.

Last week, he told The Kyle and Jackie O Show The Block would have been prepared to temporarily shut down production to accommodate the couple's visit to see Joel's mother if they had been made aware of the situation.

The fellow Blockheads looked furious as they were told the news

'They didn't mention the sick mum to us. If they had said to us we need to go see my mum, of course family comes first. We would have flown them back to Adelaide and flown them back,' the long-time host said.

'They spoke to our producer and said they had decided The Block isn't on brand for them. It was chaos.'

Scott went on to say Elle also insisted on bringing 'a lot of designer outfits' for filming, despite a strict dress code.

'You have got to wear the hi-vis [workwear] and the boots but [Elle] did have a lot of outfits there ready to go,' he said.

The pair reportedly left after Joel's mother broke her coccyx and fractured her wrist during a fall at her home in Adelaide

Scott previously said at the Logie Awards that Elle and Joel giving up so soon into the competition was 'unAustralian' and 'p**s poor'.

He told TV Tonight: 'We had a 48-hour challenge to choose the house that you get and they scarpered after 48 hours. It's something that's never happened before.

'Forty-five thousand people applied to be on The Block and win life-changing money. These guys got on and they just couldn't handle the pace after 48 hours,' he continued.

But Scott has since disputed their reason for leaving, insisting that they didn't tell producer about the AFL star's sick mother before fleeing the set of the series

Last week, he told The Kyle and Jackie O Show The Block would have been prepared to temporarily shut down production to accommodate the couple's visit to see Joel's mother if they had been made aware of the situation

'Which to me is a bit unAustralian! Have a go! It's p**s poor.'

Scott reportedly told the other contestants Elle and Joel left because the renovation show wasn't 'on brand' for them as Bondi influencers.

He also said they had complained 'the toilet paper was too scratchy'.

According to reports at the time, they initially tried to stay on the show but left after they 'couldn't get a definitive answer' from producers as to whether Joel could 'come and go' from the construction site in Gisborne to visit his ailing mother in Adelaide.

However, The Block's executive producer Julian Cress has also disputed this, telling the Herald Sun that Joel and Elle 'never' made such a request.

Mr Cress added that The Block is always willing to accommodate teams during family emergencies, and once shut down production for an entire week in 2013 when the mother of one of the contestants fell ill.
He became the world's first male supermodel after starring in a Dolce & Gabbana advert wearing nothing but tight white pants in 2007.

And David Gandy, 42, stripped down to just his underwear once again for the brand's new Light Blue fragrance campaign in sizzling new shots obtained exclusively by MailOnline.

The fashion icon was joined by Italian model and fellow face of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Bianca Balti who looked sensational in a white bikini while on set in stunning Capri.

Racy: David Gandy, 42, stripped down to just his underwear once again for Dolce & Gabbana's new Light Blue fragrance campaign in sizzling new shots obtained exclusively by MailOnline

The two looked the perfect pairing for the advert and oozed confidence during the sun-drenched photoshoot.

David showcased his best poses in his pair of white briefs while dripping wet from the sea.

With his six pack on show, the Essex native smouldered throughout the shoot as he larked about with fellow model Bianca, 38.

The pair made sure they had some down time during the shoot as they were seen laughing and joking while floating in the crystal blue waters and later travelling on a speed boat.

Action! The fashion icon was joined by Italian model and fellow face of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Bianca Balti who looked sensational in a white bikini while on set in stunning Capri

Fun in the sun: The two looked the perfect pairing for the advert and oozed confidence during the sun-drenched photoshoot

Stunning brunette Bianca wore her locks styled back into a sophisticated bun and sported a dewy palette of makeup.

The cover girl, who has appeared on the covers of several fashion magazines including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, was the perfect castmate for the advertisement as she appeared a natural throughout the campaign.

The two professionals were seen larking around as they fought over a beach towel after having a dip in the sea while posing up a storm on the sandy beachfront.

The latest version of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue scent, Italian Love, is out this summer.

Cut: The pair made sure they had some down time during the shoot as they were seen laughing and joking while floating in the crystal blue waters

The jaw-dropping shots come after David admitted he couldn't get any dates when he was a teen - despite carving out a reputation as Britain's most handsome man.

The fashion icon said on Alan Carr on his Life's a Beach podcast: 'They were not my good years. I think you have a different impression, I grew out and then up so I wasnt in my best fighting fit form.'

Quickly butting in, Alan shocked asked: 'You were minging?' to which David responded: 'Not far off!'

In March, David told Richard Eden's Eden Confidential: 'I'm not particularly happy with the way I'm looking at the moment. I'm not at my fighting weight, as I call it.'

He admitted to fearing changes to his chiselled good looks as he ages, saying: 'The two things that scare me is that apparently your ears and nose carry on growing. If that's true, I am in massive amounts of trouble.'

The star is father to daughters Matilda, three, and Tabitha, nine months, with barrister girlfriend Stephanie Mendoros.

David, who is Britain's highest-paid male model, has been dating barrister Stephanie for five years yet remains coy over his private life.

The model, reported to be worth 12 million, has previously said he dreams of having a big family one day.

David shot to fame back in 2001 when his then-housemate entered him into a modelling competition on ITV's This Morning without his knowledge. He subsequently won the competition and was awarded a contract with Select Models.

He has appeared in numerous high-profile campaigns for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana Hugo Boss and Carolina Herrera, as well as being a face of high street brand Marks and Spencer.
Christine Quinn was seen enjoying the beauty of Venice, Italy this weekend.

The leggy Selling Sunset star flashes her toned legs in a caramel colored silk bra top and mini skirt with white high heels as she took a gondola ride in the picturesque seaside city.

It has been a summer filled with travel as the blonde beauty was last seen in New York City at fashion parties as well as in London.

When it Italy: Christine Quinn was seen enjoying the beauty of Venice, Italy this weekend

The gold standard: Quinn also wore a heavy yellow gold chain necklace with an oversized butterfly pendant that shone in the sun

Quinn also wore $35 Giant Vintage 'Caliente Tortoise Shield' sunglasses and a heavy yellow gold chain necklace with an oversized butterfly pendant that shone in the sun.

Her fashion design pal Marc Jacobs said, 'Traveling in style! Che Bella!!'

And she was also across the pond.

She recently returning from a trip to the UK and touring around the US to promote her book, How To Be A Boss B*tch.

Fashion plate: The leggy Selling Sunset star flashes her toned legs in a caramel colored silk bra top and mini skirt with white high heels as she took a gondola ride in the picturesque seaside city

No need for shades: Her $35 Giant Vintage 'Caliente Tortoise Shield' sunglasses were propped up on her head as she took in the view

That's amore! Her fashion design pal Marc Jacobs said, 'Traveling in style! Che Bella!'

Admitting she 'doesn't know what state or time zone' she's in most of the time, the beauty detailed her hectic book tour to The New York Times.

'It's been a whirlwind. I don't know what city I'm in, what state, what time zone. No clue,' she told the publication.

Christine has recently partnered with husband Christian Richard, to start their own brokerage, RealOpen.

Busy as can be: Christine has recently partnered with husband Christian Richard, to start their own brokerage, RealOpen

Company matters: The company allows anyone to buy a house using cryptocurrency, the first business of its kind to so - with the couple having big plans to take it higher

The company allows anyone to buy a house using cryptocurrency, the first business of its kind to so - with the couple having big plans to take it higher.

Christine and Christian welcomed their first child, a son named Christian, last May.

The loved up duo made the decision to grow their family less than two years into their marriage.

Boats everywhere: This image of the Venice canals featured speed bpats
Brad Pitt has a list of actors he won't work with again, according to his Bullet Train co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The 58-year-old Hollywood legend is said to keep notes on the actors who he loves and the ones he doesn't wish to be on set with again, just like Aaron, 32.

'He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time,' he said to Variety.

No thanks: Brad Pitt has a list of actors he won't work with again, according to his Bullet Train co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The 58-year-old Hollywood legend is said to keep notes on the actors who he loves and the ones he doesn't wish to be on set with again, just like Aaron, 32. Seen in July in London

'You work with many actors and after a while you start making notes: "I am definitely not working with this person ever again,"' he said.

The he added, 'Brad has this list too: the "good" list and the s*** list.'

One star who is definitely on his 'good' list is Sandra Bullock

Brad filmed a cameo for Sandra's The Lost City and she plays Maria Beetle, the handler of trained killer Ladybug (Pitt), in his latest movie Bullet Train.

All joy: 'He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time,' he said to Variety. From left, Aaron, Brad and Brian Tyree Henry

Good peeps: 'You work with many actors and after a while you start making notes: "I am definitely not working with this person ever again,"' it was shared

And Brad hopes he and his 'old friend', who is also 58, will collaborate again in the future.

The Fight Club star said in a recent interview: 'Sandy is an old friend. She's a diehard person I could call for favors over the years and I have done many many times and she's always there.

'Her timing was great, she was a great person to have in my ear in a situation like what which is actually kind of intimate.

So, who IS on Brad's list? As Brad Pitt is rumored to have a list of actors that he will never work with again, DailyMail.com takes a look at some of the stars he's shared the big screen with over the years. Harrison Ford Brad was rumored to have a strained relationship with his The Devil's Own co-star Harrison Ford, but the actor debunked those claims in an interview with Rolling Stone. 'He's absolutely cool,' Pitt told the publication in 1997. 'Look, it was tough. It was the hardest film I've ever been on. But as for reports about out-of-control egos and people hiding out in trailers, that just wasn't the case. It was everyone trying to make the best movie they could under the circumstances.' Brad was rumored to have a tense relationship with his The Devil's Own co-star Harrison Ford, but the actor debunked those claims Marion Cotillard Pitt's on-screen pairing with French star Marion Cotillard when it was rumored that they had an affair on set, which was strenuously denied. The duo starred together in the war thriller Allied, and reports suggested their chemistry was a factor in his split with Angelina Jolie. Cotillard, who is married, denied the reports. Pitt may also not be reuniting with his Allied co-star Marion Cotillard Tom Cruise The Fight Club star is rumored to have feuded with Tom Cruise when filming Interview With The Vampire in 1994. At the time of promoting the film, Brad explained: 'You gotta understand, Tom and I are... we walk in different directions. He's North Pole. I'm South. 'He's coming at you with a handshake [Pitt mimicked an aggressive hello] where I may bump into you, I may not, you know?' Pitt has been rumored to have been in a feud with his Interview With The Vampire co-star Tom Cruise Angelina Jolie The duo famously worked together on Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2005, but after their divorce - which still isn't over - it's unlikely we'll ever see them share the screen together again. Ten years later, they both starred in the 2015 movie By The Sea. At the time, Brad gushed: 'Being a couple, we have that shorthand that can be communicated in a look. Conversely, it means I knew immediately if she felt a take stunk.' Brad may prefer not to work again with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie Advertisement

Pals: Brad has this list too: the "good" list and the s*** list.' One star who is definitely on his 'good' list is Sandra Bullock Brad filmed a cameo for Sandra's The Lost City and she plays Maria Beetle, the handler of trained killer Ladybug (Pitt), in his latest movie Bullet Train

'It just worked out really well and she had her film and I got to do a little bit of hers. I think we'll continue to do the same.'

The By The Sea' star was also full of praise for co-star Joey King, 23, who plays hired killer Prince.

He said: 'She's a powerhouse. She was just 21 when we were filming. Listen, I consider us pretty sharp but she's the sharpest of us all.'

King is queen: The By The Sea star was also full of praise for co-star Joey King, 23, who plays hired killer Prince. Seen in July in Paris

Still an A-list beauty: Bullock at the Los Angeles premiere of The Lost City in March
Robert Carlyle was spotted filming for the Disney+ revival of The Full Monty in Halifax on Friday following the movie's original release 25 years ago.

The film's leading man, 61, who played Gaz in the 1997 hit, could be seen taking a break on set before shooting further scenes with the rest of his castmates.

The cast have been filming after star Hugo Speer was sacked from the Disney+ reboot last month.

Action: Robert Carlyle was spotted filming for the Disney+ revival of The Full Monty in Halifax on Friday following the movie's original release 25 years ago

Robert wore a grey hoodie, denim jeans and a pair of Adidas trainers.

Looking in a chipper mood he later joined his fellow castmates as they filmed scenes outside a job centre.

Also on set were two armed police officers who appeared to be on watch while the iconic characters got up to their old tricks once again.

All together now: The film's leading man, 61, who played Gaz in the 1997 hit, could be seen taking a break on set before shooting further scenes with the rest of his castmates

Force: Also on set were two armed police officers who appeared to be on watch while the iconic characters got up to their old tricks once again

Robert and another castmate were seen attempting to break into the Sheffield job hub which caused a police presence on set.

Other well known characters from the 1997 classic including Paul Barber who played Horse was also seen on set carrying a walking stick and newcomer Miles Jupp also made his debut.

Robert and his fellow castmates appeared in great spirits as they filmed scenes in West Yorkshire.

Authority: A male, acting as police officer appeared very serious as he shot scenes on the day

Smiling: Robert, Miles Jupp and another cast member had appeared pleased with their scenes

Seal of approval: The Scottish actor gave the cast and crew the thumbs up on the day

Good to go: The leading man looked impressed with his day of filming

The filming comes after Hugo Speer, 53, allegedly invited a woman into his trailer while completely naked, during filming.

The actor, who played Guy in the 1997 British comedy, had his contract terminated with 'immediate' effect after allegedly gesturing a runner in her twenties to enter his trailer while he had no clothes on, according to The Sun.

He has denied the claims, with his spokesperson telling ET: 'Hugo denies all the allegations and is challenging all of them.'

Push: The two actors appeared to have forced their way inside the job centre

Look out: Robert glanced straight ahead as he was tipped off my his fellow actor

The Sun reported that the horrified woman reported Speers' actions to show bosses, who took immediate action.

It is said that Hugo had been previously warned about walking around his trailer while stark naked before he eventually got the axe after allegedly inviting in a woman.

Defending his actions, The Sun reported that Hugo said to producers: 'All actors walk around their trailer stark b****** naked.'

However, following an investigation, Disney+ reportedly decided to fire the actor, who starred in the original movie 25 years ago.

Legend: Actor Paul Barner, aka Horse in the film held a walking stick on the day of filming

A source told the publication: 'Speer's sacking has absolutely rocked the cast and crew. But he'd already been warned for supposedly walking around his trailer naked.'

They continued: 'He claimed his towel had slipped from his waist when he opened the door to a woman runner. But there was no sign of anything to hide his modesty, and he apparently fully exposed himself to the girl before beckoning her inside.

'The woman was horrified and did not consider entering his trailer for a second. She was upset, and then angry, and had no hesitation in reporting his behaviour.'

Axed: The filming come after Hugo, 53, after allegedly inviting a woman into his trailer while completely naked, during filming

Meanwhile, a Disney+ representative told MailOnline: 'Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Hugo Speer on the set of a commissioned production.

'As is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his contract, with immediate effect.'

MailOnline have contacted Hugo Speers' representative for comment.

It is said that the police are not involved in the incident.

Following Hugo's alleged exit from the new series, the publication went on to report that scriptwriters are scrambling to rewrite scenes and plotlines, after filming had already began in March.

Denial: Hugo, who has been married to Glaswegian actress Vivienne Harvey since 2015, denies the claims (Hugo pictured with wife Vivienne in 2019)

While producers are said to be aware of the irony of firing a Full Monty for stripping naked.

Hugo had initially joined original stars Robert, Tom, Mark Addy, and Lesly Sharp for the Disney+ revival of the hit film.

The British comedy was released in 1997 to critical acclaim. For a time it was the highest grossing film in the UK until it was later outsold by Titanic.

The film follows a group of unemployed men in Sheffield during the 1990s as they decide to form a male striptease act in an attempt to make some money.

The series will follow the original band of brothers as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield and society's crumbling healthcare, education and employment sectors.

Comeback: Hugo had initially joined original stars Robert, Tom, Mark Addy, and Lesley Sharp for the Disney+ revival of the hit film (L-R Wim Snape, Paul, Robert , Hugo, Steve, Lesley Sharp and Mark Addy)

The episodes will explore the brighter, sillier and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity.

The new series will feature the original group of friends over eight episodes, as they navigate post-industrial Sheffield and the struggles faced by crumbling healthcare, education and employment systems.

It will also introduce a whole host of new cast members including children and grandchildren of the returning characters.

The episodes are directed by Andrew Chaplin and Catherine Morshead, and co-written by Alice Nutter with Simon Lewis as Series Producer.

The UK Original series will premiere on Disney+ globally, Star+ in Latin America and Hulu in the US.

The original film is available to stream on Disney+ in the UK. An official release date for the new series is yet to be announced.
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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley showed off her incredible figure on Sunday, as she enjoyed a holiday on a yacht with fiance Jason Statham, Joel Edgerton and Phoebe Tonkin in Formentera.

The actress, 35, looked sublime in a neon green swimsuit with a daringly low back to flash an extra peek of skin.

The high-cut one-piece showed off her long toned legs and clung to her sensational curves.

Looking good: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley showed off her incredible figure on Sunday, as she enjoyed a holiday with fiance Jason Statham, Joel Edgerton and Phoebe Tonkin in Formentera

She accessorised with a pair of delicate gold chain necklaces and went barefoot as she soaked in the sun.

The model wore her blonde tresses swept back in an elegant bun, which she later took out to let her locks dry in the sunshine.

Rosie shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun behind a pair of black oversized sunglasses.

Pal: Also on the trip was actress Phoebe Tonkin, 33, who looked sensational in black string bikini (pictured on the left)

Sensational: The two-piece put her ample cleavage and sculpted tummy on full display

Brunette beauty: Her raven tresses were slicked back with seawater

Accessories: She hid her eyes behind a pair of black sunglasses

Peachy: As she turned to the side, she showed off her lithe figure and perky behind

Incredible: The actress, 35, looked sublime in a neon green swimsuit with a daringly low back to flash an extra peek of skin

Details: She accessorised with a pair of delicate gold chain necklaces and went barefoot as she soaked in the sun

She completed her relaxed vacation look by opting to go makeup free, letting her natural beauty shine through.

She relaxed on a paddle board floating next to the lavish boat, topping up her golden tan as she caught some rays.

Meanwhile, Jason, 54, slipped into a grey and black long-sleeved shirt which he paired with black shorts.

Stunning: The model wore her blonde tresses swept back in an elegant bun, which she later took out to let her locks dry in the sunshine

Shady lady: Rosie shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun behind a pair of black oversized sunglasses

Flawless: She completed her relaxed vacation look by opting to go makeup free, letting her natural beauty shine through

Sunbathing: She relaxed on a paddle board floating next to the lavish boat, topping up her golden tan as she caught some rays

He wore a green wide-brimmed hat on top of his head before swapping it for a pair of black goggles.

The action star hopped onboard a lime green jetski, and zipped away through the waves looking like a character in one of his movies.

He later gave his fiancee a ride on the back, both of them kitted out in life jackets for safety as they zoomed around the water.

Casual: Meanwhile, Jason, 54, slipped into a grey and black long-sleeved shirt

Handsome: He teamed the top with a pair of black shorts

Fashionable: He wore a green wide-brimmed hat on top of his head

Ready for a swim! Before swapping it for a pair of black goggles

Action hero: The action star hopped onboard a lime green jetski

Zooming along: Jason zipped away through the waves

Look at him go! He looked like a character in one of his movies

Watching carefully: He was under the watchful eye of his fiancee as he carefully maneuvered through the water

Loved-up: He later gave his fiancee a ride on the back

Safety first: Both of them kitted out in life jackets for safety as they zoomed around the water

Dip: The couple were joined by Australian actor Joel Edgerton, 48, who went shirtless to show off his sculpted physique as he went for a swim

Stylish: He sported a pair of black swimming trunks and a brown wide-brimmed fedora

Friends: He sat with Rosie and chatted to a group of pals

The couple were joined by Australian actor Joel Edgerton, 48, who went shirtless to show off his sculpted physique as he went for a swim.

He sported a pair of black swimming trunks and a brown wide-brimmed fedora as he sat with Rosie and chatted to a group of pals.

Also on the trip was actress Phoebe Tonkin, 33, who looked sensational in black string bikini that put her ample cleavage and sculpted tummy on full display.

Something caught your eye? Rosie looked out across the ocean

Floating along: She sat down in the sun and worked on her tan

Relaxed: The model looked like she was having a blast as she lay on the deck of the boat

Leggy display: She stretched out, showing off her long legs

Her raven tresses were slicked back with seawater and she hid her eyes behind a pair of black sunglasses.

Rosie recently spoke of her longing to return to her home county of Devon after living in celebrity enclave Malibu, California for years.

She and Jason - who share five-year-old son Jack and daughter Isabella, five months, together - sold their Malibu mansion for $18.5 million to move to the Chelsea district of London.

Rosie was born in the Devon city Plymouth before moving to market town Tavistock, also located South West English county, and she admits that part of the world is still her favourite.

Home: Rosie recently spoke of her longing to return to her home county of Devon after living in celebrity enclave Malibu, California for years.

Big move: She and Jason sold their Malibu mansion for $18.5 million to move to the Chelsea district of London

Proud parents: The couple share five-year-old son Jack and daughter Isabella, five months, together -

Home is where the heart is: In an interview with Great British LIFE , she said: 'I'm a country girl at heart...'

Jetsetter: 'I spend a lot of my time living in LA which is lovely. I spend a lot of time in other major cities too.'

Beauty: 'There might be the glamour and fun to enjoy in a city but the real beauty is in the countryside and especially in my home county where the people are so nice and ready to volunteer smile for no particular reason'

In an interview with Great British LIFE, she said: 'I'm a country girl at heart...

'I spend a lot of my time living in LA which is lovely. I spend a lot of time in other major cities too. There might be the glamour and fun to enjoy in a city but the real beauty is in the countryside and especially in my home county where the people are so nice and ready to volunteer smile for no particular reason.

'The country air smells so fresh and I still love to see the sheep, the pigs, the ducks, chickens and, of course, the horses. Whenever I am here and I really don't like to be away for very long, I just find it all so relaxing and lovely. It is home to me.'

Country life: 'The country air smells so fresh and I still love to see the sheep, the pigs, the ducks, chickens and, of course, the horses'

Happy place: Whenever I am here and I really don't like to be away for very long, I just find it all so relaxing and lovely. It is home to me'

No rush: Despite being engaged since 2016, Rosie and Jason are in no hurry to rush their wedding preparations

Other priorities: Welcoming their son, Jack, a year after her beau got down on one knee, Rosie told ET in 2018 that the wedding wasn't a 'huge priority.'

Waiting: She said: 'We're looking forward to that time. It's also not a huge priority for us; we're so happy. I think it will be fun to do it when the baby's grown up a bit and he can be involved in the wedding.'

Despite being engaged since 2016, Rosie and Jason are in no hurry to rush their wedding preparations.

Welcoming their son, Jack, a year after her beau got down on one knee, Rosie told ET in 2018 that the wedding wasn't a 'huge priority.'

She said: 'We're looking forward to that time. It's also not a huge priority for us; we're so happy. I think it will be fun to do it when the baby's grown up a bit and he can be involved in the wedding.'
Jessica Alba made office casual look good on Sunday.

The 41-year-old The Honest Company founder looked elegant but hip as she arrived at her Santa Monica office for some weekend work.

The El Camino Christmas star rocked a white crew neck t-shirt and straight leg yellow pants with an elastic waistband.

Office casual: Jessica Alba, 41, made office casual look good Sunday in a white crew neck t-shirt and straight leg yellow pants with an elastic waistband

She tied a matching yellow sweater around her hips, and carried a straw basket purse.

Jessica's dark hair was brushed straight and she completed the look with aviator sunglasses and a pair of thick soled gray slide sandals.

The LA's Finest star recently returned from a trip to Italy where she spent time with her husband, Cash Warren, 43, and their kids, Honor, 14, Haven, 10 and Hayes, four.

Yellow: The actress tied a matching yellow sweater around her hips, and carried a straw basket purse. She completed the look with aviator sunglasses and a pair of thick soled gray slide sandals

The doting mom shared some adorable pictures of the whole family taking a cooking class.

Even her youngest got in on the fun, making his own pasta.

She also share snaps of the beautiful scenery and ancient ruins.

Now that she's back in work mode, the CEO is has been working on a new mascara that will be launched August 10.

A video on her Instagram page shows some behind the scenes footage from an ad for the new product.

Pasta!: Jessica and her family recently returned from a trip to Italy. One of the highlights was a family cooking class where even her youngest got to make pasta

This comes after Albasaid she goes to therapy with both of her daughters.

The 41-year-old actress believes going to family therapy makes her a better parent.

Speaking to Glamour UK, she said: 'I went with both of them. And around puberty is when it's the time I think, for me, with my girls. That's when they started to sort of shut down and get really like, 'I don't want to talk any more.' And I'm like, 'We're not doing this. We've got to keep a line of communication here. How can I be a better parent to you? How do you want me to talk to you? Don't shut me out.'

'First of all, this person [the therapist] has studied human behavior and they're good at it. And they have no relation to you so they can be really objective and you create a safe space for your kid to really candidly tell you what's not working about your parenting. I was like,

Vacation snaps: The avid traveler shared photos from the beautiful Italian countryside while on vacation with her family

'Look, I'm not perfect. I'm not going to know all the answers, but I want to be a great parent to you. And what you like and don't is different from what your sister likes and doesn't like. And I'm going tomake mistakes. Here's a safe space, you can't get in trouble  let me know what I'm doing wrong, or what you would like me to do differently. Or how do you want me to discipline you when you do screw up? What does that look like for you? And how would you want to be treated so you can still feel like you have your dignity intact?'

And Jessica insisted that she always tries to learn from her mistakes, whether they are personal or business-related.

The Honest company founder said: 'There's nothing more telling that you're evolving and that you are getting better as a person in this life. It's a teaching, it's a gift. I was like, 'That is so interesting and so cool that [these are] some of the most successful people I've ever met, and we're all talking about celebrating mistakes!'... because I wouldn't say the challenges or mistakes were anything other than the opportunity to be better tomorrow.'

Read the full interview in the GLAMOUR UK July/August Digital Issue online now.
He faced a social media backlash after sharing a controversial Instagram video of himself chastising his nephew for wearing a 'princess dress' in 2017.

And five years later, Lewis Hamilton has reflected on his 'stupid' and 'ignorant' behaviour, which he has blamed on his 'upbringing coming out'.

The racing driver, 37, also confessed he cried alone in his bedroom after suffering shocking racist abuse during his youth, including one notable attack in Newcastle.

Appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair's September 2022 issue, a shirtless Lewis showed off his toned torso while posing for a sultry bathtub shot - before changing into an eye-popping pink Valentino ensemble.

Candid: Lewis Hamilton has discussed the social media backlash he faced after sharing a controversial Instagram video of himself chastising his nephew for wearing a 'princess dress' in 2017, in a candid chat with Vanity Fai

On Christmas Day, the racing driver, an avid user on social media, took to his Instagram account to publicly highlight the youngster's choice of attire.

His nephew had opted to don a pink and purple princess dress for the big day, and looked chuffed with his costume while waving around a pink wand.

But Lewis questioned the outfit, and jokingly criticised the young boy, captioning the post using an embarrassed monkey emoji, which said: 'I'm so sad right now  look at my nephew.'

He then asked the youngster: 'Why are you wearing a princess dress? Is this what you got for Christmas?' Why did you ask for a princess dress for Christmas?'

Style: Appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair 's September 2022 issue, a shirtless Lewis showed off his toned torso while posing for a sultry bathtub shot - before changing into an eye-popping pink Valentino ensemble

He then shouted 'Boys don't wear princess dresses!' before the youngster covered his ears with his hands and turned away.

Looking back at the controversy, having issued an apology at the time, Lewis said: 'That was so stupid. I realized that a lot of my upbringing was coming out. I went with just an ignorant moment. And I straightaway realized that that's not actually how I feel deep inside.'

'I realized that was wrong. And so then finding ways of not necessarily undoing it, but showing that community that I support them. It's difficult in today's world. It's difficult to undo things.'

Elsewhere in the interview, Lewis spoke up about the horrifying racist abuse he faced as a child, recalling one particular incident where he was physically attacked by a father-and-son duo, who he had never met before.

Backlash: On Christmas Day, the racing driver, an avid user on social media, took to his Instagram account to publicly highlight the youngster's choice of attire

The model claimed the pair kicked him to the ground and shouted, 'Go back to your own country,' describing the ordeal as 'terrifying' and confusing since he had been born in the UK.

He told the magazine that he struggled to tell his parents about his experiences with discrimination since he believed his white mum Carmen, now, 67, 'wouldn't understand' while his Black dad Anthony, now 66, would 'think I was a wuss'.

Lewis explained: 'You know, I didn't want him to think I couldn't defend myself. I just remember a lot of times just being alone, just in tears in my room.'

Only recently, Nelson Piquet came under fire over his N-word slur against Lewis.

Candid: Elsewhere in the interview, Lewis spoke up about the horrifying racist abuse he faced as a child (pictured ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix last month)

In July, a video was released showing former Formula 1 world champion Piquet calling the Stevenage-native the N-word in an interview, and has since apologised 'wholeheartedly' while insisting his words had been mistranslated.

Bernie Ecclestone, who is a long-time friend of the Brazilian's came out in defence of him on Good Morning Britain, saying Lewis should 'brush aside' the racial slur and 'be happy' with the apology.

His former colleagues were quick to distance themselves from his remarks, with F1 releasing a statement to say they were 'in very stark contrast to the position of the modern values of our sport.'

Read the full interview in the September issue of Vanity Fair, on sale now.
Grease actor Eddie Deezen has been found not competent to stand trial after he was arrested for allegedly forcing his way inside a privately-owned nursing facility several times and refusing to leave.

In a commitment order obtained by TMZ, the document says Deezen, 65, is unable to stand trial due to a mental disorder. He has been transferred to the Maryland Department of Health, where he will be receiving treatment.

The order states Deezen is considered a danger to himself and others around him.

Grease actor Eddie Deezen has been found not competent to stand trial after he was arrested for allegedly forcing his way inside a privately-owned nursing facility several times and refusing to leave; pictured in his April 2022 mugshot

He will now remain under the care of the health department until the court deems he no longer poses a threat, according to TMZ.

While Deezen was initially charged with fourth-degree burglary, two counts of trespassing, and one count of disturbing the peace, prosecutors ended up changing the charges to assault and disorderly conduct, the new documents obtained by TMZ show.

The charges stem from an April 8 incident where Deezen, who is best known for playing Eugene Felsnic in the 1978 movie Grease and its 1982 sequel, was arrested for showing up at the nursing facility several times and refusing to leave.

He was jailed and charged with fourth-degree burglary, two counts of trespassing and one count of disturbing the peace, according to a police report seen by TMZ.

Best known: The actor is best known for playing Eugene Felsnic in the hit musical Grease

Deezen allegedly pushed his way into the facility and refused to leave after a woman inside instructed him to leave.

According to police, the woman claims Deezen nearly pushed his way into one of the rooms before he was eventually kicked out. She alleges he refused to leave the nursing home and was caught by police.

Deezen was also allegedly at the nursing home earlier that day, and was instructed to leave.

Police were called when he returned to the facility that evening. The alleged victim informed police that Dezeen had a history of stopping by her place.

And again: He was also seen, right, in the Grease sequel with Maxwell Caulfield, left

The alleged victim said Dezeen had stopped by her place several times in the past, and would often leave items behind with a note.

Deezen was also captured on security camera of a neighbor who lived nearby.

The neighbor claimed he and his fiance were watching TV when he heard a noise outside. He saw Deezen attempting to open the front door on the video and called the police.

The Hollywood staple was also arrested in September 2021 at a Maryland restaurant and charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing for that altercation.

The actor was allegedly causing a scene at the restaurant and refused to leave when the police arrived, and even threw several items including plates at them.

The incident: The charges stem from an April 8 incident where Deezen, who is best known for playing Eugene Felsnic in the 1978 movie Grease and its 1982 sequel, was arrested for showing up at the nursing facility several times and refusing to leave. Seen in 2018

The incident started around lunchtime when police were called for Deezen causing a scene at a restaurant.

When the police arrived, Deezen reportedly went to hide behind a woman in a booth and refused multiple orders for him to leave.

He was forcibly removed from the restaurant, with the report claiming he threw numerous items at police officers including plates, bowls and food, with one of the deputies being struck.

The actor was shirtless when he was removed from the restaurant.

There was also video of the restaurant arrest, posted on Facebook in September 2021 by Cumberland on Patrol, which purported to show a shirtless Deezen being lead away in handcuffs.

He has been arrested before: Seen in a mugshot from September 2021

As he was sat on a bench, he's heard saying, 'Ow I could have been hurt.'

Another Facebook user named Amanda Lambert offered an account of the 2021 arrest.

'So Eddie Deezen was just arrested at the mall. Why couldn't it have been where I could get video,' Lambert began.

'He was in Wasabi asking customers inappropriate questions.. such as if they would have foursomes and some ish and he was probably upset over the lack of false lashes!' she added, referring to an incident in July where he went on a rant over a waitress not wearing fake eyelashes.

'Then was yelling at the police and telling them to arrest him and was shirtless. Edit: he was also kicked out of AT&T because he walked in and said "I don't see any African American employees, I will put this in my report,"' she added.

Deezen made headlines in June when he was accused of harassing a waitress named Kara Lashbaugh, and posted a lengthy Facebook message about her.

She took to Twitter stating, 'Eddie Deezen is a f***ing CREEP who comes into my work at least once a week, calls and asks other servers for my schedule, and if he comes in and im not wearing makeup HE LEAVES. And this grown a** old man has the balls to post this on facebook about me im losing my mind.'

Deezen was born in Cumberland, Maryland and married Linda George in 1984.
She finally tied the knot with fiance Jeremy Parisi in Italy last month.

And newlywed Kelly Brook, 42, was all smiles on Monday as she flashed her diamond wedding ring while arriving at Global Studios in central London.

The model looked effortlessly chic in a gingham midi skirt, a white shirt and brown shoes as she returned to work after her wedding.

Beaming: Newlywed Kelly Brook, 42, was all smiles on Monday as she flashed her diamond wedding ring while arriving at Global Studios in central London

Kelly accessorised with a small Gucci handbag, gold dainty jewellery and a stylish pair of oversized sunglasses.

The presenter opted for a bronzed makeup palette with a nude lip, while allowing her brunette locks to blow naturally in the win.

Kelly finally married her long-term boyfriend Jeremy Parisi in his native Italy on Saturday afternoon.

The bride exchanged vows with Parisi in Italian port town Civitavecchia, a popular holiday destination famed for its historic architecture.

Stunning: The model looked effortlessly chic in a gingham midi skirt, a white shirt and brown shoes as she returned to work after her wedding

Fashionista: Kelly accessorised with a small Gucci handbag, gold dainty jewellery and a stylish pair of oversized sunglasses

Happy: Kelly finally married her long-term boyfriend Jeremy Parisi in his native Italy on Saturday afternoon

Walking hand in hand with her new husband following the ceremony, Kelly looked stunning in a traditional ivory white bridal gown with sheer lace detail.

She was seen holding its floor-length hemline away from the rough terrain surrounding Torre di Cicero - the 19th century villa that served as their wedding venue.

Diamond: The beauty flashed her huge new rock while carrying her global lanyard

Her long brunette locks were styled in soft waves and she let them cascade down her shoulders, and added a delicate tiara and veil on top of her head.

Jeremy cut a very handsome figure, as he held hands with his bride, in a black tailored three-piece suit, and tie with a flower pinned to his lapel.

The ceremony had originally been planned as an outdoor event in an area some 1,500 metres high, but an unexpected rainstorm prompted a last minute change of plans.

Consequently, the bride, groom and an assortment of friends and family members celebrated the ceremony within the walls of Torre di Cicero.

It's understood that Kelly pulled out all the stops for the day, with the bride-to-be paying for funfair rides and inviting A-list guest Kylie Minogue, according to The Sun.

The publication reported that the former Big Breakfast host has thrown 'the kitchen sink' at her wedding to give her and Jeremy the day to remember, with the plans turning into an 'extravagant affair'.

The model is said to have splashed out up to 500,000 for her big day.

Gorgeous: The presenter opted for a bronzed makeup palette with a nude lip, while allowing her brunette locks to blow naturally in the win

A source told The Sun: 'Kelly has thrown the kitchen sink at her wedding and its turning into quite an extravagant affair. She has booked the Villa Nota Pisani in central Italy for the ceremony and reception.

The insider added that the villa is a 'beautiful location' and the couple 'fell in love with it' immediately after setting eyes on it.

They went on: 'Kelly has invited all her friends and stars like Kylie are on the guestlist. The ceremony is going to be really romantic but Kelly wants to give her family and pals a real party afterwards. She has been in talks with a company to put on a funfair for everyone  and the drinks will be flowing all night.'

Big day: After earning her fortune following a successful 25 year career as a model, actress and media personality, it appears there was no expense spared when it came to making Kelly's wedding dream come true

After earning her fortune following a successful 25 year career as a model, actress and media personality, it appears there was no expense spared when it came to making Kelly's wedding dream come true.

The source added: 'Kelly knows Jeremy is her soulmate and this is going to be her only wedding so shes going all out. All in it is looking to cost her between 300,000 and 500,000  but to her it is money well spent.

The insider continued to say that it is 'Kellys dream wedding' and that 'everything she ever wanted' is now 'becoming a reality.'

Kelly and Jeremy recently celebrated their seventh anniversary - which marks the day he packed up his French abode and moved in with her in Kent.

Opening up about her romance with her 'best friend and soulmate', Kelly told The Mirror: 'I've found someone who can keep up with me and the lifestyle that I love.

'It's the combination of having a very exciting life but also having moments where it's nice to stay home, watch Netflix and walk the dog. It's getting that balance.'
An influencer is garnering her own following online for an expose as alarming material continues to emerge in the wake of prior sealed documents relating to the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard multi-million dollar trial being made public. The Substack writer and Instagram influencer @houseinhabit, whose actual name is Jessica Reed Kraus, has disclosed some alarming information about Heard and her wild parties.

Amber Heard and the Tesla CEO, according to the social media influencer, first met at a party hosted by him and his then-wife Talulah Riley in 2011. The expose went on to claim that Musk was really funding the defamation lawsuit that Heard was required to pay for.

Internet Influencer Reveals Shocking Details in Amber Heard's Parties

Amber Heard has been criticized for holding authority that is equal to that of a human trafficker like Ghislaine Maxwell. This criticism of the 'Aquaman' star comes from author Jessica Reed Kraus' book 'House in Habit.' These accusations were made in response to a woman who admitted staying the night in Amber Heard's treehouse loft under the alias Gia, as per The News.

Gia described Heard as "very seductive and smart" when reflecting on the incident, adding that she had "figured out what you liked and told you things you wanted to hear." She also revealed that she had some reservations about spending time alone with Amber Heard and said, "I know if I continued this way with her, I would not wake up. I'm not sure what she gave me, but I was aware that being by myself with her possibly put my life in jeopardy."

The incident involving a girl named Gia would make you gasp if the mistreatment of Elon Musk or the lavish sex parties for billionaires didn't already. This is a fictitious name that the Kraus uses to conceal the identity of the girl who is accusing Amber Heard of far more messed-up things than previously thought.

She was the one who revealed all the criticism Heard was hurling at Elon Musk and how many people were enthralled by her sheer existence. Amber Heard gained cult-level celebrity status and documented everything, even important millionaires who almost certainly were engaging in dubious behavior. At one point, Gia discovered herself in the most toxic relationship of her life, with a man who repeatedly drugged her, mistreated her, and had the mental capacity to kill her.

At one point, even Elon Musk was concerned about Gia's safety; he implored her to stay away from Amber Heard and shown obvious concern. With Gia and other women, Ghislaine Maxwell employed strategies like those Amber Heard was employing at the time. When the Johnny Depp trials began, everything appeared to fall apart, but Amber Heard isn't pleased with these testimonies from other witnesses.

Per Marca, the author of the substack has already started sharing instances of threats she has received from automated accounts. She describes how Amber Heard's close friends are speculating that the actress is attempting damage management by closing all of her accounts in order to prevent her from leaking further data.

Read Also: Here's Kim Kardashian Pete Davidson's Real Reason on Sudden Split as Rumor that SKIMS Founder Rekindles Romance with Kanye ,West Swirls

Amber Heard Spotted With Journalist Banned fron Defamation Trial

On Monday, Amber Heard was seen traveling around Israel and dining with her pal Eve Barlow, the contentious journalist who managed to get herself barred from the Johnny Depp defamation trial. Heard was seen walking around in a flip-flop and a blue cap.

According to Daily Mail, Barlow apparently also attempted to provide Heard's team legal advice by displaying to them Depp witness's allegedly damning social media posts. A motion by Depp's legal team to have Barlow permanently excluded from the courtroom was granted.

Barlow said that the criticism she received online for her ardent defense of Heard was motivated by misogyny and anti-Semitism. The visit to the bookstore happened the day after Heard was spotted lunch with Barlow, a writer to New York Magazine and a former deputy editor of the music magazine NME.

Heard traveled to Israel at the same time that she and Depp appealed the jury's decision in their contentious defamation lawsuit, which gave Depp $10.35 million and Heard just $2 million. She was convicted guilty of slander and sentenced to pay Depp a total of $8.3 million, but she claims she lacks the funds to do so.

IIronically, according to The Daily Beast, the actress's lawyers were pleading with her to go for the "tens of millions of dollars" they believed she was due to from Depp's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' revenues before their trial.

They claimed that because Depp worked on Pirates of the Caribbean 5 while Heard was married, it constituted "community property" and an asset to which Heard was entitled to a share. Heard refused to let them pursue that money, and her attorneys claimed through email that she was being "true to your word" that it wasn't about money.

Related Article: Johhny Depp-Amber Heard Unsealed Docs: Revelations from Actress Being Former Escort, Actor's Erectile Dysfunction, and More!

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She's been enjoying a summer of fun in the sun as she hops around Europe.

And Megan Barton-Hanson was seen soaking up the sun on Monday as she teased her 1.6million Instagram followers.

The Love Island star, 28, showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a racy blue bikini as she answered a Q and A.

Wow: Megan Barton-Hanson was seen soaking up the sun in a busty blue bikini on Monday as she teased her 1.6million Instagram followers

The OnlyFans star posed up a storm in the eye catching two piece which she teamed with a matching skirt as she was asked whether she 'sunbathed topless' by a fan.

Megan replied: 'Be a shame not to?,' followed by the eye emoji and a link to her OnlyFans account.

The blonde beauty seemed in high spirits as she styled her tresses in luxurious waves and donned a radiant bronze makeup palette.

'Be a shame not to': The Love Island star, 28, showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a racy blue bikini as she answered a Q and A about whether she 'sunbathes topless'

Earlier this month Megan stepped out hand-in-hand with a mystery man as they headed to a pool in Marbella.

The OnlyFans star has been putting on a cosy display with her unknown companion during their getaway, which comes just weeks after she looked loved-up with her ex boyfriend James Lock, 35.

The outing caused confusion, after Megan appeared to have rekindled her tumultuous romance with James when they were seen holding hands on a trip to the Costa del Sol last month.

Megan and the TOWIE star previously split up following a hotel room bust-up in March.

But it recently appeared their romance was back on as they put on a cosy display during their outing, with James wrapping his arm around the glamour model.

Their reunion comes after Megan was reportedly left terrified after her hotel room door was 'kicked in' during a heated row with James in March.

According to The Sun, the reality star alerted the hotel staff who dialled 999, with police spotted arriving by onlookers at the hotel shortly after.

Megan had been staying at the 350-a-night Courthouse Hotel in central London, after she enjoyed a date with another reality star at the same club where James was also partying.

Exes: The outing comes after Megan and James Lock previously split up following a hotel room bust-up in March (pictured in March)

Megan was leaving a nightclub at 1.30am with Life On Marbs star Adam Graham shortly after her ex James arrived with a mystery women.

Things then reportedly took a serious turn hours later when it is believed that TOWIE star James was informed of Megan's room number.

A source told the publication: 'At one point, the hotel door was kicked. There was a lot of shouting. Megan was shocked. It was all very aggressive'.

The source believed James was handed a key by staff after he showed them photos of himself and Megan.

The insider added: 'This all happened in broad daylight in a busy hotel. It was very dramatic and Megan's hotel door was damaged in the chaos'.

James and Megan ended their relationship for the second time earlier this year and both later stepped out with new romantic interests.

The on-off pair went Instagram official with their rollercoaster romance in October 2021 after meeting on Celebrity Ex On The Beach, but their union lasted just two months before they split after Christmas.

They reunited when James gifted Megan with a cake shaped like her breasts.

While Megan was said to be 'upset' over what happened, it was claimed that pals thought their 'weird connection' meant this might not be the end.
She welcomed her baby boy nearly three months ago with husband Alex.

And Olivia Bowen looked nothing short of sensational as she showcased her incredible post baby figure on Instagram on Monday.

The Love Island star, 28, who welcomed her son Abel in June, wowed in an eye catching black ensemble as she posed for snaps.

Looking good: Olivia Bowen looked nothing short of sensational as she showcased her incredible post baby figure on Instagram on Monday just nine weeks after giving birth

The reality star donned a stylish bandeaux crop top which featured one strap over her shoulder and a matching midi skirt.

She posed up a storm in her dressing room as she snapped mirror selfies and tagged the clothing brand Miss Empire.

Olivia elevated her frame in a pair of glamorous green strappy heels and accessorised with gold drop earrings.

Glam! The Love Island star, 28, who welcomed her son Abel in June, wowed in an eye catching black ensemble as she posed for snaps

The ITV2 star styled her short blonde tresses in loose waves as they cascaded to her shoulders.

She opted for a radiant bronzed makeup palette including a smoky eyeshadow and a bold brown lipstick.

Olivia captioned the post: 'Im all out of captions, but not out of cute fitssss'.

Amazing: The reality star donned a stylish bandeaux crop top which featured one strap over her shoulder and a matching midi skirt

The stunning snaps follow after Olivia recently shared candid Instagram post breastfeeding as she openly discussed her journey since becoming a mother.

She revealed she wasn't sure if she'd be able to breastfeed when she first got pregnant as she 'isn't a maternal person' - as well as highlighting that sometimes there are 'difficult days' with the process.

She shared two snaps - one looking glamorous as she cuddled her little one in her arms and another more 'real' shot as she looked teary-eyed and tired while breastfeeding.

New mum: The stunning snaps follow after Olivia recently shared candid Instagram post breastfeeding as she openly discussed her journey since becoming a mother

She penned in a lengthy caption: 'I never thought I would breastfeed. I think where I felt like I was not a maternal person whatsoever before Abel was born, I had serious doubts it would work for me & I also didn't even feel comfortable with the thought of it!

'I would go as far as to say it freaked me out a bit. You all know I wasn't sure on having kids & it's mainly because I felt like I would be so rubbish as a Mum, not a maternal bone in my body pre Abel.

'Fast forward to when Abel was born & he first latched in the hospital it couldn't of felt more natural. The bond & connection I feel with him when feeding I will be forever grateful for.

Honest: The ITV2 star revealed she wasn't sure if she'd be able to breastfeed when she first got pregnant as she 'isn't a maternal person'

'Now 2 months on & still breastfeeding & watching him grow on something my body produced specifically for him is just incredibly rewarding. I never expected to breastfeed, I didn't put pressure on myself to do so either, but I'm so glad we've been able to .'

She continued: 'It's not always easy, those first few weeks the emotions are no joke. I had a couple of days where he wouldn't latch properly & I felt like a complete failure, I felt like I was failing myself & failing him - even though I told myself before I wasn't bothered about breastfeeding.

'The first week I was squeezing my engorged boobs over the bath, I woke up with wet sheets from leaking & I constantly worried about how much he was getting & was it good enough?!

Candid: She penned in a lengthy caption: 'I never thought I would breastfeed. I think where I felt like I was not a maternal person whatsoever before Abel was born, I had serious doubts it would work for me'

'I was convinced I would stop breast feeding after a month, then told myself 3 months & now I'm saying 6! There is no feeling like it. When his little eyes look up at me & when he goes all sleepy & content. So close to you who am I!!!! I would never have imagined to be writing this.

'There are hard days, but there are so many amazing days & they make the hard ones feel like a million miles away. I can't even explain how amazing it feels to see my baby thriving from my body after growing him from that same body for 9 months.

She signed off by saying: 'It's taught me to just trust the process, trust myself & have faith that I'm doing everything I can.

Doting mother: It comes after last month Olivia shared this snap as she proudly nursed her baby boy as she returned to work for the first time - five weeks after giving birth

'I feel extremely lucky that we've got this far, however long this feeding journey lasts, whether it's months more or weeks more or even days more - I'm grateful I had this amount of time at all!'

It comes after last month Olivia was glowing as she shared a radiant video to Instagram of her breastfeeding Abel, as she returned to work for a photoshoot in London.

She was beaming as she nursed her the newborn and gently rocked him from side to side as she proudly said she 'kicked her anxieties a**.'

Olivia stunned as her blonde hair caught the breeze and she sported a glamorous face of makeup for the shoot.

Alongside the incredible video she penned: Back & I'm better. Back to work today on a fabulous shoot around London with an incredible brand & my baby AJ in tow.

'I am so tired now, like I said on my stories I was so nervous but wanted to do this for me and to kick anxieties a**!'

She continued: 'I feel SO accomplished; doing what I love, being unapologetically me AND being Mum at the same time. Don't lose yourself Mamas, you deserve to be YOU too.

'Couldn't do it without my team @ab_bowen @charhilditch @annalingis.'

Olivia welcomed Abel earlier this summer with her husband Alex, formerly a sales executive and scaffolder respectively.

They soared to fame in 2016 where she was an original star and he, a late and extremely popular entrant.

After leaving the villa their romance soon when from strength to strength and Alex popped the question in New York in 2016.

Loved-up couple Olivia and Alex tied the knot in a luxurious Essex ceremony two years after meeting on Love Island during series two.
Chris Pratt has responded to critics of his Amazon Prime series The Terminal List, touting the show's success after it was panned by a number of critics.

The series, which casts the Minnesota native, 43, as Navy SEAL James Reece, has been racking up big numbers for the streaming service, garnering more than 1.6 billion minutes since its July 1 debut.

The show has received a 40 percent score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 94 percent.

The latest: Chris Pratt, 43, has responded to critics of his Amazon Prime series The Terminal List, touting the show's success after it was panned by a number of critics. He was snapped at the series premiere in LA this past June

The Guardians Of The Galaxy leading man put up a series of posts on Instagram Stories touting the success of the series, in one instance reposting a post from author Jack Carr that read, 'We didn't make THE TERMINAL LIST for critics. We made it for those in the arena. Find the article in the link below.'

Carr linked to a DailyMail.com article with the headline, 'Chris Pratt's new Navy thriller The Terminal List defies woke critics' scathing reviews to shoot up ratings chart with 1.6 BILLION minutes of streams.'

The Jurassic World Dominion actor also shared a shot of Mike Myers as Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers films.

He captioned the image, 'One point six BILLLLLLLLLION minutes,' as Nielsen numbers indicate that viewers have watched at least 1.6 billion minutes of the thriller.

Pratt reposted a post from author Jack Carr that read, 'We didn't make THE TERMINAL LIST for critics. We made it for those in the arena. Find the article in the link below'

Pratt shared a shot of Mike Myers as Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers films, captioning the image, 'One point six BILLLLLLLLLION minutes'

The show, which is based on Carr's novel, features a cast that also includes Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, Riley Keough, Arlo Mertz and Jeanne Tripplehorn. It follows a one-time Navy SEAL officer probing the ambush of his platoon amid a covert mission.

The series last month said on its Instagram page that it was the top-viewed show on Prime Video during the weekend of July 4.

Amid its popularity, it was criticized across multiple outlets, some of which claimed it was too politicized.

In a review on The Daily Beast, the show was called an 'unhinged right-wing revenge fantasy' which pandered to 'to male red-state viewers with routine references to beer, guns, country music, and hunting.'

A review on RogerEbert.com called the show 'an alpha male cry for help,' 'jingoism at its finest, and absolute worst' and 'openly deranged.'

The film has received a 40 percent rating from critics and a 94 percent rating from fans
Amid growing concerns about an impending attack on Taiwan, Chinese nuclear bombers have undertaken deadly military exercises. As China is said to be lagging its nuclear-capable H-6K bombers in preparation for an invasion, tensions in the area have apparently reached a boiling point.

The current uptick in tensions comes amid growing worries that Taiwan may soon be attacked, with China perhaps getting ready to use its lethal nuclear weapons. Communist Party troops are stepping up military training in the area, and experts estimate that for a full-scale invasion, the Chinese military would need to create over two million men.

China-Taiwan Tensions Increase

Previous footage of field hospital practice sessions aired by Chinese media suggests that country is geared up for large-scale casualties. The nuclear bomber simulations marked the end of four days of military training conducted in reaction to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, as per The Sun.

Due to the H-6K bombers' capacity to carry nuclear weapons, their usage represents a terrifying increase of regional tensions. According to the official Chinese media outlet Global Times, the training exercises served as a "deterrence mission" to undermine Taiwan's independence movement and "advance the reunification process."

The official communist party media also acknowledged that the terrifying nuclear bomber drills were intended to simulate "a potential actual operation." According to video posted on Twitter, Beijing may be preparing for a 48-hour blitz to quickly take Taiwan. The PLA military planes were seen practicing across the Taiwan Straits.

When Beijing deployed at least 66 planes and 14 vessels to perform drills on Sunday, tensions between Taiwan and China skyrocketed. On Sunday, when Beijing dispatched at least 66 planes and 14 vessels to perform drills close to Taipei's border areas, tensions between Taiwan and China skyrocketed, Republic World reported.

Fourteen People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships and 66 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were reportedly spotted on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry.

Read Also: Lake Mead Dead Bodies: New Human Remains Found, But Police Fear There's More as Water Level Recedes

Taiwan Eyeing on Situatuon

According to the Ministry, Taiwan has kept an eye on the situation and used planes to counteract actions. It is important to remember that Taiwan had received a severe scenario warning from China in exchange for permitting US Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taipei. Several hours after Pelosi's jet departed Taipei, it dispatched 27 aircraft to Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Since then, China has also stopped working with the US on projects related to climate change, drug policy, and military endeavors. Phone conversations between the US and Chinese defense ministers have been canceled, and bilateral climate negotiations have been put on hold.

Thomas Friedman, a New York Times columnist, has since criticized Speaker Pelosi's trip as "utterly reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible," adding that the "purely symbolic" trip won't shield Taiwan from Chinese aggression.

Per Daily Express, there are now worries that the US and its counterparts Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin may start a nuclear war. Both countries share nuclear weapons. In light of the unrest in the world, President Joe Biden even said in public that the US military thought the trip was "not a smart idea right now." Despite being legally obligated to give Taiwan the tools to defend itself, America has never expressly committed to intervening militarily in a fight with China.

Related Article: China Is Giving the US Cold Shoulders After Nancy Pelosi Taiwan Visit

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According to sources, special teams that apprehended the accused officers and registered disproportionate assets (DA) cases have intensified the investigation by gathering and submitting proper evidence of the accused officer's illegal activities to the court. (PTI Photo)

HYDERABAD: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is expected to file chargesheets under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) against government officials, including former revenue divisional officers (RDO), joint collectors, and police officers, on bribery and amassing wealth disproportionate to known source of income.

According to sources, special teams that apprehended the accused officers and registered disproportionate assets (DA) cases have intensified the investigation by gathering and submitting proper evidence of the accused officer's illegal activities to the court.

"The investigation of several important cases in which the accused officers accepted bribes and amassed crores of rupees has concluded, and charge sheets with evidence will be filed," sources said.

Several officers were suspended after being caught taking bribes and amassing wealth that was disproportionate to their known source of income. Among those being investigated by the ACB are suspended Medak district joint collector Nagesh Peddapalli, revenue divisional officer K. Shankar Kumar, and Malkajgiri assistant police commissioner Y. Narasimha Reddy, according to the ACB.

ACB sleuths apprehended Peddapalli RDO Shankar Kumar while he was accepting a Rs 1 lakh bribe from a contractor to approve bills totalling RS 9 lakh. During the course of the investigation, the ACB discovered the officer's illegal assets and filed disproportionate assets cases against him.

"We discovered that Shankar Kumar amassed illegal assets worth crores of rupees in market value. The investigation into the case is nearly complete," according to ACB sources. Similarly, ACB officials have obtained leads in connection with suspended officer Nagesh's illegal properties, and a chargesheet will be filed soon.

Additionally, ACB officers discovered illegal assets amassed by Malkajgiri assistant police commissioner Narasimha Reddy. The involvement of some political leaders in the case has also been established, according to sources.
Nearly 100 students of E1 and E2 of IIIT Basar reportedly suffered from headaches and stomach aches and took treatment at the hospital on the campus till Thursday evening from Wednesday night. (Representational Photo:DC)

ADILABAD: Nearly 100 students of E1 and E2 of IIIT Basar reportedly suffered from headaches and stomach aches and took treatment at the hospital on the campus till Thursday evening from Wednesday night.

However, only 10 members were admitted to the hospital and treated. The medical staff at the hospital sent the students to their hostels after treating them.

The students who were affected said they had developed symptoms of food poisoning but the impact was low when compared to the previous incident.

A senior student told the Deccan Chronicle that many students who were affected were not revealing exactly what happened to them since they were not affected severely. The senior student said the exact picture would come out only after going through the patient register at the hospital as to how many students were treated on Wednesday evening.

A student who checked the register at the hospital said about 100 students took treatment and among them, 70 were girls. Students were continuingly visiting the hospital with health complaints, he added.

The medical staff sent the students to their hostels after giving treatment allegedly to avoid an embarrassing situation and to cover up the whole incident.

According to reliable sources, all these students developed vomiting, headache, stomach ache and motions. Students had samosa as a snack on Wednesday evening and uthappa for breakfast on Thursday morning.

Dr Susmitha, duty medical officer at the hospital on Basar IIIT campus, said only six students were undergoing treatment in the hospital and four among them were suffering from viral fevers and two were from gastroenteritis and were safe. She refuted the news that a large number of students fell sick due to food poisoning and said the news was false. She added that the students fell sick due to seasonal change. She said the students were undergoing treatment and were safe and there was no food poisoning.
Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) be made a party in a petition seeking a probe into the astronomical growth of assets of 19 leaders of the ruling party including seven ministers and the Speaker. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: In what may leave the Trinamul Congress in deep trouble, the Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) be made a party in a petition seeking a probe into the astronomical growth of assets of 19 leaders of the ruling party including seven ministers and the Speaker.

A division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj passed the order after a lawyer, Shamim Ahmed, sought an ED probe into a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Biplab Choudhury who alleged that the assets of the 19 TMC leaders in 2017, according to their affidavits to the Election Commission, had skyrocketed since 2011.

The seven ministers are Firhad Hakim who is also Kolkata mayor, Bratya Basu, Jyotipriyo Mullick, Maloy Ghatak, Arup Roy, Javed Ahmed Khan and Seuli Saha.

Others include three-time Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, Barrackpore Lok Sabha member Arjun Singh, who recently returned to the Trinamul from the BJP, MLA Swarnakamal Saha and Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb.

Welcoming the HC order, state BJP spokesperson Shameek Bhattacharya pointed out that the TMC cannot call it a conspiracy of the Centre since the directive came from the judiciary.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, "When a political party becomes target of everything, all those who are orchestrating it should think whether it must be done wholly or particularly. A PIL cannot be sustained against an individual or a political party. It can be based on a larger section where people are being cheated. "
Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu conducts proceedings of the House during ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (SANSAD TV/PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu will be accorded a farewell in the House on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders in attendance.

Naidu demits office on Wednesday and his successor Jagdeep Dhankhar will take the oath of office on August 11.

There will be no sitting of the House on Tuesday and Thursday on account of Muharram and Raksha Bandhan, sources said.

There will be another farewell function for Naidu at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium on Monday evening on behalf of all members of the House.

The prime minister will present a memento to Naidu while the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha will deliver the farewell address, they said.

A publication chronicling the tenure of Naidu as the vice president and chairman of Rajya Sabha will be released by the prime minister. This will be followed by dinner.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy conducting review meeting on Civil Supplies and Agriculture department at the camp office on Monday, Ministers Kakani Goverdhan Reddy, Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma are also seen. (DC Photo)

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Jagan Reddy on Monday directed agriculture and civil supplies officials to come up with guidelines on how to help the farmers get all requisite support -- from cultivation of crops to sale of produce through Rythu Bharosa Kendras -- in coordination with other line departments.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on the two departments with agriculture minister Govardhan Reddy, civil supplies minister Nageswara Rao and top officials here, the CM said the RBKs were doing a lot of work to help the farmers. These ranged from arranging quality seeds to purchase of produce, providing free power etc, the CM noted.

Jagan said departments like agriculture, fisheries, revenue, civil supplies, disaster management etc must work in coordination to strengthen the hands of farmers so as to get better yield. Officials were told by the CM to organise a high-level meeting to discuss such issues.

Soil tests must be conducted without fail, he said, and added that indiscriminate use of fertilisers, pesticides and other chemicals must be avoided as these were harmful to life. Officials must keep a tab on the cultivation process in this context, Jagan said.

The chief minister asked the officials to issue soil health cards to farmers on a regular basis and spread awareness among the farmers on the use of inputs for cultivation. This would help avoid indiscriminate use of fertilizers, he said.

Jagan drew a comparison as to how a doctor would help a patient, and said he wanted RBKs to play such a role vis-a-vis farmers. Officials must come up with a programme similar to the family doctor concept, for the benefit of farmers in the cultivation of crops.

The CM asked officials to gear up for purchase of the paddy raised during the kharif season and said the minimum support price must be ensured to farmers. He asked officials to ensure there is no role for millers in paddy procurement. Officials must give wide publicity on norms for paddy procurement so as to avoid fraudulent practices.

The CM called for the setting up of weighing bridges at RBK level and said there was the need to rope in women employees from village secretariats for paddy purchase. Officials must arrange incentives to them, he said.
New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had to face severe criticism over his remark that death sentences for rapists have led to an increase in the murder of those who are sexually assaulted, with the Opposition BJP accusing the Congress- ruled government and its leader of making controversial statements to hide their failures.

Gehlot also had to face ire on the social media for trivialising a heinous crime and advocating against the death penalty for rapists. Some even recalled Rajasthan minister Shanti Dhariwals recent controversial remarks in the Assembly that the state is a mardon ka pradesh, hence rapes take place.

After the Nirbhaya case, the demand to hang the accused gained momentum and after that, the law came into force. Since then, there has been an increase in the cases of murder of women after rape Due to the law on hanging of culprits after the Nirbhaya case, incidents of murder after rape have increased. This is a dangerous trend seen in the country, the CM was heard saying at a recent protest. The video clipping was shared by AAP leader and Delhi women commissions chief Swati Maliwal.

Attacking the Rajasthan CM, Maliwal said: Mr Ashok Gehlot should stop speaking the language of rapists. Its very unfortunate what he stated . I think because of his statement, the sentiment of all rape survivors across the country are hurt. She said the recent stringent law came into existence with great difficulty after hungerstrikes, and such statements by politicians break the morale of every victim.

In May, Gehlots remarks linking unemployment to rape had created a major controversy. Hitting out at the Rajasthan CM, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said: Ashok Gehlots statement is unfortunate. In the last three years, Rajasthan has become the centre for atrocities against young innocent girls. Nothing can be more unfortunate than those changing the subject by making controversial statements to hide their failures.

Questioning the silence of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said: Gehlot blames strict rape laws, not the rapists! Says rape-related murders increased after laws were tightened post- Nirbhaya! Not the first such statement! He also said most rape cases are fake! His minister said mardon ka pradesh hence rapes take place -- Priyanka ji is silent?
Patna: A day after former Union minister R.C.P. Singh announced his resignation from the party, the JD(U) on Sunday said that it would not join the Union Council of Ministers.

JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh told the media here, The party had decided not to join the Union Cabinet in 2019 after the Lok Sabha elections. There is no change in our stand.

He added that the decision will not affect the alliance in Bihar. He dismissed speculation of a rift, including over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipping the meeting of Niti Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. The party cited the Chief Minister's health issue as the reason for skipping the meeting.

The JD(U) president said that Singhs exit from the party was on expected lines as his body was here but his soul was somewhere else.

Singh had announced his resignation from the JD(U) after the party sought an explanation from him over discrepancies in immovable properties and allegations of corruption levelled by some workers. They cannot prove anything against me or my family, Singh said after he announced his resignation.

Singh who was sent to the Rajya Sabha twice earlier and served as JD(U) president had to give up his Cabinet berth after the party denied him a ticket for the third term. Notably, the notice was served to Singh a few days after his supporters raised slogans projecting him as the future Chief Minister.
Telangana Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy along with BJP national president J.P. Nadda and party national executive committee member G.Vivek Venkata Swamy in New Delhi (DC)

Hyderabad: Congress legislator from Telangana K Rajgopal Reddy on Monday submitted his resignation as MLA of Munugode to Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy.

The Speaker's office confirmed that the resignation has been accepted.

Reddy, who had recently quit the Congress, would be joining the BJP on August 21, according to sources in the saffron party.

"The result of the by-election to Munugode will be historic. The result will bring in change in Telangana politics," Reddy said after tendering the resignation.

A bypoll to Munugode would be inevitable as the Legislative Assembly elections are more than one year away, towards the end of 2023. A bye-election to a consituency should be held within six months after a seat is declared vacant.
HYDERABAD: Events of the past week are building up tension in some parties and excitement in others, but together, they have roiled the political firmament.

The week saw state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar launch the third phase of his Praja Sangrama Yatra, and it has been so fortuitous for the party, everything is seemingly going its way ever since.

Barely had Sanjay started his yatra that things began to happen. Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy announced his resignation from the Congress and as MLA from Munugode.

Now, with Sanjay's yatra entering Munugode constituency, the epicentre of attention and the next big battlefield for winning Telangana's heart for the war next year, the party is highly energised.

It was on August 2 that Sanjay began the current round of his padayatra from Yadadri. Back in Hyderabad the same day, Rajgopal Reddy announced the potentially game-changing political decision, for himself, as well as for the BJP.

Six days later, on Monday, the day Sanjays padayatra entered Munugode constituency with a fresh spring in the step, Rajgopal Reddy submitted his resignation as MLA to Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, who promptly accepted it and the Legislatures Secretariat notified his resignation within minutes.

If the word going around within the BJP is any indication, Rajgopal Reddys exit from the Congress and entry into the BJP were not something that happened out of the blue but something that had been brewing.

The timing of Rajgopal Reddys moves was also not just a matter of fate and, the BJP leaders say, point to Sanjays leadership and ability to keep the political pot boiling. The idea is to keep the TRS on its toes and have the ruling party jump through one hoop after the other, the party leaders say.

For the BJP leaders and cadres, an impending byelection in Munugode where they get to once again take on the TRS has come as yet another opportunity to showcase their might, after having proved themselves in Huzurabad and Dubbak.

These two bypolls were clear challenges to the TRS, the party leaders say, and became highly useful in building support for the party and pushes the narrative further that while the TRS was losing ground, the BJP was the only viable alternative.

Party leaders say that another aspect that truly started as a coincidence is the predominance of BJP MLAs with their names starting with the letter R. It started with T. Raja Singh, the lone BJP member in the Assembly, who was joined by G. Raghunandan Rao from Dubbak, and then Etala Rajendar from Huzurabad, with the BJP playing on the RRR movie title and spirit.

And now, with Rajgopal Reddy, Sanjays plan is to have four Rs in the Assembly and do one better than S.S. Rajamouli, the director who made the film RRR.

Coincidence or not, for the BJP, the events over the past one week that included someone like Dr Sravan Dasoju from the Congress join the BJP in a near lightning move, with Sanjay being seen as much of the brains behind the drain from the Congress, and leading the attack from the front, is just what the party needs even as the Praja Sangrama Yatra began to wind its way through the Munugode constituency on Monday.

The party is still anticipating how many more wins Sanjay will score as his yatra moves forward.
Hyderabad: With Telangana Assembly Speaker P. Srinivas Reddy wasting no time in accepting the resignation of Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy on Monday, all eyes are now on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the timing of the bypoll.

The bypoll in all likelihood will be held along with Assembly elections to Himachal Pradesh which are due in November. Official sources told this correspondent that the chances of holding a bypoll before November were bleak as the ECI had completed bypolls to 10 seats across the country only in May last and it was unlikely that there would be a standalone bypoll for Munugode.

Earlier in the day, Rajgopal Reddy met the Speaker and put in his papers. Within hours the Speakers office announced that Srinivas Reddy had accepted the resignation. Accordingly, the Assembly Secretariat informed the ECI about the vacancy.

Normally, the ECI explores two scenarios for holding bypolls. Either it will club them with bypolls of other states or the Lok Sabha or with assembly polls to states or general elections to the Lok Sabha that are due in the next six months, a senior official said.

ECI sources said the election process for Himachal Pradesh would begin in October, which is just two months away. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership was said to be in no mood to push for an early election in Munugode and Rajgopal Reddy was said to have been hinted about the November timeline.

In Huzurabad also, former minister Etala Rajendar had tendered his resignation to the Assembly on June 12, 2021, which was also immediately accepted. But, the ECI clubbed the Huzurabad bypoll with those to 19 other Assembly seats and three Lok Sabha constituencies around the country. As it is, a bypoll is a very expensive affair and the delay is expected to prove costlier to the contestants in particular the ruling party and Rajgopal Reddy.
The United States saw another round of flight cancellations and delays on Sunday.

FlightAware, a service that tracks flights, reports that as of Sunday morning, 912 flights have been canceled.Throughout the country, 6,378 flights have been delayed.

On Sunday, Chicago O'Hare experienced the greatest flight cancellations and delays, with over 12% of cancellations and more than 40% of delays per a report from CNN.

There were heavy rains in Chicago, and Cook County was under a flash flood warning for some of the day that explained Why Are Flights Being Delayed.

A total of 657 flights were canceled and 7,267 flights were delayed on Saturday within, into, or out of the United States.

According to FlightAware's report, American Airlines had 4% of its flights canceled and 24% of its Saturday flights delayed.

The website indicated United had 4% of its flights canceled and 23% of its Saturday flights delayed, while Delta had 2% of its flights canceled and 22% of its Saturday flights delayed.

FlightAware reported on Saturday US flight cancellations affected 36% of Southwest flights and 41% of JetBlue flights.

As of current reporting, FlightAware has reported the following data:

Total delays today: 8,118

Total delays within, into, or out of the United States today: 657

Total cancellations today: 1,280

Total cancellations within, into, or out of the United States today: 185

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact onUS Flight Delays

A recent surge in US flight delays has been linked with a wave of American workers deliberately leaving the job, dubbed the "great resignation."

Read Also: China Nuclear Bombers Fly During Terrifying Military Drills Amid Fears of Imminent Attack in Taiwan

Flight cancellations remained consistent between 2011 and 2019 and happened at a relatively low rate. As reported by FlightAware, the figure varied between 1.1 % and 1.8 % in any one year throughout that time.

NBC News reported that US flight cancellations percentage increased to 5% in 2020 when the pandemic struck. As vaccines become accessible in 2021, the percentage decreased to 1.6 %.

What Is the Policy on Refunds?

A few days have passed since the U.S. The Department of Transportation declared it would take into account expanding the situations in which travelers would be entitled to reimbursements for changes to their travel plans.

Refunds may be issued in certain situations of US flight delays, such as when an airline modifies the destination airport, extends the layover, or changes the arrival or departure time by more than three hours.

Even if you bought a nonrefundable ticket, the Department of Transportation mandates that the airline issue a refund if a passenger's flight gets canceled and the person opts not to fly on a new schedule, according to a report from USA Today.

The guidelines become a little blurrier in the event of a delay. The DOT claims that if a "substantial" delay happens, travelers are entitled to compensation, although the department has not yet specified what constitutes a large delay.

In essence, this implies that, for the time being, it's up to individual airlines to decide how and when to make amends for delayed passengers.

This week, the DOT revealed its plans to make those regulations clearer and more consumer-friendly. The organization released a link for public input on revisions to its cancellation and delay compensation policies on Wednesday.

Related Article: Trump Beats DeSantis With 69% Support in New CPAC Poll for 2024 Presidential Primary

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The United States and some other countries have a whole array of space satellites orbiting at preselected trajectories to watch over their areas of interest. (Representational Image)

On July 31, Osama bin Ladens successor as the global head of Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, stepped out on to the balcony of his Taliban safe house in Kabuls tony Wazir Akbar Khan area to catch a breath of fresh air and a bit of sunshine. About 40,000 feet above, an American Predator B (aka Reaper MQ-9) drone loitering to get a glimpse of him caught him in its camera, and after its operators in Nevada, in the western United States, confirmed it with facial identification technology, ordered it to fire its single Hellfire R9X missile. The Hellfire is a small 100 lbs and five-foot-long air to ground missile (AGM) and races down a reflected laser beam with unerring accuracy. It costs about $150,000.

The R9X, which was developed at the express request of Barack Obama, who wanted to minimise collateral damage due to an explosive charge, is a kinetic weapon which unsheathes multiple blades from its fuselage as it approaches the target at almost 900 mph like a whirling swordsman. Al-Zawahari didnt stand a chance against a Hellfire racing down at over 925 mph.

The United States and some other countries have a whole array of space satellites orbiting at preselected trajectories to watch over their areas of interest. These satellites not only listen to targets, but also track them and identify faces and vehicles by their plates.

Osama bin Laden never looked up while on his morning walk at his Abbottabad residence but he was recognised by his height, the length of his shadow at the time of the day and by his gait. Al-Zawahari was either careless or underestimated Americas appetite for his head. He still had a $25 million reward, appetising enough for any informants.

The number of active mobile phones across the world are over 15 billion, which means that many people have more than a couple. Of these 7.2 billion are smartphones connecting people with huge reservoirs of information and content. India has 1.28 billion and China has 1.9 billion phones. The US follows with 327 million and a dysfunctional country like Pakistan has 125 million. Even in countries with little semblance of a government or a state, like Somalia and Afghanistan or Mali or Libya, there are functioning mobile phone networks.

As of June 30, 2021 there were 4.86 billion Internet users world over. Of these, 44.8 per cent were in Asia, 21.5 per cent in Europe and 11.4 per cent in the whole of North America. India was one of the last countries operating a telegraph service and as of end-2021 even that is in the past. Literally, its all up in the air now.

But since data exchanged on cellular and Internet networks fly through the ether and not as pulses racing through copper wires, they are easier to net by electronic interception. But these nets catch them in huge numbers. This is where the supercomputers come in. The messages that are netted every moment are run through sieves of sophisticated and complex computer programmes that can simultaneously decode, detect and unravel, and by further analysing the incoming and outgoing patterns of calls and data transfers for the sending and receiving terminals or phones, can with a fair probability of accuracy tell the agency seeking information about what is going on and who is up to what?

The problem is that since this information also goes through the mobile phone network and Internet Service Providers (ISP), and the data actually gets decoded from electronic blips into voice and digital data, the private players too can gain access to such information.

A few years ago we had the case of the infamous Amar Singh CDs, which titillated so many with its graphic content and lowbrow conversations featuring the likes of Anil Ambani, Jayaprada, Bipasha Basu and some others. Then we had the episode of the Niira Radia tapes, where we were privy to the machinations of the Tata Groups corporate lobbyist in the nations capital fixing policy, positioning ministers and string-pulling media stars. But more usefully than this, a mobile phone, by nature of its technology, is also a personalised GPS indicator. It tells them where that phone is at any instant it is on. Al-Qaeda terrorist and US citizen Anwar el-Awlaki was blasted by a Hellfire missile fired from a CIA Predator drone flying over Yemen with the co-ordinates provided by Awlakis mobile phone.

Since a mobile phone is usually with you, it tells the network (and other interested parties) where you are or were, and even where you are headed. If you are on a certain street, since it reveals where exactly you are and the direction of your movement, it can tell you where the next pizza place is or where and what is on sale there. This is also a breach of privacy, but often useful to you. But if you are up to no good, then a switched-on mobile phone is a certain giveaway.

Thats what gave away Osama bin Laden in the end. A momentary indiscretion by a trusted courier and bodyguard and a name gleaned from a long-ago water-boarding session was all that it took. To know what happened next, see Zero Dark Thirty by Katherine Bigelow (now on Netflix and YouTube).

The US National Security Agencys eavesdropping mission includes radio broadcasting, both from various organisations and individuals, the Internet, telephone calls, and other intercepted forms of communication.

Its secure communications mission includes military, diplomatic and all other sensitive, confidential or secret government communications. The NSA is all hi-tech. The NSA collects intelligence from four geostationary satellites. These satellites track and monitor millions of conversations and the NSAs banks of high-speed supercomputers process all these messages for certain phrases and patterns of conversations to decide if the persons at either end were worthy of further interest. Link this information with the data from the CIAs spinning satellites watching the movement of groups, individuals and vehicles, and you have a broad picture of what the people are doing. According to the Washington Post, every day, collection systems at the National Security Agency intercept and store 1.7 billion e-mails, phone calls and other types of communications. The NSA and the CIA together comprise the greatest intelligence gathering effort in the world. The overall US intelligence budget is now declared to be $62.8 billion.
By Sankalp Phartiyal

India seeks to restrict Chinese smartphone makers from selling devices cheaper than Rs 12,000 ($150) to kickstart its faltering domestic industry, dealing a blow to brands including Xiaomi Corp.

The move is aimed at pushing Chinese giants out of the lower segment of the worlds second-biggest mobile market, according to people familiar with the matter. It coincides with mounting concern about high-volume brands like Realme and Transsion undercutting local manufacturers, they said, asking not to be identified discussing a sensitive matter.

Exclusion from Indias entry-level market would hurt Xiaomi and its peers, which in recent years have increasingly relied on India to drive growth while their home market endures a series of Covid-19 lockdowns that crippled consumption. Smartphones under $150 contributed to a third of Indias sales volume for the quarter through June 2022, with Chinese companies accounting for up to 80% of those shipments, according to market tracker Counterpoint.

Xiaomis shares extended losses in the final minutes of trading in Hong Kong on Monday. It slid 3.6%, extending their decline this year to more than 35%. Its unclear whether Prime Minister Narendra Modis government will announce any policies or use informal channels to convey its preference to Chinese companies, the people said.

New Delhi has already subjected Chinese firms operating in the country, such as Xiaomi and rivals Oppo and Vivo, to close scrutiny of their finances, which has led to tax demands and money laundering allegations. The government has previously employed unofficial means to ban Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. telecom equipment. While theres no official policy prohibiting Chinese networking gear, wireless carriers are encouraged to purchase alternatives.

The move shouldnt affect Apple Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., which price their phones higher. Representatives from Xiaomi, Realme and Transsion didnt respond to requests for comment. Spokespeople from Indias technology ministry also didnt respond to Bloomberg News inquiries.

India amped up pressure on Chinese firms in the summer of 2020 after more than a dozen Indian soldiers died following a clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbors on a disputed Himalayan border. It has since banned more than 300 apps, including Tencent Holdings Ltd.s WeChat and ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok, as relations between the two countries fray.

Homegrown companies such as Lava and MicroMax comprised just under half of Indias smartphone sales before new entrants from the neighboring country disrupted the market with cheap and feature-rich devices.

Chinese smartphone players now sell the vast majority of devices in India, but their market dominance has not been on the basis of free and fair competition, Indias junior tech minister told the Business Standard newspaper last week. Recurring annual losses posted by most Chinese handset makers in India, despite their leading position, add to criticism of unfair competition.

In private, the government continues to ask Chinese executives to build local supply chains, distribution networks and export from India, suggesting New Delhi still very much wants their investment, the people said.

With assistance from Gao Yuan, Upmanyu Trivedi and P R Sanjai.
The main developments in Iran's nuclear programme since 2015, as Tehran examines a "final text" in Vienna aimed at restoring a landmark deal with world powers.

In 2013, newly elected Iranian president Hassan Rouhani says he is ready for "serious" negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, following an eight-year stalemate under ultraconservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rouhani secures support from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for efforts to break the deadlock.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany reach a historic accord in Vienna.

Also Read | Iran now speaking openly on nuclear bomb prospects

The deal places significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief after 12 years of crisis and 21 months of protracted negotiations. It comes into force on January 16, 2016.

Under the accord, Tehran's nuclear programme is placed under strict UN control subject to guarantees it is not trying to make an atom bomb, something Iran has always denied.

US president Donald Trump walks away from the deal on May 8, 2018.

"We cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement," he says.

Deal critics had complained from the start about the time limits applied to the deal.

Later in 2018, Washington begins reimposing sanctions on Iran and companies with ties to it, hitting the central bank and the country's vital oil sector.

Major international firms halt activities in the country.

In May 2019, Iran starts rolling back on its deal commitments in retaliation.

Trump hits back by sanctioning Iran's steel and mining sectors.

Tehran increases its stockpile of enriched uranium in excess of the limits laid down in the deal.

It announces in early 2020 it is foregoing a limit on its number of uranium-enriching centrifuges.

Also read: Iran calls on UN nuclear watchdog IAEA to resolve outstanding issues pertaining to nuclear deal

In 2021, Iran says it has started enriching uranium to up to 60 percent -- many times the limit of 3.67 percent imposed by the deal -- which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says could be sufficient to create a compact nuclear explosive.

In April 2021, with President Joe Biden now in the White House, talks on rescuing the accord start in Vienna.

Iran's new ultraconservative president, Ebrahim Raisi, says in August he is open to negotiations but will not be pressured by sanctions.

Talks resume in November.

Just as a deal looks imminent, Russia invades Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and Moscow becomes the target of international sanctions. The negotiations are delayed.

In mid-March, Washington says a compromise is "close", but Tehran raises some "red line" issues, including its bid to have all sanctions lifted.

On March 30, Washington sanctions suppliers to Tehran's ballistic missiles programme, which Iran dubs "another sign of the US government's malice" towards the Islamic republic.

On June 8, the IAEA adopts a resolution submitted by Britain, France, Germany and the United States that condemns Iran for the first time in two years.

Iran responds by removing surveillance cameras at nuclear facilities.

On June 16, Washington sanctions a network of Iranian petrochemical firms.

In late June, two days of EU-brokered indirect talks in Doha between Iran and the United States conclude with no progress.

On July 26, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says he has submitted a draft text of a deal, urging parties to accept it or "risk a dangerous nuclear crisis".

On August 4, negotiators gather for a fresh round of talks.

On August 7, Iran demands that the UN nuclear watchdog "completely" resolve outstanding issues related to questions over nuclear material at undeclared sites.

On August 8, Iran says it is examining a "final text" presented by the European Union.
After New Delhi persuaded Colombo to indefinitely defer the visit of a reconnaissance ship of China to the Hambantota Port in southern Sri Lanka, Beijing on Monday tacitly asked India to desist from disturbing normal exchanges and cooperation between the communist country and the Indian Ocean island nation.

Beijing dismissed as senseless Indias security concerns over the proposed visit of Chinas Yuan Wang 5 vessel to Sri Lanka.

The cooperation of China and Sri Lanka is independently chosen by the two countries and does not target third parties, Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of China, told journalists in Beijing. Citing the concept of security concerns is senseless to pressure Sri Lanka, he said, tacitly hitting out at India.

Also Read: India assures Sri Lanka of continued support to help economic recovery

Sri Lanka last week buckled under pressure from India and requested China to defer the visit of its recon ship Yuan Wang 5 to the Hambantota Port of the island nation.

I would like to reiterate two points. Sri Lanka is a transportation hub in the Indian Ocean. Many scientific exploration ships including from China have stopped in the ports of Sri Lanka for supplies, Wang said while briefing media-persons in Beijing. China always exercised freedom of navigation in the high seas and fully respects jurisdiction of coastal states of scientific exploration activities within their jurisdiction waters.

The Yuan Wang 5 is one of the four of its class used by the Strategic Support Force of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to track satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles. It of late sailed from a port in China and was scheduled to dock at the Hambantota Port of Sri Lanka from August 11 to 17 next. But its arrival has now been indefinitely deferred, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sri Lankan government writing to the Embassy of Peoples Republic of China in Colombo, requesting to postpone its visit until further consultations between the two sides.

The Embassy of India in Colombo over the past few days took up the issue with the office of the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Ministry of Defence of the Sri Lankan government, however, sought to play down New Delhis concerns, stating that Yuan Wang 5 would dock at Hambantota Port only for refueling and replenishing its stock of food and other essentials. India, however, continued to convey its concerns to the Sri Lankan government and even reached out to top brass of the Sri Lankan Army and Air Force based near Hambantota Port.

China earlier used its debt-trap diplomacy to force Sri Lanka to lease out the Hambantota Port to one of the state-owned companies of the communist country.

When Sri Lanka is currently facing economic and political difficulties, grossly interfering with Sri Lanka's normal foreign exchanges and cooperation is taking advantage of the dangers of others and goes against international morality and basic norms of international relations, said the Chinese Governments spokesperson. China urges relevant parties to view China's marine scientific research activities rationally and stop interfering with normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka.
Following the "crackdown" launched in March this year against alleged network of "jihadi groups," police and intelligence agencies in Assam have been frequently referring to a video released in April last year, in which deceased al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appealed to his "soldiers" to come to Assam.

In the video, Zawahiri had purportedly asked his "soldiers" to help the Muslims in Assam, who according to him, were in trouble. According to some, the global terror leader was referring to the alleged harassment to those left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Police claim to have busted five "modules" of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), based in neighbouring Bangladesh and arrested at least 30 men and women since March this year. They were allegedly involved in the network to indoctrinate Muslims in Assam to carry forward Zawahiri's appeal for "jihad" in Assam. ABT is a banned terror group in Bangladesh.

Police said they have arrested a Bangladesh national, Saiful Islam alias Mohammad Suman, and have launched a hunt for five other Bangladesh nationals, who are at still large.

Police sources in Assam, however, told DH that along with the operations to bust the other modules, they are also carrying out a "survey" to identify the "push factors" that helped global fundamentalist terror groups like al-Qaeda and ABT to penetrate into the state.

"Being a state with borders in Bangladesh, it it obvious that we may feel the heat of the developments in the neighbouring country," Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters in Guwahati, soon after a Madrasa teacher was arrested in central Assam's Morigaon district on July 27. He was allegedly involved with ABT. Sarma on August 4 said at least five modules of ABT have been busted in Barpeta, Bongaigaon and Morigaon districts, having sizeable Muslim population.

A police officer cited the history of "large scale" migration of Muslims from Bangladesh, long borders, some stretches still open and lack of development in the areas inhabited by the Muslims. "The terror groups are also using the sentiments against the NRC, which left out many Muslims. In some of the meetings, the issue of NRC was also discussed to cash in on the anger," he said. Assam shares 262-km borders with Bangladesh.

But a BJP leader stressed that the NRC was not aimed at Muslims only and half of those (19.06 lakh) left of the final list are Hindus.

Nearly 33 per cent of Assam's population are Muslims. Sarma on August 4 said that the drive against the "jihadis" should not be seen as something against the Muslims. "The drive against such groups is not new. The first such network was busted way back in 1999. But let me say today that our drive is not against the Muslims. In fact, we have been able to bust the ABT modules due to information provided by the peace-loving Muslims. They are trying to lure the highly educated and tech-savvy Muslim youths, and I am sure Muslims in Assam will not allow them to grow further," Sarma said.

In April this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over a case related to ABT and AQIS said that Saiful Islam, the Bangladesh national, who was arrested in Barpeta district, tried to set up a base of AQIS in eastern India. Islam had illegally entered India through Indo-Bangladesh borders in West Bengal and settled in Barpeta in Assam. He was working as an Arabic teacher in a local school.

Fear of propaganda

Opposition parties in Assam stressed that the drive against the terror groups should not be used for making propaganda against all Muslims. "The government should publish a white paper about the activities of the jihadi and those identified or already arrested so that the comments made by some leaders in the ruling party do not create a sense of fear among the Muslims in Assam," Congress leader in the Assembly, Debabrata Saikia said.

Akhil Gogoi, Sivasagar MLA and leader of Raijor Dal, a regional party stated that the drive against the terror groups should not be used to divert attention from major issues like unemployment and price rise, which invited criticism to the BJP government.

Year - group busted in Assam

1999 - Harakat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM)

2003-04 - Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI)

2011-12 - Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)

2015-16 - Hizbul Mujahideen

2018-2020 - Hizbul Mujahideen
With nine laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox in the country and low testing due to social prejudices associated with the disease, India is ramping up its testing capacity for monkeypox, through both state and private initiatives.

According to a report by the Business Standard, the recently-formed Central Task Force on Monkeypox has stressed the importance of developing diagnostic kits and vaccines for the contagious disease, which has thus far been primarily detected among gay and bisexual men, despite it not being classified as a sexually transmitted disease.

Additionally, experts have also suggested that point-of-care tests, screening, and a widespread testing network in the hinterlands can help arrest the spread of monkeypox.

Also Read | Monkeypox strain in India different from Europe, finds ICMR-NIV analysis of first two cases

In accordance with the same, pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies in India have stepped up efforts to make monkeypox testing both quick and accessible.

One such firm is Goa-based Molbio Diagnostics which has developed a monkeypox test kit using its Truenat platform which is widely used in tuberculosis testing.

Truenat is the only point-of-care RT-PCR platform used by the World Health Organization (WHO) to detect tuberculosis. The test is developed on the Truenat platform, and there are around 5,000 such machines deployed across India, including rural areas, Molbio founder, director, and CEO Sriram Natarajan told BS, commenting on the logic behind leveraging the Truenat platform.

Gurugram-based in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) startup Genes2Me, meanwhile, has also developed an RT-PCR test kit for monkeypox, available in both a standard version and a point-of-care (POC) version, which has a quick turnaround time of 50 minutes.

Currently used for screening purposes, the Genes2Me monkeypox test results can be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for a confirmatory test.

Also Read | US declares monkeypox a public health emergency

At present, it is a screening kit and not a diagnostic confirmatory. It has to be clinically tested with enough samples and we do not have as many positive samples, Genes2Me founder and CEO Neeraj Gupta told BS, adding, Now we can manufacture 5 million test kits a week. It can be scaled up to 2 million a day.

Genes2Me is awaiting approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for manufacturing.

Like Molbio and Genes2Me, Chennai-based Trivitron Healthcare has also developed an RT-PCR test kit for monkeypox  a fluorescence-based test  that can differentiate between monkeypox and smallpox in a single-tube reaction format and has a turnaround time of one hour.

In this four-gene RT-PCR kit, the first target detects the viruses in the wider orthopox group, the second and third targets detect and differentiate the monkeypox and smallpox viruses, respectively, and the fourth one detects the internal control corresponding to human cells to address the assay performance and aid in following its epidemic spread, Trivitron told BS, explaining the procedure.

Also Read | Health ministry releases dos and don'ts to prevent contracting monkeypox

Currently, India has 15 virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs), including the NIV, all of which fall under the ICMR and are equipped to carry out tests for monkeypox.

However, the Centre has plans to ramp the number up to 40, in addition to having 70 integrated disease surveillance programme laboratories under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Private labs too are keen to jump in, provided they get the requisite permissions from the government, reported BS.
Amid political rumblings in Bihar, the BJP's central leadership has called the top leaders in Delhi to assess the situation and formulate a plan of action.

BJP leaders like Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shahnawaz Hussain, Nitin Navin, Satish Chandra Dubey are on the way to Delhi.

The development comes in wake of other political parties of the state including the ruling Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, HAM and left parties calling separate meetings on Tuesday.

JD(U) national President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh confirmed that his party has called all MLAs, MLCs and MPs to be present in the meeting on Tuesday. He said that a meeting was called to discuss the future course of action after the situation arises due to the exit of RCP Singh.

Explained | Why is Nitish Kumar 'upset' with BJP?

The BJP, however, said that there was nothing untoward.

Its state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal said: "Every party holds meetings of its legislators and there was nothing unusual in it. We did the same on July 31. At present, the NDA government is running smoothly under the leadership of Nitish Kumar in Bihar."

State JD(U) President Umesh Kushawaha also said: "The government is running smoothly under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. We have no difference with BJP at the moment."

This, however, seems to be having a resonance with the situation to 2017 when JD(U) leaders were claiming that all is well with the Mahagathbandhan (with the RJD and the Congress), till the very last moment. Then Nitish Kumar went to Raj Bhawan and gave his resignation as the Chief Minister of Bihar. He also recommended that the Governor dissolve the Assembly. However this time, the situation has changed and Nitish Kumar would recommend to the Governor to sack particular ministers from his cabinet.

A JD(U) insider believes that there are many reasons for souring the relationship between his party and the BJP. One of the reasons is the statement of BJP chief J P Nadda who said on July 31 that he wants to wipe out every regional party from the country. His target was the RJD, JD(U), the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group), the Shiromani Akali Dal, Dusyant Chautala's party JJP. That may have triggered the JD(U) to consider snapping the alliance with the BJP. Also the BJP's 'Prawas' programme in 200 Assembly constituencies was seen as a threat to the JD(U).
While Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) on Sunday rebuffed speculation of a rift with ally BJP asserting all is well, the political pot remained abuzz with news that the coalition government in Bihar is on the verge of a collapse.

The JD(U) is likely to announce the split from alliance partner BJP soon, reported NDTV quoting sources, adding that the JD(U) is planning to form an alternative government along with the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Left Front, and the Congress. Meanwhile, a News18 report claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought time to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Also Read  All is well in Bihar? Nitish rebuffs BJP yet again

Upset with the BJP, the JD(U) has also called a parliamentary meeting of all its MPs, MLAs and MLCs on Tuesday. The move comes after Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Sunday.

JD(U) also said it will not join the Union council of ministers, where it has been left with no representation after the resignation of RCP Singh.

Recent tiffs between JD(U) and BJPs Bihar unit have led to speculation of another political churn in the offing in the state. Sources close to Kumar attributed his absence from Delhi to post-Covid debility. Nitish Kumar had tested positive for Covid-19 on July 25 but attended a function in Patna on Sunday where he shared the dais with his Cabinet colleagues, including BJP leaders Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Tarkishore Prasad.

There was speculation that JD(U) could send its national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan to the Union Cabinet, with RCP Singh quitting. Lalan said the decision not to join the Cabinet was taken by Kumar.
Amid strong hints that the winds of change may create a political storm in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had a telephonic conversation with Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi.

Though the full details of the phone call, which happened on Sunday night, are not officially known, sources said that the two leaders discussed the formation of a new government in Bihar.

The effect of the telephonic conversation was visible in Patna as Congress state president Madan Mohan Jha and party legislature leader Ajit Sharma called a meeting of its legislators in Sadakat Ashram to discuss future course of action.

Read | Bihar government collapse buzz gets louder as BJP-JD(U) rift widens

The Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have already asked their MLAs to reach Patna. The RJD meeting of its legislators will be held on Tuesday at 9 a.m. and the JD(U) will have a meeting of its legislators at 11 a.m. on the same day.

Speculation is rife in Bihar that Nitish Kumar is likely to switch from NDA to the Mahagathbandhan 2.0.

Nitish Kumar already has two meetings with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday and Sunday night. Following that, he had a telephonic conversation with Sonia Gandhi as well.

Present option for BJP

The BJP is running out of options to do damage control. Sources said that the party's top leadership desperately wants to stay in power till 2024 while its actions aimed to take a dig at JD(U). The BJP state president in particular frequently attacked the Nitish Kumar government apart from other leaders.

The roadshow of Amit Shah and JP Nadda in Patna on July 31 is likely the final nail in the coffin for the souring political relations between the BJP and JD(U).

The BJP held the 'Prawas' programme in 200 Assembly constituencies of Bihar, which the JD(U) sees as a threat and violation of alliance norms.

Soon after the roadshow, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, the national president of JD(U) said that the BJP was free to do the Prawas programme in all 243 seats. Likewise, the JD(U) was just as entitled to do the same.

In case of formation of a new government in Bihar, Nitish Kumar, a veteran politician, will not resign from the chief ministerial post, like he did in 2017 after he broke the alliance with Mahagathbandhan and formed the government with BJP. At that time, Nitish Kumar knew that the Governor, appointed by BJP, would not impose the President's rule in the state.

At present, the same Governor is in the Raj Bhawan. Nitish Kumar, has the power to sack every minister of the BJP from his cabinet and appoint MLAs of RJD, Congress and Left parties as ministers. He did the same in 2013 and he may repeat the same in 2022.

Also Read | All is well in Bihar? Nitish rebuffs BJP yet again

In case of the BJP pressurising the Governor to ask Nitish Kumar to prove majority in the House, he would prove it with the help of RJD, Congress and Left parties.

Nitish Kumar is also feeling uneasy with the track record of BJP. The saffron party, over the years, has been weakening its alliance partners like its oldest allies Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). It is believed that Nitish Kumar also feels that staying with the BJP for too long, may hurt his party. Lalan Singh has already said that the BJP conspired against JD(U) in the 2020 Assembly election by using the Chirag (Chirag Paswan) model. As a result, the party got 43 seats in the Bihar Assembly. In 2015, JD(U) had 69 seats.

Nitish Kumar may use corruption cases against the BJP ministers as a tool to exit from the NDA. Ram Surat Rai, the land reforms and revenue minister is facing the charges of transfer-posting case and Tar Kishore Prasad, the deputy CM is facing the corruption charges of alloting contracts of 'Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal' to his family members.

Why is the BJP looking helpless?

After the formation of government under Nitish Kumar in Bihar, the BJP, which is playing the role of elder brother, was deprived of the key post like home ministry to dictate terms in the state. Hence, it has started criticising the Nitish Kumar government while staying in power. However, it is yet to ascertain whether the BJP opted such a policy under the direction of central leadership or leaders in the rank of Sanjay Jaiswal were going hard on Nitish Kumar on their own.

In Bihar, the BJP has two deputy chief ministers -- Tar Kishore Prasad and Renu Devi and state president Sanjay Jaiswal, but they are being directed by central leadership of BJP, say sources.

These leaders are not capable of playing the role of a bridge between Nitish Kumar and the central leadership of BJP unlike Sushil Kumar Modi. As a result, the BJP has sent Dharmendra Pradhan twice to Patna for the damage control, but the road show of Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda and Prawas programme in 200 Assembly seats might have forced Nitish Kumar to take strong decision.
Dismayed over the division in Opposition political parties during the presidential elections, National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the NC should do what suits it rather than waste time in chasing ghosts.

Corroborating his statement, he quoted the August 5, 2019 decision when Parliament revoked J&Ks special status under Article 370 and most of the Opposition parties either remained silent or supported the decision in the Lok Sabha.

Also Read  Prez-elect Murmu's tally boosted by cross-voting

Opposition unity is a bit of a chimera. Ultimately political parties will do what's in their own interest & that's as it should be. J&K saw this when we were left high & dry by "friends" in 2019. It's time for @JKNC_ to do suits the party rather than waste time chasing ghosts, Abdullah tweeted.

During the presidential polls, several Opposition parties like BJD, Shiv Sena and YSR Congress extended their support to the BJPs tribal leader from Odisha Droupadi Murmu while several MLAs from across state assemblies cross-voted in her support, defying their parties stated support to Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.

Omars remarks came after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which had led from the front to unify the Opposition to elect the countrys President, announced that it will abstain from voting for the vice presidential polls and will not side with the UPA candidate Margaret Alva, unlike in the case of Yashwant Sinha.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the recent bombardment of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in central Ukraine as it further intensifies fears of a massive catastrophe in Europe amid the continued battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the surrounding area.

The UN chief told reporters Monday in Tokyo: "Any attack on nuclear power plants is a suicidal thing."

He also urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be granted access to the damaged plant and hoped that the attacks "will end."

"We fully support the IAEA in all their efforts in relation to creat(ing) the conditions for stabilization of the plant," Guterres noted.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex is situated in a major stretch of the Dnipro River. It has continued to operate at a reduced capacity since Russian forces took control of it at the beginning of March, with Ukrainian technicians continuing to do their duties, per CNN.

One employee was hurt by Russian shelling surrounding the facility on Saturday, according to a statement from Ukraine's state energy company Energoatom on Sunday.

"Timely detection and response in case of aggravation of the radiation situation or leakage of radiation from spent nuclear fuel casks are currently impossible," Energoatom stated, noting that three radiation monitoring sensors also sustained damage.

The company said: "This time a nuclear catastrophe was miraculously avoided, but miracles cannot last forever."

Kyiv and Moscow Point Fingers at Each Other

It was the second time the factory had been struck in as many days. For both assaults, Ukraine and Russia swapped the blame.

A Ukrainian missile, per the Russian-backed authorities in the nearby city of Energodar, allegedly came down 400 meters from one of the plant's reactors. The power plant and the city were both taken by Russian forces at the same time.

According to the local authority, and as reported by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the military forces of Ukraine attacked "with an Uragan 220 mm rocket missile cluster rocket."

"Administrative buildings and the adjoining territory of the dry cask storage facility were damaged by the projectiles. It is important to note that the place of impact of warhead shrapnel and the rocket propulsion engine itself is no more than 400 meters from the active reactor," the authorities noted.

Read Also: US Assures To Help Ally Philippines Defend Itself If China Attacks in South China Sea

The shelling is "extremely dangerous," according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who also said that they "expect" the nations that have "absolute influence" over the Ukrainian government to sway to stoppage of such bombardment.

Ukraine's Kotin highlighted the particularly grave risk of shelling and striking spent canisters of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel, as per a Reuters report. "It is impossible to assess" the scope of the disaster "if two or more containers were broken."

Ukraine Resumes Grain Exports

In other updates, per CNBC, Ukraine is starting to restart grain shipments, all under the supervision of a Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul, which brings together representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, the minister of infrastructure for Ukraine, reported that a second caravan of four ships carrying agricultural products from the country left Black Sea ports. According to the agreement, the first four ships departed Ukraine last week.

Before the invasion, roughly a third of the world's wheat exports were made up of Russia and Ukraine.

Zelenskyy commended the resumption of exports but noted that concerns persisted.

The Ukrainian president said: "The threat of Russian provocations and terrorist acts remains. Everyone should be aware of this. But if our partners fulfill their part of the commitment and guarantee the security of supplies, this will really solve the global food crisis."

Related Article: Taiwan Poised To Strike as It Gears Up Its F-16 Vipers To Counter Chinese Invasion

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The Monsoon session of Parliament ended on Monday four days ahead of schedule. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the house sine die, saying it met for 16 days and passed seven legislations. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure will end on August 10, adjourned the house sine die, saying that detailed statistics pertaining to the session will be circulated during the course by the Rajya Sabha secretariat.
In a statement that was unusually long and effusive, the President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked India repeatedly for the various initiatives taken by New Delhi to assist his country shortly after the two sides had concluded delegation level talks in New Delhi during his recent visit to India.

But there was a reason for Solih and India to be decidedly pleased. The latest New Delhi-Male engagement at the highest level had gone well for both. While Solih reiterated his government's 'India First' policy, India reiterated its 'Neighbourhood First' policy.

While the pro-India Solih returned to his country with plenty to show in terms of the outcomes of his visit, New Delhi was able to continue with its sustained outreach to the Indian Ocean archipelagothe aim being to ensure it does not cede strategic space to China in a country it has traditionally considered within its sphere of influence.

Also Read | Indias challenges in Maldives

The outcomes will, perhaps, also help Solih counter the anti-India sentiment that's frequently whipped up by the Opposition parties, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC), with the China-leaning former President Abdulla Yameen of the PPM leading the charge.

With six MoUs and promises of assistance in infrastructural development, among other things, Solih would also be hopeful that this would help build his government's image as one that worked for Maldives' rapid development. This, in turn, would bolster his electoral prospects in the presidential elections next year.

New Delhi, on its part, knows only too well that it can ill afford to slacken in its efforts to retain influence where China has made increasing inroads. Pushed to the sidelines after Yameen lost to Solih in the 2018 presidential elections, Beijing has not let up in its efforts to bounce back in the strategic calculus. New Delhi knows this only too well.

Also Read | President Murmu has first meeting with a foreign leader

Therefore, not only was the red carpet rolled out for Solih, but it was fairly evident that India is willing to go the extra mile to assist the Maldives with grants, Lines of Credit (LoC) and any other development assistance it may require to build its infrastructure.

During the visit, India announced that it would be extending another $100 million LoC to help the speedy completion of infrastructure projects. It has also promised the Maldives $119 million for the construction of 2,000 social housing units in addition to the money it has already provided for the earlier 4,000 housing units.

Among the big-ticket projects India is funding in the Maldives is the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), which will be the largest ever infrastructure project in the archipelago. In the Covid-induced new normal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Solih launched this project virtually by pressing a button to pour the concrete.

Once ready, it will surpass the Chinese-built China-Maldives Friendship bridge, inaugurated during Yameen's presidency just days ahead of the 2018 presidential polls. This bridge is the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives so far and is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

While countries have more often than not found themselves falling into the Chinese debt trap after availing of loans for infrastructure projects, India has adopted an altogether different approach in its development assistance for the neighbourhood and beyond.

It's ensured that countries do not find themselves neck-deep in debt with projects driven by local needs rather than hegemonic tendencies, as shown by China. So is the case with Maldives. In the case of the Maldives, India has thus far provided a generous $2.8 billion worth of financial assistance to the Maldives.

There was another dimension, an important one, to Solih's visit. This was the impetus both sides wanted to give to bilateral trade, which increased by 31 per cent in 2021 when it touched the $323.29 million mark against the $245.23 worth of trade in 2020.

Encouraging economic links would also help India earn both goodwill and influence in a nation where tourism is the mainstay of the economy and which took a severe hit during the pandemic but has bounced back. Two business events were organised for Solih and the business delegation that accompanied him. The Maldives is looking for foreign investments. It remains to be seen if Indian investors would find it an attractive investment destination.

With defence and security cooperation gaining increasing salience in the bilateral relationship, no less than ten paragraphs were devoted to the joint statement issued after Solih.

Significantly then, the joint statement said that the two countries would be "mindful of each other's concerns on the security and stability of the region" and that they would "not allow their respective territories to be used for any activity inimical to the other".

With increasing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region and its attempts to encircle India, New Delhi has had increasing security concerns. Hence its moves to bolster defence cooperation with countries in the IOR, among them the Maldives.

Indeed, in the Maldives, the Solih government has forged ahead with defence cooperation with India despite the Opposition stoked anti-India campaign. The campaign says that India is setting up a 'military base' in the Maldives and demands that the Maldives cancel its defence deals with India have been ignored by Solih, much to New Delhi's relief.

Solih has also clamped down on the strident 'India Out' campaign led by Yameen by issuing a decree on April 21 this year, banning it on the grounds that it posed a threat to national security.

While there has been some domestic criticism of this move, it's fairly evident that Solih does not want this campaign to jeopardise Male-New Delhi ties or rock his government's stability as he prepares to contest for a second term as President next year.

Indeed, not just Solih and his political rivals but even New Delhi, Beijing, and Washington, among others, would be keeping a close eye on political developments in the archipelago as it gets into election mode.

Yameen has already declared his intention to run for the President's post. His return to power would leave New Delhi dismayed, given his antipathy towards India and his assiduous courting of the Chinese during his presidential tenure.

Within the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), an intense power struggle is currently on between President Solih and former President Mohamed Nasheed, who is now the Speaker of the Maldivian Parliament (Majlis).

Once childhood friends, they have now turned into bitter foes. Both have thrown their hats in the ring for the presidential post. New Delhi, in all likelihood, would rather see the sober and steady Solih re-elected instead of Nasheed, who has proven to be a rather disruptive influence for a government led by his own party.

From accusing his own party's ministers of corruption to seeking a parliamentary form of government (so that he can become PM) to, more recently, asking that the MDP resign from the coalition it leadsNasheed has kept the pot boiling for Ibu Solih. This has only added to New Delhi's anxieties as it knows that any political instability could be to China's advantage.

The jostling for power between the two men took a rather strange turn last week after Nasheed's brother was arrested on charges of homosexuality which is outlawed in a country which adheres to Sunni Islam. Nasheed accused Solih of pandering to the hardline elementsthe reference being to the right-wing Adhaalath Party, which is part of Solih's coalition.

Solih's supporters within the MDP struck back by beginning a signature campaign to move a no-confidence motion against Nasheed and remove him as Speaker. Maldives media later reported that Solih had asked that the signature campaign be called off.

But this isn't the last time one will hear of the Solih-Nasheed jousting to retain their relevance and influence. The ever-widening rift could well affect the MDP's electoral prospects next year and queer the pitch for New Delhi if the China-backed Yameen seizes power once again.

(Parul Chandra is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
The City of Derry International Choir Festival returns this October for its tenth festival and organisers have announced the fantastic line-up of guest artists for this years programme of events, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Finnish a cappella sensation Rajaton will perform on Friday 21 October in the Millennium Forum.

In 2022, they are celebrating 25 years of music-making together, and as part of the 10th City of Derry International Choir Festival, they will perform in Derry for the first time with an exciting mix of musical styles, ranging from pop to jazz to classical music.

With their infectious energy and boundless ability to entertain and inspire, this will be a highlight event of the five day festival.

On Thursday 20 October, the festival announced a very special choral treat with the world-class Polish Radio Choir in the beautiful surroundings of the Guildhall.

This stunning choral ensemble will present a unique concert of contemporary compositions by some of Polands most outstanding and renowned composers, set to the poetry of some of the most influential and revered Polish Romantics, in this historic Year of Polish Romanticism.

Award-winning and internationally-renowned Derry chamber choir Codetta will return to the festival for a late-night performance of Durufles magnificent Requiem on Friday 21 October.

Codetta will be joined by members of the Opera Studio Beckmann (Mexico) for what promises to be a glorious evening of choral music in St. Eugenes Cathedral, conducted by Artistic Director of the Festival, Donal Doherty.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is thrilled to support the City of Derry International Choir Festival thanks to The National Lottery players. Congratulations to the Festival team on curating this exciting programme of choral music. I would encourage everyone to go along and enjoy.

In addition to a full programme of live events, the festival is also now inviting submissions for its 2022 Virtual Choral Trail.

One of the most recent additions to the programme, this digital version of choral performance began in response to the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 and has since become a hugely successful element in the festivals annual programme of events, with 70 choirs from across the world taking part last year.

Polish Radio Choir, performing on Thursday 20 October in the Guildhall as part of the 10th City of Derry International Choir Festival

Choirs are asked to submit short video performances for presentation on the festivals social media channels during festival week as an exciting and eclectic mix of choral music from around the globe.Tickets are now on sale for all events with early bird and group deals available. All tickets are available from Millennium Forum Box Office on 02871 264 455 or www.millenniumforum.co.uk.

For more information on the City of Derry International Choir Festival and to submit Virtual Choral Trail entries, visit www.derry choirfest.com.
There have been calls for action and demonstrations over the number of children in Northern Ireland who are living in poverty.

Koulla Yiasouma, Commissioner for Children and Young People, said between 20-25% have been living in poverty consistently for the past 20 years.

She told an event at Feile An Phobail that she did not understand why people were not out on the streets demonstrating about the issue.

Her call was echoed at the Eradicating Child Poverty  It Can Be Done event at St Marys University College in west Belfast on Monday.

Dr Goretti Horgan, a senior lecturer in social policy at the Ulster University, said she fears disabled children and adults will die this winter if they are unable to heat their homes.

John Barry, a professor in green political theory at the Queens University, spoke of deep frustration at the situation, and called for groups to come together to demonstrate.

Dr Julie Anne Maney, a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine, described seeing the outworking of child poverty in her work, including seeing children who were so hungry they stuffed toast into their nappies.

Im seeing children day and daily who Im patching up to send them home to lives that made them sick in the first place. Its sticking plaster after sticking plaster, she said.

Its abhorrent and it just has to stop.

People ask me what can I do, donate to food banks. First of all you can vote for a government that will look after these children and so far they havent.

We need to invest from the early ages, in pregnant women, we need early years intervention.

This was the first year since the coronavirus pandemic that the annual event took place in person at St Marys University College in west Belfast.

Ms Yiasouma said child poverty had been among her priorities when she became childrens commissioner seven years ago. While there has been progress on other priorities she identified, she said there has been inertia around children in poverty.

She said more than 110,000 children are living in poverty, adding that two out of three children in poverty are in working households.

Ms Yiasouma referred as a disgrace to a huge rise in the number of families relying on food banks to feed their children and predictions that by next January just over 70% of households in Northern Ireland will be in fuel poverty.

Its Governments responsibility to ensure that children are not living in poverty, its Governments responsibility to make sure there is an adequate social security system and safety net for our families, she said.

She has called for an anti-poverty strategy to include a new child payment, restore the value of key social security benefits, reduce family outgoings, make education free, affordable accessible quality childcare and targeted interventions

Its not going to be cheap but the price for not doing it is bigger, its bigger for our education system, its bigger for our health system but also its bigger because of what were doing to the life outcomes of our children living in poverty. We cant afford not to do it, she said.

Dr Horgan stressed the importance of both reducing costs for households as well as increasing income to make a huge difference.

She suggested universal pre-school meals, free public transport and that work is needed for Northern Ireland to catch up on services for disabled.

In this coming winter I really fear that we will see disabled children and adults actually dying because of being unable to heat their homes, she said.

Professor Barry stressed that the climate crisis was part of the cost-of-living crisis, and called for measures such as free public transport as well as getting rid of school uniforms.

We need to get angry, its raining reports on climate crisis and child poverty, we dont need more reports, we need more action, he said.

People are going to be die because of a really bad winter, why isnt that the major issue, why arent we seeing our politicians rushing to say they demand an emergency insulation schemes, even just one room in each low income home.

We are going to need in my view more non-violent direct action up to and including occupying empty community centres.

We have to get ourselves organised bringing together different groups in terms of a common cause, child poverty, inequality and the climate crisis.
Exclusive: Neena Gupta Reveals Why She Was 'Angry And Frustrated' When She Asked For Work On Social Media!
Over the years, Sony has built a solid reputation for itself as a premium TV maker on the back of some impressive devices. Since 2005, under the Bravia moniker, Sony has not only attempted to push the boundaries of technology in the television segment but in the past few years also democratised higher-end technologies to make them more accessible to a wider audience.

In India, such attempts have led to Sony launching premium segment TVs at aggressive price points, with the most recent of such attempts being the Sony Bravia X75K and Bravia XR OLED A80K series smart TVs. On the sideline of these launches, we at Digit reached out to Tomohiro Nakashima, Deputy Managing Director at Sony India, to get a deeper understanding of these TVs and the technologies powering them. During our interaction, he also took out the time to explain the vision behind the Sony Bravia TVs and the company's plans for the television segment in India.

Q. Let's start from the beginning. Tell us about the story of Sony BRAVIA? How have BRAVIA TVs evolved in terms of technology and product portfolio?

A. Symbolizing Sony's spirit of challenge to "do what has never been done before, Innovation and Immersive experience are at the core. Starting from first transistor television in 1960, Colour television Trinitron, the worlds first LED-backlit, OLED television and recently introduced Worlds first Cognitive Intelligence television, Sony BRAVIA is known for introducing industry first state-of-the-art technologies. Newly introduced BRAVIA XR offers most immersive experience through vision and sound than ever, because this television understands how humans see and hear with cognitive intelligence. XR television looks and displays the content the same way humans see and hear it in the real world.

Q. Talk to us about the competition. What's your take on the growth in technology across the industry?

A. The pandemic itself and with it, the rise in OTT content consumption created a shift from small screen to large screen televisions, which is prominently visible across all industry reports. Technologies like XR OLED, 3D surround sound, Dolby Vision Atmos, IMAX Enhanced and Netflix Calibrated mode are now household names. OTT exclusive releases and quick digital launches created a demand for Cinema home set-up with large-screen televisions.

Q. Coming back to your existing line-up of products, tell us what makes the latest series of TVs from Sony special?

A. Sony BRAVIA FY22 entire line-up is now upgraded to Google TV platform for the best of UI experience and convenient content watching. Three major segments 4K LEDX75K, X80K and X85K, 4K XR Full Array LEDX90K and XR OLEDA80K are loaded with latest and innovative tech technologies for an immersive television viewing experience.

4K LED: X75K with X1 processor, Live colour and Google TV ensures life-like pictures at competitive pricing

X80K: With Triluminos Pro colour technology, Dolby Vision Atmos, far-field mic, BRAVIA CAM support makes it true successor of last years bestselling 140 cm (55) television X80J

X85K: With 120Hz panel refresh rate and gaming features above X80K makes it a good step-up variant

XR Full Array LED X90K: With Cognitive Processor XR which thinks like a human brain ensures real-world picture and 3D surround experience. BRAVIA CORE, BRAVIA CAM support are newly added features for an overall enhanced TV experience

XR OLED A80K: With XR OLED contrast pro, XR OLED Motion makes A80K with Sound from screen is one of the best OLED televisions in India. Futuristic design and loaded premium features establish this television as one of most desired televisions too.

Gaming Series: X85K, X90K and XR OLED A80K are best-suited machines for gamers. Features like 120 Hz display low latency modes ALLM, VRR, HDMI2.1 and 3D surround sounds make these preferred options as giant gaming machines.

Q. What is next from Sony? Give us an insight into what we can expect from Sony TVs in the months, and years to come?

A. Introduction of Consumer Electronics Show (CES) award-winning technologies BRAVIA CORE and BRAVIA CAM will initiate new chapters in the television industry. BRAVIA CORE with Pure Stream will justify BRAVIA XR televisions full potential to play the highest streaming picture. BRAVIA CORE features Pure Stream which can stream HDR movies at up to 80 Mbps similar to 4K UHD Blu-ray7, on a wide range of content. This means significantly more detail, colour and contrast than conventional 1525 Mbps streaming content. It has the largest collection of IMAX Enhanced movies along with free access unlimited movie streaming up to two years.

CES Best of Innovation award-winning BRAVIA CAM unlocks a lot of new features in BRAVIA televisions. The optimal viewing experience, BRAVIA CAM recognises where you are in the room and how far you are from the television, then adjusts sound and picture settings so they're just right. You can also enjoy an array of fun new television experiences with BRAVIA CAM including gesture controls, video chat and much more.
Motorola has finally confirmed the new launch date for its Moto Razr 2022, Moto X30 Pro, and Moto S30 Pro smartphones. The launch that was supposed to happen on August 2 in China was delayed, and everyone awaited the new launch dates to be confirmed by the brand. Now, Motorola has announced the new launch date, which is August 11, 2022.

The new launch date was announced in the form of a poster reveal, which had the launch date mentioned on it, along with a look at the devices that are slotted to be launched.

Motorola would look to make amends to the Moto Razr

On this newly announced date, the highlight would be the latest clamshell smartphone offering from the company, the Moto Razr 2022. The device is expected to sport a host of new improvements from its predecessor. The earlier version of the device had launched with a lot of hype around it but failed to capitalize on all the chatter that was going on about its launch.

Motorola would want to redeem itself with the 2022 version of its Razr foldable phone. The phone is expected to come with a metal chassis, a larger display, and a dual camera setup at the back.

Coming to the two other devices, the Moto X30 Pro and the Moto S30 Pro, both these devices have had their speculated specifications doing rounds on the internet. The X30 Pro is said to have a 200MP tripe rear cam setup and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor that it will share with the Razr. The S30 Pro looks to be the cheapest of the trio, with a 50MP camera setup housed in a plastic body which will play host to the SD 888 processor.

The launch is slotted for not long from now. So, it will be interesting to see what specs from the leaks are actually reflected in the device and what arent.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in.
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Saving more, paying off debt and celebrating your progress can help cultivate feelings of financial well-being, even amid economic stress.



By KIMBERLY PALMER

NerdWallet

In some ways, feeling rich is less about how many zeroes you have in your bank account and more about knowing how to use them to get what you want out of life.

For author and certified financial planner Tom Corley, feeling rich comes from having an Irish pub-style structure in his backyard in New Jersey that allows him to invite friends over for outdoor drinks. For Liz Gendreau, founder of the website Chief Mom Officer, that feeling comes from taking advantage of free, fun activities like visiting local state parks in her home state of Connecticut. And financial counselor Andi Wrenn in Raleigh, North Carolina, finds that feeling when she climbs into her RV and goes for a road trip.





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SEATTLE  Aegis Living and its preferred architect, Ankrom Moisan, have filed a new senior housing plan at 5252 California Ave. S.W. That's part of an assemblage to include three vacant old buildings, including a Papa John's.

The zoning is 40 feet for the corner at Southwest Brandon Street. But Ankrom Moisan says it'll pursue extra height via the city's Living Building Challenge. That would get it to five stories, with an anticipated 100 units, plus services and amenities.





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After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taipei, it is said that Apple advised Taiwanese suppliers to ensure that deliveries to China comply with long-standing labeling requirements to avoid getting banned or rejected.

Apple Reportedly Told Taiwanese providers to Label China Shipments Properly

Following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taipei, Apple is said to have instructed Taiwanese suppliers to make sure that shipments to China adhere to a long-standing labeling requirement. The corporation reportedly recently advised manufacturers on the island that components going to the mainland must declare "Chinese Taipei" or "Taiwan, China" as their source.

That is consistent with China's long-standing policy, which it only started implementing after strained relations with the US arose during Pelosi's visit last week. A cargo marked "Made in Taiwan" may be delayed or even rejected by authorities under this regulation. Labeling rules are unique to the self-governing island. The location of origin for shipments must be either "Taiwan" or "The Republic of China."

The IT behemoth and several other American businesses have tangled ties to China. If the allegation is true, it wouldn't be the first time Apple tried to appease the Chinese Communist Party. In the midst of the city's pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019, the business disabled the Taiwan flag emoji from iOS in Hong Kong.

Apple could have believed that, in this case, it had little alternative but to abide by China's regulations regarding exports from Taiwan. Tim Cook said in April that chip shortages had severely hurt the company's iPad business. Any more delays brought on by a customs disagreement before the release of the iPhone 14 later this year would be devastating for Apple.

Read Also: Comcast Denied that It was Slowing Down BitTorrent Traffic on Its Network

A Taiwanese Apple Supplier is Fighting a Foreign Investor Over Its Billion Cash Hoard

In a case that foreshadows growing shareholder activism in the region, a Taiwan-based Apple supplier is suing a foreign investor over its multibillion-dollar cash hoard.

Argyle Street Management, a Hong Kong-based investment company, has reportedly pushed Catcher Technology, which makes electronic casings for Apple iPhones built in China, to enhance corporate governance and return part of its $4.2 billion in net cash to shareholders.

Along with Franklin Templeton, Singapore's GIC, and Cathay Life Insurance, Argyle is one of a few of Catcher's overseas institutional shareholders and owns around 1% of the company's shares. One of the persons stated that it spoke with Catcher executives about its worries during a meeting in Taiwan.

Argyle has charged the management of Catcher with hoarding money and utilizing it to support an excessive executive structure. The company, which has a $4 billion market value on Taiwan's stock exchange, is under the hands of three members of the Hung family.

In 2020, Catcher sold two iPhone case units from its Chinese branch to Lens Technology for $1.43bn. Following the China-US trade war, Chinese firms sought new ways to enter Apple's supply chain.

Argyle maintains that, notwithstanding the sale, Catcher has paid a fair dividend of NT$10-NT$12 (.33$ - .40$) per share for the previous five years, totaling NT$42.95B ($1.43 billion), and will maintain that level for the next three years.

The Hung family, which includes the company's chairman Allen Hung, owns around 15% of the company's shares, while foreign institutions possess about 43%.

Catcher is expanding into automotive and medical technology. Taiwanese prosecutors charged 14 people, including Catcher R&D team members, with stealing commercial secrets. Catcher said it "cooperates and follows legal procedures and judgments."

Related Article: After China Lifted Lockdowns, Apple's iPhone Shipments Boosts in June
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FEDERAL WAY  A shopping center at 1207 S. 320th St. in Federal Way has sold for over $23.5 million, according to King County records.

The seller was MGP IX Sunset Square LLC, associated with Merlone Geier Partners, which acquired the property in 2010 for $13 million.





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All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is calling on people across Ireland to become better informed about palliative care and its benefits as part of Palliative Care Week.

Now in its ninth year, Palliative Care Week takes place from 11 to 17 September.

Palliative Care Week 2022 aims to raise awareness across the island of Ireland about the difference palliative care can make to peoples quality of life.

This years theme is Palliative Care: Living as well as possible.

It echoes AIIHPCs commitment to raising awareness of the positive impact that palliative care has on the lives of people with life-limiting illnesses and their families; allowing them to live their lives as fully as they can.

Karen Charnley, AIIHPC Director, said;

We chose this years theme as Living as well as possible as we wanted to show how palliative care enables people to have a good quality of life.

It can achieve this by putting the individual at the centre of care, supporting their physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.

It can also benefit people at all stages of illness and people of all ages, allowing the person to continue to have the independence to do some of the things that they enjoy, such as hobbies and spending time with family.

Throughout most peoples lives they will know someone who needs palliative care  often a family member. So, this year for Palliative Care Week we want to reach as many people as possible in Ireland and help them to be better informed about all aspects of palliative care and its benefits.

It is important that people talk to their health or social care professional and communicate their concerns and ask questions about palliative care and how it could help them or someone important to them, Ms Charnley said.

We are delighted to announce Palliative Care Week 2022, taking place 11-17 September. People in communities across the island of Ireland are encouraged to learn more about palliative care.https://t.co/uaTAOFyBR0#pallcareweek pic.twitter.com/DaxjINFjHw  All Ireland Institute of Hospice & Palliative Care (@AIIHPC) August 8, 2022

Fintan Fagan, Chief Executive Officer, St Francis Hospice, Dublin and Chair of AIIHPC, said;

Palliative Care Week is a hugely important week for us as it creates many opportunities for us to show the vital help that is available for people, along with new developments in palliative care. We are especially looking forward to being able to meet in person at a number of events that are planned for Palliative Care Week this year, having been all online for the past two years due to the Covid 19 pandemic."

To find out more about Palliative Care Week visit www.thepalliativehub.com/public-awareness

For those with an interest in promoting a better understanding of palliative care:

Download the leaflet, poster and other resources from www.thepalliativehub.com/ public-awareness and share it with your family, friends, colleagues, fellow members of local groups, or your online community

A number of public events are taking place, further information is available at Palliative Care Week Events - The Palliative Hub

Talk to your family and share your wishes in the event that you have palliative care needs in the future, and encourage others to do the same

Share your own palliative care experience story on social media during Palliative Care Week 2022 using #pallcareweek.

AIIHPC is encouraging people to get informed and to share this information with their family and friends, and any local groups they are in, during Palliative Care Week 2022.

Any groups or individuals wishing to obtain leaflets and/or posters can contact AIIHPC by calling +353 1 4912948 or by emailing info@aiihpc.org.
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The Tesla CEO continues on his assault on Twitter, now challenging its CEO to a debate over the platform's bot or spam users.

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk is not done challenging Twitter over its fake accounts and spam in the midst of his legal battle with the social media platform, which he was supposed to buy. On Saturday, the Tesla CEO called out Twitter's Parag Agrawal to a "public debate" over the platform's fake accounts and spam.

Musk, who had recently accused Twitter of fraud, took to the social media platform to challenge the company's CEO to a debate over just how many bots it has. He wrote in a tweet, "Let him prove to the public that Twitter has <5% fake or spam daily users," Engadget reported.

Musk spoke out about the possibility of a debate after he responded to a threat in support of his legal case against Twitter. The 51 year old businessman argued that if Twitter had just provided insights on how they sampled 100 accounts and how they confirmed its authenticity, "the deal should proceed on original terms."

However, Musk added, if Twitter's SEC filings are found to be "materially false," then the deal would be off. He then called out Agrawal to a debate and even asked his 108.2 million followers if they believe fake accounts make up less than 5% of Twitter's daily user base.

Participants in the poll had to choose between "Yes" and "Lmaooo no." Final results showed that 64.9% voted "no" and "35.1%" voted yes.

Read Also: Elon Musk Is Not Moving Twitter's Acquisition Forward Without the Exact Number of Bots

Musk Insists Twitter Bots Make Up At Least One-fifth of Daily Active Users

Musk previously argued that at least 20% of Twitter's daily active users are fake or spam accounts. Twitter disputed this claim, responding that the figure is actually less than 5%, Interesting Engineering reported. However, Musk said that he did not receive any proof that supported the 5% claim and that he refused to push through the acquisition until the statistic is proven to be true.

Previously, Twitter provided Musk access to a tool that would determine the number of fake accounts on the platform. However, the Tesla CEO claims that the tool prevented his team from completing an analysis because it had an artificial "cap" on the number of executable queries.

Twitter Will Not Participate in a Debate Pending the Trial

A source close to Twitter said that a debate between Musk and Agrawal cannot be done as long as the trial is pending, CNBC reported. An attorney for Twitter also declined to comment on Musk's challenge.

In court filings, Twitter's attorneys claim that Musk gave the company only 24 hours to accept his offer to purchase it before he would present it directly to shareholders of twitter. Musk also allegedly waived due diligence, including a chance to inquire about false or spam account son the platform.

Now, Twitter claims in court filings that Musk's "repeated mischaracterizations of the merger agreement cannot change its plain words." Despite his legal battles with Twitter, it appears that Musk is still interested in acquiring the company.

During Tesla's 2022 shareholders' meeting, Musk kept talking about Twitter, claiming that he "[understands] the product quite well" and that he knows "where to point the engineering team at Twitter to make it radically better." He also spoke of a "pretty grand vision" he had for the company.

Twitter and Musk are set to meet in a five-day trial in Delaware beginning October 17, which will be ruled by Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick.

Related Article: Did Elon Musk Mislead Investors? Twitter Shareholder Sues Musk Delaying Disclosure of Twitter Acquisition
Louth Councillor John Sheridan has raised the issue of discoloured water in the local supply with Irish Water, after "significant water discolouration" in the Dundalk water supply, which supplies the town and parts of mid Louth, returned over the weekend.

"This is now the second summer of this water discolouration", says Cllr Sheridan. "I had raised this before the summer as I had information that the problem was likely to reoccur this year. Despite assurances from Irish Water prior to the summer that a flushing programme would be taking place to mitigate the problem, we have significant discolouration again."

The mid Louth councillor continued, saying that "the flushing programme has been well publicised and I have seen the flushing taking place personally, but despite this again there was major discoloration over the weekend. I was amazed at the response to a post I had on social media with responses from right across the network. People are incredibly frustrated about this, particularly those caring for people who are sick and those with young children and babies."

Cllr Sheridan added, "I have also noted that discoloured water is being reported in villages like Blackrock and Dromiskin that have already been flushed by Irish Water which is very concerning."
An extra 96,393 in funding has been allocated for the upgrade of rural laneways and non-public roads in Louth this year, increasing the Local Improvement Scheme funding Louth this year to 448,273.

The announcement was made today by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, who confirmed that she is doubling the funding available this year for the upgrade of rural laneways and non-public roads in the State to 22million.

The funding is being provided as part of Our Rural Future, the Governments policy for rural development. The focus of the Local Improvement Scheme is on upgrading rural laneways and non-public roads which provide access to homes, farms and outdoor amenities.

The funding provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development will be complemented by a local financial contribution from landowners/householders. There is a ceiling of 1,200 on the amount that any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost.

This round of allocations is based on the level of works local authorities have indicated they can deliver under the scheme by the end of this year following engagement with local residents and landowners.

Announcing the increased funding, Minister Humphreys said: The recent census results show that the population of rural Ireland is growing. This is hugely positive. As part of Our Rural Future, I want to see more people living, working and raising a family in our rural communities throughout the country.

"The Local Improvement Scheme is about making life a little bit easier for those rural families who live on a laneway or non-public road. The scheme provides substantial grant aid for the upgrade of these routes and assists homeowners with the costs. In many cases where there are multiple homes on a lane, neighbours will work together to draw down funding under the scheme."
Louth based Instagram foodie duo, GastroGays, have recently announced their role as campaign ambassador for Bord Bias three year EU and industry funded campaign, Life is Better with Fruit & Vegetables.

The campaign is largely focused on encouraging millennials to prepare healthy meals and live a healthier lifestyle, using sustainably sourced, fresh, locally grown, in season produce and increase their fruit & vegetable intake. Eoins social media presence of over 20,000 will be hugely beneficial to the campaign, inspiring foodies and young people across Ireland with a range of his fruit & vegetable recipes full of delicious flavours and spices.

Russell Alford and Patrick Hanlon, also known as GastroGays, are food and travel writers, podcasters and authors based in the Boyne Valley. Their debut cookbook Hot Fat, was released in May 2022. Starting as a blog in 2013, they are now regular voices on national radio and freelance writers, for publications both in Ireland and abroad.

As keen home cooks, cooking with fresh ingredients is at the core of what they do, with a huge focus on seasonal produce and local Irish producers. Their recipes are popular amongst their 70,000 followers on social media, which has built up organically over their careers.

Speaking on behalf of them both, Russell said: We are so excited to become ambassadors for the Life is Better with Fruit & Vegetables campaign with Bord Bia. We are keen to help celebrate seasonality and create some useful, practical and most importantly, seriously delicious recipes with fresh fruit and vegetables.

GastroGays will be joined by campaign ambassadors and Instagram influencers Kwanghi Chan, Eoin Sheehan and Rachel Hornibrook who will also partner with Bord Bia to create recipes and content to inspire millennials.

Bord Bia recently made their first campaign appearance at Body & Soul music festival last month in County Westmeath. Bord Bia offered samples of some locally produced in-season strawberries from Stamullen, Co. Meath-based strawberry grower Pat Clarke at their stall, providing key tips on how to eat healthier and more sustainably.

The Life is Better campaign runs from March 2022 to February 2025 and is implemented by Bord Bia - the Irish Food Board in Ireland, Interfel and AIB in France, and Freshfel across Europe.

To learn more about the campaigns future activities, please see @lifeisbetter.ie on Facebook or Instagram and follow @gastrogays to discover the full range of delicious fruit & vegetable recipes.
Irish Water say that sediment in old cast iron mains pipes, which has been dislodged during repair or maintenance works, is the reason for "temporary discolouration of the water / the water to appear brown before it reaches customers' taps", in homes in Dundalk and surrounding areas.

The Dundalk Democrat contacted Irish Water after it was revealed that significant water discolouration has occurred in the water supply in Dundalk, as well in areas including Blackrock and Dromiskin over the weekend. Mid Louth councillor, John Sheridan, told the Democrat that he had been contacted by people with concerns on the issue, "particularly those caring for people who are sick and those with young children and babies".

The full response from Irish Water to the Dundalk Democrat is as follows:

"In Ireland, drinking water can pass through several kilometres of pipework before it reaches homes and businesses. Some of this pipework is constructed from cast iron and, depending on the area, can be up to 100 years old. Old cast iron mains typically suffer from corrosion and as a result, sediment from these pipes can be dislodged during repair or maintenance works, causing temporary discolouration of the water / the water to appear brown before it reaches customers' taps. This is not harmful to health and usually running the tap for a number of minutes will restore the clear colour. More information can be found at https://www.water.ie/water-supply/supply-issues/discoloured-water/.

"Most of the time, the drinking water passes over this sediment unchanged. However changes in flow, pressure or direction can dislodge this sediment and carry it through to your tap. This can cause your water to appear as brown or orange in colour and is more likely to occur when repair or maintenance works are being carried out on the public water supply pipes. In order to prevent sediment build-up, Irish Water and our Local Authority partners regularly flush our water mains especially in old areas of the network such as Dundalk.

"Irish Water, working in partnership with Louth County Council, continue to progress a programme of watermains flushing to safeguard the water supply for customers in Dundalk and its environs. These essential flushing works are required to clear manganese sediment from the distribution network and reduce the likelihood of future discolouration issues at the customer tap.

"These flushing activities are part of an overall action plan to address discolouration issues associated with high manganese levels found in the source water that feeds into Cavanhill water treatment plant. A programme of works at the Cavanhill water treatment plant has already been carried out including the installation of an interim Manganese treatment system to reduce manganese levels in the final treated water.

"In relation to the Blackrock area, essential hydrant repair works are currently underway and are scheduled to take place until 6pm this evening which again may result in discolouration of customers water supply. It may take 2-3 hours for normal water supply to return to all customers when works are complete but it is important to continue to follow the HSE guidance on hand-washing.

"Following the works, customers seeing discoloured water coming from their cold kitchen tap are advised to run the tap for a few minutes to restore the clear colour. If the colour does not restore to clear, customers are advised not the drink the water as a precaution, and should contact the Irish Water customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 or via Twitter @IWCare. The latest updates on these works will be available on the Supply and Service Updates section of the Irish Water website.

"We would like thank the local community in Dundalk in advance for their patience and cooperation while we continue to upgrade the water supply in Dundalk. Irish Water working in partnership with Louth County Council regret any inconvenience caused during these essential works."
The Government has launched a 65 million euro research fund to help Ireland become climate neutral by 2050 and address the challenges of disruptive technologies.

Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said the areas of green transition and digital transformation are among the greatest challenges our country and our world faces.

We have to help people through these changes, Mr Harris told the PA news agency.

This fund will help each and every one of us by navigating the best way forward.

The National Challenge Fund comprises eight challenges. In total, it aims to fund about 90 research teams with up to 250,000 euro each over 18 months to develop their ideas.

Teams will then be able to vie for follow-on funding of up to 500,000 euro before going on to compete for prizes of up to two million euro.

The first two challenges are now open for applications. These include the 2050 Challenge: to develop transformative, forward-looking solutions for Ireland to become climate neutral by 2050; and the Future Digital Challenge: to address the challenge from disruptive digital technologies.

Disruptive technologies include e-commerce, video-streaming sites, virtual reality, augmented reality, online news sites, ride-sharing apps and GPS systems, among others.

Mr Harris said research and innovation have to be at the heart of addressing Irelands social, economic and environmental challenges.

The Wicklow TD said: The National Challenge Fund is a tangible example of this strategy in action.

I encourage everyone to consider the 18,000 submissions put forward by the public as part of Creating Our Future as we want to respond to issues that matter to people.

Challenge teams will be interdisciplinary with scientists, engineers and researchers working together with government bodies to develop solutions to problems of national importance, partnering with stakeholders to develop, test and trial solutions.

The National Challenge Fund is an initiative under the Governments National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is funded by the EUs Recovery and Resilience Facility and managed by Science Foundation Ireland.

All eight of the challenges in the fund focus on the need for a transition to a climate-neutral and clean economy as well as the challenges of digital transition.

There are challenges related to healthy environment, energy innovation, sustainable communities, and future food systems, among others.

Science Foundation Ireland deputy director general Ciaran Seoighe said he was delighted to have this new funding.

He said: We look forward to working in partnership with government departments and agencies to define the challenges and help to build partnership with the wider research community to develop research solutions to these challenges.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for research teams to work in partnership with stakeholders to provide solutions to tangible problems that will benefit our society and economy.

Each challenge incorporates four stages. The model of the competition means that researchers will receive increasing funding at each stage of the process. Research teams and ideas will be evaluated by an independent, international panel of experts.

Awards for each phase will be made between this year and 2026.
A murder investigation has commenced into the death of a man in his late 20s whose body was found in an apartment over the weekend.

An Garda Siochana has confirmed the investigation has begun under a senior investigating officer and an incident room has been established at Ballymun Garda Station.

The man's body was discovered on the evening of Saturday August 6 at an apartment on Achill Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.

His body was removed from the scene the following afternoon and taken to Dublin City Mortuary, where a post-mortem examination was conducted by State Pathologist Sally Anne Collis (the results of which are not being released for operational reasons).

A man in his 30s arrested as part of the investigation is still being detained at a Garda station in North Dublin under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.

A Family Liaison Officer has been appointed and continues to keep the family of the deceased informed of the investigation.

Gardai are appealing for any persons who were travelling in the Home Farm Road area of Drumcondra and its environs between the morning of Tuesday August 2 2022, and the evening of Saturday August 6 2022, who observed any activity which drew their attention, to come forward.

Anyone with any information that may assist Gardai with this investigation is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
A formerly extinct species of eagle chicks have been released into the wild by the Taoiseach.

Micheal Martin joined the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in Tarbert, Co Kerry on Friday August 4 to release White-tailed Eagles as part of a long-term initiative to re-establish a population of the iconic bird in Ireland.

The species was initially driven to extinction in the 19th century by human persecution.

Having followed the project for a number of years, Taoiseach Martin said seeing the eagles take to the skies will "last long" in his memory.

He said, "It is wonderful to see the development since the first introduction of chicks a number of years ago. These white-tailed eagles are magnificent birds which will play a key role in a functioning ecosystem, after having been driven to extinction in the 19th Century as a result of human actions.

Great pleasure to release these white-tailed eagle chicks in Kerry today.



A real tribute to @npwsBioData



Wonderful to see these magnificent birds back in the wild. pic.twitter.com/crAAX6ypc9  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) August 5, 2022

"I want to pay tribute to all those involved in this incredible project, from the National Parks and Wildlife Service to local farmers, local communities and conservation bodies.

"The project, of course, underlines in practical terms Irelands commitment to implementing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. I am particularly grateful to the Norwegian authorities and colleagues for their collaboration which has enabled this exciting reintroduction to happen.

The eagles were collected under licence in Norway by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and co-workers. All the birds have been fitted with satellite tags in Ireland to enable their progress to be followed and their integration into the existing Irish breeding population monitored.



As they mature, the chicks will join and strengthen the small Irish breeding population that has become established since the reintroduction programme began in 2007. Thirty one young eagles from Norway have been released over the last two years, and the 16 birds being released this year will bring the total to 47.



Since the first phase of the reintroduction programme (2007-2011), the project has been hugely successful, with birds dispersing throughout Ireland and farther afield and creating breeding populations.

Satellite data already shows that two birds released in 2020 have paired up with older birds and have established territories in Ireland.

However, despite this success a scientific review of the reintroduction project indicated the small population is still vulnerable to mortality factors such as illegal poisoning.

The breeding population was also negatively impacted by Avian Influenza in 2018 and 2021, Storm Hannah in 2019, and indeed, adverse weather in other years during the nesting period.

It's hoped this week's supplementary release will bolster the existing population and ensure its viability.

Another release is planned for tomorrow (Tuesday August 9) when the Norwegian Ambassador along with a group of visiting Norwegians - who collected the eagles in Norway and made this re-introduction programme possible - will visit Killarney National Park.
Omniplex Cinema review the latest new releases to watch in cinemas with the latest sci-fi thriller from the mind of Jordan Peele jumping on screens.

Nope (Cert 16) - See trailer below





Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmwe & Brandon Perea

Director: Jordan Peele

Genre: Sci Fi Horror



Release Date: Friday 12th August

After random objects falling from the sky result in the death of their father, ranch-owning siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood attempt to capture video evidence of an unidentified flying object with the help of tech salesman Angel Torres and documentarian Antlers Holst.



Nope Trivia:

Jordan Peele cites the "King Kong" and "Jurassic Park" monster films, the sci-fi film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Signs (2002), and the fantasy film The Wizard of Oz (1939) as an influence on the film. He considers these films as examples of addiction to spectacle, a major theme in the film.

Jordan Peele said he wrote the script "at a time when we were a little bit worried about the future of cinema. So, the first thing I knew is I wanted to create a spectacle. I wanted to create something that the audience would have to come see."

Jordan Peele specifically chose the cowboy film Buck and the Preacher (1972) to feature prominently in the film: "It was the first film that I know of that had Black cowboys represented in it. The myth that cowboys were just White guys running around is just not true, but we don't know that because of Hollywood and the romanticized view of a very brutalized era. The film shares a similar spirit."

Takes place in Agua Dulce, California by the famous Vasquez Rocks.

In the final act of the movie, Emerald Haywood performs a sliding stop on a motorcycle that mirrors the iconic slide from "Akira (1988). Jordan Peele listed Akira as one of his favourite films of all time and was given an offer to direct the live-action version Akira but turned it down.

NOPE | Official Trailer

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Fake Coinbase job offers are deployed by North Korean hackers, Lazarus, to entice fintech employees.

The notorious malicious hacking group, believed to be backed by the North Korean government, is now back in its operations to lure financial technology employees as victims of their malicious job offer.

Lazarus entices the given type of target in LinkedIn job offerings, promising much better compensation.

Fake Coinbase Job Offers

The well-known North Korean hacking group Lazarus has been found to be pretending to be Coinbase in order to target workers in the fintech industry.

The hacking group uses it to approach targets over LinkedIn to present a job offer and hold a preliminary discussion as part of a social engineering attack.

Since they are using Coinbase, one of the world's most popular cryptocurrency platforms, Lazarus was able to lure in interest with the offer.

A Twitter user named Jazi posted a screenshot of the sample email that was sent by the actors.

The email states that Coinbase is looking for candidates that will thrive in a culture like theirs; people they can trust; people who can embrace feedback; and people excited to learn.

Additionally, it also said, "We're a remote-first company looking to hire the absolute best talent all over the world."

According to BleepingComputer, Hossein Jazi is a security researcher at Malwarebytes. Since February 2022, he has been closely monitoring the activity of the Lazarus group.

The threat actors are impersonating Coinbase and attempting to recruit people for the position of "Engineering Manager, Product Security." The actors also highlighted in their email a few skill sets they are looking for the candidates to have.

Bleeping Computer stated, "Lazarus follows similar tactics and methods to infect their targets with malware, and the individual phishing campaigns feature infrastructure overlaps."

The hackers target their victims to download the pdf file for the job description titled, "Coinbase_online_careers_2022_07.exe." After that, the victims will unknowingly download a malicious executable file. The PDF file serves as a mask while loading a malicious DLL.

Once it is turned on, the malware will use GitHub as a command and control server to get instructions about what to do on the device it has infected.

Read Also: Crypto Hacker Drains More than 7,000 Wallets on the Solana Blockchain

The Axie Infinity Hack by Lazarus

This fake job offering tactics used by malicious actors to breach organizations and companies has been observed.

Back in March, one of the most popular play-to-earn blockchain games, Axie Infinity, was also hacked using the same strategy.

As previously reported in iTechPost, the breach was found by the Sky Mavis team on March 29, 2022. The hacking group made contact with employees at Sky Mavis by posing as a company that was looking to hire people on LinkedIn.

Due to the extraordinarily attractive pay, one of the senior engineers that was previously employed by Axie Infinity expressed interest in the fake employment offer.

Following a lengthy process consisting of a series of interviews, the applicant for the position was presented with a PDF file that detailed information surrounding the project.

After downloading and opening the file, the document then launched its malicious operations to get into the system of Axie Infinity and paved the way to launch the breach.

The cryptocurrency play-to-earn game lost multiple Ethereum tokens, resulting in a massive $620 million loss of crypto.

Just like the malicious fake job offerings that are allegedly from Coinbase, the threat group behind the Axie Infinity attack, as discovered by the FBI, is also the Lazarus group.

Related Article: North Korea's Hackers Use SHARPEXT Malware To Infiltrate Gmail Accounts To Launch Attacks
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has accused Tesla of falsely advertising its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies, as per Los Angeles Times.

The agency claimed that Tesla misled customers with the advertising language that they used on its website, which described Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies as "more capable than they actually are."

According to The Verge, two separate complaints were filed by the DMV with the state's Office of Administrative Hearings on July 28th.

Tesla Disseminated Misleading Information About its Cars' Features

According to DMV, the car company "made or disseminated statements that are untrue or misleading, and not based on facts."

The complaints of DMV pointed to Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features and to the "misleading" language indicated on the Tesla website's Autopilot page. It said: "All you will need to do is get in and tell your car where to go."

The website also say that not doing anything will make your car "look at your calendar and take you there as the assumed destination."

Moreover, Tesla's page indicated that the car will "figure out the optimal route, navigating urban streets, complex intersections and freeways."

There could be grave consequences according to DMV, as it could lead to revocation of Tesla's licenses to make or sell its cars in California. However, the agency may not go that far.

According to Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson from DMV said through email that if its action succeeds, the agency will ask Tesla to inform drivers the vehicles of the capabilities of the car's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.

Likewise, the car company will be required to educate drivers of cautionary warnings about the limitation of the technologies.

Read Also: Tesla Model S vs. Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX: Specs, Design, Power and More--Which Is Better?

Authorities Question Tesla's Ads on Autopilot, Full Self-Driving Technologies

Autopilot is part of every Tesla vehicle. It comes with features like traffic-aware cruise control and autosteer, as per The Verge.

Meanwhile, Tesla owners need to shelve out an extra $12,000 for the car's Full Self-Driving system. This feature allows auto-parking and auto lane changing.

The Full Self-Driving technology also allows drivers to summon a vehicle from a parking space to where they're standing, as well as access to a beta program to test upcoming features.

Despite what the names suggest, the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features of Tesla do not make vehicles fully autonomous. Drivers are still require to focus their attention to the road and keep their hands on the wheel all the time.

DMV claimed that vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features cannot operate as fully autonomous vehicles. The filing said that the advertisements are deceptive.

Despite the disclaimers provided by Tesla, the agency pointed out that it's not sufficient to reverse its alleged misleading statements.

Tesla is given 15 days to respond to DMV's complaint. If none was heard from the car company, action will be taken by the agency without a hearing.

According to Engadget, Tesla also encountered issues with the Germany's Federal Motor Authority in 2016.

The Federal Motor Authority asked the car company not to use the the term "autopilot" in its advertising because people might misinterpret the capabilities of the car.

Likewise, Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal told the Federal Trade Commission last year to investigate Tesla for its "misleading advertising and marketing" of the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies.

Related Article: Tesla Now Only the Second Leading Manufacturer of EVs Worldwide, Chinese Rival Goes First
Attracting foreign investments for the development of innovative digital banking and the private banking sector

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and TBC Bank Group PLC invested additional capital in TBC Bank Uzbekistan (TBC UZ) totaling US $ 35,1 million. TBC Bank Uzbekistan is a subsidiary of TBC Bank Group PLC, the holding company of the leading banking group in Georgia, TBC Bank JSC. TBC Bank Group PLC is registered in England and Wales, and its shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

This capital increase is part of multi-year financing plan under the investment agreement signed on September 30, 2021, between TBC UZ, TBC Bank Group PLC, the EBRD and IFC, when the two institutional investors (the EBRD and IFC) acquired stakes of 20 percent each in TBC UZ.

The initial investment was up to US $18.8 million (US $9.4 million each for the EBRD and IFC). At the same time, TBC Bank Group PLC invested US $25,9 million.

As part of this the second round of financing, the EBRD and IFC invested US $7 million each, and TBC Bank Group PLC  US $21.1 million. Altogether, the investments in TBC UZ totaled US $79,8 million. According to the investment agreement, further capital increases are also planned for 2023 and 2024.

In the two years following its launch, TBC Bank Uzbekistan has delivered on its significant growth ambitions. The bank received its license in April 2020 and started operations in October 2020, using an innovative fintech platform of TBC Group, Space, which offers retail banking solutions through a mobile application. By July 2022, over 2.4 million people had downloaded the TBC UZ app. Today, it operates in 10 new-generation showrooms in nine cities around Uzbekistan and at 33 customer activation points across the country.

TBC Bank Uzbekistan provides a digital customer experience for retail users and offers online services including money transfers, loans, car loans, deposits, installments, bank cards and bill payments. All services are available through the TBC UZ app.

The investments of EBRD, IFC and TBC Bank Group PLC will further boost the operational growth of this already established private market player and promote international standards of corporate governance in the banking sector, as well as contribute to strengthening digital finance in Uzbekistan.

Spartak Tetrashvili, Chairman of the Management Board of TBC Bank Uzbekistan, commented: We very much hope that these investments will contribute not only to the development of our bank, but also to the digitalization of the country as a whole. We are convinced that our example is helping to make Uzbekistan more and more attractive to international investors. The reforms carried out by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan play an important role in this. The new opportunities and capital investments will help us further improve the customer experience and provide innovative digital services for our users.

Cassandra Colbert, IFC Senior Manager, Central Asia, said: IFC is glad to further deepen our partnership with TBC Bank Uzbekistan and support the expansion of its banking services, particularly those based on technological innovations. This investment is well-aligned with our strategy to help Uzbekistan build a vibrant, efficient, and well-capitalized private banking sector.

Alkis Vryenios Drakinos, EBRD Head of Uzbekistan, said: We are pleased to continue our support for TBC Bank Uzbekistan, a digital bank with a brief operational history to date but significant achievements in reaching a large number of retail customers across the country. The planned capital injection will sustain its ambitious growth strategy and enable TBC UZ to reach new milestones including the expansion of financial services to micro and small businesses in Uzbekistan.

About TBC PLC

TBC Bank Group is a public limited company listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is a holding company of JSC TBC Bank and a group of companies that principally operate in Georgia in the financial sector and other closely related fields. Together with its subsidiaries, TBC is a leading universal banking group in Georgia, with a total market share of 38.1 per cent of customer loans and 37.8 per cent of customer deposits. As a technology-driven company with a mission to make peoples lives easier, TBC holds dominant positions in all major business lines for retail, corporate and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The companys financial services include traditional banking offerings as well as the industry's cutting-edge solutions. In 2020, TBC expanded its operations in Uzbekistan, serving customers through its innovative fintech platform Space and offering retail banking solutions through the mobile app.

About IFC

IFCa member of the World Bank Groupis the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. It works in more than 100 countries, using its capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record US$ 31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

About EBRD

The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 38 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 71 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, inclusive, well-governed, green, resilient and integrated. To date, the EBRD has invested more than 3.38 billion in 111 projects in Uzbekistan.
COBHS newly formed LGBT+ group is poised to make history later this month, when they hold the first ever Cobh Pride event.

Cobh LGBT+ is a social and support group for LGBT+ people living in the east Cork town, that was formed in February.

The group meet monthly in local cafes, and are working to increase visibility and solidarity for their community in the town.

Chris Cavanagh-Costa, a member of Cobh LGBT+, said what started as a handful of people at the first meeting has already grown into a supportive community, with up to 20 people at a time now coming along to monthly meet-ups.

Our members are older and younger members, and are all across the LGBT+ spectrum.

We meet in cafes around Cobh, whichever one is available at the time, for a social meetup, chats, and to talk about life really, he said.

A major goal of Cobh LGBT+ is to bring the first ever Pride event to the town, and now theyre doing just that.

Chris is chair of the Cobh Pride organising committee, and said theres major excitement for their event later this month.

The Mad Hatters Tea Party themed Pride event will have fun for all the family from 1.30pm to 5.30pm in Cobhs community centre, on Sunday, August 21.

After Cobh Pride gets off the ground this month, Chris says the hope is to plan a Pride Parade through the town for next year.

We saw the St Patricks Day parade here in Cobh this year, and that was a great success, so as soon as we finish our first inaugural event... were already starting to talk about events we can do over winter, and a bigger and better event next summer, he said.

Maybe were getting a bit ahead of ourselves, but were hoping well be able to do some kind of parade next summer, and thats something that needs to be planned for well enough in advance! he added.

He said it is fantastic to be a part of history holding Cobhs first ever Pride event, and said it shows how much attitudes have changed in the town over the years.

Most of our members would be from Cobh themselves  We have had lots of conversation in the group about things people have had to [do], unfortunately some people have had to leave Cobh in the past because of not being accepted, he said.

Now just walking down the street somebody would stop me and recognise me, and say good luck with the Pride event, were going to be there.

We have people coming up to us and asking us about how its going, and weve had so much engagement online as well, he added.

Chris said he hopes this years inaugural event will be the first in a long tradition of Cobh Pride.
EMERGENCY services responded to a collision on one of Passage Wests main roads earlier this afternoon.

Two cars were involved in the road traffic collision where one car flipped on its side.

Two fire engines from Cork City Fire Brigade and one from Carrigaline attended the scene this afternoon.

An ambulance and gardai were also at the scene.

There are no reports of any serious injuries.

A section of Dock Street in Passage West was closed following the road traffic accident.

The road has since re-opened.

A spokesperson for Cork City Fire Brigade told the Echo there were no serious injuries following the collision.

We got the call at 14.50pm. Two fire engines from Cork City Fire Brigade and one from Carrigaline attended the scene after two cars collided in Passage West."

There were no serious injuries. The fire engines were back at their base at 15.34pm. The road is now open, said the spokesman.
A Cork senator is calling for a meeting of public health officials and relevant health groups, to tackle the rise in cases of monkeypox here in Ireland.

Speaking after cases in Ireland rose to 97 last week, Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer says a robust strategy is needed, and care must be taken not to stigmatise any one community.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly recently approved recommendations by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) to provide pre-exposure prophylactic vaccination to those at high risk of infection.

The Cork senator welcomed the Ministers review of the NIAC advice in relation to vaccination, and the HSEs engagement to date with the various relevant groups in order to protect those most vulnerable to the virus, but said he had written to Mr Donnelly and Minister of State Frank Feighan proposing that we take this engagement further by convening a meeting of the HSE, NIAC, public health officials, sexual health workers, and all relevant health groups, to put in place a robust strategy.

He pointed to the fact that the World Health Organisation has declared monkeypox a global health emergency.

Everyone is at risk of contracting the virus, regardless of sexual orientation, and while we must engage with those most at risk of contracting the virus, we must also be conscious not to stigmatise any one community, he said.

The public information campaign currently being worked on will be crucial to that, which is why I am proposing bringing all relevant groups together in advance of its rollout, the Cork senator said.
People celebrate the Midsummer Festival in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 25, 2022. (Photo by Wei Xuechao/Xinhua)

During the first four months of this year, the number of births dropped to 35,467 babies, according to Statistics Sweden. This was 2,483 fewer than the figure in the same period last year and also the lowest level recorded in the past 20 years.

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Childbirth in the spring of 2022 in Sweden reached the lowest level in more than two decades, according to figures issued by Statistics Sweden on Sunday.

Between January and April this year, 1.57 children were born per woman, compared to 1.69 children in the same period last year, the figures showed.

"It is a surprisingly sharp drop in the statistics," Gunnar Andersson, a demography professor at Stockholm University, told Swedish Television on Sunday.

When people were homebound during the COVID-19 pandemic, childbearing increased to 1.69 children per woman, but during the first four months of this year, the number of births dropped to 35,467 babies, according to Statistics Sweden. This was 2,483 fewer than the figure in the same period last year and also the lowest level recorded in the past 20 years.

People spend their time under cherry blossoms in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2022. (Photo by Wei Xuechao/Xinhua)

"In the short term, there can be random variations such as observed in January. However, the level has since been significantly lower than previously," said Andersson.

Andersson said the sudden drop in the fertility rate could be connected to the mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 that began in the spring of 2021.

"Many realized that this was the end of lockdown and working from home, and returned to normal life," Andersson said.

In the late 1990s, an average 1.5 children were born per woman, Swedish Television reported.

"In the 1990s, we had an economic crisis, and fewer people chose to have children," Andersson said.

Photo taken on May 6, 2021 shows a sign asking people to keep social distance in a metro compartment in Stockholm, capital of Sweden. (Photo by Wei Xuechao/Xinhua) 
Diplomats from 30 Islamic countries visit Xinjiang

Xinhua) 09:01, August 08, 2022

URUMQI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Envoys from 30 Islamic countries visited northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Aug. 1 to 5 at the invitation of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The diplomats from countries including Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan visited the regional capital city of Urumqi, Kashgar Prefecture and Aksu Prefecture, learning about the region's economic and social development.

They witnessed Xinjiang's achievements in social stability, economic development, the improvement of people's livelihoods, religious harmony and cultural prosperity, expressing their hopes that exchanges and cooperation with the region would be deepened.

"The fruit here is so sweet, just like the life of people here," said Hassane Rabehi, Algerian ambassador to China, adding that during this visit, he got to know the real situation of Xinjiang, where the rights of people of all ethnic groups are well protected.

Hassane Rabehi said that Algeria hopes to conduct more cooperation with Xinjiang on infrastructure construction, modern agricultural development, education and scientific research.

Abdulrahman Ahmad H. Alharbi, ambassador of Saudi Arabia to China, said that Xinjiang's achievements are remarkable and its ties with the world are growing closer.

According to the ambassador, Saudi Arabia is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with Xinjiang, make good use of the advantages of both sides, and invest more in technology, knowledge and other fields.

Bruneian ambassador to China Pehin Dato Rahmani said that after years of effort, Xinjiang has made remarkable achievements in development. People of all ethnic groups here are living together in harmony and enjoying the freedom of religious belief. People's livelihoods have also been improved.

"We hope to work with China to jointly defend the multilateral system with the United Nations as the core, adhere to the values of peaceful development, and further strengthen people-to-people exchanges," said Anyin Choo, Guyana's ambassador to China.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The lost sunken submarine that played a role during the American Civil War was found in the mid-1990s and was finally retrieved in 2000.

H. L. Hunley had quite a long history as a submarine of the Confederate States of America despite its rather small size as it is known as the first submarine to sink an enemy ship. Measuring only 40 feet or 12 meters long, the Hunley was built at Mobile, Alabama and launched in July 1863. After sinking twice on August 29, 1863 and again on October 15 that same year, the Hunley was raised, returned to service, and later on sank a 1,200-ton warship, becoming the first submarine to sink an enemy ship.

Hunley's October 15 sinking brought down with it Horace Lawson Hunley himself, a Confederate marine engineer who developed submarines, including the ship he was named after and died on. But the Hunley's biggest achievement was sinking the 1,240-ton United States Navy Housatonic.

How Did a Small Submarine Like the Hunley Sink a Big Warship?

It was on the night of February 17, 1864 when the Hunley set out on her first attack on the USS Housatonic, a 1,240-ton Union sloop-of-war that was commanded by Charles Pickering and was maintaining her station in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. According to the Archeology Archive, the Hunley used its harpoon torpedo, which was packed with explosive powder and was mounted on a long iron pole extending from the bow to ram the wooden hull of the Housatonic.

The charge was then detonated from a distance through a rope that was pulled as the submarine backed away. In just three minutes, the Housatonic sank, taking its crewmembers with it. However, the Hunley sustained attacks from crew on the deck who had fired their rifles at the submarine. Mysteriously, the Hunley never made it home.

Read Also: USS Indianapolis Sank on This Day in 1945 After Delivering the Internal Components of the Atomic Bomb Dropped on Japan

Finding and Raising the Wreck of the Hunley

When the first submarine to sink an enemy ship never made its way back home, the search for the Wreck of the Hunley began. It was only 131 years later that it was finally found by best-selling author Clive Cussler and his team from the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). After 14 years of searching, the wreck of the Hunley was found about four miles off the coast of Sullivan's Island, the Naval History and Heritage Command reported.

The team used a magnetometer to locate a metal object that was found about four miles away from Sullivan's Island. They dove about 30 feet into the water and found the Hunley's two small conning towers after removing up to three feet of sediment, revealing the wreck of the Hunley, which was resting on its starboard at about a 45-degree angle. The first submarine to sink an enemy ship was perfectly preserved.

Once the wreck of the Hunley was found, the decision to retrieve it came naturally as many were concerned it would be damaged now that the location was made known. According to Hunley.org, it was Senator Glenn McConnell who navigated the different government jurisdictions and transportation entrepreneur Warren Lasch who raised funds to retrieve the wreck of the Hunley.

The wreck of the Hunley was successfully retrieved on August 8, 2000 thanks to precise engineering, thoughtful planning, and great weather. The first submarine to sink an enemy ship is now sitting in the Warren Lasch Conservation Center on the Cooper River in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Related Article: Andrea Doria Sank After Colliding with Stockholm on This Day in 1956
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Protestors demonstrate against the auction of a South Philadelphia oil refinery, at a law office in Manhattan, New York on Jan. 17, 2020. Erik McGregor / LightRocket via Getty Images

By Joel E. Correia

Climate change is already affecting much of the worlds population, with startlingly high temperatures from the Arctic to Australia. Air pollution from wildfires, vehicles and industries threatens human health. Bees and pollinators are dying in unprecedented numbers that may force changes in crop production and food availability.

What do these have in common? They represent the new frontier in human rights.

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on July 28, 2022, to declare the ability to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment a universal human right. It also called on countries, companies and international organizations to scale up efforts to turn that into reality.

The declaration is not legally binding  countries can vote to support a declaration of rights while not actually supporting those rights in practice. The language is also vague, leaving to interpretation just what a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is.

Still, its more than moral posturing. Resolutions like this have a history of laying the foundation for effective treaties and national laws.

The Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is strewn with trash and contaminated by industries and waste. Its one of several heavily polluted rivers around the world. Munir Uz Zaman / AFP via Getty Images

I am a geographer who focuses on environmental justice, and much of my research investigates relationships between development-driven environmental change, natural resource use and human rights. Here are some examples of how similar resolutions have opened doors to stronger actions.

How the Concept of Human Rights Expanded

In 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, the newly formed United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in response to the atrocities of the Holocaust. The declaration wasnt legally binding, but it established a baseline of rights intended to ensure the conditions for basic human dignity.

That first set of rights included the right to life, religious expression, freedom from slavery and a standard of living adequate for health and well-being.

Since then, the scope of human rights has been expanded, including several agreements that are legally binding on the countries that ratified them. The UN conventions against torture (1984) and racial discrimination (1965) and on the rights of children (1989) and persons with disabilities (2006) are just a few examples. Today, the International Bill of Human Rights also includes binding agreements on economic, cultural, civil and political rights. https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBiA_7yU0nc?wmode=transparent&start=0 Eleanor Roosevelt and others read from the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Todays Triple Planetary Crisis

The world has changed dramatically since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written, perhaps most notably with regard to the scale of environmental crises people worldwide face.

Some experts argue that the triple planetary crisis of human-driven climate change, widespread biodiversity loss and unmitigated pollution now threaten to surpass the planetary boundaries necessary to live safely on Earth.

These threats can undermine the right to life, dignity and health, as can air pollution, contaminated water and pollution from plastics and chemicals. That is why advocates argued for the UN to declare a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Smog has gotten so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

The UN has been discussing the environment as a global concern for over 50 years, and several international treaties over that time have addressed specific environmental concerns, including binding agreements on protecting biodiversity and closing the ozone hole. The 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming is a direct and legally binding outcome of the long struggles that follow initial declarations.

The resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was approved without dissent, though eight countries abstained: Belarus, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Syria.

The Human Right to Water

Voluntary human rights declarations can also be instrumental in changing state policy and providing people with new political tools to demand better conditions.

The human right to water is one of the strongest examples of how UN resolutions have been used to shape state policy. The resolution, adopted in 2010, recognizes that access to adequate quantities of clean drinking water and sanitation are necessary to realize all other rights. Diarrheal disease, largely from unsafe drinking water, kills half a million children under age 5 every year.

A woman in Sudan fills a water bottle for a child during the 2017 drought. Ashraf Shazly/AFP via Getty Images

Human rights advocates used the resolution to help pressure the Mexican government to reform its constitution and adopt a human right to water in 2012. While the concept still faces challenges, the idea of a right to water is also credited with transforming water access in marginalized communities in Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Egypt and other countries.

The Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is another example. It recognizes the specific histories of marginalization, violence and exploitation that many Indigenous peoples around the world have endured and contemporary human rights violations.

The resolution outlines rights for Indigenous peoples but stops short of recognizing their sovereignty, something many critique as limiting the scope of self-determination. Within these limits, however, several countries have incorporated some of its recommendations. In 2009, Bolivia integrated it into its constitution.

Enxet and Sanapana Indigenous peoples of Paraguay protest in 2015 to demand land restitution and protection of their human rights. Joel E. Correia

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples discusses a right to free, prior and informed consent about development and industrial projects that would affect Indigenous people. That has been a powerful tool for Indigenous peoples to demand due process through the legal system.

In Canada, Paraguay and Kenya, Indigenous peoples have used the resolution to help win important legal victories before human rights courts with rulings that have led to land restitution and other legal gains.

Tools for Change

UN declarations of human rights are aspirational norms that seek to ensure a more just and equitable world. Even though declarations like this one are not legally binding, they can be vital tools people can use to pressure governments and private companies to protect or improve human well-being.

Change can take time, but I believe this latest declaration of human rights will support climate and environmental justice across the world.

Joel E. Correia is an assistant professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Florida.

Disclosure statement: Joel E. Correia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond academic appointment.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Work's team in Haiti examines some of the fabric made from the collected plastic. First Mile

Of the 8.3 metric tons of plastic produced in this world to date, 6.3 billion tons of that is trash, and less than 10% of it is recycled, which has created a global crisis, not just with the environment, but our health.

Microplastics  tiny pieces of plastic debris, which result from the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste  are now ever-present pollutants now found to be in most places in the world, from marine life to the top of Mt. Everest, and now our bloodstreams.

Plastic pollution also disproportionately affects marginalized communities and communities living near plastic waste sites.

According to a report from the United Nations, polluting facilities and industries  particularly the companies drilling for the oil that helps make plastic  are often placed in vulnerable communities, who are now subject to toxins from plastic incineration as well as other hazards from disposal. Those who rely on marine life for food are also ingesting toxins from contaminated water sources.

Ground soil in these communities is also being contaminated, making it difficult to rely on agriculture for economic stability and local food security.

Some companies, organizations, policymakers and governments are working with both national and regional initiatives, many of which are led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to create a more circular economy, and have an industry-scale change to end plastic pollution.

Currently, several brands are using repurposed plastic bottles in their products to help divert the waste stream, particularly in fashion, which is a large source of plastic waste pollution.

However, according to Ian Rosenberger, CEO of Thread International, its going to take more than companies diverting waste streams to solve the plastic crisis  its going to take empowering low-income communities in order to create sustainable change.

Thread is one of the companies that turns plastic waste from developing countries into fabric and other materials for big brands, as well as its own recycled Day Owl backpacks.

Alongside its sister company WORK, they have founded the First Mile Initiative, which helps bring full transparency of who and what happens to the first mile of recycled waste supply chains, and holistically supports waste collectors in Haiti, Honduras, and Taiwan, while connecting brands to the communities they positively impact.



First Miles campaign to make plastic waste a resource had turned more than 100 million bottles into shoes, clothes, backpacks, and printer cartridges by July 15, 2020. firstmileimpact / Instagram

And the companies support doesnt just end at the waste collectors and workers, but involves their families and others in the communities in which they operate.

Environmental justice cannot be solved in the absence of social justice, said Vivien Luk, executive director of WORK.

Before expanding through First Mile, WORKs operations began in Haiti, where they continue to follow their mission to accompany families out of poverty through good, dignified jobs, while also working to remove roadblocks to their success.

With an impact team based in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Port-au-Prince, WORK ensures open access to medical care, access to education for children, as well as giving families other tools to empower themselves towards long-term independence  and they commit to the families entirely until they are no longer needed.

[Weve] decided to grow the organization in accordance with that ideal of serving a person completely instead of serving a million of them an inch deep, said Rosenberger.

He added that they dont just go into any communities thinking they have the answers. They walk in asking how they can be allies to help people with whatever they are going through with the end goal being full agency and dignity.

By and large, theyre incredible business people, entrepreneurs, and workers [that Ive met], he says.

How It Began

The companies grew out of an initial trip Rosenberger took to Port-au-Prince in 2010 to help out with disaster relief after a catastrophic 7.0 earthquake destroyed buildings and homes, displacing many and killing more than 200,000 people.

On that trip he met a young man who needed a life-saving medical procedure, and asked Rosenberger if he could help. Rosenberger and his friends then committed to raising money and finding resources, and were eventually able to get him to the United States where he could get the procedure done.

Afterwards, when Rosenberger accompanied him home, he felt he needed to do more.

Noticing all of the plastic waste and how few jobs there were, when he later discovered that plastic bottles could be transformed into fabric, he and his team of friends then reached out to a bunch of global brands trying to convince them to build factories in Haiti.

After none of the companies took them seriously, they decided to make fabric out of waste on their own.

By 2013, Thread became a certified B Corp business  which means they met the standards of performance, accountability and transparency in contributing to an equitable and regenerative economy. It would still be three years before 2015, when apparel and footwear company Timberland signed on to be their first brand collaboration, making a line of boots and bags with Threads material.

They now also work with Ralph Lauren, Marmot, Reebok, Puma, Aerie, Converse and others.

As they were supporting the waste collectors and building the company, Thread and Works team also expanded from taking care of that one young man to helping meet the needs of five families which they stuck with for four years.

One of WORKs business entrepreneurs in Haiti selling essential items at her business allowing financial independence for her and her family. WORK

According to Luk, they hadnt yet had a solid model, and had no business taking on any more families until they had one.

Now their endeavors encompass 700 families across Haiti.

As for plastic, theyve since diverted more than 6 million pounds of plastic waste from landfills and oceans, with more than 130 million plastic bottles recycled into useful products while helping people earn a dignified income.

While other similar initiatives have also taken place in Haiti, none have been so intimately involved with the families, and mostly incentivized waste picking with money.

However, there have been a lot of setbacks in the last few years, part of which involved COVID, which put a halt to Run Across Haiti, one of their largest fundraisers, and forced them into layoffs. They were eventually able to hire everyone back after the company pivoted to making personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers.

Then there was the assassination of the Haitis president last July, which has made things complicated and dangerous for the waste collectors and their other families, but they are enduring and figuring out systems amidst the chaos anyway, said Luk.

Were trying to be as supportive of our families and workers as we can, she added.

Another setback came prior to the assasination, with a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that devastated the southwestern region of the country. Some of their waste collectors were in the middle of the devastation.

According to Rosenberger, the tech company HP  which has been a brand partner since 2016 and utilizes the companys recycled material in their ink cartridges  donated some of the money necessary to get a team on the ground to see what happened, as well as helped airlift 15,000 pounds of medical supplies to those affected.

The team to respond were people who, ten years ago, were part of Thread and WORKs early support programming, now empowered enough to lend help themselves.

They went to [these peoples] homes in the same way that my friends and I went to their homes, Rosenberger said.

Moving Forward

Thread and WORK are currently wanting to expand First Mile in Asia, Africa, and in parts of the United States, where they are specifically looking at how waste impacts Indigenous communities and how proper waste management might help benefit them as well.

In the meantime, Rosenberger said hes attended several conferences where many companies and organizations talk about wanting to make systemic changes, but say the process will be complex, which he feels is a lie.

He believes that its simple and involves changing business models, and is necessary particularly for chemical companies, petrochemical companies and oil producers.

A 2021 study published by the Mindaroo Foundation, said that only 100 companies produce 90% of all single-use plastic-waste generated globally, with ExxonMobil topping the list.

Though frustrated, Rosenberger said complaining about these companies on Twitter or calling them evil doesnt work when it comes to creating change and he doesnt want to spend the next 20 years locking horns with companies much larger than him, either.

We are at the point where you have to love the people you are built to despise. You have to love what they stand for. In loving all of those things, [maybe you] can come up with a solution you both believe in, he said.

He added: How do we figure out a way to make those people feel like its okay to come into the light? If we [are able to] do that, its game over.




Indonesia to increase corn planting to strengthen grain supplies

Indonesia will expand the cultivation of sorghum and corn to help secure grain supplies, with global imports of wheat disrupted by the war in Ukraine, a senior cabinet minister said on August 4.

Indonesia mostly consumes rice as a staple food, but it is among the world's biggest importers of wheat, which it uses for household consumption and animal feed.

The country is preparing 115,000ha of land for 2023 and another 154,000ha for 2024 to cultivate sorghum, Indonesias Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, told a virtual media briefing.

The country currently has around 4,300ha of land under sorghum cultivation, producing 15,000 tonnes of the grain as of June.

Airlangga noted that a number of countries had imposed export restrictions on wheat this year to secure their own domestic supplies during the Ukraine war.

"Therefore, we have to produce substitutes for wheat," he said, adding that, other than sorghum, Indonesia could also increase production of sago and cassava.

Airlangga said sorghum could also be used for animal feed and to produce bio-ethanol.

Earlier, Airlangga said the authorities would increase production of corn by expanding cultivation in some eastern provinces such as Papua, West Papua and North Maluku.

The government would also distribute better quality corn seeds to help increase yields to 13 tonnes per hectare, up from an average of five tonnes per hectare now.

- Reuters




San Miguel unit begins building 12 poultry plants in Philippines



San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc., a San Miguel Corp (SMC) unit, started the construction of 12 mega poultry plants around the Philippines to produce 960 million birds annually.

SMC president Ramon Ang said each poultry plant would require $100 million in investments or a total of $1.2 billion. "It should be available in two years. So 2024 of June, that will be finished and operational," he said.

Ang said the facilities were expected to produce "big birds" that weigh around 2 1/2 kilogrammes each.

"The variety available today, we call that big size. We produce that because there is demand for that type of bird for chicken nuggets and other processed food," he added.

San Miguel will put up the poultry plants in Davao del Sur; Sariaya, Quezon; Pagbilao, Quezon; Lucanin, Bataan; San Fabian, Pangasinan; Balayan, Batangas; Bulan, Sorsogon; San Ildefonso, Bulacan; Leganes, Iloilo; Malabuyoc, Cebu; Pagadian, Zamboanga; and Badoc, Ilocos Norte.

San Miguel expects the whole supply chain for the 12 facilities to generate one million jobs in plantations, feed mills and poultry processing plants.

"We have already started that The target is to be up and running 24 months from (August 7)," Ang said.



- Manila Standard




Philippine farmer associations to oppose easing import of fish feed raw materials from ASF-affected countries

Farmer associations in the Philippines said they will oppose an easing of import restrictions on fish feed raw materials from countries affected by African swine fever (ASF).

"(This) will further expose the still vulnerable livestock industry to the spread of ASF," said Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) chairman Rosendo O. So in a statement. "Clearly, this was not approved or allowed by the industry because of the possible damage to the livestock industry."

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) recently authorised imports of processed animal protein (PAP) used in fish feed from countries affected by ASF. It had earlier banned imports of processed porcine or pork meal for animal feed use from these countries in March.

So said that SINAG, along with other agri-industry groups, will file an appeal against the memorandum.

"(ASF) continues to wreak havoc in some regions, (reducing) the hog population by a little over three million As a result of the ASF disease outbreaks, thousands of farmers suffered complete loss of income and livelihood, with smallholder farmers suffering the most," it said. "The DA has said that there is evidence that contaminated feed can possibly transmit the ASF virus to pigs consuming the feed. The private sector, veterinarians, veterinary drug companies and even the government have been creating programmes to improve swine biosecurity practices and to encourage the swine farmers to re-populate safely in the absence of a viable vaccine."

The association said that while the livestock industry recognises the aquaculture sector's need to reduce the costs of feed to be more competitive, any threat to biosecurity is the concern of the entire agriculture industry.

"The aquaculture sector's request to lift the ban of porcine animal protein from countries with ASF cases limited to wild boars will certainly expose the fragile and recovering swine industry to further threats from contaminated raw materials," it added.

The easing of import rules is expected to "reverse the decline in fish production, enable expansion and ensure the nutrition of Filipino consumers," the aquaculture industry said.

"If the import ban on PAPs had continued, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said 20% of aquaculture production would be imperiled," said Asis G. Perez, co-convenor of food advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan, in a briefing. "The aquaculture sector surely welcomes this initiative as it has been requesting for this since April of this year.

"The general public will stand to benefit from this decision as there will be a continuing supply of affordable protein coming from aquaculture."

Feedmix Specialist II, Inc. vice-president Norberto O. Chingcuanco, also co-convenor of Tugon Kabuhayan, said that PAP is a key, irreplaceable ingredient for aquaculture feed and its production process can be expected to kill the ASF virus.

"PAPs are processed at high temperatures that kill all forms of bacteria and viruses," he said. "Fish growth slowed down because of the absence of proper ingredients. Nutritionists had a hard time balancing nutritional needs without PAPs.

"Fish production is not growing. Tugon Kabuhayan has been vigorously advocating to allow imports of PAPs, 70% of which are from Italy, from where they were disallowed starting January."

- BusinessWorld




Partnership to implement AI in Vietnamese shrimp ponds





Vietnamese shrimp producer Viet-Uc Group and AquaEasy have announced a commercial partnership that will see the application of artificial intelligence technology in shrimp ponds in Vietnam.

Under the partnership, the firm will deploy AquaEasy's AI systems, i-feeders and ShrimpTalk in over 1,000 shrimp ponds. They said the partnership could be a "role model for the shrimp farmers in Vietnam applying smart solutions to increase productivity, profitability and sustainability of the shrimp farming industry."

According to agriculture experts, thousands of small family-run farms dominate the Vietnamese shrimp industry.

An AquaEasy representative said: "It's often a challenge for these farmers to demonstrate environmental sustainability through eco-certification or rating programmes because the current tools used to collect data, assess farm sustainability and identify areas for improvement are often not well suited for small farms."

Deputy managing director of Viet-Uc Group Nguyen Cong Can said: "The partnership with AquaEasy is a commitment from Viet-Uc Group to help shrimp farmers in Vietnam by applying new technologies. It helps shrimp farmers save more time and make more money with less risk. The use of technology is critical to success in shrimp farming."

AquaEasy's Vo Hoang Vu said as a spin-out from Bosch's innovation hub grow, AquaEasy aimed to reduce manual labour and eliminate subjective assessments while improving yield, productivity and environmental sustainability.

The startup's systems provide accurate, real-time data with alerts and recommendations displayed through a mobile app. Its technology is currently commercially deployed in Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. According to the company, it increases shrimp farmers' productivity by 30%.

Earlier, mobile digital technology was launched at Vietnam Shrimp Forum,that aims to solve the limitations of existing platforms in the Vietnamese shrimp market.

Tran Dinh Luan, director general of the Directorate of Fisheries, told local media that although the shrimp industry has developed rapidly, it still faced many difficulties and challenges. The farming environment has fluctuated and shrimp production costs are still high.

Furthermore, cooperation between actors in the shrimp value chain are still fragmented and ineffective, negatively affecting product quality and traceability while reducing the competitiveness of Vietnamese shrimp internationally.

- VNA
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin delivers a speech during the Korea Blockchain Week 2022 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Monday. The annual event will last for two days both in Seoul and Busan. Yonhap



Crypto moguls share blockchain outlook at Asia's largest fair



By Lee Min-hyung



Cryptocurrency moguls here and abroad shared their vision on blockchain technology during Asia's largest fair which kicked off its two-day run in Seoul, Monday.



The Korea Blockchain Week 2022, co-hosted by FactBlock and Hashed, is an annual event that has taken place since 2018. For this year, a group of crypto magnates, such as Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, joined the fair and expressed their ideas on the future of blockchain.



Leaders and officials from game, venture capital firms and blockchain-centered platform operators  such as non-fungible tokens (NFT)  brought up a broad range of topics on the next big things regarding blockchain.



The Ethereum blockchain founder delivered a keynote speech and shared its next mainstream growth strategy. He expects more people to make payments with Ethereum in their daily lives within the next two to three years.



Ethereum is in the final phase of an upgrade known as "the Merge" through which it will change its system into a more environment-friendly proof-of-stake mechanism.



"Your accounts can be much smarter (after the Merge upgrade scheduled in September)," Buterin, who last visited Korea three years ago, said during the event. Ethereum Foundation has laid out a plan for the Merge to be soft launched by Sept. 19.



The Ethereum founder also expected its transactional commission to drop by a huge margin after the much-anticipated system upgrade.



This will improve the expandability of Ethereum, and allow more people to make payments with the cryptocurrency in their daily lives, he stressed.



Buterin's speech was followed by Klaytn Foundation leader Seo Sang-min who discussed the technology layer of the future metaverse world.



A group of blockchain industry leaders and partners at Hashed also delivered their viewpoint on how blockchain-centered tech paradigms will reshape the world of finance in the Web 3.0 era.



Korea's ranking government officials pledged to join hands with the industry for the nation's leap forward in digital finance.



"We cannot improve the city's standing and competitiveness without the digital finance business," Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said. "The city government is mapping out multilateral policies to attract more international financial institutions. State-of-the-art technologies based on digitalization and data will reshape our daily lives. We will gain insight from blockchain week, and use it as a crucial momentum for the city's growth in digital finance."



Financial Services Commission (FSC)'s standing commissioner Park Jung-hoon placed his focus on ensuring security while the country sets up a legal foundation to embrace the new paradigm of digital finance.



"The authority will secure consistency with overseas counterparts when introducing regulations on digital assets, as they have such characteristics as decentralization, anonymity and transnationality," Park said while attending the event on behalf of FSC Chairman Kim Joo-hyun.



"Before enacting laws on digital assets, we will also do our utmost in ensuring investor protection by stepping up our supervisory roles," Park said.


Crew member promoted to Master on Ben-my-Chree

Adam Kelso has been promoted to the rank of Master on the Ben-my-Chree.

Born and raised on the Isle of Man, Adam joined the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in October 2012, fulfilling a life-long dream. He follows in the footsteps of his father, who was a Chief Engineer with the Company for many years.

Adam began his career with the Steam Packet Company as a Second Mate, having completed his studies in Nautical Science at Fleetwood Nautical College. With the support of the Company, Adam completed his Chief Mates Ticket, before commencing studies for his Master Mariner certification, in December 2021.

Working on a week on/week off rotation, Adam completed his 8 weeks of training on 8 June 2022, and took up his first command earlier this summer.

As Master, Adam has overall responsibility for the safety of life, safety of the vessel, and safety of the environment. Hes also responsible for ensuring the vessel is compliant with both international and local regulations.
Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) meeting is held in Pyongyang, Aug. 7. Yonhap





North Korea will convene a key parliamentary meeting in Pyongyang next month to discuss organizational and other pending issues, its state media said Monday.







The standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the North's rubber-stamp parliament, held a plenary meeting the previous day and decided to open the 7th Session of the 14th SPA on Sept. 7, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).







The upcoming session is to discuss the issue of "adopting the law on the socialist rural development and the law on landscaping and the organizational matter," it added.







The SPA is the highest organ of power under the North's constitution, but it rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling party. It usually holds a plenary session in March or April to deal mainly with the budget and cabinet reshuffles.







Last year, the North held SPA sessions in January and September.







Sunday's plenary session was presided over by Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the standing committee, without leader Kim Jong-un's attendance.







Attendees decided on convening the parliamentary meeting with unanimous approval and had discussions on other issues, including adopting the law on medicines and revising the law on aerospace development, according to the KCNA.







"Revised and supplemented in the law on aerospace development in a detailed way were the basic principle of aerospace development and the norms related to the procedure and method of implementation so as to further legalize the activities of aerospace development," it said.







The North will also hold a national meeting "early in August" to review the country's emergency anti-epidemic measures, the KCNA said in a separate report.







The meeting, expected to take place before Aug. 15, draws attention to whether the North will announce an end to the coronavirus crisis or unveil changes to the antivirus regulations as its new suspected COVID-19 cases have remained at zero since July 29.







Pyongyang disclosed its first COVID-19 case on May 12 after having claimed to be coronavirus-free for over two years and immediately declared a "maximum emergency" virus control system. The North's daily fever tally peaked at over 392,920 on May 15. (Yonhap)






Now's a good time to pick up a new charger for your phone, tablet and other devices while a number of Anker's charging accessories are down to record-low prices for Amazon Prime members. Standouts among the discounts are Anker's 521 magnetic battery pack for MagSafe-compatible iPhones, which is 40 percent off and on sale for $30, and Anker's 511 2-in-1 power bank, which is 30 percent off and down to $35.

Both portable batteries have a 5,000 mAh capacity, but they're each versatile in their own ways. The 521 magnetic power pack will snap onto the backs of the latest iPhones, charging them up wirelessly. It'll provide almost a full extra charge for your iPhone, depending on the model you have, and it'll even snap on and power up the handset when it has a MagSafe case on it.

The 511 battery pack is essentially a wall charger and a portable battery in one. If you're near an AC outlet, it can act as a USB-C adapter for all of your mobile devices  provided you have a USB-C charging cable with you. And when you're not near a power source, you can use its built-in battery to charge up your gadgets. Unlike the 512 magnetic pack, the 511 battery will work with iPhones as well as Google Pixel smartphones, Samsung devices and others.

Prime members can also get the Anker Nano Pro 20W charger with a USB-C to Lightning cable for $28, which is 30 percent off its usual rate. The bundle gives you everything you need to charge your iPhone as quickly as possible, and we like that Anker's 20W adapter is more compact than Apple's version. Other accessories on sale include the 623 MagGo 2-in-1 wireless charging station, which you can pick up for a record low of $70, and a two-pack of wireless charging stands, which is on sale for $35.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
The world of rappers are celebrating with the fourth wedding of Fred Durst following the finalization of his divorce with his former wife KSeniya.

In the report of TMZ, it said that the rapper marries his girlfriend Arles in Los Angeles County.

The date and time and other details are yet to be revealed but one thing is for sure they are now husband and wife.

A source said that when you marry in L.A., the marriage certificate is confidential but the County Clerk confirms that the marriage certificate proving their wedding has been filed.

READ MORE: Ryan Gosling Reveals His Inspiration in Accepting the Role in 'Gray Man' and 'Barbie' Movie

Moreover, the wife of Durst, is also giving her confirmation in her Instagram account as she changed her last name into "Durst" as if she is telling the people that she is now a married woman.

There are also no photos and even greetings from the people who are close to them. It seems like everyone is good at keeping it a secret or perhaps they are giving the couple ample time to feel and enjoy their wedding as they are now entering the life of a married person, at least for Arles.

The wedding happened after Durst finalized his 3rd divorce in 2019 in which he filed divorce papers in 2018.

The split of Limp Bizkit rapper and his ex-wife Kseniya made it easy since they are in a prenup condition.

Divorce Settlement:

Some of the details in the settlement papers are as follows:

Durst needs to pay $7,400 monthly for spousal support but if she remarries the payments will be stopped as well.

The rapper needs to pay his ex-wife a one-time lump amounting to $26,000.

Also, she also get a 2018 BMW X1 model which Durst is the one in charged of paying the car until February last year.

And all of these are okay with Durst as long as he gets all his music rights and residuals for Limp Bizkit, a band where he belongs. There are businesses he owns that will remain in his possession that include a tattoo business.

Durst first married Rachel Teggersen (1991-1993), then Esther Nazarov (2009-2010) after that he married Kseniya and now he marries his girlfriend Arles.

The question now, is Arles the one? Well, we still do not know and Durst will be the one to answer that but now let them celebrate their wedding because for sure they are still in cloud nine.

READ ALSO: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt FINALLY Reach Peaceful Time After Divorce?
Anne Heche's status after her involvement in a fiery car accident has been revealed.

Multiple news outlets confirmed that Heche was involved in a car accident that left her with burns and injuries on Friday. It reportedly occurred in the Mar Vista area in Los Angeles.

Days after worrying fans for being in critical condition, a representative revealed Heche's condition to The Hollywood Reporter.

Although the accident was indeed near-fatal, Heche's representative assured that she is now in stable condition but remains in the hospital.

"Anne is currently in stable condition. Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during this difficult time," the statement detailed.

The actress was intubated when she first got admitted to the hospital.



Meanwhile, the tenant of the house where Heche crashed her car into "was fortunate to survive" it. Lynne Mishele, whose home was destroyed in the crash, fortunately, did not sustain any injury.

Her neighbor, Lynne Bernstein, told PEOPLE that Mishele was in shock before she was able to notice the vehicle.

What Happened to Anne Heche?

The update came out after FOX LA reported that the actress had been identified as the one who crashed into a Mar Vista home and sparked a fire. Firefighters responded to the scene and found a 2020 Mini Copper causing a massive fire.

They eventually pulled the car out of the home after extinguishing the flames.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Department said that the vehicle stopped within the 738-square-foot house. It caused damage to the properties and heavy smoke around the area.

"The vehicle became engulfed in flames and the driver was transported to a local hospital by LAFD," Los Angeles Police Public Information Officer Jeff Lee told CNN.

READ ALSO: Roger E. Mosley Cause of Death Shocking: 'Leadbelly' Actor Dead at 83

David Manpearl reportedly attempted to save the actress but it was "impossible." It took the responders more than an hour before being able to be out of her burning car.

It has since been confirmed that the authorities are investigating the recent event and a previous "misdemeanor hit and run" incident.

Meanwhile, Mischele's neighbors John and Jennifer Durand created a GoFundMe to help Mishele cover the losses.

"Lynne lives with her beautiful pups Bree and Rueban, and tortoise Marley in the Mar Vista home that was destroyed this week by a car driving into the home at a high rate of speed, catching the house on fire. Lynne and her family very narrowly escaped physical harm, and for that we are very, very grateful," they said in the description.

READ MORE: Kanye West, Kim Kardashian Spark Reconciliation Buzz With These Clues
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Elon Musk said he believes his Texas-based tunneling services firm, The Boring Co., is making good progress as it works to expand its Las Vegas underground transit system and pushes to gain approval for projects its pitched across Texas.

I think Boring Company is going to do some interesting things in the years to come, he said Thursday during Teslas annual meeting of shareholders at Gigafactory Texas. Boring Company is capable of much more transformation than it may seem.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, didnt specifically mention any of the tunneling projects his company has been pushing in Texas. Its no secret hes been pitching jobs to many municipalities in South and Central Texas, but details about progress are rare.

In San Antonio, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority and The Boring Co. have been quietly negotiating since mid-March on a proposed tunnel system to ferry visitors in Tesla electric vehicles between San Antonio International Airport and downtown.

On ExpressNews.com: Behind-the-scenes talks continuing toward proposed San Antonio airport to downtown transit tunnel

Regional Mobility Authority Chair Michael Lynd Jr. last month said the organization is on track to take its next step on the project  feasibility studies of key aspects  by late this year or early 2023.

Of course, theres a lot of effort that has to go into this process, he said. Its not entered lightly, or quickly.

The Boring Co. has said the project, estimated to cost between $247 and $289 million, could carry as many as 112,000 passengers daily on its route along U.S. 281 and produce annual revenue of up to $25 million.

S.A.-to-Austin tunnel

And since last summer, the Pflugerville-based tunneling company has been looking to collaborate with cities along the fast-growing Interstate 35 corridor to build an underground transportation loop connecting Austin and San Antonio. While those projects would rely heavily on tax dollars from municipalities along the route, The Boring Co. has been working with local officials largely in secret.

On ExpressNews.com: Secretive Elon Musk firm wants to build Austin-to-San Antonio tunnel loop for commuters

On Thursday, Musk addressed the companys growth in Las Vegas and looked to its future.

Musk said he had been considering the notion of starting a tunneling company for years, one he thought could solve traffic and capable of fostering high-speed transit between cities.

While Im a fan of trains and I like high-speed trains, they do intersect and go through towns and neighborhoods and chop peoples property in half, he continued. Theyre very loud.

For more than a decade, Musk has been dreaming about a high-speed system he dubbed a hyperloop. He first presented a white paper on the topic in 2013 with the futuristic idea of transporting passengers to San Francisco from Los Angeles in 30 minutes  a feat that would require a speed of about 800 mph.

Three years later, Musk launched The Boring Co. Though it hasnt been working on hyperloop projects  at least not yet  Musk hasnt been shy about saying Tesla-in-tunnels operations are the building blocks toward hyperloop capabilities.

In recent years, the focus has been on pitching smaller-scale tunneling projects. But The Boring Co. has had a tough run. Plans to build major transit tunnel loops  from New York City to Washington, D.C., from Washington to Baltimore, and from downtown Chicago to Chicago OHare International Airport  all have gone dark.

Las Vegas loop

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

On Thursday, Musk highlighted The Boring Co.s only success to date: the 1.7-mile tunnel system beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center that began operating last year and now is set to grow. Two months ago, the firm received approval to expand the existing system to 29 miles. Its slated to use the Tesla Model X SUV and Y compact sport utility vehicle to ferry passengers to 51 stops.

The company is now trying to get more wins under its belt by aggressively pursuing tunnel system projects in Central and South Texas.

On ExpressNews.com: Musks Boring Co, wants to build a tunnel under Tesla Gigafactory Texas

Since last summer, Musk has pitched at least eight plans to state officials, including projects to connect Interstate 35 and Texas 1 Loop, known as MoPac Expressway; another between the Gigafactory, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Austins downtown; and multiple projects near Pflugerville.

Its also working on its ambitious plan plan to ease transportation between the Austin and San Antonio metro areas  which are quickly coming together to form the nations next major mega-region along the lines of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The tunnel transit project would include stations in Kyle, New Braunfels and San Marcos.

For now, Musk appears to be satisfying his hyperloop ambitions with a smaller-scale way to move people in and between cities.

If you have a much simplified version of the Hyperloop  if really just Teslas in a tunnel thats depressurized  you can go between cities super fast and without disrupting the stuff above ground, he said Thursday.

eric.killelea@express-news.net
Developer Mitch Meyer has purchased two historic buildings  one downtown and the other on the South Side  with plans to renovate and bring in new tenants.

I just love old buildings, he said.

Last week, the San Antonio developer bought the 10-story Exchange Building along the San Antonio River. It includes about 41 apartments and space for commercial tenants on the ground floor. It comes after his acquisition last winter of the Toudouze Building, where hes seeking a retail tenant.

At the Exchange Building, Meyer has begun making cosmetic upgrades to the apartments as a step to get it fully leased. Currently, its about 65 percent occupied.

He plans to replace windows, add new mechanical systems and convert part of the vacant ground floor to provide amenities for residents. Hes seeking a tenant for the remaining space.

The building, at St. Marys and Pecan streets, was constructed in 1925 for the San Antonio Builders Exchange and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was later used as headquarters of the local chapter of the Association of General Contractors and as an office for American Hospital and Life Insurance.

In 1988, a partnership of developer Tom Guggolz, along with Ted Flato and David Lake of Lake Flato Architects, bought the building. They worked with the newly-formed nonprofit San Antonio Housing Trust Foundation to convert it from offices to apartments. Ten units were for residents earning up to 120 percent of the area median income.

It was an early example of efforts to build housing downtown and the first example of (the trust) providing funds in the form of an equity investment, Executive Director Pete Alanis said.

Ground floor tenants have included a deli and convenience store, Mediterranean restaurant Antibes, chef Michael Sohockis Restaurant Gwendolyn and Kimura, and chef Andrew Weissmans Le Reve and Sandbar.

Meyer declined to disclose the purchase price. The Bexar Appraisal District values it at $4.15 million.

The housing trust expects to receive $392,000 from the sale for its 9.2 percent stake. It was not on a financial position to offer to purchase and renovate the building so staff recommended approving the sale, according to minutes from its May 6 meeting.

Meyer said theres demand for downtown housing and he expects to fill the apartments quickly.

Toudouze Building

Its his second recent foray into redevelopment of historic buildings in San Antonio. Since earlier this year, hes been working on the 1926 Toudouze Building, which sits on a triangular site bounded by Toudouze and South Flores streets and Pleasanton Road.

The building was once a community center and a store operated by South Texas businessman August Charles A.C. Toudouze. It has been vacant for years.

In 2020, the previous owner sought to raze and replace it with a car wash, but preservationists pursued landmark designation. Its Spanish Eclectic features were thought to have been covered by paint and signage from the 1980s, when it was a furniture store, according to city records.

Then-owner Mark Granados said it was not historic and argued that renovating it would be too expensive. But city staff said he did not provide documentation to demonstrate an unreasonable economic hardship. The Historic and Design Review Commission supported its designation as a landmark.

Meyer declined to disclose what he paid for the building, which the Bexar Appraisal District values at $459,510.

Hes demolished a circa-1960s addition, reducing the total square footage to 12,000 from about 21,400 square feet, creating more space for parking.

Its a beautiful building in red brick with pine flooring on the second floor , Meyer said.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

He is seeking to have the site rezoned and searching for a tenant. He thinks it could make an attractive location for a neighborhood grocery or another type of retailer. Options not under consideration: a car wash or pawn shop.

It just needs to contribute to the neighborhood in some way, Meyer said. Its a prominent corner.

Aurora Apartments

Last month, Meyer sold another of his historic holdings: the ornate Aurora Apartments at 509 Howard St. in Tobin Hill.

The 10-story Aurora was constructed between 1928 and 1930 as an upscale apartment hotel, according to a nomination for listing on the National Register.

After changing ownership several times, undergoing multiple renovations and being abandoned, it was converted to housing for low-income seniors in 1982.

The building does not have a sprinkler system because it was grandfathered out of rules initiated in 1982. Meyer said it would be pricey and difficult to put in sprinklers and he wanted to redevelop it, potentially as apartments or a hotel.

He proposed building apartments a block away at 311 W. Laurel St. and moving the Auroras residents there. Plans to get tax credits to finance the project fell through.

Meyer said Fairstead, a real estate company with offices in New York, Maryland and South Carolina, called with an offer he couldnt believe and he sold it.

Fairstead plans to invest $15 million into rehabilitating the Aurora, which the company said will continue as affordable housing. Meyer said he still plans to construct apartments at Laurel Street in the future.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
Gillespie County Jail

A San Antonio Fire Department captain has been placed on administrative leave after he was arrested last month in the Hill Country on suspicion of drunken driving, department officials confirmed.

Ryan Bippert, a 32-year veteran with SAFD, was arrested while off duty on July 16 by Fredericksburg police and booked into the Gillespie County Jail, court records show. He was released the next day on a $1,500 bond.
Larry W. Smith/Getty Images

An individual fishing in the San Pedro Creek on Sunday found the body of a dead woman floating in the water, San Antonio police said.

The individual discovered the body around 4 p.m. near the 200 block of Flato south of downtown.
Weeks before the start of the fall semester, the Alamo Colleges District joined the list of area education institutions and school systems approving pay raises for faculty and staff.

Like many of them, the districts board of trustees steered the highest raises to some of its frontline instructors, with a 9.5 percent increase for adjunct professors.

And it approved a 4 percent raise for faculty and a 4.5 percent increase for all staff and administrators  including those making well over $100,000 per year.

Effective Sept. 1, that formula will add more than $10,000 to the salaries of a handful of the highest-paid administrators, while faculty will average between $2,000 and $3,000 in additional pay, which raised some eyebrows.

The 4.5 percent increase does benefit the lowest paid employees, such as student workers, and the unanimous board action included additional increases to ensure all employees get at least $2,000 more per year.

It will be the first year after the COVID-19 pandemic arrived that the district has distinguished between faculty and staff raises in a comparison with other community colleges, rather than the flat across-the-board increases for all employees approved in the past two years, Chancellor Mike Flores said. Last year, it was 3 percent for everybody.

The latest increases were a return to the districts 3ness approach, adjusted to make the Alamo Colleges the third best paid among the eight largest community colleges Texas - Tarrant, Austin, Dallas, Lone Star, Houston, San Jacinto, El Paso and the Alamo Colleges.

In (fiscal year) 2017 and 2018, actually, faculty received higher increases than staff and administration, Flores said. But because of COVID - we didnt know what COVID was going to pertain - so we decided then that we would not compare to market.

Flores, who makes $400,000 annually, is the only administrator who wont qualify for the 4.5 percent increase this year, officials confirmed on Monday, as his contract wont be up for renewal until 2024.

Presidents of the districts five colleges and district vice chancellors now make $235,653, and they will see a $10,604 pay bump.

In total, the board approved about $12.6 million to raise salaries for current faculty and staff. Out of that sum, about $5.2 million will go to 1,732 staff and administrators, with increases averaging $2,757 per employee - including the additional adjustments to reach a $2,000 minimum raise.

About $2.4 million was allocated to cover 779 full-time faculty, whose annual salaries currently average about $56,600, meaning their average increase will total $2,264.

The raises for adjunct faculty - those working part-time at the colleges - and continuing education faculty will average $845 among 3,112 employees. And those teaching career and technical courses in high demand fields such as nursing and cyber engineering will receive an additional $5,000 to $10,000 stipend.

The district evaluates its pay against other community colleges in the region using public faculty salary survey data from the Texas Community College Teachers Association, said Linda Boyer-Owens, the associate vice chancellor of human resources.

It puts us in a very defined position in our market for community colleges in Texas, Boyer-Owens said. I think its a very solid process, its good practice and something that the faculty understand and that they trust.

For some faculty, trust may be too strong a word to describe their view of the process.

I think its very unfair, said Professor Daniel Rodriguez, who teaches counseling and student development at Palo Alto College. And its almost a punch in the stomach whenever you look at the pay that administrators are getting versus the pay that faculty are getting, especially in relationship to morale building.

Rodriguez has tenure and has taught at Palo Alto for more than 35 years. About 10 years ago, he said. he did feel a sense of trust in a process that resulted in cost-of-living pay increases to full-time faculty, on top of regular opportunities to earn more money by teaching summers, signing up for additional hours and other incentives for moving up the academic ladder.

Even without much involvement on his part on any committees that discussed pay, Rodriguez said, there was a sense that the district wanted to see its faculty remain and grow.

Today, faculty members have little opportunity to get involved in pay conversations ahead of board recommendations, he said, and he no longer feels like anyone is fully representing and backing them.

On ExpressNews.com: After 25 years, San Antonio College lost a valuable tradition, ousted professor says

Faculty has kind of been kept out of the loop when it comes to pay, Rodriguez said. (Since 2008) weve just kind of been at the mercy of administrators, or maybe accountants, at the district level to determine our pay.

Weve never had really a seat at the table related to faculty pay here more recently, he said. Ive never been at that table.

Trustee Clint Kingsbery questioned the optics of giving administrators a larger percentage increase than faculty, but ended up voting to approve the proposal.

Rebecca Slezak, Staff / Staff photographer

I just worry that it may not send the right kind of message, Kingsbery said before the vote.

In future years, the college district can always decide between continuing to compare its salaries to other community colleges or simply approving across-the-board increases, but the point of the market-driven adjustments is to retain and attract good employees, Chancellor Flores said in an interview.

We need to be able to offer a competitive wage thats going to ensure that we can retain the staff that we have and that we can also recruit the individuals to the organization to support the students, he said.

Some faculty have long accused the district of becoming top-heavy with administrators or prioritizing non-its teaching staff.

On ExpressNews.com: Alamo Colleges clears unpaid tuition balances of more than 4,300 students

During the pandemic, between the academic years 2020-21 and 2021-22, the districts faculty count decreased by 20 positions, to 830, but its 989 professional positions grew to about 1,120, and its 82 administrative positions nudged up to 84.

In the same period, the budget to cover faculty pay decreased by about $1.5 million, while the budget for professional employees and administrators grew by about $2.9 million and $431,578, respectively.

Flores attributes this growth to the districts focus on providing more wrap-around services to students to help students graduate, such as additional advising, counseling, advocacy, and tutoring.

On ExpressNews.com: Alamo Colleges faces some hard choices to keep dual-credit programs

It is important to partner with students, and it is critical to always have the partnership between the faculty member and the student, because thats why they are here, Flores said. What we have done over the past six years is we (have) also been able to provide a partner in the form of an academic adviser to be able to ensure that theyre on path to graduation.

About 175 individuals make up this team of advisers and related professionals, he said, and now its taking students about three and a half years to graduate, even with about 68 percent of them attending college part time.

Jerry Lara, Staff / Staff photographer

Whats key is also providing targeted support for students outside of the classroom, Flores said.

Rodriguez shares the same passion and commitment to providing a path to graduation for every student. For years he has volunteered to help lead the Catch the Next program at Palo Alto College, which seeks to increase retention and completion rates for at risk or underserved students.

He teaches five courses every semester and to supplement his pay, he adds overload hours when possible, he said, and two classes in the summer.

When engaged in the numbers game of the budget process, Rodriguez said, administrators should focus more on the impact that these changes bring to faculty and students.

You would kind of hope that the same passion that you have is the same passion that could see from our administrators, he said. Im going to continue doing what Im doing, and it almost seems like they know that.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH




North Korea appears to be releasing water from a dam near the inter-Korean border without giving prior notice to the South, a South Korean government official said Monday, as the North is drenched by heavy downpours.





"As rain has fallen heavily in North Korea, the North is repeatedly opening and closing the floodgates of Hwanggang Dam," the unification ministry official said. "It seems (the North) is adjusting the Hwanggang Dam's water level based on the rainfall situation."





The official said there was no prior notification from the North on the move.





Under an inter-Korean agreement signed in October 2009, the North is supposed to notify the South in advance of its plans to release dam water.





On June 28, the unification ministry made a public request to the North to notify the South in advance if it discharges dam water, citing possible damage it could cause in the South.





The request, however, has gone unanswered, with the North apparently releasing water from Hwanggang Dam in late June amid heavy rainfalls at the time.





The official said as of now, the chances of the water release causing damage in the South remains low but the situation is being "closely monitored" as heavy rainfall is forecast for Monday and Tuesday in the North.





It usually takes four to five hours for water released from the dam located at the upper part of the Imjin River to reach Gunnam Dam in the South's border town of Yeoncheon, 62 kilometers north of Seoul.





Measures are also being devised in cooperation with the environment ministry, regional governments and the military, the official added. (Yonhap)


Soldiers in military helicopters will train this week in various locations around San Antonio, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said, conducting nightly exercises that officials confirmed would continue for the next several days.

The exercises will go from around 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Friday, said Maj. Mike Burns, a spokesman for the Fort-Bragg, N.C.-based command.

It will involve roughly 100 soldiers, including support personnel, using an unspecified number of UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook and MH-6M Little Bird helicopters.

Residents may hear low-flying helicopters, simulated gunfire and controlled explosions during periods of darkness, Police Chief William McManus said Sunday, describing a smaller footprint and timeline, from 7 p.m. Monday to 1 a.m. Tuesday in downtown and central San Antonio.

A San Antonio Police Department news release Sunday evening was the citys first public announcement of the training, about 24 hours before it was to begin. It said the exercise had been planned for months and was coordinated with the appropriate local officials.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg learned of it Friday, said his spokesman, Bruce Davidson, who did not respond when asked later if the mayor was satisfied with the degree of public notice offered by the city.

Nirenberg was unavailable for an interview.

Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle described the upcoming operation in an email to the mayor and City Council at 9:52 p.m. Sunday, couching it in the language of an initial briefing.

This training will consist of air and ground mobility operations and close-quarter combat training to enhance soldiers skills by operating in a realistic environment, it said. Coyle said safety precautions had been put in place to protect participants and residents, along with planning considerations to minimize impacts to the community and private property.

Municipal officials are not permitted by the military to publicly disclose the exact locations and times of the training, he noted.

Responding to questions Monday, Coyle said the training is largely taking place inside of vacant or abandoned buildings and suggested the military had regularly done similar training in the years before the coronavirus pandemic hit. He provided no examples.

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District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo, who represents downtown and the near North Side, said he didnt know about the Army training before reading about it in an Express-News online story Sunday night.

Of course I would have liked to hear about it sooner, he said. To me, it makes a lot of sense that we would have given much more advanced notice.

Giving residents a two-week heads-up would have been more appropriate, Bravo said. A military veteran affected by post-traumatic stress disorder might have more easily made arrangements to stay with a friend and avoid the disruptions, he said.

A plainly-printed flyer posted in the Dignowity Hill neighborhood east of downtown said the area might be affected every night through Friday. Strange that theres no phone number or logos on it, said one commenter who displayed it on NextDoor, the online neighborhood newsletter.

Very strange, the hours are insane, replied another. No logo, name, phone? Why in a residential area?

Burns, the Army Special Operations Command spokesman, said the Army had worked with SAPD and the city to do everything that we can to notify the people that need to be notified  the people in and around the training areas..

The command includes the elite Delta Force, but Burns deflected questions about which unit was training in San Antonio, saying, Well stick with United States Army Special Operations Command.

Another officer with the Armys Special Operations Command, speaking on background, said the training would be in and around San Antonio and that the exercises had been coordinated with local law enforcement and local leaders.

There will be aircraft, there will be simulated gunfire, and there will be simulated breaching exercises.

Were not putting anybody at risk, he stressed. Were not putting anybody in danger of being surprised by the operations.

For safety purposes were not divulging the specific information outside of the training locations, the officer continued. What we have done is coordinated with the San Antonio Police Department and all of the specific locations have been notified of the training - when and where its going to occur so that its not a surprise to anybody who is in and around the area of the actual training events.

Coyles email said precautions would include San Antonio police officers at training sites to ensure the safety of both residents and participants. Residents and businesses in the areas where training will occur have been and will continue to be notified.

Among the specific actions taken, the email said, was that a team of San Antonio police officers and military officials went door-to-door Saturday to notify residents and leave flyers.

Police said they would send text alerts and conduct reverse 911 calls to the affected areas Monday, and that 911 dispatchers and 311 call takers will be ready to answer questions from residents.

The meetings and planning for this training event began months ago, McManus said in Sundays press release. Being that San Antonio is known as Military City, USA, we have a long history and strong relationship with the U.S. military, and were honored to be able to provide support to the U.S. Army as they conduct this critical training in our city.

The chief noted that unique, local terrain provides training opportunities and simulates environments troops may encounter when deployed.

On ExpressNews.com: No sign of Jade Helm, but some are watching in Bastrop

Military exercises are common in the summer months, and routinely include fictitious scenarios.

The Army courted blowback from conspiracy theorists in 2015 with a multi-state, large scale exercise called Jade Helm, by using parts of Texas, Utah and a slice of southern California marked insurgent pocket as a stand-in for territory labeled as hostile on a map.

Jade Helm 15 involved 1,200 troops in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and the Lone Star State, and at one point included plans for a nighttime parachute drop over Camp Bullis that ended up being canceled.

On ExpressNews.com: Doonesbury cartoon pokes fun at Abbotts Jade Helm response

In 1999, the Armys Delta Force trained in the vacant former Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, conducting a raid on the dilapidated building.

That exercise drew criticism from some elected officials, including then-Mayor Howard Peak. who were concerned it would alarm tourists and local residents. But it had enough advance public notice to attract crowds of people to watch it from lawn chairs and atop parked cars outside the post  which was then open to anyone wanting to visit it.

The post was closed to the public about six months before 9/11.

Oddly, some members of Delta Force, which officially didnt exist, handed business cards identifying them as being with the organization to city officials.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Monday morning that he was in the dark about this weeks training, but supported it.

I think its great theyre doing it, with the volatility around the world, whether theres the China conflict were in right now or whether its the aggressiveness of Russia going into Ukraine and who knows where else?

Bravo said residents who think they hear gunshots are likely to call 911, but he expects his own office to get some calls after the fact, from neighborhood associations asking why they werent told about the training sooner.

sigc@express-news.net
DLanny Reaneille Chairez, the San Antonio mother under suspicion in the death of her toddler, known as baby James, was charged Monday with three counts of injury to a child.

Brandishing a copy of the new indictment, Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales announced the new charges shortly after a judge sentenced Chairez, to five years in prison on an earlier tampering with evidence charge.

Chairez, 21, was convicted of concealing James Avi Chairez, 18 months old, while police searched for the boy early in 2021, and during a Child Protective Services investigation.

The new indictment accused Chairez of intentionally and knowingly causing serious bodily injury to James, by manner and means unknown to the grand jury, the document states.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office

She also is charged with serious bodily injury by omission, and causing serious bodily injury during the commission of an assault with a deadly weapon, an object and means also unknown to the grand jury, the document states.

On ExpressNews.com: Once missing, a San Antonio mom whose baby was found dead pleads no contest to evidence tampering

Chairez pleaded no contest May 12 to one count of tampering with evidence as part of a plea agreement reached between prosecutor Joshua Sandoval and defense attorney William Simmons. Other charges were waived by the state. State District Judge Michael Mery sentenced her Monday.

Gonzales, flanked by James aunt, Mariesol Benavidez-Gomez, and other relatives, said following the sentencing that Chairez likely will probably stay put in the Bexar County jail as the new case makes its way through the court system. The three counts are first degree felonies.

We have every intention of going forward and seeking justice for young baby James, Gonzales said. We have been working on this for a long time, law enforcement has done a good job of putting this case together, and we are going to move forward from here.

On ExpressNews.com: Key dates in the case of missing baby James Chairez

Mother and son were last seen together on security footage taken from a Walgreens drug store in the 7100 block of Marbach Road on Jan. 4, 2021. Family members reported the pair missing in February.

A month after they disappeared, authorities released surveillance video from Feb. 21, 2021, taken from another Walgreens location and a VIA bus station near U.S. 90 and Southwest Military Drive, that captured Chairez by herself.

Courtesy San Antonio Police Department

Chairez was located March 15, 2021, but the toddler was not with her. She was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child, and tampering with evidence.

San Antonio police said at the time that Chairez would not answer questions about James whereabouts. She told them she was not ready to be a mother, considered putting James up for adoption, and said she was dealing with mental health issues.

An affidavit that supported her arrest indicated Chairez had said she wanted the boy to be in a better place.

San Antonio police and the FBI found human remains April 28, 2021, that later were identified as James at a mobile home that mother and son shared with an aunt in the 7600 block of West Military Drive

Benavidez-Gomez said she was encouraged with the new indictment.

Justice is bringing James back, but we know that is not going to happen, she said. Her (Chairez) not being able to walk around is justice.

The new charges will be filed in the 144th District Court and a trial setting is pending. If convicted, Chairez faces up to life in prison.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
On this day in 1950, the first Whataburger stand opened, selling $50  or approximately $614 in today's money  in burgers, chips and drinks.

Just four days later, the restaurant sold 551 burgers for $141.80, which would be about $1,743.44 today. The first burgers were sold for just 25 cents, although the price quickly rose to 35 cents by 1951, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

The first Whataburger stand was a small portable, metal building that opened at 2609 Ayers St. in Corpus Christi. The location now serves as a cellphone repair shop.

The San Antonio-based chain has expanded over the past 72 years to include more than 890 locations, according to its website. The vast majority of locations remain in Texas.

A majority stake in the chain was sold to Chicago-based BDT Capital Partners in 2019, leading to a further expansion of the chain into the deep south and Midwest, including new stores in the Atlanta area as well as Colorado.

The first Whataburger was opened by Harmon Dobson, offering 5-inch burgers so big people "had to hold it with two hands," Whataburger wrote.

A year after the first location was opened, Dobson split from his business partner, Paul Burton, due to Dobson's decision to raise prices of the burgers. Burton was given the franchise rights to all San Antonio-area locations.

On ExpressNews.com: TikTok food hack promises a cheaper Whataburger Patty Melt

Dobson began to expand the business to other markets in short order, and there were 17 Whataburger locations by the end of the 1950s, including the first outside of Texas in Pensacola, Florida.

The first of Whataburger's signature orange and white-striped A-frames was built in Odessa in 1962. The 1960s also saw the addition of fries to Whataburger's menu.

"On this special day, we honor Harmon, Grace and the rest of the Dobson family and thank them for creating a lasting foundation built on great food and huge smiles," Whataburger wrote in a social media post.

In June, Whataburger inked distribution agreements with 16 grocery brands, including H-E-B, Kroger and Walmart. The deals allow Whataburger products to be sold in 18 states, reaching past the 14 where Whataburger locations can currently be found.

shepard.price@express-news.net
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Dr. Tarah Hadley was a teen when she rescued her first animal.

An injured eastern box turtle was struggling across the street outside her house in Alexandria, Virginia. She carried the turtle, bleeding and missing a leg, to her mother. They sought help at a local wildlife rehabilitation shelter, where the teen first glimpsed a veterinarian in action.

Growing up, she never had a pet cat or dog. The only pets were canines at her grandmothers house. But her interest in tending to animals grew when a friend gave her an Amazon parrot named Chi Chi.

Caring for the bird inspired Hadley to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Now, as the San Antonio Zoos assistant director of Veterinary Care, Hadley leads an 18-member team protecting exotic animals in their care.

I love the challenge of doing new things and old things a new way, Hadley, 53, said.

On ExpressNews.com: Retired airmans storied resume shines through at new job with San Antonio Zoo

When the devastating winter ice storm of 2021 brought the city to a halt, Hadley and her team evaluated, warmed and re-homed hundreds of animals on the property. At the onset of COVID-19, Hadley set up protocols that protected the zoos endangered species. The team wore double-protection masks, repeatedly washed hands and wore gloves before mandated safety precautions. She made sure at-risk species, such as tigers, lions and primates, were among the first to receive COVID vaccines.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

These actions were highlighted in Hadleys nomination as one of five finalists for American Humanes The Hero Veterinarian, a national veterinarian award. The ninth annual award honors veterinary professionals dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond and the welfare and health of animals.

Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said the zoo community is proud one of their own is among the few finalists for the award.

Dr. Hadley is an exceptional example of a heroic veterinarian who has uplifted many lives, Morrow said. Her transformational leadership, unwavering commitment to wildlife and positive outlook have helped make the San Antonio Zoo the number one in Texas.

On ExpressNews.com: From homeless to CEO: San Antonio man uses recovery to Pay it Forward

Hadley was at her desk, reading emails when she learned she was a finalist.

I was so thrilled and excited, she said. It was overwhelming. I was humbled to be part of the veterinarians and nurses considered elite and best among their colleagues.

Being a veterinarian wasnt her first career. In the early 1990s, Hadley worked as a beat reporter in Atlantic City and New Jersey. But journalism didnt excite her as much as volunteering on the side at an area zoo, even if a task was scooping up pig and llama poop.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

She told her husband she enjoyed working at the zoo. He asked her if she ever thought of becoming a veterinarian, and thats when the light came on  becoming a physician for animals was her calling. That began studies at Stockton College, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tennessee. Hadleys focus was avian medicine. She credited nurses, mentors and internships for strengthening her proficiency and skills.

Hadley, a 2002 graduate of Tufts University, started her own private practice in Atlanta with a focus on exotic animals. She offered free veterinary care to orphaned and injured wildlife at the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort Wildlife Center. In 2011, Hadley became the nonprofits executive director, transforming the small center into the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in Georgia. She recalled they rescued, rehabilitated and released more than 3,500 native species, including birds, rabbits and turtles each year.

Three years later, Hadley faced her first test in providing safety for dozens of animals when a sudden winter storm swept across Atlanta. The freezing temperatures and precipitation prevented aid from reaching the center, but they were successful in preserving the lives of the animals in their care.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

The COVID protocols the team started in September 2021 are still in place. Hadley said theyve vaccinated more than 80 animals and are on their third round of vaccines.

Her concern for animals extends beyond the zoo. Hadley has helped the citys homeless pet population, handing out free food to owners of dogs without meals.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio barber drives his shop on wheels across Northwest Side to serve clients

Hadley said the recognition is an honor and shes proud to represent the team, zoo and the city.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

All of that experience really comes to bear for me here, she said. I honestly couldnt do what I do without them. We complement each other, all of us as a team. Im very proud of what we have here at the zoo. Whatever happens, I feel like Im a winner already.

About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse

Then she was back to work. Hadley leaned over the exam table as licensed veterinary tech Roxanne Frias, 41, held a small, hard-backed patient with blue gloved hands. Hadley checked the heartbeat, listening as a slow, muffled pulse echoed through the monitors speaker. Shed come full circle, caring for one more turtle once again.

San Antonians can support Hadley by voting online at herovetawards.org/vote. Residents can vote once a day until 2 p.m. Sept. 15. There were more than 500 nominations of the nations top veterinarians and veterinary nurses for the award. Hadley is the third person from the zoo nominated as an American Humane award finalist.

vtdavis@express-news.net
It was dubbed the great window cleaning crisis of 1969, the year it was revealed that the famous designer of the Tower of the Americas did not provide a means for washing the glass windows from outside the 750-foot monolith in downtown San Antonio.

When the Tower opened during the Worlds Fair in April 1968, visitors clambered to see the views from atop what was then the tallest structure San Antonio. But it didnt take long for the view from behind 12 tons of glass to spoil. The dust and bugs blew against the tophouse windows, and the scorching Texas sun baked it all hard.

You might also like: Heres why its illegal to BASE jump from the Tower of the Americas

Residents of San Antonio were outraged when it was revealed that famed architect ONeil Ford and his firm  Ford, Powell & Carson  did not include a way to clean the windows of the tophouse that loomed 622 feet above the Alamo City.

BRITTANY GREESON/San Antonio Express-News

Angry letters to the editor filled the pages of San Antonio newspapers. It even came up during Wanda Ford's unsuccessful run for San Antonio City Council. Ford was the former president of the San Antonio Conservation Society and the architect's wife.

Paul Thompson, the legendary front-page tough-guy columnist for the San Antonio Evening News, put the blame squarely on Ford. The architect, who also designed the Murchison Tower at Trinity University, shot back in a letter published in the San Antonio Express, accusing Thompson of spreading misinformation and asking why the city did not come to his defense.

In his letter, Ford said that preliminary designs for a machine that would wash the windows were scrapped due to its high cost and Tower budget problems.

sb/Courtesy photo

I do not know why one of these methods has not been employed but I assure you it was not our decision nor the decision of the City Public Works Dept. to do nothing," he wrote.

He concluded the letter: Suffice it to say  we architects cannot wash the windows ourselves but there are several persons who can  mechanical system or not.

Related: How they built the Tower of the Americas

A week later, the Evening News published a letter sent by then-City Manager Gerald Henckel to Boone Powell, a partner in ONeils firm and the architect responsible for the Towers final design. Henckel said he distinctly remembered a conversation with Powell in which the architect stated that the windows were so high up theyd never need washing.

But Im not really concerned about whose fault it all was, Henckel said. We just have to have a solution.

Hearst newspaper archives

After months of controversy and speculation, the 96 windows of the Tower of the Americas were finally washed by a magnetic scrubbing brush designed by scientists at the Southwest Research Institute. It measured 7-by-10 inches and was developed under a $12,750 contract with the city.

Then-Mayor W.W. McAllister and then-Mayor Pro Tem Lila Cockrell were on hand that October in 1969 to witness the historical event, the San Antonio Express reported. The cleaning took about a week to complete.

Other proposals to wash the windows before this method was developed were more daring.

A mountain climber, Richard L. White, armed with a $20 cleaning contraption and a batch of chemical gel, offered to go over the side. His proposal was rejected when city officials discovered he would be suspended by a nylon rope.

Hearst newspaper archives

Alice Contu, a North Side resident, offered to swing from a helicopter to scrub the dirty windows. She was featured on the front page of the Evening News in January 1969. Escorted to the Tower top that morning by a reporter to survey the job she'd volunteered for, Cantu "remained calm, resolute -- even enthusiastic -- despite the fact that a buffeting north wind threatened to pitch her slight frame right off the top of the Tower's observation deck when she leaned through the bars to peer down at the windows," according to the story. Additional helicopter plans were dreamed up and ditched. One woman suggested seeding the clouds with detergent.

Nowadays, the Tower employs window washers as per the citys lease with Landrys Inc., which runs Chart House in the tophouse. Through a contractor, the company schedules exterior window cleaning once a year.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
The Uvalde school district has moved a principal it had suspended in the wake of the Robb Elementary School mass shooting to a new job.

Mandy Gutierrez, who was suspended with pay July 25 as Robb Elementarys principal in the wake of a Texas House report on the May 24 mass shooting there, and then abruptly reinstated three days later, will now be the districts assistant director of special education.

Gutierrez accepted a new position  fulfilling her desire to support special education students across the district, Superintendent Hal Harrell announced late last week. Her background as both a teacher and a counselor will be invaluable in ensuring students have the support they need during the upcoming school year.

The district also announced that Christy Perez would serve as principal of Uvalde Elementary, which is absorbing some of the students who had been at Robb.

Robb Elementary has been closed and will be razed.

Mandy Gutierrezs move to a new job  and the debate over her level of responsibility for security failures that may have contributed to the ability of Salvador Ramos, 18, to gain access to the Robb campus and kill 19 students and two teachers  will likely come up during public comments at a special school board meeting set for 6 p.m. Monday.

The meeting agenda does not include a hearing or executive session regarding Pedro Pete Arredondo, the districts police chief, who was suspended days after the shooting and who Harrell has recommended be fired. Two previous hearing dates were postponed at the request of Arredondos lawyer, the most recent on Friday, the district has said.

The meeting at John H. Harrell Auditorium is to include information on the steps to improve the safety and security of our campuses, prepare for the social and emotional needs of our staff and students, prepare for the educational needs of our students, and prepare facilities for the changes in student campus attendance, the district said Friday.

It also will include an open forum to solicit public comment and questions as we move forward, and on the plans for the 2022-2023 school year.

The district posted a video of the superintendent giving updates on security, including installation of tall fencing around Uvalde schools, but he did not mention the latest personnel changes.

Arredondo resigned from the Uvalde City Council under intense community pressure.

Mandy Gutierrez had been suspended with pay following the release of a Texas House committees report that leveled criticisms about security at the school before and during the shooting. But she disputed its findings that a culture of complacency had taken root at the school that allowed Ramos to gain easy entry to the school.

The shooting was the second-worst at a school in U.S. history and the deadliest of its kind in a decade.

In defending herself, Gutierrez said the lock on the door to the fourth-grade classroom where the shooting happened was working when a custodian checked it the night before. Her suspension July 25 was to include a performance review pertaining to school security, but in a July 28 letter, Harrell said she would be allowed to return to work immediately and will continue to serve the district in an administrative capacity.

The House committees report found the most fault with a sluggish response to the shooting by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Police took more than an hour to enter the classroom and kill Ramos as parents outside the school begged them to act. Surveillance footage of officers in body armor who milled in the hallway while Ramos continued shooting sparked outrage from families of victims and the public.

Calls for Arredondos firing began shortly after the tragedy, when the Texas Department of Public Safety director singled him out for blame, but the House panels report criticized the on-scene leadership of virtually every law enforcement agency that responded.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, on Sunday said the school districts personnel decisions and other local developments in the past couple of months were about small pieces of failure that distract from efforts to hold Gov. Greg Abbott accountable for the states gun laws, which allow assault rifles in the hands of 18-year-olds.

Im not related to Ms. Gutierrez, as someone asked me the other day - dont know her - but the bigger functionality here has been negligence by government as a whole at every level, prior to May 24, on May 24 and post-May 24, he said.

Abbotts press secretary, Renae Eze, said Monday, The senators comments do nothing to help the Uvalde community as they work to heal. Governor Abbott took immediate action to address all aspects of the heinous crime committed in Uvalde, including issuing six directives to make schools safer and working with Texas legislative leadership to provide $105.5 million to support additional school safety and mental health initiatives.

sigc@express-news.net
This month, more than 47 million children will enter public education buildings across the country for the start of a new year. Although many aspects of this school year will be new for our children  new teachers, new classmates, new curricula  the fundamental structure of public education in the United States remains the same as it has been for about 180 years.

I have worked with children, families and educators for 24 years in the public education system as a speech-language pathologist and academic researcher. The biggest problem I see with our current age-based system is that it stands in contrast to what we know to be true about children and their development.

Children are not monoliths simply because they were born in the same year. Development happens along a continuum, with children mastering different skills at different times. They represent a multitude of strengths and weaknesses, yet our current educational structure operates on the assumption of homogeneity. As a result, children who do not conform are at increased odds of being diagnosed with learning difficulties or made to feel less than those whose development follows the standard quo.

This outdated model has been around since the 1840s, when Horace Mann, a Massachusetts politician, sought a more efficient process of educating American children. He adopted a model from Prussia that used military commands for education: students grouped by age under the guidance of one primary leader.

To be sure, our current model of public education has worked for many. I am one. For those who live in neighborhoods with well-funded schools able to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, public school provides a sufficient foundation.

However, public education does not work uniformly for all. Half of U.S. adults read below a seventh-grade level. In Texas, more than 600,000 students are diagnosed with disabilities requiring an individualized education plan, and 1 in 5 drop out. Rather than being responsive to the diverse needs of a heterogeneous group of students, politicians and businesses continue to remove aspects of public education known to be beneficial to children, such as play, recess and social-emotional development.

In our current system, when a problem like poor reading proficiency is identified, the federal government creates a new policy to address the problem. State and local school districts are charged with implementing the new policy. Once the policy has been implemented, researchers are invited to measure whether the policy was effective in mitigating the problem. Notice that in this process, input from educators is rarely, if ever, invited. As a result, our current educational reform model is a constant chasing-your-tail conundrum, resulting in incredible amounts of time and money spent often with little return on the investment.

What if we flip this problem-solving model on its head and begin with science? The collective knowledge of child development and educational experts across the country could radically transform public education. If we are serious about making education functional in the U.S., we need to create time, space and resources to plan a system responsive to and centered on the needs of children. We must give power and decision-making back to educators and child-development researchers, and remove it from the politicians and businesses motivated by political power and monetary gain.

Our children are not monoliths, and their diversity is a great asset. They deserve an educational system that supports all learners, based on knowledge of how children learn best. We have the resources to make this model of education a reality. Lets lay the 1840 model to rest.

Mary Beth Schmitt is an assistant professor in the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin and a researcher in child language.
More Texas teachers are considering leaving the profession than at any point in the last 40 years, according to new polling from the Texas State Teachers Association.

The survey found that 70 percent of teachers were seriously considering quitting this year, a substantial jump from the 53 percent who said so in 2018, the last time the typically biennial survey was conducted. Teachers attributed their grim outlook to pandemic-related stress, political pressure from state lawmakers, less support from parents and stretched finances.

The survey represented all grade levels and regions of the states. It was skipped in 2020 amid of the pandemic.

Like much of the nation, Texas is already grappling with a massive shortage of teachers. Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott convened a task force within the Texas Education Agency to study the problem and craft solutions. But as the school year fast approaches, there remain thousands of unfilled teaching jobs across the state, and the problem could only get worse if more and more teachers leave the profession.

READ MORE: Amid Texas teacher shortage, experts point to better pay, benefits

In the survey, which was completed by 688 Texas teachers, 94 percent said the pandemic increased their professional stress, and 82 percent said financial stress was exacerbated. Experts have pointed to better pay as a key way to recruit and retain teachers. Respondents taught for about 16 years on average, and their average salary was around $59,000. Thats about $7,000 below the national trend, according to the teachers association.

Besides salary, Texas teachers on average also receive some of the worst retirement benefits of those in any state, a separate study from June found. Teachers who have retired since 2004 have not received a cost-of-living adjustment, although the Legislature has passed some 13th check bills that send extra annuity payments.

In addition to pay, 85 percent said they felt state lawmakers held a negative view of teachers, 65 percent said the public held a negative view and 70 percent said support from parents had decreased over the last several years.

Abbott and fellow Republicans in the Texas Legislature have recently enacted several high-profile education policies, over opposition from teachers groups and education experts.

Last year, the Legislature placed restrictions on social studies curriculum, prohibiting certain discussions about racism. Abbott banned school districts from instituting mask mandates last fall, as COVID-19 cases surged. And schools are now facing calls for censorship of books that include discussions about race, gender or sexual orientation.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

For political reasons, Gov. Abbott has been trying to drive a wedge between parents and teachers, and this has definitely hurt teachers and hurt their students as well. It threatens the future of public education in Texas, wrote TSTA President Ovidia Molina.

Many of these teachers will be missing from our classrooms this fall, and for others, it is only a matter of time.

Abbott has defended the measures as a way to depoliticize education and restore power to families about what their children do and dont learn. He is calling for Parental Bill of Rights legislation next year to give parents even more control, as conservatives criticize the public school system as too progressive.

"Many parents are growing increasingly powerless about what to do to regain that control. That must end, Abbott has said. "No government program can replace the role that parents play in the education of their children."

A spokeswoman for the governor, Renae Eze, emphasized his commitment to education funding and support for our hardworking teachers.

In 2019, the Governor signed into law one of the biggest teacher pay raises in our states historyover $1 billion in annual investmentand established the Teacher Incentive Allotment, which puts teachers on a pathway to earning a six-figure salary while prioritizing high-need areas and rural schools, Eze said.

The Teacher Incentive Allotment gives raises to high-performing teachers. It has been rolled out to about 10 percent of Texas roughly 1,200 school districts, but almost all of the funds for the statewide program go to Dallas ISD  receiving 10 times more than any other district. The program is opposed by teachers unions, which advocate instead for universal raises.

edward.mckinley@chron.com
President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden take a look around Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, under the guidance of Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, May 20. Yonhap



Korea has decided to join a preliminary meeting of a U.S.-led semiconductor alliance known as the "Chip 4," a senior presidential official has said.



The official told Yonhap News Agency on Sunday that the foreign ministry delivered the United States Korea's intent to join the meeting expected to take place at the end of August or in early September.



The Chip 4 is an envisioned alliance of semiconductor powerhouses involving the U.S., Korea, Japan and Taiwan, viewed by China as a grouping aimed at countering its influence in global supply chains.



Korea has rejected characterizations of the group as an exclusive "alliance" and described it as a cooperation dialogue on semiconductor supply chains.






Red Tractor members need to have completed online pig welfare training by 31 August, the sector is being reminded.

Until this date, or until 8,000 people register, the cost of the training, 10, is being waived.

The training demonstrates to consumers that the pig sector is responsible, and that it takes the care and welfare of livestock seriously.

It is also considered a good refresher tool for those experienced with handling pigs, as well as a way to up-skill new entrants.

Upon the launch of the training in March, Red Tractors Pigs Scheme Chair, Stewart Houston encouraged producers to take part in the training.

He said: We fully understand that the pig sector faces a difficult time, and this training is a vital part of giving shoppers the confidence to buy British pork.

The moving and handling module takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete, however farmers can pause and save their progress.

When training is completed, a digital certificate will be issued that can be saved for Red Tractor audits and uploaded to PigPro, the sector's online training record.
The government is looking at a new approach to managing deer populations in an effort to reduce the animal's negative impacts on the environment and crops.

As part of the England Trees Action Plan, the deer management strategy has launched to manage impact on woodland and crops, as well as to safeguard the animal's potential benefits.

The strategy will set out key actions to reduce impacts of deer on the natural environment, and bring the population into sustainable numbers that the ecosystem can support without negative effects.

The new strategy also aims to improve on the current understanding of deer populations and their overall impact.

Defra and the Forestry Commission have published a one-month consultation to seek views on the key proposals and actions to include in the final strategy.

The proposals include incentives to increase farmer and landowner willingness to reduce deer impacts through active and effective management.

They also include improving the provisions within the 1991 Deer Act to enable more effective and accessible deer management, and developing landscape scale solutions where deer move across ownership boundaries.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents thousands of farmers and landowners, welcomed the consultation.

Mark Tufnell, CLA president said: "We must manage deer populations and their impact if tree planting initiatives are to succeed.

Excessive deer browsing can prevent new woodlands becoming established, and limit sustainable management and regeneration in existing woodland areas.

"With burgeoning populations and no natural predators, we must tackle deer numbers where they are out of balance with their environment if tree planting is to be effective in tackling climate change.

The consultation, which closes on 2 September, can be completed on Defra's website.
A block of first-class arable land has been put up for sale, with property experts saying it represents a litmus-test for the UK land market as food security rises up the agenda and demand for farmland surges.

The 306 acres of arable land is located at the Lees Court Estate, which is stewarded by the pioneering farmer and entrepreneur the Countess Sondes.

Strutt & Parker says the sale gives would-be buyers a rare opportunity to acquire Grade 1 land at a time when ground of such quality is seldom on offer  only about 3% of England is classed as Grade 1.

The American-born Lady Sondes, recently described as the most glamorous and intriguing character in the British aristocracy today, has established a reputation as a world-leader in integrating non-food crops, alongside conventional food production.

The lands rotation has recently included echium  a purple-coloured crop used in the skincare, pharmaceutical and baby food sectors  which has delivered significant environmental benefits.

It represents the first time this land at Faversham, marketed by Strutt & Parker as a whole or in two lots for 3.4m, has come to the market in the Estates 800-year history.

Mark McAndrew, head of Strutt & Parkers farm sales team said: At a time of considerable economic uncertainty, affecting almost all investment sectors, farmland stands out as a hugely attractive option.

"There is certainly a growing appetite for UK farmland from a wide range of buyers, resulting in recent reports of top-quality farms and parcels of commercial land selling for significantly more than their guide prices."

It follows growing tensions within the rural community about what has been felt by some as a drive to push rewilding over food production.

The land at Lees Court Estate is capable of growing a wide range of crops, as farmers seek ways to diversify their farming systems, against the backdrop of extreme weather, supply chain disruptions and changes in agricultural policy.

Adding to the appeal of the property is the regenerative farming approach that Lady Sondes has taken over the years, which has ensured the land is in excellent heart for successive generations.

The estate has found that including non-food crops such as echium in the rotation has been beneficial to pollinators, birds and other wildlife, and helped to protect and enhance soil health.

Mr McAndrew said: Farming and food security have never been more at the forefront of global sensitivities, so the most productive land is likely to be increasingly sought-after."
Poster for 2022 KF World Cinema Week "60 Years of Friendship: Our Journey through Latin America" / Courtesy of Korea Foundation



By Kwon Mee-yoo



A variety of Latin American cinema works are being shown in Korea as part of efforts to bridge Korea and Latin American countries through culture in celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties.



The Korea Foundation (KF) opened the KF World Cinema Week, Friday, with diplomats from the 12 Latin American and the Caribbean states as well as distinguished guests such as Mexican TV personality Christian Burgos.



Titled "60 Years of Friendship: Our Journey through Latin America," the event features 12 films from the 12 countries  Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Paraguay.



KF president Lee Geun said the foundation is honored to present a diverse range of films from Latin America during the opening ceremony at Jeongdeong 1928 Art Center in central Seoul, Friday.



"I believe, as a big fan of cinema, that movies play an important role as a channel through which we document and communicate aspects of the lives of people in different countries and cultures," Lee said.



"In this regard, it is my utmost hope that 2022 KF World Cinema Week to be a platform for you to feel the Latin American culture in multiple genres representing different countries."



Colombian Ambassador to Korea Juan Carlos Caiza delivered congratulatory remarks on behalf of the participating countries, highlighting that the films will give Korean audiences an opportunity to discover Latin American cultures and learn more about the countries.



"Cinema as a cultural activity is not only entertaining but also presents opportunities to generate knowledge and to unite cultures," Ambassador Caiza said.



"Each film we're going to present reflects part of our culture that will allow us to identify our difference, but you will also be able to discover what unites us  not only in Latin America, but also with a country like South Korea."



"Days of Light," a film co-directed by six directors from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, was chosen to be the event's opening film.



The KF World Cinema Week programmer Park Jin said the film portrays how different people made it through an unprecedented blackout of five days caused by a solar storm.



"Through a variety of people from a pilot suffering injuries from an accidental landing to a girl whose 15th birthday party is ruined, the film tells the universal truth of life  there is light at the end of the tunnel," Park said.



Other films of the event include "90 Minutes" from Honduras, "The Gold Seekers" from Paraguay, "Time of Women" from Ecuador, "Nahuel and the Magic Book" from Chile, "Tomorrow Don't Forget" from the Dominican Republic, "Martin & Margot" from Guatemala, "Impossible Things" from Mexico, "Something Blue" from Panama, "Zama" from Argentina, "Jerico, the Infinite Flight of Days" and "Pablo's Word" from El Salvador.



The films are available through Naver TV's KF World Cinema Week channel and Metaverse Mozilla Hubs for free through Aug. 18.


China announced during its recent meeting with Bangladesh that it will raise duty-free access to 99 per cent products from the latter beginning September 1. Foreign minister Wang Yi led the Chinese delegation. China had been providing duty-free facility to 97 per cent of Bangladeshi products, including all garment products, since July 1, 2021.

Three hundred and eighty three new products, including leather items, were added to the list later, thereby expanding the benefit to 98 per cent of the products.

The meeting discussed public-private partnership cooperation, Chinese investment, project implementation, easing visa restrictions and geopolitics.

China announced during its recent meeting with Bangladesh that it will raise duty-free access to 99 per cent products from the latter beginning September 1. Foreign minister Wang Yi led the Chinese delegation. China had been providing duty-free facility to 97 per cent of Bangladeshi products, including all garment products, since July 1, 2021.#

The Bangladesh side was led by deputy minister of foreign relations Mohammad Shahriar Alam told newsmen.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Wang that South Asia, South East Asia and China could work together for economic progress by facing challenges arising from the Russia-Ukraine war.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Vietnam marked aof more than $4.7 billion with the UK in the four quarters till March 2022  an almost 22 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2021. Recent data revealed that total trade in goods and services, both exports and imports, between the UK and Vietnam was 5.7 billion, which is a rise of 15 per cent year-on-year.

Total UK exports to Vietnam added up to 905 million during the reviewed period, according to the UKs Department of International Trade (DIT). Of this, the export of services was valued at 287 million and the export of goods was worth 618 million. Some of the major products that were shipped from the UK to Vietnam include pulp and wastepaper, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, metal ore and scrap, scientific instruments, and beverages.

Moreover, the most popular goods imported to the UK from Vietnam were clothing, footwear, furniture, telecoms and sound equipment, and iron and steel. It has been deduced that the bilateral free trade agreement between the UK and Vietnam, which was in effect from May 1, 2021, has been responsible for the increase in trade between the two countries thanks to its wide-range tariff elimination, according to various media reports.

Vietnam marked a trade surplus of more than $4.7 billion with the UK in the four quarters till March 2022  an almost 22 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2021. Recent data revealed that total trade in goods and services, both exports and imports, between the UK and Vietnam was 5.7 billion, which is a rise of 15 per cent year-on-year.#

There is potential for even further trade profits because Vietnam is the UKs 36th largest trading partner, and accounts for only 0.4 per cent of total UK trade.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
Alia Bhatt turns producer with Darlings, under the banner of Eternal Sunshine Productions. She was seen with Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma, and Roshan Mathew in the film which recently had an OTT release. Alia will also make her Hollywood debut alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan in the international spy thriller Heart of Stone. Besides this, she will also be seen in Brahmastra with her husband, Ranbir Kapoor. Alia Bhatt talks about her film Darlings, husband Ranbir Kapoor and motherhood in an exclusive interview with Filmfare.

Would you say this is an amazing year for you as your life has changed suddenly-marriage, pregnancy, and then producing a film...everything is happening all at once.





I am living a lifetime in one year. It's all happening so fast. I am very grateful and I am taking each day as it comes. Right now, all the focus is just on being healthy, happy, but mujhe kaam ke keede bahut hai. I can't not work. People are asking me to just chill, put my legs up and don't do anything. But I want to work and continue to do that. because I think that should never change. That keeps your mind and heart happy. Maybe five years from now I will look back and I will be like, "OMG! What was 2022? How did it start and how did it end?" I am enjoying it.





You must be being pampered by your mom and mother-in-law.





No, I haven't met anybody. I have only been working. For the last three months, I was in London, and I can't tell you how much I missed eating my dal-chawal there. But wahan par bhi, I found someone to send me dal-chawal and poha.

How has your life changed since getting married to Ranbir?





Ranbir is my best friend, so after marriage, nothing has changed between us. He is the same person. Jitni taareef karun kam hi hai. As a husband and as a life partner, it's a complete set of adjectives that I can use for him. He always supports me. Mujhe bahut hansaate hain. All of my concerns have vanished after getting married to him.

What sort of an actor is he?





As an actor, I have so much love and respect for him. Ranbir is the easiest actor to work with. He is always very calm on set. He is the most punctual. He is also so accommodating and so giving. When you shoot with Ranbir, you can feel a silent energy. You don't feel his stardom or his presence in that overbearing sort of way. It's so natural and it's so calm. He is such a beautiful actor. You can't see him preparing for his role and working hard to get into character. And I am very much like that as well.

Tell me about Darlings. What were your new discoveries as a producer?





For the first time, as a producer on this film, I was involved in the project from the beginning, whether it was working on the script or selecting our technical team. After the film got over, that is where the real involvement in me as a producer came. You are constantly thinking about the film and putting it out there. The main thing was the trailer and teaser cut, which I have never been involved in. I consider myself a creative producer who likes to be involved in a creative process.

As a producer, what were the challenges you faced?





Challenges are the same. You are trying to tell a story, but you want to connect with people. Will people like it, understand it, or connect with it? At the end of the day, filmmaking ka ek hi major challenge hai wo hai reaching the audiences heart.

What kind of subjects will you be seeking now to develop further?





I want to tell life stories. Shaheen and I are working together on Eternal Sunshine productions, and the fact is that she came up with some three brilliant ideas within the last four months, and we are developing them. That's a new facet that has opened in my life. This is my 10th year in the industry as an actor, and in the next 10 years I will continue to act and also focus more on my production house.

What was it like working with Gal Gadot on Heart Of Stone?





It was amazing. She is lovely, very hardworking and a thorough professional. She is such a big star, but she is also very sweet and kind. The whole team was lovely. We shot the whole film in just two months. For me, it was like a bullet speed record.

How is Hollywood different from Bollywood in terms of work style?





Its the same. The only difference was that here we work a 12 hour shift and have a one-hour lunch break, and there is a 10 hour shift and no lunch break. There, you are constantly on your feet. I liked that system and its very effective. Aap slow down nahin hote ho, otherwise after lunch you need one hour more to get the energy back again.

Are you planning to take a break from films?





Whatever films I am going to start will happen next year. So maybe after Brahmastra I can think about it and take a break for a couple of months.
JAKARTA (dpa-AFX) - Japan will on Monday release June numbers for current account, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The current account is expected to show a deficit of 703.8 billion yen following the 128.4 billion yen surplus in May. Japan also will see July data for bank lending and for the eco watchers survey. In June, overall bank lending was up 1.3 percent on year, while the eco watchers survey for current conditions had a score of 52.9 and the outlook was at 47.6. Indonesia will see July results for its consumer confidence index; in June, the index score was 128.2. Taiwan will provide July figures for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to climb 15.85 percent, slowing from 19.2 percent in June. Exports are called higher by an annual 11.65 percent, down from 15.2 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $4.49 billion following the $4.64 billion shortfall a month earlier. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved 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.
FN Media Group Presents Microsmallcap.com Market Commentary

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Copper supply can't keep up with the booming demand for copper, putting net-zero emissions targets at risk, according to a new report from S&P Global . Copper is essential for electric vehicles, wind and solar power, and infrastructure that transports and stores renewable energy. The report projects that copper demand will almost double to 50 million metric tons by 2035 and reach over 53 million metric tons by 2050. To put that number into perspective, S&P Global noted that it's "more than all the copper consumed in the world between 1900 and 2021." Solving the supply shortage isn't as simple as building new mines. A new copper mine takes an average of 16 years to start up, according to the International Energy Agency. Companies mining copper like Barrick Gold(NYSE: GOLD) (TSX: ABX), Capstone Copper (TSX: CS), Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE: SCCO), and BHP Group Ltd (NYSE: BHP) need to increase production to meet the higher demand, while companies exploring for copper, like Torq Resources Inc. (OTCQX: TRBMF) (TSXV: TORQ), need to make new copper discoveries to uphold the supply for the major miners.

Torq Resources Inc. (TSXV: TORQ) (OTCQX: TRBMF) is a Vancouver-based copper and gold exploration company, and one of the few that can say that it has recently made a brand-new copper-gold discovery. Torq has a portfolio of premium holdings in Chile, including its Santa Cecilia gold-copper project and the Margarita Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold (IOCG) project, where the discovery was recently announced and drilling has just resumed. This project is located on the Coastal Cordillera belt in Chile, where the company made a discovery of 90 m of 0.94% of copper and 0.84 grams per tonne (g/t) gold during the very first drill program on the project.

On August 2, Torq Resources announced that is has identified new high priority targets at the Margarita Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold project. The Remolino and Cototuda east targets have been defined based on the similar geological, geochemical, and geophysical characteristics observed at the Falla 13 discovery drill hole 22MAR-013R, which intersected 90 metres (m) of 0.94% copper and 0.84 g/t gold.

The Remolino target area measures 900 m by 250 m and is characterized by magnetic and conductivity highs similar to those observed along the Falla 13 structural corridor. The Cototuda target area is similar in nature to the Remolino target area, it is characterized by magnetic and conductivity highs measuring approximately 400 m by 300 m. According to Torq Resources, these targets have the potential to define new pods of mineralization beyond the Falla 13 structural corridor, which is currently being drilled to expand the mineralization found in drill hole 22MAR-013R.

"Following our new discovery made along the Falla 13 corridor, our technical team reviewed all available data sets which led to the refinement of the Remolino and Cototuda targets that have similar geological, geochemical and geophysical signatures to the discovery," said Michael Henrichsen, Chief Geological Officer at Torq Resources. "We believe that these targets have high potential to host new bodies of copper-gold mineralization and we look forward to testing them in a third phase of drilling."

Last month, Torq Resources began its follow-up drilling program at the Margarita project. Torq plans to drill approximately 4,000 m in its second phase of drilling along a 1 km length of the Falla 13 structural corridor. Geochemically, the target area is characterized by a copper-in-soils anomaly, which was defined by portable X-Ray fluorescence and gold in select rock samples over a 900 m strike length.

For more information about Torq Resources Inc. (TSXV: TORQ) (OTCQX: TRBMF), click here.

Copper Miners Are Progressing on Exploration

Barrick Gold(NYSE: GOLD) (TSX: ABX) announced preliminary second-quarter sales of 1.04 million ounces of gold and 113 million pounds of copper. Meanwhile, preliminary Q2 production amounted to 1.04 million ounces of gold and 120 million pounds of copper. As previously reported, Barrick expects its 2022 gold production to increase throughout the year. With the best second-quarter performance, it remains on track to meet the 2022 gold and copper guidance. Barrick, which is focused on high-margin, long-life operations and projects in the world's most prospective gold districts, has a 50/50 joint venture project with Newmont in the Atacama Region of northern Chile called Norte Abierto . Norte Abierto, which is next door to Torq Resources,Santa Cecilia, is one of the world's largest undeveloped gold and copper deposits.

On June 13, Capstone Copper (TSX: CS) announced brownfields drilling results from the 2021-2022 exploration program at the Cozamin mine in Mexico and the Santo Domingo project in Chile. The company also provided results of discoveries from the Planalto project in Brazil and an update day of activities in Copper Cities in Arizona, USA. Santo Domingo is a first-quartile copper-iron-gold project with an opportunity to build a low-cost, vertically integrated, battery-grade cobalt business. It is the only fully licensed project in Chile. Capstone's 2021-2022 exploration program in Santo Domingo is the first to be undertaken on the project since 2012. Eight holes have identified over 1.5 km of mineralization at approximately 500 m deep, containing low-grade and high-grade cobalt associated with magnetic iron. Capstone thinks more drilling could extend the resources and join the mineralized sequence through the planned Santo Domingo and Iris Norte pits.

Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE: SCCO), one of the world's largest integrated copper producers, reported Q1 2022 net sales of $2.76 billion, a 9.1% increase from Q1 2021. Growth was mainly attributable to higher metal prices for all the company's main products except silver (-8.5%). This increase was partially offset by a decrease in the sales volume of copper, molybdenum, and silver. Net income came in at $784.7 million, a 2.7% increase compared to the $763.8 million registered in Q1 2021. Copper production decreased by 23,922 tons (-10%) in Q1 2022 on quarter-on-quarter terms. On April 28, Southern Copper announced a quarterly dividend of $1.25 per common share, payable on May 31, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 17, 2022. Southern Copper operates mining units and metallurgical facilities in Mexico and Peru. It carries out exploration activities in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.

On July 11, BHP Group Ltd (NYSE: BHP) announced it would receive the world's first carbon-neutral conveyor belts from China's Wuxi Boton in August to its Spence copper mine under an exclusive pilot project between the two companies. BHP will use the conveyor belts in producing and transporting Spence mining products to customers worldwide, including China. The scope of the pilot project was for Wuxi Boton, as the incumbent contractor of BHP's operations at Minerals Australia and Minerals America, to select the conveyor belts to be ordered by BHP and determine how to offset the estimated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with the production of these conveyor belts using high-quality carbon offsets before delivery.

Meanwhile, Torq Resources is emerging as a leader in new exploration on premier mining belts in Chile, with a brand-new discovery already made and follow-up drilling underway now.

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Cash runway extended through at least February 2023 based upon debt restructuring agreement with IPF Partners (IPF) and equity-linked financing facility for up to EUR 6 million with Iris Capital Investment (IRIS)

Extended cash runway provides added flexibility to capitalize on upcoming Phase 2 DESTINY-1 results for PXL065 in NASH expected this quarter and independently pursue non-dilutive financing initiatives to fund and execute the Company's rare disease strategy

As of June 30, 2022, cash and cash equivalents were EUR 16.1 million (USD 16.8 million)

POXEL SA (Euronext: POXEL FR0012432516), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for serious chronic diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare metabolic disorders, announced today that is has entered into (1) an agreement with IPF to restructure its existing debt facility and (2) an equity-linked financing for up to EUR 6 million with IRIS. On that basis, the Company expects that its resources will be sufficient to fund its operations and capital expenditure requirements through at least February 2023.

Thomas Kuhn, Chief Executive Officer of Poxel, stated: "We have an important milestone coming up this quarter with the topline results of the Phase 2 DESTINY-1 study for PXL065 in NASH. We have thus been working diligently these past months to extend our cash runway to capitalize on this opportunity and independently finance our strategy in rare diseases. Together, the successful completion of the debt restructuring and the equity-linked financing facility not only improves the Company's balance sheet to support ongoing operations, but both agreements also provide further flexibility to finalize additional financing initiatives, including ongoing active partnership discussions related to our programs. We continue to work towards the initiation of our planned Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trials in adrenoleukodystrophy which represent the foundation of our rare disease strategy.

The Company has entered into an agreement with IPF to restructure its debt, resulting in the postponement of the Q3 2022 and Q4 2022 amortization payments under the existing debt facility, and lowering certain financial covenants until the end of January 2023.

Edouard Guillet, Partner at IPF Partners, commented: With this agreement to restructure the existing debt facility, we are pleased to provide Poxel with increased flexibility to complete its other financing initiatives which we strongly believe will be finalized in the near future and will allow Poxel to execute on its robust strategy in rare diseases."

Concurrently, the Company has entered into an equity-linked financing arrangement with IRIS for an initial gross amount of EUR 4 million, with the option, at the latest on December 31, 2022 and at the Company's sole discretion, to draw a second and third tranche of up to EUR 1 million each. Upon conversion of the equity-linked instruments, IRIS will be issued Poxel shares to be created from the Company's authorized capital and is expected to sell these newly issued shares on the market or in block trades. The equity-linked financing is intended to provide additional liquidity in support of the Company's ongoing regulatory and development activities as well as general corporate purposes.

Based on:

its cash position at June 30, 2022, the current development plan of the Company including 1) the completion of its ongoing Phase 2 NASH trial for PXL065 (DESTINY-1) but excluding 2) the two identical Phase 2a clinical proof-of-concept (POC) biomarker studies for PXL065 and PXL770 in adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), the cash forecast for the year 2022 approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, that does not include, as a conservative approach, any net royalties from Imeglimin in Japan, a strict control of its operating expenses, and the amendment to the IPF debt facility with the postponement of the Q3 2022 and Q4 2022 amortization payments until end of February 2023, as well as a full drawdown of all tranches of the equity-linked financing arrangement with IRIS for a total amount of EUR 6 million, before December 31, 2022,

the Company expects that its resources will be sufficient to fund its operations and capital expenditure requirements through at least February 2023.

The Company is actively pursuing additional financing options, prioritizing non-dilutive sources, including ongoing active partnership discussions related to its programs.

Debt Restructuring with IPF

With the objective to extend its cash runway, the Company has entered into an agreement with IPF to restructure its existing debt, consisting of postponing repayment of EUR 3.2 million, corresponding to Q3 2022 and Q4 2022 amortizations, until February 2023.

In addition, IPF and the Company agreed to temporarily amend the financial covenants of the debt facility until 31 January 2023 so that no breach occurs before February 2023, independently of any other potential additional financing of the Company. Under the revised financial covenants, the Company shall maintain a minimum cash position between EUR 15 million and EUR 10 million through January 2023. After such date, the previously existing financial covenants will be reinstated 1

The amendment of the debt facility also includes an increase of 3% of the PIK margin (in addition to the existing 2% PIK). IPF shall also be entitled to a fee payable at the maturity date of each tranche and set at a total amount of approximately EUR 4 million.

Should the Company close a financing transaction of a minimum amount of EUR 15 million, and subject to the then applicable debt to market capitalization gearing ratio of the Company, Poxel will partially prepay IPF debt with an amount up to 20% of the proceeds of such transaction as a partial early debt repayment, which would reduce the Company's indebtedness. Such early repayment shall consist in principal and shall not include any early repayment fee.

As part of the amendment agreement, IPF will be appointed as an observer to the Company's Board of Directors. IPF will have the same right to information as the Directors and may participate in meetings of the Board of Directors of the Company in an advisory capacity but will not have any voting rights.

The terms of the existing warrants held by IPF which were attached to the Tranche 1, 2 and 3 bonds giving right to subscribe 630,804 shares at respectively 7.37, 7.14, 6.72 per warrant for each Tranche, remain unchanged and thus trigger no potential additional dilution.

Equity-linked financing with IRIS

Legal basis of issuance

Acting on the delegation of the Board of Directors and in accordance with the 17th resolution of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of June 21, 2022, the Company decided to implement this equity-linked financing, provided by IRIS, a venture capital firm specialized in providing financing solutions to listed companies.

Operation objectives

This funding aims to increase the Company's cash position to support its operations. Proceeds shall be used mainly to support ongoing regulatory and development activities as well as general corporate purposes.

Operation arrangements

In accordance with the terms of the agreement, IRIS, acting as a specialized investor without a strategy to retain a stake in the Company's share capital, has committed to subscribe to bonds convertible into new ordinary shares of the Company for an initial amount of EUR 4 million. At the Company's sole discretion, two additional tranches of EUR 1 million each, may be drawn down in Q4 2022.

IRIS has the right to request the conversion of its bonds into new ordinary shares of the Company at any time in one or several occasions until full repayment of the bonds. The issuance of shares upon conversion of the bonds shall be made on each conversion date on the basis of the average volume weighted share price over the last trading day preceding each issue, less a discount of 8%, subject to a floor corresponding to the average volume weighted share price over the twenty trading days preceding each issue, less a discount of 20%.

During the term of the financing, IRIS is expected to sell the newly issued shares received upon conversion of the convertible bonds on the market or in block trades. In connection with the financing, Poxel will issue shares out of its authorized share capital in accordance with the 17th resolution of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of June 21, 2022 with excluded pre-emptive rights of the existing shareholders for the benefit of certain category of investors.

The new shares issued under the terms of this agreement shall be admitted to trading on Euronext Paris.

No application for admission to trading on any market whatsoever will be made for the convertible bonds.

Considering the anticipated number of shares to be issued upon conversion of the convertible bonds issued, based on the share price of the Company on the last trading day preceding the date of this press release, this operation does not give rise at this stage to publication of a prospectus to be submitted to the approval by the French securities regulator, the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF). Should a prospectus be required in the future due to a potentially higher than expected issuance of shares, the Company and IRIS have agreed that the issuance program will be suspended for a maximum period of three months, until such prospectus has been approved by the AMF.

On the basis of the issuance of all three tranches of the financing facility with IRIS and the average price weighted by volumes of the Company's share during the last trading day preceding the date of this press release, the stake of a shareholder with 1% of the Company's share capital would decrease to 0.91%, i.e. a 9% dilution. As a reminder, based on the decisions of the general assembly meeting of the shareholders on June 21, 2022, the Company's board on July 29, 2022, and the CEO decision dated August 5, 2022, the maximum number of shares to be issued on redemption of convertible bonds is currently set at 15,800,000 shares. Should this maximum amount apply, the stake of a shareholder holding 1% of the Company's share capital would decrease to 0.65%, i.e. a 35% dilution.

To the Company's knowledge, on the basis of the same assumptions, the distribution of its share capital before and after redemption of all the convertible bonds in newly issued shares will be as follows:

Shareholders Before the transaction After the transaction (on the basis of the drawdown of all Tranches and the average price weighted by Company's share volumes during the last trading day preceding the date of this press release) After the transaction (on the basis of the maximum potential dilution authorized by the general assembly meeting of the shareholders under the 17th resolution) Number of

shares % of

capital Number of

shares % of capital Number of

shares % of capital Founders 2,778,947 9.6% 2,778,947 8.7% 2,778,947 6.2% Bpifrance 5,753,662 19.9% 5,753,662 18.1% 5,753,662 12.9% Free float 20,420,041 70.5% 23,318,311 73.2% 36,220,041 80.9% Total 28,952,650 100.0% 31,850,920 100.0% 44,752,650 100.0%

The Company will make available to investors on its website an up-to-date summary chart of its outstanding convertible bonds and the number of shares in circulation.

The public's attention is drawn to the risk factors relative to the Company and its business, presented in its universal registration document filed with the AMF on 4 May 2022, which is available on the Company's website. The occurrence of all or some of these risks is likely to have an unfavourable effect on the Company's business, financial situation, results, development or prospects.

In addition, the public's attention is specifically drawn to the following main risks related to the IRIS financing and its implementation:

Risk of dilution of the Company's shareholders: the Company's shareholders who cannot participate in the operation will suffer dilution when new shares are issued to IRIS upon conversion of the convertible bonds;

Risk in the event of non-fulfillment of all the tranches: the Company may have to seek additional financings and to review accordingly its development strategy and its objectives if an event of default occurs or certain minimum share price prevent the drawdown of the Tranches II and/or III of the financing, respectively of EUR 1 million each.

Risk on the volatility, liquidity and share price of the Company's shares: Given IRIS' strategy, which is to sell newly issued shares shortly after conversion of the convertible bonds it holds, the share price and the volatility of the Company's shares could fluctuate significantly after the issuance of the convertible bonds issued to IRIS.

This press release and the information it contains do not, and will not, constitute an offer to subscribe for or sell, nor the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy, any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction.

Main Characteristics of the financing with IRIS:

Maturity Date 48 months Total Commitment EUR 6 million Tranche I EUR 4 million IRIS has subscribed to the first tranche of EUR 4 million at signing Tranche II EUR 1 million maximum, at the option of Poxel At the sole option of Poxel, IRIS will subscribe to a new tranche EUR 1 million on or before November 30, 2022 Tranche III EUR 1 million maximum, at the option of Poxel At the sole option of Poxel, IRIS will subscribe to a new tranche EUR 1 million on or before December 31, 2022 Nominal of Notes EUR 2,500 Coupon 0% Conversion IRIS may request that the convertible bonds be converted into shares of the company at the prevailing conversion ratio at any time upon delivery of a conversion notice to the Company

The conversion of the convertible bonds into new or existing shares of the Company is mandatory at the latest at maturity of the convertible bonds Conversion Price The average volume weighted share price over the last trading day preceding each issue, less a discount of 8%, subject to a floor corresponding to the average volume weighted share price over the twenty trading days preceding each issue, less a discount of 20% Conditions precedent of drawdown for Tranche II and III Usual condition precedents for this type of financing including absence of event of default and minimum share price at the time of drawdown Event of defaults Usual event of defaults for this type of financing including the absence of timely delivery of shares in conversion of the convertible bonds (e.g. in case of insufficient authorizations from the general assembly meeting of the shareholders or in the absence of publication of a prospectus, as the case may be) Subscription price 100% of par value New Shares New shares of the Company issued on redemption of the convertible bonds will bear current dividend rights. They will have the same rights as those attached to existing ordinary shares and be admitted for trading on the Euronext regulated market on Euronext Paris. The Company will keep on its website a chart for monitoring convertible bonds and the number of shares in circulation up to date.

Nominal value of the shares of the Company: EUR 0.02 Potential dilution Maximum share number Pursuant to the decisions of the general assembly meeting of the shareholders on June 21, 2022, the Company's board on July 29, 2022 and the CEO decision on August 5, 2022, the maximum number of shares for issue on redemption of convertible bonds has been set at 15,800,000 shares. By way of illustration, assuming issuance of all the convertible bonds and the average price weighted by volumes of the Company's share during the last trading day preceding the date of this press release, i.e.2.07, the number of new Company shares for subscription by the Investor on redemption of the convertible bonds in new shares would be 2,898,270 shares, representing approximately 10.0% of the share capital (on a non-diluted basis). Based on the same assumptions, the number of new Company shares for subscription by the Investor on redemption of the convertible bonds in new shares for Tranche I only would be 1,932,180 shares representing approximately 6.7% of the share capital (on a non-diluted basis), and the number of new Company shares for subscription by the Investor on redemption of the convertible bonds in new shares for each of Tranche II and III only would be 483,045 shares representing approximately 1.7% of the share capital (on a non-diluted basis).

On the date of this press release, the Company has a share capital of 579,053 divided into 28,952,650 ordinary shares Share Loan Agreement As part of the equity-linked financing, certain shareholders of the Company have undertaken to loan part of their shares to IRIS. This loan will only be used to facilitate implementation of the financing and avoid potential delays related to the delivery-settlement of shares issued upon conversion of the bonds. Such loan agreement shall terminate at the latest on the date of full conversion of the bonds. Structuring Fee The Company will pay IRIS a structuring fee of 3% of the nominal amount of each tranche drawn, payable in cash on each drawdown No Penalty clauses No penalty clauses are included in the agreement including in case the conversion price would fall below the nominal value of the shares

About Poxel SA

Poxel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare disorders. Poxel has clinical and earlier-stage programs from its adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator and deuterated thiazolidinedione (TZD) platforms targeting chronic and rare metabolic diseases. For the treatment of NASH, PXL065 (deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone) is in a streamlined Phase 2 trial (DESTINY-1). PXL770, a first-in-class direct AMPK activator, has successfully completed a Phase 2a proof-of-concept trial for the treatment of NASH, which met its objectivesFor the rare inherited metabolic disorder, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), the company intends to initiate Phase 2a proof of concept studies with PXL065 and PXL770 in patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN). TWYMEEG (Imeglimin), Poxel's first-in-class lead product that targets mitochondrial dysfunction, has been approved and launched for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Japan Poxel expects to receive royalties and sales-based payments from Sumitomo Pharma. Poxel has a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Pharma for Imeglimin in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and nine other Southeast Asian countries. The Company intends to generate further growth through strategic partnerships and pipeline development. Listed on Euronext Paris, Poxel is headquartered in Lyon, France, and has subsidiaries in Boston, MA, and Tokyo, Japan.

For more information, please visit: www.poxelpharma.com

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not endorse or is not otherwise responsible for the content of external hyperlinks referred to in this press release.

________________________

1 The Company shall then maintain minimum cash position of the higher of i) EUR 10 million and ii) the sum of the consolidated debt service of the Company plus the amount of cash required to be spent by the Company as part of its operations, in each case for the following 6-months period.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220807005028/en/

Contacts:

Contacts Investor relations Media

Aurelie Bozza

Investor Relations Communication Senior Director

aurelie.bozza@poxelpharma.com

+33 6 99 81 08 36

Elizabeth Woo

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Communication

elizabeth.woo@poxelpharma.com

NewCap

Emmanuel Huynh or Arthur Rouille

poxel@newcap.eu

+33 1 44 71 94 94
Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA / Key word(s): Annual Results

rICHEMONT Publishes the NOTICE OF MEETING FOR its 2022 agm



08-Aug-2022 / 07:32 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Richemont (the "Company") announces the publication of its Notice of Meeting for the upcoming annual general meeting ("AGM") to be held on 7 September 2022. The Notice of Meeting is available for download from the Richemont website at AGM/EGM | Investors (richemont.com).

The Company's Board proposes in particular an ordinary dividend of CHF 2.25 per 'A' share and CHF 0.225 per 'B' share, and an additional special dividend of CHF 1.00 per 'A' share and CHF 0.10 per 'B' share. The Board further proposes the re-election of all its members for a further one-year term, with the exception of Messrs. Ruggero Magnoni and Jan Rupert, who had already informed the Board that they will not seek re-election at this AGM.

The Notice of Meeting also includes the items requested by Bluebell Capital Partners Ltd. ("Bluebell"). After careful consideration, the Board recommends to vote against the designation of Bluebell's candidate as representative of the holders of 'A' shares, and against the election of that person to the Board. The Board proposes the election of its independent director Ms. Wendy Luhabe as representative of the holders of 'A' shares instead of the candidate proposed by Bluebell.

The Board is further recommending to vote against the changes to the Company's articles of incorporation proposed by Bluebell.

The Board will provide further information on its recommendations regarding Bluebell's proposals in its letter to shareholders.

About Richemont

At Richemont, we craft the future. Our unique portfolio includes prestigious Maisons distinguished by their craftsmanship and creativity, alongside Online Distributors that cultivate expert curation and technological innovation to deliver the highest standards of service. Richemont's ambition is to nurture its Maisons and businesses and enable them to grow and prosper in a responsible, sustainable manner over the long term.

Richemont operates in four business areas: Jewellery Maisons with Buccellati, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels; Specialist Watchmakers with A. Lange & Sohne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin; Online Distributors with Watchfinder & Co., NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, THE OUTNET, YOOX and the OFS division; and Other, primarily Fashion & Accessories Maisons with Alaia, AZ Factory, Chloe, Delvaux, dunhill, Montblanc, Peter Millar including G/FORE, Purdey and Serapian. Find out more at www.richemont.com.

Richemont 'A' shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, Richemont's primary listing, and are included in the Swiss Market Index ('SMI') of leading stocks. Richemont South African Depository Receipts are listed in Johannesburg, Richemont's secondary listing.

Investor/analyst and media enquiries



Sophie Cagnard, Group Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Director

James Fraser, Investor Relations Executive

Investor/analyst enquiries: +41 22 721 30 03; investor.relations@cfrinfo.net

Media enquiries: +41 22 721 35 07; pressoffice@cfrinfo.net; richemont@teneo.com
VASTRA FORLUNDA, Sweden, Aug. 8, 2022/PRNewswire/ -- Glencore International AG (referred to below as "Glencore"), Merafe Resources Limited (referred to below as "Merafe") and the af Jochnick family (collectively referred to below as "Cornerstone Investors") have undertaken to subscribe for preference shares in the event of a new issue of such shares later in the year, as planned by Swedish Stirling AB (publ) (referred to below as "Swedish Stirling" or the "Company"). The subscription undertakings amount to a total of SEK 37 million.

Clean-tech company Swedish Stirling announced earlier this year that it was looking into the conditions for issuing a new carbon-offsetting preference share to finance the production of PWR BLOK for projects in South Africa. The Company have received commitments from the Cornerstone Investors to acquire preference shares totaling SEK 37 million in the event of a new issue of such shares in the Company. The commitments are conditional on the completion of the preference share issue and, in the case of Merafe, exchange control approval from the South African Reserve Bank. The Cornerstone Investors will be prioritized in the allotment of preference shares and in the event of an issue of such shares, receive their allocations in full, pursuant to their respective commitments. The Company will use the subscription undertakings for the financing of the Lion Project operated by the Glencore Merafe joint venture (the "Glencore Merafe JV") prior to use for any other project or purpose.

Swedish Stirling intends to issue a carbon-offsetting preference share that will be unique in its class, in that it combines an attractive annual return with the fact that each preference share also reduces a certain amount of CO2 annually. This is made possible by the Company intending to retain emission rights generated from the Swedish Stirling facility at the Lion smelter for the first 5 years of the project or until it disposes of the facility and enables investors to participate to the global climate change mitigation efforts by financing the necessary energy transition.

"It is a strength to have Glencore, Merafe and the Jochnick family ready as cornerstone investors for a future issue of carbon-offsetting preference shares. Glencore's decision to invest in financing the production of PWR BLOKs for the Lion Project is clear evidence that cooperation between the companies is growing ever stronger. Our relationship with Glencore is currently one of our biggest assets," explains Dennis Andersson, CEO of Swedish Stirling.

On April 28, 2021, Swedish Stirling signed an energy conversion services agreement with Glencore Operations South Africa Proprietary Limited, on behalf of the Glencore Merafe JV, pertaining to the installation and operation of PWR BLOKs totaling 10 MW in capacity at the Glencore Merafe JV's Lion ferrochrome smelter, in South Africa. The agreement includes an option for Glencore to acquire facilities from Swedish Stirling.

If Swedish Stirling's Board of Directors, in consultation with the Company's financial advisors, ABG Sundal Collier and Bryan, Garnier & Co, should decide to issue new preference shares as authorized by the Annual General Meeting of April 21, 2022, such a decision and the full terms and conditions of any such new issue of preference shares will be communicated during the third quarter of this year at the earliest. The prospectus for the new share issue will be published separately.

For further information please contact:

Sven Ljungberg, CCO, Swedish Stirling AB, +46 (0)31 385 88 30 ir@swedishstirling.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/swedish-stirling/r/glencore--merafe-and-the-af-jochnick-family---cornerstone-investors-in-climate-compensating-preferen,c3611129

The following files are available for download:
Huawei Digital Power Technologies, a unit of Chinese multinational tech giant Huawei, recently signed a deal with Ghana-based solar developer Meinergy Technology to build a 1 GW solar plant coupled with 500 MWh of storage in Ghana over the next years. Under the terms of the deal, Huawei will supply solar-plus-storage systems for the project. Meinergy will be responsible for the development and construction of the facility. pv magazine recently spoke about the project with Kevin Wu, CEO of Meinergy, and Peter Acheampong, Deputy Director of Renewables for the Bui Power Authority, which owns the ...

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.
Ban Ki-moon, left, former UN Secretary-General and chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, poses for a photo with Song Hyun-joon, first prize winner of the foundation's essay contest on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, at the foundation's headquarters in central Seoul, Aug. 3. Courtesy of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future held an essay contest to raise awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).



The foundation, established by former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, aims to promote values such as integration, communication and coexistence and dedication.



During the award ceremony held at the foundation's headquarters in central Seoul, Aug. 3, Ban told the winning students to cultivate a mindset of global citizenship as they are the ones who will solve the problems for future generations.



Ban recalled his first-ever visit to the United States through the Red Cross' VISTA (Visit of International Students to America) program during his words of encouragement.



"I hope this contest motivates you to become future world leaders like the VISTA trip and meeting with John F. Kennedy during my trip inspired me to become a diplomat," Ban said.



"You are in a more advantageous position than I was 60 years ago, but you also are in a more fierce competition. The advice I can give you is to be a global citizen beyond borders. The world is getting smaller through development of science and transportation. Breaking away from the idea of ethnicity and thinking from the global perspective is important," he said.



Among the 17 SDGs, this year's competition focused on young leadership to make the Net Zero 2050 vision a reality.



The first prize went to Song Hyun-joon, an 11th grader at St. Mark's School of Texas.



Song said his experience of living in China when young led him to take interest in environmental issues. He witnessed a nearby school's success in achieving net-zero emissions and explained his vision for a climate action plan.



"I was looking at the sustainable development goals because those are one of the more prominent issues that are persistent in the world right now," Song said, adding that he hopes to create a group of young environmental ambassadors to reach a larger audience and share the importance of achieving net zero by 2050.


Helsinn presents newly availabledata on vepafestinib

at IASLC 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer

Lugano, Switzerland,August 8, 2022 - Helsinn Group ("Helsinn"), a fully integrated, global biopharma company with a diversified pipeline of innovative oncology assets, announces its participation in the upcoming IASLC 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, taking place from 6-9 August in Vienna, Austria.

At the conference, new preclinical data for the investigational product vepafestinib (TAS0953/HM06), a selective RET inhibitor that has shown a distinct binding mode1 to RET and a high brain barrier permeability2, will be presented on August 9, 2022, 12:12 - 12:17 CEST.

Details of the abstract are below:

Title: TA0953/HM06, a novel RET-specific inhibitor effective in extracranial and CNS disease models of NSCLC with RET fusions

Author: Igor Odintsov, MD

Session: MA13 - Update on ROS1 Inhibitors and New Pathways

Abstract ID: MA13.05





This Helsinn-sponsored study, which was conducted by Dr. Odintsov and colleagues in the Marc Ladanyi Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, explored the effect of vepafestinib (TAS0953/HM06), relative to other RET multi-kinase and selective inhibitors, on growth inhibition using in vitro and in vivo NSCLC extracranial and CNS disease models.

Dr. Sergio Cantoreggi, Helsinn Group Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D commented:"We are excited to be presenting further preclinical data onvepafestinib at the IASLC 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer.RET alterations are a key driver in several types of cancer. The data presentedon our investigational asset vepafestinib highlight Helsinn's strong focus on targeted therapies for rare cancers and demonstrate the deployment of our fully integrated targeted therapy (FITT) strategy."

Dr. Igor Odintsov, MD, commented: "Cancers with RET alterations have a high incidence of brain metastasis at advance stage of the disease(for example, 25% of lung adenocarcinomapatients with stage IV disease had brain metastasis)3. Developing therapies for these patients to minimizeCNS progression is critically important. These preclinical results support the continued investigation and development ofvepafestinib in this disease space."

About Helsinn

Helsinn is a fully integrated, global biopharma company headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland. It is focused on improving the lives of cancer patients all over the world with a leading position in cancer supportive care and an innovative pipeline of cancer therapeutics.

Helsinn is a third-generation family-owned company, that since 1976 has been focused on improving the lives of patients, guided by core values of respect, integrity and quality. It operates a unique licensing business model with integrated drug development and manufacturing capabilities. Helsinn has a commercial presence in 190 countries either directly, with operating subsidiaries in the U.S. and China, or via its network of long-standing trusted partners. Helsinn also has a fully integrated supply chain and product development through its subsidiary in Ireland, Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Helsinn plays an active and central role in promoting social transformation in favor of people and the environment. Corporate social responsibility is at the heart of everything we do, which is reinforced in the company's strategic plan by a commitment to sustainable growth.

To learn more about Helsinn please visit www.helsinn.com

About vepafestinib (TAS0953/HM06)

Vepafestinib (also known as TAS0953/HM06 in partnership with Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Taiho")) is an investigational, potent, orally administered, and highly selective RET inhibitor1,4. In preclinical studies, vepafestinib has shown activity against RET solvent front (G810) and gatekeeper (V804) mutations1,4. Relative to first generation selective RET inhibitors, vepafestinib is pharmacologically distinct, exhibits a distinct binding mode to RET, and has shown evidence of enhanced brain penetrability in preclinical models2. Vepafestinib is currently being evaluated in a phase 1/2 study (the margaRET study, NCT04683250) in individuals with advanced solid cancers with RET abnormalities, including those resistant to first-generation selective RET inhibitors. Taiho and Helsinn signed a co-development and commercialization agreement for TAS0953/HM06 in 2017 and will continue to pursue together all preclinical, clinical and CMC developments.

About RET

RET is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase. Abnormalities in the RET gene, such as fusions and point mutations, are oncogenic drivers of multiple human cancers. RET fusions are present in 1-2 % of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are associated with a high incidence of brain metastasis at diagnosis. Patients are typically young and non-smokers. Although treatment for these patients has significantly improved in recent years, acquired resistance to first generation RET inhibitors has emerged. Overcoming this resistance and addressing the CNS progression in these patients are important areas of unmet need5,6.

References:

1 Miyazaki I., Ishida K., Kato M., et al.Discovery of TAS0953/HM06, a novel next generation RET-specific inhibitor capable of inhibiting RET solvent front mutations. Mol Cancer Ther.

2 OdintsovI, Allan J.W. Lui, Kota Ishizawa., et al. Comparison of TAS0953/HM06 and selpercatinib in RET fusion-driven preclinical disease models of intracranial metastases. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2022 40:16_suppl, 2024-2024.

3 Drilon A, Lin JJ, Filleron T., et al. Frequency of Brain Metastases and Multikinase Inhibitor Outcomes in Patients With RET-Rearranged Lung Cancers. J Thorac Oncol. 2018 Oct;13(10):1595-1601. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2018.07.004. Epub 2018 Jul 11. PMID: 30017832; PMCID: PMC6434708.

4 Odintsov I., Kurth R.I., Ishizawa K., et al. TAS0953/HM06 is effective in preclinical models of diverse tumor types driven by RET alterations. Mol Cancer Ther.

5Subbiah V & Cote GJ, Advances in Targeting RET-Dependent Cancers. Cancer Discov. 2020 Apr;10(4):498-505. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-19-1116.

6Drusbosky L.M., RodriguezE., DawarR., IkpeazuC.V. Therapeutic strategies in RET gene rearranged non-small cell lung cancer. J Hematol Oncol. 2021; Mar 26;14(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s13045-021-01063-9.

For more information:

Helsinn Media Contact:

Paola Bonvicini, Group Head of Communication

Lugano, Switzerland

Tel: +41


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen fell against its most major counterparts in the Asian session on Monday, amid prospects for a widening policy divergence between the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan.



Friday's U.S. jobs data helped ease recession fears and intensified expectations for a more aggressive tightening of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve.



Markets are assigning a greater possibility of the Fed raising its policy rate by another 75 basis points at its meeting in September.



The Fed's policy stance is in contrast with the BoJ, which is expected to maintain ultra-loose monetary policy to support the economy.



Data from the Ministry of Finance showed that Japan posted a current account deficit of 132.4 billion yen in June.



That beat expectations for a shortfall of 703.8 billion yen following the 128.4 billion yen surplus in May.



The yen slid to a 4-day low of 163.84 against the pound, near 2-week lows of 137.92 against the euro and 141.06 against the franc, from its previous highs of 162.80, 137.32 and 140.22, respectively. The yen is seen finding support around 166.00 against the pound, 139.00 against the euro and 142.00 against the franc.



The yen touched a 4-day low of 84.72 against the kiwi and near a 2-week low of 104.96 against the loonie, down from its early highs of 84.20 and 104.30, respectively. The next possible support for the yen is seen around 86.00 against the kiwi and 106.00 against the loonie.



The yen remained lower against the kiwi, after falling to a 4-day low of 84.72 earlier in the session. The yen may challenge support around the 86.00 level.



In contrast, the yen bounced off slightly to 134.90 against the greenback, off an early nearly 2-week low of 135.58. The yen is likely to find resistance around the 120.00 level.







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Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Ltd - Notice of AGM

Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Limited

(a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number30709)

LEI Number: 5493004IW0LDG0OPGL69

(The "Company")

8 August 2022

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at The Cavalry and Guards Club, 127 Piccadilly, London on 08 September 2022 at 11:00am.

The Notice of AGM has been posted to shareholders. The Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended 30 April 2022 is available for download from the Company's website: https://atlantisjapangrowthfund.com/literature

In accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.3, the Notice of Annual General Meeting, proxy form and accounts have been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism

Enquiries:

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

The Company Secretary

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL

Tel: 01481 745001
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2022 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to report the reception of key radiometric age dating and petrographic studies of quartz-veinlet stockwork samples from the Buenavista target at the Company's Block 4 Project, which is located 110 km south of the Escondida mining district in the Cordillera de Domeyko porphyry belt in northern Chile.

The recently obtained Tertiary geological age date is an important additional component adding to the attractiveness of the Buenavista Target. The most productive porphyry copper deposits along the Domeyko Cordillera mineral belt all have Tertiary-aged hydrothermal systems. This data point adds to the geological, geochemical, and geophysical information acquired by Pampa Metals, which together comprise a compelling case for Buenavista to represent a priority drill target along the Domeyko Cordillera - the most productive copper belt in the world. Further geophysical anomalies - combined magnetic and IP responses - under post-mineral cover to the east and north of Buenavista represent additional drill targets of high interest.

Paul Gill, Pampa Metals' CEO, stated: "We are delighted with the latest information from the Buenavista Target. Although no two porphyry systems are exactly the same, the overwhelming evidence to date is that there is a significant system to investigate by drilling at Buenavista, together with several other geophysical anomalies located within the property that appear to have a similar signature."

DETAILS & KEY Findings:

Pampa Metals geologists selected valid samples of the central Buenavista porphyry and quartz-veinlet stockwork zone for radiometric age dating and petrographic studies, which were forwarded to the Chilean National Geological Institution ("Sernageomin") and to a prominent Chilean petrographer with extensive experience in porphyry systems, respectively.

A radiometric age date of 60.3 +/- 1.0 Ma (U-Pb; zircon) corresponds to the host rock of the porphyry-type quartz-veinlet stockwork with molybdenum anomalies found at the Buenavista target in Block 4 (see previous news releases dated June 23, May 24, May 3, March 15, 2022, and October 18, 2021). This confirms that the Buenavista target is a Tertiary-aged hydrothermal system.

Petrographic studies of the age-dated rock sample show that it corresponds to a magmatic-phreatomagmatic breccia with dacite porphyry clasts, which is highly leached with a "vuggy silica" texture and evidence of silica, illite-sericite, quartz, alunite, and pyrophyllite hydrothermal alteration assemblages. Relicts of leached pyrite mineralization were also determined. At least three types of quartz veinlets were identified: i) saccharoidal quartz with bands of fluid and solid micro-inclusions; ii) gray crustiform quartz with bands of fluid and solid micro-inclusions and with the development of banded dark veins; and iii) low temperature veinlets comprising quartz in rosettes. All of these contain pyrite micro-inclusions, with late fractures occupied by goethite after coarse pyrite, and rare native gold flakes.



Conclusions:

The Early Tertiary (Paleocene) age date obtained for the host rock porphyry at the Buenavista target in Block 4 would be the first for the Sierra Vaquillas Altas area in northern Chile. This age is equivalent to that of intrusions to the southeast at Cerros Corral de Alambre, and to that of volcanic rocks to the northwest in the western block of the El Profeta and Sierra de Varas faults, both of which have been associated with the magmatism of the widespread Chile-Alemania Formation.

A Paleocene age is considered the maximum age for the porphyry system at the Buenavista target, but may in fact represent the host rock for a younger porphyry event. This is a situation described for other porphyry deposits along the Cordillera de Domeyko porphyry belt, such as El Salvador located 115 km SSW of Block 4, where mineralizing porphyry intrusions from the Middle Eocene are intruded into Lower-Middle Paleocene magmatic rocks.

The petrographic study revealed successive pulses of hydrothermal infill, with at least three generations of porphyry-style quartz veinlets cutting through an initial phreatomagmatic brecciation event. Hydrothermal alteration associations indicate that the system is exposed at a relatively high level between the phyllic and epithermal transition, which is consistent with oxidised relicts of pyrite mineralization in the centre, together with evidence of quartz-sulfide structures with copper-gold-silver-arsenic values observed around the periphery of the Buenavista stockwork zone.

The geologic age date and petrographic study provide strong support for Pampa Metals' plans for drill testing of the previously undrilled Buenavista target, in addition to previously reported results from geological mapping, ground magnetics surveying, and induced polarisation reconnaissance survey lines. Field collection of more than 2,500 soil samples centred on the Buenavista target has recently been completed, with results pending.

About BUENAVISTA & Block 4

A ground magnetics survey and follow-up geological fieldwork led to the discovery of a porphyry-related quartz-veinlet stockwork zone spatially coincident with a dacite porphyry and magnetic anomaly (see news release dated October 18, 2021), subsequently named the Buenavista target. A limited trenching program returned anomalous molybdenum geochemistry associated with the stockwork zone, together with copper and gold values around the margins, including 24m @ 0.14% Cu and (separately) 24m @ 0.25 g/t Au (see news released date March 15, 2022).

The trenching program at Buenavista revealed relicts of coarse chalcopyrite disseminations from a skarn-type system on the eastern edge of the stockwork zone, as well as green and black copper oxide mineralization from in-situ oxidation of chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralisation in a quartz-sulfide breccia on the west flank of the stockwork. Gold anomalies are also associated with this latter area.

Simultaneous soil geochemistry and reconnaissance pole-dipole IP geophysical surveys were initiated in May 2022, centred on the Buenavista target. Highly encouraging IP results were published (see news released dated June 23, 2022), and field sampling for the soil survey totalling around 2,500 samples is 100% completed, with all assay results pending. Soil sampling results will be published in due course.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective, wholly owned, 60,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively progressing four of its projects, including completed and planned drill tests, and has two additional projects optioned to Austral Gold Ltd., with Austral already having drill tested its first target on Pampa Metals' ground. The Company has also signed an agreement with VerAI Discoveries Inc. giving Pampa Metals access to the latest in artificial intelligence technologies in relation to mineral exploration, as well as a further 18,700 hectares of highly prospective terrain in the core of the highly productive mineral belts of northern Chile.

The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper or gold discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website www.pampametals.com.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G, Geologist and a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego is a consultant to the Company.

Note: The reader is cautioned that Pampa Metals' projects are early-stage exploration projects, and reference to existing mines and deposits, or mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties, is not necessarily indicative of any mineralization on Pampa Metals' properties.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Paul Gill | CEO & Director

www.pampametals.com

INVESTOR CONTACT

Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director

investors@pampametals.com

The CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, which address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/711030/Pampa-Metals-Confirms-Tertiary-Age-for-Host-Rock-Porphyry-and-Native-Gold-Sulphide-Mineralization-in-Quartz-Veinlet-Stockwork-at-the-Buenavista-Target-Block-4-Project
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Centurion Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CTN) (the "Company" or "Centurion") is pleased to announce it has acquired the right to earn a 100% interest in the Casa Berardi West Gold Project (the "Project") located in the prolific gold producing, Harricana-Turgeon greenstone belt of the central Abitibi Subprovince of north-eastern Ontario.

HIGHLIGHTS

Historical exploration includes more than 70 RC drill holes returning encouraging results that include 18 samples greater than 1,000 ppb (1 g/t) Au and the highest returning 38,000 ppb (38g/t) Au; The Project is situated along structural corridors hosting world-class discoveries, operating mines, and significant past-producing operations, including:

Hecla Mining's Casa Berardi Mine located 20 km NE with 3 million ounces ("Moz") Au in past production and 4 Moz Au in reserves and resources1; Aurileus Minerals' Mikwam Property with 1.81 million tonnes ("Mt") @ 2.34 g/t Au for 136,000 oz2; AMEX Exploration's recent Perron gold discovery that includes a drill hole returning 15.52 g/t Au over 15 .85 metres; located 12 kms from the Project3; and Normetal Mine's historical production of 10 Mt @ 2.2% Cu, 5.4% Zn, 0.5g/t Au, and 44.5 g/t Ag4;

Numerous iron formations and shear zones proximal to a late granitic pluton has gold deposit analogies to the Musselwhite gold mine in northern Ontario; and Excellent access and infrastructure.

David Tafel, CEO of the Company commented: "We are very excited to have acquired a Project that is in the middle of a region of current and historical production and in close proximity to very recent new gold discoveries. Historic exploration and significant drill hole information on and near the Project claims has given our geological team confidence we can advance exploration quickly. As Centurion returns to its historic focus of mineral exploration, we believe the Project provides shareholders with an excellent opportunity for potential value creation."

Following approval of the previously announced spin-out of the Company's (cannabis) subsidiary at the upcoming Annual General and Special Shareholder Meeting on August 12th, 2022, and TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") approval of the (Casa Berardi West) Project transaction, the Company will immediately apply for a resumption of trading.

CASA BERARDI WEST PROJECT

The Project consists of 3 non-contiguous claim groups (Noseworthy, Newman and Hepburn) comprising a total of 11,600 acres or 4,700 hectares (the "Properties"), strategically located northeast of Cochrane, Ontario, in the metal endowed central north Abitibi greenstone belt (Figure 1).





Figure 1. Regional location of the Casa Berardi West claim groups.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4407/133013_3066039a74a01828_003full.jpg

Structurally, the three claim groups are proximal to regional crustal scale deformation zones. The Noseworthy claim group lies just north of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone, integrally related to the Mikwam gold deposit of Aurelius Metals Inc. to the east, and the Casa Berardi gold mine owned and operated by Hecla Mining Company. The Newman claim group hosts part of the Mikwam River Fault. The Hepburn claim group lies along an extension of rocks and structures believed to be related to the former Normetal VMS mine (15 kilometers away) and more recently to the high-grade gold discovery by AMEX Exploration Company at the Perron property located 12 kilometers to the east of the Hepburn claims (Figure 2).

Mineralization on the Project consists of:

Banded iron-formation (BIF) hosted sulphides with indications of gold mineralization Shear-hosted gold mineralization Disseminated copper-bearing sulphide mineralization in tuffaceous rocks.





Figure 2. Geology, deposits and structural environment of the Casa Berardi West claim groups.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4407/133013_3066039a74a01828_004full.jpg

Noseworthy Claim Group

The Noseworthy claim group has seen little systematic historical exploration despite its strategic location just north of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone (CBDZ) that hosts the Mikwam gold deposit owned by Aurelius Minerals. The Mikwam gold deposit hosts a 43-101 compliant inferred resource of 1.81 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.34 g/t Au for a 136,000 contained ounces of gold at a reported cut-off grade of 1 g/t Au.

Newman Claim Group

The Newman claim group is dominated by a property long banded iron-formation. In 1987 Chesbar Resources ("Chesbar") completed 72 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes totaling 2,261 metres (m). Sampling of the tills at the bedrock-overburden interface and above bedrock resulted in one assay of 38,000 ppb (38g/t) gold (AFRI 42H08NE0048) and a number of others grading above 1,000 ppb (1 g/t) gold (Table 1).

Table 1. Highlighted results of the RC drilling, Chesbar Resources, 1987.

Hole No. Line No. Station ppb Au g/t Au** Location Comments SRE-87-09 L24W 7+51S 820 0.82 1 sample above bedrock SRE-87-13 ?? 7+04S 1300 1.30 1 sample above bedrock SRE-87-26 L10E 5+03S 4500 4.50 3 samples above bedrock SRE-87-31 L21E 4+48S 2400 2.40 1 sample above bedrock SRE-87-53 L67E 6+69S 4900 4.90 4 samples above bedrock SRE-87-53 L67E 6+69S 1000 1.00 3 samples above bedrock SRE-87-57 L76E 7+02S 1500 1.50 2 samples above bedrock SRE-87-59 L80E 7+69S 377* 0.38 bedrock SRE-87-60 L82E 8+32S 170 0.02 1 sample above bedrock SRE-87-60 L82E 8+32S 38,000 38.00 3 samples above bedrock SRE-87-65 L92E 8+63S 2100 2.10 1 sample above bedrock SRE-87-70 L102E 8+50S 4500 4.50 1 sample above bedrock SRE-87-70 L102E 8+50S 810 0.81 2 samples above bedrock

* 0.011 oz/ton converted to ppb from 34.28 g/t Au in 1 Troy ounce per short ton.

** Converted by Centurion

Chesbar followed up the positive RC results with 8 diamond drill holes totaling 1,518m, but failed to explain the numerous elevated gold results from the RC drill program. Subsequent companies relied on airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys to generate drill targets for 2-5 drill hole programs.

Hepburn Claim Group

The Hepburn claim group lies 15km to the northwest of the former Normetal Cu-Zn mine which produced 10 million tonnes grading 2.2% Cu, 5.4% Zn, 0.53 g/t Au and 44.5 g/t Ag between 1938 and 1975. The claim boundary is also located 12km northwest of the Perron gold project recently discovered by Amex Exploration. On June 16, 2022, Amex announced high-grade diamond drilling results of 15.52 g/t Au over 15.85m and 11.27 g/t Au over 11m. (Figure 3)





Figure 3. Regional location of the Hepburn claim group along strike of AMEX Exploration gold discovery and former Normetal Cu-Zn mine.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4407/133013_3066039a74a01828_005full.jpg

Seal River Exploration Ltd. drilled one hole in 1990 and intersected bands of cherty garnetiferous, sulphide-magnetite iron formation over widths of 2-4 m in amphibolitic mafic volcanics. From 117.65 m a 1 m section assayed 396 ppb Au. From 147.58 m, a 0.91 m section assayed 240 ppb Au (AFRI 32E04SE0026). Seal River returned and drilled 3 more holes PR91-1 through PR91-3 totaling 306.93 m. Holes PR91-1 and PR91-3 were drilled on the current Hepburn claim group. Hole PR91-1 failed to intersect any significant assays. Hole PR91-3 was drilled on the same horizontal loop electromagnetic (HLEM) anomaly 300m to the east of hole PR90-1 and intersected similar bands of cherty garnetiferous, sulphide-magnetite iron formation over widths of 0.5-2.13 m in amphibolitic mafic volcanics. Highlights from this hole include 306 ppb Au over 0.91 m (AFRI 32E04SE9301).

Transaction Summary

The Option Agreement enables Centurion to acquire a 100% interest in the Casa Berardi West Project for cash consideration totaling $114,000 and the issuance of 600,000 common shares over a 3-year period. The Optionors will retain a 2% NSR but Centurion has the right to acquire 50% of the NSR for $1,000,000. The transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Qualified Person

Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed, and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

References

Technical Report for the Casa Berardi Mine, Northwestern Quebec, Canada authored by Jonathan Archambault-Giroux, P.Geo, Effective date December 31, 2018. Independent Technical Report, Mikwam Gold Property, Noseworthy Township, Ontario, Canada by Caracle Creek International Consulting Inc., Effective date December 8, 2016. See press release TSXV:AMX dated June 16, 2022. https://www.yorbeauresources.com/en/projects/normetal-west/#:~:text=The%20Normetal%20Mine%2C%20located%20relatively,a%20depth%20of%202.4%20kilometres.

ABOUT CENTURION

Centurion Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian-based company with a focus on mineral asset development in the Americas. The Company's lead investment is its interest in the Ana Sofia Agri-Gypsum Fertilizer Project, and it is also reviewing additional prospective, precious mineral exploration projects.

"David G. Tafel"

President and CEO

For Further Information Contact:

David Tafel

604-484-2161

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding, the completion of the Arrangement, the Meeting, the Final Order hearing of the Court, the anticipated benefits of the Arrangement, the Company's plan to develop its business and provide Shareholders with additional investment choices and enhanced value, the Company's plans to complete the Consolidation and the Company's plans to apply to the TSX-V for a resumption of trading as a mineral exploration issuer following the Meeting; and future capital expenditures, anticipated content, commencement, and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Company's projects and mineral properties, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, resources and/or reserves on the Company's projects and mineral properties, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company; are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve 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 statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators, and assumptions made with regard to: the Company's ability to complete the proposed Arrangement on the terms and conditions contemplated, or at all; the Companies' ability to secure the necessary shareholder, Court and regulatory approvals required to complete the Arrangement; the estimated costs associated with the Arrangement; the timing of the Meeting, the Final Order hearing and the Arrangement; and that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious and base metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future exploration of the Company's properties, that the COVID-19 global pandemic will not affect the ability of the Company to conduct the exploration program on the Project, the availability of financing on suitable terms, and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company expectations include risks associated with the business of the Company; risks related to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions to the closing of the Arrangement; non-completion of the Arrangement; risks related to the Company failing to obtain the requisite shareholder approval required for the Arrangement; risks relating the number of dissenting shareholders requiring fair value for their securities in connection with the Arrangement; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Company's projects including the Company's option to acquire the Project, the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, 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, currency and commodity fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, the need for cooperation of government agencies and indigenous groups in the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties, and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in the Company filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133013
Notable results in all three zones of the deposit (East Zone, Pit Norte, and Pit Sul) Including: FSA-241: 71m at 2.50 g/t Au from 113m; FSA-249: 25m at 3.23 g/t Au from 55m; FSA-223: 29m at 2.36 g/t Au from 186m; FSA-243: 32m at 2.60 g/t Au from 85m; and FSA-251: 6m at 4.52 g/t Au from 29m.

Drill Program on track to deliver an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in support of the ongoing Feasibility Study.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV: CERT) (OTCQX: CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce further assay results from its ongoing infill drill program at the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte do Carmo Project located in Tocantins State, Brazil ("MDC"). The infill drill program commenced in Q4 2021 with the aim to upgrade the resources into Measured and Indicated categories to support the ongoing Feasibility Study. The 2022 development program is on track to deliver the Feasibility Study during Q1 2023.

The Company is currently reporting assay results from 18 drill holes, totaling 3,809m (see Tables 1 & 2) completed from April to June 2022. As of August 2, 2022, a total of 117 drill holes, totaling 28,864 m, have been completed as part of the 2022 program. Total completed holes include 102 holes at Serra Alta (infill, condemnation, and partial extensions); and 15 holes in the satellite exploration areas namely, Gogo de Onca and Capitao.

Drill Hole Highlights (All composites are reported as true thickness):

Serra Alta (Infill)

FSA-241

71m at 2.50 g/t Au from 113m Including 6.5m at 17.28 g/t Au from 119m



FSA-249

25m at 3.23 g/t Au from 55m Including 2m at 19.76 g/t Au from 78m



FSA-243

32m at 2.60 g/t Au from 85m Including 4m at 11.27 g/t Au from 85m Including 5m at 6.75 g/t Au from 104m



FSA-242

48m at 1.35 g/t Au from 163 Including 2m at 4.92 g/t Au from 186m



FSA-223

29m at 2.36 g/t Au from 186m, Including 4m at 15.30 g/t Au from 202m



FSA-248

2m at 25.96 g/t Au from 333m

FSA-226

41m at 2.25 g/t Au from 140m Including 2m at 17.25 g/t Au from 170m



FSA-251

6m at 4.52 g/t Au from 29m

The Company currently has 5 drill rigs on site actively drilling, with 4 rigs focused on infill and one actively drilling at Gogo de Onca.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Co-Chairman commented "As we near completion of our infill drilling campaign we are now confident that we will deliver a solid upgraded resource at Serra Alta, which will provide a base for the ongoing Feasibility due to be completed during Q1 2023. In addition, the ongoing regional drilling and other exploration activities continues to highlight the strong potential to grow the total resources on the Monte do Carmo property."

Serra Alta Infill

The main objective of the 18 infill drill holes reported today is to convert inferred blocks within the current open pit constrained resource estimate (Micon, 2021) into the Indicated category, closing the distance between holes informing blocks in the model. Holes reported today include, 8 collared in the East Zone, 6 in Pit Norte and 4 in Pit Sul (see Figure 1 for drill hole locations, and Figure 2 for cross sections of highlighted holes).

Drill holes FSA-223, FSA-225, FSA-236, FSA-241, FSA-242, FSA-245, FSA-248, FSA-256 were collared in the East Zone. Main high-grade domains were intercepted with varying grade reconciliation with respect to the existing model. The best reported intercept in the east zone corresponds to holes FSA-223 and FSA-241 collared in the northern and central segments of East Zone respectively. Hole FSA-223 is located close to the current northern edge of the resource. Hole FSA-241 is exceptional as it includes a relevant thick and continuous interval in a relatively deeper zone where the original model only considered dismembered narrower discrete zones. The main intercept is defined by 71m at 2.50 g/t Au from 113m, including 6.5m at 17.28 g/t Au from 119m.

Drill holes FSA-226, FSA-229, FSA-230, FSA-243, FSA-247 and FSA-249 were collared in Pit Norte. The highlights in this zone are holes FSA-243 and FSA-249. The former intercepted a well-endowed area in the immediate footwall of the granite volcanic contact. Assays in hole FSA-243 returned 32m at 2.60 g/t Au from 85m, including 4m at 11.27 g/t Au from 85m and 5m at 6.75 g/t Au from 104m. Hole FSA-249 was drilled in section with FSA-241 intercepted 25m at 3.23 g/t Au from 55m confirming downdip continuity.

Drill holes FSA-251 and FSA-253 were collared in Pit Sul. Most relevant results are included in hole FSA-251 which crossed 6m at 4.52 g/t Au from 29m confirming the previous outline of the shallow high-grade mineralization that will conceptually be part of the early phases of mining.





Figure 1. Reported and Ongoing Drill Hole Locations

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_002full.jpg





Figure 2. Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_004full.jpg





Figure 2.1 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_005full.jpg





Figure 2.2 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_007full.jpg





Figure 2.3 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_010full.jpg





Figure 2.4 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Norte)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.4, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_008full.jpg





Figure 2.5 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Norte)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.5, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_009full.jpg





Figure 2.6 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Norte)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.6, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_012full.jpg





Figure 2.7 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Sul)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.7, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_014full.jpg

Note: Scale vary by section

Table 1. Drill Hole Composites

Sector DDH From To LENGTH (m) True Width (m) Au (g/t)















East Zone FSA-223 and 162.60 165.79 3.19 3.19 0.73 FSA-223 and 185.65 214.46 28.81 28.81 2.36 FSA-223 includes 201.47 205.26 3.79 3.79 15.30 FSA-223 and 236.40 239.56 3.16 3.16 0.67 FSA-223 and 246.72 247.65 0.93 0.93 0.99 FSA-223 and 254.05 255.20 1.15 1.15 0.55 FSA-223 and 288.75 291.18 2.43 2.43 0.75 FSA-223 and 295.30 297.30 2.00 2.00 1.23 FSA-223 and 303.00 304.08 1.08 1.08 0.36 FSA-223 and 311.30 318.49 7.19 7.19 1.03 FSA-223 includes 316.37 317.44 1.07 1.07 2.40 FSA-223 and 333.05 345.00 11.95 11.95 0.54 FSA-223 includes 337.35 338.44 1.09 1.09 2.35 FSA-223 and 348.27 349.37 1.10 1.10 0.70 FSA-223 and 358.55 359.55 1.00 1.00 0.70 FSA-223 and 367.26 368.19 0.93 0.93 0.78 FSA-223 and 377.50 378.58 1.08 1.08 0.80 FSA-223 and 382.95 424.48 41.53 41.53 1.11 FSA-223 includes 389.45 390.27 0.82 0.82 6.80 FSA-223 includes 410.24 411.35 1.11 1.11 11.10 FSA-223 and 427.83 428.90 1.07 1.07 0.83 FSA-225 and 81.07 82.10 1.03 1.03 0.45 FSA-225 and 106.57 115.09 8.52 8.52 0.51 FSA-225 includes 109.69 110.83 1.14 1.14 2.51 FSA-225 and 120.39 122.59 2.20 2.20 0.59 FSA-225 and 160.53 161.54 1.01 1.01 0.82 FSA-225 and 175.50 195.62 20.12 20.12 0.80 FSA-225 includes 190.31 192.37 2.06 2.06 3.99 FSA-225 and 198.71 199.88 1.17 1.17 0.78 FSA-236 and 82.34 83.37 1.03 1.03 0.36 FSA-236 and 86.69 87.70 1.01 1.01 0.50 FSA-236 and 105.65 107.43 1.78 1.78 2.56 FSA-236 and 128.20 129.20 1.00 1.00 0.32 FSA-236 and 132.58 133.54 0.96 0.96 0.68 FSA-236 and 137.70 138.84 1.14 1.14 0.33 FSA-236 and 146.33 150.75 4.42 4.42 0.38 FSA-236 and 153.93 154.96 1.03 1.03 0.43 FSA-236 and 191.95 193.04 1.09 1.09 5.15 FSA-236 and 198.40 199.45 1.05 1.05 0.61 FSA-236 and 207.80 211.00 3.20 3.20 0.33 FSA-236 and 219.40 228.20 8.80 8.80 2.28 FSA-236 includes 221.30 222.30 1.00 1.00 16.45 FSA-236 and 233.25 234.25 1.00 1.00 1.01 FSA-236 and 245.50 246.74 1.24 1.24 0.69 FSA-236 and 254.35 255.41 1.06 1.06 0.31 FSA-236 and 308.20 310.16 1.96 1.96 0.59 FSA-242 and 132.73 134.86 2.13 1.79 1.40 FSA-242 and 149.97 151.98 2.01 1.69 0.72 FSA-242 and 157.38 159.59 2.21 1.85 0.93 FSA-242 and 162.80 219.44 56.64 47.51 1.35 FSA-242 includes 185.83 187.91 2.08 1.74 4.92 FSA-242 includes 215.23 217.28 2.05 1.72 4.64 FSA-248 and 289.10 291.16 2.06 1.87 0.74 FSA-248 and 307.23 313.60 6.37 5.79 1.58 FSA-248 includes 312.50 313.60 1.10 1.00 5.21 FSA-248 and 323.97 326.07 2.10 1.91 1.93 FSA-248 and 333.25 335.35 2.10 1.91 25.96 FSA-248 and 343.92 356.85 12.93 11.75 0.91 FSA-248 and 361.60 379.30 17.70 16.09 0.78 FSA-248 and 385.63 387.72 2.09 1.90 0.49 FSA-248 and 415.71 422.48 6.77 6.15 1.68 FSA-241 and 4.82 29.10 24.28 22.47 1.11 FSA-241 includes 19.38 25.76 6.38 5.91 2.34 FSA-241 and 36.04 37.19 1.15 1.06 0.44 FSA-241 and 49.69 50.74 1.05 0.97 2.21 FSA-241 and 58.27 63.66 5.39 4.99 1.48 FSA-241 and 79.77 88.58 8.81 8.15 0.22 FSA-241 and 94.75 96.78 2.03 1.88 0.45 FSA-241 and 112.53 189.43 76.90 71.18 2.50 FSA-241 includes 118.80 125.85 7.05 6.53 17.28 FSA-241 includes 137.72 138.77 1.05 0.97 11.95 FSA-241 includes 187.19 189.43 2.24 2.07 11.28 FSA-241 and 196.56 197.58 1.02 0.94 1.08 FSA-241 and 217.95 221.09 3.14 2.91 0.51 FSA-241 and 240.23 244.38 4.15 3.84 0.82 FSA-241 and 250.91 252.01 1.10 1.02 0.36 FSA-245 and 2.65 13.22 10.57 10.57 0.70 FSA-245 and 50.07 51.20 1.13 1.13 0.44 FSA-245 and 65.32 71.70 6.38 6.38 0.48 FSA-245 and 78.17 81.44 3.27 3.27 0.81 FSA-245 includes 80.32 81.44 1.12 1.12 1.59 FSA-245 and 86.80 90.02 3.22 3.22 0.32 FSA-245 and 121.33 130.78 9.45 9.45 0.75 FSA-245 includes 122.40 124.17 1.77 1.77 2.42 FSA-256 and 5.21 6.44 1.23 1.23 0.36 FSA-256 and 58.17 60.32 2.15 2.15 0.62 FSA-256 and 126.40 127.54 1.14 1.14 0.47 FSA-256 and 137.22 138.22 1.00 1.00 0.47 FSA-256 and 155.34 156.24 0.90 0.90 1.19 FSA-256 and 181.77 182.84 1.07 1.07 0.31 Pit Norte FSA-226 and 8.35 12.35 4.00 3.81 0.34 FSA-226 and 22.03 23.06 1.03 0.98 0.60 FSA-226 and 26.97 69.65 42.68 40.61 1.43 FSA-226 includes 28.03 29.11 1.08 1.03 7.08 FSA-226 includes 31.23 36.86 5.63 5.36 2.17 FSA-226 includes 59.00 62.85 3.85 3.66 2.80 FSA-226 and 103.26 104.36 1.10 1.05 1.81 FSA-229 and 70.50 71.60 1.10 1.10 0.98 FSA-230 and 10.29 17.84 7.55 7.05 1.06 FSA-230 and 42.04 55.15 13.11 12.24 2.19 FSA-230 includes 42.04 43.18 1.14 1.06 12.65 FSA-230 and 61.55 81.12 19.57 18.26 0.50 FSA-243 and 67.46 68.46 1.00 0.93 0.30 FSA-243 and 69.52 70.70 1.18 1.09 0.38 FSA-243 and 73.75 74.89 1.14 1.06 0.67 FSA-243 and 85.44 120.05 34.61 32.06 2.60 FSA-243 includes 85.44 89.50 4.06 3.76 11.27 FSA-243 includes 103.74 108.88 5.14 4.76 6.75 FSA-247 and 0.00 16.41 16.41 15.13 0.88 FSA-247 includes 5.88 8.88 3.00 2.77 1.93 FSA-247 and 24.50 28.59 4.09 3.77 1.62 FSA-247 and 31.63 32.73 1.10 1.01 1.47 FSA-247 and 36.21 44.25 8.04 7.41 0.38 FSA-247 and 52.21 62.19 9.98 9.20 1.65 FSA-247 includes 52.21 53.22 1.01 0.93 5.72 FSA-247 includes 59.83 60.97 1.14 1.05 8.61 FSA-247 and 69.34 70.46 1.12 1.03 5.64 FSA-249 and 0.22 1.85 1.63 1.57 0.37 FSA-249 and 8.35 15.73 7.38 7.12 1.78 FSA-249 includes 12.85 13.78 0.93 0.90 5.26 FSA-249 and 19.97 21.11 1.14 1.10 0.71 FSA-249 and 36.35 42.02 5.67 5.47 0.91 FSA-249 includes 39.70 40.95 1.25 1.21 3.65 FSA-249 and 43.20 44.32 1.12 1.08 0.43 FSA-249 and 55.27 81.35 26.08 25.15 3.23 FSA-249 includes 65.73 67.90 2.17 2.09 4.13 FSA-249 includes 70.08 71.08 1.00 0.96 13.50 FSA-249 includes 77.87 80.09 2.22 2.14 19.76 FSA-249 and 89.69 90.72 1.03 0.99 1.48 FSA-249 and 107.66 117.63 9.97 9.62 3.73 FSA-249 includes 115.57 117.63 2.06 1.99 14.33 Pit Sul FSA-251 and 8.37 10.52 2.15 1.43 0.52 FSA-251 and 14.86 15.86 1.00 0.67 1.60 FSA-251 and 28.52 37.80 9.28 6.18 4.52 FSA-251 includes 33.72 35.75 2.03 1.35 17.32 FSA-251 and 45.22 46.25 1.03 0.69 0.41 FSA-251 and 50.41 74.45 24.04 16.02 1.52 FSA-251 includes 50.41 51.45 1.04 0.69 6.41 FSA-251 includes 59.23 60.23 1.00 0.67 5.79 FSA-251 includes 71.24 73.40 2.16 1.44 8.18 FSA-251 and 86.23 93.55 7.32 4.88 2.56 FSA-251 includes 86.23 87.30 1.07 0.71 10.90 FSA-251 and 99.00 100.00 1.00 0.67 0.30 FSA-251 and 104.00 109.15 5.15 3.43 0.83 FSA-253 and 81.25 83.30 2.05 1.40 1.69 FSA-253 and 87.55 88.60 1.05 0.72 0.34 FSA-244 and 7.92 9.15 1.23 1.23 0.38 FSA-244 and 14.23 16.27 2.04 2.04 1.08 FSA-244 and 27.73 54.82 27.09 27.09 1.33 FSA-244 includes 30.98 33.14 2.16 2.16 10.63 FSA-244 and 62.45 63.56 1.11 1.11 0.94 FSA-244 and 67.95 82.00 14.05 14.05 1.41 FSA-244 includes 77.95 82.00 4.05 4.05 4.58 FSA-244 and 123.02 124.02 1.00 1.00 0.39 FSA-244 and 130.00 133.15 3.15 3.15 0.51 FSA-255 and 95.65 99.70 4.05 2.06 0.51

Table 2. Drill Hole locations

Sector Hole number UTM N

m UTM E

m Elevation

m Depth

m Azimuth Dip East Zone FSA-223 8810544 820676 661 444.1 106 -44 East Zone FSA-225 8810504 820501 570 250.8 98 -21 East Zone FSA-236 8810479 820471 567 331.3 98 -19 East Zone FSA-241 8810372 820568 552 289.1 121 -47 East Zone FSA-242 8810498 820618 668 268.4 127 -56 East Zone FSA-245 8810415 820581 555 255.4 112 -33 East Zone FSA-248 8810437 820778 663 480.8 98 -55 East Zone FSA-256 8810416 820580 555 202.3 100 -46 Pit Norte FSA-226 8810101 820381 449 136.3 112 -47 Pit Norte FSA-229 8809950 820304 446 110.2 111 -49 Pit Norte FSA-230 8810094 820354 446 134.8 104 -56 Pit Norte FSA-243 8809986 820477 477 147.7 121 -38 Pit Norte FSA-247 8809983 820454 467 76.0 121 -44 Pit Norte FSA-249 8810016 820431 464 141.3 116 -33 Pit Sul FSA-244 8809654 820375 495 206.9 104 -18 Pit Sul FSA-251 8809652 820374 494 110.2 130 -20 Pit Sul FSA-253 8809679 820444 561 112.7 142 -71 Pit Sul FSA-255 8809678 820444 561 110.8 158 -60

*Collar coordinates by GNSS TP-20 UTM Coordinates, Datum: SAD69 / zone 22S.

*Azimuth Set by compass

*Dip and drill hole trajectory by DEVIFLEX Devico

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Analytical work was carried out by ALS international lab (ALS). MDC send half core samples for sample preparation to the lab. The facilities of the prep lab are located in Goiania, Brazil 835 km from the MDC project and alternatively in Belo Horizonte, Brazil 1,110 Km from the MDC project. MDC sends out samples to ALS international labs (ALS) with the prep lab located in Goiania or alternatively in Belo Horizonte. ALS lab sends the prepared aliquots for analytical assay to their lab in Lima, Peru where the prepared samples are systematically analyzed for gold (ppm) by fire assay (Au-AA24) or gold (ppm) by metallic screen (Au-SCR24). Randomly the ICP (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) is done for trace elements in 4 acids (hydrofluoric, perchloric, nitric and hydrochloric) digestion (ME-MS-61). ALS has routine quality control procedures which ensure that every batch of samples includes three sample repeats and at least two commercial standards and one blank. Cerrado uses standard QA/QC procedures, inserting reference standards and blanks for the drilling program. The Reference material used are from CDN Resource Laboratories Ltd., ITAK (Instituto de Tecnologia August Kekule Ltda. and OREAS).

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Gelcich, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Co Chairman

Tel: +1-647-796-0023

mbrennan@cerradogold.com

David Ball

Vice President, Corporate Development

Tel.: +1-647-796-0068

dball@cerradogold.com

About Cerrado

Cerrado is a Toronto based gold production, development and exploration company focused on gold projects in the Americas. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina and the highly prospective development project, Monte Do Carmo located in Tocantins State, Brazil.

At Minera Don Nicolas, Cerrado is maximising asset value through further operation optimization and continued production growth. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package.

At Monte Do Carmo, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit through Feasibility and production. The Serra Alta deposit Indicated Resources of 541 kozs of contained gold and Inferred Resources of 780 kozs of contained gold. The Preliminary Economic Assessment demonstrates robust economics as well as the potential to be one of the industry's lowest cost producers. Cerrado also holds an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 ha land package at Monte Do Carmo.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (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 discusses 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.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to continuing progress of the Feasibility Study and infill drilling at MDC. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2022 / Core Assets Corp., ("Core Assets" or the "Company") (CSE:CC) (FSE:5RJ) (OTCQB:CCOOF) is pleased to announce assay results from the first two diamond drill holes completed at the Laverdiere Fe-Cu-Au Skarn-Porphyry Project("Laverdiere"), eastern Blue Property ("Property"); Atlin Mining District of NW British Columbia.

Highlights

Assay results from the first two diamond drill holes completed at the French Adit have successfully confirmed massive to semi-massive Fe-Cu-Au skarn and local porphyry-style Cu mineralization and alteration that remains open at depth (Tables 1, 2; Figure 1).

LAV22-001 was drilled to the east for 268 metres and intersected 48.5m of 1.03% CuEq (0.90% Cu, 5.80g/t Ag, 0.11g/t Au) within 95.05m of 0.54% CuEq (0.47% Cu, 3.24g/t Ag, 0.06g/t Au) from surface, confirming the presence of a significant, high-grade copper and associated gold skarn.

was drilled to the east for 268 metres and intersected within LAV22-001 also intersected 1.51m of 4.59g/t Au and 0.38g/t Ag in sheared mafic volcanic from 163.49m depth - confirming the presence of high-grade gold hosted within the prolific Llewellyn Fault Zone (Figure 3).

*Assay results are presented as uncut weighted averages. Interval widths represent drilled HQ core lengths and true width is unknown currently. Metal prices used to calculate Cu Equivalent (% CuEq) are Au $1775.00/oz, Ag $20.00/oz, and Cu $3.50/lb. All values are reported in CAD and do not consider metal recoveries. The equation used to calculate CuEq for LAV22-001 is as follows: CuEq% = Cu% + (Au g/t * (Au $ per oz/31.1034768) / (Cu $ per lb* 22.04623)) + (Ag g/t * (Ag $ per oz/ 31.1034768) / (Cu $ per Ib* 22.04623)).

LAV22-002, the deepest drill hole completed on the property to-date, was oriented southwest and intersected 225.50m of alternating marble, Fe-Cu-Au skarn, and mineralized endoskarn. Potassically altered and locally Cu-bearing granodiorite persisted from 225.50m to EOH (402.30m).

LAV22-002 returned 210.50m of 0.19 % CuEq (0.05g/t Au, 1.76g/t Ag, 0.11% Cu) from 15.00m depth, including 0.57m of 3.33% CuEq (0.20g/t Au, 52.80g/t Ag, 2.74% Cu) from 20.35m depth, and 2.00m od 3.39% CuEq (0.30g/t Au, 18.80g/t Ag, 3.01% Cu) from 104.00m depth.

Assays are still pending for holes LAV22-003 to LAV22-006, all of which intersected similar high temperature skarn and porphyry-style mineralization, veining, and alteration spanning over an 850m strike length.

Diamond drilling efforts continue at the Sulphide City Target at the Silver Lime CRD Project with plans increase meterage to greater than 5,000m for 2022.

Core Assets' President & CEO Nick Rodway commented, "The goal of drilling in the French Adit area was to determine the depth extent of historic copper and gold skarn mineralization from surface and to test the porphyry Cu-Mo potential of the Laverdiere intrusion. These results have confirmed and over exceeded our expectations - especially when considering the shear-hosted gold hit within the LFZ. High-grade copper skarn and endoskarn occurrences extending from surface to over 200 metres depth reside in contact with a locally intensely potassic altered and mineralized causative intrusion at Laverdiere, that boasts a large resistive geophysical signature and remains open for exploration. Drilling completed to-date has only begun to scratch the surface and indicates the presence of a potentially large porphyry system. We look forward to receiving the remaining assay results at Laverdiere and planning a more aggressive diamond drilling program for 2023."

*Assay results are presented as uncut weighted averages. Interval widths represent drilled HQ core lengths and true width is unknown currently. Metal prices used to calculate Cu Equivalent (% CuEq) are as follows: Au $1775.00/oz, Ag $20.00/oz, and Cu $3.50/lb and Mo $20.00/lb. All values are reported in CAD and do not consider metal recoveries. The equation used to calculate CuEq for LAV22-001 is as follows: CuEq% = Cu% + (Au g/t * (Au $ per oz/31.1034768) / (Cu $ per lb* 22.04623)) + (Ag g/t * (Ag $ per oz/ 31.1034768) / (Cu $ per Ib* 22.04623)) + (Mo% * (Mo $ per Ib / Cu $ per Ib)).

Figure 1: 3D cross section looking North through the French Adit. % CuEq (red) and Au g/t (orange) are plotted downhole on LAV22-001 and LAV22-002.

Figure 2: 2022 diamond drill hole location map at the Laverdiere Skarn-Porphyry Project with surficial mapped skarn extents plotted on TauSf geophysics (Conductivity increasing - hot colours; Resistivity increasing or Conductivity decreasing - cold colours). Line A-B illustrates the location of the 3D cross-section presented in Figure 1. * indicates drillholes included in this release.

2022 Diamond Drilling at the Laverdiere Project

1,806 metres of exploratory HQ-sized diamond drilling has been completed at the Laverdiere Skarn-Porphyry Project in June. 2022 drilling efforts successfully confirmed and extended high-grade Fe-Cu-Au skarn, Cu-Mo endoskarn, and associated Cu-Mo porphyry style mineralization for 850 metres along the western flank of Hoboe Creek, between the historic North and South Adits, and remains open at depth.

The Laverdiere Project is located proximal to the Llewellyn Fault Zone, coincident with Hoboe Creek in the eastern Blue Property. Laverdiere is characterized as a fine-to-coarse grained and locally massive Fe-Cu-Au rich skarn (magnetite and/or magnetite-chalcopyrite-dominantbornite-tetrahedrite-molybdenite-pyrite-pyrrhotite) hosted in dolomitic limestone and marble of the Devonian Boundary Ranges Metamorphic Suite. Along the western side of Hoboe Creek, dolomitic limestone is overlain by thin-bedded calcareous siltstone, quartzite, and schist - all of which are locally folded, dip moderately to the west, and are intruded by an Early Cretaceous post-accretionary granodiorite intrusion of batholith size (Coast Plutonic Complex). The granodiorite is locally foliated, Cu-Mo-bearing, and exhibits potassic alteration in the form of secondary K-feldspar and shreddy biotite after hornblende along the Fe-Cu-Au skarn contact.

The highest-grade skarn occurrences observed at Laverdiere are hosted in dolomitic limestone, near the siltstone contact and along the margins of the granodiorite intrusion. Disseminated and quartz-vein/fracture-hosted chalcopyrite, molybdenite, magnetite, and malachite have been observed in granodiorite outcropping along the Lewellyn Fault Zone (LFZ/Hoboe Creek) for up to 3.9km south from the main skarn body (See News Release Dated April 6, 2022).

Sampling Protocol, Quality Assurance & Quality Control

All recovered drill core was transported by helicopter to the core logging facility in Atlin, BC for processing. Down hole surveys were conducted on all drill holes upon termination, using a Reflex Gyro Sprint downhole survey tool equipped with an azimuth positioning capability. Drill core typically was sampled over two-meter intervals and occasionally reduced in areas of higher visual sulphide mineralization. Core samples were cut in half with an electric core saw, bagged, labelled, sealed, and submitted to ALS Minerals preparation facility in Whitehorse, YT with the remaining core stored in Atlin, BC. Half core samples were finely crushed and sieved to <75 microns. Samples were then shipped to ALS Geochemistry in North Vancouver, BC where they were analysed for gold by fire assay with an AA finish, over limits for Ag, Pb Cu and Zn and additional elements were analysed using four acid digestion with an ICP-AES or ICP-MS finish.

Blank rock (siliceous river rock), duplicate, and certified reference materials were inserted into the sample stream for at least every 20 half core samples. Certified reference materials were acquired from OREAS North America Inc. of Sudbury, Ontario and CDN Resource Laboratories Ltd. of Langley, British Columbia for the 2022 diamond drill campaign.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

Nicholas Rodway, P.Geo, (Licence# 46541) (Permit to Practice# 100359) is President, CEO and Director of the Company, and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Rodway supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About Core Assets Corp.

Core Assets Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral projects in British Columbia, Canada. The Company currently holds 100% ownership in the Blue Property, which covers a land area of111,648.8 ha (~1,116 km). The project lies within the Atlin Mining District, a well-known gold mining camp located in the unceded territory of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. The Blue Property hosts a major structural feature known as The Llewellyn Fault Zone ("LFZ"). This structure is approximately 140km in length and runs from the Tally-Ho Shear Zone in the Yukon, south through the Blue Property to the Alaskan Panhandle Juneau Ice Sheet in the United States. Core Assets believes that the south Atlin Lake area and the LFZ has been neglected since the last major exploration campaigns in the 1980's. The LFZ plays an important role in mineralization of near surface metal occurrences across the Blue Property. The past 50 years have seen substantial advancements in the understanding of porphyry, skarn, and carbonate replacement type deposits both globally and in BC's Golden Triangle. The Company has leveraged this information at the Blue Property to tailor an already proven exploration model and believes this could facilitate a major discovery. Core Assets is excited to become one of Atlin Mining District's premier explorers where its team believes there are substantial opportunities for new discoveries and development in the area.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

CORE ASSETS CORP.

"Nicholas Rodway"

President & CEO

Tel: 604.681.1568

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include expectations regarding the pending core assays, including speculative inferences about potential copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum grades based on preliminary visual observations from results of diamond drilling at Laverdiere; that preliminary results of drilling have exceeded the Company's expectations; the Company's plans to further investigate the geometry and extent of the porphyry-skarn continuum at Laverdiere through additional field work and diamond drilling; the proposed diamond drilling program planned for Laverdiere in June 2022; that drilling efforts will aim to confirm and extend certain targets and mineralization on the property; that the Company's exploration model could facilitate a major discovery at the Blue Property; that the Company anticipates it can become one of the Atlin Mining District's premier explorers and that there are substantial opportunities for new discoveries and development in this area. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that expectations regarding pending core assays based on preliminary visual observations from diamond drilling results at Laverdiere may be found to be inaccurate; that results may indicate Laverdiere does not warrant further exploration efforts; that the Company may be unable to implement its plans to further explore Laverdiere and, in particular, that the proposed diamond drilling program planned for Laverdiere may not proceed as anticipated or at all; that drilling efforts may not confirm and extend any targets or mineralization on the Laverdiere; that the Company's exploration model may fail to facilitate any commercial discovery of minerals at the Blue Property; that the Company may not become one of Atlin Mining District's premier explorers or that the area may be found to lack opportunities for new discoveries and development, as anticipated; that further permits may not be granted in a timely manner, or at all; that the mineral claims may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; there may not be an economic mineral resource; that certain exploration methods, including the Company's proposed exploration model for the Blue Property, may be ineffective or inadequate in the circumstances; that economic, competitive, governmental, geopolitical, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices; our specific plans and timing drilling, field work and other plans may change; we may not have access to or be able to develop any minerals because of cost factors, type of terrain, or availability of equipment and technology; and we may also not raise sufficient funds to carry out or complete our plans. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for its recently completed fiscal period, which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com . Except as required by law, the Company will not update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.

SOURCE: Core Assets Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/711152/Core-Assets-Drills-485m-of-103-CuEq-within-95m-of-054-CuEq-from-Surface-at-the-Laverdiere-Skarn-Porphyry-Project-and-Intersects-15m-of-459gt-Au-in-the-Lewellyn-Fault-Zone




President Yoon Suk-yeol will meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, set to visit Seoul this week, and discuss North Korea's nuclear program and other regional issues, his spokesperson said Monday.







Yoon and Guterres will meet over lunch Friday, the second and last day of the U.N. chief's visit to the country, Kang In-sun said during a press briefing.







The two are expected to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, Northeast Asian affairs and preparations for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York in September, she said.







Yoon and Guterres spoke by phone in June when the secretary-general called to congratulate the president on his inauguration, she noted.







Guterres will be accompanied on his visit by key U.N. officials, including Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu. (Yonhap)






DUSSELDORF, Germany, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Variance Solutions, LLC is pleased to announce the registration and launch of our GmbH in Dusseldorf, Germany. After working and serving our EU clients as a Branch office for the last two years, we are moving forward with our commitment to the German market and its talented workforce.

Yuanming Chu, President - "Alpha Variance Solutions GmbH, is another step in the plan of our company to add value to the Microsoft Partner Eco-system by expanding our reach and services in the EU. We are going Global by being Local."

Our GmbH will continue to bring our global expertise in Professional Services, Retail, Manufacturing, and NPO sectors to Germany. Our services will be tailored to local markets and delivered by business professionals from our global team and local employees. We are looking forward to offering our comprehensive Microsoft Partner services.

Also, we are proud to announce that Mr. Jan Schmitz is our new EU Delivery Manager. Mr. Schmitz brings years of experience in global Microsoft implementation, project management, team building, and business development. Our clients will benefit from his technical and functional knowledge as well as his experience.

Please contact Mr. Schmitz at jschmitz@alphavsolutions.com or Ms. Zoe Abulzahab our EU Marketing & Sustainability Manager at zabulzahab@alphavsolutions.com in Germany.

AVS is a Gold ERP Partner and Direct CSP Provider, with offices in New York, the United States, Dusseldorf, Germany and a full DevOps Support Center in Bangalore, India.

Alpha Variance Solutions GmbH offers Microsoft Dynamics 365 Implementation, Licensing, Business Applications, AI, Azure Infrastructure, Cloud Migration, Modern Workplace, Support Services, DevOps, Change Management, Advisory, Project Rescue, and Training Services.

About Alpha Variance Solutions: Alpha Variance Solutions is a woman-owned, New York-based company. AVS was founded in 2015 after a decade of providing successful implementation services to fortune 500 clients. Alpha Variance Solutions exists to address the most common and fundamental need in this industry; a partner who listens and can lead clients through a well-planned and executed implementation path. As a Microsoft Partner, we focus on providing innovative solutions that solve problems for our customers. Our core engagement methodology is based on flexibility and quality deliverables.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. and LONDON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bank of London, the world's first purpose-built global clearing, agency, and transaction bank, today announced its intention to expand its United States (US) footprint by opening its US Global Platform & Services headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, creating 350 new jobs by 2026 across numerous disciplines.

New positions at the US Global Platform and Services division will include software development, compliance and risk, technology operations, infrastructure engineering and business operations. Mecklenburg and surrounding counties can expect an annual payroll impact of nearly $33 million when fully staffed.

The Bank of London has already taken a 11-year lease on a forty-thousand square foot floor of One Independence Center at the energetic intersection of Trade and Tryon in the heart of Charlotte's Central Business District.

The opening of the Bank's US Global Platform and Services division in Charlotte brings access to a strong and deep new talent pool. Charlotte is the second largest banking city in the US after New York, where The Bank of London has its US headquarters. With its vibrant banking ecosystem, and appealing city lifestyles and amenities, which attract professionals from across the US, Charlotte is an excellent choice for The Bank of London.

Vi Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, said: "With The Bank of London building its technology hub in Charlotte, we continue to demonstrate that Charlotte is the epicentre of where finance and technology converge. This announcement further builds on our strategic international partnerships, and I look forward to seeing The Bank of London's growth in our city."

Anthony Watson, Group Chief Executive & Founder of The Bank of London, said: Without doubt Charlotte has some of the best bank technology and business talent that the US - and the world - has to offer. I should know. I spent some of the happiest years of my working life in Charlotte when employed by Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo). I'm beyond delighted to once again work in the Queen City as we transform banking for the betterment of all."

Jim Ditmore, Co-President & Group Operating Officer of The Bank of London, said: "The Bank of London has truly game-changing and patented technology that will power the borderless economy of the future. We will be continuing to invest heavily in our technology offering for clients and we've chosen Charlotte as a key location to drive our agenda forward, enabled by Charlotte's unique combination of banking talent, technologists, and financial business leaders."

About The Bank of London?

The Bank of London launched 30thNovember 2021 as the sixth principal clearing bank of the United Kingdom, and only the second clearing bank in 250 years. With a $1.1 billion valuation, it is the first pre-revenue bank in history to attain 'unicorn' status upon debut.?

The Bank of London is a leading-edge technology company and the world's first purpose-built global clearing, agency, and transaction bank. We leverage our patented technology innovations and differentiated bank capabilities to lift economies and communities by powering the borderless economic infrastructure of the future.?

With headquarters in London and offices in New York, Charlotte and Belfast, The Bank of London is a principal clearing bank of the United Kingdom authorised by the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

For more information visit: thebankoflondon.com , or on Twitter and Instagram at: @thebankoflondon.??

About Crescent Communities

Crescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer and operator of mixed-use communities. We create high-quality, differentiated multifamily and commercial communities in many of the fastest growing markets in the United States. Since 1963, our development portfolio has included more than 77 multifamily communities, 24 million square feet of commercial space and 60 single family master-planned communities. Crescent Communities has offices in Charlotte, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Our residential communities are branded NOVEL, RENDER and HARMON by Crescent Communities and our industrial developments are branded AXIAL by Crescent Communities.
Oscillate plc

("Oscillate plc" or the "Company")

Result of AGM

Trading Update

Oscillate PLC (AQSE: MUSH) is pleased to announce that at the AGM held earlier today, all resolutions were duly passed.

The Company would like to give an update on its significant holdings for the time period since the publication of the annual report of 14 June 2022.

Psych Capital PLC ("Psych Capital")

On 20 August 2021, the Company announced its initial pre-IPO investment in Psych Capital. On 9 June 2022, Psych Capital successfully listed its shares to trading on the AQSE Growth Market. Since listing, its portfolio company Awakn Life Sciences ("Awakn") received grant funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), a UK government agency which will fund 66% of the costs of Awakn's Phase III clinical trial exploring the use of ketamine-assisted therapy for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder. The Company currently holds 46,668,622 (16.10%) shares in Psych Capital, with a value of 2.57million, based on the closing mid-price of Pysch Capital's shares on 5 August 2022 of 5.5 pence per share. The Company invested a total of 650,000 between August 2021 and June 2022.

Igraine Plc

On 18 July 2022, Igraine plc published its audited account and announced that it had streamlined its board which now consists of Simon Grant-Rennick and Stephen Winfield. Oscillate holds 21,312,460 ordinary shares in Igraine with a value of 266,000, based on the closing mid-price of Igraine shares on 5 August 2022 of 1.25 pence per share.

DEV Clever Holdings PLC ("DEV Clever")

As announced on 19 July 2022, Dev Clever is currently working with its professional advisers towards the publication of a prospectus to enable the reverse takeover transaction to complete and the cancellation and re-admission of Dev Clever's shares to the London Stock Exchange. Dev Clever is also finalising its account for the year ended 31 October 2021 and anticipates that these will be published in August 2022. The Company holds 2.5 million warrants exercisable into Dev Clever shares at a price of 1 penny per share.

In addition to the above holdings, the Company has a strong cash position of approximately 1.2million. It continues to seek attractive investment opportunities to maximise shareholder value.

--ENDS-

The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

Enquiries

Company:

Fungai Ndoro

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3745 0281

https://oscillateplc.com

Corporate Adviser:

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Guy Miller & Mark Anwyl

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7220 9796

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation EU 596/2014 as it forms part of retained EU law (as defined in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018).
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Creality, a global pioneer in 3D printing, officially introduced its laser engraver and cutter, CR-Laser Falcon, at the "Make it NEO-Creality Summer Upgrade" ceremony on August 5, 2022. The CR-Laser Falcon with a 10W module and the proven 3D core technology of the Creality Ender 3D series, ensures quality, stability, and accuracy. It will be available in the United States at the official Creality Store from August 18, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). Users in European countries can also purchase from store.creality.com/de on August 22, at 10:00 a.m. (GMT+2).

Enter the CR-Laser Falcon with its 10W laser module. It features 0.06mm of precision, 12mm one-pass cutting and easy operation. For all types of users, from DIY hobbyists to those that run a maker's workshop, it is a useful machine to have access to. The latest CR-Laser Falcon 10W has stronger engraving and cutting performance. With the advanced LD+FAC+C-Lens technology, it compresses the focal spot to only 0.06mm which translates to sharp and deep edges, as well as clean engravings.

The 10W laser module makes it easier to cut through thicker materials. It can cut through 12mm wood board with one pass and engraves patterns on objects as hard as stainless steel.

One-button control makes this engraving machine really easy to use, which can be operated offline. It is perfect for users to use indoors, outdoors or wherever they like without a computer.

About Release Benefits

The 10W Laser Engraver will be available on Creality US online store on 10:00am(EDT), 18th, Aug. while be available on Creality European online store on 10:00am(GMT+2), 18th, Aug.Users might have chance to get it with 50% OFF and get a $100 return within the first two hours. The release benefits are really attractive! Set your alarm and grab the deal!

10W CR-Laser Falcon Details: https://bit.ly/3vMFit6

Online Store: https://bit.ly/3BMHqou

About Creality

Creality is a leading, global consumer-level 3D printing brand, focusing on 3D printer research and production. The self-developed and manufacturing FDM and Resin 3D printers are pioneering in the 3D printing market. In 2021, Creality developed and launched our first laser engraving machines, CV-01, and then the CV-01 Pro, 5W CR-Laser Falcon, 10W CR-Laser Falcon. We are constantly updating our laser engravers in terms of laser power, engraving size, and structure to meet the ongoing upgrading needs of users.

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BANGALORE, India, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Veterinary Imaging Market is segmented By Type (X-ray Technology, Ultrasound Technology, Other), By Application (Clinics, Hospitals and Academic Institutes): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Animal Products & Services category.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Veterinary Imaging market size is estimated to be worth USD 1793.8 Million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 2390.1 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.9% during the review period.

Major factors driving the growth of the Veterinary Imaging Market

The rapid technological innovations in veterinary imaging systems, growing spending on animal health, deployment of AI-based diagnostic tools, and rise in the adoption of pets will drive the growth of the veterinary imaging market.

Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-28W9377/Global_Veterinary_Imaging_Market

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF VETERINARY IMAGING MARKET

The latest digital veterinary equipment is fast and efficient. It has the capacity for pan, zoom, contrast, and brightness adjustments on a single exposure. Veterinarians can quickly identify problems without the need for performing diagnostic surgeries. Digital radiography has more shades of gray which helps in detecting minute differences in radiation attenuation in comparison to films. This will bolster the growth of the veterinary imaging market. High contrast resolution provides soft tissue and bone detail in a single image thereby decreasing the number of images to be taken. The images are stored on computer files for instant and easy viewing on any smartphone screen, tablet, or computer. The field can be emailed to clients or specialists for convenient viewing with the ability to zoom in on specific areas.

Radiography is the most common imaging procedure with extensive use of X-rays to create images in veterinary practices. The equipment is sized properly for use with dogs, cats, and other small animals. MRI( Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and ultrasound scans have become the sought-after procedure for diagnosing pets and animals. This will drive the expansion of the veterinary imaging market in the coming years. Digital X-rays provide detailed assessment and effective treatment.

The veterinary industry suffers from a shortage of radiologists. AI-based diagnostic tools have the ability to fill these gaps as deep learning networks train the tools to identify abnormalities and detect the disease within seconds. Feeding the AI thousands of radiographic images increases its accuracy level. Users can easily access the report by integrating it with their software management systems. This will drive the demand for the veterinary imaging market. Artificial intelligence provides detailed insights into routine cases eliminating the need to pay costly specialist fees. It helps in focusing all the resources on critical tasks.

Pets are being adopted as they are being seen as a part of the family due to the need for companionship and forming emotional bonds. The covid 19 pandemic has led to an increase in pet ownership with owners passing their own health and food principles on to their pets. This has increased the demand for veterinary services for animals in turn fueling the growth of the veterinary imaging market. The imaging procedures allow for measuring the treatment effect on target tissues. The different radiology features help vets identify the diagnosis outcome on dropsies, anodynes, fractures, and neoplasms that cause tumors, etc.

Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-28W9377/global-veterinary-imaging

VETERINARY IMAGING MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Based on type, X-ray technology is expected to dominate the veterinary imaging market share as it is the most used imaging procedure for diagnosing several animal disorders. The increasing pet ownership and rising prevalence of diseases will also contribute to the growth.

Based on region, Asia-Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Growth in pet adoption, increasing awareness about animal health, and growing per capita animal health expenditure is contributing to the growth of the APAC veterinary imaging market.

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Key Players

GE Healthcare

Excelsior Union Limited

Onex

Esaote

Idexx Laboratories

VCA

Hitachi

Siemens

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Bayhorse Silver Inc, (TSXV: BHS) (OTCQB: BHSIF) (FSE: 7KXN) (the "Company" or "Bayhorse") has received the diamond drilling permit for its readily accessible Brandywine Gold, Silver and Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) Project, Whistler, BC, Canada.

The Company is now mobilizing for a minimum 1,200 m (4,000 ft) ten (10) hole diamond drill program at the Dave's Pond high grade gold -silver target, that lies in the center of the 1,450 Ha Brandywine project. Access roads to the drill sites have been completed to enable the movement of heavy equipment to the drill site, and to ensure all weather operations can be readily conducted.

In the Company's QA/QC Report of 2020, the 2010 drill core from the Dave's Pond drilling program was resampled and due to the presence of visible gold in the core, was re-assayed using metallic screen assay. Gold values of up to 20.2 g/t (0.65 oz/t) Au over 1.5 m core length were returned from the re-assay of drillhole BRW10-05. Drillhole BRW10-05 returned 3.1 meters (10 feet) core length of 11.42 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) (0.37 oz/t) from 26.5 m depth, including 1.6 m of 20.2 g/t (0.59 oz/t) Au and drillhole BRW10-06 returned 3.1 m core length of 3.35 g/t Au (0.1 oz/t) from 32.6 m depth, including 1.6 m of 4.10 g/t (0.12 oz/t) Au. (Baldys, 2019) Brandywine NI-43-101 Report of 2021.

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 and 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 Brandywine Property comprising 15 contiguous mineral claims, covering a total area of 1,679.8 has undergone several historical exploration phases including bulk tonnage shipments to smelters, extensive drilling, and extensive geochemical and geophysical studies.





Figure 1 Brandywine drill core showing visible gold

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5015/133131_60736fdad4d6a9e0_001full.jpg.

Bayhorse CEO Graeme O'Neill comments, "Dave's Pond is our priority drill target. Excellent coarse gold assay results were obtained from three short drill holes in one small corner of the 200 m. x 100 m. Dave's Pond target, 85 feet along strike from a significant 36.9 g/t (1.08 oz/t) gold intersection in 1995. Brandywine, with its high grade gold content, along with its known high grade silver content, complements our high grade Bayhorse Silver Mine."





Figure 2 Dave's Pond drill target area

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5015/133131_60736fdad4d6a9e0_002full.jpg.

Microscopic analysis of the core 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)."

As a result of the confirmation of coarse free milling gold at Brandywine, the metallic screen method will be used during the upcoming drill program in addition to standard gold fire assaying plus the standard 43 geochemical element analysis.

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 (oz/t)) Au, 2,420.91 g/t (70.61 oz/t) 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.This News Release has been prepared on behalf of the Bayhorse Silver Inc. Board of Directors, which accepts full responsibility for its content. 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

866-399-6539, 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/133131
NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The global medical robotics systems market size was worth USD 15,295.20 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow to USD 38,834 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 16.80 percent over the forecast period.

Medical Robotics Systems Market: Overview

IT-enabled healthcare, also known as medical information technology, is a subset of information technology that deals with developing, designing, creating, and maintaining information systems in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. Healthcare IT has multiple benefits and possibilities for improving and transforming healthcare, including improving clinical outcomes, minimizing human error, improving clinical efficiency, facilitating care coordination, and long-term data monitoring. Due to a large number of smartphone users and the increasing penetration of technology, the demand for telemedicine and mHealth solutions is increasing. Favorable government policies and support for medical IT solutions are driving the market growth. Big data adoption is increasing with the growing need to reduce rising medical costs along with increasing adoption of EHR and other HCIT solutions. On the other hand, the high deployment costs of IT-assisted healthcare and the lack of adequate infrastructure in developing countries can hinder market growth.

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Key Industry Insights & Findings of the Medical Robotics Systems Market Reports:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Medical Robotics Systems Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 16.80 % (2022-2028).

(2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the Medical Robotics Systems Market was valued at approximately USD 15295.20 million in 2021 and is projected to reach roughly USD 38834 million by 2028.

million in 2021 and is projected to reach roughly million by 2028. According to a 2018 article on laparoscopic hysterectomy gynecological studies, the conversion rate from straight stick laparoscopic surgery to open surgery was 25%.

The association states that introducing robotic surgery for all hysterectomies will increase the annual cost of hysterectomy in the United States by an estimated $ 960 million .

by an estimated . Emerging markets are expected to provide significant opportunities for players in the global medical robotics systems market, primarily due to the increasing adoption of surgical robots in surgery.

North America has the largest global share in the medical robotics systems market due to the increasing technological advances of medical robots by medical companies and the increasing demand for these robots to perform laparoscopic surgery.

has the largest global share in the medical robotics systems market due to the increasing technological advances of medical robots by medical companies and the increasing demand for these robots to perform laparoscopic surgery. Increased investment by key players in the growth of advanced devices, an increase in the number of patients opting for minimally invasive surgery, and an increase in the number of research activities in the region are likely to drive the market in Asia Pacific .

Zion Market Research published the latest report titled "Medical Robotics Systems Market by Product & Service (Instrument & Accessories, Robotic Systems, and Services), by Application (Laparoscopy, Orthopedic Surgery, Pharmacy Applications, Physical Rehabilitation, External Beam Radiation Therapy, Neurosurgery, and Other Applications), by End User (On-premise solutions, Cloud-based solutions, Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Rehabilitation Centers, and Other End Users), and by Region - Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2022 - 2028." into their research database.

Industry Dynamics:

Medical Robotics Systems Market: Growth Drivers

Advantages of robotic-assisted surgery & robot-assisted training in rehabilitation therapy to drive market.

Growing demand for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), primarily because of the benefits of these procedures, such as savings. Minimally invasive robotic surgery contributes to these benefits by ensuring higher accuracy and reproducibility, as well as better control and efficiency. According to a 2018 article on laparoscopic hysterectomy gynecological studies, the conversion rate from straight stick laparoscopic surgery to open surgery was 25%. On the other hand, procedures using robotic platforms usually show conversion rates of less than 5%, reducing morbidity and blood loss. Robotic surgery also provides the surgeon with advanced visualization capabilities that provide a superior view of the surgical field by visualizing the structure down to the microscopic level using an HD camera.

Medical Robotics Systems Market: Restraints

High price of robotic systems to limit the market growth.

Robotic surgery is much more expensive than minimally invasive surgery. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends robotic hysterectomy only for abnormal and complex clinical conditions. The association states that introducing robotic surgery for all hysterectomies will increase the annual cost of hysterectomy in the United States by an estimated $ 960 million. One of the most commonly used robotic systems, the da Vinci system, costs between $ 1.5 million and $ 2.5 million, while the CyberKnife Radiation Surgery Robot System costs about $ 4 million to $ 700 per unit. Similarly, the average price of a Lokomat rehab robot is about $ 380,000.

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Global Medical Robotics Systems Market: Opportunities

Emerging markets and growing medical tourism to bring up growth prospects for the market.

Emerging markets are expected to provide significant opportunities for players in the global medical robotics systems market, primarily due to the increasing adoption of surgical robots in surgery. In emerging markets, the number of surgeries has continued to increase over the last decade due to an increase in the number of patients and medical tourism. In addition, emerging countries like India offer radiation therapy options at a lower cost than developed countries, creating opportunities for the market.

Global Medical Robotics Systems Market: Segmentation

The global medical robotics systems market is segregated on the basis of product & service, application, end-user, end user, and region.

By product & service, the market is divided into instrument & accessories, robotic systems, and services. Among these, the instrument & accessories segment dominates the market.

The market, by application, is classified into laparoscopy, orthopedic surgery, pharmacy applications, physical rehabilitation, external beam radiation therapy, neurosurgery, and other applications. Over the forecast period, the laparoscopy segment is expected to develop at the fastest rate owing to increasing surgical laparoscopic procedures conducted globally and the increasing adoption of surgical robots.

By end-user, the market is classified into on-premise solutions, cloud-based solutions, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, rehabilitation centers, and other end users. The hospital segment dominated the market during the forecast period owing to the higher adoption of medical robots in hospitals and increasing robotic surgery procedures conducted in hospitals.

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List of Key Players in Medical Robotics Systems Market:

Renishaw

Intuitive Surgical

Stryker Corporation

Accuray

Dickinson And Company

Medtronic

Omnicell

Zimmer Biomet

Smith & Nephew

Becton

Hocoma Ag

Cyberdyne

Ekso Bionics

Arxium

Transenterix

Rewalk Robotics

Cmr Surgical

Gollmann Kommissioniersysteme Gmbh

Bionik Laboratories Corp.

Auris Health

Avateramedical Gmbh

Zap Surgical Systems

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Medical Robotics Systems Market?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Medical Robotics Systems Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Medical Robotics Systems Market Industry?

What segments does the Medical Robotics Systems Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Medical Robotics Systems Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 15295.20 Million Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 38834 Million Growth Rate CAGR of almost 16.80 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, And By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered renishaw, intuitive surgical, stryker corporation, accuray, dickinson and company, medtronic, omnicell, zimmer biomet, smith & nephew, becton, hocoma ag, cyberdyne, ekso bionics, arxium, transenterix, rewalk robotics, cmr surgical, gollmann kommissioniersysteme gmbh, bionik laboratories corp., auris health, and avateramedical gmbh, zap surgical systems. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/3639

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Recent Developments

In 2020, Stryker Corporation ( USA ) received official approval from the Japanese robot-assisted surgery system MAKO for partial knee indications.

) received official approval from the Japanese robot-assisted surgery system MAKO for partial knee indications. In 2020, Accuray ( USA ) will launch a next-generation cyberknife platform with advanced precision, and artificial intelligence (AI) controlled real-time motion tracking and synchronous therapy for all stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy. Launched the CyberKnife S7 system. (SBRT) Treatment.

Regional Dominance:

Rising technological advancements in medical robots help to boost the North American market.

North America has the largest global share in the medical robotics systems market due to the increasing technological advances of medical robots by medical companies and the increasing demand for these robots to perform laparoscopic surgery. For example, in June 2021, Accuray Inc. announced the launch of the RayStation treatment planning system for robotic radiation therapy systems, the Cyberknife M6 and S7. The system provides fast and accurate dose calculations and enables real-time dose adjustment.

Increased investment by key players in the growth of advanced devices, an increase in the number of patients opting for minimally invasive surgery, and an increase in the number of research activities in the region are likely to drive the market in Asia Pacific. Increased government awareness initiatives, increased medical tourism, increased research activities in the region, increased acute & chronic diseases cases, and increased demand in the Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period will further bring significant regional market growth.

Global Medical Robotics Systems Market is segmented as follows:

Medical Robotics Systems Market: By Product & Service Outlook (2022-2028)

Instrument & Accessories

Robotic Systems

Services

Medical Robotics Systems Market: By Application Outlook (2022-2028)

Laparoscopy

Orthopedic Surgery

Pharmacy Applications

Physical Rehabilitation

External Beam Radiation Therapy

Neurosurgery

Other Applications

Medical Robotics Systems Market: By End User Outlook (2022-2028)

On-premise solutions

Cloud-based solutions

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Rehabilitation Centers

Other End Users

Medical Robotics Systems Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Press Release For Medical Robotics Systems Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-it-enabled-healthcare-market

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Multi-Metal Development Ltd (TSXV: MLY) (OTC Pink: MLYCF) (formerly American Cumo Mining Corporation) is pleased to announce that it has discovered along strike, several surface exposures of zinc-lead mineralization at its Bleiberg Property in Austria, similar to what has been historically mined. The new mineralization is exposed between 4 and 12 km beyond the end of the existing underground workings (see figure below). The survey consisted of a series of traverses covering the area of the strike extension of the mineralization. A portable x-ray spectrometer (Bruker S1 Titan) was used to analyze mineralization identified. Out of a total of 162 outcrop locations studied, 28 contained visible zinc-lead mineralization. Six readings were taken at each mineralized location and averaged to give an indication of the possible grade. Results range from 0.41% to 8.24% zinc and 0.34% to 41.48% Pb. Note these results are considered indications only of grade not actual grade, as the spectrometer being used only scans the near surface of the outcrop.

Figure 1



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4212/133141_53b129137417aabf_003full.jpg

The Bleiberg property consists of 116 exploration licenses totaling 6,582.4 hectares that cover the western 8 kilometers of a historically defined mineralized zone, 130 kilometres southeast of the city of Salzburg, Austria. It is a very well-known 700-year-old mine site with extensive data, numerous scientific publications, and over 1,150 km of underground workings with numerous shafts. The mine site covers a total strike length of over 20 km of which the first 12 kilometers have been mined historically. The project is close to railway and power lines and has all the infrastructure available. The licenses being purchased are located at the western end of the mine complex where the most recent (1993) drilling was completed. The Bleiberg mine operated from the 1300's through to 1993, when it closed as part of a larger bankruptcy of a Austrian state-owned mining conglomerate. Historic production was about 500,000 tonnes per year, and it was one of the largest germanium producers in the world while it was in production. Germanium is used by the semiconductor industry and in solar panels. Average mined grades were 5 to 6 percent zinc, 1 to 1.2 percent lead, and 150 to 200 parts per million (ppm) germanium. The deposit also averaged 10% Fluorite and 0.2% Cadmium. Based on published estimates done by Cenry (1991) and Schroll (2006), Bleiberg has a geologic target of 13 to 50 million tonnes at grades similar to the average historic production grades.

Note: The targets and the potential quantity and grade are conceptual in nature as there had been insufficient exploration work done to define Mineral Resources as defined by NI 43-101 and it is uncertain if further exploration would result in establishing the existence of Mineral Resources.

Shaun Dykes, President and CEO, stated, "The discovery of surface mineralization along strike from the historical defined zones extends the strike length for exploration from 8km to 20km. With the recent increase in demand and prices for the metals contained in Bleiberg and the positive future for green energy minerals such as Germanium, Bleiberg is a tremendous opportunity to add significant value. The multi-element nature of the Bleiberg deposit (Zn-Ge-Pb-Cd-F) and the Company's expertise in ore-sorting will be beneficial to the development of this new project."

Mr. Shaun M. Dykes, M.Sc. (Eng), P.Geo., President and CEO of the Company is the designated qualified person for the CuMo Project, and prepared the technical information contained in this news release.

About Multi-Metal Development Ltd ("MultiMet")

MultiMet is focused on advancing the CuMo Project owned by its subsidiary International CuMo Mining Corp. towards feasibility and working on its Bleiberg project in Austria. Management is continuing to build an even stronger foundation from which to move the Company and its projects forward. For more information, please visit www.multimetdev.com.

For further information, please contact:

Multi-Metal Development Ltd

Shaun Dykes, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (604) 689-7902

Email: info@multimetdev.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this new release.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation including, but not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such the Company's ability to move its CuMo Project to feasibility and production, and to become one of the largest and lowest-cost molybdenum producers in the world as well as a significant producer of copper and silver. Forward-looking information is based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including the result of exploration activities, the ability of the Company to raise the financing for a feasibility study and to put the CuMo project into production, that no labour shortages or delays are experienced, that plant and equipment function as specified that the Court will not intervene with the Company's proposed exploration activities at the CuMo Project, and the ability of the Company to obtain all requisite permits and licenses to advance the CuMo Project and eventually bring it into production. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future prediction, projection or forecast expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of molybdenum, silver and copper; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents, including the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the period ended March 31, 2022. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133141
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - The Collectif, a group of environmental and social campaigners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has renewed calls for the country's prime minister to revoke a cobalt agreement with international commodity giant Trafigura.

The "Collectif des Mouvements Citoyens, Leaders des Organisations des Jeunes et Jeunes Femmes" is a co-operative that includes 33 civil society groups based in the DRC.

The Collectif wrote to prime minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde in June alleging that the deal with Trafigura had breached the DRC's laws on contract tendering.

In a second letter to the prime minister sent in early August, the Collectif reiterated its calls for the contract to be rescinded, claiming that Trafigura's track record meant that the company could not comply with standards adopted for the deal.

In November 2020, Trafigura signed a contract with Entreprise Generale du Cobalt (EGC), a subsidiary of state-controlled mining company Gecamines, to market cobalt produced from artisanal mining zones. According to the terms of the deal, Trafigura will be able to purchase 50% of artisanal cobalt production in the country over a five-year period.

Trafigura will provide financing to fund the creation of artisanal mining zones, the installation of ore purchasing stations and costs related to the delivery of cobalt it receives.

In its most recent letter, the Collectif wrote: "When the EGC was launched in 2019, it was hailed as the solution to years of dangerous artisanal mining that served only to enrich unscrupulous multinational conglomerates and impoverish ordinary Congolese. We fear, however, that by choosing Trafigura as its commercial partner, the EGC will solve none of these problems. We fear that it will be business as usual."

The Collectif highlighted a number of past governance issues that have engulfed Trafigura and cast doubt on the company's ability to comply with rules incorporated into the EGC agreement.

Under the terms of the EGC deal, Trafigura is required to comply with Annex II of the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas, which includes ethical guidelines.

The Collectif said that it lacked faith in Trafigura's ability to abide by the stipulations and said the EGC should rescind the agreement and choose a new partner.

The group wrote in its letter to the prime minister: "There is broad evidence to suggest Trafigura is unable to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Responsible Sourcing Standard. As such, now is the time to rescind the agreement and start afresh for the good of artisanal mining in the DRC, and for the good of the people of the DRC."

About:

The "Collectif des Mouvements Citoyens, Leaders des Organisations des Jeunes et Jeunes Femmes" is a civil society movement comprising 33 local and national Congolese non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The movement has spearheaded a string of previous successful campaigns including lobbying the Congolese government to strip a controversial Middle Eastern health company of a contract to manage and operate a hospital in the city of Lubumbashi. The collective is also notable for leading efforts demanding the government improve its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and offer greater support to Congolese people. Among the groups that make up the movement are national civil society groups Telema and Nouvel Congo, as well as regional organisations such as Peuple Likozi and Peuple Likonzi.

Contact:

Nathan Mavinga, coordinator

Collectif des Mouvements Citoyens, Leaders des Organisations des Jeunes et Jeunes Femmes

+243 825 556 292

mavinganathanael@gmail.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133151
SEATTLE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Coherent Market Insights, the global oncology drugs market is estimated to be valued at US$ 119.0 billion in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 12.3 % during the forecast period (2022-2030).

Key Trends and Analysis of the Global Oncology Drugs Market:

Major players operating in market are focusing on adopting strategies such as product approvals, which is expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, on June 4 2022, The World Health Organization (WHO), collaborated with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), association of physicians and oncology professionals, to develop and promote cancer care innovations that are specifically designed to enhance health outcomes, and take account of the contexts in which patients live.

Furthermore, in September 2021, Secura Bio, Inc.,an integrated pharmaceutical company dedicated to the worldwide development and commercialization of impactful oncology therapies, announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement for COPIKTRA (duvelisib) with Clinigen Group Plc (Clinigen), a global, specialist pharmaceutical services and products company, covering 39 countries in Europe includingAustria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

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Key Market Takeaways:

Market players are focused on growth strategies such as signing distribution agreements with governments of respective countries. This in turn is expected to drive growth of the global oncology drugs market . For instance, in September 2021 , Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Pan-American specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Incyte Biosciences International Sarl, the Switzerland based affiliate of Incyte, for the exclusive rights to distribute tafasitamab (sold as Monjuvi in the U.S. and Minjuvi in Europe ) and pemigatinib (Pemazyre) in Latin America .

. For instance, in , Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Pan-American specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Incyte Biosciences International Sarl, the based affiliate of Incyte, for the exclusive rights to distribute tafasitamab (sold as Monjuvi in the U.S. and Minjuvi in ) and pemigatinib (Pemazyre) in . Among drug type, Targeted drugs segment generated significant revenue in 2022, owing to increasing incidence of cancer worldwide. For instance, on 29 March 2022 , Sanofi, a global healthcare company and IGM Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced a collaboration to create, develop, manufacture, and commercialize IgM antibody agonists against three oncology targets and three immunology/inflammation targets. Engineered IgM antibodies represent a new class of potential therapeutics that combine the multi-valency of IgM antibodies possessing 10 binding sites compared to conventional IgG antibodies having only 2 target binding sites.

, Sanofi, a global healthcare company and IGM Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced a collaboration to create, develop, manufacture, and commercialize IgM antibody agonists against three oncology targets and three immunology/inflammation targets. Engineered IgM antibodies represent a new class of potential therapeutics that combine the multi-valency of IgM antibodies possessing 10 binding sites compared to conventional IgG antibodies having only 2 target binding sites. Among region, North America is expected to hold a dominant position in the global oncology drugs market over the forecast period, owing to increasing number of inorganic growth strategies by key market players in the region. For instance, on June 27, 2022 , the oncology Institute, Inc., value-based oncology groups in the U.S., announced the signing of an expanded partnership agreement with McKesson Corporation for drug distribution and clinical technology.

is expected to hold a dominant position in the global oncology drugs market over the forecast period, owing to increasing number of inorganic growth strategies by key market players in the region. For instance, on , the oncology Institute, Inc., value-based oncology groups in the U.S., announced the signing of an expanded partnership agreement with McKesson Corporation for drug distribution and clinical technology. Key players operating in the global oncology drugs market include Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Novartis International AG, Celgene Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Eli Lilly and Company, AbbVie, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Bayer AG, and Amgen Inc.

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Detailed Segmentation:

Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Drug type:

Cytotoxic Drugs

Alkylating Agents



Antimetabolites



Others

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Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Cancer type:

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Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Distribution Channel:

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Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup visited a key U.S. military base south of Seoul on Monday to highlight the "solid" South Korea-U.S. alliance and the need for thorough preparations for the upcoming allied drills, Lee's ministry said.





It marked his first visit to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of the capital, since taking office in May. The trip came as the allies are gearing up to conduct the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise slated for Aug. 22-Sept. 1.



On the UFS, Lee called on troops to "focus all your capabilities" on further developing a comprehensive combined training system through pan-government crisis management drills and other contingency procedures, according to the ministry.





He also gave words of encouragement to South Korean and U.S. troops there, touting them as "working on the front line of combined defense under the 'fight tonight' spirit."





Lee and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera agreed to work closely together to ensure the UFS will proceed "fruitfully" while concurring on the importance of field training, the ministry said.





In a separate press release, the USFK said that Lee and LaCamera agreed to strengthen interoperability of allied practices and capabilities by conducting peninsula theater-level combined training aimed at increasing readiness.





"The two sides shared the view that building, maintaining and enhancing relationships at all echelons was important to future efforts," it said in a press release.





Camp Humphreys is home to the headquarters of the USFK and the U.S.-led U.N. Command. The headquarters of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command is set to relocate to the base later this year. LaCamera leads the three commands. (Yonhap)


JAKARTA, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 8th, Chinese automaker Wuling celebrated the Indonesian production rollout of its first global electric vehicle, the Air ev (right-hand drive version). This marks an important milestone for Wuling New Energy in global outreach as it achieves one million production models. Mr. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Minister of Industry, Indonesia, together with Chinese ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang, attended this launching ceremony.

Based in China, Wuling New Energy has sold more than 1 million vehicles in 5 years, marking it the leading new energy automobile company in worldwide which reached this target the fastest. Joining the global market push, the Air ev will accelerate expansion in global markets, with the first stop in Indonesia. Moving forward, the Air ev will enter India, Egypt, and more regions around the world, asserting China's status as a leader in smart automotive manufacturing.

The Air ev rollout aligns with the 'blue ocean' market focus of the Chinese "Belt and Road" initiative and acts to represent China's strengths in intelligent manufacturing. As the best-selling Chinese car brand in Indonesia, the Indonesian government noted the great importance of the development of Wuling. In preparation for the global launch, the Air ev will be on display at the Indonesian International Auto Show on August 11th.

Garnering international recognition and praise, the Air ev is set to upgrade the world's perception of "Made in China." In November 2022, the G20 summit will be opened in Bali, Indonesia, and due to its superior-quality travel experience and commitment to environmental sustainability, the Air ev has been chosen as the official vehicle for the 2022 G20 Summit. Wuling will demonstrate the innovative achievements of China's intelligent manufacturing on a global stage, adding value to the summit to be a complete success.

Wuling New Energy drives development with innovation. The company is set to make every effort to advance on its overseas activities, continuing to bring high-quality new energy vehicles and service experiences to global car owners whilst demonstrating the high-tech capabilities of "Made in China."

About SGMW

Founded in 2002, SGMW owns two high valued Chinese car brands, "Wuling" and "Baojun". At present, SGMW has five major production bases: Liuzhou Hexi Headquarters, Liuzhou Baojun Base, Qingdao Branch, Chongqing Branch, and PT SGMW. In 2021, SGMW sold 1,760,176 units, up by 13.5 percent year-on-year, making it not only the No. 1 national car brand in terms of sales volume, but also has been well-recognized by more than 25.5 million customers. SGMW exported 145,550 units/set of vehicles and spare parts in 2021, covering more than 40 countries and areas, like Central and South America, Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

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TORONTO, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or "the Company") (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF) today announced that its first quarter 2022 financial results will be released after market close on August 10, 2022, followed by a conference call with Dominic Duffy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mandalay, for investors and analysts on August 11, 2022, at 8:00 AM (Toronto time).



Analysts and interested investors are invited to participate using the following dial-in numbers:

Participant Number (Toll free): 877 407 8289 Conference ID: 13731674

A replay of the conference call will be available until 11:59 PM (Toronto time), August 25, 2022, and can be accessed using the following dial-in number:

Encore Toll Free Dial-in Number: 877 660 6853 Encore ID: 13731674

For Further Information:

Dominic Duffy

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations

Contact:

647.260.1566 ext. 1

About Mandalay Resources Corporation:

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia (Costerfield gold-antimony mine) and Sweden (Bjorkdal gold mine). The Company is focused on growing its production and reducing costs to generate significant positive cashflow. Mandalay is committed to operating safely and in an environmentally responsible manner, while developing a high level of community and employee engagement.

Mandalay's mission is to create shareholder value through the profitable operation and continuing the regional exploration program, at both its Costerfield and Bjorkdal mines. Currently, the Company's main objectives are to continue mining the high-grade Youle vein at Costerfield, bring online the deeper Shepherd veins, both of which will continue to supply high-grade ore to the processing plant, and to extend Youle Mineral Reserves. At Bjorkdal, the Company will aim to increase production from the Aurora zone and other higher-grade areas in the coming years, in order to maximize profit margins from the mine.
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Australia will on Tuesday see August results for the consumer confidence index from Westpac Bank, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In July, the index slipped 3.0 percent on month to a score of 83.8. New Zealand will provide July numbers for electronic retail card spending; in June, spending was up 0.1 percent on month and 1.9 percent on year. Indonesia will release June figures for retail sales; in May, sales were up 2.9 percent on year. Thailand will see July results for its consumer confidence index; in June, the index score was 41.6. Japan will provide July data for machine tool orders; in June, orders were up 17.1 percent on year. Finally, the markets in Singapore are closed on Tuesday for National Day and will re-open on Wednesday. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved 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.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2022 / Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine have honored Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC (RMF) as one of the 2022 Best Medium Workplaces . This is RMF's first time being named to this prestigious list, this year coming in at No. 56. Earning a spot means that RMF is one of the best companies to work for in the country.

To determine the Best Medium Workplaces list, Great Place to Work analyzed the survey responses of over 200,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies with 100 to 999 U.S. employees. In that survey, 95% of RMF's employees said RMF is a great place to work . This number is 38% higher than the average U.S. company.

"We are honored to be named among Fortune's Best Medium Workplaces for 2022. Our employees are dedicated to our mission of providing older Americans with financial tools to achieve their retirement goals. These team members, with their commitment to serving our clients and supporting each other, are the reason RMF is a great place to work. We celebrate them and thank them for their dedication and service to our clients," says RMF President David Peskin.

The Best Medium Workplaces list is highly competitive. Great Place to Work is the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is.

"It's not the size of an organization that makes it great, but how the organization treats its people," says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. "And these medium workplaces have proven that the inspiring cultures they've created go head-to-head with those of any large corporation. Leaders at these companies put their people first, and in return, achieve stronger business results than the average workplace."

Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America's largest ongoing annual workforce study, based on over 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees this year alone.

RMF is ranked #8 among Fortune's Best Workplaces in New York 2022 (Small and Medium).

To learn more about Reverse Mortgage Funding, please visit ReverseFunding.com

About Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC

Established in 2012, Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC (NMLS ID #1019941) is one of the nation's largest GNMA issuers of reverse mortgages and a recognized industry thought leader. RMF focuses on originating, acquiring, investing in, and managing reverse mortgage loans and securities backed by reverse mortgage loans. The company is headquartered in New Jersey, with corporate offices in New York and California and field offices throughout the U.S. RMF is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust Inc. (RMIT), a specialty finance company in the reverse mortgage sector. RMIT is an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, a global private investment firm and an innovator in non-agency mortgages. The relationship with Starwood Capital affords RMF the unique ability to develop new product lines and create strategic partnerships within the Starwood Capital family of companies.

RMF is proud to continually earn high praise from their customers-receiving a 98% customer satisfaction1 rating; a? 4.7-star / Excellent score on Trustpilot ;2? 4.8 out of 5 stars on LendingTree ;3 and an? A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau 4.

About the Best Medium Workplaces

Great Place to Work selected the Best Medium Workplaces by analyzing the survey responses of over 200,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies with 100 to 999 U.S. employees.?Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. Great Place to Work determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America's largest ongoing annual workforce study, based on over 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees, this year alone. Read the full methodology.

To get on this list next year, start here.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All.?

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on? LinkedIn ,? Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .

# # #

1Source: RMF Customer satisfaction survey, December 2021

2Source: Trustpilot, as of January 2022

3 Source: LendingTree Ratings and Reviews, as of January 2022

4 Source: Better Business Bureau as of January 2022

This material has not been reviewed, approved or issued by HUD, FHA or any government agency. The company is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD/FHA or any other government agency.

NOT FOR CONSUMER USE. 2022 Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC, 1455 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003, 1-888-494-0882. Company NMLS ID: #1019941. For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Arizona Mortgage Banker License #0927682; Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license; Georgia Mortgage Lender Licensee #36793; Massachusetts Mortgage Lender License ML1019941; Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance; Licensed Mortgage Banker-NYS Department of Financial Services -in-state branch address 700 Corporate Blvd, Newburgh, NY 12550; Rhode Island Licensed Lender. For California consumers: For information about our privacy practices, please visit https://www.reversefunding.com/privacy. Not all products and options are available in all states. Terms subject to change without notice. Certain conditions and fees apply. This is not a loan commitment. All loans subject to approval. L4741-Exp082023

Media Contact:

Mattie Van Gundy, Interdependence Public Relations

713-409-1835

Mattie@interdependence.com

SOURCE: Reverse Mortgage Funding, LLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/711308/Fortune-and-Great-Place-to-WorkR-Name-Reverse-Mortgage-Funding-One-of-the-2022-Best-Medium-WorkplacesTM-Ranking-56
First Drill Program After ASX Listing Extends High-Grade Gold Mineralisation in Oxide Material

PERTH, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2022 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (ASX:SRR, TSX-V:SWA) is pleased to announce that assays returned from an initial 1,700m drilling of the ongoing +50,000m program at its 100%-owned(4), multi-million ounce Sanutura Project (the "Project") have extended gold mineralisation in several directions at the Obi Prospect (refer Figure 1) and discovered a new trend for exploration.

The drilling has delineated an extensive zone of flat-lying mineralisation in shallow, oxide material which extends approximately 950m along strike and up to 300m down-dip with mineralisation remaining open down-dip. These results deliver one of the Company's near-term objectives of growing the oxide component of the Project's already large Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1).

Exploration potential in the area has also been enhanced with the emergence of a new target area immediately along strike to the north-east, which is untested for approximately 1.8km. The Company anticipates drilling its highest priority targets and commencing regional greenfields exploration early in the next field season commencing Q4 2022.

Highlights

Multiple high-grade intersections returned in oxide material at the Obi Prospect within the Sanutura Project

returned in oxide material at the Obi Prospect within the Sanutura Project Highlighted downhole intersections (approximating true width) in oxide material from recently returned assays include: 12m @ 2.86g/t Au from 39m in TAR022; 10m @ 2.78g/t Au from 38m in TAR003 (including 1m @ 14.80g/t Au); 10m @ 2.07g/t Au from 41m in TAR058; 14m @ 1.53g/t Au from 11m in TAA153; 11m @ 1.80g/t Au from 23m in TAR004 (including 1m @ 11.15g/t Au); 3m @ 4.57g/t Au ( ending in mineralisation ) from 39m in TAA152; and 4m @ 3.54g/t Au from 65m in TAR006.

Flat-lying mineralisation extended in all directions with a footprint measuring 950m along strike and up to 300m down-dip

and up to New target areas for future near-surface exploration identified, including an untested trend extending 1.8km along strike to the north-east

along strike to the north-east A number of drill holes contain multiple mineralised intersections , indicating potential for additional lodes to occur within the mineralised package

, indicating to occur within the mineralised package Oxide profile extends to 80m vertical depth in local drilled area

in local drilled area Results are expected to add to the current oxide and transition component of the Mineral Resource which stands at 0.2Moz (Indicated) plus 0.8Moz Au (Inferred)(2)

Sarama's President, CEO & MD, Andrew Dinning commented:

"We are very excited by these first drill results at the Obi Prospect which have defined extensive and shallow, oxide-hosted gold mineralisation in single and multiple higher-grade zones.

This drilling has extended a previously minor zone to approximately 950m in length with a further 1.8km of strike potential yet to be tested. The tenor and flat-lying nature of this mineralisation suggests a different mineralising event to the sub-vertical, lower-tenor gold lodes seen in this local area and it has led us to a new target model reminiscent of Endeavour Mining's flat-lying Kari Pump and Boungou Deposits in Burkina Faso.

With further drill results to come, we look forward to providing a series of updates over the coming months.

Sarama's approximate market capitalization of A$20M(6) presents a deeply discounted valuation for the Project's Mineral Resource base of 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1), even more so considering that the current drill program is anticipated to yield a significant increase."

Webinar:

For more context, please join CEO Andrew Dinning in a live event on August 10th at 9am EST / 9 pm AWST. Q&A will follow the brief presentation. Click here to register:https://my.6ix.com/INN0fY27

Growth-Oriented Drill Program in Oxide Material

An Already Large Mineral Resource with Potential to Grow

The Company's primary focus is its 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project, which hosts a large Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1), covers an area of 1,420km2 and occupies a commanding position along 70km of strike in the prolific Hounde Belt (refer Figure 1).

The Project lies 60km south of Endeavour Mining's Hounde Mine (5Moz Au); 120km south of Fortuna Silver's high-grade Yaramoko Mine (1Moz Au), and 140km south of Endeavour Mining's Mana Mine (5Moz Au), highlighting the significant gold endowment of the Hounde Belt (refer Appendix B). Endeavour Mining's Bantou Project (1.5Moz Au Inferred Mineral Resource(5)) is located only 6km from the bulk of the Sanutura Project's main deposit, which illustrates the gold camp scale of endowment in the immediate area.

The Project has significant growth potential available and the primary objective of the current +50,000m drill program is to add to the existing 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 0.8Moz Au (Inferred)(2) oxide and transition component of the Project's Mineral Resource to enhance the economics of mine development.

The recently commenced drill program has initially focused on the Obi Prospect, located in the southern part of the Project where drilling is sparse and potential exists to expand the Mineral Resource at shallow depths in oxide material.

Figure 1 -Sanutura Project Location Plan

Drilling Delivers Extensions to Mineral Resource at Obi Prospect

Results are being reported (refer Appendix A) for approximately 700m of aircore ("AC") drilling (15 holes) and 1,000m of reverse-circulation ("RC") drilling (13 holes) which commenced in May 2022 in the south-western part of the Obi Prospect. This area hosts gold mineralisation in multiple flat-dipping lenses which now extend for a strike length of approximately 950m (refer Figure 2). The lenses occur near-surface and the area is considered a prime target for exploration to add to the existing 0.2Moz (Indicated) plus 0.8Moz Au (Inferred)(2)oxide and transition component of the Project's Mineral Resource.

Figure 2 - Obi Prospect - Drilling & Mineralisation Plan

Mineralisation in the area presents as gold-quartz veins, which is significantly different to the more densely drilled areas of the deposit, illustrating diversity in both the geometry and composition of the gold-bearing lodes. The recent drilling follows-up on previously reported (refer Appendix B), high-tenor downhole intersections occurring in oxide material which include:

7m @ 11.52g/t Au (ending in mineralisation) from 31m in TAA070 (including 3m @ 25.36g/t Au);

(ending in mineralisation) from 31m in TAA070 (including 3m @ 25.36g/t Au); 8m @ 4.72g/t Au from 34m in TAA077;

from 34m in TAA077; 5m @ 7.26g/t Au from 16m in TAA068;

from 16m in TAA068; 8m @ 4.21g/t Au from 34m in AC3628;

from 34m in AC3628; 5m @ 5.02g/t Au from 22m in TAA071 (including 2m @ 11.68g/t Au);

from 22m in TAA071 (including 2m @ 11.68g/t Au); 6m @ 4.01g/t Au from 36m in AC3665;

from 36m in AC3665; 17m @ 1.59g/t Au from 34m in TAA080 (including 5m @ 3.45g/t Au); and

from 34m in TAA080 (including 5m @ 3.45g/t Au); and 12m @ 1.80g/t Au from 10m in AC3627.

Recently returned assay results support the interpreted geometry of the flat, easterly-dipping mineralised lodes and have delivered down-dip and up-dip extensions to mineralisation of up to 100m and 40m respectively (refer Figures 2 and 3). Several new strong downhole intersections in the lower extremity, all occurring in oxide material, include:

12m @ 2.86g/t Au from 39m in TAR022;

from 39m in TAR022; 10m @ 2.78g/t Au from 38m in TAR003 (including 1m @ 14.8g/t Au);

from 38m in TAR003 (including 1m @ 14.8g/t Au); 10m @ 2.07g/t Au from 41m in TAR058;

from 41m in TAR058; 3m @ 4.57g/t Au (ending in mineralisation) from 39m in TAA152;

(ending in mineralisation) from 39m in TAA152; 4m @ 3.54g/t Au from 65m in TAR006; and

from 65m in TAR006; and 6m @ 2.52g/t Au from 36m in TAR056.

Figure 3 -Southern Obi Prospect - Drilling Cross Section A-A' (View to North-East)

Given the shallow position of the mineralisation, these intersections present a compelling target for further down-dip extensions to be tested in future drilling. This is of particular interest as the flat-dipping mineralisation can be projected to intersect a series of steeply dipping lodes to the east; the confluence of which potentially hosts a localised enrichment zone caused by multiple overprinting phases of gold emplacement.

Of note is the significant increase in the vertical depth of the highly weathered oxide zone intersected by drilling to approximately 80m, which is anomalous to that observed in the broader deposit (50m). This increased depth is expected to enhance economics for any contemplated mine development.

The shallow up-dip extent of the mineralisation also remains open, offering a viable exploration target to follow-up of the recently returned downhole intersections of:

14m @ 1.53g/t Au from 11m in TAA153;

from 11m in TAA153; 11m @ 1.80g/t Au from 23m in TAR004 (including 1m @ 11.15g/t Au);

from 23m in TAR004 (including 1m @ 11.15g/t Au); 5m @ 1.48g/t Au from 26m in TAA156; and

from 26m in TAA156; and 4m @ 1.94g/t Au from 5m in TAA145.

Adding to the attraction of the area for further exploration is the presence of multiple separate intersections within individual holes and significantly broader intersections than expected in certain areas (refer Figures 2 and 3). These intersections suggest potential for additional mineralised lodes to occur in close proximity to the main, flat-dipping mineralisation.

A New Exploration Horizon in the North-East

The recently returned results have validated and given substance to the Company's interpretation of the mineralised system in the south-west of the Obi Prospect, which has been developed over an extended period. In addition to yielding meaningful extensions to the existing mineralisation in the dip direction, the drilling has extended the mineralised lodes a further 100m along strike in a north-easterly direction, giving a total strike length of 950m.

Of note is the abundance of high-tenor intersections in the north-eastern extremity of this strike length, which are commonly associated with a thickening of the lode(s) and the suggested presence of additional mineralised lodes from multiple intersections in single drillholes. Together, these features suggest a strengthening of the mineralised system in the north, which bodes well for future exploration given the absence of drilling for approximately 1.8km along strike (refer Figure 4).

This new target area broadly sits within the main mineralised corridor of the Project proximal to the well-defined, north-north-east striking lodes of the Mineral Resource. The area has been covered by a conventional soil geochemical survey grid and several zones of elevated gold-in-soil values have been returned within a generally mottled signature resulting from a variable and disrupted regolith. This environment can produce ambiguous surface geochemistry results, giving potential for blind and semi-blind mineralisation to be present.

The Company plans to conduct detailed surface prospecting and other target generation work in the area to better define targets which are anticipated to be tested by reconnaissance drilling in Q4 2022.

Figure 4 - Untested Trend Extents for 1.8km to North-East (Oblique View)

Appendices

To access the appendices referred to in this announcement please click on the links below

Appendix A: Summary of Recently Drilled Results

https://saramaresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220809-extension-of-high-grade-gold-mineralisation-appendix-a.pdf

Appendix B: References to Previous ASX Disclosure

https://saramaresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220809-extension-of-high-grade-gold-mineralisation-appendix-b.pdf

Appendix C: JORC Code (2012 Edition) - Table 1 Information

https://saramaresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220809-extension-of-high-grade-gold-mineralisation-appendix-c.pdf

For further information on the Company's activities, please contact:

Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede

e: info@saramaresources.com

t: +61 8 9363 7600

For media enquiries, please contact:

Angela East

Media & Capital Partners

e: Angela.east@mcpartners.com.au

t: +61 428 432 025

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (ASX:SRR, TSX-V:SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer/developer with substantial landholdings in south-west Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on maximising the value of its strategic assets and advancing its key projects towards development.

Sarama's 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project is principally located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and is the exploration and development focus of the Company. The project hosts the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits which have a combined Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz gold (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz gold (Inferred)(1).

Together, the deposits present a potential mine development opportunity featuring an initial, long-life CIL project which may be established and paid for by the significant oxide Mineral Resource base.

Sarama has built further optionality into its portfolio including an approximate 470km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 25km along strike.

Sarama also holds an approximate 18% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's Sanutura Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Endeavour Mining Corp ("Endeavour") in which Endeavour is the operator of the JV. In February 2020, an updated Mineral Resource estimate of 709koz gold(3) was declared for the Karankasso Project JV.

The Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound strategy to surface and maximise the value of its property portfolio.

FOOTNOTES

Mineral Resource estimate for Sanutura Project - 9.4Mt @ 1.9g/t Au for 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 52.7Mt @ 1.4g/t Au for 2.3Moz (Inferred), reported at cut-off grades ranging 0.2-1.6g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the Mineral Resources to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. The effective date of the Company's Mineral Resource estimate is 16 November 2021. For further information regarding the Mineral Resource estimate refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report Sanutura Project, South-West Burkina Faso", dated 7 February 2022 and prepared by Paul Schmiede, Rindra Le Grange and Fred Kock, and the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama. Ms Le Grange and Mr Kock are employees of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and Orway Mineral Consultants Pty Ltd respectivley and are considered to be independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the ASX Prospectus is available under Sarama's profile on ASX at www.asx.com.au. Oxide & transition component of the Mineral Resource for Sanutura Project - 3.2Mt @ 1.6g/t Au for 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 23.4Mt @ 1.1g/t Au for 0.8Moz Au (Inferred), reported above cut-off grades of 0.2g/t Au and 0.3g/t Au for oxide and transition material respectively. Mineral Resource estimate for Karankasso Project - 12.74Mt @ 1.73g/t Au for 709koz Au (effective date of December 31, 2019), disclosed on 24 February 2020 by Semafo Inc ("Semafo", since acquired by Endeavour Mining Corp. "Endeavour"). For further information regarding that Mineral Resource estimate, refer to the news release "Semafo: Bantou Project Inferred Resources Increase to 2.2Moz" dated 24 February 2020 and Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated 3 April 2020 and the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. The news release and technical report are available under Semafo's and Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the ASX Prospectus is available under Sarama's profile on ASX at www.asx.com.au. The Mineral Resource estimate was fully prepared by, or under the supervision of Semafo. Sarama has not independently verified Semafo's mineral Resource Estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Semafo, and now Endeavour, is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the Mineral Resource estimate. Additional technical work has been undertaken on the Karankasso Project since the effective date but Sarama is not in a position to quantify the impact of this additional work on the Mineral Resource estimate referred to above. The Government of Burkina Faso has processed the requisite documents to facilitate the grant of the new, full-term Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits (the "Permits") and subsequently issued the invitation to pay the permit issuance fees (the "Fees") and the Fees were paid within the requisite 10-day timeline. Following the payment of the Fee, the issuance of the Permit's arrete and related paperwork becomes an administrative process during which time the Company may undertake work on the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Properties. The Company expects the arretes and related paperwork to be issued in due course. The properties, hosting the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits respectively, were formerly known as Tankoro and Djarkadougou, but have been renamed as part of the process of re-issuing the respective Permits. Endeavour Mining's Bantou Project Mineral Resource - 38.4Mt @ 1.2g/t Au for 1.5Moz Au (Inferred). This is the aggregate of the Mineral Resource listing for the Bantou and Bantou Nord Deposits which are located within the Bantou Project. Data is sourced from Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated 3 April 2020. The technical report are available under Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Market capitalisation computed using Sarama's closing price on the ASX on 5 August 2022 of A$0.15/CDI (1 CDI: 1 share) and shares on issue of 137.9M (as at 5 August 2022).

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the Company's future exploration and development plans, the potential for the Sanutura and Karankasso Projects to host economic mineralisation, the potential to expand the existing estimated Mineral Resources at the Sanutura Project (including the present oxide and transition component), the potential to extend and add to existing mineralisation at the Obi Prospect, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals and the timing and prospects for the issuance of the arretes for the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits by the Government of Burkina Faso. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents.

There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the Mineral Resource estimate for the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to exploration activities at the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's Mineral Resource estimate and exploration activities is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Semafo's (now Endeavour's) Mineral Resource estimate and take no responsibility for its accuracy.

COMPETENT PERSONS' STATEMENT

The Mineral Resource estimates referred to in this disclosure were first disclosed in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.8 in the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the ASX Prospectus and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the ASX Prospectus continue to apply and have not materially changed.

The new Exploration Results reported in this disclosure are based on, and fairly represent, information and supporting documentation prepared by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources and a member of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec. Guy Scherrer has provided their prior written consent as to the form and context in which the new Exploration Results and the supporting information are presented in this disclosure.

The previously reported Exploration Results referred to in this disclosure were first disclosed in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.7 in the Company's ASX disclosure listed in Appendix B. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in those previous items of disclosure.

This announcement has been authorised by the Board of Sarama Resources. 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: Sarama Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/711222/Sarama-Resources-Extends-High-Grade-Gold-Mineralisation
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Romp, a Jakarta, Indonesia-based brand and experience agency.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The intent to acquire Romp will enhance Accenture Songs brand and marketing expertise, reinforcing its ability to help clients embrace new frontiers such as the metaverse and become relevant, experience-led organizations. It also strategically aligns with Accentures business strategy to help businesses in Indonesia capture opportunities in a post-pandemic economy.

Led by Joseph Tan, chief executive officer, Romp boasts local knowledge and expertise in brand communications, design and digital operations. It has served brands of all sizes and across industries, including Telkomsel, Indofood, Danone, Kimberly-Clarke Softex, Grab, Google and Godrej.

The firms team of more than 150 people will join Accenture Song in Jakarta to jointly serve clients across consumer goods & services, telecoms and financial services industries and family-owned conglomerates.

FinSMEs

08/08/2022










Airswift, a Vancouver, BC-based fintech startup pioneering Web 3.0 native payment solutions, raised $2m in pre-seed funding.

The round was led by CE Innovation Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

Led by Dr. Yan Zhang, Co-founder and CEO, Airswift leverages blockchain technology to build a comprehensive payment infrastructure native to Web 3.0. This includes an on-chain payment gateway that allows merchants to accept both crypto and fiat currency, enabling frictionless purchases with digital assets.

The company, which also has a significant background in payment gateway operations, achieving strong regulatory endorsements in North America, SEA, and EMEA, plans to launch its initial product by September 2022.

FinSMEs

08/08/2022
Overbond, a Toronto, Canada-based provider of an API-based credit trading automation and execution service for the global capital markets, raised an undisclosed amount in new funding.

The round was led by Fitch Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its sales and marketing division with plans to open an office in London, U.K., double its headcount over the coming year, grow its global presence, integrate new data sources to expand its AI models coverage and provide enhanced AI trade automation solutions to clients.

Led by CEO Vuk Magdelinic, Overbond is a developer of AI-driven data and analytics and trade automation solutions for the global fixed income markets. Applying proprietary artificial intelligence to pricing, curve visualization, market liquidity, issuance propensity, new issuance spreads, default risk and automated reporting, the company enables trade automation and enhances trade performance and portfolio returns. Clients include global investment banks, broker-dealers, institutional investors, corporations and governments across the Americas, Europe and Asia.

FinSMEs

08/08/2022
SEON, a rapidly growing startup that fights against fraud and cybercrime, raised $94 million in Series B funding led by IVP, with existing investors Creandum and PortfoLion also participating.

This funding  announced in April 2022  has followed the previous Series A funding, where they managed to raise $12 million from Creandum, a venture capital firm, and PortfoLion, part of OTP Bank. This capital is to be used to expand SEONs presence to North America, LATAM, and the APAC region and open them a way to become the global market leader in the area of online fraud prevention.

Growing risk of online dangers

Fraud is no longer an unfamiliar concept we hear about in the news or in the movies; it has become a permanent part of our lives. There is no individual, business, or organization with an online presence that is not in danger of fraudsters and cybercriminals exploiting it for their benefit. With the development of the internet and significant growth in online presence in both individuals and businesses, the dangers will only continue to grow exponentially. The biggest problem with the increasing risk of online threats is that no one is safe. Fraudsters dont discriminate against their victims and will attack just about any business sector, from finance, health care, gaming, e-commerce to many others.

While all business sectors are in danger, the truth is that any business dealing with payment information is at greater risk. They present a double gain for fraudsters that can get their hands on confidential information while stealing money. As a result companies like SEON have started providing credit card fraud detection to tackle this issue. Fraudsters are constantly trying to come up with new, more sophisticated attacks that are getting even harder to discover and prevent, especially for businesses that do not have adequate protection strategies in place. If you want to have a successful business and maintain a positive relationship with your clients, having a weak or nonexistent cybersecurity strategy is no longer an option. Just remember, fraudulent attempts can have even worse consequences than fraudsters stealing your money, and they will cause long-term damage.

Possible consequences of fraudulent attacks on businesses

Money loss in revenue

Having to pay to resolve issues within the company

Reputation damage

Administration fees

Difficulties with employee retention and attracting new employees

Loss of future businesses relationships

If the company wants to stay in business, it is essential to stop the fraudsters before they can cause this damage. This funding will not only help SEON expand globally, but it will also help make the internet a safer place for everyone.

How did this all start?

It all started when two students, Tamas Kadar and Bence Jendruszak, met at the Corvinus University of Budapest. They quickly became friends and discovered their shared interest in cryptocurrency, which inspired them to start a crypto exchange for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), their first joint venture. Even though their idea was innovative and destined for success, fraudsters ensured it didnt happen. From the moment their crypto exchange went live, fraudsters started coming up with ways of exploiting it. Having to deal with constant fraudulent attempts, they begin to wonder about fraud prevention. While there were some fraud prevention companies available, they werent a right fit for them as they couldnt adapt to the requirements of high-risk businesses such as gaming, gambling, or crypto exchange. Once Tamas and Bence discovered the lack of fraud prevention solutions, they decided to do something about it and created their own.

Soon, the story about the effectiveness of their fraud management solution spread among businesses in similar situations prompting them to start SEON. And, as it seems, they were on the right track, as today they have over 5,000 customers worldwide and offices in London, Budapest, Jakarta, and Austin, with additional plans of expanding with the help of the Series B funding. Currently they cater to clients from different sectors, from crypto or gaming to financial institutions and eCommerce businesses, with their client list including Patreon, Revolut, NuBank, Ladbrokes, and airlines such as AirFrance and KLM. With the help of the funding, they hope to reach even more clients and bring them effective but budget-friendly fraud prevention solutions.

How can we make the online world a safer place?

Due to their own experience with a crypto exchange, their founders know how important it is for a fraud prevention strategy to be the right fit for a company. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution; instead, it needs to be flexible and adapt to various requirements different businesses will have. Businesses provide different services and target different customers. Why would we assume they will all face the same online dangers, especially in this modern age where malicious actors constantly come up with new sophisticated methods? According to Mcafee, there are 480 new high-tech threats being introduced every minute, and it is time we put an end to it.

Companies need to start taking proactive steps to fight against this growing threat, and implementing effective fraud prevention solutions is the first one. This allows businesses to protect themselves by providing them with a flexible yet accessible fraud prevention solution that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to work in real-time. It is no wonder they have managed to become the worlds fastest-growing fraud prevention company. They create their fraud prevention strategy by utilizing various fraud prevention tools to get the best results and to ensure every company finds the best fit for them and their risk level. By using data enrichment, device and browser fingerprinting, email and social media lookup tools, and other methods they have in their arsenal, they can provide real-time fraud prevention that causes zero user friction. This also ensures that the company implementing these solutions can concentrate on growing the business instead of worrying about where the next attack will come.

Fraud prevention is no longer something only the big players on the market can afford. SEONs accessible fraud prevention tools ensure that every company, regardless of its size, can find an effective strategy to protect itself and its clients from the increasing risk of malicious actors.
President Yoon Suk-yeol enters the presidential office in Seoul after a weeklong vacation, Aug. 8. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to uphold the will of the people as he returned from a weeklong vacation on Monday, as public opinion polls showed his approval ratings remaining below 30 percent.



Yoon took questions from the press for the first time in nearly two weeks and was asked how he felt returning from his first vacation since taking office in May.



"I guess I should say my vacation was a time to reinforce my belief that at the end of the day, my duty to the people is to carefully examine the people's will and to uphold the people's will while sticking to my original intentions," he said.



Yoon said he reflected on everything that happened between his campaign, the transition period and after his inauguration and felt a renewed sense of gratitude to the people for building him up both through harsh criticism and heartfelt encouragement.



The president has suffered from approval ratings lower than 30 percent for days amid economic woes and public backlash against unpopular policy proposals, such as a plan to lower the elementary school starting age by one year to 5.






Downtown shooting in U.S. city Cincinnati leaves 9 injured

Xinhua) 09:41, August 08, 2022

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were injured after a shooting in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio early Sunday morning.

Two people involved in a group fight pulled out guns and exchanged fire in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, according to Cincinnati police.

An officer fired a round at one of the shooters who later fled the scene and whose condition was unknown. No arrests have been made yet.

The victims whose ages range from 23 to 47 years old were treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and all have been released.

The United States has suffered at least 402 mass shootings so far this year, according to the latest data from the non-profit Gun Violence Archive.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Foreign Minister Park Jin, left, shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday. Yonhap



THAAD expected to be most explosive issue: experts



By Kang Seung-woo



The foreign ministers of South Korea and China sit down for talks Tuesday to address a heap of thorny issues amid Beijing's growing displeasure with Seoul over its policies involving the United States, a staunch ally of the South.



The meeting in Qingdao, China is the second of its kind between Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi since Park's inauguration in May and comes as the Chinese government has warned against South Korea's possible participation in the U.S.-proposed anti-China chip alliance, believed to be a platform aimed at countering Beijing's rising influence in global supply chains.



In addition, China has urged the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to uphold the previous government's so-called "Three Nos" policy, which refers to no additional deployments of U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries, no South Korean integration into a U.S.-led regional missile defense system and no trilateral alliance with the U.S. and Japan.



"Amid intensifying competition between the U.S. and China for regional hegemony, the recent Asian trip by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has further complicated the situation," said Chung Jae-hung, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute.



Pelosi, the third-highest official in the U.S. government, toured five Asian countries, including Taiwan last week, drawing a strong backlash from the Chinese government. China considers Taiwan as a renegade province.



"In that regard, China is highly anticipated to take a harder line against us during the foreign ministerial meeting, so we have to explore ways on how to respond to its tough stance," Chung added.






Waiata Anthems Week 2022 will see 20 of the finest artists in Aotearoa releasing brand new waiata reo Maori.

Along with the new music, a second season of the Waiata Anthems documentary series is coming alongside a wero (challenge) to us all to take part in a champions of te reo Maori campaign via waiata.

Featured artists include Ladi6, Drax Project, Stan Walker, Lorde, Rei and Kora.

The new recordings will be available on all digital platforms from Friday September 2nd.

The Waiata Anthems movement salutes these champions of te reo Maori, and the legacy of waiata, to inspire and excite the nation, providing greater access to the language and culture - for all New Zealanders, co-founder Dame Hinewehi Mohi said.

Our hope is that, no matter where you are on your reo journey, youll feel empowered to become a champion of te reo Maori through waiata.

Since its inception in 2019, the Waiata Anthems movement has supported the production and release of 100 new waiata, instrumental in the massive ground swell of streaming and broadcast of waiata reo Maori.

Fifty years ago, it was unthinkable that waiata reo Maori could reach the hearts and minds, radios, phones and devices of so many," Maori language Commissioner Sir Timoti Karetu said. "Today as a nation, we can reflect on our past and look to a bright future where te reo Maori in popular music is accessible to everybody."

We hope these waiata become the soundtrack to our daily lives - a way to celebrate the big and small moments, says Dame Hinewehi. The Waiata Anthems Week releases will coincide with a social media wero / challenge to celebrate and encourage the revitalisation of te reo Maori at scale.

For all of Mahuru Maori / September, using the hashtag #WaiataAnthems, the people of Aotearoa are invited to share on social media how they incorporate waiata into their everyday lives - whether by playing, streaming or buying waiata, singing along, or sharing it with others.
Education Minister Park Soon-ae reads a prepared statement announcing her resignation at the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Park decided to step down from her ministerial post amid mounting criticism against the ministry's agenda and her drunk-driving record. Yonhap



Departure stirs deep doubts over Yoon's personnel selection



By Ko Dong-hwan



Education Minister Park Soon-ae, whose appointment by President Yoon Suk-yeol last July had provoked fierce criticism from all sides for her lack of experience and history of unethical behavior, stepped down Monday. Her resignation came 34 days after she took the helm of the ministry.



During a press conference held in Seoul, Park took the blame for the latest controversies surrounding her.



"My latest policies were all for the benefit of our country's citizens," said Park at the lobby of the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety building in Yeouido, Seoul. "But clearly I fell short of expectations."



Park wrapped up the press conference after the announcement, putting an end to her short but turbulent ministerial tenure.



Many factors contributed to the resignation of Park, a professor of public policy at Seoul National University. But the final nail in the coffin was her drive to lower the legal age to enter elementary schools from six to five. Not only did the initiative forego any screening by lawmakers, it also aroused the massive ire of parents, educators and politicians who opposed it.



Park has become the first among Yoon's cabinet members to resign. She is also the fourth including cabinet minister nominees under the current administration.



Other causes of Park's resignation include her plan to shut down foreign language high schools which traditionally accept only top percentile middle school graduates with the highest academic performance. Allegations of plagiarism and her past drunk-driving record also did not help save her job. It had been weeks since Park became the target of fierce public criticism against her appointment and mounting pressure to resign.





President Yoon Suk-yeol talks to reporters as he arrives at Yongsan presidential office, Monday, ending his one-week vacation. Joint Press Corp




CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prospera Energy Inc. ("Prospera" or the "Corporation") (PEI: TSX-V; OF6B: FRA) is pleased to release its Q1 2022 financial and operating results. Selected financial and operational information outlined below should be read in conjunction with the Companys financial statements and related managements discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.



First Quarter 2022 Highlights:

In the first quarter of 2022 PEI continued to optimize wells to increase production while addressing all legacy non-compliance operationally, financially, and environmentally. During this quarter, the corporation successfully realized steady production, continued to reduce legacy liability arrears (property tax, surface lease, trades payable), and raised $1.5 million through two private placements. Overall, PEI continues to improve its financial position and liquidity while positioning the Corporation for accelerated growth and development.

Achieved Revenue of $3.5 million CAD, an increase of 414% from the same period in 2021

Q1 average production rate was net 475 boe/d in Q1 2022, a 200% increase from the same period in 2021 reflecting continued leverage of recent working interest acquisitions

Realized average pricing of $81.07/boe in Q1 2022 vs. $47.22/boe in Q1 2021

Reporting positive operating netback of $1.1 million ($25.21/boe), $10.50/boe after G&A + Interest

Achieved positive EBITDA of $195,590 in Q1 of 2022, up from a negative -$209,276 in the same period of 2021

Raised $1,478,573 through share and convertible debt private placements demonstrating continued ability to improve liquidity and further reduce legacy and ARO liabilities

Completed initial planning, engineering, & procurement of the Saskatchewan horizontal well program; commercial demonstration program was executed in Q2 2022



Operating Income Summary:

Increase (Decrease)

Q1 2022 Q1 2021 Value

%

Average sales volumes: Natural gas (Mcf/d) 46 30 16 52 % Oil and condensate (Bbl/d) 467 153 314 205 % Total Net (Boe/d) 475 158 317 200 % Liquids Composition (percentage) 98 % 97 % 2 % 2 % Average realized prices Natural gas ($/Mcf) 4.40 2.91 1 51 % Oil ($/Bbl) 81.96 48.21 34 70 % Average realized price ($/Boe) 81.07 47.22 34 72 % Operating netback Natural gas 18,052 7,977 10,075 126 % Oil 3,444,996 665,171 2,779,825 418 % Total petroleum and natural gas sales 3,463,047 673,148 2,789,899 414 % Royalties (391,498 ) (44,562 ) (346,936 ) 779 % Operating costs (1,994,809 ) (538,039 ) (1,456,770 ) 271 % Operating netback 1,076,740 90,548 986,192 1089 %

PEIs Q1 2022 financial information is under the Companys issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Message to Shareholders

PEI continues to restructure in order to appreciate and stabilize production with safe operating infrastructure and reliable service providers. Legacy arrears and non-compliance optics have been difficult hurdles to overcome. However, PEI restructuring efforts operationally, financially, and environmentally have attributed to establishing an effective relationship with the critical service providers. Year-End 2021 financial audit identified significant internal controls and procedures that are being incorporated as policies, thus, restructuring accounting practices to be prompt, accurate, and reliable in order to be compliant and profitable.

In the second quarter of 2022, PEI has piloted re-entry horizontal to customize the drilling process and the mechanical tweaks to be compatible with the formation characteristics and conditions. The geological and production risks are low due to well control, interpreted 3D seismic, and production history. These pilots will architect the horizontal program to commence PEIs second development phase to capture the significant remaining reserves. PEI is pleased to announce pilots horizontal wells are licenced and have begun executing the test pilot re-entry horizontals to confirm PEI engineering and geological assessments. The pilots will also assist in understanding the scope of the economics of the drilling program. PEI is looking forward to providing the results of the pilots.

About Prospera

Prospera is a public oil and gas exploration, exploitation and development company focusing on conventional oil and gas reservoirs in Western Canada. Prospera will use its experience to develop, acquire, and drill assets with potential for primary and secondary recovery.

For Further Information:

Shawn Mehler, PR

Email: shawn@prosperaenergy.com

Website: www.prosperaenergy.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Corporation and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Corporation, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Although Prospera believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Prospera can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks), commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Prospera. As a result, Prospera cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize, and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. 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. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and Prospera does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Newark, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, the global winter tires market is expected to grow from USD 14.3 billion in 2021 to USD 20.0 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period 2022-2030.



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These tires are used while driving in cold regions and especially in snow-based areas and on the icy surface. These tires are designed in such a way that it is optimized to work at temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius (45-degree Fahrenheit). The rising awareness regarding consumer safety and strict regulations in several cold countries fuels the market's growth. Winter tires have 30% to 40% shorter stopping distance compared to a vehicle with regular tires. The rising sale of passenger and lightweight commercial vehicles in Nordic countries and Central Europe countries such as Croatia and Austria have made the incorporation of winter tires mandatory. Several strict government regulations in countries such as Romania and the Czech Republic have made winter tires compulsory every year during the harsh winter and heavy snowfall. For instance, Michelin Group in 2021 announced that they are working toward making winter tires 100% sustainable by 2050. The company also partnered with various organizations such as Axens, Nouvelles, Pyrowave, Carbios, IFP Energies Enviro, and BlackCycle.



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Competitive Strategy



To enhance their market position in the global winter tires market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, recent developments, joint ventures, collaborations, and partnerships.



Market Growth & Trends



The increasing growth in automotive production coupled with sales across different vehicles increases the demand for winter tires. The penetration of the latest technologies within the manufacturing process and rising competition among tire manufacturers have improved the growth of the winter tire market. However, these tires are suitable for use during the winter season, and the tires need to be changed during the other seasons, hindering the market's growth. In countries like Canada, insurance providers offer a discount on the installation of winter tires, as they help minimize the risk of a collision due to snow or ice. Such lucrative offers are expected to boost the sales of winter tires and provide an excellent opportunity for the market's growth. Further, there is an increase in consumer safety awareness, which adds impetus to the market's growth.



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Key Findings



 In 2021, the studded segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 63% and market revenue of 9.0 billion.



The product type segment is divided into studded and studless. In 2021, the studded segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 63% and market revenue of 9.0 billion. Studded tires have significant gaps, which helps in increasing the traction on snow and ice, propelling the segment's growth.



 In 2021, the passenger vehicles segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 47% and a market revenue of 6.7 billion.



The vehicle type segment is divided into passenger, light, and heavy commercial vehicles. In 2021, the passenger vehicles segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 47% and a market revenue of 6.7 billion. The rising disposable income of people these days increased the sale of passenger vehicles, driving the segment's growth.



 In 2021, the aftermarket segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 71% and a market revenue of 10.1 billion.



The distribution channel segment is divided into OEM and Aftermarket. In 2021, the aftermarket segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 71% and market revenue of 10.1 billion. The increasing lifespan of vehicles increases the sale of winter tires through the aftermarket distribution channel.



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Regional Segment Analysis of the Winter Tires Market



 North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

 Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe)

 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC)

 South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America)

 The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)



Among all regions, Europe emerged as the largest market for the global winter tires market, with a market share of around 40.6% and 5.8 billion of the market revenue in 2021. Strict governmental initiatives in countries such as Croatia, Slovenia, the UK, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Sweden., etc., regarding the use of winter tires are expected to boost the market's growth. Furthermore, the ongoing developments in the winter tires also fuel the market's growth during the forecast period.



Key players operating in the global winter tires market are:



 Bridgestone Corporation

 Nokian Tyres plc

 Continental ag

 Nexen Tire Corporation

 Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.

 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

 Pirelli & C.S.P.A

 Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co., Ltd.

 The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

 MICHELIN



This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2019 to 2030. Brainy Insights has segmented the global winter tires market based on the below-mentioned segments:



Global Winter Tires Market by Product Type:



 Studded

 Studless



Global Winter Tires Market by Vehicle Type:



 Passenger vehicles

 Light commercial vehicles

 Heavy commercial vehicle



Global Winter Tires Market by Distribution Channel:



 Commercial

 Defense



About the report:



The global winter tires market is analyzed based on value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analyzed worldwide, regional, and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each part. The report analyzes driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining critical insight into the market. The study includes porter's five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution, and marketing channels analysis.



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Pune, India, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to MarketStudyReport, North America heat meters market is estimated to record a notable growth over 2022-2028, creditable to growing demand for efficient energy management system, improved awareness of carbon footprint reduction, and new product innovation activities by the leading players.





The research also evaluates the major prospects and discusses the elements that will continue to fuel industry expansion. Additionally, the study analyses market share and growth forecast across several segments, including product type, application ambit, and technology terrain. This study is divided geographically into important regions and includes information on revenue contribution, growth rate, and import & export volumes. It also covers pricing trends and prevailing sales channel features after providing an outline of market rivalry among the top firms with their company profiles.

For the unversed, heat meter calculates the amount of thermal energy used by the heat-generating device by measuring the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid and the difference in its temperature between the return legs and supply of the system.

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Furthermore, energy consumption in buildings plays a vital role in achieving national energy goals and in lowering energy costs for building owners and renters, which is expected to propel deployments of heat meters in the coming years.

However, high initial cost of product may stifle the market expansion during the stipulated timeframe.

Market segment overview:

On the basis of product terrain, the market is segregated into vortex and ultrasonic.

In terms of technology terrain, North America heat meters industry is branched into static and mechanical. Among these, the static segment holds a major revenue share at present, owing to the high rate of acceptance and widespread usage.

Based on application ambit, the market is divided into industrial, commercial, and residential. Among these, the industrial segment is slated to generate massive revenues over the coming years, on the back of increasing consumer awareness about the carbon footprint.

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Regional scope:

The latest trends studied across United States and Canada. Considering the opinion on regional front, Canada industry size is poised to grow substantially during the analysis timeframe, due to stringent rules and standards for the production of renewable energy sources.

Competitive dashboard:

Kamstrup, Landis+Gyr, Diehl Stiftung GmbH & Co. KG, Zenner International GmbH & Co. KG, Sensus, Danfoss, Sontex SA, Siemens AG, and Quadlogic Meters Canada Inc. are the leading players contributing toward the growth of North America heat meters market. The common strategies adopted by these players include new product development, investments in R&D activities, collaborations, contracts, and agreements.

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North America Heat Meters Market, by Technology (Revenue, USD, 2018-2028)

Mechanical

Static

North America Heat Meters Market, by Product (Revenue, USD, 2018-2028)

Vortex

Ultrasonic

North America Heat Meters Market, by Application (Revenue, USD, 2018-2028)

Residential

Industrial

Commercial

North America Heat Meters Market, Geographical Fragmentation (Revenue, USD, 2018-2028)

U.S.

Canada

North America Heat Meters Market, Company Profiles (Revenue, USD, 2018-2028)

Kamstrup

Landis+Gyr

Diehl Stiftung GmbH & Co. KG

Zenner International GmbH & Co. KG

Sensus

Danfoss

Sontex SA

Siemens AG

Quadlogic Meters Canada Inc.

Table of Content:

Chapter 1 Methodology & Scope

1.1 Research methodology

1.2 List of data sources

1.2.1 Primary

1.2.2 Secondary

Chapter 2 Market Snapshot

2.1 North America heat meters market snapshot

Chapter 3 North America Heat Meters Market Trends

3.1 Industry coverage

3.2 Industry size & forecast, 2018 - 2028

3.3 Value chain analysis

3.3.1 Company product snapshot

3.4 Innovation Landscape

3.5 COVID- 19 impact on the industry outlook

Chapter 4 North America Heat Meters Market, By Product (Thousand Units) (USD)

4.1 North America heat meters market share, by product, 2022 - 2028

4.2 Ultrasonic

4.2.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

4.2.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

4.3 Vortex

4.3.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

4.3.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

Chapter 5 North America Heat Meters Market, By Technology (Thousand Units) (USD)

5.1 North America heat meters market share, by technology, 2022 - 2028

5.2 Mechanical

5.2.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

5.2.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

5.3 Static

5.3.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

5.3.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

Chapter 6 North America Heat Meters Market, By Application (Thousand Units) (USD)

6.1 North America heat meters market share, by application, 2022 - 2028

6.2 Residential

6.2.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

6.2.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

6.3 Commercial

6.3.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

6.3.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

6.4 Industrial

6.4.1 Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2028

6.4.2 Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2018 - 2028

Chapter 7 North America Heat Meters Market, By Region (Thousand Units) (USD)

7.1 U.S.

7.1.1 Market estimate and forecast, 2018 - 2028

7.1.2 Market estimate and forecast, by product, 2018 - 2028

7.1.3 Market estimate and forecast, by technology, 2018 - 2028

7.1.4 Market estimate and forecast, by application, 2018 - 2028

7.2 Canada

7.2.1 Market estimate and forecast, 2018 - 2028

7.2.2 Market estimate and forecast, by product, 2018 - 2028

7.2.3 Market estimate and forecast, by technology, 2018 - 2028

7.2.4 Market estimate and forecast, by application, 2018 - 2028

Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape





Related Report:

Europe Heat Meters Market Forecast 2027 By Technology, By Product, By Application, Research Report, Country Outlook, COVID-19 Impact Statistics, Price Trends, Historic Data, Growth Prospects, Competitive Industry Share

As the need for dependable and effective heating techniques rises, the growth potential of Europe heat meters market is unfolding. In order to unlock its environmental goals, Europe is working toward decreasing its carbon emissions. Heat meters can help achieve this aim by improving data accuracy while consuming less energy and preserving long-term stability, making them a crucial component for both commercial and residential use. The growing consumer preference for smarter appliances, along with the rapid deployment of renewable energy resources, is significantly driving product penetration. For example, in 2020, renewables provided more than 54% of the nation's energy, with required objectives of 100 percent clean-energy energy production by 2040. According to market estimates, Europe static heat meters industry size is likely to witness substantial growth during 2021-2027, on account of ongoing industrial and commercial facility construction employing hi-tech building technologies.

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Pune, India, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global liquid biofuels market size was valued at USD 116.00 billion in 2019. The market is forecast to rise USD 219.97 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period 2021-2027. Fortune Business Insights has mentioned these insights in the latest research report, titled, Liquid Biofuels Market, 2021-2027. According to the analysis, surging vehicular pollution levels across the globe is expected to feed the growth of this market. The market is driven by the increase in the demand for biofuels owing to their environmental sustainability and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Industry Developments:

May 2020: Canada-based BC Hemp Corporation announced its plans to construct a biofuel plant in Prince George, British Columbia for an estimated value of USD 2 billion. Employing close to 2500 people, the plant will be utilized for producing industrial-grade ethanol from hemp stock.

February 2020: Italy-based NextChem joined forces with US-based Saola Energy to produce renewable diesel from residual fats and vegetable oils. Saola will employ its hydro-treatment and isomerization technologies to produce renewable diesel, while NextChem will provide clients engineering, construction, and training services under the partnership.





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Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2020-2027 Forecast Period 2020 TO 2027 CAGR 8.4% 2027 Value Projection USD 219.97 Billion Base Year 2019 Market Size in 2019 USD 116.00 Billion Historical Data for 2016-2018 No. of Pages 2026 Segments covered Type, Feedstock, Process, Application, Region Growth Drivers Substitution of Conventional Fuels with Biofuels to Propel Market Growth Biofuel Promotion and Renewable Energy Targets to Augment the Market Growth





COVID-19 Impact

In-Depth Qualitative COVID 19 Outbreak Impact Analysis Include Identification and Investigation of The Following Aspects:

Falling Ethanol Prices amid COVID-19 Pandemic to Retard Market Growth

The outbreak of the COVID-19 contagion has threatened to cause long-term damage on many industries. One of them is the transport industry, which is experiencing sharp decline in demand. The trickle-down effect is being witnessed in an even steeper fall in biofuel prices, especially ethanol prices.

According to a study conducted by Purdue University, the average monthly price of ethanol fell from $1.32/gallon in December 2019 to $0.82/gallon in March 2020 due to rapid decline in demand for transport services. Reduced profit margins of ethanol producers have slowed down production of ethanol, which is expected to further cripple the Liquid Biofuels market growth during 2020.





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Segments:

Product Type, Feedstock, Process, Application, and Region are studied:

In terms of Product Type, the market is segregated into ethanol and biodiesel

Based on Feedstock, the market is segmented into Sugar Crops, Starch Crops, Vegetable Oils, Animal Fats, and Others

By Process the market is divided into Fermentation, Transesterification, and Others

On the basis of applications, the market is categorized into Transportation, Power Generation, and Heat

With respect to geography, the market covers North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world.

Liquid Biofuels Market Drivers:

Substitution of Conventional Fuels with Biofuels to Propel Market Growth

Shortage of conventional fuels such as oil & natural gas and environmental degradation caused by them are major global problems. Production and use of renewable energy resources are likely to help overcome these problems. Biofuels are majorly used as substitutes of petroleum-based fuels for transport, and they are considered as a part of important strategies to improve fuel security, mitigate climate change, and support infrastructure development.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ethanol produces around 48% less carbon dioxide than conventional gasoline. Moreover, biodiesel releases only 25% of the amount of CO2 that conventional diesel releases, making it a much more attractive option from the standpoint of the environment. Aviation is one of the major consumers of energy in the transport industry. In 2018, aviation biofuel production was about 15 million liters. To date, more than 150,000 flights have used biofuels. Thus, several benefits associated with these new-age fuels are furthering the Liquid Biofuels market growth.



Regional Insights:



Increasing Production of Biofuels in the US to Accelerate Market Growth in North America



With North America accounting for 45% of the global biofuel production, the region is well-positioned to dominate the Liquid Biofuels market share in the foreseeable future. The US is largest producer of ethanol worldwide, having produced 15.8 billion gallons of ethanol in 2019 alone. In 2019, the regions market size stood at USD 42.96 billion.

Latin America is expected to emerge as the second most dominant region in the market, supported by surging ethanol production in Brazil. Besides this, Argentina is also aggressively expanding its renewable energy sector, which bodes well for this market. Europe being the largest producer and consumer of biodiesel in the world is expected to offer several lucrative opportunities for players in this market.

Competitive Landscape

Production Capacity Elevation Measures to be Implemented by Market Players

Competition in the Liquid Biofuels market is characterized by the variety of strategies implemented by the players to consolidate their position in this market. Prominent among these are the measures adopted by these companies to enhance their production capabilities to meet the rising demand for biofuels around the world.

Exhaust from motor vehicles is one of the biggest contributors of air pollution in the world. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that on-road automobiles cause 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the country. The European Parliament has also stated that 72% of the EUs carbon emissions come from road transport. To address the issues surrounding escalating air pollution levels, Liquid Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel have emerged as the most viable and feasible substitutes to conventional fossil fuels such as petrol. Governments around the world are actively promoting the adoption of biofuels for transport activities as the carbon-based fuels carry heavy environmental as well as human health costs. Liquid biofuel can be used in various applications such as transportation fuel, heating fuel, and electricity generation fuel. Liquid biofuels have been considered as an alternative solution for petroleum-based fuels, which are considered unsustainable and expensive.





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Report Coverage:

The report has been prepared painstakingly through qualitative and quantitative analysis, emphasizing industry landscape, trends and market dynamics. The use of top-down and bottom-up approaches further validates the authenticity of the research report. Efforts have also been taken to boost primary and secondary research. The report also provides a birds-eye-view on global and regional market size, share, and volume.

List of Key Players Profiled in the Liquid Biofuels Market Report:

Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC (U.S.)

Gevo, Inc. (U.S.)

Eniven Group (Slovakia)

Emami Agrotech Limited (India)

Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. (U.S.)

Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (U.S.)

Enerkem (Canada)

ADM (U.S.)

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (U.S.)

BIO OILS ENERGY (Spain)

Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited (Thailand)

Algenol (U.S.)

CropEnergies AG (Germany)

Renewable Biofuels Inc. (U.S.)

POET (U.S.)





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Market Segmentation:

By Type

Ethanol

Biodiesel

By Feedstock

Sugar Crops

Starch Crops

Vegetable Oils

Animal Fats

Others

By Process

Fermentation

Transesterification

Others

By Application

Transportation

Power Generation

Heat

By Region

North America (U.S., and Canada)

Europe (UK, Germany, France, Netherland, Poland, Spain, and Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa (South Africa, and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)

Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Industry SWOT Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis

Qualitative Analysis  Impact of COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Liquid Biofuels Market Steps Taken by the Government to Overcome the Impact Key Developments in the Industry in Response to COVID-19 Potential Opportunities and Challenges due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Liquid Biofuel Market Analysis (USD Billion) (Billion Liters), Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Type Ethanol Biodiesel Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Feedstock Sugar Crops Starch Crops Vegetable Oils Animal Fats Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Process Fermentation Transesterification Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Transportation Power Generation Heat Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America







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New York, NY, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bangladeshi businesses in New York City have enjoyed a wave of popularity. The prominence of the community and culture is solidified in a newly approved bill renaming MacDonald to Church in Brooklyn, Little Bangladesh.

Photo: US Congressman Hakeem Jeffries with Bangladeshi Community Leader and former Bangladesh Foreign Advisor Zahid F. Sarder Saddi.

Bangladeshi Activist Zahid F. Sarder Saddi publicly voiced appreciation for Representatives Gregory Meeks, Hakeem Jeffries, Yvette Clarke, and Grace Meng for their support and passion in providing care for the Bangladeshi Community.

On Thursday, July 14th the New York City Council approved the bill, renaming MacDonald to Church in Brooklyn, Little Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi community has been instrumental in shaping New York City as a whole, and the rename is an effort to reflect that. Support of New York House Representatives from the 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th districts has proven indisposable in the drive needed to accomplish the win.

US House Representative Gregory Meeks of New Yorks 5th Congressional District upholds consistent support of Bangladeshi people both domestically and overseas. As Chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Meeks has shown strong support of human rights for the community worldwide. Rep. Meeks has also shown consistent support for the Bangladeshi community in New York City, even attending many community events such as the Bangladeshi Independence Day celebrations.

Photo: US Congressman Jeffries Rejoices with Bangladeshi People Amidst Community Win.

Representative of New Yorks 8th Congressional District, Hakeem Jeffries, also has spoken about the Bangladeshi communitys important role in New York City, and has attended community events for many holiday celebrations. Rep. Jeffries says that he is proud to represent the Bangladeshi-American community of New York City.

Rep. Yvette Clark has similarly been a strong advocate for the Bangladeshi people in her work representing New Yorks 9th Congressional District. Rep. Clark has advocated for offering greater human rights and humanitarian support, specifically when a historic cyclone hit Bangladesh and India in 2017.

Photo: Bangladeshi Community Leader and former Bangladesh Foreign Advisor Zahid F. Sarder Saddi with US Congresswoman Yvette Clark.

Representative of New Yorks 6th Congressional District, Grace Meng, has a track record of supporting the Bangladeshi community both in the United States and overseas, advocating for the minority Hindu community of Bangladesh as well as Bangladeshi people at large.

According to a recent study, 40% of New York City taxi drivers hail from South Asia, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Prior to the pandemic, Asians in New York City owned 23% of all businesses. Bangladeshi New Yorkers by these accounts make a significant contribution to the city economically.

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi also thanks US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), Mayor Eric Adams, and the New York City Council for their unflinching support of the Bangladeshi community.

This initiative is a celebration of the many contributions made by the Bangladeshi community in New York City, says Bangladeshi Community Leader Zahid F. Sarder Saddi, Foreign Advisor to the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.

Photo: Bangladeshi-American Community Supporters Rejoice as Little Bangladesh is Declared in NYC.

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi has been involved in the Bangladeshi-American Community for over 25 years. He is an influential civil society leader that receives consistent praise for his efforts in playing a major role in drumming up support and facilitating action to carry the voice of Bangladeshi-Americans to lawmakers.

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi has taken action on the behalf of Bangladeshi community members worldwide. He has done work during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the Bangladeshi community in its efforts to open numerous vaccine clinics to guarantee access for many people who may have otherwise not received vaccines. Zahid F. Sarder Saddi has spoken out against human rights abuses when he addressed the UN earlier this year, as well as speaking with US congress, and other governmental bodies. Working closely with smaller bodies as well, such as New York City Council and the mayors office, to ensure the well-being of the Bangladeshi-American community.

Photo: Bangladeshi Community Leader and Bangladesh former Foreign Advisor Zahid F. Sarder Saddi.

On the importance of culture to the Bangladeshi community of New York City, Zahid F. Sarder Saddi says, As a society, were dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Bangladesh for people who have emigrated from Bangladesh, but still wish to keep the history, traditions, and culture of their home country alive.

From providing taxi services to newsstands, from small businesses to doctors, the Bangladeshi community makes crucial contributions to New York Citys economy and culture. At every corner of NYC business, the medical sector, and even occupying a third of the NYPDs traffic division, this community provides essential support to its city.

Community leaders like Zahid F. Sarder Saddi continue their work to ensure the voices of the growing community of Bangladeshis living in the United States are heard.

About:

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi is an influential civil society leader, humanitarian, and advocate for Bangladesh and its people. He helps Bangladeshi expatriates assimilate into life in the United States while also preserving their own values and traditions. Zahid F. Sarder Saddi works with several organizations, and holds a special passion for helping the Bangladeshi community in the United States and around the world.

To learn more about Zahid F. Sarder Saddi, please visit www.ZahidFSarderSaddi.com or reach out to Zahid F. Sarder Saddi at info@zahidfsardersaddi.com
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Irwin Naturals Inc. (CSE: IWIN) (OTC: IWINF) (FRA: 97X) (Irwin or the Company) completed the acquisition of two ketamine clinics in Georgia through an asset purchase of Invictus Clinics, LLC, which will be brought into the fast-growing national chain of psychedelic mental-health facilities.



The clinics are located in Atlanta and Woodstock, Ga., operated under the name of the Invictus Clinic. They offer ketamine-assisted therapy, hydration via IV infusion as well as NAD+. They join Irwin Naturals Emergence, a national chain of mental-health facilities providing cutting-edge care behind a truly household brand name that is recognized in 80 percent of U.S. homes.1

Klee Irwin, CEO of Irwin Naturals, said, The vision we laid out for Irwin Naturals Emergence is becoming a reality with each acquisition we announce and execute. We wanted to be a first mover in this new and revolutionary area of healthcare, and adding these two clinics is further proof that we are a first mover in this space.

Wesley Karcher, MSN, CRNA, Co-Founder of Invictus, added, This is a huge opportunity for us to build upon our goals of creating a business capable of providing these life-changing treatments to those in need and making people aware of the effectiveness of our programs. A central mission at Irwin Naturals Emergence is to expand access and even serve as a bridge, in those instances, where we wait for the insurance industry to catch up to the power of ketamine and other psychedelics in mental healthcare. With this partnership, we are aligning our goals and hope to expand our footprint quickly throughout the Southeast and beyond.

Brandon Grinage, MD, Co-founder, and Medical Director at Invictus, added, I am delighted at the opportunity for Wesley and myself to partner with Irwin Naturals. From the very first conversation, it was apparent that our values and visions are aligned. Furthermore, this deal makes apparent our ambitions to raise mental health awareness and bring treatment to millions of Americans in dire need. I am humbled to be joining an organization that is rapidly becoming the tip of the arrow in the ketamine and psychedelic space. Irwin Naturals Emergence will no doubt be a leader of mental health in this country.

Over the past several months, Irwin Naturals Emergence has vetted the more than 600 independent ketamine clinics currently operating in the United States, seeking to identify profitable clinics that practice the standard of customer care consistent with the Irwin Naturals brand. The company has then invited those clinics into the family so to speak by joining Irwin Naturals Emergence in the national rollup that is now underway.

The acquisition of the two Georgia clinics completes the sale agreement that was announced June 21. When the month of July began, Irwin Naturals Emergence had binding agreements or had completed the acquisitions of a total of 10 different ketamine clinics across five different states.

Building a national chain will offer some efficiencies and the cost-benefits that come from economies of scale. It can also help drive down operating costs, a savings that can be passed on to customers by providing sliding-scale discounts and even pro bono treatment for those in need.

The Irwin Naturals brand will be like a beacon in this new area of mental-health treatment, bringing a level of not just familiarity but loyalty. Irwin Naturals has been in business since 1994, providing best-in-class nutraceuticals and earning the customer trust and popular recognition that have made it a household name. Irwin Naturals products are stocked on the shelves of more than 100,000 storefronts in North America.

Klee Irwin, Irwin Naturals CEO, Weve safely cared for your health needs for 28 years and that provides a level of assurance to those for whom this may feel new or maybe even controversial. We can sort of hold the hands of those looking into these new life-changing treatments. Its safe. Its effective. We send a message simply by being in the space.

Transaction terms

As consideration for the acquisition, Irwin Naturals will provide sellers cash payments, as well as at least 333,333 Subordinate Voting Shares to be issued no later than January 10, 2023. Furthermore, the transaction includes an additional contingent consideration based on future milestones related to operational and profitability targets, to be satisfied in shares.

About Irwin Naturals

Irwin Naturals has been a household name and best-in-class herbal supplement formulator since 1994. It is now leveraging its brand to enter into both the cannabis and psychedelic industries. On a mission to heal the world with plant medicine, Irwin has operated profitably for over 27 years2. Irwins growing portfolio of products is available in more than 100,000 retail doors across North America, where nearly 100 million people know the Irwin Naturals brand.3 In 2018, the Company first leveraged its brand to expand into the cannabis industry by launching hemp-based CBD products across the United States. The Company is now leveraging its famous halo of brand trust with an objective to become one of the first household name brands to offer THC-based products and psychedelic mental health treatment. Irwin Naturals became a publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) in August 2021. The Companys shares began to be traded on the OTCQB Venture Market in November 2021. More information on the Companys stock can be found via Bloomberg as well as the Wall Street Journal.

For investor-related information about the Company, please visit ir.irwinnaturals.com/

To contact the Companys Investor Relations department, please call toll-free at (800) 883-4851 or send an email to Investors@IrwinNaturals.com.

Klee Irwin

________________________________

Klee Irwin

Chief Executive Officer

T:310-306-3636

investors@irwinnaturals.com

IR Information

For investor-related information, please visit ir.irwinnaturals.com/, call (800) 883-4851, or email Investors@IrwinNaturals.com.

Press Contact

Irwin Naturals Investor Relations

Cassandra Bassanetti-Drumm

T: 310-306-3636

investors@irwinnaturals.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of management of the Company with respect to performance, business and future events. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "intends", "anticipates", "targeted", "continues", "forecasts", "designed", "goal", objective, or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements related to information concerning the ability of the Company to perform the terms of the transaction referenced herein; the receipt of all necessary approvals, including regulatory approvals; expectations for other economic, market, business and competitive factors; and the Company actually entering into and doing business in the U.S. cannabis and psychedelics markets. The entrance by the Company into these new business segments are in their preliminary stages and may be subject to approval from the board of directors of the Company as well as any regulatory approval, including that of the Canadian Securities Exchange. These statements are based on numerous assumptions that are believed by management to be reasonable in the circumstances, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: board and regulatory approval, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange; Irwin being able to acquire and/or enter into business relationships to enter into these new markets; the Company obtaining the required licenses; and changes to regulations and laws regarding cannabis or psychedelics. Further information on the regulatory environment and risks will be contained in future disclosures. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from that which are expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Irwin Naturals Inc.

__________________________

1 Based on a formal Company survey with a sample size of 500 randomly selected adults.

2 Under several corporate structures, Klee Irwin has operated the Irwin brand profitably since 1994, as measured by EBITDA adjusted for extraordinary costs.

3 Consumer brand recognition information is based on a formal Company survey with a sample size of 500 randomly selected adults.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Subreddit r/HPPD, an online community that provides support for and resources about Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), announced its very first retrospective, observational study in partnership with scientific research app Quantified Citizen (QC). The study, "Anxiety and Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, Can You See It?," investigates possible connections between anxiety and HPPD, as well as HPPD symptom clusters and current substance use. Substances include alcohol, nicotine, psychedelics and other non-psychedelic drugs.

HPPD is an understudied disorder with psychiatric, psychological, and neurological symptoms reported by a subset of people who have taken psychedelics. Symptoms of HPPD alter everyday perception and may cause significant distress. Among these symptoms are Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), perceiving the size of an object larger or smaller than it objectively is, apparent shifts in the hue of a given item, a glow or coloured shine around objects, switching of colours and seeing light fractals and trails. Conditions like epilepsy, migraine with aura, manic episodes, and anxiety disorders have also been associated with HPPD. Sufferers have reported symptoms lasting anywhere from months to several years. A U.K. study has examined the case of a man who has had HPPD for 25 years.

r/HPPD moderator and study lead Sophia Alcala provided the research focus, drawing from observations of community members frequently discussing experiencing anxiety with HPPD. Alcala also provided insight on research design. "I wanted to partner with Quantified Citizen in order to figure out how anxiety relates to HPPD symptoms reported by our members. I've noticed that anxiety seems to worsen our member's HPPD, and it would be helpful if we could find out more about it and other factors that may relate to HPPD symptoms' worsening or improvement," notes Sophia Alcala.

The study will target r/HPPD community members but will also be open to anybody who has or has had HPPD. Participants can join by downloading the Quantified Citizen app available on iOS and Android.

"With this community-led study, we hope to help shed light on this understudied disorder that can be quite debilitating. We hope that the personalized insights shared with participants at the end of this study will help daylight links between HPPD and certain disorders or substances so that folks can make more informed decisions moving forward," shares QC psychedelic researcher Sarah Paschall, MSc.

Quantified Citizen is a citizen science-powered health research app. It has a growing library of studies on interventions, techniques and emerging trends.

To fuel further growth and development of new study capabilities, Quantified Citizen is currently in the process of raising its Seed+ round of funding.

Press Contact: Nikki Paqueo, Product Marketing Manager

marketing@quantifiedcitizen.com, +1-604-800-2911

Investor Contact: Eesmyal Santos-Brault, Co-founder & CEO

invest@quantifiedcitizen.com, +1-604-800-2911

Related Images











Image 1: r/HPPD Leads Observational Study





Artistic depiction of visual hallucinations.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Seoul needs to be on good terms with Beijing



Foreign Minister Park Jin is set to have a crucial meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Tuesday to discuss issues of mutual concerns. The meeting to be held in Qingdao, Shandong Province, draws particular attention as it comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing on the heels of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week.



Park and Wang are expected to discuss diverse issues such as the envisioned U.S.-led "Chip 4" semiconductor alliance, security in East Asia and North Korea's possible nuclear test. South Korea plans to attend a preliminary Chip 4 meeting slated for late August or early September. Park needs to fully explain Seoul's stance over the matter to seek Beijing's understanding. Beijing is against the alliance comprising four semiconductor powerhouses  the U.S., Japan, Taiwan and South Korea  claiming it is aimed at excluding China from global supply chains.



Yet, Seoul has declined to define it as an "alliance," describing it as cooperation dialogue. President Yoon Suk-yeol told reporters Monday, "The government is reviewing the matter from the perspective of maximizing national interests." As he put it, protecting national interests should come first in dealing with various diplomatic issues including the Chip 4 plan. Park should stress Seoul has no intention of excluding China from the global supply chains.



Park also needs to call on Wang to extend full-fledged cooperation in dissuading Pyongyang from conducting a seventh nuclear test. He also should elucidate Seoul's position regarding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to ease China's concerns about the U.S. anti-missile battery deployed here. Beijing cannot avoid criticism for pressuring Seoul not to allow more THAAD batteries in South Korean soil. China has already inflicted huge damages on Korean businesses by taking apparent trade retaliation against the THAAD deployment.



Yet, China is still insisting on its excessive demand for "Three Nos" on the THAAD issue  no additional THAAD batteries in Korea, no participation in the U.S. missile defense network and no involvement in a trilateral military alliance with Japan. The Yoon administration should not repeat the previous Moon Jae-in government's humiliating low-profile policy, succumbing to China for fear of retaliation.



Regarding the Taiwan issue, Park said during the East Asia Summit in Cambodia on Friday that escalating tensions on the Taiwan Strait will have an adverse impact on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. He also made it clear that China should not attempt to "unilaterally change the status quo by military force."



Yet, balanced and cautious approaches are needed to prevent the nation from being swayed by the growing great power rivalry between the U.S. and China. China is South Korea's largest trading partner, while the U.S. is its traditional defense ally. Seoul needs Beijing's cooperation to persuade North Korea to denuclearize and ensure peace on the peninsula. Aug. 24 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Beijing. We need to pool our wisdom to be on good terms with China while solidifying our alliance with the U.S.


Westford, USA, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Business intelligence is one of the most popular and rapidly growing areas of information technology. This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including the need for organizations to make better decisions faster and the increasing popularity of big data. According to SkyQuests market analysis, demand for BI is broadly driven by growing focus of businesses on improving operational efficiency, enhanced decision making, improved customer interaction, and more rapid product iteration. The capabilities offered by BI tools can help organizations manage data more effectively, optimize processes and uncover insights that would otherwise go undetected. These capabilities can have a major impact on overall business performance and can provide significant cost savings for companies of all sizes across the global business intelligence market .

It has been observed that, over 43% of organizations already have or are deploying some form of BI solution. This includes both large and small organizations, as well as those specializing in different industries. In addition, nearly half of respondents at a recent survey said they would deploy more BI applications in the next 12 months to better understand their businesses.

SkyQuest has published a report on global business intelligence market that covers various market aspects such market detailed market analysis, demand, market trends, pricing analysis, leading providers of business intelligence solution, their market share analysis, value chain, and competitive landscape. The report would help the market players in understanding current market trends, growth opportunities, challenges and threat in the global market. To know more,

Get sample copy of this report:

https://skyquestt.com/sample-request/business-intelligence-bi-market

AI is Shaping the Future of Business Intelligence Market

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been gaining more and more traction in the business world. This technology is helping to shape the future of business intelligence (BI), as AI can help speed up the process of extracting insights from data and providing actionable insights to managers.

One of the most significant applications of AI in global business intelligence market is its ability to automate complex analyses and decision-making processes. In some cases, AI can even take on the role of a data analyst, allowing companies to scale their data analysis capabilities without having to hire additional employees. In addition to automating tasks, AI also helps to identify patterns and trends that may be otherwise difficult to see. This can allow businesses to make smarter decisions faster, which can ultimately lead to improved profits.

One of the most popular BI tools is IBMs Watson cognitive system. This tool can be used to create insights from data by analyzing text, images, videos and other sources. IBM has released several versions of Watson over the past few years, each with capabilities that have expanded beyond what was available in the previous version. And Microsofts Azure Cognitive Services offers a wide range of capabilities that can be used for BI and data management

As businesses shift away from manual data analysis and toward more automated systems, BI tools will continue to become increasingly important. Indeed, it seems likely that BI will become even more central to business operations.

Embedded Analytics Getting Popular Among Businesses

Embedded analytics is a technology that allows businesses to collect and analyze data without having to install separate software. As per SkyQuest analysis, this technology can be found in many different forms, such as web search engines, social media monitoring tools, and even embedded sensors in devices.

A large number of businesses are opting for embedded analytics to collect data from a wide range of sources in the global business intelligence market. Not only can embedded analytics be used in internet-based applications, but it can also be used in on-premises applications and even with mobile devices. Collecting data from a variety of sources means that businesses have more information available to them when they are trying to make decisions. As per recent study by IDC, four in five firms used more than 100 data sources and just under one-third had more than 1,000. Often, this data exists in silos.

In addition to collecting data, embedded analytics can also help businesses analyze the data. This analysis can help businesses determine how best to use the data and which pieces of the data are most important. Additionally, companies can use embedded analytics to predict future trends based on past data. This prediction is often referred to as predictive modeling and is one of the most powerful features of embedded analytics.

SkyQuest has studied the global business intelligence market and identified current market dynamics and trends. The report provides a detailed analysis of the embedded analytics and its increasing adoption among firms by their size. This will help the market participants understand consumer behavior and formulate growth strategies as per the current market opportunities. To get more insights,

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://skyquestt.com/report/business-intelligence-bi-market

SkyQuest Analysis Suggests 49% Businesses are Planning to Expand BI Applications into their Businesses, But Pricing to Play Key Role

With the rapid growth of businesses, it is no surprise that data analysis and intelligence are becoming increasingly important across business intelligence market. In a recent survey, 92% of respondents said that they use business intelligence to analyze their data. However, only 49% said that their organization has a clear strategy for using BI and are aiming to expand application of BI into their businesses. As a result, businesses are looking for ways to improve their data-analysis capabilities.

These findings come from a survey conducted by SkyQuest Technology Consulting, which polled 239 business decision-makers in the United States Asia Pacific, and Europe about their perceptions of BI.

The survey on the global business intelligence market also found that 54% of respondents feel unhappy with their current role in BI and only 30% believe that their skills in BI are valuable to their organization. Furthermore, 43% of respondents say they have said that BI is becoming expensive for them to afford, while 32% cite its complexity as a reason for not using it. In fact, specifically, 56% of business executives said that this is a key obstacle to their BI implementation plans.

Interestingly, while only a 43% of businesses are currently using BI tools, most believe that this number will increase in the future. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed believe that BI will become increasingly important over the next three years, while 49 percent think it will be critical within five years.

SkyQuests report on business intelligence market can be an essential tool for market players. This report would help to identify the growth potential, current trends, and future prospects of the business intelligence market. The report would also provide detailed analysis of each type of business intelligence product and service. This information would help market players to make informed decisions about their investments in this area.

Key Players in Global Business Intelligence Market

IBM Corporation (US)

Oracle Corporation (US)

Microsoft Corporation (US)

Google (US)

SAP SE (Germany)

Cisco Systems Inc. (US)

Information Builders (US)

Qlik Technologies Inc. (US)

SAS Institute Inc. (US)

Tableau Software Inc. (US)

TIBCO Software Inc. (US)

Domo Inc. (US)

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/business-intelligence-bi-market

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Machine Learning Market

Global Customer Data Platform Market

Global Cloud Managed Networking Market

Global Metaverse Infrastructure Market

Global Location Based Services Market

About Us:

SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Development Specialists, Inc. (DSI) is selling the assets of the Aerion Corporation, and affiliated companies, as part of a court-approved liquidation sale to pay back creditors. Interested parties must submit a bid by September 7, 2022, at 4 p.m.

Aerion was formed in 2003 with the vision to design and manufacture subsonic and supersonic technology for private and business aircraft, but in June 2021 ceased operations when it failed to raise additional capital to fund future growth.

Joseph Luzinski who is a Senior Managing Director of DSI, a leading national turnaround management and consulting firm, is overseeing the bid process in accordance with the terms and procedures pursuant to a court order dated July 12, 2022. Luzinski serves as assignee, and is managing the asset sale through an assignment for the benefit of creditors, a court-supervised insolvency proceeding, which is similar to a bankruptcy, but done under Florida statutes, not federal bankruptcy law.

A written offer by a qualified bidder must be delivered no later than September 7, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. EST to the Assignee, Development Specialists, Inc., 500 West Cypress Creek Road, Suite 400, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309, Attn: Joseph J. Luzinski (jluzinski@dsiconsulting.com) and Assignees counsel, Baker & Hostetler LLP, 200 South Orange Avenue, Suite 2300, Orlando, Florida 32801, Attn: Elizabeth A. Green (egreen@bakerlaw.com) and Andrew V. Layden (alayden@bakerlaw.com). Instructions for how to submit a Qualified Bid can be found in the Order and the Bid Procedures.

Our goal is to sell all of the assets as a package or sell them in lots to maximize the recovery for creditors, said Luzinski.

The complete Order, including the Notice of Sale, Bid Procedures, Auction and Sale Hearing is accessible at: https://www.dsiassignments.biz/Cases/144

Any party interested in bidding on the assets of Aerion Corp. and its related companies should contact Joseph J. Luzinski at jluzinski@dsiconsulting.com or George E. Shoup III at gshoup@dsiconsulting.com to obtain more information.

About DSI:

Development Specialists, Inc. (DSI) is one of the leading providers of management consulting and financial advisory services, including turnaround consulting, financial restructuring, litigation support, fiduciary services and forensic accounting. Our clients include business owners, private-equity investors, corporate boards, financial institutions, secured lenders, bondholders and unsecured creditors. For almost 48 years, DSI has been guided by a single objective: maximizing value for all stakeholders. With our highly skilled and diverse team of professionals, offices in the U.S. and international affiliates and an unparalleled range of experience, DSI has built a solid reputation as an industry leader.

Media Contacts:

Todd Templin

BoardroomPR

954-370-8999/954-290-0810

ttemplin@boardroompr.com





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SUN CITY, AZ, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colby Management, an Associa company and leading provider of top-tier community management and financial services throughout the Sun City area, is pleased to announce that team member Jennifer Jahn has earned the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation from the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB).

The CMCA is the only international certification program designed exclusively for managers of homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives. It recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the fundamental knowledge required to effectively manage community associations. Established by the Community Associations Institute (CAI) in 1995, CAMICB is the professional accreditation body for more than 20,000 community association managers worldwide.

Jahn began her community management career as a receptionist before moving into a manager role. She earned her Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM) certificate in 2013 and worked as a community manager before temporarily stepping away to raise her children. Jahn joined Colby Management in 2021 and quickly began working toward her CMCA certification. She is also currently working to earn her AMS designation.

I am proud of Jennifer for earning her CMCA certification, said Marcy Cowan, Colby Management branch president. This demonstrates a tremendous step forward in her long-term career growth and enhances her ability to meet the needs of our clients on a range of levels.

About Associa

With more than 225 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 11,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 43 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.

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Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

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DuBois, Pennsylvania, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just when peoples fears about the many variants of the COVID-19 virus began to ease, a new virus  monkeypox -- became news and may be causing some people to worry. With the federal government declaring the growing monkeypox outbreak a national health emergency, Deepak Garg, MD, a physician with Penn Highlands Infectious Disease, participated in a recent interview about the virus. Below are his comments.

Dr. Garg: Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which is in the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. Monkeypox is milder than smallpox and is rarely fatal.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Dr. Garg: The symptoms of monkeypox are very similar to those of many other illnesses  fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and respiratory problems such as a sore throat, nasal congestion and cough. However, the one big difference is that with monkeypox, a rash presents. The rash is commonly near the genitals, but it can also be on the hands, feet, chest or face. The rash may look like pimples or blisters and may be itchy or painful before scabs form and they heal.

Is monkeypox contagious?

Dr. Garg: The known forms of monkeypox transmission include: through personal contact such as skin-to-skin contact; coming in contact with an infected persons body fluids or respiratory secretions or touching clothing or linens that have be worn or used by someone with the virus.

Can a person contract monkeypox from animals?

Dr. Garg: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the answer is yes. If someone is scratched or bitten by animal with the virus or if they prepare or eat the meat of an infected animal, they can contract the virus.

When is a person with the virus contagious?

Dr. Garg: A person can spread monkeypox from the time symptoms appear until the rash is fully healed.

How long is someone sick with monkeypox?

Dr. Garg: Monkeypox typically lasts two to four weeks.

How is monkeypox treated?

Dr. Garg: While there are not any treatments specific to monkeypox, the vaccine and antiviral drugs used for smallpox are successfully being used to treat monkeypox.

If someone was vaccinated against smallpox as a child, will they be protected from monkeypox?

Dr. Garg: Both the CDC and the WHO have published data showing that the smallpox vaccine is 85% effective in preventing monkeypox infection. However, the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine wanes over time so a childhood vaccination 50 years ago many not prove as effective today.

How does someone protect themselves from monkeypox?

Dr. Garg: To avoid getting monkeypox, do not touch the skin of anyone with a rash and avoid close contact with them. Do not touch any objects that a person with monkeypox may have used. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer.

About Dr. Garg

Deepak Garg, MD, specializes in Infectious Disease and Wound Care at Penn Highlands Healthcare. He is board certified in Infectious Disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine and in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Garg received his medical degree from Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India. He completed his internship and residency at Interfaith Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, New York, and a fellowship in Infectious Disease with the Department of Infectious Disease, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Garg is a member of the American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Michigan Infectious Diseases Society.

Dr. Gargs office is located at 635 Maple Avenue, Entrance A, DuBois, PA 15801.





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Antofagasta, Chile, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pampa Metals Corp. (Pampa Metals or the Company) (CSE: PM / FSE: FIRA / OTCQX: PMMCF) is pleased to report the reception of key radiometric age dating and petrographic studies of quartz-veinlet stockwork samples from the Buenavista target at the Companys Block 4 Project, which is located 110 km south of the Escondida mining district in the Cordillera de Domeyko porphyry belt in northern Chile.

The recently obtained Tertiary geological age date is an important additional component adding to the attractiveness of the Buenavista Target. The most productive porphyry copper deposits along the Domeyko Cordillera mineral belt all have Tertiary-aged hydrothermal systems. This data point adds to the geological, geochemical, and geophysical information acquired by Pampa Metals, which together comprise a compelling case for Buenavista to represent a priority drill target along the Domeyko Cordillera  the most productive copper belt in the world. Further geophysical anomalies  combined magnetic and IP responses  under post-mineral cover to the east and north of Buenavista represent additional drill targets of high interest.



Paul Gill, Pampa Metals CEO, stated: We are delighted with the latest information from the Buenavista Target. Although no two porphyry systems are exactly the same, the overwhelming evidence to date is that there is a significant system to investigate by drilling at Buenavista, together with several other geophysical anomalies within the property that appear to have a similar signature."



DETAILS & KEY FINDINGS:



 Pampa Metals geologists selected valid samples of the central Buenavista porphyry and quartz-veinlet stockwork zone for radiometric age dating and petrographic studies, which were forwarded to the Chilean National Geological Institution (Sernageomin) and to a prominent Chilean petrographer with extensive experience in porphyry systems, respectively.



 A radiometric age date of 60.3 +/- 1.0 Ma (U-Pb; zircon) corresponds to the host rock of the porphyry-type quartz-veinlet stockwork with molybdenum anomalies found at the Buenavista target in Block 4 (see previous news releases dated June 23, May 24, May 3, March 15, 2022, and October 18, 2021).



o This confirms that the Buenavista target is a Tertiary-aged hydrothermal system.



 Petrographic studies of the age-dated rock sample show that it corresponds to a magmatic-phreatomagmatic breccia with dacite porphyry clasts, which is highly leached with a "vuggy silica" texture and evidence of silica, illite-sericite, quartz, alunite, and pyrophyllite hydrothermal alteration assemblages. Relicts of leached pyrite mineralization were also determined.



o At least three types of quartz veinlets were identified: i) saccharoidal quartz with bands of fluid and solid micro-inclusions; ii) gray crustiform quartz with bands of fluid and solid micro-inclusions and with the development of banded dark veins; and iii) low temperature veinlets comprising quartz in rosettes.



o All of these contain pyrite micro-inclusions, with late fractures occupied by goethite after coarse pyrite, and rare native gold flakes.



CONCLUSIONS:

The Early Tertiary (Paleocene) age date obtained for the host rock porphyry at the Buenavista target in Block 4 would be the first for the Sierra Vaquillas Altas area in northern Chile. This age is equivalent to that of intrusions to the southeast at Cerros Corral de Alambre, and to that of volcanic rocks to the northwest in the western block of the El Profeta and Sierra de Varas faults, both of which have been associated with the magmatism of the widespread Chile-Alemania Formation.



A Paleocene age is considered the maximum age for the porphyry system at the Buenavista target, but may in fact represent the host rock for a younger porphyry event. This is a situation described for other porphyry deposits along the Cordillera de Domeyko porphyry belt, such as El Salvador located 115 km SSW of Block 4, where mineralizing porphyry intrusions from the Middle Eocene are intruded into Lower-Middle Paleocene magmatic rocks.



The petrographic study revealed successive pulses of hydrothermal infill, with at least three generations of porphyry-style quartz veinlets cutting through an initial phreatomagmatic brecciation event. Hydrothermal alteration associations indicate that the system is exposed at a relatively high level between the phyllic and epithermal transition, which is consistent with oxidised relicts of pyrite mineralization in the centre, together with evidence of quartz-sulfide structures with copper-gold-silver-arsenic values observed around the periphery of the Buenavista stockwork zone.



The geologic age date and petrographic study provide strong support for Pampa Metals plans for drill testing of the previously undrilled Buenavista target, in addition to previously reported results from geological mapping, ground magnetics surveying, and induced polarisation reconnaissance survey lines. Field collection of more than 2,500 soil samples centred on the Buenavista target has recently been completed, with results pending.



ABOUT BUENAVISTA & BLOCK 4

A ground magnetics survey and follow-up geological fieldwork led to the discovery of a porphyry-related quartz-veinlet stockwork zone spatially coincident with a dacite porphyry and magnetic anomaly (see news release dated October 18, 2021), subsequently named the Buenavista target. A limited trenching program returned anomalous molybdenum geochemistry associated with the stockwork zone, together with copper and gold values around the margins, including 24m @ 0.14% Cu and (separately) 24m @ 0.25 g/t Au (see news released date March 15, 2022).

The trenching program at Buenavista revealed relicts of coarse chalcopyrite disseminations from a skarn-type system on the eastern edge of the stockwork zone, as well as green and black copper oxide mineralization from in-situ oxidation of chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralisation in a quartz-sulfide breccia on the west flank of the stockwork. Gold anomalies are also associated with this latter area.

Simultaneous soil geochemistry and reconnaissance pole-dipole IP geophysical surveys were initiated in May 2022, centred on the Buenavista target. Highly encouraging IP results were published (see news released dated June 23, 2022), and field sampling for the soil survey totalling around 2,500 samples is 100% completed, with all assay results pending. Soil sampling results will be published in due course.



ABOUT PAMPA METALS



Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective, wholly owned, 60,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively progressing four of its projects, including completed and planned drill tests, and has two additional projects optioned to Austral Gold Ltd., with Austral already having drill tested its first target on Pampa Metals ground. The Company has also signed an agreement with VerAI Discoveries Inc. giving Pampa Metals access to the latest in artificial intelligence technologies in relation to mineral exploration, as well as a further 18,700 hectares of highly prospective terrain in the core of the highly productive mineral belts of northern Chile.

The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper or gold discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals website www.pampametals.com.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G, Geologist and a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego is a consultant to the Company.

Note: The reader is cautioned that Pampa Metals projects are early-stage exploration projects, and reference to existing mines and deposits, or mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties, is not necessarily indicative of any mineralization on Pampa Metals properties.





ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Paul Gill | CEO & Director

www.pampametals.com

INVESTOR CONTACT

Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director

investors@pampametals.com

The CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, which address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

Attachments
DENVER, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Qualitative Research Study accomplished by Data Bridge Market research's database of 350 pages, titled as  Global Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market  with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Charts, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. The large scale Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing business report provides explanation about the different segments of the market analysis which is demanded by todays businesses. All the market aspects are estimated and analysed by a team of innovative, enthusiastic and motivated researchers and analysts so that nothing lefts uncovered in the report. Key players are taking actions such as developments, product launches, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and competitive analysis in the Healthcare industry. The top notch Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market research report makes it easy to figure out brand awareness and insight about the brand and product among potential customers.

Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the global dental 3-dimensional (3D) printing market will grow at a CAGR of 13.4% from 2022 to 2029.

Request to Download Sample of Dental 3-Dimesional (3D) Printing Market @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-dental-3d-printing-market&GNW/08Aug2022

The technology resonates with dentistry and advances in 3D imaging and modelling technologies such as intraoral scanning. The uses of 3D printing include the production of physical models for prosthodontics, the production of drill guides for dental implants, the manufacture of dental, craniomaxillofacial and orthopaedic implants, orthodontics and surgery, and the fabrication of copings and frameworks for implant and dental restorations.

Competitive Landscape and Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market Share Analysis:

Carbon, Inc.,

Formlabs,

PRODWAYS TECH,

3D Systems, Inc.,

Stratasys Ltd.,

EOS,

SLM Solutions,

Dentsply Sirona,

Roland DG Corporation,

PLANMECA OY,

Institut Straumann AG,

Zortrax,

DETAX Ettlingen,

DMG America,

TRUMPF,

Shinning3D,

Guangdong Hanbang 3D Tech,

Nexa3D,

Kulzer GmbH,

Carima,

DWS,

ASIGA,

Rapid Shape GmbH,

Desktop Metal, Inc.,

BEGO BREMER GOLDSCHLAGEREI WILH.

HERBST GMBH & CO. KG, and

SprintRays

Opportunities for Major Players:

Increasing Geriatric Population

The escalating demand 3D printing technology is observed across globe. The reason being surging incidence of dental disorders. The people suffering from these disorders are mainly from older population. The ageing population is increasing globally due to the availability of better healthcare facilities. Increased research and development leading to the launch of newer 3D printing technologies and materials for the geriatric population will further aid in the surging demand for dental 3D printing.

Access 350 Pages PDF Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/enterprise/global-dental-3d-printing-market?GNW/08Aug2022

Recent Development

In December 2021, Stratasys Ltd. announced the launch of Stratasys Origin One Dental. The new printer is powered by a proprietary print technology called P3 Programmable PhotoPolymerization. The printer offers and opens material infrastructure which supports a variety of applications. This product launched by the company has increased its sales and demand in the dental market, leading to increased revenue in future

Key Industry Drivers

Rise in Prevalence of Dental Disorders

The technology advancement and increased R&D efforts have surged the development of healthcare 3D printing which acts as life-saving medical devices in situations like dental diseases and various implants situations. The changing lifestyle causing the enhanced need for dental implants further increased demand. Thus, the increased incidence of dental deformities raises the demand for the operation of such diseases via proper advanced medical devices and implants, thereby boosting the growth of the global dental 3-Dimensional (3D) printing market.

Product Innovation Leading to New Product Launch

The development of innovative 3D printers utilizing different technologies like selective laser melting (SLM), selective laser sintering (SLS), direct laser metal sintering (DMLS), electron beam melting (EBM), light curing technology and fused deposition modelling (FDM) among others proves to be advantageous for the healthcare industries, thereby boosting the demand of the market.

Highlights following key factors:

Business description  A detailed description of the companys operations and business divisions

 A detailed description of the companys operations and business divisions Corporate strategy  Analysts summarization of the companys business strategy

 Analysts summarization of the companys business strategy Company history  Progression of key events associated with the company

 Progression of key events associated with the company Major products and services  A list of major products, services and brands of the company

 A list of major products, services and brands of the company Key competitors  A list of key competitors to the company

 A list of key competitors to the company Important locations and subsidiaries  A list and contact details of key locations and subsidiaries of the company

Key Segmentation:

Product

Systems

Accessories

Material

Polymer

Metal

Ceramics

Plastic

Others

Technology

Light curing

Powder bed fusion (PBF)

Fused deposition modelling (FDM)

Application

Prosthodontics

Implantology

Orthodontics

Surgical and maxillofacial surgery

Others

End User

Dental laboratories

Dental hospitals and clinics

Academic and research institutes

Distribution Channel

Third party distributors

Direct tenders

Explore Latest Findings of Dental 3D Printing Market Study @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-dental-3d-printing-market?GNW/08Aug2022

Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market Regional Analysis/Insights

The countries covered in the global dental 3-dimensional (3D) printing market report are the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Turkey, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Israel, Egypt, Rest of Middle East and Africa.

The global dental 3-dimensional (3D) printing market is expected to grow due to the increasing prevalence of dental deformities and the growing geriatric population. Also, rising initiatives by players to launch new products in the region will further boost the market growth in the forecast period.

North America is expected to dominate the global dental 3-dimensional (3D) printing market in terms of market share and revenue and will continue to flourish its dominance during the forecast period. This is due to prominent players and an established healthcare system.

Some of the Major Highlights of TOC cover:

Chapter 1: Methodology & Scope

Definition and forecast parameters

Methodology and forecast parameters

Data Sources

Chapter 2: Executive Summary

Business trends

Regional trends

Product trends

End-use trends

Chapter 3: Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Industry Insights

Industry segmentation

Industry landscape

Vendor matrix

Technological and innovation landscape

Chapter 4: Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market, By Region

Chapter 5: Company Profile

Business Overview

Financial Data

Product Landscape

Strategic Outlook

SWOT Analysis

Browse Table of Content, Request @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-dental-3d-printing-market&GNW/08Aug2022

Goals and objectives of the Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market Study

Understanding the opportunities and progress of Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market highlights, as well as key regions and countries involved in market growth

Study the different segments of the Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market and the dynamics of Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing in the market.

Categorize Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing segments with increasing growth potential and evaluate the futuristic segment market

To verify region-specific growth and development in the Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market

Understand the key stakeholders in the Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market and the value of the competitive image of the Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market leaders

To study key plans, initiatives and strategies for the development of the Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing market

Related Report:

Europe Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market , By Product (System and Accessories), Material (Polymer, Metal, Ceramics, Plastic and Others), Technology (Light Curing, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Application (Prosthodontics, Implantology, Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Others), End User (Dental Laboratories, Dental Hospitals and Clinics, and Academic & Research Institutes), Distribution Channel (Third Party Distributors and Direct Tenders) Industry Trends and Forecasts to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/europe-dental-3d-printing-market

Middle East and Africa Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market , By Product (System and Accessories), Material (Polymer, Metal, Ceramics, Plastic and Others), Technology (Light Curing, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Application (Prosthodontics, Implantology, Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Others), End User (Dental Laboratories, Dental Hospitals and Clinics, and Academic & Research Institutes), Distribution Channel (Third Party Distributors and Direct Tenders) Industry Trends and Forecasts to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/middle-east-and-africa-dental-3d-printing-market

Asia-Pacific Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market , By Product (System and Accessories), Material (Polymer, Metal, Ceramics, Plastic and Others), Technology (Light Curing, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Application (Prosthodontics, Implantology, Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Others), End User (Dental Laboratories, Dental Hospitals and Clinics, and Academic & Research Institutes), Distribution Channel (Third Party Distributors and Direct Tenders) Industry Trends and Forecasts to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/asia-pacific-dental-3d-printing-market

North America Dental 3-Dimensional (3D) Printing Market , By Product (System and Accessories), Material (Polymer, Metal, Ceramics, Plastic and Others), Technology (Light Curing, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Application (Prosthodontics, Implantology, Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Others), End User (Dental Laboratories, Dental Hospitals and Clinics, and Academic & Research Institutes), Distribution Channel (Third Party Distributors and Direct Tenders) Industry Trends and Forecasts to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/north-america-dental-3d-printing-market

Healthcare 3D Printing Market , By Modality (Standalone, Integrated), Components (Material, Hardware, Software, Services), Technology (Bioprinting, Droplet Deposition/Extrusion-Based Technologies, Photopolymerization, Laser Beam Melting, Electron Beam Melting (EBM), 3DP/Adhesion Bonding/Binder Jetting, Others), Application (Medical, Surgical, Pharmaceutical, Others), Medical Specialty (Orthopedics, Dental, Cardiovascular, Craniomaxillofacial (CMF), Neurosurgery, Oncology, Others), End User (Medical and Surgical Centers, Research Centers and Academic Institutions, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, Others) - Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-healthcare-3d-printing-market

About Data Bridge Market Research:

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FutureFuel Second Quarter Net Loss of $3.1 Million

Reports Net Loss of $3.1 Million or $0.07 per Diluted Share, and Adjusted EBITDA of $18.7 Million

CLAYTON, Mo., Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FutureFuel Corp . (NYSE:FF) (FutureFuel), a manufacturer of custom and performance chemicals and biofuels, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

Second quarter 2022 Financial Highlights (all comparisons are with the second quarter of 2021)

Revenues were $117.8 million, up 59% from $74.1 million





Adjusted EBITDA was $18.7 million, up from $4.7 million (see reconciliation table below)





Net loss was $3.1 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, down from net income of $3.5 million, or $0.08 per diluted share.

Six months 2022 Financial Highlights (all comparisons are with the first half of 2021)



Revenues were $160.1 million, up 38% from $115.6 million





Adjusted EBITDA was $20.8 million, up from ($3.2) million (see reconciliation table below)





Net loss was $15.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, down from net loss of $5.3 million, or $0.12 per diluted share.

At the time of the release of our First Quarter 2022 results, we reported that our biodiesel business was dealt a blow when unprecedented volatility towards the expiry of the New York Mercantile Exchange May heating oil contract, caused FutureFuel to incur approximately $12 million of realized derivative losses during April. The impact of that event can clearly be seen in our results today. We have since amended our derivative strategy to help protect against this basis risk exposure and mitigate against the impacts of any recurrence of those market conditions. The outlook for our biodiesel segment now looks strong for the balance of the year.

We are increasingly encouraged by developments in our Chemicals segment. As well as various active projects to bring new products to our site, we have added the manufacturing capability to meet the requirements of the FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations. This will open up additional opportunities to our company, particularly in the field of pharmaceutical intermediates, said Tom McKinlay, Chief Executive Officer for FutureFuel Corp.

2022 Cash Dividends

FutureFuel paid a regular quarterly cash dividend in the amount of $0.06 per share on our common stock in the second quarter of 2022. The remaining quarterly dividends of $0.06 per share are expected to be paid in September and December.

Financial Overview and Key Operating Metrics

Financial and operating metrics, which include non-GAAP financial measures, include dollars in thousands, except per share amounts:

FutureFuel Corp.

Certain Financial and Operating Metrics (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30, Dollar % 2022 2021 Change Change Revenue $ 117,796 $ 74,118 $ 43,678 59 % Loss from operations $ (1,515 ) $ (2,003 ) $ 488 24 % Net (loss) income $ (3,104 ) $ 3,481 $ (6,585 ) n/a (Loss) earnings per common share: Basic $ (0.07 ) $ 0.08 $ (0.15 ) n/a Diluted $ (0.07 ) $ 0.08 $ (0.15 ) n/a Adjusted EBITDA $ 18,709 $ 4,668 $ 14,041 301 %





Six Months Ended June 30, Dollar % 2022 2021 Change Change Revenue $ 160,057 $ 115,634 $ 44,423 38 % Loss from operations $ (11,122 ) $ (15,061 ) $ 3,939 26 % Net loss $ (15,502 ) $ (5,292 ) $ (10,210 ) (193 %) Loss per common share: Basic $ (0.35 ) $ (0.12 ) $ (0.23 ) (192 %) Diluted $ (0.35 ) $ (0.12 ) $ (0.23 ) (192 %) Adjusted EBITDA $ 20,807 $ (3,157 ) $ 23,964 n/a

Financial and Business Summary

Consolidated sales revenue in the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 increased $43,678 and $44,423 compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2021. These increases resulted from increased sales price in the biofuels segment, and to a lesser extent, from increased prices in the chemicals segment. The increase was partially reduced by lower sales volumes in biofuels for both the three-and six-month periods and from lower sales volumes in the chemical segment in the three-month period ending June 30, 2022.

Loss from operations in the three months ended June 30, 2022 improved $488 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2021. This improvement primarily resulted from increased margins from the biofuels segment. Mostly offsetting this increase was the change in the activity in derivative instruments with a loss of $17.5 million in the current three-month period, as compared to $5.4 million in the same period of 2021. We experienced unprecedented volatility in the heating oil futures market which resulted in losses that were not fully recoverable on fuel sold. We have amended our derivative execution strategy to help mitigate reoccurrence.

Loss from operations in the six months ended June 30, 2022 improved $3,939 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2021. This improvement primarily resulted from increased margins from biofuels and the prior year period exorbitantly high natural gas prices experienced in the February 2021 Winter Storm Uri. Mostly offsetting this increase was the change in the activity in derivative instruments with a loss of $26.6 million in the current six-month period as compared to $8.0 million in the same period of 2021.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures were $1,895 in the first six months of 2022, compared with $488 in the same period in 2021.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities

Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $168,580 as of June 30, 2022, compared with $184,711 as of December 31, 2021.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel is a leading manufacturer of diversified chemical products and biofuels. FutureFuel's chemicals segment manufactures specialty chemicals for specific customers (custom chemicals) as well as multi-customer specialty chemicals (performance chemicals). FutureFuels custom manufacturing product portfolio includes proprietary agrochemicals, adhesion promoters, a biocide intermediate, and an antioxidant precursor. FutureFuels performance chemicals products include a portfolio of proprietary nylon and polyester polymer modifiers and several small-volume specialty chemicals and solvents for diverse applications. FutureFuels biofuels segment primarily produces and sells biodiesel to its customers. Please visit www.futurefuelcorporation.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements deal with FutureFuels current plans, intentions, beliefs, and expectations, and statements of future economic performance. Statements containing such terms as believe, do not believe, plan, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, and other phrases of similar meaning are considered to contain uncertainty and are forward-looking statements. In addition, from time-to-time FutureFuel or its representatives have made or will make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements may be included in various filings that the company makes with United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), in press releases, or in oral statements made by or with the approval of one of FutureFuels authorized executive officers.

These forward-looking statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic and the response thereto, as well as assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, those set forth under the headings Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in FutureFuels Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in its future filings made with the SEC. An investor should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements contained in this document, which reflect FutureFuel managements opinions only as of their respective dates. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revisions to forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties described in this document and in current and future filings with the SEC are not the only ones faced by FutureFuel. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the company to predict which will arise. There may be additional risks not presently known to the company or that the company currently believes are immaterial to its business. In addition, FutureFuel cannot assess the impact of each factor on its 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. If any such risks occur, FutureFuels business, operating results, liquidity, and financial condition could be materially affected in an adverse manner. An investor should consult any additional disclosures FutureFuel has made or will make in its reports to the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, and any amendments thereto. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to FutureFuel or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this document.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, FutureFuel used adjusted EBITDA as a key operating metric to measure both performance and liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is not a substitute for operating income, net income, or cash flow from operating activities (each as determined in accordance with GAAP), as a measure of performance or liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of results as reported under GAAP. FutureFuel defines adjusted EBITDA as net income before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization expenses, excluding, when applicable, non-cash share-based compensation expense, public offering expenses, acquisition-related transaction costs, purchase accounting adjustments, loss on disposal of property and equipment, gains or losses on derivative instruments, other non-operating income or expense. Information relating to adjusted EBITDA is provided so that investors have the same data that management employs in assessing the overall operation and liquidity of FutureFuels business. FutureFuels calculation of adjusted EBITDA may be different from similarly titled measures used by other companies; therefore, the results of its calculation are not necessarily comparable to the results of other companies.

Adjusted EBITDA allows FutureFuels chief operating decision makers to assess the performance and liquidity of FutureFuels business on a consolidated basis to assess the ability of its operating segments to produce operating cash flow to fund working capital needs, to fund capital expenditures, and to pay dividends. In particular, FutureFuel management believes that adjusted EBITDA permits a comparative assessment of FutureFuels operating performance and liquidity, relative to a performance and liquidity based on GAAP results, while isolating the effects of depreciation and amortization, which may vary among its operating segments without any correlation to their underlying operating performance, and of non-cash stock-based compensation expense, which is a non-cash expense that varies widely among similar companies, and gains and losses on derivative instruments, whose immediate recognition can cause net income to be volatile from quarter to quarter due to the timing of the valuation change in the derivative instruments relative to the sale of biofuel.

A table included in this earnings release reconciles adjusted EBITDA with net income, the most directly comparable GAAP performance financial measure, and a table reconciles adjusted EBITDA with cash flows from operations, the most directly comparable GAAP liquidity financial measure.

FutureFuel Corp.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited) June 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 129,154 $ 137,521 Accounts receivable, inclusive of the blenders' tax credit of $13,084 and $8,232 and net of allowances for bad debt of $87 and $67, respectively 37,566 29,374 Inventory 31,584 26,920 Marketable securities 39,426 47,190 Other current assets 15,113 14,828 Total current assets 252,843 255,833 Property, plant and equipment, net 79,145 82,901 Other assets 5,398 5,596 Total noncurrent assets 84,543 88,497 Total Assets $ 337,386 $ 344,330 Liabilities and Stockholders Equity Accounts payable, inclusive of the blenders' tax credit rebates due customers of $890 and $890, respectively $ 42,051 $ 22,823 Dividends payable 5,252 - Other current liabilities 13,513 12,233 Total current liabilities 60,816 35,056 Deferred revenue  long-term 12,046 16,755 Other noncurrent liabilities 1,718 3,591 Total noncurrent liabilities 13,764 20,346 Total liabilities 74,580 55,402 Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding - - Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 75,000,000 shares authorized, 43,763,243, issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 4 4 Accumulated other comprehensive income 61 178 Additional paid in capital 282,443 282,443 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (19,702 ) 6,303 Total Stockholders Equity 262,806 288,928 Total Liabilities and Stockholders Equity $ 337,386 $ 344,330

FutureFuel Corp.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

and Comprehensive Income

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

June 30, Six Months Ended

June 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Revenue $ 117,796 $ 74,118 $ 160,057 $ 115,634 Cost of goods sold and distribution 116,819 74,161 166,235 126.413 Gross profit (loss) 977 (43 ) (6,178 ) (10,779 ) Selling, general, and administrative expenses 1,737 1,162 3,510 2,710 Research and development expenses 755 798 1,434 1,572 Total operating expenses 2,492 1,960 4,944 4,282 Loss from operations (1,515 ) (2,003 ) (11,122 ) (15,061 ) Other (expense) income, net (2,527 ) 1,015 (6,022 ) 913 Loss before income taxes (4,042 ) (988 ) (17,144 ) (14,148 ) Income tax benefit (938 ) (4,469 ) (1,642 ) (8,856 ) Net (loss) income $ (3,104 ) $ 3,481 $ (15,502 ) $ (5,292 ) (Loss) earnings per common share Basic $ (0.07 ) $ 0.08 $ (0.35 ) $ (0.12 ) Diluted $ (0.07 ) $ 0.08 $ (0.35 ) $ (0.12 ) Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 43,763,243 43,754,232 43,763,243 43,748,768 Diluted 43,763,243 43,754,422 43,763,243 43,748,768 Comprehensive (loss) income Net (loss) income $ (3,104 ) $ 3,481 $ (15,502 ) $ (5,292 ) Other comprehensive (loss) income from unrealized net (loss) gain on available-for-sale debt securities (86 ) 60 (148 ) - Income tax effect 18 (16 ) 31 - Total other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax (68 ) 44 (117 ) - Comprehensive (loss) income $ (3,172 ) $ 3,525 $ (15,619 ) $ (5,292 )

FutureFuel Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 2021 Cash flows from operating activities Net loss $ (15,502 ) $ (5,292 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation 5,276 5,231 Amortization of deferred financing costs 48 47 Benefit for deferred income taxes (1,672 ) (8,881 ) Change in fair value of equity securities 7,339 222 Change in fair value of derivative instruments (2,388 ) 1,136 (Gain) loss on the sale of investments 27 (758 ) Loss on disposal of property and equipment 50 - Impairment of intangible asset - 1,315 Noncash interest expense 17 16 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (8,172 ) (9,946 ) Accounts receivable  related parties (20 ) 1,405 Inventory (4,664 ) (19,625 ) Income tax receivable (20 ) 801 Prepaid expenses 1,773 1,977 Prepaid expenses  related parties (8 ) (12 ) Other assets 125 635 Accounts payable 19,171 23,074 Accounts payable  related parties 326 7,959 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (659 ) 7 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities  related parties (1 ) - Deferred revenue (2,769 ) (1,318 ) Other noncurrent liabilities (187 ) (342 ) Net cash used in operating activities (1,910 ) (2,349 ) Cash flows from investing activities Collateralization of derivative instruments 383 (2,060 ) Purchase of marketable securities - (19,170 ) Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities 250 37,873 Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment 56 - Proceeds from the sale of intangible asset - 93 Capital expenditures (1,895 ) (488 ) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (1,206 ) 16,248 Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from the issuance of stock - 231 Payment of dividends (5,251 ) (114,658 ) Net cash used in financing activities (5,251 ) (114,427 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (8,367 ) (100,528 ) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 137,521 198,122 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 129,154 $ 97,594 Cash paid for interest $ - $ 43 Cash paid for income taxes $ 276 $ 79 Noncash investing and financing activities: Noncash capital expenditures $ 95 $ 51 Noncash operating leases $ - $ 269

FutureFuel Corp.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to Financial Measure

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Net (loss) income $ (3,104 ) $ 3,481 $ (15,502 ) $ (5,292 ) Depreciation 2,706 2,623 5,276 5,231 Non-cash stock-based compensation - - - - Interest and dividend income (747 ) (790 ) (1,411 ) (1,795 ) Non-cash interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs 33 31 65 63 Losses on disposal of property and equipment 44 - 50 - Losses on derivative instruments 17,476 5,404 26,605 8,029 Loss (gain) on marketable securities 3,239 (1,612 ) 7,366 (537 ) Other income - - - - Income tax benefit (938 ) (4,469 ) (1,642 ) (8,856 ) Adjusted EBITDA $ 18,709 $ 4,668 $ 20,807 $ (3,157 )

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 2021 Net cash used in operating activities $ (1,910 ) $ (2,349 ) Benefit for deferred income taxes 1,672 8,881 Interest and dividend income (1,411 ) (1,795 ) Income tax benefit (1,642 ) (8,856 ) Loss on derivative instruments 26,605 8,029 Change in fair value of derivative instruments 2,388 (1,136 ) Change in operating assets and liabilities, net (4,895 ) (4,615 ) Impairment of intangible asset - (1,315 ) Other - (1 ) Adjusted EBITDA $ 20,807 $ (3,157 )

FutureFuel Corp.

Condensed Consolidated Segment Income

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Revenue Custom chemicals $ 12,266 $ 12,260 $ 27,981 $ 22,935 Performance chemicals 5,928 3,287 11,774 8,722 Chemicals revenue $ 18,194 $ 15,547 $ 39,755 $ 31,657 Biofuels revenue 99,602 58,571 120,302 83,977 Total Revenue $ 117,796 $ 74,118 $ 160,057 $ 115,634 Segment gross profit (loss) Chemicals $ 4,196 $ 4,285 $ 9,614 $ 2,984 Biofuels (3,219 ) (4,328 ) (15,792 ) (13,763 ) Total gross profit (loss) 977 (43 ) (6,178 ) (10,779 )

Depreciation is allocated to segment cost of goods sold based on plant usage. The total assets and capital expenditures of FutureFuel have not been allocated to individual segments as large portions of these assets are shared to varying degrees by each segment, causing such an allocation to be of little value.

COMPANY CONTACT

FutureFuel Corp.

Tom McKinlay

(314)854-8352

www.futurefuelcorporation.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renasant Corporation today announced organizational updates for its Renasant Mortgage Lending Division. David Mays, Executive Vice President and President of Renasant Mortgage Lending, will move into the role of Chairman of the division. In this role, Mays will serve as a high-level strategic advisor to Renasant Mortgage Lending. Mays has successfully led the mortgage division for nearly 20 years.

As Mays moves into the Chairman role, Mark Harmon will assume the position of Senior Vice President and President of Renasant Mortgage Lending. Harmon joined Renasant in 2014, and most recently held the position of Mortgage Retail Division Manager, Vice President Central Mortgage Administrator. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of Renasants mortgage division, and will continue to work with Mays to ensure a smooth transition. Harmon graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and Business Administration.

In addition to these changes, Micah Stringer will transition into the position of Senior Vice President and Renasant Mortgage Retail Director. Stringer has been with the mortgage division since 2016, and most recently held the position of Mortgage Retail Division Manager, Vice President East Mortgage Administrator. He will lead the retail division of Renasant Mortgage Lending, and will focus on strategy and staffing to continue the division's success and growth. Stringer received his educations from the College of Charleston and Denison University.

These strategic changes will yield even more energy, efficiency, and excitement as we have always demonstrated in the past while continuing our long term investment in mortgage banking, said David Mays.

ABOUT RENASANT CORPORATION:

Renasant Corporation, a 118-year-old financial services institution, is the parent of Renasant Bank. Renasant has assets of approximately $16.6 billion and operates 194 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

For more information please visit www.renasantbank.com or Renasants IR site at www.renasant.com.

Contact:

JOHN OXFORD | JOxford@renasant.com

L to R: David Mays, Mark Harmon, Micah Stringer



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d68cb552-491a-477d-a34c-5571fa6d517b
By John Burton





Several years ago, Christopher Clark, a distinguished British historian, wrote a book called "The Sleepwalkers" about how Europe stumbled into World War I in the summer of 1914. He described how the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which was the trigger event for the war, was initially ignored by most of the international community. Britain was distracted by a political crisis and France was focused on a celebrity murder trial, for example.



Although the Balkans had long been known as a powder keg of Europe, there was an initial failure to realize that the looming conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia caused by the assassination would lead to dire consequences for the entire world.



Clark argues that no one really wanted to go to war but that a combination of hawkish statesmen and bureaucratic politics in each of the major European capitals created the conditions for a general continental war. He describes the key players as "sleepwalkers, watchful but unseeing, haunted by dreams, yet blind to the reality of the horror they were about to bring into the world."



I wonder if a similar dynamic is now taking place on the Korean Peninsula, which is a historical powder keg for East Asia, having been at the center of three modern wars (the 1894-5 Sino-Japanese War, the 1904-05 Russian-Japanese War and the 1950-53 Korean War).



There are ominous developments on both sides of the DMZ, but few are paying attention. Washington, for example, is distracted by the Ukraine conflict and rising tensions with China over Taiwan.



Only U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has made recent reference to the situation, saying that "humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation," citing the nuclear threat on the Korean Peninsula along with other crisis hotspots in the Middle East and Ukraine.



Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen this year due to an aggressive missile testing program by North Korea. It claims that it is developing a new tactical battlefield missile and it warns that it could attack South Korea with a nuclear weapon  the first time that Pyongyang has made such a threat. Reports that North Korea is preparing its seventh nuclear test since 2006 is adding to anxiety in Washington and Seoul.



In response, the two allies are toughening their stance against North Korea. They have agreed to expand military exercises this year to repel any North Korean attack and practice counterstrikes. This situation comes after President Yoon Suk-yeol said he wanted to strengthen the military alliance with the U.S. and bolster South Korea's ability to launch a preemptive strike against the North if necessary.



Recent developments bring back memories of the "fire and fury" phase of Donald Trump's presidency when his bellicose statements raised fears of a military conflict after North Korea conducted a series of missile and nuclear bomb tests.



A benign interpretation of why Pyongyang is engaging again in saber-rattling is that it is reverting to its traditional bargaining tactics to gain the attention of Washington and secure concessions, such as sanctions relief. It also might be an attempt to boost domestic unity at a time of pandemic-related economic troubles.



But some officials in the U.S. and South Korea are taking the North Korean threats at face value to justify a more hawkish policy. This stance is reflected in the decision to expand this summer's joint military exercises, which had been canceled or downgraded during the last few years due to COVID-19 restrictions and as a gesture to Pyongyang to resume stalled diplomatic negotiations.



The next few months could see inter-Korean tensions rise further, particularly if North Korea proceeds with another nuclear test. Pyongyang appears ready to take more risky moves since it believes that it can rely on stronger support from China and Russia as they adopt a more adversarial stance to the U.S.



Meanwhile, America's decades-long attempt to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal appears to be at a dead end. That could persuade Washington to double down on sanctions and build up military forces in Northeast Asia. Such a policy appears to have found favor with President Yoon, a political novice in foreign policy.



He appears ready to expand the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system, the installation of which in Korea in 2017 angered China. Yoon has also voiced support for upgrading the "Kill Chain" program, which is designed to deter a North Korean nuclear attack by conducting a preemptive strike, including targeting the leadership in Pyongyang, with the combined use of ballistic missiles, combat aircraft and submarines. Critics warn that this move will only feed North Korea's paranoia and increase the chances of a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula.



All the elements appear to be in place to create a situation open to miscalculation and increase the likelihood of an accidental conflict.





John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.


























By Kim Hyun-bin







Samsung Electronics' union and management have reached an agreement on wage negotiations for 2021 and 2022, according to company officials, Monday.







According to Samsung Electronics, the union and management of Samsung Electronics will hold a wage agreement signing ceremony on Wednesday. This will mark the first wage agreement between Samsung Electronics' labor and management representatives.







"The company will work hard to establish a sound labor-management culture that creates win-win growth through dialogue with the union," Samsung Electronics official said.







The labor union joint bargaining group consisting of four labor unions within Samsung Electronics recently voted on the "2021-2022 interim wage bargaining agreement," which has tentatively been agreed on together with the company. Labor and management have held a total of 31 collective bargaining sessions, including 11 main negotiations and 20 working-level negotiations.







Until now, Samsung's union membership rate has been only 5 percent, so even if the management negotiates with the union, the management has to negotiate wages separately with the remaining 95 percent of the employees who are not affiliated with the union.







Earlier, the union announced a proposal containing 44 items, including a lump sum increase of 10 million won in annual salary, 25 percent of operating profit as a bonus, and disclosure of the incentive payment system.







The union agreed to follow the wage increase rate set by Samsung Electronics last year. The wage increase proposed by Samsung Electronics is 7.5 percent, including a basic increase rate of 4.5 percent, average performance increase rate of 3 percent and 9 percent for this year including basic increase rate of 5 percent, and average performance increase rate of 4 percent.







It was also decided that there would be a labor-management task force (TF) formed to improve the wage peak system and the comprehensive wage system.







The detailed final bill will be announced after further consultation with the union or management in time for the signing ceremony.






Rohingya refugees shop for vegetables and other essentials at a market area in Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia on Aug. 7. AFP-Yonhap



Bangladesh on Sunday sought cooperation from China to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar during a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who promised better trade ties, investment and support for infrastructure development in the South Asian nation.



China had used its influence in Myanmar to broker a November 2017 agreement to repatriate about 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar in August that year. Despite attempts to send them back, the refugees refused, fearing danger in Myanmar, which was exacerbated by the military takeover last year.



Wang arrived in Dhaka on Saturday and met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen. They discussed bilateral and global issues before his departure Sunday, said Shahriar Alam, Bangladesh's junior minister for foreign affairs.



Bangladesh has strong relations with China, which is a major trade partner mostly for raw materials. But maintaining close ties with Beijing is challenging for Bangladesh, which also balances diplomatic and trade relationship with both India and the United States, China's main rivals.



More than 500 Chinese companies are active in Bangladesh. China is involved in the country's all major infrastructure projects such as seaports, a river tunnel and highways, and helped build its largest bridge over the River Padma at a cost of $3.6 billion.



Amid recent tensions between China and Taiwan, Bangladesh issued a statement reiterating its support for the ''one-China'' policy. After winning elections in 2008, Hasina's administration closed the Taiwanese business representative office in Dhaka in response to a request from China, and since then China has increased its engagement in Bangladesh.



Bangladesh's garment industry, which brings in more than 80% of foreign currency from exports, is heavily dependent on China for raw materials.



On Sunday, Wang told Hasina during a courtesy call that his country considers Bangladesh as a "strategic development partner'' and would continue to support it, said Ihsanul Karim, the presidential press secretary.



The United News of Bangladesh agency reported that Wang also promised to stand beside Bangladesh "on all issues at international forums."



The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, state-run news agency, reported that Hasina raised the global tensions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions against Moscow, saying ''people (across the world) are enduring difficult times. South Asia, Southeast Asia and China can work together for economic progress.''





Rohingya refugees repair a bamboo bridge near a refugee camp in Kutupalong, Ukhia on Aug. 7. AFP-Yonhap
A view shows an image of an Air Force aircraft under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), as it takes part in military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, on a newspaper front-page, at a newsstand in Beijing, China, Monday. Reuters-Yonhap





China carried out fresh military drills around Taiwan Monday, Beijing said, defying calls for it to end its largest-ever exercises encircling the democratic island in the wake of a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.







Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi  the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in decades  ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defense.







It has also deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade and ultimate invasion of the self-ruled island which China claims as its territory.







Those drills were expected to draw to a close on Sunday, but neither Beijing nor Taipei confirmed their conclusion, though Taiwan's transport ministry said it had seen some evidence suggesting at least a partial drawdown.







China then Monday said they were ongoing, reporting "the eastern theatre of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued to carry out practical joint exercises and training in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island."







The exercises, the Chinese military's Eastern Command said, were "focusing on organizing joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations".







Beijing is also Monday set to carry out live fire drills in parts of the South China Sea and Yellow Sea.







A Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000-5 aircraft lands at Hsinchu Air Base in Hsinchu, Taiwan Aug. 7. Reuters-Yonhap









Taiwan has remained defiant throughout days of exercises by Beijing and is due to begin its own live-fire drills on Tuesday.







Su Tseng-chang, Taiwan's premier, said China was "barbarously using military action" to disturb peace in the Taiwan Strait.







"We call on the Chinese government not to go around wielding its military power, showing its muscles everywhere and jeopardizing the peace of the region," he told reporters Sunday.







Taipei's foreign ministry said the drills threatened "the region and even the world".







To show how close it has got to Taiwan's shores, the Chinese military released a video of an air force pilot filming the island's coastline and mountains from his cockpit.







The Eastern Command also shared a photo it said was of a warship on patrol with Taiwan's shoreline visible in the background.







Ballistic missiles were also fired over Taiwan's capital during the exercises last week, according to Chinese state media.







The scale and intensity of China's drills  as well as Beijing's withdrawal from key talks on climate and defense  have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies.







U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Washington is "determined to act responsibly" to avoid a major global crisis.







And experts say the drills have revealed an increasingly emboldened Chinese military capable of carrying out a grueling blockade of the island as well as obstructing U.S. forces from coming to its aid.







"In some areas, the PLA might even surpass U.S. capabilities," Grant Newsham, a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and a former U.S. Navy officer, told AFP, referring to China's military by its official name.







"If the battle is confined to the area right around Taiwan, today's Chinese navy is a dangerous opponent  and if the Americans and Japanese do not intervene for some reason, things would be difficult for Taiwan." (AFP)






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BOSTON (AP) 

Bostons buttoned-up South Station doesnt typically conjure images of fold-up beach chairs, straw hats and rolling Yeti coolers. But on weekend mornings during the summer, that is what youll see.

Instead of frenzied passengers running to catch a train to another East Coast city, today's throng of delighted vacationers awaited the CapeFlyer, a weekend passenger train to Cape Cod. It runs during the 15 weekends of summer  up until Labor Day  from Boston to Hyannis with a handful of stops in between.

I recently dragged my two young children on a CapeFlyer adventure. It happened to be the week of history-making heat waves around the world. That Sunday, Boston broke a record.

Tourists like Ken McKeel, 56, from Goldsboro, North Carolina, had the same idea. He was there with his family, looking to beat the heat and see the Cape's world-renowned beaches. The reason they took the train: cost.

On Sundays, you can get a same-day, round-trip ticket for half price, or $20.

My kids have grown up going to Cape beaches, and never turn down a chance to play in the Atlantic or eat at one of the many seafood shacks. Plus, getting out of metro Bostons hot and steamy atmosphere wasnt a hard sell, despite the early departure time of 7:45 a.m. I also promised them ice cream, one of the Cape Cod food groups.

When we arrived at South Station terminal, situated smack in downtown Boston, the scene was akin to an airport in Cancun or any other tropical beach destination: folks eagerly awaiting sun, surf or maybe a frozen cocktail with a view.

Taking a train to Cape Cod makes sense. If youve ever gone there by car on a summer weekend, you know the biggest drawback is traffic.

The only two ways to drive to the hook-shaped peninsula are the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. Both built in the 1930s, the bridges are not meant to accommodate todays level of traffic. So, the wait to cross one can take hours.

The atmosphere on board the CapeFlyer is as relaxed as a beach vacation. Theres a bar car serving wine, beer and mixed drinks, and plenty of riders were sipping a rose or a beer while admiring the scenery.

I would compare the CapeFlyer to the ferries, in that the minute you step on any of them, youre on vacation, said Kim Foley MacKinnon, a Boston-based travel writer who wrote the book 100 Things to Do on Cape Cod and the Islands Before You Die.

Its the first step to relaxation, she said. Thats the vibe.

Patrons have under three hours to enjoy their trip. But the CapeFlyer offers one ride to the Cape and one ride out each day. If you miss it, youll be stuck looking for another way to get home.

Once the train crosses into Cape Cod, by way of the Railroad Bridge, it's a slower trip. The train can run only about 30 mph because of the Capes older rail infrastructure, according to Thomas Cahir, administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, which runs the train together with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

This is far from a complaint, though. It just means there's more time to sit back and enjoy the trip.

Before the pandemic, about 15,000 passengers took the CapeFlyer, Cahir said. Ridership has been slow to come back but is steadily growing. In 2021, some 6,000 passengers took the train. This year, Cahir expects to exceed that number.

Riders arrive in Hyannis, the commercial hub of the Cape. Its home to the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum and the place to catch a ferry to Marthas Vineyard or Nantucket. There are whale watching tours, deep sea fishing excursions, and boat tours that offer a view of the famous Kennedy Compound, where JFK launched his 1960 Presidential campaign. If Hyannis isnt your speed, you can take a bus to the other 14 beach towns. They're all relatively close and worth a visit.

Its hard to miss on the Cape because there are so many choices, and each town has its own flavor, said Jeffrey Heth, who publishes the Guidebook of Cape Cod along with his wife, Mary.

Jack Boland, 23, and Niall McMahon, 22, both from Dublin, Ireland, were taking the CapeFlyer as part of a post-college trip across America.

They were drawn to the Cape for its beaches, fishing culture and JFK history. They stayed the weekend in Hyannis.

We didnt have a car so we made it work, Boland said.

The CapeFlyer is certainly cheaper than renting a car, and the eco-friendly aspect of public transportation also appeals to younger travelers.

Jordan Cornwell, 27, was visiting from Orlando, Florida. She took the Friday night CapeFlyer with two friends. They stayed the weekend before heading back to Boston on the train Sunday evening.

On the trip down, Cornwell and her friends saw two little boys catch a fish off the train platform at one of the stops.

The whole train was clapping, Cornwell said. There were some really friendly people on the train and everyone was chatting.

The CapeFlyer came in during sunset and that was really pretty, she said.

When asked if shed ride it again: Most definitely.

-

The CapeFlyer runs through Labor Day.
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FLEMING-NEON, Ky. (AP)  Barely a week after floodwaters swept downtown and left a foot of mud and twisted, gutted buildings along Main Street, an incongruous sight appeared: A flashing sign declaring JRs Barber Shop OPEN.

As National Guard troops patrolled outside and volunteers on backhoes mounded up debris, J.R. Collins stood behind his barber chair, giving a touchup to one of his regulars. Like most in Fleming-Neon, Collins comes from a family built on mining  both his grandfathers worked in coal  and he has stayed in the close-knit town even as the industry shrank and others fled. Those who remain are determined to prove their community is about more than coal.

And theyve come together to make sure Collins barber shop and other businesses reopen amid the devastating floods that have killed more than three dozen in eastern Kentucky.

They were there with shovels and squeegees and water, and people packing, and kids helping, Collins said above the din of air conditioning and a dehumidifier in his shop. Its good, hard-working people that like to help people out and got each others back.

Fleming-Neon was once two towns: Fleming, a company town founded in the early 1900s by the Elkhorn Coal Corp. for the sole purpose of mining, and Neon, a former logging camp.

Fleming was run by Elkhorn and named for one of its executives. The company issued its own money, and workers used it for rent on company-owned homes and goods at the company store or local businesses. Neon was independent, a free town where U.S. government greenbacks, not company scrip, was legal tender  but it thrived off the glow of coal nearby.

Fleming and Neon prospered along with the company and industry. Dates still seen today on brick storefronts chronicle the boom years.

We had department stores, we had grocery stores, we had restaurants, we had dry cleaners. We had a theater, said Susan Polis, Fleming-Neons 73-year-old mayor. You did not have to leave here to have, to get anything.

But as the mines mechanized, the population shrank in Fleming as well as Neon. In the late 1970s, the former rival towns merged under one government in an effort to pool resources, but the bleeding continued.

Today, only about 500 people remain. And on July 28, the waters of Wright Fork rose, threatening further devastation for this valley of people who long extracted riches from the earth. But theres a spark in Fleming-Neon that, so far, has refused to be extinguished.

A multipurpose center was set to open in a former car dealership about two weeks after the storm hit. Jeff Hawkins, a longtime educator whos lived here since he was a teenager, said the project, dubbed Neon Lights, would include a performing arts studio, an internet cafe, event space, and an innovation incubator.

We wanted a space for kids to be able to do physical activity, to dance, to sing, whatever it may be, he said. Upstairs, we would put a robotics lab and a computer coding lab.

That dream is not dead, just deferred. For now, the cleaned-up space serves as an emergency supply distribution center.

The rains came again this past weekend, prompting a brief evacuation Friday evening. But while some dreaded it, Emory Lee Mullins chose to see it as a blessing.

Its washing it off pretty good, Mullins said, using a push broom to sweep the last of the creek silt into the gutter outside his flower shop. Every little sweep gets it, dont it?

Five feet of water had all but gutted the Letcher Flower Shop, which Mullins bought 25 years ago. But as the rain fell, he ripped out sodden walls, confident he will reopen in a couple of weeks.

Because flowers makes people feel good, he said. Theyre going to need flowers.

Its been hard to break coals grip on these mountains, said Hawkins, describing a corporate strategy to make as much money as you can and move on.

For decades, money left here and was not reinvested here, he said. And thats what weve been left with.

But Fleming-Neon has also been left with a toughness. And for every story of tragedy, Hawkins said, there are six more of goodness and grace.

The folks here, they persevere. They are resilient. They have grit, he said.

The volunteers whove come from other states see that spirit, too. Ken Cagle, of North Carolina, said it makes him consider retiring here: Its just unbelievable, the people here, how they just want to help other people.

And Hawkins intends to stay among them in these hills. He sees the flooding disaster as an opportunity to reinvent Fleming-Neon and eastern Kentucky.

How do we reimagine what we can be? he said. And in a way that were not just surviving, but were moving to a point of thriving.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, center, speaks during a press conference at the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong, China, Aug. 8. Hong Kong will reduce the mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to three days from a week, the city's leader said Monday. EPA-Yonhap





Hong Kong will reduce the mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to three days from a week, the city's leader said Monday.







The southern Chinese city remains one of the few places in the world, together with mainland China, to require a quarantine to guard against travelers spreading COVID-19 to the local population. The policy taking effect Friday will be Hong Kong's shortest quarantine for arrivals since the pandemic began.







Hong Kong leader John Lee said arriving travelers must quarantine three days in a designated hotel, then undergo four days of medical surveillance during which their movements will be restricted via the use of a health code system.







Lee said that the new policy of just three days in quarantine was made after scientific evidence and data had been analyzed to control the risk factors.







''We also have to balance the risks against the economic activities and the social lives of (people in) Hong Kong,'' Lee said.







''(The data) gives us the indication that the risk factor of people who have finished three days quarantine in a designated hotel ... is actually no more than the risk level of transmission in society,'' he said.







A couple wearing face masks walk along a street in Mongkok, a shopping district of Hong Kong, Aug. 8. AP-Yonhap





The changes to COVID-19 policies come in spite of an increase in daily infections, which city health officials warn could double to 8,000 in the coming weeks.







During their week of quarantine and surveillance, travelers will also have to test regularly for COVID-19 and those who are infected must stay in isolation.







Those who test negative can use public transit and enter malls and markets, but they can't enter bars and amusement parks or visit elderly homes, schools and certain medical facilities.







For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong has imposed some of the world's strictest COVID-19 entry restrictions. At one point, Hong Kong required up to 21 days of compulsory hotel quarantine for travelers and a ''circuit breaker'' mechanism that would ban flights from certain airlines into the city if they import too many COVID-19 cases.







These measures have devastated the city's tourism industry and disrupted business travel in a city known for being an international financial center and a business hub.







Since the pandemic began, hundreds of thousands of residents have left Hong Kong. Many companies have also relocated to countries like Singapore where quarantine-free travel has resumed. (AP)






OnePlus had a big launch event last week. Organized in New York's beautiful Gotham Hall and attended by media folks around the world, the event was the company's first in-person gathering since the pandemic and a pretty impressive one at that. The reason for this gathering? The launch of the company's new OnePlus 10T smartphone and the announcement of the upcoming OxygenOS 13 software.

Image credit: OnePlus forum

OnePlus has certainly come a long way as a company from its humble origins, and you can see that from the grand scale of its events. But as the events themselves get bigger, the products somehow get less impressive and, in some cases, downright disappointing.

The OnePlus 10T is a perfectly fine phone. We did a detailed hands-on and think that most people will be reasonably happy with it. It's a phone that's content being just your average, everyday smartphone, designed to appeal to the average consumer without doing anything crazy or out of the box. And that's what makes it so generic.

Over the past few years we saw all sorts of weird and interesting phones. There are companies now that are bending glass to make their phones foldable (completely intentionally, if I may add). Others have found a way to fit large 1.0-inch type sensors and incredible optical zoom mechanisms inside the standard smartphone form-factor.

Elsewhere, there are brands that offer external coolers to manage heat, complete with thermoelectric elements, trigger buttons, and RGB lighting. Just these past couple of weeks we saw a phone that fits amazing flagship specifications in a compact body and another that has a transparent glass back with flashing LED lights that signals the caller with distinct patterns.

You may think some of these are gimmicks but the point is that it's interesting and there is an attempt to stand out. Not every idea has to stick but sometimes you just have to appreciate the effort gone into making it work and daring to be different. Unfortunately, we see none of that with the OnePlus 10T, nor with any other of the company's recent launches.

The OnePlus 7 Pro was probably the last time we had an interesting OnePlus release. The pop-out camera, while not unique, was certainly a very cool feature and one whose loss we have lamented ever since. And while it may not seem all that impressive now, it's telling how staid things have gotten since for that's the thing we chose to reminisce about.

The OnePlus of today is perfectly happy releasing iterative devices that don't push the boat too far. It's quite satisfied riding along in the middle of the pack, almost as if it's trying not to stick out too much. Not every company has to be the trailblazer in every segment but you can only ride the middle of the pack so far until people forget you exist.



Back when OnePlus did interesting collaborations

But as if losing interesting features wasn't bad enough, the company has also slowly started losing the essentials that people have come to expect from the brand.

The OnePlus alert slider has been a company staple since the OnePlus 2. Recently, we saw it go missing from a handful of regional launches but the OnePlus 10T is the first one to go global with this omission. OnePlus has its reasons and we will pretend that we care but in reality no reason is big enough to warrant losing not just one of the key selling points of your devices but also the thing people have come to love and appreciate about your brand.

Alert slider on the OnePlus 2

But few things hurt as much as what has happened to the company's OxygenOS software over the years. What was once the central pillar of the OnePlus experience and one of the most coveted features of their smartphones, OxygenOS went through a complete comic book story arc where it went from being a hero to living long enough to see itself become the villain.

As any long-time OnePlus fan would attest, the best part of OxygenOS was that it was not like any of the other Chinese Android skins out there. OnePlus based its design heavily around the appearance of stock Android but with a few basic design tweaks thrown in for good measure. The end result was the best of both worlds, a clean, familiar design but with enough extra features and design flair to elevate the experience without washing over it.

All of that got defenestrated once Oppo got involved. The powers that be decided that OxygenOS and ColorOS code bases would be merged. But it was a good thing, they said, as OxygenOS 12 would have the design and speed of OxygenOS with the reliability of ColorOS.

As we know now, none of that came true. The final product not only looked nothing like what OnePlus users had been used to in the past but was also comically buggy at launch. Needless to say, it wasn't a great success.

Overtime, OnePlus made an announcement that the next version  OxygenOS 13  will be closer to stock Android, familiar to long-time OnePlus users, and retain its unique visual design. This got people's hopes up again. Yes, the company basically lied about how the OxygenOS 12 would turn out to be but surely they wouldn't do that again, right? Surely, this time they would stick to their word.

Turns out, no, they won't. When OnePlus revealed what OxygenOS 13 was going to look like at the event, it became obvious that this is once again an even more thinly veiled build of ColorOS. While we haven't seen a lot of the upcoming ColorOS 13, one look at the leaked images and what OnePlus revealed of OxygenOS 13 and it becomes obvious the two are basically identical, even more so than OxygenOS 12 and ColorOS 12 were, where OnePlus at least pretended to make them seem different.

At this point there is little doubt left that OnePlus phones are rebadged Oppo devices and that the company has no real intention of maintaining its distinct identity. We have known for years that the two companies shared parts. Recently, they even stopped pretending that their two charging techniques were different and just started shipping Oppo chargers with OnePlus phones. Then the alert sliders started disappearing and now the software is identical.

It's not that companies don't have sub-brands. Oppo itself has Realme, which is nothing but rebranded Oppo phones for different (and sometimes the same) markets. But OnePlus started life as its own separate thing, completely different from everything else that was being made at the time. Being different is how it established itself in the market and why it enjoyed a fan following for years. Now it's just a way for Oppo to double or sometimes triple dip into the same market with the same basic hardware and software but different brand names.

We wish things had turned out differently and maybe there's still time for OnePlus to course correct. But with every new launch and broken promise we lose hope of that ever happening. Perhaps it's finally time for all the fans to move on. After all, one should never settle.
Hotel Nikko, which marks 30 years on Guam this year, announced more details about its brand refresh on Aug. 8, 2022.
Department of Public Health and Social Services employees and Guam National Guard personnel conduct a drive-thru COVID-19 community testing near the old carnival grounds in Tiyan in this June 2022 file photo. Guam Visitors Bureau and Public Health announced they will provide COVID testing for visitors at several hotels.
Last months fatal stabbing at the Mangilao prison happened in a minimum-security area and involved two trustee inmates who were being considered for release, according to Department of Corrections Director Robert Camacho, who said the prison currently is reevaluating its procedures, including where it places inmates.

Anytime something like this happens, its a shock, not only to the inmates and families but also the officers because we try our best to prevent something like this, Camacho said Monday morning on K-57 radio.

How it happened, why it happened, we dont know in particular in full detail until the investigation is completed, he said.

Charges

The Office of the Attorney General last week charged inmate M.B. Koto, 38, with murder as a first-degree felony, with a special allegation of use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Koto, who is serving a 5-year sentence for stabbing a child in the neck, is accused of killing convicted murderer Cesar Dizon, who was found July 31 on the ground in Post 24, which Camacho said used to be called the Community Corrections Center.

Dizon, 69, was stabbed at least 10 times, according to court documents, and died that evening at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.

I did it

Koto was arrested after he reportedly told a corrections officer, I did it.

Koto had a cut on his left palm, consistent with a knife slipping in his hand, charging documents state, and there also appeared to be dried blood on his palm and on one of the toes of his left foot.

Authorities reportedly found three knives at the Mangilao prison: A kitchen knife in a common area; a butter knife in Kotos locker; and a foot-long blade in a cardboard sheath, tucked below the sink in a kitchen cabinet at the recreation area.

We found he was the most likely suspect, and then he admitted to it, Camacho said Monday. He pointed us to the lockers, the locker in which we found the serrated butter knife. Camacho said one aspect of the investigation is finding out how Koto had an unauthorized butter knife.

Life sentence

Dizon, who was serving a life sentence for the 1995 murder of attorney Jan Rubinstein, and Koto were both eligible for parole, according to Camacho, which allowed them to be at Post 24.

They were considered minimum security, Camacho said. What this post is supposed to do is help with the transition, so that when the inmate is released, they have some type of job skill or vocational skill to help them with the transition.

Inmates at Post 24 have access to tools such as saws, chisels and hammers  all of which are controlled items, according to Camacho.

After the death, Camacho said he talked to the prisons casework division to examine the criteria for prisoner placement. It cant just be because hes coming up for parole. Weve got to look at our risk assessments.

Koto in 2019 was sentenced to five years for aggravated assault, with credit for time served, after stabbing a boy in 2017, which means he was close to being released.

Why would somebody do something like this and hes coming up for parole? Camacho said. Theres a lot of things that are going on and mental issues that were trying to resolve.
Relatives mourn during the funeral of four teenage Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip, Monday, after they were killed during the latest three days of conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants. AFP-Yonhap



With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gaza's sole power plant resumed operations Monday as Israel began reopening crossings into the territory.



Israel also lifted security restrictions on southern Israeli communities after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday. Fighting abated, and war-weary people in Gaza and Israel were left picking up the pieces after another round of violence  the worst since an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas last year.



Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza while the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.



Over three days of fighting, 44 Palestinians were killed, including 15 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Islamic Jihad said 12 of those killed were militants. Israel said some of the dead were killed by rockets misfired from Gaza. No Israelis were killed.



The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Gaza's ruling Hamas group stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and undoing economic understandings with Israel, including Israeli work permits for thousands of Gaza residents that bolster Hamas' control over the coastal strip.



Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the group overran the territory in 2007. Hamas had a strong incentive to avoid more conflict, which has exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territory's 2.3 million Palestinian residents.



The outburst of violence in Gaza was a key test for Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who lacks experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job  and may have gained political ground with it.



Israel began to reopen crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs on Monday and said it would fully open them if calm is maintained. Fuel trucks were seen entering at the main cargo crossing headed for the power plant, which went offline Saturday after Israel closed the crossings into Gaza last week.



That added to misery at the height of summer heat in the territory, which is under a stifling Israeli-Egyptian blockade and suffers from a chronic power crisis that leaves residents with only a few hours of electricity a day.



Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence. Israel's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted many of the rockets launched at Israel and no significant injuries were reported.



Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on a leader of the Islamic Jihad, saying there were "concrete threats" of an anti-tank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of another senior Islamic Jihad member in the West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank to round up suspects following a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israel.



It killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike on Saturday.



Both sides boasted of their successes. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite losing two of its leaders. "This is a victory for Islamic Jihad," he said.



Despite that claim, the group undoubtedly sustained a blow during the fierce offensive. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets.





Palestinians inspect their house which was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Monday. AP-Yonhap




Haiti - FLASH : Results of 9th AF exams (2022) for 8 departments (by school and by subject)





The Ministry of National Education has made available the results of the 9th fundamental year exams 2022 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36927-icihaiti-education-203-440-candidates-are-preparing-to-undergo-the-state-exams.html for 8 departments: Grand'Anse, Nippes, North-East, Centre, South, North-West, Artibonite and South-East.



According to figures provided by the National Bureau of State Examinations (BUNEXE), the success rates (listed in descending order) are :



Artibonite : Success rate 83.49% (up) previous year 77%;



GrandeAnse : Success rate 79% (slightly down) the previous year 79.28%;



North-Eas t: Success rate 78.33% (up) previous year 72%;



North West : Success rate 77.31% (up) previous year 72%;



Center : Success rate 75.29% (up) previous year 72%;



South : Success rate 71.51% (down) previous year 82.45%;



Nippes : Success rate 65.54% (down) previous year 78.68%;



South East : Success rate 61.07% (down) previous year 84%;



As announced by the Minister of National Education, the results are published by school and by subject and by department in order to allow each parent to better appreciate the quality of the educational services provided in the schools where they decide to entrust their children.



Download the results by department, by school and by subject :



GrandAnse : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Grand-Anse-2022.PDF

Nippes : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Nippes-2022.PDF

North-East : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Nord-Est-2022.PDF

Center : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Centre-2022.PDF

South : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Sud-2022.PDF

North-West : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Nord-Ouest-2022.PDF

Artibonite : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Artibonite-2022.PDF

South-East : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Sud-Est-2022.PDF



School officials are encouraged to withdraw their institution's rankings in the school district of their respective zone.



According to the Ministry, the results of the other departments will be published gradually, as soon as the data processing is finalized.



See also :



https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37330-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-2022-for-7-departments-by-school-and-by-subject.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37322-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-2022-for-5-departments-by-school-and-by-subject.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37314-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-2022-for-4-departments-by-school-and-by-subject.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37298-haiti-flash-results-of-the-9th-af-2022-exams-for-3-departments-by-school-and-by-subject.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37283-haiti-flash-results-of-the-9th-fundamental-year-exams-2022-for-2-departments.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36927-icihaiti-education-203-440-candidates-are-preparing-to-undergo-the-state-exams.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11781-haiti-education-exam-results-disappointing-the-minister-manigat-announced-a-package-of-measures.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH Assassination of the President : Samir Handal released by Turkey returns to the United States





After 9 months of judicial saga in connection with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Turkey has released businessman Samir Handal (64), who holds Palestinian, Jordanian and Haitian nationalities as well as a green card which allowed him to live in the United States for 22 years and authorized him to leave the territory on August 3rd. A decision which comes after the refusal of extradition to Haiti for reasons deemed insufficient and the suspension of the Interpol red notice (after appeal).



Me Mahmut Barlas, Handal's lawyer in Turkey recalls that the file provided by Haiti to Interpol for the red notice and the extradition request affirmed that Handal was part of the assailants who killed the President, injured his wife and stole valuables and documents at the President's residence. Emphasizing that Haiti's allegations were misleading but still turned into an almost verbatim indictment.



Handal denies any role in the assassination of Jovenel Moise, he became one of the suspects because two months before the assassination of the President he had rented a house in Port-au-Prince for 3 months to serve as a medical office, to Dr. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, an American of Haitian origin who, according to the National Police of Haiti (PNH), is one of the masterminds of the assassination and had Presidential ambitions https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34210-haiti-flash-arrest-of-one-of-the-intellectual-authors-of-the-assassination-of-president-moise-and-an-attempted-coup.html .



Handal maintains that he never went to the house after renting it, and Sanon also confirmed to the PNH that he had nothing to do with Handal.



Me Mahmut Barlas recalls that the FBI had questioned Handal on several occasions as part of investigations into suspects detained in the United States in connection with the assassination of President Moise, but that the American authorities never placed him under investigation or under judicial restriction.



Handal chose to travel to Canada first, unsure of the validity of his US residence permit after spending more than six months in Turkey. After flying to Canada on August 3rf, he traveled to Miami to join his family.



Handal and his wife immigrated to Haiti in 1980, where they lived for two decades before moving to the United States. Handal used to return frequently to Haiti where his daughter still lives.



Read also about the Samir Handal case :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37074-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-turkey-rejects-samir-handal-s-extradition-request-and-orders-his-release.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36795-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-the-extradition-of-turkey-of-samir-handal-stalls.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36457-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-postponement-of-the-extradition-hearing-of-samir-handal-in-turkey.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35720-haiti-extradition-of-handal-turkey-asks-for-more-info-and-guarantees-from-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35261-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-haitian-businessman-samir-handal-in-prison-in-istanbul-for-40-days.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35541-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-the-eventual-transfer-of-samir-handal-from-turkey-may-take-a-long-time.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35253-haiti-flash-samir-handal-suspect-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise-arrested-in-turkey.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34395-icihaiti-assassination-of-the-president-5-new-suspects.html



Read also about the assassination of President Moise :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36347-haiti-flash-former-colombian-soldier-mario-antonio-palacios-pleads-not-guilty-in-the-usa.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Mexico : The authorities refuse the entry to 124 Haitian passengers of a private charter flight





Saturday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m., a private charter plane MD 80 from Haiti carrying 142 passengers: 124 Haitians, 8 French, 5 Chileans, 4 Brazilians and 1 Austrian from Haiti landed at the international airport of the island of Cozumel (Mexico).



At the time of the checks, agents from the National Institute for Migration (INM) found that the documents presented were not authentic and refused entry into the country to the passengers of the plane after having discovered, among other things, false passports...



The Migration Service informed the crew that the passengers were being denied entry to Mexico and that the flight should return to Haiti. The two crewmen refused, explaining that their plane did not have enough fuel to make the return trip...



The airport authorities then provided fuel to the plane which left with its passengers for Haiti around 2 a.m. on Sunday, July 31.



Note that this incident has been treated with the utmost discretion and it is only now that this massive attempt to enter Mexico by illegal passengers on a charter flight from Haiti has been made public.



S/ HaitiLibre


















Henderson County News No charges in Christmas Day shooting death of 3-year-old, D.A. says The Christmas Day shooting death of 3-year-old Aylee Gordon was a "catastrophic accident" resulting from the improper storage of a loaded gun in a pickup truck, not the result of criminal negligence under the law, District Attorney Andrew Murray announced on Tuesday. Read Story 

Hendersonville Business Miller's Dry Cleaning closing after 107 years Millers Fine Dry Cleaning, a local mainstay for over 107 years, will officially cease operations on King Street on Saturday, Aug. 20, the company announced. Read Story 
Democrats choose Carey to run against Moffitt

Jay Carey, who ran unsuccessfully this year for the Democratic nomination for the 11th Congressional District, has been selected by the party to replace Stephanie Justice on the ballot for the 48th state Senate District race.

A highly decorated tank commander with more than 20 years of U.S. Army service, Carey served in war zones in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as areas as diverse as the Korean Peninsula, Europe and the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, California.

Service to our country is something that runs through my veins, Carey said. My family has served in every conflict from the Revolutionary War through today. My father served in the military as well as a fireman. He instilled in me that devotion to ones country is more than repeating empty slogans. He taught me that true courage is facing your fears. My mother, who escaped from Russian-dominated Poland during the Cold War, taught me that a government that runs on fear and only benefits the well-connected is doomed to fail.

The N.C. Democratic Senate Caucus chose Carey to replace Justice, who dropped out for personal reasons.

While Im saddened that Ms. Justice is no longer running for the seat, I look forward to taking on Mr. Moffitt in November, Mr. Carey said. Tim Moffitt is nothing more than a reliable yes-man for the Radical Republicans in the state Legislature. His past voting record proves he cares more for Wall Street than he does for our streets. In his long career as a politician, he has done nothing to protect our children in schools, nothing to protect womens rights, disrespects veterans like me and less than nothing to protect our environment."
RESIDENTS across South Oxfordshire were kept awake by an all-night rave on Saturday.

The party, which was held on farmland in Checkendon, went on until 6am with music that could be heard from miles away.

Complaints about the noise littered village groups on social media with some people saying it was inconsiderate and disgusting.

The party was said to be the latest in a series held at Hammonds Farm, although the owner claimed he wasnt responsible for the gatherings before adding: I didnt hear anything.

Residents of Nuffield, Nettlebed, Stoke Row and Checkendon said the noise kept them and their families awake and vented their frustration on discussion groups on Facebook.

Jayne Goatly said: I am all for people having a party and letting their hair down but still noisy at 4am! Come on, wheres respect for others who do want to sleep?

Andy Preston said he spoke with the landowner but was told the land was private. He said: Id just like to say thank-you for a headache and sleepless night. I suppose those with money think they can do as they please.

Sue Veitch said: Very loud music coming from the Wallingford/Crowmarsh direction. We hear it quite often up in Nuffield. Does anyone know if it is the same people each time as it doesnt sound like a wedding or party music?

Im all for a great party but if we can hear it three- plus miles away at 11.30pm it must be very loud for others.

Residents told the Henley Standard that other events had taken place at the field, included one with a Brazilian theme two weeks ago.

Sarah Saunders said: I live in Oakley Court in Nuffield and can hear it. It is pretty loud. Its not every weekend but it does happen quite often. On Saturday night it was like a rave, other nights it is a completely different vibe.

Others questioned the legality of an event as it went on past midnight. On Sunday villagers visited the site while out dog walking and reported people still camping and the presence of portable toilets.

One villager said the only prior warning of the event was a sign with two smiley faces on it posted near the site. But residents of Uxmore Road responded: Was it loud? Yes. Did it go on late? Yes. Was it an inconvenience? Not really.

My only complaint was I didnt get an invite.

Another said: People were having fun, I dont care.
UPPER THAMES lifted the Peter Sutherland Challenge Cup for the most successful club at last Saturdays Henley Town and Visitors Regatta.

The Remenham-based club won 11 events in a day that saw 271 crews racing in 136 races, running continuously from 9am to 7pm.

Upper Thamess wins were spread out with two in the open events, three in the womens, two in the mixed and four in the masters categories.

In the open events Upper Thames saw their Band 3 double of George and Reid triumph against Reading Rowing Club in a time of three minutes and 35 seconds whilst their other win came in the in Band 2 singles where Tom Foster beat clubmate Sam Diserens by three-and-a-half lengths in a time of three minutes and 30 seconds.

In the womens events Upper Thames took the honours in the coxless fours after they beat Reading RC by four-and-a-half lengths. Anna van Leemputten secured the Band 4 singles after beating scullers from Bentham Boat Club and Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club in a time of four minutes and 16 seconds. An Upper Thames/Wycliffe Junior composite crew won the Band 1 quads, defeating Stratford-upon-Avon by one-and-a-half lengths.

In the mixed events Upper Thames defeated London rowing Club in the Band 1 coxed fours by one-and-three-quarters of a length while Upper Thames also took the honours in the Band 2 doubles as Griffiths and Pickthall beat clubmates Buckett and Hinton by one-and-a-half lengths.

In the masters events Upper Thames won the Open E/F quads after defeating their clubmates by three lengths whilst in the womens A/B quads Upper Thames defeated Warwick Boat Club and London Rowing Club in a time of three minutes and 28 seconds.

In the masters doubles, Upper Thames won the F/G open event, beating Bentham RC by one length whilst the womens F double defeated Eton Excelsior Rowing Club by three-and-a-half lengths.

Elsewhere Henley Rowing Club secured four wins with two coming in the masters events in which they had five boats entered.

Henley Rowing Clubs masters womens squad entered five crews in Henley Town Regatta on Saturday. Two Vet F double sculls and a Vet D quad raced well in their heats.

The womens C/D double of Michaela Spitzer and Sarah Girling won their three boat final easily in a time of four minutes and four seconds whilst in one of the last races of the day the womens masters F/G quad of Aoife Scott, Miriam OLeary, Margaret Hall and Julia Lock rowed through the Marlow opposition to win by three lengths in a time of four minutes and 15 seconds.

In the J16 singles, Henleys Sam Hunter beat Oliver Smee to Shiplake College and a sculler from Wiltshire Sculling School to win his event in a time of four minutes and three seconds.

In the Band 3 mixed double sculls, Henleys Ed Fisher and Laurne Herrington beat a double from their own club and a crew from Poplar Blackwall Rowing Club in a time of three minutes and 37 seconds.

The fastest race of the day saw Blue Star Club (the alumni rowing club of Newcastle University) win the Band 1 eights event in a time of two minutes and 39 seconds..

After the event, regatta president Glen Lambert said: Its been a fantastic regatta showcasing the best of Henley both on and off the water.

After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and running a competitor-only event in 2021 its been great to have held the regatta back in its traditional format and location and to hear how much our competitors enjoyed their day racing on this iconic stretch of water.

Regatta chairman Mark Davies thanked everyone who helped put the regatta on. Davies said: Id like to thank all our volunteers, subscribers, sponsors and supporters who do so much to make the regatta a success.

The regatta committee would also like to thank the stewards of Henley Royal Regatta, who allow us to use their land and facilities, and Henley Town Council who have supported the regatta consistently for many years.

Particular thanks also go to the younger juniors of Henley Rowing Club who manned the stake boats at the start all day in warm and humid conditions.

Next years regatta will take place on Saturday, July 29.
RCEP to stimulate economic recovery in post-pandemic era: Cambodian PM

Xinhua) 13:16, August 08, 2022

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Monday that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement, which entered into force earlier this year, will be a booster for regional and global economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 pandemic.

In a video message to mark the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Day which was broadcast on the state-run National Television of Cambodia (TVK), Hun Sen said the full and effective implementation of the RCEP agreement is a priority.

RCEP will stimulate economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, create jobs, and strengthen the supply chain in the region and the world as a whole, he said.

"As the chair of ASEAN 2022, Cambodia will work closely with RCEP countries to promote the full and effective implementation of the RCEP agreement to further intensify the facilitation of cross-border trade movements," he added.

The RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 ASEAN member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Being the world's largest trade bloc, RCEP established a market of 2.2 billion people or 30 percent of the world population with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 26.2 trillion U.S. dollars, which represents around 30 percent of global GDP and 28 percent of global trade.

Thong Mengdavid, a research fellow at the Phnom Penh-based Asian Vision Institute, said RCEP has offered opportunities to regional countries to defend trade liberalization and promote economic cooperation, which are crucial to the post-COVID-19 recovery.

"It is a strategic accomplishment for the ASEAN Economic Community," he told Xinhua.

He said the RCEP enables the reduction of 90 percent of regional trade tariff and non-tariff barriers over the next 20 years, which greatly enhance the flows of goods and services, deepen economic linkage and increase regional competitiveness.

"The successful story of the RCEP could serve as a model and hope for cross-regional economic cooperation and connectivity in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era," Mengdavid said.

According to an Asian Development Bank's study, the RCEP will increase the member economies' incomes by 0.6 percent by 2030, adding 245 billion U.S. dollars annually to regional income and 2.8 million jobs to regional employment.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
With a 200yearlong legacy in Poland's cultural capital, Hotel Saski Krakow, Curio Collection by Hilton couples carefully restored historic features with modern design elements.

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) has celebrated the opening of Hotel Saski Krakow, Curio Collection by Hilton, marking the debut of Curio Collection by Hilton in Poland. Located in the heart of Krakow's Old Town, the 117-room property is well located within walking distance of the city's many art and history museums, as well as Wawel Royal Castle, one of the most historically and culturally significant sites in Poland.

Hotel Saski Krakow, Curio Collection by Hilton draws on its musical and cultural traditions for the hotel's design. In cooperation with world-famous Krakow-born photographer Ryszard Horowitz, corridors and rooms are decorated with portraits of musicians and composers such as Louis Armstrong, Krzysztof Penderecki, Aretha Franklin, Czesaw Niemen and more. Saska Hall, the historic ballroom in which legendary composers Francis Liszt, Johannes Brahms and Ignacy Paderewski performed, has been reopened with frescos restored by hand. As well as designs referencing the hotel's history, among the many modern amenities guests have at their disposal are a swimming pool, spa and fitness centre, as well as a business centre.

The hotel's elegant Regale Bar & Restaurant offers an authentic Polish venue with a modern, international touch. Dishes are prepared with premium quality local ingredients and served with innovative and delightful touches by Roman Pawlik, one of the most renowned chefs in Krakow. His signature dishes include the Onion Tart, with green peas, caramelized onion and Old Giewont cheese mousse, or the specially created "Saski cake" amongst others.

The drinks experience at Regale Bar & Restaurant is elevated by top mixology, signature cocktails such as "Saski Mule" and "Hungarian King", an extensive wine list and local and home-made liquors and vodkas. A bespoke trolley serving tableside cocktails each evening creates a truly special ambience and the further combination of the rich, storied history and musical heritage of the building add to the experience.

Krakow's Old Town is known for its historic churches, interesting museums and Main Market Square, the largest in Europe. With the bustling squares of the Jewish district of Kazimierz and the quiet alleys of the Old Town, Krakow is a key feature of every tourist's trip to Poland and Hotel Saski Krakow, Curio Collection by Hilton provides guests with access to these unique experiences from a location right in the heart of the city.

Hotel website
Global hospitality group The Lux Collective and Jumbo Group in China have signed a hotel management agreement in July 2022 to build the first LUX* urban resort in Guangzhou, China - LUX* Guangzhou. This latest signing marks The Lux Collective's first foray into one of the top three first-tier cities in China and will boost its brand presence in a highly important strategic source market. The new hotel is expected to open in June 2024.

LUX* Guangzhou is located in Huangpu District, Guangzhou City. It has been the gateway to South China since ancient times, with a rich cultural heritage and history, and is also one of the birthplaces of the ancient "Maritime Silk Road". This new project is a luxurious complex comprising a 109-room hotel which includes 36 ultra luxurious residences, an art gallery and a modern office building,. All rooms and suites provide elegant comfort along with the personalised service that is a hallmark of LUX*. Ideal for business, leisure and wellbeing getaways, it will feature a spacious banquet hall, restaurants with world-class cuisine, spa, fitness centre, a swimming pool connecting indoors and outdoors, a children's playground and other modern facilities and amenities.

The hotel is about a 1-hour drive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, and a 3-hour drive from Macau and Hong Kong. LUX* Guangzhou is the first LUX* hotel in Guangzhou City, and it is also the third LUX* hotel in Guangdong Province to be managed by The Lux Collective following LUX* Hengqin, Zhuhai and LUX* Doumen, Zhuhai.

Growing its global presence, The Lux Collective currently manages 15 operating resorts and hotels in China, Maldives, Mauritius and Ile de la Reunion, and with a total of 13 hotels in its current development pipeline in China, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Hotel website
Sushanth Nambiar has been named the new general manager for Novotel Muscat Airport hotel in Oman. In the role, Nambiar will leverage more than two decades of experience to oversee day-to-day operations and ensure stakeholders' needs are met.

Nambiar is already well-versed in Oman hospitality. Previously, he spent three years with Accor as cluster GM of the Mercure hotel in Soha and the Ibis Hotel in Muscat. Before that, much of his time spent in the industry was in the emirates.

In 1999, he started with The Metropolitan Hotel Dubai as assistant F&B manager, later joining The Metropolitan Palace Hotel Dubai in the same position in 2002. Following a two-year stint in Doha, he joined Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi as assistant F&B manager and then Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi as F&B manager.

In 2012, he joined Danat Hotels as director of food and beverage in Al Ain, moving up to EAM of food and beverage in 2015. His first role outside of F&B management came in 2017 as GM of Sheraton Al Khalidiya Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Countries across the globe are grappling with persistent social, environmental, and economic challenges, including climate change, social and environmental justice, and inequality. In the private sector, customers, employees, shareholders, and other stakeholders are challenging businesses to do more.

In response to these challenges, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business has established the Business of Sustainability interdisciplinary theme. Amplifying the colleges mission of shared prosperity, the theme provides a structured mechanism to leverage key resources dedicated to sustainability across the college that align with broad local, regional, national, and global trends.

At the SC Johnson College, interdisciplinary themes serve as critical research and networking hubs for faculty experts and industry leaders within the college, across Cornell University, and beyond. Aimed at addressing the challenges facing our society today, interdisciplinary themes facilitate exchanges of ideas, perspectives, and collaboration across academic disciplines. They connect participants to form vast and unparalleled networks of thought leadership. The resulting cross-pollination and integration among research, teaching, and public engagement programs creates opportunities for new insights and innovative solutions.

Establishing the Business of Sustainability theme will facilitate collaboration, program coordination, and curriculum across all three school in the SC Johnson Collegethe Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, and the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

As business educators, its incumbent on each of us to inspire future business leaders dedicated to creating sustainable, shared prosperity for all, said Andrew Karolyi, Charles Field Knight Dean of the SC Johnson College. The Business of Sustainability theme further weds the research, teaching, and outreach we are tirelessly pursuing to meet the imperative of our colleges mission. The future of business demands no less of us.

Advancing the colleges unique breadth and depth in sustainability

Sustainability issues affect every sector of the economy, from agriculture to hospitality to investment banking, says Mark Milstein, clinical professor at Johnson, faculty director of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, and co-director of the new theme. They challenge institutional stakeholders that work with and influence business, including government, civil society, multilaterals, trade organizations, and academic institutions.

With more than 80 faculty members who actively address business of sustainability issues through research, teaching, and engagement, the SC Johnson College of Business is in a unique position, says Milstein. Few schools of management education have the breadth and depth in sustainability that we have. We think the theme gives us the opportunity to fuel the mission around shared prosperity, lead the development of rigorous research, and establish better sustainability literacy and experience among our students.

The Business of Sustainability theme will also raise the SC Johnson Colleges standing as an academic leader in sustainability research and education among peer business schools around the world, Milstein adds. That, in turn, will enhance efforts to recruit and support faculty, students, and alumni interested in sustainability. The college can put a spotlight on what the intersection of sustainability and business looks like, and how we can improve scholarship, knowledge, and impact in the field, says Milstein

Milsteins codirectors for the Business of Sustainability theme are Jawad Addoum, associate professor of finance at Dyson and Catherine Kling, Tisch University Professor at Dyson and faculty director at the Cornell Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, the hub of multidisciplinary sustainability research at Cornell. Together, they will work with college leadership to identify and prioritize business of sustainability opportunities. The co-directors will also engage faculty colleagues across all three schools to join steering committees focused on research, teaching, and engagement.

The SC Johnson Colleges three schools offer multiple courses that grapple with sustainability issues and aim to cultivate leaders who create sustainable, shared prosperity. These include the Sustainable Global Enterprise Intensive program at Johnson; the Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Teams (SMART) and Grand Challenges programs at Dyson; and sustainability in restaurant management as well as sustainable development courses at Nolan. Course offerings on sustainability in business courses are also growing at eCornell, extending the reach beyond Cornells Ithaca and New York City campuses.

Each school within the SC Johnson College also creates opportunities for faculty, students, alumni, and industry leaders to engage with one another, share approaches, and exchange ideas focused on sustainable management.

For example, the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise (CSGE) conducts applied research focused on how companies can address global sustainability challenges as business growth opportunities. Speakers present new practices promoting sustainability in their industries at CSGEs annual Cornell Energy Connection and Cornell Business Impact Symposium events, where students also connect with broad professional networks. The Nolan Schools Center for Hospitality Research holds annual sustainability roundtables focused on the hospitality industry and publishes its Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking study annually. This July, the Business of Sustainability theme is co-hosting the inaugural ESG Investing Research Conference together with CSGE, the Parker Center for Investment Research, and Investing at Cornell interdisciplinary theme.

The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability works closely with the SC Johnson College to connect business faculty to fellow researchers in other disciplines across the university. By fostering greater collaboration, the new Business of Sustainability research theme underscores Cornells tremendous potential to become an increasingly important source of corporate guidance in shaping ways to meet sustainability and climate targets.

Cornell has unparalleled breadth of expertise essential to help corporate leaders respond to the increasing expectations from shareholders, stakeholders, and governments for decreased carbon footprints and expanded ESG reporting, says David Lodge, the Francis J. DiSalvo Director of Cornell Atkinson.

As business and industries face the complex challenges of lowering their carbon footprints, Cornell Atkinson is connecting the SC Johnson College expertise with expertise in Cornell agriculture, engineering, science, and social science to help drive research that will impact corporate practices and policies, Lodge said.

The Business of Sustainability theme is the sixth interdisciplinary and cross-collaborative research theme established by the SC Johnson College, joining Behavioral Economics and Decision Research; Business of Food; Emerging Markets; Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Technology; and Investing at Cornell.

About the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration

The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration is the premier school for hospitality education in the world. As an integral part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the school is leading the world in teaching and researching the business of hospitalitymarketing, finance, real estate, operations, and more, all applied to the worlds largest and most exciting industry. Top faculty, industry leaders, alumni, and students work together to generate new knowledge for the hospitality industry and form the premier network that shapes the industry every day.
The trailblazing Fari Islands development in the Maldives has welcomed the first cohort of students to its Vocational Education & Training (VET) centre, delivered in partnership with one of the worlds most prestigious hotel schools, the renowned EHL Hospitality Business School (EHL).

The first of their kind, the courses represent a ground-breaking opportunity for the most ambitious and talented workers to develop the vocational competencies, knowledge and mindset required to thrive as a professional in the hotel and restaurant sectors of the hospitality industry. The three-year courses will yield internationally recognised diplomas signed and issued by the EHL, and recognised by the Maldives Qualification Authority, offering local talent a realistic, credible alternative to hotel schools in Europe.

Mr Mohamed Rasheed, Director of HR at the flagship Patina Maldives, Fari Islands, said of the scheme: We are delighted to be spearheading this initiative, which is the first of its kind, bringing internationally accredited hotel and hospitality training to the Maldives. True to the spirit of Patina and the Fari Islands, the pioneering scheme aims to bring a fresh approach to resourcing, training and HR, and to nurturing young talent on the ground in the Maldives. Together with EHL, we are committed to providing an enriching pathway to success for those who wish to rise to their full potential in hospitality management.

Using content developed in Switzerland, the modular course curriculum blends on the job training with classroom learning and assessments. Pathways on offer in the 2022/23 academic year are a six-month Foundation Module in Food & Beverage Service and Hotel Foundation Certificate, which is followed by a further two six-month modules, Intermediate and Advanced, before students graduate with a Professional Diploma. Courses are taken from May  October, meaning the total duration of the Diploma programme is three years.

14 students were chosen on a selective basis to undertake this inaugural course, and are fully sponsored by Patina Maldives, which covers tuition fees and course materials.

The programme will be developed from 2023 with the addition of further diploma programmes in the areas of Culinary, Rooms Division, F&B Service, Hotel Administration and Hotel Communications, with a total intake of 30 students per cohort invited to take part from the Fari Islands properties. The final phase of the initiative will see the scheme opened to all Maldivian nationals, once the programme is fully established.

Training is delivered by EHL-accredited department managers and department supervisors. The four-island archipelago of the Fari islands, developed by Pontiac Land Group, launched last year with the opening of Patina Maldives, the inaugural resort of a new lifestyle brand by the Capella Hotel Group, and the Ritz Carlton Maldives. A third resort, a Capella hotel, is scheduled to open in 2025.

Notably, the development includes an island dedicated entirely to the Fari Campus, a revolutionary purpose-built mix of staff housing and facilities that seeks to bring a sea-change to employee accommodation and wellbeing in the Maldives. Designed by Gaurang Khemka, founder of award-winning architectural and urban planning firm URBNarc, the spacious Fari Campus offers generous, comfortable living spaces and a full suite of recreational facilities and amenities, as well as the benefit of abundant outdoor areas, including the entire coastline of the island. It was designed to foster a sense of belonging and kinship, with intuitive communal spaces inspired by traditional Maldivian communities, crafted to meet the varying needs of its residents.

The VET course offering and sponsorship programme further underlines the commitment of Patina Maldives and the Fari Islands to attracting and retaining the best local talent, whilst nurturing careers and offering the opportunity for team members to reach their full potential.

ABOUT PATINA MALDIVES, FARI ISLANDS

Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is the inaugural flagship property from sophisticated new lifestyle brand Patina Hotels & Resorts, the latest hospitality concept by Capella Hotel Group. Designed by renowned Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, Patina Maldives offers 90 contemporary one- to three-bedroom Beach and Water Pool Villas, alongside 20 Fari Studios, all of which embody a harmony of sanctuary and stimulation. Set in the Fari Islands archipelago in North Male Atoll, guests can immerse themselves in a new expression of island life through thoughtful tailor-made wellness journeys, interactive music programmes, captivating culinary experiences, and bask in the light-filled James Turrell Skyspace pavilion  all while embracing the vibrant social scene that emanates from the destinations communal heart: the Fari Marina Village and Fari Beach Club.

ABOUT FARI ISLANDS

Fari Islands is an elevated Maldivian resort experience that celebrates nature, craft and connection. A Pontiac Land Group development anchored by three world-class hospitality brands, Fari Islands is located in the North Male Atoll within the Maldives, a 45-minute luxury boat transfer from Male International Airport. The archipelago also features the picturesque Fari Marina Village, built around a vibrant Beach Club, charming boutiques and a selection of handpicked, upscale food and beverage options. Spaces have been masterfully designed by renowned architects from Studio MK27 (by Marcio Kogan), Kengo Kuma & Associates, and Kerry Hill Architects, to bring about a delicate balance of serene and social. One of the islands is home to a thoughtful hospitality campus; Fari Campus is a dedicated island for staff with a focus on community, education, and engagement, and is the first of its kind in the Maldives.

ABOUT PONTIAC LAND GROUP

Pontiac Land is a privately-held property developer, owner, and operator based in Singapore. The Groups assets include hospitality, mixed-used, commercial and residential developments. With over fifty years of experience in luxury property development, Pontiac Land seeks to better the built environment through thoughtful architecture and design. Each development is uniquely complemented with world-class art and maintained by the Groups in-house property management team to deliver a consistently high level of well-being and hospitality. These developments span Singapore, New York, Sydney and the Maldives. In 2006, Pontiac Land co-launched Capella Hotel Group in Asia. The Group subsequently acquired Capella Hotel Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2017.

ABOUT EHL HOSPITALITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

EHL is the worlds first hotel school, founded in 1893 as Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne. In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, EHL was ranked the worlds best hotel management school by QS World University Rankings for Hospitality and Leisure Management. EHL has also received the award for best innovation in education at the Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2019 for the bachelors in International Hospitality Management program, following multi-campus study options and the entrepreneurial support provided to the students.
Its no secret that the mobile booking process for hotels trails behind other industries in terms of speed and user experience.

Theres a clear drop off shown in the graphs below (Figure One; Figure Two; Figure Three) between the number of potential customers visiting a hotel website on mobile, and how many of those visitors go on to search and book on mobile. Scrolling fatigue, a complicated booking journey and slow loading times are all key factors that result in a poor mobile experience.

However, the spike in mobile searches is here to stay, unlocking new opportunities to capture demand. In this quick fire article, well look at some of the common causes of low mobile conversion rates and solutions to help you improve them.

Mobile dominates visits but slumps in conversions

Data drawn from Tripteases global hotel database exposes a clear trend. The two graphs show visitors (those who visit a hotels website) and searchers (those who make a search on the booking engine) across desktop, tablet and mobile.

What do the graphs show? When customers are in their top-of-funnel, research phase, mobile is the device theyre using. When people are looking to research a trip, taking your smartphone out your pocket is much faster than sitting down at a desktop computer. It can be done anywhere, at any time, and provides information quickly and simply.

Figure One

Source: Triptease

Figure Two

Source: Triptease

Despite this, desktop switches with mobile to become the prominent device for hotel bookings. Do people feel more confident making bookings on their laptop or PC? Research suggests otherwise. 45% of UK travellers now feel comfortable researching, planning and booking trips to new destinations using only their mobile. This means if you take the necessary steps to improve your mobile UX, you can tap into this demand and increase your direct booking revenue.

Figure Three

Source: Triptease

The top three UX mobile problems and how to fix them

1. Scrolling fatigue

According to Google, only three out of ten searchers end up completing their purchase, with scrolling fatigue being one of the biggest frustrations. Hotels often do not optimise their content for the smaller screen, meaning travellers will have to scroll endlessly to find the information they need. But the likelihood in them sticking around is slim. You have around seven seconds to capture your visitors attention and if they dont like what they see, theyll bounce.

How to fix this

Audit your website, reduce the amount of content that customers have to scroll through and make it easy for them to see your room types and offers. If youve never run an audit of your mobile website before, you can download our audit worksheet here.

If theres content you know that particular types of customer will be looking for, you can also combat scrolling fatigue using personalized content. A Nudge Message allows you to put the information you want them to see right at their fingertips.

2. Unfulfilled autofill

Voice search, face recognition, one touch pay are all shifting our behaviors in terms of performing actions with no physical effort. Thats why another key frustration for customers is not being able to instantly retrieve their personal information to autofill payment details or booking forms. For example, filling home address, billing address and card details on a mobile phone is fiddly and time consuming which often leads to a typical response of Ill do it at home.

The risk? Once theyre home theyll have forgotten what they were searching for or which website they were on, and you lose your chance to capture a direct booking.

How to fix this

To avoid this, ensure form fields, personal details and payment details work with autofill on a customers phone. Additionally, when creating forms - only keep the most necessary fields. If you are capturing email data do you need to ask for all their personal details? Will a forename and email suffice? Streamlining such actions will help remove barriers to booking.

Additionally, Triptease features like Save the Search, that allows visitors to share hotel room details across multiple channels (WhatsApp, Email, Telegram etc) and Retargeting, can increase the likelihood of visitors returning to your website.

3. Site load speed

Google emphasize that delays of even a fraction of a second can lead to customer frustration with your website. If your load times vary between one to five seconds, you can expect 90% of visitors to bounce.

How to fix this

Did you know a 0.1 second improvement in loading speed on travel websites can increase conversion rates on mobile by 10.1%? Check your mobile website loading speed by using a free tool like Google Lighthouse or Googles Test my Site which includes personalized recommendations to help improve your mobile site speed.

What does a good UX look like on mobile?

So far weve covered the top three pitfalls in a mobile booking experience, but what does a seamless mobile journey look like?

These three key takeaways will help you optimise the mobile experience for every customer. Will help you optimise the mobile experience for every customer.

Minimize content: Design mobile pages in a way that will reduce page-loading times and cognitive load. That means keeping images small, having a clear visual hierarchy, removing all clutter, keeping descriptions short (but expandable if needed) and using colour and contrast to maximize visibility. Restrict user inputs: Users become frustrated when they have to continuously tap buttons on mobile, so keep URLs short and pre-fill or minimize data inputs on forms. This reduces the amount of effort required from your mobile user, making them more likely to complete their booking. Simplify navigation: Most users use one hand to navigate their mobile screen so its important to provide an easy-to-learn, self-evident navigation. To allow for easy interaction, call-to-action buttons should be 30x30 pixels and navigation menus should be full screen. There should be clear labelling (including tabs, icons and graphics) and links should be easy to see and obvious when theyve been activated. Prioritize the most-used items at the top of the screen and stay aware of the hand-reach comfort zones of mobile phones. Finally, its important to allow only one primary action per screen on mobile, so dont overload users with multiple options

Source: Triptease

Key mobile experience takeaways for hotels

What looks good on desktop does not necessarily translate to mobile. Perform an audit on your mobile booking experience to uncover the elements that you'll need to change on the mobile experience.

Slow loading times means high bounce rates. The Google Lighthouse tool will run a test and give recommendations to speed up your mobile website.

Meet your visitors expectations of immediacy and provide autofill capabilities.

Avoid scrolling fatigue by minimizing content and placing the most important information at your visitors fingertips - literally!

About Triptease

Triptease is a SaaS startup building industry-leading software for the hotel industry. The company was co-founded in 2015 by Charlie Osmond, Alasdair Snow and Alexandra Zubko and has offices in London, New York, Barcelona and Singapore. Triptease's most recent funding was led by British Growth Fund alongside Notion Capital and Episode 1.

The Triptease Platform is built to help hotels take back control of their distribution and increase their direct revenue. The platform identifies a hotel's most valuable guests then works across the entire customer journey - from acquisition to conversion - to make sure they book directly at the hotel.

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Jason McLellan was confident he was on his way to creating the first vaccine for human metapneumovirus, a respiratory disease that is common among children and the elderly, and could be dangerous to those with weakened immune systems. One small problem: He had some data, but likely not enough to grab the attention of federal funders like the National Institutes of Health.

This phenomenon is a Catch 22 researchers are all too familiar with -- Its difficult to get funding without data, but working unfunded makes it difficult to collect data.

Enter the Welch Foundation. In 2019, McLellan, while at the University of Texas, received $80,000 per year for three years from the Houston charity to fund his research. That funding went to research by McClellan and his colleagues that proved a vaccine technology used in the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines.

For close to 70 years, the Welch Foundation has taken chances on scientists like McLellan, funding research at its earliest stages based on one major criterion: its a good idea. Since its founding in 1954, the foundation has provided some $1.1 billion in seed money for basic research that has led to breakthroughs in medicine, vaccines, and materials.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston could be a biotech hub, but its missing a key ingredient

But whether the research ever results in a commercial product has no bearing on the projects that the Welch Foundation funds, said Adam Kuspa, the charitys president. The only goal is to allow scientists in chemistry and related fields to pursue their own interests, with no expectations of where it might lead.

Its funding to allow basic science researchers in chemistry and related fields to follow their curiosity, Kuspa said, with no thought that there has to be a product in the end.

McLellans case, however, shows the many directions in which basic research can lead. In addition to its contribution to COVID vaccines, the research yielded a metapneumovirus vaccine that has been licensed by a pharmaceutical company and will enter clinical trials later this year. Human metapneumovirus affects more than 11 million people a year, according to a 2018 study.

Ultimately, taking on earlier stage research often means as many failures as successes, Kuspa said. But even failures advance knowledge  perhaps more so than success  and the successes, as McLellans vaccine work shows, can change the world for the good.

His story is an object lesson in why you fund basic research, Kuspa said.

Among the first

The Welch Foundation was created when federal funding for research was a novel idea. One of the first major pushes by the federal government to fund the sciences came in 1940s, with efforts such as MITs Radiation Laboratory or Rad Lab, which was a private-public partnership that resulted in the creation of various radar systems used in World War II. It ultimately inspired the creation of the National Science Foundation, a government agency that supports fundamental research and education in science and engineering, in 1950. This showed the possibilities of funding research.

The foundation was created by the estate of Robert Welch in the 1950s. Welch came to Houston from South Carolina when he was 14 years old with almost no money in his pocket. He was quickly able to find a job at a local drugstore in Houston and then eventually worked as a bookkeeper and salesman, for the Bute Company, a paint firm.

It was the late 1800s, not long before the Spindletop gusher launched the first Texas oil boom. He would listen to businessmen come into the shop and talk about the oil and gas industry, and soon began buying and selling land and mineral rights for oil and gas development, earning his fortune.

He wanted to use his wealth to do good, and first considered a foundation to fund cancer research. But already coming out were the first chemotherapies, which he thought might cure cancer in a decade or two. Its unclear why Welch left his fortune to advance chemical research, but before he died in 1952, he created a trust of $25 million  now valued at about $1 billion  to support the foundation, which was formed in 1954.

The foundation usually has 300 grants going at a time, and provides researchers up to $100,000 a year for three years. This funding allows chemists to hire researchers, maintain their labs, buy chemical supplies, travel and cover any other expenses, Kuspa said.

Funding good ideas

In 2001, the Welch Foundation funded James Tour, a chemistry professor at Rice University, who was experimenting with nanotechnology, which manipulates materials at the molecular level to make functioning machines. He was developing nano cars, devices with four wheels an axles, but so tiny that 50,000 of them could be parked across the diameter of a human hair.

It was purely intellectual curiosity, Tour said. We didnt know what they would end up being good for.

But that curiosity ended up paying off. Throughout the 2000s Tour continued his research. He adapted the technology he created to build his nano cars to create nano machines that drill into cancerous cells and super bacteria  bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. Welch Foundation funded research for the technology in 2019.

The nano machines proved successful in animal trials. Tour is now applying to the FDA to begin clinical trials.

On HoustonChronicle.com: MD Anderson launches joint venture with biopharma manufacturer, creating a potential launching pad for Houstons biotech ambitions

Often times, the foundation is among the first to back research projects. Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, is developing a handheld device called the MasSpec Pen to tell surgeons whether issue has cancerous cells while they operate.

Doctors can easily tell where cancerous cells are concentrated, but, closer to the margins of tissue, it's difficult to determine where to stop cutting, Eberlin said. They dont want to risk leaving cancerous cells in the patient, but they also want to preserve as much normal tissue as possible.

Welch funded the research for the chemistry that makes the device work. The pen uses solvents to chemically extract molecule samples from living tissue. Once she had research understanding how the device could work, she was able to get funding to create prototype from the National Institutes of Health and then The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, a state agency that funds cancer research. Additional funders came on recently.

The device is in pilot studies, which precede FDA clinical trials. It has been tested by more than 20 surgeons at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine, and Eberlin estimates it could win FDA approval within 5 years.

Having a continuous source of stable funding makes a huge difference, Eberlin said, especially for early career investigators like me.

Still No. 1?

Basic research is a matter of economic and international security, said Yousif Shamoo, former vice provost for Research at Rice University.

Historically, the United States has led the world in investing in research and development, but other countries are challenging that lead. U.S. investment in research and development, as a percentage of the economic output, has remained stagnant for nearly half a century, while China has increased research funding at about 2 percent a year, relative to its economy, according to a 2020 report from Rice Universitys Baker Institute and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

China is on track to surpass the United States in total research and development spending by 2030, according to a 2020 report from the National Science Board.

Investing in basic research is how the great nations become great, Shamoo said. They have this ability to see into the future by investing in things that 20 or 30 years from now produce big wins and really disruptive technologies that change everybody's lives.

Early funding also can help disruptive technologies come to fruition faster. Eberlins MasSpec Pen was just an idea in 2016, but is now undergoing multiple trials  supersonic speed for academia, she said. Without early funding from the Welch foundation, she doesnt think her device would be so far along.

Without would have been a lot more difficult time consuming, stressful, Eberlin said, and we probably would have wouldn't have accomplished what we did in just a few years.

becca.carballo@chron.com
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Rightwing activists have found another three-letter acronym to generate rage against teachers, a routine tactic two conservative billionaires have used for years to gut Texas public education.

The new bugaboo is Social and Emotional Learning or SEL for short. Unlike CRT or critical race theory, K-12 teachers have employed SEL since the 1990s to encourage children to develop self-esteem, manage emotions, and empathize with others.

This new demagoguery is the latest in a decades-long effort to rally parents against public schools, and its driving thousands of teachers from the field. Our future workforce and economic prosperity depend on countering the propaganda, demanding better from the State Board of Education, and guaranteeing our teachers professional working conditions.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Republicans now want business leaders out of politics

The Texas Public Policy Foundation thinks SEL promotes child suicide and warned in a recent email blast that SEL is used to teach CRT and other concepts prohibited under Texas state law, like the 1619 Project.

I fear it is creating mental health problems in children, TPPF Fellow Carol Swain wrote. The question for Texas, like other states that have made efforts to remove critical-theory-based concepts from K-12 classrooms, is how to close and lock the door  to prevent social justice warriors and activist teachers from using SEL materials and their own values to evade the intent of prohibited concepts legislation.

The State Board of Education is meeting in Austin to develop a new statewide social studies standard. The anti-CRT legislation is so vague, confusing and anti-intellectual that teachers are quitting rather than dealing with the madness, said board member Aicha Davis.

We talk about teachers leaving in droves, and this is one of the reasons we had a lot of teachers leaving, Davis said. Because it caused so much fear, teachers were afraid to teach because of this.

Even the anti-CRT laws author, state Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), told the board he might amend the law next year because of the widespread confusion.

Texas is suffering from a massive teacher shortage after last years anti-masking protests, book bans and accusations of wokeness. Conservatives have packed school board meetings to purge libraries, fire teachers and demand curriculums that match their political and religious views.

The right wing attacks are part of a decades-long effort by two conservative oilmen and part-time preachers who want to destroy Texass K-12 education system as we know it. While many news outlets have covered this campaign in the past, CNNs Ed Lavandera has the latest update.

Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks have long supported the most right wing, anti-public education candidates. Dunn serves on the TPPF board and chairs the Texans for Fiscal Responsibility board. Wilks is the largest donor to Texas Right to Life. Both men finance Empower Texans, a political action committee considered the rights enforcers.

All these organizations spread right wing propaganda and use scorecards, social media and email lists to coerce Republican elected officials to follow the billionaires agenda.

It is a Russian-style oligarchy, pure and simple, explained state Sen. Kel Seliger, a conservative Republican retiring next year. Really, really wealthy people who are willing to spend a lot of money to get policy made the way they want it - and they get it.

Seliger crossed Dunn and Wilks by defending rural public schools when, according to their associates, the self-professed fundamentalists want to replace public education with private, Christian schooling, CNN reported.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: As oil and gas industry's profits soar, corporations can afford to fight climate change

Their top priority is helping Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pass a school voucher bill that allows parents to spend state money to send their kids to private, religious schools, effectively defunding public schools. To inspire support for their plan, Patrick and his allies have set public schools up for failure by cutting their budgets.

Texas lawmakers have shrunk state spending per student over the last 15 years. Occasionally, theyll authorize an increase, only to cut it later. Texas spends $9,900 per student, while the national average is $13,185, the Education Data Initiative reported.

Political vilification, school shooters, and poor compensation have led two-thirds of teachers to consider leaving the profession, the Texas American Federation of Teachers found in polling its members.

Texas already ranks 35th in the nation for pre-K through 12 education, U.S. News and World Report determined. WalletHub ranked the quality of Texass education as 33rd in the country. An exodus of experienced teachers will only worsen matters.

Few Texans can afford the $30,000 or more that a top private school charges and most do not want their child enrolled in a fundamentalist indoctrination camp. If we want our children and state to prosper in a competitive global economy, we must defend our public schools from those who would destroy them.

Tomlinson, named 2021 columnist of the year by the Texas Managing Editors, writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas. Sign up for his new Tomlinsons Take newsletter at HoustonChronicle.com/TomlinsonNewsletter.

twitter.com/cltomlinson

chris.tomlinson@chron.com
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To tame gasoline prices and provide U.S consumers with some much-needed relief, a few market hawks and politicians are calling on the Biden administration to reimpose a crude export ban. This is driven by the idea that domestic oil will then stay within US borders and ample supplies will eventually blunt the surge in retail prices.

But that idea is fundamentally flawed. An export ban would be quixotic and ultimately prove a disastrous policy, adding further stress on an already strained domestic and global market.

To understand why a new ban may come back to bite the Biden administration, we need to analyze the price mechanism for gasoline in the US and crude globally.

Crude prices have signaled a supply shortage. since the start of 2022. This comes from expectations that Russian production would drop sharply following tight western sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine. Imposing a crude export ban in such a situation would exacerbate the oil shortage, pushing the price of Brent crude even higher.

In the United States, oil from the Permian Basin would be trapped in Texas, driving the price of U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate well below that of the international benchmark Brent crude. U.S. producers would lose the incentive to keep drilling.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Once again, the U.S. is on track to be the worlds top natural gas producer.

But what about consumers? Would they see lower pump prices?

The answer is an unequivocal no. Gasoline prices along the East and West coasts, where most Americans live, are set internationally via an import parity mechanism and would therefore be negatively affected by the increase in Brent prices. In the end, a policy designed to reduce domestic gasoline prices at the expense of the efficiency and competitiveness of the American oil producers would result in higher gasoline prices for most Americans.

So, what could be proposed to reduce gasoline prices? First, we must understand the root causes of high prices and assess the possible solutions.

In simple terms, gasoline prices depend on the price of crude and the profit margins of refiners. Both are high, but for different reasons.

Crude prices are elevated due to the Ukraine war risk premium, while refining margins are at historic highs because of a global dearth of refining capacity. In other words, theres not enough global refining capacity to keep up with the demand for gasoline, diesel, and other oil products.

No quick fix

A quick fix for the wide refining margins is complicated, if not impossible. But the market will likely work its magic: high margins will incentivize investments in additional refining capacity, bringing the supply and demand of oil products back in balance and eventually causing margins to revert to a more typical range.

The critical question is when? It takes years to build a refinery, but the good news is that new refineries are already in the pipeline, primarily in Asia and the Middle East. They are expected to come online this year and through 2024.

The crude risk premium is a different story. The proposed price cap on Russian crude exports, floated by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, is a move in the right direction and far superior to an outright ban. An oil price cap would cut the price paid on purchasing Russian oil.

On HoustonChronicle.com: No direction home: Uncertainty has oil markets swinging wildly

In practice, the most direct mechanism to impose it is via insurance. The International Group of Protection & Indemnity Clubs in London covers around 95 percent of the global oil shipping fleet. Western countries could impose a price cap by letting buyers keep that insurance, as long as they agree to pay no more than a certain price cap for the Russian oil on board.

Many obstacles, however, could derail such a plan. The most obvious one is that Russia might not agree to sell at those prices. Putin has already shown willingness to withhold natural gas supplies to European countries that refused to meet Russias payment demands. Still, withholding oil exports would significantly damage the Russian economy.

The next most likely obstacle would be China, which could decide  for geopolitical reasons to lend support to Russia by paying a higher price. Finally, a price cap could create a powerful precedent, of which oil and gas producing countries would be wary.

A price cap is a measure worth considering at this stage to try to reduce the war risk premium on crude. It is perhaps the least-worst option and probably the only one within the grasp of policymakers, if only they can agree on it.

Claudio Galimberti is senior vice president of analysis at the Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy.
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When it was founded in 2019, Evolve Houston faced what few would consider an enviable task: accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in a city where the economy literally runs on petroleum.

But three years later, the nonprofit is riding an expanding market for EVs and growing interest among consumers  even in oil-centric Houston  to set even more ambitious goals for increasing the number of electric cars on the metropolitan areas roads. By the end of the decade, Evolve Houston is aiming for EVs to account for half of new car sales in the region, up from the initial target of 30 percent.

And Evolve Houston, which grew out to the citys Climate Action Plan, has reasons to be optimistic about meeting that goal. U.S. electric vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2022 jumped 76 percent from the same period a year earlier, more than doubling EVs share of the vehicle market to 5.2 percent from 2.5 percent, according to Kelley Blue Book, the automotive industrys standard reference for determining the value of vehicles. In Texas, the number of EVs registered in the state has tripled to about 134,000 since 2020, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

In Houston, electric vehicle registrations have more than doubled since 2020 and now account for about 3 percent of all vehicle registrations, according to data compiled by Evolve Houston. More than 5,000 EVs were registered in the Houston area in the first five months of the year, and that is expected to top 10,000 by the end of 2022.

When we started three years ago, we had a goal in mind, said Harry Tenenbaum, director of commercialization and infrastructure at Evolve Houston. But weve realized that as this market matures, it's growing at such an accelerated rate that we can't just stay with what the truth was three years ago.

The nonprofit is redoubling its efforts to promote electric vehicles, starting with a relaunch event on Aug. 18 at the George R. Brown Convention to highlight its programs to educate consumers and businesses about EVs and announce Evolve's new executive director.

Fleet focus

Evolve Houston was formed to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles to help Houston achieve its goals of becoming carbon-neutral by the year 2050 and improve air quality. Studies commissioned under Mayor Sylvester Turner's Climate Action Plan determined that the transportation sector was responsible for nearly half of Houstons greenhouse gas emissions and two-thirds of the regions emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which form smog.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Democrats seek to reshape global supply chains for clean energy through spending bill

Evolve Houston gets its funding through memberships. For example, Evolve's founding members -- the city of Houston, CenterPoint Energy, NRG Energy, Shell and the University of Houston - each contribute $300,000 annually. The organization employs four full- and four part-time employees.

One way in which Evolve Houston is working to increase the adoption of EVs is by encouraging municipal governments and businesses, such as utilities that operate large fleets, to convert in whole or in part to electric vehicles. Evolve has partnered with the city of Houston and Fort Bend and Harris counties, as well as regional school districts and private companies, which taken together operate more than 15,000 vehicles.

In February, Houston City Council approved the purchase of 97 battery-operated electric vehicles, as part of the citys goal to electrify all its non-emergency light-duty fleet vehicles by 2030.

Evolve Houston also is working to increase public awareness of the benefits of electric transportation. In December, it began offering electric ride and drive events at schools, community groups and businesses to give people the chance to drive or ride in an electric vehicle.

Katheryn Abou-Chakra, Evolve Houstons interim executive director, said people driving an EV for the first time are initially impressed with how quietly the cars operate, and then are thrilled to see how quickly they accelerate.

They instantaneously fall in love with it, Abou-Chakra said. By the end of the ride, they're smiling and laughing. It's a lot of fun to drive an EV.

Needed: EV chargers

Evolve Houston this spring published the Regional Infrastructure Strategy for Electrification Report, which examined EV charging in Houston and compared it with current demand and that forecast for 2030, Abou-Chakra said.

Most EV owners charge the vehicles overnight, using Level 1 chargers that run off their homes power supply. Public and workplace charging stations typically fall into two categories, Level 2 chargers and Level 3 chargers, also known as DC Fast chargers

Most public chargers are Level 2 chargers, which recharge an EV nine times faster than a normal wall outlet. In about an hour, these chargers provide a charge sufficient to travel 20 to 30 miles.

They can fully charge many EVs in eight hours. Relatively inexpensive, Level 2 chargers can cost between $500 and $1,000, plus the cost of installation.

DC Fast chargers are the fastest. They can charge a typical EV in 60 to 90 minutes. These powerful chargers are expensive, however, costing from $50,000 to $100,000 plus installation.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Mining lithium and other metals needed for clean energy proves to be a hard sell politically

As of September, 467 charging stations with approximately 1,200 charging connections were available in the Houston area, according to the report. Thats enough to meet todays demand, but the growth of EVs is expected to quickly outstrip that capacity.

EV charger investment in the region has totaled $6.7 million, of which $3 million went to Level 2 chargers, and $3.7 million went to DC fast chargers, according to Evolves recent report. The report estimates that more than $400 million in additional funding will be required to provide the workplace and public charging to meet estimated demand in 2030.

Public support for EVs

Even as it works to expand access to charging stations, a bigger challenge for Evolve Houston may be ensuring that a large segment of the public embraces an electrified transportation system. Part of that is educating car buyers that EVs are not only for the affluent driver, but also affordable for the average vehicle buyer.

Today, more than 55 electric vehicles are available in the U.S. market, ranging from motorcycles to passenger cars to single-trailer trucks. The sticker price might be high compared to internal-combustion engine vehicles, but those prices can be offset by federal tax credits, said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer for the University of Houston and the delegate for UH President Dr. Renu Khator, a founding member of the Evolve Houston board.

In addition, Krishnamoorti said, lower fuel and maintenance costs make electric vehicles more economical to own in the long run than their petroleum-powered counterparts. Krishnamoorti, who owns an EV, said charging his vehicle costs about a third of what his wife spends to gas up her conventional vehicle.

I have not taken my vehicle in for any maintenance, no oil changes, nothing done, he said. The only thing Ive spent money on has been on inspection and tires.

To reach the next generation of potential EV buyers, Evolve Houston has launched its eYouth Education Program, an initiative for students, built and led by students. The program works to educate local

youth about the benefits of electric mobility through workshops and educational presentations, demonstrations of eBikes, eScooters and ride-alongs in the latest electric cars.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Global oil demand will peak within 5 years as more people buy electric vehicles, new report finds

Evolve Houston also is addressing environmental and social justice issues related to the electric transportation revolution, Krishnamoorti said. For example, the organization is working to ensure that future EV charging stations are sited equitably throughout the Houston area.

The groups report recommends investing approximately $200 million to install charging units at apartment complexes so residents of multi-family dwellings can enjoy the same access to at-home charging as homeowners.

This relaunch of Evolve is not going to be about technology or about infrastructure, but it's asking: how do we impact people? Krishnamoorti said. That's where the conversation has to shift.
At the MFAH, the newest fine art is mix mastery

It looks like DJs with exquisite taste have been sampling the old stuff at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Away from the new Kinder Buildings modern and contemporary collections and hot-ticket temporary exhibitions, a quiet revolution has been rippling across the campus.

The MFAH, which will be 100 years old in 2024, seems to have found a new groove with a more dynamic, organic  and shall we say, 21st century  approach to displaying historical works. Sharing works from across departments, the museums curators have rebooted five permanent collections, masterfully integrating more media to convey deeper, more engaging stories.

MORE ON HOUSTON MUSEUMS: From Harriet Tubman to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, bronze collar exhibit celebrates 21 trailblazing women

Eleven galleries of Medieval and Renaissance paintings are the latest to get the treatment. The transformation is so dramatic it feels like a whole new experience, bringing sumptuous tapestries and other textiles, decorative objects, devotional art, books and works on paper into view alongside paintings.

Some of the MFAHs Old Master paintings have been fixtures since 1944, when Macys magnate Percy Straus donated more than 80 magnificent 13th and 14th century Italian works. Including Fra Angelicos powerful little Saint Anthony Abbot Shunning the Mass of Gold and numerous gold-ground paintings (devotional portraits set against backdrops of pure gold leaf), Straus gift formed the nucleus of the European collection.

Smaller leaps came after the Beck building opened 22 years ago, with rooms to fill. Rembrandts moody, high-contrast Portrait of a Young Woman, luscious Dutch still lifes and Diego Velazquez Kitchen Maid (which was discovered behind a door at Rienzi in 2018) have been draws for a while now.

To move beyond that stricter picture story, curators Christine Gervais and James Anno didnt simply add a few related objects. They created thoughtful displays that, while still classical, bring viewers a step closer to full immersion.

The size and shape of the galleries hasnt changed, but color-coded walls now denote shifts in time, geography and themes. A few floating walls mask the distraction of exit doors. And things come to light in the sight lines between rooms. We wanted there to be a rational, discernable itinerary from one gallery to the next, Anno said. Curating a single room is fine, but that has to somehow relate to what you walk into next.

MORE FROM MOLLY GLENTZER: Cool off at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston with a hallucinatory indoor experience

New acquisitions and long-term loans advance the narratives, but also shopped the MFAH closet, seeking the best objects that made the most sense with the paintings they had.

We can draw across our entire holdings and pull things out that have never been seen before, Anno said. We have things that havent been seen in decades. And then we have the greatest hits. The reinvented galleries hold about 35 percent more material.



Bringing culture into the equation

The practice of segregating artworks by type or technique originated in Europe hundreds of years ago, when the great museums of the world were founded for artists, researchers and connoisseurs, said MFAH director Gary Tinterow. Now that we have embraced ever-widening audiences, it makes sense for us to create displays with the full variety of artistic expression in each culture.

Curators elsewhere have taken notice of the MFAHs successful reinstallations. In Naples, Italy last week, Tinterow was pleasantly surprised to discover a just-finished gallery thats a test display for the future re-installation of the entire collection at the Museo di Capodimonte. It looked very much like our new galleries for European art, he said.

The MFAH has long prided itself on being a museum for all people. Its grown into its britches as an encyclopedic institution  one that teaches visitors about the full scope of civilized culture, from antiquity to the present  through decades of strategic collecting nurtured by major donors.

The museum now owns more than 70,000 objects, a number that grows every year. (More than 1,300 new pieces, including purchases and gifts, were acquired in 2021.) Yet in historical collecting areas such as the Medieval and Renaissance periods, the MFAH will never have the same critical mass of works youll find at, say, New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art and other older institutions that were in the collecting game decades earlier.

The new approach to curation makes that less of a handicap, and maybe even a blessing: A mixed display can immerse visitors without overwhelming them. The 200 works on view are organized into nine sections, some of which span multiple galleries.

Among the new acquisition and loan highlights, in chronological order:

The large, glistening tondo The Madonna in Adoration of the Christ Child Surrounded by Angels, with God the Father  a treasure that was recently discovered in a French villa and is on display in a museum for the first time. Its by the 15th century craftsman Andrea della Robbia, whose family pioneered the technique of polychrome glazed terracotta.

An early 16th century stained glass window from Germany.

A late 15th century bust of Christ by Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vincis teacher, that may have inspired the Christ figure of da Vincis famous Last Supper fresco. Designed for a sculpture above a cathedral door, its displayed for the first time as it was meant to be viewed  so Christ is gazing sadly down at you.

A copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle, the worlds first illustrated encyclopedia, published in 1493.

Two sumptuous tapestries that would have cost more in the 16th or 17th century than any of the other objects on display. One is Flemish, one is French. The latter combines wool with silk threads intended to glisten in candlelight amid a lot of other sparkling furnishings.

Insanely detailed portrait miniatures. Portrait of a Young Nobleman is the work of Isaac Oliver, one of Englands best painters of the early 17th century. The extremely rare Henri III, King of France, depicting a controversial 16th century monarch who dolled up as a woman. Its the only known work bearing the signature of the royal painter Jean de Court.

An intricately inlaid late 17th century long-case clock, attributed to Andre-Charles Boulle, the cabinet maker to King Louis XIV.

*A 25-foot long biombo, or lacquered folding screen, with a finely detailed panoramic view of street life in 18th century Mexico City.

Recreating a Rennaissance gallery

Multiple themes merge in long, magnificent central gallery, which evokes a grand salon in an Italian palazzo. Like a museum-within-the-museum, it illustrates how a Roman art collector would have displayed his prize possessions. Along with supporting his eras contemporary painters, he might also have funded archaeological digs across the city. The Classical sculptures that were being unearthed also fed the imaginations of artists, often serving as figure models for their paintings. The rooms portraits and Flemish tapestry also signal a move toward more secular art that took hold during the Renaissance, after several centuries when most art patronage came from the Catholic Church.

Speaking of which  the Straus Collections masterpieces, which in the past have been scattered, are now corralled in a jewel box of a room, but not alone. Some of them flank an early 16th century Flemish chasuble (a priests vestment) and a glass case of shiny ecclesiastical objects. Gazing at it all, a visitor better understands how these things operated within the same cosmos. I could almost imagine I was attending Mass in a Gothic cathedral 500 years ago.

Acknowledging the colonialism that later fed opulent European lifestyles was an imperative, Anno said, but he and Gervaise didnt want to impose that narrative, instead aiming to let the artworks lead the conversation.

For example, the museums nice collection of Dutch master paintings tell a story of global trade riches, displayed in a beautiful room with a table and the kind of decorative objects that appear in the still lifes. Glazed terracotta chargers and a small sculpture of a Trinitarian friar add a layer to new arrangements of Viceregal and Colonial art, discreetly reminding viewers that before the Spaniards colonized the Americas, their own homeland was ruled for 700 years by Moors.

The last great surprise is the aforementioned biombo, which likely was inspired by Japanese screens coming from Manila and painted by indigenous Central American artisans so you have the whole world on a platter, Anno said. He and Gervais have divided the adjustable screen in half to put viewers in the middle of the scene. I could have lingered there for hours, examining the finely detailed buildings, the distant mountains and villages, the fantastical birds flying overhead and  most intriguingly  the diversity of the vendors, customers and other people mingling in the streets.

Gervais collaborated with another colleague two years ago a similarly-scaled reinvention of the museums American art collection. It was interesting to see how people responded, she said. Traditional picture galleries have a particular feeling and tone and presentation. When you start to add in costume, textile, books, do people like it or not? In Houston, people really do like it. They like the different textures, the different stories, the idea of how people used things or what they wore or what they prayed to. These are experiences we can give to people.

Reinstalled European Art Galleries

Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Beck Building, 5601 Main

When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 12:30-6 p.m. Sundays

Details: General admission $12-$19, free on Thursdays; 713-639-7300, mfah.org
HGTV junkies who turn to home makeover and design shows for inspiration in their own home might want to take a look at the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams 2023 Color Collection of the Year, a group of 10 colors that offer something for everyone.

From the group of 10, Darkroom, a shade of black with a slight purple undertone, was singled out as the collection's 2023 Color of the Year.
The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office has identified a man found dead in a sandlot last week as Marbin Alexi Sanches Castillo.

Castillo, 24 of Honduras, was found deceased Aug. 3 in the 26000 block of Sorters Road around 8:30 p.m.

On YourConroeNews.com: Human trafficking ring bust lands four in Montgomery County Jail

Sheriffs Lt. Scott Spencer said homicide and violent crimes detectives along with the sheriffs office crime scene unit are investigating the death.

Spencer said no other information would be released at this time.

Anyone with information or may have know Castillo is asked to call the sheriffs office at 936-760-5800 or Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867 and reference case No. 22A232920.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Five years after Brian Spauldings parents found him fatally shot, his slaying remains a mystery that seems increasingly unlikely to be solved as Portland, Oregon, police confront a spike in killings and more than 100 officer vacancies.

Portlands homicide rate surged 207% since 2019 and detectives working older cases are now swamped with new ones.

To us, its not a cold case, said George Spaulding, who has his sons signature tattooed on his arm. Were not dissatisfied with the Police Bureau because I think theyre doing the best they can, he said. They are just overwhelmed. Its insane.

From Philadelphia to Portland to Los Angeles, killings and gun violence are rising at the same time officers worn out by the pandemic and disillusioned over the calls to divest from policing are quitting or retiring faster than they can be replaced.

Departments are scrambling to recruit in a tight labor market and also rethinking what services they can provide. Many have shifted veteran officers to patrol, breaking up specialized teams to keep up with 911 calls.

Were getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them, said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Eric Gripp, whose department has been rotating employees from specialty units to increase patrols.

Departments all over are down and recruitment has been difficult.

Los Angeles, which is down more than 650 officers from its pre-pandemic staffing, shuttered its animal cruelty unit and downsized its human trafficking, narcotics and gun details and reduced its homeless outreach teams by 80%. Seattle recently announced $2 million in hiring bonuses and benefits to lure recruits amid a critical officer shortage.

For me, I wonder, what the profession is going to be 20 years from now if were having these challenges on a nationwide scale. Are we going to be able to recruit enough people to serve our cities? asked Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell, whose force has lost 237 sworn officers through retirements or resignations since 2020.

Portland logged a record 89 homicides last year  roughly three times its historical average  and is on pace to top that this year after already tallying more than 50. A report completed for the city last month by the California Partnership for Safe Communities found 75% of homicides in 2020 were by gun. The city has seen nearly 800 shootings this year.

That follows a national trend. While non-violent crime decreased during the pandemic, the murder rate increased nearly 30% in 2020 and the rate of assaults went up 10%, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Its unclear whats driving the surge, but COVID-19 created huge social disruption and upended government and community support systems. Gun sales also spiked during the pandemic.

Experts say widely cited theories that violent crime is worse in places that changed policing tactics in the wake of protests over Floyds murder dont bear out. Violent crime has increased in red and blue communities alike, regardless of their approach.

Theres a lot of evidence that something bigger is going on than the social justice protests that happened, and its probably more than one thing, said Ben Struhl, executive director of the Crime and Justice Policy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jeremiah King, who is transitioning out of homelessness, was shot while trying to protect a friend in Portland who was being attacked just a short walk from the citys business district.

I didnt feel anything at first but 10 seconds later I could hardly breathe, King said after three nights in the hospital. I thought I was going to pass away.

To address the violence, Portlands police chief broke up specialized units to bolster patrol numbers and moved detectives from assault, cold case and gun violence units to his homicide squad. That effectively stopped investigations into about 300 unsolved slayings.

Brian Spauldings parents now must consider the possibility that one day no one will be assigned to their son's case.

I keep thinking that with all of the gun violence thats going on, they might be able to get a gun that matches the gun that killed Brian, said Carolyn Spaulding.

But what law enforcement says is a staffing crisis could actually be a case of misdirected resources, said Christy Lopez, co-director of Georgetown Law Schools Center for Innovations in Community Safety.

In some departments, police have sworn in new recruits this year, although the numbers arent keeping up with attrition, they say.

You really cant take it at face value when a department says you need more police officers. You need to look at a staffing audit: What are your police officers doing? What are they unable to do? It might mean that you actually need another Boys and Girls Club, not more officers, she said.

Some have celebrated the downsizing, including homeless advocates in Los Angeles, where four out of five homeless outreach teams were disbanded.

Police should be nowhere around outreach. You cant be the provider of services as well as the jailer, said Pete White, the founder and executive director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network.

Still many others are fed up with perceived lack of action by police.

In Philadelphia, where the department is down 550 officers from pre-pandemic staffing and another 860 are on medical leave or restricted duty, City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez said there are more than 30,000 backlogged police complaints about abandoned cars.

Officers normally assigned to a unit dealing with neighborhood issues have been shifted to violent hot spots, where the homicide rate reached a record high last year.

The abandoned cars bring trash in the areas, then you know other crimes, quality of life issues, drug dealing, shootings, killings, said Kimberly Washington, executive director of the Frankford Community Development Corporation. This starts to look like the place where this can all go down because no one cares.

Royal Harris knows what thats like.

Growing up in Portlands gang territory in the 1990s, his brother, two first cousins, two second cousins and numerous friends were shot to death  and many of those cases remain unsolved.

Harris supports the temporary shut-down of the citys cold case unit if it means police can close fresh cases, even though it takes resources from solving his own loved ones slayings.

Under the current climate, somebodys going to feel cheated and we have to be honest with that. The question is, who do we cheat? he said. These hard decisions (have) to be made to stop this.

____

Lauer reported from Philadelphia and Dazio reported from Los Angeles.
Metro Video

A female early Monday was shot to death by another female in South Side following an unspecified fight in a parking lot, authorities said.

Officers responding about 2 a.m. to the shooting on the 3700 block of Faulkner Street found the woman suffering from at least three gunshot wounds, according to Houston police and Metro Video. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition where she died.
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Alief ISD will be the first Houston district to welcome students back for the regular 2022-23 school year with classes starting Monday.

The district, which already began a new year-round schedule July 27 at Bush Elementary School, starts classes for the rest of its students Monday. Nine other Houston-area districts kick off their school years later in the week. Houston ISD, the largest school system in the state, will be among the last districts to begin classes on Aug. 22.

READER POLL: Share back-to-school tips for parents of Houston kindergarteners

Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Students return, in some cases, weeks earlier than in previous years, to schools still feeling the impact of the pandemic. Area districts still are trying to fill hundreds of teacher positions, chief among them HISD, which listed more than 840 teacher vacancies on Friday.

Educators again will be tasked with mitigating the compounding learning loss many kids have experienced since COVID-19 disrupted school for millions of children across the state. Administrators also will bear the burden of ensuring schools are safe with extra safety protocols following the May 24 massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston districts trying to fill thousands of teacher vacancies just 2 weeks before school starts

Alief ISD is starting off the school year with an interim superintendent while the search for a permanent replacement for outgoing Superintendent HD Chambers continues. The district anticipates naming a lone finalist at the end of October.

Also new this year in Alief are two campuses: the Martinez and Jefferson Early Learning Centers for pre-kindergarten.

Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

The district also joins two others  Aldine and Spring ISDs  with year-round programs geared toward catching up students who have fallen behind during the pandemic, as well as the traditional summer slide.

The new programs, which proponents say will help close achievement gaps for economically disadvantaged students, are partially funded through the Texas Education Agency.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Alief ISD names interim superintendent as it searches for permanent leader

We have the opportunity to work with students that have traditionally lost their learning over the course of the summer, said Adrian Bustillos, director of transformation at Aldine ISD. We want to make sure that we have a plan in place that we can keep students from falling backward and keep moving forward.

Aldine is offering year-round education at Ermel, Smith and Harris elementary schools, as well as Vines Primary School. The school year began mid-July and will end June 16, 2023, with breaks for holidays.

Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Norma Ramos helps her daughter Aida Perez with her sweater as she arrives into her classroom on first day of school at Alief ISDs Martinez Early Learning Center Monday, Aug. 8, 2022 in Houston. / Norma Ramos peeks around the corner, checking on her daughter, Aida Perez, after dropping her off in her classroom for first day of school. (Brett Coomer/Staff Photographer) Norma Ramos helps her daughter Aida Perez with her sweater as she arrives into her classroom on first day of school at Alief ISDs Martinez Early Learning Center Monday, Aug. 8, 2022 in Houston. / Norma Ramos peeks around the corner, checking on her daughter, Aida Perez, after dropping her off in her classroom for first day of school. (Brett Coomer/Staff Photographer)

Diana Olivo, whose son goes to Ermel, said the extended programming has helped already.

When he started going to school, he had difficulties speaking, she said. He had to get therapy in and out of school. Once (year-round school) started, it's like he's a chatterbox

Ermel Principal Erik Torres said the year-round program is helping student achievement.

We were able to see significant gains in language arts and math throughout the entire building, he said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston ISD police would not be prepared for active shooter, superintendent says

In Alief ISD, Bush Elementary was an ideal candidate for the program due to its status as a Title I school, Area Superintendent of Innovation Patrick Cherry said.

While achievement data on the program is preliminary, community feedback has been positive, Cherry said.

Parents were really positive about (the change), Cherry said. They liked the fact that their kids had more time in school to kind of get caught up and be better prepared before they left elementary school.

Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Conroe, Fort Bend, Goose Creek, Klein and Santa Fe ISDs, as well as Stafford MSD begin classes Wednesday. Crosby, Galena Park and Magnolia ISDs are scheduled to open their doors Thursday.

Channelview and Spring Branch ISDs start classes Aug. 15; Friendswood, Pasadena, Spring and Tomball ISDs kick off their school years the next day; Aldine, Barbers Hill, Deer Park, Katy, Pearland, Sheldon and Texas City ISDs begin Aug. 17. Alvin and La Porte start school Aug. 18.

Houston, Cypress-Fairbanks, Galveston, and Waller ISDs, as well as Lamar CISD are slated to start Aug. 22. Dickinson ISD begins classes Aug. 23.

hannah.dellinger@chron.com
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Shiite Muslims in Texas and around the world Monday are mourning the massacre of Husayn ibn Ali, his family members and companions  a slaughter that occurred roughly 1,350 years ago and is one of the most significant holidays for members of the religious minority.

The ways Houstonians and Texans are honoring the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammads grandson incorporate religious traditions from Pakistan, India, Iran and other countries and take their own form in the Lone Star State.

When Houstonians gathered to protest the police killing of George Floyd, oncologist Hasan Jafri joined the march. The moral obligation that moved him to take to the streets originates from his Shiite Muslim faith. He renews this commitment to justice each year on the religious holiday Ashura.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Exclusive: America's first Ismaili Center will be architectural jewel for Houston

On Ashura, Shiite Muslims revisit the Battle of Karbala, which took place in the year 680 in what is now Iraq. Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was known for his devotion to moral justice, was slaughtered along with his family by an army of thousands after he stood up to Caliph Yazid, whom Husayn considered an illegitimate and impious leader. Husayns sacrifice has been observed around the world ever since.

Jafri said the holiday reminds him that even when the cost is high, when something is unjust, I need to stand up.

Ashura gives you that extra motivation or training that  I do need to get out and do something about this, he said.

This year, Ashura comes on Aug. 8, the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this time of year, Shiite Muslims gather for sermons, processionals, prayer, contemplation and in some cases, passion plays, chest beating and self-flagellation  to grieve communally Husayns martyrdom.

Diasporic traditions

The diversity among Shiite Muslims can be reflected in the many different ways followers observe Ashura around the world and in Houston.

In Texas, Ashura events adopt distinct meanings and flavors as immigrant families from Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq look to pass on religious and cultural traditions to their American-born children.

Texas Womens University sociology professor Mahmoud Sadri observes Ashura at the Institute of Islamic Learning in Plano, where prayers are said in four different languages, incorporating cultural and religious traditions from different Shiite Muslim communities that immigrated to Texas.

What I love about it is that various cultures, Afghanis, Persians and Arabs from different countries, gather together in different halls, each celebrating Ashura in their own language, with their own chants, and they also serve their own kind of sweets and food, Sadri said. He believes the mourning traditions help immigrants and their children preserve a connection to their homelands and religious beliefs.

Besides being an American, dont forget that you are Shiite Pakistani, and you are the heir to this great sacrifice that was done by the beloved grandson of the Prophet of Islam to preserve the soul of Islam, Sadri said.

He explained that mourning during Ashura binds millions of Shiite Muslims, who are religious minorities in Islam, across generations through the shared trauma of a massacre that occurred more than a thousand years ago. Of the 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, roughly 13 percent are Shiite Muslims, according to Pew Research.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Inside the viral video trend that made Houston-area children the face of Iranian propaganda

Houston immigration attorney Ummehani Ismail, who follows the Dawoodi Bohra denomination of Shiite Islam, traveled to Paris for the holiday. For Ismail, Ashura is not only a time for mourning but also reflection and even planning.

Ismail said as an attorney, business owner and mother of two girls, it can be hard to find time to focus on her spiritual life.

Life is crazy. So, during these days, it kind of helps me put everything on a pause. And it helps me to stop  (its) a time of religious reflection and educational growth, she said.

She went to Paris to participate in a massive gathering of Dawoodi Bohra where people listen to daily sermons by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the denominations chief religious leader. These sermons are delivered from London and transmitted in Paris. In 2015, Houston hosted an international Ashura gathering for the Dawoodi Bohra community.

An American way

This year, Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, a British religious leader and scholar, is visiting Houston to deliver a series of lectures on Ashura geared to younger generations of Shiite Muslims.

He said around the world, each community has its own ways of observing the religious holiday  and its critical in Houston and in Texas that Ashura be tailored to the local culture.

I see that these mournings of Imam Husayn are evolving. And I hope that if (theyre) allowed to evolve, that youre going to see a very American or Texan, or North American type of mourning, which will differ from the diaspora in Europe, which will differ from the diaspora in other parts of the world, Razawi said.

He said observing Ashura can help American-born children of immigrants from Iran, Pakistan and other countries shape new religious traditions that will help Shiite Islam grow in the West.

Im hoping in the future that we have an American way of mourning and the way that Americans would do so, which eventually should change or evolve from an Eastern way. Because otherwise the message is not going forward, Razawi said.

elizabeth.trovall@chron.com
First, their water was turned off. Then, the electricity. And on Monday morning, tenants gathered with lawyers, activists and City Council member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz in front of their homes  which they had been locked out of with all of their possessions still inside.

Tenants said Haff & Company Construction, a custom homebuilder that owns four homes on Alabama Street in Third Ward, turned off their water and electricity and then locked them out after the landlord was unable to pay a water bill included in rent.

Roxann Thomas, who manages the property, agreed that she could not pay a $11,000 water bill that came after the February freeze in 2021 caused many pipes across the region to burst. But she said the water had been turned off by the city and that afterward she had paid tenants between $800 and $1,000 apiece to move.

Thomas said she did not know what happened to the electricity and that the locks had not been changed. She accused tenants of now seeking additional payments to move. Theyre trying to get more money, and Im trying to deal with what Im going to have to deal with. Because Im not letting yall extort money from me.

The city confirmed it had turned off water because it had not received a water payment since 2016. In 2019, it received one payment for wastewater fees.

Tenant lawyers and activists said the situation  in which a landlord tries to get tenants to move without going through the formal eviction process in courts  is part of a larger problem. Many tenants, unaware of the legal process required for an eviction, self evict when landlords tell them they must move or lock them out, said Eric Kwartler, managing attorney for the Eviction Right to Counsel unit at the nonprofit Lone Star Legal Aid.

How many is hard to track because the actions are taken outside of legal avenues. For that reason, Kwartler praised activists for bringing it to Lone Star Legal Aids attention.

Without people that are advocating in these neighborhoods, the tenants just fall through the cracks, he said. The only way we can solve these problems is if we know theyre happening. He said Lone Star Legal Aid intends to file suits to have utilities restored and damages paid to the tenants.

On HoustonChronicle.com: East Houston tenants complain of rats, roaches and more to City Council, as Turner promisese action

Terria Mathis, who was standing in the Texas heat with her 5-month-old daughter, said the landlord had told her weeks before that tenants were being evicted because of a water bill that had gone unpaid since the freeze.

Then, two weeks ago, she and another tenant said they witnessed the water meter removed from the property.

I have a 5-month old daughter, Mathis said. So I need to sterilize bottles, I need to sterilize pacifiers, and I couldnt do it with no water.

On Friday, Anthony Hudson, an amputee who also lives in the one of the small shotgun houses on Alabama Street just west of Live Oak Street, said he was sitting at home when the lights went out.

I went outside and I saw (someone) taking my fuse box to their truck, he said. He recalled his shock. You cant just cut off someones water and electricity in the middle of the summer when its 100 degrees out.

When tenants stood outside of their locked homes Sunday night, Hudson was not only cut off from his medications and food, much of which had already gone bad since the electricity had gone out. His two dogs were also locked inside without air conditioning.

And between buying water to use to drink and bath and paying for hotel rooms, he says hes spent $1,000 in the past two weeks  a significant financial strain given that he lives on disability.

On Monday morning, as a crowd gathered outside the homes, the tenants mail was delivered. Mathis used an envelope to fan her daughter in the rising heat.

Then Dr. Candace Matthews  an activist with high-ranking positions in the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Rainbow Push Coalition and the New Black Panther Nation  received the keys, and they set about trying to unlock the doors. But the utilities had yet to be restored, and newly hung signs telling tenants to keep off the property were still hanging beside boarded-up windows.

Thomas said she wasnt trying to evict tenants  just to get them to move when the lingering financial effects of the February freeze in 2021 came to a head.

But to Matthews, the question was one of following procedures to make sure tenants receive the full protection of the law. There is a process for how you do this, she said.

Yi-Chen Lee contributed to this report.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;

twitter.com/raschuetz

\
We were expecting the worst when the State Board of Education convened in Austin last week to consider updates to the states social studies curriculum standards, known as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. After all the complaints about our impressionable youngsters being force-fed critical race theory, we would not have been surprised to see Walt Disneys syrupy, long-vaulted Song of the South added to the required curriculum. Perhaps the board would follow Florida and essentially outlaw mention of the word gay, except as an adjective describing the capital of France.

We are pleasantly surprised about the proposed curriculum, but we werent the only ones concerned about how the board might implement Senate Bill 3, a new law targeting how history and race are taught. Educators not only were confused about what SB 3 allowed them to say, or not say, in the classroom, but they also felt under threat by a generally embattled environment at schools and school boards. They were aware that a Black principal in North Texas was put on paid leave after being accused of teaching critical race theory, which he denied doing. (He resigned after reaching a settlement with the district.) A similar fate recently met Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Eric Williams, who announced his retirement after less than two years following CRT-related accusations of indoctrination that stretched back from his previous post in Virginia.

As weve noted on numerous occasions, CRT, as its called, is not taught in Texas public schools at any level. Few seem to have a clear grasp of what it means. Republicans around the country have adopted the term as a convenient catch-all label for anything about racism and its lingering effects that might come up in the classroom or might be included in school library offerings. Draft versions of SB 3 gave many Texas educators the impression that they must de-emphasize slavery and racism or any mention of unpleasant historical events that might embarrass students today.

A meddlesome Texas House member from Fort Worth, Matt Krause, called for an investigation into school-library holdings around the state. Krause relied on a list of 850 titles, mostly about race and LGBTQ issues, that had been compiled by a national right-wing group.

During the hearings last week, board member Aicha Davis, a Dallas Democrat, told state Sen. Bryan Hughes, sponsor of SB 3, that his law has already hurt public schools. She questioned whether the Mineola Republican had consulted with teacher groups before writing the bill.

We always talk about teachers leaving in droves, and this was one of the reasons, Davis said. Teachers were literally scared to teach even the TEKS that existed because of this.

The turn of events during the SBOE hearings last week gave us reason for hope. Among the witnesses, 126 in all, was Hughes himself. He told the board that SB 3 had been misinterpreted.

That bill is not an attempt to sanitize or to teach our history in any other way than the truth  the good, the bad and the ugly  and those difficult things that weve been through and those things weve overcome, Hughes said. No one is saying that we dont have systemic racism. But what were saying is weve made a lot of progress. We have a long way to go. But the way to get there is to come together as Americans.

Hughes was appearing before the board for the first time since the law took effect last December. He told board members that the intent of SB 3 was to make sure that no student is told to feel guilty about any misdeeds their ancestors might have committed.

We still teach that really bad things were done by people of particular races, and it may be that in teaching those things, students may feel guilty about that, the lawmaker added. What were saying is you dont say, Little Johnny, little Jimmy, you should feel bad because of what your forebears did. 

We appreciate Hughes clarification, and we hope board members do their part to offer assurances to Texas educators that they can teach, for example, that the U.S. Constitution counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person and that the Texas Constitution banned emancipation. We also hope that the board gives thoughtful consideration to the recommendations crafted by advisory groups chosen to guide this once-in-a-decade process. Made up of experts in various fields of the social studies  government/civics, economics, geography and history  the groups have compiled an impressive catalog of recommendations for the states social-studies curriculum. (Drafts of the updated curriculum are available online.)

After another set of hearings at the end of the month, the 15-member board  nine Republicans and six Democrats from districts around the state  will begin the tedious process of adopting, rewriting or rejecting the advisory groups recommendations. The process will be completed by November  if, that is, politics doesnt rear its ugly head.

Our optimism depends on all of us to remember our own civics lessons from school. If you cant remember that far back, thats another reason to dig into the proposed curriculum as a refresher.

New members elected to the board in November could shift the political tenor of the board even further to the right. The favorite to win the District 7 seat , for example, is Julie Pickren, a former Alvin ISD school board member forced out of office after it was revealed that she was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Shes considered so extreme that the departing incumbent, Matt Robinson, a doctor from Friendswood and a Republican, has endorsed Pickrens Democratic opponent, Dan Hochman, a Galveston teacher.

If the board decides to postpone the adoption process until after new members take office, all kinds of mischief could be the result. Our concern is that Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick  if, as expected, theyre still in office themselves  will pressure the board to do just that.

Included under the label Citizenship in the voluminous list of recommendations the board must consider is this social studies objective: The student understands the importance of active individual participation in the democratic process.

For little Johnnys sake and little Jimmys, Texans need to do their electoral homework, all the way down the ballot to the State Board of Education. They need to study the issues and the candidates. They need to vote.
This week, five years ago, Houston was reeling from three years of major floods  Memorial Day, Tax Day, Memorial Day again. Many of us were soggy but still skeptical of whether the heavy rains were really connected to climate change.

Then came Hurricane Harvey at the end of August and its biblical downpour, dumping more than 50 inches of rain onto the city. Birds-eye view photos told the story that so many lived, muddy brown waters filling roads and homes for days.

It changed us.

Some Houstonians are still recovering. We hold in a collective breath each hurricane season, tracking tropical storms as they make their way toward land. And we are far more convinced that the world is indeed already experiencing climate change and that we must do something about it.

At last, we may have a bill from Congress that does just that  even if its a pared down version of what proponents had initially hoped for.

Too many of us, in Houston and beyond, have experienced what climate change truly means to continue to go about business as usual. While the awakening for many Houstonians was sudden, the journey to this broader moment of reckoning has been a long time coming.

As early as the late 1800s, scientists described the connection between carbon dioxide and our changing climate.

More than 100 years later, in 2007, when a group of world leaders joined together for the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies, the moment was decidedly heavy: We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency  a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here, said that years Peace Prize recipient, former vice president Al Gore who had already dedicated decades of his own career to sounding the alarm.

But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst  though not all  of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.

In her 2010 Merchants of Doubt, with co-author Erik Conway, Harvard historian Naomi Oreskes revealed what she described in a 2012 NPR interview as systematic efforts organized by people outside the scientific community to undermine the scientific data and to convince all of us that the jury  scientific jury was still out in order to delay government, business and community action on taking steps to prevent further man-made climate change.

The long history of climate science, industry obfuscation and escalating weather disasters underscores just how slow we have been to act. But just as climate change itself has seemed to reach an inflection point, so too has the debate shifted  ever so slightly  toward action. At last.

The bill that just barely passed the Senate Sunday with help from the vice presidents tie-breaker vote marks the first real effort at the necessary scale to curb emissions and address climate change. The New York Times described the legislation as five decades in the making. Though the bill is a drastically reduced version of its first iteration  Build Back Better  it is still set to cut greenhouse pollution significantly, according to analysis by Princeton Universitys ZERO Lab. Not enough to avert the worst, as the New York Times explained, but a sizable down payment, thanks largely to an approach that favored incentives for good industry behavior over penalties.

So why now? After decades of struggle?

The evidence is all around us. Everything from worsening droughts to stronger tropical storms has been linked to climate change. So much so that what we once understood as natural disasters are increasingly understood to be, if not man-made, certainly man-enhanced.

In Houston  the heart of oil and gas and all things greenhouse  weve experienced a bit of everything and our shifting understanding of climate change reflects that. In 2011, fewer than half of the Kinder Houston Area Survey respondents thought that climate change was the result of human activity and not normal climate cycles. By 2020, that number was up to 69 percent.

The annual surveys also reveal a bit of the attitudinal fickleness that has made it so difficult to overcome the business-as-usual mentality of so many. In 2018, shortly after Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 50 inches of rain on us, 81 percent of survey respondents agreed that more severe storms are almost certain. By 2021, with the memories and floodwaters receded, that number had dipped down to 59 percent.

But it isnt just Houston thats been experiencing more severe weather. In the first six months of 2022 alone, the country experienced nine climate-related disasters with costs exceeding $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations National Centers for Environmental Information.

Even if Houston has been spared in recent years, others havent. This increasing exposure to climate disasters  from wildfires to urban flooding  means that we need only to trust our own eyes to see the truth.

It seems this real-time data, as the New York Times calls it, has undone what so many dollars of image management and PR attempted to do for so long: hide the truth.

The thing is, you dont need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, as all Bob Dylan fans know.

This legislation, at last, seems to know which way the wind is blowing. It moves us toward urgently needed emissions reductions but does so in a way we think most Texans would likely support, balancing tax incentives for renewable energy with new oil and gas drilling in the Gulf and Alaska to ease that transition.

The bill includes funding to help reduce air pollution at the nations busy ports, to help smaller oil producers meet emissions targets, and to help expand solar and clean energy investments.

As strong as it is, though, it will take only a handful of Democrats to tank it in the House. So far, only some Texas congressional representatives have said they plan to vote for the bill in the House, including Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston) and Colin Allred (D-Dallas) while Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen) were less forthcoming, according to the Texas Tribune.

Texas representatives should recognize what a gift this legislation really is to oil and gas. We cant say we support every piece of the picked-over legislation, but well save our gripes for a clearer picture of the final bill.

Right now, the progress is obvious. Wet your finger and feel which way the wind is blowing.
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The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on the federal government to stop cooperating with Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order authorizing state troopers to transport migrants back to the border ports of entry  escalating a debate over the states authority to enforce immigration laws.

The request by ACLU Texas and the groups national leadership for the Biden administration to investigate the states latest immigration policy comes a week after The Texas Tribune reported on how state troopers are transferring suspected migrants to the port of entry in Eagle Pass and turning them over to federal immigration authorities. Abbott had authorized the practice in a July 7 executive order but provided little clarity on how the migrants would be transported and under what authority they were being detained. Immigration law enforcement is a federal responsibility but Abbotts order is taking unprecedented steps that are encroaching on that authority.

Local law enforcement authorities have previously turned over immigrants in their custody at the request of federal immigration authorities. But they have traditionally held them at the location where the immigrants already were, like a jail or detention center. Abbotts order authorizes Texas Department of Public Safety officers to drive migrants to the border ports of entry where immigration authorities can more easily process the immigrants.

RELATED: Legal questions shroud Gov. Greg Abbotts move to bus migrants back to the border

The ACLU on Monday called for an investigation by the Department of Homeland Securitys Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The ACLU asked the agency to: monitor the Eagle Pass port of entry to ensure federal agents are acting appropriately; collect and publicize data on the purported state authority for the transfer of people from Texas DPS to federal immigration agents; identify gaps in U.S. Customs and Border Protection policies related to this practice and issue relevant recommendations; and take all appropriate steps to identify and address civil rights violations that could be occurring as a result of Abbotts order.

The civil liberties group also called on the federal government to stop taking migrants transported by state authorities into their custody.

DHS should decline to take custody of individuals in these circumstances, and should prevent Texas state and local officials from detaining individuals on federal property pursuant to Governor Abbotts executive order, ACLU staff attorneys wrote in a letter to DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

The letter cites the Tribunes reporting on the transfer of migrants from state to federal custody, noting that the migrants are transported in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice bus to a commercial vehicle inspection site near the port of entry and that migrants are made to wait under a truck port until Border Patrol agents arrive to pick them up. In one instance observed by the Tribune, migrants waited for nearly three hours before federal agents came to pick them up.

The civil rights group said the commercial vehicle inspection site appears to be the CBP U.S. Customs and Commercial entrance, which is federal government property. The Tribune could not independently confirm that, but the transfer of migrants by state authorities to federal government property would more clearly lay out a legal argument that state authorities are participating in immigration enforcement.

The ACLU said in its letter that the unilateral arrest and transport of migrants on immigration grounds by state officers and the detention of migrants on federal property by state officers raise serious legal concerns  including violation of CBP detention standards and protections against discriminatory treatment.

Federal immigration authorities have national standards on how to transport, escort, detain and search suspected migrants, including what types of vehicles are to be used to move migrants, the conditions of the detention and how the officers should behave. Texas DPS officers are not bound by those same standards.

This disparity may lead to migrants being held on federal property in conditions that are not in compliance with the [standards] and that may be dangerous, the ACLU wrote in its letter.

The ACLU pointed to a DHS inspector general finding earlier this year that a CBP outdoor holding area did not meet temperature requirements set out in the federal standards and said holding migrants outside for three hours, as the Tribune reported, poses a risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

The group was also concerned about at-risk groups like pregnant people, elderly people and people with disabilities who are at higher risk for heat-related illnesses. Federal agents are trained on how to care for these groups, the letter said, but DPS officers are not.

Simply put, migrants are being held on federal property in violation of the [federal standards] and in potentially dangerous conditions, the groups letter reads.

The group also said there is significant evidence that Abbotts border security mission, dubbed Operation Lone Star, engages in systemic discrimination against Black and brown migrants and Latinx individuals in South Texas because its traffic stops have plain indicia of racial profiling. The group said the state is also targeting Black and brown migrants for arrest and greater punishment in a separate criminal system under Gov. Abbotts discriminatory catch-and-jail scheme.

The ACLU and other groups have filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice about Operation Lone Stars alleged civil rights violations, and the civil rights group warned that if the federal government continued to collaborate with the state operation it could be accused of participating in discriminatory practices.

DHS should reject any involvement with DPSs immigration enforcement efforts in South Texasincluding with Governor Abbotts July 7 executive orderto ensure that it has no entanglement whatsoever with the agencys discriminatory actions, the letter reads. Federal funding cannot further discrimination on the basis of race or national origin.

Disclosure: ACLU Texas has been a been financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

When you join us at The Texas Tribune Festival Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin, youll hear from changemakers who are driving innovation, lawmakers who are taking charge with new policies, industry leaders who are pushing Texas forward and so many others. See the growing speaker list and buy tickets.
WASHINGTON  New York City Mayor Eric Adams slammed Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to bus migrants to New York over the weekend as "horrific," accusing Abbott of placing them on the bus with no direction.

Adams made the comments to the press as he welcomed a bus Sunday that was carrying 14 migrants. It was the second bus to arrive in New York after Abbott expanded his busing program that has sent thousands of migrants from Texas border towns to D.C. since April.

"When you think about this country, a country that has always been open to those who are fleeing persecution and other intolerable conditions, we've always welcomed that," Adams said, according to CBS News. "This governor is not doing that in Texas, but we are going to send the right message, the right tone, of being here for these families."

IN-DEPTH: Abbott aimed to hit Biden hard with migrant busing. It's volunteers who are feeling the pain.

Abbott has described the busing program as unprecedented action to keep our communities safe and blasted President Joe Bidens continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies.

In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city, Abbott said in a statement on Friday. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief."

The Department of Defense on Friday rejected D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers request for the National Guard to help with migrants arriving in the nations capitol, which she has said is overwhelmed by Abbotts decision to send them there.

Local aid groups that are helping the more than 6,500 migrants who have arrived in D.C. say Abbotts effort to get Bidens attention is only creating a challenge for volunteers who have so far borne the brunt of the effort with virtually no help from local officials and only a small amount of federal aid.

He wants to make Washington feel the pain. Yeah, but federal Washington is not feeling the pain, said Abel Nunez, executive director of the Central American Resource Center, which was among the first groups on the scene when buses began arriving in April. Its inflicting it on local Washington  on people and communities that have nothing to do with the federal government.

ben.wermund@chron.com
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Albany NY

354 AM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values between the upper 90s to lower 100s.

* WHERE...In New York, the Capital District, Mid Hudson Valley,

Mohawk Valley, central and southern Taconics, Upper Hudson

Valley and Lake George Saratoga Region. In Connecticut,

Litchfield County. In Massachusetts, southern Berkshire County.

In Vermont, eastern Windham County.

* WHEN...From noon today to 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values ranging 95 to 100 degrees

* WHERE...Northern Washington and Western Ulster Counties.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
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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.
Members of the Sacco family and others participate in a flag raising ceremony at the North Adams American Legion on Sunday. American Legion Post 125 Commander Mitchell Kiel addresses the crowd on Sunday. Margaret Ciepiela gives a little information about each of the six Sacco brothers of North Adams who served their country in World War II. Nick Sacco and Stephen Cornell participate in a flag-raising ceremony outside American Legion Post 125. A propeller, foreground, and plaque honoring the service of the six Sacco brothers. PreviousNext

Sacco Brothers Honored at North Adams American Legion for WWII Service

A newspaper clipping from the North Adams Transcript giving news of Samuel Sacco's death.

Members of the Sacco family and others participate in a flag raising ceremony at the North Adams American Legion on Sunday.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The sacrifice of the Sacco family is part of history.

A piece of World War II memorabilia that honors the Saccos at North Adams American Legion Post 125 has a bit of legend attached to it.

While doing my research, I was not able to find the exact source of where this propeller comes from, Post 125 Commander Mitchell Kiel said on Sunday afternoon. Which makes my job up here today a little bit easier, because I can exaggerate how we came in possession of it.

Kiel then told the tale of the propeller to the crowd gathered to honor Peter, Ralph, Samuel, Anthony, Pasquale and Joseph Sacco.

Its a story that involves the kind of trouble that brothers sometimes find, Kiel said.

While Pat and Tony were both in England, hoping to meet up with their brother Sam, what I know as Secret Squirrel Mission occurred, he said. The two brothers, having not seen each other for a period of two years caught up personally and professionally and then fell back into their young, mischievous ways as they were back in North Adams.

With one thing leading to another and going dare for dare, theres one famous military saying: Gear adrift is a gift. The propeller found its way back to the states with Tony giving it to the post some time later.

None of the Sacco brothers is around today to confirm or deny that account, but their memories live on at the Legion and in the hearts of their fellow veterans, family members and everyday Americans who benefit from the sacrifices of the brothers and millions like them during the Second World War.

Dozens of members of the brothers extended family were on hand for a midday ceremony at Post 125, where statewide Legion officials joined local veterans in a flag-raising ceremony and the dedication of a plaque recognizing the Sacco brothers that will be displayed at the American Legion Drive facility along with the propeller. The latter is a fitting testament to the Saccos, whose postings included an Air Depot Group in the South Pacific (Peter) and, in Europe, the Army Air Corps (Anthony and Joseph) and 110th Bomber Group (Pasquale).

Anthonys daughter, Margaret Ciepiela, shared with the crowd in the Legion hall a brief biographical sketch of each of the Sacco brothers, including Samuel, who was just 24 when he enlisted in 1942 and was the only one of the six brothers not to survive the war.

[Samuel M. Sacco] was killed in action in Germany on March 1, 1945, Ciepiela said. It was said that Uncle Sam was legally blind, and that was a deterrent leading to his death. He was returned home with the rank of Private First Class and is buried in Southview Cemetery.

Ciepiela thanked the members of the American Legion for making Sundays event possible.

The American Legion was a large part of our family, and we are very thankful that they continue the tradition of paying tribute and helping our veterans, she said.

Current State Representative and long-time North Adams Mayor John Barrett III said that the Sacco family has been instrumental in helping the city honor those who served.

[Anthony Sacco] let me know in no uncertain terms when I came into office in 1984 that he expected a lot from our recognition of veterans, Barrett said. I think he was an impetus behind getting  a memorial to our veterans and those who served our country up on Veterans Drive.

It always bothered me that we had Veterans Memorial Drive yet we never had any memorial along there. And hes one of the reasons why we had it constructed back in the late 1990s, early 2000s.

North Adams current mayor told the crowd that the Saccos lives of service continued into peacetime.

It is really my honor to be here today for the important event of honoring your family, Jennifer Macksey said. In addition to fighting on behalf of our country, the Sacco family made a notable contribution to this community. And we owe our thanks to Anthony, Samuel, Pat, Peter, Ralph and Joe for their bravery as well as to the families for the sacrifices that were made.

Today is a celebration of all those sacrifices, and we dedicate today to the Sacco brothers. They were veterans, volunteers, civic leaders, businessmen, family people, but, most importantly, they were our friends and our neighbors and our loved ones.

Pastor Dave Anderson from the First Baptist Church concluded Sundays ceremony with an invocation. Anderson said when he was asked to participate in the event, he did not realize the impact it would have.

While we outside watching the flag raised and lowered and folded while Taps was being played, and while we listened to the story of the six brothers, I found myself praying to God that, May I never stop getting a lump in my throat,  Anderson said. May we never stop being filled with gratitude for the sacrifices that have been made for us through the decades. May we never stop being proud of this nation, that all of these men and women have gone off to Foreign soil to fight for.
A developing entrepreneurial relationship has surfaced in the past several years as a result of the substantial historical, commercial, and cultural ties between Africa and India.

This has opened up a huge opportunity to capitalize on the innovative capacity of entrepreneurs in both regions to collaborate and solve urgent problems that affect both regions, thereby boosting trade and investment.

This was the theme of the 2nd India  Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit held at the Sarova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Summit brought together entrepreneurs and investors to discuss the opportunities and challenges of investing in both Africa and India with a view to educate, inform and connect with those who may either be interested in investing or creating joint ventures and/or market access arrangements. Global investors in the African entrepreneurial ecosystem were just as keen to invest in India as they were to find new ways to diversify their portfolios in Africa.

Due to its huge economic potential, the fintech sector has seen significant interest from notable investors and players in both Africa and India over the past few years. This is especially true in Africa, where the issue of financial inclusion still persists and much innovation and technology is required to guarantee that more Africans have access to financial services that can drive economic growth.

Cellulants Group CEO, Akshay Grover in the panel that discussed FinTech as an Engine of Economic Growth- A New Development Paradigm explained that with the current digital transformation, the perks of various digital financial services are great for improving our economic position and future investment in Africa.

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iciHaiti - Politic : Meeting between the Minister of the Interior and the Deputy Head of Mission of the American Embassy





Friday, August 5, 2022, Liszt Quitel, the Minister of the Interior received at his offices the visit of Eric William Stromayer, new Charge d'Affaires ai and Deputy Head of Mission at the United States Embassy in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37068-haiti-usa-new-american-charge-d-affaires-in-haiti.html



This courtesy visit for the new Charge d'Affaires is part of the exchanges aimed at ensuring better collaboration between the Embassy and the Haitian government entities.



During their talk important issues were evoked. Internal security, border control and socio-economic stability in Haiti were discussed.



The two men also discussed the challenges of strengthening the rule of law, good governance and progress in the fight against banditry...



"I welcome and also welcome back Ambassador Stromayer. He already served in Haiti at the beginning of his career, in the 90s. I am also delighted with the good quality of our frank and cordial meeting !" said Minister Quitel at the end of the visit.



IH/ iciHaiti


















To mark Mandela Day and highlight the plight of food security, the GE Foundation today announced a donation of US$100,000 to support relief efforts in South Africas KwaZulu-Natal region, where nearly 125,000 civilians have been displaced following disastrous flooding due to heavy rainfall sustained in April 2022.

The donation funded FoodForward SA, the largest food redistribution organization in South Africa, and provided an estimated 4,800 people in the flood zones with one meal per day for three weeks. In addition to the organizations donation, GE employees can support relief efforts through the Matching Gifts Program.

We are proud to once again work with FoodForward SA and help South African families in the region continue the road to recovery, said Linda Boff, President, GE Foundation, and Vice President, GE.

South Africa hosts GEs largest employee base on the continent and has become a key partner in GE Foundation programs such as Next Engineers. Addressing hunger is critical in the wake of the recent flooding and Im proud that the GE family is supporting our country in this time of need, said Nyimpini Mabunda, President of GE Southern Africa. FoodForward SAs mission is to reduce hunger in South Africa by safely and cost-effectively securing quality food, and this grant funding will support the food procurement efforts and preparation needed for the impacted area.

GE employees who make eligible donations to FoodForward SA or other participating charities can register for a match with the GE Foundations Matching Gifts program, which supports employees personal philanthropy and charitable giving by providing a 1:1 match. The GE Foundation created the concept of a corporate matching gift program in 1954. Today, the program continues to serve as an important element of the Foundations portfolio, with gifts matched in 2021 totaling $6.2 million.

FoodForward SA is an important GE Foundation partner. In 2021, the GE Foundation donated US$100,000 to provide immediate relief to South Africas communities experiencing food insecurity due to the ongoing economic and social challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andy Du Plessis, Managing Director at FoodForward SA says,

We are honored to receive this grant from the GE Foundation, which will help us address the immediate need for hunger relief in the KwaZulu-Natal region. Corporate and individual partners such as the GE Foundation are key for us to support cost-effective solutions to combat hunger in underserved communities and strengthen our efforts to provide impactful change.

GEs Disaster and Humanitarian Relief program responds to major global disasters and humanitarian crises, drawing on GEs people, technology, and other resources to reduce suffering and hasten recovery. In 2021, the GE Foundations philanthropic contribution to disaster relief totaled $2 million, which continued to support the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and fund support for disaster and humanitarian crises worldwide. Recently, GE and the GE Foundation donated US$4.5 million in medical equipment and humanitarian relief to support Ukraine and neighboring countries impacted by the war  available on GEs press room . GE remains committed to preparing for and responding to future natural disasters and humanitarian crises, diligently maximizing the impact of our financial, technological, and human resources.

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Journalists in Palestine will join a sit-in organised by Labour unions to demand improved social conditions for media workers. In a joint statement published on August 5, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) announced the joint sit-in with other labour organisations on August 9, to protest against the Palestinian Authority's failure to address the poor social conditions and to consult with civil society groups. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stands with its affiliate, the PJS, and demands stronger government commitment towards workers organisations and better social policies for all.

List of the 16 professional unions and popular federations that signed the statement.

Several strikes have taken place over the past month to protest against the Palestinian governments social policy (medical emergencies workers, engineers, etc.) and legal reforms regarding court fees without previous consultations with lawyers, unions or even civil society groups.

In this context, Palestinian unions held a coordination meeting at the headquarters of the PJS on August 4, 2022. With the aim of strengthening joint union action, a statement was published on August 5.

The statement, endorsed by 16 organisations (professional unions and federations), is calling for a joint sit-in of the labour movement on August 9 in front of the Higher Judiciary Council building. The protest will take place in support of the engineers and lawyers demands, and will ask the government to commit itself to implementing previous agreements reached with trade unions and abide by the timetables for implementation.

The IFJ welcomes the unity behind this joint action as well as the collaboration on the ground between trade union centres and professional unions.

Unions must fight unjust social and economic policies and we convey our strong support to all unions in Palestine for holding the government accountable, said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.
Leading integrated telco company PLDT, Inc. (PLDT) expresses support for a tighter collaboration between the private and public sectors to connect more Filipinos nationwide.

Helming this push is the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which was formed by Sabin Aboitiz upon instructions of the President. PLDT, through its President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, joins this council as among the members of the Digital Infrastructure pillar.

We are honored to be part of this esteemed body. We look forward to boosting its initiatives and striving together to achieve our common goals of empowering Filipinos and driving the country's economic ambitions, Panlilio said.

Panlilio added that their group under the Digital Infrastructure pillar recently met with the President to present their recommendations. On top of those items is connectivity for more of the population. We in the private sector can help use technology to reach as many Filipinos as we can. We can use schools and barangay centers as community Wi-Fi halls to reach more students. As our Chairman MVP would always say, you cannot leave any learner behind, Panlilio said.

We support the President's aspiration to digitalize the country, including the delivery of government services, he said, noting that the e-Government is also among the government's top priorities.

PLDT has been a longtime supporter of the country's digital transformation. The PLDT Group continues to invest in its network, having spent Php518.5 billion for the last 10 years up to 2021. In the first half of the year, PLDT has expanded its nationwide fiber infrastructure to 837,900 kilometers as of end-June. This fiber infrastructure supports Smart's mobile network, whose 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G networks cover 97% of the population as of end-June.

PLDT is also accelerating its readiness in capacity, capabilities and infrastructure in order to position the country as the Asia-Pacific regions preferred hyperscaler destination through the construction of its eleventh and largest hyperscale data center to-datethe VITRO Sta. Rosa. VITRO Sta. Rosa, with a total power capacity of 50MW, is the first in the series of planned hyperscale Data Center builds to total over 100MW. Designed to be Tier-3 certified and Tier-4 ready with the highest level of network diversity and resilience, VITRO Sta. Rosa will host the countrys richest internet ecosystem and premiere internet exchanges, making it the most ideal location for Availability Zones and Points-of-Presence of hyperscalers, as well as for critical systems of Enterprises.
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No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
After Leena Manimekalai's movie poster of Kaali created an uproar for showing a woman dressed as Hindu goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette, now another film has landed in hot soup.

The poster of Masoom Sawaal, a film based on menstruation, has been facing severe backlash for showing Lord Krishna's photo on a sanitary pad, and now an FIR has been lodged against the makers of the movie.

Lord Krishna's photo on a sanitary pad

Instagram

As per a report on PTI, the FIR has been lodged against d irector Santosh Upadhyay, his company and the entire team of the Bollywood film for hurting religious sentiments.

The complaint has been filed by Hindu Rashtra Navnirman Sena President Amit Rathore. Following which, an FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code section 295 (injuring or defiling places of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class).

The film that aims to spread awareness on menstruation has "hurt religious sentiments of the followers of Sanatana Dharma and can flare up communal riots in Uttar Pradesh and across the country", alleges the complainant.

" The film producer and his team tried to spread communal hatred in a very well-planned way in the country," he added.

Rathore also said that Hindu Rashtra Navnirman Sena functionaries and workers would protest outside the two cinema halls at Sahibabad and Ghaziabad where the movie is being screened.

Now, the security outside these two theatres have been beefed up.

Director Santosh Upadhya had earlier clarified, "The entire film is based on menstruation hence, it is mandatory to show the pad. That's why there is a pad on the poster and not Krishna Ji on the pad. Due to which, we are also receiving less support to promote this film."



The film revolves around a young girl and her questions against old superstitions.

Actress Ekavali Khanna, who plays a lawyer in the film, told IANS, "The makers didn't have any intention to hurt anyone's sentiments. The sole purpose of it was to break the taboo and change the narrative. In this generation, there is no room for superstitions and ill practices that are forcefully imposed on women unnecessarily."

Also starring Nitanshi Goyal, Shishir Sharma, Madhu Sachdeva, Rohit Tiwari, Brinda Trivedi, Ramji Bali and Shashie Vermaa, the movie was released in theatres on August 5.



(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)


Only the poster of Hum Do Hamare Baarah has been unveiled so far and already the movie has been embroiled in a huge controversy. The film has been accused of Islamophobia as many people feel it blames Muslims for the population explosion. The Director of the movie Kamal Chandra has clarified and assured people that his film isn't targeting a particular community.

Twitter

Hum Do Hamare Baarah director Kamal Chandra on accusations of Islamophobia

Chandra asserts the poster of the movie isn't objectionable and needs to be seen in the right context. "We assure you that we aren't targeting any one particular community through our film," he told ETimes and added, "We are making it without any prejudice and hurting sentiments of any particular community."

I really dont want to jump the gu9 here and say something that this film might not be aboutbut by the looks of it @annukapoor_ seems to be promoting an islamophobic trope. And that would make kapoor your average hind00 du. https://t.co/VfWZLNr30b  poonam (@poonamkachanddd) August 7, 2022

Furthermore, he said if the film would have been based on any other community, they would have also felt the same and urged people to not make an issue out of this .

"Today, people from one particular community are feeling that they are being targeted through our film. If we would have made a poster reflecting any other community, they would had said the same thing. I feel that cinema is the best medium to express our thoughts and feelings. I urge everyone to not make an issue out of this."

This Sanghi promoted, Bigoted film that depicts Muslims as the reason for population explosion and extends the relentless attack on the community. The brazen hate and Islamophobia when they use the image of a Muslim family and call it Hum do Hamare Barah. pic.twitter.com/yVwxLnQIt7  Kamran Chida (@ChidaKamran) August 7, 2022

The poster of the film released on Aug 5 has a tagline that reads, "Jaldi Hi Cheen Ko Picche Chhod Denge (We will soon leave China behind)".

During the poster launch event of the movie, Annu Kapoor who is playing one of the prominent roles in the movie was quoted as saying, "Population explosion has its own set of problems. There were instances when attempts were made to control the population. In such cases, laws or using force won't work. The need of the hour is that people should be made aware of the related problems and they themselves should realize their duty towards the society and the country."

How does the censor board allow a film like this that depicts Muslims as the reason for population explosion and extends the relentless attack on the community. The brazen hate and Islamophobia when they use the image of a Muslim family and call it Hum do Hamare Barah@RanaAyyub pic.twitter.com/C1rvw9NqVp  Ahmed Khabeer   (@AhmedKhabeer_) August 6, 2022

Director Kamal Chandra said, "Our film not only talks about the current problems related to population explosion but it makes you think about our collective future too. And that is the beauty of the film."

Also starring Ashwini Kalsekar and Manoj Joshi, the release date of Hum Do Hamare Baarah hasn't been announced as of yet.



(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)


If you love sleeping, here's a job, especially one tailor-made for you. Imagine being allowed to walk into the office in Pajamas and sleep as much as you want.



A mattress company based out of New York, United States, is looking for professional nappers with "exceptional sleeping ability." Yes, you read that right.

Unsplash

Based in New York, Casper is looking for "Casper Sleepers," who will also be expected to post social media content on their experience as professional sleepers.



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According to the job posting, the perfect candidate should have "excellent sleeping skills, a desire to sleep as much as possible, and the ability to sleep through anything."

As per the job posting, here is what the employee hired for this position will be expected to do:

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1. Sleep



2. Sleep in our stores and unexpected settings out in the world.

3. On the rare occasion youre not sleeping, share your experience with others by creating TikTok-style content posted across Casper social media channels.

4. Demonstrate your ability to sleep.

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Aspiring sleepers are invited to demonstrate their sleeping abilities on TikTok as part of their application; the firm added that the job application is open until August 11.

Meanwhile, a candy manufacturer in Canada declared that it is seeking a "Chief candy officer" another dream job for many!

Instagram

The selected candidate will be in charge of conducting business board meetings, conducting taste tests on about 3,500 candies each month, and approving new candy stocks with the CCO stamp of approval.

According to Candy Funhouse, candidates should have an insatiable need for candy products. Anyone five years or older may apply, and no prior experience is needed. Applicants can apply by August 31.



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Leaving the country to find better opportunities abroad is something that Indians are doing for decades now. But obviously, it isn't very easy. Especially, if one needs to travel to Europe, one needs to obtain a Schengen visa - which is not everyone's cup of tea.

Man shares photo of huge paperwork needed for Schengen visa

Now a user on Twitter named Saptarshi Prakash shared a photo of his required paperwork for a Schengen visa. The man, whose Twitter bio says he is the Director of Design for food aggregator Swiggy, wrote: "Applying for a tourist visa to one of the most developed countries of the world. This is the amount of paper I m supposed to carry to prove that I have the money to stay there and come back."

Applying for a tourist visa to one of the most developed countries of the world. This is amount of paper I m supposed to carry to prove that I have the money to stay there and come back  pic.twitter.com/QInMzzJzsV  Saptarshi Prakash (@saptarshipr) August 6, 2022

People thought it looked like a manuscript

People on the internet were shocked to see the heavy paperwork of the visa. Many said, that it looked like someone's PhD thesis or the manuscript of a book. One user said, "This is just one of the reasons why I prefer to have luxury experiences in India itself. (Too tiresome for the entire visa process, jetlag, immigration lines at airports, etc)"

This is crazy   Anumeha Jain (@AnumehaJain10) August 6, 2022

Nice pillow  Swapnil Borkar (@swpnlbrkr) August 6, 2022

Stay in India  and explore  Yerradoddi Kumara Swamy Reddy (@Yerradoddi_K) August 6, 2022

This is just one of the reasons why i prefer to have luxury experiences in India itself. (Too tiresome for the entire visa process,jetlag, immigration lines at airports,etc)  Munawar Alam (@munawaralamreal) August 6, 2022

I'm getting PTSD looking at this   Darshan Gajara (@WeirdoWizard) August 6, 2022

The Schengen Area comprises 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders. It is issued as a short stay visa allowing its holder to circulate in the Schengen area.



The following countries come under the Schengen visa, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

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For the eighth year, Insurance Business turns to insurance brokers to get insight into Australias underwriting agencies for the Brokers on Underwriting Agencies report. The annual survey opens today and asks brokers to rank their partner agencies across a range of criteria.

Brokers from across Australia can rate the underwriting agencies they have used in the past 12 months across 11 areas of specialisation such as accident and health, construction, cyber and IT, D&O, management liability, not-for-profit, product liability, professional liability, property, public liability and strata cover.
Launched in 2016, the Zurich Apprenticeship Program was the first RAP in commercial insurance. Since the inception of the program, Zurich has shared its model with companies inside and outside the insurance industry. The program has more than tripled in size since its launch.

Were honored to be recognized as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the US Department of Labor, said Kristof Terryn, CEO of Zurich North America. When we launched our program nearly seven years ago, apprenticeships in the US were largely limited to manufacturing and the trades, and it was difficult for people to launch a career in corporate America without a four-year college degree.

Our US business decided to adapt the apprenticeship model used at Zurich Insurance Group in Switzerland. The programs growth speaks for its value. It has greatly expanded our talent pipeline, attracting the diverse talent we need to continue to innovate for our customers. Apprenticeship benefits our business and our communities. It can do the same for many more companies.

In its role as an Apprenticeship Ambassador, Zurich will support the DOLs goals of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in RAPs, including for underrepresented and underserved populations. Zurich will also help communicate the business case for RAPs as a mainstream workforce strategy for high-demand industries.

Read next: Zurich unveils platform to shield organizations from toxic work culture

We look forward to serving as an Apprenticeship Ambassador, said Al Crook, head of HR business partners and apprenticeship at Zurich North America. We believe that apprenticeships are going to become more critical in increasing access to debt-free degrees and in developing skilled workers across industries. We also believe that every business and every function has apprenticeable work.

In 2017, Zurich co-founded the Chicago Apprentice Network (CAN) with Aon and Accenture. All three firms have since helped other companies create apprenticeship programs. Since 2019, Zurich has hosted the annual National Apprenticeship Week Summit at its Chicago-area headquarters or virtually. Zurich leaders and apprentices have also spoken at many business functions and CAN events about the value of apprenticeship.

These are the types of actions the Department of Labor looks for from its Apprenticeship Ambassador designees, Crook said. Recognition of Zurich as an Apprenticeship Ambassador acknowledges what weve accomplished to date and our commitment to contribute to a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable society well into the future.
It was reported that Transverse is planned to be turned into a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui Sumitomo within this year.

Reuters said that Mitsui Sumitomo may pay up to an additional $150 million, depending on Transverses earnings after the deal.

Founded in 2018, Transverse serves as a national US broker for reinsurance, earning roughly 5% of insurance premiums as commission by connecting insurers and reinsurers.

Read more: Transverse snags new business development head

The deal comes just months after Transverse appointed Paul Goodwin as head of business development, which was around the same time the company had reached the Class VIII size category after closing an additional capital investment.
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A former dean at a Boston high school known affectionately by students as Rev has been ordered by a federal judge to pay more than $10 million in damages to a former student he was convicted of trying to kill in a dispute over drug sales.

The default judgment Friday against former English High School Dean Shaun Harrison includes $7.5 million in damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress; $2.5 million in punitive damages; and more than $80,000 for the victims medical bills.

Harrison was convicted in state court in 2018 of assault and other charges, and sentenced to up to 26 years in prison.

Harrison, who had a background as a community organizer and youth minister, was dean of academics, a job that required keeping order and mentoring students, according to testimony at trial.

But he was leading a double life, authorities said. He had ties to the violent Latin Kings gang, recruited students to sell drugs for him, and kept a gun at his apartment.

Harrison denied the charges, telling a Boston television station that he never lived a double life.

The victim, who had been recruited by Harrison to sell marijuana, was 17 when he was shot in the back of the head at point-blank range on a snowy Boston street in March 2015.

The bullet barely missed the victims brain stem and carotid artery, but shattered his jaw. He underwent two surgeries, had his jaw wired shut for nine months, remains paralyzed on half of his face, suffers from facial neuropathy, hearing loss, and requires weights on his eyelids to help with opening and shutting his eyes, according to court documents. He continues to experience pain from the bullet that remains lodged in his head and developed an addiction to opioids prescribed for the pain.

No attorney was listed for Harrison in the civil case filed by the victim in 2019.

Its unclear whether the victim will ever get any money from Harrison.

The judgment against Mr. Harrison as an individual will ensure that he is never able to profit from any endeavors when he is released from prison, including selling the rights to this story for publication, the plaintiffs attorney, John Martin said in an email Saturday.

The Boston Public Schools was also named as a defendant, but the judge dismissed claims against the system. That ruling is being appealed, Martin said.

Boston Public Schools was absolutely dismissive of student safety and grossly negligent when it allowed a predator to have a position of trust and authority at that school after multiple incidents that should have resulted in his termination, he wrote.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics K-12
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Fire tore quickly through a house in northeastern Pennsylvania early Friday, killing seven adults and three children and horrifying a volunteer firefighter who arrived to battle the blaze only to discover the victims were his own family, authorities said.

The three children who died were ages 5, 6 and 7, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release, while the seven adults ranged from the late teens to a 79-year-old man. Autopsies were planned for this weekend.

Harold Baker, a Nescopeck Volunteer Fire Company firefighter, said by phone that the 10 victims included his son, daughter, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, three grandchildren and two other relatives. He said his two children and the other young victims were visiting their aunt and uncles home for summertime activities like going to a swimming pool.

He said 13 dogs were also in the two-story home, but didnt say if he knew whether any survived.

A preliminary investigation suggests the fire broke out on the front porch at around 2:30 a.m., Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said Friday evening.

The information I have is that the fire started and progressed very quickly, making it very difficult to get out, Sanguedolce said.

Three people were able to escape the blaze, he said. Four state police fire marshals are involved in the investigation and the case wont become a criminal investigation unless they determine the fire was intentionally set, he said.

The three young children who died did not live in the home, he confirmed.

Not that certainly any situation is good, but that only exacerbates the tragedy, he said.

Nescopeck is a small town on the Susquehanna River, about 20 miles southwest of Wilkes-Barre. The house was in a residential street of largely owner-occupied, single family homes.

Baker said that the address initially given for the call was a neighboring home, but that he realized it was his family members residence as the fire truck approached.

When we turned the corner up here on Dewey (Street) I knew right away what house it was just by looking down the street, Baker told the Citizens Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre. I was on the first engine, and when we pulled up, the whole place was fully involved. We tried to get in to them.

One of the victims, 19-year-old Dale Baker, was a firefighter who had joined the company when he was 16, said Heidi Knorr, the fire companys secretary.

He was such a fun loving soul, she said in a phone interview. He just loved life.

Both of Dale Bakers parents are members of the fire service, and the family was always willing to help lend a hand to anyone in need, Knorr said. Dales mother was not among the dead listed by Harold Baker.

Mike Swank, who lives two doors away across the street, said he happened to be awake at that hour and looked outside after hearing a sharp explosion. He saw the porch was really going and went outside, using another neighbors hose to keep the blaze from spreading to a garage.

I seen two guys outside and they were in various states of hysteria, Swank said in a phone interview.

One of them was on a cellphone, and Im trying to ask him if everybodys out, he said. The other guy was out in the street and he was just running around in circles.

Swank said he wasnt able to get information from them. A fence prevented him from getting to the back of the property.

It was so quick and so much smoke, you just knew nobody was going to make it out, Swank said. He saw cadaver dogs being used to search the scene until the bodies were located.

He said the family moved in a few months ago under what he understood to be a rent-to-own agreement.

He had not gotten to know them, but noticed they spent a lot of time on the homes cluttered front porch.

Baker, who was relieved of his firefighting duties because of his relationship to the victims, said 14 people were living in the home. One of them was out delivering newspapers, and three others escaped, he said.

The kids that were there and my two kids were just visiting their aunt and uncle, Baker told WNEP. Those were the ones who own the house. They were there visiting and going into the pool and all that.

___

Photo: Crews work to demolish a house that was destroyed by a fatal fire on the 700 block of 1st Street in Nescopeck, Pa., Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Multiple people are feared dead after a house fire early Friday in northeastern Pennsylvania, according to a volunteer firefighter who responded and said the victims were his relatives. A criminal investigation is underway, police said. (Sean McKeag/The Citizens Voice via AP)

Scolforo and Brooke Schultz reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Schultz 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 issue
Pelosi's provocative Taiwan visit lashed out by mainstream US media, intl politicians

By GT staff reporters (Global Times) 13:23, August 08, 2022

[Cai Meng/China Daily]

Although US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her reckless visit to the island of Taiwan, the aftershock hasn't stopped. And she has already scuttled China-US relations. More and more voices from within the US and other countries have criticized the 82-year-old woman's Taiwan trip as "irresponsible," saying it was for her personal gains. Meanwhile, the Biden administration, instead of offering acceptable explanation of Pelosi's provocative trip, has kept blaming China for "escalating tensions," and portraying the US as well as the island of Taiwan as "victims." Observers said such moves show Washington has no sincerity of averting the current tension between itself and Beijing, and risk pushing the bilateral relation into a deeper abyss.

As countermeasures against Pelosi's provocative visit, China halted cooperation with the US on a range of key fields, including military and climate change. Experts believe now the ball is in US court  if the US government can make positive gestures on the Taiwan question, as well as on other matters that are of core interests to China, it may save China-US relation from further deterioration; and if bilateral relations keep spiraling down, it is solely US' fault.

The New York Times published an editorial piece on Saturday entitled "The US Relationship with China Does Not Need to be So Tense." The article called Pelosi's visit to the island of Taiwan as "provocative," and noted, "It is in everyone's interest for the two most powerful nations on Earth to find ways of easing these tensions."

Max Baucus, former US ambassador to China, told the Sky News on August 2 that Pelosi was behaving "recklessly" and "dangerously" simply to "get a little publicity" by visiting Taiwan.

Internationally, not only more and more countries have voiced their supports for the one-China principle, others also chided Pelosi for her meaningless trip. Former prime minister of New Zealand John Key has described the visit to Taiwan by US house speaker Nancy Pelosi as "reckless, provocative and dangerous.''

"In my opinion it was reckless, if you want to be kind. It was provocative, and it was actually dangerous," Key said on TVNZ's program media reported on Sunday.

"We all have skin in this game and want America and China to get along," Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Cambodia on Friday. "This is a dangerous, dangerous moment for the whole world."

Chinese experts believe the voices of some US media and the international world are noteworthy. "It became obvious even in the eyes of usually hostile US media that Pelosi's visit is an act that makes her personal interest override the national interest, and it is obviously a decision that put the US in a hard-pressed situation," Zhang Tengjun, deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Further provocations

Yet, some US politicians, instead of trying to improve the precarious situation, are deliberately playing dumb and playing the "victim card."

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US had nothing to rectify regarding Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, and claimed that Washington "would like to see tensions with China come down immediately but that Beijing's move to suspend some communication channels was irresponsible."

China on Friday announced eight countermeasuresin response to Pelosi's highly provocative visit to the island of Taiwan, including canceling China-US theater commanders talk, defense policy coordination talks, military maritime security consultative mechanism and suspending cooperation on illegal immigration repatriation, drug control and climate change.

Speaking at an online news conference with his Philippine counterpart in Manila, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said China should not hold talks on important global matters such as the climate crisis "hostage."

Lu Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said on Sunday it is US customary trick of acting as "victims," as "the US knows that they bungled the whole thing, and now they are acting like a victim to shift blame on China."

Such countermeasures, according to Lu, give the US a "cooling period" to reflect why Washington has pushed the bilateral relations to what and where it is right now. "We used to conduct frequent communication on various fields, such as drug control and climate change. But instead of cooperating with China, the US slapped sanctions on China in energy fields. Instead, all those negotiations end up with little progress Now it's time to leave the US to reflect," said Lu.

Zhang also said that since Biden took office, he has been instigating tensions across the Taiwan Straits by selling weapons and also signed bills that tried to help Taiwan separatists get WHA observer status "It's safe to say that Biden's move interplayed with hostile forces in his government that insisted on playing the 'Taiwan card,'" Zhang noted.

For weeks, US officials from the president on down have tied themselves into knots trying to talk about Pelosi's choice to visit Taiwan, and stressing that it was her decision, and hers alone, according to CNBC.

Experts believe the US is feigning ignorance. The US has been using separation of powers as an excuse to claim that the US president has no power over the house speaker, but China won't buy that trick, said Zhang. He noted that anyone who has the basic knowledge of US politics know that there are negotiations within the government, not to mention that Pelosi belongs to the same party as Joe Biden.

Ball in US court

Chinese experts believe the halt of exchange mechanisms won't be resumed anytime soon, and the ball is in US court now, and the US has to show sincerity of correcting their wrongdoings, show respect to China on its core interests, and create conditions for bilateral communication.

Zhang said that the Biden administration should make a clearer statement on the Taiwan question, as well as other key issues, "clearer than what he and other high-level US officials have previous made public, to show China that it is sincere in improving bilateral ties, and willing to stop provocations."

On August 1, the day before Pelosi landed on the island of Taiwan, the White House said that nothing had changed about America's "one-China" policy, and that Washington does not support "Taiwan independence."

Yet Pelosi's provocative visit has already created a chain reaction, said Zhang, citing that a Lithuanian delegation headed by Transport and Communications Vice Minister Agne Vaiciukeviciute already arrived in Taiwan for visit on Sunday, and that reports have it that Britain's House of Commons foreign affairs committee is also planning a visit to the island later this year.

Pelosi's visit has kicked off a really bad start, said Zhang. He noted that it has encouraged other countries to elevate their exchanges with the island of Taiwan to a new level, which cast bad influence and will definitely invite China's fierce fight back.

No matter how such negative influence will make the China-US relations deteriorate or send shock waves to the region, the onus is always on Washington, not Beijing, Zhang remarked.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
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A motorcycle drivers signed waiver of underinsured motorists coverage in 2004 was still in effect 15 years later when he was in a tragic crash despite a phone conversation he had in 2014 with a representative for his direct insurer about his policy.

Excerpts from the Phone Conversation In support of his case, Bryan Koch presented evidence of the telephone conversation he had with a representative of Progressive Direct, on or about August 20, 2014, nine months before his tragic accident, during which he sought to purchase additional coverage for his 2013 Harley Davidson motorcycle. According to the court, the relevant portions of that conversation were as follows: [Koch:] uh, I just had a, a friend who was in a bad accident years ago, and he told me, you know, a lot of times on the coverage youve got basic coverage, but it doesnt really cover a whole lot in terms of hospital, and maybe other things. What, uh, even at the 1,500 where Im at, what, are there things I should be adding to that policy to, uh, not just to insure the bike, but if you were ever hospitalized for an extended period of time, things like that? [Progressive Direct representative:] Definitely. So, um, Im not licensed in the state of Pennsylvania, but I can kinda go over what coverages that we offer in your state. The conversation continued on to include the following discussion: [Progressive Direct representative:] You also dont have uninsured motorist coverage. Thats for if, you know, if somebody else causes an accident, and injures you or your bike, they would pay for all your injuries and damages. But if they are not responsible and they dont have insurance, then you  [Koch:] Youre stuck. [Progressive Direct representative:]  youre stuck with, um, everything on your own. Unless you have the uninsured motorist coverage here. [Koch:] Mkay. [Progressive Direct representative:] So you do have that option. So its like youre kinda paying for somebody else not to be responsible. [Koch:] Yeah. [Progressive Direct representative:] But youre protecting yourself. [Koch:] Yeah.

At the conclusion of this conversation, Koch added uninsured motorist (UM) coverage to his policy in the amount of $100,000 each person and $300,000 per accident. The Progressive Direct representative never discussed the availability of underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.

At the conclusion of the phone conversation, the insured added uninsured motorist (UM) coverage to his Progressive Direct Insurance motorcycle policy but the insurer representative never discussed the availability of underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.

A Pennsylvania Superior Court has decided that the phone conversation did not alter the fact that the insured had previously signed a form rejecting UIM coverage. It reversed a trial court that had found that the phone conversation was sufficient to trigger Progressive Directs statutory obligation in the state to offer the insured both UIM and UI coverages and obtain a new affirmative rejection of UIM coverage.

According to the Superior Court, there is a presumption that the insured was advised of the benefits and limits available under his policy at the time of his original application for coverage in 2004. Thus, when he contacted Progressive Direct in 2014 and indicated that he wished to obtain more coverage on the existing policy, the Progressive Direct representative was not required to give him additional notice of a particular benefit or to obtain another UIM rejection form.

The Accident

The states motor vehicle law requires insurers to offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Insureds must sign and date separate forms to reject UI and UIM coverage.

On June 7, 2015, Bryan Koch was driving his 2013 Harley Davidson motorcycle while his wife was riding with him as a passenger. Their motorcycle was struck by a 1997 Ford Explorer driven by a driver who was later determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Kochs wife was killed and Koch suffered injuries that required the amputation of his left leg above his knee. The parties do not dispute that the Ford Explorer driver, who was underinsured, was solely at fault for causing the accident.

Koch filed a breach of contract action asserting that Progressive Direct had breached the insurance policy by failing to properly and timely evaluate the claim and pay the UIM benefits.

Koch prevailed before the trial court which found that when he contacted Progressive Direct and sought more information about obtaining additional coverage, Koch made it obvious that he no longer wanted to reject the coverage that he had previously declined. Koch alleges that, had the Progressive Direct representative discussed the differences between UI and UIM coverage, he would have purchased both UI and UIM coverage

Progressive asserted that the original UIM rejection form Koch signed in 2004 remained valid at the time of the accident. The insurer presented evidence that it had consistently sent Koch policy renewals which stated that Koch had rejected UIM coverage.

After Koch had purchased uninsured motorist coverage insurance in 2014, Progressive sent Koch a policy renewal on January 3, 2015, which stated that the policy now included uninsured motorist coverage. This policy renewal listed the underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage as rejected.

The Superior Court rejected the argument that the conversation in 2014 created a duty or a legal obligation for the insurer representative to offer Koch UIM coverage, notify him about UIM coverage, or to obtain a new UIM rejection form where this coverage had been previously waived in a valid rejection form.

Topics Carriers
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces shelled the area around Europes largest nuclear plant for a second day, hours after the head of the UNs atomic safety agency warned of potentially catastrophic consequences.

Russian shells landed near spent nuclear fuel stored at the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant on Saturday evening, wounding one worker, according to Energoatom, the facilitys operator. This time a nuclear catastrophe was miraculously avoided, but miracles cannot last forever, Energatom said.

Moscow has denied targeting the plant and blamed Kyiv for the incidents.

The attacks show the very real risk of a nuclear disaster that could threaten public health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Saturday.

Military action around Zaporizhzhia  which Russia occupied in March but is still operated by Ukrainian workers  is completely unacceptable and must be avoided at all costs, Grossi said. This must stop, and stop now.

All seven pillars of indispensable nuclear safety and security have been breached since the start of Russias invasion in February, he said.

IAEA Chief @RafaelMGrossis statement expresses alarm over shelling at Ukraines #Zaporizhzya nuclear plant. Info received by IAEA underlines very real risk of a nuclear disaster that could threaten public health and the environment in #Ukraine & beyond. https://t.co/fXOw6ZSr9F pic.twitter.com/UOGkGFzgYN

 IAEA  International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) Aug. 6, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday that Russian troops had fired at the plant twice, and called for sanctions against Russias nuclear industry.

Since then, we have a significant worsening of the situation around the Zaporizhzhia NPP, he said Saturday night in a video address. Russian terrorists have become the first in the world to use a nuclear plant for terror. On Sunday, Zelenskiy tweeted that hed discussed the situation with European Council President Charles Michel.

 

@ZelenskyyUa

Talked with @eucopresident Charles Michel, told about the situation on the battlefield, in particular at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Russian nuclear terror requires a stronger response from the international community  sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel. (1/2)

Sent via Twitter Web App.

View original tweet.

Russian officials say Ukraine had done the shelling itself.

I can tell you nothing about Russias attack on this plant because it didnt happen, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russian deputy permanent representative to the UN, said Sunday on Times Radio. I can tell you a lot about the Ukrainian attack on this plant, which is the truth.

Kremlin forces occupied the plant and surrounding areas in March. The UK has said that Russias military is using the plants protected status to launch attacks on surrounding areas without fear of retaliation.

Russia appears to be using its control of the facility to play on Western fears of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine, likely in an effort to degrade Western will to provide military support to a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Institute for the Study of War, US-based military analysts, said in an Aug. 3 report.

In his statement, Grossi said that there had been no damage to the nuclear reactors themselves and no radiological release from Fridays incident. However, there is damage elsewhere on the site, he said.

The IAEA has for four months requested permission to visit the plant, without success, according to Grossi. This will need the cooperation, understanding and facilitation from both Ukraine and Russia, he said.

Polyanskiy said Moscow was open to an IAEA inspection. It was the Ukrainian side that was not giving the green light, he said.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Ukraine
Quotech, the insurtech that creates data-taming systems for specialty insurers, brokers, and MGAs, has raised 1 million from a number of angel investors and Convex Group Ltd., the international specialty insurer and reinsurer.

Proceeds from the funding round will be used to increase staff levels and provide additional resources to support the creation of custom-built technology platforms for underwriters and distributors in the global commercial and wholesale insurance sector.

Through the investment, Convex has acquired a strategic 7.7% share in London-based Quotech, whose clients include major risk carriers, brokers, and MGAs active in the London and international re/insurance markets.

This funding will enable Quotech to move to the next level of success by increasing our reach and extending our capacity, allowing us to provide a larger number of underwriting and broking firms with truly useful technology, commented Guillaume Bonnissent, Quotechs chief executive and a former Lloyds underwriter.

Weve already expanded our team of systems experts, and we will soon be adding additional personnel and resources to serve more clients. Its fantastic to receive the vote of confidence thats implied when a client invests in our vision, after experiencing first hand the power of our approach and the systems we build, he added.

I gave up underwriting and returned to programming because I was frustrated by the low levels of utility delivered by the systems that had been built for the London-market companies I had worked for, Bonnissent continued.

Every platform we create at Quotech is designed to improve efficiency by eliminating those frustrations. Early investments in Quotech came from people who believed in me. This round is even more satisfying, because Convex and many of the angels whove backed the round believe in the technology.

We were drawn to Quotech as a supplier because they understand what we, as a London-market underwriter, need technology to do for us, according to Convex Group CEO Paul Brand. Weve made a strategic investment in the company because we believe Quotech is on the path to success. There are plenty of insurTech investments out there, but very few tech companies provide the kind of truly useful systems that Quotech has built for us.

About Quotech

Founded in 2020, Quotech builds systems that ingest data from multiple sources, pulls out whats helpful and then stores the data in a unique Corporate Data Treasury that provides a single source of truth, the company explained. Underwriters, brokers, and others can easily access the data via intuitive, practical, embedded, connected tools that support pricing, distribution, administration, claims, and trading. Data complexity is removed for the user by presenting each with only the bits they care about.

Because founder Guillaume Bonnissent is an experienced London underwriter as well as a programmer, Quotech is able to make data-fuelled processes dramatically more efficient.

Topics Carriers InsurTech Tech Reinsurance Startups
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based insurance broker, announced the acquisition of Another Day Ltd.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2016, AnotherDay is a London-based risk management consultancy that helps organizations across 90 countries pre-empt and prepare for complex threats, react to crises and investigate criminality through the use of intelligence and technology.

The firm has worked with Gallagher since its inception providing clients with specialist risk management and crisis response services.

The firm is led by Jake Hernandez who will continue to run the business.

I am delighted to welcome the AnotherDay team to Gallagher. This business is a great fit with our UK-based specialty operations and will provide highly complementary additional expertise for our large corporate clients looking for support in this growing area of risk, said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO. I look forward to continuing to work with Jake and his associates, and delivering the growth opportunities this acquisition will bring.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. provides brokerage, risk management and consulting services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions A.J. Gallagher Risk Management
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In the latest in the back-and-forth court filings between Arthur J. Gallagher and Alliant Insurance Services, Gallagher said its competitor is putting on a masterclass in deflection to prevent the court from granting a restraining order against Alliant.

Late last month, Gallagher filed a lawsuit against Alliant for allegedly plotting to steal steal employees and clients. Eight female employees suddenly resigned over several days earlier in July in a move Gallagher called a corporate raid by Alliant. As part of the lawsuit, Gallagher is seeking a temporary restraining order against Alliant.

Alliant on August 3 filed its opposition to the restraining order. Alliant said the women separately decided to quit due to alleged rampant sexism, discrimination, and unfair treatment at Gallagher.

Setting aside the falsity of those accusations, they are completely irrelevant, Gallagher said in its response filed Friday in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois. Inducing breaches of an employees contractual and fiduciary obligations is not somehow excused if that employee is unhappy with their current employer.

Gallagher again asserted as it had in its lawsuit that other competitors have likewise sued Alliant. Gallagher has said Alliant faces more than 40 lawsuits in dozens of jurisdictions from other insurance brokers. In each case, according to Gallaghers allegations, outgoing employees conspire with Alliant to act as double agents  allegedly continuing to collect a paycheck from competitors while acting in the interests of Alliant until the employees leave for positions at Alliant.

What is more likely? That this is a coincidence, repeated dozens of times in dozens of jurisdictions, without any non-solicit violations by employees or inducement and encouragement from Alliant? Or, that Alliant is the puppet master that tortiously made the mass departures happen?' reads Gallaghers latest filing. Alliant hopes this court will leave its common sense at the door in answering these questions.

Gallagher said it needs the court to intervene before it suffers irreparable harm, and Alliant can accomplish its alleged goal of stealing enough business to pay for its litigation costs.

The case is Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. v. Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., 1:22-cv-03931, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.

Topics Lawsuits A.J. Gallagher Alliant
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The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, accusing it of helping hackers, including from North Korea, to launder proceeds from their cyber crimes.

A senior Treasury Department official said Tornado Cash, one of the largest mixers identified as problematic by the Treasury, has reportedly laundered more than $7 billion worth of virtual currency since it was created in 2019.

Mondays move freezes any U.S. assets of the mixer and generally bars Americans from dealing with it.

The Lazarus Group, a well-known North Korean government-backed hacking group that has conducted numerous data breaches, both politically and sometimes financially motivated, has laundered at least $455 million through Tornado Cash, the Treasury said.

The Lazarus Group is already under U.S. sanctions. The group has conducted numerous significant data breaches historically, including an intrusion into Sony Pictures in late 2014.

U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea controls thousands of hackers that steal funds, including cryptocurrencies, to finance its weapons programs.

Pyongyang has denied the accusations.

Tornado Cash and the North Korean mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tornado Cash was also used to launder about $100 million from a hack into virtual currency firm Harmony in June and as recently as last week in the theft of Nomad, a virtual currency technology company, the Treasury said.

Despite prior requests for Tornado Cash to make changes, the criminal activity continued, the Treasury official said, leading to the decision to designate the mixer.

In May, the U.S. Treasury also targeted virtual currency mixer Blender, imposing sanctions for the first time on a mixer  a software tool that pools and scrambles cryptocurrencies from thousands of addresses.

Hacks have long plagued crypto platforms. And experts say Tornado Cash has played a role in these crimes.

Tornado is a popular and important tool for cybercriminals and state-backed hacking groups, said Dr. Tom Robinson, cofounder of Elliptic, a cryptocurrency analytics firm. In total, Elliptics analysis shows that at least $1.3 billion in proceeds of crime such as ransomware, hacks and fraud have been laundered through Tornado Cash.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Windstorm
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At a recent workshop held by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, a claims specialist for USAA summed up the conundrum that property insurers are about to face when asked to report the other sides legal fees in claims disputes.

Were not privileged to know what the attorney fees are for plaintiffs counsel. Were the defendant, said Marie Benedetto Ferrito, auto injury manager for USAA, the national insurance and financial services company.

Insurers like USAA, along with the OIR, are now in a frustrating situation, thanks to continued concerns over Floridas overheated claims litigation environment. In an attempt to discern just how much attorney fees are costing Florida property insurance carriers and to measure the effectiveness of reform legislation, Florida Senate Bill 76 in 2021 required all residential property insurers to annually report detailed information about litigated claims, including the amount paid for claimants attorney fees, costs, and fee multipliers.

Regulators are now in the process of finalizing rules and electronic forms that insurers will use to report the information required by the legislation. The form itself has been delayed and is causing heartburn for carriers: In its current version, the spreadsheet asks for a dollar figure on fees, but leaves no clear alternative if the amount is unknown.

"This is a massive, massive undertaking for the system. And the 71% is going to be blank."

And while policyholder legal fees are reported when a court awards them in a judgment, the share of settlement amounts that go to insureds lawyers are rarely made public, attorneys and consultants said. And the vast majority of litigated claims disputes are settled, not decided in a courtroom.

Some insurance attorneys have said that only about 1% of cases produce details on how much claimants lawyers are actually paid from a settlement. Many times, a plaintiffs counsel simply refuses to provide the information, according to Lisa Miller, a former Florida deputy insurance commissioner, now a lobbyist and consultant.

Steve Roddenberry, another former deputy commissioner, now an insurance consultant with the Pennington law firm in Tallahassee, said SB 76 and the proposed OIR reporting requirements leave insurers with only one, ridiculous choice:

We could write a real nice letter to the plaintiffs attorney, asking Would you please tell us how much you charged in fees so we can report it to the state?'

The OIR form also asks insurers to explain what they plan to do to get the fee data if its not immediately available.

I guess then well have to write an even nicer letter to the plaintiffs attorneys, Roddenberry said.

The whole data-gathering exercise now seems like a huge investment of employee time, for insurers and for OIR, but for little or no gain, carrier representatives said. The proposed reporting form asks insurers to list information for hundreds of claims, even when no legal fee data is available.

So, youre going to have a lot of blanks where theres no vendor, but we have to explain theres no vendor on each claim where we didnt have vendor. Its not making sense to me, Ron Walker, with the Hartford, said in the OIR workshop.

OIRs deputy commissioner, Susanne Murphy, said at the online meeting that the reporting form will be revised so that if the information is not available the form will still go through, perhaps even if the field is left blank.

There is some functionality I think that needs to be  we need to make certain it is there, Murphy said. A survey questionnaire will also be provided to give further information on why the data is not available.

That may not be very helpful, insurance industry advocates said.

SB 76 and a 2019 law were approved in an attempt to place some restrictions on claims litigation, assignment-of-benefits agreements and attorney fees. SB 76 also required plaintiffs to file notices of intent before filing claims lawsuits, in an effort to curtail what has been called excessive amounts of claims litigation in Florida, which has helped drive some carriers into insolvency. The bills data requirement was designed to capture information about litigation costs and to measure how effectively the bill is at reducing those costs.

Roddenberry said the reporting requirements, without access to complete and accurate info on legal fees, wont accomplish those goals.

The value is zero, he said. The industry already has a lot on its plate, and youre creating more work for everyone.

Travis Miller, attorney for Universal Property & Casualty Insurance, one of Floridas largest insurers, agreed. He cited an often-quoted statistic, that 71% of awards in claims disputes in Florida end up in the pockets of plaintiffs lawyers with just 8% going to the insured plaintiffs.

Were doing all of this to learn something, but were learning nothing about the 71% and thats just weird to me, Miller said at the OIR workshop in July. This is a massive, massive undertaking for the system. And the 71% is going to be blank.

The length of time it has taken OIR to devise the reporting form and to start gathering the data became something of an issue in the Florida Legislatures special insurance session in May. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, argued that SB 76 had required the data by early 2022. Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier responded that his office had interpreted the law to mean that the data did not have to be reported to OIR until 2023.

Roddenberry doesnt blame OIR officials for the delay or for the dilemma insurers find themselves in.

OIR is in a difficult position, he said. The law requires the office to collect the data, but its proving trickier than many may have expected.

An early version of SB 76 would have asked the Florida Supreme Court to require attorneys on both sides to submit closing statements on fees and costs when litigation results in a recovery for the insured. But that language did not make it into the final bill.

Theres been some talk of now asking the Florida Bar to require plaintiffs attorneys to provide the closing statements. But a Bar official last week said that was not something the association is likely to get involved in.

Once the OIR finalizes the rules and the reporting forms, the state Financial Services Commission will review. Stakeholders will then have an opportunity to request another hearing on the regulations.

Topics Carriers Trends Data Driven
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Energy pipeline operator Energy Transfer has disclosed a pipeline rupture in Louisiana last month that released 8.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, according to a report filed with the U.S. National Response Center.

The July 22 leak, the equivalent of enough gas to supply 40,000 U.S. homes for a day, originated from a gathering system near Ringgold, Louisiana, the report said. The line has been shut until further notice.

Separately, Energy Transfer agreed to plead no contest on Friday to environmental crimes in Pennsylvania in connection with the construction of its Mariner East 2 Pipeline and Revolution Pipeline, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiros office announced.

The Mariner pipeline construction resulted in large amounts of drilling fluid escaping into waterways, potentially affecting drinking water, while the Revolution line was linked to a blast that destroyed a nearby home, damaged power lines and burned several acres of surrounding woodland, according to the agreement between the company and the state.

The agreement imposed a $10 million fine on Energy Transfer and required the company to pay for homeowners water supply testing and clean-up.

The cause of the Louisiana rupture is under investigation, and a sample section of the pipeline has been sent to a lab for examination, said Patrick Courreges, spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.

Natural gas is mostly methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

The company has 30 days to provide Louisiana with a report on the cause of the leak, after which the department will conduct its own review.

Energy Transfer, founded by billionaire Kelcy Warren, was not immediately available for comment. It has suffered a string of leaks and safety incidents this year.

Last month, a burst natural gas pipeline owned and operated by the company caused a roughly two-hour blaze in a rural area outside of Houston.

In June, a spill from Energy Transfers Mid-Valley pipeline released more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil into rural Tennessee in what was among the biggest leaks of its kind in the states history.

Earlier this year, Energy Transfer contractors were injured after a 10-inch natural gas gathering line ruptured on the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

Topics Louisiana
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Floridas agriculture commissioner, a Democratic candidate for governor, is on board with what many in the insurance industry have been asking for: utilizing the states hurricane catastrophe fund to provide lower-cost reinsurance to more property insurers.

Commissioner Nikki Fried, who noted that her office acts as a consumer protection agency, sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, urging him to drop a plan that would make Citizens Property Insurance Corp. a type of reinsurer for struggling carriers.

Instead of your proposed plan to address the current reinsurance crisis by using state-backed Citizens Property Insurance as the backstop, the state should simply use the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund  after all, this is what it was created for, Fried wrote in her Aug. 4 letter.

The governors office and state insurance regulators surprised many in July when they unveiled a plan to allow Citizens to provide a cut-through endorsement to cover some claims if a carrier becomes insolvent. The agreement satisfies the requirements of secondary mortgage lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and helps avoid further disruption to the Florida market from financial ratings downgrades expected for more than a dozen insurers.

Fannie and Freddie require that insurers for homeowners who have mortgages to maintain a top financial stability rating with a rating firm. The Demotech ratings group dropped a bombshell in mid-July when it warned that as many as 17 carriers could soon be downgraded, which could force thousands of Floridians to find new and more expensive coverage. But the secondary lending corporations allow an exception to ratings if insurers have a mechanism to pay off all claims in case of receivership.

Insurance groups have described the Citizens backstop plan as a clever solution to the ratings issue. But some officials, including Fried, have said the cut-through endorsement puts Citizens and other Florida policyholders on the hook for more liabilities.

Fried also urged the governor to lower the threshold at which insurers can access lower-cost reinsurance from the cat fund.

To further stabilize the market in Florida, the state must also immediately reform the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to allow access for smaller companies that are currently priced out of affordable private reinsurance by the Cat Funds inflated retention and unneeded premium surcharges, the letter reads.

Frieds letter wont please everyone in the insurance industry, though.

She urged the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to rescind recent increases allowed for Citizens policies. The OIR this summer approved a 6.4% increase for Citizens homeowners policies  much less than the corporation had requested. And Florida insurance agents and others have said that Citizens rates are significantly lower than market-based insurers in many parts of the state, which is sending many property owners to Citizens and has made the corporation the largest carrier in the state.

The growth of Citizens may be keeping business away from private carriers and results in lower commissions paid to agents.

Fried faces former Gov. Charlie Crist in the Democratic primary Aug. 23. The general election, in which DeSantis will face the Democratic nominee, is Nov. 8.

Topics Florida
People who lost their homes and property in last summers Tamarack Fire in northern Nevada and California have filed a claim against the U.S. Forest Service seeking more than $85 million.

The filing by attorney Bill Jeanney of Reno on behalf of 27 claimants is the first step before filing a lawsuit, according to the Nevada Appeal, which first reported the filing. The U.S. Forest Service can either opt to pay the claim within six months or face a potential lawsuit, Jeanney said.

The Tamarack Fire started on July 4, 2021 when lightning hit a tree in the Mokelumne Wilderness in Alpine County, California. The U.S. Forest Service initially decided to hold off on providing assistance on the Tamarack Fire as it struggled with limited resources and officials perceived the fire as contained to a small area. But soon, the fire spread rapidly, eventually scorching nearly 109 square miles (282 square kilometers) along the Nevada-California border.

The governors of both states said the U.S. Forest Service was hampered by insufficient staffing, forcing officials to make difficult decisions about where to direct resources.

The fire damage was concentrated in Douglas County, Nevada and Alpine County. Authorities from both counties evacuated nearly 2,000 people in 15 communities.

Jeanney did not immediately respond to phone calls from the Associated Press on Thursday. Twelve of the claimants are from Douglas County, while the rest were Alpine County residents, the Appeal reported.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California
Sex is not everything, yet we cant deny the importance of intimacy in our lives. It provides and builds on connection, love, and respect in our intimate relationships, raises our self-esteem and confidence, even decreases stress, and lowers our heart rate and blood pressure. And its fun, thrilling, and exciting, but despite the obvious benefits, there are likely to be periods in our relationships and lives when sex is not something we want or need. Exhaustion, stress, an unsteady work/life balance, poor sleep, relationship issues, technology addiction, and struggling with our mental health can all play a part in whether sex even crosses our mind.

Theres no need or want for intimacy. Its just gone, says Meggan OReilly, who found her mental health acutely affected her libido and desire to have a sex life with her long-term partner. A low or vanishing sex drive is not unusual when it comes to balancing our mental wellbeing with a conventional libido. There is nothing predictable about our mental health and so our sexual relationships can take a hit when times are difficult.

Meggan O'Reilly played camogie for Dublin and is incredibly open on social media about her struggles with her mental health and living with BPD, bulimia, depression, and anxiety.

Orlagh Reid (www.orlaghreid.com), an accredited IACP Psychotherapist who works privately with addiction and sexology problems, says:

Libido and sexual desire are influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors including relational health. It is common to experience diminished desire and disinterest in sex when suffering from mental health conditions and prolonged periods of stress.

Orlagh Reid offers specialist online counselling and psychotherapy for addiction and recovery, psychosexual issues, sex and intimacy, relationships and infertility. Pic: Firechild Photography.

Reid suggests that there are broad-ranging factors that can influence reduced libido and sexual problems including mental health problems, medications, hormonal contraceptives which have related side effects, stress, and alcohol consumption all impact on sexual functioning and responses. Added to this is the pull of technology, its addictive nature, and the effect it can have on our relationships with others and ourselves.

"We can see all around us that tech such as smartphones and tablets unconsciously consume much of our attention, says Reid. This constant mental and psychological distraction means couples can miss opportunities and everyday subtle bids and interactions for connection with each other. These interactions ultimately help maintain the emotional connection and romantic attachment bonds, which lead to sexual intimacy.

Reid says that tech when used in excess, essentially powers down our capacity for physical human connection and interaction in any given moment while social media contributes to mental health problems. Mental fatigue and exposure to continually stimulating and triggering content can affect many aspects of our lives including our self-esteem, self-worth, mental health, and potentially our libido.

For many of us who find ourselves with wavering mental wellbeing, sex is not the priority it once was. And with unexpected side-effects of mental health medications, we may find ourselves on a completely different playing field.

Ciara Ni Dhubhlaing, Chief Pharmacist in St Patricks Mental Health Services and the Immediate Past President of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy, says:

Libido is a multifactorial issue involving a complex interplay of psychological, emotional, and physical factors. Both mental and physical health conditions, particularly those with hormonal or neurological involvement, can impact sexual health and sometimes co-occurring mental and physical health issues can make it more difficult to identify which is having the predominant effect. Mental health symptoms such as low mood, lack of motivation, and distressing thoughts commonly impact libido. Embarrassment or discomfort in discussing sexual symptoms can mean such symptoms go untreated and impact the person's quality of life and therefore, their mental health.

This unanticipated side-effect of medication for OReilly created a barrier when it came to sexual desire over the last five years.

Before taking medication, I was aroused by certain things or by my partner, she says.

I was excited and looked forward to being intimate. There were no issues. It was completely natural. Now, nothing gets me excited. Medication was a massive factor as to why my sex drive was completely non-existent. It numbed out all feelings of pleasure.

Some medications used for the treatment of mental health conditions can have sexual dysfunction as a side-effect, says Ni Dhubhlaing.

The nature and severity of the side effect varies with the medication, the dose, and the individual. Many people have little or no adverse effects whilst others may need to try a few medications before they find the one best suited to them. Even people taking the same medication and dose can have different experiences of side effects and benefits which is why it is important to discuss all side effects with the treating team. Usually, we can easily make a dose adjustment or switch the medication to one which suits someone better.

Depression can also lead to a complicated relationship with how we view ourselves. We may struggle with seeing ourselves in the way our partner does, be unable to adequately talk about how we feel, and struggle to communicate our concerns and worries surrounding our sexual self-esteem and low libido. All of these things can create distance in our partnerships.

Not only was there no spark or attraction to my partner or desire for sex, but there was also no attraction for myself either, says OReilly.

What people dont realise is that when you take some medications you are prone to gain weight, and thats exactly what happened to me. Because of this, the perspective I had of myself changed. I didnt view myself as pretty or attractive anymore and therefore felt as though my partner would not see me this way also. This resulted in me having no desire for intimacy.

Reid encourages people to avoid being judgmental or critical of themselves when it comes to sexual desire and to give plenty of time and patience to focus on improving sexual well-being and sexual self-esteem.

The immediate focus for clients is often to fix their low libido, says Reid, You are not broken and do not need to be fixed. What you are experiencing is likely perfectly normal because libido does fluctuate. Rather than seeking the anticipated fix, we can explore the problem from a wider holistic perspective, educate and discuss sexual wellbeing and the characteristics of a sexually healthy adult. These insights can be powerful."

If you want to address concerns about low libido, she says, it is best to explore the problem with a broad holistic perspective which also includes lifestyle and relational health, attitudes towards sex and sexual self-esteem, improving total wellbeing and looking at external factors which may be interfering with sex and intimacy.

Distraction by way of technology can be a real bugbear for some people, especially when constant doomscrolling (either by a partner or by themselves) is having an effect on a person's sex drive.

"If technology is getting in the way, power down the devices more often and experience the real world around you. There is a tendency for clients, particularly women to measure libido by their desire to have sexual intimacy with a partner. In therapy, we explore libido from a broader sexual wellbeing perspective and the clients relationship with their sexual self.

Ni Dhubhlaing adds, Management strategies will depend on the underlying cause. If sexual dysfunction is associated with the persons experience of poor mental health, it should improve with recovery. If it is related to the medication, then changing the timing, dose, or medication can help to resolve the issue. If that is not practical, there are treatments that can be used whilst continuing to take medication. The key message for people experiencing sexual dysfunction is not to suffer in silence.
An allegation that a politician used a fake social media profile to inappropriately message an underage party member have been referred to Tusla by a political party.

The Irish Examiner has confirmed that the politician is accused of using an anonymous social media account to message a teenage member of the same party.

It is understood that earlier this summer, the male teenager made a disclosure to a senior party official.

It is understood that the teenager was advised by the party figure that there may be a potentially criminal element to the allegation and it should be reported to gardai.

The politician allegedly started messaging the boy using an anonymous Twitter account when the teenager was 16 years old.

It is believed that the political party reported the disclosure to Tusla several days after the teenager made the allegations.

Party members and officials were told that the agency would share the information with gardai.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, the political party said it was notified of an allegation in May and took immediate steps to report the disclosure to the relevant statutory authorities.

The party has said that it takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously, and strictly adheres to all of its safeguarding and reporting obligations. The party said it referred the allegations to An Garda Siochana.
Last month was the third-hottest July ever recorded, with record-breaking temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere and dryer than average conditions in much of Europe just a taste of what is to come.

That is according to data from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which added that the globe was close to 0.4C above the 30-year 1991-2020 period, marginally cooler than July 2019 and marginally warmer than July 2016.

C3S, which monitors weather patterns in the context of climate change for the European Commission, makes its findings from computer-generated analyses using billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world.

Senior scientist for the C3S, Freja Vamborg, said: "We can expect to continue seeing more frequent and longer periods of extremely high temperatures, as global temperatures increase further.

Heatwaves pose serious risks to human health, and they can increase the intensity and longevity of many other disastrous climate events including wildfires and droughts, affecting both society and natural ecosystems."

The high temperatures could lead to disruption in agriculture and other industry, she warned.

"Additionally, dry conditions from previous months combined with high temperatures and low precipitation rates seen in many areas during July may have adverse effects on agricultural production and other industries such as river transport and energy production.

Ms Vamborg previously told the Irish Examiner that temperatures of 50C in Europe are now inevitable because of global warming, after Sicily saw a record 48.8C in 2021.

"48.8C is not that far away from 50C, and the 48.8C was already 0.8C warmer than the previous European record. I wont give a timeframe, but, for sure, this is not going to be the last temperature record weve seen in Europe," she said in April.

The prolonged dry weather exacerbated the likes of wildfires across the world, according to C3S.

"July 2022 was drier than average for much of Europe, with local low precipitation records broken in the west and drought in several locations of the southwest and southeast.

"These conditions affected the economy locally and facilitated spread and intensification of wildfires.

"It was also drier than average in much of North America, large regions of South America, Central Asia, and Australia," it said.

Europe's heatwave was balanced out globally by below-average temperatures along the western Indian Ocean, from the Horn of Africa to southern India, over much of central Asia, as well as over most of Australia, according to C3S.

Overall, it was the joint sixth-warmest July recorded for Europe, according to the findings.

The data also shows that Antarctic sea ice extent reached its lowest value for July in the 44-year satellite data record, at 7% below average.

Sea ice extent describes the total area covered by some amount of ice.

Met Eireann has warned that Ireland is set to experience high temperatures this week. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

At the opposite end of the globe, Arctic sea ice extent was 4% below average, ranking 12th lowest for July in the satellite record, and well above the low July values seen in 2019 to 2021, C3S said.

The data comes as Met Eireann warns Irish people to take care during the forthcoming hot spell that will last from midweek until at least the weekend.

Daytime temperatures will widely reach the mid to high 20s, while it will be "uncomfortably warm overnight too", Met Eireann said.

The high temperatures will mean heat stress, especially for the more vulnerable of the population; a high solar UV index, and the risk of water-related incidents, it warned.
At the end of July, the Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien released the June homeless figures. In that month 10,492 people, including 3,071 children, were in the Department of Housing-funded emergency accommodation.

The June figures saw just 22 fewer people officially homeless than the October 2019 peak, when 10,514 adults and children were in emergency accommodation.

There is little doubt that when the July figures are published at the end of this month the figures will be higher again.

Of course, these figures dont reflect the true level of homelessness. They don't include rough sleepers, women and children in Tusla-funded domestic violence refugees or men and women in hostels not funded by the state.

They also dont include over 3,000 adults and children with leave to remain but are unable to leave Direct Provision because of the shortage of housing.

The figures also dont include the unknown number of people living with family and friends in overcrowded and unsuitable accommodation or sofa surfing.

Whatever way you count it, the homelessness crisis has never been as bad, and it is going to get worse.

A homeless person sleeping rough in a doorway, June's homeless figures showed 10,492 people, including 3,071 children, were in the Department of Housing-funded emergency accommodation. But does not include figures for those sleeping rough.

A chronic undersupply of social housing coupled with the growing number of single property private landlords exiting the market is driving the homelessness crisis.

On Friday, the Residential Tenancies Board released the latest Notice to Quit figures. They show that in Quarter 2 of this year; 1,781 tenants were issued with eviction notices by their landlords. This is up more than 100% since Quarter 2, last year, when the number of notices issues was 841.

Back at the start of 2021, when the Covid-19 ban on evictions was in place, there were just 352 notices issues in the first quarter.

In April of that year, Minister OBrien ended the eviction ban. By the end of the second quarter, the number of notices had more than doubled to 841. Throughout the remainder of the year, it rose steadily, hitting 1,132 notices in quarter 1 of this year.

But even seasoned analysts of our housing crisis were surprised by the most recent jump. And the fear is that this trend is going to continue as more and more landlords exit the market.

Accidental landlords, people who never intended on renting out a property, are availing of the return of positive equity. Many semi-professional landlords whose interest was not the return on rent but a cash lump sum contribution to their pension pot are also cashing out.

Other semi-professional landlords complain about high levels of tax and complicated, ever-changing regulations.

Resentment

There is also a growing resentment among single property landlords at the sweetheart tax deals gifted to build-to-rent institutional investors who pay no tax on their rent roll or capital gains.

With rents at record levels, there is no doubt that the majority of landlords are making a very significant profit on their investments.

However, if single property landlords continue to exit the market while Government fails to provide an adequate supply of social housing, then homelessness will continue to rise.

Indeed, the shrinking of the private rental sector coupled with Government failures on social, affordable and student accommodation explains the escalating housing crises across all these sectors.

For four years I have been urging ministers for housing to put in place a plan to slow down the disorderly exit of single property landlords from the market while dramatically increasing the delivery of social and affordable homes. Those calls have fallen on deaf ears.

The latest RTB eviction notice figures must be a wake-up call. Inaction is no longer acceptable.

Yesterday, I wrote to Minister OBrien urging him to convene an urgent meeting to address the crisis in the private rental sector.

That meeting should involve tenant and landlord representative bodies such as Threshold and the IPOA/IPAV. The RTB should be in attendance as well as opposition housing spokespersons.

The purpose of the meeting should be to agree on a plan to respond to the deepening crisis in the private rental sector.

Niamh Lambe, Family Services Manager, Focus Ireland, sitting on a bed in a space designed as a typical 12x12 foot hotel room showcasing what life is like for the more than 3,000 children living in emergency accommodation. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Options

All options must be on the table including  a temporary ban on evictions into homelessness; an increase in the purchase of rental properties with HAP and RAS tenants in situ with Notices to Quit; increased resources for the RTB; reform of the tax treatment of all landlords; and an increased and accelerated social and affordable housing programme including the use of high-quality modular homes and increased use of vacant properties.

In the last year, homelessness has increased by 30%. Child homelessness by a shocking 40%. The latest RTB figures make it very clear that business as usual will see those figures rise month on month into 2023.

Resorting to meaningless soundbites about increases in planning permissions and commencements wont cut it. We need radical action and we need it now.

Eoin O Broin TD is Sinn Fein spokesperson on housing.
At a time of rising fuel costs, and broiling heatwaves in Europe and the US, the UN secretary-general, Antnio Guterres, described the record profits of oil and gas companies as immoral and urged governments to introduce a windfall tax, using the money to help those most in need.

The grotesque greed of the fossil fuel companies and their financial backers had led to the combined profits of the largest energy companies, in the first quarter of the year, hitting almost $100bn.

Meanwhile, the words of James Lovelock, the founder of climate change theory who died on July 27 at the age of 103, are coming back to haunt us.

James Lovelock, the founder of climate change theory, who died last month.

"Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change from radically impacting on our lives over the coming decades."

Lovelock developed the Gaia theory  that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating community of organisms interacting with each other and their surroundings. Two years ago, he predicted the biosphere was in the last 1% of its life.

In modern times, gross domestic product (GDP) has become a measure of a countrys wellbeing. If the economy is growing, then things must be good. If it is shrinking, then not so much.

Using GDP to measure how well we are doing, is increasingly at odds with reality. A key flaw is that it treats nature as a cost-fee externality that challenges the whole ethos of the Gaia hypothesis of closely controlled negative feedback loops that keep conditions on the planet within boundaries that are favourable to life.

There is an acute sense that something is not right, but it is difficult to put a finger on it. Prior to the financial crisis of 2008, the global consensus was that the markets should be left alone to create wealth.

A key problem with growth is that it requires endless production and its close companion, endless consumption. To prevent growth stalling, we need to buy more and more things and more and more paid experiences. For economies to continue to grow we need to have insatiable consumption.

In our heart of hearts, we know this consumption is mindless madness. We buy stuff we never knew we wanted and never use again.

Open any kitchen cupboard and unearth a range of gadgets  some of them still in their box or the circular exchange of unwanted expensive gifts at Christmas.

We know gadgets have parts that are irreplaceable when they do break down so that the only option is to discard them and buy a new one.

The lens of GDP is too narrow a lens to view the world.

So how can the lens on which we measure growth be expanded for a modern economy? A good economy allows people to be healthy and happy with life and avoids storing potential sources of long-term trouble such as environmental collapse or extreme inequality or poor health. How can this be measured within the context of economic progress?

The World Economic Forum acknowledges that GDP is no longer an accurate measure of growth. Post-pandemic recovery requires a more comprehensive definition of economic success.

The World Economic Forum acknowledges that GDP is no longer an accurate measure of growth. Post-pandemic recovery requires a more comprehensive definition of economic success.

Yet, despite long-standing efforts to redefine economic progress, reverting to conventional growth in GDP remains the reflex response of most governments, including Ireland.

A dashboard for a new economy is proposed that incorporates the dimensions of prosperity, planet, people, and institutions. This approach would formulate a balance between economic, environmental, health and social targets and consider them as inextricably linked.

It is envisaged that some of the targets included will be drivers of productivity and GDP growth, such as public health outcomes and educational attainment; while certain environmental targets may present trade-offs with increasing GDP or carry distributional consequences depending on how they are pursued.

The impact of cutting the national herd is a good example of a trade-off between economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.

The advantage of a dashboard approach is that it strikes a balance between being comprehensive and at the same time concise enough to serve as a mental model for thinking about recovery and future progress.

A windfall tax on fossil fuels, as suggested by Antnio Guterres, would be a key step in balancing economic prosperity against equity and sustainability.

The World Economic Forum has attempted just that with its report, Dashboard for a New Economy Towards a New Compass for Post-Covid Recovery (October 2020) which outlines a framework towards a future path for doing business that is efficient as well as addressing the key principles of sustainability, equity, and health.

A windfall tax on fossil fuels, as suggested by Antnio Guterres, would be a key step in balancing economic prosperity against equity and sustainability.

But is it too late? Have we reached the tipping point of runaway climate change or is their room for optimism  is the tide turning?

In Hothouse Earth, recently published as the UK sweltered in a broiling heatwave, Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, says we are going to pay the price for our complacency in the form of storms, droughts, floods and heatwaves that will easily surpass current extremes.

Despite this, he still believes we can avoid climate breakdown if we act now.

"To have even the tiniest chance of keeping the global average temperature below 1.5C we need to see emissions down 45% by 2030. In theory, this might be possible but in the real world, barring some unforeseen miracle  it isnt going to happen."

He adds:

The fact that the future looks dismal is not an excuse to do nothing, to imagine its all too late. On the contrary, it is a call to arms."

Most other climate experts maintain we have time left, although not very much, to bring about meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and that a rapid drive to net zero and the halting of global warming is still within our grasp.

Renowned climate scientist Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, says having worked on climate issues for decades he is actually more optimistic than ever that we will address climate change.

Investors are taking serious note and shifting capital in important ways. Political will and government leadership is beginning to change, and awareness is at an all-time high. He suggests "we just need to avoid doomism".

He points to falling emissions in dozens of countries  including the United States and the UK.

Compared to 10 or 20 years ago, there is a lot to be optimistic about on climate change. Much more action and actual changes in emissions."

He concludes on an optimistic note by saying:

"Lets build on this and limit the damage as much as we can. Every tenth of a degree matters. Every ecosystem matters. Every moment matters. We can still make a huge difference  for the better."

This is the most positive note I have heard on climate change.

"I honestly believe we can still hit well under 2C and probably will thanks to some very interesting, recent shifts in technology, markets, investments, business leadership, culture and politics.

"Its not game over, its game on."

Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor in Cork and former director of human health and nutrition at Safefood
Burma Almost 100 Regime Soldiers Reportedly Killed in Upper Myanmar

A van carrying junta police under attack on Sunday from resistance fighters in Taze Township, Sagaing Region. / TPC

Almost 100 Myanmar junta soldiers were reportedly killed over the weekend in Sagaing and Magwe regions, as Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) launched a series of daring attacks on military regime units.

On Sunday, resistance fighters of Taze People Comrades (TPC) attacked a vehicle carrying regime police in Sagaing Regions Taze Town. Seven junta police officers were killed and six weapons seized, according to the group.

TPC fighters used two vehicles to ambush the police van as it headed to a military checkpoint at the entrance to Taze Town. A TPC video shows the van being attacked at close range.

On early Saturday morning, 34 regime troops and pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia were reportedly killed when a combined force of nine PDFs raided a Pyu Saw Htee base in Twinma Village in Myaing Township, Magwe Region, said Myaing-PDF, which coordinated the raid.

The combined PDFs also ambushed junta reinforcements traveling on seven motorbikes with landmines. Four junta troops were killed and another 27 wounded in the ambush.

Three resistance fighters were killed and five injured in the raid, added Myaing-PDF.

However, Myaing-PDF was forced to abandon an attempt to seize the militia camp as regime helicopters and more junta reinforcements arrived in the area.

Also on Saturday, Myaung Revolution Army (MRA) claimed that a combined force of PDFs killed at least 22 Myanmar military soldiers when they used landmines to ambush regime forces in Sagaing Regions Chaung-U Township.

The PDFs ambushed 40 junta soldiers traveling on foot and a military vehicle carrying a jammer designed to prevent PDFs from activating landmines while they were travelling on the Chaung-U- Myinmu road, said MRA.

Some 12 regime forces were killed, said MRA.

On the same morning, the combined PDFs also attacked a military detachment as they attempted to defuse mines planted on the same highway. 10 more soldiers were killed and many others were wounded, claimed MRA.

That afternoon, MRA also ambushed a military convoy of 10 vehicles with landmines while it was traveling on the Mandalay-Monywa road. However, military casualties are unknown, said the PDF.

At least 20 regime soldiers were killed by a combined force of PDFs during three days of firefights in Sagaings Ayadaw Township.

The attacks started last Thursday, when a combined force of 11 PDFs clashed with a detachment of 64 junta troops while they were trying to raid Minywar Village in Ayadaw Township.

15 regime soldiers were killed and six resistance fighters suffered injuries, said Burmese Revolutionary Technical Front (BRTF), the PDF that coordinated the attack. Regime forces responded to the attack by employing helicopters and heavy explosives against the resistance fighters.

On Friday, the PDF used drones to bomb junta troops in Minywar Village, killing five junta soldiers, according to BRTF.

The following day, Saturday, regime forces retreated from the village after another raid by the PDFs. One resistance fighter was killed, said BTRF.

Junta forces torched some 350 houses in the village during their deployment, added BRTF.

In Sagaings Budalin Township, five regime soldiers were reportedly killed on Sunday in a PDF ambush.

Amid daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations nationwide, regime forces continue to commit atrocities including the arbitrary killings of civilians, using civilians as human shields, burning people alive, air and artillery strikes on residential areas, looting and burning houses and committing acts of sexual violence.
Burma Fierce Fighting in Sagaing as Myanmar Junta Forces Clash With Resistance

Resistance fighters. / PDF Kalay

Myanmar junta soldiers and Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) fought fierce battles for three days in Sagaing Regions Kale Township, as military regime troops attempted to take control of a main road linking Kale with Gangaw Township in Magwe Region.

The clash broke out on August 2 around two miles south of the center of Kale Town after resistance forces intercepted junta soldiers attempting to establish a tactical command base in Htaukkyant Village, Ko Ei Soe from Kale-PDF told The Irrawaddy.

Around 200 junta troops left Kale Town on August 2 to travel to Htaukkyant, but were intercepted by resistance forces in Tharyargone Village near Kale Technological University, he added.

They havent withdrawn, neither will we retreat unless we run out of ammunition, Ko Ei Soe told The Irrawaddy on Friday. The current situation is still unknown.

PDFs from Kale are fighting regime forces alongside the Chinland Defense Force (Kalay, Kabaw, Gangaw).

Junta soldiers deployed at Kale Technological University and the regional operations command based in Kale Town provided artillery support for their troops, while the regime also airlifted reinforcements and ammunition into the area, said resistance fighters.

Some six Myanmar military infantry battalions are based in Kale.

Kale-PDF said that at least 15 junta soldiers were killed in three days of fighting from August 2 to 4. Three resistance fighters died and 17 others were injured, it added.

On August 4, another 20 junta soldiers died and dozens were injured when PDFs used mines to ambush junta reinforcements coming from Tamu Township, said Kale-PDF.

Following the attack, regime troops raided nearby Yasagyo Village, detaining some villagers. On Friday, Kale-PDF reported that three villagers were killed in Tharyargone Village and another 30 detained as potential human shields.

I heard that junta troops have been looting houses in Yasagyo and taken away the belongings of residents in 12-wheeled trucks, said a Kale resident.

Since the clashes, Kale-PDF has called on locals to avoid traveling on the Kale-Gangaw road.

A resistance fighter on the frontline said there was no face-to-face fighting on August 5. However, junta troops were still in Tharyargone Village which was surrounded by PDF fighters.

The regime has issued no reports about the fighting in Kale. The Irrawaddy was unable to confirm junta casualties independently.
Burma NUG Offers Rewards for Myanmar Regime Defectors With Anti-Aircraft Weapons

Myanmar military jets.

Myanmars parallel National Unity Government (NUG) is offering cash rewards to junta soldiers who defect with anti-aircraft weapons, as the regime increasingly uses airstrikes on both resistance fighters and civilian targets.

Thousands of civilians are being displaced monthly in the resistance strongholds of Karen, Kayah, Chin and Kachin states and Sagaing and Magwe regions because of regime airstrikes, while many civilians are also being killed or wounded in the bombings.

On Saturday, the NUGs defense ministry announced that any junta soldier who defects with anti-aircraft weapons will be rewarded.

Although the ministry didnt detail the specific rewards, it said they will be a worthy amount.

The price of a Chinese-manufactured FN-6 portable air defense system missile was estimated at US$75,000-90,000 on the international weapons market in 2019.

In April, the NUG also offered huge monetary incentives to regime soldiers who desert from the military and manage to destroy or steal vehicles on their way out, in an effort to encourage more defections from the Myanmar military.

The military regime is struggling with a growing number of defections, as soldiers face public hatred for their brutal suppression of the anti-regime revolution. Since last years coup, around 10,000 soldiers and police have defected including some battalion commanders, the highest-ranking soldiers to defect so far.

Elected lawmakers from the National League for Democracy and their ethnic allies set up the NUG in April last year to challenge the juntas legitimacy at home and abroad.

Many Myanmar people regard the NUG as their legitimate government, while many western countries have shown support for it, although they have stopped short of offering the NUG official recognition.
Burma Women Working in Rice Field Shot Dead by Myanmar Junta Helicopter

The Mi-35 combat helicopter / CJ

Two women workers transplanting paddy were killed in Sagaing Regions Tabayin Township on Thursday when Myanmar regime forces attacked with a Russian-made Mi-35 combat helicopter for no reason, local residents said.

The helicopter opened fire at random around Kaingkan, Inpin and Yadin villages in Tabayin on Thursday. Two were killed as the helicopter fired shots at a group of women transplanting paddy, said a source.

The attack forced some 3,000 villagers from more than 10 villages in the township to flee their homes.

The helicopter attacked at 10.30 a.m. and 12 p.m. as the villagers fled. Locals said there was no fighting when the regime carried out the attack on villagers.

The spokesman of the township Peoples Defense Force and some locals said two choppers airlifted some 80 junta soldiers from Phayahtwet Village to Kaingkan Village while the Mi-35 carried out the attacks.

Phayahtwet is around 24 km from Kaingkan.

The helicopter attacked twice, with each lasting around 45 minutes. They fired shots indiscriminately, said a resident.

A resident was killed and two others were injured when the regime carried out an air raid for no reason near Na Myar Village in Tabayin Township on July 14.

Division 33, Light Infantry Battalion 101 and units overseen by the 10th Military Operations Command are active in Sagaing.

In January, the commander of the Myanmar militarys North-Eastern Command, Major General Phyo Thant, was appointed as deputy border affairs minister and replaced by the commander of the 10th Military Operations Command, Major General Than Htike.
Commentary Dragging Russia Into the Myanmar Conflict

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It might sound cynical, but with Myanmar becoming more like Syria or South Sudan every day, it seems only fitting that Russias foreign minister visited Naypyitaw last week to provide some much needed moral and political support to the condemned regime.

When Myanmar held its Armed Forces Day on March 27 last year, commander-in-chief and coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in his speech called Russia a true and loyal friend. Why?

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin was the highest-ranking foreign dignitary at the event in Naypyitaw. Two days later, Russia called Myanmar a reliable ally and strategic partner.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the regime backed the Kremlin, its spokesman saying that Russia was still a powerful nation that plays a role in keeping the balance of power for world peace.

To this day, Russia remains one of the key arms suppliers to Myanmars military, while Russia has provided a postgraduate education to at least 7,000 Myanmar officers since 2001.

Moscow has provided fighter jets, helicopters and air defense systems to Myanmar and it is no secret that the regime leaders prefer military hardware from Russia over China.

But now, bilateral ties are not limited to military-to-military relations. Moscow seeks to deepen diplomatic, economic, trade and security relations with Myanmar.

Last week, Moscows top diplomat Sergey Lavrov visited Myanmar and met with top leaders including Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Isolated Myanmars leaders, shunned from a regional ministers meeting that was being held in Cambodia at the same time, welcomed Lavrov with broad smiles, to demonstrate that the regime has a powerful friend.

However, the handshake between Lavrov and Min Aung Hlaing looked more like a meeting of partners in crime. Lavrovs stopover in Myanmar before the ministers attendance at the ASEAN regional meeting no doubt set alarm bells ringing in regional capitals and for Myanmars opposition.

During his brief visit, which was held amid high security, the regime laid out the red carpet for Lavrov, with two military helicopters escorting his convoy from the airport to the hotel and his meetings.

During his working visit, regime Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin also hosted a working luncheon for the Russian delegation at the Aureum Palace Hotel, owned by Myanmar crony Teza, one of the main brokers of arms deals between the Myanmar military and Russia.

Lavrov made clear where Moscow stands to Myanmar ministers, who could not conceal their delight at the working luncheon.

He said the Russian government was in solidarity with the efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation in the country, adding, We appreciate the traditionally friendly nature of our partnership, which is not affected by any opportunistic processes. Russia and Myanmar established diplomatic relations in 1948 and next year the two countries will celebrate the diamond jubilee anniversary of their ties.

Lavrov described Myanmar as a friendly and longstanding partner, adding that the two nations have a very solid foundation for building up cooperation in a wide range of areas.

Calling Russia, a true and loyal friend is not wrong; in fact, Russia (along with China) has been loyal in backing the regime at the UN Security Council. As permanent members of the council, the two major allies have exercised their veto power to block international sanctions against the Myanmar regime.

In his remark, Lavrov made no mention of the juntas daily brutal campaign and air raids against civilians and the opposition, which is understandable; Russias sophisticated jet fighters and helicopters have been deployed to attack the population, villages and armed resistance in Myanmar.

The regime in Myanmar is isolated and faces sanctions, as well as condemnation at home and abroad. It has also struggled to counter an armed resistance over the past year. Since the Ukraine invasion, Moscow faces Western sanctions and is in a long and costly military campaign there.

Min Aung Hlaing has chosen to wreak utter devastation. He has sent government leaders to prisons, including ousted State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Last month, he ordered the execution of prominent activists including a lawmaker. There is no turning back.

He was pleased to receive Lavrov at the Presidential Palace to show that he has a friend in a high place.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar described the two nations ambitions to become permanent friendly countries and permanent allies who will aid each other to manage their internal affairs without external interference.

But

Dragging Russia into the conflict in Myanmar will have major consequences.

Three major players are now involved in the conflict in Myanmar: the West (chiefly the US), Russia and China.

Perhaps it is easy to read the US reaction, but how Beijing sees Lavrovs visit will be intriguing.

In June, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told Wunna Maung Lwin that China pledged to support the military regime no matter how the situation changes in Myanmar over the coming months and years.

Chinas substantial economic and strategic interests in Myanmar are vast; moreover Chinas influence and political clout is, compared to Russia, extensive.

Still, while Beijing isnt betting on the regime alone, its unequivocal support for the junta suggests its analysts believe the regime will eventually prevail over the anti-coup resistance, that outside support for the resistance movement will only prolong the inevitable, and that the regime offers the most likely route towards the stability necessary for the advancement of Chinas substantial economic and strategic interests in the country.

Beijing has allies in the country, while it is expected that Moscow will stick with the regime.

Myanmars ethnic armed organizations in the north have forged closer relations with China and depend on the powerful neighbor. China can only increase its support to these groups. On the Taiwan issue, meanwhile, China has halted cooperation with the US over critical issues and it will be difficult to seek any understanding on Myanmar due to the escalation of tensions. Last year, the United States and China brokered an agreement that will effectively block Myanmars military rulers from addressing the United Nations General Assembly, dealing a blow to the juntas quest for international legitimacy.

For its part, the West (including the US) supports the democratic opposition and shadow civilian government, the National Unity Government, but so far, no arms support has been involved. The US has however increased its humanitarian assistance and support for opposition and civil society groups since the coup.

The US recently asked countries in the region to engage with the NUG, which has urged the international community to provide arms to its forces fighting against the countrys military regime.

In June, the US State Departments counselor urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to engage with the NUG, saying the countrys political crisis cannot be resolved by engaging only with the military regime.

The USs political support is limited, however. But the opposition in Myanmar has urged Washington to do more. Meanwhile, Russias assertive engagement with the regime in Naypyitaw only deepens.

Myanmar has become a playground; dragging Russia in to play a bigger role in Myanmar sounds very ominous.

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Myanmar Juntas Executions Unforgivable

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THE leader of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), bishop Nehemia Mutendi yesterday pulled a shocker by calling on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to promote peace and play a clean game in the general elections expected next year.

Mnangagwa attended a ZCC service at Defe Dopota in Gokwe, where thousands of congregants gathered to commemorate the death of the churchs founder Samuel Mutendi. Mutendi died on July 20, 1976.

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, top government officials, Zanu PF officials and 16 chiefs were also in attendance.

In his sermon, Mutendi urged congregants and government officials to maintain peace in the country.

This comes as political tensions are heightening ahead of the 2023 polls, with rights defenders having already red-flagged the rising cases of political violence.

Political violence ahead of the 2023 polls has already claimed the lives of some opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters.

There are also cases of intra-party violence which have resulted in injuries.

Christs peace means remaining calm in spite of all troubles, Mutendi said.

I have summoned government officials and their leaders on this day as we are commemorating the day of the man of peace (Samuel). We are here to pray for the coming general elections. We have the upcoming general elections. There are many people who are going to participate in that race. We, as the ZCC, are also in a race to a heavenly State House. In that election race, we pray that you play your game, as a clean game or race.

We have summoned you to join us to pray for the 2023 elections to be peaceful. Despite the economic challenges the country is facing, we still see that a lot is being done to improve peoples lives. We are happy and we see the road rehabilitation programmes that government is undertaking, and the dams being built.

Mutendi said citizens had lost hope owing to the deteriorating economic situation, while emphasising the need for government to maintain peace in the country.

He said land should not be preserved by swords and guns, as he denounced violence

We have our father who fought for Zimbabwe, but did not have a chance to see a free Zimbabwe. A majority of the ZCC congregants depend on the land. They are excited to hear about people who can help us on how to use the land, Mutendi said.

ZCC members know that land is a gift from God. It must be preserved, not only with swords and guns. Some are holding guns, but we are holding the Bible. We have some who have lost hope. The church is the only source of hope  We appreciate the State Houses open door policy. We appreciate your willingness to invite churches and bring people together and your willingness to set aside State duties to come and listen to the word of God.

Mnangagwa is currently in a massive re-election campaign drive in which he is targeting churches to gain political edge over his arch-rival, CCC leader Nelson Chamisa and other presidential candidates in the forthcoming 2023 plebiscite.

Last month, the Zanu PF leader attended a church service at the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect Passover service held in Mafararikwa at St Noahs shrine, where he urged thousands of congregants in attendance to support him.

In June, Mnangagwa joined worshippers of the African Apostolic Church led by Paul Mwazha in Chirumanzu, Midlands province, where he also solicited support.

In his speech Mnangagwa said citizens were not fully utilising the resources at their disposal to be productive. His speech dwelt mostly on Biblical verses.

Mnangagwa said: Baba Samere was a preacher of love, unity. His good work has made us gather here. We would not have been gathered here if he had gone about doing bad things. He preached love and unity, and for the nation to have peace and harmony  Very few of you are working on productivity, he said.

The scriptures in Genesis urge us to sweat. Every kingdom must be productive to live. Through the works of the church, our nation must prosper; our people must be protected, be saved and healed.

His deputy, Chiwenga, however, told the Mutendi congregants to vote for Zanu PF. Newsday
Editorial After 34 Years, 88 Generation Continues to Inspire, and to Sacrifice

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Myanmars military shot dead 16-year-old student activist Ma Win Maw Oo during the pro-democracy popular uprising in 1988, which turns 34 years old on Monday.

Nearly 34 years after her death, the same military killed Ko Jimmy, who was also a young pro-democracy student activist back in 1988. Myanmars new regime, which is run by the military, hanged the 53-year-old veteran democracy activist in Yangons Insein Prison last month for his anti-regime activism against the current junta.

The killing of the two contemporary activists by the same military under different generals 34 years apart paints a grim picture of the reality Myanmar faces today.

Myanmar erupted into a nationwide pro-democracy protest on Aug. 8, 1988 to end the 26-year rule of dictator General Ne Wins authoritarian regime. The protests continued until the military staged a coup in September and the army violently gunned down the protesters. At least 3,000 democracy supporters were killed.

While it failed to end military dictatorship in the country, the popular uprising paved the way for Myanmars short-lived democratic period, which was ended by another military takeover in February 2021.

The Myanmar peoples leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi established per political reputation in the 88 uprising, out of which her National League for Democracy (NLD) was born. Then came the partys landslide victory in the 1990 general election, whose result the military refused to honor. Fast forward more than two decades and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was leading a democratically elected civilian government until it was ousted by the putsch last year.

Were it not for the 88 pro-democracy movement, it would have been difficult for any of the above to have come into existence.

The spirit of 88 keeps Myanmar moving forward and striving for democracy even today, under Min Aung Hlaings dictatorship.

When the army staged a coup last year, millions of people defied military rule just as in 1988.

True to its old self, the army brutally cracked down on the protesters, as it did in 1988. After more than three decades, the militarys barbarism has not diminished. So far it has killed more than 2,000 civilians. Its repression has been even crueler this time, including sending Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to solitary confinement in a prison, hanging Ko Jimmy and three other democracy activists, and launching airstrikes against civilians and anti-regime armed resistance forces.

But the people of Myanmar have undergone a radical change: no longer do they seek reconciliation with the military.

Infuriated by their sudden loss of freedom and democracy, which were hard won through the sacrifices of the 88 pro-democracy movement, as well as the juntas day-to-day atrocities against them, they are now determined to root out the military dictatorship in the country by any means necessary.

What they have in common with the 88 generation is their craving for democracy and freedom. Thats why Ko Jimmy, a veteran of the 1988 uprising, paid with his life for his beliefs and for the country, just as Ma Win Maw Oo confronted the soldiers as they sprayed bullets on the streets of Yangon 34 years ago. The young anti-regime resistance fighters, whether in the Myanmar heartland or along the borders, feel the same. So do the urban guerrilla fighters in Yangon.

The 88 pro-democracy uprising tried to kindle the torch of democracy in Myanmar.

Today, 34 years on, it is inspiring a new generation to keep the torch aflame, whatever it takes.
Alibaba Cloud is poised to meet its carbon reduction targets as it upgrades server-storing data centres around the world, according to a scientist on the project.

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, aims to have its global data centres running entirely on clean energy by 2030.

Eco-friendly data centres are critical to Alibabas sustainable operations, says Alibaba Cloud Infrastructures Internet Data Centre Division general manager Shanyuan Gao.

In our Hangzhou data centre, server clusters are submerged in specialised liquid coolant, which quickly chills the IT hardware, Gao explained.

The cloud computing division employs green technologies in these facilities, of which liquid cooling and renewable electricity storage make the biggest difference in reducing carbon emissions.

Alibaba Clouds Zhangbei data centre employs the same method. Alibaba says it is the first facility in China to use heat-pump technology.

Rising to the challenge

While clean energy solves many issues, its usage brings its own set of challenges. The energy supply from solar and wind sources can be fickle, delivering full power when the weather is fair and windy but failing to produce when conditions change.

The exact location of some data centres is also a concern. Alibaba Cloud is leveraging the environment, erecting facilities in places like Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia, where temperatures regularly drop to -22 Celsius.

We are looking at carbon management tools to help us better take advantage of energy trading schemes while also planning a more stable energy supply, Gao said.

According to Gao, the data centre uses a free-air cooling system that does not require additional machine-powered cooling for 10 months of the year.

From the inside out

A data centre is only as efficient as its server chips allow. Alibaba launched its first proprietary chip, known as Yitian 710, to cut electricity use further.

The Yitian 710 can accommodate up to 60 billion transistors in each chip, Gao said, translating into a 50% higher energy efficiency ratio compared with other models.

This will make transitioning to clean energy easier as it reduces demand on unpredictable solar and wind energy sources.

Yitian 710 runs within the companys self-developed Panjiu servers, which separate computing from storage to better support cloud-native services, like the software behind computer applications that do not use physical servers.

This allows servers to specialise in AI computing, making large-scale data more cost-effective to deploy, he added.

The combined strengths of this hardware can also be put to use training and using AI models, which has been an incredibly energy-draining process  until now.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 5 August 2022.
Ensuring that consumers have reliable access to broadband, mobile and landline services, no matter where they live in Australia, is the focus for the upcoming 2022 Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) conference under the theme Better Basics.

ACCAN says the aim of this years conference - to be held online on September 14 - is to outline some of the key issues that are of continuing importance to consumers, and to highlight the work being done by consumer advocates, industry, regulators, and politicians to improve the communications sector and get the basics right for consumers.

According to ACCAN at a time when being connected to communications services is so crucial to everyday life, the reliability of services is essential, and conference delegates will hear from industry experts about measures theyre undertaking to ensure that consumers have reliable access to services.

The conference will kick off with an address from The Hon. Michelle Rowland, Minister for Communications who will outline her vision for this term of government. She will be followed by an outstanding and highly experienced list of guest speakers all of whom have a fascinating take on the theme Better Basics, said ACCAN CEO, Andrew Williams.

Williams notes that outgoing ACCC Deputy Chair, Delia Rickard, will reflect on the importance of communications to all Australians and the need to ensure access, affordability and quality of service.

Conference delegates will also hear the new Telecommunications Industry Ombudsmans vision for the telecommunications sector, and Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert

will share her thoughts on the TIOs role in ensuring effective consumer protections and how the TIO is going to make sure that it is accessible, available, and responsive to community needs.

ACCAN says the conference will also feature discussions with consumer advocates on a range of topics, including a panel of experts talking about the fundamental digital rights for consumers into the future.

In 2022 this looks very different to the basics of the past with consumers now engaging online in different ways and using over the top services to stay in touch with family and friends. In light of this, consumer advocates are banding together to consider the basic digital rights that need to be met to support consumers so that they can engage safely and confidently on digital platforms, ACCAN notes.

Registrations are now open, and Id encourage anyone with an interest in the communications industry to come along, virtually of course, to enjoy a day of thoroughly engaging speakers and rigorous debate about how to get the basics right for consumers at a time when the internet is quickly becoming an important human right, concluded Williams.

Register here today.
Australia will see 11% of jobs lost to automation by 2040, according to the latest jobs forecast for the APAC region by global research and advisory firm Forrester.

However, despite the bleak outlook for Australian job losses to automation, Forrester says in Australia jobs across consulting, scientific, and technical services, which are harder to automate, will see the fastest growth, especially in the ICT industry.

On a broader Asoa Pacific perspectiive, Forrester forecasts that working populations in the five largest economies in the region -  India, China, South Korea, Australia, and Japan  are more at risk due to physical robot automation than Europe and North America.

And, by 2040, Forrester forecasts that 63 million jobs are expected to be lost to automation, with more than 247 million jobs expected to be in jeopardy across industries that are more susceptible to automation, such as construction and agriculture.

According to Forresters Future Of Jobs Forecast, 2020 To 2040 (India, China, South Korea, Australia, And Japan), in the coming years, the green economy will help offset some job losses as more countries commit to carbon neutrality.

To that end, Forrester says that India, China, South Korea, Australia, and Japan will create 28.5 million new jobs in renewable energy, green buildings, smart cities and smart infrastructure, and professional services by 2040.

But even with the creation of new jobs in areas such as the green economy and information and communications technology (ICT) industries, Forrester says 13.7 million jobs in the region will be lost to automation across wholesale, retail, transport, accommodation, and leisure sectors.

Forrester says that each country faces different challenges, listing key highlights including:

Australia. Similar to the US, Australias high GDP per worker incentivises firms to automate jobs to improve productivity and reduce labour costs. Australia will see 11% of jobs lost to automation by 2040. Jobs across consulting, scientific, and technical services, which are harder to automate, will see the fastest growth, especially in the ICT industry.

Similar to the US, Australias high GDP per worker incentivises firms to automate jobs to improve productivity and reduce labour costs. Australia will see 11% of jobs lost to automation by 2040. Jobs across consulting, scientific, and technical services, which are harder to automate, will see the fastest growth, especially in the ICT industry. China. By 2040, China will see its working population decline by 11%, and 7% of jobs will be lost to automation. Job growth in the ICT industry will help offset automation job losses, with 3.8 million additional new jobs created by 2040.

By 2040, China will see its working population decline by 11%, and 7% of jobs will be lost to automation. Job growth in the ICT industry will help offset automation job losses, with 3.8 million additional new jobs created by 2040. India. India, which has a relatively young workforce, will add 160 million new workers over the next 20 years, reaching a working population of 1.1 billion by 2040. Although 69% of Indias jobs are under threat from automation, the countrys main priority will be job creation to accommodate new workers entering the workforce.

India, which has a relatively young workforce, will add 160 million new workers over the next 20 years, reaching a working population of 1.1 billion by 2040. Although 69% of Indias jobs are under threat from automation, the countrys main priority will be job creation to accommodate new workers entering the workforce. Japan. Due to an ageing workforce and the countrys low birth rate, between 2020 and 2040, Japans working population will contract by 19%. By 2050, it is forecasted to decline by almost one-third.

Due to an ageing workforce and the countrys low birth rate, between 2020 and 2040, Japans working population will contract by 19%. By 2050, it is forecasted to decline by almost one-third. Korea. Driven by its aging working population and its dependency on the construction and agriculture industries, which are more susceptible to automation, South Koreas workforce will contract by 23% over the next 20 years.

To prepare for the changes brought on by automation, the five largest economies in APAC will have to radically rethink their workforce strategies, said Forrester principal forecast analyst Michael OGrady.

While each economy faces its own challenges, common focus areas such as hiring more female workers can help offset working population declines. In addition, investing in STEM education, technology workforce training, and protecting the rights of freelance workers will become of utmost importance.

Forrester inviotes you to:

 Learn more about the future of jobs in Asia Pacific.

 Download the Future Of Jobs Forecast, 2020 To 2040 (India, China, South Korea, Australia, And Japan) report (client access required).

 Visit here to learn more about the forces shaping the future of work.
Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Sunny along with a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.


AN abrupt power cut yesterday interrupted President Emmerson Mnangagwas Heroes Day commemoration speech, the second power cut in three weeks to disrupt him during an address.

On July 20, 2022, Mnangagwa was again interrupted by a power outage in the middle of his speech during the ground-breaking ceremony of the Cyber City in Mt Hampden, Harare.

At the National Heroes Acre in Harare, power was restored after about one minute. Zanu PF youths burst into song to rescue their party leader who seemed confused following the power blackout.

Power is back. We continue, Mnangagwa said in order to regain public attention.

Zimbabwe is facing a power crisis which has resulted in power utility, Zesa Holdings, increasing load shedding and Mnangagwa engaging his Zambian and Mozambican counterparts Hakainde Hichilema and Filipe Nyusi, respectively, to import power to help resolve the crisis.

Energy minister Zhemu Soda said government was making frantic efforts to ease the power cuts through imports and rehabilitation of the Hwange Thermal Power Station.

Zimbabwe requires more than 2 000 megawatts of electricity monthly to meet power demand.

Meanwhile, during yesterdays event at the national shrine Mnangagwa gave awards to Zimbabweans who excelled in different areas.

Mnangagwa unveiled the awards as the President Robert Mugabe, Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo and Herbert Pfumaindini Chitepo awards.

Scholar, Professor Robson Manyuwa Mafoti was awarded the Robert Gabriel Mugabe human development and outstanding leadership award for his services in science and human capital development.

The Herbert Chitepo commendation award for justice and human rights went to Professor Simbi Mubako for his work in justice and human rights. The award is given to a distinguished and consistent person in pursuit of justice and human rights for the greater good of the country.

The Joshua Nqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo commendation award for agriculture, community development, peace building and fostering unity posthumously went to the late Ephraim Havazvidi.

Retired judge, Justice Sibusiso Sibanda was also posthumously awarded with the honour of Herbert Chitepo award for Justice and Human Rights. Newsday
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has called on citizens to uphold peace ahead of next years harmonised elections.

In a speech read on his behalf by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga during Lieutenant General (Rtd) Ambasador Anselem Sanyatwes renewal of wedding vows with his wife in Nyanga, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans must shun violence before, during and after elections.

Ambassador Sanyatwe is married to Nyanga North Member of the House of Assembly Cde Chido Machona Sanyatwe.

They renewed their wedding vows at Regina Ceoli Mission yesterday.

President Mnangagwa said Let us all make sure we maintain peace before, during and after elections.

The message is peace, peace, peace. Those that will come and try to entice you to be involved in violent activities should be politely ignored.

We can only build our country when peace is prevailing. We are one people, said President Mnangagwa.

He congratulated Ambasador Sanyatwe and his wife for setting a good example, not only for their family but the community that looks up to them as leaders.

The President really wanted to be here but because of pressing commitments he could not and that is the reason he sent me here to represent him and convey his message. He congratulated the Sanyatwe family as well as the Nyanga North family for this achievement. A wedding is a gift from God and we really need to applaud the effort made to have it. It sets a very good example for the young, most of whom are now being wasted by drugs. We are grateful to the churches that raised these two (Sanyatwes) and it is amble evidence that when children are raised in church they get the proper upbringing they need because they obtain good teachings from the church and the family as well. Our youths should emulate this. May God bless this union, said VP Chiwenga.

Apparently, VP Chiwenga and Ambassador Sanyatwe are long time friends.

We have been friends with Ambasador Sanyatwe since the days of the liberation struggle when I was Commander in the Manica while he was in the bare we now know as Mashonaland Central, which also covered some parts of Mashonaland East. We remained friends after independence when we both served in the Zimbabwe National Army at Five Brigade in the Midlands. We then reunited at army headquarters in Harare and up to this day we are still working together. Unbeknown to me until a later stage, we are both Catholics, said Vice President Chiwenga.

In an interview Ambasador Sanyatwe said: We are really excited about this. We had our wedding years back in court but we have decided to solemnise our union before God. We are happy that we have managed to do this and I hope our youngsters have learnt a lesson or two from this. I attended school here hence it feels good to be back after so many years to solemnise the union with my wife here. Everyone in the family and colleagues are happy that we have done this.

MP Sanyatwe said: I really want to express my joy at having managed to accomplish this. Yes, we had our wedding at court but I have always wanted to have this hence the joy. I really want to urge people from different walks of life to emulate this.

Government and ruling Zanu PF party officials that include Minister of State for Manicaland Affaris and Devolution Cde Nokuthula Matsikenyere, Deputy Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Cde Mike Madiro, Nyanga North Member of the House of Assembly Cde Supa Mandiwanzira and a number of army Generals attended the wedding. Herald
ZIMBABWE has recorded a 20% increase in school dropouts since 2020 when schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report by the Union of Education Norway in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has revealed.

The report follows a similar one conducted by the United States Embassy in 2021, which said an estimated 840 000 schoolchildren quit school since 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Another recent report by the Family Aids Caring Trust Zimbabwe revealed that close to 20 000 girls dropped out of school since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Zimta education director and senior co-ordinator Dennis Sinyolo told NewsDay that the latest report was an assessment of the impact of the closure of schools during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

We discovered that, indeed, there were so many problems with some being common knowledge that the closure of schools brought about a lot of dropouts. Some learners were affected to a point where it was very difficult for them to return to school when schools reopened, Sinyolo said.

Some lost their parents or guardians while others joined the informal trading sector and gold panning. The girl child, in particular, was the most affected. Some of them got married and became pregnant at a very young age. The situation was quite bad, he said.

Pointing out that despite attempts to stop the dropout by introducing online learning amid more disparities, Sinyolo added: Unfortunately, online learning brought about more disparities among the learners, especially those in the rural areas and some from the urban areas were also affected. Those children from poorer families who could not afford modern technologies to undergo online learning missed lessons.

One of the researchers, Thembinkosi Tshabalala said some of the studys findings included that the girl child and children with disabilities were the most affected.

She said: There were huge gaps in terms of learning during the crisis, especially in rural areas. Girls have been affected by COVID-19 and were abused and thrown into child marriages. Unfortunately, this is a phenomenon we see across Africa and not only in Zimbabwe.

Rural children and children with disabilities have been left behind. That is why it is vitally important for the Government of Zimbabwe to put in place a mechanism to ensure full recovery of the education sector.

Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said: Those are lies. We have children back in classrooms. We have had outreach programmes where we asked all learners out of school to come back to school. We have had an Education Amendment Act crafted and it stipulates that even pregnant girls must be allowed to continue with formal education. Those figures in the report are malicious. Newsday
Rebel groups have played a key role in Chad's long history of instability, dating back to when the vast semi-desert country gained independence from France in 1960.

Over the decades, armed groups have made repeated attempts on power, striking from havens in neighbouring Libya or Sudan.

More than 40 on Monday signed a deal with the ruling junta to join a national forum, starting August 20, which is supposed to pave the way to elections.

But some have refused to endorse the agreement, including two of the biggest groups.

Here's a snapshot:

- Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) -

One of the largest groups in terms of fighters and weaponry, the FACT emerged in 2016 from a split in a rebel force called the Union for Democracy and Development (UFDD).

It ranges over northern Chad, a restive and lawless desert region abandoned to illegal gold miners and gangs of traffickers, but it also runs rear bases across the border in Libya.

It was while leading operations against the FACT in northern Chad in April 2021 April that iron-fisted veteran president Idriss Deby Itno sustained fatal wounds.

His son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, took over, fronting a 15-member military junta.

In the following weeks, the armed forces killed several hundred rebels and took nearly 250 prisoner and the FACT retreated into Libya, according to the authorities.

The FACT's leader is Mahamat Mahdi Ali, who studied in France, where he was also a Socialist Party activist.

The front has refused to sign Monday's agreement, saying the deal fails to take its demands into account, including the release of more than 300 of its fighters.

-Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) -

Created in 2009 from an alliance of eight groups, the UFR draws its fighters mainly from the Zaghawa ethnic group, from which the elder Deby hailed.

They are led by his nephew, Timan Erdimi, who fled to Qatar for a decade after falling into disgrace. Erdimi's brother is in jail in Egypt.

In February 2019, the UFR mounted an attempt to oust Deby by sending a column of fighters in 50 pickup trucks from Libya via Sudan.

They were beaten back by French air strikes, requested by Deby, a major ally in France's anti-jihadist campaign in the Sahel.

The UFR is estimated to have several hundred men, based in southern Libya and northern Chad.

The group is a signatory of Monday's accord.

- Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) -

The UFDD was created in 2006 by Mahamat Nouri, a former close aide to Hissene Habre, the president overthrown by the older Deby in 1990.

Habre was sentenced in 2016 to life imprisonment by a special court under the aegis of the African Union for crimes against humanity.

Nouri joined up with Deby and for a time became his defence minister before defecting.

In early 2008, the UFDD, with other rebels, reached the gates of the presidential palace in N'Djamena. Supporting the regime, France secured the capital's airport, allowing the army to obtain more ammunition. The offensive was repelled.

In 2019, Nouri was indicted in France for "crimes against humanity" for recruiting child soldiers in Chad and Sudan.

Incarcerated in Paris, he was released in 2020 for health reasons.

The Libyan-based UFDD was greatly weakened when it splintered in 2016 and the FACT emerged. In 2019, several hundred UFDD fighters joined the Deby regime.

The UFDD is also a signatory of the deal.

- Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (CCMSR) -

The CCMSR was formed in June 2016 after a rift in the FACT.

In a report issued in December 2019, UN experts on Libya said the CCMSR was "most likely steeped in criminal activities and trafficking of all kinds, linking southern Libya to the Tibesti region in Chad".

Chadian rebel groups are also regularly accused of selling their services as "mercenaries" to the two rival powers battling for control of Libya.

On its Facebook page, the CCMSR says it refused to sign Monday's agreement, declaring that the "principles for which we are fighting do not enable us to join a dialogue whose goals we do not know."

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Rights group Amnesty International has remained defiant under its high-profile secretary general in the face of a growing outcry over a report critics alleged boosted Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Its August 4 press release that accused Ukraine of endangering civilians by creating army bases in residential areas sparked one of the most explosive controversies for a major rights group in recent years.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, backed by a chorus of Ukrainian officials, lashed out at Amnesty saying it sought to shift "the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim."

But the issue has also caused friction within the respected organisation founded in 1961, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 and now has branches in over 70 countries.

The head of its Ukraine office, Oksana Pokalchuk, resigned, saying her team had not been properly consulted over a report "that sounded like support for Russian narratives."

The controversy represents the biggest crisis yet for Amnesty under its secretary general Agnes Callamard, a battle-hardened French rights expert who was a big-name choice to lead the London-based body after serving as the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.

It was in that capacity that she led the international investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in 2018, producing a report that pointed the finger at the responsibility of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Shortly after taking office, she took decisive action to reverse a decision by Amnesty to strip Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny of his "prisoner of conscience" status due to past nationalist comments.

- 'Shredding its credibility' -

After the Ukraine report was published, Callamard took issue with the "social media mobs and trolls" who were attacking the organisation's research and vowed that this would "not dent our impartiality."

On Friday, she told AFP in an email that Amnesty "fully stands by" the report that was subject to the "same rigorous standards" as all of Amnesty's publications.

In a statement Sunday, Amnesty said it deeply regretted the "distress and anger" sparked by the press release while reaffirming that "We fully stand by our findings."

Its statement, the organisation said, had documented how in all 19 towns and villages visited by its researchers there were instances where "Ukrainian forces had located themselves right next to where civilians were living."

The assessment was based on the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL), Amnesty said, while also noting the multiple reports it had published over the last month accusing Russia of violations and war crimes in Ukraine.

But its defence has done nothing to dampen the opprobrium being heaped on the organisation both in Ukraine and abroad.

The Times of London wrote in an editorial that Amnesty was "shredding its credibility by serving as a megaphone for the propaganda of the Putin regime" with a report that "pays no attention to the realities of military operations."

"Amnesty is now utterly morally bankrupt -- its anti-Western obsession has driven it into the gutter," the right-wing Daily Telegraph added.

- 'Little to none' -

Meanwhile the report found an eager readership at the Russian embassy in London, usually no fan of Amnesty, which claimed in a tweet that the report's findings confirmed "exactly what Russia has been saying all along."

But in an article for the Ukrainska Pravda website, British human rights lawyer Wayne Jordash and Ukrainian lawyer Anna Mykytenko accused Amnesty of using "unclear" methodology and considering "little to none" of the military or humanitarian context.

"The conclusions are short on facts and analysis and long on intemperate accusation," they wrote.

Amnesty has insisted it reached out to the Ukrainian government several days before the report's publication, sharing GPS coordinates and other sensitive information it withheld from the press release to protect civilians on the ground.

Among Putin's opponents, one of Navalny's allies, Ivan Zhdanov, simply damned the report as "a typical example of 'useful idiots'."

The most lacerating criticism came from Pokalchuk, who said that the report, rather than "protecting civilians, instead has become a tool of Russian propaganda."

Thursday's release was disowned by Amnesty's Ukraine team, who refused to translate it or upload it to their website.

"If you don't live in a country invaded by occupiers who are tearing it to pieces, you probably don't understand what it's like to condemn an army of defenders," Pokalchuk said.
The UN Security Council was to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the situation in Gaza, where a truce is holding between Islamic Jihad militants and Israel after three days of deadly conflict.

China, which holds the presidency of the Security Council in August, announced the emergency meeting on Saturday, with Ambassador Zhang Jun expressing his concern over Gaza's worst fighting since an 11-day war last year.

Ahead of the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called Monday for the council to place "full accountability" on Islamic Jihad, accusing the Iran-backed group of using Gazans as "human shields.

"There must be one outcome and one outcome only, to condemn the (Islamic Jihad) for its double war crimes while placing the full accountability ... for the murder of innocent Palestinians on the shoulder of the radical terror group," he said at a press briefing.

"They fire rockets at Israeli civilians while using Gazans as human shields. This is a double war crime," he said.

Israel had since Friday launched a heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza, leading the militants to fire over a thousand rockets in retaliation, according to the Israeli army.

An Egypt-brokered ceasefire reached late Sunday ended the intense fighting that killed 44 people, including 15 children, and wounded 360 in the enclave according to Gaza's health ministry.

Both sides have reserved the right to respond if the ceasefire is violated.

The Security Council's consultations will take place on Monday afternoon in New York. No statement is expected after the meeting, several diplomatic sources have said.
A Ukrainian court has jailed a Russian tank crewman for 10 years for firing on a multistoried apartment block, the security services (SBU) announced Monday.

Sergeant Mikhail Kulikov fired at the building in the northern city of Chernigiv at the start of Russia's invasion, in late February. The Chernigiv court convicted him of a war crime.

Kulikov "crossed Ukrainian border from Belarus," on February 24, the day the Russian invasion began, said the SBU, adding that he fired on villages as he proceeded to Chernigiv.

"On February 26, following his commander's order, he fired at 11-storey residential building housing civilians," the statement said, adding that some flats were destroyed.

Ukraine in May convicted a 21-year-old Russian sergeant, Vadim Shishimarin, for the murder of a civilian, a sentence lowered on appeal to 15 years.

In another case, two Russian soldiers who shelled two villages in the northeast Kharkiv region in the early days of the war were jailed for 11 years.
Chad is an oil-rich but deeply poor African nation that has become a key regional ally of the West in the fight against jihadists.

On Monday its military government and opposition groups signed a deal for talks aimed at staging elections later this year.

Some key facts about Chad:

- Landlocked and arid -

Stretching from the Sahara desert of the mountainous north bordering Libya to fertile lowlands in the south, landlocked Chad is three times bigger than California.

It is home to around 16 million people, of which just over half are Muslim.

Chad hosts more than one million displaced people, including 580,000 refugees from conflicts in neighbouring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The country faces major threats from climate change, which the World Bank says has led to accelerated desertification and the shrinking of Lake Chad.

- Multiple frontlines -

Chad faces military challenges on most of its borders.

In the west, in the region of Lake Chad, the army has been fighting the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram since 2015.

Eastern Chad, on the border with Sudan, has seen conflicts between different ethnic groups.

Northern Chad is also unstable, sparsely populated and difficult to control. Several Chadian rebel groups have set up their base in neighbouring southern Libya.

Despite these problems, Chad's armed forces are considered by many analysts to be the most effective in the Sahel.

The country is a key member of two regional anti-jihadist coalitions and is a close ally of France, whose base at N'Djamena is also the headquarters of its Barkhane mission in the Sahel.

- Violent history -

Chad has seen a succession of coups and rebellions since independence from France in 1960. It was wracked by civil war for three decades and has been invaded several times by Libya.

Idriss Deby Itno took power in 1990 after ousting Hissene Habre, whom he had served as army chief.

Habre, dubbed "Africa's Pinochet", was sentenced by a special African court to life in jail in 2017 for crimes against humanity and died in 2021. More than 40,000 people are thought to have been murdered during his rule.

In 2021, shortly after winning a sixth term in office, Deby was killed during operations to crush rebels in the north of the country.

He was succeeded by his 37-year-old son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, now the transitional president.

His junta vowed to hold "free and democratic elections" within 18 months after staging a proposed nationwide "dialogue".

However, the reconciliation forum has been repeatedly delayed.

On Monday, Deby signed an agreement in Qatar with more than 40 opposition groups to launch the conference later this month, although the main rebel organisation boycotted the deal.

- Oil wealth and poverty -

In 2003 Chad began to export oil to an Atlantic terminal through a pipeline built across neighbouring Cameroon and its economy has become very dependent on oil.

But it remains a modest producer, with 47 million barrels in 2021 according to the Chadian Observatory of Public Finance.

The plunge in the price of crude between 2014 and 2016 provoked a debt crisis. Its more than $1 billion loan from the Swiss mining company Glencore was restructured in 2018.

N'Djamena is now negotiating the restructuring of its debt under a G20 service pause, created during the pandemic.

The African Development Bank says Covid-19 "probably exacerbated the poverty rate", which was 42 percent in 2018.

Chad is the third least-developed country in the world, according to the UN, registering one of the highest rates of maternal mortality. One child in five dies before the age of five.

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K-drama fans watching "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" are simping over Kang Tae Oh as his character, Lee Jun Ho, is the new epitome of a perfect boyfriend. Thanks to this project, the actor is receiving massive popularity globally. Now that he has gotten all the attention from the public, viewers and new fans are busy spending time online looking for his previous works.

To help you, this article will introduce you to some of Kang Tae Oh's dramas that are worth watching, especially when he begins to enlist for mandatory military service.

'Doom at Your Service'

Kang Tae Oh has been an actor for a decade, which means he has already worked with various A-listers in the industry. In 2021 he shared the frame with Seo In Guk, Park Bo Young, and Lee Soo Hyuk in the fantasy-romance drama "Doom at Your Service."

It follows the story of Tak Dong Kyung (Park Bo Young), a terminally ill woman on the verge of giving up on her life and wishes for the end of the world. Unexpectedly, a mysterious man who acts as a messenger of doom between God and humans appears in her life. They must live together for 100 days to grant their wishes.

Kang Tae Oh plays the role of Lee Hyun Kyu, a coffee shop owner and the first love of Na Ji Na (Shin Do Hyun), who is Dong Kyung's best friend.

'Run On'

The drama depicts the story of Ki Seon Gyeom (Im Si Wan), a former national sprinter athlete. He dropped out of the team due to a serious issue with co-athletes. His life began to change when he met Oh Mi Joo (Shin Se Kyung), a movie subtitle translator.

In the series, Tae Oh is Lee Yeong Hwa, a painter and university student majoring in arts whose love interest is the young CEO Seo Dan Ah (Choi Sooyoung).

Kang Tae Oh had the best bromance with actor Im Siwan and on-screen chemistry with SNSD's Sooyoung in "Run On" Their characters are completely opposite, but it is what makes them fun to watch.

'The Tale of Nokdu'

Before playing a protagonist, Kang Tae Oh also portrayed a villain role in the historical-romance series "The Tale of Nokdu."

Set against the backdrop of the Joseon Dynasty, it tells the story of Jeon Nok Du (Jang Dong Yoon). He disguises himself as a woman to enter a mysterious women-only village in search of the truth about his parents; and a young woman named Dong Joo (Kim So Hyun), who pursues revenge to give justice to her family.

Kang Tae Oh is Cha Yool Mo. He has a one-sided love for Dong Joo. Yool Mo turned into a selfish person because of his greediness to get the attention of his first love.

'Short'

As a four-episodic series, you can easily finish this drama in one sitting. This time, Kang Tae Oh plays the role of Kang Ho Young, a short-track speed skater from the countryside. He gets scouted by the prestigious Kangbaek University and starts to train for competitions. He then meets Park Eun Ho (Yeo Hoe Hyun), his greatest rival in the rink.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kang Tae Oh To Possibly Start Military Service in THIS Month

These are just some of Kang Tae Oh's dramas that you should add to your watchlist and enjoy binge-watching!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Korean films continue to show prominence internationally as Seo In Guk's upcoming movie "Project Wolf Hunting" is to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Keep on reading for all the details.

'Project Wolf Hunting' To Debut At Toronto International Film Festival

According to Ten Asia on August 8, Director Kim Hong Sun's new movie "Project Wolf Hunting" has been officially invited to the 47th Toronto International Film Festival in Midnight Madness Category on September 8. The Contents On (TCO), the film's official distributor, confirmed the good news.

It has been said that it is the first-ever invitation in 16 years since director Bong Joon Ho's "The Host" in 2006.

In addition, the Midnight Madness Category is for viewers who want to see fresh and thrilling movie masterpieces from different countries.

Expectations now increase as a new Korean film is about to premiere on the international scene.

Midnight Madness programmer for this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Peter Kuplosky, commented that he's excited that "Project Wolf Hunting" will be shown at this year's TIFF. He added that he was very impressed by the movie as he likes films that begin with one subject and switch to another.

TIFF Shares 'Project Wolf Hunting' Trailer

The action-adventure film depicts the survival journey of brutal criminals who are set to transport across the Pacific Ocean from the Philippines to Korea through a massive cargo ship.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Seo In Guk and Jang Dong Yoon Garner Attention for Their Jaw-Dropping 'Wolf Hunt' Stills

"Project Wolf Hunting" also dropped its first trailer starring an all-star cast Seo In Guk, Jang Dong Yoon, Sung Dong Il, Choi Gwil Hwa, Park Ho San, and Jung So Min.

Meanwhile, the Seo In Guk-led film is expected to premiere in Korea on September 28. This marks his silver screen comeback following his adventure movie "Pipeline" where he reunited with "Doom At Your Service" co-star Lee Soo Hyuk.

Seo In Guk Heads To Japan For His Offline Fan Meeting

On August 7, the Seo In Guk departed from Incheon International Airport to head to Japan for his solo fan feeting, "2022 Seo In Guk Fan Meeting One Summer Day."

The Korean star currently stars in the fantasy-comedy drama "Cafe Minamdang," alongside Oh Yeon Seo, Kwak Si Yang, Kang Mi Na, and Baek Seo Hoo.

What can you say about Seo In Guk and Jang Dong Yoon's upcoming movie "Project Wolf Hunting"? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, follow and subscribe to KDramastars.

KDramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Netflix confirms the release date of the highly anticipated team-up between Park Hae Soo, Yoo Yeon Seok, and Hwang Jung Min for "Narco Saints." The streaming giant took to Instagram to officially announce the premiere of the six-episode series.

Netflix Announces 'Narco Saints' Release Date

As cited by Netflix, "Narco Saints" (also known as "Suriname") is scheduled to be released on September 9, just in time for the first day of Chuseok holiday.

In addition, the streaming giant also unveiled its official poster hinting how intense the upcoming series will be.

Helmed by Director Yoon Jong Bin of "The Spy Gone North," "Kundo: Age of the Rampant," and "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time," the upcoming action crime K-drama is based on a true story and revolves around a man who undertakes the secret mission of the National Intelligence Service.

Meet the 'Narco Saints' Cast

Joining Hwang Jung Min, Park Hae Soo, and Yoo Yeon Seok are Jo Woo Jin and Ha Jung Woo, who will be the main characters.

Ha Jung Woo takes on the role of Kang In Goo, a hopeful entrepreneur who started a business in Suriname but ended up being intertwined in illegal drugs.

He will be connected to Jeon Yo Hwan, played by Hwang Jung Min, the drug king controlling Suriname.

"Narco Saints" will be Hwang Jung Min's comeback to the small screen after headlining the 2020 novel-based series "Hush" with Girls' Generation's YoonA.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Hwang Jung Min Net Worth 2022: Here's How Much the Renowned Actor Earns in Films, Kdramas

Interestingly, joining the six-episode crime-action series is Park Hae Soo, who took the character of Choi Chang Ho.

In the upcoming K-drama, he is the team leader of the U.S National Intelligence Service and the person who connected Kang In Goo to their plan in hopes of taking down Jeon Yo Hwan.

Park Hae Soo is best known for his role in "Squid Game" as the antagonist Cho Sang Woo, a.k.a player no. 218 and as Berlin in "Money Heist Korea."

Joining the star-studded cast is Jo Woo Jin as Byun Gi Tae, who was born in South Korea but raised in China. He is also Hwang Jung Min's right hand and the person who does the dirty work.

Lastly, Yoo Yeon Seok will transform into a lawyer named David Park and would be working alongside Jeon Yo Hwan, acting as the brains behind the syndicate.

"Narco Saints" is his comeback K-drama after the megahit medical K-drama "Hospital Playlist," where he played pediatric surgeon Ahn Jung Won.

Interestingly, apart from the lead stars, viewers will also get to see Taiwanese actor Chang Chen and "Green Mothers Club" star Chu Ja Hyun.

READ MORE: Park Hae Soo Heads to Hollywood? 'Money Heist Korea' Star Signs Under Johnny Depp's Agency



KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
With her skyrocketing fame, "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" actress Park Eun Bin is scheduled to hold her first-ever solo fan meeting since her debut. Here's what you should know!

Park Eun Bin To Hold First Fan Meeting This Summer

Fans are now given the chance to meet Woo Young Woo as the "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" actress Park Eun Bin holds her first-ever fan meeting!

Following the success of her new court drama which took the Hallyu world by storm, Park Eun Bin is scheduled to meet the fans through her first fan meeting ever since her debut.

On Monday, August 8, Namoo Actors, Park Eun Bin's agency, announced that the actress will deliver healing and bright energy through her solo fan meet which is entitled "Eun Bin Note: Empty Space."

The actress' fan meet is compared to a character note or a space in which she writes her own ideas, thought processes and character analyses whenever she prepares for her new work.

It also means that Park Eun Bin and the fans want to record their first memories of one another, and remember them for a long time.

Namoo Actors' representative said that the South Korean star put her heart into organizing and arranging various contents for fans who have been supporting her for a long time, raising anticipation.

In particular, Park Eun Bin's "2022 Eunbin Park 1st FAN MEETING Eun Bin Note: Empty Can" will be held in September.

Park Eun Bin Releases Official Logo

Apart from the fan meeting announcement, Namoo Actors also revealed the event's teaser poster which heightened the fans' excitement.

The newly released poster features Park Eun Bin's dreamy visuals as she gazes at a distance, boasting her mellow eyes and supple glow.

In addition to that, the text "Bin ()" in the poster adds a special touch with its meaning. The character denotes that Park Eun Bin and her fans are inseparable, as well as make one another much happier.

The usage of Park Eun Bin's Chinese character name "Shine Bin ()" signifies that the fan meet will be their most shining moment, conveying the actress' sincere feelings. Not only that, Park Eun Bin's official logo is released along with the fan meet poster.

Park Eun Bin's logo looks like an adorable little butterfly which embodies the English abbreviation "EB" of her given name Eun Bin, which she has used since her school days.

Park Eun Bin's Solo Fan Meet Further Details and More

Park Eun Bin's "2022 Eunbin Park 1st FAN MEETING Eun Bin Note: Empty Can" will take place on Saturday, September 4 at 4:00 p.m. KST at Sungshin Women's University Unjeong Green Campus Auditorium.

The fans are guaranteed a great time as Park Eun Bin prepared a lot of things for her beloved supporters, according to Namoo Actors. Meanwhile, tickets for the event will be available through Interpark Tickets on August 12.

Will you go to Park Eun Bin's first solo fan meet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
People line up before entering the security at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Friday, August 5, 2022. Delayed and cancelled flights are a reality this summer as travel demand has shot up, but in many cases customers can expect compensation from airlines under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations so here's what you need to know about the process. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Saskatoon police Deputy Chief Randy Huisman speaks at a media event in Saskatoon, Monday, August 8, 2022. Police say Dawn Walker, who had been reported missing, is facing charges in the United States related to unauthorized use of identification and in Canada related to parental abduction and public mischief.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards
Kennesaw State named top institution for cybersecurity outreach

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 8, 2022

Kennesaw State University has been recognized by its peers as the top institution in the U.S. for spreading cybersecurity best practices in its community, developing cybersecurity programs and faculty, and empowering students to pursue careers in the industry.

The colleges and universities that make up the National Security Agencys National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity recently awarded Kennesaw State the 2022 First Place Outstanding Outreach Award. All 347 colleges and universities in the NCAE program were eligible for the honor.

NCAE is a partnership between the NSAs National Cryptologic School, several federal agencies including the FBI and the Department of Defense, and hundreds of institutions across the country to enhance cybersecurity education through setting curriculum standards and encouraging the adoption of security best practices. Kennesaw State has been an NCAE-designated Center of Excellence since 2004.

The University received the Outstanding Outreach Award at the NCAEs regional annual meeting in Atlanta, where Kennesaw State earned redesignation through 2027 and had the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program validated as an NCAE-Cyber Defense Education program of study.

As an NCAE, theres always the expectation that we will not only prepare students for careers in security, but that we will also contribute to the improvement of cybersecurity education within industry, the government, and the community at large, said Michael Whitman, professor of information security and assurance and executive director of Kennesaw States Institute for Cybersecurity Workforce Development (ICWD).

The ICWD is a multidisciplinary body overseeing Kennesaw States online Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree programs. It also organizes several outreach initiatives, including hosting an annual cybersecurity conference with students, faculty and industry partners; running faculty training workshops; publishing the Journal of Cybersecurity Education Research and Practice; and running the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, where students from across the region network with peers and industry leaders while competing to defend computer networks from attack.

For Whitman, these outreach efforts  especially those involving businesses  are about educating the community on the importance of information security.

Its our information that cybersecurity professionals are protecting, he said. If we can help banks and information warehouses in the region, then its much better for everyone that they be on the leading edge of information security.

The NSA award also recognized community outreach initiatives organized by the Michael J. Coles College of Businesss Department of Information Systems and Security and its related student organization, the Offensive Security Club.

 Story by Patrick Harbin

Photo by David Caselli

Related Stories

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
Q: Can dust from Africa reach the United States?

A: Yes. Soil-derived aerosols, or dust, are abundant in our atmosphere. One source of dust is sandstorms over the Sahara. These storms whip small pieces of mineral dust from the desert into the atmosphere. Easterly winds then carry large plumes of Saharan dust away from the desert and over the Atlantic Ocean.

This weather system is referred to as a Saharan air layer, or SAL, and at times dust in the SAL has traveled to the Caribbean, Texas and Florida. Desert dust from the Sahara and Gobi deserts has been observed on the ice sheet of Greenland. Ice cores in Greenland provide a history of the dust deposition as it appears as layers in the ice.

This past July, satellites tracked a large plume of Saharan dust carried over the Atlantic Ocean. The incoming dust produces hazy-looking skies and causes red sunsets and sunrises. If rain should fall through the dust layer, the raindrops collect the soil particles. When the rain droplets hit objects on the ground, the water evaporates and leaves behind dry mud spots.

Dust plays a major role in Earths climate. The airborne dust particles absorb and reflect sunlight, thus reducing the amount of solar energy reaching the surface. Hurricane formation is very sensitive to several environmental factors including sea-surface temperature, vertical wind shear and even the SAL. The SAL is much drier than tropical air and can have a strong vertical wind shear. Both factors inhibit hurricane development. Dust can also promote or reduce cloud and storm formation, depending on other atmospheric conditions.

Dust from the Sahara impacts biological systems, as it is rich with iron and other minerals that plants and phytoplankton need. Dust transported out of the deserts is a natural fertilizer for ecosystems downwind. Iron and other nutrients in dust can lead to phytoplankton blooms as the dust settles into nutrient-limited waters.
PLA bomber formations cross Taiwan Straits from two directions in latest drills

(Global Times) 13:37, August 08, 2022

The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts long-range live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. Photo:Xinhua

The last day of scheduled military exercises around Taiwan island by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday featured island saturation attack drills and bomber deterrence flights in the Straits, a move experts said formed a powerful deterrence to "Taiwan independence" secessionists and external interference forces, greatly promoted the reunification process, and rehearsed a potential real operation.

If "Taiwan independence" secessionists and external interference forces continue to provoke, such exercises could become routine and feature amphibious landing drills in the future, analysts believed.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command on Sunday proceeded with the plan and continued realistic combat-scenario joint exercises in the sea and air space around the island of Taiwan, focusing on testing the troops' joint land attack and long-range air strike capabilities, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a press release on the day.

During the exercises, several batches of multiple types of warplanes attached to the PLA Eastern Theater Command Air Force conducted systematic island attack drills, with the focus being honing the joint land attack and long-range air strike capabilities, said the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

A video released by the PLA Eastern Theater Command shows that the H-6K bomber, the JH-7A fighter bomber, the J-16 fighter jet and the Su-30 fighter jet are among warplane types involved in the drills.

Fully loaded with live ammunition, several bombers and fighter bombers of the Air Force took off one by one, entered combat formations, and launched standoff, saturation strike exercises with various types of precision munitions, jointly with the Army's long-range rocket artillery and the Rocket Force's conventional missiles.

The bombers and fighter bombers were supported by early warning aircraft, electromagnetic warfare aircraft, fighter jets and the Navy's warships at sea, which provided air defense suppression, early warning and detection as well as electromagnetic jamming.

After completing the mock strike mission, several bomber formations flew across the Taiwan Straits from north to south and from south to north simultaneously, carrying out a deterrence mission around the island jointly with other PLA services and branches.

The drills honed the troops' capabilities in accurately destroying vital island targets, said Zhang Zhi, department head of a staff under the PLA Eastern Theater Command Air Force.

The exercises from Thursday to Sunday demonstrated that the PLA can not only accurately hit targets from a long distance, but also push close and hard to the targets, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese mainland military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Procedures and tactics practiced in the exercises and experiences gained from the drills are very valuable, analysts said, calling the event a rehearsal for a potential reunification-by-force operation. They said that the drills, a powerful response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to Taiwan island on Tuesday that violated China's sovereignty, deterred "Taiwan independence" secessionists and external interference forces, and greatly promoted the progress of national reunification.

While the drills, surrounding the island of Taiwan with six exercise zones and essentially locking the island down with a blockade since Thursday noon, were scheduled to conclude at Sunday noon, experts said that the PLA could make the drills routine if secessionists and external interference forces continue to provoke.

Fu said that the PLA is expected to continue to practice different tactics and combat elements, including amphibious landing.

Neutralizing as many threats as possible with long-range artillery, missiles, combined with naval and air strikes, as well as securing air superiority and control of the sea were practiced in the drills from Thursday to Sunday. These steps will secure paths and minimalize coastal resistance for the following amphibious landing forces, a Chinese mainland military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times.

Amphibious landing ships, amphibious assault ships, air-cushioned landing craft and amphibious armored vehicles could join exercises in the future, the expert said.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
Two men have been arrested after the seizure of cannabis worth 300,000 euro during searches in Co Tipperary and Co Carlow, gardai said.

The searches were carried out on Saturday as part of Operation Tara, an ongoing investigation into the activities of an organised crime group.

Gardai said they stopped a vehicle on the M7 motorway at Lisatunny at 10.50am and found about 100,000 euro worth of suspected cannabis within a concealed compartment in the boot.

Two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested at the scene.

During the course of a follow-up search at a residence on the Tullow Road in Co Carlow at about 3pm, gardai conducted a search of a vehicle on the property and about 200,000 euro of suspected cannabis was located within a concealed compartment and seized.

All of the drugs seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

The two men were subsequently detained at Nenagh Garda Station.
By Imran Khalid





With the ascension of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the namesake son of an ousted dictator, as the Philippines' 17th president, which is perhaps one of the greatest political comebacks in recent history, the fabric of Philippine politics has finally completed the tectonic shift that had been rumbling under the surface for the last decade. Thirty six years ago, when an army-backed "People Power" rebellion forced his father to relinquish power and leave the country, nobody could have imagined that one day the Marcos family would be able to regain power  and that too with a landslide victory.



Not only has the Philippines gone "back to the future" with the arrival of Marcos Jr. at the helm of affairs, but it has also reinforced the already much-entrenched dynastic politics with the election of Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, as the vice president of the country. Now, the children of two former presidents are holding the country's the two most powerful seats. Both Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte joined hands in the electoral race and both recorded resounding victories.



Marcos Jr. received over 31 million votes and Sara Duterte more than 32 million of the more than 55 million votes cast in the May 9 election. By all standards, massively thumping victories have provided them hefty political capital as they face tremendous challenges as well as doubts arising from their fathers' reputations. It is the first majority presidential victory in the Philippines in decades.



Apparently, three key factors contributed to the electoral success of the Marcos-Duterte duo, despite carrying the historical baggage of their respective families. One, both of them belong to the most powerful political dynasties in the country. Both of them have long political careers and both were nurtured, groomed and trained by their respective families to eventually reach the top. Both had long political careers spanning years of politicking, starting from the very basic level.



Sara Duterte, who is fondly called "Inday Sara," always wanted to become a doctor but later took up law and was attracted to politics starting in 2007, when she was elected as Davao's vice mayor and mayor three years later. Similarly, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. was allowed to return to the country in 1991, along with his siblings and mother, Imelda Marcos, and he also pursued a long political career and held various positions  governor, congressman and senator  in his political journey that culminated in the presidency on June 30. The Asian continent, in general, has very fertile ground for dynastic politics to flourish. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and plenty of other countries in the region have similar traits.



But none can match the power and influence of political dynasties in the Philippines. The political history of the Philippines is inundated with a very long list of politicians belonging to the same bloodlines. Despite strict constitutional restraints against the dynastic politics, more than 250 political families have been dominating power across the country. Congress  long controlled by members of powerful and influential clans targeted by the constitutional ban  has not yet validated the law needed to define and enforce the provision.



Former President Duterte, 77, who retired from politics due to his age, is a very shrewd and farsighted politician. He is still very popular in the country despite his brutal anti-drug campaign that left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead in an unprecedented scale of killings that the International Criminal Court was investigating as a possible crime against humanity. But Rodrigo Duterte wanted to ensure a comprehensive victory for his daughter, so he chose to join hands with the Marcos family.



A union of Mr. Marcos, whose family is extremely popular in the north, and Ms. Duterte, who draws her strength from the south, combined the power of the two major political dynasties in the Philippines, posing a steep challenge to the other candidates in a crowded race. Presidents and vice presidents are elected separately in the Philippines, but it is an established tradition for candidates to make an alliance as de facto running mates.



The second factor behind this stunning comeback of the Marcos Jr. is the comprehensive and well-planned social media campaign to refurbish his family image. The Marcos family, which gained global infamy in 1986 amid allegations of massive corruption amounting to $10 billion during the two decades of the rule of the elder Marcos, utilized social media to whitewash the family image. The highly unregulated social media landscape in the Philippines was shrewdly maneuvered by Marcos Jr. to rebrand the martial law period of his father as a "golden age" of the Philippines.



And the third factor was the new slogan of national unity by the Marcos-Duterte duo to woo voters. Although their fathers are partly responsible for creating some of the most volatile political divides in the country during their respective periods, ironically, both of them focused their electoral campaigns on calls for unity and deliberately avoided broaching controversial issues.



It is also a fact that both "Marcos 2.0 and Duterte 2.0"  as they are being labeled now  are taking charge of Philippine state affairs at a very crucial time when their country is faced with immense challenges in foreign and domestic policies. While sitting on the doorstep of Taiwan, and being in the front-row seat to the ever-growing Sino-U.S. frictions, Marcos Jr. will face a lot of challenges in steering foreign policy  particularly against the backdrop of the fact that outgoing President Duterte was considered to have been soft toward China.



On the domestic front, the challenges are even graver. The Philippines is one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 60,000 deaths and the worst recession since World War II. With an unemployment crisis putting too much of a burden on the feeble economy, President Marcos Jr. will have tough days ahead. Another major challenge will be how to build a working relationship with Vice President Sara Duterte, who has already openly expressed her desire to run for the presidency in the future.





Dr. Imran Khalid (immhza6@gmail.com) is a freelance contributor based in Karachi, Pakistan. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.






It took the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly just six weeks to enact a near-total abortion ban following the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court ruling repealing the right to abortion established in 1973 by its Roe v. Wade decision.

The fallout for Hoosiers is likely to last much longer.

Almost immediately after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 1 into law late Friday night, two major Indiana employers  pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. and engine manufacturer Cummins Inc.  both said future expansions of their businesses likely will be made outside Indiana because of the state's new abortion restrictions.

"Cummins believes that women should have the right to make reproductive health care decisions as a matter of gender equity, ensuring that women have the same opportunity as others to participate fully in the workforce and that our workforce is diverse. This law is contrary to this goal and we oppose it," said Jon Mills, Cummins external director of communications.

"For Cummins to be successful it is critical that we have a safe and welcoming workplace, and communities where we embrace our differences and enable all employees to thrive. As we continue to grow our footprint with a focus on selecting communities that align with our values and business goals, this law will be considered in our decision-making process," he added.

Lilly similarly chastised the enthusiasm of some Hoosier lawmakers to make Indiana the first state in the nation to legislatively prohibit nearly all abortions, as Lilly said the lawmakers seemingly took no account that abortion is a "divisive and deeply personal issue with no clear consensus among the citizens of Indiana."

"We are concerned that this law will hinder Lillys  and Indianas  ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world. Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state," Lilly said.

Records show Lilly and Cummins each employ approximately 10,000 Hoosiers, primarily in central Indiana.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also condemned Indiana's new abortion law, set to take effect Sept. 15, as "another radical step by Republican legislators to take away womens reproductive rights and freedom, and put personal health care decisions in the hands of politicians rather than women and their doctors."

She said Hoosiers, and all Americans, should make their voices heard in opposition to it and urged Congress to immediately adopt legislation reaffirming the abortion rights formerly available under Roe and secure a woman's right to choose nationwide.

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, echoed that sentiment. He said, "I mourn for women who are being stripped of vital health care and bodily autonomy," and he vowed "to keep fighting for the essential health care access that all women deserve."

"My caucus will never stop fighting to right the wrong that was done here (at the Statehouse). Next session and beyond, we will be fighting to restore womens bodily autonomy, freedom and equality in Indiana. This is the 21st century  no Hoosiers should be suffering the indignity of living as a second-class citizen without full human rights," Melton said.

State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland, said his concern, in addition to Hoosier women and Indiana's future, is the General Assembly choosing to elevate one religious faith, and its view of when life begins, above all others.

"My faith and beliefs  while earnestly and deeply held  should not be a legal basis for the choices of others. Senate Bill 1 is an imposition on religious freedom and exercise, and a deeply troubling governmental overreach into individuals most private matters and decisions," Griffin said.

He also noted practically no one spoke in favor of the legislation during some 16 hours of committee hearings, with most Hoosiers urging lawmakers to leave Indiana's abortion laws unchanged and a smaller group asking the measure be stripped of its limited exceptions allowing abortion in cases of rape, incest or to preserve the life or physical health of the pregnant woman.

Indeed, even anti-abortion advocacy organizations seemed to applaud the governor's enactment of the new law only as a partial victory after their repeated pleas during the two-week special session for a "no exceptions" abortion ban failed to win majority support in either the House or Senate.

Sue Liebel, state affairs director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said "the process has worked the way it is supposed to"  but more remains to be done.

"Elected officials made critical decisions after hearing from thousands of Hoosiers. The Indiana experience is illustrative for other states because it envisions new protections for life in Indiana based on the will of the people, highlighting that our work will continue in the future," Liebel said.

State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services, likewise said he views the new law as "a starting point for Indiana to become a more pro-life state."

"While this bill does not protect all babies, it is a step forward for the pro-life movement and provides room for Indiana to continue making strides," Charbonneau said. "I hope for a future where there are no unwanted pregnancies by expanding sex education for young people and allowing easier access to contraceptives."

State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, who initially voted for a "no exceptions" abortion ban, said he expects to continue working toward that goal in the future and is fine with a law that, in the meantime, will eliminate an estimated 95% of Indiana abortions.

"I supported legislation that progresses the pro-life movement. This is an excellent step forward, and I hope we can continue to advance legislation that promotes pro-life measures while supporting new mothers," Niemeyer said.

Under the law, all abortions in Indiana are prohibited from the moment of conception, except within 10 weeks of fertilization for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or 20 weeks if necessary to prevent serious physical impairment or the death of a pregnant woman, or because of a lethal fetal anomaly.

It also shuts down all abortion clinics in the state, such as the Planned Parenthood facility in Merrillville, by requiring every abortion be completed in a hospital or hospital-owned surgical center, and puts doctors at risk of losing their medical license if they fail to sufficiently justify the legal basis for an abortion.

However, even after Sept. 15, women living in Northwest Indiana still can easily access abortion services across the state line in Flossmoor and Chicago, Illinois.
THE BOYZ Ju Haknyeon is drawing buzz after his childhood photo was found to resemble a certain popular K-pop idol.

Keep on reading to know more.

THE BOYZ Ju Haknyeon Resembles This Popular K-pop Idol During Childhood

Recently, THE BOYZ member Ju Haknyeon is drawing attention after a photo of his elementary school graduation was shared on online communities and became viral.

After his photo was shared, netizens couldn't help but be surprised upon seeing his childhood photo. This is because Ju Haknyeon's graduation photo resembled BTS member Jin when he was younger!

When comparing Ju Haknyeon's graduation photo with Jin's during his early teenage years, the two can even pass of as twin brothers with how closely they looked like each other.

Although Ju Haknyeon and Jin both wore different glasses, it is undeniable that their facial features and the way they smile look very similar.

In fact, Ju Haknyeon resembled Jin so much during his younger years, that netizens said they wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the two had their names not been written on the photo.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: The Boyz Q Dating Rumor: Did You Know He Was Linked to Non-Celebrity?

But despite looking similar with each other when they were young, the two grew up to look very different from each other.

With their charming visuals during their younger years, it is no wonder that both Ju Haknyeon and Jin are visual members in their respective groups.

After seeing their photos side-by-side, some comments from netizens read:

"If their names weren't written on the photos, I wouldn't know which is Jin and which is Ju Haknyeon." "Is it because of the glasses? I thought [Ju Haknyeon's photo] was Jin's graduation photo." "Even now, they sometimes still look strangely similar to each other." "Every time I see [their photos], it is amazing. How can they look so alike?"

What do you think of Ju Haknyeon's childhood photo? Do you think he looks like Jin?

THE BOYZ's Latest Activities

Back on May 27 of this year, THE BOYZ dropped their second Japanese mini album "She's the Boss," which marks their first release under their new Japanese label, Universal Music IST.

In the following month on June 17, the group dropped a promotional single entitled "Sweet" for UNIVERSE.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: The Boyz Hyunjae Dating Rumor: Did You Know He Was Linked to (G)I-DLE Miyeon?

THE BOYZ also concluded their first ever world tour "THE BOYZ WORLD TOUR: THE B-ZONE IN SEOUL ENCORE" back on August 5 until August 7 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul.

Following their world tour, THE BOYZ is slated to release their seventh mini album, "Be Aware," on August 16.

For more K-pop news, follow and subscribe to KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Robyn Joan
EAST TROY  The East Troy Railroad Museum will dedicate a completely restored 1924 Chicago Transit Authority car to kick off Chicago Day.

Chicago Day is Saturday, Aug. 13, at the museum, which is located 2002 Church St., East Troy.

The event will feature two Chicago Elevated Cars and three Chicago South Shore & South Bend cars from the 1920s.

Ribbon-cutting for restored Car 4439 will be Aug. 13 at 9:30 a.m., before the car departs as the first train of the day at 10 a.m.

Cake and punch will be served when the car returns to the East Troy Depot at 11:45 a.m.

National Park Service Rangers from Indiana Dunes National Park will co-host the Chicago Day event, telling the story of the Chicago South Shore Railroad, which once stopped at five stations in or near the Indiana Dunes.

Guests will hear about what it was like to ride interurban trains 100 years ago, before the automobile became affordable and roads were improved for travel. Children can earn an East Troy Electric Railroad pin for completing a Junior Ranger program during the event.

The last train of the day will include a three-car Chicago South Shore train running from the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago to the East Troy Depot. That train will depart from the Elegant Farmer around 4 p.m., arriving in East Troy around 4:45 p.m.

The East Troy Electric Railroad is the only railroad in America running historic South Shore cars in regular service. Having a three-car train made up of Chicago South Shore cars promises a unique experience.

The East Troy Railroad Museum acquired CTA Car 4439 in 2020 and immediately began to restore the car for a return to operating status.

Car 4439 was built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1924 and was retired by the CTA in 1973 after nearly 50 years of service.

The other cars featured during Chicago Day will be Chicago South Shore cars, several of which were donated to the Museum by the National Park Service in 2010.

The railroad continues its work to restore and maintain these historic cars so visitors can experience what electric interurban travel was like in the early 20th century.

The East Troy Electric Railroad operates on seven miles of track that has been in continuous operation for 115 years. The museum itself is celebrating 50 years of electric tourist railroading this year, and has a display of historic brochures and memorabilia in the East Troy Depot.

The East Troy Railroad Museum is 15 miles north of Lake Geneva and 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee, just off Interstate 43.

To learn more, visit www.easttroyrr.org.
Lake Geneva residents could be reimbursed half the cost for repairing their damaged sidewalks, under a proposed plan city officials are discussing.

City officials are considering establishing a 50/50 cost share program, in which they would reimburse residents up to half the cost for repairing their sidewalks if they are damaged.

Members of the city councils public works committee discussed the proposed program, July 25.

The City of Lake Geneva currently offers a sidewalk cost share program in which it will reimburse residents up to $1.75 per square foot for replacing or repairing damaged sidewalks.

City officials proposed increasing that amount to $4 per square feet last year, but the proposal was never officially adopted by the city council.

Public Works Director Tom Earle said establishing a 50/50 cost share program may encourage more people to have their sidewalks repaired. He said he feels most residents do not participate in the current cost share program, because the amount they would be reimbursed is not worth the amount of paperwork they would have to complete.

We have not had any participants in the program in at least six or seven years, Earle said. In my opinion, the 50/50 would hopefully encourage people to take advantage of it, and it may give them an incentive to get their sidewalks fixed.

Earle said residents would only be reimbursed for sidewalk squares that are damaged.

So if you would have 20 squares in front of your home and you wanted to replace all 20 but only three of them met the criteria of a damaged sidewalk or a non-compliant sidewalk, we would only participate in those three, not the entire 20 squares, Earle said.

Alderwoman Joan Yunker said she would be in favor of such a program, because many sidewalks in Lake Geneva are in need of repair.

You walk down the street, theres areas that are so bad, Yunker said.

Alderman Richard Hedlund said if the 50/50 cost share program is approved, city officials would have to include it in the 2023 budget.

I wouldnt have a problem with that, because our sidewalks are really in terrible shape, Hedlund said. If we could get public participating for 50%, we would have to get it in the budget though.

Earle proposed establishing a maximum amount for how much money the city would allocate toward the program each year.

If we allow each property up to $1,000 and we have $5,000 in the budget, we would only do five properties. If you cap it at $500 per property, then you could do 10 properties, Earle said. But you have to remember Stone Manor is a private residence now and they have I dont know how many linear feet of frontage on South Lakeshore Drive, but they can come in and say, We have 300 feet of sidewalks, we want half, and that would tap us out.

Earle also proposed that the program would not include sidewalks that were damaged during a non-city project.

We would have to set rules where we dont have someone damage a sidewalk in a building project then come to the city and say, We want you to pay for half of it, Earle said.

The public works committee is set to discuss the cost share program again during their Aug. 22 meeting
New Delhi [India], August 8 (ANI): Indian tyre major JK Tyre & Industries Ltd (JK Tyre) on Monday said its revenue rose by 39 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,650 crore in the first quarter of the current financial year.

The company's EBIDTA for the first quarter of 2022-23 stood at Rs 291 crore. The company's profit before tax stood at Rs 57 crore for the quarter under review.

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Commenting on the results, Raghupati Singhania, JK Tyre's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), said, "JK Tyre has achieved its highest ever sales at Rs 3,650 crore, a 39 per cent increase over the corresponding quarter."

"There has been a healthy pickup in demand both for passenger as also commercial tyres, both in the replacement and original equipment markets. The Company continued its focus on differentiated product offerings and driving premiumisation. Furthermore, exports have performed well," Singhania said in a statement.

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Raw material and other input costs witnessed an ongoing uptrend, thus impacting margins. The company has undertaken multiple price revisions though not to the full extent and will pursue further opportunities.

Cavendish Industries Ltd and JK Tornel, Mexico, subsidiaries of the company have contributed to the overall growth of the company.

Singhania further added "We are quite optimistic on India's growth story and demand outlook in automobile and tyre industry, despite global fears of slowdown, geopolitical disturbances and supply chain constraints. We believe domestic consumption and healthy infrastructural spends will drive the growth in the near future." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 8 (ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Monday it has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.51 lakh on the Goa State Co-operative Bank Ltd, Panaji, for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Banking Regulation Act.

The RBI issued an order in this regard on August 1, 2022. The Cooperative Bank has been penalised for non-compliance with section 9 read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act), the RBI said.

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"This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers," the central bank said in a statement.

A request made by the bank to RBI for granting an extension of time for disposing off non-banking asset and examination of all related correspondence revealed, inter alia, non-compliance by the bank with section 9 read with section 56 of the Act to the extent that the bank failed to dispose off the non-banking asset within the statutory timeline from the date of its acquisition.

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In furtherance to the same, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for contravention of the aforesaid provisions of the Act.

After considering the bank's reply to the notice, the additional submissions made by it and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI came to the conclusion that the charge of non-compliance with section 9 read with section 56 of the Act was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty, to the extent of non-compliance with the provisions of the Act, the RBI said. (ANI)

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Uttaranchal University launches open access Gateway that allows faculty to increase the reach of their research

Uttarakhand (Dehradun) [India], August 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Uttaranchal University (UU) recently launched a Gateway that gives all UU faculty members the opportunity to publish their research as open access articles using the trailblazing F1000 publishing model.

Uttaranchal University Gateway will help increase the number of quality open access research outputs from within, and beyond, research networks.

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The Gateway targets outputs across UU's multi-disciplinary research portfolio and looks forward to contributions from various fields including Engineering, Science, Law, Liberal Arts, Management, Agriculture, Pharmacy, Medical Sciences, Journalism and Mass Communication, Hotel & Hospitality Management, and Computing.

On launch of the Gateway, Professor Dharam Buddhi, Vice Chancellor, Uttaranchal University, said, "F1000Research provides an open research publishing solution that will take Uttaranchal University's research program and outputs into a new era, meeting the research vision of the 21st century. The Uttaranchal University Gateway has adopted F1000 best practice and technology, enabling the quality publication of research articles, where every step of the process is transparent and available in public domain."

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Further in the context, Pankaj Bhardwaj, F1000's Business Development Director, stated, "F1000 is delighted to work on this new Gateway with the Uttaranchal University, bringing F1000's unique publishing model and technology into the heart of a university that aims to transform society through continuous innovation and entrepreneurship.

The transformative impact of research is also a foundational principle for F1000, and we will support the university's researchers in their first open research contributions through dedicated training on the Gateway."

F1000's renowned research publishing model combines the benefits of pre-printing (providing rapid publication with no editorial bias) with mechanisms to assure quality and transparency (invited and open peer review, archiving and indexing). All F1000 outputs are free to access and read. This publishing model is also used on the customized Platforms that F1000Research provides for major global funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, the European Commission, and many others.

The University came into establishment in 2013, vide Uttaranchal University Act, 2012 (Uttarakhand Act. No. 11 of 2013) as a Private University and is located in Dehradun, the Capital city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The University has been accredited with the prestigious A+ Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Uttaranchal University has been the first and only private University in the State of Uttarakhand to receive "NAAC A+" Grade in the first cycle of Accreditation, which now firmly positions as among the top 5 per cent HEI of the country.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Cambridge [UK], August 6 (ANI): Implantable insulin-releasing devices show potential as an alternate method of treating diabetes without insulin injections or cannula insertions. However, one barrier that has precluded their usage so far is that the immune system attacks them after implantation, generating a thick layer of scar tissue that limits insulin release.

This phenomenon, known as the foreign body response, can also interfere with many other types of implantable medical devices. However, a team of MIT engineers and collaborators has now devised a way to overcome this response. In a study of mice, they showed that when they incorporated mechanical actuation into a soft robotic device, the device remained functional for much longer than a typical drug-delivery implant.

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The device is repeatedly inflated and deflated for five minutes every 12 hours, and this mechanical deflection prevents immune cells from accumulating around the device, the researchers found.

"We're using this type of motion to extend the lifetime and the efficacy of these implanted reservoirs that can deliver drugs like insulin, and we think this platform can be extended beyond this application," says Ellen Roche, the Latham Family Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a member of MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science.

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Among other possible applications, the researchers now plan to see if they can use the device to deliver pancreatic islet cells that could act as an "bioartificial pancreas" to help treat diabetes.

Roche is the co-senior author of the study, with Eimear Dolan, a former postdoc in her lab who is now a faculty member at the National University of Ireland at Galway. Garry Duffy, also a professor at NUI Galway, is a key collaborator on the work, which appears in Nature Communications. MIT postdocs William Whyte and Debkalpa Goswami, and visiting scholar Sophie Wang, are the lead authors of the paper.

Modulating immune cells

Most patients with type 1 diabetes, and some with type 2 diabetes, have to inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis. Some patients use wearable insulin pumps that are attached to the skin and deliver insulin through a tube inserted under the skin or patches that can deliver insulin without a tube.

For many years, scientists have been working on insulin-delivering devices that could be implanted under the skin. However, the fibrous capsules that form around such devices can lead to device failure within weeks or months.

Researchers have tried many approaches to prevent this kind of scar tissue from forming, including local delivery of immunosuppressants. The MIT team took a different approach that does not require any drugs -- instead, their implant includes a mechanically actuated soft robotic device that can be inflated and deflated. In a 2019 study, Roche and her colleagues (with Dolan as first author) showed that this kind of oscillation can modulate how nearby immune cells respond to an implanted device.

In the new study, the researchers wanted to see if that immunomodulatory effect could help improve drug delivery. They built a two-chambered device made of polyurethane, a plastic that has similar elasticity to the extracellular matrix that surrounds tissues. One of the chambers acts as a drug reservoir, and the other acts as a soft, inflatable actuator. Using an external controller, the researchers can stimulate the actuator to inflate and deflate on a specific schedule. For this study, they performed the actuation every 12 hours, for five minutes at a time.

This mechanical actuation drives away immune cells called neutrophils, the cells that initiate the process that leads to scar tissue formation. When the researchers implanted these devices in mice, they found that it took much longer for scar tissue to develop around the devices. Scar tissue did eventually form, but its structure was unusual: Instead of the tangled collagen fibres that built up around static devices, collagen fibres surrounding actuated devices were more highly aligned, which the researchers believe may help drug molecules to pass through the tissue.

"In the short term, we see that there are fewer neutrophils surrounding the device in the tissue, and then long term, we see that there are differences in collagen architecture, which may be related to why we have better drug delivery throughout the eight-week time period," Wang says.

Sustained drug delivery

To demonstrate the potential usefulness of this device, the researchers showed that it could be used to deliver insulin in mice. The device is designed so that insulin can slowly seep out through pores in the drug reservoir or be released in a large burst controlled by the actuator.

The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the insulin release by measuring subsequent changes in the mice's blood glucose levels. They found that in mice with the actuated device, effective insulin delivery was maintained throughout the eight weeks of the study. However, in mice that did not receive actuation, delivery efficiency began to wane after only two weeks, and after eight weeks, almost no insulin was able to pass through the fibrous capsule.

The authors also created a human-sized version of the device, 120 millimeters by 80 millimeters, and showed that it could be successfully implanted in the abdomen of a human cadaver.

"This was a proof of concept to show that there is a minimally invasive surgical technique that could potentially be employed for a larger-scale, human-scale device," Goswami says.

Working with Jeffrey Millman of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the researchers now plan to adapt the device so that it could be used to deliver stem-cell-derived pancreatic cells that would sense glucose levels and secrete insulin when glucose is too high. Such an implant could eliminate the need for patients to constantly measure their glucose levels and inject insulin.

"The idea would be that the cells would be resident in the reservoir, and they would act as an insulin factory," Roche says. "They would detect the levels of glucose in blood and then release insulin according to what was necessary."

Other possible applications the researchers have explored for this kind of device include delivery of immunotherapy to treat ovarian cancer, and delivering drugs to the heart to prevent heart failure in patients who have had heart attacks.

"You can imagine that we can apply this technology to anything that is hindered by a foreign body response or fibrous capsule, and have a long-term effect," Roche says. "I think any sort of implantable drug delivery device could benefit." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh, Aug 8 (PTI) The Haryana government on Monday informed the state assembly that 1,515 security personnel have been deployed for 464 protectees which include parliamentarians from the state, former MPs, sitting and ex-MLAs.

Security has been provided on a "positional and threat basis" and police personnel of various ranks are deputed in the security of these protectees, the House was informed in a written reply to a question raised by INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala.

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While 66 security personnel had been deployed for 15 parliamentarians from the state including five Rajya Sabha MPs, 17 personnel were in security of six ex-MPs, 811 in the security of 90 sitting MLAs, 98 were deployed for security of 37 former legislators while 532 personnel had been deputed for the security of 316 persons/leaders to various other categories, the House was informed.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has the 'Z' plus security cover, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala has the 'Z' cover while former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been given 'Y' category security cover.

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Among other protectees include former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, state BJP chief O P Dhankar, some journalists, an RTI activist, many senior ex-bureaucrats and former top cops.

Abhay Chautala had sought to know the names of parliamentarians, former MPS, present and ex-MLAs and persons/leaders related to other various categories who have been provided security on government expenditure in the state from October 2019 till date.

Meanwhile, Abhay, who is the younger son of INLD chief O P Chautala, alleged that some of the protectees among 464 had been extended security cover "because they are in some way linked to the BJP".

He was speaking on the Calling Attention Motion on law and order issues, including threat calls to some legislators.

(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, Aug 8 (PTI) The annual joint exercise between the special forces of India and the United States commenced in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the defence ministry said.

This is the 13th edition of the exercise -- "Ex Vajra Prahar 2022" -- according to a statement issued by the ministry.

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The joint exercise, which will go on for 21 days, aims to share best practices and experiences in areas such as "joint mission planning and operational tactics" to improve the interoperability between the special forces of the two countries, the statement said.

Both the teams would jointly train, plan and execute a series of special operations, counter-terrorist operations and airborne operations in simulated scenarios on mountainous terrain, it added.

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Kolkata, Aug 8 (PTI) The CBI on Monday submitted its fourth charge sheet in the cattle smuggling case at a court in Asansol, naming 11 people as accused, including Saigal Hossain, the bodyguard of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal.

In the 40-page charge sheet, the CBI alleged that Hossain played a vital role in moving money from cattle smugglers to Mondal, who is the TMC's Birbhum president.

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Hossain, a policeman deputed to guard Mondal, amassed properties worth crores of rupees. The investigators have found deeds of 49 properties in his possession, a CBI officer said.

"Call records of Hossain's mobile phone showed that he was in direct touch with smugglers and cattle owners," he said.

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Saigal on Monday completed 60 days in CBI custody, and the agency had to submit its preliminary charge sheet by 5 pm as per the law.

Mondal was summoned by the CBI during the day to cross-verify certain information "obtained by interrogating Saigal", the officer said.

However, he skipped it citing his health.

The CBI had questioned Mondal twice as a part of its investigation in the multi-crore cattle smuggling racket operating along the India-Bangladesh border.

In the latest charge sheet, the CBI has also named Bikash Mishra, the brother of absconding TMC leader Binay Mishra.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gurugram, Aug 8 (PTI) An eight-year-old boy fell into an open drain while playing outside his house here and an operation is underway to trace him, police said on Monday.

Residents of the boy's village, Gadoli Khurd, blocked the Gurugram-Pataudi road on Monday, demanding that efforts to find the boy be stepped up.

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The boy, Dishant, was playing outside his house on Sunday evening when he slipped and fell into the drain. He was swept away by strong currents. His family members and others tried to save him but in vain, the police said.

After receiving information about the incident, police and a fire brigade team reached the spot and launched a search operation. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) divers are also searching for the boy but he hasn't been found yet, they said.

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Angry villagers sat on a dharna at the Gurugram-Pataudi road and refused to vacate it till the boy is found. As a result, traffic was diverted from Umang Bhardwaj Chowk, they said.

Several officials, including Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Vishram Kumar Meena, reached the spot. The villagers surrounded Meena and demanded that efforts to trace Dishant be sped up and the drain be covered to prevent a repeat of Sunday's incident.

"The search operation is underway. Trained private divers have been called from Delhi and we hope that the child will be found soon," Meena said.

The work for fencing the drain has also started, he said.

Villagers blamed the administration for the incident.

"This is the result of negligence by the district administration and civic body officials," said a villager, Sunder Singh.

He claimed the drain has been uncovered for the last 14 years.

"Several requests were made to authorities to cover the drain but officials kept saying that the tender has been issued. If the drain had been covered properly, then this incident would not have happened," said Ram Singh, another villager.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Aug 8 (PTI) A special court here on Monday granted interim bail to two persons, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering, noting the duo was discharged from the "predicate" (scheduled) offence which led to the ED case.

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The order comes following the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court last month specifying that a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cannot continue if there is no scheduled offence and hence the special court has no jurisdiction to extend the judicial custody of the persons arrested under the Act.

As per the provisions of the PMLA, a prior First Information Report (scheduled offence) is a requisite for the ED to initiate action against the person involved with the process or activity.

The special PMLA court on Monday granted bail to Babulal Verma and Kamalkishor Gupta, arrested by the ED based on a case registered against them by the Aurangabad Police in Maharashtra.

The duo has been in judicial custody since January 2021.

Recently, the Aurangabad police filed a closure report in their case (scheduled offence) which was accepted by the court and the duo was discharged.

As per the SC's ruling, if a person is discharged or acquitted in the predicate offence then there can be no offence of money laundering against him.

Relying on this ruling, the duo's advocates Vijay Aggarwal and Rahul Aggarwal filed a plea in the special court in Mumbai challenging the remand applications of the ED and seeking interim relief by way of bail.

The lawyers argued that pursuant to the SC's ruling and the fact that the accused persons have been discharged from the scheduled offence, keeping them in jail in the PMLA case would amount to illegal detention.

Special PMLA Judge M G Deshpande while granting interim bail to Verma and Gupta directed the ED to file its reply affidavit to the plea challenging the remand application.

ED's advocate Hiten Venegaonkar opposed the interim bail and argued that the court has taken cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the ED in the present case and can hence extend the judicial custody.

The court, however, noted that the admitted position as of date is that the closure report (submitted by the police in the scheduled offence) has been accepted by the competent court.

"The Supreme Court recently laid down guidelines for matters under the PMLA Act and these guidelines are very important and there is an elaborate discussion on the fate of the act in the absence of a scheduled offence," Judge Deshpande said.

Referring to the ruling of the apex court, the court said, "It is crystal clear that if there is no scheduled/ predicate offence, the PMLA case cannot continue."

The PMLA court cannot have jurisdiction to continue a PMLA case in the absence of a case relating to the scheduled offence. The guidelines of the Supreme Court are very clear. This court has no jurisdiction to extend judicial custody of the accused under PMLA when there is no scheduled offence, he added.

If the court continues judicial custody of both the accused then there will be a serious complication in respect of the illegal detention of both accused, and to avoid the same, it is necessary to pass a clear interim order pending the hearing of the main applications, the judge said.

The court directed that both the accused be released forthwith till the next date on executing a personal bond of Rs 5,00,000.

The duo shall not leave the city without the court's permission, it said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Aug 8 (PTI) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday exhorted party workers to focus on increasing the membership, as this will prove crucial before the Election Commission (EC).

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Addressing party workers at his residence 'Matoshree', Thackeray said the party's membership should swell 10 times and alleged that the Eknath Shinde-led faction had engaged professional agencies for this work.

Following the split in the party, the EC had asked the rival factions led by Thackeray and Shinde to submit documents by August 8 in support of their claims on the election symbol of the Sena.

The EC has sought documents, including letters of support from the legislative and organisational wings of the Sena and the written statements of the rival factions.

The Shinde faction has support of the 40 of 55 MLAs of Shiv Sena and at least a dozen MPs.

The rebellion has dented the Shiv Sena's traditional support base at many places in the state with local leaders and sainiks crossing over to the Shinde faction.

"Our membership should reach a level, where no one even dares to needle the Shiv Sena. The EC will ask about membership and the number of affidavits the party (his faction) has," Thackeray said.

With both rival groups claiming to be the original party, membership will play a crucial role when the fight goes before the EC to decide which faction is the real Shiv Sena.

"The membership should swell 10 times. It should go over a lakh in Nashik. They (the Shinde faction) have engaged professional agencies for the task, but I only have you (workers)," the Sena chief said in his appeal to party workers.

Thackeray asked the party workers to hold on to the bhagwa (saffron flag of the Sena) tightly.

"Forget snatching, the hand that dares to touch the bhagwa should break," Thackeray said.

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Jaunpur (UP), Aug 8 (PTI) A local court here on Monday awarded life imprisonment to seven persons including former MP of Machchlishahr Lok Sabha constituency, Umakant Yadav, in a 27-year-old case related to murder of a Government Railway Police constable and attempt to kill three others.

The court had on Saturday convicted seven people, including the former MP, in this case.

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On Monday, Jaunpur's Additional District Sessions Judge Sharad Chandra Tripathi gave the quantum of punishment after hearing both the sides, district government counsel Anil Singh said.

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UmaKant Yadav along with his supporters was accused of opening fire at the Shahganj GRP lockup of Jaunpur in February 1995 to free his driver Rajkumar Yadav.

GRP Constable Ajay Singh was killed while his colleague Lallan Singh, railway employee Nirmal Watson and a passenger Bharat Lal were injured in the firing.

The proceedings of the case were initially held at a court meant to try legislators but later moved to the local court on the directions of the High Court.

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Ahmedabad, Aug 8 (PTI) Gujarat reported 661 COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Monday, which took the tally to 12,61,922 and the toll to 10,980, a state health department official said.

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The recovery count increased by 692 and reached 12,45,080, leaving the state with an active caseload of 5,862, the official said.

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The two deaths took place in Bhavnagar, while Ahmedabad accounted for 206 of the new cases, followed by 70 in Surat, 63 in Vadodara, among other districts.

A government release said 11.89 crore vaccine doses have been administered in Gujarat so far, including 2.56 lakh during the day.

Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,61,922, new cases 661, death toll 10,980, discharged 12,45,080, active cases 5,862, people tested so far - figures not released.

(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, Aug 8 (PTI) Two lawyers on Monday wrote separate letters to Attorney General K K Venugopal seeking his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal for allegedly making statements "scandalizing" the verdicts delivered by the Supreme Court.

As per section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, the nod of the Attorney General or the Solicitor General is a condition precedent to set the criminal contempt proceedings in motion before the apex court.

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Two lawyers -- Vineet Jindal and Shashank Shekhar Jha -- have requested the top law officer to grant consent for initiating contempt proceedings against Sibal, a former law minister.

"The speech of the contemnor is not only against the Supreme Court and its judges but is a process to undermine the dignity and independent nature of the Supreme Court by scandalizing the authority of both the Supreme Court and its judges," Jha said in his letter.

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Similarly, Jindal has claimed that statements by Sibal have "scandalized the judgments" passed by the Supreme Court judges.

"If this kind of precedent was allowed, political leaders would start making a reckless allegation against the judges of the highest court of our country and this trend would soon lead to the failure of an independent judiciary system," he said in his letter.

In his letter to the Attorney General, Jha claimed that in his speech, Sibal had raised "doubt" on the independence of the Supreme Court and "undermined the dignity with a malafide intention to malign the image" of the top court.

Sibal had on August 6 made the statement as a speaker in an event organized here.

In his statement, Sibal was critical of the apex court's recent judgements in the Zakia Jafri case as well as on the pleas pertaining to the interpretation of certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Aug 8 (PTI) The much-awaited monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature will be held between August 17 to 23 in Mumbai, officials said on Monday.

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However, the effective sittings will be for five days only as the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council do work on the weekends.

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Earlier, the monsoon session was supposed to begin on July 18 but was deferred after the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The much-awaited expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet, which currently includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, will be expanded on Tuesday, a close aide of the CM had said earlier in the day.

The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Legislative Council will meet at Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Aurangabad, Aug 8 (PTI) The names of MLAs who will take oath as ministers of the Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday are being finalised, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday.

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"The names will be finalised by Monday night or on Tuesday," the chief minister told reporters in Nanded city in the Marathwada region.

"You will come to know. The names of MLAs are not finalised yet. The names will be finalised by tonight or tomorrow. You will come to know about them tomorrow," Shinde said.

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He was responding to a query of reporters on the expansion of the cabinet after landing at the Nanded airport this evening.

Shinde was sworn in as the CM on June 30 along with Devendra Fadnavis, who took oath as Deputy CM.

A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday's ceremony at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai at 11 am, an aide of Shinde had told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The next round of expansion would take place later, he added.

Currently, Shinde and Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the only two ministers in the state cabinet.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Noida, Aug 8 (PTI) The in-charge of a local police station has been shunted as probe into the assault on a woman inside a housing society in Noida, allegedly by a politician, intensified, officials said on Monday.

Sujeet Upadhyay, in-charge of Phase 2 police station, was removed from the post late Sunday night.

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"Inspector Paramhans Tiwari has been appointed as the in-charge of Phase 2 police station in view of administrative requirements," a police spokesperson said Monday morning.

The action came a day after high drama unfolded at the Omaxe Grand society in Sector 93B, where local BJP leaders lashed out at the police for not being able to arrest accused Shrikant Tyagi, who went absconding Friday night.

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Tyagi has identified himself as the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and national co-cordinator of its Yuva Samiti. The ruling party, however, maintains that he is not even its primary member.

Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma visited Omaxe Grand on Sunday evening and interacted with the residents after around a dozen aides of Tyagi had entered the society without permission earlier in the day, raising tension.

"I am ashamed to say that all this is happening when our (BJP) government is in power," Sharma said over an apparent phone call to Uttar Pradesh government's additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi.

He sought immediate action against Tyagi and security for the woman and her family even as he assured residents of the society of justice.

The police had arrested six of Tyagi's aides, who had entered the society on Sunday, and were probing how they managed to gain entry despite private security deployment there, the officials said.

Late Sunday, District Magistrate Suhas L Yathiraj and Police Commissioner Alok Singh also visited the society and interacted with the residents.

"Tyagi would be booked under the Gangsters Act and strictest action taken against him so that an example is set for people like him," Singh said.

Before he went underground, Tyagi claimed to be a BJP politician, even as the party stresses that he is not even its member as it blocked the attacks being mounted by opposition parties over the episode.

The police, meanwhile, continued its search for Tyagi on Monday, a day after it questioned over half a dozen people linked to him, including his wife, at his home, according to officials.

He was booked under Indian Penal Code section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty) on Friday over a spat with a co-resident of their housing society.

The woman had objected to plantation of some trees by Tyagi, citing violation of rules, even as he claimed he was within his rights to do so.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 8 (ANI): The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Gorakhpur has issued a non-bailable warrant against Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad, in a 2015 case in which he is accused of inciting a mob during a protest.

The court directed the police to present Nishad before the court by August 10.

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The case dates back seven years ago. On June 7, 2015, there was an agitation in Kasarwal area of Sahjanwan where protestors demanded 5 per cent reservation for the Nishad community in government jobs. Agitators sat on the railway track and as the protest escalated police resorted to lathi-charged in which one person was killed.

It was alleged that the person was killed by police firing and the agitation turned violent and during this several vehicles were torched.

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Following this, police filed a case against several people including Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad under sections related to rioting, sabotage, arson and other offences.

Now the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Minister Sanjay Nishad in this case.

Advocate Surendra Kumar Nishad, the counsel of the Minister said, "This is not a non-bailable warrant issued against Nishad but it is a bailable one. This thing about the warrant that is going on are baseless rumours."

Notably, Sanjay Nishad's party is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Nishad Party forged an alliance with BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sanjay Nishad was made a Cabinet minister after the BJP formed government in the state. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar, Aug 8 (PTI) The Odisha government has set a target to complete around 300 more bridge-cum-check dams in the financial year at a cost of over Rs 400 crore for irrigation, drinking water and other purposes.

It is part of the government's plan in May to construct 1,000 such wire structures across the state in three years amid criticism for allegedly not creating more facilities for water storage in the state.

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Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra recently reviewed the progress at a virtual meeting from the Loka Seba Bhavan in Bhubaneswar recently, according to an official release on Monday.

"Bridge-cum-check dams raise the surface water level in the riverbeds and significantly help in groundwater recharge and rejuvenation of the ecosystem," Mohapatra said.

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"It's a cost-effective technology having multiple micro-level outcomes. The water conserved through this method could be utilised for irrigation on both sides of the river for growing vegetables and cash crops," he said.

The raised water level could be effectively used for pisciculture through self-help groups. It can also be used for drinking water projects, besides checking soil erosion, according to the official.

Forty-five such check dams were completed within two months in various districts. The rural development and the works departments have identified 480 bridges where such check dams could be built.

Mohapatra directed the departments to complete around 300 bridges during the current financial year. It is estimated to cost Rs 413 crore would be invested for construction of these bridges.

Development Commissioner Pradeep Jena said the technology proved effective and helpful in the context of Odisha's geo-climatic conditions.

The bridge-cum-check dams also allowed usual flow of the river or creek where it was constructed as the water was held only up to 1.5 metres in height, Jena said.

(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], August 8 (ANI): Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday highlighted the government's efforts on increasing aerial connectivity and said that over 1.5 lakh flights were started in the last 5 years.

He also noted that the number was achieved under the UDAN scheme.

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"Under Udaan Yojana democratisation of the aviation sector took place and 1,93,000 flights were started based on viability gap funding in the last 5 yrs where govt will also bear the cost for the tickets," Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told ANI.

The UDAN scheme launched in 2016 aims to fulfil the aspirations of the common man with advanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in Category II and III cities, following the vision of Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik . In a short span of 5 years, to date, 419 flight routes connect 67 underserved/unserved airports, including heliports and water aerodromes.

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Scindia also stressed that the nation has been witnessing the democratisation of the aviation industry and the country expects to reach 40 crore air travellers in the next four years.

Scindia along with MoS for Civil Aviation VK Singh inaugurated the first flight of Akasa Air (QP1101) from Mumbai to Ahmedabad virtually. They also flagged off the first flight of Akasa Air from Delhi which took off from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (T1) in Mumbai on Sunday at 10:05 am.

Speaking to ANI, Scindia said, "New airline 'Akasa airlines' has commenced. It is a new dawn for airlines. The last two decades have been challenging for the sector not only in India but across the world. Seven airlines were shut in India during that period."

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Akasa Air is the 7th scheduled airline with brand name of SNV Aviation having Corporate Headquarters at Mumbai with Boeing Max - 8 aircraft. Akasa Air plans to be a low-cost carrier with single fleet and all economy seats. Akasa Air is planning to expand its activities to 72 aircraft in next five years which will significantly enhance the domestic aviation services in India. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bharatpur, August 8: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Rajasthan Ranjeeta Koli on Monday went on a sit-in protest in Bharatpur against illegal mining and claimed that her car was attacked by the mining mafia on Sunday in an attempt to kill her.

Koli said she was returning from Delhi on Sunday night and on her way to Bharatpur, she noticed a large number of overloaded trucks. The BJP MP said when she attempted to stop the trucks she was attacked and stones were pelted on her car.

The MP from Bharatpur said that as she was being attacked she along with her security personnel ran into the nearby fields . She claimed that the mafia kept chasing them and later on the arrival of the villagers, the mafia ran away with the truck after hitting the MP's car. Following the incident, the BJP MP began a sit a dharna today alleging police not paying attention and taking action against mining mafias. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's 'Rape' Remark: Nirbhaya's Mother Asha Devi Says 'It's a Very Embarrassing Statement, He Has Made Fun of Nirbhaya'.

Watch Video of BJP Attacks on Rajasthan Govt of Mafia Attack:

#WATCH | "Rise of elements including PFI in Rajasthan has the blessing of CM... Rajasthan number one for rapes in the country," says BJP leader, Rajyavardhan Rathore after BJP MP Ranjeeta Koli from Bharatpur, Rajasthan alleges attack by mining mafia, complains of no police action pic.twitter.com/PZn2hEFoYA  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2022

"I saw about 150 trucks that were overloaded. I tried to stop them but they fled. They thought I was in the car and thus they pelted stones and broke my car. I could have been killed. This is an attack on me but I will not be scared," Koli said. Later, Police reached the spot and spoke to Koli.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) RS Kaviya said: "The MP at night told us that she was on her way from Delhi when she spotted overloaded trucks. She tried to stop them while 2-3 trucks stopped but others escaped. She also stated that while escaping they pelted her car with stones and attacked her."

Meanwhile, Bharatpur District Magistrate Alok Ranjan reached the site where BJP MP was sitting on a dharna along with her party workers. "She sat on dharna alleging overloaded trucks pelted stones at her. We came here, asked her to give a complaint and she agreed. She alleged that she did not get an immediate response from nearby chowkis, which has been brought to the notice of senior police officials," said Ranjan.

Pertinent to mention, in November last, MP Ranjeeta Koli had claimed that some unidentified persons opened fire and pelted stones outside her residence in Bharatpur district.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, Aug 8 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking national monument status for the Mangarh Dham in Banswara district in the state.

In a letter to Modi, the chief minister said that in 1913, the British Army opened fire on tribals who had gathered in Mangarh of Banswara district under the leadership of Govind Guru.

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Over 1,500 of them sacrificed their lives, Gehlot said.

"In order to pay rich tribute to the supreme sacrifice of the tribals and the contribution of Govind Guru, the state Government built Tribal Freedom Struggle Museum at Mangarh Dham. Along with this, a road has been constructed till Mangarh Dham and various works have been taken up for the development of this site," he said.

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Gehlot urged the prime minister to give national monument status to Mangarh Dham, so that tribute can be paid to the great saint Govind Guru, according to a release.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, Aug 8 (PTI) The Rajasthan government on Monday appointed BSP-turned-Congress MLAs Wajib Ali and Sandeep Yadav as chairmen of Rajasthan State Food Commission and Bhiwadi Urban Infrastructure Development Board, respectively.

Separate orders were issued in this regard which also said they will not get salary, allowances or pecuniary benefits.

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Ali is Nagar (Bharatpur) MLA, while Yadav represents Tijara (Alwar) assembly constituency.

Notably, Ali had recently expressed his anguish against ministers and bureaucracy, claiming work was not being done in many departments.

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All six MLAs who won the 2018 state assembly elections on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket had joined the Congress in 2019.

Of these, Rajendra Gudha was made a minister of state in November last year, and Joginder Awana the chairman of Devnarayan Board in February this year.

At the same time, Lakhan Singh Meena and Deep Chand Khairiya were also appointed as chairman of Dang Development Board and vice president of the state Kisan Ayog, respectively.

Gudha had also recently targeted the ruling Congress in the state, and the appointment of Ali and Yadav is being seen as an exercise by the government to pacify them. Gudha said their support to the government was crucial during the political crisis in 2020, but the promises made to them have not been fulfilled by the Congress.

(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, Aug 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim bail to Anil Kumar Sharma, ex-CMD of Amrapali Group of Companies on medical grounds after he complained of post surgery complications.

A bench of Justices UU Lalit and Bela M Trivedi granted Sharma interim bail and directed him to surrender in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate before or at the end of four weeks, and be sent back to jail.

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The bench cautioned him against misuse of the liberty and use the four week period to consult doctors and undergo treatment.

At the outset, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for Centre, said as per the advice of doctors, he does not require admission in hospital but he is in need of medical care.

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Bhati said she is leaving it to the court to grant him interim bail as certain complications have indeed been reported post his surgery as per the discharge summary of the jail dispensary.

The bench after perusing the discharge summary said it is granting him a four-week interim bail subject to the conditions imposed by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.

On August 4, the top court had sought a status report on the medical condition of Sharma, who is lodged in jail here and was seeking interim bail citing his deteriorating health post-surgical intervention.

Advocate Manoj Singh, representing Sharma had said the applicant is suffering from infection and his "condition is deteriorating" with each passing day.

He had urged the top court to grant him interim bail for six to eight weeks keeping in view his medical condition.

On June 9, the apex court had allowed Sharma's surgery to be conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for the repair of a "bilateral inguinal hernia" within a week.

The top court, however, had refused to grant him bail for four weeks as sought by his counsel, saying that allegations against Sharma were grave.

Sharma is lodged in Mandoli prison here.

On March 21, the top court refused to order the transfer and clubbing of over 80 criminal cases lodged by the home buyers against the directors and other officials of the Amrapali group firms, saying it would "queer the pitch" and make life difficult for a trial judge.

The top court had not agreed to the fervent submission of the counsel for one of the jailed officials of the real estate group that like coal scam cases, the trial in 85 criminal matters, which are of similar nature, can be transferred to one court from seven different courts in the national capital.

The apex court has been monitoring the cases related to the embattled real estate company after many home buyers approached it alleging malpractices and non-delivery of homes or flats.

The apex court, in its July 23, 2019 verdict, had cracked down on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by the home buyers and ordered the cancellation of registration of the Amrapali Group under real estate law RERA and ousted it from prime properties in the national capital region (NCR) by nixing the land leases.

The top court had directed a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged money laundering by realtors, providing relief to over 42,000 home buyers of the Amrapali Group with the verdict.

Besides ED, the Economic Offence Wing (EoW) of the Delhi Police and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) have also been investigating various cases lodged against the former officials of the real estate group.

The top court, which is trying to bring in funds for the stalled projects, had then directed the state-run NBCC to complete the stalled projects of Amrapali Group.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar, Aug 8 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived here at the Biju Patnaik International Airport on a two-day visit to Odisha during which he will attend the 75th anniversary function of an Odia daily and launch a book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other programmes.

Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi and other state leaders received Shah, who arrived at 1.30 am along with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

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A large number of party workers and supporters had also gathered at the airport to welcome the home minister.

Elaborate security arrangements were put in place on the stretch of the road leading to a private hotel in Jaydev Vihar area in the city where Shah is staying.

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During his tour, the Union minister will pay obeisance at the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, visit the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and attend the 75th anniversary function of the Odia daily Prajatantra' at the indoor stadium in Cuttack.

Shah will also launch the Odisha chapter of 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery' and attend a meeting of the BJP's core committee, party leaders said.

(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, Aug 8 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will unveil the renovated British-era 'Phansi Ghar' (execution room) and a Corona Warriors Memorial on the Delhi Assembly premises on Tuesday, according to an official invite.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and his deputy Rakhi Birla will also attend the event, it stated.

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Officials said people will be allowed to visit these two places when the Delhi Assembly is not in session.

They said the 'Phansi Ghar' was used for the execution of freedom fighters. The Public Works Department started its renovation in September last year.

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The target of opening the 'Phansi Ghar' and Corona Warrior Memorial before Independence Day has been successfully met, officials said.

They said besides the 'Phansi Ghar', the historically significant Delhi Assembly also has a tunnel beneath the central hall of the main building. It is conjectured that the tunnel connects the Legislative Assembly and the Red Fort, officials said.

The Delhi Assembly was built in 1911 and used as the Central Legislative Assembly after the capital of the country was shifted to Delhi from Kolkata.

The Corona War Memorial has been built to honour Covid warriors, including doctors, nurses and paramedic staff, sanitation workers and teachers, for their supreme sacrifice and remarkable work towards society during the pandemic.

Corona Warriors Memorial will have information about such people's duty and supreme sacrifice during the pandemic inscribed on it.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 8 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday asked the people to remain vigilant as major dams across the State have been opened and the water level in the rivers are likely to rise.

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Vijayan said the state government has taken measures to evacuate people from areas where the water level is likely to rise but asked everyone to remain cautious as the water inflow to the dams and reservoirs are still strong due to rains in the eastern part of Kerala.

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"The flow of water in the rivers is strong due to the discharge from the dams. In these circumstances, do not attempt to enter the rivers. Those who reside downstream the dams and along the banks of Periyar and Pampa should remain vigilant as water levels are likely to rise," he said.

Vijayan said the State government has initiated measures to evacuate people if necessary and that the water was being released in a controlled manner in strict adherence to the rule curve.

"As the rain continues in the eastern part of Kerala, water inflow to the major dams are continuing. As rain is expected in the catchment areas of the dams in the coming days, the water flow is likely to remain strong," he said.

Meanwhile, the Idukki district authorities said that the water level at Idukki reservoir is at 2386.10 feet.

"Two of the shutters have been raised by 40 cm each while three shutters are raised by 120 cm each to discharge 300 cumecs of water," they said.

Two shutters of the Pamba dam were opened 30 cm each today, discharging 25 cumecs of water into the river. Authorities said if required, both the shutters will be raised by 60 cm to discharge 50 cumecs of water.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has informed that all the 10 shutters of the Mullaperiyar Dam, managed by it will be raised by 0.90 metre to discharge 7,130 cusecs of water. The water level has reached 139.5 feet.

The Idamalayar dam will be opened on Tuesday morning to discharge 50 to 100 cumecs of water. Since the water level may rise in Periyar which flows through Ernakulam district, a team of 21-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is in the district.

(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, Aug 8 (PTI) A day ahead of a key meeting of party MPs and MLAs, the Janata Dal (United) on Monday said whatever decision is taken under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be accepted by everyone in the organisation.

JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi also asserted that there was no question of any kind of division or split within the party.

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"Nitish Kumar is the undisputed leader of the JD(U). He commands respect in the rank and file of the party. Therefore there is no question of any kind of split in the party. Whatever decision is taken by the party under Nitish Kumar's leadership will be accepted by everyone," he said.

Kumar has convened a meeting of JD(U) MLAs and MPs on Tuesday to discuss the scenario that has emerged following the exit of former national president RCP Singh, party chief Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh said on Monday.

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However, it comes amid visible signs of fissures in the party's ties with the BJP with Kumar skipping a number of official meetings where he was to be present with top BJP leaders.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dhubri, Aug 8 (PTI) A woman has been arrested in Assam's Dhubri district for her alleged links with Bangladeshi proscribed outfit Ansarul Islam, the police said.

Jahura Khatun, whose husband Abu Tallah is also wanted for his alleged connection with the outfit, was apprehended from Naeralga Part II village on Sunday, Bilasipara Sub-divisional Police Officer Birinchi Bora told reporters.

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She had been trying to protect people having association with Ansarul Islam, Bora stated.

Two mobile phones were seized from her possession, one of which was burnt. We are trying to retrieve data from the burnt phone. As of now, we have gathered enough evidence from her interrogation and the other phone to establish the fact that she was in touch with the members of the outfit, Bora said.

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Khatun was on Sunday produced before a judicial magistrate's court, which remanded her in judicial custody

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said that Assam has become a hotbed of jihadi activities after five modules having links with the Bangladesh-based terror outfit was busted in the past five months.

The first module was busted in March with the arrest of five persons in Barpeta

Since then, over 30 people have been nabbed with 11 in the months of March and April.

Two persons, including an Imam running a Madrasa, were held in Morigaon in July. The madrasa was subsequently demolished.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thane, Aug 8 (PTI) A woman and her son were injured after the ceiling plaster of their house fell on them in Maharashtra's Thane city on Monday, an official said.

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The incident took place at 3.50 am when the family members were sleeping in their house in Balkum Pada area, Thane regional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Avinash Sawant said.

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After being alerted, local firemen and a team of the RDMC rushed to the spot to provide assistance.

The 44-year-old woman and her son, aged 20, received injuries, the official said.

Both of them were rushed to a civic-run hospital in Kalwa area for treatment, he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington [US], August 8 (ANI): Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has been secretly testing Super, a live-streaming platform modelled after Twitch, according to a Business Insider report.

As per Mashable, Meta had reached out to influencers to test the platform, and they gave the publication information and a complete deck of slides that the business has been using to pitch the service to creators. Super has only been used by a hundred creators so far.

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Are You Ready?

#B2022  Latest Tweet by Birmingham 2022.

A Meta representative said in a statement given to Business Insider that Super is a totally distinct product and not a part of its other platforms, like Facebook or Instagram.

The public can access Super's website. The website's footer states that the service is provided "by NPE Team from Meta." The developer team at Meta known as NPE works on the release of new applications. There don't seem to be any additional references to Meta on Super's website besides that footer.

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Super has been discussed in news reports before. In contrast to how it was described in a Bloomberg report from 2020, the product is very different today. Super was promoted at the time as a "Cameo-inspired tool" that would enable Facetime-style calling between famous people and their fans.

Some features, like the ability to take selfies with creators, do appear to have been carried over. The platform appears to have changed course to become more of a Twitch rival for live streaming, though.

According to the pitch deck, Super will give creators a similar opportunity to monetize their streams as Twitch does. Viewers can donate to their favourite creator and purchase supplemental content through tiered subscriptions.

For the time being, the creator keeps all of their earnings. The pitch deck also features a sponsorship programme where companies can pay to have their marketing materials heavily integrated into a creator's Super stream.

Creators wouldn't need a lot of technical or graphic design expertise to set up a well-designed Livestream because Super appears to have integrated specific video layouts directly into its product. Additionally, there are pre-built features like trivia and giveaway modules that enable creators to quickly incorporate those activities into a stream.

Some influencers have received payments of up to USD3,000 to test out Super for 30 minutes. According to another source who spoke with the outlet, there were also "paid incentives based on the performance of the live stream."

It's interesting to note that Super and Meta's other products, like Instagram and Facebook, don't seem to be integrated. On Super's website, users only have the choice to "Sign in with Google" after clicking "Login."

Surprisingly, TikTok is the only other platform mentioned in the website's FAQ. In the section where Super explains how to simulcast your stream to TikTok Live, the viral video platform is mentioned, Mashable confirmed.

Super is currently in the early stages of testing, as reported by Meta. If and when it will be made available to the general public is unknown. Currently, creators can register with an email address and ask to be given early access to the platform. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dhaka, Aug 8 (PTI) Bangladesh's southwestern Mongla seaport on Monday received the first Indian vessel with cargo to be transshipped by road to India's landlocked northeastern region under a bilateral agreement signed four years ago.

MV Rishad Rayhan arrived from Kolkata Port under a trial run of the transshipment under a bilateral agreement on the use of Bangladesh's main northeastern Chittagong seaport and the Mongla port for movement of goods from India (ACMP), Mongla Port officials said.

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MV Rishad Rayhan is the first Indian ship that anchored in our port with goods to be transshipped by road to north-eastern Indian region, Mongla Port Authority chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa told newsmen.

The ship, which carried 16,380 tonnes of iron pipes and 8.5 tonnes of prefoam, was received at a ceremony attended by Indian high commission officials in Dhaka, including Assistant High Commissioner Indrajit Sagar.

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The first Indian ship with transshipment goods under the agreement, however, reached the Chittagong port last month carrying iron and pulse which were subsequently transported to India's Tripura and Assam through Akhaura-Agartala land port.

Bangladesh officials said the customs authorities and security agencies of the country were tasked to oversee the safe journey of the containers to the Indian border.

The two countries inked an initial transshipment deal in 2015, followed by a detailed agreement in 2018 and Bangladesh and Indian officials subsequently developed a standard operating procedure (SoP) for its execution.

According to Bangladesh's shipping ministry officials, India would run four identical trial runs ahead of full implementation of the transshipment agreement.

The land route between Kolkata and key cities in northeast states is more than 1,200 km and the use of Chittagong and Mongal ports for trans-shipment will cut the distance to almost half.

The trans-shipment arrangement will facilitate the movement of heavier cargo at a lower cost and also boost business services and the logistics sector in Bangladesh.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gaza City, Aug 7 (AP) A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants took effect Sunday night in a bid to end nearly three days of violence that has killed dozens of Palestinians.

Egyptian officials had worked to bring the sides to an agreement after the flare-up of fighting that saw Israeli aircraft pound targets in Gaza and militants fire hundreds of rockets that reached deep into Israel.

Also Read | US President Joe Biden Leaves White House for 1st Time Since Getting COVID-19.

Rocket fire and airstrikes continued until the scheduled start of the truce at 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT; 4:30 p.m. EDT).

More than 40 Palestinians were killed, including 15 children and four women, as Israel targeted the militant group Islamic Jihad in what it said was a pre-emptive campaign.

Also Read | China Launches Long-Range Airstrike Drills Around Taiwan in Response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Visit to Island.

Israel said errant Gaza rockets were to blame for some of the deaths.

Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip appeared headed toward a cease-fire Sunday night after Egyptian officials said both sides agreed to a truce to end a flare-up of violence that has killed dozens of Palestinians.

The cease-fire would end the worst fighting in Gaza since an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas last year. Since Friday night, the violence has killed 43 Palestinians, including 15 children and four women.

Egyptian officials said the truce was set to begin at 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT; 4:30 p.m. EDT).

An Egyptian intelligence official said both sides had agreed to the truce. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the cease-fire talks.

Israel confirmed the cease-fire was set to take hold, but said it would respond if it was violated.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft have pummelled targets in Gaza, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Jihad militant group has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel in response.

The risk of the cross-border fighting turning into a full-fledged war remained as long as no truce was reached. Israel says some of the dead were killed by misfired rockets.

Gaza's ruling Hamas group remained on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and undoing economic understandings with Israel, including Israeli work permits for thousands of Gaza residents, that bolster its control.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on a leader of the Islamic Jihad, and followed up on Saturday with another targeted strike on a second prominent leader.

The second Islamic Jihad commander, Khaled Mansour, was killed in an airstrike on an apartment building in the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza late Saturday, which also killed two other militants and five civilians.

Mansour, the Islamic Jihad commander for southern Gaza, was in the apartment of a member of the group when the missile struck, flattening the three-story building and badly damaging nearby houses.

Suddenly, without warning, the house next to us was bombed and everything became black and dusty with smoke in the blink of an eye, said Wissam Jouda, who lives next to the targeted building.

Ahmed al-Qaissi, another neighbour, said his wife and son were among the wounded, suffering shrapnel injuries.

To make way for rescue workers, al-Qaissi agreed to have part of his house demolished.

As a funeral for Mansour began in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Israeli military said it was striking suspected Islamic Jihad rocket launch posts. Smoke could be seen from the strikes as thumps from their explosions rattled Gaza. Israeli airstrikes and rocket fire followed for hours as sirens wailed in central Israel. As the sunset call to prayer sounded in Gaza, sirens wailed as far north as Tel Aviv.

Israel says some of the deaths during this round were caused by errant rocket fire, including one incident in the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza in which six Palestinians were killed Saturday.

On Sunday, a projectile hit a home in the same area of Jebaliya, killing two men. Palestinians held Israel responsible, while Israel said it was investigating whether the area was struck by an errant rocket.

Israel's Defense Ministry said mortars fired from Gaza hit the Erez border crossing into Israel, used by thousands of Gazans daily. The mortars damaged the roof and shrapnel hit the hall's entrance, the ministry said. The crossing has been closed amid the fighting.

The Rafah strike was the deadliest so far in the current round of fighting, which was initiated by Israel on Friday with the targeted killing of Islamic Jihad's commander for northern Gaza.

Israel said it took action against the militant group because of concrete threats of an imminent attack, but has not provided details. Caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who is an experienced diplomat but untested in overseeing a war, unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job.

In a statement Sunday, Lapid said the military would continue to strike targets in Gaza in a pinpoint and responsible way in order to reduce to a minimum the harm to noncombatants. Lapid said the strike that killed Mansour was an extraordinary achievement.

The operation will continue as long as necessary, Lapid said.

Israel estimates its airstrikes killed about 15 militants.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israel's destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 580 rockets toward Israel.

The army said its air defenses had intercepted many of them, with two of those shot down being fired toward Jerusalem. Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas.

Air raid sirens sounded in the Jerusalem area for the first time Sunday since last year's Israel-Hamas war.

Jerusalem is typically a flashpoint during periods of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza.

On Sunday, hundreds of Jews, including firebrand ultra-nationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir, visited a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

The visit, under heavy police protection, ended without incident, police said.

Such demonstrative visits by Israeli hard-liners seeking to underscore Israeli claims of sovereignty over contested Jerusalem have sparked violence in the past. The holy site sits on the fault line of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is central to rival narratives of Palestinians and Israeli Jews.

In Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank, Israeli security forces said they detained 19 people on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic Jihad during overnight raids.

By Sunday, Hamas still appeared to stay out of the battle. The group has a strong incentive to avoid another war. Last year's Israel-Hamas war, one of four major conflicts and several smaller battles over the last 15 years, exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territory's 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

Since the last war, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago.

Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza labourers, and has held out the prospect of granting another 2,000 permits.

The lone power plant in Gaza ground to a halt at noon Saturday due to lack of fuel. Israel has kept its crossing points into Gaza closed since Tuesday.

With the new disruption, Gazans can use only four hours of electricity a day, increasing their reliance on private generators and deepening the territory's chronic power crisis amid peak summer heat. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing [China], August 8 (ANI): Myanmar's envoy to China, U Myo Thant Pe died on Sunday.

Notably, Thant Pe is the fourth foreign envoy to have died in China in the past year.

Also Read | Porsche and Piech Families Seek Driving Seat at Volkswagen  Sources  Latest Tweet by Reuters.

Ambassador U Myo Thant Pe was last seen meeting a local official in the Yunnan province on Saturday, according to local media reports.

The Myanmar ambassador was appointed in 2019 and stayed in his post after the Myanmar junta seized power in February 2021.

Also Read | World War II 450-Kg Bomb Detonated in Italys Po River, 3,000 Residents Evacuated.

Other foreign envoys to have died in the past year included German ambassador Jan Hecker, Ukraine ambassador Serhiy Kamyshev and Philippines ambassador Jose Santiago Chito Sta.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry today expressed grief over the sudden passing away of U Myo Thant Pe.

"We deeply mourn the sudden death of Myanmar Ambassador to China U Myo Thant Pe and express deep sympathy to his family," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a press conference.

"China maintains close communication with Myanmar and will do its best to facilitate Myanmar's handling of follow-up issues," Wang added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Los Angeles (US), Aug 8 (AP) An aggressive push toward renewable energy has run headlong into anxiety over keeping the lights on in California, where the largest utility is considering whether to try to extend the lifespan of the state's last operating nuclear power plant.

California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement that for decades has had a fraught relationship with nuclear power, which doesn't produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels but leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries.

Also Read | World War II 450-Kg Bomb Detonated in Italys Po River, 3,000 Residents Evacuated.

Now environmentalists find themselves at odds with someone they usually see as an ally: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a green energy advocate who supported the 2016 agreement calling for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to close by 2025 but now is a leading voice to consider a longer operating run.

Newsom often is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate and an attorney for a consumer advocacy group that routinely challenges plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric in rate cases believes national political ambitions" are at play.

Also Read | US President Joe Biden Leaves White House for 1st Time Since Getting COVID-19.

The push to keep Diablo Canyon running is clearly coming from the governor's office, said Matthew Freedman of The Utility Reform Network.

Newsom is mindful that problems with electric system reliability can become a political liability and he is determined to take all possible actions to avoid any possibility that the lights go out in California".

Newsom certainly wants to avoid a repeat of August 2020, when a record heat wave caused a surge in power use for air conditioning that overtaxed the electrical grid.

There were two consecutive nights of rolling blackouts affecting hundreds of thousands of residential and business customers.

In a statement, Newsom communications director Erin Mellon didn't address the question of politics but said the governor is focused on maintaining reliable energy for households and businesses while accelerating state efforts to meet his aggressive goals for reducing carbon pollution.

He continues to support shuttering Diablo Canyon in the long term.

The debate over the plant comes as the long-struggling nuclear industry sees climate change as a reason for optimism.

President Joe Biden has embraced nuclear power generation as part of his strategy to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.

Nuclear power provides roughly one-fifth of the electricity in the country, though generation produced by the industry has dropped since 2010. Saving a plant in green energy-friendly California would carry symbolic weight but the window to make an abrupt turnaround appears narrow.

PG and E CEO Patricia Patti Poppe told investors in a call last month that state legislation would have to be enacted by September to open the way for PG and E to reverse course.

She said the utility faced a real sense of urgency because other steps would be required to keep the plant running, including ordering more reactor fuel and storage casks for housing spent fuel that remains highly radioactive.

Extending the plant's operating life is not an easy option, Poppe said. The permitting and relicensing of the facility is complex and so there's a lot of hurdles to be overcome.

The plant on the coast midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco produces 9 per cent of the electricity for California's nearly 40 million residents.

The state earlier set aside up to USD 75 million to extend operation of older power plants scheduled to close, but it's not yet clear whether taxpayers might be covering part of the bill  and, if so, how much  to keep Diablo running.

The Newsom administration has been pushing to expand clean energy, as the state aims to cut emissions by 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.

California installed more clean energy capacity in 2021 than in any other year in state history, administration officials say, but they warn reliability remains in question as temperatures rise amid climate change.

For Diablo Canyon, the issue is whether the Newsom administration, in concert with investor-owned PG and E can find a way to unspool the 2016 closure agreement agreed to by environmentalists, plant worker unions and the utility.

The decision to close the plant also was endorsed by California utility regulators, the Legislature and then-Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.

Plant workers now support keeping the reactors open for an extended run while anti-nuclear activists and environmentalists have rejoined a battle they thought was settled six years ago.

It only makes sense keeping Diablo open, said Marc D. Joseph, an attorney for the Coalition of California Utility Employees, which represents plant workers. There is no one involved who wants to see carbon emissions in California go up.

Critics question if it's feasible  or even legal  for the utility to break the agreement.

I don't know how to unwind it, and I don't think it should be unwound, said Ralph Cavanagh of the Natural Resources Defence Council, one of the groups that negotiated and signed the pact.

Friends of the Earth, another signatory of the deal, would oppose any effort to extend the reactors' operating span.

None of the conditions have changed to pull back on that agreement, said the group's president, Erich Pica.

There's also concern about the aging plant's safety. Construction at Diablo Canyon began in the 1960s and critics say potential shaking from nearby earthquake faults not recognised when the design was first approved  one nearby fault was not discovered until 2008  could damage equipment and release radiation.

Lifting the agreement would place huge numbers of people at great, great risk. That's what's at stake here", said Daniel Hirsch, retired director of the programme on environmental and nuclear policy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a longtime critic of nuclear plant safety.

PG and E, which has long said the plant is seismically safe, hasn't said much about whether it will push to extend operations beyond 2025.

It is assessing that possibility while continuing to plan for closing and dismantling the plant unless those actions are superseded by new state policies", PG and E spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said in a statement.

PG and E is considering applying for a share of USD 6 billion in federal funding the Biden administration established to rescue nuclear plants at risk of closing.

The utility announced the move after Newsom suggested a longer operating run would help the state deal with potential future electricity shortages.

The Energy Department recently recast rules at the request of the Newsom administration that could open the way for an application from Diablo Canyon. But some environmentalists question if those changes conflict with the federal law that provided the funds.

As part of the closure deal, the state granted PG and E a short-term lease for submerged ocean water intake and discharge structures through 2025, which also would have to be extended to keep the plant operating.

Factors cited in the lease agreement echo language in the closing pact, including that the utility would not seek an extended operating license and PG and E was expected to use that period through 2025 to develop a portfolio of greenhouse gas-free renewables and efficiencies to replace Diablo Canyon's power.

PG and E said in a statement it has met its replacement power requirements to date.

PG and E decision to close Diablo Canyon came at a time of rapid change in the energy landscape.

With heavily Democratic California prioritizing renewables to meet future power demand, the utility predicted there would reduced need for power from large plants like Diablo Canyon after 2025. There was even the risk of too much power generation.

Rather than too much power, state officials have warned of possible electricity shortages this summer as a warming climate creates more demand for power, wildfires sometimes incinerate power lines and a long-running drought has reduced hydropower.

An emerging tariff dispute  involving products assembled in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia using parts and components from China  has delayed solar and storage projects, administration officials say.

But environmentalists argue that a nuclear plant  generating large amounts of power continuously  is not a solution to fill occasional gaps, such as when solar dips after the sun sets.

Reliable electricity is not a 24/7 problem, said Cavanagh, of the NRDC. The last thing you want to solve a problem like that is a giant machine that has to operate 24/7 in order to be economic. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Baghdad, Aug 8 (AP) Demonstrators blocked roads as protests broke out in southern Iraq on Monday after power outages left many without electricity during scorching peak summer heat.

Temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), nearly matching last year's record high. Southern provinces, where the heat wave is most intense in Iraq, suspended working hours.

Also Read | Porsche and Piech Families Seek Driving Seat at Volkswagen  Sources  Latest Tweet by Reuters.

The Electricity Ministry last week announced a state of alert, anticipating outages as temperatures rise.

In the oil-rich province of Basra, dozens of people took to the streets for a third straight day and burned tires, blocking the main road to the provincial capital, to protest the power cuts.

Also Read | World War II 450-Kg Bomb Detonated in Italys Po River, 3,000 Residents Evacuated.

While protests against power cuts took place in the south, the followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr entered their ninth day of a sit-in outside the Iraqi parliament building to demand early elections.

Many protesters in Basra said they supported al-Sadr's protest and demands and said they were tired of rampant government corruption. Protests in the south are common in the summer. In 2018, protests over the lack of basic services turned violent. In 2019, they paved the way for mass anti-government demonstrations in the capital.

It's not the first time we protest and it won't be the last, said Ali Hussein, 35, in Basra. We are continuing our protests for electricity and water, which are very basic demands.

Of al-Sadr, Hussein said: We support him, and we ask that he punish the corrupt.

The protests erupted after the collapse of the electricity grid in six southern provinces due to excessive demand amid high temperatures. Basra Gov. Asaad Al Eidani said the latest outages were due to a fire at a power station.

In the holy city of Najaf, a weapons depot exploded in the heat. It had belonged to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a state-sanctioned network of paramilitary groups.

Protesters began their sit-in at 3 a.m. Monday, frustrated and unable to sleep in the heat without electricity.

Iraq relies on neighbouring Iran to meet nearly a third of its energy needs during peak summer months. Iraq, a top oil exporter, has the resources to meet energy needs but suffers from a lack of investment in the infrastructure needed to capture its natural gas resources. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru, August 8: The Karnataka police have arrested a man on charges of having unnatural sex with cows in Bengaluru, police said on Monday. Identified as Manjunath, the 34-year-old is a resident of Gejjalagere village near Maddur town in Mandya district. Chandra Layout Police arrested him on a complaint by his friend who caught him red-handed.

According to police, the accused had developed the habit of having unnatural sex with cows for which he would travel to Bengaluru University Jnanabharathi campus from his village. He would take cows grazing in the fields of the campus to isolated places, bushes and indulge in the crime. Owing to his sadistic mindset, Manjunath's family had disowned him. The jobless accused, then came to Bengaluru and stayed at his friend's place.

While staying with Shashikumar, who kept cows at home, the accused had cut off the tails of the cows and had unnatural sex. On getting suspicious, Shashikumar watched his movements and caught him red-handed. Nagpur Shocker: Father, Mother, Among 3 Arrested For Beating 5-Year-Old Girl to Death While Performing Ritual.

Later, the accused was dragged to the police station. The police have booked the accused under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and sent him to judicial custody.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2022 09:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Lucknow, August 8: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch 'Radio Jaighosh' on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of Kakori Train Action as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. The state's Department of Culture is launching the community radio channel to promote folk art, performing art, regional delicacies of Uttar Pradesh and gallantry award winners.

Radio Jaighosh will be available at 107.8 MHz and will broadcast programmes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from the newly renovated studio of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Lucknow. The programmes will also be available in the radio's mobile application and social media pages.

The Department's Principal Secretary, Mukesh Meshram said: "There are a lot of radio stations in India, but we are bringing a radio station that will promote Indian arts and culture, especially of Uttar Pradesh. With the fast-paced lives, the folk tales and folk lore are not getting transferred to the youth. This initiative will connect youth and children with our ethos, customs and values. Independence Day 2022: Yogi Ki Paati, Letter From Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, To Reach 3 Crore Homes.

"At the same time, we are also promoting the artists and unsung heroes from several districts and remote villages of the state. Also, we have come up with an idea of a backpack studio where all the recording instruments are taken to the villages to record their folk arts in the comfort of their rural landscape."

Daily shows on the radio will include 'Parakram' that will revolve around gallant soldiers of the pre and post-Independence era and unsung heroes, while 'Shaurya Nagar' will promote folktales from all the 75 districts of the state.

'Kala Yatra' will be based on art, 'Rajya ki Rasoi' on the delicacies of Uttar Pradesh, 'Rang Shala' on theatre artists, 'Rajya ki Raftaar' on government schemes and 'Rang Yatra' on performing arts. There will also be weekly shows on education.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2022 09:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Investigations into the BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettare murder case is now focused towards the invisible hands behind the killing even as Karnataka police has nabbed six persons so far.
An Amnesty International report criticizes Ukraine for staging military operations out of civilian areas. Wait, says @ClaraDFMarques, who's attacking and who's defending? https://t.co/5DJZtqd48n via @opinion Bloomberg (@business) August 8, 2022

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A male #leopard that was involved in killing cattle in #TamilNadu's Bhavanisagar area was trapped in a cage. pic.twitter.com/k1CMwTpgZP IANS (@ians_india) August 8, 2022

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A #Pakistan Navy warship, that crossed the maritime boundary line off the coast of #Gujarat and entered Indian waters, was detected and forced to retreat by an Indian Coast Guard's Dornier maritime surveillance #aircraft. pic.twitter.com/1vFElVtl3K IANS (@ians_india) August 8, 2022

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Four more cities in Hainan in static management as 1,140 COVID-19 cases reported in a week

(Global Times) 13:39, August 08, 2022

The rapidly spreading Omicron BA5.1.3 variant that was first reported in Sanya, South China's Hainan has triggered at least four more cities in the province to impose what officials call "static management," in a bid to cut off the fast transmission chain that has resulted in a total of 1,140 COVID-19 cases in less than a week.

Following the steps of Sanya, Wanning, Danzhou, Qionghai and Lingshui have announced that they will impose static management starting from Sunday. The move means that local residents must stay indoors and public transportation is suspended.

The announcements came after Wanning reported 10 COVID-19 cases, Danzhou 51 cases, Qionghai 6 cases and Lingshui 36 cases as of press time on Sunday. In total, between August 1 and Sunday, the province registered 1,140 COVID-19 cases, of which 971 cases are in Sanya and the rest in 10 other cities or counties in the province.

The daily cases across the province has reached its highest on Saturday, with 297 confirmed cases and 186 asymptomatic cases, according to Hainan provincial health authorities. Within the first 12 hours on Sunday, the province reported another 182 cases.

Hainan health authorities said at a press conference on Sunday that this round of the COVID-19 epidemic has spread widely among communities and reached a certain scale. It is in the growing stage, and shows an expanding trend, with the proportion of people among the newly infected who have been placed under restrictions gradually increasing, authorities said.

The biggest challenge for Hainan in containing the infections is that the actual scale of the epidemic still cannot be clearly identified and the province may need to roll out multiple rounds of regular mass testing to reduce the risk, health experts noted.

Home to some 10.2 million people, Hainan officially rolled out province-scale mass nucleic acid testing on Sunday. To aid Hainan in this difficult time, 175 epidemiologists and supervisors from seven provincial-level governments have been dispatched. Meanwhile, 15 provincial-level governments will send nucleic acid testing teams to cities in Hainan, which will boost the province's daily testing capability to 1.99 million tubes per day, as the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council mobilized.

A medical team from Guangdong consist of 160 medical staff started their work in Sanya as soon as they reached the city on Saturday. Another medical team from Southwest China's Sichuan Province with 800 medical personnel arrived in Danzhou on midnight Sunday.

The recent COVID-19 surge on the province may indicate that before the first case was found on August 1, the virus had been spreading among communities for some time, and due to crowds of tourists, the virus then rapidly multiplied, a Beijing-based medical expert surnamed Wang told the Global Times.

The mass testing will give a basic big picture of the COVID-19 situation across the province, but one test is far from enough, and Hainan may have to roll out regular mass testing for quite a long time in order to identify all infected people, just as Shanghai did in the latest outbreak, Wang said.

Health authorities have also signaled that there are still some cases yet to be placed under quarantine. Assessing the current situation, the expert believed cases will continue to rise for some time before showing a downward trend, but because the hot weather in Hainan is not conducive to the spread of COVID-19, the epidemic will eventually be brought under control.

In the face of worsened COVID-19 situation, all the flights in and out of Sanya, known as the "Hawaii of China," have been canceled on Sunday, one day after the city announced temporary static management, Chinese flight tracking platform Feichangzhun said. Railways out of Sanya were also suspended on Saturday, according to railway authorities.

Yike and Chongchong (Pseudonym) who were stranded at Sanya Phoenix International Airport on Saturday due to flight cancelation told the Global Times that all tourists stranded at the airport on Saturday have been sent to hotels by the local government where they can have a seven-day free-of-charge stay with three free meals every day.

"The hotel has arranged buses to take us for daily nucleic acid testing. I can go to the hotel's swimming pool and sometimes I go out to have a walk because we are in a low-risk region," said Chongchong.

After the static management in Sanya, Sun, a resident from Northwest China's Xi'an who is in Sanya on a business trip, was also asked to stay inside the hotel together with his colleagues. Other than going out for the nucleic acid test, Sun spent most of his time indoors and takes a walk after sunset while wearing masks.

Sun and his colleagues feel relived as they are under good arrangements and food and other necessities can be delivered.

To settle down stranded tourists, the city had assured at Saturday's press briefing that local hotel will offer 50 percent discount for guests that are staying. Currently, some 32,000 tourists are stranded in Sanya.

But the Global Times found individual cases of some staying visitors complaining about some hotels having doubled the room price before the discount to offset the price loss. Some said their hotels refuse to give the discount.

A staffer of Sanya's tourism bureau told the Global Times on Sunday that the bureau has set up a special working group to address such problems. The staffer said the tourism bureau will register tourists' complaint and then they will reach the specific hotel to solve the problem.

Sun and his colleagues arrived in late July when numerous tourists where enjoying the sunshine and beach. Before the reporting of cases, people were asked to wear masks indoors and scan health codes wherever they go - "the epidemic prevention measures were implemented well," Sun told the Global Times on Sunday.

Though the COVID-19 situation continues to develop, the route for leaving the province is open to stranded tourists. They will be able to leave the province after a seven-day risk assessment.

The virus strain has been identified as the Omicron BA5.1.3 variant, a mutated variant that was reported in the country for the first time. The central fishing port of Yazhou district was the first to report the variant, which was likely to have been imported through trading with overseas fishermen, local authorities said on Thursday.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
Investigations into the BJP activist #PraveenKumarNettare murder case is now focused towards the invisible hands behind the killing even as #Karnataka police has nabbed six persons so far. pic.twitter.com/KVBg9jgUYH IANS (@ians_india) August 8, 2022

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Two pilgrims were killed and one other injured in a shooting stone accident in #JammuandKashmir's Reasi district on Monday, police said.



The two were killed when they were hit by a shooting boulder while standing in queue outside the Shiv Khori cave shrine.@JmuKmrPolice pic.twitter.com/1Q7LoLAofu IANS (@ians_india) August 8, 2022

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Cuba is known for having a rich culture which is largely a combination of African and Spanish influences. It has been apparent to its music and art that show a mixture of African and European styles, which has changed through many phases.

Cuba's art was also heavily involved in the political situation from the 1960s onwards, with many using it as propaganda pieces supporting the revolution, according to iExplore.

Film has been considered a popular and successful form of art since 1959, with Havana hosting the internationally renowned New Latin American Film Festival every year.

Cuban were also known to love going to the cinema as it being a favored as an inexpensive form of recreation. Going to the movies only costs about 14 cents since film production has been socialized.

According to Every Culture, expressive language, music, and dance are a cultural heritage that Cubans express frequently. Cuba is also known for the National Ballet of Cuba, whose founder and artistic director is Alicia Alonso.

READ NEXT: Cuba: 5 Traditional Cuban Dishes You Must Try When You Visit the Caribbean Island

Cuba Tradition

Among the traditions that Cubans observe are superstitions. Cubans also believe in celebrating Christmas with no presents.

Culture Trip reported that Christmas in Cuba is celebrated on Noche Buena or Christmas Eve, with the traditional meal, whole suckling pig, prepared in a backyard oven.

Families and friends get together, and sometimes even neighbors and co-workers are invited. Christmas Day becomes more about recovery than festivities for Cubans.

Another festivity that Cubans celebrate is the fiesta of the Red and Blue. It is observed in early November each year, with the town of Majagua in Ciego de Avila coming alive with a celebration of peasant culture.

The town is separated into red and blue sides, with residents free to choose which side they want to be in. They then face each other in dance battles.

Cuba People and History

Diverse ethnic groups have been in Cuba before the time of European contact, which includes Spaniards and Africans, with smaller groups of Chinese, Jews, and Yucatecan Indians.

According to Britannica, the Guanahatabey and Ciboney groups were among the original hunter-gatherer societies to be in Cuba by about 4000 BCE. The former was living in the extreme west of the island while the latter mainly stayed on the cays of the south.

The Tainos then arrived later and spread throughout Cuba and the Bahamas. Around one-fourth of Cubans are of mixed ethnic lineage and are identified as mulattoes or mestizos and some two-thirds are descendants of white Europeans, mainly from Spain.

Blacks make up about one-tenth of the population. The Black population grew in the early 16th century when Spaniards started importing African slaves as a substitute for the reduced supply of Indian laborers.

The main language of Cuba is Spanish. Cuba started its republican administration in 1902 under Estrada Palma and was subjected to heavy U.S. influence.

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans then emigrated to the U.S. and other countries due to Soviet economic and military support shift of the country.

READ MORE: Travel in Brazil Amid Pandemic: Here Are Things You Should Be Aware of Before Visiting the Latin American Country

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: CUBA - All you need to know - Geography, History, Economy, Climate, People and Culture - From Geography Nuts
President Joe Biden has been cleared to break isolation following a second negative COVID-19 test. After getting isolated again for yet another COVID-19 infection, the president took an antigen test for the second consecutive day and tested negative.

White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor released a letter clearing Biden for travel. He said the president can now return to public engagement and presidential travel.

After getting cleared, Biden's first stop on Sunday was Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It was the first time he went out of Washington D.C. since late July, when he first tested positive for the virus.

Joe Biden Had a Case of 'Paxlovid Rebound'

According to ABC News, Joe Biden was isolated in the White House and took a five-day Paxlovid treatment course. He tested negative after the treatment but tested positive again soon after.

Biden then continued to test positive for the virus until getting those two straight negative results. O'Connor said the treatment is possible for "rebound positivity," as some patients who take Paxlovid can test positive again after finishing the treatment.

However, while there are risks of a "Paxlovid rebound," the treatment drastically lowers the risk of hospitalization. According to Voice of America News, Biden is now up and about, with his next stop being Kentucky. He will be viewing flood damage in the state on Monday and meeting with the affected families.

While Joe Biden was isolated in the White House residence area, the first lady, Jill Biden, stayed in their home state of Delaware. She was reunited with her husband following his two straight negative COVID-19 test results.

READ NEXT: Remain in Mexico Policy: Joe Biden Gets Power To End Donald Trump-Era Rule

Joe Biden Exits COVID-19 Isolation With Career-Defining Wins

While he was isolating for COVID-19, Joe Biden managed to get some landmark victories in his career. One of the most notable is the mission's success, which killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was one of the masterminds behind the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, which struck the Pentagon and the World Trade Center buildings.

The killing of the terrorist leader was a result of Biden's order to minimize casualties. He then announced the mission's success while still in isolation.

Biden also got it done on the legislative end, with the Associated Press describing them as "legacy-defining legislative victories." It includes lawmakers passing a bipartisan bill addressing gun violence and boosting the nation's high-tech manufacturing sector.

He is also now at the point of securing what he called the "final piece" of his economic agenda. Thanks to the passage of a Democrats-only climate and prescription drug deal.

Because that bill was not bipartisan, it showed that the Democrats can still get it done with the slimmest of majorities. The president previously played an active role in trying to pass these bills. However, these efforts did not work, so he decided on a more hands-off approach.

That worked more as Senators managed to pass key legislations, which included the bipartisan gun reform bill, the first substantive gun restrictions in nearly 30 years.

READ MORE: Joe Biden's ICE Nominee, Ed Gonzalez, Withdraws

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Written by: Rick Martin

Watch: Joe Biden Cleared For Travel, Public Events After Testing Negative For Covid For Second Day - From MSNBC
Tesla CEO Elon Musk grilled U.S. President Joe Biden regarding the administration's efforts to bring back WNBA player Brittney Griner home.

The New York Post reported that Musk rhetorically asked on an episode of the "Full Send" podcast this week that if the president is "working so hard to free someone who is in jail in Russia for some week, shouldn't we free people in America?" The Tesla CEO added that there are people in America who are in jail for the same reason.

Musk went on to say that his opinion is that people should not be imprisoned for non-violent drug crimes.

The billionaire has a history of criticizing the U.S. justice system regarding marijuana-related crimes in the past.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Warns of Sanctions for Illegal Detention of Americans Abroad Amid Pressure From Families of Detainees

U.S. President Joe Biden on Brittney Griner

Biden announced on Friday that his administration was "working hard" and hoping to get Brittney Griner back, including negotiations with Russa.

The Courier Mail noted that the Biden administration has considered the possibility of swapping Griner for known arms dealer Viktor Grout, who was known by the alias "Merchant of Death."

Russian officials said that talks of prisoner exchange could not go on before Griner's trial was complete. However, even with an official verdict and sentence, a deal about prisoner swap may not happen right away, according to a The New York Times report.

Jared Genser, a human rights lawyer who represents Americans held by foreign governments, said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has not said yes right away. Genser added that it would mean he looked at the first offer and thought that he could get more than that.

Rep. Mike Waltz, Republican of Florida, told media outlet Newsmax that it was why dictatorships take Americans as hostages as they know they will get something for it.

Former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said that freeing Bout would likely cause more Americans to be arrested abroad.

Brittney Griner in Russia

The WNBA star has been sentenced to nine and a half years in her trial on drug charges in Moscow. Her sentence was close to the maximum term possible.

The Washington Post report stated that Griner could be sent to a penal colony if diplomatic efforts or the appeal were to fail.

The penal system in Russia has one of the highest incarceration rates in a European country, which houses around 520,000 inmates. Most prison facilities in Russia are considered penal colonies, with inmates required to perform labor during their sentence.

Griner played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team based in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason. She is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

She was detained in February over vape cartridges with less than a gram of cannabis oil. She pleaded guilty last month.

The prosecution argued that the 0.702 grams of cannabis found in her luggage after she landed at Moscow airport were a "significant" amount.

Griner noted that she had made "an honest mistake under stress" as she was rushing to pack the things.

READ MORE: Biden Administration Seeking Prisoner Swap With Russia to Bring WNBA Player Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan Home

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WATCH: New hope for Brittney Griner prisoner exchange - from ABC News
Colombia's new president, Gustavo Petro, issued calls for a new strategy when addressing the drug trafficking issue in the country, adding that the war on drugs was a failure.

Petro spoke at his inauguration and was the country's first ever left-wing leader, according to a BBC News report. The new president told the crowd of his supporters that it is time for "a new global convention that accepts the war on drugs has failed."

Petro noted that the war on drugs has left a million dead Latin Americans for 40 years. He added that it also caused 70,000 American citizens to overdose to death each year.

Criminal groups amid local militias in Colombia are heavily involved in drug production and transportation to consumers around the world, including in the U.S. and Europe.

Petro has vowed to fight inequality by providing free university, education, pension reforms, and high taxes on unproductive lands.

READ NEXT: Colombia's Defense Minister Calls on Colombian Gangs to Surrender or Be Hunted Down

Drug Trafficking in Colombia

Colombia started providing as much as seven-tenth of the marijuana being imported into the United States. Drug traffickers then diversified to cocaine trafficking using the shipments from marijuana, especially drug leaders from Medellin.

Two major drug cartels evolved from the illegal trade: the Medellin Cartel led by Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel.

Britannica noted that drug dealers spent money refining cocaine as they became wealthier while also organizing groups for protection. The drug cartels also constructed buildings, both residential and commercial, which benefited more Colombians as compared to the legitimate economy.

Three presidential candidates were killed in the 1990 presidential campaign, including the poll-leading Liberal Luis Carlos Galan, due to tougher drug-trade policies.

Medellin cartels started to struggle as their violence and power grew. Pablo Escobar was eventually killed by the Colombian police.

Meanwhile, Cali Cartel members were arrested in the mid-1990s and are currently serving 10-to-15-year prison terms.

Colombia's New President Gustavo Petro

President Gustavo Petro was a former member of the M-19 guerilla group and was recently sworn in by Senate President Roy Barreras in Bogota's Bolivar Plaza, as reported by Reuters.

Petro said in his inauguration speech that he wants a "strong, just, and united Colombia."

The left-wing leader has vowed to revive the peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army rebels and apply a 2016 peace deal to ex-members of the FARC guerillas who reject it.

Petro's foreign minister noted that the government will hold dialogue with gangs and possibly give members reduced sentences in exchange for drug trafficking intel. The newly sworn-in president said that armed groups should accept the deal.

He also put a focus on climate change, calling for the matter to be addressed internationally, particularly in countries that emit the most greenhouse gases.

Petro also said that Colombia would shift to coal or oil-less economy. He also pledged pension reform and to stop new oil development, which caused investors to be concerned.

Petro will be serving his term with new Vice President Francia Marquez, who is an environmental activist and former housekeeper.

READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Leftist Gustavo Petro wins Colombia's presidential election - from DW News
A Florida couple was charged with bestiality after engaging in a sexual act with their dog on multiple occasions.

The couple, identified as Geoffrey Michael Dennis Springer and Christina Calello, even recorded the sexual activity and saved the video clips to a flash drive, according to a Law and Crime report.

The 39-year-old man and his 36-year-old partner were both charged with one count each of sexual activity involving animals.

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office noted in their press release that Calello was arrested for having "willingly engaged in sexual activity with a dog on multiple occasions."

The crime lasted over the span of nearly a decade. Meanwhile, Springer allegedly recorded the sexual act and saved the video clips to a flash drive.

Investigators showed evidence of the video showing the alleged sexual act with the dog to Springer. He then positively identified the woman in the video clip "receiving oral sex" from the dog as Calello, according to the affidavit.

READ NEXT: Florida Elderly Woman Killed After Falling Into Pond Near Home, Attacked by Two Alligators

Florida Couple Engaged in a Sexual Act With Dog

The dog was taken from the ex-couple by deputies and was brought to a local pet hospital for routine examination.

Prison records show that Calello was arrested and charged in May with domestic battery, while Springer was released without bail, having no prior arrests, according to a Daily Mail report. The court date for the Florida couple has yet to be announced.

Bestiality is considered a misdemeanor of the first degree in Florida, with penalties of up to one-year imprisonment. In addition, offenders also usually pay a $1,000 fine.

Most places across the nation consider bestiality to be illegal except for four states: Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii, and West Virginia. These states instead consider the sexual act as animal abuse.

Sex Act With Dog Investigation in Florida

Calello reportedly admitted to having engaged in sexual activities with her dog many times while also trying to place blame on the animal.

Investigators noted that the defendant had the dog perform oral sex on her several times "due to the dog being curious." However, video evidence showed that the dog was performing the sexual act on Calello while not making any motions or gestures to stop it.

Police initially did not share the breed of the dog and the nature of the alleged sexual acts, according to a Complex report.

Springer reportedly admitted to investigators that Calello had done around 30 to 50 sexual acts with the dog in eight years.

The video obtained by authorities was filmed by Springer around May or June 2022. Springer said that he saved the video clip to his personal flash drive in a folder entitled "XXX Sex Videos Loki."

Calello was then released from the county jail after she posted a $5,000 bond.

Meanwhile, the animal was found not to have been injured.

READ MORE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Ignores U.S. Pres. Joe Biden's Request for National Guard Troops at State of the Union

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WATCH: Florida couple A R R E S T E D for filming sexuaI acts with their dog - from Redirecting-Proverbs 31 School of Wisdom-P31 SOW
A road in Northern Kildare will be closed from today until Thursday this week.

This will be done to facilitate road resurfacing, Kildare County Council (KCC) has announced.

The L5064 Kearneystown will be closed from the L1016 Ardclough Road to the Railway Bridge until Thursday, August 8, 2022.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES:

KCC has said that vehicles intending to travel south-east on this road from Celbridge will be diverted north-west towards Celbridge Village and south-west (right) onto the R405 (Hazelhatch Road) towards Newcastle.

At Newcastle Village, traffic will be directed south-west (right) towards Athgoe and north-west (right again) towards Kearneystown.

Vehicles intending to travel north-west on this road from Newcastle will follow the reverse directions back to the L1016 Ardclough Road.

Diversionary routes will be clearly signposted.

Emergency access and restricted local access will be maintained.

KCC has also said that the road will be opened early if works are completed early.

KCC added that the public's co-operation is appreciated, and apologised for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure.
A car found burned out in Blessington will form part of a murder investigation into the fatal shooting of a man in Dublin.

Gary Carey aged 41 was in hospital since the gun attack in an underground car park on the South Circular Road on June 24 last.

Gardai confirmed on Friday that the victim died from his injuries in hospital.

A silver-coloured Audi vehicle believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle by the gunmen was later found burnt out in Blessington.

The vehicle is being forensically examined as part of the investigation.

A Garda spokesman confirmed: A man who was being treated in hospital for serious injuries following a shooting incident in an underground car park of a premises on the South Circular Road in Kilmainham, Dublin 8, on June 24, 2022, has died.

"The office of the State Pathologist and the local Coroner have been notified and a post-mortem examination has been arranged."

"Investigating Gardai have commenced a murder investigation and are renewing their appeal for witnesses to come forward.

"They are particularly appealing to road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) from the South Circular Road in the Kilmainham area on the morning of Friday, 24th June, 2022, to make it available to them.

"Anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room at Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 666 9700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station."
Thousands of refugees could be forced back into hotels and bed and breakfasts next month when student accommodation is no longer available.

Liam ODwyer, the secretary general of the Irish Red Cross, said around 3,000 refugees staying in student accommodation on college campuses across Ireland will have to move out by the end of the month.

This could see many returning to Citywest outside Dublin, other hotels, B&Bs and some institutional accommodation.

Mr ODwyer said that the Irish Red Cross has been tasked to help find new accommodation for refugees currently staying in Maynooth and Dublin.

Our staff and volunteers are working with the refugees. Firstly, we do the bio-data just to see the family makeups and then we match with the pledged properties and we make offers to the refugees, obviously in consultation with the pledgers, he told RTE Morning Ireland.

He said that the country running out of accommodation has become a significant problem as the numbers of people arriving into Ireland continues to increase.

He also said that more refugees are expected to take up pledged accommodation in the next six weeks as students move back to college campus.

The remainder are obviously going to have to move back into either hotels, B&Bs, some of the institutional accommodation thats now online, Mr ODwyer added.

Meanwhile, only 35% of the 6,800 pledges of a room in a home is expected to come to fruition, he added.

Some 1,300 pledges have come through, with up to 900 more expected in the next few weeks.

Mr ODwyer described the process of confirming pledged rooms and homes as arduous as it emerged that thousands of people who pledged a room are awaiting garda vetting.

I think whats happened with the shared accommodation is that its fine for adults but if youre moving in with a family, obviously theres garda vetting involved and thats work that we have undertaken, he added.

Every single one of the 6,800 have been contacted and have been offered garda vetting.

It is an arduous enough process in the sense that theres an initial call, theres a Zoom meeting for everybody over the age of 16 in the house and then once all of that is completed, the form for everyone in the house is sent to them and that has to be sent to the gardai.

The guards turn that around into two days. The difficulties with that would be obviously if one person wasnt available in the house that delays it.

They ultimately have 30 days to send the form in.

We have made literally over 100,000 calls in relation to all of these matters but 30% of the people weve contacted, who have already said they were in have then said look weve changed our minds, our circumstances have changed.

A couple of calls last week said that their mother was sick and coming to take that room.

He said that around 50 Irish Red Cross staff are working on arranging accommodation.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys , has today (Monday August 8) announced that she is doubling the funding available this year for the upgrade of rural laneways and non-public roads to 22million.

The funding is being provided as part of Our Rural Future, the Governments ambitious policy for rural development.

The announcement will see counties receive a significant increase in their allocation under the Local Improvement Scheme for 2022.

The focus of the Local Improvement Scheme is on upgrading rural laneways and non-public roads which provide access to homes, farms and outdoor amenities.

Prior to todays announcement, each Local Authority was asked to consult with local residents and landowners and identify road and laneway projects where works could start immediately and be completed this year.

#OurRuralFuture



Minister @HHumphreysFG

doubles funding for Local Improvement Scheme 2022 to 22 million.



The funding will improve access to rural homes & farms.



For more information >> https://t.co/NQYqNVEXLO pic.twitter.com/hGLogbNLqb  Department of Rural and Community Development (@DeptRCD) August 8, 2022

Announcing the increased funding, Minister Humphreys said:

The recent census results show that the population of rural Ireland is growing. This is hugely positive. As part of Our Rural Future, I want to see more people living, working and raising a family in our rural communities throughout the country.

The Local Improvement Scheme is about making life a little bit easier for those rural families who live on a laneway or non-public road. The scheme provides substantial grant aid for the upgrade of these routes and assists homeowners with the costs.

In many cases where there are multiple homes on a lane, neighbours will work together to draw down funding under the scheme.

The Department of Rural and Community Development is now exactly five years old. I am proud during those five years my Department has provided over 100 million under the Local Improvement Scheme.

That funding has delivered improvements on over 3,000 roads and laneways nationwide benefitting over 13,000 rural homes. The funding I am announcing today will see a further increase in those numbers with many more homeowners benefitting.

As Minister for Rural Development, I want to see young people building on their family land, living in the community they grew up in and seeing their children attend the local school and playing for the local GAA club  this is what our rural communities are built upon.

I will always fight for rural homeowners and I will continue to make the case for further increases in funding under the Local Improvement Scheme.

The funding provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development will be complemented by a local financial contribution from landowners/householders. There is a ceiling of 1,200 on the amount that any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost.

This round of allocations is based on the level of works local authorities have indicated they can deliver under the scheme by the end of this year following engagement with local residents and landowners.

Details of the individual allocations can be found here.
Leitrim County Council has been approved 729,158 for Local Improvements Scehme- which is the upgrade of rural laneways and non-public roads.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (Monday 8th August) announced that she is doubling the funding available this year for the upgrade of rural laneways and non-public roads to 22million.

The focus of the Local Improvement Scheme is on upgrading rural laneways and non-public roads which provide access to homes, farms and outdoor amenities.

Minister Humphreys said, The recent census results show that the population of rural Ireland is growing. This is hugely positive. As part of Our Rural Future, I want to see more people living, working and raising a family in our rural communities throughout the country.

The Local Improvement Scheme is about making life a little bit easier for those rural families who live on a laneway or non-public road. The scheme provides substantial grant aid for the upgrade of these routes and assists homeowners with the costs. In many cases where there are multiple homes on a lane, neighbours will work together to draw down funding under the scheme."

The funding provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development will be complemented by a local financial contribution from landowners/householders. There is a ceiling of 1,200 on the amount that any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost.

Leitrim council had been allocated 351,880 in April this year, which totals 1,081,038 for 2022.

Around the region Cavan was granted 902,317, Donegal got  994,654, Longford 114,060, Roscommon 114,768 and Sligo received no funding this term.

It is understood there are approx 40 applicants left on the Local Improvement list, when these are cleared, the list can be re-opened to new applicants.

Deputy Frank Feighan welcomed the "record amount" allocated to Leitrim. He said Fine Gael Leitrim councillors had lobbied him to bring their case for substantial funding to the highest level. He said this funding will be spent this year to improve laneways and rural roads across Leitrim.

Fianna Fail Deputy Niamh Smyth from Cavan also welcomed the funding for the region, she stated, " I want to see young people building on their family land, living in the community they grew up in and seeing their children attend the local school and playing for the local GAA club  this is what our rural communities are built upon.




There have been calls for action and demonstrations over the number of children in Northern Ireland who are living in poverty.

Koulla Yiasouma, Commissioner for Children and Young People, said between 20-25% have been living in poverty consistently for the last 20 years.

She told an event at Feile An Phobail that she did not understand why people were not out on the streets demonstrating about the issue.

Her call was echoed at the Eradicating Child Poverty  It Can Be Done event at St Marys University College in west Belfast on Monday.

Dr Goretti Horgan, a senior lecturer in social policy at the Ulster University, said she fears disabled children and adults will die this winter if they are unable to heat their homes.

John Barry, a professor in green political theory at the Queens University, spoke of deep frustration at the situation, and called for groups to come together to demonstrate.

Dr Julie Anne Maney, a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine, described seeing the outworking of child poverty on a daily basis in her work, including seeing children who were so hungry they stuffed toast into their nappies.

Im seeing children day and daily who Im patching up to send them home to lives that made them sick in the first place. Its sticking plaster after sticking plaster, she said.

Its abhorrent and it just has to stop.

People ask me what can I do, donate to food banks. First of all you can vote for a government that will look after these children and so far they havent.

We need to invest from the early ages, in pregnant women, we need early years intervention.

This was the first year since the coronavirus pandemic that the annual event took place in person at St Marys University College in west Belfast.

Ms Yiasouma said child poverty had been among her priorities when she first became childrens commissioner seven years ago, and said while there has been progress on other priorities she identified, there has been inertia around children in poverty.

She said more than 110,000 children are living in poverty, adding that two out of three children in poverty are in working households.

Ms Yiasouma referred as a disgrace to a huge rise in the number of families relying on food banks to feed their children and predictions that by next January just over 70% of households in Northern Ireland will be in fuel poverty.

Its governments responsibility to ensure that children are not living in poverty, its governments responsibility to make sure there is an adequate social security system and safety net for our families, she said.

She has called for an anti-poverty strategy to include a new child payment, restore the value of key social security benefits, reduce family outgoings, make education free, affordable accessible quality childcare and targeted interventions

Its not going to be cheap but the price for not doing it is bigger, its bigger for our education system, its bigger for our health system but also its bigger because of what were doing to the life outcomes of our children living in poverty. We cant afford not to do it, she said.

Dr Horgan stressed the importance of both reducing costs for households as well as increasing income to make a huge difference.

She suggested universal pre-school meals, free public transport and that work is done for Northern Ireland to catch up on services for disabled.

In this coming winter I really fear that we will see disabled children and adults actually dying because of being unable to heat their homes, she said.

Professor Barry stressed that the climate crisis is part of the cost-of-living crisis, and called for measures such as free public transport as well as getting rid of school uniforms.

We need to get angry, its raining reports on climate crisis and child poverty, we dont need more reports, we need more action, he said.

People are going to be die because of a really bad winter, why isnt that the major issue, why arent we seeing our politicians rushing to say they demand an emergency insulation schemes, even just one room in each low income home.

We are going to need in my view more non-violent direct action up to and including occupying empty community centres,

We have to get ourselves organised bringing together different groups in terms of a common cause, child poverty, inequality and the climate crisis.
Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for the latest strike at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear power site, which has been under Russian control since the early days of the war.

The fighting on Friday at the plant has prompted the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to warn of "the very real risk of a nuclear disaster".

At a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, August 8, 2022, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned such attacks without saying either side was responsible.

"We support the IAEA on their efforts in relation to create the conditions of stabilization of that plant," he said.

"Any attack on a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing. I hope that those attacks will end, and at the same time I hope that the IAEA will be able to access the plant."

His comments followed a visit to Hiroshima over the weekend, where Mr. Guterres gave a speech to mark the 77th anniversary of the world's first nuclear bomb attack.

'Playing with a loaded gun'

In the Japanese city on Saturday, he warned that "humanity is playing with a loaded gun" as crises with the potential for nuclear disaster proliferate worldwide, from Ukraine to the Middle East and the Korean peninsula.

The Portuguese 73-year-old also delivered a stark warning against the horrors of atomic weapons a week ago in New York at a key nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference, which he reiterated on Monday.

"We are witnessing a radicalization in the geopolitical situation that makes the risk of a nuclear war again something we cannot completely forget," he said.

When asked about China's massive military exercises around Taiwan, sparked by a visit last week to the self-ruled island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mr. Guterres said the UN "abides by a resolution of the General Assembly, the so-called One China policy".

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"But we all want that resolution to correspond to a peaceful environment," he said, calling for common sense and restraint to allow for an "extremely important" de-escalation.

Read more Subscribers only In Ukraine, Odesa is relieved by first grain ship's departure

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GARDAI have warned of a Covid-19 related scam that has targeted Limerick people recently.

A man received a text message that looked like it was from the HSE that informed him he had been in contact with someone who has Covid-19.

A follow up text was then sent to the man telling him he must make an appointment to be tested for Covid-19 which would cost him 2.50.

He was then asked to reply with his bankcard details.

Fortunately, even though this text looked like the real thing, he was not taken in and he rang the Covid-19 department of the HSE.

They informed him that this is a scam, the HSE don't charge for appointments and will never ask for bank details.

Sergeant Ber Leetch, Crime Prevention Officer Henry Street Garda Station said she was grateful to the man for contacting her so she could caution the public.

"Scams can take any form so its always wise to be suspicious of any form of communication that comes out of the blue Never give information in response to an unsolicited text, email or phone call."
THE ABBEY Theatre make their welcomed return to Limerick with the production of the highly acclaimed Translations by Brian Friel.

The production in conjunction with Lyric Theatre in Belfast is directed by Donegal native Caitriona McLaughlin and opened at the Lyric Theatre in April and then moved to the Abbey Theatre for its summer run and will now take place at the Lime Tree Theatre in Mary Immaculate College from August 16 and finishing August 20.

Translations is set in the 1800s in the townland of Friel's fictional Baile Beag/Ballybeg where an Irish-speaking community in Donegal has become the unlikely focal point of a changing world when plans for a new English-speaking national school are in motion, and a group of English Royal Engineers have arrived to map the area.

Actor Marty Rea who plays Manus spoke to the Limerick Leader about the production: The production has been great particularly regarding the theme of the play. When we opened in Belfast the Irish Language Act was being debated up there and the election was taking place where there was the first nationalist majority ever elected into government. It was kind of historical playing there with the electricity that was in the air because of that, Marty said.

Marty is no stranger to performing in Limerick as he has taken part in a number of productions with the Druid theatre company which brought their shows to the Lime Tree on many occasions.

Ive done a number of plays in Limerick. We always enjoy Limerick and normally always spend a week here. Theres always a great atmosphere and great audiences, theyre always really well attended, Marty concluded.
AN APPEAL has been issued for the safe return of a set of undies which were 'knicked' from a washing line in Limerick city.

Denise Houlihan and her neighbours in the Irish Estates were distressed to wake up to the pilfering of the panties, which had the letters L-I-M-E-R-I-C-K sewn into them.

Following the hurler's sensational All-Ireland final win last month, 'W-E-L-L- D-O-N-E' was also added meaning 17 of auntie's best bloomers were sat on a washing line in the area.

Until the weekend, when a brief bandit visited the community, sparking upset, given the fact the pants had huge sentimental value.

In an call-out on social media, Denise wrote: "Please return our magic knickers! They are WAY TOO BIG for you."

The unique pants represent huge sentimental value to the community after they were hand-sewn by their dearly departed friend Sinead Dinneen.

Having been featured in the local and national media, Denise believes they have brought luck to Limerick's hurlers - and are one of the final links the community has with Sinead and her creativity.

"We feel they were taken in a late night prank and if the people who took them see this, or you come across them in your house or even dumped somewhere, please consider returning them to the triangle with no repercussions. We are not interested in a blame game. We would just love to have them back," she added.

"You can leave them back at the triangle / green at dark. Or post them to 31 Abbey Avenue, Irish Estates," she concluded.

The briefs were first put on the washing line in 2018 when Limerick ended a 45-year wait to win hurling's holy grail.

Pat Hartigan, who lives in the estate and who was on the 1973 winning side gave the granny pants his own blessing.

Denise has said previously that neighbours - jokingly - believe the granny pants are a secret weapon for Limerick, as the Treaty men have won Liam MacCarthy each year they are hung up.

In 2019, the pants were not on show - and Limerick exited the All-Ireland series at the semi-final stage to Kilkenny, who of course they got sweet revenge on at Croke Park last month!
CO-OPERATIVE Housing Ireland [CHI] welcomed its 4,000 social-rented member this Monday when Alison Glynn and her daughter, Isabella, received the keys to their forever home in Moneir, Clonmacken.

This is in addition to the 3,000 homes the movement supported through owner-occupier.

Speaking about receiving the keys to her new home, Alison said she was renting her last house.

"It was very expensive and needed a lot of work done to it. It wasnt a very nice place. Im so happy to be in this new CHI home. Everything is up to standard and I feel safe and secure here.

"Isabella, my daughter, loves it. Shes fifteen and has autism. She loves walking and there are a lot of places nearby where we can go, and my mam is very close which is lovely.

"Were not too far away from town, about a fifteen-minute walk or so. Theres going to be a local bus too which is great. I feel like Ive won the Lotto now we have this new place," said Alison.

As CHI marked their landmark 4,000 member, Pearse OShiel, chairperson, said CHI now manages 4,000 homes, supporting nearly 12,000 people across the country.

"Our ability to adapt to housing needs is testament to our organisations capacity to deliver quality homes. In a five-year period CHIs capacity has grown from being able to deliver 190 homes a year in 2017 to 700 plus in 2022," said Pearse.

Commenting on CHIs growth in recent years, Dave Ryan, regional housing services for Munster and Limerick native, said CHIs growth and delivery in Limerick, and Munster generally, has been a considerable achievement for the co-operative.

"By the end of November 2022, we will have delivered 318 homes in Limerick over a 24-month period. Across Munster, CHI provides homes in all six counties and has successfully increased delivery by 49% over the past three years," said Dave.

Moneir in Clonmacken was delivered in partnership with Limerick City and Council, the Housing Finance Agency, the Housing Agency, the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, and Formation Homes.

The development is a mixture of four, three and two-bed homes. When the development is complete there will be over 100 homes. Each household in Moneir will be a member of the Ralahine Housing Co-operative and be part of a much larger community. Members have a say in the running of the co-operative, the management of estates, hosting community events and can elect representatives to the national board of CHI.

CHI is a leading approved housing body working with local authorities and others to meet the housing needs of low-income households on social housing waiting lists.
Gardai are appealing for witnesses following the suspected murder of a man in Dublin.

The body of the man, who was in his late twenties, was found at an apartment on Achill Road in Drumcondra on Saturday evening.

A murder investigation into his death has begun.

The mans body was removed from the scene on Sunday afternoon and taken to Dublin City Mortuary where a post-mortem examination was conducted by State Pathologist Sally Anne Collis.

The Garda said the results of the examination are not being released for operational reasons.

It is understood the body is that of Sean McCarthy, 28, from Poppintree, who has been missing since August 2.

A missing person appeal by gardai trying to trace Mr McCarthys whereabouts has been stood down.

An incident room has been established at Ballymun garda station.

A family liaison officer has been appointed to keep the family informed of the developments.

An area of Griffith Park in Drumcondra was sealed off on Sunday as part of the investigation.

The apartment remains preserved for technical examination.

A man, aged in this thirties, arrested as part of this investigation remains in custody at a garda station in north Dublin.

Gardai are asking anyone who was travelling in the Home Farm Road area of Drumcondra and the surrounding area between the morning of Tuesday August 2 and the evening of Saturday August 6 and who observed any activity that drew their attention, to come forward.

Gardai can be contacted at Ballymun garda station on 01-6664400, or the Garda Confidential Line is on 1800-666-111.
Omniplex Cinema review the latest new releases to watch in cinemas with the latest sci-fi thriller from the mind of Jordan Peele jumping on screens.

Nope (Cert 16) - See trailer below





Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmwe & Brandon Perea

Director: Jordan Peele

Genre: Sci Fi Horror



Release Date: Friday 12th August

After random objects falling from the sky result in the death of their father, ranch-owning siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood attempt to capture video evidence of an unidentified flying object with the help of tech salesman Angel Torres and documentarian Antlers Holst.



Nope Trivia:

Jordan Peele cites the "King Kong" and "Jurassic Park" monster films, the sci-fi film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Signs (2002), and the fantasy film The Wizard of Oz (1939) as an influence on the film. He considers these films as examples of addiction to spectacle, a major theme in the film.

Jordan Peele said he wrote the script "at a time when we were a little bit worried about the future of cinema. So, the first thing I knew is I wanted to create a spectacle. I wanted to create something that the audience would have to come see."

Jordan Peele specifically chose the cowboy film Buck and the Preacher (1972) to feature prominently in the film: "It was the first film that I know of that had Black cowboys represented in it. The myth that cowboys were just White guys running around is just not true, but we don't know that because of Hollywood and the romanticized view of a very brutalized era. The film shares a similar spirit."

Takes place in Agua Dulce, California by the famous Vasquez Rocks.

In the final act of the movie, Emerald Haywood performs a sliding stop on a motorcycle that mirrors the iconic slide from "Akira (1988). Jordan Peele listed Akira as one of his favourite films of all time and was given an offer to direct the live-action version Akira but turned it down.

NOPE | Official Trailer

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FRENCH perfumer Francis Kurkdjian once said that "perfume is the art that makes memory speak".

That is certainly the philosophy that Foysal Khan has adapted with his Jada Perfume Emporium in Arthur's Quay.

Foysal started the company in 2016 and specialises in Arabic Oudh perfumes which have grown in popularity in Ireland over the last number of years.

The Limerick man has brought the Al Haramain perfumes and associated companies to Irish and Western markets and gained many fans along the way.

His shop is the only authorised retail and wholesale distributor for the Irish market of their selected fragrances.

The products are available online but they have had a physical presence in Limerick at their kiosk in Arthur's Quay since December 2020.

Demand for the oriental fragrances is rapidly growing and it is easy to see why thanks to their unique ingredients and fragrances.

Each product is different but they all feature natural ingredients and are alcohol free, which is obvious from their scents.

The scents are soft and don't overpower the senses like some other brands, the trail they leave behind is sweet while not being too much.

Hours after trying the perfumes, the smell is still as apparent as it was when it was first sprayed with the products reacting to the natural pigments in the skin.

The perfumes are sourced in Dubai and are a hugely popular brand there, with people preferring their soft scents over more overpowering options.

Foysal enjoys business from repeat customers who have discovered the perfumes and then shared them with family and friends who in turn have become loyal customers.

Jada Perfume Emporium is located on the ground floor of Arthur's Quay Shopping Centre in Limerick city.

*Sponsored Content
As China announces to continue its military exercises in the region surrounding Taiwan, US President Joe Biden expressed his concern about Beijing's moves on Monday.

During his visit to survey flood-hit Kentucky, Joe Biden said he was not worried about Taiwan but China's threatening actions in the region is a matter of concern. China began its rigorous military exercise around Taiwan after the visit of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei. "Im concerned they are moving as much as they are, but I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are," said Biden.

The fresh military drills will take place in the seas and airspace around Taiwan. The announcement came on the concluding day of China's ongoing military exercise near Taiwan, which began in retaliation to Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control.

With its overpowering military exercise, China has surrounded the island nation from everywhere. Nearly all the international flights and sea trade of the nation stands cancelled since the beginning of the exercise. On Sunday, around 66 air force planes and 14 warships of China's PLA operated in the Taiwan Strait when it performed an Island attack during its military drills.

The extension of the military exercise has created global tension around the possibility of China launching a full-fledged attack on the self-ruled island nation. This time, the exercises will also consist of anti-submarine drills to target US support for Taiwan in the event of a potential Chinese invasion, reported AP.

In response to China's aggressive military exercises, Taiwan Army will also hold a live-fire artillery drill in southern Pingtung county on Tuesday and Thursday, reporter its official Central News Agency. Moreover, Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen has sought global support against China's actions that may escalate tension in the region and disrupt global trade.

A crucial situation for Xi Jinping to maintain his nationalist credentials

One of the main reasons for China's aggressive nature towards the visit is the upcoming National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party this year. Xi needs to maintain national credentials to sustain as the President for the third time. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit has come at a time when Jinping can't let it go easily. He is trying every measure to send a global message that Taiwan is an integral part of China and any kind of foreign visit by another country will be recognised as a threat to its sovereignty.

Xi Jinping needs to maintain his firm stance on China's key issues like Taiwan, territorial claims in the South China Sea, and historic adversary Japan.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China would firmly safeguard Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely deter the U.S. from containing China with the Taiwan issue, and resolutely shatter the Taiwan authorities illusion of relying on the U.S. for independence." China has also imposed sanctions on Pelosi and suspended defense and climate talks with the US.

US calls China's retaliation as fundamentally irresponsible

However, the US has made its stance clear on the one-China" policy and said that it acknowledges China's concerns and wants to bolster informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has called China's retaliation in the Taiwan strait fundamentally irresponsible.

In Washington, Taiwanese de facto ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao said China had no reason to be so furious" over Pelosi's visit, which follows a long tradition of American lawmakers visiting Taiwan.

Well, you know, we have been living under the threat from China for decades," Hsiao told CBS News on Sunday. If you have a kid being bullied at school, you dont say you dont go to school. You try to find a way to deal with the bully.As the world witnesses the rising tension between China and Taiwan, many countries have called out for the de-escalation of the situation.

Recently, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for a cooling of tensions. Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge de-escalation, and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for, and the whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored," Wong told reporters in Canberra.

With inputs from Reuters and AP
The Goths were a people who flourished in Europe throughout ancient times and into the Middle Ages. Sometimes called " barbarians ," they are famous for sacking the city of Rome in A.D. 410. After the Western Roman Empire diminished, two Gothic kingdoms rose: the short-lived Visigoths and the longer-lasting Ostrogoths.

The earliest surviving written records mentioning the Goths date back to the first century A.D. although their existence dates back further with some records suggesting that they migrated from Scandinavia wrote David Gwynn, Reader in Ancient and Late Antique History at Royal Holloway University of London, wrote in his book " The Goths: Lost Civilizations (opens in new tab)" (Reaktion Books, 2017).

Ironically, however, the Goths are often credited with helping to preserve Roman culture. After the sacking of Rome, a group of Goths moved to Gaul (in modern-day France) and Iberia and formed the Visigothic Kingdom, which would eventually incorporate Catholicism, Roman artistic traditions and other aspects of Roman culture . The last Gothic kingdom fell to the Moors in A.D. 711.

Today, the meaning of the word "Goth" has evolved beyond any direct relationship to the ancient Goths. The late Middle Ages saw the rise of a style of architecture characterized by large, imposing cathedrals and castles. The term "Gothic" was applied to the style as a critique, as the word, even at that time, was a synonym for "barbaric."

Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, England is the Gothic castle that inspired Dracula. (Image credit: Photos by R A Kearton)

During the 18th and 19th centuries, a genre of dark, romantic literature called "Gothic fiction" flourished. Characterized by novels such as Bram Stoker's " Dracula ," Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, the genre got its name from the Gothic locations in which the stories took place  for example, Dracula's dark, foreboding castle.

In modern times, "goth" has been used to describe a subculture with its own style of music, aesthetic and fashion. The dark, often-gloomy goth imagery was influenced by Gothic fiction, particularly horror movies.

Where did the ancient Goths come from?

The exact origin of the ancient Goths is a mystery. In the sixth century A.D., the writer Jordanes (who was likely Gothic himself) wrote a history of the Goths. He claimed that the Goths came from a cold island called Scandza, possibly in modern-day Scandinavia. When they would have lived there is unknown.

"Now from the island of Scandza, as from a hive of races or a womb of nations, the Goths are said to have come forth long ago under their king, Berig by name," he wrote (translation by Charles Mierow). After a series of southward migrations, they found themselves living close to the borders of the Roman Empire.

Our knowledge of the Goths before they interacted extensively with the Romans is limited. They had a written language that made use of runic inscriptions. However, few of these inscriptions have been found, and those that survive are quite short. "Only a few 'Gothic' runic inscriptions have survived, on objects which were found in modern-day [Romania] and Hungary," Tineke Looijenga, a now-retired researcher at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, wrote in her book " Texts and Contexts of the Oldest Runic Inscriptions (opens in new tab)" (Brill, 2003).

Gothic style buckle with rectangular plate deriving from Roman forms. The decoration reveals regional Gothic fashion. The gilded silver buckle with an eagle's head is typical of the northern Black Sea area which was settled by Crimean Goths. A.D. 400 to 660. (Image credit: World History Archive via Alamy Stock Photo)

Jordanes claimed that, prior to the Goths' conversion to Christianity in the fourth century, their religion included the "veneration of heroic ancestors" and the "worship of a god of war" whom the Romans associated with the god Mars, wrote Gwynn. Jordanes also claimed that the Goths hung human arms from trees in the war god's honor and performed human sacrifices of captives.

The Goth's history before they came into contact with the Roman Empire is hazy. After they moved into the empire they adopted some Roman customs - like Christianity and some of their arts and culture. After moving into the Roman Empire they also lived in cities and founded new kingdoms. Goth records suggest that at some point, prior to contact with Rome, they were more nomadic, migrating from Scandinavia.

Goths vs. Greeks

During the third century A.D., the Goths launched a series of invasions against Roman-controlled Greece. Fragments of a text discussing these attacks , written by the third-century Athens writer Dexippus, were discovered in the Austrian National Library and detailed in The Journal of Roman Studies (opens in new tab) in 2015.

Dexippus said the Roman emperor Decius (who reigned from A.D. 249 to 251) led the Roman army against the Goths but suffered a series of defeats, losing both territory and men. The text also tells of a battle between the Goths and Greeks that took place at the pass of Thermopylae. It's not clear when exactly the battle was fought but it was likely in the 250s or 260s. The Goth army was trying to reach Athens while a Greek force had fortified the pass in an attempt to stop them. The fragment ends before the outcome of the battle is known.

Goths' attacks on the Roman Empire

The Goths launched other raids in the third century A.D., into the Roman Empire. "The first known attack came in 238, when Goths sacked the city of Histria at the mouth of the river Danube," Peter Heather, a medieval history professor at King's College London, wrote in his book "The Goths" (Blackwell Publishers, 1996). "A series of much more substantial land incursions followed a decade later."

He noted that in A.D. 268, a massive expedition of Goths, along with other groups also called barbarians, broke into the Aegean Sea, wreaking havoc. They attacked a number of settlements, including Ephesus (a city in Anatolia inhabited by Greeks), where they destroyed a temple dedicated to the goddess Diana.

"The destruction wrought by this combined assault on land and sea were severe, and prompted a fierce Roman response," Heather wrote. "Not only were the individual groups defeated, but no major raid ever again broke through the Dardanelles."

Here we see a painting titled "The Goths Approaching Rome," by W. Edward Wigfull. (Image credit: Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Goths' tumultuous relationship with Rome would continue into the fourth century. While Goths served as Roman soldiers and trade took place across the Danube river, there was plenty of conflict.

Heather noted that a Gothic group called the Tervingi intervened in Roman imperial politics, supporting two unsuccessful claimants to the emperorship. In A.D. 321, they supported Licinius over Constantine, and in A.D. 365, they backed Procopius rather than Valens. In both instances, their strategies backfired, with Constantine and Valens launching attacks against the Tervingi after becoming emperor.

As contact with Rome intensified, a form of Christianity known as Arianism spread among the Goths. "In the 340s, the Arian Gothic bishop Ulfilas or Wulfila (d. 383) translated the Bible into the Gothic language in a script based chiefly upon the uncial Greek alphabet and said to have been invented by Ulfilas for the purpose," Robin Sowerby, formerly a senior lecturer in English studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland, wrote in an article in the book " A New Companion to the Gothic (opens in new tab)" (Wiley, 2012).

In time, the Goths would adopt the Catholic form of Christianity practiced in Rome.

Goths and the Huns

This complicated relationship between the Romans and Goths would be forever altered with the appearance of a new group, called the Huns, north of the Danube around A.D. 375. The Huns pushed the Goths into Roman territory.

The Goths, seeking refuge among the Romans, were treated poorly. Lacking food, they were forced to sell their children into slavery at humiliating prices. "When the barbarians after their crossing were harassed by lack of food, those most hateful [Roman] generals devised a disgraceful traffic; they exchanged every dog that their insatiability could gather from far and wide for one slave each, and among these were carried off also sons of the chieftains," wrote Ammianus Marcellinus, a Roman soldier and historian who lived in the fourth century A.D. (from the book Ammianus Marcellinus: with an English translation by John C. Rolfe, W. Heinemann, 1935).

Roman general Flavius Aetius and the Visigoth king Theodoric I against the Huns. (Image credit: imageBROKER/Sunny Celeste via Getty Images)

After being refused entry to the city of Marcianople (now in modern-day Bulgaria), the Goths revolted, roaming across the Balkans and plundering Roman towns.

Emperor Valens, who ruled the eastern half of the Roman Empire, personally led an army into the Balkans to subdue the Goths. On Aug. 9, 378, this army engaged the Goths near the city of Adrianople (also called Hadrianopolis). Valens underestimated the size of the Gothic force. As a result, his army was outflanked by the Goths and annihilated, along with the emperor himself.

"Just when it first became dark, the emperor being among a crowd of common soldiers, as it was believed  for no one said either that he had seen him, or been near him  was mortally wounded with an arrow, and, very shortly after, died, though his body was never found," Marcellinus wrote (translation by C.D. Yonge).

Valens' successor, Theodosius, made a treaty with the Goths that lasted until his death in A.D. 395.

Rise of Alaric

After A.D. 395, the treaty with Rome fell apart. A Gothic leader named Alaric rose to preeminence, leading the Goths into battle against both the Eastern and Western halves of the Roman Empire. The conflict that followed was complicated. Alaric wanted to make a deal that would give the Goths under his command good farmland and monetary rewards. He undertook raids to pressure the Romans.

A depiction of Alaric I, king of the Visigoths, in Athens, by German painter Ludwig Thiersch. (Image credit: Public domain)

Heather wrote that by A.D. 403, Alaric was in the Balkans, becoming an "outlaw rejected by both halves of the Empire." An attempt by Alaric to move the Goths into Italy had failed, and there had been a massacre of the Gothic inhabitants of Constantinople in A.D. 400.

Fortunes changed for Alaric and the Goths when the Western Roman Empire began to crumble. The emperor Honorius faced rebellion among his army, and a usurper named Constantine III amassed territory in Britain and Gaul. In the wake of these problems, Honorius had his general, Flavius Stilicho, killed in A.D. 408.

Seeing weakness, Alaric advanced into Italy a second time, finding support from Stilicho's former supporters as well as runaway slaves. He was camped outside Rome by A.D. 410, using the city as a bargaining chip in an effort to get concessions from Honorius' government. After a series of unsuccessful negotiations, Alaric sacked the city on Aug. 24.

Two kingdoms: Visigoths and Ostrogoths

Alaric died a few months after the sacking of Rome. During the fifth century A.D., as the Western Roman Empire faded, two Gothic kingdoms rose.

"When Gothic power reached its zenith at the dawn of the sixth century, Gothic kingdoms dominated the map of the former western Roman Empire," Gwynn wrote. The Visigoth Kingdom formed in Iberia and southwest Gaul, while the Ostrogoths came to power in Italy.

In Italy, the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths formed by the end of the fifth century A.D., eventually dominating the entire peninsula. This kingdom was short-lived, however. Theodoric of Amal (who reigned from 493 to 526) ruled over it for much of its existence, using Ravenna, in northern Italy, as the capital. "Although his kingdom would crumble after his death Theodoric reigned successfully over Goths and Romans alike for more than three decades," Gwynn wrote. Not long after his death, Justinian I, emperor of the Byzantine Empire , launched a campaign against this kingdom, wiping it out and conquering Italy.

Byzantine mosaic of Emperor Justinian and his retinue. (Image credit: Richard T. Nowitz via Getty Images)

The Visigoth Kingdom lasted much longer, and its rulers would eventually govern this kingdom from its capital, Toledo, in what is now Spain. Central control of the kingdom was weak at times, and in 552, Justinian I took advantage of a Visigoth civil war to capture part of southern Iberia for the Byzantine Empire. The seventh century saw something of a cultural renaissance for the Visigoth Kingdom, in which art and writing flourished, Gwynn wrote.

During this renaissance, Roman art traditions continued. One of the most spectacular examples is a hoard of seventh-century artifacts found near Toledo in the 19th century. The stash includes gold crowns and crosses, as well as precious gems; it "confirms the artistry of the Visigothic court" and shows "a perfect blending of Roman traditions with those of the Byzantine East," Heather wrote in the book " The Visigoths from the Migration Period to the Seventh Century (opens in new tab)" (Boydell Press, 1999).

The Visigoth Kingdom survived until A.D. 711, when it fell to an invasion by the Moors. However, in northern Iberia, a small force led by Visigothic nobleman Don Pelayo held out, and he founded the Kingdom of Asturias in 718. They began the reconquest of Iberia, a process that would take nearly 800 years, Ingmar Sohrman, professor emeritus of languages and literature at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, wrote in an article published in 2017 in the journal Romance Studies (opens in new tab). The rulers who led the reconquest used Gothic heritage as a symbol of their legitimacy and right to reconquer Iberia, Sohrman wrote.

As Europe entered the Dark Ages, the Visigothic Kingdom would help preserve many aspects of Roman culture, including its religion and artistic traditions. It's ironic that the Goths, who sacked Rome in A.D. 410, helped the Roman culture endure.

Additional resources

See photos of Gothic art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (opens in new tab) .

. Learn more about the Gothic art style from the Victoria and Albert Museum (opens in new tab) .

. Take a look at the Google Arts & Culture section (opens in new tab) devoted to pre-Renaissance Gothic art.

Originally published on Live Science on March 18, 2016 and updated on August 8, 2022.
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Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Jessica Chastain was in Kyiv, Ukraine, over the weekend. She visited childrens hospital Okhmatdyt on Sunday and later met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and head of the presidential administration Andriy Yermak.

Chastain, who won the best actress Oscar this year for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, is the latest celebrity to display support for Ukraine, where the Russian invasion of the country continues.

Zelenskyy posted pictures of the meeting on his Telegram account with the note: American actress Jessica Chastain is in Ukraine today. For us, such visits of famous people are extremely valuable. Thanks to this, the world will hear, know and understand the truth about what is happening in our country even more. Thanks for the support!

In his daily address to the people of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said: Ukraine will do everything to make our struggle and Ukrainian needs known in all countries of the world and in all audiences  even those who usually do not follow political life. In particular, American actress Jessica Chastain arrived in Kyiv today. She visited Okhmatdyt and saw with her own eyes the consequences of the Russian occupation in Irpin, Kyiv region.

Her story about our war will definitely be heard. We are preparing an important humanitarian event, Zelenskyy added. And I am grateful to all friends of Ukraine abroad and to everyone who helps expand our ties in the world. We are doing everything to win, everything to protect our country.

Hollywood A-listers who have previously visited Ukraine include Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, Liev Schreiber and Angelina Jolie.

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Kevin Smith spoke out against Warner Bros. axing of Batgirl during the latest episode of his Hollywood Babble-On YouTube show. The filmmaker called it an incredible bad look for the studio to drop the rare comic book tentpole to be headlined by a Latina actor, especially when Warner Bros. is still moving forward on the release of its Ezra Miller-led tentpole The Flash.

Its an incredibly bad look to cancel the Latina Batgirl movie, Smith said. I dont give a shit if the movie was absolute fucking dog shit  I guarantee you that it wasnt. The two directors [Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi] who directed that movie did a couple of episodes of Ms. Marvel, and it was a wonderful fucking show and they had more money to do Batgirl than they had to do an episode of Ms. Marvel and stuff.

Warner Bros. announced Aug. 2 that it would not be releasing the $90 million Batgirl in theaters or on its HBO Max streamer, despite the movie being fully shot and in post-production. Studio executives said the reason for shelving Batgirl was because it did not have a blockbuster scale for theaters (the film was originally conceived for HBO Max), but Variety reported that a tax write off was also one of the driving forces behind the decision. The only way Warner Bros. can write the film off is if it does not get a release in any capacity.

Early reports claimed that Batgirl test screenings were a disaster and that the film was irredeemable, but Smith has a hard time buying into those rumors. He said he doubts the film is absolute fucking dog shit, and he noted that even if the movie did not look the greatest, well neither does the handful of DC series that air on The CW.

I love all the CW shows, but the CW shows show their budgetary constraints, Smith said. They said Batgirl looked too cheap because it was a $90 million movie. How do you make a cheap-looking $90 million movie? If it looked slightly better than an episode of Arrow then why couldnt we see that?

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said last week during the companys Q2 earnings call that The Flash is still hearing for a theatrical release. The films star, Ezra Miller, has been at the center of numerous controversies in recent months regarding alleged abusive behavior. These allegations include choking an Icelandic woman in a bar and harassing another woman in her home in Berlin. In addition, the actor has been arrested twice in Hawaii this year, once for disorderly conduct and harassment and another time for second-degree assault.

That is the baffling thing, Smith said. I dont give a shit how bad the Batgirl movie is, nobody in that movie is complicated or has anything in their real life you have to market around. In The Flash movie, we all know theres a big problem! Flash is the Reverse-Flash in real life.

Watch the full episode of Smiths YouTube show below.

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Although Warner Bros. Discovery has officially pulled the plug on release plans for Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a followup to the 2020 animated film Scoob!, the film isnt quite done with work yet. Producer Tony Cervone, who directed the first Scoob!, has revealed that the production is still recording the films score, despite the official cancellation.

On Saturday, Cervone shared a photo of his team working in a recording studio on Instagram.

So what do you do when the movie is canceled, but youve already paid for the stage and the musicians? Cervone wrote in the caption. You record the damn score!

Although recording a score for a film that will not be released isnt exactly an ordinary practice, axing a film after the bulk of its production has already been completed  which was the case around Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, according to reports  isnt ordinary either.

Last Tuesday, Hollywood was rocked after Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that Scoob!: Holiday Haunt along with Batgirl (a feature film adaptation of the DC Comics character) would no longer be released, either theatrically or on HBO Max. Both productions were conceived as original programming for the streamer and were eyeing release dates later this year.

Holiday Haunt was being directed by Bill Haller and Michael Kurinsky, while Dara Taylor (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, The Tender Bar) was credited as the films composer. Producer and co-writer Cervone confirmed the cancellation on Instagram.

Yes I am afraid this is true, he wrote. The movie is practically finished and turned out beautifully. I am beyond heartbroken.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was quoted addressing the controversial decision to throw out Batgirl during a company earnings call later last week, saying, were not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it.

Batgirl was set to star Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl), with Bad Boys for Life and Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah at the helm. The production was approved back in 2021 as part of a company-wide effort at Warner Bros. to generate feature films for HBO Max. The film had already completed principal photography and was beginning test screenings.

The move to chop Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt comes as Warner Bros. Discovery has re-adjusted the company to focus on theatrical features.

Scoob!: Holiday Haunt was slated for release on HBO Max on Dec. 22. The film reportedly cost around $40 million to make. The company will reportedly look to take a tax write-off on the incomplete production.

Holiday Haunt wouldve starred the voice of Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo, alongside Iain Armitage, Ariana Greenblatt, Pierce Gagnon, Mckenna Grace, Michael McKean, Mark Hamill, Andre Braugher and Jim Meskimen.

Correction: A previous version of this article identified Tony Cervone as a director of Scoob! Holiday Haunt. He is a producer. The piece has been amended.

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Keep Laredo Beautiful was recognized during the Monday City Council meeting for reaching second place at the 2022 Governors Community Achievement Award in Category 10, an award that the city stated is the most prestigious award the organization can receive.

According to the Keep Texas Beautiful, Category 10 pits cities with populations with over 180,001 with a landscape award of $310,000. The GCAA program has recognized outstanding communities since 1969, with TxDOT providing landscaping award funding since 1985. They state that "each year, we help the Texas Department of Transportation award $2 million for outstanding efforts to keep local Texas communities beautiful."

Keep Laredo Beautiful Executive Director Ruby Miranda said the award was highly competitive as Laredo would compete against the states bigger cities. She praised the contributions of the community of volunteers and those enforcing litter laws as well as the cooperation with the city to continue their programs.

The mission is to empower the citizens of Laredo through education to take responsibility for enhancing their community and environment through litter prevention, beautification, community improvement and minimization of the impact of solid waste, Keep Laredo Beautiful states.

The organization often posts events and their participation throughout the city, which includes the current Best Yard Competition. The competition is inviting Laredo residents to register before Aug. 12 to compete with other residents on finding the best yard throughout each district. One winner will be chosen per district and the parameters will overlook the absence of litter/debris, mowed lawn/hedges trimmed, landscape design, how neat and tidy the yard is and signs of xeriscaping.

Xeriscaping is a type of landscaping is about introducing and using indigenous plant materials that will keep the water use low on properties, according to Yellow Stone Landscape. Whether in the competition or not, Keep Laredo Beautiful still encourages all Laredo citizens to practice water conservation methods.

Beyond this, the organization will also be hosting a Back-to-School Cleanup on August 20 at North Central Park and another at Father McNaboe Park on Aug. 27. A June cleanup event was considered a success, where 42 volunteers helped clean up the Azteca Neighborhood, one of Laredos oldest neighborhoods. Furthermore, a video by the City of Laredo Environmental Services was posted on the organizations Facebook page showing how much trash can be found in storm drains that may contribute to flooding.

It is important because it is a preventive measure to avert any trash that could end up at the Rio Grande and end up harming marine life, Miranda said. Our main mission and goal is to continue beautifying Laredo and taking care of our environment.
DENVER (AP)  A woman and a sheriff's deputy were fatally shot at a home in southern Colorado over the weekend and the suspected gunman was later found dead inside the home, authorities said Monday.

El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Peery, 39, was wounded Sunday after he arrived with two other law enforcement officers to investigate a report of a shooting at the home in the community of Security-Widefield near Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs police said in a statement. John Paz, 33, fired at the officers, hitting Peery, and another sheriff's deputy returned fire, police said.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsins secretary of state has no role in elections, but that could change if Republicans are able to flip the seat this year and pass a law that would empower the office with far more responsibilities.

All three GOP candidates competing for the nomination in Tuesdays primary support the shift and echo former President Donald Trumps false claims that fraud cost him the 2020 election.

If successful, the move would be a bold attempt to shift power to an office Republicans hope to control going into the 2024 presidential election and would represent a reversal from just six years ago when Republicans established the Wisconsin Elections Commission with bipartisan support. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden won Wisconsin by about 21,000 votes in the presidential race.

This is not about policy, said David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who heads the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research. Its about election outcomes and only election outcomes.

Once an under-the-radar contest overshadowed by campaigns for governor and state attorney general, races for secretary of state are drawing tremendous interest and money this year, driven largely by the 2020 election, when voting systems and processes came under attack by Trump and his supporters. There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting systems occurring in the 2020 election.

There are also primaries Tuesday in secretary of state races in Minnesota, Connecticut and Vermont. In Minnesota, the leading Republican candidate has called the 2020 election rigged and has faced criticism for a video attacking three prominent Jewish Democrats, including the current secretary of state, Democrat Steve Simon, who is seeking reelection.

Although the stakes are high, the Wisconsin primary for secretary of state has been mostly quiet. The incumbent, Democrat Doug La Follette, has barely been campaigning. In June, the 81-year-old, who was first elected to the position in 1974, opted to take a two-week trip to Africa.

La Follette has raised about $21,000, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. Thats not unusual because the offices only duties are to sit on a state timber board and to verify certain travel documents.

La Follette has said he decided to run again to stop Republicans from meddling with elections, citing Trumps call to Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, after the 2020 election asking him to find enough votes to overturn Bidens win in the state. La Follettes primary opponent, Dane County Democratic Party Executive Board Chair Alexia Sabor, has raised about $24,000.

The Republican candidates argue that dismantling the elections commission and empowering the secretary of state to oversee elections would allow voters to hold someone accountable for important election-related decisions. They have all sharply criticized decisions made by the commission heading into the 2020 election, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought major challenges to running elections.

To accomplish their goal, Republicans also would need to defeat Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who would block such a move, in November.

The leading fundraiser among the GOP secretary of state candidates is state Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, who has reported about $94,000 in contributions. The other two Republicans are businessman Jay Schroeder and Justin Schmidtka, who hosts a political podcast. Also on the ballot is Libertarian candidate Neil Harmon.

In Minnesota, the leading Republican candidate for secretary of state, Kim Crockett, has called the 2020 election a train wreck and accused state election officials of using the pandemic as cover to change how we vote, but also how the vote is counted.

While Crockett does not typically claim in public that the election was stolen from Trump, she has associated with those who do and has campaigned at events with them.

At the state party convention in May, in which Crockett was endorsed by convention delegates, she showed a video depicting billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros as a puppet master, pulling the strings of Simon, the current secretary of state, and prominent election lawyer Marc Elias, with a caption that said, Lets wreck elections forever and ever and ever.

All three men are Jewish. The GOP state chairman soon apologized, claiming Crockett did not intend for it to be anti-Semitic. Crockett did not apologize, and a day after the chairmans apology, sent a fundraising letter with the title "Media smears and communist tears and claiming she was the victim of contrived and bogus political attacks.

In their respective primaries, Crockett and Simon face lesser-known opponents  Republican Erik van Mechelen and Democrat Steve Carlson.

Races in Connecticut and Vermont have drawn a lot of interest after two longtime Democratic secretaries of state said they would not seek reelection.

Much of the debate in both the Democratic and Republican primaries in Connecticut has centered on voter ID requirements. A voter in Connecticut can sign an affidavit instead of presenting an ID, and there are multiple forms of ID that are accepted, including a bank statement or current utility bill.

Republican candidate Dominic Rapini, who is a former board chairman of a group called Fight Voter Fraud Inc., has called for tightening ID requirements and cleaning the states voter rolls. While Rapini says he is suspicious about voter fraud in Connecticut and believes reforms are necessary, he hasnt echoed Trumps claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

Rapini faces state Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, who has also called for tighter voter ID rules and cleaning voter lists.

On the Democratic side, both candidates oppose the GOP proposals on voter ID. State Rep. Stephanie Thomas of Norwalk, who won the partys endorsement at the state convention this spring, faces Maritza Bond, health director for the city of New Haven.

In Vermont, the Democratic primary has drawn the most attention. For the first time since 2010, Secretary of State Jim Condos, a Democrat, will not be on the ballot after announcing plans to retire.

All three Democratic candidates in Tuesdays primary promise to continue efforts to make elections in the state as accessible and secure as possible. Last year, the Legislature passed a law that requires general election ballots be mailed to all registered voters, although people can still opt to vote in person on Election Day.

The candidates are Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters, who has worked in the office for 25 years; state Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas, who co-sponsored last years voting law; and Montpelier City Clerk John Odum, who has overseen elections in Vermonts capital city for the past decade.

A perennial candidate for office, H. Brooke Paige, is the lone person running in the GOP primary. He also appears on the ballot for three other statewide offices.

___

Cassidy reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed to this report.
Laredo Regional Food Bank made its presence felt at the Laredo Cares Job Fair, offering food resources to the community.

According to Lorena Rodriguez, Laredo Regional Food Bank Executive Director, Laredo College invited the organization to the event on Tuesday so it could support people who might be in necessity of food pantry for their homes and families.

She expressed that many people have lost their jobs after the pandemic, and the Laredo Regional Food Bank is available to help.

We decided to come since we identified that there are many people who are out of work or unemployed and in need, and as a food bank in Laredo, we have to solve that type of need. That is why we bring our bags of food, she said.

Rodriguez mentioned that the bank is working hard on becoming better and gathering more resources to supply the community.

The bank has come through many ameliorations. Some of the improvements were infrastructure changes to the building, while others will include creating orchards to supply more and more families with quality foods.

Rodriguez affirmed that the bank would continue going to job fairs to continue providing people with food.

We will also be soon at Workforce Solutions, where we meet every two months and make the same distribution to this type of sector, she said. We address sectors such as people who are unemployed, also students with limited economic resources or with some type of need, the elderly, veterans and each person in the population who has a need regarding food, because we can supply it.

Rodriguez encouraged the community to continue helping the bank with different types of donations and volunteering in order to be prepare if theres the case to face other kinds of situations such as the pandemic.

We urge the community to continue with that empathy that we felt when situations such as the pandemic in which we supplied food and others happened, she said. The food bank and other similar organizations need the help of the community to be able to continue to rise from these situations, both to raise our building to be able to have a greater amount of food donations and even donations of money to be able to make those modifications so that we can be ready for an upcoming situation to prevent, if necessary.

The food bank is also asking for any help it can receive from volunteers. Located at 2802 Ana Avenue, it is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will also be celebrating World Food Day on Oct. 17.

For more information about volunteering, donations or food distribution, contact the Laredo Regional Food Bank at 956-723-3725.

karol.garcia@lmtonline.com
A new philanthropic project hopes to invest $100 million in 10 countries, mostly in Africa, by 2030 to support 200,000 community health workers, who serve as a critical bridge to treatment for people with limited access to medical care.

The Skoll Foundation and The Johnson & Johnson Foundation announced Monday that they donated a total of $25 million to the initiative. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which will oversee the project, matched the donations and hopes to raise an additional $50 million.

The investment seeks to empower the frontline workers that experts say are essential to battling outbreaks of COVID-19, Ebola and HIV.

What have we found out in terms of community health workers? said Francisca Mutapi, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, who helps lead a multiyear project to treat neglected tropical diseases in multiple African countries. They are very popular. They are very effective. They are very cost effective.

On a recent trip to Zimbabwe for research, Mutapi described how a community health worker negotiated the treatment of a parasitic infection in a young child who was part of a religious group that doesnt accept clinical medicine.

Shes going to the river, getting on with her day-to-day business, and she notices that one of the children in her community is complaining about a stomachache, said Mutapi.

The woman approached the childs grandmother for permission to bring the child to a clinic, which diagnosed and began treating the child for bilharzia. That would not have happened without the woman's intervention, Mutapi said.

Ashley Fox, an associate professor specializing in global health policy at Albany, SUNY, said evidence shows community health workers can effectively deliver low-cost care when they are properly equipped and trained and paid  thats a big caveat."

Though the current number of these workers is not well documented, in 2017, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the continent required 2 million to meet health targets. Many of these workers are women and unpaid, though The Global Fund advocates for some sort of salary for them.

Its hard to think of a better set of people that you would want to be paying if you think about it from both the point of view of creating good jobs as well as maximizing the health impact, said Peter Sands, the fund's executive director.

The Global Fund, founded in 2002, channels international financing with the aim of eradicating treatable infectious diseases. In addition to its regular three-year grants to countries, it will deploy these new philanthropic donations through a catalytic fund to encourage spending on some of the best practices and program designs.

Last Mile Health, part of the Africa Frontline First health initiative, has worked with the Liberian government to expand and strengthen its community health program since 2016.

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, former Liberian president and Noble Peace Prize recipient, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, convened Last Mile Health and other organizations to grapple with a response.

We were all kind of seeing the deja vu moment of recalling back to a couple of years ago where Liberia was beset by this tragic epidemic of Ebola, said Nan Chen, managing director of Last Mile Health. And as President Sirleaf reminded us: the tide was turned when we turned to the community.

Along with the other organizations that specialize in the financing, research and policy of public health, they set about designing an initiative to expand community health programs and to capitalize on the attention the pandemic brought to the need for disease surveillance.

The catalytic fund is the result. "I think the pandemic has shone a light on the critical role of these health workers, said Lauren Moore, vice president of global community impact at Johnson & Johnson.

Don Gips, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, emphasized that these workers also can raise early warnings that benefit people everywhere.

Its critical not just for delivering health care in Africa, but this is how well also catch the next set of diseases that could threaten populations around the world, said Gips, who is also the former U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

Last Mile Health won a major donation from Skoll Foundation in 2017 and has also received large donations from the Audacious Project from TED and Co-Impact, another funding collective. The organization's co-founder, Raj Panjabi, now serves in the Biden administration.

What philanthropy has noticed about Last Mile Health is that we were not only taking direct action on the problem by actively managing community health worker programs, but that we were seeing our innovation adopted in national policy at scale, said James Nardella, the organizations chief program officer.

SUNY's Fox and other experts say linking the work of community health care workers to the national health system is a priority, along with securing sustainable funding for their programs.

The Global Fund said it will assist countries with the design of proposed community health care worker expansions over the next year.

Chen acknowledged there is no silver bullet for the issue of sustainability.

Part of the work that organizations like Last Mile Health have to do is to sit in that discomfort and wrestle with it, with our partners, with donors, until we incrementally squeeze out the solution here, Chen said.

Mutapi said eventually governments must fund the programs themselves and she argued the experiences of places like Zimbabwe and Liberia with community health workers could benefit people in other contexts as well.

Actually having lived on Scottish islands, which are inaccessible, she said, the innovation of community health workers is something that actually can be exported to Western communities that are remote because that connection between a health provider and the local community is really important for compliance and for access.

___

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
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MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP)  The owner of a North Dakota abortion clinic that faces closure this month was directing traffic and deliveries Friday at its planned new location a few miles away in Minnesota.

The Red River Women's Clinic, which has been operating on a busy downtown Fargo street since 1998, will close that location on Aug. 26 unless a judge blocks a North Dakota trigger law banning abortion. In the meantime, a move is already underway just over 2 miles (3 kilometers) away to a three-story brick office building in the middle of a commercial area.

Clinic owner Tammi Kromenaker declined to talk about details of the Moorhead facility, promising a statement later during what she said was a busy day of deliveries scheduled. As she spoke, a moving truck pulled up on the street and a junk removal truck drove through a parking lot.

Some abortion rights supporters in North Dakota still hope Kromenaker's clinic can prevail in a lawsuit alleging that abortion is protected by that states constitution. No hearing is yet scheduled.

Though Kromenaker previously said she would move only if litigation fails, the statement she gave later Friday suggested she's fully committed to relocation.

Red River Womens Clinic has found our new home, she said. We could not be prouder to be able to continue to provide abortion care to our community and the region. This has not been an easy undertaking.

She added: As the lights go out on legal abortion in North Dakota, we want to assure everyone that Red River Womens Clinic is here to stay. Abortion care will continue to be available in our region."

The clinics relocation has been boosted by $1 million in GoFundMe donations.

Kromenaker said she looked for a new location to rent or buy for more than a year and that she ultimately had to buy an office building larger than needed. She said it would be up to other tenants whether they stay. She said renting space to compatible tenants would give the clinic long-term financial stability.

The building appeared mostly empty Friday.

Kromenaker has declined to say when the new clinic would be ready, but has said patients will see no interruption in services.

Minnesota Republican state Rep. Tim Miller, the director of an anti-abortion coalition that opposes the new clinic, told The Associated Press he plans to challenge the city on its zoning and planning rules.

I just find it hard to believe that that an office building can suddenly become a clinic where theyre doing abortions, Miller said. That just seems too simplistic for me.

Destini Spaeth, the volunteer leader of the North Dakota Women In Need, which helps patients pay for travel costs, said the Moorhead facility will be the clinic that the community built.

In the end, I think people needed somewhere to put their action and their rage into something good, Spaeth said. And I know we all we all felt so helpless. And this felt like something tangible that we could see and make possible.
WFO PORTLAND Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Portland OR

424 AM PDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Morning low temperatures of 65 to 70. High temperatures

in the low to mid 90s for the Portland-Vancouver and Gorge areas,

in the upper 90s for the Upper Hood River Valley.

* WHERE...In Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Area, Upper Hood

River Valley, Western Columbia River Gorge and Central

Columbia River Gorge. In Washington, Greater Vancouver Area,

Western Columbia River Gorge and Central Columbia River Gorge.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM PDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Extended hot temperatures, including warm nights, may

cause heat illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Ganlys Longford has been shortlisted for the Sales and Marketing Excellence award category in the Octabuild Builders Merchants Excellence Awards 2022.



The builders merchant is among four nominees shortlisted for the category which includes businesses from Dublin, Down and Galway.



Ganlys was established in 1989, employing four people in a disused garage and has grown over the years to one of Irelands largest independent builders providers, operating from three stores.



Ganlys Longford was the second store opened in 2008. It has a staff of 31.

It's at the forefront of the building and hardware supply industry and is still a family-owned and run business.

The winners in the Octabuild Builders Merchants Excellence Awards will be announced at an awards event in October 2022 in a ceremony in the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin.



The awards are organised by Octabuild a group of leading building material manufacturers: Dulux, Etex Ireland, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin Ireland.

The awards, which have been recognising excellence in the builders merchant trade for over 35 years, have moved to an all-island competition for the first time this year.



There are 29 shortlisted builders merchants competing for four Regional Awards and five individual award categories.

In addition there is a Rising Star Award, acknowledging the up-and-coming talent in the industry.

The judges will be visiting all shortlisted merchants in the coming weeks to select the winners in each region and category as well as an overall winner.

Commenting on the quality of the entries, Chair of the Judging Panel, Liam OGorman, said: Reviewing the submissions for the 2022 Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards has portrayed an evolving landscape wherein the industry responded to a host of unprecedented challenges such as Covid 19, Climate Change, staff retention, health and upskilling along with ever changing product standards and regulations.
RTE has unveiled content to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins that will be available on television, radio and online.

Asking difficult questions and using contemporary scientific analysis, former State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy fronts Cold Case Collins, a television docu-drama that re-opens the case of the assassination of Michael Collins broadcasting on RTE One on Wednesday August 24 at 9.35pm.

His killing is one of the most contested events in Irish history, igniting acrimonious arguments that have endured ever since.

In this formatted one-off, Cold Case Collins imagines the investigation that never happened, with an interrogation room set to uncover what happened in Beal na Blath on August 22, 1922.

The former State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy will chair a 21st century cold case comprising forensic scientists, criminal investigators, military strategists, archaeologists, archivists and historians.

As viewers, we eavesdrop on the experts as they sift and filter through the evidence old and new, looking for answers to the questions that have ignited bar brawls for decades.

To mark the centenary of the assassination of Collins, RTE Radio 1s Morning Ireland will broadcast from the Munster Arms Hotel, Bandon on Friday August 19, formerly Lees Hotel, where Michael Collins was photographed alive for the last time, 30 minutes before he was killed in the ambush at Beal na Blath.

This special Morning Ireland will have an extended broadcast on the RTE digital news channel.

Former State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy

Detailing what we know of his death, Nationwide on August 17 [RTE One Television] will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins who, despite dying at the age of 32, helped alter the course of modern Irish history. Donal Byrne looks at Collins's early life and influences and hears how he became a master political strategist and organiser.

On Monday August 22, Nationwide marks another pivotal date in Irish history: the 100th anniversary of An Garda Siochana.

Born out of revolution and war, An Garda Siochana has evolved from being a force that, for many years, dealt with little very serious crime to an organisation that has had to adjust to dealing with organised crime and the complexities of modern Irish life.

Online, RTE.ie/history will continue to host a wide range of content relevant to this period.

One of the most significant upcoming sections will feature the death of Michael Collins replete with interactive maps that trace the story of Collins's last journey and assassination.

This project is the product of a partnership between RTE History, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and The Atlas of the Irish Revolution edited by John Crowley, Donal O Drisceoil, Mike Murphy and John Borgonovo and published by the Cork University Press.

A spread of essays, written by expert historians from Ireland and elsewhere, have long provided readers with accessible resources.

A catalogue of history-based drama and documentary is available on RTE Player, among it the award-winning Bloody Sunday, 1920, The Irish Revolution and 74 Days: The Hunger Strike of Terence MacSwiney.

All future Decade of Centenaries programming will also be available live and on-demand on RTE Player.
Longford's average property price of 154,306 for the second quarter of the year puts the county at the bottom rung of the property ladder.



While the county languishes mid table in a GeoDirectory report on property occupancy analysed by professional services networks Ernst & Young, the county has the second lowest number of new addresses.



GeoDirectory was jointly established by An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) to create and manage Irelands only complete database of commercial and residential buildings.



The figures are recorded through a combination of the An Post network of 5,600 delivery staff working with OSi.

The report says in Longford 155 residential buildings are under construction and 141 new residential address points were recorded by GeoDirectory in the twelve months to June 2022.



The GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report for the second quarter of 2022 highlights a number of property market indicators.



The report suggests that the residential vacancy rate in Longford stood at 8.0%, higher than the average national vacancy rate of 4.2%, while the average residential property price in Longford was 154,306 in May 2022.



The residential vacancy rate of 8.0% in June was higher than the national residential vacancy rate of 4.2%.

The twice-annual residential buildings report, prepared by EY, found that a total of 86,708 residential buildings were classified as vacant across Ireland by GeoDirectory, a 5.9% drop when compared to the previous year.



Out of the 26 counties surveyed, the residential vacancy rate decreased in all but one, Wicklow. The highest vacancy rates in the country were found in the west and north-west of the country.



At 12.8%, Leitrim was the county with the highest vacancy rate, although it did post a year-on-year vacancy decline of 2.0pp. Mayo (11.4%), Roscommon (11.0%) and Donegal (9.7%) were the other counties to post notably high vacancy rates.

Dublin was the county with the lowest vacancy rate in the country at 1.5%, closely followed by Kildare at 1.6%. Meath (2.5%), Waterford (2.6%) and Louth (2.6%) all recorded residential vacancy rates under the 3.0% mark.



In addition to vacancies, 21,897 residential address points were classified as derelict. This total was 3.8% lower than the corresponding figure in Q2 2021.



In Longford, 155 residential buildings were under construction in June 2022. Nationally, residential construction activity accelerated in the first half of the year, with 22,390 residential buildings under construction in June 2022 that the number of buildings under of construction was 18.4% higher than the corresponding period in 2021.



Of the total number, 17.4% were located in Dublin, 14.2% in Kildare and 12.0% in Cork. Notably, the year-on-year increase of buildings under construction in Kildare was 74.4%.

In Longford, 141 new residential address points were added to the GeoDirectory database in the twelve months to June 2022. Nationally, a total of 34,198 new residential addresses were added to the GeoDirectory database in the twelve months to June 2022. This represents an increase of 34.1% on the total recorded between June 2020 and June 2021.

Dublin had the largest share of new address points, with 12,288 addresses added (35.9% of the total), followed by Cork (9.5%), Kildare (9.1%), Meath (6.7%) and Wicklow (5.2%).



The data shows that 57% of all new address points were added in the Greater Dublin Area of Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare. At the other end of the spectrum, Leitrim (0.3%), Longford (0.4%), and Roscommon (0.6%) had the smallest share of new address points.



The number of residential property transactions increased by 13.5% in the twelve months to May 2022, representing an additional 5,500 transactions on the corresponding figure for the previous twelve months.



In Longford, there were 418 residential property transactions, 2.2% of which were new dwellings. The average property price in the county was 154,306.



The average property price nationally in the twelve months to May 2022 was 338,394. The highest average property price was recorded in Dublin (514,796), while Longford's 154,306 puts us at the bottom. When Dublin is excluded, the average property price nationally fell to 267,351.

Commenting on the findings of the GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, Dara Keogh, CEO of GeoDirectory said: The level of residential construction has increased significantly over the past twelve months as Covid-19 public health measures on the construction sector were gradually eased then removed.



This activity indicates a strong pipeline of residential properties that we would expect to enter the market in the months ahead.

The GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report found that the number of vacant properties has also fallen in the last year, although when combined with derelict properties, there are still over 100,000 potential properties which could re-enter the market.
Omniplex Cinema review the latest new releases to watch in cinemas with the latest sci-fi thriller from the mind of Jordan Peele jumping on screens.

Nope (Cert 16) - See trailer below





Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmwe & Brandon Perea

Director: Jordan Peele

Genre: Sci Fi Horror



Release Date: Friday 12th August

After random objects falling from the sky result in the death of their father, ranch-owning siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood attempt to capture video evidence of an unidentified flying object with the help of tech salesman Angel Torres and documentarian Antlers Holst.



Nope Trivia:

Jordan Peele cites the "King Kong" and "Jurassic Park" monster films, the sci-fi film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Signs (2002), and the fantasy film The Wizard of Oz (1939) as an influence on the film. He considers these films as examples of addiction to spectacle, a major theme in the film.

Jordan Peele said he wrote the script "at a time when we were a little bit worried about the future of cinema. So, the first thing I knew is I wanted to create a spectacle. I wanted to create something that the audience would have to come see."

Jordan Peele specifically chose the cowboy film Buck and the Preacher (1972) to feature prominently in the film: "It was the first film that I know of that had Black cowboys represented in it. The myth that cowboys were just White guys running around is just not true, but we don't know that because of Hollywood and the romanticized view of a very brutalized era. The film shares a similar spirit."

Takes place in Agua Dulce, California by the famous Vasquez Rocks.

In the final act of the movie, Emerald Haywood performs a sliding stop on a motorcycle that mirrors the iconic slide from "Akira (1988). Jordan Peele listed Akira as one of his favourite films of all time and was given an offer to direct the live-action version Akira but turned it down.

NOPE | Official Trailer

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Local News, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: August 08 2022

New York State's Largest Workers' Compensation Carrier Distributes More than Half a Billion Dollars to a Majority of Policyholders Through Dividends and Discounts.

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that the New York State Insurance Fund, New York's largest workers' compensation insurer, distributed more than $550 million over the past year to New York businesses through its discounts and dividends programs. NYSIF offers discounts to companies that it insures directly and that exhibit robust worker safety protocols. It provides dividends for companies that belong to a NYSIF safety group, where employers in similar industries pool together to reduce workers' compensation costs. The program is a part of Governor Hochul's mission to provide relief and cost savings to New York businesses.

"Businesses are the lifeblood of communities, fueling the economy and creating opportunities for workers and families," Governor Hochul said. "As our state economy recovers from the pandemic, NYSIF's infusion of more than half a billion dollars in savings will help New York employers reinvest in their workforce and strengthen local communities across New York State."

New York State Insurance Fund Executive Director and CEO Gaurav Vasisht said, "I thank Governor Hochul for her inspiring leadership and tireless commitment to New York's economic recovery. The Governor's bold vision for New York is embodied in these funds, rewarding employers for maintaining safe work environments and helping them meet their commitment to worker safety."

Under New York law, businesses must secure workers' compensation coverage, which most companies obtain through NYSIF or a private carrier. But unlike a private insurer, NYSIF must cover any employer that applies for coverage regardless of risk at the lowest possible cost to maintain a solvent fund. The distribution of dividends and discounts is central to NYSIF's role as a safety net for workers' compensation coverage.

Workers' Compensation Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez said, "Keeping workers safe is the right thing to do and always good for business. We applaud NYSIF's efforts in rewarding employers who prioritize worker safety, and hope today's announcement will encourage even more employers to implement strong safety protocols to reduce on-the-job injuries and illnesses."

The Business Council of New York State President and CEO Heather Briccetti said, "As the State's leading business advocate, The Business Council applauds NYSIF's efforts to help NY businesses as they continue to struggle with the present economic conditions. We commend Governor Hochul for working to keep workers' compensation rates from increasing for all employers and her ongoing commitment to New York businesses."

New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said, "The NYSIF dividends and discounts announced by Governor Hochul are welcome news to employers across the state, but most importantly to hardworking New Yorkers because they are only distributed to policyholders that demonstrate a commitment to keeping their workers safe. We thank Governor Hochul, NYSIF, and the highly-skilled union workforce at the agency for once again leading the way in the workers' compensation industry in keeping working people safe on the job."
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: August 08 2022

National Night Out is an initiative that seeks to promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie."

Nassau County Arnold W. Drucker (D  Plainview) recently joined forces with the Nassau County Police Department and an array of community stakeholders to celebrate National Night Out, an event that drew hundreds to the Broadway Commons Mall in Hicksville.

Held in thousands of communities each year on the first Tuesday in August, National Night Out is an initiative that seeks to promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

Legislator Druckers event was presented in partnership with the Nassau County Police Department, Legislator Druckers colleagues in local government, and local community partners in business, education, and healthcare. Family-friendly activities from National Night Out include giveaways from local businesses, free refreshments, raffle prizes donated by local businesses, martial arts demonstrations, sweet treats from an ice cream truck sponsored by the NCPDs Second Precinct, live music by Beach Boys tribute band Endless Summer, and more.

Additional attractions included visits from NCPDs K-9 and Mounted units, and Nassau County Police Medics gave youngsters tours of a Nassau County ambulance. Comfort dog Beloved, from the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry, was also on hand to provide pets and snuggles to grateful passers-by.
(Alliance News) - Good Energy Group PLC on Monday said its investee Zap-Map has raised money via Series A fundraising.

The GBP9 million fundraise is focused on clean power. Good Energy invested GBP3.7 million "to make it simple for people to generate, share, store, use and travel with clean power."

Good Energy, a Chippenham, England-based renewable energy supplier, added the fundraise values electric vehicle charge point mapping service Zap-Map at GBP26.3 million.

Chief Executive Officer of Good Energy and Zap-Map Chair Nigel Pocklington described the investment as a "huge boost for Zap-Map's growth plans. There are over half a million EV drivers in the UK, with millions more switching to electric in the coming years. It is a race towards zero-emission transport and Zap-Map is placed right at the front of the field, where we plan to keep it."

Following the transaction, Good Energy will have a 49.9% stake in Zap-Map. Fuel card and payment provider Fleetcor UK Acquisition Ltd, which invested GBP3.7 million as well, will have a 19.9% stake.

Good Energy shares were 4.8% higher at 249.40 pence each in London on Monday at midday.

By Tom Budszus; tombudszus@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
There were mixed comments on social media in Spain yesterday after Queen Letizia of Spain, considered a fashion icon, stepped out in style to visit a local market in Palma on Sunday evening and enjoy a spot of dinner with her two daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, and her mother-in-law Queen Sofia while King Felipe is away on official business.

The debate is over the short summer dress the Queen wore and royal watchers appear divided over whether it was too short for a queen.

Some consider that as she was not on official business but out for a family evening, she should be allowed to wear what she wants.

Others, however, dont agree and don't consider it fit for a queen.
MANISTEE  A panel of Michigan family doctors is concerned about a resurgence of previously eradicated diseases such as measles and polio, because over the past few years vaccination rates for children in Michigan have dropped.

The panel of doctors spoke to members of the media from all across the state. It included Dr. Glenn Dregansky, president of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Beena Nagappala, medical director of community health at Ascension Southeast Michigan, and Dr. Delicia Pruitt, medical director of the Saginaw County Health Department.

All three are family doctors and each has expressed concerns over a drop in vaccinations among young children, the politicization of vaccines and a growing distrust of medical institutions among the general public.

'We should be extremely concerned'

Dreganksy expressed concerns about the end of the herd immunity for diseases like measles, pertussis (also known as Whooping Cough) and even polio, because of recent trends toward parents not immunizing their children.

"Frankly, I don't think that we have herd immunity anymore because of this trend toward people not getting vaccinated," he said.

He noted that herd immunity requires around 80% to 85% of the population being vaccinated, depending on the disease. For diseases like measles, it's even higher at over 90% of the population, and Dregansky said the immunization rates are not at a level that is needed for herd immunity to be reached.

According to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, statewide only 68.5% of children 19-35 months are fully covered for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as well as the polio vaccine. In Manistee County, 66% of children from 19-35 months have had the full regimen for vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella and polio.

Concerns about polio came up when a Detroit Free Press reporter asked a question about the polio virus being found in the wastewater in Rockland County in New York state earlier this month.

"... It frightens me  the trend toward not immunizing (against diseases)," Dregansky said. "We have lost our fear of these diseases. How concerned should we be about the New York (polio) case? We should be extremely concerned. We thought polio in this country was eradicated," he said.

He noted that the only places where it was active were in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and now it is in the United States.

Dregansky said that there have been measles outbreaks every year and that he has treated cases of pertussis in the southern part of the state.

Pruitt also expressed concern.

"There is a wave of anti-vaccination that's going through our country right now and if we don't take vaccination seriously, there can be a resurgence of illnesses that had once been squashed. People need to take this very seriously. The reason why we have these immunizations is because children died ... and we're trying to prevent death," she said.

She added that people need to consider that if people don't get vaccinated, children will get sick and there are tools available to protect people from serious illnesses.

Value of family doctors

At the same time, Dregansky and Nagappala noted that family doctors are in a unique position to build trust with parents and children.

The trust that is developed between patients over time can lead to people being vaccinated, but on a one-on-one basis. However, at an institutional level, it is difficult to combat the problems of politicization of vaccines, misinformation and another problem  that people have lost the fear of diseases like polio because they have been nearly eradicated and there have not been serious outbreaks.

"We're a victim of our own success," Dregansky said.

Dregansky said he was born in 1953 and is old enough to remember his parents being afraid to let him swim in the pool because of polio.

"I remember my grandmother crying when my brother and I were immunized against polio because she was so afraid of her grandsons becoming crippled like other children she had watched," he said.

He also noted there is no window or wait time for vaccinations.

"Because we don't fear these diseases, it's inevitable  if you don't history, it will repeat. And that's the phase we're in right now. So, there is no window. The window is now and if we don't get going on immunizations there will be outbreaks," Dregansky said.
Roger Waters was recently interviewed by CNN's Michael Smerconish and went hard on his opinion on the war in Ukraine and China, saying that in fact, it is The United States and NATO who are actually responsible for fueling the conflict.

Always a political critic

The Legendary rock star and Co-founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters has always been critical of the human condition, and many of his political views have been at the center of his art. In his album The Wall he explored the conflict of war and its consequences on a personal level, furthermore, in Animals, he separated human society into 3 farm animals and called each track what part of society they represent: Dogs, Pigs, and Sheep.

US and NATO are to blame, Roger says

In this particular interview, he opposed the notion of the United States being liberators and mentioned that the United States and NATO were responsible for fueling the conflict instead of encouraging Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate and end the horrific war.

Waters described what the Ukrainian war was all about

He also mentioned that the Ukrainian war began in 2008 and all it is and has been a constant action and reaction of NATO pushing toward the borders with Russia and not owning up to what was agreed when Gorbachov negotiated the withdrawal of the U.S.S.R. from Eastern Europe.

He sides with China

In the conversation he even sided with China, saying that Taiwan is part of China and that it has been like that since 1948, not only that but he also doubles down by saying that the international community has approved of that since then.

Not their place to be Liberators

Waters was also adamant in saying that the United States is not supposed to be liberators, and it is not their place, he also cited an example of the destruction that the US has caused in the middle east and their support of Israel against the Palestinian people.
Some of the rarest World War II aircraft in existence will be at MBS International Airport as part of the Commemorative Air Force Power History Tour

The national tour stop, scheduled for Aug. 11-14 at MBS, will feature historic World War II aircraft such as the B-29 Super Fortress and B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil.

The B-29 is a rare one, said MBS Airport Director James Canders of the Boeing-designed heavy bomber that was flown primarily by the United States during WWII and the Korean War. There are only two flying in the world and it was the same type that dropped the atomic bombs.

The planes, including a Stearman, the United States primary trainer aircraft for military during WWII, will be on display from 9 a.m. -5 p.m. each day of the MBS tour stop.

Its a plane from the early 30s used as an Army Air Corps and Navy trainer, said Canders of Stearman Aircrafts best known aircraft.

A P-51 Mustang Fighter and a T-6 Texan, a pilot trainer built for the Army Air Corps in the 1930s, will also be part of the 4-day display.

Canders anticipates up to 2,000 people to attend on Saturday, Aug. 13, and between 500-1,000 on the other days of the show.

Everyone at MBS is excited to host the Commemorative Air Force AirPower History Tour starting on August 11, he said. Having these historic aircraft land at our airport is a unique opportunity for the community to actually see, touch and ride in aircraft used during WWII.

"There are only a few of these aircraft flying and sharing their stories.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Chad's military government signed a pledge Monday with more than 40 rebel groups and opposition figures ahead of planned national reconciliation talks, though the deal did not include the country's main rebel group.

Under the terms of the deal in Doha, those who signed have agreed to a cease-fire ahead of the Aug. 20 talks planned in the Chadian capital of NDjamena. Chad's junta also agreed to not take any military or police operations against the signing groups in neighboring countries.

However, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country, did not sign the pledge. The shadowy group, known by its French acronym FACT, is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chads longtime President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country since 1990.

That immediately called into question whether the deal would be enough to ensure the success of the talks as a planned 18-month transition from military rule to democracy winds down.

We hope other groups will join the march of reconciliation and peace, with a view to achieving the aspirations and dreams of the Chadian people, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told those gathered for the signing ceremony. The initial peace agreement we are celebrating today will be an important turning point towards stability and prosperity for the Chadian people.

"It is no secret that the negotiations faced many challenges which were addressed through your estimated efforts," Sheikh Mohammed added.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the Chadian parties for their efforts in the pursuit of peace, which are bearing fruit today, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Guterres addressed the signing ceremony in a video message.

The European Union praised the signed pledge as an important step for the transition" and urged all parties to join it to speed a return to constitutional order in Chad.

This would allow the launch of a truly inclusive national dialogue, which should start without further delay, the EU said.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price similarly commended the efforts made by those in Chad and Qatar to reach the pledge, calling it a significant development in Chads transitional period.

The talks began in March in Qatar. The challenges during the negotiations include some 20 rebel groups walking out of the talks in July, accusing the military government under Deby's 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, of harassments, intimidation, threats and disinformation amid the negotiations.

Rebels have called for Deby to declare he would not run in any coming elections, though the military junta has insisted that can only be decided in the national dialogue talks. The pledge signed Monday in Qatar by 42 of 47 Chadian rebel groups and opposition figures involved in the talks did not include any prohibition on Deby running in any coming vote.

In a statement before the ceremony, FACT said it rejected the accord as those taking part in the national dialogue would be not be treated equally and that it wanted rebel prisoners released as well. However, it maintained it remained ready for future talks.

Chad's Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif also signed the deal on behalf of his country, though Deby had been in Doha on Saturday to meet Qatar's ruling emir ahead of the signing ceremony.

Chad had grown frustrated by the 30 years of rule by Debys father, leading to years of rebel uprisings in the former French colony that borders Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Unrest in those surrounding countries have seen Chadian rebel forces hide across the border.

___

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
The man was lodged in Otsego County Jail and is waiting for his arraignment.

The man was lodged in Otsego County Jail and is waiting for his arraignment.

A 39-year-old Alanson man has been taken into custody for stealing a vehicle from a home and driving it through a garage door, Michigan State Police reported.

The man was lodged in Otsego County Jail and is waiting for his arraignment.

Around 5:35 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4, troopers for the MSP Gaylord Post responded to a complaint of a vehicle driving the wrong way on I-75 near Old State Road, MSP stated in a press release issued Saturday by the agency. Troopers said they located an abandoned vehicle, a 2007 Toyota, on the shoulder of the southbound lane of travel facing north.

The driver reportedly left the vehicle on foot. Dispatch advised troopers there were reports of a man running across I-75 headed west off the freeway. After searching, troopers were unable to locate the man. Leaving the vehicle to be towed from the scene, according to MSP.

Dispatch then said a vehicle had been stolen from a nearby house and it was believed the suspect was the same man who was driving the wrong way on I-75, according to MSP. The homeowner told troopers he was inside his home when he heard a loud noise and then discovered someone had stolen his 2014 Jeep Cherokee from his garage. The thief drove the jeep through the garage door.

The stolen jeep was located on S Old 27 Hwy abandoned and still running, according to MSP. A resident near S Old 27 Hwy reportedly called dispatch and said they saw a man running in their backyard into the woods.

An officer from the Gaylord City Police Department then radioed he was in a foot pursuit with the man. Troopers caught up with the officer and located the man running near a lake, according to MSP.

The suspect brandished a knife and was ordered to put it down. He complied and was arrested without further incident.
SOUTHINGTON  Two men have been accused of robbing and assaulting a guest at a Motel 6 earlier this year, according to police.

The men  Gregory M. Rogers, 40, of Southington, and John Robert Delgado, 48, of New Britain  were charged with several offenses related to the robbery, the Southington Police Department said Monday.

The incident occurred April 14 at the Motel 6 on Queen Street. A guest called police around 10 p.m. to report a robbery and that they had heard a disturbance in the neighboring room. The victim called police shortly afterward and said he was assaulted by two men wearing dark-colored hoodies. The suspects were also possibly carrying knives, police said.

The man told police he partially opened the door to his room after hearing a knock. The two men then pushed their way into his room and closed the door behind them, police said. The suspects pushed the man down as one held him while the other rifled through his pockets, police said.

The suspects threatened the man, telling him they had a gun before taking about $700 in cash and gift cards, which had an unknown amount, according to police.

Multiple witnesses said they heard the disturbance and saw two men walk away from the room, cross the parking lot and jump a small retaining wall before getting into a vehicle, police said. Police said the victim did not know the suspects.

While investigating, police said they reviewed surveillance video from the motel and identified the suspects as Delgado and Rogers. Police said the investigation suggested this was not a random crime.

Police served Rogers an arrest warrant on June 23 during a scheduled appearance in state Superior Court in New Britain. Delgado was served the arrest warrant more than a month later on Aug. 5 during a scheduled appearance also in New Britain court.

Rogers and Delgado were each charged with third-degree assault of an elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant, or intellectually disabled person; conspiracy to commit third-degree assault of an elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant, or intellectually disabled person; home invasion; conspiracy to commit home invasion; second-degree robbery; conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery; fifth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit fifth-degree larceny.

Each man was held on a $150,000 bond, according to police.
NW Chinas Shaanxi takes active steps to boost rural residents happiness and income

People's Daily Online) 13:57, August 08, 2022

Photo taken on Aug. 3, 2022 shows a tourist and his daughter in a scenic area in Zhujiawan village, Zhashui county of Shangluo city, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province. (Peoples Daily/Wu Kai)

By taking advantage of local resources, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province has enabled people in rural areas to feel more satisfied and happier through multiple measures, such as fruit planting, rural tourism, and follow-up support for those who have been relocated from inhospitable areas.

In recent years, Shaanxi has built up its strength in the fruit industry and regarded the sector as an important channel to increase farmers incomes. In 2021, the added value of the provinces fruit industry reached 66 billion yuan (about $9.78 billion), up 7 billion yuan from the previous year.

Known for its winter jujubes, Xiaopo village in Dali county of Weinan city sees an efficient increase in villagers per capita income, which grew from less than 1,000 yuan 20 years ago to over 25,000 yuan.

Located near the Yellow River, the village was home to some saline-alkali lands that cause low crop yields, leaving many of these farmlands uncultivated.

To address the problem, Xue Anquan, Party secretary of the village, led villagers to plant saline-alkali tolerant jujubes and grow the fruit trees in greenhouses.

With the help of experts, villagers have improved planting techniques and ensured that winter jujubes will be able to hit the market in mid-and late May, Xue introduced, adding that the prices of the fruits can multiply.

An increasing number of young and middle-aged people have been engaging in the fruit industry in Xiaopo village these years, said Xue, explaining that some of them have become technicians who help others manage jujube orchards, enabling them to earn an extra yearly income of tens of thousands of yuan.

Photo taken on Aug. 3, 2022 shows a production line at Chinese automaker Geelys plant in Baoji city, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhang Liyang)

The winter jujube planting area in Xiaopo village totals 15,000 mu (1,000 hectares) with an annual output value of 120 million yuan. Xue aims to increase the villages total output value of winter jujubes to over 200 million yuan.

Zhu Hongtao, a winter jujube grower in the village, planted over 70 mu of the fruit together with his relatives and friends.

The price per kilogram is about 20 yuan. Its expected that our net income will reach hundreds of thousands of yuan, Zhu said happily.

Xiaopo village is one of the 12 villages with an annual output value of more than 100 million yuan in Dali county. So far, the countys winter jujube plantation area has reached 420,000 mu with an annual output value of over 5 billion yuan.

With rural tourism on the rise, more and more villages in Shaanxi have made continuous efforts to develop themselves in this area.

Rural tourism has been thriving in Zhujiawan, a village located in the Qinling Mountains in Zhashui county of Shangluo city.

The village built a scenic area featuring old residences and various tools and necessities used by the local people for production and living, provoking surges of nostalgia.

Visitors can enjoy the beauty of nature and find nostalgia here, said Mao Jiafeng, Party secretary of Zhujiawan village.

The village built traditional dwellings in the scenic area for villagers. After receiving training sessions, we use the dwellings to run agritainment and homestay businesses, increasing the yearly income of each household by an average of more than 50,000 yuan, said Chen Daofeng, owner of one of the dwellings.

Cai Dingshun and his wife, both in their 60s, run a shop selling glutinous rice cake with potatoes in the scene area. We sometimes earn more than 1,000 yuan per day when business is good, said Cais wife.

Zhujiawan village is developing its homestay business in a way that both enriches the experiences of tourists, while also increasing villager's income. Such development is inspirational, and it is worth learning for countries and regions along the Belt and Road, noted Yasef Francisco Calderon, a Cuban reporter on a media tour organized by the 2022 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road which took him to Zhujiawan.

Since 2021, Shaanxi has made solid efforts to provide follow-up support for those who have been relocated from inhospitable areas. All 2,116 poverty-alleviation resettlement sites in the province have been covered by community-level service facilities.

We will continue to offer follow-up support for those who have been relocated from inhospitable areas and ensure that they live and work in peace and contentment, said an official from the Shaanxi Provincial Rural Revitalization Bureau.

Photo shows winter jujube greenhouses in Dali county, Weinan city, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province. (Peoples Daily/Liu Fawei)

Wang Min, 35, is a resident of Jinping Community, a resettlement site in Laoxian township, Pingli county of Ankang city, works for a toy workshop in the community where she earns 2,500 yuan per month.

Wang once lived an old house hidden deep in the mountains. Back then, she had to walk for half an hour to the nearest highway, and her son needed to take the long way to school.

Wang moved to her new spacious home in Jinping Community in 2017, thanks to a poverty alleviation relocation project, and found a job in a toy workshop. The community is equipped with facilities such as a supermarket, a school, a hospital, and bus stations. Including the toy workshop, there are four community factories, which provide stable employment opportunities for residents.

The community has also launched many other programs to improve public services so that residents can have a better sense of happiness, said Jiang Huili, Party secretary of the community.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The Air Force is launching a new pilot program that will put resources for survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, cyber bullying and sexual assault in one central base office to make reporting and finding support easier. The initiative comes after a study last year found thousands of unreported cases within the ranks.

On Aug. 1, the service launched the "Integrated Response Co-Location Pilot program," which will place seven bases' sexual assault advocates and religious counselors under one roof at each base.

"This is about supporting victims, plain and simple," Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones said in a press release. "Co-locating support services for victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other forms of interpersonal violence is meant to help victims easily navigate available resources."

Read Next: Did an Airman Offer a Bribe to Pass Fitness Test? Ramstein Officials Investigating

Stateside, the pilot program will be launched at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas; Vandenberg Space Force Base, California; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

Overseas, the initiative will be tested at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and also at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the U.K.

"Integrating these services allows us to enhance survivors' healing and simplifies the advocacy process," Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said in a press release.

The pilot program comes as the Air Force reckons with reports of frequent instances of physical and mental abuse in the ranks, and on the heels of high-profile cases in the military such as the sexual harassment and subsequent murder of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen in 2020.

Findings of a survey compiled into a wide-ranging report released in November 2021 by the services found that more than half of Air Force and Space Force personnel experienced some type of mental or physical abuse while on orders.

Of the nearly 70,000 active-duty personnel, reservists and civilians who responded to the survey, roughly two-thirds of the women and 48% of the men reported "interpersonal violence," ranging from psychological incidents like rude jokes or belittling and bullying to physical abuse such as sexual assault, dating violence, family violence or workplace violence.

Katherine L. Kuzminski, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank who researches military culture and family issues, said the Air Force has been leading the other services in pushing new policies meant to aid survivors. She added that the pilot program is a simple solution, but could have a big impact on airmen and Guardians.

"Having all these services all in the same place makes sense," Kuzminski told Military.com. "For someone who has been a victim of sexual assault or harassment, walking through the door is hard enough. Having all those resources there helps."

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Air Force Report: Nearly Half in Survey Saw Abuse, Violence
Last week, an Army veteran was sentenced to 18 months in jail and ordered to pay almost $1.3 million in restitution for the 2021 theft of millions of dollars worth of sensitive military equipment, according to federal court documents.

Jessica Elaintrell Smith, a former Army supply specialist, and her alleged co-conspirators, Nathan Nichols and Brandon Dominic Brown, were accused of stealing 68 thermal sights, 60 radios, seven night vision devices and two receiver/transmitters after the equipment was discovered missing from a Fort Hood, Texas, armory in June of last year.

Smith and Brown were accused of stealing the equipment for Nichols to sell online, according to court documents.

Read Next: Military Faces National Guard Refusals and Legal Blockade over Disobeying COVID-19 Vaccine Order

After a formal inventory, the Army's Criminal Investigation Division concluded that the missing equipment was worth more than $2.1 million, according to Smith's criminal complaint. A CID agent discovered that some of the equipment was listed for sale on eBay and connected the account to Nichols, according to a separate indictment.

Nichols and Smith communicated about selling the equipment after the theft, and agents uncovered PayPal transactions between the two, according to court documents.

The complaint alleged that Smith used her veteran ID to access Fort Hood the evening of June 16, the night on which the theft occurred. Brown, who is also a veteran and was working as a contractor at Hood at the time, also entered the base that evening dressed in all black, according to court documents.

A few weeks later, authorities conducted a search warrant at Nichols' residence in Corpus Christi, Texas, and discovered more than $1.2 million in U.S. currency and over 60 pieces of stolen military equipment.

Last year's affidavit said that only 12 items were recovered from internet buyers, but it is unclear how much equipment -- if any -- has been recovered from buyers since then.

Smith and Nichols had been conspiring since at least March 2021. Smith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government in April 2022. Her sentencing, issued by U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton last Tuesday, also includes two years' probation, mental health treatment and $100 for a "special assessment;" the docket does not explain what that assessment entails.

Nichols' sentencing is set for October, according to court dockets. He faced a conspiracy to defraud the United States charge and pleaded guilty. It does not appear that Brown has gone to trial, but he is also facing conspiracy to defraud charges, to which he pleaded not guilty in November, according to court records.

At Smith's sentencing, her attorney, Lila Michelle Garza, told the judge "she got financially desperate because she had two children that she was trying to provide for," according to the Killeen Daily Herald.

"She knows she made a mess of things and put her family in even worse straits," Garza continued. "She's trying to make up for the mistakes she made by assisting the government."

Smith also reportedly expressed remorse.

She served in the Army as an enlisted supply specialist from August 2010 to July 2016, according to military records. She deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and held the rank of specialist upon her discharge.

During her service, Smith was arrested for her alleged involvement in a 2013 robbery of a Game Exchange in Texas, according to the Killeen Police Department. She was charged with aggravated robbery.

She also worked as a shipping and receiving clerk for a contractor on Fort Hood, leaving the position just two weeks prior to the theft.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Army Couple Accused of Stealing $2 Million of Gear, Including a Sword and Weapons Parts
Editor's Note: This story was corrected Aug. 9 to accurately reflect the number of suicides by members of the U.S. military. A previous version contained a higher number, the result of a mathematical error.

For the second straight year, all seven former Department of Veterans Affairs secretaries are calling on Congress to designate a Sunday in November as a national day to raise awareness about suicides among the veteran population.

The secretaries sent letters last week to lawmakers urging them to approve a resolution officially naming the Sunday after Veterans Day as "National Warrior Call Day" to encourage all veterans and the general public to reach out to a veteran, either by phone or a meetup.

This year, the date would be Nov. 13.

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"With its simple mission imploring Americans -- but especially active-duty service members and veterans -- to connect with someone who has worn or is currently wearing the uniform and let them know they care -- Warrior Call can foster greater connectivity, compassion and better outcomes," the secretaries wrote.

At the urging of the former secretaries last year, Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Elaine Luria, D-Va., proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to recognize "Warrior Call Day."

It was approved by the House of Representatives but removed during final negotiations over the bill. This year, the group is hoping to get a resolution through the Senate, where it is being shepherded by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., with support from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.

"Support for our troops shouldn't end when they return home -- but it doesn't always take a new federal program. Sometimes all you need is a call from a friend, family member, or battle buddy," Cotton said in a press release.

The idea behind a Warrior Call is to reduce isolation, which is associated with suicide. According to the VA, 6,261 veterans took their own lives in 2019, nearly 400 fewer deaths by suicide than the year before after nearly a decade of steady increases.

The veteran suicide rate, when adjusted for age and gender, was 26.9 per 100,000 persons in 2019, nearly 50% higher than the rate for all adults in the U.S.

In 2021, 522 service members, including active-duty, Reserve and National Guard members, died by suicide.

"[Warrior Call] can help arrest the tragic suicide trends that are befalling veterans and active-duty personnel at a rate far more deadly than among civilians," the secretaries wrote. "The goal is to have individuals 'make a call, take a call and be honest.'"

Those signing the letter were Anthony Principi, Jim Nicholson, James Peake, Eric Shinseki, Robert McDonald, David Shulkin and Robert Wilkie.

Frank Larkin, chairman of Warrior Call whose son Ryan was a Navy SEAL who died by suicide, said there are no single solutions to reducing suicide, but addressing isolation is important.

"Greater connectivity will serve as a starting point for reaching veterans and service members who don't raise their hands, who are suffering in silence and might be spiraling into an abyss," Larkin said in a statement released by the Troops First Foundation, a group that provides programs for post-9/11 combat-injured veterans and sponsors the Warrior Call initiative.

Veterans and military personnel experiencing a mental health emergency can call the Veteran Crisis Line at 988, and press 1. They can also text 838255 or reach someone via chat through the VA's crisis line website.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: National 988 Suicide Hotline to Debut July 16; Veterans and Military, Press 1
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Monday that each side is shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling caused a power surge and fire and forced staff to lower output from two reactors, while Ukraine has blamed Russian troops for storing weapons there.

Nuclear experts have warned that more shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which was captured by Russia early in the war, is fraught with danger.

The Kremlin echoed that Monday, claiming that Kyiv was attacking the plant and urging Western powers to force a stop to that.

Shelling of the territory of the nuclear plant by the Ukrainian armed forces is highly dangerous, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Its fraught with catastrophic consequences for vast territories, for the entire Europe.

Ukraine's military intelligence spokesman, Andriy Yusov, countered that Russian forces have planted explosives at the plant to head off an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region. Previously, Ukrainian officials have said Russia is launching attacks from the plant and using Ukrainian workers there as human shields.

Yusov called on Russia to "make a goodwill gesture and hand over control of the plant to an international commission and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), if not to the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, likewise urged that the United Nations, the IAEA and the international community send a delegation to completely demilitarize the territory and provide security guarantees to plant employees and the city where the plant is based, Enerhodar.

He accused Russia of nuclear terrorism.

The IAEA is the U.N.s nuclear watchdog. Its director-general, Rafael Grossi, told The Associated Press last week that the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia plant is completely out of control, and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to allow experts to visit the complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support for that idea Monday, saying, "any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing.

One expert in nuclear materials at Imperial College London said the reactor at Zaporizhzhia is modern and housed inside a heavily reinforced steel-and-concrete building designed to protect against disasters.

As such, I do not believe there would be a high probably of a breach of the containment building, even if it was accidently struck by an explosive shell, and even less likely the reactor itself could be damaged, said Mark Wenman at the college's Nuclear Energy Futures.

He also said the complex's spent fuel tanks, where the shells reportedly hit, are strong and probably don't contain much spent fuel.

Although it may seem worrying, and any fighting on a nuclear site would be illegal according to international law, the likelihood of a serious nuclear release is still small, he said.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the attack Sunday caused a power surge and smoke, triggering an emergency shutdown. Fire teams extinguished flames, and the plants personnel lowered the output of reactors No. 5 and No. 6 to 500 megawatts, he said.

And the head of the Ukrainian company operating the plant said all but one power line connecting it to Ukraines energy system had been destroyed. Petro Kotin, head of the Ukrainian state corporation Eherhoatom, blamed Russian shelling and said a blackout would be very unsafe for such a nuclear facility.

As fighting continued on the front lines of the war, the United States on Monday pledged another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine. It would be the biggest delivery yet of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from U.S. Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces.

The latest announcement brings total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $9.1 billion since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24.

Ukraines presidential office said the Russians had shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the previous 24 hours, killing five people. Among the targets, it said, was Nikopol, a city just across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Gas pipelines, plumbing and power lines were no longer functioning there, leaving thousands of people without electricity.

Russian rockets and artillery also hit eight municipalities in the northern Sumy region on Monday, killing one person, authorities there said.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian-controlled areas in the south, officials there said, including the strategic Antonivskiy bridge in the southern city of Kherson. An artery for Russian military supplies, the bridge has been closed in recent weeks because of earlier shelling. Plans to reopen it on Wednesday were now shelved, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration of the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, one of the ships that left Ukraine on Friday under a deal to unblock grain supplies and stave off a global food crisis arrived in Turkey, the first loaded vessel to reach its destination. The Turkey-flagged Polarnet, laden with 12,000 tons of corn, docked at the port of Derince.

This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine wont abandon you, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. If Russia sticks to its obligations, the grain corridor will keep maintaining global food security.

Twelve ships have now been authorized to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations  10 outbound and two inbound. Some 322,000 metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports, the bulk of it corn but also sunflower oil and soya.

Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday were expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening for inspection Tuesday to make sure they are carrying only food items.

The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which left Odesa on Aug. 1, hit a snag with delivery, however. It was heading for Lebanon with 26,000 metric tons of corn for chicken feed but the corns buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the cargo, since it was delivered so much later than its contract, Ukraine's embassy in Beirut said.

Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Mehmet Guzel in Derince, Turkey, and Andrew Wilks in Istanbul contributed.
Russia is believed to have had 70,000 to 80,000 troops killed or wounded in fighting since it invaded Ukraine in February, a top Pentagon official confirmed Monday.

The figure, which has not previously been made public, may not be precise but is "in the ballpark" as Russia remains locked in a war with the western-backed Kyiv government, Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for personnel, said during a public press briefing. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed Sunday on social media that 42,200 Russian troops have been killed.

The estimated losses show the Russian military may be making steep sacrifices as it executes an invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin that has included failed logistics and supply systems, as well as the bombing of civilians. The Russian assault continues but has now mostly bogged down in a brutal artillery war in the east.

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"After all, more than 40 million Ukrainians are fighting. The stakes are existential for them. They are fighting for the survival of their country. I'll also say the Russians are taking a tremendous number of casualties on the other side of the equation," Kahl said. "There's a lot of fog in war but, you know, I think it's safe to suggest that the Russians have probably taken 70 [thousand] or 80,000 casualties in less than six months."

That includes both killed in action and wounded, Kahl said. It is unclear how many casualties Ukraine has suffered in the fighting because it does not report totals, but an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told western media that losses could top 200 per day.

Putin had intended to topple the Ukraine independent government in Kyiv within days of the Feb. 24 invasion and install a friendly regime, but instead encountered growing resistance as the U.S. and other nations have armed Ukrainian fighters with increasingly effective weapons, from shoulder-fired missiles to drones to advanced artillery systems.

Russia has guarded its losses in Ukraine. Its defense ministry stopped reporting Ukraine military casualties in March and the country began requiring next of kin to apply for compensation benefits at military offices rather than with civilian services to obscure the troop deaths, according to Reuters. But Dmitry Peskov, Putins press secretary, told the UK media in April that Russia was suffering significant losses of troops.

The Russians have made incremental gains in the past couple of weeks amid intense fighting fueled by the flow of foreign weapons, Kahl said. That fighting has centered around the Donbas, a region where Russian-backed forces have been fighting Kyiv since Putin suddenly annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014.

"That [Russian casualty] number might be a little lower, a little higher, but I think that's kind of in the ballpark, which is pretty remarkable considering that the Russians have achieved none of Vladimir Putin's objectives at the beginning of the war," he said.

On Monday, the U.S. was preparing another weapons shipment to Ukraine worth $1 billion -- its 18th shipment since the invasion. The newest package, authorized by President Joe Biden, includes more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS; 75,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery ammunition; 20 mortar systems and 20,000 rounds of mortar ammunition; and munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS.

The Ukrainians will also be getting 1,000 more Javelin anti-tank missiles, armored medical vehicles, anti-personnel mines and medical supplies.

The bloody war appears likely to continue as the weapons pour in and Russia remains resolute. The Atlantic Council think tank noted last week that U.S. officials have been privately using an estimate of about 75,000 Russian casualties for weeks -- a number believed to be growing.

But the losses do not seem to have weakened public support for the war inside Russia, according to Peter Dickinson, the editor of the think tank's UkraineAlert. Recent polling inside the country found 76% of Russians support the war and is a "wake-up call" for those who hoped Putin would suffer public backlash for starting the conflict.

"On the contrary, it appears that the vast majority of Russians have acclimatized to the new wartime reality despite the worsening economic climate in their own country and mounting revelations of war crimes being committed in their name across the border in Ukraine," Dickinson wrote.

-- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten.

Related: How 2 American Veterans Ended Up in Ukraine, Prisoners of Russian-Armed Militants
Few units in the U.S. Army are as fabled as the Dundalk-based 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment (5th Maryland), better known simply as the 175th Infantry Regiment, of the Maryland Army National Guard.

Formed as the Baltimore Independent Cadets in 1774, the unit helped save George Washington's army at the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, played a major role in saving Baltimore from British destruction at the Battle of North Point in 1814, hit Omaha Beach on June 7, 1944, and took part in the U.S. war on terror in the mid-2000s. Today, it's a force of about 600 citizen-soldiers, with armories in Dundalk, Easton, Glen Burnie, Frederick and Silver Spring.

What's little known today, however, is that many members of the unit split from the Union during the Civil War and took up arms for the South. Historians say most of its foot soldiers -- largely working-class Baltimoreans who were, at best, suspicious of the intentions of President Abraham Lincoln -- left for Virginia, where they reformed as the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment (Confederate).

Enough of the outfit did so that the 175th gives their exploits a place of honor in unit history.

But a national Naming Commission tasked with reconsidering Confederate ties among the names of U.S. military installations and symbols is on the verge of changing that.

Like many units in the U.S. military, the 175th carries streamers, or commemorative military banners, atop its flag. They resemble long, colorful ribbons, each with lettering that names a campaign or battle in which the unit took part. People can see them on display in parades and color guard exercises. Seven of the unit's more than two dozen streamers have blue and gray stripes and bear the name of a Civil War battle or campaign in which its soldiers fought on the Southern side.

The chair of the national panel, retired Navy Admiral Michelle J. Howard, has notified the House and Senate armed services committees that the panel will recommend the Army eliminate a 1949 rule that gave U.S. military units permission to fly streamers symbolic of battles in which they fought for the Southern side. The commission released her letter publicly Aug. 1.

"Forty-eight Army units have at least one Confederate campaign streamer; a total of 457 Confederate streamers are presently authorized," Howard wrote. As a result of the recommendation, "those 457 Confederate battle streamers would no longer be authorized." The units are spread across 11 Southern states, plus Missouri, with Georgia and Virginia having by far the most units that would be affected.

All indications are that the entities involved, the congressional committees and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, will accept the committee's recommendation. That would mean the streamers would be removed from service as early as next year.

If Austin approves the change, the Army's Center for Military History and its subunit, the Army Institute of Heraldry, "would take those recommendations and push out guidance for changes, and we would adhere to them," said Capt. Ben Hughes, a spokesman for the Maryland National Guard. "If they say, 'Take those streamers off,' those streamers would come off."

The Naming Commission, a panel consisting of former uniformed and civilian military leaders, was established as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021. Its charge is to submit a final report to Congress by Oct. 1 with recommendations to remove, rename or modify "names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia within the Department of Defense that commemorate the Confederacy."

The commission was formed in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020 and the national reckoning on race that followed.

Its most widely known assignment has been to reconsider the names of bases that honor Confederate officers. The panel has recommended new names for nine installations.

Commissioners are also scrutinizing the names of scores of streets, buildings, ships and fields, as well as signs, statues and memorials. An additional category under review is heraldry -- the symbols and images military units use in branding and in encapsulating their history. Last week, Howard announced that the group would recommend that the 29th Infantry Division, another storied Army component with Maryland ties, be allowed to retain its blue-and-gray, yin-yang style insignia.

The streamers are another form of heraldry. The Army confers the ribbons on fighting units to commemorate significant battles in which they have taken part. Made of silk or nylon, they're typically affixed to a unit's regimental flag. When that flag is displayed or unfurled -- whether at a ceremony or in the field -- the streamers provide a visual representation of a unit's achievements.

The 175th's total of 31 is extraordinary, owing to its long and active combat history. At 248 years old, it's the oldest continuously operating military unit in Maryland, says Joe Balkoski, a military historian and author, and one of the oldest in the U.S. armed forces.

Seven symbolize the participation of the 1st Maryland in engagements on behalf of the Confederacy. Civil War streamers are designed in blue and gray, with the color of the side the unit fought for on top and the name of the battle or campaign spelled out. The regiment's seven represent its participation at First Manassas (called the First Battle of Bull Run by the North), the Peninsula campaign, the Shenandoah Valley campaign, and the battles of Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Appomattox.

Balkoski says the Army developed the streamer system to build esprit de corps.

"The entire purpose is to, at a glance, have soldiers understand that over many centuries, soldiers of the very unit that they're in participated in this conflict, performed this valorous service, and had a strong morale based on the bonding of military units at this level," he says.

The regiment's honorary colonel and longtime member, retired Army Col. Randy Everett, along with the unit's leadership, consider Confederate ideology to have been hurtful and offensive. But Everett said he considers it regrettable to lose nearly one-fourth of the unit's streamers because it takes a bite out of its historical representation.

They're an "amalgamation of the history of a unit that dates back to before the founding of the republic," says Everett, from the prewar Colonial days through the war on terror.

"I would not in any way want to offend anyone or cause consternation, but the history of the 175th does transcend our nation. And even during those Civil War years, that history did take place," he says. "In my view, history is there to be learned from, and in that way, I'm sorry we'll probably be losing a piece of it."

The congressional committees will convey their thinking to Austin when the time comes, and the military boss will make the final call, if, as most expect, he backs the change, Everett says he'll do what a good soldier always does: salute and support the decision.

"In the end, we follow our orders," he says.

 2022 Baltimore Sun.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
In the late 1960s, the Air Force was looking for a new air superiority fighter. The U.S. military had learned a lot of important lessons in the skies over Vietnam. The F-105 Thunderchief was taking losses from obsolete enemy MiG-17s. The F-4 Phantom II fared better, but the MiG-21 often outmaneuvered it.

Then the Soviet Union unveiled its newest fighter, the MiG-25, one of the fastest fighters ever made. The Air Force began its search for a fighter that could offer maneuverability, speed, power and endurance. Most importantly, it had to be a match for the latest MiG. The result was the F-15 Eagle.

Fifty years later, the F-15 has multiple variants, including the celebrated F-15E Strike Eagle, a long-range interdictor that can be used for close-air support. In that same time period, American and allied F-15s have made some incredible feats, both on and off the battlefield -- feats that show why the aircraft has stuck around for so long.

1. An F-15 Lands with Just One Wing

Over the Negev Desert in 1983, the Israel Defense Forces were conducting a dogfight training exercise between F-15Ds and A-4 Skyhawks. During the exercise, Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi collided with one of the Skyhawks. Nedivi felt a jolt and saw the fireball created by the collision before falling in a tight spiral.

He regained control and, despite being low on fuel, kicked on the afterburners and made his way to an airfield 10 miles away. He would have to land at twice the recommended speed, and barely managed to stop before hitting the safety barrier. It was only when he exited the plane that he noticed the wing was missing.

Although manufacturer McDonnell Douglas didn't believe the story at first, it was converted after seeing the photos. McDonnell Douglas credited the power of the engines and fuselage design with creating enough lift to keep it flying.

2. A 'Celestial Eagle' Shoots Down a Satellite

A specially modified F-15A took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 13, 1985. Its mission was to ascend to 35,000 feet and fire off its one weapon: an experimental, 18-foot, anti-satellite missile. The target was the degrading 2,000-pound Solwind P78-1 solar laboratory in low Earth orbit.

Pilot Maj. Wilbert "Doug" Pearson took the F-15A into a supersonic 3.8G climb at 68 degrees, nearly vertical. He slowed down to Mach 1 at just above 38,000 feet when the missile fired. Though the satellite was destroyed and the ASM-135 anti-satellite missile was a success, the program was discontinued as it was too costly. Pearson and his F-15 "Celestial Eagle" still have the only air-to-space kill in history.

3. The "Streak Eagle" Beats a Saturn V Rocket

Not long after the first F-15 was delivered to the Air Force in 1974, USAF test pilots began doing what they do best: pushing its limits. Between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1975, the F-15, unpainted to reduce its weight, broke eight time-to-climb world records, three that were held by Soviet MiG-25s.

In its last record, the Streak Eagle would pull 4Gs into a 60-degree climb, accelerating to two times the speed of sound. It reached an altitude of 98,425 feet just 3 minutes, 27.8 seconds from brake release, and beat the Saturn V rocket's time to 50,000 feet by 10 seconds. The Saturn V is best-known for ferrying astronauts to the moon.

4. An F-15E Dropped a Bomb on an Iraqi Helicopter

The F-15E Strike Eagle isn't just for air superiority; it can also provide close air support with weapons like the GBU-10 laser-guided bomb. During the Persian Gulf War, F-15Es were often searching for SCUD missile sites to target. On Feb. 14, 1991, U.S. Air Force Capts. Richard "TB" Bennett and Dan "Chewie" Bakke were on one of those searches.

AWACS in their area detected an Iraqi Mi-24 Hind gunship operating near an ongoing Special Forces mission and ordered them to take it out. When the Hind began to accelerate, the F-15E couldn't get a missile lock, so they used a 2,000-pound GBU 10 instead. It was a direct hit that incinerated the Hind.

5. The F-15 Was Never Defeated in Air-to-Air Combat.

Since being first introduced in 1972, American and allied variants of the F-15 have racked up more than 100 aerial victories, most by the Israel Defense Forces, with zero losses. Besides Israel, Allied countries that are still flying the F-15 include Singapore, South Korea, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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Left-hander Anthony Banda has chosen to become a free agent, rather than accept an outright assignment to the Blue Jays Triple-A team. Toronto designated Banda for assignment after the trade deadline, and he cleared outright waivers yesterday. Since Banda has previously been outrighted in his career, he was eligible to reject the Jays assignment in favor of testing the open market.

The Blue Jays acquired Banda from the Pirates for cash considerations in early July, adding a bit of left-handed relief depth to the bullpen. Banda appeared in seven games with the Jays (including one appearance as an opener), and posted a 4.26 ERA over 7 1/3 innings. For the 2022 season as a whole, Banda has a 5.88 ERA in 26 combined frames with Toronto and Pittsburgh.

Just a couple of days away from his 29th birthday, Banda now hits the open market in search of another change of scenery. A veteran of seven different MLB organizations, Banda has had playing time at the big league level with five of those clubs since debuting in 2017. Given that Tim Mayza was just placed on the 15-day injured list, it might not be surprising to see the Blue Jays pursue a quick reunion with Banda, in order to add another left-hander to Torontos thin array of southpaws.
There is a popular adage that "the poor have no friends." This is because many determined and hard-working young men and women are mostly left to toil alone without any help in this part of the world.

During their difficult times, they are either discouraged by friends, peers, and even their entire community, instead of given the needed support.

Bemoaning this ill attitude, Ghanaian actress and social critic, Lydia Forson, has charged people to stop such behaviour and learn to support humble beginners.

We need to learn to support people NOT only at their highest but especially at their lowest! she sated.

In a tweet intercepted by Modernghana News on Sunday, August 7, he added that Ive noticed that were always waiting for a win before we throw support behind anyone.

But were quick to mock others for daring to try when they lose. We all need to do better.
His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic, has explained why most of his 111 hospital projects (Agenda 111) are yet to take off.

The president stated that the delay was due to disagreements over the location of the hospitals in the various districts.

He stated on Bolgatanga-based URA Radio, as part of his working visit to the Upper East region that such issues have been resolved and 87 of them are progressing.

He added that he will see to its completion before his tenure expires in 2024.

We are talking about 101 Districts and there was much to and fro about where they should be sited and in fact in some cases its still ongoing. Once it has been done and the designs are agreed onSo far 87 of the 111 projects are ongoing and are at various stages. Im inspecting two here, one in Bolgatanga and one in Zuarungu, the President noted.

Nana Akufo-Addo continued that God willing a substantial number of hospitals will be completed before I leave the seat. This is an important commitment of my government and it will be an important part of the tours I will be doing this year to see the progress of work.

As a lesson learnt from the COVID pandemic, President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, launched the Agenda 111 project.

The project will include the design, procurement, construction, equipping, and commissioning of 101 district hospitals, 6 regional hospitals in newly created regions, 1 regional hospital in the Western Region, 2 psychiatric hospitals in Kumasi and Tamale, and a redeveloped Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

The project's goal is to ensure that all Ghanaians have access to high-quality healthcare services, as well as improve healthcare infrastructure and financial accessibility in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Hopeson Yaovi Adoye, the former Deputy National Security Coordinator in Charge of Airports, has endorsed Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, a presidential candidate hopeful for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) irrespective of whose OX is gored.

He said the Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen will lead the NPP in the 2024 elections come what may.

The former Member of Parliament for the Kpone Katamansu constituency stated on Accra-based Okay FM on Saturday, August 6 monitored by Modernghana News that his affection for Alan Kyerematen stems from his unwavering loyalty to the party for many years.

God willing in 2024, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is coming. He started aspiring for the flag bearer position since 2007. I am his strong supporter, he said.

He added that the party members in the Ashanti region will vote overwhelmingly for Alan Kyerematen to be the next NPP flagbearer.

Ashanti region is the heart of the NPP and we can use Ashanti region to win every elections. People in the Ashanti region will vote with happiness for Alan Kyeremanteng because they know what he can do," he noted.

The Party issued a warning to executives on Friday, August 5 through its General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Koduah (JFK) to refrain from publicly endorsing parliamentary and presidential candidates.

Hopeson Adorye believes he is exempted from the rules of the party on the basis that he is not an executive of the party.
The Founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo has indicated that the Ghana card could become a primary document for voters in future elections.

According to him, if successfully implemented, holders who turn 18 will automatically be rolled onto the voters register, a move that will not only eliminate the stress of queuing to register for the ID, but also save the country a lot of money.

He added that the Ghana card will be a good identification document as were already seeing so that we sanitize the voter registration system, he told Accra-based Wontumi FM.

Kofi Akpaloo also touted how the Ghana card and unique address system are already saving the country millions of cedis, and the prospect it holds for the country going forward.

The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Bossman Asare has urged prospective voters to obtain a Ghana Card since that will be a requirement for voting in the 2024 election.

Commission in collaboration with our partners took the decision that now let us have the Ghana Card as the main requirement.

So what this means is that as soon as you acquire your Ghana Card with a continuous registration, you just go to our district office where you are located then you go and register and your name will be put on the roll of voters, he said.
The leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the party retains political power in the next general elections as touted in its breaking the 8 agenda.

To this end, a two-day capacity building workshop has been organised in Sunyani for all constituency Research and Elections Officers in the three regions to sharpen their skills to be able to deliver as expected of them.

The training programme, under the theme: Building the capacity of Constituency Research and Elections Officers for effective performance was initiated by the Bono NPP Regional Research Officer, Henry Osei with the support of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), a German Political Foundation linked to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Dr. Joseph Darmoe, Programme Director for Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) explained that investment in research and development, and in human capital is central to political and economic success in Ghana and therefore adequate investment in research and innovation in the country must be the focal point of the NPP.

According to him, there is ample evidence that research and development, anchored on higher education, has contributed to the rise and expansion of knowledge on the economy.

With the accelerated growth of a new global economy and the urgent focus on socio-economic issues, there is a need for a national re-calibration and re-sensitization of operations and policies targeted at a sustainable innovative research and development operations, Dr Darmoe said.

Lost touch

For his part, the Member of Parliament for Dormaa East, Paul Twum Barimah underscored the need to put more energy into the research department of the party ahead of the crucial 2024 elections, adding that his research findings show that the party had lost touch with the grassroots and there was the need to reactivate the partys base.

He has called for party unity and cohesion ahead of the 2024 general elections, saying: "It's time for reconciliation, we will be calling each other, everyone will bring his or her ideas on board because everyone has a role to play and it is time to bring everybody on board. Lets unite against the task ahead. For me, I think it is a very big opportunity that I would not want to play with it at all.

Mr. Henry Osei, the Bono Regional Research Officer commended KAS, the Regional Secretariat, MP for Dormaa East, Mr Albert Ameyaw regional patron and other stakeholders for their immense support for equipping the researchers in the three regions with such valuable information.

Present at the programme were the Bono NPP Regional Secretary, Kofi Ofosu Boateng and Mr. Joseph Mensah, the Regional 1st Vice Chairman, a facilitator.
Last week more than 40 people, mostly daily wage labourers and agricultural hands, died in India's western state of Gujarat after having drunk moonshine liquor.

Investigations by police have revealed that some small-time moonshiners of different villages of Botad district had made the deadly liquor by mixing water with methyl alcohol or methanol, a poisonous industrial solvent and sold it to villagers for 25 cents a pouch.

A lethal cocktail

Nearly 500 litres of methanol chemical was seized by authorities.

Despite prohibition, liquor was sold openly in the village. My husband had chest pain, blurry vision and then began vomiting after which he was admitted to a hospital. He is still serious, Praveena, his wife told RFI.

We have taken the incident very seriously and a detailed investigation has been launched, said Raj Kumar, Gujarat's home secretary.

Cases have been registered and 24 persons have been named for the tragedy of whom a majority have been rounded up.

The incident came days after a similar tragedy claimed a dozen lives in West Bengal's Howrah district.

Earlier this year, consumption of illegal liquor during the Indian festival of Holi led to nearly 40 deaths across northern Bihar, another state where alcohol is banned.

Hooch is a cheap liquor, brewed in small unregulated shanties and does not attract excise tax.

What makes it toxic is its mix with chemicals. It is more commonly sold in states that have imposed a full ban on liquor, thus, making more people fall prey.

However, hooch tragedies have occurred in states where liquor is available.

In 2008, more than 180 people from the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu died after they consumed moonshine made with camphor and tobacco, making it one of the worst hooch tragedies in the country in recent times. The drink also contained toxic methyl alcohol.

Three years back, this killer alcoholic brew contained urea, traces of battery liquid, caustic soda and large quantities of sedatives claiming close to 100 lives across northern Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand states.

Rise in deaths

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 6,172 people died between 2016 and 2020 due to the consumption of illicit hooch in India. This translates to more than three deaths every day.

The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh alone accounts for a fifth of the country's hooch deaths, with 1,214 deaths in the same period.

The toxic effects of the methanol adulterant manifests in the form of either the death of or permanent blindness of those who survive, Pradeep Kumar, a health worker told RFI.

Data across the country reveals the stark fact that this spurious liquor mainly targets lower socio-economic strata, owing to their inability to purchase liquor from licensed shops.

The scale of the rise in hooch incidents and deaths have raised questions about the inability of the administration to curb the black market in liquor sales and consumption.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, together with the Deputy CEO of the Youth Employment Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru and a number of ministers has commissioned the newly built multi purpose North East Regional Office of the Agency. This was to aid the new Regional Headquarters of the Agency in the North East Region begin full operations and in line with the president's vision of Job Creation, decentralisation and infrastructural development, actualize equitable implementation of the One Million Jobs Agenda.

President Akufo-Addo, who on the occasion also commissioned another newly built magnificent edifice to serve as the Administrative head of the North East Region was elated at how infrustructure is speedily coming to the Region, premised on his response to traditional authorities and the people of Ghana to create new Regions, Municipalities and Districts.

Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark the commissioning, President Akufo-Addo called on all and sundry to support the Employment Agenda of his government in every diverse way possible, an initiative he believes will continue to instill peace in the Region and Ghana and also bring about development.

Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations at the Youth Employment Agency acting on behalf of the CEO, Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua thanked the president for his Resourcefulness and Support for the Agency since 2017.

Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru explained the realisation of a massive deficiency which really impeded the operations and effective implementation of modules of the Agency that had been infested with corruption in the previous years. "Management took a bold decision of revamping and reforming the Agency into an enviable one, a result of which we are experiencing today", he said.

According to Mr Bashiru, two of such Regional offices have been completed and/or commissioned in the Oti, Western North and Ahafo Regions. Several others are at various stages of completion in other Regions and Districts. He explained that all of these are intended to bring life to the Agency's innovative programmes like the Agric-based Flagship projects, YEA Jobcentre, Artisan Directory, CHWS etc.

Mr Bashiru further assured the president and the entire country of consistent hardwork and innovation to bring more development and create more jobs for the youth of Ghaana.

North East Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency Nurudeen Mohammed was particularly thankful to the president, CEO Lawyer Kodua Frimpong and Deputy CEO Ibrahim Bashiru for the immense support and bringing the Agency closer to the people.

The event was graced by His Excellency President Akufo-Addo, the Overlord of the Mamprugu traditional area Naa Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, North East Regional Minister Mr Zakaria Yidana, Local Government Minister Mr Dan Botwe, other cabinet ministers, presidential staffers, staff of YEA among others.
The National Insurance Commission will launch the 2022 Blood Donation Campaign on Tuesday, 9th August.

The NIC last year started a campaign to support blood donation in Ghana and declared the month of August as Ghana Insurance Industry Blood Donation Month.

Dr. Emmanuel Srofenyoh, Gynaecologist and the Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, will be the Guest Speaker at the launch of the Ghana Insurance Industrys Blood Donation campaign

Dr Srofenyoh is expected to share with the general public the importance of voluntary blood donation to save lives of especially pregnant women in labour and other patients who may be in need of blood to survive.

A statement issued and signed by Mr Mawuli Zogbenu, Public Relations Manager of the NIC said Dr Srofenyoh is known for his passion about voluntary blood donation has accepted the invitation by the Commissioner of Insurance.

It said, Dr. Justice Ofori, Commissioner of Insurance will be speaking on the worrying trend of the reluctance of some individuals to donate blood and will make a clarion call on other well meaning individuals and organisations in the country to voluntarily embark on regular blood donation exercises to help stock the blood banks across the country..

Dr Ofori as part of the launch will be the first to donate on the day as he leads Chief executive Officers (CEOs) of insurance entities and staff of NIC, and other bodies to do same.

The insurance industry will be represented by leaders of all industry bodies such as the Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), the Insurance Brokers Association of Ghana (IBAG), the Chartered Insurance Institute of Ghana (CIIG), the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Secretariat, the Ghana Insurance College (GIC) and the West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA).

Last years blood donation campaign saw 802 units of blood donated by the insurance industry employees which was under the theme: Donate blood, save a life; if you do it for someone, you do it for yourself.
The Concerned NPP Polling Station Executives in the Ashanti Region have taken a swipe at the Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

In a press release from Polling Station Executives, it notes that members have cited a video of Chairman Wontumi displaying his usual gimmicks at Effiduase-Asokore Constituency when he was addressing some polling station and constituency executives.

Referencing the video where Chairman Wontumi makes the claim that the Polling Station Executives have declared their utmost support for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Executives rubbished his claim.

This statement to us is just mere rhetoric, comical and falsehood. To clear the false impression created by our regional chairman, we are by this release stating categorically that, the flagbearer position is very important to us as polling station executives as far as breaking the Eight is concerned, parts of a release from the NPP Polling Station Executives in the Ashanti Region has said.

According to the group, it remains focused on helping the NPP to break the 8 and will not allow such claims from Chairman Wontumi to push them to go off track.

Breaking the eight-year cycle of governance is not only a mantra to us, but it is a serious business, and we are very committed to achieving it, the statement adds.

Below is a copy of the press release:

We have come across a video which featured the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi displaying his usual gimmicks at Effiduase-Asokore Constituency when he was addressing some polling station and constituency executives.

In the said video, Chairman Wontumi indicated that we, the Polling Station Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region have declared our utmost support for Dr. Bawumia, and that, he cannot go against what his people want.

This statement to us is just mere rhetoric, comical and falsehood.

To clear the false impression created by our regional chairman, we are by this release stating categorically that, the flagbearer position is very important to us as polling station executives as far as breaking the Eight is concerned. Breaking the eight-year cycle of governance is not only a mantra to us, but it is a serious business, and we are very committed to achieving it.

We are getting tired of Wontumis character which is taking the shape of a dictator in the Ashanti region. This was even manifested in the national executives election in Accra, which many deem it a disgrace and unacceptable, and a dent on the image of the region. Chairman Wontumi is gradually reducing his influence, and we, the Concerned Polling Station Executives of Ashanti Region, are telling him unequivocally that, he cannot make a choice for us.

In fact, we are very focused, and as a result, endorse the highly competent and best brain, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and not any known braggart.

Upon extensive research, we have rather settled on Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as the outstanding and finest gentleman amongst the potential candidates, hence tip him as the next flagbearer of the NPP.

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is the person who has the grassroots at heart, and always associate and listens to the the plight of the grassroots. Dr. Akoto has also proven beyond all reasonable doubt that, he is the one who cares most about the welfare of the grassroots, and has the composure, charisma and confidence to lead the Party.

These are the many reasons for our call for the total disregard of Chairman Wontumis statement, and so, the public should treat it with the contempt it outrightly deserves.

On this note, we are confidently reiterating that, we have on no occasion endorsed Dr. Bawumia as the next flag bearer of the Party, rather, we have been calling on Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as the next and best to lead. We believe in his competences, experiences and leadership qualities, and therefore, we are solidly behind him in his quest as both the flag bearer and the president of our dear nation, Ghana. We, in view of this, call on all and sundry to share in his visions and plans for the country in 2024 and beyond.

Thank you!

SIGNED

CONCERNED POLLING STATION EXECUTIVES OF ASHANTI REGION

MC Yaw Preko

0540545630

Kwabena Owusu Aduomi

0200521547

Collins

0243459237

Miss Ella Tieku

0243848932

Nana Yaw Boakye Yiadom Opoku Agyemang

(N.Y.B.Y.O.A.)

0243065430

#IgnoreWontumisFalsehoodStatement

#Dr. AkotoForPresident

#TheAkotoFactor

#TheLegend
President Akufo-Addo has commissioned the newly built multipurpose North East Regional Office of the Youth Employment Agency.

This was to aid the new Regional Headquarters of the Agency in the North East Region begin full operations and in line with the presidents vision of Job Creation, decentralisation and infrastructural development, actualize equitable implementation of the One Million Jobs Agenda.

President Akufo-Addo, who on the occasion also commissioned another newly built magnificent edifice to serve as the Administrative head of the North East Region was elated at how infrastructure is speedily coming to the Region, premised on his response to traditional authorities and the people of Ghana to create new Regions, Municipalities and Districts.

Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark the commissioning, President Akufo-Addo called on all and sundry to support the Employment Agenda of his government in every diverse way possible, an initiative he believes will continue to instil peace in the Region and Ghana and also bring about development.

Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations at the Youth Employment Agency acting on behalf of the CEO, Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua thanked the president for his Resourcefulness and Support for the Agency since 2017.

Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru explained the realisation of a massive deficiency which really impeded the operations and effective implementation of modules of the Agency that had been infested with corruption in the previous years.

Management took a bold decision of revamping and reforming the Agency into an enviable one, a result of which we are experiencing today, he said.

According to Mr Bashiru, two of such Regional offices have been completed and/or commissioned in the Oti, Western North and Ahafo Regions. Several others are at various stages of completion in other Regions and Districts.

He explained that all of these are intended to bring life to the Agencys innovative programmes like the Agric-based Flagship projects, YEA Jobcentre, Artisan Directory, CHWS etc.

Mr Bashiru further assured the president and the entire country of consistent hardwork and innovation to bring more development and create more jobs for the youth of Ghana.

North East Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency Nurudeen Mohammed was particularly thankful to the president, CEO Lawyer Kodua Frimpong and Deputy CEO Ibrahim Bashiru for the immense support and bringing the Agency closer to the people.

The event was graced by His Excellency President Akufo-Addo, the Overlord of the Mamprugu traditional area Naa Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, North East Regional Minister Mr Zakaria Yidana, Local Government Minister Mr Dan Botwe, other cabinet ministers, presidential staffers, staff of YEA among others.
The Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga is pusing for the Ghana Card to replace the Voter ID card for voting in elections in Ghana.

On the back of plans by the Electoral Commission to adopt the Ghana Card as the only source document for continuous voter registration, Mr. Ayariga said using the Ghana Card to vote will be more prudent.

The law doesnt say we cannot change it [the card used to vote]. We can change it to say if you have a Ghana Card, the Electoral Commission should recognise that for the purposes of voting because the same information that you are going to give to get a Ghana Card is the same information that the Electoral Commission would be asking for.

As we speak, I personally dont have a problem with saying if you have a Ghana card, just go to the polling station and show it to the EC and vote, the MP said on The Big Issue.

He also said doing this would make life easier for Ghanaians.

Why should I struggle to get a Ghana Card and after that go and struggle to get a voter ID Card?

Mr Ayariga further suggested that the EC should work with the National Identification Authority to make sure everyone gets the Ghana Card.

They know how to carry out a registration exercise within a short period. The National Identification Authority should liaise with them, he explained.

But without any serious collaboration between the EC and the National Identification Authority, Mr. Ayariga said the use of the Ghana Card as the only identification for voting would be problematic.

They cannot insist that I must get a Ghana Card before I come and get a voter identity card. I dont think that this is constitutionally right.

---citinewsroom
Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner has joined the chorus of citizens who oppose the use of Ghana cards as the sole requirement for voter registration ahead of the 2024 elections.

Making the Ghana cards the sole requirement for voter registration, he said, would be a travesty.

Speaking on 'The Big Issue,' which was aired on Accra-based Citi FM monitored by Modernghana News, the lawyer stated that such legislation can only be implemented after the card has been in the system for about a decade.

After which, he added, the EC can be confident that many Ghanaians have it.

Perhaps we can roll out a programme, maybe over 10 years, but today to make a law... it is a farce. It is just not possible," he said.

He believes there are millions of Ghanaians who do not have a Ghana card  suggesting the use of the guarantor system to get more people to register.

"This guarantor system has worked and worked overtime... the guarantee system has never been a major national issue," he suggested.

This comes after the EC presented to Parliament a draft CI titled Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021 to regulate voter registration.

The ECs bill, if passed into law by Parliament will allow the Ghana Card as the sole requirement for eligible voters to register.

The decision to make the Ghana card the sole requirement for voters' registration, according to the EC, was taken at an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with representatives of all political parties.

But the opposition NDC has denied knowledge of the decision to use the Ghana card for the elections.
Any attack on a nuclear plant is "suicidal", United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday, after missiles once again exploded at a huge atomic power complex in southern Ukraine.

Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for the latest strike at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear power site, which has been under Russian control since the early days of the war.

The fighting on Friday at the plant has prompted the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to warn of "the very real risk of a nuclear disaster".

At a press conference in Tokyo, UN chief Guterres condemned such attacks without saying which side was responsible.

"We support the IAEA and their efforts to create the conditions of stabilisation of that plant," he said.

"Any attack on a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing. I hope that those attacks will end, and at the same time I hope that the IAEA will be able to access the plant."

The UN chief's comments followed a visit to Hiroshima over the weekend, where Guterres gave a speech to mark the 77th anniversary of the world's first nuclear bomb attack.

Humanity 'playing with a loaded gun'

In the Japanese city on Saturday, he warned that "humanity is playing with a loaded gun" as crises with the potential for nuclear disaster proliferate worldwide, from Ukraine to the Middle East and the Korean peninsula.

The Portuguese 73-year-old also delivered a stark warning against the horrors of atomic weapons a week ago in New York at a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference.

"We are witnessing a radicalisation in the geopolitical situation that makes the risk of a nuclear war again something we cannot completely forget," he said.

When asked about China's massive military exercises around Taiwan, sparked by a visit last week to the self-ruled island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Guterres said the UN "abides by a resolution of the General Assembly, the so-called One China policy.

"But we all want that resolution to correspond to a peaceful environment," he said, calling for common sense and restraint to allow for an "extremely important" de-escalation.
08.08.2022 LISTEN

The Ghana Police Service has confirmed that investigations are ongoing into the attack on Angel Broadcasting Network present, Stephen Kofi Adomah.

Mr. Adoma, who is the CEO of Kofi TV and the News Caster on Angel FM in Accra was attacked over the weekend by armed robbers.

He was returning from Kuntunse when the attackers said to be on motorbikes pounced on him.

He was manhandled and left with wounds on his hands and shoulders.

Following a report to the Police, the Service has taken up the matter and looking for the perpetrators.

The Police are investigating alleged attacks by some unknown persons on Stephen Kofi Adomah, a staff of Angel Broadcasting Network on August 6, 2022, at Old Ashongman Village in Accra.

Investigation into the alleged incident commenced immediately the matter came to the attention of the Police, parts of a Police statement said on Sunday night.

Fortunately, Stephen Kofi Adomah has received the necessary medical care and is doing very well after his ordeal over the weekend.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has released a report on actions taken after investigating Labianca Foods over unpaid import duty fees.

On 16 November 2021, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (hereafter, OSP) received a written complaint from one Frank Asare against Labianca Group of Companies and its subsidiaries (hereafter, Labianca) and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (hereafter, Customs Division).

The complainant alleged ongoing corrupt, illegal and questionable dealings between Labianca and the Customs Division resulting in unlawful markdown or reduction of benchmark values of frozen food products imported by Labianca under the guise of customs advance rulings. According to the complainant, the unlawful markdowns or reductions of benchmark values were procured and being procured chiefly because the beneficial owner and Chief Executive of Labianca, Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh engages in influence peddling through her positions as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

The complainant contended that Labianca has gained undue competitive market advantage in the frozen foods industry by reason of the alleged corrupt and other unlawful dealings. It was also alleged that the same undue competitive market advantage had been secured for supposed subsidiaries of Labianca  Rafano Frozen Foods Company Limited and Yoba Capital Limited.

The Special Prosecutor, upon determining that the complaint was within the mandate of the OSP, authorised the commencement of preliminary investigation into the matter in accordance with regulation 5 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374).

The preliminary investigation was conducted with as little intrusion into the privacy of individuals and the business operations of the cited companies as the circumstances permitted.

At the end of the investigations, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has managed to retrieve over GHS1 million.

Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) recovers over GHC1 million GHC1,074, 627.15) from Labianca Foods in unpaid import duties.

The OSP has also called for wider investigations into Customs Division of GRA, parts of a report by the OSP reads.
A final year student of Tweneboah Kodua Senior High School (SHS) has been reportedly stabbed to death at Odaho in the Amansie West District

The 16-year-old who operates a motorcycle business at Odaho lost his life on August 5, while on vacation.

The teenager identified as Daniel Osei-Mensah is alleged to have been stabbed in the lower abdomen and chest over a misunderstanding over a motorcycle.

Following a report to the Police, investigations have been launched to bring the perpetrators to book.

Information gathered has revealed that already, three suspects have been picked by the Police in Odaho.

The murder has left the family of the final-year student devastated. Since the incident, his mother Adwoa Mary has been inconsolable. She has urged the Police to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book and punished.

The father, Akwasi Boame remains shocked but takes comfort that God knows best.

Community members who knew the deceased described him as a well-mannered person. Together with Assembly member for Odaho Electoral Area, Isaac Bronya, the people are calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to commission the newly built police station in the area.

They argue that with an appreciable Police presence in the area, crime will come down
Commrade Bawa Aminu Sumaila

08.08.2022 LISTEN

President Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government has been described as the only lucky government in the Fourth Republic bequeathed with much funds but has nothing to show.

He said the ruling NPP has also failed to perform well in managing the economy.

Mr Bawa Aminu Sumaila, Akuapem North aspiring Communication Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress noted that government had Ghc500 billion in its coffers but has not been utilised enough as compared to Ghc200 billion the erstwhile NDC had.

According to him, the NPP can only boast of the implementation of the free SHS policy and the construction of toilet facilities across the various MMDAs.

Bawa Aminu Sumaila was worried most Ghanaians and other financial experts have kept quiet on the state of the economy for fear of being victimised by security personnel.

"People cannot speak out on some challenges of the economy because it looks like we are in a military regime. People who boldly express their views are normally victimized by the police and soldiers," he said.

The NDC Communicator added Ghana's debt now stands at GHc393 billion as of June, 2022 from the Ghc120 billion the Mahama-led NDC left in 2016.

"Cost of living has gone up due to the poor management of the economy led by the Bawumia-led management team. People cannot afford daily meal, pay school fees and even have a meaningful life" the NDC Communicator added.

He, however, urged Ghanaians to remain resolute and have confidence in the NDC to revive and strengthen the economy when voted into power in 2025.
Globally, one in eight women aged 18 to 60 worldwide is unmarried. 4.3 percent of women reach their forties without marrying. By nature, especially in traditionally African societies like Nigeria, women have high expectations for marriage. Psychologically and socially, women reported feeling lonely more frequently than men.

Loneliness comes from a feeling of being isolated and unfulfilled, and often, people who feel lonely get caught up in making a habit of doing things that they would not normally do. They look for love everywhere instead of safely meeting someone they like and falling in love with them. In this case, these women have fallen prey to a man who is a criminal lover.

So, when Ifeanyi Ezennaya, socially known as Emeka, met a group of women in a Lagos bar during a birthday party as part of his tactics, he studied them as likely apprised, economically well-off but emotionally needy, and he knew what to do just by looking at their smiling faces.

He boasted to them that he lived in Oyinbo Land, Switzerland, and some of them immediately got carried away, freely giving him their phone numbers. He waited for a few days, probably chatting with some of them in the interim.

Emeka probably made the women in need of enjoyment smile, laugh, twist, or even sing to "Buga lyrics by Kizz Daniel,'dont sleep, don't sleep, wake up' while they drink and engage in other behaviors. Emekas alcohol, drug, or substance calmingly sedated the six womens brains, followed by induced sleep.

Ifeanyi Ezennaya, with his introductory attractive name, Emeka, "called that we should hang out in a hotel, and we honored the invitation." "He ushered us to the room he had already booked." "He brought out red wine and some energy drinks from the fridge and served us, and that was all we could remember." Of course, it is called sedatives!

Emeka's alcohol, drug, or substance aided the victimization because alcohol and the administered substance calmingly sedated the brains of the six women, followed by induced sleep.

Why would six women at a time visit one man in a hotel at night, a stranger?

Emeka helps them fall asleep. But that is not what they came for. The drinking and enjoyment reportedly started around 7:00 p.m. With his apparent criminal mindset, Emeka watched the helpless faces and bodies as they became subdued and slept. No one knows for how long Emeka touched and searched the sedated women, but they were incapacitated by deep sleep for six hours.

Upon waking up from having spiked drinks and luckily out of danger of continued sleeping or even death, they noticed that Emeka left with their six iPhones, wristwatches, gold chains, and ATM cards, among others.

At a time of Nigerias deep economic misery, unlike violent kidnappers for ransom, Emeka chose a passive path by becoming a con artist who studies and targets lonely and vulnerable women looking for short and fast enjoyment with a man, especially from "overseas," but he ends up emptying them.

There is no doubt that these six women could be financially and emotionally devastated by Emekas antisocial actions, especially with the report that he sent the "phones to Onitsha through a waybill and sold them for N900,000," and "withdrew N50,000 from the account of one of them using the ATM card he stole."

Nigerians should not rush to blame the women entirely. They were attending a birthday party in a bar. While chattering away with friends, giggling, some or more of them caught, from the corner of their eyes, a man. They might not have been in a hurry to "pick up" guys, but emotionally to them it will be good for the mind to enjoy the presence of a man in spirit and in flesh. So, they went to see him in his private space in a hotel.

But there is also danger when you visit a stranger in a hotel room. You may get intoxicated, turning a supposed good time into a nightmare. No one can accuse these women of going to the hotel to have sex with Emeka.

Psychologically speaking, one reality is clear in visiting at night, either for just simple fun or for sex, there's no worse sex than drunk sex with somebody for the first time. Going to see Emeka in a group probably seemed like a safety valve, but not when you become a drunken body and brain.

Except for the con artist, Emeka, the women do not fully know what happened to them from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. So, out of precaution and to ease their minds, they should visit a competent doctor and get tested for HIV, AIDS, and STD symptoms. As victims of fraudulent love or likeness, these women could find themselves temporally suffering from shame, embarrassment, shock, anger, anxiety, fear, depression, or even suicidal ideation (God forbid), so I suggest they partake in some form of psychological and therapeutic counseling to enhance their coping skills and understand these types of dangers.

Obviously, most people want to be with someone or become married if they wish. Therefore, more safer places to look for non-Emekas are places like schools, workplaces, buses, airplanes, farms, motor parks, worshipping places, supermarkets, but make sure these conduits for meeting are ensued with gradual follow-ups, an open atmosphere, and do not be quick to take that sip of wine, or eat, especially if it is not from you. For the now arrested Emeka, unemployment and economic hardship currently hitting the country could have pushed him into criminality. He acted smartly in the wrong way. He needs to use his brain and hands to go into farming, a more secure and independent job, or other healthy and legal trades.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
West Africa industry leaders, experts, and decision-makers in the petroleum downstream industry are gearing up for what is anticipated to be the largest Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhipCon) yet as organizers reveal another milestone for the West Africas most influential oil and gas event.

The conference which is been organized by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in collaboration with the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) and under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), will take place at the plush Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra from the 28th -30th September 2022.

Ghanas Vice President Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia is expected to deliver a keynote address at this years conference dubbed; Energy Transition in the African Petroleum Downstream Context: Prospects, Challenges, and the Way Forward.

The conference is designed to actively bring to the fore, the downstream petroleum industrys perspective and guidance on issues of Energy Transition and how government policy and regulatory framework could drive the Transition process.

It also highlights best practices for the advancement of the industry, not only in Ghana but across the West African sub-region and beyond.

For the first time, the conference will have a regulator's workshop on the third of ths conference. The workshop is expected to share best practices amongst ECOWAS regulators in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cote DIvoire, and Togo and other key stakeholders on progress made thus far on adoption of the mandated AFRI-5 (50-ppm Sulphur) Fuel Specifications and promote collaboration on the implementation going forward.

Panelists would discuss issues of governmental and regulatory policy, and best practices for the advancement of the industry.
08.08.2022 LISTEN

Many informed Africans sort out the difference between Nzeogwu and the first coming of Rawlings identical mission that had to do with resetting the brains in Ghana to default stage and the betrayal of a noble patriot in Nigeria that cried against ten percenters. The consequences of both bloody coup d'etat are obvious in both countries' morality today. We claimed corruption is the greatest evil infesting Africa, hoping ruthless leaders like those in China would deal with it.

Ah, we went from the frying pan into the fire. Little did most of us realize that leaders that promised to root out corruption actually breeds and regale in Terrorism. It is a fact that only the Freedom Africans Fighters planned and implemented programs while those that stepped into their shoes rested in slumber on their oars. Some of us are still wishing and praying for better days ahead while others have lost hope because the good times they lived or dreamt are gone.

Their children and grandchildren never know an African country as a potential Regional Power.

Consequently, frivolity, indulgences and hedonistic tendencies have replaced practical local implementation and planning. Even the most developed countries worldwide still implement and plan for their immediate future while African countries are dying to pay any price to share their success. It does not matter if we sell our crude resources and use our meager foreign income to import and buy the refined crude products we are too lazy to refine. We have a country like Nigeria whose debt servicing has surpassed its income. Who put this curse on Africans?

Those patient enough to delay immediate gratification will reap the benefit of the seeds planted. Take a good look at the children of a country to predict its future. Those who want to walk before crawling always fall on their faces. Our rush to get rich quick, accumulate lovers, foreign instead of local designer attire, cars and park in luxurious rented homes instead of building ours catches up with us sooner than later. Africans say those that watered their future step on softer ground.

How did we get here? We value foreign readymades but our own. We pray to foreign Saints, Saviors even the slave owners name sugarcane plantations they created after themselves as St. Kitts, St. Thomas, St. Vincent and an African leader built the biggest Church in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). While we pray or cram Misbah and Rosary in foreign languages we reject Africa's religions. We discard our names so that to be baptized into new religions, Anglicize local names.

The best education you can provide anywhere is that provided locally that is so good it attracts foreign income as fees. Americans go to Mexico and India for cheaper qualitative treatment like the King of Saudi Arabia used to receive in University of Ibadan. It is a major source of income at the universities we run to abroad. The belief that the only good education for your children is the one obtained abroad is part of the colonial mentality planted in us from the beginning of the destruction of African civilization and slavery. Education is like a language taught and practiced for advancement in each country and continent. Space science is not only in English or French.

In fact, we all know European Nobel Prize winners are recognized in Art and Science from different countries and languages. It is one thing to learn the language or mis-education of your oppressors but a different scenario to absorb it against your self-interest or culture as Stockholm syndrome. Victims do identify with their abusers. The benefit of studying at Oxford, Harvard, Mcgill or Toronto is no greater than learning different languages to communicate, negotiate and share ideas. It is not to excel in a country or continent that is not yours. If your education cannot benefit your country or continent, consider your knowledge wasted because no matter how good you are, discrimination or natural preference for their own overrides your wasted talents.

Using the sake of the children to justify the only good education they need abroad are mere bragging rights. They are our wasted efforts since most of them will never benefit our culture, country or continent. Children trained abroad have more personal family problems in their local environment to deal with than African problems. Mark this, the further their birth ties to Africa, the less financial remittances they are going to send back to Africa. Indeed, you deprive local children of foreign income by depleting Central Bank reserves in your children's favor while their poor co-students work to pay their own fees.

You are converting the hard earned money from poor African students to poor families our governments refused to take care of or ignored, back. These patrons of foreign colleges and hospitals generate income to run universities and hospitals abroad; neglecting our best universities in Africa. They are indifferent to Makerere in Uganda, Fourier Bay College in Sierra Leone, University of Cape Town Ghana, University of Ibadan (where foreign dignitaries used to come for treatment), University of Nigeria Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and many others begging for maintenance funds to be up to par with those established with abroad.

These prodigal Africans would rather donate money to European and American universities in exchange for honorary degrees. We revere African scholars contributing their best abroad and nominate them for awards at home, not local talents. Just like the youths beating their chests black and blue if a member of their ethnic got a job abroad as head of dog catchers. They will buy your talents cheaply without a choice on your own part. They will tell you: if you think you are that good, your talents will be more useful where you belong.

If this is not craziness, what could this be? Compare it to the reasons African looters get financial visas and awards abroad. They must have either sold out Africa like Judas sold Jesus for pieces of silver or as remorse for exposing the hideout of Mandela in South Africa as a Freedom Fighter. Noriega of Panama, a well known drug dealer was tolerated in the States as long as he remained a useful spy until he got too cocky for his usefulness. Swiss banks and Panama safe haven remain the best places for Africans to hide the loot to buy awards or visas.

Our complaints and regrets today are over the caliber of indifferent Africans that are ruling individual countries. Many of them are worse than colonial exporters. Unfortunately, these complainants include some of us that have never gone home after our studies or qualifications as youths to contribute when able or vigorous like those that save Africans from Ebola. Some of the postgraduate students that got grants and scholarships abroad absconded. During the first coming of Rawlings, on their visits back home, they were detained until they paid back.

So, we go home on vacations or when we are old and frail. Africa needs our talents and not a plot to bury our dead cold bodies. Therefore, when we complain about terrorists, bandits, ritualists and drug dealers ruling African countries, we are the ones that left the void, a big hole in the wall through which unsavoury lizards made their ways.
Nigerians let Peter Obi take the presidential oath. Are you not tired? Just try him out. He is actively everywhere, adding to the wave of his popularity that is sweeping the country. This man is practically going to all the nooks and corners of Nigeria, showing his energy, magnetic, charismatic, captivating power and showing that he is a master of true words. Nigerians, on the other hand, are wondering where Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, and Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, are, aside from relying on their campaign spokespeople to speak for them; remember, they are very old and probably not as healthy as they once were.

They are in their mansions in Nigeria or outside Nigeria, with some of their families by their sides, watching what is going on via TV. They appear to be saying look at these fools, idiots, yeye people shouting Obis name, singing about Obi, and saying they are "obedient". Wait till we give the fools ready money.

These billionaires' mental calculations are clear. We are stupendously rich. Nigerians are obsessed with free money. You, Nigerians, do not have the spirit to refuse free money to buy your brain and body. You are religiously passionate about money and addicted to a particular thing. Money.

On that voting day, with your permanent Voters Card (PVC), your spirit of dishonesty or duplicity will take over. It will be flying everywhere. We will hold your brains and control your vote with money. With inducements, some assigned military and police officers will on their own create an environment of intimidation at polling stations. Snatching at gunpoint by paid party thugs and militias will happen as usual. You and vulnerable election officials and contracted workers will do and act as we demand. Unlike your Obi, we are the fathers of "cash and carry democracy." Obi, no doubt, is a young and good political man who wants to pursue democratic development in Nigeria. We know that you know, but you like money too much and will sell your soul, spirit, heart, and body for it.

We know on election day, with our money and fear, there will be a dismal low turnout because you will say, 'wetin concern me with election', "what concern me with election?" The evil force of money will take over. Either of us will win and come in as Oga president, as that is our long life personal wish before either of us dies. It is about our turn to be in Aso Rock, the Presidency, not about you!

Call our need to come in as part of bad leadership, again and again, na you sabi, because it is you who always sell your destiny because of dirty and clean Naira, mumu, idiots.

But if truth be told, if you really are obedient Nigerians who always go to church and mosque and say you believe in God, Allah, and you want real positive change, you will take our money, and even if you are held at gunpoint, you will do the right thing and cast that vote for Obi.

We all know inside us subconsciously as the 2023 elections come, spiritually and psychologically, at our age, health conditions, and undefined future, we really do not care if you make the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, the model of tomorrow's presidency.

As for me, Atiku, the former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan, and Pastor Reno Omokri, who is everywhere talking about me, see Obi as an excellent candidate for the 2023 presidential election, but said he still wants me to win.

As for me, Atiku, the current Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, who is everywhere speaking for me, is also saying that Obi is knowledgeable about governance even though he wants me to win. In an indirect way, these two men, in their hearts, also see something in Obi.

It's undeniable that the always moving spirit of corruption tugs on the human hearts of many Nigerians. As a psychologist, I'm calling on you to do something, for the sake of your conscience and the children, both born and unborn, fight and almost die for Obi. If you're not sure what to really do on that voting day. Ask your supernatural being and self, different questions, including the following.

Has free bad money ever produced peace and justice in Nigeria?

Tell yourself and others, we're going to have to come together this time. Can't we stop playing into the hands of corrupt oppressors? How long can we associate bribery with justice, peace, and health? Everyone will one day die. I am not afraid to speak my mind and vote for a person I see as a good being, even with his own errors. I will show them that I am not the noble or corrupt fool they imagine me to be. I will demonstrate commitment to the cause of true democracy based on goodness rather than free bad money.

On that election day, these leaders could use their wealth, divisiveness, materialism, and militarism to control voters. For once, say to yourself, I will say "no." I will ask God, Allah, to give me courage to lead in the right way and do the right things. In religious psychology there is a saying that the devil knows who and where to tempt, where to put in his or her moves, and find a vulnerable spotlet it not be you or someone you encouraged to vote on February 25, 2023.

After this entire reading by you and to others who cannot read, go, and cry out to the supernatural being that you have chosen to be your real self and do right on election day.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
The Member of Parliament for the Oforikrom Constituency, Hon Dr Emmanuel Kwabena Marfo has donated industrial sewing machines and hand-dryers to young ladies who have acquired vocational skills to facilitate them earn a living.

The donation formed part of the MP's entrepreneurship initiative in the line with the government's promise of creating jobs in Ghana.

Making the presentation at the ceremony in the Oduom taxi rank, Dr Marfo said since he was given the mandate to represent the people of Oforikrom in Parliament.

He presented sewing machines, hand machines, sinks and hair dryers to 25 youths who have learnt dressmaking and hairdressing.

Dr Marfo further allocated five barbering machines to five barbers.

He donated Ghs10,000 to the university graduates who have set up businesses for a living.

Hon Dr Marfo noted that innovation has significantly improved the standard of living of people, indicating that, vocational training was one of the key pillars of his agenda in the Oforikrom constituency.

He, therefore, asserted that the creation of jobs was not about placing people in the formal sectors but developing their skills and talents to establish and create their own enterprises.

"This I believe is the number one major step I have taken to support in addressing unemployment issues in Ghana and also to take the young ladies off the streets," he stated.

He gave the assurance to sponsor the youth in the constituency to learn a vocation and equip them with the necessary start-up kits and "I am confident that, The 2nd phase of the Mp's entrepreneurship initiative would be undertaken and he's looking forward to assisting about 200 people," be stated.

Dr Kwabena Marfo respectively advised the beneficiaries to take good care of the machines and work judiciously to become entrepreneurs in their families and the society as well.

The Chief of Oduom Nana Osei Mensah III, who graced the ceremony commended the Oforikrom legislator for the kind gesture.

He advises the beneficiaries to make good use of the money they received.

He made this donation on the 4th of August 2022 to mark the Founders' Day celebration.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as "a gift to the nation from God" who has contributed immensely to education and national development.

Dr Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque - a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it in Joma, Ablekuma.

"His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country," Dr Bawumia said.

"The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam," he added.

"Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction," he noted.

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

"The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society's overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or fame."

"I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school for our Joma-Ablekuma communities."

The government, Dr Bawumia noted, recognised the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular.

"National development has always been built on the back of education, as it equips young people to defy their socioeconomic challenges and circumstances to contribute to the establishment of a better nation.

"The government is in tune with the impactful role that education plays in the life of our citizens and the nation. This underpins the resolve and commitment of the government to ensure that the barriers to education are not only eradicated but that the full complements of the education of our young ones are well catered for."
08.08.2022 LISTEN

A Security Analyst, Dr Adam Bonaa has welcomed the changes in leadership at the National Security and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) by the President.

In his view, it took the president soo long to make those changes especially at the National Security which he said has been plagued with massive corruption.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday August 5 announced the appointment Mr Edward Asomani as the new National Security Coordinator .

Until his appointment, Mr Asomani, was the Deputy National Security Coordinator . This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency Mr Eugene Arhin on Friday August 5.

The confirmation of his appointment is subject to the receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the National Security Council, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission .

The National Security Coordinator Amb. Maj Gen (Rtd) Francis Adu-Amanfoh, according to the statement, has been reassigned with effect from Monday August 8th, 2022 to act as Special Advisor to the President for the Accra Initiative.

The Accra Initiative was launched in September 2017 by Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo in response to growing insecurity linked to violent extremism in the region.

The President has also appointed Nana Attobrah Quaicoe to act, with effect from Monday 8th August 2022 as Director-General of of the NIB.

Confirmation of his appointment also being subject to the receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the National Security Council, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission , the statement stressed.

This comes after Mr Akufo-Addo appointed Mr Kwaku Domfeh as Ambassador-designate to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Commenting on this on the mid day news on TV3, Saturday August 6, Dr Adam Bonaa said The National Security needs to be swept or cleaned with a parazone because there are a lot of rots that go on there. I am just surprised that it has taken the president this long to come to this realization that some of us have been talking about .

As far as I am concerned, we havent seen this before, usually we seen just one person retiring or someone doing something.

But I can tell you that a lot of things are taking place and have taken place, most of it started from the foremost intelligence agency, the National Security. So I am not surprised.

3news.com
08.08.2022 LISTEN

This first nine years of Ghanas Independence was perhaps the biggest blessing for our people. We had the goodwill of many nations, East and West, and our students were granted thousands of opportunities for our brilliant students to learn and be trained overseas.

The main reason for this blesssing and success, it seems, was from the leadership of a man who seemed to have had deep spiritual love for his nation. Nkrumah sacrificed to the end, despite 4-5 assassination attempts on his life in just 9 years till Feb.1966.

All humans grow up in a culture and traditions. Growing up in Secondary School between 1960 and 1966 the Daily Graphic was our main paper for reading and learning about Ghana and the world. They would publish summary of district and regional crimes, prosecutions and imprisonment for various crimes and corruption. That taught us as children that there were laws in society and we all had to comport and respect laws and other peoples rights.

At the same time public corporations would publish Quarterly and Annual Financial Statements or Reports.

These were our first exposure to the white mans modern laws and modern accounting systems and accountability to stakeholders.

There was a culture we could have built upon, as big words like malfeasance, misappropriation of funds and evidence in court, were strange words to 12-18 year olds.

Some good traditions of the earlier government to cite were:

1. Planning

2. Massive unprecedented infrastructure development of roads, highways, schools, hospitals and clinics, electricity and pipe borne water to cities and remote areas of Ghana. Some of these places like Abetifi, Kwahu lasted from 1958 to 2004. However simple broken motors were never replaced by succeeding Governments, while Town and District Councils broke down and seems today to exist only in name.

3. Legal enforcement and Prosecution of crimes. Lets out the Courts to work for us.

4. Public disclosure and accountability of state or public assets. Lets learn to account for the taxpayers moneys.

Ghana was still new under the first administration. The one deficiency in the system in 1957-66 was the lack of enough trained Professionals, technicians, and executives to manage Ghana under Nkrumah and beyond.

This is called in Leadership literature Executive Succession Planning.

Let us remember Nkrumah was relatively speaking a young man without any Executive experience of his own, just like most of his supporters or critics.

The WAY FORWARD for Ghana is to revise rules and laws of DISCIPLINE, and change our national work culture. We do this by demanding

1. Public accountability by all Ministries, Government agencies and MMDCEs.

2. Performance evaluation of all public workers, and

3. Termination of non-performers!

This is how modern organizations PLAN and EXECUTE for SUCCESS!!

Dr. K. Danso - Aug.8, 2022
08.08.2022 LISTEN

The time has now come for the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to force the Forestry Commission to take swift action to end Akyem Juaso's thriving illegal bushcut lumber production industry.

The question is: How come that for decades now, the criminal elements in what is a small fringe-forest cocoa-farming community, with only one route connecting it to the towns of Akyem Saamang and Osino, to join the Accra-Kumasi highway at Osino Junction, consistently evacuate bushcut chainsaw lumber that they produce mostly at night (allegedly mainly from the 14-square mile privately owned freehold upland evergreen rainforest property of the P. E. Thompson family), successfully, consignment after consignment, without their ever being arrested, prosecuted and jailed, thus far?

Furthermore, who are the masterminds behind it? Are they untouchable? Or are local Forestry Commission officials benefitting from this egregious gang-rape of a rainforest property that is part of an area in the Atewa Range designated as a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area (GSBA)?

Finally, even as we speak, the bushcut chainsaw lumber producers are hard at work in the P. E. Thompson estate's upland evergreen rainforest property, and apparently have consignments ready for market. Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, please act now - and force the Forestry Commission to take immediate action to stop this brutal gang-rape of Mother Nature at a time when climate change is impacting rural Ghana so negatively. Haaba.
A Security Analyst, Dr. Adam Bonaa has welcomed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos decision to change the leadership set-up of the National Security and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).

The President on Friday confirmed the reassignment of personnel at the NIB and National Security in a press release from the Jubilee House signed by Communications Director Eugene Arhin.

Speaking to TV3 on the shake-up, Dr. Adam Bonaa stressed that it was long overdue. According to him, there is a lot of rot at the National Security that needs to be cleaned with parazone.

The National Security needs to be swept or cleaned with a parazone because there are a lot of rots that go on there. I am just surprised that it has taken the president this long to come to this realization that some of us have been talking about, the Security Analyst opined.

Dr. Bonaa added, As far as I am concerned, we havent seen this before, usually we seen just one person retiring or someone doing something. But I can tell you that a lot of things are taking place and have taken place, most of it started from the foremost intelligence agency, the National Security. So I am not surprised.

President Akufo-Addo last Friday appointed Mr. Edward Asomani, to act as National Security Co-ordinator.

The appointment was made following the reassignment of National Security Co-ordinator, Amb. Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Francis Adu-Amanfoh to act as Special Advisor to the President for the Accra Initiative.

In addition, the President has appointed Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, currently, Deputy Director-General of NIB, to act as the Director-General of the Bureau.
The NPP government's claim that it will end the eighth cycle is only wishful thinking that will never materialize. The NPP can only end the 8th cycle if the elections are rigged once more in light of the NPP government's poor performance, which includes human error and corruption that have resulted in the collapse of the economy, weak currency, high rate of unemployment, crime, and enormous debt without accountability.

I have to be honest with Ghanaians; what the NPP government has shown is a substandard form of political embezzlement, not politics. As a Ghanaian, I feel extremely ashamed and even more uneasy with diplomats from other nations who are in Ghana to represent their nations, witnessing such disgraceful politics going on. I'm not sure what they think of the NPP administration or Ghanaians in general in regards to the end of the eighth cycle.

I believe that those who read such news may conclude that Ghanaian politicians are a bunch of jokers who don't take their jobs seriously and that the average Ghanaian is equally to blame for their misery since they are OK with it because they are praying for God to rescue them. God is there for everyone, but it's up to you to survive, brothers and sisters.



Since the NPP government despises taking accountability, it has failed and disappointed the majority of Ghanaians. The president, Akufo Addo, will point the finger at COVID or the Russia-Ukraine war if the party doesn't place the blame for its failure on John Mahama.

Given the dismal performance of the party, I must be completely open and honest with all of the NPP ministers, telling you that the everyday practice of breaking the 8th cycle in Ghanaian politics is the largest insult to you. Why the NPP doesn't feel embarrassed to mention this every time baffles me.

Since the NPP government under Nana Akufo Addo has fared so poorly, it is clear that the party's fight to stay in power or end the eighth cycle is not for the welfare or advancement of the people but rather for the survival of the party and its incompetent MPs.

In all honesty, it is embarrassing to talk about ending the eighth cycle when evaluation and analysis are done based on what the NPP party has accomplished, the chaos they have caused, and the artificial hardships they have brought upon Ghanaians, amid a high rate of unemployment, corruption, crime, a collapsed economy, depreciated currency, and enormous debt without accountability.

Why talk about breaking the eighth cycle since the NPP never won the 2020 elections? Therefore, it perplexes me to hear NPP leaders talk about ending the eighth cycle although this political party has caused greater problems for Ghanaians than any other government. This is a problem that is frequently brought on by negligence and failure acceptance.

It is critical to realize that being correct or winning every time is unattainable in life. The NPP administration often approaches the issue incorrectly because they cannot endure embarrassment, wrath, fury, disappointment, chagrin, guilt, and the bewilderment of failure. The common people are suffering more as a result because they are unwilling to acknowledge their mistakes or seek out effective solutions.

Ghanaians continue to be dissatisfied with the NPP party in general and its leader Nana Akufo Addo because they never acknowledge that failure is their responsibility. They always blame something or someone else for their mistakes. For instance, after repeatedly blaming Mahama, they turned to the coronavirus while also stealing the majority of the foreign-donated COVID monies. They then turned to the Russia-Ukraine War. Who or what will they blame next?

Why does the NPP party keep bringing up breaking the eighth cycle when they didn't even win the 2020 elections in the first place? The only way such success is possible is to rig the 2024 elections, which this time, despite all the nasty plots and schemes the party has prepared, will never be simple to do since the great sufferings would make it impossible for ordinary Ghanaians to accept such bogus results once more.

The NPP politicians need to comprehend this. They need to be careful about what they desire or plan to do if they believe that they won't rely on the public's vote because they know it will prevent them from power. Instead, they will use the corrupt law they have instituted to rig the elections to stay in power.

Akufo Addo stated that Ghanaians needed better service although the economy and value of the Ghanaian cedi were better under the previous administration. He even referred to the "Arab Spring," in which a protester set himself on fire to demonstrate his suffering. Therefore, if the NPP government will not accept its failure and will rig the election, that means, the party hasn't only denied peace the chance in politics but also deprived the majority to live a proper life. The outcome is what I can't predict, therefore, they should be careful.
Kenyans braced for Tuesday's high-stakes election, as millions prepared to vote for a new president in a tight race between Deputy President William Ruto and Raila Odinga, a veteran opposition leader now backed by the ruling party.

With the spectre of post-election unrest looming over the polls, many welcomed a final pledge by both men on Sunday to respect the result and not trigger a repeat of the violence that followed votes in 2007 and 2017.

The campaign has been dominated by mudslinging and fake rigging claims, but both candidates made a pointed effort to call for a peaceful vote at separate church services in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Sunday.

"Each Kenyan wherever you are, whatever you do, be a peacemaker. It is a qualification to become a son and a daughter of God," Ruto said.

The 55-year-old has previously said he will pursue any dispute at the Supreme Court, which in 2017 ordered a rerun of the presidential vote, citing irregularities in the counting process and mismanagement by the electoral commission.

The frontrunners Raila Odinga (left) and William Ruto have both called for a peaceful vote. By Simon MAINA (AFP/File)

No Kenyan presidential election has gone unchallenged in the last 20 years and the discord has previously led to violence, either between communities or at the hands of the police.

Odinga -- who is making his fifth run at the presidency -- also urged calm, saying: "We want a peaceful country, that no life should be lost at the hands of no other person."

In an editorial published Monday, the Daily Nation newspaper welcomed the "good signals" from the two men, saying it would "help to ease tension".

With lawyers David Mwaura and George Wajackoyah -- an eccentric former spy who wants to legalise marijuana -- also in the fray, speculation has mounted that Kenya may see its first presidential run-off.

The campaign has been dominated by mudslinging and fake rigging claims but has remained peaceful so far. By Yasuyoshi CHIBA (AFP)

But in recent days, analysts have suggested that Odinga, 77, will likely scrape past Ruto, with Oxford Economics highlighting the fact that he is backed by "several influential political leaders", including President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"A final poll giving him (Odinga) an 8% lead will encourage undecided swing voters to pick the winning side," Ben Hunter, Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note.

Stable democracy

Ruto was long expected to succeed Kenyatta, but was sidelined after his boss -- who cannot run again -- shook hands with longtime foe Odinga in a 2018 pact that stunned the nation.

In recent days, analysts have suggested that Odinga, 77, will likely scrape past Ruto. By Tony KARUMBA (AFP/File)

Since then, Ruto, a wealthy businessman with a rags-to-riches background, has vowed to overthrow the "dynasties" running Kenya -- a reference to the Kenyatta and Odinga families, which gave the country its first president and vice president.

Ruto has presented himself as "hustler in chief", claiming to speak for the downtrodden and hoping to strike a chord in a country where three in 10 people live on less than $1.90 a day, according to the World Bank.

In his final campaign speech on Saturday, Odinga vowed to continue with the "handshake doctrine".

"I will shake the hand if I win, and I will shake the hand if I don't. And I will do it because I love Kenya," he said.

The election is being closely watched by the international community, which views Kenya as a stable partner in a region roiled by conflict.

Ruto has previously said that he will pursue any dispute by approaching the Supreme Court. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP/File)

"The August 9 election represents an opportunity for Kenyans to showcase for the world the strength of Kenya's democracy by conducting free, fair, and peaceful elections," the new US ambassador to Nairobi, Meg Whitman, said on Twitter.

About 22.1 million people -- out of a population of around 50 million -- are registered to vote, with polling stations open from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm (0300 GMT to 1400 GMT).
A development economist with the University of Ghana, Dr. Hayford Mensah Ayerakwa has called on the Ministry of Education to ensure that, the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda is taught in our schools.

He made the call during a lecture organized by a policy thinktank, Danquah Institute on Founders Day.

The lecture which was under the theme: The independence struggle: Our heroes and the fight for democracy had the objective of highlighting the different contributions that were made by different people and groups, including ordinary persons in the struggle for independence.

Speaking on the sub-theme The Founders struggle for economic independence: is there any light at the end of the tunnel" Dr. Ayerakwa traced the different economic policies that had guided Ghana's growth and development agenda as a country from 1920 to date.

He underscored the role of export earnings from cocoa in the development policies over the period.

His lecture focused on the period prior to independence, the situation during independence and immediately after independence as well as the period from 1966 to 1983 which saw the introduction of the Economic Recovery Program (ERP).

In considering the prospects for Ghana into the future, Dr. Ayerakwa was of the view that 'The Ghana Beyond Aid' Charter should be imbibed into every Ghanaian and be made a Ghana Agenda.

Every Ghanaian child must know what the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda is and desire to contribute to bringing it to fruition. We must also demand of our leaders to keep this as a priority in all future policies, he stated.

He said the Free Senior High School Policy, The One District One Factory (1D1F), Planting for Food and Jobs, Digitalization drive etc were all policies that could be consolidated to bring the desired benefit to the citizenry.

Dr. Ayerakwa used the occasion to encourage Government to support the private sector to lead the development agenda while the government focused on the provision of infrastructure and an appropriate policy environment that supports the growth of the private sector.

He called on Ghanaians especially the youth to take advantage of the myriad of opportunities Government continues to make available to them, including the YouStart initiative.

He charged the youth to also take advantage of technology to develop their technical and entrepreneurial skills to effectively participate in the economic and development discourse of the country.

This, he said, were sure ways of bringing economic independence to all and that will fulfil the dreams of our Founders while we write our unique history for generations to come.
In December 2007, the Electoral Commission of Kenya announced that Mwai Kibaki had won a second five-year term as president. It was a surprising outcome, given his opponent, Raila Odinga, had held a significant early lead in the polls.

Kibaki was hastily sworn in, sparking inter-ethnic violence . Odinga's supporters, who were mostly from the Luo and Kalenjin ethnic groups, attacked Kibaki's Kikuyu supporters, which led to retaliatory clashes across the country.

This violence resulted in over 1,000 dead, more than 600,000 displaced and innumerable victims of sexual assault.

In 2010, the International Criminal Court (ICC) charged six prominent Kenyans with inciting the violence. According to the prosecution, William Ruto  at the time an Odinga supporter  instigated violence by rallying his Kalenjin co-ethnics to attack Kibaki's Kikuyu supporters.

The court alleged that Uhuru Kenyatta responded by mobilising his Kikuyu co-ethnics to attack those who purportedly backed Odinga.

To date, however, there have been no convictions. Evidentiary difficulties were primarily to blame. The ICC accused the Kenyan government of failing to cooperate in providing documentary evidence . The government also failed to protect witnesses . It was additionally accused of creating a climate of fear.

According to Kenyatta and Ruto, the collapse of the Kenya cases was a victory. They called the ICC an imperialistic institution that is biased against Africans.

Fatou Bensouda, a former prosecutor of the court, disagreed , lamenting the continued impunity and denial of justice for the many victims of post-election violence.

Read more: ICC case against Kenyan lawyer Gicheru: it matters, but not for victims of the violence

We set out to investigate whether the ICC's failure to secure convictions mattered to Kenyans. More broadly, we wanted to learn about the justice preferences of individuals in countries emerging from mass violence and human rights abuses.

Our research findings have two implications. First, despite years of campaigns against the ICC by Kenya's elected leadership, and little on-the-ground outreach from the court, it still has supporters in the country. Second, victims or witnesses to violence are less likely to buy into anti-ICC narratives. When denied justice locally, they may be willing to support the court's quest to deliver justice and accountability.

Prosecution vs compensation

We conducted our research in Kenya in 2015. Our research team carried out face-to-face surveys of more than 500 Kenyans in five regions in the country where violence had occurred. Our results have been published over the last three years, most recently in a May 2022 paper .

We asked respondents whether they preferred prosecutions or compensation for the harms they or their fellow citizens had suffered during the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

Citizens may prefer both, but we phrased the question this way because in post-conflict situations, countries don't always have the resources to pursue every available justice mechanism. For those who preferred prosecutions, we asked whether they preferred that the alleged perpetrators be tried in Kenyan courts or at the ICC.

Read more: 20 years on, the International Criminal Court is doing more good than its critics claim

As far as we are aware, ours is the first study that asks Kenyans to choose between prosecution and compensation. It's also the first to consider how the option of ICC prosecutions might moderate preferences. Our study additionally collected data on ethnicity and on whether the respondent was exposed to post-election violence as a witness or victim.

Some researchers suggest that individuals' justice preferences will align with those of their ethnic leaders. This is because these are the people they turn to for material and other support. Other scholars theorise that people exposed to violence will prioritise psychological over material benefits. That is, they'll be pulled towards mechanisms that might hold abusers accountable.

We tested these theories using data we gathered when the ICC's case against Ruto was still pending.

Our findings remain relevant as the Kenyan post-election issue continues before the ICC. Lawyer Paul Gicheru is awaiting a decision on his trial after closing statements were made in June 2022. Gicheru has been accused of corruptly influencing witnesses in cases stemming from the 2007 election crisis  including the case against Ruto .

Role of ethnicity

Our research found that first, most Kenyans didn't favour compensation over the retributive justice afforded by prosecutions.

Second, ethnicity generally played a role in respondents' preferences. Respondents who identified as Kikuyu or Kalenjin  Kenyatta's and Ruto's ethnicities, respectively  were less likely to support trials than Kenyans of other ethnicities.

Material self-interest may explain this finding. Respondents may believe they would benefit if their co-ethnics remained in power.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, Kenyans who self-identified as witnesses or victims of violence generally preferred prosecutions over compensation. Additionally, they preferred prosecution at the ICC rather than at a domestic court.

This result held for co-ethnics of Kenyatta and Ruto. Even though Kikuyus or Kalenjins generally had higher levels of support for compensation than those who identified as other ethnicities, victims who identified as either Kikuyu or Kalenjin decreased their support for compensation by about 11 percentage points (from 52% to 41%). Kikuyu or Kalenjin victims were also about 11 percentage points more likely than Kikuyus or Kalenjins who were not victims to support trials at the ICC over domestic trials.

In short, even though Kikuyu or Kalenjin individuals show higher levels of support for compensation than trials compared to other ethnic groups, exposure to violence has a similar impact across ethnicities: it increases support for trials and the ICC.

While Kenyatta and Ruto sought to discredit the international court after they were charged, our research found that witnesses of violence and victims were less likely than the average Kenyan to buy into this narrative.

What it means

Our research findings suggest that personal experiences with violence influence attitudes towards post-conflict justice mechanisms.

Individuals who have encountered violence are more likely to prioritise righting the wrong even if it means their co-ethnics will be punished. They further demonstrate the key role the international court plays for victims of mass violence.

Read more: Al-Bashir and the ICC: is it worth getting your man, if you jeopardise your mission?

Many have criticised the court for, among other reasons, its paucity of convictions. However, our research shows that the court has an important role to play in providing justice for those for whom justice is denied domestically.

The ICC, however, can only deliver justice if countries cooperate with and support it. The outcome of the Kenya cases (so far) shows what happens when states fail to do their part: victims are denied their day in court.

Eamon T. Aloyo acknowledges funding for this research from The Hague Institute for Global Justice.

Geoff Dancy has received funding from the National Science Foundation and from Global Affairs Canada.

Yvonne M. Dutton acknowledges funding for this research from The Hague Institute for Global Justice.

By Eamon T. Aloyo, Assistant professor, Leiden University And

Geoff Dancy, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto And

Yvonne M. Dutton, Professor, Indiana University
On the eve of Kenya's election, yellow banners drape William Ruto's bastion of Eldoret, where voters are quietly optimistic their hometown hero will emerge the next president after a bruising contest.

Some 90 kilometres away (55 miles), not a single Ruto banner flies in Kisumu, the stronghold of his opponent Raila Odinga, whose victory is considered a foregone conclusion by many in the lakeside city.

Eldoret and Kisumu have been hotbeds of electoral violence in the past and Tuesday's poll is too close to call, raising fears of similar civil unrest.

But in Eldoret, voters say they are confident peace will prevail even as they firmly back Ruto -- a son of the soil and ally-turned-foe of the ruling establishment, which now supports opposition veteran Odinga.

The Rift Valley's biggest city has been painted yellow and the ubiquitous presence of wheelbarrows -- the symbol of Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party -- serves as a clear reminder of Eldoret's allegiances.

But along a busy intersection, dozens of Odinga supporters gathered freely near a group of Ruto fans at a so-called "Bunge la Mwananchi", or "citizens' parliament".

"In the previous elections, it was not possible to have two groups supporting two different candidates so close to each other," said Alfred Ekale, a 38-year-old security guard and Ruto backer.

"Everyone was suspicious of each other and there was a lot of tension.

"This time we are all together here, from different tribes, and we can coexist without tension."

'Time to party'

To the southwest in sunny Kisumu, a carnival-like atmosphere was building as the hours ticked down to voting day.

Voters in Eldoret say they are confident peace will prevail even as they firmly back Ruto. By Simon MAINA (AFP)

Motorcycles dashed back and forth with riders blaring vuvuzela horns for Odinga, a political titan in the western regions around Lake Victoria known affectionally as "Baba" (Father).

Odinga -- like his father before him -- fought Kenya's rulers from the opposition trenches, running unsuccessfully in four presidential elections he claimed were rigged, and spending years in jail as a political prisoner.

Now with the ruling party backing his candidacy, many in Kisumu see victory this time as preordained -- going as far as to call Odinga the "president-in-waiting."

"We expect a big celebration, because we know the person who is going to win the election. The people of Kisumu are ready," said Abdallah Abuga, a motorcycle taxi driver in the city centre.

"Raila Amolo Odinga is going to win."

Odinga would be the first president from Kenya's Luo community, and many kinsmen believe his victory would bring much-needed development to the region denied for decades by ruling elites in Nairobi.

"We've always been sidelined. Kisumu has always been the opposition," said Amos Owino, a 31-year-old accounting graduate, who claimed he'd been overlooked for jobs because he was Luo.

"It is the time to change, and a big one, for the whole western region... We are going to celebrate, it's going to be a party."

'All is calm'

The Kisumu champion also enjoys some support in Eldoret, where Joseph Owuor said Odinga was the "perfect" candidate to lead Kenya.

Many in Kisumu see victory as preordained -- going as far as to call Odinga the "president-in-waiting". By Patrick Meinhardt (AFP/File)

Despite rooting for the enemy in Ruto's very backyard, Owuor said the stone-throwing and divisionism that marred past elections wasn't a feature this time around.

"This time, there is tolerance," he said. "I believe that everything will go well. I think it will be a free, fair and peaceful election."

Extra security forces have been deployed to Eldoret with the city -- along with Kisumu -- identified as possible hotspots for violence by rights monitors.

"They have sent a lot of police, but it is quiet," said one cab driver in Eldoret as a truckload of soldiers pass by.

In Kisumu -- where police have turned water cannons, tear gas and live rounds on voters during past elections -- the striking absence of boots on the ground this time is another good omen.

"Their guys are always around. But now there's no police around here, everything is calm... that again has shown it's going to be a fair election," said Owino.
The United States is seeking a "true partnership" with Africa and not trying to "outdo" other world powers in vying for influence on the continent, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

Blinken arrived in South Africa for an official visit on Sunday during a three-nation African trip which follows hot on the heels of an extensive tour of the continent by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Speaking in the South African capital Pretoria on Monday, Blinken said the United States did not see the region as the "latest playing field in a competition between great powers".

"That is fundamentally not how we see it. It's not how we will advance our engagement here," Blinken told a press briefing alongside his local counterpart Naledi Pandor.

"Our commitment to a stronger partnership with Africa is not about trying to outdo anyone else."

For his first stop, the US top diplomat chose South Africa, a leader in the developing world which has remained neutral in the Ukraine war.

Pretoria has refused to join Western calls to condemn Moscow, which had opposed apartheid before the end of white-minority rule in 1994.

"What we seek most of all is a true partnership between the United States and Africa. We don't want an imbalanced or transactional relationship," Blinken said.

Pandor described Russia as a "negligible economic partner" for South Africa but added she was glad the United States was not asking her country to take sides.

However, there had been "a sense of patronising bullying" from other partners in Europe and elsewhere, she said.

New Africa policy

Blinken's comments came ahead of a policy announcement on the US government's new Africa strategy, which the Secretary of State was expected to lay out in a speech at the University of Pretoria on Monday.

White House officials told reporters on Sunday that the new strategy will actively engage the region's leaders on issues from climate change to pandemic recovery to food insecurity, while thinking "more holistically" about military engagement on the continent.

Their comments in a background briefing come at the end of an extended policy review by President Joe Biden's administration.

Some critics say a US focus on fighting extremist groups in Africa militarily has borne little fruit, even while China and Russia have made continued inroads on the huge continent by aggressively using diplomatic and economic tools.

In its policy paper outlining the new US strategy, the Biden administration argues that a push for greater openness and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa will help "counter harmful activities" by China, Russia and other actors.

The new policy paper suggests that Beijing sees the region as an "arena to challenge the rules-based international order, advance its own narrow commercial and geopolitical interests... and weaken US relations with African peoples and governments".

It says Russia views the region as a "permissive environment" for actors including "private military companies, often fomenting instability for strategic and financial benefit".

'Open season'

Vulnerable countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world have been hard hit by the fallout from the Ukraine war that has sent prices of fuel and food soaring.

Powerhouse South Africa belongs to a group of emerging economies called BRICS.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- to cooperate in the face of "selfish actions" from the West.

On Monday, commenting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Blinken said the United States did not seek conflict anywhere but that it was important to stand up to challenges to the international order.

"If we allow a big country to bully a smaller one, to simply invade and take its territory, then it's going to be open season, not just in Europe, but around the world," he said.

On tensions with China over Taiwan, Blinken said it was "deeply unfortunate" that Beijing had chosen to suspend cooperation with Washington on issues including climate change.

"That's not punishing the United States, that's punishing the entire world," he said, adding that developing nations, notably in Africa, stood to lose the most.
Ghana and other African countries have been charged to urgently domesticate the provisions of the African Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA) treaty to fast-track the continent's economic progress.

Secretary-General of the AfCFT, Mr. Wamkele Mene made the call at the maiden edition of the Ghana Trade Policy Enlightenment Summit for Foreigners, GaTPES2022, on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at the National Theatre, Accra.

GaTPES2022, which was held under the theme 'Helping Foreign Businesses to better Navigate the Trade Policy Landscape', was organised by Ghana's premier travels company, Standard Travel and Tour, STT.

It had the endorsements of the GIPC, RGD, Lands Commission, GRA, FDA, Office of the Speaker of Parliament and the AfCFTA headquarters with support from Fine-Prints Limited, Eddu Motors and the Ezeigbo Ghana Foundation, among others

Mene urged state parties to the AfCFTA agreement to use its provision to build their economies and transform lives.

"The agreement, which is the treaty, needs to be translated into laws; and those laws are then used by the business person in order to do business, and to put money in the pockets of the business person, and to put money in the economy of the country at large," Mene stated.

Echoing the same sentiment in his address, the Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, Right Honourable Alban Bagbin, assured of legislative support of the Parliament of Ghana to make the AfCFTA and the goal of greater intra-African trade a reality.

"The AfCFTA has come to stay," he assured.

Mrs Beatrice Chaytor, AfCFTA

Mr. Mene was represented by Mrs. Beatrice Chaytor, head of trade in services division at the AfCFTA headquarters; while Mr. Bagbin was represented by chairman of the house committee on trade and tourism, and member representing Tema West, Hon. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah.

According to Mene, "AfCFTA brings together 1.3 billion people on the African continent. It also brings together the various economic communities. It equally ensures that there are economies of scale. It essentially takes previously small fragmented economies and creates a single African market for trade in goods and trade in services. Additionally, (AfCFTA) will bring together other areas of the economy, such as investments, intellectual property rights, and competition.

"There are other legal instruments, called annexes that provide for customs cooperation, technical standards, sanitary standards, rules of origin. Rules of origin help to ensure that only qualifying goods that are made in Africa benefit from the preferences under the AfCFTA agreement. It will also include trade remedies, transit, trade facilitation. And all of these will help to ease the process of doing business in Africa. It will bring down the cost of trade transactions and streamline processes for the business community. Under trade in services, the first round of trade liberalisation will open up services such as business services, telecom, financial services, transport and tourism.

"In the second round, we will cover the remaining seven service areas, such as construction, education, health, energy-related services, etc. Now, we are in the final stages of negotiations between the state-parties to the agreement. And each country is then obliged to implement the provisions of the agreement. They must publish the laws or regulations in a prominent place, for instance in their official gazette or the internet, to ensure there is transparency. And the business community will then make use of these laws in order to transact business. So, in addition to the AfCFTA legal instruments, we also have supporting measures, such as the Pan-African Payment System. This Pan-African Payment System is the collaboration between the AfCFTA secretariat, the African Union Commission and the African Export-Import Bank, Afrexim Bank. That will enable any business person to pay for goods and services in a local currency, and those local currencies will then be convertible into the local currencies of another.

"For instance, you are a business person in Ghana, and you want to transact business with a supplier in Burkina Faso or in Angola, you pay with your cedi, and the person in Angola receives in peso while the person in Burkina Faso receives in CFA franc. What I want to leave with you is that this AfCFTA is a tool for business, because trade is a developmental tool. It's not just to be sitting in the statute books of your country. Effectively, the agreement, which is the treaty, needs to be translated into laws; and those laws are then used by the business person in order to do business, and to put money in the pockets of the business person, and put money into the economy of the public at large. You must use the provisions of the AfCFTA, you must use the opening up of the markets to do your business across countries in order to build your economies and to further your economic progress and transform lives."

Hon. Carlos Ahenkorah

The summit, which intends to hold annually, aims to boost foreign investors' confidence in Ghana's economy.

Against the backdrop of sporadic spates of local business-foreign business tensions in Ghana which tend to give Ghana a bad international image, the event brought together under one roof state agencies responsible for implementing Ghana's trade policy and laws as well as members of the foreign business community in the country to foster better understanding, to help repair the damage done to Ghana's image; and, to help vitiate Ghana's present economic difficulties that has necessitated the country's recent return to the IMF.

Additional to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, MOTI, other partners to the event are the Ghana Investments Promotion Center, GIPC; Registrar-General's Department, RGD; Food and Drugs Authority, FDA; Lands Commission; Ghana Prisons Service; Office of the Speaker of Parliament; and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA) headquarters, among others.

Specific presentations were made by Mrs Jemimah Oware, Registrar-General of the Registrar-General's Department; Mr.Victor Akogo, deputy commissioner-general and head of compliance of the Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA; Dr. Benjamin Armah Quaye, head of the special projects unit at the Lands Commission, Ms. Evelyn Nyarko of the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre, among others.

Diplomats who participated in the event include the ambassador of Suriname, Ms. Fidelia Graand-Galon; Ambassador of Colombia; charge d'affaires of Namibia, Ms. Evilene Hansen, as well as the trade secretary of the Iranian embassy in Ghana, Mr. Hussain Barharmi.

Foreign communities that attended the event include the Indian, Lebanese, Chinese, and Nigerian communities, among other segments of the international community in Ghana.

Other dignitaries also present were Eze (Dr) Chuks Jude Ihenetu, the Ezeigbo, or king of the Igbo community (of Nigeria) in Ghana, among other cultural leaders.
Some seven travellers, including an American and the Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi, have petitioned the Aviation Consumer Protection Office of the US Department of Transportation over the conduct of Delta Air Lines Incorporated.

According to a complaint copied to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and sighted by Citi News, they complain that their flight from the US on July 24 was inexplicably delayed.

The flight was then rescheduled, cancelled and rescheduled again without sleep arrangements for passengers.

The complainants contend that this inconvenience was on the flimsy ground that one of its pilots had not reported for work.

They contend that they were deceived into believing there were accommodation arrangements in place.

The seven are thus asking the US Department of Transportation to order a refund of passengers' money.

They also want the US Office to investigate concerns of unprofessional, irresponsible, reckless, and discriminatory treatment.

The seven complainants are Michael Ashong, Elvis Kessey, Anne Sansa Daly, Andy Andrews Ganah, Bobby Banson, Dieudonne Banson and Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the NDC.

According to the complaint authored by legal counsel, Sammy Gyamfi was the only one contacted by an official of Delta Air Lines after he publicly complained.

Our clients remain traumatized following the unprofessional, irresponsible, and reckless conduct of Delta Air Lines, the complaint noted.

Of concern were also fuel issues encountered on a rescheduled flight on July 25 which prompted a return back to the US mid-flight.

Our clients take the position that Delta Air Lines owes a duty of care to passengers to maintain and fly aircraft which always comply with aviation industry standards. And that by not conducting basic checks such as checking fuel levels of the aircraft before departure on 25th July 2022 Delta Air Lines had put the lives of passengers including our clients in grave danger.

---citinewsroom
An events center at East Legon in Accra, De Icon has been nabbed by officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for allegedly engaging in meter bypass/illegal connection.

When officials of the ECG visited the place on Monday, August 8, 2022, they observed that security lights and other electricals were functioning, including air-conditioners and fridges among other items without authorization.

The power plant at the center was off, but the facility had no other secondary source of power.

According to the manager in charge of revenue protection and technical investigations of the ECG, Ing. Ishmael Oku, a rough calculation of the power consumption of the facility is pegged at about GH40,000.

He said the owners of the facility will be served with an illegal connection notice and an investigation will be carried out.

The meter in the premises [also] has domestic billing, but its being used for commercial purposes. We would investigate this to establish how they came by this meter, he added.

Taskforce launched

The MD of the ECG has officially launched and deployed a meter auditing and visibility taskforce across the country to visit each home to check the state of all postpaid and prepaid meters.

The exercise according to the managing director is aimed at recovering debts and prosecuting recalcitrant power thieves.

He noted that, during the first week of the exercise, which started on August 1, 2022, the team discovered over 1000 illegal connections and some have been surcharged while others will be facing prosecution from next week.

---citinewsroom
Professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, Steve Hanke has made a proposal on how the government of Ghana can save the cedi from crashing.

In his latest Hanke Currency Watchlist, Ghana is ranked 15th among a list of nineteen currencies.

According to Prof. Steve Hanke, the Ghanaian currency has since January 2020 depreciated 34.17% against the USD.

Insisting that things could get worse, he has proposed that a currency board is set up immediately to save the Ghanaian cedi.

By my calculations, the Ghanaian #cedi has since Jan. 2020, which is why #Ghana is in 15th place in this week's Hankes #CurrencyWatchlist. To save the cedi, Ghana must mothball its central bank and install a #CurrencyBoard, Prof. Steve Hanke said in a post on his Twitter page.

As of Monday, August 8, 2022, the Ghanaian cedi is trading at GHS9.20 to USD1. While the government has given the assurance that necessary measures are being implemented for the cedi to stand on its feet, it is yet to yield any result.
Inmates of Joykol Orphanage at Kasoa in the Central Region can now have a decent place to attend nature's call.

This follows a renovation of its toilet facility by the Africa Schools Sanitation Foundation (Afssaf).

Afssaf is a fully home-grown foundation committed to providing decent toilets, urinals and school buildings for public schools in Ghana and beyond.

The renovation which was undertaken in four (4) days at an amount of Ghc7,640 was under the auspices of Rev. Salormey Afua Owusu Afriyie of Salvation Prayer Missions Worldwide.

The financier Rev. Afua Owusu Afriyie, doubles as a radio pastor on Rainbow radio in Accra.

Speaking at the brief ceremony last Saturday, the President of Assaf Mr Prince Osei Tutu expressed gratitude to Rev. Afua Owusu Afriyie for the sponsorship.

He was full of joy that the second project of his foundation has been successfully completed.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afssaf Mr Antwi Boasiako, reiterated the commitment of the foundation to provide befitting urinals, toilets and structures for public schools in the country and beyond.

He therefore called on all and sundry to come on board and support the foundation to achieve its aim.

The bankroller of the project Rev. Afua Owusu Afriyie promised to continue to support the activities of the foundation to impact posivitely on society.

She called on pastors and churches across the country to resource the foundation to ensure that needy public schools are given a major facelift.

The founder of Joykol Orphanage Madam Joyce Koshie Lamptey was full of praise for the leadership of the foundation for the wonderful job done.

She noted that the dilapidated structure the inmates were using as a toilet facility was a major concern to the orphanage and therefore reiterated her gratitude to the foundation for the assistance.
A boy believed to be 18 years old has died while two others have been admitted at the hospital in a fire disaster at Kronom Kyerease in the Suame Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The deceased who was only identified as Atta was allegedly burnt beyond recognition after he tried to douse out fire at a rubber manufacturing company in the area.

Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service at the scene disclosed that the fire started on the evening of Saturday at the plastic melting factory, but later spread to an 11-bedroom house and three other adjoining buildings.

The Breman Fire Stations Divisional Commander, DO3 Selasie Avevor, in an interview with this reporter noted that the fire was soo strong that it took more fire officers and materials than usual to quench it.

He noted that the other two who suffered various degrees of injuries and have been admitted at the Breman Hospital are owners of the factory and the 11-bedroom house. They collapsed due to the extent of the fire.

The Ghana National Fire Service GNFS has however begun investigation to unravel the actual cause of the fire.
A sensitisation workshop on the African Commission Resolution 372 has been held to amongst others promote the recognition and protection of sacred sites on the African continent.

The three-day workshop, which ended in Tamale, was organised by the Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS), a non-governmental organisation, in partnership with the African Biodiversity Network, and participants included stakeholders from various African countries including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Benin.

Dr Abudulai Sulemana, Chairman of African Biodiversity Network, speaking during the workshop, emphasised that The need to protect and preserve the sacred sites derives from something that we all know, which is there is no community or group in this world that does not have a story of origin.

He said The stories of origin often have spiritual undertones or roots. Therefore, the things that hold people together, the things that we draw our identity, the web of kinship that exists between us and one another derives from stories of origin but also those things that have spiritual, cultural and ecological importance. And that is why sacred sites in Africa are very important as the nerve centres of what hold our communities together.

The African Commission Resolution 372 called on State Parties To recognise sacred natural sites and territories, and their customary governance systems, as contributing to the protection of human and peoples rights.

Dr Sulemana called on policy-makers To recognise this but also build this into the way in which land policy is formulated; the way in which the relationships between the custodians of sacred sites and traditional rulers. Most communities; that relationship is very clear; there is a lot of respect; if you go to Upper East, and Upper West Regions, the Tindanba and chiefs work together to make sure that this relationship exists.

He added that However, when it comes to policy, legislation, we tend to play down on the role of sacred site custodians. Our recent experience of the global crisis suggests the need to rethink the way in which we look at our relationship with one another but also our relationship with the earth community because that imparts on food security, resilience to climate change and extent to which we can actually keep our environment secure; protect it from flooding.

Mr Dennis Tabaro, Executive Director of African Institute for Culture and Ecology, who presented findings of a research on challenges of sacred natural sites in Africa, said We need to build confidence for custodians to use their knowledge to address the loss of biodiversity and also for food and reducing the impact of climate change.

He also expressed the need for governments To have practical policies starting at ordinances at local levels, which allow and recognise the rights of indigenous communities and the custodians of these places to advocate for their protection for the betterment of our communities.
Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Minister of Communications and Digitalisation has been honoured with a prestigious award at the recently concluded Ghana Women of the Year Awards.

She received the Excellence in Governance Award for her outstanding contributions to politics, education and entrepreneurship.

The GLITZ Africa Care Foundation organizes the award each year to recognize women for their legendary contributions to the nation's development.

On the evening of Sunday, August 7, the ceremony was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

The official Twitter handle of the Ministry of Communications announced this news in a post on Monday, August 8, which Modernghana News monitored.

In the tweet, the Ministry wrote Minister, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has been awarded Excellence in Governance for her leadership in championing gender representation in politics, edc & Entrepreneurship at the 7th Annual Ghana Women of the Year Honours, held last night at Kempinski, in Accra.

It continues The event was organised by Glitz Africa Care Foundation to acknowledge and Celebrate outstanding women legends for making a professional impact on the society to advance national development.
08.08.2022 LISTEN

Women have been urged to adopt regular breast cancer screening to avoid late stages of the disease to prevent early deaths.

The disease when detected earlier can be treated and cured, according to the President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai.

She said this during free breast cancer education and screening for the members of Adweso branch of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Koforidua in the Eastern region on Sunday, August 7, 2022.

She noted that most breast cancer deaths would have been prevented if early proper screening had been held to detect it for prompt action to be taken.

The disease at the early stage is not painful, the only way to detect it is through medical screening. The disease is preventable, treatable and curable only when it is detected early, she said.

Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals in Kumasi and Accra also asked them to disabuse their minds of the notion that some spiritual factor is responsible for breast cancer.

Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai explained that though the causal agent of the disease has not yet been established, it has no traces of witchcraft.

This, she asked the women to avoid applying traditional medicines to the breasts whenever they notice unusual things in the breasts and seek early medical attention from qualified health experts.

Resident Pastor of Adweso Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev Mrs Janet O. D. Addo, in her remarks appealed to the men to encourage their wives to visit health facilities regularly for breast screening.

She also advised the women not to rely on prayers only when treating complicated diseases like breast cancer, but also resort to the hospitals for the right treatments to be administered.
The President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite II, has described as unacceptable the days of power outage in the Krobo area by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Nene Sakite II, who expressed shock about ECGs decision to disconnect the Krobo enclave after series of stakeholder engagements, says the situation which has lingered for almost two weeks is affecting the livelihoods of the residents.

Speaking to journalists on the development, Chief of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area Nene Sakite II called on his people to embrace the prepaid meter system.

For the past couple of weeks, we have been in the darkness, and its been bothering me so much. People are losing their livelihoods because of the outage. This whole thing of darkness is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, artisans and business owners operating with bank loans say they are feeling the brunt of the power outage and want President Nana Addo to intervene.

The Krobos have not said, they wont pay bills. All we want is peace that is why we are insisting that we want constant contact with the ECG, so we solve the issue amicably.

I operate an electrical shop at Mampong, but work is not going on. Its giving me a headache, said another.

We are pleading with government to ensure power is restored, one artisan pleaded.
The entire Bulk Power Station that supplies electricity to Nhyiaeso, Danyame, Ridge, the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and its environs went offline after a thief in his early 30s got electrocuted while attempting to steal cables.

The said ECG station is located close to the RCC in Kumasi.

The thief almost lost his life after he touched the wrong wire to cut it off to go and sell.

He got seriously electrocuted and parts of his clothes caught fire as he got shocked, burning his body though still alive.

Fortunately for him, there was a blackout that released him from the grip of the electricity though suffering a great deal.

He has been admitted at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and is receiving intensive care while police have officially notified him of his arrest.

In recent times, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has witnessed massive cable cuts which have resulted in the demise of many people in Kumasi.

Last week, a similar incident happened at the Ridge Station A, where a young man in his early 30s was electrocuted.

The Ashant Regional Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana , Ing David Boadi Asamoah, expressed serious concerns about the situation.

This is unacceptable and we cannot as a company allow this to prevent customers to enjoy reliable power supply. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the general public to feed us with reliable information on this development, he said.

He pointed out that the company loses a lot of revenue through activities like power theft, illegal connections and others in the Region.

The ECG losses were from our inability to pay, unwillingness to pay power or power theft, he stated, pointing out that every Ghanaian must be responsible and pay for the energy he or she consumes.

---3news.com
President Nana Akufo-Addo has cut sod for a 2.53 km Yendi town dualisation road project in the Northern region.

The 2.53 km dualisation project is part of the Eastern corridor road project Lot 5&6.

Lot 6 starts from Yendi -Gushegu and ends at Gbintiri.

The project consists of a dual carriageway (2.5 km length) from Lot 5: km 93+850 to 94+383, Lot 6: km 0+00 to km 2+000, 23.65 m wide lane with median and sidewalk on each side, construction of 3 roundabouts at km 93+850, km 0+000 and km 2+000 as well as the construction of drainage system.

President Akufo-Addo disclosed that so far about 10km of road in Yendi has been asphalted and assured the people of Yendi that more road projects are yet to come.

He urged the contractors to ensure that the project is completed on time.

As part of the presidents two-day tour of the Northern region, he also inspected some Agenda 111 projects in Saboba and Mion.

The Resident Engineer, Ing. Dennis Kusi-Boateng at the sod cutting ceremony said the 4.5 km road from Yendi to Bimbilla has been earmarked for a dual carriage road.

According to him, the Yendi town dualisation road project is expected to be completed within seven months.

Visit To Ya Na

President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Ya Na Abukari II, at the Gbewa palace in Yendi.

The Overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Abukari II, thanked the government for the smooth organisation of this years Hajj from Tamale to Mecca and Medina to observe their religious obligation in line with their faith without any hitch.

The Ya Na commended the government for the commencement of the Yendi-Tatale and Yendi-Tamale highways projects as contractors are at the site currently.

He appealed to the government to add the Gulkpegu-Nayili Fong road in Yendi township to the dualisation of the Yendi town road adding that the road is one of the major inner town roads which is currently in a bad state.

---DGN online
President of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

08.08.2022 LISTEN

The Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA) is unhappy with the decision by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to reshuffle appointees in his government.

Speaking to North Star Radio in Tamale on Monday, August 8, the President explained why reshuffling may not be an option in his government.

According to him, most of his appointees have performed well.

The President said the calls for a reshuffle are being fueled by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) just to destabilise his government.

Many of them for me have done outstanding work. Their output has been considerable, and that is what I look at.

If the output measures expectations, then I dont have any strong reasons to heed the call. The calls come for all kinds of reasons; NDC wanting to destabilise the government is one. There are people who are also looking for jobs, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo shared.

Having listened to the President, AFFA has issued a press release insisting that the stance of His Excellency is disappointing.

Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA) has noted with grave disappointment the reaction by President Akufo-Addo on the increasing calls for reshuffle in his government.

Although this is not the outcome we expected, given the fact that we are law-abiding members of the party, we respect the decision of the President, alas, the 1992 constitution of Ghana grants him [President] the sole authority to hire and fire, a release from AFFA signed by Executive Secretary Sir Obama Pokuase reads.

Despite the disappointment, the Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy notes that as committed members of the NPP, members shall continue to do their best in service to the party.

Below is a copy of the AFFA press release:
In todays Money Morningcoal for China and Indiacold showers for Germanyan ironic opportunitywhats our plan B?and more

Last week the Australian House of Representatives passed Australias first climate change legislation in a decade.

The new bill commits us to a 43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (over 2005 levels) and a net-zero target by 2050.

How?

Well, no ones quite sure yet.

The bill mostly relies on beefing up the powers of the Climate Change Authority.

Whatever that means

Anyway, it seems weve finally joined in the war on C02.

Weve been a bit of a laggard in international terms due to the previous governments lack of action on this.

Their position was that if big nations like China and India didnt come to the party, it didnt matter what we did.

And look, like them or loathe them, theyve got a point on this

Coal for China and India

The fact is

Theres no sign that China or India are slowing down on fossil fuels.

In 2021, the number one emitter, China, commissioned 56% of the worlds new capacity for coal-powered power stations.

Similarly, India is the number three emitter in the world and relies on coal for 70% of its electricity generation.

And like China, their priority right now is on cheap, reliable energy.

As reported in Clean Energy News:

The surging demand has led to power rationing in the Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka states, with residential, industrial, and farming areas all affected. The situation could worsenthe summer peak demand season has yet to arrive. Looking forward, some players are signaling a shift back to coal to avoid chronic power shortages. State-run NTPC, Indias largest electricity supplier, will reportedly award a contract to build a 1.32-GW coal plant in Odisha in eastern India later this month. If confirmed, this would be NTPCs first coal expansion project in six years. The company might also seek to revive two stalled projects in Lara and Singrauli, according to media reports.

Make no mistake, many countries  especially poorer ones  are turning back to coal to secure energy.

And you cant really blame them.

Who are we to tell them they cant enjoy higher living standards by using cheap energy after weve just spent a century benefiting from it?

Not only that, in an increasingly uncertain world, coal is a pretty safe choice for most countries.

And were seeing thats not the case for other types of fuel.

Take the situation in Germany right now

Cold showers for Germany

Germany thought Russian gas would fill the gap as they made the long transition to renewables.

So secure, they thought, they closed down their only source of self-sovereign power  nuclear power generators.

Now theyre left with cold showers!

As the BBC reported last week:

The German city of Hanover has turned off the heating and switched to cold showers in all public buildings because of the Russian gas crisis. Its the first big city to turn off the hot water after Russia dramatically reduced Germanys gas supply. Germans have been told to expect sweeping gas reduction measures and extra charges on their energy bills.

It makes you shake your head

I mean, how could the industrial powerhouse of Europe let themselves get into such a position?

As German news site The Local stated:

Da hat die Politik mal wieder ihre Hausaufgben nicht gemacht  Once again, the politicians havent done their homework!

This is what happens when you let inept bureaucrats and mediocre politicians run your energy policy.

And its a wake-up call for the rest of us to pay close attention.

Then theres the elephant in the room

Even with the best will in the world, can the world even meet these targets?

Well, if we do, were going to need a gigantic boom in these industries

An ironic opportunity

An irony for the Greens

If were going to transition to a renewable future, were going to need to do a heck of a lot of mining first.

Im talking A LOT!

For example, as this chart from the International Energy Agency shows, if were going to produce enough batteries to meet our targets, were going to need the material to make them:

Thats 50-times more lithium, 60-times more nickel, and 17-times more cobalt needed for starters.

And this table shows you just how much copper were going to need:

The average electric vehicle has four times more copper than a petrol-powered car. And as you can see above, battery demand is set to soar.

Were talking huge increases in multiple raw materials needed across the board if were to replace fossil fuels in line with targets.

Finding such large-scale deposits to satisfy these projections isnt going to be easy, especially in just eight short years.

And its my best guess well get nowhere near it.

Then theres this chart:

As you can see, China dominates the downstream production of electric vehicle batteries.

Given how fraught international relations are between the US and China right now, it seems this is a very unreliable partner to pin your energy future on.

Again, creating the infrastructure to convert raw materials into useful battery components is no easy feat.

It takes years for approvals, financing decisions, manufacturing testing, and other processes to complete.

In short, a 2030 timetable looks super optimistic

Whats our plan B?

So what happens if the reality of a renewable transition takes a lot longer and is more costly than hoped?

What happens if we dont have enough coal, oil, or gas to help with the transition?

Are we in for a future of cold showers?

Are we willing to live with ultra-high energy costs for years to come?

Morally, are we willing for already poor countries to have to pay more for their energy with all the hardship that brings?

These are all realities well have to account for if we dont do our homework on energy.

Theres no green bullet that makes this transition easy and painless.

Theres a great interview here between Kyle Bass and Wil VanLoh, the CEO of Quantum Energy Partners, that goes into great detail on the many issues that need addressed.

I highly recommend giving it a watch to get informed on this.

After all, this is too important an issue to let tribal politics take charge of

Good investing,

Ryan Dinse,

Editor, Money Morning



Ryan is also the Editor of Crypto Capital. This service looks beyond the hype and the hate regarding the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrencies. An area, Ryan believes, is set to become the most disruptive force on how the world works since the internet. For information on how to subscribe, click here.
August 08, 2022

Policy By Other Means - By Helmholtz Smith

by Helmholtz Smith

"Hybrid war". Western propagandists love the expression "The bad guys are doing nasty underhand things to counter our clean-cut decent and wholly justified activities" but they are just making noise. As Clausewitz knew, however, there is an actual meaning:

We see, therefore, that War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means. All beyond this which is strictly peculiar to War relates merely to the peculiar nature of the means which it uses (...) for the political view is the object, War is the means, and the means must always include the object in our conception.

In this sense, all intelligently-conducted wars are "hybrid wars" advancing on many levels to achieve the "political object" by "other means".

What is the "object"?

Moscow knows that NATO/USA is the real enemy and that the wretched Ukrainians are its puppets and their looted and worn-out country is the arena. Putin himself has said that NATO's threat to Russia must be stopped. NATO, and the European Union with which it is closely linked, must be exposed as useless, actively harmful to their members and their hostility defeated.

NATO, which loves to pose as peaceful (despite the five or six wars it's started in the last quarter-century), cannot or will not understand Russia's point of view. Moscow will shove its face in it. Putin says that he has many times tried other means (Munich 2007 being one of the earliest). Those means having failed, he's using these means this time.

Far-ranging aims require a multi-front attack. Let us consider the fronts.

MILITARY FRONT. Putin has explained the aims  denazification and demilitarization Maybe they could have been achieved through negotiation  although years of Kiev ignoring the Minsk Agreements suggest not  but that didn't happen. Maybe Moscow hoped that its feint on Kiev might prevent a bloody slog but that didn't happen either. And so the battle of annihilation is on  Ukraine's military power is being smashed and the Nazis killed.

It's taking a long time for several reasons. Imagine the Western Front trench line but with three times as long to build it and concrete rather than sandbags and wood. Russia and its allies attacked with smaller forces. The allied forces are moving slowly to reduce their casualties and because they are in no particular hurry. The Ukrainians are resisting very tenaciously and NATO is egging them on. The Ukrainian forces are being methodically slaughtered, allied casualties are a fraction of that because "artillery conquers and infantry occupies".

DIPLOMATIC FRONT. The West likes claim that Russia is isolated. But, in terms of population, the so-called "International Community" represents only 15 to 20 percent of the world and the Russians are well-received elsewhere. Here's Lavrov very much in the thick of things at ASEAN, in Africa (note media attempts to spin it away) and the Arab world.

Russia isn't isolated at all and its diplomacy is having effect. US diplomacy, on the other hand, is just threats  Africa is warned, China threatened.

ECONOMIC FRONT. When Moscow began its "special military operation", it expected that Nordstream 2 would be stopped because it knew the West was stuck on the idea that the Russian economy is dependent on selling energy to Europe  "Russia cannot afford to cut its sales of oil". Moscow had its response ready  hostile countries have to pay in rubles.

What's Europe's response? Hurt Putin by not showering. Don't, he doesn't care. Of course the price went up and Moscow has probably completely funded the operation out of the increased revenue. The West is discovering  and, advised as it is by people like Aslund, to its astonishment  that "the country that doesn't make anything" is a big producer of lots of essential things.

Moscow knew Washington would stick Europeans with the check  just as Washington will fight to the last Ukrainian, it will sanction until the last European freezes. The economic war is doing more damage to Russia's enemies. They will either figure this out and change their behavior or they won't and they'll suffer. Moscow waits knowing that it wins either way.

PROPAGANDA FRONT. It is a common sentiment that Moscow is losing the propaganda war but I'm not convinced. Propaganda has to have some basis in truth  instead we have the martyrs of Snake Island miraculously reviving, the ghostly Ghost of Kiev, million-man armies disappearing, Kherson counter attacks put off again, maternity hospital bombings exposed by the bombed-out mothers, bodies thoughtfully left out to be seen, Russia begging China, Iran or North Korea for weapons, another "game-changer" weapon.

Russia was running out of ammunition in March, April, June and July. You have to be pretty comatose to still believe this. The propagandists have lost their skills. And reality leaks out through the holes in these flimsy tales. Witness the reception of the Amnesty International report that Ukrainian tactics are "putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas".

"Putin's propagandists" chides The Times; "cannot be tolerated" says Zelensky; "Russian propaganda" as she quits. No news to us who have seen Azov fighters sheltering behind civilians in Mariupol, weapons hidden in shopping centers, troops setting up in schools. But it's a shocker to believers of the Western narrative (especially Vogue readers!).

Skeptics know that the difference between a conspiracy theory and reported truth is a few months. In June it was Russian disinformation that corrupt officials were selling Western weapons, in August it's news. Zelensky a hero then, corrupt now. Expect more "disinformation" transforming into truth.

JUDO. Putin is well known to be a judo master. Judo is the art of using the opponent's movements against it. That's what we are seeing. On every front Russia has time on its side and escalation dominance. The impotence of NATO and the EU  in fact the actual damage that membership in either brings  is more perceptible every day as winter approaches.

Europe's, the West's, predominance stood on three legs. The power to compel others. The captivating halo of success. The wealth to fund the other two. Watch this little video  not much respect there. I expect we will see more vignettes like this.

The statue is hollow, the Mandate of Heaven is shifting.

Posted by b on August 8, 2022 at 6:54 UTC | Permalink

Comments

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On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, loses contact with air traffic control less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur then veers off course and disappears.

A plane crash is sensational. But the macabre nature of this incident lay in the fact that it did not crash, but vanished into the night.

Think about it. With emails, smart phones, WhatsApp, social media and zoom calls, we can contact anyone, anywhere, anytime. In fact, to be disconnected, even for a short while, requires a conscious decision and a fair bit of planning. So an aircraft going "off the radar" is extremely bizarre. The entire world was gripped with this story.

Six days later, Morgan Housel, now a partner at Collaborative Fund, pens down an article on his thoughts of risk based on that event. He mentioned some annual averages

10,500 people have likely died from malaria since then (March 8)

4,000 have died from traumatic injuries

16,500 from tuberculosis

In the U.S., 9,900 people have died of heart disease, just under 600 in car accidents, 250 were likely murdered.

Did they make the news? No! Did they garner as much attention as Flight 370? No! If American news focused on the biggest threats Americans face, it would write about heart diseases and strokes, and cancer and car accidents. (source)

So what gives?

Threats like plane crashes, which are statistically insignificant and not frequent, grab our attention and scare us more than those that are deadly serious but common, like heart attacks and car accidents. And yet, we can minimize the effect of the common threats if we pay attention to what we eat, how often we exercise, never drink and drive, observe traffic signals, put on our seat belts, and wear a helmet when we take out the bike.

There is a huge gap between the things we worry could happen and what's actually happening around us.

When 9/11 was still fresh in peoples memories, more Americans avoided planes and preferred driving. Though, the latter is much more dangerous. The memory of the recent catastrophe made the fear of flying weigh more heavily than it rationally should have done. According to 2020 statistics presented by the National Safety Council in the U.S., these were some of the odds of death: heart disease (1 in 6), cancer (1 in 7), motor vehicle crash (1 in 101). As for passenger on an airplane, there were too few deaths in 2020 to calculate odds.

Now apply it to finance.

We dread a big market crash. We fret about one quarterly earnings of a company. Something is always going on when it comes to geo-politics. Yet, we habitually ignore the slow-burning risks.

We hold no sway over the direction of the economy or the markets; they're going to do what they're going to do. But we do exert influence over our own situations: how much we save versus spend, how we have allocated your portfolio, whether we've built an adequate cash cushion, and so on.

When it comes to risk, look at what is within your power. Focus on the things you can control.

Have you consistently increased your savings rate? Most people spend too much time trying to become a better investor and not enough time trying to save more money. Savings are the raw material to get started. If you have not saved, you cannot invest. Every single year, increase your savings, however small the amount.

Read: 3 questions to answer to kickstart your savings

Look at costs and fees. Rs 1 lakh invested, earning 6% p.a. for the next 25 years, would amount to Rs 4.30 lakh. A 2% annual fee would lower it down to Rs 2.60 lakh. As this note in Vanguard points out, the 2% you paid every year would wipe out almost 40% of your final account value. When jumping in and out of stocks or funds, take into account short-term capital gain tax, brokerage fees, exit loads, and any other transaction cost.

Invest regularly without fail. Lets say you are 25 years old and starting out with Rs 500 to be invested every month. With a 10% return, you should get around Rs 28 lakh by the time you are 65. Delay that by 10 years and start investing when you are 35; the amount drops to around Rs 10 lakh. Start early. Be consistent. Your patience will reward you.

Read: 3 ways to put the odds in your favour when it comes to risk

Sometimes, you could be a victim of the low probability and high impact event. The pandemic was one such event. Be prepared. Get adequately insured. Put an Emergency Fund in place.

Read: 4 things an Emergency Fund is not

The real risk is your behaviour. Do you panic and exit in a downturn? Do you go all into equity in a bull run? Getting swayed by your emotions will play havoc on your portfolio. In times of volatility, it would make sense to take your eyes off your portfolio and watch your behaviour. It is interesting how people view the "market" as risky. But are completely blind as to the risk of their own behaviour - their emotional, irrational and impulsive decisions have a huge cost.

Read: The gap between investor return and investment return

Additional Reading

Back To Basics

Articles by Investment Specialist Larissa Fernand
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gazas sole power plant resumed operations Monday and Israel began reopening crossings into the territory.

Israel also lifted security restrictions on southern Israeli communities after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday.

War-weary people in Gaza and Israel were left to pick up the pieces after another round of violence  the worst since an 11-day war between Israel and the territory's militant Hamas rulers last year.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.

Over three days of fighting, 46 Palestinians were killed, including 16 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Twelve of those killed were Islamic Jihad militants, one was from a smaller armed group, and two were Hamas-affiliated policemen who were not taking part in the fighting, according to the armed factions.

Israel estimated a total of 47 Palestinians were killed, including 14 killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets. It said that 20 fighters and seven civilians died in Israeli airstrikes and that it is still investigating six deaths.

No Israelis were killed or seriously wounded in the fighting.

The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and an unraveling of economic understandings with Israel, including the issuing of Israeli work permits that provide a vital source of income for thousands of Gaza residents.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the group overran the territory in 2007. The clashes have exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territorys 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

The latest violence may have bolstered the political fortunes of Israels caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, who lacked experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job.

All our goals were achieved, Lapid said Monday. The entire senior military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza was successfully targeted within three days.

Israel began to reopen crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and said it would fully open them if calm continued. Fuel trucks were seen entering the main cargo crossing and heading for the power plant, which shut down Saturday after Israel closed the crossings.

That added to the misery at the height of the summer heat in the territory, which is under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and suffers from a chronic power crisis that leaves residents with only a few hours of electricity a day.

Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence, even as the country's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted many of the rockets.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on an Islamic Jihad commander, saying there were concrete threats of an anti-tank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of a senior Islamic Jihad member in the occupied West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank following a spate of Palestinian attacks.

Israel killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike on Saturday.

Both sides boasted of their successes. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite losing two commanders. This is a victory for Islamic Jihad, he said.

Despite that claim, the group undoubtedly sustained a blow. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets.

Israel said some of the deaths in Gaza were caused by errant militant rocket fire, including in the Jebaliya refugee camp, where seven Palestinians were killed Saturday. The army said the deaths of five Palestinians in Jebaliya were still under investigation, apparently referring to five children killed in an explosion in a cemetery on Sunday.

The cease-fire deal contained a promise that Egypt would work for the release of two senior Islamic Jihad detainees held by Israel. The weekend fighting is also bound to complicate Islamic Jihads relations with Hamas.

In the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli troops demolished the homes of two Palestinians suspected of carrying out a deadly attack against Israelis in the city of Elad in May. The soldiers faced a violent protest during the operation, the military said.

Tor Wennesland, the top U.N. Mideast envoy, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the cease-fire is fragile and any resumption of hostilities will have devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis and make any political progress elusive.

He condemned the Palestinian rocket fire while recognizing Israel's security concerns. He said any use of force must be proportionate, with all feasible steps taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 1,100 rockets toward Israel, with about 200 landing inside the Palestinian enclave. The army said its air defenses intercepted 380, including two fired toward Jerusalem. The military did not specify what happened to the remainder, but they most likely fell in open areas or broke up in flight.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israel's destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

Over the past year, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza laborers and has held out the prospect of 2,000 more.

___

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Midland College hosted the annual Midland Young Leaders Challenge with Gen. Tommy Franks in June. The two-day leadership development workshop for students entering the 12th grade culminated in an awards ceremony on the evening of June 16 at the Al G. Langford Chaparral Center. Scholarships were presented to winners of several categories:

The workshop and scholarships are made possible by funding from Midland County, Henry Foundation and Warren Charitable Foundation. Each summer Midland College hosts the workshop, based on the Four-Star Leadership principles developed by retire U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, a Midland native who led the attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq and overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The Midland workshop is coordinated by staff from Midland ISD and from the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum in Hobart, Oklahoma.

It is an honor for MC to host the Midland Young Leaders Challenge, MC President Steve Thomas said. Part of Midland Colleges mission is to focus and improve quality of place, and that is exactly what this program doesprovide an opportunity for youth to develop leadership skills in order to serve our community and beyond.

During the workshop, students participate in presentations and discussions with community leaders from education, government and business. The students also participate in a persuasive speech contest, and one student receives the chance to attend the Four-Star Leadership Institute in Oklahoma. Sophie Sharum was this years four-star winner.

Participating in this program was the best decision I made this summer, as it allowed me to grow in ways that I never believed were possible, Sharum said. I cannot even begin to share everything I learned through this program, but perhaps what impacted me the most is that I learned true leaders are willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the sake of others. I now have a better understanding of what it means to be a leader, and I will apply this knowledge to benefit my community as best as I can going forward.

During the Four-Star Leadership Institute, Sharum received an additional $2,500 in scholarships, winning honorable mention for her workbook and serving on the winning team for the Ethics Bowl. She plans to apply to several colleges, including the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Dartmouth College and Harvard University. She will pursue a degree in Computer Science and hopes to become a software engineer. Sophie is a member of the Trinity varsity volleyball and track teams and enjoys playing the piano, performing in musicals and participating in band and choir.
Researchers say its time to write a new chapter in mining history  a story that honors heritage, mitigates hazards and creates stable power grids that benefit host communities.

Pumped hydroelectric storage isnt new. Putting closed-loop systems in old mines is. A new comprehensive initiative finds the power in heritage, slaying two grand challenges with a single elegant solution.

Researchers in Michigan Technological Universitys Keweenaw Energy Transition Lab answer the urgent need for reliable energy grids with PUSH, or pumped underground storage hydro, a global-first closed-loop underground energy storage system that other countries are exploring to help solve the problems of abandoned mines and reliance on fossil energy.

This Q&A features two authors of the recently released technical report, PUSHing for Storage, A Case for Repurposing Decommissioned Mines for Pumped Underground Storage Hydro, who share the scope and promise of transforming decommissioned metallic mines into reliable power storage and generation centers. Principal investigator Roman Sidortsov, an associate professor of energy policy in Michigan Techs Department of Social Sciences and senior fellow for energy justice and transitions at the University of Sussex, and Timothy Scarlett, an associate professor of archaeology and anthropology with expertise in industrial heritage and archaeology, say the potential is profound, dovetailing with the nations increased focus on infrastructure and the worlds urgent quest for reliable and affordable energy.

Roman Sidortsov rsidortsov@mtu.edu

906-487-1095 Areas of Expertise Energy and Environmental Policy

Comparative and International Energy Law

U.S. Energy Law

U.S. Environmental Law

Russian Energy and Environmental Law

Energy Geopolitics Researcher Profile

The Russian invasion of Ukraine launched in early 2022 brings the energy picture into even sharper focus, said Sidortsov  especially the worlds dependence on fossil fuels delivered at the whims of undependable suppliers.

This future is only possible with sufficient electricity storage, which PUSH can help to provide. Yet the lessons do not end there, he said. This war exposed the inadequacy of many energy conceptions that have been dominant since the 1970s. How to measure energy security, resilience and value of energy systems in the national and local context  all these questions need to be rethought. Lets take energy security, for example, which is typically defined by the availability and affordability of an energy commodity like oil or natural gas. Yet people do not necessarily need oil or natural gas  what they need is to warm or cool their houses, get from home to work and charge their gadgets. Or to paraphrase renowned energy policy thought leader Amory Lovins, people dont want kilowatt-hours  they want hot showers and cold beer.

Sidortsov said the system he and his team studied can be designed to sell the stored electricity on a market while also meeting the host communitys needs, creating a resilient, stable energy source.

"Moving away from the fossil fuel-powered world where the most questionable political regimes play a central role and toward a more distributed, clean and mostly electricity-powered future is one of the main lessons of this senseless and bloody war." Roman Sidortsov, PUSH team leader, energy policy expert

Researchers identified roughly a thousand PUSH-suitable sites in 15 states, then further grouped them based on factors including proximity to existing solar and wind power generation facilities, solar and wind resources, major load centers, and transmission and distribution infrastructure. Although the researchers used the single most comprehensive mines database available, it lacked data for many states with a history of mining. This study is just a start, they say; there are more mines to identify, more electricity markets to analyze and more legal and social factors to evaluate.

Sidortsov quotes Swedish colleagues from Mine Storage who say, The world is like Swiss cheese. Its full of mines. We can solve this problem with something we already have. Were talking about energy security at multiple levels.

Expanding the initiative could hold promise for hundreds of other U.S. and global communities.

Play Now Playing: Michigan Tech Research on YouTube video Now Playing: Michigan Tech Research on YouTube Expand Energy security to wastewater treatment, researchers answer your questions about pumped underground storage hydropower and how it can revitalize post-mining communities economically and culturally. Get the PUSH Report Based on the study Enhancing electrical grid and community resilience through repurposing decommissioned mines into underground pumped storage facilities and funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the PUSHing for Storage report was issued in April 2022. In addition to Sidortsov and Scarlett, principal authors include Shardul Tiwari, Ana Dyreson and David Watkins. The list of contributing authors and others who worked on the initiative includes several Michigan Tech faculty along with undergraduate and graduate students, along with a Northern Michigan University undergrad. Download and share the report.

PUSH can be utilized in conjunction with any kind of energy resource. But its particularly enticing in the case of renewable energy. The sun doesnt always shine and the wind doesnt always blow. Pumped hydro, which involves generating and storing energy using water reservoirs, has long been identified as a solution. When energy is plentiful, water is pumped from a lower level to a higher, storing its potential energy. When energy is in demand, the water is released to flow back down to the lower level, turning electricity-generating turbines as it flows.

Q: Pumped hydro storage is a mature technology. Whats different about your findings from this study?

RS: The main difference is in the interdisciplinary approach that the team used. Most if not all previous studies known to us were designed by engineers. This study was designed by a team that had engineers in it. The rationale behind the study was not to determine the technical feasibility of PUSH, but to take a holistic look at whether this technological application was a good idea on social, economic, environmental, cultural and legal grounds.

We knew of previous studies that confirmed there were no fundamental technical barriers for developing PUSH. Ultimately, we wanted to know what PUSH could do for decarbonizing the electrical grid and providing economic development opportunities for post-mining communities, as well as the barriers and opportunities for making it happen.

TS: The technology is mature in the sense that humans have centuries of experience with hydropower and decades using it for pumped storage. Mining and drilling are also mature technologies backed by centuries of experience. Combining them together in this way  that is new. People have thought about it, but nobody has yet tried it. Projects are in development around the world  Sweden and Finland, Germany, Australia and South Africa.

Q: You examined the challenges of energy storage from a broad perspective rather than specifically from the purview of an energy company. How does that change the impact for communities?

RS: This is not a conventional approach to assessing an energy project. Normally, a developer shows up in a community and informs it that something is going to get built. The next step is to work with the community on the acceptance of the project. There are normally some concessions and even benefit sharing, but all of it has an expiration date determined by the life of the project. In some cases, this model works and even benefits both the community and company. However, when the company is gone, so are the benefits. Because many potential PUSH sites are owned by municipalities, we saw this as an opportunity for a different approach, where a community can play a significant role in getting what it wants and needs, long-term, out of a PUSH project.

Play Now Playing: Michigan Tech Research on YouTube video Now Playing: Michigan Tech Research on YouTube Expand Industrial archaeology expert and Tech faculty member Timothy Scarlett says mines gone bust can boom again in the new energy economy.

TS: Weve thought about this situation from different perspectives, but my favorite is when we flip traditional thinking. Abandoned mines are nearly always considered liabilities for communities, associated with environmental damage, economic depression, demographic decline and cultural malaise. Instead, we ask, what if we think about these abandoned mines as untapped assets? Think of them as embodied carbon like other existing infrastructure? Ask communities to identify what is important to their members about these places, and consider what part of the mining heritage should be treated with care? What if we can co-design plans that flip liabilities into assets via design?

Q: While the report includes broad, scalable implications, the study extrapolates out from your work with one mine in one community: the Mather B Mine in Negaunee. Why that mine? What kind of feedback did you get from the Negaunee community?

RS: The Upper Peninsula has some of the highest electricity rates in the nation and many post-mining communities. The Mather had the available data and the community, including the energy provider, was open to sharing it. Tim does a good job explaining this, especially from the vantage of industrial archaeology.

TS: We wanted to do a single, detailed study. We wanted the results to be broadly applicable around the United States and the world. So we decided to look at an abandoned mine instead of one that was active and nearing the predicted end of operations. We wanted a mine that was large enough to consider multiple scales, responsive to local needs or aimed at supporting a large power grid. We also thought it would be important to find an example where the heritage of mining was important in the community. Finally, we needed to be able to get a lot of data about the mine and the regional energy grid.

Timothy Scarlett scarlett@mtu.edu

906-487-2359 Research Interests Historical and Industrial Archaeologies

Creativity and Work Process

Archaeometry and Conservation Sciences

Remote Sensing, Survey, and Geospatial Sciences

Community-based scholarship, public science/humanities

Heritage, Placemaking, and Culture Building Researcher Profile

We landed on Negaunee because Michigan Tech researchers had partnered in the past with WPPI Energy, a Wisconsin-based cooperative energy transmission company. WPPI had kindly shared all kinds of grid data with MTU in the past: the detailed and granular business information that most for-profit companies keep private. We realized that WPPI provided service to Negaunee, which also had historical iron mines that ticked off all the other boxes for the project. I researched the historic mines in the community and we went to a meeting with Nate Heffron, city manager, and his staff. When we explained the idea of our project, Nate detailed the cultural significance of the different mines in the area and how people would want us to avoid certain mines. He and his staff pointed us to the Mather B. It was the perfect place to start.

Q: This is more than an energy-storage initiative. Tell us how it speaks to the character, culture and needs of post-mining communities where the remnants of former operations are historic artifacts and may also be eyesores and hazards.

RS: People want to be proud of the places where they are born and where they live. We heard over and over again from older folks about how wonderful it would be if mines were put to good use again. Younger people remarked about how much they love the U.P., how they would like to stay and raise their families here if there are economic opportunities present. PUSH can do both and different generations can be proud of what mines have done and would continue doing for the country and the world.

The way post-mining communities choose to interpret and engage with the remnants of their heritage varies widely, even in the same region. The Quincy Mine, on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, is one more than 1,000 old hard-metal mines across the nation with the potential to add reliable energy storage to the mix, offering even more possibilities.

TS: Throughout Michigans Upper Peninsula, mining is important to the heritage of communities. People in the Copper Country talk about our geoheritage  the way that the lake, the basalt bluffs and the copper shaped our lives. The same is true in Michigans iron ranges. When visitors come to the Keweenaw, people take them to the Quincy Mine or another of the old mine sites. In Negaunee and Ishpeming, they visit the Cliffs Shaft Museum or the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, or the Iron Mining Museum in Iron Mountain. School groups tour the mines to learn about our heritage. Families travel from all over to visit the mines and elders teach their children family history. Rock hunters come to walk the poor rock piles to find minerals. Landowners and organizations operate these mines as different kinds of heritage sites, experimenting with formal educational programs in collaboration with the National Park Service, or as adventure and ecotourism destinations, or as entirely self-guided discovery sites with no formal programming. The mines are also bat habitat and greenspace. People take their ATVs out to Gay to tear around the stamp sands. People do these things in many of the post-mining regions of the world. Many of those places suffer far greater ecological contamination than we have in Michigan, particularly from mill tailings.

So on the one hand, abandoned mines always present problems. There are ecological challenges with water quality and mill waste. Slumping ground or abandoned industrial buildings present challenges for human health and safety. Post-mining communities often suffer from demographic decline and economic recessions. When boom shifts to bust, the cultural impacts are painful and people struggle with blight. At the same time, many scholars identify the strong sense of place in mining communities: hardscrabble people and hard landscapes, labor struggle and difficult work, and ever-present sacrifice.

Some people see the earth slowly reclaiming scars, others see the sweat and toil of their ancestors, some remember struggle and the loss of displacement while others see refuge in Gods Country. Yet more have other visions for post-mining places.

"These places matter to people. They are not wastelands. They are not abandoned. They matter." Tim Scarlett, PUSH team member and industrial archaeology expert

So, can we use PUSH as an opportunity to listen to all these groups of people and find what they value in these places? Help them find shared values and discover how (and if) an energy storage project can meet the needs of our evolving energy infrastructure while also reinforcing those things that people value in these places? Many of these communities continue to pay the costs of industrial wealth production, though they no longer reap benefits from its extraction. Can PUSH systems change that dynamic and allow these communities to use the mines as a focal point to recenter the landscape of energy production, distribution and consumption while also supporting other heritage uses of the landscape?

MTU faculty member and researcher Timothy Scarlett has been studying Keweenaw's post-mining communities for decades; community engagement is integral to his work. Michigan Tech's Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Ph.D. program is the only of its kind in the world.

Q: You narrowed the criteria to exclude nonmetallic mines. Why? Does that mean other kinds of mines arent suitable?

RS: This remains to be seen, but why not go after the best resource available? If the United States had supergiant oil and natural gas fields like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, we might have never seen hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling be so prevalent in the country.

TS: We wanted to do our first study of a mine that was entirely underground because we were imagining a facility that was self-contained, meaning it wasnt drawing water from or discharging into natural lakes, streams or other waterways. Designing that type of system requires that the geology be solid to support the weight of the rock and water. Some types of mine ore, such as coal, are notoriously unstable because of the mineralogy of the ore and the types of rocks commonly found with the ore. So in our large study, we excluded mine types and ore types commonly associated with unstable undergrounds.

Play Now Playing: Michigan Tech Research on YouTube video Now Playing: Michigan Tech Research on YouTube Expand Old energy policies out. Energy transition in. Tech faculty member and energy policy expert Roman Sidortsov says harnessing a resource we already have  mines that can store energy to use as needed  can help propel new power security and stability around the world.

Keep in mind that the United States Geological Survey data includes all kinds of things extracted in economic geology: coal mines, quarries for gravel, clay and sand pits, salt, etc., as well as mine types like open-pit or those commonly known as mountain-top removal mines. There are other types of energy storage systems that might function in mines like those, but they are technologies that are still under development. We wanted to be able to tell people, We have been very conservative, but this is the number of mines we think could work for this type of facility.

30,000

people provided with continuous power for 3.5 months  at a profit  at the Mather B Mine site alone.

1,000

possible sites for grid-scale PUSH facilities in the U.S., with the capacity to meet the nations projected storage needs

Q: One of the major questions is how dewatering and potential wastewater contamination would be handled. How does the report address this scenario?

RS: Our water testing did not show any major concerns, but we were limited in the depth we were able to reach. Both mine water treatment and mine dewatering is something that mining companies do all the time. Like with pumped storage hydro, no new technologies are necessary to get the job done.

TS: It is important to remember that if a mine is filled with polluted water, that water already exists and is in the environment. The abandoned mine is already exchanging water with the local groundwater, or draining into surface waters. Because the mine is sealed off at the surface does not mean the pollution will go away. The key question is, If we start pumping this water around, will this make the water quality worse? That question needs more research.

Now we know that a PUSH facility could be profitable, operating to store and resell energy and providing grid services. So once the PUSH facility is built and operating, what would it cost to add a water treatment system to the facility? If the site is established as a sustainable, long-term revenue-generating utility, there will be ways to sustainably treat the water. Perhaps the facilitys operator could use regular tax incentives to offset water treatment costs and improve the water quality in the mine, for example.

Could the utility operator also operate a reclamation system to recover the valuable metals dissolved in the warm mine water? The facility is already pumping the water around and making money. What is the marginal cost of adding a reclamation system to the process? Mines commonly recapture minerals from aqueous solutions. And while thinking about that, what about the heat energy? What would the marginal cost be of adding a geothermal heat pump or binary cycle power generator to the system? Could you harvest the minerals and the thermal energy as valuable materials?

"We know how to treat mine water. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency approved discharges of treated water from Anacondas old Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana. The Berkeley Pit is among the most toxic and polluted mine water in the world. It is not a question of whether or not the water can be treated, it is only a question of who will pay for it." Timothy Scarlett, PUSH team member and industrial archaeology expert

An operating utility or industrial facility using a formerly abandoned mine provides a tenant who will keep an eye on abandoned mine remains, water quality, old impoundments and so on.

Q: About $5 million in federal funding was initially set aside for mine remediation programs. Billions of dollars more have since been aimed at these issues, including $9 billion for energy transition and climate in the 2022 White House budget. How do you see the PUSH initiative fitting in?

RS: Very well. What can these facilities do for these particular communities to make sure damage is remediated? If you already have a place where these facilities can work, theres no need to put more holes in the ground. Also, siting an electricity storage system in a place that was used for industrial purposes means that another greenfield site  one that has not been developed  can be left alone, avoiding environmental damage.

TS: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act put aside $3 billion for abandoned hardrock mine reclamation projects. President Bidens proposal for the 2023 fiscal year budget includes programs in energy development and former mine land remediations. Agencies are looking for plans for integrated solutions that mix reclamation design, greenspace expansion and renewable energy development. We could design such projects around an underground PUSH system and begin converting former mine lands into reclaimed landscapes that produce sustainable, carbon-neutral energy and provide it to the grid with long-duration storage built in. No need for more batteries and more mines to make them.

Q: Aesthetic, environmental and community concerns about energy infrastructure development figured hugely in this research. Tim, youve said old mines matter to people. Theyre a heritage resource. How did that factor into the research?

RS: Aesthetic concerns are what killed many conventional pumped storage projects in the past. Putting an industrial-looking facility on a mountainside is off-putting to many. No such concerns exist if the facility is inside a mine.

TS: These concerns were foundational to our approach and we had many expectations about those concerns. But for this study, we tried to imagine a PUSH system at its most basic. Could a private developer build a PUSH system in the Mather Mine in Negaunee and make money? Now that we have insight on that, we can explore variations. We have this pre-feasibility study that people in government and industry can sink their teeth into, that current- and post-mining communities and other interest groups can consider. Now we have a framework around which we can really talk about tangible pluses and minuses, advantages and disadvantages. This example shows that it is worth making more serious investments in PUSH solutions. It will be worthwhile for organizations and individuals to put the time and energy into relationships and collaborations among regulators, investors, municipal staff, community organizers and consumers.

Q: What and who do you hope this report will inspire? What are the next steps they can take?

RS: As an energy scholar, I hope to see a paradigm shift in the way we make decisions about energy. Lets ask what energy is for, and where and how it is made.

"If we need a quarter, lets look under the couch first before building a mint. In the case of PUSH, we might find enough quarters to help power the world for a long time." Roman Sidortsov, PUSH team leader, energy policy expert

TS: I hope we can develop more partnerships so Michigan Tech can facilitate more of these studies  much more could be done. There are a series of emerging energy and environmental technologies that could be designed into PUSH facilities to make them even more profitable or valuable or extend the benefits a facility would create: direct geothermal HVAC, binary-cycle geothermal electric power, carbon capture, superdense fluid-based PUSH, hydrometallurgical extraction and mineral recovery and so on. I hope we can start thinking about abandoned mines ecologically, really embracing circular design, and shifting mining away as far as possible from naked extraction, instead making it a part of developing sustainable and fair energy systems for resilient communities.

Q: How does your work on this continue?

RS: I would like to keep going deep and wide, mapping more sites in the U.S. and worldwide, developing frameworks for comprehensive assessments. We have a couple of pending grant applications that we hope will enable us to do so. This idea is too valuable and too promising to not continue.

What does Roman Sidortsov's family pup Archie have to do with the energy policy faculty member and researcher's breakthrough idea? Find out more in our PUSH Q&A video and upcoming stories  and subscribe to Michigan Tech News for weekly updates on campus life and life-changing research.

TS: Im excited to talk with residents from other post-mining communities  their civic and municipal leaders, teachers and students, and others living with mining legacies. This is a rare moment in time where communities can choose to leverage their liabilities as assets. Local residents and community organizations have information of value to planners and designers during the energy transition. I want these communities to understand PUSH and related technologies as potential problem-solving opportunities, appreciate the value of the information they have about their heritage, conduct their own heritage assessments and build consensus about potential projects, and understand how to use existing policy and regulatory processes in their favor. Id like to send teams of PUSH-project students to visit communities, engaging them in their homes and landscapes. Id also like to bring people from mining communities here to Michigan Tech and the Copper Country, such as groups of high school teachers and students, so they can learn about PUSH and see examples of how others have converted heritage mines into sustainable assets in our communities. When they get home, theyd become leaders for conversations about processes of sustainable design, helping people do their own pre-feasibility studies and building social consensus about the future. The energy transition is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get things right. I want to help with one part of that.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Muhlenberg grad works in Sierra Leone as part of Princeton in Africa Fellowship

Olivia Charendoff 20 is working with the International Rescue Committee to help support business development, healthcare initiatives and female empowerment in the African country for the next year.

By: Sarah Wojcik Monday, August 8, 2022 03:16 PM

Olivia Charendoff arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone in July 2022.

Olivia Charendoff 20 spent the years since her graduation from Muhlenberg helping with peacebuilding efforts in Africa from afar. Internships with Search for Common Ground and Centers for Civilians in Conflict, two D.C.-based organizations focused on strengthening peace efforts and protecting vulnerable civilians on the continent, were fulfilling and impactful.

The only thing missing was experiencing these efforts on the ground, alongside the people she was learning from, working with and helping to support.

That all changed this summer after Charendoff earned a spot as part of the Princeton in Africa Fellowship. She and 27 other fellows will spend the next year working alongside 17 organizations within 13 different African countries.

Princeton in Africa is an independent, non-profit organization affiliated with Princeton University and seeks to develop future leaders dedicated to African affairs. Charendoff is the first Muhlenberg alumni to earn a fellowship with the program.

A French & Francophone studies major with minors in political science and anthropology, Charnedoff is living in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for the next year. She is working with the International Rescue Committee, where shell be writing grants and supporting projects aimed at helping support business development in the country, healthcare initiatives and female empowerment.

Charendoff believes its essential that people supporting positive change in countries like Sierra Leone spend time there themselves to understand the culture and the people.

One of the reasons I went after this opportunity was because I had done so much remote support programming  I really wanted to get experience actually living and working in one of these countries, Charendoff said. We tend to forget that all people dont live the way we do and all people arent always interested in living the way we do. I hope that this year gives me the knowledge and experience that makes my participation in international development more ethical.

When she reflects on how she arrived in the bustling port city through such a competitive fellowship, Charendoffs mind immediately goes back to her Muhlenberg experience and the ways in which she was encouraged to expand her academic interests at every turn.

Theres so much mentorship and so much one-on-one attention paid to your path and the support you need, Charendoff said. Something that definitely got me to where I am now is that anything I was interested in, I was allowed and encouraged to explore and tie it into what I was already doing.

Initially interested in studying theatre, Charendoff said she was captivated early by French & Francophone studies. As her years went on, she found herself drawn to political science and anthropology andmore specificallythe ways in which the fields approached concepts with different viewpoints.

But it was her French studies, Charendoff said, that helped propel her to her post-graduate opportunities, where her fluency and translation skills were in high demand.

French & Francophone studies opened up so many doors for me. Im so grateful for that major, she said.

So far, living in Freetown has been humbling, Charendoff said, as she learns to navigate a world very different from the one shes been used to. Unable to use the internet to get the answers she needs, Charendoff has found an unexpected trade-off: immediate entry in a welcoming community.

And thats something that Ive learned so many Americans take for grantedwe have so much information at our fingertips that we dont have to interact with the people in our community, she said. But if I need something here, I have to get it by word of mouth. And so these social relationships here are totally different. People here operate with much better faith assumptions in people they dont know.
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The Malampaya natural gas facility supplies fuel to three major power plants in the Philippines northern and main island of Luzon, providing 40% of its energy requirement.
Journal-Courier

The Franklin school board is scheduled to meet in special session at 6:30 p.m. today in the media room of the high school, 110 State St.

The board will meet in closed session, after which it is expected to:
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting South Africa as part of his three-nation African tour, said here Monday that focusing on economic trade, health and climate change was vital for both countries
Duncan_Andison/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Jacksonville City Council is scheduled to meet in regular session by 7 p.m. today in the Municipal Building, 200 W. Douglas Ave. The meeting will follow a 6 p.m. workshop and will be streamed live on the city's website, jacksonvilleil.gov.

Among the items on the agenda are:
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Authorities on Monday identified the fourth victim in a series of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the deaths sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities nationwide.

Three of the slayings happened in the last two weeks. Now law enforcement officials are seeking help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the killings in New Mexicos largest city. The common elements were the victims race and religion, officials said.

Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, and ambush shootings killed three other Muslim men over the past nine months. Police are trying to determine if the homicides are linked.

The killings have spread fear beyond New Mexico, where Muslims comprise less than 1% of adults in the statewide population of 2.1 million, according to the Pew Research Center.

The fact the suspect remains at large is terrifying, Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, wrote on Twitter. Who is next?!

In a phone interview, Almontaser said that a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab head covering shared with her over the weekend just how rattled she was. Shes like, This is so terrifying. Im so scared. I travel alone, Almontaser said.

Hussain, 25, was from Pakistan. His death came just days after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The earliest case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.

Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community reeling from the killings, its grief compounded by confusion and fear of what may follow.

We are just completely shocked and still trying to comprehend and understand what happened, how and why, she said.

Three of those killed attended the center, and the fourth was well-known in the community, Abad said.

Some people have avoided going out unless absolutely necessary, and some Muslim university students have been wondering whether it is safe for them to stay in the city. The center has also beefed up its security, she said.

Police said the same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides  a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with dark tinted windows. Authorities released photos hoping people could help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Investigators did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in the slayings. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency has received tips regarding the car but did not elaborate.

We have a very, very strong link, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. We have a vehicle of interest  We have got to find this vehicle.

Gallegos said he could not comment on what kind of gun was used in the shootings, or whether police know how many suspects were involved in the violence.

President Joe Biden said he was angered and saddened by the killings and that his administration stands strongly with the Muslim community.

These hateful attacks have no place in America, Biden said Sunday in a tweet.

The conversation about safety has also dominated WhatsApp groups and email groups that Almontaser is on.

What weve seen happen in New Mexico is very chilling for us as a Muslim minority community in the United States that has endured so much backlash and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks, she said. Its frightening.

Few anti-Muslim hate crimes have been recorded in Albuquerque over the last five years, according to FBI data cited by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino.

From 2017 through 2020, there was one anti-Muslim hate crime a year. The highest recent number was in 2016, when Albuquerque police recorded six out of a total of 25 hate crimes.

That largely tracks with national trends, which hit the lowest numbers in a decade in 2020, only to increase by 45% in 2021 in a dozen cities and states, Levin said.

Albuquerque authorities say they cannot determine if the slayings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and a motive.

Louis Schlesinger, a forensic psychology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said bias killings are often perpetrated by a small group of people, typically young white men. A lone perpetrator is rare.

These are basically total losers by every dimension, whether its social, economic, psychological, what have you, he said. Theyre filled with hatred for one reason or another and target a particular group that they see, in their mind, to blame for all their problems in life.

It was not clear whether the victims knew their attacker or attackers.

The most recent victim was found dead after police received a call of a shooting. Authorities declined to say whether the killing was carried out in a way similar to the other deaths.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had worked as a field organizer for a local congresswomans campaign.

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury issued a statement praising him as one of the kindest and hardest working people she has ever known. She said the urban planner was committed to making our public spaces work for every person and cleaning up legacy pollution.

As land-use director for the city of Espanola  more than 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of Albuquerque  Hussain worked to improve conditions and inclusivity for disadvantaged minorities, according to the mayors office.

The city staff has lost a member of our family, and we all have lost a brilliant public servant, Espanola Mayor John Ramon Vigil said in a news release.

___

Dazio reported from Los Angeles and Fam from Winter Park, Florida. Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and AP news researchers Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
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PARIS (AP)  France was in the midst of its fourth heat wave of the year Monday as the country faces what the government warned is its worst drought on record.

National weather agency Meteo France said the heat wave began in the south and is expected to spread across the country and last until the weekend.

Overall, the southern half of France expects daytime temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) ad won't drop at night below 20 C (68 F).

The high temperatures aren't helping firefighters battling a wildfire in the Chartreuse Mountains near the Alps in eastern France, where authorities have evacuated around 140 people.

Meteo France said this week's heat wave will not be as intense as the one last month, when several regions experienced record-breaking temperatures. But the high temperatures come during the most severe drought ever recorded, according to the government. Last month was the driest July since measurements began in 1959.

Some French farmers have started to see a drops in production especially in soy, sunflower and corn yields.

Water restrictions in place range from daytime irrigation bans to limiting water usage to people, livestock and to keep aquatic species alive.

The government said last week that more than 100 municipalities can't provide drinking water through taps and need water truck supplies.

The heat also forced energy giant EDF to temporarily cut power generation at some of its nuclear plants, which use river water to cool reactors.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
Illinois is joining other states in taking aim at legislation they say discriminates against LGBTQ students.

A coalition of attorneys general that includes Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed a legal brief in opposition to an Indiana school district prohibiting a transgender student from using a restroom consistent with the student's gender identify and one that opposes Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law that limits school discussions about same-sex relationships.

The Indiana case, A.C. vs. Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, focuses on school district attempts to prohibit a 13-year-old transgender student from using the boys restroom. A brief filed on behalf of Raoul and 22 other attorneys general asks an appeals court to affirm a ruling against the school district.

Illinois is being joined by California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

In the Florida filing, Raoul and other attorneys general are supporting a group of students, parents, teachers and organizations challenging enforcement of the law.

The law prevents classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity and prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade, while also requiring the state education agency to write new classroom instruction standards that must be followed by fourth- through 12th-grade teachers.

Raoul and the coalition maintain the Florida law is extreme and causes significant harm that can result in increased rates of mental health disorders and suicide attempts. He joins attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Oregon.

"Across the country, we are seeing increased attacks on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, Raoul said. Discrimination has no place in the classroom  period. I will continue to work with fellow attorneys general from across the country to stand up for the rights of all students and will vehemently oppose unjust policies that jeopardize the education and emotional and physical well-being of LGBTQ+ students."
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Monday that each side is shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling caused a power surge and fire and forced staff to lower output from two reactors, while Ukraine has blamed Russian troops for storing weapons there.

Nuclear experts have warned that more shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which was captured by Russia early in the war, is fraught with danger.

The Kremlin echoed that Monday, claiming that Kyiv was attacking the plant and urging Western powers to force a stop to that.

Shelling of the territory of the nuclear plant by the Ukrainian armed forces is highly dangerous, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Its fraught with catastrophic consequences for vast territories, for the entire Europe.

Ukraine's military intelligence spokesman, Andriy Yusov, countered that Russian forces have planted explosives at the plant to head off an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region. Previously, Ukrainian officials have said Russia is launching attacks from the plant and using Ukrainian workers there as human shields.

Yusov called on Russia to "make a goodwill gesture and hand over control of the plant to an international commission and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), if not to the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, likewise urged that the United Nations, the IAEA and the international community send a delegation to completely demilitarize the territory and provide security guarantees to plant employees and the city where the plant is based, Enerhodar.

The IAEA is the U.N.s nuclear watchdog. Its director-general, Rafael Grossi, told The Associated Press last week that the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia plant is completely out of control, and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to allow experts to visit the complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support for that idea Monday, saying, "any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing.

One expert in nuclear materials at Imperial College London said the reactor at Zaporizhzhia is modern and housed inside a heavily reinforced steel-and-concrete building designed to protect against disasters.

As such, I do not believe there would be a high probably of a breach of the containment building, even if it was accidently struck by an explosive shell, and even less likely the reactor itself could be damaged, said Mark Wenman at the college's Nuclear Energy Futures.

He also said the complex's spent fuel tanks, where the shells reportedly hit, are strong and probably don't contain much spent fuel.

Although it may seem worrying, and any fighting on a nuclear site would be illegal according to international law, the likelihood of a serious nuclear release is still small, he said.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the attack Sunday caused a power surge and smoke, triggering an emergency shutdown. Fire teams extinguished flames, and the plants personnel lowered the output of reactors No. 5 and No. 6 to 500 megawatts, he said.

And the head of the Ukrainian company operating the plant said all but one power line connecting it to Ukraines energy system had been destroyed. Petro Kotin, head of the Ukrainian state corporation Eherhoatom, blamed Russian shelling and said a blackout would be very unsafe for such a nuclear facility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried the shelling and mining of the plant and called it nuclear blackmail. He called for sanctions against Moscows nuclear industry.

As fighting continued on the front lines, the United States on Monday pledged another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine. It would be the biggest delivery yet of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from U.S. Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces.

The latest announcement brings total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $9.1 billion since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24.

Ukraines presidential office said the Russians had shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the previous 24 hours, killing five people. Among the targets, it said, was Nikopol, just across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia plant. Thousands of people were without electricity there.

Russian rockets and artillery also hit across the Sumy region, killing one person, and the Ukrainian governor of the eastern Donetsk region said the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Lyman had emerged as fighting hotspots.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian-controlled areas in the south, officials there said, including the strategic Antonivskiy bridge in the southern city of Kherson. An artery for Russian military supplies, the bridge has been closed in recent weeks because of earlier shelling. Plans to reopen it on Wednesday were now shelved, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration of the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, one of the ships that left Ukraine on Friday under a deal to unblock grain supplies and stave off a global food crisis arrived in Turkey, the first loaded vessel to reach its destination. The Turkey-flagged Polarnet was laden with 12,000 tons of corn.

This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine wont abandon you, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. If Russia sticks to its obligations, the grain corridor will keep maintaining global food security.

Twelve ships have now been authorized to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations  10 outbound and two inbound. Some 322,000 metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports, the bulk of it corn but also sunflower oil and soya.

Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday were expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening for inspection to make sure they are carrying only food.

The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which left Odesa on Aug. 1, hit a snag with delivery, however. It was heading for Lebanon with 26,000 metric tons of corn for chicken feed but the corns buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the cargo, since it was delivered much later than its contract, Ukraine's embassy in Beirut said.

___

Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Mehmet Guzel in Derince, Turkey, and Andrew Wilks in Istanbul contributed.

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Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
AccuWeather

Drenching thunderstorms could bring scattered flooding this afternoon in the Jacksonville area but should not present much risk, according to the National Weather Service.

The potential for severe weather will be more significant from about Carrollton to locations south, forecasters said.
More Chinese companies expected to invest in Comoros

By Maoulana Charif (People's Daily Overseas Edition) 15:45, August 08, 2022

Maoulana Charif, Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China (Haiwainet/Ji Xingzhao)

Comoros, a developing country, has been advancing the "Emerging Comoros Plan for 2030" strategy with the aim of turning the country into an emerging market with full vitality. The "Emerging Comoros Plan for 2030" mainly involves sectors with immense potential, including tourism, handicraft industry, agriculture, industry and finance.

The "Emerging Comoros Plan for 2030" strategy has been fully planned to seek synergy with some international development agendas, such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035. Among them, the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 adopted in the Dakar Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2021 is of great significance to Africa. Under the first three-year plan of the vision, China announced nine programs of China-Africa cooperation and we welcome this. More support from China is expected as we are advancing the "Emerging Comoros Plan for 2030" strategy and Chinese companies are welcomed to invest in Comoros.

Comoros and China enjoy long-lasting and stable cooperation and the development of bilateral relations is built on the basis of friendship, equality, solidarity and mutual benefit. On behalf of Comoros, I would like to express our thanks to China for its strong support for us in such areas as infrastructure, education and health. For example, Chinese companies have helped to promote the development of private economy in Comoros and helped local workers to learn technologies. China has also sent a medical team to Comoros and provided us with free COVID-19 vaccines to assist our fight against the pandemic. I want to extend our special gratitude to these efforts.

It is worth mentioning in particular that Chinas remarks have received warm response from the government and people of Comoros that China stands ready to promote the implementation of the nine programs of China-Africa cooperation in Comoros and seek synergy with the "Emerging Comoros Plan for 2030" strategy. Businesses in Comoros are highly inspired by the announcement that Comoros is welcome to make good use of the "green channel" for African agricultural products to be exported to China and the zero-tariff policy for products from the least developed countries to enter China, so as to promote more high-quality products from Comoros to enter the Chinese market.

Comoros, with abundant natural resources, promises enormous development potential. Taking the industry sector, which has been listed in the "Emerging Comoros Plan for 2030", as an example, Comoros has been committed to increasing the share of the processing industry to release its great potential of creating more added value and jobs. Comoros industrialization involves oil and mineral resources exploitation as well as agricultural products processing. The latter includes extraction of Ylang Ylang essential oil, perfume making and seafood processing. Comoros is ready to welcome all investors from China and elsewhere in the world.

(By Maoulana Charif, Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
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Australia calls for cooling of Taiwan Strait tensions View Photo

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday called for a cooling of tensions after Beijing accused her of finger-pointing in her criticism of Chinas military exercises in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

Wong criticized Chinas launch of ballistic missiles during the ongoing air and sea drills around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. She also signed a joint statement with the United States and Japan on Saturday that condemned firing of missiles into Japanese exclusive economic zones and accused China of raising tension and destabilizing the region.

The Chinese Embassy in Australia replied to the trilateral statement, saying: It is absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on Chinas justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The embassy accused Australia of doing the bidding of the United States, which China described as the biggest saboteur and destabilizer of peace in the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability.

We  hope that the Australian side could treat the Taiwan question with caution, does not follow certain countries strategy of containing China with Taiwan, and does not create new troubles and disturbances in China-Australia relations, an embassy statement said.

Wong declined to comment on the state of the Sino-Australian relationship following Pelosis visit last week. Beijing had signaled a potential reset in the relationship following the new Australian governments election in May. Relations had plumbed new depths during the previous governments nine years in power.

What is most critical at the moment is that the temperature is lowered and calm is restored when it comes to cross-strait tensions, Wong told reporters.

Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge de-escalation, and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for, and the whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored, Wong added.

Asked how Australia was a developing foreign policy independent of the United States, Wong told reporters: Australia is always guided by our national interests.

She later hosted U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at Parliament House. Sherman came to Australia after visiting Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga  South Pacific island nations where China is increasing its influence.

Sherman said at the outset of talks with Wong that the United States and Australia share a commitment in deepening cooperation with the Pacific islands who are critical partners.

Wongs call for restraint was backed by Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, who was in the Australian capital Canberra for the opening of a new embassy.

Rinkevics drew parallels between Chinese military assertiveness over Taiwan with Russias invasion of Ukraine.

It is very important to understand that China is also very carefully watching what is happening in Europe, what is happening in Ukraine, he said. It is very important that we work together and we provide the same kind of message of the need to have a restraint, not to overreact in their actions and not to create another regional and global hotspot.

Latvia wants Russia declared a state sponsor of terrorism and has urged other countries to follow the Latvian lead by denying all Russians any type of visa.

By ROD McGUIRK

Associated Press
As Israel-Palestinian truce holds, Gaza power plant restarts View Photo

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gazas sole power plant resumed operations Monday and Israel began reopening crossings into the territory.

Israel also lifted security restrictions on southern Israeli communities after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday.

War-weary people in Gaza and Israel were left to pick up the pieces after another round of violence  the worst since an 11-day war between Israel and the territorys militant Hamas rulers last year.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.

Over three days of fighting, 46 Palestinians were killed, including 16 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Twelve of those killed were Islamic Jihad militants, one was from a smaller armed group, and two were Hamas-affiliated policemen who were not taking part in the fighting, according to the armed factions.

Israel estimated a total of 47 Palestinians were killed, including 14 killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets. It said that 20 fighters and seven civilians died in Israeli airstrikes and that it is still investigating six deaths.

No Israelis were killed or seriously wounded in the fighting.

The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and an unraveling of economic understandings with Israel, including the issuing of Israeli work permits that provide a vital source of income for thousands of Gaza residents.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the group overran the territory in 2007. The clashes have exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territorys 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

The latest violence may have bolstered the political fortunes of Israels caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, who lacked experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job.

All our goals were achieved, Lapid said Monday. The entire senior military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza was successfully targeted within three days.

Israel began to reopen crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and said it would fully open them if calm continued. Fuel trucks were seen entering the main cargo crossing and heading for the power plant, which shut down Saturday after Israel closed the crossings.

That added to the misery at the height of the summer heat in the territory, which is under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and suffers from a chronic power crisis that leaves residents with only a few hours of electricity a day.

Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence, even as the countrys sophisticated Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted many of the rockets.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on an Islamic Jihad commander, saying there were concrete threats of an anti-tank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of a senior Islamic Jihad member in the occupied West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank following a spate of Palestinian attacks.

Israel killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike on Saturday.

Both sides boasted of their successes. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite losing two commanders. This is a victory for Islamic Jihad, he said.

Despite that claim, the group undoubtedly sustained a blow. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets.

Israel said some of the deaths in Gaza were caused by errant militant rocket fire, including in the Jebaliya refugee camp, where seven Palestinians were killed Saturday. The army said the deaths of five Palestinians in Jebaliya were still under investigation, apparently referring to five children killed in an explosion in a cemetery on Sunday.

The cease-fire deal contained a promise that Egypt would work for the release of two senior Islamic Jihad detainees held by Israel. The weekend fighting is also bound to complicate Islamic Jihads relations with Hamas.

In the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli troops demolished the homes of two Palestinians suspected of carrying out a deadly attack against Israelis in the city of Elad in May. The soldiers faced a violent protest during the operation, the military said.

Tor Wennesland, the top U.N. Mideast envoy, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the cease-fire is fragile and any resumption of hostilities will have devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis and make any political progress elusive.

He condemned the Palestinian rocket fire while recognizing Israels security concerns. He said any use of force must be proportionate, with all feasible steps taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 1,100 rockets toward Israel, with about 200 landing inside the Palestinian enclave. The army said its air defenses intercepted 380, including two fired toward Jerusalem. The military did not specify what happened to the remainder, but they most likely fell in open areas or broke up in flight.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israels destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

Over the past year, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza laborers and has held out the prospect of 2,000 more.

___

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

By FARES AKRAM and TIA GOLDENBERG

Associated Press
Blinken says US is equal partner with African countries View Photo

JOHANNESBURG (AP)  The United States sees Africas 54 nations as equal partners in tackling global problems, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in South Africa Monday.

Our strategy is rooted in the recognition that sub-Saharan Africa is a major geopolitical force  one that has shaped our past, is shaping our present, and will shape our future, Blinken said at the University of Pretoria in a speech detailing the Biden administrations policies for Africa.

Its a strategy that reflects the regions complexity, its diversity, its agency; and one that focuses on what we will do with African nations and peoples, not for African nations and peoples, he said.

Blinken said that the United States and African nations cant achieve any of our shared priorities  whether thats recovering from the pandemic; creating broad-based economic opportunities; addressing the climate crisis; expanding energy access; revitalizing democracies; or strengthening the free and open international order  if we dont work together, as equal partners.

South African academics and students responded warmly to Blinkens speech, which was a broad declaration of U.S. intentions toward sub-Saharan Africa. The United States is often faulted for overlooking the continent in recent decades, opening space for Russian and Chinese interests to make significant inroads.

The United States top diplomat is in South Africa as part of a three-nation tour of Africa including Congo and Rwanda in what is seen as a contest between Western nations and Russia to win support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.

Blinkens tour follows recent trips to African countries by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

South Africa is among many African countries that have taken a neutral stance on the Ukraine war.

Before his speech, Blinken met in Pretoria, South Africas administrative capital, with Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor. Pandor appears to have maintained her countrys refusal to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, in a press briefing following the meeting, Pandor criticized the U.S. and other Western powers for focusing on the Ukraine conflict to the detriment of other international issues.

We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine, as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine, she said.

Before the closed-door meeting with Pandor, Blinken had said that the United States good relations with South Africa would allow them to be frank in discussing their differences.

Many African countries have declined to follow the U.S. lead in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some were among more than a dozen African governments that have signed security deals with the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian mercenary group that the U.S. and other countries say is backed by the Kremlin.

Sub-Saharan nations also have been major recipients of Chinese investment through its Belt and Road Initiative, which supports infrastructure developments.

___

AP journalists Chris Megerian and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, D.C. contributed.

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

Associated Press
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DALLAS (AP)  A man accused of fatally shooting his two teenage daughters in a taxi in the Dallas area in 2008 told jurors in his capital murder trial on Monday that he fled the vehicle before they were killed because he thought someone wanted to kill him.

Definitely not, I did not kill my daughters, said Yaser Said, whose testimony in Arabic was translated to English.

Said evaded arrest for over 12 years following the slayings of his daughters, 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said. Yaser Said, who faces an automatic life sentence if convicted, said he did not turn himself in because he didn't think he would get a fair trial.

The prosecution and defense both rested their cases Monday afternoon. Jurors are set to hear closing arguments Tuesday morning.

Said, 65, worked as a taxi driver, and a former police detective has testified that the taxi the sisters' bodies were found in on New Year's Day in 2008 near a hotel in had been lent to Said.

Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice.

In a letter written to the judge overseeing the case, Said had said he was not happy with his kids dating activity but denied killing his daughters.

Said told jurors that the evening the sisters' were killed, he was taking them to dinner because he wanted to solve the problem after they had left home a week earlier, going to Oklahoma with their mother and their boyfriends.

I was upset because in my culture its something to get upset about, said Said, who testified that he was born in Egypt, came to the U.S. in 1983 and later became a U.S. citizen.

Prosecutor Lauren Black said during opening statements that the sisters had become very scared for their lives, and the decision to leave was made after Said put a gun to Aminas head and threatened to kill her. Black told jurors that Said was obsessed with possession and control.

Said's former wife, Patricia Owens, has testified that Said eventually had convinced her to return to Texas from Oklahoma.

Said testified that as he was driving to dinner with his daughters on the evening they were killed, he thought someone was following the taxi. He said he did not know who it might be but assumed it might be friends of his daughters. He testified that he was fearful someone would harm him, so he left his daughters in the taxi and ran into nearby woods.

I did not expect anyone would harm them, Said testified.

Jurors heard a 911 call Sarah Said made by cell phone, telling the operator that her father shot her and that she was dying.

Defense attorney Joseph Patton said in opening statements that the evidence would not support a conviction and that police were too quick to focus on Said. He also said that in moments of extreme trauma, like being shot multiple times, people can have hallucinations.

Amina Saids boyfriend has testified that the evening she and her sister were killed, he and his father saw them riding in the taxi with their father.

Yaser Said, who had been sought on a capital murder warrant since the slayings, was placed on the FBI's most-wanted list. He was finally arrested in August 2020 in Justin, about 35 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. His son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassim Said, were subsequently convicted of helping him evade arrest.
Criminal Case Disposition Report

July 2022

Avery Jay Alvarez: Prohibited substance in a correctional facility, alcohol/drugs/phone/tobacco  convicted; confinement  4 years  Texas Department of Corrections

Gavin Craig Hernandez: Abandon or endanger a child, criminal negligence  convicted; confinement  20 months  State Jail, CSCD and Community Control  5 years

Julian Torres Guerra: Possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, at least 1 gram, less than 4 grams  dismissed; in the interest of justice

Sean Richard Neal: Possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 3, at least 28 grams, less than 200 grams  convicted; confinement  3 years  Texas Department of Corrections

Patrick Louis Morales: Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon  dismissed; insufficient evidence

Kevin Dewayne Garza: Aggravated robbery  dismissed

Jennifer Diane Wade: Unauthorized use of a vehicle  convicted; confinement  2 years  Texas Department of Corrections
Thirty-five years later, the daughter of a local homicide victim is still searching for answers.

July 31, 1987 started out normal for the OCanas Aldana household.

Lupe OCanas Aldana spent her day at work at the local Cargill Meat Packing plant then came home to her daughters who had friends over for a sleepover.

My mom walks in, takes a shower, puts on her pajamas, Claudia Martinez recalled to The Herald.

The household settled in for what was supposed to be a fun night.

The kids were split up. A couple were outside camping on the trampoline and the youngest were inside setting up camp in the house. It was late and the kids were all supposed to have been asleep when there was a knock at the door.

Lupe went to the door and found her boyfriend, Miguel Duran standing outside. Witnesses later told investigators they heard Duran and Aldana arguing. Then he shot her.

Witness reports from the kids note they walked into the living room after hearing the commotion and found Aldana bleeding on the floor so one of her kids called 9-1-1.

An incident report from the Hale County Sheriffs Office notes dispatch received a call about a person being shot around 4:10 a.m. on Aug. 1, 1987 at 710 E. 34th St.

Law enforcement and first responders arrived at the scene and talked to the kids present as Aldana was transported to the hospital. Deputies went to the hospital to speak with the victim around 5 a.m.

I walked up to the south side of the bed that the shooting victim was laying on, reads the investigation report. She had an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth. I asked, did your boyfriend shoot you. (sic) She shook her head affirmative. I ask, did Miguel Duran shoot you. She again shook her head affirmative.

According to Herald archives, Aldana died at 8:30 a.m., a few hours after talking with officers. Soon after, a murder warrant was issued for Duran, who was 38 at the time. Aldana was 37.

At the time, authorities believed Duran had fled to Mexico.

The case has grown cold since but Martinez has continued her mission to seek justice for her mother by taking every chance shes had to keep the case in the spotlight in hopes of finding new leads.
(Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday greeted another bus of migrants who arrived on the East Coast sent by Texas, saying their treatment by the states governor has been horrific.

A first bus of about 50 migrants arrived on Friday, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott saying he was testing New Yorks commitment to being a sanctuary city. Abbott also said more buses would be sent.

I have to provide services for families that are here, Adams said. And thats what were going to do. Thats our responsibility as a city.

Adams met the asylum seekers, which included young children, at the citys Port Authority Bus Terminal. Taxi drivers helped transport them to shelters.

Adams again slammed Abbott and said some who made the journey didnt know where they were going.

This is horrific when you think about what the governor is doing, he said. The governor of Texas, after a month of traveling across the border, placing [them] on the bus with no direction, to come here.

They were forced on the bus with the understanding that they were going to other locations, Adams added.

Last week, Adams accused Abbott of using the migrants as political pawns. Abbott, who has made cracking down on undocumented immigration a prominent part of his re-election campaign, has also sent bus-loads of migrants to Washington, accusing President Joe Bidens administration of allowing a surge in crossings at the southern US border.

Buses of migrants have long crisscrossed the US, traveling from border towns to destinations within the interior. But Abbotts caravans are unique because they are part of a state-funded program to transport migrants across state lines to dropoff destinations unilaterally selected by state officials.

In Washington, the buses from Texas were filled with migrants who volunteered to take the trip.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser asked the federal government to deploy National Guard troops for help with a humanitarian crisis for the capital. She said Friday that the Defense Department denied the request and she was considering resubmitting it.

Election Year

Border security and migration are a political battleground as Republicans hammer the Biden administration ahead of midterm elections to do more to physically stop crossings of people seeking asylum.

There were about 207,000 encounters, or recorded crossings, at the border in June, just shy of 7,000 per day, according to US Customs and Border Protection data. Thats about 10% more than last June.

The White House has said a process exists to manage migrants at the border and that the federal government would support Adams and other local leaders through Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funding.

Its the latest stunt from the governor  another stunt of busing desperate migrants across the country and hes using them as a political ploy. I mean, thats what hes been doing and its shameful, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday. Its costing the state of Texas $1.5 million.

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Richard E. Aaron/Redferns

Kathy Valentine made her own history with all-female band The Go-Go's, which was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the bassist is looking back on an infamous night in San Antonio's music history. Valentine, who is from Austin, shared a photo on Twitter showing herself as a teen at the Sex Pistols show in San Antonio.

"I've been looking for this photo credit forever!" she posted to Twitter on Sunday, August 7. "He found me and is making me prints. It's me & teen bff Marilyn at the Sex Pistols concert in San Antonio. She died a year ago today, so a good time to post in her memory--and now I get to say thanks to Tom McMahon."
For local fans of Japanese food and culture, mochi ice cream is a delicious gem that you can find across San Antonio. For those unaware of the dessert, its a sticky rice cake that formed around an ice cream filling. Whether youre already obsessed with mochi or not, trust these spots to have you covered with this yummy treat.

Whether you opt for ramen or sushi (or both), this Blanco Road eatery also has plenty of options for those saving room for dessert. Thankfully, youll find mochi on Wild Gojis menu, available in five flavors: green tea, red bean, strawberry, mango, and even chocolate. Take your pick!

Find it: 7115 Blanco Road #110, San Antonio, TX 78216; 210-277-0638

Yelp / Y E.

Sushishima Japanese Restaurant

With two locations in San Antonio, the local Japanese chain has a stacked lineup that will not leave satisfied. Share a dessert with someone at the table so you can order the mochi. This goodness is available in mango, strawberry, green tea, chocolate, and red bean. Yum!

Find it: 1205 N Loop 1604 W Access Road #230, San Antonio, TX 78258; 210-492-2338

Yelp / Vonia P.

Heros Ramen X Sushi

Within the tiny Japanese market at the front of this local ramen spot, youll find a freezer full of mochi ice cream. Serve yourself all the mochi youd like, but be advised that youll find a large selection with 8 sweet flavors. Good luck choosing!

Find it: 13444 West Avenue, Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78216; 210-481-4950

Yelp / Melanie D.

Sushiholic

Mochi ice cream is up for grabs at this Bandera Road outpost. Coming in pairs, you can enjoy one of three flavors: coffee, green tea, or red bean.

Find it: 11619 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78250; 210-523-8888

Yelp / Marco C.

Bakudan Ramen

A growing favorite for Japanese foods, Bakudan Ramen has it all going on. The mochi ice cream comes in pairs and youll get to choose between green tea, strawberry, and vanilla. Mochi for the win!

Find it: 17619 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78257; 210-257-8080

Mike Sutter /Staff

Niki's Tokyo Inn

Serving San Antonio for more than 50 years, Nikis Tokyo Inn is a cozy spot with a large lineup of Japanese fare. No matter what your feast includes, top off your meal with something sweet. Mochi ice cream, anyone? Choose between strawberry and green tea.

Find it: 819 W Hildebrand Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212; 210-736-5471

Yelp / Ash M.

Minnano Japanese Grocery

This kawaii grocery lets folks stock up on a variety of Japanese goods and sweets so you can cure your antojo for mochi. Packaged frozen, you can get your mix of flavors and take this sweetness to-go. Weve heard good things about the red bean variety.

Find it: 7460 Callaghan #310, San Antonio, TX 78229; 210-340-7900
Courtesy of Taco Cabana

Apparently Hatch chile is the new pumpkin spice, and Taco Cabana is capitalizing on the trend with its spicy new take on the traditional frozen libation with the new Hatch Chile Lime Margarita. You heard that right. They're putting Hatch chile in margaritas.

Hatch chile is in season (seriously, just check your local grocery store) and Taco Cabana is pairing its new menu items with its "refreshing frozen margarita with a kick," according to a news release. The new frozen marg can be purchased all this month for $4 along with its staple of 12 other margarita flavors on the menu for $3.
Update: Tuesday, August 9: Austin police have identified a body that was found while searching for an injured hiker who fell off a cliff at Mount Bonnell, according to the city's CBS affiliate TV station.

The deceased person has been identified as 21-year-old Prabin Gharti. Police say the death does not appear to be suspicious. Austin police did not provide any more details on the person.

Original story

First responders found a dead body while searching for an injured visitor who fell off a steep cliff at a park in Texas on Saturday, August 6, according to tweets from the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.

Officials responded to a call of someone being injured and falling off the Mount Bonnell cliff in Austin's Covert Park around 7:30 p.m. Mount Bonnell is one of the highest points in Austin at 781 feet, according to Austin officials.

While searching for the injured visitor, crews found an "obviously deceased" patient, according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Crews located the injured visitor and airlifted the individual to a nearby hospital, officials said.

The Austin Police Department said it is investigating the death and said the person was deceased for "several days."

Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the scene along with the Austin Fire and Police departments and STAR Flight, responded.

APD told KXAN on Monday, August 8 that the death is not being considered suspicious at this time. It's unclear if that person also fell or how long they had been there.

The condition of the injured person who fell off the cliff is unknown at this time. No other information was provided.

Mount Bonnell, also known as Covert Park, is a prominent point alongside the Lake Austin portion of the Colorado River in Austin.
USCG Heartland

Five people were ejected and two were killed in a boat collision in the Texas Gulf near Freeport, south of Galveston, on Saturday, August 6, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. The boats collided head-on, official said.

The fatal crash occurred around 9:15 p.m. when a person who was operating a 22-foot boat collided with a 24-foot vessel in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Mile Markers 382 and 384, the release stated. Officials said the boater and three passengers were traveling northbound when they crashed into the 24-foot vessel that was going southbound.
Update: 2 p.m., Wednesday, August 10: Actor and playright Lin-Manuel Miranda responded to the incident where a McAllen church illegally performed Hamilton with anti-LGBTQ messaging and biblical themes. On Wednesday, August 10, Miranda wrote on Twitter how he's grateful for everyone who reached out to him about the "illegal, unauthorized production."

"Now lawyers do their work," he added. "And always grateful to the @dramatistsguild, who have the backs of writers everywhere, be it your first play or your fiftieth."

The Dramatists Guild condemned the Door McAllen Church for its unauthorized production of Miranda's musical, according to a statement on Tuesday, August 9. The guild said the church changed lyrics and added text without permission.

"No writer's work, whether they are a student who has just written their first play, or Lin-Manuel Miranda, can be performed without their permission. And it is never okay to change the words, lyrics, or notes, without their express consent," the guild wrote in a statement.

Noam Galai/Getty Images

Original story:

A McAllen church is facing backlash for illegally performing Hamilton with anti-LGBTQ messaging and biblical themes, according to multiple reports. The Door Christian Fellowship Ministries of McAllen changed Lin-Manuel Miranda's rendition of the musical to incorporate a sermon that compared being gay with having an addiction.

The Hamilton team in New York told the Washington Post that it did not give a license or permission to the Door McAllen church in McAllen to stage the performance and that it was an illegal reproduction. The OnStage Blog, the first to report about the show, revealed the production live streamed the unauthorized show on Friday, August 5.

During the live streams, characters Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler Hamilton talked about how Jesus "saved" them. After one of the performances, Pastor Victor Lopez gave a sermon with language that compared being gay to alcohol and drug addiction, according to OnStage Blog.

"He knows exactly what you've gone through," Lopez said, referring to God, according to the video. "You've gone through maybe broken marriages. Maybe you struggle with alcohol, with drugs  with homosexuality  maybe you struggle with other things in life, your finances, whatever, God can help you tonight. He wants to forgive you for your sins."

In a statement to the Dallas Morning News, Pastor Roman Gutierrez said he acquired legal permission from the team behind Hamilton to produce the church's show. In a sermon on Sunday, August 7, Gutierrez said that he received a request from a lawyer to remove videos of the performance published online. He added the church is not anti-LGBTQ and "everyone is always welcome"

Miranda's Hamilton team denied giving the pastor permission to perform the show, according to the Dallas Morning News. The team said that they sent the church a cease and desist letter on Saturday, August 6 after the Friday performance. Hamilton allowed the church to continue with Saturday's show as long as no pictures or videos were taken.
UPDATE: Military training exercises in San Antonio will be conducted by the U.S. Special Operations Command over the next several days, according to the Express-News.

A spokesperson for Mayor Ron Nirenberg told the Express-News that he only recently learned about the military training, despite a Sunday notice saying planning began "months ago." District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo also said that he didn't know about the training until reading a report by the Express-News on Sunday night.

Bravo told Express-News that a two weeks notice would have been more appropriate.

Original story follows below.

The San Antonio Police Department sent out a notice Sunday night, August 7, warning people in central and downtown that they might hear "explosions" Monday evening, August 8. Why? It's just the U.S. Army conducting military training from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., according to the notice.

SAPD said that the Army training will consist of "air and ground mobility operations," as well as close-quarters combat to "enhance soldiers skills by operating in a realistic environment." It adds that the central and downtown area provides "unique" terrain to "simulate environments troops may encounter when deployed."

The notice said that people in and around downtown San Antonio might hear "low-flying helicopters, simulated gunfire, and controlled explosions" during periods of darkness while the training is ongoing.

While the notice was sent out Sunday night, a statement from Police Chief William McManus said that meetings and planning for the training exercise began months ago.

"Being that San Antonio is known as 'Military City, USA,' we have a long history and strong relationship with the U.S. military, and were honored to be able to provide support to the U.S. Army as they conduct this critical training in our city," McManus said in the statement.

The notice said that safety precautions are in place to protect participants and residents, but it doesn't go into detail about what those precautions are, other than SAPD "personnel" will be on site to ensure that safety.
By John McGregor, a translator and political violence researcher

The mass transition to renewable energy will require a fundamental redesign of much of our technology and the infrastructure that supports it. Copper will be required in far greater quantities than it is currently.

A July 2022 analysis by S&P Global has identified that there will be a shortfall in the supply of copper as economies try to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Without the available copper, it will not be possible to implement the technological changes required for a renewable economy.

Even if major economies cant reach their reduction targets (a likely outcome), there will nevertheless be a notable increase in demand for copper and an eventual shortfall. This predictable shortfall will drive strategic national decisions. As copper is, or will be, so central to the economy of the emerging nation of Bougainville, this global demand for copper will direct Bougainvilles politics in the coming decades. Due to its resources and location in the Pacific, Bougainville will find itself at the center of the Western Powers ongoing campaign against China.

The S&P Global report analyzes the technological solutions that are currently being implemented to achieve the net-zero emissions goals established by different nations and finds that all aspects of the renewable energy transition will need more copper than current alternatives. The automotive sector is projected to be the biggest driver of copper demand because electric vehicles require significantly more copper than their internal combustion equivalents, but there are also smaller projected increases from transmission and distribution, and power generation. Emerging economies will also contribute to this greater demand for copper.

As the report notes, China is a key player in all phases of the copper industry:

China holds a preeminent position in copper smelting (47%), refining (42%), and usage (54%), in addition to its sizable position in production, making it the epicenter of world copper.

To maintain these high levels, China is the worlds largest importer of copper ores and concentrates.

China has invested heavily in overseas copper projects, particularly in Africa and is also expanding its diplomatic and commercial presence in the Pacific, where the nation of Bougainville is looking to re-open its large copper mine, which has been shut for over 30 years.

The Panguna mine was established in 1969 while the territory was under Australian colonial control as part of Papua New Guinea and soon became a source of contention with the local population. Bougainville Copper Limited, a subsidiary of Conzinc Rio Tinto of Australia, operated the mine from 1972 to 1989, when locals forced the mines closure towards the beginning of a decade-long conflict. In these years, the mine produced 3 million tonnes of copper, 306 tonnes of gold, and 784 tonnes of silver.

Bougainville made an initial play for independence in 1975 as PNG was itself gaining independence from Australia, but was unsuccessful. The territory remained part of PNG, under a marginal degree of autonomy. The Panguna mine generated 44% of PNGs foreign currency earnings while it operated, but only a small proportion of this flowed to Bougainville. In April 1988 the local landowners association filed a compensation claim against BCL and in November protestors sabotaged powerlines with stolen explosives.

In 1989, the uprising closed the mine and the PNG government declared a state of emergency. The PNG military engaged in a brutal campaign of repression and in 1990 imposed a blockade on the island. Former PNG PM Sir Michael Somare has testified that Rio Tintos influence over the government of PNG was so great that it directed government operations and even supplied resources for the fight. In 1996, the government of Julius Chan entered into an agreement with mercenaries Sandline International (who subcontracted to the South African Executive Outcomes). One of the long-term aims of the plan was detailed in a secret report to the government in 1996:

Retake and hold Panguna mine  this is the key element to the problem  the cause of it, the symbol of it and probably the end of the conflict.

The Sandline Affair, as it became known, resulted in Chans resignation under military and popular pressure.

The Bougainville combatants only declared a permanent ceasefire in 1998 and under the 2001 peace agreement, the territory was guaranteed an independence referendum.

When the Autonomous Bougainville Government passed the Bougainville Mining Act 2015, it converted BCLs leases into exploration licenses and subsequently refused to renew them. In July 2016, Rio Tinto transferred half of its shares in BCL to the ABG and half to PNG (and in the process attempted to distance itself from any responsibility for the environmental and health effects of the mine ). The remaining shareholders are public and institutional, and the PNG government has committed to transferring its shares to Bougainville.

In November 2019, 98% of Bougainvilleans voted for independence from PNG and initiated a process of negotiations.

Although there is still a judicial review pending into the refusal to extend BCLs exploration licenses, and BCL is not the only party to have made claims to the mine, a May 2022 article from the ABG announcing that the mine will reopen was explicit:

The ABG and the Panguna landowners have also agreed that the government with the landowners will jointly establish a completely new local Bougainville entity to develop the mine, and not an existing entity that has had history with the Panguna Mine.

ABG President Ishmael Toroama was also explicit about Pangunas role in Bougainvilles independence:

The Panguna Mine was the economic guarantee for Papua New Guineas independence in 1975, in the same manner the Panguna will be the economic guarantor for Bougainvilles Independence.

Bougainville will need sizeable investment, $5-6b, to reopen Panguna and is currently reliant on support from the central government in PNG and foreign aid. It will need external partners to fund the re-opening of the mine and get it operational.

The history of violence and environmental damage means that locals are unlikely to look kindly on any incarnation of Rio Tinto or BCL. The Hawke government in Australia (which provided substantial financial assistance) supported PNGs attempts to prevent Bougainvillean independence and encouraged a military response.

China has been expanding its interest in the region and Bougainville is a natural target for a Chinese charm campaign, as evidenced by its recent involvement in the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands are Bougainvilles closest neighbor, both geographically and culturally.

In 2019, the Solomon Islands began to recognize the PRC instead of Taiwan. This followed a nearly 15 year peacekeeping mission led by Australian soldiers and police. In 2021, Australian peacekeepers temporarily returned after fanning anti-Chinese sentiments in Malaita. In April 2022, the Solomon Islands and China signed an agreement allowing the former to request security assistance and the latter to make ship visits.

The response from the Australian state at realizing it didnt have hegemonic control over every surrounding nation was predictably unhinged, with then PM Scott Morrison laying down vague and entirely unenforceable red lines. Australian media have continued to fearmonger over the relationship between the Solomon Islands and China, and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman warned that the US was watching the relationship carefully, but China has continued to strengthen its ties and presence there.

As China looks to secure future supplies of copper and expand its diplomatic recognition and presence in the Pacific, Bougainville is an attractive prospect. For Bougainville, in need of foreign investment to materialize its independence, Chinese engagement could well be more appealing than another Western mining company. In any case, the increasing importance of Bougainvilles copper deposits during the renewable energy transformation and its emergence as a new country in the Pacific will place it at the center of the strategic struggle between China and the Western powers in the coming decades.
KateLynn White graduated from Tennessee State University, where she was an editor of the student newspaper. She interned for The Tennessean and The Tennessee Tribune before joining the Nashville Post in 2022. She also contributes to the Nashville Scene.

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(Natural News) A fired-up and frustrated Sen. Ted Cruz railed at FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday over reports that the bureau is again targeting politically conservative patriots as extremists.

The Texas Republican was venting his anger following the publication of what was reported to be an FBI training aid that appears to single out Trump supporters for special targeting.

Cruz became so disgruntled at one point he slammed his boot on a table and denounced the agency as having become thoroughly politicized under Wrays leadership.

The FBI director was taking questions by senators when Cruz asked about a document leaked to investigative journalism organization Project Veritas which he pointed out listed various symbols and themes which in the FBIs estimation were indicative of militia violent extremism.

As per Conservative Brief:

According to a video clip of the exchange posted online, Cruz pointed out that, according to the alleged FBI training document, the symbols included the Betsy Ross flag  an early design of the American flag consisting of 13 stars in a circle  the Gadsden Live Free Or Die Flag and the Gonzales battle flag. At that, Cruz took off one of his boots and slammed it on the table to show Wray that it depicted the Gonzales flag.

Well, I will self-report right now that every day in the Senate, I wear my boots that have the Gonzalez battle flag on the back of them, he said.

WATCH:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slams his boot on the table in opposition to FBI guidelines on symbols that indicate violent extremist groups: I will self-report right now that everyday in the Senate I wear my boots that have the Gonzales battle flag on the back. pic.twitter.com/HxsqbEXaqJ  The Recount (@therecount) August 4, 2022

Director Wray, what are yall doing? This makes no sense, Cruz continued as he turned to point to a graphic mock-up behind him of the training aid sent to Project Veritas.

Do you agree with this FBI guidance? Cruz asked.

In response, Wray claimed (of course) that he was not familiar with the particular training aid Cruz was referencing and as such, he could not comment on it specifically.

The FBI director added: I will tell you that when we put out intelligence products, including ones that reference symbols, which we do across a wide variety of contexts, we usually make great pains, take great pains to put caveats and warnings in the document that make clear that a symbol alone is not considered evidence of violent extremism.

Director Wray, you dont include things like Antifa. You dont include things like Black Lives Matter. Instead, you identify patriotic Americans as suspect, Cruz said in reply, again referencing the FBI training document.

The FBI noted in a statement to Newsweek regarding the alleged document:

It is our usual practice to decline comment on articles about allegedly leaked FBI documents, internal FBI products, or information shared with law enforcement partners. In this case, we would point out an online article referencing an allegedly leaked document on symbols that may be used by Militia Violent Extremists (MVE) contains the following words highlighted in bold near the top of the document: The use or sharing of these symbols alone should not independently be considered evidence of MVE presence or affiliation or serve as an indicator of illegal activity, as many individuals use these symbols for their original, historic meaning, or other non-violent purposes.

Its not clear which online article the FBI was referring to. However, The Epoch Times reported on Wednesday regarding the training aid leaked to Project Veritas and included a graphic. The outlet noted:

The Domestic Terrorism Symbols Guide was leaked to Project Veritas, which released images of the bulletin on its website and social media on Aug. 2. It includes such common images as the Gadsden flag, the Betsy Ross flag, and the Liberty Tree.

The FBI is a compromised, politicized agency. Cruz is right to point that out.

Sources include:

ConservativeBrief.com

TheEpochTimes.com

Newsweek.com
(Natural News) Not satisfied with merely destroying the U.S. economy and American families ability to earn a living, Joe Bidens Obama handlers are now going after the U.S. military as well.

According to Russia Today (RT), the Pentagons website shows 268,858 partially vaccinated individuals across the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force, plus another 50,710 civilian employees.

That said, the figure does not include the number of service members who have yet to get even one jab, which means that the overall number of military personnel who could be negatively impacted by the Biden regimes vaccine mandates is no doubt significantly higher.

Unvaccinated personnel who have made requests for medical and religious exemptions are currently exempt from the requirement, but that is just a court decision away from changing. Besides, according to Marine reservist Mike Berry, exemptions for religious beliefs have only been granted so far for personnel who are on their way out of the military and wont be available to be deployed anyway.

Some 6,400 servicemembers have already been kicked out for refusing to get the shot, with the majority being Marines, according to statistics cited by Breitbart. Thats despite the fact that a court injunction has barred the Navy from discharging any sailor seeking a religious exemption. While political pushback has stopped the Pentagon from labeling the departed with a dishonorable discharge, even a general discharge can mean a loss of benefits and a black mark on a soldiers disciplinary record, the RT report added.

The Army began stepping up administrative proceedings against the partially- and un-vaccinated last week, explaining the noncompliant would no longer receive pay as of July or be allowed to participate in federally funded drills and training. A statement by the military branch warns those who refuse the mandatory vaccination order may be subject to additional adverse administrative action, including separation.'

The Pentagon-imposed deadline for U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard troops to get their vaccines came and went last week. Overall, some 12 percent of reservists, or about 22,740 members, have not yet been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, around 13.1 percent of Army National Guard troops, or about 44,000, also have not been vaccinated, a military spokesperson told the Army Times.

When asked about the Pentagon potentially having to discharge tens of thousands of soldiers who arent vaccinated, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley said that the numbers are very low, by the way, of those that are refusing to be vaccinated. He also claimed that soldiers should stop complaining and simply take the vaccine, regardless of any other concerns.

This is from a general and military branch that makes uniform and other exemptions for soldiers and officers of various other religions not of the Christian faith.

However, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed servicemembers are suffering serious side effects from the vaccines, including myocarditis, RT reported.

At the same time, there has been some relief for troops who are resisting the vaccine.

U.S. District Judge Matthew McFarland, a Trump appointee, ordered the Air Force to pause discharging members who requested religious exemptions from the services vaccine requirement, according to Fox News. The current pause is set for 14 days.

The initial lawsuit was launched by just 100 plaintiffs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, but the ruling now applies to thousands of Air Force personnel around the world.

We are pleased by the judges decision protecting the constitutional rights of service members who have dedicated their lives to protecting our constitutional rights, attorney Chris Wiest told local outlet FOX19. We will continue to litigate this case to its conclusion and look forward to continuing this battle with the federal government.

Thank goodness for Trumps commitment to putting constitutionalists on the federal bench. Otherwise, our national security would be completely compromised by vaccine lunacy.

Sources include:

RT.com

FoxNews.com
(Natural News) The Biden regimes full-court press against guns and the firearms industry is continuing unabated, apparently, according to a report this week from a noted, trustworthy gun industry news site.

Ammoland reports that manufacturers of handgun holsters are receiving letters from Joe Bidens Census Bureau seeking sales records, though the letters requesting the information do not specify why.

The outlet reports:

Several major holster manufacturers/providers received notices from the Department of Commerce Census Bureau requesting order numbers, product descriptions, and where the items were being shipped. A few holster companies have refused to turn over the requested information to the federal government.

We will never turn over any information on our customers to the government no matter the cost us, Chad Myers, the president of JM4 Tactical, noted. To do so would violate our core beliefs. We need to stand up to an overbearing government. Our customers can rest assured that their information is safe with us!

According to the news site, every year the Census Bureau sends out a Commodity Flow Survey to random companies in order to help the federal government track the flow of commerce so as to inform policymakers when it comes to shipping and transportation. However, this year  for some reason  an unusually high number of holster companies have gotten a notice, leading some of them to speculate that Bidens regime is targeting them specifically.

Ammoland reported that a number of companies have contacted Arbiter Weston Martinez in Texas for assistance. He is a former Texas Real Estate commissioner under then-GOP Gov. Rick Perry. Martinez has a lot of connections within political circles and has opined that holster companies are being targeted in order to gather more intelligence on the firearms industry in general. He has also agreed to help block the governments efforts against what he and many others see as blatant federal overreach.

Clearly, the Biden administration is saber rattling for the left in the wake of all the recent losses they have incurred by Supreme Court rulings, Martinez said. My clients and I will never back down from anyone that is trying to impugn our Constitutional and God-give rights like the Second Amendment.

Still, the Census Bureau is claiming that companies are bound by federal law to hand over information the agency requests.

The bureau claims that any company refusing to cooperate faces fines up to $5,000, but according to Ammoland, the appropriate statute only calls for levying a $500 dollar fine, leading skeptics to wonder if the bureaus website contains an intentional typo in order to compel compliance under Title 13, United States Code, Section 224, and the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 (Title 18, Sections 3551, 3559, and 3571).

After looking into the law, the statutory limit on fines is $500. It is unclear if the web designer made a typo on the site or if it was a scare tactic to compel companies to turn over information, Ammoland reported, adding: Only one company was ever criminally charged with not filling out the survey, and that was in 1994. That doesnt mean these companies are not in danger. The Biden administration has been hostile to the firearms industry, and these companies that make it easier to carry a concealed gun might be the next group to be targeted.

The site said that its staff reached out to the Census Bureau for comments, but those requests were ignored  of course.

Its still not clear why the agency is asking for this particular information, but it is true that the Biden regime has become increasingly hostile to firearms rights, especially after recent high-profile mass shooting incidents.

In any event, with more than two-and-a-half years to go on his term, our dementia president has a lot more time to enact Barack Obamas gun grab.

Sources include:

Ammoland.com

SecondAmendment.news
(Natural News) A noted civil rights organization has joined a lawsuit initially filed by Missouri and Louisiana that is challenging government-directed censorship of data and viewpoints regarding COVID-19 that contradicted pre-ordained deep state narratives.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance, or the NCLA, represents Drs. Martin Kulldorff and Jayanta Bhattacharya, as well as Jill Hines and Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, co-authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an open letter published in October 2020 that challenged enduring coronavirus lockdowns as nonsensical, dangerous and even deadly, Reclaim The Net reports.

The group is joining the suit on the heels of recently unveiled emails from the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating that the federal government essentially directed the major social media platforms to censor and throttle certain opinions, viewpoints and data regarding the pandemic to include threats of legal action from federal agencies if the platforms did not comply.

Reclaim The Net adds:

The censorship came in many forms, including permanent and temporary suspension of accounts, as well as shadow banning, de-monetization of content, warning labels, taking down content, and limiting the spread of content.

According to the NCLA, government-directed censorship is a violation of the First Amendment, which protects free speech. The government is not supposed to decide which voices get heard and which dont.

The government may not work through private entities to accomplish censorship that the First Amendment forbids the government from doing directly. Yet that is precisely what these federal defendants have been up to. NCLA is delighted to join forces with these state attorneys-general to reverse this constitutional outrage and restore free speech to the social media platforms that are todays public square, NCLAs president Mark Chenoweth noted in a statement.

Added NCLAs litigation counsel Jenin Younes: The Biden Administrations involvement in silencing the voices of those who have critiqued its responses to Covid-19, through pressure exerted on social media companies, is unprecedented in nature and degree.

Two of the plaintiffs, Drs. Bhattacharya and Kulldorff, are among the worlds most renowned epidemiologists, and had crucial insights to share on the flawed reasoning and science underlying lockdowns and mask and vaccine mandates, Younes continued.

Dr. Kheriaty, a professor of medical ethics, and Ms. Hines, a consumer and human rights advocate, also offered thoughtful, reasoned opposition to government-imposed Covid-19 restrictions. The governments sweeping campaign to suppress the perspectives of the plaintiffs, and others like them, represents the most severe abrogation of the First Amendment in modern times, and we look forward to seeing this constitutional atrocity rectified in a court of law, Younes noted further.

As of this writing, the Great Barrington Declaration had garnered more than 930,500 signatures.

As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection, the declaration began.

Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health, the declaration continued.

The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health  leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice, it added.

The declaration also predicted, essentially, that [k]eeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.

Turns out that they were right.

According to new studies, the closures have had a devastating impact on childrens mental health, development and future earnings potential, Fox News reported earlier this week, adding: According to data released last month by the National Center for Education Statistics, 70% of U.S. public schools have reported an increase in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic.

We wish the plaintiffs luck in holding big tech accountable as well as any government official who had a role in the insanity.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

FoxNews.com
(Natural News) While its not likely to happen anytime soon, there is no better time than now for Congress to defund and disband the FBI because it has become nothing more than a Democrat protection agency, like the Justice Department it answers to.

There is no better proof of this than the bureaus politicized behavior when it comes to protecting Joe Biden and his corrupt son, Hunter Biden.

In 2019 during Donald Trumps presidency, the bureau came into possession of a laptop Hunter Biden dropped off  and then, in a drug-induced phase, forgot  at a Delaware computer repair shop. The shopowner took possession of it after Hunter failed to come back within 90 days to reclaim it, as per the maintenance agreement. The shopowner was shocked by much of the content that was on the laptop and made copies of its hard drive, likely to protect himself. He then contacted the FBI and agents came to confiscate the computer; the bureau has had it ever since.

According to various reports, there is so much incriminating evidence on the laptop that implicates not only Hunter and his uncle, James Biden  Joes brother  but also the president himself in multimillion-dollar and multibillion-dollar deals involving Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs as well as Chinese companies closely aligned with the ChiCom government.

In other words, Joe Biden is perhaps the most compromised president, in terms of national security, in modern history.

But rather than tank a Democratic president, the left-wing deep state that manages the FBI and Justice Dept. have refused to do anything, choosing political allegiances over literally what is best for our country.

The Federalists Margot Cleveland has more:

FBI whistleblowers claim that agents opened a sham investigation into Hunter Biden to brand reliable and verifiable derogatory evidence as disinformation, according to an explosive news release issued yesterday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

If true, beyond exposing the FBIs role in running cover for the Biden family, the whistleblowers claims prove significant for a second reason: By failing to thoroughly vet the evidence in its possession related to Hunter Biden  which included the hard drive for the MacBook Hunter had abandoned at a repair shop  the intelligence community ignored a momentous national security threat, namely that the Russians potentially possessed a second Hunter Biden laptop.

Monday evening, Grassley issued a press release citing multiple FBI whistleblowers, including those in senior positions, who raised the alarm about tampering by senior FBI and Justice Department officials in politically sensitive investigations, including investigative activity involving derogatory information on Hunter Bidens financial and foreign business activities.

He noted further that the whistleblowers claimed that Washington Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault and other FBI officials sought to falsely portray as disinformation evidence acquired from multiple sources that provided the FBI derogatory information related to Hunter Bidens financial and foreign business activities, even though some of that information had already been or could be verified.

The release noted further that in August of 2020, FBI supervisory intelligence analyst Brian Auten opened an assessment, which was used by a team of agents at FBI headquarters to improperly discredit and falsely claim that derogatory information about Bidens activities was disinformation, causing investigative activity and sourcing to be shut down.

The FBI headquarters team allegedly placed their assessment findings in a restricted access subfolder, effectively flagging sources and derogatory evidence related to Hunter Biden as disinformation while shielding the justification for such findings from scrutiny, said the Iowa Republicans release.

Thibault also reportedly ordered the closure of a stream of information related to Hunter Biden and sought to improperly mark the matter within FBI systems in a way that would prevent it from being re-opened in the future, the release added.

The FBI headquarters team allegedly claimed that reporting from the stream was at risk of disinformation, however, the whistleblowers told Grassley that all of the information obtained through that stream was already verified or verifiable.

The agents in charge of the probe went on to falsely label the findings as disinformation, improperly shut down sources, and hide their findings and information from other FBI agents in restricted areas  all to ensure that Biden was protected.

Cleveland added:

What the FBI did after seizing the laptop in December of 2019 is unknown. However, given that the FBI was reportedly told it contained a pay-for-play scheme linked to the former administration, [and] lots of foreign money, any legitimate investigation would have involved reviewing the laptop for information relevant to Grassley and Johnsons investigations. And had the FBI reviewed the laptop, agents would have discovered a video recording capturing Hunter Biden saying that in 2018, another laptop went missing when he was partying in Las Vegas, and that Hunter believed it was stolen by a group of Russians.

There is no way that Director Christopher Wray did not know what was going on since this probe involved the son of a presidential candidate. And yet, he did nothing to brief the commander-in-chief at the time, Donald Trump, to the potential national security risk.

The bureau needs to go away. But it wont because the deep state needs the FBI to run cover for it.

Sources include:

TheFederalist.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) To a growing number of Americans, the Ukrainian government is wearing out its welcome.

After our compromised, garbage media and political class told us to automatically back Ukraine and hate Russia following Moscows Feb. 24 invasion, taxpayers have been on the hook for tens of billions of dollars in direct financial aid, supplies, weapons and other materials. In short, Joe Biden the dementia patient is protecting Ukraines borders while leaving ours wide open, all because his son made corrupt deals there and he reportedly got a 10-percent cut.

But no matter how much aid Americans continue to provide, its simply not enough; like the stray cat that wont go away, once we began feeding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he just keeps coming back for more.

As reported by AntiWar.com:

The Ukrainian government on Tuesday asked Washington to provide Kyiv with a lend-lease program to import natural gas from the US to ensure Ukraine has enough gas for heating this winter, Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said on Tuesday.

The idea is for the US to provide gas to Ukraine and collect payment at a later time, similar to the World War II-era lend-lease program that was revived this year to facilitate military aid to Ukraine.

Preparation for the most difficult winter in our history continues, and in this preparation we are looking for all possible tools to be ready for any scenario, Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram social media platform.

As noted by Foreign Policy, one proposal that has been floated a number of times by several Ukrainian officials is for the United States (taxpayers) to give Ukraine around 6 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) without taking any payment for the commodity for two years. The U.S. would be expected to front the costs, of course, then deliver the gas to terminals in Europe, where the LNG would then be shipped to Ukraine through a pipeline.

Currently, Ukraines government is experiencing a $5 billion per month budget shortfall, despite the billions American taxpayers have supplied.

Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko, who was in Washington last week for meetings with the Biden administration, said Ukraine needs $8 billion in financing to fund the import of 6 billion cubic meters of gas before the winter, Foreign Policy reported.

Before the war, Ukraine consumed 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year, a third of which was imported. Some 90 percent of Ukrainian homes are reliant on gas heating, and gas serves as a backup source of energy for many of the countrys power plants, the outlet continued, noting that the U.S. has committed more than $54 billion (in borrowed money) to Ukraine, which is insane given the countrys national debt is more than $30 trillion.

They have a very clear mandate to provide necessary assistance to Ukraine. We want to structure it in a smart way so that there is no burden on the U.S. taxpayers, Vitrenko said.

Except that every dollar going to Ukraine has come from U.S. taxpayers, and we will again be on the hook for any new funding and war materials provided to Kyiv.

Whats more, Ukraine isnt the only country that will become increasingly reliant on U.S. fossil fuel sources: So, too, is Europe, which is rapidly attempting to decouple itself from Russian energy (which should have happened long ago).

Europes very reliant on Russia for energy, but theyre trying to reduce that reliance very quickly, Emily Holland, a scholar at the U.S. Naval War College and an expert on European energy issues, told Foreign Policy. The next one to two years is going to be quite challenging for Europe in terms of trying to transition away from Russian gas.

Worse, this comes following Zelenskyys issuance of a blacklist that bars certain Americans from coming into the country after falsely claiming they are Russian stooges.

This is the sort of tactic used in fascist, authoritarian states, smacking of Nazi Germany and the old Soviet Union under Stalin. And this is on top of Zelensky pursuing the following despicable tactics, all rooted in authoritarianism and tyranny, Natural News founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, reports.

This entire situation is madness, but its also intentional.

Sources include:

ForeignPolicy.com

AntiWar.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Without question, Democrats continue to be the party of racism in 2022 just like they were back in the days of the Civil War when they literally fought to, among other things, preserve slavery, ahead of forming the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize newly freed blacks at the wars end.

The latest example comes from New York City, where a high school principal has been accused of trying to divide the school by race and oust white teachers, the New York Post reported.

Washington Heights Principal Paul Lev of the High School for Law and Public Service faced an investigation by the city Department of Education after she allegedly told a teacher she was going to get rid of all these white teachers that arent doing anything for the kids of our community, a complaint stated.

The complaint, which was initially filed with the DOE, has since gone before the state Division of Human Rights.

The Post adds:

Lev, who is Dominican, gave excess notices to four white staffers at the 450-student school in the last year, and made other unpopular changes, insiders said.

Some of the excessed teachers found new jobs, so they werent officially considered cut; others left on their own; and at least three more teachers decided to call it quits this month, an insider said.

There are many more teachers who have voiced that they plan to leave and they feel demoralized, said the staffer, as the exodus comes following an unusual vote of no confidence against Lev a year ago.

Even students are getting sick and tired of the division.

Angel Dilawar, 17, who returns as a senior in September and is the class valedictorian, launched a petition on Change.org that says we have had enough and cannot bear to witness the utter disorganization and insanity at our school.

Many students at the High School for Law & Public Service would like to bring to your attention that we have had enough and cannot bear to witness the utter disorganization and insanity at our school, especially that we once proudly called home, the petition states.

While there have been tremendous efforts to be heard, the higher-ups have not taken any action. The school community of High School for Law & Public Service has been experiencing challenges, and the lives of our students and teachers have become miserable, it continued.

It is unfortunate that we have some new teachers that are super underqualified, and staff members that were fully experienced and qualified were excessed. It has been our experience that the lack of knowledge of a few new staff members has affected our learning. It is frightening to imagine more similar staff members being hired who require student assistance to accomplish simple tasks. Whats even more scary is that those are some vital positions, it continues.

The environment is so dangerous on our floor because of the insane number of fights, constant arguing, and improper administrative action, that we do not feel comfortable or safe going to school, says the petition.

In an interview with The Post, Dilawar said that Lev has frittered away money on things like TV hallway monitors as well as $50,000 worth of hoodies that go with school uniforms that no one wears. Violence has also increased, she said.

Students would much rather prefer to receive new laptops and textbooks instead of new furniture, plants, and TV screens in the hallways. The same money could be invested in hiring more teachers to teach AP classes, core subjects, and electives, the petition states.

Right now students can do anything they want and theyre not going to get in trouble, Dilawar told The Post, adding that she had emailed Schools Chancellor David Banks numerous times and had not received a response.

It is plain as day that the Democratic Party and their left-wing counter-cultural ideology are destroying our country.

Sources include:

Change.org

NYPost.com
(Natural News) Leftists and Marxist leaders never seem to learn that their economic initiatives and strategies are doomed to fail because they run afoul of the one principle necessary for growth: Profits.

Without profits, the former Soviet Union learned the hard way back in the early 1990s, companies and industries have no incentive to a) make a decent product; b) make any product at all. And yet, left-wing leaders throughout modern history continue to impose rules that provide disincentives when economic times get tough.

Panama is the latest country undergoing these disincentives on its way to a total collapse.

After weeks of strikes, highway blockages and increasingly tense protests that have led to greater shortages of fuel and other products, last week the Panamanian government announced that it will put price controls on 72 food items, while agreeing this week to put price caps on 150 medicines.

With the regulation of the 72 products, the cost of the basic food basket would decrease by 30%, a savings of more than $80, according to a statement issued by the office of President Laurentino Cortizo, Reuters reported. Panama uses the U.S. dollar as its currency.

TeleSUR further reports:

The agreement covers actions to ensure the price stability of 72 products of the basic food basket, covering rice, bread, different types of fish, sausages, chicken, vegetables, and legumes, as well as cleaning and toiletries products.

Besides capping medicine prices, the government announced that it will be establishing conduits for the direct purchase of medications so as to curb shortages at publicly supported hospitals. The government said that price controls would come to fruition via a combo of price caps, financial assistance in the form of subsidies, reductions on tariffs, and limits on margins.

The agreement came as a result of the latest round of negotiations which were mediated by the Catholic Church between representatives of the government and several protestor groups including labor unions, civic organizations and indigenous people. The widening protests were spurred by a teachers strike due to the rising cost of their commute because of escalating gas prices (which were going up because the commodity needed to produce gasoline  oil  has also been skyrocketing).

For the time being, the announcement has led to reduced protests. Panamanian Security Minister Juan Manuel Pino said the countrys roads were all open for the first time in weeks, while teachers returned to school on Tuesday.

But the agreement is not likely to last over the long term even if it is temporarily placating protestors, many of whom were upset by what they saw as government officials padding their own pockets and those of their families and friends. Thats because such measures rarely work for long  they are simply stop-gaps on the way to a total collapse and generally only buy governments time to reorganize and get ready for the next storm.

Thats what happened in the former Soviet Union over the course of about 70 years: Price controls, communist economic principles of state-owned enterprises and little-to-no profits led to economic doom. Its also what happened to Cuba long ago and why Venezuela, once the economic crown jewel of South America that boasted massive oil reserves, has now deteriorated into a socialist nightmare of poverty.

The government continues to engage in talks with the protest coalition, which has many other demands, including another cut in fuel prices, lower medicine prices and allocating 6 percent of Panamas GDP to education. Another demand is the establishment of a maximum profit margin for economic intermediaries, such as product distributors, Zero Hedge reported, citing the Peoples Dispatch.

Paired with the growing set of price caps, the protesters threaten to push Panama deeper into a dark spiral of government economic control and public discontent over the unintended consequences, the outlet added.

Things are not going to end well in Panama.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

DigitalJournal.com
In this photo taken on July 14, 2017, the son of an Indian snake charmer holds a cobra snake in Kapari village, around 40km southwest of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh state. Officially the snake charmers' profession is banned in India, but many in the country offered prayers and milk blessings to cobras and other deadly serpents on July 28 in an annual tribute. The 800,000 charmers and their young apprentices come to the fore for the Nag Panchami festival which dates back several centuries. Many of the boys and girls in Kapari village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh play with the snakes as though they are toys -- in Kapari and the scores of other snake charmer villages across India, adults bring up their children in the profession from a young age to avoid fear. (Photo : Photo credit should read SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP via Getty Images)

A younger brother of a deceased 38-year-old man who died from snake bite experienced the same fate.

The 22-year-old man, identified as Govind Mishra, was the younger brother of Arvind Mishra who had died of snake bite, senior police official Raman Singh told the Press Trust of India news agency. During his last funeral rites, Govind had come to Bhawanipur village in the state of Bihar in India from Ludhiana in Punjab, together with one of their relatives, Chandrashekar Pandey (22).

According to The Independent, Govind and Mr Pandey were also bitten by another snake, which caused Govind's demise. Meanwhile, Mr Pandey, who was also at the same house, was taken to the hospital immediately and remained in a critical condition.

Officials said that the younger brother lost his life on Thursday after being bitten by a snake in his sleep.

Snakebites in India

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates about 5 million snakebites each year globally, of which "between 81,000 and 138,000 deaths occur each year". Published reports suggest that nearly half of the fatalities are reported from India, although many snakebite cases go unreported because "victims seek treatment from non-medical sources or do not have access to health care".

The global health agency notes that around 90% of snakebites in India are caused by the 'big four' among the crawlers - common krait, Indian cobra, Russell's viper and saw scaled viper. "Effective interventions involving education and antivenom provision would reduce snakebite deaths in India," WHO says.

To prevent or reverse most of the harmful effects of snakebite envenoming, snake antivenoms which are effective treatments are already included in the WHO Essential Medicines List and "should be part of any primary health-care package where snake bites occur," the agency adds.

Also read: Thousands of Pigeons from France Go Missing After being Released into a Stormy Weather

An Ongoing Crisis

Snakebite envenoming and getting treatment had been an ongoing crisis in India. WHO identifies snakebite envenoming as a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins in the bite of a venomous snake. Unfortunately, there had been inadequate efforts to control snakebite envenoming in India, mostly due to lack of access to antivenom, or many people cannot afford to pay for them. Many victims also do not seek medical attention from health centers or hospitals and rely on traditional treatments instead.

In an effort to secure these antivenoms, many families even sell their possessions or go into debt in order to obtain them after someone in the family gets bitten.

Ensuring proper regulation and testing of antivenoms has also been a difficulty in the country, affecting the availability of good quality, effective products.

Typically, groups of high-risk include rural agricultural workers, herders, fishermen, hunters, working children, people living in poorly constructed houses and those with limited access to education and healthcare, while morbidity and mortality rate occur most often among young people and children.

While it remained unknown what snake species bit and caused the deaths of the two brothers, the 'big four' could be the main culprit of the unfortunate event.

Related article: Strange Ancient-Looking Greenland Shark with Blue Eyes was Half-Blind When Hooked by Belizean Fishers
DEATH VALLEY, CA - MARCH 12: A visitor walks along the waters of a giant lake in the bottom of Death Valley caused by recent heavy flooding on March 12, 2005 in Death Valley National Park, California. The wettest year on record has brought massive blooms of desert wildflowers and left bodies of water over the normally desiccated landscapes of Death Valley and other California desert regions. At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley has the lowest elevation in North America and its summertime temperatures are among the hottest on the planet. Tourists have flocked here to see the blooms including First Lady Laura Bush. (Photo : Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

A storm surge in Death Valley National Area caused by torrents of precipitation on Friday submerged automobiles, prompted authorities to restrict all routes between and within the reserve, and trapped around 1,000 folks.

Buried Cars Due to Flash Flood

In the typically scorching and arid nature reserve in the California wilderness, a rainstorm dumped an almost a full year's load of rainfall throughout one day. The Furnace Stream region received a minimum of 1.7in of rainwater; the park's normal rainfall intensity is 1.9in.

According to camp authorities, around 60 cars were submerged in rubble, leaving 500 guests and 500 service personnel left. There were no initial reported casualties, and the California Department of Transportation projected that it would require approximately four to six hours to reopen a route which would enables clients to exit the area, as per The Guardian.

This marked the park's following big inundation occurrence in the week, while several routes were blocked on Monday due to debris and muddy conditions from severe flooding that both devastated western Nevada and northern Arizona.

Furthermore, according to John Sirlin, a photojournalist for an Arizona-based expedition firm whom observed the floods while positioned on a hillside ledge, attempting to film thunderbolt as the rainstorm came the stormy weather began at 2 a.m.

On Sirlin's online network posts, it revealed the rapidly water flowing, felled palm palms, and automobiles stuck by wreckage. In his official statement which was covered by Reuters, Sirlin, of Chandler, Arizona, who have been going to the park from 2016 up to the present, he remarked that what occurred was way more intense than almost anything he have already seen before in his life.

John Sirlin was also the primary ranger with Incredible Weather Adventures and began following storm surges in the 1990s in Minnesota as well as the extending up.

As shown in an ABC News report, repeating that he once stated in a statement on Friday afternoon over the conversation that he has never witnessed something like the incident that it gets so bad to the point that enormous pines as well as rocks were drizzled, more so, the sound emanating from several of the falling rocks into the valley was absolutely tremendous.

Also read: Thousands of Pigeons from France Go Missing After being Released into a Stormy Weather

1,000 People Stranded in Death Valley

As per Sirlin, there were many washes that have been quite a few feet below the surface, as well as maybe 3 or 4 feet of stones filling the roadway.

Sirlin estimated that it required him roughly 6 hours to drive 35 miles (56 kilometers) away from the area from near the Death Valley Inn. He also explained that at approximately 2 dozen or about 24 automobiles got destroyed and stranded in there, noting that he has not spot whatever injuries or rising water operations.

During Friday's torrential rains, storm surge drove garbage bins onto stopped automobiles, causing vehicles to crash.

While the park officially release their statement, claiming that several infrastructure, notably luxury hotels as well as corporate headquarters, are also inundated. According to the report, a drip irrigation that serves park tenants and businesses reportedly crashed when a line broke and was currently being fixed.

CBC News also reported that at 12:45 p.m., a major flooding alert for the parkland as well as wider countryside was lifted. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Friday afternoon and evening.

Related article: Mountain Flooding Threatens Kentucky Once Again After Floodwaters Killed At Least 37 People
Fears that Appalachia, one of America's most susceptible regions, may see more regular and catastrophic flooding as a result of growing extreme weather in the U.S. have been stoked by Kentucky's unprecedented floods.

Some locals are pessimistic, while others demand better flood mitigation measures.

Flood ravaged eastern Kentucky

There is a potential for additional intense rain and flash flooding for those in eastern Kentucky who are still healing from the tragic storms that occurred only one week ago.

Hal Klingenberg, the Lead Forecaster at the National Weather Service in Jackson, Kentucky, told CNN on Friday morning, "We've got (river) conditions right now that we don't typically see prolonged at this time of year over a large area where it just makes us more susceptible to flooding than we would normally be at this time of year."

For most regions, Klingenberg predicted that it would take between an inch and a half and two inches of rain to start generating serious issues in one to three hours.

The Weather Prediction Center has issued a minor danger rating of excessive rainfall across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys into the Mid-Atlantic due to the potential for very significant rainfall rates from storms on Friday.

Friday presents "more of a higher end mild danger with isolated to scattered flash flooding possible, but less confidence on a more widespread/organized risk," according to the WPC for parts of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Klingenberg stated, "You tend to pay much closer attention after you've been harmed and once touched by anything like a natural disaster."

On Friday, the eighth day of flooding in the state, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear provided an update, reiterating that 37 people across five counties had died.

While there are hundreds of people who lost their homes that are needed to be stabilized, he noted that actual, meaningful progress has been achieved, particularly over the past eight days.

The governor stated that because of worries about slowly approaching thunderstorms that might provide significant rainfall on Saturday, officials were concentrating on doing health checks on Friday.

Nine cooling facilities are still operating, he noted, in several areas where it is anticipated that the heat would get worse following the storm.

Also Read: Flash Flood: 200 Evacuated as Floodwaters Sweep Through Turkey's Black Sea Region

Devastating impacts of flood in Appalachia

Following floods on July 28, which devastated her neighborhood for the second time in 17 months, Teresa Watkins struggled to save a few mud-caked possessions from her house on a Breathitt County branch of the Kentucky River, as per USA Today.

The 54-year-old, who has lived off Quicksand Road since she was a teenager, claimed that recent flooding, which has become "more and more, worse and worse," has left the county, where the median family income is less than half the national average at $29,538, with difficult decisions to be made.

She said that more people now claim to be moving to safer locations, but it's not that simple.

At least 37 people lost their lives in Kentucky due to devastating floods, and recent damage in other Appalachian states like Virginia and West Virginia is prompting urgent inquiries about how to lessen the effects of dangerous flooding, which are only expected to increase as climate change fuels more extreme weather.

However, there aren't many simple solutions in one of America's most economically distressed regions.

Solutions are exceedingly challenging because of the region's rugged terrain, high poverty rates, dispersed habitation in isolated valleys, mountains damaged by coal mining that exacerbate floods, and underfunded local administrations.

For counties with limited resources, measures like drainage systems, flood wells, and housing elevating are expensive.

In regions with few safer choices and new house construction, buyouts or building limitations are challenging. Many find it difficult or impossible to move.

Additionally, taming extreme weather by lowering global warming emissions is a difficult political task, even in a country where coal runs deep, and it offers little immediate respite.

Some neighbors say they have little optimism that meaningful measures will be implemented any time soon, despite the fact that Kentucky's destruction has brought attention to long-standing issues.

Floods are common in Central Appalachia.

However, the most recent high water in Eastern Kentucky broke records, and experts anticipate more to come.

Weather forecasters and climate scientists claimed that human-driven climate change results in a warmer atmosphere that is better able to store moisture in the context of the greater pattern of extreme weather in the United States, from wildfires to heat waves.

According to Antonia Sebastian, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who specializes in flood resilience and mitigation, this may result in more periods of severe rainfall. More rain falling quickly causes flash floods.

Related article: Catastrophic Kentucky Flood Turns Deadly: 8 People Dead, Causing a State of Emergency
46 "win-win" ideas for lowering human infectious disease burdens and achieving conservation goals were reviewed after a thorough evaluation of scholarly articles and reports.

These solutions may now be examined on a publicly accessible website.

The study identifies several, diversified areas of progress where there may be chances to concurrently protect ecological and human health.

The solution for reducing human illness while conserving the environment

The study, which was published in The Lancet Planetary Health, involved over 30 researchers from all throughout the United States and abroad.

Academic researchers, professionals from governmental and nonprofit organizations, and veterinarians made up the multidisciplinary team, as per ScienceDaily.

The study's co-author and associate professor of applied ecology at NC State, Skylar Hopkins, said the interdisciplinary team spent four years developing this synthesis.

They diligently combed through the available academic literature for prospective solutions before creating a brand-new method for figuring out whether a certain "win-win" option is secure, workable, and economical.

They discovered that the ideas had varying degrees of success proof; some have significant backing already, while others are ready for more research.

Only one of the 46 remedies on the list has "strong" evidence for both beneficial effects on human health and conservation, and that is the vaccination of dogs to lessen the spread of rabies to both people and animals.

As disease reservoirs, household cats and dogs are emphasized in a few of the remedies.

Every time you vaccinate your dogs or raise your cat to be walked on a leash instead of running loose, you're implementing one of the 46 offered remedies, according to Hopkins.

Some of the solutions are carried out in enormous quantities by national or international governments.

The Science for Nature and People Partnership provided funding for the working group after several team members spent years researching human schistosomiasis in Africa, a crippling condition brought on by coming into touch with water tainted with parasites from snails.

When a river was blocked and prawns, which devour the snails, couldn't move, the snail population surged. The possible answer is bring back prawns to the river.

Uncertain of whether they would uncover many or few further instances of potential win-win solutions, the team set out to locate them.

With the exception of Antarctica, they discovered that the 46 probable solutions include six of the world's seven continents.

They also contain many of the most significant known diseases and routes of disease transmission around the globe.

Also Read: Experts Warn Exposure to Air Pollution Could Increase Risk of Severe Mental Illness

46 strategies that addressed the issue

The researchers next looked for further potential fixes for issues involving the interplay between human and ecological health, as per Anthropocene Magazine.

They discovered 46 solutions after searching the scholarly literature, they write in today's edition of The Lancet Planetary Health.

The diverse programs span six continents and include anything from efforts to eradicate invasive pythons in Florida to restrictions on the sale of meat from wild animals.

27 of the proposed remedies center on controlling certain animals.

They may also be disease-carrying animals, such as cats that are hosts to the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.

Others rely on unintended consequences, such as the potential that increasing the number of leopards in an Indian national park might reduce the likelihood that people would contract rabies since the cats consume wild dogs that are infected with the illness.

Six of the solutions had conservation as a side benefit and began with the public health aspect of the problem. This covers both the Borneo health center and initiatives to prevent the spread of bird flu from wild birds to domestic poultry.

However, when the scientists looked more closely at several of these theories, they didn't uncover compelling proof that both humans and the ecosystem benefitted.

Sometimes the information was flimsy or incoherent.

Consider the prohibitions on the trade in wild meat, which various nations adopted as the virus spread. The scientists gave the data supporting environmental or health advantages a low rating.

In fact, they pointed out that restrictions imposed in Guinea and Sierra Leone in reaction to Ebola outbreaks had no long-term impact on commerce and instead drove customers to the illicit market.

The scientists discovered that the concept of shrimp reintroduction, which inspired this attempt, has limits as well.

A Senegal River experiment that added prawns to a closed-off area saw a reduction in snail populations and reinfection rates.

However, a modeling study revealed that under some circumstances, fewer snails can potentially increase the chance of infection.

Related article: 44% of Earth's Land in Need of Conservation To Protect Biological Diversity and Environmental Systems
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
A method has been developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis, to lessen the number of nitrogen fertilizers required to grow cereal crops.

The discovery could help the environment while saving American farmers billions of dollars each year on fertilizer expenses.

Any grass in the Poaceae family that produces edible, starchy seeds is referred to as a cereal crop.

The majority of grains share similar nutritional characteristics; they are high in carbohydrates but relatively low in protein and lacking in calcium and vitamin A by nature.

The cereals that are grown most frequently are rye, wheat, oats, barley, corn (maize), and sorghum.

Cereal Crops

Most cereal crops are sold as raw grains (some are frozen or canned) or as components of different food products, as per Britannica.

They are primarily consumed by livestock and poultry as animal feed before being converted into products like meat, dairy, and poultry for human and animal consumption.

Numerous kinds of cereals are used industrially to make a variety of products, including glucose, adhesives, oils, and alcohol.

Native Americans first domesticated corn, or maize (Zea mays), in the Western Hemisphere, and early explorers later brought it to Europe.

In all of Asia, rice (Oryza sativa), the second-largest cereal crop, is a food staple.

Contrary to Wheat, one of the earliest domesticated grains and a major cereal crop, Triticum species.

Only wheat is used more frequently than rye (Secale cereale) for bread production. Additionally, it is utilized in other bakery goods and distilled spirits, particularly whiskey.

Almost everywhere with temperate climates grows oats (Avena sativa), but it is most popular in North America, Canada, and Europe.

Temperate climates also support the cultivation of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Not particularly rich soils are required.

The majority of barley is used as animal feed, but it's also the origin of the malt used in the production of alcoholic beverages, including beer.

Also Read: Cereal Crops Brace For Flooding

Less fertilizer for cereal crops

The study was conducted in the laboratory of eminent professor of plant sciences Eduardo Blumwald, who has discovered a new method for cereals to absorb the nitrogen they require to grow, as per ScienceDaily.

By lowering nitrogen pollution-which can pollute water supplies, keep increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and affect human health-the discovery may also benefit the environment.

The research was released in the publication Plant Biotechnology.

Chemical fertilizers are essential to agricultural operations because nitrogen is essential for plant growth.

However, a lot of what is applied is lost and seeps into the groundwater and soil. A viable substitute might be produced as a result of Blumwald's research.

The goal of Blumwald's research is to speed up the nitrogen fixation process, in which soil bacteria convert nitrogen gas found in the atmosphere into ammonium.

Legumes like peanuts and soybeans include root nodules that allow bacteria that fix nitrogen to supply the plants with ammonium.

Because they lack that ability, cereal plants like both wheat and rice must depend on ingesting inorganic nitrogen from soil fertilizers like ammonia and nitrate.

The team led by Blumwald was using chemical screening and genomics to find substances in rice plants that improved the bacteria's capacity to fix nitrogen.

They then determined the chemical production pathways and applied gene editing technology to boost the production of chemicals that induced the growth of biofilms.

Bacteria in those biofilms have improved nitrogen conversion. As a result, both the portion of ammonium in the soil for the plants and the bacteria's ability to fix nitrogen increased.

Other plants might also use the pathway.

The University of California has submitted a pending patent application for the method.

The research paper was produced in part by Dawei Yan, Hiromi Tajima, Howard-Yana Shapiro, Reedmond Fong, Javier Ottaviani, and Bayer Crop Science's Lauren Cline. At Mars Edge, Ottaviani also works as a research assistant.

Related Article: Urine Fertilizers? Peeing on Leafy Vegetables Linked to Healthier Plants
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the distribution and use of an anti-HIV injectable drug derived from Cabotegravir, an antiretroviral medication used to treat the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its late stage, lethal infection acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Cabotegravir has been widely used in the form of tablets and as intramuscular injections. However, the new WHO guidelines urge countries the use of long-acting cabotegravir as part of the ongoing comprehensive approach toward HIV prevention.

The injectable version of the medication seems promising, according to the recommendation and from various sources. Yet, scientists are reportedly concerned that its production could be too expensive to make a significant impact for countries most affected by the viral infection.

In the last several decades, HIV and AIDS have remained a global pandemic responsible for the deaths of millions of people. The zoonotic disease, believed to have originated from non-human primates, has affected a large number of people in contemporary times.

WHO Anti-HIV Recommendation

The WHO announcement on July 28 was made public prior to the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022), which was held in Montreal, Canada from July 29 to August 2 this year.

The international health body emphasized the anti-HIV drug is a safe and highly effective medication against the occurrence of HIV. Still, it is still not available in outside study settings, according to Dr. Meg Doherty, a director of the WHO's programs for HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections.

The recommendation comes after the health authorities found the medication's injectable version yields more protection against HIV compared to its oral pill.

In line with the new guidelines, the injectable drug has been named "long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), which acts as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP).

Also Read: Argentinian Woman with HIV 'Clears' Virus Without Treatment

What is Cabotegravir?

Cabotegravir is known for decreasing the amount of HIV in the blood of the affected person. Prior to the WHO recommendation, cabotegravir is unable to cure HIV and remains to do so.

However, it can still decrease the risk of an individual to develop AIDS and any illnesses related to HIV like severe infections or cancer, according to MedlinePlus.

Underlying Challenges

The WHO's cabotegravir declaration garnered both praise and criticism for a number of its attendees at AIDS 2022, according to an article by Nature on Friday, August 5.

In particular, the issue of affordability was raised of being the most significant obstacle toward global implementation of CAB-LA, according to Iskandar Azwa, an infectious disease specialist from Malaysia's University of Malaya, as cited by the scientific journal.

HIV/AIDS Global Pandemic

Following the ground-breaking announcement, HIV and AIDS continue to affect many people, especially those who have engaged in sexual intercourse; since the virus can be spread through bodily fluids like blood, semen, and vaginal secretions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites theories of previous studies that HIV could have jumped from chimpanzees to humans as far as the late 1800s.

The academic supposition precedes the first recorded HIV infection of humans from a chimpanzee species in Central Africa in 1981.

Related Article: AIDS Treatment: Scientists Develop Potential 'One Time Treatment' or Vaccine for HIV and AIDS
According to information published by Hindustan Times on August 8, 2022, Sri Lanka has authorized the docking of the Pakistan Navy's Type 054A/P frigate PNS Taimur.

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Tughril class PNS Taimur at Malaysian Lumut Naval Base. (Picture source: Royal Malaysian Navy)

The Tughril-class frigates, formally classified as the Type 054A/P frigates, are a series of modified guided-missile frigates currently being built by HudongZhonghua Shipbuilding (HDZH), for the Pakistan Navy.

The Type 054A/P is a modified derivative of the Type 054A frigate and was specifically customized to meet the operational requirements of the Pakistan Navy; the class features several capabilities - including anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-aircraft warfare (AAW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and low radar observability.

The frigates are poised to form the mainstay of the Pakistan Navy's active naval fleet. The class is also set to supplant Pakistan's obsolete Tariq-class destroyers.

They have a length of 134 m (439 ft 8 in), a beam of 16 m (52 ft 6 in), and a displacement of 4,200 tons (4100 long tons). The ships can reach a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).

As part of its aviation facilities, the frigates are equipped with the Harbin Z-9EC naval helicopter - the Pakistani-specific anti-submarine (ASW) variant of the Harbin Z-9C, operated by the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force; the Z-9EC will also be equipped with the CM-501GA land-attack missiles - with a reported range of 40 km.

The frigates are equipped with a flight deck and an enclosed aviation hangar, capable of accommodating a single Z-9 or the Kamov Ka-27 medium-lift helicopter, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
The immune boosting benefits of a tuberculosis vaccine can be seen in infants more than one year after vaccination, according to a new study.

The research, led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Science Advances, has shown how the BCG vaccine, developed to prevent the risk of tuberculosis, can produce a 'trained immunity response' lasting more than 14 months after the vaccine is administered.

The randomized controlled trial involved 130 infants from the Melbourne Infant Study: BCG for the Prevention of Allergy and Infection (MIS BAIR) and cell dish models to study the immune system's response to BCG vaccination. Those randomized to be vaccinated received their jab within 10 days of birth.

Murdoch Children's Dr Samantha Bannister said 14 months after having the BCG vaccination they saw reprogramming, a process where genes were switched off or on, in a specific blood cell type, called the monocyte.

"The off-target effects of the BCG vaccine against a range of viruses are explained in part by the reprogramming of how your genes work in the monocyte due to environmental and behavioral factors," she said. The reprogramming of monocytes, a cell previously thought to have no capacity for memory, leads to trained immunity."

Murdoch Children's Associate Professor Boris Novakovic said the off-target effects were first identified in Africa, where BCG vaccinated children had reduced overall death rates.

"The off-target effects in Africa were known to last more than a year, but previous studies looking at BCG-associated monocyte signatures only looked at one month and three months following vaccination in adults," he said. For the first time we have shown how the BCG vaccine can have long-lasting effects on the immune system of infants.

"As babies are the main population given the BCG vaccine, this study is important because findings in adults do not always translate to children."

For the trial the research team collaborated with the lab of Professor Mihai Netea from the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands that first described trained immunity and scientists from the International Trained Immunity (INTRIM) Consortium.

Murdoch Children's and University of Melbourne's Professor Nigel Curtis said the next step was to see what impact this early trained immunity offered later in childhood and into adulthood.

Professor Curtis' team at the Murdoch Children's is leading the BRACE trial, the world's largest examination of the off-target effects of the BCG vaccine in more than 6800 healthcare workers in Australia, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. BRACE is testing whether the vaccine can protect those exposed to SARS-CoV-2 from developing severe symptoms by boosting their frontline immunity.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne, The Royal Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center in The Netherlands, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the University of Bonn in Germany also contributed to the findings.
In a recent study published in Nature, researchers formed the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) host genetics initiative to compile a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 60 studies from 25 countries. The study encompassed ~125,584 COVID-19 cases and data from over 2.5 million control populations.

Background

Expanding genomic research to include participants from across the globe could enable testing to determine whether the effect of COVID-19-related genetic variants is markedly different across ancestry groups. Increasing sample size and diversity are key to understanding the human genetic architecture of COVID-19.

About the study

The study meta-analysis covered three phenotypes of COVID-19:

(1) critically ill individuals who died or required respiratory support during hospitalization

(2) individuals hospitalized due to symptoms associated with the infection; and

(3) all reported COVID-19 cases, regardless of symptoms

The first study cohort comprised 9376 total cases, of which new cases and controls were 3197 and 1,776,645, respectively. The second and third cohorts had 25,027 and 125,584 total and 11,386 and 76,022 new cases, respectively. The control groups had 2,836,272 and 2,575,347 individuals in the second and third cohorts.

The team developed a Bayesian model for categorizing genetic loci based on the association patterns of three COVID-19 phenotypes examined in the study. They also performed a phenome-wide association study to understand the potential biological mechanisms governing the 23 genome-wide significant loci. Additionally, the researchers examined candidate causal genes of several of these loci. Furthermore, they applied Mendelian randomization (MR) to infer potential causal relationships between COVID-19-related phenotypes and their genetically correlated traits.

Study findings

The study pointed to 23 significant genome-wide loci, of which 20 loci remained substantial even after correction for multiple testing in accounting for the number of phenotypes tested. While all these gene loci showed the expected upsurge in statistical significance, only one locus (rs72711165) did not replicate the effects between the previous and current analysis.

While 16 loci increased >99% posterior probability of COVID-19 hospitalization risk, seven loci influenced the susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Intriguingly, six out of 23 loci had a significant heterogeneous effect across studies, with a P value for heterogeneity of <2.2  103. However, only Forkhead Box P4 (FOXP4 loci showed a significantly different heterogeneous effect across continental ancestry groups. Yet, even at the FOXP4 locus, all the ancestry groups showed a positive-effect size estimate. Indeed, the factors such as the variable COVID-19 severity definition due to varying thresholds for testing and hospitalization, rather than differences across ancestries, justify the observed between-study heterogeneity in the effect sizes across studies.

Multivariable MR analysis revealed that body mass index mediated a causal association of liability to type 2 diabetes on COVID-19 phenotypes.

Conclusions

By doubling the case size, the study added 11 new genome-wide significant loci, including surfactant protein D (SFTPD), mucin 5B (MUC5B), and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which revealed compelling insights regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity.

The SFTPD binds to the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and inhibits binding to the ACE2 receptor, thus protecting the lungs against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study findings pointed out that its missense variant rs721917:A>G (p.Met31Thr) increases the odds of hospitalization (OR=1.06) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 1.08). Conversely, MUC5B promoter variant rs35705950:G>T was protective against hospitalization (OR = 0.83). It also prevents deaths in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

The authors found that ACE2 variant rs190509934:T>C was associated with diminished susceptibility to COVID-19 (OR = 0.69). This variant is ten times more common in south Asian populations than in European populations, demonstrating the significance of diversity in variant discovery.
Thought Leaders Dr. Cicely Fadel and Amir Bein R.D., Ph.D. Researchers Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

In this interview, News-Medical speaks to Dr. Cicely Fadel and Amir Bein Ph.D about their latest research which involved the development of an Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) Chip that reveals the effects of nutrition and genetics on disease in children.

Please can you introduce yourself, tell us about your scientific background, and what inspired your latest research?

Cicely W. Fadel: As an MD/PhD, my passion for using emerging technologies to better understand and more effectively treat human disease has been the driving force behind my many career stages, from bench to bedside. Practicing medicine affords me the privilege of providing care to critically ill newborns and their families. It also highlights the limitations of current therapies and pushes me to pursue a better understanding of disease pathophysiology with the hopes of expanding treatment options. I began this research after gaining a clinical appreciation for how prematurity leads to gut vulnerability in the neonatology world and wanting to gain insight into how malnutrition leads to gut vulnerability in the context of global health.

Amir Bein: As a clinical nutritionist and cell biologist (Ph.D., RD), my research has focused for over a decade on modeling intestinal diseases in vitro and studying the effects of nutritional conditions on the health and functionality of the intestine. One of my main research interests is interdisciplinary work combining engineering and biophysics to enhance cell biology research capabilities. This experience and background led me to the field of Organs-on-Chips, which provides unprecedented capabilities in studying human organ-level responses to different conditions and aspects of disease pathways. This background in nutrition, cell biology, intestinal disease modeling, and the organ chip tool made it possible to take this work creating an organ chip EED model and get more insight into the effect nutrition has on this disease.

For those unfamiliar, could you introduce environmental enteric dysfunction, its causes, symptoms, and the currently available treatments?

Environmental enteric dysfunction is a form of intestinal vulnerability that occurs when a combination of malnutrition and constant exposure to pathogens leads to chronic inflammation of the gut. This manifests as thinning of the intestinal lining, growth of abnormal gut bacteria, weakening of the intestinal barrier, and failure to absorb nutrients properly. The long-term consequences include poor response to oral vaccines, predisposition to infection, physical and cognitive stunting, and death. Early efforts at treatment focused on nutrient replacement, but these approaches have only had limited success.

Image Credit: Marko Aliaksandr/Shutterstock.com

In your study, you utilized an Organ-on-a-chip technology. What advantages does this micro physiological system provide when studying disease?

The content of cells is important, but so is the context of where cells live. The environment surrounding a cell provides it with chemical and mechanical cues that influence its behavior. When a cell is grown in a static two-dimensional culture dish, it is missing these important cues. With Organ-on-a-chip technology, you can provide these crucial cues, and when you look at the genes being expressed by the cells, they more closely resemble those expressed by cells living inside organs in the human body.

Studying a multifactorial disease, such as EED, raises substantial methodical and modeling challenges. At present, there are only a few murine models and no existing human in vitro models that can be used to study this disease. Our Organ-on-a-chip model of EED can be leveraged to elucidate disease pathophysiology and may enable the development of new prevention and therapeutic measures.

How was your specific chip developed, and then how did you replicate EED in these chips?

This chip was developed in close collaboration with researchers at Agha Khan University in Pakistan. They were able to culture organoids using intestinal samples from EED clinical trial patients. These organoids were used to generate the living intestinal epithelium on the EED chips. We then exposed the chips to cell culture media lacking key nutritional components also implicated in clinical EED.

When studying the gene expression patterns of the cells in their EED Chips vs. Healthy Chips, what were your main findings?

When EED patient-derived chips are exposed to nutritional deficiency, they exhibit transcriptional changes similar to those seen in clinical EED biopsy specimens from patients in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Zambia. When specifically compared to the data from Pakistani EED patients, six out of the top ten genes that are upregulated in clinical biopsy specimens were also upregulated in our nutritionally deficient EED Chips.

Image Credit: arleksey/Shutterstock.com

Affected pathways included upregulation of genes related to antimicrobial defense, chemokine production, and amino acid starvation, with downregulation of genes related to fatty acid uptake and utilization, brush border structural integrity, metallothionein production, metabolism and digestion, and cellular mitosis.

Within the content of EED, what did your study tell us about nature vs. nurture?

A key advantage of Organ-on-a-chip technology we could leverage in this study is its modularity. By adding EED patient intestinal epithelium and nutritional deficiency independently, we discovered that transcriptionally, EED intestinal epithelium responds differently when challenged with nutritional deficiency. This suggests that both nature and nurture play a role in disease pathophysiology. While this may seem surprising for an endemic disease whose diagnosis is based on gut morphology, it is important to note that this work focused on an important clinical subpopulation of EED patients who are recalcitrant to nutritional intervention. Their severe disease may be uniquely driven by a stress response triggered by the contest of predisposing genetic or epigenetic factors.

How do you foresee disease-on-a-chip technologies furthering the understanding of the cause of diseases?

One of the main hurdles in disease modeling is mimicking human organ-level responses within a simplified in vitro system. Organs-on-a-chip technology provides this capability by allowing compartmentalization and control over mechanical cues that generate physiologically relevant functionality of the miniaturized organs. With this, disease modeling on a chip provides more accurate results when studying disease mechanisms and responses to different perturbations/treatments. By using this approach, we can now get better insight into the core and combined causes of a disease and the potential efficacy of treatments.

What is next for yourself and your research?

Cicely Fadel: In addition to continuing my clinical work, I will utilize my clinical and research background as a Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Discovery & Tools team. This position within the Gender Equality Division will focus on developing a portfolio of emerging technologies and products to advance neonatal health care globally. This work will harness my expertise in Neonatology and experience in cutting-edge, innovative investigational approaches to address major disease causes in low- and middle-income countries.

Amir Bein: With my experience in cell biology and micro physiological systems, my research focuses on utilizing Organ-on-a-chip to study specific organ and multi-organ responses. In my current work, leading the biology research and development of a Bio-Ai platform at Quris Technologies, I am focusing on the intersection of organs on chips models with real-time biosensing, high throughput screening, and strong Ai to predict drug toxicity in clinical studies.

About Cicely Fadel

Dr. Cicely Fadel cares for critically ill newborns at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center while working at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to promote global gender equality through maternal and newborn health. Cicely is currently an Attending Neonatologist and Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Program Officer on the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Discovery and Tools team at the Gates Foundation. She obtained her M.D. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Yale University before completing her pediatric residency and serving as a chief resident at Childrens National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She completed her neonatology fellowship at the Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program, where she was a chief fellow. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Cicely utilized cutting-edge Organ Chip technology at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering to study pediatric intestinal vulnerability in the context of prematurity and malnutrition.

About Amir Bein

Amir Bein (PhD, RD), is VP of Biology at Quris Technologies  a Bio-Ai company developing a platform for the prediction of drug toxicity before progressing to clinical studies. Amir earned a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he graduated as a laureate of The Harry and Sylvia Hoffman Leadership and Responsibility Program for outstanding Ph.D. students. He has extensive research experience in in-vitro disease and organ modeling, combining cell biology and micro physiological systems.

Before joining Quris, he led cutting-edge high-risk research at Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, developing and utilizing Organ Chip technology to study disease mechanisms, model inf ectious conditions such as Corona Virus, and test repurposing of drugs.
Implantable devices that release insulin into the body hold promise as an alternative way to treat diabetes without insulin injections or cannula insertions. However, one obstacle that has prevented their use so far is that the immune system attacks them after implantation, forming a thick layer of scar tissue that blocks insulin release.

This phenomenon, known as the foreign body response, can also interfere with many other types of implantable medical devices. However, a team of MIT engineers and collaborators has now devised a way to overcome this response. In a study of mice, they showed that when they incorporated mechanical actuation into a soft robotic device, the device remained functional for much longer than a typical drug-delivery implant.

The device is repeatedly inflated and deflated for five minutes every 12 hours, and this mechanical deflection prevents immune cells from accumulating around the device, the researchers found.

"We're using this type of motion to extend the lifetime and the efficacy of these implanted reservoirs that can deliver drugs like insulin, and we think this platform can be extended beyond this application," says Ellen Roche, the Latham Family Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a member of MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science.

Among other possible applications, the researchers now plan to see if they can use the device to deliver pancreatic islet cells that could act as an "bioartificial pancreas" to help treat diabetes.

Roche is the co-senior author of the study, with Eimear Dolan, a former postdoc in her lab who is now a faculty member at the National University of Ireland at Galway. Garry Duffy, also a professor at NUI Galway, is a key collaborator on the work, which appears in Nature Communications. MIT postdocs William Whyte and Debkalpa Goswami, and visiting scholar Sophie Wang, are the lead authors of the paper.

Modulating immune cells

Most patients with type 1 diabetes, and some with type 2 diabetes, have to inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis. Some patients use wearable insulin pumps that are attached to the skin and deliver insulin through a tube inserted under the skin, or patches that can deliver insulin without a tube.

For many years, scientists have been working on insulin-delivering devices that could be implanted under the skin. However, the fibrous capsules that form around such devices can lead to device failure within weeks or months.

Researchers have tried many approaches to prevent this kind of scar tissue from forming, including local delivery of immunosuppressants. The MIT team took a different approach that does not require any drugs -; instead, their implant includes a mechanically actuated soft robotic device that can be inflated and deflated. In a 2019 study, Roche and her colleagues (with Dolan as first author) showed that this kind of oscillation can modulate how nearby immune cells respond to an implanted device.

In the new study, the researchers wanted to see if that immunomodulatory effect could help improve drug delivery. They built a two-chambered device made of polyurethane, a plastic that has similar elasticity to the extracellular matrix that surrounds tissues. One of the chambers acts as a drug reservoir, and the other acts as a soft, inflatable actuator. Using an external controller, the researchers can stimulate the actuator to inflate and deflate on a specific schedule. For this study, they performed the actuation every 12 hours, for five minutes at a time.

This mechanical actuation drives away immune cells called neutrophils, the cells that initiate the process that leads to scar tissue formation. When the researchers implanted these devices in mice, they found that it took much longer for scar tissue to develop around the devices. Scar tissue did eventually form, but its structure was unusual: Instead of the tangled collagen fibers that built up around static devices, collagen fibers surrounding actuated devices were more highly aligned, which the researchers believe may help drug molecules to pass through the tissue.

In the short term, we see that there are fewer neutrophils surrounding the device in the tissue, and then long term, we see that there are differences in collagen architecture, which may be related to why we have better drug delivery throughout the eight-week time period." Sophie Wang, Study Lead Author and Visiting Scholar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sustained drug delivery

To demonstrate the potential usefulness of this device, the researchers showed that it could be used to deliver insulin in mice. The device is designed so that insulin can slowly seep out through pores in the drug reservoir or be released in a large burst controlled by the actuator.

The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the insulin release by measuring subsequent changes in the mice's blood glucose levels. They found that in mice with the actuated device, effective insulin delivery was maintained throughout the eight weeks of the study. However, in mice that did not receive actuation, delivery efficiency began to wane after only two weeks, and after eight weeks, almost no insulin was able to pass through the fibrous capsule.

The authors also created a human-sized version of the device, 120 millimeters by 80 millimeters, and showed that it could be successfully implanted in the abdomen of a human cadaver.

"This was a proof of concept to show that there is a minimally invasive surgical technique that could potentially be employed for a larger-scale, human-scale device," Goswami says.

Working with Jeffrey Millman of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the researchers now plan to adapt the device so that it could be used to deliver stem-cell-derived pancreatic cells that would sense glucose levels and secrete insulin when glucose is too high. Such an implant could eliminate the need for patients to constantly measure their glucose levels and inject insulin.

"The idea would be that the cells would be resident in the reservoir, and they would act as an insulin factory," Roche says. "They would detect the levels of glucose in blood and then release insulin according to what was necessary."

Other possible applications the researchers have explored for this kind of device include delivery of immunotherapy to treat ovarian cancer, and delivering drugs to the heart to prevent heart failure in patients who have had heart attacks.

"You can imagine that we can apply this technology to anything that is hindered by a foreign body response or fibrous capsule, and have a long-term effect," Roche says. "I think any sort of implantable drug delivery device could benefit."

The research was funded, in part, by Science Foundation Ireland, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.
insights from industry Andre Kotze Director, Sales & Business Development, Services, EMEA Azenta Life Sciences

In this interview News Medical is talking to Andre Kotze about the areas Azenta Life Sciences works within, the product portfolio, and the services provided.

Could you please introduce yourself and your role at Azenta?

My name is Andre Kotze and I am a Commercial Leader at Azenta Life Sciences.

What are Azentas core focus areas and services?

Azenta is a life sciences company offering enterprise-wide products and services. From advanced automation capabilities, genomics services to novel cryogenic storage, Azenta offers market-leading solutions and services across the lifecycle of a sample.

As Analytica is a global event for laboratory technology and analysis, were having great conversations around our storage, automation, and logistics solutions. You can explore our SampleStore and BioStore at our booth  sample storage systems which offer temperatures ranging from 27C to -190C, and are automated, space-efficient, and modular to fit the specific needs of a lab or biobank. This can either be through a store manufactured precisely to a customer specification for their own facility or at an Azenta site through our state-of-the-art biorepositories. Here, customers can store their samples with us with rapid retrieval in as fast as 24 hours and shipment across the globe.

Image Credit: Azenta Life Sciences

Could you please outline Azentas product portfolio?

In addition to our temperature-controlled automated storage, Azenta has a comprehensive portfolio of manual, semi-automated, and automated instruments and consumables to meet the format, throughput, and budget requirements of every lab.

We offer solutions that range from sealing and de-sealing systems, full rack, and single tube reading, to our automated capper/decappers for screw cap tubes. Our automation-friendly, dual-and tri-coded sample tubes are manufactured from high-quality virgin polypropylene with a robust code management system to ensure each code is permanently affixed, unique, and never duplicated, enabling you to track samples throughout their lifecycle.

As a leading manufacturer of PCR and microplate consumables and instruments, Azentas off-the-shelf and custom products optimize plate processing workflows. Many labs are moving from manual or partially automated means, to fully automated plate sealing and removal systems, which offer greater productivity and throughput, reduced risk of sample contamination, and increased reliability, transforming time spent in the lab.

Image Credit: Azenta Life Sciences

What are the advantages of the storage facilities offered by Azenta?

Azenta has installed and serviced over 300 automated storage systems, with more than one billion samples globally. If we examine the options related to our storage facilities, as I mentioned, we offer large automated stores that we manufacture and install on client sites. Alternatively, customers can leverage our infrastructure, staff, and expertise to transfer the risk of managing samples and materials to Azenta to ensure they are securely stored, audited, tracked, and delivered when you need them.

The great thing about the automated store is the chain of custody of the clients sample. A sample can be brought out of storage, one at a time, without it having to be physically touched or disturbed. In clinical trials, this chain of custody is essential. Our cryogenic store is also automated, which creates a much more controlled environment for retrieval, ensuring consistency when removing and adding samples to a collection, and is designed with features to minimize warming of target and innocent samples.

What are the main challenges of sample storage?

One of the main challenges of sample storage is that not everyone adheres to the same sample storage style. If, for instance, you speak to 50 different people who store samples, they will not necessarily label them all the same way, or even know where the samples are located within a lab. This lack of SOPs and handling errors increases the risk to sample quality.

This disparity is the reason why robust processes and software are so vital - having sample traceability, knowing where it is, how it is labelled, and then retrieving it is both important and fairly challenging to do manually. Automated storage streamlines many of the tricky aspects of inventory management. Built-in software enables real-time visibility, comprehensive event tracking, and convenience - such as remote access and integration with a laboratory information management system (LIMS).

Manual workflows expose samples to longer and larger temperature fluctuations and are more variable compared to an automated system. Automation is playing an increasing role in the implementation of process control that ensures scalable, consistent, repeatable, and documented procedures are in place.

Image Credit: Azenta Life Sciences

What genomic services does Azenta offer?

Azenta offers the scientific community an expansive suite of genomics solutions tailored to free-up valuable time and enable a faster route to market with greater confidence. Many of our clients see us as an extension of their laboratory because of our ability to seamlessly integrate into their workflows with a series of services that scale along with their growing needs. From Sanger sequencing, gene and oligo synthesis, next generation sequencing, all the way through clinical services and sample storage, we help researchers avoid bottlenecks and hurdles which would otherwise delay their research.

If a client is working in cell and gene therapy (CGT), for instance, they can partner with Azenta across every phase of their CGT research. We support the rigor of their program starting with target discovery all the way through scale-up. One of our differentiated offerings supporting this key area of research helps scientists working with AAV (Adeno-associated viruses), which can be particularly complex. Azenta has a unique technology that allows us to sequence AAV samples and apply ITR corrections for clients without them having to take any additional steps. Our AAV-ITR Sanger Sequencing protocol prevents abrupt reduction in the sequencing signal at the start of the ITR hairpin and reads through the full length of the ITR region. Some of our clients also combine AAV-ITR sequencing with our Primer Walking service to sequence whole AAV vectors.

Our robust experience and expansive services make us an excellent partner for organizations looking to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Image Credit: Azenta Life Sciences

What are Azentas priorities and ethos?

One of Azentas main priorities is, and always will be, to enable fast scientific breakthroughs. Part of the challenge, especially in clinical trials, is that they typically run longer than planned, which is not cost-effective. This means that our focus is on delivering high-quality solutions with the greatest of speed. Whether our customers partner with us as a reliable supplier of labware, to build an automated storage solution, or as a trusted provider for sequencing services, we are focused on enabling scientists to hit their deadlines and get their products to market as quickly as possible.

What does Azenta have planned for the future?

We have a lot planned for the future that will be revealed in due time, but I can say that we are focused on expanding the workflows within key customer applications. Currently, if we look at our product and service portfolio, it touches upon a lot of cell and gene therapy areas, an area that we are committed to serving.

Recently, we acquired a company that focuses on controlled rate thawing of biospecimens and materials, which is particularly necessary in the delivery of cell and gene therapy applications. Consistent with our purpose, to enable lifesaving therapies to get to market faster, this will see us working closer with blood banks, intensive care units, operating theatres, and recovery rooms in more than 60 countries. We want to expand our molecular biology services further. We are also looking at different automated storage solutions, and are focused on taking them into a more environmentally-friendly direction. All in all, there is a lot to do, and a lot more we will do in the future.

Image Credit: Azenta Life Sciences

What is Azentas goal for the organization?

Over the last ten years, we have developed as a life sciences organization through acquisitions  legacy brands which retained their individual names. Now, we are bringing these unique capabilities that represent the portfolio we have today under a new brand  Azenta Life Sciences. Azenta will enable us to better serve our customers with scale, end-to-end solutions, and robust capabilities. Our focus on quality and service together with our expertise persists, but with an integrated portfolio that serves scientists and their research - from the very start of the R&D process, all the way to the clinic, and, ultimately, to the patient.

About Andre Kotze

Andre Kotze is an experienced commercial leader, and currently heads the Commercial Services teams at Azenta Life Sciences, with responsibility for business in EMEA. Andre joined Azenta Life Sciences (formerly GENEWIZ) in 2011, and was instrumental in establishing a European presence for Genomics Services, as well as building and growing the current Genomics portfolio.

Prior to joining Azenta Life Sciences, Andre honed his skills in various commercial roles at Invitrogen & Life Technologies (now part of Thermo Fisher). Andre holds an MSc in Microbiology from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and is passionate about Life Sciences, and helping clients bring much needed solutions to the market faster.

About Azenta Life Sciences

We are Azenta Life Sciences. We provide unrivaled sample exploration and management solutions to help our customers accelerate discovery, development and delivery.

Azenta is an independent, integrated company dedicated to enabling life sciences organizations to bring impactful breakthroughs and therapies to market faster. Our name, Azenta, signals our commitment to helping customers reach new heights in their pursuit of scientific progress.

We have 3,000 employees around the world working across our leading capabilities of genomics, cryogenic storage, automation, and informatics. We continue to build our portfolio to help more and more organizations operate with greater speed and precision.
In a recent study published in Acta Neuropathologica, researchers examined the impact of tau neuropathology of APOE3 Christchurch (APOE3ch) homozygote against Alzheimers disease.

Background

While Alzheimers disease often has early disease onset and high pathological severity, some cases have displayed delayed onset with the presence of the presenilin-1 (PSEN1) E280A mutation, indicating probable pathways of disease modulation. A study has reported a patient that carried a PSEN1 E280A mutation from the autosomal dominant Alzheimers disease (ADAD) kindred. The patient did not exhibit any Alzheimers symptoms until 70 years of age which was almost three decades after the average age of clinical onset. She was reported to carry two copies of the APOE3 Christchurch variant (APOE3ch) along with high levels of A in the brain and limited tau pathology.

This is a ground-breaking case for Alzheimers disease and has already opened new paths for treatment and prevention, which were currently pursuing with some collaborators. This work is now bringing light into some of the mechanisms of resistance to Alzheimers disease.

About the study

In the present study, researchers explored the postmortem findings and an in vivo follow-up, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of a patient who was a carrier of an ADAD PSEN1 E280A mutation and had an APOE3 Christchurch (APOE3ch) homozygote and was spared from Alzheimers symptoms.

The team obtained data related to structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F-Flortaucipir (FTP) PET, and 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) from Massachusetts General Hospital. Imaging data collected from the patient was compared to that from other PSEN1 E280 carriers and sporadic AD patients aged over 65 years. The PET images obtained were affine co-registered to each T1 image, and all the PET datasets were sampled.

A microscopic examination was performed on the deceased patients brain, wherein the team confirmed the presence of pathological hallmarks of AD and moderate cortical atrophy via immunohistochemistry (IHC). A total of 17 areas of the brain were examined, including the superior temporal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, medial temporal gyrus, hippocampus, inferior temporal gyrus, amygdala, gyrus cinguli, insula, caudate nucleus, lenticular nucleus, thalamus, occipital lobule, inferior parietal lobule, cerebellum, pons, mesencephalon, and medulla oblongata.

Automatic immunostaining was conducted, followed by antibody-specific antigen retrieval before the brain sections were incubated in the presence of the primary antibody. Brain color maps were also created to understand the anatomical distribution of the IHC signal and pathology. Furthermore, the frontal cortex, occipital cortex, or hippocampal formation (HIP) were dissociated, and the team performed nuclei isolation for each region.

Results

The study results showed that at baseline, the patient had a high A burden, especially in the neocortex, which was also observed in the other PSEN1 E280A carriers. The A levels reduced during the three-year follow-up period but were still higher than those in other PSEN1 E280A carriers. The team observed an anatomical pattern with respect to accumulation that varied from what is typically observed in sporadic AD and other PSEN1 E280A carriers. Notably, tau PET highlighted relative sparing of the parietal and temporal neocortex with unusually elevated tau burden that was found in the occipital cortex. During the three-year follow-up period, there was also a remarkable increase in tau tangle burden in the medial temporal regions and the occipital cortex. This indicated a consistent decline in her functional and cognitive abilities.

Microscopic examination showed intermediate thinning in the fray matter ribbon as well as the presence of pathological hallmarks that indicated AD. Additionally, the distribution of tau was atypical since the amygdala, hippocampus, and occipital cortex displayed the highest tau signal density while the frontal cortex had negligible signal. On the other hand, A distribution was in the fronto-temporal predominant pattern. This confirmed the presence of a different anatomical pattern compared to other ADAD cases.

The team also noted that the occipital cortex had cored and neuritic plaques and was also the sole neocortical structure with A deposits in its blood vessels. Moreover, the cerebellum was the only region with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in the leptomeningeal vessels. The brain sample also had features like perivascular space enlargement, arteriosclerosis, and microinfarcts. These features were more than average compared to the general population, possibly owing to the older patient age.

Furthermore, ApoE signals displayed stronger intensities of plaque-like patterns in areas more impacted by tau pathology. Ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) signal also showed more branched and larger microglia in the occipital and hippocampal cortex, while Iba1 and ApoE immunoreactivity were found to be positively correlated.

Moreover, cortical Iba1 signal and cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68)/transmembrane protein 119 (TMEM119) signal ratio was stronger in the occipital cortex than in the temporal and frontal cortices, which indicated This suggested that there were distinctive local and regional tau pathology as well as glial reactivity profiles that indicated protection against ADAD in most of the areas assessed.

Thus, the Christchurch variant may impact the distribution of tau pathology, modulates age at onset, severity, progression, and clinical presentation of [autosomal dominant Alzheimers disease], suggesting possible therapeutic strategies.

Conclusion

Overall, the study findings showed that tau pathology was primarily responsible for the cognitive decline characterized in ADAD patients with PSEN E280A mutation and protection against this pathology is likely to be clinically efficacious.
Each week, Dr. Kim Puterbaugh sees several pregnant patients at a Cleveland hospital who are experiencing complications involving bleeding or infection. The OB-GYN has to make quick decisions about how to treat them, including whether to remove the dead or dying fetus to protect the health and life of the mother. Leaving in place a fetus that has no chance of survival dramatically increases the chance of maternal infection and permanent injury.

But now her medical decisions are complicated by Ohio's new abortion law, which generally prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy if cardiac activity is detected in the embryo or fetus  which can persist for hours or days even if a pregnancy has no chance of progressing. Given the new law, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has streamlined its system of having an administrator and legal team on call for Puterbaugh and other physicians if anyone questions whether the planned treatment is allowed under the law.

Since the Supreme Court erased the constitutional right to abortion in June, Puterbaugh said these cases put her and doctors like her in an impossible position  squeezing doctors between anti-abortion laws in Ohio and other states and the federal Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act. That 1986 law requires hospitals and physicians to provide screening and stabilizing treatment  including abortion, if necessary  in emergency situations.

"It's a challenge to balance both those two things," said Puterbaugh, president of the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists. "But it's not really a challenge to me because, in my mind, the life and health of the mother always comes first."

The Biden administration argues that EMTALA trumps state abortion bans in emergency situations. On Aug. 2, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit challenging an Idaho law that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances. The suit claims the law would make it a criminal offense for medical providers to comply with EMTALA's requirement to provide abortion, if needed, for women experiencing emergency pregnancy complications.

In a July policy guidance and letter, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reaffirmed that EMTALA requires hospitals and physicians to offer life- or health-saving medical services, including abortion, in emergency situations. The letter refers to situations such as ectopic pregnancies, severe blood pressure spikes known as preeclampsia, and premature ruptures of the membrane causing a woman's water to break before her pregnancy is viable.

The guidance stressed that this federal requirement supersedes any state laws that bar abortion, and that hospitals and physicians who don't comply with the federal mandate could face civil fines and termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

There are no known reports so far of EMTALA investigations arising from denial of emergency care in pregnancy situations.

But elected officials in states that have sharply restricted abortion disagree with the federal judgment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration last month to prevent the federal government from using the EMTALA law to require abortions in emergency cases. The suit claims that EMTALA doesn't specifically mandate particular medical procedures such as abortion.

Abortion foes argue that state anti-abortion laws already include adequate exceptions when a pregnant woman's life or health is in danger. John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, said one of Texas' laws specifies that treatment for ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages is not prohibited. In addition, the law defines a medical emergency allowing abortion as a condition in which a woman is at serious risk of a "substantial impairment of a major bodily function."

Seago blamed the news media and medical associations for deliberately sowing confusion about the laws. "The law is very clear," he said.

Legal wrangling aside, in practice, physicians and hospital lawyers say much depends on the interpretation of vaguely worded exceptions in state abortion bans, and that's further complicated by the existence of contradictory laws, such as those banning abortion based on cardiac activity. And medical providers don't want to risk criminal prosecution, fines, and loss of licensure if someone accuses them of violating these confusing laws.

Louise Joy, an attorney in Austin, Texas, who represents hospitals and other health care providers, said her clients perhaps are being overly cautious, but that's not surprising. "I try to encourage them to do the right thing, but I can't assure them they'll be risk-free," she said.

A lot hinges on when a pregnancy-ending complication is deemed an emergency, a moment that is hard to define. Some Missouri women have come to the hospital emergency department with mild cramping and bleeding and were found to have an ectopic pregnancy that hadn't ruptured yet, colleagues have told Dr. Alison Haddock, a Houston emergency physician who chairs the board of the American College of Emergency Physicians. The standard treatment is to provide the drug methotrexate, which can terminate a pregnancy.

"You're stable until it ruptures, then it becomes unstable," she said. "But how unstable do you need to be? The woman's life is not clearly at risk yet. Its not clear if EMTALA applies. There will be a lot of gray areas that make it really tough for emergency physicians who want to do what's right for patients without violating any laws."

Physicians and hospital attorneys are hoping for clearer federal guidance and guarantees of protection from state prosecutors who might oppose their medical judgment on political grounds.

"This is when we need the federal government to step up and say, 'Doctors, you must provide the standard of care, and we will prevent the prosecution of anyone who is following appropriate medical practices and doing the right thing for patients," Joy said.

They are also hoping that the federal government will proactively investigate without waiting for complaints from individuals whenever appropriate emergency medical care might have been withheld because of the new laws. The New York Times reported last month that a 35-year-old woman in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was denied a dilation and evacuation procedure for her first-trimester miscarriage, despite severe pain and bleeding. The hospital reportedly sent her home with advice to return if she was bleeding heavily. The hospital did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

"If a hospital has a policy saying that when the correct medical procedure for a woman in the emergency department is abortion but physicians can't do that, that's a violation of EMTALA that CMS should find actionable," said Thomas Barker, a former general counsel for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services who advises hospitals on EMTALA compliance issues.

In another potential EMTALA case, Dr. Valerie Williams reported that after Louisiana implemented its near-total ban on abortion with criminal penalties last month, her hospital in the New Orleans area blocked her from performing a dilation and evacuation procedure on a pregnant patient whose water broke at 16 weeks. The patient was forced to go through a painful, hours-long labor to deliver a nonviable fetus, with heavy loss of blood.

"This was the first time in my 15-year career that I could not give a patient the care they needed," Williams wrote in a court affidavit as part of a case seeking to block the state's abortion law. "This is a travesty."

But CMS often relies on state agencies to investigate alleged EMTALA violations. That raises questions about how seriously those investigations will be conducted in states where officials have embraced strict limits on any medical services they deem abortion-related.

Last month, the Texas Medical Association warned that hospitals are pressing doctors to send pregnant patients with complications home, to wait until they expel the fetus  known as expectant management  rather than treating them at the hospital to remove the fetal remains, according to The Dallas Morning News. In a letter to the Texas Medical Board, the medical association said delayed or denied care risks patients' future reproductive ability and poses a serious risk to their immediate health.

A study published last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that after Texas implemented its tight abortion restrictions in September, patients with pregnancy complications experienced much worse outcomes than similar patients in states without abortion bans. Of those treated with expectant management at two major Dallas hospitals, 57% suffered serious complications such as bleeding and infection, compared with 33% who chose immediate pregnancy termination in other states.

OB-GYNs and emergency physicians say they expect to be on the phone frequently with lawyers to get advice on complying with state anti-abortion laws while they are seeing pregnant patients with emergency and near-emergency complications.

"This will endanger women's lives, no question about it," Puterbaugh said.
A University of Texas at Arlington electrical engineering researcher is creating a portable, wearable device for rapid gas analysis that could detect illness immediately.

Yuze "Alice" Sun, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, said the device will play an important role in health care, industrial and workplace safety, environmental monitoring and defense and national security sectors.

For her research, she received a $550,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant from the Partnerships for InnovationResearch Partnerships program, which aims to take devices developed in the laboratory to the marketplace more quickly. The title of the project is: "PFI-RP: Portable integrated photonic micro-gas chromatography system for rapid gas analysis."

Weidong Zhou, UTA electrical engineering professor, is a co-principal investigator on the project. The team will also work closely with its industrial partner, ams Sensors USA Inc., part of ams OSRAM AG, a global leader in optical sensing solutions.

Advancements in micro-gas chromatography in the past 20 years have demonstrated great potential for the development of powerful portable gas analysis devices. But it remains a challenge to achieve efficient separation and rapid detection for effective gas analysis in a highly integrated and cost-effective platform, as well as in a mobile device.

Sun said her project will create technology to transform a powerful gas analysis instrument traditionally used in research labs into portable and wearable devices that are easily accepted and accessible by the public.

The key to the project is system-level integration, including creating new micro-gas chromatography architecture and using photonic integrated circuits to achieve rapid and comprehensive volatile organic compounds gas analysis." Weidong Zhou, Professor, Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington

The vast applications could propel the device to the marketplace more quickly. She said homeowners could use the device to monitor the air quality in their home and determine if certain allergens were present. Firefighters might employ the device to determine whether accelerants were present at a fire. And homeland security agents could use the device to determine if explosives or toxic substances were present in luggage or on a person.

In health care, the device could analyze a person's breath samples to find chemical markers that are specifically linked to infections, cancers and other health conditions. In turn, that could lead to a convenient and rapid health screening and monitoring tool to be used at home.

"Not only does the project have the potential of improving our lives, but it could take up so much less space than current chromatography analysis machines," said Diane Huffaker, chair and professor of electrical engineering. "This could save an enormous amount of testing time, too."

Sun's research interests focus on optofluidics, nanophotonics, biophotonics, lasers, biosensing, chemical sensing, microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip and bioinspired photonics/engineering.

She has received additional research grants from the NSF-;including an Early CAREER grant to develop an all-liquid optofluidic laser that could better detect cancer in the comfort of a doctor's office-;the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, the Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Army Research Office.
During a battle with cancer, T cells can become exhausted and are no longer able to function properly. The early phase of exhaustion can sometimes be reversed with immunotherapy drugs, but once T cells become too exhausted, it had been thought that this state was irreversible. However, new insights from University of Pittsburgh and UPMC researchers suggest that even the most fatigued T cells can be revived.

In a study, published today in Science Immunology, the team profiled molecular features of T cells as they progressed from early to terminal exhaustion in a mouse model of melanoma. They unexpectedly found that even the most terminally exhausted T cells retain some capacity to be functional again and identified approaches to overcome exhaustion, opening potential new avenues for cancer immunotherapy.

"People think about terminally exhausted T cells as a lost cause, that there's no coming back from this state," said co-senior author Amanda Poholek, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and immunology at Pitt's School of Medicine and director of the Health Sciences Sequencing Core at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "But given the right circumstances -; the T cell version of rest -; we show that they can come back. This finding could have incredible potential for immunotherapy."

Over time, tumor-fighting T cells may enter the early phase of exhaustion, a progenitor-like cell, which eventually differentiates into poorly functional, terminally exhausted cells. While current cancer immunotherapies can be successful at reversing exhaustion in these progenitor cells, giving T cells renewed energy to attack cancer cells, those that are terminally exhausted tend not to respond to such therapy.

"To bring the promise of immunotherapy to more cancer patients, we need to uncover more about why T cells fail," said co-senior author Greg Delgoffe, Ph.D., associate professor of immunology at Pitt and director of the Tumor Microenvironment Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center .

With this goal, Poholek, Delgoffe and their team deeply analyzed early and terminally exhausted T cells in mice with an aggressive form of melanoma. They profiled the cells' epigenome -; the inheritable molecular marks that attach to DNA and control gene expression.

We expected to find exhausted T cells with epigenomes damaged beyond repair, that they were goners. So, we were really surprised to find that these cells had the potential for recovery." Amanda Poholek, Study Co-Senior Author and Assistant Professor, Pediatrics and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

In terminally exhausted cells, large portions of DNA had an open structure, suggesting there should be active gene expression in those areas. However, genes were not turned on in those areas, suggesting something else was inhibiting gene expression.

To become fully activated, T cells have two switches: the T cell receptor and a co-stimulatory signal. The researchers found that terminally exhausted T cells had insufficient co-stimulation. When they used an antibody that binds to a co-stimulatory receptor called 4-1BB, gene expression increased, enhancing T cell activity.

Another key finding was that low oxygen, or hypoxia, common in the tumor microenvironment, contributed to impaired gene expression in terminally exhausted T cells. When the researchers reprogrammed T cells to be resistant to hypoxia, they differentiated into a more functional state.

"Exhausted T cells have what it takes to be functional, but the tumor environment is set up for them to fail," explained Delgoffe. "By restoring oxygen or improving co-stimulation, we can realize the full potential of these cells and potentially gain the benefits of a functioning, healthy immune system."

Possible new approaches to target terminally exhausted T cells for immunotherapy could include drugs that target hypoxia or co-stimulation pathways or engineering exhaustion-resistant CAR-T cells, say the researchers.

Other researchers who contributed to the study were B. Rhodes Ford, Paolo D. A. Vignali, Ronal Peralta, Konstantinos Lontos and Andrew T. Frisch, of Pitt or UPMC; Natalie L. Rittenhouse, formerly of Pitt and now of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Nicole E. Scharping, Ph.D., formerly of Pitt and now of the University of California, San Diego.
In a growing number of U.S. states, people can both drink alcohol and legally smoke recreational marijuana. In others, they can use alcohol but not pot. But on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the opposite is true: Marijuana is legal, but booze is banned.

Citizens of the Oglala Sioux Tribe overwhelmingly voted in 2020 to legalize recreational and medical marijuana on their sprawling reservation, which has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol for more than 100 years.

Customers visiting a dispensary on a recent Friday said they view marijuana as a safe and natural way to obtain relief from mental health disorders and chronic illnesses, which are common among tribal citizens. But they said alcohol has wreaked havoc on the health, safety, and life expectancy of tribal members.

"Cannabis is a natural plant that comes from the Earth  and our people lived off the land, and they got their medicine from the land," Ann Marie Beane said while shopping at the No Worries dispensary in the small town of Pine Ridge. "Our Indigenous people, they suffer a lot from diabetes and cancer and various other illnesses, but the cannabis really helps them."

Beane and her 22-year-old daughter said they use marijuana to ease their anxiety.

Marijuana use can lead to physical and mental health problems, but shoppers at the No Worries store said it's less dangerous than alcohol, meth, and opioids. Those drugs lead to high rates of premature deaths on the reservation through car crashes, violence, and disease.

The Pine Ridge Reservation, established in 1889, is spread across more than 2 million acres of small towns, ranchland, prairies, and otherworldly badland formations. The U.S. Census Bureau says about 20,000 people live there, but community members say that's a vast undercount and that the population could be as high as 40,000.

Alcohol has been illegal there for most of the reservation's history, but that hasn't stopped bootlegging and abuse. "It's killing our youth  its killing our future generation," Beane said.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe said in a 2012 lawsuit that about 25% of children born on the reservation had health or behavioral problems caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb. The lawsuit was filed against now-shuttered beer stores across the border in Nebraska.

The average life expectancy is just 64.5 years in Oglala Lakota County, which includes much of the Pine Ridge Reservation, according to a 2019 estimate from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. That's the lowest of any county in the U.S. and about 15 years below the national average.

Native Americans have high rates of health problems, which experts attribute to poverty and ways their communities have been harmed and fractured by federal policies. Those who live on reservations often have limited access to health care services and healthy food, and their main health care provider is the Indian Health Service, which has been dogged by complaints of underfunding and substandard care.

On the recent Friday, Beane was among dozens of customers who pulled into the gravel parking lot at the No Worries dispensary. After displaying IDs through a ticket window, customers entered the shop to buy loose marijuana, joints, and edibles prepared in a commercial-grade kitchen.

Only a few customers at No Worries said they use marijuana for purely recreational reasons. More said they use it to relieve anxiety, pain, and other medical conditions.

One customers eyes filled with tears as she lifted her shirt to reveal an ostomy bag, which doctors attached to her midsection after removing part of her intestines.

Another customer, Chantilly Little, said she's recovering from addiction to stronger drugs. The 27-year-old said she has seen drugs kill tribal citizens and wants to be a responsible parent. "I'd rather smoke than do other drugs because I almost gave up on my kids," Little said.

Stephanie Bolman  a breast cancer patient, former health care worker, and council member for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe  was traveling through the area and decided to visit the No Worries shop.

Bolman doesn't use marijuana but wanted to see the dispensary. She's interested in legalizing medical cannabis on her reservation, situated along the Missouri River in central South Dakota, about four hours east of Pine Ridge.

"Unfortunately, the health care services provided by the Indian Health Service have failed so many in countless ways," Bolman said. "It has left many to fend for themselves and endure so much pain and suffering that medical marijuana has proven to be lifesaving."

In 2020, when tribal citizens approved the marijuana initiatives for the Pine Ridge Reservation, they rejected a proposal to legalize alcohol sales and consumption within the two casinos on the reservation.

In 2013, voters approved a referendum to legalize alcohol reservation-wide by a narrow margin. But the tribal council never implemented the change.

Lakota people did not use marijuana in pre-colonial times, said Craig Howe, a Lakota historian. Lakota and other Great Plains tribes also didn't use alcohol until it was introduced by white traders in the 1800s.

Alcohol "was meant to control our people, and eventually it became a weapon of mass destruction," said Ruth Cedar Face, an addiction treatment counselor and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Cedar Face said that medical marijuana can be helpful for certain medical and mental health conditions but that it's not a cure-all. "When it becomes a problem, when it becomes an addiction, that's because they're medicating away the things they need to deal with, like the trauma that is usually the core of any kind of addiction or unhealthy behavior," she said.

Cedar Face said marijuana can also cause psychosis, lung damage, diminished brain development, and other problems for some users, especially teenagers and young adults.

People must be 21 or older to buy or use cannabis, according to Oglala Sioux law. They can face jail time for providing marijuana to minors and fines for using the drug while driving.

Dispensaries can sell only marijuana grown on the reservation, and customers are prohibited from transporting cannabis elsewhere. But about 40% of No Worries customers live outside the reservation, with many traveling from the Black Hills of South Dakota or northwestern Nebraska, said owner Adonis Saltes.

Recreational marijuana is illegal in South Dakota, which means law enforcement officers could charge anyone caught transporting or using cannabis outside reservation boundaries. But the sheriff's office in Pennington County, which borders the Pine Ridge Reservation, said it hasn't arrested anyone on such charges.

That contrasts with the experience of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe on the eastern side of the state. State and local law enforcement officers are charging Native Americans and non-Natives who've left the reservation with cannabis from the reservation's medical dispensary, according to Seth Pearman, the tribe's attorney general.
A recent report posted to the medRxiv* preprint server examined the health influences of long coronavirus disease (COVID) during the 2021 to 2022 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron surge in Australia.

Background

A subset of acute SARS-CoV-2 survivors have been documented to experience long COVID symptoms; the risk is higher for COVID 2019 (COVID-19) non-vaccinated individuals and those who experienced more severe acute infections. A diverse combination of symptoms that continue or appear following acute COVID-19 for at least 12 weeks is known as long COVID.

It is crucial to estimate the full health implications of COVID-19, including its long-term effects, given the persistently high frequencies of SARS-CoV-2 spread worldwide. Prior studies estimated the health loss caused by long COVID across the population from 2020 to 2021, utilizing current health states to describe this range of outcomes. Although these health states share some symptoms with the recorded long COVID symptoms, they do not account for the entire range of symptoms associated with long COVID or the variety of symptoms described by different people.

About the study

In the current research, the scientists aimed to analyze the influence of long COVID on deaths during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron surge from 2021 to 2022 across Australia compared to the acute COVID-19 mortality and morbidity and other sources of mortality and morbidity in Australia. They used data from priorly published population-based cross-sectional, case-control, or cohort analyses to conduct the burden of disease study.

Initially, the team determined the magnitude of the morbidity associated with long COVID caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infections regarding frequency, severity, and duration. Secondly, they assessed how much of the total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) accrued in Australia during the 2021 to 2022 Omicron wave were attributable to long COVID and how this health loss compares to other significant causes of disability in the nation.

The study subjects were individuals with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection from 10 December 2021 to 9 April 2022. The primary research outcomes measured were years lived with disability (YLDs) from long COVID and acute COVID-19. They were estimated from the duration, severity, and prevalence of each long COVID symptom as determined from prior reports, summed throughout all long COVID symptoms, and applied to the group of SARS-CoV-2 surviving cases across Australia during the 2021 to 2022 Omicron surge. Furthermore, total COVID-19 DALYs were estimated to be produced by acute COVID-19 YLDs and years of life lost (YLLs) from COVID-19 fatalities.

Results

According to the study results, 5,300 YLDs were due to long COVID during the Omicron surge across Australia, contributing to 74% of all YLDs from SARS-CoV-2 infections. In the four-month timeframe of the research, COVID-19 was responsible for 51,000 DALYs overall, or 2.4% of all DALYs. This inference was similar to the health loss brought on by drug use and dementia disorders.

The highest contribution to the total uncertainty across long COVID morbidity was associated with severity estimations, according to one-way sensitivity analyses performed on each morbidity variable. This observation was concerning, given that the bulk of disability weights (DWs) employed were calculated using estimates from other health states and were applied uniformly across sub-groups. In addition, despite making up a minor fraction of the total symptoms incorporated in the assessment, psychological and cognitive symptoms contributed to a high degree of uncertainty across overall estimates, highlighting the requirement for additional studies on the severity and prevalence of these symptoms.

Notably, the true YLLs of many COVID-19 fatalities will be lower than those determined using conventional DALY techniques.

Conclusions

The authors claimed that the present study was the first to thoroughly quantify long COVID morbidity in Australia during the Omicron wave from 2021 to 2022, broken down by each symptom.

The study findings showed that long COVID was responsible for nearly three-fourths of the non-fatal health losses brought on by Omicron variant infections. The team stated that long COVID demands consideration in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic policy designing, considering that it accounted for the bulk of COVID-19-associated overall morbidity loss, even in an Omicron surge among a highly vaccinated community. Further, a more precise assessment of long COVID morbidity will be possible with additional investigations of the symptom pattern, duration of long COVID after Omicron infection, and more reliable severity evaluations.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Note: One week after its arrival to Fairbanks, the Nenana was housing tourists. Fairbanks was suffering at that time from an extreme shortage of accommodations for the post-war booming tourism industry. It was one of a few Boatels in operation along the Chena River. This nautical History Nugget has been proudly brought to you by the Fairbanks Igloos of the Pioneers of Alaska who have more nuggets available on their website pioneersofalaskafairbanks.org.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. Low 52F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy with a few showers. Low 52F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has maintained its top tier ranking, for the fifth consecutive year, in recognition of its dedicated efforts to combat human trafficking. The US State Departments 2022 report on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) has placed Bahrain in the Tier 1 status.

It is the highest annual international rating in this field. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received a cable of congratulations from Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, Jamal Abdulaziz Al Alawi, attributing the achievement to HMs farsighted vision and keenness on cultivating the culture of human rights beyond any discrimination.

The milestone stems from unwavering commitment to HM the Kings approach to protect human rights and respect international conventions and laws, thus reflecting Bahrains culture, Arab identity and Islamic creed, Al Alawi said.

He expressed deepest thanks and gratitude to HM the King for entrusting with this dossier, as LMRA Chief and Chairman of the the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking. Al Alawi pledged to spare no effort to implement HM the Kings visions and wise directives to further Bahrains development, progress and prosperity.

Al Alawi also extended congratulations to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Al Alawi said that the ranking is a recognition of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Ministers efforts, directives and projects that further strengthen the Kingdoms fight against human trafficking and put in place sustainable mechanisms to protect human rights.

He described Bahrain as the homeland of moderation that extends bridges of communication with all countries of the world, across different cultures, religions and beliefs. Bahrain is keen to enhance the culture of combating trafficking in persons, and has established the Regional Centre of Excellence for capacity building in the field of combatting trafficking in persons, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the GCC countries and the International Organization for Migration.

The kingdom has also set up an anti-human trafficking prosecution, specialised in human trafficking cases, which is an advanced step towards strengthening criminal protection for victims of trafficking in persons in a way that guarantees them their prescribed rights, becoming the first Arab country to establish such a prosecution. It continues to cooperate with the international community in all efforts aimed at combating trafficking in persons, preventing this cross-border crime and protecting its victims.
DANAT hosts students on Career Tasters Programme

TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT) hosted the Career Tasters Programme for students, in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Adliya. The students were given a tour of DANATs gemological laboratory, where they saw how natural pearls and gemstones are studied and authenticated using the most recent technologies. This visit also gave them an overview of DANATs services and the opportunity to attend the seminar entitled A Day in a Marine Biologists Life. The students were briefed on the institutes educational courses, and its specialisation in testing and studying natural pearls, in cooperation with the Gemological Society in the UK (Gem-A), making DANAT the first accredited teaching centre from Gem-A in the Middle East.

Ms Amal Al Kooheji, Member of the Board of Directors of DANAT and President of the Adliya Rotary Club, said that hosting these visits comes within the framework of the institutes keenness to enhance the knowledge of Bahraini youth in the history of Bahraini pearls, their locations, methods of extraction, examination and documentation mechanisms, in line with DANAT role in implementing the National Plan to Revitalize the Pearl Sector. Mrs Al Kooheji noted that the participation of DANAT in this initiative comes within its commitment to community partnership and in the context of participation with civil initiatives and institutions working on the development of the Bahraini society.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A female GCC national was jailed for a year by the High Criminal Court for assaulting a Bahrain policewoman while intoxicated during a hotel beach scuffle. The Court also fined her BD100 and ordered her permanent deportation.

The incident began when a hotel reported a scuffle between two women on the hotel beach. A policewoman went to the site, where the accused was seen wearing a swimsuit and under the influence of alcohol.

When approached, the accused asked for the policewoman's mobile phone to speak with her father. However, she was told that she could make the call from the Security Directorate.

The policewoman then tried to drape a robe around the accused to cover her, but the latter repeatedly tossed it aside. The accused then verbally abused the policewoman during the drive to the Security Directorate and attempted to escape when they arrived there.

In her attempt to catch her, the policewoman fell and the accused assaulted her while continuing to curse. During the investigation, the accused denied the incident supposedly because she could not remember due to being drunk.

Meanwhile, it was revealed in the medical report that the policewoman had suffered a traumatic injury. The Public Prosecution convicted the accused of assaulting a member of the security forces - a chief sergeant - while performing her duties.
NHK - Aug 05

Officials are warning of more rain on Friday after record rainfall hit parts of the Japanese region of Hokuriku and Niigata and Yamagata Prefectures from Wednesday through Thursday, causing flooding and landslides. They are urging vigilance over landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
S Navy Ship (USNS) Charles Drew arrived at L&T's Shipyard at Kattupalli, Chennai on Sunday for undertaking repairs and allied services, adding a new dimension to the India-US strategic partnership, officials said.

This is the first-ever repair of a US Navy ship in India, providing a huge boost to 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbharta in Defence'.

The US Navy had awarded a contract to L&T's Shipyard at Kattupalli for undertaking maintenance of the ship.

A statement said that the event signifies the capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market.

"Indian shipyards offer wide ranging and cost-effective ship repair and maintenance services, using advanced maritime technology platforms," it said.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral S.N. Ghormade, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area Rear Admiral S. Venkat Raman and other senior officials of Ministry of Defence visited the shipyard to welcome the vessel.

Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin and Defence Attache at the US Embassy in Delhi, and Rear Admiral Michael Baker were also present.

Ajay Kumar, terming the event as a red-letterday for the Indian shipbuilding industry and the India-US defence relationship, said: "We are indeed pleased to welcome the US Naval Ship Charles Drew to India, for making her voyage ready. India's initiative also assumes special significance in furthering the strategic partnership between India and the US. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for deeper engagements."

He described the arrival of USNS Charles Drew for repairs as a sign of a maturing Indian shipbuilding industry.

"Today, India has six major shipyards with turnover of nearly $2 billion. We are making ships not only for our own requirements. We have our own design house capable of making all kinds of state-of-the-art ships. The shipbuilding industry today is not just carrying out conventional things, but is also amalgamating the latest technologies with it," he said.

Meanwhile, the Defence Secretary also said that the ties between India and the US have been expanding in scale and scope, and are based on common values and beliefs of an open, inclusive and rule-based order in Indo-Pacific and rest of the global common systems.

"There has been a tremendous amount of traction in the defence industry cooperation over the last couple of years between the two countries," he added.

USNS Charles Drew will be at Kattupalli shipyard for a period of 11 days and undergo repairs in various areas.
A Japanese sailor has been stabbed at Bloody Ridge in Solomon Islands during a World War II remembrance ceremony in Honiara.

Witnesses say the man, who was part of the Japanese Navy media team, was stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors.

Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the culprit was from a neighbouring community and was mentally unstable and under the influence.

He was quickly detained by locals and members of the US military present for the ceremony and taken away by police.

The ceremony then continued peacefully.

RNZ Pacific spoke with medical personnel who said the Japanese sailor would require minor stitches but was okay.

Japan's consul in Solomon Islands, Nori Yoshida, said it was a very unfortunate event, and they were unclear about the motive but would be following up with police.

The stabbing has marred what has been a peaceful ceremony to remember those who lost their lives during the battle of Guadalcanal 80 years ago. ...continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP)  Over five decades in Washington, Joe Biden knew that the way to influence was to be in the room where it happens. But in the second year of his presidency, some of Bidens most striking, legacy-defining legislative victories came about by staying out of it.

A summer lawmaking blitz has sent bipartisan bills addressing gun violence and boosting the nations high-tech manufacturing sector to Bidens desk, and the president is now on the cusp of securing what he called the final piece of his economic agenda with Senate passage of a Democrats-only climate and prescription drug deal once thought dead. And in a counterintuitive turn for the president who has long promoted his decades of Capitol Hill experience, Bidens aides chalk up his victories to the fact that hes been publicly playing the role of cheerleader rather than legislative quarterback.

In a 50-50 Senate, its just true that when the White House takes ownership over a topic, it scares off a lot of Republicans, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. I think all of this is purposeful. When you step back and let Congress lead, and then apply pressure and help at the right times, it can be a much more effective strategy to get things done.

Democrats and the White House hope the run of legislative victories, both bipartisan and not, just four months before the November elections will help resuscitate their political fortunes by showing voters what they can accomplish with even the slimmest of majorities.

Biden opened 2022 with his legislative agenda at a standstill, poll numbers on the decline and a candid admission that he had made a mistake in how he carried himself in the role.

The public doesnt want me to be the President-Senator, he said. They want me to be the president and let senators be senators.

Letting the senators be senators was no easy task for Biden, whose political and personal identities are rooted in his formative years spent in that chamber. He spent 36 years as a senator from Delaware, and eight more as the Senates president when he was valued for his Capitol Hill relationships and insights as Barack Obamas vice president.

In the estimation of many of his aides and advisers, leaving the Senate behind was key to his subsequent success. The heightened expectations for Democrats, who hold precarious majorities in Congress but nonetheless have unified control of Washington, were dragging Biden down among his supporters who wanted more ambitious action.

In the spring of 2021, Biden made a big show of negotiating directly with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on an infrastructure bill, only to have the talks collapse. At the same time, a separate bipartisan group had been quietly meeting on its own, discussing how to overhaul the nations transportation, water and broadband systems. After the White House gave initial approval and then settled the final details with senators, that became the version that was shepherded into law.

The president next tried to strike a deal on a social spending and climate package with Sen. Joe Manchin, going as far as inviting the West Virginia lawmaker to his home in Wilmington, Delaware, until the conservative Democrat abruptly pulled the plug on the talks in a Fox News interview. Manchin would later pick up the negotiations again, this time with just Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the two would eventually reach an agreement that the Senate approved Sunday after more than a year of legislative wrangling.

In late 2021, White House aides persuaded the president to clam up about his conversations with the Hill, as part of a deliberate shift to move negotiations on his legislative agenda out of the public eye.

The new approach drew criticism from the press, but the White House wagered that the public was not invested in the details and would reward the outcomes.

Biden and his team have been using the bully pulpit and closely working with Congress," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates. The aim is "to achieve what could soon be the most productive legislative record of any president" since Lyndon Johnson.

Some of the shift, White House aides said, also reflected the changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept Biden in Washington for most of 2021; his meetings with lawmakers amounted to one of the few ways to show he was working.

In time, Bidens decision to embrace a facilitating role rather than being negotiator in chief  which had achieved mixed success  began to pay off: the first substantive gun restrictions in nearly three decades, a measure to boost domestic production of semiconductor computer chips, and care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

White House officials credit Bidens emotional speech after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, with helping to galvanize lawmakers to act on gun violence  and even his push for more extensive measures than made it into the bill with giving the GOP space to reach a compromise. And they point to a steady cadence of speeches over months emphasizing the need to lower prescription drug costs or to act on climate with keeping those issues in the national conversation amid the legislative fits and starts.

Lawmakers say that Biden removing himself directly from the negotiations empowered senators to reach consensus among themselves, without the distraction of a White House that may have repeatedly pushed for something that would be unattainable with Republicans or could be viewed as compromising by some Democrats.

On the semiconductor package that Biden plans to sign into law Tuesday, the administration organized classified briefings for lawmakers that emphasized how China is gaining influence in the computer chip sector and the national security implications. Republicans were regularly in touch with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, one Biden Cabinet official who has developed warm relationships across the aisle.

In his heart, Joe is a U.S. senator, said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the chief Democratic author of the burn pits legislation who also helped hash out the infrastructure law last year. So he understands allowing this to work is how you get it done.
Samsung on Sunday launched its Android 13-based 'One UI 5' open beta programme which will be available on the Galaxy S22 series (Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra).

The One UI 5 update introduces new ways for users to customise their smartphone experience, including an expanded set of colour options for a more tailored look.

The One UI 5 beta will first be available in the US, Germany and South Korea, with releases in other regions planned over the coming months.

One UI 5 brings a range of new customisation, security and accessibility features as part of Samsung's ongoing commitment to delivering the latest mobile experiences to as many users as possible, the company said.

"We're excited to offer early access to all the new customisable features that come with One UI 5 as part of an open beta and look forward to incorporating user feedback to develop a better and more meaningful experience for everyone," said Janghyun Yoon, EVP and Head of Software Platform Team of Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, Samsung.

Users now get up to 16 preset colour themes based on their wallpaper and 12 more colour options for their home screens, icons and quick panels for a look and feel suited to their style.

Users can further customise their home screens by stacking widgets of the same size on a single location, saving space and creating a cleaner, more organised look.

"One UI 5 streamlines the process to change sound and vibration settings with reorganised menus that provide easy access to all ringtone volumes and vibration intensities," said Samsung.

For the first time, Galaxy users can also tailor their preferred language for their different apps.

"Users can more seamlessly capture high-quality photos and video with a new icon in Pro and Pro Video mode that offers useful tips and tricks on how to use the various lenses, features and controls," said the company.

With One UI 5, a new dashboard lets users view the security status of their phone, shows whether there are security issues and recommends ways to fix them.
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As flood waters ravage Kentucky, residents are finding themselves displaced from their homes and their pets. Many of those pets have been taken in temporarily by animal shelters in Kentucky, but that leaves little room for the dogs already waiting for homes in those shelters.

So, 15 of them are coming to Connecticut.

Mother Nature is not selective. It very well could have been Connecticut that was ravaged by floods and days of power outages, with too many lost pets and no immediate way to find their owners, Theresa Geary, director of operations for the Connecticut Humane Society, said in a release.

The 15 dogs coming to Connecticut are just a drop in the bucket and Connecticuts Humane Society is not the only agency taking pets from the floods in Kentucky to new homes, according to Connecticut Humane Society Director of Development Barbara Naugle.

A truck is leaving Kentucky and heading north, Naugle said, making a stop in Virginia and then Connecticut before heading further to Massachusetts.

The reason Kentucky Humane is looking to clean out their space is because they have dogs that had been separated from their families as a result of the flooding, Naugle said. So we're trying to take as many of those as possible to try and get those dogs reunited with the rightful owners.

The dogs, which are of many breeds and ages, will need a medical check, first.

They go through a medical check and behavioral check which could take a couple of days and then if they're ready for adoption, we post them online and put them on the adoption floor, Naugle said.

Though 15 dogs is a lot to take in at any one time, Naugle said she did not expect it to be too much of a challenge.

Sometimes I think if we had 200 dogs on one day we could get them all homes by the weekend, she said. People in Connecticut are so great and love their pets and really want to take care of pets that don't have a home so we don't anticipate any trouble finding them homes.
East Hartford Police Department /contributed photo

EAST HARTFORD  Police are asking for the publics help in finding a missing man with advanced dementia.

Irwin Alleyne, 86, was last seen at his home in the northeastern part of town near the Manchester line around noon Sunday, police said. He is described as a Black man, 5-foot-4, 145 pounds and bald, with a small beard. He was wearing  jeans and a white jersey with a red around the neck and sleeves.
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TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Millions of Shiite Muslims  from Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan  were marking the festival of Ashoura on Monday, one of the most emotional occasions in their religious calendar, commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein.

Security forces, particularly in Taliban-run Afghanistan, were on high alert for any violence. In the past, bloody attacks have marred the festival across in the Middle East, as Sunni extremists who view the Shiites as heretics seize on the holy day to target large gatherings of mourners.

Shiite Muslims were to mark the holy day on Tuesday in Iraq and also in Lebanon, where a major procession typically shuts down Beirut's biggest suburb. With power split in Lebanon among the country's religious sects, Ashoura presents an opportunity for Lebanon's Shiites to show force.

In the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine, religious charities laid out vats of rice, bread and beans to feed the pilgrims. Thousands typically rush toward the shrine to symbolize their desire to answer Husseins last cries for help in battle.

Crowds of mourners were thin in Kabul, where the country's Shiites have suffered a wave of brazen attacks by the local Islamic State affiliate, which has tried to undermine the new Taliban government. Repeated bombings have rattled Afghanistan's ethnic minority Hazara Shiites, who previously experienced persecution under the Taliban and fear their new rulers  who seized power a year ago, as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew  will let violence continue against their community.

Shiites represent over 10% of the worlds 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein's death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.

Over 1,340 years after Hussein's martyrdom, Baghdad, Tehran, Islamabad and other major capitals in the Middle East were adorned with symbols of Shiite piety and repentance: red flags for Husseins blood, symbolic black funeral tents and black dress for mourning, processions of men and boys expressing fervor in the ritual of chest beating and self-flagellation with chains.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, authorities cut mobile phone services in key cities holding commemorations for fear of militant bombings. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed Monday that Afghanistan was experiencing significant service disruptions.

Pakistani police were out in force along procession routes. The Taliban shut down roads leading to Shiite neighborhoods and mosques in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have encouraged Shiites to carry out their devotions. However, they did not designate Ashoura a national holiday this year, as Afghanistan's authorities have in the past. They also banned major processions for fear of violence after a string of bombings targeting Shiite-dominated areas.

Despite the threat of attacks, hundreds of frenzied Shiites turned up on the streets of Kabul to beat their heads and chests in unison. They whipped themselves with knife-edged chains to the point of blood splattering onto the streets.

The Afghan mourners struck a defiant tone.

Those who want to stop us from commemoration of this day will take their wish to grave with themselves, said Habibullah Bashardost, adding that the community had braced itself for more violence.

"Even if these people who are commemorating today are martyred, we have our coming generation to continue this path, Bashardost said.

Another participant, Ahmadullah Hussaini, said his presence at the bloodletting ritual under the shadow of targeted attacks delivered a succinct message: We are not scared of anything, not even death.

In Shiite powerhouse Iran, thousands of men and women shrouded in black thronged the streets of Tehran. Green plumage, the color of Islam, fluttered in the air. Camels covered with multicolored cloth paraded through the city, evoking how Hussein set out from Mecca with a small band of companions. Iranians pounded their chests in mourning and chanted in unison, while some mourners clad in black wept.

Somehow, I feel like I must go to mourning, because Imam Hussein was brutally and unfairly treated, said Nasrin Bahami, a 65-year-old participant in the Tehran procession. I love his pride, his bravery. He is a symbol, a role model.

In Iraq, where the largest Ashoura gatherings were expected to take place on Tuesday, black flags of grief fluttered over the capital's major thoroughfares. Portraits of the revered saint hung from the doors of nearly every house in the Shiite-dominated suburb of Sadr City.

This years Ashoura in Iraq coincides with a deepening political crisis between Shiite political rivals. Thousands of followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the parliament building last week to prevent Iran-backed parties from forming a government. Their sit-in continues, with al-Sadr invoking the sacrifices of Hussein to whip up religious fervor.

___

Associated Press writers Samya Kullab in Baghdad, Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
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Marsha and I went on a quest for Wiener schnitzel, a dish that we fell hard for in Salzburg, Austria on our honeymoon fifty years ago. No restaurant in Connecticut seems to offer this staple of Austrian cuisine, so we vowed to make it at home. Our journey of discovery led us to prowl cookbooks, websites and YouTube videos. The result  with the help of local suppliers  success!

Wiener schnitzel, the famous national dish of Austria, is served across that nation in restaurants, fancy or plain. The plate-sized, thinly-pounded, lightly-breaded cutlet is cooked in a bath of hot oil, served with a slice of lemon and eaten right away while the crust is still puffy and crisp.

True Wiener schnitzel is made with veal  a thin, lean cutlet pounded out to an even thickness. Beware the recipe that might use pork instead or even chicken. The Austrians would be aghast.

A full-service butcher shop is the place to start.

Tempting, thick-cut steaks filled the meat case at the Darien Butcher Shop, but that wasn't what I was looking for. Manager Alexander Aflalo pulled a veal top round out of the cooler and expertly sliced off two cutlets for our schnitzel. He gladly pounded them to an even and tender thinness with a smooth-sided schnitzel klopfer.

After enjoyable hours reading recipes and studying online videos, Marsha and I were eager to try our hand. With just a few ingredients  flour, egg, bread crumbs and the cutlet  it comes down to technique to get the authentic result  a puffy, sturdy crust that bubbles up and separates from the meat. A video from the restaurant Meissl & Schadn in Vienna was very helpful.

The trick, I learned, was a deep bath of oil heated to 350 degrees. I poured a quart of canola oil into a cast iron pan and kept an eye on the temperature with a digital thermometer.

The lightly-breaded cutlet is slipped into the oil without touching the bottom of the pan. After an astonishingly short time, the cutlet is gently turned. Magically, the crust puffs.

To round out the menu I visited the Taste Of Europe, a source for hard-to-find ingredients in Norwalk, to pick up a bag of German spatzle noodles and a jar of red cabbage. (Products from the small country of Austria are seldom seen.)

Our dessert, another home-cooking adventure, was Salzburger nockerl. A souffle originating in the city where Mozart was born, it often follows schnitzel. Again, a few simple ingredients combined with practiced technique create something unique.

As we learned in a video from Sazburgs famous Hotel Goldener Hirsch, egg whites are beaten into a stiff meringue, combined with egg yolks, sugar and a little flour. The mixture is mounded into three peaks, mimicking the three mountains surrounding the city. Baked like a souffle to golden brown, the signature dessert is presented with ceremony and served with fruit sauce.

When not eating schnitzel and nockerl in Salzburg, we learned that the locals are often found in a konditorei  a coffee and pastry shop essential to their wellbeing. Morning coffee and pastry, afternoon coffee and a sweet, noontime for a light lunch, the konditorei are busy all day long. My kind of place.

In New Canaan, the Patisserie Salzburg has a showcase of elaborate confections, European style cookies and beautifully decorated cakes along with a light breakfast and lunch menu, just like the konditorei we enjoyed.

Opera tort, two layers of cake protected by thin layers of chocolate from the hazelnut center, all wrapped in whipped cream, was delicious. Square, generously-sized Linzer Tarts filled with raspberry jam were crisp and nutty. A mille feuille with layers of pastry cream and butter cream separated by puff pastry and capped with chocolate streaked fondant was impossibly rich. All were typical to what we savored all those years ago.

Enjoyed with a bottle of Berger Gruner Veltliner, the native wine of Austria, and Gerolsteiner sparkling mineral water, the dinner was a hit. Ahh, the wonderful memories that delicious food can summon.

Frank Whitman can be reached at NotBreadAloneFW@gmail.com.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes grew up in Milwaukee with a mom who was a public school teacher and a father who worked in a factory  both union members, an important credential in a state where the labor movement is still a force.

At 35, Barnes is nearly half the age of the average U.S. senator, and would join a tiny group of Black senators  and be the first from Wisconsin  if he wins election to the chamber.

That biography stands to turn Barnes into one of the most prominent Democrats in the U.S. this year as the party aims to defeat one of its top targets: Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. His ouster is such a priority that Barnes top Democratic rivals dropped out of the primary in recent weeks to rally around him, leaving Tuesdays primary as mostly a formality ahead of whats certain to be a brutal and expensive general election campaign.

I wanted to make sure we can win this fall, his closest rival, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, said when he dropped out and supported Barnes. That is the No. 1 goal.

Ousting Johnson has never been a bigger priority for Democrats with majority control of the Senate on the line. He's the only incumbent Senate Republican seeking reelection this year in a state that President Joe Biden carried. But Johnson has proven tough to beat as he's grown from a tea party outsider into one of Donald Trumps most vocal supporters and Wisconsin's senior senator.

This election is Johnson's first against someone other than Russ Feingold, whom he defeated in 2010 and then in a 2016 rematch, losses that still sting liberals in the swing state. Johnson is running for a third term after previously saying he wouldn't.

Democrats will walk through fire and across broken glass to beat Ron Johnson, Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki said.

With his focus increasingly on the fall, Barnes is emphasizing an everyman image in campaign ads, including one in a grocery store in which he says most senators dont know what a gallon of milk costs.

But Im not like most senators, Barnes says, walking down the store aisle. Or any of the other millionaires running for Senate. My mom was a teacher and my dad worked third shift.

Barnes served four years in the state Assembly representing Milwaukee before he won the statewide primary for lieutenant governor in 2018 to be paired with Gov. Tony Evers. Evers then defeated Gov. Scott Walker, who enraged Democrats over eight years in office, most famously for his Act 10 law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.

Barnes, who must still get past a handful of little-known opponents Tuesday, has already turned his sights to Johnson. He frequently compares beating Walker to what it will take to deny Johnson a third term.

Its going to be difficult, an uphill battle, Barnes said after Lasry dropped out of the race. But I know itll be that much easier because were in this together. And Ill remind you that four years ago, the race to get rid of Scott Walker was a difficult one, one that a lot of people in the audience today said was impossible. But we got it done because we came together.

Johnson raised about $7 million in donations between April and June, more than the entire Democratic field. Barnes raised about $2.1 million. But in the week after Lasry and the others dropped out, Barnes reported raising $1.1 million.

Barnes built the most well-rounded campaign in the primary, with key endorsements from the likes of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, raising money and delivering a message focused on that middle-class upbringing. When it was reported during the 2018 campaign that Barnes had earned so little that he paid no income tax and was on the state's Medicaid program, he embraced it as evidence that he understood how critical the program is for working people.

Barnes previewed his attack strategy in his first TV spot after his top rivals dropped out, accusing Johnson of being out of touch with Wisconsin, citing Johnson's decision not to attempt to save 1,000 jobs moving out of state. Johnson said at the time that Wisconsin has enough jobs.

Johnson and Republicans are already at work portraying Barnes as too liberal for Wisconsin. In a state that Trump won in 2016 and lost in 2020 by a nearly equal number of votes, the election will once again likely come down to who can win over independents, a small but key group.

The power brokers of the Democrat party have now cleared the field for their most radical left candidate, Johnson tweeted before the primary. Socialist policies have produced this mess, & a radical left Senator from Wisconsin is not the solution.

The Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee that works to get Republicans elected, targeted Barnes for holding an Abolish ICE T-shirt; his supportive comments about the Green New Deal and Medicaid for all; and a 2020 tweet in which he said, Defunding the police only dreams of being as radical as a Donald Trump pardon.

Republicans have also attacked Barnes for supporting ending cash bail and comments he made at a candidate town hall last fall about the founding of the country that referenced slavery and colonization. The United States is the most wealthy, the most powerful nation on earth, and its because of forced labor on stolen land, Barnes said.

Winning the primary without facing the attacks that are to come may come back to haunt Democrats, said Republican strategist and former Johnson campaign staff member Brian Reisinger.

The question for Democrats now is have they had a thorough vetting process to have a candidate who can do what they havent done before, Reisinger said. Its not clear if theyve really figured out who can beat Ron Johnson. These candidates have not really tested one another.

Barnes deflected a question about whether he would be a stronger candidate if the Democratic primary had been more contentious.

Whats most important is that we are experiencing a unity that has not been seen before, Barnes said. In this state, we set out out of the gate to build a broad coalition. We are doing just that. This is about uniting the party. And I would say that we are more united than weve ever been before.

Johnson was first elected as a fiscal conservative, known for attacking spending and intent on lowering the national debt. In recent years, as the coronavirus rose and Trump fell, he became a lightning rod for anti-science positions and conspiracy theories on the 2020 election.

He joined the many Republicans who have played down the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, saying he wasnt scared by the insurrectionists but would have been concerned if they had been Black Lives Matter protesters. It also emerged during a recent Jan. 6 House committee hearing that Johnson had wanted to hand-deliver ballots cast by fake GOP electors to Vice President Mike Pence.

Johnsons favorability rating in a June 22 Marquette University Law School poll was just 37%, lower than President Joe Biden's 40% approval rating. But Johnson was about even in matchups with Barnes. However, enthusiasm among Republicans was higher than Democrats for voting in the upcoming primary.

Democratic voter Leah Siordia, who attended a Barnes rally with Warren, said she was making her pick based on who she thought could beat Johnson. Before Lasry dropped out, the 57-year-old retired computer analyst was considering him, but she was leaning toward Barnes.

He's a real person to me, not just a billionaire, Siordia said of Barnes. And she added: Anybodys better than Johnson.
boonchai wedmakawand/Getty Images

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP)  A former West Texas police chief was sentenced Friday to 15 1/2 years in prison for taking bribes for a multimillion-dollar contract for a city vendor.

A federal judge sentenced former San Angelo police Chief Timothy Ray Vasquez, 52, in San Angelo after a jury in March convicted him of bribery and mail fraud. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix also fined Vasquez $35,000.
Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China: Minning Town inspires young people in Comoros

By Mao li, He Lie (People's Daily Overseas Edition) 16:08, August 08, 2022

Maoulana Charif, Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China (Haiwainet/Ji Xingzhao)

We have just celebrated the 47th anniversary of the independence of Comoros on July 6. In 1975, China was the first country to recognize the independence of Comoros and establish diplomatic ties with our country. The Comorian people are deeply grateful for this, Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China Maoulana Charif said in an interview days ago. China has been offering important support to Comoros over the past 47 years.

Charif said, when people in Comoros talk about China, a sincere friend and reliable brother would first come to their mind. As for Comorians special affinity for China, he has mentioned three key words for many times: artemisinin, Minning Town and Hainan (a province in southern China) mango.

Chinas friendship with and support for Comoros has been unconditional

Malaria had scared away the Comorian people for a long time. Chinese scientists first discovered and successfully extracted artemisinin, which brings hopes to the Comorian people to eliminate malaria in the country. Thanks to artemisinin, Comoros will hopefully be among those African countries to eliminate malaria in 2025, Charif noted.

Since 2007, experts from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and other institutes have initiated the Fast Elimination of Malaria by Source Eradication (FEMSE) project in Comoros by widely using artemisinin combination therapies (ACT) to kill the plasmodium in human body. With unremitting efforts, Comoros has realized zero malaria deaths and seen a drop of more than 90 percent in the number of cases. These achievements are miraculous. The Comorian people keep firmly in mind the assistance of Chinese medical workers. Experts from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were awarded the Comoros presidential medals.

For many Comorian people, Chinese doctors are as close to them as families. This friendship has lasted for nearly 30 years. Since 1994, batches of Chinese medical teams have brought healthcare services to the Comorian people. Chinese doctors are always there when patients in Comoros are in need. To better communicate with local patients, they try to learn the Comorian language. Chinese doctors have also worked closely with their counterparts in Comoros. Each batch of Chinese medical teams has been highly praised. China's friendship with and support for Comoros has been unconditional, Charif said.

Comorian ethnic ornaments. (Photo/the Comoros National Tourist Office)

Chinese films and TV series have always been popular in Comoros

According to Charif, the Chinese TV series Minning Town is another key word connecting China and Comoros. From late 2021 to early 2022, the French version of Minning Town was broadcast in Comoros. A huge hit in China, this TV drama also attracted lots of fans in Comoros.

Chinese films and TV series have always been popular in Comoros. Almost all people in Comoros have watched movies about Chinese kung-fu. Personally, I like Wolf Warriors very much and I have watched it for several times, Charif laughed and said. He can pronounce the word Wolf Warriors in Chinese very well. Different from Chinese kung-fu movies, Minning Town has opened a new window for the Comorian people to know more about China. From likeable characters who live in the countryside of northwest China to stories of turning a desolate land into a golden land of prosperity, Charif has seen a vivid example of Chinas victory in its battle against poverty from Minning Town. He said, Minning Town inspires young people in Comoros to fight against poverty and gives us much enlightenment.

Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, putting people in the first place... Charif is very familiar with these most cited lines in China. China has made remarkable achievements over the past decade, which has attracted great attention from African countries, including Comoros. Charif said, China is believed to make more progress in the future and contribute more to promoting South-South cooperation and world peace and development.

Tropical fish in the Moheli Marine Park of Comoros. (Photo/the Comoros National Tourist Office)

The nine programs of China-Africa cooperation meet the current development needs of Comoros very well

Charif said that Hainan mango is the third key word that brings people in the two countries closer. He said, the first visit to China paid by the president of Comoros was in November 1988 when president of Comoros Ahmed Abdallah visited Hainan, where the weather and vegetation are very similar to those in Comoros. In particular, mangoes grown in Hainan reminded Abdallah of his hometown. Because of this good memory, I hope that sister cities will be established between some regions in Comoros and cities in Hainan, China, said Charif.

It is Charifs wish to deepen China-Comoros practical cooperation. Over the past 47 years, bilateral cooperation has delivered outstanding results: the water-supply project at Nioumakele, people's palace, government office building, presidential mansions, TV and broadcasting building, airports and other major infrastructure projects in Comoros, and all of these couldnt be achieved without the hard work of Chinese builders; in 2013, as Chinas Digital Television Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting (DTMB) demonstration project made breakthroughs in Comoros, Comoros has become the first African country to use the DTMB Chinese standard as official broadcasting standard; China has offered preferential loans to Comoros undersea cable projects, which helps to largely improve the scale and transmission capability of the countrys telecommunication network... Id like to take this opportunity to thank China for its support for Comoros in many areas. The outcomes delivered by our cooperation can be seen from many ways of Comoros economic and social development.

Comorian girl La Yisha experiences dragon dance at Sias University in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. (Xinhua News Agency /Yuan Chen)

Charif said that the nine programs China announced in the Dakar Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in late 2021 have brought about new opportunities for deepening bilateral relations. He attaches great importance to the investment promotion program, one of the nine programs. In this program, China will undertake 10 industrialization and employment promotion projects for Africa, provide credit facilities of 10 billion US dollars to African financial institutions and support the development of African SMEs on a priority basis... All of these are opportunities for Comoros. China respects other countries special needs and expectations in international cooperation, said Charif. The nine programs of China-Africa cooperation meet the current development needs of Comoros very well.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
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LOS ANGELES (AP)  An aggressive push toward renewable energy has run headlong into anxiety over keeping the lights on in California, where the largest utility is considering whether to try to extend the lifespan of the states last operating nuclear power plant.

California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement that for decades has had a fraught relationship with nuclear power, which doesn't produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels but leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries.

Now environmentalists find themselves at odds with someone they usually see as an ally: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a green energy advocate who supported the 2016 agreement calling for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to close by 2025 but now is a leading voice to consider a longer operating run.

Newsom often is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate and an attorney for a consumer advocacy group that routinely challenges plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric in rate cases believes national political ambitions" are at play.

The push to keep Diablo Canyon running is clearly coming from the governors office, said Matthew Freedman of The Utility Reform Network. Newsom is mindful that problems with electric system reliability can become a political liability and he is determined to take all possible actions to avoid any possibility that the lights go out in California.

Newsom certainly wants to avoid a repeat of August 2020, when a record heat wave caused a surge in power use for air conditioning that overtaxed the electrical grid. There were two consecutive nights of rolling blackouts affecting hundreds of thousands of residential and business customers.

In a statement, Newsom communications director Erin Mellon didn't address the question of politics but said the governor is focused on maintaining reliable energy for households and businesses while accelerating state efforts to meet his aggressive goals for reducing carbon pollution. He continues to support shuttering Diablo Canyon in the long term.

The debate over the plant comes as the long-struggling nuclear industry sees climate change as a reason for optimism. President Joe Biden has embraced nuclear power generation as part of his strategy to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.

Nuclear power provides roughly one-fifth of the electricity in the country, though generation produced by the industry has dropped since 2010. Saving a plant in green energy-friendly California would carry symbolic weight but the window to make an abrupt turnaround appears narrow.

PG&E CEO Patricia Patti Poppe told investors in a call last month that state legislation would have to be enacted by September to open the way for PG&E to reverse course. She said the utility faced a real sense of urgency because other steps would be required to keep the plant running, including ordering more reactor fuel and storage casks for housing spent fuel that remains highly radioactive.

Extending the plants operating life is not an easy option, Poppe said. The permitting and relicensing of the facility is complex and so theres a lot of hurdles to be overcome.

The plant on the coast midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco produces 9% of the electricity for California's nearly 40 million residents. The state earlier set aside up to $75 million to extend operation of older power plants scheduled to close, but its not yet clear whether taxpayers might be covering part of the bill  and, if so, how much  to keep Diablo running.

The Newsom administration has been pushing to expand clean energy, as the state aims to cut emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. California installed more clean energy capacity in 2021 than in any other year in state history, administration officials say, but they warn reliability remains in question as temperatures rise amid climate change.

For Diablo Canyon, the issue is whether the Newsom administration, in concert with investor-owned PG&E, can find a way to unspool the 2016 closure agreement agreed to by environmentalists, plant worker unions and the utility. The decision to close the plant also was endorsed by California utility regulators, the Legislature and then-Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.

Plant workers now support keeping the reactors open for an extended run while anti-nuclear activists and environmentalists have rejoined a battle they thought was settled six years ago.

It only makes sense keeping Diablo open, said Marc D. Joseph, an attorney for the Coalition of California Utility Employees, which represents plant workers. There is no one involved who wants to see carbon emissions in California go up.

Critics question if it's feasible  or even legal  for the utility to break the agreement.

I dont know how to unwind it, and I dont think it should be unwound, said Ralph Cavanagh of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the groups that negotiated and signed the pact.

Friends of the Earth, another signatory of the deal, would oppose any effort to extend the reactors operating span. None of the conditions have changed to pull back on that agreement, said the groups president, Erich Pica.

There's also concern about the aging plant's safety. Construction at Diablo Canyon began in the 1960s and critics say potential shaking from nearby earthquake faults not recognized when the design was first approved  one nearby fault was not discovered until 2008  could damage equipment and release radiation.

Lifting the agreement would place huge numbers of people at great, great risk. Thats whats at stake here, said Daniel Hirsch, retired director of the program on environmental and nuclear policy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a longtime critic of nuclear plant safety.

PG&E, which has long said the plant is seismically safe, hasn't said much about whether it will push to extend operations beyond 2025. It is assessing that possibility while continuing to plan for closing and dismantling the plant unless those actions are superseded by new state policies," PG&E spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said in a statement.

PG&E is considering applying for a share of $6 billion in federal funding the Biden administration established to rescue nuclear plants at risk of closing. The utility announced the move after Newsom suggested a longer operating run would help the state deal with potential future electricity shortages.

The Energy Department recently recast rules at the request of the Newsom administration that could open the way for an application from Diablo Canyon. But some environmentalists question if those changes conflict with the federal law that provided the funds.

As part of the closure deal, the state granted PG&E a short-term lease for submerged ocean water intake and discharge structures through 2025, which also would have to be extended to keep the plant operating.

Factors cited in the lease agreement echo language in the closing pact, including that the utility would not seek an extended operating license and PG&E was expected to use that period through 2025 to develop a portfolio of greenhouse gas-free renewables and efficiencies to replace Diablo Canyon's power.

PG&E said in a statement it has met its replacement power requirements to date.

PG&Es decision to close Diablo Canyon came at a time of rapid change in the energy landscape.

With heavily Democratic California prioritizing renewables to meet future power demand, the utility predicted there would reduced need for power from large plants like Diablo Canyon after 2025. There was even the risk of too much power generation.

Rather than too much power, state officials have warned of possible electricity shortages this summer as a warming climate creates more demand for power, wildfires sometimes incinerate power lines and a long-running drought has reduced hydropower. An emerging tariff dispute  involving products assembled in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia using parts and components from China  has delayed solar and storage projects, administration officials say.

But environmentalists argue that a nuclear plant  generating large amounts of power continuously  is not a solution to fill occasional gaps, such as when solar dips after the sun sets.

Reliable electricity is not a 24/7 problem, said Cavanagh, of the NRDC. The last thing you want to solve a problem like that is a giant machine that has to operate 24/7 in order to be economic.
WEST HAVEN  A person was shot Sunday near Leete Street and Washington Avenue, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the largely residential neighborhood sometime before 7:45 p.m. after receiving reports of a shooting, the West Haven Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Upon arrival, the officers located a victim and transported them to an area hospital. Officials did not identify the injured individual and did not share the extent of their injuries.

Police described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there is no further danger to the public. No arrests have been announced in connection with the incident.

Officials ask that anyone with information about the shooting contact investigators at 203 937-3900. They also ask the public to avoid the area during the ongoing probe.

richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com
HAMDEN  Police say a 17-year-old boy was charged Sunday in connection with a shooting last month.

Police said they were called to the area of Blue Hills Avenue and Noble Court around 6:30 p.m. on July 17 for a reported shooting and a car crash. Witnesses told officers there was an exchange of gunfire between a pedestrian and a person inside a vehicle that crashed at the intersection and into a residential stone wall, Detective Sean Dolan said Monday.

The gunfire struck two occupied houses, but there were no reported injuries, according to Dolan.

Police arrested a 17-year-old Hamden boy on Sunday in connection with the shooting. He was charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, according to Dolan.

The teen is being held at the juvenile detention center in Bridgeport and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court for Juvenile Matters on Aug. 19, Dolan said.

Police are continuing to investigate the shooting.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Mark Sheppard at 203-230-4047 or at MSheppard@HamdenPD.com. Callers may remain anonymous.
EAST HAVEN  A local bar has been referred to the state Department of Consumer Protection following a weekend fatal shooting that left one person dead and another wounded, according to police.

East Haven police said 26-year-old Southington resident Julius Bolden-Lowe was killed in the gunfire that erupted following a fight around closing time at BullsEye Billiards and Bar on Main Street early Saturday morning. The condition of the second shooting victim was not known on Monday.

East Haven Police Capt. Joseph Murgo said officers are posted around closing time to keep patrons safe as they leave bars.

During this incident, several police officers were in the parking lot patrolling the area, with one (police officer) even encountering a gunshot victim who ran up to him during the incident, he said.

Murgo said police have been called to the bar for other recent incidents, including fights and a double-stabbing, prior to Saturdays incident.

Bullseye Billards has been the location of periodic issues over the last two years, Murgo said.

Murgo did not say how many total incidents have been reported at the bar in the past year.

As a result of this latest issue, the bar has been referred to the Department of Consumer Protection / Liquor Control for follow up, he said. Its clear that proper safety measures were not employed the night of the shooting, which is what will be addressed moving forward.

A DCP spokesperson did not immediately respond for comment.

In September 2020, Bullseye Billards was among three bars ordered to temporarily close after the establishment was accused of violating the states COVID regulations. The bars patrons were observed sitting at the bar and being served drinks without ordering food, according to an inspection report from Sept. 8, 2020.

A co-owner of the bar told Hearst Connecticut Media at the time the patrons were waiting for their food to be served.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact East Haven detectives at 203-468-3820.
Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

MYSTIC  A missing swimmer whose disappearance in the Fishers Island Sound on Sunday sparked a search-and-rescue operation by the U.S. Coast Guard was rescued by what officials called a good Samaritan.

Emergency crews began searching for the individual after the person disappeared at about 8 p.m. while swimming along a nearly 30-foot sailboat, said Petty Officer John Hightower, a Coast Guard spokesperson.
Fatuhu Muhammad, a member representing Daura/Sandamu/Maiadua Federal Constituency in Katsina State, has dumped the All Progressives Congre...

Fatuhu Muhammad, a member representing Daura/Sandamu/Maiadua Federal Constituency in Katsina State, has dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Muhammad, who is President Muhammadu Buharis nephew, announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the APC Chairman of Sarkin Yara A Ward, Daura.

He dumped the APC after losing the Partys primary election to Aminu Jamu.

Muhammads decision followed a meeting with Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate.

The letter reads: This is to notify you that I have resigned my membership from the All Progressives Congress with immediate effect.

Attached herewith is my Party Membership Registration slip with slip No. KT/DRA/10/00002.

While I thank you and the Party for the opportunity given to me to serve the interest of the people of Daura/Sandamu/ Mai Adua Federal Constituency while working with the Party, accept my best wishes.
M.E. Sherriff & Co, a law firm contracted to trace and recover some properties belonging to the federal government, has denied sale of...

M.E. Sherriff & Co, a law firm contracted to trace and recover some properties belonging to the federal government, has denied sale of the assets.

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), had reportedly secretly granted a company and its attorneys a multibillion-naira asset recovery contract.

The AGF was said to have given the firm, Gerry Ikputu & Partners, an estate valuer, the task of recovering significant tracts of lands and structures believed to belong to the federal government in 10 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Meanwhile, Gerry Ikputu & Partners also hired a legal firm, M.E. Sheriff & Co, to act as its agent.

A confidentiality agreement relating to the contract, is said to prohibit the firm from disclosing the specifics of the job, while they would also be entitled to three percent of the value of each successful recovery.

Recently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) grilled Ladidi Mohammed, head of asset recovery and management unit, ministry of justice, over allegations of fraudulent sale of recovered assets worth billions.

She reportedly told EFCC that she acted under verbal ministerial instructions in disposing of some assets, which were forfeited to the federal government by persons undergoing corruption trials.

Speaking on Sunday at a media briefing, Mohammed Sheriff, the principal partner of M.E. Sherriff & Co, said the recovered assets had not been disposed off, and that his company had no dealings with the asset recovery and management unit.

Sherriff said his firm was yet to be paid for its services since none of the recovered assets has been sold, and that one of the affected properties, located on Osborne road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was unlawful occupied by a company after the expiration of its lease agreement.

He said according to Malamis instruction, his firm successfully secured an order of final forfeiture on the affected property, which was granted by Inyang Ekwo, a judge of the federal high court in Abuja.

We did not even know that there is an asset recovery management unit. Our involvement was in relation to the tracing and recovery of abandoned federal government properties that were being occupied illegally, based on the presentation by some people, who approached our firm, he said.

We got the instruction of the AGF to trace and recover those assets on the understanding that we would be entitled to three percent of the proceeds of sale.

On the 8th day of October, 2021, the federal government of Nigeria granted the request of the firm of Jerry Ikputu & Partners to trace, recover and submit the abandoned federal government properties in 11 states of federation.

Further to the above, on the 16th November, 2021, honourable justice I.E. Ekwo of the federal high court of Abuja granted the reliefs of M.E. Sheriff of M.E. Sheriff & Co and forfeited temporarily, assets to the federal government of Nigeria  all assets as listed on the instruction letter referred above.

The honourable justice I.E. Ekwo also ordered the federal government to make a publication of the said temporary forfeiture inviting all persons/bodies to, within 14 days of the order, show cause why order of final forfeiture should not be made forfeiting the properties to the federal republic of Nigeria.

The federal government, by way of complying with the courts order, made a publication in The Punch newspaper of the 18th day of November, 2021, specifically on page 34.

The court, after giving members of the public opportunity to express interest in any of the federal government [properties], and the fact that no individual laid any claim, granted a final forfeiture in favour of the federal government of Nigeria on the 31st January, 2022.

Sheriff also challenged anyone who had proof of the claim that its firm was involved in the sale of forfeited assets to present a petition to the office of the honourable attorney-general of the federation or Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has said security in the state will be in a total mess if Governor Seyi Makinde is re-elected f...

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has said security in the state will be in a total mess if Governor Seyi Makinde is re-elected for a second term in office in 2023.

The party said this in a statement issued by the State Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Olanite, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Monday.

The opposition party accused the governor of using the instrumentalities of the state to empower thugs that have been fingered in the killing of some people in the state.

The APC spoke against a threat to kill the partys 2023 governorship candidate in the state, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.

He added that Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, fondly called Auxiliary, who was appointed in February 2020 by Makinde as the chairman of the disciplinary committee for the Park Management System of the Oyo State Government, issued the threat to Folarins life in a viral video and the governor was silent on it.

According to the party, the threat to Folarins life by Auxiliary has become a matter of public knowledge via video clips that have gone viral on the social media space within the past few days.

The statement read in part, Governor Seyi Makinde does not deserve a second term in office. During this outgoing first term of his, he has made our dear state retrogress in terms of thuggery and hooliganism, which the immediate past governor, the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, tamed effectively for eight years.

Apart from the threat to the life of the Distinguished Senator Folarin, the same Mukaila Auxiliary and scores of his thugs have clamped down on the billboards and posters of the opposition parties, especially the leading opposition party in the state.





Auxiliary has been leading heavily armed thugs to destroy APC billboards and posters in different parts of Ibadan and the state.

The billboard destruction by Auxiliary and his thugs, engaged by the PDP government in Oyo State is tagged: Operation Destroy APC Billboard and Posters. They have also started the destruction of shops at Dugbe Alawo and Ogunpa, being operated by people they believed are not favorably disposed to the second-term bid of Governor Makinde.

It is an attempt to silence opposition and turn Oyo into a one-party state. The PDP-led administration is very intolerant of opposition in the state because they know that they have failed woefully, and they dont have any good thing to offer the good people of the state.

But we have a mandate to rescue the state from the hands of these clueless, distracted, promise-breaking rookies in governance and promoters of thuggery fellows. We shall not be deterred by their antics. We shall ensure the liberation of the good people of this state from the claws of these political hawks that have been reported to be in government to steal, kill and destroy.

The APC State Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Olanite, stated further that within nine months of becoming governor in the state, Governor Makinde rubbished the foundation for peace and tranquility laid by a former governor of this state on the APC platform for eight years.

So, if Auxiliary and his men can be going around to make people cry during the first term of Governor Makinde, who wants a second term in office, the situation will definitely be worse if he wins the second term. The reign of impunity will go to the next level, which will definitely be a monumental setback for Oyo State. We should not allow this to happen.

We, therefore, call on the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State and the Inspector-General of Police on the threat to the life of a three-term senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a former Senate Leader in the National Assembly to do the needful.
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Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 81F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
Tracy Kennan is curator of education at the New Orleans Museum of Art
ARISS contact with Summer Camp students at Kopernik Observatory and Science Center, Vestal, New York, USA

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center located in Vestal, New York.

ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.

Opened in 1974, The Kopernik Observatory & Science Center is a non-profit informal educational institution that promotes interdisciplinary education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Through its classes, events and programs, KOSC has offered hundreds of thousands of students of all ages the opportunity to engage and actively learn a variety of STEM subjects.

KOSCs resources include three permanent telescopes, a heliostat, weather station, three classrooms, computer lab, portable planetarium and an amateur radio station. KOSC is also the home of the Kopernik Astronomical Society, the local astronomy club, and the Binghamton Amateur Radio Association (BARA) (callsign W2OW). KOSC offers an outreach program to the local schools, and a STEM-based, summer camp for students between 2nd and 12th grades.

This year is the 30th KOSCsummer STEM camps, and in preparation for the ARISS contact, one camp, entitled Welcome Aboard the ISS, showed 5th and 6th grade students what it takes to become an astronaut, how astronauts train for a mission and what research is being done on the ISS. Students are also learning about satellite orbits and radio communication. Camp activities include building a tape measure 2-meter, 3-element yagi antenna and how to use it during a Fox Hunt. Students also learned about Software Defined Receivers (SDRs) by listening to communications accessed via SDRs online. Students also create and decode images using Slow Scan TV (SSTV), including pre-recorded SSTV images sent by the ISS. BARA members are supporting Kopernik Observatory staff in the set up and operation of the amateur radio station during the ARISS contact.

This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Bob Hines, amateur radio call sign KI5RQT. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.

The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Vestal, N.Y., USA. Amateur radio operators using call sign K2ZRO, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for August10, 2022 at12:11pmEDT (New York)(16:11UTC, 11:11am CDT, 10:11amMDT, 9:11 am PDT).

The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://youtu.be/2Vf_ZnYc 8Cs

As time allows, students will ask these questions:

1. What was going through your mind going from earth to space?

2. How do you stay in touch with your family so they know you're ok?

3. How does a magnet act in space?

4. What do you do for fun activities?

5. After a long journey in space, how long did it take for you to learn how to walk again?

6. What does the Earth look like from the space station?

7. Who is your role model?

8. What was your favorite moment in space

9. How do you prevent sickness in space and if you get sick, how is it treated?

10. What kind of experiments do you perform on the International Space Station and how would these experiments be different in gravity?

11. What does it feel like to be weightless?

12. What is the coolest/craziest thing you have seen from up there?

13. Can you see the aurora from the ISS and take pictures of it?

14. Do astronauts play music instruments in the space station?

15. What is your favorite part of being in the ISS?

16. I read that water and oxygen is recycled on the ISS. How much total water and oxygen is needed per astronaut in space?

17. How can I be an astronaut like you?

18. What is the most challenging thing about leaving your family for space?

19. What special exercises do they have to do to stay healthy in space?

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and NASAs Space communications and Navigation program.

The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org .

Media Contact:

Dave Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.
When Jeff Landry took office as Louisianas new attorney general in January 2016, he brought in his friend and benefactor, businessman Shane Guidry, as a special aide.

Among other changes, Guidry helped him rebrand the offices investigative division, changing its name to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and shaking up its roster. Guidry served as the branchs unofficial head.

One of the divisions first hires was Aaron Verrette, then a deputy with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriffs Office, who received a significant promotion and raise after being named special agent in charge of the offices cyber crime unit and investigator supervisor, at an annual salary of $80,000.

Verrette was brought on despite a checkered past: In 2010, about a year before he was hired in Plaquemines, he had resigned from the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office while under criminal investigation. Then-Sheriff Newell Normand said at the time that Verrette had refused to cooperate with an internal probe into possible drug dealing by deputies, and accepted his resignation. Verrette, who was never charged in the case, also had close ties to Guidry, who had hired him after he left the JPSO.

Read the sexual harassment investigation about officer who has cycled through law enforcement After a brief stint at the Louisiana Attorney General's office in 2016, the special agent in charge of the cyber crimes unit resigned amid a s

As it happens, Verrette didnt last long in Landrys office. After about two months, he resigned in lieu of being terminated, according to records provided by Landrys office.

This time, the problem had nothing to do with drugs or an accusation of a crime. Instead, several of his subordinates complained that he was an aggressive sexual harasser who berated them constantly and bragged of his relationship to Guidry. An internal investigation found merit to their claims. Despite both the criminal and sexual harassment investigations, Verrette remains working in law enforcement, now back at the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office.

Verrette might have been the first high-ranking aide to Landry to be accused of sexual harassment, but he wouldnt be the last. In late 2020, Pat Magee, who headed the offices criminal division, faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment before resigning this year.

One of the top priorities of the unit overseen by Verrette was to nab child pornographers and people who used the internet for sex trafficking and other crimes. The work, at times, involved examining pictures of naked people.

Some of his charges complained that he was uniquely unsuited for the job.

When we come across adult pornography (males), Mr. Verrette will make comments such as, we need to talk to that guy, complained one female subordinate, whose name is redacted in internal documents. On his last warrant, I was doing forensics for him  and during the preview he was on his phone on Instagram and began showing me guys he thought was hot and one in particular was a male with a large penis, and he asked me if I knew what to do with it because he sure did.

The investigator went on: I did not ask to see it, I did not want to see it and I was working. I will not be subjected to that type of unprofessionalism.

A male subordinate complained that Verrette hazed him in a similar way, telling him he wanted to turn him into a sexual partner as a bottom.

At least three employees gave statements saying Verrette had harassed them and gave them reason to fear for their jobs, according to documents obtained by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate in a public-records request.

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A couple of them said that Verrette often invoked the name of an influential supporter, and suggested he was untouchable. The name of the key supporter is redacted in most cases: SAC Verrette constantly reminded them of his relationship with (redacted) and threatened to use that relationship to have them fired, a memo summarizing an internal investigation into Verrette reads in part.

But in at least one instance, the AGs Office neglected to redact the name of the key supporter.

In that case, an employee says that Verrette could be heard screaming through the walls about potentially disloyal employees, and that he was threatening that he would call Mr. Guidry and have them fired.

Verrette declined to comment for this story, citing JPSO policies that prohibit employees from speaking to the media.

But when Verrette was confronted with the sexual harassment allegations in 2016, he complained that he was being set up. He didnt deny any of the specific remarks attributed to him, but said the comments were merely jokes.

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His bosses werent buying it. They determined he had violated numerous departmental policies, put him on administrative leave and took away his badge and gun. He quickly resigned.

The records indicate that Guidry, Verrettes erstwhile patron, was on board with the decision. A short summary of the investigations findings notes: Deputy Guidry agreed that SAC Verrette should be placed on administrative leave and an internal investigation into all of the allegations against Verrette should be conducted immediately.

The investigation into Verrette concluded that he violated the attorney generals policies against sexual harassment. While the Attorney Generals Office defended the employees who reported that Verrette sexually harassed them, Landry took a different approach in the more recent case involving Magee.

Magee, the director of the offices criminal division, was docked about $20,000 in pay after an investigation into a subordinates complaint faulted his behavior but found that his inappropriate comments didnt constitute sexual harassment.

Magee wound up resigning amid the flap, but Landrys office then targeted the whistleblower who complained about Magee. Magee maintained that he had not sexually harassed anyone.

Amid the Magee case, The Times-Picayune and The Advocate asked the Attorney Generals Office to provide copies of all sexual harassment complaints lodged against members of the office since 2016, and records showing how those complaints were resolved.

Officials in the Attorney Generals office said that before the start of 2019, the office did not track complaints by subject matter. Describing a broad search for sexual harassment complaints as unduly burdensome and expensive, officials asked for specific names.

Reporters subsequently filed a request for the records related to Verrette based on their research.

Was Jeff Landry aide 'joking?' Louisiana sexual harassment training says that's no defense When Attorney General Jeff Landrys office set out to discipline criminal division director Pat Magee over allegations of sexual harassment, i

How exactly Verrette got hired for such a high-profile position at the AGs office, despite his record, is unclear.

When Verrette applied for his job, he did not disclose that he had resigned under pressure from JPSO. In explaining why he left the agency, he said only, joined another department  even though more than seven months passed between his departure from JPSO and his hiring in Plaquemines Parish.

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The job application form asks: Have you ever been fired from a job or resigned to avoid dismissal? Verrette checked the no box.

The unusual circumstances of Verrettes departure from JPSO, where Guidry was a longtime reserve captain, were publicized at the time. After Verrette resigned from the Sheriffs Office, Guidry hired him to work security at his company, according to sources with knowledge of Verrettes hiring.

Pat Magee  aide to Jeff Landry  resigns amid second sexual harassment complaint Pat Magee, a top aide to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, resigned Thursday as a second sexual harassment complaint against him came to

Normand, the former sheriff, said Tuesday that he was on vacation and couldnt recall Verrette or details of his resignation.

Detectives turned to Verrette as a criminal suspect in 2010 while investigating his supervisor in the JPSO robbery division, Sgt. John Carroll, over allegations of domestic violence and drug activity.

Verrette was accused of retrieving steroids from Carrolls house. Detectives searched Verrettes home and found steroids in the room of his roommate, another deputy who was booked in the case, records show. Verrette denied the allegations in a brief statement to detectives.Carroll and the other deputy were arrested but never prosecuted. Rafael Goyeneche, president of the watchdog Metropolitan Crime Commission, said its clear to him that Landrys office ignored Verrettes history at JPSO when it hired him, and that it was Guidry who brought Verrette on board.

The circumstances of Verrettes resignation from JPSO would have been an automatic disqualifier to any agency making a decision based on merit, Goyeneche said. That person would not have been hired by any law enforcement agency that did a background check on him.

A criminal file on Verrette and the two other JPSO deputies was sitting in the Attorney Generals office, which adopted the case in 2010 after Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connicks office recused itself. Buddy Caldwell was attorney general then.

They had it in their possession. Of course they knew about it. On top of that, it was reported in the newspaper, Goyeneche said of the drug investigation and Verretes resignation.

Its not the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. Its the Shane Guidry Bureau of Investigation. He makes up the rules and Jeff Landry rubber-stamps them. Who works for who?

Guidry, who did not return phone messages for this story, is perhaps the AGs most generous benefactor.

Whistleblower in Attorney General Jeff Landry's office comes forward, alleges more misconduct Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes has resigned from Attorney General Jeff Landry's office after he said that Landry has targeted him f

A couple of months ago, Guidry announced that he had installed Landry on the board of directors at the oilfield-services company he runs, Harvey Gulf International, at an annual salary of between $50,000 and $100,000. Guidry said Landrys legal advice was important for his board, but state law prohibits the attorney general from engaging in the private practice of law outside of his public office.

Earlier this month, this newspaper reported that Landrys office sent a team of Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agents to track down the biological mother of a child Guidry adopted, after the woman had contacted the child without permission. The agents also visited the childs uncle in Mississippi. Landry has declined to explain why his office deployed agents despite there being no apparent crime.

Verrette wasnt unemployed for long after his ignominious exit from the Attorney Generals Office. He went back to his former job at the Plaquemines Parish Sheriffs Office for several years. Then, last year, he returned to the JPSO.

Former Plaquemines Parish sheriff Lonnie Greco, who took office a year after Verrette was hired there the first time, said he was glad to take him back.

Greco praised Verrettes work as a detective and said he was unaware of the circumstances of his hasty departure from the AGs office.

I dont know what happened in between, Greco said. He told me he had some issues with somebody who wouldnt follow the orders he was giving them to do. He just said backstabbing was going on, he couldnt take it anymore, so he came back and worked for me.

Greco said he spoke with Landrys office before rehiring Verrette but was left in the dark.

What I had gathered was, they just dont like to give bad references to cause people some issues, Greco said. They just said they dont give out any kind of comment.

Greco, who rehired Verrette a few months before leaving office, said he didnt speak about the matter with Guidry, though he said Guidry is a longtime acquaintance and was one of his financial backers. Greco recalled Verrette requesting time off to watch over Guidrys children when he was out of town.

Jeff Landry targets new Louisiana medical school over coronavirus vaccine mandates Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is threatening to sue the states newest medical school over its coronavirus vaccine policies after thr

Last year, as part of a pre-polygraph questionnaire that Verrette took before rejoining the JPSO, he was again asked whether he had ever been fired or asked to resign from a job, records show.

His answers were redacted by the Sheriffs Office. Regardless of how he answered, some of the details of his past were uncovered. A spokesman for Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto declined to answer questions for this story about the circumstances of Verrettes hiring.

A background check performed in early 2020 noted that Mr. Verrette resigned from JPSO while under criminal investigation.

The official in charge of the background check tried to learn more about Verrettes short tenure at the Attorney Generals Office, faxing a request that in big bold letters said: Please include any complaints against the subject.

Inside the complaint against top Jeff Landry aide: 'Jurors would want to have sex with her' A sexual harassment complaint against a top aide for Attorney General Jeff Landry alleges that Pat Magee insisted that one woman should be dep

That didnt happen, though this newspaper a year later received a copy of the complaints against Verrette by sending a similar request. Landrys office largely did not answer the newspapers questions about the Verrette case for this story, but said that when JPSO requested Verrettes file, an entry level HR employee who was just months into his job and who was not involved in Mr. Verrettes internal investigation filled out the employment verification request notating that Mr. Verrette resigned after only a few weeks of employment.

Although the request was accurate, it did not include that an internal investigation took place, said an unsigned email from Landrys press account in response for this story.

According to the background report, a human resources manager at the Attorney Generals Office simply told the JPSO that Verrette had resigned; no other information was provided.

The criminal investigation by the JPSO a decade ago led Verrette to resign and two colleagues to be arrested on drug charges, which the attorney generals office under Caldwell eventually refused.

The records of the drug case have been expunged, according to the JPSO.
Irish Language Net

As the Irish Radio Transmitters Society previously reported, Tony EI5EM is the net controller for the Monday night Irish language net on the Kippure two-metre repeater, EI2KPR at 8pm local time. It caters for all levels of fluency and none. The net has a bilingual format, so everybody is welcome to call in, in either Irish or English.

Last Monday night saw a very special QSO, when Tommy EI9IPB called in to the net. Tommy only recently passed the HAREC exam, and wanted to make his very first QSO in the Irish language. Tony was pleased and honoured to be part of what is possibly a very unique occasion. A QSL card, in Irish of course, is on its way to Tommy for this, his very first QSO ever. Congratulations and well done Tommy.

At the moment, this is a pilot project. However, it is hoped soon to have an Irish HF net on either 40 or 80 metres for wider national coverage. Tony is currently working on a glossary of terms in Irish to assist participants in the net. Watch out for this in the next issue of Echo Ireland.
Only 5% of New Orleans sex crime cases were cleared in 2021, report says.
Marie Fazio writes for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate as a Report For America corps member. Email her at MFazio@theadvocate.com or follow her on Twitter @mariecfazio.

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Press reports on ham radio emergency group

A journalist from Norway's Telen newspaper spoke to radio amateurs at the regional emergency response center at Notodden



A translation of the NRRL post reads:



What has Notodden and not least Notodden municipality done, which has received this entry in the local newspaperTelen?



The journalist came to the regional emergency response center at Notodden in connection with the radio amateur group at Notodden in cooperation with NRRL's group in Grenland, met with management in Notodden municipality and placed a suitcase with mobile communication equipment that will be at the emergency response center. This is important and good, but this is how several other radio amateur groups have done.



The new thing is that notodden municipality has a cooperation agreement with the Notodden group of NRRL, that this is at the top level, signed by the councillor, Per Sturla Wrnes, and politically anchored with Mayor Gry Blchlinger. This is presumably completely new as far as we have found, and gives an invitation to other municipalities to do the same.



The agreement essentially has two main goals: Firstly, it emphasizes the importance also for the municipality of having a vibrant radio amateur environment in the region, and that this must be followed up by the municipality with a positive attitude and processing of applications and permits. Secondly, a hub is established in the NRRL's liaison and emergency services in the region.



The equipment suitcase on display is part of this collaboration, with placement and anchoring in the regional emergency center which is part of the regional fire station.



Notodden municipality has also made available a location for a "Crossband repeater" and contributed with events, electricity and infrastructure for this. In this way, eastern parts of Telemark are connected to the repeater network in Grenland and Vestfold. There is a close collaboration between the Grenlands group and the Tnsberg group of NRRL, and LB4OA, Kai Vidar and LA7MHA, Tord is the key person in this network. This establishment is also part of the follow-up of the cooperation agreement between the State Administrator in Vestfold and Telemark and all radio amateur groups of NRRL in the county.



Work is now continuing to strengthen the entire regions and a new UHF repeater on Lifjell is already part of this and the new establishment in western parts of the county (Vinje, Tokke, Fyresdal and Kviteseid) through a repeater on Eirefjell. Cooperation and agreements rooted in the municipalities' top management are also essential here and a result of Notodden municipality taking the lead in formal cooperation to strengthen and develop the amateur radio communities in Telemark.

NRRL source with image of article from newspaper is at

https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Norway
I arrived from our latest trip feeling so refreshed. We spent three days in the resort town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, which isnt very far across the Illinois border.

The town, we learned, became a popular spot for Chicagos wealthy and elite families in the 19th century, particularly following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when many families fled to their vacation homes there or relocated temporarily to the city while Chicago was rebuilt. A number of massive mansions sit along the shores and we were able to learn a little about them on a narrated sunset dinner cruise with Lake Geneva Cruise Lines. The area has been called the Newport of the Midwest.

Our visit began at The Bottle Shop for a wine tasting and locally made snacks on the patio. We were told by staff that a lot of people make it their first stop when getting into town and their last stop on their way out of town  and it makes perfect sense. Its a great place to kick back and relax on the patio with live music daily. Choose from a large wine selection or have a craft beer and then browse through the shop. Be sure to take a little time to walk across the street and check out the Geneva Lake Museum with an adorable recreated main street inside and lots of local history to learn about.

The area has some lovely paths that run along the shores of Geneva Lake, if youre looking to spend some time outdoors and take a little walk. The Geneva Lake Shore Path offers an opportunity to take in the beautiful natural surroundings while getting your steps in.

We also enjoyed getting a little look at the area on electric bikes that we rented at Avant Cycle Cafe after having a light breakfast there. It was my first time using an electric bike and with the hilly terrain in the area, it was definitely an extra little convenience that is worth splurging on.

There are some great parks in the area and we spent time at two that are right by the water  Flat Iron Park and Elm Park. There was a concert in the park at Flat Iron Park on one evening that we were there. It was a perfect summer evening for sitting in the grass, feeling the warm breeze and listening to live tunes. It was also right near the dock for our dinner cruise that evening, which worked out nicely.

We made a few stops at Elm Park while we were there. Located right next to Riviera Beach, it is such an ideal spot to enjoy the lake views. I did a couple solo walks along the water and one of my favorite parts of the entire trip was an impromptu picnic at the park. We had arrangements made to pick up some goodies at a place called The Farmstand  a big spread of some delicious sandwiches, a charcuterie plate, some fruit and dessert  that we were going to enjoy after heading out own town, but we were having such a good time there that we decided to linger and just soak up some summer that afternoon.

It was heavenly. I pulled up some music on Pandora and we found a spot under a shady tree. After we ate, we just hung out for a little bit enjoying the summer weather and watching the water and everyone in and around it. I always feel so at peace when Im near the water and Im so glad we weaved this activity into our itinerary. I highly recommend it if you happen to have pleasant weather, which we did.

The park is an easy walk from the downtown area where there are so many little shops and eateries. We had fun shopping, and stopped by the farmers market while we were there. The market is held outside a historic 1880 Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion that was open that day with a talented gentleman named Dr. Ray Clare playing the 1883 pipe organ, which turned out to be another unexpected highlight of the trip.

From there we wandered across the street to another church, but one that has been re-purposed and now is the Topsy Turvy Brewery. We enjoyed seeing the place from the inside and trying out several of their beers on tap (20 of their own in all). We also stopped in the Riviera Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and has a ballroom that hosted entertainers like Glen Miller, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. We stopped at Going Bananas in the lower level for loaded frozen bananas as we walked.

The trip involved lots of good food, including the best meal Ive had this year at the Hunt Club Steakhouse  a filet and crab cake after starting with shrimp cocktail and a wedge salad and following up with a scrumptious dessert called the Tag Team, with ice cream over a warm brownie with hot fudge, pecans, Rice Krispies and whipped cream. Im usually good at resisting dessert, but gave in and had some in celebration of my birthday the following week.

We stayed at The Ridge Hotel, which was lovely and had an inviting outdoor pool that I wish wed had time to enjoy more. Our room was poolside where we could step outside our sliding glass door to sit an enjoy coffee in the morning or just sit and chill later in the day.

There was so much more we wanted to see and do and our little trip definitely left us wanting more. We had been to the area twice before in the winter months, but this was the first time visiting during the summer. Of course, the vibe is much different and pretty much everything you could want out of a summer vacation spot. For more information on the area, go to visitlakegeneva.com.
Jerry Davich Jerrys career began in 1995 as a political cartoonist/columnist with The Times of NWI, writing thousands of columns and stories through narrative storytelling, or shining a light on societys darkest corners, or provoking unpopular conversations. Follow Jerry Davich Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

How close do you live to your childhood home?

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that six out of 10 young adults, born between 1984 and 1992, live within 10 miles of their childhood home, and eight in 10 of this population live within 100 miles.

I found the results rather surprising. I wrongly figured that this younger demographic would live much farther away from their birth cities after escaping to bigger and brighter futures. Then again, my two biological children fit into this age bracket and both live within 100 miles of their childhood home in Portage.

Even the prospect of higher earnings in more distant locations does little to change these patterns, according to the study, authored by researchers at the Census Bureau and Harvard University.

I expected such a migration pattern for people of my generation. The notion of returning home is a powerful motivator as we age, either to lure us back to our beginnings in life or to care for older parents. Dorothy may have been right  there really is no place like home. Or close to it. Sometimes it takes a proverbial adventure to Oz to remind us of this realization.

Home is where we landscape our character, Albert Koch told me last year.

The 81-year-old retired school teacher has authored two books on life lessons that circle around the importance of home.

Home is where the quality goes in before the person comes out. Home is what really mattered to E.T. Koch wrote in his first book, Help Mom with the Dishes: Lessons from Lifes Classroom.

Although Koch has lived in Dyer for nearly 20 years, he still calls Whiting his home. This is the generational power of our childhood homes.

Only 17 miles separate me from my childhood home in Gary and my current home in Valparaiso. Because of this close proximity, I often return there although its no longer in existence on the 4500 block of Miller Ave. in the Glen Ryan Subdivision of Miller.

My familys tiny cracker-box of a house was razed a few years ago after a house fire destroyed it. All thats left are two hulking trees, a disappearing driveway to nowhere, and a small lawn of overgrown memories.

Last week I again returned there to take photos for this column. I was there less than five minutes yet my childhood of vivid memories came alive. I recorded a video, instantly naming all of my old neighbors, one by one, who now exist only in my mind.

This is the magic about the place where we were raised. It lives on in our collective memories, as clear as the trusty route from our first home to our first job.

I asked my social media readers how close they live to their childhood home, prompting more than 200 responses. The distance between their childhood home and current home ranged from 8,936 miles, from someone who was born in Durban, a coastal city in eastern South Africa, to just a few feet.

I live in my childhood home right now. Ive have moved several times but always end up in my childhood house, Sandy Skafte commented.

More people than I expected live in the same home they were raised.

I moved back into my childhood home from 2000 to 2005 after my mom passed away. It was a good five years, Nancy Webster commented.

I live two blocks away from my childhood home. Love the neighborhood, Richard Perez wrote.

Other readers live far away from their childhood neighborhood, including one of my current neighbors, Flora Ellis, who was raised in the Philippines.

8,444.43 miles away, she said, to be exact.

Her migration pattern as a young adult was atypical compared to most of the data reflected in the new study. Its dataset includes migration between commuting zones for all 741 CZs in the U.S., defined as collections of counties that measure local labor markets. (Interactive data visualizations can be found at migrationpatterns.org.)

There are significant differences in migration patterns by race and ethnicity. For example, Black young adults moved, on average, 60 fewer miles than white young adults  130 miles vs. 190 miles. This is because white young adults were more likely to leave their childhood commuting zones and, when they did, they traveled farther.

Our results suggest that individuals who benefit most from local wage growth are those who grew up nearby, and that those born in a given place are unlikely to benefit from local investment in faraway locations, the studys authors conclude. In other words, for many, particularly Black and Hispanic individuals and those from low-income families, the radius of economic opportunity is quite limited.

Economic opportunity is such an important motivator for most of us until we begin realizing its radius doesnt include our extended families, our community roots, and our mutual recollections with friends and loved ones.

I realized this last week when I found myself staring at a large You Are Here map of Northwest Indiana. NIRPC hosts a booth at the county fairs, asking for residents opinions or criticism about the Regions roadways, trails, land usage, and transportation issues. I immediately noticed how close I live to my childhood home.

It turns out that for many of us, You Are Here means You Are Close to Home.
HOBART  Officials have released the identity of a 54-year-old Griffith woman who is now the second person to die after being pulled from Robinson Lake on July 31 after kayaks overturned.

Carol Rose Wolff Williams died Sunday at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, according to the Lake County coroner's office.

Williams died after drowning, and her death has been ruled by the coroner as an accident.

Zachariah Bud "ZB" Higgason, 19, of Dyer, whose kayak also overturned, was pronounced dead at 10:45 p.m. that day, the coroner's office has said.

The coroner's office determined Higgason's death was also accidental.

Witnesses saw the two kayakers tip over shortly after 8 p.m. July 31 and begin struggling about 200 feet offshore at the lake at 5240 Liverpool Road, Indiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Tyler Brock has said.

"As the kayakers struggled, one witness entered the water to rescue them," Brock said. "During that attempt, both kayakers went under the surface of the water. The witness located the female and swam her back to shore with the help of a Hobart police officer who arrived on scene."

Crown Point Fire Department divers recovered Higgason's body about an hour after he went into the water, according to Brock.

The initial investigation indicated both Higgason and Williams had wearable life jackets with them, Brock said, but they were not wearing them at the time of the incident.
Now, I look outside the window and think, Oh, this is the place where my brother was killed. Should we move? he said.

Mr. Hussain said that he had initially hoped to send his brothers body back to be buried with family in Pakistan, but the numerous gunshot wounds had made his brother unrecognizable, and Mr. Hussain did not want his family to see him. The killer wanted to finish him  the whole nine yards, he said.

In general, anti-Muslim hate crimes in the United States have been trending downward. Brian Levin, a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino and the director of the schools Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said that the number of hate crimes reported against Muslims was lower in 2020 than in any year since 9/11, though he added that those numbers may be skewed because of pandemic restrictions.

But he said that hate crimes remain a concern: They rose more than 20 percent in 2021 and increased another 4.7 percent in the first half of 2022, the center reported. Also, underlying anti-Muslim attitudes are pervasive and resurface during times of national hardship, according to Professor Levins studies.
A former Colorado police officer was sentenced to 45 days in jail and three years of probation on Friday for failing to intervene during the arrest of a 73-year-old woman with dementia who was assaulted by a different police officer in June 2020, a law firm representing the officer confirmed on Sunday.

The officer, Daria Jalali, formerly of the Loveland Police Department, had pleaded guilty to failure to intervene with an officer using excessive force. The charge stemmed from a law created in 2020 as part of a police reform bill enacted in the wake of racial justice protests across the state and nation. The law requires police officers to stop other officers from using excessive force and to report such instances.

Ms. Jalali was found to have failed to comply with the law after Austin Hopp, a former officer with the Loveland Police Department, assaulted Karen Garner, then 73, who had been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting $13.88 worth of items from a Walmart. Ms. Garner has dementia and sensory aphasia, which impair her ability to understand and communicate, and she had forgotten to pay for the items, according to her lawyer. She was severely injured during the arrest.
The duty-free shop on Deck 7 of the Isabelle has been turned into a storage locker and pantry, with suitcases heaped in the perfume section and refrigerated display cases crammed with labeled grocery bags. The ships shuttered casino has become the go-to hangout for teenagers. And the Starlight Palace nightclub on Deck 8 is where women meet to make camouflage nets for Ukrainian soldiers back home.

It makes me feel closer to them, Diana Kotsenko said as she tied green, brown and maroon cloth strips onto a net strung across a metal frame, her 2-year old, Emiliia, tugging at her knees.

For the past three months, Ms. Kotsenko and her daughter have been living on the Isabelle, a 561-foot cruise ship leased by the Estonian government to temporarily house some of the more than 48,000 refugees who have arrived in this small Baltic nation since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February.
In what is characterized in court papers as an act of hubris, Mr. Lotfi, 81, is said to have invited the authorities to inspect antiquities that he was holding in a Jersey City, N.J., storage unit, which they did in 2021.

According to the affidavit that accompanied the arrest warrant, dated Aug. 3, he was so confident in his ability to convince law enforcement that the objects were legitimately purchased that he invited the agents in, hoping their involvement would provide the stamp of approval he needed to successfully sell or donate the items.

Robert Mancene, a Homeland Security agent who was involved in the investigation, wrote in the affidavit that he imagined Mr. Lotfi thought his helpful relationship with Mr. Mancene  and with Matthew Bogdanos, who leads the Manhattan district attorneys Antiquities Trafficking Unit  would place him above suspicion.

Based on my conversations with the defendant over the last several years, Mr. Mancene wrote, I believe the defendant thought he had laundered the antiquities so well and had created such good (albeit false) provenance that he did not think the A.T.U. would be able to determine their true origin.
The pandemic added a significant element of risk to the vote-a-rama session that the Senate needed to pass the bill, as all 100 senators, many of them octogenarians, gathered for hours to cast votes in a confined indoor space.

With the way Covid numbers are now, its likely one of those individuals could have Covid, said Kristen Coleman, an assistant research professor at the University of Marylands School of Public Health. She noted that the event created the perfect conditions for a superspreader event.

But a Covid bill this is not. The legislation does not significantly address the pandemic, its aftereffects or any future outbreaks.

What would help the pandemic would be if Congress would approve more funding for vaccines and treatments for both Covid and monkeypox, Sheryl said. This is not a solution to that.
A cease-fire in Gaza

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza agreed to a cease-fire late last night, which appeared to hold as of this morning. The move is expected to end a three-day conflict that has killed dozens of Palestinians, destroyed buildings and resulted in the deaths of two key leaders of Islamic Jihad, Gazas second-largest militia.

The fighting began on Friday afternoon when Israel launched airstrikes to foil what it said was an imminent attack from Gaza. The fighting revealed simmering tensions between Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian militia that was badly damaged by the fighting, and Hamas, the militia that runs Gaza and which opted to remain on the sidelines of the conflict.

Israel declined to reveal further details about the cease-fire agreement. However, Islamic Jihad said that it had received assurances from intermediary Egyptian officials that Egypt would lobby for the release of two of the groups leading members, Bassem Saadi and Khalil Awawdeh, who are detained in Israeli jails.
After a summer of few conclusive battles, Ukraine and Russia are now facing a quandary over how to concentrate their forces, leaving commanders in a guessing game about where, when and how their enemy might make a major move, reported Andrew Kramer, the Timess Kyiv bureau chief.

Ukraines modest gains in the east have come as a result of its strategy of publicly saying that it intended to launch a counteroffensive in the south, Ukrainian commanders say. The Russian Army responded by diverting soldiers to the south, according to Ukrainian commanders and Western analysts. This, in turn, reduced the intensity of the fighting in the east.

However, some analysts say that the slowdown in the east has more to do with Russias need to rebuild its forces, and less to do with its splitting its attention with the south.

After capturing the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk in late June, Russias military declared an operational pause to regroup and rearm. Independent analysts said that the Russians had suffered extensive casualties and units needed to be reconstituted.
Axios, the digital media company that quickly gained traction since its founding five years ago with its distinctive bulletin-style scoops on the realms of politics, business and technology, said on Monday that it had agreed to sell itself to Cox Enterprises.

The deal, which is set to close this month, values Axios at $525 million, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.

The deal is structured so that the companys three founders  Jim VandeHei, the chief executive; Roy Schwartz, the president; and Mike Allen, a journalist  have financial incentives to stay at the company. Each will be a minority shareholder and will continue to make day-to-day newsroom and business decisions. Alex Taylor, the chief executive and chairman of Cox Enterprises, will join the Axios board.
When the South Korean cryptocurrencies Luna and TerraUSD collapsed in May, their failures contributed to a $300 billion loss across the crypto economy; public outcries for Do Kwon, the cryptocurrencies creator, to go to jail; and multiple investigations. But that, and a broader crypto winter dragging down prices across the industry, do not appear to have curbed South Koreas appetite for all things web3.

Korea Blockchain Week opened this weekend with more than 7,000 people registered to attend and over 120 speakers on the lineup. According to the events chief executive officer, Jeon Seon-ik, this years event was one of the largest of its kind in Asia, if not the world.

One of the keynote speakers, Seo Sang-min, who runs the Klaytn Foundation, a prominent South Korean blockchain company, attributed the events popularity to a South Korean penchant for tech.
PHILADELPHIA  On a sticky day in late June, Margarita Jeronimo and Aaron Del Rosario assembled a feast on a picnic table outside Rosarios, their restaurant on a quiet corner in South Philadelphia. The procession started with tamarind and hibiscus aguas frescas, followed by tortilla chips and hand-painted bowls filled with green and red salsas, and finally, pizza.

Rosarios signature pies  built on leavened dough, but swapping tomato sauce for a base of black bean puree or tomatillo, guajillo pepper or mole sauces  feel like a tribute to the convergence of South Philadelphias deeply rooted Italian population and, since the 1990s, a thriving Mexican population.

These are what the owners call Mexican pizza, a phrase that for many Americans conjures up either the Taco Bell menu item (tostadas stacked and shellacked with meat, bean and cheese) or the taco pizza, a Midwestern novelty pie that deconstructs a hard-shell taco on a sturdy pizza crust. Rosarios is part of a new generation of Latino-owned pizzerias in the United States that are creating a style of pizza all their own.
In terms of the countrys so-called vital interests, much of the fallout in the year since the republics collapse has been contained by the United States and its allies. Famine in Afghanistan has been averted, thanks to the vast humanitarian machine that has cleaned up after political disasters in places like Somalia and Yemen. While the European Union has seen an uptick in Afghan asylum seekers, thus far it has been nothing like the huge numbers that arrived by boat during the migration crisis of 2015. Investments in border defenses since then, along with regular deportations by Iran and Turkey, both of which receive E.U. money to manage migration, have helped to cage Afghans within their own country.

Apart from its counterterrorism efforts, the White House, focused on the challenges from Russia and China, has pursued a strategy described to me by a U.S. official as making sure Afghanistan stays off the front page. In this, the Biden administration has been helped by a marked lack of interest from Congress in the country since the withdrawal, an apathy as bipartisan as support for the war in Ukraine, which has replaced Afghanistan as the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. For a minute the world was really concerned about the Taliban takeover, Amiri says, and there was enormous sympathy for Afghans. And then Ukraine happened. People inside Afghanistan didnt have the luxury of giving up, but she was worried their struggles were already being forgotten.

In June, after I returned to the United States, I awoke to messages on my phone from friends and acquaintances worried about my safety. Overnight, there was a deadly earthquake in Afghanistan. I went online and quickly learned that it had taken place in a remote area in the southeast. No one I knew personally, it seemed, was harmed, but more than 1,000 people were killed. There were heartbreaking tales of whole families being wiped out when their houses, built of mud and straw, collapsed on them as they slept. The United States promised to send more humanitarian aid; the Taliban pledged to cooperate. For a day, Afghanistan was back on the front page.

As much as the war waxed and waned in the public consciousness, Afghanistan was, by virtue of the troops serving there, part of the American body politic for 20 years. But when the last soldier stepped onto the last C-17, that connection with the country and its people was severed. What remains is a painful sense of how much we owe them, and how little we can do about it. When I was in Kabul, I visited two teenage sisters named Zakera and Husna, who were stuck at home, waiting for the Taliban to allow their school to open. Zakera wanted to be a doctor, Husna a journalist. The sisters told me that they were, in spite of everything, hopeful that theyd soon be back in class. They keep saying that the schools will reopen, Zakera said. They promised.

Additional reporting by Zabihullah Padshah.

Matthieu Aikins is a Puffin fellow at Type Media Center and the author of The Naked Dont Fear the Water: An Underground Journey With Afghan Refugees. This year, he won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, as part of a New York Times team that investigated civilian casualties from U.S. airstrikes.
Ms. Zappiers suit also described her as having worked closely with James OKeefe, the organizations leader, dealing with his parking tickets and laundry and signing his name on thousands of books for donors who had contributed a minimum of $200 for autographed copies.

The lawsuit also said that Mr. OKeefe gave instructions to flag private messages on his social media account from attractive women so he could respond to them personally; that he wanted young, attractive female operatives he referred to as pretty young things or PYTs to be hired to go on undercover dates; and that he mandated that the groups operatives review copies of the book and movie Red Sparrow, about a Russian intelligence agent trained in sexpionage.

The plaintiffs in the other suit, a proposed class-action claim, are Ms. Zappier; two other ex-employees, Nick Gioia and Dan Schuy, who say that they were not paid overtime for their work; and other similarly situated employees. Mr. Gioia and Mr. Schuy were video editors at Project Veritas, working 10 hours a day and sometimes more, the suit said.

Ms. Zappiers individual suit is significantly more detailed. It says drinking and drug use were rampant within Project Veritas and that supervisors were sexually involved with subordinates.

Mr. Spadone often complimented Ms. Zappiers appearance, repeatedly greeting her with, Hey, gorgeous, according to her suit. On Dec. 17, 2021, the suit said, a sweaty and intoxicated Mr. Spadone grabbed Ms. Zappier while she was on a dance floor, wrapped her in a bear hug and began to kiss her.

Ms. Zappier spoke about that incident with several employees, her lawsuit said, but did not go to Project Veritass head of human resources because she believed that doing so would jeopardize her job.
To start with, theres the small matter of a Supreme Court investigation into Mr. Bolsonaros allies for participating in a kind of digital militia that floods social media with disinformation and coordinates smear campaigns against political opponents. In a related inquiry, Mr. Bolsonaro himself is being investigated for, in the words of a Federal Police report, his direct and relevant role in promoting disinformation.

Yet Mr. Bolsonaros wrongdoing is hardly confined to the digital world. Corruption scandals have defined his tenure, and the rot starts at home. Two of his sons, who also hold public offices, have been accused by state prosecutors of systematically stealing public funds by pocketing part of the salaries of close associates and ghost employees on their payrolls. Similar accusations, concerning his period as a lawmaker, have been directed at the president himself. In March, he was charged with administrative improbity for keeping a ghost employee as his congressional aide for 15 years. (The supposed aide was actually an acai seller.)

Charges of corruption also surround high-ranking members of the government. In June, Brazils former education minister, Milton Ribeiro, was arrested on charges of influence peddling. Mr. Bolsonaro, who is mentioned by name by Mr. Ribeiro in compromising audio clips, was steadfast in his defense of the minister. I would put my face in the fire for Milton, the president said before the arrest, later explaining that he would only put his hand in the fire. He maintains, against all available evidence, there is no endemic corruption in his government.

Then theres the damning report by the special Senate committee on Brazils Covid-19 response, which describes how the president actively helped to spread the coronavirus and can be held responsible for many of Brazils 679,000 deaths. It recommends that Mr. Bolsonaro be charged with nine crimes, including misuse of public funds, violation of social rights and crimes against humanity.
A video of a North Carolina beach house being dismembered by a voracious ocean was a viral hit this spring. But it wont be long before the novelty wears off. As sea level rises and storm surges grow more intense, beach towns on every coast of the United States will soon be sacrificing more real estate to Poseidon. A 2018 study by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that more than 300,000 coastal homes, currently worth well over $100 billion, are at risk of chronic inundation by 2045.

The matter of large swaths of deluxe real estate erected in harms way is not new. But as extreme weather events compound, the obvious perils of waterfront living are growing both more obvious and more perilous. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cited 20 different billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2021. The analytics firm CoreLogic counts more than 7.5 million homes with direct or indirect coastal exposure and subsequent risk from coastal storm surge and damage from hurricanes.

In the past half-century, American beach towns shucked the bohemians and the beachcombers, the drifters and the sun worshipers. The family that was once affluent enough to own a seaside cottage has grown up, grown very rich and moved into a turreted fantasy with commodified sea views. A few years ago, I asked an old-timer at the Jersey Shore why her town was bursting with people but the beach was strangely uncrowded. She told me that the new rich spend much less time by the waters edge. Its all about the houses, she said.
Russ Skiba

Bloomington, Ind.

To the Editor:

Re How the New Climate Bill Would Reduce Emissions (interactive, nytimes.com, Aug. 2):

You report that analyses have concluded that the climate and energy package would put the United States much closer to its goal of cutting global warming pollution in half by 2030.

It is encouraging to read that calculations from environmental experts judge that despite the provisions for fossil fuels, the bill will be net positive for carbon. This means that the United States is taking a step in the right direction in practical terms, but also in terms of symbolism. Indeed, the U.S. could see itself reinstated as a leading environmentally conscious nation.

There are now two possible scenarios. The bill may set a precedent for more ambitious bills in the future and a greater understanding of sustainable growth and development. On the other hand, it might become an example of diminished ambition: too much deal making behind closed doors, and watered down commitments. Only time will tell which one of the two worlds will come to be.

Ioannis Ioannou

London

The writer is an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the London Business School.

To the Editor:

Re G.O.P. Treasurers Work to Thwart Climate Actions (front page, Aug. 6):

This article about Republican state treasurers working to punish financial institutions for cutting back on fossil fuel investments made my blood boil. That action is certainly cruel while massive floods are devastating Kentucky and fires are ravaging California. Climate change is real.

I suggest we contact our financial institutions in support of their actions to cut back on fossil fuel investments. They need to hear from customers. I just did!
Our schools have become places where children go to learn, and learn to fear. And it makes them sick. Literally. I have three children of my own and have seen this firsthand. College students like my oldest child were in high school during the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., and the fear that their schools could be next added to their other sources of stress. These students entire coming-of-age has been a long fight-or-flight cortisol bath. According to Lisa Genova in Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, chronic stress inhibits neurogenesis in the hippocampus, damaging the brains ability to create new memories. Im not alone among my colleagues in finding todays students more emotionally fragile, more easily distracted, more burdened and more burned-out. Theyre slower to absorb the same texts that I first taught 20 years ago, less skilled at applying the grand lessons of literature to life.

Last year, one of my students turned 21, and her friends tied two giant Mylar balloons, a 2 and a 1, to her chair to celebrate. Later, deep in our discussion of John Donne, we heard what sounded like a gun shot. Everyone jumped. A few screamed. One student  I can see him still  hit the floor. When we realized, all of us, that our active shooter was none other than an exploding Mylar 2, there was a painful pause. Then we laughed a shaky laugh, and I slowly resumed the discussion. I wish I hadnt. I wish Id given them the rest of class to share how difficult it is to learn when one is always listening for a bullet.

Numerous polls indicate that the majority of educators still dont want to be armed. And theres no conclusive evidence that arming teachers increases school safety, though theres evidence that it increases incidents of teachers accidentally discharging their guns.

Its a desperate, misplaced valor that leads teachers to the FASTER training boot camp, and that prompted one teacher quoted in The Timess story to claim that he signed up because I love my kids. Im going to do everything I can to keep them safe.

I love my students, too. I love them enough to recognize that increasing their exposure to guns costs them intellectually and psychically.

Teachers have hard jobs. Lets focus our energy on opening minds, not barricading doors. For that to happen, we need gun laws fixed, then enforced. So, hey, lawmakers and lobbyists: Instead of urging those on the last line of defense to take up arms, how about you all on the first lines actually stand up and do your jobs? Then wed know what good guys look like, at last.

Beth Ann Fennelly, poet laureate of Mississippi from 2016-2021, teaches at the University of Mississippi. Her most recent book is Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs.

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CHICAGO  A movie-to-musical that wants to have its cake and eat it, too, and still fit into a sample size, The Devil Wears Prada, opened at the James M. Nederlander Theater here on Sunday. With music by the rock god Elton John and lyrics by the Off-Broadway sweetheart Shaina Taub (Suffs), it had seemed poised to set a trend or two.

Though the show takes place at a fashion magazine, its creative team doesnt seem to have agreed on a style. Is this a sincere story of a young womans education  sentimental, professional, sartorial  or a Fashion Week party? An inquiry into toxic workplace culture or an excuse to put an Eiffel Tower (technically, two Eiffel Towers) onstage? This is a show that has tried on everything in its closet. Nothing fits.

Adapted from the 2006 film, itself adapted from Lauren Weisbergers 2003 roman a clef of her year at Conde Nast, it follows Andy Sachs (Taylor Iman Jones), a recent journalism graduate. Andy has big dreams. The Big Apple quashes them quickly in I Mean Business, the shows efficient opener. After six months of rejections, she somehow lands a coveted job at Runway  a fictional stand-in for Vogue  as the second assistant to its imperious editrix, Miranda Priestly (Beth Leavel.)
Today is an exception to Mr. Browns no-water rule, though, because he recently had a kidney stone. Because he cannot use the bathroom on the plane, he is using a Foley catheter  which can increase his risk of getting hurt when he is carried and transferred by employees.

On previous flights, Mr. Brown has had to go to the bathroom into a bottle as he sat in his airplane seat, with blankets thrown on top of him, he said.

Boarding the plane

More and more passengers arrive at the gate, some of them consuming snacks or packaged breakfasts. Mr. Brown refrains from eating; he cant risk needing to use a bathroom on the flight. He hasnt eaten anything since 1 p.m. yesterday.

Forgoing food and water for hours before a flight is a common practice among travelers who use wheelchairs and cannot access the bathroom.

When its time to board, Mr. Brown must again tell airline crew members how heavy his chair is and how many people he needs to lift him onto an aisle chair  a special, small wheelchair that can fit into an airplanes narrow aisles.
ATLANTA  Before the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced on Monday on federal hate crime charges, they asked a judge to consider not only the length of the sentences, but also the location, with one lawyer arguing that if her client went straight to Georgias dangerous state prison system, he would be subject to vigilante justice.

The men did not get what they asked for.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood said she had neither the authority nor the inclination to send the three white men to federal prison in lieu of the Georgia prison system, where safety issues are so dire that they are the subject of an investigation by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department.
It creates all kinds of logistical issues. Candidates dont know where theyre running, said Michael A. Carvin, a lawyer at the firm Jones Day who has handled redistricting cases for Republican clients in a host of states and helped lead the legal team supporting George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election dispute. Should the original map be upheld later, he said, returning to it would be triply disruptive to the system.

Critics argue, though, that the court is effectively saying that a smoothly run election is more important than a just one. And they note that the longstanding guidance in redistricting cases  from the courts historic one person, one vote ruling in 1964  is that using an illegal map in an election should be the unusual case.

The Purcell doctrine is not always applied to Republicans benefit. In March, the court cited an approaching primary election in refusing to block a North Carolina Supreme Court order undoing a Republican gerrymander of that states congressional map.

But scholars say such decisions are the exception. It just so happens that the unexplained rules in election cases have a remarkable tendency to save Republicans and hurt Democrats, said Steven I. Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor who addresses the issue in a forthcoming book, The Shadow Docket.

It would be one thing if the court was giving us a compelling or even plausible explanation, he added. But the granting of a stay these days is often done with no explanation at all.

The headline example came in January in Alabama, where a three-judge federal panel said the State Legislature had likely violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voters power in its new map of the states seven House seats.
That debris turned into a plume of brown sludge that made its way downriver, according to tribal representatives. A water quality monitoring station on the river recorded the dissolved oxygen level in the water at zero for both Wednesday and Thursday, they added. Sea creatures usually survive in water that has about eight milligrams of oxygen per liter, but the oxygen level in that section of the river made it impossible for the fish to survive.

Its just sterilizing the entire river in that reach, said Craig Tucker, a policy adviser for the tribe. Whether the debris flow would affect the Chinook salmons migration, which usually begins in the fall, was not known, he added.

On Sunday, the McKinney fire, which has prompted evacuations for thousands of people, was 40 percent contained, authorities said in a report on the fire. But Mr. Lindbery, the public information officer, cautioned that dangerous conditions in the coming days could reverse some of that progress.
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba  In announcing last week that the leader of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri, had been killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, President Biden described the long-sought terrorist as a mastermind behind the U.S.S. Cole bombing in 2000.

Mr. Biden also said that al-Zawahri was deeply involved in the planning of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

There is no doubt that al-Zawahri was the leader of a terrorist movement whose global jihad has killed thousands of people. He was the deputy to Al Qaedas founder, Osama bin Laden, and took over the organization in 2011.
The documents detail deception of election officials and a breach of voting equipment that stand out as extraordinary even among the volumes of public reporting on brazen attempts by former President Donald J. Trumps supporters to scrutinize and undermine the 2020 results.

But one of the most politically striking elements of the case is the identity of one of the people implicated in the scheme by the office of the attorney general: Matthew DePerno, who is now the presumptive Republican nominee for that very post.

Mr. DePerno, a lawyer who rose to prominence challenging the 2020 results in Antrim County and has been endorsed by Mr. Trump, is vying to unseat Dana Nessel, a Democrat who is Michigans top law enforcement official and who fought attempts to undermine the states election.

Now, evidence provided by her office places Mr. DePerno at one of the tests of voting equipment and suggests that he was a key orchestrator of a conspiracy to gain improper access to machines in three counties, Roscommon and Missaukee in Northern Michigan and Barry, a rural area southeast of Grand Rapids. The tampering resulted in physical damage, but the attorney generals office indicated that there was no evidence that there was any software or firmware manipulation of the equipment.
It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country, the general wrote in the letter, which has not been revealed before and was published in its entirety by The New Yorker. General Milley wrote that Mr. Trump did not honor those who had fought against fascism and the Nazis during World War II.

Its now obvious to me that you dont understand that world order, General Milley wrote. You dont understand what the war was all about. In fact, you subscribe to many of the principles that we fought against. And I cannot be a party to that.

Yet General Milley eventually decided to remain in office so he could ensure that the military could serve as a bulwark against an increasingly out-of-control president, according to the authors of the book.

Ill just fight him, General Milley told his staff, according to The New Yorker excerpt. The challenge, as he saw it, was to stop Trump from doing any more damage, while also acting in a way that was consistent with his obligation to carry out the orders of his commander in chief. If they want to court-martial me, or put me in prison, have at it.

In addition to the revelations about General Milley, the book excerpt reveals new details about Mr. Trumps interactions with his top military and national security officials and documents drastic efforts by the former presidents most senior aides to prevent a domestic or international crisis in the weeks after he lost his re-election bid.

In the summer of 2017, the book excerpt reveals, Mr. Trump returned from viewing the Bastille Day parade in Paris and told Mr. Kelly that he wanted one of his own. But the president told Mr. Kelly: Look, I dont want any wounded guys in the parade. This doesnt look good for me, the authors write.
Ms. Kleefisch is left trying to navigate a party that, not long ago, considered her local royalty.

A former Milwaukee television reporter, she was Gov. Scott Walkers deputy when he led Wisconsin Republicans to revoke most public employees collective bargaining rights, a political earthquake in state politics that led to weeks of protests and eventually sapped Democrats power here for a generation.

During two interviews last week, she dismissed the ideas that she had crossed Mr. Trump or that his endorsement of Mr. Michels would be decisive. She said she still supported the former president and praised his policies, though she would not commit to backing him in 2024.

But she acknowledged that the issue most forcefully driving Wisconsin Republicans in the current post-Trump era is not grounded in reality.

Im not saying that the passion is imaginary, Im not saying that the mistrust is imaginary, she said after her Sheboygan stop. Im saying the idea that you can disavow the Constitution and statutes and do things that are not articulated anywhere in law is a lost cause, and theres no path that is articulated to do that.

Mr. Michels and Mr. Ramthun, she said, are playing with fire by telling voters theyll deliver something impossible.

Its irresponsible to pander, she said. Youve got to tell the truth.
Mr. Barnes, 35, is entering the primary as the clear favorite after three of his main competitors dropped out of the race in the span of one week in late July: Alex Lasry, an executive with the Milwaukee Bucks; Tom Nelson, executive of Outagamie County; and Sarah Godlewski, the states treasurer. All three have endorsed him.

To consolidate the support, Mr. Barnes, who is the states first Black lieutenant governor and would be its first Black senator if he were to win, ran a tight campaign squarely centered on jobs and rebuilding the middle class. In an interview, he said his campaign had benefited from the kind of coalition building he did as a community organizer. He also said it came down to a broader recognition among Democrats that the stakes are just too high for infighting.

This is about uniting the party, but it is also about uniting the state, Mr. Barnes said.

He leads in fund-raising and name recognition among his remaining rivals, including Kou Lee, a restaurant owner; Steven Olikara, a musician; Peter Peckarsky, an investigative reporter, lawyer and consultant; and Darrell Williams, a state emergency management administrator.

He has racked up endorsements from both progressives like Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, as well as centrists including Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina.
Even as a broad mix of political parties, rebel groups and the military government are set to convene in NDjamena this month, Mr. Hoinathy said, Those who didnt sign the accord may as well invite themselves to the conversation  but through weapons.

Mamadou Djimtebaye, a Chadian political journalist, said that scenario could have been true years ago, but is not anymore. Thats an old framework  people wont let it happen, he said. They want elections, and both the government and F.A.C.T. have understood that.

Issa Ahmat, the spokesman for F.A.C.T., said any resolutions from the reconciliation talks would likely be biased in favor of the government. But he said that violence wasnt on the table. We havent closed the door to dialogue, Mr. Ahmat said in a telephone interview.

The presence of myriad groups in Doha  more than 50, with nearly 10 of them rejecting the accord  highlighted the key role they have played in Chad since the countrys independence from France in 1960. The countrys history has been characterized by military dictatorship and repeated attempts to seize power by such groups, often operating from neighboring Libya or Sudan.

Besides the cease-fire, the agreement signed on Monday includes a disarmament program; amnesty and the safe return of rebels outside Chad; the end of recruitment by rebel groups; and the release of prisoners on both sides.

The Union of Resistance Forces, which tried to oust the elder Mr. Deby in 2019 by sending a column of fighters in 50 pickup trucks from Libya  only to be beaten back by French airstrikes  signed the agreement. But another powerful group, the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic, rejected the pledge.
PRETORIA, South Africa  The United States has been grappling with the growing influence of China, Russia and Middle Eastern nations across Africa, a situation made more acute in recent months by the competition to win partners in the war in Ukraine.

On Monday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken unveiled the Biden administrations main approach to addressing that challenge and other strategic goals in Africa: promoting democratic governance across the continent.

History shows that strong democracies tend to be more stable and less prone to conflict  and that the poor governance, exclusion and corruption inherent in weak democracies makes them more vulnerable to extremist movements and foreign interference, Mr. Blinken said in a speech at the University of Pretoria, on the first stop of a tour of Africa that will also take him to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
The biggest trouble for Chinese people now is that they all know that the Communist Party is not good, but they do not know how to change it, Mr. Li said. At least our example can give more people the confidence to believe that they can change their situation through their own efforts.

Born and raised in Taiwan to parents who had fled mainland China, Mr. Li was a longtime sympathizer of Chinas beleaguered democracy movement. He frequently discussed Taiwans experiences with democratization with people in China. He donated money and books to the relatives of imprisoned Chinese, including rights lawyers and political prisoners. For several years, he had traveled to the mainland without incident.

Then, on March 19, 2017, after Mr. Li entered the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, he was whisked away to a secret prison and interrogated about his work and his connections with civil society groups and government bodies in Taiwan.

I knew I was doomed, Mr. Li said.

When a Chinese court sentenced Mr. Li to five years in prison in late 2017, his wife, back in Taiwan, was devastated. She had already lost 30 pounds. Her health deteriorated.

But she was adamant about one thing: She needed to project strength. She had spent years researching Taiwans White Terror, a period of political repression that began in 1949 and ended in the late 1980s, under the rule of Chiang Kai-sheks Kuomintang, when tens of thousands of Taiwanese were imprisoned and at least 1,000 were executed, often on suspicion of being Communist spies.
The strip-search of Child Q, which was done by female police officers, was touched off when teachers said they smelled cannabis on her, but the officers did not report uncovering cannabis or any other illegal substance. Nevertheless, the experience was so distressing for Child Q, who had been menstruating at the time, that she was referred for psychological support.

A review of the case by a local commissioner charged with safeguarding children that was published in March found that the decision to strip-search the girl was insufficiently attuned to her best interests or right to privacy, and concluded that racism had influenced the decision. The repercussions on Child Qs emotional health, it said, were profound and ongoing.

Local officials at the time called the findings appalling, said they were committed to working on antiracism policies and called for policing authorities to improve guidance about the proper ways to search children.

Since then, police officers in the east London borough where Child Q was searched have undergone training to combat racial bias in an effort to prevent them from treating Black children as adults.

Given that the London police carry out a total of about 200,000 stop and searches a year, the 650 children who were strip-searched in those three years was comparatively small, said Matt Ashby, a lecturer in crime science at University College London.

Still, given that such searches are traumatic for children, even if done according to protocol, it is imperative that the police perform them only when necessary, Mr. Ashby said.
MYKOLAIV, Ukraine  The embattled city of Mykolaiv emerged on Monday from a 54-hour lockdown during which officers went door to door in search of collaborators who officials say are responsible for helping Russian forces identify targets for the rockets that pound the city daily.

The governor of the Mykolaiv region, Vitaliy Kim, declared the dramatic operation  which sealed the city, preventing residents from entering or leaving  a success. Five people were arrested, he said, and a number of weapons and communications devices confiscated, though he provided no details.

Im sorry for the discomfort over the weekend, but it was worth it, Mr. Kim said in a video message Monday morning.
Aerial photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows the Qianwan Container Terminal in Qingdao Port, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/Xinhua] China's foreign trade posted strong growth in July, and the momentum in trade expansion is expected to continue in the second half of the year, industry experts said on Sunday. The country's exports in July surged almost 24 percent year-on-year to 2.25 trillion yuan ($330 billion), while imports rose 7.4 percent to 1.56 trillion yuan, said the General Administration of Customs. Total trade in July hit 3.81 trillion yuan, up 16.6 percent from a year earlier. For the first seven months, China's imports and exports totaled 23.6 trillion yuan, rising 10.4 percent year-on-year. "The fast pace in foreign trade growth has fully demonstrated the competitiveness of China in the sector when its industrial chain gradually restores normal performance," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing. "The growth is quite remarkable, as it comes amid growing uncertainties in the global economy and trade." The export growth in July was the highest for the year and beat expectations. It was up about 2 percentage points from the better-than-expected export growth of 22 percent in June. Many analysts were worried the slowdown in the world's economy would dampen China's export performance. The fresh data will boost market confidence in the nation's foreign trade and economy, the analysts said. China's foreign exchange reserves stood at $3.104 trillion at the end of July, up $32.8 billion or 1.07 percent from a month earlier, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said on Sunday. Analysts said the increase was due to a rise in international bond and stock markets and the resilient trade surplus of the country, which offset a decline in foreign exchange reserves caused by a rising US dollar. Wei Jianguo, the former vice-minister of commerce, said China's foreign trade will likely grow by double digits in the second half, driven by the nation's economic resilience and rapid recovery. Imports are likely to log double-digit growth in August or September, while exports will also remain strong, said Wei, who is now vice-president of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. Zhou, with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the nation's stable foreign trade expansion is mainly attributable to its steady economic and trade cooperation with major trading partners. There is also a growing number of market entities in the foreign trade sector, which he said reflects market confidence in China's foreign trade and will help boost global trade cooperation. The General Administration of Customs said the value of China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during the first seven months was 3.53 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.2 percent, while the value with the European Union was 3.23 trillion yuan, up 8.9 percent, and with the United States, 2.93 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.8 percent. Trade with economies alongside the Belt and Road rose 19.8 percent during the first seven months, while trade with the other 14 members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership were up 7.5 percent over the same period. China's trade value in July with the other RCEP members hit 1.17 trillion yuan, up 18.8 percent year-on-year, adding 5.6 percentage points to the nation's overall trade growth in that month. Li Kuiwen, director of the statistics and analysis department at the General Administration of Customs, said implementation of the RCEP agreement has boosted regional economic and trade cooperation, providing new impetus for the region's recovery and development. Zhou of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation believes that trade potential in the region will be gradually unleashed by the RCEP, which took effect in January.
The I.A.E.A.s director, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said last week that he was ready to lead a mission of experts to the plant to stabilize the situation there and carry out inspections.

Mr. Guterress remarks came at a news conference in Tokyo two days after he called for global nuclear disarmament at a commemoration of the 77th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. Mr. Guterres did not assign blame for the attacks in his comments.

But Russia and Ukraine continued to accuse each other of endangering nuclear security. While Russian forces control the plant, Ukrainian staff have continued working there. They are under enormous strain, according to Ukrainian officials, who say the workers have been subjected to harsh interrogations including torture with electrical shocks, and, as the risk of combat grows, have been prevented from retreating to underground shelters.

On Monday, the company that oversees the Zaporizhzhia plant said shrapnel from Russian shelling a day earlier had injured a worker. The woman is in a condition of moderate severity at the intensive care unit of the Energodar city hospital, the company said in a Telegram post.
More than a thousand people have died in Egyptian custody since the authoritarian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power in a 2013 military takeover, owing to treatment that rights groups say amounts to deadly negligence.

It is all part of a justice system that has helped Mr. el-Sisi cow dissent, deterring those who might be tempted by opposition politics. Rights groups estimate Egypt now holds some 60,000 political prisoners. That amounts to about half of the total jail population, which a government official put at about 120,000 in October.

Some have been tried and sentenced. But Mr. el-Sisis government has stuffed the jails with critics chiefly through a system of pretrial detentions that imprisons people indefinitely without trial.

No public records exist of the number of prisoners stuck in the pretrial detention system. But an analysis by The New York Times found that at least 4,500 were detained without trial in one six-month period  many in abject, occasionally life-threatening, conditions.

The prisons cannot keep up.

Egypt has built 60 detention centers over the last 11 years, almost all of them under Mr. el-Sisi, according to Egyptian reports and the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, which shuttered this year after relentless government harassment. As of 2021, the country had 78 prisons, the group said.

This spring, Egypts best-known prisoner of conscience, the British-Egyptian political activist and intellectual Alaa Abd El Fattah, went on a hunger strike in a small cell without a bed or mattress. For months, his family said, he had been denied books, newspapers, a radio, hot water and exercise in the prison yard, though the authorities have softened some restrictions amid international pressure for his release.
The brief weekend conflict over Gaza had a grimly familiar outcome: dozens of Palestinians killed, including militant leaders as well as children, and scores of homes damaged or destroyed, most by Israeli airstrikes but some from Palestinian misfires.

But one thing was different from the usual fighting: Hamas, the de facto civilian government in Gaza, remained on the sidelines. A smaller Islamist group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, took the lead in firing rockets  more than 1,000 of them  and bore the brunt of Israeli airstrikes, which began on Friday to pre-empt what Israel said was an imminent Islamic Jihad attack.

Though not unprecedented, Hamass decision confirmed the complex and shifting role that the movement has assumed since seizing control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. It also showcased the frictions among Palestinian Islamist militants about how best to fight Israel, and highlighted both the influence of Iran  which backs both Hamas and Islamic Jihad  and the limits of that support.
China said on Monday that it would hold new drills near Taiwan, a sign that Beijing may keep up a drumbeat of military pressure on the island after conducting its largest-ever exercises in the area in retaliation for Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit last week.

The Peoples Liberation Armys Eastern Theater Command said it was focused on holding joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations on Monday in an unspecified location. Taiwans defense ministry said it had detected 13 Chinese warships and nearly 40 sorties near the island on Monday, including 21 that crossed the informal median line in the Taiwan Strait that divides the island from the mainland.

The latest drills indicated that Beijing might be seeking to normalize its militarys presence around Taiwan, allowing Chinese forces to practice imposing a slow squeeze on the island that involves cutting off much of the access to its airspace and waters. Chinas announcement came a day after its military wrapped up 72 hours of exercises encircling Taiwan, effectively simulating a blockade. During those drills, China sent at least 11 missiles into seas north, south and east of Taiwan, and it deployed warships and fighter jets to swarm the island.
Thomas Graham

Upon being rejected by Tennessee voters in his bid for the U.S. Congress Davy Crockett famously exclaimed, You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

If you were to read many of the headlines about our state of late, you might believe it was Texas that has gone to hell.

Most of the national news coverage on Texas has centered around issues like potential power grid failure, border security, and the aftermath of the tragic school shooting in Uvalde. With these as the headlines, you might be surprised to learn that our Texas Brand Survey results show a good number of Americans actually believe Texas is doing all right, and that we here in Texas have in fact, not gone to hell, especially when compared to the rest of the country.

We surveyed 845 respondents, all non-Texas adults from other U.S. states on July 11-12 to gather their current thoughts and feelings about Texas.

The survey revealed the following results: 45 percent of Americans polled have a very positive (27 percent) or somewhat positive (18 percent) view of the state while 14 percent of those polled said they have a somewhat negative view of the state, 17 percent held a very negative view and 21 percent held a neutral view of the state.

What we found in the research is most Americans outside the state continue to hold a positive view about Texas being a good environment to start a business (53 percent) and raise a family (52 percent). When it comes to Texass business environment, only 11 percent of people surveyed had a somewhat bad view, and 12 percent held a very bad view. Additionally, only 14 percent of survey participants held a somewhat bad view of Texas being a good state to raise a family, with 18 percent having a very bad view.

Despite conducting the survey in the midst of these national negative headlines overall, the state of Texas brand continues to be strong and durable.

I had a terrific conversation with my friend Chris Tomlinson of the Houston Chronicle who reported on our survey in his business column: What do outsiders really think of Texas? A new poll has some surprising answers.

When Thomas Graham texted me about an opinion poll revealing what outsiders really think about Texas, I asked the public relations executive to send me the details.

While I found negativity in many of the findings, he found reasons for optimism in others.

The numbers that Tomlinson expressed concern about are those 31 percent who have a very negative or somewhat negative view of the state. The rest were neutral or not sure. Furthermore, outsiders were evenly split on whether Texas is going in the right direction: 38 percent said yes; 38 percent said no.

Tomlinson went on to write:

Those numbers looked dismal to me, proof that Texass reputation was slipping. But Graham pointed out that a New York Times poll found that only 13 percent of registered voters thought the United States was going in the right direction.

When you consider the factors that matter to the daily lives of Americans, I explained, the job they have, the entrepreneurial opportunities they consider, the family theyre trying to raise, where they are going to spend their vacation, there is a generally positive sense around Texas.

The Financial Times highlighted the continued business migration to Texas. The report points out that since 2010, Texas has had a higher job growth compared to the rest of the U.S. The article also points out the growing cities in Texas and new business coming to Texas.

CNBC also published its annual study on the top states for business in America of 2022. Texas ranked 5th overall, 2nd in workforce and 4th in technology and innovation. CNBC did however add 22 social factors to this years study, playing into the social issues that were among the negative headlines highlighted in the state of Texas, factoring into the lower rankings.

Our research further enforces Texas reputation of being a great state for new business and economic growth. But it also offers some very optimistic insights about the future: Americans aged 18-39 are the ones feeling the most positive about Texas and how our state is a great place for business, travel, and raising a family.

And those attributesbusiness, family, and vacationwere most popular among Blacks and Hispanics. Despite being perceived as not any more or less diverse than the rest of the country, Texas is in fact a majority-minority state, and Houston is the nations most diverse city. As a result of these factors and the positive view held by these younger Black and Hispanics, I believe we as a state are on the verge of becoming a multicultural superpower. Brands, business leaders and those interested in political influence would be wise to take heed.

The Texas brand is strong, durable, and resonant.

***

Thomas Graham is the founder and CEO of Austin, TX-based Crosswind Media & Public Relations.
(L to R) John Christiansen, Jared Levy & Bryan Locke co-authored this article.

Activist shareholders used to target companies primarily when they were showing concerning losses, reducing dividends and making foolhardy financing decisions. In today's complex and dynamic sociopolitical and economic environment, however, shareholder activism has evolved into much more than identifying points of improvement and issues in a company's financial results. Delivering growth and profit remains paramount, but only part of a list of items for which boards and management teams are being held accountable.

At the same time, the expansion of the stakeholder economy is multiplying the strategic risks and challenges that companies face.

Management teams are being asked to explain how their political contributions and viewpoints align with their company's mission and values. They're increasingly expected to comment on topical social issues, such as what they're doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chains, make workplace conditions and wages more fair and equitable and transform the business for the future while delivering strong shareholder returns today.

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Aug. Financial PR/IR & Professional Services PR Magazine

(view PDF version)

The stakes are high: Public debates with activist investors can tie up resources, distract employees and divert management's attention from its strategic plan. Worse, they can hurt the company's reputation, impact stock price and drive volatility. To win, companies need to plan early and react quickly.

An expanded threat matrix

Environmental and Social considerationscommonly encapsulated under the broader "ESG" labelhave dominated conversations among management teams, government officials, media and investors, both large and small. So far in 2022, shareholders have filed 172 environmental proposals at public companies' annual meetings, up 39 percent over 2021. Proposals regarding companies' political lobbying also increased in 2022, accounting for 26 percent of total ESG campaigns, compared with 23 percent in 2021.

ESG issues will continue to take center stage as proposed changes to SEC regulations will result in more shareholder proposals as well as contested annual meetings. Fueling this trend is the sharp increase in funds that claim to apply sustainable principles to their investment goals, which today have total assets of $35 trillion, according to data from Bloomberg Intelligence.

In the past, activists demanded disclosures for issues such as environmental impact and gender/racial pay gap. Today, these firms are asking for specific targets. Tomorrow, they'll be demanding accountability if those targets are not reached. Companies considered to be engaging in "green-washing" will likely take a hit to their reputation; companies need to be vigilant in setting ambitious but realistic targets and monitoring their progress.

In addition to the focus on ESG themes, traditional economic activism remains strong. First-time activists accounted for 37 percent of all campaigns launched in the first half of 2022. Both newcomers and established activists continue to critique companies' executive teams, compensation packages, strategy, operations and capital allocation, reinforcing the need for companies to be increasingly forward-thinking in their anticipation of activist demands.

Despite a challenging investing environment, the total number of campaigns launched in the 2022 proxy season is on pace to match recent years. Changes such as the SEC's mandated use of Universal Proxy cards in public solicitations beginning in September are expected to lead to a greater number of campaigns, particularly from new ESG activists, unions and ex-CEOs/Founders seeking to gain representation on a company's board. After the new rule goes into effect, shareholders will be able to launch campaigns at a fraction of the cost. Campaigns are expected to more frequently result in at least one or two dissident directors winning board seats, given shareholders' newfound ability to "mix and match" director candidates from both the company's slate and the dissidents'.

As such, management teams should continue to educate themselves on the current activism landscape, analyze key trends specific to their industry, evaluate their potential vulnerabilities and understand their shareholder composition and sentiment. While companies are most vulnerable when shareholders can submit proposals or nominate directors, the traditional proxy calendar has expanded, with activists making initial approaches well before the annual meeting season.

Building an action plan

Like any other threat to a company's reputation or performance, companies can actively prepare to address an activist threat.

Identify your team. Just as companies should have a crisis playbook on the shelf, they should also be prepared for public agitation from activist shareholders. After establishing an internal activism preparation team including key personnel across corporate functions and operating segments, engage outside advisors with specialized expertise in planning for and engaging with shareholder activists, potentially including a strategic communications consultant, law firm, investment bank, corporate governance specialist and proxy solicitor.

Maintain a shareholder base with regular touchpoints with top shareholders. Regularly solicit and assess feedback through a mix of normal course investor relations activities, including sell-side engagements, conferences, earnings calls and investor days. Also, make an effort to engage with the corporate governance teams at your passive index funds, whose votes often determine the outcome of contested director elections.

Undertake a vulnerability analysis to evaluate weaknesses and likely angles of attack. In addition to economic vulnerabilities, including performance, corporate strategy, M&A history and operations, consider structural vulnerabilities, including your corporate governance profile, board composition, shareholder base and bylaw provisions. Consider how an activist may use these vulnerabilities as angles of attack; take preemptive action where possible and prepare response messaging accordingly.

Develop a comprehensive preparedness response plan. Having an integrated communications strategy and approach, response sequence, key messages and rebuttals to potential lines of attack and a suite of contingency communications materials for each scenario is essential in responding to an activist attack. This plan should solicit input from key stakeholders within your company, including the corporate communications and IR teams, management team and members of a company's board.

Practice responses with the board and management team. Conduct regular tabletop exercises to stress test the response plan through simulation of likely scenarios, and make sure the plan remains current as the company's strategy, personnel and results evolve over time.

Today's activist strategies are becoming more sophisticated, increasingly leveraging media tactics to win the PR battle and influence proxy advisory firms and shareholders. Any listed company can be a target. The question isn't "if," It's "how" and "when"and what measures you have in place to mitigate the threat.

***

John Christiansen, Bryan Locke and Jared Levy are Partners at FGS Global.
Finn Partners' New York office has signed on to provide PR and marketing services in the UK for the Lisbon Tourism Association.

The firm's contract calls for it to keep the media informed, attentive and interested in Lisbon as a travel destination and to ensure coverage is accurate.

Finn Partners is to maintain a proactive attitude, a good network of contacts and a dynamic exercise of PR activities.

It will design and implement a strategic, tactical and operational proposal that will increase visibility for the Lisbon brand.

The independent PR firm also will make an analysis of the expected British tourist behavior.

On behalf of the LTA, Finn Partners will identify opportunities for partnerships, alliances, awards, grants, studies and other initiatives that may constitute PR platforms.

Finn Partners VP Paula Carreiro handles the LTA account.
A MAN stole his then partners life savings while she was caring for her terminally ill mother, Limerick Circuit Court heard.

Judge Tom ODonnell said it was as mean spirited as I have come across for a long time.

Anthony Fleming, aged 61, with an address at Shannonvale, Old Cratloe Road, Limerick city was charged with and pleaded guilty to the theft of 10,000. He denies stealing a sum of 32,000 which the victim alleges.

Prosecuting barrister, John O'Sullivan, instructed by state solicitor Padraig Mawe, said a relationship commenced between the victim and the accused. He said they resided in Shannonvale, Old Cratloe Road after purchasing a house in joint names. Mr OSullivan said Mr Fleming stole certain monies from his then partner which she says were her life savings.

The court heard how the victim made a number of cash withdrawals from her bank in September and October of 2012.

Mr Sullivan said 20,000 was put in a biscuit tin and placed in the attic. A further 12,000 was put in an envelope in a cupboard under the stairs.

The victim was prevailed upon by the accused to take the money out over concerns regarding the safety of deposits in financial institutions. The stability of the Greek economy was to the fore at the time. She was in a vulnerable position as she was under considerable stress and pressure as she was taking care of her ill mother, said Mr OSullivan.

The barrister said after her mother died in May 2016 she enquired with the accused about the money.

She said he told her, Its all gone. I used it. There is nothing that can be done about it. She said, That is my life savings. She said he had no remorse, said Mr OSullivan. Mr Fleming was arrested in May 2016 and admitted taking 10,000 from the biscuit tin.

He said there was 10,000 in the biscuit tin, not 20,000. He denies taking money under the stairs. She maintains it was in excess of 30,000, her life savings, that was taken. A prosecution was brought in respect of 10,000, said Mr OSullivan.

Sergeant Dermot Keating confirmed that in a garda interview the defendant said: I didnt take 32,000. She will get her 10,000 back when I get sorted.

Mr OSullivan asked the sergeant if the injured party had received a penny? No, said Sgt Keating.

Mr OSullivan said the victim says she was manipulated and Mr Fleming told her, No court will believe you. No judge will take it seriously.

It was a gross breach of trust. Her mental state was undermined. She was at a financial loss and it was extremely traumatic, said Mr OSullivan. Sgt Keating concurred.

Pat Whyms BL, who represented Mr Fleming, said his client has no previous convictions and has been charged with the theft of 10,000.

He put it to the sergeant that Mr Fleming admitted over a period of time taking amounts of 100/200 and spent the money on household bills and nights out. Yes, said Sgt Keating.

The sergeant agreed that Mr Fleming accepted he had done wrong but stated I did not wrong her out of 32,000.

Mr Whyms said: He admitted taking 10,000 and is charged with taking 10,000.

The injured party read out her own victim impact statement in which she said she discovered in 2016 that Mr Fleming stole my life savings of 30,000 plus.

It was everything I saved over the years. I was devastated. He stole my life savings while I was caring for my mother who was terminally ill. He showed no remorse. He said nobody would believe me. I continue to feel traumatised. I took early retirement. I do not trust anybody.

I lost my confidence, I became very depressed and afraid of everything. I want him out of my life completely,  said the victim, who thanked Sgt Keating, Garda Lisa Griffin and the DPP.

In mitigation, Mr Whyms said his client is on disability due to having COPD and diabetes and has had stents inserted.

He is ashamed of what he did. He started using the 10,000 towards paying bills and funding his own leisure pursuits. He knows nothing about a sum of money in an envelope under the stairs. There is no charge, said Mr Whyms.

The barrister said his client has engaged with a solicitor through the legal aid board to transfer his share in the house to the victim.

The financial benefit will be far greater than 10,000, which is the subject of the court, or even the 30,000 referred to. The transfer is an acknowledgement of his guilt and wrong doing, said Mr Whyms.

Judge ODonnell said it was as mean spirited as he has come across for a long time. He adjourned matters to October to have a letter in respect of the transfer of the house.

I will factor that in. If not I will factor that in. There is a history I find appalling. I will stay my hand. I will keep all my options open, said Judge ODonnell.
A group of Offaly teenagers joined 250 other young people from around the world in Kildare recently for Foroiges Leadership for Life Youth Conference.

The conference, which was launched on Tuesday Auguts 2 on the grounds of NUI Maynooth, brought together young people from the USA, Ukraine, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa and Ireland to learn how to become leaders in their own lives.

During the week-long conference the teens learned crucial life skills such as empathy, decision making, communication skills, critical thinking and team-work.

Barbara Daly, Co. Offaly, Chairperson of Foroige, said Young people are playing a greater role than ever before in highlighting the issues that really matter and youth activism and community action are central pillars of our Leadership programme. Im always in awe of what young people can achieve when given the opportunity.

When opening the event Eoghan Flood, 18 from Truagh Foroige Club, Co. Monaghan said Im so excited to be continuing my leadership journey! I have learnt so much from this programme so far and feel so privileged to be here again this week.

As part of the week-long conference, the delegates met inspirational guest speakers including:

Yemi Adenuga, the first black woman to be elected as a public representative in Ireland. Yemi is an outspoken anti-racism advocate and campaigner.

Professor Mark Brennan, the UNESCO Chair for Rural Community, Leadership and Youth Development at Pennsylvania State University.

Jordan Lee, professional high jump athlete on the Irish Paralympic team.

When asked about speaking at this years event Yemi Adenuga commented, As a woman who is very passionate about building women and young people, I am always thankful for every opportunity to inspire, empower and impact the youth so their future can be brighter and their lives better than ours.

Jordan Lee explained how important it is for young people to learn from each other My story is one of resilience, perseverance and determination, Im looking forward to speaking to these young leaders and give them a detailed insight into my life story and what Ive learnt from my experiences to help people learn to thrive in perceived difficult circumstances and be able to achieve their goals

Professor Mark Brennan stated Im very excited and honoured to have been invited to be part of the Foroige leadership conference. After a few years away during Covid, itll be amazing to see young people back where they belong: Being active leaders for positive social change.
Ashura is an important Islamic day that occurs on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Ashura marks the death of Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and members of his immediate family in the Battle of Karbala. Shia Muslims commemorate the tragedy with commemorative processions and other mourning rituals. In some countries, and notably Iran, the event has acquired a political dimension.
ODN 30 Jun 2022

The UK Government has promised an extra 1 billion of military aid to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia. Foreign..
A worker was injured in shelling at the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest. An official of the Russian-backed administration in the Kherson occupation administration died after being shot. Follow DW for the latest.
The government said it had asked for help from international experts in friendly countries with experience in the oil sector, following the blast in Matanzas.
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China said military exercises around the contested island would continue. Several days of activity have disrupted shipping and air travel, with Taiwan saying the move amounts to a blockade.
From the first of the ships carrying grain from Ukraine arriving in Istanbul to the Kremlin rejecting the idea of a Zelenskyy-Putin meeting, here are some of the top developments in the war this Monday.
The conflict may have dealt a severe blow to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Gaza militant group, and strengthened the hand of Israels interim prime minister, Yair Lapid.
The outbreak of the war in Ukraine was met with an outpouring of humanitarian support from volunteers across Germany. How strong is the solidarity with the refugees after almost six months of war?
Foreign minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to his Ukraine counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about the ongoing conflict and its likely global impact while promising more humanitarian assistance from India.
In a statement, President Joe Biden praises the passing of the comprehensive legislation on tax, health care, and the climate and urges the House of Representatives to pass it as well so that he could sign it into law.
Republican lawmakers strip $35 insulin price from Democrats' bill but lay blame on Senate rules for the failed measure. Democrats allegedly did not comply with the rules that allow them to advnace a bill under the process known as reconciliation.
National MP Sam Uffindell was asked to leave King's College while he was a student after he was involved in a late-night violent beating of a younger boy, according to one report. Aged 16 as a Year 11 student at the Auckland boarding...
Canberra, Australia (SPX) Aug 05, 2022



A UNSW Canberra Space satellite mission, known as M2, is now delivering Australia's first high-resolution remote sensing image of the Earth. UNSW Canberra Space Director Professor Russell Boyce said the capture of the image is an important step forward for Australia's sovereign space capabilities, with the same mission also successfully collecting and transmitting commercial aviation identificat
Two United States senators have urged President Joe Biden to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over its aggression in Ukraine. The designation could be made by either Congress or the president but the two senators said they would push for the decision with or without Biden's support.
A peace of sorts seems to have returned to the fractious, wartorn border that separates Israel and the territory of Gaza.
euronews (in English) 12 Aug 2022

Rafael Grossi urged Russia and Ukraine -- who blame each other for the attacks on the plant -- to immediately allow nuclear experts..
Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Monday that each side is shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Nuclear experts have warned that more shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which was captured by Russia early in the war, is fraught with danger.
The brother of Afghan Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada was among at least four people killed in a blast on Friday at a mosque..

Reuters India 16 Aug 2019
Promotion Vibes Info-Systems is a top growing website design and development company in Kolkata. The company proudly announces its website design and development services for small businesses and startups in Kolkata. Promotion Vibes will make you the best when it comes to website development. In this growing internet age, people like what is new. A good design website is the best connection between business and clients. A more in-depth look at 
Registration is open for the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Family-to-Family program that begins Tuesday, Sept. 20.

For more information, call 989-948-3273, email at NAMIMidlandMI@gmail.org or contact Deacon Dan Corbat at dcorbat57@gmail.com.

This eight-week course, running through Nov. 8, is offered free of charge and will meet in-person on Tuesdays from 6:15-8:45 p.m. at Community Mental Health, 218 Fast Ice Drive in Midland.

Family-to-Family is an educational program designed for family members and friends of those who live with mental illness.

In addition, support groups meet on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Community Mental Health. No registration is needed.

Statistics show that one in five adults in the United States lives with a mental health condition each year, which is 46.6 million people. Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% begin by age 24. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34. Early intervention programs can help.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Talks to revive Tehran's tattered nuclear accord with world powers in Vienna ended Monday as the parties closed a final text and key negotiators prepared to consult with their capitals, diplomats said.

After 16 months of torturous on-and-off indirect negotiations to restore the deal, the European Union's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell suggested there was no more room for negotiation on the draft now on the table.

A final decision on whether the most significant nonproliferation pact in the last quarter century can be restored rests with the Iranian and American governments, he signaled. The 2015 nuclear deal granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for tight curbs on its atomic program.

What can be negotiated has been negotiated, and its now in a final text, Borrell wrote on Twitter. However, behind every technical issue and every paragraph lies a political decision that needs to be taken in the capitals.

Key challenges to closing the deal remain. European officials over the weekend urged Iran to drop its unrealistic demands outside the scope of the original agreement, including over an International Atomic Energy Agency probe into undeclared nuclear material found in the country.

Irans chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, will shortly fly back to Tehran for political consultations, Irans state-run IRNA news agency said. At the top of Irans theocracy is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who would have the final say on any deal.

The U.S., which abandoned the original nuclear deal four years ago under former President Donald Trump, described the tabled draft as the best and only basis on which to reach a deal.

For our part, our position is clear: we stand ready to quickly conclude a deal on the basis of the EUs proposals, the State Department said, indicating the deal's restoration was up to Iran.

They (Iran) repeatedly say they are prepared for a return to mutual implementation, the spokesperson added. Lets see if their actions match their words.

Iran, for its part, sounded guarded, raising skepticism about the chances for a breakthrough after a monthslong stalemate.

Naturally the cases require comprehensive study, IRNA quoted an anonymous senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official as saying. We will transfer our views and supplementary points.

But Western diplomats have warned that time is running short as Irans nuclear program rapidly advances under diminishing international oversight. They also worry looming midterm elections in the U.S. could empower Republicans who oppose the accord.

It was unclear how long the political consultations over the draft text would last.

But, Borrell said, if these answers are positive, then we can sign this deal."

___

Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed.
TO THE EDITOR:

The Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network held its ninth mobile food pantry of this year on Thursday, July 21 at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, located on the corner of Monroe Road and Jefferson Avenue in Midland. The food giveaway was funded by this generous congregation as it has done in previous years.

Seventy-four volunteers (a majority from the congregation) served 133 families with 9,687 pounds of food purchased from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint. The free drive-thru distribution included milk, assorted beverages, corn, dried beans, butternut squash, canned green beans, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, fresh plums, sliced potatoes, canned pink salmon, venison and other assorted meats, snacks, bread and sweets. Additionally, each family received a bag of shampoo, toothpaste and other personal care items prepared by the congregation. After the food distribution, the congregation served the volunteers a very tasty lunch of Jersey Mike's sandwiches, cookies and beverages.

The next mobile food pantry is scheduled for Aug. 31 at Trinity Lutheran Church on Jefferson Avenue in Midland.

As a reminder, in addition to food assistance from the mobile events, Midland County residents in (financial) need of food, personal care items and cleaning supplies during the year may also call the Network at 989-486-9393 to leave your name and phone number. You will receive a call to set up an appointment at one of our eight food pantries in Midland County to receive a week's supply of food.

Please visit us at midlandcountyefpn.org or on Facebook for additional information. The Network is very grateful to the many donors of food, money and time throughout the year to the Network's mission of "Always food in every home."

SALLY ANN SUTTON

Midland County EFPN
Do We Need To Explain To You Why Casting James Franco As Fidel Castro Is Wrong?

By Alberto Cox Delano | Film | August 8, 2022 |

The short of it is this: There is a semi-indie movie in pre-production called Alina of Cuba, a biopic based on Alina Fernandez life, the love child of Fidel Castro and now an outspoken exilee and dissident. I say semi-indie because this doesnt look like a small movie for the standards of Spanish-language productions, being helmed by journeymen Spanish director Miguel Bardem, who has helmed several big-scope projects over the last two decades. The movie made waves recently when they announced James Franco had been cast as Fidel Castro

There are so many levels in which this is wrong. Lets preface with what King John Leguizamo had to say. He didnt mince words:

Leguizamo expounded further in another video, explaining how this takes us back to the times when no Latin roles were played by actual Latin actors, even the white or white-passing ones. He also did a pre-emptive no disrespect to James Franco, because an actor of color is more likely to get canceled by the studio system for calling out a white actor than a white actor actually getting canceled.

Lets get this over quickly: James Franco nabbing this role is further proof that cancel culture only exists for beloved Netflix series in their second season or on HBO Max. I dont think you could call this his eventual comeback role  this is certainly not going to become the Big Biopic on Fidel  but its still a higher profile role than he deserves. I mean, its not like he is a once-in-a-generation master of range. What the hell were they thinking?

According to one of its producers in the press release for Deadline, its because James Franco looks Hispanic enough:

To get there on such a tough look to cast, we used Fidel Castros ancient Galician heraldry as our focal compass, and then combed through the entire ranks of actors with Latin roots in Hollywood to find someone who has a similar facial structure. In executing a close search into our hopefuls through the eye of Spanish and Portuguese genealogy which the Galicians held, we found that James, by far, had the closest facial likeness of our Industrys leading actors, meaning that the focus would be to build out his character accent and wed have a stunning on-screen match to intrigue audiences and bring the story to life with true visual integrity

Jesus f**king-Christ.

It is true that Fidel Castro was the son of an immigrant from Galicia (who had previously fought for Spain in the Third War of Independence/Spanish-American War), and that there is a shared linguistic heritage between Galicia and Portugal. But this is like casting an actor from Minnesota to play a Swedish-speaking role just because of the Nordic ancestry in the place. Also, if physical resemblance is the benchmark, well:

Simply impossible to find a Latino actor with Fidels bone structure pic.twitter.com/GCPPjxUnLc  Toshyfresh. (@ToshHCameron1) August 7, 2022

I really dont want to dip into the Discussing-Israel-and-Palestine-level shitstorm that is talking about race and whiteness in Latin America, but for once, the case is self-evident. Yes, within Latin Americas hierarchical systems of race and class, Fidel Castro was a white man, a relatively privileged one given his fathers business acumen. But also, his father came from a poor rural background, and in the Spanish-speaking world, rural Galicians are our equivalent of the hillbilly.

None of these are nuances that a non-Latino actor could possibly be able to convey. Fidel Castro is an iconic figure in Latin American history by virtue of him being so uniquely Latino. For better and for worse, he created an entire performance around himself that made it hard to separate him from his own mythology or his own caricature. Not to mention that Fidel was the linchpin that defined the second half of the 20th Century south of the border. Does anyone think someone as gringo as James Franco could possibly embody all of that? Casting Javier Bardem, the default shoo-in for real-life Latinos in big movies, wouldve been bad enough.

Which got me thinking: Did they cast James Franco as a way to intentionally disrespect Fidel? Choosing the worst possible actor as a condemnation of the tyrant that, objectively, he was? Because a) thats a very weird way to go about that and b) is not something that would benefit what the story the movie is attempting to tell: His daughters, even though Alina gave this casting her blessing.

What is the point of casting someone who is going to fail so spectacularly at the role, someone that will guarantee a performance that will come across as farcical? Are they trying to pull a Taika Waititi in JoJo Rabbit? Because there were a series of very well-conceived artistic decisions behind that movie. Satirizing Hitler and nazi aesthetics strips them of how they want to be perceived. However, this movie is clearly an earnest, (self) serious biopic.

As I said before, Castro was already somebody who couldnt be separated from his own stereotype, but there are also myriad reasons why the Cuban Revolution has been distinctively different from the typical revolution-to-dictatorship cycles of Latin America. There is no way a half-assed, campy performance could possibly get at the heart of that, it wouldnt do justice to the tragedy of Cubas history.

In the comments to John Leguizamos post, Ana Navarro-Cardenas wrote something that I wholly disagree with:

99 times out of 100, we stan Navarro-Cardenas in this house. But in this one, I think shes dead wrong: To the contrary, Fidel Castro is a character actors would kill to play. With a proper, complete biopic treatment, it would be one of the meatiest roles out there for Latino actors. We are talking about the perfect contemporary version of a Shakespearean tragic hero: The ultimate revolutionary turned despot, turned stagnant relic of the Cold War. There are also those couple weeks, six decades ago where he was right at the center of the potential End of the World.

Dictators are a part of our history as Latin Americans, almost always the result of US interventionism (for or against). To have a US actor portraying one of them, someone so gringo he once portrayed James Dean, someone that clearly has no cultural links to Latin American culture, is just erasure from a history we barely ever get to tell. Even for a movie that clearly looks like it will be a bust.

 'Gatlopp' Is a Terrible Name for a Great Little Movie | Will There Be a Second Season of 'Becoming Elizabeth'? 

Header Image Source: Getty Images
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Voting for the position of governor in the populous regions of Kakamega in western Kenya and Mombasa in the coastal region have been suspended after a ballot printing mixup, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said here Monday
Photo: (Photo : CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

An unexpected incident happened to a family during their visit to the Florida Keys. A shark jumped and bit the face of a 13-year-old boy who was on a lobster expedition with his parents.

Fischer Hricko, 13, was looking in the water for traces of the crustaceans and did not expect a nurse shark to emerge and aim for his face. The next thing his parents heard was his scream.

Mom Rhiannon Hricko, who was navigating the boat, said it was the "scariest five minutes" of her life. The terror in her son's voice was something she could not erase in her memory, per her interview with Fox 35 Orlando. Dad Kent Hricko saw the blood gushing out of his son's face and did not realize a shark had bit his son.

The family rushed to the hospital, where Fischer needed ten stitches on his lip, which was split by the shark bite. Fischer said the stitches hurt "every so often," but he is generally feeling fine after the initial shock has passed.

Read Also: Snake Experts Explain What Parents Need to Do for Rattlesnake Bites After California Toddler Gets Bitten at Home

Why was the shark in shallow water?

Fisher and Kent were looking for lobsters while wading through the shallow waters of the Florida Keys. Rhiannon was left on the boat as she had to ensure they would still have a ride back to the docks. Besides, she said that she never gets in the water when they are lobstering.

Per Daily Mail, the odds of a shark attack is one in four million. Contrary to common belief, most sharks are passive and submissive; they are not killers.

However, as the waters are getting warmer due to climate change, experts believe that the probability of getting accidentally bitten by sharks will rise. These fishes will venture closer to the shallow waters as they change and expand their ranges, trying to adjust to many unknown climate change variables.

The International Shark Attack File said that Florida's beaches had at least six potential shark attacks from June 30 to July 20, 2022. Coastlines have had many activities as well; thus, shark patrols have expanded in some cities.

Florida teen will still go back to the water

Despite his scare, Fischer said he would still return to the water and do what he loves with his family. He said staying positive will help him heal faster. His father told Click Orlando that the 13-year-old is staying tough.

The family also lauded the urgent care clinic that took care of Fischer's shark bite and made everyone feel calmer. The boy didn't need to be confined but rested at home. The next day, he was back in the water but didn't look for lobsters. Instead, he hooked a shark at least four feet long but did not reel it in.

His parents said Fischer would have something cool to tell his classmates when he's back in school in Oviedo.

Related Article: Florida Mom with No Social Media and Rarely Uses Phone Disappears After Boarding Bus
Photo: (Photo : Manuel Pacheco/Pixabay)

Parents who purchased NUK baby bottles from Amazon.com, where it was exclusively sold for U.S. and Canadian consumers, should know that a recall order has been issued for its glass bottles due to high lead content.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the specific NUK items for recall are the First Choice 240 mL glass baby bottles, which have some markings on the outside. These designs, with the NUK lettering and specks of white or gray stars, apparently exceeded the federal content ban for lead.

Under federal law, paint and surface coatings in baby products should not containt a lead concentration of higher than 0.009 percent. The glass bottles for 0 to 6-month-old babies were manufactured specifically for the U.K. market, thus ascribing to a different content guideline.

However, some 100 bottles were sold at the Amazon e-commerce store in America, and at least 77 have been purchased by Canadian parents between January 2018 to May 2022.

Heads up Mommas- NUK baby bottle recall pic.twitter.com/EUjmJmuHwm  American Girl  (@Proud1inUSA) August 3, 2022

Read Also: Half of U.S. Adults Have Low IQ Due To Leaded Gasoline Exposure as Children, Study Reveals

What's the risk of the NUK baby bottle recall?

While there have been no reported injuries or death, Astir Care Ltd., the importer of the products, voluntarily initiated the recall. The CPSC also advised families to stop using these glass baby bottles.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lead ingestion may cause lead poisoning that can trigger long-term health effects. In kids, lead poisoning could damage the nervous system and the brain, causing the child to develop speech problems, behavioral issues, or slower mental development.

Studies have shown that even low levels of lead in the bloodstream may impact a child's cognitive ability and intelligence. They may struggle with paying attention in class and perform poorly in their academics.

NUK baby bottle buyers may file for a refund request via the Astir Care recall notice. The company said they will contact purchasers directly and arrange for the return of the bottles, alongside the refund.

The anti-colic baby bottle

NUK First Choice 240 mL glass baby bottles have been a top pick for parents because they are known to prevent colic and have an anti-colic air system that allows for a natural flow without the baby swallowing air. The bottle is also featured with a teat that has been modeled after a mother's breast so the baby will not be confused with transitioning from breastfeeding to bottle feeding, especially when the mom has to pump breast milk at work.

All NUK baby bottles are made in Germany. The company is proud of its extensive research from the raw materials to the packaging, adding that it has met many standards, especially when it comes to children's development.

"NUK Products are developed so that they not only satisfy German safety criteria but also meet the statutory regulations of the many countries where they are available," the company said on its official site.

Related Article: Half of Kids Under 6 Exposed to Lead Poisoning, New Study Says
Photo: (Photo : Arupert88)

Falon O'Regan, 17-year-old was about to go to sleep at around 1 in the morning on August 2, when he noticed some lights that are colored orange when he walked over the door, he witness flames all over the apartment.

After the fire broke out, the young boy sprang into action, grabbed his personal things, and jumped right into the window. The quick-thinking young man was now hailed as a new hero after the incident in an apartment near Pittsburgh.

According to O'Regan, he and his friend and neighbor downstairs, Robert, had to move the trampoline from the side of the house to the last three-bedroom which was located on the last part of the house because they would surely get hurt if they didn't do such.

Michael Goots, one of the residents who were rescued, told News 4 San Antonio, that when he looked at the window he saw a fire starting to enter the doorways and its coming to him. Hence, they have no other choice but to jump and so they did. Fire crews stated that the action displayed by the teenager prevented a lot of possible injuries. One person hurt their leg and three were rushed to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Without the boy's resourcefulness, the result could have been a lot worse.

Becky as the proud mother of the new hailed hero

Fallon's mom, Becky William, said in a statement that she's beyond proud of her son as they are suffering losses due to the deaths of their cats but how her son respond to the incident that involves fire astonished her.

According to the fire officials, twelve adults and six kids were displaced as an outcome of the blaze and were being helped by the Red Cross. Fire Marshal is still investigating the main reason behind the fire and how much damage it caused.

Two dogs, two children, and two adults were able to escape the flames by jumping out of the window onto the trampoline. Although O'Regan admitted that his mind couldn't think of anything due to the panic he was experiencing, he is overwhelmed as many credited him for his heroic action and said there are no other words to explain the feeling.

According to Fox4News, the house is now unlivable and O'Regan is now staying at a hotel with his family. He set up a GoFundMe page to help with the expenses and took the opportunity to encourage others to help when they see others in distress and do the same thing.

Bentleyville is located about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Read Also: Second-Grader Steps in to Save Classmate from Choking; Receives an Award for His Heroic Action

Help those who can help you

According to Insurance Information Institute, a fire department responded to a fire accident, may it be a huge or small fire, for approximately 23 seconds in the United States according to the National Fire Protection Association. The home fire was reported to occur every 89 seconds and can have death occur every three hours and twenty-four minutes and forty-six minutes occurrence for a home fire injury.

Related Article: Boy, 12, Speaks Out After Burning Himself in Tiktok Fire Challenge
Queen Elizabeth has cancelled her traditional "welcome to Balmoral" event.

The 96-year-old monarch - who has undertook few public engagements this year due to ongoing health issues - arrived at her Scottish estate in late July and had been due to attend Tuesday's (09.08.22) annual ceremony up until a few days ago, when it was axed and replaced with a "small, private event".

Apart from during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be the first time in decades that the queen won't greet well-wishers at the gates of the castle to mark the start of her annual holiday after inspecting a Guard of Honour from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: The traditional welcome to Balmoral is normally cemented in the Queens calendar and something Her Majesty really enjoys, being able to greet locals who travel to see her.

Its a bitter disappointment the ceremony will not take place in its traditional form.

Another insider suggested the new plan is very much a sign of things to come.

Buckingham Palace explained the private ceremony is in line with adapting Her Majestys schedule for her comfort.

While the queen - who is the Royal Regiment of Scotland's Colonel-in-Chief - will still inspect the soldiers, it will be in private on the Balmoral lawns within the castle grounds and no TV cameras, photographers or reporters will be invited.

The monarch has been staying at the Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral estate since arriving in Scotland on 21 July, but she is expected to move into the main castle on Tuesday, and it will then be closed to the public for the several weeks she remains in residence.

The lodge, which is situated a mile away from the castle, boasts seven bedrooms and recently had a "wheelchair-friendly" lift fitted, as well as a new security gate, intercom system and CCTV cameras.
Back in March 2022 Patently Apple posed a report titled Famed Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo Denies Rumors that he's left Tianfeng International Securities, but  The report was questioning why TFI wasnt publicly publishing Ming-Chi Kuos Apple Research any longer on their website, which had been the case for many years. No official statement by either TFI Securities or Kuo was ever made which understandably led to speculation.

A new article posted by the Chinese-language financial newspaper Commercial Times on August 04 openly challenged Ming-Chi Kuos position at TFI Securities. The article presented Ming-Chi Kuo as both Guo Mingqi and Guo Mingxi.

The report stated (in translation) that "After investigation, Guo Mingqi is no longer an analyst in Tianfeng [TFI Securities], so he can't produce a text report, you can only write something on your own Twitter, the company welcomes your company to cite any official report to report information about the company, but please do not reprint any personal network articles."

Guo Mingxi, who gave the impression of "Apple analysts" to the outside world, was first known in local securities companies for being familiar with the Taiwan supply chain, and even predicted the specifications and shipment quantity, coinciding with the high-speed growth period of smart phones. You could read more of that report here.

Both TFI Securities and Ming-Chi Kuo are of course at fault for not spelling out the reasoning behind Ming-Chi Kuos Apple Research disappearing from TFI Securities normal research announcements page and Kuo being restricting his research reporting to his Twitter account.

To prove that TFI Securities still employs Ming-Chi Kuo, or Guo Mingxi as hes formally known as by TFI Securities, the company officially published Kuos latest Apple Research yesterday on their usual Research page regarding Apples AR/MR Headset. The report states the following:

(Click on image to Enlarge)

Body

The market has the highest expectations for AR/MR headset among Apple's new products in 2023. However, this investment theme has not become a clear market consensus due to doubts about innovative user experience and low shipments of less than 1.5 million units in 2023.

Apple may announce the AR/MR headset as soon as January 2023. This media event is expected to reduce investors' concerns about innovative user experience and low shipments in 2023 and enhance their confidence in the headset's outlook.

Apple AR/MR headset will be the next revolutionary consumer electronics product after iPhone. Suppose Apple AR/MR headsets rapid growth shipments in the next years can become market consensus. In that case, investors should pay more attention to Apple and AR/MR suppliers that meet the following criteria: 1) all-new specification, 2) specification upgrade, and 3) volume increase.

The market has the highest expectations for AR/MR headset among Apple's new products in 2023. However, this investment theme has not become a clear market consensus due to doubts about innovative user experience and low shipments of less than 1.5 million units in 2023.

The success of the epoch-making consumer electronics in the past (such as the iPhone, Wii, etc.) was because they provided innovative experiences that people could not imagine before these products were announced/released. Therefore, it is reasonable for most investors to have doubts about Apple AR/MR's user scenarios currently.

The market expects Apple AR/MR headsets to be priced at $2,000$2,500 or higher and believes it will affect shipments. Apple's first-generation AR/MR headset focuses on proving if the market demand exists rather than on price/shipment. If the market demand exists, the selling price will gradually decrease, boosting rapid shipment growth with improved production, technology, and cost.

Apple may announce the AR/MR headset as soon as January 2023. This media event is expected to reduce investors' concerns about innovative user experience and low shipments in 2023 and enhance their confidence in the headset's outlook.

It's expected that user scenarios, software/service/development ecosystem, and hardware specification details will be the three key points of the announcement.

If Apple AR/MR headset's user scenarios can convince investors, investors will believe that the headset will enter a period of rapid growth in the next few years and will be less concerned about low shipments in 2023.

If the rapid shipment growth of Apple's AR/MR headset in the next few years can form a market consensus, the stocks of Apple and the AR/MR headset supply chain will be re-rated, and the stock price will be favorable.

Apple AR/MR headset will be the next revolutionary consumer electronics product after iPhone. Suppose Apple AR/MR headsets rapid growth shipments in the next years can become market consensus. In that case, investors should pay more attention to Apple and AR/MR suppliers that meet the following criteria: 1) all-new specification, 2) specification upgrade, and 3) volume increase.

Among the all-new specifications, eye-ball tracking is the most representative. There are almost no eye-ball tracking applications in existing consumer electronics.

In terms of specification upgrades (compared with existing Apple products), the relevant components worthy of attention include mechanical components (requiring wearing comfort), displays (providing an excellent immersive experience), and thermal-related components (maintaining high-speed computing and wearing comfort), etc.

The AR/MR headset shares many components with Apple's existing products, but the use of the AR/MR headset has increased significantly, including with processors, optical modules (RGB cameras, eye-ball tracking, 3D sensing), and flexible PCB, etc.

Stock for actions: Apples AR/MR headset media event will enhance markets confidence in the headset's outlook. Investors should pay more attention to Apple and AR/MR suppliers that meet the following criteria: 1) all-new specification, 2) specification upgrade, and 3) volume increase.

Risk: New product shipment delays or lower-than-expected demand.

Whether Kuos (Gou Mingxis) original Apple Research will be officially returning to TFI Securities Research announcement page on a consistent basis is unknown at this time. Was this a one-off release to restore Kuos credibility with the media? Only time will tell.
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The Ghana Police Service has stated that it has launched investigations into the alleged assassin attack on the host of Angel FM Morning Show, Kofi Adoma Nwanwanii.



According to a communique by the law enforcement agency on the matter, investigations kick-started immediately after the notice of the attack came to their attention.



The Police are investigating alleged attacks by some unknown persons on Stephen Kofi Adomah, a staff of Angel Broadcasting Network on August 6, 2022, at Old Ashongman Village in Accra.



Investigation into the alleged incident commenced immediately the matter came to the attention of the Police, the statement said.



Background



GhanaWeb had reported earlier that Kofi Adomah Nwanwanii, the host of Angel FM's morning show, was allegedly attacked by some unknown men on Saturday, August 6, 2022.



Sources say that the broadcaster was returning from DAMAX Estate, Kuntunse, a suburb of Accra when he was crossed by these alleged assassins who were riding a motorbike and attacked him around Old Ashongman.



The unknown men used a sharp object to injure the journalist and later tried to set him ablaze.



Kofi Adomah visited his House at DAMAX estate at Kuntunse, on his way back he was attacked around old Ashongman. He was crossed by the guys on Motorcycle.



They targeted his face with sharp objects but he used his hands and shoulders to avoid many wounds on his face.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday inaugurated the Osman Nuhu Sharubutu Central Mosque and School Complex at Ablekuma-Joma in the Greater Accra Region for worship, teaching and learning of Islamic values to young ones.



The mosque and the school were constructed by His Eminence National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as a place of worship and education for young Muslim children on Qu'ran recitation.



The ceremony attracted high-profile personalities across the country and high-powered Muslim delegations from Nigeria and Senegal.



In an address, Vice President Bawumia said Sheikh Sharubutu had been a champion of community and national development, especially in education, and his latest charity works attested to his commitment to service and humanity.



"I am constantly humbled and inspired by Sheikh Sharubutu's prolific and unstinting charitable works.



"May the Almighty Allah reward him," he said.



Dr Bawumia noted that the National Chief Imam had been an iconic of tolerance and peace in Ghana and Africa whose charitable works had made a difference in the lives of many Muslims.



He lauded the Chief Imam for facilitating the construction of various school blocks at Shakura, Nima, Fadama and an ongoing one at Tenkoran to promote education in Muslim Communities.



The Vice President pledged the Government's commitment towards promoting access and inclusive education for all Ghanaians of school-going age to serve as a foundation for national growth and development.



Vice President Bawumia donated an amount of GHc100,000 to the National Chief Imam for his charity works and to build more schools and mosques across the country.



Sheikh Sharubutu, who spoke through his Spokesperson, said development could only take place on the foundation of knowledge and urged government to remain steadfast in investing in the children's education for a brighter future.







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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Ugandan officials have banned a prominent LGBT rights group in a major setback for the community there.



Sexual Minorities Uganda (Smug) has been ordered to shut down with "immediate effect" for not registering properly with authorities.



The campaign group decried the order as a "clear witch hunt" by the government against LGBT Ugandans.



Sexual minorities face widespread persecution in Uganda, where anti-gay and transphobic views are common.



Gay relationships are illegal in Uganda, where they can be punished by up to life in prison for committing "unnatural offences."



Official police data shows that 194 people were charged with the offence between 2017 and 2020, including 25 who went on to be convicted.



"This is a clear witch hunt rooted in systematic homophobia, fuelled by anti-gay and anti-gender movements," said Smug's director Frank Mugisha, who is a gay Ugandan activist.



He accused authorities of treating members of Uganda's LGBT minority as second-class citizens and trying to erase their existence completely.



On Friday Ugandan officials announced they were halting Smug's operations because the campaign group, founded in 2004, had failed to register its name with the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) properly.



It is the same reason given last year when dozens of civil society groups - including pro-democracy organisations - were also banned by Ugandan authorities.



This time officials say that the issue stems from Smug's name itself - Sexual Minorities Uganda.



In a statement, the NGO Bureau acknowledged that Smug had attempted to register with authorities in 2012, but that the application had been rejected because Smug's full name was considered "undesirable."



President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in office since 1986, has made homophobic comments in the past - including in a 2016 CNN interview when he called gay people "disgusting."



Although there are no laws specifically criminalising being transgender in Uganda, trans people are regularly prosecuted for other offences including "personation" (false representation), according to reports compiled by rights organisations.



Since its establishment almost two decades ago, Smug has campaigned for the rights of LGBT people in Uganda by promoting access to health services and supporting members of the LGBT community to live openly.



It has also taken legal action to protect gay people from hostility, including in 2010 when it successfully petitioned a Ugandan judge to order a newspaper to stop publishing the names and photographs of gay Ugandan men under the headline "hang them".



The group said several of its members had been attacked or harassed as a result of the article - including one woman who was almost killed when her neighbours began throwing stones at her house.



At the time, Ugandan politicians were preparing to debate whether or not to introduce the death penalty for same-sex relationships - a legislative amendment that attracted widespread international condemnation before eventually being dropped.



More recently, Smug has vocally criticised anti-gay speeches delivered by Ugandan politicians - including in the run-up to national elections in 2021.



"The politicians are using the LGBT community as a scapegoat to gain support and win votes and it is fuelling homophobia," Smug's director Frank Mugisha told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

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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Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments has welcomed a decision by British curators to return artefacts that were looted in the 19th Century, from what was then the Kingdom of Benin.



A legal adviser to the commission, Babatunde Adebiyi, told the BBC he hoped some of the 72 objects would be on display in Nigeria later this year.



On Sunday the Horniman Museum in London said it was both moral and appropriate to give the items back.



They include brass plaques, known as Benin bronzes, and a key to the king's palace.



Mr Adebiyi said agreements had also been reached with American museums and Glasgow City council for looted artefacts to be returned to Nigeria this year.

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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Two new modernized communities have been commissioned in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region as part of a resettlement package to pave way for large-scale gold mining activities.



The two communities, Digaare (Accra Site) and Biung were on land that had been leased out to Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, a subsidiary of Shandong Gold, a Chinese Mining Firm, to engage in large-scale mining operations, for the next 15 years, hence the need for the resettlement of affected families.



Commissioning the new communities, Mr Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, commended Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited for sticking to the resettlement plan and providing improved infrastructure to the communities.



The new communities with 117 families are fitted with urban-type services including well laid concrete residential buildings, reticulated electric power, improved water supply and sanitation and improved community roads.



Social amenities such as well-equipped school infrastructure with disability friendly Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and recreational facilities, healthcare facilities, teachers and nurses accommodation, mosques and churches, graveled roads connecting houses among others have also been provided.



The construction was done in accordance with the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006, Act 703 and Minerals and Mining Compensation and Resettlement Regulations of 2012, L.I. 2175 which enjoins Mining companies to resettle all persons who would be affected by their mining operations.



Mr Jinapor explained that the communities were constructed in accordance with the resettlement action plan approved by the District Land Use and Special Planning Authority, the Minerals Commission and conformed to International Finance Cooperation Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability to ensure health and safety.



The Minister assured the chiefs and people that government was committed to ensuring that the exploitation of the mineral resources of the country inured to the benefit of the Ghanaian people and underscored the need to cooperate with the Mining Company to bring the needed development including employment.



Government is also committed to ensuring that Ghanaians benefit from our natural resources through policies such as value addition, local content, and local participation.



And that is why I can assure the Chiefs that government will work hand in gloves with Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited to ensure that indigenes and locals of the Talensi Traditional Area do benefit from whatever operations we will have arising out of the mining operations which is going to take place in this catchment area, he assured.



Mr Jinapor revealed that government would soon commission the first state owned gold refinery established through a public private partnership to add value to gold and noted that government was determined not to repeat past mistakes but to negotiate properly to benefit from the exploitation of the countrys mineral resources.



Mr Luis Santana, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, noted that a 25 kilometre road from Balungu to the mining site costing about US$ 7 million was under construction to improve road network in the area.



To ensure sustainability and mitigate the impact of the resettlement, the CEO said, the Company had already put in place livelihood and vulnerable assistance programmes to empower the affected people economically and enhance their social status.



Digaaran Bileg Sung Nanmalting Alhaji Ibrahim Boarebon, sub-chief of Digaare, commended the stakeholders for the support to the communities and appealed to the Mining Company to factor in local content especially employment and provision of other social amenities including a Senior High School.





Source: GNA









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A member of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears to have given up on any good thing coming out of the Nana Addo-led government which might help advance the cause of the country.



According to Anthony Kweku Boahen, a Deputy Communications Officer of the NDC, living in Ghana is extremely frustrating  especially when the government has turned deaf ears to citizens.



Speaking on Ghanas ailing economy on NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie, the NDC communicator wondered if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is aware of the mass suffering his government has imprinted on the lives of Ghanaians due to his bad leadership.



I doubt it, he is so clueless about what is going on in Ghana. I wont blame him, he opined.



Touching on assurances by some government appointees that the economy will certainly bounce back in a matter of months, the NDC Deputy Communications Officer questioned; from where? Lets see if this economy can bounce back. What has he done over the years?



Anthony Kwaku Boahene only hope for Ghanas distressed economy to be revived is former president John Dramani Mahama.



He [Mahama] has done it before and will revive this economy after the 2024 elections when he's voted back to power, he asserted.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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The national executive body of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi for openly endorsing one of the party's flagbearer hopefuls.



In a press statement on Friday, August 5, 2022, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said "the attention of National Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been drawn to a video in circulation, in which Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Party, openly endorsed one of the party's presidential hopefuls.



The General Secretary subsequently extended an invitation to Mr. Antwi-Boasiako, and engaged him on the need for officers of the party at all levels, to desist from such conduct".



Below is a copy of statement



The attention of National Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been drawn to a video in circulation, in which Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Party, openly endorsed one of the party's presidential hopefuls.



The General Secretary subsequently extended an invitation to Mr. Antwi-Boasiako, and engaged him on the need for officers of the party at all levels, to desist from such conduct.



It would be recalled that the National Council of the Party, on July 27, 2021, issued a Code of Conduct for the Party's presidential and parliamentary primaries.



In line with Articles 2(3) and 2(4) of the Party's Constitution, the Code of Conduct seeks to foster the spirit of healthy intra-party contests by guaranteeing equal opportunity for all stakeholders.



For emphasis, the Code of Conduct provides in Section 1 (f) that: "Members, supporters, sympathizers of the Party at all levels shall desist from using their public office or portfolio within or outside the party to promote the interest of any prospective presidential or parliamentary candidate in order to gain unfair political advantage.



In obedience to the Party's Constitution and the Code of Conduct, herein, all National, Regional, and Constituency Executives of the Party are once again cautioned to refrain from either endorsing or openly campaigning for any presidential or parliamentary aspirant.



Equally, until the Party duly opens nominations for presidential and parliamentary primaries, all prospective presidential and parliamentary aspirants are to desist from all forms of campaign activities including mounting of billboards and holding meetings with Party executives as that would be in breach of the Code of Conduct.



Failure to comply with this directive, may lead to huge consequences and sanctions against such offending officer, member or prospective aspirant in line with the grievance procedures stipulated in the Code of Conduct.



It is worthy of note that the institution of these disciplinary measures is to avert the menace of internal Party wrangling, and factionalism, which usually arise when Party executives openly declare support for aspirants, thereby dividing the Party front in the lead-up to general elections.



It is also intended to avoid the repetition of the electoral misfortunes of our tradition in the 1979 and 2008 general elections which were linked to Party officials openly leading the campaign of aspirants.



There is no gainsaying that the NPP's quest to winning a historic third consecutive general election (breaking the eight) cannot be achieved if Party executives are allowed to flagrantly disregard directives meant to achieve the conduct of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.



The National Officers of the Party are, therefore, committed to enforcing to the latter, the Code of Conduct for the Party's presidential and parliamentary primaries, which has been attached to this statement.



Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in the interest of our Party and tradition.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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A retired public servant Mr. Samuel Kwasi Ankamah has laid credence to the fact that current Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was indeed a member of the Boys Brigade of the Methodist Church.



He described Dr. Bawumia as a unifier who does not discriminate on religious lines, explaining that it was a lifestyle he grew up with wondering why many are trying to make a mockery of his disclosure that he was once a member of the association in the church.



Dr. Bawumia while speaking at the launch of the 175th-anniversary celebrations of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Ghana (EPCG) last week underscored the need for peaceful co-existence between the different religions in Ghana.



We live in a society where a mother and some children could be Christians and a father and some children could be Muslims. As a young boy at Sakasaka primary school in Tamale, I was born to a Methodist mother (then Susana Mariama) and a Muslim father.



Growing up I was an active member of the Methodist Boys Brigade until my mum changed to Islam. I suspect I am the only Muslim member of the Boys Brigade, he recounted.



His comments appeared to have been given a slant by some propagandists who tried making political capital of them but his senior has mounted a spirited defense.



According to Mr. Samuel Kwasi Ankamah Bawumias quest for religious tolerance is not new to him because they grew up together and as an elder brother he saw those traits in him



I want to confirm that Dr. Bawumia the current Vice President was indeed a Brigade member. When we were children, he joined us at the Methodist Church in Tamale. We had two sections; the seniors and the juniors and he was with the juniors with my younger brother Kwame Brefo Ankamah and my other brother called Raja, he disclosed



I wish to add that he somebody who is a unifier in the sense that he does not discriminate among religions. I would say because he is a Muslim he would not join Christians in worship. I remember when our mother died, he came for the funeral on a Saturday. I come from Nsuta Kyebi and the Church Service was held at Nsutahe came for the funeral after that he left. I thought that was all until Sunday while we were at home preparing for Church he had already arrived with his wife and was at the Church premises. He joined us in the services, he added.

Source: MyNewsGH









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Dr Joseph Darmoe, Programme Director for Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) has explained that investment in research and development and human capital is central to political and economic success in Ghana and therefore adequate investment in research and innovation in the country must be the focal point of the New Patriotic Party.



According to him, there is ample evidence to show that research and development propelled by higher education, more than anything else, has contributed to the rise and expansion of the world knowledge economy.



Dr Joseph Darmoe, disclosed this during a two-days workshop for Constituency Research and Elections Officers of the New Patriotic Party in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions in Sunyani.



The training programme which was initiated by the Regional Research Officer for the Bono Region Mr Henry Osei brought on board the two adjoining regions and was sponsored by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), a German Political Foundation linked to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and was under the theme, building the capacity of Constituency Research and Elections Officers for effective performance.



With the accelerated growth of a new global economy and the urgent focus on socio-economic issues, there is a need for a national recalibration and re-sensitisation of operations and policies targeted at a sustainable innovative research and development operations, Dr Damore said.



Present at the programme were the Regional Secretary Kofi Ofosu Boateng, Mr Joseph Mensah First Vice Chairman, a facilitator and Hon Paul Twum Barimah the Member of Parliament for Dormaa East.



Speaking as the Keynote Speaker, Hon Paul Twum Barimah underscored the need to put more energy into the research department of the party ahead of the crucial 2024 elections, adding that research findings has shown that the Party had lost touch with the grassroots and there was the need for a paradigm shift to reactivate the Party base.



He has called for party unity and cohesion ahead of the 2024 general elections "It's time for reconciliation, we will be calling each other, everyone will bring his or her ideas onboard because everyone has a role to play and it is time to bring everybody onboard. Lets unite against the task ahead. For me, I think it is a very big opportunity that I would not want to play with it at all, he stressed.



Mr Henry Osei, the Bono Regional Research Officer on his part commended KAS, the Regional Secretariat, M.P for Dormaa East, Mr Albert Ameyaw regional patron and other stakeholders for their immense support for equipping the researchers in the three regions with such valuable information.





Source: Kwabena Manu









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 National Chairman of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Nana Ofori Owusu, has advised the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to review her ways of getting Ghanaians to engage in the ongoing SIM registration exercise with Ghana Card.



The Minister's directive for all Ghanaians to register their SIM cards with the Ghana Card is aimed at organizing a database and clamping down on fraudulent activities.



Ghanaians have up to the end of September to register or risk their SIM cards deactivated.



Contributing to Peace FM's panel discussion programme "Kokrokoo", Nana Ofori Owusu opined that Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful's approach is repulsive and won't yield the required results.



He called on the Minister to be patient with Ghanaians to acquire their Ghana Cards to register their SIM cards as the Executive Secretary of National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof. Ken Agyeman Attafuah says it's impossible to get all Ghanaians to register their SIM cards with Ghana Card by the end of September.



"It is an unrealistic expectation that we will be able to give all of them their cards . . . it is not possible to do that. What is possible, however, is to put in greater efforts and make sure as many as can get it can but to guarantee that every single one is not possible".



"The number of SIM cards linked to the Ghana Cards are less than 15 million and yet we have issued more than 15.5 million, so that's also another factor to consider. Also, by the NCA's own statistics, it has not been possible since October 1st when they began to link all the available Ghana Cards to the SIM cards," Prof. Attafuah said in an interview on the 'Kokrokoo' programme.



Nana Ofori urged the Minister to educate Ghanaians on the significance of the SIM Card re-registration instead of adopting an approach he labeled as "military" to compel Ghanaians to register their SIM cards with the Ghana Card.



"I think she is a brilliant person but she has a shortfall . . . The shortfall is that you communicate to Ghanaians in a form of authoritative or like we are in the military regime. You see the key thing is that you must persuade Ghanaians to understand that this card is essential to our living and to our life that the person would want to go and get it. When you do the military lifestyle of communication, it doesn't augur well."





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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Mbabane  Two townships at Mbabane East are now at loggerheads over the death of a man who was gunned down at Gobholo last week Monday.

On Saturday, a mob from Gobholo reportedly went to Mgababa in Msunduza and assaulted two men, after residents of the area (Mgababa) were accused of celebrating the death of Sifiso Mtshali, who was allegedly gunned down by Mfundo Mabaso last week Monday after a long-standing dispute between them including an issue involving a woman. Following the incident, a house belonging to the suspect, who is a motor mechanic, was torched by unknown people in the early hours of Saturday mornimg. Also burnt down were cars that were parked within the premises of the suspects home, some of which reportedly belonged to his customers. In the latest occurrence that has sparked division among the two neighbourhoods, a group of men from Gobholo under Mbabane East Inkhundla are said to have stormed Mgababa, which is situated under the same inkhundla, and allegedly assaulted people who were sitting and enjoying alcoholic beverages near a local bottle store.

According to an impeccable source, the bone of contention was that the mob from Gobholo were informed that people from Mgababa and surrounding areas were actually celebrating the death of Mtshali. Two men, Philiswa Phiri and another identified as Mshengu, were heavily assaulted by the mob of about 25 men who were travelling in a van. According to Mshengu, who was stabbed three times in the back and hacked with a bush knife on the head, he was with his friend Phiri when the vehicle the mob was travelling in stopped near them at around 1pm. He said they were carrying weapons such as bush knifes, knifes, tomahawks and knobkerries, and when they alighted from the vehicle, they headed straight to them. We were puzzled to the point that when we thought of running away it was already too late. I was stabbed three times in the back and one of them hacked me on the head with a bush knife. We were three in total but one managed to escape before being hurt, he said.

Mshengu said he then went to the Mbabane Police Station where he was given a document that would give medical practioners the green light to attend to him at the Mbabane Government Hospital where he was assisted. Phiri, who sustained an injury on the arm after being hacked with a bush knife, said there was no way they could celebrate the death of a person, even if that person was their enemy. He said every Monday they gathered at the local bottle store to enjoy alcoholic beverages and the mood was always jolly. I think they must have assumed our get-together was meant to celebrate the death of Mtshali, which is devoid of the truth, he narrated.

Phiri said what made the situation worse was that police were informed but did not show up. Police should intervene in this matter otherwise it wont end well because we will also take matters into our hands and retaliate if something is not done to calm the situation, he said. It was previously reported that some police officers were reluctant to attend to reports, following the shooting and killing of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) members by unknown people when attending to crime or accident calls recently. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintended Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident. She said no one had been arrested yet.
Cenovus Energy logos are on display at the Global Energy Show in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Cenovus Energy Inc. has reached a deal with British energy giant BP to buy the remaining 50 per cent stake in the BP-Husky Toledo Refinery for $300 million. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Interim Liberal party leader Bill Graham is given a standing ovation in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Tuesday Nov. 28, 2006. Graham, who served as foreign affairs minister when Canada decided against joining the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003, has died. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tom Hanson CANADA
Derrick Plumage Wins Weekend RGPS Contenders Horseshoe Council Bluffs

August 08, 2022 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

Over the weekend, the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) was at Horseshoe Casino Iowa for the RGPS Contenders Horseshoe Council Bluffs $420 buy-in, $50K GTD Main Event.

The tournament attracted 826 runners over three starting flights, which blew the guarantee out of the water. In fact, the winner took home a $51,888 first-place prize, which was more than the guarantee itself!

That winner was Derrick Plumage, who also earned an exclusive invite-only seat into the 2022 RunGood All-Stars ProAM filmed at the PokerGO Studio in December.

RGPS Contenders Horseshoe Council Bluffs Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Derrick Plumage $51,888 2 David Hengen $34,591 3 Kaleb Dunn $25,525 4 Gerald Pauley $19,040 5 Jesse Bowman $14,357 6 William Shrewsbury $10,946 7 Carter Clond $8,439 8 Shannan Roberts $6,580 9 Timothy Nichols $5,189 10 Adam Bacome $5,189

Day 2 Action

The RGPS Horseshoe Council Bluffs final table.

Day 2 saw 105 players return to action, all of whom were in the money. Some players who competed but failed to make Day 2 were RecPokers Steve Fredlund, WSOP Circuit ring winners Mark Fink and Mo Nuwwarah, and 2021 ProAM qualifier Nathan Stueur.

One man who returned was Stanley Schrier, who was a part of what many consider to be the greatest final table in World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event history in 2001, one that included Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, and Carlos Mortensen, just to name a few.

"All the guys were real nice," Schrier previously told PokerNews about the experience. "I think the greatest memory was when we watched Hellmuth get busted out. He cried like a baby, and ran to his dad sitting back there. I mean, he's really a nice guy when you get him away from poker, but he can't take it when he losses. But he's really a nice guy, I always kid him about it."

Schrier nearly made the RGPS final table, ultimately falling in 11th place for $4,139. Others who cashed but fell short of the final table were Allan Mittelstaedt (14th - $3,341), Brandon Ditch (19th - $2,255), Taylor Howard (22nd - $1,886), last woman standing Barbara Stahlecker (27th - $1,597), and Zachary Nickolite (40th - $1,369),

Click here to read more about the 2001 WSOP Main Event final table!

Heads-Up Play

David Hengen began the heads-up match holding a 4:1 chip lead over Plumage, but things quickly changed. Plumage doubled on an flop with his against the of Hengen. The on the turn gave Plumage a Royal Flush and locked up the hand to even the stacks.

In what would be the final hand of the tournament, Hengen was at-risk holding pocket sixes and flipping against the ace-queen of diamonds for Plumage. The two-diamond flop gave Plumage both straight and flush draws to go with his overs, and while the turn was a brick, an ace on the river was enough to get the job done.

Hengen, who back in February 2020 topped a 368-entry field to win the RGPS Horseshoe Council Bluffs $575 Main Event for $41,287, took second place for $24,591.

The RunGood team will now head to Jamul Casino for the San Diego Poker Classic, which is slated to run August 18-28. They will also return to Horseshoe Council Bluffs October 18-23, 2022 for a regular tour stop. For more information on upcoming RGPS events, visit http://www.rungood.com.

Photos courtesy RunGood

Sharelines Derrick Plumage topped 826 entries to win $420 Contenders Weekend Event at @HorseshoeIowa for $51,888
GILGAL  A pupil by day and a wife after school hours!

This is the story of 41-year-old Hlobsile Mabila, a pupil of Hlutse High School under Gilgal Constituency. Mabila will be sitting for her Junior Certificate (JC) external examination in November 2022. Through the support of her husband and family, Mabila was able to go back to school to pursue her dream of running her own preschool one day. This came after she missed the chance to go to school following the death of her mother and her father abandoning her, hence she faced financial struggles thereafter. At the age of 15, while doing Grade VI, Mabila was forced by circumstances to drop out of school. She missed the opportunity to read and write. After dropping out, Mabila eventually got married and had to support her husband to put food on the table. While some of the community members supported her decision to go back to school, others felt she was wasting her time. Above everything, Mabila is embraced and supported by the school and other learners.

Teacher

This publication paid a visit to Mabila on Friday at her school where she was called from class by the Deputy Head teacher, Mthunzi Gamedze, into his office where an interview was conducted. During the interview, Mabila stated that while trying to earn a living following her dropping out of school, she was faced with challenges because she could not read and write. She said her husband also paid for her lessons to be an equipped hairdresser before opening her own business in Manzini. According to Mabila, the hairdressing business did not bring much profit for her and she decided to buy and sell clothes from the Republic of South Africa.

While in South Africa with other hawkers, she said the women negotiated discounts with Asian businessmen in their shops and made it clear that it was their deal. Mabila said the women would tell her that she needed to negotiate for discounts on her own. This gave me challenges as I could hardly say a word in English, narrated Mabila. She said she was forced to buy at an undiscounted price and in the en d she did not make profit from the sales she made.

Meanwhile, she said at the age of 35 in 2017, through her husbands support, she studied through the Sebenta Informal Education Programme and managed to write her Eswatini Primary Certificate (EPC) examination at Mkhuzweni Primary School. I failed and had to repeat at Siphofaneni and I attained a Third Class pass, she said. In 2020, she said she sought a place at Hlutse High School where she was welcomed by the head teacher. Mabila added that her dream was to one day own a preschool in the area as there was currently none. She said while pitching her idea, she was told that without education, she would not be able to achieve her dream. This has pushed me to persevere in life, which is why I am now in class with children young enough to be mine.

She said most of the learners respected her, especially because one way or the other, she was related to them. Mabila mentioned that she had to call other pupils to order by merely engaging them and explaining why she was at school to learn at her age and that she was as old as their parents. She said all teachers respected her and supported her vision. When questioned on her readiness to write the examination, Mabila said she would definitely pass. When reached for comment, the deputy head teacher stated that the school had a unique experience with Mabila. This is a first special case I have experienced as a teacher, Gamedze said.

He said Mabila was focused and put so much effort in her studies. All I can say is that I also wish she succeeds in achieving her dream, the deputy head teacher said. Gamedze said Mabilas experience would go down in the history books. He said when she came to seek a place in Form I, she was attended to by him, adding that it was his first time coming across the symbols under the Sebenta programme. After consultation, Gamedze said they admitted Mabila.

Performance

He stated that her performance was average, adding that Mabila was a determined learner. The deputy head teacher said he had anticipated that Mabila would drop out after COVID-19, but since she was determined to learn, she stuck around. A community member, Ntombifuthi Gamedze, confirmed to have worked with Mabila, who was running a market in the area before enrolling in a formal school. Ntombifuthi stated that they first did not approve of Mabilas idea to return to school and felt she was delaying progress in life. In time, she said following Mabila unpacking her vision, they did not stand on her way as one needed to be educated. She also stated that considering her background, they realised that she wanted to accomplish her dream, which was why she was persistent and enrolled in a formal school. Ntombifuthi said they understood the importance of education.
Grafton Warms Up for EPT Barcelona With a PokerStars Win

August 08, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

Every poker player wants to head to a major poker festival in good form, perhaps with a win or two under their belts. Team PokerStars' Sam "SamSquid" Grafton has done exactly that, warming up for the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona festival by taking down the $1,050 Sunday Warm-Up online at PokerStars.

There is little doubt Grafton will be jetting off to Barcelona, especially because the Casino Barcelona has proved to be a happy hunting ground for the popular Brit. It was at the 2019 EPT Barcelona stop where Grafton enjoyed a career-best score, reeling in 1,303,950 after finishing second to Sergi Reixach in the 100,000 No Limit Hold'em Super High Roller.

Grafton has $11,671 of the 100,000 buy-on already, thanks to his latest win at PokerStars. A compact field of 32 entrants bought into this weekend's $1,050 Sunday Warm-Up, meaning only the top four finishers won a slice of the $32,000 pie. Brazil's Rodrigo "Seijistar" Seiji was the unfortunate soul who popped the money bubble, his fifth-place finish meaning he logged off empty-handed.

Seiji's fellow Brazilian, Pedro "pvigar" Garagnani was the first player to receive some prize money, $3,618 to be exact. Ukrainian superstar Andrey "Anjeyyyy" Novak busted in third for $5,661, leaving Grafton heads-up with recent addition to the WSOP bracelet club, Patrick "pads1161" Leonard.

The heads-up duo struck a deal to conclude the tournament, that deal awarding Leonard $11,049 and Grafton $11,671 and the title of champion. Grafton later went on to finish sixth in the $1,050 Sunday High Roller for an additional $4,164.

$1,050 Sunday Warm-Up Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Sam "SamSquid" Grafton United Kingdom $11,671* 2 Patrick "pads1161" Leonard United Kingdom $11,049* 3 Andrey "Anjeyyy" Novak Ukraine $5,661 4 Pedro "pvigar" Garagnani Brazil $3,618

*reflects a heads-up deal

EPT Returns to Barcelona; PokerNews to Report on 14 Events

Baca4b Binks the $5,200 Titans Event

At the start of 2022, Polish player "Baca4b" finished second in a PokerStars Winter Series tournament and walked away with a career-best $61,499. The Pole made amends for not winning that tournament by getting his hands on the Titans Event title. Baca4b outlasted 46 opponents to reel in $85,009 of the $235,000 prize pool.

The tournament's entry list read like a who's who of the online poker world, although most fell by the wayside before PokerStars dished out the prize money. Dominik "Bounatirou" Nitsche and Henrik "hhecklen" Hecklen put together deep runs but fell short of the final table, while Yuri "theNERDguy" Dzivielevski bubble the final table.

Christoph Vogelsang was the unfotunate bubble boy

Christoph "26071985" Vogelsang, who hit the headlines at the 2022 WSOP for excessive tanking, burst the money bubble when his tournament ended in a fifth-place finish.

Rodrigo "SELOUAN1991" Selouan collected $20,217 when he dusted off his stack in fifth, with Mexico-based Russian star Andrey "Kot_Spartac" Kotelnikov falling in fourth, a finish worth $28,950.

Third-place went to Damian "pampa27" Salas; the Argentinian scooped $41,456. Heads-up pitted Montenegro's "AcidValue" against Baca4b. No deal was struck despite a near $26,000 difference in payouts. This meant Baca4b banked $85,009 when they got the job done heads-up, resigning AcidValue to a $59,365 consolation prize.

$5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Baca4b Poland $85,009 2 AcidValue Montenegro $59,365 3 Damian "pampa27" Salas Argentina $41,456 4 Andrey "Kot_Spartac" Kotelnikov Mexico $28,950 5 Rodrigo "SELOUAN1991" Selouan Brazil $20,217

2022 EPT Barcelona Streaming Schedule Announced; Eight Days of Tournament Coverage

Other Notable PokerStars Victories on August 7

Jakob Miegel

Jakob "Succeeed" Miegel helped himself to $24,346 by being the last man standing in the $1,050 Sunday High Roller; Miegel's prize included bounty payments.

The biggest win aside from that of Baca4b mentioned earlier, went to Tudor "tdr01" Lazar, who reeled in a haul worth $41,405 after triumphing in the $530 Bounty Builder.

Tudor "tdr01" Lazar  first-place in the $530 Bounty Builder for $41,405*

Jakob "Succeeed" Miegel  first-place in the $1,050 Sunday High Roller for $24,346*

CannaGrower1  first-place in the $109 Sunday Cooldown for $20,891*

Yuri "tecaoo" Martins  first-place in the $109 Sunday Warm-Up for $19,831

foxjoke  first-place in the $109 Bounty Builder for $17,124*

Pkr Hal  first-place in the $215 Sunday Supersonic for $13,763

.COM??LOL  first-place in the $1,050 Sunday Cooldown for $12,655*

tonybardio  first-place in the $215 Bounty Builder for $10,200*

Tapio "PikkuHUMPPA" Vihakas  first-place in the Hotter $109 for $5,530*

arnynz  first-place in the $109 Sunday Kickoff for $4,808

*includes bounty payments
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Hoping to find solutions to the problems he faces, Christopher Miller attended the Healthcare for the Homeless event Monday at Gyles Park in Aiken.

Im here to get some help, he said. Im poor and in poverty, and Im homeless. Everybody who is homeless isnt a drug addict. There are some people like myself that want to work, that can work and that are dedicated. I just want to become a good member of the community.

A nurse practitioner and a doctor from Rural Health Services, which organized Healthcare for the Homeless, were available to answer questions. There also were opportunities to talk to representatives of government agencies and various nonprofits such as The Salvation Army of Aiken, Goodwill Industries, Mental Health America of Aiken County and Umoja Village.

Free food, hygiene kits and COVID-19 testing kits also were offered.

For Miller, Healthcare for the Homeless also was an uplifting experience because it showed him that the community cares about people.

While at Gyles Park, Miller spoke to Umoja Village co-founder Donna Moore Wesby and also provided more detailed information about himself by filling out a form.

From a cultural and ethnic standpoint, a lot of people feel more comfortable with someone that they can identify with, so we end up a lot of times working with the minority community, said Wesby, who is Black. We connect people with the resources they need.

We dont just hand them a brochure and send them on their way, she continued. We ask them to do a needs assessment and ask them where they are and where they want to go. Then we follow them through the process (of getting assistance).

Also during Healthcare for the Homeless, students from the Aiken School of Cosmetology and Barbering offered free haircuts.

I love cutting hair and making people smile, said Cole Siry. It makes me feel good to make people happy.

Kelvin Mathis expressed a similar sentiment.

God blessed me with a talent, so I want to give back to the community, he said. I enjoy it. Its fun. You meet different people and you learn something new with every clip you do on every person.

Healthcare for the Homeless was the first in a series of events that Rural Health Services is conducting during National Health Center Week (Aug. 7-13).

The annual celebrations goal is to raise awareness about health centers missions and their accomplishments over the years, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers website.

Through Healthcare for the Homeless, were just trying to reach people where they are, said Gail Diggs, director of outreach and community services for Rural Health Services.

Gyles Park is a place where some people who dont have permanent residences regularly gather in Aiken. It is on Park Avenue near The Salvation Army of Aikens homeless shelter.

Other Rural Health Services events during National Health Center Week are Agricultural Workers Day on Tuesday, Patient Appreciation Day on Wednesday, Stakeholder Appreciation Day on Thursday, Health Center Staff Appreciation Day on Friday and Childrens Health Day on Saturday.

For more information, visit ruralhs.org/2022-nhcw/.
Generations Park had an abundance of traffic, music and free, hot food Saturday, as the host site of the BBQ & Sweet Tea Festival, a creation of Antonio Jones, largely known for his work in real estate and as an entertainer.

Teams winning top honors were Smart Safe (first in ribs) and Tru-Mac (first in Boston butts), and sampling their creations was a crowd that Jones estimated at more than 1,200. The Smart Safe crew also won the "People's Choice" award, as most popular among general public at the event.

Jones, an agent with Realty One Group Visionaries, got a soundtrack by way of Wayne Preston and David Weston, the musical duo largely known as Preston and Weston, and a variety of vendors also took part, offering such possibilities as frozen treats, COVID-19 vaccinations, gutter guards and cell-phone service.

"I really came up with the idea ... last summer  just trying to figure out something I could get behind," Jones said. "I've been doing parties and different events and things of that sort for the last maybe 10 years or so."

The idea was "almost like a no-brainer when it came to barbecue," he said, acknowledging his own fondness for exercising creativity with a grill at any hour of the day. "I had to pair the barbecue with something ... and for me, it was just barbecue and sweet tea. Those are the two things that kind of go hand in hand with each other."

Also playing a role in the project's development, he said, was the fact that his fiance, Kristian Banks, is also highly fond of sweet tea, as did the fact that Jones' family had a tradition, for years, of Sunday cookouts.

"The turnout was way bigger than what we thought it was going to be," said North Augusta businessman Matt Smart, the founder of the Smart Safe team. "We cooked five butts and 10 racks of ribs. Atomic City cooked, I think, four butts and six or eight racks of ribs. They also cooked a full brisket and, I don't know, 10-12 pounds of chicken wings, which were not even on the menu, and we gave it all away."

He added, "We had a blast. We absolutely had a blast."

Other competitors in Saturday's ribs category, in order of their votes, were Tru-Mac, Atomic City Smokers and the Jones Boys, in that order. Atomic City Smokers came in second in Boston butts, followed by Smart Safe.

Aiken-area barbecue buffs have a few options to consider in the next few months, in terms of events within a relatively short driving distance. The first, the Sassafras Festival, is set for Oct. 1 in Burnettown. Another, set for Oct. 8, is the Ridge Spring Harvest Festival. Hook and Cook, in Jackson, is to be Oct. 22. Barbecue, Blues & Boos is set for Oct. 29 in Barnwell.

Enthusiasts from around the state are on track to gather this month, with the South Carolina Barbeque Association having its annual meeting Aug. 20, in Columbia.
SRS and Politics Reporter

I cover the Savannah River Site and politics. I previously covered government and politics for the Morning News in Florence. I am graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston (W.Va.).
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
Booming air travel at Charleston International brings long lines in the check-in stations that sometimes spill into walkways during peak flying times.

To relieve the pressure, airport officials plan to add four curbside kiosks so passengers can check their bags and drop them off at the outside conveyor belt.

"It has the opportunity for 50 percent of the people who fly out of Charleston to use the outside service," airport CEO Elliott Summey said.

Details are still being worked out on costs and other factors, but Summey aims to have the system operational by early September.

"We have the equipment," he said. "We are just waiting for new printers, some software and whether we are going to hire a couple of people part-time to help with the kiosks or contract the labor out. I'd rather we ran it ourselves."

The airport accommodated more than a 500,000 travelers arriving and departing each in May and June, setting a record each month. About half were departing passengers, or roughly 8,200 a day, with many of them needing to check their bags.

July's passenger numbers are not yet available, but they are expected to be comparable to June, according to David McMahon, federal security director with the Transportation Security Administration for South Carolina's airports.

So far this year, Charleston International has seen 2.5 million arriving and departing passengers. Summey expects the airport to surpass 5 million travelers for the first time this year.

The previous record of 4.87 million was set in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of us have stepped all our lives through open doors, while others have found the doors closed and had to find another way.

Ida Mae Gladney faced the closed door of dead-end poverty and had to find another way. She did, through many dangers, toils and snares  successfully. Isabel Wilkerson told her story in "The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of Americas Great Migration."

In March 2002, Gladney was celebrating her 87th birthday in her home in Chicago, her family around her. Sixty-five years earlier she was part of the Great Migration, which took place roughly between 1916 and 1970, when some six million African Americans fled the South for cities in the North and West, seeking safety and a better life. She and her husband had been caught in the steel trap of sharecropping, picking cotton for a harsh landowner in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, when with the help of a friend they escaped by night, caught a train bound for Chicago and joined the migration.

Life was never easy for them in the Promised Land. Hardship and heartache followed them, but over the years, Gladney made a living in a variety of jobs, bought a house, joined a church, raised her children, lost her husband and buried most of her friends. She was now a matriarch and an elder. As Wilkerson described the scene on her 87th birthday, She was in a new chair by the window now. It was a gold velveteen recliner that could swivel and pivot, and she could watch the world play out beneath her from whatever angle she chose.

To the credit of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson, she steps back to let Gladney tell her own story from her own angle. How do any of us look back over and compose our story? I myself, who have tried to make sense of my own journey by way of life review, memoir and just plain talking about myself, envy the clear insight of that stately woman sitting in her favorite chair, watching the world play out beneath her, free to choose the angle from which to view the world. What command!

Maybe it begins with sitting in that chair  that wondrous gold velveteen recliner by the bay window. That image of Gladney says self-possession" in the best sense of the word. A self that has been toned and tempered by almost nine decades of life experience, a self that is at home, at peace with who she is, free and alert to locate herself in the world that is passing beneath her. No blame, no evasions. She reflects on her long life, most of it shared with her husband, and Wilkerson records: Whatever had happened to them had been of their own choosing, and she took comfort in that. She had made many mistakes but migration had not been one of them.

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For Gladney, the migration occupied a central place in her self-understanding. She had risked and undertaken a journey from dead-end poverty to open-ended freedom. The paradigm available to her to interpret her own story, refreshed every Sunday, was the exodus: the hope-killing bondage in Egypt, the miraculous escape, the journey by faith and not by sight, the Promised Land which is no panacea but had to be fought for hill by hill to fully possess, and then the sense of possession, of a homeland.

All that is implicit in the personal stories Ida Mae Gladney recounts. She held in her narrative the range of truth in human experience  pain, decision, desire for freedom, work, fear, heartbreak, risk, happiness. And she organized all that experience into a story, helped by a guiding metaphor.

Which raises the question for me, what kind of story does my life tell? Is there a theme that helps me make sense of it, a key to unlock its meaning? Is there a larger story that my individual life is part of? When I think about these questions, do they help me sit up straighter in my chair, capture some of her lightness of being, be more present to myself, my neighborhood, the world?

George Dyson said once, Some inventions result from theorizing how something should work and then building it. Others result from building something that works and then understanding it. Do any of us start o constructing our lives according to some theory or theme? Gladney certainly could not have. Yet from the perspective of an elder, she could look back on what she had figured out as she went along and tell her story with meaning. Thats what I hope for myself.

Not that we will ever make complete sense of our life, not in this lifetime. Theres much about us and within us that we dont understand and never will. But cant we arm our life even without accounting for all our motivations and actions? As for Gladney: She had seen and heard so much, so many wondrous, sad, and unspeakable things in her life, that there still wasnt time enough to tell all that she had witnessed. The half of it aint been told, she said.

She knew more than she could tell. We all do. And we handle that in different ways  some by seeking a thread of meaning or an overriding metaphor that helps us come to terms with our life; others by just glancing at our memories when they occur, then letting them go, sometimes entrusting a few of them to our grandchildren. Maybe the end of the matter is not HOW we perform the elders task of drawing the elements of our life into a whole, but simply THAT we do so in a way thats satisfying to us.

Thats what Ida Mae Gladney did. She put the disappointments in a lock box in the back of her mind and lived in the moment, which is all anybody has for sure. She had learned long ago, when things were so much harder ... that, after all she had been through, every day to her was a blessing and every breath she took a gift.
GREENVILLE  In the world of beer, there's no shortage of Odyssean journey stories about how head brewers discovered their passion and left a "real" job to chase it.

Candice Campbell's tale is an unlikely one.

Discovering a taste for beer only well into her 20s. A professional educator by day who spent evenings as a regular customer bringing in her homebrews for feedback. A Black woman in a realm overwhelmingly filled with White men.

And now, the brew chief at The Habitap tap house in Greenville.

The restaurant, which features 50 beers on tap, put plans in motion last fall for on-site brewing. The job was never going to anyone else.

When we started the process of trying to formulate a plan for the brewery, she was the only person we envisioned to do it, said Jonathan Mills, chief operating office for the restaurant's parent group, Southern Culture.

And unlike other brewers, the 36-year-old has the time to keep her day job as a teacher.

Journey

Originally from Atlanta, Campbell attended college in Georgia. She was introduced to beer of the cheap domestic variety and wasn't a fan.

In 2012 a friend sat her down inside the Tipsy McSway's bar in Brunswick, Ga., and introduced her to the craft side. She started with Yeungling and Dos Equis. She discovered stouts and porters.

Then she met her true loves: thick Belgian brews and homebrewing.

Campbell started with basic equipment and was committed to mastering each beer before investing in more expensive gear.

The day job took her to Rock Hill, where she trained teachers in Chester County. While living in the suburb, she assisted at Charlotte's Bold Missy brewery in the NoDA district. When the brewery closed just before the coronavirus shutdown in 2020, the owners offered Campbell their equipment.

She began to perfect her New England IPA, meticulously scouring for ingredients and settling on Golden Promise Scottish grain, New Zealand hops and the S-33 English yeast strain.

She learned quickly to be a meticulous note taker or risk losing a recipe forever.

For years, she brewed beers at home for friends, parties and baby showers. About the only thing she hasn't brewed for is a funeral. Each beer comes with a specially drawn label.

I dont cook for myself, I dont make beer for myself," Campbell said. "Its something I do for people. Its how I express feeling  like Here, friends, I want to give you beer.

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She dreamed of bigger things. Campbell wondered how she could break in to professional brewing, but an opportunity was elusive.

Even though I had worked in breweries in Charlotte, I just never saw a way in," she said. "It was kind of weird that nothing was happening. It was kind of like a backburner dream. I have a main job to worry about, brewing can be a hobby, and Ill make it for friends and parties if they need it.

Opportunity

A transfer from Chester County to Greenville emerged. In summer 2020, Campbell found an apartment down the street from Habitap.

She brought her brews to the taproom  Wednesday nights became the routine  to get feedback on how they tasted and what could be improved. She was invited to Shoeless Joe Brewery on Mauldin Road, which doubles as a homebrewing supplier, to share recipes. She helped out at Liability Brewing on West Stone Avenue.

One year into its existence, Habitap was hearing from customers that the neighborhood experience it wanted to cultivate would benefit from on-site brewing, Mills said.

The idea was tossed around just as COVID put most everyone's plans on hold. When it came time to seriously consider it again in fall 2021, Mills couldn't imagine anyone leading the effort but Campbell.

It was truly a leap of faith, because she was homebrewing but none of us knew how things would go on the big equipment, he said.

At first, Mills said he and general manager Nico Cromwell worked alongside her to master the larger five-barrel system. As they prepared to launch last February, they needed approachable beers to start.

The primary brew was a pilsner with a name from Campbell and Cromwell's evenings playing the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game.

"The world we were running was called 'Fandolin,'" Cromwell said. "She took the world we were playing in and made a beer."

Today, Campbell's beers make up 14 of the 50 on tap. She typically spends about six hours on a Sunday brewing, checking in a little during the week with the help of an assistant.

She is aware of her demographic rarity in the brewing field. The history teacher explained how brewing in ancient times was performed by women. Men hunted, and women brewed low-alcohol beers that the family would consume to ensure water quality. Not until the Middle Ages and larger production, she said, did men take over.

Women, we were the original brewers," Campbell said. "That was our job  in Sumeria, Mesopotamia, Egypt.

As for the future, Campbell said she's not content with just becoming a head brewer. She wants to see her beers sold in stores. And more.
Masdar, a major clean energy company, has signed an agreement with Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) related to the development of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of up to 2 gigawatts (GW).

In the presence of January Makamba, Minister for Energy for Tanzania, a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) was signed by Abdulla Zayed, Head of Business Development & Investment at Masdar, and Maharage Chande, Managing Director of Tanesco, on the sidelines of the Tanzania Energy Congress, said a Wam news agency report.

The JDA envisages the establishment of a co-owned joint venture (JV) company by the two organisations to progress the project development.

Chande said: "The agreement we are signing today will bring about a big revolution in the development of renewable energy in the country. Through the first phase of the collaboration, we expect to generate approximately 600 megawatts, and we will continue with other projects until we reach 2,000 megawatts."

Zayed said: "Masdar and Tanesco are working together to support Tanzanias sustainable development and to provide a secure, clean source of energy for the people of Tanzania. The signing of this agreement demonstrates Masdars commitment to the Tanzanian market and to the nations energy transition, supporting the target to reach 5,000 MW capacity by 2025. We look forward to working with Tanesco to develop this ambitious programme and to provide a clean pathway for growth for Tanzania."

Through the JV, the two companies are initially targeting the development of renewable energy projects with a capacity of about 600 megawatts (MW) starting with solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind. The JV will further explore the development of projects with a total capacity of at least 2,000 megawatts.

Tanesco, the sole provider of electricity in Tanzania, is looking to add more renewable energy sources to the national grid to meet the countrys growing demand for power and increase energy access. The Tanzanian government is targeting an electrification rate for the entire country of 75 percent by 2035. -
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 64F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
GOOSE CREEK  A former school resource officer arrested last week on a child pornography offense was previously accused of "improperly frisking" a student, according to a city spokesman.

The Goose Creek Police Department deemed the 2018 allegation against Conrad Sands Stayton unfounded after an internal investigation, said Frank Johnson, spokesman for the city. Stayton was allowed to remain post adviser for the department's Explorer program, which encourages young people to become police officers, until earlier this year.

Johnson said Police Chief LJ Roscoe was unaware of the 2018 allegations against Stayton  it was investigated and closed before she took over the department in 2019.

Stayton, 40, is accused of keeping 15 lewd photos of a 17-year-old student from Stratford High School on his personal cellphone. He was released from jail on bail while awaiting trial on charges of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and misconduct in office.

Stayton's supervisor, Shelly Love Ollic, was also arrested in connection to the investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division. She was charged with misconduct in office.

Ollic, 52, knew about the 2018 allegations against Stayton, state investigators say, but nonetheless allowed Stayton to spend "extended time" with a 17-year-old student in a hotel room. That incident occurred during an Explorer-sponsored event in January, authorities say.

City officials declined to release a report from the internal investigation into the 2018 incident, saying SLED asked that documents not be released while its investigation was ongoing. The Post and Courier has filed a request under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act for the report.

Stayton and Ollic are only the most recent officers to be charged with wrongdoing in connection to the police department's co-educational Explorer program, which is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America.

In 2020, an officer admitted to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old police explorer cadet he met on a ride-along, according to police records.

The officer was fired, but SLED declined to charge him, finding that the allegations were not criminal, according to employment records. That officer has not found another law enforcement job in South Carolina since he was dismissed from Goose Creek.

Johnson defended the program, saying Explorer has been a "wonderful way for students to learn about police work, and lay the groundwork for a career in law enforcement."

"The conduct of the former officers in question would have been completely unacceptable whether it involved the Explorer program or not," he said.

The Boy Scouts of America requires officers and other leaders involved with Explorer programs to be trained every two years. All of the department's 81 sworn officers are required to attend the Boy Scouts' training, even those that don't have direct contact with Explorers, Johnson said.

Ollic, a lieutenant, and Stayton both held supervisory positions with the program.

Ollic first became a post adviser for the Explorer program in 2004, the same year she joined the Goose Creek department, and was most recently the committee chair, the city said.

Stayton took over as the Explorer program's post adviser in March 2018, and last received the Boy Scout training in August 2020. He had been with the department since 2004 with a brief stint with Charleston County Sheriff's Office from April 2007 to September 2008, according to state training records.

Stayton and Ollic are both no longer with the department.
Today comes news of the death of historian David McCullough yesterday at the age of 89. The New York Times obituary by Daniel Lewis is here. McCullough was a popular historian who was an intense researcher with an incredible gift for narrative. I think he loved narrative history and America in roughly equal measure. The two loves made him an immensely popular popular historian  a popular historian of quality. His death represents a great loss to our life and letters.

The American reading public found him and took him to their bosom. The Times obit reminds us that McCullough won Pulitzer Prizes for two presidential biographies, Truman (1992) and John Adams (2001). He received National Book Awards for The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal (1977) and Mornings on Horseback (1981), about the young Theodore Roosevelt and his family.

If not something like his manifesto, his Imprimis essay Knowing history and knowing who we are may serve as a good introduction to his work. The same is true of his Imprimis essay A man worth knowing.

I read A Stillness at Appomattox when I heard McCullough, in the course of a C-SPAN interview, describe its impact on him. McCullough had majored in English at Yale and received the book as a graduation present in 1955. Reading this one of Bruce Cattons several magnificent books made McCullough want to write history. I thought, correctly, that must be some book.

In a 2017 interview John Avlon asked McCullough about his favorite books and authors at the Charleston Library. Among others, McCullough expressed his appreciation of Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope. (He loved The Way We Live Now as well as Trollopes autobiography). McCullough also lauded the British mystery writer Ruth Rendell, (Rendells New York Times obituary is here.)

McCullough also talked about favorite books and authors in this 2013 Boston Globe interview. In the Globe interview he named Henry Adamss The Education of Henry Adams and Richard Henry Danas Two Years Before the Mast along with a few surprises (as they seemed to me).

JOHN adds: I enjoyed all of McCulloughs books that I have read, but I would add a special plug for The Great Bridge, the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is one of my favorite historical works.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Marks 10 Years of Spreading the Gospel Online Through 'Search for Jesus'

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)

Aug. 8, 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 8, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Search for Jesus, the internet evangelism ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), marked a milestone this month as it reached its tenth year of impacting the world online.

In 2012, Search for Jesus was launched as a ministry where website users could not only find the truth of the Gospel but also interact with trained volunteers to ask questions or to be discipled. Today, PeaceWithGod.net websites have had over 100 million visitors.

"This is significant because we're following Billy Graham's legacy of spreading the Gospel across the globe using every opportunity we have. The average person spends nearly seven hours a day on the internet, so we want to meet these people where they are," said Mark Appleton, director of internet evangelism for BGEA. "Search for Jesus has given us the chance to spread the Gospel like never before."

In addition to giving visitors the opportunity to read and respond to a Gospel presentation, BGEA's internet evangelism ministry also helps new believers grow in their faith. Search for Jesus relies on a network of over 1,400 trained volunteers who chat with users and answer questions live. The ministry also offers digital discipleship courses created especially for new believers and an online church locator tool to get users plugged into a local church.

Over the course of the past decade, more than three million people have indicated a decision for Christ and received follow-up through Search for Jesus.

Since the launch of Search for Jesus back in 2012, it has expanded to seven languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, American Sign Language and Russian.

"We started building this ministry one step at a time, taking steps of obedience and faith in God," said Appleton. "These people aren't just numbers, but real, hurting men and women who finally found hope."

To learn more about the BGEA's internet evangelism ministry visit SearchforJesus.net or to experience the Gospel online visit PeaceWithGod.net.

About the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) proclaims the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world by every effective means available. From its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, the BGEA directs a wide range of domestic and international ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and Will Graham; The Billy Graham Library; The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, located outside of Asheville, North Carolina; SearchforJesus.net, an Internet evangelism project reaching thousands of people for Christ online; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet. For more information, please visit billygraham.org. Get news updates on Twitter at twitter.com/BGEAnews.

SOURCE Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)

CONTACT: Taylor Koziarz, 704-401-2530 (office), 704-343-1029 (cell), tkoziarz@bgea.org
The info screen in Yaoluoping Nature Reserve Recently, Anhui province has generally turned on the "baking" mode, and the temperature in many areas has reached more than 35 C. However, when the reporters came to the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve in Yuexi County at noon, they found that the temperature here was only more than 20 degrees. Dense forests and gurgling streams surrounded by mountains... The beautiful environment and pleasant temperature have attracted many tourists to come and enjoy the coolness and escape from the heat. "It took us about 3 hours to get here. The transportation, food and accommodation here are very convenient." Ms. Zhang, a tourist from Hefei, said happily. Yaoluoping Nature Reserve It is understood that the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve was promoted to a national nature reserve in April 1994 with the approval of the State Council. Its protection objects are local forest ecosystems as well as rare and endangered national key protected wild animals and plants such as Dabie Mountainous Pine (Pinus armandii var. dabeshanensis), Rhododendron shanii, Yaoluoping crow-dipper (P. yaoluopingensis), and Anhui musk deer (Moschus anhuiensis). Showroom of amphibians and reptiles in Yaluoping Nature Reserve "After years of protection, the forest coverage rate of Yaluoping Reserve has increased from less than 90% at the time of establishment to 95.08%." Chu Yong, chief of the Nature Conservation Section of Yaluoping National Nature Reserve, told reporters that there are 13 non-commercial forest rangers and 45 ecological rangers protecting the forest in the reserve in a grid-based way. Dabie Mountainous Pine (Pinus armandii var. dabeshanensis) Wang Yiqiang, a forest ranger, told reporters that he could receive forest protection subsidies monthly, and his income is guaranteed. Besides, "Now the ecological environment is improving, and there are more tourists. My agritainment resort with ten rooms is full today. It can easily bring me extra 40,000 yuan (about 5900 U.S. dollars) every year." Wang Yiqiang said. There are 96 agritainment resorts in Yaoluoping Village, which receives about 180,000 tourists annually and an output value of nearly 30 million yuan.

Reported by Wang Yingzhi Edited and translated by Zheng Chen
Kagi Maldives Spa Island, the boutique 50-villa resort situated in the North Male Atoll, has introduced Wellness Inc, cost-effective, laid-back holistic wellness journeys alongside peaceful lifestyle experiences.



General Manager, Jorg Weytjens commented: The Maldives is the perfect setting for a wellness break, but we understand our guests want a proper holiday too. By blending wellness options with the Maldivian lifestyle and ensuring we offer real value for money, Kagi is at the forefront for a new mode of wellness travel experience.



According to a global survey[, 45% of global consumers are looking for relaxation and wellbeing in their next travel destinationthe second most popular travel motivator behind the need to get away. Kagis Wellness Inc approach will incorporate the easy-going nature of an Indian Ocean escape with optional bespoke wellness journeys as defined by the guest.



At the heart of the resort is the fully integrated, 1500-sq-m Baani Spa Sanctuary, one of the largest of its kind in the Indian Ocean. It features an open-air, teardrop shaped roof and floating yoga pavilion, and offers holistic and outcome-focused wellness programmes to take guests on an immersive journey to release, restore, and regain.



Baanis Spa Corner restaurant provides nutritious food and drink options, but guests also have the option to indulge in restaurant Ke-Uns South-Asian cuisine, the buffet at Noo-Faru, or Nonna, the newly opened signature Italian restaurant led by Executive Chef Dennis Placerani.



Guests can also choose to heal the body and mind through activities such as underwater meditation or yoga, but also adventure into the lagoon to snorkel and explore the abundant marine life, paddleboard, or windsurf.



Frances Geoghegan, Founder of spa & wellness specialists, Healing Holidays, commented: With the introduction of Wellness Inc., the team at Kagi have understood that people travelling to the Maldives want to include Wellness as part of their holiday - its not an either/or option, rather the best solution for those seeking better Wellness & Wellbeing whilst enjoying all that the Maldives can offer. Kagi has captured what we believe is going to be a lasting trend - a little bit of what you love combined with the best of whats good for you.



Kagi houses a state-of-the-art gym, four restaurants, three bars, a dive centre, and house reef, and is just 15-minutes on seaplane or a 60-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport. The barefoot luxury resort is a fusion of tradition and contemporary design by NYC based Japanese architect Yuji Yamazaki, the mastermind behind the worlds first underwater villa, with natural elements such as wood, stone and coconut thatch combined with the very latest in comfort, style and refinement.



Bed & breakfast rates for Kagi Maldives Spa Island Lagoon Pool Villas start at $666/552/636 per night. A 7-night stay at Kagi with Healing Holidays costs from 2,929 person, including transfers from Male, daily breakfast and access to the daily group Wellness schedule.  TradeArabia News Service
Nigerias upstream petroleum regulator has contradicted a statement by the Presidency announcing President Muhammadu Buharis approval of Seplat Energys acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from Exxon Mobil Corporation.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said Monday the matter was a regulatory one and nothing had changed after it had earlier notified ExxonMobil the transaction had been declined.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) affirms that status quo remains in respect of ExxonMobil/Seplat Energy share acquisition, said a statement by NUPRC chief executive, Gbenga Komolafe.

Responding to media enquiries on latest development about the transaction, the Chief Executive of the NUPRC Engr. Gbenga Komolafe clarified that the Commission in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 is the sole regulator in dealing with such matters in the Nigerian upstream sector.

As it were, the issue at stake is purely a regulatory matter and the Commission had earlier communicated the decline of Ministerial assent to ExxonMobil in this regard. As such the Commission further affirms that the status quo remains.

The statement, effectively repudiating the presidential decision, came a few hours after presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina said in a statement Mr Buhari had approved the sale to Seplat, an indigenous oil company.

Mr Adesina said Mr Buhari approved the transfer in his capacity as Minister of Petroleum Resources and the approval was in consonance with the countrys drive for Foreign Direct Investment in the energy sector and considering the extensive benefits of the transaction to the Nigerian Energy sector and the larger economy.

Exxon Mobil entered into a landmark Sale and Purchase Agreement with Seplat Energy to acquire the entire share capital of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from Exxon Mobil Corporation, Mobil Development Nigeria Inc, and Mobil Exploration Nigeria Inc. earlier this year.

The transaction suffered a setback after the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited asserted a right of first refusal on the deal. As a joint venture partner, NNPC argued it retained the right to be allowed to buy oil blocks sold by ExxonMobil ahead of any competitor or private firm.

Seplat Energy in July said NNPC Ltd. won a court decision to block its quest to purchase the entire oil assets of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), a local unit of oil major ExxonMobil.

The court decision on July 6 was temporary and forbade MPNU and the defendants from consummating any asset disposal in MPNU, not excluding the share sale and purchase deal it struck with Seplat in February.

NNPC had prayed the court, State High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, to declare that a conflict happened between the state-owned oil company and MPNU over the interpretation of preemption rights under their Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) and order NNPC and MPNU to arbitration as required by the JOA.

Seplat Energy said neither itself nor Seplat Energy Offshore Limited was a party in the lawsuit, and insisted the share purchase agreement remained valid.

The asset purchase would enable Seplat Energy to scale up production by 95,000 barrels of oil a day from assets in a joint venture ExxonMobil runs with NNPC.

CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS

PREMIUM TIMES learned that Mr Buhari had last week declined Seplats bid in favour of NNPC, only for a contradictory statement to be released on Monday. Officials said the opposing decisions suggest the president may not be in full control of critical state matters and powerful interests sometimes work through aides to obtain favourable, even if controversial, decisions.

They argued why the president would hand the oil asset to a private firm when the government has just recently commercialised the NNPC, making the former regulator a operator and competitor in the industry.

Mr Adesinas statement said, The President, in commitment to investment drive in light of the Petroleum Industry Act, granted consent to the Share Sales Agreement, as requested by the parties to the transaction, and directed that the approval be conveyed to all the parties involved.

Exxon Mobil/Seplat are expected to carry out operatorship of all the oil mining licenses in the related shallow water assets towards production optimization to support Nigerias OPEC quota in the short term as well as ensure accelerated development and monetization of the gas resources in the assets for the Nigerian economy.

ExxonMobils move to exit Africas largest crude producer mirrors the growing tendency among international oil companies to discontinue their stakes in offshore operations in the country and plough in their investment elsewhere.

Oil drillers are finding operations that are close to host communities increasingly worrisome and feel holding on to offshore fields is the way to go.

In April, TotalEnergies SE announced plans to divest its 10 per cent minority stake in a joint venture with a company holding twenty onshore and shallow water licenses in Nigeria.

Shell, owner of the permits, has received approaches from four indigenous companies including Seplat for a 30 per cent stake in the firm.
The famous Nollywood actress Ada Ameh, popularly known as , in the sitcom, The Johnsons, will be buried on 26 August at her family home in Ogobia Otukpo LGA in Benue State.

On Monday, her relative, Friday Ameh, announced her burial rites on Instagram.

Ameh, 48, died in a hospital in Delta State on 17 July.

In October 2020, Ameh lost her only child, Aladi Gods gift, who was over 30 years old. Her daughter died after an unsuccessful surgery in Abuja.

In numerous interviews, she said life had not remained the same since her daughter died.

Before her death, the 48-year-old battled with mental health. She revealed she had been dealing with mental illness following her daughters death and six siblings.

Amehs burial will begin with a novelty match at the Nathaniel Odogwu pitch in Lagos on 19 August followed by a candle night at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on the same day.

Another candle night will hold on 25 August at Saint Marys Primary School Ogobia in Benue State.

READ ALSO: Nollywood actress Ada Ameh opens up on mental health battles

Meanwhile, Amehs closest colleague, Empress Njamah, solicits funds to take care of her (ms Amehs mother).

On her Instagram page, Njamah pleaded with Nigerians to join her in caring for the aged woman.

According to her, her late friend left a fantastic mother who was her priority before her untimely demise.

She also admitted that she couldnt do this alone, hence, the need for their support and financial donations to an account number she provided.
The Nigerian Air Force, in an air raid Sunday morning, killed the leader of a terrorist gang operating in Zamfara, Abdulkarimu Faca-Faca. Mr Faca-Facas two wives and eight top commanders were also killed in the raid.

The air raid was conducted around 3 a.m. Sunday at the ancestral home of the terrorist, Marina, a community in Safana Local Government in Katsina State.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively gathered from a source at the Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Katsina that the air raid was conducted after officers received an intelligence report on the whereabouts of Mr Faca-Faca.

The FOB spokesman, Abdul Olaitan, did not respond to a questions sent to him about the raid, but the police spokesman in the state, Gambo Isa, confirmed that the home of the gang leader was bombed.

Eight suspected terrorists including their leader Abdulkarim Faca-Faca were killed in yesterdays NAF raids and this morning in the same area for mop-up operation, terrorists fled but all their rustled cows perished as many escaped with bullets wounds. Verify please, Mr Isa said in a WhatsApp message.

The member representing Safana at the Katsina House of Assembly, AbdulJalal Runka, also confirmed the air raid.

Two residents of Safana told this newspaper that there were a series of air raids in the area. They said the raids have forced some residents of the area to abandon their homes for safety.

The operations

The source at the Forward Operation Base who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said Mr Faca-Faca was one of the highly marked bandits in the area.

He was of interest to us because of his notoriety. You know some of them only engage in cattle rustling or kidnapping but he did every crime. He was into cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery and ruthless attacks, said the source who asked not to be named as he has no permission to speak to journalists.

He said Mr Faca-Faca was notorious for threatening other bandits who accepted dialogue with the state government thereby making some of them renege for fear of being killed.

We received two intelligence reports all confirming that he (Mr Faca-Faca) would be sleeping at home before our officers set out for the raid, he said.

He said two helicopters and a jet were used for the air raid while another jet was sent for a mop-up around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

According to the officer, MI 17, Augusta helicopter and an Alpha jet were used to carry out the raids.

This morning again (Sunday) around 10 a.m., we moved in for a mop-up and as expected, some of the bandits who were conducting a burial for their leader were killed too. I cant tell you how many of them have died, they were many, he said.

He added that two of the bandits leader wives who were with him in the house were also killed.

Well only know the actual number later, the source said.

Faca-Faca

A resident of Safana, Shamsu Masud, said the dead terrorist was notorious for leading attacks on communities in Safana, Danmusa, Batsari and some parts of Zamfara State.

He said Mr Faca-Faca was in the habit of threatening communities for providing intel to security personnel.

Last year, he attacked one Mani Dogo, a repented bandit leader here in Safana. He said Mani Dogo was giving information to the police and the Katsina Government. It was a battle of weapons between them but Faca-Faca killed most of Mani Dogos boys. He (Mani) has not been seen since that time, he said.

Asked if he had heard of the raid, Mr Masud said many bandits crossed into some parts of the town (Safana) Sunday morning while fleeing from the air strikes.

We saw them on their motorbikes while some people said they saw bandits on their feet but I only saw those on motorcycles and they were not carrying guns, he said.
The police in Oyo State on Monday paraded a 40-year-old herb seller for allegedly killing a septuagenarian, Rufus Olayinwola, his creditor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that eight other suspects were paraded at the commands headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, for alleged attempted kidnapping, human trafficking, conspiracy and stealing.

Adewale Osifeso, the commands spokesperson, paraded the suspects on Monday on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams.

Mr Williams told journalists that the suspected murderer killed the septuagenarian, Mr Olayinwola, in order not to pay back the money the deceased loaned to him.

He said the suspect also stole the vehicle used as collateral for the loan after killing the deceased.

Mr Williams said the incident happened on 19 June at about 10.45 a.m in Ibadan, adding that the stolen Lexus 300 car and pepper spray were recovered from the suspect.

The suspect confessed to journalists that he committed the murder offence, saying that he pushed the deceased to the wall during an argument and the man died instantly.

This is the sixth vehicle I used as loan collateral with the man who ended up selling it when I was unable to pay the loan and balance was given to me.

I dont want to lose this last vehicle and I approached the man to return part of the money he loaned to me, but the man refused to collect the money.

This resulted in an argument between me and the man and I pushed him to the wall which led to his death and I took the car away, he said.

Similarly, the police paraded a 35-year-old man who was arrested during a stop and search operation around Apata area of Ibadan.

The Commissioner of Police said the suspect disguised as a passenger in a commuter bus with the intention of abducting the passengers in the vehicle at a later distance.

He said the suspect was arrested on 4 August in the Apata area of Ibadan on his way to Abeokuta.

Mr Williams said the stop-and-search was an integral proactive stance in the commands security architecture and a core factor in the visibility policing approach.

The police chief said items recovered from the suspects included a locally made gun, six live cartridges and a charm, adding that all the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.

(NAN)
The Nigerian Police Force(NPF) has dismissed one of its personnel for brutalising a civilian.

The personnel, Liyomo Okoi, with Force No, 524503 PC, attached to Ekori Divisional Headquarters, Cross Rivers Police Command, was captured in a viral video on 31 July where he was flogging a man with a machete.

According to a statement from the Forces spokesperson, the dismissal takes immediate effect from 8 August.

Read the full statement below:

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, fdc, has expressed grave disappointment at the reports of brutality and extortion leveled against some police officers via various complaint channels available to the public, particularly on social media platforms. The IGP has therefore directed all supervising Commissioners of Police and Tactical/Strategic Commanders to ensure strict supervision of their personnel as further incidences of this nature would be viewed strictly.

The IGP has also ordered a wholistic overhauling of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), the Special Tactical Squad (STS), and the Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) Units to ensure that their operations are in tandem with the purpose for their creation, and maximum effectiveness and output in line with the mandate of the IGPs administration and public safety.

The IGP has therefore directed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau (AIG-FIB) to carry out supervisory role over the three units to ensure their operations are professional, active and productive and do not infringe on the fundamental rights of the citizenry, and other members of the public.

READ ALSO: Police constable dismissed for alleged secret cult membership

In the same vein, the Force has dismissed Force No. 524503 PC Liyomo Okoi attached to Ekori Divisional Headquarters, Cross Rivers Police Command for gross misconduct captured in a viral video on 31st July, 2022 where he was flogging a man with a machete. His dismissal takes effect from today the 8th of August, 2022.

The Inspector-General of Police, has therefore reiterated his commitment to ethical regeneration, restoration of professional standard and enhancement of the anti-corruption drive with dedication to entrenching human rights-driven policing within the country. The IGP expressed confidence that the current overhauling will improve the effectiveness of the units, and rid them of negative elements who deviate from the standard operating procedure of the Units, and the Nigeria Police Force in general.

CSP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS

ABUJA

August 8, 2022.
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has condemned a viral video on social media showing members of the Pyrates Confraternity chanting, during a procession, a song mocking the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Soyinka said he was frankly appalled at the lyrics of the song.

I find it distasteful, he said.

In the video, the Pyrates members, who are marking the 70th anniversary of the group this year, donned their traditional red and white attire, and sang a song about a presidential candidate whose hands and feet are shaking, yet he is saying it is my turn.

I belong to a culture where we do not mock physical afflictions or disabilities. Very much the contrary, Mr Soyinka continued.

The Yoruba religion indeed designate a deity, Obatala, as the divine protector of the afflicted, no matter the nature of such affliction. This sensibility is engrained in us from childhood and remains with us all our lives. It operates on the principle of mortal frailty to which all humanity remains vulnerable.

The song was in reference to Mr Tinubus public outburst last June in Abeokuta, where he told members of his party that it is my turn to be president.

Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos, later attempted to walk back his statements, saying he was grossly misrepresented by the media.

Like any other civic group, the Pyrates Confraternity is entitled to its freedom of expression, individually or collectively. So also, is Wole Soyinka in his own person, said Mr Soyinka, who co-founded the group as a student, in 1952.

I do not interfere in, nor do I attempt to dictate the partisan political choices of the Confraternity. I remain unaware that the association ever engages in a collective statement of sponsorship or repudiation of any candidate.

This is clearly a new and bizarre development, fraught with unpredictable consequences.

Read Wole Soyinkas statement below:

INTERIM STATEMENT ON A DUBIOUS POLITICAL OUTING.

My attention has been drawn to a video clip making internet rounds, of a dancing and chanting group, in red and white costume, purportedly members of the Pyrates Confraternity. The display acidly targets a presidential candidate in the awaited 2023 elections. Since the whole world knows of my connection with that fraternity, it is essential that I state in clear, unambiguous terms, that I am not involved in that public performance, nor in any way associated with the sentiments expressed in the songs.

Like any other civic group, the Pyrates Confraternity is entitled to its freedom of expression, individually or collectively. So also, is Wole Soyinka in his own person. I do not interfere in, nor do I attempt dictate the partisan political choices of the Confraternity. I remain unaware that the association ever engages in a collective statement of sponsorship or repudiation of any candidate. This is clearly a new and bizarre development, fraught with unpredictable consequences.

In addition, let me make the following cultural affirmation. I have listened to the lyrics of the chant intently and I am frankly appalled. I find it distasteful. I belong to a culture where we do not mock physical afflictions or disabilities. Very much the contrary. The Yoruba religion indeed designate a deity, Obatala, as the divine protector of the afflicted, no matter the nature of such affliction. This sensibility is engrained in us from childhood and remains with us all our lives. It operates on the principle of mortal frailty to which all humanity remains vulnerable.

One of my favourite authors, about whom, by a coincidence, I had cause to write quite recently, was CLR James, author of The Black Jacobins, Beyond A Boundary etc. etc. I called him my ideological uncle. He suffered from Parkinsons Disease, but remained alert, lucid and combative for decades after the onset of the disease. We interacted politically at the Tanzanian pan-African Congress, the Dakar Festival of Negro Arts and a number of other cultural and political fora. We met frequently in his lifetime, dined together in restaurants, despite his challenge. it would be unthinkable, and a desecration of his memory to be part of any activity that mocked his affliction.

A further statement will be issued when I have made further enquiries into this strange, uncharacteristic outing of the association.

Wole SOYINKA
The Ondo State Security Network (popularly known as Amotekun) has intercepted a total of 320 persons suspected to be invaders as they were moving into the state from the northern part of the country.

The Amotekun Corps made the interceptions in two different operations.

The first was on 4 August when they found at least 152 persons around 6 a.m. during a stop and search along Akure-Ado-Ekiti road.

A fresh interception of a group of 168 persons was made on Sunday along with nine kidnap suspects.

The drivers of the trucks conveying the alleged invaders claimed they were coming from Abuja, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States to Ondo State.

While addressing journalists in Akure about the incident, after the arrest last Thursday, the Commander of Amotekun in Ondo State, Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects hid under bags of rice and beans in the trucks, noting that they could not tell their mission in the state.

READ ALSO:

He said that some charms and photographs were found on them while the motorcycles in their possession did not have valid papers.

Mr Adeleye further explained that the travellers would be interrogated and profiled before sending them back to their bases.

While searching the vehicles, we saw 10 bikes and various dangerous charms, he said.

If we check and we do not find anything on them, as long as they dont have anybody that is ready to take custody of them in Ondo state, we will send them back to their various states.

In October last year, the corps arrested five buses conveying persons with questionable motives from the north to the state.

They were found with baggage containing long swords and daggers.
The US on Monday released a new African policy to counter China and Russias presence in Africa.

The launch of the policy comes as US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visits South Africa, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The new policy, US policy towards Sub-Saharan Africa, reframes the regions importance to US national security interests and articulates a new vision for how and with whom the US engages, while identifying additional areas of focus.

It states that the world recognises Africas importance which is spurring several engagements on the continent and this presents new opportunities and challenges for US interests in the region.

However, China and Russia see the continent as an arena to challenge the rules-based international order and drive their personal interests, the policy states.

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC), by contrast, sees the region as an important arena to challenge the rules-based international order, advance its own narrow commercial and geopolitical interests, undermine transparency and openness, and weaken US relations with African peoples and governments, the policy said.

On the other hand, Russia views the region as a permissive environment for parastatals and private military companies, often fomenting instability for strategic and financial benefit, the report states.

It adds that Russia uses its security and economic ties, as well as disinformation to undercut Africans principled opposition to Russias further invasion of Ukraine and related human rights abuses.

The document states that some of the longstanding approaches of the US have become insufficient to meet new challenges in a more contested and competitive world.

READ ALSO:

In order to advance its priorities through the new policy, the US will employ four objectives in Sub-Saharan Africa in the next five years. These include fostering openness and open societies; delivering democratic and security dividends; advancing pandemic recovery and economic opportunity; and conservation, climate adaptation and a just energy transition.

Additionally, we will broaden our engagements, continuing to invest in the largest states while also deepening our relations with small and medium African states to advance our shared priorities, including the AUs Agenda 2063.

The U.S. is likely to advance its objectives if Africas civil society, including journalists and activists, as well as multilateral bodies and democratic institutions, stand up for shared democratic values, such as transparency, accountability, diversity, equality and equity, womens rights, and inclusion.

It will also elevate diaspora engagement to strengthen the dialogue between US officials and the diaspora in the United States and support the UNs Permanent Forum for People of African Descent.

The United States will leverage all of our diplomatic, development, and defense capabilities, as well as strengthen our trade and commercial ties, focus on digital ecosystems, and rebalance toward urban hubs, to support these objectives, it said.

China has become the darling of many African countries with massive infrastructure projects and low-interest loans, all of which have helped grow Chinese influence in the continent.

In Nigeria, Africas largest economy, Chinese loans are being used to finance massive rail and road project, most of which are also being constructed by Chinese firms.

Russian influence on the continent manifested when most African countries refused to outrightly condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine or support sanctions against Russia for the invasion.

Russian private miltiary contractors, including the notorious Wagner group is also active in many African countries including the Central African Republic and Mali.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
About 17 months after the rollout of vaccination against the rampaging coronavirus pandemic, the Nigerian government has said only about 27 million eligible persons have been fully vaccinated.

The Executive Director of the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the flag-off of the SCALES 3.0 strategy.

Mr Shuaib said the countrys vaccination coverage has progressed from about 17 million to 40 million for the first dose as of 8 August.

He noted that the number of eligible persons who are fully vaccinated currently stands at 27,703,573.

Therefore, the proportion of the total eligible population that have been vaccinated in Nigeria is 25 per cent, he said.

Far from target

To achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, Nigeria had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022.

This is based on recommendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Speaking ahead of the vaccine roll out in 2021, Mr Shuaib had said about 40 per cent will be vaccinated in 2021, while the remaining 30 per cent will be covered in 2022.

To vaccinate 70 per cent of Nigerias estimated 200 million population means 140 million people would have received their full doses by the end of the year.

But with only about 27 million persons vaccinated so far, Nigeria may not meet its set target.

Nigeria is not the only country left behind in the COVID-19 vaccination race. According to WHO, only two African countries, Mauritius and Seychelles, have fully vaccinated 70 per cent of their population as of the end of June.

SCALES 3.0 strategy

Mr Shuaib said the country has recorded increased vaccination rates largely due to the optimised SCALES 2.0 strategy launched in February this year, to ramp up integrated COVID-19 vaccination and Primary Healthcare services.

He, however, said a strategic review has shown that there has been a low COVID-19 risk perception which needs to be overcome.

He said various states performance analyses also show that there are important state-specific bottlenecks that must be addressed in their various contexts for the country to witness improved vaccine uptake.

It is for these reasons, among others, that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Health through the NPHCDA have come up with SCALES 3.0, he said.

He explained that SCALES 3.0 is an evidence-based update that fixes the bugs in SCALES 2.0 and uses human-centre demand generation design to address low COVID-19 risk perception in the country.

Mr Shuaib said the strategy retains integration of COVID-19 vaccination with other PHC services, but uses an implementation approach that seeks to address bottlenecks on service delivery, communication, accountability, and logistics.

To tackle issues of service delivery, the executive director said SCALES 3.0 will operate on focused campaign mode with mobile and special teams taking vaccines to where people live and work.

He said this will address the operational issues with the fixed posts, temporarily fixed posts, and mass vaccination sites that were observed in SCALES 2.0.

He said SCALES 3.0 supports timely logistics and payment of vaccination teams that have achieved thresholds and targets.

What this simply means is that SCALES 3.0 will not only be tracking vaccination activities, detecting and promptly addressing inappropriate and fraudulent activities using our Joint Task Force, but will also be implementing a carefully designed performance-based incentivising mechanism to encourage accountability and superior performance, he said.

Addressing gaps

In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said Nigeria has continued to experience changes in the factors that influence demand and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

Mr Mustapha said these changing situations vary from state to state and therefore require continuous review of strategies for promoting demand and ensuring vaccine access and accountability.

He said the present record of fully vaccinated Nigerians leaves much to be desired

The SCALES 3.0 strategy will address the identified implementation gaps in SCALES 2.0 and bring about more accountability for performance, strengthen electronic data reporting and promote robust demand generation at the community levels, he said.

He noted that there is a significant decline in COVID-19-related deaths as a result of the ongoing vaccination.

We should not lower our guard or give in to complacency as the virus is still very much around and can mutate. We must encourage all around us to get vaccinated.
 conspiracy theorising is totally African. The hex, the banshee who wailed last night (and the child who died this morning), the babalawo, dibia and bokaa are all cut of the same fabric. As balefully influential as the woke Left in the US (if you are fringe Republican), or as maliciously dangerous as the MAGA group (if you are progressive). Together, these elements (add the bandits, terrorists, etc. who now also threaten us) heighten our sense of victimhood. They absolve us of responsibility for our current state. And they have us focussed on the wrong solutions.

Donald Trump and senior members of his administration knew that he lost the elections for the office of the president of the United States in 2020. The same cannot be said of a large section of the electorate in the US who still plumb for him. For this group of voters, the malevolent influence of big tech (hostile to conservative views), George Soros (Victor Orban, Hungarys president, loathes him), and woke crypto-communists somehow arranged to steal the vote from their candidate. It does not matter that facts, including official investigations by members of the Republican Party, failed to yield evidence in support of this view. That was always to be expected, of course. The anti-American forces coalesced against the 45th president of the US are especially skilled in arts so dark, they perpetrate their crimes  including child sacrifices  in plain sight.

That, incidentally, is one strength of conspiracy theorising. Humdrum explanations are just that: Chapters of often dissociative ordinary chance occurrences. Especially when they reflect a breakdown of trust in established authorities, conspiracy theories lend intelligent design and considerable order to even the most random sequence of happenstances. These theories, thus, make it easy to explain away and bear adverse circumstances by projecting ones failures and shortcomings on the machinations of malign others. In this sense, they strengthen the sense of victimhood, clearly. But they also remove any sense of agency.

However, for those who genuinely seek solutions to the problems arising on the back of the failures and shortcomings to which these theories advert their attention, each conspiracy theory is a red herring  making the design and implementation of policy responses difficult by smearing false scents across thought trails.

Nowhere is this process more advanced than in our part of the world, and its consequence more ominous than in the dominant description of the problem with Nigeria. According to a handful of experts, the Hausa-Fulani hegemony explains all. This hegemony, apparently, persuaded that the Jonathan administration might contrive ways to remain in office in spite of voters wishes to the contrary, secured the services of non-Nigerian, armed non-state actors preparatory to levying a low intensity war on the recalcitrant government. The apparent unwillingness of the incumbent administration to combat the deteriorating security situation in the country is often cited as supporting evidence for this fact.

Why would an influence that has always owned the legal means of violence resort to a new source of violence? A neophytes question, this. The more cobweb-like its skeins are, the more menacing (and credible) a conspiracy theory is. On this reasoning, our hegemonic forces may have moved the needle away from their traditional dominance of the army in favour of todays preference for irregular armed forces on motorcycles

The same hegemony, incidentally, was marshalled by the Jonathan administration as excuse for its doddering leadership of the country. And long before this, the hegemony was purportedly behind every coup plot in the country  for unbeknown to most Nigerians, the Hausa-Fulani also owned the army. Why would an influence that has always owned the legal means of violence resort to a new source of violence? A neophytes question, this. The more cobweb-like its skeins are, the more menacing (and credible) a conspiracy theory is. On this reasoning, our hegemonic forces may have moved the needle away from their traditional dominance of the army in favour of todays preference for irregular armed forces on motorcycles because the latter are likelier to help complete the takeover of the Nigerian state.

And yet, conspiracy theories also serve a much deeper need. Given the enormity of the consequences of processes, events, or persons moving against my self-interest, simple explanations just will not suffice. In this sense, the bigger possibility is not that the Buhari administration is in cahoots with those who now threaten to make Nigeria ungovernable. Rather than his being unwilling to fix the country, retired General Muhammad Buhari simply might be unable to. Unable, unfortunately, often conjures up images of objective hurdles in the path of the willing and able. But as the management of the domestic economy over the four years after 1999, and over the last 15 years shows, unable could also speak to subjective hurdles.

In this narrower construct, conspiracy theorising is totally African. The hex, the banshee who wailed last night (and the child who died this morning), the babalawo, dibia and bokaa are all cut of the same fabric. As balefully influential as the woke Left in the US (if you are fringe Republican), or as maliciously dangerous as the MAGA group (if you are progressive). Together, these elements (add the bandits, terrorists, etc. who now also threaten us) heighten our sense of victimhood. They absolve us of responsibility for our current state. And they have us focussed on the wrong solutions.

Uddin Ifeanyi, journalist manque and retired civil servant, can be reached @IfeanyiUddin.
An international, non-partisan, non-profitable, advocacy and campaigning organisation that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease particularly in Africa through public awareness, among others, ONE Campaign, has recognised Enugu as the second highest performing state in Primary Healthcare Service Delivery in Nigeria for 2019-2021.

Presenting the award of recognition to the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ENSPHCDA), George Ugwu, the Country Director of One Campaign in Nigeria, Stanley Achonu, commended the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the excellent status of primary healthcare system in the state.

Mr Achonu disclosed that ONE Campaign, which is also a global movement pressuring political leaders to support policies and programmes that are saving lives and improving futures, in partnership with the National Advocates for Health, Nigeria Health Watch, Public Private Development Centre, World Bank and other partners, worked together in the ranking of the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Country Director maintained that Enugu State has done extremely well in Primary Healthcare Service Delivery to deserve the award.

He, therefore, commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for making primary healthcare delivery a priority of his administration in the overall interest of residents of the state, especially those residing in the rural areas.

The Executive Secretary of ENSPHCDA, Mr Ugwu, was equally applauded for the successes the agency has recorded so far, including its great impact in safeguarding the health of the residents of the state, especially in the fight against Yellow Fever, Cholera, COVID-19 pandemic, and all childhood related diseases, which earned Enugu State the award.

READ ALSO:

Briefing journalists after he unveiled the award to Governor Ugwuanyi, at the Government House, Enugu, Mr Ugwu expressed gratitude to the governor for providing the needed support and enabling environment which made the attainment of the excellent performance that led to this recognition and award possible.

The ENSPHCDA Executive Secretary, who explained that Enugu State came behind the FCT which was ranked first in Primary Healthcare Service Delivery in Nigeria, pointed out that Enugu was ranked the best among all the 36 states in the country.

Commending Mr Ugwuanyi further for the enviable feat, Mr Ugwu disclosed that the governor since 2015 has consistently made primary healthcare service delivery a priority in line with his rural development agenda, expressing delight that the positive results of his administrations huge investment in the health sector are becoming obvious and being cherished at national and international levels.

According to him, the unique and outstanding Type-3 Primary Health Centres which are now functional in many parts of the state and the improvement of primary healthcare programmes and services with implementation of the basic healthcare services as well as provision of funds have been remarkably innovative and impactful in Enugu State.

Mr Ugwu stressed that the assessment leading to the recognition was conducted by a group of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and their international partners under the guidance of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
The ten-hour epic series, a panoramic celebration of medieval times, is financed by the National Film Institute of Hungary and Beta. It is produced by Serendipity Point Films, Twin Media, HG Media, MR Film, and Beta with Hungarys TV2 who will broadcast the in Hungary and Slovenia and Austria' ORF as coproducers and broadcast partners.

Also producing are Tibor Krsko, Cecilia Hazai, Kinga Hazai, and Ari Lantos, alongside Oliver Auspitz and Andreas Kamm of MR Film and Koby Gal Raday, Beta's CCO. Austrian pubcaster ORF joined Rise of the Raven, the most epic Central European television production of all time, as co-producer. Produced by acclaimed Robert Lantos, shooting for the multi-million Euro series is underway near Budapest with more than 600 actors and stunt people in front of the camera. The series stars Hungarian discovery Gellert L. Kadar as Janos Hunyadi, the army commander who defeated the vast Ottoman troops in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456. He is also for whom the noon bells toll at churches across the world to this day. Opposite Kadar is Hungarian TV, film, and stage star Vivien Rujder as Hunyadis life partner Elizabeth Szilagyi.

A stellar international cast joins them, including Austrias Laurence Rupp , Cornelius Obonya, Murathan Muslu, Italys Francesco Acquaroli, multi-awarded Czech actor Karel Roden, Serbian star Rade Serbedzija as well as Italian actors Thomas Trabacchi and Elena Rusconi. Directors are Oscar-nominated and Emmy winning Robert Dornhelm, and Hungarian directors Orsi Nagypal, and Attila Szasz. The series showrunner is Balazs Lengyel and it is written by Lengyel, George Mihalka, Balazs Lovas, Zsofia Ruttkay, Attila Veres, and Ban Mor whose best-selling series of novels the series is based on.

ORF Director General Roland Weimann, said: 'We share a common history with our neighboring nations and dramatizing historical events and the lives and deeds of great personalities on film is truly exciting. I am very pleased that ORF is part of this great international production Rise of the Raven, which recounts the tale of legendary general Janos Hunyadi for TV audiences in a visually stunning and captivating series  directed by Robert Dornhelm, and featuring an outstanding international and Austrian cast with names like Laurence Rupp, Cornelius Obonya, and Murathan Muslu. I wish all participants in front and behind the camera all the best for this most impressive screen epic'.

ORF Program Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, commented: 'Through international cooperation, we can accomplish productions that would not be possible otherwise on such a scale, and to also contribute an Austrian element. That we are part of this major production despite being a relatively small country fills me with pride. I thank our partners and wish everyone  above all master director Robert Dornhelm  great success with Rise of the Raven'.

TV2 CEO Pavel Stantchev, added: 'TV2 Media Group is proud to be part of this epic TV series, which has everything it needs to become an international blockbuster. By defending Europe from the Ottoman invasion, Hunyadi not only became a Hungarian hero, but a historical figure of worldwide significance'.

Csaba Kael, government commissioner for the development of the Hungarian film industry and chairman of the National Film Institute of Hungary, remarked: 'In the 15th century, Hunyadis victories changed the course of European history. Our objective is to bring this amazing story to global audiences by creating a high-end series drawing on rising talent from Central Europe'.

Lantos concluded: 'With my partners, I have been developing this epic story about the man for whom the Noon Bell tolls, for more than ten years. A fantastic creative team, cast and crew - among the most skilled I have ever worked with - has come together to pour their hearts and souls into bringing to life this compelling drama which changed the course of history'.

Rise of the Raven unveils the adventure-filled life of warrior Janos Hunyadi in grueling 15th century medieval Europe. While Hunyadis life is plagued by scandal, political power plays, and conspiracies between noble families from Warsaw, Rome, Belgrade, and Vienna, his strongest allies are the women in his life. There is Elizabeth Szilagyi, his wife, who stands by him and often fights in his place. And there is Mara Brankovic, his first love and life-long friend. Even though she breaks his heart by becoming the lead concubine in Sultan Murads court, as well as a close confidante of the Turkish leader, their friendship will never be broken. When the Ottoman Empire mobilizes an army of unprecedented size that marches west with the objective of conquering the Vatican and Europe, Hunyadi scores a decisive victory against all odds at the Battle of Belgrade, re-shaping the history of Europe.



FF


Partnership Spans Attack Surface Management (ASM) Technology, Security Testing, and Reconnaissance Training

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Hat USA 2022  Darktrace, a global leader in cyber security artificial intelligence (AI), and HackerOne, the leader in Attack Resistance Management, have partnered to combine Darktrace PREVENT/Attack Surface Management technology with the continuous security assessment capabilities of the HackerOne platform. The partnership expands HackerOne's OpenASM initiative and delivers on a shared vision with Darktrace to help organizations secure their digital estate through leading technology and a community of ethical hackers.

HackerOne recognized the need for an ASM partner that could enhance the asset discovery and reconnaissance efforts of HackerOne's community of hackers. After an extensive technology evaluation, it selected PREVENT/ASM, a set of AI-powered capabilities that perform reconnaissance on a target attack surface simply by knowing the name of an organization or brand and identifying threats external to that target. The combination of AI and security expertise will deliver continuous insight and help organizations find and eliminate blind spots across their digital landscape before attackers can exploit them. To assure ongoing security improvement, Darktrace and HackerOne will collaborate to train hackers on ASM best practices as they find, enrich, and risk rank assets.

The Darktrace and HackerOne partnership helps organizations close their security gap. Organizations face challenges with an attack resistance gap between known digital assets and those they need to protect. According to The 2022 Attack Resistance Management Report , one-third of organizations said they monitor less than 75% of their attack surface, and almost 20% believe that over half of their attack surface is unknown or not observable. In June, HackerOne launched OpenASM, an initiative that empowers organizations to combine external scan data from ASM products with HackerOne's proactive security testing capabilities to gain a comprehensive understanding of attack surface risks. As an early champion of OpenASM, Darktrace assures that customers can quickly gain visibility of their external assets, while hacker expertise provides targeted testing and data enrichment to address the most critical risks to their organization.

"Our partnership with Darktrace enhances HackerOne's ability to close customers' security gaps," said Ashish Warty, SVP of Engineering at HackerOne. "We are partnering with Darktrace because of their leadership in security, global coverage, and the flexibility of their asset discovery product to protect organizations of every type and size. The innovation and quality of their AI technology combined with the HackerOne Attack Resistance Management platform will improve the effectiveness of vulnerability discovery and provide the foundation for jointly developed security solutions that combine the best of human and machine intelligence."

"We are delighted to announce our partnership with HackerOne, a company which aligns closely with our vision of ridding the world of cyber-disruption," added Pieter Jansen, SVP Cyber Innovation at Darktrace. "We have always embraced the hacker community, but with this partnership, we are making that more visible to the outside world. By providing ASM data to HackerOne programs, participating hackers become more efficient at finding vulnerabilities and spend less time on reconnaissance. We are proud HackerOne has selected PREVENT/ASM as the leading platform to accelerate HackerOne's Attack Resistance Management strategy."

Are you heading to the Black Hat USA conference on August 10-11 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas? Stop by Darktrace's Booth #1132 or HackerOne's Booth #2520 to see a demonstration of Darktrace and HackerOne's products working together.

About Darktrace

Darktrace (DARK:L), a global leader in cyber security artificial intelligence, is on a mission to free the world of cyber disruption. Breakthrough innovations in our Cyber AI Research Centre in Cambridge, UK have resulted in over 100 patent applications filed and research published to contribute to the cyber security community. Rather than study attacks, our technology continuously learns and updates its knowledge of 'you' and applies that understanding to optimize your state of optimal cyber security. We are delivering the first ever Cyber AI Loop, fueling a continuous end-to-end security capability that can autonomously spot and respond to novel in-progress threats within seconds. Darktrace employs over 2,000 people around the world and protects over 7,400 customers globally from advanced cyber threats. Darktrace was named one of TIME magazine's 'Most Influential Companies' in 2021. To learn more, visit http://www.darktrace.com .

About HackerOne

HackerOne closes the security gap between what organizations own and what they can protect. HackerOne's Attack Resistance Management blends the security expertise of ethical hackers with asset discovery, continuous assessment, and process enhancement to find and close gaps in the ever-evolving digital attack surface. This approach enables organizations to transform their business while staying ahead of threats. Customers include The U.S. Department of Defense, Dropbox, General Motors, GitHub, Goldman Sachs, Google, Hyatt, Lufthansa, Microsoft, MINDEF Singapore, Nintendo, PayPal, Slack, Starbucks, Twitter, and Yahoo. In 2021, HackerOne was named as a ' brand that matters ' by Fast Company.To learn more, visit http://www.hackerone.com.

Media Contacts

Tom Bermingham Brands2Life (UK) +44 (0) 7983 857952 darktrace@brands2life.com Liz Scanlon CommStrat (US) +1 510 295 7542 darktrace@commstrat.com

SOURCE Darktrace
VASTRA FORLUNDA, Sweden, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glencore International AG (referred to below as "Glencore"), Merafe Resources Limited (referred to below as "Merafe") and the af Jochnick family (collectively referred to below as "Cornerstone Investors") have undertaken to subscribe for preference shares in the event of a new issue of such shares later in the year, as planned by Swedish Stirling AB (publ) (referred to below as "Swedish Stirling" or the "Company"). The subscription undertakings amount to a total of SEK 37 million.

Clean-tech company Swedish Stirling announced earlier this year that it was looking into the conditions for issuing a new carbon-offsetting preference share to finance the production of PWR BLOK for projects in South Africa. The Company have received commitments from the Cornerstone Investors to acquire preference shares totaling SEK 37 million in the event of a new issue of such shares in the Company. The commitments are conditional on the completion of the preference share issue and, in the case of Merafe, exchange control approval from the South African Reserve Bank. The Cornerstone Investors will be prioritized in the allotment of preference shares and in the event of an issue of such shares, receive their allocations in full, pursuant to their respective commitments. The Company will use the subscription undertakings for the financing of the Lion Project operated by the Glencore Merafe joint venture (the "Glencore Merafe JV") prior to use for any other project or purpose.

Swedish Stirling intends to issue a carbon-offsetting preference share that will be unique in its class, in that it combines an attractive annual return with the fact that each preference share also reduces a certain amount of CO 2 annually. This is made possible by the Company intending to retain emission rights generated from the Swedish Stirling facility at the Lion smelter for the first 5 years of the project or until it disposes of the facility and enables investors to participate to the global climate change mitigation efforts by financing the necessary energy transition.

"It is a strength to have Glencore, Merafe and the Jochnick family ready as cornerstone investors for a future issue of carbon-offsetting preference shares. Glencore's decision to invest in financing the production of PWR BLOKs for the Lion Project is clear evidence that cooperation between the companies is growing ever stronger. Our relationship with Glencore is currently one of our biggest assets," explains Dennis Andersson, CEO of Swedish Stirling.

On April 28, 2021, Swedish Stirling signed an energy conversion services agreement with Glencore Operations South Africa Proprietary Limited, on behalf of the Glencore Merafe JV, pertaining to the installation and operation of PWR BLOKs totaling 10 MW in capacity at the Glencore Merafe JV's Lion ferrochrome smelter, in South Africa. The agreement includes an option for Glencore to acquire facilities from Swedish Stirling.

If Swedish Stirling's Board of Directors, in consultation with the Company's financial advisors, ABG Sundal Collier and Bryan, Garnier & Co, should decide to issue new preference shares as authorized by the Annual General Meeting of April 21, 2022, such a decision and the full terms and conditions of any such new issue of preference shares will be communicated during the third quarter of this year at the earliest. The prospectus for the new share issue will be published separately.

For further information please contact:

Sven Ljungberg, CCO, Swedish Stirling AB, +46 (0)31 385 88 30 ir@swedishstirling.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/swedish-stirling/r/glencore--merafe-and-the-af-jochnick-family---cornerstone-investors-in-climate-compensating-preferen,c3611129

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/14881/3611129/1612361.pdf Cornerstone investors

SOURCE Swedish Stirling
Increase in prevalence of the geriatric population along with rise in number of patients with chronic diseases & obesity, and introduction of new services by large number of key players drive the growth of the global healthcare facility management market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Healthcare Facility Management Market by Service Type (Hard Services, Soft Services), by End User (Hospitals and Clinics, Long Term Care Facilities, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global healthcare facility management industry was estimated at $208.80 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to hit $427.13 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers an explicit analysis of the changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chain, competitive scenario, and regional landscape. The market study is exclusively meant to help the readers with a complete valuation of industry analysis and trends.

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Pre-determinant of growth-

Increase in prevalence of the geriatric population along with rise in number of patients with chronic diseases & obesity, and introduction of new services by large number of key players drive the growth of the global healthcare facility management market. At the same time, several initiatives taken by the government to provide accurate services across healthcare facilities and growing adoption of technological applications in healthcare facility management have supplemented the growth even more. Moreover, hospitals and healthcare facilities are adding new software and other technology applications which are crucial to evaluate technology trends. This factor has created lucrative opportunities for the key players in the industry.

Impact of Covid-19 on Healthcare Facility Management Market-

There were increased volumes of discarded materials from health protection activities, medical diagnosis, treatment, and scientific research during the pandemic. Thus, efficient disposal of medical waste was highly needed.

Surge in demand for proper management of this medical waste gave way to rise in need of healthcare facility management services, thus boosting the market growth.

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The soft services segment to dominate by 2031-

Based on service type, the soft services segment held nearly three-fifths of the global healthcare facility management market revenue in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail by 2031, due to increasing investment in waste management, cleaning services, catering services, and others. The hard services segment, nevertheless, would manifest the fastest CAGR of 8.2% from 2022 to 2031, owing to rise in construction of healthcare centers.

The hospitals and clinics segment to maintain the lion's share-

Based on end user, the hospitals and clinics segment generated the major share in 2021, holding nearly two-thirds of the global healthcare facility management market, and is projected to dominate throughout the forecast period. This is due to increasing rise in number of hospitals and clinics to provide advanced healthcare services. The long-term care facilities segment, simultaneously, would cite the fastest CAGR of 9.1% by 2031. Growing sophistication of long-term care facilities and its massive expenditure on facility management services drive the segment growth.

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North America garnered the major share in 2021-

Based on region, North America held the major share in 2021, generating nearly two-fifths of the global healthcare facility management market. Robust infrastructure provided for research activities and the presence of key players across the region fuel the market growth. Asia-Pacific, simultaneously, would garner the fastest CAGR of 9.3% by 2031, due to shifting focus of the market players on partnership with local players across the province. The other regions analyzed through the report include LAMEA and Europe.

Key players in the industry-

Armark Corporation

CBRE Group, Inc.

ABM Industries Inc.

Sodexo

Accruent

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated

ISS

Johnson Controls

3M COMPANY

COMPANY Medxcel

The report analyzes these key players in the global healthcare facility management market. These players have incorporated various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in assessing the operating segments, their business performance & product portfolio, and so on.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Superior Business Solutions Inc., an innovative IT solutions provider from Florida, USA, with operations in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Egypt, has become the main distributor of Modex's blockchain-based products and services in the MENA region and Africa.



SBS's new partnership with Modex, a leading blockchain solutions provider, enables both parties to provide cutting-edge services that will transform the way data and digital assets are stored, shared, and managed, providing greater transparency and data integrity.

SBS becomes the main distributor of Modexs blockchain-based solutions in the MENA Region and Africa

Through its partnership with Modex, SBS intends to provide the most innovative solutions and products with relevant blockchain-powered functionalities in multiple industries, including healthcare, businesses, and finance. This will allow the two companies to seamlessly integrate blockchain solutions with customers' existing data systems to achieve higher operational efficiency, security, and transparency.

"The blockchain market in the Middle East and Africa is expected to grow from US$ 199 million in 2021 to US$ 7.6 billion by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 68.3% from 2021 to 2028," SBS CEO Adel Youssef noted. "The government needs very fast-paced growth in sectors like healthcare, banking, telecommunication, logistics, and many others, and using blockchain-based solutions can help accelerate development across these sectors."

Mihai Ivascu, CEO and Co-founder of Modex, stated: "Given their experience and know-how with local and regional companies, appointing Superior Business Solutions as our main distributor in the MENA region and Africa was a logical decision. Thanks to this agreement, Modex will reach even more customers in these parts of the world, providing blockchain-based solutions that are perfectly tailored to their business needs."

Blockchain-as-a-Service market opportunity

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) market size was US$ 1.9 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 24.9 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 39.5%. "Rising adoption of blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) tools and services among small and medium enterprises to build their blockchain application, smart contracts, and payment systems is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period," says the report. In this context, companies of all sizes are looking into ways to access the advantages of BaaS services, such as smart decentralization, data immutability and integrity, high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and strong security.

Modex Ledger DB: enterprise-grade BaaS

With Modex Ledger DB, an enterprise-grade platform built on the top of the Blockchain Database (BCDB) solution, Modex is building relevant software applications to serve specific industries and use cases, which can be adapted and customized for each business based on a flexible subscription-based model.

Modex Ledger DB brings a suite of features that facilitate the rapid adoption of blockchain technology across every vertical and make the deployment process as seamless as possible. It allows businesses to interact with this technology in a simplified manner while offering the necessary support to ensure efficient and practical functionality. Furthermore, it has been designed with enterprise functionalities in mind to meet the most rigorous requirements for scalable, production-ready networks that integrate with legacy enterprise data systems.

Modex Ledger DB provides end-to-end blockchain-powered services that can scale up quickly without interruption, offering high security and stability. The solution is easy to deploy and use and provides enhanced administrative features to help companies build enterprise-ready blockchain networks.

About Modex

Modex's highly skilled team of around 100 members across four offices  London, Bucharest, Silicon Valley, and Gibraltar  has been working to prepare and deploy relevant software applications on top of our Blockchain-as-a-Service solution that can support a wide range of use cases and facilitate the seamless integration of blockchain technology into enterprise-level products and services.

About SBS

SBS's team of professionals is scalable to requirements to provide design, build, and integrate multiple and varied smart solutions whether for business or healthcare that serve different sectors (administrative, clinical, and financial) for large and federal government levels in The MENA Region and Africa to empowers businesses to manage their daily functions smoothly and effectively.

Media Contact: Adel Youssef, adel@sbs-me.com, +971-04 427 7705, http://www.sbs-me.com/

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873983/SBS_and_Modex_blockchain.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873984/SBS_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Superior Business Solutions
Rapid adoption of online sales channels and use of novel product marketing and promotion strategies online have boosted the growth of the global smoking pipe market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Smoking Pipe Market by Type (Bong, Hookah, Chalice, Others), by Age Group (Below 18 years, 18 to 30 years, 30 to 50 years, Above 50 years), by Distribution Channel (Offline, Online): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". As per the report, the global smoking pipe industry was accounted for $2.0billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $3.1 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2022 to 2031.The report provides an in-depth analysis of changing market trends, key investment pockets, top segments, regional landscape, value chain, and competitive scenario.

Major determinants of the market growth

Rapid adoption of online sales channels and use of novel product marketing and promotion strategies online have boosted the growth of the global smoking pipe market. However, nicotine replacement therapies as alternative to tobacco usage and growth in public awareness about high success rate of nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gum, lozenges, and other products hinder the market growth. On the contrary, increase in trend of shopping from online channels would open new opportunities in the future.

Covid-19 scenario:

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the supply chain and created shortage of raw materials, which negatively affected the market. Moreover, the limitations on the transit of goods hampered the market growth.

The shipping and delivery of smoking pipes around the world were hampered by delays and disturbances at national borders.

However, increase in penetration of online sales channel had a positive impact on the market.

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The hookah segment dominated the market

By type, the hookah segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for nearly half of the global smoking pipe market, due to easy availability of hookah items in online and offline sales channels such as specialized stores, bars & cafes, and others. However, the chalice segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period, as chalice deliver a stronger hit compared to pipes with a spoon design.

The below 18 years segment to portray the highest CAGR through 2031

By age group, the below 18 years segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.0% from 2022 to 2031, due to their strong preference for cigarettes and hookahamong this demographic. However, the 18 to 30 years segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing to nearly half of the global smoking pipe market, due to increased interest and inclination toward smoking.

The online segment held the largest share

By distribution channel, the online segment dominated the market in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global smoking pipe market. In addition, the segment is projected to showcase the highest CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period, due to possibilities that specialty shops offer such as saving and advantage of instant gratification. The report also includes analysis of the offline segment.

Asia-Pacificheld the lion's share

By region, the market across Asia-Pacific dominated in 2021, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the market, due to huge population, increase in disposable income, greater consumer knowledge. However, the global smoking pipe marketacross LAMEA is expected to register the highest CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period, due toexploring population, increase in disposable income among middle class population, and rise in urbanization.

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Major market players

Ashley Furniture Industries Ltd.

Forbo International SA

Herman Miller Inc.

Mannington Mills Inc

Inter IKEA Systems BV

Jiangxi Feiyu Bamboo Industry Group Co. Ltd

Manchester Woodcraft

Moso International B.V.

Shenzhen Vincent Handicraft Co.

Limited,La-Z-Boy Inc

Cisco Bros. Corp

Duresta Upholstery Ltd.

Greenington

Vermont Woods Studios

lee industries inc

The report analyzes these key players of the global smoking pipe market. These companies have adopted several strategies such as partnerships, expansion, collaborations, new product launches, and mergers & acquisitions to maintain their foothold in the industry. In addition, the report is essential in determining the business performance, product portfolio, operating segments, and developments by every market player.

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About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
Optical retailer partners with autism nonprofit to help children see clearly this new school year

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Back-to-school shopping for new glasses can be challenging for children, particularly for those with sensory needs in the autism community. Now, Eyemart Express is making it easier to prepare for the new school year by offering inclusive shopping experiences for autistic children and their families. The Texas-based optical retailer is launching the nationwide initiative in partnership with Autism Society of Texas (AST), an arm of the national nonprofit that empowers people in the autism community by providing the resources they need to live fully. After closely working with the organization, the joint effort aims to remove barriers and help children see clearly.

Eyemart Express is making it easier to prepare for the new school year by offering inclusive shopping experiences for autistic children and their families. The Texas-based optical retailer is launching the nationwide initiative in partnership with Autism Society of Texas, an arm of the national nonprofit that empowers people in the autism community by providing the resources they need to live fully. The joint effort aims to remove barriers and help children see clearly.

Eyemart Express store associates across the country received training that was uniquely designed by AST to best support individual customers with varying needs. Associates were also provided with an opportunity to participate in the optical retailer's more intensive AST training program. Graduates of that program will sport an "Autism-friendly Associate" pin for easy customer recognition and assistance.

As part of this initiative, customers can find a new inclusive shopping page on the Eyemart Express website that features tips and other helpful information for parents. There is also a guided social narrative of a shopping experiencecomplete with picturesto best prepare kids for what to expect when visiting an Eyemart Express store to get new glasses.

Shoppers can also call Eyemart Express stores, prior to visiting, to request accommodations, such as adjusting music and scheduling quieter times to shop for a less stimulating environment. Back-to-school shopping at Eyemart Express helps families save time, too. The optical retailer can have new, high-quality glasses that are customized to fit the needs of each child ready in as little as 30 minutes thanks to on-site labs and skilled technicians.

"Eyemart Express' inclusivity initiative is a game changer for so many families," says Jacquie Benestante, Executive Director of Autism Society of Texas. "We are excited to have a partner like Eyemart Express take the steps to understand and provide support for individuals with autism on a national level."

"We are proud to make it easier for children with autism to see better and pave the way for inclusive shopping in our industry thanks to our chain-wide partnership with Autism Society of Texas," says Katy Hanson, Eyemart Express CMO. "We hope our push for inclusivity has a positive impact on the lives of our customers in the communities that we serve."

The optical retailer is also helping families stretch budgets with additional savings on glasses for the new school year: From now until Oct. 2, two pairs with durable, polycarbonate lenses that hold up on the playground and activities are available for $79 (reg. $200). This offer includes a one-year frame warranty, providing parents with an additional value.

Visit a local Eyemart Express store to take advantage of the inclusive shopping experience. All locations can be found at eyemartexpress.com/get-glasses.

About Eyemart Express

Eyemart Express (EyemartExpress.com) is a national optical retailer known for providing high-quality prescription eyewear with a focus on affordability and convenience. Eyemart Express ranks among the top optical retailers in the country with its family of brands: Vision 4 Less, Visionmart Express, and Eyewear Express. The company is based in Farmers Branch, Texas, and has 236 stores in 42 states. Eyemart Express offers a robust frame selection for the whole family with more than 2,000 frames from brands such as Ray-Ban, Coach, Nike, and Disney. On-site lens labs and skilled lab technicians can deliver high-quality glasses in as little as 30 minutes.

SOURCE Eyemart Express
LAKE WORTH, Fla., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flood Risk America ("FRA") announced today that the company has submitted a recommendation to the Honorable Congressman Vern Buchanan's Office proposing a change to the flood policy language that could assist millions of American property owners from ending up in the Repetitive Loss Program.

Flood Risk America flood risk mitigation

FEMA's Repetitive Loss Program indicates that, due to recurring flood losses to the property, property owners are no longer insurable by FEMA and must go to the private insurance market for insuring their property. FRA has proposed a change to the flood loss avoidance measures policy language.

FRA has used a single property as a case study for driving the change. A commercial property in Sarasota, Florida, has cost the American taxpayers more than 2.7 million dollars in flood policy payouts. This property - if they were to flood again - may lose their flood policy forever. This situation occurs daily throughout the United States. Flood Risk America has proposed a $51,000 program that could prevent flooding from reoccurring. This case study highlights the significance of the FRA's proposal to making the change to the existing flood policy language.

Flood Risk America proposal includes two recommendations for Congress - to give the power to the business owners to hire licensed contractors, and to allow each state to implement its own licensing for approved Flood Mitigation Contractors.

"We believe that by utilizing this change to the existing flood insurance policy verbiage, FEMA could save billions on an annual basis by giving property owners a fighting chance to save their businesses," said Stave Gill, CEO at Flood Risk America.

This change in policy language would generate much needed jobs at the federal level, as FEMA currently assigns an adjuster to each Loss Avoidance Claim filed - from the state level of licensing and oversight of said licensing to mitigation contractors setting up contractual agreements with owners and developments alike. Most of all, this would create an opportunity for private flood risk mitigation companies to assist property owners nationwide in saving millions.

"Flood Risk America has an immense expertise in proactive flood risk mitigation and flood loss prevention. Our proposal to change from the current reactive flood insurance policy verbiage to a proactive flood insurance policy verbiage could prevent or even drastically lessen the impact of flooding to the property owners, while utilizing proactive flood risk mitigation techniques by setting up equipment in the field that could hold back the flood waters," Mr. Gill added.

Help us today by signing this petition! Your signature will be delivered to the Office of Hon. Congressman Vern Buchanan. Together, we can change the world of reoccurring flooding forever.

About Flood Risk America:

Flood Risk America, LLC ("FRA") is an industry-leading flood risk management company specializing in FEMA-Compliant, proactive flood risk prevention solutions and products designed to effectively mitigate flood risks for commercial property developers, owners, and operators nationwide. For more information, please visit www.floodriskamerica.com.

Media Contact:

Steve Gill

[email protected]

(561) 578-4220

SOURCE Flood Risk America
SEATTLE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Coherent Market Insights, the global oncology drugs market is estimated to be valued at US$ 119.0 billion in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 12.3 % during the forecast period (2022-2030).

Key Trends and Analysis of the Global Oncology Drugs Market:

Major players operating in market are focusing on adopting strategies such as product approvals, which is expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, on June 4 2022, The World Health Organization (WHO), collaborated with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), association of physicians and oncology professionals, to develop and promote cancer care innovations that are specifically designed to enhance health outcomes, and take account of the contexts in which patients live.

Furthermore, in September 2021, Secura Bio, Inc.,an integrated pharmaceutical company dedicated to the worldwide development and commercialization of impactful oncology therapies, announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement for COPIKTRA (duvelisib) with Clinigen Group Plc (Clinigen), a global, specialist pharmaceutical services and products company, covering 39 countries in Europe including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

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Key Market Takeaways:

Market players are focused on growth strategies such as signing distribution agreements with governments of respective countries. This in turn is expected to drive growth of the global oncology drugs market . For instance, in September 2021 , Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Pan-American specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Incyte Biosciences International Sarl, the Switzerland based affiliate of Incyte, for the exclusive rights to distribute tafasitamab (sold as Monjuvi in the U.S. and Minjuvi in Europe ) and pemigatinib (Pemazyre) in Latin America .

. For instance, in , Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Pan-American specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Incyte Biosciences International Sarl, the based affiliate of Incyte, for the exclusive rights to distribute tafasitamab (sold as Monjuvi in the U.S. and Minjuvi in ) and pemigatinib (Pemazyre) in . Among drug type, Targeted drugs segment generated significant revenue in 2022, owing to increasing incidence of cancer worldwide. For instance, on 29 March 2022 , Sanofi, a global healthcare company and IGM Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced a collaboration to create, develop, manufacture, and commercialize IgM antibody agonists against three oncology targets and three immunology/inflammation targets. Engineered IgM antibodies represent a new class of potential therapeutics that combine the multi-valency of IgM antibodies possessing 10 binding sites compared to conventional IgG antibodies having only 2 target binding sites.

, Sanofi, a global healthcare company and IGM Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced a collaboration to create, develop, manufacture, and commercialize IgM antibody agonists against three oncology targets and three immunology/inflammation targets. Engineered IgM antibodies represent a new class of potential therapeutics that combine the multi-valency of IgM antibodies possessing 10 binding sites compared to conventional IgG antibodies having only 2 target binding sites. Among region, North America is expected to hold a dominant position in the global oncology drugs market over the forecast period, owing to increasing number of inorganic growth strategies by key market players in the region. For instance, on June 27, 2022 , the oncology Institute, Inc., value-based oncology groups in the U.S., announced the signing of an expanded partnership agreement with McKesson Corporation for drug distribution and clinical technology.

is expected to hold a dominant position in the global oncology drugs market over the forecast period, owing to increasing number of inorganic growth strategies by key market players in the region. For instance, on , the oncology Institute, Inc., value-based oncology groups in the U.S., announced the signing of an expanded partnership agreement with McKesson Corporation for drug distribution and clinical technology. Key players operating in the global oncology drugs market include Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Novartis International AG, Celgene Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Eli Lilly and Company, AbbVie, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Bayer AG, and Amgen Inc.

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Detailed Segmentation:

Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Drug type:

Cytotoxic Drugs

Alkylating Agents



Antimetabolites



Others

Targeted Drugs

Monoclonal Antibodies



Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors



Others

Hormonal Drugs

Ovarian Function Blockers



Estrogen Production Blockers



Estrogen's Effect Blockers



Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)





Others

Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Cancer type:

Lung Cancer

Breast Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Blood Cancer

Bladder Cancer

Others

Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Distribution Channel:

Hospital Pharmacies

Retail Pharmacies

Online Pharmacies

Global Oncology Drugs Market, By Region:

North America

By Country:



U.S.





Canada

Europe

By Country:



U.K.





Germany





Italy





France





Spain





Russia





Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

By Country:



China





India





Japan





ASEAN





Australia





South Korea





Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

By Country:



Brazil





Mexico





Argentina





Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

By Country:



GCC Countries





Israel





South Africa





Rest of Middle East & Africa

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Find related trending report below:

India Immuno-Oncology Drugs Market, by Drug Type (Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (Nivolumab, Atezolimumab, Pembrolizumab, Durvalumab), Monoclonal Antibodies (Rituximab, Trastazumab, Bevacizumab , Nimotuzumab, Pertuzumab, Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine ), and Cancer Vaccines (Gardasil, Cervarix), by Cancer Type (Lung Cancer, Blood Cancer, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Head & Neck Cancer, and Others), and by Distribution Channel (Online Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, and Hospital Pharmacies) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2022 - 2028

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SOURCE Coherent Market Insights
SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China, Aug. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, metabolic, autoimmune, ophthalmology and other major diseases, announces that the first patient with diabetic macular edema (DME) has been successfully dosed in the Phase 1 study of IBI324, a potential first-in-class ophthalmic recombinant human anti-VEGF-A and anti-Ang-2 bispecific antibody.

This Phase 1 dose escalations study (CTR20221524) aims to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intravitreal injection of IBI324 in subjects with diabetic macular edema (DME).

IBI324 is a dual-target specific recombinant fully humanized anti-VEGF-A and anti-Ang-2 bispecific antibody developed by Innovent, which can achieve anti-angiogenesis, vascular stabilization and inflammation inhibition by blocking both VEGF-A and Ang-2, aiming to bring more potential clinical benefits to DME patients, such as prolonging the dosing interval and improving treatment compliance.

Professor Xiaodong Sun, Vice President and Director of the Eye Center of the First People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, principal investigator of this study, stated: "Anti-VEGF ophthalmic agents are now the standard of care for many neovascular fundus diseases. However, existing anti-VEGF drugs require repeated intravitreal injections every 4 to 12 weeks. Frequent injections and follow-up reduce patient compliance with treatment, resulting in poor long-term treatment efficacy in many patients. For example, persistent macular edema remains in approximately 40% of patients with DME under standard treatment. The multi-targeted agents based on anti-VEGF has become the current trend in drug development for fundus diseases. We expect IBI324 to demonstrate positive safety and bioactivity results in the DME population by blocking both VEGF-A and Ang-2 targets and lengthen the dosing interval, leading to more options for clinical treatment."

Dr. Lei Qian, Vice President of Clinical Development of Innovent, stated: "IBI324 is an innovative molecule independently developed by Innovent for the treatment of fundus diseases. It is an anti-VEGF/ anti-Ang-2 bispecific antibody and another innovative dual-target molecule Innovent advances to clinic in the field of ophthalmology. It deploys the global pioneering antibody design in the form of scFv (single-chain Fv) + VHH (single-domain antibody) and owns global intellectual property rights. The results of preclinical studies showed the effect of IBI324 in inhibiting angiogenesis and reducing vascular leakage, indicating a potential advantage of a longer dosing interval compared with the competitors. The first-in-human Phase 1 study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of IBI324 in the patients with DME and provide solid ground for further clinical development. We look forward to further in-depth collaboration with experts in clinical and academia community to bring more potential innovative drugs to the clinic and ultimately benefit more patients and families."

About Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the retinal microvascular, DME is a chronic progressive disease that causes impaired vision or even blindness due to swelling of the central part of the retina. The incidence of diabetic retinopathy has gradually increased, and it is also one of the main causes of blindness in working-age adults and the elderly1, which seriously affects the quality of life of diabetic patients, and places a heavy financial burden on society2. Hyperglycemia and associated metabolic pathways, oxidative stress as well as inflammation in diabetes are thought to be closely related to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and DME, which can lead to neurodegeneration, early microvascular damage, and damage to the neurovascular unit3. In this state, VEGF expression is upregulated, leading to neovascularization, disruption of vascular endothelial cell integrity, and vascular leakage caused by damage to the blood-retinal barrier; Ang-2, by binding Tie2 receptor on vascular endothelium, can disrupt the stability of the endothelial cell layer and cause leakage4, which acting in combination with VEGF leads to the development of DME.

About IBI324

IBI324 is a bispecific anti-VEGF and anti-Ang-2 recombinant fully humanized antibody independently developed by Innovent Biologics. The N-terminus can block VEGF-A-mediated signaling pathway and inhibit the growth and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, thereby inhibiting angiogenesis, reducing vascular permeability and vascular leakage; the C-terminus of IBI324 is an Ang-2 binding domain independently screened by Innovent that can specific inhibit the binding of Ang-2 to Tie-2 receptor, and therefore improve the sensitivity to other inflammatory factors, further stabilize blood vessels and inhibit vascular leakage. IBI324 can inhibit neovascularization and stabilize blood vessels and inhibit inflammation that mediated by VEGF-A and Ang-2, which may bring more clinical benefits to patients with DME.

About Innovent

Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop, manufacture and commercialize high-quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high-quality innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, ophthalmology and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK.

Since its inception, Innovent has developed a fully integrated multi-functional platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built a robust pipeline of 34 valuable assets in the fields of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune disease and other major therapeutic areas, with 7 products approved for marketing in China  TYVYT (sintilimab injection), BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection), HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection) , Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor), NAILIKE(olverembatinib) and Cyramza (ramucirumab), 3 asset under NMPA NDA review, 4 assets in Phase 3 or pivotal clinical trials, and an additional 20 molecules in clinical studies.

Innovent has built an international team with advanced talent in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many global experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Sanofi, Adimab, Incyte, MD Anderson Cancer Center and other international partners. Innovent strives to work with many collaborators to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com. and www.linkedin.com/company/innovent-biologics/.

Note:

TYVYT (sintilimab injection) is not an approved product in the United States.

BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), SULINNO, and HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection) are not approved products in the United States.

TYVYT (sintilimab injection, Innovent)

BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection, Innovent)

HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection, Innovent)

SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection, Innovent)

Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor, Incyte Corporation). Pemazyre was discovered by Incyte Corporation and licensed to Innovent for development and commercialization in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

CYRAMZA (ramucirumab, Eli Lilly). Cyramza was discovered by Eli Lilly and licensed to Innovent for commercialization in Mainland China.

Disclaimer:

This indication is still under clinical study, which hasn't been approved in China . Innovent does not recommend any off-label usage.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Innovent Biologics ("Innovent"), are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. Innovent does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly.

These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of Innovent with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond Innovent's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, Innovent's competitive environment and political, economic, legal and social conditions.

Innovent, the Directors and the employees of Innovent assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialise or turn out to be incorrect.

Reference:

Wong TY, Cheung CMG, Larsen M, Sharma S, Simo R. Diabetic retinopathy. Nat Rev Dis Primer. 2016;2:16012. Chinese Diabetes Society Retinopathy Group, Chin J Diabetes Mellitus, 2018,10(4): 241-247. Kusuhara S, Fukushima Y, Ogura S, Inoue N, Uemura A. Pathophysiology of Diabetic Retinopathy: The Old and the New. Diabetes Metab J. 2018;42(5):364-376. Maisonpierre PC, Suri C, Jones PF, et al. Angiopoietin-2, a natural antagonist for Tie2 that disrupts in vivo angiogenesis. Science. 1997;277(5322):55-60.

SOURCE Innovent Biologics
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jazeera Paints, the leading manufacturer of paints, colors, and construction solutions in the Middle East and North Africa, opened its sixth showroom in Iraq. The new showroom is in Ranya, a city in the Northeast of the Kurdistan Region which has seen significant economic and industrial development in recent years. The new showroom is close to other towns such as Qaladze, Dukan, Chwar Qwrna, Sangasar, and Hajiawa, and will also serve their needs for high-quality paints and construction solutions.

Jazeera Paints Opens the Sixth Showroom in Iraq as a Part of Its Middle East Expansion

The opening of the new showroom reflects Jazeera Paints' desire to expand in the Middle East and support Saudi exports to the region. The showroom will display and sell Jazeera Paints' extensive line of architectural, decorative, industrial paints, protective paints, wood paints, metals paints, fire-resistant paints, eco-friendly paints, road marking paints, floor coatings, dry mortar finishing materials, and other unique products.

Several distinguished city officials, engineers, and contractors interested in construction and urbanization attended the branch opening.

This is Jazeera Paints' sixth showroom in Iraq; the previous five are in Sulaymaniyah, Chamchamal, Kirkuk, Ramadi, and Basra. By the end of 2022, the company intends to expand further in Iraq, opening three showrooms in three cities.

About Jazeera Paints

Founded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1979, Jazeera Paints is a pioneering paint manufacturer in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Middle East and North Africa region, with an established reputation for manufacturing and exporting high-quality and eco-friendly paints. Since the founding of the company, its production capacity has grown to 400,000 tons annually, and Jazeera Paints is now displayed in more than 650 active showrooms!

Follow us on https://twitter.com/JPaintsGlobal.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873698/Jazeera_Paints_1.jpg

SOURCE Jazeera Paints
ARLINGTON, Tenn., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MicroPort Navibot has received 510(K) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States for the SkyWalker System, the company's first robot-assisted platform for orthopedic applications. The SkyWalker System will initially offer a robotically assisted total knee replacement solution that is compatible with the Evolution Medial-Pivot Total Knee System.

MicroPort Navibot has received 510(K) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States for the SkyWalker System, the companys first robot-assisted platform for orthopedic applications.

Designed based on clinical needs, MicroPort NaviBot has built a full technology research facility that has medical industry design capability, and benefits from core technological advantages of having a self-developed, high-dexterity, and lightweight mechanical arm combined with intelligent planning and navigation algorithms. The SkyWalker System has the technical advantages of precise operation and efficient coordination, while prioritizing safety. Prior to the actual surgery, the planning system assists surgeons in formulating personalized patient implant plans based on preoperative CT scan anatomical data as well as specific implant data. During surgery, based on actual patient alignment and anatomy, the SkyWalker System facilitates precise implant positioning to achieve the desired kinematics specific to the patient. The SkyWalker System then allows the surgeon to quickly proceed to resection using a high-dexterity and lightweight mechanical arm resulting in improved precision, accuracy, and efficiency.

The SkyWalker System is capable of providing the surgeon with information that can help to achieve the desired joint line reconstruction while providing data to optimally balance soft tissues. MicroPort Navibot is planning to develop other orthopedic applications in the near future, in conjunction with MicroPort Orthopedics, for a more comprehensive orthopedic offering.

About MicroPort NaviBot

MicroPort NaviBot International LLC was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Foxborough, MA. NaviBot is subsidiary of MicroPort MedBot.

About MicroPort MedBot

Shanghai MicroPort MedBot (Group) Co., Ltd. was established in China in 2015 and is a subsidiary of MicroPort Scientific Corporation. MedBot is committed to meeting the growing demand for robotic surgery. By integrating the cutting-edge research and robot ontology, control algorithms, image-based navigation and precision imaging, they provide comprehensive intelligent surgical solutions to prolong and improve the lives of patients, lead advancements in the development of robotic surgery, and shape the era of intelligent surgery.

SOURCE MicroPort Orthopedics
Study.com will donate 500 test prep scholarships to the state

JACKSON, Miss., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mississippi First , an education policy non-profit founded in 2008, is partnering with Study.com , a national EdTech platform, to launch Keys to the Classroom in the state of Mississippi. The initiative aims to help aspiring educators prepare for the Praxis, a required exam with a pass rate of 50% for first-time test takers, to earn their teaching credential.

Through this partnership, Study.com will donate comprehensive, cost-free materials and resources to aspiring Mississippi teachers to help them prepare and pass their teacher certification tests. Mississippi districts that have diverse student bodies, as well as those that have low socioeconomic conditions, will be prioritized for the licenses in an effort to address the rising teacher shortage crisis and ensure the demographics of Mississippi students are being represented in the classroom and across the state's teacher pipeline.

"The state of Mississippi is facing an overwhelming shortage of teachers and Study.com's Keys to the Classroom will to help tackle this crisis head-on," says Rachel Canter, Executive Director of Mississippi First. "Partnering with Study.com will allow Mississippi First to continue our mission to ensure educational excellence for every Mississippi child."

This partnership comes on the heels of Mississippi First's 2022 'Voices of the Shortage' survey of 6,496 Mississippi public education teachers, which provides the state's most comprehensive current resource for understanding the critical teacher shortage in Mississippi from teachers' perspectives.

The teachers surveyed reported compensation as a top reason for potentially leaving the profession, but even current teachers consider their exit, aspiring new teachers face challenges to enter, including the difficulty of passing their teacher certification tests such as the Praxis.

In fact, according to a 2019 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, half of teachers fail their first certification exam and a quarter never pass. In contrast, 92% of teachers who used Study.com's test prep resources reported passing their test on the first try.

In addition to a worsening teacher shortage, Mississippi also faces a decreasing number of both aspiring and current teachers of color. According to a report from Mississippi Department of Education, while 57% of Mississippi P-12 students identified as non-White; 70% of Mississippi teachers are White.

"Creating a more diverse and representative teacher pipeline is necessary to ensure students feel represented and encouraged. As Mississippi statistics show, this isn't being reflected in the classroom but is statistically proven and needed," said Study.com's Senior Vice President of Social Impact Dana Bryson. "Our goal with bringing Keys to the Classroom to Mississippi is to diversify the teacher pipeline and help reduce the teacher shortage by removing the barriers to becoming a teacher."

Study.com first launched Keys to the Classroom initiative last winter in Nevada, which had a teacher shortage of about 3,000. Since then, Study.com has donated 600 teacher test prep licenses in Nevada and has partnered with numerous educational organizations to support aspiring teachers and improve educational outcomes. Study.com also recently launched Keys to the Classroom in South Carolina this Spring.

The Keys to the Classroom initiative is part of Study.com's commitment to Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement dedicated to making the community a key stakeholder in every business. Pledge 1% continues the company's commitment to Making Education Accessible through social impact programs focused on increasing access and equity in education for underserved learners, non-traditional students, and educators.

For more information on Study.com's Keys to the Classroom scholarship, please visit

https://bit.ly/keystotheclassroom .

About Study.com

Study.com is a leading online education platform providing academic support for learners and educators. Recognized on the GSV EdTech 150 as a leading EdTech company, Study.com simplifies learning for over 30 million learners and educators a month. Study has donated $24 million in-kind value across social impact programs committed to Making Education Accessible through our Pledge 1% partnerships and programs focused on increasing access and equity in education for underserved learners.

About Mississippi First

Founded in 2008, Mississippi First is a nonprofit education organization whose mission is to champion transformation policy solutions ensuring educational excellence for every Mississippi child. Driven to change the fact that Mississippi has historically been last, our founders set a bold vision: a Mississippi first in education nationally. Today, Mississippi First is a leading voice for early childhood education, high-quality public charter schools, rigorous learning standards, commonsense testing and accountability policies, and strengthening Mississippi's educator pipeline.

SOURCE Study.com
INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH, Fla., August 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NewSat a leading Command, Control, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) provider, announced today they have been awarded a Second Global Tactical Advanced Communication Systems II (GTACS II) Task Order (TO) by U.S. Army Contracting Command  Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) on behalf of Project Manager Tactical Radios under Program Executive Office Command Control Communications Tactical (PEO-C3T).

Under this $18 million dollar TO, NewSat and Subcontractor, Ace Electronic Defense Systems, will fabricate installation kits for the integration of tactical radios on a wide range of Army platforms.

"NewSat has supported several logistics programs for the US Army and we are eager to deliver high-quality installation kits to enhance our troops' capabilities", said Justin Filler, CEO of NewSat. "This new award with our partner Ace Electronic Defense Systems highlights our customer's trust in delivering large amounts of critical communication equipment during unprecedented times."

About NewSat:

NewSat North America, LLC is a privately held, end-to-end communications company. Based in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, NewSat North America provides Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems and services primarily to United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) and other Federal customers.

About Ace Electronic Defense Systems:

Ace Electronics Defense Systems specializes in manufacturing custom cable assemblies and electronics. Ace is 100% committed to meeting the specialized requirements for our customers to exceed all expectations. Also, our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities support rapid prototyping, full-scale production runs, and are equipped with the latest manufacturing and test equipment, as well as injection molding machines. We not only pride ourselves on setting high-quality standards but in achieving them as well; thus, we are proud to say that we are an AS9100D certified company.

SOURCE NewSat North America
Metra riders are now able to use ParkMobile to pay for daily parking and to reserve a monthly permit.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the U.S., announced a new partnership with The Village of University Park, IL, allowing Metra riders to pay for parking on their mobile devices at over 600 parking spaces. Through the partnership, commuters to the Chicago area are now able to pay for daily parking or purchase monthly parking passes at the University Park Metra.

Through the partnership, commuters to the Chicago area are now able to pay for daily parking or purchase monthly parking passes at the University Park Metra. (Photo: ParkMobile)

"Our partnership with ParkMobile comes at a perfect time as people begin returning to the office and are traveling into the city more often," said Elizabeth Scott, Village Manager. "People love the convenience of paying for parking by phone, and we're excited to offer them this service to make it easier to get around."

ParkMobile has a strong presence in Illinois with over 275,000 users in the state. The app is available at Chicago Parks District locations, and at dozens of other transit parking locations throughout the Chicagoland area including Aurora, Glencoe, Homewood, and more.

ParkMobile has over 37 million users across North America, is available for both iPhone and Android devices, or can also be accessed on a mobile web browser. To pay for daily parking using the mobile or web app, a user enters the zone number posted on signs around the parking spot, selects the amount of time needed, and touches the "Start Parking" button to begin the session. The user can also extend the time of the parking session on their mobile device. Additionally, the reservations feature of the app can be used to purchase monthly permits for commuters.

"We've seen great success working with like-minded villages, so we look forward to welcoming University Park to the ParkMobile family," says Jeff Perkins, CEO of ParkMobile. "Together, we'll provide a seamless experience for locals using the Metra."

About ParkMobile: ParkMobile, LLC is the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in North America, using a contactless approach to help millions of people easily find, reserve, and pay for parking on their mobile devices. In 2021, ParkMobile became part of the Swedish-based EasyPark Group. The company's technology is used in thousands of locations across the country, including 8 of the top 10 cities as well as college campuses, airports, and stadiums. People can use ParkMobile solutions to quickly pay for on-street and off-street parking without having to use a meter or kiosk. Additionally, ParkMobile offers parking reservations at stadium venues for concerts and sporting events. Reservations are also available in metro area garages, allowing people to drive into the city without having to worry about finding parking. ParkMobile has been named to the Inc. 5000, Deloitte Fast 500, Smart Cities Connect "Smart 50," and the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Top Workplaces. Additionally, the company won the 2022 Stevie Awards for Best Mobile On-Demand Application. For more information, visit ParkMobile.io or @ParkMobile on Twitter.

ParkMobile Contact: Mark Lister, SVP of Marketing, [email protected]

The Village of University Park Contact: Elizabeth Scott, Village Manager,

[email protected]

SOURCE ParkMobile
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PHX MINERALS INC., "PHX" or the "Company" (NYSE: PHX), today reported financial and operating results for the third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 2022, AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Net income in the third fiscal quarter of 2022 was $8.6 million , or $0.25 per share, compared to net loss of ($4.0) million , or ($0.12) per share, in the second fiscal quarter of 2022.

, or per share, compared to net loss of , or per share, in the second fiscal quarter of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA (1) of $7.2 million for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 increased from $5.8 million in the second fiscal quarter of 2022.

of for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 increased from in the second fiscal quarter of 2022. Royalty production volumes for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 increased 3% to 1,595 Mmcfe, and total production volumes for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 decreased 1% to 2,430 Mmcfe, compared to the second fiscal quarter of 2022.

80% of royalty production volumes and 78% of total production volumes in the third fiscal quarter of 2022 were attributable to natural gas.

96 gross (0.25 net) wells converted to PDP, including 39 gross (0.19 net) in the SCOOP and 12 gross (0.03 net) in the Haynesville , during the third fiscal quarter of 2022, compared to 108 gross (0.48 net) in the second fiscal quarter of 2022.

, during the third fiscal quarter of 2022, compared to 108 gross (0.48 net) in the second fiscal quarter of 2022. 155 gross (0.79 net) wells in progress as of June 30, 2022 , compared to 134 gross (0.60 net) as of March 31, 2022 .

, compared to 134 gross (0.60 net) as of . Total debt was $28.3 million and the debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM) (1) ratio was 1.31x at June 30, 2022 .

and the debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM) ratio was 1.31x at . During the third fiscal quarter of 2022, PHX closed on acquisitions totaling 938 net royalty acres located in the SCOOP play of Oklahoma and the Haynesville play of East Texas and Louisiana for approximately $9.1 million .

and the play of and for approximately . Since June 30, 2022 , PHX has closed on additional acquisitions of 544 net royalty acres located in the SCOOP play of Oklahoma and the Haynesville play of Louisiana for approximately $8.2 million .

, PHX has closed on additional acquisitions of 544 net royalty acres located in the SCOOP play of and the play of for approximately . PHX has entered into a PSA to divest the remainder of its non-operated working interest position in the Fayetteville Shale of Arkansas for approximately $6 million subject to customary closing adjustments.

for approximately subject to customary closing adjustments. PHX announced a $0.02 per share quarterly dividend, payable on Sept. 9, 2022 , to stockholders of record on Aug. 25, 2022 .

(1) This is a non-GAAP measure. Refer to the Non-GAAP Reconciliation section.

Chad L. Stephens, President and CEO, commented, "I am pleased to report another outstanding quarter of financial results including adjusted EBITDA of $7.2 million, a 22% increase over the prior sequential quarter. I would like to thank all of the PHX employees for their hard work that helped the company achieve these excellent third quarter 2022 results.

Consistent with our first and second quarter of 2022 results, we reported an increase in royalty volumes and a further decrease in working interest volumes. This is in line with our corporate strategy. We continue to allocate 100% of our capital to acquiring minerals in the core of the Haynesville in Louisiana and the SCOOP in Southern Oklahoma in high rock quality areas under well capitalized active operators, assuring us of near-term line of sight development. We are keenly focused on executing a successful acquisition strategy and expect our royalty volumes will continue to increase on an annual basis.

In our third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022, and including through Aug. 4th, we have closed on a total of $18.0 million in additional minerals located primarily in the Haynesville with line-of-sight development, which should continue to drive our growing royalty volumes. This brings our fiscal 2022 acquisition program to approximately $42 million. There continues to be a strong set of acquisition opportunities in front of us.

Lastly, I'd like to announce that during our third fiscal quarter we opened our new corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. This move places our senior management team at the epicenter of the mineral space. We will retain our offices in Oklahoma City where our accounting and technical staff are located and do not anticipate any disruption to the business. We are excited about having new offices in Fort Worth and believe it will better position us to execute the Company's growth strategy of building shareholder value through the acquisition and ownership of high-quality mineral interest in our core areas."

OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS







Third Quarter Ended



Third Quarter Ended



Nine Months Ended



Nine Months Ended



June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021



June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021

Gas Mcf Sold

1,897,799





1,879,343





5,380,093





5,090,619

Average Sales Price per Mcfe before the





























effects of settled derivative contracts $ 6.82



$ 3.33



$ 5.61



$ 2.77

Average Sales Price per Mcfe after the





























effects of settled derivative contracts $ 4.32



$ 3.31



$ 3.72



$ 2.76

Oil Barrels Sold

48,928





55,492





148,632





170,437

Average Sales Price per Mcfe before the





























effects of settled derivative contracts $ 105.23



$ 63.77



$ 90.40



$ 52.95

Average Sales Price per Mcfe after the





























effects of settled derivative contracts $ 60.18



$ 46.25



$ 57.63



$ 49.15

NGL Barrels Sold

39,732





46,753





124,358





125,118

Average Sales Price per Barrel(1) $ 36.76



$ 23.58



$ 35.52



$ 20.42

































Mcfe Sold

2,429,760





2,492,813





7,018,036





6,863,949

Natural gas, oil and NGL sales before the





























effects of settled derivative contracts $ 19,561,568



$ 10,899,820



$ 48,032,597



$ 25,670,624

Natural gas, oil and NGL sales after the





























effects of settled derivative contracts $ 12,607,397



$ 9,895,130



$ 32,971,756



$ 24,981,817



































(1) There were no NGL settled derivative contracts during the 2022 and 2021 periods.



Total Production for the last four quarters was as follows:

Quarter ended

Mcf Sold



Oil Bbls Sold



NGL Bbls Sold



Mcfe Sold

6/30/2022



1,897,799





48,928





39,732





2,429,760

3/31/2022



1,908,030





51,631





40,371





2,460,042

12/31/2021



1,574,265





48,074





44,256





2,128,248

9/30/2021



1,609,101





54,043





46,369





2,211,570



Royalty Interest Production for the last four quarters was as follows:

Quarter ended

Mcf Sold



Oil Bbls Sold



NGL Bbls Sold



Mcfe Sold

6/30/2022



1,283,737





32,562





19,369





1,595,323

3/31/2022



1,261,949





28,758





18,852





1,547,609

12/31/2021



949,523





25,996





19,953





1,225,220

9/30/2021



705,397





29,442





19,364





998,230



Working Interest Production for the last four quarters was as follows:

Quarter ended

Mcf Sold



Oil Bbls Sold



NGL Bbls Sold



Mcfe Sold

6/30/2022



614,062





16,366





20,363





834,437

3/31/2022



646,081





22,873





21,519





912,433

12/31/2021



624,742





22,078





24,303





903,028

9/30/2021



903,704





24,601





27,005





1,213,340



FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS









Third Quarter Ended



Third Quarter Ended



Nine Months Ended



Nine Months Ended





June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021



June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021

Working Interest Sales

$ 7,088,153



$ 5,486,978



$ 18,959,671



$ 13,245,980

Royalty Interest Sales

$ 12,473,415



$ 5,412,842



$ 29,072,926



$ 12,424,644

Natural Gas, Oil and NGL Sales

$ 19,561,568



$ 10,899,820



$ 48,032,597



$ 25,670,624



































Gains (Losses) on Derivative Contracts

$ (2,387,226)



$ (5,487,483)



$ (12,534,464)



$ (8,089,662)

Lease Bonuses and Rental Income

$ 209,329



$ 259,152



$ 450,152



$ 319,139

Total Revenue

$ 17,383,671



$ 5,671,489



$ 35,948,285



$ 17,900,101



































Lease Operating Expense































per Working Interest Mcfe

$ 1.08



$ 0.83



$ 1.16



$ 0.84

Transportation, Gathering and Marketing































per Mcfe

$ 0.59



$ 0.62



$ 0.59



$ 0.60

Production Tax per Mcfe

$ 0.38



$ 0.24



$ 0.33



$ 0.19

Cash G&A Expense per Mcfe (1)

$ 0.95



$ 0.78



$ 0.90



$ 0.78

G&A Expense per Mcfe

$ 1.18



$ 0.91



$ 1.10



$ 0.88

Interest Expense per Mcfe

$ 0.12



$ 0.09



$ 0.10



$ 0.12

DD&A per Mcfe

$ 0.83



$ 0.86



$ 0.82



$ 0.90

Total Expense per Mcfe

$ 3.47



$ 3.15



$ 3.38



$ 3.14



































Net Income (Loss)

$ 8,589,010



$ (1,356,594)



$ 11,250,804



$ (2,453,037)

Adjusted EBITDA (2)

$ 7,194,102



$ 5,008,654



$ 17,429,579



$ 11,506,346



































Cash Flow from Operations

$ 8,404,654



$ 5,563,226



$ 24,338,974



$ 10,240,333

CapEx

$ 72,176



$ 271,661



$ 351,524



$ 696,759

CapEx - Mineral Acquisitions

$ 8,954,133



$ 11,402,761



$ 29,872,407



$ 19,337,265



































Borrowing Base

















$ 50,000,000



$ 28,500,000

Debt

















$ 28,300,000



$ 19,900,000

Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (TTM) (2)



















1.31





1.45





(1) G&A excluding restricted stock and deferred director's expense. (2) This is a non-GAAP measure. Refer to the Non-GAAP Reconciliation section.

THIRD FISCAL QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 2022, RESULTS

The Company recorded third fiscal quarter 2022 net income of $8,589,010, or $0.25 per share, as compared to a net loss of ($1,356,594), or ($0.05) per share, in the third fiscal quarter 2021. The change in net income was principally the result of increased natural gas, oil and NGL sales, decreased losses associated with our hedge contracts and increased gains on asset sales, partially offset by an increase in general and administrative costs, or G&A, and income tax expense.

Natural gas, oil and NGL revenue increased $8,661,748, or 79%, for the third quarter 2022, compared to the corresponding 2021 quarter due to increases in natural gas, oil and NGL prices of 105%, 65% and 56%, respectively, and an increase in natural gas volumes of 1%, partially offset by a decrease in oil and NGL volumes of 12% and 15%, respectively.

The production increase in royalty volumes during the three months ended June 30, 2022, as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2021, resulted from new wells associated with 2021 and 2022 acquisitions in the Haynesville Shale and SCOOP plays coming online. The decrease in working interest volumes resulted from the divestiture of low-value legacy working interests in Oklahoma and the Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas, naturally declining production in high-interest wells in the Arkoma Stack and STACK plays, and legacy wells shut in in the Eagle Ford play while the operator completes new offset wells.

The Company had a net loss on derivative contracts of ($2,387,226) in the third fiscal 2022 quarter, as compared to a net loss of ($5,487,483) in the third fiscal 2021 quarter, of which ($5,670,147) is a realized loss and $3,282,921 is an unrealized gain with respect to the third fiscal 2022 quarter. Realized net loss on derivative contracts for the third fiscal 2022 quarter excludes $1,284,024 of cash paid to settle off-market derivative contracts. The change in net loss on derivative contracts was due to the Company's settlements of natural gas and oil collars and fixed price swaps and the change in valuation caused by the difference in June 30, 2022, pricing relative to the strike price on open derivative contracts.

The 10% increase in total cost per Mcfe in the third fiscal 2022 quarter, relative to the third fiscal 2021 quarter, was primarily driven by an increase in G&A and production taxes. G&A increased $602,510, or 26%, in the third fiscal 2022 quarter, compared to the corresponding 2021 quarter due to legal expenses associated with reincorporating in the state of Delaware, increased transaction activity and restricted stock expense. Production taxes increased $328,339, or 55%, due to increase in natural gas, oil and NGL revenue, but decreased as a percent of natural gas, oil and NGL revenue in the third fiscal 2022 quarter, compared to the corresponding 2021 quarter from 5.5% to 4.7%.

NINE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022, RESULTS

The Company recorded net income of $11,250,804, or $0.33 per share, in the fiscal nine-month period ended June 30, 2022 (the "fiscal nine-month 2022 period"), as compared to a net loss of ($2,453,037), or ($0.10) per share, in the corresponding 2021 period. The change in net income was principally the result of increased natural gas, oil and NGL sales, gains on asset sales and lease bonuses and rental income, and decreased DD&A, partially offset by an increase in losses on derivative contracts, production taxes, G&A and income tax expense.

Natural gas, oil and NGL sales increased $22,361,973, or 87%, for the fiscal nine-month 2022 period, compared to the corresponding 2021 period, due to increases in natural gas, oil and NGL prices of 103%, 71% and 74%, respectively, and an increase in natural gas volumes of 6%, partially offset by a decrease in oil and NGL volumes of 13% and 1%, respectively.

Natural gas volumes increased during the nine months ended June 30, 2022, as compared to the nine months ended June 30, 2021, primarily as a result of new wells associated with recent acquisitions in the Haynesville Shale and SCOOP plays coming online. These gas volumes were partially offset by naturally declining production in high-interest wells in the Arkoma Stack and divestitures in the Fayetteville. NGL production decreased slightly as a result of naturally declining production from liquids-rich gas wells in the STACK. The decrease in oil production was a result of naturally declining production in working interest wells and the Company's strategy of no longer participating with working interests in new drilling in the Eagle Ford play and reduced drilling activity of royalty wells in the Bakken play, as well as naturally declining production in high-interest wells brought online in the STACK during fiscal year 2021. Oil production decreases were partially offset by new wells in the SCOOP.

The Company had a net loss on derivative contracts of ($12,534,464) in the fiscal nine-month 2022 period, as compared to a net loss of ($8,089,662) in the corresponding 2021 period, of which ($8,595,246) is a realized loss and ($3,939,218) is an unrealized loss with respect to the fiscal nine-month 2022 period. Realized net loss on derivative contracts for the fiscal nine-month 2022 period excludes $6,465,597 of cash paid to settle off-market derivative contracts. The change in net loss on derivative contracts was due to the Company's settlements of natural gas and oil collars and fixed price swaps and the change in valuation caused by the difference in June 30, 2022, pricing relative to the strike price on open derivative contracts.

The 8% increase in total cost per Mcfe in the fiscal nine-month 2022 period, relative to the corresponding 2021 period, was primarily driven by an increase in G&A and production taxes, partially offset by a decrease in DD&A. G&A increased $1,651,758, or 27%, in the fiscal nine-month 2022 period, compared to the corresponding 2021 period due to legal expenses associated with reincorporating in the state of Delaware, increased transaction activity and restricted stock expense. Production taxes increased $958,499, or 75%, due to increase in natural gas, oil and NGL revenue, but decreased as a percent of natural gas, oil and NGL revenue in the nine-month 2022 period, compared to the corresponding 2021 period from 5.1% to 4.8%. DD&A decreased $448,465, or 7%, in the fiscal nine-month 2022 period to $0.82 per Mcfe, as compared to $0.90 per Mcfe in the corresponding 2021 period. Of the DD&A decrease, $587,155 was a result of an $0.08 decrease in the DD&A rate per Mcfe, partially offset by an increase of $138,690 resulting from production increasing 2% in the fiscal nine-month 2022 period, compared to the corresponding 2021 period. The DD&A rate per Mcfe decrease was mainly due to an increase in reserves during the fiscal nine-month 2022 period, as compared to the corresponding 2021 period.

OPERATIONS UPDATE

During the third fiscal quarter of 2022, the Company converted 96 gross (0.25 net) wells to producing status, including 39 gross (0.19 net) in the SCOOP and 12 gross (0.03 net) in the Haynesville, compared to 108 gross (0.48 net) wells, including 35 gross (0.04 net) in the SCOOP and 31 gross (0.33 net) in the Haynesville, during the second fiscal quarter of 2022.

At June 30, 2022, the Company had a total of 155 gross (0.79 net) wells in progress across its mineral positions and 65 gross (0.21 net) active permitted wells, compared to 134 gross (0.60 net) wells in progress and 52 gross (0.23 net) active permitted wells at March 31, 2022. As of June 30, 2022, 25 rigs were operating on the Company's acreage with 96 rigs operating within 2.5 miles of its acreage, compared to 18 rigs operating on the Company's acreage with 86 rigs operating within 2.5 miles of its acreage as of March 31, 2022.

























Bakken/

































































Three



Arkoma





































SCOOP



STACK







Forks



Stack



Fayetteville



Haynesville



Other



Total

As of June 30, 2022:



































































Gross Wells in Progress on PHX Acreage



46





20









11





9





-





62





7





155

Net Wells in Progress on PHX Acreage



0.17





0.09









0.05





0.01





-





0.43





0.04





0.79

Gross Active Permits on PHX Acreage



20





17









2





-





-





16





10





65







































































As of June 30, 2022:



































































Rigs Present on PHX Acreage



6





2









3





-





-





12





2





25

Rigs Within 2.5 Miles of PHX Acreage



21





20









6





4





-





36





9





96



Leasing Activity

During the third quarter of fiscal 2022, the Company leased 395 net mineral acres for an average bonus payment of $512 per net mineral acre and an average royalty of 22%.





















Bakken/





























































Three



Arkoma





































SCOOP



STACK



Forks



Stack



Fayetteville



Haynesville



Other



Total

During Three Months Ended June 30, 2022:































































Net Mineral Acres Leased



15





112





-





-





-





68





200





395

Average Bonus per Net Mineral Acre

$ 325



$ 1,000





-





-





-



$ 500



$ 355



$ 512

Average Royalty per Net Mineral Acre

23 %



23 %





-



-





-



23 %



21 %



22 %



ACQUISITION AND DIVESTITURE UPDATE

During the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, the Company purchased 938 net royalty acres for approximately $9.1 million and sold 2,387 net mineral acres, which were outside our core focus areas and predominantly undeveloped and unleased, for approximately $0.5 million.





















Bakken/





























































Three



Arkoma





































SCOOP



STACK



Forks



Stack



Fayetteville



Haynesville



Other



Total

During Three Months Ended June 30, 2022:































































Net Mineral Acres Purchased



208





-





-





-





-





448





-





656

Net Royalty Acres Purchased



216





-





-





-





-





722





-





938

Price per Net Royalty Acre

$ 9,394





-





-





-





-



$ 9,830





-



$ 9,730

Net Mineral Acres Sold



-





-





-





-





-





-





2,387





2,387

Net Royalty Acres Sold



-





-





-





-





-





-





2,387





2,387

Price per Net Royalty Acre



-





-





-





-





-





-



$ 214



$ 214



THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS CALL

PHX will host a conference call to discuss the Company's third fiscal quarter results at 11:00 a.m. EDT tomorrow Aug. 9, 2022. Management's discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session with investors. To participate on the conference call, please dial 877-407-3088 (domestic) or 201-389-0927 (international). A replay of the call will be available for 14 days after the call. The number to access the replay of the conference call is 877-660-6853 and the PIN for the replay is 13731836.

FINANCIAL RESULTS Statements of Operations



Three Months Ended June 30,



Nine Months Ended June 30,



2022



2021



2022



2021

Revenues:









Natural gas, oil and NGL sales $ 19,561,568



$ 10,899,820



$ 48,032,597



$ 25,670,624

Lease bonuses and rental income

209,329





259,152





450,152





319,139

Gains (losses) on derivative contracts

(2,387,226)





(5,487,483)





(12,534,464)





(8,089,662)





17,383,671





5,671,489





35,948,285





17,900,101

Costs and expenses:





























Lease operating expenses

900,807





1,064,989





3,086,272





3,100,052

Transportation, gathering and marketing

1,430,136





1,538,174





4,132,258





4,138,653

Production taxes

925,197





596,858





2,301,537





1,316,038

Depreciation, depletion and amortization

2,022,832





2,137,707





5,727,708





6,176,173

Provision for impairment

6,277





45,855





11,862





45,855

Interest expense

286,345





220,439





693,276





790,202

General and administrative

2,877,614





2,275,104





7,717,435





6,065,677

Losses (gains) on asset sales and other

(630,547)





(35,043)





(743,867)





(177,512)

Total costs and expenses

7,818,661





7,844,083





22,926,481





21,455,138

Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes

9,565,010





(2,172,594)





13,021,804





(3,555,037)

































Provision (benefit) for income taxes

976,000





(816,000)





1,771,000





(1,102,000)

































Net income (loss) $ 8,589,010



$ (1,356,594)



$ 11,250,804



$ (2,453,037)

































































































Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share $ 0.25



$ (0.05)



$ 0.33



$ (0.10)

































Weighted average shares outstanding:





























Basic

34,652,155





28,309,258





34,009,105





24,482,639

Diluted

34,851,214





28,309,258





34,009,105





24,482,639

































Dividends per share of





























common stock paid in period $ 0.02



$ 0.01



$ 0.045



$ 0.03



































Balance Sheets







June 30, 2022



Sept. 30, 2021

Assets













Current assets:













Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,489,282



$ 2,438,511

Natural gas, oil, and NGL sales receivables (net of $0

11,780,557





6,428,982

allowance for uncollectable accounts)













Refundable income taxes

860,416





2,413,942

Other

1,276,942





942,082

Total current assets

18,407,197





12,223,517

















Properties and equipment at cost, based on













successful efforts accounting:













Producing natural gas and oil properties

265,800,998





319,984,874

Non-producing natural gas and oil properties

50,204,756





40,466,098

Other

972,770





794,179





316,978,524





361,245,151

Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization

(193,551,159)





(257,643,661)

Net properties and equipment

123,427,365





103,601,490

















Operating lease right-of-use assets

770,952





607,414

Other, net

764,068





578,593

Total assets $ 143,369,582



$ 117,011,014

















Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity













Current liabilities:













Accounts payable $ 486,034



$ 772,717

Derivative contracts, net

10,189,546





12,087,988

Income taxes payable

-





334,050

Current portion of operating lease liability

190,604





132,287

Accrued liabilities and other

1,489,127





1,809,337

Total current liabilities

12,355,311





15,136,379

















Long-term debt

28,300,000





17,500,000

Deferred income taxes, net

550,906





343,906

Asset retirement obligations

2,116,246





2,836,172

Derivative contracts, net

1,068,544





1,696,479

Operating lease liability, net of current portion

1,015,405





789,339

















Total liabilities

45,406,412





38,302,275

















Stockholders' equity:













Common Stock, $0.01666 par value; 54,000,500













shares authorized and 35,680,970 issued at June 30, 2022;













36,000,500 shares authorized and 32,770,433 issued at Sept. 30, 2021

594,445





545,956

Capital in excess of par value

42,849,595





33,213,645

Deferred directors' compensation

1,451,690





1,768,151

Retained earnings

58,676,047





48,966,420





103,571,777





84,494,172

Less treasury stock, at cost; 377,232 shares at June 30,













2022, and 388,545 shares at Sept. 30, 2021

(5,608,607)





(5,785,433)

Total stockholders' equity

97,963,170





78,708,739

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 143,369,582



$ 117,011,014



Condensed Statements of Cash Flows







Nine Months Ended June 30,



2022



2021

Operating Activities



Net income (loss) $ 11,250,804



$ (2,453,037)

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided













by operating activities:













Depreciation, depletion and amortization

5,727,708





6,176,173

Impairment of producing properties

11,862





45,855

Provision for deferred income taxes

207,000





(1,117,000)

Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage

(449,053)





(316,541)

Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage

545,920





334,938

Net (gain) loss on sales of assets

(865,035)





(136,596)

Directors' deferred compensation expense

147,298





167,425

Total (gain) loss on derivative contracts

12,534,464





8,089,662

Cash receipts (payments) on settled derivative contracts

(1,215,245)





(688,807)

Restricted stock awards

1,219,047





542,674

Other

55,653





72,126

Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:













Natural gas, oil and NGL sales receivables

(5,351,575)





(2,134,395)

Other current assets

(78,262)





(89,957)

Accounts payable

(251,059)





209,014

Income taxes receivable

1,553,526





1,425,471

Other non-current assets

(393,492)





87,065

Income taxes payable

(334,050)





-

Accrued liabilities

23,463





26,263

Total adjustments

13,088,170





12,693,370

Net cash provided by operating activities

24,338,974





10,240,333

















Investing Activities













Capital expenditures

(351,524)





(696,759)

Acquisition of minerals and overriding royalty interests

(29,872,407)





(19,337,265)

Net proceeds from sales of assets

7,852,389





533,371

Net cash provided (used) by investing activities

(22,371,542)





(19,500,653)

















Financing Activities













Borrowings under credit facility

14,300,000





-

Payments of loan principal

(3,500,000)





(8,850,000)

Net proceeds from equity issuance

4,670,112





11,088,858

Cash receipts from (payments on) off-market derivative contracts

(13,845,596)





-

Purchases of treasury stock

-





(2,741)

Payments of dividends

(1,541,177)





(757,692)

Net cash provided (used) by financing activities

83,339





1,478,425

















Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

2,050,771





(7,781,895)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

2,438,511





10,690,395

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 4,489,282



$ 2,908,500

















Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities





























Gross additions to properties and equipment $ 33,431,875



$ 23,794,178

Value of shares used for acquisitions

(3,510,001)





(3,718,000)

Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties













and equipment additions

302,057





(42,154)

Capital expenditures and acquisitions $ 30,223,931



$ 20,034,024



Derivative Contracts as of Aug. 5, 2022





























Collar Average



Collar Average

Fiscal Period

Product

Volume Mcf/Bbl



Swap Price



Floor Price



Ceiling Price

Remaining 2022

Natural Gas



135,000











$ 4.15



$ 6.53

Remaining 2022

Natural Gas



250,000



$ 3.01

















2023

Natural Gas



890,000











$ 4.49



$ 8.10

2023

Natural Gas



2,100,000



$ 3.24

















2024

Natural Gas



60,000











$ 3.00



$ 4.70

2024

Natural Gas



380,000



$ 3.41























































Remaining 2022

Crude Oil



19,000



$ 46.89

















2023

Crude Oil



15,000











$ 75.00



$ 96.00

2023

Crude Oil



72,750



$ 63.65

















2024

Crude Oil



14,250



$ 74.91



















Non-GAAP Reconciliation

This press release includes certain "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined under the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including Regulation G. These non-GAAP financial measures are calculated using GAAP amounts in the Company's financial statements. These measures, detailed below, are provided in addition to, not as an alternative for, and should be read in conjunction with, the information contained in the Company's financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (including the notes thereto), included in the Company's SEC filings and posted on its website.

Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation

We define "adjusted EBITDA" as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, excluding unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives and gains (losses) on asset sales and including cash receipts from (payments on) off-market derivatives and restricted stock and deferred directors' expense. We have included a presentation of adjusted EBITDA because we recognize that certain investors consider this amount to be a useful means of measuring our ability to meet our debt service obligations and evaluating our financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, operating income, cash flow from operations or other consolidated income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, this presentation of adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure of other companies. The following table provides a presentation of net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA for the periods indicated:



Third Quarter

Ended



Third Quarter

Ended



Nine Months

Ended



Nine Months

Ended



Second Quarter

Ended



June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021



June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021



March 31, 2022

Net Income (Loss) $ 8,589,010



$ (1,356,594)



$ 11,250,804



$ (2,453,037)



$ (4,020,455)

Plus:





































Income tax expense





































(benefit)

976,000





(816,000)





1,771,000





(1,102,000)





33,000

Interest expense

286,345





220,439





693,276





790,202





230,212

DD&A

2,022,832





2,137,707





5,727,708





6,176,173





2,121,116

Impairment

6,277





45,855





11,862





45,855





-

Less:





































Unrealized gains (losses)





































on derivatives

3,282,921





(4,482,793)





(3,939,218)





(7,400,855)





(11,772,640)

Gains (losses) on asset sales

693,750





31,243





865,038





61,801





2,292,215

Plus:





































Cash receipts from (payments on)





































off-market derivative contracts(1)

(1,284,024)





-





(6,465,597)





-





(2,493,481)

Restricted stock and deferred





































director's expense

574,333





325,697





1,366,346





710,099





468,598

Adjusted EBITDA $ 7,194,102



$ 5,008,654



$ 17,429,579



$ 11,506,346



$ 5,819,415











































(1) The initial receipt of $8.8 million of cash from BP Energy Company, or BP, for entering into the off-market derivative contracts had no effect on the Company's statement of operations and was considered cash flow from financing activities. A portion of subsequent settlements with BP had no effect on the Company's statement of operations.



Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (TTM) Reconciliation

"Debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM)" is defined as the ratio of long-term debt to adjusted EBITDA on a trailing 12-month (TTM) basis. We have included a presentation of debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM) because we recognize that certain investors consider such ratios to be useful means of measuring our ability to meet our debt service obligations and for evaluating our financial performance. The debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM) ratio has limitations and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, operating income, cash flow from operations or other consolidated income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, this presentation of debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM) may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure of other companies. The following table provides a presentation of net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA on a TTM basis and of the resulting debt to adjusted EBITDA (TTM) ratio:



TTM Ended



TTM Ended



June 30, 2022



June 30, 2021

Net Income (Loss) $ 7,486,604



$ (4,287,159)

Plus:













Income tax expense (benefit)

2,221,949





(1,780,060)

Interest expense

898,201





1,118,561

DD&A

7,297,339





8,696,169

Impairment

16,482





45,855

Less:













Unrealized gains (losses)













on derivatives

(815,184)





(9,788,013)

Gains (losses) on asset sales

1,112,581





770,911

Plus:













Cash receipts from (payments on)













off-market derivative contracts(1)

2,334,403





-

Restricted stock and deferred













director's expense

1,691,912





878,405

Adjusted EBITDA $ 21,649,493



$ 13,688,873

















Debt $ 28,300,000



$ 19,900,000

Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (TTM)

1.31





1.45



















(1) The initial receipt of $8.8 million of cash from BP for entering into the off-market derivative contracts had no effect on the Company's statement of operations and was considered cash flow from financing activities. A portion of subsequent settlements with BP has no effect on the Company's statement of operations.



Pretax Net Income (Loss) Excluding Non-cash Derivative Gains (Losses) Reconciliation

"Pretax net income (loss) excluding non-cash derivative gains (losses)" is defined as earnings before taxes, excluding unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives. We have included a presentation of pretax net income (loss) excluding non-cash derivative gains (losses) because we recognize that certain investors consider this amount to be a useful means of measuring our ability to meet our debt service obligations and evaluating our financial performance. Pretax net income (loss) excluding non-cash derivative gains (losses) has limitations and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, operating income, cash flow from operations or other consolidated income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, this presentation of pretax net income (loss) excluding non-cash derivative gains (losses) may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure of other companies. The following table provides a presentation of net income (loss) to pretax net income (loss) excluding non-cash derivative gains (losses) for the periods indicated:



Third Quarter Ended



Second Quarter Ended



June 30, 2022



March 31, 2022

Net Income (Loss) $ 8,589,010



$ (4,020,455)

Plus:













Income tax expense (benefit)

976,000





33,000

Less:













Unrealized gains (losses)













on derivatives

3,282,921





(11,772,640)

Pretax Net Income (Loss) excluding













Non-cash Derivative Gains (Losses) $ 6,282,089



$ 7,785,185

















Weighted average shares outstanding













Basic

34,652,155





34,292,455

Diluted

34,851,214





34,292,455

















Pretax Net Income (Loss) excluding Non-cash













Derivative Gains (Losses) per basic and diluted share $ 0.18



$ 0.23



















PHX Minerals Inc. (NYSE: PHX) Fort Worth, Texas, based, PHX Minerals Inc. is a natural gas and oil mineral company with a strategy to proactively grow its mineral position in its core areas of focus. PHX owns approximately 75,000 leased mineral acres principally located in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Arkansas. Additional information on PHX can be found at www.phxmin.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "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. Words such as "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "believes," "expects," "intends," "will," "should," "may" and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and reflect PHX's current views about future events. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to: the Company's ability to execute its business strategies; the volatility of realized natural gas and oil prices; the level of production on the Company's properties; estimates of quantities of natural gas, oil and NGL reserves and their values; general economic or industry conditions; legislation or regulatory requirements; conditions of the securities markets; the Company's ability to raise capital; changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; financial or political instability; acts of war or terrorism; title defects in the properties in which the Company invests; and other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory or technical factors affecting properties, operations or prices. Although the Company believes expectations reflected in these and other forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the results to differ materially from those expected by the Company's management. Information concerning these risks and other factors can be found in the Company's filings with the SEC, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, available on the Company's website or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE PHX MINERALS INC.
Rebecca Britt, MA, Kandyce Hylick, MPH, Sarah Johanek, MPH, and Ebony Wrenn, M.Ed. join 2020 Mom to further its work to aggressively close gaps in the U.S. maternal mental health care system.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 Mom, a nonprofit advocacy organization whose mission is to close gaps in maternal mental health care, welcomes four new staff members to support its research and policy efforts.

2020 Mom

Rebecca Britt, MA, Director of Research and Impact, will lead the organization's research efforts as well as further identifying measures and monitoring results to inform 2020 Mom's (and the MMH field's) efforts to close gaps in maternal mental health. Rebecca holds a Master's degree in Program Evaluation and a professional certification in Results Based Accountability and previously served as the Director of Education and Engagement at the Preeclampsia Foundation.

Kandyce Hylick, MPH, joins 2020 Mom as a Policy Analyst and will lead the organization's issue brief development work and will serve as the lead author of the Maternal Mental Health State of the Nation report. She is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia. In addition, she previously supported maternal mental health efforts at the American Public Health Association. Kandyce aspires to help bring about integrated maternal health care models that allow women to get the care they need and deserve while bringing children into this world.

In her role as Policy Project Manager, Sarah Johanek, MPH, will be researching, tracking and educating the field about critical federal policy issues, and supporting the organization's work engaging federal agencies and other partners. Sarah previously supported the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance with public policy efforts. Her public health background cultivated her experience in program evaluation, data analytics, and community-based research.

Ebony Wrenn, M.Ed., will serve as the Program Director for Mom Congress, currently a project of 2020 Mom. Mom Congress is a membership organization that is addressing the most pressing policy issues of motherhood, including what we call the "motherload" (the stress that U.S. mothers carry, at higher rates than other developed countries). Ebony joins the Mom Congress team after serving for over ten years in the field of urban education, most recently as an Early Childhood Principal. She is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at National Louis University and will graduate in 2022.

About 2020 Mom

2020 Mom is working to prevent the suffering of mothers, babies, and families associated with untreated maternal mental health disorders, like postpartum depression. 2020 Mom has driven the national conversation from one centered around raising awareness of one disorder, to building a movement to address maternal mental health. The organization's work centers around closing gaps in the healthcare system by scaling change through identification of evidence-based and emerging solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and advancing legislative and regulatory policy solutions.

About Mom Congress

Mom Congress seeks to serve as the gateway to bring the voices and concerns of mothers and families to the government, media, and public at large.

Contact

Kelly Nielson

310-955-1081

[email protected]

SOURCE 2020 Mom
A U.S. leader in institutional investment and risk-management consulting

BOSTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Agilis Partners LLC, a leading investment, actuarial and risk management group, today announced the completion of its spin-off from River and Mercantile Group Ltd (R&M). Led by the U.S. management team and rebranded as Agilis, the new entity remains focused on serving institutional investor clients. The spinoff includes the entire U.S. consulting team along with the former R&M Chief Investment Officer and team.

Agilis's core business centers around custom solutions delivered through innovative actuarial and investment strategies. This includes, actuarial and investment consulting including OCIO, derivatives management, pension actuarial and administrative services including annuity buyouts and plan terminations and specialty investment management strategies.

"Today marks a new and exciting chapter for our company, and we look forward to embarking on this next chapter with our team," said Tom Cassara, CEO of Agilis. "We remain deeply rooted in our commitment to provide innovative investment and actuarial solutions driven by investors' needs, ultimately improving client outcomes."

"We are always thinking ahead, ensuring that we continue to serve our clients as best we can over the long term," commented Michael Clark, Managing Director of Agilis. "This is a very exciting time in our journey. As Agilis, we are positioned to allow for further innovation and a platform offering best-in-class expertise."

With approximately 40 professionals across the U.S., Agilis is headquartered in Boston, MA, with other offices in New York, NY and Denver, CO.

"As an independent company, we will have enhanced strategic and operational flexibility to put the interests of our clients and our people first, as we continue to provide the high- quality counsel and services we are known for," added Cassara. "We've never been more focused on providing exceptional experiences for our clients and raising the bar on the level of service we deliver."

For more information, please visit us at https://agilis.llc/.

About Agilis

Agilis is the flexibility to find solutions for our clients across the spectrum. Focused on outsourced CIO (OCIO), actuarial and investment consulting, derivatives management, specialty investment management strategies and pension administrative services including annuity buyouts and plan terminations, we find new, innovative and exciting ways to improve the outcomes for our clients. For more information, please visit https://agilis.llc/.

SOURCE Agilis
Second Quarter 2022 Highlights:

Domestic EGM Recurring Revenue Increased 1% Y/Y to a Record $46.2 Million

Premium EGM Installed Base Nearly Doubled Y/Y and Grew by 15% Sequentially

Domestic EGM RPD Increased 6% Sequentially; Topped $30 for the Fifth Consecutive Quarter

Generated $1.5 Million of Net Income; First Net Profit Since Q4 2019

Adjusted EBITDA Increased 6% Y/Y to $34.1 Million

Table Products Adjusted EBITDA Reached a Record $2 Million

On Pace to Achieve Year-End 2022 Net Leverage Target of less than 4.0x

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PlayAGS, Inc. (NYSE: AGS) ("AGS", "us", "we" or the "Company"), a designer and developer of equipment and services solutions for the global gaming industry, today reported operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

In addressing the Company's second quarter financial performance, AGS President and Chief Executive Officer David Lopez said, "Our second quarter results reflect the growing returns we are realizing as a result of the significant investments made into our R&D, sales and product management teams over the past 24 months. These investments have accelerated the operating momentum we are seeing within the business, as reflected by the material year-over-year growth in our reported Q2 2022 net revenues, net income and Adjusted EBITDA."

Mr. Lopez continued, "Despite swirling uncertainty over the health of the consumer and the direction of the global economy, we have been encouraged by the incredible consistency demonstrated within our business through July. Ultimately, our recurring-revenue focused business model and strong liquidity position fortify the underlying resiliency within our business."

Summary of the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 (In thousands, except per-share and Adjusted EBITDA margin data)





Three Months Ended June 30,







































2022



2021



$ Change



% Change

Revenues:































EGM

$ 70,467



$ 61,193



$ 9,274





15.2 % Table Products



3,514





2,830





684





24.2 % Interactive



2,603





2,814





(211)





(7.5) % Total revenues

$ 76,584



$ 66,837



$ 9,747





14.6 % Income from operations

$ 9,813



$ 7,428



$ 2,385





32.1 % Net income (loss)

$ 1,542



$ (3,883)



$ 5,425





(139.7) % Income (loss) per share

$ 0.04



$ (0.11)



$ 0.15





(137.9) %

































Adjusted EBITDA:































EGM

$ 31,564



$ 29,453



$ 2,111





7.2 % Table Products



2,021





1,448





573





39.6 % Interactive



545





1,202





(657)





(54.7) % Total Adjusted EBITDA(1)

$ 34,130



$ 32,103



$ 2,027





6.3 % Total Adjusted EBITDA margin(2)



44.6 %



48.0 %



(3.4) %

(340 bps)



































Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Total revenue reached $76.6 million , representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 15%. Revenue growth within the EGM segment outpaced the broader company average, supported by continued successful execution of our premium game growth initiative, realization of early-stage returns on recent R&D investments, continued recovery in North American replacement unit demand, and further improvement in the Mexico macroeconomic environment. Table Product revenues advanced approximately 24% year-over-year to a record $3.5 million , reflecting outsized growth within our progressive installed base, initial installs of our PAX S single-deck card shuffler, a doubling of our AGS Arsenal site license customer account penetration, and the Q1 2022 Lucky Lucky side bet acquisition. Interactive revenues declined modestly year-over-year as we continue to strategically refocus our resources to better capitalize upon growth opportunities in the North American real-money gaming ("RMG") market. Total revenue improved approximately 5% over the $72.9 million delivered in Q1 2022, with revenues increasing sequentially in all three business segments. Q2 2022 marked the sixth consecutive quarter in which we were able to achieve quarterly sequential revenue growth.

, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 15%. Revenue growth within the EGM segment outpaced the broader company average, supported by continued successful execution of our premium game growth initiative, realization of early-stage returns on recent R&D investments, continued recovery in North American replacement unit demand, and further improvement in the macroeconomic environment. Table Product revenues advanced approximately 24% year-over-year to a record , reflecting outsized growth within our progressive installed base, initial installs of our single-deck card shuffler, a doubling of our site license customer account penetration, and the Q1 2022 side bet acquisition. Interactive revenues declined modestly year-over-year as we continue to strategically refocus our resources to better capitalize upon growth opportunities in the North American real-money gaming ("RMG") market. Total revenue improved approximately 5% over the delivered in Q1 2022, with revenues increasing sequentially in all three business segments. Q2 2022 marked the sixth consecutive quarter in which we were able to achieve quarterly sequential revenue growth. Gaming operations, or recurring revenue, increased to $56.6 million versus $55.0 million and $53.2 million in Q2 2021 and Q1 2022, respectively. Despite facing a challenging prior-year comparison that benefitted from considerable fiscal stimulus and the broad-based easing of COVID-related casino operating restrictions throughout the United States , domestic EGM gaming operations revenue increased approximately 1% year-over-year to a record $46.2 million . Table Products recurring revenue of $3.5 million also reached a new record, supported by organic growth throughout the installed base and Q1 2022 acquisition activity. In aggregate, recurring revenue accounted for approximately 74% of our consolidated Q2 2022 revenue.

versus and in Q2 2021 and Q1 2022, respectively. Despite facing a challenging prior-year comparison that benefitted from considerable fiscal stimulus and the broad-based easing of COVID-related casino operating restrictions throughout , domestic EGM gaming operations revenue increased approximately 1% year-over-year to a record . Table Products recurring revenue of also reached a new record, supported by organic growth throughout the installed base and Q1 2022 acquisition activity. In aggregate, recurring revenue accounted for approximately 74% of our consolidated Q2 2022 revenue. We generated $1.5 million of net income in Q2 2022 compared to a net loss of $3.9 million in the prior year period. The year-over-year increase in our reported net income reflects our improved operating performance and interest expense savings resulting from our Q1 2022 comprehensive debt refinancing. Q2 2022 marked the first quarter in which we were able to generate positive net income since Q4 2019.

of net income in Q2 2022 compared to a net loss of in the prior year period. The year-over-year increase in our reported net income reflects our improved operating performance and interest expense savings resulting from our Q1 2022 comprehensive debt refinancing. Q2 2022 marked the first quarter in which we were able to generate positive net income since Q4 2019. Total Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)(1) increased approximately 6% year-over-year to $34.1 million compared to $32.1 million in Q2 2021. Year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA growth within the Table Products and EGM segments of approximately 40% and 7%, respectively, was partially offset by a decline within the Interactive segment, as we elected to incur modest incremental expense in order to accelerate the flow of new AGS game content into the North American RMG channel. Adjusted EBITDA increased approximately 4% on a quarterly sequential basis versus the $32.8 million delivered in Q1 2022.

compared to in Q2 2021. Year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA growth within the Table Products and EGM segments of approximately 40% and 7%, respectively, was partially offset by a decline within the Interactive segment, as we elected to incur modest incremental expense in order to accelerate the flow of new AGS game content into the North American RMG channel. Adjusted EBITDA increased approximately 4% on a quarterly sequential basis versus the delivered in Q1 2022. Total Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP)(1) was 44.6%, relatively consistent with the 45.0% achieved in Q1 2022 and slightly below the 48.0% reached in Q2 2021. The year-over-year compression in our Adjusted EBITDA margin was predominantly driven by a greater mix of EGM unit sales revenues, which carry a lower gross margin as compared to EGM gaming operations revenues, and higher costs related to global supply chain and logistics disruption.

(1) Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP measures, see non-GAAP reconciliation below. (2) Basis points ("bps").

EGM

Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2021

(Amounts in thousands, except unit data)

Three Months Ended June 30,







































2022



2021



$ Change



% Change

EGM segment revenues:































Gaming operations

$ 50,538



$ 49,432



$ 1,106





2.2 % Equipment sales



19,929





11,761





8,168





69.4 % Total EGM revenues

$ 70,467



$ 61,193



$ 9,274





15.2 %

































EGM Adjusted EBITDA

$ 31,564



$ 29,453



$ 2,111





7.2 %

































EGM unit information:































Class II



11,233





11,317





(84)





(0.7) % Class III



4,794





4,129





665





16.1 % Domestic installed base, end of period



16,027





15,446





581





3.8 % International installed base, end of period



6,769





7,879





(1,110)





(14.1) % Total installed base, end of period



22,796





23,325





(529)





(2.3) %

































Installed base - Oklahoma



7,880





8,054





(174)





(2.2) % Installed base - non-Oklahoma



8,147





7,392





755





10.2 % Domestic installed base, end of period



16,027





15,446





581





3.8 %

































Domestic revenue per day

$ 32.55



$ 33.11



$ (0.56)





(1.7) % International revenue per day

$ 6.69



$ 4.66



$ 2.03





43.6 % Total revenue per day

$ 24.79



$ 23.47



$ 1.32





5.6 %

































Domestic EGM unit sales components:































Casino opening and expansion units



80





175





(95)





(54.3) % Other



778





438





340





77.6 % Total Domestic EGM units sold



858





613





245





40.0 % International EGM units sold



76





-





76





N/A

Total EGM units sold



934





613





321





52.4 %

































Domestic average sales price

$ 19,938



$ 16,902



$ 3,036





18.0 %



































EGM Quarterly Results

Domestic Gaming Operations(3)

Domestic EGM gaming operations, or recurring revenue, increased approximately 1% year-over-year to a record $46.2 million . Growth within our domestic EGM installed base, supported by a near doubling of our premium EGM units, further execution upon continuous installed base optimization initiatives and a stable gaming macroeconomic backdrop drove our improved quarterly revenue performance versus the prior year. Importantly, we were able to achieve year-over-year revenue growth despite lapping a challenging Q2 2021 comparison, as the prior year period benefitted from meaningful fiscal stimulus and the relaxation of COVID-related casino operating restrictions throughout the United States . Domestic EGM recurring revenue accounted for approximately 71% of our total Q2 2022 domestic EGM revenue.

. Growth within our domestic EGM installed base, supported by a near doubling of our premium EGM units, further execution upon continuous installed base optimization initiatives and a stable gaming macroeconomic backdrop drove our improved quarterly revenue performance versus the prior year. Importantly, we were able to achieve year-over-year revenue growth despite lapping a challenging Q2 2021 comparison, as the prior year period benefitted from meaningful fiscal stimulus and the relaxation of COVID-related casino operating restrictions throughout . Domestic EGM recurring revenue accounted for approximately 71% of our total Q2 2022 domestic EGM revenue. Our domestic EGM installed base included 16,027 units at the end of Q2 2022, representing an increase of 581 units year-over-year and 112 units versus the prior sequential quarter. Installed base growth in both the year-over-year and quarterly sequential periods was paced by our ongoing successful penetration of the premium EGM segment, as we continue to benefit from our strong game performance, diverse array of cabinet configurations, enhanced complement of game mechanics, and deep portfolio of premium game content.

Our premium EGM installed base nearly doubled year-over-year, accounting for 12% of our domestic EGM installed base at the end of Q2 2022 compared to 6% at Q2 2021 quarter end. Our premium EGM installed base increased by approximately 15% on a quarterly sequential basis, marking our tenth consecutive quarter of premium unit growth.

Domestic EGM revenue per day ("RPD") of $32.55 increased approximately 6% sequentially, exceeding $30 for the fifth consecutive quarter. Outsized premium unit growth, continued improvement in our core content execution, further fleet optimization, and a stable gaming macroeconomic environment paced the sequential strength in our domestic EGM RPD performance. Domestic EGM RPD decreased approximately 2% year-over-year, as the prior year period benefitted from significant U.S. fiscal stimulus and the release of pent up consumer demand as COVID-related operating restrictions were eased throughout the domestic gaming market.

Domestic Equipment Sales

We sold a total of 858 domestic EGM units in Q2 2022, an increase of 40% compared to the 613 units sold in Q2 2021. The increased depth and breadth of our core game content catalog, the strategic broadening of our customer account penetration, continued success in capturing an outsized share of Historical Horse Racing ("HHR") sales opportunities, and a steady recovery in core North American replacement unit demand combined to drive our improved domestic EGM unit sales performance versus the prior year.

Domestic average sales price ("ASP") was $19,938 versus $16,902 in Q2 2021, topping $19,000 for the third consecutive quarter. Our improved domestic ASP reflects a greater mix of premium-priced Orion Curve cabinets, which accounted for over 70% of Q2 2022 total domestic units sold compared to 24% in Q2 2021, and continued successful implementation of our price integrity initiative. Domestic ASP increased approximately 4% on a quarterly sequential basis.

versus in Q2 2021, topping for the third consecutive quarter. Our improved domestic ASP reflects a greater mix of premium-priced cabinets, which accounted for over 70% of Q2 2022 total domestic units sold compared to 24% in Q2 2021, and continued successful implementation of our price integrity initiative. Domestic ASP increased approximately 4% on a quarterly sequential basis. We sold units into 26 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces throughout Q2 2022, as we continue to successfully implement strategic initiatives intended to broaden our customer account penetration.

International EGM's

International EGM gaming operations, or recurring revenue, totaled $4.3 million compared to $3.5 million in Q2 2021 and improved approximately 6% over Q1 2022 levels, marking the eighth consecutive quarterly sequential increase.

compared to in Q2 2021 and improved approximately 6% over Q1 2022 levels, marking the eighth consecutive quarterly sequential increase. International EGM RPD increased approximately 44% year-over-year to $6.69 compared to $4.66 in Q2 2021 and improved approximately 8% on a quarterly sequential basis relative to the $6.17 achieved in Q1 2022. An increase in the number of active playable games in casinos and Mexico's continued post-COVID-19 macroeconomic recovery paced our improved International EGM RPD performance in both the year-over-year and quarterly sequential periods.

compared to in Q2 2021 and improved approximately 8% on a quarterly sequential basis relative to the achieved in Q1 2022. An increase in the number of active playable games in casinos and continued post-COVID-19 macroeconomic recovery paced our improved International EGM RPD performance in both the year-over-year and quarterly sequential periods. Our international EGM installed base totaled 6,769 units at June 30, 2022 , representing a quarterly sequential decrease of 428 units. The imposition of a new gaming tax in one Mexican state paced the quarterly sequential installed base decline. As previously disclosed, we made a strategic decision to exit the Philippines market at the end of calendar year 2021, which, combined with the Q2 2022 Mexico removals, drove the majority of the year-over-year decrease within our international EGM installed base. We estimate approximately 93% of our international EGM installed base was active and playable as of June 30, 2022 compared to approximately 80% as of March 31, 2022 .

, representing a quarterly sequential decrease of 428 units. The imposition of a new gaming tax in one Mexican state paced the quarterly sequential installed base decline. As previously disclosed, we made a strategic decision to exit market at the end of calendar year 2021, which, combined with the Q2 2022 Mexico removals, drove the majority of the year-over-year decrease within our international EGM installed base. We estimate approximately 93% of our international EGM installed base was active and playable as of compared to approximately 80% as of . We sold a total of 76 EGM units internationally in Q2 2022, bringing our year-to-date international EGM sales to 94 units. We have identified additional opportunities to further leverage our GLI-approved EGM products in a variety of international markets.

Product & Market Highlights

Our Orion Curve Premium installed base increased by over 65% on a quarterly sequential basis, with growth achieved in both Class II and Class III jurisdictions. Curve Premium continues to deliver RPD's nicely above our blended corporate average in both end markets. Looking ahead, we continue to assemble a diverse pipeline of new premium game content, complete with enhanced game play mechanics, and strategically broaden our portfolio of cutting-edge hardware to support our long-term growth initiatives within the higher-yielding premium game segment.

installed base increased by over 65% on a quarterly sequential basis, with growth achieved in both Class II and Class III jurisdictions. continues to deliver RPD's nicely above our blended corporate average in both end markets. Looking ahead, we continue to assemble a diverse pipeline of new premium game content, complete with enhanced game play mechanics, and strategically broaden our portfolio of cutting-edge hardware to support our long-term growth initiatives within the higher-yielding premium game segment. We remain committed to investing in our R&D organization to strengthen our organizational foundation and support our longer-term growth initiatives in both Class II and Class III markets. These investments should allow us to produce a higher volume of game content with more diverse feature sets, further exploit key competitive Class II product and scale advantages, and strategically expand the reach of our game cabinet and content offerings into new market segments.

In June 2022 , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of two Texas tribes, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribe of Texas , paving the way for the tribes to continue exercising their sovereign rights to offer non-prohibited gaming on tribal lands within the state. The favorable ruling potentially creates an opportunity for AGS to further leverage its key Class II competitive advantages, including its extensive game content portfolio, unique development capabilities and deeply rooted customer relationships, to strategically broaden the scope of its Class II business within the state.

(3) "Domestic" includes both the United States and Canada.

Table Products

Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2021

(Amounts in thousands, except unit data)

Three Months Ended June 30,







































2022



2021



$ Change



% Change

Table Products segment revenues:































Gaming operations

$ 3,499



$ 2,793



$ 706





25.3 % Equipment sales



15





37





(22)





(59.5) % Total Table Products revenues

$ 3,514



$ 2,830



$ 684





24.2 %

































Table Products Adjusted EBITDA

$ 2,021



$ 1,448



$ 573





39.6 %

































Table Products unit information:































Table Products installed base, end of period



5,765





4,458





1,307





29.3 % Average monthly lease price

$ 200



$ 207



$ (7)





(3.4) %



































Table Products Quarterly Results

Gaming operations, or recurring revenue, grew to a record $3.5 million , surpassing the prior record of $3.4 million , established in Q1 2022, by approximately 3%. Recurring revenue has increased sequentially for eight consecutive quarters, supported by growing customer demand for our industry-leading progressive products, greater customer adoption of our all-inclusive site license offering, the AGS Arsenal , and initial market penetration of our PAX S specialty game card shuffler.

, surpassing the prior record of , established in Q1 2022, by approximately 3%. Recurring revenue has increased sequentially for eight consecutive quarters, supported by growing customer demand for our industry-leading progressive products, greater customer adoption of our all-inclusive site license offering, the , and initial market penetration of our specialty game card shuffler. Our installed base expanded by over 380 units on a quarterly sequential basis to a record 5,765 units, led by a more than 12% increase in our progressive installed base. Our installed base increased by over 1,300 units year-over-year, supported by growth in all Table Product categories, including progressives, side bets, premium games, and shufflers, and the addition of units acquired in conjunction with the Q1 2022 Lucky Lucky side bet acquisition.

side bet acquisition. Our average monthly lease price ("ALP") decreased approximately 3% year-over-year to $200 . The modest decline in our ALP was predominantly driven by a higher mix of lower-yielding side bet units resulting from the Lucky Lucky acquisition.

. The modest decline in our ALP was predominantly driven by a higher mix of lower-yielding side bet units resulting from the acquisition. Our progressive installed base grew to over 1,975 units at June 30, 2022 compared to 1,614 units and 1,757 units at the end of Q2 2021 and Q1 2022, respectively. The installed base of our highly anticipated and differentiated Bonus Spin Xtreme ("BSX") progressive more than doubled on a sequential basis to over 235 units. Demand for BSX remains robust, supported by casino operators' growing interest in leveraging the product to activate progressives on latent roulette tables.

compared to 1,614 units and 1,757 units at the end of Q2 2021 and Q1 2022, respectively. The installed base of our highly anticipated and differentiated progressive more than doubled on a sequential basis to over 235 units. Demand for remains robust, supported by casino operators' growing interest in leveraging the product to activate progressives on latent roulette tables. As of June 30, 2022 , we had 45 PAX S specialty game card shufflers installed across ten different jurisdictions. We continue to receive encouraging customer feedback on our initial PAX S installs and have started to see initial product adopters request additional units, a true testament to the product's consistency, efficiency and durability. Supported by the receipt of additional jurisdictional regulatory approvals and the product's successful launch-to-date, we expect PAX S demand to accelerate in the back half of 2022.

, we had 45 specialty game card shufflers installed across ten different jurisdictions. We continue to receive encouraging customer feedback on our initial installs and have started to see initial product adopters request additional units, a true testament to the product's consistency, efficiency and durability. Supported by the receipt of additional jurisdictional regulatory approvals and the product's successful launch-to-date, we expect demand to accelerate in the back half of 2022. We were live with 20 AGS Arsenal site licenses at the end of Q2 2022, a two-fold increase versus the prior year. The Arsenal's compelling value proposition and our organizational commitment to investing in Table Product innovation continues to stimulate interest in our site license offering amongst our casino operator partners.

site licenses at the end of Q2 2022, a two-fold increase versus the prior year. The compelling value proposition and our organizational commitment to investing in Table Product innovation continues to stimulate interest in our site license offering amongst our casino operator partners. Adjusted EBITDA increased approximately 40% year-over-year to a record $2.0 million , supported by year-over-year revenue growth of approximately 24%, which was accompanied by strong flow through. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 57.5% compared to 51.2% in Q2 2021, with the increase largely attributable to the operating leverage we are achieving within the business.

Interactive

Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2021

(Amounts in thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,







































2022



2021



$ Change



% Change

Interactive segment revenue:































Social gaming revenue

$ 515



$ 580



$ (65)





(11.2) % Real-money gaming revenue



2,088





2,234





(146)





(6.5) % Total Interactive revenue

$ 2,603



$ 2,814



$ (211)





(7.5) %

































Interactive Adjusted EBITDA

$ 545



$ 1,202



$ (657)





(54.7) %



































Interactive Quarterly Results

Interactive segment revenue totaled $2.6 million , representing quarterly sequential growth of over 5% compared to the $2.5 million achieved in Q1 2022. The positive sequential revenue trend reflects the growing momentum within our North American RMG business and stable social gaming revenue performance. Ongoing efforts to strategically refocus our Interactive resources to better capitalize upon growth opportunities within the regulated North American RMG market, including further rationalization and optimization of our international RMG exposure, has led to anticipated compression in our rest of world RMG revenue performance, pushing segment-level revenues slightly lower versus the prior year.

, representing quarterly sequential growth of over 5% compared to the achieved in Q1 2022. The positive sequential revenue trend reflects the growing momentum within our North American RMG business and stable social gaming revenue performance. Ongoing efforts to strategically refocus our Interactive resources to better capitalize upon growth opportunities within the regulated North American RMG market, including further rationalization and optimization of our international RMG exposure, has led to anticipated compression in our rest of world RMG revenue performance, pushing segment-level revenues slightly lower versus the prior year. Real-money gaming revenue increased approximately 7% as compared to the $2.0 million delivered in Q1 2022, supported by sequential North American RMG revenue growth of over 15%. North American-sourced RMG revenues accounted for approximately 85% of our Q2 2022 total RMG revenue mix compared to 66% in Q2 2021 and 78% in Q1 2022. Our growing North American revenue mix reflects early returns from our efforts to strategically refocus our RMG business on North American growth opportunities, the strong performance of player-favorite AGS game themes in the North American RMG channel, distribution of our content into new North American jurisdictions, and broadening of our B2C operator partner relationships.

delivered in Q1 2022, supported by sequential North American RMG revenue growth of over 15%. North American-sourced RMG revenues accounted for approximately 85% of our Q2 2022 total RMG revenue mix compared to 66% in Q2 2021 and 78% in Q1 2022. Our growing North American revenue mix reflects early returns from our efforts to strategically refocus our RMG business on North American growth opportunities, the strong performance of player-favorite AGS game themes in the North American RMG channel, distribution of our content into new North American jurisdictions, and broadening of our B2C operator partner relationships. Social gaming revenue of $515 thousand was relatively consistent with the prior sequential quarter, as we continue to prioritize stability and profitability within this segment of our business. The year-over-year revenue decline reflects the impact of our strategic decision to moderate player marketing spend, consistent with our profitability focus within the segment.

was relatively consistent with the prior sequential quarter, as we continue to prioritize stability and profitability within this segment of our business. The year-over-year revenue decline reflects the impact of our strategic decision to moderate player marketing spend, consistent with our profitability focus within the segment. Interactive Adjusted EBITDA was $545 thousand , marking the segment's tenth consecutive quarter of positive Adjusted EBITDA performance. Adjusted EBITDA was impacted by a modest increase in our segment-level costs, as we incurred incremental expense to accelerate the flow of new AGS content into North American RMG channel. Although we have increased investments into our RMG operation, we remain fully committed to scaling the business in an Adjusted EBITDA positive manner.

, marking the segment's tenth consecutive quarter of positive Adjusted EBITDA performance. Adjusted EBITDA was impacted by a modest increase in our segment-level costs, as we incurred incremental expense to accelerate the flow of new AGS content into North American RMG channel. Although we have increased investments into our RMG operation, we remain fully committed to scaling the business in an Adjusted EBITDA positive manner. We achieved our sixth consecutive top-five supplier slot indexing ranking in the July 2022 Eilers and Krejcik Online Game Performance Report, with two AGS game themes achieving a top-20 ranking within the slots category. Our online game content catalog, consisting of over 30 AGS titles, is live in the majority of the most prominent regulated North American online jurisdictions, including PA, MI, NJ, Ontario , and Quebec , and we continue to prepare for scheduled upcoming launches into additional jurisdictions, including CT, WV, British Columbia , and Alberta .

Liquidity and Capital Expenditures

As of June 30, 2022, the Company had an available cash balance of $38.9 million and $40.0 million of availability under its undrawn revolving credit facility, resulting in total available liquidity of $78.9 million.

The total principal amount of debt outstanding, as of June 30, 2022, was $574.3 million compared to $615.7 million at December 31, 2021. Total net debt, which is the principal amount of debt outstanding less cash and cash equivalents, was approximately $535.4 million as of June 30, 2022, conveying a Total Net Debt Leverage Ratio of 4.1 times. (4)

Second quarter 2022 capital expenditures totaled $18.7 million, bringing year-to-date capital expenditures through June 30, 2022 to $30.3 million. Gaming equipment-related investments into our EGM and Table Product installed bases accounted for over 60% of capital expenditures incurred year-to-date. Driven by the accelerating demand we are seeing for our high-performing premium EGM products and the emergence of incremental placement opportunities into the Texas Class II market following the favorable Supreme Court ruling in June, we now expect to incur full-year capital expenditures of $62 to $67 million.

2022 Net Leverage Target

Supported by our solid financial performance through the first six months of 2022, the product momentum building within multiple segments of our business, and the consistency we continue to observe within our day-to-day operations, we remain on pace to deliver upon our previously issued year-end 2022 net leverage target of less than 4.0x.

(4) Total Adjusted EBITDA and Total Net Debt Leverage Ratio are non-GAAP measures, see non-GAAP reconciliation below.



Conference Call and Webcast

AGS leadership will host a conference call to review the Company's second quarter 2022 results on August 8, 2022, at 5 p.m. EDT. Participants may access a live webcast of the conference call, along with a slide presentation reviewing the quarterly results, at the Company's Investor Relations website http://investors.playags.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website following the live event. U.S. and Canadian participants may access the call live by telephone by calling +1 (844) 200-6205, while international participants should call +1 (929) 526-1599. The conference call access code is 403415.

Company Overview

AGS is a global company focused on creating a diverse mix of entertaining gaming experiences for every kind of player. Our roots are firmly planted in the Class II tribal gaming market, but our customer-centric culture and remarkable growth have helped us branch out to become one of the most all-inclusive commercial gaming equipment suppliers in the world. Powered by high-performing Class II and Class III slot products, an expansive table products portfolio, highly rated social casino, real-money gaming solutions for players and operators, and best-in-class service, we offer an unmatched value proposition for our casino partners. Learn more at playags.com.

AGS Investor & Media Contacts:

Brad Boyer, Senior Vice President Corporate Operations and Investor Relations

[email protected]

Julia Boguslawski, Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected]

2022 PlayAGS, Inc. Products referenced herein are sold by AGS LLC or other subsidiaries of PlayAGS, Inc. Solely for convenience, marks, trademarks and trade names referred to in this press release appear without the  and TM and SM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that PlayAGS, Inc. will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these marks, trademarks and trade names.

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains, and oral statements made from time to time by our representatives may contain, forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations and projections, which are intended to qualify for the safe harbor of 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 proposed public offering and other statements identified by words such as "believe," "will," "may," "might," "likely," "expect," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "believes," "continues," "projects" and similar references to future periods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections of future events.

These forward-looking statements reflect the current views, models, and assumptions of AGS, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or qualified and could cause actual results in AGS's performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of AGS to maintain strategic alliances, unit placements or installations, grow revenue, garner new market share, secure new licenses in new jurisdictions, successfully develop or place proprietary product, comply with regulations, have its games approved by relevant jurisdictions, the effects of COVID-19 on the Company's business and results of operations and other factors set forth under Item 1. "Business," Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in AGS's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements made herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results, events or developments referenced herein will occur or be realized. Readers are cautioned that all forward-looking statements speak only to the facts and circumstances present as of the date of this press release. AGS expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PLAYAGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)





June 30,



December 31,





2022



2021

Assets

Current assets















Cash and cash equivalents

$ 38,854



$ 94,977

Restricted cash



20





20

Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $2,193 and $1,993, respectively



52,931





49,426

Inventories



37,550





27,534

Prepaid expenses



7,250





4,878

Deposits and other



8,218





8,240

Total current assets



144,823





185,075

Property and equipment, net



75,426





74,916

Goodwill



287,069





285,546

Intangible assets



151,421





160,044

Deferred tax asset



7,499





7,333

Operating lease assets



12,257





12,503

Other assets



7,413





7,394

Total assets

$ 685,908



$ 732,811



















Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

Current liabilities















Accounts payable

$ 18,828



$ 9,439

Accrued liabilities



39,210





39,165

Current maturities of long-term debt



6,146





6,877

Total current liabilities



64,184





55,481

Long-term debt



551,825





599,281

Deferred tax liability, non-current



2,795





2,653

Operating lease liabilities, long-term



11,556





11,871

Other long-term liabilities



18,970





21,954

Total liabilities



649,330





691,240

Commitments and contingencies















Stockholders' equity















Preferred stock at $0.01 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding



-





-

Common stock at $0.01 par value; 450,000,000 shares authorized at June 30, 2022 and at December 31, 2021; and 37,121,715 and 36,943,770 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively



371





369

Additional paid-in capital



397,785





392,161

Accumulated deficit



(355,951)





(344,889)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(5,627)





(6,070)

Total stockholders' equity



36,578





41,571

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 685,908



$ 732,811



PLAYAGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (amounts in thousands, except per share data)





Three Months Ended June 30,





2022



2021

Revenues















Gaming operations

$ 56,640



$ 55,039

Equipment sales



19,944





11,798

Total revenues



76,584





66,837

Operating expenses















Cost of gaming operations(5)



10,868





9,677

Cost of equipment sales(5)



10,386





5,748

Selling, general and administrative



15,975





16,300

Research and development



10,040





9,009

Write-downs and other charges



342





64

Depreciation and amortization



19,160





18,611

Total operating expenses



66,771





59,409

Income from operations



9,813





7,428

Other expense (income)















Interest expense



8,087





11,517

Interest income



(214)





(276)

Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt



-





-

Other expense (income)



277





(181)

Income (loss) before income taxes



1,663





(3,632)

Income tax expense



(121)





(251)

Net income (loss)



1,542





(3,883)

Foreign currency translation adjustment



(561)





886

Total comprehensive income (loss)

$ 981



$ (2,997)



















Basic and diluted income (loss) per common share:















Basic

$ 0.04



$ (0.11)

Diluted

$ 0.04



$ (0.11)

Weighted average common shares outstanding:















Basic



36,998





36,632

Diluted



36,998





36,632



(5) Exclusive of depreciation and amortization.

PLAYAGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands)





Six Months Ended June 30,





2022



2021

Cash flows from operating activities















Net loss

$ (11,052)



$ (11,653)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:















Depreciation and amortization



38,029





37,019

Accretion of contract rights under development agreements and placement fees



3,198





3,316

Amortization of deferred loan costs and discount



1,537





2,680

Write-off of deferred loan costs and discount



1,586





-

Cash paid for debt prepayment penalties to prior debt holders



848





-

Stock-based compensation expense



8,231





4,862

Provision for bad debts



273





205

Loss on disposition of long-lived assets



416





191

Impairment of assets



19





653

Fair value adjustment of contingent consideration



-





(56)

Provision for deferred income tax (benefit)



89





49

Changes in assets and liabilities that relate to operations:















Accounts receivable



(3,500)





(3,844)

Inventories



(9,143)





2,367

Prepaid expenses



(2,776)





(4,270)

Deposits and other



106





(1,920)

Other assets, non-current



1,787





1,706

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities



5,256





4,588

Net cash provided by operating activities



34,904





35,893

Cash flows from investing activities















Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired



(4,750)





-

Proceeds from payments on customer notes receivable



137





-

Software development and other expenditures



(9,852)





(7,210)

Proceeds from disposition of assets



8





22

Purchases of property and equipment



(20,401)





(14,191)

Net cash used in investing activities



(34,858)





(21,379)

Cash flows from financing activities















Repayment of prior first lien credit facilities



(521,215)





(2,694)

Repayment of first lien credit facilities



(1,438)





-

Repayment of incremental term loans



(93,575)





(475)

Payment of financed placement fee obligations



(2,593)





(2,444)

Proceeds from term loans



569,250





-

Payment of deferred loan costs



(4,838)





-

Payment of debt prepayment penalties to prior debt holders



(848)





-

Payments of previous acquisition obligation



(287)





(257)

Payments on finance leases and other obligations



(616)





(867)

Repurchase of stock



(10)





(788)

Net cash used in financing activities



(56,170)





(7,525)

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents



1





10

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash



(56,123)





6,999

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period



94,997





81,709

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$ 38,874



$ 88,708



















Supplemental cash flow information:















Non-cash investing and financing activities:















Leased assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities

$ 956



$ 3,042

Leased assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities

$ 242



$ 318





















Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To provide investors with additional information in connection with our results as determined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), we disclose the following non-GAAP financial measures: total Adjusted EBITDA, total Adjusted EBITDA margin, total net debt leverage ratio, and Free Cash Flow. These measures are not financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), income from operations, cash flows, or any other measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Total Adjusted EBITDA

This press release and accompanying schedules provide certain information regarding Adjusted EBITDA, which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We believe that the presentation of total Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate to provide additional information to investors about certain material non-cash items that we do not expect to continue at the same level in the future, as well as other items we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. Further, we believe total Adjusted EBITDA provides a meaningful measure of operating profitability because we use it for evaluating our business performance, making budgeting decisions, and comparing our performance against that of other peer companies using similar measures. It also provides management and investors with additional information to estimate our value.

Total Adjusted EBITDA is not a presentation made in accordance with GAAP. Our use of the term total Adjusted EBITDA may vary from others in our industry. Total Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to operating income or net income. Total Adjusted EBITDA has important limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for the analysis of our results as reported under GAAP.

Our definition of total Adjusted EBITDA allows us to add back certain non-cash charges that are deducted in calculating net income and to deduct certain gains that are included in calculating net income. However, these expenses and gains vary greatly, and are difficult to predict. They can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. In addition, in the case of charges or expenses, these items can represent the reduction of cash that could be used for other corporate purposes. Due to these limitations, we rely primarily on our GAAP results, such as net income (loss), income from operations, EGM Adjusted EBITDA, Table Products Adjusted EBITDA or Interactive Adjusted EBITDA and use Total Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally.

The total Adjusted EBITDA discussion above is also applicable to its margin measure, which is calculated as total Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues.

The following table presents a reconciliation of total Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, which is the most comparable GAAP measure:

Total Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation





Three Months Ended June 30,

(Amounts in thousands)



































2022



2021



$ Change



% Change

Net income (loss)

$ 1,542



$ (3,883)



$ 5,425





(139.7) % Income tax expense



121





251





(130)





(51.8) % Depreciation and amortization



19,160





18,611





549





2.9 % Interest expense, net of interest income and other



8,150





11,060





(2,910)





(26.3) % Write-downs and other(6)



342





64





278





434.4 % Other adjustments(7)



301





717





(416)





(58.0) % Other non-cash charges(8)



2,108





2,053





55





2.7 % Non-cash stock-based compensation(9)



2,406





3,230





(824)





(25.5) % Total Adjusted EBITDA

$ 34,130



$ 32,103



$ 2,027





6.3 %





Three Months Ended June 30,

(Amounts in thousands, except total Adjusted EBITDA margin)



































2022



2021



$ Change



% Change

Total revenues

$ 76,584



$ 66,837



$ 9,747





14.6 % Total Adjusted EBITDA

$ 34,130



$ 32,103



$ 2,027





6.3 % Total Adjusted EBITDA margin



44.6 %



48.0 %



(3.4) %

(340 bps)



(6) Write-downs and other includes items related to loss on disposal or impairment of long-lived assets and fair value adjustments to contingent consideration. (7) Other adjustments are primarily composed of the following:  Costs and inventory and receivable valuation charges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, professional fees incurred for projects, costs incurred related to public offerings, contract cancellation fees and other transaction costs deemed to be non-operating in nature;



 Acquisition and integration related costs related to the purchase of businesses and to integrate operations and obtain costs synergies;



 Restructuring and severance costs, which primarily relate to costs incurred through the restructuring of the Company's operations from time to time and other employee severance costs recognized in the periods presented; and



 Legal and litigation related costs, which consist of payments to law firms and settlements for matters that are outside the normal course of business.



(8) Other non-cash charges are costs related to non-cash charges and losses on the disposition of assets, non-cash charges on capitalized installation and delivery, which primarily includes the costs to acquire contracts that are expensed over the estimated life of each contract, and non-cash charges related to accretion of contract rights under development agreements. (9) Non-cash stock-based compensation includes non-cash compensation expense related to grants of options, restricted stock, and other equity awards.

Total Net Debt Leverage Ratio Reconciliation

The following table presents a reconciliation of total net debt and total net debt leverage ratio:

(Amounts in thousands, except total net debt leverage ratio)

June 30,



December 31,





2022



2021

Total principal amount of debt

$ 574,298



$ 615,743

Less: Cash and cash equivalents



38,854





94,977

Total net debt

$ 535,444



$ 520,766

LTM Adjusted EBITDA

$ 131,058



$ 122,587

Total net debt leverage ratio



4.1





4.2





















Free Cash Flow

This schedule provides certain information regarding Free Cash Flow, which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We define Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by operating activities less cash outlays related to capital expenditures. We define capital expenditures to include purchase of intangible assets, software development and other expenditures, and purchases of property and equipment. In arriving at Free Cash Flow, we subtract cash outlays related to capital expenditures from net cash provided by operating activities because they represent long-term investments that are required for normal business activities. As a result, subject to the limitations described below, Free Cash Flow is a useful measure of our cash available to repay debt and/or make other investments.

Free Cash Flow adjusts for cash items that are ultimately within management's discretion to direct, and therefore, may imply that there is less or more cash that is available than the most comparable GAAP measure. Free Cash Flow is not intended to represent residual cash flow for discretionary expenditures since debt repayment requirements and other non-discretionary expenditures are not deducted. These limitations are best addressed by using Free Cash Flow in combination with the GAAP cash flow numbers.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Free Cash Flow:

(Amounts in thousands)

Six Months

Ended June 30,

2022



Three Months

Ended March

31, 2022



Three Months

Ended June 30,

2022

Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 34,904



$ 7,070



$ 27,834

Software development and other expenditures



(9,852)





(3,853)





(5,999)

Purchases of property and equipment



(20,401)





(7,688)





(12,713)

Free Cash Flow

$ 4,651



$ (4,471)



$ 9,122



(Amounts in thousands)

Six Months

Ended June 30,

2021



Three Months

Ended March

31, 2021



Three Months

Ended June 30,

2021

Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 35,893



$ 9,693



$ 26,200

Software development and other expenditures



(7,210)





(3,766)





(3,444)

Purchases of property and equipment



(14,191)





(6,109)





(8,082)

Free Cash Flow

$ 14,492



$ (182)



$ 14,674



SOURCE AGS
First step in planned scale up of international flight operations

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Air India today announced the increase in frequencies between Delhi and Vancouver, Canada, from 3x weekly to daily service with effect from August 31.

This enhancement in frequency caters to growing traffic between India and Canada, and has been enabled by the return to service of the widebody Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft with three class configuration of first, business and economy.

Manufacturer Boeing has been working closely with Air India following its acquisition by Tata Group to restore aircraft that had been grounded for prolonged periods due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons. The progressive restoration of these aircraft has already allowed Air India to increase schedule resilience and will allow further frequency and network increases over the coming months.

"This increase in our frequency between Delhi and Vancouver is very welcome for many reasons. It is another sign of recovery from the pandemic and caters to strong customer demand. More importantly, it marks the first step in restoring Air India's fleet and international network," said Mr. Campbell Wilson, MD and CEO, Air India.

"We are pleased to mark this significant milestone, and the team at Air India is hard at work to enable more expansion in the near future," he added.

Air India's widebody fleet currently stands at 43 aircraft, of which 33 are operational. This is a significant improvement from 28 aircraft that the airline was operating till recently. The remaining aircraft will be progressively returned to service by early 2023.

DELHI  VANCOUVER SCHEDULE FROM 31 AUGUST 2022

Route Flight No. Days of operation Daily Departure Arrival Delhi-Vancouver AI 185 Daily 05:15hrs 07:15hrs Vancouver-Delhi AI 186 Daily 10:15hrs 13:15hrs+1

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1874092/Air_India_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Air India
Outstanding reviews land paranormal performer in top 10% of attractions worldwide

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vegas-based paranormal entertainer Alain Nu, The Man Who Knows, has been recognized by Tripadvisor as a 2022 Travelers' Choice award winner for his international touring stage show.

The Travelers' Choice award celebrates the top 10% of attractions worldwide that have received outstanding traveler reviews on Tripadvisor and consistently delivered positive experiences to audiences around the globe over the past 12 months.

Vegas-based paranormal entertainer Alain Nu, The Man Who Knows, has been recognized by Tripadvisor as a 2022 Travelers' Choice award winner for his international touring stage show. The Travelers' Choice award celebrates the top 10% of attractions worldwide that have received outstanding traveler reviews on Tripadvisor and consistently delivered positive experiences to audiences around the globe over the past 12 months. Tridadvisor has recognized paranormal entertainer Alain Nu, The Man Who Knows, as a 2022 Travelers' Choice award winner for his international touring stage show. From headlining in Las Vegas to touring internationally, Alain Nu has mystified audiences worldwide with seemingly paranormal feats that defy explanation. Star of the TLC mini-series, "The Mysterious World of Alain Nu," Nu's TV credits also include recent appearances on "Judge Jerry," "April in Vegas" and "VICE Guide to Vegas."

From headlining in Las Vegas to touring internationally, Alain Nu has mystified audiences worldwide with seemingly paranormal feats that defy explanation. He is also the author of two books, "State of Mind: The Man Who Knows Reveals The Secrets Of Mind Over Matter" (ISBN 0984208569) and "Picture Your ESP! -- Reveal Your Hidden Powers with The Nu ESP Test" (ISBN 0984208526).

In addition to starring in the TLC Network mini-series, "The Mysterious World of Alain Nu," his television credits include recent appearances on the NBCUniversal courtroom show "Judge Jerry" starring Jerry Springer, the chat show "April in Vegas" direct from The English Hotel in The Las Vegas Arts District, plus VICE TV's "VICE Guide to Vegas," in which host Taji Ameen asks Alain to observe his blind date and provide Taji with supernatural insight on what his date is thinking.

"I feel so honored to be included in the Tripadvisor top 10% of all attractions worldwide. This recognition is the ultimate standing ovation for an entertainer," said Nu.

"The Travelers' Choice Awards recognize the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: your guests," said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor.

Available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor is the world's largest travel guidance platform, with more than 988 million reviews. Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before.

More information on Alain Nu is available on his official website www.TheManWhoKnows.TV, plus fans can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

MEDIA CONTACT

Clinton Ford Billups Jr.

[email protected]

Office: 702-837-1170  Mobile: 702-466-7319

SOURCE Alain Nu, The Man Who Knows
CEO Stetson Announces Planned Transition to Executive Board Chairman at Year End; President and CFO Eidson to Assume CEO Role

Provides details on succession roadmap for Stetson's end of year planned retirement

Reports second quarter net income from continuing operations of $575.4 million

Posts record Adjusted EBITDA of $694.5 million for the second quarter 2022

Eliminates remaining term-loan balance in June, effectively freeing the company of long-term debt

Reports $268 million in buybacks through share repurchase program

Increases quarterly dividend amount to 39.2 cents per share

Adjusts full-year guidance upward for byproduct thermal shipments from the Met segment and SG&A

BRISTOL, Tenn., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. (NYSE: AMR), a leading U.S. supplier of metallurgical products for the steel industry, today reported results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2022.



(millions, except per share)

Three months ended

June 30, 2022 Mar. 31, 2022 June 30, 2021 Net income (loss)(2) $575.4 $401.0 ($18.6) Net income (loss)(2) per diluted share $30.03 $20.52 ($1.01) Adjusted EBITDA(1) $694.5 $503.8 $39.9 Operating cash flow(3) $465.9 $336.1 ($6.3) Capital expenditures ($41.9) ($28.1) ($17.6) Tons of coal sold(2) 4.3 4.0 4.0

__________________________________

1. These are non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA is included in tables accompanying the financial schedules. 2. From continuing operations. 3. Includes discontinued operations.

"After meeting our stated goal of paying off the long-term debt, the Alpha team has posted yet another record quarter, with Adjusted EBITDA of nearly $700 million," said David Stetson, Alpha's chair and chief executive officer. "Eliminating the debt was a key goal of mine because I believed it would create a more stable company with the flexibility to weather the inevitable market volatility that this industry experiences. The fact that we were able to pay off the debt in such a short period of time is a testament not only to the strength of the recent coal markets but also to the steadfast resolve and discipline of our team."

Stetson continued: "With these recent accomplishments, Alpha has entered a new and exciting chapter, and I believe the end of this calendar year is the right time to hand over the reins of day-to-day leadership of the company to Andy Eidson. Like most public companies, Alpha's board of directors and executive management routinely engage in succession planning to prepare for and effectively handle leadership transitions. Andy and I have therefore worked together closely for many years. Now, as I prepare for retirement, we will focus on a seamless transition. He is exceedingly well prepared to take on the CEO role, and his vision for the company is an extension of what we have demonstrated the last few years - financial discipline, excellence and reliability in all aspects of our work, and a firm commitment to creating and maintaining shareholder value. It has been my great honor to lead Alpha, and I look forward to continuing my involvement as executive chairman of the board of directors."

Financial Performance

For the second quarter 2022, Alpha reported net income from continuing operations of $575.4 million, or $30.03 per diluted share. The company had net income from continuing operations of $401.0 million or $20.52 per diluted share for the first quarter 2022.

Total Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter was a record $694.5 million, compared with $503.8 million in the first quarter 2022.

Coal Revenues

(millions)

Three months ended

June 30, 2022 Mar. 31, 2022 Met Segment $ 1,318.7

$ 1,054.3

All Other $ 15.6

$ 15.4







Met Segment (excl. freight & handling)(1) $ 1,162.1

$ 910.3

All Other (excl. freight & handling)(1) $ 15.6

$ 15.4







Tons Sold (millions)

Three months ended

June 30, 2022 Mar. 31, 2022 Met Segment 4.1 3.8 All Other 0.3 0.3

__________________________________

1. Represents Non-GAAP coal revenues which is defined and reconciled under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Results of Operations."

Coal Sales Realization (1)

(per ton)

Three months ended

June 30, 2022 Mar. 31, 2022 Met Segment $286.95 $240.82 All Other $61.41 $57.39

__________________________________

1. Represents Non-GAAP coal sales realization which is defined and reconciled under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Results of Operations."

Our net realized pricing for the Met segment was $286.95 per ton in the second quarter 2022, while net realization in the All Other category was $61.41.

The table below provides a breakdown of our Met segment coal sold in the second quarter by pricing mechanism.



(in millions, except per ton data) Met Segment Sales Three months ended June 30, 2022

Tons Sold Coal Revenues Realization/ton(1) % of Met Tons Sold Export - Other Pricing Mechanisms 1.3 $417.0 $321.03 35 % Domestic 0.8 $159.7 $189.27 22 % Export - Australian Indexed 1.6 $565.1 $350.56 43 % Total Met Coal Revenues 3.8 $1,141.9 $304.09 100 % Thermal Coal Revenues 0.3 $20.3 $68.75

Total Met Segment Coal Revenues (excl. freight & handling)(1) 4.1 $1,162.2 $286.95



__________________________________

1. Represents Non-GAAP coal sales realization which is defined and reconciled under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Results of Operations."

Cost of Coal Sales

(in millions, except per ton data)

Three months ended

June 30, 2022 Mar. 31, 2022 Cost of Coal Sales $625.9 $555.3 Cost of Coal Sales (excl. freight & handling/idle)(1) $463.7 $405.0







(per ton) Met Segment(1) $111.36 $103.61 All Other(1) $49.90 $49.89

__________________________________

1. Represents Non-GAAP cost of coal sales and Non-GAAP cost of coal sales per ton which is defined and reconciled under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Results of Operations."

In the second quarter, Alpha's Met segment cost of coal sales increased to an average of $111.36 per ton as compared to $103.61 per ton in the prior quarter, primarily driven by increased sales related costs from royalties and severance taxes. Cost of coal sales for the All Other category remained flat at $49.90 per ton in the second quarter 2022 against an average cost of $49.89 per ton in the first quarter 2022.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

On June 3, 2022, Alpha made a voluntary prepayment of $99.4 million on its term loan, which eliminated all remaining principal and paid the loan in full.

As previously announced, in connection with Alpha's improved financial position, the company received a reduction of $40.1 million in collateral requirements related to its self-insured workers compensation at certain locations in West Virginia. Additionally, as part of routine surety program review and negotiation, the company received a $16.5 million reduction in surety collateral requirements, while securing multi-year visibility on surety program terms and conditions.

"Thanks to the strength of the metallurgical market in the first half of the year, we fully eliminated our term loan balance, further enhancing our balance sheet," said Andy Eidson, Alpha's president and chief financial officer. "As a result of this good work, we have also received a reduction in collateral requirements and visibility into surety terms and conditions for the coming years. Additionally, Alpha's corporate family rating was recently upgraded due in large part to our discipline in eliminating the debt. These are all positive developments for the company and our many stakeholders."

Cash provided by operating activities in the second quarter significantly increased to $465.9 million as compared to $336.1 million in the first quarter 2022. Cash provided by operating activities includes discontinued operations. Capital expenditures for the second quarter 2022 were $41.9 million compared to $28.1 million for the first quarter of 2022.

As of June 30, 2022, Alpha had $161.7 million in unrestricted cash and $130.9 million in restricted cash, deposits and investments. Total long-term debt, including the current portion of long-term debt as of June 30, 2022, was $4.7 million. At the end of the second quarter, the company had total liquidity of $252.8 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $161.7 million and $91.1 million of unused availability under the ABL. The future available capacity under the ABL is subject to inventory and accounts receivable collateral requirements and the maintenance of certain financial ratios. As of June 30, 2022, the company had no borrowings and $63.9 million in letters of credit outstanding under the ABL.

Dividend Program

On August 4, 2022, Alpha's board declared a quarterly cash dividend payment of $0.392 per share, increased from the prior level of $0.375 per share, which will become payable on October 3, 2022 for holders of record as of September 15, 2022.

Any decision to pay future cash dividends will be made by the board and depend on Alpha's future earnings and financial condition and other relevant factors.

Executive Leadership Succession

Alpha announced today that its chair and chief executive officer, David Stetson, will retire as chief executive officer effective December 31, 2022. Alpha's board of directors has unanimously appointed Mr. Stetson as executive chairman of the board, effective at year end. The board has unanimously appointed president and chief financial officer Andy Eidson to succeed Mr. Stetson as chief executive officer and as a member of the board of directors, effective January 1, 2023 following Mr. Stetson's retirement as CEO at year end.

The board of directors also unanimously approved the following additional leadership changes: Effective August 9, 2022, Alpha's senior vice president and controller, Todd Munsey, will be promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer. Mr. Eidson's service as chief financial officer will end at the time of Mr. Munsey's appointment, allowing him to focus as president on his transition to the role of chief executive officer. Effective January 1, 2023, current executive vice president and chief operating officer Jason Whitehead will become Alpha's president and chief operating officer.

Lead independent director, Michael Quillen, offered the following statement on Stetson's retirement and Eidson's appointment: "On behalf of the board, we want to thank David Stetson for the exceptional job he has done in leading Alpha. He has guided the executive team in overcoming many hurdles to build the outstanding company that is today announcing yet another record quarter. Having accomplished the goals he set forth when he came on board, David understandably wants to begin transitioning into retirement, and we wish him well in this new phase of life. We are grateful for the opportunity to retain his expertise and vision as executive chairman of the board. Additionally, the board is excited about Andy Eidson's appointment as Alpha's next CEO. He is not only exceptionally capable of building on the firm foundation that David has created, Andy is also bright, well-qualified, and brings a valuable perspective that can help propel Alpha into its next chapter as a more resilient company."

Andy Eidson commented on today's announcement: "I cannot thank David enough for all he has done for Alpha. I can attest to the lasting impact he has made, not only on this company, but also on me, through his leadership and vision. It has been a great honor to be a part of his executive team, and I look forward to continuing the positive momentum he created. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as Alpha's next chief executive, and, together with the exceptional people in this organization, I will strive toward continuous improvement, safe production each and every day, and further solidifying Alpha's role as the industry leader. I thank the board for the confidence they have shown by offering me this opportunity and I look forward to the path ahead."

Quillen continued: "The board has great confidence in Jason Whitehead as he expands his role to include serving as the company's president, and in Todd Munsey as he takes over the reins as chief financial officer. Both individuals are highly qualified and will continue to serve Alpha well in their new roles. All in all, we believe Alpha continues to be positioned for long-term success with an outstanding, experienced, and industry-leading management team."

Share Repurchase Program

As previously announced, Alpha's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program allowing for the expenditure of up to $600 million for the repurchase of the company's common stock. As of August 5, the company has acquired 1,892,954 shares of common stock at a cost of $268.0 million.

The timing and amount of share repurchases will continue to be determined by the company's management based on its evaluation of market conditions, the trading price of the stock, applicable legal requirements, compliance with the provisions of the company's debt agreements, and other factors.

2022 Full-Year Guidance Adjustments

"As a result of the European energy crisis caused by the Russian war, the thermal coal markets have shown significant volatility and increasing demand in recent months," said Jason Whitehead, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "We fulfilled some customer requests for incremental thermal tonnage in the second quarter, which has pushed our expected total thermal volumes over the established guidance ranges for the year. Therefore, we are adjusting our shipment guidance to accommodate for these unique circumstances. Additionally, as a result of increased incentive compensation due to performance against budgeted metrics, we are increasing our guidance for selling, general and administrative expenses for the year."

Alpha is increasing SG&A guidance to a range of $55 million and $59 million, up from the prior range of $50 million to $54 million.

The company is increasing its shipment guidance for thermal byproduct tonnage within the Met segment to a range of 1.0 million to 1.4 million tons, up from the prior guidance range of 0.8 million tons to 1.2 million tons. This adjustment also slightly increases the total shipments guidance to a range of 15.6 million tons to 17.2 million tons, up from the prior range of 15.4 million to 17.0 million tons.

As of July 22, 2022, Alpha has committed and priced approximately 69% of its metallurgical coal within the Met segment at an average price of $260.69 per ton and 100% of thermal coal in the Met segment at an average expected price of $89.91 per ton. In the All Other category the company is 100% committed and priced at an average price of $83.38 per ton.



2022 Guidance in millions of tons Low High Metallurgical 14.0 15.0 Thermal 1.0 1.4 Met Segment 15.0 16.4 All Other 0.6 0.8 Total Shipments 15.6 17.2





Committed/Priced1,2,3 Committed Average Price Metallurgical - Domestic

$189.87 Metallurgical - Export

$303.51 Metallurgical Total 69 % $260.69 Thermal 100 % $89.91 Met Segment 73 % $240.42 All Other 100 % $83.38





Committed/Unpriced1,3 Committed

Metallurgical Total 29 %

Thermal  %

Met Segment 27 %

All Other  %







Costs per ton4 Low High Met Segment $101.00 $107.00 All Other $58.00 $62.00





In millions (except taxes) Low High SG&A5 $55 $59 Idle Operations Expense $30 $40 Cash Interest Expense $18 $22 DD&A $90 $110 Capital Expenditures $160 $190 Tax Rate6 5 % 15 %

Notes:

1. Based on committed and priced coal shipments as of July 22, 2022. Committed percentage based on the midpoint of shipment guidance range. 2. Actual average per-ton realizations on committed and priced tons recognized in future periods may vary based on actual freight expense in future periods relative to assumed freight expense embedded in projected average per-ton realizations. 3. Includes estimates of future coal shipments based upon contract terms and anticipated delivery schedules. Actual coal shipments may vary from these estimates. 4. Note: The Company is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of its forward-looking non-GAAP cost of coal sales per ton sold financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures without unreasonable efforts due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying with reasonable accuracy significant items required for the reconciliation. The most directly comparable GAAP measure, GAAP cost of sales, is not accessible without unreasonable efforts on a forward-looking basis. The reconciling items include freight and handling costs, which are a component of GAAP cost of sales. Management is unable to predict without unreasonable efforts freight and handling costs due to uncertainty as to the end market and FOB point for uncommitted sales volumes and the final shipping point for export shipments. These amounts have historically varied and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter and material changes to these items could have a significant effect on our future GAAP results. 5. Excludes expenses related to non-cash stock compensation and non-recurring expenses. 6. Rate assumes no further ownership change limitations on the usage of net operating losses.

Conference Call

The company plans to hold a conference call regarding its second quarter 2022 results on August 8, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. The conference call will be available live on the investor section of the company's website at https://investors.alphametresources.com/investors . Analysts who would like to participate in the conference call should dial 877-407-0832 (domestic toll-free) or 201-689-8433 (international) approximately 15 minutes prior to start time.

About Alpha Metallurgical Resources

Alpha Metallurgical Resources (NYSE: AMR) is a Tennessee-based mining company with operations across Virginia and West Virginia. With customers across the globe, high-quality reserves and significant port capacity, Alpha reliably supplies metallurgical products to the steel industry. For more information, visit www.AlphaMetResources.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Alpha's expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Alpha's control. Forward-looking statements in this news release or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Alpha to predict these events or how they may affect Alpha. Except as required by law, Alpha has no duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this news release or elsewhere after the date this release is issued. In light of these risks and uncertainties, investors should keep in mind that results, events or developments discussed in any forward-looking statement made in this news release may not occur.

Investor Contact

[email protected]

Alex Rotonen, CFA

423.956.6882

Media Contact

[email protected]

Emily O'Quinn

423.573.0369

FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The discussion below contains "non-GAAP financial measures." These are financial measures which either exclude or include amounts that are not excluded or included in the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP" or "GAAP"). Specifically, we make use of the non-GAAP financial measures "Adjusted EBITDA," "non-GAAP coal revenues," "non-GAAP cost of coal sales," "non-GAAP coal margin," and "Adjusted cost of produced coal sold." We use Adjusted EBITDA to measure the operating performance of our segments and allocate resources to the segments. Adjusted EBITDA does not purport to be an alternative to net income (loss) as a measure of operating performance or any other measure of operating results or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. We use non-GAAP coal revenues to present coal revenues generated, excluding freight and handling fulfillment revenues. Non-GAAP coal sales realization per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP coal revenues divided by tons sold. We use non-GAAP cost of coal sales to adjust cost of coal sales to remove freight and handling costs, depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (excluding the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions), accretion on asset retirement obligations, amortization of acquired intangibles, net, and idled and closed mine costs. Non-GAAP cost of coal sales per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP cost of coal sales divided by tons sold. Non-GAAP coal margin per ton for our coal operations is calculated as non-GAAP coal sales realization per ton for our coal operations less non-GAAP cost of coal sales per ton for our coal operations. We also use Adjusted cost of produced coal sold to distinguish the cost of captive produced coal from the effects of purchased coal. The presentation of these measures should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP.

Management uses non-GAAP financial measures to supplement GAAP results to provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting the business than GAAP results alone. The definition of these non-GAAP measures may be changed periodically by management to adjust for significant items important to an understanding of operating trends and to adjust for items that may not reflect the trend of future results by excluding transactions that are not indicative of our core operating performance. Furthermore, analogous measures are used by industry analysts to evaluate the Company's operating performance. Because not all companies use identical calculations, the presentations of these measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies and can differ significantly from company to company depending on long-term strategic decisions regarding capital structure, the tax jurisdictions in which companies operate, and capital investments.

Included below are reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures.

ALPHA METALLURGICAL RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2022

2021

2022

2021 Revenues:













Coal revenues $ 1,334,258

$ 393,458

$ 2,403,996

$ 778,910 Other revenues 2,154

1,817

4,380

2,618 Total revenues 1,336,412

395,275

2,408,376

781,528 Costs and expenses:













Cost of coal sales (exclusive of items shown separately below) 625,892

346,763

1,181,209

694,191 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 27,730

27,304

55,765

55,742 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 5,947

6,648

11,901

13,296 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 5,747

2,553

11,495

6,422 Asset impairment and restructuring 





(561) Selling, general and administrative expenses (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown separately above) 18,158

14,645

33,244

29,627 Total other operating loss (income):













Mark-to-market adjustment for acquisition-related obligations 4,208

3,157

13,569

6,333 Other income (1,516)

(3,608)

(2,144)

(4,833) Total costs and expenses 686,166

397,462

1,305,039

800,217 Income (loss) from operations 650,246

(2,187)

1,103,337

(18,689) Other (expense) income:













Interest expense (5,218)

(17,962)

(18,301)

(35,952) Interest income 164

104

348

268 Equity loss in affiliates (2,136)

(384)

(3,497)

(518) Miscellaneous income, net 1,385

1,847

3,182

3,613 Total other expense, net (5,805)

(16,395)

(18,268)

(32,589) Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes 644,441

(18,582)

1,085,069

(51,278) Income tax expense (69,012)

(8)

(108,636)

(3) Net income (loss) from continuing operations 575,429

(18,590)

976,433

(51,281) Discontinued operations:













Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes (1,652)

(401)

(1,798)

(638) Income tax benefit from discontinued operations 380



413

 Loss from discontinued operations (1,272)

(401)

(1,385)

(638) Net income (loss) $ 574,157

$ (18,991)

$ 975,048

$ (51,919)















Basic income (loss) per common share:













Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 31.31

$ (1.01)

$ 52.85

$ (2.78) Loss from discontinued operations (0.07)

(0.02)

(0.08)

(0.04) Net income (loss) $ 31.24

$ (1.03)

$ 52.77

$ (2.82)















Diluted income (loss) per common share:













Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 30.03

$ (1.01)

$ 50.46

$ (2.78) Loss from discontinued operations (0.06)

(0.02)

(0.07)

(0.04) Net income (loss) $ 29.97

$ (1.03)

$ 50.39

$ (2.82)















Weighted average shares  basic 18,380,114

18,438,699

18,476,534

18,416,946 Weighted average shares  diluted 19,158,848

18,438,699

19,349,209

18,416,946

ALPHA METALLURGICAL RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

June 30, 2022

December 31, 2021 Assets





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 161,732

$ 81,211 Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $473 and $393 as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 721,830

489,241 Inventories, net 167,192

129,382 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 57,853

47,690 Current assets - discontinued operations 70

462 Total current assets 1,108,677

747,986 Property, plant, and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $478,210 and $443,856 as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 392,074

362,218 Owned and leased mineral rights, net of accumulated depletion and amortization of $66,891 and $52,444 as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 429,854

444,302 Other acquired intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $45,716 and $34,221 as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 62,702

74,197 Long-term restricted investments 94,794

28,443 Long-term restricted cash 24,920

89,426 Other non-current assets 94,617

102,614 Non-current assets - discontinued operations 8,508

8,526 Total assets $ 2,216,146

$ 1,857,712 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity





Current liabilities:





Current portion of long-term debt $ 1,927

$ 2,989 Trade accounts payable 100,957

90,090 Acquisition-related obligations  current 36,211

22,405 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 200,268

174,607 Current liabilities - discontinued operations 6,104

5,838 Total current liabilities 345,467

295,929 Long-term debt 2,762

445,562 Acquisition-related obligations - long-term 

19,000 Workers' compensation and black lung obligations 202,402

208,193 Pension obligations 155,467

159,930 Asset retirement obligations 133,946

132,013 Deferred income taxes 12,934

317 Other non-current liabilities 20,274

26,176 Non-current liabilities - discontinued operations 23,321

23,683 Total liabilities 896,573

1,310,803 Commitments and Contingencies





Stockholders' Equity





Preferred stock - par value $0.01, 5.0 million shares authorized, none issued 

 Common stock - par value $0.01, 50.0 million shares authorized, 21.6 million issued and 17.7 million outstanding at June 30, 2022 and 20.8 million issued and 18.4 million outstanding at December 31, 2021 216

208 Additional paid-in capital 807,603

784,743 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (61,704)

(58,503) Treasury stock, at cost: 3.9 million shares at June 30, 2022 and 2.4 million shares at December 31, 2021 (322,874)

(107,800) Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 896,332

(71,739) Total stockholders' equity 1,319,573

546,909 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,216,146

$ 1,857,712

ALPHA METALLURGICAL RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands)

Six Months Ended June 30,

2022

2021 Operating activities:





Net income (loss) $ 975,048

$ (51,919) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:





Depreciation, depletion and amortization 55,765

55,742 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 11,495

6,422 Amortization of debt issuance costs and accretion of debt discount 7,231

6,480 Mark-to-market adjustment for acquisition-related obligations 13,569

6,333 Gain on disposal of assets (2,172)

(4,878) Accretion on asset retirement obligations 11,901

13,296 Employee benefit plans, net 232

5,744 Deferred income taxes 12,617

3 Stock-based compensation 2,583

3,162 Equity loss in affiliates 3,497

518 Other, net 567

(58) Changes in operating assets and liabilities (290,277)

(66,296) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 802,056

(25,451) Investing activities:





Capital expenditures (70,012)

(38,039) Proceeds on disposal of assets 2,511

6,801 Purchases of investment securities (127,831)

(15,470) Maturity of investment securities 60,945

7,766 Capital contributions to equity affiliates (8,525)

(1,895) Other, net (4,237)

35 Net cash used in investing activities (147,149)

(40,802) Financing activities:





Principal repayments of long-term debt (450,362)

(7,521) Principal repayments of financing lease obligations (1,098)

(1,002) Debt issuance costs 

(226) Common stock repurchases and related expenses (194,950)

(680) Proceeds from exercise of stock options 903

 Proceeds from exercise of warrants 4,486

 Net cash used in financing activities (641,021)

(9,429) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash 13,886

(75,682) Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 182,614

244,571 Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 196,500

$ 168,889

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.



As of June 30,

2022

2021 Cash and cash equivalents $ 161,732

$ 72,337 Short-term restricted cash (included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets) 9,848

3,794 Long-term restricted cash 24,920

92,758 Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows $ 196,500

$ 168,889

ALPHA METALLURGICAL RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATION

(Amounts in thousands)

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended June 30,

March 31, 2022

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2021

2022

2021 Net income (loss) from continuing operations $ 401,004

$ 575,429

$ (18,590)

$ 976,433

$ (51,281) Interest expense 13,083

5,218

17,962

18,301

35,952 Interest income (184)

(164)

(104)

(348)

(268) Income tax expense 39,624

69,012

8

108,636

3 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 28,035

27,730

27,304

55,765

55,742 Non-cash stock compensation expense 1,182

1,401

979

2,583

3,162 Mark-to-market adjustment - acquisition-related obligations 9,361

4,208

3,157

13,569

6,333 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 5,954

5,947

6,648

11,901

13,296 Asset impairment and restructuring 







(561) Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 5,748

5,747

2,553

11,495

6,422 Adjusted EBITDA $ 503,807

$ 694,528

$ 39,917

$ 1,198,335

$ 68,800

ALPHA METALLURGICAL RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 1,054,340

$ 15,398

$ 1,069,738 Less: Freight and handling fulfillment revenues (144,025)

(18)

(144,043) Non-GAAP Coal revenues $ 910,315

$ 15,380

$ 925,695 Tons sold 3,780

268

4,048 Non-GAAP Coal sales realization per ton $ 240.82

$ 57.39

$ 228.68











Cost of coal sales (exclusive of items shown separately below) $ 539,282

$ 16,035

$ 555,317 Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 27,060

797

27,857 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 3,398

2,556

5,954 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 4,796

952

5,748 Total Cost of coal sales $ 574,536

$ 20,340

$ 594,876 Less: Freight and handling costs (144,025)

(18)

(144,043) Less: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) (27,060)

(797)

(27,857) Less: Accretion on asset retirement obligations (3,398)

(2,556)

(5,954) Less: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net (4,796)

(952)

(5,748) Less: Idled and closed mine costs (3,604)

(2,646)

(6,250) Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 391,653

$ 13,371

$ 405,024 Tons sold 3,780

268

4,048 Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales per ton $ 103.61

$ 49.89

$ 100.06

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 1,054,340

$ 15,398

$ 1,069,738 Less: Total Cost of coal sales (per table above) (574,536)

(20,340)

(594,876) GAAP Coal margin $ 479,804

$ (4,942)

$ 474,862 Tons sold 3,780

268

4,048 GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 126.93

$ (18.44)

$ 117.31











GAAP Coal margin $ 479,804

$ (4,942)

$ 474,862 Add: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 27,060

797

27,857 Add: Accretion on asset retirement obligations 3,398

2,556

5,954 Add: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 4,796

952

5,748 Add: Idled and closed mine costs 3,604

2,646

6,250 Non-GAAP Coal margin $ 518,662

$ 2,009

$ 520,671 Tons sold 3,780

268

4,048 Non-GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 137.21

$ 7.50

$ 128.62

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 1,318,661

$ 15,597

$ 1,334,258 Less: Freight and handling fulfillment revenues (156,522)



(156,522) Non-GAAP Coal revenues $ 1,162,139

$ 15,597

$ 1,177,736 Tons sold 4,050

254

4,304 Non-GAAP Coal sales realization per ton $ 286.95

$ 61.41

$ 273.64











Cost of coal sales (exclusive of items shown separately below) $ 610,224

$ 15,668

$ 625,892 Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 27,202

250

27,452 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 3,390

2,557

5,947 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 4,795

952

5,747 Total Cost of coal sales $ 645,611

$ 19,427

$ 665,038 Less: Freight and handling costs (156,522)



(156,522) Less: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) (27,202)

(250)

(27,452) Less: Accretion on asset retirement obligations (3,390)

(2,557)

(5,947) Less: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net (4,795)

(952)

(5,747) Less: Idled and closed mine costs (2,708)

(2,993)

(5,701) Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 450,994

$ 12,675

$ 463,669 Tons sold 4,050

254

4,304 Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales per ton $ 111.36

$ 49.90

$ 107.73

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 1,318,661

$ 15,597

$ 1,334,258 Less: Total Cost of coal sales (per table above) (645,611)

(19,427)

(665,038) GAAP Coal margin $ 673,050

$ (3,830)

$ 669,220 Tons sold 4,050

254

4,304 GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 166.19

$ (15.08)

$ 155.49











GAAP Coal margin $ 673,050

$ (3,830)

$ 669,220 Add: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 27,202

250

27,452 Add: Accretion on asset retirement obligations 3,390

2,557

5,947 Add: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 4,795

952

5,747 Add: Idled and closed mine costs 2,708

2,993

5,701 Non-GAAP Coal margin $ 711,145

$ 2,922

$ 714,067 Tons sold 4,050

254

4,304 Non-GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 175.59

$ 11.50

$ 165.91

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 376,839

$ 16,619

$ 393,458 Less: Freight and handling fulfillment revenues (64,329)

(117)

(64,446) Non-GAAP Coal revenues $ 312,510

$ 16,502

$ 329,012 Tons sold 3,748

273

4,021 Non-GAAP Coal sales realization per ton $ 83.38

$ 60.45

$ 81.82











Cost of coal sales (exclusive of items shown separately below) $ 331,239

$ 15,524

$ 346,763 Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 25,686

1,438

27,124 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 3,377

3,271

6,648 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 2,635

(82)

2,553 Total Cost of coal sales $ 362,937

$ 20,151

$ 383,088 Less: Freight and handling costs (64,329)

(117)

(64,446) Less: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) (25,686)

(1,438)

(27,124) Less: Accretion on asset retirement obligations (3,377)

(3,271)

(6,648) Less: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net (2,635)

82

(2,553) Less: Idled and closed mine costs (4,790)

(3,732)

(8,522) Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 262,120

$ 11,675

$ 273,795 Tons sold 3,748

273

4,021 Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales per ton $ 69.94

$ 42.77

$ 68.09

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 376,839

$ 16,619

$ 393,458 Less: Total Cost of coal sales (per table above) (362,937)

(20,151)

(383,088) GAAP Coal margin $ 13,902

$ (3,532)

$ 10,370 Tons sold 3,748

273

4,021 GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 3.71

$ (12.94)

$ 2.58











GAAP Coal margin $ 13,902

$ (3,532)

$ 10,370 Add: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 25,686

1,438

27,124 Add: Accretion on asset retirement obligations 3,377

3,271

6,648 Add: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 2,635

(82)

2,553 Add: Idled and closed mine costs 4,790

3,732

8,522 Non-GAAP Coal margin $ 50,390

$ 4,827

$ 55,217 Tons sold 3,748

273

4,021 Non-GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 13.44

$ 17.68

$ 13.73

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 2,373,001

$ 30,995

$ 2,403,996 Less: Freight and handling fulfillment revenues (300,547)

(18)

(300,565) Non-GAAP Coal revenues $ 2,072,454

$ 30,977

$ 2,103,431 Tons sold 7,830

522

8,352 Non-GAAP Coal sales realization per ton $ 264.68

$ 59.34

$ 251.85











Cost of coal sales (exclusive of items shown separately below) $ 1,149,506

$ 31,703

$ 1,181,209 Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 54,262

1,047

55,309 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 6,788

5,113

11,901 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 9,591

1,904

11,495 Total Cost of coal sales $ 1,220,147

$ 39,767

$ 1,259,914 Less: Freight and handling costs (300,547)

(18)

(300,565) Less: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) (54,262)

(1,047)

(55,309) Less: Accretion on asset retirement obligations (6,788)

(5,113)

(11,901) Less: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net (9,591)

(1,904)

(11,495) Less: Idled and closed mine costs (6,312)

(5,639)

(11,951) Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 842,647

$ 26,046

$ 868,693 Tons sold 7,830

522

8,352 Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales per ton $ 107.62

$ 49.90

$ 104.01

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 2,373,001

$ 30,995

$ 2,403,996 Less: Total Cost of coal sales (per table above) (1,220,147)

(39,767)

(1,259,914) GAAP Coal margin $ 1,152,854

$ (8,772)

$ 1,144,082 Tons sold 7,830

522

8,352 GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 147.24

$ (16.80)

$ 136.98











GAAP Coal margin $ 1,152,854

$ (8,772)

$ 1,144,082 Add: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 54,262

1,047

55,309 Add: Accretion on asset retirement obligations 6,788

5,113

11,901 Add: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 9,591

1,904

11,495 Add: Idled and closed mine costs 6,312

5,639

11,951 Non-GAAP Coal margin $ 1,229,807

$ 4,931

$ 1,234,738 Tons sold 7,830

522

8,352 Non-GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 157.06

$ 9.45

$ 147.84

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 736,732

$ 42,178

$ 778,910 Less: Freight and handling fulfillment revenues (124,340)

(486)

(124,826) Non-GAAP Coal revenues $ 612,392

$ 41,692

$ 654,084 Tons sold 7,405

682

8,087 Non-GAAP Coal sales realization per ton $ 82.70

$ 61.13

$ 80.88











Cost of coal sales (exclusive of items shown separately below) $ 657,134

$ 37,057

$ 694,191 Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 52,222

3,161

55,383 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 6,762

6,534

13,296 Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 6,686

(264)

6,422 Total Cost of coal sales $ 722,804

$ 46,488

$ 769,292 Less: Freight and handling costs (124,340)

(486)

(124,826) Less: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) (52,222)

(3,161)

(55,383) Less: Accretion on asset retirement obligations (6,762)

(6,534)

(13,296) Less: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net (6,686)

264

(6,422) Less: Idled and closed mine costs (8,393)

(7,288)

(15,681) Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 524,401

$ 29,283

$ 553,684 Tons sold 7,405

682

8,087 Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales per ton $ 70.82

$ 42.94

$ 68.47

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Coal revenues $ 736,732

$ 42,178

$ 778,910 Less: Total Cost of coal sales (per table above) (722,804)

(46,488)

(769,292) GAAP Coal margin $ 13,928

$ (4,310)

$ 9,618 Tons sold 7,405

682

8,087 GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 1.88

$ (6.32)

$ 1.19











GAAP Coal margin $ 13,928

$ (4,310)

$ 9,618 Add: Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production (1) 52,222

3,161

55,383 Add: Accretion on asset retirement obligations 6,762

6,534

13,296 Add: Amortization of acquired intangibles, net 6,686

(264)

6,422 Add: Idled and closed mine costs 8,393

7,288

15,681 Non-GAAP Coal margin $ 87,991

$ 12,409

$ 100,400 Tons sold 7,405

682

8,087 Non-GAAP Coal margin per ton $ 11.88

$ 18.20

$ 12.41

(1) Depreciation, depletion and amortization - production excludes the depreciation, depletion and amortization related to selling, general and administrative functions.



Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 391,653

$ 13,371

$ 405,024 Less: cost of purchased coal sold (27,842)

(37)

(27,879) Adjusted cost of produced coal sold $ 363,811

$ 13,334

$ 377,145 Produced tons sold 3,653

267

3,920 Adjusted cost of produced coal sold per ton (1) $ 99.59

$ 49.94

$ 96.21

(1) Cost of produced coal sold per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP cost of produced coal sold divided by produced tons sold.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 450,994

$ 12,675

$ 463,669 Less: cost of purchased coal sold (33,171)



(33,171) Adjusted cost of produced coal sold $ 417,823

$ 12,675

$ 430,498 Produced tons sold 3,929

254

4,183 Adjusted cost of produced coal sold per ton (1) $ 106.34

$ 49.90

$ 102.92

(1) Cost of produced coal sold per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP cost of produced coal sold divided by produced tons sold.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 262,120

$ 11,675

$ 273,795 Less: cost of purchased coal sold (24,642)



(24,642) Adjusted cost of produced coal sold $ 237,478

$ 11,675

$ 249,153 Produced tons sold 3,497

273

3,770 Adjusted cost of produced coal sold per ton (1) $ 67.91

$ 42.77

$ 66.09

(1) Cost of produced coal sold per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP cost of produced coal sold divided by produced tons sold.



Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 842,647

$ 26,046

$ 868,693 Less: cost of purchased coal sold (61,013)

(37)

(61,050) Adjusted cost of produced coal sold $ 781,634

$ 26,009

$ 807,643 Produced tons sold 7,582

521

8,103 Adjusted cost of produced coal sold per ton (1) $ 103.09

$ 49.92

$ 99.67

(1) Cost of produced coal sold per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP cost of produced coal sold divided by produced tons sold.



Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Met

All Other

Consolidated Non-GAAP Cost of coal sales $ 524,401

$ 29,283

$ 553,684 Less: cost of purchased coal sold (42,906)



(42,906) Adjusted cost of produced coal sold $ 481,495

$ 29,283

$ 510,778 Produced tons sold 6,921

682

7,603 Adjusted cost of produced coal sold per ton (1) $ 69.57

$ 42.94

$ 67.18

(1) Cost of produced coal sold per ton for our operations is calculated as non-GAAP cost of produced coal sold divided by produced tons sold.



Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 (In thousands, except for per ton data) Tons Sold

Coal Revenues

Non-GAAP Coal sales realization per ton

% of Met Tons Sold Export - other pricing mechanisms 1,299

$ 417,013

$ 321.03

35 % Domestic 844

159,747

$ 189.27

22 % Export - Australian indexed 1,612

565,097

$ 350.56

43 % Total Met segment - met coal 3,755

$ 1,141,857

$ 304.09

100 % Met segment - thermal coal 295

20,282

$ 68.75



Total Met segment Coal revenues 4,050

1,162,139

$ 286.95



All Other Coal revenues 254

15,597

$ 61.41



Non-GAAP Coal revenues 4,304

$ 1,177,736

$ 273.64



Add: Freight and handling fulfillment revenues 

156,522







Coal revenues 4,304

$ 1,334,258









SOURCE Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc.
Fox Racing Employees to Receive Bonus Upon Finalization of Sale to Vista Outdoor

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After eight years of partnership with Fox Racing, Altamont Capital Partners (Altamont) has exited its investment with a sale of the company to Vista Outdoor. As part of that transaction, Altamont and Fox Racing announced a broad-based employee bonus program providing payments to Fox Racing employees upon the completion of the company's sale. Qualifying employees will receive bonuses in recognition of their role in building the company into one of the world's leading outdoor brands.

"The success of Altamont's partnership with Fox Racing is a testament to the hard work of their leadership and employees in building a strong business and an iconic brand," said Altamont Capital Partners Co-Founder and Managing Director Keoni Schwartz. "Fox Racing employees are a significant reason why the company is not only in a strong position today but poised for future growth. Altamont is proud to partner with Fox Racing to support a broad-based bonus program that rewards employees for their role in making the company a success story."

Altamont Capital Partners originally invested in Fox Racing via majority recapitalization in 2014. Fox Racing grew net sales by a compound annual growth rate of approximately 20 percent from calendar year 2019 to 2021 and is expected to exceed that number this year. Through its partnership with Altamont, Fox Racing's projected revenue will reach approximately $350 million in calendar year 2022.

"We believe in sharing success because at its core, Fox is a family business," said Fox Racing CEO Jeff McGuane. "Our team has tirelessly built, shaped, and preserved the legacy of Fox Racing and put us in a great position for the future. We're grateful for all our employees have done to make Fox Racing a success and we're proud to partner with Altamont to ensure they're rewarded for all their hard work."

Altamont is a founding partner of Ownership Works, a nonprofit dedicated to developing broad-based employee ownership programs to create better work environments and financial opportunities for employees, and to help businesses improve their performance by attracting and retaining engaged employees who are invested in their company's success. As part of its partnership with Ownership Works, Altamont will continue working with its partner companies to build upon existing efforts and implement shared ownership more broadly in its portfolio.

About Altamont Capital Partners

Altamont Capital Partners is a private investment firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area with more than $4.5 billion of assets under management. Altamont is focused on investing in middle-market businesses where it can partner with leading management teams to reach their full potential. The firm's principals have significant experience building business success stories across a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, business services, consumer/retail, and industrials.

About Fox Racing

Since 1974, when Geoff Fox first introduced the world to our iconic logo, Fox Racing has been all about family. Not just in namea legacy that continues to this daybut the idea of celebrating and sharing the passion of life on two wheels with the world. This is what drives us, inspires us, and keeps us close. Because "skulk" is more than just a word for a family of foxesit's the adventure, the fidelity of friends, and everything that happens along the way.

Media Contact:

Greg Blair

[email protected]

SOURCE Altamont Capital Partners
Major ammunition market participants include Ruag Ammotech, Global Ordnance, Northrop Grumman Corporation, CCI, BAE Systems, Elbit Systems Ltd., Magtech, NAMMO AS, Denel, and Nexter Group.

SELBYVILLE, Del., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The ammunition market size is expected to record a valuation of USD 43 billion by 2030, as reported in a research study by Global Market Insights Inc. The rise in terrorism, escalating international conflicts, and the rising demand for recreational shooting will spur the market expansion. Popular domestic and global sporting competitions including pistol & rifle shooting events will sustain the need for small firearms and ammunitions. Increasing investments to develop advanced military weapons will boost the production of modern artillery products.

Ammunition Market

The report also identifies the restraints affecting the industry such as a growing focus among regional governments to adopt stringent gun rules. In 2021, the UK government tightened its firearm ownership laws and introduced additional safety precautions. It provided comprehensive guidance for the police to follow when reviewing gun license applications. Similar efforts to restrain firearm ownership in other countries and curb gun violence may affect the market growth to some extent.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/261

The large caliber ammunition market is anticipated to reach USD 8 billion by 2030. Military equipment, such as tanks, machine guns on aircraft & ships, mobile combat vehicles, etc., usually require large caliber ammunition. As nations increase their spending to expand ground and naval defense forces, the demand for ammunition products will surge. For instance, in January 2022, the Australian government confirmed that it will spend over USD 2.5 billion to buy 120 armored vehicles including tanks from the U.S. In July, Poland also inked an agreement to purchase more than a hundred used Abram Tanks while it attempts to replace the T-72 tanks donated to Ukraine to tackle the Russia invasion.

Latin America ammunition market is estimated to attain a 4.5% growth rate till 2030. Most countries in the region provide gun permits to citizens, which are subject to certain regulations. People above the age of 18 & 21 years can apply for a gun license in Mexico and Argentina, respectively, coupled with fulfilling other stringent conditions. Brazil, one of the biggest economies in the region, has a strong domestic weapon sector. It also produces and exports defense products such as fighter jets and small firearms. During the eight months of 2021, the country exported around USD 1.35 billion worth of military equipment and systems.

Some of the major companies operating in the ammunition market are Ruag Ammotech, Global Ordnance, Northrop Grumman Corporation, CCI, BAE Systems, Elbit Systems Ltd., Magtech, NAMMO AS, Denel, and Nexter Group. The study examines prominent strategies used by the market players to expand their global reach including product developments, mergers & acquisitions, and government contracts.

Request for customization of this research report at https://www.gminsights.com/roc/261

Table of Contents (ToC) of the report

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

2.1 Ammunition industry 3600 synopsis, 2018 - 2030

2.1.1 Business trends

2.1.2 Caliber trends

2.1.3 Application trends

2.1.4 Regional trends

Chapter 3 Ammunition Market Insights

3.1 Industry segmentation

3.2 Industry ecosystem analysis

3.3 Defense spending by country, 2021

3.4 Technology & innovation landscape

3.5 Industry impact forces

3.5.1 Growth drivers

3.5.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges

3.6 Regulatory trends

3.7 Growth potential analysis, 2021

3.8 Competitive landscape

3.9 Porter's analysis

3.10 PESTEL analysis

About Global Market Insights Inc.

Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology.

Contact Us:

Arun Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights Inc.

Phone: 1-302-846-7766

Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: [email protected]

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873939/Ammunition_Market.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661916/GMI.jpg

SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc.
BERWYN, Pa., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) ("Annovis" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing neurodegenerative diseases, today announced second quarter financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and reviewed recent accomplishments.

Maria L. Maccecchini, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO of Annovis, commented: "Because of buntanetap's unique mode of action, it has the potential to act on a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. As a result, in the second quarter, we have taken significant steps to expand our intellectual property portfolio as it relates to buntanetap. Importantly, the FDA has approved our Phase 3 clinical trial design in early PD patients. This approval affirms the Company's path to securing approval for buntanetap to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, with longer treatment regimens."

Recent Highlights and New Developments

Receipt of positive FDA Notice for Buntanetap Phase 3 clinical trial in Parkinson's Disease: The Company received notice from the FDA that the Phase 3 clinical study in early Parkinson's patients may proceed. The FDA accepted the final protocol and the clinical development plan, approved the use of the Company's new large-scale batch of good manufacturing practice material, and found the chronic toxicology in rats and dogs safe and adequate to support long-term human studies lasting decades compared to the previous restriction of one month.

The Company received notice from the FDA that the Phase 3 clinical study in early Parkinson's patients may proceed. The FDA accepted the final protocol and the clinical development plan, approved the use of the Company's new large-scale batch of good manufacturing practice material, and found the chronic toxicology in rats and dogs safe and adequate to support long-term human studies lasting decades compared to the previous restriction of one month. Submission of an international patent application to cover the treatment of neurological injuries caused by infections: The Company announced the submission of an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for its drug platform buntanetap. The patent claims a method of inhibiting, preventing, or treating neurological injuries due to viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan, or parasitic infections in humans.

The Company announced the submission of an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for its drug platform buntanetap. The patent claims a method of inhibiting, preventing, or treating neurological injuries due to viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan, or parasitic infections in humans. Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Institute on Aging: The Company announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Under this CRADA, NIA and Annovis are collaborating to develop pharmacodynamic biomarkers for buntanetap, focusing on isolating brain-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) containing potential biomarkers of neuronal function and viability.

Financial Results for the Second quarter of 2022

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $36.0 million as of June 30, 2022. Research and development expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, were $6.8 million, compared to $1.8 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily the result of an increase of $2.4 million in clinical expenses as the Company incurred costs related to its upcoming Phase 3 study in early PD patients, an increase of $1.8 million for the cost of materials and an increase of $0.7 million in stock-based compensation expense. General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, were $1.9 million, compared to $0.7 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily the result of an increase of $1.2 million in stock-based compensation expense.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, Annovis reported a net loss of $8.7 million, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million for the same period in 2021.

About Annovis Bio, Inc.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and other chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD, and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. Annovis conducted two Phase 2 studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. In the AD/PD study buntanetap showed improvements in cognition and memory in AD as well as body and brain function in PD patients.

For more information on Annovis Bio, please visit the Company's website www.annovisbio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness, and anticipated results of buntanetap clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Media and Investor Contact:

Nic Johnson

Russo Partners, LLC

(303) 482-6405

[email protected]

SOURCE Annovis Bio
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Another Day Limited ("AnotherDay"). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2016, AnotherDay is a UK-based risk management consultancy, helping organizations across 90 countries pre-empt and prepare for complex threats, react to crises and investigate criminality through the use of intelligence and technology. The firm has worked with Gallagher since its inception providing clients with specialist risk management and crisis response services. The firm is headed up by Jake Hernandez who will continue to run the business.

"I am delighted to welcome the AnotherDay team to Gallagher. This business is a great fit with our UK-based specialty operations and will provide highly complementary additional expertise for our large corporate clients looking for support in this growing area of risk," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I look forward to continuing to work with Jake and his associates, and delivering the growth opportunities this acquisition will bring."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Kelli Murray VP  Investor Relations Director  Global Media Relations 630-285-3661 / [email protected] 847-273-3896 / [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE: ASPN) ("Aspen" or the "Company"), a technology leader in sustainability and electrification solutions, today announced that the Company is scheduled to participate in the following investor events in August: (i) the 42nd Annual Canaccord Genuity Global Growth Conference, (ii) the Piper Sandler Energy Transition Leaders Summit and (iii) the Seaport Global Annual Virtual Summer Investor Conference. The presentation materials utilized during the conferences will be available on the Investor Relations section of Aspen's website at www.aerogel.com.

42nd Annual Canaccord Genuity Global Growth Conference / August 10, 2022 (Boston, MA)

Donald R. Young, President & CEO, and Ricardo C. Rodriguez, Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer, will be hosting one-on-one meetings with investors at the 42nd Annual Canaccord Genuity Global Growth Conference to be held at the Intercontinental Boston (Boston, MA), on Wednesday August 10, 2022.

The conference will feature a company presentation by Messrs. Young and Rodriguez, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. -10:25 a.m. ET. A live webcast of the presentation will be available at: https://wsw.com/webcast/canaccord76/aspn/2464902. A replay of the presentation will be available for 90 days.

For those interested in arranging a one-on-one meeting with Aspen management, please contact your Canaccord representative.

Piper Sandler Energy Transition Leaders Summit / August 17-18, 2022 (Aspen, CO)

Donald R. Young, President & CEO, will be hosting one-on-one meetings with investors at the Piper Sandler Energy Transition Leaders Summit to be held at the St. Regis Aspen Resort (Aspen, CO), on Wednesday August 17, 2022.

Mr. Young will also participate in a Batteries and Electric Mobility Panel, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. -9:30 a.m. MT on Thursday August 18, 2022.

For those interested in arranging a one-on-one meeting with Aspen management, please contact your Piper Sandler representative.

Seaport Global Annual Virtual Summer Investor Conference / August 23, 2022 (Virtual Event)

Donald R. Young, President & CEO, and Ricardo C. Rodriguez, Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer, will be hosting one-on-one meetings with investors at the Seaport Global Annual Virtual Summer Investor Conference, to be held online (virtual) on Tuesday August 23, 2022.

For those interested in arranging a one-on-one meeting with Aspen management, please contact your Seaport Global representative.

About Aspen Aerogels, Inc.

Aspen is a technology leader in sustainability and electrification solutions. The Company's aerogel technology enables its customers and partners to achieve their own objectives around the global megatrends of resource efficiency, e-mobility and clean energy. Aspen's PyroThin products enable solutions to thermal runaway challenges within the electric vehicle ("EV") market. Aspen Battery Materials, the Company's carbon aerogel initiative, seeks to increase the performance of lithium-ion battery cells to enable EV manufacturers to extend the driving range and reduce the cost of EVs. Aspen's Spaceloft products provide building owners with industry-leading energy efficiency and fire safety. The Company's Cryogel and Pyrogel products are valued by the world's largest energy infrastructure companies. Aspen's strategy is to partner with world-class industry leaders to leverage its Aerogel Technology Platform into additional high-value markets. Headquartered in Northborough, Mass., Aspen manufactures its products at its East Providence, R.I. facilities. For more information, please visit www.aerogel.com.

SOURCE Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

News Advisory:

National Press Club

Event: A program to raise awareness of the case of Austin Tice, a journalist and

Marine veteran who has been held in Syria for 10 years.



When: Sunday, August 14 at 2p,m.



Where: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20045. Ballroom,

13th Floor.



Who: Speakers will include the following:

Debra and Marc Tice;

Tony Hunter, CEO, McClatchy;

President John DeGioia, Georgetown University;

Jen Judson, President, The National Press Club

Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State (via video);

Fred Ryan, Publisher, The Washington Post (via video);

U.S. Rep. Al Green (invited);

Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor (invited);

President Joseph R. Biden (invited).

Details:

This is a private, invitation only event organized by the National Press Club and the Tice Family. Press Coverage is welcome but please let us know you are coming by emailing [email protected]

The Club has hosted awareness events on the anniversary of Austin's abduction for several years but, during the pandemic, safety issues precluded robust attendance and the Tices participated via video. This will be the first time they have joined us in person for this event. In the 2020 event the Club unveiled The Freedom Clock -- a 24/7 365 large display in the lobby dedicated to tracking the time of Austin's kidnaping in years, days, seconds.

We hope through this event we will raise awareness of who Austin is and discuss the current status of his case and what is being done to bring him home.

In the past year there have been significant breakthroughs in the case including a May 2, 2022 Oval Office meeting with President Biden. In that meeting, the President gave explicit instructions to his National Security team on exactly how they should proceed with respect to engaging with the Syrians. Also, in April 2022, the White House Correspondent's Assn. made Debra Tice a focus of their event and President Biden spoke of his interest in meeting with the Tices and bringing Austin home. Since last Fall The Washington Post has engaged in an unprecedented advertising campaign with dozens of full-page ads, first calling for a meeting with the President and now calling for the government to bring Austin home. In the current campaign they are unveiling a banner on their building. This is the most significant message support provided by The Washington Post for a press freedom case. And McClatchy Newspapers has prepared unprecedented news packages and coverage related to Austin's case. The Tices have made countless TV appearances including recent interviews with Jake Tapper and Lester Holt.

As a reminder, Austin Tice is the only U.S. journalist currently being held overseas. He has been held longer than any U.S. journalist  even Terry Anderson of the Associated Press. The position of the American government is that we have every reason to believe he is alive. The U.S. last sent a delegation to meet with the Syrians about releasing Austin in September of 2020 and there were significant steps taken during the meeting and more follow-up by the U.S. is now urgently required.

The Press Club has engaged in many campaigns to help obtain Austin's release over the years. In the last year these have included a 5k Run for Austin with participation in 13 states and four countries and a Change.org petition signed by 150,000 people as well as news conferences, panels, videos and social media. The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate has created an exhibit on Austin and launched important and successful letter writing campaigns to Congress.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club
TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (TSX: XLY) (OTCQX: CBWTF) ("Auxly" or the "Company"), a leading consumer packaged goods company in the cannabis products market, announced today that it will report earnings results for its second quarter 2022 ended June 30, 2022, on Monday August 15, 2022, before the financial markets open.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss the results. The teleconference details are listed below:

Date: Monday August 15, 2022

Time: 10:00 a.m. EST. Please dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the start time.

North American Toll Free: 1-888-664-6383

Audio Webcast URL:

https://app.webinar.net/ZxQ6J3oJ7nd

A replay of the teleconference will be available within 24 hours after the conclusion of the call on the Company's website.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Hugo Alves" CEO

About Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (TSX: XLY)

Auxly is a leading Canadian consumer packaged goods company in the cannabis products market, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Company's focus is on developing, manufacturing and distributing branded cannabis products that delight wellness and recreational consumers and deliver on its consumer promise of quality, safety and efficacy.

Learn more at www.auxly.com and stay up to date at Twitter: @AuxlyGroup; Instagram: @auxlygroup; Facebook: @auxlygroup; LinkedIn: company/auxlygroup/.

SOURCE Auxly Cannabis Group Inc.
CVN Partners with Leading Child Trauma Expert for Free Webinar to Provide Stress & Anxiety Coping Strategies as Kids Prepare for a New School Year

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In its ongoing effort to support the mental health and well-being of military families, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families through a nationwide system of mental health clinics, is set to host a webinar for parents and caregivers in the wake of incessant mass violence and school shooting incidents. A free event that is open to all, Supporting Families After Mass Violence will take place on Thursday, August 11th at 3pm. It will be hosted by Dr. Melissa Brymer, Director of the Terrorism and Disaster Program of the UCLA/Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and its National Child Traumatic Stress Network and an expert on how children deal with stress following disasters such as school shootings.

As families prepare to send their kids back to school, the presentation will highlight ways in which parents and caregivers can support their children who may have experienced a past trauma or loss, who have recently experienced a mass violence event or school shooting, or who have expressed fear after hearing about one of these events in the news.

"For military families, such traumatic events may be compounded by the unique circumstances associated with military life," says Cohen Veterans Network Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Tracy Neal-Walden. "Military children move an average of 6 to 9 times during their school career. Often 'the new kid' without well-established friendships or deep community ties, a lack of greater support could make the circumstances after a mass violence event particularly challenging for military kids. This webinar will help families better prepare for and respond to such tragic incidents in support of their children's mental health and well-being."

CVN serves the entire military family. Since its inception in April 2016, the network has provided mental health services to more than 32,000 individuals, including children of veterans and service members. In fact, 16% of clients served have been children.

"Each family is unique in how they react to the news of a mass violent event," says Dr. Brymer. "Some members are reminded of their past losses, while others worry about their safety. Helping families to tolerate these differences and to support one another is essential to healing."

CVN's national network of 21 Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics offer individual therapy for adults, children, adolescents, and teens as well as family therapy and a number of support groups. Treatment is available for a variety of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family and relationship problems, transition challenges, and children's behavioral problems. Care is available in person or via CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy.

More information on Supporting Families After Mass Violence and a link to register are available here.

ABOUT COHEN VETERANS NETWORK

Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) is a 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, operating a network of outpatient mental health clinics in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. It was established in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen with a commitment of $275 million to build the network. Learn more about CVN here.

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network
FOSHAN, China, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited ("Bright Scholar," the "Company," "we" or "our") (NYSE: BEDU), a global premier education service company, today announced that it will change the ratio of its American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") to Class A ordinary shares from one (1) ADS representing one (1) Class A ordinary share to one (1) ADS representing four (4) Class A ordinary shares.

For Bright Scholar's ADS holders, this ratio change will have the same effect as a 1-for-4 reverse ADS split. There will be no change to Bright Scholar's Class A ordinary shares. Furthermore, no physical action by ADS holders will be required to effect the ratio change, as the change will be effected on the books of the depositary. The effect of the ratio change on the ADS trading price on the New York Stock Exchange is expected to take place at the open of business on August 19, 2022 (U.S. Eastern Time). Any fractional ADSs will be sold and the net proceeds from the sale of fractional ADSs will be distributed to the holders entitled thereto.

As a result of the change in the ADS ratio, the ADS price is expected to increase proportionally, although Bright Scholar can give no assurance that the ADS price after the change in the ADS ratio will be equal to or greater than four times the ADS price before the change.

About Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited

Bright Scholar is a global premier education service company, which primarily provides quality international education to global students and equip them with the critical academic foundation and skillsets necessary to succeed in the pursuit of higher education. Bright Scholar also complements its international offerings with Chinese government-mandated curriculum for students who wish to maintain the option of pursuing higher education in China.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's business plans and development, which can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.

IR Contact:

GCM Strategic Communications

Email: [email protected]

Media Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +86-757-6683-2507

SOURCE Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd.
BUCHAREST, Romania, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) and Depozitarul Central continue the digital transformation efforts by launching the Investors Enrollment Platform with the help of its partners, Aurachain and eVOTE. Through this platform, following an identification procedure for individuals, user accounts are created, enabling investors to participate online and vote electronically at the General Shareholders Meetings organized by the companies listed on BVB. This new digital solution was created by Aurachain, a low-code development platform that helps businesses to rapidly digitize their operational processes. As part of the project, eVOTE provides the first online and physical participation solution for the General Shareholders Meetings, introduced in Romania more than two years ago and currently used by over 20 companies listed on BVB.

Investors enrollment platform

In a first phase, the Investors Enrollment online platform is available from any Internet-connected desktop or laptop using the Google Chrome web browser through the following link https://www.roclear.ro/Inrolare-Investitori or directly from Depozitarul Central's homepage at https://www.depozitarulcentral.ro. The user account is created through a facial identification process or using a digital signature for holders of certified digital certificates. The solution will enable listed company shareholders to benefit easier from the services of capital market institutions, using a user account and a single point of contact. By using their login credentials, investors can participate online and vote electronically at the General Shareholders Meetings conducted by companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange that use the eVOTE Platform and where the investors own shares.

The partnership between BVB, Depozitarul Central, and eVOTE will improve the operational efficiency of publicly traded companies by lowering the administrative workload and costs associated with conducting the General Shareholders Meetings. At the same time, companies' shareholders that use the eVOTE Platform will be able to vote much more rapidly, with a single click, and to participate in such meetings from anywhere as long as they are internet-connected.

The Investors Enrollment Platform can be used in the future for various purposes, such as facilitating some services for investors, including online access to additional services offered by Depozitarul Central - for example, obtaining account statements.

"The pandemic episode we went through launched one of the most interesting challenges: accelerated digitalization in all fields. Depozitarul Central has always invested massively and sustainably in automation and digitalization to ensure high-quality services, but above all, to provide solutions for our customers' benefit and comfort. The launch of the Investors Enrollment Platform, with access to the eVOTE electronic voting service, is a natural step in the development, optimization and modernization of the services offered to the partners of Depozitarul Central. This platform will be improved and completed with all the facilities an investor needs, depending on the opportunities we will identify. We are happy to be able to offer, together with Bucharest Stock Exchange, this very important and useful service for all actors involved in the Romanian capital market," said Silvia Buicanescu, Depozitarul Central CEO.

"It is obvious that we can no longer talk about the capital market without referring to digitalization. The project that is now operational, the Investors Enrollment Platform, developed with Aurachain partners and colleagues from Depozitarul Central, represents a step forward in simplifying the access to the capital market for investors. As the first step, the platform will digitize the process of investor participation in the General Shareholders Meetings of companies listed at the stock exchange and the voting process, carried out through eVOTE - the online system for participating in the General Shareholders Meetings. Subsequently, the benefits of the platform will be extended to the development of other digital services for investors. Bucharest Stock Exchange has always searched to identify technological solutions that facilitate investors' and issuers' access to the capital market, and the launch of this platform surely contributes to that goal," said Adrian Tanase, Bucharest Stock Exchange CEO.

"The collaboration between eVOTE and BVB through Depozitarul Central as the first utility service of the Investors Enrollment Platform represents a significant step in the direction of the development of the capital market in Romania by digitizing the services offered to shareholders of listed companies. Starting today, shareholders will have a simplified method of participating in the general meetings and will be able to vote much more quickly on the points that define the future of the companies in which they invest. Through eVOTE, both companies and their shareholders are assured that the votes cast are counted and calculated accordingly. This transformation of the way of participation and voting brings the technology of the years 2022 to the process of a GSM and creates fundamental premises for the application of transparency and good corporate governance specific to companies listed on the BVB. During the busiest time of year for BVB-listed companies, January through May 2022, on the eVOTE Platform there were organized 50 General Shareholders Meetings, 37 of which were annual. All events were live-streamed, with no lag between the virtual and physical environments," said Mihai Chisu, Governance Partners CEO, the company that manages the eVOTE Platform.

"Digitalization and process automation have been shown to notably improve operational efficiency, and we now see that this might have a considerable impact on Romania's capital market. Bucharest Stock Exchange and Depozitarul Central have maximized the possibilities of the low-code Aurachain platform to develop the Investors Enrollment Platform significantly faster than traditional development methods would have allowed. Bucharest Stock Exchange will continue to benefit from the advantages of our platform through the real-time visibility of the entire process, the high level of security, as well as the ability to quickly make changes and improvements to meet the needs of the market," said Adela Wiener, Aurachain CEO.

About Bucharest Stock Exchange

Bucharest Stock Exchange runs markets for shares, bonds and other instruments, through regulated platforms and alternative systems, and provides a wide range of services to participants of financial markets. Bucharest Stock Exchange is a public company, listed on its own market since 2010.

The cumulative market capitalization of all companies listed on Bucharest Stock Exchange (local and international) exceeds EUR 42.2bn, and the cumulative value of bond issues listed on the BVB amounts to EUR 17.2bn.

Romania has become increasingly visible internationally and has been present, since June 20th, with 12 companies in the Russell FTSE index dedicated to emerging markets. The 12 companies are: Banca Transilvania, Nuclearelectrica, OMV Petrom, TeraPlast, One United Properties, MedLife, Transport Trade Services, Purcari Wineries, Conpet, IMPACT Developer & Contractor, Sphera Franchise Group, and Aquila.

For more information on Bucharest Stock Exchange, please refer to www.bvb.ro

About Depozitarul Central - Romanian Central Securities Depository

Depozitarul Central provides central maintenance of securities accounts services, clearing settlement services for financial instruments traded on different trading venues, cross-border settlement services through links established with other CSDs, securities borrowing and lending operations. It also provides notary services (initial recording of securities in book-entry system), standardized corporate event processing and other services for issuers and holders of financial instruments.

Depozitarul Central is a share holding company, member of the Bucharest Stock Exchange group and carries out its activity according to the provisions of CSDR (Regulation (EU) no. 909/2014.

For more information on Depozitarul Central, please refer to www.depozitarulcentral.ro

About Aurachain

Aurachain empowers organizations to rapidly build digital process applications through a powerful low-code platform. Streamlined workflows and exceptional interfaces directly capture the expertise of subject matter experts, business analysts, and professional developers to deliver real business value from day one. Enterprise organizations and governments alike use Aurachain to reduce development timelines, optimize business operations, and accelerate innovation.

The Aurachain platform is owned by Aurachain AG, a Swiss company with local offices in Europe (Switzerland, UK, Romania), the Middle East (Dubai) and USA (California).

For more information on the Aurachain low-code platform, please refer to www.aurachain.ch or watch this video presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjhQxkwEQOc

Follow on LinkedIn for more updates from Aurachain.

About eVote

eVOTE is a complete solution for carrying General Shareholders Meetings. It includes all the options to participate in the meeting by mail, online, or in person, and integrates all the votes into a single platform that is user-friendly for shareholders and companies and last but not least is secure data protection wise. Developed by Governance Partners, a company founded in 2018 by the union of capital markets and IT specialists, eVOTE is the first application that aims to modernize through technology the way investors interact with the major institutions of the capital market for a simpler and more efficient coordination.

For more information on the eVOTE platform, please refer to www.evote.ro

For additional information:

Irina Pocovnicu, CMO, Aurachain, [email protected], +40 729 218 570

Bianca Dascalu, Marketing and Communication, Bucharest Stock Exchange, [email protected]

Diana Predescu, Public Relations and Marketing, Depozitarul Central, [email protected]

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873981/BVB_Investors_Enrollment_Platform.jpg

SOURCE Bucharest Stock Exchange; Aurachain
EL CAJON, Calif., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the success of its 3rd annual Camp Cajon, Cajon Valley Union School District will introduce Camp Sunrise and Camp Sunset into the regular school year. As children return to school for the 2022-2023 school year the district is proud to offer expanded before and after school student learning opportunities at every school site.

Camp Sunrise, available from 6:30 am until the start of school, will offer a quiet start to the morning including student care, enrichment, and assistance with school work prior to school beginning.

2022 Camp Cajon Highlights Camp Cajon

Camp Sunset, available after school until 6:00 pm, will offer enrichment, recreation, care, snacks, and academic support as they end their day.

Camp Sunrise and Sunset Expanded Learning Opportunities will be provided to all families in the Cajon Valley Union School District at no cost. For more information, please visit www.cajonvalley.net/campcajon

The Cajon Valley Union School District drew national attention when it reopened schools for just 3 weeks into the pandemic for Emergency Childcare for Essential Workers in April 2020 , and became the first public school district in the country to open at scale.

In June of 2020, building on the success of this program, Cajon Valley Union School District trustees used federal CARES Act funds to reopen all 27 schools for the community and created Camp Cajon, an optional Summer Enrichment Program available at no cost to all Cajon Valley students. This was in direct response to feedback from families that parents needed to work and that students were struggling amidst the shelter-in-place orders. Under the care and nurturing of their teachers and school employees who know them so well, students participated in small groups, personalized instruction, hands-on science activities, arts, organized sports, swimming and field trips.

The district also partnered with Beable , a literacy and career development platform, to organize a summer reading challenge with weekly prizes for students showing the most growth.

On average Cajon Valley students experienced Extraordinary Outcomes: 5X Expected Lexile Gains and Increased Levels of Hope and Engagement. These growth measures remained consistent throughout the 2020-2022 school years where all Cajon Valley schools consistently remained open for their kids.

Camp Cajon 2021 and 2022 statistics:

*250% increase in participation

*64 Programs to choose from including swimming, paddle boarding, surfing, art, theater, music, team sports, hands-on science, robotics, and more.

*6:30 am - 6:00 pm Expanded care hours to accommodate working families.

400+ Field Trips all over San Diego County

15 community partners lending hands.

About Cajon Valley Union School District:

Named a 2019 Top Workplace in San Diego, Cajon Valley Union School District focuses on the positivity of each student's unique strengths, interests, and values. Recently showcased during the National Safe School Reopening Summit, Cajon Valley has garnered national recognition as a leader in educational excellence and innovation. Serving over 60 square miles of San Diego's East County, Cajon Valley Union School District offers personalized education, with programs that develop students into happy kids, healthy relationships, on a path to gainful employment, making El Cajon the best place to live, work, play and raise a family. Visit our website at www.cajonvalley.net.

For more information contact:

Howard Shen

Media & Communications Specialist

Cajon Valley Union School District

Office - 619-590-5823

Cell - 949-554-4921

[email protected]

SOURCE Cajon Valley Union School District
JAKARTA, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 8th, Chinese automaker Wuling celebrated the Indonesian production rollout of its first global electric vehicle, the Air ev (right-hand drive version). This marks an important milestone for Wuling New Energy in global outreach as it achieves one million production models. Mr. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Minister of Industry, Indonesia, together with Chinese ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang, attended this launching ceremony.

Wuling, from China to the world China Wulings Air ev officially rolled out in Indonesia Indonesian government officials and Chinese ambassador to Indonesia attended the Air ev roll-out ceremony Official car of the G20 Summit

Based in China, Wuling New Energy has sold more than 1 million vehicles in 5 years, marking it the leading new energy automobile company in worldwide which reached this target the fastest. Joining the global market push, the Air ev will accelerate expansion in global markets, with the first stop in Indonesia. Moving forward, the Air ev will enter India, Egypt, and more regions around the world, asserting China's status as a leader in smart automotive manufacturing.

The Air ev rollout aligns with the 'blue ocean' market focus of the Chinese "Belt and Road" initiative and acts to represent China's strengths in intelligent manufacturing. As the best-selling Chinese car brand in Indonesia, the Indonesian government noted the great importance of the development of Wuling. In preparation for the global launch, the Air ev will be on display at the Indonesian International Auto Show on August 11th.

Garnering international recognition and praise, the Air ev is set to upgrade the world's perception of "Made in China." In November 2022, the G20 summit will be opened in Bali, Indonesia, and due to its superior-quality travel experience and commitment to environmental sustainability, the Air ev has been chosen as the official vehicle for the 2022 G20 Summit. Wuling will demonstrate the innovative achievements of China's intelligent manufacturing on a global stage, adding value to the summit to be a complete success.

Wuling New Energy drives development with innovation. The company is set to make every effort to advance on its overseas activities, continuing to bring high-quality new energy vehicles and service experiences to global car owners whilst demonstrating the high-tech capabilities of "Made in China."

About SGMW

Founded in 2002, SGMW owns two high valued Chinese car brands, "Wuling" and "Baojun". At present, SGMW has five major production bases: Liuzhou Hexi Headquarters, Liuzhou Baojun Base, Qingdao Branch, Chongqing Branch, and PT SGMW. In 2021, SGMW sold 1,760,176 units, up by 13.5 percent year-on-year, making it not only the No. 1 national car brand in terms of sales volume, but also has been well-recognized by more than 25.5 million customers. SGMW exported 145,550 units/set of vehicles and spare parts in 2021, covering more than 40 countries and areas, like Central and South America, Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

SOURCE SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd
NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As companies are seeking to refresh the composition of their boards, they are moving away from policies that mandate turnover of their directors based on age or tenure. They are instead pursuing other avenues that provide for a tailored approach to opening up board seats for directors who will bring fresh perspectives, skills, experiences, and diversity to the board room.

The Conference Board report, using data provided by ESGAUGE, reveals that, in the S&P 500 the percentage of companies with mandatory retirement policies based on age dropped from 70 percent in 2018 to 67 percent as of July 2022. The policies also dropped in the Russell 3000, from 40 percent to 36 percent. Moreover, mandatory retirement policies based on tenure remain unchanged and uncommon, used by just six percent of the S&P 500 and four percent of the Russell 3000.

While mandatory turnover policies have been on the decline, the analysis reveals that substantially more companies are now conducting comprehensive board evaluationsa combination of board, committee, and individual director assessments. In the S&P 500, the share of firms that evaluate all three areas rose from 37 percent in 2018 to 52 percent in 2022, and from 18 percent to 34 percent in the Russell 3000.

This has been accompanied by a marked rise in the share of companies using an independent facilitator to conduct board evaluations. While most companies still do not disclose using an independent facilitator, from 2018 to 2022 the share that have done so has more than doubled in both indices. These in-depth and independent evaluations can open fruitful discussions about many challenging topics, such as identifying areas where the current board's composition does not meet the needs of the board and the company, and thereby facilitate appropriate board turnover.

There has also been an increase in the percentage of companies with overboarding policies that limit the number of other public company boards on which a director can serve. The share of S&P 500 firms with an overboarding policy grew from 64 percent in 2018 to 72 percent in 2022, and in the Russell 3000, from 45 percent in 2018 to 50 percent in 2022. These policies trigger discussions with directors about those boards on which they may no longer serve.

Even with the steps companies are taking to refresh their boards, the share of newly elected directors at larger companies remains relatively unchanged: Since 2018, the percentage of newly elected directors in the S&P 500 has held steady at nine percent. This equates to approximately one new director joining an S&P 500 company board each year, which have an average of 11 directors. The appropriate level of turnover at each company will vary, reflecting a balance between adjusting the mix of skills and backgrounds on the board to serve the company's strategic priorities, while also maintaining board cohesion and successfully onboarding each new director.

The report includes insights and dataas recent as July 2022relating to board refreshment policies and director evaluations at S&P 500 and Russell 3000 companies. It is the final installment in a three-part series, with the first report examining board composition and the second report examining board leadership, meetings, and committees.

Findings and insights from this new report include:

Election of New Directors

Unchanged: the rate at which new directors are elected at larger companies

Stable in the S&P 500: The share of newly elected directors has held steady at nine percent since 2018.

The share of newly elected directors has held steady at nine percent since 2018. A slight increase in the Russell 3000: The share ticked up from nine percent in 2018 to 11 percent in 2022.

"Boards can use several mechanisms to promote board refreshment, including policies that require board turnover and trigger a discussion of turnover. Most importantlyand what doesn't get emphasized enoughboards can promote a culture of board refreshment, in which there is no stigma associated with rotating off a board member before one is officially required to leave," said Merel Spierings, author of the report and Researcher at The Conference Board.

"Creating a culture in which it's fully acceptable for directors to rotate off a board before they are required to do so can be accomplished not only by establishing guidelines on average board tenure. Firms can also achieve this through setting initial expectations for director tenure through the director recruitment and onboarding process, as well as candid discussions about how the current mix of directors matches the company's needs during the annual board evaluation and director nomination processes," said Paul Washington, Executive Director of The Conference Board ESG Center.

Mandatory Retirement Based on Age

In decline: mandatory retirement policies based on age

A decline in the S&P 500: The share with such a policy decreased from 70 percent in 2018 to 67 percent in 2022.

The share with such a policy decreased from 70 percent in 2018 to 67 percent in 2022. An even bigger decline in the Russell 3000: The share decreased from 40 percent in 2018 to 36 percent in 2022.

"Another sign that age-based director retirement policies are losing ground is that companies that have such policies are increasingly building in some flexibility. Indeed, the percentage of firms whose policy permits no exceptions whatsoever saw notable drops in both indices: In the S&P 500, the share decreased from 41 percent in 2018 to 34 percent as of July 2022, and from 24 percent to 18 percent in the Russell 3000," noted Paul Rodel, Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

Mandatory Retirement Based on Tenure

Unchanged and uncommon: mandatory retirement policies based on tenure

Little movement in the S&P 500 and Russell 3000: The share with such a policy remained virtually unchanged in the S&P 500, from five percent in 2018 to six percent in 2022. The share also remained virtually unchanged in the Russell 3000, from three percent in 2018 to four percent in 2022.

The largest companies are most likely to adopt director term limits; the smallest firms are least likely

The largest companies$50 billion and over in annual revenues: As of July 2022 , 12 percent have a policy that sets a maximum tenure based on years of service.

As of , 12 percent have a policy that sets a maximum tenure based on years of service. The smallest companiesunder $100 million in annual revenues: Just one percent of these companies have such a policy.

"Tenure-based retirement polices continue to be rare in the US. Many boards prefer to retain the flexibility to have directors with a mix of tenures. Additionally, these policies can force the departure of long-serving directors who are strong contributors to board deliberations. For example, directors whose service predates that of the CEO may have particularly useful institutional memory and may be more willing to challenge management," said Annalisa Barrett, senior advisor with the KPMG Board Leadership Center.

Board Evaluations

Growing in popularity: companies that conduct comprehensive, three-part performance evaluations of the full board, committees, and individual directors

A substantial increase in the S&P 500: The share reporting that they conduct full board, committee, and individual director evaluations has now become the most common practice, rising from 37 percent in 2018 to 52 percent in 2022.

The share reporting that they conduct full board, committee, individual director evaluations has now become the most common practice, rising from 37 percent in 2018 to 52 percent in 2022. The approach nearly doubles in the Russell 3000: The share taking this approach soared from 18 percent in 2018 to 34 percent in 2022.

The share taking this approach soared from 18 percent in 2018 to 34 percent in 2022. The most common practice continues to be only full board and committee (without individual director) assessments.

To conduct board assessments, companies are increasingly using independent facilitators

The approach more than doubles in the S&P 500: The share disclosing their use of an independent facilitator for board assessments increased from 14 percent in 2018 to 29 percent in 2022.

The share disclosing their use of an independent facilitator for board assessments increased from 14 percent in 2018 to 29 percent in 2022. The approach more than doubles in the Russell 3000: While the share taking this approach remains minimal, it increased from six percent in 2018 to 15 percent in 2022. Given that many companies only use an outside facilitator every two or three years, this could signal a major shift.

"Individual director evaluations and the use of independent facilitators allow companies to have open conversations about sometimes challenging subjects that are often ignored by check-the-box based assessments. More importantly, these practiceswhich the latest data show are gaining popularitycan help boards not just talk about difficult issues, but resolve them, leading to more effective and enjoyable board service," said Rich Fields, Head of the Board Effectiveness Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates.

Director Overboarding

A rise in restrictions: companies are increasingly limiting the number of other public company directorships their board members can accept

An increase in the S&P 500: The share with an overboarding policy applicable to all directors grew from 64 percent in 2018 to 72 percent in 2022.

The share with an overboarding policy applicable to all directors grew from 64 percent in 2018 to 72 percent in 2022. An increase in the Russell 3000: The share grew from 45 percent in 2018 to 50 percent in 2022.

"Director overboarding policies are a relatively even-handed way of ensuring that directors are not overcommitted in this era of increasing workload. They also can prompt a thoughtful discussion between directors and the companies on whose boards they serve as to whether the director is over-committed and should consider stepping down from a particular board," said Justin P. Klein, Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance.

"Regardless of their approach to board refreshment, companies should expect continued investor scrutiny in this area," said Umesh Chandra Tiwari, Executive Director of ESGAUGE. "Indeed, while institutional investors may defer to the board on whether to adopt mandatory retirement policies, many are keeping a close eye on average board tenure and the balance of tenures among the directors serving on the board."

The project is led by The Conference Board in collaboration with data analytics firm ESGAUGE, along with Debevoise & Plimpton, the KPMG Board Leadership Center, Russell Reynolds Associates, and the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance.

About The Conference Board ESG Center

The Conference Board ESG Center serves as a resource, platform, and partner to help Member companies address their priorities in corporate governance, sustainability, and citizenship. www.conferenceboard.org/esg

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what's ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conferenceboard.org

About ESGAUGE

ESGAUGE is a data mining and analytics firm uniquely designed for the corporate practitioner and the professional service firm seeking customized information on U.S. public companies. It focuses on disclosure of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices such as executive and director compensation, board practices, CEO and NEO profiles, proxy voting and shareholder activism, and CSR/sustainability disclosure. Our clients include business corporations, asset management firms, compensation consultants, law firms, accounting and audit firms, and investment companies. We also partner on research projects with think tanks, academic institutions, and the media.

About Russell Reynolds Associates

Russell Reynolds Associates is a global leadership advisory firm. Our 520+ consultants in 47 offices work with public, private and nonprofit organizations across all industries and regions. We help our clients build teams of transformational leaders who can meet today's challenges and anticipate the digital, economic and political trends that are reshaping the global business environment. From helping boards with their structure, culture and effectiveness to identifying, assessing and defining the best leadership for organizations, our teams bring their decades of expertise to help clients address their most complex leadership issues. We exist to improve the way the world is led. www.russellreynolds.com

About the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance

The John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance was established in 2000 at the University of Delaware and is part of the Lerner College of Business and Economics. It is one of the longest-standing corporate governance centers in academia, and the first and only corporate governance center in the State of Delaware, the legal home for a majority of the nation's public corporations. The Center is recognized as a thought leader in the corporate governance field. www.weinberg.udel.edu

About Debevoise & Plimpton

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients' most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.

About the KPMG BLC

The KPMG Board Leadership Center (BLC) champions outstanding corporate governance to drive long-term value and enhance stakeholder confidence. Through an array of insights, perspectives, and programs, the BLCwhich includes the KPMG Audit Committee Institute and close collaboration with other leading director organizations promotes continuous education and improvement of public and private company governance. BLC engages with directors and business leaders on the critical issues driving board agendasfrom strategy, risk, talent, and ESG to data governance, audit quality, proxy trends, and more. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us/blc

SOURCE The Conference Board
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Late Friday a federal court in San Francisco allowed a case against subsidiaries of CVS Health Corporation brought by HIV-positive "John Doe" plaintiffs to proceed, denying CVS's motion to dismiss the case.

This ruling comes on the heels of CVS's abrupt dismissal late last year of its appeal to the United States Supreme Court of a unanimous decision by the Ninth Circuit in favor of the plaintiffs who allege CVS's prescription drug program puts their lives at risk.

Download the Order denying CVS's Motion to Dismiss.

CVS's program limits people living with HIV to obtaining their life-saving medications only by mail-ordercutting off access to pharmacists and other critical benefits and services essential for people living with HIVwhile continuing to make the same benefits and services available to other enrollees.

CVS's latest motion had sought to dismiss the case contending that the plaintiffs had not adequately alleged CVS receives "federal financial assistance," a requirement to sue for disability discrimination under health programs subject to federal civil rights statutes.

However, as the plaintiffs pointed out, CVS receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the federal government under the federal Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs.

CVS argued that its corporate subsidiaries that received the federal money were not responsible for any discriminatory conduct, and that its corporate subsidiaries that did participate in the alleged discriminatory conduct did not receive any federal money.

In effect, CVS argued that a large corporate defendant could defeat the broad goals of civil rights statutes by slicing and dicing its subsidiaries.

But as the Court noted in Friday's Order:

"To permit the CVS entities to escape responsibility as a result of the establishment of corporate structures which cabin their functions would exalt form over substance, and would be antithetical to the overarching purpose of the anti-discrimination provision of the [Affordable Care Act]."

In addition to the five CVS defendants named in the case, CVS has hundreds of other subsidiaries.

CVS, one of the largest healthcare companies in the world, owns pharmacies throughout the U.S., but also operates as a pharmacy benefit manager, which coordinates pharmacy benefits for people like the John Does who are enrolled in employer-provided health plans.

The case before the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed late last year involved an appeal by CVS of a unanimous ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals finding the HIV-positive plaintiffs had appropriately pled a claim for disability discrimination against CVS under the Affordable Care Act.

Read more about the U.S. Supreme Court case here: https://consumerwatchdog.org/courtroom/groups-commend-cvss-withdrawal-us-supreme-court-challenge-hiv-rights

Following the dismissal of the U.S. Supreme Court appeal, the case returned to the federal district court for additional proceedings.

Most other major health insurance companies in the United States now allow members to opt out of mail-order-only delivery of HIV medications because of numerous settlements achieved by attorneys for Consumer Watchdog and Whatley Kallas, LLP, which represent the John Doe plaintiffs in the CVS action.

The CVS case is John Doe One, et al. v. CVS, et al., No.: 3:18-cv-01031 and is pending in federal district court in San Francisco before United States District Judge Edward M. Chen.

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog
Increasing government push is likely to boost sales of Electric Vehicles due to exemption of taxes and duties.

Lack of market leaders and ease of entry will act a positive reinforcement for emergence of newer homegrown EV manufacturing companies.

Increasing technological advancement and emergence of Electric Mobility-as-a-Service (EMaaS) will be witness in the EV space.

GURUGRAM, India, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Increasing Government Support and Initiatives

UNEP has worked with electric vehicle associations in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to develop comprehensive recommendations for policymakers to spur the adoption of electric two- and three-wheelers. Some of these measures include manufacturing and consumer subsidies, tax and insurance adjustments for electric and more pollutive vehicles and mandating fuel economy standards and consumption limits. The incentives announced in Budget 2022 are expected to kick start EV adoption among the general public and the plans for government fleet electrification will further pave the way to instill public confidence and interest. In addition to economic instruments, the provision of a friendly regulatory structure and long-term commitment by the government through sustainable business models will attract investment by the private sector. The participation of the private sector will accelerate the adoption of EVs as more resources such as funding, talent, and facilities can be tapped.

Malaysia Electric Two-Wheeler Market Overview

There are few electric 2-wheeler brands in Malaysia. A new company entering the market can easily establish itself in the market with a better business model and strategy. Companies have incentives to enter the industry, as it is still at a nascent stage and is expected to grow. For example, Honda plans to launch four electric two-wheelers by 2024.

Increasing Technological Advancements

The major reason for the affordable prices of electric scooters and bikes is the advancement in battery technology. The decline in electric vehicle battery cost has an overall impact on the cost of an electric vehicle. OEMs are investing capital in research and development to further increase the efficiency of the electric battery along with the reducing their cost.

Battery Swapping Technology is pioneering Electric Mobility-as-a-Service (EMaaS) in Malaysia, by developing Smart Swap  a game-changing turnkey solution for a battery-swapping infrastructure for Electric Motorcycles.

Increase in charging infrastructure

In Malaysia, the launch of the National Low Carbon Cities 2030 plan, entails the establishment of 200 low carbon zones across the country, which may bring about a greater push for green vehicle options, including EVs. Malaysia plans to build 25,000 public charging points and 100,000 private charging points by 2030.

Saving the Environment

Along with being noisy, the mushrooming number of conventional cars, motorcycles and scooters is driving up energy consumption, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. To combat those problems, Malaysia, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is encouraging drivers to trade in gas-guzzlers for electric motorbikes. Transitioning this fleet to electric models will help reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially when properly integrated into public transport systems.

The publication titled "Malaysia Electric Two-Wheeler Market Outlook to 2026: Driven by increase in awareness about alternative fuel, advancements in battery technology, and growing demand of two-wheelers in B2B Services" provides a comprehensive analysis of the electric two-wheeler vehicle industry by analyzing historical statistics and corresponding developments in the electric vehicles market. The market growth declined during COVID as manufacturing activities were on halt and the supply chain got disrupted. Given the consolidated structure in the electric vehicle industry, analysts have elaborated on competitive landscape of major electric 2-wheelers players on the basis of models launched, product prices, technology type and other operational parameters. The report also covers a snapshot on player's business model, value chain analysis, growth drivers, Porters 5 forces analysis, impact of COVID-19 and factors governing the future outlook of industry. The report also provides comprehensive insight on the market size and segmentation of the electric two-wheelers industry. The report focuses on Electric two-wheeler Vehicle Market segmentation by Type of Electric two-wheeler Vehicle, Type of Battery Capacity, Type of Battery Technology, Type of Voltage used, and Type of Battery used. The report highlights the pain points of the electric vehicles industry along with detailed company profiles of major electric 2-wheeler brands. The report concludes with projections for future industry market size, market segmentations and analyst take on future market scenario.

Key Segments Covered in Malaysia Electric Two Wheeler Vehicles Industry

By Type of Electric 2-wheelers

Electric scooter

Electric motorcycle

By Type of Battery Capacity for electric 2 wheelers

<25Ah

>25Ah

By Battery Technology Type for electric 2 wheelers

Removable batteries

Non-removable batteries

By Voltage Type for electric 2 wheelers

24V

36V

48V

60V

72V

By Battery Type for electric 2 wheelers

Lithium-Ion

Sealed Lead Acid

Request for Free Sample Report @ https://www.kenresearch.com/sample-report.php?Frmdetails=NTg0MjY0

Time Period Captured in the Report:

Historical Period: 2016-2021

2016-2021 Forecast Period: 2022F-2026F

Malaysia Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicles Industry Players

Electric 2 wheelers

Eclimo

Treeletrik

NIU

Key Topics Covered in the Report:-

Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry Future Outlook

Value Chain Analysis of Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Business Models of Major Entities in the Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Customer Preferences and Buying Decision Behavior in Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Market Size of Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry by Transaction Value and Sales Volume

Market Potential of Malaysia Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Market

Market Segmentation of Electric two-wheeler Industry by type of electric 2 wheelers, type of battery capacity, type of battery technology, type of voltage, and by battery type

Competitive Scenario of the Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Issues and Challenges in Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Market

Trends and Developments in the Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Porter's Five Forces analysis of the Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Growth Drivers of Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Challenges and Restraints in the Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Government Rules and Regulations in the Electric Vehicles two-wheeler Industry

Impact of Covid-19 and Government Regulations on Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry

Future Market Size of Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry by Transaction Value and Sales Volume

Future Market Segmentation of Electric two-wheeler Vehicles Industry by type of electric 2 wheelers, type of battery capacity, type of battery technology, type of voltage, by battery type

Industry Speaks

Analyst Recommendations

Research Methodology

For More Information, refer to below links:-

Malaysia Electric Two-Wheeler Industry

Related Reports:-

UAE Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Market Outlook To 2026: Driven By Government Support And Incentives With The Increasing Focus To Achieve Green And Sustainable Economy

UAE is the second largest automotive market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after Saudi Arabia owing to the growing population and high disposable income. The demand for vehicles in the country mainly originates from the construction, infrastructure, logistics, tourism, and public transport sectors have turned the emirate into a major exporter and re-exporter of vehicles. The transportation sector is one of the most significant contributors to CO2 emissions in UAE, second to the industrial sector. Incentives offered by the government, banks, and car dealers, has also led to the growth in the UAE's imports of EVs and increased environmental awareness among citizens. The Battery Electric Vehicles sales grew at a CAGR of ~49% during 2017 and 2021.

India Two-Wheeler Aftermarket Services Industry Outlook to 2027: Driven by growing sales of two-wheelers and shifting consumer preference towards availing private transportation medium

The report also focuses on the India Two-Wheeler Aftermarket Services Industry Segmentation by Type of Vehicle (Motorcycles and Scooters); By Age of Two-Wheeler (0-2 years, 2-4 years, 4-6 years, 6-8 years and 8 years & above); By Region (North, South, East and West); By Service Split (Non-Crash Repair, Crash Repair and Body Care); By Type of Workshop (Organized & Unorganized Multi-Brand and OEM); By Type of Multi-Brand Outlet (Organized Outlet and Unorganized Outlet); By Brand (Hero MotoCorp, Honda, TVS, Bajaj Auto, Suzuki and Others), By Electric Two-Wheeler Brand (Hero Electric, Okinawa, Ather, Ampere, Pure EV and Others); By Type of Split for Aftermarket Spare Parts and Consumables (Spare Parts and Consumables); By Expenditure Category (Services, Spare Parts and Consumables) and By Booking Mode (Online and Offline). India Two-Wheeler Aftermarket Services Industry report concludes with projections for the future of the industry including revenue and number of vehicles serviced by 2027, industry speaks and analysts' take on the future highlighting the major opportunities.

Egypt Automotive Aftermarket Service Industry Outlook to 2027: Driven by burgeoning population, vehicle sales growth and government moves to combat auto emissions

The Four Wheeler Aftermarket service industry in Egypt recorded a CAGR of ~14.5% on the basis of revenue in between 2016 and 2021. The automobile industry in general, is currently in its growth stage in the country. While the industry began more than 60 years ago, the market is highly under-penetrated with less than 50 people per 1000 population owning a car. Consequently, the relative youth of this industry also provides growth prospects for its allied sector that is the aftermarket.

A boom in Egypt's automotive aftermarket industry is being fuelled by a burgeoning population, vehicle sales growth and government moves to combat auto emissions. The combination of these factors, against a backdrop of post-pandemic economic growth, has accelerated the Egyptian market for car spare parts, accessories, and vehicle components.

Egypt is also taking bold steps to replace internal combustion engines with more environmentally friendly alternatives. Last year the government announced an initiative to encourage consumers to replace old vehicles for new ones operating on CNG engines with extended credit facilities among its green program incentives. Egypt's automotive aftermarket is accelerating and has been dubbed "one of Africa's most exciting markets" as its motoring population and vehicle sales grow. The growth has fed into the aftermarket, with the country now being home to one of Africa's largest vehicle fleets with around six million vehicles on the country's roads.

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The global market is expanding rapidly due to the increasing use of endoscopic equipment in cancer treatment

The market for endoscopy devices is expected to rise due to the rising popularity of robotic-assisted endoscopic treatments

WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The market value of the endoscopy devices market was worth US$ 31.8 Bn in 2020. The global market study on endoscopy devices market is likely to rise at a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period, from 2021 to 2028. The global endoscopy devices market is projected to surpass valuation of US$ 42.8 Bn by 2028. The global market for endoscopy devices is likely to expand rapidly due to several reasons including increase in cancer occurrence, expanding older populace, and the advantageous position of endoscopic device makers.

In order to get an edge over its competitors, firms in the global endoscopy devices market are anticipated to expediate the pace of product innovation and seize revenue possibilities. Market participants are expanding their service offerings by creating cutting-edge endoscopic equipment to increase income in the forthcoming years. Insights on the endoscopy devices market predict that the manufacturing of affordable endoscopic equipment is expected to be the main goal of market participants. However, an obstacle to the expansion of the global market for endoscopy devices is the steep cost of endoscopic equipment.

The market is recouping from the losses brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak following the successful vaccination campaigns conducted all over the world. Due to the rising demand on a global scale, manufacturers of endoscopy devices are concentrating on new advancements. Endoscopic tools are also often used in both surgical and diagnostic operations.

Endoscopy methods are minimally invasive and include creating a microscopic incision in the body and introducing a rod-shaped tool into the surgical site. For executing complicated urological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, ENT, and joint procedures, endoscopic gadgets are especially made. These minimally invasive techniques guarantee speedy healing and little infection risk. The need for various endoscopic equipment is being driven by this factor.

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Key Findings of Market Report

Endoscopic devices are increasingly in demand for the detection and treatment of viral, immunological, metabolic, neurological, as well as cardiovascular illnesses. Global device manufacturers are anticipated to profit substantially from this aspect.

Due to their ease, dependability, and effectiveness, minimally invasive techniques are becoming more and more common. Compared to other typical surgical techniques, minimally invasive surgery is often more affordable. Some of the reasons likely to create positive endoscopy devices market outlook include an increase in surgeries, aging population, and significant investments in the construction of healthcare infrastructure.

The rise in surgical operations and technical advancements in medical imaging equipment have led to an increase in the usage of medical imaging devices. Device makers now have more lucrative prospects as a result of the use of artificial intelligence in endoscopic treatments.

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Global Endoscopy Devices Market: Growth Drivers

In order to meet the rising demand from the healthcare industry, companies in the global endoscopy device market are likely to expand their manufacturing portfolio. The market for endoscopic devices is expected to be boosted by the development and expansion of medical devices.

The North America region is expected to account for a considerable share for endoscopy devices market. The regional market comes with excellent development potential as a result of the region's expanding elderly population, rising volume of surgical procedures, and technological advancements in the fields of medicine and medical devices. The region's growing investments in R&D for endoscopic equipment and better healthcare facilities are likely to accelerate market expansion.

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Global Endoscopy Devices Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG

B. Braun Melsungen AG

Boston Scientific Corporation

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation

Olympus Corporation

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Global Endoscopy Devices Market: Segmentation

Device Type

Endoscope

Operative Devices

Visualization Systems

Application

Gastrointestinal Surgeries

Urology

ENT Surgery

Cardiovascular Surgery

Neuro and Spinal Surgery

Laparoscopy Surgery

Arthroscopy Surgery

Modernization of healthcare in terms of both infrastructure and services have pushed the healthcare industry to new heights, Stay Updated with Latest Healthcare Research Reports by Transparency Market Research:

Eye Care Surgical Devices Market: Eye care surgical devices market is driven by the increase in incidence of eye disorders such as cataracts and glaucoma. Recent advancements in cataract surgery equipment for eye care have improved the safety and effectiveness of common procedures.

Healthcare Biometrics for Children Market: The healthcare biometrics for children market projections estimates a CAGR of 22.3% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2031.

Pediatric Medical Devices Market: The global pediatric medical devices market was valued at US$ 21,000 Mn in 2017 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2018 to 2026.

Neurostimulation Devices Market: Rise in prevalence of neurological disorders, increase in geriatric population, favorable reimbursement rates, and introduction of innovative technologies.

Pulmonary Drug Delivery Devices Market: eHealth apps and telehealth are giving rise to remote patient monitoring in the pulmonary drug delivery devices market.

Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market: Increase in government expenditure on health care in emerging economies such as India and rise in prevalence of respiratory disorders are likely to augment the global market during the forecast period.

Negative-pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Devices Market: Rise in preference for single-use NPWT devices in order to reduce cross-contamination and costly readmission is driving the negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) devices market.

mHealth Monitoring Diagnostic Medical Devices Market: The global mHealth monitoring diagnostic medical devices market was valued at US$ 29.05 Bn in 2018 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 20.5% from 2019 to 2027.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global enterprise artificial intelligence market size is anticipated to reach USD 155.2 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 34.6% from 2022 to 2030. The digital revolution is driving the demand for artificial intelligence in enterprises, due to the increasing adoption rate from the manual user interfaces to digital technology such as chatbots, virtual assistants, or intelligent digital assistants in various enterprises sectors such as healthcare, IT & telecom, retail, BFSI, and other sectors.

Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report:

In terms of deployment, the cloud segment held the largest revenue share of 62.9% in 2021 and is projected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. The adoption of AI technology is growing rapidly however new organizations are facing issues in cleaning large volumes of data, accessing quality data, and training AI systems. The on-premises segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 31.0% over the forecast period.

In terms of technology, the Natural Language Processing (NLP) segment held the largest revenue share of 33.0% in 2021 and is projected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. The growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for voice-based interfaces, chatbots, and virtual assistants. The computer vision segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of over 36.0% over the forecast period.

In terms of organization, the large enterprises held the largest market share of 63.9% in 2021 and are projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.0% over the forecast period. The demand for AI solutions in this segment is mainly driven by the increasing adoption and awareness of the technology as large enterprises are leveraging AI to boost productivity, increase agility & flexibility, and reduce costs by automating routine tasks. The small and medium enterprises segment is likely to register a CAGR of 38.4% over the forecast period.

In terms of end-use, the IT & telecom segment dominated the market in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.9% over the forecast period. The growth can be attributed to rapid urbanization, technological advancement, an increase in investment by startups to provide AI solutions & services, and growing demand for AI in developing countries. The automotive & transportation segment is likely to register the highest CAGR of over 38.0% over the forecast period.

North America captured the highest market share of 38.1% in 2021 and is expected to retain its position over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the existence of a significant number of artificial intelligence companies and the high adoption rate owing to government measures that stimulate AI usage across various industries in the region.

captured the highest market share of 38.1% in 2021 and is expected to retain its position over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the existence of a significant number of artificial intelligence companies and the high adoption rate owing to government measures that stimulate AI usage across various industries in the region. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of over 36.4% over the forecast period. The growth is primarily due to the increasing skill gaps with a three-pronged approach: upskilling programs, collaborations, and out-tasking usage across the region.

is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of over 36.4% over the forecast period. The growth is primarily due to the increasing skill gaps with a three-pronged approach: upskilling programs, collaborations, and out-tasking usage across the region. In April 2022 , Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced service updates that are expected to assist customers in APAC in deploying machine learning at scale, building full stack applications & digital twins quickly, and bringing the cloud nearer to the end-users.

Read 100 page full market research report for more latest insights, "Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Deployment, By Technology (Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision), By Organization, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research.

Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Market Growth & Trends

The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence among enterprises is assisting them in shifting from traditional to digital business processes. The factors driving the demand for AI among enterprises include the increasing need to analyze exponentially growing volumes of data sets, the need for data security, privacy, and retention management, and the lack of ability to automate deviation of data for disaster recovery.

Many industries across the world were severely impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the enterprise artificial intelligence market experienced significant growth owing to a surge in the demand for innovative AI-based enterprise services and products during the pandemic. The need for virtual assistants, chatbots, robots, and video conferencing tools also experienced exponential growth in various sectors during the period hence driving the growth of the industry.

The growing trend is empowering many players in the market to offer improved AI-enabled software and services that allow enterprises to provide customized solutions and services to enhance their customer's satisfaction.

Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global enterprise artificial intelligence market based on deployment, technology, organization, end-use, and region:

Enterprise AI Market - Deployment Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Cloud

On-premises

Enterprise AI Market - Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Machine Learning

Computer Vision

Speech Recognition

Others

Enterprise AI Market - Organization Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Large Enterprises

Small And Medium Enterprises

Enterprise AI Market - End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Media & Advertising

Retail

BFSI

IT & Telecom

Healthcare

Automotive & Transportation

Others

Enterprise AI Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

U.K.



Germany



France



Italy

Asia Pacific

China



India



Japan

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico

Middle East & Africa

List of Key Players in the Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Market

Amazon Web Services, Inc.

IBM Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Oracle Corporation

Intel Corporation

Alphabet

SAP SE

C3.ai, Inc.

DataRobot, Inc.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Wipro Limited

NVidia Corporation

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

Artificial Intelligence Market - The global artificial intelligence market size is expected to reach USD 1,811.8 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 38.1% from 2022 to 2030. Artificial Intelligence (AI) denotes the concept and development of computing systems capable of performing tasks customarily requiring human assistance, such as decision-making, speech recognition, visual perception, and language translation. AI uses algorithms to understand human speech, visually recognize objects, and process information. These algorithms are used for data processing, calculation, and automated reasoning.

The global artificial intelligence market size is expected to reach by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 38.1% from 2022 to 2030. Artificial Intelligence (AI) denotes the concept and development of computing systems capable of performing tasks customarily requiring human assistance, such as decision-making, speech recognition, visual perception, and language translation. AI uses algorithms to understand human speech, visually recognize objects, and process information. These algorithms are used for data processing, calculation, and automated reasoning. Artificial Intelligence For IT Operations Platform Market - The global artificial intelligence for IT operations platform market size is expected to reach USD 33.82 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 17.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rapid digital transformations in global business organizations have brought about increasingly complex datasets. Businesses spend a significant amount of time, cost, and effort on processing large volumes of data. IT operations are also on the edge of this transformation, wherein IT teams are required to manage complex datasets to sustain their business. Besides, there has been a considerable increase in data loads over the last few years due to the distributed architecture and dynamic nature of business applications and services.

- The global artificial intelligence for IT operations platform market size is expected to reach by 2030, registering a CAGR of 17.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rapid digital transformations in global business organizations have brought about increasingly complex datasets. Businesses spend a significant amount of time, cost, and effort on processing large volumes of data. IT operations are also on the edge of this transformation, wherein IT teams are required to manage complex datasets to sustain their business. Besides, there has been a considerable increase in data loads over the last few years due to the distributed architecture and dynamic nature of business applications and services. Enterprise Application Market - The global enterprise application market size is estimated to be worth USD 259.51 billion by 2022, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc., registering a 7.8% CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing need among organizations for single data access point is anticipated to drive industry growth over the forecast period.

Browse through Grand View Research's Next Generation Technologies Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Research

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Increase in open account trading opportunities and rise in awareness & understanding of supply chain financing drive the growth of the global factoring services market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Factoring Services Market by Provider (Banks, NBFCs), by Enterprise Size (Large Enterprises, SMEs), by Application (Domestic, International), by Industry Vertical (Construction, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transportation & Logistics, Energy & Utilities, IT & Telecom, Staffing, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." According to the report, the global factoring services industry generated $3,271.45 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $5,872.00 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 6.1% from 2022 to 2031.

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Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

Increase in open account trading opportunities, rise in awareness & understanding of supply chain financing, and surge in need for alternate sources of financing for small & medium enterprises (SMEs) drive the growth of the global factoring services market. However, lack of strict regulatory frameworks for recovering debts and restrictions on foreign currency restrain the market growth. On the other hand, increase in technological advancements such as automated invoices present new opportunities in the coming years.

Covid-19 Pandemic

During the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, the factoring services market was impacted negatively as there were disruptions in the supply chain and financial impact on the businesses with economic uncertainty.

Investments in factoring service became immensely popular with rise in attention toward data for helping financial institutes determine the future performance and take necessary corrective measures at early stages.

The pace of digital transformation surged considerably during the pandemic. The governments of various countries became the top competitors for offering factoring services as they implemented various forgivable programs and zero-cost money.

During the post-pandemic period, the IMF survey highlighted that many operations were utilizing financing solutions to facilitate cash flow restrictions. In addition, a staple cash flow financing option was used across many industries.

Scope of the Report:

Report Attribute Details Revenue forecast in 2031 $5,872.00 billion Growth rate CAGR of 6.1% from 2022 to 2031 Forecast period 2022 - 2031 Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, MEA Country scope U.S., Canada, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia Key companies profiled Advanon AG, ALAMI Technologies, Aldermore Bank PLC, AwanTunai, Barclays PLC, BNP Paribas, China Construction Bank, Deutsche Factoring Bank, Eurobank, Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC, HSBC Group, ICBC, KUKE Finance JS, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc, Riviera Finance of Texas, Inc, Societe Generale, and The Southern Bank Company Access Table PDF

The Manufacturing Segment to Maintain its Leadership Status During the Forecast Period

Based on industry vertical, the manufacturing segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021, contributing to nearly one-third of the global factoring services market, and is projected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. This is due to elimination of issues of manufacturing plant such as shortage of cash flow issues and ability to roll out payments to suppliers, raw materials providers, and expenses without incurring late fees, damaging business credit, or worrying about quitting of employees. However, the healthcare segment is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 9.3% from 2022 to 2031, owing to patient claim process taking more than two months to process that creates a huge gap in working capital.

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The Banks Segment to Maintain its Lead Status by 2031

Based on provider, the banks segment held the largest market share in 2021, accounting for around four-fifths of the global factoring services market, and is expected to maintain its lead status by 2031. This is due to rise in digitization across the banking sector to fill the current gaps in financial services and surge in efficiency in the banking sector to provide improved customer experience. However, the NBFCs segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.5% from 2022 to 2031, owing to offering of factoring services to businesses with low rate and rapid payment time.

The Large Enterprise Segment to maintain its Lead Position during the Forecast Period

Based on enterprise size, the large enterprise segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, holding nearly three-fourths of the global factoring services market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to increase in usage in a number of large enterprises such as education hubs, healthcare companies, and government sector. However, the SMEs segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 8.0% from 2022 to 2031. This is attributed to increase in their business reach and cost-effectiveness of factoring services.

Europe to Maintain its Dominance in Terms of Revenue by 2031

Based on region, Europe contributed to the largest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global factoring services market, and is expected to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031. This is due to rapid adoption of factoring services in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the strategic importance of receivables funded by the commercial banking sector. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. This is owing to rapid growth of economies with infrastructural and industrial growth in the region.

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Leading Market Players

Advanon AG

ALAMI Technologies

Aldermore Bank

AwanTunai

Barclays

BNP Paribas

China Construction Bank

Deutsche Factoring Bank

Eurobank

Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC

HSBC group

ICBC

KUKE Finance JSC

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.

Riviera Finance of Texas , Inc.

, Inc. Societe Generale

The Southern Bank Company

Key Benefits for Stakeholders

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the factoring services market analysis from 2022 to 2031 to identify the prevailing factoring services market opportunities.

The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders to make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the factoring services market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.

Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global factoring services market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

Key Market Segments

Industry Vertical

Construction



Manufacturing



Healthcare



Transportation & Logistics



Energy & Utilities



IT & Telecom



Staffing



Others

Provider

Banks



NBFCs

Enterprise Size

Large Enterprises



SMEs

Application

Domestic



International

By Region

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



United Kingdom





Germany





France





Italy





Spain





Netherlands





Rest of Europe



Asia-Pacific



China





India





Japan





South Korea





Australia





Singapore





Rest of Asia-Pacific



LAMEA



Latin America





Middle East





Africa

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"We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report title for your reference, considering Impact of Covid-19 Over This Market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market."

Trending Reports in BFSI Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount + Covid-19 scenario):

Credit Card Payments Market was valued at $138.43 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $263.47 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2021 to 2028

Smart Card Market was valued at $10.19 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $15.57 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2020 to 2027

Virtual Cards Market was valued at $281.22 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $1,893.08 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 21.3% from 2022 to 2031

Financial Guarantee Market was valued at $28.70 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $71.93 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2021 to 2030

Financial Consulting Software Market was valued at $4.73 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $14.86 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 12.2% from 2022 to 2031

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MIAMI, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the successful collaboration at New York Fashion Week, as a part of Asia Innovations Group, international brands Uplive and Hekka debuted another viral runway show at Miami Swim Week.

Large audiences gathered online and in the renowned fashion hub of Miami South Beach for a week of runway shows, VIP parties, and social mixers. With over 200 brands and designers in attendance, this year's Miami Swim Week generated more than 1.6 billion global impressions across social media, live streaming, and even the Metaverse.

Uplive X Hekka Runway Show at Miami Swim week

Uplive, along with other digital platforms, allowed fashion fans from around the world to connect with their favorite brands, models and influencers by broadcasting the event in real time to its 300 million users worldwide. Among the broadcasters were TikTok sensation Tony Lopez (@tonylopez), model and actress Yuvanna Montalvo (@yuvannamontalvo), Latin superstar Juan Carlos Garcia P (juancarlosgarciap) and influencer Daniela Buenrostro (@queenbuenrostro) who were all eager to use Uplive's streaming platform to share the runaway show with their fans.

As part of Miami Swim Week 2022, Hekka unveiled "Style de Vie," a 25-piece capsule collection of essential swimwear, following the brand's successful debut at New York Fashion Week earlier this year. The "Style de Vie" line offers swimwear essentials, apparel, and beach accessories that aim to revive the summer wardrobe and elevate holiday look. All pieces follow the ethos of the brand to support emerging creators, promote the use of natural fabrics and sustainable materials, and celebrate the uniqueness and inclusivity of its community.

In keeping with the brand ethos, Hekka and Uplive's unique concept of ready-to-wear runway makes a return. First pioneered during New York Fashion Week, the combination of Hekka's unique "real-time fashion" platform with Uplive's immersive live streaming experience allows their community to not only see the new designs first, but purchase them in real time and share them with their followers.

"We're pleased to showcase the world's top swimwear fashion event, providing designers and fashion companies at Miami Swim Week with a massive global audience on a premier video platform," shared Christine Xu, CEO of Uplive USA. "As a platform for global performance and discovery, Uplive will both inspire and showcase creativity through this event."

"Uplive has been an advocate for celebrating diversity and inclusivity through innovative technology and commitment to daring environmental, social, and governance goals since it launched in 2016. Having recently celebrated our 6th birthday, we are more eager than ever to support social causes, community development and emerging markets through content creation and global connectivity", continued Xu.

About Asia Innovations Group

Asia Innovations Group Limited (Asia Innovations) is a leading live social company with 600 million registered users located in over 150 regions worldwide. Asia Innovations has an integrated portfolio of social, gaming and e-commerce platforms designed to foster meaningful human connection. Asia Innovations operates in eighteen offices around the globe that offer deep local market knowledge across all major emerging markets to augment the company's cutting-edge technology and scalable global infrastructure. The company's portfolio includes leading apps such as Uplive, the global live video platform, CuteU and Lamour, the dominant dating apps in global emerging markets. Its e-commerce platform, Hekka Fashion, offers an online shopping experience that brings accessible fashion to users around the world. As champions for creativity, opportunity and inclusivity for all, Asia Innovations leverages its innovative products globally to empower creators, catalyze social impact, and safeguard a positive online environment. For more information, please visit https://www.asiainnovations.com.

SOURCE Asia Innovations Group
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global flooring market size is expected to reach USD 398.27 billion by 2030 and is expected to register a growth of 5.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. This growth can be attributed to rising construction activities like the construction of new hospitals, residential spaces, office spaces, malls, and hotels to cater to the demand of the growing global population.

Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report:

The vitrified (porcelain) accounted for 27.6% of the total revenue of the flooring market in 2021. The market is estimated to reach USD 109.20 billion by 2030. This growth is attributed to the durable properties of porcelain, due to which it is highly preferred in residential and commercial structures.

by 2030. This growth is attributed to the durable properties of porcelain, due to which it is highly preferred in residential and commercial structures. The residential application segment accounted for 49.2% of the revenue share in 2021. This is owing to the rising population in developing countries and increased spending on residential buildings in developed countries.

The commercial application segment was estimated at USD 166.76 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period. This growth is attributable to growing commercialization and urbanization in developing regions in the Asia Pacific region.

in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period. This growth is attributable to growing commercialization and urbanization in developing regions in the region. The Asia Pacific region dominated the flooring market in 2021 with a market share of 44.96% and this trend is expected to continue over the coming years. The rising population in growing economies such as India , Saudi Arabia , Japan , and Indonesia is propelling the demand for flooring in the market.

region dominated the flooring market in 2021 with a market share of 44.96% and this trend is expected to continue over the coming years. The rising population in growing economies such as , , , and is propelling the demand for flooring in the market. The North American region contributed about 13.71% of the total revenue share in 2021. The flooring industry in North America is expected to witness significant growth over the coming years on account of the increasing construction of residential and commercial buildings in the region.

Read 108 page full market research report for more insights , "Flooring Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Ceramic Tiles, Porcelain Tiles, Carpet, Vinyl, Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), Linoleum & Rubber), By Application, By Type, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research.

Flooring Market Growth & Trends

The global flooring industry is growing owing to fast-paced economical and industrial development along with the growing population. In addition, the growing service sector and development of industrial clusters in emerging economies such as India are further expected to bolster the demand for flooring materials in commercial and industrial applications. Moreover, the robust industrialization and urbanization in the developing countries in the Asia Pacific and Africa have resulted in high pace construction activities, triggering the growth of the flooring market.

The construction industry in the Asia Pacific is forecasted to grow on account of the increasing per capita income, rapid urbanization, and expanding population. The expansion of residential, commercial, and industrial sectors on account of sustainable economic growth in the region is expected to boost construction activities, thereby, driving the flooring market over the forecast period.

The rising awareness regarding the use of eco-friendly building materials is estimated to propel the green retrofit or renovation activities of existing constructions in developed economies from North America and Europe. In addition, the increasing adoption of recyclable and reusable technologies by major players is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period.

Flooring products are used in numerous commercial building applications including offices, convenience stores, shopping malls, and the construction of other retail stores. The increasing construction of commercial buildings, such as drugstores, grocery, and big-box stores, over the past few years, is expected to benefit the segment growth over the forecasted period. Moreover, robust demand for office spaces, especially in urban areas of emerging economies, is also propelling demand for high-quality products in the flooring market.

The growing demand for luxury housing in European countries is one of the key drivers for the flooring market. Nearly all mid-sized and large cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Milan, and Madrid are witnessing an increase in luxury real estate investment. Furthermore, the renovation of dwellings in Europe is anticipated to create numerous opportunities for flooring vendors. Also, the booming hospitality industry in the European region is also contributing to the development of hotels, resorts, and restaurant chains which further contributes to the growth of the global flooring market. Moreover, the refurbishment and redevelopment activities in the European countries are expected to drive the market in the coming years.

Flooring Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the flooring market based on product, application, type, and region:

Flooring Market - Product Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million; 2021 - 2030)

Ceramic Tiles

Vitrified (Porcelain) Tiles

Carpet

Vinyl

Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT)

Linoleum/Rubber

Wood & Laminate

Natural Stone

Other Flooring Materials

Flooring Market - Application Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million; 2021 - 2030)

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Flooring Market - Type Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million; 2021 - 2030)

Resilient Flooring

Soft Coverings

Non-Resilient Floorings

Seamless Flooring

Flooring Market - Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million; 2021 - 2030)

North America

U.S.



Canada



Mexico

Europe

Germany



UK



France



Italy



Spain



Russia



Romania



Czech Republic



Portugal



Ukraine



Slovakia



Hungary

Asia Pacific

China



India



Japan



South Korea



Australia



Indonesia



Philippines



Vietnam

Middle East & Africa

& Saudi Arabia



UAE



Israel



Egypt



Qatar



South Africa



Morocco

Central & South America

Brazil



Argentina



Peru



Colombia



Chile

List of Key Players in Flooring Market

Mohawk Industries, Inc.

Tarkett, S.A.

AFI Licensing

Burke Flooring Products, Inc.

Firbo Flooring

Shaw Industries, Inc.

Interface, Inc

Gerflor

Mannington Mills, Inc.

Polyflor

RAK Creamics

Crossville Inc.

Atlas Concorde S.P.A.

Porcelanosa Group

Kajaria Ceramics Limited

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

Resilient Flooring Market - The global resilient flooring market size is expected to reach USD 67.7 billion by 2028, as per a new report by Grand View Research Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2021 to 2028. Product benefits including cost efficiency, lower maintenance, and improved aesthetics are anticipated to drive the demand for resilient floorings over the forecast period.

The global resilient flooring market size is expected to reach by 2028, as per a new report by Grand View Research Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2021 to 2028. Product benefits including cost efficiency, lower maintenance, and improved aesthetics are anticipated to drive the demand for resilient floorings over the forecast period. Flooring Adhesive Market - The global flooring adhesive market size is expected to reach USD 7.7 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2021 to 2028. The market is projected to be driven by a growing emphasis on luxury homes and increasing investments in the construction sector.

- The global flooring adhesive market size is expected to reach by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2021 to 2028. The market is projected to be driven by a growing emphasis on luxury homes and increasing investments in the construction sector. Wood And Laminate Flooring Market - The global wood and laminate flooring market size is expected to reach USD 90.46 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 5.3%, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc. Factors such as the natural look and feel offered by solid wood flooring coupled with the growing need for aesthetic improvements in the construction interiors is likely to augment the growth.

Browse through Grand View Research's Advanced Interior Materials Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
Alliance will create, drive and implement inclusion initiatives across the U.S.

MIAMI, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A bold, new initiative is under way across the U.S. to create a pathway for Black and Hispanic students to become future leaders in hospitality, one of the world's largest industries.

The Alliance for Hospitality Equity and Diversity (AHED), led by the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) , is on a mission to create a nationwide recruitment infrastructure to increase diversity among students at member universities. Targeting university recruitment is the first of many initiatives that will address the diversity pipeline that leads to hospitality C-suite opportunities. The Alliance brings together higher learning institutions and top hospitality brands and associations.

Black and Hispanic students represent less than one percent of all industry CEOs and presidents, and diverse student enrollments are down at almost all hospitality four-year colleges and universities. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 5.8 percent of U.S. hospitality students identified as Black or African American. Additionally, women comprise less than 12 percent of hospitality leadership positions.

AHED serves as an immediate call for leading hospitality companies to diversify at the highest levels of leadership. The Alliance, through its council , will offer strategies and implement concrete solutions to enhance pathways for Black and Hispanic hospitality management students to become leaders.

"Our alliance is focused specifically on bridging the diversity gap confronting our industry, we plan to create social equity by channeling directed resources to lower socio-economic Black and Hispanic students. We plan to form equitable and broad access to higher education that leads to executive leadership positions," said Brian Barker , FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Endowed Diversity, Equity & Inclusion professor and director of the Alliance.

As the leading minority-serving institution in the country and a Top 10 hospitality school , FIU Chaplin School is initiating the establishment of the Alliance and will oversee the group's national efforts. The Alliance is made up of universities designated as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), and other four-year hospitality universities. Organizations represented in the DE&I Alliance Council include: Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Hilton, Marriott International, Bacardi North America, Bloomin' Brands, JLL, CBRE, Castell Project, NABHOOD, AHLA Foundation, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, and The Advanced Leadership Institute.

"In order to effect positive change and create a level playing field for our future hospitality leaders, it is crucial that we address this ongoing challenge to leadership potential in the hospitality industry with intentionality and purpose by reaching out to those students with less access to financial, educational and social resources," said Michael Cheng, dean of FIU's Chaplin School.

Income disparities, lack of upward mobility, and lack of promotions are contributing factors leading to Black and Hispanic students electing not to pursue a hospitality education and careers. These factors further compound existing challenges these students face, such as lack of institutional commitment, academic preparedness, role models, and financial aid.

To learn more about the Alliance, please visit the AHED alliance website for more details.

Media Contact:

Ivonne Yee-Amor

305.299.2091

[email protected]

SOURCE Florida International University
After Serving on Delaware's Court of Chancery, Former Vice Chancellor Slights Joins the Firm's Corporate Governance Practice as a Partner in the Wilmington Office

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that former Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III has joined the firm's litigation department as a partner in the Wilmington, Delaware, office. He will be a member of Wilson Sonsini's corporate governance practice.

Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

Prior to joining the firm, Slights served as Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery for six years before his recent retirement from the court. He was nominated to the Court of Chancery by former Delaware Governor Jack Markell in 2016. From 2000 to 2012, Slights served as a judge on Delaware's Superior Court where, among other assignments, he was instrumental in forming the court's Complex Commercial Litigation Division.

"Following his accomplished 18 years of service as a judge and several years of private practice in Delaware, former Vice Chancellor Slights' insights and unquestionably thorough understanding of critically important legal issues will be of substantial value to clients," said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. "Former Vice Chancellor Slights is widely praised for not only his many career achievements, but also for managing judicial matters with professionalism and fairness. We're very proud to add yet another esteemed former member of the judiciary to our firm and pleased that he is joining an already formidable corporate governance team."

Wilson Sonsini's corporate governance team represents the management teams, directors, and special board or management committees of some of the largest companies in the world. The multidisciplinary governance practice provides legal counsel across all areas related to public company matters, including securities, compensation, M&A, antitrust, litigation, internal and agency investigations, and tax. The corporate governance team also advises on complex and novel private company matters. A key part of the governance practice is the firm's 30-attorney Delaware team, which includes respected and established practitionerssuch as former Chancellor William B. Chandler III, who led the Delaware Court of Chancery for 14 yearsall of whom have been at the forefront of the most important and wide-reaching developments in the areas of corporate governance and related litigation. The team has expertise concerning all aspects of Delaware corporate law and governance, and also represents clients in corporate litigation, especially in the Delaware courts.

"Serving on the Delaware Court of Chancery as Vice Chancellor was a tremendous honor, and now I'm looking forward to working with Wilson Sonsini's talented team in Delaware and what I know to be an impressive national governance practice," said former Vice Chancellor Slights. "With the firm's innovative clients and the many practitioners behind the firm's success, I am confident this platform will allow me to direct my energy toward the type of work that clients value and needand do so as part of a dynamic team that shares my passion."

Before his appointment to the Superior Court of Delaware and the Delaware Court of Chancery, former Vice Chancellor Slights worked in private practice, where he focused on corporate and business litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Former Vice Chancellor Slights earned his J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 1988, and an undergraduate degree from James Madison University in 1985.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini's services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in 18 technology and business hubs worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

SOURCE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine have honored Forward Networks as one of the 2022 Best Small Workplaces. This is Forward Networks' first time being named to this prestigious list, this year coming in at 20th place nationally. Earning a spot means that Forward Networks is one of the best companies to work for in the country.

To determine the Best Small Workplaces list, Great Place to Work analyzed the survey responses of over 30,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies with 10 to 99 U.S. employees. In that survey, 100% of Forward Networks' employees said Forward Networks is a great place to work. This number is 43% higher than the average U.S. company.

"Everyone at Forward Networks is excited to creating a new software category that fundamentally changes how networks are managed," said David Erickson, Co-founder and CEO, Forward Networks. "Our shared passion is the foundation of the supportive and empowering work environment we strive to continuously improve. We're honored to be named to the National Best Places to Work list."

The Best Small Workplaces list is highly competitive. Great Place to Work is the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is.

"It's not the size of an organization that makes it great, but how the organization treats its people," says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. "And these small workplaces have proven that the inspiring cultures they've created go head-to-head with those of any large corporation. Leaders at these companies put their people first, and in return, achieve stronger business results than the average workplace."

In June of this year, Forward Networks was also ranked as one of the Best Workplaces in the Bay Area.

About Forward Networks

Forward Networks is revolutionizing the way large networks are managed. Forward's advanced software delivers a "digital twin" of the network, enabling network operators to ensure that the network is agile, predictable, and secure. The platform supports devices from all major networking vendors and cloud operators, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Forward Networks was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D. graduates and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Investors include Goldman Sachs, Andreessen Horowitz, Threshold Ventures, and A. Capital.

About the Best Small Workplaces

Great Place to Work selected the Best Small Workplaces by analyzing the survey responses of over 30,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies with 10 to 99 U.S. employees. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. Great Place to Work determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America's largest ongoing annual workforce study, based on over 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees this year alone. Read the full methodology.

To get on this list next year, start here.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Forward Networks, Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Demandbase , the Smarter GTM company for B2B brands, announced today that it has been honored as one of the 2022 Best Medium Workplaces by Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work. Ranking 17 on the list confirms Demandbase's continued dedication to creating an environment that fosters growth, health, and success for every employee. This is the first time Demandbase has been named on this prestigious list and further solidifies that it is one of the best companies to work for in the country.

"What I admire most about Demandbase is its commitment towards helping each of its employees reach their full potential," remarked Sana Ghazi, principal data scientist at Demandbase. "We have a remarkable culture of recognizing people, making them feel valued, and always making sure to reward them for their contributions. During my tenure at Demandbase, I have always felt whole-hearted support from my manager, my peers, and other leaders as I work towards realizing my career aspirations,"

To compile the Best Medium Workplaces list, Great Place to Work analyzed survey responses from more than 200,000 employees who work for Great Place to Work-Certified companies with 100 to 999 U.S. employees. Demandbase scored 40% higher than the average U.S. company with 97% of employees saying that Demandbase is a great place to work.

"We're honored to be ranked on the 2022 Best Medium Workplaces list. Our employees inspire us day-in and day-out to continue providing an environment where they experience success and fulfillment," said Landon Pearson, chief people officer at Demandbase. "We've experienced a lot of growth over the last few years with multiple acquisitions, and with that comes the responsibility to ensure that all of our employees feel welcome and have the tools and resources they need to succeed readily available. This award proves to us that we're accomplishing the goals we've set to create an inclusive and welcoming company."

The Best Medium Workplaces list is highly competitive. Great Place to Work is the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is.

"It's not the size of an organization that makes it great, but how the organization treats its people," said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. "And these medium workplaces have proven that the inspiring cultures they've created go head-to-head with those of any large corporation. Leaders at these companies put their people first, and in return, achieve stronger business results than the average workplace."

Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America's largest ongoing annual workforce study. This year alone, the results are based on more than 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees.

Earlier this year, Demandbase was named Best Workplaces for Millennials and Best Place to Work in the Bay Area by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work, and also garnered the number one spot on the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area, Large Category, by the San Francisco Business Times.

About Demandbase

Demandbase is Smarter GTMTM for B2B brands. We help marketing and sales teams spot the juiciest opportunities earlier and progress them faster by injecting Account Intelligence into every step of the buyer journey and orchestrating every action. For more information about Demandbase, visit www.demandbase.com .

About the Best Medium Workplaces

Great Place to Work selected the Best Medium Workplaces by analyzing the survey responses of over 200,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies with 100 to 999 U.S. employees. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. Great Place to Work determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America's largest ongoing annual workforce study, based on over 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees, this year alone. To get on this list next year, start here .

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .

SOURCE Demandbase
First Responders Get the Mission-Critical Connectivity they Require on America's Public Safety Network and Now Save 25% for their Family on America's Most Reliable 5G Network1

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

What's the news? AT&T* is delivering 'FirstNet and Family,' a simplified experience that gives America's first responders the best of 2 networks  public safety's FirstNet network and the AT&T commercial network  to keep their worlds connected. Public safety gets mission-critical, always-on priority connectivity on FirstNet, and beginning August 9 their family members get to save 25% on eligible unlimited wireless plans2 on the AT&T commercial network  all on a single account.

Why is this important? For those who dedicate their lives to serving their communities, many only see the badge, the firehose, or the stethoscope; but first responders are also moms and dads, husbands and wives, daughters and sons. As public safety's partner, we're ensuring they have the best customer experience for their entire household, while also delivering on the best connectivity required for their professional operations and familial commitments. With FirstNet and Family, getting the right kind of connectivity (whether a first responder on FirstNet or a family member on AT&T) is easier and more inclusive while helping take care of the family with significant savings.

Today, more than 21,800 agencies and organizations  accounting for 3.7 million connections3  use FirstNet, Built with AT&T to stay mission-ready. We've seen significant growth in FirstNet because the public safety community recognizes commercial networks aren't designed  and are not subject to the rigorous level of oversight and accountability by the federal government  to properly handle the specific and niche demands of first responders. They were built to meet the broad needs of the general population (the family). And that's why public safety has FirstNet.

How is FirstNet better than commercial networks for first responders? FirstNet is the only network built with and for America's first responders. Created following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, FirstNet is providing first responders with superior security, truly dedicated coverage and capacity when they need it and unique benefits they can't get anywhere else. It is the only network that gives first responders always-on priority and preemption. Every day. Around the clock. No matter where in the U.S. the emergency is happening. This is revolutionary. And it's essential because we can't predict when or where emergencies are going to happen. With FirstNet, the public safety community never has to waste critical time dialing codes or asking for permissions. Because when seconds matter, you don't have time to wait for network access.

What will service be like for my family? Our mission is to be the best connectivity provider in America, whether you're at home, work or on the move. And with 3 plan options under Unlimited Your WaySM, families can pick the perfect plan for each member on the account and get a 25% off discount. All plans include unlimited talk, text and data, as well as AT&T 5G access and AT&T ActiveArmorSM mobile security4  a free app to help you block spam calls and more.

AT&T 5G is fast, reliable, secure. Currently reaching more than 277 million people in more than 18,000 cities and towns in the U.S., we continue to invest in expanding 5G to give families across the country unique experiences, faster speeds and capacity to do more of the things they like.

How else can first responders and their families save? Whether you're shopping at one of our 5,000+ retail stores or online, we're committed to delivering public safety the capabilities they need with the affordability they require:

New to FirstNet? Individual first responders can also get 50% off 3 months of FirstNet service when they purchase a new FirstNet Ready smartphone. 5

when they purchase a new FirstNet Ready smartphone. Don't be late! First responders and family members can also save big on the latest smartwatches : Buy Apple Watch and get Apple Watch SE on us 6 ; or buy an eligible Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Series and get one free. 7

: Buy Apple Watch and get Apple Watch SE on us ; or buy an eligible Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Series and get one free. Time for an upgrade? Check out the latest FirstNet Ready device offers here.

Where can I find more information? Members of the public safety community and their families can move to 'FirstNet and Family' by shopping at one of our 5,000+ retail stores or online. To learn more about the value FirstNet and Family is bringing to the public safety community, check out FirstNet.com, and click here for more FirstNet news.

What people are saying:

Jeff McElfresh

COO, AT&T

"It's an honor to deliver FirstNet, the only network built with and for public safety. This vital work helping keep the brave people on the front lines connected in any emergency has also transformed our operations from communications provider into a true public safety company. And of course, our nation's first responders also have family lives. So we're proud to offer them the convenience of FirstNet and Family, a single solution that delivers the best wireless experience for both their critical mission at work and loved ones at home."

Ron Brooks

Executive Director, National Narcotics Officers Associations' Coalition

"The National Narcotics Officers Associations' Coalition represents about 65,000 officers nationwide. And when our members stressed the need for a streamlined experience for managing their family's wireless needs in conjunction with their service on the FirstNet network, we were able to work directly with the FirstNet team at AT&T to address these concerns. The care and engagement by the team reinforced that FirstNet is the best option for our officers, despite numerous offerings available to public safety, because it is truly built with first responders."

1 Most Reliable 5G Network based on nationwide GWS drive test data. GWS conducts paid drive tests for AT&T and uses the data in its analysis. AT&T 5G requires compatible plan and device. 5G not available everywhere. Visit att.com/5Gforyou for details.

2 Requires a FirstNet Unlimited smartphone plan line of service (min $39.99/mo.) and an AT&T Unlimited plan line of service (min. $75/mo. before discounts). AT&T may slow data speeds on consumer lines if the AT&T network is busy.

3 As of Q2 2022

4 Compatible device for 5G, and AT&T ActiveArmor app access. Download of app req'd. Some mobile security features are not avail. while roaming internationally.

5 Ltd. time offer. Available only to verified FirstNet public safety entities for Subscriber Paid User lines of service. Req's new line. Credits start w/in 3 bills. If svc cancelled, credits stop & device balance due. Device must use a FirstNet SIM. $45 Activation Fee, Add'l fees, taxes, charges & other restr's apply. See offer details. See offer details.

6 Limited time. Select devices only. Avail. only to verified elig. Subscriber Paid Users with an elig. linked consumer wireless account or a FirstNet and Family account. Req's new line & min. $329.99 per device on installment plan. Well-qualified customers only. Up to $330 off after monthly credit applied over term of installment plan (starts w/in 3 bills). If svc cancelled, device balance due. If svc. on other lines cancelled w/in 90 days credits stop. $30 Activ./Upgrade, add'l fees, taxes, & restr's apply. See offer details.

7 Ltd time. Select devices only. Avail. only to verified elig. Subscriber Paid Users with an eligible linked consumer wireless account or a FirstNet and Family account. Req's new line & min. $ 299.99 per device on installment plan. Well-qualified customers only. Get 2nd elig. watch for $0 after monthly credit applied over term of installment plan. If svc cancelled, device balance due. If svc. on other lines cancelled. $30 activation/upgrade, add'l fees, taxes & other charges, & restr's apply. See offer details.

*About AT&T

We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.

2022 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE FirstNet
DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "3PL Market Research Report by Transport, Service, End User, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global 3PL Market size was estimated at USD 1,035.58 billion in 2021, USD 1,112.46 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 7.60% to reach USD 1,607.23 billion by 2027.

Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the 3PL to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Transport, the market was studied across Airways, Railways, Roadways, and Waterways.

Based on Service, the market was studied across Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC), Domestic Transportation Management, International Transportation Management, and Warehousing and Distribution.

Based on End User, the market was studied across Automotive, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Retail.

Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific , and Europe , Middle East & Africa . The Americas is further studied across Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Mexico , and United States . The United States is further studied across California , Florida , Illinois , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and Texas . The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Taiwan , and Thailand . The Europe , Middle East & Africa is further studied across France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , Spain , United Arab Emirates , and United Kingdom .

Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the 3PL Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Rapid development of logistics infrastructure in developing countries

Boosting e-commerce sector growth

Increasing focus to operation enhancement and reduce operational cost

Globalization leads to logistic management services

Restraints

Lack of logistics control

Economic downturn can affect the market

Opportunities

Government initiatives encouraging Asia Pacific industrial growth

industrial growth Technology advancement to provide service enhancement

Challenges

Complexity associated with cross border transportation



Key Topics Covered:



1. Preface



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Overview



5. Market Insights



6. 3PL Market, by Transport



7. 3PL Market, by Service



8. 3PL Market, by End User



9. Americas 3PL Market



10. Asia-Pacific 3PL Market



11. Europe, Middle East & Africa 3PL Market



12. Competitive Landscape



13. Company Usability Profiles



14. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

Agility Public Warehousing Company

AmeriCold Logistics LLC

BDP International

Burris Logistics

C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) Inc.

CEVA Logistics

DB Schenker

Deutsche Post AG

DSV Panalpina A/S

Echo Global Logistics

Expeditors International of Washington , Inc.

, Inc. FedEx Corporation

Flexport Inc.

GEODIS Group

J. B. Hunt

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.

Kerry Logistics Network Limited

Kuehne + Nagel International AG

Landstar System, Inc.

Nippon Express Co., Ltd.

Penske Logistics, Inc.

Ryder System, Inc.

Schneider National, Inc.

Total Quality Logistics, Inc.

Unyson Logistics, Inc.

UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Inc.

XPO Logistics, Inc.

Yusen Logistics Co. Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7axn6f

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Automated Parking System Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global automated parking system market is expected to grow from US$ 1,411.59 million in 2021 to US$ 3,543.77 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 14.1% from 2021 to 2028.



The need for automated parking systems has increased significantly in the past a few years owing to the increasing number of vehicles and consequently growing demand for sustainable parking solutions. According to the World Economic Forum, the number of cars in the world is estimated reach 2 billion mark by 2040.

Industry experts anticipate most of this growth to happen in emerging markets such as China and India, owing to the rapid increase in population. With the surge in number of vehicles, people are facing issues such as traffic congestion and parking space insufficiency. Fully automated parking systems are capable of parking and retrieving a car automatically. In July 2021, Westfalia Technologies, Inc. (Westfalia) announced the launch of Westfalia Parking App, an all-in-one consumer parking solution that will improve efficiency, safety, and convenience in parking garages across the world, including US, UAE, and Denmark.

Reasons to Buy

Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the automated parking system market

Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies

The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the automated parking system market thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets

Scrutinize in-depth Global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Increasing Number of Vehicles and Consequently Growing Demand for Sustainable Parking Solutions

Growth in Number of Luxury Buildings with Increased Space and Enhanced Parking Facilities

Market Restraints

High Initial Investment Requirements and Complexity of Monitoring Systems

Market Opportunities

Development of "Smart Cities"

Future Trends

Robotic Garages and Robotic Parking

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. Automated Parking System Market Landscape



5. Automated Parking System Market - Key Market Dynamics



6. Automated Parking System Market - Global Analysis



7. Automated Parking System Market Analysis - By Component



8. Automated Parking System Market - By Automation Level



9. Automated Parking System Market - By Platform



10. Automated Parking System Market - By End-User



11. Automated Parking System Market - Geographic Analysis



12. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic



13. Automated Parking System Market-Industry Landscape



14. Company Profiles



15. Appendix

Companies Mentioned

AJ Automated Parking Systems

CityLift

FATA Automation

KLAUS Multiparking GmbH

Park Plus, Inc.

Parkmatic

Robotic Parking Systems, Inc.

SKYLINE PARKING

unitronics

WESTFALIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hid9ta

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Genital Herpes Treatment Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global genital herpes treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.76% during 2022-2028

The global genital herpes treatment market is segmented based on drug type, distribution channel, virus type, route of administration, and geography.



The Acyclovir segment reported a significant share of around 50.44% among all drug types. The Acyclovir is the leading segment due to availability in all three major routes of administration. The key player in the genital herpes treatment GSK has the branded drug Zovirax. Acyclovir is the oldest drug in the antiviral category and has many generic versions of Zovirax available on the market.



The Retail pharmacies segment reported a significant share of around 49.79% among all distribution channels. The retail pharmacy segment is showing the highest share due to the availability of branded and generic versions of all antiviral drugs in retail pharmacies. People who have genital herpes is most referred to go to nearby retail pharmacy outlet for anti-genital herpes treatment because of the stigma related to sexually transmitted diseases.



The HSV-2 segment reported a major share of around 84.10% among all virus types. HSV-2 is the leading virus type segment as HSV-2 is the leading cause of genital herpes. According to WHO data published in 2022, an estimated 491 million (13%) aged 15-49 years were suffering from infections worldwide in 2016. More women than men are infected with HSV-2.



Among all routes of administration, the oral segment reported a major share of around 64.03%. Mostly all the anti-genital herpes drugs are available in an oral formulation. Chronic suppressive doses of oral antivirals, including Acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and famciclovir, have significantly reduced the incidence of clinical recurrence and the rate of asymptomatic excretion. Oral administration of Acyclovir effectively suppresses recurrent genital herpes. Daily administration of Acyclovir reduces the recurrence rate by up to 80%, and 25-30% of patients have no further recurrence while taking the drug.

North America is the major revenue contributor to the global genital herpes treatment market, with a share of more than 40%. In North America, the US is the key revenue contributor mainly due to an increase in the demand for genital herpes drugs reflecting the growing awareness of various antiviral drugs and their benefits against different STIs, including genital herpes.

Europe is the second-largest regional market and is witnessing steady growth owing to increasing acceptance of both branded and OTC antiviral drugs for treating genital herpes. However, APAC is likely to see faster growth than all other regions. Around 1 in every ten people in APAC are infected with HSV-2, which majorly causes genital herpes.

The APAC region is witnessing high demand for off-label, generic, and OTC drugs for treating genital herpes. The region has many regional and local vendors offering generic and OTC antiviral drugs, which are majorly used for treating genital herpes.

Promising Investigational Therapies for Treating Genital Herpes

Researchers have been working on the development of herpes vaccines for decades. Several clinical trials have been conducted to test therapeutic (to reduce recurrence and viral shedding in people already infected with HSV) and prophylactic (to prevent infection) drug candidates.

mRNA-1608 a Moderna's HSV vaccine candidate is a vaccine candidate against HSV-2 infection. Moderna believes that an HSV-2 vaccine could provide cross-protection against HSV-1. With mRNA-1608, the Company intends to bring a strong antibody reaction with neutralizing and effector functionality shared with cell-mediated immunity.

HSV 2 Vaccines, RVx-201, NE HSV-2 Vaccine, HDIT 101, Pritelivir, UB-621, and other critical Genital Herpes pipeline medicines are in various stages of clinical trials for the treatment of Genital Herpes.

Sanofi, Rational Vaccines, BlueWillow Biologics, Heidelberg ImmunoTherapeutics, AiCuris, and United Biopharma are some of the most well-known pharmaceutical companies active in the field.

X-Vax Technology announced in May 2021 that it is preparing to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its experimental herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 vaccines (HSV-1 and -2).

that it is preparing to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its experimental herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 vaccines (HSV-1 and -2). The FDA granted AiCuris Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Pritelivir to treat HSV infections in immunocompromised patients in June 2020 .

Increasing Demand for Genital Herpes Treatment by Homosexuals

Homosexual acceptance increased by double digits between 2002 and 2019. This includes a 21-point increase in South Africa since 2002 and a 19-point increase in South Korea over the same period. India has also seen a rise of 22 points since 2014.

since 2002 and a 19-point increase in over the same period. has also seen a rise of 22 points since 2014. MSM groups are at increased risk of HIV and other STIs due to sexual networks, the number of concurrent partners, and behavioral or biological factors such as condom-less sex, anal sex, drug use, etc.

MSM are vulnerable demographics to spreading STIs. While anyone having sex can get an STD, the sexually active LGBT population, including gay, bisexual, and MSM, are at greater risk.

In addition to getting higher rates of HSV, more than half of all new HIV infections happen among MSM. Many aspects contribute to the higher rates of STIs among MSM.

Growing Burden of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

As the latest data from WHO, an expected 3.7 billion individuals younger than 50, or 67% of the populace, in 2016 had HSV-1 contamination (oral or genital). The assessed predominance of the contamination was most elevated in Africa (88%) and least in the Americas (45%).

(88%) and least in the Americas (45%). Genital herpes caused by HSV-2 is a global problem. According to WHO data published in 2022, an estimated 491 million (13%) aged 15-49 years suffered from infections worldwide in 2016. More women than men are infected with HSV-2. In 2016, an estimated 313 million women and 178 million men lived with the infection. This is because male-to-female sexually transmitted HSV is more efficient than female-to-male sexual transmission.

Genital herpes is a worldwide issue, and an expected 491 million (around 13%) individuals between 15 and 49 years suffer from this STD. In 2016, around 313 million women and 178 million men had genital herpes. This is because sexual transmission of HSV is more proficient from men to ladies than from ladies to men. The pervasiveness of HSV-2 disease was assessed to be most noteworthy in Africa (44% in ladies and 25% in men), trailed by the Americas (24% in ladies and 12% in men).

Key Vendors

GlaxoSmithKline

Glenmark pharmaceuticals

Viatris

Novartis

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Bausch Health Companies

Other Prominent Vendors

Reddy's Laboratories

Cipla

Pfizer

Eli Lilly & Company

Avet Pharmaceuticals

Aurobindo Pharma

Centurion Remedies

Abbott

Macleods Pharmaceuticals

FDC

Hetero

Zydus Group

Torrent Pharma

Finecure Pharmaceuticals

ADLEY FORMULATIONS

Medico Remedies

Zeelab Pharmacy

Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage

4.1 Market Definition

4.2 Base Year

4.3 Scope of the Study



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

5.1 Key Caveats

5.2 Currency Conversion

5.3 Market Derivation



6 Market at a Glance



7 Introduction

7.1 Overview

7.1.1 STI Control Health Policy Agenda

7.1.2 Global Prevalence of HSV Infections

7.1.3 Risk of HIV and Genital Herpes Among the LGBTQ+ Community



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 R&D of Genital Herpes Vaccine Candidates

8.2 Rise in Genital Herpes Cases in LGBTQ+ Community

8.3 Market Growth Potential in Low-Middle-Income Countries

8.4 Increased Online Purchase of Genital Herpes Therapeutics



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 Increased Burden of STDs

9.2 Awareness of STIs

9.3 Demand for Topical Genital Herpes Treatment Drugs



10 Market Restraints

10.1 Social Stigma Associated With STDs

10.2 Side Effects & Adverse Reactions to Genital Herpes Medications

10.2.1 Risks Associated With Valacyclovir

10.3 Limitations of Genital Herpes Treatment Medications



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.2 Market Size & Forecast

11.3 Five Forces Analysis



12 Drug Type

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview

12.3 Acyclovir

12.4 Valacyclovir

12.5 Famciclovir

12.6 Other Drugs



13 Distribution Channel

13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

13.2 Market Overview

13.3 Retail Pharmacies

13.4 Hospital Pharmacies

13.5 Online Pharmacies



14 Virus Type

14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

14.2 Market Overview

14.3 HSV-2

14.4 HSV-1



15 Route of Administration

15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

15.2 Market Overview

15.3 Oral

15.4 Topical

15.5 Injection



16 Geography

16.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

16.2 Geographic Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ddpfee

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Microgrid Market by Connectivity (Grid-connected, Off-grid), Offering (Power Generators, Controllers, Energy Storage, Software, Services), End User (Commercial & Industrial, Military, Utilities), Type, Power Rating & Geography - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global microgrid market size is estimated to be USD 26.9 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 63.2 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 18.6%

Some of the major factors contributing to the growth of microgrid market includes the increasing number of microgrid projects across different industries, surging energy demand and adoption of renewable energy in Asia Pacific, growing interest of investors in EaaS business model to minimize costs, and rising encouragement from governments for developing microgrid projects.



Grid-connected microgrids accounted for larger share, due to expansion of utility-based grid networks and use of renewable sources



The grid connected segment likely to hold largest market share and expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Grid-connected microgrids are physically connected to the utility grid via a switching mechanism at the point of common coupling (PCC), but they can also disconnect into island mode and reconnect to the main grid when required.

Grid-connected microgrids contain multiple generators, distribution systems, and sophisticated controls. Furthermore, these technologies enhance grid resiliency, enhance power quality, and reduce their environmental effects, in addition to improving grid reliability. This results in an increase in demand.



Microgrid software market likely to witness higher growth between 2022 and 2027



The microgrid software market is projected to record the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Software used in microgrids established in remote locations allows microgrid operators to dynamically manage and control distributed energy resources with integrated weather and load forecasting.

The hosted software services used by microgrids eliminate the requirement for onsite hosting of the IT infrastructures. This is expected to drive the growth of the microgrid software market in the near future.



The power generators for microgrid hardware segment likely to witness highest market share between 2022 and 2027



The power generators segment held the largest size of the microgrid hardware market in 2021 and expected to dominate the microgrid hardware segment during the forecast period.

The use of renewable sources of energy such as PV cells, wind turbines, and hydro turbines for power generation is one of the prominent factors contributing to the growth of the microgrid hardware market globally. Other advantages of integrating renewable sources of energy with microgrids are reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and lowered dependency on local or imported fuels.



Americas likely to be the largest market during the forecast period between 2022 and 2027.



The microgrid market in the Americas has been studied for North America and South America. North America accounted for ~70% share in the overall Americas microgrid market in 2021. Countries such as US, and Canada have formulated number of policies to enhance the establishment of microgrids.

The US is leading the microgrid market in Americas. The US and Canadian governments are initiating several funding programs and investments to expand decentralized grids; this is supporting the adoption and development of microgrids in these countries. An increase in the adoption of renewable sources of energy for electricity generation and the flexibility of microgrids in terms of using multiple power sources for electricity generation are also driving the growth of the microgrid market in the region.

Competitive landscape

Schneider Electric (France), General Electric (US), Siemens (Germany), Eaton Corporation (US), ABB (Switzerland), Hitachi Energy (Switzerland), Honeywell International Inc. (US), HOMER Energy (US), S&C Electric (US), Power Analytics (US) are the key players in the microgrid market. These top players have strong portfolios of products and services and a presence in both mature and emerging markets.



Premium Insights

Increasing Demand for Uninterrupted and Reliable Power Supply Driving Microgrid Market

Hardware to Hold Largest Share of Microgrid Market in 2022 and 2027

Power Generators to Account for Largest Size of Microgrid Hardware Market from 2022 to 2027

Grid-Connected Microgrids to Account for Larger Share of Market from 2022 to 2027

Microgrids with Power Ratings from 1 Mw to 5 Mw Are Likely to Account for Largest Market Size from 2022 to 2027

Commercial & Industrial to Account for Largest Size of Microgrid Market from 2022 to 2027

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Increasing Emphasis on Decarbonization by End-users and Governments

Growing Need for Reliable, Uninterrupted Power Supply

Surging Use of Microgrids for Rural Electrification

Rising Instances of Cyberattacks on Energy Infrastructure

Restraints

Huge Installation and Maintenance Costs of Microgrids

Opportunities

Increasing Number of Microgrid Projects Across Different Industries

Surging Energy Demand and Adoption of Renewable Energy in Asia-Pacific

Growing Interest of Investors in Eaas Business Model to Minimize Costs

Rising Encouragement from Governments for Developing Microgrid Projects

Challenges

Lack of Standardization and Regulatory Frameworks Related to Microgrid Operations

Technical Challenges of Microgrids Operating in Island Mode

Value Chain Analysis

Microgrid Market Ecosystem

Pricing Analysis

Analysis and Trend of Average Microgrid Cost

Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer's Business

Key Technology Trends

Blockchain-Based Microgrids/Blockchain Microgrids

Smart Microgrids

Advent of Ai-Based Microgrids

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Case Studies: Microgrid Market

GE Provided Campus-Based Microgrid System to University of Ontario Institute of Technology ( Canada )

( ) GE Provided Systems Offering Resilient, Reliable Power for Navy Shipyard Project in Philadelphia (US)

(US) Solar One Energy Used Homer Grid to Model Energy Costs for Ace Natural

S&C Electric Supplied Services for Half Moon Ventures' Project

Ergon Energy Partnered with S&C Electric Company

Company Profiles

Key Players

Schneider Electric

Siemens

General Electric

Eaton Corporation

ABB

Hitachi Energy

Honeywell International Inc.

Homer Energy (Part of Ul)

S&C Electric Company

Power Analytics Corporation

Other Players

Caterpillar Inc.

Tesla Energy (Subsidiary of Tesla)

Emerson Electric

Pareto Energy

Anbaric Transmission

Exelon Corporation

Spirae LLC

General Microgrids

Gram Power Inc.

Powerhive

Advanced Microgrid Solutions

Go Electric

Ferroamp

Canopy Power

Green Energy Corp

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6y639j

Media Contact:

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For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) ("Graphite One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of up to 13.5 million units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of CA$1.15 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to CA$15,525,000 (the "Offering").

Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one transferable common share purchase warrant (the "Warrant") entitling the holder to acquire, on payment of CA$1.50 per Warrant to the Company, one common share for a period of 24 months from the first date of closing of the Offering. The Warrants include an acceleration provision whereby if the Company's share price closes above CA$2.00 for 10 consecutive trading days, the Company may elect to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants by issuing a press release and notice to the Warrant holders for the expiry of the Warrants that is 45 days from the press release date. The Warrant holders may exercise the Warrants during this 45-day period but no later than the expiry date.

The Company may pay a finders' fee to arm's length parties in connection with the Offering.

The Offering will be subject to receipt of final applicable regulatory approvals including approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with this Offering will have a restricted period that expires four months and a day following the date of issuance.

The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to support the upcoming feasibility study, including the summer drilling programs, for business development activities and for general working capital.

Pre-Feasibility Study Update

The pre-feasibility study on the Graphite One Project is in the final stages of completion. Results are expected to be released by August 31, 2022.

This media release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Graphite One Inc.

GRAPHITE ONE INC. (GPH: TSXV; GPHOF: OTCQB) continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project"), whereby the Company could potentially become an American producer of high-grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture high grade anode materials primarily for the lithiumion electric vehicle battery market. As set forth in the Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment, potential graphite mineralization mined from the Company's Graphite Creek Property, is expected to be processed into concentrate at a graphite processing plant. The proposed processing plant would be located on the Graphite Creek Property situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of Nome, Alaska. Graphite anodes and other valueadded graphite products would be manufactured from the concentrate and other materials at the Company's proposed advanced graphite materials manufacturing facility, the location of which is the subject of further study and analysis. The Company intends to make a production decision on the Project once a feasibility study is completed.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Anthony Huston" (signed)

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, establishment of a processing plant, and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. 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 the 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, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Graphite One Inc.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HFCL Limited announced today, that it has entered into an agreement with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. for HFCL's design and development of 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) products. In continuation with its 5G product strategy, HFCL is expanding its 5G product portfolio by launching product development of 5G mmWave FWA CPE products for India and global markets.

FWA helps operators with a cost-effective way to deliver fiber-like internet speeds wirelessly over 5G networks. It will enable new business opportunities for mobile operators by allowing them to offer fixed internet broadband services to consumers and enterprises using their 5G network infrastructure. HFCL's 5G mmWave FWA product portfolio aims to bridge the digital divide and will also enable telcos to successfully deliver broadband internet services in rural, suburban and dense urban areas.

HFCL's 5G mmWave FWA CPE products will support multiple spectrum bands required for the global markets. HFCL's FWA CPE products will leverage some of the advanced features of the Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 2 featuring Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System like extended-range, carrier aggregation and Qualcomm Dynamic Antenna Steering to deliver a superior customer experience.

"Qualcomm Technologies is a recognized world leader in 5G technology and we are very pleased with this collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, which also aligns with our commitment to bridge the digital divide globally. FWA CPE will help strengthen HFCL's evolving 5G product portfolio and help create new revenue streams for our customers. It also aligns with our strategy to bring new products, to new customers, and to newer geographies," said Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director, HFCL.

"We are excited that HFCL selected the Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 2 to incorporate in its 5G mmWave FWA CPE products, further supporting the digital transformation of India by developing a suite of 5G infrastructure products. Qualcomm Technologies is committed to powering innovations and supporting India's participation as a supplier of advanced 5G infrastructure products both to India and globally. We strongly believe that 5G mmWave fixed wireless access technology will help connect the unconnected and also offer wireless fiber connectivity to Indian consumers," said Rajen Vagadia, Vice President, Qualcomm India Private Limited and President, Qualcomm India & SAARC.

Global technology intelligence firm ABI Research forecasts worldwide 5G FWA market will increase from 6 million CPE units per year in 2022 to more than 26 million per year in 2026.

About HFCL

HFCL Limited is a leading technology enterprise engaged in manufacturing of high-end Transmission and Access Equipment, Optical Fiber, Optical Fiber Cables (OFC) and is specialized in setting up modern communication network for Telecom Service Providers, Railways and Defence.

The Company has state-of-the-art Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cable manufacturing plants at Hyderabad, Optical Fiber Cable manufacturing plant in Goa and in its subsidiary i.e. HTL Limited at Chennai along with FRP and ARP Rod manufacturing plant in its subsidiary at Hosur.

The Company's in-house Centre for Excellence in Research located at Gurgaon & Bengaluru along with invested R&D Houses and other collaborators at different locations in India and abroad, innovate futuristic range of technology products and solutions. Some of the newly developed products through R&D are Wi-Fi Systems, Unlicensed Band Radios, Switches, Electronic Fuses, Electro-optic devices, and Video Management Systems. There is a suite of products under development, which include Software Defined Radios, Routers, PON, 5G Transport and Radio products, Wi-Fi 7 access points, Point-to-multipoint Radios and Ground Surveillance Radars among others.

Visit www.hfcl.com for more information.

Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform, Qualcomm Dynamic Antenna Steering and Snapdragon are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Media Contact:

Manoj Baid

[email protected]

HFCL Limited

Amit Agarwal

[email protected]

HFCL Limited

Poonam Saney Makhija

[email protected]

Adfactors PR

Shivangi Sinha

[email protected]

Adfactors PR

Vasundhra Sethi

[email protected]

Adfactors PR

SOURCE HFCL Limited
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hilb Group announced today that it has grown its market presence in New England through the acquisition of a specialized book of business. The transaction became effective July 1, 2022.

About Hilb Group: The Hilb Group is a leading property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Hilb Group is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Hilb Group seeks to grow through strategic acquisitions and by leveraging its resources and expertise to drive organic growth in its acquired agencies. The company has completed more than 135 acquisitions with over 100 offices in 22 states. Hilb Group is rated as one of the Fastest Growing Brokers by Business Insurance, a Top P/C Agency by Insurance Journal, and one of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Inc. 5000. For more information on Hilb Group's growth as well as career opportunities, please visit our website at http://hilbgroup.com.

Media Contact:

Peter Lobred

804.548.4629

[email protected]

M&A Contact:

Ryan Havermann

804.414.6508

[email protected]

SOURCE The Hilb Group, LLC
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 1, 2022, U.S. time, ImmVira's brand new oncolytic herpes simplex virus ("oHSV") product MVR-C5252 targeting Malignant Glioma has obtained Orphan Drug Designation ("ODD") from U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA").

Malignant glioma has been a special challenge for patients and healthcare professionals for a long time, with limited treatment options including surgical resection, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. The prognosis for the disease also remains poor, with median overall survival ("OS") varying between 12 - 14 months, a 5-year survival ranging from 4% to 5% and a nearly 100% relapse rate, representing a huge unmet medical need.

Developed on ImmVira's OvPENS new drug development platform, MVR-C5252 is designed specifically for the treatment of glioma by specific attenuation to achieve on-target malignant gliocyte killing while maintaining safety profile. MVR-C5252 is also the only oncolytic virus product targeting brain tumors that carries specific exogenous genes to promote the immune response of tumor microenvironment and achieve optimal anti-tumor activity. MVR-C5252 has obtained IND clearance from the U.S. FDA and is currently under preparation for Phase I clinical study.

FDA enacted the Orphan Drug Act to encourage and provide special incentives to pharmaceutical companies that undertake the responsibility of developing orphan drugs that target diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The ODD status will further accelerate the clinical development and registration of MVR-C5252 in the United States, and will also allow MVR-C5252 to enjoy exclusive marketing and development rights and other benefits, such as protocol assistance from FDA, potential decreased wait-time for drug approval, discounts on certain fees, and eligibility for seven years of market exclusivity in the United States, etc.

Dr. Grace Guoying Zhou, ImmVira's Chairwoman and CEO, said, "ODD status granted by FDA to MVR-C5252 means a lot for glioma patients, and also demonstrated FDA's recognition for this product and company's clinical development and registration capability as well. ImmVira will continue to advance the clinical development of MVR-C5252 in both U.S. and China, promote the early launch of the candidate product to save more patients' lives."

About ImmVira

ImmVira is a biotechnology company focused on development of new generation novel anti-cancer drug vectors. Our advanced engineering created vectors that are highly oncolytic competent and as ideal exogenous gene delivery mechanisms. Leveraging intrinsic mechanism of action and tumor microenvironment modification, our products include replication capable oncolytic herpes simplex virus, and non-replicating exosome and tumor vaccine. The company has developed science, technology and know-how to support ongoing research, development and commercialization of best-in-class mono and combo therapies on the OvPENS (Oncological vector+ Potent, Enabling, Novel & Safe) platform.

Our clinical stage and development stage pipelines target a wide range of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, to be used as single agent or combination treatment solutions for cancer patients at different stages, unresponsive to immunotherapy or with rare tumors, by various administration methods including intratumoral, as well as first-in-class intravenous and intraperitoneal/pleural/vesical injections. The first three oncolytic virus products are currently undergoing five Phase I or Phase II clinical trials in both United States and China.

SOURCE ImmVira
DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Indonesia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

In Indonesia, Jakarta is a preferred location with better network connectivity and proximity to the end-users to improve the latency. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is witnessing growth in cloud adoption by various industry verticals such as enterprises, government agencies, and education sectors. Therefore, AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba Cloud are some cloud service providers that have a presence in the country.

Telecom operators, followed by colocation operators, dominate Indonesia's data center market. Also, the Indonesian data center market is witnessing the entry of new investors, such as Data Center First plans to build data centers in the country.

According to the Ministry of Finance Indonesia, the government provides tax incentives to the data center industry to invest in Indonesia. With more than $2.10 billion investment will get a tax reduction for around 20 years.

The data center operators are procuring renewable energy to operate their operations. For instance, DCI Indonesia opened its first phase in the H2 data center campus with a power capacity of around 15 MW, and the campus will be powered by solar farms built inside the campus.

In Indonesia, Free Trade Zones attract data center operators to invest in the country by enabling various tax incentives for the data centers constructed in the FTZs. In November 2021, GDS Services acquired land in Nongsa Digital Park to build two data center buildings with 107,600 square feet and a power capacity of around 28 MW.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

Indonesia has over 65 operational colocation data centers. Most colocation data centers are being developed according to Tier III standards. According to Uptime Institute, over 45 data center facilities are certified under tier III standards by the uptime institute.

has over 65 operational colocation data centers. Most colocation data centers are being developed according to Tier III standards. According to Uptime Institute, over 45 data center facilities are certified under tier III standards by the uptime institute. The major demand drivers for colocation services in Indonesia are industries such as cloud service providers, telecom service providers, 5G deployment, and growing AI.

are industries such as cloud service providers, telecom service providers, 5G deployment, and growing AI. According to the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, public entities must establish data centers inside Indonesia .

. To improve and boost the digital economy of Indonesia , the government launched the Digital Indonesia Roadmap 2021-2024, which accelerates the growth of digital transformation in the country.

, the government launched the Digital Indonesia Roadmap 2021-2024, which accelerates the growth of digital transformation in the country. In Indonesia , the telecom operators are working towards deploying commercial 5G services by the companies such as Telkomsel and Indosat.

, the telecom operators are working towards deploying commercial 5G services by the companies such as Telkomsel and Indosat. The deployment of 5G networks will boost the digital economy of the region and will lead to higher demand for high-bandwidth networking infrastructure. For instance, Amazon Web Services (AWS) supports its customers with an edge data center facility in Jakarta .

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and the Indonesia colocation market revenue.

colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Indonesia by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities.

A detailed study of the existing Indonesia data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Indonesia data center market size during the forecast period.

data center 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 Indonesia

Facilities Covered (Existing): 66

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 10

Coverage: 14 Cities

Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area)

Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Indonesia

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027)

Retail Colocation Price

The Indonesia data center landscape market investments are classified as IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting.

data center landscape 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.

EXISTING VS. UPCOMING DATA CENTERS

Existing Facilities in the region(Area and Power Capacity)

Jakarta

Other Cities

List of Upcoming Facilities in the region(Area and Power Capacity)

INDONESIA DATA CENTER MARKET VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Some of the key investors in the Indonesia data center industry are DCI Indonesia, DTP, Keppel Data Center, Telekom Indonesia, and Biznet Data Center.

data center industry are DCI Indonesia, DTP, Keppel Data Center, Telekom Indonesia, and Biznet Data Center. In Indonesia , we expected the demand for edge data centers to grow as 5G deployment increases. In October 2021 , PT Ekagrata Data Gemilang opened an edge data center, EDGE1, with a power capacity of 6 MW and a rack capacity of around 1,300.

, we expected the demand for edge data centers to grow as 5G deployment increases. In , PT Ekagrata Data Gemilang opened an edge data center, EDGE1, with a power capacity of 6 MW and a rack capacity of around 1,300. The telecom operators are joining hands with foreign investors to build data centers in the country. For instance, in November 2021 , the telecom operator Smartfren signed an MoU with UAE-based technology company G42 group to build a 1,000 MW data center in Indonesia .

, the telecom operator Smartfren signed an MoU with UAE-based technology company G42 group to build a 1,000 MW data center in . ABB's infrastructure provider delivered UPS systems PowerWave 33 to IndoKeppel Data Centers in Jakarta, Indonesia .

IT INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS

Cisco

Dell Technologies

Fujitsu

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

IBM

Inspur

Lenovo

DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS & SUB-CONTRACTORS

Asdi Swasatya

AWP Architects

DSCO Group

NTT Facilities

SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS

ABB

Caterpillar

Cummins

Cyber Power Systems

Delta Electronics

Eaton

Fuji Electric

HITEC Power Protection

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Piller Power Systems

Rolls-Royce

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Vertiv Group

DATA CENTER INVESTORS

DCI Indonesia

DTP

Keppel Data Centres

Biznet Data Center

NTT Global Data Centers

Space DC

Princeton Digital Group (PDG)

NEW ENTRANT

Data Center First

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Indonesia

Historical Market Scenario

60+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center It Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area Space

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

West Java

Jakarta

Other Cities

Chapter 2 Investment Opportunities in Indonesia

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Factors of Indonesia Market

Data Center Investments

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market in Indonesia

Colocation Services Market in Indonesia

Retail Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons

Wholesale Colocation Pricing (Per Kwh)

Retail Colocation & Wholesale Colocation Market Forecast 2022-2027

Market Share by Industry

Chapter 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5 Market Segmentation

It Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Data Center Capex Breakdown in Indonesia

Chapter 6 Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV

Chapter 7 Market by Geography

Jakarta

Other Cities

Chapter 8 Key Market Participants

IT Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 9 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/deqitj

Media Contact:

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SOURCE Research and Markets
NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on "Insulin Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type [Long Acting Insulin, Rapid Acting Insulin, Short Acting Insulin & Traditional Human Insulin, Concentrated Insulin & Combination Insulin, Biosimilar Insulin, Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), Pen & Needle, and Others] and Geography", the global insulin market size is projected to grow from $54.61 Billion in 2021 to $111.21 Billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.8% from 2022 to 2028.

Download PDF Brochure of Insulin Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Developments at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00004051/

Insulin Market Report Scope & Strategic Insights:

Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 54.61 Billion in 2021 Market Size Value by US$ 111.21 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 10.8% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 255 No. Tables 165 No. of Charts & Figures 91 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Type, and Geography Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends

Global Insulin Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Novardisk A/S; Biocon; Wockhardt; Adocia; GlaxoSmithKline plc; Sanofi; Pfizer; Merck & Co., Inc.; Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc. are the leading companies in the global insulin market. The market is anticipated to flourish with the development of new innovative products by market players.

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In January 2022, Novo Nordisk launched a peptide in pill, known as oral semaglutide, for diabetes management. A GLP-1 receptor analog (GLP-1 RA), 1 of the drug classes to treat diabetes, was available only in the form of injections till now. The product is a co-formulation of GLP-1RA semaglutide with an absorption enhancer SNAC which protects semaglutide from undergoing degradation in the stomach like other peptides and enhances its absorption.

In April 2021, Biocon Biologics Limited, a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd., announced that its subsidiary Biocon Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia has been awarded a three-year contract, valued at US$ 90 million, for its recombinant human insulin brand Insugen, by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

Insulin Market: Key Insights

The insulin market growth is driven by the increase in the incidence of diabetes and rapid technological developments in insulin delivery devices. However, the risks associated with insulin delivery devices are hindering the growth of the global insulin market. In 2021, the North American region held the largest market share. However, the Asia Pacific region is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period

Have a question? Speak to Research Analyst: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/speak-to-analyst/TIPRE00004051

North America held the largest market for insulin, with the US holding the largest share of the regional market, followed by Canada and Mexico. The US held the largest share in 2021 and is expected to follow a similar trend over the forecast period. Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in the US. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020, approximately 30.3 million people in the US have diabetes representing 94% of the total population. Among the diabetic population, nearly 5% of the population is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, whereas 90-95% have type 2 diabetes. More than 30 million Americans with diabetes, approximately 7.4 million rely on insulin to manage their condition. Across the US, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and end-stage renal diseases or renal failure among adults.

Nevertheless, the US is performing well in diabetes care and ranks fourth among the other 11 leading developed countries. Diabetes treatment is expensive in the US. According to the American Diabetes Association, the estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2020 was approximately US$ 322 billion, including US$ 245 billion in direct medical costs and nearly US$ 69 billion for reduced productivity. Moreover, more than half of the expenditure is attributed to diabetes care. Thus, the cost factors are likely to create more growth opportunities for market players and propel the insulin market during the forecast period.

Increase in Incidence of Diabetes to Influence Insulin Market:

Diabetes is a life-threatening chronic disease with no specialized cure. It is mainly caused by the body's incapacity to produce or effectively utilize the hormone insulin. This incapacity prevents the body from adequately regulating blood glucose levels. The incidence and prevalence of diabetes are rapidly increasing across the globe.

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Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes and has grown alongside cultural and societal changes. In high-income countries, up to 91% of adults with the disease have type 2 diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 537 million people were living with diabetes in 2021, and it is expected to reach 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045 across the world.

Diabetes can lead to complications in many body parts and increase the risk of premature death. Primary complications include heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, leg amputation, vision loss, and nerve damage. Patients who have diabetes require frequent monitoring and external administration of insulin. Thus, the rising prevalence of diabetes globally is driving the insulin market.

Global Insulin Market: Segmental Overview

Type-Based Insights:

Based on type, the global insulin market is segmented into long-acting insulin, short-acting insulin and traditional human insulin, biosimilar insulin, pen and needle, rapid-acting insulin, concentrated insulin and combination insulin, glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1), and others. In 2021, the long-acting insulin segment held the largest market share in 2021. However, the biosimilar insulin segment is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period.

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Browse Adjoining Reports:

Insulin Delivery Devices Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts By Product (Insulin Pens, Insulin Pumps, Insulin Syringes, Pen Needles, and Others), End User (Patients/Homecare and Hospitals & Clinics), and Geography

Insulin Pumps Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts By Type, (Tethered Pumps, and Untethered Pumps); Product (Pumps, and Accessories); Application (Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes and Geography

Insulin Pens Market to 2027 - Global Analysis and Forecasts By Product Type (Disposable, Reusable and Smart Insulin Pen Caps); Application (Diabetes Type-1 and Diabetes Type-2); Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies and e-Commerce) and Geography

Insulin API Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Regular Human Insulin, Insulin Analogue); Application (Fast-acting, Long-acting, Premix), and Geography

Diabetes Care Devices Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Glucose Monitoring Devices and Insulin Delivery Devices) and End User (Homecare and Hospitals & Clinics)

Diabetes Monitoring Devices Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - By Product (Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices, Insulin Delivery Devices); End-Users (Hospitals, Diagnostics, Home Settings) and Geography

Diabetes Devices And Drugs Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Devices (Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices, Test Strips, Self-monitoring Devices, Insulin Delivery Devices, Others); Drugs (Insulin, Oral Hypoglycaemic Agents, and Non-Insulin Injectable)

Needleless Injectors Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Type (Liquid-Based, Projectile/Depot-Based, and Powder-Based); Product (Fillable, and Prefilled); Site of Delivery (Subcutaneous Injectors, Intramuscular Injectors, and Intradermal Injectors); Application (Vaccine Delivery, Insulin Delivery, Pain Management, and Others); End Use (Hospitals and Clinics, Home Care Settings, Research Laboratories, and Others), and Geography

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The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

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SOURCE The Insight Partners
TAIPEI, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leveraging its strength in cloud infrastructure, leading server contract manufacturer Inventec (2356) continues to invest in developing 5G smart factory applications with O-RAN technology and actively collaborates with supply chain partners to continue to grow the 5G vertical ecosystem from a system integration perspective. In the O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) Alliance's 2022 Spring Plugfest convention held in late June in Taiwan, hosted by Auray's Open Test and Integration Center (OTIC) and Security Lab, Inventec unveiled for the first time its plans for the Taoyuan server manufacturing plant, including "industrial environment safety," "quality yield," and "machine surveillance/maintenance and troubleshooting" and other critical requirements. They demonstrated how the 5G open architecture can significantly reduce the complexity of deployment and subsequent maintenance costs to address the need for sustainable upgrades in the technology of the automated smart factory and also presented the test data results of "industrial environmental safety "E-Gate", "AI face recognition", "fall detection", "AR smart surveillance" and "MR Human-machine remote collaboration" through the integration from the system level to the device level.

Inventec's 5G smart factory applications at this year's O-RAN Plugfest Convention

In the AI computer vision application, Inventec has achieved throughput up to 800Mbps uplink and 200Mbps downlink with less than 18ms latency and 0.004% packet loss rate through 5G video transmission for E-Gate, face recognition, and fall detection, achieving the required application stability and over 90% recognition success rate. In a wireless mobile application, it has reached a 99.9% ~ 100% handover success rate in a test area of 80 meter-width when the end device is moving with velocity of one meter per second. In the tests, Inventec also found that reliable GNSS (GPS) signals contributed significantly to the stability of 5G network quality, and that the brand of the terminal device had a much greater impact on performance stability changes in end-to-end tests than the base station.

According to Evan Chien, Senior Director of the Cloud and Communications Solution at Inventec, our participation in the "E2E service experience for Industry IoT" test at this year's O-RAN Plugfest event signifies that Inventec already has system integration capabilities that can implement open 5G private network architectures in real world. "Inventec will continue to optimize the end-to-end solution with the test data obtained from live cases in the test, and share the successful deployment experience to more field partners through construction service, maintenance and technical consultancy."

Inventec is actively involved in the 5G private network market. In addition to developing its own brand base station, Inventec is also playing the role of system integrator for the first time, to integrate from information technology (IT), communication technology (CT) to operation technology (OT), with Microsoft, Altran, PTC, Intel, Qualcomm, MediaTek, CYLTEK, NexAIoT, NYCU, O'Prueba, AIMobile, Besta, ioNetworks, PowerArena, Geoforce and other eco-partners in the 5G manufacturing vertical, and promoting complete end-to-end 5G enterprise network solutions for users in the manufacturing industry through testing and validation at its own server manufacturing facility in Taoyuan.

By participating in O-RAN activities and operations, Inventec has completed assembly line level verification in the 5G smart factory field in the first half of 2022, and will provide 5G end-to-end solutions for the manufacturing industry to achieve the goal of digital transformation. In addition to O-RAN end-to-end service experience tests in the real 5G field, Inventec plans to conduct more 5G O-RAN application integration testing plans through the 5G open lab deployment in the second half of the year to complete the integrations from lab to field, from a single device to end-to-end application, and continue to work on 5G smart factory solutions. Inventec will invite more eco-partners to participate in the integration test and join the vertical domain to move towards the new blue ocean of the 5G industry.

About Inventec

Since its founding in 1975, Inventec has grown from an early manufacturer of computers and telephones to a leading design manufacturer of notebooks, servers, and wireless communication products. With the advent of the 5G generation, Inventec will expand its capabilities in 5G private network system integration and architecture, transforming its world-class manufacturing facilities into 5G smart factories.

SOURCE Inventec Corporation
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I needed a way to provide ambient air intake and hot air export to reduce heat in my attic," said an inventor, from Tampa, Fla., "so I invented the ATTIC REFRESH. My design would conserve energy and reduce energy bills while keeping your attic space cool."

The invention provides an effective fan unit for attics. In doing so, it helps to reduce interior ambient hot air. As a result, it could enhance safety and it could provide energy savings. The invention features a practical design that is easy to install and use so it is ideal for residential and commercial settings. Additionally, a prototype model is available upon request.

The original design was submitted to the Tallahassee sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-TLS-212, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
DUBLIN, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Iran Construction Equipment Market - Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A surge in Investments in Mining, Transport & Urban Development Projects to boost the Demand For Construction Equipment.



Iran accounted for 25% of oil reserves in the Middle East and 12% of the world in 2020. Iran's crude oil production reached a 30-year low in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Iran's economy contracted by 7%, and the construction industry was adversely impacted due to a shortage of labor & raw material.



In 2022, Iran's government announced 48 industrial and infrastructure projects worth about $19 billion to uplift the economy post-pandemic. The Iranian government aims to complete over 3,900kms of new railways and roads by March 2022 to boost the economic activities and increase the investments in the energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals, infrastructure, and industrial sectors. Iran witnessed an investment of 78.9 million in 2021 to improve roads, railways network & construction of welfare service complexes.



In 2022, 390 infrastructure development projects will be inaugurated in the country's industrial parks and zones. Iran's government has also announced 48 industrial and infrastructure projects worth $19 billion. Thirty-one power plants with a capacity of 15,000 MW have started across the country; so far, 3,150 MW has been put into operation. In 2021, the Iran government commenced the Hormoz Gan power plant project to construct a 1,400-MW power plant in Hormoz Gan province.



Iran's government also announced 48 industrial and infrastructure projects worth about $19 billion in 2021 to overcome the negative impact of the pandemic. The inaugurated projects include 30 port development projects in Imam Khomeini, Bushehr, Genaveh, Chabahar, Shahid Rajaei, and Anzali ports, with about $269.4 million.

The government has planned to invest $78.9 million in upgrading the transport infrastructure. Also, $12.2 million was allocated for enhancing the aviation sector, including the development of flight levels and airports of Bandar Abbas, Zahedan, Saravan, and Khorramabad.



In 2021, the Head of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced that 29 projects in mines and mining industries are ready for inauguration across the country. Iran Minerals Production and Supply Company (IMPASCO) has announced that its organization will inaugurate 23 development projects in mines and mining industries of $355 million worth in 2021.



Decline In Oil & Gas Production & Slow Recovery of Manufacturing Industry is the Major Restraints for the Construction Equipment Market

Iran's economy is relatively diversified compared to many other Middle Eastern countries, but it still relies heavily on petroleum and other liquid revenues. In 2019, Iran earned $30 billion in net oil export revenues, down from $66 billion in 2018. Export revenues fell in 2019 after U.S. sanctions were imposed on Iran's oil exports, resulting in a decrease in crude oil production and exports in Iran.

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, including lockdowns and mobility restrictions, resulted in Iran's crude oil production dipping below 2.0 million b/d in 2020. Iran's proposed licensing ban and divestment strategy are ending the support for fossil fuel production. This decision of Iran to control fossil fuel exploration could directly impact the demand for construction equipment such as excavators, cranes, tower cranes, mobile cranes, etc., in the oil and gas industry.



Iran's manufacturing industry has underperformed since 2019. The primary reason for low manufacturing productivity is the country's dependency on raw materials from neighboring countries. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the supply chain, and the Iran manufacturing industry witnessed a decline in 2020.



The Market is Witnessing a Surge in Low Maintenance, flexible & Fuel-Efficient Equipment.



The increasing investment in road construction triggers the demand for low-maintenance, flexible equipment. For instance, CASE construction Equipment delivered a fleet of equipment, including road rollers, motor graders, and backhoe loaders, in 2022. The major OEMs in the country are expected to follow the recent trends in demand for construction equipment and focus on delivering fuel-efficient and low maintenance equipment such as backhoe loaders, skid loaders, and mini excavators in the Iran market. With the IoT, the performance of excavators is expected to improve and offer access to more data.



KEY INSIGHTS OF THE IRAN CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET

The material handling equipment has the largest share in Iran compared to earthmoving & road construction equipment.

compared to earthmoving & road construction equipment. Government investment in road construction, infrastructure development, housing projects, smart cities, and the development of Eastern and Southern Corridors will positively impact the demand for material handling equipment in the Iran market.

market. In 2021, the government will allocate $ 109.1 million of funds for 53 projects across railways, aviation, and commercial building up-gradation. The infrastructure investment is more focused on the country's northern & central regions.

of funds for 53 projects across railways, aviation, and commercial building up-gradation. The infrastructure investment is more focused on the country's northern & central regions. The demand for equipment financing has increased post-pandemic to avoid project delays due to funding challenges. Overwhelmed by the funding challenge, OEMs such as Komatsu, Caterpillar, SANY, and Hitachi construction machinery provided financial assistance to customers.

In 2021, there was a surge in equipment financing activities by OEMs in Iran . OEMs are focusing on maximizing benefits from the spike in demand for construction equipment in the country caused due to rise in infrastructure projects.

. OEMs are focusing on maximizing benefits from the spike in demand for construction equipment in the country caused due to rise in infrastructure projects. Other major players, such as XCMG, Zoomlion, Kobelco, and Hyundai Construction Equipment, expect to follow a similar trend.

VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Key Vendors

Caterpillar

Komatsu

Volvo Construction Equipment

JCB

XCMG

SANY

Hyundai Construction Equipment

Hitachi

Liebherr

Kobelco

Zoomlion

Kubota

Other Prominent Vendors

Terex Corporation

LIUGONG

Yanmar

CASE Construction Equipment

Distributors Profile

Arya Heavy Machinery

VAJEH MACHINE ZAGROS CO

Geran Mehr Part

Parsian Pishro Sanat

ABKOUH

Faraz Machine Co

Key Topics Covered:



Section 1 Introduction

Market Snapshot

Executive Summary

Section 2 the Market Overview

Economic Scenario, Infrastructure Construction in the Iran Region

Section 3 Iran Construction Equipment (Type & Application)

Iran Construction Equipment Market by Type (Volume & Value)

Excavator

Backhoe Loader

Motor Grader

Other Earth Moving Equipment (Other Loaders, Bulldozer, Trencher, Etc.)

Asphalt Paver

Road Roller

Crane

Forklift and Telescopic Handler

Aerial Platform (Articulated Boom Lifts, Telescopic Boom Lifts, Scissor Lifts, Etc)

Iran Construction Equipment Market by Application (Volume & Value)

Construction

Mining

Manufacturing

Others (Power Generation and Utilities, Municipal Corporation Etc)

Section 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers, Restraints, Trends, Key Economic Regions in Iran , Advantage Iran, Import/Export Trend Analysis, Supply Chain, Covid-19 Impact

Section 5 Technology Development

Advent of Technology

Section 6 Competitive Landscape

Competitive Landscape Overview

Major Vendors Caterpillar - Komatsu - Xcmg - Sany - Hyundai Construction Machinery - Volvo Construction Equipment - Hitachi Construction Machinery - Jcb - Liebherr - Kobelco - Kubota - Zoomlion

Other Prominent Vendors

Distributors Profile

Section 7 Quantitative Summary



Section 8 Report Summary

Section 9 Report Scope & Definition

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mukusc

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
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Island Pacific is pleased to introduce Mr. Herman Chiu, who will be the newest member of its executive team and will take on the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. Herman brings in more than 30 years of finance executive experience to the organization. After graduating from UCLA in 1989, he started his career by working as Supervising Senior at KPMG, the largest public accounting firm at that time.

Island Pacific is pleased to introduce Mr. Herman Chiu, who will be the newest member of its executive team and will take on the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. Herman brings in more than 30 years of finance executive experience to the Island Pacific organization.

After 4 years at KPMG, Herman took on a dual role of VP of Finance and VP of Technology at Harbor Distributing LLC, which is part of the largest conglomerate of beer distributorship in the United States. While in Harbor Distributing from 1993 to 2001, he streamlined and improved the efficiency of monthly financial reporting and was responsible for the vast network and information reporting systems for all related organizations across the country.

In Year 2002, Herman took the role of CFO at Santa Monica Seafood which is a multi-state manufacturer of seafood products and is a premier seafood distributor in the southwest United States. As CFO, he executed the company's financial strategy which resulted in the company's growth from $35M to $500M in revenue. Herman assembled a top-notch accounting department which resulted in timely preparation of monthly internal financial statement and annual CPA Audited Financial Statement. He transformed the organization into a goal-oriented company by orchestrating detailed budgets and forecasts to improve performance and profitability. Herman also successfully centralized the banking function and leveraged technology to prevent fraud and improve the reconciliation process of Santa Monica Seafood. His accomplishment resulted in him being awarded the 2017 LA Business Journal CFO of the Year for Large Private Company.

After 17 years as CFO at Santa Monica Seafood, Herman joined Tawa Supermarkets which operates the 99 Ranch Supermarket Chain, the largest Asian Supermarket chain in the United States. Herman was brought in to assist the CEO given Tawa's complex organization and business structure with multiple business units having varied operational objectives. Herman was an integral part of the executive team given his vast experience in finance, accounting, taxation, corporate governance, and risk management.

Island Pacific is thrilled to have Herman Chiu support our mission of promoting Filipino Food and Culture to the rest of the world. His more than 3 decades of Executive Leadership experience in various field of finance and accounting is what Island Pacific needs to bring the company to the next level.

[Island Pacific is supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino Food and Culture to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in City of Industry, California and currently has 17 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas.]

SOURCE Island Pacific Market
SINGAPORE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Klaytn, the leading Layer-1 blockchain in Asia, has announced its selection of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to host and operate its Blockchain Research Center (BRC) Program. The announcement was unveiled at Korea Blockchain Week by Dr Sangmin Seo, Representative Director, Klaytn Foundation during his 8 August keynote "The Technology Layer for Tomorrow's Metaverse".

Klaytn Spearheads Worlds Largest Blockchain Research Center Program in Collaboration with Top-Ranking Universities NUS and KAIST.

BRC is a virtual research institute that aims to advance cutting-edge research for blockchain technology, deepen blockchain capabilities, and support industry growth. With a US$20m funding commitment from Klaytn over the next four years, BRC is to date the world's largest blockchain research center program in terms of known funding size.

With day-to-day operations run by a global research team, headed by KAIST and NUS researchers as Directors, BRC will operate in an open-source manner, where research conducted will be publicly disclosed as research papers or open-source software. External researchers will also be able to participate in ongoing research projects or submit their own proposals. The BRC will share knowledge and research results through community outreach efforts - from conferences to workshops - to carry forward Klaytn's vision to contribute to the blockchain community.

Dr Sangmin Seo, Representative Director, Klaytn Foundation, said, "In line with Klaytn's vision to be the bridge from Web2.0 to Web3.0, bridging the latest findings in blockchain between the research community and industry leaders is key for successful real-world applications in DeFi or the metaverse. Through our BRC program, in collaboration with leading minds from KAIST and NUS, we are delighted to take the next step in bringing our vision to life."

As part of the selection process, interested research institutes and consortiums were required to submit a proposal, outlining the intended operation model and organizational structure for BRC, detailed plans on research and outreach activities, as well as the suggestion evaluation model to measure BRC's progress.

7 proposals from 62 research institutes from 11 countries were received. Through a three-round selection process, proposals were evaluated and scored by the Klaytn Governance Council and third party experts based on their operational competence, as well as research execution and community engagement plans. With the highest score, the research consortium from KAIST and NUS was selected to lead BRC operations.

Dr Neo Yiu, Head of Technology Advocacy at Klaytn Foundation, said, "We look forward to seeing the Blockchain Research Center develop novel research capabilities for blockchains, foster global collaboration, and expand Klaytn's research contribution back to the web3 community and blockchain/distributed ledger technology (DLT) industry."

According to Coindesk's 2021 University Rankings for Blockchain , NUS and KAIST are among the top 30 out of 230 universities worldwide, ranking in 1st and 26th places respectively. Overall, NUS clinched the top ranking due to its multiple blockchain research centers, societies, partnerships, and conferences, as well as its masters program in digital financial technology.



The KAIST/NUS research consortium is led by Dr Min Suk Kang, Assistant Professor, School of Computing, KAIST and Dr Prateek Saxena, Associate Professor, School of Computing, NUS, both of whom hold extensive blockchain research experience. They will work closely with an international team of principal investigators from six other universities - UC Berkeley, Princeton University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northern Arizona University, Yonsei University, and Carnegie Mellon University  to conduct BRC's research and outreach activities.



Dr Saxena said, "The BRC will deepen the research foundations of blockchain designs and applications. Together with Klaytn, we are delighted to be collectively creating an international platform for impactful research and to advance the global discourse on blockchains. We are excited that researchers from 8 leading international universities have come together towards this shared purpose, creating a unique initiative in the blockchain space."

Dr Kang said, "Our world-class blockchain researchers at the Blockchain Research Center will contribute to the seven pillars of blockchain research: consensus, privacy, network, smart contracts, DeFi, economics/ethics, and metaverse. To further the mass adoption of blockchain technology, the cross-pollination of ideas is key. Through the BRC, we look forward to fostering research and industry collaborations with like-minded participants around the world."

More information about the Blockchain Research Center can be found here.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Kimberley Kok

Corporate Communications Manager, Klaytn Foundation

+65 9189 4648

[email protected]

About Klaytn Foundation

Klaytn Foundation is an entity established in Singapore for the decentralization and growth of the Klaytn network. It is responsible for the stable operation of the Klaytn network and various implementations for the development of the Klaytn ecosystem.

For more information, please click here .

About Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea. It was established in 1971 by the Korean government to educate scientists and engineers committed to industrialization and economic growth in Korea. Since then, KAIST and its graduates have been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. On the heels of its phenomenal growth over the past 50 years, KAIST has been recognised as the most innovative University in Asia (2016-2018) and Top-4 Young Universities in the World (2019). At KAIST, five colleges, seven schools, 13 graduate schools, and 27 departments offer a breadth of highly-regarded degree programs as well as interdisciplinary majors.

KAIST is leading innovation by identifying pressing global problems and taking on challenges to address those issues. Currently, there are 152 research institutes and centers at KAIST. Cutting-edge research covering a broad base from AI to sustainability are translating their inventions to address pressing issues around the globe. KAIST has committed to a wide range of science and technology R&D projects since its foundation. KAIST has become an R&D powerhouse in Korea, operating 340 million USD research funds (both from government and industry) in 2020.

Accelerating the journey from idea to impact, KAIST has been the cradle of startups in Korea. KAIST has produced the first generation of venture startup pioneers, beginning in the 1980s. From the 1990s, KAIST alumni have taken the helm, leading the IT industry in Korea and beyond. As of 2019, 1,892 KAIST alumni companies have been founded with their net worth more than 20 billion USD.

For more information, please visit here .

About National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 16 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established our NUS Overseas Colleges programme in more than 15 cities around the world.

Our multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in our faculties, 30 university- level research institutes, research centres of excellence and corporate labs focus on themes that include energy; environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems; Asian studies; and Smart Nation capabilities such as artificial intelligence, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.

For more information on NUS, please visit here.

SOURCE Klaytn Foundation
CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Laser Technology Market size is estimated to be USD 16.7 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 25.6 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 8.9%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Increasing investments in R&D for developing laser-based weapons, increasing adoption of laser technology in optical communication, and growing preference of laser-based techniques for material processing across verticals such as automotive, semiconductor & electronics, and industrial are major factors driving the growth of the laser technology market. Additionally, growing adoption of smart manufacturing techniques is another key driver for the market.

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Solid laser to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period

Solid lasers and solid laser-based systems find applications across various verticals such as medical where they are used for spectroscopy and microscopy applications and automotive where they are used for metal processing applications. They are also used in optical transmission systems in the telecommunications industry and find applications in the defense industry owing to their ability to meet extreme power requirements.

System segment held the largest share and laser segment to register the highest growth during the forecast period

Laser engraving systems are extensively used for the marking of aircraft parts in the aerospace vertical. Additionally, laser engraving and marking systems are also used for development of smart cards and unique identification cards. The applications of lasers in the combat vehicles industry are increasing; lasers are mounted atop combat vehicles to track and detect enemy drones and support anti-drone capabilities. In the coming years, laser and laser systems are expected to provide support troops with additional security against artillery, rockets, drones, mortars, and cruise missiles.

Optical communication to demonstrate highest growth during the forecast period

Laser technology's low-payload weight feature makes it suitable for space telescopes, onboard satellites, and scientific space probe applications. In the coming years, laser technology is expected to gain importance in space applications, especially for transmitting large quantities of data between satellites. With increasing bandwidth requirements and a shift to 100G transceivers, the demand for lasers in optical communication is also growing. Laser technology devices play a vital role in broadband communications systems, which are used as high-speed transmitters in analog and digital fiber networks.

Medical vertical to register the highest growth during the forecast period

Laser technology are being extensively used in the medical vertical. The applications of laser technology in the medical sector include flow cytometry, cell sorting, microscopy, DNA sequencing, retinal scanning, plastic joining, metal welding, liquid processing, precision cleaning, stent cutting, cardiac pacemaker, and catheter laser welding systems. Optically pumped semiconductor lasers (OPSL) and diode lasers, resulting in a continuous solid UV laser enable the use of UV in clinical and research environments. Similarly, during the process of joining plastics in medical applications, a sealing system is required. Lasers offer reliable sealing in a single step, thereby increasing the adoption of laser technology in the medical domain. Lasers are also used extensively in therapeutics.

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The laser technology market in Asia Pacific held the largest share and the market in RoW is expected to grow significantly from 2022 to 2027

Asia Pacific is home to major automobile companies, such as Chery (China), Honda (Japan), Toyota Motor (Japan), Nissan (Japan), Kia Motors (South Korea), and Tata Motors (India). These companies have increased the adoption of laser technology for multiple operations such as welding, drilling, and cutting to improve quality and precision and reduce turn-around time. Increasing accessibility to low-cost laser-based satellite broadband services and the development of laser-based innovative technologies are key factors driving the market growth in RoW. Additionally, increasing patients suffering from ophthalmic diseases in the region resulting in increasing demand for laser-based treatments is another factor driving the laser technology market. The growing use of electric vehicles in the Middle East is expected to boost the automotive industry, which, in turn, is expected to fuel the demand for laser processing systems in the region.

Major companies operating in the laser technology market include Coherent (US), IPG Photonics (US), Han's Laser (China), Jenoptik (Germany), TRUMPF (Germany), Gravotech (France), Lumentum (US), Novanta (US), Bystronic Lasers (Switzerland), and Lumibrid (France).

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Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting

Related Reports:

Laser Interferometer Market by Interferometer Type (Michelson, Fabry-Perot, Fizeau, and Twyman-Green), Type, Application (Surface Topology, Engineering, and Science), End-User Industry, and Geography (2021-2026)

Silicon Photonics Market by Product (Transceivers, Switches), Application (Data Center & High-performance Computing, Telecommunication), Waveguide, Component, and Geography (2021-2027)

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/  Lument Finance Trust, Inc. (NYSE: LFT) ("we", "LFT" or "the Company") today reported its second quarter 2022 results. GAAP net income attributable to common shareholders for the quarter was $2.2 million, or $0.04 per share of common stock. Distributable earnings for the quarter was $2.5 million, or $0.05 per share of common stock. The Company has also issued a detailed presentation of its results, which can be viewed at www.lumentfinancetrust.com.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

The Company will also host a conference call on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. ET to provide a business update and discuss the financial results for the second quarter of 2022. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1-888-336-7151 (US) or 1-412-902-4251 (International). Note: there is no passcode; please ask the operator to be joined into the Lument Finance Trust call. A live webcast, on a listen-only basis, is also available and can be accessed through the URL:

https://app.webinar.net/gkJDVWDxQ26

For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a recorded replay will be available for on-demand viewing approximately one hour after the end of the event through the Company's website https://lumentfinancetrust.com/ and by telephone dial-in. The replay call-in number is 1-877-344-7529 (US) or 1-412-317-0088 (International) with passcode 1350754.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this release, the Company presents certain financial measures that are not calculated according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). Specifically, the Company is presenting distributable earnings, which constitutes a non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K and is net income under GAAP. While we believe the non-GAAP information included in this press release provides supplemental information to assist investors in analyzing our results, and to assist investors in comparing our results with other peer issuers, these measures are not in accordance with GAAP, and they should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, our financial information calculated in accordance with GAAP. The methods of calculating non-GAAP financial measures may differ substantially from similarly titled measures used by other companies. Our GAAP financial results and the reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated.

Distributable Earnings

Distributable Earnings is a non-GAAP measure, which we define as GAAP net income (loss) attributable to holders of common stock computed in accordance with GAAP, including realized losses not otherwise included in GAAP net income (loss) and excluding (i) non-cash equity compensation, (ii) depreciation and amortization, (iii) any unrealized gains or losses or other similar non-cash items that are included in net income for that applicable reporting period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income (loss) or net income (loss), and (iv) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain material non-cash income or expense items after discussions with the Company's board of directors and approved by a majority of the Company's independent directors. Distributable Earnings mirrors how we calculate Core Earnings pursuant to the terms of our management agreement between our Manager and us, or our Management Agreement, for purposes of calculating the incentive fee payable to our Manager.

While Distributable Earnings excludes the impact of any unrealized provisions for credit losses, any loan losses are charged off and realized through Distributable Earnings when deemed non-recoverable. Non-recoverability is determined (i) upon the resolution of a loan (i.e. when the loan is repaid, fully or partially, or in the case of foreclosures, when the underlying asset is sold), or (ii) with respect to any amount due under any loan, when such amount is determined to be non-collectible.

We believe that Distributable Earnings provides meaningful information to consider in addition to our net income (loss) and cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP. We believe Distributable Earnings is a useful financial metric for existing and potential future holders of our common stock as historically, over time, Distributable Earnings has been a strong indicator of our dividends per share of common stock. As a REIT, we generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments, and therefore we believe our dividends are one of the principal reasons stockholders may invest in our common stock. Furthermore, Distributable Earnings help us to evaluate our performance excluding the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments that we believe are not necessarily indicative of our current loan portfolio and operations, and is a performance metric we consider when declaring our dividends.

Distributable Earnings does not represent net income (loss) or cash generated from operating activities and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net income (loss), or an indication of GAAP cash flows from operations, a measure of our liquidity, or an indication of funds available for our cash needs.

GAAP to Distributable Earnings Reconciliation





Three months Ended









June 30, 2022





Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Information









Net Income attributable to common shareholders

$ 2,158,810





Adjustments for non-Distributable Earnings









Unrealized (gain) on mortgage servicing rights Unrealized provision for loan losses

(81,216) 351,914





Subtotal

270,698





Other Adjustments









Recognized compensation expense related to restricted common stock

4,476





Adjustment for income taxes

25,669





Subtotal

30,145

















Distributable Earnings

$ 2,459,653

















Weighted average shares outstanding - Basic and Diluted

52,226,141





Distributable Earnings per weighted share outstanding - Basic and Diluted

$ 0.05







About LFT

LFT is a Maryland corporation focused on investing in, financing and managing a portfolio of commercial real estate debt investments. The Company primarily invests in transitional floating rate commercial mortgage loans with an emphasis on middle-market multi-family assets.

LFT is externally managed and advised by OREC Investment Management, LLC d/b/a Lument Investment Management, a Delaware limited liability company.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Investors, security holders and other interested persons may find additional information regarding the Company at the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov/ or the Company website www.lumentfinancetrust.com or by directing requests to: Lument Finance Trust, 230 Park Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10169, Attention: Investor Relations.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release, any related webcast / conference call, and other oral statements made by our representatives from time to time may constitute forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor contained in 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 are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. You can identify forward-looking statements by use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may," "will," "seek," "would," "could," or similar expressions or other comparable terms, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: the return on equity; the yield on investments; the ability to borrow to finance assets; and risks associated with investing in real estate assets, including changes in business conditions and the general economy. Forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance, taking into account all information currently available to us on the date of this press release or the date on which such statements are first made. Actual results may differ from expectations, estimates and projections. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this press release and/or any related webcast / conference call and should consider carefully the factors described in Part I, Item IA "Risk Factors" in our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other current or periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), when evaluating these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond our control. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, the COVID-19 outbreak. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2021, which is available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by applicable law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.





SOURCE Lument Finance Trust, Inc.
B2B marketplace linking independent retailers with brands to accelerate growth across Mexico with funds from Bain Capital Ventures and Tiger Global

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Miferia , an online Mexican wholesale marketplace, today announced a $7 million seed round co-led by Bain Capital Ventures and Tiger Global, with participation from Canary, Latitud Ventures, and Asymmetric Capital Partners.

Miferia operates a curated wholesale marketplace that connects independent retail shops in Mexico with domestic brands in categories such as cosmetics, food and beverage, and home decor. The platform features thousands of products from over 500 brands, with over 30 new brands being onboarded each week.

"The e-commerce boom in Latin America has led to a proliferation of digital brands and improved last-mile logistics for consumers," said Tariq Musa, founder and CEO of Miferia. "But these developments have not yet benefited the region's independent retailers. Miferia's mission is to empower these small and medium-sized businesses across Mexico and ultimately Spanish-speaking Latin America."

Despite the rapid growth in e-commerce, over 90% of retail in Mexico still takes place in its 2 million physical stores. This market remains completely unserved by digital tools, with less than 1% of B2B transactions having moved online. Miferia enables Mexican shopkeepers to digitally consolidate their offline relationships and helps them grow by expanding their product selection and providing access to improved credit terms.

Meanwhile, brands in Mexico also face a variety of hurdles: offline brands forgo significant margin to traditional distributors and must deal with the burden of cash collections, while online direct-to-consumer brands lack access to the lion's share of industry sales that take place in physical stores. Miferia offers Mexican brands an improved channel to connect with independent retailers across the country.

"The movement of wholesale trade from offline to online venues is a global phenomenon, and we believe that online B2B marketplaces will eventually replace physical tradeshows and traditional distribution channels across most product categories and geographies," said Merritt Hummer, partner at Bain Capital Ventures. "We are delighted to partner with Tariq to establish Miferia as the dominant platform for wholesale trade for independent retailers across Latin America, starting in Mexico."

About Bain Capital Ventures

Bain Capital Ventures is a multi-stage VC firm with over $10B under management investing across four core domainsfintech, application software, infrastructure, and commerce. Leveraging the unique resources of Bain Capital, we deploy targeted support at every stage of the company-building journey. For over 20 years, BCV has helped launch and commercialize more than 400 companies including Attentive, Bloomreach, Clari, Docusign, Flywire, LinkedIn, Moveworks, Rapid7, and Redis. BCV has offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, and Boston and you can follow us on Twitter @BainCapVC.

About Tiger Global Management

Tiger Global Management is an investment firm focused on private and public companies in the internet, software, and financial technology sectors. Since 2001, Tiger Global has invested in hundreds of companies, across more than 30 countries, at stages ranging from seed to pre- and post-IPO. The firm aims to partner with dynamic entrepreneurs operating market-leading companies in its core focus areas. Tiger Global's investments have included JD.com, UiPath, Stripe, Databricks, Bytedance, Snowflake, Facebook, Alibaba, Procore, Chime, Blend, Nubank, Attentive, LinkedIn, Flipkart, and Toast.

Contact:

Tariq Musa

[email protected]

SOURCE Miferia
LONDON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modulaire Group, Europe and Asia Pacific's leading business services company specialising in modular services and infrastructure, today announced that it will hold its second quarter financial results conference call on Tuesday 23rd August 2022 at 3:00pm BST (10:00 a.m., Eastern Time).

Prior to the call, the slide presentation, Q2 2022 financial information and dial-in details will be available at https://www.modulairegroup.com/investors/financial-reports that includes a password-protection feature. Access will be granted to existing and prospective lenders and noteholders and certain other eligible parties (including securities analysts and rating agencies) who have registered for an account. Modulaire Group invites all interested parties to register at their earliest convenience by visiting https://www.modulairegroup.com/investors/apply.

About Modulaire Group

Modulaire is a leader in European modular services and infrastructure. We create smart spaces for people to work, learn and live. Our business is designed to help customers find the right space solution, no matter what their requirements. Modulaire has operations in 25 countries with over 290,000 modular space and portable storage units and 4,400 remote accommodations rooms. The company operates as Algeco, its largest brand, across much of Europe and the United Kingdom. Other operating brands include Advante in the United Kingdom, Algeco Chengdong in China, Ausco in Australia, BUKO Huisvesting, BUKO Bouw & Winkels and BUKO Bouwsystemen in The Netherlands, Portacom in New Zealand, and Tecnifor and Locabox in Italy.

For further information:

Investor relations: Phil Vellacott

[email protected]

07841 563541

Media enquiries: Tulchan Communications

[email protected]

0207 353 4200

SOURCE Modulaire Group
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - When it comes to making a positive impact in the community, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? teams across the United States, Canada, and Australia are always happy to help. Locally-owned franchises work with a variety of organizations to support their communities in meaningful ways, and their charitable efforts have only ramped up in 2022. Did you know that in a single day, one franchise helped divert 4,500 pounds of plastic toys from landfill? Another franchise has played an integral part in supporting the collection of nearly 30,000 pairs of shoes! Whether donating time and labor, or gently used items sourced from Junk Removal jobs, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? teams aim to make a positive difference with integrity and compassion.

In May 2022, the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Greater Los Angeles team members and their families volunteered to make 500 meals for people experiencing homelessness in support of The Midnight Mission in Downtown Los Angeles. Heidi Weiss, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Greater Los Angeles CAO says: "The team at The Midnight Mission works tirelessly to provide over 800,000 meals per year to the Los Angeles area homeless community. I am grateful that our team is able to be a small part in providing the much needed meals".

The 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Jefferson County team also has a history of charitable giving, donating $1 from every Junk Removal job to CO1000 , an organization that supports charities across Colorado communities. To date 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Jefferson County has donated $22,895.40 to the organization.

In celebration of Earth Month 2022, the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? New Jersey North East franchise took part in a toy drive in support of Second Chance Toys . At this event, 1,000 toys were collected, cleaned, and diverted from landfill. Zoe Cook-Nadel, Director of Second Chance Toys, shares that 25 yards of landfill space was saved from plastic waste volume through this initiative: "We couldn't possibly divert this much plastic from landfills without 1-800-GOT-JUNK's constant support, spacious trucks, and true devotion to the state of our environment".

This year, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchises have supported additional local charitable organizations, including but not limited to:

1-800-GOT-JUNK? Philadelphia North and Soles4Souls

1800-GOT-JUNK? Melbourne , AUS and St. Kilda Mums

, AUS and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Vancouver Metro and Ride on Bike Shop

Metro and Ride on Bike Shop 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Monteregie Metro and Certex

1-800-GOT-JUNK? Foxboro and Mansfield Public Library

and Mansfield Public Library 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Philadelphia and Neighborhood Bike Works

To learn more about these charitable initiatives, and how 1-800-GOT-JUNK? teams are making a difference, click here .

ABOUT 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

1-800-GOT-JUNK? pioneered an industry that brings people and businesses relief by making their junk disappear. Whether it's a pile of household junk in the garage or a warehouse full of office furnishings, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? removes it for you. With the help of our happy team members, convenient services, and customer-first philosophy, we make the ordinary business of Junk Removal exceptional. We are passionate about recycling and donating to charity. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was founded in 1989 and now operates in approximately 155 locations throughout North America and Australia. For more information, visit www.1800gotjunk.com or follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .

SOURCE 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
LONDON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NatWest Group plc ("NatWest Group") and NatWest Markets N.V. ("NWM N.V.") (each an "Offeror" and, together, the "Offerors") are each today announcing, in respect of their previously announced separate tender offers to purchase for cash (with respect to the tender offers launched by NatWest Group, the "NatWest Group Offer", and with respect to the tender offers launched by NWM N.V., the "NWM N.V. Offer", and collectively, the "Offers") any and all of certain series of their respective U.S. dollar denominated notes set out in the table below (collectively, the "Notes", and each a "Series"), the relevant Reference Yield and the relevant Purchase Price for each series of Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase in respect of such Offers.

The NatWest Group Offer is being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in NatWest Group's offer to purchase dated August 1, 2022 and the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (the "NatWest Group Offer to Purchase"), and the NWM N.V. Offer is being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in NWM N.V.'s offer to purchase dated August 1, 2022 and the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (the "NWM N.V. Offer to Purchase" and, together with the NatWest Group Offer to Purchase, the "Offers to Purchase"). Capitalized terms with respect to the NatWest Group Offer not otherwise defined in this announcement have the same meaning as in the NatWest Group Offer to Purchase and capitalized terms with respect to the NWM N.V. Offer not otherwise defined in this announcement have the same meaning as in the NWM N.V. Offer to Purchase.

Pricing for the NatWest Group Offer:

The Reference Yield in respect of each Series of Notes listed below was determined at 2:00 p.m., New York City time, today. The Purchase Price for each Series of Notes listed below is based on the relevant Reference Yield plus the relevant Fixed Spread as set forth in the table below:

Title of Security Issuer ISIN/CUSIP Principal Amount

Issued Principal Amount Outstanding Fixed Spread (bps) Reference U.S. Treasury Security Maturity Reference Yield Purchase Price 6.125% Subordinated Tier 2 Notes due 2022 The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (1) US780099CE50 / 780099CE5 $2,250,000,000 $1,303,830,000 +40 1.625% U.S. Treasury due December 15, 2022 (ISIN: US912828YW42) December 15, 2022 2.769 % $1,010.05 per $1,000 6.100% Subordinated Tier 2 Notes due 2023 The Royal Bank of Scotland

Group plc (1) US780097AY76 / 780097AY7 $1,000,000,000 $465,426,000 +90 0.250% U.S. Treasury Security due June 15, 2023 (ISIN: US912828ZU76) June 10, 2023 3.252 % $1,015.73 per $1,000 6.000% Subordinated Tier 2 Notes due 2023 The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc(1) US780097AZ42 / 780097AZ4 $2,000,000,000 $1,396,278,000 +125 3.000% U.S. Treasury Security due June 30, 2024 (ISIN: US91282CEX56) December 19, 2023 3.231 % $1,019.74 per $1,000 5.125% Subordinated Tier 2 Notes due 2024 The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc(1) US780099CH81 / 780099CH8 $2,250,000,000 $1,241,175,000 +145 3.000% U.S. Treasury Security due June 30, 2024 (ISIN: US91282CEX56) May 28, 2024 3.231 % $1,007.51 per $1,000 3.875%

Senior Notes due 2023 The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc(1) US780097BD21 / 780097BD2 $2,650,000,000 $2,650,000,000 +75 3.000% U.S. Treasury Security due June 30, 2024 (ISIN: US91282CEX56) September 12, 2023 3.231 % $998.85 per $1,000





















(1) Currently NatWest Group plc.

Pricing for the NWM N.V. Offer:

The Reference Yield in respect of each Series of Notes listed below was determined at 2:00 p.m., New York City time, today. The Purchase Price for each Series of Notes listed below is based on the relevant Reference Yield plus the relevant Fixed Spread as set forth in the table below:

Title of Security Issuer ISIN/CUSIP Principal

Amount

Issued Principal Amount Outstanding Fixed Spread (bps) Reference U.S. Treasury

Security Maturity Reference Yield Purchase Price 7.750% Subordinated Deposit Notes, Series B, due 2023 NatWest Markets N.V.(1) US00077TAA25 / 00077TAA2 $250,000,000 $135,566,000 +75 0.125% U.S. Treasury Security due May 15, 2023 (ISIN: US912828ZP81) May 15, 2023 3.188 % $1,028.32 per $1,000 7.125% Subordinated Deposit Notes, Series B, due 2093 NatWest Markets N.V.(1) US00077TAB08 / 00077TAB0 $150,000,000 $150,000,000 +120 2.250% U.S. Treasury Security due February 15, 2052 (ISIN: US912810TD00) Oct 15, 2093 3.037 % $1,647.06 per $1,000





















(1) NatWest Markets N.V. (formerly known as ABN AMRO Bank N.V., of which ABN AMRO Bank N.V., New York Branch, was a part).

Each Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 8, 2022, unless extended (in respect of each Offer, such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Deadline") or earlier terminated. Holders must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Notes at or prior to the relevant Expiration Deadline in order to be eligible to receive the relevant Purchase Price. Notes validly tendered may be withdrawn at any time prior to the relevant Withdrawal Deadline, but not thereafter.

In addition to the relevant Purchase Price, holders of the Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the relevant Offer(s) will also receive, on the relevant Settlement Date, any accrued and unpaid interest on each $1,000 principal amount of such Notes (rounded to the nearest cent) from, and including, the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the relevant Settlement Date ("Accrued Interest"). Holders whose Notes are tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures will not receive payment in respect of any interest for the period from and including the relevant Settlement Date to the relevant Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date. Accrued Interest for each $1,000 principal amount of such Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase will be rounded to the nearest $0.01, with $0.005 being rounded upwards, in accordance with the conditions of such Notes.

Unless an Offer is extended, reopened or earlier terminated, the Settlement Date in respect of each Offer is expected to be August 10, 2022 and the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date in respect of each Offer is expected to be August 11, 2022 .

FURTHER INFORMATION

Copies of each Offer to Purchase are available at the following web address: https://deals.is.kroll.com/natwest

DISCLAIMER

This announcement and each Offer to Purchase (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) contain important information which should be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the relevant Offer. If you are in any doubt as to the contents of this announcement or the relevant Offer to Purchase or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial and legal advice, including as to any tax consequences, immediately from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial or legal adviser. Any individual or company whose Notes are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee or intermediary must contact such entity if it wishes to participate in the Offers. None of the Offerors, the Dealer Managers, the Tender Agent, the fiscal agent or the trustee (as applicable) with respect to the Notes (or any of their respective directors, employees or affiliates) make any recommendation as to whether holders should tender Notes pursuant to the Offers.

OFFER RESTRICTIONS

European Economic Area ("EEA")

The communication of this announcement, the Offers to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers do not constitute an offer of securities to the public for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation") and accordingly the requirement to produce a prospectus under the Prospectus Regulation does not apply to the Offers.

United Kingdom

The communication of this announcement, the Offers to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers are not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA"). Accordingly, this announcement, the Offers to Purchase and such other documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of the Offers to Purchase and such other documents and/or materials is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that they are only being distributed to and are only directed at persons to whom they can lawfully be circulated outside the United Kingdom or to: (i) persons in the United Kingdom having professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Order")); (ii) persons falling within Article 43 of the Order; or (iii) any other persons to whom the relevant Offer to Purchase and such other documents and/or materials may otherwise lawfully be communicated under the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement and the Offers to Purchase and such documents and/or materials are directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement and the Offers to Purchase relate is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.

The communication of this announcement, the Offers to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers do not constitute an offer of securities to the public for the purposes of s of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended) as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA) (the "UK Prospectus Regulation") and accordingly the requirement to produce a prospectus under the UK Prospectus Regulation does not apply to the Offers.

Belgium (in respect of the NatWest Group Offer only)

Neither this announcement (in so far as it relates to the NatWest Group Offer), the NatWest Group Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the NatWest Group Offer have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorite des services et marches financiers / Autoriteit voor financiele diensten en markten) and, accordingly, the NatWest Group Offer may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the NatWest Group Offer may not be advertised and the NatWest Group Offer will not be extended, and neither this announcement, the NatWest Group Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the NatWest Group Offer (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) have been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation, acting on their own account. This announcement (in so far as it relates to the NatWest Group Offer) and the NatWest Group Offer to Purchase have been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the NatWest Group Offer. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement (in so far as it relates to the NatWest Group Offer) and the NatWest Group Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.

France

This announcement, the Offers to Purchase and any other documents or offering materials relating to the Offers may not be distributed in the Republic of France except to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) as defined in Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. This announcement and the Offers to Purchase have not been and will not be submitted for clearance to the Autorite des marches financiers.

Italy

None of the Offers, this announcement, the Offers to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offers has been or will be submitted to the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa ("CONSOB"), pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations.

The Offers are being carried out in the Republic of Italy ("Italy") as an exempted offer pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999, as amended (the "Issuers' Regulation"). The Offers are also being carried out in compliance with article 35-bis, paragraph 7 of the Issuers' Regulation.

Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes located in Italy can tender the Notes through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of February 15, 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.

Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-a-vis its clients in connection with the Notes and the Offers.

General

The Offers do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Notes (and offers to sell will not be accepted from the holders) in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities or other laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer or similar and any of the Dealer Managers or any of the Dealer Manager's respective affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Offers shall be deemed to be made by such Dealer Manager or affiliate, as the case may be, on behalf of the relevant Offeror in such jurisdiction.

Each holder participating in the Offers will be deemed to give certain representations in respect of the jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in the relevant Offer to Purchase. Any tender of Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase from a holder that is unable to make these representations will be rejected. Each of the Offerors, the Dealer Managers and Kroll Issuer Services Limited reserves the right, in its absolute discretion (and without prejudice to the relevant holder's responsibility for the representations made by it), to investigate in relation to any tender of Notes, whether any such representation given by a holder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the relevant Offeror determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such offer to sell will be rejected.

Each Offeror and their respective affiliates expressly reserve the right at any time or from time to time following completion or termination of the Offers made by it, to purchase or exchange or offer to purchase or exchange Notes or to issue an invitation to submit offers to sell Notes (including, without limitation, those tendered pursuant to the relevant Offer(s) but not accepted for purchase by it) through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers, exchange offers or otherwise, in each case on terms that may be more or less favorable than those contemplated by the relevant Offer(s). In addition, each Offeror also reserves the right to issue new debt securities from time to time, including during the term of the Offers made by it.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR NATWEST GROUP PLC, FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 (MAR) AS IT FORMS PART OF DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE BY ALEXANDER HOLCROFT, HEAD OF INVESTOR RELATIONS FOR NATWEST GROUP PLC.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR NatWest Markets N.V., FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 (MAR). FOR THE PURPOSES OF MAR AND ARTICLE 2 OF COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2016/1055, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE BY Vasileios TSAGRIS, TREASURER OF NatWest Markets N.V.

Legal Entity Identifiers

NatWest Group plc 2138005O9XJIJN4JPN90 NatWest Markets N.V. X3CZP3CK64YBHON1LE12

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

From time to time, the Offerors may make statements, both written and oral, regarding our assumptions, projections, expectations, intentions or beliefs about future events. These statements constitute "forward-looking statements". The Offerors caution that these statements may and often do vary materially from actual results. Accordingly, the Offerors cannot assure you that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You should read the sections entitled "Risk Factors" in the relevant Offer to Purchase, in the Annual Report and H1 2022 Interim Report of the relevant Offeror which is incorporated by reference therein and "Forward-Looking Statements" in the Annual Report and H1 2022 Interim Report of the relevant Offeror, which is incorporated by reference in the relevant Offer to Purchase.

Any forward-looking statements made herein or in the documents incorporated by reference herein speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") or the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (the "AFM"), as applicable, any applicable stock exchange or any applicable law, the Offerors expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained in the relevant Offer to Purchase or the documents incorporated by reference herein to reflect any changes in expectations with regard thereto or any new information or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. The reader should, however, (i) with respect to NatWest Group consult any additional disclosures that NatWest Group has made or may make in documents that NatWest Group has filed or may file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and (ii) with respect to NWM N.V. consult any additional disclosures that NWM N.V. has made or may make in documents that NWM N.V. has filed or may file with the AFM.

SOURCE NatWest Markets N.V.; NatWest Group plc
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NetRise , the company providing visibility into the world's XIoT security problem, announced today the release of the NetRise Platform, which is the industry's first solution providing insights into shared vulnerabilities across XIoT firmware images in an organization.

NetRise Platform UI

NetRise is a cloud-based SaaS platform that analyzes and continuously monitors the firmware of XIoT devices. The firmware images are then dissected, presenting all of the key data, artifacts, and risk in an easy-to-consume interface. As a result, NetRise reduces the time and cost of firmware security programs allowing organizations to quickly find and remediate previously undetected issues.

"Traditional XIoT security products have little-to-no visibility into the underlying components of these devices. As a result, XIoT firmware has been treated like a black box, as end users have had minimal control over it," said Thomas Pace, Co-Founder & CEO of NetRise. "With the release of the NetRise Platform, organizations now have complete visibility and continuous monitoring of XIoT firmware vulnerabilities and potential points of exposure to fill in the gaping hole that exists in most security programs."

Benefits:

Complete Visibility: Uncovers repeat vulnerabilities found across all products in an organization, provides clear prioritization of risks and reduces the time it takes for human responders to apply context to complex problems.

Uncovers repeat vulnerabilities found across all products in an organization, provides clear prioritization of risks and reduces the time it takes for human responders to apply context to complex problems. Continuous Monitoring: NetRise continuously monitors and analyzes artifacts within firmware to identify and prioritize:

NetRise continuously monitors and analyzes artifacts within firmware to identify and prioritize: Vulnerabilities (known and unknown)



Compliance Adherence



Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)



Misconfigurations



Overall Risk

Key Features:

Vulnerability Identification and Monitoring

Comprehensive SBOM

Risk comparisons of new firmware versions to existing versions

Vulnerability and other risk prioritization

Correlation across all monitored devices

Firmware repository to query when new vulnerabilities are identified

"NetRise provides the perfect solution for mapping XIoT devices to traditional security processes," said Michael Scott, Co-Founder & CTO of NetRise. "With the company's advanced capabilities to detect components, misconfigurations, risks and vulnerabilities, organizations gain the unprecedented ability to quantify and prioritize the risk in these historically troublesome devices. NetRise uniquely has access to over one million firmware images, which produces hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities potentially exploitable by threat actors that are not properly documented in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)."

NetRise recently announced a strategic partnership with Fortress Information Security , the nation's leading cybersecurity provider for critical infrastructure organizations with digitized assets. The NetRise partnership gives Fortress Information Security's global customers access to the most advanced firmware binary analysis platform on the planet. Through the partnership, NetRise gains access to a robust route to market for power, oil and gas and manufacturing clients that Fortress serves, a market that historically has proven difficult to tap into.

About NetRise

Based in Austin, Texas, NetRise was built by defensive cyber experts bred across the private sector, intelligence community and U.S. federal government to solve the firmware security problem. The company is currently partnering with companies across manufacturing, automotive, medical devices, industrial control systems, satellites and many more.

Media Contact:

Danielle Ostrovsky

Hi-Touch PR

410-302-9459

[email protected]

SOURCE NetRise
New parallel arm study results have implications for productivity and learning

COPPELL, Texas, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As has been demonstrated by many studies, contoured prism has historically shown efficacy in relieving symptoms as a therapeutic offering. And new evidence suggests that there is also an opportunity to expand this technology to an even broader population focused on visual performance and productivity improvement. In a parallel arm study evaluating reading speed at baseline, after seven days of lens wear the mean (SD) improvement in reading speed with Neurolenses was almost 70% higher than the mean (SD) improvement in reading speed with other premium lens designs.

NEUROLENSES' SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON READING SPEED. New study results have implications for productivity and learning. Tweet this Related Documents View PDF Better Binocularity, Higher Productivity Study

"Everything we do at Neurolens is supported by a strong clinical foundation, and we will never stop raising the bar on ourselves in this area," said Pierre Bertrand, CEO of Neurolens. "These new results have exciting implications for the impact the vision industry can have on productivity, comprehension and learning."

To test the impact of Neurolens on productivity, a double-masked parallel arm study was designed with two subgroups: Treatment and Control, each consisting of 30 young adults. The Treatment group received a pair of Neurolenses with a prescription based on the practitioner's Rx using the subject's best corrected vision. The Control group received a premium single vision lens which yielded the best corrected vision for the individual. Reading speed was assessed initially using the Wilkins Rate of Reading Test (WRRT).

Every individual enrolled in the study wore the randomized study lens assigned to them for 72 days. Reading speed was then re-evaluated after the wear-in period. The investigator then calculated the number of words correctly read per minute for each passage. The mean (SD) improvement in the reading speed for Neurolenses was +20.96 words per minute, and the mean (SD) improvement in the reading speed for the Control was +12.39 words per minute. ANOVA analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in the reading speed with Neurolenses compared to the Control lens (F = 4.45; p = 0.03).

"Our visual behavior has obviously changed dramatically over the last century, but some of the most dramatic changes have been the more recent rapid acceleration of near vision utilization that have accompanied a global proliferation of smart phones and tablets," says Brenda Montecalvo, OD, FCOVD, FAAO, FCSO, renowned author and international speaker in the areas of vision and learning. "I am thrilled that companies like Neurolens are actively trying to push the industry forward and provide proven, effective ways to help our patients live a more productive, fulfilling digital life."

To learn more about Neurolens, please visit our website at https://www.neurolens.com/.

About Neurolens

Inspired by a breakthrough discovery linking optometry and neurology, Neurolens is unlocking a new dimension of vision care. With patented Contoured Prism technology, Neurolenses are the first and only prescription lenses that go beyond visual acuity to provide visual comfort for the nearly 65% of US adults who complain of headaches, neck/shoulder pain and eyestrain when using digital devices, reading or doing detail work. The Neurolens Contoured Prism design helps the eyes work together comfortably, bringing the eyes into alignment to relieve painful symptoms. Technology from Neurolens is only available to Independent Eye Care Providers.

Media Contact

Shannon Severino

[email protected]

SOURCE Neurolens
Program highlights include decarbonization, building information management, artificial intelligence, resilience, sustainability, and building codes

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The schedule for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) annual meeting, Building Innovation 2022, has been finalized.

BI2022 is one of the premiere meetings for all who impact the built environment to find solutions. It takes place September 26-28, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.

Highlights from the BI2022 schedule include:

Efforts to Decarbonize Building Sector are Scaling  Why and How Your Company Can Respond

BIM Provides the Fuel for Data-Driven Change at the U.S. Department of State

Data & AI in Construction

Design for Resilience and Sustainability: Precast Protects Life and Resiliency and Zero Energy for Educational Facilities Case Study

Resilient & Smart Interiors: Protecting Occupant Wellness and Reducing System Construction Costs

Beyond Drawings: Engaging Owners and Users with Digital Twin & Mock-up Technologies

Landscape of Federal and State Resilience Planning & Policies and the Role of Modern Codes and Standards

Hazard Resilience & Building Codes in Action: Earthquake and Tornado Mitigation & Climate Change Adaptation Pathways

Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, Interim CEO of NIBS, says the BI2022 agenda reflects the evolving topics that continue to shape the U.S. built environment.

"Building Innovation convenes the building industry to meet on critical topics, learn new technologies, and strategize for the future of our communities," Ayers said.

The BI2022 Keynotes and Sponsors

NIBS recently announced the keynotes who will lead the conference. They include:

Deanne Criswell , Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency Kelly Alvarez Doran , Senior Director, Sustainability & Regenerative Design, MASS Design Group, and Director, Ha/f Research Studio, University of Toronto

, Senior Director, Sustainability & Regenerative Design, MASS Design Group, and Director, Ha/f Research Studio, Stacy Smedley , LEED AP BD+C, Executive Director, Building Transparency, and Senior Director, Sustainability, Skanska USA Building

Building Innovation 2022 sponsors include the International Code Council, Dell Technologies, Tremco Construction Products Group, 84 Lumber, BSI, Session Board, Procore Technologies, Evolve Stone, PCI, Federal Emergency Management Agency, MADCAD, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, and industry supporters, Green Building Initiative, The Marshall Group, Ltd., ASTM International, and BOMA International. Building Enclosure is the BI2022 media partner.

BI2022 Media Registration

Registration is free for members of the media wishing to attend Building Innovation 2022. Reach out to NIBS Social Media and PR Manager Christine Cube at [email protected] for details.

About NIBS

National Institute of Building Sciences brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues in the built environment. NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Institute of Building Sciences
Business combination with Maersk Drilling anticipated to close October 3, 2022

Q2 Total Revenue of $275 million , an increase of 31% quarter-over-quarter

Q2 Net Income of $37 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $84 million

Q2 Cash Flow from Operations of $88 million and Free Cash Flow of $56 million

SUGAR LAND, Texas, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Corporation (NYSE: NE, "Noble", or the "Company") today reported second quarter 2022 results.



Successor

Three Months Ended (stated in millions, except per share amounts) June 30, 2022

June 30, 2021

March 31, 2022 Total Revenue $ 275

$ 219

$ 210 Contract Drilling Services Revenue 262

200

195 Net Income (Loss) 37

20

(37) Adjusted EBITDA* 84

10

27 Adjusted Net Income (Loss)* 33

(25)

(8) Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share 0.45

0.30

(0.54) Adjusted Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share* 0.40

(0.37)

(0.12)











* A Non-GAAP supporting schedule is included with the statements and schedules attached to this press release.

Robert W. Eifler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Noble Corporation, stated, "The second quarter marks an important inflection in Noble's financial results. As signaled previously, we expect to produce meaningful step-ups in earnings as we move through 2022, and we delivered on the first step-up during this quarter. Our second quarter results, which are underpinned by strong operational performance, highlight the ability of the Noble platform to deliver long-term value for our shareholders. As our organization prepares to complete the business combination with Maersk Drilling, we remain focused on providing world class service to our customers and operating safely every day."

Second Quarter Results

Contract drilling services revenue for the second quarter of 2022 totaled $262 million compared to $195 million in the first quarter. Marketed fleet utilization was 85 percent in the three months ended June 30, 2022 compared to 75 percent in the previous quarter. Contract drilling services costs for the second quarter were $178 million, up from $166 million in the first quarter of 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2022 was $84 million compared to $27 million in the first quarter of 2022. Capital expenditures totaled $31 million in the second quarter.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the three months ended June 30, 2022 was $88 million and free cash flow was $56 million for the same period.

Operating Highlights and Backlog

Noble's marketed floater fleet was 100% contracted in the second quarter. The Noble Faye Kozack was awarded a one-well contract with LLOG for work in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico at a rate of $420,000 per day. The contract includes managed pressure drilling services and is expected to commence in late 2022 or early 2023. In Suriname, APA Corp executed its second option for the Noble Gerry de Souza and is expected to novate the rig to TotalEnergies for one well. The Noble Globetrotter I recently concluded with Shell and demobilized to complete routine maintenance following that 10-year contract. Following its brief out-of-service period, the rig is scheduled to mobilize to Mexico during the third quarter to commence work for CNOOC and Petronas. Additionally, during the second quarter the four drillships under the Commercial Enabling Agreement were awarded 7.4 years of incremental term in connection with the sanctioning of the Yellowtail development in Guyana.

In the second quarter, the Noble Regina Allen commenced operations in Guyana for Repsol and, after completion of its current program, is scheduled to return to Trinidad and Tobago to drill six firm wells with a different operator. In the U.K. North Sea, the Noble Sam Hartley is preparing to commence its program for TotalEnergies. Additionally, the Noble Houston Colbert mobilized to the Middle East and is now preparing for its 3.5-year campaign in Qatar.

Noble's estimated revenue backlog was approximately $2.1 billion as of June 30, 2022. This excludes the 3.5 year firm term contracts for both the Noble Mick O'Brien and Noble Houston Colbert, which were signed after the quarter end.

Maersk Drilling Business Combination Update

The Danish public tender exchange offer process in connection with Noble's business combination with The Drilling Company of 1972 A/S ("Maersk Drilling") has now commenced. The tender exchange offer period for outstanding Maersk Drilling shares is set for August 10 to September 8, 2022.

As previously announced, the Company has entered into an asset purchase agreement to sell five jackup rigs for $375 million to a newly formed subsidiary ("Buyer") of Shelf Drilling, Ltd. to address the potential concerns identified by the UK Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") in the Phase I review of the proposed business combination with Maersk Drilling. The rigs are the Noble Hans Deul, Noble Sam Hartley, Noble Sam Turner, Noble Houston Colbert, and Noble Lloyd Noble. Publication of the CMA's final decision on the divestment's adequacy in addressing their competition concerns is scheduled for September 1, 2022. If the Buyer and related sale agreement are accepted by the CMA, closing of the Business Combination is expected to occur on October 3, 2022, with the jackup divestment sale expected to close promptly thereafter.

Outlook

Noble's guidance for full year 2022 remains unchanged from what was previously provided on May 2, 2022.

Commenting on Noble's outlook for the second half of 2022, Mr. Eifler stated, "Demand for offshore drilling is increasing in all our key operating regions, and we expect this positive momentum to continue despite global economic concerns. Tender activity remains at attractive levels and our customers have a robust pipeline of opportunities for our rigs. We look forward to completing the business combination with Maersk Drilling in early October and creating a dynamic leader in offshore drilling. I'm confident in Noble's ability to deliver on the key transaction rationale, which include enhancing the customer experience and executing on our commitment to return capital to shareholders."

Fleet Status Report

In conjunction with second quarter results, the Company has also provided an updated "Fleet Status Report" which reflects the current status and contract information for each of its rigs. The updated report can be found under the "Our Fleet" section of the Company's website.

Conference Call

Noble will host a conference call related to its second quarter 2022 results on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Central Time. Interested parties may dial +1 929-203-0901 and refer to conference ID 31391 approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Alternatively, a live webcast link will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. A webcast replay will be accessible for a limited time following the scheduled call.

For additional information, visit www.noblecorp.com or email [email protected]

About Noble Corporation

Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company owns and operates one of the most modern, versatile, and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. Noble and its predecessors have been engaged in the contract drilling of oil and gas wells since 1921. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of offshore drilling units focused largely on ultra-deepwater and high specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Additional information on Noble is available at www.noblecorp.com.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transactions (the "Business Combination") contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of November 10, 2021, by and among Noble, Noble Finco Limited ("Topco"), Noble Newco Sub Limited and The Drilling Company of 1972 A/S ("Maersk Drilling"), Topco has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (which Registration Statement was declared effective on April 11, 2022) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") that includes a proxy statement of Noble that also constitutes a prospectus for Topco and an offering prospectus of Topco used in connection with Topco's offer to exchange shares in Maersk Drilling for Topco shares. Noble mailed the proxy statement/prospectus to its shareholders in connection with the vote to approve the merger of Noble with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Topco, and Topco distributed the offering prospectus in connection with the exchange offer. Topco also filed an offer document with the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet). This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the proposed Business Combination and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the proposed Business Combination. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND THE OFFERING DOCUMENT RELATING TO THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION IN ITS ENTIRETY AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED BY EACH OF TOPCO AND NOBLE WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TOPCO, MAERSK DRILLING AND NOBLE, THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION AND RELATED MATTERS.

Investors and shareholders can obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Noble and Topco through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and shareholders can obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents related thereto on Maersk Drilling's website at www.maerskdrilling.com or on Noble's website at www.noblecorp.com or by written request to Noble at Noble Corporation, Attn: Richard B. Barker, 13135 Dairy Ashford, Suite 800, Sugar Land, Texas 77478.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed Business Combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction, in each case in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act and applicable European or UK, as appropriate, regulations. Subject to certain exceptions to be approved by the relevant regulators or certain facts to be ascertained, the public offer will not be made directly or indirectly, in or into any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction, or by use of the mails or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telephone and the internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or any facility of a national securities exchange, of any such jurisdiction.

Forward-looking Statements

This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this communication, including those regarding future guidance, the offshore drilling market and momentum, contract commitments, commencements, novations, extensions or renewals, contract tenders, plans and objectives of management for future operations, rig mobilizations and scheduling, industry conditions, worldwide economic conditions, the anticipated timings associated with the Business Combination and the Danish tender exchange offer, the divestment of drilling rigs in connection with the CMA's review of the transaction, and benefits or results of acquisitions or dispositions are forward-looking statements. When used in this communication, the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "prepare," "project," "schedule," "should," "shall" and "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that such expectations will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication and we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason, except as required by law. We have identified factors, including, but not limited to, the business combination with Maersk Drilling (including but not limited to the risk that the business combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the business combination, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement, the effect of the announcement or pendency of the business combination on Noble's business relationships, performance and business generally, the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts current plans and potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the proposed business combination, the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against related to the proposed business combination, requirements, conditions or costs that may be imposed in connection with obtaining regulatory approvals of the business combination, the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations (including with respect to synergies and financial and operational metrics, such as EBITDA and free cash flow) after the completion of the proposed business combination, and to identify and realize additional opportunities, the failure to realize anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, the potential impact of announcement or consummation of the proposed business combination on relationships with third parties, and risks associated with assumptions that parties make in connection with the parties' critical accounting estimates and other judgments), the effects of public health threats, such as the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, and the adverse impact thereof on our business, financial condition and results of operations (including but not limited to our operating costs, supply chain, availability of labor, logistical capabilities, customer demand for our services and industry demand generally, our liquidity, the price of our securities, our ability to access capital markets, and the global economy and financial markets generally), the effects of actions by, or disputes among OPEC+ members with respect to production levels or other matters related to the price of oil, market conditions, factors affecting the level of activity in the oil and gas industry, supply and demand of drilling rigs, factors affecting our drilling contracts, including duration, downtime, dayrates, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with operations outside the US, actions by regulatory authorities, credit rating agencies, customers, joint venture partners, contractors, lenders and other third parties, legislation and regulations affecting drilling operations, compliance with regulatory requirements, violations of anti-corruption laws, shipyard risk and timing, delays in mobilization of rigs, hurricanes and other weather conditions, and the future price of oil and gas, that could cause actual plans or results to differ materially from those included in any forward-looking statements. These factors include those "Risk Factors" referenced or described in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q's, and other filings with the SEC. We cannot control such risk factors and other uncertainties, and in many cases, we cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. You should consider these risks and uncertainties when you are evaluating us.

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)





Successor



Three Months Ended June 30,



2022

2021 Operating revenues







Contract drilling services

$ 262,463

$ 199,897 Reimbursables and other

12,690

19,446



275,153

219,343 Operating costs and expenses







Contract drilling services

178,145

188,712 Reimbursables

10,333

18,071 Depreciation and amortization

26,636

25,339 General and administrative

16,687

25,030 Merger and integration costs

9,057

6,740 (Gain) loss on sale of operating assets, net

1,103

 Hurricane losses and (recoveries), net

(14,407)





227,554

263,892 Operating income (loss)

47,599

(44,549) Other income (expense)







Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized

(7,715)

(7,863) Gain on bargain purchase



64,479 Interest income and other, net

1,081

6,509 Income before income taxes

40,965

18,576 Income tax (provision) benefit

(3,908)

1,859 Net income

$ 37,057

$ 20,435 Per share data







Basic:







Net income

$ 0.53

$ 0.32









Diluted:







Net income

$ 0.45

$ 0.30

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - CONTINUED (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)





Successor



Predecessor







Period from



Period from







February 6, 2021



January 1, 2021



Six Months Ended

through



through



June 30, 2022

June 30, 2021



February 5, 2021 Operating revenues













Contract drilling services

$ 457,498

$ 284,526



$ 74,051 Reimbursables and other

27,885

27,250



3,430



485,383

311,776



77,481 Operating costs and expenses













Contract drilling services

344,228

268,301



46,965 Reimbursables

23,811

25,115



2,737 Depreciation and amortization

52,241

39,583



20,622 General and administrative

34,211

32,957



5,727 Merger and integration costs

18,578

8,753



 (Gain) loss on sale of operating assets, net

(3,459)





 Hurricane losses and (recoveries), net

2,805









472,415

374,709



76,051 Operating income (loss)

12,968

(62,933)



1,430 Other income (expense)













Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized

(15,395)

(14,758)



(229) Gain on bargain purchase



64,479



 Interest income and other, net

1,531

6,517



399 Reorganization items, net







252,051 Income (loss) before income taxes

(896)

(6,695)



253,651 Income tax benefit (provision)

1,297

8,906



(3,423) Net income

$ 401

$ 2,211



$ 250,228 Per share data













Basic:













Net income

$ 0.01

$ 0.04



$ 1.00















Diluted:













Net income

$ 

$ 0.04



$ 0.98

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) (Unaudited)





Successor



June 30, 2022

December 31, 2021 ASSETS







Current assets







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 160,175

$ 194,138 Accounts receivable, net

258,780

200,419 Prepaid expenses and other current assets

61,700

61,089 Total current assets

480,655

455,646 Intangible assets

33,495

61,849 Property and equipment, at cost

1,624,636

1,555,975 Accumulated depreciation

(128,100)

(77,275) Property and equipment, net

1,496,536

1,478,700 Other assets

87,260

77,247 Total assets

$ 2,097,946

$ 2,073,442 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY







Current liabilities







Accounts payable

$ 136,144

$ 120,389 Accrued payroll and related costs

33,754

48,346 Other current liabilities

77,741

79,659 Total current liabilities

247,639

248,394 Long-term debt

216,000

216,000 Other liabilities

125,513

108,421 Total liabilities

589,152

572,815 Commitments and contingencies







Total shareholders' equity

1,508,794

1,500,627 Total liabilities and equity

$ 2,097,946

$ 2,073,442

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Successor



Predecessor





Period from



Period from





February 6, 2021



January 1, 2021

Six Months Ended

through



through

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2021



February 5, 2021 Cash flows from operating activities











Net income $ 401

$ 2,211



$ 250,228 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flow from operating activities:











Depreciation and amortization 52,241

39,583



20,622 Amortization of intangible assets 28,354

22,715



 Gain on bargain purchase 

(64,479)



 Reorganization items, net 





(280,790) Changes in components of working capital











Change in taxes receivable (345)

(8,029)



(1,789) Net changes in other operating assets and liabilities (44,352)

38,887



(33,719) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 36,299

30,888



(45,448) Cash flows from investing activities











Capital expenditures (79,525)

(75,004)



(14,629) Cash acquired in stock-based business combination 

54,970



 Proceeds from disposal of assets, net 15,756

30,960



194 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (63,769)

10,926



(14,435) Cash flows from financing activities











Issuance of second lien notes 





200,000 Borrowings on credit facilities 

40,000



177,500 Repayments of credit facilities 

(27,500)



(545,000) Debt issuance costs 





(23,664) Warrants exercised 440

271



 Taxes withheld on employee stock transactions (4,926)





(1) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (4,486)

12,771



(191,165) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (31,956)

54,585



(251,048) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 196,722

113,993



365,041 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 164,766

$ 168,578



$ 113,993

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES OPERATIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)



Average Rig Utilization













Successor

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2022

March 31, 2022

June 30, 2021 Floaters 81 %

71 %

68 % Jackups 68 %

63 %

69 % Total 76 %

68 %

68 %

























Operating Days













Successor

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2022

March 31, 2022

June 30, 2021 Floaters 813

729

690 Jackups 495

450

752 Total 1,308

1,179

1,442

























Average Dayrates













Successor

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2022

March 31, 2022

June 30, 2021 Floaters $ 266,887

$ 213,194

$ 216,663 Jackups 120,824

119,606

85,938 Total $ 211,626

$ 177,458

$ 148,509

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CALCULATION OF BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME/(LOSS) PER SHARE (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

The following tables presents the computation of basic and diluted income (loss) per share:





Successor



Predecessor















Period from



Period from











Six Months

February 6, 2021



January 1, 2021



Three Months Ended June 30,

Ended

through



through



2022

2021

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2021



February 5, 2021 Numerator:





















Basic





















Net income

$ 37,057

$ 20,435

$ 401

$ 2,211



$ 250,228 Diluted





















Net income

$ 37,057

$ 20,435

$ 401

$ 2,211



$ 250,228 Denominator:





















Weighted average shares outstanding - basic

69,789

64,048

68,722

58,816



251,115 Dilutive effect of share-based awards

3,378

3,114

3,378

3,114



5,456 Dilutive effect of warrants

9,535

884

9,185

169



 Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted

82,702

68,046

81,285

62,099



256,571























Per share data





















Basic:





















Net income

$ 0.53

$ 0.32

$ 0.01

$ 0.04



$ 1.00 Diluted:





















Net income

$ 0.45

$ 0.30

$ 

$ 0.04



$ 0.98

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NON-GAAP MEASURES AND RECONCILIATION

Certain non-GAAP measures and corresponding reconciliations to GAAP financial measures for the Company have been provided for meaningful comparisons between current results and prior operating periods. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position, or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are not normally included or excluded in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Company defines "Adjusted EBITDA" as net income (loss); interest income and other, net; gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt, net; interest expense, net of amounts capitalized; loss on impairment; reorganization items, net; certain corporate projects and legal matters; certain infrequent operational events; and depreciation and amortization expense. We believe that the Adjusted EBITDA measure provides greater transparency of our core operating performance. We prepare Adjusted Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share by eliminating from Diluted Earnings per Share the impact of a number of non-recurring items we do not consider indicative of our on-going performance. We prepare Adjusted Net Income (Loss) by eliminating from Net Income (Loss) the impact of a number of non-recurring items we do not consider indicative of our on-going performance.

In order to fully assess the financial operating results, management believes that the results of operations, adjusted to exclude the following items, which are included in the Company's press release issued on August 8, 2022, are appropriate measures of the continuing and normal operations of the Company:

(i) In the period of January 1, 2021 to February 5, 2021, discrete tax items and reorganization items. In the period of February 6, 2021 to March 31, 2021, merger and integration costs, intangible contract amortization and discrete tax items; (ii) In the second quarter of 2021, a gain on bargain purchase, merger and integration costs, intangible contract amortization and discrete tax items. The quarter also included professional services costs related to a success fee associated with the ultimate recovery of a tax refund and corporate projects including registrations of our post-emergence debt and equity, listing on the New York Stock Exchange and other corporate initiatives; (iii) In the first and second quarter of 2022, merger and integration costs; (gain) loss on sale of operating assets, net; hurricane losses and (recoveries), net; intangible contract amortization and discrete tax items. The quarter also included professional services costs related to corporate initiatives.





For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the Company disclosed free cash flow as a non-GAAP liquidity measure. Free cash flow of $56 million was calculated as Net cash provided by operating activities of $88 million less cash paid for capital expenditures of $32 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.

These non-GAAP adjusted measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, contract drilling revenue, contract drilling cost, contract drilling margin, average daily revenue, operating income, cash flows from operations, or other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Please see the following non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations for a complete description of the adjustments.

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP MEASURES (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA

Successor



Three Months Ended June 30,

Three Months Ended



2022

2021

March 31, 2022 Net income (loss)

$ 37,057

$ 20,435

$ (36,656) Income tax provision (benefit)

3,908

(1,859)

(5,205) Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized

7,715

7,863

7,680 Interest income and other, net

(1,081)

(6,509)

(450) Depreciation and amortization

26,636

25,339

25,605 Intangible contract amortization

14,256

14,256

14,099 Professional services - tax refund success fee



4,679

 Professional services - corporate projects

145

3,414

135 Merger and integration costs

9,057

6,740

9,521 (Gain) loss on sale of operating assets, net

1,103



(4,562) Hurricane losses and (recoveries), net

(14,407)



17,212 Gain on bargain purchase



(64,479)

 Adjusted EBITDA

$ 84,389

$ 9,879

$ 27,379

Reconciliation of Income Tax (Provision) benefit

Successor



Three Months Ended June 30,

Three Months Ended



2022

2021

March 31, 2022 Income tax (provision) benefit

$ (3,908)

$ 1,859

$ 5,205













Adjustments











Intangible contract amortization

(2,994)

(2,994)

(2,961) Gain on sale of operating assets, net





866 Hurricane losses and (recoveries), net

(164)



 Discrete tax items

(11,105)

(6,954)

(5,881) Total Adjustments

(14,263)

(9,948)

(7,976) Adjusted income tax provision

$ (18,171)

$ (8,089)

$ (2,771)

NOBLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss)

Successor



Three Months Ended June 30,

Three Months Ended



2022

2021

March 31, 2022 Net income (loss)

$ 37,057

$ 20,435

$ (36,656)













Adjustments











Intangible contract amortization, net of tax

11,262

11,262

11,138 Professional services - tax refund success fee



4,679

 Professional services - corporate projects

145

3,414

135 Merger and integration costs

9,057

6,740

9,521 (Gain) loss on sale of operating assets, net

1,103



(3,696) Hurricane losses and (recoveries), net

(14,571)



17,212 Gain on bargain purchase



(64,479)

 Discrete tax items

(11,105)

(6,954)

(5,881) Total Adjustments

(4,109)

(45,338)

28,429 Adjusted net income (loss)

$ 32,948

$ (24,903)

$ (8,227)













Reconciliation of Diluted EPS

Successor



Three Months Ended June 30,

Three Months Ended



2022

2021

March 31, 2022 Unadjusted diluted EPS

$ 0.45

$ 0.30

$ (0.54)













Adjustments











Intangible contract amortization

0.14

0.17

0.17 Professional services - tax refund success fee



0.07

 Professional services - corporate projects



0.04

 Merger and integration costs

0.11

0.10

0.14 (Gain) loss on sale of operating assets, net

0.01



(0.06) Hurricane losses and (recoveries), net

(0.18)



0.25 Gain on bargain purchase



(0.95)

 Discrete tax items

(0.13)

(0.10)

(0.08) Total Adjustments

(0.05)

(0.67)

0.42 Adjusted diluted EPS

$ 0.40

$ (0.37)

$ (0.12)













Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow

Successor



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



June 30, 2022

March 31, 2022

June 30, 2022 Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 88,112

$ (51,813)

$ 36,299 Capital expenditures

(32,480)

(47,045)

(79,525) Free cash flow

$ 55,632

$ (98,858)

$ (43,226)















SOURCE Noble Corporation
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Rail Company LLC today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Denver-based Pioneer Lines, Inc., a railroad holding company operating 15 short line railroads across 12 states, from BRX Transportation Holdings.

Patriot Rail Company LLC today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Denver-based Pioneer Lines, Inc. Tweet this Pioneer Lines Patriot Rail

The acquisition, subject to regulatory authorization, will support Patriot Rail's growth strategy, increasing the Jacksonville, Florida, company's short line operations to 31 railroads from 16 and enabling an expanded Patriot to serve customers in new markets in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Patriot's acquisition of the strategic Pioneer short line portfolio will also offer rail users enhanced service options across more locations throughout the United States.

"Pioneer Lines is a diverse rail company with talented professionals and deep customer relationships," said John E. Fenton, Patriot Rail's chief executive officer. "Pioneer Lines' safety culture and focus on operational excellence aligns directly with Patriot Rail's vision and mission. These synergies position us to continue to exceed customer expectations as a best-in-class rail partner to meet their freight shipment and logistics needs."

Patriot Rail expects this expansion to help drive new pathways connecting with U.S. and global markets, boosting economic growth and jobs, Fenton added.

"The transformation of Pioneer into one of the top short line operators in North America is testament to the operational skill and hard work of Alex Yeros and the Pioneer team," said Andrew Right, Pioneer board member and managing partner of US InfraVest, Pioneer's majority investor. "US InfraVest, along with our partner investors, Stephens Capital Partners and Brookhaven Capital Partners, are honored to have been able to help Pioneer grow and look forward to its continued success in the years to come."

"I am excited by the potential this acquisition brings to Pioneer's customers and employees," noted Alex Yeros, chief executive officer and president of Pioneer Lines and principal of Brookhaven Capital Partners. "Building Pioneer into one of North America's best-performing and most-respected short line rail companies could not have been possible without the trust of our customers and our talented team of experts. Our team is looking forward to the opportunity to grow with Patriot to provide the improved efficiency and reach of a larger platform, with the personalized care, flexible local service, and deep industry expertise that Pioneer is known for."

"This agreement presents opportunities to deliver more innovative solutions for customers of Patriot Rail and Pioneer Lines," said John Ma, Patriot board member and head of North America for Igneo Infrastructure Partners, Patriot's majority investor. "Pioneer Lines' assets are accretive to Patriot Rail's platform and support Igneo's long-term investment and ESG objectives."

Patriot Rail board chair Deb Butler added, "Rail shippers will now have increased service options across a broader national footprint, and the integration of Patriot and Pioneer will further enhance our combined capability as a rail solutions partner dedicated to safety and customer growth."

RBC Capital Markets advised Patriot Rail on the transaction. Winston & Strawn served as legal advisor to Patriot Rail. Northborne Partners, LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to Pioneer Lines and BRX. Fried Frank and Arnold & Porter served as legal advisors to Pioneer Lines and BRX.

About Patriot Rail

Patriot Rail operates 16 regional and freight short line railroads, a scenic rail excursion train, and rail-related services companies with operations in over 15 states. Service capabilities include railcar storage, contract switching, transloading, railcar cleaning, engineering services, excursion railroads, real estate, and track access. In addition, Patriot Rail is a direct partner in assisting to provided railcar repair and maintenance, railcar dismantling, and environmental services including centralized wastewater treatment. For more information about Patriot Rail, visit www.patriotrail.com

About Igneo Infrastructure Partners

Igneo Infrastructure Partners is an autonomous investment team in the First Sentier Investors Group. It invests in high-quality, mature, mid-market infrastructure companies in the utilities and transport sectors in the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Operating since 1994, the team works closely with portfolio companies to create long-term sustainable value through innovation, a focus on ESG and proactive asset management. Igneo manages US$14.6 billion in assets as of June 30, 2022 on behalf of more than 120 investors around the world. For more information, visit igneoip.com

About Pioneer Lines

A freight and logistics leader since 1986, Pioneer Lines owns and operates 15 short line railroads across 12 states. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Pioneer Lines is the local workhorse of the national rail network and the link for over 100 industries, from rural and small-town America to domestic and global markets. Pioneer's railroads directly or indirectly support over 17,000 jobs in the United States and transport diverse commodities, including agricultural and food products, iron and steel, plastics, chemicals, building materials, and forest products. For more information, visit www.PioneerLines.com.

About US InfraVest

US Infravest Managers LP (US InfraVest) is a standalone investment manager supported with committed capital from long-term institutional investors. The US InfraVest team combines infrastructure and private equity investing expertise with development and management experience, partnering with exceptional operational management teams to drive returns. US InfraVest concentrates on value add and opportunistic infrastructure investments focusing on operating businesses in the North American transportation, logistics and infrastructure sectors including companies that develop, service and/or manage assets in the transportation, logistics and infrastructure sectors as well as other operating companies in traditional infrastructure sectors. For more information, visit www.usinfravest.com.

About Stephens

Stephens Capital Partners LLC is the private equity affiliate of Stephens Inc., a full-service, privately owned investment banking firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas, with offices across the U.S. and in Europe. Founded in 1933, Stephens has decades of experience in corporate finance, financial planning, mergers and acquisitions, insurance services, research, and public finance. The firm has conducted private equity transactions for over 60 years and seeks to be a reliable long-term partner to management of growing companies. For more information, visit www.stephens.com.

About Brookhaven Capital Partners

Based in Denver, Brookhaven Capital Partners is a privately held investment company focused on real estate and infrastructure. Brookhaven and its principals are leaders in real estate investment and infrastructure for more than three decades investing across the spectrum of real estate property types and critical transportation assets that support industry, and promote new economic development, community investment, and job creation in the United States. Together, the principals of Brookhaven have invested over $2.5 billion in commercial real estate and infrastructure, combining nearly 100 years of experience. Learn more at www.brookhavenpartners.com

SOURCE Patriot Rail Company LLC; Pioneer Lines
Company to host conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. EDT

CARMIEL, Israel, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: PLX) (TASE: PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, production and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins produced by its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system, today announced that it will release its financial results for the second quarter 2022 and provide a business update on Monday, August 15, 2022.

Management will host a conference call with investors to discuss the financial results and provide an update on recent corporate and clinical developments at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Conference Call Details:

Monday, August 15, 2022, 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Domestic: 877-423-9813

International: 201-689-8573

Conference ID: 13732027

Webcast Details:

The conference will be webcast live from the Company's website and will be available via the following links:

Company Link: https://protalixbiotherapeutics.gcs-web.com/events0

Webcast Link: Registration  https://tinyurl.com/44z7w7ex

Conference ID: 13732027

Please access the websites at least 15 minutes ahead of the conference to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

The conference call will be available for replay for two weeks on the Events Calendar of the Investors section of the Company's website, at the above link.

About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.

Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx. Protalix was the first company to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a protein produced through plant cell-based in suspension expression system. Protalix's unique expression system represents a new method for developing recombinant proteins in an industrial-scale manner.

Protalix's first product manufactured by ProCellEx, taliglucerase alfa, was approved by the FDA in May 2012 and, subsequently, by the regulatory authorities of other countries. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights for taliglucerase alfa, excluding Brazil, where Protalix retains full rights.

Protalix's development pipeline consists of proprietary versions of recombinant therapeutic proteins that target established pharmaceutical markets, including the following product candidates: pegunigalsidase alfa, a modified stabilized version of the recombinant human GalactosidaseA protein for the treatment of Fabry disease; alidornase alfa or PRX110, for the treatment of various human respiratory diseases or conditions; PRX115, a plant cell-expressed recombinant PEGylated uricase for the treatment of severe gout; PRX119, a plant cell-expressed long action DNase I for the treatment of NETs-related diseases; and others. Protalix has partnered with Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., both in the United States and outside the United States, for the development and commercialization of pegunigalsidase alfa.

Investor Contact

Chuck Padala, Managing Director

LifeSci Advisors

+1-646-627-8390

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/999479/Protalix_Biotherapeutics_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.
UW Leads Research in Discovery of Rare Snail Species in Wyoming

Lusha Tronstad, lead invertebrate zoologist with WYNDD at UW, led a research team that discovered the Rocky Mountain capshell (pictured) in the Snowy Range. Previously, the snail species was only known from six lakes in Colorado, one in Montana and isolated areas in Canada. (Bryan Tronstad Photo)

A group of researchers, led by the University of Wyoming, recently discovered a rare snail species previously unknown to the state.

Lusha Tronstad, lead invertebrate zoologist with the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) at UW, led the research, which took place in the Bear River and Powder River basins, and the Snowy Range.

The Rocky Mountain capshell, or Acroloxus coloradensis, was previously known from six lakes in Colorado, one in Montana and isolated areas in Canada. However, the latest research discovered the snail in the Snowy Range, located 35 miles west of Laramie.

We found a new snail in Wyoming, Tronstad says. This species is rare, only being known from seven other lakes in the U.S.

Tronstad was lead author of a paper titled Aquatic Snails of the Bear and Powder River Basins, and Snowy Mountains of Wyoming, which was written for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The department has statutory authority over mollusks: snails and mussels; and crustaceans: crayfish, scuds, zooplankton and shrimp, in Wyoming. That means the department is responsible for managing these invertebrates.

Bryan Tronstad, an assistant invertebrate zoologist with WYNDD, was co-author of the paper. Michelle Weschler, a graduate student in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology from Orlando, Fla.; Sasha Maxey, a WYNDD technician; Tresize Tronstad, a Laramie High School student volunteer who helped collect snails; and Rob Dillon, a North American snail expert, also contributed to the paper.

Freshwater snails are a diverse group of mollusks that live in a variety of aquatic ecosystems, and many species are of conservation concern globally. Wyoming has 37-39 species of snails.

This study identified 18 of those species in streams, wetlands, lakes and springs in the Bear and Powder River basins, and the Snowy Range. The research group measured basic water quality and habitat characteristics at each site and within microhabitats.

We found snails at 53 percent of sites we surveyed, and they were usually most abundant in ecosystems with more algae; substrate, such as wood and aquatic vegetation; and in habitats with slower water velocity, including backwater and margins of streams, Lusha Tronstad says.

The group found the Rocky Mountain capshell in the Snowy Range and the Bear River snail, or Pyrgulopsis pilsbryana, in the Bear River Basin. The Rocky Mountain capshell is ranked as vulnerable throughout its range and critically imperiled in Colorado and Montana under NatureServe Explorer, the largest online encyclopedia of biodiversity in North America.

The Bear River snail is ranked as imperiled throughout its range and critically imperiled in Idaho and Utah.

The Rocky Mountain capshell is a rare species that only occurs in a few locations, which are typically mountain lakes. Rare species contribute to biodiversity, and rare species can have large effects on ecosystems despite their status, Lusha Tronstad says. Very little is known about these snails.

These rare snails are limpets, meaning they have a single shell that is not coiled but cone-shaped, she adds. They eat algae by scraping single-celled plants off rocks and logs.

Rocky Mountain capshell may live in other lakes in the Snowy Range or other Wyoming mountain ranges. However, the snails are difficult to find. Being very small animals, they have very low abundance, and targeted surveys are needed to find them, Lusha Tronstad says.

Overall, snails were often collected in aquatic vegetation that has very high surface areas and likely provides protection from predators, according to the paper.

Snails are a diverse group of animals that live in all aquatic habitats. We found snails in large and small streams, wetlands, ponds, lakes, reservoirs and springs, Lusha Tronstad says. We discovered snails in about half of the aquatic ecosystems we surveyed, and one thing that may limit them is the amount of calcium in the water. Snails need calcium in order to secrete their shells. Most snails prefer slower water, probably because there is less chance that they will be swept away. Carrying their houses on their backs makes them more likely to be swept away by the current compared to other aquatic invertebrates.

Michelle Weschler, a graduate student in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology from Orlando, Fla., surveys for snails in a wetland of the Bear River Basin in western Wyoming. (Lusha Tronstad Photo)

The study produced many new records of snails in Wyoming and resulted in snails collected in areas that previously were not sampled. The new information will be incorporated into future state wildlife action plans and made available on the WYNDD website so that the information can be used to base management decisions, Lusha Tronstad says.

For example, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department can use the data to make informed management decisions about the snails in the state. This data is useful to manage both native and nonnative species, as well as those that are common and rare, she adds.

The more information we have about snails, abundant or rare, the better the decisions that can be made to manage them, she says. As we collect more data, we can make more accurate state and global ranks.

State ranks are for each state, and global ranks rate how a species is doing throughout its entire range on the globe.

Discovering Rocky Mountain capshell in Wyoming likely will not change the species rank. However, it does fill in a missing piece of the puzzle, Lusha Tronstad says. We knew the snails occurred in Colorado and Montana. Thus, we surmised that they also may occur in Wyoming between these other states.

She stresses that WYNDD only supplies the data and does not have any role in management decisions.

We do not have any more funding to survey for snails in the near future, but we would if the opportunity arose, Lusha Tronstad says.

Funding for this research came from the Fisheries Division of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

About the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database

WYNDD offers the most complete source of data for species and vegetation communities of management concern in Wyoming. Its mission is to: identify and rank species that are priorities for management in Wyoming; amass existing data and develop new data for species needing management efforts, and for Wyoming vegetation types; and distribute these data upon request, under the philosophy that the best decisions regarding natural resources will be made only when everyone has access to complete and current scientific data.
MONTREAL, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - (NYSE: CAE) (TSX: CAE)  Representatives of the media, analysts and institutional investors are invited to attend CAE's 2022 virtual annual Meeting of Shareholders on Wednesday, August 10, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET).

Management will review the activities of fiscal year 2022 and present the financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 ended June 30, 2022.

A conference call specific to CAE's fiscal year 2023 first quarter financial results will be held at 1:30 pm ET.

i. CAE's FY2022 virtual Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Who: Marc Parent, President and Chief Executive Officer

Sonya Branco, Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer



When: Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. ET



Where: The Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held virtually via a live webcast available at cae.com/investors/ or at https://web.lumiagm.com/460315137. The webcast will be archived following the event.



For media : Marc Parent, CAE's President and Chief Executive Officer will be available via conference call to answer questions from the media following the Annual Meeting of Shareholders at 12:00 ET. Members of the media can dial in at +1-416-981-9037 or 1-800-768-2950

ii. FY2023 first quarter financial results

CAE will also release its fiscal year 2023 first quarter financial results on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. A conference call will be held at 1:30 p.m. ET to provide analysts and institutional investors with a review of CAE's performance.

Management will participate in this call intended for financial analysts and institutional investors. Members of the media will have the opportunity to ask questions immediately after the analysts' question period.

Who: Marc Parent, President and Chief Executive Officer

Sonya Branco, Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Arnovitz, CAE's Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Enterprise Risk Management



What: CAE's FY2023 Q1 financial results



When: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 1:30 p.m. ET



Webcast: The conference call will be audio Webcast live for the public at https://www.gowebcasting.com/events/cae/2022/08/10/first-quarter-financial-results-fy2023/play and will also be archived for 90 days following the event at www.cae.com/investors/

Conference call:

Country Phone Number NORTH AMERICA 1-877-586-3392 CANADA +1 416 981 9024 AUSTRALIA 1800003925 BELGIUM 080077657 FRANCE 0800919393 GERMANY 08001816101 NETHERLANDS 08000222280 SINGAPORE 8001012594 UNITED KINGDOM 08004960381

Instant replay (available three hours after the call ends for 48 hours): +1-800-558-5253 or +1-416-626-4100 - Access code: 22019893

About CAE

At CAE, we equip people in critical roles with the expertise and solutions to create a safer world. As a technology company, we digitalize the physical world, deploying simulation training and critical operations support solutions. Above all else, we empower pilots, airlines, defence and security forces, and healthcare practitioners to perform at their best every day and when the stakes are the highest. Around the globe, we're everywhere customers need us to be with more than 13,000 employees in more than 200 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. CAE represents 75 years of industry firststhe highest-fidelity flight and mission simulators, surgical manikins, and personalized training programs powered by artificial intelligence. We're investing our time and resources into building the next generation of cutting-edge, digitally immersive training and critical operations solutions while keeping positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact at the core of our mission. Today and tomorrow, we'll make sure our customers are ready for the moments that matter.

Read our FY22 Annual Activity and Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

SOURCE CAE INC.
The partnership supports both companies' values, while providing enhanced rewards and benefits for co-op members and the outdoor community

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, REI Co-op, the largest consumer co-op and outdoor specialty retailer in the United States, and Capital One, introduced their card partnership and launched the new REI Co-op Mastercard program. This new program offers existing and new cardholders a compelling set of benefits and inspires members' daily pursuit of a life outside by rewarding everyday purchases to support their outdoor adventures.

The new REI Co-op Mastercard, made of 85% recycled materials, offers benefits for REI members that recognize their passion for the outdoors, including:

New REI Co-op Mastercard

5% back in REI Co-op Mastercard Rewards for purchases at REI, including on sale items, used gear, store services and REI gift cards

1.5% back in REI Co-op Mastercard Rewards on purchases everywhere else

No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees

Card rewards that will not expire for the life of the account and members can redeem rewards as they earn them

A welcome bonus offer of a $100 REI gift card for new cardholder accounts, after the first out of store purchase made within the first 60 days of opening the account

REI gift card for new cardholder accounts, after the first out of store purchase made within the first 60 days of opening the account A $50 REI Co-op annual statement credit when they use their card to book an REI Co-op Experience

REI Co-op annual statement credit when they use their card to book an REI Co-op Experience The ability to earn double card rewards on REI purchases during an annual special event period

The ability to choose to display their preferred name on their card*

Mastercard's World Elite exclusive offers on ridesharing, food delivery and online shopping; discounts on movie tickets and access to Priceless Experiences; and peace of mind with protection from identity theft and fraudulent purchases.

Cardmembers will also receive 5% back in card rewards for donations made to the REI Cooperative Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) community-supported public charity that directly supports organizations promoting justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors. Capital One will also support the fund with an annual donation as a key pillar of the card partnership.

"We chose Capital One to be our Mastercard partner because of their ability to support the co-op's expanding needs, and align to the co-op's broader philanthropy goals," said Pardis Ghorbani, REI vice president of customer and brand services. "Most importantly, this card offers our members a wide range of benefits and more great ways to help them pursue their outdoor passions."

Capital One offers industry-leading digital capabilities that help create a seamless experience for cardholders, including a top-rated mobile app. In addition to Capital One's digital focus, REI chose the company as its new card partner with an appreciation for common values, including demonstrated commitment and action in the areas of community engagement, financial well-being, sustainability and diversity, inclusion and belonging for its community.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with REI Co-op, a company that cares deeply about their members and their passion for the outdoors," said Buck Stinson, SVP of Card Partnerships at Capital One. "We look forward to providing our best-in-class offerings to cardmembers, starting with a compelling value proposition that supports REI Co-op's brand and mission."

"We're so happy to grow our partnerships with Capital One and REI Co-op, two companies that share Mastercard's commitment to building a world in which our people and planet thrive," said Bunita Sawhney, EVP, U.S. Financial Institutions at Mastercard. "With this latest card program launch, we're bringing exciting benefits to cardmembers who are passionate about the outdoors."

In 2022, Capital One was named to Time's "100 Most Influential Companies" list for its decision to eliminate overdraft fees and non-sufficient funds fees for all Capital One consumer bank customers, and are consistently recognized on 'best places to work' lists including Forbes "Best Employers for Diversity." Capital One is also committed to protecting the environment, with further information available at https://www.capitalone.com/environment .

For more information on programs REI has been working on most recently visit REI's 2021 Impact Report . For more information on the REI Co-op Mastercard, offered by Capital One, please visit rei.com/mastercard .

Disclosures: Purchase and Balance Transfer APRs: a variable rate of 15.49%, 22.49% or 26.49%%, based on your creditworthiness. Cash Advance APR: 26.49% variable. Variable APRs as of 7/1/2022. Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you, none for balances transferred at the Transfer APR. Cash Advance Fee: greater of 4% of advance amount or $10.

*Changing the name as it appears on your credit card will not change the legal name on your account or your responsibility for your account. Capital One will continue to use a person's legal name on statements and other communications and for identity verification purposes.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation ( www.capitalone.com ) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N.A., had $307.9 billion in deposits and $440.3 billion in total assets as of June 30, 2022. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has branches located primarily in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index. Visit Capital One About for more information.

About REI

REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 21.5 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 177 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia. If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn't just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI's active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access toand stewardthe outdoor places that inspire us all.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com

SOURCE Capital One Financial Corporation; REI Co-op; Mastercard
The Whiskey of the West doubles down on its commitment to preserve the West and its inhabitants

PARK CITY, Utah, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- High West, the Park City-based distillery known for its meticulously sourced and innovatively blended whiskeys, announces today its Protect the West initiative, a $1 million commitment over the next three years to protect the land and its inhabitants. The announcement coincides with the national release of High West's seasonal bottle Campfire, one of the brand's most unique and iconic expressions. In honor of Campfire, the first donation will benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the brave few who run towards the fire, including the wildfires increasingly plaguing the West.

Since opening its doors in 2007, High West has witnessed firsthand how the West has been impacted by a rapidly changing climate, resulting in higher temperatures, severe droughts, drier forests and reduced snowpack. Immediately taking note, the brand has donated more than $1M to nonprofits to date, with the majority of those funds going toward organizations protecting the West and its inhabitants. Now, High West is reaffirming and strengthening this commitment to its own backyard. As part of the Protect the West initiative, High West will partner with organizations that share High West's passion for the West and whose conservation efforts fall into three focus areas: the fight against wildfires, protecting winters and wildland preservation.

"Now is not the time for us to sit on the sidelines. Our home in the West and everything we love about it is in more and more danger every year," said Daniel Schear, General Manager of High West. "We're building on our past work with this $1 million commitment to protect the West, and we are excited to work with those who are also passionate about saving this beautiful part of the world we call home."

The $150,000 inaugural donation will be split between three organizations to support them in their crucial missions. Future donations will be announced over the course of the next three years as High West continues to identify and support organizations striving to Protect the West.

Wildland Firefighter Foundation , dedicated to helping the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assisting injured firefighters and their families.

, dedicated to helping the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assisting injured firefighters and their families. Protect Our Winters , a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies to protect our outdoor playgrounds from climate change.

, a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies to protect our outdoor playgrounds from climate change. American Prairie, creating the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States by purchasing critical habitat that connects a vast network of existing public lands for wildlife conservation and public access.

In recognition of the Campfire release and to continue supporting the brave protectors who defend us from fires each and every day, High West is donating $50,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and matching consumer donations up to an additional $50,000. The American West is burning more quickly than it has in a decade, and over three million acres of U.S. land - almost the size of Connecticut - have burned so far this year.1 The donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation will directly benefit the families of fallen and injured firefighters, honoring those who tirelessly work to protect our lands.

Available nationally, Campfire ($79.99) is a unique blend of scotch, bourbon and whiskey with a complex flavor profile including s'mores, burnt almond toffee, mocha and tobacco, balsam fir needles, and woodsmoke from a long-forgotten campfire.

For more information, or to donate to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, visit highwest.com/pages/protect-the-west.

# # #

About High West

Utah's first legal distillery since 1870, High West's passion is crafting delicious and distinctive whiskeys and helping people appreciate whiskey all in the context of our home, the American West. High West offers an outstanding collection of highly rated whiskeys in finer liquor stores, bars, and restaurants in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.

High West was honored to receive Whisky Advocate's prestigious Distiller of the Year award in 2016. The ultimate authority on whisky said, "High West delivers innovative and delicious whiskeys, expands the definition of what it is to be a distiller, and pioneered a successful new paradigm for craft distilling."

High West's must-visit locations include our High West Distillery in Wanship, Utah, a 30,000 square foot world-class distillery and visitor center featuring educational tours and High West's unique country-western cuisine; and our High West Distillery & Saloon in historic Old Town Park City, the world's only ski-in gastro distillery that was voted "Best Park City Restaurant" by readers of City Weekly. It has received multiple accolades including earning Best Apres Ski Bar in Utah by USA TODAY's 10Best being named a finalist in the 2020 Park City's Best Awards for Best Apres Ski, a nomination for Best Bar by the James Beard Foundation, and a top-10 ranking on The Daily Meal's list of 150 Best Bars in America.

____________________ 1https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/20/briefing/a-wildfire-year.html

SOURCE High West
KOLKATA, India, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prabha Khaitan Foundation, India, and Grammy Award winner Riki Kej, are pleased to announce a brand new initiative #ReWear4Earth which will focus on fashion and sustainability. The initiative was inspired by Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej after he tweeted his pictures earlier this year wearing the same outfit on two of the biggest platforms on the planet - while winning his Grammy Award in Las Vegas and on the Cannes Red Carpet with the hashtag #ReWear4Earth.

A brand new initiative for sustainable fashion by Prabha Khaitan Foundation and Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej

Prabha Khaitan Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Kolkata (India) that helps in creating awareness of sustainable development and India's ecosystem and biodiversity, got in touch with the Grammy Award winner and together decided to launch this campaign. For decades, repeating an outfit for galas and events would be considered a fashion blunder - encouraging people to switch up outfits for every event, making clothes 'Single Use'. It's time to change that narrative. It's time to consider the planet in this equation. Fashion can be trendy more than once. Everyone needs to buy fewer clothes and wear them repeatedly, proudly.

Fast fashion isn't always fashionable. Especially when we consider its impact on our planet (The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries on the planet). The use of toxic textile dyes, cheap materials and massive use of water translates to environmental pollution and degradation. In addition, micro-plastics and chemical contaminants leach out from fabrics and find their way into the oceans. Microplastics play a significant part in the killing of over 100 million marine animals and over 1 million seabirds each year. Most fabrics today are not entirely biodegradable and end up in a landfill, or in the oceans.

Prabha Khaitan Foundation and Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej request everyone to ReWear outfits for different occasions and do their part in reducing damage dealt to the Earth.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1874235/Grammy_Ricky_Kej.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1874236/Prabha_Khaitan_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Prabha Khaitan Foundation
MISSION, Texas, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) runs around the Gulf of Mexico spanning 1,100 miles from Florida all the way to the Rio South Texas community of Brownsville, Texas, at the southernmost tip of the state. The GIWW is the nation's third busiest commercial waterway, only trailing the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, to which it also connects to. This trifecta moves domestic and international cargo between some of the largest industrial centers in North America.

In Rio South Texas, three ports, the Port of Brownsville, Port of Port Isabel, and the Port of Harlingen, service the GIWW, providing companies the opportunity to move supplies and products along this highly efficient route. Products like petroleum, steel materials, and windmill components are just some of the commodities that pass through these Rio South Texas ports. From here, these products are transported throughout the U.S. and beyond via other marine highways or terrestrial transportation routes such as I-69, I-2, and locally present Class I railroads.

The GIWW carries 77.7 million tons of goods on an average of 45,000 vessels per year, equivalent to 5.2 million trucks Tweet this

Moving large volumes of product is more efficient via waterborne transport, and the GIWW is an integral part of the North American supply chain. Rio South Texas itself is located at the heart of the North American supply chain and the GIWW, situated at our region's footsteps, carries 77.7 million tons of goods (2018) on an average of 45,000 vessels per year  that is equivalent to 5.2 million trucks. Via the GIWW, Rio South Texas gains waterborne access to the 18,000-mile inland waterway system of the U.S. and thereby to major U.S. inland industrial hubs. The connections span from Rio South Texas/Gulf Coast to ports as far north as the Great Lakes and as far east as Pennsylvania.

The GIWW efficiently moves millions of tons of cargo, provides a safer route of transport, and produces less greenhouse emissions by moving commodities on the water. Rio South Texas is a fast-growing bi-national region at the heart of the North American supply chain. From Rio South Texas, you can take your products anywhere, quickly and efficiently, via the GIWW or other modes of transport. If you are looking to manufacture in North America for North America, look at what Rio South Texas has to offer. Our team at COSTEP would be glad to assist you, so please visit us at www.costep.org or follow us at @COSTEP to learn more.

Contact: Matt Ruszczak, +1.956.682.6371, [email protected]

SOURCE Council for South Texas Economic Progress
UK-based Albumedix Ltd. is a leader in the field of recombinant albumin-based solutions and a highly innovative and profitable company

Recombinant human albumin is a critical component in the manufacture of innovative biopharmaceuticals, particularly for modalities such as cell therapies, viral therapies and vaccines

Sartorius Stedim Biotech will acquire all outstanding shares of Albumedix Ltd. for approximately 415 million

AUBAGNE, France, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sartorius Stedim Biotech, a leading international partner of the biopharmaceutical industry, has agreed to acquire 100 percent of Albumedix Ltd. from private investors. The Nottingham, UK-based company provides best-in-class recombinant albumin-based solutions. Recombinant human albumin is an important component for the biopharmaceutical industry required for various applications, for example as an animal-free additive to cell culture media and for the stabilization of vaccines and viral therapies. The business, founded in 1984, has more than 100 employees and is expected to generate revenue of approximately 33 million in 2022 with a significant double-digit EBITDA margin. The agreed purchase price amounts to approximately 415 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2022.

"Albumedix will be an important addition to Sartorius Stedim Biotech's advanced therapy solutions, particularly regarding our cell culture media business, as it will enable us to strengthen our position as a relevant supplier of innovative chemically defined media and critical ancillary materials. This market offers high growth potential due to the increasing regulatory requirements as well as rising demand for the use of recombinant human albumin in near-patient applications. Albumedix will also add important formulation excipients to our vaccine production solutions, allowing us to expand our existing customer relationships and forge new ones," said Rene Faber, member of the Board of Directors and Deputy CEO of Sartorius Stedim Biotech.

"We are delighted to be joining forces with Sartorius Stedim Biotech and look forward to accelerating our ambitious growth plans in delivering critical solutions to our global customers. We have been highly impressed with Sartorius Stedim Biotech's knowledge and capabilities in the bioprocessing markets, and we are excited to join this purposeful journey. We believe Sartorius Stedim Biotech will bring tremendous value in strengthening our market reach and broadening our innovation capacity, as well as significantly scaling up our existing platform. We remain focused on our promise of empowering excellence in the life science industry," said Jonas S. Mller, CEO of Albumedix.

The existing 72,000-square-foot Albumedix site in Nottingham will be established as a center of excellence for innovation and GMP-compliant production of critical raw materials in Sartorius Stedim Biotech.

Milbank LLP provided legal counsel to Sartorius Stedim Biotech in this transaction. William Blair acted as financial advisor to Albumedix, and Eversheds Sutherland provided legal counsel.

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the future development of the Sartorius Stedim Biotech Group. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Sartorius Stedim Biotech assumes no liability for updating such statements in light of new information or future events. This is a translation of the original French-language press release. Sartorius Stedim Biotech shall not assume any liability for the correctness of this translation. The original French press release is the legally binding version.

A profile of Sartorius Stedim Biotech

Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading international partner of the biopharmaceutical industry. As a total solutions provider, the company helps its customers to manufacture biotech medications safely, rapidly and economically. Headquartered in Aubagne, France, the shares of Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A. are quoted on the Euronext Paris. With its own manufacturing and R&D sites in Europe, North America and Asia and an international network of sales companies, Sartorius Stedim Biotech has a global reach. The Group has been annually growing by double digits on average and has been regularly expanding its portfolio by acquisitions of complementary technologies. In 2021, the company employed more than 10,400 people, and earned sales revenue of around 2.89 billion euros.

Contact Media Relations

Philipp Grontzki

Head of External Communications

+49 (0)551.308.5581

[email protected]

Contact Investor Relations

Petra Muller

Head of Investor Relations

+49 (0)551.308.6035

[email protected]

Follow Sartorius Stedim Biotech on Twitter @Sartorius_Group and on LinkedIn.

https://www.sartorius.com/en

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SOURCE Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A.
- UK-based Albumedix Ltd. is a leader in the field of recombinant albumin-based solutions and a highly innovative and profitable company

- Recombinant human albumin is a critical component in the manufacture of innovative biopharmaceuticals, particularly for modalities such as cell therapies, viral therapies and vaccines

- Sartorius will acquire all outstanding shares of Albumedix Ltd. for approximately 415 million

GOTTINGEN, Germany, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The life science group Sartorius, through its French listed subgroup Sartorius Stedim Biotech, has agreed to acquire 100 percent of Albumedix Ltd. from private investors. The Nottingham, UK-based company provides best-in-class recombinant albumin-based solutions. Recombinant human albumin is an important component for the biopharmaceutical industry required for various applications, for example as an animal-free additive to cell culture media and for the stabilization of vaccines and viral therapies. The business, founded in 1984, has more than 100 employees and is expected to generate revenue of approximately 33 million in 2022 with a significant double-digit EBITDA margin. The agreed purchase price amounts to approximately 415 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2022.

"Albumedix will be an important addition to Sartorius' advanced therapy solutions, particularly regarding our cell culture media business, as it will enable us to strengthen our position as a relevant supplier of innovative chemically defined media and critical ancillary materials. This market offers high growth potential due to the increasing regulatory requirements as well as rising demand for the use of recombinant human albumin in near-patient applications. Albumedix will also add important formulation excipients to our vaccine production solutions, allowing us to expand our existing customer relationships and forge new ones," said Rene Faber, member of the Executive Board for the Bioprocess Solutions Division of Sartorius.

"We are delighted to be joining forces with Sartorius and look forward to accelerating our ambitious growth plans in delivering critical solutions to our global customers. We have been highly impressed with Sartorius' knowledge and capabilities in the bioprocessing markets, and we are excited to join this purposeful journey. We believe Sartorius will bring tremendous value in strengthening our market reach and broadening our innovation capacity, as well as significantly scaling up our existing platform. We remain focused on our promise of empowering excellence in the life science industry," said Jonas S. Mller, CEO of Albumedix.

Albumedix will be part of the Bioprocess Solutions Division, and the existing 72,000-square-foot site in Nottingham will be established as a center of excellence for innovation and GMP-compliant production of critical raw materials.

Milbank LLP provided legal counsel to Sartorius in this transaction. William Blair acted as financial advisor to Albumedix, and Eversheds Sutherland provided legal counsel.

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the future development of the Sartorius Group. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Sartorius assumes no liability for updating such statements in light of new information or future events. This is a translation of the original German-language press release. Sartorius shall not assume any liability for the correctness of this translation. The original German press release is the legally binding version.

A profile of Sartorius

The Sartorius Group is a leading international partner of life science research and the biopharmaceutical industry. With innovative laboratory instruments and consumables, the Group's Lab Products & Services Division concentrates on serving the needs of laboratories performing research and quality control at pharma and biopharma companies and those of academic research institutes. The Bioprocess Solutions Division with its broad product portfolio focusing on single-use solutions helps customers to manufacture biotech medications and vaccines safely and efficiently. The Group has been annually growing by double digits on average and has been regularly expanding its portfolio by acquisitions of complementary technologies. In fiscal 2021, the company earned sales revenue of some 3.45 billion euros. At the end of 2021, nearly 14,000 people were employed at the Group's approximately 60 manufacturing and sales sites, serving customers around the globe.

Follow Sartorius on Twitter @Sartorius_Group and on LinkedIn.

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Contact Media Relations

Philipp Grontzki

Head of External Communications

+49 (0)551.308.5581

[email protected]

Contact Investor Relations

Petra Muller

Head of Investor Relations

+49 (0)551.308.6035

[email protected]

SOURCE Sartorius AG
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating Avalara (NYSE: AVLR) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Vista.

Click here to learn how to join the action: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/avalara-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Ademi LLP alleges Avalara's financial outlook and prospects are excellent and yet Avalara holders will receive only $93.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $8.4 billion, inclusive of Avalara's net debt. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for Avalara by imposing a significant penalty if Avalara accepts a superior bid. Avalara insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements.

We are investigating the conduct of Avalara's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for Avalara.

If you own Avalara common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/avalara-inc.

We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contacts

Ademi LLP

Guri Ademi

Toll Free: (866) 264-3995

Fax: (414) 482-8001

SOURCE Ademi LLP
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation (NYSE: MTG), today announced that Shreyans Jain and Richard Chang joined the company and announced the promotions of Danny Garcia-Velez to Group Vice President  Head of Regional Sales & Marketing and Leslie Schunk to Vice President  Securities Law Counsel.

Mr. Jain joins MGIC as Senior Vice President  Mortgage Risk Analytics, coming from PNC where he was responsible for analytics, strategy, portfolio management and data for a $10B business banking portfolio. Prior to that role, he held the position of Head of Analytics for Consumer Real Estate and Portfolio Management, and prior to joining PNC he was at Fannie Mae.

"Shreyans' strong experience in risk and portfolio management, as well as his collaborative leadership style, position MGIC to effectively compete in an ever-changing landscape," said Steve Thompson, Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer. "I welcome Shreyans to MGIC."

Mr. Chang joins MGIC as Vice President  Internal Audit, coming from Fiserv where he was a Director in the Internal Audit group focused on IT. Prior to that, he was at Rockwell Automation where he held various roles in Technology Operations, Information Security, and Internal Audit.

"With an extensive background auditing in technology and financial service environments and deep technical expertise in IT and information security, Rich will be a strong asset to MGIC," said Nathan Colson, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. "I am excited to bring his expertise and leadership into our organization."

Mr. Garcia-Velez joined MGIC in 2017 with a rich background in housing policy, community development and product management, and he quickly rose to Vice President  Business Development. With this promotion to Group Vice President  Head of Regional Sales & Marketing, he will be responsible for MGIC's regional business development, inside sales, marketing, and business strategy teams.

"We are excited about Danny's promotion and the ideas he will bring to business development and marketing," said Jay Hughes, Executive Vice President  Sales & Business Development. "He is uniquely qualified to integrate the advances in data & analytics with our highly successful sales team as we look to the future of customer interaction and buying behavior."

Ms. Schunk joined MGIC in 2020 as Lead Corporate Counsel and has been promoted to Vice President  Securities Law Counsel. She holds a J.D. from Marquette University Law School.

"Leslie has quickly proven herself adept at navigating challenging issues, and I could not be more pleased with having her step into this critical responsibility," said Paula Maggio, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary.

About MGIC

Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation "MGIC" (www.mgic.com), the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, serves lenders throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other locations helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality through the use of private mortgage insurance.

From time to time MGIC Investment Corporation releases important information via postings on its corporate website, and via postings on MGIC's website for information related to underwriting and pricing and intends to continue to do so in the future. Such postings include corrections of previous disclosures and may be made without any other disclosure. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information for MGIC Investment Corporation alerts can be found at https://mtg.mgic.com/shareholder-services/email-alerts. For information about our underwriting and rates, see https://www.mgic.com/underwriting.

SOURCE MGIC Investment Corporation
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a bid to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), fintech companies, and entrepreneurs, sirar by stc and Fintech Saudi sign an agreement to provide a discounted digital signature service package Under the patronage of his excellency the Governor of Digital Government Authority, Eng. Ahmed bin Mohammed Alsuwaiyan, the cutting-edge cybersecurity company sirar by stc signed an agreement with Fintech Saudi, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology for the Technology sector Mr. Ibrahim Al-Nasser; the Deputy Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission for the Information and Emerging Technologies' sector Mr. Raed Al-Fayez; Deputy Governor For Development and Technology at Saudi Central Bank, Mr. Ziad Al-Yousef; and the Deputy Strategy & International Affairs at Capital Market Authority, Mr. Yazeed AlDemaigi.

sirar by stc and Fintech Saudi sign an agreement to provide a discounted digital signature service package (PRNewsfoto/sirar stc)

The agreement solidifies the integration between the Digital Government Authority and the Saudi Central Bank, to support SMEs, fintech companies and entrepreneurs to boost innovation and diversity of products and services through digital platforms, and increase the contribution of the digital government services to the national economy, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The agreement was signed by the CEO of the cutting-edge cybersecurity company sirar by stc, Eng. Fahad Al-Jutaily, and the designated General Manager of the Fintech Saudi initiative, Mr. Nezar AlHaidar. Under the agreement, sirar by stc will offer a digital signature service package discounted by 60% that will benefit SMEs, fintech companies and entrepreneurs.

This step comes in line with the efforts deployed by the Authority and all stakeholders and aims to improve the regulatory environment for digital services, facilitate business, and strengthen strategic partnerships between government agencies and the private sector, in order to develop the digital ecosystem. The Deputy Governor for Regulation and Digital Trust in the Digital Government Authority, Eng. Faris AlRabadi explained that this agreement aims to promote digital trust services, which contributes to improving the user's experience, ensure that electronic transactions are conducted with high reliability and promote digital transformation in the Kingdom.

The Deputy Governor of the Saudi Central Bank for Development and Technology, Mr. Ziad Al-Yousef, stated that this agreement will contribute to the development of the fintech sector in the Kingdom, facilitate business in the financial sectors, enhance cooperation and coordination, and keep pace with global developments to achieve the aspirations of Saudi Vision 2030. The designated General Manager of the Fintech Saudi initiative, Mr. Nezar Al-Haidar expressed his happiness towards signing this agreement noting that it will support the empowerment of fintech companies by reducing their operating costs. The CEO of sirar by stc confirmed that this agreement comes within the framework of the company's efforts to support and enable the fintech sector in the KSA, which serves the purpose and plans of digital transformation in the Kingdom. It is noteworthy that the digital signature service allows users to digitally sign documents from anywhere at any time, while ensuring reliability, authentication and security.

Contact: [email protected], +966592752233

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SOURCE sirar stc
Bilateral relations put at risk by action of the politician, analysts say The visit last week by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to China's Taiwan region was another incremental action that erodes the one-China policy of the US, putting the China-US relations in an "extremely dangerous" state, political experts say. Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, said the visit means some US officials will continue to use the Taiwan question as a wedge to polarize and worsen China-US relations. "It also means that in the longer term, the strategy of strategic ambiguity will be hollowed out completely, with the latter perhaps even formally abandoned," he said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced eight countermeasures, including canceling China-US defense policy coordination talks and suspending China-US talks on climate change, in response to Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region. Dangerous move "Pelosi has been both irresponsible and provocative in going to Taiwan," said Colin Mackerras, professor emeritus at Griffith University in Australia. "What's incendiary about her actions is that they more than imply that she favors independence for Taiwan," Mackerras said. "It seems to me that China's response, rather than being provocative, is quite measured and responsible," he added. At a webinar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, warned that bilateral relations are in "a dangerous, acrimonious state". "When you have (President Joe Biden) say things like, 'We don't support Taiwan independence, and we still adhere to our one-China policy,' if that rings hollow in Beijing, then we are at a very difficult point. "I think the Chinese took these set of actions  to shore up their red line, to signal those future incremental actions by the United States, as they would say, to slice the salami will be extremely dangerous." John Culver, a senior fellow at the Global China Hub of the Atlantic Council and a former CIA senior intelligence officer, called China's response unprecedented. "I think that this is the new normal the Chinese want to show as they have in previous Taiwan Straits crises that a line has been crossed by the speaker's visit." In an opinion piece in The Washington Post on Tuesday, Pelosi said her visit in no way contradicted the long-standing US one-China policy. However, that was an "unadulterated lie", Gupta said. "As part of its one-China policy, the United States pledged to limit its relationship with the island to unofficial ties. The visit of congressmen and women in their official capacity violates the one-China policy. And an official visit by the third-highest ranking member of the US government violates the one-China policy in spades." Before Pelosi's visit, Biden said publicly that the US military believed the trip was "not a good idea right now". Xu Weiweiin Hong Kong contributed to this story.
Photo by USA TODAY

Robert and Nancy Houchens have been cruising together on Carnival Cruise Line since the early 1990s.
Industry Leader Continues Its Emphasis on Supporting People, Community and Planet

GREENSBORO, N.C., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), a leading operator of upscale, open-air outlet centers, announced today the release of its sixth annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. This report demonstrates Tanger's continued progress in integrating ESG principles into its business practices, addressing the issues most important to its stakeholders and setting goals to create positive social and economic impact while reducing its environmental footprint, all built on a foundation of strong governance. In addition, this year's report highlights Tanger's mission, vision and values  which are based on engagement with its employees and other key stakeholders.

"At Tanger Outlets, our mission is to deliver the best value, experience and opportunity for our communities, stakeholders and partners," said Stephen Yalof, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tanger Outlets. "For more than 41 years, we have been dedicated to creating long-term value. Acting as a responsible corporate citizen is intrinsic to this commitment as we consider our impact on our people, our planet and our communities in every decision we make."

Highlights from the report include:

Establishing an Inclusive Workforce : Tanger conducted a market-level assessment to analyze workforce demographic makeup at the center level and included focused diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) questions in its employee pulse surveys. These insights will inform plans to progress diversity and inclusion in the company.

: Tanger conducted a market-level assessment to analyze workforce demographic makeup at the center level and included focused diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) questions in its employee pulse surveys. These insights will inform plans to progress diversity and inclusion in the company. Building a Diverse Business Community: To enhance opportunities for small minority- and women-owned businesses in its communities, Tanger established a Specialty Leasing Small Business Program, which provides qualified local entrepreneurs with additional support and tools to grow their businesses at Tanger centers.

To enhance opportunities for small minority- and women-owned businesses in its communities, Tanger established a Specialty Leasing Small Business Program, which provides qualified local entrepreneurs with additional support and tools to grow their businesses at Tanger centers. Prioritizing Employee Well-being : In 2021, Tanger demonstrated its continued commitment to investing in its employees through enhanced health and wellness benefits that lower employee costs and improve medical coverage and access to care.

: In 2021, Tanger demonstrated its continued commitment to investing in its employees through enhanced health and wellness benefits that lower employee costs and improve medical coverage and access to care. Impacting Tanger Communities : In 2021, Tanger donated over $740,000 to community charities, including 137 grants totaling $150,000 awarded to schools and educational programs across the U.S., and employees contributed over 2,200 company-sponsored volunteer hours across the country.

: In 2021, Tanger donated over to community charities, including 137 grants totaling awarded to schools and educational programs across the U.S., and employees contributed over 2,200 company-sponsored volunteer hours across the country. Operating Sustainably : Tanger produced nearly 6.2 million kilowatt hours of solar energy and powered over 60,000 electric vehicle charging sessions in 2021. It also completed the transition to LED lighting at 100% of its managed centers and reduced water usage by 5% across its portfolio in 2021 versus a 2019 baseline.

: Tanger produced nearly 6.2 million kilowatt hours of solar energy and powered over 60,000 electric vehicle charging sessions in 2021. It also completed the transition to LED lighting at 100% of its managed centers and reduced water usage by 5% across its portfolio in 2021 versus a 2019 baseline. Managing with Integrity: Tanger reaffirmed its commitment to strong governance principles built on a foundation of integrity and fairness and a belief that diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making.

To learn more about Tanger's ESG strategy and progress, please view the full report at investors.tangeroutlets.com/corporate-responsibility/.

About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT) is a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers that owns (or has an ownership interest in) and/or manages a portfolio of 37 centers with an additional center currently under development. Tanger's operating properties are located in 20 states and in Canada, totaling approximately 14.0 million square feet, leased to over 2,700 stores operated by more than 600 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 41 years of experience in the outlet industry and is a publicly-traded REIT.

Investor Relations Contact

Doug McDonald

SVP, Finance and Capital Markets

T: (336) 856-6066

[email protected]

Media Contact

Nathaly Martinez

KWT Global

[email protected]

SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.
TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tarsier Pharma, an advanced clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for blinding ocular diseases, today announced that the company will participate in the H.C. Wainwright 2nd Annual Ophthalmology Virtual Conference, taking place on August 17, 2022.

Dr. Daphne Haim-Langford, CEO & Chairperson at Tarsier Pharma

Dr. Daphne Haim-Langford, Tarsier Pharma's CEO and Chairperson, will join the panel "Pivotal Data on the Horizon", featuring two Ophthalmic phase-3 companies that are expecting topline clinical data in the near future. The discussion will be led by HCW's Managing Director of Equity Research, Dr. Yi Chen, with the participation of two Key Opinion Leaders in Ophthalmology, and will be live-streamed at 08:00am on August 17, 2022.

Dr. Daphne Haim-Langford, CEO of Tarsier Pharma, said: "I'm looking forward to share and discuss insights from our currently enrolling phase-3 TRS4VISION clinical trial of TRS01 in noninfectious anterior uveitis & uveitic glaucoma. I'm thankful to HCW for putting together this interesting forum of the few ophthalmic phase-3 companies, with expert ophthalmologists of uveitis and glaucoma, who can emphasize the unmet medical needs of patients with these diseases and share with us the important mission to save patients' eyesight".

In addition to the panel, Ruti Friedel, Tarsier Pharma's Business Development & Community Manager, will give a corporate update that will describe Tarsier's lead program for uveitic glaucoma  TRS01 eyedrops, and, for the first time, present the company's progress of its pipeline for treatment of retinal diseases. The presentation will be available on-demand during the day of the conference.

Both Tarsier representatives will be available for 1X1 meetings with investors. Registration is open here, investors interested to meet are welcome to contact their H.C. Wainwright representative.

About Tarsier Pharma

Tarsier Pharma is a phase-3 pharmaceutical company, focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of first-in-class pharmaceutical therapies to treat ocular back and front of the eye blinding diseases. TRS is a bio-inspired breakthrough proprietary technology platform, based on a new chemical entity with novel mechanism of action, that demonstrated safety and efficacy in a rare debilitating and blinding indication. Currently Tarsier is running TRS4VISION phase-3 clinical trial in subjects with non-infectious anterior uveitis including uveitic glaucoma, and IND enabling studies with its TRS02 formulation for retinal diseases.

Lead product candidate for uveitic glaucoma

Non-infectious uveitis is an autoimmune blinding ocular inflammation, considered the third leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Tarsier's TRS01 is a potent fast-acting immunomodulator, delivered as eye drops, for the treatment of non-infectious anterior uveitis in patients with uveitic glaucoma  that is considered an end-stage condition of uveitis. Once a uveitis patient has also developed glaucoma (uveitic glaucoma), the only available treatments for active inflammation, which are steroids, should be avoided due to their side effects of expediting glaucoma and vision loss. Thus, TRS01 has the potential to become the standard of care for uveitic glaucoma.

Contact: Investor Relations Tarsier Pharma

[email protected]

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SOURCE Tarsier Pharma
DETROIT, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Airspace Link, a leading provider of drone safety infrastructure, and the Lone Star UAS Center are announcing a partnership to launch the FlySafe Program, powered by AirHub, to enhance the safety and capabilities of drone operations within their local communities. Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation (LSUASC) is a research facility dedicated to the innovation and safety of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) flights throughout the United States. Lone Star UAS has been on the leading edge of planning and safety for UAS.

The FlySafe Program enables students, residents, and visitors to quickly understand Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone rules, local advisories, ground risk hazards, and additional information to help them plan safer and compliant flights when operating in the area. Pilots can access the data here.

Often referred to as the "Smart Maps for Drones," Airspace Link's FlySafe Program is a critical step in establishing two-way communication for drone pilots and their communities to ensure operations are in harmony with the community providing near-instant authorizations when operating in controlled airspace.

Michael Sanders, Executive Director for LSUASC, says "The partnership between LSUASC and Airspace Link is the next innovation to enhance our connection with the community. It will enable shared understanding of operations happening in the airspaces, publication of advisories and data directly to pilots, increased pilot situational awareness, and provides for two-way information sharing that hasn't existed before at this level."

LSUASC advances the integration of UAS and Autonomous Aviation (AAV) technologies across educational, public, and commercial agency interests; provides an economic stimulus to attract related industry partners to the State of Texas, and informs governing agencies on UAS and AAV operations in the National Airspace System (NAS).

Michael Healander, Co-Founder and CEO of Airspace Link, says "We're always looking to partner with leaders in innovation like the Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation to make sure we're responsibly paving the way for new technologies like UAS to scale. Through work like theirs, it's been proven time and again how beneficial drones can be for the environment and the economy, and we're excited to have them as partners to lay the foundation for them to be able to scale and for residents to be able to receive the full benefits of drone operations sooner and safely."

About Airspace Link, Inc.

Airspace Link's vision is to create a world where the safe integration of drones fuels human progress, advancing social equity, the environment, and the economy. Founded in Detroit in 2018 by CEO Michael Healander, Airspace Link is one of the few FAA Approved UAS Service Suppliers of the Low Altitude Authorization & Notification Capability (LAANC). Airspace Link's cloud-based platform, built on top of Esri GIS technology, provides the digital infrastructure required to support the safe use of recreational and commercial drones in communities at scale, supporting the growth of drone operations, drone service providers, drone manufacturers, package delivery, and air taxi deployment in the future.

Visit https://airspacelink.com/ to learn more and stay up to date on the latest innovations in this space.

Casie Ocana

Jake Serwer

About LSUASC

The Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Center of Excellence & Innovation (LSUASC) is one of seven Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAS test sites in the United States. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents established Lone Star UAS in the Fall of 2013 as a research center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. LSUASC is a global partnership for research, development, testing, and evaluation of UAS technologies across educational, public, and commercial agency interests. Lone Star UAS also provides an economic stimulus to attract related industry partners to Texas and informs governing agencies regarding UAS operations in the National Airspace System. LSUASC supports the aeronautical research needs of research institutions, private-sector service providers, non-profit corporations, and local, state, and federal agencies.

Lone Star UAS

SOURCE Airspace Link
Angie Ambrose to apply 35 years of industry experience as the business' new customer service leader.

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Expo Group has added Angie Ambrose as Vice President, Customer Account Management to help further elevate the company's efforts to deliver unmatched customer service.

Prior to The Expo Group, Angie served as Senior Director of Client Solutions and Graphic Account Manager for The Freeman Company where she directed departmental efforts while producing over 250 events within 6 months. Since 1987, she supported The Freeman Company's Exhibit Operations, Client Solutions, Corporate Account Operations, Installation and Dismantle Labor and more.

Angie Ambrose joins The Expo Group as VP, Customer Account Management

"The Expo Group has a reputation and long history of delivering amazing customer support," said Angie. "I am thrilled for the opportunity to apply my background to help the Customer Account Management team take support to an even higher level and redefine the customer experience for our industry."

"Angie offers an incredible depth of industry experience and can have an immediate, positive impact toward our critical customer support efforts," said Mark Robichaud, Chief of Staff for The Expo Group. "Her track record of success, along with her passion for excellence and can-do attitude is the perfect fit for our culture which is driven by exceeding our customer's expectations every time."

Angie will provide strategic direction and daily management and leadership for The Expo Group Customer Account Management team as well as work closely with the Sales and Project Management departments to drive company-wide service excellence. She will be based in The Expo Group Orlando, Florida office.

About the Expo Group

The Expo Group serves as architects for connecting communities through the design and management of personalized, unforgettable tradeshows and events. The company helps its clients reimagine events by leveraging behavioral science to deliver customized brand experiences with valuable content, connections, and commerce. It has headquarters near Dallas with offices in Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando and Washington D.C. For more information, visit theexpogroup.com or contact [email protected].

Contact:

Michael Guillory

2148829499

[email protected]

SOURCE The Expo Group
TASE Concludes the Second Quarter with a 36% Increase in EBITDA Compared to the Corresponding Quarter Last Year;

Quarterly Revenues Increased by 8% with Growth Across All TASE Activity

Revenues in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 91 million , an 8% increase compared to the revenues in the corresponding quarter last year.

Expenses reduced by 3% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the expenses in the corresponding quarter last year.

The profit in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 14 million , compared to NIS 12 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 18% between the quarters.

The adjusted EBITDA grew by 36% in the second quarter of the year, totaling NIS 36 million , compared to NIS 26 million in the corresponding quarter last year.

The average daily trading volume of shares in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 2.5 billion , an increase of 33% compared to the trading volume in 2021.

In the first half, a total of NIS 14.4 billion was raised on TASE in shares - representing 54% of the total amount raised in the full year 2021, which was a record year.

TASE announces today the joining of Jump Trading - one of Europe's top-tier international trading entities, which operates as a provider of liquidity and trades on multiple exchanges around the world - as a remote member on TASE.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ittai Ben Zeev, CEO of TASE (TASE: TASE), said today: "We are concluding another strong quarter, with notable growth in all core activities. TASE stands strong compared to leading global exchanges, as we are seeing a growing interest in TASE from international entities and investors alongside a growing involvement of the public, which is reflected, among others, in the impressive increase in the daily trading volumes of equity, which rose by 33% in the first half of the year, compared to last year. TASE continues to serve as an attractive and accessible capital raising channel, particularly in these challenging times, and is a significant growth engine for Israeli companies".

At the end of the first half of 2022, TASE remains strong compared to international exchanges. TASE's leading indices, TA-35 and TA-90 decreased by an average of 8.5%, a relatively moderate decrease compared to leading global indices. This is due, among others, to the macroeconomic conditions in Israel, the wide variety of securities listed on TASE and the balancing of the traded sectors, which place TASE well ahead of other exchanges. The TA Oil & Gas Index alone soared by 33% in the first half of the year, as a result of the surge in global oil and gas prices and the growing demand for the import of gas from Israel.

Equity trading volumes were particularly high in the first half of the year, with an average daily volume of NIS 2.5 billion, on the backdrop of the strong volatility in the market. This daily trading volume was 33% greater than the average trading volume in the full year 2021.

In the first half of the year, a total of NIS 14.4 billion was raised - representing 54% of the total amount raised in the full year 2021, which was a record year. This total includes 9 companies that performed IPOs in the first half of the year, raising a total of NIS 1.4 billion. Strong capital raising was also recorded in secondary offerings on the equity market, which totaled NIS 13 billion. Capital raising from the public on the corporate bonds market also remained strong at NIS 43 billion, representing close to 55% of the total capital raised from the public in the full year 2021. In total, 14 new companies joined TASE since the beginning of the year.

As part of the expansion of membership in TASE, with emphasis on international entities, TASE announces the joining of Jump Trading (Europe B.V.) as a remote member. Jump is among Europe's top-tier international trading entities, which operates as a provider of liquidity and trades on multiple exchanges around the world. The entry of international trading entities and the increase in the number of clients contributed to a steady demand for the connectivity, colocation and the London POP products, and TASE has recently upgraded the capacity of these services from London to Tel Aviv.

In addition, in the second quarter TASE started implementing its buyback plan for the acquisition of up to NIS 36 million over a period of six months. Accordingly, As of August 4, 2022, we repurchased 1,139 thousand shares, representing 1.11% of the outstanding shares of TASE for a total amount of 18.5 million Shekels. We will continue our purchases in the coming months until we complete the first stage of the buyback totaling 36 million Shekels.

Highlights of the results for the second quarter and the first half of 2022:

Revenue in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 91.0 million, compared to revenue of NIS 84.6 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 8%. Growth was recorded across all activity items, including an increase in trading and clearing commissions (13% rise), listing fees and levies (10% rise), Clearing House services (8% rise), and data distribution and connectivity (14% rise). It should be noted that, in the second quarter of 2021, following the signing of an agreement between TASE and the Ministry of Finance, one-time income in an amount of NIS 3.8 million was included with respect to listing fees for government bonds listed in the lending pool.

Revenue in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 188.7 million, compared to revenue of NIS 163.0 million in the corresponding period last year, a 16% increase. The increase in revenue stemmed mainly from increase in all activities, including a 15% increase in revenue from trading and clearing commissions, which totaled NIS 75.3 million in the first half, a 30% increase in listing fees and levies, which totaled NIS 45.0 million, a 12% increase in Clearing House services, which totaled NIS 35.7 million, and data distribution and connectivity, which increased by 14% between the periods, totaling NIS 29.4 million.

Costs in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 68.1 million, compared to costs of NIS 70.4 million in the corresponding quarter last year, a 3% decrease. The decrease in the costs is due mainly to a reduction in marketing expenses (5% of total costs) as a result of the timing of performance of campaigns, which was partly offset by an increase in employee benefits expenses and an increase in the depreciation expenses (2% of total costs).

Costs in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 141.6 million, compared to costs of NIS 136.1 million in the corresponding period last year, a 4% increase. The increase in the costs is due mainly to an increase in employee benefits expenses (2% of total costs) as a result of salary updates and provisions for bonuses, as well as to an increase in depreciation and amortization expenses (1% of total costs).

Net financing expenses in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 3.4 million, compared to net financing income of NIS 1.3 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The transition to financing expenses this quarter resulted from a negative return of 1.86% on the Company's investments in marketable securities' portfolios comprising Israeli Government bonds, compared to a positive return of 0.73% in the corresponding quarter last year.

Net financing expenses in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 8.6 million, compared to net financing income of NIS 1.5 million in the corresponding period last year. The transition to financing expenses in the first half of the year resulted from a negative return of 4.25% on the Company's investments in marketable securities' portfolios comprising Israeli Government bonds, compared to a positive return of 0.75% in the corresponding period last year.

Net tax expense in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 5.2 million, compared to NIS 3.4 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase in expenses was due to the higher pre-tax profit and the reduction in the fair value of the Company's investments in government bonds for which deferred taxes were not created.

Net tax expense in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 9.6 million, compared to NIS 6.6 million in the corresponding period last year. The increase in the quarter and the half-year was due to the higher pre-tax profit and the reduction in the fair value of the Company's investments in government bonds for which deferred taxes were not created.

The profit in the second quarter of 2022 grew by 18%, totaling NIS 14.2 million, compared to profit of NIS 12.1 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase in profit is due to an increase in revenue from services and a decrease in costs, which was offset by the transition to financing expenses and an increase in the tax expense, as described above.

The profit in the first half of 2022 grew by 33%, totaling NIS 28.9 million, compared to NIS 21.7 million in the corresponding period last year. The increase in profit is due to an increase in revenue from services, which was partly offset by the rise in expenses, a transition to financing expenses and an increase in the tax expense.

The adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2022 grew by 36% compared to the corresponding quarter last year, totaling NIS 35.8 million, compared to NIS 26.2 million. The increase is due to an 8% rise in revenue as a result of the increase across all activity items and a 4% decrease in expenses, primarily with respect to the timing of marketing costs.

The adjusted EBITDA in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 72.6 million, compared to NIS 50.8 million in the corresponding period last year, a 43% increase. The increase is due to a 16% rise in revenue, primarily as a result of the higher volume of activity, which was offset by a 3% increase in expenses, primarily employee benefits costs.

The adjusted profit in the second quarter of 2022 totaled NIS 14.3 million, compared to NIS 12.3 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 16%. The increase is due to an 8% rise in revenue as a result of the higher volume of activity and to a 3% decrease in expenses, primarily with respect to the timing of marketing costs, and was offset by a transition to financing expenses as a result of a negative return on the Company's investments in held-for-trade financial assets and an increase in the tax expense.

The adjusted profit in the first half of 2022 totaled NIS 29.2 million, compared to NIS 22.2 million in the corresponding period last year, a 31% increase. The increase is due to a 16% rise in revenue as a result of the higher volume of activity, which was offset by a 3% increase in expenses, primarily with respect to employee benefits and depreciation, and the transition to financing expenses as a result of the negative return on the Company's investments in held-for-trade financial assets and an increase in the tax expense as a result of losses on securities for which no deferred taxes were created.

TASE's equity as of June 30, 2022 totaled NIS 676.8 million, a 2% increase compared to December 31, 2021. The increase in the equity is due mainly to the profit of NIS 28.9 million in the first half of 2022, other comprehensive income of NIS 12.9 million and receipts from the sale of shares within the framework of the TASE ownership restructuring in an amount of NIS 5.5 million, less a dividend paid in an amount of NIS 22.7 million and buyback of company shares in an amount of NIS 9.9 million.

Click here for the link to the full financial statements for the second quarter of 2022

Click here for the link to the financial presentation of the second quarter of 2022

This notification does not supersede the stated in the periodic financial statements of the Company, which contain the full and accurate information.

Contact:

Yehuda van der Walde

EVP, CFO

+972-76-8160442

[email protected]

Orna Goren

Head of Communication and Public Relations Unit

+972-76-8160405

[email protected]

SOURCE The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd.
IEUA Special Board Workshop held to Discuss the Benefits of the Chino Basin Program

INLAND EMPIRE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Thursday, at an Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) Special Board Workshop, IEUA provided an update on the Chino Basin Program (CBP/Program) to CBP partners and stakeholders. During this Workshop, IEUA staff provided an overview of the Program's next steps and an in-depth look into the many benefits that this Program will bring in offering resource resiliency to the region.

The CBP is a water banking program that will support local resiliency while addressing challenges caused by climate change. Through this program, investments in new infrastructure, such as an Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF), will create 15,000 acre-feet (AF) of purified water annually from local recycled water supplies to increase local recycled water use and improve resiliency. The CBP also includes injection wells, new pipeline interconnections, extraction wells, potable water pipelines, and reservoirs to store and withdraw the newly purified water in local groundwater basins.

"California's drought serves as a prime example of the region's need to invest in programs that will increase our local water supplies," stated IEUA Board President Steve Elie. "As we face increased frequency and duration of dry periods, an unreliable snowpack, and a reduction in State Water Project supplies, we must reinforce the need for new infrastructure to treat and store recycled water locally to improve regional water management and resiliency. With the support of our many partners, the CBP is now becoming a reality and is a solution that will bring our region greater reliability."

Partners of the program to-date include Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD), Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD), Fontana Water Company (FWC), Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), California Water Commission (CWC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The CBP Partners recognize the significance of new infrastructure and programs that contribute to improving local sustainability in the region.

"The CBP optimizes recycled water to stay in the basin," stated CVWD Board President Randall Reed. "As it stands today, CVWD sees that the CBP has become a local water reliability and resiliency program that brings real water supply benefits to CVWD and the region. It's through collaborative efforts like this that will show what we can face together as we approach these water supply challenges and bring innovative solutions forward to our customers."

Through the CBP, in addition to the purified water stored in the Chino Basin, investments will be made in production wells and infrastructure. This production infrastructure will enable partners to pump and produce up to 40,000 AF of stored water supplies to offset State Water Project supply reductions over a 25-year term during drought-challenged years. Some water will also be provided to our partner, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California when needed, which will support vulnerable State Water Project Dependent areas and increase local reliability. All CBP water supplies will be exclusively available for local use in the Chino Basin after 25-years.

"We all know that the Chino Basin is a great resource with immense opportunities to enhance water resource reliability; not just for this region, but for all of southern California," stated JCSD Board President Kenneth McLaughlin. "IEUA has proved that a strong vision, regional partnerships, good planning documents, CEQA coverage, and State support brings significant external funding opportunities and game changing projects that will make a difference for generations to come. JCSD is proud to be a regional partner as this project moves forward."

"IEUA is proud of the value the CBP will bring to the region through this practical solution to California's water supply challenges," continued Board President Steve Elie, IEUA. "We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to create a significant benefit to not just our immediate community, but the Chino Basin region, the State of California and our nation as we all work to ensure that we have the resources to maintain healthy communities."

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency covers 242-square miles, distributes imported water, provides industrial/municipal wastewater collection and treatment services, and other related utility services to people within western San Bernardino County through its customer agencies which include Chino, Chino Hills, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Fontana, Fontana Water Company, Montclair, Monte Vista Water District, Ontario, and Upland. www.ieua.org

IEUA Contact: CVWD Contact: JCSD Contact: Andrea Carruthers Eric Grubb Arman Tarzi Communications Officer Government & Public Community Affairs

Affairs Manager Supervisor 909.993.1935 909.987.2591 (951) 685-7434 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Within the last 18 months, the company has amortized more than $3,300 million pesos of its debt

The trustee of the holders of the notes provided with a notification of acceleration of the maturity of $400 million dollars due 2024

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECACPO; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, received a notification issued by The Bank of New York Mellon, trustee of the holders of the notes, informing about the intention of the early expiration of its $400 million dollars notes due 2024.

Within the last 18 months, the company has amortized debt with cost in the amount of $3,347 million pesos, strengthening its capital structure and reiterating its commitment to preserve a solid strategic, financial and operating condition.

The company has maintained a dialogue with the holders of the 2024 notes to reach an agreement that is favorable for all parties.

TV Azteca will continue working within a strict financial discipline to guarantee operations that benefit audiences, employees and clients, in compliance with regulation.

About TV Azteca

TV Azteca is one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, operating four television networks in Mexico: Azteca uno, Azteca 7, adn40 and a+, through more than 300 owned and operated stations across the country. The company also owns TV Azteca Digital, operator of several of the most visited digital platforms and social networks in Mexico.

TV Azteca is a Grupo Salinas company (www.gruposalinas.com), a group of dynamic, fast growing, and technologically advanced companies focused on creating: economic value through market innovation and goods and services that improve standards of living; social value to improve community wellbeing; and environmental value by reducing the negative impact of its business activities. Created by Mexican entrepreneur Ricardo B. Salinas (www.ricardosalinas.com), Grupo Salinas operates as a management development and decision forum for the top leaders of member companies. These companies include TV Azteca (www.TVazteca.com; www.irtvazteca.com), Grupo Elektra (www.grupoelektra.com.mx), Banco Azteca (www.bancoazteca.com.mx), Purpose Financial (havepurpose.com), Afore Azteca (www.aforeazteca.com.mx), Seguros Azteca (www.segurosazteca.com.mx), Punto Casa de Bolsa (www.puntocasadebolsa.mx), Totalplay (irtotalplay.mx; www.totalplay.com.mx) and Totalplay Empresarial (totalplayempresarial.com.mx). TV Azteca and Grupo Elektra trade shares on the Mexican Stock Market and in Spains' Latibex market. Each of the Grupo Salinas companies operates independently, with its own management, board of directors and shareholders. Grupo Salinas has no equity holdings. The group of companies shares a common vision, values and strategies for achieving rapid growth, superior results and world-class performance.

Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are concepts about the future that involve risks and uncertainty that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Other risks that may affect TV Azteca and its subsidiaries are presented in documents sent to the securities authorities.

Investor Relations: Bruno Rangel Grupo Salinas Tel. +52 (55) 2601-5400, ext. 11502 [email protected]

Rolando Villarreal TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. Tel. +52 (55) 2601-5400, ext. 11508 [email protected]





Press Relations: Luciano Pascoe Tel. +52 (55) 1720 1313 ext. 36553 [email protected]

SOURCE TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V.
Veristor Appears on the Prestigious List for the Eighth Year

ATLANTA, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Veristor Systems, Inc., a trusted provider of transformative business technology solutions, announced today that it has earned a prestigious spot on the 2022 Fast Growth 150 list, published annually by CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, for the eighth time. The CRN Fast Growth 150 list recognizes the fastest-growing North American IT solution providers and technology integrators for significant sales growth-driven by forward-thinking business strategy, strong technology know-how and services prowess-demonstrated over the past two years.

To maintain consistent growth within the highly competitive and rapidly evolving IT industry, solution providers need to constantly evolve to keep ahead of consistent changes within the market. CRN's Fast Growth 150 list acknowledges companies that have crossed this lofty threshold and demonstrated an ongoing dedication toward success and innovation.

"It is my esteemed honor to yet again be featured on the 2022 Fast Growth 150 list," said Ashby Lincoln, President and CEO, Veristor. "At Veristor, we are dedicated to matching the right technology and solutions to support our customers' business requirements, architecting them for rapid time-to-value and long-term efficiency. We are grateful to The Channel Company, our customers and our passionate team of Veristor experts for this recognition."

"Despite the near-constant disruptions and unforeseen challenges today's IT companies face, they must still be ready to adapt and change at a moment's notice. With the CRN 2022 Fast Growth 150 list, we honor those IT solution providers that have managed to thrive in an industry where stability is often a luxury," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The companies that earned spots on this year's list represent the very best in business acumen and strategy, inspiring fellow industry members and proving that with perseverance, meaningful growth is attainable in even the most chaotic business climates. On behalf of CRN and The Company Channel, I wish a heartfelt congratulations and continued success to all companies featured on the 2022 Fast Growth 150 list."

A sampling of the 2022 Fast Growth 150 list will be featured in the August issue of CRN Magazine. You can view the complete list online at www.crn.com/fastgrowth150 .

About Veristor Systems, Inc.

Veristor, which recently announced a merger with Anexinet, is a leading provider of transformative business technology solutions that helps its customers accelerate the time-to-value for the software, infrastructure and systems they deploy. We do this by harnessing deep expertise in today's most advanced data center, security, networking, hybrid cloud, and big data technologies and guiding businesses to the right solutions for their most pressing challenges. And with a full suite of design, deployment, support, and managed service offerings, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with our customers at every step of their technology journey to make technology truly work for them. IT's just who we are. Learn more at veristor.com.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. https://www.thechannelco.com/

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook .

 2022 The Channel Company, LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Veristor Systems, Inc.
Conference call to take place on Thursday August 11 at 08:30 a.m. Eastern Time

HENDERSON, Nev., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: VNRX) ("Volition") today announced it will host a conference call on Thursday August 11, at 08.30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial and operating results for the second quarter 2022, in addition to providing a business update.

Event: VolitionRx Limited Second Quarter 2022 Earnings and Business Update Conference Call

Date: Thursday, August 11, 2022

Time: 08:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time

U.S. & Canada Dial-in: 1-877-407-9716 (toll free)

U.K. Dial-in: 0 800 756 3429 (toll free)

Toll/International: 1-201-493-6779

Conference ID: 13732149

Cameron Reynolds, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volition, will host the call along with Terig Hughes, Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Tom Butera, Chief Executive Officer of Volition Veterinary Diagnostics Development LLC, and Scott Powell, Executive Vice President, Investor Relations. The call will provide an update on important events which have taken place in the second quarter of 2022 and upcoming milestones.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available on the investor relations page of Volition's corporate website at http://ir.volition.com . In addition, a telephone replay of the call will be available until August 25, 2022. The replay dial-in numbers are 1-844-512-2921 (toll-free) in the U.S. and Canada and 1-412-317-6671 (toll) internationally. Please use replay pin number 13732149.

About Volition

Volition is a multi-national epigenetics company that applies its Nucleosomics platform through its subsidiaries to develop simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests to help diagnose and monitor a range of life-altering diseases including some cancers and diseases associated with NETosis such as sepsis and COVID-19. Early diagnosis and monitoring have the potential to not only prolong the life of patients, but also to improve their quality of life. The tests are based on the science of Nucleosomics, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid - an indication that disease is present. Volition is primarily focused on human diagnostics and monitoring but also has a subsidiary focused on animal diagnostics and monitoring.

Volition's research and development activities are centered in Belgium, with an innovation laboratory and office in the U.S. and additional offices in London and Singapore.

Nucleosomics and Nu.Q are trademarks of Volition and its subsidiaries.

For more information about Volition, visit Volition's website (http://www.volition.com) or connect with us via:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/volitionrx

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/volitionrx

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VolitionRx/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VolitionRx

The contents found at Volition's website address, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this document. The addresses for Volition's website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are included in this document as inactive textual references only.

Media Enquiries:

Louise Batchelor/Debra Daglish, Volition, [email protected] +44 (0)7557 774620

SOURCE VolitionRx Limited
Driver meet and greets, ticket donations and prize raffles among activities leading into NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the events leading into the upcoming Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation race on August 13 at Richmond Raceway, Worldwide Express ("WWEX") has partnered with local carrier, Estes, to organize a series of activities benefiting local Virginia charities, including UMFS and Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Worldwide Express will hold a toy and supply drive at Richmond Raceway, host driver meet and greets and donate race tickets to CHoR and UMFS families.

Worldwide Express 250 logo

Estes will also hold a toy drive at its Richmond headquarters from August 8-19 where employees are encouraged to donate toys and supplies in need at CHoR and UMFS. Another local carrier, UPS, will receive tickets to the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation race for teams and families at its local UPS Customer Center to attend.

"We are pleased to honor our carriers by making an impact on two organizations that are supported by Estes, one of our largest and longest-standing carrier partners. Over the years, Richmond-based Estes has made significant contributions of time and resources to Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and UMFS, and we would like to further their efforts by encouraging donations from teams, fans and the public at-large surrounding the race," said Worldwide Express President Rob Rose.

"As a family-owned company for over 90 years, our team loves supporting nonprofits and causes that go above and beyond to help children and families thrive, like UMFS and CHoR," said Rob Estes, president and CEO at Estes. "We want to thank our friends at Worldwide Express for choosing Estes as its partner to help bring toys, supplies, donations, fun and hope to these deserving organizations."

Toy and Supply Drive: August 13 and 14 at Richmond Raceway

Worldwide Express will be accepting in-person toy and supply donations at the Worldwide Express Fan Zone at the Richmond Raceway Midway on Saturday, August 13, and Sunday, August 14. Each person who donates will be entered in a raffle to win driver-signed memorabilia and prizes, including a Richmond Raceway flag signed by current NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Niece Motorsports memorabilia and Trackhouse Racing items.

Wish list items for the two organizations include coloring books, books, fidget toys, LEGO toys, school-age wipeable toys, preschool toys, dinosaur figurines, PAW Patrol toys, slime kits, putty, therapeutic dough, kinetic sand, UNO card games, family card games, family board games, battery-powered room string lights, balls (sensory balls, playground balls, bouncy balls), remote control cars/vehicles, Matchbox cars, art supplies and school headphones.

"We're so grateful to be a part of this exciting opportunity through Worldwide Express. We want to help children feel comfortable and at home when they're in the hospital and having access to toys and supplies helps us do just that," said Stephanie Allan, vice president for community development at Children's Hospital Foundation. "Every dollar collected and toy donated makes a difference in a child's life at CHoR."

Fans can also make online monetary donations that will be used to purchase toys and supplies through the Worldwide Express website at wwex.com/toydrive. Online donations will be accepted beginning Monday, August 8, and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, August 19. All monetary donations will be used to purchase items directly from the CHoR and UMFS wish lists and will be donated to the organizations. Worldwide Express will match all donations up to a total of $25,000.

Driver Meet and Greet: August 11 at UMFS

On Thursday, August 11, Niece Motorsports drivers Dean Thompson and Carson Hocevar will make an appearance at UMFS alongside the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 winning No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet. The drivers will participate in a Q&A session, sign autographs and offer photo opportunities for UMFS students, staff and families as well as teams from the Estes corporate headquarters. UMFS is located at 3900 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230.

"UMFS is grateful to have the unwavering support from Worldwide Express and our neighbors at Estes," said Nancy Toscano, president and CEO at UMFS. "Both Estes and UMFS have been rooted in the Richmond community for decades, and because of strong community partners like Estes, we are able to better serve children, teens and families across Virginia."

Through its WWEX Racing program, Worldwide Express, along with its sister brands GlobalTranz and Unishippers, earlier this year announced a multi-year partnership with Trackhouse Racing as a primary sponsor on the No. 1 driven by Ross Chastain and No. 99 driven by Daniel Suarez. The brands also serve as the full-season, primary partner with Niece Motorsports on the No. 40 driven by Dean Thompson, the No. 41 driven by Ross Chastain for four Camping World Truck Series races and the No. 42 driven by Carson Hocevar in eight Camping World Truck Series races, which includes the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation at Richmond Raceway. For more information on WWEX Racing, visit www.wwexracing.com.

About Worldwide Express

Worldwide Express, LLC is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering more than 115,000 customers access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions. With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations, Worldwide Express, combined with its sister brands GlobalTranz and Unishippers, is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage in the country. As the largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller in the US, the company is a local partner for the global supply chains for shippers of all sizes, from small- to medium-sized businesses to enterprise organizations. This, coupled with a selective portfolio of more than 65 LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, provides clients with an unmatched range of options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. To learn more, visit www.wwex.com.

About Children's Hospital Foundation

Children's Hospital Foundation is dedicated to funding and advocating for pediatric initiatives that improve the status of health care and the quality of life for children in our region. The Foundation provides support for the programs and initiatives of Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and the more than 70,000 children and families it serves each year. Children's Hospital Foundation depends on the support of individuals, businesses and other organizations to help us continue our mission of supporting excellence in health care for children.

In 2020, CHoR marked 100 years of treating all children in need of care. CHoR was recently verified as a Level I Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children's Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS CSV), one of only 30 verified children's surgery centers in the country and the 10th on the East Coast to attain this highest level of designation.

About UMFS

UMFS is a statewide, nonprofit agency providing unwavering support and resources to children, teens, and families as they work to conquer behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges. UMFS was founded in 1900 as an orphanage in Richmond, and today it provides services ranging from treatment foster care to residential treatment at nine locations across the commonwealth, impacting nearly 13,775 children, teens, and family members. UMFS believes children and teens do better when they are with families, which is why it offers 18 programs specializing in family creation and preservation. Find out more at https://www.umfs.org.

About Estes

Estes is the largest, privately owned freight carrier in North America. As an asset-based transportation provider with a global footprint, Estes always goes the extra mile to deliver reliable freight solutions and exceptional service that keep its customers coming back. Ethical and honest, with over 90-years of freight shipping expertise, Estes has worked through the decades to build a robust fleet and vast network of over 10,000 doors and 265 terminals nationwide. And the company's comprehensive transportation solutions are backed by its continued investment in technology resources, as well as the support of over 20,000 fiercely committed employees. Estes offers comprehensive freight shipping solutions, including Less Than Truckload (LTL), Volume and Truckload, Time Critical Guaranteed, Custom Shipping and Logistics, and Final Mile. For more information, please visit https://www.estes-express.com.

SOURCE Worldwide Express


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SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- X Financial (NYSE: XYF) (the "Company" or "we"), a leading online personal finance company in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights

Total net revenue in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB824.3 million ( US$123.1 million ), representing a decrease of 11.6% from RMB932.4 million in the same period of 2021.

( ), representing a decrease of 11.6% from in the same period of 2021. Income from operations in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB193.8 million ( US$28.9 million ), compared with RMB337.7 million in the same period of 2021.

( ), compared with in the same period of 2021. Net income in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB185.7 million ( US$27.7 million ), compared with RMB223.4 million in the same period of 2021.

( ), compared with in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP [1] adjusted net income in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB210.7 million ( US$31.5 million ), compared with RMB241.9 million in the same period of 2021.

adjusted net income in the second quarter of 2022 was ( ), compared with in the same period of 2021. Net income per basic and diluted American depositary share ("ADS") [2] in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB3.36 (US$0.50) and RMB3.30 (US$0.49) , compared with RMB4.08 and RMB3.96 , respectively, in the same period of 2021.

in the second quarter of 2022 was and , compared with and , respectively, in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP adjusted net income per basic and adjusted diluted ADS in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB3.78 (US$0.56) and RMB3.72 (US$0.56) , compared with RMB4.38 and RMB4.26 , respectively, in the same period of 2021.

Second Quarter 2022 Operational Highlights

The total loan amount facilitated and provided [3] in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB16,879 million , representing an increase of 31.5% from RMB12,835 million in the same period of 2021 and an increase of 10.7% from RMB15,250 million in the previous quarter. Xiaoying Credit Loan [4] accounted for 99.9% of the Company's total loan amount facilitated and provided in the second quarter of 2022, compared with 100% in the same period of 2021.

in the second quarter of 2022 was , representing an increase of 31.5% from in the same period of 2021 and an increase of 10.7% from in the previous quarter. accounted for 99.9% of the Company's total loan amount facilitated and provided in the second quarter of 2022, compared with 100% in the same period of 2021. The total outstanding loan balance [5] as of June 30, 2022 was RMB29,075 million , compared with RMB26,659 million as of March 31, 2022 and RMB20,504 million as of June 30, 2021 .

as of was , compared with as of and as of . The delinquency rate for all outstanding loans [6] that are past due for 31-60 days as of June 30, 2022 was 0.93%, compared with 1.31% as of March 31, 2022 and 0.77% as of June 30, 2021 .

that are past due for 31-60 days as of was 0.93%, compared with 1.31% as of and 0.77% as of . The number of cumulative borrowers [7] was 9.0 million as of June 30, 2022 .

was 9.0 million as of . Total cumulative registered users reached 74.4 million as of June 30, 2022 .

[1] The Company uses in this press release the following non-GAAP financial measures: (i) adjusted net income (loss), (ii) adjusted net income (loss) per basic ADS, and (iii) adjusted net income (loss) per diluted ADS, each of which excludes share-based compensation expense and income (loss) from financial investments. For more information on non-GAAP financial measure, please see the section of "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Statement" and the table captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release. [2] Each American depositary share ("ADS") represents six Class A ordinary shares. On November 19, 2020, a ratio change that has the same effect as a 1-for-3 reverse ADS split took effect, and as a result, one ADS currently represents six Class A ordinary shares. [3] Represents the total amount of loans that X Financial facilitated and provided during the relevant period. [4] Xiaoying Credit Loan is a category of online personal credit loan products facilitated and provided through our platform, including Xiaoying Card Loan and other unsecured loan products we introduce from time to time. [5] Represents the total amount of loans outstanding for loans X Financial facilitated and provided at the end of the relevant period. Loans that are delinquent for more than 60 days are charged-off and are excluded in the outstanding loan balance, except for Xiaoying Housing Loan. As Xiaoying Housing Loan is a secured loan product and the Company is entitled to payment by exercising its rights to the collateral, the Company does not exclude Xiaoying Housing loan delinquent for more than 60 days in the outstanding loan balance. [6] Represents the balance of the outstanding principal and accrued outstanding interest for loans that were 31 to 60 days past due as a percentage of the total balance of outstanding principal and accrued outstanding interest for loans the Company facilitated as of a specific date. Loans that are delinquent for more than 60 days are charged-off and excluded in the calculation of delinquency rate by balance. Xiaoying Housing Loan was launched in 2015 and ceased in 2019, and all the outstanding loan balance of housing loan as of June 30, 2021, March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022 were overdue more than 60 days. To make the delinquency rate by balance comparable, the Company excludes Xiaoying Housing Loan in the calculation of delinquency rate. [7] Represents borrowers who made at least one transaction during that period from the commencement of the Company's loan facilitation business to a certain date on the Company's platform.

Mr. Justin Tang, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Company, commented, "We are pleased with our performance this past quarter given the great challenges brought by the significant economic slowdown amid the escalation of COVID-19 containment measures in China. We continued to scale up our loan facilitation volume while improving asset quality quarter-over-quarter. Total loan facilitated and provided during the past quarter maintained steady growth on both a yearly and quarterly basis, exceeding the high end of our forecast. Thanks to our effective risk management system and premium borrower base, we saw a meaningful decrease in the delinquency rate from the previous quarter. We have further demonstrated our business resilience and ability to navigate tough conditions."

"On the regulatory side, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission issued the Notice on Strengthening the Management of Commercial Banks' Internet Loan Business to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Financial Services on July 15, 2022. The new rules affirm the positive role of internet loans, further refine and clarify the requirements for internet loan management, and extend the grace period for the rectification of internet loan operations to June 2023 from July 2022. This initiative aims to promote the stable and healthy development of the internet loan business, and it is part of the government's stimulus strategy to revive the pandemic-hit economy by encouraging more credit to stimulate investments and consumption. This is conducive to the overall development of the financial industry and the extended grace period also gives us more time to explore market opportunities under the new regulation, especially financial services for small and micro-businesses."

"Looking ahead, with the COVID-19 pandemic subsiding and the macro economy gradually rebounding, we are cautiously optimistic about our business in the second half of the year. With an increasingly accommodative environment, we expect to see steady sequential growth in upcoming quarters."

Mr. Kent Li, President of the Company, added, "During the second quarter, our total loan amount facilitated and provided reached RMB17 billion, representing an increase of 31.5% year-over-year and 10.7% quarter-over-quarter. The delinquency rate for all outstanding loans past due for 31-60 days as of June 30, 2022 decreased to 0.93% from 1.31% as of March 31, 2022. While the asset quality of the financial industry as a whole deteriorated during the quarter due to the macro headwinds, we managed to improve our asset quality as we continued to enhance our risk management system. We expect our asset quality to remain stable in the second half of the year."

"During the past quarter, we stepped up our efforts to acquire more high-quality borrowers. As a result, our number of active borrowers increased 28.2% on both a yearly and quarterly basis, and reached a high level of over 1 million in this quarter. We are pleased to see that our products and services have been well received by an extensive and growing user base. This is a testament to our reputation for reliability and it has laid a solid foundation for our future growth. Going forward, we will continue to expand and deepen our cooperation with our institutional funding partners to jointly serve the diverse financing needs of small and micro-businesses and consumers in China."

Mr. Frank Fuya Zheng, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, added, "Although our top line saw a slight decrease on a quarterly basis as we continued to reduce the total borrowing cost of the borrowers in line with government guidance, we improved our bottom line from the previous quarter. Net income for the second quarter of 2022 improved to RMB185.7 million from RMB139.9 million in the previous quarter, and Non-GAAP adjusted net income for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB210.7 million, representing an increase of 36.9% quarter-over-quarter. With a more stabilized macroeconomy and a clearer regulatory environment, we expect to see further improvement in financial performance in the future."

"During the second quarter, we started to execute our share repurchase program. Going forward, we will continue to keep a close eye on market dynamics, regularly revaluate how to best use our cash in order to maximize returns for our shareholders."

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Total net revenue in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 11.6% to RMB824.3 million (US$123.1 million) from RMB932.4 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to a decrease in average total borrowing cost of the borrowers; and also partially offset by an increase in the total loan amount facilitated and provided this quarter compared with the same period of 2021.

Loan facilitation service fees in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 32.1% to RMB471.5 million (US$70.4 million) from RMB694.7 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to a decrease in average total borrowing cost of the borrowers; and partially offset by an increase in the amount of loan facilitated this quarter compared with the same period of 2021.

Post-origination service fees in the second quarter of 2022 increased by 13.2% to RMB82.3 million (US$12.3 million) from RMB72.7 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the cumulative effect of increased volume of loans facilitated in the previous quarters. Revenues from post-origination services are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the underlying loans as the services are being provided.

Financing income in the second quarter of 2022 increased by 57.5% to RMB234.8 million (US$35.0 million) from RMB149.0 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to an increase in average loan balances held by the Company as a result of the increase in total loan amount facilitated and provided this quarter compared with the same period of 2021.

Other revenue in the second quarter of 2022 increased by 124.7% RMB35.7 million (US$5.3 million), compared with RMB15.9 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to an increase in referral service fee for introducing borrowers to other platforms.

Origination and servicing expenses in the second quarter of 2022 increased by 2.3% to RMB533.1 million (US$79.6 million) from RMB520.9 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to an increase in commission fees resulting from the increased in total loan amount facilitated and provided this quarter, and partially offset by a decrease in insurance fee paid to insurance company.

General and administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 6.6% to RMB41.1 million (US$6.1 million) from RMB44.0 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to a decrease in consulting service fee expenses this quarter compared with the same period of 2021.

Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB25.7 million (US$3.8 million), compared with RMB25.2 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to an increase in accounts receivable from facilitation services as a result of the increase in total loan facilitation amount this quarter compared with the same period of 2021.

Provision for loans receivable in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB32.2 million (US$4.8 million), compared with reversal of provision for loans receivable of RMB1.1 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to an increase in loans receivable held by the Company as a result of the increase in total loan amount facilitated and provided this quarter compared with the same period of 2021.

Income from operations in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB193.8 million (US$28.9 million), compared with RMB337.7 million in the same period of 2021.

Income before income taxes and gain from equity in affiliates in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB220.2 million (US$32.9 million), compared with RMB280.1 million in the same period of 2021.

Income tax expense in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB42.2 million (US$6.3 million), compared with RMB57.9 million in the same period of 2021.

Net income in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB185.7 million (US$27.7 million), compared with RMB223.4 million in the same period of 2021.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB210.7 million (US$31.5 million), compared with RMB241.9 million in the same period of 2021.

Net income per basic and diluted ADS in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB3.36 (US$0.50), and RMB3.30 (US$0.49), compared with RMB4.08 and RMB3.96, respectively, in the same period of 2021.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income per basic and diluted ADS in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB3.78 (US$0.56), and RMB3.72 (US$0.56), compared with RMB4.38 and RMB4.26 respectively, in the same period of 2021.

Cash and cash equivalents was RMB702.9 million (US$104.9 million) as of June 30, 2022, compared with RMB649.2 million as of March 31, 2022.

Share Repurchase Plan

On March 30, 2022, the Company announced that its board of directors had approved a share repurchase plan under which the Company may repurchase up to US$15 million worth of its Class A ordinary shares in the form of American depositary shares ("ADSs") until September 2023. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had repurchased an aggregate of 174,089 ADSs (the equivalent of approximately 1,044,534 of our Class A ordinary shares), which worth US$0.5 million in total.

Business Outlook

For the third quarter of 2022, the Company expects total loan amount facilitated and provided to be between RMB19.0 billion and RMB20.0 billion. For the full year of 2022, the Company expects the increment in total loan amount facilitated and provided to be no less than 25%. This forecast reflects the Company's current and preliminary views, which are subject to changes.

Conference Call

X Financial's management team will host an earnings conference call at 7:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on August 9, 2022 (7:00 PM Beijing / Hong Kong Time on the same day).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States: 1-888-346-8982 Hong Kong: 852-301-84992 Mainland China: 4001-201203 International: 1-412-902-4272 Passcode: X Financial

Please dial in ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until August 16, 2022:

United States: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Passcode: 4041918

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.xiaoyinggroup.com.

About X Financial

X Financial (NYSE: XYF) (the "Company") is a leading online personal finance company in China. The Company is committed to connecting borrowers on its platform with its institutional funding partners. With its proprietary big data-driven technology, the Company has established strategic partnerships with financial institutions across multiple areas of its business operations, enabling it to facilitate and provide loans to prime borrowers under a risk assessment and control system.

For more information, please visit: http://ir.xiaoyinggroup.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Statement

In evaluating our business, we consider and use non-GAAP measures as supplemental measures to review and assess our operating performance. We present the non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by our management to evaluate our operating performance and formulate business plans. We believe that the use of the non-GAAP financial measures facilitates investors' assessment of our operating performance and help investors to identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain income or expenses that we include in income (loss) from operations and net income (loss). We also believe that the non-GAAP measures provide useful information about our core operating results, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.

We use in this press release the following non-GAAP financial measures: (i) adjusted net income, (ii) adjusted net income per basic ADS, and (iii) adjusted net income per diluted ADS, each of which excludes income (loss) from financial investments and share-based compensation expense. These non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and when assessing our operating performance, investors should not consider them in isolation, or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

We mitigate these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, which should be considered when evaluating our performance. We encourage you to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP results" set forth at the end of this press release.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.6981 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as of June 30, 2022.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "targets," "guidance" and similar statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements that involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: the Company's goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the credit industry, and marketplace lending in particular, in China; the demand for and market acceptance of its marketplace's products and services; its ability to attract and retain borrowers and investors on its marketplace; its relationships with its strategic cooperation partners; competition in its industry; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to the corporate structure, business and industry. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this announcement is current as of the date of this announcement, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

For more information, please contact:

X Financial

Mr. Frank Fuya Zheng

E-mail: [email protected]

Christensen IR

In China

Mr. Eric Yuan

Phone: +86-10-5900-1548

E-mail: [email protected]

In US

Ms. Linda Bergkamp

Phone: +1-480-614-3004

Email: [email protected]

X Financial Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets







(In thousands, except for share and per share data) As of December 31, 2021 As of June 30, 2022 As of June 30, 2022

RMB RMB USD ASSETS





Cash and cash equivalents 584,762 702,923 104,944 Restricted cash 407,276 375,564 56,070 Accounts receivable and contract assets, net 747,480 730,808 109,107 Loans receivable from Xiaoying Credit Loans and Revolving Loans, net 2,484,073 3,528,453 526,784 Loans at fair value 389,679 353,760 52,815 Deposits to institutional cooperators, net 1,500,407 1,691,952 252,602 Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net 213,127 75,396 11,256 Financial guarantee derivative 11,817 427 64 Deferred tax assets, net 274,869 159,862 23,867 Long-term investments 560,038 566,688 84,604 Property and equipment, net 6,188 5,427 810 Intangible assets, net 36,817 36,337 5,425 Loan receivable from Xiaoying Housing Loans, net 12,083 10,061 1,502 Financial investments 82,844 147,845 22,073 Other non-current assets 31,277 21,175 3,161 TOTAL ASSETS 7,342,737 8,406,678 1,255,084







LIABILITIES





Payable to investors at fair value 462,714 388,685 58,029 Payable to institutional funding partners 1,487,379 2,307,584 344,513 Financial guarantee derivative 565,953 473,149 70,639 Short-term bank borrowings 166,500 20,000 2,986 Accrued payroll and welfare 44,605 36,607 5,465 Other tax payable 219,544 240,590 35,919 Income tax payable 117,148 208,529 31,133 Deposit payable to channel cooperators 21,012 20,100 3,001 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 268,967 338,327 50,511 Other non-current liabilities 12,019 9,988 1,491 Deferred tax liabilities - 1,753 262 TOTAL LIABILITIES 3,365,841 4,045,312 603,949







Commitments and Contingencies





Equity:





Common shares 207 207 31 Treasury stock - (3,303) (493) Additional paid-in capital 3,159,523 3,188,877 476,087 Retained earnings 810,856 1,136,488 169,673 Other comprehensive income 6,310 39,097 5,837 Total X Financial shareholders' equity 3,976,896 4,361,366 651,135 Non-controlling interests - - - TOTAL EQUITY 3,976,896 4,361,366 651,135







TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 7,342,737 8,406,678 1,255,084

X Financial Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

















Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (In thousands, except for share and per share data) 2021 2022 2022

2021 2022 2022

RMB RMB USD

RMB RMB USD Net revenues













Loan facilitation service 694,711 471,531 70,398

1,386,934 980,234 146,345 Post-origination service 72,738 82,304 12,288

132,403 169,648 25,328 Financing income 149,006 234,756 35,048

280,458 466,031 69,577 Other revenue 15,912 35,747 5,337

38,921 96,780 14,449 Total net revenue 932,367 824,338 123,071

1,838,716 1,712,693 255,699















Operating costs and expenses:













Origination and servicing 520,874 533,062 79,584

1,093,376 997,561 148,932 General and administrative 44,037 41,144 6,143

86,571 86,489 12,912 Sales and marketing 5,547 4,567 682

10,072 9,225 1,377 Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets 25,228 25,715 3,839

42,482 51,771 7,729 (Reversal of) provision for loans receivable (1,093) 32,224 4,811

25,496 65,964 9,848 Reversal of provision for contingent guarantee liabilities (24) (14,000) (2,090)

(24) (14,000) (2,090) (Reversal of) provision for credit losses on deposits to institutional cooperators 78 7,803 1,165

(8,174) 8,534 1,274 Reversal of provision for credit losses for other financial assets - - -

- (765) (114) Total operating costs and expenses 594,647 630,515 94,134

1,249,799 1,204,779 179,868















Income from operations 337,720 193,823 28,937

588,917 507,914 75,831 Interest income (expense), net 7,278 1,691 252

9,608 2,718 406 Foreign exchange gain (loss) 3,768 (13,102) (1,956)

2,194 (12,146) (1,813) Loss from financial investments - (9,626) (1,437)

- (9,626) (1,437) Fair value adjustments related to Consolidated Trusts (7,729) (3,250) (485)

(7,678) (1,491) (223) Change in fair value of financial guarantee derivative (61,889) 44,758 6,682

(95,616) 24,625 3,676 Other income (loss), net 942 5,911 882

7,102 26,028 3,886















Income before income taxes and gain from equity in affiliates 280,090 220,205 32,875

504,527 538,022 80,326















Income tax expense (57,889) (42,243) (6,307)

(95,110) (223,278) (33,335) Gain from equity in affiliates, net of tax 1,243 7,738 1,155

3,227 10,888 1,626 Net income 223,444 185,700 27,723

412,644 325,632 48,617 Less: net income attributable to non-controlling interests - - -

- - - Net income attributable to X Financial shareholders 223,444 185,700 27,723

412,644 325,632 48,617















Net income 223,444 185,700 27,723

412,644 325,632 48,617 Other comprehensive income, net of tax of nil:













Gain (loss) from equity in affiliates - (142) (21)

- 70 10 Foreign currency translation adjustments (11,598) 35,801 5,345

(6,472) 32,717 4,885 Comprehensive income 211,846 221,359 33,047

406,172 358,419 53,502 Less: comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests - - -

- - - Comprehensive income attributable to X Financial shareholders 211,846 221,359 33,047

406,172 358,419 53,502















Net income per sharebasic 0.68 0.56 0.08

1.26 0.98 0.15 Net income per sharediluted 0.66 0.55 0.08

1.23 0.96 0.14















Net income per ADSbasic 4.08 3.36 0.50

7.56 5.88 0.88 Net income per ADSdiluted 3.96 3.30 0.49

7.38 5.76 0.86















Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstandingbasic 330,785,047 331,967,010 331,967,010

327,743,729 331,886,487 331,886,487 Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstandingdiluted 339,695,992 339,516,588 339,516,588

336,654,674 339,436,065 339,436,065

X Financial Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results

















Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (In thousands, except for share and per share data) 2021 2022 2022

2021 2022 2022

RMB RMB USD

RMB RMB USD GAAP net income 223,444 185,700 27,723

412,644 325,632 48,617 Less: Loss from financial investments (net of tax of nil) - (9,626) (1,437)

- (9,626) (1,437) Add: Share-based compensation expenses (net of tax of nil) 18,438 15,362 2,293

41,287 29,337 4,380 Non-GAAP adjusted net income 241,882 210,688 31,453

453,931 364,595 54,434















Non-GAAP adjusted net income per sharebasic 0.73 0.63 0.09

1.39 1.10 0.16 Non-GAAP adjusted net income per sharediluted 0.71 0.62 0.09

1.35 1.07 0.16















Non-GAAP adjusted net income per ADSbasic 4.38 3.78 0.56

8.34 6.60 0.99 Non-GAAP adjusted net income per ADSdiluted 4.26 3.72 0.56

8.10 6.42 0.96















Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstandingbasic 330,785,047 331,967,010 331,967,010

327,743,729 331,886,487 331,886,487 Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstandingdiluted 339,695,992 339,516,588 339,516,588

336,654,674 339,436,065 339,436,065

SOURCE X Financial
BEIJING, Aug. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022 Taihu Bay Future Healthcare Conference held Thursday in Wuxi City in east China's Jiangsu Province witnessed the launch of Wuxi Intellectual Property Protection Center with 52 biomedical projects contracted, involving a total of more than 30 billion yuan investment.

Photo shows 2022 Taihu Bay Future Healthcare Conference site

Biomedical industry is an important part of Wuxi's modern industrial system construction during the 14th Five-Year Plan(2021-2025) period. Its scale topped 140 billion yuan in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent, making Wuxi among the top 20 prefecture-level cities listed in China Biomedical Industry Barometer in 2021.

Besides the property protection center, six biomedical industrial parks were licensed and three biomedical public platforms were inaugurated at the conference, which are expected to inject impetus to the development of Wuxi's biomedical industry.

The city will strengthen and expand its industrial chain to build a 200-billion-yuan modern biomedical industrial cluster, said Du Xiaogang, Secretary of the Wuxi Municipal Party Committee of CPC.

The biomedical industry started early in Wuxi. With good foundation, it has developed a relatively comp industry chain covering chemical raw medicine production, preparation production, and pharmaceutical service outsourcing, and gathered 1,278 biomedical companies such as AstraZeneca and WuXi Biologics AppTech, showing strong clustering effect.

Aiming at building a world-class biomedical industry highland with distinctive characteristics, Wuxi not only issued a special policy tailored for the development of biomedical industrial parks, but also established a special fund for modern biomedical industry to reward breakthrough in the forward-looking technologies and innovation research. In 2021, Wuxi funded more than 32 million yuan for the science and technology development of 43 biomedical projects.

Multiple fund agreements were signed at the conference, including a biomedical fund of 5 billion yuan jointly established by Guolian Group, AstraZeneca, and China International Capital Corporation Limited.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/329376.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road
Aviva PLC (LSE:AV.) has offered a pro-rata payment to its lower paid workers to help with the rising cost of living, but trade union Unite says all workers should be paid a higher salary.

The life insurance giant will pay between 300 and 1,000 for employees earning up to 35,000 on a pro-rata basis.

But Unite has been pushing for salary hikes for all staff, regardless of hours worked.

Caren Evans, Unite national officer, commented: "The campaign to give urgent help to the lowest paid across Aviva has borne some results today.

But this doesnt go far enough and Unite will continue to press for the meaningful support the workforce deserves.

Aviva made 1.63bn in profits in 2021 and has announced a payment of 4.75bn back to shareholders, so Unite has no doubt that Aviva can afford to support its staff through the cost of living crisis.

Unite also on Friday successfully removed staff car parking charges at Aviva sites in Sheffield, York and Norwich. The unions ongoing campaign was aimed at saving workers roughly 500 a year.

Unite prides itself in advancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its workers and fights for members living standards, the trade union claimed.
Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE:DEC, OTCQX:DECPF) said it exited the first half of the financial year with a healthy balance sheet and strong liquidity.

To underline the point, the US oil and gas group upped its dividend 6% to 4.25 cents per share to pay out a total of US$72mln.

This was on the back of a 48% rise in underlying earnings (EBITDA) to US$224mln. It posted a net loss, which included US$1.2bn of non-cash items, of US$935mln.

While its net debt was US$1.1bn, Diversified completed US$970mln of asset-backed securitisation in the first six months at a blended rate of 5.3%. It has liquidity of US$469mln.

The free-cash-flow yield, meanwhile, was 22%.

Our balance sheet remains healthy as we continue into the second half of 2022 with ample liquidity, cash generation and financing capacity to fund further complementary growth opportunities, said chief executive Rusty Hutson.

Operationally, the group, which owns wells in Appalachia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, averaged record daily output of 136,000 barrels of oil equivalent and exited the period at 139,000 barrels.

It said it maintained an industry-leading consolidated corporate decline rate of around 8.5%.

The highly acquisitive group recently closed a US$60mln purchase and is in the process of buying assets worth US$240mln from ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP).

Turning to its environmental plans, Diversified said it had completed 90% of the upstream surveys reporting no detectable methane emissions from 49,000 wells. It also said it was around 40% through its aerial programme.

This progress is consistent with our 2022 target of around 5-10% methane emissions reduction and with our longer-term 2026, 2030 and 2040 targets, CEO Hutson said.
East Star Resources PLC (LSE:EST) was awarded a new exploration licence comprising 59 blocks at Talairyk 1 on the Talairyk heavy rare earth elements project in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan, into which the company is farming in for up to a 90% interest.

Talairyk 1 covers 134.7 square kilometres and is contiguous with the 10 square kilometre Talairyk licence.

Talairyk 1 is highly prospective for ionic adsorption clay-hosted heavy rare earth elements.

Talairyk 1 will be included in the farm-in agreement with Phoenix Mining announced on 18 May 2022, with East Star expenditure on Talairyk 1 also contributing towards the agreed earn-in milestones.

"Rare earth elements are classed by the UK as representing the highest global supply risk and the third highest UK economic vulnerability, said Alex Walker, chief executive of East Star Resources.

We are therefore very pleased to extend our heavy rare earth element footprint in the region by over tenfold and secure access to additional prospective ground for IAC-hosted minerals - the same geology as the rare earths of South China on which the world currently substantially depends. We will immediately begin the application process to commence field work so the exploration programme can align with that of the Talairyk deposit, where we aim to be drilling in the first half of next year.

The size of the Talairyk deposit is already significant and could provide the scale required for feasibility work.

Potentially economically extractible IACs are rarely found outside of South China with only a few in South East Asia in production today although there are exploration and development projects underway in Australia, Brazil, Chile and Uganda.

IAC deposits tend to require lower capex and opex as they are shallow and free dig clays, which are easy to process.
AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN) hailed as transformational a breast cancer treatment that has received a fast-track sign-off by the US Food & Drug Administration.

Enhertu, which AZ jointly developed with Japans Daiichi Sankyo, has been approved for use in women with the HER-2 form of the disease where the tumour cant be operated on or where the cancer has spread.

"The rapid approval of Enhertu in HER2-low metastatic breast cancer by the FDA underscores the urgency to bring this transformational medicine to patients as quickly as possible, Dave Fredrickson, vice-president of AZs oncology business.

Patients with HER2-low tumours, who are identified through existing HER2 testing methods, will now have the opportunity to be treated based upon their HER2 status."
Critical mineral supply issues are spreading around the globe, forcing countries to put policy and strategy into play to maximise domestic and international value.

The supply crunch, particularly with battery or energy metals, comes in unison with growing demand for the minerals needed to assist the worlds clean energy transition.

The gap between projected supply and projected demand by the end of the current decade, especially in cobalt and lithium, exacerbates the issue.

While we are not heading toward a Mad Max style breakdown of society due to lack of resource, to feed the need for supply, the world needs more resources and better strategies to manage them.

A recent study by KU Leuven University is case in point.

The study shows the European Unions Green Deal goal of climate neutrality by 2050 will require 35 times more lithium and seven to 26 times the amount of rare earth metals compared to Europes current use.

Further to this, 30% more aluminium will be required as well as 35% more copper, 45% more silicon, 100% more nickel and 330% more cobalt.

These are essential metals for the production of electric vehicles and batteries, renewable wind, solar and hydrogen energy technologies, as well as grid infrastructure.

The required numbers run high: about 4.5 million tonnes of aluminium, 1.5 million tonnes of copper, 800,000 tonnes of lithium, 400,000 tonnes of nickel, 300,000 tonnes of zinc, 200,000 tonnes of silicon, 60,000 tonnes of cobalt, and 3,000 tonnes of the rare earths metals neodymium, dysprosium and praseodymium are required above current levels representing an increase between 70 and 2,600% from current levels.

The report notes that "Europe faces critical shortfalls in the next 15 years without more mined and refined metals supplying the start of its clean energy system. Progressive steps will be needed to develop a long-term circular economy, which avoids a repeat of Europes current fossil fuel dependency.

Europes battery metals needs until 2050. (Graph by KU Leuven University).

What about the local scene

Back in May, Proactive journalist Phoebe Shields outlined the Australian Federal Governments 2022 Critical Minerals Strategy, designed to grow the critical minerals sector and place Australia at the centre of meeting the international demand for critical minerals.

Battery and energy minerals, including rare earth elements, will be critical to Australias economy moving forward.

The then Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said: Increasingly, demand for resources is expanding beyond traditional commodities such as iron ore and gold. The pace of technological development has been accelerating, and with it the demand for minerals critical to sectors including defence, aerospace, automotive, renewable energy, telecommunications and agritech.

The addition of two new minerals to Australias critical minerals list  high purity alumina and silicon  reflects the expanding significance of mineral inputs in strategic applications like semiconductors and electrification.

Australia has been blessed with extraordinary reserves of the critical minerals needed by these sectors. We produce around half the worlds lithium, are the second-largest producer of cobalt and the fourth-largest producer of rare earths. But we have the potential to do so much more.

The Australian Government is taking action to grow Australia into a critical minerals powerhouse, capitalising on the strength of our world-leading resources sector, expertise in processing and highly skilled workforce.

A quick look at cobalt and rare earths

Lithium stocks are much talked about in this transition and you can read about them here.

However, there is surging demand for cobalt, particularly in copper mine waste.

Australias governments are sending geologists into the countrys mining territories to scour mine waste for cobalt as the country continues to diversify from fossil fuels to become an exporter of clean energy minerals, such as cobalt, nickel and lithium.

The Queensland government recently sent geology professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox to Mt Isa to look at cobalt in copper waste. She found more than 200 times cobalts average presence in the earths crust  thats 7,000 parts of cobalt per million (ppm).

I nearly fell off my chair when I got that piece of data, she said, explaining that 300 ppm is enough to get miners excited. If youve got 7,000 ppm, thats pretty juicy. It was a eureka moment, she told The Financial Times.

Cobalt became the EV industry's largest end-use sector in 2021.

As for rare earths, the Russia/Ukraine war is currently disrupting the supply chain and new production has become critical.

Rare earths are key components of everything from solar panels to electric car batteries to defence equipment and much more.

Macro issues have meant prices are sluggish and weak downstream demand and insufficient orders weighed on the overall performance of the market in July.

However, the long-term outlook still remains positive.

The following discussion outlines the latest trends in rare earths.

In the spotlight: ASX Battery Metals/Energy stocks

Horizon Minerals

Horizon Minerals Ltd (ASX:HRZ)s key highlight for the quarter was the completion of the restructure and demerger of its 25% interest in the 1.8-billion-tonne Richmond vanadium project in northwest Queensland. Richmond Vanadium Technology (RVT) now owns 100% of the project with shares held by Horizon (25%) and the existing shareholders of RVT (75%). RVTs IPO process has now started. The move gave HRZ the freedom to continue with its exploration drilling with 8,879 metres completed at the Greater Boorara, Yarmany and Black Flag areas testing high priority multi-commodity targets.

The company raised a total of $6 million via placement and SPP and had $5.58 million in cash and $2.3 million in listed investments at the end of the June quarter.

Looking forward the company will continue its large-scale exploration program and release of further drilling results, advance the Cannon, Pennys Find and Rose Hill underground gold projects, progress the IPO and ASX listing of the Richmond Vanadium Project (RVP) and continue to pursue value-accretive consolidation and divestment opportunities.

First Graphene

First Graphene Ltd (ASX:FGR, OTCQB:FGPHF) delivered record Q4 revenue of around A$359,0001, closing FY22 with around A$723,0001 total revenue, which is 111% revenue growth against FY21. Its revenue performance was the highlight of the quarter, with the Q4 revenue breakdown consisting of 46% from Composites and Plastics, 31% from Cement/Concrete, 12% across Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants and Elastomers (CASE), and 11% in Energy Storage and other revenue streams. Forward-looking orders received for fulfilment within FY23 totalling around A$160,000.

A further milestone was the joint development agreement (JDA) with Greatcell Energy Limited to advance the development of graphene-enhanced solar cells.

First Graphenes contract with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in Manchester has been extended by an additional 12 months beyond the end of the initial lease period. This enables the company to continue its focus on R&D support for commercial teams and development of energy storage applications. The new lease period runs until 31 March 2023.

American Rare Earths

American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR) found consistent high-grade mineralisation at Halleck Creek Project, averaging 4,252 ppm Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) from surface. This remains open at depth.

The Le Paz Project has demonstrated significant resource upside, with the company now accelerating its exploration plans to expand and upgrade the current JORC 2021 resources at La Paz after receiving highly promising assay results from recent exploration drilling in the Southwest area.

One key highlight was ARRs US subsidiary, Western Rare Earths, becoming the sole industry member of a consortium led by federal research facility Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

The company is well funded to deliver on its objectives and as of June 30 has a cash position of A$6.32 million.

Looking forward, drilling permits have been submitted with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for the Halleck Creek Project. This drill campaign will be conducted, with the intention to define a JORC resource at the Halleck Creek Project as soon as feasible. Drill permit approvals are expected in the coming quarter, with a campaign start date announced soon after.

Technology Metals Australia

Technology Metals Australia Ltd (ASX:TMT) received outstanding results from roast-leach testwork undertaken on Yarrabubba material as part of the Integration Study for the Murchison Technology Metals Project (MTMP).

The company also received Notice to Proceed with front end engineering and design (FEED) services on the key roasting kiln section of the MTMP processing plant issued to leading kiln supplier, Danish company FLSmidth.

An early works agreement has been executed with APA Operations Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Group (ASX:APA) Ltd for the proposed Gabanintha Gas Pipeline. The implementation phase of the MTMP has started with TMT targeting a decision to develop for MTMP by the end of 2022.

A feasibility study on production of vanadium electrolyte in Australia is underway with support from LE System under an extension of the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

As at June 30, the company had cash of $18.6 million.

Australian Vanadium

Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) released a BFS for its namesake project. The bankable feasibility study released confirms AVLs Australian Vanadium Project as a potential globally significant primary vanadium producer. Another major highlight involving the project was the receipt of a third letter of intent for iron titanium coproduct offtake sales signed with Chinese steel producer Rizhao Steel.

The company also has an MOU with NHCE for energy market vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) project development and its trial with Water Corporation VRFB is underway for water purification and pumping applications.

At its Coates Nickel-Copper-PGE Project, first stage drilling has been completed to provide a stratigraphic section as part of WA Government EIS and CSIRO programs. Sampling assay and interpretation is now underway.

During the quarter the company raised $20.57 million and had $26.45 million in the bank at June 30.

International Graphite

International Graphite Ltd (ASX:IG6) listed on the ASX on 7 April 2022 and at June 30 had $8.9 million in cash.

In the past three months we have experienced significant momentum as we work to lay the foundations for our future graphite operations at Springdale and Collie. The worlds rapidly expanding focus on decarbonisation, and the critical need to plan for an expected shortage of battery materials, provides enormous opportunity, IG6 CEO Phil Hearse said of the quarter.

A maiden drilling program began in June with two drilling rigs mobilising to IG6s Springdale tenements.

The 7,100-metre reverse circulation (RC) and PQ/HQ diamond drilling program, comprising a total of 54 RC drillholes (3,300m) and 12 diamond holes (900 metres), will infill the existing Springdale resource, provide additional samples for ongoing metallurgical testwork, and data for initial geotechnical assessments and mine planning. In addition, 37 RC holes (3,000 metres) will be drilled to test a number of high priority exploration targets.

Accelerate Resources

Accelerate Resources Ltd (ASX:AX8) consolidated its position within the highly prospective Woodie Woodie North Manganese Corridor in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia. The company began its phase one maiden drilling program at Woodie Woodie North and an initial seven priority drill targets within the 33-kilometre corridor are being tested.

Historical metallurgical results from E45/5978 (Barramine) indicate manganese ore can be upgraded to 48% manganese, yielding a premium manganese concentrate.

Further to this, recent surface sample results from Braeside West indicate direct ship ore (DSO) potential with an average lump and fine grade of 41.4% manganese and 13.6% iron.

Finally, Accelerate and Vytas Resources delivered a maiden resource for the Tambellup Kaolin Project in the south-west of Western Australia.

Altech Chemicals

Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX:ATC) announced outstanding results from a Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) for the development of a 10,000-tonne-per-annum silicon/graphite alumina coating plant, in Saxony, Germany.

The plant would be constructed by Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG) and would produce high capacity silicon/graphite battery anode TM materials Silumina Anodes under exclusive licence from TM Altech.

Silumina Anodes products are targeted to supply the burgeoning European electric vehicle market.

With a capital investment of US$95 million, the company estimates a project net present value of US$507 million (NPV8), with net cash of US$63 million per annum generated from operations. The internal rate of return is estimated at 40%, with investment capital paid back in approximately 3.1 years. Total annual revenue at the 10,000-tonnes-per-annum full rate of production is estimated at US$185 million per annum.

Managing director Iggy Tan said: While Altech's top priority continues to be financing its Johor HPA project, the TM Silumina Anodes project represents an exciting downstream opportunity to utilise its HPA coating technology in silicon/graphite battery materials. We are pleased and excited about the results of the 10,000-tonne-per-annum Silumina Anodes PFS.

"Due to the attractive economics of the study, a decision has been made by the AIG board to immediately progress to a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the project. AIG has already purchased land in Germany suitable for the project, and the plan is for the AIG team in Saxony to immediately commence TM DFS work. We believe that the production of Silumina Anodes materials could be a game changing technology for the lithium-ion battery industry.
Strickland Metals Ltd (ASX:STK) has discovered a new polymetallic prospect with high manganese content, dubbed Malecite, at its 80%-owned Earaheedy Project in Western Australia.

The company defined Malecite with rock chip samples taken from an outcropping gossan with returned peak results of 7.3% lead, 0.5% copper, 4.8 g/t silver, 0.4% zinc and 25% manganese.

STK also conducted induced polarisation (IP) surveying, which highlighted a 400-metre-wide chargeability and gravity anomaly below the outcropping gossan at Malecite, as well as another chargeability anomaly associated with a feeder structure at Iroquois.

Strickland has also identified several more lookalike geophysical anomalies near both Iroquois and Malecite, none of which have been tested by drilling.

Promising geochemical anomalies

A very exciting story is continuing to unfold at our Earaheedy project, Strickland Metals CEO Andrew Bray said.

Strickland has continued to steadily advance the project while undertaking substantial drill programs at its flagship Millrose gold project.

Further soil sampling, rock chip sampling and geophysics work has occurred at the Earaheedy project in recent weeks and months.

After promising initial results from a soil sampling program, subsequent geological mapping has identified outcropping base metal gossan.

Results from this confirm that the zinc and lead is associated with copper, antimony, cadmium, silver, and bismuth, typical of basin base metal mineralisation. This new prospect has been named Malecite.

Subsequent IP surveying was undertaken during the last fortnight, which has highlighted chargeability anomalies associated with both Iroquois and Malecite, as well as the feeder structures to the mineralisation.

These coherent structures and promising geochemical anomalies will all be drill tested following native title heritage clearance.

Apart from the expected native title clearance, Strickland is also waiting on gold assays from its flagship Millrose Gold Project in the Yandal Greenstone Belt of Western Australia, expected within three weeks.
South Harz Potash Ltd (ASX:SHP) has released a scoping study for the Ohmgebirge deposit, which forms part of its flagship, namesake potash development in Germany.

The key study considers an underground mining operation at the potash hub, which will use conventional methods to produce around 1 million tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP) every year, predominantly destined for European fertiliser markets.

The SHP board has already greenlit the move to a pre-feasibility study (PFS), which is slated for completion late next year.

While the PFS will consider the 1-million-tonne production scenario, South Harz will also look into a two-phase alternative with a lower peak financing requirement.

In the meantime, work on environmental and social impact assessments, as well as permitting activity, will accompany the next stage of technical feasibility work as SHP moves to expedite Ohmgebirges development.

Highlight reel

South Harz plans to process 4.5 million tonnes of ore every year at Ohmgebirge over an initial 21-year mine life, generating a 26.6% internal rate of return and a US$1.28 billion post-tax net present value at an 8% discount.

As it gets the project ready to go, the potash stock is preparing to pay in the order of $589 million to $651 million to cover pre-production capital costs.

In this context, South Harz forecasts the development capital required will fall comfortably below the current average set by similar-sized operations.

Whats more, the company believes its proximity to the European market offers huge cost and carbon footprint advantages compared to other suppliers.

In addition, there are a range of potential funding pathways given the projects scale, projected economics and strategic location.

Some more key metrics from the scoping study are outlined below:

Seminal moment

South Harz executive chairman Ian Farmer said the company was delighted to have completed the Ohmgebirge scoping study.

It is a seminal moment for the company and the South Harz region as a whole as we demonstrate the latent commercial and social potential that this asset, and the broader South Harz Project, offers, Farmer explained.

This is the first time that the potash mining opportunities in the district, with its long, and sometimes tumultuous, history in mining have been evaluated based on modern, internationally recognised standards and procedures.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all South Harz personnel and consultants for their contribution to this preliminary, but robust, technical and economic evaluation."

Environmental stewardship is key

Ohmgebirge is a relatively shallow, thick potash deposit in a region rich with infrastructure and potash mining history.

This means that the mining methods SHP elects to adopt have a proven track record in the district, mitigating some of the risks tied to project development.

However, SHP is also eager to keep the potash project green by committing to zero water discharges, which have historically been a defining feature of the industry.

Ohmgebirge is also expected to draw from grid power  half of which comes from renewable energy sources in Germany.

Farmer continued: At South Harz, we have a deep commitment to developing Ohmgebirge in a responsible and sustainable fashion.

Without a social licence to operate, a natural resources business has nothing. We seek to advance Ohmgebirge and the South Harz Project in a way that never loses sight of this fundamental truth.

Our local community engagement is already strong and our focus on environmental stewardship is unwavering.
Frontier Energy Ltd (ASX:FHE) has appointed Amanda Reid as non-executive director.

FHE will gain enormous experience in government relations, having advised a wide cross-section of companies and organisations for more than 15 years for two national government relations and corporate communications firms.

Reid spent five years as a Partner at GRA Partners. She was also a senior adviser in previous West Australian State Governments with responsibility for managing a strategic communications unit.

She has held non-executive board positions across both private companies and not-for-profit organisations and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Amanda brings significant experience in government relations and corporate communications which strongly complements our current Board. I look forward to working with Amanda as the Company progresses its strategically important Bristol Springs Project, executive chairman Grant Davey said.
Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX:AGE) has kicked off an airborne gravity survey over its Nabarlek North Uranium Project in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province (ARUP) in the Northern Territory.

This gravity survey will be followed by an auger and rotary air blast (RAB) drilling program for which all necessary approvals are in place.

Xcalibur will conduct the survey on Alligators behalf over a large portion of the Nabarlek North package of tenements in Arnhem Land, targeting key structural and geological controls.

Whats more, the information gained from this work, combined with the airborne gravity results, will inform the targeting of a deeper reverse circulation drill testing program.

Highest-grade uranium

Alligator CEO Greg Hall said: The Alligator Rivers Uranium Province remains an important primary exploration area for Alligator Energy and is the region with the highest-grade uranium in Australia.

Alligator has previously defined a small, high-grade resource at Caramal, along with numerous mineralised intersections at its Tin Camp Creek and Beatrice projects.

The gravity survey followed by auger and RAB drilling will be our first work program on the Nabarlek North Project, which is in a region where the overlying Kombolgie sandstone is shallow, or weathered away, and hence is extremely attractive for exploration of high-grade uranium.

Gravity survey

The gravity survey will be flown by the Xcalibur Group, using the Falcon Plus system and purpose-built airborne gravity gradiometer (AGG) towed by a fixed-wing light aircraft.

Falcon Plus is recognised as the lowest noise extraneous AGG system commercially available and will ensure the best possible data capture.

The company has opted for 100-metre line spacing to maximise data resolution and clarify targeted structures, and the survey will be flown from east to west, perpendicular to anticipated structural and geological features.

Approvals in place

The Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade has approved Alligators proposed auger and RAB drilling programs at the project.

Traditional Owners at a Northern Land Council-facilitated work program meeting approved the work program, paving the way for the airborne gravity survey and regional auger and RAB follow-up drilling.

Hall added: "The extensive work and engagement undertaken by Alligator in Arnhem Land in previous years has contributed to our successful and important agreement over the Nabarlek North Project with the Traditional Owners.

As previously advised, Alligator and the Traditional Owners successfully concluded this agreement just as Covid was impacting, and hence we have been unable to get onto the ground until this year.

As advised in the above February 2020 release, in a first for Alligator Energy and the Traditional Owners, the exploration agreement allows for a one-off option for the Traditional Owners to acquire a 25% direct ownership in a potentially economic uranium resource project (if found), in exchange for a reduction in certain production-related royalties and payments.

This option arises at the time a feasibility report is finalised in relation to a proposed mining right application.

"Alligator looks forward to advancing our exploration work in this very prospective area, and again working with the regions Traditional Owners through employment and support opportunities, which we have tried to maintain as best we could during the necessary Covid restrictions in Arnhem Land.
Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX:ATC) is continuing efforts to close project financing goals for its high-purity alumina project in Malaysia.

The companys secondary project finance initiatives include the US$144 million green bond offer and the US$100 million project-level equity funding for the project.

In Europe, Altech has received continued support for the project and its commitment to the senior loan facility of US$190 million from German government-owned KfW IPEX-Bank.

Further, Euler Hermes, the German government export credit agency, has renewed the US$170 million export credit cover for the KfW IPEX-Bank senior loan facility.

Looking ahead, while headwinds in the current equity and financial markets are challenging, management remains committed to the project finance process, and a positive project finance outcome.

Project progress

Altechs long-standing strategic engineering partner and metallurgical consultant SMS group GmbH are contracted to construct the Malaysian HPA plant.

The company continues to work with London-based structuring agent Bedford Row Capital Plc and Perth-based Bluemount Capital (WA) Pty Ltd to finalise a US$144 million green bond offering.

In parallel with the bond offering, Altech is continuing with its endeavours to secure commitments for a project equity investment of US$100 million.

US-based global investment bank DelMorgan & Co has advanced several leads and potential investors in relation to the funding, and presentations by Altech and detailed discussions with interested parties continue.

In Malaysia, the HPA plant site within the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex remains in sound condition.

The company has conducted regular site maintenance work and permanent site security is in place. The maintenance workshop, electrical substation and stormwater management infrastructure remain in as-constructed condition.
The ASX defied expectations today.

The S&P/ASX200 is up just 5.00 points today to 7,020.60. Over the last five days, the index has gained 0.39%, but is down 5.70% for the last year to date.

The top performing stocks in this index are Oz Minerals Ltd up 35.25% and Appen Ltd up 13.18%.

Oz Minerals was the story of the day after BHP Group Ltd (LSE:BHP, ASX:BHP) made a $8.4 billion takeover bid at $25 per share.

BHP is looking to broaden its exposure to copper as it looks to speed up its energy transition, with CEO Mike Henry looking to turn the Olympic Dam into a globally relevant mining province.

Despite both companies' ambitions and Oz Minerals need for scale, the smaller company rejected the offer.

Henry was disappointed in the rejection saying the OZ board is not willing to entertain our compelling offer or provide us with access to due diligence in relation to our proposal.

Our proposal represents compelling value and certainty for OZ Minerals shareholders in the face of a deteriorating external environment and increased OZ operational and growth-related funding challenges.

OZ Minerals managing director and CEO Andrew Cole said: We have a unique set of copper and nickel assets, all with strong long-term growth potential in quality locations. We are mining minerals that are in strong demand particularly for the global electrification and decarbonisation thematic and we have a long-life resource and reserve base. We do not consider the proposal from BHP sufficiently recognises these attributes.

In coming to its decision, the board considered that the indicative proposal does not adequately compensate shareholders for:

the unique nature of OZ Minerals core business, which represents a high-quality portfolio of copper and nickel assets, located in a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction with long mine lives, first-quartile cost positioning and extensive strategic optionality;

the unique investment proposition which OZ Minerals provides as the only primary copper company in the ASX100;

the low carbon intensity of OZ Minerals assets relative to its peers with a defined and market leading plan for further decarbonisation to meet a target of net zero Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions by 2030;

the high-quality nature of OZ Minerals growth projects which include the West Musgrave Project (FID scheduled for H2 2022), the Carrapateena Block Cave and the Prominent Hill Extension which together are expected to generate significant production growth over the next five years;

the strong long-term outlook for both the copper and nickel markets underpinned by increasing geological scarcity, global electrification and accelerating decarbonisation, to which OZ Minerals is highly leveraged; and

the strong and consistent returns that the OZ Minerals management team has delivered with a total shareholder return of ~145% over the past five years.

The board also said the offer did not take into account the vast operational synergies.

In the news today

What the analysts say about BHP's move

The BHP offer saw Ord Minnett's Dylan Kelly upgrade OZ Minerals to 'compelling', with the price target raised to $27.40 from $16 as while BHP's offer "overvalues OZL, we see the $25/share offer as a new price floor that could increase in a drawn-out sale process.

"Compared to our previous discounted cash flow valuation of about $21 a share, it would appear BHP is overpaying relative to its fundamentals," Kelly said.

But OZL is now in play from an M&A perspective.

Analysts were divided on the value of the deal.

J.P. Morgan analyst Lyndon Fagan is "underwhelmed", saying BHP "could have got the assets for much less a few years ago.

"Prior to 2020, OZL consistently traded below $12 a share versus the $25 bid today," Fagan said.

"In recent years, a raft of project studies from OZL had led the market to ascribe significant value to the project pipeline, something which BHP could have argued was upside previously."

The uplift for BHP would be an aggressive push on the Carra block cave, and fast tracking the West Musgrave project.

Fagans forecasts show OZ Minerals could provide BHP a 10% earning boost by FY28, while with the US$5.8 billion bid represents about 4% of BHPs market capitalisation.

Fagan said his 2HFY22 dividend payout ratio of 70 per cent for BHP "may be optimistic now, with the Board likely to hang on to the cash for M&A."

He said the bid "highlights the shortage of global copper assets and is potentially bullish for the sector in general given the recent sell-off."

However, while it "does make strategic sense" Fagan is "surprised how late BHP has left it to bid for OZL."

RBC's Kaan Peker has called BHP's offer "compelling", noting it aligns with BHPs strategy of increasing exposure toward future facing commodities.

"Given the recent copper price weakness, and large capex burden, there were concerns around whether OZL would be able to self-fund the West Musgrave development without putting undue pressure on the balance-sheet," Peker said.

"The key risk for OZL shareholders is whether BHP remains disciplined, as we somewhat saw with the Noront transaction."

Heres a look at some of the top small cap stories of the day

Altech Chemicals closes in on project financing for Malaysian high purity alumina project

Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX:ATC) is continuing efforts to close project financing goals for its high-purity alumina project in Malaysia.

Read more

Nova Minerals shares rise after high-grade hits of up to 24.7 g/t gold at RPM North Deposit

Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX:NVA, OTCQB:NVAAF)s shares surged 12.36% intra-day to $1 and was last trading at $0.94, or 5.62% higher after its latest high grade gold results.

Read more

Andromeda Metals signs second offtake agreement in a week

This agreement with a multi-generational leading Japanese porcelain producer a yet another significant milestone for Andromeda and the Great White Kaolin Project," said Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX:ADN)s managing director James Marsh.

Read more

Imugene showcases new PD1-Vaxx data at World Conference on Lung Cancer

Four patients were in Imugenes 10-microgram dose cohort, and one patient achieved a complete response, meaning all signs of cancer disappeared in response to the treatment.

Read more

PolarX undertakes further sampling after recent bonanza gold and silver hits at Black Canyon in the US

PolarX Ltd (ASX:PXX) is currently cutting multiple continuous channel samples to test highly prospective outcropping mineralised vein systems at the Golden Staircase target.

Read more

On your six

While it is unlikely the world will revert to George Millers version of a Mad Max style future, it does need to address supply/demand issues with critical resources and some Aussie companies can help.

Battery and energy metals stocks becoming more critical as demand increases and supply falls

Critical mineral supply issues are spreading around the globe, forcing countries to put policy and strategy into play to maximise domestic and international value.

Read more

The one for good luck

Summit Minerals lists on ASX as it advances portfolio of essential critical minerals

Summit Minerals Ltd (ASX:SUM) executive director Jonathan King gives Proactives Andrew Scott an introduction to the critical minerals company and its debut on the ASX last week.

Watch
An acute labour shortage has forced Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) to ask senior executives to work as baggage handlers for three months.

Approximately 100 volunteers are needed to serve at airports in Sydney and Melbourne - with the job involving loading and unloading luggage as well as moving baggage around airports.

As borders reopen, the Australian airline is struggling to resume its services.

"The high levels of winter flu and a Covid spike across the community, coupled with the ongoing tight labour market, make resourcing a challenge across our industry," Qantas' chief operating officer Colin Hughes told the BBC.

Managers and executives will need to work four or six hour shifts a day in baggage handling roles, three or five days a week, and should also be able to carry suitcases weighing up to 32kg.

"We've been clear that our operational performance has not been meeting our customers' expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves - and that we've been pulling out all stops to improve our performance," a Qantas spokesperson told the BBC.

"As we have done in the past during busy periods, around 200 head office staff have helped at airports during peak travel periods since Easter."

During the pandemic, many countries closed their borders, grounding planes, including Qantas, with many airlines laying off ground staff.

Covid travel restrictions in Australia were among the strictest in the world, with controls only lifted in November 2021.
The Indian regulators have been coming down hard on crypto companies in recent months

WazirX, Indias largest cryptocurrency exchange, is in hot water.

On Friday August 5, Indias economic crime unit the Enforcement Directorate issued a freezing order on the platforms INR 64.67 Crore (US$8.1mln) of assets while it conducts an investigation into money laundering and predatory lending practices within the company.

The criminal investigation is part of a wider ED probe into Indias fintech sector, and will likely be seen as another belligerent move by the highly crypto-sceptic Modi government.

But amid WazirXs regulatory woes, a spat has broken out between WazirXs developer Zanmai Labs and the worlds largest crypto exchange Binance.

In a move likely intended to deflect responsibility for any of the accusations being lobbed at WazirX by the ED, Binance has sought to distance itself from the exchange, despite evidence that Binance is, in fact, the ultimate owner.

That old court of public opinion Twitter has erupted into debate, with some criticising Binances CEO Changpeng CZ Zhaos denial of ownership of the exchange, despite evidence to the contrary.

Who owns WazirX?

People arent just plucking this out of thin air; CZ has gone on record calling WazirX Binance-owned in the past.

 Binance-owned Indian crypto exchange WazirX crosses $200m in daily trading volume; eyes $1b in 2021 - The Financial Express https://t.co/t3GD7UwvYt  CZ ???? Binance (@cz_binance) April 5, 2021

As far back as November 2019, CZ stated via a blog post: The acquisition of WazirX shows our commitment and dedication to the Indian people and strengthen the blockchain ecosystem in India as well as another step forward in achieving the freedom of money.

But that blog post has now been updated with the following: We would like to clarify that the 2019 'acquisition described in this blog was limited to an agreement to purchase certain assets and intellectual property of WazirX. Binance did not purchase any equity (and does not own any equity) in Zanmai Labs, the entity operating WazirX and established by the original founders.

This suggests that while Binance has some controlling interest in the WazirX platform, it has no ownership of the platforms original developer Zanmai Labs.

According to Crunchbase, Binance owns WazirX, and has done since November 21, 2019.

WazirX was seemingly purchased by Binance in November 2019  Source: Crunchbase

But CZ threw a spanner in the works by stating on August 5 that the WazirX transaction actually didnt go through.

2/ On 21 Nov 2019, Binance published a blog post that it had acquired WazirX. This transaction was never completed. Binance has never - at any point - owned any shares of Zanmai Labs, the entity operating WazirX.  CZ ???? Binance (@cz_binance) August 5, 2022

CZ continued: Binance only provides wallet services for WazirX as a tech solution. There is also integration using off-chain tx (transactions), to save on network fees. WazirX is responsible for all other aspects of the WazirX exchange, including user sign-up, KYC, trading and initiating withdrawals.

WazirXs user agreement seems to corroborate this, stating: Zanmai enables Users to trade with each other in trading pairs involving Indian Rupees (INR) on the one hand, and

Supported Cryptocurrency on the other hand (eg. INR-BTC, INR-ETH). Such enabling of trades is on a non-P2P basis only (as P2P transactions are offered and operated by Binance).

The user agreement also suggests that Binance controls the WazirX crypto wallet; that makes sense, since CZ warned that he could disable these wallets if he wanted to (though he said he'd prefer not to).

Judging by the heated Twitter spat between the two parties, both seem to be in agreement that each party is responsible for certain functions of the WazirX exchange, while Binance has zero controlling interest in Zanmai Labs.

Binance CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao and the WazirX team in less-acrimonious times  Source: The Block Crypto

Control over WazirX, however, is another story; CZ stated on Saturday: We (Binance) asked for transferring of WazirX system source code, deployment, operations, as recently as Feb this year. This was refused by WazirX. Binance do NOT have control on their systems."

However, CZ also stated that We can shut down the domain, which Zanmai co-owner Nischal Shetty said proves that Binance has control over the system.

Still confused?

So am I, but maybe thats the whole point.

In an August 5 press release issued by the Indian Enforcement Directorate regarding the money laundering and predatory lending accusations, the ED had this to say (edited for clarity):

Zanmai Labs  the company owning WazirX Crypto Exchange  has created a web of agreements with Crowdfire, Binance and Zettai to obscure the ownership of the crypto exchange, adding: They are giving contradictory and ambiguous answers to evade oversight by Indian regulatory agencies."

The statement also alleges that Shetty misled the ED on the exact partnership structure with Binance.

Perhaps Sam Bankman-Fried could just offer a few billion for the platform and everyone can move on.

Comments are pending from Binance; Nischal Shetty has been approached for comment.


Bernard Wang joins Greenrose as the company's new chief financial officer following the resignation of its former CFO, Scott Cohen, on July 14, 2022

The Greenrose Holding Company (OTCQX:GNRS) Inc has announced two new appointments to its executive team and board of directors, effective August 2022.

It said Bernard Wang has been appointed as the company's new chief financial officer, effective August 8, 2022, and Benjamin Rose has been appointed to the company's board of directors, effective August 1, 2022.

"We are proud to welcome two finance and cannabis industry veterans to our leadership team as we further establish Greenrose as a growing multi-state operator," said Mickey Harley, CEO of Greenrose in a statement.

"We believe Bernard and Ben's appointments help strengthen our leadership team and add valuable cannabis expertise, as we continue ramping our operations in Arizona and Connecticut and pursue additional expansion opportunities. We look forward to leveraging their expertise to deepen our current market footprint and improve our foundation for long-term growth," he added.

Wang joins Greenrose as the company's new chief financial officer following the resignation of its former CFO, Scott Cohen, on July 14, 2022. Wang is a senior finance and accounting professional with over 25 years of experience and a track record in helping both public and private companies improve their internal controls, accounting processes, and capital raising initiatives.

Prior to joining Greenrose, Wang served as the interim corporate controller and director of accounting at Fat Brands Inc, where he led multiple projects to improve corporate reporting processes. He previously served as the corporate controller and vice president of finance at Canndescent, a California-based luxury cannabis flower brand company.

The company noted that Wang has also held various senior finance roles at Sony New Media Solutions, Vubiquity Inc, and InterAmerican Motor Corporation. He received his BA in Economics and BS in Accounting from California State University, Northridge - School of Business Administration and Economics, and he is an active member of the California Board of Accountancy, California Society of CPAs, and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Greenrose CEO Harley commented: "With Bernard's strong public company, reporting, and cannabis industry expertise, we believe that his leadership will help us strengthen our financial controls and make continued progress on our growth objectives. We would like to thank Scott Cohen for his contributions to Greenrose during his time as CFO, and we look forward to working alongside Bernard on our executive team."

Appointment of Benjamin Rose

Greenrose noted that Benjamin Rose, appointed to its board of directors, has over 25 years of experience in the investment industry and brings extensive expertise with helping cannabis companies raise capital and enhance their operational foundation for growth.

He is the founder and managing partner of Boundary Peak Advisors LLC, a cannabis-focused investment and advisory firm. Through his role at Boundary Peak, Rose helped facilitate Greenrose's $105 million senior secured credit facility from DXR Finance, LLC to assist in the completion of the company's qualifying transaction with Theraplant. He also served as chairman of the board for MedMen, where he spearheaded several restructuring and governance improvements, as well as facilitated a backstopped $100 million equity private placement led by Serruya Private Equity.

Prior to Boundary Peak, Rose founded and served as the chief investment officer for Wicklow Capital, where he focused on venture investments in seed to late-stage companies across various emerging industries, such as cannabis, technology, and cryptocurrency. He has also served as a portfolio manager at Balyasny Asset Management and held various trading roles at Blue Ridge Capital, Tiger Management, and Goldman Sachs. Rose earned his BA in Economics from Harvard College, where he graduated with honors.

Greenrose CEO Harley concluded: "Ben brings a seasoned perspective to our board as we navigate our early days as a public multi-state cannabis operator. We look forward to leveraging his expertise in our continued efforts to improve our capital and operational efficiency."

The Greenrose Holding Company is a multi-state cultivator and producer of cannabis brands and products. It is driven by cultivation. It is understood that being a leader in the cannabis industry starts with outstanding flower derived from sophisticated genetics and scalable grow methods. Greenrose aims to be a vertically integrated company that looks for scale and horizontal consolidation.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
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Tata Motors Limited (NYSE:TTM) is to buy Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) (Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F))'s manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India for 75.34mln, in a bid to ramp up production.

The deal gives the Indian headquartered global automobile manufacturer an additional 300,000 units of production capacity, expandable to 420,000 units per year.

With its manufacturing capacity nearing saturation, Tata Motors said the acquisition is timely and a win-win for all parties.

A unit transfer agreement has been signed by Ford and the Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML) subsidiary, that includes the transfer of all eligible Ford India employees at the Sanand, Gujarat plant.

As the unit is adjacent to TPEML's existing manufacturing facility at Sanand, a smooth transition should be possible, the companies said in a statement.

TPEML will invest in reconfiguring the plant to fit Tata Motors' existing and future vehicle platforms.

A tripartite agreement was signed between the Gujarat government, TPEML and Ford India Private Limited (FIPL) on May 30, 2022, to support all necessary approvals.

FIPL will continue to operate its power train manufacturing facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the plant from TPEML on mutually agreed terms.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) transformation officer Steve Armstrong said in a statement the announcement represents an important step in Ford's ongoing business restructuring in India.

Last September, Ford India said it would cease vehicle production at two of its plants in the country.
AMPD Ventures Inc (CSE:AMPD, OTCQB:AMPDF) CEO Anthony Brown joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with a preview of an Investor Update Reception on Thursday, August 11, 2022, where the company will celebrate the launch of Departure Lounges 6,000 sq. ft. studio in Vancouver.

Brown telling Proactive that AMPD and its subsidiaries - Departure Lounge and AMPD Technologies - will also provide information sessions and demos of cutting-edge technologies as they network with investors.

Doors open at 6 pm PST, with presentations beginning at 7 pm and Proactive viewers can register here using the special promo code PROACTIVE.
HighGold said current exploration plans for the Timmins projects include low-cost field surveys designed to develop and refine drill targets

HighGold Mining Inc (TSX-V:HIGH, OTCQX:HGGOF) has announced the expansion of the company's Timmins regional land holdings and provided an exploration update on the Timmins properties.

HighGold said recent claim staking and acquisition have expanded the company's commanding land position by 25% to 335 square kilometers (km).

"This acquisition builds on HighGold's vision of creating one of the most dominant land positions in the Timmins gold camp," said HighGold CEO Darwin Green in a statement.

"Our focus is underexplored portions of this world-class gold environment underpinned by high-potential geology. The Timmins assets provide shareholders with exposure to low-cost greenfield exploration in the shadow of headframes that is complimentary to the company's flagship Johnson Tract high-grade gold project, Alaska," he added.

The company said the new acquisition consists of 255 strategically located mining claims covering 56 square km (22 square miles) in the heart of the Timmins gold camp that ties onto the company's existing Timmins South mining claims and borders Newmont's Dome mine property situated 7 km to the northwest.

The Timmins South property includes several well-known high-grade gold occurrences. At the Bay Lake gold showing, a 12-meter (m) shaft was sunk in the 1930s on a 1.37m wide quartz vein which returned composite samples of 150.8 grams per ton (g/t) gold (Au), 43.2 g/t Au and 35.17 g/t Au and historical grab samples of 766.2 g/t Au and 229.7 g/t Au.

Additional mining claims have also been staked and acquired by the company that expand its Golden Mile and Munro-Croesus properties. The claim staking and acquisitions are part of HighGold's multi-year effort to consolidate large, underexplored sections of the greater Timmins gold camp with favourable geology for hosting gold mineralization.

HighGold, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into an agreement of purchase and sale with an arm's length vendor to acquire the property. In consideration of the acquisition, and subject to TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) acceptance, the company has agreed to make a cash payment of C$80,000 to the vendor and to issue 160,000 common shares with half the cash payment and consideration shares payable on signing and half payable on the first anniversary. Under the agreement, the acquired property is subject to a net smelter returns royalty (NSR) in favour of the vendor, a portion of which may be bought back by the company.

Timmins current exploration

HighGold said current exploration plans for the Timmins projects include low-cost field surveys designed to develop and refine drill targets. The company is taking a disciplined approach to capital allocation under the current market conditions, with the objective of meaningfully advancing the understanding of prospects in preparation for drilling at a future date.

Fieldwork has included geological mapping, prospecting, and rock sampling at the Munro-Croesus and Timmins South projects. Emphasis has been on prospects with known historical exploration shafts and prospective stratigraphy and the discoveries made during the winter Munro Croesus drilling program.

Modeling, inversion, and interpretation of data is ongoing for a 63-line kilometer (km) DCIP ground geophysical survey completed at Munro-Croesus during the winter. Preliminary results highlight multiple chargeability and resistivity anomalies that warrant follow-up work, including chargeability highs that are coincident with, and along trend from, the new Argus Zone.

At the company's Golden Mile project, an 85-line km overwater seismic survey was recently completed on Frederickhouse Lake to map the depth of the sediment and bedrock to aid drill planning and interpretation of bedrock geology and structures. Frederickhouse Lake is a large, shallow (2m-4m deep on average) man-made lake covering prospective geology at the intersection of the Pipestone Fault and the Timmins Mine trend. Drilling can be conducted by barge in summer or by ice in winter.

The 2022 Winter Drill Program at Munro-Croesus was completed in early April 2022, with a total of 7,401 meters drilled in 33 holes. Highlights include the discovery of near-surface bulk tonnage style gold mineralization at the new Argus Zone and the intersection of new high-grade quartz veins near the historic Croesus Gold Mine.

The company noted these discoveries are a 'proof of concept' of its geological and structural models which highlight the potential for the Croesus Vein system to continue to the northeast along a major regional structure, and also that the prospective Croesus Flow could host multiple analogues to the Croesus Vein along strike.

The company said it has received all final assay results from the remaining 19 holes from the 2022 Munro-Croesus Winter Drill Program with encouraging results from the first-pass drilling of four other prospects.

HighGold is a well-funded mineral exploration company focused on high-grade gold projects located in North America. HighGold's flagship asset is the high-grade Johnson Tract Gold (Zn-Cu) Project located in Southcentral Alaska, USA.

The company also controls a portfolio of quality gold projects in the greater Timmins gold camp, Ontario, Canada that includes the Munro-Croesus Gold property, which is renowned for its high-grade mineralization, and the large Golden Mile and Timmins South properties.

HighGold's experienced board and senior management team are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Aben Resources noted that, based on early field observations, it has increased its land holdings at Slocan by staking another 439.4 hectare claim, bringing the total holdings to 2,826 hectares

Aben Resources (TSX-V:ABN, OTCQB:ABNAF) Ltd said it has finished up its first phase of fieldwork at its Slocan graphite project in British Columbia.

The Vancouver-based company said it has completed field reconnaissance, geological mapping, rock and soil sampling as part of its initial exploration to evaluate prospective drill sites for a potential drill program.

Aben geologists took 52 surface rock samples spanning over several kilometres, it noted.

Geologic sampling and mapping has been greatly aided by the comprehensive network of logging roads that traverse the property and provide wide-spread rock exposure, the company told shareholders in a statement. 2022 marks the first comprehensive exploration program to assess the potential for the property to host economic graphite mineralization.

Aben noted that, based on early field observations, it increased its land holdings at Slocan by staking another 439.4 hectare claim, bringing the total holdings to 2,826 hectares.

The company told shareholders that the potential drill program is tentatively scheduled for fall 2022.

Slocan is located near to an existing graphite processing facility owned by Eagle Graphite Corporation, which is one of two natural flake graphite production facilities in North America. The property hosts several flake graphite-bearing outcrops with high values of 3.36% and 4.43 % graphitic carbon at the Tedesco Zone.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
PlantX Life Inc said it has celebrated the opening of its 6,000 square-foot vegan superstore XMarket Uptown in Chicago, the companys second XMarket store in the United States and seventh store globally.

The company said the opening event included festivities such as booths and sampling stations from vegan brands Dreampops, Kitchen 17, Good2Go Veggie, and Up-N-Down Burger.

To continue to leverage the success of live events, XMarket Uptown has weekly events scheduled through the end of 2022, it added.

PlantX CEO Lorne Rapkin said the companys carefully designed XMarket concept brought the vegan lifestyle directly to consumers in Chicago to taste, explore, and understand the plant-based lifestyle.

"XMarket is a vegan bodega, featuring a highly curated selection of the best vegan products available from around the world as well as nearby, he added. Our goal is to make the plant-based lifestyle accessible.

PlantXs other XMarket locations can be found in Rideau (Ottawa), Squamish, Yorkdale (Toronto), Venice Beach, Tel Aviv, with a co-branded location in Plainfield (Illinois).

PlantX's platform is a one-stop shop for plant-based products.

Contact the author at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie
In July, Irwin Naturals Emergence had binding agreements or had completed the acquisitions of 10 different ketamine clinics across five states.

Irwin Naturals Inc. (CSE:IWIN) revealed that it has completed the acquisition of two ketamine clinics in Georgia through an asset purchase of Invictus Clinics LLC, which will be brought into its fast-growing national chain of psychedelic mental-health facilities.

For the acquisition, Irwin Naturals will make the sellers cash payments, as well issue at least 333,333 subordinate voting shares no later than January 10, 2023. The Los Angeles-based company said the transaction includes an additional contingent sum based on future milestones linked to operational and profitability targets to be satisfied in shares.

The clinics are in Atlanta and Woodstock, in Georgia, operated under the Invictus Clinic name. They offer ketamine-assisted therapy, hydration through IV infusion as well as NAD+, said the firm. They join Irwin Naturals Emergence, a national chain of mental-health facilities.

READ: Irwin Naturals inks exclusive licensing deal with Entourage Health to produce and distribute cannabis products in Canada

In a statement, Irwin Naturals CEO Klee Irwin said: The vision we laid out for Irwin Naturals Emergence is becoming a reality with each acquisition we announce and execute. We wanted to be a first mover in this new and revolutionary area of healthcare and adding these two clinics is further proof that we are a first mover in this space.

Meanwhile, Wesley Karcher, who is the co-founder of Invictus, saw the developments as a huge opportunity to create a business capable of providing life-changing treatments to those in need.

A central mission at Irwin Naturals Emergence is to expand access and even serve as a bridge, in those instances, where we wait for the insurance industry to catch up to the power of ketamine and other psychedelics in mental healthcare, said Karcher. With this partnership, we are aligning our goals and hope to expand our footprint quickly throughout the Southeast and beyond.

Over several months, Irwin Naturals Emergence has vetted over 600 US-based independent ketamine, to identify profitable clinics that practice the standard of care consistent with the Irwin Naturals brand. The firm has then invited the clinics to join Irwin Naturals Emergence in the national rollup that is now underway.

The acquisition of the two Georgia clinics completes the sale agreement that was announced on June 21 this year. In July, Irwin Naturals Emergence had binding agreements or had completed the acquisitions of 10 ketamine clinics across five states.

I am delighted at the opportunity for Wesley and myself to partner with Irwin Naturals. From the very first conversation, it was apparent that our values and visions are aligned, said Brandon Grinage, who is also co-founder and Medical Director at Invictus. This deal makes apparent our ambitions to raise mental health awareness and bring treatment to millions of Americans in dire need. I am humbled to be joining an organization that is rapidly becoming the tip of the arrow in the ketamine and psychedelic space.

According to Irwin, a national chain will offer economies-of-scale and drive down operating costs, a savings that can then be passed on to customers by providing sliding-scale discounts and even pro bono treatment for those in need.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
Japan Gold said it will continue to fully support and manage the Alliance Second Phase Evaluation programs

Japan Gold (TSX-V:JG) Corp said it has completed thorough field and data review of the 29 projects under its alliance with Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX, NYSE:GOLD)

Japan Gold said the reviews identified a number of highly-prospective areas that could warrant further exploration by either company.

It noted that Barrick is poised to make a decision as to whether the projects meet the mining giants criteria for advancement under the Alliance by August 31, 2022.

Under the alliance agreement, Barrick agreed to sole fund a two-year evaluation of all 29 projects and sole fund a subsequent three-year second evaluation phase on projects which meet its criteria.

In February 2022, Barrick requested a six-month extension to the two-year initial evaluation phase to August 31, 2022, citing delays and travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to Japan Gold, Barrick's criteria for project advancement requires the potential for a project to host either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 ore body. Barrick defines Tier 1 projects as having five million ounce or greater potential with annual production of at least 500,000 ounces of gold for 10 years, while Tier 2 projects should have three million ounce or greater potential with annual production of 300,000 ounces of gold for 10 years.

Whatever the decision by Barrick, Japan Gold said it will continue to fully support and manage the Alliance Second Phase Evaluation programs.

"With the thorough evaluations completed by the Alliance, the company now holds a comprehensive and unique data set on Japan's epithermal-gold districts and is positioned to advance areas of high-prospectivity which don't fit Barrick's criteria but can still host large high-grade gold deposits, Japan Gold CEO John Proust told shareholders in a statement.

Japan Gold holds a portfolio of 31 gold projects which cover areas with known gold occurrences, a history of mining and are prospective for high-grade epithermal gold mineralization across the three largest islands of Japan - Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
Jerusalem, Aug 8 : Israel said militants in the Gaza Strip continued on Sunday night to fire rockets at southern Israel despite a reported Egypt-brokered cease-fire.

Israel's Home Front Command said in a notice that several rockets were fired at southern Israel "minutes" after 8 p.m. local time, which is the reported time for an Egypt-brokered cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

The notice said PIJ militants fired barrages of rockets at Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel.

Rocket sirens were heard in the communities of Kisufim, Ein Ha'shlosha, Nirim and Zikim near the Gaza border and the residents were instructed to stay inside shelters.

In the southern city of Ashkelon, a rocket hit a factory, injuring a Palestinian worker from the West Bank city of Hebron, state-owned Kan TV news reported. Magen David Adom emergency health service said in a statement that the man sustained moderate-to-light injuries.

At least 41 Palestinians, including 11 children and four women, have been killed, and 311 injured since Israel began an offensive on the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to a statement released by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza on Sunday evening.

Israeli media earlier reported at least eight Israelis were injured by rockets fired by PIJ militants from Gaza into southern Israel.
Tehran, Aug 8 : Iran does not seek possession of nuclear weapons, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"Nuclear weapons have no place in the doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran and are contrary to our policies and beliefs," Amir-Abdollahian was quoted by the ministry's website as saying.

"The supreme leader's fatwa about the use of nuclear weapons is clear for everyone," he said, referring to the religious decree of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei which bans the possession and use of weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons, Xinhua news agency reported.

He stressed the implementation of all aspects of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a landmark international treaty that pursues nuclear disarmament, adding the establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East should be given serious attention, for which Iran is ready for cooperation.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations in Vienna on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, he said while Iran has been serious about reaching a "strong and stable agreement", the outcome of the talks also depends on Washington's "willingness for an agreement", as well as its "necessary flexibility and realism in practice." Amir-Abdollahian urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to avoid politicizing the technical aspects of Iran's nuclear program in a bid to resolve remaining issues over the application of IAEA safeguards in Iran.

A new round of talks to revive the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), began in Vienna on Thursday after a five-month hiatus.

Iran signed the nuclear deal with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement.

The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital but were suspended in March 2022 because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.
Lucknow, Aug 8 : Uttar Pradesh Fisheries Minister and Nishad party chief Sanjay Nishad, who has been served a warrant by a Gorakhpur court in connection with a 2015 case connected to an agitation, has said that he is ready to go to jail for the rights of his community.

Reacting to the court warrant, the minister said that he was not afraid to go to jail for the sake of his people, but added that he had full faith in the judiciary.

"I am ready to go to jail for the rights of my community. I will always raise the issue of the rights of my Nishad community," the minister said in a statement released from Andhra Pradesh where he is currently on a visit.

The minister will return on August 9, a day before he is to appear before the Gorakhpur chief judicial magistrate's court.

"I will appear before the court to present my case on August 10," the minister added in his statement.

It is not clear yet whether the warrant is bailable or non bailable (NBW), however, the minister and his lawyer claimed it was bailable.

"Our opponents are spreading rumours that the court has issued an order to arrest me," the minister said.

His lawyer Surendra Nishad confirmed it was a bailable warrant even as Gorakhpur-based lawyer and Nishad Yuva Vahini's national president Sushil Sahini claimed the warrant was non-bailable.

"I have full faith in the judiciary and on August 10, I am sure that the court will do justice in the 2015 case, in which the then Samajwadi Party (SP) government engaged in barbaric behaviour on Nishads and got fake cases registered," the minister said.

In 2015, an agitation for seeking reservation for Nishad community in government jobs, had turned violent in Sahjanwa locality of Gorakhpur.

One person had died in the violence and several others, including many police personnel, had been injured.

Cases were subsequently registered against Sanjay Nishad and others.

The minister had been charged with inciting the crowd.
Islamabad, Aug 8 : Politics in Pakistan is based on an element of vindictiveness which often tends to make the creator or supporter of a particular law, victim of his own doing. This vicious political cycle has affected the lives and careers of several prominent politicians in the country and would now come to haunt former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The accusations against Khan in the Toshakhana case is far more complex than it appears and is a matter of serious concern for the former premier. While on the face of it, the case might not appear as part of a major corruption scandal involving embezzlement of crores of state funds, it nevertheless hinges on a principle stand adopted by the Supreme Court on need for earnings to be declared by politicians, including Prime Ministers.

In the case of Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court had disqualified him from participating in national politics for life, which also became the basis for his removal from the post of Prime Minister. In the Sharif case, the accusation against him was for having not declared a certain amount which he was to have received (but had not yet received) from certain sources. The initial part of the Supreme Court declaration in the case had mentioned: "It is hereby declared that having failed to disclose his unwithdrawn receivables constituting assets from XYZ sources in his nomination papers filed for general elections held in 2013, Sharif remains disqualified from being member of Parliament as per Article 62(1)F of the Constitution." It is worth noting that in the Nawaz Sharif case, even though he had not received the said amount, the fact that he was due to receive the amount, and had consciously avoided declaring the same in the statement of returns before the Election Commission, led the Supreme Court to come up with, what many members of the Pakistani legal fraternity considered as, a 'controversial' and 'harsh' decision. However, the fact remains that the decision was implemented and Nawaz Sharif was removed from position. Members of the PTI and PML-Q celebrated the occasion appreciating the decision of the Supreme Court.

According to reports, Khan had earned around 36 million PKR by illegally selling three watches gifted to him by foreign dignitaries to a local watch dealer. Apparently, Khan during his tenure as prime minister earned millions of rupees from these jewel-class watches collectively worth over 154 million PKR. The watches were gifted to him by foreign leaders. The most expensive watch, of more than 101 million PKR value, was apparently retained by Khan at 20 per cent of its value after his government amended the Toshakhana rules and settled the gift retention price at 50 per cent (not 20 per cent) of its original value. Moreover, he did so without ever declaring the gifts to the Election Commission and getting them evaluated.

If Nawaz Sharif was considered 'dishonest' by the Supreme Court for not declaring an amount he had not received, in the case of Khan his having received a certain amount from the sale of gifts received by him during his foreign tours and not declaring the same, poses an ever more serious threat to Khan. The precedence thus set by the Supreme Court would be a challenge to Khan to deal with. The more sinister aspect of the Khan case is that on receiving the costly gifts, he failed to declare them to the Toshakhana and retained them with him before disposing them.

Khan had received most of the gifts in 2018 during his foreign travels and should have ideally declared these in the 2019 statement of returns. Likewise, he did not declare the gifts received in 2019 in the 2020 statement of returns, thus committing a serious act of "dishonesty" towards the nation and the people of Pakistan.

Even though the Supreme Court decision against Nawaz Sharif was considered 'drastic' and 'unusual' and was criticised by the legal fraternity and political analysts, the fact remains that the Supreme Court decision has become a precedence and remains in place. Moreover, considering Nawaz Sharif had to give up the post of Prime Minister and has been banned for life from participating in elections, based on this decision of the Supreme Court, there is no reason why the same norms would not apply in the case of Khan.

The Sharif brothers would ensure that Khan is not spared on this count even though Khan would try to exploit his support base in the public domain to create strong opposition against the decision. The situation undoubtedly looks bleak for Khan as his fate now remains in the hands of the judiciary and the establishment.
Lucknow, Aug 8 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch 'Radio Jaighosh' on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of Kakori Train Action as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

The state's Department of Culture is launching the community radio channel to promote folk art, performing art, regional delicacies of Uttar Pradesh and gallantry award winners.

Radio Jaighosh will be available at 107.8 MHz and will broadcast programmes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from the newly renovated studio of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Lucknow.

The programmes will also be available in the radio's mobile application and social media pages.

The Department's Principal Secretary, Mukesh Meshram said: "There are a lot of radio stations in India, but we are bringing a radio station that will promote Indian arts and culture, especially of Uttar Pradesh. With the fast-paced lives, the folk tales and folk lore are not getting transferred to the youth. This initiative will connect youth and children with our ethos, customs and values.

"At the same time, we are also promoting the artists and unsung heroes from several districts and remote villages of the state. Also, we have come up with an idea of a backpack studio where all the recording instruments are taken to the villages to record their folk arts in the comfort of their rural landscape." Daily shows on the radio will include 'Parakram' that will revolve around gallant soldiers of the pre and post-Independence era and unsung heroes, while 'Shaurya Nagar' will promote folktales from all the 75 districts of the state.

'Kala Yatra' will be based on art, 'Rajya ki Rasoi' on the delicacies of Uttar Pradesh, 'Rang Shala' on theatre artists, 'Rajya ki Raftaar' on government schemes and 'Rang Yatra' on performing arts.

There will also be weekly shows on education.
Lucknow, Aug 8 : In a shocking incident, a gangster lodged in a Lucknow jail has accused prison officials of sodomy and said that he feared for his life.

Karan Kumar Gupta has also petitioned his case in the Gangster court for lodging of an FIR against jail officials.

Gupta has alleged that jail officials used to make obscene gestures while spotting him inside the jail.

He claimed in his petition that on July 26, two jail officials, in the presence of two other prisoners, sodomised him and threatened him with dire consequences if he complained about to senior officers.

Senior jail superintendent, Lucknow, Ashish Tiwari, said that the gangster had filed the petition on August 2.

"We have conducted a threadbare probe into the allegations of the inmate and all his claims have been found baseless," said Tiwari.

He said that the CCTV footage of July 26 shows that the jail official against whom the allegations of sodomy have been levelled, was on duty in the lawn from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

The officer said that the gangster talked to his family members from July 26 to August 1 but did not inform them or any other jail staff about it.

"We have taken out the CCTV footage and have also recorded the statements of other prisoners. We have sent a detailed report to the court. We will wait for the directions from the court," Tiwari said.
Rome, Aug 8 : Seven weeks before the general election in Italy, the centre-left alliance has won over more parties, but one recently acquired partner has already withdrawn again due to the new additions.

Over the weekend, the Greens, the Italian Left and also the new party of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Civic Commitment, joined the alliance led by the Social Democrats (PD), reports dpa news agency.

Already on August 2, the PD of former Prime Minister Enrico Letta had signed an agreement with two centre parties.

However, the centre party Action, which had been the first to join, said it would leave the alliance again after the new additions had been announced.

Party leader and former minister Carlo Calenda said in a televised interview: "I don't feel comfortable anymore. It's undignified to do politics like this." Letta, for his part, commented on Twitter that "it seems to me that Calenda is the only possible partner for Calenda".

In the Italian electoral system, which allocates part of its seats in parliament according to pure majority voting, such alliances are crucial for success.

Shortly after the fall of Prime Minister Mario Draghi's government in July, the centre-right bloc had already agreed to cooperate.

In opinion polls, the three right-wing parties Brothers of Italy, the League and Forza Italia (Forward/Let's Go, Italy) are leading and have the best prospects of winning the election on September 25.

The strongest force could be the post-fascist Brothers of Italy, whose leader Giorgia Meloni wants to become prime minister.

The centre-left alliance is purely a union of convenience to prevent a far-right government. The parties differ strongly in their programmes.

In the past few days, leading politicians have sometimes been fierce in their attacks on each other, especially on social media, and in some cases are still doing so even after the cooperation has been sealed.

There is to be no electoral cooperation with the Five Star Movement (M5S), which was still the strongest party in the 2018 elections but has recently slumped in the polls and seen the resignation of Foreign Minister Di Maio and other parliamentarians.

Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his small party Italia Viva (Italy Alive) were also left out.
London, Aug 8 : Conservative allies of outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have accused a committee of MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament of conducting a "vengeful and vindictive" "witch hunt".

Although he is due to leave Downing Street in less than a month, the Commons Privileges Committee is going ahead with its inquiry into whether the Prime Minister committed a contempt of Parliament by misleading MPs with his Partygate denials, reports dpa news agency.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, one of Johnson's staunchest supporters, on Sunday tweeted: "If this witch hunt continues, it will be the most egregious abuse of power witnessed in Westminster.

"It will cast serious doubt not only on the reputation of individual MPs sitting on the committee, but on the processes of Parliament and democracy itself." Lord Goldsmith, who was given a life peerage and a ministerial job by Johnson in the wake of voters dumping him as the MP for Richmond Park in 2019, tweeted: "The Partygate probe is clearly rigged. It is a jury comprised of highly partisan, vengeful & vindictive MPs, nearly all of whom are already on the record viciously attacking the person they are judging. It is an obscene abuse of power." In response to Dorries's comment, Labour MP Chris Bryant said: "Let's talk about abuse of power such as illegally suspending parliament or doling out peerages to donors or tearing up the rules to protect Owen Paterson.

"The real abuse of power would be suspending an inquiry to protect your mate." Bryant refused himself from chairing the inquiry after publicly criticising Johnson.

The probe is being led by a cross-party committee with a Conservative majority that chose veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman to lead it.

Dorries and Lord Goldsmith shared a Mail on Sunday article that claimed the committee's original investigation was to establish whether Johnson had intended to mislead MPs, but that it was broadened to find out whether he did so intentionally or unintentionally, after he said he had inadvertently done so.

However, a spokesman for the Privileges Committee said: "There has been no change to the rules or to terms of reference. The initial report published by the committee is about process.

"The background paper on contempt was prepared by a senior clerk of the House of Commons. All clerks are strictly politically impartial.

"The report also publishes the advice from distinguished former Court of Appeal judge Sir Ernest Ryder. The committee has published this material as part of its commitment to transparency." They added that the inquiry will set out to answer whether the House was misled; if so, whether that was a contempt; and if so, how serious that contempt was.

The issue of whether MPs were deliberately misled could arise under the latter two steps of the investigation.

The Covid law-breaking parties in Downing Street were among the scandals that forced Johnson's resignation as the Conservative Party leader, and his successor will become the next Prime Minister in September.

But the committee's investigation threatens to further tarnish his legacy and could impact his future as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

If he is found to have lied to Parliament, Johnson could face a suspension from the Commons for 10 or more sitting days and a recall petition, which, if signed by 10 per cent of his constituents, would trigger a by-election.

The MPs on the committee intend to call Johnson to give oral evidence in public in the autumn, under oath.

The Prime Minister has also been ordered to hand over a cache of documents to them.
Bengaluru, Aug 8 : The Karnataka police have arrested a man on charges of having unnatural sex with cows in Bengaluru, police said on Monday.

Identified as Manjunath, the 34-year-old is a resident of Gejjalagere village near Maddur town in Mandya district. Chandra Layout Police arrested him on a complaint by his friend who caught him red-handed.

According to police, the accused had developed the habit of having unnatural sex with cows for which he would travel to Bengaluru University Jnanabharathi campus from his village.

He would take cows grazing in the fields of the campus to isolated places, bushes and indulge in the crime.

Owing to his sadistic mindset, Manjunath's family had disowned him. The jobless accused, then came to Bengaluru and stayed at his friend's place.

While staying with Shashikumar, who kept cows at home, the accused had cut off the tails of the cows and had unnatural sex. On getting suspicious, Shashikumar watched his movements and caught him red-handed.

Later, the accused was dragged to the police station. The police have booked the accused under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and sent him to judicial custody.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : With a view to expand its network, Air India has planned to induct wide-body aircraft into its fleet. Total 10 grounded aircrafts will be brought back into service by early 2023.

A wide-body aircraft is generally deployed on International routes as its bigger fuel tank allows it to travel on long-haul international routes like India-US and India-Canada.

Air India's wide-body fleet currently stands at 43 aircraft, of which 33 are operational. This is a significant improvement from 28 aircraft that the airline was operating till recently," said the airline.

The airline on Sunday also announced that it will operate daily flights between Delhi and Vancouver (Canada) from August 31 onwards. Currently, it operates Delhi-Vancouver service three times per week. Frequency on this route has been increased keeping in view the growing traffic between India and Canada and has been enabled by the return to service of the wide-body Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.

The airline said that Boeing has been working closely with Air India following its acquisition by Tata Group to restore aircraft that had been grounded for prolonged periods due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other reasons.

It was on January 27 this year when the Tata Group took control of Air India after successfully winning the bid for the airline on October 8 last year.
Havana, Aug 8 : One person was killed and 122 others were injured after a massive fire triggered a series of explosions at a fuel storage facility in Cuba's port of Matanzas, the Ministry of Public Health said, adding that 16 people were still unaccounted for.

A crude oil tank at the facility was engulfed in a huge blaze following a lightning strike at 7 p.m. on August 5, reports Xinhua news agency.

The fire reached a second tank on the next morning and triggered a series of explosions.

The first tank hit by lightning was at half capacity, with about 25,000 cubic liters of crude.

Local authorities said the lightning rod system failed to prevent the fire.

Cuban firefighters were joined by Mexican and Venezuelan experts on Sunday to extinguish the blaze that was still spreading.

"Cuba lacks some resources and technologies required to control this large-scale fire," President Miguel Diaz-Canel told reports at the scene located some 100 km east of Havana.

So far, some 5,000 residents have been evacuated from the area, according to official data.

Images shared on social media showed a massive column of black smoke crossing the city of Matanzas and extending 63 miles west to Havana.

The Caribbean nation is suffering from a lack of electricity due to fuel shortages.

Its power supply could further deteriorate after the explosions.
Noida, Aug 8 : Around 12 henchmen of self-proclaimed BJP leader Shrikant Tyagi entered the Grand Omaxe Society in Sector 93B late on Sunday night and started threatening the woman who had filed a case of indecency and molestation. When the people of the society gathered on hearing the noise, the henchmen misbehaved with them and beat them up. Hundreds of people gathered as soon as the incident was reported, there was uproar in the society for 1 hour. Amidst the chaos, five accused escaped while seven were arrested by the police.

Pawan Tripathi Noida, Aug 8 (IANS) Around 12 henchmen of self-proclaimed BJP leader Shrikant Tyagi entered the Grand Omaxe Society in Sector 93B late on Sunday night and started threatening the woman who had filed a case of indecency and molestation. When the people of the society gathered on hearing the noise, the henchmen misbehaved with them and beat them up. Hundreds of people gathered as soon as the incident was reported, there was uproar in the society for 1 hour. Amidst the chaos, five accused escaped while seven were arrested by the police.

In this case, the Police Commissioner suspended SHO Phase 2 Sujit Upadhyay late night for negligence. According to the police commissioner, action will be taken against Tyagi under the Gangster Act and his illegal properties will be confiscated.

In this ruckus that took place late on Sunday night, several officials including Gautam Budh Nagar MP Dr Mahesh Sharma, Police Commissioner Alok Singh, Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Suhas L.Y., Noida MLA Pankaj Singh reached the spot. People were explained and told that strict action would be taken against Tyagi soon.

Noida Police is searching for accused Shrikant Tyagi from Delhi to Lucknow. Twelve teams of police are on trail for the accused at 15 locations. On Sunday, the police started scouting for possible locations and houses of friends and relatives in Noida, Delhi, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Meerut and other cities but no trace of Tyagi was found.
When the British offered to buy him out by offering free land, he said: "The whole country belongs to me." Born on September 7, 1887, in Kelanga village of Bhiwani district in present-day Haryana, Pt. Neki Ram devoted his whole life to fighting against the Raj.

He spent 2,200 days in the jail of the Raj and participated in each struggle that defined India's fight for freedom -- the Anti-Rowlatt Act Movement (1919), Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22), Salt Satyagraha (1930), Individual Satyagraha (1940-41), and finally, the Quit India Movement (1942). Later, he bacame a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha on a Congress ticket.

It was in 1905 in Benaras, where he received his higher education in Sanskrit, that he got to meet some of the major nationalist leaders, including Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Surendra Nath Banerjee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya at the annual session of the Indian National Congress. It gave direction to his life.

When in 1907 Lala Lajpat Rai was deported to Mandalay Jail in Myanmar, Pt. Neki Ram, who was 20 years old, became a determined opponents of the British Raj. Records show that there was a time when he even wanted to make a bomb to attack British personnel. But the moderate Congress leader, Surendra Nath Benerjee, whom the young man met in Calcutta, guided him on the importance of following the path of non-violence.

Pt. Neki Ram, who was later given the honorific 'Haryana Kesari', came into prominence when he organised the Ambala Divisional Political Conference in Bhiwani on October 22, 1920, to popularise the Non-Cooperation Movement. On the insistence of Pandit Neki Ram, Mahatma Gandhi, the Ali Brothers -- Shaukat and Mohammad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Kasturba Gandhi joined the conference. And the Mahatma won the hearts of the people by sitting on the ground like them.

A year later, on October 16, 1921, Gandhi was back in Bhiwani, this time to raise money for the Tilak Swaraj Fund for constructive work, including the fight against untouchability. The day is important in the history of Bhiwani, for the local women generously donated their gold ornaments to the Fund.

Pt. Neki Ram's association with Gandhi went back to 1915 when he started backing the Mahatma's movement against untouchability, although he had already made his mark as a Hindu Sanatanist leader. In fact, he was consistent in his efforts to push for social reforms in Hindu society and took steps for the uplift of the downtrodden. During the First World War, he also strongly opposed the recruitment of soldiers from Haryana for the British Army.

When on July 15 1922, the young freedom fighter was released from Mianwali Jail, which is now in Pakistan (and is famous for once counting Sheikh Mujibur Rehman among its inmates), people welcomed him all along the way to Bhiwani.

A large crowd gathered at the Bhiwani railway station to receive their leader, who had put their home town on the map of the country's freedom struggle. A major college in Rohtak is named after Pt. Neki Ram and so is the district library in Bhiwani. He died on June 8, 1956.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Reliance, a responsible organisation, leveraged its intellectual capital to contribute to the countrys fight against Covid-19.

Reliance's scientists analysed more than 1,000 genomes of the virus.

The knowledge base was used to develop novel cost-effective diagnostic kits called 'R-Green' and 'R-Green pro one'. These kits have received ICMR approval and showed a high degree of accuracy and specificity during validation studies.

Reliance has also collaborated with IIIM-CSIR (Jammu) to develop an RT-LAMP Kit to facilitate the point-of-care diagnosis of Covid-19.

The R&D team actively contributes to the company's technical wisdom to facilitate innovation globally by publishing research articles on diagnostics and treatment. Application of natural-astaxanthin for COVID-19 management published in 'Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy' journal is recognised as top 100 research paper. The paper is listed in WHO's global repository.

PSA based oxygen concentrators can produce oxygen with 93 per cent (+- 3 per cent) purity. The unit is an excellent solution during hospitalisation situation due to Covid-19 to maintain the SpO2 level of a patient. Reliance R&D has designed oxygen generator with a purity of 90 per cent to 95 per cent with 5 LPM oxygen leveraging its expertise in adsorption technology.

Reliance collaborated with India's CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) to recycle Covid-19 PPE waste. Useful products such as automotive components and flowerpots are being made from the recycled PPEs.

Reliance Industries Limited issued its Annual Report for FY22 on August 6. The company will be holding its Annual General Meeting on August 29.

Among other things, the RIL Annual Report mentioned about the progress made by all its business verticals viz. Retail, Digital Services, O2C and E&P, and spoke about RIL's intentions in the Green Energy field.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited prepaid entire deferred liabilities pertaining to spectrum acquired in auctions of year 2014, 2015, 2016 and the spectrum acquired in year 2021 through trading of right to use with Bharti Airtel Limited aggregating to Rs 30,791 crore (including accrued interest) in FY2021-22.

This was refinanced through a mix of INR Loans and Debentures. The Company expects that this prepayment will result in interest savings of about Rs 1,200 crore annually.

Reliance, a responsible organisation, leveraged its intellectual capital to contribute to the country's fight against Covid-19.

Reliance's scientists analysed more than 1,000 genomes of the virus.

The knowledge base was used to develop novel cost-effective diagnostic kits called 'R-Green' and 'R-Green pro one'. These kits have received ICMR approval and showed a high degree of accuracy and specificity during validation studies.

Reliance has also collaborated with IIIM-CSIR (Jammu) to develop an RT-LAMP Kit to facilitate the point-of-care diagnosis of Covid-19.

The R&D team actively contributes to the company's technical wisdom to facilitate innovation globally by publishing research articles on diagnostics and treatment. Application of natural-astaxanthin for COVID-19 management published in 'Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy' journal is recognised as top 100 research paper. The paper is listed in WHO's global repository.

PSA based oxygen concentrators can produce oxygen with 93 per cent (+- 3 per cent) purity. The unit is an excellent solution during hospitalisation situation due to Covid-19 to maintain the SpO2 level of a patient. Reliance R&D has designed oxygen generator with a purity of 90 per cent to 95 per cent with 5 LPM oxygen leveraging its expertise in adsorption technology.

Reliance collaborated with India's CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) to recycle Covid-19 PPE waste. Useful products such as automotive components and flowerpots are being made from the recycled PPEs.

Reliance Industries Limited issued its Annual Report for FY22 on August 6. The company will be holding its Annual General Meeting on August 29.

Among other things, the RIL Annual Report mentioned about the progress made by all its business verticals viz. Retail, Digital Services, O2C and E&P, and spoke about RIL's intentions in the Green Energy field.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : In his letter to shareholders, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries, said "we entered into a series of partnerships, including equity investments, with local and international corporates with unique technological and execution capabilities, with a strong track record of innovation and a growing number of patents and IPRs across the Green Energy value chain".

During FY22, Reliance completed acquisitions and investments of over Rs 5,500 crore to build capabilities in New Energy.

Reliance's partnerships includes companies like Ambri in the US, Faradion in the UK and The Netherlands-based Lithium Werks in the energy storage space.

Similarly, Reliance invested in Germany's NexWafe, which is a pioneer in next-gen technology to produce monocrystalline silicon wafers needed in making solar panels. RIL also acquired promoters' stake in REC Solar -- a global technology leader in solar panel manufacturing. Reliance picked up a 40% stake in Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy -- one of the world's leading EPC turnkey contractors in large scale solar projects.

In the Hydrogen ecosystem, Reliance joined hands with the US-based Chart Industries to set up India H2 Alliance to commercialise hydrogen technology and develop a supply chain in collaboration with other Indian stakeholders.

The company also entered into an agreement with Denmark's Stiesdal A/S for its innovative next-gen electrolyser technology, which has the potential to reduce dramatically the cost of producing hydrogen from pure water.

RIL commenced development of the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex ("DAGEGC") on 5,000 acres in Jamnagar, which will be among the largest integrated renewable energy manufacturing facilities in the world It signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat for a total investment of Rs 5.95 lakh crore in Green Energy. These projects have potential to create 10 lakh direct/indirect employment opportunities in the state The company's subsidiary REC Solar Pte Ltd. tied up Reliance Group's first green financing aggregating $586 million including a $250 million green term loan and $336 million five-year green bank guarantee facility.

Reliance Industries Limited issued its Annual Report for FY22 on August 6. The company will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Monday, August 29.

Among other things, the RIL Annual Report mentioned about the progress made by all its business verticals viz. Retail, Digital Services, O2C and E&P, and spoke about RIL's intentions in the Green Energy field.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 8 : After being caught on the wrong foot, the CPI-M's mayor of the Kozhikode Corporation, Beena Phillip on Monday defended her participation in an RSS event, saying that she went to attend a mothers' meet.

The Congress took this opportunity to slam the CPI-M. Kozhikode district Congress president K.Praveen Kumar said that the clandestine nexus between the CPI-M and the RSS was now out in the open.

"Not only did the CPI-M mayor take part in the RSS organised meeting, she also criticised the way children in Kerala are handled by their families. Her participation in the Balagokulam meeting exposes the links that the CPI-M and the Sangh parivar are having," said Kumar.

However, Phillip said she has always had a secular outlook. "I studied in a Muslim management school and have the best of relations even now. Being a mayor, I cannot have any sort of bias. All I did was to attend a mothers' meeting and am really sad to see the media twisting the whole thing on what I spoke. Maybe those who did it have vested interest," said Phillip.

In reply to a question on if she had taken the permission of her party, CPI-M, to attend it, she said no, "as there is no such direction to me. As I am the mayor I will be going to numerous functions".

Now all eyes are on how the CPI-M views this and in the coming days, an official explanation might come out.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had organised a mothers' meet, named Balagokulam in Kozhikode last week and had invited the mayor also.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : O.P. Jindal Global University, an 'Institution of Eminence' held its largest ever Convocation on August 7 in the distinguished presence of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court of India, who delivered the Convocation Address and Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General, The Commonwealth, as well as the Founding Chancellor and Benefactor, O.P. Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal.

The 11th Convocation and Founder's Day saw more than 3,100 JGU students receive their Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral degrees at the 11th Convocation and Founder's Day representing various schools and institutes: Law, Art & Architecture, Banking & Finance, Government & Public Policy, International Affairs, Journalism & Communication, Liberal Arts & Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.

This was the first convocation ceremony to be held physically since the pandemic.

In 2021, JGU had organised a virtual convocation ceremony to honour the graduating students as they were unable to access the campus on account of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the graduating students of 2022, graduates from the 2020 and 2021 batch also attended the ceremony.

The Founding Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal paid homage to his father, O.P. Jindal, in whose memory this university was established. "The unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty and the unprecedented challenges that you all faced in the last two years, did not stop you from persevering in your commitment to make all-out efforts so that all the students have best access to world-class education. I am sure you will remain focused throughout and carve out your own destiny. You have to assume full responsibility for your learning and for your professional development. You have received the best environment to seek knowledge and hone your skills for your life.

You should always abide by the core values of your alma mater and stand by your principles with deep commitment to public service", said Naveen Jindal.

Chancellor Jindal also stressed the fact that the achievements of the university speak volumes about the world-class education is providing to its students. "You are proud ambassadors of this university, and we are very proud of your achievements. The university has and shall always stand with its graduates. In our alumni, we see our future and you are also the future of this country and the world", Jindal said.

Congratulating the students, faculty, and staff of JGU for attaining high standards of academic excellence, Hon'ble (Dr.) Justice DY Chandrachud said: "In a short span of time, JGU has emerged as a preeminent university delivering quality education to a wide spectrum of students from across India and globally. These collective efforts of the students, faculty and the administration have been internationally recognised by the prestigious QS World University Rankings. Even domestically, JGU has been conferred with the status of an Institution of Eminence by the Government of India. I congratulate them for attaining the high standards of academic excellence." In his Convocation Address, Justice Chandrachud focussed on the role the graduating students should play in ensuring social democracy and justice in society. "Our constitutional culture does not maintain itself. It is for each one of us as citizens to participate in the slow but vital task of every day of transforming our constitution from a charter of ideals to a reflection of reality. As citizens, we hold the responsibility and the duty which accompanies it, as inheritors and guardians of our constitution, to imbibe and inculcate constitutional ideals in our daily lives to promote social harmony, inclusion and plurality. It ought to be regarded as a constitutional duty, it is even a moral obligation. As all of you, who are in true essence the representatives of a new India, you should introspect on how your actions could contribute to strengthening the constitutional ethos of social democracy in India." Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General, The Commonwealth encouraged the students to emerge as change-makers of tomorrow in her Special Address. "You aren't the leaders of tomorrow, you are the leaders of today. These have been dark and difficult days. The world has suffered a trauma which many did not think we could overcome. I want you to recall your determination, resilience and your ability not just to survive but thrive. And, you have thrived. You will be known as the resilient generation. On your shoulders is placed the task of coming up with the innovations that we need to change the world. The university has trained you, they have given you the tools, the gifts, and the opportunities you

will need, and you have to be the difference that we need to see in our world." Addressing the cheering students, the Founding Vice-Chancellor of JGU, Prof (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar said: "This is a moment for you to be proud and grateful. You have come a long way since you joined JGU and your accomplishments are truly outstanding and we are proud of you. Let me take you back to March 2020 when all of us had a rude awakening. Little did we know that our lives are going to change so fundamentally. We had approximately 5,000 students, today we have over 10,000 students. We had approximately 550 full-time faculty members from 32 countries and today we have over 1,000 faculty members from 46 countries. We had eight schools on March 2020 and today we have 12 schools. In international collaborations, we had 220 university partners in 40 countries, now over 360 university partners in 67 countries. This phenomenal expansion has come with an even stronger commitment to quality education and excellence." Elaborating on the five key lessons that JGU learnt during this phase, Prof Raj Kumar added, "First, innovation. Never be afraid of challenges, including new ones that will push the boundaries of innovation. Second, transformation. Always be ready and willing to embrace the challenges and at the same time to find solutions outside the box. Third, note that it is the collective effort of your colleagues that constitute, the team and that needs to be nurtured by building trust, collegiality and camaraderie. Fourth, effective communication with all stakeholders that will ensure transparency and integrity in institutional governance. Fifth, develop resilience. Position yourself in such a manner that you are able to fulfil the greatest of dreams and aspirations even in the most adverse

circumstances, which all of you students have proven during the pandemic".

Prof. Kumar also extended his gratitude towards the Founding Chancellor and Benefactor of the University, Naveen Jindal. "Chancellor Mr Jindal's commitment to philanthropy and education and his deeper commitment to academic freedom, institutional autonomy as well as independence has made JGU a role model for private, not-for-profit universities not just in India but beyond. Chancellor Mr Jindal epitomises the vision of how corporations such as Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) can contribute to positive change in society through education, social responsibility and philanthropy".

Earlier, the graduates of all the academic programmes of JGU were awarded with various medals for outstanding performance and also were given their degrees.

Prof Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar O.P. Jindal Global University at the end of the Convocation ceremony proposed a vote of thanks.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Rajasthan's Sikar.

In a tweet the Prime Minister said, "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest." Three pilgrims died while four others sustained serious injuries in a stampede which broke out in the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan's Sikar on Monday morning.

The stampede was reported at 5.00 a.m., when a huge crowd of devotees assembled for 'darshan' on the occasion of Ekadashi. Devotees had been standing in a queue since late Sunday night and as soon as the doors of the temple opened in the morning, a stampede broke out.

All the three dead were women devotees. The bodies of the deceased have been kept in the mortuary of Khatushyamji Hospital where post-mortem will take place.
Canberra, Aug 8 : Australian federal Education Minister Jason Clare on Monday called for a meeting with his state and territory counterparts to address a nationwide teacher shortage exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a government modelling, the demand for secondary school teachers in Australia will outstrip supply by more than 4,000 over the next three years, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Minister has called for the meeting this week to tackle the shortage and work on a plan.

"We have a teacher shortage right across the country," Clare said.

An issues paper released by the Department of Education said on Monday that the shortage is a "systemic issue" exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Declining numbers of new graduate teachers, increasing demand from a growing student population and an ageing teacher and leadership workforce are all contributing to teacher shortages," it said.

"The existing shortages have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with teachers working in a challenging environment and education systems and schools having had to innovate to manage illness and absences." It identified a lack of opportunities for teachers to be "recognised and remunerated for their expertise".

The higher education sector has proposed having student teachers do more of their training on the job under a paid "degree apprenticeship programme" to help address the shortage.
Islamabad, Aug 8 : Backchannel talks between Pakistan and India have met a dead end as both sides have struggled to agree on the moves that may pave the way for slow but gradual improvement in the relationship, a media report said citing an informed source.

"Talks have been going on but have reached a point where things aren't moving anywhere," The Express Tribune report quoted the source as saying.

There has been a desire from both sides to break the impasse but the issue is how to move forward from this point onwards, the source explained.

What has slowed down the process was the political uncertainty in Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.

There was a glimmer of hope for a possible thaw in the relationship following the change of government in Pakistan in April.

What spurred the optimism was that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first leaders to congratulate his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif when the latter assumed office in April.

The source said backchannel contacts that began during the PTI government's tenure picked up pace in April after the change of government.

But despite "intense" backchannel diplomacy, the two sides were not willing to concede an inch on their respective issues.

Pakistan is keen that India must take steps with regards to Kashmir before any process of normalisation of ties begins. New Delhi, however, is more interested in Islamabad first exploring the option of resuming bilateral trade, The Express Tribune quoted the source as saying further.

The friction in the relationship prevented Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers from interacting with each other at the recent meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tashkent.
Bengaluru, Aug 8 : Investigations into the BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettare murder case is now focused towards the invisible hands behind the killing even as Karnataka police has nabbed six persons so far.

The case has been handed over to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) as is it is suspected that a well-organised network operating from Kerala is behind Hindu activists and BJP workers' murders in the state.

Praveen was hacked to death by bike-borne miscreants on July 26 in Bellare town of Dakshina Kannada district. The Karnataka police had arrested Zakir Savanuru and Shafeeq Bellare, two days after the murder.

After a week the officials nabbed Saddam and Harris. On Sunday, the police arrested Abid and Nauful. All the accused are youngsters in their 20s from Dakshina Kannada district.

Karnataka police had announced that before the case is being handed over to NIA, they will nab all killers. Now, the sources explain that NIA will focus on the role of Kerala-based fundamentalist organisations in the case.

It is also suspected that the BJP activist's murder was being carried at the behest of a foreign terror outfit. The supari killers who hacked Praveen to death are still at large and NIA is also focused on arresting the main accused persons.

Probe had revealed that Praveen's murder was executed to send out a message as he was actively involved in the campaigning against halal cut meat.

Further investigations are on.
Beijing, Aug 8 : China's People's Liberation Army on Monday continued their large-scale sea and air drills around Taiwan despite its initial announcement that the exercises which began last week in response to US House Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei, would end on Sunday.

China's state television reported that the exercises were focussing on "anti-submarine and sea assault operations", reports dpa news agency In announcing the manoeuvres to the north, south-west and east of self-ruled island on August 2, China had originally promised their conclusion on Sunday.

No new formal end date has been announced.

In fact, some commentators on Chinese media expressed the view that the military exercises could become the new normal.

Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian on Monday said the drills are a "necessary warning" to the US and Taiwan, describing them as an "entirely reasonable and appropriate" response to their recent "provocations".

He said the tensions were "deliberately" stoked by Washington, with Pelosi travelling to Taipei last week in the face of fierce opposition from Beijing.

The Chinese leadership rejects official contacts by other countries with Taipei because it regards the island as part of the mainland.

Taiwan, on the other hand, has long seen itself as independent.

Over the past several days the Chinese military practised not only a naval and air blockade, but also amphibious landing capabilities to launch beach assaults on Taiwan, according to Chinese media.

Taiwan's military said Chinese aircraft flew 66 sorties on Sunday alone. In the process, 22 jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, a demarcation that had mostly been respected in the past.

Fourteen Chinese warships were said to have participated, as well.

A Chinese drone was also spotted again on Sunday evening over the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, which is only a few kilometres from the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry in Taipei reported.

Until recent days, there had been no Chinese overflight of the island since the 1950s.

Other Chinese manoeuvres are also planned this week in other waters, including in the north in the Bohai Gulf and Yellow Sea, and in the south in the South China Sea off the coast of Guangdong province.
Beijing, Aug 8 : Sanya, a coastal resort city in China's Hainan province, has launched all-out efforts to stem its latest Covid-19 outbreak which has left over 80,000 of tourists stranded.

From August 1 to 7, Sanya registered 801 confirmed cases and 409 asymptomatic infections, the provincial health commission said on Monday.

A task force was established to resolve issues faced by the stranded tourists, such as travel refunds, reports Xinhua news agency citing the commission as saying.

The city has also ordered hotels to offer 50 per cent discounts.

Medics are working around the clock at nucleic acid testing sites across the city.

Wei Dixia, a head nurse at Sanya People's Hospital, said the testing site at her hospital opens 24 hours a day and samples around 4,000 people per day.

The screening process has become more efficient, with results now issued six to eight hours after testing, said Wei.

A total of 33 hotels with over 6,900 rooms have been designated as isolation sites for close and sub-close contacts of Covid-19 cases, according to Ji Duanrong, secretary-general of the Sanya Municipal Government.

On August 6, Sanya designated 168 areas as high-risk for Covid-19 and 67 as medium-risk.

The city has also established a task force to ensure supplies of food and necessities for residents living under closed management, Ji said.

All public transport in the city was suspended on August 6, while the Sanya airport cancelled all flights the following day, according to state television.

Last month, nearly a million people in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province where the Covid-19 pandemic was first recorded, were placed under a lockdown after four asymptomatic cases were detected.

Wuhan was also the first city to be put under harsh restrictive measures as the global pandemic broke out in early 2020.

In June, Shanghai emerged from a strict two-month lockdown, but residents were still adapting to a "new normal" of frequent mass testing.

Since the onset of the pandemic, China has reported a total of 231,266 Covid-19 cases and 5,226 deaths.
Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visits Lingaraj temple during the last Monday of holy month of 'Shravana', in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visits Lingaraj temple during the last Monday of holy month of 'Shravana', in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visits Lingaraj temple during the last Monday of holy month of 'Shravana', in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah offers prayers at Lingaraj temple during the last Monday of the holy month of 'Shravana', in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also present. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visit Lingaraj temple during the last Monday of the holy month of 'Shravana', in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar, Aug 8 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day Odidha visit, offered prayers at Lingaraj temple this morning, the last Monday of holy Odia month Shrawan.

Shah spent about 20 minutes on the temple premises and offered a special puja. Before leaving the temple, Shah signed the visitors book maintained by his family priest.

"I am very happy to have darshan of Mahadev in the famous Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar during the holy month of Shrawan. The temple is a historical place of Indian culture, on which every rock is a wonderful miracle of ancient Indian craftsmanship," tweeted Shah.

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, party spokesperson Sambit Patra and other senior leaders accompanied Shah during the visit to the shiva shrine.

He then had breakfast at Odisha BJP president Sameer Mohanty's residence. Later, Shah visited Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birthplace in Cuttack.

He will also attend a function, marking the 75th anniversary of an Odia daily newspaper at Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.

Later, the union home minister is scheduled to visit the Odisha BJP office in Bhubaneswar, where he will meet senior party leaders. In the evening, he will attend a book reading of Modi@20 at Mayfair hotel here before flying back to Delhi.

Shah arrived in Bhubaneswar last night at around 1.30 a.m. to a warm reception by BJP party leaders and workers. Despite delay in his scheduled arrival, a large number of BJP workers throng to the airport to welcome their leader.

Meanwhile, MP Aparajita Sarangi alleged violation of protocols by the Odisha government during Shah's visit to the state. "MoS (home) Tusharkanti Behera was not there when the union home minister arrived in Odisha. Why was the DGP not there to welcome Shah?" asked Sarangi.

Only the special secretary, home, was there to receive him. Under which circumstances, the home secretary has not come to the airport, she further asked.

The BJP leader said: "Despite Odisha being a non-NDA ruled state, the union government has remained impartial to Odisha and always stands with the state." Tight security arrangements have been made in twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for Shah's visit.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : Being born in a middle class family where it is always taught to think twice before spending makes a college boy looking out for the ways to come out of his present situation and how he does it is all about 'Middle Class Love'. Director Ratnaa Sinha's film deals with the issues faced by middle class youth in a very interesting and light way. The trailer of the movie is out and with all the new faces, the director has made all attempts to make it worth watching.

It stars Prit Kamani, Kavya Thapar and Eisha Singh. The trailer shows that the entire film is set in Mussoorie and revolves around Prit, who plays a young college boy and is shown always frustrated with his father as he keeps asking him to spend less. He keeps complaining about it to his mother and friends. Later, to get out of his middle class life, he starts following a rich girl on the campus. Interestingly, he keeps saying that being middle class is a disease and in fact he has a special term for it, 'Middleclassiosis'.

In a very hilarious way, the movie touches on the issues faced by middle class families, youth and campus life.

Talking about it, the director says: "After the love, I received from the audience on my first film, I knew I had to push myself to make something different. I wanted to set my second film in a middle-class milieu and delve into what it means for a young boy to belong to that strata of society aiming to break out of it." "College life is also a phase of self-discovery, making blunders, owning up to them and realising the value of family's support. I wanted to give my audience a comforting film that they will connect with. We also went against the tide to cast three new actors and I hope that the audience blesses their first film." Director-producer Anubhav Sinha also explains the concept of the film and says: "I am proud of how this film has shaped up. It's a simple story that's told with flair." "I believe in telling stories rooted in reality and this time around what sets this film apart is along with it being raw, it weaves around a young and quirky love story. I am really excited for the audience to experience the film." 'Middle Class Love' is jointly produced by Anubhav Sinha's Benaras Media Works and Zee Studios. The film is all set to release on September 16.
Hassan : , Aug 8 (IANS) A farmer was killed by a wild elephant on Monday in Karnataka's Hassan district, marking the fifth such incident in the state in the last six months.

According to the police, the deceased, identified as Kempanna (50), was going to work on his farm in Sullakki Melakere village when the elephant strayed into the residential area and attacked him.

The victim's family and relatives have slammed the forest department and district authorities over their inaction to prevent such fatalities.

The angry locals have demanded the state's Forest Minister Minister to visit the spot which lies in the Malnad region where elephant menace is on the rise.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene has called for the bandh of Sakaleshpur taluk.

"This is not the first death due to an elephant attack. This should not repeat. Hundreds of people have died in the elephant attacks. We are calling a bandh of Sakleshpur taluk. Authorities should come to the spot and give clear assurances. We will not let the body move from the spot even if it is 10 days," Sagar Janagere, the taluk president, stated.

"We should be ashamed for such repeated incidents allowed to take place on the threshold of celebration of 75th year of Independence. The plight of people is totally neglected as it is a reserved constituency. It is a matter of shame that people here are left to their fate," said Yedehalli Manjunath, a local activist.
Chennai, Aug 8 : A male leopard that was involved in killing cattle in Tamil Nadu's Bhavanisagar area was trapped in a cage on Monday.

The forest department officials told IANS that the leopard is six-year-old.

The animal had been indiscriminately killing cattle and dogs after venturing out of the Bhavanisagar Forest Range in the Sathyamangalam. The leopard had killed several cattle in the past six months and local people had demanded its entrapping by placing a cage.

Forest department had placed CCTV cameras on human inhabitants adjacent to the Bhavanisagar forest range and on close monitoring found that the leopard was drinking water from a tank in the village.

A cage was placed with bait near the tank and on Monday, the leopard was found trapped in the cage.

Wildlife veterinarian S. Sathasivam examined the animal and found that it was in good health. The forest department has sought permission to release the animal into deep forest. After the permission is obtained, the animal will be released in deep forest.
Patna, Aug 8 : Amid a political storm in Bihar, LJP (R) president Chirag Paswan on Monday claimed that Nitish Kumar will not be able to complete his five-year tenure as chief minister.

Mid-term poll is likely to take place any time from now.

"At present, no one knows what's in store for Bihar. Even if Nitish Kumar manages to secure his seat after negotiating with the Mahagathbandhan leaders, still, he would not be able to complete his tenure till 2025. The leaders of Mahagathbandhan are over ambitious which would lead to mid term Assembly elections," Paswan asserted.

"The moment he secures his chief minister's chair, he will execute the Paltimar plan," Paswan said.

Reacting to the "Chirag model" used by JD-U national president Lalan Singh, Paswan said that the Chirag model is meant for the state's development.

"We believe in "Bihar first-Bihari First". What would be the "Nitish model"? The Nitish model is meant for unemployment, flood, drought, crime, corruption, hooch tragedies, etc. JD-U leaders should clarify what is the Nitish model, Paswan said.

"In 2020 Assembly polls, 25 lakh people adopted the Chirag model, if Nitish Kumar has an objection to it, then I want to tell him that the 13 crore people of the state are opting for it," Paswan said.

Apparently, Chirag Paswan is upset over Lalan Singh's statement on Sunday that due to Chirag model, JD-U reached 43 seats in 2020 Assembly polls. Lalan Singh claimed that a particular political party (BJP) conspired against Nitish Kumar and weakened him through Chirag Paswan in the elections.

Chirag Paswan had given the tickets to LJP candidates only on those seats where JD-U was contesting the election.
Berlin, Aug 8 : Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) will on Mondau announce a decision on the possible expulsion of disgraced former Chancellor Gerhard SchrAder from the party over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

An arbitration committee in the northern city of Hanover has been considering the decision for several weeks after 17 motions for expulsion were received from different chapters of the party, reports dpa news agency.

Schroder himself did not appear at hearings and did not send a lawyer.

The decision of the arbitration committee can be appealed within two weeks.

The former Chancellor, who was in office between 1998 and 2005, has been criticized for years for his involvement with Russian state-owned companies and is considered a close personal friend of Putin.

The pressure on Schroder to distance himself from Putin increased after the invasion of Ukraine.

In May, he finally announced that he would leave the supervisory board of the Russian energy giant Rosneft.

He also turned down a nomination for a supervisory board position at Gazprom.

But in a recent interview with private broadcaster RTL/ntv, Schroder once again refused to distance himself from Putin.

He also advocated putting the controversial Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, which was put on hold in light on the Russian invasion, into operation.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Tel Aviv, Aug 8 : An Egypt-brokered ceasefire to halt a flare-up in fighting by Israel and Palestinian militants was holding on Monday, with crossings into the besieged Gaza Strip also reopening.

An Israeli army spokesperson said no new rockets had been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire to end three days of violence that Palestinians said left more than 40 dead took effect late Sunday, reports dpa news agency.

The Israeli army had not attacked any new targets in the coastal enclave, the spokesperson added.

Israel on Monday also announced the re-opening of border crossings into the Mediterranean coastal strip for humanitarian deliveries.

The Israeli military had launched the "Breaking Dawn" military operation on August 5 with airstrikes against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.

Two military chiefs were killed during the operation.

The group, closely linked to Iran, is classified as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.

Israel Defense Forces said the group had been planning a major attack along the border involving anti-tank missiles and so pre-emptive action was taken by launching a wave of strikes against Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza.

Tensions began to rise with the arrest of an Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank, Bassem Saadi, on August 1.

Since August 5, Palestinian militants have fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli settlements, according to the Israeli military, with some 200 hundred of them falling short and hitting the Gaza Strip.

In Gaza, 44 people have been killed and 360 injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Among the dead were said to be 15 children and four women.

The Palestinians blamed the Israeli strikes. Israel said misguided jihadi rockets had caused the civilian casualties.

There have been no reported deaths in Israel, with the Iron Dome defence system intercepting most of the rockets.

After assessing the security situation, the Erez border crossing and the Kerem Shalom goods crossing were open again, Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced Monday.

The first fuel tanks and humanitarian supplies passed through the border in the morning, according to a spokesperson.

The power supply in Gaza had been reduced from 12 to four hours on August 6 due to a lack of fuel. The Palestinian Health Ministry had warned of major impacts on medical services.

Around 2 million people live in very poor conditions in the territory on the Mediterranean Sea.

Hamas seized power in 2007, prompting Israel to tighten a blockade of Gaza, a move that is also supported by neighbouring Egypt.

Both Israel and Egypt justify the measure with security interests.
Los Angeles, Aug 8 : Actress Jessica Chastain met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

The 44-year-old Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, posted a photo on his official Telegram account showing him and the actress in the presidential palace on Sunday, reports nypost.com.

"American actress Jessica Chastain is in Ukraine today. For us, such visits of famous people are extremely valuable," Zelensky wrote.

"Thanks to this, the world will hear, know and understand the truth about what is happening in our country even more," the post said.

Chastain, 45, also visited the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, Ukrinform reported.

The images showed the actress wearing all black, with her red hair pulled into a loose ponytail, smiling while posing with Zelensky in front of a Ukrainian flag.

According to nypost, another shot showed Chastain looking concerned while sitting next to Zelensky at a table during what appeared to be an intense conversation.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut waves to his supporters outside the ED office in Mumbai on Monday, Aug 01, 2022. (Photo: Megha Jadhav/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut waves as he is being sent to ED custody till 8th August in connection with an alleged money laundering case in the Patra Chawl land case, in Mumbai on Thursday, Aug 04, 2022. (Photo: Megha Jadhav/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Aug 8 : A Special PMLA Court here on Monday sent Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to a 14-days judicial custody till August 22, eight days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money-laundering case.

PMLA Court Special Judge M.G. Deshpande granted Raut judicial custody after the ED said it did not require his additional custody.

The ED had raided Raut's residence in Bhandup on July 31 and arrested him in the wee hours of August 1 in connection with a money-laundering case detected from the redevelopment project of the Patra Chawl, Goregaon, by Guru Ashish Construction Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of the HDIL.

On Saturday, the ED interrogated the MP's wife, Varsha Raut for around 10 hours in the same case in which it had earlier arrested his close associate, Pravin Raut.

Sanjay Raut, 61, was earlier sent to a four-day ED remand which was extended by three more days till August 8, followed by the two-week long judicial custody granted on Monday.
Chennai, Aug 8 : As many as 16.86 lakh people were inoculated in 50,000 Covid-19 vaccination camps held across Tamil Nadu as part of 33rd mega vaccine camp which got underway on September 12, 2021.

In a statement on Monday, the health department said that 95.94 per cent of the population aged above 18 years have received their first dose, while 89.37 per cent got their second dose of vaccine.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS: "The mega health camps held across the state have helped inoculate 90 per cent of the population in the state." The Minister also urged the people to come forward and take precautionary vaccine doses and said that 3,59,17,783 people are eligible for precautionary vaccines in the state.

He said that the government would be providing vaccines free of cost for another 52 days as part of the commemoration of the 75th independence day celebrations of the country.

Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said: "People of the state must make use of this free precautionary vaccine dose as part of the 75th independence day celebrations of the country. They can either take the vaccine at the daily vaccine camps or at the mega vaccine camps that are held in an alternate week." The next mega vaccine camp is scheduled to be held in the state on August 21.

The Minister said that the SARS-CoV2 virus has been mutating continuously and it was necessary to get people vaccinated against it.
Islamabad, Aug 8 : The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday confirmed that one of its top commander, who was behind some of deadliest attacks in recent years, was killed in a bombing in Afghanistan.

Abdul Wali Mohmand, also known under the alias Omar Khalid Khorasani, was on the US State Department's wanted list and was offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on his whereabouts, reports dpa news agency.

According to the TTP, Khorasani's vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb on Sunday in the Afghan province of Paktika, on the border with Pakistan.

At least two other commanders were also killed in the bombing which came exactly a week after a US drone strike in Kabul had killed Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Khorasani is thought to have been close to Al Qaeda's founding leader Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, but it wasn't immediately known if there was any link between the drone strike and the bombing.

At one point, he broke away from TTP and formed his own group, Jamaat ul Ahrar.

His group carried out some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan, including a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore in 2016 that killed at least 75 people from the minority Christian community on an Easter Sunday.

Khorasani later dissolved Jamaat ul Ahrar and rejoined the TTP in a group's drive to reunify several estranged groups.

The US State Department described him as a former journalist and poet who studied at several madrasas in Pakistan.

There has been a fragile truce holding between Islamabad and the TTP for the past two months as peace talks brokered by the Afghan Taliban's Haqqani network take place.

The TTP has killed nearly 80,000 Pakistanis in almost two decades of violence.
Mysuru, Aug 8 : Congress leader and leader of opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah on Monday slammed the RSS and BJP, and dubbed the ambitious flagship programme of the ruling BJP 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign a farce.

Veer Savarkar, the icon of BJP had opposed the tricolor flag. Savarkar is being worshipped by RSS. The magazine "Organizer" known as the mouthpiece of BJP had opposed the national flag in the present form. When they had opposed the tricolor then, how are they coming up with 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign now? Is it not a farce? Siddaramaiah stated.

BJP does not respect the constitution, national anthem and national flag. The celebration of the 75th year of Independence is being turned into a political event, he said.

"The Congress is celebrating the occasion with respect and honour as it is the Congress which brought independence to India," he said.

The BJP in Karnataka is scared. Even one week after my birthday celebrations they have not stopped talking about it. The party has decided to take up 75 kilometers of padayatra in all districts and taluk centers to mark the occasion, he said.

He further stated that it is the Congress which had fought for the country. Jan Sangh took birth in 1951. Do they (BJP and RSS) know about the freedom struggle? he wondered.

Did any RSS leader go to prison for their struggle for Independence? Were Sangh founders Hedgewar and Golwalkar jailed for freedom movement? Siddaramaiah asked.

After the BJP came to power, the imports from China have gone up and exports have come down. The Make in India initiative should have increased exports from the country. There is no meaning for the initiative if everything is brought to India from other countries, Siddaramaiah stated.
Gurugram, Aug 8 : Tension erupted in Gurugram's Gadoli village after a seven-year-old boy fell into an open drain.

The boy, identified as Nishant, is suspected to have drowned and his body is yet to be recovered from the drain, the police said on Monday.

Following the accident, outraged villagers blocked the Gurugram-Pataudi road and Sector-10A Chowk demanding action against alleged negligence.

The villagers said that three children, including Nishant, were playing near the open drain which flows beside the Gurugram-Pataudi Road in Gadoli village. Nishant accidentally slipped and fell.

On hearing his screams, villagers rushed to the spot and tried to rescue, but he was swept away as the flow of water was strong due to rain.

"The drain along the road has not been covered. The boy died due to the neglect of the administration. As of now, 4-5 people have lost their lives due to an uncovered drain but the local administration has turned a blind eye in the matter," alleged an agitating villager.

As the vehicular movement on the route came to a standstill for more than five hours due to the blockade, a police team of Sector-10A police station rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitators.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Gurugram Vishram Kumar Meena also reached the spot.

"A team of the State Disaster Response Force, Fire Department and divers were on the spot to recover the boy's body. We are trying to pacify the protesters to open the blockade," Arvind Dahiya, station house officer (SHO) of Sector-10A police station said.
Rajkot, Aug 8 : After unearthing the use of industrial alcohol in the illicit liquor manufacturing, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) health officers have detected another scam. Industrial grade maize starch and chemical grade citric acid were being used for making snacks for devotees fasting in the holy month Shravan.

The RMC's senior food safety officer Amit Panchal and his team carried out a food inspection at a production unit of Samarpan Charitable trust. To their surprise they found a maize starch bag with clear notice 'Only for Industrial Use', it was used in making "Kachori", that is eaten by fasting devotees on Monday and Gokul ashtami.

Panchal said even chemical graded citric acid packets were found, which were used for making fasting snacks and have been sent for tests. The snacks were fried in burned oil, the total polar compounds (TPC) value of which was 25 plus. This is considered to be unsafe for human consumption.

The corporation will file a case against the trustees under the Food Safety Act.

The Health Officer Dr. Jayesh Vakani said that Industrial Starch can cause multiple health issues that begin with constipation since the industrial starch cannot be digested and gets stuck in the intestine. In the long run it can lead to chronic complications.
Berlin, Aug 8 : Some 800 emergency workers were battling a forest fire in Germany's Saxon Switzerland National Park on Monday with little improvement in sight.

"The fire is in a controllable area, but flames are still coming out of the ground," dpa news agency quoted Thomas Kunz of the district administration office as saying.

"The high temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius make the number (of workers) necessary because it is a very intensive physical operation," Kunz said.

The dry and hard ground has to be dug up with hoes and spades to fight the pockets of embers, he said.

As things stand, the operation will continue at this level until at least the end of the week.

The use of so-called circular sprinklers, which irrigate a larger area and suppress the flames, has been effective, but these can only be set up in clearings.

Due to the strong sunlight, the water evaporates quickly and may not penetrate deep enough into the soil layers, Kunz said.

According to the German Weather Service, no rain is expected for the entire coming week.

Separately, fire fighters in Berlin were still attempting to extinguish a blaze in the capital's Grunewald forest, which broke out four days ago due to an explosion at a nearby police blasting site.
London, Aug 8 : Errol Musk, 76, who is father of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has said that he is not a 'Lothario' (serial womanizer) but in his head, he has "slept with many women".

After revealing last month that he had a second child with his own stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout, Errol now said that he is not a serial womaniser despite claims of countless lovers and fathering two children with his own stepdaughter, reports The Mirror.

"I wish I was a Lothario. I think every man would love to be one but I'm not," he was quoted as saying in the report.

"In my head I've slept with hundreds of women. Occasionally I find a woman that is attracted to me. (But) I've been on my own for at least three years," Errol added.

Errol, who now lives in South Africa, announced last month that he fathered a second child with the 36-year-old daughter of his former wife Heide.

When asked whether he was proud of his son Elon, he said: "One doesn't walk around saying 'I'm proud'.

"It's one of the seven deadly sins. Instead I would say I'm very thankful for Elon's achievements and that he is okay and managing." Errol Musk said that he is not proud of his son, saying that Elon is unhappy with his own career progress.

In an earlier interview with the Australian radio The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Errol had said he was not proud of Elon's accomplishments.

It emerged in 2018 that Errol had baby Elliot Rush, nicknamed Rushi and now five, with Bezuidenhout, who is 41 years his junior and he had raised since she was four.

Elon Musk was reported to have gone "berserk" when he found out his South African engineer dad had a child with Bezuidenhout, who lived with him while growing up.

Errol was married to Bezuidenhout's mother, Heide, for 18 years and had two children together.
Beijing, Aug 8 : Chinese Internet giant Baidu on Monday said it will soon ply fully driverless taxis in Chongqing and Wuhan cities via its autonomous ride-hailing unit called Apollo Go, becoming the first company in the country to herald autonomous driving.

The search engine group recently showcased a new generation of self-driving vehicles.

Baidu has now secured permits to offer a fully driverless commercial robotaxi service, with no human driver present, reports TechCrunch.

Baidu has also secured a permit to run driverless cars on open roads in Beijing but here, the permit still requires a human operator in the front passenger seat.

However, it will be the first time an autonomous vehicle company is able to offer a fully driverless ride-hailing service in China in Wuhan and Chongqing cities.

"This is a tremendous qualitative change. We believe these permits are a key milestone on the path to the inflection point when the industry can finally roll out fully autonomous driving services at scale," said Wei Dong, vice president and chief safety operation officer of Baidu's Intelligent Driving Group.

In Wuhan, Baidu's service will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m and cover a 13 square km area.

In Chongqing, the service will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in a 30 square km area to begin with.

Last month, Baidu revealed designs for its sixth generation electric robotaxi, the Apollo RT6 EV that costs around $37,000.

Baidu plans to expand its ride-hailing service to 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030, said the report.

Self-driving car service Cruise recently began driverless commercial service in San Francisco, and Waymo has been offering such autonomous services in the city of Arizona since 2020.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has expressed his objection to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over AAP's tweet poster that dragged his name and picture into the row over the Delhi government's Excise Policy, 2021-22.

According to a source, the L-G cited two "brazenly mischievous, misleading and defamatory tweets" by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that used his name in the row over alleged irregularities in the Excise Policy 2021-22.

However, after his objection, the tweet was removed later. "The words 'LG' instead of 'Ex LG' & use of my picture have been deliberately done to misrepresent facts to mislead people," objected the L-G in his complaint, said the source.

In the tweets, the word L-G instead of 'ex L-G' was used with the picture of present Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena to deliberately misrepresent facts and mislead the people," sources said.

According to the source, L-G Saxena said that such petty efforts at propaganda are highly objectionable. He not only demands immediate withdrawal but also unconditional apology, said the source.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had recently in a press briefing blamed former L-G Anil Baijal for changing his stand over the opening of liquor vends in non-conforming areas of the city under the Excise Policy 2021-22. Sisodia claimed that it caused gains to some licensees while leading to huge loss of revenue to the government.

Sharing the screenshot of that tweeter poster, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also slammed the AAP, asking why the tweet was removed by the ruling party in Delhi.

However, the poster to represent these facts used the word 'LG' instead of 'Ex LG' and also used the photo of current L-G. However, it was removed after raising the objection.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : Actor Harsh Rajput shared how his co-star Nyrraa Banerji played a prank that left him petrified during the shoot of a sequence in a forest in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.

The actors were shooting for their show 'Pishachini'. After the shoot, Harsh said he thought of exploring the forest while it was all dark. He felt like a shadow passed by him and saw someone standing at a distance and suddenly he heard a voice in his ears. When he looked behind, Nyrraa was standing in her black costume and she was laughing.

Sharing his experience, he said: "Nyrraa Banerji professed herself as a ghost and petrified me when we were shooting in Himachal Pradesh. It was the most terrifying yet fun prank anyone has ever played on me." "Everything fell right on Nyrraa's plate to execute her plan of pranking me, a spooky location amidst the woods, her black 'Pishachini' costume, and the hour of dusk. We all couldn't stop laughing later thinking about all that happened, but I hope I never witness something like this in real life," he added.

'Pishachini' airs on Colors.
New Delhi, Aug 8: Indian Army Chief Manoj Pande will be visiting Kathmandu in the first week of September, officials from Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Army said.

This will be the first visit of an Indian Army chief to neighbouring Nepal since his appointment to the post on April 30 this year.

"We have received communication from the Indian side that General Pandey will be here from September 5 to 7," a senior official at Nepal's foreign ministry, told India Narrative on Sunday, requesting anonymity. He added that the government and army are currently making preparations for the visit.

A spokesperson for the Nepali Army, Narayan Silwal, also confirmed that the Indian Army chief is visiting Nepal. "Yes, he is coming. Official announcement will be made at an opportune time," he told India Narrative.

During the visit, the two sides are scheduled to discuss various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation including logistical support to the Nepali Army, according to official's privy to this development.

"The Nepali Army has already made a request to the Indian Army for logistical support including two military helicopters. We are hopeful that the Indian side will make some announcement during the visit," another official from Nepal's Ministry of Defence told India Narrative.

Pande, who was appointed as the 29th Army Chief of India, will be conferred with the honorary title of Nepali Army by Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari during the visit, according to Nepal Army headquarters.

Conferring the honorary rank of General on each other's Army Chiefs has remained a customary practice between Nepal and India.

In November last year, Chief of the Nepali Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma travelled to India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart General Pande. General Sharma was given the honorary title of Chief of the Indian Army by the former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind amid a special function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

The tradition has been followed by the two immediate neighbouring countries since 1950.

General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief who received the honorary rank of Nepali Army chief in Kathmandu in 1950.

Since then, 21 Indian Army chiefs visited Nepal, while 17 Nepali Army chiefs have visited India during the same period.

The Indian and Nepali Army chiefs have continued their engagements formally and informally for years.

Lastly on May 4, the Indian Army Chief held a video conference with Nepali counterpart Sharma with a focus on boosting bilateral defense cooperation.

Nepali ambassador to India, Dr Shanker Prasad Sharma, had also discussed General Pande's planned visit to Nepal during their meeting in New Delhi in June last week.

Experts say that the military-to-military ties have remained the cornerstone of otherwise excellent relations between the two countries for years.

"The relationship between the Nepali Army and the Indian Army is the cornerstone of otherwise excellent relations between these two countries. A large number of officers and men of the Nepal Army undergo professional military courses in India. Further, a large number also have close relations (both serving and retired) with their kith and kin who serve or have served in the Indian Army, "Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan of the Indian Army has said in an article published by the Financial Express newspaper in June 2021.

Nepali and India army personnel have been holding joint military exercises at the platoon level of 30 men each since 2012, focusing primarily on jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations.

Opportunity to discuss regional security situation amid changing geopolitics The Indian Army chief's upcoming visit will also be an opportunity for the two militaries to discuss regional security situation amid China's growing assertiveness along the Line of Actual Control between India and China, observers said here.

The visit will also have its geopolitical significance as China and the United States are trying their best to bring Nepal into their fold through economic and military aids in recent times.

Meanwhile, a joint military exercise scheduled to be held between India and the United States in the mid-October at Auli in the Indian State of Uttarakhand, is also being closely observed in Nepal.

The India-US joint exercise, taking place less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from India's disputed border with China, will focus on high-altitude warfare training, according to reports.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, Aug 8: With Chinese extensive military deployment around Taiwan rattling the region, the Philippines is eager to strengthen defence cooperation with the US. The US, which already has troops in bases on Filipino territory, has assured the south-east Asian nation of protection in case of an armed attack.

In the Philippines on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Philippines is an "irreplaceable ally" while the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reflecting on the Taiwan Strait tensions said: "...the visit of your House Speaker Nancy Pelosi coming here... I did not think it raised the intensity; it just demonstrated how the intensity of the conflict has been...".

China's aggressive posturing towards Taiwan, in the wake of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei, has shaken up the region. Countries in south-east Asia are worried as Beijing has territorial conflicts with many in the South China Sea (SCS).

In Blinken's visit, the highest-ranking US official to visit Manila after Ferdinand Marcos Jr became President this June, the two nations reaffirmed their decades-old defence alliance. They are governed by the Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT)--an agreement signed on 30 August 1951 that states that if either of the allies faces an armed attack, the other would come to its defence.

Emphasising that the US would defend its allies in south-east Asia, Blinken told journalists: "An armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft will invoke US mutual defense commitments under that treaty. The Philippines is an irreplaceable friend, partner, and ally to the United States." US and the Philippines relations had come under strain under previous President Rodrigo Duterte, who was opposed to the continued presence of US troops on Filipino soil. Duterte had tried to move closer to China at the cost of bilateral relations with the US. That scenario changed as Beijing began to assert itself in the region.

Duterte even watered down the historic arbitration case that the Philippines had won against Beijing over islands in the disputed SCS that belonged to Manila rather than Beijing. During his rule he also decided to unilaterally end the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement that allowed for the deployment and rotation of American soldiers on bases in the country.

For almost a hundred years, the country has fallen back on the US for its security and defence needs. To that extent, Ferdinand Marcos Jr has restored the nation's foreign policy to what it had been for a long time--go back to the US.

The new president seems keen to restore ties with the US not just in the fields of defence but also in areas of technology and health cooperation.

With China unleashing live-fire drills with a vengeance and a blockade of Taiwan, the public mood in the Philippines which has largely always been positive towards the US is now beginning to swing further to the US. For President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. it will be a tight rope walk - doing the balancing act between two warring powers.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, Aug 8: The body of Saqib Karim was found on the seashore in Azerbaijan capital Baku on July 8. Saqib had escaped Pakistan after two of his brothers were killed in custody by the Pakistani Army.

Saqib had registered himself with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Azerbaijan in an effort to seek asylum after having escaped from Pakistan to the Gulf, and then to Azerbaijan. Baloch activists say the authorities in Baku have closed the case after labelling it as an accident.

This was the third death by drowning of a Baloch asylum seeker on foreign shores, raising suspicion whether the ISI-the dreaded Pakistani spy agency, played a role in the deaths. Investigations by European countries have warned Pakistani dissidents living in asylum that they are not completely safe from the long arm of the Pakistani intelligence agencies.

In the first instance, Journalist Sajid Hussain Baloch went missing on 2 March 2020 in Sweden. Eventually the police found his body in the Fyris River on 23 April 2020. He had fled Pakistan years earlier after receiving threats over his reportage on the insurgency in Balochistan, where he wrote about enforced disappearances, drug trafficking and similar uncomfortable truths about the country.

It was a similar story for the Canada-based activist Karima Baloch who went missing on 2 December 2020 and her body was eventually found in a lake in Toronto. A Baloch activist, she had joined the movement for independence from Pakistan as a student and was regarded as an intellectual among the community. Amnesty International South Asia also called for an effective investigation into her death.

After their mysterious deaths, news website Balochwarna wrote a detailed feature highlighting how the Baloch community is witness to suppression and gruesome killings by Pakistan not only within the country but also outside it. The website also narrated a much-earlier story of Arif Barakzai, a member of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO), who died after falling from the 11th floor of a student hostel in the Norwegian capital Oslo on 10, January 2008. That death too was declared as an accident.

Investigations by local authorities in Sweden and Canada found no foul play in the deaths of Sajid Hussain and of Karima respectively. Last month the story repeated itself with Saqib in Azerbaijan.

However, there are too many similarities in the deaths of three Pakistani dissidents meeting their deaths in watery graves in three different geographies.

Even though Azerbaijan closed Saqib's case, Baloch organisation, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) urged the government to investigate Saqib's death, saying that he could have been murdered. BNM said that two of his brothers were killed in custody by the Pakistani army prompting Saqib to flee the country.

The important issue that the organisation raised is that Baloch activists, writers and journalists are not safe anywhere in the world. BNM spokesperson Qazi Rehman said: "It was a matter of great concern that after being insecure in Balochistan, when Baloch took refuge in foreign countries, they were facing a similar situation there". He added that it was too big a coincidence that Baloch refugees are drowning in a continuous process.

Tihs was a question that was raised in 2020 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) after Journalist Sajid's body was found in Sweden. The RSF highlighted that suspicion lingers because Ahmad Waqass Goraya, a Pakistani blogger living in the Netherlands, too was attacked outside his home in Rotterdam. The RSF said that the attack on Goraya "fits the modus operandi of Pakistani spy agencies".

Pakistani intelligence agencies are notorious for carrying out attacks against people--intellectuals, journalists, activists and bloggers--who they think are inimical to Pakistani interests.

The BNM says that Saqib's two brothers, Shaheed Tariq Karim and Shaheed Asim Karim, were found dead with their bodies mutilated. The BNM says that besides the two brothers, "other members of his family were also targeted". Despite the fact that the police in all three countries have shut down the cases, the BNM has urged the international community to investigate all three deaths and take steps "to protect the lives of Baloch political refugees abroad" from the Pakistani military and spy agencies.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Kolkata, Aug 8 : Authorities of the Presidency Central Correctional Home, where Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee is lodged, have denied the latter's plea for rice at both meals on medical grounds.

A highly-placed official from the state Correctional Services Department said that as per practices for years, an inmate is offered rice at lunch and chapati at dinner.

"However, Chatterjee requested that rice be served both at lunch and dinner. But we are unable to do that since as per direction of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, Chatterjee is diabetic and hence excessive consumption of rice is not good for his health. We have informed him about the obligations on this count and since then, he did not make the plea again. He was offered fish on Sunday like other inmates as per correction home rules that non-vegetarian food is served on Sundays," he said.

However, following the repeated requests by Chatterjee, arrested in the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam, the authorities have agreed to provide him with a cot in his cell.

Earlier, he was provided with four blankets. Chatterjee was using two as a mattress and the other two as pillows. However, Chatterjee repeatedly requested the jail authorities to provide him with a cot since because of heavy body structure and weight, he has had immense problems lying on the ground. From Sunday night he had been provided with a cot at his cell.

Apart from that the prison authorities have denied any other special treatment to Chatterjee as a former minister.

The cell number 2 of ward number 22 of Presidency Central Correctional Home is fitted with a ceiling fan and Chatterjee's plea for a table fan was also denied by the prison authorities. This particular ward of the correctional home is high security ward and prison authorities keep a close vigil round-the-clock.

It is learnt that Chatterjee has become totally silent since he came to this prison on Friday night and most of the time, he is lying with his eyes closed. He will be presented at the special court of Public Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on August 18 again.

His close associate Arpita Mukherjee, who has been housed at the Alipore Women Correctional Home will also be presented at the same court on the same day.

--IANS src/vd

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New Delhi, Aug 8: A recent tasting of some Punjabi food at the Claridge's marquee restaurant, Dhaba, in New Delhi, brought back memories of a childhood treat that was a fixture in our refrigerator. Chef Harangand Singh, one of the most talented young Indian chefs of this generation, was recreating flavours of the undivided Punjab, of his home, as also some inventive fare that he is so good at. Amongst the dishes was a simple but delicious makai ki tikki that had been given an extra burst of flavour with aam papad from Amritsar.

Those of you who have eaten in the streets of this incredible city of the Golden Temple will appreciate how the very water and air of the city seem to imbue flavour to all that is cooked here-whether it is the hot, crisp kulche from the tandoor with a bite of freshly ground coriander and toasted kalonji (onion seeds), or Makha's incredibly delicious batter-fried fish, using either the local sole or singhada from the sweet waters of the Beas, or indeed the saffron-flavoured creamy lassi at Ahuja's, for which milk is first thickened with kesar and then set to ferment.

But among the lesser-known delights of Amritsar is also the Aam Papad, available in mainly two versions, the sweet golden, and the sour kala or black.

A disappearing chaat from Amritsar is in fact the aam papad chaat, as chef Harangad reminded me, for which cubes of this indigenous Indian fruit leather are spiked with home-made masala and a dash of lime. At Ram Lubhaya's shop those dates back to 1968 and which was the most famous address in Amritsar for this treat, a mix of 12 different spices used to be sprinkled on different types of aam papad to give you a semblance of chaat.

But the aam papad too comes in many different varieties other than the basic two, with mixed flavours and spices or shaped into rolls and even laddoos. You can carry some back along with the papad and wadiyan from the spice shops of this city.

While Amritsar's inventive versions may boggle your palate, aam papad is in fact a pan-Indian treat, called by different names all over the country. It is equally popular in Bengal (where it is called aam satta) as in regions like Andhra in the south where it is called mamidi tandra.

In her iconic cookbook The Calcutta Cookbook Minakshie Das Gupta notes how even in 19th century zamindar households, annual visits by widowed aunts involved a cornucopia of treats taken out from the said aunt's tin trunk. These could be anything from a home-made bottle of kashundi, fermented for extra flavour, to sweet, chewy aam satta that the aunt had made in the summer months, by delicately drying mango juice on sheets under the sun. The aam satta could then be moulded in beautiful handmade moulds and was a highly sought-after treat.

How old could this art of sun drying mango juice be in India and what can we conjecture about its origins? Fruit leather (of which aam papad is a type) in the west, in America and Europe, is often thought to have southern European roots.

In Italy, the traditional centre for this craft has been Genoa, and fruit roll ups have been popular childhood snacks that many recall with great fondness. While modern day chefs and commercial enterprises have embarked upon many innovations in this genre and you may find modern plates with ingredients such as even tomato leather, the only two well-known fruit leathers from the medieval world that continue to exist in our post-modern, post-pandemic one is the sugared, scented Turkish delight and the Levantine apricot "leathe".

Fruit leather is said to have most likely originated in the Levantine region of the Arab world, from where its popularity spread to Spain and southern Europe.

If you have ever had the opportunity to try the amardeen, the Syrian apricot leather, you may have realised how closely allied it is to the Indian aam papad. The amardeen is popular in the US today in its version of "fruit rolls" or fruit roll ups.

While fruit roll ups have been popular in the US since the 1980s, their history goes back to the early 20th century, when amardeen was brought to the States by Levantine immigrants. In the early 20th century, amardeen could be bought at sweet shops in Arab-Christian neighbourhoods in New York City, apparently. Joray, the first brand in the US to offer fruit rolls, credits this invention to sheets of the apricot fruit leather which would be imported from Syria by George Shalhoub, an immigrant from Lebanon, who had come to the US in 1886, and sold this at his sweet shop.

In the 1970s, his descendant Louis Shalhoub developed the first fruit rolls, and the brand Joray came into being subsequently. These have been produced in New York ever since. Now, these roll ups are available even in India as the quintessential American confectionary! All over the Levantine, however, the apricot fruit leather, ancestor of modern-day fruit roll ups, is an ancient way of preserving fruit that was plentiful in this region.

Like the Syrians and Lebanese, the Armenians too have a centuries old tradition of making what they call T'tu Lavash (literally, sour bread). Armenian apricots were much vaunted exports, and also a national symbol of the land. Pureed apricots-as well as other fruit such as plums and grapes found in the region-were sundried on sheets in homes and made into thin, easy to roll "flatbread" or sour "lavash".

Clearly, the aam papad is a cousin of this T'tu Lavash or the amardeen. In India, mango, our own ancient fruit, loved by all, replaced apricots, while the term "papad" of course refers to the practice of sun drying lentil papads on sheets as a method of preservation of food.

There is no credible source or recipe that I have been able to unearth that can tell us of the bridge between India's own sour/sweet-sour papad, aam papad, and the T'tu Lavash of the Armenians. However, we can always conjecture! The Armenian community prized for being resourceful and innovative and functioning as merchants, gunsmiths, priests and soldiers became fairly well entrenched in India during the Mughal times, after people from the region dispersed all over the Persian empire, and a few arrived in medieval India.

They were allowed to settle down in close-knit settlements by Mughal rulers and establish their own churches. In 1562, an Armenian church, possibly the first in India, was constructed in Agra, and the identity of one of Akbar's wives is often conjectured to that of an Armenian. She was apparently the sister of another powerful Armenian woman of the time, Lady Juliana, physician to the royal harem, according to some historians (though some conjecture her to be Portuguese).

Whatever be the truth of it, Armenians had become very well entrenched in Bengal by the 18th century and active in mercantile activities, after Aurangzeb granted them rights to form a settlement and permit to trade at reduced duties. An Armenian church was set up in 1758, in Saidabad, near Murshidabad. Armenian influences can be found in the cuisine of Calcutta and Bengal. And we can form our own theories whether these close cultural encounters have resulted in the innovation of the aam papad from the amardeen? Like every other flavour that arrived in India through the vagaries of time and fortune, the fruit delight too seems to have been embraced, assimilated and transformed.

Different mango varieties in different parts of India result in different flavours of the aam papad-but it is also the addition of spices, local jaggery, even ingredients like sesame oil in some versions that uplift this from being a simplistic candy! The cult of the aam papad is also closely related to that of the murabba, or fruit preserved in sugar, thought to be therapeutic in medieval India-many traditional homes still continue to feed the likes of amla murabba to pregnant women or recovering patients for "strength" and immunity.

I found a delightful recipe for mango morabba in my go to Sandford Anot's Indian Cookery published from Persian and Hindustani in 1831, and it details out a process where by mangoes have to be peeled, cut into twos, and thrown in a mix of quick lime (another column on its use in cooking soon!) and water, then boiled and thrown in sugar syrup for one whole day and then taken out and put in reduced syrup again to give us candied fruit.

In fact, this sort of candied fruit was common to much of the medieval world, including in the courts of the Tudors and Stuarts, where culinary historians contend, they were served as dessert in the second course! These were also gifted, a practice common to medieval India too.

As for aam papad, it seems to have been more elusive, and more specialised because of the painstaking setting of layers, and thus a delight that would arrive either from Calcutta or Amritsar and the like and settle in our fridges through the hot summer and monsoon months till as late as the 1980s. It's a treat that needs a revival now.

(Anoothi Vishal is the author of Mrs LC's Table. She is also a columnist and food writer, specialising in cuisine history) (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Chandigarh, Aug 8 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday told the legislative assembly that sewage treatment plants (STPs) would be soon set up in Dharuhera and Rewari to treat the waste water coming from Bhiwadi, an industrial area of Rajasthan.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued orders that the Rajasthan government will provide money and the Haryana government will set up the STPs, he said.

The Chief Minister said this while replying to a question of member Chiranjeev Rao during the Question Hour on the first day of the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha here.

Khattar apprised the House that in the meeting of the NITI Aayog in Delhi, a discussion was also held with the Chief Secretaries of Haryana and Rajasthan on this issue and as per the order of the NGT, a treatment plant would be set up soon and people will get rid of this problem.

Replying to another question, the Chief Minister said some areas in the state face the problem of water-logging for almost three months during the monsoon. The state has made adequate arrangements for water drainage, he said, adding steps have been initiated to enable the canal water to reach the tail end through the lift irrigation system and pumps.

In the past three years, about 8-10 feet of water is there in the Masani dam in Rewari district and this has happened for the first time, said the Chief Minister.

He said that although there are some districts where irrigation area is less and a proposal is being made for reallocation of the water share of these areas to others. This will ensure proper use of water, added Khattar.

He said the government is also promoting micro-irrigation through MICADA (Micro Irrigation and Command Area Development Authority) in the areas having water scarcity.
New Delhi, Aug 8: Coal, considered to be the single largest source of global carbon emissions, is back in demand as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has crippled energy supplies leading to soaring prices.

With an unprecedented rise in global economic uncertainties, several countries including Germany, the European Union's (EU) largest economy have decided to resort to coal based power generation. Incidentally, India had come under the scanner last year after the conclusion of the COP 26 (Conference of Paris) )for altering the wording of the final deal to "phase down" instead of "phase out" coal.

In less than a year, the developed countries are now scrambling to resume coal based energy generation.

A report by the Observer Research Foundation noted that energy supply disruptions following the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in early 2022 took LNG prices even higher leaving coal as the only option for dispatchable and affordable power even in the tough markets of Western Europe and North America that have explicit policies to phase out coal.

Germany, one of the worst impacted by the energy crisis, has started to move back to coal by restarting the idle coal plants. The country had earlier shut down most of its coal based power plants as spearheaded the transition towards green energy and the climate change cause. Germany had announced phasing out all coal based electricity generation by 2038. But it is now reversing its stand as it faces one of the worst crises in decades.

Other European countries such as Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Greece have also started restarting coal plants.

China has the largest number of operational coal power plants. India ranks second. Germany, the largest economy in the EU has 63, according to data collation portal Statista.

The International Energy Agency in a recent report said that while oil and natural gas are receiving much of the attention, coal markets are also experiencing significant turmoil, with important implications for many countries where coal remains a key fuel for electricity generation and a range of industrial processes.

Only last year, several countries committed to move away from coal based energy production.

At the COP26 held last year, 40 nations including Vietnam, Poland, South Korea, Egypt, Spain, Nepal, Singapore and Chile made new commitments to phase out coal power. In a new 'Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement', countries also committed to scaling up clean power and ensuring a just transition away from coal, a statement issued by United Nations Climate Change said.

Along with the governments, banks and financial institutions too announced that they would restrict funding for coal based projects.

"Coal is the single largest source of global carbon emissions, and this year's historically high level of coal power generation is a worrying sign of how far off track the world is in its efforts to put emissions into decline towards net zero," Fatih Birol IEA Executive Director had said last year.

Australia, Indonesia, US and South Africa besides Russia are the top coal exporters in the world. . Combined, those 5 countries shipped 84.5 per cent of the total value of coal sold on international markets during 2021.

Climate activists and environmentalists have received a blow amid the rapidly changing energy contours that are now severely impacting the global economy.

The US Supreme Court ruling in July against the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), limiting its authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, dealt a blow too. Not just that. The European Parliament also approved inclusion of gas and nuclear as sustainable energy sources.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Aug 8: The sudden chill in the US-China relations, brought about by Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, illuminates a new security crisis in the Indo-Pacific region.

The military tensions between Beijing and Washington have indeed serious implications for Russia.

Unsurprisingly, an army of politicians, diplomats and experts in Moscow are asking-Is Russia now China's sole strategic partner? What is the future of Russia-China relations? After President Putin launched a special military operation in Ukraine, which the West has pejoratively labelled as a war and an attack on a neighbouring country, the seething hostility in the Moscow-Washington relations, played out in the European theatre, had been grabbing international headlines.

On the contrary, notwithstanding crises and conflict, the Indo-Pacific region, which is not part of NATO's core mandate, received only peripheral attention.

In fact, while confronting Russia, the West was pampering China in the hope that Beijing would not come to Moscow's aid and relieve the pressure.

The Chinese however, played a balancing act. Like India, they continued to cooperate with Russia, opening a "window of opportunity" for themselves, and began to reconfigure Beijing's trade, economic and energy cooperation with Russia.

In order to force Beijing to turn away from Moscow, the West used all possible means over the past months. Chinese President Xi Jinping was cajoled not only by US President Joe Biden, but also by French President Emmanuel Macron as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Finally, Comrade Xi was bluntly threatened, warned of a certain "high price", which Beijing would have to pay, if it did not play ball.

The combination of pressure, inducement and personal self-interest, which would not have served if Beijing played a zero-sum game, forced China to work out a diplomatic balancing act. While it did not refuse cooperation with Moscow, it also declared that it neither did, nor intended to provide any assistance, including military support to Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

China's position also exposed the emptiness of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's words spoken in January last that there is "no end point, no forbidden zones, no upper limit" in Sino-Russian cooperation. While in general, the two do not form a union, it is still "more than a union".

However, lush rhetoric of the Chinese officialdom notwithstanding, the "upper limit" of Beijing-Moscow relationship was clearly visible. In its attitude to the Ukrainian crisis, Beijing defiantly adhered to the principle of equidistance from the two sides of the conflict - Russia and Ukraine.

Already after the start of the Russian military special operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24 this year, for some time Beijing, by inertia, called for the implementation of Minsk agreements on the settlement in the Donbass, which lasted eight years, but at that time was already stillborn. This happened despite the fact that the death of the Minsk Agreements was openly announced by the Russian leadership itself.

Over the past months, Beijing has patiently listened to the Ukrainian leadership, which in Moscow is often called the "fascist junta", and demonstrated some semblance of understanding and sympathy. It is not surprising that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on China to impose its weight to help Kiev in bringing Moscow "to justice".

There is also a back story of why Ukraine thought it could rely on China. The two have had a quiet but very special military and technology relationship. Afterall China had bought its first aircraft carrier, now Liaoning but formerly Varyag from Kiev. There have been several reports in past about China's effort to siphon ballistic missile technology and advanced metallurgy from Ukraine.

But all this might now change after the crisis in Taiwan, which is central of China's identity and strategic interests.

The visit by the US House of Representative Speaker, Nancy Pelosi to the island, appears to have side-lined the Ukraine crisis. China is now at the centre of a major communication war unleashed by the powerful western media.

After Nancy Pelosi crossed the "red line" in US-China relations, which none of her predecessors in Washington dared to cross in the 21st century, the heat is also now on China.

So one of the main enemies of Russia, Nancy Pelosi with her visit to Taiwan ironically played along with Moscow. She helped Moscow to forcefully convey the message that the United States is a sinister destructive force, wherever it operates - in the European theatre or in the Pacific Ocean.

Moreover, now, it would seem, nothing prevents Moscow and Beijing from following more resolutely the principle of standing "back-to-back" proclaimed by them earlier.

This term, which came from Oriental martial arts, means that the sides reliably cover each other's backs: Russia is fighting off its opponents in the western direction, and China is in the Indo-Pacific region with a common main opponent - the United States.

Thank you, Nancy Pelosi, for making Moscow the main beneficiary of the Taiwan crisis.

(Sergei Strokan is a veteran journalist, writer and columnist of the Kommersant publishing house based in Moscow. The views expressed are personal and exclusive to India Narrative) (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Mumbai, Aug 8 : The much-delayed cabinet expansion of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government is likely to take place on Tuesday morning.

Shinde gave indications to the effect in Nanded where he is on a tour on Monday, saying that "you will come to know soon" and the names of the ministers shall be finalised by latter this night or Tuesday.

More ministers may be inducted Tuesday - a day ahead of the Monsoon Session of Maharashtra Legislature which is expected to start from Wednesday.

Shinde and Fadnavis took oath on June 30 - a day after the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi regime headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray crashed - and they have been running a two-man government for the past 40 days.

The duo had a meeting on the issue on Monday - a couple of days after they had gone to New Delhi to meet the Bharatiya Janata Party top leaders - to finalise the thorny cabinet expansion issue.

The Shinde-Fadnavis government has been under severe attack from the Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena leaders for the delay in forming the cabinet due to which the state administration has been paralysed.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : With just 10 days left in office, Chief Justice N.V. Ramana's decision is awaited on five key matters -- Maharashtra political scenario, report by Pegasus panel, PMs security lapse in Punjab, attempt by Maharashtra Wakf Board to replace Attorney General K.K. Venugopal as the counsel in the case, setting up of a bench to hear petitions against the Karnataka High Court judgment banning wearing of hijab in pre-university colleges in the state -- and others, which include petitions challenging Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and listing of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, which provided a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Justice Ramana has been vocal about non-filling up of judicial vacancies and not improving the judicial infrastructure as the main reason for pendency of cases in the country. He has also emphasised access to justice for the people from the weaker sections of the society.

Ramana has minced no words in criticising the government while speaking at public fora and also tried to decide matters of constitutional salience -- on May 11, a bench headed by him put on hold the colonial-era penal provision of sedition, saying the court is cognizant of the integrity of the state on one hand, and the civil liberties of citizens on the other.

The Chief Justice is scheduled to retire on August 26.

Last week, the Chief Justice shot a volley of questions at senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while hearing petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs on constitutional issues of split, merger, defection, and disqualification.

On August 4, a three-judge bench headed by him had said that the court would decide on August 8 whether to refer some issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis to a five-judge constitution bench.

The apex court had also asked the Election Commission of India not to decide the application filed by the Shinde camp for recognising them as the 'real Shiv Sena' and allotment of the party symbol. The matter is likely to come up for hearing soon.

Reportedly, the court-constituted Pegasus panel has submitted its report in the alleged misuse of the Pegasus spyware to spy on journalists, politicians and activists. The committee is headed by former Supreme Court judge R.V. Raveendran. The contents of the report remain confidential. The top court decision on the panel's report is awaited.

On August 3, the Supreme Court had agreed to set up a bench to consider a clutch of pleas against the Karnataka High Court judgment, which upheld the right of educational institutions to ban wearing of hijab in pre-university colleges in the state. While mentioning the matter for listing, a counsel urged the top court to fix a date in the matter, as petitions against the high court judgment were filed in March.

In January this year, the top court had said that an enquiry committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra, will investigate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach in Punjab.

A bench headed by justice Ramana, outlining the terms of reference for the enquiry committee, said, "What were the causes for the security breach for the incident on 5th January 2022? Who is responsible for such a breach, and to what extent? What should be the remedial measures or safeguards necessary for the security of the Prime Minister or other protectees?" The top court order came on a petition by the NGO, Lawyer's Voice, which was represented by senior advocate Maninder Singh. The petitioner had emphasised on the importance of protection to the PM of the country and urged the court to constitute an independent committee to probe the matter. The matter has not come up for hearing so far, since then.

On August 2, a bench headed by Ramana expressed discontent with the Maharashtra Wakf Board for attempting to replace Attorney General (AG) K.K. Venugopal as a counsel in the case, in the middle of hearing on an important question - whether all land donated by Muslims for charitable work would come under Wakf.

The AG had also written to the Supreme Court to take strong exception to the action taken by the Wakf Board.

"All this interference with the counsel who are to represent the parties being removed at the last minute is a serious, uncalled for, and unwarranted attempt to interfere in the due administration of justice by removing counsel representing the parties. This clearly is an act of contempt of court," the AG said in his letter to the registrar (judicial). The top court is likely to take up this matter soon.

In April this year, the Supreme Court said a reconstituted five-judge constitution bench would deal with the batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, as one of the judges on the bench, Justice R. Subhash Reddy, had since retired.

A bench headed by Chief Justice. Ramana indicated that the reconstituted bench might hear the matter after the summer vacation. However, the matter has not been listed so far.

In December 2019, the top court had issued notice on petitions challenging the validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. In December 2019, the top court had declined to give interim relief in the matter. The matter has been pending for two years now.
Jaipur, Aug 8 : Rajasthan government on Monday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased who died in a stampede at Khatushyam temple in Sikar district.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Divisional Commissioner Vikas Sitaram Bhale will investigate the entire matter.

According to sources, police personnel were not deployed to control the huge crowd on 'Ekadashi'. SP Kunwar Rashtradeep has suspended Khatu SHO Riya Chaudhary for the negligence.

Three women died and four others sustained serious injuries when a stampede broke out at Khatushyam temple in Sikar, Rajasthan on Monday morning.

The accident took place at 5 a.m., when the crowd of devotees had increased significantly for darshan on the occasion of 'Ekadashi'.

It is being said that around one lakh people were present outside the gate at that time. Devotees were in line since Sunday night and as soon as the doors of the temple opened in the morning, the crowd went berserk, resulting in the stampede.

Meanwhile, as the investigation is underway, the district administration has refused to treat the accident as a stampede. Sikar Collector Avichal Chaturvedi said that the accident was reported due to the pressure of the crowd while opening the gate of the entrance.
New Delhi, Aug 8: With almost all mainstream political parties coming together on the issue of hoisting the 'tiranga' on rooftops of Independence day, the hardliners in Punjab seem to have been pushed to the corner.

The controversy has been raked up by the 'rabble rousing' MP from Sangrur, Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) who in a video message to the people opposed the hoisting of the 'tiranga'. He was supported by the Dal Khalsa, a radical Sikh organisation that strived for the creation of Khalistan.

The state president of the Congress, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the radicals for "trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state".

He said, "The tricolour is a national symbol and every Indian should respect it. Tens of thousands of people, most of them Punjabis and Sikhs, laid down their lives to safeguard the honour of the tricolour..." Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who is also the AAP's Punjab convenor, ridiculed Simranjit Singh Mann saying, "this country has been freed from the British after sacrifices made by our forefathers and those opposing the tricolour have recently taken the oath of Constitution of India to be able to sit in the Parliament." BJP spokesman and All India Working Committee member Harjit Singh Grewal said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call, 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is aimed at unifying the nation. Those opposed to the hoisting of tiranga are doing a disservice to the country and such elements will automatically get alienated." Surprisingly, MP Sukhbir Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is yet undecided as to what stand to take on the issue. "I don't know what to say. Besides, the party doesn't need to take a stand on every issue," said a functionary of the SAD.

The SGPC, known as the mini-parliament of the Sikhs, is silent on the issue. A meeting of the executive committee is fixed for August 10, following which it may issue a statement.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Seoul, Aug 8 : China's military exercises show Beijing doesn't need to invade Taiwan to control it -- rather it can strangle the self-ruled island, cutting it off from the outside world, Chinese and American analysts say, media reports said.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) drills, which officially began last Thursday, focused on six zones that essentially encircled Taiwan, restricting access to civilian ships and aircraft in the area, as forces conducted live-fire drills and missile launches, CNN reported.

Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, said the six areas were chosen to show how China could cut off Taiwan's ports, attack its most important military installations, and sever access for foreign forces that may come to Taiwan's aid.

"Connect the six areas in a line, like a noose, with the knot of the noose right in the southwest direction," Meng said in an interview with state-run broadcaster CCTV, CNN reported.

China's Communist Party views democratic Taiwan as its territory -- despite never having controlled it. Uniting Taiwan with the mainland is a cornerstone of Chinese policy and President Xi Jinping has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control.

Meng noted the northern exercise areas had successfully sealed off Taiwan from Okinawa, the island where both Japan and the United States base substantial military assets. In the southern areas, the PLA showed it could control the Bashi Channel, "the only way to enter and exit the South China Sea," he said. And in the eastern areas, China's forces showed that accurate Chinese missile fire could force foreign warships to back away from Taiwan's waters, he added.

"This is an unprecedented encirclement of Taiwan Island," Meng said, CNN reported.

And on Monday, China issued a notice to say drills were continuing.
Los Angeles, Aug 8 : "Game of Thrones" actor Sean Bean says intimacy coordinators "spoil the spontaneity" of shooting a sex scene.

"It would inhibit me more because it's drawing attention to things," Bean, who played Ned Stark in the hit fantasy show, said of having an intimacy coordinator in the room, reports 'Variety'.

"Somebody saying, 'Do this, put your hands there, while you touch his thing..." "I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise," he added, comparing his experience to the raunchy 1993 adaptation of "Lady Chatterly's Lover", in which he starred opposite Joely Richardson.

"'Lady Chatterly' was spontaneous," Bean said in his interview with the UK's Times Magazine.

"It was a joy. We had a good chemistry between us, and we knew what we were doing was unusual. Because she was married, I was married. But we were following the story. We were trying to portray the truth of what D.H. Lawrence wrote." Bean also decried the censorship of his work at the behest of TV companies or advertisers, citing the "Snowpiercer" TV series, in which he currently stars, where he filmed a scene naked alongside Lena Hall. In the bizarre Season 2 scene the duo become intimate with the aid of a mango (as in the fruit).

Bean said: "I think they cut a bit out actually. Often the best work you do, where you're trying to push the boundaries, and the very nature of it is experimental, gets censored when TV companies or the advertisers say it's so much. It's a nice scene, quite surreal, dream-like and abstract. And mango-esque." When the interviewer pointed out that intimacy coordinators can help to protect actors in the wake of #MeToo, Bean responded: "I suppose it depends on the actress. This one (referring to Hall) had a musical cabaret background, so she was up for anything." Hall has starred in Broadway productions of shows including "Kinky Boots", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", and "Cats", among other shows.

In the interview, Bean, who played Boromir in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" franchise, also turned his eye to fan conventions, describing one (unnamed) LOTR convention as "just a cattle market" when he attended as a guest.

Bean said he would not attend future fan conventions.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Patna High Court to drop all disciplinary proceedings against a suspended Additional Sessions Judge from Bihar for deciding POCSO cases within days.

A bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Ravindra Bhat told the counsel representing the high court that "Our sincere advice is to drop everything. If you don't want to, we'll go threadbare into it.." The bench said unless there are allegations of corruption and malafide, only then disciplinary action is justified. Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, representing the high court, submitted that he would inform the high court.

The bench noted that there shouldn't be an over zealousness to take action against the judge, as it would send a bad message to other judicial officers, who are performing their duties efficiently, and also anything against the judicial officer would be a reflection on the high court as well.

It said that the judge was asked to submit his written statement in defence within 10 days, after receiving the memorandum dated August 5, 2022, containing articles of charge along with enclosures, which was served upon the petitioner judge.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioner judge, submitted that his client is willing to submit the statement of defence. The bench noted that the high court should consider the suspended judge's written statement.

After hearing arguments, the top court scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 18. The high court's counsel submitted that an appropriate decision, after considering the entirety of the matter, including the petitioner's written response, would be taken within two days.

On July 29, the top court issued notice to the Registrar General and the state government on the claim by Shashi Kant Rai that his suspension order and the pending disciplinary proceedings against him recorded no reasons. Rai had moved the top court through advocate Nitin Saluja.

Rai, an Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) in Araria, sought quashing of the non-speaking suspension order dated February 8, issued by the Patna High Court and the purported disciplinary proceedings as mentioned therein, being malicious, illegal, and arbitrary.

In the previous hearing, the top court observed that the approach of a judge - who sentenced a convict to capital punishment within four working days and decided a POCSO case and awarded life term to the convict within a working day - cannot be termed commendable.

--IANS ss/vd

A
Chandigarh, Aug 8 : Punjab Police has arrested 10 gangsters of the Pindri gang associated with Lawrence Bishnoi gang and recovered seven weapons and ammunition from them, an official said on Monday.

Deputy Inspector General, Anti-Gangster Task Force Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the team acted on a tip off to locate the kingpin Parminder Singh, alias Pindri, who was handling the operation of Bishnoi gang in the Nangal-Ropar belt.

He said 22 first information reports (FIRs), including an attempt to murder, have been registered against the gangster.

Parminder Singh is an active member of the Bishnoi gang and had been hiding in Himachal Pradesh and was operating from there only, Bhullar said.

He said he was involved in drug smuggling too.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Garg said seven weapons, including two .32 bore country-made pistols, besides 51 cartridges and one magazine have been recovered from them.

They all were hardcore criminals. A total of 22 FIRs have been registered against Pindri, two against Baljinder, one each against Gurpreet, Jaspreet and Gurdeep, seven against Iqbal Mohammed, four against Surinder and 24 against Dara, he added.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Two lawyers have filed separate pleas with Attorney General K.K. Venugopal on Monday seeking his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against senior advocate and former Law Minister Kapil Sibal over his statements allegedly undermining the dignity and independent nature of the Supreme Court.

In a letter to the AG, advocate Vineet Jindal said "Mr. Kapil Sibal... has directly made allegations with intent to disgrace and scandalise the sitting judges of the highest court, the Supreme Court, of our country. The statements by Mr. Sibal has scandalized the judgments passed by the Supreme Court judges and accused the judges for being corrupt." Jindal said Sibal was speaking at event "People's Tribunal" which was organised on Saturday at Delhi on the "Judicial Rollback of Civil Liberties" by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and the National Alliance of People's movements (NAPM)

Jindal claimed Sibal had reportedly said: "... I do not want to talk like this about a court where I have practised for 50 years but the time has come. If we don't speak it, who will? The reality is such that any sensitive matter which we know has a problem is placed before certain judges and we know the outcome." The letter further added, Sibal also questioned the independence of the judiciary saying: "Jis court mein judge bithaye jaate hain (where judges are instituted) through a process of compromise, a court where there is no system to determine which case will be presided over by which bench, where the Chief Justice of India decides which matter will be dealt with by which bench and when, that court can never be independent." Jindal said if this kind of precedent were allowed, political leaders would start making reckless allegations against the judges of the highest court of our country and this trend would soon lead to the failure of an independent judicial system. "I am therefore seeking your kind consent under section 15 (1) (b) of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971, read with rule 3 of the rules to regulate the proceedings for the contempt of the Supreme court 1975 to initiate criminal contempt against Mr. Kapil Sibal," he said in his letter.

In a separate letter, advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha also sought consent from the AG to initiate contempt action against Sibal.

Jha said the speech of the contemnor is not only against the Supreme Court and its judges but is a process to undermine the dignity and independent nature of the top court by scandalising the authority of both the court and its judges.

"That this is becoming a common trend and setting wrong precedence that lawyers with political affiliations use judiciary as a means to push their political agenda thereby criticising the Court and the whole legal system by making reckless allegations against judges who do not decide cases in their favor," said Jha's letter to the AG.
Kochi, Aug 8 : The Kerala High Court on Monday itself initiated a public interest litigation to ensure proper monitoring of flood relief operations and directed the government to take proper steps for providing a mechanism to manage emergency situations during the monsoon season.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice S. Manikumar directed the state government to take proper and prompt action during monsoons as the rains cause a severe loss to the lives and properties of people.

"Torrential rains in the state of Kerala cause disaster in many places due to landslides, denudation of water. There are damages to the property of people residing in Pembroke lands, colonies, hill slopes, isolated locations, plantation areas, and others. The sState of Kerala has to take proper and prompt action for prevention of disasters. There are instances of flooding in some areas as well," it observed.

The court, then directed the Registry to register a suo motu petition to keep an eye on the efforts made by the state government to deal with such situations.

"In the above circumstances, taking note of the mandate under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, duties enjoined on the state/court, to effectively monitor and direct the governments to take proper steps for providing appropriate mechanisms for managing the emergency situations during the monsoon season and otherwise under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. We are of the view that a suo motu writ petition should be registered to hear the Government and any other interested parties/aggrieved and issue appropriate directions," the order stated.

The court was considering a petition seeking orders to the government to set up a high level technical committee to ensure dam safety, consisting of 3 or 4 eminent engineers with at least the Chairman and one more member from outside the state.

However, the Court opined that the matter requires monitoring and decided to initiate a suo motu case, arraying the state government and the heads of the Power Department, the Water Resources Department, the Disaster Management Authority, and the Kerala State Electricity Board.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : A Hindu family from Sanghar in Sindh province of Pakistan was attacked on Sunday evening by almost a dozen men within the remits of Mirpur Mathelo police station over a petty squabble, prompting uproar on social media with netizens demanding justice for the victims, media reports said.

The family, which included three women and two kids, was attacked at a restaurant near Ghotki. The attackers who arrived in a Vigo after "tracing" the family smashed the car and hurt Ajay Kumar, who was present in the car.

According to a relative of Kumar, the suspects started attacking the Hindu family without any reason.

He said the family members, who were returning from Raharki Sahib -- a temple in the area -- tried to cross Shamsher Pitafi's vehicle but they were repeatedly denied the right to overtake.

As the family managed to get ahead, Pitafi followed them and later the men who came in Vigo attacked them during the stay, Express Tribune reported.

However, people who had gathered at the spot tried to diffuse the situation and saved the family from the physical assault.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Kheal Das Kohistani said the attackers had also misbehaved with women.

"The Sindh police has assured that the attackers will be arrested," Kohistani said and added that IG Ghulam Nabi Memon and SSP Ghotki Tanveer Tunio have been taken into the loop.

"The main culprit should be arrested immediately," Kohistani demanded.

But, he added, despite pressure from different people, the police have failed to arrest Pitafi.

Sources told The Express Tribune that Pitafi is a cousin of Sindh Livestock and Fisheries Minister, Abdul Bari Pitafi. They added that the local Hindu elders asked Kumar not to register an FIR against Pitafi. They also informed that due to "political pressure", the police were reluctant to arrest the men involved in the attack.
Hyderabad, Aug 8 : Climbing mountains is a passion for these two young Telangana women. But this time they're doing it for Project Shakthi - a mission to make a difference in the lives of 100 under-privileged girls.

Kavya Manyapu, is a President awardee and space scientist in the US. Poorna Malavath is the youngest female to climb Mt Everest and to complete the Seven Summits Challenge. Together, they aim to raise an amount of $1,00,000 for the purpose.

On Monday, the two young women set out from Hyderabad to Leh in Ladakh. Over the next 15 days, the duo will climb a yet unclimbed and unnamed mountain peak around 6,200 metres tall, in Ladakh.

This is the first of several such mountain climbs they intend to accomplish going forward, said Shekhar Babu, a veteran mountaineer who has worked out the expedition.

Both, Kavya and Poorna have their roots in Telangana's Kamareddy district. They first met when Poorna went to the US on an exchange programme in 2019. Their shared interest in mountain climbing was the inspiration behind this mission to raise funds and awareness.

"As part of Project Shakthi, we chose mountaineering as a platform because it's a very unconventional form of a career or pursuit for a woman. And that's the message we want to send...that girls should dream big and aspire to do whatever they think they want to do," Kavya told IANS.

Poorna, who is back after completing her last climbing expedition in North America in June, is looking forward to the mission in Ladakh. "I'm very excited. Till now, I have scaled mountains for my passion. This time I'm doing it for a cause," Poorna told IANS.

Joining them on the expedition, is a team comprising Divya Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, Rency Thomas from Kerala, videographer Amita Negi and liaison officer Kimi.

The expedition, training and logistics will be supported by Transcend Adventures, an Indian company engaged in providing training and logistics for mountaineering expedition.

On completion of the expedition, the duo plans to submit the required documentation that will allow the peak to be officially named.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted searches at premises of six suspects in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district in connection with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) Kashmit terror funding case.

This organisation was declared an unlawful association in 2019, but it continued to raise funds in various forms on the pretext of charitable purposes, and these funds were allegedly being diverted to terrorist organisations, such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba etc. for promoting terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley as well as the rest of India, an NIA official said.

The case was registered suo-moto on February 5, 2021. The NIA had earlier filed charge sheet against four persons in the case.

"Searches conducted on Monday have led to the recovery of incriminating literature, receipts of funds raised by JEI Jammu and Kashmir, bank and property related documents, and electronic devices," the NIA official said.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on Sunday arrested two Bangladeshi nationals in connection with the JMB Bhopal case.

The arrested persons have been identified as Hamidullah alias Raju Gaji alias Muffakir and Md Sahadat Hussain alias Abidullah.

They were found to be involved in propagating the ideology of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and motivating the youth to carry out jihad against India.

"Both were held in Bhopal in the case relating to the arrest of six active cadres of JMB, including three illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, from Aishbagh," the NIA said.

The case was initially registered on March 14, and was re-registered by the NIA on April 5.

Earlier, seven accused had been arrested in the case.

Raju Gaji and Sahadat Hussain are highly radicalised individuals who were involved in propagating jihad by posting hateful and incriminating materials online on various social media groups to radicalise others, the NIA said.

They were close associates of earlier arrested accused persons in the case and were found using encrypted apps to communicate with their associates in India and Bangladesh.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking a central law to control the "population explosion" in the country.

Seeking the government's response, a bench of Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and J.K. Maheshwari tagged the petition with a similar plea filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed through advocate Ashutosh Dubey, sought direction from the Centre to control the population explosion in order to secure the basic rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.

"Population explosion is also the root cause of the pitiable condition of our International Ranking. We are ranked 103rd in the Global Hunger Index, 43rd in Suicide Rate, 168th in Literacy Rate, 133rd in World Happiness Index, 125th in Gender Discrimination, 124th in Minimum Pay, 42nd in Employment Rate, 69th in Rule of Law Index, 43rd in Quality-of-Life Index, 51st in Financial Development Index, 177th in Environment Performance Index, 139th in GDP Per Capita," the plea said.

"The injury caused to citizens, particularly women, is extremely large. The perils of population explosion on economy and its ramifications are often discussed. But, the impact that repeated child bearing has on woman are seldom highlighted outside the niche areas. Incidence of grand multiparity, which is defined as more than 4 viable births, in developing countries like India is 20 per cent while it is only 2 per cent in developed countries. The ill-effects of repeated pregnancies both on women and the new-borns are devastating. In India, malnutrition-anaemia are rampant in expecting mothers. This becomes worse with repeated pregnancies jeopardising their health and leading to further adverse pregnancy outcomes. There is increased risk of abortions also in such mothers. Mothers become more prone to infections with repeated pregnancies," the plea read.

It said that the Centre passed its obligation on states though "Population Control & Family Planning" is mentioned in concurrent list. Hence the Centre can make law for rules and regulations and policies to control population explosion, which is the biggest menace to democracy and socio-economic development. It has not even drafted a Bill till date," the plea stated.

The plea sought directions from the Centre to ascertain the feasibility of enacting a stringent population control law in order to secure fundamental rights mainly rule of law, right to air, right to water, right to food, right to health, right to sleep, right to shelter, right to livelihood, right to justice and right to education guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, 21, 21A.

"In the alternative, direct the Law Commission of India to examine the population control laws and population control policies of the developed countries and suggest the population control steps in order to secure the fundamental rights..., " it prayed.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : Finally, the much-delayed and anticipated cabinet expansion of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis government is expected to take place on Tuesday morning, official sources said here on Monday.

Shinde also gave hints to the effect in Nanded where he is on a tour on Monday, saying that "you will come to know soon" and that the names of the ministers shall be finalised by Monday night or Tuesday.

The Shinde group MLAs will be meeting later on Monday after messages were conveyed to various probables on his side and ally Bharatiya Janata Party to reach the state capital immediately.

According to current indications, around half a dozen ministers from the Shinde group and the BJP are slated to take oath on Tuesday in the first phase, and the rest will be inducted later.

Political sources said that nearly half the legislators of Shinde Group-BJP - totaling around 165, including independents and smaller parties - are clamouring for ministerial berths, with a majority of them hoping for Cabinet rank.

The move comes ahead of the Monsoon Session of Maharashtra Legislature which is expected to start from Wednesday, though there were some reports of a week's delay.

The Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat has cancelled all leaves of staffers from August 9-18, directing them to remain present in office for the monsoon session preparations.

Shinde and Fadnavis took oath on June 30 - a day after the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi regime headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray crashed - and since then, they have been running a two-man government for the past 40 days.

Thackeray, his son Aditya Thackeray, party MP Arvind Sawant and other MVA leaders have taken potshots at the proposed cabinet expansion on Tuesday.

Shinde and Fadnavis had a meeting on the issue Monday - a couple of days after they had gone to New Delhi to meet the BJP top leaders - to finalise the thorny cabinet expansion issue, with many senior leaders on both sides staking a claim for ministerial positions.

The Shinde-Fadnavis regime has been under severe attack from the Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena leaders for the delay in forming the cabinet due to which the state administration has been left paralysed, with no help reaching the farmers and people hit by the recent floods in several parts of the state.
Patna, Aug 8 : While Janata Dal-United reached the stage where it planned to break away from the NDA in Bihar, the BJP leadership activated the "Eknath Shinde plan" to sabotage the Nitish Kumar government but the Chief Minister spotted it within time and changed the entire game, a JD-U leader claimed.

The claim by a party leader, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity, came a day after JD-U national President Lalan Singh said that Nitish Kumar and the JD-U was targeted with the "Chirag model" during the 2020 Assembly election and as a result, the party only secured 43 seats. The reference was to how the Lok Janshakti Party of Chirag Paswan fought elections outside the NDA, but only in the seats that the JD-U was contesting.

According to the party leader: "This time, the Chirag model was activated through R.C.P. Singh. The saffron party wanted R.C.P. Singh to stay in the JD-U and work like Eknath Shinde. Lalan Singh's statement about the Chirag model was actually the Eknath Shinde model in Bihar. Everyone knows who was behind the conspiracy to remove Uddhav Thakeray in Maharashtra." "Nitish Kumar smartly assessed the situation of Bihar and he was minutely observing the activities of R.C.P. Singh. When he thought that the time had come to end the climax, he asked JD-U state President to serve the notice to R.C.P. Singh and asked to clarify the 40 bigha lands obtained by him and his family in the last 9 years. Following that development, R.C.P. Singh resigned from the primary membership of the party and leveled sensational allegations against Nitish Kumar and national president Lalan Singh. He even claimed that the JD-U is a sinking ship." The party insider said that BJP started the plan to change the Chief Minister ever since its top leadership included only R.C.P. Singh in the Narendra Modi government. At that time, there was a buzz that there were several JD-U MLAs in touch with R.C.P. Singh and he might become a rebel.

"Nitish Kumar realised the threat and started surgical operations on two fronts. One he had given complete authority to Lalan Singh to evict every sympathiser of R.C.P. Singh either out from the party or take away the responsibility in the organisational structure. Many leaders in the organisation became loyalists of Nitish Kumar.

"The situation was such that none of the MLA or MLC openly went into the events where R.C.P. Singh was the chief guest in Bihar. Nitish Kumar then opened another front in his own hand and forced the BJP central leadership to send a leader in Patna. Due to the strong stand of Nitish Kumar, Dharmendra Pradhan came to Patna on that occasion to discuss the issue. Nitish Kumar pointed out to Pradhan that if such a thing will be repeated in future, he would not respect the 'Gathbandhan Dharma'. After the resignation of R.C.P. Singh, BJP started the same game plan again which may force Nitish Kumar to take a decision," he said.

Weighing in on the R.C.P. Singh issue, Lalan Singh said: "During the expansion of Narendra Modi government, R.C.P. Singh told JD-U leadership that he received a phone call from Amit Shah, telling him that his name was selected as a cabinet minister. How could BJP decide who would be the minister from JD-U? Nitish Kumar gave the authority to R.C.P. Singh to negotiate with BJP, what was he (R.C.P. Singh) doing when Amit Shah told him that his name was selected as a cabinet minister. Why had he not objected to it? This statement of R.C.P. Singh proved that he was working for BJP while staying with JD-U." Lalan Singh also targeted R.C.P. Singh for later claiming that he was associated with Nitish Kumar since 1998.

"R.C.P. Singh was associated with Nitish Kumar as a private secretary in 1998. At that time, Nitish Kumar was the Railway Minister and there were two dozen officials associated with him. That does not mean he was a leader of JD-U. He became leader of JD-U in 2010 when Nitish Kumar sent him to Rajya Sabha," Lalan Singh said.
Noida, Aug 8 : Acting tough against the self-claimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shrikant Tyagi, the Noida Administration on Monday razed to the ground -- the illegally constructed permanent structure -- by the abusive 'Neta' inside a high-rise society here.

The Administration's tough stand came just three days after Tyagi indulged in a verbal spat with a woman over the plantation of palm trees.

Tyagi had encroached the common area of the society and constructed a wooden shed that had multiple pillars below it.

The demolition exercise was carried out by the Noida Authority in the morning around 9 a.m.

As the bulldozers rolled on Tyagi's encroached area, the residents of the society expressed happiness and also distributed sweets among themselves.

Later in the day, Additional Director General of UP police (law and order) Prashant Kumar, informed that the Uttar Pradesh Police have suspended six police personnel for their laxity in the case.

"The in-charge of the local police station has been suspended. Besides, a sub-inspector and four constables have also been suspended for laxity in work," the senior official said.

Apart from the strict action against its own officials, Kumar said for the safety of the woman complainant, two personal security officers (PSOs) have been assigned to her.

Kumar assured that the accused Tyagi, who is still at large, will soon be arrested as multiple teams are currently working on the case.

Noida Police has also declared a reward of Rs 25,000 for the person who gives information on the location of absconding politician.

According to sources, an intense operation to nab the absconding accused is currently underway and multiple teams of the Noida Police are working in co-ordination to zero in on his location.

Sources told IANS that Tyagi's last location was traced in Uttarakhand between Haridwar and Rishikesh and multiple police teams went there but still he was not found.
Mumbai, Aug 8 : There are films -- and then there are cult classics. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's magnum opus 'Gangs of Wasseypur. which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Monday, belongs to the second category.

The two-part gangster crime drama, which was initially shot as a single film of 321 minutes, not just turned the fortunes on their head for Kashyap, but also for everyone involved with the film.

The film, spanning three generations beginning from pre-Independence India under colonial rule to modern-day India, tells the story of generational revenge, power struggles, politics and survival.

Kashyap at once became the poster boy of the post-2000s parallel film movement in the country. The film also stands as Kashyap's biggest hit till date.

It came as a big relief for him, as his earlier films either never saw the light of day ('Paanch'), or were banned ('Black Friday'), or were simply sleeper hits ('Gulaal'). The only exception was 'Dev D', which in a way helped the director generate the recall value for the Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer 'Gangs of Wasseypur'.

Other artistes, who benefited from the film and have gone on to rule the roost every since, include a string of now-celebrated talents. Nawazuddin, who earlier got small roles and struggled for nearly a decade, became an overnight star, courtesy of his powerhouse acting which was both realistic and robust to say the least.

The success of 'Gangs of Wasseypur', clubbed with 'Kahaani' and 'Talaash: The Answer Lies Within', catapulted the actor to stardom. He went on to be featured in some of the biggest films of the 2010s, sharing the big screen with the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir and Salman.

Pankaj Tripathi, who essayed the role of the butcher Sultan with a penchant for gore, also acquired a massive fan following. A former NSD alumnus, just like Nawaz, Pankaj was struggling to find work before 'Gangs of Wasseypur'.

Post his appearance in the film, he went on to star in some of the most loved films and web series, from 'Newton', 'Masaan', 'Dilwale' and 'Ludo' to 'Mirzapur' and 'Sacred Games'.

Another actor who turned out to be a bankable name is Jaideep Ahlawat, who played Shahid Khan, Sardar Khan's father. A product of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Ahlawat had been referred to Kashyap by Manoj Bajpayee during the initial narration. Ahlawat followed his success in 'Gangs of Wasseypur' with 'Commando: A One Man Army', 'Gabbar Is Back', 'Raazi' and 'Paatal Lok'.

Richa Chadha has been promised the role of Durga by Anurag Kashyap, but it went went to Reema Sen because nobody was ready to play Sardar's first wife, Nagma Khatoon, and it was Richa who saved the day for Kashyap as she did complete justice to the part.

Many people will consider 'Shahid' to be Rajkummar Rao's claim to fame, but he had already made his presence felt with his powerful performance in 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha', followed by 'Gangs'. Rao played Shamshad, Faizal's (Nawazuddin) partner turned foe.

The actor went on to star in acclaimed films such as 'Shahid' and 'Aligarh', forming an unbreakable bond with filmmaker Hansal Mehta, whose directorial 'Shahid' revived his career and gave him a new voice as a filmmaker.

It's not just the cast of 'Gangs of Wasseypur' who benefitted from it. The film's first assistant director, Neeraj Ghaywan, took the leap of faith and brought laurels to the country with his directorial debut, 'Masaan', as it bagged two awards at the 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, including the Promising Future prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

Post the success of 'Masaan', Ghaywan, who met his mentor Anurag Kashyap through the latter's now-defunct cinema blog, Passion for Cinema, has delivered projects such as 'Sacred Games 2' and 'Ajeeb Daastaans'.

This story won't be complete without the mention of Vicky Kaushal, who was a third assistant director on the film. He had been referred to Anurag by his father, Sham Kaushal, who had choreographed the action in 'Gangs of Wasseypur'.

Since then, Vicky has become a Bollywood sensation and heartthrob of Hindi cinema aficionados. The actor, who married Katrina Kaif last year, and has delivered hits such as 'Uri' and 'Sanju', even starred in 'Gangs of Wasseypur' as a silhouette in the brothel scene where Nagma Khatoon (Richa Chadha) comes looking for Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee).

'Gangs of Wasseypur' is not just a film. For some, it is an emotion; for other, it is an experience. For its team, however, it has been a fertile ground that gave them the space for their talent to blossom and their stars to shine.
Chennai, Aug 8 : Tamil Nadu School Education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has drawn criticism after an ICU ambulance was made to wait near a bridge at Kumbakonam for his convoy to pass after a video of the incident went viral.

The minister was, on Saturday, was travelling in a convoy of 15 vehicles and a policewoman stopped the ambulance till it passed. As per the video that went viral, even after the siren of the ambulance was blowing, police did not allow it to moved until all the vehicles in the minister's convoy passed through.

BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy has called on the Minister to tender his resignation and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to tender an unconditional apology to the people of Tamil Nadu and the country. He also sought stringent action must be taken against the erring officers.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : A week after the death of Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) top leader Omar Khalid Khorasani and three other top terrorist leaders were killed in a mysterious explosion in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province, as per Pakistani government sources.

According to Afghan officials and local sources, a vehicle carrying senior commanders of the militant group, including Khorasani, was targeted by a mysterious explosive device on Sunday.

The report said that the top militants were on their way to a meeting in Birmal district of the province when their vehicle blew up.

Other TTP commanders like Abdul Wali Mohammad, Mufti Hassan and Hafiz Daulat Khan in the vehicles were also killed, a senior Afghan official was quoted as saying.

According to a local, the TTP leader was travelling "for consultation" when his vehicle collided with a roadside mine on Sunday.

Khorasani, who belonged to Pakistan's Mohmand (tribal) Agency, was considered a top member of TTP - the terrorist group that seeks to enforce Sharia law across Pakistan and there was a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head.

Daulat Khan from the Orakzai Agency was an important member of the Daulat group and a close trustee of Khorasani, while Mufti Hasan, from Malkand, had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the deceased leader of the Islamic State.

According to local Afghan sources, TTP intelligence chief Abdul Rashid alias Ukabi Bajouri was also killed in a landmine blast in Kunar province of Afghanistan on Sunday morning.

However, the TTP is yet to confirm the targeted killings of its top commanders, an incident that would certainly undermine the Afghan Taliban-brokered peace talks between the TTP and the Pakistani government.

The news comes after talks between the outlawed group and Pakistan reached an impasse as the outfit refused to back down on its demand to reverse the merger of the then Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATF) with Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Patna, Aug 8 : Amid speculation that Bihar's Janata Dal-United might separate from the NDA in Bihar, RJD state President Jagadanand Singh claimed that his party is ready for every war.

He, however, denied any kind of pact with JD-U at this juncture.

"We have not given any proposal or invitation to Nitish Kumar to join the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. We have called for the meeting on Tuesday to prepare plans for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Vidhan Sabha election. We are ready to fight any war," Singh said.

Apart from the RJD, the JD-U and the HAM also announced meetings of their legislators on Tuesday.

JD-U state President Umesh Kushwaha said: "Tomorrow's (Tuesday) meeting is being held to take the feedback of our MLAs, MLCs and MPs about the current situation." Interestingly, JD-U national President Lalan Singh said: "We have called a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation arising due to the R.C.P. Singh episode. Nitish Kumar will be chairing the meeting and legislators and MPs will put their points." Jitan Ram Manjhi, the patron of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) is the only leader who claimed that what would be the decision taken by Nitish Kumar, his party will support him. HAM is with Nitish Kumar and JD-U. However, he also said that the NDA is intact and Nitish Kumar will rule the state.

Meanwhile, a JD-U MLA said: "Our top leadership has asked every MLA to reach Patna by 8 a.m. on Tuesday. At present, we do not know what will happen in the meeting but I expect that a big political storm will come up after the meeting. CM Nitish Kumar and national President Lalan Singh will be expected to take a big decision that decides the fate of the NDA in Bihar."
Kolkata, Aug 8 : Mere verbal assurances would not work and the agitation against the multi-crore teacher recruitment scam in West bengal will continue till the deserving candidates receive appointment letters, Education Minister Bratya Basu was told on Monday.

"The education minister has given us an assurance on this count. We are hopeful that the state government will fulfil its promises. However, our agitation on the open streets has crossed 500 days. Our peaceful agitation will continue till the time each of the candidates who were deprived of jobs despite qualifying in the merit list is provided the appointment letter. The number of such candidates will be around 600," the leader of the agitators' delegation, S. Shahidullah, said after the meeting.

During the meeting, Bratya Basu said that the state government has assured the agitators that their demand will be "sympathetically viewed".

"However, accommodating so many candidates would require creation of additional posts. That would need clearance from the state finance department and then the state cabinet. The entire process would consume some time," he said.

This is the second such meeting on this issue.

The first initiative on holding talks with the agitators was undertaken by Trinamool Congress national general secretary and party MP, Abhishek Banerjee on July 29.

The state education minister had also attended that meeting. In that meeting too, the delegates had sent a clear message that talks might continue but the agitation will be withdrawn only after the appointment matter for the candidates are settled.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : A 17-year-old girl, hailing from Surat in Gujarat, has been allegedly gang-raped by two men near the New Delhi Railway Station here, a police officer said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Hardeep Nagar (21) and Rahul (20), both working as hawkers (water bottle sellers), were arrested by the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) Harendra Kumar Singh said the girl had gone to Chandigarh, along with her family, for some rituals and lived there from July 18-25 where she met one person named Deepak, a resident of Gonda (Uttar Pradesh).

"The girl, who was accompanied by her family then returned to Gujarat, and Deepak also travelled with them," DCP Singh told IANS.

On August 4, the girl then left home along with Deepak to go to the latter's village in Uttar Pradesh and subsequently boarded a train on August 5 and reached Lucknow, the next day on August 6.

"From there, they hired a taxi and reached Deepak's village and returned the same night and boarded a train for New Delhi, from where they were supposed to catch a train for Gujarat," the senior official said.

In Delhi, the duo missed the train -- Jamnagar Express, and subsequently, an argument took place between them, and Deepak left the girl alone at the railway station.

After some time, the girl started searching for Deepak in the station premises.

While she was on Central Foot Over Bridge, the two accused hawkers Hardeep Nagar and Rahul met her and the girl requested them for making a call at her home.

"They made her talk to her brother on mobile phone, who asked them to help her catch a train. They told her that the train will be available from some other station. They took her to some bushes along the track near Tilak Bridge, where both raped her," the DCP said.

After committing the crime, the accused duo brought the victim back to Ajmeri Gate side in the early hours of August 8 where Deepak met them and began quarrelling with him.

"A patrolling staff spotted this and enquired about the matter and subsequently brought all of them to the police station where the whole incident was unearthed," the senior official said.

Accordingly, the police registered a case under section 376D of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act and subsequently arrested both the accused." "The complainant and both the accused have been medically examined. The forensics team has also visited the place of crime," the official added.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Delhi High Court on Monday permitted 14 entities of Chinese smartphone maker Vivo to operate their frozen bank accounts on a condition of maintaining bank accounts' balances, which were shown during the Enforcement Directorate (ED) search in a money laundering probe.

Justice Yashwant Varma also directed the companies to provide the complete details in this regard to the ED in every 48 hours.

The court said the petitioner companies maintaining a balance as was available on the day of freezing the individual bank accounts, the debit freeze order of ED can be modified.

The bench was hearing the plea of the 14 companies -- Rui Chuang Technologies Pvt Ltd, Unimay Electronic Pvt Ltd, Technology Transforms Pvt Ltd, Junwei Electronic Pvt Ltd, Yingjia Communication Pvt Ltd, Joinmay Electronic Pvt Ltd, Huijin Electronic India Pvt Ltd, Haijin Trade India Pvt Ltd, Fangs Technology Pvt Ltd, Iqonic Mobile Pvt Ltd, Aohua Mobile India Pvt Ltd, Joinmay Electronics Pvt Ltd, Hisoa Electronic Pvt Ltd and Haicheng Mobile Pvt Ltd.

On July 13, the Delhi High Court had allowed Vivo to operate its bank accounts on the condition of furnishing a bank guarantee of Rs 950 crore and maintaining Rs 250 crore in its accounts.

Vivo was knocking the doors of high court following the ED searches on the premises of Chinese companies, including Vivo, at 44 locations across 22 states.

The probe agency argued that Vivo had remitted 50 per cent of its total sales, i.e., Rs 62,476 crore, to China.

It earned nearly Rs 1.20 lakh crore in the last two years but remitted nearly half of it to avoid paying taxes, the ED alleged. This caused huge losses to the Indian incorporated companies, the ED said.

In its plea, Vivo said the orders against it are in stark contravention to the mandate of Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as the same do not entail any reasons for freezing, let alone cogent "reasons to believe" as to why the bank account should be frozen.

It is a generic order passed mechanically without any application of mind, the plea said.

It also said the frozen accounts are used for the payment of salaries and statutory dues, opening of letter of credits for the petitioner's operations, and for all kinds of expenses necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the petitioner.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 8 : A "guest worker", a term coined by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for migrant workers working in the state, was on Monday arrested by the Chennai police for murdering a 68-year-old woman retired government employee in Thiruvananthapuram and dumping her body in the well of her house.

The Kerala Police had informed the Tamil Nadu Police about the murder, saying chances are high of migrant worker Adam Ali, who hails from West Bengal, to escape to Chennai.

Acting on the complaint of the husband, the Kerala Police had first taken into custody a group of guest workers who lived close by the deceased woman's house. On further investigation, they got vital information about Adam Ali as well as visuals of Ali carrying the woman's body towards the well.

Ali, after committing the crime on Sunday, boarded a train to Chennai, and Chennai police, having been alerted, were on the lookout for him and arrested him as soon as he landed in the city.

A team of Kerala Police officials has already left for Chennai to take his custody.
Cuttack: Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacts with supporters during the 'Tiranga Yatra', in Cuttack on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Cuttack: Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacts with supporters during the 'Tiranga Yatra', in Cuttack on Monday, Aug 08, 2022. (Photo: Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar, Aug 8 : The 'acche din' (good days) have arrived in Odisha with people from the state occupying top posts in the country like never before, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday.

He said this while addressing the 75th anniversary of an Odia daily newspaper in Cuttack.

Justifying his statement, he said Droupadi Murmu, born in a poor tribal family of the state, is now the "Mahamahim Rashtrapati".

"Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and MoS Bishweswar Tudu are also from Odisha," he said.

"Odisha had never got such high representation since independence," Shah said.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government in association with the Odisha government is making all efforts for the development of the state, he said.

The Home Minister said there is immeasurable potential for development in Odisha as the state has long coastline, business tradition, work force and mineral resources.

Addressing the event, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the role of media in a democratic society can hardly be overemphasised.

"It should endeavour to uphold our great cultural heritage and moral values and promote national integration and communal harmony. Media should discharge its duty without any fear or favour," Patnaik said.

"Media runs on the basis of people's trust. It is therefore expected that the media should prioritise the real issues of people rather than politics," he said.

"Whether it is print or electronic or social media, it is the duty of every media house to maintain dignity and keep the secular principles in mind," he added.
Bengaluru, Aug 8 : The Karnataka Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association (RUPSA) has requested Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman to consider restructuring of loans availed by private unaided schools in the state during Covid pandemic.

"For 2 years, private schools have been struggling to balance their financial commitments. Public statements given by politicians and Education Department officials to gain brownie points have further jeopardised our situation," RUPSA President Lokesh Talikatte said in the letter sent to the Union Finance Ministry.

"The aftermath of this is that private schools are not able to receive fees dues from the parents. Thus we are not able to repay our loan installments and service interest on loans. Our dues are piling up and we are in debt trap," he added.

Adding insult to injury, expenses like increased electric bills, building tax, and fire safety expenses have further aggravated the situation, he said.

"In the past two and half years, around two and a half thousand schools have either closed or are at the verge of closing. If the situation continues, many more private schools will close and thousands of employees depending on these schools will be jobless," Talikatte warned.

"Therefore, in this critical situation, we need your (Sitharaman) intervention. Please order for restructuring of loans availed by private schools from nationalised banks, scheduled banks, NBFCs, co-operative banks etc. We need a moratorium of one year at least. Your favorable decision in this regard will be immensely helpful in uplifting the education system. We request you to consider our request at the earliest," he said.

Talikatte said that the pandemic has shattered the economic situation of many sectors in the world, and the worst affected is the education sector because the children have not only lost their two and half years learning but also have gone under depression. This is very difficult to deal with and compensate for, he noted.

He contended that private unaided schools are shouldering the responsibilities of the state government in improving the education system. "Madam, our contribution is, though not more but definitely equivalent to government efforts," he said.
San Francisco, Aug 8 : US-based enterprise software vendor company Twilio on Monday said it has been hacked as someone gained "unauthorised access" to information related to its customer accounts.

Twilio has more than 150,000 customers, including Facebook and ride-hailing major Uber.

"On August 4, 2022, Twilio became aware of unauthorized access to information related to a limited number of Twilio customer accounts through a sophisticated social engineering attack designed to steal employee credentials," said the company.

This broad-based attack against its employee base succeeded in fooling some employees into providing their credentials.

The attackers then used the stolen credentials to gain access to some of its internal systems, where they were able to access certain customer data.

"We continue to notify and are working directly with customers who were affected by this incident. We are still early in our investigation, which is ongoing," said Twilio.

The company did not provide details on the extent of the breach or how many customers were affected.

"We worked with the US carriers to shut down the actors and worked with the hosting providers serving the malicious URLs to shut those accounts down. Additionally, the threat actors seemed to have sophisticated abilities to match employee names from sources with their phone numbers," said Twilio.

"We have heard from other companies that they, too, were subject to similar attacks, and have coordinated our response to the threat actors - including collaborating with carriers to stop the malicious messages, as well as their registrars and hosting providers to shut down the malicious URLs," Twilio added.
Jammu, Aug 8 : Two pilgrims were killed and one other injured in a shooting stone accident in J&K's Reasi district on Monday, police said.

The two were killed when they were hit by a shooting boulder while standing in queue outside the Shiv Khori cave shrine.

"One pilgrim was injured in this accident," police said.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased pilgrims and Rs 50,000 for the injured pilgrim while expenses for the treatment of the injured would be borne by the government.
Hyderabad, Aug 8 : A TRS leader, who had barged into residence of TRS MLA A. Jeevan Reddy with a gun to kill him, has been arrested, Hyderabad police said on Monday.

Paddagani Prasad Goud, a TRS leader from Nizamabad district, has been nabbed by the police, which also seized a country-made gun with extra magazine, an air pistol, two cylinders, three boxes of air rifle pellets, and a button knife.

The police revealed that on the night of August 1, Prasad had entered the MLA's house in Banjara Hills and pointed a gun at him as he was going to have dinner. On seeing the accused, Jeevan Reddy shouted to alert his staff and the accused fled from there.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Joel Davis told reporters that Prasad bore grudge against the MLA as he suspected that he was responsible for suspension of his wife Lavanya as Sarpanch of Kalladi village in Makloor mandal (block) and for not releasing Rs 20 lakh towards the pending bills of the development works undertaken in the village.

Prasad, who was looking after the work of his wife, had spent Rs 20 lakh on development works from his pocket. In February this year, the District Collector had suspended Lavanya as the Sarpanch on the basis of a report submitted by Makloor MPA about some irregularities. Following the suspension, the bills were not cleared.

The accused suspected that the MLA influenced the collector and got his wife suspended. With an intention to harm the MLA, Prasad Goud purchased the button knife from Maharashtra's Nanded and an air pistol from Mustafa Arms & Ammunition, Nampally, Hyderabad with the help of Santosh.

Prasad also came in contact with a woman Suguna, who, in turn, introduced him to Surendhar Dayawathi over phone. The police investigation revealed that Suguna informed Prasad that a firearm was available with Munna Kumar of Bihar for Rs 60,000. Prasad paid the amount to Suguna, who transferred the same to Munna kumar through D. Srihari.

On July 15, Surender met Prasad at Bheemgal village, Nizamabad, and handed over a country-made pistol without rounds. Prasad along with Damai Sagar went to Muzaffarpur in Bihar on July 25 to get ammunition but Munna Kumar failed to deliver it.

On August 1, Prasad left Nizamabad in his car along with a firearm, air pistol, and button knife and reached MLA's residence in Banjara Hills. He enquired about the presence of the MLA from cook Gangadhar. Prasad went to the third floor, opened the door of the MLA's bedroom and pointed a gun at him. On seeing the accused, Jeevan Reddy shouted and alerted his staff. The accused fled from there. Police said he was arrested on Sunday.

The other five accused - Suguna, Surender, Santosh, Sagar, and Munna Kumar - are absconding.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 8 : Veteran Communist leader and journalist Berlin Kunjanandan Nair breathed his last at his home in Kannur on Monday evening, said party sources.

Nair was 97 and was suffering from age-related issues for a while.

In 1943, Nair took part in the first ever Congress of the Communist party that was held in then Bombay.

Berlin was added to his name after he was asked by the party to reach Germany in 1961 after the German Democratic Republic government of East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop the exodus of people from the region to divided West Germany.

And after long years in Germany, where he worked as a journalist, Nair returned to Kerala and shot into further prominence when he sided with V.S. Achuthanandan, which irked Pinarayi Vijayan who was the longest serving state party secretary here from 1998 to 2015.

There were times when the tiff between Achuthanandan and Vijayan reached a high, and Nair took a strong stand against Vijayan.

However, a few years back after Vijayan's stock rose high both in the party and in the government, Nair tried to build bridges with hi, by even applauding him for the way he has been leading the Kerala government.
Colombo, Aug 8 : Despite pressure from Beijing, Sri Lanka is continuing to defer the arrival of controversial Chinese vessel 'Yuang Wang' 5 to its southern port run by China.

On Saturday, following concerns raised by India, Sri Lanka urged China to indefinitely delay the entry for the tracking and survey vessel to the south Indian Ocean island nation.

In a letter written to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said: "The Ministry wishes to request that the arrival date of the vessel Yuan Wang 5 in Hambantota to be deferred until further consultation are made on this matter." On Monday, the Foreign Ministry stated: "In light of the need for further consultations, the Ministry has communicated to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Colombo to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port." It said that diplomatic clearance for the Chinese vessel to make a port call at the Hambantota August 11-17 for replenishment purposes was conveyed by the Ministry to the Chinese Embassy on July 12.

However, the Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed the enduring friendship and excellent relations between Sri Lanka and China and referred to Sri Lanka's firm commitment to the one-China policy which has been a consistent principle in the country's foreign policy.

Beijing raised strong protest against the Indian move.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin told reporters on Monday that it "is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called 'security concerns' to pressure Sri Lanka".

"We urge the relevant parties to see China's marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka," Wang, who didn't mention the name of India, stated.

"Sri Lanka is a sovereign country. It has the right to develop relations with other countries based on its development interests. To have normal cooperation is the independent choice made by our two countries. It serves the shared interests of both sides and does not target any third party." Soon after Sri Lanka announced that the Chinese ship has been asked not to enter its port, Chinese diplomats had rushed to meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Hyderabad, Aug 8 : Hyderabad police have filed a case against a blood bank after its alleged negligence resulting in a three-year-old thalassaemia patient testing positive for HIV.

The boy's parents lodged a complaint with Nallakunta police station that the blood bank transferred HIV-infected blood to him.

The child from Rampally village in Ranga Reddy district had been undergoing blood transfusions for the past 2.5 years at the Red Cross blood bank located in Adikmet.

He tested HIV positive when the treating doctor suggested a blood test following the blood transfusion on July 20.

The child's parents sought a detailed inquiry into the blood bank's negligence. The police have written to the Medical Board seeking its opinion and asked the blood bank management to submit the patient's records.

The child is said to be suffering from thalassemia since the age of seven months. The family used to approach the blood bank for blood transfusion every fortnight.

His parents told police that they have been visiting the blood bank regularly for blood transfusion and every two months the HIV test was done. So far, the result was never positive.

However, the doctors at the blood bank reportedly told police that on a few instances, the family had taken the child to other hospitals for blood transfusion. They also claimed that before collecting the blood from donors, they do several tests to ensure the blood donated is not infected.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : A joint exercise between the special forces of India and the US began on Monday in Himachal Pradesh's Bakloh, officials said, adding the drill aims to improve inter-operability between the special forces of both the countries.

"The 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise -- Ex Vajra Prahar 2022, began at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh today," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

This joint annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the US to share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.

The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of the US Special Forces while the Indian Army contingent is formed by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis of SFTS, the statement said.

The 12th edition of this exercise between India and the US was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (US) in October 2021.

According to the Defence Ministry, during the course of next 21 days, teams of both armies would jointly train, plan and execute a series of special operations, counter terrorist operations, air borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

This joint exercise is a significant step in strengthening the traditional bond of friendship between the special forces of both nations as well as improve bilateral defence cooperation between India and the US, the statement noted.
New Delhi, Aug 8 : The Parliament's Monsoon Session ended on Monday, four days before its scheduled completion, with both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die.

The session, which began on July 18, was slated to go on till August 12.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, before adjourning the ninth session of the 17th LS sine die, said that the house met for 16 days wherein seven bills were passed.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the Upper House sine die, stating that detailed statistics of the session will be circulated during the course by the Secretariat.

As his tenure as Vice President will come to an end on August 10, the house bid him farewell at a function held in the G.M.C. Balayogi Auditorium of Parliament Library Building.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu noted that these last five years have been the most eventful, enlightening, and energising years of his life.

He applauded the way Central and state governments galvanised the country into a resilient nation during the times of pandemic, while living up to the ancient Indian ideal of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' by reaching out to other countries with medicines and vaccines.

Highlighting his interaction with leaders from other countries, Naidu stated that he had witnessed a perceptible change in India's image in the comity of nations.

Acknowledging the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in promoting India's image in the global arena, he said everyone should contribute to India's standing and not belittle the accomplishments made by the country.

Saying that he had worked in a close association with all political parties and their leaders, Naidu stressed that the rapport and understanding developed out of this experience helped him to enhance productivity in Rajya Sabha and oversee the passage of many landmark legislations. He expected that political parties and its members in the house act in a manner that befits the stature of the Indian Parliament.

Highlighting India's celebration of 75 years of independence, he said that India has come a long way in these years but there are still many formidable obstacles to progress that must be identified and removed. He further stated that there is a need to ensure equitable access of all the citizens to resources and opportunities to study, work and grow into an enlightened, empowered individual.

At the end, Naidu requested members to follow "3 Ds" - dignity, decency, and debate and do not resort to the fourth "D", or disruption. "Continuous disruption of Parliament is disruption of democracy" Deputy Chairman Harivansh, while presenting a farewell address on behalf of the members of the Rajya Sabha, described him as an "idea man" infusing new ideas into the country's development agenda. He also stated that vast parliamentary experience, deep understanding of and fastidious attention to the rules and procedures were deeply reflected in the remarkable way Naidu conducted the proceedings of the House.

Bidding farewell to Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "You (Naidu) have always said that you have retired from politics but are not tired of public life... Your term in the office may be coming to an end but your experiences will continue to guide the nation for years to come."
Bengaluru, Aug 9 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed officials to make the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign to mark the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' a success.

"It is intended to hoist the flags on more than 1 crore homes in the state," a release from the Chief Minister's Office on Monday stated.

The distribution of flags is underway.

"He has instructed officials to hoist the flags on August 13 to create a festive mood to commemorate Amrit Mahotsav," the release said.

Bommai also chaired a video-conference organised to review the arrangements of the campaign.

He has directed officials to carry out the campaign with passion and respect for the country.

He suggested that officials must work towards celebrating the event in a meaningful way.

Meanwhile, Bommai has directed the Chief Secretary to conduct another round of meeting with the district administrations.

He also said that to commemorate the Quit India Movement, freedom fighters must be felicitated at their homes in the respective districts between August 9 to 14.
Athens, Aug 9 : Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has condemned the phone surveillance of the Leader of the Opposition party carried out by the country's national intelligence service (EYP).

In a statement to the nation, the Prime Minister on Monday said that the surveillance of the PASOK-KINAL party, and member of the European Parliament Nikos Androulakis, was wrong.

Mitsotakis added that if he had been aware of these activities, he would not have allowed them, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Although everything was done lawfully, the National Intelligence Service underestimated the political dimension of that action. It was formally adequate, but politically unacceptable. It should not have happened," he said in a live address transmitted by public broadcaster ERT.

A scandal broke out after Opposition leader Nikos Androulakis filed charges at Greece's Supreme Court 10 days ago, for mobile tapping attempts with spyware. He was notified by the European Parliament.

EYP chief Panagiotis Kontoleon, and the Secretary General of the Prime Minister's office Grigoris Dimitriadis, both resigned on Friday.

The Greek Prime Minister has announced an overhaul of EYP in order to strengthen its accountability, and improve supervision of the parliament through the Institutions and Transparency Committee.
Gandhinagar, Aug 9 : A farmer took possession of movable assets, including computers and printers, of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam at its Gandhinagar office in Gujarat in a bid to recover his long pending dues as ordered by a civil court.

He took possession of at least nine CPUs, an equal number of monitors, seven printers and 17 chairs belonging to the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) on Saturday evening.

The farmer named Damodar Patel hailing from the Abhol village of Vadodara district had given his land to the state government for the construction of the Narmada canal over 34 years ago, but has yet to receive the full compensation, his advocate said.

The state government in 1990 owed Rs 225 per square yard as compensation to Patel. When the government failed to pay the compensation, Patel took the former before the Additional Civil Sessions Judge of Vadodara.

The court increased the compensation amount from Rs 225 to Rs 1,725 for irrigated land and Rs 1,300 for non-irrigated land, said Patel.

Even after several court orders ruling in favour of Patel, the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam failed to pay him compensation.

The farmer's advocate R.D. Parmar told the media that the court had directed them to take possession of movable properties of the SSNNL in early July.

On August 5, the court passed another order directing the farmer to take possession of the movable properties. Therefore, Parmar along with Patel took computers, chairs from the SSNNL Gandhinagar office on Saturday.

SSNNL has to pay Rs 11 lakh with interest as compensation to the farmer.

SSNNL Managing Director J.P. Gupta was, however, not available for a comment.
Tehran, Aug 9 : An Iranian Foreign Ministry official has said that partial progress has been achieved toward resolving some remaining issues in the Vienna nuke talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, according to the official news agency IRNA.

During the past few days, four rounds of "intensive negotiations" on the outstanding issues have been held with the other sides to make sure they take into account Tehran's considerations and concerns, the Iranian diplomat told IRNA on Monday on condition of anonymity.

The Iranian official added that European Union Deputy foreign policy Chief Enrique Mora on Monday proposed some ideas on the remaining issues to relevant parties based on the latest discussions, and Iran has "conveyed our initial response and considerations as soon as we received the ideas, but the ideas naturally require comprehensive studies".

The official said that Tehran will express its final views and considerations to the EU foreign policy Chief Josep Borrell and the other sides, Xinhua news agency reported.

The "main principle" of the Iranian negotiating team is safeguarding Iran's national rights and interests, the official noted, adding the team also strives to have the other sides guaranteed fulfillment of their obligations under the nuclear deal and prevent the recurrence of illegal US actions.

According to a report by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), as the latest round of the talks in Vienna on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal came to an end, the Iranian team is expected to return to Tehran in the coming hours.

Iran's consultations and contacts with the European Union and the other sides will continue, the ISNA added.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.

The latest round of talks has begun on Thursday following a five-month hiatus.
All of Germanys nine key hotel markets still suffered significantly in 2021. However, 6 out of the 9 top cities were able to record improvement in occupancies. Hotel real estate specialist Christie & Co reviews an eventful year in Germany's 9 key hotel markets Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf,

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Intriva Capital today announces the launch of its German drive-up self-storage company, SpaceGenie. The new company plans to build and operate more than 50 self-storage facilities across Germany, representing one of the largest platforms of its kind in the country. The independent alternative asset manager also announces the appointment of

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According to Savills, retail investment in Spain in the first half of the year totalled 1.1billion, which exceeds the 2021 total by 10.5%. This is due to a wave of volume shopping centre transactions and the return to a more typical institutional market.

While supermarkets dominated transactional...

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Jan Schulz-Wachler, President of EUKALIN Corporation with Steve Russo, President of Adhesives Specialists, Inc. We were looking for a company in the United States that could help us respond to the growing needs of EUKALIN's North American customers and fits with our corporate philosophy.

EUKALIN Corporation, a member of EUKALIN Group and a manufacturer of adhesives for the paper and film converting industries, today announced it has acquired 100 percent of the assets of Adhesives Specialists, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Established in 1983, Adhesives Specialists, Inc. (ASI), a manufacturer of both water-based and hotmelt adhesives, operates out of a 40,000 square foot facility and supports customers across the United States. Its manufacturing operation produces adhesives for applications like bottle, can and jar labeling: food packaging, carton sealing, paper bag forming and foam bonding. After this transaction, the operation will be known as Adhesives Specialists, A Division of EUKALIN Corporation.

EUKALIN in Germany is one of the top leading adhesives producers for paper and film converting worldwide and has also been active in the North American market with EUKALIN Corporation since 2008, focusing on the envelope, packaging, and industrial sack segments.

This is our first acquisition outside of Germany, said Jan Schulz-Wachler, President of EUKALIN Corporation. We were looking for a company in the United States that could help us respond to the growing needs of EUKALIN's North American customers and fits with our corporate philosophy. It was important not only to acquire a production facility, but also add further technology and expertise in the area of water-based adhesives and hotmelt adhesives. Our goal is to strengthen our strategic presence and after a short transition period start manufacturing EUKALIN products using local raw materials.

I am proud of what ASI has built and accomplished over the past 40 years with our people, relationships, customers, and suppliers, said Steve Russo, ASIs owner. It was important to me that Adhesives Specialists could continue to grow and thrive as part of the EUKALIN Group, and I am confident our new relationship with EUKALIN will allow us to both capitalize on significant growth opportunities.

In addition to shortening cycle times for our customers, this acquisition offers a significant growth opportunity for us in North America, said Mike Frost, EUKALINs North American Sales Leader for the envelope and traditional EUKALIN market segments. Driven by the growth we have experienced over the last two to three years, adding U.S.-based manufacturing capacity was our next logical step.

About the EUKALIN Group

EUKALIN Spezial-Klebstoff Fabrik GmbH is a fourth-generation family-owned business and leading supplier of adhesives to customers in more than 127 countries. Founded in 1904 in Aachen, Germany, by Gebruder Wachler, the company was renamed EUKALIN in 1988. The company doubled its production capacity in 2000 and founded EUKALIN Corporation in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2008 to better serve the North American market. EUKALIN is a technology-driven company with sustainability and social responsibility as core values. It offers a variety of adhesives primarily utilized in the envelope, print and packaging industries as well as custom development as required. https://www.eukalin.com
Safeguarding your Institutional Assets with Fraud Identification and Prevention (KYS) procedures are a critical function to assess institutional risk. Effective KYS involves knowing a prospects identity, their type of activities, and the risk they pose.

Maurice Simpkins, president of A.M. Simpkins and Associates, is proud to announce their new software solution for higher education institutions who are experiencing an uptick in new fraudulent student accounts and activity since the pandemic. Student Application Fraud Examination (S.A.F.E.) is the much-anticipated product of this innovative inventor who has a seasoned portfolio in the Higher Ed industry. This application promises to safeguard your institutional assets with fraud identification and prevention and stop scammers before they access your institutional assets. Across the country, phishers are leaving their indelible stain.

The pandemic of the past two years brought about a whole new brand of emboldened scammers. According to an article from September 2021, featured in World News Era, As the fall semester opened, details emerged about the California Community Colleges system receiving more than 65,000 financial applications suspected of being from fraudulent bots. Officials there also considered the applications likely an attempt to tap into financial aid and coronavirus relief funding.

San Joaquin Delta College is among the roughly 100 California community colleges that were targeted. They confirmed 425 student accounts to be fraudulent and over a thousand more are under investigation. Previous articles in USA Today paint a similar picture. Thousands of Michigan residents have collected Pell Grants without attending classes in the past year, costing the states colleges millions of dollars that have to be paid back to the federal government. At Henry Ford Community College, $4.1 million  about 10 percent of the money the college received in Pell Grants  needs to be paid back to the U.S. Department of Education.

These Pell jumpers leave a trail of financial destruction behind them, with taxpayers footing the bill. By the time they have identified a scam, it is too late, and they have issued payments to fraudulent accounts with no way to recover the loss. Many colleges resort to increase tuition to compensate for their losses.

The S.A.F.E. platform provides around the clock monitoring and support, is built to higher eds business operations and specifications, and protects, prevents, and reports on fraudulent applications. S.A.F.E. provides a comprehensive AI-based spam and fraud detection for student applications for higher education institutions in real-time.

S.A.F.E. provides layers of protection through fortifying higher eds data defense with multi-level fraudulent and suspicious detection, said President Maurice Simpkins. S.A.F.E. also provides Know Your Student (KYS) for higher ed institutions, to use as an enhanced due diligence process to verify and identify each new prospecting student. Institutions will gain a deeper understanding of student activity to mitigate associated risks. According to inventor Simpkins, (KYS) procedures are a critical function to assess institutional risk. Effective KYS involves knowing a prospects identity, their type of activities, and the risk they pose.
Silvernest Homesharing makes sense on multiple levels for A Little Help and other Villages across the country with members who want to remain in their homes as they age, while contributing to the broader good of their communities

Silvernest, an online homesharing platform, is partnering with A Little Help, a Denver-based nonprofit and a member of the Village to Village Network that helps older adults age well in their homes, on a new homesharing initiative that aims to provide supplemental income, help around the house and aging-in-place support to those living in A Little Helps communities. Through the pilot program, A Little Help hosts who have extra space in their homes will be matched through Silvernest with homeseekers.

A Little Help connects volunteers with older neighbors in their communities to assist them with everyday tasks and empower them to live interdependently in their own homes. The Village model helps members age in place, connected to their communities, with the support and tools needed to create successful aging of their own design.

Homesharing makes sense on multiple levels for A Little Help and other Villages across the country with members who want to remain in their homes as they age, while contributing to the broader good of their communities, said Jennifer Hammer, director of strategic partnerships for Silvernest. A homesharing program is natural extension to the support and services A Little Help already provides, and were excited to kick off this first Village partnership and start making a positive impact on the community.

An AARP survey found that 77% of Americans over 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as long as possible. Many of A Little Helps members are homeowners who want to age in place and have unused space they can rent, providing a means to instantly generate passive income, gain companionship and often get help with home upkeep. Meanwhile, homeseekers benefit by getting access to more housing options that are often below market rate.

Community is at the core of all we do at A Little Help, and this program will make it easier for our members to continue to live in the communities they love with a helping hand from their neighbors and volunteers, said Hilary Simmons, A Little Helps executive director. Our goal in working with Silvernest is to make it as simple as possible for members to find compatible housemates and continue to age interdependently in their own homes, on their own terms.

"Homesharing is perfectly aligned with the mission of the Villages, and Silvernest and the VtV Network have supported each other for years, said Barbara Hughes Sullivan, national director of the Village to Village Network. I am thrilled to see Silvernest and A Little Help forge the first formal partnership, and hope there are many more to come."

Interested hosts can create a Silvernest profile that lists the details on their available space. A Little Help members can use the Silvernest platform to find matches based on location, compatibility and other factors. Silvernest also has a secure messaging feature for users to communicate with each other to determine if they are a suitable match and request background checks.

About Silvernest

Silvernest is pioneering a new era in homesharing with an online service that pairs hosts with homeseekers, giving baby boomers, empty nesters and others a modern-day housing alternative. Through its roommate-matching services, Silvernest combines the tools, expertise and commitment to help people confidently participate in the homesharing movement. This hassle-free service takes care of the details, providing peace of mind by enabling people to stay in their homes, while benefiting from extra income and shared experiences. Visit us at https://www.silvernest.com, read our blog and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Village to Village

The Village to Village (VtV) Network is a membership-based organization that brings Villages together to share best practices for enabling older adults to live independent, healthy, purposeful lives with connections to their communities. The Network provides expert guidance, resources and support to help communities establish and maintain thriving Villages, and we champion the Village model at state and national levels as a best practice for healthy, vibrant aging.
Johannes extensive leadership skills, technical experiences, and customer-centric solution focus line up perfectly with the dynamics of ESQ, said Paul Sandhu, Chief Executive Officer at ESQ.

ESQ Business Services, Inc. continues to expand its customer solutions team with the appointment of Johannes van Niekerk, Principal Solutions Architect.

Johannes is an industry veteran with a proven track record of strategic leadership and successful international project deliveries. His strong industry reputation over the past 15 years positions Johannes to bring a wealth of self-service channel and product development expertise to ESQ. As a Principal Solutions Architect, he will be an advocate for both ESQ and its SaaS offering, Cloudexa, applying his vast industry knowledge and entrepreneurial mindset to further advance customer solutions well beyond the current solutions generally deployed in the industry today.

Johannes spent 12 years at NCR where he held various leadership positions including Senior Engineering Manager, Solutions Architect, and Pre-sales Engineering Manager. I had the opportunity to transition from the development side of the business to the sales side, giving me the knowledge to help customers implement their vision and help them understand their business needs on all levels, especially cloud, microservices and IoT, assisting sales to add the WOW factor to the conversation with executives, explained Johannes.

In his new role with ESQ, Johannes will utilize both his customer success experiences and his technical expertise to impact the ESQ and Cloudexa solutions from both a product design and customer solution perspective. Johannes described the opportunity at ESQ as, A fantastic opportunity to build on the successes of the OperationsBridge platform and to optimize the delivery of an expanded set of services through Cloudexa, which leverages advanced technologies and digital transformation opportunities made available through cloud-based delivery.

Johannes extensive leadership skills, technical experiences, and customer-centric solution focus line up perfectly with the dynamics of ESQ, said Paul Sandhu, Chief Executive Officer at ESQ. Taking into consideration all the exciting initiatives we have underway and the skillset he brings to the table, I am extremely confident that he will play a key role in taking our organization and our customers to new heights.

A Spanish version of this press release is available upon request. Please contact mailto:eduardo.monterrubio@esq.com [Eduardo Monterrubio __title__ null] for more information.
R&D, Engineering and Innovation company Innovobot Labs and carbon offsetting solutions specialist Azzera are joining forces to simplify access to carbon credits for businesses and the general public.

Game-changing technology for the carbon offset market

Carbon offsetting is the purchase of credits to compensate unavoidable carbon emissions. Currently, this is a highly complex process, heavily burdened by bureaucracy. Azzera now simplifies this process through a unique and rigorously curated marketplace that supports both individuals and businesses, looking to offset their emissions. What makes this a game-changing approach is its intuitive simplicity that does away with the need for expensive intermediaries.

Institutions and businesses initiating an offset program simply go to the Azzera website. There, they select an offset program from a worldwide Carbon Marketplace. For those beginning their sustainability journey, Azzeras specialists can assist in measuring their Carbon footprint. Each program selected for the Marketplace is rigorously audited for tangible results, to guard against greenwashing. For organizations operating in compliance-based regulatory environments, Azzera offers comprehensive support, securing all necessary allowances and ensuring that all program requirements are met.

Individuals looking to make a difference can determine their environmental impact using Azzeras online Carbon Footprint Calculator. From there, they too can access the Carbon Marketplace and select the offset program that fits their needs.

A ground-breaking carbon credit exchange to reward GHG efficiency

The partnership with Innovobot Labs will focus on the next phase in Azzeras growth: the creation of a ground-breaking online, transparent blockchain-based exchange. This new platform will greatly facilitate carbon-credit trading. It will be open to both individuals and business participants.

This exchange, the first of its kind, will offer businesses and the general public a place to buy and sell carbon credits. A significant proportion of these credits sits unused in portfolios because their owners have met or exceeded their carbon reduction goals. Our exchange is a way to reward these organizations and individuals for their efficient management of GHGs. It also creates a new offering for those looking to buy credits at the most competitive price, says Azzera CEO & co-founder Puja Mahajan.

A recently published McKinsey report predicts that the demand for Net Zero offerings could generate over $12 trillion of annual sales by 2030. As the net-zero transition advances, markets for zero-emission offerings should expand further, says the report. The Azzera Carbon credit Exchange will give participants a ground floor opportunity to tap into this expanding market, adds co-founder Nick Houseman.

A partnership that democratizes the use of carbon offsets

Through this strategic partnership, Innovobot Labs will help Azzera build its one-of-a-kind trading platform and enhance the technological elements of its solution. In parallel, the Labs advisory team will support the design of the marketing and commercialization strategy. The end-result of this collaboration will make carbon offsetting solutions simpler to access and more affordable to use, across all major economic sectors.

We are very excited at the prospect of working with Azzera. The trading platform will bring positive disruption to the offset market, while democratizing the fight against greenhouse gases. We are proud to work with Azzera to co-create a leading carbon credit exchange and accelerate its path to market, says Fadi Albatal, Chief Operating Officer at Innovobot and President of its technology research and development arm, Innovobot Labs.

The partners at Innovobot Labs have come together to contribute to environmental sustainability and the improvement of human well-being. Azzeras mission dovetails with our Tech-for-Good goals, he concludes.

About Innovobot Labs

Innovobot Labs is an R&D, Engineering and Innovation Design House operated by Innovobot Inc. The Labs tackle pressing problems through the development and application of cutting-edge technologies. Focused on Haptics, Robotics, AI, Advanced Materials and IoT, Innovobot Labs provides companies with a framework for open innovation and collaboration, with the goal of creating products, solutions and IP that are commercialization-ready. For more information, please visit http://www.innovobotlabs.com

About Azzera

Azzera is an innovative provider of carbon offsetting solutions. The company was founded on the belief that investing in the protection of our environment should be simple. Business owners and managers seeking to implement carbon-neutral operations, and individual consumers wanting to make responsible environmental choices all require support to reach their objectives. Azzeras mission is to make trading high-quality carbon offsets effortless. For more information, please visit https://azzera.com/.
We are excited about the addition of Cleveland Clinics clinical interpretation services to Stratus neurodiagnostic testing offering," said Imad Najm, MD, Director, Cleveland Clinics Epilepsy Center.

Stratus, the countrys leading provider of EEG services and solutions, and Cleveland Clinic today announced a three-year agreement for Cleveland Clinics Epilepsy Center to become the National Reader Group for Stratus. The addition of Cleveland Clinics reader services to Stratus EEG testing supports both organizations goals of improving access to high quality medical care.

Stratus provides inpatient and ambulatory EEG services across 42 states, in both urban and rural communities. A significant number of the studies Stratus conducts are ordered by community neurologists who have not specialized in the reading of EEG data and prefer to have the study interpreted by a specialist. Under the terms of this new agreement, physicians ordering an EEG study through Stratus will have the option for Cleveland Clinics team of globally recognized epilepsy specialists to interpret the study and provide a professional report to them to aid in diagnosis and treatment. The interpreting physicians will also make themselves available for a peer-to-peer review of the findings with the ordering physician, if needed.

We are excited about the addition of Cleveland Clinics clinical interpretation services to Stratus neurodiagnostic testing offering and it is a reflection of our commitment to provide other communities, providers, and patients access to our epilepsy and neurophysiology expertise, said Imad Najm, MD, Director, Cleveland Clinics Epilepsy Center. There are many areas of the country that do not have access to this type of physician expertise. By providing our epilepsy groups services, we can help physicians across the country improve their quality of care.

Stratus is proud to be able to offer the expertise of Cleveland Clinics EEG Reader Group to the physicians that utilize our services, said Charlie Alvarez, Chief Executive Officer of Stratus. The fundamental goals of each of our organizations are well aligned. We both believe that patients should have access to high quality healthcare no matter where they live, including rural communities. We believe that working together we provide an enhanced level of service to physicians using our solutions, which leads to patients getting a more accurate and timely diagnosis, and as a result, the care they require to lead a better life.

About Stratus

Stratus is the nations leading provider of EEG solutions and has served more than 98,000 patients across the U.S. The company offers technology, services, and proprietary software solutions to help neurologists diagnose their patients with epilepsy and other seizure-like disorders accurately and quickly. Stratus also provides mobile cardiac telemetry to support the diagnostic testing needs of the neurology community. Additionally, the companys R&D division holds the worlds largest database of de-identified EEG recordings and is applying machine learning to improve the overall quality and efficiency of EEG testing. To learn more, visit http://www.stratusneuro.com.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nations best hospitals in its annual Americas Best Hospitals survey. Among Cleveland Clinics 72,500 employees worldwide are more than 5,050 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,800 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 21 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2021, there were 10.2 million total outpatient visits, 304,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 259,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinics health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
We are very proud to see Airpark Auto Pro recognized as the Best Auto Repair by Preferred Mechanic because it is based on our reputation, which is very important to us. We are very thankful to our customers for all the reviews, recommendations and referring their friends and family.

Airpark Auto Pros was named "Best of Preferred Mechanic" based on stellar reviews, reputation, lack of complaints, and trust with customers.

The annual Best of Preferred Mechanic awards recognize the top-rated local automotive service providers in each US city. Airpark Auto Pros has been named Best of 2021 and maintains this designation in 2022.

Preferred Mechanic uses Artificial Intelligence to sift through ratings and reviews across hundreds of thousands of verified sources, along with reports on complaints, trust, and business reputation history to determine the best auto repair shops in each area.

John Burley, Owner of Airpark Auto Pros said, we are very proud of this recognition because it is based on our reputation, which is very important to us. We are very thankful to our customers for all the reviews, recommendations and referring their friends and family. We sincerely appreciate it.

According to Preferred Mechanic, the factors that make Airpark Auto Pros the best auto repair shop include:



The steady flow of reviews

The credibility of the reviewers

The rating distribution consistency with statistical formulas

The quantity and quality of verifiable information about the activities of the business

Licenses, accreditations and awards

The lack of complaints about the company's activities

Using these factors, Preferred Mechanic monitors over 1 million small businesses nationwide and only 1/10th of 1% make the featured list. Airpark Auto Pros is one of them, as Preferred Mechanic's Top Auto Mechanic out of 284 in Gaithersburg alone.

About Airpark Auto Pros LLC

Airpark Auto Pros is an award-winning 10-bay auto facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland providing high quality, certified auto services, maintenance, and upgrades for foreign and domestic vehicles. Highly trained technicians handle everything from a basic brake pads to high-end electronic systems and full engine replacement. The company is known for providing exceptionally honest service and is a business of uncompromising integrity, ethics, and moral principles.

About Preferred Mechanic

Preferred Mechanic helps customers find automotive service providers they can trust. Their AI-driven Report creates and empowers effective decision-making based on insights derived from open data. Whether customers are looking for a pre-purchase car inspection or check engine light diagnostic, Preferred Mechanic provides transparency and clarity to help customers find the perfect technician for any vehicle needs.

Over 2 million customers visit Preferred Mechanic each month, seeking services from over 1 million providers in over 400 cities in the United States.

Preferred Mechanic takes pride in their unmatched technical and market expertise, which results in their AIs ability to highlight stellar businesses among the competition.
Not all of us are going to be marching, but there are roles we can play in educating our communities about the issues that are important to them, said Ms. Butler.

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) today published the latest edition of its new "Danforth Dialogues" podcast, featuring a Conversation of Significance between MSM President and CEO Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice and EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler discussing the intersection of public health and public policy in this unprecedented period in the history of the United States.

Dr. Montgomery Rice and Ms. Butler, the first Black woman to lead EMILYs List, held a wide-ranging conversation during the National Medical Associations (NMA) annual convention here on the continuing health disparities in communities of color in the face of an overarching public health policy debate across the nations political landscape.

As the country continues to deal with the effects of the worst global public health crisis in 100 years, it is important that we reassess our public health policies with an understanding that each person has the right to equitable access to health care, particularly women in underserved communities here and around the world, said Dr. Montgomery Rice. We are so pleased to have Ms. Butler, who has dedicated her career to empowering women from all walks of life, join us for this important conversation.

The podcast was recorded before a live audience of prominent African American female physicians and healthcare leaders at a luncheon hosted by Dr. Montgomery Rice. Ms. Butler and Dr. Montgomery Rice discussed a host of issues including current proposed federal legislation to address the high rate of maternal mortality among Black and Hispanic women.

Not all of us are going to be marching, but there are roles we can play in educating our communities about the issues that are important to them, said Ms. Butler. We wouldnt be in the position of moving this (maternal health) legislation if not for the quality of research in the academic community.

Morehouse School of Medicines Center for Maternal Health Equity, launched in 2019, has quickly become one of the countrys leading resources to improve maternal health for Black and Hispanic women who are more likely to experience maternal health issues than white women. The Center has received more than $9 million in grants and other funding in support of several research initiatives and programs to improve maternal health in underserved communities.

Launched earlier this year, Danforth Dialogues focuses on the leadership lessons from the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and their broader implication for society. Named after the

historic Danforth Chapel on the Morehouse College campus, the podcast series features a cross-section of guests and topics. The Conversation of Significance editions feature more in-depth discussions with key leaders from a wide range of backgrounds. Other editions could include multiple guests and topics not directly related to the pandemic but focused on broader aspects of leadership.

To hear this edition of the podcast, click here. For more information about the Danforth Dialogues leadership series, click here.

To listen and subscribe to the Danforth Dialogues podcast, click here.

For more information about Morehouse School of Medicine, please visit MSM.edu.

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About Morehouse School of Medicine


Hes remarkably qualified to help take our partner engagements to the next level. Were looking forward to his leadership and many achievements to come in this important role, NODAR founder and chief executive Leaf Jiang says.

NODAR, the leading provider of next-generation stereo vision technology for autonomous vehicles, announced today that it has named Amit Mehta as Vice President of Business Development. Mehta is responsible for driving the companys technology partnership and sales initiatives on a global scale and building NODARs market share in the automotive industry.

Were pleased to welcome Amit Mehta to our executive team, and excited to have an opportunity to benefit from his depth of experience in the automotive industry, NODAR founder and chief executive Leaf Jiang says. Hes remarkably qualified to help take our partner engagements to the next level. Were looking forward to his leadership and many achievements to come in this important role.

Mehta comes to NODAR from North American Lighting, Inc. (NAL), a member of the Koito Group of Companies, the worlds largest Tier 1 supplier of exterior automotive lighting in North America. While heading the innovation division, which he founded within NAL, Mehta worked with startups, Tier 1 companies, and OEMs to develop partnerships and investments that would contribute to automotive vehicle safety through the evolution of lighting.

Prior to that role, Mehta was a senior development manager at NAL, where he focused on autonomous driving and related technologies. He previously served as a project and design engineer at Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, and was granted four patents while there. Mehta holds an MBA from DePaul University and a BSc from Lawrence Technological Institute.

I look forward to bringing a unique perspective to my role in leading broad new business development efforts, Mehta says. Its a critical moment in our industry as driver-assisted and autonomous driving technology continues to advance, and NODAR has a great story to share. Our flagship product is unparalleled in the market today. Hammerhead offers the only patented technology that uses data from multiple cameras to deliver ultra-long range sensing thats highly accurate and effective at highway speeds, even in difficult conditions.

NODARs patented Hammerhead technology enables multiple, independently-mounted, high-resolution cameras to be used to provide 360-degree views of an AVs environment in real time. Mounting cameras far apart creates a wide-baseline that optimizes the systems range and accuracy. As a result, the system can detect objects in the road up to 1,000 meters away, allowing the vehicle enough time to safely stop or change course, even at highway speeds.

About NODAR

NODAR is the leading provider of camera-based 3D vision technology and is a crucial component in the development of ADAS and autonomous vehicles, bringing safety, advanced performance, and cost-effectiveness to the automotive market. NODAR's award-winning 3D vision platform, called Hammerhead, delivers reliable, ultra-precise, and real-time 3D sensing at an ultra-long-range (up to 1000 meters), providing better-than-LiDAR 3D data at the price point of camera technology. NODAR uniquely provides long-range, high-density, high frame-rate 3D data to AVs and is able to detect any object as small as 10 cm to 150 m. NODAR Hammerhead is an ideal solution for forward collision warning, path planning, automatic emergency braking, traffic jam assist, VRU detection, and parking valet. NODAR was founded in 2018 and is backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Rhapsody Venture Partners. For more information, please visit http://www.nodarsensor.com.
The View Restaurant represents 15 years of AAA Four Diamond dining Our beverage program is amazing, said Curtiss Hemm, Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director. We have over 760 selections of beverages and the list continues to grow. We feature our entire beverage program in The View Restaurant and The View Lounge equally.

The View Restaurant at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in Lake Placid has been honored for its outstanding wine program in http://www.winespectator.com/Wine Spectators 2022 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the worlds best restaurants for wine.

Inside this beautiful waterfront hotel in Upstate New York, The AAA Four Diamond The View Restaurant has won the Best of Award of Excellence whose recipients display excellent breadth across multiple wine-growing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Wine Spectators iconic logo allows The View Restaurant to boast the two-glass designation, symbolic of The Best Of. It is also indicative of Lake Placids most recognized and awarded wine list.

Our beverage program is amazing, said Curtiss Hemm, Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director. We have over 760 selections of beverages and the list continues to grow. We feature our entire beverage program in The View Restaurant and The View Lounge equally.

Wine Spectators special Restaurant Awards issue is now available on newsstands.

This establishment in New Yorks Adirondack Mountains has received the Wine Spectator designation the past 23 straight years. The Four Diamond combination of lodging and dining gives the Mirror Lake Inn a unique distinction in the Empire State.

Many of The Views guests begin and conclude their dining experiences with a relaxing stop in The View Lounge.

The lounge, adjacent to the restaurant, is a great place to sip on some premium scotch, whiskey, glasses of wine, local and regional beers and our house-crafted cocktails and infusions, continued Hemm.

I want to congratulate all 3,169 restaurants that earned one of Wine Spectators three awards for their devotion to all things wine, said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. These awards not only guide our readers to dining establishments with impressive wine lists and outstanding service, but also serve to honor restaurants for their achievements and commitment to maintaining pristine cellars. We are thrilled to reveal our 2022 Dining Guide, which points to places where wine drinkers are warmly welcomed.

Wine Spectator began its program to recognize the worlds best wine lists in 1981. There are three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Awardwith 1,782; 1,290; and 97 winners this year in each respective category.

Follow the Restaurant Awards on https://twitter.com/wsrestoawardsInstagram (@wsrestaurantawards), with hashtag #WSRestaurantAward, and at Restaurants.WineSpectator.com, where all winners can be searched by location and sorted by attributes including name, proximity, award level, cuisine and pricing. Winners are also profiled in the free Restaurant Awards app, available for iPhone and iPad users.

About Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator is the worlds leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches around 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Webs most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wines role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shankens Impact Newsletter.

About The View Restaurant

The View Restaurant, at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, is Lake Placids only AAA-rated Four Diamond dining experience and has been so designated the past 15 consecutive years. Coupled with the hotel, this is the villages lone combination of Four Diamond lodging and dining, offering its guests an authentic Adirondack experience. The View Restaurant presents elegant comfort food in a relaxed setting overlooking Mirror Lake. Its beverage selection exceeds 460 bottles. The View Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner daily.

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The Innovative Programs Offered at Tatnuck Park Include a Regular Drum Circle "Ellen and our programming team are constantly thinking outside the box to ensure that every one of our residents is happy and doing what they love." -Jennifer LaCroix, executive director, Tatnuck Park

Throughout its over 23-year history, Tatnuck Park at Worcester, a Benchmark assisted living and Mind & Memory Care community, has been known for its quality care and experiences. Last week, their commitment to being the best was again validated when it was awarded the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association (Mass-ALA) 2022 Excellence Award for Program Innovation.

Tatnuck Parks programming director, Ellen Meagher, was recognized for creating unique, personalized programs that are not only fun and engaging for residents, but connect the entire community. Drum circle experiences, in particular, which feature movement to music, engage residents physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and strengthen connections between residents and associates. Also, intergenerational programs with Worcester State University occupational therapy students that inspire and enrich.

Meagher brings over 15 years of senior life enrichment experience to the assisted living community. She also holds a Masters in leisure studies from Boston University and a Bachelors in therapeutic recreation from Springfield College.

The measure of any high-quality assisted living community is its ability to really engage its residents in programs that they enjoy, said Jennifer LaCroix, executive director of Tatnuck Park. Ellen and our programming team are constantly thinking outside the box to ensure that every one of our residents is happy and doing what they love. I feel so honored to have our team recognized by our Massachusetts peers.

Since its inception in 1999, Tatnuck Park has frequently been recognized for its care and programs. Most recently, it was only three communities in all of Central Massachusetts to be selected as a U.S. News 2022-2023 Best Assisted Living community.

Tatnuck Park at Worcester offers traditional senior assisted living and independent assisted living for those who would benefit from a safer, engaging environment, chef-prepared meals, supportive living services, transportation and assistance with daily activities, such as getting dressed and medication management. Residents benefit from partnerships with nearby university students for healthcare and social engagement. They also enjoy connecting over programs and amenities offered in many common spaces, including a demonstration kitchen, recreation room, library, hair salon and spa, sunroom, private dining room and outdoor courtyards with walking paths.

Tatnuck Park also offers an award-winning Mind & Memory Care program featuring carefully created living environments and unique opportunities for those with Alzheimers and dementia to find joy in each new day. Memory care assisted living residents are supported by 24/7 care providers who have been hired for heart and educated in memory loss, communication and empathy. Neighborhoods provide the comforts of home and have unique features that help those with memory impairment stay connected to who and what matters most to them. Thoughtful touches, visual cues and purposeful amenities further promote familiarity and wellness.

For more information, about Tatnuck Park at Worcester, click here.

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About Benchmark Senior Living

Benchmark is New Englands largest senior living provider with 64 independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care communities and over 5,000 dedicated associates providing compassionate care and outstanding experiences throughout the Northeast. The Waltham, Mass.-based company was founded over 25 years ago by Tom Grape with the purpose of Transforming Lives Through Human Connection. Since then, Benchmark has continued to set the industry standard, having won over a hundred local, regional and national awards for its care, programs and as a top workplace. Benchmark has been named one of the Top Places to Work for 14 straight years in The Boston Globes annual employee-based survey and received repeated recognition in FORTUNEs Best Workplaces for Aging Services list. For more information, visit BenchmarkSeniorLiving.com.
This partnership is a huge win for the industry, remarks ASI President John Kanney, it allows ASI to maintain its edge and focus on CAM applications while making available robust solutions and service offerings to our clients through Team D3.

Team D3 will partner with Automated Solutions Inc. (ASI), a premier provider of Advanced Manufacturing (CAD/CAM and DNC programming) solutions for over 25 years to bring more expertise and solutions to manufacturing clients.

Team D3 specializes in helping clients solve some of the most complex problems in the industry, and as an Autodesk Platinum Partner, reigns among the most accomplished manufacturing solution providers. As a world-class integrator of engineering and design solutions with the most talented technical resources in the industry, Team D3 brings a plethora of solutions to the marketplace. The coalition of brands making up Team D3 includes D3 Technologies, MG AEC Technology Partners, and ECAD, Inc. D3 Technologies will be working the most closely with ASI, but by partnering with the coalition, ASI can reach and serve new markets across multiple disciplines.

ASI is known for its unparalleled expertise and experience with CAM applications. Todays manufacturing environment demands companies know how to implement and manage technologies to produce results. The ASI team has years of hands-on experience in Advanced Manufacturing and enables its clients to get the most from their investments in this technology. Team D3 and ASI share the belief that the clients success directly contributes to the success of these businesses and this partnership.

This partnership is a huge win for the industry, remarks ASI President John Kanney, it allows ASI to maintain its edge and focus on CAM applications while making available robust solutions and service offerings to our clients through Team D3. We are confident that the addition of these product offerings and services will be a welcomed resource for our clients.

It is not just about Team D3 helping to address the needs of ASI clients, comments Kevin Schlack, President of Team D3. We are excited to leverage John Kanney and the team at ASI to bring more value to our clients in the Advanced Manufacturing space. With our shared passion for helping clients be successful, we are looking forward to working together.

About Team D3  D3 Technologies is an Autodesk Platinum-level partner. From initial concept to the final product - D3s solutions transform manufacturing and engineering operations by improving workflows, aligning clients with the right technologies, and providing educational pathways and support. D3 has been a trusted partner to manufacturers since 1999 and was joined by 2 more brands to establish the Team D3 Coalition of brands this year. http://www.teamd3.com

About Automated Solutions Inc. (ASI)  ASI is located in Waynesboro, Virginia and has been providing CAM software and consulting services to manufacturers for over 25 years. A team of experienced programmers and machinists provide clients with a skillset unique in the industry. http://www.asi-cam.com

For more information contact  Mark Lackovic, Team D3, John Kanney, Automated Solutions
Where Pastures Meet the Sky: an enjoyable tale of love, finding oneself, and facing past traumas. Where Pastures Meet the Sky is the creation of published author Andrea Rene Rudie, a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who was born and raised in Oregon before later moving to Washington state.

Rudie shares, While flourishing in a vibrant life with her powerful but kind husband, Laurel suffers an unthinkable, tragic loss and finds her life and dreams for the future shattered. As she struggles to pick up the broken pieces and slowly regain a sense of normalcy, she finds her heartstrings pulling her gently back to the high pasturelands and the majestic timber-framed homestead of her childhood.

Growing up wild, free, and unfettered on the ranch of her beloved late grandfather had shaped Laurels view of the world from the time she was a toddler. Experiences of her youth, the gentle wisdom of her grandfather, and the struggles she faced as a young teen are revealed. Now an adult, Laurel is suddenly faced with her past and its history, unveiling the most difficult life decision she had to make when she was just a seventeen-year-old girl.

Where Pastures Meet the Sky captures the heart of a teenage girl, the uncertainty of a woman navigating her way through middle age, and the life-altering blessings that are bestowed when one least expects themin due season, through the quiet yet powerful arrival of redemption.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Andrea Rene Rudies new book will draw readers in from the first page as they become invested in seeing what awaits Laurel on lifes path.

Rudies affable characters and compelling action will delight and entertain while tugging at the heartstrings as readers root for a young woman on a journey of self-discovery.

Consumers can purchase Where Pastures Meet the Sky at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Where Pastures Meet the Sky, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
I would like to be an instrument for social change in making prisons more human, said Gibson. Prisons have no constituencies. Id like to be a voice for prison reform and use the opportunity to draw attention to the plight of the prisoners.

Featuring sweeping research, first-hand accounts and interviews with family members, author and University of New Mexico professor Dirk Cameron Gibson provides a multifaceted historical account of one of the most violent prison riots in American history.

In The Incredible Ordeal of Michael Schmidt: The 1980 Riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico, Gibson provides readers an extensive and exceptionally researched report of the 1980 riot that took place at the Penitentiary of New Mexico. The book also serves to highlight the critical importance of addressing prison reform to avoid future riots across the country.

I want to remind people that prisons are underfunded and prison reform is necessary to avoid potential violence, Gibson said.

Gibson was introduced to Michael Schmidt and his story of being violently attacked during the riot while serving as a correctional officer at the prison. Gibson took two-and-a-half years to research and write the book, painstakingly gathering details and allowing the research to guide the direction of the text. Through sharing the discoveries of his investigation, Gibson aims to shine a light on the riot, the circumstances that brought it about and ways to avoid uprisings in the future.

I would like to be an instrument for social change in making prisons more human, said Gibson. Prisons have no constituencies. Id like to be a voice for prison reform and use the opportunity to draw attention to the plight of the prisoners.

The Incredible Ordeal of Michael Schmidt: The 1980 Riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico

By Dirk Cameron Gibson

ISBN: 9781665533508 (softcover); 9781665533492 (hardcover); 9781665533485 (electronic)

Available at AuthorHouse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Dirk Cameron Gibson is a prolific author. He has published research books on a variety of subjects, including serial murder, outer space studies, consumer product recalls, communication in legal practice, a rhetorical biography of J. Edgar Hoover. Gibsons Ph D. coursework included two Ph. D-level courses on the study of history, providing him the background to analyze and interpret historic events. In addition, his BS, MA and Ph. D in communication facilitated his understanding of the 1980 riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico as a media event, desperate attempts by inmates to cry for help by communicating their plight at the hands of correctional officers and the prison administration. To learn more, please visit dirkgibson.org.

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General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Beth Del Ville

480-998-2600

bdelville@lavidge.com
Michael Albright has completed his new book It Begins Part II: a thrilling science fiction novel that depicts a world under alien attack.

Author Michael Albright writes, The alien threat is real. They fly across our skies, under our oceans, and have disrupted our lives and our safety. At first, man looked upon the aliens with curiosity and a hope that they would be benevolent and improve life on Earth. While this optimistic view was embraced by many, just the opposite was the new reality. After capturing two passenger aircraft out of the sky, their real purpose was revealed. The horrific acts of desecration wrought on the passengers was their calling card. No longer aliens would be a curiosity, but their presence would be a threat to all mankind.

He continues, The aliens became more brazen in their attacks on mankind. From destroying a hotel in France, where an international conference on the alien threat was held, to intercepting and shooting down aircraft. It did not end there though. An alien attack was launched against a British and American combat fleet and then an attack on Space Command itself.

Published by Page Publishing, Michael Albrights engrossing tale follows Admiral Scott and the other men and women of Space Command as they prepare to be an offensive force in the conflict with the aliens.

Readers who wish to experience this exciting work can purchase It Begins Part II at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Drawing upon a collection of wise words that she collected over the years from her personal journey of self-improvement, author Marzieh Golbar has released Simply Abraham, a guide to help readers understand and unlock the benefits of the laws of attraction.

The law of attraction is a philosophy suggesting that positive thoughts will bring positive results to a persons life, while negative thoughts bring negative results. When Golbar first learned about it, and began to implement it in her own life, she started to see changes for the better.

This book contains the fruit only, Golbar said. No branches, no leaves; the keys in the spotlight ready to unlock the treasure box. The quotes are easy to understand and practical if studied with reflection and focus.

Inspired by writers Louise Hay and Bob Proctor, Golbar looks to help others improve their lives, as well. In Simply Abraham, she provides her unique perspective on the spiritual side of the law of attraction, combined with her scientific background. Searching for the best explanations of the laws of attraction, Golbar integrated quotes from Abraham-Hicks.

In this book I have integrated the best quotes from Abraham that explain the laws of attraction in simple terms, Golbar said. I have utilized examples and events that correspond to the teachings, as well as scientific evidence that prove the laws of attraction are real and operational, nonstop. It is one law, but has numerous forms and applications as it is explained and utilized in many ways.

Simply Abraham

By Marzieh Golbar

ISBN: 9781504395977 (softcover); 9781504395984 (electronic)

Available at BalboaPress, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Marzieh Golbar is an Iranian-Canadian immigrant, who came to Canada from Turkey. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy in 1999 from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Always fascinated by the laws of nature, she truly believed that these laws were being taught only partially in schools and universities. She feels a great calling to share her book and its message with the world. To learn more, please visit https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/732104-Simply-Abraham.

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Ashley Fletcher

afletcher@lavidge.com
Owner of Americas First Pisco Brand, Catalina Gaete-Bentz, Talks About Catan Pisco's 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Medal Award Winning Gold at our first entry to SFWSC is a sign that pisco is very much a relevant category in the industry and further validates that the American palate is ready to welcome pisco into their bars and homes.

Catan Pisco, Americas first pisco brand, announces it has won a gold medal in the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). This was the brands initial entry into the competition, garnering one of eight pisco liquors gold or higher medals.

As one of the oldest and largest competitions of its kind, the SFWSC is recognized internationally as the premier competition recognizing the best liquors globally, a universal indicator of superior quality and craftsmanship.

A gold medal is one of the most prestigious marks a label can receive, especially as a new entry. In this years competition, 21 entries were made by other pisco labels, with only nine classified as Chilean pisco. Catan Pisco sets the standard for other Chilean pisco liquors, crafting a spirit distilled from 100% grapes with the versatility of vodka and the upscale aromas and complexity of premium tequila.

Its an honor to win any medal, but this particular one is significant and encouraging, said Catalina Gaete-Bentz, Catan Piscos founder and first female pisco owner in Chilean history. It shows consumers and markets abroad and here at home that we have the quality and experience theyre looking for in pisco. I feel empowered to continue innovating and being a much-needed female voice in the spirits industry.

Since launching in 2018, Catan Pisco has gained worldwide recognition as a superior pisco brand. Within its first year, it won double gold medals and Best in Show at the 2019 San Diego Spirits Festival. Receiving these medals and reaching major milestones supports Catan Piscos goal to craft an elevated and unique drink experience while encouraging a new way to celebrate and bring people together, especially in America, where consumers tend to focus on familiar brands.

Winning Gold at our first entry to SFWSC is a sign that pisco is very much a relevant category in the industry and further validates that the American palate is ready to welcome pisco into their bars and homes. from a new innovative way to celebrate accomplishments, big and small alike.

Catan Pisco will be at this years San Diego Spirits Festival. The event will take place Sept. 24 and 25 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla, Calif. For more information on the award-winning brand, visit https://catanpisco.com.

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About Catan Pisco:

Providing a new cocktail experience you cant get anywhere else, Catan Pisco is bringing the spirit of Chile right to you. Made from premium Chile-grown Pedro Ximenez grapes, this smooth yet complex liquor is a must-have for dinner parties and birthday celebrations where old-fashioned spirits just wont do. With every purchase, 1% is donated to support Chilean farmers affected by the water crisis. Follow them on Instagram @catanpisco.
Today, Clearcover Insurance Company announces that Executive Vice President of People Vikki Caruso has been named to the 2022 Notable Executives in HR and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion by Crains Chicago Business. The award recognizes accomplished human resources executives in the Chicago area for their ability to effect change in promoting diversity and inclusion.

Its a huge honor to be recognized by Crains Chicago Business as a Notable Executive in HR and DEI this year, said Clearcovers Executive Vice President of People Vikki Caruso. It has been my mission to build a performance-driven diverse culture focused on the individual superpowers of our employees. I believe our people-first philosophy has allowed us at Clearcover to both retain current employees and recruit top talent. One of my passions is to combine culture, innovation, leadership and inclusiveness to create a workspace that people truly love and experiences that are truly remarkable.

With more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Caruso is a charismatic and results-driven leader whose people-first philosophy drove her to implement a company-wide program for employees to have access to mental health workshops and clinical therapists. She scaled the Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council (EIDC) and promoted company-wide education sessions for important milestones such as Black History Month, Autism Awareness Month and Womens History Month.

Were so proud of Vikki and her recognition as a top human resources executive, said Clearcover Co-founder and CEO Kyle Nakatsuji. Vikki has helped us build one of the best employer brands and lives out Clearcovers values and Leadership Principles, which we strive for daily. Just as Clearcover supports our customers in feeling confident in their car insurance decisions, Vikki enables our employees to experience a supportive and innovative work environment.

The company is hiring across the U.S. in a variety of fields, with a focus on claims, engineering and data and analytics. To learn more, visit: https://clearcover.com/careers

About Clearcover

Clearcover is the next generation insurance company that provides customers with the technology they need to confidently make the smartest decisions at every step. Clearcover is challenging the status quo with hassle-free insurance that redefines what it means to put the customer first, delivering affordable car insurance with the industrys fastest claims. The company was founded in 2016 by Kyle Nakatsuji and Derek Brigham and has raised more than $300 million in funding. For more information, visit Clearcover.com.

About Crains Notables

The Crains Notable Executives in HR and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is a yearly award which includes executives for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after an editorial review. Honorees are serving in a senior leadership role, are employed at companies of 50 employees or more and demonstrate the ability or power to effect change.
Be the Head: a helpful opportunity to learn new strategies for success and a faith-based life. Be the Head is the creation of published author Dominique Jean, a writer who raises awareness and encourages others to get CPR certifications in order to save lives.

Jean shares, I wrote the first version of this book a month after Kenneth passed away. We were blaming ourselves for not following up with twin sister intuition. She had been his voice since they were born. I was mad at the world. I couldnt bring our Kenneth back. I knew it was a sign of depression. I prayers the kids to seek help. I didnt feel like I needed it. I decided to write this book and lashed out at the world. As soon I finished it, I felt so much better. I thought that I miraculously got healed. The devil is a liar. I sent Be the Head to two publishers, but they denied it. I was not even told a reason. When my cooking book was done, I sent it to both publishers; it was accepted right away. As a spiritual being, I practice meditations, as soon as I finished my prayers. I heard a voice saying, Everyone who will read the book will know that it was made for a good cause, but they will also be able to tell that you were angry at the world when you wrote it. Rewrite it now. You will know and feel the difference. Being mean and bitter isnt who you are. Your dad raised you better. Your other books; Kenneths Creole Cajun Creative Kitchen Recipes, and As Reality Strikes didnt portray you to be as such. Why would you want Be the Head to give people the wrong impression of you? Instead, make it a tool that will help others. I obeyed the call. My spirit guide never fails me. This book will help raise awareness for the need to report abuse of any shapes or forms right away and a way for everyone to get CPR certification by making it a must. Seek help for yourself. Recognize the early stages of depression, seek help for yourself if needed; then get help for someone you love. Share good information to improve the lives of other people. Together we can make this world a better place. Remain blessed.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dominique Jeans new book will encourage readers as they explore a key aspect of the authors life experiences.

Dominique Jean shares a personal and reflective look into her life in hopes of inspiring others.

Consumers can purchase Be the Head at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Be the Head, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Im in This for You: The Truth in Becoming a Great Leader: a welcome resource for those who seek to develop and implement proven leadership practices. Im in This for You: The Truth in Becoming a Great Leader is the creation of published author Dr. Roger Kingston, a retired Command Sergeant Major of the US Army after thirty-two years of active-duty service. Dr. Kingston holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University.

Dr. Kingston shares, The way a leader leads impacts the quality of life and the future of others. Great leadership enhances peoples personal and professional lives and helps organizations retain and strengthen their workforce. Look throughout society and identify organizations with a low personnel turnover rate and a loyal workforce; great leadership resides within. Great leaders understand they exist for others, not themselves.

Amazingly, people search for ways to become better leaders without going to the only perfect source for leading other people. This book will reveal Gods words as applied to every leaders challenges at every level encountered when leading people. Everything necessary to becoming the leader others deserve is addressed by Gods word. This book pulls back the veil to see just how much God has to say about being a leader. Be prepared to be amazed at Gods guidance about being a leader.

This book provides every ingredient required to take any and every leader, at any and every level of leadership-to-leadership greatness. Its not hard and its not complicated. It requires only one motive to achieve leadership greatness. The motive of leadership greatness is that Im in This For You!

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dr. Roger Kingstons new book will engage and encourage readers to refine a potent set of leadership skills.

Dr. Kingston draws from a lifetime of study and experience to motivate the next generation of leaders.

Consumers can purchase Im in This for You: The Truth in Becoming a Great Leader at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Im in This for You: The Truth in Becoming a Great Leader, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Rough Ashlar from Dutch Quality Stone provides a seamless blend of traditional and modern design touches to interior or exterior projects. Shown: Rough Ashlar in Winter Point. With a compelling juxtaposition of stone shapes available in a trio of rich color palettes, Rough Ashlar delivers a touch of classic charm for any modern interior or exterior space.

Dutch Quality Stone introduces Rough Ashlar, a new stone profile that infuses the traditional texture of tumbled stone with contemporary applications of color. As the latest profile in the Dutch Quality Stone portfolio, Rough Ashlar combines large and medium stones in a thoughtful composition with eye-grabbing character to provide a modern touch of texture to statement walls and home exteriors or commercial facades.

Builders and buyers are often looking for ways to add distinctive stylistic touches to their spaces, whether they are in the midst of a remodel or when fashioning a completely new home or office from blueprint to move-in, said Sarah Lograsso, Director of Marketing and Portfolio Management at Dutch Quality Stone. With a compelling juxtaposition of stone shapes available in a trio of rich color palettes, Rough Ashlar delivers a touch of classic charm for any modern interior or exterior space.

TWEET THIS: Dutch Quality Stone introduces Rough Ashlar, a new stone profile that infuses traditional textures of tumbled stone with contemporary colors in a thoughtful composition w/ eye-grabbing character for statement walls. https://dutchqualitystone.com/

Rough Ashlar is designed to accentuate a broad range of projects with textural and visual interest. Rough Ashlar is an ideal option for projects that need to maintain a traditional style while fulfilling a modern edge, enabling specifiers to blend design styles without sacrificing consistency.

Rough Ashlar is available in three color palettes that range from neutral hues to bolder iterations and fit a variety of projects, including interior accent walls, fireplace surrounds and exterior facades.

Winter Point is a contemporary cool gray hue with bright white and muted brown touches while Greystone blends elements of ash and charcoal with lighter notes of gray and silver. Trailhead features a tawny brown color with medium tones of tan and hints of copper to bring warmth into any space.

To learn more about Dutch Quality Stone and its catalog of products, visit DutchQualityStone.com.

About Dutch Quality Stone

Created by a tight-knit group of local artisans in Ohio, Dutch Quality Stone manufactures stone veneer products that exemplify the hard work, tempered skills and straightforward solutions that have formed the brands identity since its humble beginnings. Dutch Quality Stone products exhibit all the unique qualities of nature for application in a range of residential and commercial settings. Pride goes in. Proud comes out. For more information, visit DutchQualityStone.com.
When clients want to take funds from local to global, whether that means fundraising in the EU or investing overseas, we can help.

Global financial administration leader JTC has launched its fund administration offering in Ireland following regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Ireland. This latest offering will increase the companys global presence, which already includes more than two dozen offices worldwide.

The Ireland fund administration offering will complement existing Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM), depositary, and corporate solutions provided from JTC offices in Dublin and Enniscorthy. Fund administration services will include fund accounting, transfer agency, AML, FATCA/CRS and the preparation of fund financials with audit support.

Ireland is fast becoming one of the most attractive jurisdictions for fund domiciliation and offers many advantages for US-based fund managers. Boasting tax treaties with the US and EU, Irelands relationship with the US and European financial communities is strong. At the same time, the country has a reputation for regulatory supervision and a framework compatible with local substance standards and the EUs Alternative Investment Fund Management Directive (AIFMD).

As the only English-speaking country in the EU with the Euro as its currency, Ireland offers US-based fund managers a business environment and culture similar to what theyre used to, and the countrys popularity as a jurisdiction means there is no shortage of expertise in alternative funds. US managers looking to expand globally by entering European markets or accepting foreign capital can take advantage of JTCs established presence in Ireland and the variety of available fund and corporate structures available in the country.

JTC is a publicly listed, global professional services business with deep expertise in fund, corporate and private client services. The companys fund services team has substantial experience and a proven track record in administering both closed and open-ended funds in jurisdictions around the world.

JTC Americas, the companys North American division, provides purpose-built solutions with a global reach, allowing US-based clients to expand overseas and international clients to enter US markets. By offering its specialized technology-based solutions to the greater market and combining its boutique feel with JTCs global reach, JTC Americas is able to provide an unprecedented level of support and scalability for clients of all sizes.

Were excited to provide our fund clients access to another important jurisdiction, said Reid Thomas, Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director of JTC Americas. When clients want to take funds from local to global, whether that means fundraising in the EU or investing overseas, we can help.

The Irish fund administration offering will be led by Graham Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer - JTC Fund Solutions (Ireland), who added, We are really pleased that JTC has been issued its fund administration license in a key financial jurisdiction such as Ireland. In conjunction with AIFM, depositary and corporate solutions, our agile teams are now able to offer clients a comprehensive range of fund and corporate services solutions, with high levels of customization, no outsourcing or functionalization of any core services, and supported by the depth and breadth of our global, listed parent company, JTC.

We would like to thank the Central Bank of Ireland for their valuable assistance during this process and we look forward to building our Irish presence over time and more importantly, our ability to deliver service excellence to our clients.

I am truly delighted by this announcement, said Nigel Le Quesne, Chief Executive Officer at JTC Group. Ireland is an important part of the European fund environment and strategically important for JTCs global service offering and future growth plans. With this final piece of the puzzle in place, our Irish office is well placed to provide tailor-made, in-house solutions and will become one of our key fund jurisdictions within the JTC Group.

For more information, visit JTC Group.

About JTC

JTC is a worldwide leader in financial administration with over 1,300 employees across 30 local offices and a 34-year track record in Private Equity, Fund of Funds, Alternatives, Commercial Real Estate, Debt Funds, and much more. JTC is a publicly listed, global professional services business with deep expertise in fund, corporate and private client services. Every JTC person is an owner of the business and this fundamental part of our culture aligns us with the best interests of all of our stakeholders.


Bobby Broom's new CD, "Keyed Up." When we make music, we're never exactly sure how it's going to turn out. . . . But we have developed such trust in each other, there's never any doubt that the end result is going to be good.

Master jazz guitarist Bobby Broom casts his ear on the masters of another instrumentthe pianowith the September 23 release of "Keyed Up" (Steele Records). An exploration of compositions by (or associated with) great jazz pianists, the album is also Brooms first in almost 30 years to itself feature an acoustic piano player. Justin Dillard, a youngish, fast-rising keyboardist from Brooms home base of Chicago, joins his working trio with bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins.

In fact, it was an encounter with Dillard at a Chicago jam session that inspired Broom to realize the project (an idea he had long been nurturing). I heard something intriguing in Justin that made me want to work with him, he says. It was a bit risky because I hadnt played with him in such an intimate and crucial setting before we made this record. But it didnt take long for me to know I had made the right choice.

It doesnt take the listener long, either. Dillards incandescent playing is a highlight of the very first track, Bud Powells Hallucinations (Budo), and maintains that high level throughout the album. From the blues-laden lines of James Williamss Soulful Bill and McCoy Tyners Blues on the Corner to the exquisite tenderness of Erroll Garners Misty, Dillard earns his place in the spotlight. He also switches to his laptop Swurlitzer, an electronic keyboard, in a nod to fusioneers Chick Corea (Humpty Dumpty) and Herbie Hancock (Driftin).

Hes not alone, of course. Carroll and Watkins are superlative as always, offering both sensitive support and lightning in a bottle that culminates in a spirited exchange of twelves, eights, and fours on Blues on the Corner. As for Broom, his excellence is understoodbut he outdoes himself with his brilliant work on Driftin, Hallucinations (Budo), and Horace Silvers Quicksilver.

Its the joining of these forces, however, that lets magic happen on "Keyed Up." When we make music, were never exactly sure how its going to turn out. Its never a matter of were just gonna play these tunes, Broom says. In addition to the arrangements and preparation, theres a great degree of intrigue and mystery in what we do. But we have developed such trust in each other, theres never any doubt that the end result is going to be good.

Bobby Broom was born January 18, 1961, in New York City. When he was ten years old, he heard one of his fathers recordsby organist Charles Earlandtouching off his lifelong love affair with jazz. By the time he was sixteen, Broom was attending New Yorks prestigious High School of Music and Art and gigging with pianist Al Haig; by the age of twenty-one, equipped with a freshman year of study at Berklee College of Music, and some already extraordinary pedigree, he began touring with Sonny Rollins.

By that time, Broom had also signed with GRP Records and recorded 1981s "Clean Sweep," which was a crossover jazz success. But rather than settle into a comfortable career in the emerging genre of smooth jazz, Broom took the road less traveled: He left the New York scene behind and established himself in Chicago.

In the 1990s Broom formed the first edition of his bass and drums trio, while also beginning to work with the members of what would eventually become the Deep Blue Organ Trio. During that decade he recorded a couple of quartet records before deciding to make a guitar-bass-drums trio his primary outlet. In 2000, a breakthrough year, he released the statement-making "Modern Man" (with organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, drummer Idris Muhammad, and Ronnie Cuber on bari sax), as well as the first of what would be many guitar-trio recordings, "Stand!." He solidified a trio lineup with bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins with 2006s "Song and Dance" (although Makaya McCraven filled in for the latter on 2014s "My Shining Hour"). After establishing a new organ ensemble (the Organ-isation) with 2018s "Soul Fingers," Broom has returned to his longtime trio, but with the notion of supplementing it with pianist Justin Dillard for "Keyed Up."

The use of a guitar-and-piano frontline remains somewhat novel in the jazz world, but Broom says overcoming that novelty is just a matter of seasoning. When I first met Justin, he expressed some misgivings about operating with guitar, he recalls. I said to him, just listen and play. And he got better and better playing with me. Lucky for us that we get to hear the results.

Bobby Broom and his quartet will perform a CD release show on Sat. 10/22 at Studio5 Performing Arts Center, 1938 Dempster Street, Evanston, IL. Broom is also appearing at the first annual Fretboard Summit (hosted by Fretboard Journal magazine), taking place at the Old Towne School of Folk Musics Myron R. Szold Music Hall, Chicago, on Sat. 8/27; and at Western Michigan Universitys Jazz at The Crawlspace 2022 series at the Crawlspace Theater, Kalamazoo, MI, on Thurs. 9/8.
Legacy Retirement Plan Advisors, a wholly owned subsidiary of Legacy Wealth Management, is proud to announce and welcome Val Ortega as the companys new Head of Retirement Plan Consultants. Val will be responsible for driving continued growth for the firm, strategically enhancing its footprint in the Employee Retirement Benefits space, and overseeing product and vendor selection; as well as overseeing sales and servicing for the firms existing book of business.

Val joins the Legacy Retirement Plan Advisors team from HRB Retirement, a South Florida leading Benefits Firm. It was at HRB Retirement that Val served as partner and Head of Retirement Plans Sales and Servicing. During Vals successful tenure at HRB Retirement, she directed sales and business development efforts for the firm, specifically targeting mid-and-large size closely held corporations; both in Florida and throughout several states all around the United States.

Val is a retirement plan specialist having served thousands of organizations in designing, implementing, and providing on-going assistance in their retirement planning needs. Vals experience spans more than 20+ years in the employee benefits field. Val has spent the last 15+ years focused exclusively on facilitating organizations with their retirement plans, working for various Recordkeeping Platforms. Recognizing a need for retirement plan experts in a filed with on-going changes and challenges, she is a fierce advocate for the firms she serves, and her experience allows her to share distinct insight and expertise to create customized strategies for the companies that entrust Val with their employee retirement planning benefits.

Over the span of her professional career, Val held leadership and executive roles in industry leading financial services firms like John Hancock and Nationwide Insurance. Vals grit, passion, and pursuit of excellence in everything she undertakes; allowed her to thrive in these world-class organizations through various sales and management roles. Most importantly, Vals commitment to her clients and plan participants over the years; have made her a true advocate for those who may have had limited access to financial advice and guidance.

Val utilizes her wealth of knowledge and experience to assist companies in managing, addressing, and pursuing their retirement needs (and those of their employees, owners, and associates). She specializes in:



Keeping proper due diligence procedures and documentation

Benchmarking plans for pricing and negotiating with providers

Investment menu selection and on-going monitoring

Providing high touch bilingual education

Val is passionate about traveling and has been to over 50 countries! She has her hands full with her husband and three young boys. She also serves on the board of Centro Mater Foundation, an organization that provides high quality education to low-income immigrant families. Val is passionate about this cause because her parents immigrated to the United States and raised a young family and she highly values education.

Please direct any inquiries and questions about this release to Tony DuBose (954) 414-0901 or by email: tony.dubose@lwmfl.com.

Legacy Retirement Plan Advisors

Phone: (954) 474-7100

Fax: (954) 474-7399

Email: info@legacyrpa.com
No Order in the Church: a potent social and spiritual commentary. No Order in the Church is the creation of published author Marcia Chambers.

Chambers shares, In the closing of this book, I am so happy that I got the courage to write it and the people that I am going to bless with it! Knowledge is power but Knowledge means nothing if we dont put it in action, and when God blesses us with it, we have to share it with others. I am thankful for the persons who encouraged me to do it. We must ask questions. Too much misunderstanding caused family, coworker, and friends to fall apart. Lets connect and talk! Too much fighting in the church. Lets get together and unite.

We need more love in the church. Talk is cheap; too much talk and no action. Lets fight against drugs. Too many of our loved ones and friends lives have been destroyed by drugs. We need more order not only in the church but also in the home and school. We are supposed to build each other up, not tear each other apart!

Life is a journey that comes with a lot of obstacles, but if we put our trust in God, we will make it. No one should have control over how one should be dressed. That is just my opinion. Gossip is very dangerous; most of the time it is not true, and we must stop it. Evil thoughtsso a man thinks we must cancel and delete these thoughts before they become action.

We must pray against bondage; too many people are in bondage and not even know it. We must not be comfortable but always be hungry for more. There is always room for improvement. Let us support each other in any form of way. We can and stop making excuses and when using words, make sure you know the meaning before saying it; and always remember, words have power.

Last but not the least, can we mind our own business for a change? Love and thanks to everyone who is going to enjoy reading my book. This is coming from my heart, love, and blessings. I am really happy that I am able to use my book to shed some light on life experiences. Everything I write in this book I did experience it in some form or way. Life is full of experiences, and I am happy I experienced them. Looking forward for my next book and the download from the Holy Spirit, and I can hear my dead grandmothers and my mom cheering me on. Go, girl, you got the this. I will continue to honor my ancestors.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Marcia Chamberss new book will encourage and inspire as readers reflect on the impassioned discussion within.

Chambers shares in hopes of rejuvenating a sense of drive, hope for prosperity, and trust in God within readers of any background seeking encouragement in their spiritual and personal journeys.

Consumers can purchase No Order in the Church at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about No Order in the Church, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
With a desire to have more control over their personal finances, the study found that 87% of Gen Z would be more interested in applying for a job that pays them the same day they work.

Instant Financial, the pioneer of fee-free on-demand pay solutions, partnered with the Center for Generational Kinetics, to study the effects and perceptions of wage frequency on the financial security and job requirements of the next wave of young professionals entering the labor market: Generation Z (Gen Z). With a desire to have more control over their personal finances, the study found that 87% of Gen Z would be more interested in applying for a job that pays them the same day they work. And with Gen-Zers set to hold up to 36% of the workforce by the end of this year, employers will need to take note of their demands in order to recruit and retain this generation.

As the generation most likely to switch jobs and land the biggest pay increases, Gen Z is taking advantage of the labor shortage to redefine workplace expectations  much like other areas where these teens and twenty-somethings have pushed the boundaries of cultural norms. In fact, four in ten Gen Z workers would like to leave their job in two years, and behind compensation, mental health and burnout are the top two reasons.

Gen Z Wants More than Money

While compensation is one of the major reasons Gen Z workers leave their current jobs, when it comes to choosing a new job, younger generations are more inclined to take work/life balance into account. And trendy perks or workplace gimmicks arent going to cut it  they want to feel like their employers respect them and are willing to invest in their advancement. This means taking their financial security into consideration and helping reduce the stress and anxiety that comes along with living paycheck to paycheck. With only a quarter of Gen Zers saying they can comfortably manage their expenses, its not surprising that 62% of Gen Z workers are willing to stay a month to over a year longer at a job if they can get immediate access to their earned pay after each days work at no cost, the highest of any generation. Furthermore, 61% of Gen Z respondents said they would be less likely to be late on bills if they had access to their earned wages after each days work.

Gen Z isnt going to sit at home while they wait two weeks for a paycheck so they can pay their bills, said Tal Clark, CEO of Instant Financial. Our research shows if they need money before payday, they are the generation most likely to take on a short term job that pays immediately, and also the most likely to work more shifts or hours at their current job if they have access to their wages after every days work. After all, they are the on-demand generation. Why should their salaries be any different?

Responsible Earned Wage Access

But immediate access to their earned wages isnt enough. In fact, with 94% of Gen Z workers saying it is unfair to be charged a fee to access their earned pay after a day of work, its clear that in order to recruit and retain younger workers, employers will need to implement a responsible earned wage access (EWA) program that allows employees to get paid their earned wages at the end of every work day, free of fees.

To meet the demands of millions of Gen Z employees and their employers across the country, Instant Pay is the only on-demand pay solution that gives employees access to their earned wages, free of predatory fees. For more information on how your company can utilize a responsible, earned wage access program to attract the youngest workers entering the workforce, visit http://www.instant.co.

About the Study

The survey of 1,000 employed full-time or part-time US labor force participants, aged 16-55, was conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics from April 9, 2022, to April 20, 2022. The margin of error is +/-3.1 percentage points.

To download a copy of the Wages and Wellbeing study from Instant Financial, visit https://www.instant.co/resource/earned-wage-study/.

About Instant Financial

Instant Financial is leading the charge to provide financial freedom and wellness to millions of workers in the United States through its earned wage access solutions. By enabling employers to allow employees to access their daily wages immediately after their shift, Instant Financial helps organizations improve retention and reduce absenteeism while helping employees take control of their financial freedom by bridging the gap between work day and payday. Learn more about Instant Financial at http://www.instant.co.

About Center of Generational Kinetics

The Center for Generational Kinetics, LLC (CGK) is the leading research, advisory, and speaking firm focused on uncovering key emerging trends, generational change, and behavioral insights. CGKs team leads original research around the world to solve important consumer and workforce challenges. The firm uncovers new and unexpected, statistically accurate insights for innovative, market-leading clients. CGKs team has worked with over 700 companies around the world, from the biggest global consumer brands to governments, technology pioneers, financial services, retailers, and global banks.


Rory T. Weiler Elected 2023 ISBA President

Weiler & Lengle P.C. is honored to announce that our partner Rory T. Weiler will now be serving as the President of the Illinois State Bar Association. Mr. Weiler has long been involved with the ISBA, previously serving as chair of the Family Law Section Council and Treasurer. As a member of the Family Law Section Council, he acted as co-editor of its monthly newsletter. Rory is also a member of the Kane County Bar Association.

Attorney Weiler currently focuses his practice on family law, with a particular focus on complex financial cases, and those involving child custody. Another special interest of his is the division of closely held family businesses incident to divorce. His skill in this area has helped countless locally-owned family businesses survive family divides, contributing to the vitality of St. Charles and the surrounding geographic areas.

Rorys election as ISBA President is just one of the many accolades he has received throughout his more than 40 years of legal practice. This year, he was named Lawyer of the Year for Chicago family law by US News and World Reports Best Lawyers. This award demonstrates Rorys outstanding knowledge of Illinois family law and his exemplary service to members of our community who need to address family law needs.

In 2018, Mr. Weiler initially announced his candidacy for ISBA Vice-President after 40 years as a practicing attorney. He focused his campaign on the goals of improving participation in the ISBA in part by recruiting large firms, expanding mutual malpractice insurance, and making the ISBA a better resource for law schools and their students.

Rory has also given back to the community through his extensive work with the Illinois Bar Foundation, a charitable legal organization affiliated with the ISBA. Rorys love for communities throughout the Chicago area is reflected by his involvement in local politics. He has served in local government and on community boards throughout much of his career.

In addition to his work with the ISBA, Rory has demonstrated extensive involvement with numerous other legal organizations, including the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where he is a Fellow. He has served on the Board of Directors of AAMLs Illinois chapter. In his capacity as a deeply involved member of the legal community, Rory is frequently featured as a speaker in various legal and local-issue seminars.

Rory Weiler stands out for his dedication to legal ethics, serving on the Illinois State Supreme Courts Committee on Character and Fitness. As a member of this committee, he has helped to maintain the ethical integrity of the legal profession in Illinois.

With his longstanding reputation for community service and providing outstanding legal help to those in need, it is clear why Attorney Rory Weiler has been chosen to lead the ISBA.

About Weiler & Lengle P.C.

Weiler & Lengle P.C. was founded in 2005, with Rory T. Weiler as a founding partner. Over the past 17 years, the law firm has built a strong reputation for taking on challenging family law cases involving difficult custody situations and the division of complex assets. The attorneys at Weiler & Lengle have extensive experience in all family law matters, including divorce, prenuptial agreements, paternity, and post-decree enforcement.

Since 2012, Weiler & Lengle has consistently been recognized as one of the Best U.S. Family Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report.

To learn more about the law firm of Weiler & Lengle P.C., please visit https://www.weilerlengle.com/ or call 630-382-8050.
The Unflawed Leader: Creating a Culture of Christlike Wellness in the Local Church: a helpful discussion of church leadership. The Unflawed Leader: Creating a Culture of Christlike Wellness in the Local Church is the creation of published author Stan O. Gleason, a loving husband and dedicated father who earned an MA from Urshan Graduate School of Theology and a BA from Apostolic Bible Institute. Gleason has served as lead pastor of the Life Church of Kansas City, Missouri, for the past thirty years. He also currently serves as assistant general superintendent of United Pentecostal Church International.

Gleason shares, The Unflawed Leader is a fresh look at the ultimate leader Jesus Christ in real time. Gleason situates Jesus, the only perfect leader the world has ever seen, in challenging leadership scenarios all leaders face. The only difference is that Jesus brought no unresolved emotional issues, habits, hurts, hang-ups, baggage, scars, old wounds, or dysfunction to his leadership team. He never deceived, broke trust, pitched a fit, had a colossal meltdown, manipulated, betrayed confidence, or employed guilt-motivation to get his way. It was said of him that he did all things well. Books aplenty have been written about church leaders who lead with a limp, lead with pain, lead on empty, and lead a purpose-driven church. But weve known good, humble church members who walked with a limp, followed in pain, obeyed on empty, and were driven more like cattle than led like sheep. If you desire to create a culture of Christlike wellness in your ministry context, then this work is a must read for you.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Stan O. Gleasons new book draws from the authors personal work and study of effective leadership.

Gleason shares in hopes of aiding upcoming spiritual leaders to achieve success within the ministry.

Consumers can purchase The Unflawed Leader: Creating a Culture of Christlike Wellness in the Local Church at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Unflawed Leader: Creating a Culture of Christlike Wellness in the Local Church, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Soul Divided: Gaining Perspective Through Poetry is an enjoyable poetic experience. Soul Divided: Gaining Perspective Through Poetry is the creation of published author Thomas Beck, a dedicated husband and father of three who resides in Oklahoma.

Beck shares, Soul Divided: Gaining Perspective through Poetry consists of a collection of poems written over a wide range of topics including some from my personal life as well as some with a biblical, theological, and psychological focus. These were written because I believe that we all face the same problems, at least at the core, so the solutions would likewise be somewhat similar. I seek to point out some of the problems by using my own experiences and by telling stories that the reader might relate to. Although some of these poems are the problem/solution type, some are not, but all were written to pierce right into the heart of the reader. I also believe that in most of our lives, the answers to our questions are typically right in front of us, but a slight adjustment in perspective is needed in order to see them, which is what I try to make the reader aware of.

As the title implies, we are most often torn between the different realities that we experiencethings that we want to do and the things that we actually dohighlighting the spiritual battle that goes on internally. I would say that most people want to better their lives but are either too stubborn to admit it, dont know how, or they keep postponing the process, claiming that there is plenty of time in life to change. It is my attempt to persuade the reader in a few of these poems, but all of them offer a different perspective regarding their respective topics, which I think the reader would enjoy.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Thomas Becks new book explores a variety of themes and topics that enable it to appeal to a wide range of readers.

Beck brings a compelling collection of personal poems to life within the pages of this vibrant work.

Consumers can purchase Soul Divided: Gaining Perspective Through Poetry at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Soul Divided: Gaining Perspective Through Poetry, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Advancements with Ted Danson is scheduled to broadcast in primetime on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at 8:00 PM ET on Bloomberg. Check local listings for more information.

With a look at recent developments in data and analytics, the show will explore how the ethical and secure management and collaborative use of data is helping to solve some of the toughest challenges in science, from unleashing the power of biomedical data for accelerating oncology and COVID-19 research, to improving materials quality and reducing chip shortages in the semiconductor industry. Hearing from experts in the field, audiences will learn how Syntropy and Athinia aim to transform the health care and semiconductor industries.

Exploring the regulatory banking landscape, this segment will teach viewers how innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence are helping banks create new systems and services in an effort to transform the customer experience. Spectators will see how Zenus Banking uses technology to change the way international payments can be made, bringing open entry to more people and businesses around the world.

Viewers will also learn about recent breakthroughs in biopharmaceutical technologies as the show uncovers how Cellmig Biolabs (Cellmig) is translating revolutionary discoveries into pioneering medicines and medical devices for terminating cancer lethality, saving cancer patients lives, and improving the quality of life of patients worldwide. Audiences will see how Cellmig uses novel molecules and biomedicines for the diagnosis of tumor metastasis in very early stage, and for the treatment and therapy of cancers.

Finally, learn how years of combined experience across cybersecurity solutions are helping businesses in a wide range of sectors to address cybersecurity issues and to protect against current and future cyber threats. Spectators will see how Data Shield (by Data Defenders) is helping small-to-large public and private sector organizations become fully secured to detect and manage cyber-attacks.

From health care to the latest innovations in cyber technology, this segment explores the latest breakthroughs across an array of industries, said Sarah McBrayer, creative director for DMG Productions and the Advancements series. We look forward to sharing this vital information with viewers.

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About Advancements and DMG Productions:

Advancements is an information-based educational television series that explores recent developments taking place across several industries and economies. Shining a light on important issues and topics impacting society today, the series features the cutting-edge improvements, state-of-the-art technologies, and innovative solutions responsible for shaping, molding, and transforming our world.

Backed by experts in various fields, DMG Productions is dedicated to education and advancement, and to consistently producing commercial-free, educational programming for viewers and networks.

For more information, please visit http://www.AdvancementsTV.com or call 866-496-4065.
MNGR Junior Partner, Maria Gabby Antoniolli Gabby provides exceptional legal services to our clients across a range of practice areas, including family and criminal law. Her remarkable work ethic and strong legal skills have played a critical role in the success of our growing firm

McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp P.C. is pleased to announce Attorney Maria Gabby Antoniolli as its newest junior partner. The decision to select Gabby as a junior partner was based on her proven track record as an outstanding attorney as well as her leadership skills and involvement in the legal community. Gabbys versatility and skill in handling a wide variety of legal issues make her an ideal candidate for partnership at McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp P.C.

Gabby represents clients who are experiencing a variety of legal concerns, from divorce to criminal charges. She has proven herself to be adept as a skilled negotiator and advocate as well as a vigorous litigator when necessary to serve her clients interests. In addition to being a certified Guardian ad Litem, Gabby holds J.D. certificates in Trial Advocacy and Alternative Dispute Resolution and is active with the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers and DuPage County Bar Association. Gabby was also named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2022, a peer-nominated award for exemplary talent and dedication.

"Gabby provides exceptional legal services to our clients across a range of practice areas, including family and criminal law. Her remarkable work ethic and strong legal skills have played a critical role in the success of our growing firm," said Lisa Giese, a founding partner at McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C.

Gabby began her legal career as an Assistant States Attorney in DuPage County, where she handled hundreds of cases involving families and children, including those in the juvenile court system and domestic violence courtroom. As a prosecutor, she gained significant courtroom and trial experience in criminal justice cases. Gabbys work with the States Attorneys Office demonstrates her commitment to keeping our DuPage County community safe.

Immediately prior to joining McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C., Gabby worked at a small family law firm in DuPage County, honing her skills in cases involving divorce, child custody, allocation of parental responsibilities, and other family and criminal law concerns that affect members of the local community. She has demonstrated commitment to protecting children through her service as a family law attorney and as a Guardian ad Litem, making her a role model for other attorneys.

The skills Gabby has built up in a variety of practice areas make her the ideal advocate for members of the community who need to address family law concerns, as she is prepared for anything. Since joining the firm in 2020, Gabby has proven to be both versatile and talented in all regards, and she will be an excellent leader for the firms growing team.

About McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp P.C.

The attorneys at McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C. have over 100 years of combined legal experience. We zealously represent clients who are going through divorce or child related disputes. While we strive for peaceable resolutions through mediation and negotiation, we are always ready to fight for our clients in court. McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C. also handles criminal matters, residential real estate closings, bankruptcy petitions, and estate planning.

To learn more about McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C., please visit https://www.mngrlaw.com/ or call 630-407-1200.
I Was Broken in All the Right Places: a heartfelt message of hope for those in need. I Was Broken in All the Right Places is the creation of published author William McGee, a loving son and brother who was born and raised in Washington state.

McGee shares, Who do we become when our untreated traumas speak on our behalf? How do we address the broken places in our lives if we never recognize their existence? Most people that knew me or knew of me hardly knew anything about me. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, I grew up with my eyes wide open to the world, but my heart closed off to its humanity, not because I was taught this but primarily because of the effects of untreated trauma. I grew up knowing God but not experiencing Christ, there is a big difference. Throughout my life, I was known by many thingsan athlete, a businessman, a gym rat, a player, an alcoholic, a womanizer, a violent offender. But no one saw that I was broken. They saw my circumstances but not my condition.

This book exposes and edifies what hides behind the veil of our broken pieces and what happens when those pieces go undetected. I Was Broken in All the Right Places encourages us to find purpose among the pieces.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, William McGees new book encourages readers to face their broken parts and begin to truly heal instead of masking the challenging parts of themselves.

McGee shares in hopes of bringing awareness to the strength and courage available to all through devotion to God.

Consumers can purchase I Was Broken in All the Right Places at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about I Was Broken in All the Right Places, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Courtesy of HeartcoR Solutions. The HeartcoR team has demonstrated a commitment to thoughtful collaboration and using the most advanced technology to ensure the safe, efficient, accurate, and timely completion of early- and late-stage ECG safety trials, and I am excited to be part of the companys future growth.

HeartcoR Solutions, a leading ECG Core Lab provider that delivers round the clock clinical research for cardiac safety studies to pharmaceutical, medical device, and CROs worldwide, announced today that Xenia Kovacs has joined the organization as associate director of project management.

Kovacs has more than 25 years of experience managing scientific clinical studies at premier healthcare and life sciences organizations. In her new role, she will provide leadership to HeartcoRs project teams, while overseeing project management recruitment to accommodate an increase in the number and size of clinical trials HeartcoR is managing.

Xenias demonstrated success managing clinical trial teams and programs will be critical as we continue to expand our operations and extend the reach of our services, said John Icardi, president and COO, HeartcoR Solutions. We are thrilled to add Xenias expertise to our dedicated team of clinical project managers who work tirelessly to support the needs of study sponsors and participants.

Prior to joining HeartcoR, Kovacs served in senior clinical project management roles for Abbott Molecular, Abbott/AbbVie, and Pfizer. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Nagy Lajos College in Pecs, Hungary, and completed legal training at the University of Pecs School of Law. Kovacs has co-authored several scientific journal articles, and has been recognized for scientific excellence from leading neuroscience and pharmaceutical organizations.

The HeartcoR team has demonstrated a commitment to thoughtful collaboration and using the most advanced technology to ensure the safe, efficient, accurate, and timely completion of early- and late-stage ECG safety trials, and I am excited to be part of the companys future growth, said Kovacs.

To learn more about HeartcoR Solutions, visit http://www.HeartcoRSolutions.com.

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About HeartcoR Solutions

Headquartered in Schaumburg, IL, HeartcoR Solutions LLC. is a leading-edge ECG Core Lab providing 24/7 research and clinical trial management services to pharma, medical device and biotech companies worldwide. HeartcoR delivers non-invasive cardiovascular safety and efficacy services that enhance data capture, review and management in clinical research. Learn more at http://www.heartcorsolutions.com. Follow on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.


has become one of the fastest growth stories in the apparel industry by engaging directly with the healthcare community on its popular

Figs disrupted the historically style-less, one-size fits all trend of the medical uniform by acting on a simple idea: why cant scrubs look good? By making healthcare worker apparel and uniforms that are comfortable and flattering, with value-add features like zippered pockets to store wallets and wedding rings, plus using fabric capable of repelling bodily fluids, Figs was able to turn the traditionally sterile world of scrubs on its head. The company is now reaping the reward. Figs sells their products online, a more convenient option than the medical supply stores doctors, nurses, and other staff were once required to visit to get their work clothes.

The company turns to its advisory team of healthcare professionals, including a vet and a dentist, to provide feedback on its products; and leverages a best-in-class influencer strategy to promote its products among its audience of healthcare professionals. Making scrubs fun and community-oriented is tough, but the savvy way in which Figs works with influencers within the medical and health care fields, primarily through Instagram, has allowed the brand to build community and reputation in an organic, cost-effective way. By tapping actual healthcare professionals, who wear Figs products every day in real-life healthcare situations, the apparel brand is able to win over the hearts, minds, and spend of healthcare workers.

As professionals, these informed advocates are hugely influential, providing consumers with verified recommendations and reviews that go beyond surface-level understanding to instead serve as educational resources. Figs has built its business by overcoming two obstacles with its influencer marketing model: the large promotion costs that plague most DTC organizations, and selling to a consumer base that has traditionally eschewed form and favored function when it comes to its work uniform. By strategically tackling these challenges, Figs has become the de facto uniform for all healthcare workers, from nurses to dentists to vets to surgeons.

The definition of influence is changing, as engagement and community eclipse follower counts and likes, and consumers social media feeds are changing with it. By leveraging nano influencers and professional tastemakers and stakeholders for curated recommendations, brands are able to create social authority and industry-specific brand prestige through authentic proof points. A nano influencer who is closely engaged with a niche audience is a more valuable commodity, and one that is more easily and effectively leveraged, than a major influencer with 100K followers might be, depending on the campaign goals.

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This article originally appeared in the PSFK iQ report, The Influencer Marketing Landscape.
Roma Agrawal has changed Londons skyline. Today, shes hoping that she can change the face of engineering, too. Agrawal is an award-winning Indian-British-American structural engineer from West Hampstead, England, and the author of the adult nonfiction book Built: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Structures. Recently, she adapted the book for young readers: How Was That Built? The Stories Behind Awesome Structures. PW spoke with Agrawal about her experience as a structural engineer, How Was That Built?, and her mission to build awareness and interest in STEM/engineering education and careersespecially for women of colorfrom the ground up.

What exactly do you do as a structural engineer? Can you describe some of the structures youve worked on?

My job as a structural engineer is to use math and physics to make structures stand up. What this means is that we look at all the different forces that are attacking a structure. So, you've got gravity trying to pull buildings and bridges down. You've got wind trying to knock them sideways. You've got earthquakes in some parts of the world that shake them, and we basically have to think about all of those. We must also think about the materials from which we're trying to create a structure, and then make sure the frame or skeleton that we create is strong and stable so that it can withstand all of these forces. Over my 14-year career, Ive worked on a total of eight structures.

My very first was the Northumbria University Footbridge in Newcastle, England. It was built about 18 months after I started working on it. So it's like my first baby Another important structure in my career was the Shard, which is the tallest building in Western Europe. It's best described as an elongated pyramid shape, and was designed by the incredible architect Renzo Piano. I spent six years of my career on this building. You could say that I basically grew up as a structural engineer alongside it.

Dow did you transition from building structures to writing about them? And what are your hopes for your books?

I wrote Built because nearly every time someone asks me what I do for my job, and I say, I'm a structural engineer, some people will have these strange looks or confused expressions, and ask me, What does that mean? And, there are others who will ask, Are you an architect? And Ill say, No, but I work with architects. So, basically, Ive realized that people do not know that every building that we occupy could not exist without structural engineers. Because of this, I became really keen to ignite and/or reignite the curiosity that we all have about our surroundings. And I wanted to help people look at structues in a slightly different lightand get a glimpse into a world that perhaps doesnt feel accessible to them.

When Built started selling well and was translated into several languages, my publisher approached me about writing a childrens book. I loved the idea except that I swore that I'd never write another book againbecause its so hard! But I decided to do it because I wanted to bring engineering to life for children in a different way. Katie Hickey, the books illustrator, was also able to explode the buildings so that readers can see parts of them that arent normally accessibleor visible. Her illustrations bring a warmth, fun, and cheekiness to the topic, too. Our goal was to combine engineering and art to create something beautiful.

I hope that both of my books find their way to libraries and cultural centers. Id also like my childrens title to find its way into the hands of kids who would never have considered becoming engineers and/or scientists. Hopefully, when they read How Was That Built? they might say to themselves, Wait, I could do that?

These hopes are part of your personal mission to increase interest in engineering and representation of women with diverse backgrounds in science education and careers. Can you tell us more about this missionhow it began, and why it matters to you?

Im trying to promote STEM and engineering to marginalized communities, specifically women of color, and people from different socioeconomic backgrounds who might not normally consider engineering as a career path. Unfortunately, there are many stereotypes surrounding engineering that particularly put off people from minority backgrounds. Im trying to make them aware that STEM careersespecially a career as an engineercan be an option, so they can make a more informed decision about what they could do with their studies and careers. Ultimately, I want to open their eyes to the possibilities out there.

Because of my work on the Shard, which is such a presence on the London skyline, it has captured the imagination of people who werent ordinarily interested in engineering. And when people would see me and notice that I dont look like the typical engineeri.e., Im brown, young, and a womanthey started calling me a role model and asking me to speak to their students. And while I found this terrifying at first, I soon realized that I loved sharing my enthusiasm for engineering with young people. It all snowballed from there.

Who have you been speaking toand why? Why should science education matter to all of us?

Today, I speak to school children and university students. Ive also spoken to parents, caregivers, and teachers who play a big role in the choices students make in their subjects [of study] and careers. I appear at various science festivals, panels, and conferences, on YouTube, and on my podcast. Im attempting to use all kinds of media to create content that is engaging and accessible to everybody regardless of what they have or havent studied. Im still figuring out how I can make the greatest difference and impact.

To his end, I have also met with university faculties, science organizations, and governmental departments in the U.S. to talk about the importance of science education at the primary and university levels, and about the hiring and retention of women in STEM. And Ive been asking questions about the aims of science education, the skills that were trying to nurture, and what we can do in education and the workplace to make things betterto help create the infrastructure and the support system to ensure that women can and will thrive as they go through the education system, and then find themselves in the workplace.

I want science education to be seen as creative, engaging, exciting, and innovative. Scientists and engineers are the ones who are going to change the world. Who else is going to find renewable energy, help food shortages, or help with disease? We've seen this with the pandemicthe amount of work that went into creating vaccines, which has helped save so many lives. I would love to see science and engineering education reflect this, and evolve quickly enough to keep pace with change.
Like many, when Chas! Pangburn, author and senior editor at indie comic book publisher Mad Cave Studios, began witnessing the atrocities being committed in Ukraine, he felt compelled to take action. Relying on his extensive background in the comics world, as well as his professional network of artists and writers, Pangburn and his team at Mad Cave set out to create a comic book anthology that would address the tragedies of the Ukrainian invasion and celebrate the power of resilience and community. Lower Your Sights features work of close to 100 creators, and all of the proceeds are donated to the nonprofit organization Voices of Children, which supports the welfare of Ukrainian youth.

Tell me about the inspiration behind Lower Your Sights.

Anger, sadness, and frustration are very real and extremely valid emotions regarding the horrific events continuing to take place in Ukraine. For some, the constant bombardment of tragic details rattles deeply within your bones and urges you to do somethinganything, really. Thankfully, I come from a publisher whose entire staff felt that call. Being sequential storytellers, we planned to help with our weapons of choice: pencils and keyboards.

We quickly set out to create a comic book anthology highlighting industry greats, indie darlings, rising stars, and, most importantly, numerous Ukrainian creators. These powerful and poignant tales from various collaborators round out a 156-page anthology where all proceeds will be donated to Voices of Childrena charity that supports the psychological and psychosocial development of Ukrainian children affected by war.

When did you decide this was a project you needed to see come to fruition?

Everything happened quickly. Internal discussions surrounding the how, what, and when evolved over the course of a week. There wasn't any discussion of "if" the project was going to happenit was already a done dealbut more along the lines of "when."

Due to the current state of Ukraine, we wanted to have the book in shops as soon as possible. The quicker it sells, the faster we can donate!

However, comic creation can be a lengthy process. With that in mind, we created a deadline of May 31 for all completed stories. This gave our collaborators one month to finish their tales. It was a very tight deadline, but everyone knew its reasoning and rose to the challenge.

How did Mad Cave Studios end up teaming up with Voices of Children? What more can you share about the organization?

After locking in our goals for the anthology, our marketing director, Allison Pond, took a deep dive through numerous charity organizations that benefit Ukraine. Upon discovering Voices of Children and speaking with Lena Rozvadovska, CEO and cofounder, and Olena Ermolenko, communications expert, we quickly realized that we had found a perfect collaborator in their foundation.

Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support for children affected by war. Their targeted humanitarian aid also ensures basic necessities, shelter, relocation assistance, educational options, and various forms of rehabilitation. In these dark times, they act as a ray of light to ensure the proper development and support of children.

To learn more about Voices of Childrens mission and impact, I invite everyone to watch this video from Voices of Childrens cofounder, Lena Rozvadovska.

How did you find and connect with the contributors to the anthology? What was the experience like communicating with the artists and writers?

We wanted to cast the widest net possible. Naturally, we pulled out our internal rolodex of collaborators, and we also had an open call for submissions on our website and actively reached out to creators throughout the comic industry.

All Ukrainian comic creators and pinup illustrators were found through the power of social media. I spent countless hours digging through various hashtags to find powerful art that aligns with the book's message. Comic creators were paired together with other talent in the industry, but I wanted to make sure pinup illustrators had an individual spotlight. Each illustration is part of a two-page spread with art on one side and an informal write-up from the creator on the other. Thoughts and feelings pour from every pen stroke.

With close to 100 collaborators on the book, many emails, phone calls, and direct messages were sent between creators. Even with the short turnaround, it was smooth sailing for all. Everyone donating their time and talents knew this was for a greater cause, so they continually brought their A-game.

I sincerely hope that readers will check out the full anthology, but here are a few sample pages.

Please share a few of the highlights from Lower Your Sights.

We did our best to let creators go wherever their heads and hearts took them. Naturally, this brought forth varied tales about resiliency, hope, heartbreak, and history. While we encourage you to check out the full anthology, you'll find a few pages attached below. Please keep in mind the attached are just one-page previews from each story, not a complete tale!

What can you share about contributing illustrator Tanya Vovk?

Seven-year-old Tanya Vovk is Voices of Children's author of illustrations and director of inspiration. Her creativity and positive nature are a guiding light for not only those working at Voices but also for the world as a whole. In addition to featuring her work, we have a short interview with her in Lower Your Sights where she mentions, My ideas come because I see such a world: what the sea looks like, beautiful trees with swings and colorful flowers. I want to have fun drawing the world, so I paint everything brighter. I have such an interesting dream that buses and cars could fly. It would not be scary at all to see the world from such a height with birds. I am dreaming that the peace came and the children did not suffer.

What do you hope readers ultimately take away from reading Lower Your Sights?

The power of resiliency and community. Whether you live on the frontline or view things from afar, you can make a difference. Together, we can overcome anything.
Founded in 1993 and boasting correspondents in every city in Turkey, the agencys reach extends to more than 60 countries throughout their worldwide network. As part of an agreement between Alen Elektronik and IHA, IHA will continue its implementation of TVU One devices in all provinces in Turkey and all overseas offices. Because the news agency needs speed of acquisition, resilient technology, and the ability to transmit from some of the worlds most challenging regions, Alen Elektronik recommended the TVU One as the core of their remote broadcast system.The TVU One video transmitter has seen use in broadcast news and live production from the most remote areas of the world and in what are claimed to be the most unstable conditions imaginable. It simultaneously aggregates up to 12 data connections from extensive networks in over 180 countries  including cellular 3G/4G/5G LTE, Wi-Fi, ethernet, satellite, microwave and the BGAN satellite network automatically aggregating all available infrastructure to transmit stable, broadcast-quality video from any location.Additionally, TVUs patented Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) video/audio algorithm is designed to ensure reliable transmission regardless of the environment - congested, remote, mountainous or from a speeding vehicle.Were looking forward to a strong and strategic relationship between TVU and IHA that furthers the news agencys mission to provide high-quality, late-breaking coverage from anywhere in the world, said Emad Qawasmi, sales director, MENA, TVU Networks. Were confident theyll see significant improvement in the quality of their newsgathering efforts with the addition of our latest 5G-ready mobile transmission technology.
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Andy Serkis is set to direct and produce Madame!, an upcoming biopic period series about the life of Marie Tussaud, the 20th-century French artist famous for founding the iconic wax museum Madame Tussauds.

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Serkis will helm the series through his Imaginarium Productions, which has signed a deal to produce the show alongside French studio TF1 and its distributor Newen Connect.

The show will follow the life of the titular Tussaud as she works to open her first wax museum in London in 1835, showing off the trials of an "extraordinarily pioneering businesswoman [who] built her business from scratch," according to Serkis.

"This is no straight-up period drama, it is a hilariously crazy, no holds barred, anarchic, punk caper conjured from the curiously twisted mind of a fabulously post-truth executioner's daughter," Serkis said in a statement to Variety. "Marie knows one thing very clearly -- if you're going to tell your own life story, make it entertaining, even if you have to make it up, and whatever happens, cut out the boring bits."

Rodolphe Buet, CEO of Newen Connect, said the series "depicts a visionary heroine who shook up conventions in the 18th century and whose journey as a strong independent woman managing to build an empire resonates particularly nowadays."

Buet added that the distributor's partnership with Serkis and Imaginarium "anchors the strategy of Newen Connect to support producers in the development and research of financing for ambitious co-production projects."

For Serkis, the project will be the latest in a series of high-profile shows being helmed by Imaginarium.

The company's previous TV credits include Fungus the Bogeyman and Death and Nightingales for British studios. Imaginarium will also be releasing the upcoming series The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself for Netflix, and is attached to helm an upcoming adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm.

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The studio has also provided motion capture work for a number of blockbuster films, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Serkis has become world-famous for his portrayal of motion capture characters and has received several accolades for his performances, including a SAG Award, Empire Award and BAFTA.

His breakthrough role came when he portrayed the monster Gollum in The Lord of the Rings franchise.

He would garner further acclaim for portraying a pair of motion capture apes, King Kong in the 2005 film and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy.

Serkis is also an acclaimed director, having helmed the Jungle Book spinoff Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, as well as the 2021 Sony Pictures film Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Controversial director Lars von Trier has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, his representatives said Monday.

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A statement from von Trier's self-founded production company, Zentropa, confirmed the 66-year-old's diagnosis, but said that von Trier was "in good spirits and is being treated for his symptoms."

The native of Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, is currently producing the third season of his critically acclaimed thriller series The Kingdom.

Season 3 is set to premiere at the upcoming Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31, and while von Trier will be able to complete post-production, Zentropa said that he will be scaling back on the press tour.

"The illness means that Lars will only take part in interviews to a limited extent until the premiere later in the year," the production company said.

Subtitled as The Kingdom Exodus, Season 3 will finally conclude von Trier's series, which centers around mysterious happenings at a Copenhagen neurosurgical hospital. The first two seasons premiered in 1994 and 1997, respectively.

While the series has received critical acclaim in Denmark, von Trier has seen controversies surrounding his work, particularly on the international stage.

His films are known for often containing heavy violence and sexually explicit content, and have earned the director both widespread accolades as well as condemnation.

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Particular scrutiny has been placed around what von Trier unofficially calls his "Depression Trilogy."

The first film in the series, Antichrist, controversially saw its lead actress, Charlotte Gainsbourg, receive the Best Actress award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Despite the outrage, Gainsbourg said in an interview at the time that "I'd never read a script like that before... the material was so rich that it was very exciting."

"[Von Trier] was very respectful of all the actors and all the porn actors, too. It was all happening in good spirit," she said, adding that, despite the film's graphic sexual nature, she never intended to shoot any of those scenes herself.

The second and third films in the trilogy, Melancholia and Nymphomaniac, were not viewed as harshly, though they too generated controversy for their similarly explicit content.

Von Trier's onscreen projects are not the only time that the actor has generated anger.

Even with confirmation that his press run will be scaled back due to Parkinson's disease, this would likely be the case anyway -- von Trier has became notably camera shy following an incident at a 2011 press conference in which he jokingly "sympathized" with Adolf Hitler.

The comment would lead to von Trier being banned from the Cannes Film Festival for seven years, and went as far as launching a police investigation in France.

Season 3 of The Kingdom will be available to stream on the streaming platform MUBI in the U.S. following a Danish release.
Jeffrey Wright said Sunday's Westworld episode showed his character, Bernard, find freedom. This article contains spoilers for Westworld Season 4, Episode 7, "Metanoia."

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"I'm not entirely sure the journey that his freedom led him on is the one that he expected," Wright, 56, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "Nonetheless, he's at least attained a type of liberation that I've found gratifying."

Westworld is a modern adaptation of the Michael Crichton film about a theme park with robot cowboys and outlaws. In the HBO drama, the robot hosts became sentient and broke free of the abusive theme park at the end of Season 2.

Bernard was the designer of the hosts, who also discovered that he was a host, too,. In Season 4, Bernard awoke from three years in a simulation with a plan to free humanity from technology.

With the help of former Westworld security chief Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth) and a group of desert rebels, Bernard dug up the body of escaped host Maeve (Thandiwe Newton). Wright said he was not aware that Season 4 co-star Daniel Wu had once auditioned for the role of Bernard.

In "Metanoia," Bernard and Maeve destroyed the servers at the Hoover Dam. However, the Man in Black ( Ed Harris ) shot Bernard in the forehead during his escape.

"He's embracing his own agency in a way that he couldn't in seasons before," Wright said. "Finally, this season he's freed himself to some extent."

Wright said that a different story in the episode disturbed him more than his own character's death. Season 4 introduced Christina, a new character for Evan Rachel Wood to play.

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Wood played Dolores in Seasons 1 to 3, who sacrificed herself to prevent an artificial intelligence from gaining control of all humanity. In "Metanoia," Christina learned that she is an artificial intelligence created by Dolores.

"It just opened up my head in a really exciting way our show tends to do in terms of considering the state of things and our place in it," Wright said. "It just kind of freaked me out a little bit as I continued to consider the similarities between human and host."

Westworld explores how abusive humans can act toward hosts created for their amusement. It also questions whether hosts are any less human for being mechanical.

"She's in the world, and yet at the same time outside of it," Wright said. "[That] is one of the essential explorations of our show on the nature of this technology of artificial intelligence."

Wright said filming at the Hoover Dam impressed him, as well. Wright said he considered the dam a real-life feat of technology.

"It was this great American socialist investment that went on to be so supportive of so much life in this country," Wright said. "The engineering is just freakish and the foresight, it's just stunning."

Wright said "Metanoia" seems like the definitive ending for his character. However, Westworld shows there can always be a new copy of a host, and Wright would not rule out returning as a copy of Bernard.

Should he truly be finished with Westworld, Wright has no shortage of other work. He was part of the new Batman franchise as Lt. Gordon in The Batman.

There will be a Batman movie sequel, and an HBO Max series about The Penguin. Wright is not sure Gordon will be involved with the series.

"That remains to be seen," Wright said. "They're writing now and we shall see."

Wright did get to complete his role in the James Bond franchise with No Time to Die. He played James Bond's CIA friend Felix Leiter previously in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

Wright said that Felix had near misses with the films Skyfall and Spectre while they were in development.

"Barbara Broccoli will reach out and say, 'OK, just a heads up, looks like Felix is going to make an appearance in this one,'" Wright said. "And then she'll come back and say, 'Well, maybe things might change.'"

In his film and television career, Wright participated in franchises like Shaft and The Hunger Games, played real-life characters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Colin Powell, and lent his voice to Pixar movies and podcasts.

"It keeps me flexible," Wright said of his diverse filmography. "I'm pretty fortunate in that I can place myself in a broad range of rooms. I've always tried not to repeat myself from gig to gig, from role to role."

Westworld Season 4 continues to air Sunday nights at 9 p.m.EDT on HBO.
The Inspection will close the 2022 New York Film Festival in October.

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Film at Lincoln Center said in a press release Monday that The Inspection, a new drama written and directed by Elegance Bratton and starring Jeremy Pope and Gabrielle Union , will be the closing night film at the 60th annual festival.

The Inspection is based on Bratton's experiences as a gay man in Marine Corps basic training following a decade of living on the streets.

Pope plays Ellis French, a young man dealing with the intimidation of a sadistic sergeant (Bokeem Woodbine), his desire for a sympathetic superior (Raul Castillo), and his complicated feelings toward the mother who rejected him (Union).

The movie explores American masculinity and the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell era.

"I'm incredibly humbled that my debut feature film will close the New York Film Festival this year," Bratton said. "So many of my favorite filmmakers have made an impact as part of this illustrious program. I'm overwhelmed to be a part of it. And as a New Yorker, this is a dream come true."

"Festival galas are often occasions to celebrate filmmakers we know and love, but for this year's closing night, we wanted to introduce audiences to someone we think will be shaping the art form for years to come," NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim added. "With The Inspection, Elegance Bratton has made an autobiographical movie of rare power and confidence, a debut film for the ages."

The Inspection will screen Oct. 14 at Alice Tully Hall. The 2022 New York Film Festival runs Sept. 30-Oct. 16.
Erin is the editor in chief at The Red & Black, where she has covered music and arts, Greek life and local business. She is a senior journalism and English major, and also has bylines in Matador Network, Apartment Therapy and Down South House & Home.

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The Brattleboro Reformer and Fulflex rubber products supplier sponsored the 6th annual Backpack Giveaway at the Brattleboro Auto Mall on Tuesday. The event gave away around 200 backpacks filled with back-to-school supplies. Children also were able to get a free haircut by Shear Designs Hair 
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

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Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Without top ticket races like governor or president on the ballot to draw Connecticut voters to the polls, Democratic and Republican leaders expect turnout to be low - likely around 20 percent - for Tuesdays primary election when voters will cast ballots in races for U.S. Senate, Secretary of the State, state Treasurer, and the General Assembly.

The most watched race will be the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, with three candidates vying to face U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in November, which is seen as a referendum on the soul of the Connecticut Republican Party.

Former GOP state House leader Themis Klarides, of Madison, a moderate and the party endorsed candidate, is facing off against Leora Levy, of Greenwich, a Republican National Committee member who received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, and Peter Lumaj, of Fairfield, an immigration attorney who has waged a long-shot bid to win over the conservative base from Levy.

Ben Proto, chair of the state Republican Party, said historically, turnout in Connecticut primaries has ranged between 18 and 24 percent  and he expects turnout this year to fall within that range. He said Tuesdays forecast calls for temperatures to reach the mid-90s in some areas of the state, which could lead some elderly voters to stay home.

If the U.S. Senate contest were a two-way race, Proto said lower turnout would probably hurt the the less conservative candidate, but in a three-way race he said hes not sure low turnout benefits or hurts any candidate more than others.

Trumps endorsement of Levy is not expected to lead to a much larger numbers of Republicans showing up to vote, Proto said, but it could lead to more votes for Levy over Lumaj, he said.

If you look across the country, those folks are voting, he said. The question is are there some of them who mightve been voting for Peter who are now voting for Leora.

Overall, Democrats make up about 37 percent of Connecticuts roughly 2.16 million registered voters; Republicans comprise 21 percent; and unaffiliated voters make up the remaining 42 percent.

The timing of Connecticuts primary in early August, when many people are on vacation and without contested races at top-of-the-ticket, will likely lead to fewer voters showing up to the polls.

Im not sure the electorate is tuned in or paying attention, said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford.

The various Democratic and Republican candidates competing for two of the three open statewide constitutional seats - secretary of the state and treasurer - started airing TV ads in the final weeks before the election, which could help elevate turnout, Candelora said. But I dont anticipate it being much higher than 20 percent, he added.

Lower turnout can lead to more left-leaning Democrats and more right leaning Republicans will come out ahead

Nancy DiNardo, chair of the Connecticut Democratic Party, agreed. Without a big draw like a governors race or presidential contest, enthusiasm tends to be low even among the parties most loyal voters.

In 2018, more than 212,000 votes were cast in the Democratic primary between Gov. Ned Lamont and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, compared to the more than 143,000 ballots cast in the Republican primary, a five-way race in which Bob Stefanowsi emerged as the winner.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 18,000 registered voters had requested an absentee ballot to vote in the primary election, according to data from the Secretary of the States Office - with about 74 percent of the requests coming from Democrats and 26 percent coming from Republicans. Democrats usually vote by absentee in much higher numbers than Republicans.

In the 2018 primary, Democrats cast more than 13,000 absentee ballots and Republicans cast more than 6,800 ballots.

Mail-in voting surged in popularity during the pandemic, with many states expanding access to absentee voting. During Connecticuts 2020 primary, more than 650,000 absentee ballots were cast, making up about 57 percent of the total votes cast. More than 62 percent of Democrats who voted in the 2020 primary voted by absentee compared to 41 percent of Republican voters.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
The state recently renewed a contract for bridge inspection vehicles with a Virginia company that was embroiled in a seven-year criminal court battle with the federal government that ended last month with a $137,500 fine over alleged falsified inspection reports connected with the death of a Connecticut man.

The company now also plans to file a lawsuit against the state Department of Transportation for suspending the use of its equipment for 10 months following the fatal accident and another incident the day before in Connecticut, documents show.

William Shook, 43, of Middlefield, died on Aug. 26, 2015 after the vehicle he was using to inspect a bridge on Interstate-84 in West Hartford unexpectedly overturned, trapping him between a Jersey barrier and the truck, a federal investigation report stated.

Shook was an employee of the Virginia-based McClain & Company, which rents bridge inspection vehicles to several states, including Connecticut.

The day before Shooks death, two McClain & Company employees had to be rescued by the New London Fire Department after a piece of equipment loosed while they were suspended in the bucket of one of the bridge inspection trucks, according to an internal memo obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

In the days that followed, the Connecticut branch of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the death, records show. Federal authorities claimed in court documents released last month that McClain & Company paid a third party to provide OSHA with falsified inspection reports of its vehicles and used some of the fake documents to show that the truck involved in Shooks death had been properly inspected. However, records show the vehicle had not been inspected.

Despite the allegations and the years of federal criminal litigation that followed, the state Department of Administrative Services in May renewed the contract with McClain & Company even though the DOT once issued a moratorium on the use of its equipment and the Federal Highway Administration suspended the company for three months. The company is now operating under a compliance agreement with the FHA, records show.

In a letter to the states claims commissioner, an attorney representing McClain & Company contended the moratorium hurt the business and caused it to suffer significant damages.

As a result, the company was seeking the right to sue the DOT, the letter said.

A spokesperson for DAS declined to comment due to pending litigation. The state claims commissioner recently gave approval for the lawsuit, according to a spokesperson for Attorney General William Tongs office, which will represent the state agency in the litigation.

In 2016, OSHA fined McClain & Company $11,500 for two violations deemed serious and willful related to Shooks death, agency documents show. During the investigation, the FHA suspended McClain & Company from providing bridge inspection rental vehicles to any state that received federal transportation funding for three months, agency documents stated.

Daniel McClain, owner of the company, his employee Kenneth Mix, and Carol Casey Smith, president of the Virginia firm hired to inspect the vehicles, have pleaded guilty in federal court to misdemeanor charges connected with falsifying the inspection reports and were issued fines.

McClains attorney Scott Orenstein said in a March letter to the claims commissioner that an employee simply sent OSHA reports that were dated as of the date the paperwork was prepared as opposed to when the inspections were actually conducted. Orenstein also said the DOT had no authority to issue the moratorium.

Orenstein said the DOT moratorium on using McClain & Company by any state agency or contractor was in effect from Aug. 26, 2015 to June 24, 2016  two months after OSHA had concluded its investigation.

A plea agreement for Smith indicates he admitted that he hadnt conducted the inspections and didnt know whether the vehicles met federal safety requirements. Smith was paid $76,000 by McClain & Company for 123 inspection certificates from 2012 to 2015 for vehicles he never inspected, the plea agreement said.

Federal authorities announced last month that McClain & Company was required to pay a $137,500 fine to settle the criminal allegations of falsified documents filed against the business.

In a statement issued after the settlement was announced, McClain denied any wrongdoing and said he agreed to settle to prevent further cost of federal litigation, which has spanned nearly seven years. But he had not admitted guilt as part of the agreement.

We settled with the government because their investigation has been going on for years, they were bleeding us dry, McClain said in the statement.

McClain said the allegations described by the Connecticut U.S. Attorneys Office were not facts and that his own investigation concluded the accident was most likely caused by operator error.

McClain & Co. has and has always had a robust safety program and a fine safety record, McClain said. The company has been in business since 1998. Apart from this one tragic fatality, no employee or other user of McClain & Co. equipment has ever been seriously injured while using our equipment.

Following her husbands death, Danielle Shook sued Smith and the Virginia company that provided the falsified inspection reports and received a settlement in federal court, records show. The amount of the settlement is confidential, her attorney said. She was unable to be reached for comment, he said.

The DAS contract with McClain & Co. for $300,000 runs from May 2022 to May 2025.
NORWALK  U.S. Navy corpsman Will Angione was about to close the sailing school at Calf Pasture Beach last Sunday when he heard the commotion near the partially submerged sandbar that extends into Long Island Sound.

Angione, 27, was among four bystanders who swam Martha Rodas and her husband Mauricio Rodas-Garcia to shore after the couple waded too far out into the sandbar.

We heard people screaming and yelling in the water, and at first we thought it was people goofing around, but it was enough to trigger our attention, that we should look at that, he said. Me and my instructors went down there. We split up. I had them go after the husband and I went after the wife.

Rodas-Garcia went to help his wife, who fell into the water and had difficulty regaining her balance, when he was pulled under water, city officials said. Despite the efforts of the bystanders who tried to save Rodas-Garcia from the area that is not monitored by lifeguards, the 60-year-old Colombia native died.

Angione speaks a little Spanish and understood Martha Rodas was shouting for her husband as he swam her to shore.

At first, she was frantic, but drowning victims will do anything to stay above water. Then she calmed down and laid there for a while. It took me forever to swim in because of the current, Angione said. She was saying, my husband, my husband.

Angione, a supervisor at the Norwalk Sailing School, said the couple was separated by about 30 feet and in total between 20 and 30 feet offshore.

They were looking for the husband. I grabbed the wife pretty quickly, but she was almost under as well, Angione said. We noticed it within 40 seconds and started running down the beach. Bringing them back to shore was harder. The current was strong.

As Angione went to rescue Martha Rodas, his two sailing school instructors, siblings Nicolas and Jacqueline Suarez, tried to save her husband.

The Suarez siblings, who grew up in Norwalk before moving to Westport about four years ago, received their lifeguard certifications through a course at Staples High School, but had never conducted a rescue.

I had a head start and went out to the guy and Will said hed go to the woman. I sprinted out. I used to swim but its been a while. When I got out to where I generally thought he was, I was pretty exhausted, said Nick Suarez, 18, who will be a sophomore at Cornell University where he is studying applied economics and management.

I couldnt find him at first, but it was hard to see him because he was mostly submerged. Once I got over to the general direction, I saw his hat and it was only hit hat, he wasnt there with him.

A few moments later, Nick Suarez located Rodas-Garcia and swam to him. However, by that point, Rodas-Garcia had already become cyanotic.

I did what we were taught to do. I got my arms under his shoulders and his head out of the water. I got underneath him and had him on my chest with his head on my shoulder, Nick Suarez said. Once we got to shallow water, others helped out and administered CPR thankfully, but I couldnt. I was shot. Once I got out, before I found him, it was stressful because I knew how time sensitive it was and when I couldnt find him immediately, I was really worried if I wouldnt be able to find him in the next minute or so he would be fully submerged and wouldnt find him at all.

Jacqueline Suarez, 17, who will be a senior at Staples High School, was about 10 feet behind and directed her brother to Rodas-Garcias location in the water.

You were carrying him but then I got up to you and helped to look for a pulse, but we couldnt find one, she said to her brother. Then we tried to get him to the sandbar and shallow water, but that was what took the longest time.

Once the Suarez siblings had Rodas-Garcia, Norwalk resident Maya Santangelo swam out to help bring him back to shore.

Santangelo, who lives down the road from Calf Pasture, often goes to the sandbar area, engages in open-water swimming and had her swimming fins with her at the time.

The three of us were holding him up, his head out of the water, and swam to shore like that, taking turns holding parts of him up so, if he was able to, he could breathe, Santangelo said. As we were rushing him to shore, I started yelling, Does anybody know CPR? and the crowd on the beach pointed toward the entrance and there was a woman waiting for us there.

Jennifer Gonzalez wasnt supposed to be at the beach Sunday, but her son, who was paddleboarding with friends, forgot swim trunks. At home studying for her nursing license exam, Gonzalez took a break to drive down the road to deliver the swimsuit.

A registered nurse with nearly a decade of experience in caring for infants and babies, Gonzalez has performed CPR, but never on an adult.

I was quickly swinging by the beach to drop off the trunks and he waved me down and told me I was needed down at the beach. I went and saw there were people screaming for CPR. The people on the beach were pointing where to go. I had no idea where I was running to, I just ran, Gonzalez said. Thats when I got to shore and saw they were swimming in. I wasnt supposed to be there. I was frustrated with my son, but it was fate. Everything happens for a reason.

Gonzalez attended Rodas-Garcias wake last week and gathered Friday with the other rescuers with the exception of Angione, who was out of state, at the beach where the drowning occurred.

As they reconnected and reflected on the incident, they said they feel the city needs to take measures to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future. They suggested adding lifeguards to the area and installing signs in multiple languages warning of the sandbars deepness.

Some residents have also reached out about preventative measures, city spokesperson Michelle Woods Matthews said.

Interestingly, the city is in the process of developing a new unified signage plan as part of our Recreation and Park's master plan planning process. The master plan will address signage related to wayfinding, parking, safety and park rules, and it includes an evaluation of bilingual signage, Woods Matthews said. Our intention is to utilize our signage to ensure residents know where to go, know where to park and are clearly aware of beach and park rules. Resident's convenience, safety and well-being remain among our top concerns.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images

The cost of literally everything seems to be going up in 2022, and particularly with gas prices. If you're looking to take the sting off everywhere else in your weekly budget, Sams Club and Costco are still two of the top places to fill up your tank (and find other deals on homewares, groceries, and other essentials too, since you have the membership and all).

According to Consumer Reports, gas prices at warehouse clubs like Costco and Sams Club are typically always lower than filling up from a regular gas station pump  sometimes savings can be up to 25 cents per gallon, which adds up to pretty significant savings.
This screen grab from a video by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on August 4, 2022 made available on the Eurovision Social Newswire (ESN) platform via AFPTV shows a missile being fired during a Chinese military exercise in China on August 4, 2022.

At 10.00 p.m. local time on Aug. 2, 2022, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taipei, the highest-ranking U.S. politician to do so for 25 years. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) angrily announced via its Xinhua news agency that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would conduct military areas in six areas encircling Taiwan, between 12 noon on Aug. 4 to 12 noon on Aug. 7, including live-fire exercises.

The PLA's Eastern Theater Command then announced joint air and sea exercises in the Taiwan Strait and in the waters around the island, including the firing of long-range ammunition. The exercises are widely seen as a shock tactic and deterrent sparked by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, and China styles them as a warning to supporters of "Taiwan independence."

The six areas encircled Taiwan on all sides, bringing PLA forces closer to the island than previous exercises during the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait crisis, and even encroaching on Taiwan's territorial waters in some places.

On the morning of Aug. 3, Taiwan's ministry of defense held an online news conference, at which it strongly condemned the exercises as a de facto air and sea blockade, a serious violation of the island's territorial waters and as inimical to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and endangering international shipping lanes and regional security.

Their initial analysis was that the CCP was using this show of force to intimidate Taiwan, and as a form of psychological warfare against its people. So the ministry announced it would prepare for war without seeking or avoiding it, and vowed not to escalate the conflict. It said the island's military would step up vigilance and counter any aggression.

Currently, Taiwan's combat readiness training is continuing as it had been before, and there have been no recalls of officers or soldiers on leave.

The United States remains on high alert, and is expected to respond to China's large-scale military exercises and economic coercion against Taiwan.

John Kirby, the National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, said in a regular White House media briefing on Aug. 2 that Beijing has no reason to turn this visit, which is in line with long-term U.S. policy, into some kind of crisis, or use it as an excuse for increased aggression and military activity targeting Taiwan.

Sailors direct an EA-18G Growler attached to the Shadowhawks of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 on the flight deck of the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 2, 2022. Credit: U.S. Navy Missiles

Kirby said the U.S. side expects China to continue to respond for a longer period of time [than in 1996], but gave no further details, adding that the U.S. doesn't want a crisis and will seek to manage the situation and not fall into conflict with China.

In other words, the United States has achieved its goal [with Pelosi's visit], meaning that there is no need to irritate Beijing further, and that the situation, while tense, is generally under control.

The exercises began after Pelosi left Taiwan, so as to avoid direct confrontation with the U.S. military; a kind of deterrent after the fact to save Beijing from admitting defeat, and to prevent other countries from following suit. Without it, China's "one-China" principle [by which it claims Taiwan as its territory], could have faced unprecedented levels of challenge from the international community, opening the door for Taiwan to increase its presence on the world stage. It was a face-saving exercise by the CCP aimed at mollifying rising nationalism at home.

The current situation is different from the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait crisis, which lasted for during months, with seven waves of military exercises by the PLA, and amid plans to capture Taiwan's outer islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The current exercise encircles Taiwan on four sides ... and is more obviously aimed at the United States, particularly the conventional missile test launches in the waters east of Taiwan. This arrangement helps prevent the U.S. military from intervening in the Taiwan Strait.

The most eye-catching part of this exercise, and likely its biggest deterrent effect, lies in the test launch of conventional missiles. Some missiles were fired east of Taiwan, and passed through Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), before landing in Japanese economic exclusion zone. Will this trigger a chain reaction in security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan? This will be the focus of attention in the next few days.

All six of the PLA's military training zones fall within Taiwan's ADIZ, while the areas off Keelung and Kaohsiung overlap with Taiwan's territorial waters, meaning parts of them are less than 12 nautical miles (about 22 kilometers) off the Taiwanese coast, in a direct challenge to Taiwan's sovereignty and in line with what the United Nations terms "national aggression."

Research indicates the PLA's naval and air forces will conduct long-range live ammunition shooting outside the Taiwan defense zone and will not risk approaching Taiwan's territorial waters. The incursion into Taiwan's territorial waters seems intended as a psychological deterrent to Taiwan. It's not out of the question that small amounts of ordnance could find their way into Taiwan's territorial waters, and if they do, this could present new issues for Taiwan around how to respond.

With the exercises taking place in Taiwan's ADIZ, the median line of the Taiwan Strait disappears. The appearance of part of the exercise area in Taiwan's territorial waters compresses the depth of Taiwan's defense to its minimum range, posing fresh challenges to the island's military.

Taiwan Air Force Mirage fighter jets taxi on a runway at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. China says it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticizing threatening Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan. Credit: AP PLA thinking and capabilities

In terms of sea and air force, the PLA's H-6K bombers can mount Changjian-20 land-attack cruise missiles and Yingjing-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles. The role of unmanned aerial vehicles has also attracted attention as the traditional combat style of the PLA is seen to evolve.

During the three-day live-fire period, how were the PLA Navy and Air Force and the Rocket Force deployed? Did troops from other theaters take part in the exercises in batches? Were live rounds fired simultaneously in the six drill areas each day, or will they be divided into batches? All of these details can help to reveal the PLA's military thinking and joint combat capabilities.

During the Taiwan Strait Crisis from 1995 to 1996, the PLA launched seven waves of military exercises spanning eight months, delineating a combat procedure for attacking Taiwan that was based on missile attacks and early sea and air operations to seize air, sea, and electromagnetic supremacy. The three stages of the joint landing operation were aimed at developing a missile blockade, followed by air and sea supremacy, and finally by an amphibious landing operation. The aim was to try out the PLA's combat plan against Taiwan, so it could be revised, as well as to show that China has the capacity to win a local war in the era of high-tech military combat.

Back then, the PLA tested 10 DF-15 ballistic missiles outside China's territorial waters for the first time, generating a series of calculations regarding the targeting of DF-15s, as well as the "Second Artillery Force Conventional Missile Assault Campaign" guidelines on the use of conventional firepower and conventional combat command procedures.

I believe that the current PLA exercises have the same aim. It has been nearly seven years since CCP leader Xi Jinping first launched his military reform programs encompassing leadership and command structures, reorganization of existing forces, as well as the addition of a large number of updated weapons and equipment. The current exercises could be described as a test of that reform program.

The PLA has been keen to develop its joint operations capabilities in recent years, bringing out new joint operations guidelines in November 2020, the fifth iteration of the PLA combat regulations.

In February 2021, the Central Military Commission issued a document titled "Decision on Building a New Military Training System", focusing on training innovations and the standardization of training content. These are only the latest developments in a military reform program that has only just begun.

Now, the PLA will be looking to develop a new joint combat strategy during the live-fire period, a challenging task. This will be the best opportunity for the rest of the world to scrutinize and analyze its true combat capabilities in the wake of military reforms.

Inevitable confrontation

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the United States' focus on competition with China, the CCP is bound to be reassessing all aspects of a potential military invasion of Taiwan. However, in the current international climate, countering the strategic containment by the U.S.-led maritime alliance is more pressing a task than a military invasion of Taiwan. That's why these exercises are focused on deterrence and shaping favorable strategic positions, while at the same time preventing the situation from escalating. China isn't yet at the stage where it is ready to use military force against Taiwan.

Most of the CCP leadership, including Xi Jinping, believe that confrontation with Western hostile forces is inevitable due to irreconcilable differences in their ideology and social systems, and that neither side will succeed in changing the other. So China prepares.

In his speeches for a domestic audience, Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that China is at a critical stage where it needs to develop from being a simply large nation to being a strong one, adding that such transitions are often high-risk periods for national security.

He has also warned that other powers, mostly the United States, are increasingly striving to contain China, creating large numbers of uncertainties in potential flashpoints around China, meaning that the likelihood of conflict on China's doorstep has greatly increased.

Xi says China must be brave and not afraid to show its strength in the face of stronger powers, but should also pay attention to strategic needs, use both hard and soft tactics, and strive for unity, cooperation and mutually beneficial situations.

He has said that any method should be reasonable, beneficial and restrained, pay attention to the current state of the economy, manage and control risks, and strive for maximum benefits at the least cost.

So it may not be the case that the CCP will try to unify Taiwan by force at all costs, or that Xi Jinping is desperate to achieve this for his historical legacy. It would be better for China to temporarily let go of the idea of taking Taiwan by force, if such a move would delay or interrupt China's rise as an international power.

So the CCP could well retreat ... without the need for a full-scale showdown. While these exercises around Taiwan seem full of murderous intent, they are essentially a form of shock tactic, a psychological deterrent.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Elmer Yuen said state security police tried to use his Hong Kong-based relatives to get him to shelve the plan.

China's state security police threatened an overseas Hong Kong businessman who recently announced plans to set up a parliament-in-exile with repercussions for his family members who remain in the city, RFA has learned.

Hong Kong's national security police said last week they are investigating former pro-democracy lawmaker-elect Baggio Leung, overseas businessman Elmer Yuen and journalist Victor Ho for "subversion of state power" under a draconian national security law after they announced plans to set up the overseas parliament.

"They warned me in advance [not to go ahead with the plan], but I ignored them," Yuen told RFA in a recent interview, saying he had been contacted by state security police in Beijing, not the national security unit of Hong Kong's police force.

"They gave me a number of warnings, [including] saying I still have family members in Hong Kong," he said, adding that there "no point" in worrying about it.

Yuen's comments came as his daughter-in-law Eunice Yeung, a New People's Party member of the current Legislative Council (LegCo) whose members were all pre-approved by Beijing ahead of the last election, took out an advertisement in Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News, publicly severing ties with her father-in-law.

"I Eunice Yung, a Chinese person with the blood of our mighty motherland running in my veins ... hereby declare that I am cutting off Elmer Yuen as my father-in-law, following his investigation under the national security law for suspected incitement to subvert state power," the ad, signed by Yung and dated Aug. 5, said.

Yuen said he still plans to go ahead with the Hong Kong Parliament, which will offer a fully democratic vote to all Hongkongers, regardless of location.

"This definitely is a touchy subject for [the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)] right now because nobody who lives in Hong Kong or mainland China is legitimately represented in government," he said, drawing parallels with Yung's actions and the political divisions sown within families during the public denunciations, 'struggle sessions' and kangaroo courts of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

"Stuff like this never used to happen in Hong Kong, but now that the CCP has enacted the national security law, they have forced [Yung] to draw a clear line between her and me," he said.

"This used to happen in mainland China during the Cultural Revolution, when they would get family members of somebody they planned to denounce to cut them off," he said. "Personally, I don't think it's a big deal, but you have to understand that this is the CCP, something that we Hongkongers have never experienced before, so we think it's a big thing."

"First of all, [Yung] wants to keep her seat in LegCo ... she wants to protect her family; she has a husband and two kids," he said.

Former Beijing adviser Lew Mon-hung said Yung's move likely didn't go far enough.

"I think she should draw an ideological and political line, not just talk in terms of ... family ethics and relationships, which isn't very specific, and is cultural [rather than political]," Lew told RFA. "She is just trying to politically correct, but lacks political wisdom."

Lew said Yung should give media interviews illustrating the political reasons for her split with Yeung, or write an article backing up her position in terms of the national security law and Hong Kong's Basic Law.

Chinese political commentator Lin Feng said the comparisons being drawn with the Cultural Revolution are apt.

"During the Cultural Revolution ... those being cut off were generally intellectuals or officials who had just lost their social status, and reduced from being intellectuals or officials to the status of ordinary people," Lin told RFA. "But for Hong Kong people, what is really unbearable is the freezing and confiscation of their assets under the national security law."

"It's hard for them to cope with the slightest change in social status, which makes the middle class very vulnerable."

Forty-seven former opposition lawmakers and democracy activists are currently behind bars awaiting trial on the same "incitement to subversion" charge for their involvement in a 2020 democratic primary election aimed at maximizing the number of opposition seats in LegCo.

Soon after the primary, the government postponed the LegCo elections and rewrote the rules to force candidates to undergo vetting by a committee overseen by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and national security police, effectively barring any pro-democracy candidates from running.

"The Security Bureau appeals to the public to dissociate themselves from individuals contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law, and the illegal activities those individuals organized, so as to avoid bearing any unnecessary legal risks," a spokesman said in a statement.

Yuan, Ho and Leung are part of a group that announced the parliament-in-exile plan in Canada on July 27, along with plans to hold the first election under universal suffrage in late 2023.

Leung, who is also known by the English names Baggio and Sixtus, was expelled along with five other newly elected Legislative Council (LegCo) members after China's National People's Congress ruled their oaths of allegiance invalid in 2016.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Hacking and fake news peak around U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit in the face of Chinese opposition.

From left, a convenience store with hacked digital signage slandering U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the words There is only one China in this world on the website of National Taiwan University and signage at a railway station displaying a message calling Pelosi "an old witch."

Cyber attacks and a Chinese disinformation campaign targeting the democratic island of Taiwan throw the spotlight on Beijing's use of hybrid warfare in the wake of Pelosi's visit, a Taiwanese military official said on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Chen Yu-lin, deputy director of the Political and War Bureau of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense told journalists on Monday that the current wave of "cognitive operations" started before the military exercises were announced.

Chen said the hybrid warfare campaign sought to create an atmosphere suggesting China might be invading Taiwan, to attack the public image of the government, and to disrupt civilian and military morale.

"The CCP's military exercises began on Aug. 4, when the number of cognitive warfare-related posts targeting Taiwan skyrocketed to 73, peaking at 87 on Aug. 5," Chen. "[But] official media posted a total of 87 messages on Aug. 2, before the military exercises started."

"We immediately issued a press release to ... inform the public that these messages weren't true," Chen said, citing one message claiming the PLA had shot down a Taiwanese fighter jet accompanying Pelosi's plane.

"We immediately clarified that this was fake news," Chen said.

Hybrid warfare denotes a combination of conventional military action on the ground and hacks or disinformation campaigns designed to attack public morale and sow confusion.

Chen Hui-min, editor-in-chief of the Taiwan FactCheck Center, said his organization had detected a 30-40 increase in fake reports online since Pelosi's visit.

"The biggest difference [from the past] is that it seems to be spreading from English-language Twitter," Chen told RFA. "There is also a lot of fake information on China's [social media platform] Weibo, some of which has made its way onto social media platforms used in Taiwan, including LINE and Facebook."

"It used to be pretty rare to see such posts in the English Twittersphere," Chen said. "Accounts that once focused on the war in Ukraine suddenly started spreading fake news about Pelosi's visit to Taiwan."

National Taiwan University was hacked, with the words "there is only one China in this world" appearing on its official website.

Meanwhile, the National Palace Museum issued a statement denying online rumors that the government was preparing to send tens of thousands of rare artifacts overseas for safekeeping.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted on Sunday that the maps showed Shandong dumpling restaurants and Shanxi noodle restaurants in Taipei, saying the presence of the restaurants means that Taiwan has always been a part of China. "Palates don't cheat," Hua wrote, adding: "The long lost child will eventually return home." Outdated photos

According to Chen Hui-min, some of the images used by the disinformation posts used military images from two years earlier to suggest the PLA had fired rockets across the island.

"It's incorrect to say that the CCP's long-range rockets have flown across Taiwan. Even the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and official Chinese media have reported that they landed in the Taiwan Strait, stopping short of crossing Taiwan," Chen said.

"Another annotated photo said the Chinese army was assembling on the coast, using edited photos of North Korean military exercises that took place in 2017."

Another report cited China's state broadcaster CCTV as saying that China was expelling Taiwanese nationals before Aug. 8, also untrue.

Last week, several convenience store branches and government facilities across Taiwan saw their digital signage hacked with messages slandering visiting U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her recent visit to Taiwan, which sparked days of military exercises and missile launches near Taiwan by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

As Pelosi visited Taiwan and met with president Tsai Ing-wen on Aug. 3, messages started popping up on digital signage in 7-Eleven convenience stores across the country that read: "Warmonger Pelosi, get out of Taiwan!"

Digital signage at a railway station in the southern port city of Kaohsiung and at a government office in Nantou county also displayed a message calling Pelosi "an old witch."

Investigators said the attacks originated from an unknown IP address, the island's Central News Agency (CNA) reported at the time.

The hacks came after the official website of Tsai's Presidential Office was taken down for around 20 minutes by a cyberattack, after which full service was restored, CNA reported.

Mainland Chinese website Baidu joined in the cognitive warfare, releasing maps of Taiwan for the first time, which went viral after social media users noticed that many streets in Taiwan's cities are named for cities in mainland China.

Chinese officials and pro-CCP commentators have launched a global media offensive around Pelosi's Taiwan visit, claiming that the island, which has never been ruled by the CCP nor formed part of the 72-year-old People's Republic of China, is an "inseparable" part of Chinese territory.

CCP leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that Taiwan must be "unified" with China, and refused to rule out the use of military force to annex the island.

But Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, who was re-elected in a 2020 landslide after vowing to stand up to China on the issue, has said that Taiwan's 23 million population have no wish to give up their sovereignty, a view that is borne out by repeated opinion polls.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted on Sunday that the maps showed Shandong dumpling restaurants and Shanxi noodle restaurants in Taipei, saying the presence of the restaurants means that Taiwan has always been a part of China.

"Palates don't cheat," Hua wrote, adding: "The long lost child will eventually return home."

Hua Chunying

Twitter users responded with parodies of the tweet, citing the ubiquitous presence of American fast-food chains KFC and McDonalds in China, and claiming China as "part of Kentucky."

Taiwan cookery expert Clarissa Wei said many of the restaurants had already altered their dishes to suit the local palate, however, drawing parallels with the evolution of Chinese dishes in the United States to suit local tastes.

Feminist writer Shangguan Luan said China's CCP-supporting Little Pinks could be forgiven for their ignorance, given that they have been absorbing CCP propaganda all of their lives.

"But Hua Chunying, as spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, is at the heart of China's external image and the core of mainstream public opinion," she said. "It's shocking to see her to go along with such a nonsensical statement."

The wave of hacker attacks has also included attacks on TaiPower, the island's main energy company, in recent days, according to a report Taiwan's ETtoday cloud news service.

Shangguan Luan said there was usually scant content to be had in Chinese disinformation.

"There's no real content to these posts, just clickbait and emotional outbursts," she said. "No core systems were hacked, just some billboards ... this was a low-level and childish move; a form of bullying ... that had very little impact on the lives of Taiwan's people."

Tseng Yishuo, an assistant researcher at the Institute of Cyber Security and Decision-making at the National Defense Security Research Institute said Taiwan has been bombarded with Chinese disinformation in recent years, with most of it underlining Beijing's territorial claim on the island.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The PLA sent 14 warships and 66 aircraft to areas surrounding Taiwan on Sunday, Taipei says.

A Taiwan military vessel is seen from a Chinese naval vessel during the military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location, Aug. 5, 2022.

The Chinese military carried out anti-submarine and sea assault drills in waters around Taiwan on Monday, keeping up the pressure after major four-day drills an angry Beijing staged response to the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit last week, military sources said.

China also announced a series of new military drills in the South China Sea and in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, waters that lie between the Chinese mainland and the Korean peninsula.

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on its official WeChat account that the Commands forces continued to conduct practical joint exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan Island, focusing on organizing joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations on Aug. 8.

On Sunday, the last day of the scheduled military exercise announced on Aug. 3, the PLA sent 14 warships and 66 aircraft to areas surrounding Taiwan in attack simulation drills, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said, adding that 22 of the airplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

The ministry monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft in CAP (Combat Air Patrol), naval vessels, and land-based missile systems, it said in a statement.

Taiwan militarys Fourth Combat Zone will also hold two large-scale, live-fire artillery drills in Pingtung in southern Taiwan on Tuesday and Thursday this week to test its combat readiness.

The drills will include the artillery command, infantry troops and the coastguard, the military said.

Eastern Theatre Command of Chinas PLA conducts a long-range live-fire drill into the Taiwan Strait, from an undisclosed location, Aug. 4, 2022. Credit: PLA Eastern Theater Command Handout via REUTERS Numerous new exercises

On Saturday, China announced a new series of military drills including a month-long operation in Bohai Sea.

Chinas Maritime Safety Administration released navigation warnings saying live-fire exercises will be held from Aug. 6 to Aug. 15 in the southern part of the Yellow Sea between China and South Korea, and gunnery drills from Aug. 8 to Aug. 9 and Aug. 9 to Aug.11 in the South China Sea.

A navigation warning is a public advisory notice to mariners about changes to navigational aids and current marine activities or hazards including fishing zones and military exercises.

A separate military exercise was conducted in the northern part of the Bohai Sea on Friday and Saturday.

Local Taiwanese media reported that a month-long military operation will take place in Bohai Sea starting Aug. 8 until Sept. 8.

I think the military exercises aren't really going to stop, said Mark Harrison, a senior lecturer in Chinese studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia.

Beijing has used Pelosi's visit as a pretext to create a "new normal" in the Taiwan Strait, Harrison added.

Nancy Pelosi became the most senior U.S. official to visit Taiwan in the last 25 years last week and Beijing repeatedly warned against the visit, threatening strongest countermeasures.

Chinese media quoted several analysts as saying that military drills near Taiwan will become routine if external interference continues.

The military exercises around Taiwan, although having been quite restrained, are meant to show that Beijing is by no means a paper tiger, said Sonny Lo, a veteran political commentator in Hong Kong.

Most importantly, Chinese military exercises near Taiwan are becoming a normal phenomenon, raising the specter of a possible military conflict or accident between the two sides, Lo said.

On Saturday and Sunday, Chinese forces staged what could be seen as simulated attacks on Taiwan.

The focus on Sunday was set on testing the capabilities of using joint fire to strike land targets and striking long-range air targets, reported the PLA Daily.

Supported by naval and air combat systems, the air strike forces, together with long-range multiple launch rocket systems and conventional missile troops, conducted drills of joint precision strikes on targets, the paper reported.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei, Aug. 3, 2022. Credit: Taiwan Presidential Office Handout via REUTERS Whats next?

This largest ever PLA air-missile-maritime exercise ever conducted has provided some insights into Chinas potential courses of action and preferences in a China-Taiwan conflict, said Carl Schuster, a retired U.S. Navy captain turned military analyst.

It suggests Beijing would first isolate Taiwan and resort to air and missile strikes in hopes of breaking Taipeis political will. A costly invasion probably is a last resort, said Schuster, who also served as a director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.

"The exercise demonstrated that blockade in a conflict need not require a constant naval presence offshore, but rather, shipping and air traffic can be deterred by air and missile threats in support of a maritime blockade, the analyst said, adding that it also reflected the PLAs improving capacity for joint operations.

During the four days of Chinese military drills, Taiwan saw up to a thousand international flights being affected and the Taiwanese aviation administration had to discuss alternative routes with Japan and the Philippines.

A full military blockade would paralyze Taiwans economy and seriously diminish the societys confidence, said commentator Sonny Lo in Hong Kong.

However China usually focuses on the core enemies such as the leaders of Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party, rather than the whole Taiwanese population, Lo said, predicting that the cross-strait relations will stay tense until at least the next Taiwan presidential election in early 2024.

Taiwan needs to quickly strengthen its international relations and its military capacity, said Mark Harrison from the University of Tasmania, who argued that Beijing will wipe out a vibrant democracy if it seizes control of Taiwan.

The Taiwanese government needs to focus on expanding defense resources and to enact smart and effective defense strategies, according to Drew Thompson, a former U.S. defense official and senior visiting fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Smaller countries that have great disadvantages have had tremendous success in the last few decades against much larger, more capable militaries because they adopted asymmetric strategies, Thompson said.

So if Taiwan adopts an asymmetric strategy, they will do quite well, comparatively.
Victims of the attacks include an 80-year-old woman found burned to death after failing to escape.

Motorcycles and a truck burned by Myanmar junta troops in Sagaing's Depayin township are shown in an Aug. 6, 2022 photo.

Junta forces stepped up their attacks in Myanmars hard-hit Sagaing region in the first week of August, torching nearly 500 homes in 10 villages and causing at least 5,000 people to flee, local sources said.

The attacks in Sagaings Tabayin and Ayadaw townships included air raids and ground assaults and appeared especially to target large and well-built homes, but houses were burned in every village through which troops passed, one source said.

Around 180 out of nearly 200 homes were destroyed on Aug. 4 in Tabayins Kaing Kan village alone, one resident told RFA on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Troops entered the village at 9:00 a.m., burning down the bigger and nicer houses as they came in. But houses have been burned down in every village that they entered, RFAs source said.

They think that anti-junta resistance will stop when the people are repressed and have to struggle for their living instead of engaging in opposition activities. I believe that this repression will fail, though, he added.

Locals said that four bodies, including the body of a woman, were discovered near a drain outside Kaing Kan village following the attack but had not yet been identified.

In Ayadaw townships Min Ywa Gyi village, heavy shelling by junta forces preceded the burning of homes during weekend attacks, one village resident said on Monday, also declining to be named because of safety concerns.

The [ruling] Military Council set fire to the houses. This is their usual tactic, he said. The troops came by helicopter, shelled the village with heavy artillery and then burned the houses.

As far as I could see yesterday, no fewer than 200 houses had been burned down, he added.

Myanmar military forces are at war with Peoples Defense Force (PDF) units created to oppose junta rule, but instead they are destroying civilians lives and homes, which isnt fair, he said.

Bags and books are shown left behind by schoolchildren fleeing a helicopter attack by junta troops in Sagaing's Myinmu township, Aug. 1, 2022. Photo: Myinmu Civil Revolution Force

Woman burned to death

Local sources said that Daw Shin, an 80-year-old woman, was found burned to death in Min Yaw Gyi after failing to escape the military raid and that local defense groups were busy Sunday clearing landmines left behind by junta troops, with those displaced by the fighting seeking shelter in a nearby monastery and with charity associations.

Calls seeking comment from a Military Council spokesman rang unanswered Monday. But a member of Tapayin townships Peoples Defense Force told RFA that the more junta forces repress the local people, the more the people will fight against junta rule.

We are not scared by these brutalities, he said. If there were 100 people resisting before, 300 people will come out now, and the more violent the junta troops become, the more the people will rise up against them.

Also speaking to RFA, Nay Zin Lata regional MP from Kanbalu township for the National League for Democracy, which was overthrown in a Feb. 1, 2021 military coupsaid that military leaders are trying to rule Myanmars people through fear.

They are limited in their ability to attack the PDF forces on the ground, so when they find they cant do it, they just torture the local civilians, who have nothing to do with the PDFs.

By doing this, they are trying to cut local contacts with the PDFs and spread fear among the people so that they will end their support for the fighters. This is the cruelest treatment imaginable, he said.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A Uyghur scholar who studied in Turkey and worked for an international company in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was arrested by authorities from his hometown Urumqi, a local police officer and Uyghurs with knowledge of the situation said.

Subi Tursun, now 29, went to Turkey in 2010 to attend college and stayed there for work after completing his studies, a Uyghur from Urumqi who now lives in exile in Turkey and is friends with the mans father told RFA.

In autumn 2021, Tursun, who had not become a Turkish citizen, was transferred to the companys branch in Guangzhou, said the source, who declined to be identified for safety reasons.

The source said he received news that Tursun had been abducted by police in Urumqi on July 1 as one of the suspects who fell out of the net.

My close friends son was arrested on July 1 this year, he told RFA, adding that Tursun was one of three young Uyghur men who has been arrested by the Chinese in recent weeks.

Subi Tursun did not become a Turkish citizen. He used to live with a resident permit in Turkey, the source said.

The police officer, who did not provide his name, did not give a clear account of whether police from the Ghalibiyet (in Chinese, Shengli) Police Station arrested Tursun in Guangzhou or when he had arrived in Urumqi (Wulumuqi) to visit his family. He also did not give the reason for his arrest.

I cant give you these details on the phone, you know, the police officer told RFA. If you want to know more details about this case, you should try to come to the police station and do it through the right channels.

Chinese authorities have targeted and arrested Uyghur scholars, intellectuals, businessmen, and cultural and religious figures in Xinjiang for years as part of a campaign to monitor, control and assimilate members of the predominantly Muslim minority group.

Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in Xinjiang have been subjected to severe human rights abuses, torture and forced labor, as well as the eradication of their linguistic, cultural and religious traditions in what the United States and several Western parliaments have called genocide and crimes against humanity.

As many as 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities are believed to have been held in a network of detention camps in Xinjiang since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has mistreated Muslims living in Xinjiang.

Uyghurs who live in exile have reported to RFA on relatives and former neighbors in Xinjiang who continue to be taken away by police in nighttime raids.

Norway-based Uyghur Hjelp, a rights organization that tracks arrested Uyghurs in Xinjiang, also recounted the same basic details of Tursuns arrest.

Abduweli Ayup, the organizations founder, said Tursun went to Turkey in 2010 to attend college and graduated in 2016 from a university in the capital Istanbul. He then went to work for an international company there.

Turkey is one of 26 countries that Chinese authorities monitor to determine if any Uyghurs have traveled there, according to Chinese sources.

In the past, RFA reported that not only Uyghurs of Chinese citizenship who returned from Turkey but also Uyghurs with Turkish citizenship have been arrested and sentenced to prison in Xinjiang.

Tursun was transferred to Guangzhou in autumn 2021 and later ended up in the Pulmonary Hospital in Urumqi, where police arrested him, Abduweli Ayup said.

Almost a year later, this July, he was arrested at his residence in Urumqi by the Chinese police, he said, adding that it is not clear whether Tursun went to Urumqi on his own or if he was given a security guarantee by his company to go there.

Sources in Xinjiang informed Abduweli Ayup that officers from the Ghalibiyet Police Station in Urumqi had arrested Tursun.

Subi Tursun was a college roommate of Zulyar Yasin, a student at the Fujian Forestry University, when they both were in Turkey, he said.

Chinese authorities may have arrested Tursun because of his connection to Yasin, who was arrested earlier this year by police, he said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan and Switzerland have agreed on the return by Swiss authorities of $131 million in assets seized during criminal proceedings against Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of longtime Uzbek President Islam Karimov.

The Uzbek Justice Ministry said on August 16 that Minister Ruslanbek Davletov and Swiss President Ignazio Cassis signed an agreement in Bern to place the confiscated assets for a UN fund for sustainable development in Central Asia's most populous nation of 35 million.

The breakthrough is one of a handful of efforts by Tashkent to agree on the return of some $1 billion in illicit funds, in some cases slowed by foreign authorities' desire to ensure transparency in the funds' return to public coffers.

"The fund will allow the returned assets to be used for the benefit of the population of Uzbekistan," Cassis said at the signing ceremony.

Switzerland froze around 800 million Swiss francs ($842 million) in 2012 in connection with criminal proceedings against Karimova, a pop diva and businesswoman who had a public falling-out with her late father and is currently in an Uzbek prison on embezzlement and criminal conspiracy charges.

The Uzbek Justice Ministry said in February that it was working with authorities in Switzerland, the United States, France, Russia, and several other nations on the return of Karimova's assets that it said were "earned through criminal activities."

The ministry said at the time that Uzbek and Swiss authorities had agreed to create a multiparty trust fund with the United Nations to work on the return of assets that were confiscated under a court decision as part of the probe against Karimova.

It said that assets worth about $131 million and confiscated in 2019 were ready to be transferred to Uzbekistan.

In 2020, the Swiss government said a nonbinding framework agreement signed between Switzerland and Uzbekistan meant any returned assets "shall be used for the benefit of the people of Uzbekistan."

Tashkent has sought over $1 billion from foreign jurisdictions since announcing Karimova's imprisonment in 2017.

Once seen as a possible successor to her father, Karimova was placed under house arrest in Tashkent in 2014 while he was still alive and running the country. Karimov died in 2016 and Shavkat Mirziyoev succeeded him soon afterward.

Criminal investigators in Switzerland, the United States, Sweden, and the Netherlands have linked Karimova to a massive, years-long bribery scheme that revolved mainly around foreign telecommunications companies gaining access to the Uzbek market.

In December 2017, Karimova was sentenced to a 10-year prison term but the sentence was later commuted to house arrest for five years. She was detained in March 2019 for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest.

In February 2020, Karimova sent a letter to Mirziyoev offering to return $686 million to the country's treasury in exchange for the dismissal of the court case against her at home.

But a month later she received an additional 13-year sentence after being found guilty of extortion, money laundering, and other crimes.
An Armenian pro-government lawmaker has denied any major differences between Yerevan and Moscow over the role of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh following deadly clashes in the disputed region last week.

Vigen Khachatrian, a member of the ruling Civil Contract faction led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, said on August 8 that there was no "tension" or "differences" with the Russian peacekeeping operation that has overseen a Moscow-brokered cease-fire between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces since November 2020.

The deadly clashes broke out between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in early August along the Lachin corridor, an area that links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh and which is under the control of Russian peacekeepers as part the trilateral cease-fire deal that ended a six-month war in 2020 between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

Following the renewed fighting last week that reportedly left two Armenian and one Azerbaijani soldier dead, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of violating the cease-fire, and Pashinian on August 4 called for "adjusting" the Russian peacekeeping operation.

Azerbaijan has denied any cease-fire violations in or around Karabakh and accused Armenia of violating the agreement. The situation in the Lachin corridor and the "line of contact" monitored by Russian peacekeepers had been relatively calm since March.

Pashinian in particular suggested that the Russian contingent could be given a "broader international mandate."

"If we see that solutions are not possible in a trilateral [Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani] format, we will have to think about activating additional international mechanisms," Pashinian said on August 4.

The following day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow had not received any concrete proposals for any changes to the peacekeeping mandate from Pashinian and said that Russian peacekeepers were "making every effort to stabilize the situation on the ground."

However, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahan Hunanian said later on August 5 that in February 2021 the Armenian side submitted written concerns about the activities of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to Russia's top leadership, with the aim of improving efficiency and avoiding conflict in the future.

Armenias Foreign Ministry has not yet disclosed details of the 2021 document it says was submitted to Russia.

The exchange between the Armenian and Russian officials gave rise to speculation about a growing rift between Yerevan and Moscow.

Civil Contract lawmaker Khachatrian, however, said on August 8 it was more a lack of understanding.

"I don't think that the Foreign Ministry should publish the contents of every document. What was said is as much as could be said," he said.

Later on August 8, the Kremlin said in a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pashinian had discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh by telephone.

Gegham Manukian, a member of the opposition Hayastan parliamentary faction who last year joined calls for Pashinian to step down following Armenia's defeat in the 2020 war, said it was unclear how the Armenian side envisions ways of raising the effectiveness of the Russian peacekeeping operation.

However, he did outline how his faction sees the situation.

"We should first discuss the issue of raising the number of Russian peacekeepers [deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh]," he said. "Secondly, we should reconsider the way the Russian force is deployed."

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for years.

Armenian-backed separatists seized the mainly Armenian-populated region from Azerbaijan during a war in the early 1990s that killed some 30,000 people. Diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict between the two former Soviet republics brought little progress.

A multinational peacekeeping operation was discussed as part of the peace process before the renewed outbreak of war in 2020. But after Russia brokered the cease-fire, fellow OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs the United States and France welcomed Moscow's peacekeeping operation.

With reporting by Naira Nalbandian of RFE/RL's Armenian Service
"Yesterday, obviously, there was a bit of a bloody war," a security officer in the Belarusian city of Brest said in a leaked phone conversation with another official shortly after the country's disputed 2020 presidential election set off unprecedented mass protests -- and a crackdown whose brutality was equally unprecedented for Belarus, despite decades of harsh rule. "Brest is f***ed. Five hundred detainees. They flayed them all there like cats."

For weeks after the August 9 vote, Belarus teetered on the brink of revolution as a mass, national democratic opposition movement that rose up to challenge strongman leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka refused to accept the official result of an election millions believe was stolen.

Based on leaked communications among security and political officials, as well as interviews with former security officers, Lukashenka insiders, opposition activists, and protesters, RFE/RL's Belarus Service has produced Lukashenka's Lackeys, a six-part report on the tumultuous events of the summer of 2020.

In gritty, behind-the-scenes detail, the podcast series shows that although the security forces were initially caught flat-footed and underestimated the nature of the mass opposition, they were ultimately able to cope with the threat -- by bringing brute force to bear against an opponent that lacked the experience and tools to go toe-to-toe against a man who was prepared to hold onto power at any cost.

"We were afraid of blood," said Nobel Literature Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich, who was a member of the opposition Coordinating Council during the uprising. "They were not afraid of blood."

Andrey Astapovich, a former officer with the state Investigative Committee who resigned during the 2020 events, told RFE/RL how he was affected by the photographs he saw from those days.

"I have been an investigator my whole life and I have seen injured people," Astapovich said. "But when I saw these photos, we weren't looking at bruises. They had been beaten with truncheons to the head. I have experience. I have been to autopsies. I can tell when a person has been beaten by the serious bodily injuries. I know how easy it is to crack open a skull."

'It Seemed Like We'd Already Won'

In the weeks before the vote, it was already evident that this election would be unlike any of the other highly manipulated ballots in Belarus's post-Soviet history. As independent candidates began collecting signatures to qualify for the race, it became clear that a wave of discontent was sweeping the country.

Anatol Kotau, who served as an adviser in Lukashenka's administration at the time, sensed the difference.

"Some people within the system felt that something had gone wrong in the spring," Kotau said. "It all started with COVID. The disease entered every home through the television screens, and Lukashenka was saying it wasn't serious, that it is fake news, and that anyone who dies has only themselves to blame. COVID was a test the system failed."

WATCH: Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka made disparaging comments about victims of the coronavirus, dismissing his country's caseload as "miniscule" and insisting it is "no catastrophe." Yet throughout April 2020, the number of officially confirmed cases roughly doubled every three days.

The authorities' response was to tighten control of the process. On May 7, prominent blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski announced he would run for president -- and was arrested before the month was out. His campaign was taken over by his wife, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, then a 34-year-old teacher and interpreter with no political experience who within weeks would become the global face of democracy in Belarus.

"All those hundreds of thousands of eyes that I saw at the rallies -- it was incredible," Tsikhanouskaya recalled by telephone from forced exile in Lithuania. "It was scary. I had never been on a stage before. It was a kind of euphoria, until August 9. It seemed to us then that we had already won."

LISTEN: An excerpt from Episode 1 of Lukashenka's Lackeys:

Another leading independent would-be candidate, banker Viktar Babaryka, was arrested on June 19. On July 24, independent would-be candidate Valer Tsapkala, who was regarded as a significant challenger to Lukashenka, fled the country after being tipped off that his arrest was imminent and that the government planned to take his children away from him.

Around this time, Lukashenka's government made the fateful decision to let Tsikhanouskaya's registration as a candidate go through.

Former administration insider Kotau says that choice was made "for laughs."

"Babaryka and Tsapkala were not registered, so they had to find someone to beat to get a very easy win," Kotau said. "Lukashenka believed that it would be an easy victory, a very easy victory."

However, the opposition countered with an unexpected move that proved equally fateful -- all the main opposition campaigns united behind Tsikhanouskaya's bid.

"If not for the unification of the three campaigns, if they hadn't united and eventually become a symbol of protest and a magnet for the protest vote, nothing would have happened," Kotau said. "She had no political experience."

'A High-Level Meeting'

At the same time, Lukashenka shored up his real base of support -- the police and the security apparatus.

Alyaksandr Azarau is the director of BYPOL, a public organization of former police officers who quit during the protests. He said Lukashenka spent much of the preelection period visiting riot-police units and special-operations forces in places like Brest, Vitsebsk, and Maryina Horka.

"He promised them support, apartments, raises," Azarau said. "They saw him in person, how he acted like a strong leader, which is what such people like."

According to the leaked phone conversations -- thousands of hours of recordings by the Interior Ministry that were hacked and released by the hacking group Cyber-Partisans and have been deemed authentic for RFE/RL by independent experts -- a meeting held shortly before the election untied the hands of the security forces.

"There was a high-level meeting," the deputy head of the Minsk police, Ihar Padvoyski, said during a call with another top security official. "I assume that one of the directives issued will give us confidence in the tactics of action -- so that we won't be physically afraid to work."

'Something Had Begun'

Election day on August 9, 2020, began routinely enough, although there were large crowds -- a sign of intense interest in the vote and its outcome, unusual after years of apathy over tightly controlled ballots whose results were a foregone conclusion. The 50 percent turnout threshold was passed before noon.

"I never saw anything like this," one Minsk voter told RFE/RL at the time. "I hope that people came out like this not only here but across the country. People who never voted before. What was the point of voting before? But now I see there is hope."

But the fraud machine was already grinding away. Uladzislau Batsyan, a cadet who served as a polling-station guard, told RFE/RL he saw officials stuffing ballot boxes at Precinct No. 60.

"I consulted with some guys from my academy, and they said they had also seen such cases," Batsyan recalled. "They also wanted to report them, but they were called in and told it was none of their business."

Military and riot-police vehicles appeared on the streets of Minsk and other cities. Security forces blocked people from reaching the center of the capital. Nonetheless, by evening, hundreds of thousands of people had gathered around polling stations in Minsk demanding that the results be posted.

"Protests began when polling-station results with falsified data began to be posted," said Azarau. "We began calling colleagues in other departments, and they all told me everything was being falsified everywhere. Election commission officials were openly admitting this. No one was counting at all -- they just wrote down the numbers that the head of the commission told them."

At 8 p.m., Central Election Commission chief Lidia Yermoshina declared Lukashenka the provisional winner with 83 percent of the vote -- a result that looked like a big, bald-faced lie to the hundreds of thousands of people who had turned out for Tsikhanouskaya's campaign rallies.

Police immediately began attacking the crowds. Internet and cell-phone connections were cut.

"Military equipment was moving," Alexievich said, recalling observing the events from a high window. "A lot of it. It wasn't water cannons. It was military equipment, armored personnel carriers with machine guns. There was the feeling that something had begun."

Police, military personnel, special-forces troops, and prison guards were all mobilized, deploying flash grenades, water cannons, rubber bullets, and more. Thousands of people were detained, often brutally.

LISTEN: An excerpt from Episode 3 of Lukashenka's Lackeys:

"The guys from the police and the military who were activated behaved very well," Lukashenka said the next day. "Real patriots."

That morning, the Central Election Commission announced the complete preliminary election results: 80.23 percent for Lukashenka and just under 10 percent for Tsikhanouskaya.

Tsikhanouskaya, however, declared herself the winner and called on the government to ensure "the peaceful transfer of power."

'We Couldn't Help Everyone'

Lukashenka kept a low profile for the first few days after the election.

"I think on the first day he didn't feel anything," Kotau said. "When people gathered at the column [on Independence Square in Minsk] on the first day, they were dispersed and there was a sense that everything would proceed as usual. The demonstration was a little bigger than usual, but that didn't matter. On Monday, everyone will go back to work.

"And they did go back to work," he added. "But after work, they went out to protest again. People were indignant and felt deceived."

A key moment came on August 10, when police shot and killed 34-year-old protester Alyaksandr Taraykouski. Police claimed that he had been killed by an improvised explosive he was carrying as he approached police lines. But video soon appeared on social media showing him being shot by police at close range as he stood with his hands over his head.

WATCH: Graphic footage of the death of Belarusian protester Alyaksandr Taraykouski contradicted claims by officials that he was killed by an improvised explosive device he was trying to throw at riot police. Warning: Disturbing images.

"I was struck by two things," Alexievich remembered. "The sincerity of the violence and the way the leaders of the security forces spoke about the murdered Taraykouski. He was walking and looking at them brazenly. And he had to be shot for that, for walking toward 'our guys' and looking them in the eyes, not believing they would shoot."

Former investigator Astapovich recalled that police officers seemed to be enjoying the violence.

"They would watch videos and laugh at who gets hit with the truncheon," he said. "They would make up funny names, like the wailing wall,' a place in the basement where beaten prisoners would wash themselves that was always covered in blood. They wore their berets and walked with their chests puffed out, and so on."

The week after the election was a perilous time for supporters of Lukashenka's government, as the violence continued, and public outrage grew.

"A lot of people thought Lukashenka could not hold on," Astapovich said. "In the organized-crime department, Vyachaslau Orlouski, the propagandist who was calling the protesters rats' who needed to be cornered and exterminatedhad already packed his suitcase and was ready to run off to Russia. A lot of people were thinking Lukashenka couldn't hold on and it was time to run. They were sitting on their suitcases. If the protests had lasted a little longer, everything would have been different."

Former police officer Azarau said police were also showing the strain.

"There were not so many of them that it was possible to alternate them and let them rest," he said. "They work until the morning. Then sleep until noon and go back to work after having some lunch.

"It was also mentally exhausting," Azarau added. "They were afraid to walk in public in their uniforms. They would carry their uniforms to work and change there. The people considered them criminals. Their friends and relatives did not want to communicate with them."

Reports began emerging of detainee abuse and torture, particularly at the notorious Akrestsina remand prison in Minsk.

"I want to ask forgiveness from everyone who was there," said one doctor who treated victims from Akrestsina, breaking down in tears. "We couldn't help everyone. There were bruised and swollen eyes that couldn't even be pried open. There was a man whose vertebra had simply been crushed. There were people with huge bruises on their backs. Abdominal injuries that hid a mess inside."

It remains unclear who ultimately gave the order for the brutal crackdown.

"There are various versions," Azarau said. "Some say [Russian President Vladimir] Putin gave the order to behave like that. It is not clear. I think that Lukashenka realized he had lost the support of the population. Earlier, it was unclear -- maybe 50-50. The older generation -- my own mother -- voted for him. For these elections, we know for sure that [Russian military intelligence] prepared a report that showed only 17 percent support for Lukashenka. So it was necessary to use violence to force the population into a corner, so that even if they don't support him, they will be afraid and not resist.

"Soldiers were given contracts saying they would not be prosecuted for shooting people," he added. "The order to use their weapons was given."

On August 11, Tsikhanouskaya was forced to leave the country.

"The government decided to use the old methods when certain people were expelled from the country and everything quieted down," she said in the recent phone interview. "They didn't understand that this time it was not about one candidate, one leader, but about all Belarusians. My departure didn't change anything: People weren't going out because someone told them to, but because they wanted to."

'They Left. There Were No Tents'

The most violent phase of the crisis lasted three days. After that, both sides adopted different tactics. On August 12, a couple hundred women appeared in a Minsk market dressed all in white, demanding an accurate count of the votes. People in passing cars honked in support.

Similar demonstrations popped up in other cities. The police stood back.

"Almost at the same time, peaceful protests of women began in various cities," one participant told RFE/RL. "They all came out in white, with placards, with goodness, with peace. The security forces work according to their methodology, and they can react to any force except love. The power of love paralyzes them."

The same day, a few hundred medical workers demonstrated in Minsk, calling for an end to the violence.

"This is not a protest," one doctor said at the time. "It's a demonstration for peace so that doctors can help the wounded."

A march of workers from the Minsk Tractor Factory also proceeded without police intervention.

The authorities, too, changed their tactics after August 12, apparently realizing that the violence was only provoking additional resistance.

"After the 12th, when they stopped beating and crushing everyone, when they stopped using force, they switched to another tactic," said Minsk police Colonel Alyaksandr Sazonau in a conversation with subordinates that was among the leaked Interior Ministry recordings.

On August 16, Lukashenka held a heavily stage-managed pro-government rally on Minsk's Independence Square. Supporters were bused in from around the country, and the president gave a defiant speech.

"It was an attempt to organize their own anti-Maidan," said former presidential administration staffer Kotau, referring to the Ukrainian government's efforts to resist the Maidan uprising in 2013-14. "They wanted to show they have their own supporters. They were counting on 100,000 people, but despite their logistical efforts, there were far fewer."

The demonstration lasted an hour.

The same day, however, saw the largest demonstration in Belarusian history, with as many as 200,000 people waving white-red-white flags taking to the streets in Minsk. There were smaller demonstrations in cities around the country.

"The material the Cyber-Partisans have released, the torrent of conversations, shows that [the authorities] decided to let the situation go for a few days or a week, to vent the people's anger," Kotau said. "But the passivity of the security forces meant that a record number of people came out for the first march."

The massive protest passed peacefully, without police intervention.

Former police officer Aleh Alkayeu said the government simply did not have the forces needed to intervene forcibly in such a protest. But that did not mean they were inactive.

"There were many informants in the crowd," Alkayeu said. "They conveyed the mood."

LISTEN: An excerpt from Episode 6 of Lukashenka's Lackeys:

Former Investigative Committee officer Astapovich added that the authorities' change of tactics was partially driven by the exhaustion of the police.

"By [August 12], I noticed that when police ran out of the bus, they immediately put their shields on the ground," he said. "After all, it was their third straight day. They could not physically withstand such workloads for so many days in a row. And, meanwhile, more and more people were coming out."

The only choice, he added, was to "let them go for a walk and the people will get tired by themselves," Astapovich added. "And that is what happened. They left. No one remained. There were no tents."

Meanwhile, police operatives were filming the most active demonstrators and monitoring social media so that protest leaders could be rounded up later.

'Dealing With A Brutal Dictator'

On August 17, Lukashenka helicoptered in to a staged rally in front of workers at the Minsk Wheeled Tractor Factory (MZKT) and defiantly vowed not to hold new elections "until you kill me."

WATCH: A speech by Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka at a tractor plant in Minsk on August 17, 2020, was interrupted several times by workers who chanted, "Lie!" and "Leave!"

But he was jeered and taunted by factory workers who booed him and chanted, "Leave!"

"Those who voted against him knew they were in the majority and that they had acted legally," Kotau said. "But they were deceived, very cruelly deceived. Lukashenka suffered a big blow at MZKT. He had neverencountered an audience that not only did not listen to him but that also shouted him down."

Although workers in Belarusian state television, the government's main propaganda weapon, began to resign, there were no large-scale defections from the security forces during this crucial period.

"For one thing, they didn't see a real leader [in the opposition]," explained former police officer Alkayeu. "Second, everyone was thinking about themselves. They were scared by possible lustration. This is something police talk about a lot. Will I be able to work or not? Was I photographed at some point? Someone new comes to power and an officer might end up without a job. There are a lot of benefits to being a police officer -- apartments, good mortgages, and more. He could lose it all."

In addition, Alkayeu said, police officers are habitually "oriented toward their superiors."

"Over the years, a person gets used to obeying," he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition movement was fully committed to nonviolence, Alexievich said.

"Everyone was in the mood for peace," she told RFE/RL. "No one wanted to seize the telegraphs,' as Lukashenka likes to say about coups. No one was preparing Molotov cocktails. We were aware that if we came out with a Molotov cocktail, it would have been worse than China at the time of Tiananmen Square. We were dealing with a brutal dictator. No one had any illusions.

"We were all afraid of blood," she added. "They were not afraid of blood. But we were afraid and felt a sense of responsibility. What was necessary was to do what the Ukrainians did during their Maidan. They stayed out for several months. I don't know why we didn't do that."

Astapovich said Belarus's marginal economy also played a role in the collapse of the protest movement.

"For our people, the most important thing to lose is not one's life, but one's job," he said. "There is no reserve. If you lose your job, what will you eat the next month? Everyone understands that. People save up for three months to buy new boots. I lived that way myself as an investigator."

Two years later, the democratic opposition in Belarus is scattered, imprisoned, or marginalized. And Lukashenka's security forces continue their work, now focusing much of their attention on the so-called railway partisans and others who oppose Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine and the complicity of the Belarusian state.

"To this day, they continue to jail people. They sweep the cities every day [and make arrests]," Tsikhanouskaya told Current Time in an interview. "But back then, it seemed like it was all about to come crashing down."

RFE/RL correspondent Robert Coalson contributed to this report.
The political portraits seen in the photo above are some of the hundreds of outdoor images painted onto the walls and houses of Staro Zhelezare, near Bulgarias central city of Plovdiv.

Art has been appearing on the streets on Staro Zhelezare since 2015.

Each summer, a Polish/Bulgarian couple -- Katarzyna and Ventzislav Piriankov -- leave Poznan, Poland, where they teach art, and travel to Ventzislavs grandparents property in Staro Zhelezare with a handful of their students.

The students paint new works each day in the mornings and evenings through several weeks in July and August.

Katarzyna says the outdoor art project is "an attempt to revive the village." After the collapse of communism in Bulgaria, most inhabitants left Staro Zhelezare for Bulgarian cities or to live abroad.

Ventzislav says concepts for the art that will be painted on the village walls are thought of with a kind of a brainstorm, especially in the evening when we drink a little.

Locals of the village were skeptical at first of the outdoor painting project. Its interesting, Katarzyna says. In the beginning, the Roma society here was more open to it.

After a buzz began over the unusual decorations and tourists began to visit, ethnic Bulgarians also started to warm to the idea. Now locals even wait in a line to have art made on their walls, Katarzyna says.

Many paintings incorporate local characters. The cow depicted above alongside former U.S. President Donald Trump belongs to the owner of the house on which the artwork is painted.

Anna Kossyk was one of the art students who made the mural above, relating to the current war in Ukraine. She says she fell in love with Bulgaria for the friendliness of the villagers and will return to Staro Zhelezare next summer to continue the outdoor art project.

Not all villagers are fans of the art. Some works have been quietly painted over, and certain political figures, such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have been scraped off walls.

The owner of the house seen above asked for a portrait of Josef Stalin, which has since been defaced with red paint. The villager is depicted on a goat facing off against the former Soviet ruler.

According to Katarzyna, the ever-expanding art project appears to be unique in the world.

The village is now being included in some tour excursions, and travelers who make the drive out to the obscure rural town can be seen on most days in summer.
The United States is ready to "quickly conclude a deal" to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement on the basis of proposals put forward on August 8 by the European Union, a State Department spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Tehran had repeatedly said it was prepared for a return to mutual implementation of the agreement, and now Washington will wait to see if "their actions match their words."

The European Union earlier submitted a "final text" at talks in Vienna to revive the agreement.

"We worked for four days and today the text is on the table," the official told reporters. "The negotiation is finished, it's the final text...and it will not be renegotiated."

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter that everything that could be negotiated had been negotiated, adding that behind every part of the proposal "lies a political decision that needs to be taken" in the capitals of the countries involved.

He said the most recent talks were used to "fine tune and address" a handful of issues remaining in the text that he put on the table on July 21.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told state news agency IRNA that Iran had given its preliminary response to the EU's text but was "not at a stage to talk about finalizing the deal."

Tehran will "convey its additional views and considerations after more comprehensive discussions in Tehran," the official said, according to IRNA.

Top negotiators involved in the talks have said they are optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement.

Enrique Mora, the European Union's top negotiator, said over the weekend he was "absolutely" optimistic about the talks' progress so far.

"We are advancing, and I expect we will close the negotiations soon," Mora told Iranian media told Iranian media on August 7.

Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov said on August 7 there were "three or four issues" left to be resolved.

"We stand five minutes or five seconds from the finish line," Ulyanov told reporters outside the Palais Coburg hotel where the talks are being held.

A successful conclusion can be reached "very soon, but no guarantees -- as always, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," he said.

"They are sensitive, especially for Iranians and Americans," Ulyanov said. "I cannot guarantee, but the impression is that we are moving in the right direction."

Negotiators from Iran, Russia, and the EU -- as well as the United States, indirectly -- resumed talks over Tehran's nuclear deal on August 4 after a months-long standstill in negotiations.

Washington unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear pact under then-President Donald Trump in 2018. Iran reacted by gradually backtracking on its obligations under the deal, such as uranium enrichment.

Iran struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the U.S., France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China. The deal saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium under the watch of U.N. inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on August 7 in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that his country is "serious about reaching a strong and lasting agreement." But he added that the outcome will depend on whether the United States wants to make an agreement.

U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley said last week that U.S. expectations for the Vienna talks are "in check" but the United States is prepared for a good faith effort to reach an agreement.

For their part, Britain, France, and Germany have called on Iran "not to make unrealistic demands" in the talks aimed at reviving the nuclear deal.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, Mehr, and AFP
Iranian labor rights activist Narges Mansouri has not been released from prison despite her family having paid bail she was granted for temporary release, the watchdog Iran Human Rights says.

Iran Human Rights said a court six weeks ago granted Mansouri bail of 400 million tomans for her temporary release, and her family provided the amount and completed the registration process.



The rights group said the court continued to block her temporary release even while she is suffering from uterine fibroids and has been denied access to her chosen lawyer.

There has been no comment from the court to explain why she hadn't been released and no indication why she had been arrested, but Mansouri is one of 14 women activists in Iran who have publicly called for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to resign.

She and the other women also demanded a new political system to be installed that is framed by a new constitution that would secure dignity and equal rights for women.



Criticism of Khamenei, the octogenarian who has the last say on almost every decision in the Islamic republic, is considered a red line in Iran, and those accused often land in prison, where political prisoners are routinely held in solitary confinement and subjected to various forms of torture.



Mansouri has worked for the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company for more than 20 years and is a well-known labor rights activist. She has been arrested, interrogated, and tried many times in recent years.



On May 19, amid a wave of arrests of labor and political activists in Iran, the official IRNA news agency claimed that Mansouri was arrested by security agents while trying to leave the country.



Labor protests in Iran have been on the rise amid declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of insurance support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.



Authorities have cracked down on the protests, arresting many of those taking part.

With writing and reporting by Ardeshir Tayebi
The wife of a jailed Iranian filmmaker and activist says her husband was taken to the hospital for treatment of COVID-19 but was returned to prison without going through treatment.

Tahereh Saeedi, Jafar Panahi's wife, told RFE/RL that her husband was transferred to a hospital in Tehran and was expected to spend the quarantine period there. But the security agents suddenly removed an IV and took him back to prison.



"He has not had any contact with us since then and it is very unlike Jafar. It is not a good sign and I am very worried," Saeedi told RFE/RL on August 8.



The news of the well-known Iranian filmmaker's infection with COVID-19 was published on August 6, more than three weeks after his arrest.



In an audio file received by RFE/RL, Panahi said that after he tested positive for coronavirus he was transferred to the "patient room" to spend his illness and found it "ruined."

Then, with severe fever and chills, Panahi requested that prison authorities send him to a health center outside the prison for treatment, but his request was initially opposed.



Panah Panahi, Panahi's son, said on Instagram on August 7 that his father's transfer to the hospital was just for show.

"They brought him to say that we brought him to the hospital," he said. "They removed the serum from his hand in the middle of the treatment and put him in a car and returned him to prison."



Panahi, 62, was arrested earlier in July as part of a renewed crackdown by the Iranian authorities on dissent as anti-establishment sentiment and near-daily protests across the Islamic republic rattle the government.



Days prior to his arrest, Panahi was among more than 300 Iranian filmmakers and cultural activists who issued a statement condemning the arrests of activist cinematographers Mohammad Rasulof and Mostafa al-Ahmad.

Panahi originally served two months in prison after his 2010 conviction before being granted a conditional release that was revocable. As part of his release, he was banned from directing or writing screenplays and from traveling abroad.



The filmmaker has won a number of international awards for films critiquing modern Iran, including the top prize in Berlin for Taxi in 2015 and best screenplay at Cannes for Three Faces in 2018.

With writing and reporting by Ardeshir Tayebi
PRISTINA -- Daria Aslamova and her employer, the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, claim the 52-year-old reporter was hoping to travel to Kosovo to chronicle recent unrest in the region.

Officials in Kosovo weren't convinced and detained Aslamova on the border. She was later released and, as of August 6, Aslamova was believed to be in the Serbian town of Raska, not far from an official border crossing point between Serbia and Kosovo.

Kosovar Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said on August 6 that Aslamova was suspected of being a spy and that security authorities were searching "for her intentions."

"Many countries have proven that she was engaged in espionage for Russian military intelligence and that she pretended to be a journalist," Svecla said in press statement, without specifying which countries. A day later, Svecla said in a Facebook post that Aslamova had been declared an "undesirable person in the Republic of Kosovo," which translates into a five-year ban on entering the country.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Aslamova's intentions "were not good." He added that it was "not strange that she comes from Serbia, since Russia wants to use Serbia as a platform to destabilize the Balkans and in particular [to] attack Kosovo."

Aslamova and Komsomolskaya Pravda did not address Kosovo's accusations against her, which come amid tensions on the border with Serbia, including a Kosovar police unit coming under fire on August 6.

Aslamova has gotten herself into trouble before, getting banned from Moldova, after she was reportedly going to interview former Moldovan President Igor Dodon.

Who Is Daria Aslamova?

According to the Russian tabloid, Aslamova was in Serbia and Kosovo to prepare "a special report about the recent tensions" between the two countries. In a Facebook post, dated August 5, she is pictured with a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Stefan.

"With such a blessing, going into battle is not scary," she wrote in an accompanying caption.

Aslamova has a history of being in hot spots where Russian forces have been involved in conflicts, including Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Tajikistan, and the former Yugoslavia. On many occasions, she's faced arrest, much of it detailed in her book, Diary Of A Notorious Girl.

Komsomolskaya Pravda regularly spreads Kremlin propaganda and has already been spotted being circulated in areas of Ukraine now under occupation by invading Russian military forces.

The paper also made headlines in March for printing -- and then quickly deleting -- a Russian death toll in Ukraine, something the Kremlin rarely if ever discusses.

During her career, Aslamova has also chalked up interviews with senior officials, many of the less-than-savory type, including former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Svecla published on her Facebook page some photos of the journalist with Assad along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Aslamova was also hoping in 2017 to interview the then-president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, a staunch pro-Kremlin and Putin ally. However, Moldova's security services denied her entry, saying she was unable to "justify the reason for the visit." Dodon later decried the decision.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Facebook postings indicate Aslamova has been inside the country, including in the region of Mariupol, the once vibrant industrial seaport that for many has become a symbol of the indiscriminate devastation caused by Russian bombing and dogged Ukrainian resistance.

In Ukraine, Aslamova also reportedly worked for the Russian propaganda channel Tsargrad.

Judging by her social media remarks, Aslamova was ecstatic with Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 21 TV address. Putin's rambling speech was filled with historical grievances, conspiracy theories, and outright fabrications, and ended any doubt that the Russian leader would launch an assault on Ukraine.

"I cried like a child for joy! Eight long yearsand here we are! Victory," she said in a February 22 social media post.

Her latest detention comes with tensions between western Balkan neighbors Kosovo and Serbia ratcheting up last week after Kosovo said it would oblige Serbs living in the north of the country and using Serbian car license plates to apply for plates issued by Pristina institutions. Ethnic Serbian protesters blocked border crossings in the region in protest at the requirements.

The obligation has now been postponed. Ethnic Serbs make up around 5 percent of Kosovo's population, which is 90 percent ethnic Albanian.

In another incident, police said on August 6 that one of its patrols close to the Serbian border came under fire in an area of the country marred by ethnic disputes and smuggling activities.

"Her attempt to enter our country, coinciding with the developments in the north of the country, clearly proves Russia has joined Serbia's propaganda with the aim to destabilize our country," Interior Minister Svecla said.

Kosovo has joined EU and U.S. condemnations against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has already introduced sanctions on Moscow.

Despite not recognizing Kosovo's independence, Moscow does have a liaison office and diplomats stationed there. The office in Pristina was established in 2005, three years before Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.

In October 2021, Pristina ordered two Russians at the office out after accusing them of unspecified "destabilizing" activities. In December 2021, another Russian diplomat who was a member of the UN mission in Kosovo was expelled for "harmful activity."

While most of Europe has imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, Belgrade has rejected such moves to punish its traditional ally. Serbia depends on Russia almost entirely for its energy supplies, and President Aleksandar Vucic has said that imposing sanctions against Moscow would be disastrous for Serbia.

Vucic has attempted to walk a fine line between his hopes of moving Serbia into the European Union while remaining on solid footing with the Kremlin.

Serbia, an official EU candidate, has shrugged off warnings from Brussels that it could "pay a price" for its refusal to impose sanctions on Russia.

Written by correspondent Tony Wesolowsky based on reporting by RFE/RL Balkan Service correspondent Krenare Cubolli
Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, known for delivering a live on-air anti-war protest in March, has been again convicted of "discrediting" the country's armed forces in social-media posts condemning Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

The Cheryomushki district court in Moscow on August 8 ordered the former editor of Channel One TV to pay a fine of 40,000 rubles ($660) for her latest online posts protesting Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, which was launched unprovoked in February.

Ovsyannikova's lawyers insisted that the latest charges be returned to prosecutors, saying that their client was wrongfully informed about the case against her because investigators had sent the papers to the wrong address.

Ovsyannikova said at the hearing that she learned about the case from other journalists while she was abroad.

Last week, Moscow's Meshchansky district court fined Ovsyannikova 50,000 rubles ($825) on the same charge of discrediting the military in connection with her one-person protest in front of the Kremlin in early July in which she held a poster saying that Russian President Vladimir "Putin is a murderer, his soldiers are fascists" and displaying photos of children killed in Ukraine.

She was not detained at the time but was arrested days later on July 17 at her home in Moscow.

Ovsyannikova gained international recognition on March 14 when she burst onto the set of Channel One's Vremya news program holding a poster reading: "Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you" in Russian. She also shouted: "Stop the war. No to war."

Ovsyannikova was a producer with Channel One at the time of her protest. She was later detained and fined 30,000 rubles by a court for calling for illegal protests.

Ovsyannikova resigned from Channel One and spent several months abroad, including in Ukraine, repeatedly expressing her condemnation of the war.

For three months she trained at the German publication Die Welt. In early July, she announced her return to Russia.

Russia has stepped up detentions and prosecution of journalists, activists, and others who challenge the Kremlin line on its invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special operation" and not a war.
In these documents HoREA has asked for consideration in removing some bottlenecks and obstacles facing 116 real estate and commercial housing projects. The obstacles are related to many legal regulations, such as the Law on Housing 2014, Law on Real Estate Business 2014, Law on Land 2013, and Law on Construction 2014. Although the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has directed relevant departments, branches, districts, as well as Thu Duc City authorities to coordinate and consider proposals to resolve many pending issues, it seems that it is still very difficult to follow up on projects without amending the Laws.

Shortcomings in Land Law

After ten years of taking effect, the 2013 Land Law still shows many shortcomings, especially in the auction of land use rights. Regulations on the auction of land use rights are stipulated in many documents of various Laws, Government decrees, decisions of the Prime Minister, joint circulars between ministries and branches, and decisions of the People's Committees of various provinces. Each document is adjusted in some aspect, but there are several inconsistencies that still remain which are causing innumerable difficulties in applying the Land law.

In my opinion, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment must actively cooperate closely with ministries, branches, and localities to complete the Land Law after amending it and submitting it to the Government in time for submission to the National Assembly for first consideration at the 4th session at the end of 2022, according to the orientation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW. As per the specific goal that has been determined, by 2023 it is necessary to complete the amendment of the 2013 Land Law and a number of other related laws, to ensure the uniformity and consistency between the 2013 Land Law and a number of related laws.

Specifically, it is vital to comprehensively amend the Law on Housing 2014, the Law on Real Estate Business 2014, and the Law on Urban Management 2009. Simultaneously by amending and supplementing a number of articles of many related laws such as Law on Construction 2014, Law on Bidding 2013, Law on Property Auction 2016, Law on VAT, Law on CIT, Law on Investment 2020, Civil Code 2015, will also ensure synchronization and consistency.

The 2014 Housing Law stipulates that an investor must have 100% of residential land to be recognized as an investor, while projects with 100% residential land only account for about 1% of the real estate market. This regulation has made it impossible for projects with mixed land funds or with land other than residential land in the period 2015 to 2020, leading to a shortage of project supply, shortage of supply of housing, especially affordable housing, and social housing, causing great difficulties for businesses that have spent a large amount of money to prepare the project land fund, and suffered many risks due to prolonged capital stagnation.

Obstacle for projects

Currently, the real estate market in Ho Chi Minh City is still in a state of recovery and struggling to grow once again. This market has suffered a decrease in the supply of projects as well as housing products because many real estate projects were stopped due to failure to carry out construction investment procedures or were stopped from implementation or blocked due to problems in the Laws.

The shortage of housing products, especially affordable apartments, has led to an increase in housing prices, making it more difficult for a large number of middle- and low-income people in urban areas to find affordable housing. The imbalance of supply and demand due to too little supply while the demand being too high makes house prices easy to push up, easy to become speculative, with investment surfing to manipulate the market and profiteering.

HoREA has repeatedly petitioned the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to remove problems in real estate projects in the area. For example, there are projects that have been stuck for last ten years due to pending problems that have still not been resolved because of the procedures for exchanging land use levies, doing commercial businesses, or other entanglements.

Some projects have been approved by the Government for investment with the function of high-rise apartment buildings, and after the foundation and basement have been completed, then these projects were transferred to partners and have been approved by Ho Chi Minh City to receive the transfer of the entire project and the residential land red book, but still cannot be implemented because of planning problems or not being suitable for planning. The real estate market stagnates if agencies and departments do not have effective solutions to handle the current bottlenecks, and there is also high risk of bankruptcy due to financial imbalance. This way the market will decrease in size in terms of product growth, making it difficult for people who want to own real houses.

Problems in housing development projects have existed for many years but have not been resolved by Ho Chi Minh City. This is partly because the laws overlap, especially the confusing regulations on paying land use fees and investment, construction, and land procedures that have not been completely resolved. These are causing a series of real estate projects in the city to shut down. This gives many businesses a reputation of betrayal to customers. In addition, relevant departments, branches, and localities have the mindset of being afraid to sign or afraid to submit, leading to prolonged project files or being pushed from one department to another, with neither party willing to settle the problem completely.

One can only hope that in coming time, the government in Ho Chi Minh City will pay more attention to legal issues, resolve procedures for paying land use fees, and help real estate businesses by removing bottlenecks as soon as possible. When this happens, there will surely be a bustling and more transparent real estate market that can offer an abundant supply of housing to all.

Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of HoSEA
Italian archeologists have unearthed four new rooms in the House of the Lararium in Pompeii filled with various everyday household objects, such as amphorae, waxed tablets, and a precious decorated incense burner.

Pompeii is an ongoing discovery that continues to inspire awe, and not only from a romantic point of view, which undoubtedly marks the interest not only of scholars, but also, above all, for its unique quality of being an inexhaustible laboratory of study and learning, which allows research to never cease, and for new hypotheses and reasoning to be advanced, said Dr. Massimo Osanna, director general of all Italian museums, in a statement.

Pompeii truly never ceases to amaze, and is a wonderful tale of redemption, proof that when in Italy we work as a team, and invest in young people, in research and innovation, extraordinary results can be achieved, said Dario Franceschini, the Italian Minister of Culture.

In one of the newly-discovered rooms in the House of the Lararium, the archaeologists found the remains of seven waxed tablets.

A truly unique find, it has allowed us to create the first example of a cast which allows a perfect yield of both volume and detail, they explained.

It is a group of seven triptychs, tied together by a small cord both horizontally and vertically.

The polyptych had probably been stored on a shelf, together with other ceramic and bronze objects.

The researchers also discovered a collapsed cupboard with well-preserved vessels for everyday use, some of which were made of sigillata (Roman fine table ceramic) and glass.

Alongside this was a set of bronze vessels, among which a well-preserved pelvis (bowl) with a beaded base and handles with palmette attachments particularly stands out, they said.

There also were two bronze jugs, one of which features a handle with a sphinx-shaped attachment above and a lions head attachment below.

In addition to these metallic vessels, an incense burner in the shape of a cradle was discovered in excellent condition, with the polychrome pictorial decoration perfectly preserved, still revealing details such as the lips, beard and hair of the male subject, and geometric decoration on the exterior.

In a bedroom, the archaeologists the remains of a bed with a trace of fabric from the pillow.

The type of bed was identical to that of three beds discovered last year in the Room of the Slaves, they said.

Alongside it was a bipartite wooden chest, left open at the moment when the owners fled, and onto which beams and planks from the ceiling above collapsed. It held a small sigillata plate and a double-spouted lantern with a bas-relief depiction of the transformation of Zeus into an eagle.

Next to it was a small, circular three-footed table, upon which was a ceramic cup containing two glass ampoules, a small sigillata plate and another small glass plate.

At the foot of the table, a glass ampoule as well as small jugs and amphorae testify to the everyday use of the room.

Near a storage room or a warehouse, the scientists found a wooden cabinet with at least four doors.

The upper part of the piece, and the front doors, were compromised by the collapse of the ceiling above, with tiles, flooring and plaster which destroyed the upper levels, although their outlines can be perceived on the rear wall, they said.

According to the team, the piece of furniture was about 2 m (6.6 feet) high, with at least five shelves. The uppermost contained small jugs and amphorae as well as glass plates.

In the Roman Empire, there was a significant proportion of the population which fought for their social status and for whom the daily bread was anything but taken for granted, Dr. Osanna said.

It was a social class that was vulnerable during political crises and famines, but also ambitious to climb the social ladder.

In the House of the Lararium at Pompeii, the owner was able to embellish the courtyard with the lararium and the basin for the cistern with exceptional paintings, yet evidently funds were insufficient to decorate the five rooms of the house, one of which was used for storage.

In the other rooms, two on the upper floor which could be reached by a mezzanine, we discovered an array of objects, some of which are made of precious materials such as bronze and glass, while others were for everyday use.

The wooden furniture, of which it has been possible to make casts, was extremely simple.

We do not know who the inhabitants of the house were, but certainly the culture of otium (leisure) which inspired the wonderful decoration of the courtyard represented for them more a future they dreamed of than a lived reality.
NASA has released a beautiful photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the Herbig-Haro (HH) object 505.

Herbig-Haro objects are small bright patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars.

They are formed when hot gas ejected by a newborn star collides with the gas and dust around it at speeds of up to 250,000 kmh (155,000 mph), creating bright shock waves.

These objects come in a wide array of shapes, the basic configuration is usually the same: twin jets of heated gas, ejected in opposite directions from a forming star, stream through interstellar space.

Herbig-Haro objects are transient phenomena  they disappear into nothingness within a few tens of thousands of years.

These objects were first observed in the 19th century by the American astronomer Sherburne Wesley Burnham, but were not recognized as being a distinct type of emission nebula until the 1940s.

The first astronomers to study them in detail were George Herbig and Guillermo Haro, after whom they have been named.

Herbig-Haro objects are luminous regions surrounding newborn stars, Hubble astronomers said.

They are formed when stellar winds or jets of gas spewing from these newborn stars form shockwaves colliding with nearby gas and dust at high speeds.

The outflows themselves are visible as gracefully curving structures at the top and bottom of this image of HH 505, and are distorted into sinuous curves by their interaction with the large-scale flow of gas and dust from the core of the Orion Nebula.

In the case of HH 505, these outflows originate from a young star called IX Ori.

Also known as TIC 427374014 or Haro 4-115, this star lies on the outskirts of the Orion Nebula around 1,000 light-years from Earth.

The Orion Nebula is awash in intense ultraviolet radiation from bright young stars, the researchers said.

The shockwaves formed by the outflows are brightly visible to Hubble, but the slower-moving currents of stellar material are also highlighted by this radiation.

That allows us to directly observe jets and outflows and learn more about their structures.

The color image of HH 505 was made from separate exposures taken in the visible region of the spectrum with Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

Three filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

The Orion Nebula is a dynamic region of dust and gas where thousands of stars are forming, and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth, the scientists said.

As a result, it is one of the most scrutinized areas of the night sky and has often been a target for Hubble.

This observation was also part of a spellbinding Hubble mosaic of the Orion Nebula, which combined 520 ACS images in five different colors to create the sharpest view ever taken of the region.
A poorly known species of hummingbird called the Santa Marta sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus) has been unexpectedly rediscovered in the highlands of Colombia 13 years after it was last seen.

The Santa Marta sabrewing is a relatively large species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae.

First collected in 1946, the bird is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta highlands of Colombia.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and plantations.

The Santa Marta sabrewing is so rare and elusive that it was included as one of the top 10 most wanted lost birds by the Search for Lost Birds.

The last time it had a documented sighting was in 2010, when ornithologists captured the first-ever photos of the species in the wild.

The sighting was a complete surprise, but a very welcome one, said Yurgen Vega, a birdwatcher who made the rediscovery while working with SELVA, ProCAT Colombia and World Parrot Trust to study endemic birds in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

As I was leaving the area where I had been working, a hummingbird caught my attention.

I got out my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was a Santa Marta sabrewing, and in an incredible stroke of luck the hummingbird perched on a branch giving me time to take photos and video.

Ornithologists believe the population of the bird in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is very small and decreasing.

The species is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, though it was historically common in the south-eastern part of the mountains.

This rediscovery is tremendous, and it makes me hopeful that we will start to better understand this mysterious and threatened bird, said Esteban Botero-Delgadillo, director of conservation science with SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics.

However, we found it in an area that is unprotected, which means that it is critically important for conservationists, local communities and government institutions to work together to learn more about the hummingbirds and protect them and their habitat before its too late.

The Santa Marta sabrewing may be migratory, moving up to even higher elevations in the paramo  an ecosystem of grass and shrubs  during the rainy season in search of flowering plants.

Much of the forest in the Santa Marta mountains has been cleared for agriculture, and scientists estimate that only 15% of the forest is still intact.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is so incredibly biodiverse and harbors so many amazing endemic species, said Lina Valencia, Andean countries coordinator at Re:wild.

Its hugely exciting to have proof that the Santa Marta sabrewing is still living in the mountains. We still have time to save it.
Iraq: Briefing and Consultations

Tomorrow (17 May), the Security Council will convene for a briefing on the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Special Representative and head of UNAMI Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert is expected to brief on recent developments in Iraq and on the Secretary-Generals latest reports on UNAMI and the issue of missing Kuwaiti property and missing third-party and Kuwaiti nationals. A representative of civil society is also expected to brief. The briefing will be followed by closed consultations.

Hennis-Plasschaert is expected to provide an update on the government formation process in Iraq, which remains deadlocked in the aftermath of the 10 October 2021 parliamentary election. As the negotiations on this process have progressed, a sharp divide has emerged among Iraqs political parties. Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric who leads a movement that won 73 seats in the 329-member parliament (the highest number of any single bloc), has formed an alliance with several other groups, including the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Sunni Taqaddum party, and members of Sunni businessman Khamis al Khanjars Azm Alliance. The new grouping, known as the Coalition for Saving the Homeland (CSH), is reportedly pushing to form a majority government under their control that excludes all other parties. The Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF), a coalition that comprises several pro-Iranian Shiite political parties, is resisting this proposal. It favours a consensus government in which power is shared among various political parties.

Among other matters, Iraqs political parties have been unable to reach agreement regarding the next step in the government formation process, the election of the president by parliament, which was due to be completed by 8 February. This has contributed to the political gridlock, as the president is responsible for appointing the prime minister, who in turn is charged with selecting a cabinet. In a 31 March tweet, al-Sadr announced that he was stepping back from the government formation process for 40 days, beginning on 3 April, to give his opponents a chance to form a government without his bloc. The following day, the other parties in the CSH released a joint statement expressing appreciation for the move and declaring their adherence to the alliance, while the SCF announced that it would introduce an initiative to resolve the impasse during a dialogue with the political forces. On 4 May, al-Sadr called on the independent members of Iraqs legislature to form the government, and on 15 May, a group of independent members of parliament released a seven-point proposal for ending the impasse. During tomorrows meeting, Council members are likely to be interested in receiving an update from Hennis-Plasschaert regarding the government formation process. Council members are also likely to emphasise the importance of finding a solution to the current political deadlock.

The security situation in Iraq is expected to be discussed tomorrow. On 1 May, a missile attack targeted an oil refinery in the northern city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The missiles caused a fire at the refinery, which had also been attacked on 6 April, but no casualties were recorded. Kurdistan authorities subsequently announced that the missiles were launched from Nineveh province. According to media reports, Shiite units of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a group of fighters that was formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh), are currently deployed in that area. Several units of the PMF have been linked with the Iranian government. In an 18 April statement, Turkey announced that it had launched a new offensive, known as operation Claw-Lock, against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.

On 11 May, Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) shelled a village in Sikedan, an area north of Erbil near the border between Iraq and Iran. In a statement published on its website, the IRGC said that its ground forces had captured a terrorist team based in Erbil the previous day and that it had decided to target their bases in northern Iraq based on information received from those captured. The incident follows a 13 March ballistic missile attack on Erbil by the IRGC that landed near the US consulate and reportedly injured one person.

Clashes have erupted in recent weeks between Iraqi troops and the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a Yazidi militia based in the Sinjar district of Iraq with reported ties to the PKK. The YBS has controlled parts of Sinjar since 2014 when it expelled ISIL fighters from the district with the assistance of the PKK. Other armed groups, including the PMF, are also active in the district.

On 1 May, the Iraqi military began attacking YBS positions in Sinjar, leading to the displacement of more than 3,000 people. According to media reports, the Iraqi military has said that the aim of the offensive is to dismantle YBS checkpoints and re-establish the governments authority in the areas. Injuries and deaths have also been reported on both sides.

At tomorrows meeting, Council members might ask Hennis-Plasschaert for her analysis of the security situation in Iraq in light of these developments. Some members may also call for the implementation of the October 2020 Sinjar agreement between the Iraqi government and the government of Kurdistan, which aims to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons, accelerate reconstruction, improve public services, and establish a consolidated security force.

The relationship between Baghdad and Erbil may be discussed tomorrow. In a 15 February judgment, Iraqs Supreme Court ruled that a 2007 oil and gas law enacted by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was unconstitutional. The judgment also directed the KRG to hand control of its crude oil supplies to the federal government and declared the KRGs oil contracts with third parties null and void. On 28 February, the KRGs presidency announced that the KRG would exhaust all available legal means to protect its constitutional power and rights. Council members may ask Hennis-Plasschaert about the effect that this decision will have on Baghdad/Erbil relations.

Hennis-Plasschaert might raise the impact of climate change in Iraq during the meeting tomorrow. A series of dust storms have recently swept across the country, including a 5 May storm that caused at least 3,000 people to seek medical assistance, and several analysts have suggested that the increased incidence of these storms may be linked to climate change. According to Global Environment Outlook 6, which was prepared by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the effects of climate change. Some Council members may note the importance of mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change in their statements.

The threat posed by Daesh is also likely to be raised tomorrow. The Secretary-Generals report of 29 April on UNAMI notes that Daesh conducted 69 attacks between 24 February and 2 April, most of which targeted Iraqi security forces. The report also notes that Iraqi security forces continued their counter-terrorism operations against Daesh.

Council members are expected to receive an update on the latest developments regarding the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives. According to the 34th Secretary-Generals report on this issue, which was issued on 29 April, the members of the Technical Subcommittee of the Tripartite Commission engaged in productive discussions concerning various burial sites during the reporting period and also considered the status and number of open and closed cases pertaining to missing Kuwaitis and third country nationals.
The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question: Emergency Meeting

Tomorrow (8 August), following the open debate on Peace and security in Africa: Capacity-building for sustaining peace, the Security Council will convene for an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), together with China, France, Ireland and Norway requested the meeting to discuss the recent developments in the Gaza Strip. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is expected to brief. Representatives of Israel and the Observer State of Palestine are expected to participate.

On 1 August, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) arrested Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander Bassam al-Saadi in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. A 16-year-old Palestinian was killed during the operation. According to Israeli news outlet Haaretz, following al-Saadis arrest, a PIJ spokesperson said that the organisation was on high alert and ready to respond.

In the days following al-Saadis arrest, Israel strengthened security measures in areas close to the Gaza Strip, citing intelligence regarding an imminent retaliatory strike by the PIJ. This included closing roads and a railroad near the Gaza border fence and deploying special units and attack drones. On 4 August, caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that Israel will not shy away from using force to restore normal life in the south of the country. The following day (5 August), the IDF began striking sites in Gaza as part of a new operation codenamed Breaking Dawn. An Israeli military spokesperson said that the strikesduring which Tayseer al-Jabari, a senior PIJ official, was killedwere in response to an imminent threat from two PIJ militant squads. On the same day, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least ten Palestinians were killed because of the strikes, including a five-year-old girl, and over 50 people were injured.

In a 5 August letter to the Security Council, the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said that Israels military aggression against Gaza is targeting residential buildings, vehicles, and main roads leading to hospitals and called on the Security Council to stop Israel from repeating its acts of aggression, to protect lives and to ensure accountability. In reference to the fact that Israel has justified its operation on the basis of reports of an imminent threat, the letter underscored that [t]here is absolutely no justification for such use of force against civilians and that [t]he insecurities of an occupying Power cannot be prioritized over the lives and rights of an occupied people.

In the evening of 5 August, the IDF undertook a second round of airstrikes, targeting what it said were terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. That same evening, the PIJ began launching rockets towards Israel. Exchanges of fire continued on 6 and 7 August, with the IDF carrying out airstrikes in Gaza and the PIJ launching rockets towards Israel. According to the most recent information from Gazas Ministry of Health, 43 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israels operation and more than 310 have been wounded. Late on 7 August, Israel and the PIJ agreed to a ceasefire, which went into effect at 4:30 pm EST. The ceasefire was brokered by Egypt; the UN and Qatar were reportedly involved in mediation efforts.

At tomorrows meeting, Wennesland may reiterate key messages contained in his 5 August statement, which expressed concern at the ongoing violence and called on all sides to avoid further escalation. Council members are likely to welcome the agreement on the ceasefire and call on the sides to uphold the ceasefire. Members are likely to emphasise different aspects of the current outbreak of violence, in accordance with their positions on the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For instance, while Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova called for maximum restraint, she also reportedly pointed out that the current escalation was caused by [the] Israeli army firing into the Gaza Strip on August 5, to which Palestinian groups responded by carrying out massive and indiscriminate bombardments on Israeli territory. US National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said that the US fully supports Israels right to defend itself against terrorist groups. Similarly, UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss said that the UK stands by Israel, and its right to defend itself. In a 6 August statement, the EU said that although Israel has the right to protect its civilian population, everything must be done to prevent a broader conflict. On the same day, the UAE issued a statement emphasising the need to restore calm and explaining that tomorrows meeting was called to discuss the current developments and ways to support international efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace.

Members may underscore the importance of protecting civilians and of respecting international humanitarian law. They are likely to condemn the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza and there may also be criticism of Israels airstrikes. Some members may express concern at the impact of the conflict on children. Media outlets reported that, according to Palestinian sources, yesterday (6 August) at least four children were killed in an explosion in the vicinity of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. While Hamas and some Palestinian media sources have blamed Israel, the IDF maintains that the deaths were caused by a failed rocket launch by the PIJ.

At tomorrows meeting, members are expected to seek an update on the humanitarian impact of the strikes on the civilian population in Gaza. Members may express concern that the effects of the military operation are likely to exacerbate the dire living conditions in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli blockade for over 15 years and where reconstruction is still ongoing following the May 2021 11-day round of hostilities between Hamas and Israel. According to OCHA, in June almost 80 percent of the population in Gaza relied on humanitarian assistance, [l]argely due to the blockade, poverty, high unemployment rates and other factors. In a 6 August statement, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings said that the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza could only worsen due to the escalation and urged Israeli authorities and Palestinian armed groups to immediately allow the UN and its partners to bring in fuel, food, and medical supplies and to deploy humanitarian personnel in accordance with international principles; this includes specifically ensuring access and safety through key border crossings. Wennesland is expected to reiterate this request tomorrow.

Wennesland and several members may cite the recent escalation as evidence of the importance of creating a political horizon for the peace process to resume with the aim of achieving a two-state solution. At a 27 June Council meeting on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Wennesland said that [o]nly sustainable political solutions will relieve the pressures on the long-suffering population of Gaza, a message he is likely to stress again tomorrow.

The next regular meeting on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question is planned for 25 August. However, members will continue to monitor developments in Gaza closely and may choose to hold another meeting if the ceasefire does not hold and the situation deteriorates.
The alarming spread of omicron subvariants  particularly BA.5, which has quickly become the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S.  has again put a spotlight on how well COVID-19 rapid antigen tests work at this stage in the pandemic.

While some early research and anecdotes have suggested that at-home test kits may not be as good at spotting omicrons sneaky subvariants, Bay Area infectious disease experts say the rapid antigen tests are still an effective way to diagnose infection.

But they add that variants like BA.5 only drive home the importance of using rapid antigen testing as effectively as possible to avoid a false negative result.

Also, experts say its still the case that while rapid tests are quicker and easier than PCR tests, they are also less sensitive and therefore more prone to inaccurate results.

That problem has been magnified by this summers surge, during which some people with COVID-19 symptoms have reported initially testing negative, said Stanford virologist Robert Siegel.

But the reasons for that may not be limited to BA.5 or omicron subvariants alone, infectious disease experts say.

Rapid antigen tests may generally give a good indication of whether an infected individual is contagious, but as has been the case throughout the pandemic, they are not foolproof.

A recent report combing the results of 155 studies, known as a Cochrane meta-analysis, concluded that antigen tests correctly identified COVID-19 infection in an average 73% of people who were symptomatic and 55% of people who were not.

The study also found that tests were more accurate when used in the first week after symptoms began. As a rule of thumb, rapid antigen tests work best when there is a high pretest probability that someone is infected (i.e., that they have symptoms or know they were exposed), when they are done every day, and are from a reliable manufacturer, experts said.

So, how does that change with BA.5? Experts say the answer is complicated.

The subvariant is very new on the pandemic scene, first detected around the beginning of this year. Peer-reviewed and preprint literature on the performance of rapid antigen tests does not yet seem to include anything specifically about BA.5  though at least one study has shown that a combined nasal/throat swab demonstrated improved sensitivity compared to swabbing the nasal passages alone, said Benjamin Pinsky, director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Stanford.

Initial small studies have suggested that in the earliest stage of infection, omicron might be most concentrated in the throat, rather than the nose or nasal pharanyx. However, Im not sure (that theory) has panned out with large numbers of individuals, said UCSF infectious disease expert Peter Chin-Hong.

Although some experts have backed throat-plus-nose swabs for at-home tests, neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the Food and Drug Administration has endorsed that approach.

Most infectious disease experts still recommend people follow the CDCs guidance on proper use of antigen tests, as well as the instructions provided with each test, to ensure their accuracy.

Another factor that could interfere with rapid tests is immunity gained from past infection or vaccination, both of which yield antibodies that could produce an early false negative, Siegel said.

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Experts overall still recommend PCR tests as the gold standard. They detect the presence of viral DNA and are not affected by the presence of antibodies  unlike rapid antigen tests, which detect the presence of a viral spike protein and can be greatly affected by timing and human error.

Another possible reason for inaccurate results from rapid antigen tests may relate to the choices people make when they administer it, experts said. Some symptomatic people test too early or too late, or give up after one negative test.

Here are the best ways to use a rapid antigen test if you think you have COVID-19, according to experts:

First, make sure the test you are using is from a reputable manufacturer, and follow all the instructions.

If you feel sick, take an antigen test as soon as possible. If you are symptomatic and test negative, mask up and test again the next day. Dont assume that one negative rapid test is accurate.

If you are still feeling sick and testing negative, strongly consider a PCR test, which will be the most sensitive. Meanwhile, make sure you are self-isolating, especially from people who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19.

I think at the end of the day (rapid antigen testing) is a good measure of infectivity, said Chin-Hong. The bottom line is for people not to stop at one test, or to think about a PCR if they think they might have COVID-19.

Annie Vainshtein (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter @annievain
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The campaign against violent attacks on Asian elders erupted Sunday onto Columbus Avenue, where a raucous drum corps and protesters chants of Fight Asian hate distracted outdoor brunches and disrupted the flow of double-decker tour buses.

We dont need your donations. We dont need your social media posts, said Hudson Liao, founder of Asians are Strong, at a Washington Square rally in San Franciscos North Beach neighborhood. We need you to get out and get active. We need to occupy Columbus Avenue.

And for a time early Sunday afternoon, as many as 200 marchers did that, loudly wending their way along six blocks of Columbus, with a police escort, to Portsmouth Square in Chinatown. Traffic stopped so the marchers in the street could pass through.

Sundays march and rally came one week after a robbery and vicious attack on a 70-year-old woman by four juveniles who invaded her senior living center, police said. A video of the attack obtained by KGO shows the four attacking the woman in an elevator, one kicking her in the head. A few days later, Gregory Chew, a former San Francisco commission member in his 70s, was knocked to the ground and punched in the face.

These two events inspired us to organize this march, said Charles Jung of the Asian Justice Movement, but it takes place in the context of 2 years of attacks on Asians, and a whole lot of inaction.

Jungho Kim/Special to The Chronicle

The Asian Justice Movement is demanding that within 10 days San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott set a date for a town hall meeting in Chinatown specifically to deal with attacks on Chinese elders living in low income housing and to offer plans to provide police security at these locations.

Jung, a San Francisco attorney, said that the building where the woman was attacked and robbed lacked security.

Scott did not attend Sundays rally or march, but he was represented by Lt. Mark Moreno of the citys Central Station, who had seen video of the attack on the woman in the senior center.

Just the brazenness of it was despicable, said Moreno, who declined to classify it as a hate crime, though he said that is plausible. These people who commit these crimes are looking for someone who wont fight back. No arrests have been made, police said Sunday, and several detectives are working the case.

Sundays rally followed a similar, larger rally by the Asian Justice Movement held Jan. 30 across town in Anza Heights, the site of a particularly brutal incident in which Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, was blindsided on a street corner and hit with such force that his injuries killed him.

That attack was captured by security camera, and Antoine Watson, 19, has been charged with homicide. But it has not been classified officially as a hate crime, which rankled some of those at the rally. Since then awareness has been built, Jung said. But now is the time for action and holding our leaders accountable.

Jungho Kim/Special to The Chronicle

According to San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, hate crimes directed at Asians increased sixfold in 2021, and there is no indication that it has diminished in 2022. Dorsey said the senseless violence against Asians reminds him of when 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was beaten to death and left to die by the side of a road in Laramie, Wyo., because he was gay. That crime, in 1998, ultimately led to hate crime legislation on both the state and federal level.

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When Matthew Shepard died, I felt that it could have been me or one of my friends, said Dorsey, who has heard the same fear around the anti-Asian incidents, especially after the senior center attack.

Young people in the Asian community say that could have been my grandma, he said.

Jade Tu, 26, has been to enough of these rallies that she arrived carrying her own bullhorn.

We want to make it loud and clear what is happening to our community, said Tu, a native San Franciscan who grew up in the Sunset and said she has always noticed some hostility toward Asians.

But because of COVID, there has been a narrative that the Chinese spread the virus, she said in reference to former President Donald Trumps emphasis and racist language around the origins of the virus in China. It pushed the hate over the edge.

And it pushed Tu and out into Columbus Avenue, her trigger finger activating the bullhorn: Fight Asian hate. Fight Asian hate.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF
A 34-year-old man was arrested Sunday in connection with a brutal attack on a veteran San Francisco commissioner, police said.

Gregory Chew, a former member of the citys arts, film and immigrants rights commissions, said he was walking down Third Street on Tuesday night when he was suddenly punched and knocked to the ground by a man who approached on a bicycle.

On Sunday morning, Derrick Yearby was arrested in connection with the 7:30 p.m. attack in the South of Market neighborhood, police said. Yearby was booked on suspicion of several charges, including aggravated battery and elder abuse.

The attack on Chew, 70, was the latest in a string of violent incidents against Asian Americans that ramped up during the pandemic. At a Sunday evening news conference, Officer Kathryn Winters said police were investigating whether the attack was racially motivated.

Incidents like this ... tend to shake the conscience of people. Some of these (victims) are our most vulnerable residents, Winters said. The Police Department wants to make sure that these residents are protected and we find the people who are attacking them.

The attack on Chew came just a few days after a 70-year-old woman was viciously attacked and robbed by four juveniles inside her housing complex last week, police said. They approached the woman outside of her building near the North Beach and Fishermans Wharf neighborhoods, police said. Because of a language barrier, the woman did not understand what they were saying.

Video of the incident obtained by KGO shows the youths following the woman into an elevator and attacking her, one of them kicking her in the head. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is continuing, Winters said. Police said the woman was treated at the scene for non-life threatening injuries.

Chews attacker did not say anything when he assailed Chew, and police said his motivations were unclear. Chew said there was no robbery  he felt his pockets minutes after the assailant left and realized his wallet and cell phone were still there.

I didnt even know what happened, Chew told The Chronicle in an interview Saturday.

He remembered blacking out on the sidewalk as the attacker took off. When he regained consciousness, he recalled seeing two women emerge from a pingpong club, trying to help. A bystander evidently called police, and within minutes, he said, an ambulance arrived to take him to California Pacific Medical Center on Van Ness Avenue.

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Chew said he is suffering from a badly swollen eye and broken left shoulder.

Its a surreal experience, he said, adding that hes felt afraid to go out, an unfamiliar and deeply unsettling emotion for a person accustomed to walking everywhere.

Asian American community leaders and their allies held a rally in Washington Square Park on Sunday to demand more action from the city on attacks against older Asians. Data collected by the organization Stop AAPI Hate found 11,467 reported cases of aggression and hate toward Asian Americans in the United States  one-sixth of which involved physical violence.

Anyone with information on the two attacks is asked to call the San Francisco Police Departments Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411.

Trisha Thadani (she/her) and Rachel Swan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani @rachelswan
The main thing you notice when sitting in Bar Shiru is that its quiet.

Its not that the Oakland bar is silent  music is playing, people are talking and cocktails are shaking. But theres an unusually tranquil tone in the open room, which has high ceilings, walls lined with soft wood screens and large windows overlooking Telegraph Avenue. You can really hear things in here. Instead of the vague, diffuse din that pollutes the air at most bars, at Bar Shiru the atmosphere swells with a rich, reedy jazz. You can hear it equally vividly from any seat in the house.

Bar Shiru is a hi-fi bar  also known as a listening bar, a record bar or a jazz kissa, as its called in Japan, where the genre originated. Primarily, what defines these bars is their focus on music, usually vinyl records, usually jazz, usually played on a high-quality sound system, usually a vintage one.

Then again, lots of bars play records. What really distinguishes a hi-fi bar like Bar Shiru from, say, the rowdy Cafe Van Kleef next door, is the contemplative, even quiet, environment it cultivates. Reverence for the act of intentional listening is how Daniel Gahr, who co-owns the bar with his wife, Shirin Raza, describes it. A page in the menu booklet even asks patrons to keep their voices down and refrain from using phones, laptops or flash photography.

Amaya Edwards/Special to The Chronicle

When Bar Shiru opened in 2019, it was the first hi-fi bar in the Bay Area. Given the relative obscurity of the concept, it also seemed poised to be the last. Instead, it suddenly has company. Fine-dining restaurant Le Fantastique opened last year in San Francisco with a tucked-away lounge, the Green Room, meant to evoke a listening bar. Later this year, the city will get two more: Harlan Records, taking over the former Bar Fluxus space in the Financial District; and Yokai, an offshoot of the meat-centric Japanese restaurant Gozu, in SoMa. Each entry is putting its own spin on the hi-fi template, deviating in different ways from the Japanese examples.

Given the fact that listening bars have been on the decline in Japan in recent years, the sudden boom in hi-fi bars here  and in other parts of the U.S.  is notable. Their appeal may have something to do with the growth of vinyl record sales in the last decade. Or they may be successfully tugging at our nostalgia for old music and mid-century design aesthetics.

Or maybe it has something to do with this peculiar moment in time, as we struggle to emerge from the pandemic and break free from the habits that it engendered while we were housebound. By selling an experience you cannot get at home, hi-fi bars offer an escape. You can mix yourself a cocktail in your kitchen, sure. But you probably dont have a sound system like this, which cost tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars. You almost certainly dont have as extensive a record collection. And the harmonious quality of the hi-fi bars sound systems allow a gentle easing back into the noise of crowded public spaces, which may strike some of us as chaotically loud after a couple years away.

Most of all, these record bars offer the sublime sensation of submitting to another persons playlist. These days everybody is their own DJ, their own curator, and I think that can be exhausting for people, said Gahr. When Im going out, I want to go and be an open listener, just be open to the experience thats being created for me.

Amaya Edwards/Special to The Chronicle

The listening bars golden age was in postwar Japan, and it fixated on an American export: jazz. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, tiny bars and cafes opened in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, boasting enormous collections of records from popular artists of the time like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Few people had comparable record collections at home, so they flocked to the kissaten to listen for hours on end. Music was the draw; drinks were an afterthought.

As the popularity of jazz waned in the subsequent decades, and as music became easier to obtain and play at home, the need for these bars and their record collections diminished. But there remains a committed core of kissaten in Japan, which inspired many of the Bay Areas new record-bar owners. For Marc Zimmerman, whos opening Yokai, it was Tokyos Bar Flat. For Gahr and Raza, it was a place called Bar Martha.

It left an indelible imprint on our minds, said Gahr of their 2015 visit to Bar Martha. The selection of 50s jazz records and the warmth of the hi-fi systems sound quality felt amazing, he said, an antidote to the earbuds and highly compressed digital files that have become our standard listening experience in the streaming age.

Back in Oakland, they abandoned their tech jobs  his at Pandora, hers at YouTube, both roles in which they were creating digital experiences, Gahr said  in favor of something much more analog. They invested in a system that includes several components from McIntosh, considered the gold standard in analog hi-fi gear, whose sleek black boxes are illuminated by sky-blue decibel screens. (The McIntosh system looks like a sculpture, said Le Fantastique owner Robbie Wilson.)

Amaya Edwards/Special to The Chronicle

Compared with the cozy, dark Japanese archetypes, Bar Shiru is enormous and airy. The playlist is mostly jazz, but Gahr takes an expansive view of the genre  Afrobeat, sample-based hip-hop, Highlife and soul are all in the mix. This is not a jukebox joint: The bars staff does not take requests. (Gahr, the music director, takes pride in his curatorial abilities.)

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Raza and Gahr, neither of whom is Japanese, are clear on one point: Theirs is a hi-fi bar, but we definitely dont consider it a Japanese bar, Gahr said. While they do make several highballs, whiskey and otherwise  a populardrink in Japan  most of the cocktails (and indeed, the best ones) have no recognizably Japanese influence at all. A spicy pepper shrub gives a bright, grassy burst to the Sidewinder, with yellow Chartreuse and tequila; the Velvet Mood tastes like a floral, herbal riff on an Aviation cocktail, melding lavender syrup with the classic recipes creme di violette. (My favorite of the highballs, for what its worth, was one made with earthy Iwai 45 whiskey.)

Like Bar Shiru, the new and forthcoming hi-fi bars in the Bay Area take varying degrees of liberty with the Japanese template. At Le Fantastique, which boasts a McIntosh-heavy sound system that Wilson said cost more than $150,000, diners in the restaurant hear the same playlist as drinkers in the more intimate Green Room, but special speakers situated on bookshelves in the cozy lounge mean that visitors there hear the music more intensely. Only three employees, including Wilson, are permitted to choose the records; occasionally, theyll play a song or two from an iPad while selecting a new record, but he said 85% of what gets played is from vinyl. Rather than play full albums, Le Fantastique tends to play only one or two songs from a record before switching it. Jazz is not a guiding light: Youre more likely to hear Fleetwood Mac, Heart or the Police than Chet Baker.

Amaya Edwards/Special to The Chronicle

When it opens, Harlan Records will similarly diverge from the traditional record-bar playbook. The bar will adopt a mid-century aesthetic in its furnishings and its music, said partner Katya Skye,playing blues and rock from the 1950s and 60s. To drink, the bar plans to serve riffs on popular cocktails from that era, like Moscow mules and mojitos.

Yokai, expected to open early next year, will bear recognizable Japanese influences, with food cooked on a Binchotan charcoal grill and an extensive Japanese whiskey selection. But unlike the hi-fi dens in Tokyo, which rarely serve food, Yokai will be a restaurant first, with a hi-fi aesthetic, said Zimmerman, the owner. To achieve that aesthetic, Zimmerman plans to purchase a sound system that will likely involve McIntosh tube amplifiers, projecting the total cost at $10,000 to $15,000.

Regardless of its particulars, every listening bar provides an experience that feels increasingly rare these days. Unless its live, music at bars is almost always in the background. (San Franciscos Club Deluxe, reportedly closing soon, is a notable exception.) Even at DJ-hosted events, other activities compete for our attention: dancing, flirting, speaking  more often, screaming  with friends. It can feel jarring, at first, to go to a bar where the menu admonishes you to keep your voice down and put your phone away. Some of us have grown uncomfortable with so much quiet.

But maybe thats the reason why hi-fi bars are finding a receptive audience here right now: As unfamiliar as this tranquility can feel, deep down we know we need it. We know we need to take a deep breath, to stop trying to think of the right thing to say. To just listen.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles senior wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley
Finally, New Belgium Brewing admits it was pranking Napas residents all along.

After months of running a fake ad campaign for a 136-acre theme park with a hazy IPA-filled wave pool and a rollercoaster constructed from beer barrels, the Colorado beer company has broken character, acknowledging what many suspected: that plans for the Voodoo Ranger IPA Action Park were never real.

Now that the truth is out, its clear that New Belgiums publicity stunt was cruel and mean-spirited, designed to portray Napa residents as snobby NIMBYs. Its the alcohol-marketing equivalent of the prank shows that mock peoples earnest reactions to something they never realized was a joke, reminiscent of a bad episode of Nathan for You.

In the end, no one ends up looking good: not Napas embarrassed residents, nor New Belgium, which has spent the last few months tweeting things from its Voodoo Ranger account like The buzzkills of Whine Country want to stop our IPA Action Park.

Mondays big reveal on Instagram documented the whole affair: the focus groups New Belgium held for concerned citizens, the anti-Voodoo Ranger protests that took place in downtown Napa, the buzz it all generated in publications around the world, including this one. While New Belgium did seed some of the opposition itself, some of the protesting was also genuine  a predictable outcome in a city where new tourism developments frequently inspire public outcry.

Courtesy Jack Pala

This prank was a fun way to poke at the cultural tension between the global symbol of exclusivity and taste Napa represents, Fetcher wrote in an email.

It may have been fun for New Belgium, but the people of Napa likely wont see it that way. Those who did take New Belgium at its word were right to be concerned about the environmental consequences of an enormous water park during a period of historic drought. And those who never fell for the joke may not appreciate the brewerys implication that the city is full of buzzkilling wine snobs. (Similarly, reporters who keep having to write about the whole thing may resent playing into the Voodoo Rangers skeletal hands.)

Headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo., New Belgium is the maker of popular beer brands including Fat Tire Ale in addition to Voodoo Ranger IPA. After acquiring San Franciscos Magnolia Brewing out of bankruptcy, the company was purchased in 2019 by Little Lion World Beverages. Last year a large New Belgium taproom opened in the citys Mission Bay neighborhood.

From the start, the whole Voodoo Ranger affair was outlandish. A theme park centered around New Belgiums popular IPA brand was never feasible: It violated the countys General Plan and would have required a vote of the people to move forward. New Belgium never filed a permit application, county planning commissioner David Morrison confirmed to The Chronicle in July, nor did it submit paperwork to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

But New Belgiums failure to respond to any requests for comment, and the companys increasingly intricate communications around the park  including those focus groups it held  created just enough doubt that many people treated it as if it were real.

Or did they? Watching clips from the focus groups and the protests now, its impossible to tell who was an authentic concerned citizen and who might have been a plant. The woman complaining at the focus group that the beer flume looks like pee, and Im not going to walk in that  was she an actor? The protest organizers who sent emails to the press announcing their picketing plans seem to have been fake; searches for their names in the California voter database suggested that no such people actually live in Napa County.

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Provided by New Belgium Brewing

The point of this is hard to parse. On some level, the goal seems to have been to position Voodoo Ranger IPA as the populist antidote to Napa Valleys supposedly elitist wine culture. The brewery was daring Napa to take it seriously  and it did. In the patronizing conclusion to its Instagram video, New Belgium announces that In the end, we inspired the community of Napa to come together and express their opinions.

If you want to ridicule Napa residents for caring about what happens to their community, fine. After all, this is a place where attractions that would be modest by theme-park standards, like wineries or hotels, get held up to close scrutiny. Outsiders like New Belgium may roll their eyes at what they perceive as NIMBYism from folks who dont want to see droves of rowdy, beer-drinking tourists. But underneath all that is a uniquely high level of civic engagement, and a populace thats never afraid to take action to ensure a prosperous future.

Now, New Belgium plans to donate $10,000 to the Napa Valley Community Foundation, said Fetcher. It feels like a tacit acknowledgment that the whole thing was in poor taste.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles senior wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley
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California voters could decide in November to hike taxes on wealthy people and earmark the money for climate projects. But the effort has been bankrolled by an unlikely cheerleader: Lyft, the ride-hailing app that contributed to an increase in emissions from cars.

Lyft has poured more than $15 million into the campaign for Proposition 30, a ballot measure to raise the income-tax rate for wealthy people to pay for programs to get more drivers into electric cars.

The companys involvement has divided Democrats who otherwise tend to be aligned over the states ambitious goals to reduce heat-trapping emissions that exacerbate climate change. Many environmentalists and building labor groups support the measure, while Gov. Gavin Newsom and the teachers unions oppose it.

Newsom and other opponents say Lyfts involvement is a self-interested ploy to get taxpayers to cover its cost to meet a state mandate to electrify its vehicle fleet.

But environmentalists behind Prop. 30 say Lyft has proved to be an important ally as the state struggles to meet its goals to phase out gas-powered cars. They said California needs to act more urgently to mitigate the threat of climate change and reduce dangerous smog from vehicle emissions, which has increased in recent years.

The split could be one of the most contentious fights over a ballot measure this year, which could test Newsoms already shaky ties with environmental groups, some of which view him as inconsistent on climate.

Prop. 30 would increase the income tax rate for people who earn more than $2 million per year  by 1.75%. Most of the money would be used for electric cars, with 45% for rebates and other incentives to help drivers buy electric models and 35% for charging and refueling stations. At least half of the money for electric vehicles would have to be directed toward low-income communities.

The other 20% of the funding would be for wildfire prevention and firefighting programs. According to a legislative estimate, the tax would bring in $3 billion to $4.5 billion in revenue annually. It would expire in 2030 if the state meets its climate goals, or 2043 at the latest.

Daniel Ives, a Wall Street analyst who tracks ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft, said its clear that the latter sees its success as tied to subsidies for drivers to switch to electric cars. Without state support, he said the company would face a very steep uphill battle trying to meet Californias clean-car rules.

They have almost no choice but to dive into the deep end of the pool when it comes to this initiative, Ives said. In a smart way, theyre trying to surf the EV wave.

The clock is ticking for Lyft and Uber to get their drivers behind the wheels of zero-emissions vehicles. Last year, state air-pollution regulators adopted a mandate that the companies must use zero-emissions vehicles for 90% of the miles their drivers travel by 2030.

The mandate means Uber and Lyft must transition to electric cars faster than the rest of the state. In 2020, Newsom signed an executive order to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in California starting in 2035.

Regulators at the California Air Resources Board singled out ride-hailing apps for a reason: They are responsible for a disproportionate share of carbon emissions.

Using a ride-hailing app creates about 48% more emissions per trip than if the rider had driven separately in a gas-powered car because drivers typically spend more than a third of their time without a passenger in the car  idling while they wait for a ride request or driving en route to a pick-up, according to a 2018 analysis from the state.

On one hand, the mandate is in line with Lyfts pledge to switch its fleet to 100% electric vehicles by 2030, though the company is now legally bound to meet the states slightly lower goal.

Still, Lyfts lobbyists told air-pollution regulators the state needed to create special incentives for the company to prevent disproportionate impacts of the regulations on low- and moderate-income drivers.

While we are pleased to see aggressive environmental targets, we are disappointed that the efforts of the past years have culminated in metaphorical sticks with no carrots, the company wrote in a letter.

Lyft has spent nearly $300,000 on lobbyists since early 2021, according to disclosure forms. Among a a handful of other issues, the companys lobbyists contacted legislators and the Air Resources Board about the electrification mandate.

Lyft spokesperson CJ Macklin said federal uncertainty about funding for climate initiatives has made it clear that others need to step up to help the state meet its goals. He added, when environmental groups approached us about partnering with them on their plan ... we were excited at the prospect.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate are rushing to vote on a climate spending bill, a breakthrough deal that would expand federal tax credits for electric car buyers and create new incentives for automakers. But the bill only recently materialized and nearly died in the Senate numerous times.

Early polling suggests support among Californians for Prop. 30 is strong. Last month, a survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found 63% of likely voters supported the initiative while 35% opposed it.

But opposition to Prop. 30 from within Democratic circles means the initiative faces a two-front battle, with attacks from both liberal forces and conservative-leaning groups, which oppose the notion of a wealth-based tax.

Newsom announced his opposition in late July and, in epic fashion, called the measure a cynical scheme devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax revenue to their company.

The governor said that the tax could make the states budget more unstable; he has long opposed measures that carve out a portion of revenue for pet issues. Newsom also stressed that the states current budget sets aside a record $10 billion for electric vehicle subsidies and infrastructure.

Newsom was joined in his opposition by the powerful California Teachers Association, which warned that it could put a special interest lock box on revenue that the state might need for schools, in the event of an economic downturn.

This is a money grab by one big corporation trying to get taxpayers to pay for their share of the cost, said Becky Zoglman, an associate executive director of CTA.

For many environmentalists, Lyfts role in the ballot fight is a tangential issue to the existential threat posed by climate change. They said theres also no guarantee that the companys drivers would get a sizable piece of the money earmarked for buyer incentives.

Theres no carve-out at all in the measure, said Bill Magavern, policy director of the Coalition for Clean Air, which supports the initiative. We have not made the progress in transportation that we need to.

If Prop. 30 passes, the Air Resources Board will be tasked with determining how the funding is doled out for rebates and other incentives designed to offset the higher sticker price of electric vehicles. The measure doesnt require funding for ride-hailing apps specifically, but Lyft could lobby the air board for targeted subsidies.

Supporters of Prop. 30 have accused Newsom of opposing the measure to protect his ultra-wealthy supporters from higher taxes. They said California  where several cities, such as Los Angeles and Bakersfield, consistently rank among the worst in the country for air pollution  must take bold action to cut tailpipe emissions.

This is a Robin Hood type of a ballot measure, said Dr. Ashley McClure, an Oakland primary care physician and co-founder of Climate Health Now, which supports the measure. I commend Lyft because theyre trying to align incentives in the right way. Weve got to help those people who arent already driving Teslas.

Sales of electric cars are surging in California  about 9.5% of new vehicles sold in the state last year were electric models, according to the New Car Dealers Association. But analysts say a much smaller percentage of ride-hailing drivers have electric cars, as few as 1-3%.

Uber and Lyft face a clear hurdle converting their fleets to clean cars: Their drivers are independent contractors who own their own vehicles and set their own hours. Both companies have partnered with leasing companies to help drivers transition to electric cars, though some critics say the companies are unfairly shifting the burden to drivers.

Harry Campbell, a driver who runs the Rideshare Guy blog, said most drivers simply cant afford the sticker price of an electric car, even though it would save them money on gas and maintenance over time. He said they need help to make the switch.

For a lot of them, its the upfront cost, Campbell said. I dont see how they could get there on their own.

Dustin Gardiner (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com
Where did San Franciscos wealthiest people decamp to in the pandemics first, frightening wave? Ritzy ski towns, according to data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Each year, the IRS collects data on how many people are listed on tax returns filed in a given region, along with the total amount of income reported on those returns. It tracks migration by comparing the addresses people file at from one year to the next, calculating the total number of people moving from one region to another and the total amount of income moving between those regions.

Previously the Chronicle reported that because of San Franciscos steep population loss  the city lost 4.5% of individuals listed on tax returns, or 39,000 people, according to the IRS data  people who left San Francisco by the time they filed their 2019 tax returns took about $10.6 billion with them, while people entering the city made just $3.8 billion in total, a net loss of nearly $7 billion.

The county that saw the wealthiest movers from San Francisco on average was Teton County, Wyoming, home to Jackson Hole and its famed ski resorts. The data showed that 40 different families, comprising 63 people total, filed their 2019 taxes in San Francisco and then filed their 2020 taxes in Teton County, accounting for a total of $37 million in income moving from San Francisco to Teton. That is an average of $586,000 per person, according to the IRS data.

Two other ski resort-heavy counties in the West made the top 10 regions with the wealthiest San Francisco movers: Washoe County, Nevada, located right next to Lake Tahoe, was number two, with 333 San Francisco newcomers with an average income of $324,000 per person on filings. Summit County, Utah  where the Park City ski resort is located  was number six, with the 96 people moving to the county accounting for nearly a quarter-million dollars of income on average.

Numbers three, four and five were Palm Beach County, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Suffolk County, New York, the county encompassing Long Island. People moving to these counties from San Francisco accounted for an average of $304,000, $273,000 and $247,000 in income each.

Based on the data, on the whole, people who left San Francisco for another state accounted for more money  an average of $155,000 in income  than people who left the city for another part of California, which accounted for an average of $130,000.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The counties with the lowest-income San Franciscans moving into them tended to be nearby, and more affordable. Merced, Fresno and Solano were among the counties that saw the least-wealthy movers from the city. But some lower-income San Franciscans also moved out-of-state, primarily to rural counties in Oregon, Texas and Washington state.

The IRS data also shows that the average income of people leaving San Francisco in 2020 shot up 67% from the previous year, from $82,000 to $138,000. Thats likely due to companies relaxing their work-from-home policies during the pandemic and the subsequent quieting of once-busy downtowns, trends which increased demand for larger homes outside of urban regions.

Susie Neilson (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com
A dermatologist in Irvine, California, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of poisoning her husband, police said.

A man reported that he believed he was being poisoned by his wife of 10 years after he grew ill over the course of a month. He also provided video evidence supporting the claim to authorities, police said in a statement.

His wife, Yue Yu, 45, was arrested Thursday after investigators interviewed her and searched the couples home. Records show she was released from Orange County Jail after her $30,000 bail was posted on Friday evening. She is due to appear in court today.

Her husband sustained significant internal injuries but is expected to recover, police said. The OC Register reported that the husband set up secret cameras to record the evidence shared with police.

Yu attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, according to her offices website, and now works as a specialist in dermatology in the city of Mission Viejo.

The hospital affiliated with Yu, Providence Mission, issued a statement saying they were aware of the arrest and are working with authorities.

This incident is a domestic matter which occurred in Irvine, and we want to reassure our community that there has been no impact on our patients, the hospital said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Yu's information appeared to be removed from the hospitals website on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vianney Le Caer/Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, known for films like Melancholia and Dancer in the Dark, has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, his production company Zentropa said Monday.

The company said it released the information in order to avoid speculation about his health leading up to the premiere of his series The Kingdom Exodus at the Venice Film Festival next month. Zentropa said von Trier, 66, was diagnosed at the beginning of the summer.
Heat 2: A Novel by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner (William Morrow)

Hollywood screenwriter and director Michael Mann and veteran thriller writer Meg Gardiner have achieved a rarity with their novel Heat 2: a screen-to-page sequel that stands tall on its own.

When the screen goes dark at the end of Manns 1995 crime drama Heat, professional thief Neil McCauley (played by Robert De Niro) and most of his crew are dead, put in their graves either by police or rivals. The sole survivor, a wounded Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), leaves behind his wife and son to avoid capture.

The Los Angeles Police Department is bloodied, too, by a broad-daylight firefight outside a downtown bank. A robbery-homicide division detective, Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), has shot and killed McCauley mano-a-mano near the L.A. airport. Hanna had felt an affinity for McCauley, both professionals who sacrifice their personal lives to be true to themselves. They understood and respected each other.

In Heat 2 Mann and Gardiner return to these complex and compelling characters  McCauley, Shiherlis and Hanna  but watching the movie first isn't a must to enjoy the book, just a pleasure.

What can happen with one character dead, one on the lam and one emotionally drained? Mann and Gardiner play with time, weaving prequel tales for McCauley and Hanna with a present-day storyline for Shiherlis and Hanna. But such cleverness doesn't overlook expanding these characters, and each one gets a new facet to a self-destructive trait: McCauley's cynicism, Shiherlis' sensation-seeking and Hanna's anger.

Slick as a Neil McCauley heist and as intense as a Vincent Hanna chase, Heat 2 is just dynamite.

___

Douglass K. Daniel is the author of Anne Bancroft: A Life (University Press of Kentucky).
San Francisco-based macaron shop Chantal Guillon is closing its remaining city store, located in the SoMa neighborhood.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Chantal Guillon announced that its San Francisco store at 1309 Howard St. was permanently closing on Aug. 12 due to financial hardship.

Unfortunately, we are sad to say that due to financial hardship and coming out of the pandemic as a small business, our SoMa storefront will no longer be open and we will no longer continue shipping locally or across the US, the Friday post read in part.

The closure of the Howard Street outpost marks the end of Chantal Guillons presence in San Francisco, where it was founded in 2008. On Instagram, Chantal Guillon suggested that it has plans for the SoMa storefront, but its unclear what those may be. SFGATE reached out to Chantal Guillon for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.

Chantal Guillon on Yelp

Its not all bad news. The owners reassured customers that they would continue to operate the Palo Alto store, where they plan to add more pastries on the menu beyond the colorful assortment of macarons they make in house.

Last January, Lubna Lassaque and her husband, chef Patrick Lassaque, took over the macaron brand after founder and namesake owner Chantal Guillon first announced the company's closure in October 2020.

Purchasing Chantal Guillon was a dream come true for the Lassaques, especially after they initially reached out to Guillon with a bid to buy the brand in 2018. Guillon wasnt interested at the time, but reached out to the couple two years later when she was ready to retire from the macaron trade.

[Guillon] came back to us and said, Hey, are you guys still interested because I really want someone who knows how to run a business, Lubna previously told SFGATE. We love the product and we wanted to continue it.

The Lassaques wound up buying the existing Palo Alto and SoMa stores, but declined to buy the original Hayes Valley store due to an expiring lease and inability to run three stores. San Francisco customers can continue to visit the SoMa store through Friday and place shipping orders through Aug. 9.
When I stepped inside the blue-and-yellow facade of the Irving Street Irish pub Durty Nellys early Sunday afternoon with aching feet and a hankering for a Bloody Mary, I braced myself.

After two nights of dodging swarms of stumbling 20-somethings on my mileslong trek home from Outside Lands in San Francisco, I wasnt sure what to expect. The lines outside of Tradr Sam and the Blarney Stone on Geary Boulevard were giving me war flashbacks, and I'd heard that this watering hole would be just as busy. But as I grabbed a seat at the well-worn mahogany bar and took in my surroundings, I couldnt help but let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The room was fairly full, but it was an even split of locals chowing down on bowls of shepherd's pie and festivalgoers stopping in for shots of gin and rum. Curtains hanging over the window booths provided hungover customers some respite from the sunshine, but some of the braver patrons hung out in the parklet swigging pints of Guinness. New Order and the Charlatans were playing from the jukebox, and the brick fireplace and shelves of vintage tchotchkes lining the walls added to the cozy feel.

Bartender Joanne Kane, who has been working at the watering hole for the past eight years, informed me that I came at just the right time.

Its our busiest weekend of the year, alongside Hardly Strictly and St. Patricks Day, she said after serving me my drink, garnished with a pickle spear, carrot, Brussels sprout, green bean and lime. By 9:30, we start getting nervous, almost, because we know everyone is about to arrive. And you can actually hear them coming from down the street.

While Kane was surprised that Friday night was a little quieter than usual  tickets for the first day of Outside Lands did not sell out like in years past  the afternoon lunch rush and post-festival crowd the following day certainly made up for it.

The place was packed. We had a line of people out the door waiting to get in pretty much the whole night, Kane said. The boys running security had cones set up and everything, and they were staggering people and only letting a few in at a time, so as not to go over capacity.

And though Bloody Marys like the one I was sipping had been one of the most popular drinks of choice among festivalgoers in the past, Kane noticed a new trend this year.

Amanda Bartlett/SFGATE

Weve served hundreds of vodka Red Bulls. A couple hundred, at least, she said with a laugh. I guess it gives people the stamina they need.

It was certainly enough to spur an impromptu dance party that lasted for hours. At one point, Kane said people were getting down to Lou Begas Mambo No. 5 before seamlessly transitioning to Green Day, whose performance they could hear from the backyard of the bar. The most memorable moment, she said, was when that crowd arrived and insisted on playing Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) by ABBA.

One of the regulars commented, Everyone just finished watching a punk band, and here they are getting down to ABBA, she said with a laugh.

And as chaotic as post-festival crowds can seem, she noted that it was a great time  everyone was polite and in good spirits. Maybe next year Ill join them in the evening revelry. But for now, the savory, refreshing beverage on a relatively quiet afternoon was just what I needed.
If there is any justice in the world, Rina Sawayama, the prodigious British-Japanese pop singer, is well on her way to being a top-billed, household-name pop star. And Sawayama's set at San Francisco's Outside Lands Saturday was her putting in the work to get to that point, an athletic, all-encompassing hourlong performance that sated her stans, named the Pixels and welcomed newcomers to her multitude of charms.

"I got three questions for you," she told the crowd with a winking grin several songs in. "Are you ready to dance? Are you ready to slay? And are you ready to scream?"

This was a threat and a promise. Sawayama's set started with brutish, hard-rock riffs and ended with a Lady Gaga dance party (courtesy of her take on Gaga's Chromatica highlight Free Woman"). And the hour between melded the two dissonant styles with ease, an act of alchemy that hits even harder on a live stage than on-record. Her voice can shift on a dime from Y2K-era pop girl coos and Evanescence's operatic frontwoman Amy Lee, and often fits somewhere along the middle. Sawayama, ever the assiduous student of the radio, recognizes that both these artists were slotted next to each other on the radio and on MySpace playlists; that the angsty kids and the preppy kids had more in common than either of them probably cared to admit at the time.

Blair Brown

She, along with her live drummer Simone (who celebrated her birthday on stage) and guitarist Emily, emphasized all of the singalong moments in roaring nu-metal joint "STFU!"  what a treat to just get to sing-yell shut the fk up without reservation  and transformed the downbeat electronica number "Akasaka Sad" into a revving, guitar-led ripper. At one point, she segued the song "Snakeskin," which talks about turning your family drama into consumable commercial art, with Nicholas Brittell's score for "Succession," a show where familial drama and commerce intertwine. It all ruled.

But that's not what draws her most devout of fans in; its her songwriting. The songs she writes are heady, emotionally and intellectually intense things put through the pop factory. (She double-majored at Cambridge, go figure.) Her most popular song is a lampoon of "Material Girl" capitalism; the topic of intergenerational trauma and inherited mental illness recurs often in her music and shows. (Veins and DNA strands featured heavily in her backing visuals, a reminder that your trauma shapes you at a cellular level.) When she said, "I can't not write a deep song" midway through her set as a throwaway comment before Catch Me In the Air, a song she wrote about her single mother, she is underselling her songwriting capacity severely.

All this is to say: Whether her new material, which spins country pop, or the big hits of her breakthrough album Sawayama," her gaggle of fans were adoring, worshipping her every move. They were rewarded handsomely, too: She performed the U.K. garage-meets-power ballad "Hold the Girl, a resonant number about healing your inner child, for the first time at Outside Lands; she also debuted a new, yet-to-be released song titled "Hurricanes."

Blair Brown

The clear standout of the set was the lead single off her forthcoming album called "This Hell," a country-pop stomper that asks the question: "What if Shania Twain made a song about the horrors of being alive in 2022?" It is eminently catchy, with a chorus about the devil wearing Prada and loving drama. When Sawayama introduced the song, she led off by asking drummer Emily (the token American on stage, she joked) about where country music and hoedowns come from.

"Probably Texas," Emily gamely responded.

"Pretend we're in Texas right now," Sawayama told the crowd.

She was roundly booed by the largely young crowd; we're in San Francisco, after all, and given the abortion ban and anti-trans legislation in Texas, her fans did not feel particularly stoked to fantasize about the American Southwest, even for a fake hoedown. It was a reminder that pop music, as joyous as its highs are, can't always be rooted in escapism  even if the songs that defined our childhood often felt like three-minute getaways. But throughout her set, Sawayama made the case that she is the pop star to confront this hellscape we're in head-on.
Its hard to miss the glossy new building perched near the Bay Bridge tunnels eastern mouth, jutting out from a forest of eucalyptus and Monterey pines. At night, a few of its units can be seen lit up in soft golden hues  meaning that after nearly two decades of planning and development, the first residents of Yerba Buena Islands luxury condos have started to move in.

Residents of The Bristol, the first of five new housing developments to open on the island, can now enjoy panoramic views of the bay from their soundproofed floor-to-ceiling windows, along with chefs kitchens, spa-like bathrooms and a communal rooftop terrace. Soon, residents will have access to 5 miles of hiking trails, 72 acres of parks and a private resort-style lounge called The Island Club.

But their arrival marks the beginning of a new chapter in Yerba Buenas story  one far different from the community that flourished in city-owned housing there for 16 years, protected from the scourges of high rent across the bridge. Those lower-priced homes were torn down to make room for The Bristol, and after a prolonged battle with the city and developers, many of the residents there were moved into houses on neighboring Treasure Island. But those homes, too, will be gone soon.

Today people question whether all of the promises of San Francisco are realized, and I believe on these two islands, its an emphatic yes, said developer Chris Meany, whose firm Wilson Meany is developing both Yerba Buena and Treasure Island.

Meany added that life on Yerba Buena is a little higher-end than most places in San Francisco. That might be an understatement: units in The Bristol sell from $800,000 for a studio to over $3 million for a three-bedroom condo.

While on a tour of the building, I thought their prices might make sense. The air inside smelled expensive, and I was scared to touch anything besides my notebook. Every unit I saw had a million-dollar view, with Treasure Island as the centerpiece. For now, it looks like one big construction site, but soon itll have its own skyline to match the one across the water.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Two islands on shaky ground

Treasure Island, connected to Yerba Buena by a single causeway, is an artificial piece of land constructed in 1939 to house the Golden Gate International Exposition, then used as a Navy base until 1997. When the base was decommissioned, hundreds of homes were left empty on the islands northern end.

Despite the fact that past Navy activity had allowed radioactive fallout to sink into the islands soil, the city of San Francisco was tasked with renting out 375 of its housing units, a third of which were designated to low-income and unhoused residents.

Those homes still stand today  I know, because I moved into one of them in 2018.

For the three years that followed, my life and the lives of the friends I moved in with became punctuated by frequent power outages, incessant construction noise and the constant anxiety that comes with living on top of what is essentially a pile of landfill in one of the most earthquake-prone places on the planet. Around our neighborhood were fenced-off areas with signs warning people not to enter, referring to the land as radiologically controlled or under environmental investigation for hazardous substances.

All of that aside, life was pretty good  and more importantly, rent was cheap enough that our little group of Black and brown transgender 20-somethings could afford a three-bedroom home on service industry wages.

Id often spend my days off at one of the Bay Areas best kept secrets, a small beach on Yerba Buena's eastern shore called Clipper Cove. The weather there is perfect, blocked from the wind by groves of pygmy oaks and arroyo willows that tower over the sand on wooded cliffs. Id explore unofficial trails that had been carved through the blackberry bushes by other visitors to the island. The trails led to hidden spots nestled in the forest, where students from Treasure Islands live-in trade school left metal folding chairs to sit, smoke and enjoy the view.

Other trails led to ruins from Yerba Buenas Navy days, including a dilapidated three-story concrete staircase completely covered in vines and moss. Id climb to the top of it to sit and watch red-tailed hawks glide over the water  water that, by the way, is actually warm enough to swim in during the summer.

Sam Moore, SFGATE

At the start of the pandemic, I ordered a booklet from 1936 off eBay called "The Legend of Yerba Buena Island." Author Marcia Edwards Boyes writes that, before being colonized by Spain, the island was home to an Ohlone fishing village called Tuchayune. It was then named Yerba Buena Island, Sea Bird Island, Goat Island (after goats were placed there to sell to trading ships), Wood Island and finally Yerba Buena Island once more. Control of the island passed between the city, the Army and the Navy several times over the years, eventually landing under San Francisco jurisdiction when the base closed in 1997.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

'A dream come true'

While the bulk of the Navys operations  and, therefore, the housing  was on Treasure Island, shutting down the base opened up some senior officers quarters that had been sitting vacant on Yerba Buena for years. After the base closure, San Francisco created a waiting list for people interested in moving into them.

Thats how Christoph Oppermann ended up on Yerba Buena in 1999, in a two-story, three-bedroom apartment near where The Bristol sits now.

It was the best place I ever lived, Oppermann said. The sense of community was unprecedented for living in the city of San Francisco. I dont know any neighborhood that even comes close to that.

About 100 people lived in the tight-knit community from 1999 until 2015, enjoying affordable rent, breathtaking views and a close connection to their fellow islanders.

It was a very close community of neighbors all looking out for each other. We were in an isolated place, so it required us to have a much closer relationship with everybody, said Atta Pilram, who moved onto the island in 2000. It was a very quiet and nice community, and it was definitely affordable.

Residents knew it was all temporary  a clause in their lease mentioned future developments somewhere down the line that would require them to leave the island. What they didnt know was when theyd have to leave, or under what circumstances.

The island was a dream come true, and we thought it would be gone in a heartbeat, but it took forever. We were told three to five years when we moved in in 99, and it took 15 until they finally did it, Oppermann said.

In 2015, the Treasure Island Development Authority sent out eviction notices to the tenants on Yerba Buena, offering them a choice between a $5,500 moving stipend or a replacement unit in one of the military townhomes on Treasure Island. Many residents, including Oppermann and Pilram, chose the latter option, but not before a battle between their community, the city and new developers.

I think we had some 500 public hearings, the developer, Meany, told me. Its probably one of the most vetted projects thats ever come from new developments in San Francisco. We had no-growthers sue to try and stop the development.

Some of those no-growthers were residents of the officers quarters, including Oppermann, who helped form a tenants association that met regularly at his apartment.

While their organizing efforts couldnt keep them on Yerba Buena, they did ensure that the group got the most desirable units on Treasure Island: three to four bedroom townhomes with remarkable views of the city skyline, placed far from the radiologically impacted sites nearer to the islands center. They were also told by city officials that some affordable options on Yerba Buena would be available to them once developments were completed, but that never became a reality.

I went to City Hall dozens of times saying, Please, do not turn Yerba Buena Island into a billionaires playground, and thats exactly what theyre doing, Oppermann said.

According to Pilram, a city official told residents in 2015 that future units on Yerba Buena would cost no more than $800,000. But today, the only homes selling for that little are studio apartments.

Obviously, we had some hope that we could save money while we were here on Treasure Island, and hopefully use that to go back to Yerba Buena. But thats totally out of reach now, Pilram said.

Meany said he feels that the new prices on the island are exactly where they should be.

I think rather than saying its an enclave for the rich, people should be saying, Isnt this a spectacular execution of what San Francisco aspires to be? he said.

The Treasure Island Development Authority did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

JasonDoiy/Getty Images

Theyre taking us out in little pieces

Both Pilram and Oppermann still live on Treasure Island. But earlier this year, the Development Authority told them  along with residents of about 140 other homes nearby  that theyll have to relocate again, some as early as next year. The agency is moving people out one section at a time, but eventually, its plans to turn the island into a bustling extension of downtown San Francisco will require that every current housing unit be demolished. Renderings of the planned developments show they will be replaced by a large park.

Theyre taking us out in little pieces, rather than the whole island. Theyre starting with this little neighborhood, then that little neighborhood, then that little neighborhood, then the whole island will be empty, Oppermann said.

When I was living on Treasure Island, we all knew about the development authoritys intention to tear our houses down. A housing plan published in 2007 states that all of the former military housing on the [Naval Station Treasure Island] (except certain historical buildings) eventually will be demolished. Like the renters on Yerba Buena, we also had clauses in our leases stating that our housing was only temporary. But, with some of us having lived there for over two decades and soil remediation efforts still taking place at radiologically impacted sites in our neighborhoods, many of us were surprised when construction actually took off.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

A radiological assessment of Treasure Island published in 2014 states that the Navy used radioactive isotopes during training in order to more realistically simulate radioactive fallout. This resulted in contaminated water being initially allowed to soak into the soil.

According to journalists from the Center for Investigative Reporting, in 2007, a contractor hired by the Navy found lingering radioactive waste all over the residential half of the island  in front yards, underneath sidewalks and even in areas that had previously been playgrounds. Then, at a 2018 Treasure Island Restoration Advisory Board meeting, a remediation project manager announced that the Navy unearthed 1,280 radiological objects from the island between 2006 and 2016.

Yet developers still stand by the islands future plans.

State and local health officials have deemed Treasure Island  which served primarily as a transfer station rather than as a shipyard or industrial site  as safe for living and working, and the City has already taken ownership of about 80% of the Island from the Navy, which means those areas have been cleared by state and local authorities, said a spokesperson for Wilson Meany.

The southern half of the island, further from present homes and remediation sites, will soon be dominated by new high-rise apartments and condos, shopping centers, restaurants and a whole list of other amenities I couldnt even imagine during my time there.

I was shocked to learn of Oppermanns looming eviction, in large part because most of the replacement units promised to longtime residents havent been built yet. (Those that have been built are nowhere near as nice as the one Oppermann will be leaving behind.)

Several residents feel this is just another tactic to get those of us that are living under rent control-like conditions off the island to make the units that theyre supposed to have available for market-rate renters, Oppermann said.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

About a quarter of the new units on Treasure Island will be designated for affordable housing, and some of those are reserved for the islands current residents. Residents who arent offered a replacement unit, or who dont want to move into one, will need to find somewhere else to live.

Its very stressful right now. We dont know what our future is going to be or where were going to be living, Pilram said.

When asked about the future of the island and the people that live there, Meany told me he feels both neighborhoods are moving in the right direction.

Housing here as a scarce resource is significantly more expensive than it should be. I regret that. But that's a San Francisco issue, not a Yerba Buena Island or Treasure Island issue, Meany said.

I read another 1936 booklet at the start of the pandemic, this one titled "Yerba Buena Island," by George Walcott Ames Jr. It chronicles an earlier turning point in Yerba Buenas history, the completion of the Bay Bridge, which turned the island from a sleepy rock into an anchor point for the ever-growing metro Bay Area. Then, as now, its only certainty was change.

As a main point along the bridge arterial from the East Bay to San Francisco, its setting is that of a swift and pulsing new era, the booklet reads. How different from the slow and easy days of the past.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:15 a.m., Aug. 16, to correct the spelling of Atta Pilram's name.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP)  Authorities broke up a large cockfighting event over the weekend and said they were forced to euthanize nearly 150 roosters found at a Southern California home, animal control and sheriff's department officials said.

Deputies late Friday discovered about 200 people at the residence in the city of Jurupa Valley and evidence of an illegal cockfighting event and multiple deceased or severely injured birds, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said a statement.
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Two men accused of crafting a plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and ignite a national rebellion are facing a second trial this week, months after a jury couldn't reach a verdict on the pair while acquitting two others.

The result in April was a blow to federal prosecutors, who had set out to show that extremists were committed to snatching Whitmer and causing chaos close to the election between Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump.

The trial of Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. means another public airing of secretly recorded conversations, text messages and chilling social media posts. It also comes at a time of intense news coverage of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by Trump supporters at the Capitol.

Jurors will see how undercover FBI agents and informants had infiltrated the Michigan group. In response, defense attorneys again will argue that Fox and Croft were shielded by the First Amendment when they expressed malicious opinions about government and were entrapped every step of the way.

The stakes are higher because the government has doubled down, Matthew Schneider, a former U.S. attorney in Detroit, said of the second trial. Theyre going to try this all over again, and the governments view is, Were going to prevail.

Also in the background: Whitmer's reelection campaign for a second term is heating up. Jury selection starts Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

This is like deja vu all over again, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said.

The government alleges that Fox, who was living under a Grand Rapids-area vacuum shop, and Croft, a trucker from Bear, Delaware, wanted to target Whitmer as well as other public officials over their tough restrictions during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A handmade shoot house was erected for weekend gun drills. There is evidence that Croft, Fox and undercover operatives took a night ride to northern Michigan to check Whitmer's second home and discuss putting an explosive under a bridge. Two men who pleaded guilty will testify again for prosecutors.

Im gonna hit soon, Croft was heard saying during a June 2020 meeting of anti-government activists in Ohio. Im going to terrorize people. The right people. The people who have been terrorizing my people.

Fox and Croft are charged with conspiracy. The first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict against them. The jury, however, acquitted Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.

Caserta's attorney, Michael Hills, said the second trial will be shorter and more focused with two people instead of four.

Defending a second time is always difficult for the defense, Hills said. They've got everything against them, the power of the government.

The judge said he won't mention the result of the first trial during jury selection. But if prospective jurors say they're aware of it, Jonker will ask if it would affect their ability to be fair and impartial.

The jury really needs to understand its decision needs to be based on the evidence in this case, not what happened in some other case, Jonker told the lawyers.

Whitmer, a Democrat, said little publicly after the first trial but opened up to The Washington Post during a recent interview.

Does anyone think these kidnappers wanted to keep me or ransom me? Whitmer said. No. They were going to put me on trial and then execute me. It was an assassination plot, but no one talks about it that way. Even the way people talk about it has muted the seriousness of it.

___

White reported from Detroit. Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, contributed to this story.

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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez

___

Find APs full coverage of the Whitmer kidnap plot trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
CINCINNATI (AP)  Federal and city authorities say a $5,000 reward is being offered in a shooting that wounded nine people outside a Cincinnati bar over the weekend.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cincinnati police department on Monday announced the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
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BETHEL  As the conflict in Ukraine nears the half-year mark, Broken Symmetry has decided to help those affected by the ongoing Russian invasion by doing what it does best: brewing beer.

Owner and head brewer Chris Sanzeni said the brewery on Depot Place is no stranger to charitable efforts.

We try to be part of the community and do what we can when we can, he said. Thats important to us.

When the crisis in Ukraine occurred, Sanzeni said he decided to take one of Broken Symmetrys previous charitable brews called Allegiance IPA and create a freedom edition to help support the Ukrainian people during their fight against Russia.

Sanzeni said his team supported the idea and decided to donate proceeds of the beers sales to the International Rescue Committee  a global humanitarian aid, relief and development organization thats been working to provide aid and assistance to those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

In addition to supporting evacuation efforts out of the country, the IRC has been helping deliver food and supplies, offer psychological care and provide displaced individuals with information on housing, employment and refugee rights, as well as cash assistance, according to its website.

According to Broken Symmetrys head of distribution and brand development, Rachel Diamond, $2 from every draft pour and $1 from every can of the new Allegiance IPA will go to the IRC.

Not only is it donating a portion of the IPA sales to the IRC, Sanzeni said, but the brewery is supporting Ukraine through the purchase of one of the brews ingredients.

While working on the new Allegiance IPA recipe, Sanzeni said he came across Farmers Blend No. 2  a combination of hop varieties grown at Puterbaugh Farms in Washington State  for sale with all proceeds going to benefit Ukraine relief.

Its kind of like a double donation, he said.

The new Allegiance IPA started brewing June 16, and got packaged July 19, according to Sanzeni, who added Norwegian and ale strains to the hops to create a hazy, juicy brew with tropical, fruity notes.

Its really a delicious IPA that also helps support a nation thats undergoing such a hard, difficult, awful time, he said.

Allegiance IPA available on tap at Broken Symmetry and there are also cans of it for sale that feature an image of a dove over paintbrush-like strokes of blue and yellow.

Its really beautiful, Sanzeni said.

Sanzeni said he doesnt know how much money from the IPA sales have been raised for the IRC so far, but he expects the donation to be at least a couple grand.

I dont have exact figures yet because it just went on draft recently  but we are moving through it at a good pace, he said. The hazy, juicy style of IPAs are pretty popular, so its moving pretty quick.
HARTFORD  Members of a state committee considering his application to get his law license back questioned Joe Ganims trustworthiness Monday as a friend testified that it took the Bridgeport mayor nearly 10 years to admit to him that he had been corrupt.

Former West Haven Mayor Richard Borer, who had taken the witness stand before the state Standing Committee on Recommendations for Admission to the Bar to support Ganims application to get his law license back, said under a vigorous examination by board member Richard Brown that Ganim has never admitted to him the specific crimes he committed.

Thats not the type of conversation we have, Borer said.

Ganim sat at the defense table in the ornate courtroom, writing on a pad, barely glancing at his friend during the testimony. He lost his law license after he was convicted in 2003 of corruption charges and sentenced to nine years in prison, of which he served seven years. He was given a second chance by voters in 2015 when he beat Bill Finch to regain the mayors seat.

Under questioning by Brown, a former prosecutor, Borer said that after Ganim was convicted he told Borer he was innocent of the charges.

Borer said Ganim didnt admit his guilt to him while he was in prison, or later on probation or even after Borer gave Ganim a job with Goodwill Industries of Southern New England where Borer works as president.

He said he made mistakes but he did not get specific, Borer said.

We have to make the decision  do we believe this guy (Ganim) or not? Brown said. Here was your good friend and he was apparently as deceptive to you, his good friend, as he was to everyone else. Im sure he is a good friend but we are not here on that issue. He is asking to become an officer of the court. You have to be trustworthy to be an attorney.

But Borer argued Ganim is trustworthy.

I think 100 percent he should be reinstated. Ive seen nothing but proof that he is making better decisions, he said.

Borer said he would hire Ganim as his attorney. I trust him, he said.

The process for reinstatement is generally lengthy with the application first going to the states Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel for investigation, then to the standing committee, a panel of local lawyers for recommendation and then finally to a three-judge panel for the final decision.

Borer said they had bonded when each was mayor in the 1990s. Borer said he became troubled about what Ganim was doing as mayor especially when Ganim appointed Paul Pinto and Lennie Grimaldi to prominent positions in his administration.

I though it was unusual that Joe would let certain people take a leadership role who shouldnt have a leadership role, Borer said.

But he said he didnt speak to Ganim about it.

Pinto and Grimaldi ended up testify against him after taking plea deals on their own charges.

Also testifying at Mondays hearing was Thomas Gaudett, the deputy chief of staff for the city of Bridgeport; the Rev. David Miller, pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church; Jeff Grant, former chairman of Family Re-Entry; Scott Wilderman, CEO of Career Resources and Ganim's brother in law Robert Kolesnik Jr. who told the panel that he believes Ganim is not guilty of the charges.

Ganim, who in the spring launched his 2023 reelection bid, told Hearst Connecticut Media last month, Regaining my law license is a separate matter from being the mayor or running for another term.

His lawyer did not return calls for comment.

In his application Ganim states he intends to practice general law with a concentration on pro bono representation of indigent individuals and families.

In 2012, a panel of local lawyers agreed Ganim deserved to get his law license back but a three-judge panel rejected his application stating he had shown no remorse for his crimes.

Allowing an applicant to be readmitted to the practice of law following a conviction on 16 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, mail fraud, bribery and filing false income tax returns without any apology, expression of remorse, or explanation, and with only a vague acceptance of an unspecified event, simply would set the bar for readmission too low in the state, and we are unwilling to do that, Superior Court judges Julia DiCocco Dewey, Elliot Solomon and Barbara Bellis stated in a 36-page decision rejecting his application in 2012.

Several years later, on Jan. 1, 2015, Ganim stood before the congregation at the East End Baptist Church prior to announcing his run for mayor and apologized for his crimes.

I made some errors in judgment, Ganim said. I got involved in the wrong things and I broke the law. I breached the trust so many had placed in me. And for that, and all that we've lost, I'm truly story.

Ganim ran for mayor that same year and won.

In his application for reinstatement filed in February 2021, Ganim states he is no longer the subject of any pending disciplinary proceedings or investigations and fully complied with all the conditions of his criminal sentence.

In April 2021, the Statewide Grievance Committee filed a motion to dismiss Ganims application for reinstatement arguing that he had not completed all the requirements for reinstatement.

Ganim countered that he had completed the requirements and the committee later withdrew its motion without comment.

The hearing was expected to continue on Tuesday.
As a deadly fire continued to burn last week in the Klamath National Forest in Northern California, Kenneth Brink, a local fisherman, counted dead fish in a river that had turned to the consistency of chocolate milk.

Brink, 45, a member of the Karuk Tribe, lives in Happy Camp, a town of less than 900 people on the Klamath River, in Siskiyou County. The town is near the border with Oregon. On Friday, he drove about 20 miles upstream, where he made the grim discovery: thousands of dead suckerfish, salmon and trout, many floating belly up.

It smells vile, Brink said. If it was in that river, it died.

The McKinney fire began July 29 and has exploded to more than 60,000 acres, killing four people and becoming Californias largest fire so far this year. According to local tribal leaders, the fire has also led to the mass fish kill in the Klamath River, which runs for more than 250 miles from southern Oregon, through Northern California and out to the Pacific Ocean.

Up to 3 inches of rain fell on areas burned by the fire Aug. 9, sending a debris flow of burned soil, rocks and downed timber into the river, said Mike Lindbery, a public information officer for the McKinney fire.

That debris turned into a plume of brown sludge that made its way downriver, according to tribal representatives. A water-quality monitoring station on the river recorded the dissolved oxygen level in the water at zero for both Wednesday and Thursday, they added. Sea creatures usually survive in water that has about 8 milligrams of oxygen per liter, but the oxygen level in that section of the river made it impossible for the fish to survive.

Its just sterilizing the entire river in that reach, said Craig Tucker, a policy adviser for the tribe.

Whether the debris flow would affect the Chinook salmons migration, which usually begins in the fall, was not known, he said.

On Sunday, the McKinney fire, which has prompted evacuations of thousands of people, was 40% contained, authorities said in a report on the fire. But Lindbery cautioned that dangerous conditions in the coming days could reverse some of that progress.

Gusty winds, low humidity and a very unstable atmosphere over the fire, he said, could create circumstances whereby embers might fall well outside the fire line. There was also a possibility that a huge cloud known as a pyrocumulonimbus could develop and ultimately collapse, generating erratic winds, he said.

Development and dam building had already threatened the salmon population of the Klamath River, impacting local tribal groups.

Brink noted that all of the fish that were killed hold cultural importance for the local tribes that live near the river. He said he felt frustration over the regions history of forest management, which had in the past prohibited local tribes from conducting cultural burns to tame the landscape.

Its chaos, he said of the impact of the fire on his community of Happy Camp, which is within about 35 miles of two blazes: the deadly McKinney fire and the Yeti fire, which has grown to nearly 8,000 acres.

He added, Im about ready to cry.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
NESCOPECK, Pa. (AP)  All 10 people found dead after an early morning fire in northeastern Pennsylvania last week died of smoke inhalation, authorities said Monday.

Autopsies were completed Saturday and Sunday on the victims of the early Friday blaze in Nescopeck, according to the Luzerne County coroners office. A ruling on the manner of death for all 10  classifying the deaths as accidents or homicides, for example  is pending the results of the state police investigation into the fire, officials said.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Dolly Parton is keeping a promise to visit West Virginia.

Parton is scheduled to appear at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston on Tuesday to celebrate the state's full participation in her Imagination Library. Parton indicated she would visit the state once all 55 counties were active in the book gifting program, the state Department of Education said in a news release.

The program is administered in West Virginia through a partnership between Marshall Universitys June Harless Center and the Department of Education. It provides a book each month to enrolled preschool children at no cost to their families.

Parton's appearance at the private event will be broadcast live at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Parton will perform two songs and participate in a discussion with Marshall University President Brad Smith, the statement said.

I am thrilled to share and celebrate that every child from birth to five in West Virginia is eligible to register for my Imagination Library, Parton said. Together, we can inspire children to dream more, care more, learn more and be more.
Video above: Full body camera video from the Moab Police Department



The family of Gabby Petito, who was killed by her fiance Brian Laundrie in 2021, announced Monday a wrongful death lawsuit against the town of Moab, Utah.

The lawyer announcing the lawsuit said the Petito family is suing in hopes of saving countless victims from future domestic violence. He noted it is just one part of a larger piece of the family's plan to raise awareness to the government and functional pieces of society so that these situations don't happen again.

"The goal isn't to punish individual officers," the lawyer continued, but to "honor the efforts of dedicated police officers."

The family members, who joined the announcement virtually, were emotional.

"Watching (the Moab video) is very painful. I've wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her," said Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt.

The lawsuit, which will be filed in the next few months, will focus on the handling of an encounter between Petito, Laundrie and police about one month before Petito went missing.

Petito's body was found in a Wyoming national park in Sept. 2021 and Laundrie was later found in a Florida preserve with a notebook claiming he killed her. He died by suicide.

The parents of Petito, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, filed a civil suit against Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, in March for damages related to the fact that they believe the Laundries knew their son killed Gabby Petito and did not share her location with them during the search.

To read the full lawsuit, click here.

The Encounter

The Moab Police Department in Utah released body camera footage from Aug. 2021 showing a traffic stop that occurred weeks before Petito went missing and resulted in a separation order.

Officers pulled Petito and Laundrie over after seeing "obscure driving," according to the video.

Video below: Full body camera video from the Moab Police Department

Petito is seen crying and said she and her fiance had been fighting earlier in the day. The officer proceeds to separate the two so that he can question them apart.

Petito said that she has OCD and had been frustrated over starting a new travel blog, which she said her fiance didn't believe she could do.

The officer then moves to speak with Laundrie, who has scratches on his face and said that he had hit the curb because they were fighting. While he said Petito grabbed the wheel, Petito told officers that she had punched his arm because she was upset they were being pulled over.

After understanding there may have been a physical altercation, the officer speaks with Gabby again. She said that she had slapped Laundrie the night before, but he had not hit her back.

In the video, Petito can be heard telling an officer that she had been hit by Laundrie after she slapped him several times.

"Is there something on your cheek here?" the officer said. "Looks like  did you get, did you get hit in the face? Kind of looks like something like hit you in the face. And over on your arm, shoulder right here. That's new? Thats kind of a new mark?"

Petito said, "Um, yeah, I dont know."

The conversation goes back and forth for a moment before the officer asks: "Did he, did he hit you though, I mean, I mean it's okay if you're saying you hit him. I understand if he hit you, but we want to know the truth if he actually hit you. Because, you know."

Petito said, "I guess, I guess, yeah. But, I hit him first."

When asked where, she said, "Well, he, like, grabbed my face, just like, I guess. He didnt, like, hit me in the face. Like, he didnt, like, punch me in the face or anything."

The officer asked, "Did he slap you in the face or what?"



The last part of the video is of Petito saying, "Like, he like grabbed me with his nail and, I guess, thats why it looks  I definitely have a cut right here. I can feel it. It burns."

The officer returns to Laundrie and asks to see all of the marks on his body, which is when the fiance tells officers that "it was more of a disagreement." He said that they weren't physical until he told Petito that they should take walks and separate for a bit. He said Petito then got upset and slapped him, which is when he pushed her back to create space but wasn't trying to be physical. The nails, her rings and her phones caused the marks, he said.

Officers asked if either of the two took medications, to which Laundrie said no. The officer asked if Laundrie was "normally this hyper," and Laundrie said it was because of the police lights.

Multiple officers discussed with Laundrie that they don't have discretion in the state of Utah for certain things, which include domestic assault. Because of the marks on him, and the fact that he did not hit Petito back, he was considered the victim of domestic assault. Petito would be charged, a separation order would go into effect immediately until the next day if Laundrie waived it and Petito would have to follow up in court.

Laundrie said he did not plan on pressing any charges against his fiance and planned to waive the order as soon as possible.

One of the officers then asks Petito a very important question: "When you slapped him, were you attempting to cause him physical pain or physical impairment?"

Petito said, "No. I was trying to get him to stop telling me to calm down."

Police decided, based on the definitions of "assault" and "bodily harm," that Petito was not being malicious and they did not charge her with domestic assault. They maintained the separation order to give the couple space for the night.

An investigative review into the Moab traffic stop involving Gabby Petito found the officers who responded made several unintentional mistakes.



Police have made the full 99-page report available to the public.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)  A former Kentucky Justice Cabinet secretary and lawmaker was arrested Monday and charged with rape.

Former state Rep. John Tilley, who oversaw Kentuckys state prison system under former Gov. Matt Bevin, is accused of having sex at a Lexington hotel with a woman who could not consent due to her level of intoxication, WKYT-TV reported, citing the arrest affidavit.

Tilley, 53, was being held at the Lexington-Fayette County jail.

Tilleys attorney, Steve Schroering, told news outlets that his client is innocent and turned himself in.

John Tilley maintains his innocence of the criminal charges and has cooperated with the investigation, Schroering said. He respects the judicial process and has no further comment at this time.

Tilley served as Justice and Public Safety Cabinet secretary from December 2015 through 2019, overseeing Kentucky State Police, the Department of Corrections and other agencies.

Before that, Tilley served five terms as a Democratic state lawmaker from Hopkinsville.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greeces prime minister said Monday he was unaware that the countrys intelligence service had been bugging an opposition politician's mobile phone for three months, insisting that he wouldn't have allowed it had he known.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who faces elections next year, made the remarks in a televised address to the nation three days after a wiretapping scandal led to the resignations of the head of the National Intelligence Service, Panagiotis Kontoleon, and the general secretary of the prime ministers office, Grigoris Dimitriadis.

What happened might have been in accordance with the letter of the law, but it was wrong, Mitsotakis said. I didnt know about it and obviously, I would never have allowed it. The National Intelligence Service, known by its acronym EYP, answers directly to the prime ministers office, a change Mitsotakis brought about himself after winning 2019 elections.

Mitsotakis said the mobile phones of Nikos Androulakis, who had been running for the leadership of the socialist PASOK opposition party at the time, had been placed under legal surveillance from Sept. 2021 for three months. The wiretaps had been halted automatically a few days after Androulakis won the party leadership race, he said, but did not elaborate on why the opposition politician was targeted.

Even though everything happened legally, the National Intelligence Service underestimated the political dimension of the particular action, Mitsotakis said. It was formally adequate, but politically not acceptable. It should not have happened, causing rifts in citizens trust in the national security services.

The prime minister said that since the handling of the issue was inappropriate, the head of EYP was removed immediately and his own offices general secretary assumed the objective political responsibility by resigning.

On Friday, the prime ministers office did not give any reason for Dimitriadis resignation. But a government official insisted it was related to the toxic climate that has developed around him" and that it had nothing to do with spyware targeting Androulakis phone.

Androulakis dismissed Mitsotakis' comments on Monday as a bid to play for time, saying the prime minister methodically avoided providing explanations.

Mr. Mitsotakis, I request that the reason why I was under surveillance by EYP be announced forthright, he said. I won't accept any cover-up.

Androulakis filed a complaint with prosecutors at Greeces Supreme Court on July 26 saying there had been an attempt to bug his cellphone with spyware named Predator.

The opposition politician, who is also a member of the European Parliament, said he became aware of the Predator bugging attempt after being informed by the European Parliaments cyber security service a few days earlier.

If it hadn't been for the official report of the European Parliament's special service, we would not have learnt anything about these dark practices, Androulakis said Monday.

Androulakis was considered the favorite to succeed his party leadership vote. As head now of Greeces third largest party, he is likely to hold the balance of power in the next election  due by mid-2023 at the latest  if no party wins enough seats to form a government without needing a coalition partner, as current opinion polls suggest.

Panos Skourletis, parliamentary representative of the main opposition SYRIZA party, said Richard Nixon resigned as U.S. president exactly 48 years ago because of a similar scandal and that his party expects Mitsotakis to at least do the same today ... to apologize and resign.

Responsibility for the wiretaps, Skourletis said on private Open TV, in no way ... stops at Mr. Dimitriadis and Mr. Kontoleon.

Responding to a SYRIZA request, the government said later Monday it agreed to shorten the summer recess for Parliament's plenary session by nine days to debate the wiretaps on Aug. 22.

In April, Greek financial journalist Thanassis Koukakis said he had been notified by digital rights group Citizen Lab that his phone had been the target of surveillance by Predator software from July to September 2021. The Committee to Protect Journalists had called for a swift and thorough investigation ... (to) determine who orchestrated that monitoring, and hold them to account.

The government has denied it uses Predator software, and Mitsotakis did not mention the journalist in his Monday address.

The prime minister said the government would propose changes to how EYP operates, including increasing its accountability and parliamentary supervision, and making internal changes to bolster transparency, personnel training and internal controls.

___

Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed.
Reducing the workweek to four days could have a climate benefit, advocates say. In addition to improving the well-being of workers, they say slashing working hours may reduce carbon emissions.

It's what you might call a "potential triple-dividend policy, so something that can benefit the economy, society and also the environment," said Joe O'Connor, chief executive of the nonprofit group 4 Day Week Global. "There are not many policy interventions that are available to us that could potentially have the kind of transformative impact that reduced work time could have."

Over the years, studies have documented a link between fewer working hours and lower emissions - reductions that experts explain may be the result of changes to commuting, energy use and lifestyle habits. One analysis of data looking at more than two dozen countries from 1970 to 2007 predicted that if work hours were reduced by 10%, there could be drops in ecological footprint, carbon footprint and carbon dioxide emissions by 12.1%, 14.6% and 4.2%, respectively.

"The one thing we do know from lots of years of data and various papers and so forth is that the countries with short hours of work tend to be the ones with low emissions, and work time reductions tend to be associated with emission reduction," said Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College who researches work, consumption and climate change.

For instance, reducing working hours could affect people's lives outside of work, said Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He suggested this kind of change could lead people toward more environmentally friendly habits. "They become used to a different lifestyle that's a lower consumption lifestyle because they have more time."

But those benefits would depend on a number of factors, experts emphasize, including how people choose to spend nonworking time. It's also critical, they said, to remember that reducing working hours is just one strategy to combat climate change.

"There's no one arguing that the four-day workweek is a silver bullet that will address all of our environmental concerns in one go - far from it," O'Connor said. "But can it be a very powerful enabler and a very powerful contributor? I think absolutely it can."

- - -

Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse emissions, Schor said, "and commuting is a big part of that."

In 2020, the transportation sector accounted for about 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The potential benefits of cutting down on commuting and travel were perhaps most noticeable during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. When widespread stay-at-home orders were in place, the emissions from driving, flying and industrial output were dramatically reduced. Air quality in cities around the world showed marked improvement, while global emissions plummeted.

Largely fueled by the pandemic, a widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models may mean many are already commuting less even if they work five days a week, O'Connor said - but officially adopting a four-day workweek could benefit industries that are still largely in-person.

A November 2021 survey of 2,000 employees and 500 business leaders in the United Kingdom found that if all organizations introduced a four-day week, the reduced trips to work would decrease travel overall by more than 691 million miles a week.

But the climate benefits of less commuting could be negated, experts said, if people choose to spend their extra time off traveling, particularly if they do so by car or plane.

Schor said it's important for people to ask themselves: "What are they going to be doing on the fifth day, and what is the energy use associated with that, and how does it compare to what they would have been doing?"

- - -

Shorter working hours could lead to reductions in energy usage, experts said.

According to a 2006 paper, if the United States adopted European work standards, the country would consume about 20% less energy. And if Europeans gave up those shorter workweeks, the authors wrote they would "consume some additional 25 percent more energy."

"There's a definite relation between production, consumption and carbon emissions," said Weisbrot, who co-wrote the 2006 paper.

Energy could also be conserved if less resources are needed to heat and cool large office buildings, Schor said, reducing demands on electricity.

When the Utah state government launched a four-day workweek trial among its employees in 2008, one report projected that shutting down buildings on Fridays would lead to a decrease of at least 6,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, Scientific American reported.

Any potential energy-saving gains, however, hinge on how companies and individuals use resources, Schor said.

For example, if an entire workplace shuts down on the fifth day, that would help lower consumption - less so if the office stays open to accommodate employees taking different days off. Energy consumption could also increase overall if people spend their day off at home or elsewhere doing activities that would use more resources than if they were at work.

- - -

It's possible that fewer working hours may lead some people to have a larger carbon footprint, but experts say research suggests that most people are likely to shift toward more sustainable lifestyles.

"The majority view coalesces around the idea that intense working often leads to intense living," O'Connor said. "By offering people additional time back, you're enabling people to have more time to make sustainable life choices."

One theory, Schor said, is that people who work more and have less free time tend to do things in more carbon-intensive ways, such as choosing faster modes of transportation or buying prepared foods. "Convenience is often carbon-intensive and people opt for convenience when they're time-stressed."

Meanwhile, some research suggests that those who work less may be more likely to engage in traditionally low-carbon activities, such as spending time with family or sleeping.

"When we talk about the four-day workweek and the environment, we focus on the tangible, but actually, in a way, the biggest potential benefit here is in the intangible," O'Connor said. "It's in the shift away from a focus on hard work to a focus on smart work. It's the cultural change in how we work and the impact that could have on how we live, and I think that that's the piece that's really revolutionary."

But moving to widely reduce working hours should not be done in isolation, he and other experts said.

"It doesn't matter how many days you work if we're still using fossil fuels," Schor said.
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LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Matthew DePerno made his political reputation on loudly and repeatedly questioning the 2020 presidential election results. It gained him the fervor of Republican delegates and the endorsement of Donald Trump in his bid for attorney general.

But now the political novice is accused of helping obtain improper access to voting machines and intending to use them to further the false claims, just three months before voters head to the polls in this and other key statewide races in battleground Michigan.

The reliability of election systems and equipment was already at stake in the race, given DePerno's history, but Michigan political experts said the new accusations ensure the issue will play a critical role as voters decide whether to reelect Democratic incumbents or replace them with three Republicans who wooed primary voters by pledging their belief in Trump's false assertion that he won the election.

The accusations against DePerno became public this week as Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel acknowledged a clear personal conflict and asked that a special prosecutor be appointed to oversee the accusations against her opponent and others.

The Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, a state agency, said in a statement that it can take 60 to 90 days for its staff to review a request and select a prosecutor. That could mean the issue isn't resolved before the Nov. 8 election.

DePerno released a statement Sunday night denying the allegations and saying that the claims were purely based on political prosecution.

During a radio interview Monday morning, Deperno said that 90% of the facts that (Nessel) lays out, that she calls facts in her petition, are either false or I have no knowledge of what shes talking about.

The Kalamazoo attorney is a political novice whose embrace of Trump's lies about the 2020 election won him the former president's endorsement and later the state party members' nomination for attorney general over a former Michigan House speaker who narrowly lost to Nessel in 2018.

DePerno's legal career typically focused on tax cases, with rare public scrutiny. As his profile rose following Joe Biden's 2020 victory, a March report by Bridge Michigan found a series of disagreements with his former law partners over billing, clients and other court officials that caused some Republicans to question his readiness to serve as the state's top law enforcement official.

DePerno made a name for himself among Michigan activists on the right by suing Antrim County, claiming voting machines there recorded votes for Trump as being for Biden in the 2020 election. He also clashed with GOP leaders of the state Senate and raised money for attempts to challenge election results in other states.

Trump, though, gave DePerno his endorsement in September 2021 and DePerno relied on it to defeat two other candidates for the party's endorsement in April, despite public acknowledgement that he could be among those investigated by the state for profiting from allegations of election fraud in Antrim County.

The Antrim County suit was dismissed and a Republican-led state legislative panel found no evidence of fraud in Michigan's 2020 elections, calling DePerno's claims demonstrably false.

The allegations made public this week went even further  naming DePerno as one of the prime instigators of a plan to get improper access to voting machines and use them to dispute the 2020 presidential outcome.

According to documents released by Nessel's office, five vote tabulators were taken from Roscommon and Missaukee counties in northern Michigan, and Barry County in western Michigan. Investigators found others in the group broke into the tabulators and performed tests on the equipment.

It was determined during the investigation that DePerno was present at a hotel room during such 'testing,' the petition to the prosecutors' council said.

Obtaining undue possession of a voting machine used in an election is a felony punishable by five years in prison.

DePerno and the others named in the Michigan documents join others facing legal jeopardy for embracing Trump's election lies, including a Colorado county clerk indicted for planning to breach election equipment.

Bernie Porn, a nonpartisan pollster who's worked in the state for more than 30 years, said public opinion is against Republican candidates in several key areas, including abortion and the veracity of the 2020 presidential race. In a May poll conducted by his Lansing firm EPIC-MRA, Porn said 61% of Michigan general election voters said Biden won fair and square.

Among Democrats the total was 97% and among independents 66%

Based on those numbers, Michigan Democrats would be insane" not to highlight DePerno's legal woes this fall, along with the Republican slate's unanimous primary statements backing Trump's lie about the 2020 outcome, Porn said.

If I were running a campaign for any candidate running against the Republican candidates for governor, attorney general or secretary of state, Id advise them to constantly remind voters that these on the Republican side believe the election was stolen and they have yet to prove it, he said.

Even before the allegations became public, DePerno told Michigan reporters that the attorney general race shouldn't focus on the election issue.

Lets start talking about the real issues that are facing people every day in their budget and how theyre managing their families, he said following a June 30 gubernatorial debate.

Republican leaders in the state stood by DePerno following news of the investigation, with Meshawn Maddock, co-chair of the Michigan GOP party, tweeting that Nessel is hell bent on going after her political opponents.

Party Chairman Ron Weiser said he expects the party's formal nominating convention on Aug. 27 will back all of the candidates previously endorsed by party delegates, including DePerno. He said Republicans have a great opportunity this fall in Michigan and questioned the timing of Nessel's request, accusing her using her office to target a political opponent.

The public is sick and tired of what happened during the pandemic, as well as whats happening now between Gretchen Whitmer and her allies, he said.

___

Foody reported from Chicago. Cappelletti 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.
In her ruling Thursday, Judge Maureen Dennis said enough evidence exists to try Michael Skakel, 39, in the 1975 bludgeoning death of a 15-year-old neighbor, Martha Moxley.

But Dennis also ordered that a juvenile probation officer conduct an investigation, before she rules on a prosecution request to transfer the case to adult court.

The case is currently being handled in juvenile court, because Skakel was 15 years old at the time of the killing.

Prosecutor Jonathan Benedict said he believes the investigation is nothing more than a formality.

"From my perspective, this further investigation is being conducted because it's required by the statute," he said. "We are confident that she will be transferring the case to the adult court and that we will eventually be presenting the matter to a jury of Mr. Skakel's peers."

Skakel's attorney Michael Sherman said he is confident of the outcome, no matter which court ultimately hears the case.

"It's neither shocking nor terribly disturbing. I've always said and will continue to say we will get a fair trial and an acquittal, whether it be from a juvenile court judge or a (adult court) jury."

Skakel, now 39, is the son of Rushton Skakel Sr., a brother of slain U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel. The Skakels lived across the street from the Moxleys in Belle Haven, an exclusive gated community in Greenwich.

For years, authorities suspected Skakel's older brother, Thomas, then 17, in Moxley's killing. But no arrests were ever made, and the case stalled until a grand jury consisting of a single judge was appointed in 1998. In January, Michael Skakel was arrested based on the grand juror's findings.

Moxley's bludgeoned body was found on her family's estate on Oct. 31, 1975. She had been with the Skakel brothers and other teen-age friends the night before, when authorities believe she was murdered as she left the Skakel house to return home.

Benedict has said Skakel should be tried as an adult because "no Connecticut juvenile institution has the ability to deal in any way with a 39- or 40-year-old man."

If convicted as an adult, Skakel faces a possible life sentence.
Money from the sale of Florida beachfront property where a collapsed condominium tower once stood will be used to pay property taxes of the destroyed units, a judge ordered Monday.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said in a brief ruling that the 2022 tax payments should not be deducted from the $96 million previously earmarked to compensate owners of the 136 units of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. The building collapsed June 24, 2021, killing 98 people.

Hanzman said the taxes should not be paid by the owners. Instead, the taxes  a little under $800,000 combined, county officials say  should be paid from excess funds available from the $120 million sale of the land formerly occupied by the 12-story building.

The issue arose after the court-appointed receiver in the case, attorney Michael Goldberg, told unit owners in a letter they would be liable for the taxes just as if their condos had been sold. The judge's order came just after the Miami Herald published a story Monday about the unresolved tax matter.

Oren Cytrynbaum, whose family owned two units in the building, said he was grateful the judge dealt with the issue quickly so owners would be spared further expense  even if it was a few thousand dollars each.

Every dollar counts for the victims. It's still a struggle, Cytrynbaum said in an interview. Everybody wants to move on and go to the next chapter. I think we're getting there."

Champlain Towers property taxes for 2021 were waived last year by the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis. But until Hanzman's ruling, there was no effort to forgive the 2022 tax bills.

The judge said that Goldberg, as the receiver, has had actual possession of the property throughout 2022 rather than the unit owners. The tax amounts vary based on a unit's size and where it was located.

The judge in June approved a $1 billion fund for people who lost family members in the collapse, as well as those who suffered physical or mental injuries. The $96 million is for loss of property, including the condo units themselves.

The money comes from 37 different sources, including insurance companies, engineering firms and a luxury condominium whose recent construction next door is suspected of contributing to structural damage of Champlain Towers South. None of the parties admit any wrongdoing.

A billionaire developer from Dubai is purchasing the 1.8-acre (1-hectare) beachside site for $120 million, contributing to the settlement.

Hanzman has been conducting a series of hearings on individual claims by collapse victims about the amount of compensation for a family member's death, which he recently described as harrowing.

It's a brutal process, the judge said. I just don't want to cause these families any more stress.

Champlain Towers South had a long history of maintenance problems and questions have been raised about the quality of its original construction and inspections in the early 1980s. Other possible factors include sea level rise caused by climate change and damage caused by salt water intrusion.

A final conclusion on the cause is likely years away. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is overseeing the investigation.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Kansas City police shot and killed a man who sped toward an officer in a stolen sport utility vehicle and struck a police van, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. Sunday after officers spotted the unoccupied SUV in a gas station parking lot, said Sgt. Bill Lowe, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which is investigating.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at a Kansas prison as an apparent homicide.

The Kansas Department of Corrections said in a news release that 56-year-old Fred Patterson III died Sunday at the Lansing Correctional Facility. He had been there since May after violating parole in a child sexual assault case.
Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain is afraid to step outside his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to water his plants. Or retrieve books from his car. Or even venture out onto his balcony.

My kids wont let me go outside of my apartment, said Hussain, 41, whose younger brother Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was fatally shot a week ago Monday just a few blocks away. He was one of four Muslim men who were killed recently in the city  three in the past two weeks  and authorities believe the deaths are connected and meant to target the Muslim community.

The latest victim, a Muslim man in his mid-20s from South Asia whose name has not been released by police, was killed Friday just before midnight. Another man, Aftab Hussein, 41, was fatally shot July 26. Authorities say that all three were ambushed and that the recent violence might be connected to the November 2021 killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, outside a business he and his brother ran.

As the Albuquerque Police, the FBI and the state police appealed to the public for help in finding the killer or killers  on Sunday authorities described a vehicle of interest, a dark-colored, four-door Volkswagen sedan  the attacks have left Muslims in a state of terror.

One member who attended the Islamic Center of New Mexico, the same mosque as all four of the victims, said that he may never return, citing a fear of becoming bait.

Other members have temporarily left the state to stay with family members in other parts of the country to wait out the investigation. One man, who immigrated from Iraq, said that he felt safer back when he first came to the country in the 1980s. Another member, Salem Ansari, said that some who attend the mosque and work night shifts have quit their jobs.

This situation is getting so much worse, Ansari said.

ADRIA MALCOLM/NYT

Ahmad Assed, president of the mosque, said that he grew up in Albuquerque attending the Islamic Center but never felt isolated as a Muslim in the city. But now, he said, the community is going through a sort of managed panic.

The elder Hussain said that he had lived safely in his neighborhood for eight years since moving to the United States with his wife and children. His brother Muhammad arrived in 2017, and both men would go to the library at midnight or buy coffees late into the evening while attending the University of New Mexico as international students.

Now, I look outside the window and think, Oh, this is the place where my brother was killed. Should we move? he said.

Hussain said that he had initially hoped to send his brothers body back to be buried with family in Pakistan, but the numerous gunshot wounds had made his brother unrecognizable, and Hussain did not want his family to see him. The killer wanted to finish him  the whole nine yards, he said.

In general, anti-Muslim hate crimes in the United States have been trending downward. Brian Levin, a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino and the director of the schools Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said that the number of hate crimes reported against Muslims was lower in 2020 than in any year since 9/11, though he added that those numbers may be skewed because of pandemic restrictions.

ADRIA MALCOLM/NYT

But he said that hate crimes remain a concern: They rose more than 20% in 2021 and increased another 4.7% in the first half of 2022, the center reported. Also, underlying anti-Muslim attitudes are pervasive and resurface during times of national hardship, according to Levins studies.

Authorities said that they are refraining from using the term hate in labeling the crimes until a motive could be established.

Just last year, the Islamic Center faced an attempted arson from a woman who police say set three fires on the mosque playground and one fire at the mosques main entry. No one was injured, and the woman was arrested and charged with arson. The case is pending.

The Islamic Center has instructed its nearly 2,500 members to stay home as much as they can, use the buddy system when going out and refrain from engaging with or agitating anyone, Assed said.

He added that he still felt supported by other communities but that this time he also was feeling a sense of hopelessness and despair.

I do watch my back and get in the car. Im watching all my surroundings, he said. You dont know whether theyre following you from the mosque, if theyre actually watching people going in and out of the mosque and following them elsewhere. The pattern is unknown.

ADRIA MALCOLM/NYT

Some community members have expressed frustration about the lack of details from the police investigation, but Assed said he was in contact with authorities and understood why they have kept any developments under wraps. Authorities have neither elaborated on why they believe the killings are linked nor indicated whether there were any witnesses.

Hussain said that he wanted the federal and state governments to pour as many resources as possible into catching the killer.

But until someone is caught, nothing is likely to lessen his fear  or his grief.

My 5-year-old keeps asking, Hey, where is my uncle? he said. Shell see me crying and say, Are you a crybaby? Why are you crying? But we cant tell her. Not yet.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
AP

VENTURA, Calif. (AP)  Remains of a man killed in the attack at Pearl Harbor have been identified as a Navy sailor from Southern California.

Shipfitter 2nd class Claude Ralph Garcia was 25 years old on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese forces bombed the military installation in Hawaii, the Ventura County Star reported Sunday.
MANISTEE  When Jason Freeman, of Manistee, saw what was happening as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he wanted to do something.

Fortunately, Freeman has the experience to do just that.

The U.S. Army veteran will head overseas on Aug. 15 to join the war in Ukraine.

"As I started seeing the civilians being killed ... I've been doing paperwork and getting connections for the last four months," he said.

Ukraine has been seeking volunteers with combat experience to join the war effort.

"When they were taking everybody, they realized that they were getting civilians and people who were either crazy or didn't know how to act under pressure," Freeman said. "So now the military will only allow prior service members or people who've served as a police officer, EMT or some type of medical emergency type over there instead of just the average human being."

And Freeman is not the average human being, having served as a transporter for six years in the Army and another two as a private contractor. He had two deployments to Iraq and his last duty station was Mannheim, Germany.

"I ended up getting put on a lot of security details, escorting infantry units through or providing security for civilians, because there's a bunch of civilian contractors that would go through with their trucks  stuff along those lines," he said. "(I did) a lot of checkpoint security, a lot of guard tower security. Then I got put on a Military Engagement Team, which means we would go in and kick in doors of people suspected of helping Al Qaeda or whatever terrorist cell group that was in there."

Freeman said he knew he had the ability to make a difference in Ukraine.

"I know it sounds weird, but I'm built for this. I'm built for war," he said. "I'm built for being able to try to save people, trying to calm people down. When the (stuff) hits the fan, for some reason, I'm able to keep myself together quite well.

"I know they need help."

Freeman's parents, Mike Howard and Brenda Cronan, own Rosie's Place, located at 9567 Chippewa Highway in Bear Lake. He said there is a donation box there for those willing to support his calling. He plans to use any money raised to get more gear for himself and the other people fighting in the war.

"Now I'm flying over there  I had to buy my own ticket," he said. "I maxed out my credit cards, I broke into my savings  I bought at least $10,000 worth of gear to take over there for my protection, plus extra stuff like first-aid kits, bandages and stuff like that to try to give out to some of the extra guys when I get there."

The 2004 Manistee High School graduate said he grew up wanting to be in the military and now wants to do what he can to make sure as many Americans as possible make it back home.

"At the age of 5, all I wanted to do was be a soldier. I wanted to help other countries," he said. "My thing is, I'd rather go over there now and prevent soldiers or our boys from being killed later on. Especially if this war blows up with Russia or China causing World War III to start, I'd rather be over there now to save as many American boys as I can before they get involved."

Freeman's journey will see him go to Germany and Warsaw, Poland before finally reaching the Medyka border crossing.

"That's where I will meet the Ukrainian soldiers. I will let the lieutenant colonel know that I'm there, and from there they escort me to Lviv," he said. "Lviv is where the (International Legion of Defense of Ukraine) headquarters is. The legion is all volunteers. They'll escort me there to where I sign my contract for the military. ... Technically, I will be a part of the Ukrainian Army."

Freeman said he will be placed with other people who speak English to avoid any language barriers.

"According to information I've pulled and the people I know, they keep a lot of the volunteers together, and then they normally use two Ukrainian commanders who speak English fluently, and then a bunch of volunteer sergeants from the Ukrainian Army that also speak English, so we can communicate and yell at each other to make sure everything's going on," he said.

Freeman said he is trying to spend as much time as possible with those he cares about before he ships out.

"It hurts me because I don't want to see my family or any of my friends sad because I might not make it back. I understand that there's a high chance that I might not come back, and I'm OK with that," he said. "Not that I want that to happen, but I'm signing up for the same reason I signed up for the military. I know there's a high likelihood that death is going to try to take me, but I'm pretty stubborn.

"I tell myself I'm immortal, I'm going to live forever, so I'm not going to make it easy for them if they try."
BEIJING (AP)  Myanmar's ambassador to China has died, the Chinese government said Monday.

I can confirm what you mentioned, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question about the reported death of Ambassador Myo Thant Pe.

He did not say when the diplomat had died or what the cause of death was.

Myo Thant Pe had been ambassador to China since 2019, Wang said.

He dedicated himself to the development of China-Myanmar relations, he said. We express our deep condolences and regret over his sudden passing and our sincere sympathies to his family.

China is one of Myanmar's closest allies and has expressed unequivocal support for the country's ruling military that seized power last year.
Advancing Connecticut, a new super PAC solely financed by the Republican Governors Association, reported Friday spending $920,000 on advertising attacking Gov. Ned Lamont on broadcast and cable television.

Its opposite operation, the Stronger CT committee financed by the Democratic Governors Association, has spent $1.4 million since mid-July opposing the Republican nominee, Bob Stefanowski.

The latest round of reported expenditures brings total spending on Connecticuts gubernatorial race to at least $14.6 million. So far, its a fairly even fight, with $7.4 million spent by Republicans and $7.2 million by Democrats.

Needless to say, more is to come with three more months of campaigning. Neither candidate faces a challenge in Tuesdays primaries.

The Democratic governor and his Republican challenger opted out of the states voluntary Citizens Election Program, as they did when they faced each other for the first time in 2018.

This year, participation in the Citizens Election Program would have limited their total spending to about $8 million each for the entire campaign, most in public grants of $7.7 million.

As of July 1, Stefanowski had spent $4.2 million of the $10 million he personally deposited into his campaign account. Hes also raised $1.1 million from donors. Lamonts largely self-funded campaign spent $6.3 million.

Campaigns for state office in Connecticut are limited to maximum contributions of $3,500. The limit for participants in the public-financing program is $290.

But there is no limit on contributions to super PACs, and the top donors this year have contributed $750,000.

Aside from the RGA affiliate, there are two other super PACs opposing Lamont.

CT Truth PAC has spent nearly $1.6 million. Parents Against Stupid Stuff has spent $200,000 on a website, digital ads and direct mail faulting Lamont for failing to speak out against what it deems inappropriate sex education lessons.

The former is primarily funded by three businessmen: David Kelsey of Old Lyme and Thomas E. McInerney of Westport each gave $750,000; Raymond Debbane of Greenwich, an investor and chairman of Weight Watchers, gave $100,000.

The Democratic and Republican governors associations, which raise money from business interests and private donors, are the sole donors to Stronger CT and Advancing Connecticut.

With the money flowing through the groups national accounts, the money spent by the RGA and DGA in Connecticut cannot be readily assigned to specific donors.
FORT GAY, W.Va. (AP)  A 14-year-old is accused of fatally shooting an adult following an ongoing domestic incident, West Virginia State Police said.

The shooting was reported Sunday afternoon at a residence near Fort Gay, police said in a statement. Officers arrived to find the adult dead on the porch of the home, police said.
LOS ANGELES  A proposal to declare San Clemente an abortion-free city has died after an emotional meeting where dozens of residents spoke on both sides of the issue.

The City Council voted 3-1 Saturday to withdraw the proposal from the agenda of an upcoming meeting.

Despite San Clementes reputation as a conservative bastion, the proposal has mostly fallen flat.

In heavily Democratic California, where the right to an abortion will continue to be protected by state officials after the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the proposals effect would have been largely symbolic.

Many residents, including some opposed to abortion, have argued that the issue is outside the citys purview and that officials should focus on local concerns like homelessness.

The coastal Orange County city has no hospitals or clinics that perform abortions, and it has no power to stop residents from seeking the procedure elsewhere.

City Councilman Steve Knoblock wrote the proposal, which declared San Clemente a sanctuary for life, stated that life begins at conception and opposed the establishment of clinics that provide abortions.

On Saturday, he was the only vote in favor of keeping it on the agenda.

Hundreds of people filled seats inside the San Clemente Community Center, including an overflow room with a live feed. Abortion rights advocates chanted outside.

Inside, too, the dominant sentiment was anger, with some residents terming the proposal overreach, idiotic or extremist.

Can the city tell pharmacies what medication they can sell? said Barbara Helton, who has lived in San Clemente for 25 years.

During the nearly three-hour meeting, she blamed officials for further dividing this community along religious and political beliefs.

Not your purview! Not your purview! some in the audience shouted at one point.

To loud applause, Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan called the proposal an attempt to subjugate women and girls like my daughters into second-class citizens.

Knoblock countered that abortion is a public policy issue that is now at the forefront of society.

He said a can of worms had been opened by the governor and state Legislatures attempts to strengthen abortion rights.

The city weighs in on issues that affect our communities, he said. The life and death of babies affect our communities.

Councilwoman Kathy Ward, who had earlier called Knoblocks proposal ludicrous, pressed her colleagues to get back to the business of San Clemente.

Councilwoman Laura Ferguson, who was absent, has said that officials need to focus on urgent matters such as homelessness and pension liabilities.

Responding to complaints about the short notice for Saturdays meeting, Mayor Gene James said many residents had urged that the issue be rushed.

Council members have received threats related to the proposal, which they have referred to law enforcement, James said.

James, who is opposed to abortion, has said he was initially in favor of a council resolution expressing support for overturning Roe vs. Wade. But he was appalled and embarrassed, he said, after reading the specifics that Knoblock drafted.

Duncan is a Democrat, and the other council members are Republican.

Some residents praised Knoblock for his courage in taking a stand against abortion.

This issue protects the voice of unborn babies, said Ann-Marie Hines, who has lived in San Clemente for 22 years.

As they left the meeting after the vote to table the proposal, some called Knoblock a hero who stood up to business as usual.
BAGHDAD (AP)  Demonstrators blocked roads as protests broke out in southern Iraq on Monday after power outages left many without electricity during scorching peak summer heat.

Temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), nearly matching last year's record high. Southern provinces, where the heat wave is most intense in Iraq, suspended working hours.

The Electricity Ministry last week announced a state of alert, anticipating outages as temperatures rise.

In the oil-rich province of Basra, dozens of people took to the streets for a third straight day and burned tires, blocking the main road to the provincial capital, to protest the power cuts.

While protests against power cuts took place in the south, the followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr entered their ninth day of a sit-in outside the Iraqi parliament building to demand early elections.

Many protesters in Basra said they supported al-Sadr's protest and demands and said they were tired of rampant government corruption. Protests in the south are common in the summer. In 2018, protests over the lack of basic services turned violent. In 2019, they paved the way for mass anti-government demonstrations in the capital.

It's not the first time we protest and it won't be the last, said Ali Hussein, 35, in Basra. We are continuing our protests for electricity and water, which are very basic demands.

Of al-Sadr, Hussein said: We support him, and we ask that he punish the corrupt.

The protests erupted after the collapse of the electricity grid in six southern provinces due to excessive demand amid high temperatures. Basra Gov. Asaad Al Eidani said the latest outages were due to a fire at a power station.

In the holy city of Najaf, a weapons depot exploded in the heat. It had belonged to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a state-sanctioned network of paramilitary groups.

Protesters began their sit-in at 3 a.m. Monday, frustrated and unable to sleep in the heat without electricity.

Iraq relies on neighboring Iran to meet nearly a third of its energy needs during peak summer months. Iraq, a top oil exporter, has the resources to meet energy needs but suffers from a lack of investment in the infrastructure needed to capture its natural gas resources.
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LANSING, Mich. (AP)  The Michigan Attorney General's office is asking that a special prosecutor investigate whether the Republican candidate for state attorney general and others should be charged in connection with an effort to gain access to voting machines after the 2020 election, according to published reports.

The Detroit News reported Sunday that Attorney General Dana Nessels office has asked that the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, a state agency, appoint a special prosecutor to consider charges against nine people, including Republican attorney general candidate Matt DePerno, state Rep. Daire Rendon of Lake City and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf.

The newspaper reported that the details of allegations were made in a letter sent Friday by Nessel's chief deputy attorney general, Christina Grossi, to Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

They involved convincing local clerks to hand over voting tabulators, breaking into them and performing tests," according to the letter.

The request for a special prosecutor was made because of the potential conflict of interest since Nessel likely will face DePerno in the November election.

DePerno, a lawyer, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The political newcomer supports Trumps false claims about his 2020 loss in the swing state to President Joe Biden. DePerno was endorsed by Michigan Republicans at their state convention in April. He will be officially nominated at a second convention later this month, but that was considered a formality.

Dana Nessel knows she is losing this race," DePernos campaign manager, Tyson Shepard, said in a statement Sunday night, The News reported. "She is desperate to win this election at all costs and is now targeting DePerno, her political opponent. Her actions are unethical and will further demonstrate to the voters that she is unfit for office.

Five tabulators were taken from Roscommon and Missaukee counties in northern Michigan, and Barry County in western Michigan, according to the petition, which further states that Ben Cotton, Jeff Lenberg, Douglas Logan and James Penrose broke into the tabulators and performed tests on the equipment.

Cotton, Lenberg, Logan and Penrose have all been involved in efforts to question the 2020 election. Cotton, Lenberg and Penrose were cited as experts by DePerno in a lawsuit involving Antrim County, The News reported.

Logan is the founder of Cyber Ninjas. He was involved in an audit of results in Maricopa County, Arizona.

The News said Leaf didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday and Rendon couldnt be reached.

Obtaining undue possession of a voting machine used in an election is a felony punishable by five years in prison, the newspaper reported.
Prominent demographers are asking the U.S. Census Bureau to abandon a controversial method for protecting survey and census participants' confidentiality, saying it is jeopardizing the usability of numbers that are the foundation of the nation's data infrastructure.

The Census Bureau embraced using differential privacy algorithms for the first time with the release last year of the first round of 2020 census data. Those numbers were used for determining how many congressional seats each state gets, as well as redrawing political districts in a once-a-decade process known as redistricting.

The demographers and other researchers ask in a letter to Census Bureau Director Robert Santos that the agency drop future plans to use the algorithms on two other important data releases  annual population estimates and the American Community Survey figures. The annual population estimates are used in the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal funding each year. The American Community Survey provides the most comprehensive data on how people in the U.S. live by asking questions about commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service and employment.

The privacy protection methods are inappropriate for the critically important data sets, which are fundamental to American democracy and to equity in redistricting, fund allocation and planning for government services of all kind," the letter said.

The Census Bureau has said that the differential privacy algorithms are needed since, without them, the growth of easily available third-party data combined with modern computing could allow hackers to piece together the identities of participants in its censuses and surveys in violation of the law. Previous methods of protection are no longer effective, according to the statistical agency.

A panel of three federal judges last year refused to stop the Census Bureau from using the algorithms after their use was challenged in a lawsuit by the state of Alabama.

Census consultant Terri Ann Lowenthal said the letter reflects the significant unease about the continued usefulness of Census Bureau data in light of new efforts to protect confidentiality in the modern world.

The concerns get to the heart of the bureaus mission, so Im sure agency leadership will take them seriously and, hopefully, find acceptable solutions based on meaningful stakeholder engagement, said Lowenthal, a former congressional staffer who specializes in census issues.

The letter was spearheaded by steering committee members from the Federal-State Cooperative for Population Estimates, which promotes cooperation and communication between the Census Bureau and state agencies responsible for demographic research. Its members started gathering signatures for the letter last week from other researchers and will present the letter to Santos sometime in the next several weeks.

Differential privacy algorithms add intentional errors to data to obscure the identity of any given participant. It is most noticeable at the smallest geographies, such as census blocks. For the next census in 2030, the demographers recommended using other methods to protect confidentiality such as combining blocks with few people.

Some of the detailed data that were made public in previous censuses won't be released at the smallest geographic levels, and efforts to apply the algorithm have delayed the release of the next round of 2020 census data until next year, almost two years after it should have been released, the letter said.

These key data for local government planning will be out-of-date when they are finally released," it said.

City University of New York sociology professor emeritus Andrew Beveridge warned over the weekend at the Joint Statistical Meetings conference in Washington that private data providers are ready to pounce" and fill the gap if researchers feel the Census Bureau data are unusable. That could lead to the privatization of the U.S. statistical infrastructure, Beveridge said during a presentation at the largest gathering of statisticians and data users in North America.

The demographers claim in their letter that the statistical agencys credibility is on the line, saying the experience of the last few years has undermined user trust in the Census Bureau.

At a meeting sponsored by the National Academies in June, Santos was asked about the feasibility of reverting back to previous confidentiality methods.

I understand where you are coming from. I feel your pain," Santos said. We have made a determination that if we want to protect data in todays society... that is not possible."

___

This story has been corrected to show that the National Academies meeting was in June, not last month.

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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russia on Monday announced a freeze on U.S. inspections of its nuclear arsenals under a pivotal arms control treaty, claiming that Western sanctions have hampered similar tours of U.S. facilities by Russian monitors.

The move reflects soaring tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russias military action in Ukraine and marks the first time the Kremlin halted U.S. inspections under the New START nuclear arms control treaty.

In declaring the freeze on U.S. inspections, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the sanctions on Russian flights imposed by the U.S. and its allies, visa restrictions and other obstacles effectively have made it impossible for Russian military experts to visit U.S. nuclear weapons sites, giving the U.S. unilateral advantages.

The Biden administration had no immediate public response to the move. Ankit Panda, an expert on nuclear policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, called Russia's action a cynical attempt to pressure the United States over penalties the West has imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

They basically are using New START inspections  something the U.S. cares about  to force Washington's hands, Panda said.

Russia claimed that U.S. inspectors have not faced such difficulties, even though Moscow has closed its skies to the European Unions 27 nations, the U.K. and Canada  though not the U.S.  after the start of the conflict in Ukraine in late February. Russia said at the time that exceptions would be made for diplomatic missions and deliveries of humanitarian aid.

The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that the freeze is temporary and allowed by the pact in exceptional cases.

It noted that Russia highly values the New START, adding that inspections could resume after the problems hampering them are solved.

Russia is fully committed to abiding by all of the provisions of New START, which we see as a crucial tool for maintaining international security and stability, the ministry said, urging a thorough study of all existing problems in this area, the successful settlement of which would allow a return to full-scale application as soon as possible of all verification mechanisms of the Treaty.

After the problems regarding the resumption of inspection activities under the Treaty are resolved, we will immediately lift the exemptions from inspection activities that we have announced, the ministry said.

The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, and envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

Just days before the New START was due to expire in February 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend it for another five years.

Panda, the security analyst, noted that Russia's action also comes during a review conference for the half-century-old Nonproliferation Treaty in New York, where the United States and Russia are discussing continued strategic arms reductions.

At a time when nuclear risks between the two sides are far from waning, its essential that the inspection protocols in the Treaty are fully restored, he said. The pandemic had its toll on New START inspection activity and Moscows unfortunate decision stands to further jeopardize things.

___

Joanna Kozlowska in London and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.
For Sean Severson, studying in China for four years was the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only did it lead to his career path; it also affected him deeply on a personal level.

There are so many neat places to visit, and anytime you can go somewhere and have a chance to learn and experience something new, its worth it, Severson said. Those experiences and memories will always be with you.

Severson is a graduate and international program student advisor to graduate and international admissions at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A 2010 graduate of Edwardsville High School, he received an associates degree from Lewis and Clark Community College before receiving his bachelor of arts degree from SIUE in 2014, majoring in history with minors in Asian studies and geography.

Severson studied in China in the summer of 2013 on a travel study program through SIUE hosted by Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. He returned in the fall of 2014 and spent four years in China, including a two-and-a-half-year program to earn a masters degree in international relations.

It was by chance that one of my friends told me of a travel study program and two faculty members from SIUE were going to China in the summer of 2013, Severson said. It piqued my curiosity and I applied to go, and I got accepted.

It was a five-and-a-half-week travel study to Hangzhou, China from early May to the middle of June in 2013. That created my traveling bug, and it really opened my eyes to a lot of things. It was my first time out of the United States, and it was a completely different world.

The travel study program inspired Severson to think about what he could do after earning his bachelors degree from SIUE.

Some of my professors, who were good mentors, said if youre going to get a masters degree, do it abroad because it gives you the most experience, Severson said. You can come back to the U.S. and do something else.

In the spring of 2014, Severson began to apply for masters programs, and he was accepted for a full scholarship in international relations at Zhejiang University.

After earning his masters degree, Severson did a year-long intensive language study program in Chinese at Zhejiang University. After that, he spent about half a year teaching English before receiving a job offer from SIUE and returning home in January of 2019.

Theyre not lying when they say that Chinese is the hardest language on the planet to learn, Severson said, laughing. It was slow at first, but as you put more effort into it, it became easier, especially speaking because youre doing it every day.

When I entered the intensive program for a year, I mastered a lot of other skills. Now, I cant say Im fluent by any means, but I can converse in most daily situations. In my first trip in my current position, I was able to do some light translation when I went back to China for recruitment purposes in June of 2019.

For the most part, Severson didnt encounter many problems during his four years as an American living in China, although relations between the U.S. and China were beginning to worsen.

Between 2014 when I first got there and 2018 when I left, I could sense a shift over time, Severson said. As a foreigner, you become used to being the only person like yourself in the crowd. You get a lot of attention, but at the same time, people are generally warm and theyre curious.

I never had too many issues, but by 2017 or 2018, thats when things started to take more of a nationalist approach and also responding to the trade war and other things going on. It didnt affect me personally, but you could sense it. Looking back on it, it was good timing when I left.

Once he found his comfort level, Severson fit in both academically and socially during his time in China.

The travel study in 2013 helped a lot, especially because the university I came back to was in the same city and I at least knew some of my way around, Severson said. The first two weeks were rough, and I almost came back, but things got better.

The courses were interesting, and we had Japanese-American and Chinese faculty, so it was very international. I had classmates from 13 countries. You get a great perspective of people from different countries on economic, political and historical issues within international relations. I find that valuable now, especially dealing with foreign partners in a work environment.

Outside of education, the opportunities were numerous for Severson. He visited eight provinces in China plus Taiwan, as well as a host of cities.

I had chances to make friends and try all kinds of foods and learn about the regional cultures, Severson said. I also got to practice my Chinese and learn a lot. I got a sense of daily life, what people think and what they do.

Severson was especially impressed with the diversity of dialects of the language and the beauty of the country in the eight provinces that he visited.

China and the U.S. are almost the same size in terms of land area and there are over 50 ethnic minorities, Severson said. Theyre similar, but they have their own unique culture within China. Its a very homogenous country in terms of people, but every place has its own essence. Its much more than what we see on TV. Theres a huge difference between the political realm and what is happening on the ground.

Im still in touch with my best friend from China and I keep in touch with a lot of other people, and in light of current events, its interesting to hear what they have to say. Im also in contact with some of my classmates, including one from Russia, two from Turkey and one from Bulgaria. You build a network of friends, and it opens up a lot of opportunities, both in terms of travel and point of view.

Seversons experiences in China help him every day in his job at SIUE.

In my position, I help recruit international students for graduate and undergraduate programs and I also with domestic graduate students, Severson said. In that time, Ive traveled back to China in 2019 and I went to India and Nepal in early 2020, but the pandemic has pretty much shut down international travel.

Hopefully, well be able to get back to traveling sometime in the near future. Were still getting record numbers of international students to SIUE. Were should have up to 500 for the fall semester.

Since late 2019, Severson has hosted a podcast about international topics called International Immersion, with the goal to expose and enrich the local community with international elements, travel and opportunities. The podcast recently marked its 81st episode.

I wanted to create something that I could share and at the same time allow people to mix, mingle and learn, Severson said. I do personal stuff about my travels, but I also talk about cultural things. Ive done group episodes on people from different cultures and current events like the war in Ukraine. I had a gentleman from Mariupol, the city that was under siege for three months.

Im always looking for people who want to share their experiences. I also just launched a YouTube channel for the podcast as well. Its not so much a business thing for me now as a hobby.

Thanks to his time in China and his current work at SIUE, Severson can provide some valuable advice for students that are interested in traveling abroad.

The first thing is that you need to have a strong sense of curiosity and determination, Severson said. When you travel abroad, you need to put aside all of your preconceived notions and you have to be a sponge, open to other things.

Another factor is to be willing to take risks and step outside your comfort zone. If you never leave home, youre never going to know what the world is like. You dont have to stay as long as I did, but its a great opportunity and coming back home, it gives you a lot of advantages, both for work and personal life.

Severson advises potential international travelers to be strategic and save their money accordingly for wherever they want to go.

You can use the travel services and thats a great way to start, Severson said, If youre a student, do a travel study abroad through your school if you have the opportunity. Its a safe way to do it because youre with faculty and other students. After that, you can take the next step and do it on your own.

Severson, meanwhile, cant wait to start traveling again.

I would like to visit southeast Asia. My girlfriend is from Vietnam, and we may want to go there next year along with Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, Severson said. I also have friends in Malaysia and Japan, and Id like to go there as well. At this point, the pandemic is the biggest hurdle.
President Donald Trump once told a top adviser that he wanted "totally loyal" generals like the ones who had served Adolf Hitler - unaware that some of Hitler's generals had tried to assassinate the Nazi leader several times, according to a new book about the Trump presidency.

Trump complained to John Kelly, then his chief of staff and a retired Marine Corps general, "why can't you be like the German generals?" according to "The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021" by journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser.

When Kelly asked which generals he meant, Trump replied: "The German generals in World War II."

"You do know that they tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off?" Kelly said, according to the book.

Trump didn't believe him, the book says. "No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him," Trump insisted.

An excerpt of the book, published Monday in The New Yorker, paints a picture of a president at conflict with his own military leaders, who were torn between resigning in protest and staying on as members of the Trump administration to prevent greater catastrophe.

According to those interviewed for the book, Trump's military leaders and advisers were regularly trying to pull back on Trump's desire to inflate his image and power, and to reconcile that desire with the values of the United States.

In one conversation from the book, Trump reportedly told Kelly he didn't want any injured veterans to be part of an Independence Day parade he was planning.

A spokesman for Trump had no immediate comment about the revelations in the book.

In another portion of the book, the authors describe how Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, drafted a resignation letter in the days after military police fired gas canisters and used grenades containing rubber pellets, clearing racial justice protesters from Lafayette Square ahead of Trump's photo op in front of nearby St. John's Church.

That event and other recent ones had prompted Milley to do "deep soul-searching," Milley wrote in the letter, adding that he believed Trump was "doing great and irreparable harm" to the country. He wrote that he thought the president had made "a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military" and that he no longer believed he could change that.

"You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the people - and we are trying to protect the American people," Milley wrote. "I cannot stand idly by and participate in that attack, verbally or otherwise, on the American people."

Trump, he added later, did not seem to believe or value the idea, embodied in the Constitution, that all men and women are created equal. Lastly, Milley said he "deeply" believed that Trump was ruining the international order and causing significant damage to the United States overseas and did not understand that millions of Americans had died in wars fighting fascism, Nazism and extremism.

"It's now obvious to me that you don't understand that world order. You don't understand what [World War II] was all about," Milley wrote. "In fact, you subscribe to many of the principles that we fought against. And I cannot be a party to that."

Though the resignation letter was ultimately never sent, it showed the degree to which Milley believed Trump had already inflicted damage on the country. And though he was convinced by several not to quit, Milley would later fear two "nightmare scenarios" related to Trump's attempts to hang onto power at home, according to the book.

"Milley feared that Trump's 'Hitler-like' embrace of his own lies about the election would lead him to seek a 'Reichstag moment,' " Baker and Glasser wrote, referring to a 1933 fire in the German parliament that Hitler seized to take control of the country. "Milley now envisioned a declaration of martial law or a Presidential invocation of the Insurrection Act, with Trumpian Brown Shirts fomenting violence."

Milley later feared that the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection - in which a pro-Trump mob overran the U.S. Capitol to try to stop the certification of Joe Biden's electoral victory - was in fact that "Reichstag moment."

"They shook the very Republic to the core," Milley later said about the Capitol attack, according to the book. "Can you imagine what a group of people who are much more capable could have done?"
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Gov. Tim Walz took advantage of the chance to vote early in Tuesday's primary, then joined a fellow Democrat, Secretary of State Steve Simon, on Monday to defend the integrity of Minnesota's election system.

Walz, accompanied by his wife, Gwen, and his daughter, Hope, went to the Ramsey County elections office to fill out his ballot and feed it into the tabulator. The incumbent's 21-year-old daughter said it was her first chance to vote for her father because she was too young by two months when he first ran for governor in 2018.

Minnesota has the fairest, the most secure and the largest-turnout elections in America," Walz told reporters afterward to counter attempts by Republicans to cast doubt on the validity of the process and the outcome of the 2020 elections. He later added, "The outrageous statements around our elections are undermining our democracy.

Walz singled out a comment by Simon's presumptive Republican challenger, Kim Crockett, about a state court ruling that made it easier for people with disabilities or whose English proficiency was limited to get help filling out a ballot. In a 2020 interview on KTLK-AM, resurfaced by the Huffington Post last week, she said the ruling raises the question, um, should they be voting? We can talk about that another time.

Crockett said her comments were completely taken out of context. She tweeted Saturday that she was talking about protecting vulnerable voters from those who might try to influence their votes under the guise of providing assistance.

Walz called her remarks un-American. Walz also ripped his own likely GOP challenger, Dr. Scott Jensen, for suggesting Simon should be jailed for rule changes he made to facilitate voting from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jensen made his remarks at a party meeting in the spring, saying Simon had gotten away with too much for too long, but he provided no evidence that Simon had done anything illegal. Courts have repeatedly upheld the rule changes.

Simon criticized Crockett for pushing for limits on absentee voting to make in-person voting the norm. He said absentee voting was the very system that saved the 2020 election. Without it things would have gone much, much worse. With it, we enabled Minnesotans not to have to choose between their health and their right to vote.

Simon said 58% of Minnesotans voted by absentee ballot in 2020, before COVID-19 vaccines became available. He said the pace of early voting has been much slower this time around. Simon said he plans vote in person on Tuesday.

Primary turnout is hard to predict, Simon said, declining to give an estimate for Tuesday. But he noted that there are some hot races on the ballot to draw voter interest, including in southern Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, where there's both a special general election to fill the remaining months of the term of the late U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, and simultaneous Republican and Democratic primaries to set the field for the November ballot to fill Hagedorn's seat in the next Congress.

Other closely watched races include the statewide Republican primary to choose an opponent for Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison. The GOP-endorsed candidate, Jim Schultz, is trying to fend off a challenge from the right by Doug Wardlow, general counsel at MyPillow and an ally of its founder, Mike Lindell, a leading booster of false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

Among Democrats, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the biggest national stars of the left, is facing a challenge from the center in her Minneapolis-based district. Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels has made rising crime a key issue against Omar, a vocal supporter of the defund the police movement. Liberal U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum faces a challenge from her left by community activist Amane Badhasso in her St. Paul-area district.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Five years after Brian Spauldings parents found him fatally shot, his slaying remains a mystery that seems increasingly unlikely to be solved as Portland, Oregon, police confront a spike in killings and more than 100 officer vacancies.

Portlands homicide rate surged 207% since 2019 and detectives working older cases are now swamped with new ones.

To us, its not a cold case, said George Spaulding, who has his sons signature tattooed on his arm. Were not dissatisfied with the Police Bureau because I think theyre doing the best they can, he said. They are just overwhelmed. Its insane.

From Philadelphia to Portland to Los Angeles, killings and gun violence are rising at the same time officers worn out by the pandemic and disillusioned over the calls to divest from policing are quitting or retiring faster than they can be replaced.

Departments are scrambling to recruit in a tight labor market and also rethinking what services they can provide. Many have shifted veteran officers to patrol, breaking up specialized teams to keep up with 911 calls.

Were getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them, said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Eric Gripp, whose department has been rotating employees from specialty units to increase patrols.

Departments all over are down and recruitment has been difficult.

Los Angeles, which is down more than 650 officers from its pre-pandemic staffing, shuttered its animal cruelty unit and downsized its human trafficking, narcotics and gun details and reduced its homeless outreach teams by 80%. Seattle recently announced $2 million in hiring bonuses and benefits to lure recruits amid a critical officer shortage.

For me, I wonder, what the profession is going to be 20 years from now if were having these challenges on a nationwide scale. Are we going to be able to recruit enough people to serve our cities? asked Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell, whose force has lost 237 sworn officers through retirements or resignations since 2020.

Portland logged a record 89 homicides last year  roughly three times its historical average  and is on pace to top that this year after already tallying more than 50. A report completed for the city last month by the California Partnership for Safe Communities found 75% of homicides in 2020 were by gun. The city has seen nearly 800 shootings this year.

That follows a national trend. While non-violent crime decreased during the pandemic, the murder rate increased nearly 30% in 2020 and the rate of assaults went up 10%, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Its unclear whats driving the surge, but COVID-19 created huge social disruption and upended government and community support systems. Gun sales also spiked during the pandemic.

Experts say widely cited theories that violent crime is worse in places that changed policing tactics in the wake of protests over Floyds murder dont bear out. Violent crime has increased in red and blue communities alike, regardless of their approach.

Theres a lot of evidence that something bigger is going on than the social justice protests that happened, and its probably more than one thing, said Ben Struhl, executive director of the Crime and Justice Policy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jeremiah King, who is transitioning out of homelessness, was shot while trying to protect a friend in Portland who was being attacked just a short walk from the citys business district.

I didnt feel anything at first but 10 seconds later I could hardly breathe, King said after three nights in the hospital. I thought I was going to pass away.

To address the violence, Portlands police chief broke up specialized units to bolster patrol numbers and moved detectives from assault, cold case and gun violence units to his homicide squad. That effectively stopped investigations into about 300 unsolved slayings.

Brian Spauldings parents now must consider the possibility that one day no one will be assigned to their son's case.

I keep thinking that with all of the gun violence thats going on, they might be able to get a gun that matches the gun that killed Brian, said Carolyn Spaulding.

But what law enforcement says is a staffing crisis could actually be a case of misdirected resources, said Christy Lopez, co-director of Georgetown Law Schools Center for Innovations in Community Safety.

In some departments, police have sworn in new recruits this year, although the numbers arent keeping up with attrition, they say.

You really cant take it at face value when a department says you need more police officers. You need to look at a staffing audit: What are your police officers doing? What are they unable to do? It might mean that you actually need another Boys and Girls Club, not more officers, she said.

Some have celebrated the downsizing, including homeless advocates in Los Angeles, where four out of five homeless outreach teams were disbanded.

Police should be nowhere around outreach. You cant be the provider of services as well as the jailer, said Pete White, the founder and executive director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network.

Still many others are fed up with perceived lack of action by police.

In Philadelphia, where the department is down 550 officers from pre-pandemic staffing and another 860 are on medical leave or restricted duty, City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez said there are more than 30,000 backlogged police complaints about abandoned cars.

Officers normally assigned to a unit dealing with neighborhood issues have been shifted to violent hot spots, where the homicide rate reached a record high last year.

The abandoned cars bring trash in the areas, then you know other crimes, quality of life issues, drug dealing, shootings, killings, said Kimberly Washington, executive director of the Frankford Community Development Corporation. This starts to look like the place where this can all go down because no one cares.

Royal Harris knows what thats like.

Growing up in Portlands gang territory in the 1990s, his brother, two first cousins, two second cousins and numerous friends were shot to death  and many of those cases remain unsolved.

Harris supports the temporary shut-down of the citys cold case unit if it means police can close fresh cases, even though it takes resources from solving his own loved ones slayings.

Under the current climate, somebodys going to feel cheated and we have to be honest with that. The question is, who do we cheat? he said. These hard decisions (have) to be made to stop this.

____

Lauer reported from Philadelphia and Dazio reported from Los Angeles.
Albuquerque police are investigating the killings of four members of the Muslim community in Albuquerque. Police believe all four are connected.

Police believe three recent murders and a murder that happened on Nov. 7, 2021, could be potentially connected.

Albuquerque police say the first homicide happened on Nov. 7, 2021. In that incident, Mohammad Ahmadi was killed outside of a business he and his brother ran at 1401 San Mateo Blvd. Ahmadi was from Afghanistan. Police are working to determine if this murder is connected to three other murders that happened in the city.

Albuquerque police say the second homicide happened on July 26 in southeast Albuquerque. Police identified the victim as 41-year-old Aftab Hussein. Hussein was from Pakistan.

The third homicide happened on Aug. 1. Police say Muhammed Afzaal Hussain was killed in southeast Albuquerque.

RELATED: Albuquerque homicides on pace with last year's record

The fourth homicide happened on Friday. Police say they responded to reports of a shooting on Truman Street and Grand Avenue in northeast Albuquerque. When police arrived, they found a male believed to be in his mid-20s dead at the scene. Police say the victim was Muslim and was a native of South Asia.

Police are still not calling this a hate crime, nor are they calling the suspect a serial killer.

If you have any information on the incident, call Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The Albuquerque Police Department has also created a portal for the public to submit any video or photo evidence related to the case. Click here to access the portal.

The governor devoted state resources to assist in the investigation. The FBI is also assisting.

Who are the victims?

Police have named three of the four victims who were killed.

Mohammad Ahmadi was killed on Nov. 7, 2021.

Aftab Hussein was killed on July 26, 2022.

Muhammed Afzaal Hussain was killed on Aug. 1.

Police have not identified the fourth victim killed on Aug 5.

Muhammed Hussain was the Planning and Land Use Director for the city of Espanola.

Who is the suspect?

Albuquerque police released a description of a vehicle they are looking for in relation to the investigation. A suspect has not been named or identified by police.

Police are looking for a dark grey or silver Volkswagen sedan with four doors and tinted windows. Police say the vehicle could be a Jetta.

A community reacts

At a news conference Saturday afternoon, officials expressed concern over the series of shootings.

"We've never gone through anything like this before," said Ahmad Assed, president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico. "This is really a surreal time for us. We're in fear of the safety of our children, our families."

"It's not about just the Muslim community, but the entire community," Assed added. "We're all in it together. This is a very troubling time for all of us."

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have also spoken about the recent killings in Albuquerque.

Community safety resources

In a news conference on Sunday, Albuquerque police announced efforts to try and identify the vehicle of interest as well as resources devoted to keeping the community safe.

Police are working to protect students on both APS campuses and on university campuses throughout the city. Police officers will have an increased presence at places of worship, mosques, and schools while the investigation and search for the suspect is ongoing.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  A polar bear attacked a campsite Monday in Norways remote Arctic Svalbard Islands, injuring a French tourist, authorities said, adding that the wounds weren't life-threatening. The bear was later killed.

The woman, who was not identified, was part of a tour group of 25 people camping at Sveasletta, in the central part of the Svalbard archipelago, which sits more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of the Norwegian mainland. The campsite was located across a fjord from Longyearbyen, the main settlement in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago.

Authorities responded to the news of the attack, which came shortly before 8:30 a.m., by flying there in a helicopter, chief superintendent Stein Olav Bredli.

The French woman suffered injuries to an arm. Shots were fired at the polar bear, which was scared away from the area, he said. Further details on her injuries weren't disclosed. She was flown by helicopter to the hospital in Longyearbyen.

The main newspaper on the Arctic archipelago, Svalbardposten, said the victim was a woman in her 40s, and quoted local hospital official Solveig Jacobsen as saying that the woman was slightly injured.

Bredil later told Svalbardposten that the animal has been badly injured" and following a professional assessment it was put to sleep. It was unclear how it was killed.

Svalbard is dotted with warnings about polar bears. Visitors who choose to sleep outdoors receive stern warnings from authorities that people must carry firearms. At least five people have been killed by polar bears since the 1970s. In 2011, a British teenager was killed and the last time a fatal polar bear mauling was reported on Svalbard was in 2020, when a 38-year-old Dutchman was killed.

Following that attack, there was a debate as to whether people should be allowed to camp in tents but no ban has been decided.

Some residents in Svalbard, home to more than 2,500 people, want a round-the-clock polar bear watch, while others advocate killing all bears that get close to humans.

From 2009 to 2019, 14 polar bears were shot, Norwegian broadcaster NRK said. An estimated 20,000-25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic.

In 2015, a polar bear dragged a Czech tourist out of his tent as he and others were camping north of Longyearbyen, clawing his back before being driven away by gunshots. The bear was later found and killed by authorities.
By Olivia Wynkoop

Bay City News Foundation

LATEST 4:22 p.m.: San Francisco police named Derrick Yearby as the suspect arrested in the assault of former San Francisco city commissioner Gregory Chew, 70. Chew was formerly on the city's arts, film and immigrants rights commissions.



Aug. 7, 3 p.m.: Police arrested a 34-year-old San Francisco man for assaulting a 70-year-old man on Tuesday, the San Francisco Police Department announced on Sunday.

At 7:38 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to reports of an aggravated assault on Folsom and 3rd Street. On the scene, the victim said he was hit and knocked to the ground by an unknown man, according to police. The victim was brought to the hospital to treat non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers at the Tenderloin Station noticed a man who matched the victim's description on Sunday at 11:28 a.m. on 8th and Market Street. They detained the suspect and arrested him based on probable cause, authorities said.

Police still considers this case to be an open investigation despite the arrest. Anyone with more information is encouraged to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4445.

Copyright  2022 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  2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
By Tony Hicks

Bay City News Foundation

San Francisco Police arrested a man they believe attacked former city film, arts, and immigrant rights commissioner Gregory Chew, who was assaulted the evening of Aug. 2 near 3rd and Folsom streets.

According to the office of Supervisor Matt Dorsey - in whose district 6 Chew resides - police arrested 34-year-old Derrick Yearby of San Francisco on Sunday morning near the corner of 8th and Market streets. Chew, 70, a leader in the city's Asian American and Pacific Islander community, was struck and knocked to the ground. He was treated at a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

"There should be no place in San Francisco for this kind of violence, which in the last couple of years is disproportionately targeting seniors in our AAPI communities," Dorsey said, in a statement. "San Francisco police reported a 567 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2021. We must all do more to stop these attacks, and one way to deter violence like this is to send a strong message to would-be attackers that they'll be brought to justice in San Francisco."

Dorsey's office said Yearby was taken to San Francisco County Jail and booked on suspicion of aggravated battery causing serious bodily injury, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, elder abuse, and great bodily injury enhancement.

Anyone with information about the case can call the SFPD Tip Line at (415) 575-4445.

Copyright  2022 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  2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
Its time for another installment of Places You Should Visit While You Can Still Bend Down to Tie Your Shoes without Making Involuntary Bodily Noises."

This summer, my family decided to forgo our traditional swimsuit-rash beach trip in favor of a long weekend in New Orleans  also known as The Big Easy, The Crescent City and the Birthplace of Indigestion. My wife and I figured that our three teenage daughters were finally old enough to appreciate the history and culture of an iconic American city best known for public nudity and unbridled debauchery.

Seriously, though, this was my second visit to New Orleans. The first was a business trip that resulted in a column prompting one unimpressed New Orleanian reader to describe me as a poor mans Dave Barry. Of course, I thanked him for the compliment.

During our six-hour road trip through the bowels of the Bayou State, our desperation for snacks led us to share a large bag of Wavy Migos Bar-B-Quin with My Honey Rap Snacks potato chips my middle daughter purchased from a gas station convenience store in Lecompte, Louisiana. (Im now considering the addition of Rap Snacks shares to my stock portfolio.)

When we finally checked in at the charming and historical St. James Hotel just outside the French Quarter, we all needed to use the historical bathroom, and when my eldest and most expensive daughter finished her turn, the historical door handle fell off of the historical bathroom door, trapping her inside.

I eventually got the door open in an act of fatherly heroism, but only after I made her promise to limit her souvenir purchases to items that didnt require long-term financing.

We then headed out for our first evening on the town, and, naturally, we were starving, so we stopped by the famous French Quarter Gumbo Shop for several scrumptious Creole dishes we couldnt pronounce. We were also served appetizers of gumbo and desserts of pecan pie a la mode, which Im pretty sure is a New Orleans city ordinance.

To prove to ourselves that we were still semi-mobile, we decided to waddle up to the riverfront across Decatur Street from Jackson Square where we encountered a street performer singing an anthem of my teenage years, Dont Stop Believin by the 1980s rock powerhouse Journey. Although I was thoroughly enjoying the show, my wife and daughters finally convinced me to leave when the performer offered me a dollar if Id stop trying to sing along.

We caught a magnificent sunset view of Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral from the river, and took turns taking photos with a couple of passersby  my daughters making sure to position me so that my enormous melon could be easily cropped out of their Snapchat pics.

Our next adventure involved a harrowing stroll through boisterous Bourbon Street so that our daughters could see what all of the hubbub was about and understand what happens when girl children dont follow their dads advice about drinking, drugs, dressing modestly and snoozing in public walkways. Im ashamed to admit that I was almost tempted to visit one of the plentiful strip clubs along the fragrant boulevard, but I thought better of it since they probably wouldnt hire me, anyway.

We topped off the evening with a glucose smack down at legendary Cafe Du Monde for some golden fried beignets buried in a tsunami of powdered sugar. Since we were still a little hung over from the gumbo and pie, we shared the beignets  meaning I basically ate all but one of them.

Our first night in vibrant New Orleans was only the beginning of a terrific vacation full of excitement for our family and digestive systems.

Most of all, it gave us a chance to share some fun and laughter together, especially when I bent down to tie my shoes.
This weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in Dallas had many interesting attractions, ranging from Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene praying with a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter in mock jail cell to Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz trashing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The conference, usually attended by the most fervent members of the conservative movement, is typically a way for lawmakers to increase name recognition with the GOP base and elevate their profiles. One lawmaker apparently on the brains of CPAC attendees was not a Republican; it was California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom has waded into national politics in recent months by running ads in Florida and Texas trashing conservative politicians and policies, and it seems GOP voters have taken notice. One dispatch notes that a man listening to a speech from Steve Bannon was gripping a giant flag reading "GAVIN NEWSOM SUCKS." California Assemblyman and congressional candidate Kevin Kiley addressed attendees Saturday and spoke extensively about Newsom, stating to the applause of attendees, "Gavin Newsoms California is not a model to the nation. It is a warning to the nation."

But the biggest sign that Newsom is now a household name in GOP politics came in the conference's famed straw poll. In addition to CPAC's regular straw poll of the next Republican presidential primary (former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis led that poll), the attendees were also asked who they thought the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee would be.

A strong plurality  37%  thought Newsom would be the Democrats' standard bearer in 2024. The second-place finisher was former First Lady Michelle Obama (who has been emphatic about not wanting to run for president), who received 16% of the vote. President Joe Biden tied for third at 8% with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Let's be frank: A CPAC straw poll in which the most animated GOP activists are asked to predict the opposing party presidential nominee is about as predictive as a ham sandwich. It does, however, signal that Newsom, a longtime boogeyman for California Republicans, is already well-entrenched as a boogeyman for national Republicans.

If the poll does have any implications for a Democratic presidential primary that features Newsom, its perhaps ammunition for Democratic opponents who could argue hed be likely to lose a general election. Newsom, with his COVID-19 hypocrisies and record presiding over a state with worsening homelessness and income inequality, is already too easy a target for Republicans, opponents may argue.

On the day CPAC attendees bestowed this tremendous honor on Newsom, the governor was busy tweeting about Indiana's abortion laws and calling on companies to leave the state. "Time to stop supporting economies that thrive on discrimination," he wrote.
Pretty much everyone over the age of 5 knows never to stick their fingers in an outlet or poke a fork into a toaster, but beyond that, most of us don't really expect to suffer a serious electrical shock at home. But there's no doubt those risks exist, and it's important to be aware of electrical hazards both indoors and outside.

Each year, more than 300 Americans die by electrocution, while thousands more experience nonfatal electric shock and burn injuries, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, a nonprofit organization in Rosslyn, VA, that promotes electrical safety at home and in the workplace.

Here are some of the most common electrical hazards and how to prevent them.

Understand electrical shock versus electrocution

Its common to use these terms interchangeably, but there is a life-and-death difference between them, says ESFI President Brett Brenner.

When you say 'electrocuted,' that means it's fatal, explains Brenner. But you can be shocked or burned in many ways. People don't realize that electricity is uniquely dangerous; it can really hurt you.

Levels of shock depend on the energy power, he adds. For instance, 120-volt outlets are the norm in North America. If you touch a wire, it will cause a tingling sensation in your hand, but it probably wont hurt you. But with 240 volts or higher, the situation can become more dangerous.

Depending on how much energy is in the environment or the device you're touching, that will cause some people's bodies to lock up," Brenner says. "Electricity can stop your heart or mess with signals to your brain. You can't let go, because you cant control your muscles anymore. That's usually when you get electrocuted.

Dont overload or overuse extension cords

Extension cords are convenient, but many homeowners use them improperly, says Brenner.

People think they last foreverthey plug them in and forget them. But extension cords are only intended for temporary use, which means under 30 days, cautions Brenner.

Depending on the amount of energy used, extension cords can heat up and deteriorate, he adds, so avoid running them behind sofas, underneath beds, or, worse, inside wallswhich can be a fire hazard if you drive a nail through drywall and accidentally pierce that wire.

Power strips, on the other hand, dont typically have a long cord and are more robust, says Brenner. But that doesn't mean you can run multiple extension cords off a power strip and leave that plugged in, he warns.

Bradley Beck, owner of Alto Home Inspection in Buffalo, NY, recently found three 20-foot extension cords strung together and hard-wired to an electric garage door opener.

Theyd mounted it to the ceiling and plugged into an outlet. Another homeowner did the same thing for a wood-burning stove with a fan built in, says Beck.

Bottom line: If you need another outlet, call a licensed electrician and get one permanently wired and installed properly.

Know the difference between grounded and ungrounded outlets

One of the most common electrical hazards Beck sees are ungrounded outlets. Grounding wires protects us from getting shocked.

Ungrounded outlets pose a big risk, because certain equipment such as lamps can have wiring problems. If they do, the human body acts as a path for electricity instead of the grounding wire, he explains.

Beck also finds three-prong outlets that arent actually groundeda modern electrical plate hides the old setup behind the wall. He suggests spending a few dollars on an outlet tester, which can be found at most home centers.

They have indicators that tell you if the outlet is wired correctly, and if there's an open ground or missing ground, says Beck.

You may have noticed that your bathroom or kitchen outlets near the sink have ground-fault circuit interrupters, or GFCIs. These outlets detect and prevent excess voltage by shutting themselves down. GFCIs can wear out over time, and Beck notes that most outlet testers also have a GFCI testing function.

Save your DIY skills for something else

Beck has seen lots of shoddy electrical repairsoften done by DIYers or local handymenincluding reverse outlet wiring, where red and black wires were crossed instead of being paired.

That could lead to metal objects or lamps being electrified, which is super dangerous, says Beck.

Or you might think youre being safe when installing a ceiling fan, but accidents can happen. If you switch off a breaker, tell everyone in your household so that nobody turns it back on, which can lead to your getting shocked.

And if you live in an older home with two-prong electrical outlets, dont assume you can snap off the grounding pin from a three-prong plug.

People assume that because you can plug it in, you should, and that's just not the case, says Brenner.

That's true even if you've done it before.

If you plug something into the wall and nothing's ever happened, dont assume that the next time you do it, nothing's going to happen again, he says.

One chore you can (and should) handle: replacing missing covers on electrical panels, outlets, and switches.

When covers are missing, that invites little fingers to get in there, and that's a big problem. It's an easy and cheap fix to replace them, says Beck.

Be extra careful around overhead power lines outside

Overhead power lines might be out of sight, but keep them top of mind so you dont accidentally pull one down.

When carrying things like ladders, people could run into power lines, explains Brenner. If you do, you're dealing with a lot of energy and, usually, it's a fatal electrocution.

If you hear a loud noise outside and smell smoke, or you suspect wires have fallen down on your property, dont investigate yourself; call the utility or fire department. Simply walking through your lawn near a live wire can be deadly, says Brenner.

With power lines, if you are within 10 feet or so, the electricity can actually jump to you. Electricity is looking for the easiest path to ground possible, and you become the conduit, he explains.

Even touching someone while theyre in contact with a live wire can electrocute you, he adds. Electricity is unique because you can't smell it, taste it, or see it, so it's typical for one person to unfortunately get killed, and then the second person coming in to help also gets hurt or killed.

And dont ever handle the fat service entrance cable that goes from your electric meter to the utility, cautions Beck.

Those were used for homes built in the 1960s and early '70s, and were made of cloth, he explains. Cables of that era wear down, and I've seen the conductors inside of the cable exposed and visible. If someone were to grab it, they could potentially be shocked.

Use common sense with outdoor electrical use

Often when the weather is nice, people want to be able to use electricity outside, for lighting and other amenities. But if anything, there are more risks.

If you run an extension cord outside that comes in contact with the water, you can get what's called 'electrical shock drowning.' Theres a current in the water, so when you jump in, your body locks up. You can't swim, and you can drown, says Brenner.

Beck cautions against another huge no-no.

I've seen very long chains of extension cords for decorative lights on patios and deckseven over a pool or hot tub, which is megadangerous, he says.

Just as you would indoors, make sure to have a licensed electrician set up proper electrical outlets for your outdoor needs.

Be on the lookout for abandoned wiring

Beck has seen live wires sticking out of a house that were still connected to a breaker, or forgotten wires sticking out of the ground from a dismantled hot tub or outdoor lights.

Take a look around the perimeter of your home, and if you see any abandoned wiring, call in an electrician to take care of it. Never touch it yourself, says Beck.

Many electrical injuries and deaths can be prevented by following basic safety practices. The ESFI has many helpful resources and checklists that will help homeowners understand how to use electricity properly.

The post Don't Get Zapped by These Electrical Risks Inside and Outside the Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Kim Petras, the notorious German transgender pop star, scandalized and delighted during her Sunday performance at San Franciscos Outside Lands  a nihilistic, X-rated showcase to the joys of sex.

The first three songs of her hour-long set: Slut Pop, Treat Me Like a Slut and Superpower Bitch, all electroclash songs that towed the line between Peaches Fk the Pain Away and Womanizer-era Britney.

The crowd was in a tizzy. Petras specializes in a pointed brand of bimbo pop, which celebrates the messy, vapid excesses of Y2K pop girls. In her eyes, Paris and Nicole are aspirational icons, not a subject of derision  a redemption arc of the misogynistic shaming that they and other 2000s starlets endured at the time. It's pop as sexed-up, capitalist fantasy; how else can you describe Petras pulling out a pink whip while performing a song titled XXX?

The backing visuals were an endless scroll of TMZ paparazzi-style shots, grainy Photo Booth video snippets and vaporwave nature backgrounds. They amplified the feeling that in Petras world, were all living in 2004.

But you can't partake in the fantasy without addressing her partnership with Dr. Luke, the disgraced architect of the early-aughts Top 40 sound who signed Petras to his label and produced nearly everything in her discography. Theres also another elephant in the room. On Thursday in a now-deleted series of tweets, Petras called out her label, Republic Records, about the leak of her upcoming album. (You can listen to my leaked album! Petras joked toward the end of her set. I have a new one.)

Petras talked to the crowd, her first since the leaking controversy, with the adoration of a crass, doting mother  think Regina Georges mom in Mean Girls. Fing love you, bitches, Petras said, without an ounce of meanness in her voice. Its been so long since Ive been back in San Francisco, she said later. I missed your cute little faces! Hello!

The crowd was smitten; a plurality of the crowd, seemingly in wait to see EDM giant Illenium, were newly minted fans by the end of the show. But even with all the new converts at her set, Petras had a Netflix-sized chip on her shoulder.

Some back story: Petras released a cover of Kate Bushs Running Up that Hill on the first day of June for a Pride Month partnership with Amazon. The fourth season of Stranger Things, in which that very same song was key to the plot (and helped blow up the song to near the top of the Billboard charts), was released just five days before. It did not help that TikTok users, who were pivotal to the renewed interest in Kate Bush, were unkind to her cover.

Im going to sing one of my favorite songs that I didnt just record after 'Stranger Things' blew up, she joked. This song is really big in Europe, OK? I dont care, we recorded it, like, five months ago. Whatever.

Petras sang without a care in the world. And even with the looming drama  and the larger issues of the world (Its scary fing times, man, especially for a trans girl, she said midway through her set)  it was clear the crowd was feeling just as carefree.
Its not clear exactly how long a man who called himself Barry OBeirne lived a quiet life in Daly City, the sleepy suburb a few miles south of San Francisco. Its also not clear what he was doing on the morning of Wednesday, June 6, 2018, when, after 35 years, Air Force special agents knocked on his door and arrested him for desertion.

The jigsaw puzzle of William Howard Hughes Jr.'s life has many missing pieces. After disappearing into thin air in 1983 he was wanted across the globe by numerous agencies, from the Air Force to the FBI to Interpol. At one point it was thought that he defected to the Russians. Some suggested he sabotaged the disastrous Challenger space shuttle launch. Even after his recent capture, much of this unlikely story remains a mystery for the ages. Heres what we found out.

Born in Seattle in 1950 to a father who worked in the airline industry, Hughes had three sisters. He left the Pacific Northwest in his 20s to embark on a career in the Air Force, where he enlisted in 1973. By the age of 33 he was a captain at Kirtland Air Force base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he gained top secret access, working on a NATO program that controlled missile launches and missile warning systems.

Hughes bought a modest home in Albuquerque near the base and lived alone. In July of 1983 he was transferred to the Netherlands for a short trip to work on the same technology there. He was due to report back to Kirtland on Aug 1.

Hughes never returned to his air base. The Air Force revealed that he was seen withdrawing money from various ATMs in Albuquerque in late July  the Air Force reported that $28,500 was withdrawn from his account at 19 different locations. A search of his home on Chandelle Loop found to-do lists and books to read upon his return. His car was later found at Albuquerque International Airport. William Howard Hughes was officially classified as absent without leave on Aug 10, 1983.

At that time in New York City, 37-year-old real estate developer Donald Trump was finishing the construction of Trump Tower. Hughes wouldnt be seen again until Trump was president.

The disappearance of Hughes came during the dark dying days of the Cold War. The US government would later describe the likelihood of a nuclear strike in the fall of 1983 as resting on a hair trigger.

With his recent trip to Europe in mind, when asked if there was a possibility that Hughes had defected to the Russians, an Air Force captain at Kirtland told an Arizona Journal reporter, that has to be an option.

He wasnt accused of being a spy, but On December 9, Hughes was declared a deserter  a crime punishable with 5 years imprisonment, or execution in a time of war.

The story became front page news in January, five months after his vanishing, when his photograph was published in the Chicago Tribune after the Air Force sent it out to police departments across the country.

Pentagon officials confirmed that a captain with top secret access is missing under mysterious circumstances. With Cold War paranoia high, the FBI tried to downplay fears, telling the press that there is no indication of espionage at this point.

After months of silence, Hughes sisters in Seattle spoke out, pushing back on the idea that their brother was a spy, instead stating he was likely abducted. Sister Christine Hughes described his disappearance as totally out of character for the Bill we knew. We do not feel he disappeared voluntarily.

In a prepared statement, the family added that William was a brilliant, dedicated man who phoned his parents regularly before he vanished. A family reunion had been planned for the fall and Hughes was always careful to notify his family of his whereabouts.

Police forces across the country and numerous military and international agencies tried to find Hughes, with no success. The Air Force said they interviewed friends and coworkers to no avail.

In an interview with the Seattle Times a year later, Hughes sister Christine described the familys heartache, The holidays are the worst time, we make sure were together to try and help each other through.

Hughes name was next aired in the press by an acclaimed journalist credited with breaking the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961  New York Times foreign correspondent Tad Szulc.

In his 1986 LA Times story, titled, Sabotaged Missile Launches? Szulc noted a bizarre pattern of failed space rocket and missile launches by the US and France in recent months. Three launches of aircraft with US surveillance satellites aboard, including the Challenger space shuttle that launched from Cape Canaveral on January 28 and exploded 73 seconds later, killing all 7 crew members, were named as potentially caused by sabotage. Those failures resulted in the US having no ability to monitor Russias nuclear deployment.

In the article, Szulc named only one possible suspect  William Howard Hughes, as the potential saboteur, claiming his Pentagon sources told him as much.

They see a clear link between Hughes and possible sabotage of the American and French launches, Szulc wrote before quoting an unnamed Pentagon source as saying He is worth his weight in gold to the Russians.

As the Cold War started to thaw, the story, and the missing Air Force captain, were largely forgotten in the media.

A search through the archives reveals William Howard Hughes name was not mentioned once in the press between 1987 and 2017.

In June 2018, US Department of State special agents traveled to Daly City on a passport fraud investigation to interview a man living as Barry Timothy OBeirne.

After being confronted with inconsistencies about his identity, the individual admitted his true name was William Howard Hughes Jr., and that he deserted from the U.S. Air Force in 1983, the Air Force news release read.

Air Force

On the quiet suburban street of Michelle Lane, just a couple miles south of San Franciscos city limit, Hughes had been living with his wife in a modest two-bed, two-bath townhouse.

Neighbors of the man they knew simply as Tim were surprised to learn that they were living next to the Air Forces most wanted man.

He was very pleasant, Daly City resident June Dayao told reporters when shown his photograph, thats him but he always had his Giants hat on.

We see him at the gym all the time, another neighbor, Barbara Laurel, told CNN. But when he works out he just uses the treadmill and doesnt really interact with anybody.

Reportedly a very private man, Tim was assumed to be retired by his neighbors, and known for little beyond his devotion to the Giants.

I guess you never know a person until you dig deep, another neighbor told TV news crews.

Hughes was later revealed to have worked as a consultant and actuary for the University of California in Oakland during the 2000s, under the name Barry Timothy OBeirnes. Colleagues there remembered him in only positive terms.

He is very smart, coworker Stephanie Rosh told the Chronicle at the time. Always had a wry sense of humor. Always joking.

When arrested, Hughes was taken to Travis Air Force base in Fairfield. There, he told investigators he was not a spy. He claimed he became depressed about being in the Air Force back in 1983, so he simply left, changed his identity and has lived in California ever since.

Facing up to five years of confinement, forfeiture of his pay and a dishonorable discharge, military court records reveal Hughes was found guilty of desertion and was sentenced to 45 days in military prison in September 2018. He subsequently lost an appeal a month later.

It seems possible that Hughes wife didnt know his true identity either  San Mateo County court records reveal that the woman, who took his fake last name, filed for a marriage annulment two months after his arrest.

Why did Hughes not just resign his commission in the Air Force? What pushed him to change his identity and cause his family pain for decades? Was it just a coincidence that a captain with top secret clearance working on highly classified missile tech became disillusioned with the work and walked out at the peak of the Cold War, without telling a soul?

Maybe Hughes explanation was true  the pressure of working with NATO during a time of nuclear threat is no small burden. Well never know the intricacies of what was happening in his life, but maybe the opportunity to clean the slate and live an anonymous life, saying hi to neighbors, running the treadmill and watching the Giants felt like the only way forward. Its unclear if Hughes once-heartbroken siblings ever reconnected with their brother, they haven't spoken publicly since his arrest.

William Howard Hughes current whereabouts are unknown.

SFGATE reached out to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for further details on the case, but had not heard back at time of publication.
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Southern San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 500 PM PDT.

* At 159 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain in Yucca Mesa. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have

fallen. Flash flooding is already occurring.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water

crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Joshua Tree Lake Campground.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are

potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded

roads. Find an alternate route.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

Flash Flood Statement

National Weather Service Las Vegas NV

342 PM PDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS

AFTERNOON FOR SOUTHERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...

At 342 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy

rain in Yucca Mesa. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen.

Flash flooding is already occurring. CHP has reported that 8 inches

of water and portion of the road is washed out near the intersection

of Yucca Mesa Rd and Aberdeen Dr.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing

flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water crossings,

creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Joshua Tree Lake Campground.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are

potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded

roads. Find an alternate route.

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Riverside County in southern California...

* Until 645 PM PDT.

* At 344 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or

expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,

urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Idyllwild-Pine Cove, Anza, Mt San Jacinto State Park, Hwy 243

Between Banning And Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Hwy 74 Between

Mountain Center And Anza, Hwy 74 Between Hemet And Mountain

Center, Hwy 74 Between Anza And Palm Desert, Whitewater, Valle

Vista, Cabazon, Lake Hemet, Cahuilla Indian Reservation, Saboba

Indian Reservation, and Santa Rosa Mountain.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

252 PM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern

Litchfield and southeastern Dutchess Counties through 315 PM EDT...

At 252 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Sherman, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Heavy rains could cause ponding of water

on roadways .

Locations impacted include...

New Milford, Pawling, New Preston, Woodbury Center, Wingdale,

Gaylordsville, Woodbury, Bethlehem, Washington, Roxbury, Bridgewater,

Warren, Bantam, Hotchkissville, Baker Corner, South Dover, Candlewood

Trails, Pomeraug, Lower Merryall and Poughquag.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4149 7337 4151 7339 4149 7344 4152 7344

4163 7350 4166 7349 4167 7351 4166 7352

4153 7353 4152 7365 4162 7370 4179 7328

4156 7314 4156 7316 4151 7316 4151 7332

4149 7333 4147 7332

TIME...MOT...LOC 1852Z 248DEG 22KT 4157 7354

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of north central

Fairfield County through 330 PM EDT...

At 254 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Sherman, moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph.

unsecured objects.

Sherman, Brookfield and New Fairfield.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 4166 7350 4166 7349 4165 7349 4164 7350

4153 7345 4150 7344 4149 7344 4151 7340

4151 7339 4150 7338 4144 7354 4167 7352

TIME...MOT...LOC 1854Z 245DEG 22KT 4156 7353

MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

313 PM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Litchfield

County through 345 PM EDT...

At 313 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

New Preston, or near New Milford, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Heavy rains could cause ponding of water

on roadways.

Locations impacted include...

Torrington, New Milford, Sherman, Thomaston, Litchfield, Northwest

Harwinton, Oakville, New Preston, Terryville, Woodbury Center,

Gaylordsville, Watertown, Plymouth, Woodbury, Harwinton, Bethlehem,

Washington, Morris, Roxbury and Bridgewater.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4149 7337 4151 7339 4149 7344 4163 7350

4165 7349 4166 7351 4188 7294 4181 7295

4180 7302 4164 7298 4161 7302 4161 7306

4159 7306 4159 7308 4157 7309 4156 7316

4151 7316 4151 7332 4149 7333 4147 7332

TIME...MOT...LOC 1913Z 248DEG 22KT 4164 7333

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values range from 95 to 103 today. On Tuesday

Heat index values range from 95 to 103. The values on Tuesday

will be highest across the Merrimack and Connecticut River

Valley.

* WHERE...Portions of northern Connecticut, central, eastern,

northeastern, southeastern and western Massachusetts and

northern and southern Rhode Island.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service New York NY

302 PM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of western New London,

eastern New Haven and Middlesex Counties through 345 PM EDT...

At 301 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along

a line extending from East Hampton to Durham to North Haven. Movement

was east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

Meriden, Middletown, Wallingford, Guilford, Colchester, Clinton, East

Hampton, Old Saybrook, Durham, Salem, Chester, Hamden, Cheshire,

Branford and North Haven.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning can occur with these storms.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 4166 7216 4166 7214 4125 7233 4124 7238

4126 7241 4124 7254 4126 7258 4124 7264

4136 7293 4157 7283 4156 7283 4158 7275

4163 7271 4165 7250 4158 7246 4160 7233

4164 7233 4167 7227 4169 7227 4171 7224

TIME...MOT...LOC 1901Z 258DEG 23KT 4156 7247 4148 7267 4139 7288

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southeastern Jefferson County in central New York...

Lewis County in central New York...

Eastern Oswego County in central New York...

* Until 430 PM EDT.

* At 327 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from 7 miles east of Sandy Island Beach State Park to 9

miles southwest of Redfield, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines.

* Locations impacted include...

Watertown, Sandy Island Beach State Park, Fort Drum, Carthage,

Lowville, Pulaski, West Carthage, Adams, Redfield and Glen Park.

This includes Interstate 81 between exits 33 and 47.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BURLINGTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Burlington VT

358 PM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values from 94 to 99 expected.

* WHERE...In New York, Eastern Essex County. In Vermont, Western

Addison, Western Rutland and Eastern Windsor Counties.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur. The highest heat index values will occur

through 600 pm.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO PENDLETON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 9, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Pendleton OR

1034 PM PDT Sun Aug 7 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 11 PM PDT

TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 106 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of central, south central and southeast

Washington and central, north central and northeast Oregon.

* WHEN...From noon Monday to 11 PM PDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO PORTLAND Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Portland OR

1205 PM PDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY IS CANCELLED FOR PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AS

WELL AS THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE...

Increasing clouds across the region have slowed todays warm up.

Afternoon temperatures across the region will top out in the

middle to upper 80s. Still will be a warm afternoon, but not

enough to maintain the heat advisory.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures in the middle to upper 90s.

* WHERE...In Oregon, Upper Hood River Valley and Central

Columbia River Gorge. In Washington, Central Columbia River

Gorge.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM PDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
At the ceremony.

Major General Tran Ngoc Tho, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims said that the unit has a total of 5,790 members. From the beginning of the year up to now, the association has given financial support, allowances, scholarships, wheelchairs and gifts on the holidays; supports for medical examination and treatment, orthopedic surgery, and so on to 10,300 turns of dioxin victims.

Former Vice State President Truong My Hoa (R) attends the ceremony.



On this occasion, the Central Committee of the HCMC Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims offered the order of merit to 21 individuals in the city for their great contributions to caring for and helping dioxin victims in Vietnam; and awarded scholarships worth VND235 million (US$ 10,046) to families of AO victims with difficult circumstances in districts and Thu Duc city.

By Chi Thach- Translated by Huyen Huong
Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Monday reported a 465.81% jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 1,606.9 crore for the quarter ending 30 June, 2022. The telco had reported a quarter-on-quarter decline in profit at Rs 284 in the year-ago period.

Consolidated revenue from operations rose 22% to Rs 32,805 crore in the quarter under review (Q1FY23), backed by strong and consistent performance delivery across the portfolio. It had reported a revenue of Rs 26,854 crore in the same period last year, the company said in a regulatory filing.

The telco's average revenue per user (ARPU) increased to Rs 183 in Q1FY23 from Rs 146 in Q1FY22.

Consolidated EBITDA came in at Rs16,604 crore. The EBITDA margin stood at 50.6%, up 150 bps year-on-year.

The total capex spend for the quarter stood at Rs 6,398 crore. Airtel also said that its 4G customers grew by 20.8 million YoY and 4.5 million QoQ, which is 63% of overall customer base.

Airtel Payments Bank continues to penetrate the customer engagement leading to increase in monthly transacting users by 65% YoY," the company said.

On the recently concluded 5G spectrum auctions, the company said, Airtel to lead Indias 5G revolution with acquisition of ideal spectrum bank at least cost for best 5G experience and 100x capacity enhancement; procured 19,867.8 MHz spectrum for Rs 43,040 Crore in the recently concluded 5G spectrum."

Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, said, This has been another solid quarter. We continue to deliver strong and sustained growth at 4.5% sequentially. EBITDA margins are now at 50.6%."

Our enterprise and homes business has strong momentum and delivered strong double digit growth, improving the diversity of the overall portfolio. Airtels strategy of winning with quality customers continues to yield good results with an industry beating ARPU at Rs 183," Vittal said.

He added, "As India gets ready to launch 5G, we are well positioned to raise the bar on innovation. We are also confident of meeting the emerging needs of discerning customers looking for speed, coverage and latency. Our astute spectrum strategy over the last few years as we bolstered mid band spectrum is designed to deliver the best experience at the lowest total cost of ownership."

On Monday, Airtel's scrip on NSE closed 0.18% higher at Rs 704.95.
Tata Motors Sunday said its subsidiary Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (TPEML) has signed a Unit Transfer Agreement (UTA) for the acquisition of Ford Indias manufacturing plant at Sanand in Gujarat for Rs 725.7 crore.

As part of the agreement, Tata Motors will get entire land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant along with machinery and equipment situated therein, the Mumbai-based auto major said in a late-night notification to the stock exchanges.

As part of the agreement, all the eligible employees at the Sanand unit of Ford India will be transferred to Tata Motors.

Ford India will continue to operate its powertrain manufacturing facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the powertrain manufacturing plant from Tata Passenger Electric Mobility on mutually agreed terms, Tata Motors said.

Tata Motors EV subsidiary also agreed to offer employment to the eligible employees of the powertrain manufacturing plant in case Ford India cessation of such operations, the statement added.

The closure of the transaction will be subject to the receipt of relevant approvals from the government authorities and fulfilment of customary condition precedents. The government of Gujarat, TPEML and FIPL have already executed a tripartite MoU on 30th May 2022 to support all relevant approvals for the above transaction.

The unit is adjacent to the existing manufacturing facility of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited at Sanand, which should help in a smooth transition, Tata Motors said

This acquisition is timely and a win-win for all stakeholders. It will unlock a state-of-the-art manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per annum which is scalable to 420,000 units per annum, the auto major added.

The agreement with FIPL signed today is beneficial to all stakeholders and reflects Tata Motors strong aspiration to further strengthen its market position in the passenger vehicles segment and to continue to build on its leadership position in the electric vehicle segment," Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles MD Shailesh Chandra said.

Steve Armstrong, Transformation Officer of Ford Motor Company, said the announcement marks an important step forward in the company's ongoing business restructuring in India, which is part of its Ford+ plan for strategic transformation.

With the transfer of employment for eligible vehicle manufacturing employees included in the agreement, this milestone also highlights our best effort in caring for those impacted by the restructuring," he said.

The company had in September last year announced that it would stop vehicle production at its two plants in India as part of a restructuring exercise.

Both Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Ford India will work together over the next few months to satisfy all the condition precedents and obtain the required regulatory approvals for the closure of the transaction, Tata Motors said.
Venture capital firms are looking to drive the expansion plans of travel tech startups in India, as business and leisure travel picks up across the globe with the easing of the coronavirus pandemic.

Investors betting big on the sector this year include marquee names such as Nexus Venture Partners, Matrix Partners and Tiger Global.

Late last month, Spotnana, a travel-as-a-service platform that helps companies and agencies personalize bookings, hit the headlines when it raised $75 million, led by Durable Capital Partners LP, with participation from existing backers.

According to data from research specialist Venture Intelligence, four more travel tech startups in India have raised cash in the first half of the year. These include Headout, Itilite and TravClan, which have together amassed $76 million. Meanwhile, HappyEasyGo raised an undisclosed amount from investors including Samsung Ventures and Korea Investment Partners.

According to industry estimates, globally, companies spent more than $1.4 trillion on travel in 2019, and the sector is quickly returning to those levels. Leisure travel is also rebounding, as risks associated with the pandemic appear to be waning.

"After two and a half years of practically nothing happening in travel and hospitality, there is now a lot of interest back. This can be clearly seen from the fact that everyone is traveling. Due to this 'revenge travel,' there is definitely a very clear interest in travel startups and the travel technology space," Kapil Chopra, chairman of EazyDiner and founder of The Postcard Hotel, told DealStreetAsia.

"There are a lot of opportunities to create new things around how people experience, and how travel, destinations and hotels touch their lives," added Chopra, who is also a former president of Oberoi Hotels.

Echoing that sentiment, Sarosh Waghmar, co-founder and CEO at Spotnana, said: "The infrastructure used by hundreds of millions of people to book travel every year was put in place in the 1960s and '70s. This infrastructure is archaic, and it limits innovation. Spotnana is rebuilding the infrastructure for the travel industry in order to bring freedom, simplicity and trust to travelers everywhere."

The startup, established in early 2020 just before the pandemic hit, plans to use its recently raised funds to speed the development of its platform and hire more people.

"We've more than doubled our employee head count over the past year to over 200, and we expect this growth rate to continue," said Waghmar.

Travel tech startups, which raised $1.08 billion in 2018, $295 million in 2019 and $553 million 2020, managed to garner only $125 million during the whole of last year.

Even as the COVID-19 crisis hit India's shores in early 2020, several deals sealed that year had already been in the works, said experts. However, as the pandemic dragged on and hit travel plans across the world, as many as seven startups brought in just $37 million during the first half of 2021, which is far less than the amount raised during the same period this year.

In the largest deal last year, Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC had led a $53 million funding round for online travel aggregator Ixigo, which is moving toward an initial public offering.

After struggling with losses in the last two years, experts say it will take awhile for the travel and tourism sector to revive fully.

"There has been quite a lot of erosion in the past, so right now, it's all about survival. Even as people have started traveling again, startups are having to start from a lower base as there was hardly any action in 2020 and 2021," said an industry expert who declined to be identified.

In terms of exits by investors, the sector has not seen any traction so far this year. In 2021, private equity and venture capital investors cashed out of six startups, amassing $196 million. While the amount was much lower in 2020, at just $6 million, in 2019, investors pocketed $1.5 billion from three startups, according to Venture Intelligence.
Mr Thanedar, representing a state House district in Detroit for two years, won the likely-decisive Democratic primary in the open 13th Congressional District seat

An Indian-American entrepreneur, Shri Thanedar, created a historic moment by winning the Democratic primary in Michigans 13th Congressional district. Community organisations termed it a historic first for the South Asian community. The 13th congressional district seat, held in Detroit, had state Senator Adan Hollier and Focus: HOPE CEO Portia Robertson as his main rivals. Mr Thanedar has been representing a state House district for two years.

According to the report, 99 per cent of the votes were counted with Mr Thanedar leading with 28 per cent, as opposed to 23.5 per cent for Mr Hollier and 17 per cent for Portia Robertson. Unofficial statistics reported that Mr Thanedar topped Mr Hollier by receiving approximately 3,800 votes (22,302 to 18,513) and was far ahead of the other contestants in the nine-person field. Thanedar will compete against Republican Martell Bivings in the general election. Bivings served as a liaison for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and won the Republican primary with no opposition. However, Mr Thanedar is believed to have a good chance of winning in this strongly Democratic area.

Despite SuperPACs spending over USD 6.5 million in an unprecedented financial effort to keep Mr Thanedar off the November ballot, Indian American Impact, an organisation that focuses on the Indian American and South Asian communities, claimed that Mr Thanedar and his campaign manager, former Indian American Impact political director Linto Thomas, were successful in securing Mr Thanedar's victory over the Detroit area. Mr Thanedars victory is the first of many that AAPI candidates will achieve when they run for office nationwide to increase support and representation for their community.

The Indian American Impact Executive Director, Neil Makhija, also stated that his primary win is a historic first for the South Asian community. Mr Thanedar and his campaign manager, Thomas, were commended by Mr Makhija for executing a powerful campaign and furthering interest in his candidacy for Congressman in Detroit, Michigan.

Indian Americans across the nation are celebrating Thanedars victory, as they are a politically underrepresented and under-engaged community. The organisation observed the victory as an immeasurable step towards expanding Indian American representation within their elected government. Moreover, electing politicians that look and think like one of them will create a foundation necessary for the community to participate in conversations that they were earlier excluded from.
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Hundreds of the aviation industrys head office workers have found themselves checking in bags, directing queues and responding to other front-of-house customer service requirements as the sector continues to grapple with global staff shortages and unparalleled demand for travel.

Since April, corporate employees at Qantas, Virgin, Melbourne Airport and Sydney Airport have been enlisted on an ad-hoc basis as frontline volunteers during busy periods.

Queues snaking outside Sydney Airports domestic Terminal 2 in July. Credit:Oscar Colman

Last week, Qantas sent out a formal plea to managers and executives to opt into a short-term arrangement over the next three months when they would elect to swap out some of their corporate duties for loading and unloading aircraft and driving a tug (the vehicle used for ferrying luggage around the airport).

In the note, Qantas said the high levels of winter flu, a COVID-19 surge and the ongoing tight labor market were responsible for the operational challenge the airline faces.
A Melbourne biotech has axed plans to build a Victorian manufacturing plant for rapid antigen tests after the company told the state government it doesnt have the resources to commit to the plan.

Lumos Diagnostics, which listed on the ASX last year, was planning to set up a $17.2 million facility to make diagnostic tests, with funding support from the Victorian government.

The Lumos Diagnostics FebriDx tool works to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections.

On Monday, the business told investors it was pulling the pin on the proposal, saying it did not have the capital investment or human resources to set up the facility.

While we continue to see great potential for establishing a diagnostics capability in Victoria, at this time, Lumos needs to focus on leveraging its existing assets rather than investing in new assets, chief executive Doug Ward said.
Mining giant BHPs growing appetite to acquire more of the raw materials vital to building electric cars and clean energy has fuelled investor expectations the company could raise its $8.4 billion offer to buy Australian copper and nickel producer Oz Minerals.

After receiving a $25-a-share takeover proposal from BHP over the weekend, the board of Adelaide-based Oz Minerals resolved to knock back the non-binding offer, telling shareholders it undervalued the companys sought-after assets that stand to benefit from accelerating global moves to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

BHP is seeking to expand its exposure to raw materials including copper and nickel that will be increasingly needed to fuel the green energy transition. Credit:Trevor Collens

BHPs offer represented a 32.1 per cent premium to Oz Minerals previous closing price, and a 41.4 per cent premium to its 30-day average. News of the proposal sent Oz Minerals share price soaring as much as 39 per cent on Monday.

However, Oz Minerals chief Andrew Cole said the offer was highly opportunistic because it had been made at a time when the price of copper and Oz Minerals stock value had fallen from their recent peaks earlier this year.
The alarm sounded by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, that fighting between Russian invaders and Ukrainian forces near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant carried the very real risk of a nuclear disaster is one with relevance far beyond the war raging within Ukraines borders.

The conflict has already served as a grim warning for powers such as Germany and the United States of the costs of relying on fossil fuel-producing nations with despotic leaders for energy supply. But Russias seizures of Zaporizhzhia and the defunct power plant at Chernobyl in the early days of the war  although Chernobyl later returned to Ukrainian control  have highlighted that a decision to increase reliance on nuclear power would carry risks even beyond the familiar ones.

As Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic pointed out during Grossis recent visit to this country, Australia has an exemplary record on nuclear safety. But one of the most important reasons for this is that we have a ban on using nuclear fission for power generation and have committed not to develop a nuclear arsenal under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In recent times, both these bans have returned to the spotlight as the Coalition, in opposition, has raised the possibility of domestic nuclear power plants to address our energy needs. This followed the Morrison governments signing of the AUKUS deal with London and Washington last year. The deal envisions Royal Australian Navy submarines being fuelled with weapons-grade uranium.

Peter Hartcher reported for the Herald that the first question US President Joe Biden raised when the AUKUS proposal was put to him was whether it breached non-proliferation commitments. The key to addressing this question has been paragraph 14 of the IAEAs safeguards agreement with Australia, which creates a loophole allowing weapons-grade material to be used without the usual safeguards in non-proscribed military activity. Concerns were raised earlier this month, at the latest meeting to review the treaty, that regardless of Australias good intentions, this would set a precedent for further transfers of highly enriched nuclear material to other nations.
A tradesman who came to the aid of a stabbed woman said he distracted an alleged attacker long enough for her to grab the knife and throw it onto the footpath, likely saving her life.

Helen Coulston, 46, is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after the daylight attack at the home on Weonga Road in Dover Heights, one of Sydneys most exclusive addresses.

Helen Coulston is in hospital after she was stabbed by a man who came to her door on Monday. Credit:Edwina Pickles, Facebook

Builder Peter Haramis, 37, was eating lunch on a nearby block with two concreters when they heard the womans screams and began walking, then running up the hill as the sounds became more panicked.

Coulston was screaming, help me, help me, hes gonna kill me, he said.
A 49-year-old man accused of murdering a mother and a son in a frenzied attack is alleged to have wiped blood off himself, changed his clothes and disappeared in a vehicle for 31 minutes before calling for help.

Police were called to the Brisbane suburb of Stretton, about 9.40am on Monday, where they found two bodies in an upstairs bedroom: 47-year-old Jifeng Liu, who is also known as Eileen, and her 20-year-old son Wenhao Du.

Police said the man charged with murder, Weifeng Huang, was in a relationship with the woman for months and had resided at the address in Coolidge Court. There was no history of domestic violence or calls to police previously.

A long-handed kitchen knife and a meat cleaver found at the residence were used in the alleged attack, police said.
Queensland police were confronted by a large amount of blood on the staircase of a Brisbane home where on Monday they found the bodies of a man and a woman, victims of what officers called a frenzied attack.

Police were called to an incident in Coolidge Court about 9.40am on Monday at the suburb, near Calamvale.

Investigations were under way to identify the deceased.

At least three police vehicles were at the scene as police cordoned off the cul-de-sac with tape.
Ugly feud reignited as Roos legends clash in Melbourne pub

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Victorian Government refuses to say if health system failed Annie Moylan

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A male entertainer caused havoc in the Perths CBD on Sunday after concerned workers noticed an armed man outside a jewellery shop and called police.

Nine News Perth reported detectives shut down King Street and swarmed the area after several people raised the alarm there was a man outside Linneys dressed in a SWAT uniform and brandishing an assault rifle.

Chad Satchell, 31, explained he was an adult entertainer who had been booked for a nearby party and was preparing his costume in the street.

The outfit allegedly included a gel blaster gun, which is illegal in Western Australia.
The outer suburbs of Melbourne, Queenslands tourist hotspots and sheep and beef producers across NSW all relied heavily on JobKeeper to get through the COVID-19 lockdowns as young Australians ran down their superannuation balances.

Data from the Australian Tax Office released on Monday shows the industries, from the construction sector to deer farmers, that drew on the $88.2 billion JobKeeper program.

JobKeeper was used to help keep Australians off the unemployment queues during the COVID-19 recession. Credit:Jason South

More than 1 million business entities shared in the cash that was announced in March 2020 as the government sought to keep that nations workforce attached to its employers. JobKeeper, which was updated throughout COVID, was the largest program rolled out during the pandemic.

The Tax Office data, released as part of its annual taxation statistics report, shows more than 80,000 people in the Melbourne suburbs of Cranbourne, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Craigieburn were paid through the JobKeeper program. They were the four suburbs in the country most dependent on the payment.
The Greens will pursue a treaty with Indigenous Australians and a truth-telling commission in exchange for backing the Voice to parliament in negotiations with the Albanese government as it seeks to build cross-party support for the constitutional change.

Greens leader Adam Bandt and Senate deputy leader Lidia Thorpe will lead negotiations with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney that are expected to begin by the end of this month.

Greens senator Lidia Thorpe will pursue a treaty with Indigenous Australians and a truth-telling commission in exchange for backing the Voice to parliament in negotiations with the federal government. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Treaty will provide that mechanism for us to negotiate equal terms on how we can live together in the same country and celebrate us as well, Senator Thorpe told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in an interview.

Weve made it clear that the Greens want to see progress on all elements of the Statement [from the Heart]. We support legislation that improves the lives of First Nations people, and I look forward to talking with Minister Burney about how we achieve that together in this Parliament.
China will extend its military drills around Taiwan by sending fighter aircraft to simulate air-to-ship strikes after it denounced the finger-pointing from regional democracies urging it to halt the exercises to prevent the danger of a miscalculation.

The Chinese military command said the operations would focus on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes after the scheduled end to its live-fire exercises, stepping up its show of force in the worst crisis in the Taiwan Strait in decades.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong called for restraint and de-escalation from China. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Foreign Minister Penny Wong called again on Monday for restraint and de-escalation from China after four days of sea and air operations around Taiwan, as she held talks in Canberra with visiting United States deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman.

Addressing Sherman in a meeting in Parliament House, the foreign minister said Australia viewed the US as indispensable to ensuring stability in the region.
Bogota: Colombias first leftist president has been sworn into office, promising to fight inequality and bring peace to a country long haunted by bloody feuds between the government, drug traffickers and rebel groups.

Gustavo Petro, a former member of the countrys M-19 guerilla group, won the presidential election in June by beating conservative parties that offered moderate changes to the market-friendly economy, but failed to connect with voters frustrated by rising poverty and violence against human rights leaders and environmental groups in rural areas.

Dayra Benavides, artist of the Carnaval de Negros y Blancos prepares for the inauguration of Gustavo Pedro in Bogota, Colombia. Credit:Getty Images

As president, he said Colombia was getting a second chance to tackle violence and poverty and promised that his government would implement economic policies that sought to end longstanding inequalities and ensured solidarity with the nations most vulnerable.

He said he was willing to start peace talks with armed groups across the country and also called on the United States and other developed nations to change drug policies that have focused on the prohibition of substances like cocaine, and fed violent conflicts across Colombia and other Latin American nations.
~Academic section Aug. 15; PSVE Aug. 22~

CUL DE SAC:--- St. Maarten Academy is preparing for an exciting new school year as it gears up to welcome 80 new students in the academic section, and 50 at the PSVE campus with registration still continuing. Both schools, which fall under the Board of the Foundation for Academic and Vocational Education (FAVE) will also be reopening at different times, with the academic section starting instruction on August 15 and PSVE, on August 22.

FAVE schools saw major changes this year both at the Board and Management levels, with Mr. Elroy Hughes assuming the chairmanship of the Board following the resignation of Mr. Roland Duncan in May.

Drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool, former School Manager of the academic campus has been appointed Interim Executive Director with responsibility for both the Academic and PSVE sections. This position was left vacant since the passing of Vance James Jr some 15 years ago. Baly-Vanterpool said that two of her major goals in her capacity were to further expand the schools educational reach, as well as to make it more financially sustainable. As such, Baly-Vanterpool is looking forward to the collaboration and support of the Academy family, friends, and supporters, as well as the community at large. She shared with parents, students, and staff, her continued dedication to the excellence of St. Maarten Academy at both campuses.

Former Vice Principal Mrs. Kim Lucas-Felix was promoted to acting principal and together with sitting Vice Principal, Ms. Joanna Trim, will manage the Academic section.

At the PSVE section, former School Manager, Mrs. Lavern Nelson will assume the post of Innovative Coordinator; while her Vice Principal Ms. Monique Beek will take over as acting principal. Mr. Sydney Selbonne has been appointed vice principal of the PSVE section.

This academic year Lucas-Felix and Trim plan to further expand their vision for their section by developing independent learners, who are empowered with critical-thinking skills to lead, influence, and succeed globally.

Our Management has a clear vision for this academic year. We believe in nurturing leaders that will shape and influence the future positively. Given what is happening in the world today, our students need to become independent learners, with essential entrepreneurial and scientific skills necessary for becoming active participants in the global economy, Lucas-Felix stated. This can only be achieved by strengthening the relationships between home and school so that our students will continue to impact their communities in a positive manner.

Beek, in offering a warm welcome to the PSVE student body, stated: We are standing on a threshold of a new dawn namely - the school year 2022-2023. The theme for this school year is, Teamwork Always Makes the Dream Work [and] this theme is part of the universal message [that] unity is strength. This universal message was recently applied by two of our students who started out as adversaries, but ended up as a unit.



According to the newly-minted acting principal, St. Maarten Academy has the students interests at heart and; hence, we believe that together with all stakeholders, teamwork makes the dream work. The overall goal is to have all sorts of business events in place for our students, where a strong interest is created. This will be the catalyst to encourage the attendees to enroll their children at our institution. All business events will be used as a promotional tool to create a positive image in the community by highlighting the educational programs and a promising outlook for the school and future possibilities. This will be self-promoting for the school. Additionally, those events will allow future parents and students to familiarize themselves with the schools educational system, environment, and the programs being offered, Beek stated.

Expressing some challenges, Lucas-Felix said: At the Academy, we always strive to do our best despite the present challenges, which include the critical shortage of teachers on the island for secondary level education. Additionally, the school is still challenged when it comes to having fully-equipped computer labs. This has been the case since the hurricane in 2017. These are among the major setbacks that we are working assiduously to mitigate. Any assistance from the government or private sector is always welcome, and would help our staff and students to achieve our collective and individual goals.

She said the Academic section retained 93 percent of its teaching staff and will soon welcome seven new teachers in the areas of Spanish, Science, Dutch, Information Technology, Business, and Social Sciences since the Academy had not replaced teachers who had left or retired in recent years.

The Human Resources Officer is working diligently to procure work permits for teachers hired from abroad, but there continue to be significant delays in the process. Additionally, receiving dispensation for immigrant teachers continues to be a challenge.

Despite these challenges, the Management would like to encourage parents to stay involved in their childrens education - both at home and at school. The Management of both sections would like to remind parents that their involvement plays a pivotal role in the academic and social success of their children. They should develop a relationship with, and keep in touch with both their childrens homeroom mentor and subject teachers, be patient with their children and check in with them consistently.

It is our desire that students across all levels will live up to our schools motto, Caring, Learning, Achieving, Excelling by aspiring for greatness. We are confident that they will achieve this by taking accountability for their own success, reflecting on their past performances and working doubly hard in this new academic year, which provides them with new opportunities to succeed, once they remain steadfast and committed to their goals, Lucas-Felix stated.

Owing to the aforementioned changes and transitions in the schools organizational structure, there will be a delayed start to its academic year. All first and second-form students of the schools Academic section are being asked to report to school in full uniform with their parents and/or guardians at 8:00 am on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, for orientation. While at the PSVE section, all students of Forms 1 to 4 must officially report to school on Monday, August 15, 2022, at 7:30 a.m.



PSVE will be holding its orientation week during the period Monday, August 15 to Friday, August 19, 2022, with first formers on Monday; second formers on Tuesday; third on Wednesday, and the final year students on Thursday. Classes for all students at PSVE will commence on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 7:30 a.m.

As the FAVE schools continue to embrace the significant changes in the organizational structure, the Management Teams of both sections, with the support of the interim Executive Director and FAVE Board, are forging ahead with preparations to ensure that the school is ready to receive students and deliver quality education to their young scholars.
PHILIPSBURG:--- MP Romou extends blessings to every child, every person who works in the education field, and every parent as they enter into this new school 2022-2023.

The MP stressed on some important factors that contribute to positive outcomes for teachers, students, and parents.

First and foremost, every child/student deserves to have someone in their life who will never ever give up on them. Someone who will always encourage, motivate and instill the core values of life for success, which are to have self-respect, respect for others, discipline, dedication, a strong belief in ones capabilities, and the audacity to push beyond boundaries.

They also need someone to help them to understand that there is a strong connection between self-motivation, self-determination, and achieving their accomplishments.

For the educators and all teaching staff, it is important to remember that teaching is not just a profession, but it is a calling. Persons who go into the educational field are called to impart knowledge that helps to create all leaders of the future world. Knowledge is multifold and extends beyond textbooks and subject matter. Therefore, everyone must lend a helping hand to our teachers in any way possible, for it is a fact that without teachers, no jobs would exist. It takes a teacher, someone who is dedicated and compassionate about passing on their knowledge to their students, to help to build these individuals who later become successful doctors, electricians, lawyers, plumbers, carpenters, etc.

It is important to remember that because of someone who instilled key knowledge into students, they were capable of achieving their goals. Some teachers go the extra mile to ensure that their students are given the necessary education they need to succeed. For this, I applaud you.

To all parents, the MP indicated that she knows parenting does not come with a handbook as she is a parent of 2 children herself. The MP said parenting is not only a 24-hour job but a lifetime job as you never stop being a parent even when your children become adults.

She encourages parents to always strive to be that person that their children can talk to when they need encouragement, motivation, inspiration or just a listening ear.

Parents need to be their childrens biggest cheerleaders and fans. The best thing a parent can spend on their children is time because this allows parents to get to know their childrens potential. Knowing a child's potential will be that tool to help you push that child to accomplish all they can on their own level. That extra attention, push and love help the students/children to realize their capabilities.

MP Romou concluded by saying that children/students are the center and to keep this center intact. Parents and Teachers must assume their roles. The coming together of all three parties is very essential for overall success. It is very important for parents to be strong support for their children and also for their teachers. Teachers must be able to communicate with parents to ensure that their great work carried out at school continues at home.

So to the magnificent 3, the MP said: "As you enter into this new school year, the coming together of all 3 is very important to achieve overall success. Students, Teachers, and parents I wish you all the best and a very successful school year filled with lots of accomplishments, success, and of course a lot of fun, because school should be balanced"
PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United People's (UP) Party and Member of Parliament Rolando Brison says, "Within less than a year, Minister of TEATT Roger Lawrence made significant strides towards improving the economic reality for St. Maarten."

He said the UP Party was happy to have had the experience Lawrence brought from the corporate world to the Ministry of TEATT (Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication). The former Minister officially resigned last week, sighting his ongoing health challenges as the main reason for his decision. His resignation now leaves the UP Party without a Minister of TEATT.

"We are very grateful for the get-it-done approach Lawrence had, and this was evident in some of the things he was able to finalize, which were on the books for months, even years," said Brison.

Omar Ottley, Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour (VSA) is Acting Minister of TEATT and has approached his role as Acting Minister of TEATT with the same tenacity as has been displayed thus far in the VSA Ministry.

Lawrence, a former Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Port St. Maarten, was ceremoniously sworn in as TEATT Minister on August 16, 2021, and immediately hit the ground running. Since taking office, Lawrence, who was acutely aware of the challenges within the Government's Tourism Bureau to act on destination marketing and promotion of St. Maarten, made sure to finalize the Draft Legislation to establish the Sint Maarten Tourism Authority as an autonomous agency outside of Government. The legislation mimics the Aruba Tourism Authority's model, and soon TEATT will begin stakeholder consultation on establishing the entity.

"The EDC Economic Development Corporation has been inactive since 2013. Under Lawrence's guidance, it was reactivated and will be used to stimulate economic growth and make lending outside of Government possible. The financial statements for the EDC are completed up to 2021, and TEATT is presently working on installing the Management Team and Supervisory Board for the EDC," said Brison.

While many were already writing off the idea of St. Maarten finalizing United States US-Pre Clearance, Lawrence saw the opportunity to revisit the concept to show its financial benefits. TEATT has reached out to Deloitte to propose the draft economic and business case for US Preclearance and is awaiting their response.

Former Minister Lawrence also oversaw refinancing the 2012 bond loan at PJIA, which was completed in May 2022. Local investors now hold the bonds to secure St. Maarten's interest. When the bonds were held internationally, investors had, on occasions, threatened to call in the loan following the devastation of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) by hurricane Irma in 2017. The refinancing also gave room for capital investments like the FBO building, Fire & Rescue and relocation of the fuel farm. In addition, PJIA will invest in the airport's surroundings, such as roundabouts, fencing and guardrails.

Following the lockdown and economic downturn sparked by the Corona Virus COVID-19 global pandemic, St. Maarten had to decide its next steps to revive the economy quickly. Lawrence and his TEATT Ministry drafted the "Red Carpet" investor policy to facilitate significant investments like that in the Morgan and Westin.

"Minister Lawrence also saw to improving working and supervision in the gaming sector, legislation on civil aviation, reducing red tape when starting a business and enhancing the collection of data and statistics were concerned," explained Brison.

He said the Minister did exceptional work, such as ensuring the audit by SOAB of the Bureau of Telecommunication and Post and improving the telecommunications sector. Discussions are ongoing to bring the utility tariffs under the supervision of the BTP as well. Under Lawrence's leadership, the SMMPF was reinstalled and reactivated to assist Government in preserving its heritage and making it accessible to the tourism industry. He also facilitated the creation of a task force between TEATT and Finance to collect owed license fees and controller fees.



With the help of the Port of St. Maarten, TEATT repaired Front Street, and the Ministry reviewed the multi-annual high-level strategic plan of the Port. The Council of Ministers COM's approval is still needed for the Port to continue discussing strategic partnerships, new berthing agreements, and fees with the Cruise lines.

"No one can predict the future, and often we see what appears to be good on the surface, not knowing that underlying issues are playing a role that will ultimately slow us down. In the case of this charismatic Minister and public servant, I hope his health is restored, and he can return to doing the things he loves. I pray God's guidance on him and his family through this challenging time, and I ask a grateful nation to keep him and his family in your prayers," said Brison.
~Fifty schoolbags with supplies and gift vouchers delivered to various schools & students~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs, paid visits to Prince Willem Alexander School, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr school staff and St. Martin Vocational Training School on a tour to deliver school supplies on the first day of school. During the visits, the Prime Minister addressed the management, staff, and students of the Vocational School to share words of encouragement on their first day.



The bags were made possible due to a collaborative effort by the Prime Minister, Your Voice Your Choice Foundation with sponsorship from Island Concrete, Adolphus Richardson Office Supplies, Pennys Dept Store, Looking Good II & Van Dorp. This community support made it possible for 50 children to receive donated school supplies as well as vouchers for uniforms and their fees.

Pledges for more donations have been received for the foundation and will be processed during the course

of the week.



Over the weekend five bags were donated to the children at the St. Maarten Childrens Home, and thirteen to individuals known from previous drives in the Dutch Quarter area. During this mornings tour, twelve bags were delivered to Sint Maarten Vocational Training School, eight to Prince Willem Alexander, seven to Milton Peters College, five to Martin Luther King School,



No child should be left behind because of a lack of access to proper school supplies. Times may be a bit hard now, but I am committed to facilitating the provision of as much assistance and opportunities as I can to promote a positive environment for learning, said Prime Minister Jacobs.
Tudor Gold announces $7 million brokered private placement offering

Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV:TUD) (the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/tudor-gold-corp/ ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (the aAgentsa), in connection with a best efforts, private placement offering (the aOfferinga) for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $7,000,000 in a combination of:

units of the Company (the aUnitsa) at a price of $1.44 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a aCommon Sharea) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a aWarranta);

flow-through units of the Company (the aFT Unitsa) at a price of $1.70 per FT Unit. Each FT Unit will consist of one Common Share that will qualify as aflow-through sharesa within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the aTax Acta) and one-half of one Warrant; and

flow-through units of the Company to be sold to charitable purchasers (the aCharity FT Unitsa) at a price of $2.05 per Charity FT Unit. Each Charity FT Unit will consist of one Common Share that will qualify as aflow-through sharesa within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Tax Act that will be issued as part of a charity arrangement and one-half of one Warrant.

Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (a aWarrant Sharea) at an exercise price of $2.00 per Warrant Share at any time up to 24 months following the Closing (as defined herein).

The net proceeds from the sale of Units will be used for the Companya?s ongoing exploration drilling program, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes. The net proceeds from the sale of FT Units and Charity FT Units will be used to incur eligible \Canadian exploration expenses\ (\CEE\) that are \flow-through mining expenditures\ (as such term is defined in the Tax Act) related to exploration expenses on the Companya?s Treaty Creek flagship property, located in Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia, as permitted under the Tax Act to qualify as CEE. The Company will renounce such CEE to the purchasers of the FT Units and Charity FT Units with an effective date of no later thanA December 31, 2022.

The Agents will have an option (the aAgentsa? Optiona) to offer for sale up to an additional 15% of the number of Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units sold in the Offering, which Agentsa? Option is exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering.

The Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units to be issued under the Offering will be offered by way of private placement in each of the provinces of Canada.

The Offering is scheduled to close on or about August 25, 2022, or such other date as agreed upon between the Company and the Agents (the aClosinga) and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units and securities underlying the Compensation Warrants (as defined herein) to be issued under the Offering will have a hold period of four months and one day from Closing.

In connection with the Offering, the Agents will receive an aggregate cash fee equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, including in respect of any exercise of the Agentsa? Option. In addition, the Company will grant the Agents, on date of Closing, non-transferable compensation warrants (the aCompensation Warrantsa) equal to 6.0% of the total number of Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units sold under the Offering (including in respect of any exercise of the Agentsa? Option). Each Compensation Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $1.70 per Common Share for a period of 24 months following the Closing.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the aU.S. Securities Acta), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

About Tudor Gold Corp.

Tudor Gold Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with properties in British Columbiaa?s Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek project (in which TUDOR GOLD has a 60% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.a?s KSM property to the southwest and borders Pretium Resources Inc.a?s Brucejack property to the southeast. In April 2021 Tudor published their 43-101 technical report, aTechnical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of the Treaty Creek Gold Property, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia Canadaa dated March 1, 2021 on the Companya?s SEDAR profile. The Company also has a 100% interest in the Crown project and a 100% interest in the Eskay North project, all located in the Golden Triangle area.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains aforward-looking informationa within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. aForward-looking informationa includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the expectation that the Offering will close in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as aplansa, aexpectsa, ais expecteda, abudgeta, ascheduleda, aestimatesa, aforecastsa, aintendsa, aanticipatesa, or abelievesa or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results amaya, acoulda, awoulda, amighta or awill be takena, aoccura or abe achieveda or the negative connation thereof.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will complete Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companya?s plans or expectations include risks relating to the failure to complete the Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, market conditions and timeliness regulatory approvals.A Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
Despite its straight to Hulu and Disney+ release strategy that meant it bypassed theatres entirely,is sure as hell not anything less than spectacular just because it aired on the small screen. It revitalises the Predator format and drags it kicking and screaming into the modern age after the Shane Black movie died on arrival back in 2018 - the update of the setting that switches it to Great Plains in 1719 reaffirms the need that not every sequel needs to be part of a grand cinematic universe, like, sometimes, the best approach is a simple one.Our protagonist Naru looks to prove herself as a hunter - but the first hunt against a lion doesn't go over too well. The men who she surrounds herself with take her tracking abilities with disbelief and leave her behind, stealing her kill of the lion from under her after she's distracted by a series of strange lights. It doesn't take long for Naru to work out that something is amiss and it's no ordinary bear that they're hunting - in fact - it's the creature that's hunting them; a Predator from another world, that can turn invincible on command and has advanced weaponry that would pale even in comparison to modern technology, let alone the muskets of the 1700s. The gauntlet is thrown, and one by one, Naru's companions die all around her.It's a thrilling back-to-basics plot as Dan Trachtenberg takes theformula and turns it into a new beast; Naru feels like a modern Ripley but with enough personality and distinction to make her own character, and much of that is down to the sheer brilliance of Amber Midthunder; great ever sinceandof course, but really revelling in being the lead in her own franchise - the sheer passion and commitment that she throws into the role is evident from the start. You buy every second of Naru's battle with CGI-heavy monsters and the grit and the gore ofcomes through; alien or not, everything feels completely convincing. On a first viewing there was no overtly obvious CGI that felt distracting - and nothing that took you out of the film even when an alien ship flies above the great plains in 1700s America, Trachtenberg - no stranger to sci-fi since, really excelling in the genre format. At this point just let him work his magic with any science fiction franchise that he wants to.His craft of action choreography is well utilised and it's refreshing to get a movie that doesn't feel ashamed of itself by trying to get away with every corny moment by saying "well, that just happened", there's no "we should call it a Predator" moment or something equally stupid - in fact as one thing this franchise isn't, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe; the best decision is to keepa largely dialogue-free experience to the point where it feels more at home when compared to the likes ofthan say, anything in its own franchise is a good thing, as it allows as a nice palette cleanser and a good entry point to the franchise for those unfamiliar. Midthunder's near-wordless performance is one of the best of the year so far - everything is shown through her expressions and you buy every second of them.The tension and enduring dread that passes every second ofonly escalates throughout the film and it doesn't lose its way in the third act - in fact; the film keeping itself on the edge of your seats from start to finish is one of its biggest strengths; even when the stakes are raised they never feel cheap - and that's in part due to how personal the whole thing feels for Naru. Its strong storyline of empowerment and the need to prove yourself gives her a simple but effective motivation; and as a result, she's an easy to like character, benefiting from the lack of a need to carry the weight of a cinematic universe on her shoulders. This is Naru's movie; all the better for it.The cinematography on show is excellent and really immerses you in the world - the action sequences are brutal as they come and the landscape is appropriately picturesque. Jeff Cutter's balance of natural beauty and sense of looming dread befitting of Naru's journey feels strikingly memorable; and the silhouette shots of their own create a whole new approach, feeling evocative and instantly memorable. The bait sequence in particular that takes place towards the end of the film; rather than feeling cheap for its usage of smoke and lights to obscure the action, instead only uses it to create a sense of dread, with some incredibly smart stylistic choices being made by all accounts. Sarah Schachner's soundtrack feels etheral, otherworldly and naturalistic at the same time - balancing that sense of world and mood lighting with the thrill of the hunt; but from the Predator and that of Naru.Everything feels essential, the movie doesn't waste time in setting up world building that doesn't need to be there or characters that don't need to be, everything advances Naru's story one step further. It feels smart without the need to feel pretentiously so, and benefits from a back-to-basics, brutalist approach where you actually believe at any given second any of these characters can die. Never has that felt so refreshing.
Michael Caleo Serves as Writer and Showrunnerwith Daniel OHara to Direct the Opening EpisodesSeries Produced by Chapter One Pictures, Anonymous Contentand VIS, the International Studio Division of ParamountLONDON  August 8, 2022  Paramount+ today announced casting for its upcoming original U.K. drama series, SEXY BEAST, which commenced production, filming on location in Liverpool.James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, Angels in America) leads the cast as Gal Dove and Emun Elliott (The Rig, The Gold) stars as Don Logan  the duo are best friends and small-town thieves, living the good life in 90s East London. Sarah Greene (Dublin Murders, Normal People) is Deedee, a captivating adult film star, who has the potential to turn Gals whole life upside down. Stephen Moyer (Shots Fired, True Blood) is Teddy Bass, a rising name in the gangster world, who Gal and Don are offered the chance to work with on a high-profile heist. Tamsin Greig (Episodes, Friday Night Dinner) is Dons stern and formidable older sister Cecilia. The prequel series will explore Gal and Dons complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while falling in love with DeeDee.Produced by Chapter One Pictures, Anonymous Content and VIS, the international studio division of Paramount Global. The series is written by showrunner and executive producer Michael Caleo (The Family, The Sopranos) and the opening episodes are directed by Daniel OHara (Brassic), who also serves as executive producer. Sophie Gardiner (Best Interests) and Rupert Ryle-Hodges (The Hollow Crown) are executive producers for Chapter One Pictures alongside Nicole Clemens. David Scinto and Louis Mellis, the writers of the original film, also serve as executive producers and James Levison (Endeavour) joins as producer.I feel so fortunate to be able to explore these beautifully crafted characters a decade before we met them in the original story, said showrunner Michael Caleo. This series has been a great passion of mine for many years and I cannot wait to see it come to life with this amazing cast.Joining the ensemble cast for SEXY BEAST are Eliza Bennett (Dynasty), Clea Martin (Hanna), Nicholas Nunn (The Victim), John Dagleish (The Third Day), Robbie Gee (Motherland), Paul Kaye (The Stranger), Lex Shrapnel (Infiniti), Cally Lawrence (Who Is Alice), David Kennedy (Hollyoaks), Nitin Ganatra (EastEnders) and Alice Bailey Johnson (This Is Going to Hurt).The series, part of Paramount+s strategy to commission 150 international originals by 2025, will debut in 2023 in the U.K., U.S. and other international territories where the streaming service is available. Paramount+ continues to expand its global footprint and is set to launch in France, GSA and Italy later in 2022. SEXY BEAST is one of the first original dramas commissioned in the U.K. that will debut across Paramount+ internationally, with additional series including THE FLATSHARE, A GENTLEMEN IN MOSCOW, THE BLUE and THE BURNING GIRLS.
Despite a cease a cease and desist order issued by Connecticut utility regulators last month and a $5 million fine, installation of fiber optic cable by Frontier Communications is continuing, according to a company spokeswoman.

Thats because the vast majority of Frontiers ultra-high speed fiber optic network expansion is being done above ground, with the cables attached to utility poles, Chrissy Murray, a company spokeswoman said last week. The July 27 cease-and-desist order issued by Connecticuts Public Utilities Regulatory Authority against Frontier Communications, involves practices used by a Pennsylvania-based contractor and others doing the underground installation of fiber optic cables.

A vast majority of our build in Connecticut is aerial so that continues on, Murray said. We take PURAs citations seriously; however it is important to note that when building our fiber optic infrastructure, we consider underground, buried and aerial construction and look to what is best in each situation. Our current designs are the best methods for serving our customers across the state of Connecticut.

In its cease and desist order, PURA officials contend that Frontier and its contractors have been deploying fiber-optic cables in the public right-of-way using inappropriate design and construction standards and specifications, which has resulted, and will continue to result, in damage to underground natural gas and electric distribution facilities.

These actions put at risk the health and safety of both the public at large and the workers involved, the order said in part. Frontier and its contractors have continually violated numerous statutes and regulations.

Joe Cooper, a spokesman for PURA, said the ball is otherwise in the proverbial court of Frontier, as the resumption of their installation efforts is contingent upon demonstration of compliance with the orders of the Authority.

The regulatory agency is requiring that Frontier develop an inspection program by Aug. 10 to excavate and inspect all affected locations that were cited in PURAs order. Cooper said other utilities whose infrastructure was damaged by the alleged actions of Frontier and its contractors  may elect on their own to initiate a re-inspections of their own prior the submission of Frontiers plan.

Details regarding Frontier;s re-inspection plan, including cost recovery for remediation efforts, will be determined by PURA following submission of Frontier's plan, he said.

Murray said Frontier officials  are reviewing every incident cited, gathering the details behind each one and working with all of our contractors in attempt to develop action plans to ensure this wont happen again.

Currently, all of our contractors are going through a refresher training as a requirement for doing buried construction across the state, she said.

One Frontier contractor named in the cease and desist order is Pennsylvania-based Parkside Utility Construction. Murray said Froniter officials are working with Parkside to put things in place so we dont continue these types of incidents.

They have been a good partner in the past and we expect to have them working with us for the foreseeable future, she said when asked if Frontier would replace Parkside with another contractor.

The cease and desist order cites at least eight instances in which Frontier contractors damaged conduits of other utilities. In particular, the order cites a May 6, 2021 incident in which Parkside damaged a gas line to 166 Hull St. in Ansonia.

The investigation determined that Parkside neglected to hand dig and expose the gas service under the driveway when attempting to cross the service, as required for trenchless excavations, according to the order. Parkside was assessed and paid a civil penalty of $1,100 for this incident, according to PURA officials.

That contractor also, according to Call Before You Dig reports, damaged utility conduits seven times between mid-May 2021and the end of last year. Those incidents occurred in Enfield, Middletown, Meriden, Stratford, Waterford and Wallingford, where two conduits were damaged.

Parkside officials have not responded to repeated phone calls from Hearst Connecticut Media seeking comment on PURAs claims.

Cooper said PURA has a division of staff engineers who specialize in investigation and enforcement of Call Before You Dig violations, as well as gas pipeline safety, regulations and statutes.

The Authoritys July 27, 2022 Notice of Violation directed to Frontier details some of the Authoritys evidence, he said. More of these details will be discussed in a public hearing if Frontier exercises their right to a hearing within 30 days of receipt of the Notice of Violation.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
PHOENIX (AP)  A Pinon man has been arrested in connection with the death of a Navajo woman who was reported missing in 2019, according to authorities.

Federal prosecutors said 30-year-old Tre C. James was taken into custody last week on suspicion of first-degree murder and multiple counts of domestic violence.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  U.N. experts report that North Korea is testing nuclear triggering devices and that its preparations for another nuclear test were at a final stage in June, quoting information from unnamed countries.

The panel of experts said in new excerpts from their latest report obtained Friday by The Associated Press that they have been unable to identify the test locations and dates for the tests of nuclear triggering devices reported by one U.N. member state.

In excerpts obtained Thursday, the experts said North Korea is paving the way for additional nuclear tests with new preparations at its northeastern test site and continues to develop its capability to produce a key ingredient for nuclear weapons.

In the new excerpt, the panel said: As of early June, two member states assessed that the preparation for nuclear tests was at a final stage.

On other issues, the panel said in Thursday's excerpts that North Korea conducted two major hacks this year, resulting in the theft of cryptocurrency assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Pyongyang also continues illicitly importing oil and exporting coal in violation of U.N. sanctions, using the same companies, networks and vessels, it said.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have said they detected North Korean efforts to prepare its northeastern Punggye-ri testing ground for another nuclear test. It would be the Norths seventh since 2006 and the first since September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb to fit on its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The panel of experts report to the U.N. Security Council provides some details of the work being carried out at the site by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the countrys official name.

The experts said they observed that the DPRK started re-excavation work in March at the entrance to Tunnel 3 at Punggye-ri and reconstructed support buildings originally dismantled in May 2018.

Satellite imagery showed increased numbers of vehicle tracks around this secondary entrance from mid-February 2022, followed by construction of a new building adjacent to the entrance at the beginning of March, the panel said. A pile of lumber, for possible use in the construction of the tunnel structure, was also detected around the same time.

It added that, Piles of soil from the tunnel excavation around the entrance were observed during this period.

Work at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site paves the way for additional nuclear tests for the development of nuclear weapons, the experts said, adding that this is an objective stated at the Eighth Congress of the countrys ruling Workers Party of Korea in January 2021.

Robert Floyd, head of the U.N. nuclear test ban treaty organization, told a U.N. press conference Friday that its monitoring facilities detected the six previous DPRK nuclear tests. If there is a seventh time, Im very confident our system will pick it up, well characterize it, and that information then gets shared with the states of the world, he said.

Floyd is attending the high-level conference reviewing the landmark Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty which began Monday and ends on Aug. 26. Under the NPT's provisions, the five original nuclear powers -- the United States, China, Russia (then the Soviet Union), Britain and France -- agreed to negotiate toward eliminating their arsenals someday and nations without nuclear weapons promised not to acquire them in exchange for a guarantee to be able to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Floyd raised the question of whether the possibility of a seventh DPRK nuclear test will strengthen or weaken nonproliferation and disarmament arrangements, and the appetite of states to see these things come into place.

I wonder as to how much that is actually feeding into the tone that weve heard this week during the review conference, where there was quite a deal of accommodation of various positions, he said.

I wonder whether the states are recognizing at a time such as this it is really important to be able to strengthen the NPT and to come together around some of these very important issues, rather than, `Oh, this is a reason we should abandon such an important thing as the cornerstone of nuclear architecture,' Floyd said.

In another aspect of the DPRKs nuclear program, analysts said satellite images last September showed that North Korea was expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, a sign that it wanted to boost production of the key bomb material.

The U.N. experts said in the new report: DPRK continued to develop its capability for the production of nuclear fissile materials at the Yongbyon site.

Nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea have stalled since 2019 over disagreements over the DPRK demand to lift crippling U.S.-led sanctions and Washingtons demand for significant steps by Pyongyang toward nuclear disarmament.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expanded his ballistic missile program amid the diplomatic pause, and analysts say another nuclear test would escalate his brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power, and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

The panel of experts said the DPRK continued to accelerate its missile programs, launching 31 missiles combining ballistic and guidance technologies, including six ICBMs and two explicitly described as ballistic weapons. It said the DPRK also claimed to have advanced its development of tactical nuclear weapons.
MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP)  A western Michigan woman sentenced to life in prison as a 16-year-old is scheduled to be released from prison next month, a corrections spokesman said Monday.

Amy Lee Black, convicted of killing a Muskegon County man in 1990, is set to be paroled from the Womens Huron Valley Correctional Facility the week of Sept. 4-10, Chris Gautz of the Michigan Department of Corrections, told The Muskegon Chronicle in an email.
WFO BURLINGTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, August 7, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Burlington VT

335 PM EDT Sun Aug 7 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values in the mid to upper 90s expected.

* WHERE...The Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York, and

portions of the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont.

* WHEN...Through 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur through the early evening hours.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS..The highest heat indices will occur

between 1 PM and 6 PM today.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Eastern parts of Connecticut are at a very high risk of forest fire on Monday, state officials said, after weeks of drought have plagued much of New England.

In Redding, fire officials said they battled two major brush fires over the weekend, including one blaze along the Saugatuck Reservoir. The blaze is under investigation by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Aquarion, the water company that controls the reservoir.

Redding officials are asking people to be extra vigilant when discarding any smoking materials, and said any kind of outdoor burning should be curtailed.

These are very dangerous and resource-depleting operations, Redding Fire & EMS Company No. 1 said in a Facebook post Sunday.

DEEP, which issues the states daily forest fire danger report, said the risk of forest fire in the eastern counties  Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham counties  is very high Monday. The fire risk is high in the western and central regions of the state  Litchfield, Hartford, Fairfield and New Haven counties.

The state usually sees a high risk of brush fires during the spring months from mid-March through mid-May, before leaves have grown on trees and when the sun and wind can easily dry out light fuels on the ground. Those brush fires can spread quickly, according to DEEP, but the fire rarely burns deep into the ground.

The summer fire season, which lasts from mid-May through September, can see fire burn into the ground potentially killing off more vegetation.

Forest fuels dry slowly because of lower temperatures in the shaded woods with corresponding higher humidity, DEEPs website states. ...The vegetation is growing and sucking moisture from the soil. When the woods become dry enough and a fire starts, the fire tends to grow more slowly than a spring fire, but burns deeper into the ground.

The increased fire risk to Connecticut comes as much of the east has seen several weeks of drought, while other regions are abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Most of Windham and New London counties in the east are now under severe drought, according to the drought monitor, while central and northwestern areas of the state are in a moderate drought. Much of the southwestern part of the state is considered abnormally dry, the monitor notes.

Those conditions follow several days of hot, humid weather in Connecticut. Temperatures are expected to reach the 90s again on Monday and Tuesday, with humidity making it feel like 100 or more both days.
Reporter: Recently, China has announced eight countermeasures against Washington, including canceling three China-US military exchange programs, in response to Nancy Pelosis visit to Chinas Taiwan region. According to US media reports, the Chinese side has recently rejected phone calls made by the US high-level military officials to the Chinese military leaders. Could you please make comments on this?

Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian: The current tensions across the Taiwan Strait has been a result of provocative acts single-handedly created by the US side, for which the US side must be held accountable and bear full responsibility for the serious consequences of it.

China has stated its solemn position on the relationship between the two countries and the two militaries, as well as the Taiwan question; particularly, the Chinese side has repeatedly lodged stern representations and strong protests over the US House of Representatives Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan. However, the US side has said one thing and done another, conniving and supporting Pelosis rogue visit, deliberately creating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

In response to the vicious and provocative actions by the US side, China has announced eight countermeasures, including the cancellation of the arrangement of phone calls between the Chinese and US military leaders at the theater command level, cancellation of working meetings between the defense departments of the two countries, and cancellation of the China-US Maritime Military Safety Consultation Mechanism meetings. The relevant countermeasures taken by the Chinese side are a necessary warning to the provocations made by the US and Taiwan secessionist forces, and a legitimate defence of national sovereignty and security, completely reasonable and appropriate.

The bottom line can never be broken, and sincerity is a prerequisite for communication. While creating a crisis, the US also claims to manage the crisis, trying to find excuses to cover up its wrong words and deeds and provocative actions, and even hyping it up to confuse the public opinion and shift the blame to others. China firmly opposes this. China urges the US side to earnestly respect Chinas core interests and major concerns, abandon any illusion of containing China with Taiwan, and not go even further down the wrong path.
Nine cases of monkeypox have been reported in the last week, Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila told a press conference on Monday.

The total number of people infected with monkeypox in Romania is 30.

According to the minister, those infected with this virus are men between the ages of 22 and 44. Their condition is good and they are in isolation.

Of these, seven are from Bucharest, one from Ilfov and one from Cluj.
Approximately 465,000 persons, Romanian and foreign citizens, with over 113,400 means of transportation, have carried out control formalities at border crossing points nationwide, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs.

As many as 245,202 persons were inbound, including 12,794 Ukrainian nationals (going up by 2.57% from the previous day).

As of February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict period), until August 7, at 24:00, 1,851,048 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania.

As part of the specific activities at crossing points and the green border, the border police found 84 illegal deeds (30 infractions and 54 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens. Undeclared goods (which were to be smuggled into the country) were discovered, independently or in collaboration with other stuff, exceeding the customs ceiling allowed or suspected to be counterfeit, amounting to approximately RON 75,000. Fines worth over 30,000 RON were issued.

IGPF also informs that in the last 24 hours, 28 foreign citizens who did not meet the legal conditions were denied entry into Romania, while 43 Romanian citizens were denied exit, because of various legal reasons.AGERPRES
The authorities discovered more than 120 foreign citizens who were staying in Romania illegally, in the past week, according to a press release of the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

The immigration police carried out 667 operations, in the past week, in a quest to combat illegal staying and undeclared work of foreign citizens in Romania, sometimes in collaboration with other structures working in public order and security, and with experts from the Territorial Labour Inspectorate, identifying thus 123 foreign citizens who were staying illegally in Romania.

The same source specified that 109 people of the 139 will voluntarily return to their country of origin, while needing to observe a deadline for voluntary departure from the territory of Romania, 15 people were removed under escort, and for 34 people the measure of taking them into public custody was ordered, until their return from the territory of our country, Agerpres.

"During the reference period, 275 asylum applications were recorded in Romania, the applicants being in different stages of the procedure. Also, 14 applicants received the protection of the Romanian state, for 78 foreign citizens, decisions were issued rejecting the applications for granting a form of international protection, and for 2,094 Ukrainian citizens and third parties who arrived from Ukraine as a result of the armed conflict, residence permits were issued as beneficiaries of temporary protection. For 260 asylum seekers and 49 beneficiaries of protection in In Romania, the police have issued temporary identity documents or residence permits that certify their residence in our country," informs IGI.
Solar panels could have been installed "in the backyards of millions of Romanians," "the equivalent of 25 power stations from Iron Gates 2" from the money paid for nine months of energy price capping, Save Romania Union (USR) representatives say in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

"Instead of the chaotic compensation and capping scheme put into practice by the PSD-PNL [Social Democratic Party - National Liberal Party] Government, the installation of solar panels in the backyard of millions of Romanians could have been subsidized, which would have meant an increase in installed power by 44 pct, green energy for Romania. In other words, instead of 40 billion RON wasted, we could have had in Romania an additional installed power equivalent to 25 power plants from Iron Gates 2 or six power plants from Cernavoda or 260 power plants from the Jiului Gorge," reads the release.

The USR representatives maintain that "a simple calculation - which includes a real free market price of 1,000 euros for each KW installed in photovoltaic panels (with inverter and everything needed to become a prosumer) - reveals that out of 8 billion euros, the amount of the price capping scheme in the first 9 months since OUG [Government Ordinance] 27 was adopted, could have resulted in 8 GW of installed power distributed in people's households", Agerpres.

"For a simple representation, these 8,000 MW mean the power of 25 power plants such as the one at Iron Gates 2 or of almost six power plants at Cernavoda or of 260 power plants on the Jiului Gorge. Or of 37 power plants at the Vidraru Dam. All this, in the conditions in which, at the moment, the total installed power in Romania amounts to approximately 18,000 MW. In other words, the PSD-PNL Government could have increased by 44 pct the installed power of Romania, green energy, in the backyard of millions of Romanians, with sources spread across the entire surface of the country, not burdening the distribution system (production and consumption would happen in the short chain), thus significantly reducing the cost of the bills paid by the population," the press release further states
The celebrations occasioned by the Romanian Navy Day kicked off, Monday afternoon, in Tulcea, with a concert performed downtown this city by the Navy Music Ensemble.

The Prefect's office in the Tulcea County said in a press release that, through this concert, the military sailors, together with the military music band of the 101st Airborne Division of the USA, stationed at the 57th "Mihail Kogalniceanu" Air Base, started the artistic moments dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the Romanian Navy Day, Agerpres.

"Celebrated for the first time on August 15, 1902, on board of the Elisabeta cruiser, the Romanian Navy Day reaches its 120th anniversary this year," reads the abovementioned source.

According to a press release from the General Staff of the Naval Forces (SMFN), the first events of the series this year will take place in Tulcea to highlight thus the importance of the return of the Dobrogea area to the Motherland, when Romania became an independent state, Agerpres.

"The land between the Danube and the Black Sea offered our country access to the planetary ocean and, at the same time, generated the development of the maritime segment of the Romanian Naval Forces," reads the mentioned source.

In Tulcea, the programme of events organized by the General Staff of the Naval Forces (SMFN) will continue on Saturday, August 13, between 9:00 am. and 1:00 pm., with the Open House Day, in the military port, and on Sunday, August 14, between 9:00 am and 10:00 am, with a tribute will be paid to the sailor heroes, through a military and religious ceremony organized at the Heroes' Cemetery.

"On Monday, August 15, the Day of the Romanian Navy will be celebrated, in a restricted setting, in the military port, due to the rehabilitation works of the seafront, which are in progress," the SMFN press release also states.
The Minister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Constantin-Daniel Cadariu, says that, in order to be able to better connect the education system with the labour market and to satisfy the need for qualified human resources and an adequate acquisition of skills, there is need of a better training of teachers.

"The situation of human resources in Romania is complicated if we think about the need to connect the education system with the labour market. I thank Minister Sorin Mihai Cimpeanu for his availability for dialogue and for the solutions proposed regarding the dual education. I totally agree that, in order to have a better connection between the necessary qualified human resources and the acquisition of skills, more attention is needed regarding the training of teachers and to make sure that they have all the tools available to teach students the subjects they need and the quality of the information transmitted," Constantin-Daniel Cadariu wrote on Facebook, on Monday.

He stated that he will continue the discussions with industry employers, the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry and private companies for the transmission of concrete proposals from the business environment to the Ministry of Education, Agerpres.
The international festival for independent film, Anonimul, project co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, will open in southeastern Sfantu Gheorghe, the Danube Delta, on Monday, with the screening of "Mariupolis 2", the last film of Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius, captured by the Russian army and killed in the Ukrainian region of Mariupol, the Ministry of Culture announced on its Facebook page.

The documentary, unfinished by the Lithuanian director, was set up in record time by his fiancee, Hanna Bilobrova, along with the project's producers, in order to be presented at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Bilobrova and Kvedaravicius returned to film once more in Mariupol, in full war, to document the people and places they had filmed in 2015 for the documentary 'Mariupolis'. The director intended to show how the lives of these people continue among bombing, with images on the edge between tragedy and hope. 'Mariupolis 2' is a compilation of images filmed by the documentary maker, without any voice or music, and contains long shots from the daily life of people trying to survive the war, 'a testimony of human resistance', according to Screen Daily," a press release from the Anonimul foundation specifies.

The Anonimul Festival includes two Romanian and international short films' competitions. For the Romanian short film competition 12 titles were selected, while 10 productions were picked for the international shorts' competition.

The competition's selection of feature films was done by Ludmila Cvikova, the trophy being disputed by 5 films: "107 Mothers", a Slovakian-Czech-Ukrainian production, directed by Peter Kerekes, "I'm So Sorry", a Chinese production, directed by Zhao Liang, "Mighty Flash", a Spanish production, directed by Ainhoa Rodrigues, "Talking About the Weather", a German production, directed by Annika Pinske and "Zuhal", a Turkish production, directed by Nazli Elif Durlu.

Hors competition, 13 cinema productions will be screened.

"The prizes for short films and feature films are public vote awarded. The public will also benefit from feature film screenings, accompanied by meetings and dialogues between filmmakers and the audience," the Ministry of Culture specifies.

The cultural project organized by the Anonimul Foundation and the FAMart Association is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, the National Center of Cinematography (CNC), the Tulcea County Council, the Union of Romanian Filmmakers and Dacin Sara.AGERPRES
The number of arrivals of foreign visitors at Romania's border checkpoints accounted for 5.514 million, in H1 2022, an increase of 133% compared to the one recorded in the similar period of 2021, according to the data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Foreign visitors come mostly from countries in Europe (94.5%), the largest share belonging to visitors from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bulgaria. Moreover, the first 6 places, according to the share in the total number of arrivals, belong to countries located in Europe: Ukraine (27.1%), Republic of Moldova (18.6%), Bulgaria (13.7%), Hungary (7.2%), Turkey (6.2%) and Serbia (3.1%).

There were 1,976,600 arrivals from European Union countries (35.8% of total arrivals) in H1 2022, an increase of 64% compared to H1 2021.

Compared to H1 2021, there were increases in the number of arrivals from Australia, Oceania and other territories (+814.5%), America (+352.8%), Asia (+258%), Africa (+192 .6%) and Europe (+127.8%), Agerpres.

Most arrivals were recorded at the following border checkpoints: Otopeni (657,400 arrivals), Giurgiu (526,900 arrivals), Siret (490,600 arrivals) and Albita (486,300 arrivals).

Road transport was the most used by foreign visitors to travel in Romania and is still preferred by Romanians going abroad.

Compared to H1 2021, in terms of the arrivals of foreign visitors to Romania, there were increases in the use of railway means of transport (+298.9%), air means of transport (+292.7%), means of transport naval (+152.3%) and road transport (+110.3%).
Nationwide measurements in Romania confirm normal radiation levels, the National Commission for the Control of Nuclear Activities (CNCAN) announced on Monday following public information on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

"CNCAN, through its Operative Emergency Centre, constantly follows the developments by radiological monitoring," according to a press statement released by the commission on Monday.

CNCAN says that the environmental monitoring system in Ukraine works normally and does not indicate exceeding normal values.

In Romania, the level of radiation is permanently monitored by the National Environmental Monitoring Network (RNSRM) with the National Environmental Protection Agency (ANPM).

Specialists of the National Radioactivity Reference Laboratory verify the monitored data 24/7 and submit them to the International Atomic Energy Agency so as to ensure prompt information to national and international decision-makers, as well as the public, Agerpres.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for international inspectors to have access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex after Ukraine and Russia accused each other of shelling Europe's largest nuclear facility over the weekend, according to the Reuters and France Presse news agencies.

"Any attack on a nuclear power plant is a suicidal thing," Guterres told a news conference in Japan.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday considered increasingly alarming the information coming from the Zaporizhzhia power plant, where one of the reactors had to be stopped after an attack carried out the day before.
Acting Senate Chair Alina Gorghiu on Monday called fake news reporting that several scenarios were discussed inside the National Liberal Party (PNL), including that of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) pulling out of the ruling coalition this autumn.

"I have attended the National Political Bureau (BPN) meeting, and I'm smiling because it has nothing to do with our meeting, there was no discussion about any party, either PSD or UDMR [Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania], pulling out of the government. I believe and I say it very firmly and seriously that any party that would raise the issue of leaving the government now would be totally discredited," said Gorghiu, when asked about the matter.

Asked what measures can be taken inside the ruling coalition so that there are no tensions with UDMR, Gorghiu said that there will be a meeting of the coalition and the explanations of the leaders of the UDMR after the Hungarian prime minister's statement at Tusnad when things will be clarified and people will focus on governing and on parliament, Agerpres.

"There will be that clarification, I am convinced, in the coalition regarding that statement by Prime Minister Orban; a meeting of the coalition is inevitable and explanations are inevitable, because the other leaders of the coalition have requested them. As such, I am convinced that they will come, but I hope that the peak is over, tension has passed and that, after things are clarified within the coalition, everyone will focus on governing and on parliament, as they should," added Gorghiu.

She said that she immediately condemned Prime Minister Viktor Orban's statements at Tusnad, adding that all the PNL leaders distanced themselves from them and appreciated the position of President Iohannis, but feeding this matter, on which "all possible statements" have been given, "it is not constructive at all."
The potassium iodide pills will only be distributed to the population up to 40 years old in case of exposure after a nuclear incident, informs the Ministry of Health.

The MS emphasizes that the preventive administration of such pills is contraindicated, Agerpres.

"Ever since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Ministry of Health has been concerned with the procurement of iodine tablets and initiated a campaign to inform the population about how to use them. The distribution to the population is made free of charge based on the prescription issued by the family doctor. This is not new, the order from the Ministry entered in force on June 23, 2022," says the same source.

Iodine pills are issued in more than 2,500 pharmacies, the list of which can be found on the website of the Ministry of Health.
Public administration officials and representatives of employers' organisations of SMEs from Romania and Norway have participated in a social dialogue promotion event.

The National Council of Privately-owned SMEs in Romania (CNIPMMR) organised in the first part of 2022, in all regions of Romania, a series of events to promote social dialogue which main goal was to increase the involvement of social dialogue partners and improving the regulatory framework for the activities of SMEs.

Public administration officials and SMEs reps from Romania and Norway participated in a round table conference to promote social dialogue in Romania presenting models of good practice from Norway.

Among the participants were CNIPMMR Chairman Florin Jianu; senior official with the Romanian Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism Angel Iulian Calin; Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Entrepreneurship and Financing Programmes - Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism Adrian Panait; FNGCIMM Director General Dumitru Nancu, and Asmund Prytz of SME Norway, Agerpres.

According to CNIPMMR, about 70% of Romanian entrepreneurs say that they have not yet participated in any consultation initiated by central or local public administrations.

"Representatives of Romania's business community often encounter all kinds of barriers in carrying out their activity, and one of the most frequent needs of entrepreneurs is to make themselves heard, to express their opinion to politicians and, implicitly, the government, to participate actively in making decisions that impact their businesses."

At the same time, European statistics show that well-structured social dialogue helps develop the business community and preserve social peace in the country.

In other words, the so-called social dialogue that takes place between the government and the social partners, representative employer and trade union confederations at the national and/or local level, is actually a key tool in economic and social development.

At the same time, social dialogue and, implicitly, the accession of Romanian entrepreneurs to an employers' confederation such as CNIPMMR can contribute to shaping up a competitive business environment, attractive both to existing entrepreneurs and potential investors.

The event was part of the activities of the "Centre for Better Regulation for SMEs" established by CNIPMMR and focused on promoting an ethical and efficient tripartite dialogue and on achieving an exchange of experience between Norwegian and Romanian social partners for the consolidation of social dialogue in Romania, Agerpres.

CNIPMMR in partnership with SME Norway, the corresponding body of CNIPMMR in Norway, implements the "Center for better regulation for SMEs" project between January 1, 2021 and August 31, 2022.

Its main objectives are improving the quality of social dialogue in Romania by creating the Centre for better regulation for SMEs, as well as strengthening the operational capacity of the Romanian social partners in the field of social dialogue through the transfer of know-how from Norwegian counterparts.

The list of objectives also includes the promotion of a more ethical and effective social dialogue by running educational campaigns and raising awareness of the importance of social dialogue.

The project is supported by Norway Grants 2014-2021 under the "Social Dialogue - Decent Work" programme.
As many as 4,689 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 1,171 from the previous day, with 15,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Monday.

Of the new cases, 905 were in re-infected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease.

Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 577, and in the counties of HUnedoara - 374, Cluj - 330, Brasov - 278.

The 14-day notification rate nationwide is 4.22 cases per 1,000 population.

The highest rates are in Bucharest City - 9.77, followed by the counties of Sibiu - 7.47, Ilfov - 7.37 and Brasov - 6.64.

As of Tuesday, 3,120,681 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 4,299 people with COVID-19, up 305 from the previous reporting, including 657 minors, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 274 patients, up 10, including three minors, are in intensive care.

Of the 274 patients admitted to ICU, 238 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the ministry, 14 Romanians, 9 men and 5 women, infected with SARS-CoV-2 are reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Of the 14 deaths, six were in the age group 70-79 years, and 8 in the age group over 80 years.

All deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and three were in vaccinated patients.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 66,193 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. AGERPRES
The Senate's acting president, Alina Gorghiu, had a meeting on Monday with a delegation from the Republic of Korea, led by the president of the South-Korean Parliament, Kim Jin-pyo, discussions being focused on improving bilateral relations, boosting strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as other shared interest topics.

"(...) there were talks about the help which Romania granted in the area of health, to Korea, for example, because during the pandemic period we were the only country that provided Koreans over 1 million doses of vaccines. We collaborated very well even during the start of the war, when we helped our guests of today, South Korea, to evacuate their diplomatic mission from Ukraine, along with citizens we had there," Gorghiu declared.

She added that the South-Korean high guest expressed his interest for many investments in Romania.

"Moreover, as they are being concerned about modernizing the army, as well as the nuclear field, these are topics we have approached and I am convinced that they will discuss in detail with the relevant Ministries. Education is of great interest. A memorandum will soon be signed on the topic of education and youth between the two states, and I am convinced that the bilateral relation will evolve well," Alina Gorghiu said.AGERPRES
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The pitch sounded audacious: Turn a plant that most farmers considered a weed into a cash crop.

It was 2012, and some visiting scientists made a presentation about field pennycress at the Danforth Plant Science Centers innovation showcase. The seeds oil content showed promise for renewable fuel production, and the federal government had funded research.

Former Monsanto executives Vijay Chauhan, Dennis Plummer and Mike Roth were intrigued enough to form a company around the idea. They got early backing from BioGenerator, a seed fund and business incubator, and would eventually raise money from other local investors including Cultivation Capital, Yield Lab, the St. Louis Arch Angels, St. Louis Countys Helix Fund and the state-backed Missouri Technology Corp.

Creating a new cash crop is a tall order, but the startup would improve pennycress yield enough to make it commercially viable. It also found partners willing to process the seed into biofuel. Last Monday, their efforts paid off when agribusiness giant Bayer bought majority ownership of CoverCress Inc., now a 25-employee company based in Creve Coeur.

Financial terms werent disclosed but Charlie Bolten, senior vice president at BioGenerator, said the investors all made big gains. I think everyones very happy, he said.

The CoverCress acquisition comes less than a year after Benson Hill, another local agriculture startup, made its stock market debut. That makes two high-profile exits for investors who bet on St. Louis as a center of ag entrepreneurship.

This is another big moment, Bolten said. It proves that we have the talent to do this in St. Louis. Nothing counts until you start getting returns.

Its a heck of a St. Louis story, echoed Jerry Steiner, CoverCress chairman and former chief executive. In its early days, he recalled, the company had cheap office space at the countys Helix Center and was able to squat on lab equipment owned by St. Louis Community College. This area has a really good system for getting companies going, Steiner said.

No one has introduced a major cash crop in North America since canola was developed from rapeseed a half-century ago. CoverCress plans a commercial introduction this fall, planting 10,000 acres.

CEO Mike DeCamp said the plan is to expand to 250,000 acres in three years and 3 million acres by 2030. Farmers will be won over by the economics were able to offer, he said.

CoverCress is planted in fall and harvested in spring, so it lets farmers profit from a crop when their corn and soybean acres would otherwise be idle. It also serves as a cover crop, reducing winter soil erosion.

Jennifer Ozimkiewicz, senior vice president for corn and soy strategy at Bayer Crop Science, said the prospect of producing low-carbon fuel while improving soil health made CoverCress a compelling investment. It is a great and tangible example of our commitment to sustainability and innovation, she said.

Bayer owns 65% of CoverCress, with Bunge and Chevron remaining minority shareholders.

Each owner brings strategic value. Bayer knows how to sell seed to farmers, Bunge knows how to process oilseeds, and Chevron knows how to produce and sell biodiesel. We think weve built a strong team, DeCamp said.

Its also a team with deep roots here. The majority of CoverCress employees formerly worked for Monsanto, which Bayer bought in 2018. Plenty of non-employees, at institutions such as BioGenerator and the Danforth Center, also contributed to the homegrown success story.

Decades from now, when historians describe how a weed became a valuable crop, theyll know it happened in St. Louis.
EUREKA  Eureka is now the latest small town to sell its water.

Residents have complained for years about their water. Some call it corrosive, and say it has cost them a small fortune in ruined dishwashers and water heaters. Many say it tastes funky and mineral, and refuse to drink it.

Its the worst water Ive ever tasted in my life, said Eureka resident Thomas Ferrari. He only drinks bottled water now.

Then, on Thursday, Missouri American Water closed on the purchase of Eurekas water and sewer systems for $28 million, after two years of delays from regulators, who initially found the price too steep. The company pledged to spend about $37 million more in Eureka investment over the next five years.

Its a cost Missouri Americans existing customers will end up paying through their bills.

The deal is part of a strategy for Missouri American and its parent company, American Water Works, to grow business by buying up struggling public systems across the region, prompting debate over what the deals mean for customers, both new and old, that rely on the water.

From 2010 through 2020, American Water had the highest number of mergers and acquisitions of any investor-owned water utility in the U.S., totaling $1.1 billion, a U.S. Government Accountability Office report found.

And the company aims to invest three times as much in acquisitions over the next 10 years, according to recent earnings calls.

Both Missouri and Illinois have seen some of the most recent American Water privatizations.

Were very focused on growing in states where we can leverage our competitive advantages, Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Norton told shareholders in a recent call. The company, she said, is focusing on where we have constructive regulatory environments, an existing footprint and critical mass.

Missouri American Water has reached deals to buy 20 municipal water and sewer systems in Missouri since 2015, including both Eureka and Arnold in the St. Louis area, according to regulatory records.

Those deals amount to at least $130 million in purchases and promised investments that can be added to customer rates, state records show.

Sister company Illinois American Water has acquired 12 systems in the Metro East alone since 2013, including privatizing water and sewer systems in Alton, Shiloh, Jerseyville, Granite City and Grafton. The purchases amount to more than $137 million.

Private water is unusually common in the St. Louis region. About 350,000 customers in St. Louis County and many St. Charles County residents are already customers of Missouri American. Nationwide, private water utilities only serve about 10% of U.S. households, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Several city leaders across the region argued privatization relieves city governments from the overwhelming financial burdens of managing the systems, while at the same time landing windfalls for cash-strapped cities.

Eureka Mayor Sean Flower said the sale solves two of the biggest problems facing the city: Its awful water, and a sewer system that needs millions of dollars in upgrades.

The residents will get better water, he said. The water company adds customers. And the city can use the money.

But critics opposed to private takeovers argue that while city governments may benefit, customers end up paying more and have less direct input in their water system in the years to come.

Investor-owned water companies are tied to higher rates, according to several academic reviews.

In a March 2022 study, for example, Cornell University researchers reviewed a database of the 500 largest water systems in the nation to compare rates between public and private water utilities. The results: Private customers spent about 60% more on average, even when controlling for factors like regulations, water source and system age, with average annual bills of $501 compared with $315 on public systems.

Mary Grant, a campaign director for the advocacy group Food & Water Watch whose database was used for the study, said higher prices come from corporate taxes and investor profits.

Grant said water corporations use acquisitions like the Eureka deal to boost profits. As regulated utilities, their margins are capped. But they can ask regulators for rate increases based on their investments, plus about 10% profit. Buying municipal water systems give them a big opportunity to invest  first in the purchase, then in the upgrades. And, in the end, they get all those extra customers.

Because of this, she argues water acquisitions must be tightly regulated to prevent both sides driving up the price: Cities want to get as much for their systems as possible, and investor-owned utilities also benefit from higher prices.

The more they pay, the more they make, Grant said.

Missouri American argues privatization is good for cities.

Consolidations make systems more efficient, said Brian Eisenloeffel, senior director of government operations for Missouri American Water. They spread out the cost of required improvements among thousands of customers. And the company cant raise rates indiscriminately  all increases must be approved by regulators.

Missouri American Waters rates reflect investments in our systems, so we continue to provide reliable, high-quality service, now and for future generations, the company said in a statement.

In Eureka, rates going up no matter what

In Eureka, the rusting city-owned wells dotting the growing town of about 12,000 have been the center of resident gripes for decades.

The city water system constructed in the 1950s and 1960s delivers water considered safe to consume, but not great to drink.

The sewer system also has issues. The city faced environmental regulations that would likely require more than $15 million in investment in coming years, according to sale documents.

Rates were going to have to go up no matter what, said Flower, the mayor. The city hasnt wanted to raise rates and charge people what it actually costs to maintain the system.

Talks of a sale were already in the works when Flower was elected in 2019. Missouri American Water emerged as the top bidder in part because it promised residents an entirely new water source.

Under a deal reached in early 2020, the company pledged to build Eureka a 5-mile pipeline to Wildwood connecting about 4,100 Eureka customers in the St. Louis County side of town to the existing Missouri American water system pulling from the Missouri River and other sources. Eurekas current well system will be used only as a backup.

In Missouri, utility privatization deals need to be approved by voters. Prop S was added to the August 2020 Eureka ballot, inspiring campaigning from both supporters and critics.

Ferrari had 10 Yes on S yard signs dotting the outside of his property that year. Many of his close neighbors were strongly against the sale.

Eureka needs better water and Missouri American can make that happen, Ferrari said. Do you really want a small town running a water system or do you want a company that knows what its doing?

Opponents gathered on an active No on Prop S Facebook page. They made videos in front of chalk boards trying to convince their neighbors that Missouri American Water would lead to higher rates. The city should improve the systems itself, they said.

The measure needed a simple majority of residents to pass. It got 67% of 3,400 total votes.

Regulators question the sale

Eureka residents had hoped to have a new water source by now, but the plan to sell Eurekas water soon faced delays from regulators who questioned if it was in the best interest of all the Missouri American customers.

Staff for Missouris Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities in the state, recommended in 2021 that the five-member commission reject the deal, concluding that Missouri American was overpaying by about $10 million for the Eureka systems.

The regulators had concerns about an appraisal that priced the purchase above any comparable utilities reviewed.

The staff report noted the Missouri American does not ask its shareholders to pay the extra, but is asking all other customers in St. Louis County to pay this additional amount to add this system to its portfolio.

The case over the next two years would become a test of Missouri utility oversight, marking the first contested utility acquisition under the states fair market value law passed in 2013.

The new law didnt attract much attention when passed, but it made utility privatization more attractive to companies like American Water. It allowed utilities to value potential acquisitions via three disinterested appraisers, a move which could increase the value of the purchases.

But, in the Eureka deal, commission staff found problems with the appraisal: Price estimates were based on an engineering report written by an author who did not visit the systems in person, but judged off exterior photos. Cost estimates did not factor in that the intended use of the existing systems was only to serve as backup to the new pipeline. The reports failed to acknowledge known deficiencies, the staff wrote.

Commission staff also reported signs of company influence. A first engineering report used in the appraisals valued both systems at $18 million. But then the report was sent to Missouri American Water staff, who suggested the author use a different dataset, eventually boosting the price to $28 million.

Commissioners criticized the valuation, noting that at $4,500 per customer the appraisal came to 8.25% higher than the next highest comparable water system sale cited in the appraisers analysis, a decision which appraisers could not explain in detail when questioned by the commission, commissioners wrote in case documents.

After months of testimony, commissioners in May argued they had no choice but to approve the deal, and voted 4-1 in favor. Most members said they believed the 2013 law did not give them discretion to reject the price if it was reached by disinterested appraisers, according to comments before the vote.

Even though we may not like it or we disagree with it, Commissioner Glen Kolkmeyer said, I think our hands are tied there so we have to go with that.

Commissioner Scott Rupp was the single dissenting vote.

I think theres enough smoke there that I would feel comfortable denying the application, he said. Im not 100% that the appraisals were independent, impartial and objective and I do not think they did very much due diligence.

Missouri American last week defended the appraisals, and discounted commission concerns.

While the staff expressed some concerns, staff did not offer an alternative fair market value, the statement reads. The three licensed appraisers that participated in this process have extensive experience in the valuation of water and sewer systems. 

Regardless, the approval was a welcome relief for the Eureka mayor, Flower, who faced a town expecting better water soon.

People have been asking me: When are we getting better water? Flower said shortly after the deal got approved this summer. So now I can tell them its happening soon.

The $28 million sale price  about 150% of Eurekas annual city revenue  will first be used to pay off all city debts and will be key to funding city projects, Flower said.

Rates for typical Eureka customers will immediately go up by about $5.50 a month, from $27.50 to $33, based on 4,200 gallons of monthly water use.

Typical Eureka sewer rates will go from about $25.50 to $44 per month.

Missouri Americans St. Louis County water ratebase  the value of all system assets upon which the company can charge customers  will increase by 1.5% as a result of the sale, not accounting for the additional investment costs for the planned pipeline, according to case documents. The ratebase for a group of Missouri American sewer customers, concentrated in small towns across the state, will increase by nearly 30%.

Missouri American expects to complete the Eureka pipeline within the next two years.

Do cities regret it?City managers and mayors in Alton, Granite City, Grafton and Arnold all said that, though customer rates have gone up, few resident complaints have reached city hall since the sales.

Arnold sold its sewer system to Missouri American in 2015 for $13.2 million. The system was not in good shape. It was not well maintained, said City Administrator Bryan Richison. And city council members were running on not raising rates, so it put us in a bad position.

The city netted about $5 million from the sale, and used it for street projects. Missouri American Water invested heavily, replacing more than 4,300 feet of wastewater pipe in Arnold. Typical residential customers went from paying $27 to $37.23 a month there.

Alton sold its wastewater system to Illinois American for $53.8 million in 2018. Mayor David Goins took office after the sale, but said it solved two of the problems most threatening the city at the time: Alton avoided paying for a multimillion dollar federal mandate to separate its water and sewer systems  and proceeds went to a public pension system more than $100 million underfunded.

People saw an increase in their sewer bills, but beyond that we really didnt see any other negatives, Goins said.

Still, more rate hikes may be coming soon, in both Illinois and Missouri.

In July, the company announced it will seek a rate increase to recover nearly $770 million in investments across Missouri, including 11 closed or anticipated acquisitions.

If approved, St. Louis County water rates will increase by about 38%, or $12 to $13 a month, for a typical customer. Average monthly sewer bills will go up about $3 a month, according to the company.

While costs to provide water and wastewater service continue to increase across the country, the company said in an announcement of the increase request. Our investments and operational efficiencies help us provide high-quality service that continues to be an exceptional value.

A similar rate hike is also under review for Illinois American Water with typical water and sewer customers expected to pay between $7 and $17 more a month, if approved.

The Illinois Citizens Utility Board, a consumer rights group created by the state legislature, argues those rate increases are driven in part by 41 public water and sewer systems that have been privatized in Illinois since 2013.

Illinois was one of the first states to roll out fair market value legislation, said Bryan McDaniel, the organizations director of governmental affairs. So we were at the early center of privatization.

McDaniel notes that in Illinois cities are not required to call an election before privatizing a public utility, as is required in Missouri.

The shareholders get a vote, but the residents do not, he said.

Several suburbs of Chicago have gotten into drawn-out legal battles when high rates prompted them to attempt to retake water systems through eminent domain.

Theyve found that once theyre gone, McDaniel said. Theyre really hard to get back.

A previous version of this story had an incorrect purchase price for the City of Arnold wastewater system. This version has been updated.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Ferguson-Florissant School Board member Kevin Martin chose his words carefully.

He was speaking at the end of a board meeting in June, after the board had received a letter from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri calling attention to unlawful practice related to the handling of long-term suspensions in the district.

Im not going to sit back and be quiet, Martin said. On the agenda that night, Superintendent Joseph Davis was seeking approval for a policy that would grant him even more leeway in implementing such suspensions. This is flat-out wrong. These policies are the exact opposite of what we are trying to do.

Just a year before, as I had reported, the district led the state in such suspensions, with the brunt of them going to Black students and students with learning disabilities. In the 2020-21 school year, the Ferguson-Florissant district had so many suspensions of 10 days or more they accounted for about 10% of all such suspensions statewide.

Last years school board reacted to that news by implementing new restorative discipline practices in an attempt to reduce the suspensions, and keep more children in the classroom. But what was happening in practice, said the letter from the nonprofit law firm, was that Davis responded to the new policies by changing the rules. Instead of suspending students, he started reassigning them to virtual learning or other options, and didnt provide any of the due process required by law.

The Districts practice of reassigning students without process and to educational venues of lesser quality implicates the same due process requirements that long-term suspension does, regardless of the label the District gives this removal from the regular classroom, said the letter from attorneys Hopey Fink, Amanda Schneider and Elizabeth Vandenberg. The letter, which was copied to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, was spurred by complaints from parents and community members, said Fink, who had noticed an egregious number of students reassigned to virtual learning outside the classroom environment with little or no supervision.

This week, the school board is set to vote on a series of new policies that restrict the superintendents ability to remove students from the classroom without due process, including allowing an appeal by students or their parents to the full school board. The policies were developed in the past two months at the direction of school board president Courtney Graves, on a committee led by Martin.

This new board of seven people believes that we cant continue to do the things that we used to do, Graves said in an interview about the new policies. The biggest thing for us is making sure that all voices at the table were being heard. Parents really never had a voice.

Graves was careful not to point a finger at Davis. But its clear from the new policies that they are a reaction to the problems laid out in the letter from Legal Services, and they restrict the superintendents power, whereas at the board meeting in June, he was requesting more autonomy in determining the long-term suspensions, or reassignment of students.

Those suspensions have been on the rise in the north St. Louis County school district since Davis was hired, with the number of students sent home for 10 days or longer, some for fairly routine disciplinary problems, rising each year since 2015, to nearly 10% of the entire student body of 11,000 students.

Such suspensions lead to the school-to-prison pipeline and make it harder for Black students to get a quality education, warned the Forward Through Ferguson report in 2015.

Last spring, Legal Services represented a 9-year-old Ferguson-Florissant student with a disability who had been removed from her classroom without due process. The students parents and the district reached a settlement agreement that required Ferguson-Florissant to review its policies and practices of long-term suspending or transferring children with disabilities 

Now, the attorneys with Legal Services Education Justice Program have alerted both the district and the state that Ferguson-Florissant is in violation of this settlement agreement. The District must act to address its unlawful practices related to due process for administratively reassigned students, the letter says, and it must do so in a way that rectifies disparities and increases data transparency.

In an emailed statement, Davis said he disagreed with some of the contentions in the Legal Services letter, but that the administration fully supports the new policies developed in the boards committee.

Graves said the letter gave the district the push it needed to make sure the districts policies and practices meet the boards overarching goals of improving equity. The attorneys at Legal Services, and the parents they represent, will be watching.

While districts may claim that transfers to virtual learning are less disruptive than formal suspensions, in practice we have seen that this is rarely true, Fink says. Virtual learning is often low-quality and fails to meaningfully engage students in a way that maintains the continuity of their education.
ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis man Monday admitted threatening to blow up a St. Louis synagogue to kill Jewish people in 2021.

Cody Steven Rush, 30, confessed in federal court to calling the FBI on Nov. 5, saying he wanted to blow up the Central Reform Congregation in the city's Central West End.

Rush called the FBI and said he wanted to blow up the synagogue "when they open tomorrow" because "he hates Jews." He called back and said he hears voices, has schizoaffective disorder, suffers from PTSD, anxiety, depression and social anxiety disorder. Referring to Jewish people, Rush said, "I hate them with rage."

Rush gave his address on the same street as the synagogue, which allowed police to find him.

He pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to use of a telephone and instrument of interstate commerce to make a threat.

He faces up to 10 years in prison when he sentenced Nov. 8.
Kevin Cunningham, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of offering cash for the kidnapping and murder of someone who owed him drug money and conspiring to distribute fentanyl. The second man charged in the case, Micah Gordon, 37, has a pending case in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.

As part of his plea, Cunningham said the intended victim owed him more than $100,000 and that he approached others to arrange that person's death. Authorities said Cunningham, Gordon and two confidential sources met last fall in the parking lot of a nursing home, where Cunningham handed over cash two pistols, a shotgun and an AR-15-style pistol with a drum magazine. Cunningham also texted a source a photo of the intended target and his address.
ST. LOUIS  A judge Monday dismissed a St. Louis man's statutory rape case that was to be retried this week because the Missouri Supreme Court overturned his convictions in January.

Circuit Judge Clinton Wright dismissed Rodney A. Smith's statutory rape charges on what would have been the first day of Smith's retrial after an assistant prosecutor reported having unavailable witnesses. Smith had been accused in 2018 of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and later convicted of two counts of statutory rape. That same jury acquitted him of four other sex charges.

In January, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned Smith's convictions, ruling that allowing a DNA analyst's video testimony at Smith's trial violated Smith's Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses. The analyst was on paternity leave at the time before the coronavirus pandemic led to more widely used videoconferencing technology in courtrooms.

The high court's ruling put limits on the use of video testimony in trials.
The unidentified woman, who police say was in her 20s, was found in the 2500 block of North Broadway, north of Benton Street, just after 1:20 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
CLAYTON  St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, after a decisive victory on election night, is calling on Democrats to put past scuffles behind them, band together and take two Republican seats on the County Council.

In his acceptance speech Tuesday, Page boasted on progress in the county. He urged racial equity and regional cooperation. And then he concluded with a plea to Democrats at the council.

For my part, I can say that the campaign battles among us Democrats are all finished and any punches thrown forgiven, he said.

It would be a momentous change. Page has fought for years with Republicans  and Democrats  on the council. Relations have strained over COVID-19 policies, executive powers and legal counsel, plus regular dust-ups at weekly meetings. It got so bad the council worked to get propositions on the ballot to boost whistleblower protections and check Pages executive appointments.

And all of that leaves some skeptical the party can unite ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

I really did not have the support of Sam Page from the beginning, said Council Chair Rita Days, who trounced Page-endorsed challenger Terry Wilson in Tuesdays District 1 primary.

The fact that the Democrats were against me, that does not sit well with me, she said.

If Page wins against GOP challenger Katherine Pinner, he will serve his first full term in office. He easily won the primary election against Jane Dueker, an attorney and police lobbyist, and had plenty of campaign cash left: $775,500, as of late July.

Page may well use the money to support two Democratic candidates in races he called seriously contested in his election-night speech: Districts 3 and 7.

Both have long been represented by Republicans. District 3, which includes much of West County along Interstate 270, has a higher portion of moderate and liberal voters and could be more competitive than District 7, which is more solidly Republican.

Vicki Englund, Democratic nominee in District 3, said she has good relationships with Page and all the Democrats on the council. Englund, 48, said she has been friends with Page for years. And as a former Missouri state representative, she worked with Days when Days served in the state Senate. Englund also knows Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, because Englund served alongside Webbs husband when he was a state representative.

This is a moment where the voters are kind of like, OK guys, seriously? You guys just need to get along, said Englund, who owns a small e-commerce business and lives in Sunset Hills. I know they say that all the time, but there comes a time when its just ridiculous.

Dennis Hancock, the GOP nominee in District 3, said hes counting on his record as the former mayor of Fenton to gain voter support. Hancock, 69, believes Page signaled in his speech that he will be directly involved in getting Democrats elected.

I think that was his way of letting everybody involved in these races know that he has a big war chest he doesnt have to touch for his race and that hes going to be willing to give financial support to those who he sees as his supporters, said Hancock, a senior facilities manager for commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Incumbent Republican Councilman Mark Harder and Democratic challenger Kristine Callis, candidates in District 7, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Tim Fitch, a Republican who decided not to seek reelection after he was drawn out of District 3 boundaries, doubted Democrats could flip either seat. He predicted a rough road for Page with the council. And he said new laws, including the propositions passed Tuesday, further limit Pages power.

This is going to be a much different four-year term for him than the last three years in office have been, Fitch said.

He burned this serious bridge by backing (Days) opponent, he said. And thats going to take some work to fix.

The council now has a 4-3 Democratic majority, including Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, and Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District, who have backed Page.

Two more Democrats could shift power to Page.

In a phone call late last week, Page insisted the party can come together.

Thats what we do, he said.

There are so many things happening in our country right now, he continued. The differences between Democrats are small compared to the differences between Democratic values and our Republican opponents.
ATLANTA (AP)  Rudy Giuliani will not appear as scheduled Tuesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta thats investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, his lawyer said.

A judge last month had ordered Giuliani, a Trump lawyer and former New York City mayor, to appear before the special grand jury Tuesday.

But Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, told The Associated Press on Monday that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, had excused Giuliani for the day.

Nothing in publicly available court documents indicates that Giuliani is excused from appearing, but McBurney has scheduled a hearing for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to hear arguments on a court filing from Giuliani seeking to delay his appearance. In a court filing Monday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked the judge to deny Giuliani's request for a delay and to instruct him to appear before the special grand jury as ordered.

Willis opened an investigation early last year, and a special grand jury with subpoena power was seated in May at her request.

Last month she filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump advisers and associates, including Giuliani. Because they dont live in Georgia, she had to use a process that involves getting a judge in the state where they live to order them to appear.

New York Supreme Court Justice Thomas Farber on July 13 issued an order directing Giuliani to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 9 and on any other dates ordered by the court in Atlanta.

Giulianis legal team last week asked Willis office to delay his appearance, saying he was unable to travel because of a medical procedure. That request was rejected after Willis team found evidence on social media that he had traveled since his medical procedure.

A Giuliani attorney then clarified to Willis's team that Giuliani is not cleared for air travel, but Willis still refused to postpone his appearance, the motion says.

In her Monday court filing, Willis wrote that her team had obtained records indicating that between July 19 and July 21, Giuliani bought multiple airline tickets, including tickets to Rome, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland, for travel dates between July 22 and July 29. Willis said her team offered to provide alternative transportation  including bus or train fare  if Giuliani wasn't cleared for air travel.

Giuliani had also offered to appear virtually, for example by Zoom, his motion says.

It is important to note here that Mr. Giuliani is no way seeking to inappropriately delay, or obstruct these proceedings or avoid giving evidence or testimony that is not subject to some claim of privilege in this matter, the motion says, noting that Giuliani had appeared virtually before the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and testified for more than nine hours.

Mr. Giuliani is willing to do the same here under conditions that replicate a grand jury proceeding, the motion says.

In the petition for Giulianis testimony, Willis identified him as both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his campaign.

She wrote that he and others presented a Georgia state Senate subcommittee with a video recording of election workers that Giuliani alleged showed them producing suitcases of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.

Within 24 hours of that hearing on Dec. 3, 2020, Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office had debunked the video and said that it had found that no voter fraud had taken place at the site. Nevertheless, Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread voter fraud using that debunked video, Willis wrote.

Evidence shows that Giuliani's appearance and testimony at the hearing "was part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere, the petition says.

Tucker reported from Washington.
Jeff Bohnert had all but given up on seeing his poodle-hound mix again after she went missing in early June. Two months later, he got a text from a neighbor: People exploring a nearby cave found a dog. Could it be Abby? Curious, Bohnert went to the cave site not far from his rural Missouri home, expecting to confirm it wasnt Abby. Then he saw the picture one of the rescuers took. He said, That's my dog. Bohnert and rescuers believe the nearly 14-year-old dog lived mostly off of her own body fat while spending nearly 60 days inside the cave before her rescue on Aug. 6. She is now regaining weight and is wagging her tail again.
It took guts, perhaps along with a careful look at polling results, for 47 House Republicans to join their Democratic colleagues in approving a bill late last month to codify interstate recogniton of same-sex mariages. Rep. Ann Wagner was the sole Missouri Republican to support it. In these hyper-partisan times, any such vote risks putting Republicans on a target list for removal for veering even slightly from strict conservative orthodoxy.

The Respect for Marriage Act, which faces a difficult but not insurmountable climb in the Senate, was necessary only because of the Supreme Courts reversal of abortion rights and a hint by conservative justices that same-sex marital rights could be next. The only way to stave off such a reversal is for Congress to codify it in law  as Democrats should have done long ago for abortion rights when they controlled both houses.

For Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, voting for same-sex marital rights probably wasnt a heavy lift, given projections of her reelection defeat. Her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, already has publicly supported same-sex marital rights, and Liz Cheneys sister is a married lesbian.

For other Republicans, the risks were more substantial. The woman who ousted Cheney from the No. 3 GOP leadership post, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, also supported the bill, as did the National Republican Campaign Committee chairman, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

The rest of the arch-conservative Freedom Caucus had urged members to vote against the bill, denouncing it as part of an all-out campaign by the radical Left to attack Americas traditional values and sacred institutions.  This bill is both unnecessary and undermines the recognition of marriage between only one man and one woman.

Perry countered that my vote affirmed my long-held belief that Americans who enter into legal agreements deserve to live their lives without the threat that our federal government will dissolve what theyve built, he told the York, Pennsylvania, Daily Record.

This marks one of those rare moments when some brave Republicans are choosing to stand on principle instead of blindly following the GOP pack. A Gallup poll in June found that a record 70% of respondents support same-sex marriage, including 55% of Republicans.

In the Senate so far, only a few Republicans have signaled a willingness to support the bill, and skeptics are lashing out. Despite the enormous weight the gay community carries in urban parts of Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio denounced it as a stupid waste of time.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley plans to vote no. But outgoing Sen. Roy Blunt remains undecided, telling CNN: I dont have any problem with same-sex marriage, but Im not sure. I want to look at the legislation. Hes had more than enough time. And given that hes leaving after this term, what does Blunt have to lose?
South Korea is the latest newly affluent East Asian country to suffer an almost inevitable population decline associated with increasing per capita GDPs. All the 2021 data has been analyzed and it confirmed that in 2021 the South Korean population declined .2 percent. This was not a surprise because this curse of affluence could be seen coming a long way off. The post-Korean war population boom peaked in 1960 (at three percent annual growth) and began to decline over the next three decades as South Koreas industrialization took place. By the late 1990s the population growth fell below one percent a year and this decline accelerated as South Korea became an economic powerhouse. In the last few years, the South Korean economy has become the 10th largest in the world. Thats remarkable for a country with a population of only 52 million.

South Korea has a pretty good idea of where this is going. Japan was the first country in the region to go through an economic boom and population bust process. In 1965 Japan had a population of 98 million and a GDP of $105 billion. By 1995 GDP was 52 times larger, at $5.5 trillion and population was 125 million. The 1990s was when the real-estate bubble struck. For the next two decades GDP growth stopped, and even declined in some years. Population growth continued until 2010 when it peaked at 128 million.

The Japanese problem was a real-estate speculation bubble. The banks had lent too much money to many newly affluent Japanese seeking to upgrade their housing faster than new homes could be built. Prices kept rising until many were artificially high and home buyers realized it. Rather than risk an extended economic depression, the Japanese government adopted a series of rules and laws that made possible a manageable reduction of the bubble. This meant there was no GDP growth for nearly two decades. In 2012 that new growth was represented by a record GDP of $6.2 trillion. The growth stagnated again because since the 1990s two other factors had developed. Japanese were having fewer children and the consumer culture that had fueled the real-estate bubble was gone and not returning. By 2021 it was down to 125 million and shrinking at an accelerating rate. This was the result of not enough babies being born to replace the elderly who died. This is a worldwide phenomenon. In more affluent nations the birth rates have declined to below replacement rate.

Japan was the first Asian nation to modernize and achieve a Western level of affluence. The Japanese government tried all manner of incentives for women to marry and have children but it did not work. The growing population shortage made it more difficult to get anyone to join the military and with the growing threat from China, Japanese efforts to expand its armed forces were crippled by the fact that there are not enough Japanese for that, as well as much else in the country. China is now experiencing the same shortage of military personnel. South Korea had an easier time in this department because the Korean war ended with a ceasefire rather than a treaty to officially end the hostilities.

Communist North Korea saw its population double between 1965 and the present, just as South Koreas did, but North Korea could not compete in economic growth. North Korea initially grew its GDP somewhat after the Korean War because of generous subsidies from the Soviet Union, but those ended in 1990 when the USSR collapsed. Even before that the South Korean free market economy was growing rapidly and is now 40 times larger than in the north, meaning the per-capita GDP is 20 times larger in South Korea.

The North Korean solution to this problem was to develop nuclear weapons to intimidate South Korea into subsidizing the failing North Korean economy. That did not work and actually backfired as South Korea developed a much more powerful military at the same time that the North Korean military becomes less effective each year because of a declining economy that diverts much money towards developing obsolete ballistic missile and crude nuclear weapons that anger more than terrify the neighbors. North Koreas population continues to grow but just barely. Migrating (officially defecting) is illegal but people still try. Increasing hunger and poverty has produced a growing number of abandoned children who can be seen in towns and cities. For South Korea the major problem is economic growth, not threats from North Korea.

There are similar economic growth/population decline situations in Singapore and Taiwan. China is the most obvious example because its population comprises about half the people in the region. What happens in China matters for the entire region, and potentially for the entire world, because China now has the second largest economy in the world. What was remarkable with China was that its economic growth and low birth rates were largely the work of several hundred million well educated and highly skilled people in its new (and growing) middle class. China is now facing, for the first time in its history, a declining population caused by low birth rates, rather than war or pandemic disease. The Chinese governments one-child policy was not a major factor in all this, it was the free-market economy and the resulting rapid growth in education levels and GDP.

South Korea learned from the Japanese and Chinese experience and seeks to limit the economic and population problems encountered by Japan and China. Chinese population experts expected the population to show annual decline sometime in the 2020s. That puts the year of peak population somewhere between 2022 and 2027. This is worse than it looks because birth rates are not growing among the middle class. As defined by education (a college degree), nearly half the population is qualified for middle-class status. When measured by income, less than a third of the new middle class have enough income to support more than one or two children.

During the decades of the one-child policy the growing middle-class lavished money on their only child, fueling the drive for nearly all these children to receive a university degree and the highest test scores possible. Currently about 60 percent of young Chinese will attend college and get a degree. Marrying and starting a family turns out to be much more difficult. About 30 percent of graduates cannot find middle-class jobs the new graduates were educated to handle. A more difficult problem is the shortage of affordable middle-class housing in urban areas. The portion of the population living in urban areas grew from 20 percent in the 1980s to over 60 percent now. Home ownership (usually an apartment) is over 70 percent for college educated urban couples, which is higher than in Western countries. While income for middle-class Chinese with a job makes it possible to buy a home and often a car as well, it does not make educated urban couples confident that they can afford the high cost of rearing and educating more than one child.

East Asias inexorable population shortages have no solution in sight. Integrating migrants into the culture is still forbidden although Japan has been forced to at least consider allowing qualified migrants to become citizens, although socially second-class ones. That will change Japanese culture, but that already happened in the aftermath of World War II and Japan thrived because of it.

South Korea is another matter, because the population decline is a decade behind Japan while South Koreans are more open to accepting qualified foreigners. Many South Koreans believe Korea will become united soon and hope this will somehow solve the population problem for a while. Unification is unlikely unless China agrees to cooperate and tolerate a unified democratic Korea as a neighbor. China does not want to share a border with 75 million affluent Koreans.

Europe and especially the former British colonies that became the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all thrived by accepting migrants from everywhere and urging them to adapt to the new culture and become citizens. With a few exceptions, that population growth model was not widely accepted in Europe, but it was much more acceptable than in East Asia. Even migration can backfire if prospective migrants are not screened. Some nations establish net-worth and skills requirements for migrants. Radical solutions like letting in anyone who can reach your border creates more problems and angers those who got in legally. All this is another downside of affluence that has little historical experience to lean on for solutions. While democracy has proved better able to sustain economic growth, decision making for rapidly developing situations can rarely keep up. As the old saying goes, democracies always do the right thing, often after trying everything else.
Troop morale was a major problem for Russia during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and neither the military or the government was able to do much about it. Russia had revived military chaplains in 2010 but only about a hundred chaplains were obtained and they had little impact on military life. Both Russia and Ukraine revived state recognition and other support for religion after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Before that, religion was making a comeback in the officially atheistic nation. The communists were never able to completely eliminate religion even though most churches and seminaries were closed. Religion made something of an official comeback during World War II when all institutions were mobilized to support the war effort, an effort that was publicized as a national effort to save the motherland. After the war religious practices were tolerated as long as the professional and lay (informal) clergy did not get involved in politics.

Military chaplains were legal after 1991 but not officially recognized for two decades. In 2010 Russia announced that, after an absence of nearly a century, chaplains were being reintroduced into the armed forces. This came after four years of negotiations with the Russian Orthodox Church, which provided some of its priests to be military chaplains. While the Orthodox church agreed, in the 1990s, to provide religious services to military personnel and their families, this did not include chaplains. That's because, despite the shortage of priests, it was possible to use lay people to provide some priestly functions like counseling and organizing charitable activities. Chaplains, on the other hand, are typically assigned to military units, like other specialists (doctors and staff officers). There were not enough priests for that, because the communists had limited the number of men who could become priests during the Soviet period (1921-91). But the church worked out a compromise with the military, and chaplains were phased in as priests became available.

Chaplains were eliminated in the early 1920s, when the Russian civil war ended, with the victory of the communists. The chaplains were then replaced with "political officers" (Zampolits), who served many of the same functions like maintaining morale and correct thinking. The 2010 reintroduction of chaplains had another motive, to help eliminate the Soviet period custom of older troops hazing and exploiting younger ones.

This hazing developed after World War II, when Russia deliberately avoided developing a professional NCO Corps. They preferred to have officers take care of nearly all troop supervision. The NCOs that did exist were treated as slightly more reliable enlisted men, but given little real authority. Since officers did not live with the men, slack discipline in the barracks gave rise to vicious hazing and exploitation of junior conscripts by senior ones. This led to very low morale and a lot of suicides, theft, sabotage and desertions made military life something to be feared, especially by conscripts. Long recognized as a problem, no solution ever worked. Getting rid of conscripts was believed to be a good first step. Volunteers sign up to be in the military for more than two years, and then one year for conscripts. The government was forced by popular opinion to actively work towards eliminating conscription. Reintroducing chaplains was a minor effort compared to the resources devoted to developing professional NCOs to keep things under control in the barracks. It was soon discovered that even among volunteers, the hazing tends to survive. While the new NCOs have had some success in suppressing the hazing, the generals don't want to take any chances and backed the attempt to bring back chaplains.

In Russia there was another problem. About a third of the conscripts and volunteer troops didn't believe in religion at all, and nearly 20 percent of those who did were not Russian Orthodox. Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church actively opposed other religions trying to get established in Russia. The government has gotten involved, passing laws that, in effect, outlaw some "foreign" religions. There's also hostility towards Roman Catholics. There aren't many of them, but the Russian Orthodox Church is still sparring with Roman Catholics over a thousand-year-old dispute that split the Christian church into Roman and Orthodox branches. There were fears that the Orthodox Church would want control over the new Chaplains Corps, and provide little support for chaplains of other religions. There was also fear that a Chaplains Corps dominated by Russian Orthodox clergy could lead to trouble for troops whose religions the Russian Orthodox believed should not be allowed in Russia. This included Pentecostals, Mormons and so on. Under the new Chaplain agreement, all these potential problems are to be solved, somehow, in the future. By 2o22 the future solution had still not arrived and chaplains were not much of a factor when it came to maintaining troop morale in combat. When the shooting starts, countries with established support and acceptance for chaplains find that the presence of chaplains in the combat zone is a positive thing. Russian troops went into Ukraine without chaplains or the even more needed senior NCOs.

Russia did have an organized effort to maintain military morale in the form of an organization that was created to conduct cultural and leisure (relaxing) events for soldiers. The most visible aspect of this program was an 8x8 military truck equipped to quickly set up and provide relaxing activities for troops. The truck and all its equipment were called MP KDR (Mobile Point for Cultural and Leisure Work) vehicles. Each MP KDR and its small staff could quickly set up a large tent with a sound system and various relaxing activities for the troops. MP KDR vehicles were used during large scale military exercises in 2017 and 2018. Not much was heard about these efforts since then and none of these vehicles were known to have shown up in Ukraine, where the troops needed all psychological help they could get, especially a ride out of Ukraine.

Ukraine had similar problems with conscription and hazing after 1991. The new Ukrainian armed foresee were much smaller than the Ukrainian Soviet era force. Most Ukrainians were looking West for inspiration, noting the success of adopting Western military practices by Poland, the Baltic States and other nations formerly dominated by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Western militaries always took better care of their troops with better training and a long tradition of effective NCOs. After 1991 most Western nations eliminated conscription and most nations formerly part of the Soviet Union, or occupied by Soviet troops, joined NATO to help keep the Russians out in the future.

Ukrainian efforts to join NATO were one of the reasons for the Russian attacks in 2014 to seize Crimea and two provinces (Donbas) in eastern Ukraine. The Donbas effort was stalled by rapid mobilization of Ukrainian forces. Less visible, at least to the Russians and many Western governments, was a Ukrainian effort to reform their military and revive the use of chaplains. The extent of these efforts was not appreciated in the West until the Ukrainians quickly defeated and pushed back the 2022 Russian invasion. The presence of chaplains rapidly increased after the invasion because many clergy volunteered for military service. These clergy tended to religious and morale needs on the side. In addition to clergy, many volunteers were religious and some were active in their civilian churches as deacons, prayer leaders and such. They worked with the seminary trained clergy to help with morale, especially in combat zones where the troops had to deal with a lot of stress.

This use of lay religious leaders was not unique to 2022 Ukraine but had been a tradition in Western militaries for a long time. The Ukraine chaplains and non-ordained personnel were a big help in sustaining morale. The lack of morale support in the Russian forces was a major problem. During the Soviet era the military had developed zampolits (military political officers) to look after morale and loyalty. During World War II the zampolits had more power and were often referred to as politruks, a contraction of the Russian language term for political officer. During the war all levels of the military, from company size up to army groups, had a politruk serving as a deputy to the military commander. In combat the politruk ensured that the commander and the troops followed orders and politruks had the authority to use force to ensure orders were followed. If that meant shooting the disobedient commander or reluctant troops, the politruk had the authority to do that. After the war that authority faded and was deliberately eliminated when dictator Stalin died in 1953.

In Ukraine, Russian officers were told, after about a month into the failed invasion, to go politruk on reluctant troops if need be. This shoot the reluctant policy was rarely used because officers quickly realized that this was not Stalinist Russia and their troops could and sometimes did, shoot back.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2022 / Kingfisher Metals Corp. (TSX-V:KFR)(FSE:970)(OTCQB: KGFMF) ("Kingfisher" or the "Company") is pleased to announce updates on rotary air blast ("RAB") drilling at the 100% owned 511 km2 Goldrange Project. Goldrange is located approximately 25 km south of the town of Tatla Lake in the Chilcotin region of Southwest British Columbia.

Highlights

Six RAB drill holes (399.28 m) have been completed at the Langara Zone, located in the eastern Cloud Drifter Trend.

Portable X-Ray Fluorescence ("pXRF") analysis has delineated multi-element anomalism in all holes drilled from one pad to target a historical adit.

Visual chip logs identified sulfide minerals and quartz veins typical of gold mineralization style observed on surface in all drill holes to date.

GRR22-033 intercepted the historical Langara adit (1930s) at 9.14 m and visual chip logs identified geology typical of rocks from adit dump pile.

Samples have been submitted for gold analysis at MSALABS' Chrysos PhotonAssayTM for analysis and check fire assays with initial results expected in the coming weeks.

Dustin Perry, CEO, states "This first shallow drill test of the Langara Zone was successful at locating the historical adit that was obscured by talus cover. Additionally, drilling encountered highly anomalous pathfinder mineralization in areas of limited outcrop due to talus cover. Logging of RAB cuttings shows widespread quartz veins with associated sulfide minerals that is comparable to the high-grade Au-Ag veins at surface. Now that we have a better 3D understanding of this target, we can diamond drill this season. The diamond rig will test a much broader area of mineralization as well as potential feeder mineralization to these areas of surficial anomalism."

Overview

Kingfisher commenced the first-ever drill program at the Langara Zone (Figures 1 and 2) with a RAB drill rig in July 2022. The initial six holes (Table 1) were drilled from a single pad located adjacent to a historical adit from the 1930s. Drilling was completed to test the geometry of near surface mineralization including the talus obscured adit. The historical working is centered on an interference zone between northwest and east trending veins.

Figure 1. Langara Zone and RAB Drill Collars

Figure 2: Langara Zone Aerial View to East

Hole Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Depth (m) Azimuth Dip GRR22-033 390144 5705445 1767 9.14 240 55 GRR22-034 390144 5705445 1767 89.92 240 65 GRR22-035 390144 5705445 1767 88.39 197 57 GRR22-036 390146 5705447 1767 77.72 55 60 GRR22-037 390146 5705447 1767 71.63 30 60 GRR22-038 390145 5705447 1767 62.48 330 60

Table 1. RAB Drill Hole Locations (NAD83, Zone 10)

RAB Drill Results

Drill cuttings were analyzed using an Olympus Vanta Handheld XRF (C Series) (pXRF) instrument for multiple elements. All RAB holes intercepted anomalous intervals of pathfinder elements (Figure 3, Table 2) consistent with Au-related pathfinder enrichments observed in surface geochemical samples previously collected at the Langara Zone.

Figure 3. Plan View of Langara Zone pXRF Results of RAB drilling

Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) As ppm Cu ppm Pb ppm Zn ppm GRR22-033 0.00 9.14 9.14 15075 1453 222 165 GRR22-034 0.00 53.34 53.34 469 175 20 151 incl 0.00 25.91 25.91 1148 361 46 309 and 71.63 89.92 18.29 169 57 3 75 GRR22-035 0.00 45.72 45.72 721 164 29 189 incl 0.00 12.19 12.19 3529 504 109 661 GRR22-036 0.00 56.39 56.39 537 282 20 479 incl 15.24 33.53 18.29 1998 1013 24 145 GRR22-037 1.52 12.19 10.67 269 100 315 662 and 18.29 56.39 38.10 223 163 14 105 GRR22-038 0.00 13.72 13.72 421 221 55 1083 and 35.05 44.20 9.14 137 93 10 115 and 44.20 62.48 18.29 134 76 421 914 incl 48.77 59.44 10.67 237 124 805 1724

*True widths are not known at this time, all widths reported are drilled widths. Highlight intervals are selected based on >100 ppm As. Anomalous intervals with less than 5 m lengths are omitted from table, bold rows contain pathfinders > 1000 ppm.

Table 2. Highlight Table of XRF Results

Langara Adit Target Area

The Langara Adit and surrounding quartz-hosted mineralization is defined by surface grades up to 60.4 g/t Au and 1500 g/t Ag from grab samples. Dump samples from the Langara Adit grade up to 14.4 g/t Au and are associated with arsenopyrite (As), chalcopyrite (Cu), sphalerite (Zn), boulangerite (Pb, Sb), and Bi- and Te-bearing minerals.

The sulfide minerals identified in RAB holes (Figure 4) are comparable to gold-bearing rocks observed at surface. Hole GRR22-033 intercepted quartz and sulfide vein material from surface to 9.14 m, where the historical adit was intersected.

The precise location of historical mining obtained from hole GRR22-033 provides the key data required to plan for diamond drilling. A diamond drill pad will be built near the top of the slope at the Langara Zone (Figure 2) within the coming weeks. Drilling from this pad will test the depth potential of the Langara adit ore shoot.

Figure 4. Photos of RAB Chips of Adit Target Area

pXRF Sampling and Analytical Protocol

RAB drill holes at the Goldrange Project are NWJ sized (2 5/8"). Samples are collected continuously from surface from each 5 ft (1.52 m) rod length. Collected sample material is put through a 1:8 riffle splitter, with the smaller portion of the sample bagged to be sent to the lab for Au Chrysos PhotonAssayTM and Au Fire Assay checks. From the riffle splitter reject ~500 grams of material are collected for pXRF analysis. The pXRF samples are returned to camp where they are dried prior to analysis. Once dry 15 ml of it is packed in a plastic XRF sample cup lined with prolene thin film. Care is taken to ensure that no material larger than 2 mm in diameter is packed into the sample cup. Once the sample cups have been packed, they are analyzed with an Olympus Vanta Handheld pXRF (C Series). Each sample is analyzed twice, adjusting the position of the sample on the pXRF detector between analyses. The two analyses are averaged to give a final result. Between each sample, the pXRF workstation is cleaned with pressurized air and paper towel. Certified reference materials and blanks are inserted into the sample sequence every 20th sample.

About RAB Drilling

Kingfisher is using RAB drills as a cost effective and efficient first pass exploration tool. The RAB is a heli-portable, track mounted drill that can drill a wide range of dips (50-90) to depths of up to 100 m. Rock cuttings from the drill hammer are returned to surface between the outside of the rods and the open hole. Under certain conditions, cross contamination between samples is a concern. The assay results from the RAB drill provide a strong indication of the grade and thickness of gold intercepted in a given hole. Kingfisher intends to follow up encouraging RAB assay results with a diamond drill to fully quantify the grade and thickness of these mineralized intercepts.

Qualified Person

Dustin Perry, P.Geo., Kingfisher's CEO, is the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has prepared the technical information presented in this release.

Investor Relations

Kingfisher also announces that it has entered into an agreement with Adelaide Capital Markets Inc. ("Adelaide") dated August 1, 2022, for various investor relations services at an aggregate cost of C$8,000 per month, payable monthly. The services will commence on August 15, 2022 and will continue for a period of six (6) months. Adelaide is an arm's length consultant and was previously granted 50,000 stock options of the Company that are subject to deferred vesting over one year. To the knowledge of the Company, both Adelaide and Deborah Honig, President of Adelaide, own shares of Kingfisher. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or employees have any interest, directly or indirectly, in Adelaide, or their securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Adelaide manages a marketing team headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, and has been successfully providing services for a broad range of companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Kingfisher Metals Corp.

Kingfisher Metals Corp. (https://kingfishermetals.com/) is a Canadian based exploration company focused on underexplored district-scale projects in British Columbia. Kingfisher has three 100% owned district-scale projects that offer potential exposure to high-grade gold, copper, silver, and zinc. The Company currently has 103,007,272 shares outstanding.

For further information, please contact:

Dustin Perry, P.Geo.

CEO and Director

Phone: +1 778 606 2507

E-Mail: [email protected]

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property. This news 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. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: formulation of plans for drill testing; and the success related to any future exploration or development programs.

These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include; success of the Company's projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour- related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic; fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. 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.

SOURCE: Kingfisher Metals Corp.

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ONOJO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In August 2022, the Japanese electric bed for elderly brand PLATZ (TOKYO: 7813) announced that Ai Fukuhara became the brand's spokesperson. PLATZ is a Japanese brand with a 30-year history of developing and producing electric beds for the elderly.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005610/en/

The PLATZ bed for the elderly can be powered up and has a guardrail, which is suitable for the elderly who have difficulty getting up and are at risk of falling. (Graphic: Business Wire)

According to the Technical Guidelines for Falls Intervention in the Elderly issued by the Chinese Ministry of Health, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among the elderly over 65 years old in China. In addition to the death of the elderly, falls also lead to a large number of disabilities and affect the physical and mental health of the elderly. It is estimated that an average of 40 million elderly people in China fall once a year.

For example, getting out of bed in the morning or at night is a high-incidence scene of falls in the elderly. For different scenarios, in addition to strengthening the stability of the bed and guardrails, the PLATZ Bed for the Elderly also provides users with free home-based fall prevention consulting services. These include fall risk assessment for the elderly, risk assessment of the home environment, and provision of corresponding improvement programs.

Ai Fukuhara's mother injured her lower back two years ago and needed a wheelchair for daily activities. Therefore, Ai Fukuhara has always been very concerned about the safety and health of the elderly. "My mother was hurt, So My heart aches for her." For the safety and health of parents all over the world, Ai Fukuhara said that she will fully support PLATZ to work with caring brothers and sisters to solve the problem of preventing falls in the elderly.

Official Weibo https://weibo.com/u/7765833547

Official website http://www.platz-cn.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005610/en/

Hiroshi Yoshino

Email: [email protected]

+81-80-6407-3698

Source: PLATZ
EWING, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cenlar FSB, the nations leading mortgage loan subservicer and federally chartered wholesale bank, announced that Dave Applegate has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. In addition, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Rob Lux has been named co-CEO along with D. James Jim Daras, who will also serve as President.

Dave, who has been a member of the board since 2020, has more than 30 years of experience in residential real estate, mortgage banking and housing finance. He was previously the CEO for Common Securitization Solutions, LLC, which is a joint venture owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Dave was responsible for building the technology and operations platform for CSS that allowed for the launch of the new Uniform Mortgage Backed Security (UMBS). The UMBS is second only to U.S. Treasuries in worldwide trading. Dave was also CEO of various industry leading organizations including Homeward Residential, Radian Mortgage Insurance and GMAC Mortgage and Bank. He has served on numerous boards, including Fannie Mae Advisory Board, the Board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, GMAC Real Estate, GMAC Mortgage, GMAC Bank (now ALLY Bank) and Anthracite Capital, a Blackrock affiliate.

I am proud to be part of an organization that grew to be the nations leading subservicer through a relentless focus on serving our clients and their homeowners. Continuous investment in all aspects of our franchise will ensure Cenlars commitment to providing both high quality service to our customers and a rewarding work environment for our talented team, said Dave.

Jim Daras and Rob Lux were recently named to the top executive leadership positions at Cenlar as co-CEOs. Jim has more than 40 years in the banking and mortgage banking industry. He has extensive knowledge in risk management, banking and corporate finance functions, bank restructuring, recapitalization and M&A. He joined Cenlar in 1985 to 1990 leaving his post as Chief Financial Officer to join Dime Bancorp in New York City. Jim returned to Cenlar in 2015 as Executive Vice President where he was appointed Chief Risk Officer. In 2019, Jim moved to an advisory role at Cenlar where he worked alongside former Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Greg Tornquist and the Board. He joined Cenlar full time in 2022 as Executive Vice President to manage the companys banking functions. As President and co-CEO, Jim continues to manage all banking functions, capital markets, finance and risk activities.

Rob also has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, mostly in the mortgage industry, along with a deep understanding of how technology can be used to enable the business. As co-CEO, he is responsible for Cenlars Operations & Technology, Business Development, Client Management, Human Resources, Legal, Corporate Communications and Marketing. He joined Cenlar in 2017 as the Chief Information Officer and was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Before joining Cenlar, Rob was Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer of Freddie Mac for seven years, where he was responsible for all Information Technology. He also held senior leadership positions at Towers Watson, GMAC Financial Services (now Ally), Electronic Data Systems, and Reuters.

Former Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Greg Tornquist has announced his retirement from Cenlar. Greg, who was with Cenlar for 35 years, was instrumental in building the companys mortgage subservicing platform.

About Cenlar FSB

Cenlar FSB is a federally chartered, employee-owned wholesale bank, servicing loans in 50 states and its U.S. territories. As the nations leading subservicer, Cenlar boasts a loyal and growing client base including banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers. Our nearly 3,000 employees, strategically located throughout the United States, are dedicated to customer satisfaction and teamwork that drives client solutions that are unparalleled in quality, flexibility and innovation. Headquartered in Ewing, NJ, Cenlar is industry rated and audited regularly by independent third parties.

For more information, visit www.cenlar.com.

Find us on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cenlar-fsb/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005670/en/

Adrienne R. Kowalski

Corporate Communications Director

[email protected]

Source: Cenlar FSB
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- FedEx Freight celebrated the opening of a new, 218-door facility in Phoenix, Ariz., earlier this summer.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005793/en/

FedEx Freight celebrated the opening of a new, 218-door facility in Phoenix, Ariz., that brought its door count to almost 26,000. (Photo: Business Wire)

The continued growth in the Phoenix market coupled with our expanded footprint with additional doors provides us the much-needed capacity to meet the growing demand, Scott Doleman, regional vice president, said.

Not only is this facility perfectly positioned to take on the growing Phoenix market, but it also brought FedEx Freights door count to almost 26,000 this year.

Were talking about more than adding buildings or square footage, said Lance Moll, FedEx Freight President and CEO. This is about strategically planning capacity increases to better serve our customers in growing markets.

FedEx Freight regularly evaluates opportunities to invest in capacity growth through door and yard expansions and fleet maintenance shop footprints. Additional focuses include continually evaluating the network based on changing market conditions and maximizing the use of existing assets (such as collaboration within the FedEx enterprise network to reduce empty miles and provide peak support).

We will continue to invest in our network that provides the fastest published transit times in the industry, said Moll. We have several projects underway to modernize and selectively expand centers to increase capacity over the next several years. We are confident our customers will benefit from these projects in the long run.

FedEx Freight will continue to strategically invest in its excellent team and network, profitably growing its differentiated product offerings including FedEx Freight Direct, the companys ecommerce answer to providing nationwide to-the-door and through-the-door delivery for heavy, bulky shipments into consumers homes and businesses. Growing cross-border shipping services on both the northern and southern U.S. borders, with broker-inclusive offerings and a customs clearance team, provides customers with a seamless and outstanding experience. FedEx Freight is the Market Leader in the LTL industry and will continue to build on that throughout the coming years.

About FedEx Freight

FedEx Freight, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), is a leading provider of priority, premium, and economy less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services, simplifying heavy and bulk shipping in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., FedEx Freight is at the forefront of innovation, offering customers total convenience and efficiency. With expanded service offerings like FedEx Freight Direct, shipments can be safely delivered to and through the door for residences and businesses. Team members across the network are dedicated to delivering the ultimate customer experience through exceptional service, reliability, and on-time performance, as well as giving back to the communities where they live and work. For more information, visit fedex.com/about.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $92 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its nearly 600,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit fedex.com/about.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005793/en/

Miranda Yarbro

901.487.9279

[email protected]

Source: FedEx Freight
Bobbie is Recognized by FastCompany, Fortune Magazine, and Great Place to Work as a Standout for Women Innovators and Small & Medium Businesses

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Bobbie, the only infant formula company in the U.S. founded and led by moms, is proud to be recognized by FastCompany as one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators, as a standout in the Women Innovators category; and chosen by Fortune Magazine as one of the Best Small & Medium Workplaces. Bobbie is also proud to be Certified by Great Place to Work for the second year in a row. 98% of employees at Bobbie say it is a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005253/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

Fast Company's fourth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list honors organizations and businesses that demonstrate a steadfast commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. Bobbie was named an honoree on the Women Innovators list for its dedication to creating a best-in-class workplace for women, going above and beyond performative activism to achieve gender equity through a culture of innovation.

There's a myth that startups can't possibly create meaningful support structures for parents  weve set out to disprove that from day one with initiatives like our 12 month leave policy for birthing and non-birthing parents, balance coordinator, remote work culture, and unique mom-founded and parent-led team, said Sarah Hardy, Bobbie Co-Founder and COO. Creating a new type of workplace for working parents is in our DNAwere nearly 90% women and 78% parents (half of which had a pandemic baby)and its something were constantly building upon and expanding. As a company that launched during the pandemic, were committed to creating an environment where parents of young children can thrive professionally, even in the hardest of times.

Among other first-of-their-kind benefits, Bobbies parental leave policy, also known as TakeOurLeave, offers birthing and non-birthing parents up to 12 months of leave to bond with their baby. As a 70-person startup, Bobbies policy is setting a new standard for parental leave in the U.S. for a company of their size. Knowing that just 15% of companies with 99 or fewer employees have access to employer-provided paid leave (Source: Department of Labor), Bobbie open sourced the policy to challenge other startups to follow suit in April 2022, and since, has been downloaded more than 600 times. Since establishing TakeOurLeave, the average parental leave among Bobbie employees has increased by two months  from four months to six months.

"This year's list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a deep commitment to cultivating creativity across the board," says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "In the face of powerful headwinds, these leaders and teams continue to spur innovation."

Bobbie understands that all employees  working parents or not  carry the invisible weight of a mental load and neverending to-do list. In an effort to alleviate that load, the company offers a unique, dedicated Balance Coordinator to support all team members with tasks completely unrelated to work, like finding a weekend babysitter or dog walker. Bobbie also celebrates all pregnancy announcements, empathizes with pregnancy loss with a miscarriage leave, and has embraced being 100% remote with schedule flexibility for parents.

Its not the size of an organization that makes it great, but how the organization treats its people, says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. And these small workplaces have proven that the inspiring cultures theyve created go head-to-head with those of any large corporation. Leaders at these companies put their people first, and in return, achieve stronger business results than the average workplace.

To see the complete lists, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list and https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/small/2022.

About Bobbie

Bobbie is a USDA Organic Infant Formula company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison, where every parent is supported in the feeding choice that is right for them and their baby. Bobbie launched in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula in the U.S. Founded by Laura Modi and Sarah Hardy, Bobbie is the only mom-founded and led infant formula in the country and the fastest growing infant formula to enter the U.S. market since the 1980s. Bobbies recipe is modeled after breastmilk and designed to meet the most recent EU nutritional standards for critical ingredients like DHA and iron, while also complying with all FDA nutritional standards for infant formula. Bobbie is focused on providing a purposefully sourced, USDA Organic infant formula with Organic Valley milk from pasture raised cows. It was the first-ever infant formula to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award and certification as a Pesticide-Free Product. Bobbie was founded in 2018, is based in San Francisco, and is venture-backed. For more information on Bobbie, visit www.hibobbie.com, and follow Bobbie on Instagram @bobbie.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005253/en/

Press inquiries: [email protected]

Source: Bobbie
POTOMAC, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- India Globalization Capital, Inc. (IGC or the Company) (NYSE American: IGC) announces its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022, which is the first quarter of the Companys 2023 fiscal year.

The highlights for the quarter are:

The Company has submitted a protocol to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) titled A Phase 2, Multi-Center, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, trial of the safety and efficacy of IGC-AD1 on agitation in participants with dementia due to Alzheimers disease. The protocol is powered at 146 Alzheimers patients with half receiving placebo and is a superiority, parallel group study. The primary end point is agitation in dementia due to Alzheimers disease as rated by the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) over a six-week period. The Company has signed agreements with trial sites for conducting the trial, pending FDA approval.

On June 7, 2022, the USPTO issued a patent (#11,351,152) to the Company titled Method and Composition for Treating Seizure Disorders. The patent relates to compositions and methods for treating multiple types of seizure disorders and epilepsy in humans and animals using a combination of the CBD with other compounds. Subject to further research and study, the combination is intended to reduce side effects caused by hydantoin anticonvulsant drugs such as phenobarbital, by reducing the dosing of anticonvulsant drugs in humans, dogs, and cats.

On May 10, 2022, Hamsa Biopharma India Pvt. Ltd. (Hamsa Biopharma), a directly owned subsidiary of the Company, completed outstanding items in the agreement executed with the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). The agreement was signed on March 28, 2022, and the Company obtained exclusive global rights to certain molecules, technology, patent, and patent filings.

Revenue was approximately $212 thousand and $77 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and June 30, 2021, respectively. Revenue in both quarters was primarily derived from our Life Sciences segment, which involved sales of products such as lotion, gummies, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers, among others.

Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses were approximately $1.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and approximately $1.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021, a decrease of approximately $226 thousand or 13% stemming mostly from a decrease in marketing and legal expenses. SG&A expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, sales and marketing, professional and legal fees, other corporate expenses, allocated general overhead and provisions, depreciation and write-offs relating to doubtful accounts and advances, if any.

Research and Development (R&D) expenses were $1.4 million during the three months ended June 30, 2022, and approximately $444 thousand for the three-month ended June 30, 2021. The increase of approximately $950 thousand or 214% is primarily attributable to the progression of Phase 2 trials on IGC-AD1 and pre-clinical studies on TGR-63. We anticipate additional increases in R&D expenses as the Phase 2 trials on IGC-AD1 commence.

Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2022, was approximately $2.8 million or ($0.05) per share, compared to approximately $1.8 million or ($0.04) per share for the three months ended June 30, 2021.

About IGC:

IGC has two segments: Life Sciences and Infrastructure. The company is based in Maryland, U.S.A.

Forward-looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based largely on IGCs expectations and are subject to several risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond IGCs control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, the Companys failure or inability to commercialize one or more of the Companys products or technologies, including the products or formulations described in this release, or failure to obtain regulatory approval for the products or formulations, where required; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected, including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; the FDAs general position regarding cannabis- and hemp-based products; and other factors, many of which are discussed in IGCs SEC filings. IGC incorporates by reference the human trial disclosures and Risk Factors identified in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 23, 2022, as if fully incorporated and restated herein. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this release will occur.

India Globalization Capital, Inc. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) June 30,

2022

($) March 31,

2022

($) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents 8,053 10,460 Accounts receivable, net 147 125 Inventory 3,622 3,548 Deposits and advances 905 978 Total current assets 12,727 15,111 Intangible assets, net 937 917 Property, plant and equipment, net 9,161 9,419 Claims and advances 922 937 Operating lease asset 419 450 Total long-term assets 11,439 11,723 Total assets 24,166 26,834 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable 456 981 Accrued liabilities and others 1,200 1,457 Short-term loans 3 3 Total current liabilities 1,659 2,441 Long-term loans 143 144 Other liabilities 16 16 Operating lease liability 308 341 Total non-current liabilities 467 501 Total liabilities 2,126 2,942 Commitments and Contingencies  See Note 12 Stockholders equity: Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: authorized 1,000,000 shares, no shares

issued or outstanding as of June 30, 2022, and March 31, 2022. Common stock and additional paid-in capital, $0.0001 par value: 150,000,000

shares authorized; 51,840,603 and 51,054,017 shares issued and outstanding

as of June 30, 2022 and March 31, 2022, respectively. 117,171 116,019 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (3,187 ) (2,968 ) Accumulated deficit (91,944 ) (89,159 ) Total stockholders equity 22,040 23,892 Total liabilities and stockholders equity 24,166 26,834

These financial statements should be read in connection with the accompanying notes on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on August 5, 2022.

India Globalization Capital, Inc. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (in thousands, except loss per share and share data) (Unaudited) Three months ended June 30, 2022

($) 2021

($) Revenue 212 77 Cost of revenue (70 ) (51 ) Gross profit 142 26 Selling, general and administrative expenses (1,550 ) (1,776 ) Research and development expenses (1,394 ) (444 ) Operating loss (2,802 ) (2,194 ) Impairment of investment - (37 ) Other income, net 17 443 Loss before income taxes (2,785 ) (1,788 ) Income tax expense/benefit - - Net loss attributable to common stockholders (2,785 ) (1,788 ) Foreign currency translation adjustments (219 ) (86 ) Comprehensive loss (3,004 ) (1,874 ) Loss per share attributable to common stockholders: Basic & diluted $ (0.05 ) $ (0.04 ) Weighted-average number of shares used in computing loss per share

amounts: 51,616,598 47,910,866

These financial statements should be read in connection with the accompanying notes on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on August 05, 2022.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005223/en/

Claudia Grimaldi

301-983-0998

Source: India Globalization Capital, Inc.
MONTPELLIER, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

The Annual General Meeting and the Extraordinary General Meeting will be held at MedinCell's (Paris: MEDCL) headquarters (3 rue des Freres Lumiere, 34830 Jacou, France) on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 6:00 p.m., Paris time

All shareholders of the company are invited to attend the meeting or to follow it live on the companys website via the link https://www.medincell.com/en/investors/#meeting_

The secure remote voting system via the Votaccess platform will be open from Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. to Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 3:00 p.m., Paris time

MedinCell will hold a video conference on Monday, September 5, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

to present the resolutions of the Annual General Meeting and answer questions from shareholders.

Connection link: https://www.medincell.com/en/investors/#meeting

An internet connection will be required to access the conference and ask questions.

Terms and conditions of participation

MedinCell strongly encourages all of its shareholders to exercise their voting rights, either by remote voting, which must be cast ahead of the General Meeting, or during the General Meeting for shareholders physically present.

MedinCell's shareholders who wish to vote remotely may do so before the General Meeting as follows:

- Internet voting will be available and should be used as a priority: the secure voting platform Votaccess will be open from Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. to Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 3:00 p.m., Paris time. Shareholders will be able to vote by Internet or give their proxy to the Chairman of the Meeting until the day before the Meeting (i.e. Wednesday, September 7, 2022) at 3:00 p.m., Paris time.

- Shareholders may also vote by mail in accordance with the procedures indicated in the notice of meeting, valid as notice of convocation, published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires on August 1st 2022. The deadline for receipt of forms is September 5, 2022. If a proxy is given to a natural or legal person, the proxy sends his or her voting instructions by e-mail to the following address: [email protected]. The deadline for receipt is September 7, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

All shareholders may send their written questions, either by registered letter with return receipt requested addressed to the Chairman of the Executive Board at the company's registered office (3 rue des Freres Lumiere, 34830 Jacou) or by e-mail to [email protected], no later than the second business day preceding the date of the Shareholders' Meeting (i.e. September 6, 2022). Questions must be accompanied by a certificate of account registration.

As the company does not have the possibility to control the identity of the persons attending the meeting remotely, only the persons physically present will be able to ask questions during the General Meeting.

Availability of documents relating to the General Meeting

The notice of meeting, valid as notice of convocation, which includes the agenda and draft resolutions as well as the main terms of participation and voting at the Shareholders' Meeting, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires N. 91 of August 1st 2022.

The preparatory documents and information relating to this General Meeting will be made available to shareholders in accordance with the legal and regulatory conditions, and will be available on the website: www.medincell.com

Shareholders are invited to consult regularly the section dedicated to the Meeting on the company's website: www.medincell.com

About MedinCell

MedinCell is a pharmaceutical company at premarketing stage that develops a portfolio of long-acting injectable products in various therapeutic areas by combining its proprietary BEPO technology with active ingredients already known and marketed. Through the controlled and extended release of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, MedinCell makes medical treatments more efficient, particularly thanks to improved compliance, i.e. compliance with medical prescriptions, and to a significant reduction in the quantity of medication required as part of a one-off or chronic treatment. The BEPO technology makes it possible to control and guarantee the regular delivery of a drug at the optimal therapeutic dose for several days, weeks or months starting from the subcutaneous or local injection of a simple deposit of a few millimeters, fully bioresorbable. MedinCell collaborate with tier one pharmaceuticals companies and foundations to improve Global Health through new therapeutic options. Based in Montpellier, MedinCell currently employs more than 150 people representing over 30 different nationalities.

www.medincell.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005513/en/

MedinCell

David Heuze

Communication leader

[email protected]

+33 (0)6 83 25 21 86

NewCap

Louis-Victor Delouvrier/Olivier Bricaud

Investor Relations

[email protected]

+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

NewCap

Nicolas Merigeau

Media Relations

[email protected]

+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Source: MedinCell
Cash runway extended through at least February 2023 based upon debt restructuring agreement with IPF Partners (IPF) and equity-linked financing facility for up to EUR 6 million with Iris Capital Investment (IRIS)

Extended cash runway provides added flexibility to capitalize on upcoming Phase 2 DESTINY-1 results for PXL065 in NASH expected this quarter and independently pursue non-dilutive financing initiatives to fund and execute the Companys rare disease strategy

As of June 30, 2022, cash and cash equivalents were EUR 16.1 million (USD 16.8 million)

LYON, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- POXEL SA (Euronext: POXEL  FR0012432516), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for serious chronic diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare metabolic disorders, announced today that is has entered into (1) an agreement with IPF to restructure its existing debt facility and (2) an equity-linked financing for up to EUR 6 million with IRIS. On that basis, the Company expects that its resources will be sufficient to fund its operations and capital expenditure requirements through at least February 2023.

Thomas Kuhn, Chief Executive Officer of Poxel, stated: We have an important milestone coming up this quarter with the topline results of the Phase 2 DESTINY-1 study for PXL065 in NASH. We have thus been working diligently these past months to extend our cash runway to capitalize on this opportunity and independently finance our strategy in rare diseases. Together, the successful completion of the debt restructuring and the equity-linked financing facility not only improves the Companys balance sheet to support ongoing operations, but both agreements also provide further flexibility to finalize additional financing initiatives, including ongoing active partnership discussions related to our programs. We continue to work towards the initiation of our planned Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trials in adrenoleukodystrophy which represent the foundation of our rare disease strategy.

The Company has entered into an agreement with IPF to restructure its debt, resulting in the postponement of the Q3 2022 and Q4 2022 amortization payments under the existing debt facility, and lowering certain financial covenants until the end of January 2023.

Edouard Guillet, Partner at IPF Partners, commented: With this agreement to restructure the existing debt facility, we are pleased to provide Poxel with increased flexibility to complete its other financing initiatives which we strongly believe will be finalized in the near future and will allow Poxel to execute on its robust strategy in rare diseases.

Concurrently, the Company has entered into an equity-linked financing arrangement with IRIS for an initial gross amount of EUR 4 million, with the option, at the latest on December 31, 2022 and at the Companys sole discretion, to draw a second and third tranche of up to EUR 1 million each. Upon conversion of the equity-linked instruments, IRIS will be issued Poxel shares to be created from the Companys authorized capital and is expected to sell these newly issued shares on the market or in block trades. The equity-linked financing is intended to provide additional liquidity in support of the Companys ongoing regulatory and development activities as well as general corporate purposes.

Based on:

its cash position at June 30, 2022, the current development plan of the Company including 1) the completion of its ongoing Phase 2 NASH trial for PXL065 (DESTINY-1) but excluding 2) the two identical Phase 2a clinical proof-of-concept (POC) biomarker studies for PXL065 and PXL770 in adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), the cash forecast for the year 2022 approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, that does not include, as a conservative approach, any net royalties from Imeglimin in Japan, a strict control of its operating expenses, and the amendment to the IPF debt facility with the postponement of the Q3 2022 and Q4 2022 amortization payments until end of February 2023, as well as a full drawdown of all tranches of the equity-linked financing arrangement with IRIS for a total amount of EUR 6 million, before December 31, 2022,

the Company expects that its resources will be sufficient to fund its operations and capital expenditure requirements through at least February 2023.

The Company is actively pursuing additional financing options, prioritizing non-dilutive sources, including ongoing active partnership discussions related to its programs.

Debt Restructuring with IPF

With the objective to extend its cash runway, the Company has entered into an agreement with IPF to restructure its existing debt, consisting of postponing repayment of EUR 3.2 million, corresponding to Q3 2022 and Q4 2022 amortizations, until February 2023.

In addition, IPF and the Company agreed to temporarily amend the financial covenants of the debt facility until 31 January 2023 so that no breach occurs before February 2023, independently of any other potential additional financing of the Company. Under the revised financial covenants, the Company shall maintain a minimum cash position between EUR 15 million and EUR 10 million through January 2023. After such date, the previously existing financial covenants will be reinstated1.

The amendment of the debt facility also includes an increase of 3% of the PIK margin (in addition to the existing 2% PIK). IPF shall also be entitled to a fee payable at the maturity date of each tranche and set at a total amount of approximately EUR 4 million.

Should the Company close a financing transaction of a minimum amount of EUR 15 million, and subject to the then applicable debt to market capitalization gearing ratio of the Company, Poxel will partially prepay IPF debt with an amount up to 20% of the proceeds of such transaction as a partial early debt repayment, which would reduce the Companys indebtedness. Such early repayment shall consist in principal and shall not include any early repayment fee.

As part of the amendment agreement, IPF will be appointed as an observer to the Companys Board of Directors. IPF will have the same right to information as the Directors and may participate in meetings of the Board of Directors of the Company in an advisory capacity but will not have any voting rights.

The terms of the existing warrants held by IPF which were attached to the Tranche 1, 2 and 3 bonds giving right to subscribe 630,804 shares at respectively 7.37, 7.14, 6.72 per warrant for each Tranche, remain unchanged and thus trigger no potential additional dilution.

Equity-linked financing with IRIS

Legal basis of issuance

Acting on the delegation of the Board of Directors and in accordance with the 17th resolution of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of June 21, 2022, the Company decided to implement this equity-linked financing, provided by IRIS, a venture capital firm specialized in providing financing solutions to listed companies.

Operation objectives

This funding aims to increase the Companys cash position to support its operations. Proceeds shall be used mainly to support ongoing regulatory and development activities as well as general corporate purposes.

Operation arrangements

In accordance with the terms of the agreement, IRIS, acting as a specialized investor without a strategy to retain a stake in the Companys share capital, has committed to subscribe to bonds convertible into new ordinary shares of the Company for an initial amount of EUR 4 million. At the Companys sole discretion, two additional tranches of EUR 1 million each, may be drawn down in Q4 2022.

IRIS has the right to request the conversion of its bonds into new ordinary shares of the Company at any time in one or several occasions until full repayment of the bonds. The issuance of shares upon conversion of the bonds shall be made on each conversion date on the basis of the average volume weighted share price over the last trading day preceding each issue, less a discount of 8%, subject to a floor corresponding to the average volume weighted share price over the twenty trading days preceding each issue, less a discount of 20%.

During the term of the financing, IRIS is expected to sell the newly issued shares received upon conversion of the convertible bonds on the market or in block trades. In connection with the financing, Poxel will issue shares out of its authorized share capital in accordance with the 17th resolution of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of June 21, 2022 with excluded pre-emptive rights of the existing shareholders for the benefit of certain category of investors.

The new shares issued under the terms of this agreement shall be admitted to trading on Euronext Paris.

No application for admission to trading on any market whatsoever will be made for the convertible bonds.

Considering the anticipated number of shares to be issued upon conversion of the convertible bonds issued, based on the share price of the Company on the last trading day preceding the date of this press release, this operation does not give rise at this stage to publication of a prospectus to be submitted to the approval by the French securities regulator, the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF). Should a prospectus be required in the future due to a potentially higher than expected issuance of shares, the Company and IRIS have agreed that the issuance program will be suspended for a maximum period of three months, until such prospectus has been approved by the AMF.

On the basis of the issuance of all three tranches of the financing facility with IRIS and the average price weighted by volumes of the Companys share during the last trading day preceding the date of this press release, the stake of a shareholder with 1% of the Companys share capital would decrease to 0.91%, i.e. a 9% dilution. As a reminder, based on the decisions of the general assembly meeting of the shareholders on June 21, 2022, the Company's board on July 29, 2022, and the CEO decision dated August 5, 2022, the maximum number of shares to be issued on redemption of convertible bonds is currently set at 15,800,000 shares. Should this maximum amount apply, the stake of a shareholder holding 1% of the Companys share capital would decrease to 0.65%, i.e. a 35% dilution.

To the Company's knowledge, on the basis of the same assumptions, the distribution of its share capital before and after redemption of all the convertible bonds in newly issued shares will be as follows:

Shareholders Before the transaction After the transaction (on the basis of the drawdown of all Tranches and the average price weighted by Companys share volumes during the last trading day preceding the date of this press release) After the transaction (on the basis of the maximum potential dilution authorized by the general assembly meeting of the shareholders under the 17th resolution) Number of

shares % of

capital Number of

shares % of capital Number of

shares % of capital Founders 2,778,947 9.6% 2,778,947 8.7% 2,778,947 6.2% Bpifrance 5,753,662 19.9% 5,753,662 18.1% 5,753,662 12.9% Free float 20,420,041 70.5% 23,318,311 73.2% 36,220,041 80.9% Total 28,952,650 100.0% 31,850,920 100.0% 44,752,650 100.0%

The Company will make available to investors on its website an up-to-date summary chart of its outstanding convertible bonds and the number of shares in circulation.

The publics attention is drawn to the risk factors relative to the Company and its business, presented in its universal registration document filed with the AMF on 4 May 2022, which is available on the Companys website. The occurrence of all or some of these risks is likely to have an unfavourable effect on the Company's business, financial situation, results, development or prospects.

In addition, the public's attention is specifically drawn to the following main risks related to the IRIS financing and its implementation:

- Risk of dilution of the Company's shareholders: the Company's shareholders who cannot participate in the operation will suffer dilution when new shares are issued to IRIS upon conversion of the convertible bonds;

- Risk in the event of non-fulfillment of all the tranches: the Company may have to seek additional financings and to review accordingly its development strategy and its objectives if an event of default occurs or certain minimum share price prevent the drawdown of the Tranches II and/or III of the financing, respectively of EUR 1 million each.

- Risk on the volatility, liquidity and share price of the Companys shares: Given IRIS strategy, which is to sell newly issued shares shortly after conversion of the convertible bonds it holds, the share price and the volatility of the Company's shares could fluctuate significantly after the issuance of the convertible bonds issued to IRIS.

This press release and the information it contains do not, and will not, constitute an offer to subscribe for or sell, nor the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy, any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction.

Main Characteristics of the financing with IRIS:

Maturity Date 48 months Total Commitment EUR 6 million Tranche I EUR 4 million IRIS has subscribed to the first tranche of EUR 4 million at signing Tranche II EUR 1 million maximum, at the option of Poxel At the sole option of Poxel, IRIS will subscribe to a new tranche EUR 1 million on or before November 30, 2022 Tranche III EUR 1 million maximum, at the option of Poxel At the sole option of Poxel, IRIS will subscribe to a new tranche EUR 1 million on or before December 31, 2022 Nominal of Notes EUR 2,500 Coupon 0% Conversion IRIS may request that the convertible bonds be converted into shares of the company at the prevailing conversion ratio at any time upon delivery of a conversion notice to the Company

The conversion of the convertible bonds into new or existing shares of the Company is mandatory at the latest at maturity of the convertible bonds Conversion Price The average volume weighted share price over the last trading day preceding each issue, less a discount of 8%, subject to a floor corresponding to the average volume weighted share price over the twenty trading days preceding each issue, less a discount of 20% Conditions precedent of drawdown for Tranche II and III Usual condition precedents for this type of financing including absence of event of default and minimum share price at the time of drawdown Event of defaults Usual event of defaults for this type of financing including the absence of timely delivery of shares in conversion of the convertible bonds (e.g. in case of insufficient authorizations from the general assembly meeting of the shareholders or in the absence of publication of a prospectus, as the case may be) Subscription price 100% of par value New Shares New shares of the Company issued on redemption of the convertible bonds will bear current dividend rights. They will have the same rights as those attached to existing ordinary shares and be admitted for trading on the Euronext regulated market on Euronext Paris. The Company will keep on its website a chart for monitoring convertible bonds and the number of shares in circulation up to date.

Nominal value of the shares of the Company: EUR 0.02 Potential dilution  Maximum share number Pursuant to the decisions of the general assembly meeting of the shareholders on June 21, 2022, the Companys board on July 29, 2022 and the CEO decision on August 5, 2022, the maximum number of shares for issue on redemption of convertible bonds has been set at 15,800,000 shares. By way of illustration, assuming issuance of all the convertible bonds and the average price weighted by volumes of the Companys share during the last trading day preceding the date of this press release, i.e.2.07, the number of new Company shares for subscription by the Investor on redemption of the convertible bonds in new shares would be 2,898,270 shares, representing approximately 10.0% of the share capital (on a non-diluted basis). Based on the same assumptions, the number of new Company shares for subscription by the Investor on redemption of the convertible bonds in new shares for Tranche I only would be 1,932,180 shares representing approximately 6.7% of the share capital (on a non-diluted basis), and the number of new Company shares for subscription by the Investor on redemption of the convertible bonds in new shares for each of Tranche II and III only would be 483,045 shares representing approximately 1.7% of the share capital (on a non-diluted basis).

On the date of this press release, the Company has a share capital of 579,053 divided into 28,952,650 ordinary shares Share Loan Agreement As part of the equity-linked financing, certain shareholders of the Company have undertaken to loan part of their shares to IRIS. This loan will only be used to facilitate implementation of the financing and avoid potential delays related to the delivery-settlement of shares issued upon conversion of the bonds. Such loan agreement shall terminate at the latest on the date of full conversion of the bonds. Structuring Fee The Company will pay IRIS a structuring fee of 3% of the nominal amount of each tranche drawn, payable in cash on each drawdown No Penalty clauses No penalty clauses are included in the agreement including in case the conversion price would fall below the nominal value of the shares

About Poxel SA

Poxel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare disorders. Poxel has clinical and earlier-stage programs from its adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator and deuterated thiazolidinedione (TZD) platforms targeting chronic and rare metabolic diseases. For the treatment of NASH, PXL065 (deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone) is in a streamlined Phase 2 trial (DESTINY-1). PXL770, a first-in-class direct AMPK activator, has successfully completed a Phase 2a proof-of-concept trial for the treatment of NASH, which met its objectives. For the rare inherited metabolic disorder, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), the company intends to initiate Phase 2a proof of concept studies with PXL065 and PXL770 in patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN). TWYMEEG (Imeglimin), Poxels first-in-class lead product that targets mitochondrial dysfunction, has been approved and launched for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Japan. Poxel expects to receive royalties and sales-based payments from Sumitomo Pharma. Poxel has a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Pharma for Imeglimin in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and nine other Southeast Asian countries. The Company intends to generate further growth through strategic partnerships and pipeline development. Listed on Euronext Paris, Poxel is headquartered in Lyon, France, and has subsidiaries in Boston, MA, and Tokyo, Japan.

For more information, please visit: www.poxelpharma.com

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Companys control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as target, believe, expect, aim, intend, may, anticipate, estimate, plan, project, will, can have, likely, should, would, could and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Companys control that could cause the Companys actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not endorse or is not otherwise responsible for the content of external hyperlinks referred to in this press release.

________________________

1 The Company shall then maintain minimum cash position of the higher of i) EUR 10 million and ii) the sum of the consolidated debt service of the Company plus the amount of cash required to be spent by the Company as part of its operations, in each case for the following 6-months period.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220807005028/en/

Contacts - Investor relations / Media

Aurelie Bozza

Investor Relations & Communication Senior Director

[email protected]

+33 6 99 81 08 36

Elizabeth Woo

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Communication

[email protected]

NewCap

Emmanuel Huynh or Arthur Rouille

[email protected]

+33 1 44 71 94 94

Source: Poxel SA
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW; Redwire or the Company) today announced that it will report financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, at 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

Management will conduct a conference call starting at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday August 10, 2022 to review financial results for the second quarter. The earnings conference call can be accessed by calling 877-485-3108 (toll-free) or 201-689-8264 (toll).

A presentation with slides will also be live streamed. Please click the link below to follow along with the live stream: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=f52OeAqX.

The listen-only audio webcast of the call will be available in the investor relations area of our website at redwirespace.com. Please call in or log on at least five minutes in advance of the scheduled start time.

For those who are unable to listen to the live event, a replay will be available for two weeks following the event by dialing 877-660-6853 (toll-free) or 201-612-7415 (toll) and entering the access code 13732244. To access the webcast replay, visit the investor relations area of our website at redwirespace.com

The earnings release and other information related to the earnings announcement will be available on redwirespace.com

About Redwire

Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) is a leader in space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, with valuable IP for solar power generation and in-space 3D printing and manufacturing. With decades of flight heritage combined with the agile and innovative culture of a commercial space platform, Redwire is uniquely positioned to assist its customers in solving the complex challenges of future space missions. For more information, please visit redwirespace.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005829/en/

Investors:

[email protected]

904-425-1431

Source: Redwire Corporation
New offering from Accelirate allows companies greater automation implementation opportunities and support across the UiPath platform

NEW YORK & SUNRISE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UiPath (NYSE: PATH), a leading enterprise automation software company, today announced an enhanced partnership with Accelirate that introduces Accelirates go-to-market UiPath managed services practice, offering customers advantages such as lower total cost of ownership and turnkey automation that simplifies an organizations implementation strategy.

The RPA365 managed services practice from Accelirate, a Diamond-level UiPath partner and UiPath Services Network (USN) member, marks an expansion of its investment in UiPath as the use of automation grows globally and within industries such as banking and finance, healthcare, and manufacturing and retail. A Forrester Consulting study commissioned by UiPath found that automation accelerates projects by 50% or more, and that organizations that invest in automation receive a return on investment of 97%.

Accelirate and UiPath have been jointly serving customers across industries, helping support automation journeys as enterprises strategize to become more agile in the face of macro market pressures and rapidly advancing digital transformation initiatives. With more enterprises across the world leveraging the power of automation and AI and augmenting employee productivity by deploying digital workers, Accelirates RPA365 managed services of UiPaths market-leading automation platform allows businesses to flexibly deploy automation.

Automation is transforming how businesses innovate and service their customers, and theyre seeking solutions to implement automation technology more seamlessly, said Accelirate CEO Ahmed Zaidi. In using a managed services model, businesses can take advantage of greater purchasing power from Accelirate along with our unique expertise in UiPath technologies to achieve the full benefits of automation while relying on Accelirate for license management, implementation, and support.

Armando Lambert, Vice President of Enterprise Optimization at one of Accelirates financial services clients said, RPA as a Service is the next evolution of RPA and is going to have a significant impact on the market by allowing enterprise customers to have turnkey solutions and recognize their value in an OpEx model.

The automation layer in the enterprise technology stack is essential for growth across the business. Our partnership with Accelirate has already generated proven success for customers at various stages of their automation journeys, and Accelirates managed services offering marks a new phase of enabling those journeys, said Chris Weber, Chief Business Officer at UiPath. The value that customers can derive from UiPath and Accelirate is nearly limitless. Organizations can boost productivity, lower costs, and create new efficiencies in their operations.

Accelirate is an Emerald sponsor of the UiPath FORWARD 5 conference, the largest global gathering of automation professionals, taking place at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas September 27-29, 2022. To register for the conference, please visit: https://www.uipath.com/events/forward/register.

To learn more about Accelirates automation managed services, click here or email [email protected]. To learn more about UiPath, please visit www.uipath.com.

ABOUT ACCELIRATE

Accelirate is the largest niche RPA and AI services provider in the United States. Its mission is to help companies accelerate their business processes using Robotic Process Automation and AI technologies such as Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and smart OCR. Accelirate has experience in enterprise automation across a variety of industries including financial services, oil and gas, legal services, consumer manufacturing, and retail. With a focus solely on process automation, Accelirates comprehensive set of automation development and implementation services deliver value to enterprises at all stages of RPA and AI adoption, from process discovery and analysis to post-deployment monitoring and support.

About UiPath

UiPath has a vision to deliver the Fully Automated Enterprise, one where companies use automation to unlock their greatest potential. UiPath offers an end-to-end platform for automation, combining the leading Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution with a full suite of capabilities that enable every organization to rapidly scale digital business operations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005201/en/

UiPath Investor Relations Contact

Kelsey Turcotte

UiPath

[email protected]

Media Contacts

Pete Daly

UiPath

[email protected]

Matt Gallo

Accelirate

Chief Revenue & Corporate Development Officer

[email protected]

Source: UiPath
Burned out security teams fight back against geopolitically motivated attacks and lateral movement inside networks

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- At Black Hat USA 2022, VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) released its eighth annual Global Incident Response Threat Report, which takes a deep dive into the challenges faced by security teams amid pandemic disruptions, burnout, and geopolitically motivated cyberattacks. Sixty-five percent of defenders state that cyberattacks have increased since Russia invaded Ukraine, according to report findings. The report also shines a light on emerging threats such as deepfakes, attacks on APIs, and cybercriminals targeting incident responders themselves.

Cybercriminals are now incorporating deepfakes into their attack methods to evade security controls, said Rick McElroy, principal cybersecurity strategist at VMware. Two out of three respondents in our report saw malicious deepfakes used as part of an attack, a 13% increase from last year, with email as the top delivery method. Cybercriminals have evolved beyond using synthetic video and audio simply for influence operations or disinformation campaigns. Their new goal is to use deepfake technology to compromise organizations and gain access to their environment.

Additional key findings from the report include:

Cyber pro burnout remains a critical issue . Forty-seven percent of incident responders said they experienced burnout or extreme stress in the past 12 months, down slightly from 51% last year. Of this group, 69% (versus 65% in 2021) of respondents have considered leaving their job as a result. Organizations are working to combat this, however, with more than two-thirds of respondents stating their workplaces have implemented wellness programs to address burnout.

Forty-seven percent of incident responders said they experienced burnout or extreme stress in the past 12 months, down slightly from 51% last year. Of this group, 69% (versus 65% in 2021) of respondents have considered leaving their job as a result. Organizations are working to combat this, however, with more than two-thirds of respondents stating their workplaces have implemented wellness programs to address burnout. Ransomware actors incorporate cyber extortion strategies. The predominance of ransomware attacks, often buttressed by e-crime groups collaborations on the dark web, has yet to let up. Fifty-seven percent of respondents have encountered such attacks in the past 12 months, and two-thirds (66%) have encountered affiliate programs and/or partnerships between ransomware groups as prominent cyber cartels continue to extort organizations through double extortion techniques, data auctions, and blackmail.

The predominance of ransomware attacks, often buttressed by e-crime groups collaborations on the dark web, has yet to let up. Fifty-seven percent of respondents have encountered such attacks in the past 12 months, and two-thirds (66%) have encountered affiliate programs and/or partnerships between ransomware groups as prominent cyber cartels continue to extort organizations through double extortion techniques, data auctions, and blackmail. APIs are the new endpoint, representing the next frontier for attackers. As workloads and applications proliferate, 23% of attacks now compromise API security. The top types of API attacks include data exposure (encountered by 42% of respondents in the past year), SQL and API injection attacks (37% and 34%, respectively), and distributed Denial-of-Service attacks (33%).

As workloads and applications proliferate, 23% of attacks now compromise API security. The top types of API attacks include data exposure (encountered by 42% of respondents in the past year), SQL and API injection attacks (37% and 34%, respectively), and distributed Denial-of-Service attacks (33%). Lateral movement is the new battleground. Lateral movement was seen in 25% of all attacks, with cybercriminals leveraging everything from script hosts (49%) and file storage (46%) to PowerShell (45%), business communications platforms (41%), and .NET (39%) to rummage around inside networks. An analysis of the telemetry within VMware Contexa, a full-fidelity threat intelligence cloud thats built into VMware security products, discovered that in April and May of 2022 alone, nearly half of intrusions contained a lateral movement event.

In order to defend against the broadening attack surface, security teams need an adequate level of visibility across workloads, devices, users and networks to detect, protect, and respond to cyber threats, said Chad Skipper, global security technologist at VMware. When security teams are making decisions based on incomplete and inaccurate data, it inhibits their ability to implement a granular security strategy, while their efforts to detect and stop lateral movement of attacks are stymied due to the limited context of their systems.

Despite the turbulent threat landscape and rising threats detailed in the report, incident responders are fighting back with 87% saying that they are able to disrupt a cybercriminals activities sometimes (50%) or very often (37%). Theyre also using new techniques to do so. Three-quarters of respondents (75%) say they are now deploying virtual patching as an emergency mechanism. In every case, the more visibility defenders have across todays widening attack surface, the better equipped theyll be to weather the storm.

For more information on the evolving threat landscape as well as actionable guidance and recommendations for incident responders and security teams, download the full report here.

Methodology

VMware conducted an online survey about trends in the incident response landscape in June 2022, and 125 cybersecurity and incident response professionals from around the world participated. Percentages in certain questions exceed 100 percent because respondents were asked to check all that apply. Due to rounding, percentages in all questions may not add up to 100 percent. To read last years report, please visit Global Incident Response Threat Report: Manipulating Reality.

VMware at Black Hat USA 2022

VMware will discuss the findings from this report and other key security topics in the sessions listed below. Visit us at our Black Hat booth #1620, and follow along with us on social @VMwareNews and in the VMware Newsroom

Why Workloads Are More Secure on VMware Clouds

Wednesday, August 10 at 1:50 pm PT

Chad Skipper, Global Security Technologist

Stefano Ortolani, Threat Research Lead

Exposing Malware in a Linux-based Multi-Cloud Environment

On-demand

Dale McKay, Senior Technical Marketing Architect

Black Hat Interview with Tom Gillis

Black Hat Article by Giovanni Vigna and Stefano Ortolani

VMware Explore

In addition to VMwares presence at Black Hat USA 2022, there will be more than 100 security talks at VMware Explore, the global multi-cloud industry event taking place August 29  September 1, 2022 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Register today to begin building your agenda.

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better future through the companys 2030 Agenda. For more information, please visit www.vmware.com/company.

VMware and VMware Contexa are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005186/en/

Kerry Tuttle

VMware Global Communications

[email protected]

(470) 247-1987

Jessica Bettencourt

Inkhouse

[email protected]

(774) 451-5142

Source: VMware, Inc.
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Romp, a brand and experience agency in Indonesia renowned for its creative talent and innovative services across branding, creative and performance marketing. The move will strengthen Accenture Songs (formerly Accenture Interactive) ability to deliver creative and tech-driven brand experiences for clients across Southeast Asia.

Ranked as one of Indonesias top three creative and most inclusive agencies in 2021, Romp boasts strong local knowledge and expertise in brand communications, design and digital operations. It has successfully transformed brands of all sizes and across industries, including Telkomsel, Indofood, Danone, Kimberly-Clarke Softex, Grab, Google and Godrej.

The intent to acquire Romp will enhance Accenture Songs brand and marketing expertise, reinforcing its ability to help clients embrace new frontiers such as the metaverse and become relevant, experience-led organizations. It also strategically aligns with Accentures business strategy to help businesses in Indonesia capture opportunities in a post-pandemic economy thats poised for substantial growth  its digital advertising market is the fastest growing in Southeast Asia and its e-commerce market is estimated to reach $53.8 billion in 2025.

Thomas Mouritzen, Accenture Songs Southeast Asia lead, said: Accenture Song aims to be our clients go-to partner as they reimagine their business to achieve long-term growth. Our deep understanding of consumers and businesses, combined with Romps outstanding brand capabilities, will broaden our ability to harness the ongoing technology revolution for consumers and brands. This is a powerful proposition for our clients seeking to win with innovative thinking and connected capabilities in Southeast Asia.

Divyesh Vithlani, senior managing director and Southeast Asia market unit lead at Accenture, said: The growth of the digital economy in Southeast Asia is pushing brands to create meaningful experiences to meet customers' needs. Companies are increasingly looking to tap artificial intelligence, data and technology to drive creative content. Romps expertise with Accentures scale will enable us to deliver this excellence in a way thats unique to the region.

Founded in 2019, Romps team of more than 150 people is behind breakthrough brand campaigns including Telkomsels Kuota Ketengan: Salute to Ketengers that bagged a Best Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix at YouTube Works Awards 2021, Indofood/Indomies Wheres the Noodle that claimed a Gold award for Indonesia Cross-Channel Integration at SMARTIES 2021 and Bebelacs Happy Trio that cliched Campaign of the Year at the FMCG Asia Awards 2021. The award-winning team will join Accenture Song in Jakarta to jointly serve clients across consumer goods & services, telecoms and financial services industries and family-owned conglomerates.

Joseph Tan, Romps chief executive officer, said: We have always believed in harnessing the power of creativity and helping clients build strong and long-lasting relationships with their customers. We also constantly elevate ourselves through new thinking methods and approaches. Joining Accenture Song will fully converge the brand storytelling that we love with Accentures tech innovation, enabling us to help our clients truly deliver against limitless opportunities with global impact.

Accenture continues to invest in capabilities to help its clients drive growth through relevance. Last year, Accenture Song acquired Kuala Lumpur-based creative agency, Entropia, to deepen its capabilities in customer experience, design and creative communications.

Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.
FILE PHOTO: Undelivered Airbus A320neo-family airplanes that have been built without engines, due to supply chain shortages, are seen parked outside the European plane-maker's factory in Blagnac, France August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Tim Hepher

By Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus on Monday confirmed slower deliveries in July as a supply crunch left semi-finished jets outside its factories without engines, but bolstered its future business with confirmation of a major new order from China.

The European planemaker said it had delivered 46 planes in July, down from 60 in the previous month and 47 in July 2021.

Airbus last month revised down its delivery forecast for the year to 700 aircraft from a previous goal of 720 after gaps in the supply chain left it without enough engines.

Several newly assembled and liveried A320neo jets could be seen parked, with red counterweights instead of engines, outside Airbus headquarters near Toulouse, France, last week.

Airbus produces the bulk of its narrow-body jets in Toulouse and Hamburg, Germany.

July's tally of 46 deliveries confirms a Reuters report last week that Airbus had delivered just over 45 jets.

Jefferies analyst Chloe Lemarie said August looked likely to remain quiet for deliveries based on her monitoring of test flights.

Airbus shares were up 0.75% on Tuesday.

For the first seven months of the year, Airbus handed over 343 jets, or a net total of 341 after deducting two A350 jets built for Aeroflot but impossible to deliver due to sanctions.

GRAPHIC: Waiting for delivery surge (https://graphics.reuters.com/AIRBUS-DELIVERIES/byvrjyrdlve/chart.png)

Airbus had booked these as deliveries in its 2021 accounts but they were still on the ground in France when the West imposed sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

The planemaker subsequently revoked the order from Aeroflot for the two jets and on Monday said it had sold two A350s to Turkish Airlines.

It also announced it had cancelled orders from Aeroflot for a further four A350s. Industry sources said these were likely to go to the same Turkish carrier.

Airbus meanwhile booked a major order for almost 300 jets from state airlines in China, announced last month, along with a handful of orders from a quiet Farnborough Airshow.

GRAPHIC: China order boost (https://graphics.reuters.com/AIRBUS-DELIVERIES/gdvzyowaxpw/chart.png)

So far this year, Airbus has sold 843 planes or 656 after adjusting for cancellations.

U.S. rival Boeing Co, which dominated Farnborough headlines as it scrambled to inject momentum into its 737 MAX, whose largest variant faces uncertainty over certification, was due to publish its latest delivery data on Tuesday.

The Airbus order numbers do not yet reflect a decision by the European group to break with Qatar Airways in the latest twist to a bitter contractual and safety dispute.

Reuters exclusively reported last week that Airbus had revoked all outstanding orders from Qatar Airways for A350 jets, severing all remaining new jet business with the Gulf carrier.

The two groups have been waging a rare public battle for months over the degraded exteriors of more than 20 jets that the airline says could disrupt the A350's anti-lightning defences and which Airbus and European regulators insist are safe.

Neither company has so far commented on the wholesale A350 cancellation, which industry sources say will be reflected in future monthly Airbus order bulletins in September or October.

GRAPHIC: Fewer cancellations (https://graphics.reuters.com/AIRBUS-DELIVERIES/jnpwenwzqpw/chart.png)

(Reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris; additional reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram; editing by Matthew Lewis and Jason Neely)
The Federal Aviation Administration revealed on Monday that Boeing (NYSE: BA) will restart deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners in the coming days.

The regulator said in a statement that they are satisfied with the changes made by Boeing in the production of the 787 Dreamliner passenger jets, confirming recent speculation.

The FAA halted deliveries of the wide-body jetliners in May 2021 on production flaws and concerns over the jet maker's inspection methods. Several problems impacted the jets' production, including the use of unapproved titanium parts from an Italian supplier.

The resumption of deliveries has been much anticipated by Boeing and its customers, such as American Airlines and United Airlines, with the planes used for long-haul international flights.

"Boeing has made the necessary changes to ensure that the 787 Dreamliner meets all certification standards," stated FAA. They added they "will inspect each aircraft before an airworthiness certificate is issued and cleared for delivery."

Boeing shares are up 1.15% at the time of writing.

By Sam Boughedda
Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) has acquired specialist UK logistics and industrial consultancy Burbage Realty Partners Limited (BRPL) as it continues its expansion in the growth sector.

Founded in 2017, BRPL provides a suite of services including strategic land, development funding, investment, lease advisory and occupational agency. Operating across the UK and a leader in the Midlands Grade A logistics market  a critical location for distribution centers and online retail fulfilment  its clients include many of the sectors foremost developers and investors.

The strategic acquisition complements and strengthens Cushman & Wakefields UK Logistics & Industrial team, headed by Richard Evans, which has a strong occupier and investor client base. It also builds on the firms expansion of its sector teams across Europe through a succession of senior hires in key markets including Germany and Spain.

George Roberts, Head of UK & Ireland at Cushman & Wakefield, said: This acquisition is another important milestone for the firm and reflects our ambitious growth plans in the UK. The BRPL team is highly experienced and greatly respected and their client focus is a perfect match for our own way of working. This deal significantly enhances our scale and capabilities in a strategic growth sector and allows us to offer a comprehensive range of logistics services to developers, investors, and occupiers across the country. We will continue strengthening our capabilities in strategically important areas to ensure we always have the skills, talent and insight required to deliver outstanding results for our clients.

Richard Evans, Cushman & Wakefields Head of UK Logistics & Industrial, said: The BRPL teams established developer relationships and expertise, especially in large footprint logistics sites and strategic land, complement our existing strengths to create a powerful proposition for our clients.

The acquisition will see eight new colleagues joining Cushman & Wakefield. Among these, Cameron Mitchell, George Underwood, and James Harrison will join as International Partners, while Franco Capella, Mark Thomas and Tom Kimbell join as Partners and Sophia Cooper as an Associate. The team will continue to be based at its current office in Northampton, while being integrated into Cushman & Wakefields national sector team.

They will work closely with other senior figures in the logistics team, including David Binks, Head of Cushman & Wakefields Logistics & Industrial team in the Midlands.

James Harrison, BRPL Managing Director, said: We are thrilled to join forces with Cushman & Wakefield which is a great fit for us culturally. Its global platform brings scale, insight, and additional services meaning we are better placed than ever before to deliver for our clients across the UK. We are all excited about the opportunities ahead for us and our clients as part of one of the worlds leading commercial real estate firms.

BRPL is owned separately to Burbage Realty Limited. The latter, founded in 2003 by John Burbage as a UK logistics and industrial property consultancy, is unaffected by this acquisition and remains an independent business under the ownership of Burbage Capital Limited.
(Reuters) -Qualcomm agreed to buy an additional $4.2 billion in semiconductor chips from GlobalFoundries's New York factory, bringing its total commitment to $7.4 billion in purchases through 2028, according to a filing released Monday.

The announcement expands on a prior $3.2 billion purchasing agreement between the two companies and will produce chips for use in 5G transceivers, Wi-Fi, automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.

U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm, which specializes in mobile phone chips, was one of GlobalFoundries' first customers to sign a long-term agreement in 2021, covering multiple geographies and technologies, according to a press release published by the firms.

GlobalFoundries Chief Executive Thomas Caulfield said in a statement that having Qualcomm as a long-term customer of its upstate New York factory would help, along with federal and state funding, to expand the company's U.S. manufacturing footprint.

The U.S. Senate last month passed sweeping legislation to subsidise the domestic semiconductor industry, providing about $52 billion in government subsidies for semiconductor production and an investment tax credit for chip plants estimated to be worth $24 billion.

"With major new federal incentives for microchip manufacturing in the United States, I look forward to many more announcements like this to come," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The European Union has also eased funding rules for innovative semiconductor plants to boost its chip industry and cut dependence on U.S. and Asian suppliers.

Intel and GlobalFoundries have announced expansion plans on both continents to benefit from the subsidies, with GlobalFoundries partnering with STMicroelectronics to build a $5.7 billion semiconductor factory in France.

The announcement came as the heads of GlobalFoundries, Applied Materials and carmakers Ford Motor and General Motors Co were set to meet at a closed-door summit with U.S. government officials on Monday to discuss administration plans to invest in semiconductors. [L1N2ZK0W4]

GlobalFoundries is the world's third-largest foundry by revenue behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, but ranks second when stripping out Samsung's foundry business that makes chips for other elements of the South Korean firm.

The company, which is majority owned by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co, raised $2.6 billion in an initial public offering last year on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington D.C. and Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David Evans)
Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC) (the "Company" or "UEC") announces that, further to its news release of July 28, 2022, it has advised UEX Corporation ("UEX") that it is submitting a superior offer to the acquisition proposal made by Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison") on July 28, 2022 (the "Denison Proposal") for all of the issued and outstanding shares of UEX ("UEX Shares").

Under the terms of UEC's revised offer (the "Revised UEC Offer"), each holder of UEX Shares will now receive 0.0890 of one common share of UEC (a "UEC Share") for each UEX Share held, implying consideration of approximately C$0.49 per UEX Share based on the closing price of UEX Shares and UEC Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE American Exchange, respectively, and the spot exchange rate as of August 5, 2022. The Revised UEC Offer also increases the break fee by 7%, which is an increase proportional to the percentage increase in the offered exchange ratio under the Revised UEC Offer.

Amir Adnani, President and CEO, stated: "After careful analysis and consideration, we firmly believe the Revised UEC Offer represents a value-creating opportunity for UEC and UEX shareholders. We remain disciplined with respect to pursuing accretive growth and the Revised UEC Offer strikes a balance of a modest increase in the exchange ratio while doubling UEC's uranium resources1 at only a 14.2% dilution to our outstanding shares. This transaction highlights UEC's sector leading strategy as the fastest growing, pure play, 100% unhedged uranium company and will create the largest, diversified North American focused uranium company. Finally, a true testament to the win-win industrial logic of the transaction is the overwhelming positive support for our deal, as evidenced with over 38% of eligible UEX securities tendered with over 93.7% voted in favor, and the positive share price performance for UEC. With an offer that is superior to the Denison Proposal in all respects, we look forward to completing this transaction following the UEX shareholder vote next week."

If the board of directors of UEX (the "UEX Board") accepts the Revised UEC Offer, UEC expects that the special meeting of UEX securityholders to approve UEC's acquisition of the UEX Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer will continue to be held as currently scheduled on Tuesday August 9, 2022, with an anticipated closing date (subject to court approval and the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature) by mid-August.

The Revised UEC Offer is superior to the Denison Proposal in all respects:

Superior Financial Consideration. The Revised UEC Offer values UEX at C$0.49 per UEX Share, a 7% improvement over the original exchange ratio and higher financial consideration than the Denison Proposal based on closing prices of the shares and the spot exchange rate as at August 5, 2022. The Revised UEC Offer reflects a premium of 72% over the unaffected UEX Share price on June 10, 2022 (being the last trading day prior to the announcement of UEC's proposed acquisition of UEX).

The Revised UEC Offer values UEX at C$0.49 per UEX Share, a 7% improvement over the original exchange ratio and higher financial consideration than the Denison Proposal based on closing prices of the shares and the spot exchange rate as at August 5, 2022. The Revised UEC Offer reflects a premium of 72% over the unaffected UEX Share price on June 10, 2022 (being the last trading day prior to the announcement of UEC's proposed acquisition of UEX). Stronger Deal Certainty . As part of its Revised UEC Offer submission to the UEX Board, UEC has provided UEX with a simple amending agreement to the original arrangement agreement dated June 13, 2022, as amended June 23, 2022, among UEX, UEC and UEC 2022 Acquisition Corp. (the " Arrangement Agreement ") to reflect the Revised UEC Offer. By its own admission, Denison has characterized its proposal as " non-binding " and " remains subject to the entering into of a definitive agreement "2. Upon acceptance of the Revised UEC Offer by UEX, UEC will be firmly bound to complete the Revised UEC Offer as soon as practicable.

. As part of its Revised UEC Offer submission to the UEX Board, UEC has provided UEX with a simple amending agreement to the original arrangement agreement dated June 13, 2022, as amended June 23, 2022, among UEX, UEC and UEC 2022 Acquisition Corp. (the " ") to reflect the Revised UEC Offer. By its own admission, Denison has characterized its proposal as " " and " "2. Upon acceptance of the Revised UEC Offer by UEX, UEC will be firmly bound to complete the Revised UEC Offer as soon as practicable. Quicker Path to Completion. UEX securityholders are scheduled to vote on UEC's proposed acquisition of the UEX Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer on Tuesday August 9, 2022, with closing of the transaction (subject to court approval and the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature) anticipated within days of the UEX securityholder vote. UEC understands that more than 38% of eligible UEX securities have already tendered, as of this press release, with an overwhelming 93.7% voting in favour of the UEC transaction.

UEX securityholders are scheduled to vote on UEC's proposed acquisition of the UEX Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer on Tuesday August 9, 2022, with closing of the transaction (subject to court approval and the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature) anticipated within days of the UEX securityholder vote. UEC understands that more than 38% of eligible UEX securities have already tendered, as of this press release, with an overwhelming 93.7% voting in favour of the UEC transaction. Denison Proposal is Financially Inferior, Uncertain and Remains Subject to the Negotiation of a Definitive Agreement. The Denison Proposal remains subject to, among other things, the negotiation of a definitive agreement, the preparation of an information circular providing disclosure on the proposed transaction, court and regulatory approvals, and the calling of a new securityholders meeting to approve the transaction. As such, a closing of any deal with Denison is likely to take UEX shareholders well into Q4 2022.

The Denison Proposal remains subject to, among other things, the negotiation of a definitive agreement, the preparation of an information circular providing disclosure on the proposed transaction, court and regulatory approvals, and the calling of a new securityholders meeting to approve the transaction. As such, a closing of any deal with Denison is likely to take UEX shareholders well into Q4 2022. Larger Trading Liquidity. UEC benefits from a strong institutional and retail following which has resulted in trading liquidity that is more than 50%3 greater than that of Denison. UEX shareholders, upon exchange of their UEX Shares for UEC Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer, will have a deeper pool to value and trade their securities.

UEC benefits from a strong institutional and retail following which has resulted in trading liquidity that is more than 50%3 greater than that of Denison. UEX shareholders, upon exchange of their UEX Shares for UEC Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer, will have a deeper pool to value and trade their securities. UEC Maintains its Strong Balance Sheet With Over $180 million of Cash and Liquid Assets, with No Debt.

The Opportunity to Create the Largest Diversified North American Focused Uranium Company. UEX shareholders have an opportunity to be part of UEC's fully permitted, production-ready assets in the U.S., which is the largest market in the world for uranium demand. UEC offers superior scale, as exhibited by its larger capital markets presence, and a path for immediate re-rating potential following a rapid timeline to closing of the transaction.

It is the view of UEC, based on advice provided by its financial and legal advisors, that the superior proposal notice delivered by UEX to UEC on July 28, 2022 was deficient in several respects. These deficiencies have been communicated to UEX over the past few days, and have not, in our view, been rectified. While we have elected to increase the consideration offered in our proposed transaction, in making the Revised UEC Offer we advised UEX we were reserving all rights to require UEX to comply with the right to match provisions in the Arrangement Agreement, including, among other things, that the right to match period has not yet commenced.

The Revised UEC Offer expires at 7:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the date of this press release, coinciding with the termination of the right to match period under the Arrangement Agreement. Upon a determination by the UEX Board that the Revised UEC Offer is at least equivalent to the Denison Proposal, UEX is required to enter into an amending agreement to the Arrangement Agreement to reflect the Revised UEC Offer.

About Uranium Energy Corp

Uranium Energy Corp is America's leading, fastest growing, uranium mining company listed on the NYSE American. UEC is a pure play uranium company and is advancing the next generation of low-cost, environmentally friendly In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining uranium projects. The Company has two production ready ISR hub and spoke platforms in South Texas and Wyoming, anchored by fully licensed and operational processing capacity at the Hobson and Irigaray plants. UEC also has seven U.S. ISR uranium projects with all of their major permits in place. Additionally, the Company has other diversified holdings of uranium assets, including: (1) one of the largest physical uranium portfolios of U.S. warehoused U3O8; (2) a major equity stake in the only royalty company in the sector, Uranium Royalty Corp.; and (3) a pipeline of resource-stage uranium projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Paraguay. The Company's operations are managed by professionals with a recognized profile for excellence in their industry, a profile based on many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining.

Twitter: @UraniumEnergy

Stock Exchange Information:NYSE American: UECFrankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol: U6ZWKN: AJDRRISN: US916896103

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such 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 be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, market and other conditions, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that 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 contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Federal securities laws. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

______________________________________________________________

1 Subject to the completion of technical report summaries by UEC following closing of the proposed acquisition of UEX.

2 Denison press release dated July 29, 2022.

3 Based on average daily traded volume over the last 12 months.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uranium-energy-corp-confirms-intention-to-acquire-uex-corporation-301601053.html

SOURCE Uranium Energy Corp
NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abercrombie & Fitch, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), is excited to announce a refreshing new store experience inspired by the brands intention of making every day feel as exceptional as the start of a long weekend. The new getaway-themed aesthetic is a stylish nod to a chic hotel lobby, designed to prioritize omni-channel shopping and provide customers with an immersive interpretation of the Abercrombie experience of today.



Our new getaway-inspired stores reflect the unity of both our brand aesthetic and intuitive, omni-channel functionality, said Carey Krug, SVP & Head of Marketing for Abercrombie brands. Abercrombies young millennial and zillennial customers continue to utilize our stores for a variety of needswhether its discovering new products and trends, picking up online orders, connecting with friends virtually or IRL, figuring out their best fit, or simply enjoying the brand experience. Everything from the flow and design elements to the functionality of the spaces was architected to reflect our customers ideal experience, whether theyre visiting for a transformative, curated shopping experience or utilizing the stores omni-hub capabilities.

Refinement and relaxation punctuate the new getaway-themed retail spaces, which include elevated fixtures and furnishings, striking wood accent walls, and styled spaces dedicated to the categories Abercrombie is most knownall of which organically form an environment crafted exclusively for young millennial and zillennial customers seeking a vacation from the typical shopping space.

We translated our customers mindset into a real-world immersive experience, said Joanna Ewing, GVP & Head of Creative for Abercrombie brands. Their love for our denim manifested in a dedicated denim studio. The fitting rooms have been optimized with customizable lighting and chic design elements. Their affinity for travel is captured in the stores hotel lobby-like vibe, complete with a check-in desk. The entire design of these new stores is the unique getaway mindset of our customers brought to life in a way that communicates elevated ease, which is exactly what Abercrombie represents.

The brand recently celebrated the opening of its first two getaway concept storesa new location at Los Angeles Del Amo Fashion Center and another outside Milan in the Il Centro Shopping Center. Abercrombie plans to open multiple getaway-concepted stores around the globe through the remainder of the fiscal year, with even more planned for 2023.

Experience Abercrombie and all the brands newness by following @abercrombie on both Tiktok and Instagram.

ABOUT ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

Abercrombie & Fitch believes every day should feel as exceptional as the start of the long weekend. Since 1892, the brand has been a specialty retailer of quality apparel, accessories and fragrance  designed to inspire our global customers to feel confident, be comfortable and face their Fierce.

Abercrombie & Fitch is the namesake brand of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), and is sold through more than 300 stores (includes abercrombie kids) worldwide and www.abercrombie.com globally.

Media Contact:

Cory Weaver, Ph.D.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

[email protected]

Business Media Contact:

Mackenzie Gusweiler

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Pam Quintiliano

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

(614) 283-6877

[email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06289d84-be3a-41ea-ae94-73de872d7540

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9b87353a-58e0-4c46-9f3a-a8440def24ad

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9220aa83-e39c-4ea9-adc5-9059484a8ce8

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Frontline Ltd. (the Company) advises that the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held on September 30, 2022. The record date for voting at the Annual General Meeting is set to August 19, 2022. The notice, agenda and associated material will be distributed prior to the meeting.

Hamilton, Bermuda

August 8, 2022

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.






Golden Ocean Group Limited (the Company) advises that the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held on September 30, 2022. The record date for voting at the Annual General Meeting is set to August 19, 2022. The notice, agenda and associated material will be distributed prior to the meeting.

August 8, 2022

The Board of Directors

Golden Ocean Group Limited

Hamilton, Bermuda

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
Draft 1H 2022 interim accounts indicate a loss before tax of 1.8m in the period



As previously communicated, results in Q2 were significantly impacted by rapid and substantial price increases of all input factors in the period

The IS UK operation is impacted by difficult external situation, it will take longer and cost more than previously estimated to stabilize the business

Good performance of the Value Added S-Europe and the Sales & Distribution divisions continued in the period

Draft results of Iceland Seafood international interim accounts for 1H 2022 indicate a loss before tax of 1.8m. As expected and communicated when Q1 2022 results were published, significant and rapid price increases in all areas negatively impacted results in Q2, especially in the Value Added N-Europe division. That division mostly relies on sales to retail customers but it takes longer time to pass on price increases to customers in retail than foodservice. The sharp salmon price increases, especially impacted results in Ireland in the period. These prices have now leveled off, at the same time cost increases have been passed on to customers. Therefore, the performance of the Irish operation is expected to be back to normal levels from Q3 2022.

The operation of IS UK was loss making in the period and it has become clear it takes longer and cost more than previously estimated to stabilize the UK business. Challenges in the external environment continued to impact the business in the period, with the outbreak of Omicron Covid19 in the beginning of the year which had disruptive impact on both operations and logistics and price increases of various input factors during the whole period. The new but experienced management team is stabilizing the operation, key tasks are to rectify sales prices and to grow the business with both current and new customers. Based on current outlook it is expected that operation will be loss making during 2H 2022, but that breakeven level will be reached in 1H 2023.

The good performance of both Sales & Distribution and the Value Added S-Europe divisions continued in the period. IS Iberica performed especially well, helped by our strong market position in S-Europe. The demand for both cod products from Iceland and Argentinean shrimp was good in the period, resulting in both strong sales and margins. The operation of Ahumados Dominguez was negatively impacted by the sharp price increase of salmon, especially in Q2. But as in Ireland, the performance of Ahumados Dominguez is expected to be back to normal levels from Q3.

Based on revised business forecasts for the reminder of the year and especially the situation in UK, the Outlook range for Normalised PBT is now amended to 9.0 - 14.0m, from previous outlook range of 11.0-16.0m.

Iceland Seafood will publish its 1H 2022 results after closing of markets on August 17th. At the same day, at 4.15pm the company will host a meeting for investors and market participants, where management will present and discuss the results. The meeting will be held at the companys premises at Kollunarklettsvegur 2, 104 Reykjavik. The meeting will also be webcasted live in Icelandic, a link to the webcast and investors presentation will be provided before the meeting commence.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Irwin Naturals Inc. (CSE: IWIN) (OTC: IWINF) (FRA: 97X) (Irwin or the Company) completed the acquisition of two ketamine clinics in Georgia through an asset purchase of Invictus Clinics, LLC, which will be brought into the fast-growing national chain of psychedelic mental-health facilities.

The clinics are located in Atlanta and Woodstock, Ga., operated under the name of the Invictus Clinic. They offer ketamine-assisted therapy, hydration via IV infusion as well as NAD+. They join Irwin Naturals Emergence, a national chain of mental-health facilities providing cutting-edge care behind a truly household brand name that is recognized in 80 percent of U.S. homes.1

Klee Irwin, CEO of Irwin Naturals, said, The vision we laid out for Irwin Naturals Emergence is becoming a reality with each acquisition we announce and execute. We wanted to be a first mover in this new and revolutionary area of healthcare, and adding these two clinics is further proof that we are a first mover in this space.

Wesley Karcher, MSN, CRNA, Co-Founder of Invictus, added, This is a huge opportunity for us to build upon our goals of creating a business capable of providing these life-changing treatments to those in need and making people aware of the effectiveness of our programs. A central mission at Irwin Naturals Emergence is to expand access and even serve as a bridge, in those instances, where we wait for the insurance industry to catch up to the power of ketamine and other psychedelics in mental healthcare. With this partnership, we are aligning our goals and hope to expand our footprint quickly throughout the Southeast and beyond.

Brandon Grinage, MD, Co-founder, and Medical Director at Invictus, added, I am delighted at the opportunity for Wesley and myself to partner with Irwin Naturals. From the very first conversation, it was apparent that our values and visions are aligned. Furthermore, this deal makes apparent our ambitions to raise mental health awareness and bring treatment to millions of Americans in dire need. I am humbled to be joining an organization that is rapidly becoming the tip of the arrow in the ketamine and psychedelic space. Irwin Naturals Emergence will no doubt be a leader of mental health in this country.

Over the past several months, Irwin Naturals Emergence has vetted the more than 600 independent ketamine clinics currently operating in the United States, seeking to identify profitable clinics that practice the standard of customer care consistent with the Irwin Naturals brand. The company has then invited those clinics into the family so to speak by joining Irwin Naturals Emergence in the national rollup that is now underway.

The acquisition of the two Georgia clinics completes the sale agreement that was announced June 21. When the month of July began, Irwin Naturals Emergence had binding agreements or had completed the acquisitions of a total of 10 different ketamine clinics across five different states.

Building a national chain will offer some efficiencies and the cost-benefits that come from economies of scale. It can also help drive down operating costs, a savings that can be passed on to customers by providing sliding-scale discounts and even pro bono treatment for those in need.

The Irwin Naturals brand will be like a beacon in this new area of mental-health treatment, bringing a level of not just familiarity but loyalty. Irwin Naturals has been in business since 1994, providing best-in-class nutraceuticals and earning the customer trust and popular recognition that have made it a household name. Irwin Naturals products are stocked on the shelves of more than 100,000 storefronts in North America.

Klee Irwin, Irwin Naturals CEO, Weve safely cared for your health needs for 28 years and that provides a level of assurance to those for whom this may feel new or maybe even controversial. We can sort of hold the hands of those looking into these new life-changing treatments. Its safe. Its effective. We send a message simply by being in the space.

Transaction terms

As consideration for the acquisition, Irwin Naturals will provide sellers cash payments, as well as at least 333,333 Subordinate Voting Shares to be issued no later than January 10, 2023. Furthermore, the transaction includes an additional contingent consideration based on future milestones related to operational and profitability targets, to be satisfied in shares.

About Irwin Naturals

Irwin Naturals has been a household name and best-in-class herbal supplement formulator since 1994. It is now leveraging its brand to enter into both the cannabis and psychedelic industries. On a mission to heal the world with plant medicine, Irwin has operated profitably for over 27 years2. Irwins growing portfolio of products is available in more than 100,000 retail doors across North America, where nearly 100 million people know the Irwin Naturals brand.3 In 2018, the Company first leveraged its brand to expand into the cannabis industry by launching hemp-based CBD products across the United States. The Company is now leveraging its famous halo of brand trust with an objective to become one of the first household name brands to offer THC-based products and psychedelic mental health treatment. Irwin Naturals became a publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) in August 2021. The Companys shares began to be traded on the OTCQB Venture Market in November 2021. More information on the Companys stock can be found via Bloomberg as well as the Wall Street Journal.

For investor-related information about the Company, please visit ir.irwinnaturals.com/

To contact the Companys Investor Relations department, please call toll-free at (800) 883-4851 or send an email to [email protected].

Klee Irwin________________________________Klee IrwinChief Executive OfficerT:310-306-3636[email protected]

IR Information

For investor-related information, please visit ir.irwinnaturals.com/, call (800) 883-4851, or email [email protected].

Press Contact

Irwin Naturals Investor RelationsCassandra Bassanetti-DrummT: 310-306-3636[email protected]

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of management of the Company with respect to performance, business and future events. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "intends", "anticipates", "targeted", "continues", "forecasts", "designed", "goal", objective, or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements related to information concerning the ability of the Company to perform the terms of the transaction referenced herein; the receipt of all necessary approvals, including regulatory approvals; expectations for other economic, market, business and competitive factors; and the Company actually entering into and doing business in the U.S. cannabis and psychedelics markets. The entrance by the Company into these new business segments are in their preliminary stages and may be subject to approval from the board of directors of the Company as well as any regulatory approval, including that of the Canadian Securities Exchange. These statements are based on numerous assumptions that are believed by management to be reasonable in the circumstances, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: board and regulatory approval, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange; Irwin being able to acquire and/or enter into business relationships to enter into these new markets; the Company obtaining the required licenses; and changes to regulations and laws regarding cannabis or psychedelics. Further information on the regulatory environment and risks will be contained in future disclosures. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from that which are expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Irwin Naturals Inc.

__________________________1 Based on a formal Company survey with a sample size of 500 randomly selected adults.2 Under several corporate structures, Klee Irwin has operated the Irwin brand profitably since 1994, as measured by EBITDA adjusted for extraordinary costs.3 Consumer brand recognition information is based on a formal Company survey with a sample size of 500 randomly selected adults.

Source: Irwin Naturals
NORWOOD, Mass., Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MariMed, Inc (CSE: MRMD), (OTCQX: MRMD), (MariMed or the Company), a leading multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire the ownership interests in a conditional adult-use cannabis dispensary license in Illinois. The dispensary license is for the BLS District #16, which is situated in the Central-Eastern part of Illinois, bordering Indiana. The closing of the acquisition is dependent on certain conditions, including resolution of any remaining legal challenges affecting nearly 200 social equity dispensary licenses, and regulatory approval for the acquisition

Upon closing of the acquisition, MariMed will commence operation of its fifth Thrive adult-use dispensary in Illinois, which is expected in 2023. MariMed currently owns and operates four adult-use dispensaries in Anna, Harrisburg, Metropolis, and Mt. Vernon. Additionally, the Company is constructing a state-of-the-art craft cultivation and processing facility in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, making MariMed a full vertical operator in the state when completed. The Mt. Vernon facility can house up to 14,000 square feet of canopy, an extraction lab to produce concentrates, and a production kitchen for the manufacture of edibles and other derivative products.

I am excited to announce we have acquired our fifth dispensary license in Illinois, which will further bolster our market share in that state, said Bob Fireman, Chief Executive Officer of MariMed. Acquiring another dispensary in Illinois aligns with our strategic growth plan and delivers on another shareholder commitment. We continue to explore acquiring an additional five dispensaries, as Illinois allows up to 10 for a single owner. 

MariMed intends to manufacture and distribute its proprietary brands and products throughout Illinois. That includes its Bettys Eddies fruit chews, which was the top-selling edible in the state until 2019 through a third-party licensing agreement, its award-winning Natures Heritage flower and concentrates, its Bubbys Baked soft and chewy baked edibles, and more.

According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Illinois reported $1.8 billion in total legal cannabis sales in 2021, which was up more than 100% versus 2020 when adult-use cannabis was first legalized in the state. With a population of nearly 13 million, approximately 110 operational dispensaries, and $1.8 billion in legal cannabis sales, Illinois is one of the largest, fastest-growing cannabis markets in the U.S.

About MariMedMariMed Inc., a multi-state cannabis operator, is dedicated to improving lives every day through its high-quality products, its actions, and its values. The Company develops, owns, and manages seed to sale state-licensed cannabis facilities, which are models of excellence in horticultural principles, cannabis cultivation, cannabis-infused products, and dispensary operations. MariMed has an experienced management team that has produced consistent growth and success for the Company and its managed business units. Proprietary formulations created by the Companys technicians are embedded in its top-selling and award-winning products and brands, including Betty's Eddies, Natures Heritage, Bubbys Baked, K Fusion, Kalm Fusion, and Vibations: High + Energy. For additional information, visit www.marimedinc.com.

Investor Relations Contact: Steve WestVice President, Investor Relations Email: [email protected]

Media Contact:Trailblaze PREmail: [email protected]

Company Contact:Howard SchacterChief Communications Officer Email: [email protected]

Source: MariMed Inc.
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SaferMe, the global leader in contact tracing, has announced that its Bluetooth-enabled wearable contact tracing cards are now monkeypox-ready. The upgrade responds to business leaders' concerns that they could lose employees and productivity for up to four weeks in the event of an outbreak. A cluster of cases inside an organization has the potential to cause significant short-term operational problems in key industry sectors.

"The current perception is to view monkeypox as 'just a sexually transmitted disease,' yet the virus is also transmissible by respiratory droplets, much the same as Covid-19. Look at how many people work close to each other in factories, offices, and production facilities, and you can see how the risks to businesses start to grow," says Clint Van Marrewijk, founder, and CEO of SaferMe. "Like early in the Covid pandemic, most businesses are either downplaying the risk posed by monkeypox to their daily operations or ignoring it completely. Now is the time to prepare."

SaferMe, a provider of contact tracing solutions to Fortune 500 companies and the New Zealand Government believes that, after several risk escalations by international and domestic authorities, businesses cannot ignore the threat posed by the virus. These include:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declaring the continuing spread of monkeypox in the United States a public health emergency

The states of California and Illinois declaring states of emergency

New York State's Health Commissioner recently issuing a declaration of an imminent threat to public health and San Francisco declaring a local public health emergency

The World Health Organization issuing its highest level of alert for the virus, categorizing it as a public health emergency of international concern

"Automatic contact tracing is a new technology that offers businesses the opportunity to rapidly respond to any viral outbreak among employees. Telephone tree calling systems, used during the initial outbreak of Covid are outdated and unproductive," says Van Marrewijk. "These small disposable devices now provide business owners, HR, risk, and business continuity managers, with accurate information via an automated system. It ensures they do not overreact when they identify a case. This can cause the isolation of too many people and a shutdown of operations when it's not necessary. Accurate data enables an accurate response."

The contact tracing card delivers instant data that allows contact tracers to prioritize the most at-risk people. This minimizes the likelihood of false contacts being traced, which was a major contact tracing challenge during the initial stages of Covid.

Overview Of SaferMe's Contact Tracing Wearable Devices:

SaferMe's contact tracing devices work by transmitting Bluetooth Low Energy signals to each other, never sharing location information, or storing any personal information about the wearer. Employees carry the cards on a lanyard, belt clip, or pouch while at work. An employee with a probable case of monkeypox, or any virus, pushes the button on the card to share data with administrators, so they can accurately determine who the employee has been in contact with.

The SaferMe system allows administrators to filter for various distances. The closest distance measured is 6 feet, which indicates that direct face-to-face contact has happened, and the maximum distance is 50 feet.

The cards have a shelf life of 18 months following delivery, and once activated will operate for 1,300 hours over a minimum of 6 months assuming normal use of 10 hours per day and 5 days per week. The cards are water and dust-proof to standard IP67.

SaferMe ensured that the cards were designed with data security and privacy in mind. After 21 days, any contact data stored on the card is automatically deleted. All data exchanged between cards, during synchronization and processing, is encrypted using the AES-128 standard or better, including the use of rolling keys. To further increase privacy, only the client's authorized users can view contact tracing data on SaferMe.

---ENDS---

About SaferMe:

SaferMe is the world's leading contact tracing system for business. It is on a global mission to keep employees safe while at work, to make companies pandemic-ready and keep them open for business. To achieve this, it has developed the industry's most advanced suite of contact tracing software, wearable devices, safety apps, and safety reporting solutions. SaferMe is used in over 30 countries, by governments, Fortune 500 businesses, and some of the world's most prominent brands. SaferMe has offices in the United States, New Zealand, Sweden, and Australia. More information: www.saferme.com

For press inquiries, please contact:

Evan BloomTel: + 1 315-744-4912Email: [email protected]

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Clint Van Marrewijk, founder, and CEO of SaferMe Clint Van Marrewijk, founder, and CEO of SaferMe

Source: SaferMe
CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prospera Energy Inc. ("Prospera" or the "Corporation") (PEI: TSX-V; OF6B: FRA) is pleased to release its Q1 2022 financial and operating results. Selected financial and operational information outlined below should be read in conjunction with the Companys financial statements and related managements discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.



First Quarter 2022 Highlights:

In the first quarter of 2022 PEI continued to optimize wells to increase production while addressing all legacy non-compliance operationally, financially, and environmentally. During this quarter, the corporation successfully realized steady production, continued to reduce legacy liability arrears (property tax, surface lease, trades payable), and raised $1.5 million through two private placements. Overall, PEI continues to improve its financial position and liquidity while positioning the Corporation for accelerated growth and development.

Achieved Revenue of $3.5 million CAD, an increase of 414% from the same period in 2021

Q1 average production rate was net 475 boe/d in Q1 2022, a 200% increase from the same period in 2021 reflecting continued leverage of recent working interest acquisitions

Realized average pricing of $81.07/boe in Q1 2022 vs. $47.22/boe in Q1 2021

Reporting positive operating netback of $1.1 million ($25.21/boe), $10.50/boe after G&A + Interest

Achieved positive EBITDA of $195,590 in Q1 of 2022, up from a negative -$209,276 in the same period of 2021

Raised $1,478,573 through share and convertible debt private placements demonstrating continued ability to improve liquidity and further reduce legacy and ARO liabilities

Completed initial planning, engineering, & procurement of the Saskatchewan horizontal well program; commercial demonstration program was executed in Q2 2022



Operating Income Summary:

Increase (Decrease)

Q1 2022 Q1 2021 Value

%

Average sales volumes: Natural gas (Mcf/d) 46 30 16 52 % Oil and condensate (Bbl/d) 467 153 314 205 % Total Net (Boe/d) 475 158 317 200 % Liquids Composition (percentage) 98 % 97 % 2 % 2 % Average realized prices Natural gas ($/Mcf) 4.40 2.91 1 51 % Oil ($/Bbl) 81.96 48.21 34 70 % Average realized price ($/Boe) 81.07 47.22 34 72 % Operating netback Natural gas 18,052 7,977 10,075 126 % Oil 3,444,996 665,171 2,779,825 418 % Total petroleum and natural gas sales 3,463,047 673,148 2,789,899 414 % Royalties (391,498 ) (44,562 ) (346,936 ) 779 % Operating costs (1,994,809 ) (538,039 ) (1,456,770 ) 271 % Operating netback 1,076,740 90,548 986,192 1089 %

PEIs Q1 2022 financial information is under the Companys issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Message to Shareholders

PEI continues to restructure in order to appreciate and stabilize production with safe operating infrastructure and reliable service providers. Legacy arrears and non-compliance optics have been difficult hurdles to overcome. However, PEI restructuring efforts operationally, financially, and environmentally have attributed to establishing an effective relationship with the critical service providers. Year-End 2021 financial audit identified significant internal controls and procedures that are being incorporated as policies, thus, restructuring accounting practices to be prompt, accurate, and reliable in order to be compliant and profitable.

In the second quarter of 2022, PEI has piloted re-entry horizontal to customize the drilling process and the mechanical tweaks to be compatible with the formation characteristics and conditions. The geological and production risks are low due to well control, interpreted 3D seismic, and production history. These pilots will architect the horizontal program to commence PEIs second development phase to capture the significant remaining reserves. PEI is pleased to announce pilots horizontal wells are licenced and have begun executing the test pilot re-entry horizontals to confirm PEI engineering and geological assessments. The pilots will also assist in understanding the scope of the economics of the drilling program. PEI is looking forward to providing the results of the pilots.

About Prospera

Prospera is a public oil and gas exploration, exploitation and development company focusing on conventional oil and gas reservoirs in Western Canada. Prospera will use its experience to develop, acquire, and drill assets with potential for primary and secondary recovery.

For Further Information:

Shawn Mehler, PR

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.prosperaenergy.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Corporation and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Corporation, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Although Prospera believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Prospera can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks), commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Prospera. As a result, Prospera cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize, and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. 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. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and Prospera does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Curaleaf Bolsters Executive Leadership Team with Three Key Hires

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA / OTCQX: CURLF) (Curaleaf or the Company), a leading international provider of consumer cannabis products, has announced three new hires joining the companys executive leadership team this month. Ed Kremer will join as Chief Financial Officer, Camilo Lyon was named Chief Investment Officer, and Mitch Hara will be Chief Strategy Officer, a new role at the company. Mr. Kremer and Mr. Lyon will begin August 8 and Mr. Hara joined effective August 3.

The news comes as Matt Darin, who was named Curaleaf CEO in February of this year, has focused his first months of leadership on reorganizing the company for long term success, and on the heels of record-breaking second quarter earnings, the first under Darin as CEO. In May, Darin named Tyneeha Rivers the companys first Chief People Officer, to continue to drive Curaleafs culture and become the destination for the highest level of talent in the industry.

Newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Ed Kremer has most recently been working in the cannabis industry and brings a wealth of experience as a public CFO and leader at companies such as Oakley, Beats by Dre, and Oliver Peoples. Neil Davidson, Curaleafs Interim CFO, will work closely with Mr. Kremer during the transition period.

Camilo Lyon will lead Capital Markets and Investor Relations as Curaleafs first Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Lyon most recently worked as a Managing Director at BTIG, where he covered the consumer and cannabis sectors. He brings over 20 years of finance experience and a wealth of knowledge and relationships to the role.

In the newly created Chief Strategy Officer Role, Mitch Hara will oversee the companys strategy functions including mergers and acquisitions, international, and research and development. Mr. Hara brings years of experience as a seasoned strategist, operator, and dealmaker on Wall Street and in cannabis, most recently as Head of M&A and Business Development at Clever Leaves International.

Chief Executive Officer Matt Darin said, From the first day I assumed the CEO role, I have been relentlessly focused on three key areas: leadership and culture, operational excellence and delivering quality products and brands at scale. I firmly believe that the foundation of all successful organizations is leadership and culture, and I am confident that these three hires will ensure Curaleafs future as the global leader in product innovation, brands, quality and safety, legislative reform efforts, CSR and of course, talent. Ed, Camilo, and Mitch all bring robust industry experience; track records of business discipline, growth and success; and smart strategic insights that will drive Curaleaf towards fulfilling our long-term goals. Im thrilled to welcome them to the leadership team, and Id like to thank Neil Davidson for his continued commitment and contributions to Curaleaf.

About Curaleaf Holdings

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) (Curaleaf) is a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis with a mission to improve lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption. As a high-growth cannabis company known for quality, expertise and reliability, the Company and its brands, including Curaleaf and Select, provide industry-leading service, product selection and accessibility across the medical and adult-use markets. In the United States, Curaleaf currently operates in 22 states with 136 dispensaries, 26 cultivation sites, and employs over 5,700 team members. Curaleaf International is the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in Europe with a unique supply and distribution network throughout the European market, bringing together pioneering science and research with cutting-edge cultivation, extraction, and production. Curaleaf is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol CURA and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol CURLF. For more information, please visit https://ir.curaleaf.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This media advisory contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or, proposed, is expected, intends, anticipates, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information concerning the hiring of Ed Kremer as Chief Financial Officer, Mitch Hara as Chief Strategy Officer and Camilo Lyon as Chief Investment Officer.

Such forward-looking statements and information reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the company with respect to the matter described in this new release. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are based on current expectations as of the date of this release and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained under Risk Factors and Uncertainties in the Companys latest annual information form filed March 9, 2022, which is available under the Companys SEDAR profile at http://www.sedar.com, and in other filings that the Company has made and may make with applicable securities authorities in the future. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as to the date of this press release and we undertake no 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. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

INVESTOR CONTACT

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.

[email protected]

MEDIA CONTACTS

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.

Tracy Brady, SVP Corporate Communications

[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/curaleaf-bolsters-executive-leadership-team-with-three-key-hires-301601312.html

SOURCE Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.

The post Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CURLF) Bolsters Executive Leadership Team with Three Key Hires appeared first on Marijuana Stocks | Cannabis Investments and News. Roots of a Budding Industry.(TM).

COMTEX_411841667/2683/2022-08-08T09:08:15
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Buffalo Coal Corp. (TSXV: BUF) announces that, further to the transaction between Resource Capital Fund V L.P. ("RCF V") and Belvedere Resources DMCC ("Belvedere") for the transfer of ownership of RCF V's securities holdings in the Company as previously announced in the press release of the Company dated as of June 15, 2022, that all administrative matters required to give effect to the transaction were completed on August 5, 2022.

The Company further advises that engagements with Investec Bank Limited, as previously announced in the press release of the Company dated as of July 5, 2022 are ongoing.

Craig Wiggill, the chairman of the Board, commented as follows: "We are pleased to have Belvedere as our new majority shareholder and look forward to working closely with Belvedere's management team to unlock the synergies that exist between Buffalo Coal and Belvedere."

About Buffalo Coal

Buffalo is a coal producer in South Africa. It holds a majority interest in two operating mines through its 100% interest in Buffalo Coal Dundee Proprietary Limited, a South African company which has a 70% interest in Zinoju Coal Proprietary Limited ("Zinoju"). Zinoju holds a 100% interest in the Magdalena bituminous mine, the Aviemore East anthracite mine and the Balgray and North Adit anthracite projects in South Africa. Buffalo Coal has an experienced coal-focused management team.

The Company has its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange and has a secondary listing on the Alternative Exchange, operated by the JSE Limited.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the exchange), accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Mr Craig Wiggill

Chairman of the Board

Email: [email protected]

Registered office:

Greytown Road

Industrial Area

Dundee

KwaZulu-Natal

3000

August 8, 2022

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133145
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Endurance Gold Corporation (TSXV: EDG) (OTC Pink: ENDGF) (FSE: 3EG) (the "Company") is pleased to report the next set of encouraging diamond drill results from the Eagle area on its Reliance Gold Property (the "Property") in southern British Columbia. The road accessible property is located 4 kilometres ("km") east of the village of Gold Bridge, and 10 km north of the historic Bralorne-Pioneer Gold Mining Camp which has produced over 4 million ounces of gold.

Assay results reported below are from the next four (4) diamond drill holes planned to test recently discovered gold-mineralized feeder breccia structures related to the Eagle Zone. Drilling within the Eagle South Target Area has now identified multiple quartz vein zones with estimated horizonal widths varying from 5 metres ("m") to 52 m (see example in Figure 1 below). These quartz veins have been pervasively brecciated throughout with gold-arsenopyrite mineralization concentrated in more intense cataclastite-type brecciation along the larger breccia quartz-vein contacts (see example in Figure 2). Several gold-mineralized feeder structures are now observed in the Eagle South Target Area. Highlights of the drilling results include:

DDH22-026 intersected 8.06 grams per tonne ("gpt") gold over 13.5 m, including 10.41 gpt gold over 5.5 m commencing at 80.4 m downhole. This mineralized intersection is hosted within a brecciated quartz-arsenopyrite vein that is interpreted to be a 25 m down-dip step-out from previously reported drill hole DDH21-020 which returned 15.7 gpt gold over 24.8 m (see News Release January 12, 2022).

including commencing at 80.4 m downhole. This mineralized intersection is hosted within a brecciated quartz-arsenopyrite vein that is interpreted to be a 25 m down-dip step-out from previously reported drill hole DDH21-020 which returned 15.7 gpt gold over 24.8 m Approximately 125 m to the south on a sub-parallel vein structure, drill hole DDH22-027 intersected 4.16 gpt gold over 30.0 m, including 8.31 gpt gold over 11.9 m commencing at 109.2 m downhole. Mineralization is hosted within quartz-arsenopyrite breccia. In the same hole, mineralized quartz-arsenopyrite breccia veins at 54.6 m and 152.5 m downhole depths returned 3.50 gpt gold over 10.1 m and 16.66 gpt gold over 4.3 m , respectively.

including commencing at 109.2 m downhole. Mineralization is hosted within quartz-arsenopyrite breccia. In the same hole, mineralized quartz-arsenopyrite breccia veins at 54.6 m and 152.5 m downhole depths returned , respectively. DDH22-028 drilled at -70 degrees from the same set as DDH22-027 intersected 2.59 gpt gold over 31.6 m, commencing at 96.95 m downhole. True width of this interval is estimated at 19 m. The best of three higher grade intervals included 7.48 gpt gold over 3.9 m .

commencing at 96.95 m downhole. True width of this interval is estimated at 19 m. The best of three higher grade intervals included . Partial results from drill hole DDH22-025 returned 3.94 gpt gold over 7.2 m, including 7.17 gpt gold over 1.5m from a 7.2-m wide arsenopyrite-rich fault breccia commencing at 198.4 m downhole. This mineralized breccia is located on the western margin of a 70.8-m wide (drilled width) zone of brecciated quartz veining. The horizontal width of this quartz vein zone is estimated at 52 m and is interpreted to be the 100 m down-dip extension of DDH22-024 which returned 8.41 gpt gold over 12.0 m ( see News Release July 18, 2022 ).

including from a 7.2-m wide arsenopyrite-rich fault breccia commencing at 198.4 m downhole. This mineralized breccia is located on the western margin of a 70.8-m wide (drilled width) zone of brecciated quartz veining. The horizontal width of this quartz vein zone is estimated at 52 m and is interpreted to be the 100 m down-dip extension of DDH22-024 which returned 8.41 gpt gold over 12.0 m Based on observations of additional quartz veining and mineralization seen in the current drilling, for which results are pending, the Eagle South Target Area associated with the potential feeder structures has now been expanded on surface to a strike distance of about 300 m and a width of about 130 m.

"Modifying our diamond drilling direction has assisted in discovering the feeder source for gold mineralization within the 435 metre long, near surface Eagle Zone," commented Robert T. Boyd, CEO of Endurance Gold. "While still early days in our exploration interpretation, the initial diamond drilling results indicate four brecciated quartz vein structures with horizontal widths up to 52 metres that are intimately associated with the best gold intersections in the feeder zone target. Drilling will continue to investigate the size potential of these quartz vein breccia zones to enhance our understanding of the best gold-bearing zones located along their margins."

The Eagle South Target Area is bound by the shallower dipping Eagle Zone to the northeast and Royal Shear Fault to the southwest, and is open along strike and to depth below the southwest dipping Royal Shear Fault (see Figure 3). The Eagle South Target Area is an area of deformation and strong pervasive iron carbonate sericite alteration with four significant brecciated quartz vein zones with horizontal widths from 5 to 52 m. The strike length and depth potential of each of these brecciated quartz veins is currently unknown and the distribution of the gold and arsenopyrite rich margins of these breccias zones is still poorly understood. Results are pending on an upper zone of mineralization in DDH22-025 and for drill holes DDH22-029 to DDH22-037.

Assays have now been reported for six drill holes of a total of fifteen holes drilled as of July 31st. As of the end of July, the Company has completed 3,141 m of the proposed 8,000 m diamond drill program. The location of the initial fifteen (15) diamond drill holes testing the Eagle South Target Area are shown in Figure 3. The 2022 diamond drill assay results reported to date are summarized in Table 1 below. The complete tabulation of RC and the 2021 diamond drill results are summarized on the Company website.

A total of 833 diamond drill core samples have been submitted to the ALS Global laboratory for gold assay and multi-element ICP analysis. Core logging and sampling is progressing well, and samples continue to be submitted to the assay laboratory on a bi-weekly basis. Assay results will continue to be reported when received.

Gold intersections and surface exposures in the Reliance Property are associated with intense iron-carbonate and sericite alteration, within structurally deformed quartz fragment-rich cataclastite breccia and brecciated vein sequences related to the Royal Shear. Gold mineralization is directly related to varying amounts of arsenopyrite, stibnite and pyrite as sulphide replacement and multigenerational breccias often with associated pervasive silicification, quartz stockwork and/or quartz breccia infill. Reliance is interpreted to represent a shallow-level (Epizonal) Orogenic gold system.

Endurance Gold Corporation is a company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of highly prospective North American mineral properties with the potential to develop world-class deposits.

ENDURANCE GOLD CORPORATION

Robert T. Boyd

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Endurance Gold Corporation

(604) 682-2707, [email protected]

www.endurancegold.com

Diamond drill core was logged and evaluated on the Property and samples designated for collection under the supervision of a geologist at the property. Drilling was completed with NQ size tools capable of collecting 4.76 centimetre diameter core. Drill core was cut using a diamond saw with one half of the core sent for analysis and the remaining kept for future studies. Sample intervals were typically 2 metre core length and intervals were shortened for lithology or alteration changes. All drill core samples have been submitted to ALS Global in North Vancouver, BC, an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory, where they are crushed to 70% ppm") gold are re-analyzed by Au-GRA21 methodology and over limit antimony returning greater than 10,000 ppm Sb are re-analyzed by Sb-AA08 methodology. Endurance Gold monitors QA/QC by inserting blanks, certified standards and pulp duplicates into the sample stream.

The 2022 work program is supervised by Darren O'Brien, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration for the Company and the qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr. O'Brien has reviewed and approved this news release.

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 news release. This news release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from the expected results.





Figure 1: Brecciated Quartz Vein - NQ Core - Low Gold Content - DDH22-024 from 49.50 m to 56.80 m

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4976/133089_5169862134cbe855_002full.jpg





Figure 2: Gold-Aspy Quartz Breccia (Cataclastite) - NQ Core - 6.19 gpt Au over 0.85 m - DDH22-027 @ 116.4m

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4976/133089_5169862134cbe855_003full.jpg





Figure 3: Eagle Zone and Eagle South Target Area - 2022 Diamond Drill Hole Locations

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4976/133089_5169862134cbe855_004full.jpg





Table 1: Eagle South Target Area - 2022 Diamond Drill Hole Sample Results

To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4976/133089_5169862134cbe855_005full.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133089
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Flying Nickel Mining Corp.(TSXV: FLYN) (OTCQB: FLYNF)("Flying Nickel" or the "Company")announces the appointment of Nadia Traversa as Corporate Secretary, replacing Cindy Waterman. The Company also announces the resignations of Daniel Oosterman as Vice-President of Exploration and Ryan Coombes as Chief Legal Officer. MLT Aikins continues to act as the Company's corporate counsel and solicitor.

About Flying Nickel

Flying Nickel Mining Corp. is a premier nickel sulphide mining and exploration company. The company is advancing its 100% owned Minago nickel project in the Thompson nickel belt in Manitoba, Canada.

Further information on the Company can be found at www.flynickel.com.

FLYING NICKEL MINING CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

John Lee

Interim Chief Executive Officer

For more information about the Company, please contact:

Phone: 1.877.664.2535 / 1.877.6NICKEL

Email: [email protected]

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133170
North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") announces that the Government of Fiji has granted an extension of the Tuvatu Mining Lease (SML 62) for an additional 10 year term renewable on Feb. 28, 2035.

SML 62 is the Company's cornerstone permit enabling Lion One to build mining and milling operations at Tuvatu, forming part of its 100% owned, high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located 24km from Fiji's International Airport in Nadi.

In an official ceremony attended by over 300 dignitaries at Tuvatu yesterday, Lion One CEO Walter Berukoff thanked Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Mineral Resource Department, and Lion One's Chief Operating Patrick Hickey, commenting, "I am proud to say that it is with great elation that the Government of Fiji has renewed our special mining lease for the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project for another ten years. This lease extension sends a clear message to the world that Fiji continues to be open to public markets which can access critical capital to enable responsible mining projects to be built. Responsible mining will enhance the local socio-economic conditions for all Fijians. To date, we have invested over $140 million into the local economy."

The development of Tuvatu is guided by Lion One Chief Operating Officer Patrick Hickey, an accomplished engineer with extensive executive-level experience in mine building roles for companies such as Newmont Mining Corporation and Kinross Gold Corp. across Africa, Asia, and North America. Mr. Hickey leads a management team of nine and staff that includes some of the most skilled and experienced exploration and underground mining experts in the South Pacific. Under Mr. Hickey's leadership, the Company has ramped up its mining development activities at Tuvatu. There are six active drill rigs, an Exploration decline measuring over one kilometre in length, and a fully operational on-site analytical sampling laboratory at production levels threefold from earlier this year.

Mr. Hickey commented, "We very pleased to have been granted this extension after the rigorous assessment process that factored not only the geological and economic potential of Tuvatu, but our environmental risk management strategy, and local landowners and community relationships. This milestone demonstrates the tremendous support the Fiji Government has for both Lion One and its mining industry as we continue our commitment to the communities that we operate in to provide direct employment opportunities and peripheral economic stimulus."

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One's flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One's CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.





Photo 1: Patrick Hickey and Walter Berukoff at Tuvatu ceremony

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/133123_ff09dd2ab45fc990_001full.jpg





Figure 1: Tuvatu Project area

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/133123_ff09dd2ab45fc990_002full.jpg

Qualified Person

In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), Patrick Hickey, P. Eng., Lion One's Chief Operating Officer, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and is responsible for the content of this news release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Lion One Metals Limited

"Walter Berukoff"

Chairman and CEO

For further information

Contact Investor Relations

Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider

accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133123
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (FSE: ONG) (XSTU: ONG) (the "Company" or "Northern") is pleased to announce that it intends to exercise its option to acquire a 100% interest in the Mousseau West graphite project ("Mousseau West" or the "Property") which is located approximately 80 kms from, and within economic trucking distance of, the Company's producing Lac-des-Iles ("LDI") graphite mine in Quebec. Pursuant to the Company's option agreement relating to the Property, Northern has the option to acquire Mousseau West through the payment of $500,000 in cash and the issuance of 900,000 common shares of the Company, subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). Northern also has the right to acquire a 2% net smelter royalty retained by the owners at any time upon the payment of $1 million.

"We expect Mousseau West will enable Northern to extend the mine life at LDI and return its production to 25,000tpy," said Hugues Jacquemin, Northern's CEO. "Mousseau West also has the potential to become a significant project in its own right and we expect the deposit will play an important role as the Company solidifies its position as the only significant graphite producer in North America. With high quality, advanced stage projects in close proximity to a number of North American lithium ion battery factories, Northern is well positioned to provide them with a secure supply of graphite."

Mousseau West consists of 12 claims totalling 489 hectares in size. It is located approximately 150 kms north of Montreal in the Mont-Laurier area and can be accessed from Highway 117 over 12 kms of good quality logging roads. Over 7,500 meters of drilling has been carried out on the Property. A technical report entitled "Technical Report and Resources Estimate of the Mousseau West Property" dated September 24, 2013 (the "Report") was completed by Alain Tremblay, geol. eng. and Yvan Bussires, geol. eng. in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). It was filed on SEDAR on October 17, 2013 and is available under the profile of NanoXplore Inc. From 1996 to 2008, Alain Tremblay was in charge of exploration at the LDI mine and is well-acquainted with the geology and mining of graphite mineralization in the area. The Report states that the nature of mineralization at Mousseau West is similar to LDI which "indicates high confidence in the possibility of mining, milling and concentrating it into a final graphite product suitable for customers."

The Report estimates that the Property contains an Inferred Resource of 4.1 million tonnes grading 6.2% graphitic carbon ("Cg"). The resource includes 2.7 million tonnes that have been drilled on 25 meter centers which the Report states "are considered to have reached a high level of definition and do not need additional work." To the best of Northern's knowledge, information, and belief, there is no new material scientific or technical information that would make the disclosure of this resource inaccurate or misleading. The Company intends to update the resource estimate and complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment to evaluate the economics of mining graphite at Mousseau West and trucking it to LDI for processing in the coming months.

The Mousseau West deposit outcrops at surface and the Report indicates that the morphology of the deposit is potentially very suitable for open pit mining and zonation in the deposit may allow access to richer mineralization first. The deposit is 250 metres long and lies at the western end of an EM conductor that extends another 400 meters east to the property boundary. This area represents a prime exploration target with the potential to expand the size of the deposit. Other conductors also exist on the Property and represent additional exploration targets. The graphite is mainly hosted by calcitic marbles which provide buffering capacity for the low level of sulphides. Like LDI, this likely indicates that any tailings would be non-acid generating.

About Northern Graphite

Northern is a Canadian, TSXV listed company that is focussed on becoming a world leader in producing natural graphite and upgrading it into high value products critical to the green economy including anode material for lithium ion batteries/EVs, fuel cells and graphene, as well as advanced industrial technologies.

Northern is the only significant graphite producing company in North America and will become the third largest outside of China when its Namibian operations come back online in the first half of 2023. The Company also has two large scale development projects, Bissett Creek in Ontario and Okanjande in Namibia, that will be a source of continued production growth in the future. All projects have "battery quality" graphite and are located close to infrastructure in politically stable countries.

Qualified Person

Gregory Bowes, B.Sc. MBA P.Geo is a "qualified person" as defined under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release including data disclosed with respect to the Mousseau West Property.

For additional information

Please visit the Company's website at http://www.northerngraphite.com/investors/presentation/, the Company's profile on www.sedar.com,our Social Channels listed below or contact the Company at (613) 241-9959.

LinkedIn

YouTube

Twitter

Facebook

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward- looking statements and information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "possible" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "will", "could", or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others, the Company's exercise of its option to acquire the Property including receipt of TSX-V approval, plans for advancing the Property including extending the mine life at LDI, its intentions with respect to bringing its Namibian operations back on line and to advancing its other developments projects to production, and developing the capacity to manufacture value added products. All such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by management based on their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. However, these statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected including, but not limited to unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of other parties to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure and the failure of ongoing and contemplated studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

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/133108
Hedlund Painting has announced a new service update for clients throughout Seattle, Washington

Lynnwood, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - August 7, 2022) - Hedlund Painting, a residential and commercial painter based in Seattle, announced an update to its exterior painting services, which include siding and deck repairs for homes, offices, and shops.

More information can be found at https://hedlundpainting.com.





Seattle Exterior Home Painter Hedlund Painting Announces Siding & Deck Repair



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/133059_3727113f4484c821_001full.jpg

As part of the new update, the exterior painting contractor can provide a range of home exterior improvement solutions. This includes staining and painting for wood, HardiePlank, vinyl, or aluminum siding as well as decks, fences, and patios.

"We are equipped with the expertise and eye for detail to provide service at the highest industry standards," said Chris Whitman, founder and owner of Hedlund Painting. "We've painted everything - from brick to garage doors - so no surface on your exterior can throw us for a loop," he added.

The new exterior painting service comprises property preparation, material sourcing, site cleanup, and project management. Each exterior job begins with an initial consultation to plan the project and make the necessary arrangements. A consultation with the company's decorators is also available. The team can make recommendations on color palettes, painting materials, and decor styles based on the client's preferences.

Hedlund Painting's latest service update covers all exterior areas of the home or business property, including decks, siding, fences, concrete stairs, wood surfaces, and doors. When carrying out exterior painting work, the company's technicians thoroughly prepare the outdoor area and complete the project with respect for the property and its inhabitants.

Additional information can be found at https://hedlundpainting.com/exterior-painting.

With the latest update, the Seattle home improvement contractor offers a full line of exterior painting solutions which can enhance the curb appeal of homes and commercial properties. Owned and operated by Chris Whitman, Hedlund Painting won the Best in Houzz Award in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Its licensed and insured technicians use products and painting methods that meet the highest industry standards.

Interested parties can learn more by visiting https://hedlundpainting.com/seattle-residential-painter.

Contact Info:

Name: Chris Whitman

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Hedlund Painting

Address: 15009 40th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98087, United States

Phone: +1-206-250-9193

Website: https://hedlundpainting.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133059
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia told the United States on Monday it would not allow its weapons to be inspected under the START nuclear arms control treaty for the time being because of travel restrictions imposed by Washington and its allies.

Inspection conditions proposed by Washington created "unilateral advantages for the United States and effectively deprive the Russian Federation of the right to conduct inspections on American territory," the Moscow foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia remained fully committed to complying with all the provisions of the treaty, it added.

The United States and its allies including Britain and the European Union closed their airspace to Russian planes as part of a barrage of sanctions imposed in response to Russia's decision to send its armed forces into Ukraine in February.

The New START Treaty, which came into force in 2011, caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy, and the deployment of land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last Monday that his administration was ready to "expeditiously" negotiate a framework to replace New START, which is due to expire in 2026, if Moscow demonstrated its willingness to resume work on nuclear arms control.

But Russia's mission to the United Nations said Washington had withdrawn from separate talks with Moscow on strategic stability over the Ukraine conflict, and needed to decide what it wanted.

The following day, the Kremlin said time was running out to negotiate a replacement for New START, putting global security at risk.

The conflict in Ukraine has raised political tensions to levels not seen since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, with politicians in both Russia and the United States speaking publicly of the risk of World War Three.

Moscow says it was forced to intervene in Ukraine to defend Russian-speakers from persecution and avert a Western threat to use Ukraine to threaten Russia's security. Kyiv and its Western allies say these are baseless pretexts for an imperial-style land grab.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey and John Stonestreet)
BERWYN, Pa., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) ("Annovis" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing neurodegenerative diseases, today announced second quarter financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and reviewed recent accomplishments.

Maria L. Maccecchini, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO of Annovis, commented: "Because of buntanetap's unique mode of action, it has the potential to act on a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. As a result, in the second quarter, we have taken significant steps to expand our intellectual property portfolio as it relates to buntanetap. Importantly, the FDA has approved our Phase 3 clinical trial design in early PD patients. This approval affirms the Company's path to securing approval for buntanetap to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, with longer treatment regimens."

Recent Highlights and New Developments

Receipt of positive FDA Notice for Buntanetap Phase 3 clinical trial in Parkinson's Disease: The Company received notice from the FDA that the Phase 3 clinical study in early Parkinson's patients may proceed. The FDA accepted the final protocol and the clinical development plan, approved the use of the Company's new large-scale batch of good manufacturing practice material, and found the chronic toxicology in rats and dogs safe and adequate to support long-term human studies lasting decades compared to the previous restriction of one month.

The Company received notice from the FDA that the Phase 3 clinical study in early Parkinson's patients may proceed. The FDA accepted the final protocol and the clinical development plan, approved the use of the Company's new large-scale batch of good manufacturing practice material, and found the chronic toxicology in rats and dogs safe and adequate to support long-term human studies lasting decades compared to the previous restriction of one month. Submission of an international patent application to cover the treatment of neurological injuries caused by infections: The Company announced the submission of an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for its drug platform buntanetap. The patent claims a method of inhibiting, preventing, or treating neurological injuries due to viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan, or parasitic infections in humans.

The Company announced the submission of an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for its drug platform buntanetap. The patent claims a method of inhibiting, preventing, or treating neurological injuries due to viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan, or parasitic infections in humans. Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Institute on Aging: The Company announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Under this CRADA, NIA and Annovis are collaborating to develop pharmacodynamic biomarkers for buntanetap, focusing on isolating brain-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) containing potential biomarkers of neuronal function and viability.

Financial Results for the Second quarter of 2022

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $36.0 million as of June 30, 2022. Research and development expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, were $6.8 million, compared to $1.8 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily the result of an increase of $2.4 million in clinical expenses as the Company incurred costs related to its upcoming Phase 3 study in early PD patients, an increase of $1.8 million for the cost of materials and an increase of $0.7 million in stock-based compensation expense. General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, were $1.9 million, compared to $0.7 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily the result of an increase of $1.2 million in stock-based compensation expense.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, Annovis reported a net loss of $8.7 million, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million for the same period in 2021.

About Annovis Bio, Inc.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and other chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD, and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. Annovis conducted two Phase 2 studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. In the AD/PD study buntanetap showed improvements in cognition and memory in AD as well as body and brain function in PD patients.

For more information on Annovis Bio, please visit the Company's website www.annovisbio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness, and anticipated results of buntanetap clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Media and Investor Contact:Nic JohnsonRusso Partners, LLC(303) 482-6405[email protected]

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SOURCE Annovis Bio
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Astroport Space Technologies, Inc. has been awarded its second NASA Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract for the construction of landing pads on the Moon.

Astroport and its research partner, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), will develop geotechnical engineering processes for "Lunar Surface Site Preparation for Landing/Launch Pad and Blast Shield Construction" with a focus on "regolith works" for bulk regolith excavation and movement. The project will build on Astroport's previous Phase 1 STTR-21 work on regolith melting technologies and robotic bricklaying system for lunar infrastructure construction.

The new research will describe a multi-step Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for "regolith works" executed by multiple machines operating autonomously or in remote control mode with step sequencing/timing to enable machine-to-machine collaboration. In particular, it will define conveyance techniques and sorting and filtering processes to prepare and deliver excavated regolith to Astroport's Lunatron bricklayer system.

The project will utilize space civil engineering expertise from the University of Adelaide's Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR) in Australia. Venturi Astrolab of Hawthorne, CA, will provide consulting support for integration into the overall system architecture of their FLEX rover as a baseline robotic mobility platform operating a suite of excavation tools.

Astroport's Founder/CEO and Space Architect, Sam Ximenes said, "we are pleased that NASA continues to place confidence in our team's ability to define and develop technologies and processes for lunar infrastructure construction. Under this new contract, the Astroport team will continue its work on the overall construction system architecture that we have started last year. Our objectives are to advance the state-of-art with geotechnical engineering and civil engineering processes for bulk regolith manipulation using a "regolith works" toolset for preparation of the lunar launch/landing site".

Principal investigator for UTSA, Dr. Sazzad Bin-Shafique, said "this research is a natural progression of the University's regolith liquefaction investigations, in that the Phase 1 study will develop discreet-event modeling of the bulk regolith conveyance methods to help determine feeds rates for Astroport's Lunatron bricklayer system." UTSA co-principal investigator, Dr. Ibukun Awolusi, assistant professor of construction science and management stated that "leveraging innovative technologies and systems such as those proposed in this study offers remarkable opportunities for the use of lunar materials, construction processes, and our efforts toward achieving space sustainability."

ATCSR is one of a handful of organizations globally that has focused on the development of "space civil engineering" processes for planetary construction. ATCSR has developed numerical modeling to represent the geotechnical behavior of the natural lunar regolith when subjected to load in a lunar environment. This numerical representation facilitates the modeling of a range of lunar construction activities, such as vehicular movement, excavation, and compaction.

John Culton, Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources at the University of Adelaide said, "ATCSR is proud to support cutting-edge US partners leading the development of critical off-Earth civil engineering processes required to return humans to the Moon, 'this time to stay'".

About Astroport: Astroport Space Technologies Inc. is a space construction and materials manufacturing company turning planetary resources into durable feedstock for autonomous construction of lunar surface infrastructure. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Astroport was founded with a vision to design, deploy, and operate interplanetary landing ports to facilitate safe, reliable, and efficient spaceflights to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Astroport is a deep tech startup founded in 2020, operating as a technology venture arm of Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc), a space architecture consulting design and engineering firm established in 2007.

About UTSA: The NASA MIRO Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments (CAMEE) at The University of Texas at San Antonio was established in 2019 to support NASA's Science, Aeronautics, and Space Technology Mission Directorates, with the vision of building a sustainable source of diverse, highly trained researchers to enter the Nation's workforce in NASA fields of earth system sciences, remote sensing and imaging technologies, computational fluid dynamics and data analytics, and experimental fluid mechanics. Space civil engineering has been added as a focus thrust area for the Center. Funding for the Center is provided through a NASA MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) award.

About ATCSR: The Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR) is the University of Adelaide's hub for space expertise, creating a collaborative interdisciplinary ecosystem with lunar simulation labs not found anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. Unique opportunities to make history are found here for students and industry to support long-term human presence in deep space focusing on habitation, agriculture, human health and space law. Outcomes of our work will not only benefit humans in space but will positively impact life here on Earth.

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SOURCE Astroport Space Technologies, Inc.
Trend Micro calls on tech industry to secure against metaverse risks

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today released a new report warning of a "darkverse" of criminality hidden from law enforcement, which could quickly evolve to fuel a new industry of metaverse-related cybercrime.

Trend Micro warns of a "darkverse" of criminality which could evolve to fuel a new industry of metaverse-related crime.

To read a full copy of the report, Metaverse or MetaWorse? Cyber Security Threats Against the Internet of Experiences, please visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/metaworse-the-trouble-with-the-metaverse.

The top five metaverse threats outlined in the report are:

NFTs will be hit by phishing, ransom, fraud and other attacks, which will be increasingly targeted as they become an important metaverse commodity to regulate ownership.

and other attacks, which will be increasingly targeted as they become an important metaverse commodity to regulate ownership. The darkverse will become the go-to place for conducting illegal/criminal activities because it will be difficult to trace, monitor and infiltrate by law enforcement. In fact, it may be years before police catch up.

will become the go-to place for conducting illegal/criminal activities because it will be difficult to trace, monitor and infiltrate by law enforcement. In fact, it may be years before police catch up. Money laundering using overpriced metaverse real estate and NFTs will provide a new outlet for criminals to clean cash.

using overpriced metaverse real estate and NFTs will provide a new outlet for criminals to clean cash. Social engineering, propaganda and fake news will have a profound impact in a cyber-physical world. Influential narratives will be employed by criminals and state actors targeting vulnerable groups who are sensitive to certain topics.

will have a profound impact in a cyber-physical world. Influential narratives will be employed by criminals and state actors targeting vulnerable groups who are sensitive to certain topics. Privacy will be redefined, as metaverse-like space operators will have unprecedented visibility into user actions  essentially when using their worlds, there will be zero privacy as we know it.

Bill Malik, vice president of infrastructure strategies for Trend Micro: "The metaverse is a multibillion-dollar hi-tech vision that will define the next internet era. Although we don't know exactly how it will develop, we need to start thinking now about how it will be exploited by threat actors. Given the high costs and jurisdictional challenges, law enforcement will struggle to police the metaverse in general in its early years. The security community must step in now or risk a new Wild West to develop on our digital doorstep."

As imagined by Trend Micro, the darkverse will resemble a metaverse version of the dark web, enabling threat actors to coordinate and carry out illegal activities with impunity.

Underground marketplaces operating in the darkverse would be impossible for police to infiltrate without the correct authentication tokens. Because users can only access a darkverse world if they're inside a designated physical location, there's an additional level of protection for closed criminal communities.

This could provide a haven for multiple threats to flourishfrom financial fraud and e-commerce scams to NFT theft, ransomware and more. The cyber-physical nature of the metaverse will also open new doors to threat actors.

Cybercriminals might look to compromise the "digital twin" spaces run by critical infrastructure operators, for sabotage or extortion of industrial systems. Or they could deploy malware to metaverse users' full body actuator suits to cause physical harm. Assault of avatars has already been reported on several occasions.

Although a fully-fledged metaverse is still some years away, metaverse-like spaces will be commonplace much sooner. Trend Micro's report seeks to start an urgent dialog about what cyber threats to expect and how they could be mitigated.

Questions to start asking include:

How will we moderate user activity and speech in the metaverse? And who will be responsible?

How will copyright infringements be policed and enforced?

How will users know whether they're interacting with a real person or a bot? Will there be a Turing Test to validate AI/humans?

Is there a way to safeguard privacy by preventing the metaverse from becoming dominated by a few large tech companies?

How can law enforcement overcome the high costs of intercepting metaverse crimes at scale, and solve issues around jurisdiction?

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.TrendMicro.com.

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SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated
MIAMI, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Institute is proud to announce its work with Coherus BioSciences in developing the brand name CIMERLI (ranibizumab-eqrn), under which the interchangeable biosimilar approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 2, 2022, will be marketed.

CIMERLI was developed by Coherus BioSciences, a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company with over a decade of experience delivering high-quality biosimilar therapeutics that will expand patient access to life-changing biologic medicines. Ranibizumab-eqrn, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, is indicated for the treatment of patients with Neovascular (Wet) Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Macular Edema Following Retinal Vein Occlusion, Diabetic Macular Edema, Diabetic Retinopathy and Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization.

"The entire Brand Institute and Drug Safety Institute Team congratulates Coherus BioSciences on the FDA approval of CIMERLI," said Brand Institute's Chairman and C.E.O., James L. Dettore.

About Brand Institute and our wholly owned regulatory subsidiary, Drug Safety Institute

Brand Institute is the global leader in pharmaceutical and healthcare-related name development, with a portfolio of over 3,800 marketed healthcare brand names, 1,200 USAN/INN nonproprietary names for 1,100 clients. The company partners on over 75% of pharmaceutical brand and nonproprietary name approvals globally every year with healthcare manufacturers. Drug Safety Institute is composed of former naming regulatory officials from global government health agencies, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Health Canada (HC), American Medical Association (AMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO). These regulatory experts co-authored the name review guidelines while with their respective agencies, with many responsible for ultimately approving (or rejecting) brand name applications. Now working for a private company, these professionals provide Brand Institute's clients with industry-leading guidance pertaining to drug name safety (i.e., preventing medication errors), packaging, and labeling.

Contact:

James DettoreChairman & C.E.O.[email protected]www.brandinstitute.com

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SOURCE Brand Institute, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FiscalNote, Inc. (NYSE: NOTE) ("FiscalNote"), a leading AI-driven enterprise SaaS company that delivers legal and regulatory data and insights, today announced it will report financial results for the second quarter 2022 on Monday, August 15th, 2022 after the market closes.

FiscalNote will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss those financial results for investors and analysts at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 15th, 2022. To access the conference call, dial (888) 660-6510 for the U.S. or Canada, or (929) 203-0882, Conference ID: 1271923. The live webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the company's website at https://investors.fiscalnote.com/overview/default.aspx, and a recording will be archived and accessible at https://investors.fiscalnote.com/overview/default.aspx.

About FiscalNote

FiscalNote is a leading technology provider of global policy and market intelligence. By uniquely combining AI technology, actionable data, and expert and peer insights, FiscalNote empowers customers to manage policy, address regulatory developments, and mitigate global risk. Since 2013, FiscalNote has pioneered technology that delivers mission-critical insights and the tools to turn them into action. Home to CQ, Equilibrium, FrontierView, Oxford Analytica, VoterVoice, and many other industry-leading brands, FiscalNote serves more than 5,000 customers worldwide with global offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. To learn more about FiscalNote and its family of brands, visit FiscalNote.com and follow @FiscalNote.

CONTACTS

MediaNicholas GrahamFiscalNote[email protected]

InvestorsICR, Inc. for FiscalNoteSean Hannan[email protected]

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SOURCE FiscalNote
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrix Medical Network (Matrix) and Emvenio Research (Emvenio) today announced the sale of the Matrix Clinical Trials service line to Emvenio, a leading decentralized clinical trials (DCT) company. The transaction will provide Emvenio with proven DCT capabilities, while allowing Matrix to focus on improving the health and wellness of health plan members, and keeping America's workers productive and safe, through its design of custom and flexible clinical solutions. Post transaction, Emvenio will deploy additional resources, technology, and capital to continue to grow and scale its clinical trials services both domestically and internationally, making clinical research more accessible, equitable, and effective.

Matrix Medical Network Announces Sale of Decentralized Clinical Trials Service Line to Emvenio Research

"At the onset of the pandemic Matrix mobilized quickly to provide decentralized clinical trial solutions in support of vaccine and therapy development for COVID-19. We leveraged our skilled clinicians, Mobile Health Clinics, and experienced leaders to adapt traditional clinical trials protocols to better reach and recruit diverse, underserved, and high-risk patients," said Catherine J. Tabaka, Matrix Chief Executive Officer. "We are incredibly proud of the remarkable work the Matrix Clinical Trials team started during the pandemic and continued to expand upon. I am excited about this transition and look forward to watching the leaders and employees of Emvenio continue to develop and deliver decentralized clinical trial solutions that best serve those patients who most need access to new treatments."

"The leaders of Matrix Clinical Trials showed leadership, agility, creativity, and perseverance in building a decentralized clinical trial organization from the ground up," said Keith Henthorne, Emvenio Chief Executive Officer. "I look forward to working closely with these leaders in order to build upon this solid foundation established by Matrix and to continue making clinical trials more accessible to diverse populations throughout the world. To ensure continued access to clinical trials for the patients who need it most, many Matrix employees and leaders will be a part of the Emvenio team going forward. I am proud to be working alongside strong leaders like Dr. Daniel Castillo and Thad Wolfram, amongst others, and look forward to growing the company with them."

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix Medical Network has provided expert care and health services to millions of at-risk individuals where they live and work for more than 20 years. The organization's network of approximately 4,000 clinicians meets individuals wherever they are, to assess their health and safety, identify and close care gaps, and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health.

Matrix offers customizable solutions across distinct lines of business via in-home visits, telehealth, on-site support at medical facilities and businesses, and Mobile Health Clinics.

*Matrix Medical Network is the registered trademark of Community Care Health Network, LLC.

About Emvenio

Emvenio is a leading decentralized research organization (DRO) providing scalable and hybrid decentralized trial solutions with a focus on improving access and health equity in clinical research. Its mission is to eliminate the barriers to clinical trials by engaging with people in their communities and in their homes. Emvenio's technology enabled, innovative network of Mobile Research Sites, At Home Visits, and Virtual Visits are a unique blend of global DCT capabilities that can be deployed to better reach, recruit and retain diverse patient populations, while improving the clinical trial experience. These capabilities offer global DCT participant-centric approaches that provide flexibility, meet the most challenging clinical trial demands, and provide convenience for patients and caregivers in a compliant manner. Emvenio is transforming how all stakeholders engage in, experience, and deliver clinical research.

Matrix Media Contact:Elissa JohnsenEJJ Communications, LLC on behalf of Matrix Medical Network[email protected]312-285-3203

Emvenio Media Contact:David ShackeltonChief Financial Officer[email protected]

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SOURCE Matrix Medical Network
BATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Retailers Casualty Insurance Company announced today that AM Best has reaffirmed its Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent).

The company has received an A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best since 2006. The rating is based on an insurer's financial strength and the ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations.

"I am pleased that Retailers Casualty continues to produce strong financial results," states Frank Brame, chairman of the board of directors. "The company's financial strength speaks volumes about our claims management and underwriting practices."

"The quality of the products offered, paired with exceptional customer service, continue to make Retailers Casualty Insurance Company a strong workers' compensation insurance provider," adds Hank Chiles, senior vice president responsible for Summit's Southwest Region.

About Retailers Casualty

Retailers Casualty insures more than 2,300 businesses throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The day-to-day operations are managed by Summit, the people who know workers' comp, a managing general agent with more than 40 years of experience in workers' compensation.

Website:www.summitholdings.com

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SOURCE Retailers Casualty Insurance Company
LAKELAND, Fla., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RetailFirst Insurance Group announced today that AM Best has reaffirmed the Financial Strength Ratings of A- (Excellent) of its insurers RetailFirst Insurance Company and BusinessFirst Insurance Company.

This is the fifth consecutive year that both companies have received an A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best. The rating is based on an insurer's financial strength and the ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations.

Thomas Petcoff, chairman of the board for RetailFirst Insurance Group, attributes much of the company's success to "a loyal network of independent insurance agents who understand the value of long-term relationships and a consistent, service intensive approach to meeting the needs of our insureds. In hard and soft markets, RetailFirst Insurance Company and BusinessFirst Insurance Company can be counted on to provide outstanding service to insureds and agents alike."

About RetailFirst and BusinessFirstTogether RetailFirst and BusinessFirst insure more than 11,000 businesses throughout Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The day-to-day operations of both companies are managed by Summit, the people who know workers' comp, a managing general agent with more than 40 years of experience in workers' compensation.

Websites:www.businessfirstinsurance.comwww.retailfirstinsurance.comwww.summitholdings.com

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SOURCE RetailFirst Insurance Group
Widely-adopted open source distributed SQL query engine enables thousands of organizations to accelerate data analytics

BOSTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Starburst, the analytics anywhere company, today celebrates the tenth anniversary of the open source SQL query engine Trino. Started as open source project Presto in 2012, Trino has grown into one of the most widely adopted open source projects of the last decade, with more than 5.9K stargazers on GitHub, up 269% since December 2020 when PrestoSQL rebranded to Trino, and thousands of global companies leveraging it to accelerate data analytics.

While Trino's history began years before Starburst was founded, the two had been closely connected leading up to the launch of the company. Presto was first developed by Martin Traverso, Dain Sundstrom, David Phillips, and Eric Hwang to address performance, scalability, and extensibility needs for Facebook analytics. By the fall of 2013, Presto was open sourced and adopted by major companies such as Netflix, LinkedIn, and Teradata.

Soon after, Teradata's Vice President and General Manager Justin Borgman, now Starburst's co-founder and CEO, "started to fall in love with the [Presto] technology" and dedicated a team of 20 engineers to expand the project further. This Teradata team founded Starburst in 2017 to drive the success and adoption of Presto everywhere.

"Starburst is thrilled to celebrate this major milestone with the community," said Borgman. "In the same way that my co-founders set out to develop an open source project that would stand the test of time, we're dedicated to maintaining the most fully-featured and easy-to-use offering of Trino for decades to come."

In 2018, Presto's original founders left Facebook and forked the project under the new name PrestoSQL, which was later rebranded to Trino in 2020. Today, all of the co-founders are part of the Starburst team, and continue to drive Trino's development. The co-founders are deeply involved with Starburst Galaxy, a fully managed SaaS, which includes a free trial. Beyond the co-founders, the project is maintained by a burgeoning community of developers and contributors from many global companies including Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, Lyft, and many more.

"The monumental growth of the Trino project over the last 10 years speaks to the power and dedication of the Trino community in wanting to solve problems and build systems that last for decades into the future," said Traverso, Trino and Presto Co-Creator and Starburst CTO. "The recent enhancements address the wide variety of problems that our community faces, such as unreliable hardware. It's interesting to see the feature requests evolve and grow over time. We believe that this gives Trino, and ultimately Starburst, an advantage as we continue to grow the project in the direction the community deems most important."

Since the rebranding of PrestoSQL to Trino, the distributed SQL query engine community also continues to flourish. Community members and engagement metrics have grown significantly, with 57% more Slack members, 157% growth on Github, and 206% growth in YouTube subscribers.

In October 2021, Starburst welcomed more than 1,000 attendees to the inaugural Trino Summit. This year, Trino Summit will be hosted as a hybrid event in San Francisco on November 10th, with Starburst acting as the lead sponsor. The call for speakers is open until September 15th, and registration is open with limited in-person seating. Starburst is also celebrating Trino's 10-year anniversary with a Space Quest League Trino Birthday Challenge. By answering three SQL-based challenges correctly, contestants can win a free Trino birthday T-shirt.

About StarburstStarburst is the analytics engine for all your data. We provide the fastest, most efficient analytics engine for your data warehouse, data lake, or data mesh. We unlock the value of distributed data by making it fast and easy to access, no matter where it lives. Starburst queries data across any database, making it instantly actionable for data-driven organizations. With Starburst, teams can lower the total cost of their infrastructure and analytics investments, prevent vendor lock-in, and use the existing tools that work for their business. Trusted by companies like Comcast, FINRA, and Conde Nast, Starburst helps companies make better decisions faster on all data.

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SOURCE Starburst Data
DENVER, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RMAX), parent company of RE/MAX, one of the world's leading franchisors of real estate brokerage services, and Motto Mortgage, the first and only national mortgage brokerage franchise brand in the U.S., has appointed Susie Winders as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary.

Winders, who joined the Company more than 13 years ago, served most recently as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel for RE/MAX, LLC, managing the Legal department's litigation teams and overseeing aspects of the compliance program. In her new role, Winders will work collaboratively with leadership to support the Company's growth initiatives and lead the Legal and Contracts departments, which oversee corporate governance and compliance, trademark and advertising, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, contracts and licensing, litigation, privacy and employment matters. She is the first woman to hold the position.

"Susie is a highly accomplished attorney whose leadership, expertise and contributions have had a sizable, positive impact on the Company," said Steve Joyce, RE/MAX Holdings Chief Executive Officer. "Her experience both at RE/MAX and in her previous positions make her highly qualified for this new role. She is the right person to drive the Company's legal and compliance functions as we dive into exciting new strategic initiatives."

Prior to joining RE/MAX in 2009, Winders served as an attorney with Sherman and Howard. Before that, she was an Associate at the international law firm Jones Day. She has also earned a Certified Information Privacy Professional designation. Winders attended Northwestern University in Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and her Juris Doctorate, graduating magna cum laude. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Denver-based non-profit, Anchor Center for Blind Children  a nationally recognized, private nonprofit agency providing early education and intervention services for children birth to five years old who are blind or visually impaired.

About RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RMAX) is one of the world's leading franchisors in the real estate industry, franchising real estate brokerages globally under the RE/MAX brand, and mortgage brokerages within the U.S. under the Motto Mortgage brand. 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. Now with more than 140,000 agents in almost 9,000 offices and a presence in more than 110 countries and territories, nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by total residential transaction sides. Dedicated to innovation and change in the real estate industry, RE/MAX launched Motto Franchising, LLC, a ground-breaking mortgage brokerage franchisor, in 2016. Motto Mortgage has grown to over 200 offices across almost 40 states.

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SOURCE RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Root Brands has partnered with the International Science Nutrition Society (ISNS) to do third party testing and collaborations with scientists, doctors, researchers, hospitals, and companies, in science and nutrition. Focusing on education and research in the areas of the environment, health, wellness, medicine, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, biotech, phytology, and ecology.

ISNS acquires and shares knowledge while providing emotional, mental, and spiritual expertise through a mind, body, spirit and soul approach platform. ISNS is comprised of world-renowned doctors, healthcare professionals, and research scientists with extensive backgrounds in the science, nutrition, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.

It is important to ISNS's founder, Dr. Christina Rahm, a mother of four, that ISNS offers memberships to any individual interested in science and nutrition. Dr. Rahm states, "Every loving and caring mother and father can be scientist and nutrition experts. They need to be to take care of their family. There is nothing that makes individuals want to gain knowledge more than trying to help others through improved health. ISNS welcomes all individuals dedicated to this endeavor of betterment of self and others."

This community was created on the principle that the science behind nutrition is often demoted to addressing problems without solving the root cause of the issue. ISNS is an evidence-based society where science is integrated into all areas of health and wellness. The members have access to the latest research and case studies in these areas. ISNS also provides opportunities for research and grants with an extensive library of resources on natural ingredients, minerals, vitamins, and plants. The Root Brands has partnered with ISNS for case studies, scientific guidance, research and education. Root's founder, Clayton Thomas states, "I partnered with ISNS to get third-party testing and case studies done on products internationally. Due to ISNS's global reach, they have been able to conduct a great deal of work on products which will be beneficial to consumers all over the world."

ISNS is a membership only community, encompassing medical professionals, students, mothers, academics, healthcare providers, scientists, and researchers worldwide. There are three levels of membership: basic, associate, and professional. To register and to learn: sciencenutritionsociety.com

Socials:

Website - sciencenutritionsociety.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/International-Science-Nutrition-Society/100064003034292/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sciencenutritionsociety

Media Contact: [email protected]

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SOURCE The Root Brands
(Tribune News Service)  Few units in the U.S. Army are as fabled as the Dundalk-based 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment (5th Maryland), better known simply as the 175th Infantry Regiment, of the Maryland Army National Guard.

Formed as the Baltimore Independent Cadets in 1774, the unit helped save George Washingtons army at the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, played a major role in saving Baltimore from British destruction at the Battle of North Point in 1814, hit Omaha Beach on June 7, 1944, and took part in the U.S. war on terror in the mid-2000s. Today, its a force of about 600 citizen-soldiers, with armories in Dundalk, Easton, Glen Burnie, Frederick and Silver Spring.

Whats little known today, however, is that many members of the unit split from the Union during the Civil War and took up arms for the South. Historians say most of its foot soldiers  largely working-class Baltimoreans who were, at best, suspicious of the intentions of President Abraham Lincoln  left for Virginia, where they reformed as the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment (Confederate).

Enough of the outfit did so that the 175th gives their exploits a place of honor in unit history.

But a national Naming Commission tasked with reconsidering Confederate ties among the names of U.S. military installations and symbols is on the verge of changing that.

Like many units in the U.S. military, the 175th carries streamers, or commemorative military banners, atop its flag. They resemble long, colorful ribbons, each with lettering that names a campaign or battle in which the unit took part. People can see them on display in parades and color guard exercises. Seven of the units more than two dozen streamers have blue and gray stripes and bear the name of a Civil War battle or campaign in which its soldiers fought on the Southern side.

The chair of the national panel, retired Navy Admiral Michelle J. Howard, has notified the House and Senate armed services committees that the panel will recommend the Army eliminate a 1949 rule that gave U.S. military units permission to fly streamers symbolic of battles in which they fought for the Southern side. The commission released her letter publicly Aug. 1.

Forty-eight Army units have at least one Confederate campaign streamer; a total of 457 Confederate streamers are presently authorized, Howard wrote. As a result of the recommendation, those 457 Confederate battle streamers would no longer be authorized. The units are spread across 11 Southern states, plus Missouri, with Georgia and Virginia having by far the most units that would be affected.

All indications are that the entities involved, the congressional committees and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, will accept the committees recommendation. That would mean the streamers would be removed from service as early as next year.

If Austin approves the change, the Armys Center for Military History and its subunit, the Army Institute of Heraldry, would take those recommendations and push out guidance for changes, and we would adhere to them, said Capt. Ben Hughes, a spokesman for the Maryland National Guard. If they say, Take those streamers off, those streamers would come off.

The Naming Commission, a panel consisting of former uniformed and civilian military leaders, was established as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021. Its charge is to submit a final report to Congress by Oct. 1 with recommendations to remove, rename or modify names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia within the Department of Defense that commemorate the Confederacy.

The commission was formed in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020 and the national reckoning on race that followed.

Its most widely known assignment has been to reconsider the names of bases that honor Confederate officers. The panel has recommended new names for nine installations.

Commissioners are also scrutinizing the names of scores of streets, buildings, ships and fields, as well as signs, statues and memorials. An additional category under review is heraldry  the symbols and images military units use in branding and in encapsulating their history. Last week, Howard announced that the group would recommend that the 29th Infantry Division, another storied Army component with Maryland ties, be allowed to retain its blue-and-gray, yin-yang style insignia.

The streamers are another form of heraldry. The Army confers the ribbons on fighting units to commemorate significant battles in which they have taken part. Made of silk or nylon, theyre typically affixed to a units regimental flag. When that flag is displayed or unfurled  whether at a ceremony or in the field  the streamers provide a visual representation of a units achievements.

The 175ths total of 31 is extraordinary, owing to its long and active combat history. At 248 years old, its the oldest continuously operating military unit in Maryland, said Joe Balkoski, a military historian and author, and one of the oldest in the U.S. armed forces.

Seven symbolize the participation of the 1st Maryland in engagements on behalf of the Confederacy. Civil War streamers are designed in blue and gray, with the color of the side the unit fought for on top and the name of the battle or campaign spelled out. The regiments seven represent its participation at First Manassas (called the First Battle of Bull Run by the North), the Peninsula campaign, the Shenandoah Valley campaign, and the battles of Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Appomattox.

Balkoski said the Army developed the streamer system to build esprit de corps.

The entire purpose is to, at a glance, have soldiers understand that over many centuries, soldiers of the very unit that theyre in participated in this conflict, performed this valorous service, and had a strong morale based on the bonding of military units at this level, he said.

The regiments honorary colonel and longtime member, retired Army Col. Randy Everett, along with the units leadership, consider Confederate ideology to have been hurtful and offensive. But Everett said he considers it regrettable to lose nearly one-fourth of the units streamers because it takes a bite out of its historical representation.

Theyre an amalgamation of the history of a unit that dates back to before the founding of the republic, said Everett, from the prewar Colonial days through the War on Terror.

I would not in any way want to offend anyone or cause consternation, but the history of the 175th does transcend our nation. And even during those Civil War years, that history did take place, he said. In my view, history is there to be learned from, and in that way, Im sorry well probably be losing a piece of it.

The congressional committees will convey their thinking to Austin when the time comes, and the military boss will make the final call, If, as most expect, he backs the change, Everett said hell do what a good soldier always does: salute and support the decision.

In the end, we follow our orders, he said.

2022 Baltimore Sun.

Visit baltimoresun.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NAPLES, Italy  The Navy has recovered a Super Hornet jet that was swept overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Mediterranean Sea a month ago, the service announced Monday.

The F/A-18E, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 1, was recovered Wednesday from a depth of about 9,500 feet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet said in a statement. The plane was taken to a nearby military base and will be transported to the U.S., the Navy said.

The Super Hornet was lost July 8 during unexpected heavy weather. In announcing the loss two days later, the service said a determination about recovery was being made.

The statement did not say how the plane was located or whether it was intact. It also did not give the exact location where the jet was found, but the Truman had been sailing in the Ionian Sea, USNI News reported July 7.

Search and recovery took less than 24 hours from the time the plane was located, Lt. Cmdr. Miguel Lewis, U.S. Sixth Fleet salvage officer, said in the statement.

Analysts said the decision to retrieve the jet could have hinged on whether it had been updated with new technology that could be exploited by Russia or China. The Super Hornet was introduced in 1999.

Upgrades in Block III versions, the newer models, include an infrared search-and-track system that is useful in pinpointing stealth aircraft, better radar equipment and a precision-approach landing system, experts said.

In addition, the Navy plans to upgrade Block II versions, which are an older type of Super Hornet.

The jet blown off the Truman was recovered using a CURV-21 remotely operated vehicle that attached specialized rigging and lift lines to the plane.
JOHANNESBURG  The United States sees Africa's 54 nations as "equal partners" in tackling global problems, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in South Africa Monday.

"Our strategy is rooted in the recognition that sub-Saharan Africa is a major geopolitical force  one that has shaped our past, is shaping our present, and will shape our future," Blinken said at the University of Pretoria in a speech detailing the Biden administration's policies for Africa.

"It's a strategy that reflects the region's complexity, its diversity, its agency; and one that focuses on what we will do with African nations and peoples, not for African nations and peoples," he said.

Blinken said that the United States and African nations "can't achieve any of our shared priorities  whether that's recovering from the pandemic; creating broad-based economic opportunities; addressing the climate crisis; expanding energy access; revitalizing democracies; or strengthening the free and open international order  if we don't work together, as equal partners."

South African academics and students responded warmly to Blinken's speech, which was a broad declaration of U.S. intentions toward sub-Saharan Africa. The United States is often faulted for overlooking the continent in recent decades, opening space for Russian and Chinese interests to make significant inroads.

The United States' top diplomat is in South Africa as part of a three-nation tour of Africa including Congo and Rwanda in what is seen as a contest between Western nations and Russia to win support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.

Blinken's tour follows recent trips to African countries by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

South Africa is among many African countries that have taken a neutral stance on the Ukraine war.

Before his speech, Blinken met in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, with Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor. Pandor appears to have maintained her country's refusal to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, in a press briefing following the meeting, Pandor criticized the U.S. and other Western powers for focusing on the Ukraine conflict to the detriment of other international issues.

"We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine, as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine," she said.

Before the closed-door meeting with Pandor, Blinken had said that the United States' good relations with South Africa would allow them to be frank in discussing their differences.

Many African countries have declined to follow the U.S. lead in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some were among more than a dozen African governments that have signed security deals with the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian mercenary group that the U.S. and other countries say is backed by the Kremlin.

Sub-Saharan nations also have been major recipients of Chinese investment through its "Belt and Road Initiative," which supports infrastructure developments.

AP journalists Chris Megerian and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, D.C., contributed.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Chad's military government and more than 40 rebel groups signed a pledge Monday in Qatar ahead of planned national reconciliation talks, though the deal did not include the country's main opposition group.

Under the terms of the deal in Doha, those who signed have agreed to a cease-fire ahead of the Aug. 20 talks planned in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena. Chad's junta also agreed to "not take any military or police operations against the signing groups" in neighboring countries.

However, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country, did not sign the pledge. The shadowy group, known by its French acronym FACT, is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chad's longtime President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country since 1990.

That immediately called into question whether the deal would be enough to ensure the success of the talks as a planned 18-month transition from military rule to democracy winds down.

We hope "other groups will join the march of reconciliation and peace, with a view to achieving the aspirations and dreams of the Chadian people," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told those gathered for the signing ceremony. "The initial peace agreement we are celebrating today will be an important turning point towards stability and prosperity for the Chadian people."

"It is no secret that the negotiations faced many challenges which were addressed through your estimated efforts," Sheikh Mohammed added.

The talks began in March in Qatar. The challenges during the negotiations include some 20 rebel groups walking out of the talks in July, accusing the military government under Deby's 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, of "harassments, intimidation, threats and disinformation" amid the negotiations.

Rebels have called for Deby to declare he would not run in any coming elections, though the military junta has insisted that can only be decided in the national dialogue talks. The pledge signed Monday in Qatar by 42 of 47 Chadian rebel groups involved in the talks did not include any prohibition on Deby running in any coming vote.

In a statement before the ceremony, FACT said it rejected the accord as those taking part in the national dialogue would be not be treated equally and that it wanted rebel prisoners released as well. However, it maintained it remained ready for future talks.

Chad's Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif also signed the deal on behalf of his country, though Deby had been in Doha on Saturday to meet Qatar's ruling emir ahead of the signing ceremony.

Chad had grown frustrated by the 30 years of rule by Deby's father, leading to years of rebel uprisings in the former French colony that borders Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Unrest in those surrounding countries have seen Chadian rebel forces hide across the border.

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
KIGALI, Rwanda  Rwanda's government is rejecting a report by United Nations experts saying they have "solid evidence" that members of Rwanda's armed forces are conducting operations in eastern Congo in support of the M23 rebel group whose deadly resurgence has led to talk of war as well as protests against the U.N. peacekeeping force.

The report is a "tactic to distract from real issues," Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said in a statement describing the report as containing "false allegations."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting both countries this week, with the deadly turbulence in mineral-rich eastern Congo leading the agenda.

Rwanda accuses Congo of collaborating with another rebel group, the FDLR, and said regional security can't be achieved until that issue is addressed. The FDLR was created by ethnic Hutus who fled Rwanda during the country's 1994 genocide that killed at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Congo has denied supporting the group.

"Rwanda has a legitimate and sovereign right to defend our territory and citizens, and not just wait for disaster to unfold," Makolo said.

In a new report to the U.N. Security Council, obtained by The Associated Press, the experts accused Rwanda's forces of violating a U.N. arms embargo against Congo by their "direct intervention" into the country, either to support the M23 rebel group or to conduct military operations against the FDLR.

Rwandan military members also violated sanctions by providing weapons, ammunition and uniforms to M23 rebels, the experts' report said. Attacks by the M23 have become more frequent, longer and stronger, and the territory under the group's control has "significantly increased," causing massive displacement of civilians and indiscriminate shelling, the experts added.

The latest in eastern Congo insecurity has sparked deadly protests against the U.N. peacekeeping force there.

Relations between Congo and its smaller neighbor Rwanda have been fraught for decades. Rwanda alleges that Congo gave refuge to Hutus who carried out the genocide. In the late 1990s, Rwanda twice sent its forces deep into Congo, joining forces with Congolese rebel leader Laurent Kabila to depose the country's longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

A meeting between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Angola on July 6 produced a statement calling for a return to normal diplomatic relations, a cessation of hostilities, and the "immediate and unconditional withdrawal" of the M23 from its positions in eastern Congo.
BOGOTA, Colombia  Colombia's first leftist president was sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and bring peace to a country long haunted by bloody feuds between the government, drug traffickers and rebel groups.

Gustavo Petro, a former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group, won the presidential election in June by beating conservative parties that offered moderate changes to the market-friendly economy, but failed to connect with voters frustrated by rising poverty and violence against human rights leaders and environmental groups in rural areas.

On Sunday, he said Colombia was getting a "second chance" to tackle violence and poverty and promised that his government would implement economic policies that seek to end longstanding inequalities and ensure "solidarity" with the nation's most vulnerable.

The incoming president said he was willing to start peace talks with armed groups across the country and also called on the United States and other developed nations to change drug policies that have focused on the prohibition of substances like cocaine, and fed violent conflicts across Colombia and other Latin American nations.

"It's time for a new international convention that accepts that the war on drugs has failed," he said. "Of course peace is possible. But it depends on current drug policies being substituted with strong measures that prevent consumption in developed societies."

Petro is part of a growing group of leftist politicians and political outsiders who have been winning elections in Latin America since the pandemic broke out and hurt incumbents who struggled with its economic aftershocks.

The ex-rebel's victory was also exceptional for Colombia, where voters had been historically reluctant to back leftist politicians who were often accused of being soft on crime or allied with guerrillas.

A 2016 peace deal between Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia turned the focus of voters away from the violent conflicts playing out in rural areas and gave prominence to problems like poverty and corruption, fueling the popularity of leftist parties in national elections. However, smaller rebel groups like the National Liberation Army and the Gulf Clan continue to fight over drug trafficking routes, illegal gold mines and other resources abandoned by the FARC.

Petro, 62, has described U.S.-led antinarcotics policies as a failure but has also said he would like to work with Washington "as equals," building schemes to combat climate change or bring infrastructure to rural areas where many farmers say coca leaves are the only viable crop.

Petro also formed alliances with environmentalists during his presidential campaign and has promised to turn Colombia into a "global powerhouse for life" by slowing deforestation and reducing the country's reliance on fossil fuels.

He has said Colombia will stop granting new licenses for oil exploration and will ban fracking projects, even though the oil industry makes up almost 50% of the nation's legal exports. He plans to finance social spending with a $10 billion a year tax reform that would boost taxes on the rich and do away with corporate tax breaks.

"He's got a very ambitious agenda," said Yan Basset, a political scientist at Bogota's Rosario University. "But he will have to prioritize. The risk Petro faces is that he goes after too many reforms at once and gets nothing" through Colombia's congress.

Analysts expect Petro's foreign policy to be markedly different from that of his predecessor Ivan Duque, a conservative who backed Washington's drug policies and worked with the U.S. government to isolate the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an attempt to force the authoritarian leader into holding free elections.

Petro has instead said he will recognize Maduro's government and try to work with the Venezuelan president on several issues, including fighting rebel groups along the porous border between the countries. Some border residents are hoping that improved relations will generate more commerce and job opportunities.

Hours before Petro took office, at the most important border crossing bridge with Venezuela, a group of people carried a Colombian flag as they walked toward Venezuela chanting "Viva Colombia, Viva Venezuela!" Supporters of Maduro held a concert on the Venezuelan side of the border.

In Cucuta, a city just a few miles from the Venezuelan border, trade school student Daniela Cardenas is hoping Petro will carry out an educational reform that includes free tuition for college students.

"He has promised so many things," Cardenas, 19, said after traveling 90 minutes from her rural community to the city. "We must work to be able to pay our student fees, which are quite expensive and, well, that makes many things difficult for us."

Eight heads of state attended Petro's inauguration, which was held at a large colonial-era square in front of Colombia's Congress. Stages with live music and big screens were also placed in parks across Bogota's city center so that tens of thousands of citizens without invitations to the main event could join the festivities. That marked a big change for Colombia where previous presidential inaugurations were more somber events limited to a few hundred VIP guests.

"It's the first time that people from the base can come here to be part of a presidential inauguration," said Luis Alberto Tombe, a member of the Guambiano tribe wearing a traditional blue poncho. "We feel honored to be here."

But not everyone is feeling so hopeful about Petro's victory. In Medellin Stefan Bravo, a conservative activist, organized an anti-Petro march on Saturday that was joined by around 500 people. He's worried Colombia's new president will erode the separation of powers in the South American country, and follow the policies of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

"Petro does not represent us," Bravo said. "This government will be a threat to family values, private property and foreign investment."

Petro won the election by just 2 percentage points, and is still a polarizing figure in Colombia, where many have been wary of having former guerrillas participate in politics.

His Cabinet appointments have also been highly scrutinized: The new president picked an internationally renown economics professor as his finance minister, while also choosing an academic who researches the negative impacts of extractive industries as his minister for mining, and giving the labor ministry to the head of Colombia's communist party.

"I think he's trying to forge a balance," said Sergio Guzman, a political risk analyst in Bogota. "He has included the activists who he promised to make an integral part of his government, the centrist technocrats who give the markets confidence, and the different political parties with whom he has to govern to pass anything in congress."

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Associated Press journalist Regina Garcia Cano contributed to this report from San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela.
CANBERRA, Australia  Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday called for a cooling of tensions after Beijing accused her of "finger-pointing" in her criticism of China's military exercises in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Wong criticized China's launch of ballistic missiles during the ongoing air and sea drills around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. She also signed a joint statement with the United States and Japan on Saturday that condemned firing of missiles into Japanese exclusive economic zones and accused China of "raising tension and destabilizing the region."

The Chinese Embassy in Australia replied to the trilateral statement, saying: "It is absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on China's justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The embassy accused Australia of doing the bidding of the United States, which China described as the "biggest saboteur and destabilizer of peace in the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability."

"We ... hope that the Australian side could treat the Taiwan question with caution, does not follow certain countries' strategy of containing China with Taiwan, and does not create new troubles and disturbances in China-Australia relations," an embassy statement said.

Wong declined to comment on the state of the Sino-Australian relationship following Pelosi's visit last week. Beijing had signaled a potential reset in the relationship following the new Australian government's election in May. Relations had plumbed new depths during the previous government's nine years in power.

"What is most critical at the moment is that the temperature is lowered and calm is restored when it comes to cross-strait tensions," Wong told reporters.

"Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge de-escalation, and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for, and the whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored," Wong added.

Asked how Australia was a developing foreign policy independent of the United States, Wong told reporters: "Australia is always guided by our national interests."

She later hosted U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at Parliament House. Sherman came to Australia after visiting Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga  South Pacific island nations where China is increasing its influence.

Sherman said at the outset of talks with Wong that the United States and Australia "share a commitment in deepening cooperation with the Pacific islands who are critical partners."

Wong's call for restraint was backed by Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, who was in the Australian capital Canberra for the opening of a new embassy.

Rinkevics drew parallels between Chinese military assertiveness over Taiwan with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"It is very important to understand that China is also very carefully watching what is happening in Europe, what is happening in Ukraine," he said. "It is very important that we work together and we provide the same kind of message of the need to have a restraint, not to overreact in their actions and not to create another regional and global hotspot."

Latvia wants Russia declared a state sponsor of terrorism and has urged other countries to follow the Latvian lead by denying all Russians any type of visa.
PALEMBANG, Indonesia  Military training involving 2,000 American and 2,000 Indonesian troops this month in Southeast Asias most populous country is a sign of Indonesias importance amid tensions with China, security experts said Monday.

Super Garuda Shield, which kicked off Aug. 1 and ends Sunday, includes smaller contingents of troops from a dozen other nations. Its the largest installment yet of an exercise held annually for 16 years, according to an Army news release Thursday.

The exercise began with soldiers from the United States, Indonesia and Japan parachuting Wednesday into a training area on the island of Sumatra.

Sumatra  the largest of Indonesias 17,000 islands that is completely within the countrys territory  sits on the equator and is covered in vast rainforests that are home to tigers, elephants, orangutans and rhinoceroses.

Troops who have served in the Middle East may recognize the Islamic call to prayer echoing from mosques during the training. Nearly nine in 10 people in the country with 275 million citizens are Muslims.

The U.S. Armys 7th Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis McChord, Wash., is overseeing American forces involved in Super Garuda Shield from a base in Baturaja. Division commander Maj. Gen. Stephen Smith leads U.S. forces on Sumatra.

The airborne operation, which involved three C-130J Super Hercules from the 374th Airlift Wing deployed from Yokota Air Base, Japan, coincided with amphibious training by members of the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit alongside Indonesian soldiers on Singkep Island, just 20 miles north of Sumatra and south of Singapore.

The amphibious operation happened near a key gateway to the South China Sea, where Beijing has territorial claims that Indonesia does not recognize. The two nations have clashed over fishing rights in recent years.

Obviously, the South China Sea is a potential conflict area although China has been less aggressive when it comes to Indonesia than other closer [Southeast Asian] neighbors, Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii, said in an email Monday.

Nobody involved in Garuda Shield is likely to say that the training is aimed at China, he said.

China is certainly in the back (or front) of everyones mind, especially after the events around Taiwan of the past few days, Cossa said, referring to Chinese military drills near the island after last weeks visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Indonesia is unlikely to be an arena of conflict involving China, although both Washington and Beijing probably wish for strong ties with Jakarta given its ability to help shape politics in Southeast Asia and beyond, said Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently went to Beijing as the first major foreign leader to visit China since the Winter Olympics earlier this year, Chong said in an email Monday.

In the event of a conflict, Indonesias geographic position and growing capability, means that it is in a position to complicate access, communications, and logistics for both the United States and [China], he said. Such conditions create incentives for Beijing and Washington to reach out to Jakarta.

Indonesia was a Dutch colony from the 17th century until the Japanese invasion and occupation during World War II, which led to the countrys independence after Japan surrendered.

Indonesia has a strong independent, anti-colonial streak, Chong sad. Efforts to undermine, belittle, or underestimate Indonesia is likely to invite strong pushback.

This months military exercise helps underscore Indonesias position as a key regional partner that can bring together neighboring states in Southeast Asia, he added.

Garuda Shield highlights the military aspect of Indonesias regional role, augmenting Jakartas efforts to showcase Indonesias political and economic importance, he said.

The nations participating in the exercise have an opportunity to deepen ties with Indonesia, particularly its military, Chong said.

Australia, Japan and Singapore are taking part in Super Garuda Shield alongside the U.S. and Indonesia; Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the United Kingdom have sent observers to the exercise, according to the Army release.

Through the exercise, Indonesia also offers a platform for the different militaries to engage in a different setting and learn more about working with each other, Chong said.
WASHINGTON  In a recent closed-door meeting with leaders of the agency's counterterrorism center, the CIA's No. 2 official made clear that fighting al-Qaida and other extremist groups would remain a priority  but that the agency's money and resources would be increasingly shifted to focusing on China.

One year after ending the war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden and top national security officials speak less about counterterrorism and more about the political, economic and military threats posed by China as well as Russia. There's been a quiet pivot within intelligence agencies, which are moving hundreds of officers to China-focused positions, including some who were previously working on terrorism.

Intelligence officials stress that the counterterrorism fight is hardly being ignored. Just a week ago, it was revealed that a CIA drone attack killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Kabul. But days later, China staged large-scale military exercises and threatened to cut off contacts with the U.S. over House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan. It underscored the message CIA deputy director David Cohen had delivered at that meeting weeks ago: The agencys top priority is trying to understand and counter Beijing.

The U.S. has long been alarmed by China's growing political and economic ambitions. China has tried to influence foreign elections, mounted campaigns of cyber and corporate espionage, and detained millions of minority Uyghurs in camps. Some experts also think Beijing will in coming years try to seize the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan by force.

Intelligence officials have said they need more insights on China, including after being unable to definitively pinpoint the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beijing has been accused of withholding information about the origins of the virus.

And the war in Ukraine has underscored Russia's importance as a target. The U.S. used declassified information to expose Russian President Vladimir Putin's war plans before the invasion and rally diplomatic support for Kyiv.

Supporters of the Biden administration approach note that the fact the U.S. was able to track and kill al-Zawahri is evidence of its capabilities to target threats in Afghanistan from abroad. Critics say the fact that al-Zawahri was living in Kabul, under the apparent protection of the Taliban, suggests there's a resurgence of extremist groups that America is ill-equipped to counter.

The shift in priorities is supported by many former intelligence officers and lawmakers from both parties who say it's overdue. That includes people who served in Afghanistan and other missions against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said he believed the U.S. had been overly focused on counterterrorism over the last several years.

"A far greater existential threat is Russia and China," said Crow, a Colorado Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees. Terrorist groups, he said, "will not destroy the American way of life  the way China can."

CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp noted that terrorism "remains a very real challenge."

"Even as crises such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and strategic challenges such as that posed by the People's Republic of China demand our attention, CIA will continue to aggressively track terrorist threats globally and work with partners to counter them," Thorp said.

Congress has pushed the CIA and other intelligence agencies to make China a top priority, according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. Pushing resources toward China has required cuts elsewhere, including in counterterrorism. Specific figures were unavailable because intelligence budgets are classified.

In particular, lawmakers want more information about China's development in advanced technologies. Under President Xi Jinping, China has committed trillions of dollars in investment on quantum science, artificial intelligence and other technologies that are likely to disrupt how future wars are fought and economies are structured.

As part of the shift, congressional committees are trying to better track how intelligence agencies spend their funding on China, seeking more detail about how specific programs contribute to that mission, one person familiar with the matter said.

"We are late, but it's good that we're finally changing our focus into that region," said Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. "That means in people, in resources, in military assets, and in diplomacy."

The CIA last year announced it would create two new "mission centers"  one on China, one on emerging technologies  to centralize and improve intelligence collection on those issues. The CIA is also trying to recruit more Chinese speakers and reduce wait times on security clearances to hire new people faster.

Inside the agency, many officers are learning Chinese and moving into new roles focused on China, though not all of those jobs require language training, people familiar with the matter said.

Officials note that intelligence officers are trained to adapt to new challenges and that many were moved more quickly into counterterrorism roles after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Advances from counterterrorism work  including better use of data and different sources of intelligence to build networks and identify targets  are also useful in countering Russia and China, former officers said.

"It's the analytics and targeting machine that has become extraordinary," said Douglas Wise, a former CIA senior officer who was deputy chief of operations at the counterterrorism center.

The CIA's Counterterrorism Center, renamed the Counterterrorism Mission Center in a 2015 reorganization, remains a point of pride for many people who credit its work for keeping Americans safe from terrorism after Sept. 11. CIA officers landed in Afghanistan on Sept. 26, 2001, and were part of operations to displace the Taliban and find and kill leaders of al-Qaida including Osama bin Laden.

And 13 years after a double agent tricked officers pursuing al-Zawahri and blew himself up, killing seven agency employees, the CIA killed him in a strike with no reported civilian casualties.

The CIA was also involved in some of the darkest moments of the fight against terrorism. It operated secret "black site" jails to hold terrorism suspects, some wrongly, and was found by a Senate investigation to have used interrogation methods that amounted to torture. Elite Afghan special operations units trained by the CIA were also accused of killing civilians and violating international law.

There's long been a debate over whether counterterrorism pulled intelligence agencies too far away from traditional spying and whether some of the CIA's work in targeting terrorists should instead be done by special forces under the military.

Marc Polymeropoulos is a retired CIA operations officer and former base chief in Afghanistan. He said he supports a greater focus on China and Russia but added, "There's no reason to diminish what we had to do."

"This notion that somehow all the CT work we did, somehow that was wrong, that we took our eye of the ball  just remember on Sept. 12 what everyone was feeling," he said.

Re-orienting the agencies toward more of a focus on China and Russia will ultimately take years and require both patience and recognition that the agency's culture will take time to change, Wise said.

"For decades, we have been doing counterterrorism," Wise said. "We've got to have a rational plan to make this adaptation, which doesn't take so long that our enemies can exploit a glacial process."
CANBERRA, Australia  The U.S. deputy secretary of state said Monday the prime minister of the Solomon Islands "missed an important opportunity" by failing to attend a memorial service to mark the anniversary of a key World War II battle, amid concerns the South Pacific island nation is building closer ties with China.

Wendy Sherman and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy were among dignitaries who attended a dawn service near the capital of Honiara on Sunday to commemorate the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Sherman's father, Marine Mal Sherman, and Kennedy's father, the late President John F. Kennedy, almost died in fighting on the Solomons. Kennedy had been the commander of a patrol torpedo boat that was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Sherman was wounded during the Guadalcanal campaign, which was the Japanese army's first defeat of WWII.

Local media reported that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who signed a security pact with China this year, appeared to have snubbed the ceremony, a claim his office later denied.

Sherman declined to say whether she considered the prime minister's absence a snub. She said Sogavare "will have to answer to his own citizens about why he made the choice that he did," in an apparent reference to the next election.

"I said to the prime minister directly that I was so sorry that obviously his schedule did not allow him to come because he missed an important opportunity," Sherman told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

"This was a place where international leaders gathered to say that the work with Solomon Islanders, at the time of World War II, was decisive in victory, in ensuring freedom and democracy. And so I really felt sorry for the prime minister because I think he missed an important opportunity," she added.

Sogavare denied a snub, telling the Solomons Star News newspaper in a statement that the government was well represented at all events over three days marking the anniversary at ministerial levels.

The statement said newspaper claims of a snub were misleading and lacked understanding of protocols applied at such events.

The pact with China has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australia's northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, the U.S. territory that hosts major military bases.

Both the Solomons and China have denied their pact will lead to a Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific.

Sherman said Sogavare had repeated the assurance during her recent visit that there would be no Chinese base.

"This is a situation where we will all watch very carefully to see what happens here. It is quite critical," Sherman said.

In April, a U.S. delegation to Honiara led by Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, warned that the United States would take unspecified action against the Solomons should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

Sogavare accused the U.S. and Australia of threatening and disrespectful behavior.

China's growing influence in the Pacific has led the United States to commit to reopening an embassy in Honiara that it closed in 1993. Washington has also committed to opening embassies in Tonga and Kiribati, a Micronesian state that, like the Solomons, recently switched its allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing.

A Solomons ceremony on Monday, a day after the commemoration that Sherman and Kennedy attended, was briefly interrupted when an assailant armed with a pair of scissors attacked a Japanese sailor.

Radio New Zealand reported that the victim was part of a Japanese navy media team and was stabbed in the neck, receiving minor injuries.

The report quoted medics as saying the sailor required stitches but was doing well. Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighboring community and was under the influence and mentally unstable.

Also attending the ceremony were Makoto Oniki, Japan's state minister of defense, and Peeni Henare, New Zealand's defense minister.

The suspect reportedly tackled the sailor to the ground during the attack before locals and U.S. military personnel stepped in and detained him. Police then took him away. The ceremony resumed after a short break.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  South Koreas veterans affairs chief denounced North Koreas mockery of a new Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C., and said honoring those who died for their country is a courtesy and duty as a human being, regardless of political ideology.

The North Korean state-run news outlet Uriminzokkiri, or With Our People, on Saturday described events in Washington as ceremony play.

The Wall of Remembrance and the unveiling ceremony play may comfort and commemorate someone; however, it would never lessen the nightmare of the lost war and cure the shame of the disastrous defeat, said the column. The wall instead should stand as a testament to North Korea, our great republic, which has embraced a great victory.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was rededicated in a ceremony on July 27 to include a new Wall of Remembrance that contains the names of over 36,000 American and 7,100 South Korean augmented troops who were killed during the 1950-53 war.

On Sunday, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Minshik described North Koreas remarks as irrational and that it was time that North Koreas propaganda outlets should level up.

Those who died in war ought to be remembered for their service, Park said in a statement posted on his Facebook account.

The U.S. sent the largest number of young persons to the war and some of them never returned to their loving families, Park said. Commemorating the sacrifice and commitment is a courtesy and a duty as a human being, regardless of political ideology.

North Koreas state-run news outlets frequently criticize the U.S.-South Korea alliance and mock war casualties from the two countries.

The communist regime characterizes its Korean War campaign as a successful deterrent against imperialist forces. North Korea also holds tributes to the war dead and observes a national holiday to commemorate the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement.

Congress approved building the memorial wall in 2016 and construction workers broke ground in 2021. The renovations cost $22 million and were funded by donations from South Korean companies, religious groups and veterans organizations, according to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. Upgrades to the existing memorial included installation of rail lighting, planting of junipers and statue restorations.

"This wall reminds us of the depths of their sacrifice and instills in us a call of duty to carry on their fight," South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong said at the rededication ceremony, according to a Defense Department news release. The service members we are here today to honor stood their ground in battlefields so that future generations could live in a vibrant democracy  indeed, [South Korea] is a vibrant democracy today.
TOKYO  Nuclear-armed nations must commit to a no first-use policy as rising tensions between them revive the threat of nuclear war, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday.

The world is witnessing a radicalization in the geopolitical situation, he said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. He cited as examples Russias invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing enmity between North and South Korea.

Nobody can accept the idea of a new nuclear war, because that would be the destruction of the planet, Guterres said. What is clear is that if nobody uses [nuclear weapons] for the first time, then there will be no war.

He added that any attack on nuclear plants is suicidal, referring to reports that Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant  Europes largest  came under fire on Saturday. Both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of the attack, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

The news conference took place just two days after a short meeting between Guterres and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, both of whom visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on Saturday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, the worlds first use of a nuclear weapon in war.

Kishida, in the meeting, said Japan would lead international efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons, according to a Saturday news release from Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Guterres responded that no other country can speak about the issue of nuclear weapons with the same moral authority as Japan.

At a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and the nuclear threat is back in focus, Japans strong and consistent voice on this is more important, he said Monday.

During Mondays conference, Guterres also touched on environmental concerns in Japan, and called for global solidarity in the fight against climate change.

Japan itself is seeing the consequences of our exploitation of fossil fuels with an unusual structure of extreme heat, followed by torrential rain, he said. Addiction to fossil fuels is a one-way street toward the destruction of jobs, businesses and economies and to increase conflict and disease.

Guterres called on Japan to commit to cutting carbon emissions, invest in renewable energy technology and move away from using coal.

With its impressive record of innovation and appreciation for the natural world, Japan has enormous potential for global leadership on the climate, he said.

Guterres is expected to travel from Japan to Mongolia and South Korea, according to the U.N.s website.
China on Monday continued its military exercises around Taiwan that were scheduled to end at noon the previous day, according to the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

The Eastern Theater Command continued to conduct practical joint exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan Island, focusing on organizing joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations, according to a terse notice posted on the ministry website. It did not specify where or for how long the drills would continue.

Spurred by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan on Wednesday, the Chinese military undertook four days of exercises, starting with the firing of 11 ballistic missiles, five of which impacted inside Japans maritime exclusive economic zone on Thursday. Four likely overflew Taiwan and one came down about 50 miles north-northwest of Yonaguni at the southwest end of the Ryukyu Island chain, according to Japan Today, which cited the Japan Defense Ministry on Friday.

On Sunday, multiple bomber formations flew across the Taiwan Strait from north to south and from south to north, while several fighter jets conducted joint drills with destroyers and frigates, according to China Military, an official online news site.

Beijing sent 66 aircraft and 14 warships into the area around Taiwan on Sunday; 22 aircraft crossed the median line in the 110-mile-wide Taiwan Strait, the unofficial boundary separating Taiwan and China, according to Taiwans official Central News Agency.

Experts in international relations said the continuing drills constitute overreaction and exceptional punishment for Taiwan that risk global backfire.

The fact that the drills have continued beyond their scheduled end is abnormal. It shows that Beijing wants to deliver exceptional punishment to Taiwan in response to Speaker Pelosi's visit, said James Brown, an associate professor at Temple University, Japan Campus, in Tokyo.

This was also evident in China's decision to simulate bombing raids and missile attacks on Taiwan, as well as to fire ballistic missiles over Taiwan, Brown said in an email Monday to Stars and Stripes. Clearly, the longer and more intense these drills are, the more escalatory they become.

Browns colleague, Jeff Kingston, a professor of history and Asian studies at Temple, agreed that China gave too much vent to the speakers visit.

China has overreacted to the Pelosi visit and reinforced concerns about its regional ambitions, Kingston told Stars and Stripes in an email Monday. Ironically, Pelosi seems to have greater influence over China than among Americans. Her gesture was provocative but could have been brushed off as of no great consequence.

Brown said China aims to intimidate Taiwan and its partners to avoid a repeat of Pelosi's visit. That threat is likely to backfire in the global competition between China and the United States, he said.

On the one hand, you have a democratically elected politician making a peaceful visit to a fellow democracy, Brown said. On the other, you have an autocratic regime responding with threats of missile strikes and invasion. This situation makes it crystal clear to the global public which side is the aggressor here.

Continued military exercises raise questions about Chinas long-range intent, Kingston said.

Taiwanese worry about the implications of the stifling of Hong Kong for their democracy but must take some encouragement that China's belligerence is building greater support in Japan and the US and now NATO, he wrote. The question on many people's mind is where do China's aspirations stop? What is the next target for China's glowering nationalism?
KYIV, Ukraine  The way to stop Russia from annexing any more of Ukraines territory, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, is for Western countries to announce that they would ban all Russian citizens in response.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post, Zelenskyy said that the most important sanctions are to close the borders  because the Russians are taking away someone elses land. He said Russians should live in their own world until they change their philosophy.

Russian leaders have signaled they could hold annexation votes in the occupied parts of Ukraines east and south  in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions  on Sept. 11, alongside regional elections already scheduled to take place. Russian officials say those votes would legitimize Russias claim to those areas, but critics say the votes would be a Russian-manipulated farce.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior White House officials have warned that any attempted land grab through sham referendums would bring additional costs imposed upon Russia.

It is unclear what those consequences would be. Much as they did before Russia invaded on Feb. 24, Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials are pushing their Western partners to announce sanctions as a deterrent. Zelenskyy told The Post on Monday that the sanctions already imposed on Russia for its unprovoked war in Ukraine are weak compared with closing borders to Russian citizens for one year and a full embargo on the purchase of Russian energy.

Russian airlines have been banned from flying over most of Europe and North America, which has made it more challenging for Russians to travel abroad. But there is no blanket ban in place such as Zelenskyy is suggesting; Russian citizens are still free to apply for a visa to visit the United States, for example.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters Monday that she believes issuing tourist visas to Russians should be restricted and called for a European Union-wide ban.

Some critics have argued that banning all Russians would unfairly impact those who have left the country because they disagree with President Vladimir Putins government and his decision to attack Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said such distinctions dont matter: Whichever kind of Russian  make them to go Russia.

Theyll understand then, he said. Theyll say, This [war] has nothing to do with us. The whole population cant be held responsible, can it? It can. The population picked this government and theyre not fighting it, not arguing with it, not shouting at it.

Dont you want this isolation? Zelenskyy added, speaking as if he were addressing Russians directly. Youre telling the whole world that it must live by your rules. Then go and live there. This is the only way to influence Putin.

Zelenskyy spoke for an hour in his presidential office, where hallways are kept dark and lined with sandbags to protect against attack. Zelenskyy wore a black T-shirt with the Ukrainian trident symbol, rather than his usual military-green fatigues. He was leaning forward and animated as he answered questions, gesturing with his hands, tapping the white table to make his points.

One challenge for Ukrainian officials pushing for strong measures to prevent a referendum is explaining why it would mark a turning point in the war. The vast majority of the international community wouldnt recognize such a vote or Russias subsequent annexation. But analysts say that once Russians have officially laid claim to territory and declared it part of Russia, it would erase any possibility of Russian troops withdrawing without being forced out militarily.

Ukrainian officials understand Russias thinking from experience. Russian forces invaded Crimea in 2014, held a vote that was dismissed internationally and have had control of the peninsula ever since. Officials in Kyiv still complain that the Western response wasnt strong enough then.

Annexation would also complicate matters for Western countries that have been providing Ukraine with weapons. Officials in Washington and European capitals have carefully sought to limit the weapons they provide for strikes on Russian forces inside Ukraine. But if Moscow considered strikes in post-referendum Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as the targeting of Russian territory, it could risk dragging NATO countries into the conflict.

Zelenskyy has said that annexing territory would rule out negotiations with Russia.

Ukrainian officials are also concerned that Russia will move up its referendum timetable in response to Ukraine threatening a military counteroffensive in the region. Ukrainian forces have been steadily gaining back ground around the city of Kherson, the first major city Russia captured and the only regional capital.

Military advances are often one small village at a time. That progress has been aided some by Ukraines use of U.S.-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS launchers, to damage Antonovsky Bridge, which is key to Russias efforts to resupply its troops.

Russia appears to be shifting its troops and equipment south in response, potentially setting up a military conflict for the key Black Sea port that analysts say could be key to the trajectory of the war. Zelenskyy said he wanted Russia to know that regaining control of Kherson was just a first step: Let them know that as soon as we have enough forces and means, were going to de-occupy all of our territories.
Two men accused of crafting a plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and ignite a national rebellion are facing a second trial this week, months after a jury couldn't reach a verdict on the pair while acquitting two others.

The result in April was a blow to federal prosecutors, who had set out to show that extremists were committed to snatching Whitmer and causing chaos close to the election between Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump.

The trial of Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. means another public airing of secretly recorded conversations, text messages and chilling social media posts. It also comes at a time of intense news coverage of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by Trump supporters at the Capitol.

Jurors will see how undercover FBI agents and informants had infiltrated the Michigan group. In response, defense attorneys again will argue that Fox and Croft were shielded by the First Amendment when they expressed malicious opinions about government and were entrapped every step of the way.

"The stakes are higher because the government has doubled down," Matthew Schneider, a former U.S. attorney in Detroit, said of the second trial. "They're going to try this all over again, and the government's view is, 'We're going to prevail.'"

Also in the background: Whitmer's reelection campaign for a second term is heating up. Jury selection starts Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"This is like deja vu all over again," U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said.

The government alleges that Fox, who was living under a Grand Rapids-area vacuum shop, and Croft, a trucker from Bear, Del., wanted to target Whitmer as well as other public officials over their tough restrictions during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A handmade "shoot house" was erected for weekend gun drills. There is evidence that Croft, Fox and undercover operatives took a night ride to northern Michigan to check Whitmer's second home and discuss putting an explosive under a bridge. Two men who pleaded guilty will testify again for prosecutors.

"I'm gonna hit soon," Croft was heard saying during a June 2020 meeting of anti-government activists in Ohio. "I'm going to terrorize people. The right people. The people who have been terrorizing my people."

Fox and Croft are charged with conspiracy. The first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict against them. The jury, however, acquitted Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.

Caserta's attorney, Michael Hills, said the second trial will be "shorter and more focused" with two people instead of four.

"Defending a second time is always difficult for the defense," Hills said. "They've got everything against them, the power of the government."

The judge said he won't mention the result of the first trial during jury selection. But if prospective jurors say they're aware of it, Jonker will ask if it would affect their ability to be fair and impartial.

The "jury really needs to understand its decision needs to be based on the evidence in this case, not what happened in some other case," Jonker told the lawyers.

Whitmer, a Democrat, said little publicly after the first trial but opened up to The Washington Post during a recent interview.

"Does anyone think these kidnappers wanted to keep me or ransom me?" Whitmer said. "No. They were going to put me on trial and then execute me. It was an assassination plot, but no one talks about it that way. Even the way people talk about it has muted the seriousness of it."

White reported from Detroit. Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Mich., a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, contributed to this story.
WASHINGTON  The United States will send a record-setting $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine as the countrys armed forces attempt to beat back invading Russian troops, the Pentagon announced Monday.

President [Joe] Biden directed the 18th drawdown of an additional $1 billion in weapons and equipment from the Department of Defense inventories, Undersecretary for Defense Colin Kahl said Monday. This is the largest single drawdown of U.S arms and equipment utilizing this authority to date.

The new aid includes ammunition to support National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and High Mobility Artillery Rockets Systems, or HIMARS, according to the Pentagon.

Long-range rocket and missile systems have been important in the war since Russia shifted the focus of its invasion of Ukraine five months ago to the countrys eastern Donbas region, where the landscape resembles the flat, rolling plains of Kansas, according to the Pentagon.

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and High Mobility Artillery Rockets Systems have slowed [Russia] down and made it harder for them to resupply other forces, Kahl said.

This is a 200-pound warhead. It's kind of the equivalent of  a precision-guided airstrike. These are GPS-guided munitions, Kahl said. "[HIMARS] have been very effective in hitting things that previously the Ukrainians had difficulty hitting reliably  control nodes of sustainment and logistics hubs, key radar systems and other things."

They have also helped Ukraine stall the ongoing battle in eastern Ukraine as the fighting begins to shift to southern Ukraine, Kahl told reporters at the Pentagon.

Conditions in [eastern Ukraine] have essentially stabilized and the focus is really shifting to the south in part because the Ukrainians are starting to put some pressure down south and the Russians have been forced to redeploy their forces down there, he said.

Also included in the aid is 75,000 rounds of 155mm M777 howitzer ammunition, 20 120mm mortar systems and 20,000 rounds of accompanying mortars, 1,000 Javelin missiles and hundreds of AT4 anti-armor systems, Claymore anti-personnel munitions, C-4 explosives and demolition equipment, Kahl said.

To date, the U.S. has sent Ukraine two NASAMS, which are the same missile-defense systems that are used to protect the White House, and 16 HIMARS, truck-mounted rocket systems that can strike targets up to 43 miles away with 500-pound, precision-guided ammunition, the Pentagon has said.

The U.S. also has supplied Ukraine with about 127 M777 howitzers, which can reach distances of up to 18 miles, according to a Congressional Research Service report published Aug. 2.

The aid also includes medical supplies and armored medical transport vehicles, Kahl said. The vehicles come about two weeks after it was revealed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the treatment of wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a U.S. Army hospital in Germany.

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest overseas American military medical facility, remains postured and ready to support U.S. armed forces, NATO member countries and partners as directed, hospital spokesman Marcy Sanchez said July 27.

Kahl estimated there have been approximately 70,000 to 80,000 Russian fighters who have either been killed or wounded in the war so far. He did not have an estimate of Ukrainian casualties.

Yes, both sides are taking casualties, he said. The war is the most intense conventional conflict in Europe since the Second World War but the current Ukrainians have a lot of advantages, not the least of which [is] their will to fight."

Though the battle in the east has stalled, Russia did make some incremental gains there last month, Kahl said.

But that's come at extraordinary cost to the Russian military because of how well the Ukrainian military has performed and all the assistance the Ukrainian military has gotten, he said.

Mondays aid brings the total cost of weapons and equipment sent to the country since Russias invasion on Feb. 24 to about $9.8 billion.
WATERLOO, Iowa (Tribune News Service)  On a weekend when sailors from both the decommissioned and active ships USS The Sullivans reunited at Iowa Irish Fest, a new memorial depicting the original Navy ship was unveiled Sunday in Waterloo.

The occasion came a few months in advance of the 80th anniversary of the sinking of USS Juneau during World War II and the death of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo  Albert, George, Francis, Joseph and Madison  who were of Irish descent.

The sailors brought Navy camaraderie to Waterloo to dedicate a trio of special white cement mixing drums from Manatt's Inc., one bearing an iconic image of the Sullivan brothers overlooking the now-retired USS The Sullivans DD-537 vessel at sea and its familiar emblem.

"Since Waterloo is the home of the Sullivan brothers, we just thought this would be a great way to honor not only the Sullivans, but all veterans as well as active service members," said Chris Manatt, north area manager.

Former sailors from the now-retired USS The Sullivans DD-537  celebrating 79 years since it was commissioned and named after the five brothers  as well as former and current sailors from USS The Sullivans DDG 68 were on hand.

Members of the USS Iowa SSN 797 also were in attendance.

"One of the coolest parts was having the sailors here and interacting with them," Manatt said. "They dedicate their lives to protecting us, and it was pretty awesome seeing the veterans from the 537 looking up there and seeing their ship."

James R. Diefenderfer Jr., commander of the DDG 68, cut the ceremonial red ribbon, surrounded by about a dozen members of the Navy faithful, a number of whom were from his crew and in uniform.

Kelly Sullivan, a granddaughter of the late Albert Sullivan, told the veterans in attendance that "the spirit of the five Sullivans is in all of you, with your patriotism and your dedication to honoring our country."

After the ceremony, Diefenderfer, from Delaware, reflected on what it meant to be stationed on the USS The Sullivans.

"I knew it was a special ship. I knew it had a special history behind it," said Diefenderfer. "When I got to the ship and served on board for a year or so, it really felt even more special. Being back here in Waterloo, where the five boys walked around and went to restaurants and bars downtown, it's really special to see the streets that they grew up on, and a town that embraced them when they were here, and then embraced their family when they were gone."

The new memorial has a second mixing drum depicting another U.S. Navy icon, the USS George Washington. A third drum, in the middle of the other two, had the Manatt's Inc. logo.

They were mounted on concrete slabs, some 12 feet high, in front of the Manatt's plant and distinctively placed right next to the highway bridge over the Cedar River.

A concrete sidewalk, bench and two flag poles, one with the American flag and the other with the Iowa state flag, round out the new display.

"The reunion's been very great. It's a pleasure to get both ships together because of the camaraderie that we have as sailors," said Bill Galarneau Jr., 79, from Massachusetts, a machinist who served on DD-537 from 1963-1965. "It's always good to see old friends."

(c)2022 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)

Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com

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For years, David Long wished he could give back the Purple Heart he was awarded in 2006 after being wounded in Iraq.

"It was a tough journey," Long said Sunday at a Purple Heart Day ceremony at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, as he recalled numerous medical appointments, therapy sessions and nightmares. He said he had frequently wondered why he survived while others didn't.

Long works as a duty manager for the USO at Camp Arifjan and observes Purple Heart Day annually. He raised the idea of having an event at the Kuwait installation to mark the occasion.

The Sunday ceremony is believed to be the first of its kind for the USO in the Middle East, said Casey Pizzuto, the organizations senior manager at Camp Arifjan. It recognized Long and other Purple Heart recipients deployed to the base.

Purple Heart Day is a fairly recent creation, first observed in 2014, according to the Disabled Veterans National Foundation website. But the award itself, which is given to troops killed or injured by enemy action, is the oldest U.S. military decoration.

Long was a member of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines who fought in the battle of Ramadi, site of some of the deadliest fighting of the Iraq War.

He suffered from a traumatic brain injury and survivor's guilt in the years afterward. He said he found himself on the brink of suicide 11 years ago.

He struggled with the meaning of his Purple Heart, especially whenever someone would thank him for his service and then not know what to say after that.

"I fought next to men, great men who are no longer here," Long said Sunday. "They cannot be here, so why should I be 'awarded?'"

He said he finally knows how to view his Purple Heart in a way that honors those who didn't survive.

"I stand here today proud of this badge of merit," said Long. "Proud I can wear it for those men who cannot." Aug. 7 marks the day George Washington, the commander of American forces in the Revolutionary War, established what would become the Purple Heart in 1782 to recognize bravery in action.

The award would not be issued for 150 years, until the military revived it in 1932, according to the website of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. In 1944, the military tweaked its policy on the Purple Heart to give it the purpose it has today.

"I take pride in this specific day every year," Long said. "I lost a lot of my friends. For me, more or less, I do it for them."
VENTURA, Calif.  Remains of a man killed in the attack at Pearl Harbor have been identified as a Navy sailor from Southern California.

Shipfitter 2nd class Claude Ralph Garcia was 25 years old on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese forces bombed the military installation in Hawaii, the Ventura County Star reported Sunday.

News accounts at the time described Garcia as the first resident of Ventura to be killed in World War II, the Star said.

Garcia had been one of more than 72,000 service members unaccounted for since the war. The militarys Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has been using new DNA technology to identify them.

Garcia was a member of the 1933 graduating class of Ventura High School who attended community college prior to joining the Navy, according to the Star.

He was assigned to the USS West Virginia, one of 21 ships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. Garcia's remains had been buried in a grave at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
A soldier looks through binoculars during combat exercises and training of the navy of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the waters around the Taiwan island, Aug 5, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

The United States was repeatedly warned that there would be serious consequences if House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

But defying all the disapproval and the urgings from all corners of the world that she abandon her provocative plan, including the message from the White House that it was thought not to be a good idea, she arrived in Taipei anyway on Aug 2.

It is clear to all that her visit was intended to be a significant and provocative show of support for the secession-desiring Tsai Ing-wen administration on the island. The Democratic Progressive Party has written the pursuit of independence into its party program. Beijing is therefore fully justified in responding in a way that ensures the separatists know the risks they are running in trying to edge the island toward "independence".

The live-fire drills the People's Liberation Army is conducting around Taiwan are meant primarily as a deterrent against the separatist forces on the island. But they are also meant to ensure that not just Washington, but all "external forces" are aware of the serious consequences of meddling in the Taiwan question, which is purely an internal affair of China.

Pelosi's trip once again demonstrated that it is China hawks in Washington that are the source of the greatest trouble in the region and therefore the gravest threat to regional peace and stability. They are not only maliciously infringing on China's sovereignty by playing the "Taiwan card" but also violating the US' international obligations. The US' ugly record of meddling in other countries' internal affairs is littered with such hubristic provocations.

Beijing has thus announced eight measures tailored specifically for Washington, which are intended to drive home the message that playing the "Taiwan card" brews real dangers.

Three of the measures are cancellations of military-to-military talks. The other five are the suspension of cooperation in areas such as climate change and transnational crimes where China and the US have been working together.

The US is used to creating a problem first, and then using it to realize its own strategic aims. Despite the Joe Biden administration's claims that it couldn't stop Pelosi's visit, the US has clearly taken the opportunity, whether planned or not, to try and mess up the regional security landscape.

As State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "This is very dangerous and stupid". No matter how the US supports or connives with the Taiwan separatist forces, it will be in vain. Nor should it pin its hopes on countries in the region joining it in provoking trouble over the Taiwan question, because peace, stability, development and win-win cooperation are the common aspirations of regional countries.

As Wang assured his hosts during his recent visits to Southeast Asian nations, while making justified, reasonable, legal and measured responses to counter Washington's attempts to play the "Taiwan card", Beijing is making every effort to preserve regional peace and stability. So while inflicting pain on the violators, Beijing has also shown that it wants to neither upend the China-US relationship, nor disrupt the regional security landscape.
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Connors, with an address at Schoolhouse Road, Saggart, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to failing to wear a face covering under the Health Act.

Andy Connors (27) was at a city centre station at the height of restrictions when he failed to follow the law.

Judge Gerard Jones fined him 200.

Connors, with an address at Schoolhouse Road, Saggart, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to failing to wear a face covering under the Health Act.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the incident happened when it was required by law to wear a face covering in certain premises including garda stations.

A garda told the court Connors came into Clondalkin station on January 13 last year.

He was not wearing a face mask and was directed to put one on, which he did.

While he was waiting in the public office, Connors removed the mask several times and had it down around his chin.

He was warned that if he failed to keep the mask on properly, he could be issued with a fixed penalty notice, the garda told the court.

The notice was issued but was not paid and Connors was prosecuted.

The court heard he had no previous convictions.

Connors was married and unemployed, his barrister Ciaran MacLoughlin said.

He asked the judge for leniency and to take account of the fact that Connors did have a mask on but was not wearing it correctly.

Judge Jones fined and convicted the accused.
Businessman offered gangs the use of private planes to make drug runs from France to Longford airfield

A businessman had been offering a number of different crime gangs across the country the use of private planes and details about the remote airfield in Co. Longford for drugs transportation in recent months  sources said last night.

The veteran businessman, who has no involvement in the plane syndicate, cannot be named here for legal reasons as he is facing serious drug-trafficking charges.

The businessman has links to a number of the countrys biggest crime gangs, including the Mr Big mob based on the capitals northside.

Gardai believe the 8.4 million shipment, seized last Thursday night, is likely to have originated with the Kinahan cartel and was destined to be divided amongst a number of gangs once it arrived here.

Gardai also suspect the aircraft used may have been used for previous drug-smuggling trips  dating as far back as the Covid-19 lockdown.

And investigators are analysing the flight records of the Cessna plane to establish if the person behind last Thursdays shipment had organised trips on the aircraft previously.

The Sunday World also understands that more arrests are expected in the investigation.

The development comes as it has emerged that Gardai are pretty certain that the airfield at Abbeyshrule airfield, in Co. Longford, had been used for a number of major drug runs in the past year.

There is a suspicion that this businessman, who is not one of the two arrested men, may have been one of the organisers of the seized cocaine, a source said.

He has already been a major target for specialist gardai for years in relation to drugs trafficking and has been charged in relation to this, a source said.

He had been telling people specifically that he had access and detailed knowledge of a new route to get drugs into Ireland and this route has been used before to get shipments in, the source added.

The haul of cocaine

The innocent owners of the aircraft yesterday spoke of their shock that it had been used to smuggle drugs.

Were just shocked to think this could have happened, one of the owners told the Sunday World.

Were just members of a flying group and werent aware of any of this until we got the phone call to say our plane had been seized.

I have spoken to the Gardai about this  If the Gardai need any help we will help them in any way we can and thats the way it is.

The syndicate member said he was alerted to the planes seizure by another syndicate member after he was notified by Abbeyshrule airfield.

He was told the guys were there seizing it, the member said.

We were dumbfounded. The last thing we expected to see was our plane on the Six O Clock news.

Not in a million years would any of us have thought that.

In the past month alone, its understood the aircraft made two trips to northern France  identical to the one on Thursday after which the drugs were seized.

Last Thursday evening, gardai from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were watching as the aircraft landed at Abbeyshrule airfield after flying back from northern France.

Its understood two men exited the aircraft before removing six hold-all bags and a suitcase later found to contain 120kgs of cocaine with a street value of 8.4 million.

Two vehicles were stopped a short time later in Westmeath and the men arrested.

Speaking on Friday, Detective Supt Seamus Boland, of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau, said Thursdays operation had stopped a large quantity of dangerous drugs making it onto our streets and causing significant harm to our communities.

Asked if the Kinahan cartel were involved in Thursday 8.4 million shipment, he replied: Investigations at this time are ongoing and those investigation will include us tracing and identifying the origin and the drug-trafficking network that is involved in this particular case.

But I think it should be very obvious to anybody that any drug network that has the capability to purchase and transport drugs of this quantity into any jurisdiction is working on a global scale.

So, all those matters are currently being investigated.

Det Supt Boland said investigators were receiving significant co-operation from international partners in the investigation.

The use of light aircraft, he continued, in transporting large quantities of drugs across Europe is not something new and isnt something Ireland has escaped.

This is actually the second occasion this year in 2022 that An Garda Siochana has seized a light aircraft in the course of investigations into transnational organised crime.

Asked whether Gardai were worried that criminal gangs were now using commercial airfields to smuggle drugs into Ireland, Det Supt Boland responded: This is something new. Unfortunately, its something being experienced in every other jurisdiction.

Every port of entry or route into this country, whether its via transport or through logistics, attempts will be made by organised crime gangs to corrupt that.
Last night gardai would not confirm whether an item discovered by garda divers in the Tolka River between two foot bridges yesterday morning was the gun used in the murder.

Gardai are investigating whether a 28-year-old man who was shot dead in a north-side Dublin apartment was targeted because of his involvement in street-level crack cocaine dealing.

A murder investigation has been launched after the discovery of the body of Sean McCarthy in an apartment in Drumcondra on Saturday night.

Mr McCarthy had been missing from his home in Poppintree since last Tuesday.

It is understood that he suffered a number of fatal gunshot wounds at a property where gardai believe the attack took place. Gardai have identified a suspect.

He was arrested on Saturday night and is was last night still being detained in Clontarf Garda Station where he can be held for seven days.

Gardai at the scene at Achill Road, Drumcondra Dublin after the discovery of a body of a man in his late 20s.A man has been arrested and is currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 in a north Dublin Garda Station. Pic Collins Photos

Senior sources said the victim was a low-to middle-level figure in a drug-dealing operation in the Ballymun area of the city in which crack cocaine and other hard drugs are distributed at street level.

The victim was someone that owed money out to more senior dealers but also acted as a heavy for a gang in relation to collecting debts, according to information obtained by gardai, a senior source said last night. His involvement in this type of activity is being considered as a strong line of inquiry in this case, the source added.

Last night gardai would not confirm whether an item discovered by garda divers in the Tolka River between two foot bridges yesterday morning was the gun used in the murder.

Gardai had been conducting a search for Mr McCarthy since last Tuesday including a detailed search of the Royal Canal at Phibsborough on Friday, which involved the garda sub-aqua unit and the deployment of the garda helicopter.

It is understood Mr McCarthy had frequented the area in recent times. The reality of this tragic matter is that gardai were always looking for a body for a number of days because of intelligence received, a senior source said.

Gardai at the scene in Drumcondra   Garrett White

The search operation continued into Saturday leading gardai to the apartment on Achill Road where they found Mr McCarthys remains.

Senior sources have revealed the suspect was well known to Mr McCarthy, and detectives are not looking for anyone else in relation to the case.

Gardai believe Mr McCarthy was shot where his remains were discovered.

Officers also sealed off a second scene in Griffith Park, where two footbridges were closed for a time.

Gardai had issued a missing-person appeal on Mr McCarthy on Saturday afternoon, saying they were concerned for his well-being and trying to locate him.
Gardai are appealing for any persons who were travelling in the Home Farm Road area of Drumcondra and its environs between the morning of Tuesday, 2nd August, 2022, and the evening of Saturday, 6th August, 2022, who observed any activity which drew their attention, to come forward.

The body of Sean McCarthy was discovered in Drumcondra on Saturday night.

Mr McCarthy had been missing from his home in Poppintree, Ballymun, since last Tuesday.

It is understood that he suffered a number of fatal gunshot wounds at the property where gardai believe the attack took place.

His body was removed from the scene on Sunday afternoon and taken to Dublin City Mortuary where a post-mortem examination was conducted by State Pathologist Sally Anne Collis. The results are not being released for operational reasons.

An incident room has been established at Ballymun Garda Station while a Family Liaison Officer has been appointed and continues to keep the family informed.

Gardai have identified a suspect, aged in his 30s, who was arrested on Saturday night and is still being detained at a Garda Station in North Dublin under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007. He can be held there for seven days.

The apartment on Achill Road, Drumcondra where Mr McCarthys body was discovered remains preserved for technical examination.

Officers also sealed off a second scene in Griffith Park, where two footbridges were closed for a time.

Gardai are now appealing to the public for assistance, urging those who noticed any suspicious activity in the Drumcondra area between last Tuesday and Saturday to come forward.

A spokesperson said: Gardai are appealing for any persons who were travelling in the Home Farm Road area of Drumcondra and its environs between the morning of Tuesday, August 2, 2022, and the evening of Saturday, August 6, 2022, who observed any activity which drew their attention, to come forward.

Anyone with any information that may assist Gardai with this investigation is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Senior sources said the victim was a low-to middle-level figure in a drug-dealing operation in the Ballymun area of the city in which crack cocaine and other hard drugs are distributed at street level.

The victim was someone that owed money out to more senior dealers but also acted as a heavy for a gang in relation to collecting debts, according to information obtained by gardai, a senior source said last night.

His involvement in this type of activity is being considered as a strong line of inquiry in this case, the source added.

Last night gardai would not confirm whether an item discovered by garda divers in the Tolka River between two foot bridges yesterday morning was the gun used in the murder.

Gardai had been conducting a search for Mr McCarthy since last Tuesday including a detailed search of the Royal Canal at Phibsborough on Friday, which involved the garda sub-aqua unit and the deployment of the garda helicopter.

It is understood Mr McCarthy had frequented the area in recent times.

The search operation continued into Saturday leading gardai to the apartment on Achill Road where they found Mr McCarthys remains.

Senior sources have revealed the suspect was well known to Mr McCarthy, and detectives are not looking for anyone else in relation to the case.
Mr Priu was charged with two counts of sexual assault

A London-based carpenter charged over a late-night sexual assault of a woman who was allegedly fighting him off on a Dublin street has been refused bail.

A patrolling garda arrested Ovideo Priu (30), a Romanian national with an address at Melford Road, London, at 2.30am on Thursday at Camden Street Lower.

Mr Priu was charged with two counts of sexual assault and appeared before Judge Cephas Power at Dublin District Court.

Garda Sean Murphy, of Pearse Street garda station, told Judge Power that the accused made no reply to the charges.

He objected to bail, citing flight risk concerns.

Gda Murphy said he was patrolling Camden Street Lower when he observed the offence and the woman running from the accused.

Gardai obtained CCTV footage and later arrested and detained the accused for questioning.

The contested bail hearing was told he identified himself in the footage but made no admissions.

The officer said the accused lived in the UK and worked in London.

Questioned by defence counsel Garrett Casey, he accepted the accused would spend a lengthy period in custody pending his trial if the case were sent for trial to a higher court.

Mr Casey submitted that being held in custody in a foreign country was onerous for someone who was presumed innocent.

He told the court the defendant could reside in Dublin with a family member who would help him find work.

The barrister said Mr Priu would not leave the jurisdiction, adding that he does not accept the charge.

The court heard he had no prior convictions.

Regarding the garda claims of Mr Prius lack of ties to Ireland, counsel said his client had a Dublin-based relative in court.

Furthermore, the barrister suggested he could be bailed with conditions to regularly sign at a garda station and surrender his passport and national identity documents.

Gardai must obtain directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Judge Power noted the man had the presumption of innocence and some ties to Ireland, which could provide him with accommodation and work.

However, refusing bail, he cited the garda evidence of the woman fighting off the accused and the man being caught red-handed and that he resided in the UK.

Judge Power remanded him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday. Legal aid was granted.
The money collected from the machine which is stocked with water, protein bars, energy drinks and snacks, goes back into running the centre which operates on a not-for-profit basis

This is the moment a man smashes up a brand new vending machine outside a Community Centre in county Louth.

The vandal put the boot into the machine at around 1.30am last Saturday morning after it had been delivered to the location, at Blackrock near Dundalk, just 10 hours earlier.

The vending machine after the attack

A display screen was broken in the incident, which happened shortly after 1.30am on Saturday.

The 24-hour vending machine had only been delivered at 3pm on Friday.

The money collected from the machine which is stocked with water, protein bars, energy drinks and snacks, goes back into running the centre which operates on a not-for-profit basis.

The community-based classes held there include drama, crafting, breastfeeding, baby massages while fitness activities are also included in the timetable.

CCTV footage is being examined by Gardai and anyone with information is asked to contact Dundalk Garda Station..

A number of local community groups also use the centre,

A Garda spokesperson said: Gardai are investigating an incident where a vending machine was damaged in Blackrock, Co. Louth between the 5th and 6th of August 2022.

No arrests have been made. Investigations are ongoing.
Figures released to Deputy O Broin by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) show that 1,781 tenants were served with eviction notices between April and June of this year  more than double the amount in the same timeframe last year (841).

A general view of tents belonging to homeless people in front of a newly constructed office block on Dublin's Grand Canal.   PA

Builders walk by the tent of a homeless person in Dublin.

Figures released to Deputy O Broin by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) show that 1,781 tenants were served with eviction notices between April and June of this year  more than double the amount in the same timeframe last year (841).

In a column published in The Irish Examiner today, Mr O Broin said that a chronic undersupply of social housing coupled with the growing of single property private landlords exiting the market is driving the homelessness crisis.

Eoin O Broin TD. Picture by Gareth Chaney/Collins

Even seasoned analysts of our housing crisis were surprised by the most recent jump [in eviction notices]. And the fear is that this trend is going to continue as more and more landlords exit the market, Mr O Broin said.

According to the RTB, high property prices are currently seeing many landlords exit the market to sell their properties, meaning there are less rental properties in an already squeezed market.

The Deputy said theres also a growing resentment among single property landlords at the sweetheart tax deals gifted to build-to-rent institutional investors who pay no tax on their rent roll or capital gains.

With rents at record levels, there is no doubt that the majority of landlords are making a very significant profit on their investments. However, if single property landlords continue to exit the market while Government fails to provide an adequate supply of social housing, then homelessness will continue to rise.

Indeed, the shrinking of the private rental sector coupled with Government failures on social, affordable and student accommodation explains the escalating housing crises across all these sectors, Mr O Broin said.

This comes as the latest homelessness figures show 10,492 people without homes in the country - just shy of the peak of the homelessness crisis in 2019 when 10,514 were declared homeless.

Of course, these figures dont reflect the true level of homelessness. They don't include rough sleepers, women and children in Tusla-funded domestic violence refugees or men and women in hostels not funded by the state.

They also dont include over 3,000 adults and children with leave to remain but are unable to leave Direct Provision because of the shortage of housing.

The figures also dont include the unknown number of people living with family and friends in overcrowded and unsuitable accommodation or sofa surfing.

Whatever way you count it, the homelessness crisis has never been as bad, and it is going to get worse, Deputy O Broin said.

A general view of tents belonging to homeless people in front of a newly constructed office block on Dublin's Grand Canal.   PA

The Sinn Fein TD said the latest RTB eviction notice figures must be a wake-up call. Inaction is no longer acceptable. He confirmed he has written to Housing Minister Darragh OBrien urging him to convene an urgent meeting to address the crisis in the private rental sector.

That meeting should involve tenant and landlord representative bodies such as Threshold and the IPOA/IPAV. The RTB should be in attendance as well as opposition housing spokespersons. The purpose of the meeting should be to agree on a plan to respond to the deepening crisis in the private rental sector.

Mr O Broin said that all actions, including a temporary eviction ban into homelessness, reform of tax in the sector and the increased use of vacant properties must be considered.

We need radical action and we need it now, Deputy O Broin said.
Desmond Dessie Byrne (52) drowned alongside his adored 62-year-old Swedish-based sister, Muriel Eriksson.

Muriel Eriksson had been living in Sweden

Special guards of honour by sporting and community groups will be provided at the joint funeral of a heroic brother who died alongside the sister he desperately tried to save from the sea off Kerry last week.

Desmond Dessie Byrne (52) drowned alongside his adored 62-year-old Swedish-based sister, Muriel Eriksson.

His teenage son was on Ballybunion beach at the time and it is feared he may have witnessed part of the heart-breaking incident unfold last Thursday.

The double tragedy  the worst drowning incident in Kerry for over 30 years  shocked Ireland and renewed pleas for greater awareness of water safety.

Special pleas for people to be careful in Irelands seas, rivers and lakes were issued by the Coast Guard and Water Safety Ireland as the country prepares to bask in a week-long mini-heatwave with temperatures set to climb to 28 degrees.

Mr Byrne will repose alongside his beloved sister, Muriel, at his Lecarrow home in Roscommon this afternoon.

His remains will then be taken to St Johns Church in Lecarrow tomorrow morning for 12 noon for a joint requiem mass.

Mr Byrnes burial will then take place at the local cemetery.

Mrs Erikssons remains will be cremated at Lakelands Crematorium in Cavan on Wednesday afternoon.

Muriel Eriksson had been living in Sweden

The father of two was deeply involved in sporting and community groups in the Roscommon-Westmeath area, particularly the Lecarrow Lazers Cycle Club.

Special guards of honour will be formed at the requiem mass as a mark of respect for the carpenter and the entire Byrne family.

Friends and family of Muriel Eriksson, who had been based in Sweden for years, are flying into Ireland from Malmo to offer their support to her heartbroken family.

Mr Byrne is survived by his devastated partner, Paulette, his sons Dean and Josh, Paulettes daughter, Regina, and her sons, Blake and Jace.

He is also survived by his brothers Kenny, Donal, Justin and Colm, brother-in-law, Kris, who is based in Sweden, sisters-in-law, Maggie and Nong, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins.

Gardai are treating the double tragedy on Thursday as a freak accident  but have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them as they prepare a file for a Kerry coroners inquest expected to be held next year.

Mr Byrne, who is originally from Athlone, has been based in Lecarrow in Roscommon for many years where he worked as a carpenter and carpet layer.

His older sister had been married and living in Malmo in Sweden in recent years but maintained very close links to Ireland.

She was very close to her younger brother and the pair would regularly enjoy short Irish breaks while she was home from Sweden.

The siblings were on a brief holiday in Ballybunion, Co Kerry, with Mr Byrnes youngest son, Josh, when the tragedy occurred.

It is understood that the family group had only arrived in Ballybunion days before the tragedy.
William Harkin escaped with a suspended prison sentence after he admitted making repeated calls to the PSNI that the IRA had left a bomb under a car in Newtownstewart

This is hoax IRA bomber William Harkin who we can reveal is the brother of hoax rape victim Hannah Harkin.

The siblings have been the bane of the PSNI over the last two decades with their repeated false claims and reports.

Last week, William Harkin escaped with a suspended prison sentence after he admitted making repeated calls to the PSNI that the IRA had left a bomb under a car in Newtownstewart.

This week, he told the Sunday World: I just had too much to drink.

It emerged during his sentencing he had previous convictions for making hoax bomb threats  and we can reveal that refers to Harkin calling in an alert to a bar in 2005.

On that occasion, Maguires Public House in the Drumlegagh area of Newtownstewart had to be evacuated  but once again he escaped with a suspended sentence.

Last year we revealed how his 59-year-old sister, Hannah, made three false allegations of rape against one man, leading to his arrest.

The disgraced mum of six was also convicted 20 years ago of providing a false alibi for her killer son.

.Hannah Harkin, from Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, was handed a suspended sentenced at Newry Crown court on Friday, after admitting preventing the course of justice by making the bogus claim to police

That came after her son Gerard Patrick Donnell served just five years for smashing to death 48-year-old Omagh man Andrew Bannon in 2003.

Donnell, who was highly intoxicated at the time of the killing, carried out the barbaric act because he thought his mum was involved in some kind of relationship with Mr Bannon.

He was also convicted of GBH with intent on another man and perverting the course of justice in connection with the same incident.

Hannah Harkin was convicted of withholding information after an Omagh barman heard her along with three others  including her killer son  concocting a false alibi.

Last week, Strabane Magistrates Court heard how William Harkin made a series of crank 999 calls, one of which he claimed was due to information received from the FBI.

The 62-year-old, of Drumlegagh Road South, pleaded guilty to a single charge of improper use of a telecommunications device and promised he would not commit the same offences again.

Deputy District Judge Sean OHare told him: Its clear to me that you have difficulties.

The court heard that on the first occasion, October 8 last year, that Harkin rang 999 and said there was an IRA bomb under a car in Newtownstewart.

Believed to be a hoax, police were tasked to speak to the defendant who was found to be drunk.

At first Harkin refused to say how or why he knew there to be a bomb under a car, then he started talking about the Omagh bomb.

Later he said he knew of the Newtownstewart bomb because the FBI had told him, but police warned him about the dangers of calling hoax bomb alerts and left it at that.

However, the very next day bomber Harkin again rang 999 FOUR further times. In the first three of these calls he claimed to be in the IRA and again claimed there were bombs in Newtownstewart.

Again, when police called, Harkin was found to be in a heavily intoxicated condition and again he was warned about making hoax calls.

He was subsequently arrested and cautioned.

The defendant comes before the court with a relevant record Judge OHare said. It has some very serious offending in it.

The judge noted that instances of previous offending including indecent behaviour and being drunk but noted his offending started back in 1982 and has continued with some gaps.

The difference here is, this was a protracted period of time... you were warned by police, he said.

I am concerned that there was something going on in October 2021 and that was making you behave like this... it happened four times after you were told not to.

He added: It seems to me that you need to get some help.

Harkin was then handed two months in prison suspended for two years.

The judge warned Harkin to keep himself to himself adding: If you commit any further offences in the next two years you will be starting at two months custody.

The hoaxer replied: It wont happen again, to which the judge responded: Thats what you said on October 8 and it happened the day after. It happened again after you were told not to. Its up to you to control yourself.

When we called at William Harkins house to ask why he kept making hoax calls about bombs. he said on this occasion, I just had too much to drink.

Just as he was about to explain what happened in more detail a younger male came out of the house and told us: We dont want anything in the paper about that, f**k away off.

After her convictions for making false rape allegations, his sister Hannah was also convicted last year of making nuisance phone calls to the 999 service.

She claimed shed been attacked in her home when she hadnt, she called 999 to complain about a parked car and on another occasion she called 999 again but then refused to answer her door.

But her rape claims were by far the most serious as they led to the arrest of a man who a judge said was left extremely distressed by the false allegation.

A judge in January 2021 described her behaviour as reprehensible adding: The stain that can attract can be very hard to repair and very distressing for him, yet this conduct was repeated, and the man was arrested.

When confronted by the Sunday World, Harkin blamed her addiction to alcohol for her shocking behaviour.

She had contacted the police on both occasions and claimed the man had lured her to her bedroom and raped her, but the next day had withdrawn the allegations.

The man had been arrested and strenuously denied the claims. She was also ordered by a judge to pay 1,000 compensation to her victim for the distress she had caused him.

It emerged later at Dungannon Crown Court hearing she had made a third rape allegation against the same man which had preceded the first two.

Here she faced the more serious charge of perverting the course of justice and had been due to stand trial when she changed her plea to guilty.

The killing of Andrew Bannon shocked the community around Mullaghmore and Hannah Harkin was forced out of the area, such was the anger felt towards her for her part in the fake alibi.

She was handed a suspended prison sentence after a barman had overheard her, her killer son and three others openly discussing an alibi in a pub.

When she appeared at court, Harkin was asked why she had not notified the police as soon as she became aware of what her son had done to Mr Bannon. She replied she regretted not contacting the police at the time before adding, it was a stupid thing to do.

Andrew Bannon, a popular character who was well known throughout Omagh, was brutally beaten by Donnell with a pickaxe handle.

Donnell was originally sentenced to 14 years in 2005 when a murder charge was dropped and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

But he appealed his sentence and had it reduced to 10 years and with 50 per cent remission he walked after just five years inside.

steven.moore@sundayworld.com
Rush hour ruckus | Pictured: Two men accused of hijacking Tesco van to get back to their own side of town
Some residents at the cordon said they had reported a strong gas smell two weeks ago, and others said they had been feeling dizzy and sick over the last two days.

London Fire Brigade's Urban Search and Rescue team at the scene in Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath, south London, where three people were rescued after a house collapsed amid a fire and explosion. London Fire Brigade/PA Wire   PA

Handout photo issued by the London Fire Brigade of the scene in Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath, south London, where three people were rescued after a house collapsed amid a fire and explosion. Picture date: Monday August 8, 2022. London Fire Brigade/PA Wire   PA

There are fears that a child could be trapped in the rubble of a destroyed building after a London home exploded this morning.

Two neighbours, Kutoya Kukanda, 50, and Delroy Simms, 62, said they helped rescue three children from the rubble at around 7am, but they feared a girl aged around four or five was still trapped inside. They believed the children's mother had been evacuated.

They said the house next door had also been badly affected by the blast.

Some residents at the cordon said they had reported a strong gas smell two weeks ago, and others said they had been feeling dizzy and sick over the last two days.

London Fire Brigade's Urban Search and Rescue team at the scene in Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath, south London, where three people were rescued after a house collapsed amid a fire and explosion. London Fire Brigade/PA Wire   PA

It comes after firefighters were called to the fire and explosion at a house in the area of Croydon shortly after 7am on Monday.

Images showed rubble from a collapsed terraced property, leaving a gap in a row of houses in Thornton Heath on Monday morning. A neighbour told local media it was the biggest bang youll ever hear.

Dozens of worried residents have gathered beside a police cordon at Thornton Heath in Croydon after a gas explosion destroyed at least one home.

People who had been evacuated from Galpin's Road in their pyjamas told the PAnews agency their windows had shattered early on Monday morning from the force of the explosion.

I went down the road to see what happened this morning and the whole house is gone, people living nearby said all their windows shook, a local told My London.

The fire brigade said one terraced house collapsed following the explosion, with neighbouring properties also damaged.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire and the explosion on the street in Thornton Heath.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said in a statement: Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters have been called to a fire and explosion on Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath.

A terraced house has collapsed following an explosion and neighbouring properties have also been damaged. Three people have been rescued.

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers have taken 14 calls to the incident.

The Brigade was called at 7.08am. Fire crews from Norbury, Mitcham, West Norwood, Woodside and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.

More to follow...
The last time I saw them was in 2019

Elaine Ryan has been trapped in a three year nightmare in the North African country after she went on holiday with her four children in August 2019 but then had them taken from her by her husband.

The Tipperary woman said she has not seen her children, Kais, Sihem, Hssine and Khaled in three years - and cannot get them back to Ireland despite court orders in her favour by the Tunisian authorities.

Almost 20,000 has been raised to support Elaine and her fight for her children by her friend, Lisa Gleeson, and Irish supporters.

The Portroe mother managed to secure a video-link call with the children last February - and admitted she has been heartbroken by her ordeal.

She said she is afraid that if she returns to Ireland without her children her plight may fade from the headlines.

"I feel that if I go home, this won't be taken seriously enough over here," she said.

"I made a promise that I would not leave without my children. I want to keep that promise."

Elaine said she had absolutely no inkling before a family holiday to her husband's native Tunisia in August 2019 that there were any problems.

However, once they arrived in Tunisia her husband brought up the idea of leaving the children with his family there.

Elaine said she immediately quashed that idea - and insisted the children would return to their Irish home.

However, the Tipperary woman was then shocked when her husband confronted her with legal papers - and his family then took the children from her.

She thought the children were being temporarily taken from the apartment until the issue between her husband and herself was resolved - but was shocked to realise the children were taken to a different address.

Elaine has not been allowed to have care of the children since then.

The youngsters are now aged from four to nine years.

It was only later she realised the true reason her husband only booked their flights one-way to Tunisia - having claimed before they left that it was cheaper buying separate one-way tickets than a return package.

Elaine now believes her husband had the entire seizure planned.

She does not know the precise location of the children - and, despite two court orders in her favour by Tunisian magistrates, she has not been able to secure her children.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the international lockdowns also worked in favour of her husband.

His family retains custody of the four children despite the two Tunisian court orders - and a letter from Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney asking why the Tunis authorities have not complied with legal requirements to get the children to Ms Ryan.

Elaine recalled to TippFM the last heartbreaking words she spoke to her daughter.

"(I told her) that I loved her very much and that she was the star of my heart," she said.

"Because she was the oldest I said she had to be prepared that Daddy might take ye - and I might not be able to find ye."

"That was the last time I saw my children and that was back in 2019."

Elaine has been entirely dependent on financial support from her family - and the back of a special fundraising appeal to support her campaign to find and repatriate her children.

Lisa Gleeson said a mother's love knows no bounds.

"This holiday turned into every mother's worst nightmare and Elaine is still in this nightmare on her own in a country fighting to get her children home," she said.

"She took a big risk going looking for them on her own in this country and she doesn't feel very safe."

"A mother's love has no bounds - Elaine is proof of this and will do anything to get them home."
Four Bay of Plenty designers have been awarded top honours at the 2022 Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards.

Held in Hamilton on Friday, the awards celebrate the greatest architectural designs New Zealand has to offer.

Awarding outstanding projects from across New Zealand in commercial and residential categories.

The award-winning Bay of Plenty designs came from Adam Taylor of ata, Jon McAlpine of TGA Ltd, Werner Naude of DCA Architects of Transformation and Andrew Ward of mod Architecture.

Jon McAlpine of TGA Ltd won four awards for two projects.

Rainscreen. Photo: Matt Queree.

He received a Highly Commended Award in the Residential New Home Between 150m2 and 300m2 category for his work on a project titled Rainscreen and three awards for a project titled Palm Springs including the Regional Residential New Home Between 150m2 and 300m2 Award, the Regional Residential Interiors Award and the Regional Resene Colour in Design Award.

Palm Springs located in Papamoa, Tauranga, is a unique show home that sits comfortably with the Palm Springs aesthetic. It is practical, liveable and environmentally conscious.

Palm Springs. Photo: Matt Queree.

McAlpine approached the design with a Mid Century modern intent.

ADNZ judges said there was a relaxed elegance to the design, a strong connection to the landscape and a sense of containment within the orthogonal forms.

The curved cedar clad exterior provides a gentle transition to the cedar lined foyer, creating a seamless connection between exterior and interior spaces. The plan is organised around a planted atrium, wrapped on four sides with glass. Space is layered around this central element with the glass sliders opening from the outdoor space into the heart of the home. Designed to a 6 Homestar rating, sustainability has been prioritised in the design decision-making and integrated using carefully selected materials, finishes and fixtures, says the judging panel.

Adam Taylor of ata won a Commended Award in the Residential New Home Between 150m2 and 300m2 category for his project Mana Ridge.

Mana Ridge. Photo: Simon Devitt.

Walking the tightrope between rural and contemporary, Mana Ridge has three modest gabled forms, sympathetic to its prominent position, that will gently patina as time passes.

Taylor gathered common use spaces and arrayed each cluster across the valley head. Living and sleeping wings orient North to passive design principles with utility spaces nestled behind. Deliberately simple, the material palette perfectly complements the arrangement. T

imeless and telling the story of a practical life on the land, a singular cladding was chosen to wrap all pods and capture the unique variations. Locally sourced, natural, and untreated Lawson Cypress Board and Batten is the aesthetic core. It was chosen to add texture, depth, and rhythm.

Judges said the design was a beautiful, fit for purpose, piece of architecture and that the contemporary home rests comfortably in its rural surroundings.

Werner Naude of DCA Architects of Transformation won two awards for a project titled St. Johns Church. The project won the Regional Commercial/Industrial Award and the Regional Commercial Interior Award.

St John's Church. Photo: Simon Devitt.

Judges say the brief for this new church was for it to be a place of God that is connected to the community with flexible, welcoming spaces, while also honoring the past. It needed to be functional for the present, while also future focused and multi-cultural/generational.

The designer needed to be mindful of declining Christianity in New Zealand. The design response is a modest building that is visually open and engaging with flexibility to serve the churchs community ministries. The use of red brick veneer creates a strong link to the past while also being residential in scale and nature. It also responds to the sites context, with openings in the brick allowing control of light, privacy and mood of the interior spaces through the creation of perforated apertures, with light bleeding softly through, says the judging panel.

The overall result is a beautifully crafted interior and exterior that provides both a spiritual and practical environment for the community.

Andrew Ward of mod Architecture received a Commended Award in the Commercial/Industrial category for his work on Te Puna Kindergarten.

Located in Te Puna, the Kindergarten required a new purpose-built building that could also serve the broader community outside operational hours.

The design response consisted of two pavilions separated by a central spine as the main entry. Northern light could enter a southern pavilion while also providing a clear delineation between the areas where the children should be and where they should not.

After hours, community-based groups can use the southern pavilion without accessing the main building. Judges said Ward had carefully responded to the brief.

Architectural Designers New Zealand CEO, Keryn Davis says the Bay of Plenty region was well represented at the awards.

The Bay of Plenty region was showcased by these outstanding designs. It was wonderful to see a mix of projects from the region, including residential and commercial. Well done to all the winners, says Davis.

Architectural Designers New Zealand is a leading professional body for architectural designers and architects in New Zealand. Entries are received from members throughout the country.

The winners are announced through a series of regional award events in July through to August.

The National Awards will be held on Friday, October 28, at Te Pae in Christchurch.

Bay of Plenty Winners

Designer: Adam Taylor, ata

Design title: Mana Ridge

Location of property: Welcome Bay, Tauranga

Award: Regional - Commended for Residential New Home Between 150m2 and 300m2

Description: Walking the tightrope between rural and contemporary, the design has three modest gabled forms, sympathetic to its prominent position, that will gently patina as time passes. Taylor gathered common use spaces and arrayed each cluster across the Valley head. Living and sleeping wings orient North to passive design principles, with utility spaces nestled behind. Deliberately simple, the material palette perfectly complements the arrangement. Timeless and telling the story of a practical life on the land, a singular cladding was chosen to wrap all pods and capture the unique variations. Locally sourced, natural, and untreated Lawson Cypress Board and Batten is the aesthetic core. It was chosen to add texture, depth, and rhythm.

Judges Citation: A beautiful, fit for purpose, piece of architecture, this contemporary home rests comfortably in its rural surroundings. Three modest gabled forms, sympathetic to its prominent position, will gently patina as time passes.

Designer: Jon McAlpine, TGA Ltd

Design title: Rainscreen

Location of property: Mount Maunganui

Award: Regional  Highly Commended for Residential New Home Between 150m2 and 300m2

Description: This home nestles comfortably into its natural beach dune environment. Adjoining the site is a reserve providing direct beach access. The brief was to deliver a family home with a minimalist architectural response using natural materials that also offer permanence and a solid foundation to the ever-changing costal environment

Judges Citation: Situated on a small 325 sqm site, this home nestles comfortably into its natural beach environment. The design maintains efficiency and simple forms with its organic and low maintenance vertical Accoya rainscreen cladding. This is a very strong, robust and elegant addition to the Mount Maunganui coastline.

Designer: Jon McAlpine, TGA Ltd

Design title: Palm Springs

Location of property: Papamoa, Tauranga

Award(s):

Regional Award Recipient for Residential New Home Between 150m 2 and 300m 2

and 300m Regional Award Recipient for Residential Interiors

Regional Award Recipient Resene Colour in Design

Description: A unique show home that sits comfortably with the Palm Springs aesthetic. It is practical, liveable and environmentally conscious. The design has been approached with a Mid Century modern philosophy. This home boasts a range of eco features and has been designed to gain accreditation as 6 Star Homestar rated. The design is optimised for solar electricity generation and storage, energy efficiency, and to suit local climate and site condition.

Judges Citation: There is a relaxed elegance to this design and a strong connection to the landscape and a sense of containment within the orthogonal forms. The curved cedar clad exterior provides a gentle transition to the cedar lined foyer, creating a seamless connection between exterior and interior spaces. The plan is organised around a planted atrium, wrapped on four sides with glass. Space is layered around this central element with the glass sliders opening from the outdoor space into the heart of the home. Designed to a 6 Homestar rating, sustainability has been prioritised in the design decision-making and integrated using carefully selected materials, finishes and fixtures.

Designer: Werner Naude, DCA Architects of Transformation

Design title: St. Johns Church

Location of property: Rotorua, Bay of Plenty

Award(s):

Regional Award Recipient for Commercial/Industrial

Regional Award Recipient for Commercial Interior

Description: In 2017, fire destroyed Rotoruas St Johns Church. The challenge was to design a church for the future which was no small task, in the face of declining Christianity in NZ. Located on a busy intersection of Rotorua, the building has been rebuilt over the footprint of the previous structure. DCAs design response took the opportunity to re-think what a church building could be and how it could enable more non-Christians to feel comfortable in approaching and using the building. The design response of a modest building is visually open and engaging-with flexibility to serve the churchs community ministries. The design eschews barriers to access which are present in many traditional Church buildings. The building scale is humble, lowered at the main areas of public engagement to a residential scale. The community hub is book-ended by glazing and connected with nothing to hide.

Judges Citation: The brief for this new church was for it to be a place of God that is connected to the community with flexible, welcoming spaces, while also honoring the past. It needed to be functional for the present, while also future focused and multi-cultural/generational. The designer needed to be mindful of declining Christianity in New Zealand. The design response is a modest building that is visually open and engaging with flexibility to serve the churchs community ministries. The use of red brick veneer creates a strong link to the past while also being residential in scale and nature. It also responds to the sites context, with openings in the brick allowing control of light, privacy and mood of the interior spaces through the creation of perforated apertures, with light bleeding softly through.

The overall result is a beautifully crafted interior and exterior that provides both a spiritual and practical environment for the community.

Designer: Andrew Ward, mod Architecture

Design title: Te Puna Kindergarten

Location of property: Te Puna, Bay of Plenty

Award: Regional  Commended for Commercial/Industrial

Description: Te Puna Kindergarten was under pressure to find new premises after the NZTA had an agreement to purchase the land to make way for a roading development. A relatively flat site, with great northern aspect, and ideal western car park access, it was perfect for the kindergartens brief. The kindergarten required a new purpose-built building that could also serve the broader community outside operational hours. The design response consisted of two pavilions separated by a central spine that is the main entry. Northern light could enter a southern pavilion while also providing a clear delineation between the areas where the children should be and where they should not. After hours, community-based groups can use the southern pavilion without accessing the main building.

Judges Citation: The designer has carefully responded to the brief for a purpose-built building that also serves the broader community. This is evident through the design of two pavilions taking on the architectural language of two barns, separated by a central spine that incorporates the main entry.
Hard-to-teach students from three more Western Bay schools will now have access to a unique programme to lift their self-confidence and improve their learning thanks to a $15,000 grant from BayTrust.

Selected students from Tauranga Primary, Golden Sands School and Katikati College will be offered regular EDGE Workshops run by BB New Zealand (Boys Brigade in New Zealand) from Term 3 onwards.

The practical, hands-on woodworking sessions run one day a week or fortnight and are producing remarkable results in the classroom  astonishing both teachers and organisers.

Its generally boys who are not enjoying or doing very well in class, says Mike Brewer, BB New Zealands National Director.

By taking them out of that formal environment and working in small groups on woodworking projects, they develop a real sense of achievement and self-worth that then follows them back into the classroom.

There was one Tauranga boy who wouldnt even engage with his teacher or class. But he now wants to learn. The turnaround is that dramatic. Once you fire boys up with a bit of confidence, theyre away. Some boys are so staunch when they first come to EDGE Workshops.

Theyve not done well in school and develop a hard shell. But once they get working with their hands, they soften and you can see the boy inside. Its amazing.

EDGE Workshops were pioneered in Tauranga a decade ago and are now offered to over 1000 students in 20+ schools nationwide.

Other local students who regularly benefit attend Welcome Bay School, Gate Pa School, Merivale School, Arataki School and Tauranga Intermediate.

The workshops are the brainchild of EDGE National Programme Director, Stu Thompson, who says hes humbled and encouraged by the results the programme has achieved.

I know were making a difference. Some of these kids are pretty traumatised. But once theyre given the chance to excel at something, they feel valued and experience that sense of satisfaction.

A low volunteer/student ratio of 1-3 or 1-6 makes a big difference, and each session is filled with positive feedback and affirmation.

Most of these kids dont do academic very well and they struggle with anything to do with letters or numbers, Stu says.

Enabling them to use their own hands and creativity via woodworking tools makes all the difference. A majority of the students are very kinesthetic learners. They learn by doing, not by watching or listening.

Thompson is extremely grateful for the BayTrust grant, along with additional funding from TECT and the Acorn Foundation which will allow EDGE Workshops to expand to the three new schools.

Its outstanding. Some of these schools have been waiting over a year to start with us and it was wonderful to ring them and say funding is secured, were on our way. Its gratifying that funders like BayTrust recognise that what were doing in the community is valuable.

BayTrust CEO Alastair Rhodes says community wellbeing is a key funding priority and programmes like this one will help strengthen the Bay of Plenty community long-term.

BB New Zealand is doing a fantastic job connecting with vulnerable, hard-to-reach students while they are still young enough to turn their educational outcomes around.

Creating a sense of achievement and self-worth, and teaching skills in a practical way, is obviously making a big difference in many boys lives. We look forward to seeing EDGE Workshops continue to expand across our region and the demand locally from school principals and teachers is certainly there.
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re: 4th-Gen Hyundai Tucson spotted testing in India. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 27.70 lakh Quote: neel911 Originally Posted by



Also, it seems the Diesel engine is manufactured by Kia where as Petrol is by Hyundai. That is correct. Cars have been at dealer's stock yard since last week due to earlier launch date of 4th. I am not sure how much to believe booking numbers mentioned in above link though. As of last week, Hyundai officially confirmed 3000 bookings and this link talks about 50K bookings. Maybe they mixed booking amount with booking quantityAlso, it seems the Diesel engine is manufactured by Kia where as Petrol is by Hyundai.



Also if you talk to any SA/dealer - they have been saying we got 30-40 bookings already. Hyundai said 3000 across India. They have 250 signature dealership across India, only which can book/sell Tucson. So 3000 is just 10-12 bookings per dealer. Clearly hype is way more than reality definitely an error.Also if you talk to any SA/dealer - they have been saying we got 30-40 bookings already. Hyundai said 3000 across India. They have 250 signature dealership across India, only which can book/sell Tucson. So 3000 is just 10-12 bookings per dealer. Clearly hype is way more than reality
A hot potato: Smartwatches have come a long way in recent years. In the UK, they'll soon be used as a way to track migrants who have been convicted of a criminal offense through the use of face scanning and facial recognition technology.

The Guardian reports that plans from the UK's Home Office and the Ministry of Justice involve smartwatches installed with facial recognition software scanning the faces of migrants with criminal records up to five times per day. The scheme is set to come into effect this fall at the cost of $6 million ($7.25 million), though it's unknown how many watches will be produced and the individual build price for each unit.

British technology company Buddi Limited will create the "non-fitted devices" to monitor "specific cohorts," part of the Home Office Satellite Tracking Service.

Buddi's website shows it creates wrist wearables and clip-on devices that allow vulnerable people to alert others in an emergency. The wristbands also have Apple Watch-style fall detection and location finders that track wearers.

The Home Office's scheme will involve "daily monitoring of individuals subject to immigration control," requiring them to wear an ankle tag or smartwatch that must be worn at all times.

The system works by requiring a wearer to take a photo of themselves on the smartwatch up to five times per day. The images will be cross-checked against biometric facial images held on Home Office systemsany failed verifications will require a manual check.

The scheme will allow the Home Office to track someone "24/7." Location data will be recorded, and names, dates of birth, nationality, and photographs will be stored for six years. It's also expected that those who wear the watches will be subject to curfews and exclusion zone rules.

The watches will be given to foreign-national offenders convicted of a criminal offense rather than specific groups, such as asylum seekers.

The plan has generated plenty of controversy over the constant monitoring and use of facial recognition, which has a history of being less than perfect.

It's fair to say that news of this monitoring technology would have been less surprising had it come from China. The country's surveillance efforts have involved everything from a Minority Report-style future-crime predictor, to gait- and emotion-recognition tech. There was also the recent porn-detection helmetpornography has been illegal in the country since 1949.

Masthead: GaudiLab
Why it matters: On Monday, GlobalFoundries and Qualcomm signed a multi-billion dollar revenue agreement that more than doubles their existing long-term semiconductor partnership. The announcement came during the one-day CEO Summit in Washington being co-hosted by Ford Motor Company, GlobalFoundries, and Applied Materials.

The deal means Qualcomm will stick around as a GlobalFoundries customer through at least 2028, and secures wafer supply and commitments through capacity expansion at GlobalFoundries' most advanced fab in Malta, New York.

Qualcomm will use GlobalFoundries' FinFET platform to build 5G transceivers as well as chips for automotive, Wi-Fi and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The deal was announced shortly after the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides around $52 billion in subsidies for chipmakers. The legislation also includes an investment tax credit for chipmakers worth approximately $24 billion.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the deal proves that the semiconductor industry will grow in the US when the country becomes competitive with Asia and Europe. "With major new federal incentives for microchip manufacturing in the US, I look forward to many more announcements like this to come," Schumer added.

GlobalFoundries was linked to a buyout rumor from Intel around this time last year. Nothing ever materialized, however, and the company moved forward with plans to go public. The AMD spinoff went public at the end of October and currently has a market cap of $31.79 billion. The stock is up more than 11 percent on today's news as of this writing.

The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a global semiconductor shortage, and now local governments and tech titans alike are doing everything in their power to help create a more resilient supply chain. In addition to GlobalFoundries, powerhouses like Samsung, TSMC and Intel are pouring billions into capacity expansion to meet soaring chip demand.

While it seems unlikely at this point, there's a very real possibility that all of this heavy investing could lead to market saturation where there is too much capacity and not enough demand. That, in turn, could result in manufacturing facility closures, job losses and more, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Cryptocurrency is growing by the minute and CryptoWatch is here to bring you weekly updates regarding the many happenings in the industry, with a close watch on the top stories for the past seven days.

Stories like the North Korean hackers that use LinkedIn and Indeed information to create fake job offers regarding cryptocurrency, along with information on Solana's latest heist and Pictet's track in private banking.

(Photo : Kanchanara on Unsplash)

Beware: North Korea Hackers Create Fake Jobs on Crypto

Ever seen a dubious or sketchy job application online regarding cryptocurrency companies? Well, it might be one of the many fraudulent listings from North Korean hackers that falsify information regarding companies that offer positions in their staff, and mostly gets information from job hunting websites including LinkedIn and Indeed, among many sources.

Bloomberg's report talks about the many fake job listings that circulate on the web now, and it victimizes some applicants in their search for a new opportunity in the cryptocurrency landscape.

It is a problem that the world is currently facing, and it goes alongside the multiple layoffs and staff reductions that many tech companies are observing now.

Vigilance is the key now, and users should look into these job listings more closely as there is an abundance of fake information circulating for online applications.

Read Also: Samsung 3nm GAA Chipset's July 25 Debut Now Confirmed! SoC for Cryptomining Use Only?

Solana Faced $8 Million Crypto Heist on Stolen Assets

Solana is the latest victim of a massive "crypto heist" that stole money from "hot wallets" online, and thousands of asset owners lost a collective $8 million because of this dispute. The victims are random, and those who own Solana from their respective wallets have some of their funds lost, with a massive number up to date.

According to Solana, there are a total of 7,767 wallets on the Solana network that had their funds drained, and the company confirmed this via a tweet. It happened last August 3, and there is no further information regarding another wave of crime that washed over the famous blockchain with many investors and traders.

Furthermore, Solana said that affected addresses were, at one point, created via the Slope mobile app.

Pictet: Crypto is Still Not for Private Banking

Cryptocurrency is massive and its fame is significant all over the world, but a Swiss-based bank and financial institution called the Pictet Group claimed that digital coins are not yet for private banking.

It further expanded that the blockchain is not yet in a good place, particularly talking about its stability and volatility in the current market that the public also experiences now.

Nevertheless, Pictet said that crypto assets are strong and promising for the future, something that is beneficial as an assets class in the coming times. Its volatility is the most significant issue here as there is a massive curve on its growth for the past two years, but it also demonstrated a crash that topples what it built in the current industry.

Related Article: Crypto Company Will Give 'Millions of Dollars' As Bounty for 'White Hat Hackers' After $190 Million Heist

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Artificial Intelligence is one of the leading technologies in the world, but there are certain risks and dangers it poses for everyone that will use it or the systems that depend on it, according to experts. Now, a legislative act of the European Union is moving towards the 'Artificial Intelligence Act' of the region that will focus on protecting the public to counter its negative effects.

AI is not what it seems to the world and the EU is to do something about it for its constituents.

EU's Artificial Intelligence Act: To Counter the Risks and Dangers

(Photo : geralt from Pixabay)

The European Union is working to push a new law that would protect its citizens regarding the risks and dangers of AI, particularly those that it brings to the world. It is known as the "Artificial Intelligence Act," and the EU says that it is the first in the industry that aims to regulate AI for the many features it brings to the public.

There are three key areas that it aims to counter, and according to the organization, they are namely:

"First, applications and systems that create an unacceptable risk , such as government-run social scoring of the type used in China, are banned."

, such as government-run social scoring of the type used in China, are banned." "Second, high-risk applications , such as a CV-scanning tool that ranks job applicants, are subject to specific legal requirements."

, such as a CV-scanning tool that ranks job applicants, are subject to specific legal requirements." "Lastly, applications not explicitly banned or listed as high-risk are largely left unregulated."

According to The Guardian, a 'Black-box' AI-based discrimination is beyond the control of organizations focused on giving it to the public, giving a massive dispute on the case.

Read Also: Air Force Pilots Will Use AR Headsets To Fight AI-Powered Enemies!

Is EU's AI Act Already in Effect? What Does it Bring?

The EU AI Act is still a proposal from the political organization in Europe, and it brings many documents that explain its coverage and focus for when it becomes a law in the region. Nevertheless, it aims to protect and focus on serving the rights of the public when using AI-based products available to them.

Artificial Intelligence and the World

AI is used in many fields of research and science in the world now, and it benefits a lot of industries that aim to discover and learn more regarding a certain study for its progression.

One of them is in diagnosing certain diseases like Alzheimer's from patients, and it helps in looking into a person's patterns to detect if it is already present in them. The research said that it is more accurate and better than medical professionals in detecting the disease.

Certain computers use AI for the progression of their technology, with one example that is focusing on the use of AI as a way to make robots have similar power to the human eyes in detection and sight. The studies that look into AI as a way to improve their technology are benefiting a lot from the deep learning system.

Nevertheless, some see AI's dangers and risks that are present now, especially with the EU, which looked into the darker side of artificial intelligence for the world. It centers on what AI brings to the world, particularly for the dangers that are present in some technology, mostly unknown to the public until they are affected by it.

Related Article: AI Technology Detects 11 New Space Anomalies

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Apple is reportedly asking its Taiwanese suppliers that there is a need to be careful in labeling products made in the country, especially regarding the China-Taiwan dispute on its territories. Labels with "Made in Taiwan" is the focus of this announcement from Apple, and it aims to go with the Chinese regulations regarding the products that come from Taiwan.

Apple Tells Suppliers to Avoid 'Made in Taiwan' Labels for Shipments

(Photo : NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Nikkei Asia, there are reports that Apple advised its Taiwanese suppliers and partner companies regarding its labels on products made in the country. Particularly, it focuses on the shipments made to China that would have the "Made in Taiwan" labels printed or embedded on them, which is a massive problem now.

The report said that it should either be "Chinese Taipei" or "Taiwan, China" as it focuses on the territorial dispute between the two countries that is a massive debate among the parties.

According to Engadget, there are warnings from Apple that arrived to Taiwanese companies regarding this, and both the Cupertino company and the companies may face massive dispute for "wrong labels" coming into China.

Read Also: TSMC 3nm Chip Delay Might Happen as Intel Cancels Order! Will This Affect Apple's A17 Bionic Chipset Launch?

China and Taiwan's Territorial Dispute has Apple Making its Move

Apple is caught in the crossfire between China and Taiwan's dispute, particularly as the Chinese government already has laws regarding this, and any violators, even foreign companies, may face sanctions.

Products that come in labels that are not up to China's standards may be rejected by the country altogether.

Tensions are high following the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to China last week.

Apple: Taiwan and China Relationships

Apple has a massive relationship with Taiwanese companies, including both suppliers and manufacturers, as it is the source of its processors that make its technology run and function for the world. TSMC is one of the most significant partners of the Cupertino giant as it makes the Silicon processors from the company, among other components.

The Cupertino company also has a relationship with China, as its focus is on connecting with several companies there to manufacture its iPad devices, focusing on assembly and mass production. However, it recently changed manufacturers from China to Vietnam, and it is because of supply chain issues that it faced with the Chinese companies.

The bottom line here is that Apple has a significant business with Taiwan and China, and the finished products it brings to the country face a dispute regarding its labels. Shipments from Taiwan to China may have significant problems when it delivers to the Asian superpower with the "wrong labels,", especially with its dispute with each other and Apple being in the middle.

Related Article: Taiwan Accuses Apple Supplier of Commercial Secret Theft - Allegedly Luring Staff With High Salary Offers

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Baidu's robotaxis can now operate even without the presence of a safety driver after securing necessary permits from the Chinese government. The company claims to be the first in the nation to acquire such permits.

As reported by Reuters, commercial robotaxis can now provide rides to the general public without having human safety drivers in the vehicle, thanks to permits issued by the municipalities of Chongqing in the southwest and Wuhan in the center.

Fully Driverless Cars

For context, Baidu was already given permission to operate an autonomous taxi service in Beijing back in April, provided that a human operator was seated in the driver's or front passenger's seat.

But after securing additional permits, it will now be able to provide a service where the only people present in the autonomous cars are passengers.

Read also: Baidu's New Robotaxi With Detachable Steering Wheel Will be 48% Cheaper than the Previous Model

It is worth noting that the permissions will still include some restrictions. For instance, autonomous Apollo Go cars will only be allowed to transport passengers during the day across specific zones in Wuhan and Chongqing.

At the same time, the service areas will only span 30 square kilometers in the Yongchuan District of Chongqing and 13 square kilometers in the Economic & Technological Development Zone (WHDZ) of Wuhan.

According to Baidu, its robotaxis include a variety of safety features to support its essential autonomous driving capabilities. These functions include a safety operation network, monitoring redundancy, and remote driving capacity.

Engadget noted that this represents a significant advancement for Baidu as it seeks to provide robotaxi services on a broader scale. The automaker has also been developing its cars in the US for a while, and it may eventually emerge as a rival to companies like Waymo and Cruise.

Related Article: Waymo, Cruise Gets Permit for Robotaxi and Self-Driving Ventures in SF, Receiving Payments for Rides

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The highly anticipated iPhone 14 is closer on the horizon since Apple often releases new iPhones in September. Rumor has it that the Pro models feature a 48-megapixel camera and a notch-less display.

If the leaks and rumors are accurate, CNET said that Apple might also drop the iPhone Mini in favor of a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max.

How Much Will iPhone14 Cost?

According to forecasts made by analysts who spoke with The Sun, all of this might result in a price increase of $100. The analysts said that this is because prices are rising throughout the whole supply chain for Apple.

Many tech aficionados predicted that Apple would release the new iPhone 14 on September 13. Other critics, on the other hand, think that Apple will formally introduce this new iOS gadget to the market as early as September 23.

But as of now, it is rumored that the new iPhone 14 will start at $799, which is also the price of the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 model.

It is important to note that the pricing of the iPhone 14 has not yet been officially announced, and Apple never makes future product information available to the public before making an announcement.

Hence, speculations point out that iPhone 13's pricing list might be retained for the new iPhone. In 2020 and 2021, Apple kept the same pricing structure for the iPhone, so there's a chance it'll do the same in 2022.

Read also: [RUMOR] iPhone 14 at a Disadvantage Against Next-Gen Android Phones Due to Gap Between Base and Pro Models-Here's Why

Less Than $900

However, according to 9to5Mac, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the iPhone 14 Max would cost less than $900, suggesting that Apple may alter its pricing policy.

To remain competitive, Apple has previously changed its prices. For example, the 2019 iPhone 11 was noted for its $699 beginning price, which was $50 less expensive than the iPhone XR of the previous year, as noted by CNET.

Aside from this, rumors claim that the upcoming iPhone will also have storage options integrated into the iPhone 13 units. It will also have a 30W charging feature and several color options such as purple, blue, black, green, red, or white.

Related Article: iPhone 14 Rumors: Same Price as iPhone 13, New Purple Color for Base, Pro Models, and More

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The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is returning again this year; this time, we are about to witness the revelation of the newest pair of foldable phones.

When the event kicks off this week, we will get more information about the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 4.

Samsung Unpacked 2022 Launch Date

(Photo : Samsung Memory from Unsplash)

The Samsung Unpacked event is set to arrive in the next few days. If you want to check the Galaxy Z Fold and Z flip announcement, here's what you need to know.

According to a report by CNET, the upcoming Samsung event is about to start on Wednesday, Aug. 10. More importantly, this occasion will highlight the release of two next-gen phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4.

The foldable launch from the South Korean tech firm began in 2019. The phone maker then released the Galaxy Z Fold as its first foldable phone on the market.

As per the rumors, the upcoming foldables will be the upgraded version of the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. Tipsters are quick to leave a comment regarding the event when they see the recent promotional art of the company.

Galaxy Z Fold Leaks

As per a story from The Verge, a leaker who goes by the name Ice Universe said that the Z Fold 4 will sport the same design as its predecessor.

To be exact, it will allegedly feature a 7.6-inch folding display. Meanwhile, its cover display will measure 6.2 inches.

When it comes to cameras, the Z Fold 4 will retain the oval camera bump located on the cover display. Again, users could take advantage of the triple camera setup with a 50MP, 12MP ultra-wide lens, and 10MP snapper. It will also include a 10MP outer cam.

Aside from that, it will have a Snapdragon 8+Gen 1 SoC to go with 12GB RAM. You can choose from the two models for storage: the 256GB and the 512GB storage. It is compatible with Android 12 OS.

For its power, it could potentially come with a 4,400mAh battery which supports 25W charging capability.

Related Article: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: Z Fold 3, Galaxy Watch, Buds to Release on August 11 Event says Leak

Galaxy Z Flip 4 Leaks

This time, known tipster Evan Bass teased that the Flip 4 will contain a "two-tone" design for the two back cameras. Samsung will also use a hole-punch notch, ditching the under-display camera this time.

As per Ice Universe, it will boast a "shallower" crease than the Z Flip 3. Moreover, the Z Flip 4 is arriving with a substantial upgrade in the form of a bigger notification display.

Other than that, it's allegedly debuting with a 3,700mAh battery, as well as Snapdragon 8+ gen 1 chip.

Apart from the two foldable phones, Samsung might be planning to release two new smartwatches in line with the Unpacked event 2022. The Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro could be the next wearable to watch out for before the "ber" months start.

Read Also: Tech Times Life Hack: Best iPhone Tricks You Didn't Know About

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Chinese tech giant Baidu has recently unveiled the design of its "ROBO-01" - a robot car by the company's EV (electric vehicle) firm JIDU, that boasts cutting-edge AI functionalities and a high-performance NVIDIA DRIVE Orin compute platform.

According to Baidu's CEO Robin Li's statement on Monday, this robot car will edge out Elon Musk's Tesla in the EV race claiming that Jidu is one generation ahead of Tesla, as reported first by Reuters on Aug. 8.

800,000 Robot Cars

Jidu's chief executive Joe Xia Yiping also said in a statement that the company hopes to be able to produce 800,000 of its robot cars by the year 2028. Meanwhile, Tesla has recently revealed that they have produced their 3 millionth car since its inception in 2004.

By 2024, Xia revealed that Jidu would be releasing its second model for mass production.

Jidu unveiled its first "robot" concept automobile in June, which has no door handles and is entirely voice-activated. Additionally, the EV's mass production is expected to roll out in 2023.

Jidu's robot EVs will be outfitted with two lidars and 12 cameras in addition to autonomous driving software provided by Baidu. Lidars are radar-like detecting devices, but instead of using radio waves, they employ pulsed laser light.

Baidu's EV plans come at a time when automakers and several tech companies around the world are joining the race to produce smart vehicles after Tesla demonstrated success in bringing EVs to market, and the demand for eco-friendly cars continues to surge as well.

Read also: Baidu Secures First 'Fully Driverless Robotaxi' Permits in China - No Safety Drivers Needed From Now On!

A Plethora of Design Innovations

The Robo-01, according to NVIDIA, features a plethora of design innovations, such as a retractable steering wheel that tucks behind the dashboard while the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode and lidar sensors that expand and retract from the hood.

The robot car has in-cabin AI that can communicate with passengers in a human-like way using voice recognition and perception.

The central processing unit (CPU) of the Robo-01 is made up of two NVIDIA DRIVE Orin systems-on-a-chip (SoC), which have enough processing power to support AI and autonomous driving features while still leaving room for future upgrades, according to NVIDIA.

With a $400 million collaboration venture, mainland automaker Geely and Baidu created Jidu Auto back in January.

NVIDIA claims that the DRIVE Orin is a sophisticated autonomous card processor. It is a supercomputer on a chip that can deliver up to 254 trillion operations per second (TOPS) to manage the many applications and deep neural networks that operate concurrently in autonomous vehicles and robots.

The production version of the Robo-01 will be available for purchase starting in 2023, with deliveries beginning in 2024. Jidu will also be revealing the design of its second production model in November at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

Related Article: Baidu's New Robotaxi With Detachable Steering Wheel Will be 48% Cheaper than the Previous Model

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Due to a vulnerability in its system, a hacker stole the account names and email addresses of more than 5 million Twitter accounts that ranged from celebrities, companies, organizations, and many more.

"We want to let you know about a vulnerability that allowed someone to enter a phone number or email address into the log-in flow in the attempt to learn if that information was tied to an existing Twitter account, and if so, which specific account.," the social media app said in a blog post.

Twitter's System Vulnerability

As reported first by The Independent, Twitter was already notified earlier this year about an existing vulnerability in its system - wherein if someone provided Twitter with their email address or phone number, Twitter would inform them of any Twitter accounts that the submitted email address or phone number might be linked to.

This flaw first appeared in June 2021, and Twitter later fixed it. When the information of over 5.4 million accounts was reportedly being sold on a hacker forum for $30,000 in July 2022, the company's claim that it had no evidence of a hacker utilizing this exploit was disputed.

BleepingComputer spoke with the threat actor, who disclosed that they had utilized a vulnerability to gather the data in December 2021. Interested purchasers have already approached them, and they are currently selling the data for $30,000

Twitter received the report that a threat actor took advantage of the vulnerability in July, and after closely reviewing a sample of the available data stolen, they confirmed that the threat actor had indeed exploited the security flaw before they could address it.

Read also: North Korean Hackers Are Attacking Gmail Accounts, According To a Cybersecurity Firm

Unable To Confirm

The microblogging platform also said that they would be directly notifying the accounts that were confirmed to have been impacted by the breach. However, the company admitted that they are still unable to confirm those affected accounts and are being cautious with "pseudonym accounts" that could be targeted by malicious actors.

"If you operate a pseudonymous Twitter account, we understand the risks an incident like this can introduce and deeply regret that this happened. To keep your identity as veiled as possible, we recommend not adding a publicly known phone number or email address to your Twitter account," the company said.

Twitter stated that there was nothing users could do to secure their data at this point. Still, they should set two-factor authentication on all accounts to prevent security breaches from occurring once again.

Related Article: Elon Musk vs Twitter: Billionaire Accuses Twitter of Fraud Over Number of Fake Accounts

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Bluu Seafood, a known producer of "synthetic seafood," has created the first-ever "lab-grown" fish products. The Berlin-based firm is now readying them for regulatory approval so they could be distributed soon in some parts of the world.

'Lab Grown' Fish Products in Two Forms

(Photo : Bluu)

These lab-grown fish products can be a dream comfort food for seafood lovers.

According to a report by TechCrunch, Bluu Seafood is currently the leading company in terms of creating "synthetic" food out of cultured fish.

The German startup started in 2020, and it was initially known as Bluu Biosciences. Since overfishing remains a rampant problem in society because other countries allow it, Bluu has thought of an idea to mitigate it.

To stay away from cruel ways of fishing, the company decided to utilize stem cell technology to make worthwhile products that are safe for human consumption.

The company has revealed the so-called "fish fingers," which are also called "fish sticks." At first, you might mistakenly recognize them for fried food--something that resembles coated hotdogs and the like. In reality, they are very healthy to eat since they come from cultivated fish cells.

The other fish product is the fishball which is naturally made from lab-grown fish cells. Moreover, Bluu says that it's packed with plant proteins, so it's easy to chew and cook whenever you like. Unlike the usual fishball, its crispy-looking appearance is more appealing.

Many Firms Are 'Fishing' Into Bluu

In the same report by TechCrunch, several firms have been working their way out to create the best-cultivated seafood product in the market.

For instance, Wild Type allocated $100 million for the development of cultivated salmon. The company wants to achieve the "sushi-grade" texture and taste of this product. Meanwhile, CellMeat from South Korea has focused on bringing lab-grown shrimp into reality.

That way, these companies not only help in launching sustainable products for the people, but these "synthetic" foods are all natural since they are made up of real cells.

"That is the amazing thing about 'immortalized' cells - while 'normal' cells double for, let's say, 20 times and then stop, the immortalized cells keep on doubling - theoretically forever," Bluu co-founder Simon Fabich said in an interview with the tech site.

Somehow, it will still take years for Bluu to develop new products from different sources. As such, it aims to make sashimi and fish filets born out of natural animal cells.

Related Article: Researchers Create Innovative Way of Mass Producing 'Lab Grown Meatballs'

Approval For Lab-Grown Products Will Be Challenging

Although it sounds good on paper, the regulatory approval for lab-grown products does not come easy for each company. So far, Singapore remains to be the sole region in the world that has passed approval to sell cultivated meats.

This time, if Bluu aims to reach that goal, it would need to earn approval from the "small dot" nation. If it succeeds as planned, the seafood firm will go to other regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union.

Fabich embraced that gaining approval varies from one region to another. According to him, Bluu Seafood might need to present important documents and studies to strengthen its bid for approval in different markets.

In other news, The Fish Site reported that a group of scientists was able to convert fish scales into high-quality carbon nanomaterial. To view the study "Fabrication of ultra-bright carbon nano-onions via a one-step microwave pyrolysis of fish scale waste in seconds," visit Green Chemistry for more details.

Read Also: 3D Printed Meat: Lab-Based Alternative Could Unite Both Meat Lovers, Vegans--Find Out Why

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There has been an ongoing movement among politicians and entrepreneurs to achieve financial inclusion for the citizens of Nigeria. And Tayo Oviosu is one of those people.

Oviosu is the founder and CEO of Paga, a financial mobile payment platform established in 2009 to address the nation's financial payments challenges. It is also the largest mobile payment platform in the country, according to Nairametrics.

Nigeria's Greener Pasture

Tayo had left Nigeria when he was barely16 years old. He studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California and worked for several startups during the first stages of the dot.com boom.

In an interview with Business Insider Africa, he revealed that he also worked for Deloitte Consulting, a company that provides various financial services to people around the world. After that, he returned to the academe to gain an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Oviosu's path to entrepreneurship was seemingly painted already in the US as he worked there for three more years. He is already equipped with an impressive academic background and rich experience in the corporate field, so venturing further into the US would have been an easy feat for him.

However, he saw greener pasture in his country Nigeria. He wanted to partake in his country's economic development process, so he went back there in 2008 and started a job in a private equity firm called Travant Capital Partners.

He eventually left the company to become an entrepreneur. Not everything was carved in store for Oviosu when he went back to his country, but he saw something "exciting " with how the private sector was thriving around 2009.

Oviosu spent three months fiddling with various business ideas until he finally came up with Paga.

Read also: #TechCEO: How Idriss Marcial's CinetPay is Ensuring Financial Inclusion in Africa Via Online and Offline Transactions

The Rise of Paga

Oviosu used his savings from his prior work to bootstrap the firm for the first six months. Additionally, he hired friends to work in various capacities. His old boss, with whom he spent roughly three years at work, as well as friends and family, were among the early investors of Paga.

He discussed how a friend contributed $5,000 in the early years of Paga and how it significantly helped Paga to flourish. From humble beginnings, he eventually acquired 34 investors in 2018, and he was regarded as a pioneer in Nigeria's Fintech industry.

In March 2018, Paga had 8.2 million users who conducted more than 2 million transactions worth more than $131 million. Additionally, it has handled 48 million transactions and has garnered $3 billion since its founding.

With over 15,000 transacting agents servicing its loyal communities in 35 states across the US, the mobile money platform boasts the largest agent network in Nigeria.

In order to increase inclusion for all Nigerians, it has also partnered with the country's central bank (the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN) on the Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities initiative (SANEF). This initiative aims to increase the number of agents providing financial services to 500,000 Nigerians.

Oviosu said in a statement with Nairametrics that he wants to change people's lives by providing creative and open access to financial services.

"If you do want to go far, you need to bring people around to your idea. It shouldn't be about 'me'. You want other people to come in to actually help take the idea to another place."

Related Article: #TechCEO: Y Combinator Founder Michael Seibel Gives Insightful Tips For Startup Beginners

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The demand for energy falls, but not the consumption of gas promised by the Government to Brussels: "They will comply, but not because of the measures"
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Oyo Hotel Baton Rouge East I-12, at 9999 Gwenadele Ave, seen Thursday, May 19, 2022. This particular OYO location had the most overdose EMS calls of any hotel or motel in the parish since the start of last year.
Sign reads 'Welcome, living the Good life,' on Oyo Hotel Baton Rouge East I-12, at 9999 Gwenadele Ave, seen Thursday, May 19, 2022. This particular OYO location had the most overdose EMS calls of any hotel or motel in the parish since the start of last year.
After 42 years behind bars, a Baton Rouge man sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 1979 killing of his roommate and another friend will go free.

Louisianas Board of Pardons and Parole voted 2-1 Monday to release David Chenevert, who had agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison when he pleaded guilty in 1981 to stabbing Michael Brown and Evelyn McIntyre inside Browns home on North Stevendale Road. The board's decision came after a nearly 90-minute hearing, during which family members of Cheneverts victims spoke almost unanimously against his release.

Chenevert covered his face and broke down in sobs as board member Sheryl Ranatza gave the final vote, breaking a tie between Pearl Wises vote in favor of his release and Bonnie Jacksons vote opposing it.

The victims families watched expressionless as Ranatza read the restrictions of Cheneverts parole, which included the stipulation that the 64-year-old leave Louisiana and not return without express permission from a parole officer.

Youve done harm, youve healed yourself, and now youre healing others, Wise told Chenevert, who appeared at the meeting via a Zoom feed from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Chenevert was 21 when he stabbed Brown and McIntyre to death in what investigators believed was a fit of rage over missing drug money one late September night in 1979. Brown was 26 and McIntyre was just 18.

After several days on the run, Chenevert, the son of a Baton Rouge police lieutenant, surrendered to authorities. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty but Chenevert struck a deal, pleading guilty in 1981 to two counts of second-degree murder in exchange for life without the possibility of parole.

In December, following a lengthy appeal process, the states Board of Pardons and Parole held a hearing to decide whether Chenevert would become eligible for release, ultimately voting 4-1 to commute his sentence.

At the time, Michael Browns daughter Alicia Vaughn, who was just a month old at the time of her fathers death, said she was not opposed to his release. On Monday, she began to cry as she told the Board she no longer wanted to be burdened with making a choice about Cheneverts future.

Instead, she said her Christian faith led her to surrender the decision.

Ive watched my mom be tortured by this decision. I cant do it anymore. The burden is too heavy, Vaughn said. How hard is it, as a Christian, to accept something in life that you didnt want and didnt ask for?

Judy Poche, Vaughns mother and Browns wife, said the reason she was able to move on after the killings was because prosecutors promised years ago that Chenevert would never walk outside Angolas walls.

Chenevert hearing From left to right: Richard "Dickie" Boudreau, Joan Guy, Judy Poche and Alicia Vaughn outside the Department of Corrections after Louisiana's 

You learn to put things in a box, but the pain and hurt, it doesnt go away, she said.

Evelyn McIntyres family has remained forcefully opposed to Cheneverts release, attending every hearing since his sentence.

Like Poche, McIntyres sister, Joan Guy, said she felt let down by the system that promised her parents, now both deceased, that Chenevert would stay behind bars for life.

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They didnt tell my parents this would happen. This is not what they wanted. Its not what they agreed to, she said.

Her brother, Richard Dickie Boudreau, described the news reports in the months following his sisters death that showed the tarp-covered bodies of McIntyre and Brown as they were pulled from the Essen Lane apartment complex dumpster where Chenevert had left them.

Every time I see a tent or tarp, I think of my sister and Michael Brown, Boudreau said. (Chenevert) made the deal. He was allowed to live. My sister didnt get that chance.

During Decembers hearing, the Parole Board cited Cheneverts good conduct, participation in several rehabilitation programs, low risk-assessment score and demonstrated growth through service to others as reasons why members voted to commute his sentence.

On Monday, Cheneverts lawyer, Jack Dampf, also pointed towards dozens of recommendation letters from prison officials supporting Cheneverts release.

When it was his turn to speak, Chenevert described himself as a devout Christian. He joined a seminary in 2003 and spent more than a decade as a mentor for other offenders in prison, a countless number of whom board member Jackson noted also wrote in support of his parole.

I am not the devil, Chenevert said. I am the face of rehabilitation.

He later apologized directly to the relatives of Brown and McIntyre, calling his actions a bad decision, the fallout from which had also caused irreparable harm to his own family.

I am sorry for the pain and hurt Ive put in each of your families, he said.

Cheneverts lawyer did not reply to an additional request for comment.

Francis Abbott, executive director for the states Board of Pardons and Parole, explained that Chenevert will be able to leave Louisiana under an interstate compact that allows supervision of his release to be handled across state lines.

With a vocational job offer waiting for him in Mississippi, Chenevert said he and his wife, whom he married while incarcerated in 2001, plan to settle far away from Baton Rouge after his release.

In addition to leaving Louisiana, he will be required to complete 20 hours of community service every month and will be prohibited from contacting his victims families.

As they left the building, Vaughn and Poche said they felt numb about the boards decision. Vaughn said that she was thankful she would no longer have to endure another hearing for Chenevert.

Im just glad its over, she said. Im ready to move on.
Ronald Marshall recalls being drained of energy every morning after picking vegetables in the unshaded fields of Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. But the dorm where he lived with about 80 others was hotter than outside.

Guys would literally miss their noon chow because the sun sucked life right out of them. Theyd rather lay on the floor, said Marshall, now with Voice of the Experienced, a New Orleans-based group that advocates for prisoner rights. At night guys stripped down and slept on the floor.

Data from a recent of court case showed high heat indices in living areas for extended periods of time  between 99.5 and 102.02 degrees from 9:13 a.m. to 10:13 p.m. in one of Angolas tiers.

Since leaving prison in October 2021, Marshall rarely finds himself in hot rooms as 95% of Southern households are air conditioned, according to a March 2022 Kent State University study. Among the last holdouts are state prisons, a condition that became particularly acute this summer of record hot temperatures  above 90 degrees for 27 days during June in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, 25 days in July.

Leaders of penitentiaries around the South met in New Orleans this weekend and air conditioning was on the agenda for Louisianas top prison administrator, James LeBlanc.

These three-digit temperature days and the heat index is pretty strong evidence that we need to take a real look at what needs to be done, said LeBlanc, secretary for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Being in prison is punishment enough.

Eleven of the 13 states without air conditioning in all their prison living areas are in the South. LeBlanc says he wants to move Louisiana off that list and has started using his departments repair budget to install air conditioning in parts of the states nine prisons.

Legislators, so far, havent appropriated the money to air condition all living areas  a project that could cost from $28 million to $60 million. A first step was taken in the recent legislative session with a $550,000 Capital Outlay appropriation that can be used to borrow around $2 million.

LeBlanc plans to use that money to hire, within the next few weeks, engineers who would detail how much installation would cost and how much more money would be needed to pay increased utility bills.

Most of the various buildings and camps at Louisianas prisons were built in the 1940s and 1950s  a time when air conditioning was new and wasnt contemplated for prisons. The buildings used materials that retain heat and have windows that will probably have to be blocked for air conditioning, he said.

Once the road map is created, LeBlanc said hell go to the Legislature and ask for funding to air condition a few housing facilities at a time. But years will pass before all 26,500 inmates convicted on state charges are housed in air-conditioned units.

In the meantime, Corrections is focusing on installing air conditioning in medical facilities, skilled nursing and assisted living units, where the inmates range in age from 60 to 90 years old. Work is ongoing at Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson and the penitentiary at Angola.

Heat exacerbates illnesses, such as heart disease and asthma, in older individuals, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prisoners taking medications for high blood pressure and mental health also fare poorly when its too hot.

The 200 beds in air-conditioned Building 4 at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, where women stayed until moved out recently, are being repurposed for elderly men needing assisted living, LeBlanc said.

Women inmates have universal air conditioning. They presently at being housed at the Jetson youth facility near Baker while the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, which flooded, is being rebuilt.

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Kitchens and cafeterias have been air conditioned, except for some of the numerous camps spread across the 18,000-acre Angola penitentiary, but work there is ongoing, LeBlanc said. Air conditioning is being installed in visiting areas and classrooms.

For those trying to sleep in the heat, LeBlanc said the prisons have installed fans and the showers stay open.

We have water and ice on a daily basis, unlimited, LeBlanc said. Were doing a lot of things to overcome the heat issue. Theres nothing better than air conditioning, no doubt about that, but its going to take some time and money.

On Death Row, which was built in 2006, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court Appeals determined the state didnt have to install air conditioning but ordered temperatures to go no higher than 88 degrees. That has led prison officials to rig a system using plastic sheets to divert some of the air conditioning from the monitoring station into the cell tiers.

That hasnt helped that much, said Mercedes Montagnes, of the Promise of Justice Initiative in New Orleans, which filed a lawsuit in 2013 on behalf of Death Row inmates over the heat.

The bars are hot, the walls are hot  I feel exhausted just from walking around, Montagnes said on her drive home after visiting Angola.

Ball v Leblanc Federal court order on heat in Death Row unit at Angola

In 2016, Louisiana spent over $1 million in legal bills in its attempt to avoid installing air conditioning on Death Row. Voters in Jefferson Parish approved a new jail in 2014, but only after local leaders promised there would be no air conditioning.

Gretna Rep. Joseph Marino, who as chair of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice will have much say-so over prison air conditioning, asked: How do you recruit anyone? Take the word prison out of it, you cant pay enough to get someone to take job indoors without air conditioning.

Staffing is a real concern for us. Thats our top challenge, LeBlanc agreed. Staff have to change uniforms two or three times a day.

Corrections has 752 vacancies out of 4,890 authorized positions and a 66% turnover rate  the highest in state government.

LeBlanc dismissed the narrative that inmates committed crimes, so shouldnt be coddled.

When the incarcerated are uncomfortable, hot and miserable, they are going to give you more problems than if they are comfortable and able to sleep, LeBlanc said. When people make those kinds of comments, theyre not thinking about the big picture.
Sometimes it's just a simple case of aesthetics: A white figure is easy to see on a blue background.

The figure in this case, is a glowing white mother pelican tearing her breast to feed her young against a backdrop of blue on Louisiana's state flag. Gov. W.W. Heard specified the color scheme in 1912, when setting the flag's criteria.

But Earl Higgins, of River Ridge, said a longtime curiosity prompted his questions about the pelican symbol.

"The official state bird is the brown pelican," he said. "Why does the state flag picture a white pelican, a different species?"

Well, part of the answer can be found in the fact that Louisiana didn't proclaim the brown pelican its state bird until 1966, 54 years after the flag was in place. But that would be too easy an answer in a state where the historical journey is as important as the destination.

And this journey begins just after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

"The new (Louisiana Territory's) governing council directed territorial Gov. William C.C. Claiborne to authenticate all official acts with a public seal," writes Glen Duncan in his 2010 book, "A Modern History of the Louisiana Pelican Flag."

Both LSU's Hill Memorial Library and the State Library of Louisiana referenced Duncan's book for this question.

Related story: Louisianas brown pelicans threatened as coastal islands vanish due to climate change

The seal featured an American bald eagle in the beginning but was changed to the pelican when Louisiana officially entered into statehood in 1812. Heard set the flag's parameters a century later.

Why a pelican? Well, historian and author William Favrot offers one possible explanation: Louisiana's Catholic heritage.

"The Catholic church long used the image of the pelican tearing its breast as food for its chicks," Duncan quotes Favrot in his book. "The image was and still is a symbol of Christ's commitment. Louisiana was predominantly Catholic at the time of Claiborne's choice."

It's true. Some Louisiana Catholic churches feature the white pelican and her chicks in their stained glass windows.

Meanwhile, State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton simplifies the explanation for why the bird isn't brown.

"The reason why the pelican is white and not brown is simple but also convoluted," she said. "The language of the 1912 Act establishing the flags design, states that the pelican is 'in white,' not that it is a white pelican. The pages of from 'A Modern History of the Louisiana Pelican Flag' state that the brown pelican is depicted on the state flag, just in white. It seems that the white coloring was chosen so that it would aesthetically appear more clearly on the blue field of the flag."

Duncan's book points out that uniform parameters were not set for the flag until 2010. Before that, different versions of the pelican were flying throughout the state.

In 2010, Baton Rouge artist Curtis Vann Jr. was hired to design a pelican that would appear on all state flags.

"The challenge I had was to incorporate realism into the design of the flag while staying within the boundaries of the written law," he said.

The problem? He had to work with a white-colored pelican instead of the true image of a brown pelican.

"The brown pelican is prettier than the white pelican," he said. "It's a more majestic bird, but I had to stay within the law. So I made it look like a brown pelican exteriorly instead of colorwise."

Still, Vann, now a sales account executive at Augie Leopold Promotional Products, did make one subtle color change. Look closely at the official version of the Louisiana flag, and you'll see the brown pelican's yellow-brown crown incorporated into the design.

And with that, the pelican flag's historical journey is complete.

Curious Louisiana connects readers with our newsroom's reporting. If you've got a question about something Louisiana-centric, ask us. You can reach the Curious Louisiana team at CuriousLouisiana@theadvocate.com.

+4 Did LSU really start integration in 1953? Curious Louisiana investigates. Beverly Schalon, a 1964 LSU graduate, was surprised when a newspaper story about LSU President William Tate said her alma mater had its first 

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Singer Mariah Carey said she dressed as Bad Sandy when she was a little girl in a touching tribute to Olivia Newton-John shared online.

The multi-award winning singer said on Instagram she listened to I Honestly Love You and fell in love with Newton-Johns voice as a child.

Other songs showcased her beautiful airy tone and signature sound, Carey wrote.

And THEN there was GREASE. I was obsessed. I dressed up as Bad Sandy for Halloween in 5th grade and thought I was everything, she said.

The pair sang Hopelessly Devoted To You in Melbourne, and it left a lasting impression on the Grammy-award winner.

This is a moment I will never ever forget, she wrote.

Read more about our coverage of Olivia Newton-John here.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has talked down the prospect of the Brisbane Lions playing home games at the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills while the Gabba undergoes a rebuild, and has added regional AFL grounds to the list of options.

The Lions administration had previously spoken favourably about playing out of the 20,000-seat showgrounds venue, but the Premier was dismissive on Monday and said the organisation had not raised the idea with her.

The RNA has offered to host cricket and AFL matches while the Gabba is being redeveloped for the 2032 Olympics. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

In a later statement, club infrastructure boss Jake Anson said the organisation had been in discussions with both the Queensland government and Stadiums Queensland about a number of possible replacement venues. This conversation included the showgrounds, he said.

Palaszczuk also flagged the new Gabba  the main arena for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games  may cost more than the $1 billion she put forward in April last year. This potential increase was because there had been a lot of increase in shortages of supply, materials, she said.
Federal Science Minister Ed Husic says lifting investment in the sector to meet Labors policy of near 3 per cent of GDP will be hampered by the focus on budget repair but remains a priority for the government.

Between government and the private sector, Australia spends about 1.8 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development, less than in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Iceland. Among advanced economies, the average is 2.6 per cent. Israel spends 5.44 per cent.

Science Minister Ed Husic says a a long-term vision is needed on research funding. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The governments national policy platform commits to getting investment closer to 3 per cent of GDP  about $60 billion  after 14 years of shrinking research funding pushed the sector into crisis.

We do, relative to other nations, have a low level of research investment relative to GDP, Husic told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. We have to develop a game plan to lift investment levels, both public and private.
Boarding schools in Victoria are increasingly turning to country students to fill the hole left by an exodus of international enrolments.

Two of the states boarding houses have closed in the past two years, and new data shows enrolments for live-in places at Victorian schools have fallen 12 per cent since 2019.

Young boarder Mabel Golland, who joined MLC this year from Wagga Wagga, NSW. Credit:Justin McManus

The trend is being attributed to border closures and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but is not as prevalent elsewhere in the country, with the national figures showing boarder numbers are down just 0.6 per cent.

Lucrative international enrolments at Victorian boarding schools have slumped more than 50 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, and are unlikely to bounce back until at least 2024, the Australian Boarding School Association said.
More than 1000 elderly residents on the Mornington Peninsula are without in-home care and support after the local council exited aged care services.

Private aged care providers took over services previously provided by the council in July when more than 110 council staff were made redundant.

Barbara Rimington has not received in-home care since July 1. Credit:Simon Schluter

Under the change, 2063 residents were transferred to Mecwacare and 1554 to Bolton Clarke. Some are receiving services, but at least 1000 have been left without care. Mecwacare did not respond to requests for comment or information. A Bolton Clarke spokeswoman said essential services were being provided for 300 residents and services were commencing or scheduled for another 200.

Barbara Rimington, 77, received in-home assistance from the council with cleaning, as she has a fused back from spinal surgery and has undergone surgery for lung cancer.
Australia is developing its first national biosecurity plan to combat the growing risk of environmental and financial damage from exotic pests and diseases, driven by factors such as globalisation and climate change.

Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the initiative, which had been agreed upon by the states and territories, would set the strategy for tackling escalating biosecurity risks over the coming decade.

The new National Biosecurity Strategy notes Australia receives an average of 115 million international mail items and 2.6 million shipping containers a year and faces the challenge of managing a range of growing and changing threats. Credit:Peter Morris

The management of Australias biosecurity system is becoming increasingly complex, creating new challenges for governments, industry and community stakeholders in protecting our agricultural sector, said Watt, who will announce the plan on Tuesday.

Australia has suffered a number of devastating outbreaks of pests and diseases since colonisation and Watt said a stronger shield against future incursions was a critical national asset.
First Nations people never ceded sovereignty. Before this country was invaded, there were over 500 sovereign nations on these lands. Each with their own laws, languages, and customs. Ours is the oldest living culture on earth.

It is our right and responsibility as traditional custodians to protect our lands, waters, skies, and totems. We never surrendered that right.

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe approaches the table to be sworn in at Parliament House last week. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

I have been accused of ceding sovereignty by entering Australian politics. That is offensive and untrue. When I swore allegiance in the senate last week, I identified myself as a sovereign woman. I called the Queen a coloniser. I said that because it is true.

As Bundjalung and Worimi Saltwater woman Phoebe McIlwraith writes: My sovereignty predates the creation of the English language, it does not come from a crown or a throne, but the sea and soil. No parliamentary oath could ever take that away from me.
In the long aftermath of the 2013 election, a subterranean skirmish broke out in sections of the media, probably noticed by about 10 people. Some commentators argued the Rudd-Gillard government had been destroyed primarily by personal failings. Others argued that something deeper and more structural was occurring, involving many factors but, in particular, the attitude of both the media and voters towards politics.

Nine years and another four prime ministers on, it should be clear that, while personal failings will always play a role in politics, they are far from sufficient to explain events. Much has been made recently of the rapid adjustment required of Anthony Albaneses ministers: getting used to government again after nine years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But it is possible that just as significant an adjustment will be needed among both the media and voters. After nine years responding to a government that rarely seemed interested in achieving much, and after 12 years of political in-fighting, how  if this government turns out to be as serious as it sometimes threatens to be  should we change our approach? Are we even capable of it?

How serious, then, is the government? There has been plenty of legislative activity, but the most hopeful sign last week came from Chris Bowen, the minister for climate change, when he told the parliament, after the governments climate target passed the House, Today does not mark the end of the work. Today, the work just gets started. Now we will find out whether he means it.
Someone you are in relationship with ... clearly was aware about the various processes associated with the advertising and the nature of this position, she said. The inquiry heard Lugsdin was copied into an email thread on December 9 about advertising the trade job, which was eight days before the public advertisement. Barilaro insisted he was successful in securing the role through merit but conceded parts of the process have since proven to be problematic. It hasnt been as clean as it should have been and Im the victim out of that, not the perpetrator, he said. He also said he wished he never applied for the trade commissioner role after the personal hell he has endured in the seven weeks since his appointment and subsequent withdrawal from the role.

If I knew what I know now, I wish I never had applied, he said on Monday. If I knew what I know now, I wouldnt have walked into this shitshow ... because the trauma Ive gone through over the last six, seven weeks has been significant. Barilaro confirmed he had contact with Premier Dominic Perrottet, then-trade minister Stuart Ayres and Treasurer Matt Kean before he applied for the lucrative New York role, but that no concerns were ever raised. [Kean] would have told me bluntly if he thought it was going to be an issue, for sure. And he never did, Barilaro said, adding that Kean was supportive. Barilaro also maintained his push to have trade appointments made by ministers, not the public service, was unrelated to his post-politics plans.

A key point of contention in the drawn-out job saga that has plagued the NSW government has been an urgent submission which Barilaro took to cabinet in September last year to change the commissioner roles from public service decisions to ministerial appointments. While the transition ultimately never occurred, it had the support of his cabinet colleagues. Barilaro on Monday rejected any suggestion the cabinet submission was designed to benefit him. The inquiry heard Barilaro lodged the cabinet submission on September 16, less than a week after giving private evidence to the anti-corruption commission about then-premier Gladys Berejiklian. On September 24, Barilaro told the Federal Court in a defamation trial that he had decided to resign from politics, before then formally taking the submission to cabinet on September 27.

Berejiklian resigned on October 1 and Barilaro quit three days later. Labors Daniel Mookhey said: It does look like that that cabinet submission was being put forward urgently because you knew that at some point [Berejiklian] was likely to have to resign. Barilaro rejected Labors suggestion that he knew about Berejiklians resignation in advance. Department secretary Amy Brown gives evidence for the third time. Credit:Kate Geraghty I will absolutely refute that disgusting slur and accusation. Youre making me out to be corrupt, Barilaro said.

Mookhey said: If were to believe your version of events, Mr Barilaro, we have to basically conclude that youre one of the luckiest men in NSW politics. Barilaro disagreed, suggesting he was the unluckiest man in NSW politics ... because of those series of events. Barilaro also revealed he contacted Brown, the Investment NSW boss, to recommend former state Labor leader Jodi McKay and former Liberal minister Pru Goward be permitted to belatedly apply for trade commissioner roles. The pair were interviewed for roles but were not successful. Barilaro launched a fierce defence of his right as a private citizen to apply for the US trade role, despite being the minister responsible for the positions when he was still in cabinet. He maintained he was appointed by apolitical public service personnel, and denied he had an advantage over others, with former NSW Liberal premier Barry OFarrell and former federal Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos among his referees. Ayres was also an informal referee for his application.

Loading The trade job scandal has engulfed the Perrottet government and resulted in the forced resignation of Ayres from cabinet over concerns about his role in the saga. He has denied any wrongdoing. Barilaro said interactions between Ayres and Brown, revealed through the inquiry, had surprised him as much as it surprised anybody else. However, he said he genuinely believed Ayres had done nothing to help him secure the role. Kean is expected to be endorsed as deputy Liberal leader at a party room meeting on Tuesday after Transport Minister David Elliott said he would not contest the position.
Actor and vocalist Olivia Newton-John died on Monday morning following a 30-year battle with breast cancer. She was 73.

Musical fans best know Newton-John for her breakout role as Sandy in the 1978 film adaptation of Grease, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Newton-John also starred as Kira in the 1980 cult classic Xanadu. She reunited with her Grease co-star, John Travolta, in the 1983 film Two of a Kind.

Newton-John was also a prolific recording artist, earning four Grammy Awards and five number-one hits on Billboard's Hot 100. Her most popular songs include "I Honestly Love You," "Physical," and "Hopelessly Devoted to You."

Born in the United Kingdom, Newton-John emigrated with her family to Australia at the age of six. She began appearing on Australian television in her teens, leading to her first solo album, "If Not for You," in 1971. She returned to the UK to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with the song "Long Live Love," coming in fourth behind the upstart Swedish pop group ABBA and their song "Waterloo."

Her death was confirmed by her husband, John Easterling, in a Facebook post. In addition to Easterling, Newton-John is survived by daughter Chloe Lattanzi, sister Sarah Newton-John, and brother Toby Newton-John.
After two years of pandemic delay, The Devil Wears Prada, the Musical finally has opened its highly anticipated pre-Broadway tryout at the Nederlander Theatre. Those looking for composer Elton John in the opening night audience were disappointed, though he'd been in Chicago two nights earlier for one of his numerous farewell concerts.

His music here is thoroughly pleasant and tuneful mainstream pop-rock, very Elton John-ish in the best sense as orchestrated by Giles Martin, with a few surprises such as a patter song for fearsome editor Miranda Priestly (Beth Leavel), some jazz licks in the show's only romantic number, and a touch of soul in the big ballad, "What Do I Want for Me?," sung by Taylor Iman Jones in the lead role of Andy Sachs. John and lyricist Shaina Taub serve each other well. Her words are tight and smart, and she can turn a crisp phrase, as when Runway Magazine art director Nigel Owens (Javier Munoz) tells Andy that his hard-won success "fits like a Lagerfeld glove."

However, John and Taub are not given a chance to write any extended musical sequences or story-advancing music-and-dance numbers as John did so very successfully in Billy Elliot. The one that comes closest is the up-tempo production number "Dress Your Way Up" for Nigel and chorus in Act 1 (repeated in the curtain call). Few of the 18 numbers run over five minutes.

Javier Munoz plays Nigel Owens in The Devil Wears Prada.

( Joan Marcus)

The show very much is an old-fashioned book-and-number musical, which even has a so-called "Number in One" to cover a big scene change at the end of Act 1. Indeed, The Devil Wears Prada, the Musical lacks the imagination to innovate, or to veer away from the set storyline of the 2006 film or Lauren Weisberger's 2003 source novel. This may delight legions of movie fans who may flock to the show (along with fashionistas)  the producers almost certainly are counting on this  but it makes for a mundane, uninspired show in the emotional sense, despite plenty of visual dazzle.

It's difficult to say who is at fault here. How much influence did first-time musical director Anna D. Shapiro have? What about book writer Kate Wetherhead, also taking her first crack at a musical? Did she know the rules? Did the producers or Weisberger require her to follow the movie nearly scene for scene? From the result onstage, it seems that Wetherhead's biggest chore was to pare down the story to make room for songs. Minor characters and incidents are gone, with a laser focus on Miranda and Andy that's so narrow it excludes real romance or a hint of a subplot. Andy and her boyfriend, Nate Angstrom (Michael Tacconi), have neither a love song nor a necessary break-up scene after Andy promises to meet him at an important event, and then doesn't (although the show never clearly says she doesn't).

Perhaps more telling, almost all the story points are made in dialogue scenes rather than in song or dance. In fact, no storytelling tasks are given to dance at all. James Alsop's fairly simple (although pleasant) choreography chiefly is musical staging or a cover for scene changes. Some scenes simply scream for dance that isn't there, such as the giant red staircase that's introduced at the end of Act 1 and is barely utilized; it seems like an expensive waste (as does a turntable, used twice in Act 2 for a total of no more than 90 seconds).

Megan Masako Haley plays Emily Charlton, and Taylor Iman Jones plays Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada.

( Joan Marcus)

It certainly is not the fault of a talented, engaging, and hard-working company. Beth Leavel is deadly cool as Miranda Priestly, achieving an arch (yet empathetic) style with physical movement and face that capably distinguishes her from Meryl Streep's screen portrayal. Taylor Iman Jones has charm and appeal as Andy Sachs, and plenty of voice when she finally is allowed to cut loose. Munoz gives the buttoned-up, discreet Nigel Owens plenty of buried passion and heart. Megan Masako Haley has a ball with the platform-heeled, ditzy Emily Charlton, and the audience has a ball with her. Tacconi as Nate Angstrom and Christian Thompson as the character Christian Thompson (how's that for coincidence?) capably do what they can with their underwritten roles (especially Nate).

Scenic and media designers Christine Jones and Brett Banakis frame their New York City settings with two steel towers representing elevated tracks, buildings under construction, viaducts, and so on, which spectacularly morph into the Eiffel Tower when the Act 2 action shifts to Paris. Combined with projections and Paule Constable's lighting, it's a lovely trick, as is the segue back to NYC when the cherry trees are in bloom. Costumes by Arianne Phillips, and hair and wig designs by Campbell Young & Associates run the gamut from high-glam to dive bar and give audiences plenty to look at, culminating in "Who's She?," in which Andy herself becomes the center of fashion attention. Her increasingly spectacular costume is re-fashioned before our eyes as she sings, and channels Diana Ross.

The show has some other odd structural quirks in addition to the seemingly wasted staircase and turntable, and the unfulfilled Andy-Nate relationship. The intermission is in the wrong place  there is nothing at stake emotionally for Andy at that moment  and her "I Wish" song, "What Do I Want for Me?," is at the very end of the show rather than at the beginning. Then, the show is set in the present but indicates that Yves St. Laurent is still alive, although he died in 2008. Ya can't have it both ways.

The Devil Wears Prada is tuneful, visually appealing, strongly performed and played, making a pleasant time at the theater for most. But it also is too familiar to have any surprise and lacks real emotional power. Frankly, there does not seem to be any compelling reason for The Devil Wears Prada to be a musical, other than reasons of commerce.
PRAGUE, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic has reported rising COVID-19 hospitalizations since the end of June due to the more contagious subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 of the Omicron variant.

According to the latest data published by the Health Ministry on Saturday, current hospitalized COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 820 on July 22, compared with 529 a week ago.

The hospitalization number has been the highest since the end of April. In June, only around 100 patients with COVID-19 were in Czech hospitals, and in early July, about 200, data showed.

On July 11, the country registered more than 2,000 new cases for the first time since late April, and the daily tally climbed to 3,235 on July 19.

In the last seven days, 15,310 new cases were recorded in the country, nearly 4,600 more than in the previous 7-day period, according to the data.

On July 18, the country started to administer a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to all people aged over 18, said the ministry, noting that it recommended the shot especially to people aged over 60 and younger high-risk patients.

The Health Ministry has also recommended the use of face masks in medical and social facilities, in public transport and in places with a large concentration of people.

The Czech Republic, with a population of about 10.5 million, has logged more than 3.96 million COVID-19 cases and 40,383 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic. And nearly 6.9 million people in the country have been fully vaccinated. 
Cheyenne, WY (82001)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Fire over fuel storage tanks that exploded near Cuba's supertanker port in Matanzas, Cuba, on Aug. 7, 2022. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

3rd Oil Storage Tank Collapses in Cuba Terminal Following Fire, Spill: Governor

HAVANAA third crude tank caught fire and collapsed at Cubas main oil terminal Matanzas, a local governor said on Monday, as an oil spill spread flames from a second tank that caught fire two days earlier in the islands biggest oil industry accident in decades.

Cuba had made progress fighting off the raging flames during the weekend after drawing on help from Mexico and Venezuela, but late on Sunday the fire began spreading from the second tank, which collapsed, said Mario Sabines, governor of the Matanzas Province, about 60 miles from Havana.

Matanzas is Cubas largest port for receiving crude oil and fuel imports. Cuban heavy crude, as well as fuel oil and diesel stored in Matanzas, are mainly used to generate electricity on the island.

Sabines compared the situation to an Olympic torch going from one tank to the next, turning each into a caldron and now encompassing the area covering three tanks and with flames and billowing black smoke making tackling the situation complicated.

The communist-run and heavily U.S. sanctioned country is all but bankrupt and blackouts, gas, and other shortages already had created a tense situation with scattered local protests following last summers historic unrest in July.

Residents expressed fear that the crisis will worsen as the hottest months of the year bear down.

No lights and no gas, that is what this means, Havana resident Pia Ferrer exclaimed in an upscale neighborhood of Havana.
Troubled by the blare and bustle of city life in Japan, one man audaciously escaped to a desert island where he lived for 29 years in blissful solitude. When age got the better of him, he was forced to rejoin to the mainlanders. But he recently had a chance to return to bid a proper farewell to his beloved atoll.

Masafumi Nagasaki, 87, became famous for moving to the island of Sotobarani, which he did in 1990. He recently returned with the help of Alvaro Cerezo, an entrepreneur traveler much his junior, who owns a company that takes tourists to live on desert islands for short recreational jaunts.

My castaway clients normally stay alone on a desert island for two weeks, maximum five. But Nagasaki has spent 29 years! Cerezo told The Epoch Times. He is like a hero for us.  He was a photographer, too stressed about city life. He was a person not well-adapted; he has a difficult personality.

On Sotobarani, Nagasaki slept in a plastic tent with no modern technology besides lighters for making fires. He got a small monthly stipend from his sons, and sailed his little boat to the nearest village to buy food once a month.

Other than this supply run, he had no other means of communication with the outside world.

Nagasaki caught fish in his early years on the island, but after two decades he stopped as he felt sorry for the fish. He endured regular storms during typhoon season, but never experienced injury or sickness.

He was happy there, until old age prevailed over his desire to live alone. His story made the news in Japan.

In 2018, he was forced to leave the island, as local fishermen found him almost unconscious on the beach, Cerezo said. He was not eating well enough to be in such an environment.  He is 87 years old, too old for being alone in nature. In the wilderness, someone at this age probably wouldnt be alive.

Nagasaki was transported back to mainland Japan prior to the pandemic and reintegrated into society with help from the Japanese government, who furnished a small room for him in Ishigaki city. Yet, he suffered.

He didnt make any friends, said Cerezo. He still cannot use technology. He spends his days collecting rubbish from the street.

Nagasaki has family, said the business owner, but has been estranged.

They are probably not proud of him. In a society like the Japanese, a person like this is not usually admired.  Many people are afraid of him, said Cerezo. He was definitely happier on the island; his wish was to die there, but he was too weak to live there until his death.

Cerezo, who has known Nagasaki since 2014, was in contact with him after his rehabilitation and knew of his malaise. So, he set about organizing a return trip to Sotobarani for the aged man for one last goodbye.

The company got permits from doctors and local authorities in Iriomote. Cerezo himself oversaw the trip. Four years after Nagasakis departure, he was back on his cherished island abode late spring 2022.

Cerezo filmed the trip and later shared the footage on Facebook. Nagasakis burden seems visibly lifted off his shoulders as the pair set off; his posture and expression radiate euphoria as he rejoins familiar waves, sand, and serene solitude.

The recent trip wasnt Cerezos first time to Sotobarani.

In 2014, I spent five days with him, he told the newspaper. He was very strict with timing, and cleaning.  I camped far away from his camp in order not to disturb him, and it was very funny because he was a bit of a difficult person; he used to get mad at me if I arrived 5 minutes late when we had an appointment to do activities.

Cerezo described the jaunt as a beautiful experience that I will never forget.

He was game to leave Nagasaki on his island to live out his days, but ultimately, Nagasaki decided his will and health were at loggerheads; the 87-year-old was simply no longer able to survive alone.

Perhaps a few years from now, if he still desires to spend his last days at Sotobarani Island, and feels his time is right and he is ready to depart this world, we will be there to help him undoubtedly, Cerezo wrote on his blog.

To date, Nagasaki is the longest-staying voluntary castaway in recorded history. After gaining insight into the mans bold move and extraordinary stay on the island, Cerezo admires his authoring his own happiness in life.

He could have ended up with mental problems, or an addiction, making people around him unhappy, said Cerezo, but instead he chose to be alone and have a wonderful life in the most beautiful paradise.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Australia and New Zealand Get Feet Wet in 4-day Work Week Trial

Australia and New Zealand have kicked off a pilot program where workers get an extra day off per week with no reduction in pay, as the idea of a four-day work week continues to gain popularity.

The program, involving some 20 companies from industries ranging from finance to fashion, is based on the 100-80-100 model, meaning workers get 100 percent of the pay, for 80 percent of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintaining at least 100 percent of the output.

UNSW Business school management professor Karin Sanders said that while a five-day work week is still the status quo in Australia, the concept is gaining global acceptance.

There is a huge incentive for a four-day work week in hospitals in Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Finland, and Norway, where they treat it like a mental health issue, Sanders explained.

Workers need more time to spend on caring responsibilities, for example.

It is common for parents to work part-time in countries like the Netherlands, allowing more time to be spent with their children, do hobbies, and complete household chores while experiencing less stress.

North American employees in the trial report less stress and burnout, better physical and mental health, and better and more sleep. (Nate Johnston/Unsplash)

Research has shown that adopting a four-day work week can improve productivity and profits. For example, one trial in Iceland found that productivity remained the same or improved in most workplaces, and eventually, 2,500 workers from the Iceland government took part as well.

Another study involving a Canadian law firm increased its profits by over 30 percent in three months following a switch to a four-day work week without a pay cut.

Interestingly, workers preferred to take Wednesdays instead of Fridays off, finding that a midweek break was the most beneficial for their wellbeing.

Not a One-Size-Fits-All

The success of the model will depend on the type of work and industry, as not all business models can do a four-day work week.

For example, a knowledge worker such as a web designer, accountant, and researcher may find it much easier to change their working hours than someone in construction, education, and hospitality.

If you work in a hospital, you work with patients for a four-day work week, Sanders said.

But for instance, if we in academia work just four days but with the same amount of research targets and teaching expectations, then we might feel more strained.

Although the four-day work week may sound attractive, it likely isnt the magic fix to the work-life balance that workers dream about, CEO of Infrascale Russell Reeder says.

Its not realistic to think if everyone had an extra day off, theyd achieve work-life balance or be able to get all their chores done on their day off, he said.

Companies need to create cultures in which employees can take care of the little things that happen daily.

Theres also a possibility that employers may demand more dedication during the four days, ironically creating more stress.

If you try to fit in 35 hours of work in four days and keep the same productivity and targets, some people will need to work harder and might get overworked with increasing numbers of burnout over those four days, Sanders said.

AI and automation technology may soon replace the workforce across the world. (Geralt/Pixabay)

Companies may also be pushed to speed up technological developments to accomplish the same amount of work in less time, such as through artificial intelligence (AI) technology, chatbots, and robot coworkers.

Consequently, more studies need to be done on the impact of AI in the workplace and the industries most vulnerable to automation to address the changes that may arise if technology exceeds the capabilities of human employees.

Companys Own Decision

Jason Clemons, the executive vice-president of the Fraser Institute, said policy intervention such as a four-day work week could exacerbate the situation for some businesses.

Government regulation could easily make things worse since it would almost inevitably treat all firms the same when the reality is that many firms are in sectors where a four-day work week simply wont make sense, he said.

Economist at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute Philip Cross agrees, saying it should be up to those running the businesses to decide what they should do.

If a four-day work week is so obviously beneficial to employers and employees, I would expect them to adopt one on their own without the governments direction, Cross said in an interview.

If they are resisting, it is for a reason, and the government should not be imposing another layer of regulation and cost on people already struggling.

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups pilot study is run by 4 Day Week Global, a large-scale non-profit involving business leaders, community strategists, work designers, and advocacy thought leaders.

They have been organising the trials for the past couple of years around the world, including in North America and the UK.
A Qantas plane takes off from the Sydney International airport in Sydney, on May 6, 2021. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Australian Airline Asks Executives to Work as Baggage Handlers Amid Labor Crunch

Qantas, Australias flag carrier, has asked its senior executives to work as baggage handlers as the company struggles to hire employees.

The high levels of winter flu and a Covid spike across the community, coupled with the ongoing tight labor market, make resourcing a challenge across our industry, said Colin Hughes, Qantas chief operating officer, in an email, according to BBC.

The executives and managers are expected to work in baggage handling for four to six hours each day, five days a week, for a three-month period. Applicants must have the ability to move suitcases weighing up to 32 kilos (70.54 pounds).

In addition to loading and unloading bags, they also must drive vehicles to move luggage around the airport. The company is looking for a minimum of 100 volunteers to do such work at the Melbourne and Sydney airports.

Qantas was among the airlines that were hard hit by the pandemic, as Australia had maintained one of the most stringent COVID-19 travel restrictions in the world. The country started lifting these restrictions only in November 2021. In the early period of the pandemic, the company was even close to bankruptcy.

During the lockdown period, Qantas terminated at least 1,600 baggage handlers and outsourced the service to contractors. A federal court has judged the move to be unlawful, and the company is planning to appeal the decision.

The airline has been plagued with numerous consumer grievances in recent times, including lost baggage, long queues, and canceled flights.

In a statement to Fortune, a Qantas spokesperson said that operational performance has not been meeting our customers expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves. The company is pulling out all stops to improve our performance.

Since April, around 200 management staff and executives have volunteered to operate on the ground, he added.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the airlines.

Qantas Labor Issues

In a July 17 op-ed published at the Qantas newsroom, Domestic and International CEO Andrew David highlighted several issues that have led to the airline being in a tough spot at present.

Restarting an airline after a two-year grounding is complex. And aviation labor markets, as with many others, are extremely tight. Compounding that is the fact that COVID cases are steeply on the rise again at the same time as the winter flu season, David wrote.

He also dismissed arguments that the decision to outsource ground handling is a key contributor to why the operational restart has been hard.

The company is recruiting more than 1,000 workers, rostering more people on standby, and has doubled the number of people working at call centers, David added.
Bananas that are slightly mottled with brown spots. (Khun Ta/shutterstock)

Banana Freckle Outbreak Grows in NT

An outbreak of banana freckle in the Northern Territory is continuing to grow, with infections found at 12 more sites.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trades biosecurity team has found evidence of the fungal pathogen at Fly Creek, Batchelor, Marrakai and on the Tiwi Islands.

The latest discoveries take the number of infected sites to 29 since the first diseased plants were spotted in May this year.

A response plan has now been put on hold to allow more detailed surveillance to determine the extent of the spread.

The Northern Territorys chief plant health officer Anne Walters said it was clear the current outbreak was more widespread than first thought.

Staff from Biosecurity Northern Territory will continue to collect as much information as possible through continued surveillance about where banana freckle is being detected to try and establish how far the disease has spread, she said.

A fruit and vegetable shop storekeeper changing the price of her bananas in Sydney, Australia. (Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

Our staff will continue to liaise with banana growers and industry groups to keep them informed on this evolving situation.

The surveillance is an important part of our efforts to protect the Northern Territorys banana industry.

NT Farmers Association chief executive Paul Burke urged anyone with a commercial farm or just backyard plants to check for signs of the infection.

Banana freckle impacts both the leaves and fruit.

Infected bananas are safe to eat, but blemishes on the skin reduce their visual appeal and saleability.

Banana freckle also reduces the productivity of banana plants.

The fungus phyllosticta cavendishii, which infects Cavendish and non-Cavendish bananas, is not considered established in Australia.

Banana freckle has been recorded in 27 countries across Southeast Asia, Oceania and India.
A missile is launched from an unspecified location in China on Aug. 4, 2022. The Chinese military fired missiles into waters near Taiwan as part of its planned exercises on Aug. 4. (CCTV via AP)

Beijing Discontent Over Finger-Pointing About Taiwan

Beijing said it was discontent with Australia, Japan, and the United States for their condemnation of the launching of military ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan, calling it finger-pointing and absolutely unacceptable.

In a joint statement, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed their concern about Beijings decision to conduct large-scale military exercises.

They also condemned Beijings launch of military ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan.

The secretary and the foreign ministers urged [Beijing] to immediately cease the military exercises, the statement said.

There is no change in the respective one-China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of Australia, Japan, or the United States.

In response, the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Australia accused the United States of being the biggest saboteur of peace in the Taiwan Strait and claimed that Beijing was the victim of its political provocation.

Beijing also criticised Australia for standing with the United States in its condemnation of Beijings actions rather than expressing sympathy and support for the island nations biggest trading partner.

Keep the Status Quo

In a separate statement on Aug. 5, Wong said the launch of missiles was disproportionate and destabilising to the region and urged restraint and de-escalation.

Wong also noted that there was no change to Australias one-China policy.

Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong (L) bumps elbows with Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nusa Dua on Indonesias resort island of Bali on July 8, 2022. (Johannes P. Christo/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The embassy also issued a statement in response to Wongs statement, again accusing the United States of breaking the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

It also warned that the United States would bear all consequences for continuing to change the status quo in the region.

However, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he wanted no change to the status quo.

I want peace and security in the region, and Australia has said that we want no change to the status quo. Thats also the position of the United States, he told ABC radio.

The prime minister made no comment on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis decision to visit Taiwan, saying it was a matter for them.

We need to stay the course that were on, which is to seek cooperation and positive relations with China where we can but stand up for Australian values and Australian national interests where we must, Albanese said.

That includes the Law of the Sea, allowing for safe navigation and passage including through the South China Sea.

Australia maintains a One China policy that does not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent nation but rather as part of China that is ruled by a different system of government.

However, the Chinese Communist Party, which rules mainland China, has never ruled Taiwan.
Hsiao Bi-khim (L), Taiwans new representative to the United States, and Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, attend an inaugural ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 20, 2020. (Chen Po-chou/The Epoch Times)

Beijing Is Manufacturing Taiwan Crisis Following Pelosi Visit, Says Taipei Ambassador

In a recent interview for CBS News, Taiwans representative to the United States Bi-khim Hsiao criticized Chinas response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island nation.

The Chinese foreign ministry had warned that Pelosis visit would lead to serious consequences and that those who play with fire will perish by it.

But Hsiao pointed out that U.S. congressional visits to Taiwan are not a new phenomenon.

The Beijing government is currently trying to manufacture a crisis over a practice that has been ongoing for decades, and they are using this as a pretext, Hsiao said.

On Aug. 2, the day Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, China announced live-fire military drills in six zones around Taiwan between Aug. 4 and Aug. 7. The drills were the largest exercises the Chinese regime has ever held in the Taiwan Strait.

On Aug. 8, China announced new drills near Taiwan, including sea assault and anti-submarine operations.

After her visit to Taiwan, Pelosi stated that the United States will not allow China to isolate Taiwan.

In the interview with CBS News, Hsiao was asked about China flexing its diplomatic muscles due to Pelosis visit, including canceling several agreements with the United States.

If China is to evolve as a responsible stakeholder in the global community, its really up to Beijing to decide if their rejuvenation, if Chinas rejuvenation, will evolve with international respect or with international condemnation, she said.

Americas Perceived Weakness

Hsiao also talked about Chinas intensifying threats toward Taiwan, not only on a military level but also via a hybrid tool kit of cyber attacks, public disinformation, and economic coercion.

Hsiao said she believes the Taiwan Relations Act has provided a strong foundation for the United States to defend Taiwan militarily against the Chinese regime, but she refused to state explicitly whether Taiwan has assurances from the Biden administration that the U.S. military would come to the islands defense when needed.

President Joe Biden is facing criticism over how his administration is tackling the ChinaTaiwan issue, with Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) pointing out that the Chinese communist regime is looking to benefit from Americas perceived weakness.

China is displaying strength at a time when President Biden has displayed weakness, and theyre going to take full advantage of it, Barrasso said in an interview for Fox News.

When China or Putin or anyone sees weakness, they go at it, and thats whats happened right here, he said. The president needs to show some backbone internationally.

Meanwhile, Pelosi is facing criticism for not including a single Republican lawmaker during her trip to Taiwan. In addition to Pelosi, there were five members on the delegation, all of them Democratic lawmakers.

One Republican, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, was invited, but he couldnt join the delegation because of a pre-arranged personal engagement.
One-month-old quadruplets are ready to leave the Tongji Hospital and go home in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on July 27, 2007. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Beijing: The Population of China Starting to Decrease

News Analysis

The Chinese regime stated on Aug. 1 that Chinas population has begun to decline and that the problems of aging and low birthrate have become worse.

This is the first time that Beijing has said that its population is in a phase of negative growth since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power in 1949.

Chinas total fertility rate (TFR) was lower than 1.3 in recent years.  Womens willingness to have children continues to decline, the National Health Commission wrote in state-run Qiushi magazine on Aug. 1. Women of reproductive age desire to have 1.64 children on average in 2021. This is less than 1.73 in 2019 and 1.76 in 2017.

Chinese women have babies in their 20s and early 30s.

The post-90 (23 to 32 years old) and post-00 (13 to 22 years old) are major childbearing generations. They want 1.54 and 1.48 kids in their lives, the commission stated.

TFR is the average number of children a woman has during her life. A community can be sustained when the TFR stays above 2.1, according to the U.N.

A boy uses an umbrella in Nanlouguxiang Alley in Beijing on July 27, 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

A declining population is a nightmare for the Chinese economy. China needs sufficient low-paid workers since it is the worlds factory, Wang He, a U.S.-based China affairs commentator, told The Epoch Times on Aug. 3. In fact, throughout the previous years, we have observed the negative consequences of the declining population.

These effects include factories having to pay higher salaries to workers, which could increase manufacturing costs in China and make them higher than in other developing nations; social security no longer having enough money to cover retiree benefits; schools closing because of insufficient enrolment; and maternity hospitals and businesses that cater to children filing for bankruptcy, Wang said.

Declining Population

[Chinas population] will enter the period of negative growth in the 14th five-year-plan (2021 to 2025), the National Health Commission wrote.

It asked the Chinese people to shoulder the responsibility of having more children as an urgent task.

A low fertility rate leads to a relative increase in the aging population. The commission predicted that more than 30 percent of Chinas population will be older than 60 by 2035.

The claim is corroborated by a U.N. study that was published on July 11. According to the study, Chinas population began to decline in the first half of 2022, will continue to decline, and on the current trajectory, would be practically halved by 2100.

A boy stands behind a fence of a residential area under COVID-19 lockdown in Beijing on June 14, 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas demographic slide is different from those in Western countries. As nations have become wealthier, the fertility rates have decreased in developed nations. The Chinese regime mandated one offspring per family in the late 1970s, when the majority of Chinese people lived in poverty.

Tens of millions of fetuses were destroyed as a result of the policy, which also caused gender inequality because women had sex-selective abortions and some families even abandoned or killed female infants. Therefore, there are fewer potential mothers today than there would have been had the one-child restriction not been in place.

The regime recognized the demographic problem in the 2010s and changed its one-child restriction to a two-child limit, then to a three-child policy.

The National Health Commission stated that the primary barriers to having children are the financial burden of raising a child, the lack of child care, and womens concerns about the advancement of their careers.

A newborn baby in a private obstetric hospital in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 21, 2020. (Getty Images)

Unwanted Consequences

A diminished demographic advantage harms Chinas economy, Wang said. The biggest problem is that there will be a shortage of cheap labor for manufacturing.

China has grown into an industrial powerhouse since the regime opened the borders for trade in December 1978. The huge populace that works hard for little pay was the driving force behind this. However, the situation altered in the late 2010s when Chinese state-run media revealed that the manufacturers were unable to fill positions even when offering higher salaries.

A decline in manufacturing capacity impacts the domestic market, too. People have to spend more to get the same products.

We observed an increase in the number of global brands shifting production from China to Vietnam, Thailand, and other developing nations, Wang said. The U.SChina trade war [which increased tariffs to 25 percent] did contribute to these migrations, but the main reason is China no longer has the high-quality, low-cost labor it formerly had.

A girl visiting Disneytown in Shanghai on June 16, 2022. Disneytown and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel resumed operations today, coinciding with the sixth anniversary of the opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort. (Hu Chengwei/Getty Images)

Chinese citizens with urban household registrations are eligible for social security benefitsothers arent. Also, people with urban household registrations and their employers contribute to social security. These monies are used to pay retiree social security benefits.

However, the Chinese regime first stated in November 2020 that the working-age population had shrunk relative to that of the nonworking-age population.

In March, Chinas Ministry of Finance released data that the regime had to add almost 700 billion yuan (about $104 billion) to make up the shortfall in the social security benefits. The ministry predicted that the social security program will face a shortfall of 8 trillion to 10 trillion yuan (about $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion) in five to 10 years.

Retirees in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and several other provinces have experienced that they didnt get their social security benefits on time, Wang said.

A woman leads an elderly man across a street in Beijing on June 2, 2022. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Because of the low birth rate, the maternity facilities are unable to take in enough patients to sustain operations, state-run China Newsweek reported on March 26.

The maternity department at Dongba Hospital in Beijing used to deliver 3,000 to 5,000 babies annually, according to the report. That prosperity has vanished in recent years. The department delivered fewer than 150 infants in 2021.

Our hospital [Dongba] may close our department at any time, a maternity nurse told China Newsweek. In the future, expectant women who live nearby will have to visit other hospitals.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Students eating lunch at Grant Park Christian Academy in May 2022. (Courtesy of Grant Park Christian Academy)

Biden Administration and Florida Agriculture Commissioner to Approve Christian School Lunches

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.The Biden administration and Floridas agriculture commissioner say they intend to approve applications for funding to continue to serve free meals for low-income children at Grant Park Christian Academyjust days before the school was to begin a new school year and a lawsuit was to be heard in federal court over the lunch program matter.

On July 27, the Tampa Christian school filed a lawsuit against the president and commissioner Nikki Fried over revised federal regulations on discrimination, as was reported by The Epoch Times.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative group representing the school, said the new policies regarding discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity would violate its religious beliefs and result in students being denied access to free and nutritious lunches.

A cafeteria worker serves lunch to a student at Grant Park Christian Academy in May 2022. (Courtesy of Grant Park Christian Academy)

In a turn of events on Aug. 7, a joint motion was filed where state and federal government officials said they would approve the schools application and grant a religious exemption and provide necessary funding for the 2022-2023 school year.

The school will begin classes on Aug. 10; the original court date for the lawsuit was Aug. 11.

ADF attorneys said that a lawsuit should have never happened.

It shouldnt have taken a lawsuit to get the government to respect religious freedom, legal counsel Erica Steinmiller-Perdomo said in a prepared statement to The Epoch Times.

Grant Park Christian Academy treats every child with dignity and respect and never turns away a hungry child.

Now, provided the government follows through and approves Grant Park Christian Academys application and confirms its exemption, this private school can continue feeding dozens of children healthy meals every day.

We will defend other public and private schools across the country who remain under the burden of this unlawful mandate that violates religious beliefs.

Pastor Alfred Johnson, president of Faith Action Ministry Alliance the parent organization of Grant Park Christian Academy, said the school depends on funding from the school lunch program to feed low-income students.

Our kids depend on our schools lunch program to eat balanced, nutritious meals and were breathing a sigh of relief that we can continue this vital outreach to the Grant Park community, Johnson said in a written statement.

While its unfortunate we even needed to file this lawsuit in the first place, were pleased to see it resolved quickly with the assistance of ADF.

In May, the USDA announced it would require compliance of all schools receiving federal aid for the lunch program to its revised regulations under Title IX, a 50-year-old law that was written to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex by educational programs that receive federal dollars.

The lawsuit said that the revised regulations expanded the definition of sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity and would prevent the school from having sex-specific restrooms, violate its dress code policy and require students to use preferred pronouns.

It contended that the schools curriculum is based on the biblical worldview about marriage, sexuality, and the human person, and defines marriage as being a union between one man and one woman as delineated by scripture, and deviating from ones biological sex goes against God.

According to the motion that was filed on Aug. 7, the parties will confer further in an effort to identify whether any issues remain in dispute, and will notify the court whether further briefing or motion practice will be necessary.
Bill Graham makes his way to appear before the Arar Inquiry in Ottawa, May 30, 2005. (The Canadian Press/Fred Chartrand)

Bill Graham, Former Interim Liberal Leader, Post 9/11 Foreign Affairs Minister Dies

Bill Graham, who served as foreign affairs minister when Canada decided against joining the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, has died.

Former Liberal MP John English tells The Canadian Press that Graham died Sunday, according to a member of his family who shared the news with him earlier today.

Graham was first elected as a Liberal member of Parliament for the riding then known as Toronto Centre-Rosedale in 1993, after two unsuccessful runs.

In January 2002, months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks shook the world, he was appointed to serve as foreign affairs minister by former prime minister Jean Chretien.

At that time, Canada had to decide whether to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and then navigate its relationship with its closest ally when it opted against doing so.

Graham later served as minister of national defence and then in 2006, after the Conservatives came to power under Stephen Harper, he served as interim Liberal leader once former prime minister Paul Martin stepped down.

By Stephanie Taylor
Karena McClerkin, an 18-year-old girl who went missing in October 2016. (Courtesy of Kokomo Police Department)

Body Found in Indiana Identified as 18-Year-Old Girl Missing Since 2016

Authorities in Indiana were notified on Aug. 5 that the human remains of a woman recovered in a rural area of Miami County last month are those of Karena McClerkin, an 18-year-old who went missing years ago.

In a press release, Kokomo Police Department (KPD) Lt. Richard Benzinger announced that a regional laboratory made a positive DNA identification of the body, noting that her family has been notified.

McClerkin, who was only 18 when her family reported her missing in October 2016, was last seen at a residence on South Washington Street in Kokomo.

The womans body was recovered a day after officials issued an arrest warrant on murder charges for an individual allegedly connected to her disappearance.

On July 18, police confirmed that they arrested Flint V. Farmer, a 57-year-old man of Kokomo. In addition, they also obtained information that led to the discovery of McClerkin.

Investigators had continuously tried to locate McClerkin, but without success, until a tip emerged in the fall of 2021 with information surrounding her disappearance and events that took place afterward.

As the investigation continued  investigators followed evidence which led to a rural area of Miami County as a possible location of the deceased body of Karena McClerkin, Benzinger wrote in the release. A scene was established and secured that evening.

The long and methodical processing of the scene started on July 18 and lasted until the evening of July 19, according to the release.

Officials of the KPD, Indiana State Police, and Miami County Coroners Office, jointly conducted an investigation in the rural area, resulting in the discovery of what appeared to be human skeletal remains, the lieutenant said.

A forensic pathologist performed an autopsy at the Howard County Coroners Office to positively identify the body as McClerkin. The specific cause and manner of death are still being examined.

McClerkins family told WRTV that Farmers arrest begins a new chapter of pain and healing.

It was real. She was never coming home, said James McClerkin, the girls fa;;;;ther. Im supposed to be grateful that we are getting somewhere in this case. An arrest has been made, but she was still robbed of her own time.

For years, the McClerkin family had tried to bring the girl home, with her grandmother, Gerry McClerkin, being one of the loudest voices.

Shell never know her little brother. Shes got a niece shell never know and shes named after her, she told WRTV.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Lt. Benzinger at 765-456-7324 or the KPD Hotline at (765) 456-7017.

Callers may qualify for a cash reward by contacting Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 1-800-262-TIPS with an anonymous tip, which can also be provided via text message to 847411 and begin the text message with the keyword TIPKPD.

From NTD News
Police officers wear face masks as they patrol the city centre in Manchester, England, on Oct. 20, 2020. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

British Police Force Cancels Course Dubbed as Hate-Crime Reeducation by Critics

Hampshire Police in Britain have scrapped a scheme which obliged people either to go on what free speech campaigners have described as a reeducation course for hate crimessexist, racist, homophobic, or transphobic material posted on social mediaor face prosecution.

The training courses are run by an organisation called Restorative Solutions paid for by Hampshire Constabularys Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) budget and therefore by the taxpayer.

Donna Jones, PCC for Hampshire announced her decision to stop the scheme on Saturday.

I inherited a restorative justice contract when I was elected into office last year and the restorative hate-crime awareness course was part of that, Jones told The Telegraph at the time of the announcement.

I have decided that this hate-crime awareness course will no longer be offered in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by way of a community resolution option. The change needs to be planned properly but will take place in the coming weeks.

Hampshire Police were heavily criticised by free speech groups, after a video of them placing army veterannow named as 51-year-old Darren Bradyunder arrest and in handcuffs, went viral.

Brady had refused to go on the course, or admit to any crime, after he shared a tweet of the rainbow Pride flag made into a swastika.

Jones told The Epoch Times in a statement by email at the time that she was concerned about both the proportionality and necessity of the polices response to this incident.

Actor, founder of the Reclaim party, and free speech campaigner Laurence Fox who filmed the video, hailed the decision by Hampshire police as a personal victory. Also arrested and then released was Harry Miller of the Bad Law Project, an ex-police officer turned free speech campaigner.

See what can be achieved when we stand together, Fox wrote on Twitter.

Laurence Fox said bad laws are inescapably tied to social justice because laws based on subjective offences are invalid and unenforceable by definition.

The more resources funnelled into policing them, the more obvious their incompatibility with basic civil liberty becomes, he said.

What is so encouraging and wonderful is two people [Fox and Miller] stood up to the police and we have just changed the entire precedent of the British legal system in a week, Laurence Fox said in an interview with Sky News Australia on Aug. 7.

Miller said the police officers at the scene were not embarrassed at all but old school coopers supported him.

I have been inundated which messages from senior high-ranking officers who are cheering us on because they do not recognise the police force they are seeing, he said.

I will continue to confront and remind police forces that we have never had the Stasi, the Cheka, or the Gestapo in this country, and under our watch we never will.

The Bad Law Project is a free speech organisation that was initially contacted by Brady.

Take note Police forces of Britain, if you continue this ridiculous Orwellian course we are coming and theres no stopping us, they said in a statement on Twitter.

The Epoch Times has approached Restorative Solutions for comment.
A man walks past a paramilitary police officer keeping watch outside the Burmese embassy in Beijing on Aug. 8, 2022. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Burmas Ambassador to China Dies Suddenly

BEIJINGBurmas ambassador to China died suddenly on Sunday in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, according to an obituary in Burma state media and diplomatic sources in Beijing.

The obituary for Ambassador U Myo Thant Pe by Burmas foreign ministry in a state newspaper on Monday did not specify his cause of death.

Diplomats in Beijing and a Chinese language Burmese media report said the cause was likely to be a heart attack.

U Myo Thant Pe was last seen on Saturday meeting a local official in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan which borders Burma (also known as Myanmar), according to a local news report.

The Burmese embassy in China did not immediately respond to a query for comment.

U Myo Thant Pe was appointed ambassador to China in 2019 and stayed in his post after Burmas military took power in a coup in February 2021.

He was the fourth ambassador to die in China in the past year.

German ambassador Jan Hecker, 54, died in September, less than two weeks into his Beijing posting. Ukrainian ambassador Serhiy Kamyshev, 65, died in February during or shortly after a visit to a Beijing Winter Olympics venue.

Philippine ambassador Jose Santiago Chito Sta. Romana, 74, died in quarantine in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui in April.

By Yew Lun Tian
A Tesla car recharges its battery at the Petaluma Supercharger in Petaluma, Calif., on March 9, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/TNS)

California DMV Accuses Tesla of False Advertising. At Issue: Autopilot and Full Self-Driving

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has accused Tesla of false advertising in its promotion of the companys signature Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies.

The agency alleges the electric carmaker misled customers with advertising language on its website describing Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies as more capable than they actually are.

The company made or disseminated statements that are untrue or misleading, and not based on facts, the DMV said in a pair of complaints filed with the state Office of Administrative Hearings on July 28.

The DMV complaints point to the very names of the technologies, as well as other misleading language such as the following, which appears on Teslas website Autopilot page:

All you will need to do is get in and tell your car where to go. If you dont say anything, your car will look at your calendar and take you there as the assumed destination. Your Tesla will figure out the optimal route, navigating urban streets, complex intersections and freeways.

The remedies proposed by the DMV if it prevails could be severe, including revocation of the companys licenses to make or sell its cars in California. But actual remedies would likely to be much softer.

A DMV spokesperson said Friday via email that if its action succeeds, the DMV will ask that Tesla will be required to advertise to consumers and better educate Tesla drivers about the capabilities of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, including cautionary warnings regarding the limitations of the features, and for other actions as appropriate given the violations.

In June, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk underlined the importance of Full Self-Driving to the company. Without FSD, Tesla is worth basically zero, he said.

The Full Self-Driving feature costs $12,000 and purports to automatically pilot the car on freeways, city streets, and neighborhood roads; automatically obeys traffic signals; and roam a parking lot without a driver to park itself.

Despite the name, no car available for purchase by individuals is capable of fully autonomous driving from Tesla or any other company.

Tesla cars never could and cannot now, operate as autonomous vehicles, the DMV claims assert.

The DMV notes that Teslas website states that the currently enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.

But, the DMV said, the disclaimer contradicts the original untrue or misleading labels and claims, which is misleading, and does not cure the violation.

Teslas driver-assisting technologies have been popular features that help the carmaker stand out in an increasingly crowded electric vehicle market. But YouTube videos showing its systems placing cars in dangerous situations have drawn attention, including near head-on collisions with trucks and trains that require a driver to yank the steering wheel to avoid a crash. One video appears to show Teslas sensor system confusing the moon for a traffic light stuck on yellow.

Autopilot, a less expensive feature that combines automatic cruise control with automatic steering and automatic lane changes, came under investigation by the National Highway and Traffic Administration when Teslas showed a pattern of plowing into emergency vehicles parked by the roadside.

Its unclear how many crashes involve Full Self-Driving technology, and if any of those crashes have led to death or injury. Teslas onboard computers are capable of communicating that information over the air to Tesla, but the company doesnt share that data with the public.

Recently, Musk claimed that FSD had not been a factor in any Tesla crash, although at least eight crash reports submitted by Tesla owners to federal safety regulators indicate otherwise.

Teslas response to the DMV complaints, if any, has not yet been made public. Tesla has no media relations office. Musk did not respond to an invitation to tell Teslas side of the story.

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2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A crowd of more than 150 people packed a school board meeting in Salinas, Calif., on Dec. 15, 2021. (Courtesy of Josey Schenkoske)

California Republicans Claim Bill Attempts to Silence Parents

California Republicans are condemning legislation they say is a part of a continued assault on parents who have flocked to local school board meetings over the last year to protest curriculum changes and policies.

Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said in an Aug. 1 statement Republicans oppose the passage of Senate Bill 1100 (SB 1100) which would authorize a presiding member of a legislative body conducting a public meeting to remove an individual for disrupting the meeting.

This bill is a direct attack on parents coming to their school board meetings and voicing their passionate displeasure with how our schools have been managed. Regardless of this bill, a parent revolution is coming this fall, Gallagher said.

SB 1100 has passed both the state Senate and Assembly. Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), author of the bill, said its headed to California Gavin Newsoms desk to either veto or sign into law.

Cortese argues the legislation is needed to crack down on disorderly conduct at public meetings. He says the Brown Act, a 1953 state law that requires an opportunity for public input during meetings, is not enough to deal with some peoples behavior and should be updated.

The legislation would clarify the parameters for when people should be removed and prevent public officials from needing to end meetings early due to bullying, harassment, or violence, said Cortese in a statement.

The bill would change the words willfully interrupting to disrupting defined as engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting.

Additionally, it would require the presiding official to warn people if their behavior is disruptive before removing them or clearing a meeting room.

Public officials and people who attend meetings continue to deal with disorderly conduct during meetings at such a high magnitude that critical business and the legislative process as a whole has become impaired, according to Cortese.

However, Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) told The Epoch Times on Aug. 4 the bill is an attempt to silence the voices of parents who feel the schools are harming their children with curriculum changes and other matters.

This is about absolutely freezing parents out of the education of their children, and it should be roundly condemned and rapidly defeated, he said.

For the first time ever, parents got a good look into the school rooms because of COVID over the whole country. They did not like what theyve seen, so they have risen up to take their children back from these schools, Nielsen said. I totally support the parents in this regard.
Chinese fighter jets fly in the sky near Taiwan in a still from a video released by Chinese state-run media CCTV on Aug. 7, 2022. (CCTV via Reuters/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

China Carries Out 4th Day of Military Drills Near Taiwan

BEIJINGThe Chinese regime said Sunday it carried out its fourth consecutive day of military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the self-ruled island, despite international calls to calm the tensions.

The Chinese army said the exercises focused on testing its long-range air and ground strikes. It did not say if it will continue the drills after Sunday.

Taiwan said that it continued to detect several batches of Chinese aircraft, ships, and drones operating around the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island and mainland China, and simulating attacks on the island of Taiwan and our ships at sea.

Taiwans defense ministry said it detected a total of 66 Chinese aircraft and 14 Chinese warships conducting joint naval and air exercises around the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan deployed air reconnaissance patrols, naval ships, and shore-based missiles, and said that it will continue to closely monitor the situation.

Taiwans official Central News Agency meanwhile reported that Taiwans army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung County on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises.

The drills will include snipers, combat vehicles, armored vehicles as well as attack helicopters, said the report, which cited an anonymous source.

The Chinese regime set up no-go areas around Taiwan for the four-day drills it announced immediately after Pelosis trip to Taipei on Tuesday and Wednesday that infuriated the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which saw it as a violation of the one-China policy.

The CCP claims Taiwan as its own and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects the CCPs claims, saying only Taiwans people can decide their future. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically elected government, and constitution.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense emphasized that its military was surveilling the situation and had dispatched aircraft and ships to respond accordingly.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called on the international community to support democratic Taiwan and halt any escalation of the regional security situation.

The Chinese regime has so far conducted missils strikes on targets in the seas around Taiwan, and sent warships across the Taiwan Straits median line. It has also cut off defense and climate talks with the United States and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit.

The Biden administration and Pelosi say the United States remains committed to the one-China policy but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

The United States however criticized the CCPs actions in the Taiwan Strait, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling them fundamentally irresponsible.

Theres no need and no reason for this escalation, Jean-Pierre said.
An air force aircraft under the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) gets refueled mid-air during military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, in this screengrab from an Aug. 4 video released on Aug. 5, 2022. (Eastern Theater Command/Handout via Reuters)

China Launches New Military Drills, Threatens to Continue Crossing Median Line of Taiwan Strait

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced a new round of invasive military drills around Taiwan on Aug. 8, in a further challenge to the islands sea and air space.

The statement follows just one day after the scheduled end of the CCPs largest military exercises around the island, ostensibly begun in protest against last weeks visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Chinas Eastern Theater Command, which oversees the portion of the mainland closest to Taiwan, said the new drills would focus on anti-submarine and sea assault operations. In an unprecedented escalation, the CCP also stated that it will regularly commence military drills on Taiwans side of the Taiwan Strait.

CCP Aggression

The move is likely to be seen as a major provocation by the international community, as the CCP has historically been reticent to cross the median line of the strait. CCP authorities also ceased communications between Chinese and U.S. military leaders within the theater late last week, increasing the possibility of miscommunication.

Taiwans Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying that China is deliberately creating crises. It demanded that CCP leadership stop its hostile military actions and pull back from the edge of conflict.

In the face of military intimidation created by China, Taiwan will not be afraid nor back down, and will more firmly defend its sovereignty, national security, and free and democratic way of life, the ministry said in a statement.

The comment echoed language used by the White House last week, which accused the CCP of manufacturing crises to justify an increase in military intimidation of Taiwan.

The CCP claims that Taiwan is a rogue province that must be united with mainland China, and hasnt ruled out the use of force to accomplish that goal. However, Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949 and has never been controlled by the CCP.

CCP leadership has fumed over Pelosis trip for nearly a week, going so far as to launch 11 ballistic missiles over Taipei, Taiwans capital city, for the first time, some of which fell into the waters of Japans exclusive economic zone. Despite the furor, it isnt unusual for congressional delegations to visit Taiwan.

International forums, including the Group of Seven (G-7) industrial nations and the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations, also condemned the CCPs aggression in the region and urged the regime to pursue a peaceful outcome to tensions.

There is no justification to use a visit as [a] pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait, the G-7 said in a statement. We call on the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-Strait differences by peaceful means.

The duration and precise location of the latest drills arent yet known. Taiwan has already eased some flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island, which interfered with international travel.

Taiwans Defense Ministry stated that it detected 39 Chinese military aircraft and 13 naval vessels in and around the Taiwan Strait on Aug. 8. It noted that 21 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone, including fighter jets that crossed the median line in the northern part of the Taiwan Strait.

Beyond the firing of 11 ballistic missiles, Chinese warships, fighter jets, and drones maneuvered extensively around the island, drawing responding forces from Taiwans military.

Shortly before the first set of exercises ended on Aug. 7, about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan maneuvered around one another in close quarters near the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwans Defense Ministry stated that the CCPs newly designated no-fly zones encircling the island had compressed Taiwans training space and would affect the normal operation of international flights and air routes for the foreseeable future.
A Chinese aircraft under the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese army takes off for military exercises in the waters around Taiwan on Aug. 4, 2022. (Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters)

China to Conduct Regular Military Drills East of Taiwan Strait Median Line: State Media

The Chinese military will from now on conduct regular drills on the eastern side of the median line of the Taiwan Strait, Chinese state television reported on Sunday, citing a commentator.

The median line in the narrow strait between the island of Taiwan and mainland China is an unofficial line of control that military aircraft and battleships from either side normally do not cross.

Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high seas cat and mouse on Sunday ahead of the scheduled end of four days of unprecedented Chinese military exercises launched in reaction to a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosis visit last week infuriated the Chinese regime, which regards the self-ruled island as its territory and which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over the islands capital for the first time and the cutting of some areas of dialogue with Washington.

Taiwans defense ministry said multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react appropriately.

In a statement later on Sunday, the ministry said it had detected 14 Chinese warships and 66 Chinese aircraft in and around the Taiwan Strait.

It was not immediately clear if China had ended the drills on Sunday, as previously announced.
This aerial photo shows cargo containers stacked at a port in Lianyungang Jiangsu Province, China, on May 9, 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas Economy Slumps Further, New Data Show, Raising Fears of Layoffs

Chinas economy has slumped further in the second quarter of the year, with manufacturing slowing unexpectedly and a downturn in the real estate sector intensifying, according to official and independent data. This has raised fears of a wave of layoffs in the second half of the year adding to already severe unemployment issues in China.

Chinas economy deteriorated further in July, according to a China Beige Book International (CBBI) report in early August, which provides independent economic data. Factory outputs and new production orders in China reached their slowest since mid-2020, and retail employment was at its worst in more than two years, according to the latest CBBI survey. Deterioration in revenue growth for manufacturers and retailers curtailed profits, the report states.

On Aug. 1, official data revealed even worse numbers in manufacturing and real estate. Data released by the Chinese regimes statistics bureau show that the purchasing managers index (PMI) of Chinas manufacturing industry for July was 49.0 compared with 50.2 in the previous month, a decrease of 1.2 percent, which is lower than the critical level of 50.

In July, with more cases of COVID-19 emerging in parts of China, the communist regime continued its strict zero-COVID measures, putting many cities in lockdown, including industrial centers and economic hubs.

Manufacturing activity, which had rebounded in June after the lockdowns were lifted in parts of mainland China, has now slumped again.

The China Real Estate Index Research Institute publicized that in July, the average price of new residential buildings month-over-month in 100 cities in mainland China dropped instead of increasing, and the average price of homes further plummeted. Price drops for new houses were greater in cities, especially in the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas, where housing prices had been increasing in previous years.

A general view shows Evergande residential buildings under construction in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, on July 18, 2022. (JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images)

Property sales in the 17 cities tracked by the Index Research Institute fell by 33.4 percent month-over-month in July, compared with an 88.9 percent jump in June as lockdowns lifted.

High Unemployment Rate

According to a report by major Chinese finance website Caixin, employment in the domestic manufacturing sector has continued to shrink, with the employment index falling to its lowest point in 27 months. The report attributed the layoffs to cost-cutting measures of factories, weak sales, and a cautious attitude toward hiring across industries.

Nearly 11 million college students in mainland China graduated in the summera record high. According to official data released by the Chinese regime, the unemployment rate for urban youth aged 16 to 24 climbed to 19.3 percent in Junealso a record high.

Thousands of job seekers flock to an employment fair in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, on Feb. 25, 2015. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Because of widespread uncertainty about employment, consumer confidence remains fragile. Among those who still have jobs, many are more reluctant to spend money.

Official data show that economic growth in mainland China slowed to 0.4 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. The outside world believes that Chinas economy may even already be in recession, as the Chinese regime is known for its lack of transparency and often reports false numbers.

Dim Prospects

At the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) Politburo meeting on July 28, the regime stated that this years international environment is complex and severe and that domestic tasks are difficult and arduous. CCP leadership remained silent on the 5.5 percent economic growth target it set for this year. Analysts say this suggests that the CCP believes it will ultimately fail to achieve this goal.

Independent current affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan told The Epoch Times that the downturn in Chinese real estate, a pillar industry and the largest sector of local government investment and revenue, has intensified.

Manufacturing employment continues to shrink, and unemployment hits a new high, and manufacturing corresponds to the export of Chinas economy. It shows that mainland Chinas consumption stimulus policy has no effect, Tang said.

These data reflect that the three pillars of Chinas economyinvestment, exports, and consumptionare overall in deceleration or even stalling. On this basis, the CCP authorities still stick to zero-COVID policy, which will only hurt the Chinese economy.

To make matters worse, Chinas economic crisis is not a question of whether it can achieve the targeted growth rate, but whether it can stabilize the economy in the next five or even 10 years.

Xu Jian contributed to the report.
The Grand Aurora vehicle carrier sits moored at Hambantota Port, operated by China Merchants Group, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on March 28, 2018. Under the overwhelming burden of the Chinese debt, the Sri Lankan government had to lease the port to Beijing for 99 years. (Atul Loke/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

China Seeks Urgent Meeting With Sri Lanka Over Visit of Research Ship: Report

Chinese officials are reportedly seeking a meeting with top Sri Lankan officials after the Colombo government, citing security objections voiced by India, requested that the planned visit of a Chinese vessel be postponed.

Sri Lankas Foreign Ministry wrote to the Chinese Embassy on Aug. 5 asking that China defer the arrival of its space and satellite tracking research vessel Yuan Wang 5 to the port in Hambantota until further consultations are made on this matter.

In response, the Chinese Embassy wants to discuss the matter with Sri Lankan officials, local media have reported, citing people who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe also met with Chinese ambassador Qi Zhenhong on Aug. 4, during which he reaffirmed the United Nations Charter principles of territorial integrity.

Countries must refrain from provocations which further escalate the current global tensions, Wickremesinghe wrote in a post on Twitter, emphasizing the need for mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of countries.

The crisis-hit nation had also initiated diplomatic talks with both India and China to reach an amicable solution regarding the vessels arrival to avoid any potential clashes.

Sri Lankas deferral request came after India warned that it would take all necessary measures to safeguard against the Chinese vessel, which is due to be in the Hambantota port from Aug. 11 to Aug. 17 for refueling purposes. The Yuan Wang 5 ship is used to conduct satellite control and research tracking of Chinas satellites in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean region through August and September, according to the Belt and Road initiative in Sri Lanka.

According to Marine Traffic, the research vessel departed Jiangyin, China, on July 13 and is currently in the East China Sea en route to Hambantota.

Local media reported that the former government had given approval on July 12 for the vessel to dock in the port, during mass protests that had thrown the government into turmoil.

The Sri Lankan government leased the strategic port to China for 99 years in 2017 after failing to repay $1.4 billion in loans.

Indias Concerns

India is concerned that the Chinese-built and -leased port of Hambantota will be used by China as a military base in Indias backyard. The $1.5 billion port sits near the main maritime shipping route from Asia to Europe.

Diplomatic relations between India and China have been strained since clashes in 2020 between troops along a remote Himalayan border. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the fighting, which led to a massive buildup of troops on both sides.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in May that while China had expressed hopes to restore normalcy with India, from Indias perspective, the threat to the restoration of peace and tranquility on the border was ongoing aggressions by the Chinese regime.

The frictions and tensions that arise from Chinas deployments since April 2020 cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between two neighbors, Jaishankar told reporters.

China is one of Sri Lankas biggest lenders and has also financed airports, roads, and railways, unsettling India. As Sri Lanka battles its worst economic crisis in seven decades, India this year alone has provided nearly $4 billion in support.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A woman holds a mock-up vial labeled "Monkeypox vaccine" and medical syringe in this illustration taken on May 25, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Claims CDC Classified Monkeypox as Airborne and a Form of Herpes Are False: Officials

Posts shared on Facebook that claim the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified monkeypox as an airborne virus, it can cause paralysis, and can last months are false, officials said.

Facebook posts containing the claims reviewed by The Epoch Times show they both have a BBC News logo and credit the World Health Organization and CDC. One of the posts says, CDC has now classified this disease as airborne and anyone within 15 feet can catch it, while it adds that it is now being classified as a form of herpes, the illness can last up to four months, and it can lead to paralyzation.

Under the Facebook post, some said the information is fake and one said that its trying to scare us to take more vaccine shots. The person added, Only way it can spread is through contact from someone who has it, kissing, sex, cuddling.

A spokesperson for the BBC told Reuters and The Associated Press the news outlet did not make the images. A spokesperson for the CDC told the Associated Press that the posts claims are not correct.

The CDC, WHO, and other health organizations have not classified monkeypox as airborne, and they have said it spreads via close, prolonged contact from one person to another person. Homosexual males are the primary spreaders of the virus, officials say.

CDC spokesperson Kate Fowlie told AP that the virus is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace. She added, In the current monkeypox outbreak, we know that those with the disease generally describe close, sustained physical contact with other people who are infected with the virus.

Transmission is primarily through skin-to-skin contact, and direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox, according to the CDC website.

Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone infected with monkeypox can also transmit the virus, the agency says.

Paralysis is not generally associated with monkeypox, according to health agencies, and the virus doesnt last for four months, but rather between two and four weeks, officials say.

Symptoms of the virus include fever, swollen lymph nodes, malaise, and a rash or lesions that may initially be mistaken for chickenpox or a sexually transmitted disease.

As for the claim about it being a form of herpes, monkeypox is classified as a pox virus in the poxviridae family related to smallpox, cowpox, and others. Herpes, meanwhile, is within the herpesviridae family.
Smoke from a forest fire in central Newfoundland is shown in a Aug.7, 2022, government handout photo. (The Canadian Press/HO/Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)

Community Cut Off by Newfoundland Forest Fires Running out of Food, Says Deputy Mayor

The deputy mayor of a southern Newfoundland town says his community is running out of food as it remains cut off from the rest of the island due to the worst forest fires the province has seen in more than 60 years.

Roy Drake said Monday he figures the three grocery stores in Harbour Breton, N.L., will be out of food within the next day or two. Drake said he owns one of those storesthe smallest of the three in the town of about 1,600 peopleand already, theres not a jug of milk or a loaf of bread left on any of his shelves.

Things are starting to get stressful for most residents, Drake said in a phone interview from the town hall. We need to get food in within a day or so to help us out. Not just for Harbour Breton, but for the entire region.

For the past two weeks, forest fires have forced officials to intermittently shut down a remote, 200-kilometre-long route that connects the main highway across Newfoundland with the islands Connaigre Peninsula, which is home to the towns of Harbour Breton, Hermitage and Conne River. The last time the road was opened was last Thursday morning, according to the Department of Forestrys regular Twitter updates.

The province has declared a state of emergency stretching from the Connaigre Peninsula up the highway to the towns of Bishops Falls, Grand Falls-Windsor and Botwood, largely because of smoke and air quality concerns. Officials said Saturday the fires are still burning in a remote area and the flames dont pose a risk to any homes or residents.

In a video posted to social media Saturday night, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Furey described one blaze as the largest the province has seen since 1961. As of Sunday, the provincial government reported four active fires covering about 10,800 hectares.

The Canadian Red Cross has set up emergency shelter for those stranded north of the fires in central Newfoundland, and Quebec has sent firefighters and aircraft to help battle the flames.

For those stranded south of the fires on the Connaigre Peninsula, the provincial Transportation Department has enlisted a ferry to start bringing supplies to stranded communities and to help people leave.

The ferry is expected to arrive Tuesday. The timing will be tight, Drake said, noting that the ferry will be docking in the neighbouring town of Hermitage, which needs its own supplies and which is still about 50 kilometres away from his community.

Im not sure that ferry is going to be able to accommodate what we may need in terms of supply on Day 1, he said, adding that hed be focused on sorting out how and when the needed supplies might arrive in his town.

David Neil, a warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the fires were started on July 24 by a lightning strike, in the midst of an abnormally warm and dry summer.

This is a very unique situation, he said, though he was hesitant to pin it directly on the provinces changing climate.

Neil said there are about 10 millimetres of rain forecast for the area on Tuesday.

Its not a great deal of rain, he admitted. But at the very least, it should being some help to the folk trying to contain the fire.

Federal New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh issued a statement Monday saying the fires are evidence that Justin Trudeaus Liberals must do more to fight climate change.

By Sarah Smellie
A general view of the Crown development at Barangaroo in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 14, 2021. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Crown Casino Sydneys Opening Sparks Concerns About Gambling Harm

Anti-gambling groups in Australia have raised concerns about the negative impacts that could arise from the opening of a new skyscraper casino in Sydney Harbour.

On Aug. 8, gaming group Crown officially opened the doors to the VIP-only gaming floors of its $2.2 billion (US$1.52 billion) casino complex in Barangaroo after authorities suspended its operating license for more than a year.

The suspension was made after an inquiry led by former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin in late 2020 indicated that the gambling group was unfit to operate a casino.

The inquiry found evidence that Crown permitted foreign junket operators who were likely to be involved in organised crimes to do business through its casino in Melbourne and Perth.

However, earlier this year, the New South Wales (NSW) Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (LGA) granted Crown conditional approval for opening the members-only gaming facilities inside its newly built dining and hotel complex.

In particular, the LGA allowed Crown to operate the facilities for a conditional period of between 18 and 24 months, during which the gambling authority would monitor changes made at Crown Casino Sydney.

Reforms to NSW Gambling Legislation

Following the launch of the new casino, the NSW government will introduce new laws in the week commencing Aug. 8, which aim to strengthen the transparency and accountability of casino operators and suppress organised crime and money laundering activities.

At the centre of the reform in gambling legislation and regulations, a new casino commission will be established with enhanced and wide-ranging compliance and enforcement powers that are likely to surpass those of the existing authority.

In addition, under the reforms, casinos will be prohibited from dealing with junket operators.

A person walks past signage at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, on March 22, 2021. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

However, the changes in legislation do not make social organisations less worried about the potential gambling harm coming along with Crowns new casino.

Tim Costello, the chief advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, said an inquiry by the Royal Commission had exposed a pattern of predatory behaviour that caused great harm at Crown Casino Melbourne.

Gambling harm was front and centre of the inquiry. It was clear that Crown failed to protect people and instead systematically sought to exploit them, he said in a statement.

With the opening of Crown Sydney, we hold deep concerns about the gambling harm its operations will cause, and we are fearful that the NSW government will not put in place strong enough measures to protect people, their families and communities across the state.

Social Service Organisations Lack Confidence in Crowns Changes

Wesley Mission general manager Jim Wackett echoed Costellos sentiments saying he was not confident that Crown could minimise gambling harm.

Crown Sydney is pitched as an exclusive high roller venue, but with minimum table game bets starting from as low as $20, the casino will be accessible to many more people than they imply, increasing harm to the community, he said.

It is just another example of why we cant trust Crown to administer their products in a way that protects the community.

To be clear, theres nothing exclusive about gambling harmit affects high rollers to everyday punters, and we see the full impact on individuals and families through the services we provide.

NSW Council of Social Service chief executive Joanna Quilty also said the government needed to do more to deal with the menace of gambling.

Problem gambling destroys individuals, families and communities, and its often the social services sector that is left to pick up the pieces, she said.
Dermatologist Accused of Poisoning Husband in Irvine

IRVINE, Calif.A Mission Viejo dermatologist was behind bars Aug. 5 on suspicion of poisoning her husband in Irvine.

Dr. Yue Yu was arrested Aug. 4 evening, according to Irvine police Lt. Bill Bingham.

The victim suffered significant internal injuries but is expected to recover, and told police he suspected he was being poisoned by his wife, Bingham said. He said he had been feeling ill over the past month and grew suspicious of his wife.

The victim set up surveillance video to support his suspicion and sent it to the police, he said.

Yu was being held on $30,000 bail.

Providence Mission Hospital, where Yu has privileges, issued this statement: We are aware of the arrest that was made on Thursday and are cooperating fully with the Irvine Police Department. This incident is a domestic matter which occurred in Irvine, and we want to reassure our community that there has been no impact on our patients.
Ex-Lieutenant Arrested in Library Officers Shooting Death

WASHINGTONA retired police lieutenant has been arrested after police say he fatally shot a fellow law enforcement officer Thursday during a training exercise at a Washington D.C. library.

Jesse Porter was at the end of a training exercise at a library in the districts Anacostia neighborhood Thursday afternoon when he fired a weapon that struck 25-year-old Maurica Manyan, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said Friday. The library officer was then rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Porter was arrested on an involuntary manslaughter charge after police consulted with the U.S. attorneys office in Washington. He remained in custody Friday and it wasnt immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Metropolitan Police said the 58-year-old retired lieutenant was working for a private contractor providing training for a group of library police officers on how to use expandable batons when he discharged a single shot from his firearm.

There were about six people in the room at the time, including other library police officers. The citys public library system has its own force of full-time special police officers who can be armed and are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the library branches.

At a news conference shortly after the shooting, Contee said it was unclear why Porter had a firearm during a training exercise. Generally, law enforcement agencies take steps to ensure trainers and participants do not have access to live ammunition or actual firearms during training programs, to avoid the possibility of accidental gunfire.

Its not good practice, Contee said. Im not sure in this situation why the trainer had a live weapon in the training environment. But it is not good practice to do this.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear and police said the investigation was still ongoing.
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Gohmert Cites US Code that May Force Capitol Police to Release Remaining Jan. 6 Surveillance Footage

As the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol continues its effort to prove allegations of insurrection against former President Donald Trump and his supporters, Capitol Police and House Democrats continue to block all efforts to force the release of all surveillance video footage and emails, which could possibly exonerate those being accused of wrongdoing. Now, Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas) is citing a United States Code that could legally force the release of that evidence.

In a July, 29, 2022 letter to Capitol Police Board Chair William J. Walker, obtained by The Epoch Times, Gohmertbacked by the signatures of 23 additional GOP lawmakersdemanded the release of footage captured on Capitol Hill security cameras on Jan. 6, 2021, currently being withheld under sovereign immunity.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) questions Attorney General William Barr who appears before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 28, 2020. (Matt McClain-Pool/Getty Images)

As you must be aware, Gohmert wrote, 2 U.S.C.  1979 states that any Member  of either House of Congress can obtain information from the Capitol Police regarding the operations and activities of the Capitol Police that affect the Senate and House of Representatives. Subsection (c) makes clear that nothing in that law may be construed to prevent us, as Members of the House of Representatives from our ability to obtain those videos.

Gohmert concluded that Releasing this information is absolutely essential to proper governance and truth to protect and perpetuate this self, governing nation.

Its About Revenge

As The Epoch Times reported July 5, attorneys of Jan. 6 prisoners and defendants have provided evidence in several cases that indicate the government is manufacturing evidence to arrest and incarcerate people who attended the protest at the Capitol. In the meantime, Gohmert insists the government is also hiding evidence that could be used in the defense of these people.

Thats exactly what theyre doing, Gohmert reiterated, noting how he himself has been a victim of the Jan. 6 Committees Soviet-style propaganda.

Reports disclose how Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to the then-Whitehouse Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, told the Committee during her June deposition that Gohmert asked then-President Donald Trump for a pardon.

Gohmert demanded a release of the full, unedited video and transcript of Hutchinsons deposition, saying the way the video was presented erased the fact that he was actually seeking pardons for very deserving military members, former military, and one civilian servant.

Ive been personally affected by the lies created by using tape, Gohmert told The Epoch Times. They had Cassidy Hutchinson saying I requested a pardon without getting the full context. I have never asked for a pardon for myself. Ive never done anything that needed a pardon. But I was requesting pardons for a number of people that have been screwed over by the justice system.

While a spokesperson for the Capitol Police declined to comment on the letter to The Washington Times, they did push back on allegations that Jan. 6 prisoners and defendants were not provided full access to video that has been provided to the U.S. Attorneys Office (USAO).

Every January 6th defendant has access to the same footage, which is everything the USAO is releasing, the spokesperson told The Washington Times. They do not just get what is relevant to them.

The Road to 2 U.S.C.  1979

In a May 19, 2022 letter (pdf) to Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), Select Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote that the Board was seeking the Congressmans voluntary cooperation in advancing their investigation.

Based on our review of evidence in the Select Committees possession, Thompson said, we believe you have information regarding a tour you led through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021.

The American people deserve a full and accurate accounting of what happened on January 6th, Thompsons two-page letter concluded. We aim to make informed legislative recommendations taking account of all relevant facts. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.

The letter was also signed by the Committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) speaks during a hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 6, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In an immediate same-day response, Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Committee Member Loudermilk issued a joint press release, calling out the Select Committee for its false accusations.

A constituent family with young children meeting with their Member of Congress in the House Office Buildings is not a suspicious group or reconnaissance tour,' the letter states. The family never entered the Capitol building.

The 1/6 political circus released the letter to the press before even notifying Mr. Loudermilk, who has still not received a copy, the letter accuses. The Select Committee is once again pushing a verifiably false narrative that Republicans conducted reconnaissance tours on January 5th. The facts speak for themselves; no place that the family went on the 5th was breached on the 6th, the family did not enter the Capitol grounds on the 6th, and no one in that family has been investigated or charged in connection to January 6th.

In a letter dated May 20, 2022, addressed to Capitol Police Board Chair William Walker and members Karen Gibson and J. Brett Blanton, Davis demanded the release of all January 5th Capitol Tapes.

If the Board does not release the relevant footage in a timely manner, I will have no choice but to exercise my authority under 2 U.S.C.  1979 to release the footage myself.

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Il.) speaks in Washington on Jan. 9, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On June 15, 2022, Thompson sent another letter (pdf) to Loudermilk, again accusing him of personally escorting individuals through the Capitol Building for the purposes of conducting reconnaissance ahead of the rallies on Jan. 6. Thompson also reminded Loudermilk that the Committee had invited him to meet with them on May 19, 2022, about the evidence, which consisted of surveillance footage of Loudermilk leading a tour of approximately ten individuals through areas that are not typically of interest to tourists, including hallways, staircases and security checkpoints.

Surveillance footage shows a tour of approximately ten individuals led by you to areas in the Rayburn, Longworth, and Cannon House Office Buildings, as well as the entrances to tunnels leading to the U.S. Capitol, Thompson said in his letter. The below image shows you leading individuals on the tour:

Screenshot of image from a June 15, 2022 letter written by Select Committee Chairman Bernie G. Thompson to United States Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), accusing him of personally escorting individuals through the Capitol Building for the purposes of conducting reconnaissance ahead of the rallies on Jan. 6. (Letter from the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol)

Two additional images in the letter show an individual appearing to photograph a staircase in the basement of the Longworth House Office Building while Loudermilk speaks with others nearby, and of people from Loudermilks tour taking photographs of the tunnel leading from the Rayburn House Office Building to the Capitol.

Images from a June 15, 2022 letter sent by Select Committee Chairman Bernie G. Thompson to United States Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), showing members of the Congressmans tour taking photos. (Letter from the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol)

Loudermilk did not comply with the interview request.

On June 16, 2022, the Committee released surveillance footage of Loudermilks tour, overlayed with graphics and preceded by selected footage from other videos that add to their narrative of Loudermilks supposed guilt.

The Problems with Pick-and-Choose

For Mike Howell, senior advisor for Government Relations at The Heritage Foundation, the threat by Davis to release the Jan. 5 footage of Loudermilk, if the Capitol Police do not, raises a serious question.

Mile Howell, Senior Advisor of Government Relations at The Heritage Foundation. (Courtesy of Mike Howell)

Howell noted how Davis only threatened to release video footage that pertained to the Loudermilk incident and insisted he had the authority to do so.

The question thats been percolating is, If you have the authority to release the tape from January fifth, why are you not releasing all of the tapes? That would be of major importance because there are a lot of major criminal cases coming down and defense attorneys have had problems trying to get access to these tapes themselves, he told The Epoch Times.

Gohmert agreed the Committee should not be allowed to just pick-and-choose which sections they show.

Yes, they should be able to show the defense what theyre going to use in prosecution. But they are also required to show the things that were more exonerating and exculpatory and that does not appear to have happened at all, he said.

Howell sees at least two problems with this game of pick-and-choose.

First, the request by Davis only to release a segment of video he believes will prove his point is no different than the Jan. 6 Committee selectively releasing portions they think show the best side of their version of events.

Second: If the authority exists, and Davis has the power through this statute to release the footage from Jan. 5, Howell surmised, why havent the tapes already been released in full?

While Howell did remark that some will cite security issues as the reason for withholding most of the footage captured by cameras at the Capitol, he said hes got news for them.

There are cameras all over the Capitol, Howell countered. So its not a matter of special camera angles. I think the real reason why theyre not being released is because it can potentially show information and video footage that could be helpful to people being charged by the Department of Justice as well as damaging to the narrative that the January 6 Committee is trying to establish.

According to a sworn affidavit from Capitol Police General Counsel Thomas DiBiase, surveillance camera footage from the U.S. Capitol Polices extensive system of cameras on U.S. Capitol grounds states disclosure of any footage from these cameras is strictly limited and subject to a policy that regulates the release of footage.

Per Department 1000.002, Retrieval of Archived Video (see attachment 1), the release of any footage from the Departments CCV system must be approved by the Assistant Chief of Police for Operations.

Howell said the tapes need to be released to give people a full accounting of what happened on Jan. 2, 2021 and allow attorneys to go through the footage to find out if there is anything in there that may be helpful to their clients.

In the minds of many Americans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, this event has been made out to be akin to 9/11. Howell said. So, the question is, why cant the American people see what actually happened that day. I think theres massive public interest in this, and that outweighs any other concerns, so the tapes belong in the public.

Why Are You Only Threatening

While Howell finds Daviss threat to release the Loudermilk video a bit curious, he isnt surprised. At the time, when Davis made the threat, he was struggling through a primary challenge against fellow Republican and Trump-endorsed candidate Mary Miller after redistricting pitted the two incumbent Republicans against each other.

So he, in an effort to shore up some bona fides on the right, basically threatened to release these tapes, Howell surmised. Now hes lost his primary and nothing has happened. He hasnt released the tapes and he hasnt said anything else since.

Still, Howell believes the House Administration Committeeto which the Capitol Police reports and of which Davis still serves as ranking memberdoes have the power and authority to demand the release of the surveillance footage.

They arent an independent police agency, Howell noted of the Capitol Police. They report to Congress. So Congress can tell Capitol Police what to do. Im surprised more people havent picked up on it. You have the tapes and you can release them? Why are you only threatening to release them?

Gohmert said these tactics are things that were supposed to be left behind 70 or more years ago. We had evolved to a justice system that was the fairest in the history of the world. Now, this Justice Department and the majority in the House are taking us back six or seven decades and theyve gone beyond how bad it used to be and theyre approaching a Soviet-style justice system. Stalin would be proud of what theyre doing. Its grossly unfair, grossly unjust. It doesnt resemble the justice system at all.

Like Howell, Gohmert also wants to know why Davis only demanded the release of surveillance footage that might prove the innocence of his colleague, just as the members of the Select Committee are selecting bits and pieces they think will prove the guilt of their political enemies.

The Next Step

Asked for the next step, Gohmert said he is going to give the Capitol Police a chance to respond to his letter.

It they dont respond quickly, I think we do need to take legal action, he said. If they respond and say, youre not entitled to it, weve ignored lots of laws already and this is just one more law well ignore, then we have got tofor the sake of the country, for the sake of our justice system and for the sake of truthstand up and hold the Justice Department accountable for their violations of the law.

Another thing bothering Gohmert is what he is learning through talking to Jan. 6 prisoners en mass at the D.C. Jail.

I have been deeply concerned and a lot of us have been demanding that all of the video be released for months, Gohmert explained. The Supreme Court made clear that the Department of Justice has to release any potentially exonerating or exculpatory evidence to the defense. They put so much pressure on defendants and kept many of them in jail so that they just agree to plea guilty without ever seeing the exculpatory evidence, which is absolutely outrageous because that lets the DOJ off the hook.

Gohmert said it was the moment he learned that 2 U.S.C.  1979 isnt a House rule, but that its actually a law, that he knew he had to take a stand, and while he knows that there are still some members of the Capitol Police who want to see right prevail and truth and justice prevail he said he can only hope they will do the right thing and release the surveillance footage.

If theyre not willing to do it, Gohmert vowed, weve got to go to court as quickly as possible and require them to produce [the video]. This is a law. This is not a suggestion. It is absolutely imperative that Congress have access to all of that. So, thats why we made the request and then sent the letter out so we could get it out as quickly as possible.

It will be interesting to know whos been holding up the video, Gohmert speculated, because some of the people who have refused to answer questions may soon have to respond after their subpoenaed and drug into court.

The Epoch Times reached out to Davis, the Capitol Police, and the Office of the Inspector General.
The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying Ukrainian grain, sails in the Bosphorus en route to Lebanon, in Istanbul on Aug. 3, 2022. (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)

First Ukraine Ship Under Grain Deal Will Not Dock in Lebanon on Time: Embassy

BEIRUTThe first grain ship to leave a Ukrainian port under a deal brokered last month will not arrive in Lebanon on Sunday as planned, the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon said.

The Razoni left Odesa on the Black Sea on Aug. 1 carrying 26,527 tons of corn and was set to dock on Sunday in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli, according to Ukrainian officials and Lebanese port authorities.

But the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon told Reuters on Sunday the ship was having a delay and not arriving today, with no details on a new arrival date or the cause of the postponement.

Shipping data on MarineTraffic.com showed the Razoni off the Turkish coast on Sunday morning.

The vessels bill of lading, a copy of which was seen by Reuters on Sunday, had the expected arrival date as Tuesday and listed the cargo destination as to order, which typically means that a ships cargo can be transferred from one owner to the next.

Lebanons transport, agriculture, and economy ministers all told Reuters last week they did not know who was purchasing the grain aboard the Razoni.

The shipment was made possible after Turkey and the United Nations brokered a grain and fertilizer export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv last montha rare diplomatic breakthrough in a drawn-out war of attrition.

The U.N. had warned that the halt in grain shipments from Ukraine through the Russian-dominated Black Sea could prompt outbreaks of famine around the world.

The Joint Coordination Center (JCC), which will oversee the export of Ukrainian grain, said the ship would be used as a trial run, with information from Razonis crew used to fine-tune procedures for the next shipments.

By Maya Gebeily
Florida's Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a press conference at the University of Miami Health System Don Soffer Clinical Research Center in Miami, Florida, on May 17, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida Board of Medicine Moves to Ban Transgender Treatments for Minors

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.The Florida Board of Medicine voted on Aug. 5 to advance a plan that would ban doctors from providing gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers to youth under the age of 18.

Florida Department of Health Secretary, Dr. Joseph Ladapo acknowledged at the public hearing in Broward County, that there were strong feelings about the issue, but argued that current standards of care are a substantial departure from the level of evidence and data surrounding the issue.

It is very clear that the effectiveness is completely uncertain, Ladapo said. I mean, maybe it is effective, but the scientific studies that have been published today do not support that.

Ladapo agreed that findings could change in future, but said that it was unlikely, considering what Ive reviewed.

Ladapo said minors experiencing gender dysphoria should instead receive counseling to address their concerns. He sent a letter to the board expressing his opinion before the hearing.

A pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Quentin Van Meter served as an expert for the state and warned the board that a growing number of children are seeking these treatments of gender reassignment.

This is a giant experiment on United States children, Van Meter warned the board.

Speaking to the board, Van Meter said that Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom have halted treatment for transgender youths.

They found that there was far more harm than any benefit in allowing these children to receive any kind of medical intervention, Van Meter said. There are approximately 127,000 children throughout the U.S. that are receiving gender-affirming treatment.

Michael Haller, a professor and chief of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Florida, disagreed with Van Meters assessment and said that fewer children are receiving gender-affirming treatments than the public has been led to believe and the numbers are not growing.

The Florida Department of Health filed a petition in July that asked for the medical board to initiate a rule-making process on gender reassignment therapies. In addition, the Board of Medicine propelled the state Agency for Health Care Administration to prevent the Medicaid program from covering the treatments for gender dysphoria for adolescents and adults.

Gender dysphoria, as defined by the federal government, is a significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity.

David Diamond, the board chairman, said other countries have changed their approach to the treatment of gender dysphoria.

Do you have any sense what the scientific underpinning may be? Why they have modified their opinions, or is it your contention it was not a scientific decision but rather based upon other factors? Diamond asked Haller.

I think its impossible to fully separate the political decision-making from the science,  Haller replied.

Hallers colleague Kristin Dayton, also a pediatric endocrinologist who specializes in gender dysphoria, called the boards plan redundant because standards of care already exist.

Haller then injected that he didnt trust the state to advance its own plan.

If the redundancy were such that it was in line with the general practices and data, then I think it would be adequate; but its clear that is not the intent of the state, Haller said. They have provided you with a recommendation for a rule that is contrary to what almost all reasonable providers of gender-affirming care and gender care, in general, would say is the standard of care.

If the guidelines are finalized, Florida would be the only state where a medical board has barred transgender treatment for adolescents, according to Meredithe McNamara, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine.

McNamara said in a Tweet that she has never heard of a state medical board prohibiting such care.

Standards of health care dont come from states, dont come from government, she posted. They come from clinical research that gets reviewed and vetted and discussed in relevant groups of experts and published and spread widely and adopted by people everywhere.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said that children who are prematurely allowed to pursue [gender affirming] treatments can have harmful lasting effects and has called for medical professionals who perform gender reassignment surgeries on minors to face lawsuits.

They talk about these very young kids getting gender-affirming care, DeSantis said at a press briefing on Aug. 3. What they dont tell you what that is, is that they are giving very young girls double mastectomies; they want to castrate these young boys. Thats wrong.

You dont disfigure 10-, 12-, 13-year-old kids based on gender dysphoria, DeSantis continued. Eighty percent of it resolves anyways by the time they get older. So why would you be doing this? I think these doctors need to get sued for whats happening, Im sorry.
Zhao Lanjian, who published a video exposing the officials false claims regarding the identity of Xuzhous chained woman on Feb. 23, 2022, is now in exile in the United States. (Provided by Zhao Lanjian)

Former Journalist Chooses to Leave China After Being Harassed for Investigating the Chained Woman

After several instances of being interrogated while locked onto an iron chair used for death row prisoners, a veteran Chinese journalist and photographer decided to leave China.

On August 4, Zhao Lanjian described to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times his experiences in dealing with Chinese national security. He said, The environment is bad. Im a human being, I vote with my feet.

He became the target of local police and national security agents after posting online his investigation of the chained woman of Xuzhou, which exposed the lies of the authorities about the case.

Zhao described how he felt when he was sitting on the iron chair, which he said is very heavy, That iron chair is really scary.

In July, he finally arrived in the United States after fleeing China through Malaysia.

Illegal and Exhausting Interrogations

He recalled the exhausting and lengthy interrogations by the police. He said, Each time it would take at least five hours. One time he was summoned and the interrogation lasted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

He explained that the authorities did not follow any formal procedure or protocol, and he was not allowed to call a lawyer or record the questioning with his cell phone. Afterwards, he tried to file complaints, but to no avail.

For example, on May 10 he was illegally detained and interrogated by the state police from Hebei Province. Without due process, the police accessed his personal information on his mobile phone, including his bank account passwords.

Each interrogation was tense and frightening, he said, They went through every question over and over again, from his ex-girl friend, to his marriage, family, and relatives.

But in general, they didnt beat me, he said, because I know some international people, like the president, the commissioner of the United Nations human rights organization.

Mother of eight (the chained woman) shackled in a small hut in Fengxian County, Xuzhou City, after being given a coat and some food. (Screenshot via Dou Yin)

Journalist Turned into an Investigator of Social Injustice

In 2014, he quit his job as a journalist and started his own field investigations on social injustice cases both at home and abroad, as China tightened its controls on the press. For instance, he reported on the issue of waste water pollution in Inner Mongolias Tengger desert.

After the news of the chained woman broke out in January, the local authorities issued a notice on Feb. 7 which identified the chained womans name as Xiao Huamei, a native of Yunnan Province and possible victim of traffickers.

On Feb. 10, Zhao decided to go to Yunnan out of his concern about missing children inside China.

The chained womans story came to light in January, right before the Beijing Olympics were to begin. The incident exposed how local police colluded with human traffickers in rural China, as The Epoch Times has previously reported.

The woman was found in a village shed where she was chained by her neck. She was believed to be a victim of human trafficking, and had been raped for many years. She delivered eight children for the men who bought her.

The video of the chained woman ignited public anger.

During his visit to Yunnan Zhao located Xiao Huameis uncle.

However, Zhaos video recording of his interview with the uncle told a different story than the official one. Looking at the photo of the chained woman, the uncle confirmed that the chained woman was not his niece.

Suppressed by Police From Five Provinces and Cities

Prior to Zhaos visit, two female volunteers, doubting the officials claim of the womans identity, had also visited the uncle. Both of them faced the regimes censorship and were held in detention.

Zhaos finding in Yunnan prompted him to release the recorded interview online.

More than a month later, on March 30, he further reported his findings to the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate, and local authorities.

He also accepted media interviews from outside China.

However, his actions made him a target of police from five provinces and cities, including Yunnan, Xuzhou, his hometown Beijing, and his house registration in Jilin and his temporary residence in Hebei were screened.

Some of them called him and told him to keep silent, while others summoned him for interrogation.

On April 15, he was brought to the local police station for investigation by a team of police from the provinces of Hebei and Jiangsu.

In early May, Hebei local authorities called him multiple times demanding that he leave the area because he hadnt been vaccinated against COVID-19. The distressed Zhao decided to flee China.

Zhao said that around March 17, a time when he felt very depressed, he was interviewed by The Epoch Times and NTD TV. The interviews offered him great comfort,  I decided to quit the Young Pioneers and the Communist Youth League of the Chinese Communist Party, he said.

Haizhong Ning and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.
Gas prices are displayed at an Exxon gas station in San Francisco, Calif., on July 5, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Goldman Sachs: Gas Prices to Rise Back to $4.35 a Gallon

Despite gas prices having dropped about 70 cents on average over the past month, investment bank Goldman Sachs predicted prices will soon rise again.

Gasoline prices will likely rise to roughly $4.35 per gallon by the end of 2022, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a report. Goldman analysts also predicted a price increase in 2023, rising to above $4.40 on average, according to the report, which was released on Sunday.

The average price stands at around $4.05 per gallon nationwide, as of Monday morning, according to AAAs data. Thats down about 70 cents from a month ago. In June, the average price hit $5 per gallon for the first time ever.

The reason for the increase, the investment bank said, is due to supply shortages and sustained high demand.

Our updated fundamental forecasts point to continued disappointments in supply, with demand instead supported by the still ongoing COVID-19 reopening and gas-to-oil substitution, Goldman said in the report. This requires demand destruction on top of the ongoing economic slowdown, requiring high retail fuel prices to end the market deficit.

As a result, Goldman said it forecasts that U.S. retail fuel prices will rally into year-end, then decline from second quarter 2023 onward as refining and marketing margins start to normalize, reported Business Insider.

Political Impact

Rising prices are sure to negatively affect the Biden administration, which has tried to capitalize on marginal drops in gas prices. The White House also claims that it is because of actions the administration has takenincluding releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reservein recent months.

White House officials have pointed in particular to Bidens decision in March to release 180 million barrels of oil from the U.S. emergency stockpile, which they said likely caused prices to drop by up to 40 cents per gallon.

However, Republicans and some analysts have noted that gas prices have continued to rise under the Biden administration. According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price for a gallon of gas was $2.37 on Jan. 18, 2021or about three days before Biden took office. Since then, according to the EIAs data, prices have consistently gone up.

At the same time, Biden has increasingly criticized and targeted large oil corporations, claiming theyre gouging consumers by artificially keeping prices higher. But the heads of ExxonMobil and Chevron refuted Bidens claims and said the administration has persisted in maintaining a relatively hostile environment for oil firms to do business.

On Monday, oil prices hovered near multi-month lows that erased earlier gains. Brent crude futures were down 55 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $94.37 a barrel by Monday morning. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $88.25 a barrel, down 76 cents, or 0.9 percent.

Last weeks price action left no doubt that recession-driven demand concerns have the upper hand over supply fears. One could even go as far as saying the war premium has evaporated, PVM analyst Stephen Brennock said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Jeff Zink, a Republican candidate is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Arizona's 3rd Congressional District. (Crossroads/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

GOP Candidate Alleges Being Blackmailed to Drop Out of Race

An Arizona Republican congressional candidate alleges that he has been blackmailed into dropping out of the race in exchange for having Jan. 6, 2021, charges against his son dropped.

Jeff Zink, a Republican candidate in Arizona running for U.S. Congress, is challenging incumbent Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is running for reelection.

The district they run in includes much of Phoenix and is a Democrat stronghold. Zink said he has been campaigning in Phoenix, reaching out to Democrats and focusing on grassroots people.

Zinks campaign focuses on community improvements, public safety, education, and freedom, especially defending the 2nd Amendment, according to his campaign website.

The challenged incumbent is a proponent of socialist policies and a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Gallego suggested in a Twitter post in February to seize trucks that formed a convoy near Washington to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and redistribute the vehicles to other trucking businesses.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the most radical and influential coalition in the federal government with extensive ties to several major Marxist organizations, according to Trevor Loudon, an author and filmmaker who researches radical and terrorist groups and their covert influence on politics. Loudon is the host of EpochTVs Counterpunch program.

Blackmail Attempts

Zink recounted that he once received a strange phone call that wasnt displayed on his phone, but a voice on the other end told him that if he dropped out of the congressional race, the Jan. 6 charges against his son would be dropped.

The metadata on the phone showed that no incoming call was taken in, Zink told EpochTVs Crossroads program in an interview in July.

He said he has received several similar phone calls over the past year and a half. All of them attempted to pressure him to drop out of the race, but Zink said he wouldnt do it.

They picked a fight with my son. If you pick a fight with my family, Im going to come fighting back, and then when I get into Congress, thats exactly what Im going to do, Zink said.

Zink actively participated in the 2020 election audit in Arizona. I was the only congressional candidate that worked 14 hours on the floor, and another six hours vetting other people to get them on the floor so that they could observe what happened in the audit.

The candidate thinks that his participation in the election audit, as well as his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, protest, can also be reasons for being the target of the blackmail attempts.

Jan. 6, 2021, Protest

Zink said he and his son both participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, protest but never entered the Capitol building.

His son has been accused of entering the Capitol and having an interaction with the police, Zink said. Initially, his son was also charged with trespassing on federal grounds and unlawfully interrupting a congressional and Senate hearing, Zink said.

Some of those charges were later dropped, and now his son is only accused of interrupting a congressional hearing and Senate hearing, Zink said.

His son now faces 22 years [in prison] for entering into the Capitol, Zink said. He claims that his son has never entered the Capitol and had stood next to him 100 percent of the time.

Zink recounted that on Jan. 6, 2021, both he and his son stood on the porch on the east side of the Capitol, the Senate side. Were away from the door.

Then the door opened from the inside because there is no way that the door can be opened by pulling it, Zink said, adding that they recorded a video of it, which is used in his sons case.

We were completely opposite and away from that door at the corner on the Senate side on that porch and thats how we got the video.

Zink said he was interrogated by the FBI for an hour and a half in regard to his presence on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, and was completely cleared.

If I didnt enter, he didnt enter.

Zink also denied the accusation that his son was fighting with the Capitol Police. Ive got evidence, on the contrary, of what he actually did.

Zink has shared with EpochTVs Crossroads program a video he recorded on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol porch. The video starts at minute 44:53 and shows Zinks son standing in front of him while taking pictures of Hunter Ehmke shattering a Capitol window. Ehmkes offense was also caught on Zinks video (at minute 46:07).

How the Candidates Son Was Treated

Zink described how his son was treated by authorities even though he didnt go into the Capitol and had nothing going on with the Capitol Police.

He, on February the 4th of 2021, had the front end of his house literally torn apart. The FBI entered into his home, flash banged him and his dog, and then [dragged him] out and arrested him, Zink said.

Then basically kidnapped him, took him to the gulag there in Washington, D.C. He spent six weeks there in prisoner of war conditions.

Since then, Zinks son has been summoned several times for hearings, Zink said. The authorities keep saying that they have evidence that the candidates son was inside the Capitol, but the evidence hasnt been presented so far, Zink explained, adding that he knows his son wasnt inside the Capitol.

Now, my son will go for the 11th time for his stay hearing for them to just present evidence that theyre going to use against him, Zink said.

In America, were supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Today, were guilty until proven Democrat.

Zink said that, if elected, he plans to restore the Constitution back to our Founding Fathers and do the right thing for the right reasons.

Double Standard

Zink compared the treatment of his son, who, according to his fathers account, didnt enter the Capitol and didnt engage in any unlawful activity, with the treatment of Ehmke.

Ehmke, then 20 years old, climbed onto a Capitol windowsill adjacent to the giant Columbus Doors and shattered several panes of the window by kicking and punching them.

Police tackled Ehmke while he was shattering the window and handcuffed him but later took his drivers license and ordered him to leave Capitol property. Ehmke was arrested in California on Jan. 13, 2021, and was indicted on four charges two weeks later.

After a year, Ehmke accepted a plea deal for felony destruction of property, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was sentenced to four months in jail, paying $2,821 restitution for window damage, and three years of probation.

Though Ehmke did not enter the Capitol and did leave when directed to do so by police, his destructive acts at the front of the mob contributed to the overall violence and events of Jan. 6, U.S. Department of Justice attorney Anne Veldhuis wrote in a 21-page sentencing memorandum.

Zink said that his friend Bob Powell, the host of The Truth is Viral podcast, reached out to Ehmkes family and found out that Ehmke was involved at the time of his offense in Black Lives Matter and Antifa, but this piece of information hasnt been reported.

Powell, the semiretired Michigan radio journalist, confirmed Ehmkes involvement in BLM and Antifa in an email to The Epoch Times.

Zink emphasized that Ehmke, with unsurmountable evidence documenting the crime he committed, was released shortly after being apprehended by police and received only a light slap, while Zinks son was arrested after his home was raided by the FBI, spent six weeks in a harsh prison, and now faces 22 years in prison without any evidence of wrongdoing.

Zink said that he presented all pictures and videos he took on that day to the FBI.

The FBI didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Joseph M. Hanneman contributed to this report.

Ella Kietlinska Reporter Follow Ella Kietlinska is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. and world politics.
Then-President Donald Trump and Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis hold a COVID-19 and storm preparedness roundtable in Belleair, Fla., on July 31, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Gov. DeSantis to Headline Rallies Supporting Trump-Endorsed Candidates: Unite

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is embarking on a multi-state campaign to support GOP candidates backed by former President Donald Trump, according to Turning Point Action.

DeSantis, a Republican, will travel to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico to support GOP candidates such as Pennsylvanias GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Arizona Republican candidate for Senate Blake Masters, Arizona GOP nominee for governor Kari Lake, and Ohio Republican candidate for Senate JD Vance, according to the group. Trump endorsed all of the candidates in question.

DeSantis is also scheduled to join a New Mexico rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti and House of Representatives incumbent Yvette Herrell, both of whom are running against their Democrat opponents.

Gov. DeSantis is Americas governor and one of the most popular leaders in America, Charlie Kirk, the head of Turning Point Action, said in a statement to news outlets on Monday. He has become the model for a new conservative movement that is willing to stand on principle and to actually fight on behalf of the values of his voters.

DeSantis has not made a public comment about the matter. The Epoch Times has contacted his campaign for comment.

What It Means

DeSantis is considered a wildly popular political figure and I think he can really make a difference for some of these candidates, said Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point Action, told Reuters. The group is operated by Kirks Turning Point USA.

Republican gubernatorial candidate for Arizona Kari Lake (L) speaks as former President Donald Trump looks on at a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Kolvet said DeSantis, who has drawn praise for refusing to implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates and lockdowns, has the ability to appeal to independents and rally support on the margins, adding, These races are going to be won by 1, 2, 3 percent. His appeal is strong enough that he can deliver.

In statements Monday, Lake and Masters said that they both welcome DeSantiss endorsement.

What Gov. DeSantis has done in Florida has been the gold standard of bold conservative governance in America, Lake said. Im excited to work with him when Im governor, Im honored to call him an ally and I cant wait for him to join me in taking the message and vision of our America First campaign out to the masses.

Thanks to Mark Kelly, Arizonans have none of the basicsa secure border, safe streets, functioning economy, or schools that actually teach our kids, Masters said in a statement. By contrast, look at everything Governor Ron DeSantis has done for Floridians to keep their state strong, safe, and free of the woke mob.

The rallies come ahead of Floridas Aug. 23 primary. The Republican governor has virtually no primary challenger and is considered a heavy favorite to defeat his Democrat opponents during the Florida general election in November 2022.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Governor DeSantis and the Rule of LawPart I

Commentary

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended a woke prosecutor who announced he will not enforce certain laws with which he disagrees. Ill explain in my next essay why DeSantiss action is so important. This essay explains what DeSantis did and a political lesson from how he did it.

The Factual Background

The Florida state court system is divided geographically into circuits. Each circuit has an elected state attorney who prosecutes criminal cases in that circuit. The job is comparable to that of the district attorney in some other states.

The state attorney for Floridas 13th judicial circuit, Andrew Warren, is reportedly one of the current crop of leftist prosecutors promoted by progressive financier George Soros. Warren joined others in signing statements saying that he would not enforce restrictions on abortion or measures against the transgender physical and psychological mutilation of children.

Warren also adopted a policy that slanted prosecutions against automobile drivers and in favor of pedestrians and cyclists. The policy stated that Warrens office would not prosecute crimes where the initial encounter between law enforcement and the defendant results from a non-criminal violation in connection with riding a bicycle or a pedestrian violation.

What it means is that (1) if the police stop a motorist who then flees or otherwise resists arrest, Warren might well prosecute the motorist, but (2) if the police stop a cyclist or pedestrian who then flees or otherwise resists arrest, Warren will not prosecute. This policy matches the leftist agenda of favoring cyclists and pedestrians over motorists.

Flaws in Warrens Conduct

All prosecutors have a certain amount of discretion in deciding which defendants to pursue. Prosecutors traditionally exercise this discretion on a case-by-case basis. This enables prosecutors to adapt justice to the specific facts of a case and, in some cases, to temper justice with mercy.

But prosecutors are not permitted to ignore entire statutes they dont like. That would give them an absolute veto over state lawsa prerogative not even the governor enjoys. Such conduct violates principles of democratic governance, and is inconsistent with the rule of law.

Such conduct also conflicts with a long Anglo-American legal and constitutional tradition: A major reason the English forced King James II from the throne and then adopted their Bill of Rights (1689) was the kings practice of dispensing with statutes he didnt like. The English Bill of Rights, in turn, was a precursor to our own Bill of Rights and to the Declaration of Independence.

Additionally, Warrens prosecutorial discrimination against automobile drivers in favor of cyclists and pedestrians may violate the U.S. Constitutions 14th amendment, which provides nor shall any State  deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Warrens conduct, if allowed to continue, could enmesh the State of Florida in unwelcome and expensive lawsuits.

What DeSantis Did

Florida law provides that the governor, acting as Floridas chief law enforcement official, may suspend state attorneys for (among other grounds) malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, or incompetence. Warrens conduct fits within two or more of these categories.

Accordingly, on Aug. 4, DeSantis issued an executive order suspending Warren. You can read the order here (pdf).

DeSantis text consumes 10 pages. It obviously was drafted with great care. The text:

explains the scope of a prosecutors discretion,

explains how Warren exceeded that discretion,

explains the legal and constitutional duties of the governor in the circumstances,

backs up the governors action with specific sections of the state constitution and extensive case law, and

adds 19 pages of exhibits.

The exhibits consist of statements signed by Warren and other woke prosecutors detailing how they plan to nullify state law. They convict Warren in his own words.

The Lesson from How DeSantis Did It

DeSantiss careful approach made it very hard to argue that he acted improperly. So despite the controversial nature of his order, he has faced relatively little blowback from the establishment media.

Its interesting to compare this approach with that of his ideological ally, Donald Trump. When Trump was president, he sometimes announced decisions in a way that make them seem impulsive or without complete foundation. Even when the decisions were wise and necessary, the mode of issuing them invited attack.

A good example was Trumps executive order diverting spending from the military to the border wall. The questionable legality of, or at least insufficient support for, the order offered an opening for the assaults of political opponents, professional litigants, and the hostile media.

The left controls most of the national media-propaganda apparatus. For this reason, to be successful conservative politicians must comply with far higher standards of conduct than those applied to leftist politicians. Its clear that DeSantis has learned that: Before he steps, he ensures the footing is firm.

The Importance of DeSantiss Action

Freedom, prosperity, and democratic self-governance all depend heavily on a reliable, principled, and honest legal systemwhat experts call the rule of law. Americas success is due partly to our traditional respect for the rule of law.

However, the rule of law in America is eroding, as many readers can sense and as a number of research studies confirm. One study, for example, shows that the United States has slipped to 27th among nations in adherence to the rule of law, well below such developed countries as Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada (pdf). (The study was published before Canadas government adopted its current authoritarian course.)

A principal reason for this change is the conduct of establishmentarians and of leftists such as Warren, who promote their secular religion over principles of equality, constitutionalism, and democratic self-governance. Ill provide more details in my next essay.

At this point, suffice to say that Gov. DeSantiss order is an effort to reverse the rotthat it comes at a critical timeand that other political office holders should learn from what he did and from the careful and intelligent way he did it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A man walks past a company logo at the headquarters of the world's largest semiconductor maker TSMC in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Jan. 29, 2021. TSMC has started building a semiconductor factory in Arizona. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

Greenfield Foreign Investment in US Continues to Collapse

The United States has a poor track record of attracting global investors, with foreign investments to new facilities having fallen sharply over the past few decades.

The value of greenfield foreign direct investments (FDI) relative to the size of the U.S. economy has dropped by 96 percent since the 1990s, according to a recent analysis from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a technology think tank. Greenfield FDIs are foreign investments in newly constructed or expanded facilities.

While foreign investment in the United States has rebounded in 2021, the situation is not as bright as it looks, according to Ian Clay, research assistant at the ITIF.

The share of FDI going to new or expanded facilities in the United States continues to shrink, he wrote in a recent report. Foreign companies appear willing to purchase existing U.S. company assets but not very willing to build new facilities or expand existing ones in the United States.

In 2021, the overall value of greenfield expenditures was just $3.4 billion, or 0.01 percent of U.S. gross domestic product.

The sluggish investment in new infrastructure, in Clays opinion, disproves the notion that the United States is a magnet for foreign investment.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has reported that FDI flows to the United States recovered in 2021 after seeing a sharp decline since 2018. Foreign investment increased to $333.6 billion, up from $141.4 billion in 2020.

However, acquisitionsthe purchases of established U.S. businesseswere largely responsible for this rebound. And the industries that benefited the most from foreign acquisitions last year were pharmaceuticals; real estate; and professional, scientific, and technical services.

The BEA divides FDI into three groups: acquisition, establishment, and expansion. Establishment and expansion are considered greenfield expenditures, which are more desirable.

The ITIF says that greenfield investments are direct investments in the productive capacities of the receiving economy. Acquisition, on the other hand, only involves transferring ownership to a foreign entity. Hence, greenfield investments are the most crucial and attractive ones for countries.

In 2021, greenfield expenditures accounted for only 1 percent of the FDI flows to the United States, while acquisitions accounted for the remaining 99 percent.

Some observers say the U.S. government isnt doing enough to encourage greenfield investment at a time when many global corporations are considering leaving China.

A recent survey by QIMA, a quality control and compliance service provider, found that global companies efforts to reduce their reliance on China continue, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022 COVID-19 related lockdowns imposed by the Chinese regime, which caused serious supply chain disruptions.

However, it appears that the United States is not benefiting from this exodus.

R&D Incentives

According to the ITIF, greenfield FDI flows to the United States are not recovering since they are heavily reliant on R&D incentives and other generous policies for capital expenditures.

R&D incentives relative to other countries has really taken a hit in recent decades, Clay told The Epoch Times.

He added that the United States was below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average in the government tax relief for business R&D.

On top of that, our capital allowances are much less generous compared to other countries competing for the FDI than they were in previous decades.

A capital allowance is the amount of capital investment expenses that a company can deduct from its income through depreciation.

Governments throughout the world are increasingly relying on these incentives to promote greenfield investments and encourage innovation.

A recent Tax Foundation study (pdf) shows that the United States ranks 21st in terms of average of capital allowance among the OECDs 38 members. The U.S. tax code permits businesses to recover 67.7 percent of capital investment costs on average, compared to the OECD average of 70.7 percent. More specifically, the United States ranks 32nd in capital allowances for buildings and 34th for intangible assets.

It ranks 3rd in capital allowances for machinery thanks to the full expensing provision of 2017 tax reform. The provision, however, will begin phasing out this year and will be eliminated by 2026.

According to ITIF, Congress should acknowledge this shortcoming and focus on boosting greenfield investment.

Congress recently passed legislation dubbed the Chips and Science Act, which provides incentives to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing in America. According to Clay, the 25 percent investment tax credit for investments in chip manufacturing included in the bill will incentivize reshoring to the United States.

Such incentives, he believes, will become more common in the future to promote U.S. competitiveness.
There are many Syrian refugees who have been 'affected by chemical gas,' used in the war, says the photographer

After befriending a Syrian war refugee family living in his hometown of Hatay, Turkey, a photographer planned a life-changing photoshoot with the father and son, both of whom have lost limbs in the ongoing war. One photo turned out so powerful that it won an award and got the family the help they needed and deserved.

Turkish photographer Mehmet Aslan, 33, met Munzir El Nezzel, his wife, Zeynep, and their son Mustafa, now aged 6, while distributing aid packages to Syrian refugees with a friend in January 2021.

Baba Munzir lost his right leg due to the impact of a bomb explosion [in 2015] in Idlib, Syria. His wife, who was pregnant at that time, inhaled the expelled sarin nerve gas, Aslan told The Epoch Times.

The couple was rushed to Turkey for treatment, Aslan said, but tragically, unborn baby Mustafa wasnt spared of the ill-impacts; he developed a very rare condition called the tetra-amelia syndrome, because of the sarin gas and medication his mother took for inhalation sickness. Mustafa opened his eyes to the world without any limbs, said Aslan.

Hardship of Life: Mehmet Aslans award-winning photo. (Courtesy of Mehmet Aslan)

Moved by their story, Aslan contacted the family in the days that followed. While listening to their life stories, Aslan thought of translating their life experiences into some memorable photographs.

I went to their house in the Reyhanl district of Hatay, Aslan said. I spent time with the family. We ate together and chatted a lot.

After meeting Mustafa, Aslan described the then-5-year-old child as a lively boy who always smiles, even though he has no limbs. Munzir, while pessimistic as a result of the trauma he has suffered, remains hopeful of surviving with his family. Aslan invited the pair to take part in a photo shoot.

While we started shooting, there were places where we laughed, but there were also moments when I was emotionally worn out, Aslan recalled.

Munzir with his son, Mustafa. (Courtesy of Mehmet Aslan)

The photographer recalls Munzirs strong communication with his son, as well as an immense sensitivity that also translated to his wife and other children. The father and sons happiness is plain to see, said Aslan, adding that young Mustafa, who has learned from his fathers example, has accepted his situation and can deal with it very well.

And during the photo shoot, a new selfless ambition was born.

Aslan wanted to highlight the tragedy of the ongoing war in Syria, which started in 2011. He wanted to celebrate Munzir and Mustafas close bond, but he also wanted to help fund an electronic prosthesis that would change the little boys life. This prosthesis is quite expensive and is not available in Turkey, he explained. It can only be obtained from abroad.

Aslan started a fundraiser. When one of his photos, Hardship of Life, went viral, so did the cause.

Aslan was awarded the 2021 Photo of the Year at the Siena International Photography Awards for this moving work. Besides Aslans prize, award officials had something in store for his photo subjects. The Siena Awards started a GoFundMe campaign to raise vital funds for the deserving family, and with their visibility and international reach, far surpassed Aslans solo efforts.

Italy took over the treatment of the family, Aslan said. Recently, the family went to Italy for treatment  this situation affected me deeply, and I hope we will have the opportunity to help other children with this award.

According to the fundraising post, the officials updated on July 15 that the family are still in Siena waiting to relocate to Budrio where their prosthetic treatments will begin. The post said the family are awaiting the birth of Mustafas baby sister before they can move to the Vigorso di Budrio Center for the treatment.

The family remain in touch with Aslan.

Turkish photographer Mehmet Aslan (C). (Courtesy of Mehmet Aslan)

A veterinarian by profession, Aslan has been taking photos since 2006, and started out with an interest in street photography before moving through different styles. Today, he prefers to take photos of people and places, and the impression left by photo subjects such as Munzir and Mustafa will last a lifetime.

There were many Syrian refugees, and many children like Mustafa, who were affected by chemical gas and born this way, he reflected. War is a bad situation for the whole world, but women and children are the most affected.

I hope we can join hands for a better world.

Aslan shares his work on his website and Instagram.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Smoke from a forest fire in central Newfoundland is shown in a Aug.7, 2022 government handout photo. (The Canadian Press/HO/Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)

Help on the Way for Central Newfoundland Fire That Premier Says Is Largest Since 1961

The rapid growth of a long-burning forest fire in central Newfoundland has triggered a state of emergency in the area and the expansion of an outdoor fire ban to the entire province.

Premier Andrew Furey told reporters on Sunday the state of emergency was declared the night before in the areas of Grand Falls-Windsor, Bishops Falls and the Connaigre Peninsula, not to create panic but to ensure residents and officials alike are ready to respond if the situation deteriorates further. The state of emergency was also extended to the area of Botwood on Sunday afternoon.

Over the last 36 hours, things have changed, Furey said at a news conference, alongside Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Derrick Bragg and Department of Natural Resources Incident Commander Craig Coady.

We were predicting that we could manage this. However  with the wind change, we are afraid that there will be significant smoke impact.

This is a precautionary measure, and there is no immediate fire hazard to homes or residents, the province said in a statement.

Furey said the current predictive path of the blaze itself does not directly impact any communities, but changing wind patterns were making the situation difficult to handle.

He said that prompted him to ask Public Safety Minister John Hogan to declare a state of emergency, and urged some nearby communities to prepare for possible evacuation.

This is a dynamic, evolving situation as all fires are, but we cant wait for the last minute  we have to act now, Furey said.

The fire has been burning for close to two weeks in central Newfoundland and has prompted road closures, including the Bay dEspoir Highway, which is the only road connecting the communities of Harbour Breton, Hermitage and Conne River to the Trans-Canada Highway, the main thoroughfare across the province.

Coady said the wildfires will most likely continue to burn out of control due to the weather conditions.

Over the past couple days, weve seen some extreme fire behaviour, he said at the news conference. We expect to see that continue for today and possibly for the next few days. This is due to the high winds and low humidity.

Coady and Furey both said smoke posed the most significant risk for nearby communities, adding winds were also making it difficult for firefighters to control the blazes.

If the (water) bombers cant see ahead of the fire and its too smoky, its not safe for them to operate, Coady said.

In all, the province is using water bomberstwo from Quebec, in addition to the province assisting with a bird dog aircraftand helicopters to fight the fires.

In a video posted to social media Saturday night, Furey described one blaze as the largest the province has seen since 1961. As of Sunday, the provincial government reported four active fires which covered about 10,800 hectares.

Jeff Motty, the Forestry Departments provincial duty officer, said the department hopes to change the fire status near Southern Lake Access Road, which started on July 31, before the end of the weekend.

We are working really hard on it, we got a lot of resources, Motty said in an interview Sunday. We probably wont extinguish it but we will take a good crack of it.

Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair tweeted he had approved Newfoundlands request for government assistance, and Canadian Armed Forces personnel would be deployed to help provincial and municipal officials with evacuation efforts.

Furey said he has asked the Central Health region to create an evacuation plan for hospitals, long-term care homes, and personal care homes.

In a statement on Sunday, however, Newfoundlands government said Central Health will not undertake measures to evacuate the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Care Centre at this time.

Efforts will be supported to move those who require additional care so that they are not in the immediate vicinity of the smoke, the release said.

Alexandra Catherine, a resident of Grand Falls, said the thought of leaving her home and most of her possessions behind has been terrifying.

We packed everything up last night, clothing and some personal items that cant be replaced, Catherine said in an interview on Facebook Messenger.

Im not taking any chance with two small children at home  we will be leaving and heading west.

Vicktoria A. Prowse-Hunter, another Grand Falls resident, echoed Catherines plan.

I have my bags packed, ready to leave when we get the order to do so, Prowse-Hunter said in an interview on Facebook Messenger.

Prowse-Hunter said she was awakened by smoke the morning after the fire started.

It was a warm night so I had all my windows open and I woke up at 7 a.m. coughing uncontrollably, she said. Then I kind of knew that it was serious.

The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture tweeted Sunday morning that the Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army will deliver emergency services for those who are stranded on the Trans-Canada Highway as a result of the Bay dEspoir Highway closure.

It said in a statement the Canadian Red Cross relocated shelter services and resources from Grand Falls-Windsor to Deer Lake for individuals who may be impacted by the state of emergency.

Meanwhile, Bragg pleaded for residents to be fire smart.

The department said the outdoor fire ban, which was expanded provincewide on Sunday, prohibits the setting of fires on or within 300 metres of forestland.

Last night I saw two people throwing cigarette butts and I thought that was absolutely crazy, Bragg said. That is reckless and we do not need it.

You can have your BBQ  but do not, and I cant say that strong enough, if you are out in a wooded area, do not have any sort of open fire.

By Virginie Ann
Hong Kong Protester Joshua Wong: Meals Ordered From Outside Prison Are Costly

.... but after eating bland, tasteless prison food for a long time, meals ordered from outside taste delicious

On July 28, a friend of Joshua Wong Chi-fung, former Secretary General of the pro-democracy party Demosisto, posted a social media message about Wongs life in prison.

Wong has been jailed in Stanley Prison, Hong Kong, since March 2021 due to his actions related to the 2019 protests and later for his involvement in the 2020 Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries. He mentioned in the post that prisoners have the right to order three meals per day from a Cha Chaan Teng (Hong Kong-style cafe).

However, he pointed out that the monthly expense of more than HK$9,000 (approx. US$1,156) is not cheap, but he thought that it is valuable to have Hong Kong-style food in prison.

Prison Food

After having the bland and tasteless prison food for 15 months, Wong could not forget the impact and the shock of the taste of the first cup of coffee and Nissin Instant Noodles ordered from a Cha Chaan Teng. He said that when chewing the food, he could not help but feel how delicious the meal was and how happy he was being able to eat that meal, Wong stated in his post.

When prisoners are under mental pressure in prison, having food such as Hong Kong-style milk tea, satay beef instant noodles, and BBQ pork rice is a comfort. Also, he appreciated his friends effort to share his monthly meal expenses.

Public records show Wong served 13 and a half months in prison for inciting others to attend an unlawful assembly outside the police headquarters on June 12, 2019.

After completing his prison time for the abovementioned case, he is now serving a sentence for his involvement with the 2020 Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries.
Fundus hemorrhage, a condition also known as retinal hemorrhage, is where the blood vessels on the retina burst and bleed. When this condition takes place, theres no visible abnormality on the outside. Although retinal hemorrhage isnt likely to induce pain, it can impair a patients vision and cause visual field deficits. In extreme cases, a retinal hemorrhage can even lead to loss of vision.

Oftentimes, retinal hemorrhage comes quickly and requires swift treatment, which is why Dr. Gwo-Bin Wu, director of Xinyitang Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, came up with a unique fix for this problem. According to him, this method can also help heal retinal detachment, macular degeneration, and other kinds of eye-related conditions, or it can be used just for eye maintenance in general.

What Causes Fundus Hemorrhage? How Do You Treat It?

Retinal hemorrhage is an emergency and usually caused by high blood pressure. When too much blood shoots up at once, the blood vessels beneath the eyes can burst and cause bleeding. Another cause may be injuries resulting from accidents.

If you go to the hospital, theyd inject your eye multiple times with medicine to dissolve the blood clots in the eye fundus.

Yet in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), theres a special cure for this condition, which is to release blood from your ears. This may come as a surprise.

In fact, this method was invented by an auricular specialist, Professor Lichun Huang, and it has proven successful in many patients.

Taiwanese TCM Doctor Cured After Using this Method Twice

Dr. Wu had attended Huangs lectures in the past. During class, there was a TCM doctor who was always wearing an eye patch. The professor found it quite odd, so the doctor explained that he was suffering from fundus hemorrhage, which had reduced his field of vision.

The professor later asked the teaching assistant to help the doctor release some blood from his ears and put some ear press seeds on his ears acupressure points. Oneweek later, she did a second bloodletting, and the doctor became completely healed. This surprised Dr. Wu quite a bit.

Cases like this were quite common with Professor Huang. Another TA also shared his own experiences with the students: One day, the TAs father suddenly lost his vision, likely due to an ocular stroke caused by fundus hemorrhage. The TA suddenly thought of Prof. Huangs method, and so released blood from his fathers ears every day for a week. He was then completely healed.

Bloodletting From Ears to Cure Retinal Hemorrhage

Here are the specific steps of this method:

Before bloodletting, massage the ear until it is engorged with blood. Use the tip of the ear as the central point, and find 2 spots on its left and right sides (a total of 5 spots). Use an injection needle to prick these 5 spots. Gently stretch and squeeze the ear to facilitate the bloodletting. Soak up some cotton balls in alcohol to wipe the blood from the ear, as alcohol can prolong the time it takes for blood to coagulate, which can make the ear continue to bleed. Once 3 or 4 cotton balls become full of blood, the bleeding can be stopped.

Repeat steps 1-5 to release blood from the side of the ear. First, find the Lunsi acupuncture point, then use it as a reference point to find 2 spots on its left and right sides (a total of 5 spots). Then prick these 5 spots with the injection needle to release blood.

Some people may worry if one would lose too much blood this way, but 3 to 4 cotton balls worth of blood is nothing, so theres no need to worry. However, people who have anemia need to be especially careful when using this method.

According to Dr. Wus clinical experiences, after the first bloodletting session, a patient can regain about one third of his or her blocked field of vision; after the second session, the patient has a chance to regain half of his or her field of vision; and after 10 sessions, the patient can regain roughly 80 percent to 90 percent of his or her vision.

In addition to retinal hemorrhage, bloodletting from the ears can also be used to treat other eye-related diseases, such as retinal detachment and macular degeneration. And its also an effective method to maintain the eyes health.

However, Dr. Wu recommends visiting an authorized practitioner of TCM to help you with the method, instead of doing it yourself.

Why Does This Method Work?

You might wonder why bloodletting works in this case. The logic is very simple: bloodletting promotes the flow of blood and qi (i.e. vital energy).

Your ears are quite close to your eyes, and if you could extend them into your head, theyd land right under your eyes. The blood and energy in the human body are all interconnected, so releasing blood from your ears can open up some channels that get the clotted blood under your eye to start moving again and initiate the repair process. This is like making a hole on a dam to release blocked lake water.

This method cant be explained through modern medicine/science, and you have every right to call it unorthodox or even medieval. Regardless, Dr. Wu thinks whats important is the results of this method.
Nuclear Power the Best Bet for Australia?

Commentary

It looks like nuclear energy may be back on the table in Australia, again.

A nuclear technology ban has been in place in Australia since 1998, which prevents the building of nuclear reactors for power generation. The Liberal Party (Australias centre-right party, currently in opposition) has announced they are considering it in the energy mix as a viable way to reduce carbon emissions.

Though the policy has yet to be written, this ought to result in them taking a pro-nuclear policy to the next election and advocating for the end of the ban.

Nuclear power was seen as political poison in the past, but much has changed in 20 years, and it is likely that the Australian people will be much more receptive. Nuclear technology has lost its mystical quality, and the hypothetical tales of nuclear holocausts and fallout that were so topical in the cold war now live on only in select sci-fi dystopias.

Though there are nuclear disasters that can serve as fodder for anti-nuclear campaigns, any pro-nuclear campaign also has a vast amount of relatable, concrete evidence at its disposal.

Politicians can be filmed touring plants in other countries, even nuclear waste depots, without having any facemasks on. They can interview life-long nuclear industry workers who have lived to old ages. They can show maps of all the hundreds of generators around the world. And they can compare the electricity prices in France to the rest of Europe.

It is high time that the ban is lifted, and the private sector has this additional option on the table to try and achieve the energy trilemmaemissions reduction, price, and availability.

Some Issues to Consider

Whether nuclear turns out to be the best answer for Australia or not is yet to be seen. The issue is an interesting one and several prominent factors require consideration.

Firstly, there is a transition that has to take place. Australia does not have an established nuclear industry. We have part of a nuclear industry (mining) and we have pockets of nuclear industry (research), but we dont have a nuclear power industry. It will take significant work to develop all the infrastructure, skills, regulatory framework, and standards to guarantee safe implementation of the process, from refinement through to waste storage.

In this picture taken on July 27, 2018, foreign journalists receive information about decommissioning works between reactor unit 2 and unit 3 (in background) at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. (Kimimasa Mayama/AFP via Getty Images)

Secondly, there is the question of base load versus flexible power. Several years ago, this was the main objection to nuclear. The problem that our electricity network then faced was not a lack of base-load power but a lack of flexible generation. Nuclear, in contrast, has a reputation for being an inflexible power source, more commonly used to supply base-load power.

However, both sides of this equation have changed in recent years. Australias most recent energy short-falls on the East Coast were, in fact, due to a loss of base-load power. And the most problematic forecast shortfalls in electricity supply are due to losing our ageing coal infrastructure, which provides base-load power.

Additionally, nuclear technology is losing its reputation for being inflexible. A more modern form of nuclear generator called small modular reactors have been making a name for themselves, and is intended to supply very flexible dispatchable electricity on demand. The U.S. and UK have both commenced processes to adopt them.

The third question is, what to do with our nuclear waste? This gets unnecessary air-time because the answer is simplestore it. Nuclear waste contains the worlds most insecure plutonium, yet Australia is the best place in the world for storing it. Australia is a vast, geologically stable desert surrounded by a thousand-kilometre-wide moat. I believe we should be offering to store everyone elses nuclear waste.

Additionally, a little-considered fact about nuclear waste is that its not necessarily waste. It still has residual nuclear energy. In the future, we may develop the technology for harvesting the remaining energy, and then Australia would find itself a storehouse of another vast source of nuclear energy (we already have the largest reserves of Uranium in the world).

We Could Go Back to Using Coal

For all that, I may surprise you by saying that nuclear isnt my preferred solution for Australia. This country already has a well-established coal industry with a skilled workforce, safety standards, infrastructure, and a lot of coal still in the ground. Id rather we continued using coal and had the gumption to build new coal-fired powerplants to replace the ones that are growing old. This is likely the cheapest electricity solution for Australia.

Aerial view of the open cut coal mine at Muja, near Collie in Western Australia. (Philip Schubert/Adobe Stock)

But Im not a climate alarmist. And I am realistic about the relative impact on CO2 levels between if we reduce our coal usage rapidly or slowly and if we export it compared to using it ourselvesits minimal. We might as well use it and enjoy the energy security.

For those who are climate-alarmed, however, nuclear is a very obvious compromise. This leads many to wonder, why are climate activists not advocating for it?

There are a few reasons why nuclear has not been a large part of the international decarbonisation discussion.

One reason is that there are many countries that the international community does not want to have nuclear capabilities. The idea of equipping every country in the Middle East and Africa, for instance, with nuclear power infrastructure, would not leave all the rest of the worlds leaders sleeping peacefully at night.

Australias Energy Needs

A second less prominent reason is that nuclear energy is also in finite supply, with limited supply chains. It is common to assume that there is enough uranium around to last millions of yearsthis is usually from factual-but-misleading anecdotes about how much energy you would get if you could turn an orange into energy.

In reality, we have more like 135 years of supply from reasonably assured and recoverable uranium resources at the current rate of consumption, according to Australias Nuclear Energy Agencys Uranium 2020 report.

If we used our uranium as fast as we use coal, we might only have decades of supply. However, similar things have been said about oil in the past, and we have never yet reached peak oil; if nuclear recovery technology improves, unconventional resources could greatly increase supply longevity.

For Australias imminent energy needs, nuclear is an option that should definitely be on the table.

For the Liberal Party, this is also a politically savvy move. If the last election was a referendum on climate action, then it is clear from the results (Greens, Labor, and Teal independents) that many people in Australia want emissions reduction. This policy shows that the Liberals are listening.

From a longer-term view towards the next election, this is a win-win positionif Labors energy policies work (unlikely, in my opinion), then this issue wont matter; things that are working are invisible at an election. On the other hand, if Labors energy policies fail (as I expect) electricity and gas prices reach record highs, and Australias energy security is in jeopardy, then the Liberal Party have differentiated itself from those policies early.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
John Robson: Light Rail Megaprojects Cost Too Much and Deliver Too Little

Commentary

When the transit gravy train comes to town you wont be on it. But somebody will, so look out.

Here in Ottawa, we gaze in weary resignation at headlines like City says expansion of western LRT delayed up to one year as our much-vaunted light rail crashes expensively into yet another bizarre obstacle. Sure, its a big project. But its not like subways are a new thing, so why didnt they see it coming?

Its especially aggravating to read, The western extension could be the most technically delicate part of the $4.6-billion, three-direction Stage 2 project because the O-Train has already encountered technical delicacies like wheels that were not perfectly round and cars tested with the wrong kind of snow. So we could be in a heap of trouble when they get to really fiddly stuff like doors not opening or trains derailing or stations smelling of sewage.

No, wait. We already had all those headaches. And at the risk of adding unpleasant gloating sounds to the list, I always opposed Ottawa light rail, including telling then-mayor Larry OBrien nearly 15 years ago that as a boy I wanted a train set like the cool kids but they cost too much so we didnt buy one. (He got the point, unlike former Ontario health minister George Smitherman when I told him the joke about the USSR invading the Sahara.)

So yes, Im a smart aleck. Partly because I read books on economics. Including Bent Flyvbjerg, Nils Bruzelius, and Werner Rothengatters Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition in 2006, three years after it was published. And once more, from the rooftops, how many city councillors do you suppose have done so? Or would care if they did?

Light rail has powerful ideological momentum because the smart set are convinced livable cities require cramming people into high-rises, infilling residential neighbourhoods until all streets are forbidding concrete canyons, and prying us out of our cars. That we shleps do not wish to live this way is no obstacle to their grand utopian vision. But theres another problem.

Megaprojects consistently cost too much and deliver too little because the failure from the point of view of users and taxpayers looks very different to the two groups on the inside. Who has ever been punished for all the O-Trains woes? Only citizens.

I get that books on economics might not be your idea of summer fun. But like horror movies, once you start its hard to look away as the gruesome denouement unfolds inexorably. And while Henry Hazlitt reduced all of economics to one sentence about considering effects on everybody over time, not just benefits to immediate winners, I can do it in two words: Incentives matter.

An enormous amount of public policy consists of people deliberately ignoring that principle, thinking the laws of economics are like those of municipal zoning and can be altered or waived at will, rather than like those of physics that bite you hard if you disregard them. (I would mention here how Canadian health care deliberately avoids rewarding people who satisfy patients, but it would take us too far afield, possibly to the United States, to which patients and practitioners flock while politicians cluck.) But when you get the incentives wrong, bizarre blunders and feeble excuses run like clockwork.

So if youre just going to read one passage from Megaprojects and Risk, make it this one: Cost overrun today is in the same order of magnitude as it was ten, thirty or seventy years ago and while No learning seems to take place in this important and highly costly sector of public and private decision making actually strong incentives and weak disincentives for cost underestimation  may have taught project promoters what there is to learn, namely that cost underestimation and overrun pay off.

They pay off because these errors deliver precisely the anticipated benefits to contractors and politicians. Cash keeps flowing to companies because once you get started you cant stop, and penalty clauses are deliberately small enough to be an acceptable PR cost of doing business. And mayors and councillors get lauded for their vision when the projects start, which helps them get elected or appointed to more prestigious and lucrative posts, or retire with cushy pensions, before the inflated bills come due.

Megaprojects and Risk makes some useful suggestions about tackling this problem, like requiring private capital without public guarantees. But no solution will get implemented until people realize such debacles dont result from random, unforeseeable mishaps like snow and salt in winter in Ottawa. So if you think Im a dogmatic loudmouth, answer me this:

Why did I know two decades ago, when all the wise persons did not, that Ottawa light rail would be a costly, unstoppable nightmare? And that yours will be too?

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Actor Kevin Spacey arrives at the Old Bailey, in London, on July 14, 2022. (Frank Augstein/AP Photo)

Judge: Kevin Spacey Must Pay $30 Million to House of Cards Makers

LOS ANGELESA judge on Thursday ruled that Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of House of Cards nearly $31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members.

The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana gives the force of law to the $30.9 award in favor of MRC and other companies that produced the Netflix series by a private arbitrator who heard the case against Spacey.

Recana wrote that Spacey and his attorneys fail to demonstrate that this is even a close case and do not demonstrate that the damages award was so utterly irrational that it amounts to an arbitrary remaking of the parties contracts.

We are pleased with the courts ruling, MRC attorney Michael Kump said in an email to The Associated Press.

Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and his spokesperson, who did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

The arbitrator found that Spacey violated his contracts demands for professional behavior by engaging certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards, according to a filing from Kump requesting the approval.

As a result, MRC had to fire Spacey, halt production of the shows sixth season, rewrite it to remove Spaceys central character, and shorten it from 13 to eight episodes to meet deadlines, resulting in tens of millions in losses, according to court documents.

Spaceys attorneys argued in their own filings that the decision to exclude him from the shows sixth season came before the internal investigation that led the crew members to come forward, and thus was not part of a contract breach. They argued that the actors actions were not a substantial factor in the shows losses.

The ruling from the private arbitrator came after a legal fight of more than three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept secret from the public, along with the rest of the dispute, until a panel of three more private arbitrators rejected Spaceys appeal and upheld the decision in November.

The 63-year-old Oscar winners career came to an abrupt halt late in 2017 as allegations against him emerged from several places.

Spacey was fired or removed from projects, most notably House of Cards, the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead character Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president.

Last month, Spacey pleaded not guilty in London to charges of sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, when he was director of the Old Vic theater there. His lawyer said he strenuously denies the allegations. He is set to face trial next year.

Another criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort, was dismissed by Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019.

Spacey also faces lawsuits from other men, including actor Anthony Rapp.
Woodland Park schools in Colorado have been the subject of a bitter school board recall fight. (Courtesy of Woodland Park RE-2 School District website)

Leader in School Board Recall Bid Facing False Complaint Charges

With a looming recall election swirling around the culture wars in a small Colorado town, authorities confirmed their arrest of a recall leader on false complaint charges.

The Woodland Park Police Department confirmed in a press release late last week its arrest of Samantha Peck, one of the leaders of a recall campaign aimed at the Woodland Park School Board.

Peck is charged with a misdemeanor charge of false reporting of an emergency to police and a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant.

Police say that on July 24, the police department received an emergency call from a person identifying herself as Ms Peck.

David Lane, a Denver lawyer representing Samantha Peck, says hes investigating if her civil rights were violated when she was charged by Woodland Park police. (Courtesy of David Lane)

The caller said that someone she knew to be the wife of the school boards vice president appeared to be drunk and getting into a car in a Safeway supermarket parking lot, preparing to drive away with a small child.

Officers responding six minutes later found the driver sober and without a child in the car, police said in the press release.

Peck, who was arrested on Aug. 2, is free on a $3000 bond.

Having retained Denver civil rights lawyer David Lane, Peck appears to stand by her story.

Lane, a Berkeley Law graduate who worked with the ACLU and Amnesty International in the past said, we are investigating whether this is or is not a civil rights violation.

There are two conflicting versions of what happened, Lane said. The police departments version is one, but the other is that Peck was seriously reporting someone who appeared to be impaired.

Ultimately, what we want to do is talk to witnesses and consult body cameras and go from there, Lane said.

Peck reinforced civil rights analogies in a Facebook post, comparing herself to Martin Luther King and including photos of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela behind bars, and Rosa Parks being fingerprinted.

Lane abruptly excused himself from a telephone call, citing a meeting with a judge, before he could be asked how civil rights relate to the Peck case, who in her Facebook photos appears to be white.

Peck is the administrator for the Concerned Parents of Teller County Facebook page, one of the recalls main online outlets.

Woodland Park police had declined earlier in the week to confirm Pecks arrest or discuss the matter with The Epoch Times.

David Illingworth is vice president of the Woodland Park RE-2 School District. The police department did not name his wife.

Illingworth was elected to the school board of the small town outside Colorado Springs in November, part of a conservative wave winning four of five school board seats in an election amplifying local schools rapidly declining enrolment, and parental dissatisfaction over educational practices.

The new board began rapidly addressing the issues.

They started certification of a charter school the old board had blocked, raised teacher pay, forced out the school superintendent, and ensured notification of parents in advance if their children were to be taught sensitive or age-inappropriate material.

A recall campaign began almost immediately, formally launching a petition drive in early June with 60 days to gather enough signatures to justify a recall election against three board members, including Illingworth, David Rusterholtz, and Suzanne Patterson.

By the deadline, the opponents narrowly met the required threshold of signatures for Illingworth and Patterson but failed for Rusterholtz.

The signatures still need to be certified by the state.

The fourth conservative board member elected last year had already resigned after coming under severe personal attack at board meetings.

A Colorado columnist decried the recall campaigns apparent use of a tactic called swatting coming out of the video game world.

To take out a rival, a player falsely reports him to the police for something severe enough to justify sending a SWAT team.

The innocent victim finds himself surrounded by police officers with guns drawn. It wastes officers time and resources and puts the victim, and the officers, in danger, wrote Krista Kafer of The Denver Post.

When an irresponsible teen whose prefrontal cortex is still developing engages in this kind of delinquent behavior, some consideration should be made for his lack of maturity.

When middle-aged women do it to harass political opponents, no such consideration should be made. Throw the book at them. They arent just harming their victims, but democracy itself.

Kafer cited another case of it in the Denver suburbs, where the partner of a former police chief anonymously reported a city councilwoman for child abuse.

The councilwoman, who was exonerated, had been critical of the police chief, who later resigned. The partner was charged with making a false complaint.

Efforts to reach Erin OConnell, another leader of the recall movement, were unsuccessful, as were attempts to contact the Colorado Education Association, parent of the Woodland Park Education Association.

Opponents of the recall maintain the parents group supporting it is fronting for union activists
Credit card is seen in front of displayed Master Card logo on July 15, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Mastercard, Visa Suspend Ties With Ad Arm of Pornhub Owner MindGeek

WASHINGTONVisa and Mastercard on Thursday said they had suspended ties with the advertisement arm of MindGeek, owner of website Pornhub, after a lawsuit raised questions over whether the payment firms could be facilitating child pornography.

A federal judge in California last week rejected Visas motion to dismiss a lawsuit by a woman who alleges the company facilitated the distribution of child pornography on Pornhub and other websites run by its parent company MindGeek.

Visa said we strongly disagree with this decision and that the company does not permit the use of our network for illegal activity.

A spokesperson for MindGeek said the company and all of its platforms, including Pornhub, have never tolerated child sexual assault content or any other illegal material.

It is against our values, and it is against our commitment to ensuring the safest possible online experience for our users, the spokesperson said, adding the platform was confident in its safety measures.

Both Visa and Mastercard in 2020 cut ties with Pornhub after The New York Times reported that many videos posted on the adult website depicted sexual assault of children. Pornhub denied the allegations.

However, Fridays court ruling created new uncertainty about the role of TrafficJunky, MindGeeks advertising arm, Visa said.

Accordingly, we will suspend TrafficJunkys Visa acceptance privileges based on the courts decision until further notice.

Likewise, Mastercard said on Thursday that new facts from the ruling made us aware of advertising revenue outside of our view that appears to provide Pornhub with indirect funding.

As a result, the company is directing financial institutions to suspend acceptance of our products at TrafficJunky.

By Michelle Price
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, delivers a speech during a ceremony marking Shipbuilder's Day in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on June 29, 2022. (Sputnik/Valentin Yegorshin/Pool via Reuters)

Medvedev: Russia Will Achieve Its Aims in Ukraine

LONDONFormer Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Russia would achieve its aims in the conflict in Ukraine on its own terms, warning that the West had a long-term plan to destroy Russia.

Russia is conducting a special military operation in Ukraine and is attaining peace on our terms, Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russias security council, told TASS in an interview.

Medvedev cast the 2008 war in Georgia, the enlargement of the NATO military alliance westwards, and the Ukraine war as part of an attempt by the United States and its allies to destroy Russia.

The goal is the same: to destroy Russia, he was quoted as saying.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel walks to the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on Dec. 14, 2020. (Elaine Cromie/Getty Images)

Michigan Attorney General Wants Opponent Investigated Over 2020 Election Claims

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a request for an investigation into a Republican who is likely to be her November election opponent.

The petition to the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council asks for a special investigator to probe Matthew DePerno for what is described as a coordinated plan to gain access to voting tabulators used in three Michigan counties.

A preliminary review conducted by Nessels office and the Michigan State Police has produced evidence supporting prosecutorial review, according to the petition, which was made public on Aug. 8.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, asked for the review.

DePerno worked with others to obtain five tabulators, which were taken to hotels or Airbnb rentals in Oakland County, Nessel deputy Danielle Hagaman-Clark wrote in the petition. His co-conspirators broke into the tabulators and performed tests on the equipment, and DePerno was allegedly present during the tests.

Possible charges against DePerno include conspiracy, using a computer system to commit a crime, and willfully damaging a voting machine.

While there was no conflict of interest when the probe began, DePerno has since become the presumptive Republican nominee for state attorney general, the letter notes. Nessel, a Democrat, is running for reelection.

A special prosecutor should be appointed to handle the prosecutorial review, the petition says.

Response

The campaign of DePerno, the lawyer in one of the highest-profile 2020 election cases in the country, said he rejects the allegations from Nessels office, calling the petition an incoherent liberal fever dream of lies.

It is clear that Dana Nessel is attacking our democracy and demonstrates she wants to turn our great country into a banana republic, the campaign said. This is a complete absurdity that shows the tactics of the institutional left. Matt DePerno looks forward to defeating her and bringing back order to this office in November.

If action is taken on the claims, Nessel may herself be prosecuted in the future, DePernos campaign also said.

DePerno was picked by the Michigan Republican Party in April to challenge Nessel, over Tom Leonard, a former Michigan House speaker, and state Rep. Ryan Berman.

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed him.

The Michigan Republican Party is slated to formally name DePerno as its attorney general candidate at the state convention later this month.

The general election is scheduled for Nov. 8.

Nessel, who took office in 2019 after leading a law firm, is running unopposed. Libertarian Joe McHugh is also in the race.
Michigan Charter Schools Sue US Department of Education Over New Rule

An organization representing Michigan charter schools is suing the U.S. Department of Education over a new rule that its lawyers say will undermine charter schools.

The Biden administration, which is closely aligned with public school teachers unions, is hostile to charter schools. On the campaign trail in 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden said hes not a fan of charter schools.

The legal complaint (pdf) in the case, Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA) v. U.S. Department of Education, court file 1:22-cv-00712, was filed on Aug. 8 with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute is also listed as a plaintiff.

Despite Bidens disapproval of charter schools, the administration cant ignore the wishes of Congress, which favors charter schools and has voted to send grants their way, Caleb Kruckenberg, of national nonprofit public interest law firm the Pacific Legal Foundation, told The Epoch Times.

Congress allots hundreds of millions of dollars each year for charter school programs nationwide. Specifically, on March 10, Congress appropriated $440 million for the federal charter school program for 2023. The program was signed into law in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.

Federal law requires the Department of Education to dispense federal grants to charter management organizations and state entities in order to increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the United States, Kruckenberg wrote in an April 11 letter (pdf) to the department.

It cannot refuse because it disfavors giving parents and students choice in which school to attend.

But the Department of Education is undermining the law with a new administrative rule that was published in the Federal Register on July 6. The rule establishes new criteria for grants that are designed to hurt charter school programs and protect failing public schools from innovative alternatives. The department doesnt have the authority to issue new criteria, and the person who issued it lacks the legal authority to do so, the complaint states.

There are three very problematic parts of it, Kruckenberg told The Epoch Times.

One of the new requirements of the rule is that an applicant has to demonstrate that a new charter school is needed. But the way theyre supposed to do that is they have to show that the existing public schools are overcrowded, he said.

At the same time, the applicant has to show that the existing public school will cooperate with a new charter school.

The problem is, thats not how charter schools work. They work as an alternative to schools that arent doing what theyre supposed to, Kruckenberg said.

And a lot of times, if you look at the best schools, its school districts where theres lots of space, but its because the schools are failingtheyre not doing what they should. And theres a lot of resistance from local school districts. And so these criteria can be used to disadvantage, for example, schools that operate in urban areas.

Theres also a really problematic racial balancing component to the new rule, he said.

Under the new rule, the new charter school project cant racially isolate or segregate students either in the charter school or in the public schools that theyre getting their students from, according to Kruckenberg.

The problem is that the department defines racial isolation as theres too many students of one ethnic group.

So you can think of certain charter schools that serve predominantly inner-city areas, and you can see how they get in trouble, he said. Some of our clients, for instance, they have student bodies that are made up of, say, 90 or 95 percent African American students.

And according to the department, that means theyre racially isolated students, Kruckenberg said.

Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, told trade publication Chalkbeat in June that the new rule would protect government schools while hurting charter schools.

The underlying premise of this argument is that it is more acceptable to provide a substandard education and remain open, as is the case for too many low-performing district schools, she said.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Department of Education for comment. Although press officer Julie Ewart said by email that the department was working on a response, no comment had been received by press time.
Hong Kong National Security Bureau Accuses Pro-Democracy Group of Subverting State Power and Will Make Arrests

Daughter-in-law of Elmer Yuen, Chairman of the newly formed 'Hong Kong Parliament,' renounces her relationship by news advertisment

Screenshot of Victor Ho (L) and Elmer Yuen (R) at the Hong Kong Parliament press conference on July 27, 2022. (Screenshot via YouTube/Epoch News HK )

Hong Kong pro-democracy figures announced the establishment of the Hong Kong Parliament (HKP). HKP plans to organize a poll in 2023 for Hong Kongers around the world to choose their international spokespersons. Hong Kong Security Bureau (HKSB) condemned HKP founders for allegedly violating the National Security Law and subverting state power. The Bureau stated that HKPs founders will be arrested and prosecuted.

Scholars believe the Hong Kong Government (HKgov) is overreacting, and by making it a big deal, they are promoting HKP indirectly.

On July 27, HKPs Preparatory Committee announced the founding of the Hong Kong Parliament at a press conference in Canada.

HKPs committee members currently include three chairmen:

Victor Ho Leung-Mau is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee. Ho is a former editor-in-chief of the Canadian British Columbia edition of Sing Tao Daily.

Baggio Leung Chung-hang will be Chairman of Public Relations. Leung is a former member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo). Leung lost his seat in 2016 after his oath-taking was ruled invalid. Leung later declared himself in exile in the United States in December 2020.

Elmer Yuen Gong-yi, also known as Papa Yuen, will act as Chairman of International Affairs. Yuen is a commentator who has been vocal politically since the anti-extradition protest in 2019.

At the conference, HKPs Committee hoped to organize a poll by 2023. With one person one vote, Hongkongers everywhere can elect their own international spokespersons.

Elmer Yuen mentioned his lobbying of foreign governments. Every country should recognize Hongkongers rights to a sovereign referendum. It is in the United National Declaration.

Security Bureau Claims Subverting State Power

On Aug. 3, HKSB condemned the three chairmen for setting up HKP overseas. The Bureau also accused the group of violating Article 22 of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) for subversion of state power.

The Bureau stated, The Hong Kong Police Force will pursue the suspects, issue warrants, and make arrests. We also urge the public to sever ties with any person violating NSL and all illegal activities organized by HKP. The authorities warned if the public fails to do so, they might have legal consequences.

Daughter-in-law Quits Family to Support CCP

On the same day, Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, LegCo councilor of the pro-CCP New Peoples Party, criticized her father-in-laws new organization online. Hong Kong Parliament, without a doubt, is a premeditated and malicious organization toward HKgov.

She added, The group plans to subvert government functioning and undermine its administration. I fully support the authorities to set examples and crack down on any illegal acts according to Article 37 of the National Security Law.

Yuen also urged the public to draw a line with the illegal organization.

Former Peoples Power Chairman Yuen Yi-Ming and scholar Yuen Yi-Chong are his children. Eunice Yung is Elmer Yuens daughter-in-law, a Pro-CCP LegCo member who is married to Yuens son.

To make her reproach official, Eunice Yung denounced her father-in-law in an advertisement on pro-CCP news outlet Oriental Daily.

On the A23 page, her advertisement was titled The Righteousness of a Nation, I am Renouncing My Father-in-law.

Yung declared, I, Eunice Yung Hoi-Yuen, bleed the blood of the great motherland, as a loyal Chinese. In the name of the nations righteousness, I respect the allegation made by the National Security Bureau. Mr. Elmer Yuen might have subverted the state power. I, hereby, renounce Mr. Yuen as my father-in-law.

Yungs Declaration Raised Eyebrows in the Community

(L) Photo of Eunice Yung Hoi-yan wishing everyone a happy Fathers Day on Facebook in 2022, ( R ) Photo of Yungs advertisement on Oriental Daily to renounce her father-in-law, Elmer Yuen Gong-yi on Aug.5, 2022. (Eunice Yung Hoi-yan/Facebook via The Epoch Times)

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Scholar Wong Kwok-wai stated that Yung used renouncement as a tactic to show CCP political loyalty.

Wong, however, said Yung being an attorney, her actions were unprofessional. It also makes her legal qualification and abilities questionable.

Wong also doubted whether Yung had asked for her husbands approval before publishing the advertisement.

Wong was concerned. If in the future, NSB investigates Elmer Yuen, Yung Hoi-yan might be held accountable. She might even become the regimes snitch. Who knows?

When asked whether HKP can be a national security threat to HKgov, Wong had a firm analysis. Under NSL, anyone, from anywhere who challenges HKgov, its power, or requests sanctions from other countries, can be arrested.

Wong, however, was uncertain if there was enough evidence for HKgov to decide HKP has violated any law. Hong Kong Parliament cannot threaten Hkgovs security, or influence its policy administration. There is no evidence of them doing so. This is just the government overreacting, and in a way, indirectly helps promote HKP.

National Security Law Is Laughable

Hong Kong Parliament responded to the NSBs statement. The group argued the so-called NSL and HKgov were never approved by real Hongkongers.

HKP also clapped back that it is an honor to be wanted by the Hong Kong Police and they will not bow down to the regime. We will keep doing our diligence to create a parliament that truly represents Hongkongers.

Elmer Yuen Responded: the Witch Hunt Has Begun

On Facebook Live, Yuen did not seem surprised by what his daughter-in-law had published. This is exactly what the CCP would doto separate you from your family and have them snitch on you. It is just like the Cultural Revolution. Yuen also said that this would have never happened in Hong Kong in the past.

Yuen also emphasized that political persecution, a classic move of CCP, has begun. He warned his listeners that the regime will do anything to force families to turn on each other.

Hong Kong businessman Elmer Yuan in Laurel, Maryland on June 25, 2020. (York Du/The Epoch Times)

Snitching Culture Is Part of the Cultural Revolution

Commentator Ng Chi-sum explained in his online program, Hongkongers no longer have the freedom to be silent on their stance. You must state where your loyalty lies.

Ng said although unsurprising, Yungs declaration was still quite a shock.

During the Cultural Revolution, it was couched that no one could be closer to you than Chairman Mao. Not even your mom and dad.

Ng also highlighted that snitching and exposing family members resembled the Cultural Revolution. He said, Brainwashed Red Guards would execute their own parents if they heard them criticizing Chairman Mao.

Nie Law and Shan Lam contributed to this article.
Mark D'Amico listens during his court arraignment in Burlington County Superior Court in Mount Holly, N.J., on May 28, 2019. (Tim Tai/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

New Jersey Man Involved in GoFundMe Scam Gets 5-Year Prison Term

A New Jersey man who was the instigator behind a fake story about a homeless veteran who helped out his then-girlfriend and used the tale to raise thousands of dollars as part of a GoFundMe scam was sentenced to five years in state prison on Aug. 5.

Mark DAmico, of Florence, who pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree misapplication of entrusted property in December 2019, admitted to manufacturing the feel-good story that netted $400,000, involving his then-girlfriend, Katelyn McClure, who took the story viral.

In 2017, McClure supposedly ran out of gas and was stranded on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia when a homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., supposedly saw her and gave her his last $20 for gas.

McClure and DAmico posted the story on social media and started a GoFundMe to raise money for him. But the story unraveled after more than $400,000 had been contributed by more than 14,000 people through the fundraiser.

(L-R): Johnny Bobbitt, Kate McClures boyfriend Mark DAmico, and Kate McClure pose at a Citgo station in Philadelphia in a file photo. (Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Prosecutors said the three had met previously and cooked up the scheme to make money. They conducted newspaper and television interviews and solicited donations, ostensibly to help Bobbitt, through a GoFundMe campaign they named Paying It Forward.

Authorities launched an investigation after Bobbitt, who also pleaded guilty and is facing sentencing in federal court later this month, sued the couple, accusing them of not giving him the money, claiming the couple lived a lavish lifestyle, while he lived in a trailer on their driveway.

Officials eventually determined that all of the money was spent by March 2018, including on luxury vacations, a BMW, and other purchases.

People genuinely wanted to believe it was true, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said in an Aug. 5 statement. But it was all a lie, and it was illegal. Our office is pleased to bring justice for the more than 14,000 kind-hearted people who thought they were helping someone who was living in a desperate situation.

DAmico also pleaded guilty to separate federal charges and is currently in federal prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. His state sentence will run concurrently, and when he finishes his 27-month federal sentence he will serve the remainder of his state time, according to the prosecutors office.

McClure also admitted to her role in the scam and received a one-year prison sentence in federal court in late July. She is awaiting sentencing on state charges, where she is expected to receive additional time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Nunes Calls for Special Congressional Committee to Investigate DOJ

A former congressman who uncovered key details about the Hillary Clinton-funded dossier and the U.S. governments involvement in utilizing the document says the House of Representatives should form a special panel to investigate the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI.

If you look at the most important issue at the highest level in terms of government corruption, its got to be the Department of Justice, former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said on EpochTVs Kashs Corner.

Theres going to have to be an investigation like none thats ever been done before.

The investigation should probe the 2012 Benghazi attacks, which top Obama administration officials falsely said stemmed from a protest but was actually planned beforehand; the DOJs involvement in President Donald Trumps impeachment over a phone call with Ukraines president; the handling of prosecutions over the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol; and the FBI operation that led to the arrests of men for allegedly plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Nunes said.

The investigation would also cover how the DOJ received and utilized the anti-Trump dossier put together by former British spy Christopher Steele, an effort paid for by Trumps 2016 presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee.

The proposed investigation would be so large that only a special committee could properly do it, such as the one put together to probe the Capitol breach, said Nunes, who is a former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and now serves as the CEO of Truth Social, Trumps social media network.

Its got to be a big staff and its got to be people that are serious about reining in the Department of Justice, Nunes said. The House for sure can create a special committee of some kind, give it funding, and run this investigation.

I dont see how else theyre going to do it.

The proposal is on hold until after the swearing in of the new Congress in January 2023. Republicans are optimistic about not only flipping control of the lower chamber, but gaining a substantial majority.

Ideally, the Senate would also approve the proposal, but Republicans would likely have more difficulty in the upper chamber because they arent predicted to gain as many Senate seats. Even if they were to have a majority in January, it would be slim.

The DOJ didnt respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

Nunes highlighted how the FBI took control of a laptop said to belong to President Joe Bidens son Hunter in 2019, according to documents made public, which the bureau hasnt disputed. But the bureau has revealed little information on how the computer was handled, with Director Christopher Wray in a recent Senate hearing declining to speak on the ongoing investigations.

The actions by the DOJ and FBI have left many Americans feeling they cannot trust the agencies, Nunes saidincluding himself.

That is a bad place for this country to be, Nunes said.

While there are great people that work in those agencies, he said, I dont trust [them].
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined on stage by former Republican vice presidential candidate, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin during a 2016 campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)

Palin, Begich Battle in Alaska Special Election for Late Congressmans Seat

Trump-endorsed Sarah Palin, her Republican rival Nick Begich III, and Democrat Mary Peltola will go head-to-head in Alaskas special general election on Aug. 16 to serve out the remainder of late Republican Rep. Don Youngs term.

In a 48-way special primary on June 11 following Youngs death in March, Palin, Begich, Peltola, and Al Gross, an independent, were the top four finishers in the election. While the result sounds confusing, it reflects the states nonpartisan primary system in which all candidates appear on the ballot regardless of party affiliation.

That allowed them to move on to the special election, with the winner to serve out the remaining three months of Youngs term. Meanwhile, all three of the party contenders are also on the regular primary ballot on Aug. 16 for the same seat for the next two years.

Dr. Al Gross (C) pauses for a photo with supporters during a sign-waving along Seward Highway, on Election Day in Anchorage, Alaska, on Nov. 3, 2020. Gross dropped out of the race to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) in the regular primary election on Aug. 16, 2022. (Michael Dinneen/AP Photo)

The ballot for the primary election features 22 candidates; the top four will advance to the Nov. 8 general election for a two-year seat in the U.S. House.

Gross, who finished third in the June 11 special primary, has since dropped out of the race, endorsing Peltola and Republican contender Tara Sweeney in the nonpartisan Pick One regular primary on Aug. 16.

A Non-Partisan Pick One primary is used to determine the top four vote-getters that will advance to the general election, regardless of political affiliation, according to the Alaska Division of Elections.

Under the states laws, a candidate in a primary does not have to be a member of a political party or a political group, to run for office.

Alaskans approved the new system by way of a ballot measure in 2020.

Long List of Candidates

Young was the states longest-serving member of Congress, having spent 49 years in office. As the nations largest state, Alaska incorporates 665,400 square miles, with a total population of around 774,000.

The Republican candidates in the regular primary are Palin, Begich, Sweeney, Jay Armstrong, Robert Lyons, Randy Purham, Brad Snowden, and Denise Williams. Peltola is running unopposed.

Chris Bye and J.R. Myers are vying for the seat as libertarians.

Palin, a former governor and vice presidential candidate, emerged as the clear frontrunner in the June special primary with 27 percent of the vote, while software company executive Begich garnered 19 percent. Gross totaled 13 percent and Peltola received 10 percent.

Palin, 58, served as the ninth governor of Alaska, from 2006 until her resignation in 2009.

The late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) chose Palin as his running mate in 2008. She was the nations second female vice presidential nominee after Geraldine Ferraro, a Democrat, in 1984.

On her website, Palin said that Alaskans expectand deservea close relationship with the folks who represent them in Congress, and this is one way Im working to facilitate a direct dialogue with the hard-working men and women of Alaska.

Palin Faces Critics

Her opponents, however, have criticized her for spending more time out of state.

With Trumps endorsement, quasi-celebrity status, and name recognition, Palin continued to enjoy frontrunner status as she campaigned in the lower 48 states last week. Her most recent appearance was at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas.

Begich and Peltola, however, remained in Alaska to shore up voter support in the final runup to the election. Neither candidate responded to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

Begich currently leads with more than $1.3 million in campaign financing; Palin has raised just over $1 million, and Peltola has $379,000.

Begich, 44, is the grandson of Nick Begich Sr., the U.S. congressman who was presumed to have died in the crash of a light aircraft in Alaska in 1972. Hes the nephew of former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich and current state Rep. Tom Begich.

From 2018 to 2021, Sweeney served as assistant secretary for Native American affairs at the Interior Department during the Trump administration.

Like Peltola, Sweeney is seeking to be the first Native American U.S. representative from Alaska.

I am a registered Republican, and Im running for Congress to focus on the future. My career has been focused on fighting for Alaska in Washington, and I want to use that experience to serve Alaskans in Congress, Sweeney told The Epoch Times in a previous interview.

Palin has been under fire in liberal circles over her conservative stance on critical issues since entering the national spotlight.

In February, Palin lost her defamation case against The New York Times, in which she claimed the newspaper defamed her in a June 2017 editorial linking a campaign ad with a mass shooting 10 months later in Tucson, Arizona. Trump endorsed her in April.
The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Parliamentary Committee to Begin Study of RCMPs Use of Cellphone Spyware

A parliamentary committee will begin exploring the RCMPs use of spyware on Monday, diving deeper into an issue thats sounded alarms for privacy and civil liberties groups across the country.

The House of Commons ethics and privacy committee called for a summer study after the RCMP revealed its use of tools that covertly obtain data from devices like phones and computers.

In response to a written question tabled in the House of Commons in June, the RCMP disclosed it had obtained warrants to use tools that collect text messages and emails and can remotely turn on cameras and microphones in 10 investigations.

We are talking about the most intrusive thing that exists, said privacy and technology lawyer David Fraser.

This would be like an order allowing the police to kind of put on an invisibility cloak and sit on your living room couch, or on your bedside table.

Fraser said thats why a high level of scrutiny should be applied to requests for this type of warrant.

I think part of the important discussion that should be taking place here  would be to make sure that any technique that is as intrusive as this is subject to the highest standard of probable cause and that the police should have to convince the judge that other techniques have been tried and have failed.

As an alternative approach, Fraser said the committee could look to the methods used when the Canadian Security Intelligence Service seeks a warrant for its investigations.

(CSIS officials) go to a bunker in Ottawa and they meet in what amounts to a secret court, he said. Its designated judges of the Federal Court who, ex parteso without anybody on the other sidereview applications for warrants under the CSIS Act that can be incredibly intrusive.

Policing expert and Queens University professor Christian Leuprecht said technological change is outpacing the legal framework, and politicians are often unwilling to step in and adjust policies to help it keep up.

This is the sort of issue that requires politicians to sit down and say, OK, we have this technology, this is how weve decided youre allowed to use it,' he said.

Leuprecht agreed there should be a high level of scrutiny on the types of technology police are using, particularly given the RCMPs power to arrest and detain.

The Communication Security Establishment, this is a high-tech agency that is very well versed in how to use data and technology, Luprecht said. Whereas you might say with the RCMP, thats not their primary bread and butter, so theres a much higher risk that the RCMP might make the wrong decision, draw the wrong inferences.

The committee has the opportunity to decide whether the current laws are sufficient to protect Canadians privacy. It could decide the RCMP needs to submit annual reports for further transparency.

Typically, police use of surveillance technology is kept secret, Fraser said, and he would like to see a framework put in place so that new technology has to go through independent scrutiny.

I have zero comfort in imagining what is the process currently adopted by law enforcement in Canada to determine the appropriateness of the use of certain technologies.

Brenda McPhail, the director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Associations privacy, technology and surveillance program, released a statement in late June asking a host of questions about how the technology is being used and why the privacy commissioner was not consulted on its deployment.

What tools are being used, and who supplies them? McPhail wrote. Is it one of the many vendors of spyware known for selling such tools to authoritarian states who use it to target human rights defenders and journalists?

Fraser said that is another important question for the committee to consider.

If the police can remotely get into anybodys smartphone, that means that theres something defective with that smartphone that the police are exploiting and that bad guys can also exploit, he said.

The ethical thing to do in that case, Fraser said, is for police or spy agencies to report any such loopholes to smartphone makers.

Theyre never going to do that unless theyre told, he said.

Witnesses appearing during the scheduled two days of hearings include Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, the current federal privacy commissioner and his deputy, and RCMP officers who oversaw the use of spyware.

By Sarah Ritchie
Peter Menzies: Meta Balks at Ottawas Plan to Force Tech to Fund Cash-Strapped Media

Commentary

Facebook has fired a shot across the bow of the Trudeau governments plan to bail out cash-starved mainstream media.

In a withering response to Australias 12-month review of legislation forcing online entities to share revenue with designated news publishers, Facebooks parent company, Meta, makes it clear that, as things stand, it has no interest in playing sugar daddy to legacy news organizations. Canadas Online News Act (Bill C-18), tabled earlier this year, will force online companies such as Meta and Google to reach commercial agreements with government-approved mediaincluding the CBCto fund their newsrooms. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has frequently pointed to Australia as Canadas inspiration for Bill C-18.

Given there has been significant global attention on the law in Australia, we provide comments to this review to contribute to the local and global public policy debate about the consequences of its application and to be transparent about the business decisions Meta will face in future, Meta writes in its response to the Treasury Departments review of the news media bargaining law.

It is not certain that digital platforms like Meta will be able to continue or increase on our investment in Australian news (given the flaws in the legislative framework).

Chief among Metas concerns (also applicable to Canada) is how the law favours politically connected old school media at the expense of entrepreneurs and innovators, and that the news organizations in question provide little commercial value to Facebook.

We have faced concerted lobbying from news publishers who have no regard for the economic reality that commercial agreements need to be able to generate a return for both parties, Metas report states.

The legislation has misled them into thinking they are entitled to payment simply for using our free services to expand their own audience. It is a near-impossible task to make commercially sound and innovative investments in news that could potentially bring a high enough return to trigger more investment in future  while balancing impossible expectations from news publishers.

News Media Canada is the force driving those expectations in Canada and has already convinced the Trudeau government to implement tax breaks worth $120 million annually to news organizations approved by a panel of government appointees. Another government-approved panel doles out $10 million through the Local Journalism Initiative and the Canada Periodical Fund subsidizes community newspapers and magazines to the tune of $75 million annually. Thats more than $200 million annually in taxpayers money for media that have so far failed to adapt to the age of the internet.

Back when such cozy relationships with government were considered inappropriate, newspapers primary sources of revenue were classified and display advertising. Innovations such as Kijiji wiped out classified revenue while display advertising shifted to where consumer eyeballs went: search engines and social media. As a result, thousands of jobs have disappeared at traditional newsrooms, while on the bright side more than 100 startupsmany subscription-based and reader-focusedlaunched.

News Media Canada, while short on specifics and positioning its members as vital to the survival of democracy, insists Google and Facebook are unfairly profiting from their news content. While Meta has been publicly mute regarding Canadas legislation, in its Australian response it points out that Facebooks Feed sent Australian news publishers more than 3.5 billion clicks in the last 12 months. Publishers are free to monetise this traffic however they wish. This referral traffic is provided at no cost to news publishers. We estimate the value of these organic referrals to be approximately US$340 million per year.

Given Australias population is about two-thirds that of Canadas, those numbers would translate into about 5 billion clicks and C$650 million in value. For free. And still the government insists it is social media and search engines that should be paying the publishers?

Meta also points out that while news has never been of anything more than niche interest to most Facebook users, it is becoming even less relevant as consumers shift to video reels and stories for amusement.

Bill C-18 will permanently insert the state, via the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), into the selected newsrooms of the nation. It will create a toxic co-dependency which, given the Australian evidence, will prop up failed and increasingly needy business models at the expense of entrepreneurs and those in the media who remain proud of their independence. It will have the CRTC patrol how the money is spent. Public trust in legacy, agenda-laced, and at times nakedly sycophantic media, already at all-time lows, will plummet further and incentives to innovate will disappear. Canadian news organizations will become permanently reliant on the approval of the politically powerful and the fiscal health of American tech giants.

Little wonder Meta, for its sins, might want to get as far away from this shakedown as possible.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A police tape marks the perimeter of a crime scene in Mexico, on April 21, 2019. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images)

Police Kill 13 in North-Central Mexico After Agent Slain

MEXICO CITYState police in north-central Mexico killed 13 alleged gang members in a shootout the same day they captured four people burying one of their officers and a relative, authorities said Friday.

The San Luis Potosi state security agency said in a statement the clash occurred Thursday evening in the Vaqueros community in Rayon municipality.

Among the victims were 10 men and three women. Authorities did not report any wounded state police.

The San Luis Potosi state prosecutors office said weapons, tactical gear and vehicles were seized. Thursdays operation was the result of intelligence gathered after police arrested four people as they buried a member of the state police and a relative earlier Thursday, the office said.

In the southern state of Guerrero, authorities said Friday they had found six bodies with bullet wounds and two heads nearby.

The Guerrero state prosecutors office said the remains were found near a burned out and shot up vehicle in the municipality of Quechultenango.

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador continues to face stubbornly high rates of violence more than midway through his 6-year term. The president has emphasized attacking violence with social programs rather than head-on confrontations with the countrys powerful drug cartels.

I am absolutely convinced that you cant confront violence with violence, coercive measures are not enough, that is the conservative, authoritarian vision, Lopez Obrador said last month.
Police: Suspect in Slayings of 4 in Ohio Arrested in Kansas

DAYTON, OhioA suspect wanted in Ohio in the shooting deaths of four people, including a teenage girl, has been arrested in Kansas, authorities said.

Police in Montgomery Countys Butler Township said late Saturday night that 39-year-old Stephen Marlow was taken into custody by local police in Lawrence, Kansas. Chief John Porter said Marlow will be extradited to Ohio to face charges in the slayings.

Court documents dont list an attorney representing Marlow; a message seeking comment was left Saturday at a number listed in his name.

Officers were called to the Ohio neighborhood shortly before noon Friday on a report of shots fired and found four victims with gunshot wounds at multiple crime scenes, police said. The Dayton Daily News reported that the victims were found in two separate homes where they lived, near the home owned by Marlows parents.

The Montgomery County coroners office on Saturday identified the victims as 82-year-old Clyde Knox, 78-year-old Eva Knox, 41-year-old Sarah Anderson and a 15-year-old girl whose name wasnt released. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police investigate a shooting in Butler Township, Ohio, on Aug. 5, 2022. (Marshall Gorby/Dayton Daily News via AP)

Police had warned anyone seeing Marlow, who had fled, to not approach him as he is still likely to be armed and dangerous.

Lawrence police said they had reason to believe Marlow might be in the city and began searching for him. An officer spotted his vehicle, and after it turned into a parking lot and the suspect emerged he was safely taken into custody just before 9 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Porter called the shootings the first violent crime in this neighborhood in recent memory and said investigators were trying to determine a motive and whether mental illness played any role. He expressed gratitude to residents for their support and tips and also thanked other law enforcement agencies involved in the case.

The Dayton Daily News reported that Marlow had gotten off probation in February on aggravated burglary and aggravated menacing charges stemming from a July 2019 incident in the Dayton suburb of Vandalia, according to Montgomery County court records. Vandalia closed a number of public areas Saturday as a precaution.

Vandalia school superintendent Robert OLeary said the district provided counselors and therapists for students and their families following the teenagers death and would continue to do so through the following week. He called her a ray of light who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.
A Chinese aircraft under the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese army takes off for military exercises in the waters around Taiwan on Aug. 4, 2022. (Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters)

Saint Vincent Prime Minister Says Relations With Taiwan Unbreakable Despite Chinas Military Drills

Saint Vincent and the Grenadiness (SVG) relations with Taiwan are unbreakable and will not be intimidated by any powers, the Caribbean islands prime minister said on Sunday following Chinas military drills surrounding Taiwan.

SVG Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and his delegation arrived in Taiwan for a six-day visit on Aug. 7, marking his 11th visit to the island as prime minister.

Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen touted the two island nations bilateral relations in her welcoming remarks and praised Gonsalves for his willingness to visit Taiwan at a time when Beijing is conducting live-fire drills around Taiwan.

Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. This statement left us deeply moved, Tsai said.

Commitment, courage & loyalty: The virtues of @ComradeRalph were celebrated by Minister Wu alongside @iingwen during a 1st-class welcome at the Presidential Office. Our thanks to the PM for inking 2 treaties & an LOI deepening #Taiwan-#StVincentAndTheGrendaines cooperation. pic.twitter.com/GN8fndj5Xb   Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan)  (@MOFA_Taiwan) August 8, 2022

Gonsalves said the bilateral relations between the Caribbean country and Taiwan are not transactional but rather based on people-to-people ties and everlasting principles, according to Tsais office.

We are island nations, he said. We share common values of the protection and promotion of democracy and human rights.

Gonsalves expressed strong support for Taiwan, saying that his country will never allow any external activity to impede their bilateral relations.

As in our hemisphere, the Western hemisphere, we do not like it and we do not support it when any powerful neighbor seeks to intimidate or bully us, he said. Wherever there are differences, we must settle them peacefully in a civilized manner.

The two allies signed bilateral agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, the transfer of sentenced persons, and the letter of intent for higher education. Tsai also expressed her intention to work with SVG on post-pandemic challenges.

China Announces Fresh Military Drills

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must be united with the mainland, by force if necessary. Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949 and has never been under CCP control.

China announced fresh military drills on Monday in the seas and airspace around Taiwana day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercisesin alleged retaliation against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis recent visit to Taiwan.

Chinas Eastern Theater Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations, confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would continue to maintain pressure on Taiwans defenses.

Taiwans foreign ministry condemned the move and demanded that Beijing stop its military actions and pull back from the edge.

In the face of military intimidation created by China, Taiwan will not be afraid nor back down, and will more firmly defend its sovereignty, national security, and free and democratic way of life, the ministry said.

The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the locations of the most recent Chinese military drills.

Reuters contributed to this report.
300-millimeter wafers are pictured in a machine for coating with gold in a clean room during the mass production of semiconductor chips at the Bosch's semiconductor plant in Dresden, eastern Germany, on July 12, 2022. (Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images)

Semiconductors Emerge as Battleground in US-China Race to Make Global Tech Norms in Their Image

Chinese chipmakers dealt blow by US sanctions and alliances

News Analysis

As every aspect of modern life becomes more and more digitized, not just the economies of nations but their sovereign influence will rely more and more on the command of technology.

Although the United States and China are not engaged in traditional warfare, they are engaged in a war of ideas, trade, and technology, especially in semiconductor hegemony, where both sides are battling for supply and advancement.

In recent years, the United States has made a series of moves to hinder and outpace Chinese development in semiconductors, including persuading Asian semiconductor powerhouses to join its alliance, passing a massive spending bill to aid domestic chip production, and banning exports of high-end chipmaking equipment to China.

In late July, the United States expanded its bans on exports to China of equipment that can make semiconductors up to 14 nanometers in size, according to major U.S. chipmaking equipment suppliers, such as Lam Research Corp. and KLA, who were notified by the government about the expanded restrictions.

Previously, the United States had banned the sale of equipment that can produce chips of 10 nm or smaller to Chinese chip manufacturers.

Generally in semiconductor fabrication, the smaller the process technology, the more advanced the chip. The smaller the technology node, the higher the transistor density and the lower the chip power consumption, resulting in higher performance. However, the smaller manufacturing process requires more advanced material and equipment, and will incur a greater cost in R&D and production.

Semiconductors are seen on a circuit board that powers a Samsung video camera at the Samsung MOBILE-ization media and analyst event in San Jose, Calif., on March 23, 2011. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The development follows a historic $52 billion bill passed by U.S. congress on July 27 to aid domestic chip makers in research, development, and production volume. One of the conditions is that the companies receiving the funds will not increase advanced chip production in mainland China.

The U.S. Department of Commerce said the tightening policies impair PRC efforts to manufacture advanced semiconductors to address significant national security risks to the United States.

Meanwhile, the United States is also reportedly planning to ban the exports of U.S. chipmaking equipment that produces advanced NAND chips to major Chinese chipmakers, such as Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC).

YMTC is a state-owned company and Chinas only storage NAND flash memory manufacturer competing with major U.S. manufacturers. Its global market share is about 5 percent. In a report released by the White House in June 2021, YMTC was identified as the national champion enterprise of the Chinese regime, having received $24 billion in subsidies from the Chinese government.

NAND chips are used to store data in a wide range of electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, as well as in the data centers of companies such as Amazon, Facebook, and Google.

If the NAND chip initiatives are officially issued, they will be the first time that the United States uses trade restrictions to contain Chinas ability to produce non-military use memory chips, broadening the scope of protecting the U.S.s national security and dealing a massive blow to Chinss memory chip industry.

Read More Is Your Iron Spying on You?

On Aug. 1, U.S. senators, including Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), requested that the Department of Commerce add YMTC to the U.S. trade blacklist.

The move could further hamper the growth of Chinas semiconductor industry and protect American companies; the only two U.S. memory chip makers, Western Digital and Micron Technology. The two account for about a quarter of the NAND chip market share.

According to a Bloomberg report, the United States is also pushing the Netherlands and Japan to stop the chipmaking equipment suppliers, ASML and Nikon, from selling lithography machines to China. The move could potentially deal a severe blow to major Chinese chipmakers such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) and Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd.

US CHIPS Act

On July 26, the U.S. Senate voted to advance its Chips and Science Bill aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor production and improving technological competitiveness with China.

The bill was later passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 28 and sent it to Bidens desk for signature.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks alongside a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, including (L-R) Roger Wicker (R-Miss.); Mark Warner (D-Va.); Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), following the passage of the CHIPS Act, providing domestic semiconductor manufacturers with $52 billion in subsidies to cut reliance on foreign sourcing, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The legislation will provide $280 billion in funding to prop up and kickstart domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research; the price tag is far above previous legislation that aimed to provide just $52 billion to manufacturers.

Officially dubbed the CHIPS [Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America] Act of 2022, the measure would provide tens of billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks to technology corporations in an effort to spur new market growth, as well as funding for government-backed tech research.

Proponents of the legislation have long said that its necessary in order to maintain a competitive edge with China, which is pouring money into its own domestic chip production.

The legislation also clarifies that entities receiving U.S. government funding are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving substantial expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in China or any other foreign country of concern for at least ten years after the Act takes effect.

These restrictions are designed to prevent chipmakers from significantly expanding the production of chips more advanced than 28nm in China within the next decade.

Even though the 28-nanometer chips are a few generations behind todays advanced semiconductors, they are still widely used in cars, lower-end smartphones, appliances, and more.

Chip 4 Alliance

The United States has also been working to persuade Asian semiconductor powerhouses to participate in its Chip 4 alliance.

The U.S.-led alliance aims to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductors industry among the United States and the East Asian powerhouses of Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan to build a secure supply chain that excludes China.

Taiwan and Japan have already agreed to participate in the Chip 4 alliance proposed by the United States this March, pending South Koreas decision to join.

The United States has reportedly given South Korea a deadline to decide whether it will join the Chip 4 alliance by Aug. 31, according to local South Korean reports citing unnamed sources in Washington.

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as they visit the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek campus in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on May 20, 2022. President Joe Biden arrived in South Korea on Friday for his first summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol on a range of issues, including North Koreas nuclear program and supply chain risks. (Kim Min-Hee /Pool /Getty Images)

Despite mounting pressure from China, its biggest trading partner, South Korean experts and public opinion say the country is likely to participate in the proposed chip alliance.

The United States is leading the equipment and software segments of the industry, Taiwan is the very foundry leader, Japan is taking the lead on the component and material sides, and South Korea cannot produce chips without them, a South Korean expert told Business Korea in a July 15 report.

During the recent U.S.South Korea summit, Biden and President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged to strengthen semiconductor alliances among the worlds largest chipmaking countries to ease global shortages.

As part of the economic partnership, South Korea also formally announced participation in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a framework outlining the United States key priorities to align with allies and partners to compete more effectively against communist China in the race to lead global technology development and norms.

Chinas Big Fund Plan

For many years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has invested heavily in solving the problem of its disrupted semiconductor supply.

In 2014, Beijing pledged to invest between $100 billion and $150 billion in public and private funds to enable the country to overtake the worlds leading companies in semiconductor technology, including chip design, assembly, and packaging, by 2030.

An employee makes a chip at a factory of Jiejie Semiconductor Company in Nantong, in eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, on March 17, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

In September 2014, the regime established Chinas National Semiconductor Industry Investment Fund, known as the Big Fund. The initial investment was 138.7 billion yuan (about $22.19 billion), focusing on integrated circuit manufacturing, including equipment, materials, sealing, and testing.

In October 2019, facing U.S. sanctions on Chinese technology companies, a second Big Fund was announced, with a scale of 204.1 billion yuan (approx. $32.66 billion).

However, according to Liu Pei-chen, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, the CCPs semiconductor development process is still slower than expected despite massive government investment, especially in advanced manufacturing processes or independent R&D.

Liu told The Epoch Times that Chinas slow development was primarily due to European and American sanctions, making obtaining key semiconductor equipment and chips difficult or near-impossible.

Beijings Made in China 2025 plan calls for the domestic production of Chinese chips to reach 70 percent by 2025. However, it is almost impossible to achieve that goal at the current pace of development, Liu added.

China Relied on Poaching Chip Talent from Taiwan

China is still not capable of making advanced chips, Ren Zhengfei, the founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei, said in September 2020 during a public speech.

Ren said the domestic industry could not produce the advanced chips that the company designed, and it cant make products and chips at the same time.

The biggest obstacle for China to achieve self-sufficiency in semiconductors is not the lack of funds, but the long-term lack of talents in the industry, Zhang Rujing, the founder of SMIC, Chinas largest chip foundry, said in a public statement in November 2021.

For decades, China has responded to its talent shortage in high-tech industries by poaching talent from Taiwan, often through illegal means.

The illegal poaching of Taiwans high-tech talent by Chinese companies has severely impacted our international competitiveness and endangered our national security, Taiwans Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said on May 26.

The security of the chip industry has become a primary concern of authorities in the tech powerhouse of Taiwan, which makes the majority of the worlds most advanced semiconductor chips, an indispensable part of everything from mobile phones to military jets.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the worlds largest and most advanced contract chipmaker. It is by itself responsible for producing more than half of the worlds semiconductors.

A factory of Taiwanese semiconductors manufacturer TSMC at Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung, Taiwan, on March 25, 2021. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite its leading position, the company has had to grapple with a brain drain to China. Taiwan lost an estimated 3,000 semiconductor engineersaccounting for one-tenth of the islands talents in the chip industryto China, according to a 2020 research published by Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council.

Chinas efforts to secure chip engineering talent primarily from Taiwan have intensified in recent years after the CCP set a goal of achieving self-sufficiency in advanced chips, an objective under a 10-year economic program known as Made in China 2025, accompanied by the Big Fund.

In response, Taiwans Investigation Bureau has launched investigations into around 100 Chinese companies suspected of illegally poaching semiconductor engineers and other tech talents, according to an April report by Reuters, citing a senior bureau official.

On May 20, Taiwans legislature passed amendments to its national security act and a law governing relations with China. The amended national security legislation criminalized economic espionage, setting out a punishment of up to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to $3.4 million for people illegally transferring core technology from the island.

Taiwan has prohibited Chinese investment in some parts of the semiconductor supply chain, including chip design, and requires reviews for other areas such as chip packaging.

Alex Wu, Andrew Thornebrooke, and Dorothy Li contributed to this report.
The Yuengling family outside the Sam Gibbons Courthouse in Tampa on August 8, 2022. (Family photo)

Florida Superintendent Ousts Children From School After Mom Asserts Parental Rights

A Florida county school superintendent transferred a 14-year-old girl out of her zoned school after the teens mom persevered in criticizing the schools teachings under the protection of the states new parental rights law.

Thats what Richard and Rebecca Yuengling of Land O Lakes, a suburb of Tampa, allege in a federal lawsuit they filed on Aug. 5 against various officials of the Pasco County school district and Pasco County Sheriffs Office.

The ordeal also led to the father losing his job as a court bailiff with the county sheriffs office.

The lawsuit details how the Yuenglings daughter was reportedly escorted off the grounds of Cypress Creek High School and told she was no longer a student there. The school readily admitted that the expulsion resulted from the criticism of the schools liberal teachings by the ninth graders mother.

The girl was crying and visibly upset during a humiliating perp walk in front of her friends, the lawsuit alleges.

The school didnt give the parents an opportunity to appeal the transfer, violating their rights to due process and equal protection, the lawsuit alleges.

It only got worse from there, the Yuenglings, who are conservative Christians, told The Epoch Times following the filing of their lawsuit.

Less than three weeks after Richard Yuengling filed for a court injunction to stay the schools decision, he found himself the subject of an internal affairs investigation.

According to documents provided to The Epoch Times, the reason for the investigation was because Yuengling was wearing his uniform when he filed the paperwork. He told The Epoch Times that he filed the documents on a lunch break at the very court where he works as a bailiff.

Yuengling says he was told that he violated the sheriff departments policy against wearing a uniform for personal gain or influence.

Im just a dad trying to stand up for my kids, said Yuengling, a 22-year employee of the sheriffs department and a Navy veteran, I couldnt believe they were doing this to me.

He also was demoted to jail duty and was told by a sheriffs captain that the actions were coming from higher up, he told The Epoch Times.

Jonathan OBrien, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit on the Yuenglings behalf, told The Epoch Times that its crazy disturbing that such drastic measures were taken against the dad for wearing his uniform on a personal errand.

The lawsuit lists several egregious examples of activities other Pasco County sheriffs deputies have been witnessed engaged in while in uniform, including testifying in their own divorce proceedings, disputing traffic tickets in another district, and shopping for major purchases such as automobiles.

This is supposed to be a brotherhood in arms, said OBrien. To have subordinates do the bidding of superiors to go after their brothers in arms is maybe the sign of times, but it is cowardly and disappointing.

OBrien said the public school has no legal standing to arbitrarily oust a child because the children have a constitutionally protected right to a free, public education.

The Yuenglings troubles began when Rebecca Yuengling asked the school to stop giving her daughter what she called inappropriate student surveys to complete.

The reason I was so vocal was because they were having my kid fill out surveys that were sexual in nature and then telling them to keep it a secret, she said. Her daughters teachers were also discussing gender ideology and critical race theories in class, she said.

The mothers complaints escalated when she learned that after she told the school to stop giving her daughter surveys, her daughters history teacher handed out a survey for the class to complete on gender ideology, as part of a quiz that would count toward their grade.

After she reminded the school of the states new parental rights law that prohibits teachers from enticing or coercing students to keep information from their parents, Rebecca said School Superintendent Kurt Browning sent her a letter informing her that her daughter was no longer welcome at the school and offered to transfer her elsewhere in the district.

Browning said the Yuenglings 13-year-old son, who had just completed seventh grade at the districts middle school, wouldnt be allowed to attend the districts Cypress Creek High School once he graduates from eighth grade.

Since the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, it has been evident that you are dissatisfied with Cypress Creek High School. Your voluminous emails (in excess of 500 pages), phone calls, public statements, and posts on social media are not only harassing in nature to administration and staff, but also disruptive to the learning environment for our students, Browning wrote.

Browning asserted that the decision was taken to protect Cypress Creek High Schools principal and three teachers from Rebecca Yuenglings harassment.

According to the lawsuit, Richard Yuengling was warned by the same sheriffs captain who informed him that he was under investigation that Browning is a person he shouldnt mess with, because hes politically connected.

Browning, who is a former Florida secretary of state, didnt respond to inquiries by The Epoch Times about the allegation or the lawsuit. Steve Hegarty, the Pasco County Schools public information officer, told The Epoch Times that the district doesnt comment on pending litigation. Sheriff Chris Nocco, who also is named in the suit, also didnt respond to inquiries.

Nocco and Browning have been the subject of investigations and other lawsuits.

In 2021, Browning found himself under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education after it was revealed he was providing Nocco with the grades, attendance, and discipline history of students for a private list used to identify kids that might fall into a life of crime.

The practice was dubbed predictive profiling in a petition against Browning and Nocco and Browning was eventually ordered by the school district to stop providing the information to Noccos department.

Nocco is currently the subject of three pending federal lawsuits over his Intelligence-Led Policing program, which enforces micro crimes that include a residents failure to put their house number on their mailbox.

Nocco, Browning, as well as the Yuenglings are all Republicans. Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), have urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove Nocco from office.
Taiwan Semiconductor Magnate Donates $100 Million for Defense to Help Thwart China Aggression

The chair of the worlds second-largest microchip maker announced a $100 million donation to the Taiwan government for defense against China on Aug. 5, after Beijing initiated massive military drills around the island.

$100 million is not much money to buy weapons, Robert Tsao, founder of chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) who now lives in Singapore, said at a press conference in Taipei. I hope it can awaken Taiwanese people from being greedy for money and fearful of death, and can fight to defend freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Tsao said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) worships totalitarianism, deceit, hatred, and violence, its members are hooligans and rogues, and the regime is an underworld.

The tycoon condemned Beijings military exercises, which it used in retaliation for Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, visiting Taiwan on Aug. 2 and 3. He exhorted the people of Taiwan to be brave and confront Chinas verbal threats and intimidation by force.

The Chinese regime claims the island as its own, despite the fact that Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution.

A missile is launched from an unspecified location in China on Aug. 4, 2022. The Chinese military fired missiles into waters near Taiwan as part of its planned exercises on Aug. 4. (CCTV via AP)

Private Donation

Tsao said that he gave the money because he saw dangerous phenomena in Taiwan, as Beijing has launched cognitive warfare, psychological warfare, and public opinion warfare against Taiwan on the island.

Many Taiwanese become ostriches [when facing China], The 75-year-old businessman said, They think China wont launch a war if Taiwan doesnt anger it.

He then listed two other groups: The people who think that Taiwan isnt strong enough to go against China and want to surrender to save lives; and the people who think they would be protected by a big country if Taiwan became a part of China.

As a person who has invested in China for decades, Tsao warned the Taiwanese people that the Chinese regime lies.

Look at the homicidal fierceness and haughtiness displayed before and after Pelosis Taiwan visit by Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry, Taiwan Affairs Office, and Hu Xijin [journalist], Tsao said. Chinas lies, including Taiwanese and Chinese are brothers and that Chinese wont engage in combat with Taiwanese, cant stand any test.

Tsao said that he has no interest in politics. He donates to maintain Taiwan as a clean land for Chinese speakers worldwide.

He quoted lyrics of the U.S. national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner: the land of the free and the home of the brave and said: freedom belongs to the courageous. Cowardice ends up being enslaved.

Robert Tsao

Tsao was born in Mainland China, raised in Taiwan, holds Singapore citizenship, founded UMC in the early 1980s, and grew it into the worlds second-largest semiconductor chip original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

In the late 1990s, Tsao wanted to invest in the mainland because of Chinas huge market. He routinely endorsed the Chinese authorities at that time. In the past 20 years, he set up two UMC factories in China. One in eastern Chinas Suzhou city, and the other in southern Chinas Xiamen city. Since his company invested in China, people believe Tsao should support Beijing.

In an interview with Wealth Magazine in December 2019 after leaving his executive position at UMC, Tsao said, If we can do it all over again, I hope we dont go to the mainland to assist in setting up factories.

Tsao didnt mention details of his experiences in China, but has defended Taiwans freedom and democracy since then.

In March, he publicly urged the Taiwanese citizens to defend the island themselves rather than rely on foreign powers. He said his two sons hold Taiwan citizenship. They will both return to fight off the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) forces if a confrontation occurs in Taiwan.
Opponents of the academic doctrine known as critical race theory protest outside of the Loudoun County School Board headquarters in Ashburn, Va., on June 22, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

This Is About Power Critical Race Theory Trainer Tells Pennsylvania Educators

A fight for the future of the nation

Far-right white people are in a moral panic over Critical Race Theory (CRT) because they fear losing political power. These are the sentiments taught to Pennsylvania educators about parents who attend board meetings in opposition to CRT. The training was a webinar presented by Justice Leaders Collaborative, a Michigan-based social justice training organization that did not respond to a request to participate in this story.

Justice Leaders Collaborative gave a politically charged CRT webinar for Pennsylvania educators in the fall of 2021. A video of that webinar offers a window into how the movement sees those who dont support CRT in schools.

A Chester County Pennsylvania parent from the Great Valley School District obtained the hour-long training last week, through an online link provided in an answer to a Right-to-Know request. The training has since been removed; the link now goes nowhere. The Epoch Times pulled information from the training before it was removed.

The training was offered to members of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) across the state and just over 100 school administrators signed up for the free webinar at that time, according to Mark DiRocco, PASA executive director. PASA often offers training on current topics to its members, which include school superintendents and other high-level administrators.

At that time, a lot of people didnt even know what Critical Race Theory was, DiRocco told The Epoch Times. A lot of our school leaders were dealing with questions from the public and from their board and staff. It was very much in the news. And honestly, most of them didnt know what it was, and had never dealt with the issue before.

The webinar was to help administrators understand CRT.

Whites Have Unearned Advantages

Most of the webinar was presented by Shayla Reese Griffin, who identifies as a black middle-class woman. Griffin, co-founder and facilitator of Justice Leaders Collaborative, explained that racism is not only about the actions or animus of individuals. Racism is not biological, but it is a system of unearned advantage for white people and an unearned disadvantage for people of color, and it persists even if no one is consciously thinking about it. This is the backdrop of what Griffin calls real CRT. However, she spent most of her time talking about the anti-CRT movement.

This is a movement of the far-right, Griffin said. They are really just using Critical Race Theory as a kind of an umbrella term for any kind of cultural things that the far-right isnt interested in.

A page from a 2021 training on Critical Race Theory for Pennsylvania school administrators, presented by Shayla Reese Griffin, Justice Leaders Collaborative. (Moms for Liberty/screenshot)

The goal of the anti-CRT movement is to maintain political and cultural power by riling up their base and stopping potential voters from learning the true history and reality of race and racism in our country, Griffin told educators. The long-term ability of the far-right to win elections at the local, state, and federal levels is coming into question as the nation gets more diverse, and as more white people are unwilling to support racist politicians or policies. This became clear after the last presidential election, she said.

Schools teaching the real history of this country and asking students, especially white students, to have a stake in making it more equitable, could lead to new generations of adults unwilling to support far-right politics, policies, and cultural norms.

CRT will lead to generations of new kinds of white adults who are unwilling to support far-right politics, Griffin said.

This is about power. The goal of this [anti-CRT] movement is to maintain political power, Griffin said. Schools are a site of that conflict because those folks know that, how students graduate from school, and what they think about justice, is going to matter in how they vote, and matter in the long-term impact to our country.

A page from the Critical Race Theory training given to Pennsylvania school administrators in 2021 and taught by Justice Leaders Collaborative. (Moms for Liberty/screenshot)

Later in the webinar, educators were reminded that teaching CRT is a fight for the future of the nation and were asked to think about what side of history they want to be on.

Educators were advised that many people who attend school board meetings to complain about CRT are not even parents. Their presence at board meetings is an alleged scare tactic.

Educators were encouraged to communicate with legislators, and community members in their sphere of influence, to speak out against the anti-CRT movement as loud as the opposition.

People are going to be mad because of what you do, said Sarena Shivers, deputy executive director of the Michigan Association of School Administrators, who spoke briefly in the webinar.

Youve got to focus on what your message is. Do not get distracted by the squeakiest wheel. Do not get down in the weeds trying to argue fine points with people who are not really interested in that. This is really a fight for the future of our nation, and really a fight about what the purpose of schooling is.

Promising to Teach CRT

Across the nation there have been some legislative efforts to ban teaching CRT.

Shivers said many teachers across the nation are signing I will teach the truth pledges and she suggested Pennsylvania educators do the same. The pledge says educators refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history.

One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just cause. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust causes, Shivers said. What is happening with the anti-Critical Race Theory movement is really an effort to pass unjust laws.

A page from the Critical Race Theory training given to Pennsylvania school administrators in 2021 and taught by Justice Leaders Collaborative. (Moms for Liberty/screenshot)

Shannon Grady, Chester County Moms for Liberty chapter chair, says many schools have denied teaching CRT, but are really using different terms that are code for CRT, such as cultural awareness, unconscious bias, cultural proficiency, or courageous conversations.

Those are all kind words they use to not come out and say Critical Race Theory, Grady, who viewed the training, told The Epoch Times. She noted that the tone assumed everyone in the training supported CRT being taught in schools and none were right-leaning. They assume that everybody agrees with Critical Race Theorythis theory of white supremacy, and systemic racism. Then if you dont agree, you simply dont recognize the truth. Were just being divisive. Youre racist if you dont agree  It cant possibly be that theres some other explanation besides white people are racist.

I look at it as a religion. This is a deeply held belief system by this group of people, which is fine. But it doesnt belong in education. This is an ideological belief system and our public schools are supposed to remain neutral. And, its an anti-American message. The whole system of America is corrupt and racist. And thats a violation of the public school codes. Youre not allowed to teach anti-American content.

A page from the Critical Race Theory training given to Pennsylvania school administrators in 2021 and taught by Justice Leaders Collaborative. (Moms for Liberty/screenshot)

DiRocco said that once you have a guest speaker and you turn them loose, they can say what they want to say.

We were just trying to get information out there about what it is and what it isnt, DiRocco said. We serve all political aspects. Our members have the full array of political affiliations and inclinations. We try to stay as apolitical as possible in our work. We want to be in good standing with both sides of the aisle so we can communicate with speak with them on a variety of issues. So that certainly was not an intention on our social relations part to promote one political opinion to another political opinion, thats not what we do.

Yet, the PASA website has a section on equity and racism, including resources for teaching Black Lives Matter at school, and articles including We Need to Name it: Racism is a Public Health Crisis, from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families; How to Root Out Anti-Black Racism from Your School, from Education Week; and a CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall.
Crowds of protesters demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions during the Freedom Convoy protest in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2022. (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times)

Three Weeks That Shook the World: Veteran Journalist Pens Inside Story of Freedom Convoy

When Andrew Lawton was dispatched to cover the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa this winter, he witnessed first-hand the discrepancy between what he observed on the ground and what was reported in the legacy media.

The journalism fellow at True North and host of The Andrew Lawton Show recently released a book about his observations titled The Freedom Convoy: The Inside Story of Three Weeks that Shook the World. It traces the convoy from its beginnings through to when a massive police operation was deployed to clear the protesters from downtown Ottawa.

My book is about this protest that really shook Canada and the world, and I think it was important to put this story on the record because there was so much misinformation in the media, Lawton told The Epoch Times.

There was so much that people in political leadership positions, the media, and even the country as a whole didnt understand about the protest, and the book is really trying to tell the story of this protest and the people behind it and do it in a fair and accurate way.

The book features some of the well-known organizers and figures, such as Tamara Lich, Benjamin Dichter, Chris Barber, and Tom Marazzo and includes countless of hours of interviews with players at various levels of the convoy, many of whom are speaking for the first time through this book, Lawton writes on Substack.

The Freedom Convoy, which began on Jan.29 and ended on Feb. 20, started out as a demonstration by truck drivers opposing federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border travel, but grew exponentially when supporters from across the country joined in to call for an end to various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

At a press conference on Jan. 26 ahead of the convoys arrival Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed those involved as being a small fringe minority who do not hold the views of the majority of Canadians.

Justin Trudeau called them a "fringe minority." The media called them insurrectionists. My book goes behind the scenes of the Freedom Convoy in a way no other journalist has. Order a copy now! https://t.co/yCyCJ03KCo  Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) July 8, 2022

As for journalists, Lawton said many took their dislike or misunderstanding of the convoy and let that colour their reporting. He added that although he sympathized with the protesters, he wanted his book to be fair and honest by sticking to the facts.

Ive been very sympathetic to the fight against vaccine mandates and the fight against vaccine passports, he said.

I was sympathetic to the convoy but I also approached this book still wanting it to be factual and wanting it to be accurate, and I think I tried to verify everything. A lot of what people shared with me I saw myself in some form, or I tried to verify with other people.

Behind the Scenes

Lawton says he didnt interview government officials for his book because that part of the story was already being told.

I was more interested in telling the story that wasnt told, he said, while noting that convoy organizers werent getting adequate media coverage at the time.

Part of that was because of a decision they mademany of them wouldnt engage with mainstream media journalists, they wouldnt do interviews with mainstream media outlets, he said.

I as a journalist with a new media, True North, had a level of access, so I was able to leverage that and really gain the trust of a lot of people who were eager to share about this event.

Lawton said there was another layer to the convoy behind the scenes that few people were aware of.

There was this network, they called them command centres, he said, explaining that the centres were set up a week before the convoy reached Ottawa, and evolved to become more sophisticated after the trucks arrived and the protest continued.

These really complex operational hubs that were set up at hotels around Ottawathey had catering, they had computers set up, they had medical dispatch, they had people that were working around the clock in all of these areas, [such as] security and fuel distribution, to keep the convoy going, he said.

This was something that you couldnt see from the street, but it was a big part of why the convoy was able to stick around as long as it did.

Misconceptions

One key misconception that many people had toward the convoy was that it was a top-down organization, Lawton said.

They assumed that this was this top-down organization [where] you had someone like Tamara Lich at the top that can make people do things, but the reality was everyone was there for their own reasons.

Chapter 11 of the book notes that organizers prided themselves on keeping open lines of communication with law enforcement. Lawton details how Lich and convoy lawyer Keith Wilson hustled to get truckers on board for an operation set for the evening of Feb. 10, in which they would move their trucks from downtown residential areas and clear the Rideau and Sussex intersection. The decision came on Feb. 8 after a meeting Marazzo and Wilson had with Ottawas city manager, Steve Kanellakos, together with four Ottawa Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police liaisons.

Some remained stubborn. Others thought it was a trap and that they and the convoy leaders were getting hoodwinked by police. Yet they somehow got the truckers to agree, the book reads.

I think that a lot of truckers trusted [Lich and the other organizers]. And when [the organizers] talked to people and said hey were trying to work out this deal with police and the city so we need to move your truck here, people were receptive. But they didnt control them, Lawton says.

Thats very key when people talk about the organizers and leaders. Its really important that you understand that no one was in control of anyone else.

He also noted that money was unimportant to the Freedom Convoy, but the issue of funds that were raised to support the protest became one of the main focuses of mainstream media and government.

The money was never there for the sake of having money. It was there to buy diesel. It was there to buy food, he said.

So when the government came in and tried to freeze the bank accounts, they thought that would end the protests, but it didnt, because the convoy wasnt fuelled by money. It was fuelled by people.

Lawton said he hopes readers can approach his book with an open mind.

If you are supportive of the convoy, youll learn things about how it came to be, he said. If youre not supportive of the convoy, I still think you can read the book and have an understanding of who this group was and why it happened, even if you dont agree with what they did.
The Twitter logo outside the company's headquarters, in downtown San Francisco, Calif., on April 26, 2022. (Amy Osborne/AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter Threatened With Class-Action Lawsuit for Banning Doctor Over COVID-19 Vaccine Post

A doctor who was banned from Twitter for posting about COVID-19 vaccines is willing to serve as the lead plaintiff in a potential class-action lawsuit against the social media company, his lawyer has informed the tech giant.

Dr. Andrew Bostom stands with a growing number of similarly situated people who have had their Twitter accounts suspended for sharing their views and opinions on COVID-19, James Lawrence III, Bostoms lawyer, told Twitter in a letter dated Aug. 6.

Dr. Bostom is ready, willing, and able to serve as a lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against Twitter for breach of contract if that becomes necessary, Lawrence added.

Bostom, with the Brown University Center For Primary Care and Prevention, was permanently suspended in June after sharing the results of a study that linked Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine with lower sperm and semen concentration in men.

After Lawrence contacted Twitter on Bostoms behalf, the company reversed the suspension, admitting he did not appear to violate any rules with the post.

Just two weeks later, Bostom was banned for asserting that the only randomized controlled trial data on children shows zero hospitalizations prevented by COVID-19 vaccination, while trial data from adults showed the vaccines caused more severe adverse events than the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations it prevented.

Twitter told Bostom in the suspension notice that he violated the companys policy on spreading misleading information related to COVID-19.

New Letter

But the post does not violate the policy, Lawrence told Vijaya Gadde, head of legal, policy, and trust at Twitter.

The first portion of the comment is backed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations briefing document (pdf) analyzing Pfizer trial data in children aged 6 months to 23 months, the lawyer said, noting that there were zero hospitalizations in the placebo arm but one in the vaccinated arm.

The second portion is supported by a recent paper that analyzed serious adverse events from the original Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials and concluded that people who were vaccinated were at higher risk of an event than those who did not get a shot.

His comments can be substantiated by actual pediatric and adult data. This is not misinformation by any means, but rather a restating of actual scientific analysis of the data from clinical trials of Pfizer and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Lawrence wrote.

Both the vaccines are built on messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.

Even if the comment did violate Twitters policy, the company failed to follow its own five-strikes rule, which gives users five violations before a ban, the lawyer said.

He recently represented journalist Alex Berenson in a case against Twitter in which a judge said Twitter violated its own rule in its ban of Berenson. The suit was settled, and Berenson was reinstated.

Twitter is being urged to restore Bostoms account by 8 p.m. on Aug. 12.

Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), attends a meeting at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's house of parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Central News Agency via Getty Images)

Vanuatu Takes Pro-Beijing Stance Calling Taiwan an Inalienable Part of China

The government of Pacific nation Vanuatu has thrown its support behind the One China policy following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

The overt declaration comes amid ongoing concerns of Beijings strong influence in the South Pacific and the threat of conflict around the Taiwan Strait.

On Aug. 5, Silas Bule, the acting minister of Foreign Affairs for the Vanuatu government, issued a statement saying: The One China Policy is an important pillar of Vanuatus foreign policy, and the cornerstone of China-Vanuatu relationship and comprehensive strategic partnership.

To that end, and in light of recent developments surrounding Taiwan, Vanuatu reiterates Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory.

Most nations have adopted a policy of strategic ambiguity towards Taiwan to avoid aggravating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which regards the island as a part of its territorydespite Taiwan running its own independent economy, society, and democratically elected system of government for over 70 years now.

Bules comments come after Speaker Pelosis (D-Calif.) visit to Taiwan, which drew international attention and threats of military action from Beijingthus far, the Chinese military has tested missiles in the surrounding region.

Yet Antonio Graceffo, an economics professor and China analyst, said the speakers visit sent a clear message that U.S. foreign policy would be determined by Washington D.C., and not the interests of the CCP.

The CCP is now left with no better options than issuing strongly-worded protests and more idle threats, transforming them from a want-to-be world power to a mouse that roared, he wrote in an op-ed for The Epoch Times.

Pro-Beijing Pacific Leaders Emboldened by CCP

Meanwhile, Vanuatus support comes amid another strategic tug-of-war between Beijing and democratic nationsthis time in the South Pacific.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman is one of several Pacific leaders happy to walk a diplomatic tightrope and maintain close ties with Beijing and democratic nationswhile receiving aid and development funding from both.

The situation has encouraged Loughman to make moves to solidify his position, including a failed bid to extend term limits and allow foreign nationals to hold office in Vanuatuthere are currently a high number of Chinese nationals in the country.

A similar pattern has played out in the Solomon Islands with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare steadily chipping away at the nations democratic institutions.

In late July, it was revealed that the prime minister forced the national radio broadcaster, the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, to self-censor and stop publishing content critical of his government.

All these political moves form part of a greater strategy underway by the CCP called entropic warfare, according to South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal.

She said the CCP has steadily deployed all means possible to destabilise the democratic institutions of Pacific nations, with the ultimate goal of creating a new order centred on its own interests.

Those weapons are used to weaken the target country from the inside and to fragment and create disorder in the target country so that it is less able to withstand Chinese influence, Paskal previously told The Epoch Times.

That process of creating instability and fragmentation can be described as creating a state of entropyof political, social, and economic entropywhere things start to just break down. And in that state of disorder, China can create a new order with itself and its proxies at the centre.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine announces his request to the state for an additional bike lane along highway 9A on August 2, 2022. (Epoch Times/David Wagner)

West Side Bike Path Would Get New Bike Lane Under Proposal

The Hudson River Greenway, which some believe to be the most heavily used bike path in the United States, may get an additional bike lane under a proposal by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.

Levine envisions replacing one car traffic lane on 12th Avenue with a two-lane bikeway. The borough president announced the proposal at a press conference on Aug. 2.

The Hudson River Greenway already includes one two-way bike lane which runs from Dyckman Street in Uptown Manhattan to Battery Park Downtown. According to NYC Bike Maps, the greenway is the most heavily used bikeway in the United States.

Levine called on the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to approve the project.

The proposed lane would run from West 57th street to Chambers street, a roughly four-mile stretch along the higway 9A. It would be located on the opposited side of the street from the existing bike path.

Levine said paint and barriers could be put up quickly and would be relatively inexpensive as the first step. He would not provide a cost estimate.

New York City Council Member from District 1 Chris Marte cycles the current bike lane 3 or 4 times a week. He says that an additional lane is an easy idea that could be implemented to resolve complaints he hears from locals. (David Wagner/The Epoch Times)

Levine said that on evenings and weekends, when the weather is nice, the bike lane is overcrowded, causing safety issues.

The lane to be converted under the plan is currently used for used for car parking.

City Council Member Erik Botcher said the Hudson River Greenway is a victim of its own success. He said he gets lots of calls from people complaining about having a hard time crossing streets because of the heavy use of the bike lane.

Jon Orcutt, director at Bike New York, said, bike use in the city has been going up steadily in the past 20 years, but since 2020 the increase has been hugeunparalleled. We are seeing problems in the bikeways across the city.

Hudson River Greenway bike path just north of Chambers street at around 10 a.m. on August 3, 2022. (David Wagner/The Epoch Times)

New Yorkers Weigh In

Hollie, a middle-aged woman from Harlem, uses the Hudson River Greenway to take her daughter to day camp. She then heads to work by the Brooklyn Bridge.

She heard about the plans to add another bikeway and said, Its needed for sure, but I think it should go further up. They always forget Harlem when it comes to bike paths.

A young man named Moehhmed said another bike path would be a good idea because mothers and their children walk around, and the path gets very busy from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thirty-seven-year-old Forlian said he usually rides on other bike paths but was very supportive of the creation of another bike lane.

Bike lanes are essential for people in the city that cant afford cars, cannot pay for their Metro cards, and its healthy for you, he said.

Jose Velez, an elevator constructor, was sitting in his company vehicle parked on Chambers street. When asked if he knew about the plan for another bike lane, Velez said, Thats real smart! What other stupid thing could you do?

Velez said that the bike lane in the Bronx ruined University Avenue. He said there is no place to park, and you have to wait all day for parking on the alternate street.

I think whoever is making these policies should go and look around the neighbourhood and not just look at it on a map and maybe they then get to see whats really going on in New York City, said Velez.

Miranda Reeves, a 43-year-old trainer, uses the Hudson River Greenway five to six days a week to get to her clients.

I am supportive of it because it benefits me, but I dont think its realistic, Reeves said when asked if she supported the additional lane. In some ways, it can cause more confusion and could possibly be more dangerous.

Seventy-five-year-old Henry said he uses the Hudson River Greenway as often as possible for exercise.

Its a wonderful thing. I spent many years in western New York and the bike lanes they have out there are also amazing.

Thats a brilliant idea! Henry about the additional bike lane proposal. Thats really going to help the traffic for people who commute.
In some spiritual traditions, people are said to have auras around them. Sometimes the auras are described as being various colors or at various levels of intensity, depending on the persons characteristics.

Photos taken using special methods show a light surrounding peoples bodies, which is said to be the energy those people emanate.

Some understand this as a spiritual energy, some understand it as an energy related to more mundane physical properties of the body.

Russian inventor Semyon Kirlian established this field of photography in 1939. He discovered that when a high-voltage electric field is created around a person or object and that object is placed on a photographic plate, an image is produced on plate that shows an emanating light around it.

Kirlian aura photography shows a glowing human fist. (MP_Foto/Shutterstock)

Here are some theories about what that light may be:

Illness

Dr. Gary Schwartz and Dr. Katherine Creath at the University of Arizona conducted a study on biophoton emissions in plants, relating these emissions to auras.

Studying thousands of images over the course of more than two years, they found that injury (such as cutting) and unhealthy tissue is associated with clearly visible increased biophoton emission.

Dr. Schwartz received his doctorate from Harvard, taught psychiatry and psychology at Yale, and is now a professor at the University of Arizona. Dr. Creath is an adjunct professor of optical sciences at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Victor Stenger, at the University of Colorado-Boulder, noted what he called a creative explanation of aurasone he doesnt give much credence: viruses and bacteria have electromagnetic fields that affect the cells of a body and damage it. Bacterial and other types of cells are known to use high-frequency electromagnetic waves to communicate and send and store energy, according to the MIT Technology Review, but other theories concerning the electromagnetism of bacteria remain controversial.

Kirlian aura photography shows a glowing human hand. (MP_Foto/Shutterstock)

In a summary of the history and techniques of photographing auras, John D. Zakis at Monash University in Australia stated: Disease shows up in a disturbed pattern of flares long before it manifests in the physical body in any diagnosable form. The patterns of the flares are substantially altered by the weather, day and night, cosmic disturbances such as solar flares and psychological states such as stress. The brightest flares on the body show at the points on the skin known to be acupuncture points.

Zakis cited the 1973 book Galaxies of Life: The Human Aura in Acupuncture and Kirlian Photography by Stanley Krippner, a psychologist at Saybrook University in California.

Moisture

Terence Hines, a psychology professor at Pace University in New York, said the aura seen around the object is caused by moisture.

A drop of water on human skin. (i__am__am/Shutterstock)

Living things  are moist. When the electricity enters the living object, it produces an area of gas ionization around the photographed object.  This moisture is transferred from the subject to the emulsion surface of the photographic film and causes an alternation of the electric charge pattern on the film, Hines wrote in his book Pseudoscience and the Paranormal.

He said that especially when one is emotionally aroused, one sweats.

Body Heat

Dr. Stenger said the glow perceived in the images has to do with temperature. He wrote: This light is the result of the random movements of all the charged particles in the body that are caused by heat. The horses body is full of charged particles and the heat of the horses body makes those particles move around like popcorn on the top of a stove. The type of light that it emitted from a living body has a characteristic shape that is completely specified by the bodys absolute temperature. As that temperature rises, you can begin to see the aura.

If bioenergetic fields exist, then some 200 years of physics, chemistry, and biology has to be re-evaluated, Dr. Stenger wrote. He dismisses any patterns seen in auras as either illusions or as resulting from peoples tendency to see patterns where none exist.

Means of Communication

Dr. Schwarz and Dr. Creath hypothesized in their study of aura-like energy around plants that this energy may be used for communication between plants. The energy appeared stronger when plants were in close proximity to each other.

They wrote: These images, and thousands of others recorded in our laboratory, reveal not only that plants glow in the dark but that the patterns of light emitted by the plants extend beyond them, creating aura-like structures similar to those reported by energy healers and sensitives. Moreover, the complexity of the patterns imaged between the plant parts suggests that there is potential resonance if not communication between the plants, as predicted by contemporary biophoton theory.

Bioenergy Field?

Biochemist John Norman Hansen, Ph.D., at the University of Maryland, has found evidence of what he believes is a bioenergy field around humans.

Instead of using photon sensors, as is often done in the search for auras, he decided to see if the aura has enough power to push a pendulum. He used a torsion pendulum, which can be moved by subtle force, and repeatedly found that its momentum changed when placed above a persons head.

A torsion pendulum or anniversary clock. (Battersea Clocks Home/CC BY-SA 2.0)

Synesthesia?

Synesthesia is a condition in which a persons senses are cross-wired, so to speak. Someone might hear blue or smell a sonata, for example.

A study published by University of Granada researchers in 2012 shows that healers who say they see peoples auras sometimes have synesthesia.

For example, they found that a local healer known as El Santon has face-color synesthesia: The brain region responsible for face recognition is associated with the color-processing region.

Not all healers are synesthetes, but there is a higher prevalence of this phenomenon among them, one of the researchers told Science Daily. The same occurs among painters and artists, for example.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Aug. 4, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

White House Speaks Out Against New Indiana Pro-Life Law

The Biden administration has spoken out against a new abortion ban in Indianathe first U.S. state to pass such restrictions following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

The Indiana Legislature took a devastating step as a result of the Supreme Courts extreme decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate womens constitutionally-protected right to abortion, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Saturday.

She further pressed Congress to act immediately to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, the seminal 1973 precedent that largely legalized abortion across the United States. The 50-year-old ruling was struck down by the Supreme Court in late June.

Democrats have since been decrying what they call the revocation of womens rights and welfare. According to the statement, President Joe Biden is also committed to taking action regarding abortion rights and access to abortion care under federal law.

In a bid to undermine new state laws against abortion, Biden signed an executive order last Wednesday that aims to protect access to expand coverage for patients traveling out of state for abortions.

New Law

Signed by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb late last week, the new Indiana law limits most abortions statewide from Sept. 15, including exceptions for rape, incest, protecting the life and physical health of the mother, and lethal anomaly of the fetus.

Under the legislation, victims of rape or incest wont be required to sign a notarized affidavit to verify claims of an attack, though the addition had been previously proposed. Meanwhile, abortions can only be performed in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning all abortion clinics will lose their licenses. A doctor who performs an illegal abortion or fails to file required reports will lose their medical license.

These actions followed long days of hearings filled with sobering and personal testimony from citizens and elected representatives on this emotional and complex topic, Holcomb said in a statement upon signing of the bill into law.

Ultimately, those voices shaped and informed the final contents of the legislation and its carefully negotiated exceptions to address some of the unthinkable circumstances a woman or unborn child might face, the governor wrote.

While Republicans and pro-life advocates are lauding the signing, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, one of Indianas largest employers with 10,400 people at its headquarters in Indianapolis, has condemned the new ban on abortions.

The pharmaceutical firm said it is looking to expand its Indiana-based headquarters outside the state, out of concerns that the law will hinder its ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world.

IU Health, Indianas largest health care system, said it was studying the new law.

IU Healths priority remains ensuring our physicians and patients have clarity when making decisions about pregnancy within the limits of the law. We will take the next few weeks to fully understand the terms of the new law and how to incorporate the changes into our medical practice to protect our providers and care for the people seeking reproductive healthcare, it said in a statement.
A mysterious phenomenon dubbed the open-air factor' refers to the germicidal properties of outdoor air

The healing properties of fresh air have been appreciated since ancient times,1 when Pliny the Elder (A.D. 2379) recommended that people with tuberculosis breathe in the air of evergreen forests. We now know that air happens to be high in ozone, a known germicidal agent.2

In more recent history, outdoor air was considered part of the standard treatment for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.3 Ironically, the high-tech hospitals of modern day, with their enclosed, indoor close quarters, may be facilitating the spread of disease far more so than open-air hospitals of yesteryear.

During the 1960s, scientists working on biodefense research coined the term open-air factor, or OAF, to describe the germicidal component of outdoor air that was capable of killing pathogens and reducing their infectivity.4 Interest in the use of open air to promote health and reduce infectious disease fell away by the 1970s, however, and has remained largely ignored since.

In a review article published in Cureus, infectious disease expert Peter Collignon with the Australian National University is calling for urgent further investigation into OAF, particularly as it relates to COVID-19, stating, We need to act without delay, as there is already sufficient evidence to show that public health generally would improve if more emphasis was placed on increased exposure to outdoor air.5

The History of Open-Air Healing

According to Collignon, the healing effects of outdoor air were widely exploited during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Firstly, in the treatment of tuberculosis patients who underwent open-air therapy in sanatoria; and secondly by military surgeons during the First World War, he wrote. They used the same open-air regimen in specially designed hospital wards to disinfect and heal severe wounds among injured soldiers.6

English physician John Coakley Lettsom (17441815) was among the first advocates of what later became known as the open-air method. He exposed children who had tuberculosis to sea air and sunshine at the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in Kent, England, in 1791, according to an article published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2009.7

The germicidal effects of fresh air were further harnessed during the 1918 to 1919 influenza pandemic, when it was common to place the sick outdoors in tents or in open-air hospitals. Records from an open-air hospital in Boston during the Spanish flu outbreak suggested that patients and staff there were spared the worst of the outbreak.8

Walter Reed Hospital flu ward during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19, in Washington DC. (Everett Collection/Shutterstock)

Fresh air and sunlight are two things notably lacking in modern hospitals, but they were in abundance at the Camp Brooks Hospital, which treated hundreds of patients during the 1919 influenza pandemic. Treatments took place outdoors to maximize sunshine and fresh air.

The surgeon general of the Massachusetts State Guard, William A. Brooks, reported that in a typical general hospital with 76 influenza cases, 20 patients died in a three-day period, while 17 nurses became ill. By contrast, the researchers wrote, according to one estimate, the regimen adopted at the camp reduced the fatality of hospital cases from 40 percent to about 13 percent.9

In the case of a future pandemic, they noted, improvements in air-handling units and portable filtration units may be warranted for hospitals and other buildings but, even better, more might be gained by introducing high levels of natural ventilation or, indeed, by encouraging the public to spend as much time outdoors as possible.10

Later, in the 1950s, an open-air regimen was proposed as a mass treatment for burns in the event of nuclear war. Under such disaster conditions, adequate numbers of dressings and the facilities for their use were unlikely to be available, Collignon wrote. The open-air regimen was considered the only viable treatment. Control of infection was considered to be the outstanding feature of this approach.11

Open Airs Germicidal Factor

There are multiple factors that reduce infection risk in outdoor spaces. Infectious particles are more rapidly diluted and dispersed, for starters, while temperature and humidity variations could inactivate viruses. Ultraviolet light from the sun is also known to inactivate viruses such as influenza and coronaviruses,12 not to mention that sunlight would have boosted patients vitamin D levels, a deficiency of which may increase susceptibility to influenza and other respiratory infections.13

However, the direct germicidal properties of outdoor air are blatantly overlooked, despite a 1968 study published in the journal Nature that revealed a germicidal property in rural air.14 The experiments showed that outdoor air was more lethal to airborne pathogens than indoor air, and the scientists developed a technique to measure the effects of outdoor air on the survival of bacteria, viruses, and spores. Collignon explained:15

Tests were initially carried out during the hours of darkness as, in common with other bacteria and viruses, E. coli are rapidly killed by sunlight. The E. coli samples exposed to outside air usually died off rapidly, but not so indoors.

On some occasions, the E. coli samples in free air lost viability in 30 minutes, whereas those in enclosed air survived for several hours. The bactericidal effect varied from night to night, and it disappeared rapidly in any form of enclosure.

In addition to E. coli bacteria, outside air was also effective against viruses and other bacteria, including Brucella suis, Francisella tularensis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus group C, and Serratia marcescens.

The germicidal component of the air was dubbed OAF, but the researchers were unable to identify what, exactly, it was composed of at that time. In the 1970s, other researchers determined that OAF wasnt a single compound but rather a mixture of highly reactive chemical species which varied in composition.16

In 2021, experts in atmospheric science again revisited OAF, agreeing that no single molecule or class of molecules appear to be responsible for the high levels of bactericidal activity reported.17 They even concluded that hydroxyl radicals (HO), components of OAF known to kill airborne pathogens, arent responsible for the observed germicidal activity. They concluded:18

We identify other potential candidates, which are formed in ozonealkene reactions and have known (and likely) germicidal properties, but the compounds responsible for the OAF remain a mystery.

The ongoing mystery of how OAF works may be a key reason why it continues to be neglected in public health and infection control, Collignon stated,19 although the fact that fresh air is free and unpatentable is another likely factor.

Could Increased Ventilation Preserve OAF Indoors?

The research into OAF in the 1960s found that the germicidal effects of outdoor air could be preserved in indoor simulations if ventilation rates were high enough.20 Specifically, 30 to 36 air changes per hour were necessary to preserve OAF. In other words, the entire volume of air in the space would need to be replaced every two minutes or less. A typically sealed modern building replaces only about 63 percent of the total air volume each hour, relying on ducting and circulation fans, according to the book Indoor Air Quality and HVAC Systems.

Research into older, pre-1950s hospital wards used by tuberculosis patientswhich had multiple large windows and tall ceilingssuggest they had ventilation rates of 40 air changes per hourand lower tuberculosis infection rates compared to more modern hospitals.21 The reality is that modern-day hospitals are super-spreaders of disease.

One rapid review and meta-analysis of 40 studies found a high rate of nosocomial (originating in a hospital) infections, noting, As patients potentially infected by SARS-CoV-2 need to visit hospitals, the incidence of nosocomial infection can be expected to be high.22

The researchers searched for case reports on nosocomial infections of COVID-19, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and found that, among the confirmed patients, the proportions of nosocomial infections were 44 percent for COVID-19, 36 percent for SARS, and 56 percent for MERS. Medical staff were believed to have accounted for 33 percent of the nosocomial COVID-19 cases, with nurses and doctors the most commonly infected medical staff.

Meanwhile, the importance of proper ventilation continues to be largely ignored, even as a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that improved ventilation, such as opening a window, reduced COVID-19 cases in Georgia schools more so than mask mandates for staff and teachers.23 According to Collignon:24

Decades ago, hospitals and other building types were designed to prevent infections from spreading. High levels of natural ventilation were an absolute requirement.

Today they are not. Fresh air is no longer considered to be germicidal or therapeutic for hospital patients or, for that matter, anyone else. Buildings are no longer designed for free access to it. For example, windows are smaller, ceilings are lower, cross-ventilation can be difficult if not impossible, and balconies and verandas are not as common as they once were.

Its Time to Rediscover the Power of Fresh Air

It was 1914 when Dr. Robert Saundby, professor of medicine at Birmingham University, stated, Why have we been so slow to recognize that fresh air is the best tonic, the best antiseptic?25 Collignon believes its time to again devote our attention to the importance of fresh airin hospitals, schools, offices, and other buildingsand harness its healing effects in the prevention and treatment of infectious disease. Hes calling for:26

Testing to determine the effects of OAF on established and novel pathogens

Research to determine how long OAF can be preserved indoors, and how to best preserve it

A review of building design with a focus on increased exposure to outdoor air and OAF in order to improve infection control and patient recovery

On a personal level, its important to take advantage of the restorative powers of fresh air as much as possible by opening windows and spending time outdoors, particularly in natural areas.

Further, Collignon suggests that rediscovering open-air wards and the open-air regimen may be beneficial for hospital patients, while harnessing OAF can also be useful for reducing disease transmission in the community, including in schools, homes, offices, and other large buildings.27

1Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 1301113018, 2021, The history of the open-air factor

2Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, The forgotten history of the OAF

3J Hosp Infect. 2019 Sep; 103(1): e23e24

4J Hosp Infect. 2019 Sep; 103(1): e23e24

5Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133

6Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Abstract

7Am J Public Health. 2009 October; 99(Suppl 2): S236S242

8Am J Public Health. 2009 October; 99(Suppl 2): S236S242

9Am J Public Health. 2009 October; 99(Suppl 2): S236S242. Ventilation and Sunlight

10Am J Public Health. 2009 October; 99(Suppl 2): S236S242. Ventilation and Sunlight

11Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, The First World War, influenza, and nuclear war

12Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Background

13Am J Public Health. 2009 October; 99(Suppl 2): S236S242. Ventilation and Sunlight

14Nature October 1, 1968

15Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, The open-air factor

16Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, The open-air factor

17Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, The open-air factor

18Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 1301113018, 2021, Abstract

19Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, The open-air factor

20Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Ventilation: can the OAF be preserved indoors?

21J Hosp Infect. 2019 Sep; 103(1): e23e24

22medRxiv April 17, 2020

23U.S. CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report May 21, 2021

24Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Implications for the future

25Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Discussion

26Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Implications for the future

27Cureus 14(6): e26133. doi:10.7759/cureus.26133, Conclusions
Poster for Honeymoon in Bali. (Paramount Pictures)

For those who feel something is missing in their livesespecially successful businesswomenI recommend the entertaining movie Honeymoon in Bali from 1939. This Paramount Production stars Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll, and Allan Jones.

An Independent Woman

Gail Allen (Carroll), a New York department stores manager, believes her life is complete, with an efficient office, a lovely apartment, and a low-pressure beau, Eric Sinclair (Jones). In a restaurant one day, her fortune is told: She will meet a handsome stranger from Bali, have a child, and return to Bali with the man.

She scoffs at the fortune, but her cousin Lorna Smitty Smith (Helen Broderick) hopes the prediction will come true. That same day, Gail meets Bill Burnett (MacMurray), an American visiting New York from Bali. Immediately attracted to each other, they begin going out, but Gail is frustrated by Bills old-fashioned ideas about women. She sees another side of him when she meets Rosie (Carolyn Lee), his little ward.

Audiences love animals in films, but even more lovable on the big screen is an adorable young child. Rosies entrance 36 minutes into the picture turns a good movie into a great one. From her chubby cheeks to her sweet voice, little Rosie is adorable in every way.

She is the daughter of Bills unseen widower friend. As Rosies father is nearing death, Bill must find the girl a home. He loves her dearly but, as a bachelor, he doesnt feel equipped to care for her alone. During a dinner at Gails apartment with Smitty, Bill, and Rosie, Smitty suggests that Gail care for the child. Gail turns down this idea.

Later in the film, Gail learns how right her cousin was when she discovers how empty her life feels after Bill and Rosie have left it.

Child actress Lee turned 5 during this production, the first of five films she would make as a young girl. Her laughing, crying, and delivery of dialogue are all extremely convincing. Theres an engaging scene when she has a woman to woman talk with Gail while trying on nightgowns. Even though shes below school age, shes such a little lady.

Child actor Carolyn Lee (L), Madeleine Carroll, and Fred MacMurray in Honeymoon in Bali. (Paramount Pictures)

An Unsuspected Influence

After Gails fortune is told at the beginning of the film, she heads back to the store. While walking down the street, she abruptly changes directions, just as the fortune teller said she would. She impulsively walks into a store displaying a yacht. Carried away by a playful urge, she explores the yacht and pretends shes sailing.

This scene shows a very different side to Gail, since before that she is very sensible and businesslike. While make-believing on the yacht, she meets Bill, the dark-haired man from her fortune. He tells her about his life in Bali, which, to her amazement, includes strange details from the prediction.

Publicity photo for Madeleine Carroll circa 1938. (Public Domain)

She later designs a window display for her department store of a beach on Bali. Although shes unwilling to admit it, she was greatly influenced by her one meeting with Bill.

Later, after Bill and Rosie have left New York, Gail returns to her life. It soon becomes clear that, while Eric is a kind and considerate man, it doesnt change the fact that Gail doesnt really love him. In fact, she succumbs to an illness, which lasts for weeks. Doctors are unable to explain why she is sick, yet her problem is not a physical one. She is heartbroken and empty inside because she finally found the things which were missing in her life.

Because Gail held so firmly to her idea of independence, it took an illness for her to see her situation clearly. The idea that she doesnt quite see everything as clearly as she might starts at the films opening scene.

Seeing Clearly Through Windows

Honeymoon in Bali doesnt begin on a tropical island on a sunny day, as the name suggests. It begins on a rainy afternoon in New York City. We see Tony (Akim Tamiroff), a middle-aged window washer, performing his monthly job on a drippy ledge outside Gails office.

When the beautiful female executive comes in, she goes about her usual business, straightening her stockings, looking at prospective coats for the store, inspecting her shoe, and fixing her lipstick. She doesnt realize that the window washer is admiring her from outside, only using his squeegee to keep the rain from obstructing the view.

She eventually sees the curious observer in her compact mirror and invites him in, ending this hilarious opening sequence sans dialogue.

After dissuading him from washing windows in the rain, Gail wants Tony to leave. However, the window washer wont go without telling her that he thinks she has chosen the wrong coat. At first, Tony seems like a very simple man of common taste. However, his reasons behind his fashion advice and other opinions are grounded in a very solid background, 20 years looking in windows.

This sequence initially seems like just a funny opening, but Tony later plays a very important role in the story. Gail Allen is an intelligent woman who is good at what she does and has made a success of her career. However, she feels unfulfilled without the love of a husband and a child in her life. By Tony using his wisdom and life experience to open Gails eyes to her own situation, he keeps her from making a mistake which would ruin the rest of her life.

Sometimes. it takes an outsider looking in to see the truth about a persons life.

Watching this film is a delightful way to spend an hour and 39 minutes: It offers its viewers laughs, smiles, and wholesome American values.

Poster for Honeymoon in Bali.) (Paramount Pictures)

Its available to stream for free on Amazon Prime Video as My Love for Yours, the title it was given for video release.
Woman Stabbed to Death in Los Angeles, Suspect Flees in White Minivan

CANOGA PARK, Calif.A woman in her 40s was stabbed to death Aug. 7 in Canoga Park and police are looking for the suspect, a man who fled the scene in a white minivan, authorities said.

The two had some type of altercation prior to the stabbing, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported.

Officers responded at 5:26 a.m. to the area of Bassett Street and Canoga Avenue, where the woman was pronounced dead at the scene from a stab wound in the chest.

Police said the death did not involve a carjacking.

LAPD Valley Bureau Homicide detectives urged anyone with information regarding the incident to call them at 818-374-1934 or Crime Stoppers at 800- 222-8477.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping shakes hands with founder and executive chairperson of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, prior to delivering a speech on the first day of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2017. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

World Economic Forum: More Social Engineering Than Economics

CCP push for globalization

Commentary

Endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the World Economic Forum (WEF) is advancing its globalist agenda, which is more social engineering than economics.

Globalization has slowed down recently, and a trend of anti-globalization has emerged  multinational companies need to transform and implement inclusive development strategies, Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabian minister of economy and planning, said during a speech at the World Economic Forum Special Virtual Dialogue on July 19 on how private companies should partner with governments to push for globalism.

Stymied by COVID-19 lockdowns, the U.S. trade war with China, and U.S. sanctions against Russia for the Ukraine invasion, globalization had been paused. But now, the WEF is back and fueled by China.

On July 19, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attended the WEF Special Virtual Dialogue, called the New Champion Dialogues. The WEFs globalist agenda fits well with the CCPs 14th five-year plan for 2021 to 2025 because it also calls for a return to globalization.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends a session of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2015. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Conference speaker Ma Jun, chairman of the Green Finance Committee of the China Society for Finance and Banking, delivered a speech on protecting biodiversity. He said that central banks and financial regulators must take measures to guard against related risks  mobilizing private capital to protect nature and avoiding funding activities damaging to nature.

WEF calls for economic and financial actions are generally advocating social control. Basically, what Ma is saying is that companies that dont comply with the globalist agenda will be cut off from borrowing.

In another speech, Gim Huay Neo, managing director for the Center for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum, said, Unlocking the power of nature financing has to come from two aspects: ecological protection and wealth creation.

Finance and investing have always been about wealth creation. The CCP and the WEF want to bring a similar wealth redistribution to the world. In the context of the WEF, wealth redistribution is also one of Chinese leader Xi Jinpings ongoing programs in China.

Wealth redistribution parallels the WEFs war on income inequality. This utopian idea of global income equality would require every person on Earth to earn the global per capita gross domestic product, which is about $12,000 annually. For that to happen, citizens of developed countries would have to be stripped of nearly all of their wealth and reduced to an income of $240 per week. Furthermore, investment bankers, research scientists, heart surgeons, engineers, taxi drivers, and shop assistants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States and Switzerland would all have to earn the same wage.

The usual WEF forum held in Davos, Switzerland, was canceled last year and delayed this year because of COVID-19. Now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing, globalism is getting back on track. This years WEF regular conference ran from May 22 to May 26. According to its mission statement, the WEF seeks to remake nearly every aspect of modern society.

The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.

Statements by the WEF often include the concept of a public-private partnership, which U.S. Democrats often reference. On June 8, the White House announced the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. Two weeks later, at the G-7 conference, U.S. President Joe Biden called for a public-private partnership to build infrastructure in foreign countries.

The annual WEF meeting featured panel discussions on a range of issues, including augmented reality; central bank digital currencies; climate transition in emerging economies; cryptos carbon footprint; the digital economy; diversity, equity, and inclusion; economic sanctions; employment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution; energy transition in China; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) indexing; geopolitics; a global tax; pandemic health care; responsible consumption; returning nature to cities; and Russia, as well as a special address by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These topics touched on every aspect of our lives, from how our government tracks us to what well be permitted to eat and how often we can shower.

One of the WEFs social engineering agendas, which is masked by an economics focus, is a push for stakeholder capitalism. The WEF claims that stakeholder capitalism is intended to benefit all stakeholders and the environment rather than just shareholders. From a legal standpoint, publicly traded companies are already obligated to act in the best interest of shareholders. They shouldnt be acting in the best interest of or at the behest of nonshareholders or the edicts of the WEF.

The profit motive encourages companies to innovate and cut costs while inventing new and improved products. Successful companies have greater earnings and hire more workers. The constant drive for improvement and increased revenue creates meaningful, well-paid work for citizens. This encourages young people to attend university and improve their qualifications, resulting in a better-educated population.

Forcing companies to comply with WEF social dictates will drive down profits, eliminate incentives, and lower living standards across the board.

The forum also believes that when determining a firms creditworthiness, rating agencies should consider environmental risks and ESG issues in addition to the balance sheet. This is contrary to the very core of the lending industry. The way our financial system works is that we, the households, deposit our money in the bank, and the bank pays us interest. The bank can maintain our balance and can afford to pay interest because they only loan money to creditworthy borrowers.

Historically, who can and cant borrow has been determined by creditworthiness and not a CCP-style social-credit score. Incorporating ESG ratings will cause banks to reject creditworthy businesses that dont meet the WEFs definition of ESG. Conversely, it would encourage banks to loan to companies with high ESG scores but a low probability of being able to repay. This will reduce investment, restrict the economy, and cause unemployment. If weve learned anything from the 200809 housing crisis, its that creditworthiness must be the primaryif not onlydeterminant of how loans are allocated.

Additionally, the failure of the Soviet Union and other communist countries, paired with the lack of personal freedoms in China, Cuba, and North Korea demonstrate that free-market capitalismcombined with multi-party democracy, free speech, and guaranteed property rightsresults in the highest standard of living and the greatest amount of freedom and upward mobility for populations.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  More than 60 Oklahoma lawmakers, including many Republicans who support the death penalty, urged the state attorney general to join their request for a new evidentiary hearing in the case of death row inmate Richard Glossip.

The group of 61 state legislators sent a letter last week to Attorney General John OConnor that pointed to an independent investigation by a Texas law firm that raised questions about Glossips guilt. Details of the report came out a couple of weeks before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals set a Sept. 22 execution date for Glossip.

The report concluded that no reasonable juror who heard all the evidence would find Mr. Glossip guilty," the letter stated. As elected officials representing the citizens of this great state, we believe it is vitally important to conduct a serious review of this case so that the truth might be conclusively found."

The report by the Houston law firm Reed Smith did not find any definitive proof of Glossip's innocence, but raised concerns about lost or destroyed evidence and a detective asking leading questions to Glossip's co-defendant, Justin Sneed, to implicate Glossip in the 1997 killing of Glossip's boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. Sneed, who admitted killing Van Treese but said he did so at Glossip's direction, was sentenced to life in prison and was a key witness against Glossip.

O'Connor's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but prosecutors in his office have urged the Court of Criminal Appeals to reject Glossip's request for an evidentiary hearing, suggesting it's a delay tactic.

The appellant's actions in this sense are dilatory and only prolong the wait for justice for the victim, Barry Van Treese, and his family in this case," the state wrote in July after Glossip objected to the court setting his execution date.

Van Treese's brother, Ken Van Treese, said Monday that Glossip was twice convicted and twice sentenced to death by two separate juries.

Having sat through and testified at both, the facts that were presented at both trials never varied," Van Treese wrote in a message to The Associated Press. As far as I'm concerned, the guilty verdicts awarded were completely justified and the duly sworn jurors agreed with facts presented.

The citizens of Oklahoma made this determination based upon the facts in the case. They decided the case based upon Oklahoma law."

Glossip, now 59, has maintained his innocence. He has been scheduled to be executed three separate times, only to be spared shortly before the sentence was set to be carried out. He was just hours from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they had received the wrong lethal drug, a mix-up that led in part to a nearly seven-year moratorium on the death penalty in Oklahoma.

___

Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy
WESTPORT  The Village at Saugatuck is in its early steps of construction, with demolition of nine single-family houses on Hiawatha Lane expected to begin in two weeks, according to the developer.

The project has been in the works for nearly two decades. It has faced pushback from some neighbors, most recently during a community information meeting on Saturday between the developers, contractors and residents.

Carolanne Curry, a representative for Save Old Saugatuck  a group of residents opposed to the development  said she felt concerns residents have had about the plans for nearly two decades were dismissed.

Nobodys going to be comfortable with the plans going forward because those are not the plans that we have been supporting or accepting for all this time, she said.

The demolition is expected to take about two weeks. Trees will then be removed, the buildings will be surveyed and construction will begin, said Peter Romano, a principal at LandTech, the civil engineering firm for the project.

The entire project is expected to take about two years to complete, ending around September 2024, according to documents provided by LandTech.

Summit Development will own the property. LandTech is designing it and A. Pappajohn Co. is the contractor.

The Village will encompass 157 units across three buildings with a courtyard.

Everythings going to be underground, Romano said. There wont be a whole bunch of surface parking. Youll drive under to a garage and go up to your units from the garage, which is nice for the residents because their cars will be protected.

Romano said the Village will provide much-needed affordable housing to the community.

The Village will have 47 affordable housing units within it, according to planning documents. Romano estimated that the affordable units would cost about $1,500 to $1,800 per month, with the regular units at about double the price.

Romano said that the units will be scattered throughout the development, and will be comparable to the other units.

It would be very hard to tell when walking into one that theyre affordable units, particularly at this price, he said. The idea is you want to disperse them along the halls so everybody feels like youre part of the community.

He added they are required to use the same amenities and appliances in every unit, regardless if theyre affordable or not.

The affordable units are included in the project as part of state statute 8-30g, which allows projects to circumvent local zoning rules if a certain percentage of the units are considered affordable. It puts the burden on the locality to prove the public safety or health risk exceeds the need for affordable housing  a key part of the controversy surrounding this project.

The town had been debating and litigating the project with Summit Saugatuck LLC for almost 18 years before settling in 2021. Town officials said they supported the settlement because they doubted the town would win the court case over the development and the latest project was a scaled-down version from the original. The settlement also added other safety stipulations the town had and allowed for the towns moratorium on other 8-30g projects.

Neighbors then filed a lawsuit in 2021, arguing the project sits on wetlands and went against the single-family house restriction there. They also said it, will create flooding issues, increase traffic, limit on-street parking and harm property values.

A judge ruled in favor of the developer earlier this year, but residents appealed the judges decision in July that would allow the project to proceed. That appeal is still pending.

Attorney Timothy Hollister, who represents Summit Development, said the lawsuit does not affect the demolition or proceeding with construction.

The attorney represented the residents did not immediately return requests for comment.

I feel that every single day we have a chance to succeed in the lawsuit, Curry said.

The houses set to be demolished are abandoned. Romano said Westport requires any houses more than 50 years old to be presented to the Historic District Commission. He said they grant the right to demolish it or impose a 100-day waiting period if there is some significant historical value to come up with a way to save the houses.

Romano said seven out of the nine houses had the 100-day delay period, and the other two could be immediately demolished.

He added some houses needed remediation before they could be demolished, such as removing asbestos and other toxic materials. Before the homes are demolished, the fire and police departments were able to use it for training, such as a mock house fire or home invasion. He said they used it for about a week for various drills.

Now, Romano said they have scheduled with the demolition contractor who will knock down the houses and bring the debris off site to a reclamation center.

Curry also said that the houses being demolished were not liveable.

If theyre demolished, in the end, if theres gold at the end of the rainbow, theyll be single-family houses again, she said.

Romano said these 8-30g projects are happening because there isnt enough affordable housing in town.

Youre supposed to have 10 percent affordable housing and Westport only has 3 percent, he said. Its very hard to catch up.

Romano said they are trying to minimize any noise and traffic that will happen.

We went to the extent to find out through the Board of Education where the bus stops were and what the times were so that the contractor can accommodate the kids getting to the bus stops, he said.

kayla.mutchler@hearstmediact.com
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WESTPORT  After three years in business, New England Hemp Farm will close its Westport location on Aug. 31 but keep its online store and Groton site.

Chief Operating Officer Matt Bannon said business has never been better for the CBD shop. But for now will have to focus on an online selling platform due to rent drastically increasing.

Weve loved everything about it, Bannon said about the Westport location, which is only minutes from his house. Were absolutely going to miss Main Street.

Bannon said that the Westport location has been an opportunity to talk to people and educate them about the benefits of CBD, as well as showcase their products.

New England Hemp Farm is in the process of finding a new location to rent, as well as other businesses to partner with to sell their products.

He said most places are looking for three or five-year leases, which is a big commitment when the government can shut you down in a heartbeat in a COVID-like scenario. Bannon said he would never sign a five-year lease with the current conditions of the world.

NEHF already sells their products in other local businesses, such as the Weston Pharmacy and Black Rock Pharmacy in Fairfield.

Bannon said the company plans on staying in the health and wellness lane, for now.

Recreational cannabis is legal in Connecticut, though banned in Westport. Westport does have a medical marijuana establishment as well as another CBD shop.

He said he thinks the CBD industry is going to boom with the legalization of recreation cannabis.

Bannon said some customers say they want the benefit of CBD without the high of THC.

He said they would like to get into more pharmacies, as well as improve their online presence. They have had purchases from 48 states through their online store.

We think New England Hemp Farm resonates nationally, he said. Theres something about New England that makes people think hey, theyre hard working.

NEHF offers free shipping with online orders, as well as Zoom and phone consultations for their products. The company also has a flagship store in Groton, which will remain open. It is known as The Barn and is a modern take on a grange. NEHF products, food and drink are sold there.

Bannon said they want it to be a location that can educate people about CBD, as well as be pet and family friendly.

NEHF is also a member of the Northeast Pharmacy Service, which represents almost 300 independent pharmacies and helps get their products into new businesses. They also have a 4.9 out of five star rating on Trust Pilot, which Bannon said is one of their proudest accomplishments.

Bannon said plenty of people would come in just to say hello at the Westport location. He said that some senior members of the community would frequent the shop, whether just to visit or actually purchase products..

We really appreciate the people of Westport, their fairness and openmindedness when we opened this three years ago, he said.
Pfizer will spend about $5.4 billion to buy Global Blood Therapeutics as the pharmaceutical giant continues to invest some of the cash influx reaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pfizer said Monday that the acquisition will boost its work in rare hematology. Global Therapeutics, which was founded in 2011, makes Oxybryta tablets for treating sickle cell disease.

Pfizer has been flush with cash since its COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, and its treatment, Paxlovid, have hit the market, starting with the vaccine in late 2020. The drugmaker has now announced deals valued at a total of nearly $19 billion, counting debt, since late last year.

The latest deal follows Pfizers $11.6 billion acquisition of Biohaven, which the companies announced in May, and a $6.7 billion acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals announced last December.

Pfizer also detailed in April a smaller acquisition of the privately held ReViral Ltd., which is developing a treatment for respiratory syncytial virus.

Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine and treatment brought in more than $16 billion combined just in the recently completed second quarter.

Comirnaty rang up nearly $37 billion in sales last year alone, but those sales are expected to fade in a few years. Pfizer also faces over the next decade the loss of patent protection for key products like Eliquis for preventing blood clots and strokes.

The company plans to have about $25 billion in sales by 2030 come from new business developments.

Aamir Malik, the company's chief business innovation officer, told analysts recently that Pfizer was leaving very few stones unturned in looking for expansion opportunities. Malik said Pifzer was looking for deals that will add substantial value either scientifically or commercially.

I think were very excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us and the flexibility that our balance sheet gives us to pursue those, he said during a call to discuss second-quarter results.

Malik told analysts that the Biohaven deal alone could add $6 billion in peak sales to Pfizer's business.

The drugmaker said Monday that the sickle cell disease franchise of Global Blood Therapeutics, which includes treatments still in development, could eventually reach worldwide peak sales of more than $3 billion.

Oxbryta sales were about $195 million last year, but Pfizer said it plans to speed up distribution of the drug to parts of the world most impacted by the disease.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that can lead to bouts of acute pain and organ damage. It occurs particularly among people of African descent. The companies say there are 4.5 million people living with the disease globally.

Pfizer will pay $68.50 per share in cash for each share of Global Blood Therapeutics. That represents a premium of nearly 43% from the stock's closing price of $47.99 on Aug. 4, the day before The Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer was in advanced talks on a deal.

Both companies' boards have approved the deal, which still needs regulatory approval and approval from GBT shareholders. The companies say the deal could close as soon as the fourth quarter.

Shares of Global Blood Therapeutics Inc., based just outside San Francisco, rose more than 4% to $66.58 in morning trading. Broader indexes and shares of New York-based Pfizer climbed slightly.

___

Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: @thpmurphy
SANAA, Yemen (AP)  Infighting among Yemen's pro-government forces in a southern province killed at least three civilians, military and medical officials said Monday.

Clashes erupted late Sunday in Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province, between the United Arab Emirates-backed Giants Brigades and Shabwa Defense Forces on one side and the paramilitary police known as Special Security Forces on the other. Both sides are part of the Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the country's Houthi rebels since 2015.

Fifteen people, mostly fighters, were killed in the violence, which followed the UAE-backed governor's decision to sack an anti-UAE police commander, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

On Monday, missiles struck Ataq airport, where UAE troops are stationed, officials said without immediately providing details.

Troops and armored vehicles from both sides were deployed on Ataq's streets on Monday. Dozens of families had packed and left the city, and stores did not open for fear the violence might persist, according to witnesses who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.

Also on Monday, the internationally recognized presidential council convened in an extraordinary meeting and endorsed the Shabwa governor's decision and fired another three senior police and military commanders, according to the state-run SABA news agency.

The council warned that such infighting would only serve the Houthi rebels by weakening the anti-Houthi bloc.

Yemens civil war erupted in 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis descended from their northern enclave and took over the capital, forcing the government to flee to the south before its exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition  then backed by the United Sates  entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power. Since then, the conflict has turned into a proxy war between regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran, which backs the Houthis. The war has also resulted in one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Last week, the rebels and the government agreed to renew an existing truce for two more months after concerted international efforts.

have left fifteen troops killed, pro-grovernment
SPECIAL ANALYTICAL REPORT ON INEC : 53m Voters Disenfranchised On Ethno-Religious Grounds And Shut Out Of 2023 Presidential Election Including Over 7m Registered Voters Denied Biometric Capturing And 20m Denied PVCs Since 2019

politically sponsored fanatics, in collusion with INEC are smuggling and destroying millions of INEC held Christian PVCs

 INEC now a willing tool in the hands of anti democratic forces troubling Nigeria and threatening its 2023 presidential poll

Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, Monday, August 8, August 2022 : 53m Citizens Disenfranchised On Grounds Of Religion And Ethnicity

The Intl Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has carefully studied the last Sunday (31st July 2022)s abrupt closure of the Continuous Voters Registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and found that no fewer than 53m voters, in all, may most likely not going to cast their votes in the February 2023 Presidential Election. This shocking figure did not including millions of other registered voters likely to be disenfranchised by the Commission between this August and October 2022 using multiple registrants as a cover. It is our further observation that INECs electoral midwifery since 2015 has been characterized by ethno-religious divisiveness and sectionalism. The affected 53m citizens of voting age are strongly believed to be mostly Christians and members of other non Muslim population. Their ethno-religious percentage representation includes indigenous Igbo Christians about 40%, indigenous Northern Christians about 25%, indigenous Christians of South-South and South-West about 25% and indigenous Northern and Southern Muslims about 10%. That is to further say that out of every five Igbo Christians and other non Muslim Igbo citizens of voting age, four are still not captured as registered voters, out of every five Northern Christians and non Muslim others, three are still not captured or registered and out of every five Northern Muslims, only one is still not captured or registered.

The 31st July 2022 abruptly ended CVR by INEC was brutally skewed and manipulated on the grounds of ethnicity and religion; a third of its kind since the 2015 and this has raised a serious integrity question on INEC especially on the Commissions independence. This brazen incompetence and partisanship of INEC also confirms the recent shocking revelation by Abubakar Kawu Barage, a Chieftain of the ruling APC that they (APC and INEC) brought Fulani militants and allied civilian aliens from neighboring Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Niger and Chad, etc to rig the 2015 Presidential Election. The Northern Muslim citizens were so maximally captured in the just ended CVR exercise by INEC that there are almost no one remaining, leading to capturing of millions of underage and illegal aliens from Niger Republic and others as registered voters in Nigeria. This is to the extent that millions of Southern and Northern Christians and non Muslim others of voting age were brutally denied registration including seven million denied physical biometric capturing.

24m Denied Registration And 7m Denied Biometrics

By the United Nations Population Worldometer, Nigerias estimated population as at 5thAugust 2022 was 217m, out of which 55% or about 120m represent those in 18 Years and above. By INECs recently released statistics, Nigeria now has 96.2m registered voters, from 84m in 2019; out of which 20m have continued to be denied their PVCs or have them being destroyed by sponsored politico-religious fanatics and 7m denied physical biometrics capturing in the CVR as at 31st July 2022. In other words, out of over 120m Nigerians of voting age, only 96.2m were captured and 24m disenfranchised; and that out of 19.2m captured as registered voters between June 2021 and July 2022, over 7m were disenfranchised on account of failure by INEC to physically capture their biometrics. INEC had at the end of the highly divisive and discriminatory CVR exercise announced that over 7m newly registered voters were unable to be physically captured biometrically at INEC registration centers across the country. The 7m affected citizens are those that registered online and others that did voters card transfer who have been trouping to INECs registration centers so as to complete their registration by being captured biometrically, but were frustrated by the Commissions deliberately created hitches including inadequate personnel/machines and extortion. Instead of the Commission making provisions to get them to complete their biometrics, they were shut out and massively disenfranchised, in defiance of several calls by dozens of CSOs on the Commission to allow them complete their biometrics having finished their online registration before the close of the CVR exercise.

20m Still Denied PVCs By INEC Since 2019 And Only 60m Nigerians Presently Have PVCs

By INECs recent official accounts, no fewer than 20m registered voters have not received their PVCs since 2019 and by our investigated patterns used by the Commission in PVC distribution, most of the uncollected PVCs, now deployed clandestinely by politicians in collusion with INEC for purpose of election rigging are strongly believed to belong to Christian Southerners, Christian Northerners and non Muslim others. The dumping of the 20m mostly Christian PVCs and their skeletal or non distribution are fueled by official adoption of proximities and proxies (i.e. District/Religious/Family Heads in Muslim North) for PVCs collection in the Muslim North as against strict and stringent methods such as dumping the PVCs in INEC LGAs offices and absence of its personnel to distribute them in all the Christian held areas of the South and the North. As at today being 8thAugust 2022, independently speaking, only 60m Nigerians are with PVCs and capable of voting in elections. This is out of 96.2m registered voters. This further means that there is no remarkable difference between 2019 and today in terms of number of voters holding PVCs in Nigeria

Millions Of Non Muslim Voters In Danger List Of Disenfranchisement As Multiple Registrants

Our further checks have disclosed that additional millions of non Muslim voters are likely going to be in danger list of disenfranchisement by INEC between this August and October 2022. This will likely be done by the Commission using cleaning up multiple registrants as a guise. Having carefully observed some verbal outbursts and facially embittered comments of some INEC top shots including the Resident Electoral Commissioner for FCT against the surge in the turnout of prospective voters and different technical hitches employed to deny them registration as highlighted above; more millions of non Muslim registered voters are most likely to be affected. INEC had on 14thApril 2022 claimed that 42% of the registered voters were invalid owing to double and incomplete registrations. At the end of 30th June 2022, INEC gave further updates and claimed that 3.6m registrations were invalid or incomplete. Our further checks have indicated that many, if not most of them are from the South and non Northern Muslim extraction. Critics have also added that INEC would have turned blind eyes and done the needful if the 7m registered citizens denied biometrics were to have come from the Muslim North.

INEC Has Colluded With Hired Fanatics To Destroy Its Held Millions Of Christian PVCs

With recent discovery of over 20,000 Christian PVCs in Obio/Akpor area of Rivers State and another discovery 24 hours ago of thousands of Christian PVCs on an FCT road walkway, it may most likely be correct to say that millions of Christian PVCs held in INECs archives are being targeted for destruction by politically sponsored fanatics in collusion with INEC between now and January 2023. Nigerian social and mainstream media have been awash with reports in the past weeks about the discovery of dumped hundreds of thousands of INEC held Christian PVCs in bushes, forests, ditches, pits, gutters and road and street walkways across the country. On Sunday, 7thAugust 2022, a concerned citizen taking a walk exercise on FCT road walkway videoed thousands of Christian PVCs dumped inside Abuja gutters and scattered on walkways. Not long ago, another video trended on social media, exposing the excavation of over 20,000 Christian PVCs in Obio/Akpor area of Rivers State. There was also a discovery by a hunter about two weeks ago of 320 Christian PVCs inside an uncompleted building in Bayelsa Forest. In Igboeze North of Enugu State, about two months ago, INEC office was compromised and thousands of Christian PVCs made away with. Similar reports also abound in different parts of the North and as if these were not enough, another video surfaced three weeks ago involving some political aides suspected to be working for the Gov of Borno State wearing his customized faze caps and sharing N500 notes among women and children and collecting their PVCs at a location that looked like IDP Camp in the State. These are just to mention but a few.

Intersociety Challenges INEC To Disclose Ethno-Religious Identities Of Registered Voters In Nigeria

We at Intersociety are strongly calling and challenging INEC to prove our statistical analysis and position wrong by releasing or disclosing the ethno-religious identities of all the registered voters in the country contained in the National Register of Voters in Nigeria. It is still the position of Intersocietythat the gateway into election rigging in Nigeria or any part thereof is deliberate and massive disenfranchisement of millions of citizens of voting age during the Continuous Voters Registration. Therefore, until the above demand of ours is met by INEC, it remains the position of Intersociety that the Nigerias Independent National Electoral Commission is not only far from being independent of political control and undue influences and grave adherence to ethno-religious vested interests of the powers that be but also has made credibility and popularity of the 2023 Presidential Election non-trustworthy and difficult. In all, it is most likely correct to say that INEC has dangerously and divisively cut off 50% of the voting capacity of non Muslims registered voters and increased those of Muslim voters by 80%, if not more.

INEC Now A Willing Tool In The Hands Of Anti-Democratic Forces In Nigeria

It is shocking to note that INEC has become a willing tool in the hands of anti democratic forces in Nigeria, to the extent that the two gravest threats facing the countrys 2023 Presidential Election and its transition of power are the countrys INEC and locally and regionally assembled Islamic Jihadists. Intersociety had few days ago strongly warned against Nigerian Government aided and abetted incursions by the Jihadists into the countrys Federal Capital City with intent to overrun the City and the countrys Seat of Power and centrally Islamize the country. On the other hand, the recently formed powerful coalition of Intl College of Democracy and Human Rights Scholars-comprising over hundred Professors, intl rights and democracy campaigners, PhD holders and leading Democracy and Rights CSO actors in Eastern Nigeria and beyond the shores of the country had in their recent scholarly letter to INEC Chairman through the Commissions National Commissioner on Voter Education (Festus Okoye Esquire) listed 30 election rigging plots ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election and demanded that the Commission publicly speak on them and denounce and discontinue them, if true; a demand the Commission dangerously ignored till date. The College under the coordination of Intersociety and its intl partners shall be speaking on the issue very soon including its next line of action against the Commission.

Signed

For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

Principal Officers:

Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist-Researcher), Board Chair

Barr Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy and Good Governance

Barr Chidimma Udegbunam, Head, Campaign and Publicity

Contacts:

Phone/WhatsApp: +2348174090052

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://intersociety-ng.org


Rightly, speaking the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno recently stated that "The truth is that no country can ever overcome the difficulties of an asymmetric conflict by virtue of the fact that the enemy of the state is embedded within the population within the wider societyBut without their support, the cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elementsBut I can assure you that theres no straight-cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other. "

As President Muhammadu Buhari pursues a government of selected men, especially of a particular religion, ethnicity, and constitutional imbalance, it all translates to silent dangers and complicated security.

Asking Buhari to reapportion half of the highest security and sensitive appointments to curb further internal bleeding is especially warranted by the reality that Nigerias cross-cultural conflict is induced by its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious nature.

I must say that you are not the first head of state to overfill ethnic and regional elements into leadership positions in Nigeria, but from an international and national perspective, you have heavily baked ethnically and religiously charged leadership and security identities into the nation. And it continues to be frightening, instilling distrust, sadness, sadism, suspicion, and susceptibility in half of the population.

Through a particular religion, among others, you have allowed a personal set of spiritual attitudes, beliefs, and practices to navigate the economy, security, and developmental affairs of Nigeria. This is evident in the type of leadership imagery in todays Nigeria.

In a population of over 200 million people, split almost evenly between Muslims and Christians, with ethnic groups such as Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulani, among others, your type of thinking and feelings about leadership is hazardous to unity.

Former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd), quoted the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Sheikh Usman Danfodio, as saying, "One of the swiftest ways of destroying a kingdom is to give preference to one particular tribe over another or show favor to one group of people rather than another." And to draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near. "

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do bad things, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Albert Einstein

In a recent speech, Monguno referred somewhat to a very important mantra in domestic and national security, "If You See Something, Say Something", a campaign that encourages people across the nation to be the eyes and ears for safer communities, but with gross ethnic distruct and feelings of marginalization accelerated and anchored on Buharim; tribal, nepotistic, regional, and religious bigotry, what we find is "If You See Something, Say Nothing." As such, the joint effort of all community members across the country to be involved as observant and report suspicious activity is almost nil, making Nigeria's vulnerability to criminal violence and terrorism very high.

Here are some brutal truths about the concentrated psychology of top security officials and positions by Buhari.

Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi; Aviation Minister, Hadi Abubakar Sirika ; the Director General of the State Security Service, Yusuf Magaji Bichi; Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Muhammad Fada; Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi; Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ibrahim Pantami; Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi; Secretary to the Government of the Federation ,Boss Mustapha; Presidential Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya; the Controller General (CG)of Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji; Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Balarabe Shehu Ilelah; Nigerian Immigration Service Comptroller General, Alhaji Idris Isah Jere; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ibrahim Ali.

Even the Nigeria National Park Service (NNPS) is manned by the same religious and ethnic outlook through the Conservator-General Ibrahim Goni. Extraordinary!

For nearly eight years, Buhari has quietly, in an authoritarian way, boldly shifted sensitive and security positions toward a subset of Nigerian society dominated by Muslim and/or Fulani men. Clearly some have the competency, but the overtly ethnic and religious clothing is just too much for a country of great diversity.

Psychologically, while Buhari might think that the country is fortified by the nature of his appointments, he is wrong as we can all see with all the economic and security wahala or chaos on account of tribalism and ethnicity, and sectionalism, which is provoking anger and sadness, which makes national disunity and insecurity obvious.

I have no doubt some of these appointees are people of merit and experience, but something is very wrong or ominous when you deliberately undermine democratic pointers by fueling leadership extremism and democratic disunity. It is not common for those who feel marginalized and rejected to be mobilized into a kind of insurgent force in the east, north, south, and other regions.

Those who feel cheated in terms of power control are more likely to engage in fairness and protest movements only to be seen as anti-government by Buhari. There is growing public disenchantment, with demonstrations mostly by southern Christian residents, activists, and politicians. Buhari, the dominantly Fulani and Islamic leadership, and Islamists across the spectrum, will view the other side as undermining the power in office. That is the Buhari circle.

The northern Muslims, both the hardline Islamists and even the Islamic terrorists in their own different ways, will decry the protestors, mostly southerners, as secularists who want to hijack political power by fomenting strife.

And with the security and military powers pointed more to the north, some terrible elements with Islamic identity try to keep the country's Islamic character, especially in leadership.

Nigeria is on shaky ground due to a severe economic crisis, opposition to restructuring, and a referendum. Buhari must act rightly. As Buhari continues to result in restructuring, protest, and referendum, he can begin to implement social restructuring by replanting seeds of truth and freedom in the form of leadership reappointment, as in letting half of the indicated positions go to the non-Islamic Fulani and Hausas.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, is from the southern part of Nigeria, while his chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, is from a northern Islamic background. Irabor appears to be worried about the nation's ethnically and politically heated atmosphere and has continued to maintain that the military affirms to a constitutional regime and that the armed forces should not be drawn into the partisan and social divide in matters of political power tensions. I agree.

That is his own professional thinking as a southerner, but in a society where ethnic politics is deeply colored with religion, in this case Islamism, especially as in the case of the current political leadership, internal suspicion, including the in the military, is on everyone's mind, especially amid economic, security, and cultural chaos. No one knows how many Nigerians are thinking about civil war, coup, or total separation. I will reiterate that Buhari has mismanaged institutional leadership and slowed democratic movements in a multi-cultural and multi-religious nation like Nigeria. It is time to reapportion leadership that is fair to the non-northern side of the nation, even if you only have ten months in office, as such a move could rebuild some trust and reduce contemptuous and unregulated approaches to each side.

Dear Buhari, Sir, if you start to engage in the de-ethnization and dereligionization of Nigerias security leadership, you will begin to always sleep restfully. All people will sleep well with their eyes fully closed, and you have nothing to lose if you give it a shot. The dangers of an unpredictable time are in our face. Do the right thing now, even if you only have a few months left.

Even if there are some weaknesses in the Constitution, it is still supreme and calls for no religious and ethnic unfairness and leadership domination. Certainly, slanted leadership is not the only cause of a tense country, but it is expressively a major irritating factor. To continue as you are doing now makes the dousing of tension, insecurity, and disunity impossible, so act now. The country is almost dying.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult and child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. He is currently a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues. His most recent textbook publication is Concise Psychology: An Integrated Forensic Approach to Psychology for Global African Settings.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
The speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Sidie Tunis, has suspended staff recruitment exercise over alleged malpractices in the recruitment process.

Mr Tunis who gave the directive in a statement by the parliaments communications division, also set up of a panel to investigate the allegation.

Nigerian delegation at the parliament had earlier lamented that the countrys candidates were marginalised in the recruitment, and had threatened to withdraw its membership following the development.

The speaker made the suspension, having received written complaints from the first deputy speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, and Nigerias permanent representative to the ECOWAS Commission, Musa Sani Nuhu.

His statement noted that the work of the eight-man independent ad hoc investigation committee will start this month, with its findings expected within a week, while adding that a bureau meeting would be convened immediately to consider the report for onward submission to the plenary.

The action of the honourable speaker is in conformity with Rule Thirty-three (33) and Thirty-four (34) of the Rules of Procedures of the Parliament which provides that a Special Committee may be set up to address specific matters, the statement said. The Ad hoc Committee would be headed by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, chairman of the Committee on Administration, Finance, and Budget.

Members of the committee includes: Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu from Nigeria, Fatoumatta Njai from the Gambia, Amadou Djibo Ali from Niger, Kounon Nahou Agbandao from Togo, Caramo Camara from Guinea Bissau, Moussokora Chantal Fanny from Cote d Ivoire and Arboncana Oumarou Dicko.

The terms of reference of the ad hoc committee shall be as follows: investigate allegations of inappropriate conduct in the ongoing recruitment process at the ECOWAS Parliament; investigate allegations of marginalisation of Nigerian candidates in the current recruitment process; investigate and determine if indeed the plenary adopted any resolution concerning the subject matter (recruitment of staff), using normal parliamentary procedure, the statement added.
A top commander of the Pakistani Taliban, Abdul Wali Mohmand, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani has been killed in a bombing in Afghanistan.

Mohmand who was behind some of the deadliest attacks in recent years has delivered a major blow to the Islamist militants.

The Taliban commander had been on U.S State Department wanted list.

His vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb in the Afghan province of Paktika, on the border with Pakistan.

The Pakistani Taliban made this known on Monday and said it would soon issue a longer statement on the killing.

At least, two other commanders were also killed in the bombing on Sunday, a week after a U.S. drone strike in Kabul had killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in his statement on Monday reacted resentfully on a group identified as confraternity who chanted a song of mockery at the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Soyinka in his statement distanced himself completely from such action, saying he was not involved in that public performance. He described the action of this group as distasteful and frankly appalled.

The Nobel laureate in a statement captioned: Interim Statement on a dubious political outing, said his attention had been drawn to a video clip making internet rounds, of a dancing and chanting group, in red and white costume, purportedly members of the Pyrates Confraternity.The display acidly targets a presidential candidate in the awaited 2023 elections. Since the whole world knows of my connection with that fraternity, it is essential that I state in clear, unambiguous terms, that I am not involved in that public performance, nor in any way associated with the sentiments expressed in the songs.

He however acknowledged the freedom of expression and that the confraternity is just like any group entitled for freedom of expression. Therefore, he couldn't dictate for them.

Like any other civic group, the Pyrates Confraternity is entitled to its freedom of expression, individually or collectively. So also, is Wole Soyinka in his own person. I do not interfere in, nor do I attempt dictate the partisan political choices of the Confraternity".

Soyinka also revealed that he was unaware of the action of the confraternity which he affirmed was awful according to the indigenous culture.

I remain unaware that the association ever engages in a collective statement of sponsorship or repudiation of any candidate. This is clearly a new and bizarre development, fraught with unpredictable consequences.

In addition, let me make the following cultural affirmation. I have listened to the lyrics of the chant intently and I am frankly appalled. I find it distasteful. I belong to a culture where we do not mock physical afflictions or disabilities. Very much the contrary, he said.

According to Soyinka, the Yoruba religion indeed designate a deity, Obatala, as the divine protector of the afflicted, no matter the nature of such affliction, saying that this sensibility is engrained in us from childhood and remains with us all our lives. It operates on the principle of mortal frailty to which all humanity remains vulnerable.

He added: One of my favourite authors, about whom, by a coincidence, I had cause to write quite recently, was CLR James, author of The Black Jacobins, Beyond A Boundary etc. etc. I called him my ideological uncle. He suffered from Parkinsons Disease, but remained alert, lucid and combative for decades after the onset of the disease.

We interacted politically at the Tanzanian pan-African Congress, the Dakar Festival of Negro Arts and a number of other cultural and political fora. We met frequently in his lifetime, dined together in restaurants, despite his challenge. it would be unthinkable, and a desecration of his memory to be part of any activity that mocked his affliction.

Soyinka said a further statement would be issued when he had made further enquiries into this strange, uncharacteristic outing of the association.
Lucky licence plate auction nets B25mn

PHUKET: An auction of lucky specialised licence plates by the Phuket Land Transport Office raised more than B25 million for road safety initiatives yesterday (Aug 7).



By The Phuket News

Monday 8 August 2022, 01:49PM

The auction was of Phuket-issued licence plates featuring the Thai letters , explained Adcha Buachan of the PLTO.

The highest winning bid was B930,000 for licence plate  9999, Mr Adcha said. Last year the highest winning bid was B1.42mn.

The lowest bids were B20,000, for licence plates 3300, 3030 and 4343, Mr Adcha added.

In total 359 bidders took part in the auction, with licence plates for regular cars, technically vehicles registered to carry no more than seven persons, raising B21,589,117.

The auction of 39 other licence plates featuring the Thai letters    raised B3,569,390, Mr Adcha said.

The auction for Phuket licence plates yesterday was held online under new normal practices introduced last year.

The auction was just one of the licence plate auctions by the Land Transport Department being held nationwide from Aug 1-20.

Funds raised by the licence plate auctions go towards road-safety projects carried out by the national Road Safety Fund.

Last year the auctions raised more than B325mn for the fund.
Man found hanged in Phuket Town

PHUKET: Police are investigating the circumstances leading to a man being found hanged at a sign-making shop where he worked in Phuket Town today (Aug 8).

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By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 8 August 2022, 02:55PM

Police were called to the shop, a small unmarked rented unit on Bangkok Rd, at 10am.

Officers and rescue workers arrived to find the body of Charnsak Saengtran, 42, registered as living at an address in Moo 7, Rassada, hanged by an electrical cord tied to a small roof beam.

Officers found no signs of a struggle on Mr Charnsaks body or in the shop, but had his body taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for post-mortem examination by forensic police.

Mr Charnsaks body was found by coworker Kiattisak Banphaboon, 29, when he arrived at work this morning.

Police believe Mr Charnsak died some eight hours before his body was found.

Officers said they were continuing their investigation.
More Ukraine grain sets sail as new strike hits nuclear site

KYIV: Four more ships loaded with grain set off from Ukrainian ports yesterday (Aug 7), as Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for a new strike at a Russian-occupied nuclear plant.

RussianUkraineviolencedeathpolitics

By AFP

Monday 8 August 2022, 09:31AM

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Navi Star carrying tons of grain from Ukraine sails along the Bosphorus Strait past Istanbul yesterday (Aug 7), after being officially inspected. Ukraine and Russia signed a landmark deal with Turkey and the United Nations aimed at relieving the global food crisis. Photo: Yasin Akgul / AFP

Amnesty International, meanwhile, said it deeply regretted the distress and anger caused after it alleged Ukrainian forces were flouting international law by exposing civilians to Russian fire. But it stands by its controversial report.

Kyivs infrastructure ministry wrote on Telegram that a second convoy of Ukrainian supplies had just left, three from Chornomorsk and one from Odessa.

The Mustafa Necati, the Star Helena, the Glory and the Riva Wind were carrying around 170,000 tonnes of agriculture-related merchandise, it said.

Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations yesterday over who bombed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear site in southern Ukraine.

Europes largest atomic power complex has been under Russian control since the early days of the Feb 24 invasion.

And as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed US actress Jessica Chastain to Ukraine, Moscow celebrated the re-election of a former senior Russian politician to the world body governing chess.

Very real risk

Recent fighting at the plant has prompted UNs nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to warn of the very real risk of a nuclear disaster.

Russias occupying authorities in the town of Enerhodar, where the plant is located, said the Ukrainian army overnight carried out a strike with a cluster bomb fired from an Uragan multiple rocket launcher.

The projectiles fell within 400 metres of a working reactor and in a zone storing used nuclear fuel, Russias state news agency TASS reported.

Ukraines state nuclear energy company Enerhoatom however said the Russian occupiers once again fired rockets at the nuclear power plant its host town, Enerhodar. One worker there had been hospitalised with shrapnel wounds, it added.

AFP was not able to confirm the allegations from an independent source.

On Saturday, Enerhoatom had already said parts of the facility had been seriously damaged by military strikes the previous day, forcing the shutdown of one of its reactors.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned Saturday: Any military firepower directed at or from the facility would amount to playing with fire, with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Zelensky in his nightly address yesterday, called for a principled response from the international community.

Evoking the possibility that the plant was hit causing the release of a toxic cloud, he added: No-one will stop the wind that will spread the radioactive contamination.

Amnestys regret

Amnesty International sparked outrage in Ukraine with a report Thursday accusing the military of endangering civilians by establishing bases in schools and hospitals, and launching counter-attacks from heavily populated areas.

The head of their Ukraine bureau resigned over the report, accusing Amnesty of becoming a tool of Russian propaganda.

Yesterday, the rights group said that while it stood by its finding, nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations.

The renewed shipments of Ukrainian grain to help ease global food shortages and bring down prices nevertheless offer a small glimmer of hope as the war enters its sixth month.

Ukraine, one of the worlds largest grain exporters, had been forced to halt almost all deliveries in the wake of Russias invasion.

That sent global food prices soaring, making imports prohibitively expensive for some of the worlds poorest nations.

A bulk carrier arrived in Chornomorsk on Saturday to be loaded with grain for the first time since Moscows invasion.

The departure yesterday of the four other vessels follows several others last week under a deal brokered with the help of Turkey.

Sign of hope

In Rome yesterday, Pope Francis welcomed the resumption of grain exports as a sign of hope that showed dialogue was possible to end the war.

I sincerely hope that, following this path, we can put an end to the fighting and arrive at a just and lasting peace.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted pictures on Telegram yesterday of a meeting with Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain.

Underlining the value of visits from famous people, he wrote: Thanks to this, the world will hear, know and understand the truth about what is happening in our country even more.

Earlier yesterday, Moscow celebrated a diplomatic victory of its own with the re-election of Russias Arkady Dvorkovich to the helm of the international chess body FIDE.

Dvorkovich, a former deputy premier under Russian President Vladimir Putin, comfortably saw off a challenge from Ukrainian grandmaster Andrii Baryshpolets who had accused him of being part of Moscows war machine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov called it clearly very good news and a very significant victory, Russias TASS news agency reported.
Mountain B owner offers full confession

CHON BURI: Phongsiri Panprasong, 27, the owner of Mountain B pub in Chon Buris Sattahip district, has confessed to both charges so far pressed against him following the deadly blaze at his pub on Friday (Aug 8) which has left 15 people dead and 38 others injured.

accidentsdeath

By Bangkok Post

Monday 8 August 2022, 09:03AM

Police and rescue workers outside the fire-gutted Mountain B pub on Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip district of Chon Buri. Fifteen people died in the blaze and 38 others were injured. Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong

According to his lawyer, Anucha Wongsirat, Phongsiri has been left devastated by what happened and admits to operating a pub without permission and negligence leading to death and injury.

In addition to a full confession, the lawyer said his client will offer preliminary financial assistance to all parties affected by Fridays inferno with B50,000 to be given to families of the dead and B10,000 to anyone injured.

Affected parties are advised to contact the pub as soon as possible via its Facebook page for compensation, reports the Bangkok Post.

A bail application will be filed with the court today for Phongsiri who has been being in police custody since Saturday, said the lawyer.

Anongnat Panprasong, 31, wife of Phongsiri, said she and her husband dropped into the pub shortly before the fire broke out in the early hours of Friday.

She spoke to the press while visiting her husband at Phlu Ta Laung police station where he was being detained, recapping what she had witnessed.

She said the couple had gone to inspect a newly installed audio system at the venue that evening expecting it be little more than a cursory check.

However, shortly after entering, there was a loud explosion followed by flames that swept through the pubs interior.

She shouted out for everyone to flee the fire as the flames raged and thick black smoke filled the pub.

Ms Anongnat denied fleeing the scene and insisted she had called rescuers and firefighters before being stopped by security from re-entering the burning pub to help more people escape.

She dismissed rumours the pub was actually owned by a group of influential figures, saying there should be no doubt that it was owned by her and her husband. They were an ordinary pair of entrepreneurs trying their best to make their business work.

Phichet Thinon, owner of Yai Star Insulation Co, the contractor hired to install insulation used underneath the pub roof, denied claims on social media that his company was to blame and said the workmanship and materials met all legal safety criteria.
Shooting nightclub closed 30 days

PHUKET: The nightlife venue where a man brandishing a sword was shot dead by a pub security guard last week has been ordered closed for 30 days for late trading.

crimeviolencedeathhomicidepolice

By The Phuket News

Monday 8 August 2022, 10:50AM

Photo: PR Phuket

The official notice was served on Friday (Aug 5), with the closure order in effect through to Sept 3. According to the order, the venue is regarded as a place where illegal acts and behaviours are contrary to public order or good morals.

The venue was finally identified by Phuket officials on Friday as Sod (which depending on context may mean fresh, single or live, as in live music), located at 445/1 Phuket Rd, Talad Yai, Phuket Town. The venue had previously traded as Nai Mueang Phuket pub and karaoke bar, located opposite Phuket Customs House on Phuket Rd, barely 200 metres from Phuket Immigration.

While the order was signed by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, the announcement marking the closure order listed more than a dozen top-ranking local officers involved in the investigation, including senior police officers.

The closure order also followed the venue operator being given four days to try to explain why the venue was open so late.

Initial reports said police were called to the venue at 5:50am, but official reports later said the shooting happened at about 5am.

Yet according to the announcement by Phuket officials last Friday, the statement given to officials by the venue operator said the incident happened sometime after 4am.

According to the venue operator, patrons were outside the venue waiting for heavy rain to ease in order to go home. Apparently they had waited for hours.

At about 4am, Traitaewit Got Chindamaikul, 27, a resident of Phuket Town, had attacked a group with a sword after an altercation with a woman at the pub. One person had suffered serious injury to a finger, the venue operator, unnamed by officials, said.

In response, pub security guard Chaiwat Od Chuwong, 35, pulled out his Glock 9mm handgun and shot Mr Traitaewit once in the chest, killing him. Traitaewits body was found beside his white pickup in the car park, more than 20 metres from the front of the club. Blood smear marks were on the side of the pickup showing that he had fallen there.

Mr Chaiwat waited for police at the scene and immediately surrendered the handgun used in the shooting.

The announcement by Phuket officials last Friday marked that Mr Chaiwat had no right to be carrying a firearm at the scene.

However, it was not confirmed what charges, if any, he would face for the transgression.

Officials did not confirm what charges, again, if any, Mr Chaiwat would face for the fatal shooting.

More than a week after the shooting, other than their inital reports on Aug 1, Phuket City Police and Phuket Provincial Police have yet to make any public statements about their investigation into the shooting.
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ALTON  The memoir of life-long Alton resident Henry Eugene Gene Maul has been released by LuLu Press, Inc.

Diary of Henry Eugene Maul, Prisoner of War, is a compilation by his eldest daughter, Diana Maul Halstead, a 1970 Alton High School graduate. The Maul family was a fixture of Alton going back to the late 1830s.



Gene Maul was influenced and angered by the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after graduating from Marquette Catholic High School, he enlisted in the Army Air Force, training to take on one of the most dangerous positions as a waist gunner. A member of the 96th Bomb Group and the 338th Bomb Squadron, he completed eight missions before his plane was downed by enemy fire on May 8, 1944, causing him and his crew to be captured by German scouts.



This diary is not a story told in the typical day-to-day accounting of time, but a visual drawing-by-drawing, poem-by-poem, note-by-note diary. Gene Maul used the intense solitude of POW life to draw his thoughts, his observations and his fears. Within each drawing, poem and note is symbolism of what he, his crew and his fellow POWs were enduring.



Included in this book are letters from home, photographs and formerly classified documents regarding Allied Prisoners of World War II in Germany. The documents describe how POWs were treated  from starvation to appalling food, loneliness, poor hygiene and the community the men built. According to Gene Mauls former Marquette classmate, Leo Hohnstedt, the marches were the most difficult ordeals for him to experience. The timeline of one of those marches is included.
ROODHOUSE  A weekend Facebook post warned Roodhouse residents that "all water activity at the Roodhouse Rez is off limits until further notice."

On Monday morning, however, Roodhouse Mayor Tom Martin was left wondering what was going on at the Roodhouse Rez, which is how residents routinely refer to Roodhouse Park Lake.

"I drove out there Sunday and the water looked clear to me," Martin said. "I guess the caretakers sent out the information on the lake."

Jayette Bolinski, director of communications for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said the department had no information about the situation, but was looking into it.

Martin said he had contact with DNR officials late last week, but that nothing about closing the lake to recreation was discussed. The DNR did suggest keeping people out of the lake, but Martin noted that activities such as swimming and wading are always prohibited in the lake.

"We didn't think there was anything to worry about, but it is better to stay out of it for a few days until it clears out," Martin said. " We are trying to get the DNR out to test the water and give us the all-clear sign."

The weekend Facebook post said all activity  such as fishing, boating and cast net throwing  were prohibited because the lake has "planktonic algae in it at the moment." The initial post on Facebook had been shared several times.

The Roodhouse Rez, located a little more than a mile southeast of the city, is a small lake covering around 10 acres. There is a gravel boat ramp and only small electric motors are allowed on boats. In addition to fishing, there are areas for picnicking.

Martin said if people do catch fish out of the lake, they should clean them thoroughly.

The Facebook post said, "Planktonic algae blooms are especially dangerous because they can plague anything from small ponds to large lakes with excess nutrients."

But Planktonic algae is not necessarily a bad thing. Algae can be harmful, but it is essential to bodies of water.

According to the DNR website, planktonic algae are the primary oxygen producers in most bodies of water as well as the primary food source at the base of the aquatic food chain. Most species of algae do not pose a threat to organisms. However, some planktonic algae species produce harmful toxins that can affect humans and animals.

Planktonic algae float on the water and can sometimes be confused with muddy water. It causes the water to look green, brown or reddish in color.

A severe algal bloom can kill fish because the death and decay of the algae remove oxygen from the water. Exposure to toxic blue-green algae blooms can harm aquatic life and humans if they swallow or touch the water. Toxic green algae blooms can create airborne droplets, which are dangerous if inhaled.

Exposure to high levels of blue-green algae and their toxins can cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties. Pets and livestock can become sick or die if they consume large amounts of water containing algae blooms.
Calhoun County Sheriff's Office

BRUSSELS  A Jerseyville woman is facing aggravated DUI charges following a Friday night traffic stop.

At 11:11 p.m. Saturday, Calhoun County Sheriffs Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on the Illinois River Road near Hagen Road in Brussels. Subsequent to an investigation the driver, Amy Morris, 36, of Jerseyville, was arrested on aggravated DUI - Alcohol (while transporting a child under 16), speeding and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
President Bidens State of the Union Address called for legislation to finance the care of veterans who have been exposed to toxic fumes from burn pits that can cause cancer and respiratory illness. The President believes his son, Beau, contracted cancer and died as a result of burn pit exposure.

Burn pits are simply a large hole into which paint, plastic, batteries, styrofoam, medical and human waste, rubber and myriad things are tossed and burned, creating a constant presence of smoke breathed by the occupants of military installations using the burn pits. Burn pits were commonly used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan and they have been cited as the cause of many illnesses.

Veterans groups have long sought medical coverage for the illnesses arising from personnels proximity to burn pits and it appeared that Congress was prepared to provide the financing necessary to give aid to afflicted veterans. The PACT Act which stands for Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2021 would direct $400 billion over 10 years to provide care for 23 cancers and illnesses suffered by veterans. Importantly there would be a presumption of the illnesses cause, thereby addressing the 70% of veterans who have been denied care without the presumption.

The PACT Act had bipartisan support and passed the House of Representatives by a 342-88 vote and an earlier version of the bill passed the Senate in June by an 84-14 margin. But as the final wrangling of amendments to the bill was happening in the Senate, suddenly the Republican support for the bill collapsed and the bill was defeated 55-42, lacking the 60 votes necessary for passage.

Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) explained the Republican reversal by claiming that the bill was a budget gimmick that he claimed would allow for additional discretionary spending for purposes unrelated to the purpose of the Act. He was joined by 24 other Republican senators that reversed their earlier votes, including veteran Senators Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst and Dan Sullivan.

However, the complained of funding mechanism was included in the original bill that previously passed the Senate and the House. So, are we to believe that the funding mechanism is suddenly flawed, or is it more likely that Toomey et al didnt get all of the amendments to the bill they wanted and decided to take their 25 yea votes off the table in petulant fashion?

The Republican reversal, as a further reaction to the reconciliation bill forwarded by Senators Schumer and Manchin, was viewed as a betrayal by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion and scores of other veteran groups who stated that delay of passage is unacceptable given the effect it has on veterans ability to access necessary care. Consider that even a one-month delay in care can be fatal to a cancer sufferer.

Senator John Tester (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, summed up the reaction from other supportive members of Congress and myriad veterans groups by stating, This eleventh-hour act of cowardice will actively harm this countrys veterans and their families. Republicans chose today to rob generations of toxic-exposed veterans across this country of the health care and benefits they so desperately need - and make no mistake, more veterans will suffer and die as a result.

Veteran activist and celebrity, Jon Stewart, called the vote cruel and its chief proponent called it as a stab in the heart. I call it political malfeasance without a whit of care for the veterans who will suffer from delay. Senators should be above gamesmanship when it cost lives, but many GOP Senators were unbothered by the effect of their playing politics.

Fortunately the Democrats and Chuck Schumer stood firm against the Republican recalcitrance and forced another vote. This time the bill passed without a change and the supporters who were sleeping outside on the steps of Congress rejoiced.

There has long been a myth in American politics that says that Republicans care more about the military and veterans than Democrats. This is simply untrue. Increased pay and benefits have more often been provided by Democratic congresses and Presidents. Greater protection of female military personnel against sexual assault has long been forwarded by Democratic lawmakers.

The Republicans have once again shown their true colors in their initial blockage of the PACT Act. And the Democrats have shown theirs by declaring that the Senate would vote again and again if necessary. Veterans need the help Democrats provided with this historic legislation.


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Job Title: Terms of Reference for Development of a Catchment Management Plan for Waaki Catchment

Organisation: Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE)

Duty Station: Uganda

Download TOR

BACKGROUND

The Ministry of Water and Environment, through the Directorate of Water Resources Management Albert Water Management Zone with funding from the Jane Goodall Institute, plans to develop the Waaki Catchment Management Plan. The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global non-profit organisation that empowers people to make a difference for all living things. Its work builds on Dr Goodalls scientific, humanitarian vision of ensuring all primates are protected from any threats that may cause their extinction. JGI has been active in Uganda for over two decades. Since 1991, JGI has worked to increase the capacity of government ministries, local governments and forest-adjacent communities to manage protected areas, engage communities in natural resource management planning, promote sustainable livelihoods, and educate students about chimpanzees, wildlife, and sustainable environmental conservation.

Deadline: 12th August 2022.

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
NS&I phonelines stopped working this morning while customers have taken to social media to complain they're unable to access accounts.

Twitter is awash with angry customers complaining to NS&I's official account that they are unable to access their accounts, with some blaming a new two-factor log-in process.

NS&I spent the morning apologising for 'technical issues' and assuring customers they are working to resolve them 'as soon as possible'.

NS&I's phone line were down this morning as customers took to social media to complain.

The bank told This is Money that it has now fixed the phoneline issue and maintains there are no problems with the two-factor security system.

The state-owned bank offers Premium Bonds as well as a range of other saving and investment products.

There are currently more than 118billion bond numbers eligible for the draw, up from just over 86billion eligible bonds in March 2020.

In May, NS&I upped the Premium Bond underlying prize fund rate from 1 per cent to 1.4 per cent boosting the chances of its 21million savers bagging a monthly prize.

The odds of each 1 Premium Bond number winning a prize has improved from 34,500 to 1 to 24,500 to 1.

Since this morning Twitter users have been taking to the social media site to vent their frustrations at the bank.

Tweeter Zasiura contacted NS&I this morning saying that he had been trying to log into his account 'for days' but is unable to seemingly due to a new stage in the bank's authentication system.

Two-factor bank authentication systems are a common security method to keep accounts safe and is a process used by most major banks.

The multi-stage process often involves a logging into an app or website and being sent a unique one time password (OTP) to your phone which you then enter to confirm it is the account owner logging in.

The bank introduced the new security system overnight on 18 July.

Another user, James tweeted the account saying that the OTP is not being sent so he is unable to log in.

When he tried to call the helpline it was not working. James said he was planning to save a large amount with the bank but suggested he is now considering closing his account instead.

Via Twitter the bank confirmed it was having issues with its phone line and suggested James try again 'a little later'.

Twitter user James took to the social media site to complain about the getting in touch with teh bank

Others complained that messaging NS&I on Twitter to try and resolve their issues has been 'less than helpful'.

Currently NS&I's homepage is promoting the introduction of the two-factor system as 'improved security' adding 'Logging in to your NS&I account is now a little different.'

A full webpage has also been created to provide customers with more details of the changes that it says includes the one time password feature as well as the new requirement for users to create a six digit pin.

Customers were quick to notice the bank's phoneline went down

NS&I maintains that there are no central issues with the two-factor system and ask customers to take a look at the FAQ page on its website.

On consumer review site TrustPilot users are reporting similar issues. User CW said they have been trying to log into the site for two days with no luck, while another named 'Arthur' labelled the bank's implementation of the two-factor system as 'utterly shambolic'.

An NS&I spokesperson said: 'For a period of time this morning, customers were unable to contact our call centre due to a technical issue.

'Our team worked quickly to rectify this and minimise disruption to our customers, with them being able to contact our call centre by 11.40am.

'Money invested with NS&I is always safe as NS&I is 100% backed by HM Treasury. We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused.'

In addition the bank told This is Money that there are no issues with the two-factor authentication from its side and 'The vast majority of customers have been able to enrol successfully in NS&I's new two-factor authentication.

'Customers experiencing problems should check out our FAQ page or contact our call centre on 08085 007 007,'
Two meetings that were set to decide upon the proposed takeover of M&C Saatchi have been delayed.

The advertising agency and its prospective buyer, media company Next Fifteen Communications, were both due to conduct meetings on 19 August to vote on the 310million bid.

Those meetings have now been postponed 'until such time as the regulatory conditions to the acquisition have been satisfied,' Next Fifteen told investors in a trading update.

Postponement: M&C Saatchi and its prospective buyer, media company Next 15, were both due to conduct meetings on 19 August to vote on the 310million bid

M&C Saatchi's board had originally agreed in May to the deal, which offered its shareholders 0.1637 of one of its shares and 40p in cash in return for each Saatchi share.

But in June, they changed their mind after Next Fifteen's share price tumbled by 30 per cent, causing the offer's value to drop significantly.

M&C Saatchi has also rejected a series of rival proposals from Advanced Advt, the investment vehicle of its largest shareholder, Vin Murria, who was the advertising firm's deputy chair until earlier this summer.

Murria's fourth and latest offer for the business was worth 253.6million, an approach described as 'derisory' by M&C's chairman Gareth Davis, who said it heavily undervalued the company and its prospects.

All members of the group's executive committee also voiced their opposition to the deal, claiming it would risk an exodus of talent from the business.

Following the UK Takeover Panels ruling in late July, the latest end date of Advanced Advts offer was delayed to be similar to Next Fifteens offer.

Today's announcement comes just over a week after M&C revealed its first-half revenues grew by 10 per cent on the prior year as a result of strong performances in the UK, Americas and Asia.

The AIM-listed firm said the results made it confident of achieving its forecast headline pre-tax profits of 31million for the 2022 financial year.

M&C was co-founded by brothers Maurice and Charles Saatchi in 1995 after a shareholder revolt led to the pair being deposed from Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency they began 25 years previously.

Their clients have comprised some extremely famous corporate names, ranging from retail behemoth Amazon to sporting goods manufacturers Reebok and Adidas, and Dutch brewer Heineken.

It is also famous for its deep ties with the Conservative Party, creating the infamous 'New Labour, New Danger' adverts for the 1997 General Election when the party lost by a massive landslide of 179 seats to the Labour Party and Tony Blair.

In recent years, the business has been affected by an accounting scandal that led to the departure of Maurice and three other directors, as well as a lengthy investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The FCA ended their probe in January, taking no enforcement action.

M&C Saatchi shares closed trading 2.6 per cent lower at 1.49 on Monday, although their value has declined by around 8 per cent in the past 12 months.
Iceland is helping pensioners face the cost-of-living crisis by offering 30 vouchers to help with their supermarket shop.

The 1million campaign will see it give a 30 voucher to up to 40,000 pensioners who rely solely on state pension and benefits to spend on food and other essentials.

Launched in partnership with The Rothesay Foundation, it will roll out across 269 Iceland stores in the 17 areas with the highest levels of pensioner deprivation.

The support will run for seven weeks from 1 August until 16 September.

40,000 pensions living independently or with a carer and relying on state pension and benefits are eligible for a 30 voucher

Iceland has launched the scheme following research by Age UK which shows that 1.7million pensioners were living in poverty in 2020/21  15 per cent of all pensioners.

More than 770,000 pensioner households (single people or couples) are also missing out on Pension Credit payments, worth around 1.5billion every year.

Older people struggling to pay their bills are being urged to ensure they don't miss a crucial deadline to qualify for an extra 650 cost-of-living payment from the Government.

The first 326 is being paid out now, but the elderly still have until Thursday 18 August to get it by applying for pension credit.

Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland Foods, said: 'Since the launch of the partnership last Christmas, the cost-of-living crisis has taken hold of the UK, and now more than ever, people are struggling to access the food they need.

'No one should ever have to worry about how they are going to eat or drink, and we hope that the support we can offer across the UK will help pensioners access and enjoy a worry-free meal during this difficult time.'

Along with the vouchers, the campaign will also provide Age UK's information guide on financial advice following research highlighting Pension Credit top-ups.

Find out if you are eligible

Individuals who are of pension age and live alone or with a carer and rely solely on state pension and benefits may be eligible for a voucher.

Eligible pensioners should call the Summer Cheer hotline on 0800 098 7877 to request their voucher. The telephone line will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Addy Loudiadis, Rothesay Foundation, added: 'We hope our vouchers will provide a small amount of relief to the growing number of older people living in real financial difficulty in the UK.

'We are committed to working with brilliant partners like Iceland and Age UK to help as many pensioners as possible get access to their full benefit allowances'.

Which stores are offering the scheme?

Areas where the vouchers will be made available to eligible pensioners include:

 Glasgow

 Strathclyde

 Greater Manchester

 Liverpool

 Wirral

 Newcastle North

 Sunderland

 Huddersfield/Barnsley

 Sheffield

 Birmingham

 West Midlands

 Glamorgan

 Newport

 North Wales

 Lambeth

 Croydon

To find out if your local Iceland store accepts these vouchers, visit iceland.co.uk/store-finder and put your postcode in the search bar.

Visit Age UK's website to find out what benefits you may be entitled to
Ukraine conducted long-range strikes on Russian troop bases and two key bridges across the Dnipro river overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The strikes hit the only two crossings Russia has to the pocket of southern Ukrainian territory it has occupied on the western bank of the vast Dnipro river, said Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraines southern military command.

The results (of the strikes) are rather respectable, hits on the Antonivskyi and Kakhovskyi bridges, she said on television.

Ukrainian HIMARS strikes also hit multiple military bases in Ukraines Russian-occupied southern city of Melitopol in the early hours, killing troops and destroying hardware, the exiled mayor said.

According to preliminary estimates, a significant amount of military equipment was destroyed, Mayor Ivan Fedorov wrote on Telegram.

Reuters could not immediately verify the officials battlefield accounts.Advertisement  Scroll to continueReport an ad

Ukraines defence minister said two weeks ago that 50 Russian ammunition depots had been destroyed by U.S.-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, which Ukraine started using in June.

Russia says it is waging a special military operation in Ukraine to rid it of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities. Ukraine and the West describe Russias actions as unprovoked aggression.

SOURCE> REUTERS
ALBANY  On the long-running NBC crime drama Law & Order: SVU, Diane Neal portrayed Casey Novak, a devoted sex crimes prosecutor who at times ran afoul of the rules.

In a lawsuit filed recently in U.S. District Court in Albany, Neals former fiance is portraying the actor in a far less-esteemed light: As an allegedly rage-filled abuser who defamed him and threatened to set him on fire and murder his dog.

Allegations containing expletive-laced vitriol were part of the $10 million suit initially filed in March in state Supreme Court in Ulster County by Joseph Benjamin Benn  a celebrity magician known as J.B. Benn  who was involved with Neal starting in December 2013. The ill-fated romance ended in 2018, the same year that Neal waged an unsuccessful campaign for Congress, running in the 19th District as an independent.

On Aug. 3, Neal's attorney, Lynn Oberlander, moved the matter to federal court in the Northern District of New York. The attorney noted in court papers that Neal, who was on SVU for five full seasons and parts of two other seasons, now lives in Florida. Neal has also appeared on NCIS and Suits  and in 2001 portrayed a defendant on SVU two seasons before joining the cast.

The lawsuit filed by Neal's ex-fiance alleges that the 46-year-old actor defamed him in a vicious smear article in The Daily Beast on Nov. 13, 2019, and on several podcasts, such as a March 2, 2021, episode of Strictly Stalking. On that occasion, according to Benn, Neal painted him as a cold-blooded animal abuser and likened him to Voldemort, the evil dark lord and villain in the Harry Potter series of books and films.

Oberlander told the Times Union she was still reviewing the lawsuit. She declined to comment on it.

The suit by Benn, 47, said Neal falsely portrayed him as a sexual assailant, domestic abuser, animal abuser, thief, con man and stalker. Benn alleged Neal was the abuser. Benn and his attorney, Kenneth M. Stenger, said the evidence is documented by threats made by Neal to him and Charlie, Benn's dog.

How would you like to die? Would you like to be lit on fire like alive? Carbon monoxide? That could be very easy while you're up in the office, Neal allegedly told Benn. You wouldn't even know because you're such a d--k even though I spent $100 each on your carbon monoxide detectors and your fire alarm, you didn't even put them up you b---h. That's all you had to do. You didn't have to buy them you didn't have to pick them out. You didn't have to research them. You didn't have to do anything. You just had to f-----g put two screws in the God damn wall. Too hard for JB.

Neal added, according to the suit: F-----g you deserve to die.

Neal then turned the diatribe toward the dog, the suit said.

You know what? I am going to f-----g murder Charlie in front of you. I am going to kill him in front of you, Neal told Benn, according to court papers.

Charlie, Neal allegedly told the dog, Im going to kill you. I'm going to shoot you in the head in front of your daddy so your brains go all over him. Maybe just maybe then you can elicit some sort of emotion from this f-----g android. I hate you. (sigh)

Benn's lawsuit said Neal's rage then took the form of successive lawsuits, each more outrageous than the last that she filed criminal charges of stalking and sexual abuse against him.

The suit said on Jan. 7, 2020, Benn and Neal agreed to a settlement in which he would pay Neal a sum of money. Neal would retract all of her defamatory statements about Benn in a press release, admitting they were the result of emotions running high and untrue. There would be a full nondisclosure agreement and they would refrain from any further disparagement of one another.

Instead, Benn alleged that on the very day of the settlement, Neal's friend burglarized Benn's home at the encouragement of Neal.

On the podcast, Benn's suit said that while Neal "deliberately did not mention Mr. Benn's name in the podcast, she referred to him as 'the trickster Voldemort,' discussed how they met, and gave other information specific enough for listeners to be able to easily know that she was referring to Mr. Benn, especially given her past statements about Mr. Benn in the article."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Baxter gave Neal until Sept. 9 to respond to Benn's complaint.
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ALBANY  A woman spies a man across a seminar room and recognizes him as the dark force who groomed, seduced and victimized her 20 years before. Later she sees him again sitting on a park bench with a stately, multi-columned building as a backdrop and she confronts him.

The woman is actress Rebecca Hall. The man, Oscar nominee Tim Roth. That bench? It sits in West Capitol Park on the west side of the state Capitol. And that building with one of the longest colonnades in the world? Its the impressive, Beaux Arts-style State Education Building on Washington Avenue.

All are contained in a scene highlighted in the trailer for the new movie, Resurrection, filmed with relatively little buzz last summer in and around Albany. The psychological thriller was released in limited cities  Albany being beyond the limits, apparently  on July 29 and is currently available to rent or stream on video on demand, and platforms like Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. After two months, it will be accessible exclusively on Shudder.

So, why Albany? We put that question to director Andrew Semans; a new baby in the family led him to respond via email.

We decided to shoot the film in Albany because we needed a varied and visually compelling urban setting in New York outside of New York City, he wrote, adding that filming in the Big Apple would have been challenging on a practical and creative level.

Those varied locations seen fleetingly in the preview also include the Mohawk Hudson Hike Bike Trail, the Empire State Plaza and New York State Library, assorted city streets, a local department store and even the South Troy Diner.

Semans, a veteran producer of several Ralph Fiennes movies (including "The Dig"), said he and the crew had a very positive experience working here. What we appreciated most about the city is how it integrates many different and highly distinctive urban landscapes into a relatively small geographic space, which was great for the look of the movie and quite production-friendly, he said.

He did share one disappointment, though.

My only regret," he said, "is that we werent able to get more of the city in the film!

Resurrection has an 82 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times calls it a sleek, hurtling, ridiculously entertaining horror movie. The San Francisco Chronicles G. Allen Johnson praises the performances of Hall and Roth and says the movie is #MeToo horror at its cringiest.

Coincidentally, Halls time in Albany last August seemingly didnt overlap with husband Morgan Spectors work in Troy as one of the stars of The Gilded Age, which had already wrapped two months before that.
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SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (AP)  The echo of artillery shells thundering in the distance mingles with the din of people gathered around Sloviansk's public water pumps, piercing the uneasy quiet that smothers the nearly deserted streets of this eastern Ukrainian city.

The members of Sloviansk's dwindling population only emerge  a few minutes at a time  to fill up at the pumps that have been the city's only water source for more than two months. Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces near the key city in the Donetsk region has damaged vital infrastructure that has cut residents off from gas and water for months.

The water flows for now, but fears grow that come winter the city only seven miles (12 kilometers) from Russian-occupied territory could face a humanitarian crisis once the pipes begin to freeze over.

The water infrastructure was destroyed by the constant battles, said Lyubov Mahlii, a 76-year-old widow who gathers 20 liters (around five gallons) of water twice a day from a public tank near her apartment, dragging the plastic bottles up four flights of stairs on her own.

When there are bombings and sirens, we keep carrying it," she said on Sunday. "Its a great risk for us, but what can we do?

Only a fifth of the city's pre-invasion population of 100,000 remains. With heavy fighting raging only miles away as Russian forces continue their push on Donetsk  part of the industrial Donbas region where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian troops since 2014  residents defy the shelling to make do with the only water source left. And local officials believe things will only get worse once the cold sets in.

Locals fill their bottles with hand pumps or from plastic tanks at one of five public wells before hauling them home in bicycle baskets, wheeled carts and even children's strollers.

Speaking from her tidy kitchen after one such trip, Mahlii said she boils some water for at least 15 minutes to make sure it's safe for consumption. The remainder is used for bathing, washing clothes and dishes, watering plants and taking care of a stray dog named Chapa.

Following the death of her husband, Nikolai, from diabetes four years ago, Mahlii shares her Soviet government-provided apartment with two bright yellow canaries and an assortment of houseplants.

Water she had gathered filled the plastic tubs and buckets stacked on every flat surface in her small bathroom, while empty plastic bottles lined the walls in her hallway. A meat and vegetable soup was cooking on an electric burner for lunch.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a mandatory evacuation order to all residents of the Donetsk region at the end of July, saying remaining would cost lives. But despite that and the terror that accompanies the shriek of falling rockets near the city, with no money to relocate and nowhere to go, Mahlii plans to stay in Sloviansk  no matter what.

I dont want to leave my apartment because someone else might occupy it, she said. I dont want to leave. I will die here.

Another Sloviansk resident, Ninel Kyslovska, 75, gathered water from a tank at a park on Sunday for marinating cucumbers in the sun that afternoon. She said the scarcity had upended all aspects of her life.

Without water, you wont get anywhere. I have to carry 60, 80, 100 liters of water a day and its still not enough, she said. Bread and water are sacred and they just took it from people. Such actions must be punished, maybe not by us, but hopefully by Gods judgment.

Filling her bottles, Kyslovska said she sometimes avoids bathing to save herself a trip to the park, and often washes her clothing in a nearby lake.

She blamed the local government for the lack of running water, complaining that nearby Kramatorsk  just six miles (10 kilometers) to the south  still had water flowing from its taps.

But Oleksandr Goncharenko, the head of Kramatorsk's military administration, said even that comparative luxury was threatened by winter, when the temperature drops to -20 C (-4 F).

"All these wells and pumps will freeze, Goncharenko said, adding that places like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk  which also has no gas  had become hostages of destroyed infrastructure.

Goncharenko said Kramatorsk would drain municipal pipes that run into unheated structures to prevent them from freezing and bursting, and that he was 99% certain that gas wouldn't be restored before winter. Electricity cuts and the lack of heating could also see the fire risk soar as people try to heat and light their homes by other means, he added.

Ukrainian officials are still trying to convince the Donetsk region's remaining residents to evacuate as the war's front line threatens to move westward and the inhospitable winter looms.

Officials in Kramatorsk plan to build more public wells to supply the remaining population, but Goncharenko warned the water quality couldn't be guaranteed. Such water would likely be sourced from deep underground, he said, which would be too high in calcium and unfit for drinking.

Mahlii hasnt made plans for what shell do once cold weather arrives, but after 47 years in her Sloviansk apartment, she will face whatever comes from her home.

We are surviving! she said. We are surviving by any means.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  Bangladesh on Sunday sought cooperation from China to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar during a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who promised better trade ties, investment and support for infrastructure development in the South Asian nation.

China had used its influence in Myanmar to broker a November 2017 agreement to repatriate about 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar in August that year. Despite attempts to send them back, the refugees refused, fearing danger in Myanmar, which was exacerbated by the military takeover last year.

Wang arrived in Dhaka on Saturday and met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen. They discussed bilateral and global issues before his departure Sunday, said Shahriar Alam, Bangladeshs junior minister for foreign affairs.

Bangladesh has strong relations with China, which is a major trade partner mostly for raw materials. But maintaining close ties with Beijing is challenging for Bangladesh, which also balances diplomatic and trade relationship with both India and the United States, China's main rivals.

More than 500 Chinese companies are active in Bangladesh. China is involved in the countrys all major infrastructure projects such as seaports, a river tunnel and highways, and helped build its largest bridge over the River Padma at a cost of $3.6 billion.

Amid recent tensions between China and Taiwan, Bangladesh issued a statement reiterating its support for the one-China policy. After winning elections in 2008, Hasinas administration closed the Taiwanese business representative office in Dhaka in response to a request from China, and since then China has increased its engagement in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshs garment industry, which brings in more than 80% of foreign currency from exports, is heavily dependent on China for raw materials.

On Sunday, Wang told Hasina during a courtesy call that his country considers Bangladesh as a strategic development partner and would continue to support it, said Ihsanul Karim, the presidential press secretary.

The United News of Bangladesh agency reported that Wang also promised to stand beside Bangladesh on all issues at international forums."

The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, state-run news agency, reported that Hasina raised the global tensions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions against Moscow, saying "people (across the world) are enduring difficult times  South Asia, Southeast Asia and China can work together for economic progress.

Alam said that Wang agreed to expand trade benefits by raising to 98% duty-free access from current 97% of Bangladeshi products and services to Chinese markets.

Its a good news for Bangladesh as we have a thriving economy based on exports, Alam said. "Now they have offered another 1% from Sept. 1, he said, adding that the new tax advantage is likely to include garments, woven and other products that had previously faced some barriers.

He said Bangladesh would get a list from China soon about the products and services that would get duty-free access.

Alam said that Wang explained to the Bangladeshi foreign minister that some countries misunderstand and misinterpret China. He did not elaborate.

But Momen told reporters separately that the Chinese minister mentioned that a section of Taiwanese people was being provoked against the sovereignty of China. Beijing considers self-governed Taiwan to be its own territory.

The junior minister said China pledged to work continuously to resolve the Rohingya crisis and quoted Wang as saying that Myanmar's internal challenges were troubling other countries.

Our foreign minister strongly reiterated that Chinese cooperation is needed. China has progressed on resolving the Rohingya issue and we need the situation to come to an end, Alam said.

On Sunday, Bangladesh and China signed or renewed four agreements and memorandums of understanding on disaster management, infrastructure and cultural exchanges.

Analyst Munshi Faiz Ahmad, who served as Bangladeshi ambassador in Beijing, said Wang's visit was very significant for both countries.

To resolve the Rohingya crisis Bangladesh needs support from China. This visit will help strengthen the bilateral relations," Ahmad told The Associated Press.

To us, China is very important. We also need to maintain good relations with both India and the United States as they are also very important development partners of Bangladesh. There is nothing to be afraid of because of Bangladeshs close ties with China, he said.
ALBANY  A Clifton Park-based attorney nominated by President Joe Biden for a federal judgeship in the Northern District of New York is committed to presiding on the bench in Utica, according to a top aide to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, a litigator for Attorney General Letitia James whom Biden nominated for the court last month, also is willing to relocate to the Utica area, according to people familiar with the plan.

Rodriguezs willingness to move to Utica and be based in its federal courthouse surfaced after the Times Union reported Monday that Bidens nomination of the attorney had been thrown into uncertainty. In a July 14 letter obtained by the Times Union, U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd informed the president that he would rescind his plans to attain senior status  which created the judicial vacancy Rodriguez would fill  unless his successor lived in Utica and was based there.

I will take senior status if a confirmed successor lives in this area and is permanently assigned to the United States Courthouse in Utica, New York," Hurd wrote Biden. "Otherwise, I shall remain on full-time active status until I retire or die.

Rodriguez did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. However, people familiar with Rodriguez's plans indicated that Hurd's fears would be allayed by Rodriguez's decision to relocate. The president's nomination of Rodriguez, who turns 44 this month, followed a recommendation by Gillibrand.

On Monday, Gillibrand chief of staff Jess Fassler told the Times Union: It has always been the expectation that Judge Hurds successor would sit in the Utica courthouse, and Jorge Rodriguez has committed to doing so.

Fassler's statement that the judgeship was always expected to be in Utica raised the question of why Biden selected Rodriguez  who currently works in Albany and lives in Saratoga County  for a judgeship based 95 miles west in Utica, located in the Mohawk Valley. Rodriguez had been expected to serve in Albany, according to people familiar with the situation.

An aide to Gillibrand said preserving the courthouse in Utica was important to the senator.

"The senators team met with a number of very talented individuals from across the state for the position, including Central New York, and was extremely impressed with Jorge Alberto Rodriguez and very please with President Bidens nomination of him," the aide said.
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No Utica. No judgeship.

Longtime U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd, whose anticipated ascension to senior status created a vacancy on the bench in the Northern District of New York, now no longer wants to be a senior judge -- well, not if his successor will not be based in Utica, that is.

In a July 14 letter to President Joe Biden obtained by Law Beat, the 85-year-old Hurd was firm that his successor must preside over cases in Utica, the Mohawk Valley city located some 95 miles west of Albany on Interstate 90.

If the judgeship is not based in Utica, Hurd does not want to attain senior status, which allows federal judges (age 65 or older with 15 years on the bench or any other combination of 80 years) to carry a reduced workload. Even though they continue to work and in some cases maintain full case loads, the senior judge still must be replaced with a successor.

On July 13, the Times Union reported that Biden nominated Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, 43, of Clifton Park, an Albany-based assistant attorney general since 2014 who works in the Litigation Bureau, to be the successor to Hurd, pending Senate confirmation.

If confirmed, Rodriguez would be based in Albany, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

Please be advised that I immediately rescind my decision to take senior status as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York," Hurd told Biden, adding that his successor has not been confirmed. I will take senior status if a confirmed successor lives in this area and is permanently assigned to the United States Courthouse in Utica, New York. Otherwise, I shall remain on full-time active status until I retire or die.

On Nov. 1 last year, Hurd informed Biden that he intended to take senior status effective upon the Senate confirmation of his successor.

"I look forward to providing substantial judicial service as a senior judge," Hurd wrote at the time.

Hurd's letters were circulated to, among others, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts; Chief Justice Debra Ann Livingston of the Manhattan-based Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals; Northern District Chief Judge Glenn Suddaby, and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer.

Rodgriguez's nomination went through Gillibrand's office; the senator recommended the candidate to Biden for nomination. Senators typically alternate between their recommendations. In April, based on Schumer's recommendation, Biden nominated Colonie attorney Anne M. Nardacci, a commercial litigator and partner at the firm of Boies Schiller Flexner, to U.S. District Court to fill the vacancy created when U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe took senior status. She recently appeared before the Senate judiciary committee.

Hurd, while based in the Mohawk Valley, has presided over major Capital Region cases, including a high-profile Schenectady police corruption case in late 2001 and early 2002, which resulted in multiple convictions; and the trial of former Albany investment brokers Timothy M. McGinn and David L. Smith, who were convicted at trial in 2013 of defrauding dozens of investors and diverting approximately $4.1 million from investment trusts for their own benefit in a Ponzi scheme-type fraud.

Last fall, Hurd granted a preliminary injunction to 17 medical workers who argued they should be exempt to mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for religious reasons. A federal appeals court overruled him.

Hurd, a 1959 graduate of Cornell University and 1963 product of Syracuse University Law School, was a partner in a firm located in the Oneida County city of Rome when he was nominated for a federal magistrate judgeship in November 1990. In 1999, President Bill Clinton nominated Hurd for U.S. District Court in 1999. At the time, Hurd filled a vacancy for a judgeship -- in Albany -- that had not been filled since 1992, when late District Judge Con. G. Cholakis retired due to illness.

Ironically, Hurd was expected to have most of his caseload in Albany, but stayed in Utica where he had worked in private practice and briefly as a prosecutor.

The White House and Gillibrand's office did not immediately return inquiries for comment. Rodriguez was unreachable for comment.
VIENNA (AP)  Top negotiators in renewed talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal indicated Sunday that they are optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement to impose limits on Tehran's uranium enrichment.

We stand 5 minutes or 5 seconds from the finish line, Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov told reporters outside Viennas Palais Coburg, four days into the talks. He said there are 3 or 4 issues left to be resolved.
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NISKAYUNA  An ethics complaint has been filed against a Democratic Schenectady County legislator seeking to unseat state Sen. Jim Tedisco over paying the county auditor for campaign work.

County Legislator Michelle Ostrelich, District 3, is the subject of a complaint that says she paid county Auditor Julie McDonnell $2,500 from her campaign account for undisclosed personal services.

Ostrelichs campaign later confirmed the county appointee is serving as her campaign treasurer.

Linda Rizzo, a Niskayuna Democratic Committee member, filed the complaint against both individuals, citing multiple statutes of the county Legislatures code, including those requiring county employees to avoid conflicts of interest and "render(ing) services for his or her personal benefit when such employment or service creates a conflict or impairs the proper discharge of his or her official duties."

Ostrelich, a Democrat, chairs the Health, Housing and Human Services Committee, Rizzo said, while the lawmaker-appointed McDonnell is essentially the countys chief financial officer and holds the purse strings when it comes to expenditures and allocations overseen by lawmakers.

McDonnell also sits on the countys Board of Ethics and complaints are filed through her office, Rizzo said.

Rizzo said she doesnt have a problem with McDonnell volunteering for the campaign, but she thinks the payments are problematic.

I think it sort of clouds your objectivity, Rizzo said on Sunday, and that goes both ways with Ostrelich and McDonnell.

The complaint filed with McDonnells office on July 21 shows Ostrelich paid McDonnell $1,000 on June 15 with a second $1,500 installment on July 15.

Ostrelich said ensuring transparency and abiding by all applicable ethics and campaign finance laws are paramount for me and my campaign and she takes the countys ethics law and state election law seriously.

Yet she also defended the decision to hire McDonnell to serve as her campaigns treasurer.

I am aware that county law allows county employees to have outside employment as long as it is not a conflict of interest and is disclosed on the employees annual financial disclosure statement, Ostrelich said in a statement. Nothing about Ms. McDonnells decision to serve as treasurer of my state Senate campaign conflicts with her ability to effectively act as the auditor for the county, where she is tasked with ensuring best practices are followed by executive agencies.

McDonnell began serving as a paid treasurer to her campaign in May, she said.

I expect that such compensation would be disclosed by Ms. McDonnell on her next financial disclosure statement just as the campaign has appropriately disclosed the payment on each campaign finance statement filed with the state Board of Elections, Ostrelich said.

As auditor, McDonnell is also tasked with auditing county programs and departments.

McDonnell said she was "disappointed, but not totally surprised" at Rizzo's complaint and wondered if her actions stemmed from bad blood over a previous race for Niskayuna Town Board in which Rizzo was unsuccessful.

McDonnell said she's held the job since 2004 and is well-versed in ethics requirements. She files an annual disclosure form in which she discloses all outside employment.

She called the issues described in Rizzo's complaint as "confusing" and not factual, and that she doesn't work for the campaign, but provides separate services.

Additionally, McDonnell said she doesn't audit the county legislature - but rather the departments and services that they oversee - "and would never avoid doing a review of a county department because any one legislator is a chair of a committee."

She said she has previously performed work for other campaigns and agreed to serve at Ostrelich's request due to her expertise as a certified public accountant. The timing of state redistricting, she said, didn't allow for training anyone new.

"I have never performed any outside work using county time or county resources," she said.

Ostrelich is squaring off against Tedisco in November for the recently redrawn 44th District seat, which includes the city of Schenectady and all of Saratoga County.

Both candidates avoided potentially messy primaries when their opponents dropped out before the June elections.

Incumbent state Sen. Daphne Jordans decision to not seek reelection averted what quickly became a pugnacious intra-party Republican brawl that had quickly divided high-ranking state and local conservatives after Tedisco opted to run for the seat instead of squaring off against Democrat state Sen. Neil Breslin in his Albany-based district.

Ostrelich previously attempted to unseat Tedisco in 2018.
Our best guess is that New York state and local governments spend about $10 billion a year on economic development, mainly by subsidizing businesses in the hope they will grow and create more jobs.

Nobody really knows, because there is no single definition under state law for economic development or workforce development and there is no comprehensive database of deals where every government subsidy a business gets is recorded. The more we look, the squishier New Yorks massive investment in economic development gets. Basic data and definitions are hard to find and independent evaluations of subsidy programs are usually nonexistent.

Then where is the evidence to support spending such a huge amount of taxpayer funds? As far as we can tell, real, independently verifiable evidence does not exist.

Earlier this year, the governor persuaded the state Legislature to pass the Green CHIPS bill, which could cost the state up to $10 billion in forgone tax revenue over the 20 years. Green CHIPS skated through the Legislature at the very end of the session with no public discussion or debate, no fact-based analysis, and no independent assessment. Legislators told reporters that the governors office told them the mega-subsidy was needed so New York could land a disproportionate amount of new federal investments in the domestic chip industry.

In the world outside of political fantasy and pay-to-play, independent scholars at universities and think tanks have amassed huge amounts of evidence that basically show business subsidies dont work. William F. Fox and Matthew N. Murray, researchers at the University of Tennessee, found that subsidies to businesses in the form of tax breaks erode local revenue and other subsidies (like site acquisition) and cost the government more than they bring in. A nationally important analysis by Laura A. Reese from Michigan State University determined that there are no statistically significant relationships between [tax] abatements and economic health. Not surprisingly, even where there are some initial benefits from a business tax break, these are typically short-lived and not sustainable.

New York state budgets $420 million per year, and spends more than $500 million, for film production tax credits which are actually reimbursements to film and TV producers for 25 percent of the cost of shooting in New York. Yet, a recent study by a researcher at the University of Southern California  who was not paid by Hollywood or film production unions  found that in the five states that spend the most on film tax credits, including New York, the subsidies had no statistically significant impact on employment. Earlier studies suggest that film industry subsidies have no discernible impact on economic development, while others suggest tax breaks for the film industry have a negative impact on state revenue.

Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter.

There is no such thing as free money or free tax breaks. If New York spends $10 billion on corporate tax breaks and other subsidies, it means less money for schools, clean water, transit or affordable housing. Lets see some real evidence supporting this massive giveaway of public funds.

Elizabeth Marcello of New York City is a senior research analyst with Reinvent Albany.
CLIFTON PARK  A staffing crisis that is crippling care programs for individuals with disabilities is forcing Saratoga County's largest nonprofit human services agency to temporarily "pause" a day habilitation program in Clifton Park.

For some of the roughly two dozen families affected, the looming decisions include whether a parent might have to quit their job to care for their loved one during the day.

"At that particular site we felt that its not safe to do the day program with as many individuals, with the staffing shortages that we have," said Jane Mastaitis, chief executive officer at Saratoga Bridges, one of 36 chapters of The Arc New York, the state's largest nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "Were just so short of staff; its just a decision that we made as as team  for the safety of the individuals."

Mastaitis said the temporary closure is scheduled to begin Aug. 15 at the facility on Clifton Park Center Road.

It is among dozens of closures of similar residential and day habilitation programs by state-run and non-profit agencies that have been unfolding across the state. Although New York increased the wages it pays workers in state-run facilities, the private sector  especially non-profit organizations  account for about 80 percent of the services provided to intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals. But the average wage for care workers in that sector is still under $15 an hour.

Joseph Pisacane, 61, a Waterford resident who is the sole caretaker of his 31-year-old son, said the temporary closure of the Clifton Park program is likely to force him to quit his job. During the pandemic, he said, he had to leave his job for more than a year because of the lack of services available for his son, a situation exacerbated by COVID-19 shutdowns.

"My son has a seizure disorder from birth and hes totally disabled," Pisacane said. "He is mobile, but for how much longer I dont know. He wears a diaper and doesnt communicate. Im a single dad trying to do this on my own for the last 13 years. Im really struggling and I dont know what to do anymore."

He's not alone: Families across the state  and nationwide  are facing similar crises as group homes and facilities that serve disabled individuals are facing closure due to an unprecedented staffing crisis brought on, in part, by low wages and other factors impacting the industry.

Laura Styczynski, whose 30-year-old son attends Saratoga Bridge's day habilitation program, said she also may be forced to take a leave from her job at a school in order to care for him during the closure.

"They said that its for an indefinite period of time, and they said when day-hab reopens it may not reopen for us here in Clifton Park," Styczynski said. "I work in a school, so come Labor Day I need the situation to be resolved so that I can go back to work to carry some of the benefits for our family as well as the income needed to help provide for all three of our children.  I cant go to my job, which means the school system that I work for is going to be short-handed. Its a very stressful situation for families."

Styczynski said she does not fault the workers whom she said "break their backs every day" but in many instances could receive more pay working for a chain restaurant.

"They need to pay the staff more," she said. "These people work so hard and are so dedicated to these individuals that its just a shame for everyone that they're struggling this way."

Kate Geurin, a spokeswoman for The Arc New York, said that government-funded one-time bonuses distributed to employees this year helped retain workers in the private sector but had little impact on recruitment.

"Weve found that whats much more effective is increases in base pay, and also the retention bonuses are ending so we have some concerns that well actually lose staff once thats played out," Geurin said. "It was a real stopgap solution. So we did get COLA (cost-of-living-adjustment) funding and some providers are able to increase wages using those funds, but its really still not enough to remain competitive."

Geurin added the organization is "very, very cognizant of the problems that it causes for families" when services are suspended, "but we need to know that were bringing people into a safe environment."

Mastaitis said Saratoga Bridges  which also operates day habilitation programs in Malta, Wilton and Saratoga Springs that will remain open  used to compete for workers with other non-profits that provide similar services. Now, she said, they are competing with all employers  including fast-food restaurants and retail stores vying to hire the workers who are willing to fill vacant jobs.

"In fact, prior to COVID we served over 400 people in our day program, and right now are serving about half of that because of staffing," Mastaitis said. "I dont know where the workforce went.  It's hitting families hard.  Its very, very difficult to make a decision like this. Everybody is out of staff."

Saratoga Bridges is seeking alternative programs for the families who will be effected by the closure of the Clifton Park day program, though it's not clear how many options there are; it may require some to travel longer distances.

Rural areas of the state, especially in the Finger Lakes region, are among the regions hard-hit by the "suspensions" of residential services that have resulted in many developmentally disabled people being forced to move into new group homes or care facilities, sometimes long distances away from their families.

In January, Hochul's administration announced it had applied for $2.2 billion in federal aid to strengthen the home care workforce, including implementing a "data-driven" strategy for recruiting workers for the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

According to the Public Employees Federation, OPWDD's civil service workforce declined by more than 10,000 workers  to just under 20,000  between 1990 and last year.

OPWDD officials said they have been implementing salary increases since March to improve recruitment and retention. The first phase of that, which increased pay to more than $20 per hour for the state workforce's "direct support assistants," resulted in more than 4,000 workers receiving an increase. They are also increasing salaries for higher-level clinical workers as well as nurses.

The agency said it has needed to implement "emergency measures to ensure the safety of people living in a small number of group homes that are unable to retain or recruit sufficient staffing levels."

In the past three years, 130 OPWDD-operated group homes across the state were "temporarily suspended" due to staff vacancies, the agency said. That does not include facilities operated by non-profit agencies, which provide most of the state's care.

As of the end of March, OPWDD was seeking emergency residential placement for 1,059 people who were either "homeless or in imminent danger of being homeless." There were 2,270 people seeking residential placement in a "substantial need category, which includes people at an increasing risk of having no permanent place to live, such as someone whose family or other caregivers are becoming increasingly unable to continue to provide care for the person."

An additional 2,159 people were seeking residential placement but were not considered to be in "emergency" or "substantial need" situations.

An official with the New York Disability Advocates recently told a state Senate committee that there had been a roughly 25 percent vacancy rate for direct care workers, which was about 75 percent higher than before the pandemic.
WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 9, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA

257 AM EDT Mon Aug 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 102.

* WHERE...Northern Connecticut, all of Massachusetts east of the

Berkshires except for Nantucket, and all of Rhode Island

except for Block Island.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Teen killed, second person wounded in shootings at party

Sheriffs deputies in North Carolina are investigating a shooting that left a 17-year-old dead and a second person injured early Sunday
Right now we're checking the aftermath of this suburban spate of gunfire that left two youngsters dead.



Here are the basics . . .



"Police say they were called to a shooting just after noon on Sunday at E. 87th Street and James A. Reed Road. Officers found two male juveniles who had been shot. One victim died at the scene and the other was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Two juveniles killed in Raytown shooting SOURCE: KMBC Raytown Police say two juveniles were killed in a shooting Sunday afternoon. One person is in custody. Police say they were called to a shooting just after noon on Sunday at E. 87th Street and James A. Reed Road. Officers found two male juveniles who had been shot.

2 dead in double homicide in Raytown Sunday afternoon RAYTOWN, Mo. - The Raytown Police Department is investigating a double shooting that left two people dead. Officers responded to a shooting call in the 8700 block of James A. Reed around 12:00 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found two male juveniles with apparent gunshot wounds.

2 juveniles killed in Raytown shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two juveniles were killed in a shooting around noon Sunday in Raytown. Police responded to the 8700 block of James A. Reed Road on a shots fired call. When officers arrived, two male juveniles were discovered with gunshot wounds. One victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Develoing . . .
In the upcoming week KCMO will likely hit 100 homicides so far this year and continue to outpace the historic number of killings reached in 2021  The second highest deadly total in local history.

Here's the first report following a deadly afternoon altercation . . .



Homicide 3500 block of Garfield

Today just after 12 PM officers were dispatched to the 3500 block of Garfield on a shooting. Upon arrival officers found an adult male who had been shot, lying on the front porch of a residence. That victim was taken to the hospital by EMS and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.



A subject of interest, an adult male, was taken into custody at the scene. Based on preliminary information there was some type of dispute amongst neighbors that led to the shooting. At this time we do not have reason to believe that there are any other suspects involved.



Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. If you have any information please call the Homicide Unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

KCPD investigating deadly shooting near Garfield Ave KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Police Department is investigating a deadly shooting near Garfield Avenue Sunday afternoon. Police responded to a shooting call in the 3500 block of Garfield after 12 p.m. and found an adult male lying on a front porch of a residence.

1 killed in shooting Sunday in KCMO KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One person was killed in a shooting just after noon Sunday in the 3500 block of Garfield Avenue. Upon arrival, Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department officers found a man on the front porch of a residence with gunshot wounds. He was then taken to a local hospital and later pronounced deceased.

Kansas City, Missouri police investigating homicide at E. 35th and Garfield Ave. Kansas City, Missouri police are investigating a homicide at E. 35th and Garfield Avenue.Officers were called to a shooting just after noon Sunday. They found a man who had been shot on the front porch of a home.The victim was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.Police say a person of interest was taken into custody at the scene.

Developing . . .


For the second time on Sunday, Kansas City gunfire left another victim dead and boosted the homicide count past last year's historic pace.

KC now seems doomed to exceed last year's count - The 2nd highest in local history - as this year's number is nearly 10% higher than 2021 at this date on the calendar and continues to trend upward.

Here's the first report . . .

Homicide 9900 block of Walnut

This evening, just after 10 PM, officers were dispatched to the 9900 block of Walnut in regard to sound of shots. Multiple calls came in reporting sound of shots. While officers were in route, the call was updated to a shooting. Upon arrival officers located a vehicle in the parking lot. There was an adult male inside of the vehicle who had been shot. EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased. We do not have any suspect information at this time and are asking for the publics help.

Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. If you have any information please call the Homicide Unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCPD investigating fatal shooting in 9900 block of Walnut KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting in the 9900 block of Walnut. Officers responded to the area on a shots fired call around 10 p.m. Sunday. While en route, the call was upgraded to a shooting.

Police investigate Kansas City's 98th homicide of 2022 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) --- Kansas City police are investigating the city's 98th homicide of 2022. Police confirm the deadly shooting happened late Sunday night shortly after 10 p.m. It's Kansas City's fourth homicide since Thursday of last week, edging the number closer to 100. There's no information about the victim at this time.

KCPD investigating deadly shooting at apartment complex Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating a deadly shooting at an apartment complex Sunday night.It happened around 10 p.m. at the Willow Creek apartments near 99th Street and Walnut. Police responded to multiple calls about sounds of gunfire, they found a man shot inside a vehicle in the parking lot.

Developing . . .
As our cowtown homicide count continues to confront a historic spike . . . Sadly, KCMO begins to earn national recognition as a "surprisingly" violent U.S. town.



Check this worthwhile passage from a recent report . . .



"A compilation of police data for the month of June from cities with populations of more than 200,000 was put together and the top 31 American cities with the highest murder rates might surprise you . . . More light needs to be put on other cities in the South and Midwest instead of the usual ones that make headlines. The murder numbers per capita in other cities, like Birmingham, Alabama, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland, Rochester, New York, and Atlanta, for example, are higher or comparable to the more publicized cities."



We checked the data this post provides and KICK-ASS TKC READERS noticed KC in the midst of the fray of increasingly violent Midwestern cities.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
A quote from a local journalist on the topic of political change offers an important perspective.



Here's the world according to Kansas City Star columnist Dave Helling . . .



For more context check this week's post-election newsie conversation . . .

And so we offer this axiom up for debate . . .

Mainstream opinion seems to suggest that Johnson County election consequences will lead Kansas into a new progressive era despite threat of a red wave.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Election Recap: Who won, who didn't By Tyler Schneider MO US SENATE (R): , the current Missouri Attorney General, and , who is well known as the former disgraced governor of Missouri whose 2018 resignation paved the way for Mike Parson's current run in Jefferson City, both unequivocally accepted the endorsement.

Conservatives opposing 'woke' culture win seats on the Kansas Board of Education WICHITA, Kansas - Conservatives frustrated with Kansas public school policies won seats on the state Board of Education on Tuesday and could push to reshape the lessons taught in schools. Two Republican members of the board were ousted by challengers who spoke out against lessons on racism, sexuality and gender identity.

ANALYSIS: Local races' impact on Congressional balance of power Hide Transcript Show Transcript CODY: WE'RE WATCHING A NUMBER OF OTHER RACES SET FOR THIS FALL THAT COULD AFFECT THE BALANCE OF POWER ON CAPITOL HILL. REPUBLICANS NEED TO FLIP SEVEN SEATS TO WIN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THEY'LL WORK HARD TO MAKE A CHANGE IN KANSAS'S THIRD DISTRICT.

Kansas abortion-rights activists emphasized attack on personal rights to defeat amendment Ashley All, spokeswoman for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, gives a speech Aug. 2, 2022, at a watch party in Overland Park after primary results verified Kansans voted to preserve abortion rights. // Photo by Lily O'Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector TOPEKA - For Ashley All, the effort to defeat a constitutional amendment that would have eliminated abortion rights is the most consequential...

Blueprinting the Kansas Abortion-Rights Victory It was Election Night in a hotel ballroom in Overland Park, Kansas, and Ashley All didn't know what to think. For months, she had been a public face in the fight to protect abortion rights from a ballot initiative that would change the state constitution and open the door to severe restrictions, or even a ban.

You decide . . .
Police are seeking help to ID a suspect in an indecent act investigation. - Toronto Police Service image
A fresh coat of paint goes onto the side of a shipping container, part of a Nuit Blanche installation in Nathan Phillips Square in 2017. The overnight festival (Oct. 1/2) is back this year, billing itself as the most expansive to date featuring the artwork of more than 150 artists. - Richard Lautens/Toronto Star file photo
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Cruzeiro-safaris.com is established in Kenya, incorporated in 2004. Its core business is safari packages and day tours complemented by air travel. It has a well-established wealth of experience in arranging memorable tours and safaris and has established a client base who provide with repeat business year after year. Join us on facebook, instagram, twitter and youtube. Safaris in Kenya may be tailored to the tourist taste and can extend to Tanzania and Uganda. Browse and read reviews on trip advisor page and one can also book from trip advisor link.. Cruzeiro Safaris  Day Tours  Nairobi  Reviews of Cruzeiro Safaris  Day Tours  TripAdvisor - Cruzeiro Safaris - Day Tours - Nairobi - Reviews of Cruzeiro Safaris - Day Tours - TripAdvisor

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Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed 27,203 crimes of aggression and war crimes against Ukraine.

As the Prosecutor General's Office reports, 26,190 crimes relate to violations of the laws and customs of war, 73  planning, preparing or initiating and waging the war of aggression, 28  propaganda of war, and 912 other crimes.

In addition, 12,724 crimes against national security were registered. Of them, 8,783 relate to encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, 1,525  high treason, 1,800  collaboration, 113  aiding and abetting the aggressor state, 64  sabotage, and 439 other crimes.

As reported, since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the prosecutor's offices have opened 1,451 criminal proceedings over crimes against children.

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The Armed Forces of Ukraine hit the dislocation points of Russian troops in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region. More than 100 enemy soldiers were eliminated.

"At night, high-precision HIMARS missiles were fired on temporary dislocation points of occupation troops at industrial sites in various districts of Melitopol city," Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov posted on Telegram.

According to preliminary estimates, a significant amount of military equipment was destroyed. More than 100 Russian soldiers stayed in temporary barracks.

Fedorov added that the occupiers had redeployed a significant part of air defense systems from Melitopol to Kherson last week.

"This night is the most productive and shows that the existing enemy air defense units are no longer capable of resisting HIMARS," the mayor added.

The weakened air defense system creates the necessary prerequisites for a successful counteroffensive in Melitopol direction.

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Near the city of Uman, Cherkasy Region, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense units have shot down a Russian missile. Two persons were injured by the enemy projectile fragments.

The relevant statement was made by Cherkasy Regional Military Administration Head Ihor Taburets on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

During the last air raid alert, the anti-aircraft defense systems activated over Uman District. The fragments of the destroyed missile dropped and damaged a civil infrastructure facility. Two persons were injured and taken to hospital, the report states.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service is working at the scene.

Earlier, Russias Kalibr cruise missile was shot down over Odesa Region. The relevant statement was made by Odesa City Council on Telegram, referring to the South Operational Command.

Around 10:00 a.m., August 8, 2022, the anti-aircraft defense units of the South Operational Command destroyed a Kalibr sea-launched cruise missile over Odesa Region, which had been fired from the Russian submarine in the Black Sea, the report states.

A reminder that, as of August 8, 2022, four Russian Kalibr carriers with 24 missiles were remaining on duty in the Black Sea.

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Russian troops used the Kh-47M Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched missiles to strike military objects in Vinnytsia Region.

The relevant statement was made by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to the Air Force Command, such missiles are carried mainly by the MiG-31 attack aircraft. The Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 bombers can also be used for this purpose.

It is the newest type of the missiles Russia has in service. After they were put into service in 2018, only several dozens of them were released. The Kh-47M warhead is 500 kg, and its speed is from 3,500 to over 12,000 km/h, the report states,

The tactical and technical properties of the Kinzhal missiles do not allow the anti-aircraft defense systems used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to effectively detect and destroy them.

According to the Air Force Command, the enemy attempts to use such missiles against the extremely important targets only. Since February 24, 2022, the Kinzhal missiles have been fired just a few times.

A reminder that, in the evening of August 7, 2022, Russian troops launched missile strikes on military objects in Vinnytsia Region. Casualties were reported. The further details are yet to be checked.

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Finland will send about 20 service personnel to the United Kingdom to train the Ukrainian military.

The relevant statement was posted on the website of Finlands Ministry of Defense, Ukrinform reports.

Finland will send approximately 20 service personnel to the United Kingdom to take part in a training programme for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the report reads.

It is noted that the training programme is led by the UK, which has asked partner nations for support.

It was earlier reported that the Swedish army would send up to 120 instructors to the United Kingdom to train the Ukrainian military.

Read also: Canada sends military members to UK to train Ukrainian soldiers

In early July, the first group of Ukrainian soldiers arrived in the United Kingdom to take part in a new military training programme. The training course covers weapons handling, battlefield first aid, field craft, patrol tactics, and the laws around armed conflict.

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Germany will help Ukraine quickly receive the next EUR 8 billion of macro-financial assistance from the European Union.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports.

Germany will help Ukraine quickly receive the next EUR 8 billion of macro-financial assistance from the EU and will take the lead in this process. Federal Minister of Finance of Germany, Christian Lindner, assured during our online conversation, Shmyhal wrote.

He added that Germany had provided significant financial assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion.

We count on the strong support for Ukraine and in cooperation with international partners. In particular, Germany supports the process started by Ukraine on deferring debt payments and launching a new special IMF program, Shmyhal stressed.

He thanked Germany for the comprehensive support and stressed that he looks forward to the fruitful conference of the Group of Seven countries on Ukraine's restoration scheduled for October this year.

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Turkey's Baykar Makina has already set up its own company in Ukraine, purchased a plot of land, developed a project for a Bayraktar UAV production plant, and intends to implement the project in Ukraine.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"The plant [for the production of Bayraktar UAVs] will be built. A week ago, the government approved a bilateral agreement and sent it to the parliament for ratification - the agreement on the construction of the plant itself," Bodnar said.

The diplomat noted that Baykar Makina had set up its company in Ukraine, a land plot had already been purchased, and the project of the plant itself, which they intend to implement, had been developed.

"A significant part of the models that will be produced at this plant will have Ukrainian-made components. These can be engines, other spare parts, wheels, many different things that are high-tech in our country and can be used for these aircraft," Bodnar said.

As for reports spread earlier about possible cooperation for the production of Bayraktars with Russia, Bodnar said that Baykar Makina does not have such plans and it is difficult for them to even imagine it.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said that Putin offered him cooperation in the production of drones by Baykar Makina.

Photo: AA
Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and India, Dmytro Kuleba and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and the issue of security of Indian students.

Kuleba wrote this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

Spoke with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to thank him for Indias humanitarian aid to Ukraine. We discussed ways to strengthen our bilateral cooperation and focused on the safety and security of Indian students. I reiterated that Russia must end its war on Ukraine, Kuleba wrote.

As reported, on February 24, Russia began a new stage of the war against Ukraine - a full-scale invasion. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure facilities, massively fire on residential neighborhoods of Ukrainian cities.

At the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion, a total of more than 2,500 students from various countries suddenly found themselves stranded in the areas of active hostilities.

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Ukraine welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to refrain from actions that could endanger the lives of the civilian population.

The spokesperson for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Oleg Nikolenko, stated this, Ukrinform reports.

Ukraine welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza Strip. All parties must uphold their commitments and refrain from actions that could further endanger the lives of civilian population, he wrote on Twitter.

As Ukrinform reports, earlier Egypt's mediators offered the Israeli side to conclude a temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and the armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). However, it was not clear at the time whether the parties had agreed to this. On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces announced the elimination of PIJ top commanders.

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Attempts to deport Ukrainian children to Russia are being observed in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region.

Thats according to the chief of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhii Haidai, who addressed the issue on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"The Commissioner for Children's Rights under the Russian president visited captured towns, bearing the appropriate intentions. So, in the next few days, more than 100 children and orphans deprived of parental care will be taken to Russia. The Russians are stripping the occupied settlements of their men, who are being forcibly mobilized, and now they are also taking away children," Haidai noted.

Read also: Russian propaganda media host offering to set up Gulag for Ukrainians in occupied territories

The official added that this is yet another example of the inability of the occupation authorities to relaunch operations of social establishments, which had been well organized for years, including the appropriate financing of boarding schools and sanatoriums.

"They are moving children from there because they are a financial burden to them, not the future generation," the head of Luhansk region emphasized.

As reported, on February 24, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages, employing artillery, multiple rocket launchers, air bombs and ballistic missiles.
Moscow, Aug 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2022 ) :The Kremlin on Monday accused Ukrainian forces of firing on the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant, warning of potential "catastrophic consequences" for Europe.

"The shelling of the territory of the nuclear plant by the Ukrainian armed forces is a potentially extremely dangerous activity... fraught with catastrophic consequences for a vast area, including the territory of Europe," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He called on Ukraine's allies "to use their influence to prevent the continuation of such shelling".

Russia's defence ministry said on Monday that the Ukrainian army damaged a high-voltage power line that provides electricity to nearby regions.

The ministry added that a "power surge" took place at the station, causing smoke in a switchgear, used to protect electrical equipment.

Firefighters at the scene were able to stop the smoke, the ministry said.

Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for strikes on the atomic power plant, where recent fighting sparked a UN warning of a potential nuclear disaster.

Zaporizhzhia -- Europe's largest atomic power complex that was occupied by Russia early in its offensive -- has in recent days been the scene of military strikes that have damaged several structures, forcing the shutdown of a reactor.
The Chadian government and more than 40 rebel groups have signed an agreement that paves way for national reconciliation talks and return to civilian rule.

(AP)

Chad's military government and more than 40 rebel groups signed a pledge Monday in Doha, Qatar ahead of planned national reconciliation talks, though the deal did not include the country's main opposition group.

Groups commit to ceasefire

Under the terms of the deal in Doha, those who signed have agreed to a cease-fire ahead of the 20 August talks planned in the Chadian capital of NDjamena. Chad's military government also agreed to not take any military or police operations against the signing groups in neighboring countries. However, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country, did not sign the pledge. The shadowy group, known by its French acronym FACT, is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chads longtime President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country since 1990. That immediately called into question whether the deal would be enough to ensure the success of the talks as a planned 18-month transition from military rule to democracy winds down.

Long and protracted negotiations

We hope other groups will join the march of reconciliation and peace, with a view to achieving the aspirations and dreams of the Chadian people, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told those gathered for the signing ceremony. The initial peace agreement we are celebrating today will be an important turning point towards stability and prosperity for the Chadian people.

"It is no secret that the negotiations faced many challenges which were addressed through your estimated efforts," Sheikh Mohammed added. The talks began in March in Qatar. The challenges during the negotiations include some 20 rebel groups walking out of the talks in July, accusing the military government under Deby's 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, of harassment, intimidation, threats and disinformation amid the negotiations.

Hopes that FACT will join agreement

Rebels have called for Deby to declare he would not run in any coming elections, though the military has insisted that can only be decided in the national dialogue talks. The pledge signed Monday in Qatar by 42 of 47 Chadian rebel groups involved in the talks did not include any prohibition on Deby running in any coming vote.

In a statement before the ceremony, FACT said it rejected the accord as those taking part in the national dialogue would be not be treated equally and that it wanted rebel prisoners released as well. However, it maintained it remained ready for future talks.

Chad's Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif also signed the deal on behalf of his country, though Deby had been in Doha on Saturday to meet Qatar's ruling emir ahead of the signing ceremony. Chad had grown frustrated by the 30 years of rule by Debys father, leading to years of rebel uprisings in the former French colony that borders Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Unrest in those surrounding countries have seen Chadian rebel forces hide across the border.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Nicaragua's Catholic Bishops express their fraternal closeness to the Bishop of northern Nicaraguan Diocese of Matagalpa, who has been stuck in his residence since Thursday under the accusation of allegedly inciting acts of violence.

By Lisa Zengarini

As he continues to be held under house arrest, the Bishops Conference of Nicaragua (CEN) have expressed their fraternal closeness, amity and episcopal communion with Bishop Rolando Jose Alvarez of Matagalpa.

The outspoken bishop has been prevented from leaving his home since August 4, when the police stopped him from going to the local Cathedral to celebrate Mass after he voiced criticism over the governments closing of five Catholic radio stations earlier last week.

Bishop Alvarez accused of allegedly inciting violence

The police accuse Bishop Alvarez of allegedly using media and social networks to incite acts of violence and destabilise the country in the context of heightened tensions between President Daniel Ortegas Sandinista Government and the local Church.

For his part, the head of the diocese of Matagalpa is appealing to authorities to stop this harassment, requesting that religious freedom be respected.

Church always open to collaboration with authorities

In a statement released on Sunday, the Nicaraguan Bishops say their hearts are touched by the plight of Bishop Alvarez, remarking that the Church "proclaims the Gospel of peace" and, in this light, is always open to collaboration with national and international authorities.

As the Nicaraguan Church celebrates the National Marian Congress, from 7 to 15 August, the bishops invited the faithful to pray and recite the Rosary, invoking Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Nicaragua.

Closeness of Archdiocese of Managua

The Archdiocese of Managua also sent a message of closeness to Bishop Alvarez and the Church of Matagalpa in the face of the difficult circumstances they are experiencing as a result of the police action, expressing hope that frank and respectful communication may open paths of mutual understanding.

At the same time, the archdiocese led by Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, vice president of the CEN, invited the faithful to continue to pray so that "the Word may be proclaimed and the pastoral ministry may be exercised to its full extent.

Read also 06/08/2022 Latin American Bishops express closeness to Church in Nicaragua The ecclesial body representing the Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) joins in expressing solidarity to the Church in Nicaragua, as it faces growing harassment by ...

Solidarity from Latin American bishops

In the past days, several Latin American Bishops have voiced their solidarity with the Church in Nicaragua, alongside the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), which on Friday called on the faithful in Latin America and the Carribean to join in prayer for the Church in Nicaragua and its authorities.

Honduras

The president of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras, Bishop Roberto Camilleri, echoed CELAMs position by underlining in a letter shared by the Nicaraguan bishops on Facebook that freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar that guarantees the existence of a democracy and stressed their solidarity and spiritual closeness.

El Salvador

Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez also expressed his personal closeness to the Church in Nicaragua during a Mass on Friday.

In his homily, the Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador said that martyrdom continues to be a reality today and that that one of the most horrendous examples in the region is the persection suffered by the Church in Nicaragua.

Costa Rica and Bolivia

For its part, the Bishops' Conference of Costa Rica expressed its most sincere solidarity and called for dialogue in Nicaragua.

The Bolivian Bishops' Conference (CEB) has also asked not to give up the effort to "build a dialogue aimed at achieving unity and peace in Nicaragua", pledging prayers for the Church, the people and the political authorities of the country.
A delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) expresses its solidarity with Ukraine during a visit amid the ongoing war, and meets with church and state institutions.

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

A delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has paid a visit to Ukraine as the Russian invasion, which has devastated several cities and caused a humanitarian crisis, enters its sixth month.

A WCC statement said that the delegation, led by the acting general secretary, Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, visited the besieged country from 1-5 August, to listen to the representatives of local churches, as well as state institutions working with religious issues, and to ensure the participation of Ukraines churches at the upcoming WCC assembly taking place from 31 August  8 September, in Karlsruhe, Germany.

In June, the WCC central committee issued a statement on the ongoing war, lamenting the Russian invasion of its neighbour.

When one part of the body suffers, all parts suffer with it. We are in Christian solidarity with all those who suffer in Ukraine, said Sauca, reiterating the 18 June WCC central committee statement.

Visit to Church leaders

During the visit, the WCC delegation met with the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations which represents Christian denominations in Ukraine, as well as Jewish and Muslim Communities. It also serves as a platform for dialogue and relations with the state.

On 3 August, with the aim of emphasizing the invitation to participate at the upcoming WCC assembly, the delegation met with the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphaniy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; and Archbishop Evstratiy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, deputy head of the External Church Relations Department of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The following day, - 4 August  Sauca met with the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

While on its way to Kyiv, the WCC delegation was welcomed by Metropolitan Meletii of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The delegation included Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, accompanied by Rev. Dr. Odair Pedroso Mateus, deputy general secretary of the WCC and director of the Commission on Faith and Order, and Ivars Kupcis, WCC communication officer.

Meeting with state institutions

The 5-day visit provided the WCC delegation the opportunity to learn a lot about the ongoing war in Ukraine from meetings with various state institutions  including Oleksandr Tkachenko, minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine; Olena Bogdan, head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience; and Oleksiy Dniprov, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

In all the encounters, the WCC acting general secretary underlined the importance of the participation of Ukraines churches as the WCC assembly in Karlsruhe, which will be an opportunity for people of Ukraine to address the global WCC fellowship, sharing and praying together for an end of the war and re-establishment of just peace in Ukraine.
Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

Slovakian Cardinal Josef Tomko died on Monday morning. He was the Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the oldest member of the College of Cardinals.

By Vatican News staff writer

Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, died in Rome at 5 a.m. on Monday, 8 August, aged 98.

The Slovak-born Cardinal was the oldest member of the College of Cardinals. He was created a Cardinal in 1985 by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Tomko died in his apartment in Rome, where he was cared for by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

He had been admitted to Romes Gemelli hospital on June 25 due to an injury to his cervical spine, and he had returned home on Saturday, August 6, to continue his in-home care, with a dedicated nurse.

During his stay in the hospital, he was visited by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Upon receiving the news of his death, the Slovak bishops Conference invited the faithful to pray for the repose of the soul of the Cardinal. The date of the funeral in Rome and subsequently in Kosice will be announced.

An initial message from the Press Office of the Slovak Bishops Conference read:

"It is with a heavy heart and at the same time with the hope of resurrection that we announce that His Eminence Cardinal Jozef Tomko rendered his noble soul to the Lord today, August 8, 2022, in the early hours of the morning at his residence in Rome, surrounded by his closest associates.

We invite all to include him in their prayers. More information about the funeral in Rome and the burial at St. Elizabeth's Cathedral in Kosice, where he will be buried, will be provided in the near future."
International inspectors should be given access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after Ukraine and Russia traded accusations over the shelling of the facility in recent days, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

Any attack on a nuclear plant "is a suicidal thing," Guterres told a news conference in Japan.

More broadly, Guterres said he is very worried that we might have a prolonged war in Ukraine that could have a very negative impact in the global economy and in the living conditions especially of the most vulnerable people.

Guterres said the United Nations has been working with Turkey on the possible start of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but that the effort is stymied by the complexity of the conflict.

The difficult thing in relation to a cease-fire comes from a simple fact: Ukraine cannot accept a situation in which its territory is taken by another country, Guterres said, and the Russian Federation does not seem ready to accept that the areas that Russian forces have taken will not be annexed by the Russian Federation or give way to new independent states.

Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, said employees at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex are "working under the barrels of Russian guns."

Speaking in Vienna, Tsymbaliuk appealed for the nuclear facility to be declared a demilitarized zone to prevent a Chernobyl-style catastrophe. He contended that Russian forces, with the shelling of the nuclear facility, are trying to cause blackouts in southern Ukraine, where intense fighting is ongoing.

In his daily video address Monday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for new Western sanctions on Russia's nuclear industry "for creating the threat of a nuclear disaster."

Meanwhile, Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces hit the site with a multiple rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and a storage area. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to "take Europe hostage" by shelling the plant.

Tsymbaliuk said, "If something happens, so there will be huge consequences not only for Ukraine, probably all Ukraine will be contaminated, but for Europe as well."

Tsymbaliuk said Kyiv would use all the diplomatic channels it can to allow an international mission to the plant.

Russias RIA Novosti news agency said Moscow is ready to facilitate a visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporizhzhia plant.

In the most recent attack on the nuclear facility Saturday night, Ukraine's state nuclear power firm said Russian forces damaged three radiation sensors and wounded a worker with shrapnel.

The plant, in Russian-controlled territory, was also attacked Friday. Moscow has blamed Ukrainian forces for the strikes.

Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia plant in early March in the opening stages of its invasion of Ukraine, but the facility is still run by Ukrainian technicians.

The Ukrainian nuclear company Energoatom said Russian rocket attacks Saturday hit a storage facility, where 174 containers with spent nuclear fuel were kept in the open.

"Consequently, timely detection and response in the event of a deterioration in the radiation situation or leakage of radiation from containers of spent nuclear fuel are not yet possible," it said.

The Russian-installed administration of occupied Enerhodar, where the plant's employees live, said Ukraine had struck using a 220-mm Uragan multiple rocket launcher system.

"The administrative buildings and the adjacent territory of the storage facility were damaged," it said.

After the first attack Friday, the head of the IAEA said the shelling showed the risk of a nuclear disaster. Those shells hit a high-voltage power line, prompting the plant's operators to disconnect a reactor  despite no radioactive leak being detected.

Progress on grains

Meanwhile, a ship carrying grains from Ukraine has arrived in Turkey, the first vessel to reach its destination under a deal to unblock grain supplies.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, "If Russia sticks to its obligations, the 'grain corridor' will keep maintaining global food security."

Two more ships are set to sail from Ukrainian ports Tuesday through the maritime humanitarian corridor established under the grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.

In total, 12 ships have now been authorized to sail under the agreement.

Some material in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged more federal help to flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky on Monday after touring the devastation, which he linked to climate change.

In the sweltering afternoon heat, Biden walked with families through the wreckage of their homes in an unincorporated community in the state's rural southeast.

One family saw their prefabricated home ripped from its cinderblock foundation and thrown on its side by the waters. Rows and rows of sodden corn, planted in neat lines, lay collapsed in the front yard.

In another family, two young boys, not yet school-aged, squirmed under the president's attention as their mother held them back from a new lake that appeared as the rain poured down. The new body of water lay a stone's throw from where their home had once stood, before it washed away. It slumped on the other side of the water, smashed into a small hill.

"No one has ever seen anything like the historic flooding that hit us on the night of July 26," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. "Hours of rainfall hammered these mountains, sending walls of debris-clogged water crashing through homes and businesses, sweeping them clear off their foundations, crashing them into bridges. And for some, their home is just gone. We don't even know where it is. Maybe not one scrap that we can locate."

Biden offered extensive support.

"We're staying  the federal government, along with the state and county and the city  we are staying until everyone is back to where they were," he said after visiting with families in Lost Creek, Kentucky, affected by the flooding.

He said the objective is not to "just to get back to where we were, it's to get back to better than where we were."

At least 37 people were killed in the flooding last week after storms dropped up to 26 centimeters of rain in some areas of eastern Kentucky in just 48 hours. Beshear said Monday that authorities expect to add at least one more death to the total.

Earlier Monday, Biden told a briefing with state and federal officials on the emergency response that climate change is leading to more weather disasters.

"As you all know, we've suffered the consequence of climate change, a significant number of weather catastrophes around the nation," Biden said.

Senate Democrats on Sunday passed an economic package that includes nearly $400 billion to fight climate change.

The administration describes the Inflation Reduction Act as making the "largest investment ever in combating the existential crisis of climate change."

It earmarks $369 billion for, among other things, working toward energy security and creating jobs manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles in the United States with American labor.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concern about the increasing effects of climate change, saying, "The floods in Kentucky and extreme weather all around the country are yet another reminder of the intensifying and accelerating impacts of climate change and the urgent need to invest in making our communities more resilient to it."

Biden issued a major disaster declaration for Kentucky last week, allowing federal funds to be used in the rescue and cleanup efforts.

Jean-Pierre said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $3.1 million in relief funds to Kentucky.

Beshear praised Biden's response to the flooding, saying Monday the president "acted with greater speed for that federal disaster declaration as well as for individual assistance to our families than I have ever seen."

Biden, who is traveling with his wife, Jill Biden, arrived in Kentucky Monday morning and was greeted by Beshear and his wife, Britainy Beshear.

They drove through parts of Breathitt County that were most affected by the storm and afterwards attended a briefing on the flooding's impact with first responders, also meeting with families who lost their homes in the disaster.

The National Weather Service has warned of the possibility of more flooding in Kentucky this week because of the potential for thunderstorms through Thursday.

This is Biden's second visit to Kentucky as president. He traveled to the state in December to view damage from tornadoes that killed 81 people.

Beshear said Monday "the trials and tribulations we Kentuckians have faced are hard to understand."

He added, however, that perhaps the state is better able to handle the crises "because of how we lean on one another in times of need."

Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Zimbabwe has charged two journalists under its cybercrime law in a move media advocates say runs counter to global trends to support and promote press freedom.

Police in Harare have charged two journalists from the national paper, News Day, under provisions of the countrys Cyber and Data Protection Act that cover false data messages.

Editor Wisdom Mdzungairi and senior reporter Desmond Chingarande were called in for questioning last week over their coverage of a legal dispute involving local authorities and a memorial park in Harare.

Both deny the charge and Chingarande said he was surprised when police called.

They allege l published a false statement on internet, but l see this as an intimidation tactic. There were allegations that they are burying people on a part of Glen Forest Memorial Park called Chikomo Chemhute, which is situated at the confluence of Mazowe River, without approval from responsible ministries, he said.

Chingarande said he sought comment from all sides in the story before publishing. But, with the story now part of a police matter, he says he is unable to say much more.

Mdzungairi and Chingarande are the first journalists charged under new provisions of the cybersecurity law that Zimbabwe enacted during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa said such laws are a means to target journalists and citizens.

Tabani Moyo, who heads the regional media watchdog, said, These are some of the challenges which we continue having in Zimbabwe, where in we make progress in repealing acts such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, then the government claw(s) back using other pieces of legislation to retain elements that will further targets journalists. To have penal or sedition provisions in our statute books that target journalists [is] so out of sync with the global trends toward promotion and protection of media and journalistic expression.

Zimbabwe is not alone in passing such laws, Moyo said. Zambia, Eswatini and Tanzania enacted cybersecurity laws and Namibia and Lesotho are finalizing similar legislation.

Moyo says heavy penalties, including up to 20 years in prison for those deemed to have shared false news, goes against democratic norms.

This is an anathema to democratic existence and out of sync with our own constitution which provides for freedom of expression and media freedom, also violating international and regional conventions and tools," Moyo said.

Ruby Magosvongwe, chair of the Zimbabwe Media Commission  a government-appointed body set up to promote and protect journalism  said she is aware of concerns over violations against the media.

Speaking at a conference on the safety of journalists, organized by UNESCO and media watchdogs in Africa Friday, she called for the government to be more involved in complaints of attacks against the media.

My wish, my desire, is that in future we include our line ministries so that they get the firsthand reports, because they provide the link between ourselves as media institutions, media entities, with the respective governments from across the continent, across Africa, because examples have been given where journalists have suffered violence but if the line ministries are not involved, then it becomes kind of a conspiracy of sorts," Magosvongwe said.

For News Day journalists Mdzungairi and Chingarande, they are now waiting to hear from court officials on when a trial in their case will take place.
Japan is marking the anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed more than 200,000 people and brought an end to World War II. But even as Japan's prime minister pledged to work toward world peace, the government is planning a big increase in defense spending, long a taboo subject following Japan's defeat in 1945. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Tokyo, the dramatic change is driven by fears of the threat from China.
Japan is this month marking the anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed more than 200,000 people and brought an end to World War II. But even as Japans prime minister pledged to work toward world peace, the government announced plans for a drastic increase in defense spending driven by the threat from China, breaking a decades-long taboo over the build-up of Japans armed forces following its defeat in 1945.

Nuclear anniversary

U.S. forces dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on the morning of August 6, 1945, killing an estimated 140,000 people. Thousands more died in the following months and years from radiation sickness. Three days later, U.S. forces dropped a second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 75,000 people. The United States says that the bombings were necessary to bring an end to the war, as many more people would have died in any invasion of Japan by Allied forces.

Local schoolchildren in Hiroshima, alongside survivors of the atomic bombing, marked the 77th anniversary of the explosion Saturday with a ceremony in the citys peace park, directly beneath the epicenter of the blast. They were joined by members of the Japanese government, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Almost 13,000 nuclear weapons are held in arsenals around the world, Guterres told delegates at the ceremony. And crises with grave nuclear undertones are spreading fast  from the Middle East to the Korean peninsula, to Russias invasion of Ukraine. It is totally unacceptable for states in possession of nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war.

G-7 Host

Hiroshima is set to host the G-7 summit next year. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a pledge to those gathered in Hiroshima: Together with the G-7 leaders, in front of the monument of peace, we will confirm our commitment to unite to protect peace.

Japans constitution, written in the aftermath of its defeat in 1945, says the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation. However, the threat of war is edging closer to its shores.

China threat

Chinas large-scale, live-fire military exercises surrounding Taiwan in recent days  in apparent retaliation for the visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei last week  have raised fear that Beijing is planning an invasion of the island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. Japan says several Chinese missiles launched during the exercises landed in seas that are part of its exclusive economic zone.

At a press conference in Hiroshima following the atomic bomb ceremony, Prime Minister Kishida said the government had to respond to the crises in Taiwan and Ukraine. We will drastically strengthen our defense capability, he told reporters.

Drastic change

Despite upending decades of government policy, Japans drive to boost defense spending and capability has growing public support, says analyst Tetsuo Kotani, a professor of global studies at Meikai University in Tokyo and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs.

Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Japanese general publics perception on national security changed dramatically. The Japanese people are very much worried about Chinas aggression, Kotani told VOA.

And looking at public opinion polls, more and more people are now supporting for the change of constitution and also the increase of defense spending and even the introduction of Japans offensive strike capabilities.

Conflict fears

Kotani added that Japan could be drawn into any conflict over Taiwan.

The assassinated [former Japanese] Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that the security of Taiwan and the security of Japan are inseparable because of the geographical proximity and also because Japan hosts the U.S. military upon its soil, Kotani said. So, the Japanese defense planners have been preparing for any scenario which can affect Japanese territory.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki transformed Japans attitude to war and military power. Seventy-seven years on, the country is having to confront a new reality: A powerful, aggressive China willing and able to project its military force on Japans doorstep.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave a speech on the key U.S. strategy for sub-Saharan Africa at the University of Pretoria on Monday, on the first leg of his Africa trip.

Blinken stressed the value of democracy and the threats to it in his address, saying Africa was an equal partner that the U.S. wanted to work with and would not dictate to.

By 2050, 1 in 4 people on the planet we share will be African. They will shape the destiny, not only of this continent, but of the world," he said.

Blinken spoke about the blow the pandemic has dealt to Africa and economies on the continent, as well as food insecurity he said had been deepened by Russias invasion of Ukraine.

He also addressed a wide range of issues, including conflict prevention, misinformation online, science and technology, as well as climate change and clean energy.

VOA spoke to several South African students, asking their thoughts on the address by Americas top diplomat.

Zaphesheya Dlamini, who has just finished a masters degree in political science, was skeptical.

Listen  every single foreign policy, every single national interest, is always going to be their national interest. Its not ours, we know that. But then dont try and present it like its a shared interest," Dlamini said.

She also thought Blinken didnt address how U.S. domestic politics influence the rest of the world. She referenced the overturning of the U.S. landmark case Roe v. Wade, which protected a womans right to an abortion, and the Global Gag Rule, which prohibits foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive U.S. funding from providing legal abortion services or referrals, as examples of things she thought he should have spoken about.

International relations student Billy Botshabelo Manama, 22, said Blinkens speech heavily promoted good governance, which he acknowledged had sometimes been a problem on the continent.

Look  a lot has been mentioned on democracy, rightfully so, looking at the history of Africa," Manama said.

Manama added that he believed that like the U.S., South Africa also stood for equality and human rights.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in South Africa on the first leg of an Africa trip. His first stop was a poignant one, as he visited a museum that commemorates a key moment in the anti-apartheid struggle.

Secretary Blinken visited the Hector Pieterson Museum and memorial in the township of Soweto, once home to South Africas first democratic president, Nelson Mandela, on Sunday.

The museum is named after Hector Pieterson, who was just 12 years old when he was shot and killed by police during the Soweto Uprising of 1976.

Pieterson was among Black students protesting the use of Afrikaans, regarded as the language of the oppressor, in schools.

A black-and-white photo taken of Pieterson being carried by a distraught fellow student sent shockwaves around the world and helped galvanize the anti-apartheid movement abroad.

Blinken laid a wreath at the site and was accompanied on his tour of the museum by Pietersons sister, Antoinette Sithole.

Blinken appeared to make reference to the United States own fight for racial equality when he addressed the news media after the visit.

Hectors story is one that really resonates because we have our own struggle for freedom and equality in the United States," said Blinken. "And South Africas story is unique but there are also so many commonalities, and that resonates powerfully.

Blinken said the museum stands as a testament to what young people can accomplish.

Its inspiring people to see the power that young people have to make change, to make change in all of our societies," he said.

On Monday, Americas top diplomat will meet for talks with South Africas foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, and launch a new U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. Elements of the policy, including climate change, trade, health and food insecurity, will all be topics of discussion.

Blinken laid a wreath at the site and was accompanied on his tour of the museum by Pietersons sister, Antoinette Sithole.
A fugitive central commander of an outlawed extremist organization plotting terrorist attacks in Pakistan has been killed in a roadside bomb blast in neighboring Afghanistan.

Abdul Wali, known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was travelling in southeastern Afghan border province, Paktika, late Sunday when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle, multiple militant and Pakistani security sources said Monday.

Khorasanis group, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, also confirmed his death saying a detailed statement will soon be issued regarding the martyrdom of their leader.

Sundays bombing occurred in Barmal, a remote Afghan district adjacent to the Pakistani border, and it also killed at least three associates of Khorasani who were in the vehicle.

No group has immediately taken responsibly for the deadly attack nor did Afghanistans Taliban government comment on it.

The slain extremist commander was a founding member of the TTP, which the United States and the United Nations have designated as a global terrorist organization.

TTP militants have been waging deadly attacks against Pakistani forces. The violence has intensified since the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Kabul, killing hundreds of security personnel in Pakistan in recent months.

The TTP leadership took refuge in war-hit Afghanistan in 2015 after fleeing military operations in Pakistan and they have since been directing cross border attacks, mostly targeting armed forces.

The militant group is known for providing recruits and shelter to leaders of the Afghan Taliban while they were directing cross-border insurgent attacks against local and United States-led foreign forces protecting internationally recognized rulers in Kabul for almost two decades.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan nearly a year ago on August 15, when the then-Afghan government and its security forces collapsed in the face of stunning battlefield insurgent assaults as foreign troops withdrew from the country.

Taliban rulers have since brokered peace talks between Pakistan and the TTP to help them negotiate a peaceful end to the violence. Taliban officials say they are facilitating the peace process in line with their pledges to not allow any group to use Afghan soil for attacks against any country.

The TTP in early June announced an indefinite ceasefire with the Pakistani government, citing substantial progress in the talks. Khorasani was also part of the groups negotiating team.

The extremist group demands Pakistan restore a traditional semi-autonomous status of several border districts, withdraw its troops and allow imposition of TTP-interpreted hardline Islamic system there.

The Pakistani districts in question were collectively known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas or FATA, where local and foreign militants had their strongholds for decades.

The government had almost no control over the border area until the military launched counterterrorism operations there and dismantled what it called was the terrorist infrastructure. Pakistan later merged FATA into the national mainstream through unanimously approved constitutional amendments in the parliament.

Islamabad rejects all TTPs demands regarding erstwhile FATA. Instead, Pakistani officials say they are asking for the dissolution of the militant group so its members, who are not wanted for serious crimes, can surrender weapons and return to live peacefully in Pakistan.

Analysts say Khorasanis assassination as a major blow to the TTP, noting it has the potential to derail the dialogue process and could lead to intensified militant violence in Pakistan.
Chad's military government and some rebel groups signed a pledge Monday in Qatar ahead of planned national reconciliation talks, though the deal did not include the country's main opposition group.

Under the terms of the deal in Doha, those who signed have agreed to a cease-fire ahead of the Aug. 20 talks planned in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena. Chad's junta also agreed to not take any military or police operations against the signing groups in neighboring countries.

However, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country, did not sign the pledge. The shadowy group, known by its French acronym FACT, is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chad's longtime President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country since 1990.

That immediately called into question whether the deal would be enough to ensure the success of the talks as a planned 18-month transition from military rule to democracy winds down.

FACT did not immediately comment publicly on its decision not to sign the pledge.

We hope other groups will join the march of reconciliation and peace, with a view to achieving the aspirations and dreams of the Chadian people, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told those gathered for the signing ceremony. The initial peace agreement we are celebrating today will be an important turning point towards stability and prosperity for the Chadian people.

It is no secret that the negotiations faced many challenges which were addressed through your estimated efforts, Sheikh Mohammed added.

Those challenges include some 20 rebel groups walking out of the talks in July, accusing the military government under Deby's 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, of harassments, intimidation, threats and disinformation amid the negotiations.

Rebels have called for Deby to declare he would not run in any coming elections, though the military junta has insisted that can only be decided in the national dialogue talks. The pledge signed Monday in Qatar do not include any prohibition on Deby running in any coming vote.

Chad had grown frustrated by the 30 years of rule by Deby's father, leading to years of rebel uprisings in the former French colony that borders Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Unrest in those surrounding countries have seen Chadian rebel forces hide across the border.
China's Hainan, an island province dependent on tourism, locked down more areas on Monday, state media reported, as it battles its worst COVID-19 outbreak after seeing very few cases the past two years compared with many other regions in the country.

The island in the South China Sea, which recorded just two local symptomatic COVID cases last year, has reported more than 1,400 domestically transmitted infections this month, including 982 symptomatic ones. Although that is small by global standards, it is the province's biggest outbreak since the virus was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

The sharp increase in cases comes amid a pick-up in interest in tourism after China slightly eased curbs aimed at domestic travel, accounting for the shorter incubation period of the Omicron variant, which facilitates a shorter quarantine time.

However, the curbs in Hainan, in line with China's "dynamic COVID-zero" policy that aims to stamp out outbreaks as soon as possible, point to persistent uncertainty shrouding travel. That may further dampen confidence in the tourism and hospitality sectors, which are particularly vulnerable to COVID restrictions.

The provincial capital city of Haikou, with about 2.9 million residents, and two smaller towns, Ledong and Chengmai, locked down its residents on Monday, according to state media reports.

At least eight cities and towns, with a combined population of about 7 million, said their residents must not leave where they live except for necessary reasons such as COVID tests, grocery shopping or essential job roles. They also suspended public transport services.

The measures will stay in place for varying periods, with the shortest scheduled for a few hours, state media reports show.

About 25,000 tourists were stranded in Sanya, the hardest-hit city in Hainan's outbreak and the island's key tourist hub, as of Sunday. Although cities have said tourists can leave after COVID tests, many were frustrated about the disruption.

In Qionghai city, scheduled to be locked down for three days, all flights at Qionghai Boao Airport scheduled for Monday were cancelled because of "public security reasons."

Shares fall

Chinese stocks in tourism, transport, and consumer staples all retreated on Monday morning, with China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp down about 5% after Sanya began closing duty-free malls on Aug. 5.

The lockdowns in several cities on the tropical island dashed hopes for a quick rebound for the country's ailing aviation sector, which had counted on a summer travel boom to help trim record losses.

Hainan Airlines fell 1.5% on Monday morning, hovering around their lowest level since February last year, when the airline was in the midst of a restructuring to settle a multi-year liquidity crisis.

Nationwide, China reported 807 locally transmitted COVID infections for Aug. 7, of which were 324 symptomatic and 483 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said.

There were no new deaths, keeping the nation's fatalities unchanged at 5,226.

As of Sunday, mainland China had confirmed 231,266 cases with symptoms, including both local patients and symptomatic international travelers.

China's capital, Beijing, reported two new local symptomatic cases for Aug. 7, while Shanghai and the southern technology hub of Shenzhen reported no new local cases.
Chinas military extended provocative exercises in the waters and air surrounding Taiwan on Monday, a day after the drills had been scheduled to end.

In a statement, Chinas defense ministry said the Peoples Liberation Armys Eastern Theater Command would focus on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes near Taiwan. It is not clear how long the drills will last or where they will occur.

China has already conducted four days of intense military exercises in six designated areas surrounding Taiwan, a response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit last week to the island.

Pelosi, a longtime critic of China, visited on August 2 to show solidarity and U.S. support for the self-ruled island. China views such visits as an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty.

When asked about Beijings continued exercises, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters Monday, "I'm not worried but I'm concerned that they're moving as much as they are. But I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are."

The Chinese drills involved ballistic missiles that were fired directly over Taiwan, as well as warships, fighter jets, and drones that operated around the island.

China previously said those activities would end Sunday, though many observers feared Beijing would attempt to normalize a more aggressive military posture against Taiwan.

Taiwans foreign ministry late Friday condemned Chinas decision to extend the exercises, saying Beijing is still deliberately creating a crisis and ignoring international calls to halt the drills.

At a briefing, Taiwans defense ministry said Chinese aircraft and ships have not entered Taiwanese territory or airspace during the drills.

However, Chinese ships and warships have repeatedly crossed the median line, a de facto sea border in the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwanese officials. Some of the designated live-fire zones are less than 20 kilometers from Taiwans coast.

Taiwans government has stressed that it does not seek an escalation but that its forces will continue to monitor and deter Chinese planes and ships at sea. In recent days, Taiwans military has released footage showing Taiwanese vessels tracking Chinese ships at a close range.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite the Chinese Communist Party having never ruled the island. A vast majority of Taiwanese, as well as Taiwans democratically elected government, reject the Chinese claims.

Taiwanese distrust toward Beijing is likely to increase because of Beijings current approach, according to many observers.

The Chinese demonstration of military strength around Taiwan amounts to a very violent form of communication, said Wen Lii, a resident of Taiwans Matsu Islands, which lie just 20 kilometers from mainland China.

It only serves to increase the antipathy that Taiwanese people hold toward the government of China, said Lii, who heads the local office of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

In the Matsu Islands, life continues as normal, despite the proximity to the Chinese drills. Restaurants and hotels continue to be busy, Lii said in an interview with VOA.

People dont ignore the fact that China is conducting these live-fire drills, but people dont panic over these drills or let the media discussions affect their lives, he added.

In the capital Taipei, many residents acknowledged they are following the news, even if they were not shocked by it.

Theyve been making these threats for as long as I can remember, said a Taipei resident in his 20s who was walking in Taipeis busy Ximending shopping district.

He cited a recent French news program in which a Chinese diplomat spoke of the need to reeducate Taiwanese residents in the event Taiwan eventually becomes a part of China.

They say we are being brainwashed to believe in these independent ideas. Which is kind of hilarious because we have seen all kinds of atrocities in Hong Kong, said the Taipei resident, who wanted only to be identified as Dave.

China views the Taiwanese government as a separatist force, even though Taiwans ruling party does not advocate for declaring independence.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war, with the defeated nationalist forces fleeing to Taiwan and setting up a government that later grew into a vibrant democracy.

Since then, Chinas Communist Party has vowed to take Taiwan, using force if necessary.
Authorities in southwestern Somalia said Ethiopia has deployed hundreds of troops into Somalias Gedo region to prevent al-Shabab militants from crossing over into Ethiopia



Gedos regional administration spokesman, Ali Yussuf Abdullahi, said the Ethiopian troops have been coming to the region since the end of last week and established bases in and around the border town of Dolow.

Abdullahi, also known as Ali Juba, spoke with VOA via phone Monday and said the troops, numbering about 2,000, were deployed to fight al-Shabab militants who started to gather large numbers of fighters near the border.



Abdullahi said he wanted to tell Somalias people that a new problem has arisen from al-Shabab that continues in Hiran, Bakol and Gedo. Abdullahi said Gedo administration authorities are impacted by the terrorist groups new attacks in the border areas with Ethiopia. Because of the increase in insecurity, he said, al-Shabab militants infiltrated border areas and that it is necessary to cooperate with Ethiopia. Thats why new troops have arrived and are staying in and around Dolow, he said.



Regional experts said they believe al-Shabab wants to establish a presence in Ethiopia.



Meanwhile, Abdullahi told VOA that an Ethiopian airstrike hit several al-Shabab positions in the Gedo region, including the vicinity of Kabas, where al-Shabab militants were gathering to launch an attack into Ethiopia. He said the airstrike was conducted in coordination with the Ethiopian military and Somalias Jubaland state authorities.



Asked whether the federal government of Somalia knew about the arrival of Ethiopias fresh non-African Union mission troops in the region, he replied by saying that the government knew the troops were coming to fight the militant group.



The Ethiopian troop deployment in Somalia comes after the Ethiopian military said its security forces killed more than 800 al-Shabab fighters in response to a rare cross-border attack.



The Ethiopian military also said 24 top al-Shabab leaders were among those killed in recent operations against the terrorist group. Late last month, hundreds of al-Shabab fighters crossed Somalias border with Ethiopia and clashed with specially trained counterterrorism forces known as the Liyu police.



The group entered Ethiopia at several sites from Somalias border regions of Hiran and Bakool, according to security officials.



U.S. assessments suggest al-Shabab fighters may have gone as far as 150 kilometers into Ethiopia before being deterred.



A Horn of Africa analyst recently told VOA that domestic unrest in Ethiopia and the concentration of troops in its Tigray conflict make this an opportune time for al-Shabab to strike.



The president of Ethiopias Somali region announced last week that Ethiopian forces will establish a buffer zone inside Somalia to prevent further al-Shabab cross-border attacks.



After recent suspected Ethiopian military airstrikes in the region of Hiran, al-Shabab militants destroyed the antennas of the privately owned telecommunications companies in the region.



Al-Shabab has been fighting Somali government and AU peacekeepers since 2007. It also carried out deadly attacks into neighboring Kenya and one in Uganda.

Harun Maruf contributed to this report.
A "fragile" Egypt-brokered truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza appeared to be holding early Monday, raising hopes that the recent intense conflict that has left at least 44 Palestinians dead, including 15 children, has ended.

The truce, which officially started at 11:30 pm (2030 GMT) Sunday night, aims to stem the worst fighting in Gaza since an 11-day war last year devastated the Palestinian coastal territory.

Though a flurry of strikes and rocket attacks took place in the run-up to the truce, with sirens sounding in southern Israel moments before and after the deadline, neither side had reported any major violations of the agreement after four hours.

In a statement sent three minutes after the ceasefire began, Israel's army said that "in response to rockets fired toward Israeli territory, the (military) is currently striking a wide range of targets" belonging to Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

In a subsequent statement, the army clarified that its "last" strikes took place at 11:25 p.m.

While both sides had agreed to the truce, each had warned the other that it would respond with force to any violence.

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire, thanking Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his country's role in brokering it. Biden also called for investigations into civilian casualties, which he called a "tragedy".

In a statement, UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: "The situation is still very fragile, and I urge all parties to observe the ceasefire."

'The right to respond strongly'

Since Friday, Israel has carried out heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza, with the militants firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation.

Buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble, while Israelis have been forced to shelter from the barrage of rockets.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office late Sunday thanked "Egypt for its efforts" as it agreed to the truce but said it that "if the ceasefire is violated," Israel "maintains the right to respond strongly."

Islamic Jihad member Mohammad al-Hindi had already confirmed the militants had accepted the truce, but the group added in a statement that it also "reserves the right to respond" to any aggression.

In addition to the 44 people killed, 15 of them children, the Gaza health ministry said 360 people had been wounded in the Palestinian enclave, which is run by the Islamist group Hamas.

Israel insists several children in the territory have been killed by stray militant rockets.

Three people in Israel have been wounded by shrapnel, while 31 others have been lightly hurt, emergency services said.

Islamic Jihad's Hindi said the ceasefire deal "contains Egypt's commitment to work towards the release of two prisoners".

The pair were named as Bassem al-Saadi, a senior figure in the group's political wing who was recently arrested in the occupied West Bank, and Khalil Awawdeh, a militant also in Israeli detention.

'Terrifying'

Gaza resident Nour Abu Sultan had said earlier Sunday that she was "awaiting the declaration of the ceasefire on tenterhooks".

"We haven't slept for days (due to) heat and shelling and rockets, the sound of aircraft hovering above us... is terrifying," the 29-year-old said.

Dalia Harel, a resident in the Israeli town of Sderot close to the Gaza border, said she was "disappointed" at news of a truce despite her five children being "traumatized."

"We're tired of having a military operation every year," she said. "We need our military and political leaders to get it over with once and for all ... we're not for war, but we can't go on like this."

Islamic Jihad is aligned with Hamas but often acts independently. Hamas has fought four wars with Israel since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, including the conflict in May last year.

The Israeli army has said the entire "senior leadership of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza has been neutralized".

Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director general of the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, said medics were treating wounded people in a "very bad condition," warning of dire shortages of drugs and fuel to run power generators.

The army said it had struck more than a hundred Islamic Jihad positions, with the militants firing hundreds of rockets and mortars, some of them falling short inside Gaza.

Israel has said it was necessary to launch a "pre-emptive" operation Friday against Islamic Jihad, which it said was planning an imminent attack.

The army has killed senior leaders of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, including Taysir al-Jabari in Gaza City and Khaled Mansour in Rafah in the south.
More humanitarian assistance is needed to respond to the worsening crisis in Ukraine, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine said Monday.

Denise Brown has called on the international community to continue to provide for life-saving operations in Ukraine.

"Since the war began, access has been extremely challenging in areas beyond the control of the government of Ukraine," Brown said. "I call on the parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and facilitate the humanitarian response to make sure we can support every person who desperately needs assistance, no matter where they live."

The U.N. on Monday revised the multiagency Flash Appeal to continue combating the issues facing Ukraine. The financial assistance noted on the appeal increased from $2.25 billion to $4.3 billion and will be used specifically to aid and protect the citizens of Ukraine through December 2022.

Brown said at least one-third of Ukraine's population  about 17.7 million people  will need humanitarian help in the coming months.

The increased funding is extremely important as winter approaches and displaced Ukrainians face the loss of heat, oil and gas.

The need is urgent in the Donbas region and in some northern and southern oblasts.


An Iraqi court Sunday sentenced four people to life in prison over an attack on Baghdad airport early this year that damaged two empty civilian planes on the tarmac.

It is the first verdict in such a case, despite dozens of rocket and drone attacks that have mostly targeted military bases hosting foreign troops either at the airport or in other parts of the country.

Sunday's conviction was for a January 28 rocket attack on Baghdad's international airport that caused no casualties.

The court "sentenced to life four criminals who took part" in the attack, according to a statement by Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council.

The statement did not provide any details on the convicts' identities or political affiliations.

While rarely claimed, frequent attacks on bases hosting foreign  mainly U.S.  military contingents have been blamed on pro-Iran groups, many of which demand the complete withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.

Attacks on U.S. interests spiked in January, to coincide with the second anniversary of a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed revered Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Kenyans head to the polls Tuesday, and the country will rely heavily on technology to verify voter identity and transmit presidential vote results. The electoral body is at the center of the public's attention as it tries to clean its image after the Supreme Court's nullification of the 2017 presidential election due to irregularities.



Kenya's electoral commission said it's set for the general election, with election materials arriving at more than 46,000 polling stations across the country.



Boya Molu, one of the commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said his team is ready to conduct the election.

"All of our people have been trained. They are properly informed from technology to identification of voters through technology to election laws. ... Its systems are set. We are just ready to take off on Tuesday at 6 a.m.," he said.

On Sunday, the commission fired four election officers for allegedly meeting a candidate to help rig the vote in western Kenya.



The electoral body was heavily criticized for mismanaging the 2017 presidential vote. Kenya's Supreme Court nullified that election, saying the electoral process and the constitution were not followed in conducting the poll.



Joy Mdivo, a lawyer and political commentator based in Nairobi, said the biometric technology kits the electoral agency relied on in 2017 failed from start to finish.

"The last election, there was a massive failure of many of the kits, many of them did not bring up the voters' details on time, or when the time came to transmit results, many of them failed," she said. "They were not able to get the network to send in the results."



Mdivo attended two IEBC assimilation exercises in June and July, and explained how the integrated election management system differs from the 2017 system.

"The voter details now doesn't just take the thumbprints," she said. "It takes all 10 fingers so your fingerprints capture all of them and it takes facial recognition pictures of you, as well. So those who do not have hands or fingers [and] are not able to pull up their biometrics can be identified by inserting their ID numbers and facial. The picture captured during the registration will be brought up, so you are able to verify that this is the voter  but over and above that, every ... kit now is fitted with a satellite modem such that if our regular providers fail, they can use satellite to transmit."



The electoral commission says the results announced at polling stations will be final.

The head of the commission will have to go through all the results before announcing the final presidential results.



Martin Andati, a political analyst, anticipates fewer problems since President Uhuru Kenyatta is not competing in the election. There's less chance of interference since the incumbent is not running.

"If you have a president who is a candidate, that compromises the issues of security. Right now, you have a president who is not interested. He is not so non-partisan but he is not a player directly. So that makes a whole difference in terms of guaranteeing security," Andati said.

In 2017, the Supreme Court found no evidence that the president interfered with the election.

In this election, the two main challengers are Raila Odinga, 77, who leads according to recent polls, and 55-year-old William Ruto. Ruto is running for the first time, and Odinga is making his fifth attempt.

Kenyatta supports Odinga for the presidency, but told Kenyans he will hand power to whomever they elect.


For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in Russia's war on Ukraine. All times EDT.

11:45 p.m.: The United Nations released a revised humanitarian appeal for more funds toward the crisis in Ukraine, The Associated Press reported.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in New York that financial requirement increased from $2.25 to $4.3 billion, and that more than a quarter of Ukraine's population will need humanitarian assistance by year's end.

"During the first five months of the war, at least 2.3 million Ukrainians received cash assistance," he said, according to AP. "Our humanitarian colleagues warn that during the forthcoming winter the situation can deteriorate as more people will be displaced from areas with limited access to gas, fuel or electricity. Supporting them is a priority.

10:45 p.m.: The European Union has called on member states to cut natural-gas use by 15 percent under a new plan intended to prepare the bloc for a possible halt in Russian supplies, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

The plan, approved two weeks ago and published as a European Council regulation on Monday, will apply for one year and is reportedly expected to go into force Tuesday.

"Considering the imminent danger to the security of gas supply brought about by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, this regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency," according to the text of the regulation.

Under the plan, EU countries are expected to do their best to voluntarily reduce their gas consumption by 15 percent between August 1 and March 31 compared to the average consumption over the same period the past five years.

9:50 p.m.: Ukraine is deploying its relatively new, locally built Bureviy multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) against Russian targets near Kharkiv. The Bureviy (Stormy, or Hurricane) is a modernized version of the Soviet Uragan system. An RFE/RL photographer captured a frontline unit as it went on the attack.

8:21 p.m.: Current Time joined a Ukrainian Army crew manning a German Panzerhaubitze 2000, a self-propelled, long-range howitzer, as it opened fire on Russian positions. After firing a salvo, the crew hid the weapon system among trees and broken branches. They told reporters the Russian drones were hunting the highly effective howitzers, which had forced Russian artillery to pull back to positions farther from the front line.

7:29 p.m.: Russian troops shelled positions held by Ukrainian troops and several populated areas in various directions, Ukraine's General Staff said as Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it had foiled a plot to kill two top government officials, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

In the Donetsk region, Russian troops are trying to inflict "maximum losses" on Ukrainian units and prevent their transfer to other fronts, the General Staff said in its evening assessment of the day's fighting.

"Our soldiers repelled enemy assaults in the direction of the settlements of Bakhmut, Zaytseve, Vershina, and Kodem," the General Staff announced.

6:15 p.m.:

5:20 p.m.: A lack of running water in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk means that residents must fill bottles by hand at public pumps throughout the city, The Associated Press reported. The city's remaining population has adapted to this new way of life. But local officials warn that the coming of winter could set the stage for a humanitarian crisis. Most of the eastern Donetsk region is without gas for heating and public wells and municipal water pipes are likely to freeze in winter. The head of the city military administration in nearby Kramatorsk said that this lack of utilities would prompt people to use other means to heat and light their houses. And that raises the risk of fires.

4:31 p.m.:

3:15 p.m.: A judge has authorized U.S. prosecutors to seize a $90 million Airbus plane owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Andrei Skoch, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said, according to a Reuters report.

Skoch, a member of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, was initially sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2018 for alleged ties to Russian organized criminal groups. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued further sanctions against Skoch in the wake of Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Washington has sought to pressure President Vladimir Putin to stop the military campaign by freezing and seizing assets belonging to wealthy Russians.

2:30 p.m.:

2 p.m.: The United States on Monday pledged $1 billion in new military aid to Ukraine, according to a statement released by the State Department.

Nearly six months into the unprovoked and brutal assault on Ukraine, Russia continues its destruction of Ukrainian towns and villages, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. President Biden has been clear that we will continue to support the Ukrainian people as they defend their country from Russian aggression, for as long as it takes, he added in the statement, noting that this is the 18th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment as part of a delegation of authority from the President.

This package provides a significant amount of additional ammunition, weapons, and equipment that Ukrainians are using so effectively to defend themselves and will bring total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to approximately $9.8 billion since the beginning of this Administration, Blinken said.

1:35 p.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted Monday about his official visit to South Africa. Blinkens visit to Africa is seen as part of a competition between Russia and Western powers for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine. His trip to Africa follows recent tours by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

1:10 p.m.: Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich has been reelected as the head of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), defeating a Ukrainian challenger who said the incumbent was part of Moscow's "war machine," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

A total of 157 out of 179 national chess associations voted for Dvorkovich on August 7 at FIDE's general assembly in India, the international governing body said in a statement. Ukrainian grandmaster Andriy Baryshpolets, who challenged Dvorkovich, won just 16 votes.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov welcomed Dvorkovich's victory. "The election of the head of FIDE is very important, it's a global event, and of course we were rooting for Dvorkovich, a Russian citizen," Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian media.

12:25 p.m.:

12:05 p.m.: A Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to 10 years in jail on Monday after finding him guilty of violating the laws and customs of war by firing a tank at a multi-story apartment block, Reuters reported.

The court in northeast Chernihiv found Mikhail Kulikov, who was captured while fighting, guilty of hitting the residential building on February 26, two days after Russia invaded Ukraine, said Anton Herashchenko, an aide to Ukraine's interior minister.

Kulikov pleaded guilty at the trial and sought a more lenient punishment because he said he had been following orders, the Ukrainian general prosecutor's office said.

The residential block that was hit in the city of Chernihiv was not a military target or being used for military purposes, it said.

11:35 a.m.:

11:15 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that if Russia were allowed to bully Ukraine, to invade and take territory without being opposed, then it would be "open season" around the world, Reuters reported.

The United States' top diplomat was speaking at a news conference alongside South Africa's foreign minister Naledi Pandor as part of a visit that will also take him to Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

"If we allow a big country to bully a smaller one, to simply invade it and take its territory, then it's going to be open season, not just in Europe but around the world," Blinken said.

Blinken said the United States felt it was important to stand up to Russia because its aggression against Ukraine threatened the foundational principles of the international system.

Pandor said no one in South Africa supported the war in Ukraine but that the prescripts of international law were not being applied evenly. "We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine, as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine," she said.

10:55 a.m.:



10:40 a.m.: Staff at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex are "working under the barrels of Russian guns," Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday, calling for an international mission to the plant this month, according to Reuters.



Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk said Russian forces want to cause electricity blackouts in southern Ukraine by shelling the Zaporizhzhia complex, adding that damage to the facility from Russian attacks means any radiation could not be detected.



Tsymbaliuk spoke in Vienna as international alarm over weekend artillery attacks on the Zaporizhzhia complex grew with Kyiv warning of the risk of a Chornobyl-style catastrophe and appealing for the area to be made a demilitarized zone.



The Zaporizhzhia region's Russian-installed authority has said Ukrainian forces hit the site with a multiple rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and a storage area. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Kyiv of trying to "take Europe hostage" by shelling the plant.



Reuters could not verify either side's version of what happened.



10:10 a.m.:





9:35 a.m.: Ukraine has formally requested a new program from the International Monetary Fund and hopes to receive aid under the program from November to December, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Monday.



"We expect to receive the corresponding assistance from the IMF already in November-December of this year," he said in a statement on the government website, according to Reuters.



9:10 a.m.:

8:50 a.m.: Amnesty International said on August 7 it "deeply regrets the distress and anger" caused by a report accusing Ukraine of exposing civilians to Russian fire, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Monday.



The August 4 report said the Ukrainian military is endangering civilians by basing themselves in residential buildings, schools, and hospitals and launching counterattacks from heavily populated areas.



The head of Amnesty's Ukraine office resigned in protest, accusing the rights organization of parroting Kremlin propaganda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the rights group had tried to "amnesty the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim."



"We fully stand by our findings," the rights group said, but it stressed that "nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations."



"This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country," it said.



8:25 a.m.:

8:10 a.m.: More than 450 foreign-made components have been found in Russian weapons recovered in Ukraine, evidence that Moscow acquired critical technology from companies in the United States, Europe and Asia in the years before the invasion, according to a new report by Royal United Services Institute defense think tank.



Since the start of the war five months ago, the Ukrainian military has captured or recovered from the battlefield intact or partially damaged Russian weapons. When disassembled, 27 of these weapons and military systems, ranging from cruise missiles to air defense systems, were found to rely predominantly on Western components, according to the research shared with Reuters.



It is the most detailed published assessment to date of the part played by Western components in Russia's war against Ukraine.



7:50 a.m.:



6:40 a.m.: Ukraine has received its first three German Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems and will use them to defend important infrastructure facilities, the southern military command said on Monday, according to Reuters.



The air defense systems, which are operated by three-person crews and can hit targets at up to 4kms, are one of various pieces of Western military kit being supplied to Ukraine to help it fend off the Russian invasion that began on February 24.



6:15 a.m.:

5:45 a.m.: The Kremlin said on Monday there was no basis for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents at the moment, Reuters reported.

In response to a question about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans offers to broker peace talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy could meet only after negotiators from both sides had done their homework.

Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have been stalled for months, with each side blaming the other for a lack of progress.

The Ukrainian delegation has gone off the radar, there is no negotiation process now, Peskov said on Monday. As for a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy, it is possible only after all the homework has been done by the delegations. This is missing, so there are no necessary prerequisites for the meeting.

5:30 a.m.: The head of Ukraines state nuclear power company Energoatom called on Monday for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to be made a military-free zone and said there should be a team of peacekeepers present at the site.

He made the comments on television after Ukraine and Russia accused each of shelling the nuclear power plant  Europe's biggest  which lies in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine.

4:55 a.m.: The Kyiv Independent reports that, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, the Russian military killed one civilian in Bakhmut, two in Soledar, one in Mariinka and one in Selydove on August 7.

3:50 a.m.: Two more ships, carrying corn and soybeans, departed from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Monday, Reuters reported citing Turkey and Ukraine, taking the total to ten since the first ship sailed last week under a deal with Russia to unblock Ukrainian grain exports.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the agreement last month after warnings the halt in grain shipments caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine could lead to severe food shortages and even outbreaks of famine in parts of the world.

The Sacura, which departed from Pivdennyi, is carrying 11,000 tons of soybeans to Italy, Turkey's defense ministry said on Monday, while the Arizona, which left Chornomorsk, is carrying 48,458 tons of corn to Iskenderun in southern Turkey.

Separately, the Polarnet, which departed on Friday, reached its final destination in northwestern Turkeys Derince on Monday morning to be unloaded, marking the completion of the first shipment since the exports were re-launched.

So far, around 243,000 tons of corn has been exported from Ukraine on seven ships since the first departure on August 1, according to a Reuters tally of data from Turkeys defense ministry. The other ships carried 11,000 tons of soybeans, 6,000 tons of sunflower oil and 45,000 tons of sunflower meal.

2:25 a.m.: Russia is highly likely to be deploying anti-personnel mines along its defensive lines in the Donbas region of Ukraine, Britain said on Monday, without citing evidence.

In Donetsk and Kramatorsk, Russia has highly likely attempted the employment of PFM-1 and PFM-1S scatterable anti-personnel mines, commonly called the butterfly mine, Britains defense ministry said on Twitter.

These are deeply controversial, indiscriminate weapons, the ministry said in the regular bulletin.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

1:45 a.m.: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Monday for international inspectors to be given access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after Ukraine and Russia traded accusations over the shelling of Europes largest atomic plant at the weekend, Reuters reported.

Any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing, Guterres told a news conference in Japan, where he attended the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on Saturday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the worlds first atomic bombing.

Ukraine said renewed Russian shelling on Saturday had damaged three radiation sensors and hurt a worker at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the second hit in consecutive days on the site.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of waging nuclear terror that warranted more international sanctions, this time on Moscow's nuclear sector.

There is no such nation in the world that could feel safe when a terrorist state fires at a nuclear plant, Zelenskyy said in a televised address on Sunday.

Russian forces captured the plant in southeastern Ukraine in early March, but it is still run by Ukrainian technicians.

The Russian-installed authority of the area said Ukrainian forces hit the site with a multiple rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and an area near a storage facility. The Russian embassy in Washington also released a statement itemizing the damage.

Ukrainian nationalists launched an artillery strike on the territory of the specified object on August 5. Two high-voltage power lines and a water pipeline were damaged as a result of the shelling. Only thanks to the effective and timely actions of the Russian military in covering the nuclear power facility, its critical infrastructure was not affected, the embassy said.

Reuters could not verify either side's version.

12:10 a.m.: The scheduled arrival Sunday of the first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal has been delayed, The Associated Press reported citing a Lebanese Cabinet minister and Ukraines Embassy.

The cause of the delay was not immediately clear and Marine Traffic, which monitors vessel traffic and the locations of ships at sea, showed the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni at anchor in the Mediterranean Sea near Turkey.

Lebanons transportation minister, Ali Hamie, tweeted the ship that was supposed, according to what was rumored, to reach Tripoli port in Lebanon changed its status. Hamie refused to comment further when contacted by The Associated Press.

The ship left Odesa last Monday carrying Ukrainian corn and later passed inspection in Turkey. It was supposed to arrive in the northern port of Tripoli at about 10 a.m. Sunday. According to Marine Traffic, the ship Saturday changed its status to order meaning the ship was waiting for someone to buy the corn.

The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut said the arrival of the ship has been postponed adding that an update for the ceremony will be sent later when we get information about exact day and time of the arrival of the ship.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau in Malawi has arrested its former director, Reyneck Matemba, for allegedly taking a bribe for a contract to supply food to the country's police service. John Suzi-Banda, the former director of Malawi's Public Procurement Agency was also arrested. Both are expected to be officially charged with abuse of power and could face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.



Anti-Corruption Bureau spokesperson Egrita Ndala said in statement, Matemba and Suzi-Banda were arrested over the weekend for allegedly receiving kickbacks from a businessman, Zuneth Sattar, to supply 350,000 food ration packs worth U.S. $7,875,000 to the Malawi Police Service.

She says investigations established that Matemba pocketed $10,000 as an advantage for the vetting process of the food rations contract.

While Suzi-Banda received MK3,000,000 (U.S.$2,900) from Sattars agent Zun Cheena to influence Suzi-Banda to award the Malawi Police Service contract to Sattars company without objection.

George Phiri, a political science lecturer based in Mzuzu, north of Malawi, says the arrests confirm how rooted corruption is in Malawi.

It important that they have arrested the former chief of the anti- corruption bureau, and this gives a picture of the country. It shows that each and any arm of the government; judiciary, legislature and executive, all these have been found with corruption cases," he said.

The current director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Martha Chizuma said last month that in Malawi a week does not pass without new revelations about corruption.

Peter Sambani, a senior legal prosecution officer for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, says Matemba, who is now on bail, has yet to be formally charged.

The Corrupt Practices ACT under section 42, requires that for the bureau to prosecute, we need to obtain consent from the DPP [Director of Public Prosecution] and as such we cannot charge the accused person other than we just bring the accused person to court to tell them the reason of their arrest, he said.

However, Phiri, says this is worrying.

Because it makes no sense arresting the person in the morning and releasing him by bail in the afternoon. Yes, bail is freedom of a person, but it should not take years before such a person is taken back to court, he said.

However, ministry justice officials say the Malawi government is working to address challenges which contribute to delays in concluding various cases.

They cite a recent move by Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera to appoint seven new high court judges to clear the backlog of cases in the courts.

The arrests of Matemba and Suzi-Banda come during Malawis 20-week long anti-graft campaign which Chakwera launched last month.
The white man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery after chasing the 25-year-old Black man in a Georgia neighborhood was sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime.

Travis McMichael was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in the port city of Brunswick. His punishment is largely symbolic, as McMichael was sentenced earlier this year to life without parole in a Georgia state court for Arbery's murder.

Wood said McMichael had received a "fair trial."

"And it's not lost on the court that it was the kind of trial that Ahmaud Arbery did not receive before he was shot and killed," the judge said.

McMichael was one of three defendants convicted in February of federal hate crime charges. His father, Greg McMichael, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan had sentencing hearings scheduled later Monday.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on February 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun.

The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar. Investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes. Arberys family said he was out jogging.

Arbery's killing became part of a larger national reckoning over racial injustice and killings of unarmed Black people including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. Those two cases also resulted in the Justice Department bringing federal charges.

Wood scheduled back-to-back hearings Monday to individually sentence each of the defendants, starting with Travis McMichael.

Greg McMichael and Bryan, who are also white, also face possible life sentences after a jury convicted them in February of federal hate crimes, concluding that they violated Arbery's civil rights and targeted him because of his race. All three men were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels face additional penalties for using firearms to commit a violent crime.

A state Superior Court judge imposed life sentences for all three men in January for Arbery's murder, with both McMichaels denied any chance of parole.

All three defendants have remained jailed in coastal Glynn County, in the custody of U.S. marshals, while awaiting sentencing after their federal convictions in January.

Because they were first charged and convicted of murder in a state court, protocol would have them turned them over to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their life terms in a state prison.

In a court filings last week, both Travis and Greg McMichael asked the judge to instead divert them to a federal prison, saying they won't be safe in a Georgia prison system that's the subject of a U.S. Justice Department investigation focused on violence between inmates.Arbery's family has insisted the McMichaels and Bryan should serve their sentences in a state prison, arguing a federal penitentiary wouldn't be as tough. Arberys parents objected forcefully before the federal trial when both McMichaels sought a plea deal that would have included a request to transfer them to federal prison. The judge rejected the plea agreement.

A federal judge doesn't have the authority to order the state to relinquish its lawful custody of inmates to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Ed Tarver, an Augusta lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. He said the judge could request that the state corrections agency turn the defendants over to a federal prison.

After Arberys death, more than two months passed before any charges were filed. The McMichaels and Bryan were arrested only after the graphic video of the shooting leaked online and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local police.

During the February hate crimes trial, prosecutors fortified their case that Arbery's killing was motivated by racism by showing the jury roughly two dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racist slurs and made disparaging comments about Black people. A woman testified to hearing an angry rant from Greg McMichael in 2015 in which he said: "All those Blacks are nothing but trouble."

Defense attorneys for the three men argued the McMichaels and Bryan didn't pursue Arbery because of his race but acted on an earnest  though erroneous  suspicion that Arbery had committed crimes in their neighborhood.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called Sunday for intensified efforts to save 10 workers trapped in a flooded coal mine, during a visit to see firsthand the rescue operation

Relatives of the missing were becoming increasingly desperate four days after the mine flooded in the northern state of Coahuila, fearing time is running out to bring them out alive.

Nearly 400 soldiers and other personnel, including six military scuba divers, have joined the rescue effort, but so far it has been too dangerous to enter the mine, authorities said.

"We have to do everything we are doing and more" to find the missing miners, Lopez Obrador told reporters during his visit to the site in Agujita.

"I want it to be as soon as possible," he added.

The focus has been on pumping out water from the mine to make it safe enough to descend into the shafts, which are 60 meters deep.

"There is progress. Water levels continue to drop. Much larger volumes continue to be extracted," said Coahuila Governor Miguel Angel Riquelme.

Rescuers were ready to enter the mine "as soon as the levels drop," he added.

Five workers managed to escape from the crudely constructed mine in the initial aftermath of the disaster, but since then, no survivors have been found.

Authorities said the miners had been carrying out excavation work when they hit an adjoining area full of water.

The Attorney General's Office said on Sunday that it asked the Ministry of Labor to provide information on safety inspections carried out at mines in the area to determine the cause of the accident.

Round-the-clock efforts

Lopez Obrador had previously declared Saturday "a decisive day" for the operation.

But by the end of the day, the water inside the mine had receded only about 9.5 meters from the initial 34 meters, authorities told relatives.

Liliana Torres, the niece of one of the missing workers, said that she had witnessed the relentlessness of rescuers who "do not stop all day," but added that the families were increasingly "desperate."

Some families joined a Mass near their improvised camp in the community of Agujita to pray for the safe return of their loved ones.

Water seen flowing from the mine through drainage channels had earlier lifted the hopes of relatives praying that the miners are alive inside a pocket of air.

"We're still hoping that they're in a higher part (of the mine), although there's too much water... but we trust in God," Elva Hernandez, mother-in-law of one of the trapped workers, told AFP.

The Coahuila State prosecutor's office said it had interviewed the five workers who managed to escape from the mine.

"Apparently they were expelled by a torrent of water," Coahuila attorney general Gerardo Marquez told the press.

He added that his office had requested information from the landowner and mine concession holder but declined to name them.

Experts detected a leak coming from nearby mines and were trying to find its exact location so they can stop water from flowing into the area where the workers are trapped, Coahuila's labor secretary, Nazira Zogbi, said on Saturday.

A French company has provided equipment to assist in the task, she said, without naming the firm.

Latest in series of accidents

Coahuila, Mexico's main coal-producing region, has seen a series of fatal mining accidents over the years.

Last year, seven miners died when they were trapped in the region.

The worst accident was an explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos mine in 2006.

Only two bodies were retrieved after that tragedy.
Police in New Mexico on Sunday asked for the public's help in locating a "vehicle of interest" in their probe of four fatal shootings of Muslim men whose slayings in Albuquerque over the past nine months are believed by investigators to be related.

The latest victim, police said, was gunned down on Friday night, in a killing that local Islamic leaders said occurred shortly after he had attended funeral services for two others slain during the past couple of weeks.

All three of those men, as well as the very first victim who was shot dead in November, were Muslim men of Pakistani or Afghan descent who resided in Albuquerque, the state's largest city, police said.

Police have given few details of the latest murder but described the first three killings as ambush shootings. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has characterized them as "targeted killings of Muslim residents."

U.S. President Joe Biden posted a message on Twitter on Sunday expressing solidarity with the Muslim community, adding, "These hateful attack have no place in America."

Albuquerque police officials told a news conference hours later that they were following a number of leads and issued a bulletin with photos of a four-door, dark gray Volkswagen sedan with tinted windows that they described as a "vehicle of interest" in the investigation.

It was left unclear how the car was tied to the case, and police said they had yet to determine whether they were seeking one or more suspects in the investigation.

The three latest victims belonged to the same mosque, according to Tahir Gauba, a spokesperson for the Islamic Center of New Mexico. Officials were withholding the identity of the man killed on Friday pending notification of next of kin.

But Gauba said he was killed shortly after attending the funeral for the two previous victims.

Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, a planning director for the city of Espanola who immigrated from Pakistan, was shot dead on Aug. 1 outside his apartment complex, less than a week after Aftab Hussein, 41, from Albuquerque's large Afghan community, was found slain on July 26 near the city's international district, police said. Hussain also worked on the campaign team for U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico.

Police said they are treating those two slayings, along with Friday's killing, as linked to the Nov. 7 murder of 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi, also a Muslim from Afghanistan, who was shot to death in a parking lot outside a halal supermarket and cafe.

"There are several things in common with all four of the homicides," city police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told reporters on Sunday.

Asked whether investigators consider the killings to be hate crimes, Gallegos said, "Hate is determined by motive, and we don't know that motive at this point."

Gauba estimated there are 3,000 to 5,000 Muslims living in and around Albuquerque, a city of more than 564,000 residents overall, and they account for about 85% of the entire state's Islamic population.

New Mexico State Police, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are among the agencies assisting in the investigation.
A new philanthropic project hopes to invest $100 million in 10 countries, mostly in Africa, by 2030 to support 200,000 community health workers, who serve as a critical bridge to treatment for people with limited access to medical care.

The Skoll Foundation and The Johnson & Johnson Foundation announced Monday that they donated a total of $25 million to the initiative. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which will oversee the project, matched the donations and hopes to raise an additional $50 million.

The investment seeks to empower the front-line workers that experts say are essential to battling outbreaks of COVID-19, Ebola and HIV.

What have we found out in terms of community health workers? said Francisca Mutapi, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, who helps lead a multiyear project to treat neglected tropical diseases in multiple African countries. They are very popular. They are very effective. They are very cost effective.

On a recent trip to Zimbabwe for research, Mutapi described how a community health worker negotiated the treatment of a parasitic infection in a young child who was part of a religious group that doesnt accept clinical medicine.

Shes going to the river, getting on with her day-to-day business, and she notices that one of the children in her community is complaining about a stomachache, said Mutapi.

The woman approached the childs grandmother for permission to bring the child to a clinic, which diagnosed and began treating the child for bilharzia. That would not have happened without the woman's intervention, Mutapi said.

Ashley Fox, an associate professor specializing in global health policy at Albany, SUNY, said evidence shows community health workers can effectively deliver low-cost care when they are properly equipped and trained and paid  thats a big caveat."

Though the current number of these workers is not well documented, in 2017, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the continent required 2 million to meet health targets. Many of these workers are women and unpaid, though The Global Fund advocates for some sort of salary for them.

Its hard to think of a better set of people that you would want to be paying if you think about it from both the point of view of creating good jobs as well as maximizing the health impact, said Peter Sands, the fund's executive director.

The Global Fund, founded in 2002, channels international financing with the aim of eradicating treatable infectious diseases. In addition to its regular three-year grants to countries, it will deploy these new philanthropic donations through a catalytic fund to encourage spending on some of the best practices and program designs.

Last Mile Health, part of the Africa Frontline First health initiative, has worked with the Liberian government to expand and strengthen its community health program since 2016.

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, former Liberian president and Noble Peace Prize recipient, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, convened Last Mile Health and other organizations to grapple with a response.

We were all kind of seeing the Deja vu moment of recalling back to a couple of years ago where Liberia was beset by this tragic epidemic of Ebola, said Nan Chen, managing director of Last Mile Health. And as President Sirleaf reminded us: the tide was turned when we turned to the community.

Along with the other organizations that specialize in the financing, research and policy of public health, they set about designing an initiative to expand community health programs and to capitalize on the attention the pandemic brought to the need for disease surveillance.

The catalytic fund is the result. "I think the pandemic has shone a light on the critical role of these health workers, said Lauren Moore, vice president of global community impact at Johnson & Johnson.

Don Gips, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, emphasized that these workers also can raise early warnings that benefit people everywhere.

Its critical not just for delivering health care in Africa, but this is how well also catch the next set of diseases that could threaten populations around the world, said Gips, who is also the former U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

Last Mile Health won a major donation from the Skoll Foundation in 2017 and has also received large donations from the Audacious Project from TED and Co-Impact, another funding collective. The organization's co-founder, Raj Panjabi, now serves in the Biden administration.

What philanthropy has noticed about Last Mile Health is that we were not only taking direct action on the problem by actively managing community health worker programs, but that we were seeing our innovation adopted in national policy at scale, said James Nardella, the organizations chief program officer.

SUNY's Fox and other experts say linking the work of community health care workers to the national health system is a priority, along with securing sustainable funding for their programs.

The Global Fund said it will assist countries with the design of proposed community health care worker expansions over the next year.

Chen acknowledged there is no silver bullet for the issue of sustainability.

Part of the work that organizations like Last Mile Health have to do is to sit in that discomfort and wrestle with it, with our partners, with donors, until we incrementally squeeze out the solution here, Chen said.

Mutapi said eventually governments must fund the programs themselves and she argued the experiences of places like Zimbabwe and Liberia with community health workers could benefit people in other contexts as well.

Actually, having lived on Scottish islands, which are inaccessible, she said, the innovation of community health workers is something that actually can be exported to Western communities that are remote because that connection between a health provider and the local community is really important for compliance and for access.
The government of the Solomon Islands has taken tighter control over the nation's state-owned broadcaster  a move that opponents say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news.

The government said Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, known as SIBC, would retain editorial control and that government officials would not censor or restrain the outlet.

Earlier last week, the government had lashed out at the broadcaster, accusing it of a "lack of ethics and professionalism" and saying the government has a duty to "protect our people from lies and misinformation" it said was propagated by the SIBC.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Johnson Honimae, the SIBC chief executive, said he was proud of the broadcaster's award-winning journalism.

He said it was business as usual for the broadcaster and there were no government censors vetting stories before they were broadcast, contrary to what was reported by some news outlets.

The government's move came at a politically tumultuous time in the Solomon Islands.

There were riots in the capital of Honiara last November, followed by a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in December, which he survived. Then in April, Sogavare signed a security pact with China that has caused deep alarm in the Pacific and around the world.

The SIBC has reported those developments and has included the views of Sogavare's opponents.

The broadcaster, which began as the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service, has been a fixture for 70 years in the Solomon Islands.

Employing about 50 people and operating under the slogan "Voice of the nation," the broadcaster is the main source of radio and television news for the nation's 700,000 people and is listened to and watched from the capital to the smallest village.

In late June, the government moved to delist the SIBC as a state-owned enterprise and take more direct control, saying the broadcaster had failed to make a profit, something that has been expected of such state-owned businesses.

Opposition Leader Matthew Wale said Wednesday that the delisting was a scheme orchestrated by Sogavare as "a clear attempt to directly control and censor the news content of SIBC."

"This will hijack well-entrenched principles of law on defamation and freedom-of-speech, thus depriving the public using SIBC to freely express their views, or accessing information on government activities," Wale said.

Honimae told the AP that the broadcaster took critical calls from Sogavare's office in recent months.

"They believe we've been running too many stories from the opposition side, causing too much disunity," Honimae said.

Honimae said the broadcaster and its staff won several journalism awards this year from the Media Association of Solomon Islands, including newsroom of the year and journalist of the year.

He also said the broadcaster plays the national anthem when broadcasts begin each morning at 6 a.m. and again when they finish at 11 p.m.

"We believe we are a great force for unity and peace in this country," Honimae said.

Honimae added that the broadcaster needed to "balance our stories more" and leave no opportunity for criticism.

He said Sogavare  who is also the government's broadcasting minister  had said in Parliament that the government wouldn't tamper with the broadcaster's editorial independence.

"There is no censorship at the moment," Honimae said. "We operate as professional journalists."
South African Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor accused the West of sometimes taking a patronizing and bullying attitude toward Africa, as she hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the first leg of his Africa visit. Pandor made it clear that South Africa has different views from the U.S. on Ukraine, China, and Israel and the Palestinians.

At a joint press conference in the South African capital, Blinken stressed he was not on his three-country tour of the continent in order to counter Moscow and Beijings growing influence in the region, as has been widely speculated, after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited last month.

Our commitment to a stronger partnership with Africa is not about trying to outdo anyone else, Blinken said.

Blinken spoke, too, about U.S. support of Ukraine, saying Russias invasion was an aggression against the entire international order.

South Africa has remained neutral on the conflict with Russia, its partner in the BRICS group of countries, and abstained from any U.N. votes on the matter, though Pandor said the country abhorred war and would like to see an end to the conflict.



However, she said the different approaches by the international community to different conflicts sometimes leads to cynicism about international bodies. She referenced the plight of the Palestinians.

Just as much as the people of Ukraine deserve their territory and freedom, the people of Palestine deserve their territory and freedom, she said, and we should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine. Weve not seen an even-handed approach.

Pandor added that while it didnt come from Blinken, South Africa had experienced pressure from some in the West to align with its policy on Ukraine. She also appeared to criticize the U.S. bill passed in April, Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, which has been seen by some on the continent as a vehicle to punish African countries that have not toed the line on Ukraine.

From some of our partners in Europe and elsewhere, there has been a sense of patronizing bullying  You choose this or else. And the recent legislation passed in the United States of America by the House of Representatives, we found a most unfortunate bill.

Bob Wekesa, director of the African Center for the Study of the United States, said Pandors candid remarks at the press conference showed the closed-door meeting between the U.S. and South African sides must have been a very difficult one.

I think the U.S. is attempting to figure out how to get South Africa on to its side, but South Africa is not coming to the party, Wekesa said.

Blinken was in Pretoria to launch the new U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, which focuses on areas such as climate change, trade, health and food insecurity.

During his remarks Monday, he also criticized Beijing for its strong reaction to House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Pandor would not comment specifically on Taiwan but did say South Africa did not want to be made party to a conflict between China and the U.S.
Four grain ships sailed from Ukraines Black Sea ports Sunday.

The Joint Coordination Center, the body set up under the Black Sea Grain Initiative to monitor its implementation, authorized the departures through the maritime humanitarian corridor.

The ships moving out of Ukrainian ports are headed to China, Italy and two locations in Turkey.

A fifth ship has been authorized to sail to Ukraine to pick up cargo.

Ukraine is one of the worlds breadbaskets and the blockage of its ports has resulted in rising global food prices and the threat of famine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his daily address Saturday denounced Amnesty International for its eloquent silence in failing to address the Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia NPP, the Ukrainian power plant that is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The silence, Zelenskyy said, indicates the manipulative selectivity of this organization.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency addressed the nuclear power plant situation in a statement Saturday, saying, Military action jeopardizing the safety and security of the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant is completely unacceptable and must be avoided at all costs.

Amnesty International released a report last week saying that Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harms way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, as they repelled the Russian invasion that began in February.

In response, Zelenskyy said then, There cannot be, even hypothetically, any condition under which any Russian attack on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and openly terroristic.

Oksana Pokalchuk, the head of Amnesty International Ukraine, also took issue with the global organizations report and has resigned from her post in protest.
Ukraine accused Russia again Sunday of bombing Europe's largest nuclear power station, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and alleged that Moscow was engaging in "nuclear terror."

Ukraine's state nuclear power firm said Russian forces damaged three radiation sensors at the facility in the attack Saturday night and wounded a worker with shrapnel.

"Russian nuclear terror requires a stronger response from the international community  sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

The plant, in Russian-controlled territory, was also attacked Friday. Moscow has blamed Ukrainian forces for the strikes.

Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia plant in early March in the opening stages of its invasion of Ukraine, but the facility is still run by Ukrainian technicians.

The Ukrainian nuclear company Energoatom said Russian rocket attacks Saturday hit a storage facility, where 174 containers with spent nuclear fuel were kept in the open.

"Consequently, timely detection and response in the event of a deterioration in the radiation situation or leakage of radiation from containers of spent nuclear fuel are not yet possible," it said.

The Russian-installed administration of occupied Enerhodar, where the plant's employees live, said Ukraine had struck using a 220-mm Uragan multiple rocket launcher system.

"The administrative buildings and the adjacent territory of the storage facility were damaged," it said.

After the first attack Friday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the shelling showed the risk of a nuclear disaster. Those shells hit a high-voltage power line, prompting the plant's operators to disconnect a reactor despite no radioactive leak being detected.

Zelenskyy, in his daily address Saturday, denounced Amnesty International for its eloquent silence in failing to address the Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia. The silence, Zelenskyy said, indicates the manipulative selectivity of this organization.

Amnesty International released a report last week saying that Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harms way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, as they repelled the Russian invasion that began in February.

In response, Zelenskyy said, There cannot be, even hypothetically, any condition under which any Russian attack on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and openly terroristic.

Oksana Pokalchuk, the head of Amnesty International Ukraine, also took issue with the global organizations report and resigned from her post in protest.

Meanwhile, four grain ships sailed from Ukraines Black Sea ports Sunday.

The Joint Coordination Center, the body set up under the Black Sea Grain Initiative to monitor its implementation, authorized the departures through the maritime humanitarian corridor.

The ships moving out of Ukrainian ports are headed to China, Italy and two locations in Turkey.

A fifth ship has been authorized to sail to Ukraine to pick up cargo.

Ukraine is one of the worlds breadbaskets and the blockage of its ports has resulted in rising global food prices and the threat of famine.

Some material in this report came from Reuters.
Former freedom fighters of the 1960s say President Emmerson Mnangagwas government has desecrated Zimbabwes Heroes Acre as the national shrine is now a preserve of the ruling elite with no liberation credentials or traceable records of fighting for the needs of the people.

Former ZIPRA combatant, Isaac Mabuka, who is the current Zapu chairperson, says some war veterans want to rule the county forever.

At the moment we have people who have declared that they wont allow anyone who did not participate in the liberation struggle to be the leader of Zimbabwe. Thats not what we fought for. We fought for one-person-one vote and we have a constitution we need to follow at all times. There is nobody who owns Zimbabwe. The country belongs to all Zimbabweans.

I wish to appeal to war veterans to desist from making these utterances. Im appealing to all war veterans not to decide who is to rule us because anyone who wins the elections has the right to rule. That is what we fought for. It must not be us the war veterans to stop the people from voting for who they want. We should not tell them who to vote for and we should stop threatening them with death if they make their own choices. We must understand that people can vote in anyway and hence we need to support them and not discourage of threaten them.

Zapu spokesperson, Msongelwa Ndlovu, echoed Mabukas sentiments, noting that the processing of selecting heroes in Zimbabwe has been desecrated by the ruling party.

Heroes Day forever supposed to be celebrated because people sacrificed their lives to afford us the independence we enjoy today. The fact that the national liberation project has been desecreated by Zanu PF does not erase the sacrifices that our people made to liberate our country. We celebrate the ZIPRA sacrifices, we celebrate the ZANLA sacrifices but we must do so knowing fully well that Zanu PF as a party and their ZANLA combatants have desecrated the independence project and for that reason we must remain cognizant of the fact that as much as we are liberated we know that we are not independent."

National hero status is the highest honor that can be conferred on individual and the recipients are entitled to be buried at the National Heroes Acre.

Speaking at the National Heroes Acre today, Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans should not lose sight of the role played by former freedom fighters.

He said his government wants to recognize the role played by some of them, including Zanu founding president, the late Reverand Ndabaningi Sithole.

He also noted that his government is unrelenting in its pursuit to entrench democracy, constitutionalism, the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights.

Mnangagwa warned countries who never came to our help during the brutal oppressive years under white settle colonial regime against dictating how the county should be run.
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(FILE PHOTO) LowCarbon Crossings cyclists posed for a photo during their 2016 trek across the United States. This photo was taken while they passed through Montana.

On the left is Mindy Ahler of Edina, MN. She is Co-Director of Cool Planet, creating neighborhood fun and action for our planet. She is also a Regional Coordinator for Citizens Climate Lobby, creating the political will for a livable world.
Calenda quits pact with Partito Democratico in shock move.

Carlo Calenda, leader of Italy's small centrist Azione party, on Sunday quit a centre-left alliance with the Partito Democratico (PD) just days after the parties joined forces ahead of general elections on 25 September.

Calenda announced the "painful decision" live on Italian television, citing among his reasons a new electoral pact between the PD and the left-wing parties Sinistra Italiana and Europa Verde which voted regularly against the national unity government of outgoing premier Mario Draghi.

The departure of Azione was slammed by the PD leader Enrico Letta who wrote on Twitter: "It seems to me that from everything he said the only possible ally for Calenda is Calenda. We are moving forward in the interest of Italy."

Letta is the architect behind the broad centre-left front designed to challenge a conservative alliance, which is poised to win the election next month and which celebrated the split between Azione and the PD.

Ho ascoltato @CarloCalenda. Mi pare da tutto quel che ha detto che lunico alleato possibile per Calenda sia #Calenda. Noi andiamo avanti nellinteresse dellItalia.  Enrico Letta (@EnricoLetta) August 7, 2022

The 'centrodestra' coalition comprises the far-right Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party of Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing Lega led by Matteo Salvini, and the centre-right Forza Italia party of Silvio Berlusconi.

"On the left chaos and everyone against everyone!" tweeted a jubilant Salvini on Sunday, while Meloni mocked a "new twist in the soap opera of the centre-left."

The snap election was called following the resignation of Draghi, who has stayed on in a caretaker role, after three coalition parties withdrew their support from his administration.

The Lega and Forza Italia were among the parties that voted not to back Draghi. The third was the populist MoVimento 5 Stelle (M5S), led by former premier Giuseppe Conte, whose party triggered the government collapse after snubbing an earlier vote of confidence.

Analysts predict that the centre-left split could hand the right-wing bloc a landslide victory in next month's elections.

Photo Il Riformista
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No one is quite able to pinpoint where the expression useful idiot comes from. Vladimir Lenin is supposed to have coined it, but its almost certainly older. All of us, though, have seen demonstrations of this behavior in recent months as too many adherents of both the far left and right in Europe and the US  in search of balance, or angry with Western wrongs  have provided the Kremlin propaganda machine with fuel.

So it is with the report published late last week by human rights group Amnesty International, which argues Ukrainian forces have put ordinary citizens in harms way by establishing bases in residential areas, including in schools emptied of their pupils. There is a pattern of putting civilians at risk, the organization says, and of violating the laws of war.

Amnestys concern for citizens lives is laudable, as is the commitment to impartiality and its effort to look at all actors on the battlefield. It has spoken out on Russian atrocities in Ukraine and on Moscows actions against its own citizens opposing the war. Yet Thursdays statement on Ukraines actions is, at best, naive. By allowing Moscow to portray residential areas as fair game, its also perilous.

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Where does the report go awry? First, by suggesting choice. Amnesty says it found evidence of Ukrainian forces launching strikes from within populated residential areas, basing themselves in civilian buildings and, in one instance, basing armoured vehicles under trees in purely residential neighbourhoods.

Ukraine has clear obligations with regards to its citizens, but as the defending force, it is holding back attackers where it must. Armed forces should avoid urban areas, but that is clearly not always possible given Ukrainian soldiers are defending towns and settlements, which are often seen as strategic by the Russian military. The fighting cannot always be shifted to woodlands or open fields. Amnesty experts say there are many viable alternatives but provide scant evidence for them in the brief report.

Then theres the missing context. For example, the report says that, in the cases it documented, Amnesty was not aware of efforts by military stationed in schools, hospitals and the like to evacuate civilians in nearby buildings. But it makes no reference to Kyivs broader efforts to relocate civilians  or to the reality that many are reluctant to leave, understandably fearing a worse fate away from Ukraines soldiers. Forced displacement is itself a violation.

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Theres also the basic question of how the research was carried out. Amnesty says the report followed extensive on the ground investigations, and that the outside experts from its Crisis Response Programme had also looked into Russian war crimes. Their findings reflect rigorous research standards, the organization says. All of that may be true, even if the current report offers only a snapshot. Its still hard to see why their expertise should require excluding Amnestys local team, ignoring their objections and requests. At the very least that requires an explanation. Although unwittingly, the organization created material that sounded like support for Russian narratives, the head of Amnestys Ukraine office, Oksana Pokalchuk, said in a Facebook statement. She has resigned.

All violations of international law deserve to be investigated, but the danger of creating a false equivalence between attackers and defenders is real and requires far greater care, balance and self-awareness than Amnesty has demonstrated. Simply stating, as Amnesty does, that the violations dont justify Russian attacks does not solve the problem that the report creates. This is a brutal war of conquest led by a regime seeking to wipe out a nation  not a skirmish in which both sides share the blame.

To say that issuing a four-page press release compares to hundreds of pages that weve published since the beginning of the Russian invasion... its just not true, Amnestys senior crisis adviser Donatella Rovera has said, defending the organizations actions. That may be correct from the researchers perspective, but not for many readers. Nor, of course, for Kremlin propagandists, who have enthusiastically seized upon the report.

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Which brings us to what is perhaps the most worrying aspect of all here  the response from Amnesty Internationals secretary general. Agnes Callamard at first rejected allegations of bias, but in follow-up comments suggested attacks were coming from social media mobs and trolls. This is called war propaganda, disinformation, misinformation, she tweets. Reasonable questions, including from Amnestys own team, deserve credible answers, not arrogance. Finding balance in the fog of war while retaining trust requires openness, not an effort to dig in.

No one will suggest that Ukrainian forces are always heroic. Few participants emerge unsullied from war and its clear to all that Ukraine has challenges that predate the conflict. But impartiality is simply not about publishing on one side, and then on the other.

Amnesty might have reflected on the danger of presenting its findings as it has  and how a report so short of context and explanation would be used. Russia has attacked a theater sheltering civilians, bombed a shopping center and prevented civilian evacuations; it hardly needed more reason to strike residential targets. Amnesty has blundered before. Last year, it referred to Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny as a prisoner of conscience after his arrest, but then revoked that because of past xenophobic comments  never mind the context, or the fact that its possible to object to both racism and unjustified imprisonment. It then changed its mind again. The rights group might have thought back to that instead of handing Russia another propaganda win.

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Amnestys work matters. Its reports matter, and peoples lives depend on them, as does justice. All the more reason to do it right.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Have Putins Ukraine Goals Shrunk or Grown?: Leonid Bershidsky

 A Putin War Crimes Case Is No Liberal Fantasy: Therese Raphael

 Russia needs Navalny, Warts and All: Clara Ferreira Marques

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 and editorial board member covering foreign affairs and climate. Previously, she worked for Reuters in Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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Tourism in wartime has created a new kind of beach activity  tracking superyachts linked to Russian wealth. These temples of conspicuous consumption, which got a huge boost in orders during the pandemic, are symbols of the new geopolitical order dominating soft-power travel hot spots like the French Riviera. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Boats linked to Russian oligarchs not known for their discretion have gone dark and sailed to friendlier shores like Dubai or Turkey, keen to escape the fate of over $30 billion sanctioned assets seized by governments looking to squeeze Vladimir Putins inner circle. Spain, Italy and France are among those impounding yachts; dozens are also blocked in Dutch shipyards.

Beyond what Joe Biden terms ill-gotten gains, ostentatious displays of wealth are also firing up public opinion at a time when energy poverty is leading to calls for windfall taxes. Jeff Bezoss 127-meter, $500 million superyacht narrowly avoided an egg-pelting in Rotterdam by angry locals after a plan to dismantle a historic bridge to allow it to sail through was dropped.

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A frosty reception for wealthy Anywheres might seem a minor inconvenience. Yachtmakers like Italys Sanlorenzo can still expect double-digit revenue and profit growth this year, partly because the euros slump has boosted the US dollars buying power  and because demand for status symbols is as deep as the ocean.

But if Europe is for sale, as American tourists shopping on Pariss Avenue Montaigne say, its determination to be a soft power without being a soft touch is more urgent than ever this summer.

The enforcement of yacht seizures is being accompanied by an EU crackdown on easy routes into its single market for offshore wealth. Golden passport and visa schemes that offered EU citizenship or residency rights for anywhere between 60,000 euros to 1.25 million euros ($1.27 million) are being scrutinized and potentially scrapped after a string of money-laundering scandals.

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Intended to revive investment after the financial crisis, these schemes have been too light-touch for their own good, with Cyprus allegedly breaking its own laws after handing swathes of passports to rich Russians. The approval of Portuguese golden visas to Chinas ultrarich has evaporated. The EU partially halted visa waivers to Vanuatu after its own passport scandal.

The anonymity of offshore wealth is also under fire. If identifying superyacht owners is hard, its because of the matryoshka doll structure of shell companies that owns them. The UK this month launched a registry of overseas entities owning property, even if the proposals flaws make it far from perfect. Outgoing Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has called for an international asset register for the oligarchs.

It takes a deft hand to ensure that geopolitical reputation takes precedence over economic expediency. Flexible digital nomad visas for remote workers appear to be the new post-Covid battleground for overseas cash, even if we are a long way from the days when a tech mogul like Snaps Evan Spiegel could get a French passport based on little more than his Idaho grandmothers French cookbook.

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Still, the rebound in summer tourism represents an opportunity to flex soft-power muscles. Cyprus, a favourite destination for Russians, is down about 25% compared with 2019; Finland is calling for restrictions on visas for Russians. Regional and American tourists have helped offset the drop, with foreign-policy values and Ukraine solidarity featuring in social-media sentiment, according to Olivier Henry-Biabaud of TCI Research, a Belgian travel-industry consulting firm. Research firm Oxford Economics expects arrivals to Western Europe this year to be 21% below 2019 levels, compared to a forecast 39% fall for Eastern Europe.

A Cold War-ification of travel may seem like cold comfort when Europe faces recession this winter. The tourism economy is not going to bring energy independence or manufacturing growth to a region sorely in need of both. The weak euro travelers love is not a point of political pride.

But yacht-spotting should at least bring recognition of an EU more focused on political unity and fighting the money flows that aggravate inequality. For once, fewer eyesores on the water will be more than just an aesthetic win.

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Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering digital currencies, the European Union and France. Previously, he was a reporter for Reuters and Forbes.

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed battled rebels for more than 16 months before declaring a truce in March 2022, staving off a challenge to his authority. But the conflict has pushed millions of people into hunger in the northern Tigray region and soured his once-illustrious reputation. The nations misery has been compounded by the worst drought in four decades and soaring prices of grain and fuel. Abiy is also having to contend with fresh political violence in the center of the country, a territorial dispute with Sudan and attacks by al-Qaeda-linked militants.

1. How did Abiys fortunes change?

Abiy started with a bang when he became Ethiopias prime minister in 2018. He scrapped bans on opposition and rebel groups, purged allegedly corrupt officials and ended two decades of acrimony with neighboring Eritrea, an initiative that won him the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. He also put out the welcome mat for foreign capital to maintain momentum in one of the worlds fastest-expanding economies, and vowed to quell civil unrest. But he struggled to contain ethnic tensions and his attempts to sideline the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, the nations pre-eminent power broker for decades, led to civil war. The conflict stalled the planned privatization of key telecommunications assets and other economic reforms, and prompted the US government to impose sanctions on Ethiopia and withdraw its duty-free market access.

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2. What sparked the civil war?

Abiy set about consolidating power under his newly formed Prosperity Party after taking office. The TPLF, which had dominated the countrys ruling coalition since a Marxist regime was overthrown in 1991 and continued to govern Tigray, refused to be amalgamated. Its leaders ignored a government directive to postpone elections in Tigray because of the pandemic, and the federal parliament retaliated by halting direct budget support to the region. Abiy ordered a military incursion into Tigray in November 2020 after accusing forces loyal to the TPLF of attacking a military base to steal weapons. The TPLF said its raid was a preemptive strike because federal troops were preparing to attack its territory. After several setbacks, the government eventually gained the upper hand in the war and the rebels withdrew to within Tigrays borders in December 2021. The government continued to stage air strikes on Tigray and fighting continued in the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions before the truce was declared. Tensions between the two sides remain elevated and, while they publicly agreed to talks, its unclear whether there will be lasting peace.

3. Whats been the fallout of the war?

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The government hasnt disclosed casualties and access to the conflict zones was restricted, but there are fears that tens of thousands of people have died due to fighting, hunger and a lack of medical care. In June, the United Nations estimated that the war, and a drought in eastern Ethiopia, had left more than 29 million people in need of aid. The situation was particularly dire in Tigray and the neighboring Afar region, where malnutrition and food insecurity were rife. The government has rejected allegations from civil rights groups that it obstructed efforts to dispense aid or that its forces were party to widespread human rights violations. The UN Human Rights Council has begun collecting evidence about alleged crimes committed during the conflict.

4. What are the latest tensions about?

The government has accused members of the Oromo Liberation Army, which has aligned itself to the TPLF and has been campaigning for greater regional autonomy, of killing hundreds of civilians and deployed the army to avert further violence. The group, which controls a number of towns and villages in the central Oromia region, in turn alleges that the federal police have been targeting and killing ethnic Oromos and Nuers. Abiy has also fallen out with Fano, an ethnic Amhara group that fought alongside federal forces against the Tigrayans and opposed the truce because it wanted an outright victory and uncontested rights to disputed territory. Ethiopia and Sudan are meanwhile at loggerheads over the rights to a swathe of fertile land along their common border, and there have been a series of clashes between their troops. Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based Islamist group thats linked to al-Qaeda and is seeking to expand its influence in the Horn of Africa, staged an attack in Ethiopian territory in July 2022.

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5. Why all the instability?

Africas oldest nation state, Ethiopia has long been plagued by discord among its more than 80 ethnic groups. The country was an absolute monarchy until the 1974 socialist revolution that deposed Emperor Haile Selassie. It became a multi-ethnic federation in 1991, when a TPLF-led alliance of rebels overthrew the Marxist military regime that followed Selassie. The Tigrayans, though comprising just 6% of the population, came to dominate national politics. After failing to quell three years of violent protests over the marginalization of other bigger communities, including the Oromo and Amhara, Hailemariam Desalegn quit as prime minister in 2018. The then-ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front named Abiy, an Oromo, as his successor. Abiys party won a decisive majority in mid-2021 elections.

6. Whats been the impact on the economy?

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Ethiopias $105 billion economy expanded by an average of more than 7% annually between 2018 -- the year Abiy took power -- and 2021, but the International Monetary Fund sees the growth rate slowing to less than 4% in 2022. With its finances under strain, the government announced in 2021 that it wants to restructure its $28.4 billion of external debt. But the US has urged multilateral lenders to halt their engagement with Abiys administration, and a block on their funding could derail the debt overhaul. The IMF is also yet to initiate a new program for Ethiopia -- a key requirement for debt restructuring -- after the previous one lapsed without any money being disbursed.

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From the Suwalki Gap to the Taiwan Strait, the US military faces no shortage of potential crises. But perhaps its biggest challenge lies close to home: A dwindling number of Americans are able and willing to serve in uniform. To maintain the militarys edge, the Pentagon needs to rethink how it recruits and retains troops  while also preparing to fight future wars with a leaner active-duty force.

On current trends, the outlook is troubling. To meet its overall goal of an active-duty force of 1.3 million, the military needs to bring in roughly 150,000 new recruits across its six service branches. With two months left in the fiscal year, the Pentagon is still 15% short of that goal, with the largest service, the Army, facing the biggest shortfall. Through the end of June, the Army had signed up 22,000 troops, 60% below its annual target. It could end the year with as few as 445,000 troops, nearly 40,000 smaller than the force size authorized by Congress.

A tight labor market is one reason for this state of affairs, but the bigger problem is the shrinking pool recruiters are drawing from. Because of rising rates of youth obesity and drug use, the share of Americans aged 17 to 24 who are eligible to serve without a waiver has fallen to 23%. Discounting those already enrolled in college, the number is only 12%. The military estimates that among those who are eligible, a mere 9% have a propensity to serve, the lowest since 2007, during the height of the Iraq War.

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To fill the gap, the Army is offering $35,000 bonuses to recruits willing to start basic training within 45 days and allowing enlistees to choose where theyre stationed. The service has also expanded short-term enlistment options, giving some new soldiers the option of two years of active duty rather than the standard four.

While boosting incentives to attract high-quality recruits makes sense, other proposals  such as relaxing physical fitness standards or making it easier for recruits to obtain waivers for prior drug use or medical conditions  risk undermining readiness and discipline. Creating a boot camp for applicants who perform poorly on the Armed Forces Qualification Test may help low-aptitude candidates meet the minimum threshold for service, but it threatens to degrade the militarys overall competence.

Rather than lowering its standards, the Pentagon can take a more pragmatic approach. Greater priority can be given to retaining troops once they enlist, as the Marines have done. Financial bonuses, faster promotion opportunities, and incentives for obtaining new skills would encourage troops to consider longer military careers. The Pentagon can also broaden its pool of potential enlistees by stationing more recruiters in communities with low levels of military participation.

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Despite such efforts, the US may well have to do more with less in the years ahead. Investments in unmanned weapons systems, artificial intelligence and higher-precision munitions have the potential to reduce manpower requirements. Greater collaboration with the private sector and smarter use of commercial technologies would allow the Pentagon to turn over more technical tasks, such as IT services, to civilian employees and contractors. The US should also press regional allies, particularly its NATO partners in Europe, to contribute more to collective defense.

Combating the threats to global order requires an American military thats second to none. Keeping seasoned service members in uniform while harnessing the promise of new technologies can help the US overcome its recruiting challenges without sacrificing the militarys core strengths.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, and chair of the Defense Innovation Board.

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Pfizer continues to spend its Covid windfall wisely. Today, the pharma company said it would spend $5.4 billion to buy Global Blood Therapeutics, which has one approved drug to treat sickle-cell disease and two more in development. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Its a smart deal for both companies. Pfizer can put needed marketing muscle behind GBTs products. In return, Pfizer will be able to further expand into rare diseases, an area that may be less vulnerable to Medicare price negotiations.

Shares of GBT have nearly doubled since Bloomberg reported last week that the company was attracting suitors.

Pfizer has been carefully choosing ways to spend its Covid windfall, which this year alone will amount to roughly $54 billion from sales of its mRNA vaccine and the antiviral Paxlovid. The companys goal is to add $25 billion in revenue by 2030 through targeted acquisitions and partnerships  to sustain that audacious growth and offset patent losses on several key products.

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Already this year, Pfizer has acquired privately held ReViral Ltd., which is developing treatments for respiratory syncytial virus, and has agreed to pay $11.6 billion for Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., which makes migraine treatments.

With GBT, Pfizer acquires a portfolio of drugs for sickle-cell disease, a rare condition caused by a mutation in the genetic code for hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for ferrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. In people with sickle cell, hemoglobin sticks together when oxygen isnt on board, causing red blood cells to warp and stiffen into a crescent shape. GBTs drug, Oxbryta, works by preventing the proteins from sticking to one another.

The Food and Drug Administration initially approved Oxbryta in 2019 to treat sickle-cell disease in people 12 and older, and late last year the drug was authorized to treat children aged 4 to 11. But the pandemic slowed Oxbrytas growth; in 2021, it brought in only $194.7 million. Pfizer believes it can boost the combined annual sales of Oxbryta and two other sickle-cell treatments in the GBT pipeline to more than $3 billion.

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Critically, that revenue stream is probably insulated from Medicares anticipated new power to negotiate the drug prices  because it treats a condition that is both rare and being pursued by many companies. Competition, in theory, will create its own pricing pressure.

As Pfizer puts significant energy into maximizing sales, it should also work to ensure that Oxbryta and any future sickle-cell therapies are available to the many children in low-resource countries who need them. The disease is most prevalent in Africa, where the death rate is also highest. Yet Oxbrytas US list price of $10,500 per month puts the pills far out of reach for that population.

In announcing the deal, Pfizer and GBT noted that the bigger company would have an easier time distributing the sickle-cell treatments globally. When the deal closes, it would be good to see the specific plan for ensuring fast and equitable access.

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 Drug Discovery Is About to Get Faster. Thank AI: Lisa Jarvis

 Why the WHO Wants Us to Wake Up About Monkeypox: Therese Raphael

 A Reckoning Is Coming for Cash-Strapped Biotechs: Chris Hughes

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Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

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The most popular depression drugs taken by millions dont work by fixing an imbalance of the brains neurotransmitters, as many drug advertisements claim or imply. Thats because depression isnt caused by a chemical imbalance, according to a new analysis published in Molecular Psychiatry. That doesnt necessarily mean people should stop taking these drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Another new study used clinical data to show they can still help some depressed people.

But getting a clear understanding of how and when these drugs work matters because they are extremely popular. An extensive survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that more than 13% of Americans over 18 reported having taken SSRIs between 2015 and 2018.

The analysis aimed at debunking the chemical imbalance theory was led by Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatry professor at University College London. Shes been a longtime skeptic about SSRIs, as she expressed in her book The Myth of the Chemical Cure.

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Some psychiatrists have responded that the drugs might work some other way. Christopher Davey of the University of Melbourne, writing in the Conversation, pointed out that this so-called serotonin theory is more of an advertising pitch than a scientific paradigm. Its used to sell drugs on television, but most thoughtful people in the field recognize that depression is a complex condition with psychological as well as biological roots. The only way to know how the drugs might work is to look closely at controlled clinical trials.

As it turns out, the other paper published around the same time, this one in the British Medical Journal, did a deep examination of the clinical data. The author team, headed by scientists at the US Food and Drug Administration, combined the results of 232 different trials comparing SSRIs with placebos for patients with depression. This way, they had something equivalent to a giant trial with more than 73,000 patients.

What they found was that the drugs did work better than placebos  but only in about 15% of the patients.

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One telling observation about the drug trial data is that the placebo effect is enormous. About two-thirds of all the patients in the placebo arm got better. Those on the drugs were only slightly more likely to improve and the magnitude of their improvement was a little better than those in the placebo arms. The power of the placebo effect could help explain the reason so many patients experience relief from the drugs.

One of the study authors is Irving Kirsch, the associate director of the center for placebo studies at Harvard Medical School. He says that theres a difference between the placebo effect and a placebo response in a specific trial. The placebo effect is a psychological phenomenon in which the perception of being treated makes people feel better. The effect has been measured even when people know theyre taking a sugar pill. But the placebo response in a drug trial can also include recoveries that happen on their own. Depression symptoms sometimes fluctuate, so people may have felt better whether they got any treatment at all.

In the study compiling the clinical data, Kirsch said he believes the people in the placebo arm probably got better through a combination of unaided improvement and the placebo effect. Loss of hope is part of depression, and getting a placebo can lift peoples hopes.

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The reason the FDA approved SSRI drugs in the first place was that clinical trials showed a modest difference between the drugs and placebos. What remained unknown, until now, was whether this modest benefit showed up because most people getting the drugs got a very small improvement or whether the effect was more substantial but only happened in a small subset of patients.

The new analysis shows it was the latter  the benefits beyond placebo were concentrated in just 15% of patients.

Maybe depression has different causes depending on the patient. While the drug companies and those who favor drugs sometimes compare depression to diabetes and the drugs to insulin, some cases might work more like injuries that heal over time. Others may act like different diseases altogether.

If a patient is suffering from depression, its reasonable for a doctor to prescribe an antidepressant knowing its been helpful in 15% of patients, even if its not yet clear how it works. The possibility that the majority of patients are feeling better through an illusion raises big ethical questions. Would some of that benefit go away if people didnt have overblown expectations for these drugs?

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Kirsch says hes concerned that the benefits of SSRIs are often short-lived. The drugs arent getting at the root of the problem  especially for 85% of patients. Some might get more lasting improvement from other treatments, including therapy.

So these new papers, taken together, show its too soon to throw out all the SSRIs, but its beyond time to throw out some of the most deceptive drug advertising. The television commercials pushing the chemical imbalance theory should, at the very least, come with an additional warning: The following message was something we made up to sell more of our drugs. We have no idea whether its true.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering science. She is host of the Follow the Science podcast.

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The global eradication of smallpox more than 40 years ago was one of the greatest achievements in public-health history, vanquishing a cause of death, blindness and disfigurement that had plagued humanity for at least 3,000 years. On the downside, it also led to the end of a global vaccination program that provided protection against other pox viruses. That includes monkeypox, which has been spilling over from its animal hosts to infect humans in West and Central Africa with increasing frequency since the 1970s. Now monkeypox has sparked unprecedented outbreaks worldwide, demonstrating again how readily an infectious agent in one region can mushroom into a global emergency.

1. Whats monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a misnomer that results from the fact that it was discovered at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen in 1958, when outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. While monkeys are susceptible to it, just like humans are, they arent the source. The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; and cowpox virus, also called vaccinia, which is used in the smallpox vaccine. Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and the symptoms are generally milder. About 30% of smallpox patients died, while the fatality rate for monkeypox in recent years has been about 3% to 6%, according to the World Health Organization. Death in outbreaks this year has been rare.

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2. What does monkeypox do?

The disease pattern observed currently differs from that which occurred in prior outbreaks. Historically, after an incubation period of usually one to two weeks, the disease starts with fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache and other flu-like symptoms. Unlike smallpox, monkeypox also causes swelling of the lymph nodes. Within a few days of fever onset, patients develop a rash, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body. The lesions grow into fluid-containing pustules that form a scab. If a lesion forms on the eye, it can cause blindness. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to the WHO. The patient is infectious from the time symptoms start until the scabs fall off and the sores heal. Mortality is higher among children and young adults, while people whose immune systems are compromised are especially at risk of severe disease. Pregnancy also carries a high risk of severe congenital infection, pregnancy loss, and maternal morbidity and mortality. Inflammation of the brain and seizures are rare neurological complications.

3. Whats different now?

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Some 42% of cases dont report fever, chills and other typical flu-like prodromal symptoms before their rash appears, according to a report on the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of cases in the US. The Aug. 5 study, led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also found patients experienced rashes on the genitals more frequently than other areas of the body, supporting earlier reports that some patients first seek medical care for lesions in the genital and perianal region. Lesions mostly located at these sites make monkeypox hard to distinguish from syphilis, herpes simplex virus, shingles and other more common infections, according to the CDC.

4. How is it transmitted?

Monkeypox doesnt usually spread easily between people. Close contact with the virus from an infected person or animal -- such as touching a lesion or contaminated object -- is the main pathway. The pathogen enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth, rectum and anus. Tests on various patient specimens, including saliva, rectal swabs and semen, have found traces of the virus.

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 Detailed analysis of semen from a 39-year-old man in Italy found infectious virus in a specimen collected six days after his symptoms began. The findings, published Aug. 2 in Lancet Infectious Diseases, suggest genital fluids might be a source of infection.

 Infectious virus also was found in air samples collected during a bed linen change in rooms used to isolate patients, UK researchers reported in a study released in July, ahead of peer-review. That suggests monkeypox may be present in aerosols -- suspended skin particles or dust -- and not only in larger respiratory droplets, such as from a cough, which fall to the ground close to an infected individual.

 High concentrations of virus particles were also detected on toilets, sinks and other objects used by hospitalized patients, though its not yet known whether they could be a source of infection, a study from Germany found.

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 Transmission from mother-to-unborn baby has also been documented. It can also happen indirectly through contact with contaminated clothing or linens.

 Common household disinfectants can kill it.

5. What else is unusual this time?

There have been multiple chains of human-to-human transmission occurring.

 This is the first time that cases and sustained chains of transmission have been reported in countries where infections arent linked to recent travel to places in West or Central Africa, where the disease is endemic.

 Outside those areas, the outbreaks have primarily affected men who have sex with men. Among cases with data on sexual orientation, 97.5% identified as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, according to an Aug. 3 WHO report.

 Some patients experience complications, including bacterial super infections, painful ulcerations, and inflammation of the rectum and throat.

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6. Is monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease?

No. Although its one of many pathogens capable of being transmitted during sex, its not considered an STD because it also uses other transmission pathways. Sexual behaviors are important risk factors, however. A sexual encounter was the likely source of spread in 91.5% of reported transmission events, according to the WHO report, with the most common setting being a large event with sexual contacts. Clubs, raves, saunas and other venues where there is close contact with many people may increase the risk of exposure, especially if people are wearing less clothing. Data from outbreaks in Canada, Spain, Portugal, and the UK suggest venues where men have sex with multiple partners are helping to drive spread.

7. How fast is it spreading?

From just a handful of cases in Europe in early May, more than 28,000 cases, mostly in men, were reported from 85 countries by early August, including 11 deaths, according to WHO and data collated by global.health. The virus has probably been circulating undetected in Europe since at least April. In the US, caseloads tripled in July, with the virus reported in more than 40 states. Preliminary research estimates that among cases who identify as men who have sex with men, the virus has a reproduction number greater than 1, which means more than one new infection is estimated to stem from a single case. A UK study found anonymous sex has proved to be a barrier to effective contact tracing.

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8. How is it treated?

The illness is usually mild and most patients will recover within a few weeks; treatment is mainly aimed at relieving symptoms. About 10% to 15% of cases have been hospitalized, mostly for pain and bacterial infections that can occur as a result of monkeypox lesions. The CDC says smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin can be used to treat monkeypox as well as control it. Tecovirimat, also known as Tpoxx, was approved by the European Medical Association for monkeypox in 2022, but isnt yet widely available. In the US, its safety and efficacy are being studied by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the research network established in the late 1980s to rapidly assess the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral drugs for HIV infection. In the meantime, its available through an expanded-access process from the Strategic National Stockpile, though some physicians have said lengthy delays for test results and the very daunting task of completing the necessary paperwork have frustrated efforts to prescribe it. The UK Health Security Agency (HSA) also lists cidofovir as an antiviral that can be used.

9. What about prevention?

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Public health experts say limiting spread will require a comprehensive, international vaccination strategy targeting high-risk groups -- and adequate vaccine supplies. Vaccination against smallpox can be used for both pre- and post-exposure and is as much as 85% effective in preventing monkeypox, according to the UK health agency, which is offering shots of Imvanex from Bavarian Nordic A/S to close contacts of infected people. Its a newer smallpox vaccine, based on non-replicating versions of the vaccinia virus, and is the only one also approved for monkeypox in the US, where its sold as Jynneos. (Its called Imamune in Canada). Immunization requires two injections administered four weeks apart. But supply has been limited, leading to shortages. Otherwise, the main way to prevent infection is by isolating patients with the infection, monitoring their contacts, and ensuring health staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

10. Is monkeypox a pandemic threat?

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on July 23 declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern -- its highest level of alarm short of a pandemic. The so-called PHEIC (pronounced fake) empowers the agency to invoke new measures to curb the viruss spread. Tedros last declared a PHEIC in January 2020 during the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak. The WHO assesses the risk across its regions as:

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 High in Europe

 Moderate in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean and the South-East Asia regions

 Low-moderate in the Western Pacific region

11. Can it be stopped?

The White House appointed Robert Fenton in August to coordinate the US governments response and increase equitable access to tests, vaccines and treatments. Days later a public health emergency was declared in the US, freeing up more resources. But former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in mid-July that the window for controlling the US outbreak had probably closed, with only a small fraction of the cases in the country reported. A case in a pregnant woman was reported in the US, where pediatric infections have also occurred. In the Netherlands, doctors reported a case in a boy under 10 with an immune impairment. Unable to identify how he was infected, they speculate that the virus may be present in the general population and that respiratory transmission may have played a role. Tedros warned that in some countries, the communities affected face life-threatening discrimination and so may not seek help, making the outbreak much harder to track, and to stop.

12. Do all infections cause disease?

Possibly not. Retrospective testing of 224 clinical samples collected in May for sexually transmitted infection screening found evidence of asymptomatic monkeypox infection in three men. The finding, by researchers at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, was reported in a study released July 5 before it was peer-reviewed and published. Asymptomatic carriership was previously thought to play a negligible role in the spread of orthopoxviruses, the authors said. The existence of asymptomatic infections indicates that the virus might be transmitted to close contacts in the absence of symptoms, which suggests that identifying and isolating only symptomatic patients wont be enough to contain the outbreak, and that vaccinating high-risk individuals is needed. Interestingly, one of the asymptomatic men in the study predated the first detected symptomatic case in Belgium by several days, wasnt linked to other known cases and hadnt traveled abroad or attended any mass gatherings. The authors said that might suggest that the virus circulated in Belgium before the outbreak was detected.

13. Where does monkeypox come from?

The reservoir host or main carrier of monkeypox disease hasnt yet been identified, although rodents are suspected of playing a part in transmission. It was first diagnosed in humans in 1970 in Congo in a 9-year-old boy. Since then, most cases in humans have occurred in rainforest areas of West and Central Africa. In 2003, the first outbreak outside of Africa occurred in the US and was linked to animals imported from Ghana to Texas, which then infected pet prairie dogs. Dozens of cases were recorded in that outbreak. Scientists have warned that widespread transmission of monkeypox increases the risk of the virus crossing the species barrier again and becoming established in additional animal hosts.

14. Has the monkeypox virus mutated?

The monkeypox virus might be undergoing adaptive changes to make it better suited to the human host. Analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus collected from patients in Europe indicates that the current outbreak in non-endemic countries is caused by a strain that likely diverged from the monkeypox virus that sparked a 2018-19 Nigerian outbreak, according to a June 24 study in Nature Medicine. The authors, from Portugals National Institute of Health in Lisbon, identified some 50 genetic changes or differences compared with the original strain, including several mutations the authors associate with increased transmissibility. The changes are roughly 6-to-12 times more than scientists would expect based on the observed evolution of orthopoxviruses, they said. The strain belongs to the West African clade, or branch on the evolutionary tree, that usually has a case-fatality rate of less than 1%. (That compares with 10% for a second clade called Congo Basin, which appears on the US governments bioterrorism agent list as having the potential to pose a severe threat.)

(Updates to add frequency of mortality in section 1, adds section 3 on atypical clinical signs.)

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A year ago, Rishi Sunak was the runaway favorite to be the next Tory leader, with Liz Truss polling only a third of his support. He started the contest in front in surveys of members and won the parliamentary stage of the race comfortably. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Polls now put Truss miles ahead. And while the voting by Conservative Party members, less than 1% of the British electorate, doesnt end until early September, some nine in 10 say they have already made up their minds. What happened?

Or, rather, what part of whip-smart, decent, teetotalling, hard-working, married-to-his-sweetheart, fiscally responsible and small-c conservative do Tory members not like? An American colleague wondered whether Britain is just not ready for a prime minister from an ethnic minority background (Sunaks grandparents immigrated from India to East Africa and then to the UK). Thats a fair question, though I dont think race is a major issue here.

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As Boris Johnson said bitterly in his last Parliamentary address, when the herd moves, it moves. A cynic would say that cabinet hopefuls among MPs have hopped off the fence to the side where the grass looks greener. Even Penny Mordaunt  who was eliminated in the parliamentary stages amid allegations that the Truss camp had leaked damaging documents  has now rowed in behind the frontrunner. But that explains the momentum, not why its gone Trusss way.

One obvious factor is the person not in the contest  Boris Johnson. His own MPs ended the affair after a series of scandals, but many party members have had second thoughts. Johnsons supporters portray Sunaks resignation as the event that tipped the scales against the prime minister. Sunak has had a hard time shaking his casting as Brutus to Johnsons Julius Caesar. Many Tories clearly struggle with the idea of handing the crown to the man who wielded the knife.

Another ghost haunting Sunak the candidate is Sunak the chancellor. Its very difficult for a Conservative former chancellor who raised taxes (to the highest level in four decades) to campaign as a tax-cutter. There is also a sense that he raised the wrong taxes  his national insurance increase hit both working people and their employers  that he made the system much more complex, and that he didnt manage to fund reforms of social care. Many conservatives also suspect that hes perhaps a little too dogmatic and too deferential to the Bank of England, whose mandate Truss wants to revisit.

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Hes too clever by half is a comment you hear from Conservatives, which pretty much dooms a candidate.

On an emotional level, Sunaks message of fiscal responsibility hasnt matched well against Trusss Johnsonian message of optimism amidst all the grim news. Truss makes it all gloriously, improbably, simple: slash taxes, borrow where needed and watch growth return. She dismisses as not inevitable the prolonged recession that the Bank of England has forecast. She has managed to position herself as the successor of Johnsons Brexity boosterism while also the candidate of change.

This may be the first leadership campaign in many years that hasnt focused on Europe, but Brexit still looms in the background. The right of the Tory Party thinks Sunaks more emollient style and desire to avoid further strain on the economy will lead to compromise over the Northern Ireland Protocol, which Johnson was determined to rewrite. They have thrown their backing behind Truss, who declares that the only language Europe understands is the language of strength. That backing filters through to the partys grass roots and, crucially, helped win her the support of the two newspapers that matter most to this selectorate: the Telegraph and The Daily Mail.

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Sunaks tactics have often seemed all wrong for this race; more suited to a general election. Announcing a plan to cut VAT on fuel just looked like Truss-lite. A pledge to cut income tax in seven years looked out of touch when people are worried about energy bills in seven weeks.

Outside the economic portfolio, he looked less comfortable than Truss. Pledging to expand the definition of extremism to include those who vilify Britain was intended to look tough on crime, but looked tough on free speech instead. Telling voters in affluent Tunbridge Wells that, as chancellor, he changed funding formulas that had shoved all the funding into deprived urban areas so that areas like this can get more funding was Christmas come early for the Labour Partys social media team.

Trusss name used to get an eyeroll in the Westminster bubble. But as polling expert and University of Strathclyde Professor John Curtice told Spectator TV, Liz Trusss narrative is working  the empathetic, ordinary girl who grew up in Paisley and went to a comprehensive school.

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Rishis narrative, by contrast, now seems to work against him, which wasnt the case a short time ago. As one of the youngest-ever chancellors and a rising star in the party, he was referred to affectionately as Dishy Rishi (British slang for a man who is attractive). He wrote the checks that kept people afloat during the pandemic. Now his first name sounds too much like rich, which he is. His expensively tailored suits and his wifes tax status make him seem far less relatable when so many face a cost of living crisis. The fact that he once held a US green card  which meant he pledged to eventually live in the US  before returning it when he was chancellor, still gets cited as a reason to withhold trust.

Truss has made a few campaign mistakes, but so far they havent mattered. She has nearly achieved Johnson escape velocity.

Its important to note at this stage that the contest isnt over. Sentiment can shift. The Bank of Englands dire warnings could give Tories pause about plumping for Trusss positivity over Sunaks somber warnings. Being so far ahead so early in the voting can backfire. Still, it seems the Tories have all but named the next prime minister and its not to be Sunak, the immigrants son. The only question is whether they will come to regret it.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 The Case for and Against Liz Truss: Adrian Wooldridge

 Liz vs. Rishi? The Real Winner Is Boris Johnson: Therese Raphael

 Labour Cant Rely on the Tories to Self-Destruct: Martin Ivens

(Corrects third paragraph to indicate it was Sunaks grandparents who immigrated from India.)

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion covering health care and British politics. Previously, she was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Chads military government signed a pledge Monday with more than 40 rebel groups and opposition figures ahead of planned national reconciliation talks, though the deal did not include the countrys main rebel group. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Under the terms of the deal in Doha, those who signed have agreed to a cease-fire ahead of the Aug. 20 talks planned in the Chadian capital of NDjamena. Chads junta also agreed to not take any military or police operations against the signing groups in neighboring countries.

However, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country, did not sign the pledge. The shadowy group, known by its French acronym FACT, is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chads longtime President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country since 1990.

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That immediately called into question whether the deal would be enough to ensure the success of the talks as a planned 18-month transition from military rule to democracy winds down.

We hope other groups will join the march of reconciliation and peace, with a view to achieving the aspirations and dreams of the Chadian people, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told those gathered for the signing ceremony. The initial peace agreement we are celebrating today will be an important turning point towards stability and prosperity for the Chadian people.

It is no secret that the negotiations faced many challenges which were addressed through your estimated efforts, Sheikh Mohammed added.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the Chadian parties for their efforts in the pursuit of peace, which are bearing fruit today, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Guterres addressed the signing ceremony in a video message.

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The European Union praised the signed pledge as an important step for the transition and urged all parties to join it to speed a return to constitutional order in Chad.

This would allow the launch of a truly inclusive national dialogue, which should start without further delay, the EU said.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price similarly commended the efforts made by those in Chad and Qatar to reach the pledge, calling it a significant development in Chads transitional period.

The talks began in March in Qatar. The challenges during the negotiations include some 20 rebel groups walking out of the talks in July, accusing the military government under Debys 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, of harassments, intimidation, threats and disinformation amid the negotiations.

Rebels have called for Deby to declare he would not run in any coming elections, though the military junta has insisted that can only be decided in the national dialogue talks. The pledge signed Monday in Qatar by 42 of 47 Chadian rebel groups and opposition figures involved in the talks did not include any prohibition on Deby running in any coming vote.

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In a statement before the ceremony, FACT said it rejected the accord as those taking part in the national dialogue would be not be treated equally and that it wanted rebel prisoners released as well. However, it maintained it remained ready for future talks.

Chads Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif also signed the deal on behalf of his country, though Deby had been in Doha on Saturday to meet Qatar's ruling emir ahead of the signing ceremony.

Chad had grown frustrated by the 30 years of rule by Debys father, leading to years of rebel uprisings in the former French colony that borders Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Unrest in those surrounding countries have seen Chadian rebel forces hide across the border.

___

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

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CANBERRA, Australia  The U.S. deputy secretary of state said Monday the prime minister of the Solomon Islands missed an important opportunity by failing to attend a memorial service to mark the anniversary of a key World War II battle, amid concerns the South Pacific island nation is building closer ties with China.

Wendy Sherman and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy were among dignitaries who attended a dawn service near the capital of Honiara on Sunday to commemorate the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Shermans father, Marine Mal Sherman, and Kennedys father, the late President John F. Kennedy, almost died in fighting on the Solomons. Kennedy had been the commander of a patrol torpedo boat that was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Sherman was wounded during the Guadalcanal campaign, which was the Japanese armys first defeat of WWII.

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Local media reported that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who signed a security pact with China this year, appeared to have snubbed the ceremony, a claim his office later denied.

Sherman declined to say whether she considered the prime ministers absence a snub. She said Sogavare will have to answer to his own citizens about why he made the choice that he did, in an apparent reference to the next election.

I said to the prime minister directly that I was so sorry that obviously his schedule did not allow him to come because he missed an important opportunity, Sherman told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

This was a place where international leaders gathered to say that the work with Solomon Islanders, at the time of World War II, was decisive in victory, in ensuring freedom and democracy. And so I really felt sorry for the prime minister because I think he missed an important opportunity, she added.

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Sogavare denied a snub, telling the Solomons Star News newspaper in a statement that the government was well represented at all events over three days marking the anniversary at ministerial levels.

The statement said newspaper claims of a snub were misleading and lacked understanding of protocols applied at such events.

The pact with China has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australias northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, the U.S. territory that hosts major military bases.

Both the Solomons and China have denied their pact will lead to a Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific.

Sherman said Sogavare had repeated the assurance during her recent visit that there would be no Chinese base.

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This is a situation where we will all watch very carefully to see what happens here. It is quite critical, Sherman said.

In April, a U.S. delegation to Honiara led by Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, warned that the United States would take unspecified action against the Solomons should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

Sogavare accused the U.S. and Australia of threatening and disrespectful behavior.

Chinas growing influence in the Pacific has led the United States to commit to reopening an embassy in Honiara that it closed in 1993. Washington has also committed to opening embassies in Tonga and Kiribati, a Micronesian state that, like the Solomons, recently switched its allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing.

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A Solomons ceremony on Monday, a day after the commemoration that Sherman and Kennedy attended, was briefly interrupted when an assailant armed with a pair of scissors attacked a Japanese sailor.

Radio New Zealand reported that the victim was part of a Japanese navy media team and was stabbed in the neck, receiving minor injuries.

The report quoted medics as saying the sailor required stitches but was doing well. Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighboring community and was under the influence and mentally unstable.

Also attending the ceremony were Makoto Oniki, Japans state minister of defense, and Peeni Henare, New Zealands defense minister.

The suspect reportedly tackled the sailor to the ground during the attack before locals and U.S. military personnel stepped in and detained him. Police then took him away. The ceremony resumed after a short break.

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Consumer spending, demand uncertainty for miners and labour challenges are front and centre as the earnings season ramps up this month.

Investors will be looking to see how the nations biggest companies are weathering trying global macro conditions after the S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 6.3 per cent this year, outperforming the regional stock benchmark by more than 10 percentage points.

Rio Tinto, the worlds second-biggest miner, kicked off the results season last week by reporting a sharp profit decline and halving its dividend payout, signalling earnings pain ahead for one of the nations key sectors.

Spending habits, mining demand, labour shortages: Theres some key themes emerging for this earnings season. Credit:Louie Douvis

Traders face a mixed reporting season as rising interest rates and inflation pressures threaten to weaken corporate profits despite buoyant domestic economic conditions.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Book critics Lucy Sussex and Steven carroll cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction titles. Here are their reviews. Fiction pick of the week Credit: Marlo

Jay Carmichael, Scribe, $24.99 All hail the novella, which can do more in fewer words than the conventional novel. The 150 pages here are a perfect example. Marlos genre may be the historical, but it is highly realist, based on archival research. Queer lives were dangerous, so hidden and coded. They are hard to retrieve. Jay Carmichael himself notes that his project is a task of inference. In the 1950s his hero Christopher moves from the country to Melbourne, in search of freedom. He goes from small-town scrutiny to organised repression, police and media enforcing convention. If he finds community, even love, then the risks are huge. The style is spare, with use of actual photographs to create a mood both bleak and secretly joyous. It depicts past Melbourne as alien as a distant planet.

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Jay Carmichael is a guest at Melbourne Writers Festival.

Credit: Out of Breath

Anna Snoekstra, HQ, $32.99 Anna Snoekstras area of expertise is the psychological thriller, centred on women. This novel begins with lost-soul Jo, running from her English life. The demands of her working visa take her to the Kimberleys, mango-picking. Exploited and faced with yet another trauma, she runs again. This time she meets a community living off-grid, similarly runaways, but idyllic. Or so she thinks. The narrative is crammed with secrets, slowly revealed. Not all cults are religious, nor led by the charismatic, but still, they are perilous for their prey. The whole reads like television fare, being tightly plotted, deft with character and visual tourism. It eschews the feral humans of the outback shocker, the worst violence being done to the psyche. Credit: The House of Fortune

Jessie Burton, Picador, $34.99

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Childrens historical novels used to feature a modern-day protagonist, travelled in time. Now it permeates the adult historical, though less as a plot device. Rather the characters seem more reflective of our era than the one they inhabit, as with their feminism or sexual practices. Jessie Burtons work is no exception. She scored a million-seller with The Miniaturist, and this book is a sequel. Like her debut, it is as rich in observed detail as a Dutch Golden Age painting. The child who ended the first book has here grown to womanhood. In Amsterdam, 1705, that means the safe harbour of a prosperous marriage, but young Thea has her own ideas. The miniaturist herself reappears, a deus ex machina. The result is a lived-in past, not rosy and full of adventure. For the numerous Burton fans. Credit: Random Acts of Unkindness

Anna Mandoki, MidnightSun, $29.99 The publisher may be South Australian but the setting is near-future Melbourne. At first, it seems like today, but much worse. The pornography of disaster infests the media, the disadvantaged struggle, the climate is out of control. Anna Mandokis narrative is told via three women: Amala, a student from India; Emily a researcher of rat psychology; and Roz, who has foreboding visions. They gradually intersect, against a background of refugee camps in Melbourne parks, and terrorism on trains.

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There is too much in the novel, not unusual for a debut, but it goes in some interesting directions. Not least is that faced with extreme social pressures, both humans and rats can manage the simple act of being kind. That hope, in the current rash of dystopias, is unusual, and Mandoki makes it credible as well. Non-fiction pick of the week Credit: Sleepwalk to War

Hugh White, Quarterly Essay, $24.99 History never repeats, but sometimes it does a good imitation. This is not the 1930s, but there are some eerie comparisons. Hugh White, in this take-no-prisoners essay on the new geopolitics, looks at Russia and Ukraine, but his central focus is on the rise of China and the implications that has for US sovereignty in the region and Australias reliance on the US. If there is anything to be drawn from the 1930s, it is that we over-estimated British power and resolve, and we may be doing the same again with the US. The test will be Taiwan. Until now, the US has pursued the policy of strategic ambiguity. White says, in adopting what might be called brutal pragmatism, the US must abandon Taiwan (war with China would be catastrophic, the US cant win anyway) and we must encourage them to do so. Outspoken, and compelling.



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Credit: Living on a Thin Line

Dave Davies, Headline, $32.99 When Dave Davies, co-founder with brother Ray of The Kinks, suffered a stroke in 2004, he began to recover the moment the doctors put a guitar in his hands. It not only makes perfect sense, its also a neat segue into his life, both personal and musical. In some ways, its the tale of two brothers from a large family in working-class north London, who had a difficult relationship, grew up young (Dave a father at 15) and went on to form the second-best band to emerge from Britain in the 1960s. His autobiography, book-ended in terms of his Zen Buddhism, covers the happy, crowded family life in Muswell Hill  Friday-night knees-ups, very Autumn Almanac  the hectic days of fame (he was only 17 when they had number ones in the UK and US), drugs and the fallout of fame. An engaging tale, it really got me. Credit: The Consul

Ian Kemish, UQP, $32.99

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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 Ben Harpers dad looks like a dude. Hes smiling and reclining in the sun with his Afro and Ray-Bans; denim shirt over seventies-brown T-shirt and cords. His first-born son, maybe three years old, scowls at the camera. It seems dad would rather kick back than play with the beach toys hes being offered. He was a dude, Ben confirms with an affectionate dip of his head. My dad was a master photographer. He was always shooting. And I remember he set up his timer for that shot  which was a new phenomenon in the 70s. We were at Laguna Beach, which was where he loved. It was one of his happy places. My dad didnt have many of those. That last revelation is key. The kid in the faded Polaroid, which is now the cover of an album titled Bloodline Maintenance, wasnt much older when Leonard Harper walked out in brutal, drunken circumstances, leaving his mother, a young folk musician named Ellen, to raise Ben and two younger brothers. The best part of this process is revealing the mystery to oneself, Harper says when asked why the time was right to share this intimate moment with the world. Its the most exciting exploration, truly, of the conscious and subconscious Ive ever been a part of  The cover of Ben Harpers new album, Bloodline Maintenance. I leaned on him, his cadence, memories of conversations, in a way that I had never written music before  A lot of the lyrics are connected to my dad. Its kind of a conversation continuing. This record picks up [our] dialogue where we left off. That was a good place, many years after hed turn up drunk at the door, little Ben raged at mum for turning dad away. An accomplished musician too, Leonard joined his famous son on tour before he died in the late 90s. By then, the Bob Marley concert hed taken Ben to see back in 78 had become folk legend.

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I spent my entire childhood needing his love, Harper says. And he kept that close. As the [new] song says, it was on a need-to-know basis. I think by and large because he was fatherless. His dad died on a boat during World War II. His dad never came home from the war. And I just dont think he could ever catch up with that loss in his life. Harper performs on stage at the Beacon Theatre in New York in March 2022. Credit:AP This all explains the micro meaning behind the new album title. Its in the second track that the macro implications of Bloodline Maintenance become clear. Slavery, the chorus announces. We need to talk about it. No doubt. But why so urgently? One, Americas current attempt to whitewash slavery entirely in the education system, Harper responds. Two, the blind eye people in America turn to the through-line between the transatlantic slave trade and the dysfunctionality of American democracy. And the third and final point, and what might be the most important, is that the scales of justice have never been more out of balance than they are now. Theyve tilted far enough in recent years that Harper is preparing to leave the country of his birth for a new home in France, which is where he and his band are currently breaking the COVID drought with an extensive tour. I wake up an optimist. I just dont always go to bed an optimist, he says. Harper says he spent his entire childhood needing his fathers love. Certainly, from its sombre, a cappella opening track, Below Sea Level, much of the new album seems to sail closer than usual to the brink of defeat. I was trying to find some way to reach through the troubling noise to a place of sonic safety, he says of that song, which hits doubly hard because much of his recent output has been instrumental. I had to write my way into being comfortable in my skin, even for the minute and 50 seconds that that song takes. Thats my attempt at finding serenity and sanity in a mad, mad world.

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[Its] surrender as a tool, he says. Not as giving up, but as a tool to clarity; towards a calm in the storm. The deep choral harmony (probably even seven-part at times) was a conscious attempt to channel the steely resolve of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The southern gospel-blues connection of the Blind Boys of Alabama is another reference in the same spiritual ballpark. Harper has collaborated with both acts in a 30-year recording career littered with musical giants. Also, Harry Styles! I got the call! Harper says, brightening immediately. I mean, thats one of the most exciting parts about sitting in my chair is that I get some fun phone calls. Those phone calls have ranged from John Lee Hooker to Harry Styles. Harry Styles performs at a special one-night only performance in New York for the release of Harrys House. Credit:Courtesy of Apple Music Boyfriends is the penultimate track on the boy wonder du jours new album, Harrys House. Harpers finger-picked acoustic guitar is unusually understated, but evidently nobody else would do. Harry was like, Do you have that guitar that you used on your earlier records? Harper had given the mahogany Martin 0018 to his eldest daughter, Harris, who was luckily just visiting home from college. The date was booked. I was already a fan, Harper says. I mean, I have sung Harry Styles to and from my daughters boyfriends house at the top of my lungs for years. So to get that call was exciting for me and the whole family. Loading Better still, Harper is booked to open for Styles at the 17,500-seat Kia Forum in Inglewood for a staggering 15 shows in October-November. For all the delicately weighed darkness and fury of his new album, its enough to send him directly to his happy place. Whether youre an old dog like me or a young kid, its such a prime place to arrive at. Not only is [Styles] rarely talented, but its once in every 50 years  where an artist resonates with the culture and times that hes from as clearly as he does.

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According to Jodi Bird, a travel expert with the consumer advocacy group CHOICE, the first helpful step above anything else is time.

While responsibility for the unprecedented levels of lost and delayed luggage lies squarely with the aviation industry, there are things travellers can do to help improve their chances of being reunited with their suitcase at the end of a flight.

To make yourself stand out from all the other black suitcases, put your name tag on it as well as a GPS device.

With footage of abandoned suitcases stretching as far as the eye can see dashing hopes of an Instagram-worthy holiday, the question of what  if anything  can be done to avoid having your luggage lost is now being asked by many soon-to-be-travellers.

After waiting what feels like an eternity for international travel to reopen, many Australians are now facing the prospect of an overseas holiday without clothes, toiletries and other essentials as airlines around the world continue to lose luggage.

It takes time and labour to carry your luggage from one place to another and we know right now that there are labour shortages across the aviation industry. So arriving at the airport early and giving staff that are on the ground the time they need is the first thing, he says, recommending travellers check each airport and airlines proposed arrival times the day before flying.

Where possible, Bird also suggests flying directly or opting for longer connections between flights, again, to allow staff the time they need to move bags from point A to point B.

The more connections you have the more likely your luggage is to be lost. If you can fly directly thats the best option, but if you have to make connections, try to stretch it out so that baggage handlers have that time to move it, Bird says.

One Qantas staff member, who asked not to be named so they could discuss the issue, said another simple way to improve your chances of being reunited with your luggage if it is delayed is to invest in GPS bag tags like those on offer from Apple and Tile, as well as a traditional bag tag that clearly states your name and contact details.

When youre in a room with 200 black suitcases and trying to find somebodys individual bag, a GPS tag wont help but a tag with your name and contact information will, they say.
More people are expected to die from COVID-19 than cardiovascular disease or lung cancer this year as high rates of infection, including among older Australians, result in a significant death toll from the current wave.

COVID-19 is set to be the third-leading cause of death in Australia in the first seven months of 2022, an analysis by the Actuaries Institutes pandemic mortality working group concluded.

The working group found deaths from the virus were expected to total 7100 by the end of July, a figure higher than cardiovascular disease (5500 expected deaths, mostly strokes) and lung cancer (5400 expected deaths).

About 10,000 deaths were expected to have been recorded from ischaemic heart diseases, also known as coronary heart disease, and dementia, respectively, by the end of last month.
Radio 6PRs Breakfast announcer Gareth Parker has announced he is leaving the program to take on the role of 9 News Perths director of news.

Gareth Parker is leaving 6PR. Credit:Nine

The WA Journalist of the Year and award-winning WAtoday columnist told his listeners the new job was a huge opportunity.

Im looking forward to getting up the hill to the top of the Terrace and getting stuck into the newsroom with all of the very talented and hardworking professionals at Nine, he said.

He will remain on air for some time before making the move, and a replacement presenter is yet to be announced.
HCM City seeks to boost technology transfer from universities

Huynh Kim Tuoc, managing director of Sai Gon Innovation Hub's (SiHub) Start-up Support Centre under the HCM City Department of Science and Technology, affirmed that Vietnam holds tremendous potential for technology development and transfer thanks to its highly qualified experts and intellectuals with rich experiences in this field, especially young and talented human resources at universities.













An expert at a workshop on promoting the establishment of technology transfer offices in universities held in HCM City on August 3.  Photo voh.com.vn

Tuoc said that at a recent workshop in HCM City on promoting the establishment of technology transfer offices (TTOs) in universities, which was co-organised by SiHub, Australia's University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Singapore's leading incubator fund Expara.



The workshop attracted a large number of domestic and foreign experts, and representatives of universities in the southern provinces and cities to exchange, discuss and assess the current situation, advantages, difficulties and challenges as well as propose effective models and solutions that bring practical benefits from the establishment of technology transfer offices at universities.



Over the past 50 years, Vietnam has focused its resources on training and research, but has not developed commercialisation of research and inventions.



SiHub now has about 300,000 technology research projects at universities nationwide and a network of 100,000 technology firms based around the world, Tuoc said.



The commercialisation of the universities inventions and products in the country is expected to be developed in the future, he said.



The centre focuses on promoting the development of existing potential in technology development at universities, he said.



It is choosing universities to consult, build processes and organise apparatus to establish technology transfer in order to commercialise research and invention that bring economic value.



Douglas Abrams, founder and CEO of Expara, said Vietnam has great potential for high quality human resources and entrepreneurial spirit that can make significant contributions to the country's technology development.



Intellectual assets from universities and research institutes are the foundation to support start-ups, he said.



The role of universities is to connect potential ideas, build strong teams, and interact with businesses to successfully conduct commercialisation, he said.



Nguyen Diep from UTS said the universitys technology transfer model is being deployed to many partners.



The number of inventions of universities in Vietnam is still very low compared to universities in Thailand and Singapore, but they have a lot of potential, he said.



Experts pointed out many challenges of technology transfer and commercialisation such as the science and technology ecosystem does not have a clear orientation, with low connectivity and interaction.



They agreed that local universities need to be more active in participating in technology transfer activities, promote both quantity and quality of inventions, and build a technology transfer ecosystem with the participation of businesses.



It also needs to enhance the legal framework, develop technical and financial infrastructure, and promote creativity and innovation capacity, capacity in management and investment in universities, they said.



Many successful models of commercialising university research were introduced at the workshop, such as TTO of TNG Holdings Vietnam and the Sai Gon High-Tech Park's High-tech Business Incubation Centre.



On this occasion, SiHub, UTS, Expara and universities in the southern region signed cooperation agreements to promote technology transfer activities in the following years.



Building smart schools



Recently, a workshop on application of technology in building smart schools for promoting smart city development was held by the Sai Gon High-Tech Park's High-tech Business Incubation Centre, the citys Department of Science and Technologys Centre for Statistics and Science and Technology Information, and TitKul Joint Stock Company.



Experts in education and training and information technology enterprises attended the workshop to assess the current situation, and discuss the needs and solutions of information technology application in order to serve the management and administration in the education and training sector adapting to the digital transformation trend.



A recent survey shows that the need for digital transformation in the education and training sector is increasing, especially at schools after experiencing online work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Nguyen uc Tuan, acting director of the Centre for Statistics and Science and Technology Information.



Basically, digital transformation in education and training is the application of technology to optimise management solutions, administration, and teaching methods.



Applying technology in the classroom will create a flexible educational environment and unlimited access to learning materials, increase interactivity and practical experience, improve the quality of education, and reduce training costs, he said.



The application of technology in building smart classrooms and schools also helps to build a modern and effective education and training sector based on digital technology platforms, he said.



Le Thi Thao, principal of Cat Lai Secondary School in Thu uc City, highly appreciated the digital transformation in the education and training sector.



The use of AI robots has made it easier and faster to check and control the pandemic, she said.



To build a smart school, since 2017 the school has equipped smart devices such as smart TVs and projectors, and improved internet connection for easy access by students in class and teachers getting materials from shared data, she said.



Titkul JSC introduced its TK Smart Vision Edu app at the workshop which helps schools to monitor, manage, and connect students, teachers, and school staff effectively, easily, and save more time with just a single system.



In particular, its TK Robot AI can recognise faces even when wearing a mask, and automatically measure body temperature and spray hand sanitiser for non-contact students.



Trinh Minh Tri, sales director of Titkul JSC, said these applications could help the schools to integrate the use of smart cards in libraries, school medical rooms, canteens and parking lots when they are further developed.



Many solutions by artificial intelligence and data synthesis, processing and analysis for teaching and learning activities were among issues discussed at the workshop.



Cooperation agreements were signed between schools and businesses to apply technology in building smart schools.
Press Release

August 7, 2022 Robin's Bill to Grant Civil Service Eligibility to 'Casual' Govt Employees At long last, casual or contractual employees who have rendered at least five years in the government service will have a chance to become regular employees and avail of the corresponding benefits at work - if a bill filed by Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla is passed into law. Padilla filed Senate Bill 234, granting civil service eligibility under certain conditions to government employees appointed under casual or contractual service in the career service. "It is high time that we grant eligibility to our committed casual or contractual employees of the government in order to open opportunities for higher salaried positions, boost their morale and keep them motivated, and enhance their productivity to the benefit of the public," Padilla said in his bill. "For the longest time, the government has gained notoriety for denying its employees opportunities to be regularized," he added. Citing data from the Civil Service Commission, he noted some 660,390 out of 2.4 million government employees in 2017 (27%) were under "job order" or "contract of service" status. "Most of our casual or contractual government employees cannot seek regular employment because they are not civil service eligible," Padilla lamented. On the other hand, Padilla said there have been special laws, regulations and orders authorizing the CSC to grant eligibility to "qualified individuals" including Bar/Board eligibility, Barangay Health Worker Eligibility, Barangay Nutrition, Scholar Eligibility, Barangay Official Eligibility, Electronic Data Processing Specialist Eligibility, Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility, Honor Graduate Eligibility, Sanggunian Member Eligibility, Scientific and Technological Specialist Eligibility, Skills Eligibility Category II, and Veteran Preference Rating. Covered by the bill are casual or contractual employees occupying first level career civil service positions in the clerical, trades and custodial service involving non-professional or sub-professional work in a non-supervisory or supervisory capacity. Government employees who will qualify should meet conditions including a certificate of no pending administrative case; and should not have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving "moral turpitude, disgraceful o immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness or addiction to drugs." They should also not have been dishonorably discharged from the military service or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government. Robin, Isinulong ang Civil Service Eligibility Para sa mga 'Casual' Sa wakas, magkakaroon na ng pagkakataon ang mga "casual" o "contractual" na emplyeadong matagal nang naninilbihan sa gobyerno na maging regular - na may karapatan sa mga karampatang benepisyo. Ito ang nilalaman ng Senate Bill 234 ni Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla na nagbibigay ng civil service eligibility sa mga casual at contractual na nakaabot ng di bababa sa limang taon sa serbisyo. "It is high time that we grant eligibility to our committed casual or contractual employees of the government in order to open opportunities for higher salaried positions, boost their morale and keep them motivated, and enhance their productivity to the benefit of the public," ani Padilla. "For the longest time, the government has gained notoriety for denying its employees opportunities to be regularized," dagdag niya. Ani Padilla, tinaya ng Civil Service Commission na 660,390 sa 2.4 milyong empleyado sa gobyerno noong 2017 (27%) ang "job order" o "contract of service" ang status. Karamihan ay hindi ma-regular dahil hindi sila civil service eligible. "Most of our casual or contractual government employees cannot seek regular employment because they are not civil service eligible," ayon sa mambabatas. Dagdag ni Padilla, may ibang mga special laws, regulations at orders na nagbibigay ng eligibility sa mga "qualified individuals" tulad ng Bar/Board eligibility, Barangay Health Worker Eligibility, Barangay Nutrition, Scholar Eligibility, Barangay Official Eligibility, Electronic Data Processing Specialist Eligibility, Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility, Honor Graduate Eligibility, Sanggunian Member Eligibility, Scientific and Technological Specialist Eligibility, Skills Eligibility Category II, at Veteran Preference Rating. Sakop ng panukalang batas ni Padilla ang mga casual o contractual na empleyadong nakasilbi sa gobyerno ng hindi bababa sa limang taon, at nasa first level career civil service positions sa clerical, trades at custodial service. Dapat walang pending administrative case at hindi na-convict sa krimeng may kinalaman sa "moral turpitude, disgraceful o immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness or addiction to drugs." Hindi rin dapat dishonorably discharged sa military service o dismissed for cause sa anumang civilian position sa gobyerno ang naturang empleyado.
Marles, who is acting prime minister while Anthony Albanese takes leave this week, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the existing submarine fleet, known as the Collins class, despite concerns about the diesel-powered vessels since they were launched in the 1990s. I think the Collins is operating excellently in 2022, he said. I mean, the only point to make is that obviously, when Collins was imagined and put into place, it was expected that it would start coming out of the water in the middle of this decade. There were issues earlier on around utilisation but I think weve addressed those and theres a good rhythm around it. And it is a highly capable asset. The government said last year it would extend the life of the Collins fleet by about a decade during the wait for nuclear submarines that are meant to be deployed from 2040, but this has sparked a debate about whether the existing fleet could last that long or may need to be upgraded a second time.

Marles reiterated there was a real possibility of a capability gap after the extension of the Collins-class and that this would have to be considered by the working group looking into the submarine timeframe under the AUKUS agreement with the United States and United Kingdom, as well as by a separate review of defence he announced last week. Loading We are open-minded about looking at every possibility as to how to plan for the capability gap, he said. Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie warned of a very bleak strategic outlook and said Australia should accelerate its work on missiles, nuclear submarines, fuel stocks and ammunition stocks. The point is that if there was a conflict around Taiwan, whether were involved directly or indirectly on the periphery we would certainly be in the gun, Hastie told the ABCs Insiders program on Sunday.

And thats why we need to build our deterrent strength, thats why we need to exercise exceptional political leadership, diplomatic leadership. Concerns about local jobs influenced major Coalition decisions on defence in the past decade including the rejection of Japanese submarines in 2015 and the choice of French submarines in 2016 with a promise they would be built in South Australia, but the French contract was cancelled at a cost of $2.4 billion in favour of the AUKUS agreement on nuclear-propelled boats. Marles emphasised the need for strategic need to take priority but said Australian industrial capacity was also fundamental over time. Now as it turns out, when were talking specifically about submarines, we will inevitably have to develop the capacity to build the submarines here  obviously, not the [nuclear] reactor, that will come from overseas, he said.

We need to do that for two reasons. One is that because if you think about the net industrial capability of Australia, the US and the UK, weve got to play our part in increasing that. Were we to simply place ourselves in some queue in the US and the UK, it is a very long queue. General Dynamics, the US company that makes the Virginia-class nuclear submarine, last year reported a $US39 billion ($56 billion) backlog of work at its electric boat division. Loading Marles said the second argument for local industrial capacity was to demonstrate Australia could manage the nuclear vessels under its commitments on nuclear non-proliferation, a key issue for the International Atomic Energy Agency and Australian allies and other countries. Defence industry cant be just a proxy for industry policy, which is what it was for the former government. When it comes to doing defence industry, it is a strategic call. There are good strategic reasons why we should do it and its the strategic rationale that should drive it and ultimately make it sustainable, he said.
Australia hit peak building activity this year with thousands of new homes under construction, but experts have raised concerns they are already out of date.

Many homes lack features to future-proof them from pandemics, climate change and remote working and to even increase their value down the track, industry figures say.

Smart mirrors are one feature that can future-proof a home, alongside double-glazed windows, multi-split air-con and integrated 5G.

At the top of the list are electric vehicle charging stations, multi-split air conditioners, double-glazed windows and built-in 5G technology, said Peter Li, general manager of Plus Agency, a Sydney-based apartment marketing agency.

In a pandemic world, having multi-split air conditioners, where air is not recirculated throughout an entire apartment block or even within a unit, is crucial, Li said.
We are three months away from the midterm elections, so expect to be bombarded with political ads, full of innuendos and allegations.

Sometimes those innuendos require a deeper look, and in our Behind the Ballot segment, we intend to do just that.

First up, in Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, Republican Doctor Mehmet Oz is accusing Democrat John Fetterman of being anti-fracking and jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania jobs.

Fracking is something environmentalists want to move away from, as it contributes to greenhouse gases. However, it's a major business in Pennsylvania, as the state is only behind Texas in production.

Dr. Oz says Fetterman wants it banned, but Fetterman says that's a lie.

So what's the truth?

Fetterman would destroy our energy industry, canceling pipelines, crushing fracking, Dr. Oz claims in a TV political ad.

Oz and the Republican National Committee contend Fetterman wants to do away with fracking. They say this would cost Pennsylvanians hundreds of thousands of jobs and raise natural gas prices.

They point to a 2016 fracking moratorium pledge Fetterman signed for an environmental watchdog group, as well as a 2016 tweet he sent while running for U.S. Senate supporting a ban until the state has an extraction tax.

In 2015 I signed a fossil fuel no-money pledge, Fetterman said during a November 2020 interview in Rolling Stone.

Fetterman's campaign says his energy goals are for a balanced transition into renewable energy but does not support a moratorium or ban on fracking.

It's a stance Fetterman spoke to Rolling Stone about in November of 2020.

If you take nuclear out of the equation and natural gas out, where does 60% of our energy come from overnight? If we ban fracking overnight, how do people heat their homes or afford to heat their homes or cook their food? Fetterman said during that Rolling Stone interview.

A spokesperson said Fetterman signed that 2016 pledge due to a lack of state regulations but amended his stance once the state instituted tougher fracking rules that fall.

As for Oz, he made his position clear while speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity in May.

You're pro energy independence, you're pro fracking, Hannity said to Oz during the live interview. Oz nodded yes and pointed to all the gas below the Pennsylvania ground.

Oz supports stripping regulations but like Fetterman, his stance has evolved, only in the opposite direction.

In a 2014 syndicated column Oz, as a doctor, expressed concern over possible health effects of fracking and suggested it be put on hold until a Department of Health study becomes available.

We reached out to both Ozs campaign and the RNC but have yet to hear back.

Fettermans campaign gave us this statement:

John does not support a fracking moratorium or ban. In fact, he was attacked in the Democratic primary over his support for fracking, and throughout his career John has stood up to politicians to fight for U.S. Steel's right to build fracking wells. John believes that we have to preserve the union way of life for the thousands of workers currently employed or supported by the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania and the communities where they live. We cant just abandon these people, and tell them to go learn how to code. Dr. Oz is once again just lying to the people of Pennsylvania.

They also point to his support of a U.S. Steel lease to Merrion Oil and Gas near the Edgar Thomson Works Facility in Bradford, to remain open to ensure 550 workers still have a job, as well as him being attacked throughout the primary from his Democratic opponents. Environmental groups have also been critical of Fettermans fracking stance.
Alan Cumming made his "return" to the Edinburgh International Festival in 2007, starring in the National Theatre of Scotland's production of The Bacchae. He has been back several times under Fergus Linehan's directorship, mostly as a cabaret artiste, and now, in Linehan's final festival, he fronts the main drama production of the first week.

Burn is Cumming's meditation on and tribute to Rabbie Burns, Scotland's national Bard. Created alongside choreographer Steven Hoggett, one of his objectives was to get to the real man beneath the shortbread tin image, what's left when you scrape away the much-quoted verse. Cumming describes Burns as "a hot mess" who struggled with desire, physical affliction and mental health, and this one-man, one-hour show seeks to unmask that mess and interrogate him as a flesh-and-blood character.

Throughout, nostalgia is married to modernity. You see the nostalgia instantly in the show's look, a black stage with a desk, some chairs and some bundles of clothes. Cumming himself wears close-fitting black dance gear that matches his jet-black hair and painted black nails, contrasting the whitened skin of his face, arms and legs. Consequently the whole visual aesthetic has the whiff of an old black-and-white movie, matched by the monochrome projections that light up the back wall.

Burn has been billed as a dance piece, but that's the wrong element to focus on. There's rhythmic movement aplenty, but it's often closer to mime or even sign language. Cumming moves in time to his own rhythmic speech, jerking in a particular direction to emphasise certain words, but that fades out after the first ten minutes, and the focus lands, as it should do, on the language.

Drawn from Burns' poetry and letters, the narrative is partly Burns' biography from his poverty-stricken upbringing to his dreary life as an exciseman; but we also open windows into his feelings: his hopes, fears, dreams, worries and, importantly, his loves. The tone is wistful, tinged with mischief, and there is rhythmic musicality in its spirit, just as there is in the poetry. It captures the backward-looking mood very well, and it's an effective way of getting inside the poet's mind and revealing his personality. Props glide in and out to suggest places, people and situations, one standout being a bunch of rags that, when raised elegantly skywards, turns out to be the dress of one of his great lost loves.

Cumming is the master of his material. He has clearly loved getting under the skin of the poet, one Scottish icon reflecting on another, and there is unmistakeable passion in his performance as he brings his own project to fruition. If there's a problem then it's that the episodic nature of the piece feels ultimately quite scattergun. For all the talk about uncovering Burns' mental health issues (such as suspected depression, or even bipolar disorder), this never goes too deep. In fact, several scenes dissolve into another at the very moment that they're about to become interesting. That's a source of frustration, and one of the reasons I found the show diverting rather than gripping. Nor does it help that the final five minutes become unnecessarily frantic, the dance becoming chaotic against a blur of changing colours.

Still, Cumming's conviction makes him easy to watch, and it's a neat touch to end the play with Burns, a man like any other, reciting "Auld Lang Syne" in front of the curtain, one of us after all.
Exodus







The Last Return







At a time when people say politics is both too serious and too ridiculous for satire, the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh boldly marches in with two fiercely political and satirical plays which deal with the state of the world today.

The plot of Exodus, from the National Theatre of Scotland, has become almost too on the nose. Although writer Uma Nada-Rajah has been working on the piece since 2018, it is premiered at a time when its premise of a fictional Tory leadership candidate of colour seeking to succeed the Prime Minister with immigration policies of monstrous severity seems to be reflecting the headlines rather than sending them up.

In fact, Home Secretary Asiya Rao (a sparky Aryana Ramkhalawon) who poses on the White Cliffs of Dover while dressed up as Britannia, could be an amalgam of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel. And her plan  Project Womb  which will irradiate the waters around the British Isles to keep migrants out feels like an only slightly absurdist view of the real world. "There have been some minor hiccups with the fish. The British fish are, for the most part, delighted."

But the savagery of its satire also owes a debt to the 18th century satirist Jonathan Swift and his Modest Proposal that the poor of Ireland should sell their babies to the rich for food.

There's a baby here too, one who is swept up by the waves when Rao is posing for her photographs, and tucked  equally quickly  into her Hermes handbag by her Machiavellian aide Phoebe (Sophie Steer), a woman who will do literally anything to make her boss Prime Minister.

An acceleratingly farcical train journey follows, with director Debbie Hannon carefully orchestrating the mayhem on Alisa Kalyanova's clever, colourful set, animated by Rob Willoughby's videos. The madness and confusion of each scene, also involving a journalist (Anna Russell-Martin) out for her first big break and an asylum-seeking actress (Habiba Saleh) playing Rao's mother, has a wild and whirring quality.

It is very funny, and quite crazed, but the callousness depicted is chilling too. Nada-Rajah's point, strongly made, is that politicians are prepared time and time again to avoid human suffering  and even to cause it  if it serves their own interests.

The performances are all vigorous and committed, but the stand out is Steer's calculating Spad, reeling from crisis to crisis while always pretending to be in control. At one point, she just stands frozen, trying to work out how to react. Her calm becomes the fixed point in the accelerating chaos.

Exodus is fun, but it doesn't quite know when to stop. It feels slightly like being hit over the head repeatedly with a large rubber hammer. The Last Return, however, makes its points with the subtlety of a fencer, feigning a gentle advance, but stabbing you over and over again with a rapier.

This astonishingly original play by Sonya Kelly, for the Druid Theatre Company, starts from an innocuous premise. In a cool, theatre foyer, somewhere in the world, designed by Francis O'Connor to be both bland and international, and dominated by a ticket desk that announces its wares in four languages, a woman with an umbrella arrives to demand a ticket for Oppenheimer's Return to Hindenberg.

The ticket seller calmly informs her that this, the final performance, is sold out, but if she cares to wait, any returns will be sold ten minutes before the show begins. Yet there is already a gentleman reading a newspaper, waiting for a ticket. The woman needs a ticket because seeing Oppenheimer has become the glue that is holding her office together. If she doesn't see the piece, she will be denied promotion.

But the man is professor of Oppenheimer studies and, thanks to an incontinence problem, has been unable to see the work to its close, despite attending 36 times. His job too is under threat from machinations within his department. "So you see, tonight, my situation is very desperate. I simply cannot fail." Gradually, these two, at war with each other over their place in the queue, are joined by others  a soldier ("I'm here on doctor's orders) and a woman in pink who communicates via Google translate that she is just waiting for someone.

They must negotiate not only each other's desires, but the rules of the queue  and the intransigence of the ticket seller who constantly repeats the same rubric. "I do not organise the ticket queue. It is up to the people in the ticket queue to organise themselves."

The control of Kelly's writing is dazzling. There are clues from the start that the world depicted is not quite what it seems; a piece written by someone with the name of the inventor of the atom bomb about either an airship disaster or the President of Germany who took his country into the First World War is clearly doing some metaphorical heavy lifting. So are the occasional explosions that shake the space; they might be the inclement weather or they could be something more sinister.

But each shift of mood in the descent into something other, is beautifully modulated. The play remains devastatingly funny even as it becomes increasingly unsettling and violent and director Sara Joyce confidently holds the delicate balance.

The cast carry each change of tone with superb assurance. Fiona Bell makes every line count as the interfering umbrella woman, prissy and irritating, gradually letting her underlying viciousness sneak through; as the Newspaper Man, tormented by her every mention of water, Bosco Hogan captures a very precise type of academic self-righteousness; Fionn O Loingsigh as the tormented soldier and Naima Swaleh as the woman in pink, whose intervention is utterly crucial to the play's purpose, are both powerful. And as the imperturbable Ticket Person, silently presiding over events like God, making interventions and only speaking when a bell in front of her is pinged, Anna Healy delivers a masterclass in comic timing and intent.

For all its ultimate seriousness and despair about the human condition, The Last Return ends on a note of grace, as unexpected as it is welcome. It's not a play that will change the world, but it takes a long, hard look at things in unexpected ways, providing a clarion call of clarity amidst all the noise.
There's a rich seam of nostalgia for comedians of the past that has emerged on the Edinburgh Fringe in recent times. Now, hot on the heels of shows celebrating and commemorating Frankie Howerd, Kenneth Williams and Eric Morecambe, comes Les Dawson, best known as the rubber-faced, lugubrious host of Blankety Blank.

I loved Dawson, a fellow Lancastrian with a rich love of words, and part of the pleasure of this one-man show from impressionist Jon Culshaw, of Dead Ringers fame, is the sheer joy of being back amongst Dawson's jokes and hearing  with uncanny accuracy  the voice that asks us to travel back through "the fecund loam of our collective consciousness" to remember someone who died in 1993.

But this is more than a simple turn. Written by Tim Whitnall and directed by Bob Golding, the team that scored such a success with Morecambe in 2009, the piece imagines Dawson beginning to dictate his memoirs while flying on Concorde for a rare New York gig. This both provides the opportunity for some gags  "Oh look, there's Joan Collins, dashing to New York to attend the birth of her next husband"  and a frame for Dawson to look back, philosophically, on his life.

There's a lot to remember. Born into poverty - "a gaslit hovel so decrepit the cockroaches go round on stilts"  he had disastrous careers as a door-to-door salesman and as an electrician who blew up a street when he rewired a jukebox, then played piano in a Paris brothel, before finding fame on Opportunity Knocks at the late age of 36.

All of which is recounted here, on a set featuring a giant television screen which allows Culshaw as Dawson to watch himself imitating other great showbiz figures of the time including Alan Whicker, Hughie Green, and Dawson's own comic creation Cissie in gossipy conversation with Roy Barraclough's Ada, full of double entrendres and joyful misunderstandings.

All the impressions are, as you would expect, superb; Culshaw as Dawson wonderfully catches not only the gurning face and the little moues of satisfaction when a good gag lands, but also that deep drop of the voice that the comic employed to add to the effect.

But what's appealing about Flying High is the way in which it winds the comedy into a heartfelt examination of the sources of Dawson's appeal  his obsession with words and the way they work, the essential good nature of his humour, the truthfulness of so many of his observations of life.

Goodness knows what the younger members of the audience made of it all, but the show's final appeal for kindness in a difficult, hard-knocks world, feels strangely moving, an echo from a more innocent past to an ever more complicated present.
From its beginning in 2004 the Great River Shakespeare Festival performances taught me that once is never enough. The many subtleties in language, settings, scenery, props, plot, and action cannot be absorbed by attending just once. After 20 years in Winona, John and I moved to North Carolina in 2012. Returning for the summer, my delight in GRSF continued.

I was unable to come back to Winona the past two summers. This year I was only here for one week, just time enough to attend three plays once and enjoy the Shakespeare for Young Artists productions. Happily, I did get hugs from several actors, now my dear friends, at these performances!

Twelfth Night, as always, was a frolic with audience laughter at the antics and un-expected romances. Everyone was superb. Leah Gabriels role as Malvolio reminded me of the same role with Chris Gerson many years before. All the actors were hilarious.

As Tarah Flanagan portrayed a Southern woman in Always... Patsy Cline, her drawl was so natural she sounded like she might have lived in the South all her life. Brittany Proias beautiful voice brought Patsy to life, and made me cry, remembering the songs. The band really added to the enjoyment. The audience was reluctant to leave.

The African Company Presents Richard III depicted an actual event from 1821 about the beginning of black theater in New York. Five excellent black GRSF actors brought to life the overwhelming difficulties of staging their Shakespeare play across from a white theater. The white supremacist manager (ably acted by GRSF Artistic Director Doug Sholz-Carlson) was hell-bent on making sure they failed.

Interactions among the black actors about their Richard III roles and their personal lives revealed complex moral and economic decisions they had to make. The depth of racism, even in free New York, was visible. Later, carefully constructed signs on the wall in the lobby taught me a lot of history I never knew.

In the South, with Jim Crow as the norm, the layers of racism are slowly being uncovered. Just last year in 2021, 200 years after 1821, the names of several white supremacist leaders were removed from buildings at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University. Among them was Julian Carr. (I had gone to classes in Carr Building at Duke in the 1950s!) The Josephus Daniels Middle School in Raleigh, N.C., was renamed.

His reporting, as publisher of the Raleigh News and Observer, helped overthrow the prosperous black community in Wilmington NC in 1898.
Programs

Craft-a-Palooza family program, from 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, lets creativity soar with a wide variety of arts and crafts materials available.

Community Read movie event, Still Alice, will be shown at 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 11, with a discussion centering on Alzheimers and dementia to follow.

Creating Moments of Joy: Along the Alzheimers Journey book discussion from 5-6 p.m. Aug. 18. Discussion will be led by Janet Weigel, outreach specialist from the Alzheimers & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin.

Presentation by author Jolene Brackey Creating Moments of Joy, at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 25. As the capstone event for the Community Read, Brackey shares her humor, insight and compassion as she discusses her experience with the Alzheimers journey.

Library programs are always free and open to the community. A monthly calendar of events is available at portagelibrary.us or pick up a copy in the library.

News

Whether you are a new or renewing member, consider becoming an active Friend of the Portage Library. Friends support the library, especially programming, through dues, book sales, fundraisers and volunteers. Membership dues are $10 for adults, $2 for students, $20 for families, and $50 for businesses.

Friends of the Portage Public Library are looking for donations to contribute to the success of their ongoing Pop-Up Book Sale. Residents and visitors to the community are finding used books, puzzles, DVDs and audiobooks for all ages at affordable prices. Popular new titles sell the best. Proceeds from the book sales support library programming.

Services

The library invites everyone to participate in the Community Read 2022, with events happening in August. This year, the focus is on Alzheimers & dementia awareness via the book Creating Moments of Joy by Jolene Brackey. By partnering with the Alzheimers & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin, the library hopes to offer valuable education opportunities, spotlight local support networks, destigmatize the disease, and make the community more welcoming for memory care needs.

Patrons can consider donating to sponsor the library team for the 2022 Alzheimers & Dementia Walk of Marquette/Columbia County. All donations sponsoring the library team go directly to the Alzheimers & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin and can be made at classy.org/team/435432.

Materials of the month

Book SpotlightCommunity Read 2022

Creating Moments of Joy: Along the Alzheimers Journey by Jolene Brackey. She has a vision: that we will soon look beyond the challenges of Alzheimers disease to focus more of our energies on creating moments of joy.

Copies of this book are currently available for checkout at the library. We also offer a wide variety of materials on Alzheimers and dementia care.

Use linkcat.info to place holds on these items today. Adult materials available in regular, large print and audiobook formats for borrowing.

For more information, call the Portage Public Library at 608-742-4959, visit portagelibrary.us or find on Facebook and Instagram.
FOX LAKE  A new handicap accessible kayak launch was celebrated on Saturday in Fox Lake Town Park.

The Fox Lake Preservation Organization worked with the DNR, town of Fox Lake and the Access Ability Wisconsin Organization for over 18 months to get the launch placed on the lake, FLPO President Mike Tegtmeyer said.

It started as an idea by a couple of people on the board, Tegtmeyer said.

Charlie Nelson was the president of the FLPO at the time, and he worked with the town of Fox Lake to find a place where the kayak launch could be placed.

The FLPO were able to obtain a matching grant through the DNR to purchase the launch. They matched the $20,000 grant to finish the $40,000 project.

The mission of the FLPO is to enhance the water quality, the fishery, the aesthetics of the lake, and to make it accessible for everyone to use, Tegtmeyer said. It has been awesome to see this put in. I grew up on the lake, and there are some people on the lake that cant be put in a kayak because it is too steep and now they can come over here and do it. Any age and any type of physical ability they can get in and out now.

The launch was finally installed in late July.
A guide at the National Library of China introduces the restoration process for copies of Tianlu Linlang, a royal book collection of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), at an ongoing exhibition in Beijing. [China Daily/Jiang Dong]

Restorers save ancient works as they usher in a new chapter of appreciation.

The seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, known as Qixi in China, is widely seen as the Chinese counterpart of Valentine's Day. But ancient Chinese literati had their own romantic story, literally. On this day, they would display their book collections and bathe them in sunshine.

Scientifically, this method known as shaishu ("to dry the book under the sun") would help prevent moisture and bugs and better protect the pages, but it was also seen as a ritual to show off the literati's taste and knowledge in a tangible way.

On this year's Qixi Day, which fell on Thursday, a special shaishu event opened at the National Library of China. Though the books were showcased under artificial light instead of the sun, the first public appearance of these precious books might demonstrate not only an individual literati's taste, but a country's determination to prolong cultural lineage.

The exhibition displays 85 restored copies of Tianlu Linlang, a former royal book collection of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Many of these precious editions were once in a terrible state of disrepair. However, thanks to the eight-year effort of a team of restorers, their glamour has returned.

"Through the exhibition, we'd like visitors to not only see the important ancient books, but also understand the techniques used to fix them," Zhu Zhenbin, a leading restorer of Tianlu Linlang, says.

Tianlu was the name of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) royal library  considered the earliest national library  and linlang is a term often used to refer to "precious books" in traditional Chinese culture.

Eighty-five copies selected from the recently restored Tianlu Linlang are on display in the National Library of China in Beijing. The exhibits include printed editions from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). [China Daily/Jiang Dong]

In 1744, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing era, an antique and art enthusiast, ordered scholars to search for and include the finest ancient books, ranging from the Song (960-1279) to Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, which were scattered in studies across the Forbidden City, in this collection. A total of 664 volumes were then categorized.

However, these books suffered fire damage in 1797. Emperor Jiaqing, Qianlong's son, launched a program to reestablish the collection within seven months.

After the Qing Dynasty fell, continuous conflicts and social upheavals in the early 20th century took a toll on the books. Some were lost, some were damaged and some were taken across the Taiwan Straits in the aftermath of the civil war. When 279 volumes of Tianlu Linlang, or 3,500 copies, entered the warehouse of the national library, over half of them were at least partially damaged, by mold, bugs, or just by time.

Led by Zhu, who has about 40 years of experience fixing ancient books, a comprehensive restoration project to save the fading pages was launched in 2013. It was finally completed at the end of last year.

"Repair may only be 30 percent of our daily work," Zhu says. "The rest of the time is all about how to regain the original appearance of these books. It was really tricky in a restoration project like Tianlu Linlang. The utmost patience and a scrupulous attitude is needed."

Part of the collection of books exhibited at the National Library of China. A comprehensive restoration project saving the delicate pages was launched in 2013, and the work was only completed at the end of last year. [China Daily/Jiang Dong]

Unlike other sets of ancient books, which used a uniformed format and the same materials, Tianlu Linlang was miscellaneous due to the wide time span of the source material. In this collection, the pages varied in their composition greatly, and some were even made of silk.

"That situation throws up a huge challenge," Zhu says. "We have to draft a tailored plan for each copy."

Restorers only use glue that is handmade by themselves, for fear that the chemicals in factory made adhesives would further damage the pages. To dye the patched paper to match the yellowing color of the original pages, various kinds of natural materials, including precious Pu'er black tea, were used.

"However, for such a cultural treasure, all the diligent work was worthwhile," Zhu says.

Viewing the exhibited books selected from Tianlu Linlang, Zhu feels relieved.

"When handling the broken pages, it's like we're preparing a funeral for them," he says. "But the consistent work of the restorers has brought about a second life for the books."

Part of the collection of books exhibited at the National Library of China. A comprehensive restoration project saving the delicate pages was launched in 2013, and the work was only completed at the end of last year. [China Daily/Wang Kaihao]

Among the exhibits of the ongoing event at the National Library of China, some are household names.

A rare Song Dynasty print edition of Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Governance), a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, is a highlight of the exhibition. An edition of historical documentation, Book of Han, printed in 1305, was also resurrected from its damaged state. Some of the books were also consecutively owned by many renowned collectors and thus have great significance for academic studies.

Perhaps, through the exhibited tools and a view of the actual restoration studio displayed in the gallery, visitors can understand how these treasures were rescued.

Since 2019, echoing a proposal by the National Library of China, Qixi has become a regular occasion for libraries across China to resume the shaishu tradition, like in ancient times, and numerous ancient books that have been gathering dust in warehouses get a chance to be seen by the general public. About 200 libraries in the country have joined the program, and more than 300 relevant events, including exhibitions and lectures, have been organized.

Eighty-five copies selected from the recently restored Tianlu Linlang are on display in the National Library of China in Beijing. The exhibits include printed editions from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). [China Daily/Jiang Dong]

(Source: China Daily)
Palmdale is a moderately sized city situated in Los Angeles County in the US State of California. The city is a place of year-round fun and is just located outside of Los Angeles, which shares much of the same culture, scenic surroundings, and climate. Palmdale is considered the state's 32nd most populous city. Revered for its rugged desert landscape consisting of the Antelope Valley and San Gabriel Mountains, Palmdale is a photo-worthy spectacle for visitors and locals alike.

Geography Of Palmdale

A view of California aqueduct and the artificial Palmdale Lake in Los Angeles County.

Palmdale is a large city found in California's Los Angeles County and covers a total area of 275.37 sq. km. The San Gabriel Mountains are located along the southern city limits, which are approximately 40 miles wide and separate Palmdale from Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Basin. Built in 1924, Lake Palmdale is on the city's south-central outskirts, covering a total surface area of 586 acres and is famous for outdoor recreation. Other nearby cities include Bakersfield, about 95 miles northwest, and San Bernardino, about 65 miles southeast. As for day trips: Joshua Tree National Park is about 130 miles east, the San Diego Zoo is about 175 miles south, and Santa Monica Pier is about 65 miles southwest.

Climate Of Palmdale

Hills and valleys of the desert in the Antelope Valley during the spring wildflower bloom.

According to the Koppen Climate Classification, Palmdale experiences a semi-arid climate. It experiences four seasons in a year, with hot and arid summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature is 62.1 F, with an average low of 45.4 F seen in January and an average high of 81.4 F. July is the year's warmest month, with the highest recorded temperature being 113.0 F, and January is the year's coldest month, with the lowest recorded temperature being 6.0 F. Of the 29.1 days that produce precipitation, there is an annual rainfall of 8.8 inches and 0.2 inches of snowfall. On average, there are 280 days of sunshine that see a median UV index of 6.2.

History Of Palmdale

A USAF F-104 Starfighter on display at the Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale, California. Editorial credit: BlueBarronPhoto / Shutterstock.com

For more than 11,000 years, the land of the Antelope Valley was used among Native Americans as a trade route between Arizona and the coast of California. Spanish padres were among the first to land in the area in 1772 and set forth exploring. By 1773, Captain Juan Baptista de Anza and Father Francisco Garces led an expedition of more than 100 men across the Mojave Desert to Monterey. Upon exploring the expansive valley in 1776, Garces observed large Indian own ranches. Once the Indians had left, Spain and Mexico moved into the area and permanently established a cattle industry attributed to ranching. However, the population continued to grow, and the large ranches were reduced in size to make way for more homesteaders arriving from Nebraska, Germany, and France. The first European settlers arrived in 1886 and mistakenly named would-be Palmdale, Palmenthal after confusing the native Joshua trees for palm trees. However, it had become apparent that the homesteaders were not familiar with farming in the desert and, although they moved the settlement closer to Harold, could not successfully grow grain, fruits, or vegetables. Ultimately, the development was abandoned and moved closer to the South Pacific Railroad tracks, where the dwelling of Palmdale was formed. Following World War II, Palmdale would be given the nickname Aerospace Capital of America. This was largely due to the Palmdale Airport being purchased in 1952 and used for testing and operations. In 1953, Aircraft Company Lockheed set up a facility and became a major economic staple.

The Population And Economy Of Palmdale

As per the latest US Census, Palmdale has a population of 172,190. This is an increase of 1.97% since the last census in 2010, which saw a total population of 169,450. Expanding approximately 275.37 sq. km, Palmdale has a population density of 620 inhabitants per sq. km. The city has a median household income of $78,338 and a gross monthly rent of $1,333. Of the population, the average age is 32 years old, with females accounting for 50.82% and males 49.18%. As for the cultural/racial breakdown: 44.37% is identified as white, 30.91% were of another race, 12.35 were African American, 6.28% identified as two races or more, 4.13% were Asian, 1.65% Native American, and 0.32% were Pacific Islands or Native Hawaiian.

As of May 2022, Palmdale had an unemployment rate of 6.70%. The primary industries that constitute the economy are healthcare and social assistance at 13.7% overall, retail trade at 13.2%, and manufacturing at 12.6%. As for the top-grossing jobs: utilities earned $83,911, mining quarry, gas, and oil extraction made $83,750, and public administration made 69,866. Of the 63,000 employed: 8,499 work in healthcare and social assistance, 7,404 work in retail trade, and 7,108 work in manufacturing.

Attractions Around Palmdale

Joe Davies Heritage Airpark

Shuttle Carrier Boeing 747 shown at Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California.

The Joe Heritage Airpark is sure to offer an afternoon of fun. With no admission fee, this family-oriented attraction offers intrigued visitors the chance to get up close with 21 military airplanes. Among the collection are an AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile, a B-52, and a C-46. The museum is hashing out plans to grow its collection, and when it is fully complete, it will have more than 40 planes on display.

Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Site

The Antelope Valley Indian Museum offers a collection of artifacts that showcases the local Native American history and Californian culture found around the Great Basin. H. Edward Arden originally started the museum in 1928 alongside student Grace Oliver, and as of today, it features a number of Ardens paintings. The building rests on the Piutte Butte within the Mojave Desert and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Though closely linked to Los Angeles, Palmdale has emerged to have its own unique identity carved out by a rich Native American past, agricultural struggles, and booming aircraft history. It is widely visited as an escape from the big cities to the south, such as San Bernardino, Santa Clarita, and Pasadena, for its raw desert landscape and serenity. Visitors and locals alike will enjoy all the sights and history that Palmdale, California, has to offer.
Navajo Lake is a small reservoir situated inside the Dixie National Forest in Kane County in the southern part of Utah, United States. It is believed that Navajo Lake was formed by a lava flow across the valley's eastern end. About 120 campsites are located close to the lake. The Navajo lake also offers several recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming.

Geography Of Navajo Lake

A view of Navajo Lake, Utah.

Navajo Lake is located in Kane County, southern Utah, in a confined basin surrounded to the north and east by Sevier River tributaries in the Great Basin and to the south and west by Virgin River tributaries in the Colorado River basin. The high Markagurit Plateau, where the average annual precipitation exceeds 30 inches, is home to Navajo Lake, whose entire outflow goes beneath. It is nestled amid the headwaters of many streams that run into dry regions where municipal, industrial, and irrigation water resources are in short supply. A lava flow cut off the normal surface drainage of Duck Creek, a headwater stream of the Sevier River, forming the lake. The lake gets underground input from an area far bigger than the topographic basin in which it is located. It is remarkable in that considerable amounts of surface water escape from its eastern end via underground channels or aquifers to supply springs in both adjacent basins.

Dixie National Forest

Navajo Lake lies in Dixie National Forest, which is Utah's biggest national forest, encompassing nearly 8,000 sq. km over 270 km in the southern part of the state. Dixie is a "multiple use" forest, with roughly 15% of its land dedicated for wood extraction and the remainder used for habitat conservation and other management programs. Lower in elevation, vegetation is scarce, with desert scrub growing in groups. Bigger trees cover the slope at mid-elevation. Dixie National Forest's highest peaks are densely forested with pine, spruce, and fir trees.

Navajo Lake Campground

The Navajo Lake Campground, located on the beaches of Navajo Lake, offers a perfect environment for boating, camping, fishing, hiking, and photography. Boat rental and launching, as well as housing and food, are offered at the neighboring Navajo Lake Lodge. From the campsite, you may reach the Virgin River Rim Trail, which provides spectacular views of Zion National Park, the Kolob Plateau, and the Pine Valley Mountains.

Navajo Lake Lodge

Navajo Lake Lodge is located on Highway 14, about 26 miles east of Cedar City, Utah, and is just a three-hour trip from Las Vegas. The Navajo Lodge includes a general store, boat rentals, and accommodation. The resort has 11 rustic cottages. Bedding, towels, and basic cookware are provided in each cabin. Boat rentals are offered via the resort for people who want to spend the day on the lake. Visitors to Navajo Lake will experience clean blue waters, fresh air, delightfully cool nights, and breathtaking beauty that will redefine the joy of life.
Rossett housing plans rejected over harmful impact on countryside

Plans to build three new houses in a village near the border between Wrexham and Cheshire have been rejected.

It follows concerns that the proposals to develop an area of land off Darland Lane in Rossett would have a negative impact on the surrounding countryside.

Officials from Wrexham Council also highlighted the risk of flooding, road safety issues and the impact on trees at the site in refusing the application.

The scheme, which would have seen the demolition of a warehouse at Darland Croft, was put forward by Mr A. Woollam in May this year.

Planning agents acting on his behalf said it would help to address a lack of housing land in the county borough.

In a planning statement, they said: The proposed development assists in sustainable development because it is an infill brownfield plot located on the edge of a village with good pedestrian and vehicular access.

The site also has good access to public transport network links which are within a short distance from the application site.

The proposed dwellings design adds visual interest to the locality by introducing a high quality, distinctive style.

The resultant scheme will contribute to the rural setting and respects the key vantage points into and through the site, providing a harmonious layout design which will complement the other buildings in the vicinity.

Whilst the proposal is a departure from the development plan, the councils current lack of housing land supply carries significant weight in favour of this development.

However, Rossett Community Council was among the list of objectors against the proposals.

It came after community leaders raised concerns regarding the encroachment into a green area, describing it as an inappropriate development.

Natural Resources Wales also wrote to the local authority to point out the risk of flooding at the site.

The application was refused by council officers using delegated powers in a decision notice published this week.

By Liam Randall  BBC Local Democracy Reporter
Wrexham Glyndwr games development students gear up to pitch their creations

Wrexham Glyndwr University has announced the return of its Games Talent Wales programme for 2022.

Founded in 2018 as a partnership between Glyndwr and the University of South Wales, the programme helps fund eight student games start up companies annually.

This year, there are five studios involved from North Wales, all of which are current or former students of Glyndwr, alongside three studios from South Wales.

Rich Hebblewhite, Senior Lecturer in Computing at Wrexham Glyndwr and co-founder of the programme has welcomed its return.

He said: Games Talent Wales is a grass roots development programme and funded in partnership with Creative Wales which sees these student companies receive mentoring, pitch development skills, and a chance to then launch their game at one of the worlds biggest exhibition events.

The idea is to help students to kickstart their career by establishing their own company where they receive 2,500 funding per team as they work towards the launch of their debut games.

Students participating can take inspiration from one of their fellow entrants to this years programme, Silent Yeti.

The team were Wrexham Glyndwrs entrants into Tranzfuser, the national game development competition, last year.

Although Silent Yeti missed out on the main prize, they have gone from strength to strength since.

He said: Silent Yeti applied to Epic Games for one of their development grants which are not easy to get, but they were successful and got 30,000 grant to bolster their company.

This is a huge boost for them going forward and allows them team to double-down on the development of their latest game title, A Couple Of Cubes, as they look towards launching at our national showcase event in September.

Also taking part in Games Talent Wales is this years Tranzfuser entrant from Wrexham Glyndwr, First Horizon Games. They have made the final of Tranzfuser with their game The Nutcracker, a hide and seek survival horror.

Their game has some really interesting features such as linking in with local retailers, said Rich.

This means that the shops you see inside the fictional shopping mall within their game are in fact actual real life places in Wrexham and the surrounding region which is a strong selling point. I think they will be strong finalists.

Ryan Roberts, team leader at First Horizon said: We are looking forward to transitioning from a University team working on a project to a long term financially sustainable company in our own right.

Tranzfuser gives us the tools and platform to make this transition. It will aid our confidence in pitching our game ideas going forward and give us valuable industry knowledge.

This will be Wrexham Glyndwrs sixth consecutive year as a regional Tranzfuser hub supporting students in this funded programme.

For more information about the BSc (Hons) Computing Degree at Wrexham Glyndwr University, please visit the website.
Are you a Columbus teacher, parent or student? The World Socialist Web Site wants to hear from you. Fill out the form at the bottom of this article to tell us what youre fighting for. All comments will be kept anonymous.

Columbus City educators during a meeting on August 4, 2022. (Columbus Education Association/Facebook)

The Columbus Education Association (CEA) on Thursday issued a 10-day strike notice for 4,500 Columbus City Schools teachers and staff. More than 2,500 teachers attended a membership meeting that evening, an indication of the degree of anger felt by teachers towards the districts final offer.

The potential strike is the latest sign of major opposition building among workers in the countrys education system. More than two years into the pandemic, schools are once again poised to reopen for the fall semester with no meaningful COVID protections in place, leading to mass infections and death. Franklin County, where Columbus is located, has reported some of the highest COVID-19 rates in the state throughout the pandemic.

In Niles, Ohio, in the eastern portion of the state, 151 teachers have also voted to strike beginning September 1. About 100 teachers attended the July 28 school board meeting holding signs pointing to the low pay and lack of staff faced by teachers.

The strike notice also comes after thousands of Columbus-area Kroger workers rejected a sellout contract brought to them by the United Food and Commercial Workers union by 71 percent.

The Columbus teachers strike would begin when their current contract expires on August 21, one day before teachers are expected to return to the classroom, and just two days before the start of the new school year.

Last month, in a meeting which lasted only one minute, the Columbus school district presented the union bargaining committee with its final offer. The deal fails to meet their basic needs and the basic needs of their students. Teachers are demanding full funding for school support staff, funding for arts programs, decreased class sizes, and the elimination of the districts proposal to change school beginning and end times and shorten lunch and other breaks.

Even more pressing, according to teachers, are HVAC upgrades to cool down dangerously hot classrooms. The last school year was delayed, in fact, as August temperatures soared to the extent that many classrooms were unsafe.

In a show of defiance against the proposed contract, teachers protested outside the Columbus City Schools administrative building multiple times last week.

One teacher at the protests, Evan Shelton, told the Columbus Dispatch, We dont want to strike, we want to be in our classrooms with our kids, we want to be getting ready for the school right now, we cant because the board is in the way. Sheltons primary concern is not only for his own livelihood, he said, but for his students who rely on school lunch, and on their trips to the school nurse for referrals to Childrens Hospital.

Joe Decker, a teacher at Mifflin Middle School, told reporters, [W]e dont have air conditioning or reliable heating. Weve had days that have been canceled because of the weather.

The board doubled down in response to the strike notice, declaring in a statement: A strike is disruptive and hurts our students most, especially after everything they have experienced over the last few years... And that is why our team is well prepared for an alternate opening should a strike actually take place. Our students academic progress and social emotional well-being will remain our top priorities. The district has also gone after the CEA, going so far as to file an unfair labor practice charge with the Ohio Labor Relations Board for supposedly misrepresenting the negotiations.

However, the CEA has no strategy to defeat the attacks by the school district. Indeed, as with the teachers unions nationwide, it has played a key role in keeping school buildings open throughout the pandemic in spite of significant opposition from teachers, parents and students. Meanwhile, it has sought to use the role in reopening schools played by Ohios Republican governor Mike DeWine to deflect attention from the role of the Democratic Party. But reopening schools and starving them of funds has broad bipartisan support. Democratic mayor of Columbus Andrew Ginther also has demonstrated his willingness to respond ruthlessly to mass opposition, as seen in the brutal police crackdowns against police violence protests in the summer of 2020.

The way forward for teachers is to organize themselves to ensure democratic control over their struggle through the founding of a rank-and-file strike committee, independent of the union bureaucracy. Such a committee would also form the basis for building the broadest possible support and unity with teachers all over the country, including in school districts where teachers have formed committees of their own, to fight for adequate resources for public education and an end to unsafe conditions in school buildings.
25 years ago: Abner Louima assaulted and tortured by police in New York City

On August 8, 1997, Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant in New York, was arrested and brutally assaulted by Brooklyn police officers responding to a dispute outside a club in Flatbush.

Louima was a night security guard at the Spring Creek water and sewerage plant and lived in Brooklyn with his wife and two children. Eyewitnesses said that police attacked people leaving the Club Rendez-Vous and took Louima away in a squad car. Police then drove him to a deserted side street where they took turns clubbing and beating him, then took him to the 70th precinct station house where they sodomized him with the handle of a toilet plunger.

It was several hours before the 33-year-old worker was taken to Coney Island Hospital suffering from extreme internal injuries. Even after the EMS unit arrived at the station house at 6 a.m., the cops delayed it for nearly two hours in an effort to cover up their crime. An EMS supervisor had to drive to the station and plead for Louimas release.

Abner Louisa [Photo by By John Mathew Smith; www.celebrity-photos.com]

An emergency department nurse, Magalie Laurent, was suspicious of police claims that Louimas injuries were sustained as the result of abnormal homosexual activities, and notified his family and the police of the possibility that he had been attacked in custody. He was treated for severe injuries including a punctured colon and gall bladder and remained hospitalized for two months.

The treatment of Louima was an example of what had become commonplace in working class neighborhoods, not only in New York, but throughout the United States. Five policemen were arrested and charged for the crime, three of whom were indicted for attempting to cover it up.

Louima charged that while two cops were beating him, they shouted racial slurs, and one of them said, This is Giuliani time, not Dinkins time, referring to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his predecessor, the citys first black mayor, David Dinkins. Louima ended up recanting that statement, which was used by police defense attorneys to question all of his testimony.

On August 16 and 29, demonstrations were held in protest of Louimas treatment. An estimated 7,000 people participated in the second protest. Concerned by public outrage over the attack just months before the mayoral election, Giuliani and police chief Howard Safir appeared at the victims bedside to condemn the assault as criminal acts carried out by criminals who happened to be wearing police uniforms, while attempting to portray the torturers as rogue cops. Giuliani based his administration and his re-election campaign on law-and-order demagogy, repeatedly boasting about his role in removing all restraints on the citys police force.

50 years ago: Uganda expels 80,000 South Asian immigrants

On August 9, 1972, Idi Amin, the military dictator of Uganda, ordered that the 80,000 people of South Asian descent living in the country be deported. The immigrants, who were citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Great Britain, were given 90 days to make arrangements to leave.

The order created a major refugee crisis as the 80,000 South Asians scrambled to find countries willing to grant them asylum. Some 27,200 of the refuges held British citizenship and were able to emigrate to the United Kingdom, but under new immigration quotas put in place by the Tory government of Prime Minister Edward Heath, no more were to be admitted.

Canada accepted 6,000 migrants and 4,500 went to India. The United States, West Germany, Malawi and Pakistan each accepted 1,000. Several thousand, the poorest of the victimized Asians, attempted to cross the Ugandan borders with Kenya and Tanzania. Both countries would eventually close their borders and refuse to permit any further refugees from entering.

South Asian refugees from Uganda

The order was a viciously racist attack on the minority population of Uganda in an attempt to direct growing discontent with social inequality away from Amin and his layer of corrupt military officials. Using right-wing nationalist and populist rhetoric, Amin used the order to transfer large amounts of land and wealth to his closest supporters.

In speeches, Amin denounced the south Asians as bloodsuckers and claimed, Our deliberate policy is to transfer the economic control of Uganda into the hands of Ugandans for the first time in our countys history.

South Asians were originally brought to Uganda in the early 20th century while the country was still under British colonial control. Most were originally workers from India brought to build railroads and other industrial projects. Others were given lower-level administrative positions in the colonial government and were awarded land ownership.

The British colonizers consciously created this middle-class layer of South Asian administrators to have a buffer between themselves and the Ugandan masses. To many Ugandans, these administrators became the face of colonization, and given the limited cultural and educational development in the country, racist ideas about South Asians became widespread.

As the South Asians were removed, Amin brought much of the land that they had owned under the direction of the state-owned Uganda Development Corporation. From there it fell into the hands of Amins allies in the government and military where they became the new beneficiaries of the countrys great inequality.

75 years ago: Partition of India sets the stage for mass bloodshed

On August 14, 1947, the state of Pakistan was formally established, headed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League. The following day, a new state of India came into being, with Jawaharlal Nehru of the Indian National Congress as its prime minister.

The two days marked the partition of the Indian subcontinent along ethno-religious lines, with the formation of Muslim and Hindu-based states immediately setting the stage for unprecedented communal violence.

For decades, Britain had toyed with the idea of splitting its Indian possession along religious lines to divide the masses. In the concluding stages of World War II, with the decline of British colonialism clearly evident, this long-simmering plan was put into action.

A train carrying people displaced during the partition of India

The granting of nominal Indian independence, aimed at maintaining imperialist dominance, involved handing power to venal native ruling cliques that could only ensure the survival of capitalist rule through the promotion of racism and religious antagonism.

The British plans were accelerated by the development of powerful movements of the colonial masses, including the 1946 naval mutiny by Indian sailors. The semi-insurrectionary struggle cut across ethnic lines and provoked major struggles of the working class, including a general strike in Bombay.

As negotiations for independence dragged on in 1946, the British encouraged Jinnah as he whipped up communal Muslim mobs, demanding an ethno-state. The Congress similarly collaborated with extreme right-wing Hindu nationalists and sought to ensure that the Muslim population would be sidelined in whatever state was formed.

Significantly, the partition was overseen by the British Labour Party government of Clement Attlee, demonstrating its commitment to imperialist policies first enacted by the Tories.

The partition immediately resulted in violence, with widespread rioting beginning the day Pakistan was established. The clashes stemmed from disputes over the state boundaries, as well as attempts at ethnic cleansing in the new communally based nations.

Over the ensuing weeks, anywhere from 200,000 to 2 million people would lose their lives. Ten million to 20 million were displaced, in what was described as the worst refugee crisis in history, to that point.

Historians Ian Talbot and Gurharpal Singh wrote: There are numerous eyewitness accounts of the maiming and mutilation of victims. The catalogue of horrors includes the disemboweling of pregnant women, the slamming of babies heads against brick walls, the cutting off of the victims limbs and genitalia, and the displaying of heads and corpses.

While previous communal riots had been deadly, the scale and level of brutality during the Partition massacres were unprecedented. Although some scholars question the use of the term genocide concerning the partition massacres, much of the violence was manifested with genocidal tendencies. It was designed to cleanse an existing generation and prevent its future reproduction.

100 years ago: Soviet government stays execution of counterrevolutionaries

On August 8, 1922, the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Soviets in the Russian Soviet Federative Republic stayed the death sentences of 12 members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRs), also known as the Social Revolutionary Party, who had engaged in counterrevolutionary activities against the Soviet Republic from 1918 on. The defendants, primarily leaders of the SRs, had been found guilty by a Soviet tribunal the day before.

The Bolshevik government stayed the executions on the condition that the Social Revolutionary Party actually ceases all underground and conspirative acts of terrorism, espionage, and insurrection against the Soviet Government. If, however, the Social Revolutionary Party will continue the same methods of struggle against the Soviet regime, this will inevitably bring about the executions.

The SRs had legal support from the international Social Democratic and trade union movements as well as 10 Soviet-appointed defenders, including Nikolai Bukharin and Mikhail Tomsky. The prosecution on the Soviet side was carried out by a team that included prominent Bolsheviks such as Nikolai Krylenko, Anatoly Lunacharsky, and Mikhail Pokrovsky. The panel of three judges was headed by old Bolshevik Iurii Piatakov.

A demonstration in Moscow against the Social-Democratic enemies of the Russian Revolution.

The defendants had been convicted of playing the leading political role in the attempted assassination of Lenin and the successful assassination of Bolshevik leader V. Volodarsky in 1918, and for conspiring in the Kronstadt rebellion of 1921 and the Tambov peasant insurrection of 1921. Other defendants, also SRs, were given lesser sentences.

The SRs were a party that oriented itself to the middle-class layers in Russia, especially the intelligentsia and the wealthier peasantry. The party had split into right- and left-wing factions in 1917, and the Left SRs had briefly joined the Soviet government until its agreement with German imperialism in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, after which they withdrew from the government and began a campaign of terror and insurrection against the Soviet Republic.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi Friday. The summit, only 17 days after a trilateral meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran in July, was closely followed by the NATO powers, which are waging war on Russia in Ukraine and imposing sanctions in Moscow.

The meeting lasted more than four hours and focused on the Ukraine war, related difficulties with grain exports from Ukraine and Russia, the deepening economic, energy and tourism ties between Russia and Turkey, and ongoing wars in Syria and Libya.

Before the bilateral meeting, which was not followed by a press conference, Putin emphasized the growing trade between Turkey and Russia, despite US-European economic and financial sanctions targeting Russia. He said, last year our trade grew 57 percent, and it doubled in the first few months of this year, from January to May.

Putin also pointed to ongoing Russia gas deliveries to Europe via Turkey: TurkStream, the construction of which we completed some time ago, is today one of the most important routes for supplying Europe with Russian gas. TurkStream, unlike all other directions of our hydrocarbon supplies to Europe, is operating well, smoothly, and without failure.

He thanked Erdogan for the grain corridor agreement reached in Istanbul late July. The problem of Ukrainian grain exports through Black Sea ports has been settled thanks to your personal involvement and the UN Secretariats mediation, he said.

The first grain vessel under the agreement left Odessa last week and, after being checked in Istanbul, sailed to Lebanon. Three vessels loaded with about 60,000 tons of grain bound for Ireland and Britain are reportedly preparing to depart from Ukrainian ports.

Erdogan said: We will open a new page in our bilateral relations. This concerns energy, and especially the grain corridor via the Black Sea where we have taken steps From Turkeys point of view, I want to note that Russia plays a special role on the world stage.

Aware of NATO allies concern on Russia-Turkey ties and the possibility of sanctions being circumvented, Erdogan said, Today the world fixed all eyes on Sochi: What will they do in Sochi, what will they address in Sochi, what will they discuss? Perhaps the world is watching our meeting in Sochi closely. And, perhaps the best answers to these questions will be given after our meeting.

Supplying Kiev with Bayraktar drones, Ankara has condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine. However, it did not participate in Western sanctions and has tried to mediate a ceasefire since the war in Ukraine began, as it has also close economic and military ties with Moscow. This is unacceptable for the United States and other NATO imperialist powers, which seek to prolong the war, imposed regime change in Kremlin and subordinate Russia to their dictates.

Erdogan said, I reminded Putin that we could have his meeting with Zelensky in Istanbul. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also wrote on Twitter that Ankara hopes the grain agreements will serve as a basis to ensure a cease-fire and stable peace in Ukraine.

However, the joint press statement issued after the meeting made no mention of these issues; nor did it mention Ankaras potential assault on US-backed Kurdish nationalist forces in Syria.

It announced that they agreed to boost collaboration about issues that have been pending on the agenda of both countries for a long time, concerning sectors such as transportation, commerce, agriculture, industry, finance, tourism and construction. The joint statement also called for the full implementation of the Istanbul agreement, including the unimpeded export of Russias grain, fertilizer and raw materials stocks needed for its production.

Though Turkey illegally keeps troops on Syrian soil, Russian and Turkish leaders committed to the preservation of Syrias political unity and territorial integrity, and to act in coordination and solidarity in the fight against all terrorist organizations.

Since May, Erdogan has been threatening a new military operation against the Kurdish nationalist Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, to create a 30-kilometer-deep zone in which Ankara could resettle around 1 million Syrian refugees. However, the joint statement indicates that Russia, one of the main backers of the Damascus regime together with Iran, still opposes this plan. Moreover, Moscow, unlike Ankara, does not consider the YPG a terrorist organization and maintains significant relations with it.

After Erdogans invasion threats, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the YPG is the backbone, appealed for support not only to the international community, i.e., Washington and the other imperialist powers, but also to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

According to recent reports, the Syrian military is building up forces in YPG-held territory against Turkey. Kommersant reported, the Syrian army conducted large-scale exercises with the participation of the Russian military. In addition, there are rumors in social networks that for the first time SDF fighters joined the Syrian army. Officially, this report is not confirmed by either the Russian or the Syrian side, but it was picked up by highly respected Arab media, including the Al-Jazeera TV channel and the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

One of the most significant consequences of the summit was announced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak after talks between the two leaders. He said, Deliveries of gas to the Republic of Turkey were discussed, which is supplied in a fairly huge volume26 bln cubic meters per year. The Presidents agreed during talks that we will start partial gas deliveries and payment in rubles.

Supplies will be partly paid in Russian rubles then at the first stage. This is indeed the new stage, new opportunities, including for development of our monetary and financial relations, Novak added.

After the meeting, Erdogan said there are efforts to let Russian tourists use Russias MIR card for shopping and accommodation in Turkey, a move to avoid Western financial sanctions.

Despite Turkeys lifting of its veto on Sweden and Finlands NATO membership after various negotiations, the recent Erdogan-Putin meeting and potential agreements blunting Western sanctions raised serious concerns in the US and European political and media establishment.

On Friday, the Washington Post wrote, Concerns are increasing in both the West and Ukraine that Moscow is seeking Erdogans assistance to bypass restrictions on its banking, energy and industrial sectors, which are biting deeper into its economy.

The Post claimed, A Russian proposal intercepted ahead of the meeting and shared with The Washington Post by Ukrainian intelligence called for Erdogan to permit Russia to buy stakes in Turkish oil refineries, terminals and reservoirsa move that economists say could help disguise the origin of its exports after the European Unions oil embargo kicks in fully next year.

According to the report, Russia also requested that several state-owned Turkish banks allow correspondent accounts for Russias biggest bankswhich economists and sanctions experts say would be a flagrant breach of Western sanctionsand that Russian industrial producers be allowed to operate out of free economic zones in Turkey.

The Post acknowledged, There was no indication after the talks that Turkey had agreed to such arrangements, but threatened that this leaves Turkeys own banks and companies at risk of secondary sanctions [cutting] off their access to Western markets.

Alarm mounts in western capitals over Turkeys deepening ties with Russia, the Financial Times (FT) wrote, citing six Western officials concerned about the pledge made on Friday by the Turkish and Russian leaders to expand their co-operation on trade and energy after a four-hour meeting in Sochi.

It cited an EU officials concern that Turkey is increasingly a platform for trade with Russia. Another senior Western official suggested that countries could call on their companies and banks to pull out of Turkey. The official added that he would not rule out any negative actions [if] Turkey gets too close to Russia.

Major NATO powers anger at Ankaras deepening ties with Moscow previously led them to back a failed military coup attempt in 2016 to overthrow Erdogan.

On Thursday, Turkeys main financial daily, Dunya, reported: Cargoes from different countries around the world are unloaded at various ports in Turkey after embargo screening, and the goods are transferred to ships destined for Russia through a reexport process. It cited Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikovs claim that the total volume of products brought into Russia from Turkey approached USD 4 billion.
On August 4, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) security guards attempted to end an occupation at Parker Elementary School in Oakland, California, through the use of force, resulting in two activists needing to go to the hospital. Activists have occupied the school building for roughly 2 months in opposition to the OUSD Board of Education permanently closing the school as part of a larger set of budget cuts.

The occupation of Parker Elementary School is the latest expression of widespread opposition to school closures that were announced by OUSD superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell in January and reaffirmed by multiple votes by the OUSD Board of Education. Since the initial announcement of closures teachers, parents and students have held demonstrations and hunger strikes, as well as voiced opposition at board meetings.

The plan would involve the closure of seven schools by the end of the 2023 school year as a component of roughly $50 million in budget cuts over two years. Parker Elementary and Community Day School already held their last day of classes at the end of the 2022 school year. The group occupying Parker Elementary organized and operated a free summer program for children in the neighborhood under the name Parker Community School.

Oakland Unified School District security officers violently attack protesters at Parker Elementary School in Oakland, California (Screenshot via Jaime Omar Yassin on Twitter)

Officials from OUSD and demonstrators have made conflicting claims about the start of the confrontation between security guards and protesters. OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki alleged that guards found the building empty on Thursday, and OUSD staff changed the locks and set an alarm before protesters somehow reentered the building.

Members of the occupation have stated that they were informed that staff were coming to relocate items from the building to other schools but did not know they would be locked out of the building. They then mobilized members of the community in order to reestablish the occupation.

Regardless of the exact chain of events, it is clear that OUSD guards attempted to end the occupation through physical force. Demonstrators have posted numerous videos on social media, in which guardswho are easily identifiable by their uniformsare shown slamming protesters into walls and tables. Other footage shows security guards twisting protesters arms behind their backs.

Among the parents attacked by guards was Max Orozco, who is currently running for the District 2 school board seat. Initial reports via social media indicated that Orozco had been handcuffed by OUSD security and locked inside the building. Protesters can be seen in one video chanting Let Max go, now! Orozco later was taken to the East Oakland police station where he gave a statement.

The following day, parents involved in the Parker Community School held a press conference during which they demanded the school board investigate the incident and reported that two board members had not been notified beforehand that security guards were being sent to the school.

In what could only be taken as a threat of future action from the district, Sasaki issued a statement on Friday that says, the individuals at Parker have been and continue to trespass. We have directed them to leave from day one and have continued to do so on many other occasions.

Sasakis statement and the decision to send guards to manhandle protesters reflects a growing concern among OUSD officials that opposition to school closures is getting out of hand, and the continued occupation at Parker could become a rallying point against future school closures as classes begin throughout the OUSD system on August 8.

The California political establishment is also concerned that the occupation at Parker could be a precursor to other occupations and protests against draconian austerity policies in other districts. Both San Francisco Unified School District and West Contra Costa County School District are expected to face over $100 million each in budgetary deficits over the next few school years. In order to carry out the closures, administrators and bureaucrats are seeking some guarantee that opposition to the closures can either be misdirected or repressed.

During the confrontation with OUSD guards and throughout demonstrations, students, teachers and parents have shown an immense bravery and dedication to oppose the closure of schools and defend public education in Oakland. Their courage, however, has been continually misdirected by protest leaders back into appeals and pressure on the Democratic Party, which for decades has systematically dismantled public education in the Bay Area and the United States.

In February, two teachers, Moses Omolade and Maurice Andre San-Chez, engaged in an 18-day hunger strike that culminated in both educators speaking at a Board of Education meeting. At the meeting, Omolade took the opportunity to hail people in positions of power, which in Oakland would almost exclusively be Democratic politicians, and formally ended his hunger strike. At the same meeting, the board voted to reject a proposal to delay the school closures.

Later in April, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) held a one-day strike of more than 2,000 teachers. The OEA limited the strike by conducting it under the framework of an unfair labor practice (ULP), based on the claim that OUSD had not provided adequate time for schools and families impacted by the school closures. OEA President Keith Brown also bemoaned that the closures would disproportionately impact African American and Hispanic students.

The OEA, however, made no real attempt to challenge the school closures, which would have seen them in direct conflict with the Democrats at every level of government. Instead, the OEA has enforced the Democrats demands for a return to in-person instruction in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in large-scale illness and absences among teachers and students. With the school year starting again on Monday during a surge of COVID hospitalizations alongside the deepening monkeypox pandemic, the conditions confronting teachers and students are dire.

The struggles of teachers, parents and students have coincided with strikes, protests and contract disputes among other sections of workers. Among these struggles have been the strike of roughly 5,000 nurses at Stanford in April, protests of truckers at the Port of Oakland, and the continued decision of the unions to leave dockworkers and Sutter nurses on the job without a contract for months.

The WSWS encourages all those that genuinely oppose the attack on public education in Oakland to join the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in order to connect the fight against school closures with other sections of the working class.
The Australian Labor government has, over the past week, deepened its role as the preeminent attack dog of American imperialism in the Asia-Pacific region. It has joined with the Biden administration in ratcheting up the confrontation with China, which was dramatically escalated last week by the highly-provocative visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

Multiple aircraft fly in formation over the USS Ronald Reagan, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier [Credit: Kaila V. Peters/U.S. Navy]

Pelosis visit had the character of a military operation threatening a direct clash with China. Her trip was flanked by a US aircraft carrier, a destroyer, a cruiser and dozens of F-35 aircraft. Above all, it was a direct blow to the One China policy, under which the international community has defacto recognised Beijing as the sole legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan.

Pelosis trip was met with the largest live fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait that China has ever conducted. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government has also cut a number of diplomatic and military channels with the US in retaliation.

Australia, together with the US and other allies, has presented China as the threat, covering up the aggressive character of Pelosis visit, which was clearly aimed at provoking a response from Beijing.

At a foreign ministers meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that concluded in Phnom Penh Cambodia over the weekend, Australia joined with the US and Japan to issue a bellicose statement condemning Chinas military exercises in Taiwan.

The document expressed concern about the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) recent actions that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises. The US, Japanese and Australian representatives condemned the PRCs launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones, raising tension and destabilizing the region.

Of course, the joint statement said nothing about US actions, including the protracted undermining of the One China policy now spanning several US administrations, Washingtons provision of arms and special forces military trainers to Taiwan or Pelosis visit and the US military mobilization surrounding it.

The US, Japan and Australia are members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an alliance of the four largest militaries in the region, including India, directed against China. The Quad, minus India, came together at the summit to issue the hardline denunciation of Beijing, under conditions where they had been unable to secure such a statement from the ASEAN representatives as a whole.

An ASEAN foreign ministers statement on the Cross Strait Development had warned against the destabilisation of the area, which eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers. It called for maximum restraint from all leaders, unequivocally endorsed the One China policy, and did not explicitly mention the CCP government.

The statement clearly expressed fears among a number of Asian states that the US provocations over Taiwan are risking a catastrophe.

Throughout the summit, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong played a particularly provocative role. She demonstratively walked out of an address by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, accusing him of trying to justify the killing of innocent Ukrainian citizens.

The Labor government has fully supported the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, with its Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visiting Kiev in June and pledging $100 million to military operations directed against Moscow.

As with the statement issued with Japan and the US, Wongs response to Lavrov was aimed at sending a signal to ASEAN states that are wavering on the US confrontations with Russia and China. Indonesia and several other states have maintained trade relations with Russia, which they are heavily dependent upon. At the end of June, Indonesian President Joko Widodo travelled to Ukraine and Russia, where he held a joint press conference with President Vladimir Putin.

In remarks to the media, while the summit was still underway on Friday, Wong had branded the Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Strait as deeply concerning and disproportionate and destabilising. Wong said she had made these characterisations directly to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was also at the summit.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles went further, accusing China of having breached the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with its live-fire drills.

The allegation of a breach of international law is deliberately incendiary. Its clear aim is to justify, in advance, further US-led provocations, including military actions, on the grounds that they are a defence of the international rules-based order.

The Labor governments line has received unanimous support throughout the political and media establishment. Every day, the major news outlets, including the publicly-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation, speak gravely of Chinas actions in relation to Taiwan, echoing all of the talking points of the Biden administration.

There has not been a single voice in the Australian parliament, warning against the countrys frontline role in aggression against China, which threatens a catastrophic war.

The obvious points have been completely buried. The US militarisation of Taiwan, and its undermining of the One China policy, is not of a defensive character in the slightest. It would be as if China and Russia were threatening not to recognise US control over its unincorporated territory of Puerto Rico and seeking to transform it into a military base and centre of political intrigue against Washington.

Marles references to UNCLOS, which have passed without contradiction in the political and media establishment, are also a sham. The US routinely claims to be acting on the basis of international law but has refused to ratify the convention and arrogates to itself the right to conduct naval operations in any part of the world.

Over recent months, information has repeatedly emerged, showing that the US, together with allies such as Australia and Canada, are continuously conducting naval and military operations throughout the South China and East China Seas. These have resulted in purported near misses, between Chinese and US-allied military forces and included at least one American incursion into Chinese claimed waters in the South China Sea last month.

Together with its participation in these military activities, the Labor government is moving to rapidly expand the Australian armed forces. Along with the former Liberal-National Coalition government, Labor is committed to unprecedented military spending of $600 billion over this decade, but has signalled that more will be required.

Labor last week announced an urgent review into military capabilities, which will focus on the countrys readiness for state-on-state conflict.

The review will be undertaken by Stephen Smith and Sir Angus Houston. Smith was Labor Defence Minister in 2011 when Australia signed on to the Obama administrations pivot to Asia, a vast military build-up throughout the Asia-Pacific, directed against China. Houston was Chief of the Defence Force at the same time. Both are thus heavily plugged into the US and Australian military-intelligence networks, especially those focused on confrontation with Beijing.

With regards to the human rights and democracy rhetoric that has accompanied the ratcheting-up of tensions against China, it is worth noting that Smith and Houston were respectively the top political and military leaders when Australian special forces conducted summary executions and other war crimes in Afghanistan.

The review is focusing on capability gaps, under conditions of an ongoing discussion within strategic circles over the need for a vast expansion of Australias offensive weaponry. Under the AUKUS pact with Britain and the US, unveiled last September, hypersonic missiles are to be stationed in Australia in the coming period, and it is to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines.

In comments reported in the press today, Marles signalled that his government was considering purchasing such submarines, which are more suited to long-range operations and great power conflict, off the shelf from the United States. A domestically produced fleet, which would not be operational until 2040, he indicated, would leave a major capability gap.

In other words, the Labor government, together with the entire political establishment, is preparing to participate in an aggressive war against China, not in the coming decades, but in the coming years or sooner. This underscores the urgency of the fight to build an international anti-war movement of the working class, directed against the source of conflict, the capitalist system itself.
Certain governments, including the Nazi regime in Germany, have been known to charge the families of prisoners executed by firing squad the cost of the bullets used to end the lives of the condemned. This is known as a bullet fee.

Kevin Spacey has been ordered to pay $31 million to producer MRC after being fired from the popular Netflix series House of Cards in early November 2017 in the midst of the first wave of the #MeToo witch-hunt.

Kevin Spacey in 2013

Spacey was dismissed, and the sixth (and final) season of House of Cards shortened, on the basis of unsubstantiated or anonymous claims about alleged sexual harassment. The actor has not been found guilty of any crime, and the only case that has gone to court so far, in Massachusetts, ignominiously fell apart in 2019. He recently traveled to the UK to contest several allegations of sexual misconduct.

The $31 million award against Spacey was handed out by arbitrator Bruce Friedman in October 2020 and affirmed last week by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana.

In essence, the producers, along with Netflix, reacted hysterically to the allegations in 2017, terrified of being thought soft on sexual misconduct in the witch-hunting atmosphere that prevailed. Having unfairly gotten rid of Spacey and thereby ruining their own program (the final season of House of Cards without the actor was virtually unwatchable), the producers now demand to be paid for their own deplorable, ill-considered conduct. And the legal system, most recently in the form of Judge Recanas opinion, affirming the multi-million dollar award, has vindicated their position.

On October 29, 2017, actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Spacey had made sexual advances toward him in 1986, 31 years earlier, when he was 14 and Spacey 26. Two days later, MRC and Netflix announced they were suspending production of House of Cards, which had begun shooting, and were looking into the claims. On November 2, CNN published an article containing anonymous accusations that the actor had sexually harassed and even sexually assaulted unnamed House of Cards crew members.

After the CNN article appeared, MRC issued a statement indicating it was only aware of one incident regarding Spacey, in the first season of House of Cards, which the production company asserted had been resolved promptly to the satisfaction of all involved, and that it has not been made aware of any other complaints involving Mr. Spacey.

Netflix, however, now desperately running scared, decided to force MRC to proceed with Season 6 without Spacey. In an email sent only hours after the CNN article appeared, Netflix head Ted Sarandos, spelled this out: Lets announce tomorrow that There is NO scenario in which Kevin Spacey will appear in any version of a final season of the show.

In other words, prior to any investigation into the anonymous accusations against Spacey, and before Netflix and MRC had even identified the accusers, the actor was fired from the series.

MRC then proceeded to sue Spacey on the grounds that his alleged sexual misconduct had caused Season 6 of House of Cards to be shortened from 13 episodes to eight and they were entitled to more than $30 million in damages.

The arbitrators 2020 finding is sealed, but on November 22, 2021, Spaceys lawyers responded to a petition by MRC asking for the arbitration award to be confirmed. The document is worth citing, especially as the US media has almost entirely ignored Spaceys legal arguments.

The actors legal team asserted that the arbitration award was permeated with factual and legal errors. Most fundamentally, the lawyers argued, the arbitrator was mistaken in finding that MRC proved by a preponderance of the evidence that Spacey sexually harassed five former HOC [House of Cards] crewmembers. According to the November 2021 document, while Spacey participated in a pervasive on-set culture that was filled with sexual innuendoes, jokes, and innocent horseplay, he never sexually harassed anyone. As the arbitrator apparently recognized in his finding, the few times Spacey was told that his conduct made someone feel uncomfortable or was in any way unwanted, he stopped. The only allegation that Spacey ever attempted to engage in any type of sexual activity with a HOC crewmember was found uncredible by the Arbitrator.

Indeed, the lawyers continued, the Arbitrator stopped short of finding that Spacey actually sexually harassed anyone, instead emphasizing that the HOC harassment policy could be violated even if the conduct in question did not rise to the level of sexual harassment under state or federal law. In other words, as has taken place on college campuses, the bar on what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable behavior on a television set has been lowered to accommodate the demands of the identity politics forces.

Such rulings, essentially punishing individualsand potentially destroying their careerswhere no violation of the law has even allegedly taken place, set a dangerous precedent. Why should the powers of Netflix and the producers stop at the boundaries of sexual misconduct? How soon will it be before a performer is fired for lack of patriotism in regard to the war drive against Russia and China? Such alleged sympathy for the enemy is not illegal, but it might certainly violate Netflix or some other studios policy. A new McCarthyism looms on the horizon, or even closer.

There is more. Friedman, the arbitrator, ruled that Spacey breached his contract by engaging in the alleged conduct on the set. He also ruled that MRC lost some $30 million in profits as a result of the shortened season forced on the producers by Netflix. However, as Spaceys lawyers point out, the timeline demonstrates that the two findings are completely unconnected. The arbitrator himself recognized that the reduction in episodes was a foregone conclusion once Netflix dictated to MRC that Spacey could not and would not be a part of Season 6. In other words, the conduct for which Spacey is being punished, the supposed breach of his agreements as actor and producer by his harassment of crew members, was not even known by Netflix at the time it made this decision.

As a result, the damages incurred by MRC as a result of Netflixs actions, and blamed on Spaceys alleged actions, had already taken place (on November 2 or so) before anything was known about the content of his behavior.

The unfair, even absurd character of the arbitrators award points to its politically driven character. In their November 2021 document, Spaceys lawyers argued that vacating the $31 million award simply requires that the Court apply common sense and basic logicboth of which appear to have been discarded by the Arbitrator in his effort to avoid the risk of being seen as siding with Spacey and against the #MeToo movement, and to dispense his own brand of justice.

The vile American media, bereft of any shred of honesty and decency, has decided that Spacey, one of his generations most gifted performers, has to be sacrificed to appease the maddened upper-middle-class #MeToo elements, utterly indifferent or hostile to elementary democratic rights such as presumption of innocence.
On Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the news outlet Reuters escalated the attacks against those warning that the deadly monkeypox virus can be transmitted through the air. In a fact check article published by Reuters, the news outlet claims that social media posts exposing unexplained changes made in late May to the CDCs guidelines on monkeypox, are missing the context of the changes.

The Reuters piece was published after Dana Parish, an author and advocate for those suffering from Long COVID, wrote a series of tweets on July 30 showing that CDC guidelines have been scrubbed of clear references to the danger of airborne transmission of monkeypox.

Parish compared the CDC Yellow Book, which is published to provide health and disease information for those traveling internationally, to the agencys current Monkeypox FAQ, which present conflicting guidelines. The Yellow Book, published every two years and most recently in 2020, states, monkeypox spread from person to person is principally respiratory; contact with infectious skin lesions or scabs is another, albeit less common, means of person-to-person spread.

In contrast, the most recent CDC guidance claims that direct contact is the primary mode of transmission. Respiratory secretions, a term which is not defined or explained, is listed as a secondary mode of transmission at best. To reinforce its assertions, the CDC also writes that, In the current monkeypox outbreak, the virus is spreading primarily through close personal contact, including sex.

The conception that monkeypox is primarily transmitted sexually has been massively promoted since the monkeypox pandemic began in early May. The World Health Organization (WHO) and virtually every public health agency of the major capitalist governments have promoted the fact that 98 percent of confirmed cases so far have been among men sexually active with other men. In reality, testing has been largely confined to this demographic with nearly every non-endemic country refusing to conduct widespread testing to trace the extent of the disease among the entire population. Significantly, in Africa, where monkeypox is endemic in a number of countries and at least 350 cases have been detected this year, 60 percent of all cases are among men and 40 percent have occurred among women.

Historically, airborne transmission has long been recognized as one of the key ways that monkeypox can jump from person to person, and the science of the virus has not changed overnight during the current unprecedented outbreak. A recent preprint article studying this years monkeypox outbreak in the United Kingdom showed that three of four air samples collected during the study tested positive for monkeypox, indicating that the disease is airborne. In Nigeria, a country where monkeypox outbreaks are more commonplace, their Monkeypox Public Health Response Guidelines have always had airborne precautions in place. In July, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an extensive report on monkeypox, which notes that monkeypox can spread through aerosols and recommends that health care workers wear N95 masks for protection.

In an extensive thread defending Parish against the attack by Reuters, anti-COVID advocate Lazarus Long documented numerous sources which have noted the airborne transmission of monkeypox, including multiple screenshots from the CDCs prior guidance.

Parish commented on the Reuters piece to the World Socialist Web Site, noting that Fact checkers are supposed to use facts, not government hearsay without any data to back it up. The government refused to test women, children, and straight men saying the virus was only spreading among men having sex with men. This doesnt show a mode of transmission, it shows that one community was tested while others werent. If a virus was known to be primarily airborne before the current outbreak, what evidence is there to show that those cases werent spread by airborne transmission? Having sex would put these men at close range for a long enough period to have an infectious dose.

Remember when the government said youd only catch COVID if you were around someone for 15 minutes? That was untrue and unsupported, and this all feels too eerily familiar.

Parish also spoke to the lack of genuine research in the fact check article, asking, Why did Reuters report that the CDC used to explain that respiratory was a primary mode of transmission without showing any evidence that it's no longer happening? Also, why did Reuters talk about the Department of Homeland Security document without explaining that theyre telling health care workers to use N95s at minimum around Monkeypox patients and that there is mention of airborne spread in that document?'

She added, Reuters confirmed that up until the current outbreak, the CDC and other experts knew airborne was the primary mode of transmission but have provided no evidence to show its not or an explanation as to how a virus can suddenly no longer have airborne transmission, especially as cases are spreading so fast.

Parish also noted that Reuters only contacted the CDC for their article and did not ask her for comment. In other words, attempts are being made to discredit and silence those that argue for the precautionary principle, which demands that the whole arsenal of public health measures be deployed against a deadly viral outbreak which has still many unknown characteristics.

The timing of the Reuters piece suggests there are a variety of high level discussions within the US state regarding its response to the monkeypox pandemic. The same day the fact check was published, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of the Jynneos smallpox vaccine for children under 18 years old who were potentially exposed to monkeypox at a daycare center in Illinois, despite the absence of clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine for this demographic. The move by the FDA suggests that the government is aware that in previous outbreaks, as recorded in the report from Nigeria, the majority of deaths [occurred] in younger age groups. The immediate authorization of the Jynneos vaccine stands in stark contrast to the extended delay in granting emergency use authorization to anti-COVID vaccines for children over the past two years.

At the same time, cases among young people are growing. Over the weekend, Florida reported three new cases of monkeypox in children under the age of fourteen, bringing the total number of infections in children in the US to at least eight. There are now over 7,500 cases in the US and nearly 29,000 cases worldwide. The death toll, according to Our World In Data, currently stands at nine.

As with the coronavirus pandemic, the working class as a whole must ask, What does the government know about the dangers of monkeypox and when did it know it? It is increasingly clear that the same backhanded dealings that occurred at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, done in order to ensure the stock market could be propped up at the expense of human lives, are being repeated by withholding the immense dangers of monkeypox from the American and world population.

Nicolas Smit, an expert on airborne transmission and masks, told the WSWS, The CDC has a record of hiding evidence of airborne transmission from the public and purposefully misleading them to believe it isn't happening until they are forced to admit it. The CDC admitted to airborne transmission for COVID in January 2020, then told the public for over a year there was no evidence of airborne transmission. The CDC only admitted to airborne transmission a week after the WHO did in May 2021.

Smit added, The CDC and President Biden said that once airborne transmission was confirmed, they would recommend airborne PPE like N95s be put into widespread use. But once it happened, they continued to recommend cloth masks and kept a veil of secrecy over superior options like elastomeric respirators.

Concerns over the airborne transmission of monkeypox are particularly important as schools reopen. Schools, as well as factories, offices and other workplaces, have been shown to be a key vector of transmission for airborne viruses such as the coronavirus and monkeypox. The fact that warnings that monkeypox is airborne are being suppressed suggest that the government is aware of the dangers and attempting to ultimately suppress social opposition to the unchecked spread of a second deadly pandemic virus among children.

The bottom line is that we need transparency and clear, science-based guidance in order to protect children, their families, teachers, and the broader community, Parish wrote. Rather than spend so much energy trying to craft their image by discrediting me and others who have called them out and are rightfully concerned, the CDC and all public health officials should be laser focused on understanding and mitigating the outbreak, and direct communication to the public about how to protect themselves.
Press Release

August 8, 2022 Senator Pia Cayetano's manifestation commending the Ten Outstanding Young Men and Women awardees I join my colleagues in congratulating the Ten Outstanding Young Men and Women Awardees. I also join our colleague from Antique [Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda] and the rest of the Philippines in hoping that they will recognize 'women' in the title itself of the TOYM. I would just like to put on record, for the sake of the awardees, and also for the members of the Senate, that as the Chairman of the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking, the work, the advocacies of the young people here today directly address our SDGs, our sustainable development goals. So to give them recognition, I would just like to point out the SDGs that are highlighted immediately, upon quick perusal of the work that they do. But in many ways, it would intersect with other SDGs as well. So for Mr. Ariestelo A. Asilo, on Social Entrepreneurship, that addresses SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, and SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. Thank you for your work. For Ms. Iloisa Romaraog-Diga on her work on Agricultural Entrepreneurship, also SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, and SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth. Thank you for your work. I will also say that it also covers SDG 9, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure because your platform is an innovative work, and I am sure with so many others here. Mr. Eleazar Abraham Orobia on Education, of course, SDG 4 Quality Education, also SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities. We all know that education is a means to reduce inequalities. And then I move on, Ms Anna R. Oposa, whom I have worked with many times, including her father, of course, SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 14, Life Below Water. Sen. Padilla [turns to Senator Robinhood Padilla], siya po ang nabanggit ko sa inyo nung nag-interpellate kayo sa akin on concern niyo on marine life na affected. Sabi ko sa inyo na bibisita tayo sa mga lugar na affected ang marine life, siya ang contact natin, so pinapakilala ko na sa inyo. So I move on, congratulations, Anna, we're proud of you. Mr, Jayeel S. Cornelio on Education and Sociology, of course SDG 4 din, Quality Education, also SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities [SDG 10]. And from what I heard, you're also building sustainable communities, so SDG 11. Congratulations. And then, Ms Maria Yzabell Angel V. Palma, Science and Technology. SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. That would also include reducing inequalities and also decent work and economic growth [SDG 8], and more, I'm sure. Congratulations for your work. Dr. Jaime Alfonso M. Ahererra on Medicine and Cardiology, this is basically SDG 3, Good Health and Wellbeing. But again, this would also intersect with SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities, SDG 9, on Innovations, SDG 11 on Sustainable Communities, as well. Thank you for your work. Ms. Lou Sabrina S. Ongkiko on Education, SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 10, Reducing Inequalities, and SDG 11 on Sustainable Communities. Thank you for your work. Mr. Jaemark S. Tordecilla, Digital Journalism, this is SDG 16, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities as well, and SDG 11, Sustainable Communities. Thank you for your work. And Dr. Melvin J. Sanicas, Science and Medicine, SDG 3, Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11 Sustainable Communities. Thanks, doc for your work. On that note, I hope that you will be available if I invite you to our hearings to enlighten us on the work that you are doing because we might as well start with the experts that we already have, and have already been recognized in our own country. In our hearings, we also invite experts from other parts of the world. The ability to conduct hearings online have allowed us to work with these experts, and I am sure that on your own, this is something that might interest you as well. And I encourage the rest of the senators to also consider if our valuable resource persons right here in the halls of the Senate whom we are honoring today, can contribute to our hearings in lawmaking. So on that note, I join our colleagues in congratulating these men and women.
Ezra Miller has been charged with felony burglary into an unoccupied dwelling in Stamford, Vermont. The charge was issued following review of a May 2022 incident in which Shaftsbury police say Miller stole several bottles of alcohol while the owners were away. The news was first reported by News 10 ABC in Bennington County.

Per the report, just before 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, a burglary was reported taking place at a residence on Country Road in Stamford, Vermont. After reviewing surveillance videos and interviewing witnesses, they said they had probable cause to charge Miller, 29, of Stamford, News 10 ABC reported.

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Police at last found Miller this past Sunday night, August 7, at 11:30 p.m. and issued a citation ordering Miller to appear at the Bennington Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court on September 26, where they will be arraigned. (TMZ has more on the arrest here.)

The incident marks Millers third brush with law enforcement in 2022 following two arrests in Hawaii earlier this year  first for disorderly conduct and harassment at a karaoke bar, and then for second-degree assault during a later incident. Miller has also been accused of grooming underage individuals and was, in 2020, seen choking a woman on video in Iceland.

It was also reported back in June 2022 that Miller was housing a woman and her three children on an unlicensed cannabis farm in Vermont amid unsafe conditions including firearms on the property. Recently, more details emerged about Ezra Millers relationship with 18-year-old Tokata Iron Eyes, whose parents have accused Miller of facilitating an inappropriate relationship marred by drugs and physical and verbal abuse, all of which Tokata has denied.

Speculations abound whether Warner Bros. Discovery and DC will seek to recast or recalibrate Ezra Millers role in the upcoming The Flash, out for release next June. But during Warner Bros. Discoverys second-quarter earnings call last week, CEO David Zaslav named The Flash as among the great DC films coming up.

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More to come

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Gabby Petitos family announced Monday that theyre suing the Moab, Utah, police department for $50 million, accusing officers of contributing to their daughters death last year by acting negligently during a 911 call involving her and her fiance, Brian Laundrie, before he killed her.

In a notice of claim announcing the impending lawsuit, Petitos parents and stepparents say the Moab City Police Department missed or ignored clear signs that their daughter was a victim of domestic violence when they responded to 911 calls about the couple, who were driving through the eastern Utah town during a months-long road trip last August.

The officers failed to recognize the serious danger that she was in and failed to investigate fully and properly, Brian Stewart, a lawyer for the family, said at a press conference Monday. They did not have the training that they needed to recognize the clear signs that were evident that morning that Gabby was a victim, and that she was in serious need of immediate help.

Petito was found strangled to death last year two weeks after police responded to a 911 call about her and her fiance. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Petito was found strangled to death last year two weeks after police responded to a 911 call about her and her fiance. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Moab Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the impending lawsuit.

Two witnesses in Moab made 911 calls about the couple last August: one who reported seeing Laundrie slap and hit Petito and chase her up and down the sidewalk, and another who reported the couple talking aggressively before Laundrie took Petitos phone and attempted to drive off with it in her van.

When officers tracked down the couple and asked Petito about the fight, she displayed the classic hallmarks of an abused partner, attempting to take blame for the fight because she had hit Brian first and that she did not want to be separated from him, the notice of claim lays out, noting that Petito had a serious scratch across her face and a bloodied cheek and eye during her conversation with the officers. Whether for lack of training or refusal to follow their training, the officers did not press further.

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Instead of helping Petito, the claim notice says, officers accepted Laundries version of events that Petito was the main perpetrator of abuse  despite inconsistencies in his story  and merely separated them for the night.

About two weeks later, Laundrie strangled Petito to death in Wyoming  which he confessed to in writing shortly before taking his own life in Florida, where the couple had been living before embarking on their road trip.

Petito's parents and stepparents speak during a video conference Monday discussing the forthcoming lawsuit. (Photo: via Associated Press)

Petito's parents and stepparents speak during a video conference Monday discussing the forthcoming lawsuit. (Photo: via Associated Press)

Police body camera footage of the couples interaction with officers was released last year and came under immense scrutiny.

Watching it is very painful, and I wanted to jump to the screen and rescue her, Petitos mother, Nicole Schmidt, said during Mondays press conference.

An independent police investigation into the 911 response found earlier this year that the officers made several errors and that the department should expand its training on domestic violence investigations.

Stewart clarified that Petitos family is not filing the lawsuit to punish individual officers, but rather to demand changes be made within the department.

We believe that the only effective way to correct these problems is to hold our institutions accountable for their failures, including in law enforcement, he said.

Petitos ordeal has been folded into the broader national conversation about problems with policing over the past year, especially in situations of domestic violence. An investigation by the The Center for Investigative Reporting published last week found that most law enforcement agencies provide little or no training in how to recognize red flags or how to use them to protect victims and their families.

Instead, domestic violence experts told the outlet, police often become frustrated by the dynamics between a victim and her abuser ... dismissing warning signs as part of a dysfunctional pattern that cant be changed.

Petitos family has also sued Laundries parents for emotional distress, accusing them of knowing their son had killed their daughter.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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From taking down Washington D.C. to slamming the next steps of DC Comics, John Oliver isnt shying away from criticizing HBO parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.

During the August 7 episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the host likened the rollout of the monkeypox vaccine to how WBD CEO David Zaslav shelved DC superhero film Batgirl.

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We let the vaccine sit unused on a shelf in our reserves, like an expired Chobani or a $90 million movie on HBO Max, Oliver joked. Hi there, new business daddy seems like youre doing a really great job. I do get the vague sense that youre burning down my network for the insurance money, but Im sure that that will all pass.

Batgirl was deep into post-production when it was scrapped from the HBO Max release schedule. Leslie Grace starred as the Gotham City hero, along with Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, and Brendan Fraser. Co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah helmed the feature. Sources have revealed since that the cancellation of both Batgirl and the animated Scoob!: Holiday Haunt releases were due to Warner Bros. Discovery seeking a tax write-off.

CEO Zaslav during the companys second-quarter earnings call cited the need for a brand reset for DC amid a strategic shift for the streamer. This idea of expensive films going direct to streaming, we cannot find an economic case for it, Zaslav stated. We cant find an economic value for it.

Last Week Tonight host Oliver is no stranger to speaking out against Warner Bros. parent companies. Oliver previously dissed AT&T, calling out the companys ties to right-wing network One America News. However, AT&T never intervened in Olivers content, which he hopes will continue under Zaslav and Discovery.

We had absolutely no contact with AT&T, and I could not encourage Discovery more to continue that, Oliver told Variety. Leave us the fuck alone. We do not need to meet each other. We do not need to speak.

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Oliver added, There is no tastier hand than the one that feeds you. There is nothing more satisfying to chomp down on. The beauty with AT&T is its a hand that has done many terrible things. It deserves to be bitten.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok in 2019 (AFP/Getty)

North Korea is ready to send 100,000 soldiers to its ally Russia as military assistance for boosting its invasion of Ukraine, Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko said on state TV.

There are reports that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are prepared to come and take part in the conflict and North Korean builders are ready to work alongside ours [to repair war damage], the Russian defence expert said in a live panel discussion on Russian Channel One, reported the New York Post.

Calling the North Korean troops resilient, undemanding and motivated, the Russian journalist said that the Kremlin shouldnt be shy in accepting the hand extended to us by Kim Jong-un.

If North Korean volunteers with their artillery systems, wealth of experience with counter-battery warfare and large calibre multi-launch rocket systems, made in North Korea want to participate in the conflict, well lets give the green light to their volunteer impulse, Mr Korotchenko said.

He said that if North Korea expresses a desire to meet its international duty to fight against Ukrainian fascism, we should let them and added that both nations hold the sovereign right to sign the relevant agreements.

It is not immediately clear how North Korea has offered military assistance to Russia as its war on Ukraine has dragged on for more than five months.

Ranked as the worlds fourth largest, the North Korean military force has nearly 1.3 million active personnel, the New York-based Council for Foreign Relations has said. Additionally, 600,000 serve as reserve soldiers in the army.

However, a South Korean report stated that the North is already preparing to dispatch its workers to the pro-Russian Donbas region in eastern Ukraine to help rebuild the region.

Pyongyang is planning to send these workers at an appropriate time as they continue to monitor the situation on the ground, a North Korean source said in the report.

Military assistance for Russia from North Korea could prove to be helpful in its invasion of Ukraine which has prolonged for months against Moscows expectations to capture Kyiv in a shorter duration. It has resulted in loss of morale, troops and resources for Russia, experts have pointed out.

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The head of MI6 Richard Moore had said that Vladimir Putin has suffered an epic fail in Ukraine and his army is running out of steam.

Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), said the war was obviously not over but the Russian invaders may have to pause in the coming weeks.

I think he has suffered a strategic failure in Ukraine. It is obviously not over, Mr Moore said last month.
Rashida Jones is set to produce a new television show. According to Variety, Hulu has ordered The Other Black Girl, a comedy series based on the book of the same name written by Zakiya Dalila Harris. The pilot script was co-written by Harris and Jones.

Danielle Henderson will serve as showrunner and executive producer of the show. Alongside Jones, Tara Duncan, Marty Bowen, and Wyck Godfrey of Temple Hill, Adam Fishbach, and Harris will also serve as executive producers.

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The Other Black Girl was reportedly put into development back in 2020 when Duncan signed an overall deal with Hulu.

The Other Black Girl Cover

The novel, which was featured on VIBEs October 2021 reading list, was officially published in June 2021 and made the New York Times best-sellers list. In The Other Black GIrl, Nella, an editorial assistant and the only Black person at her company, hopes to find solace when another Black person joins the team. However, all things are not what they seem.

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During an interview with the NYT, Harris described being inspired by Jordan Peeles Get Out.

Talking about white liberals in this way seemed so new to me at the time, and I really wanted to do something similar with the book, Harris said. Having this conversation about the way we commodify blackness and the way we commodify diversity, for the way it looks versus what it actually should be: how to meaningfully retain people in these space.

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A man is accused of stealing construction machinery and digging up a grocery store parking lot. Getty Images

A Utah man is accused of stealing construction machinery and digging up a parking lot.

He faces felony theft and felony criminal mischief charges.

The suspect's motive is unclear.

A man in Salt Lake City, Utah, was accused of stealing a running excavation vehicle from an active construction site and digging up parts of a parking lot.

The 46-year-old suspect, Omar Ortega, faces felony theft and felony criminal mischief charges and has been booked at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail, according to a Salt Lake inmate search.

The Salt Lake Police Department said in a press release that construction workers called the authorities around noon on Saturday and followed the suspect as he drove nearly a mile down the road in the oversized vehicle. The construction crew had apparently left the machine running when the suspect took it.

While the standard excavator weighs between seven and 45 metric tons, the weight of the stolen machinery is unclear.

The suspect was found "randomly digging up the ground" in a parking lot at Smith's grocery store at 828 South 900 West, per the press release. The release added that community members at the grocery store helped stop the suspect from leaving before police arrived.

"This was very unusual," SLCPD spokesman Brent Weisberg told local outlet KUTV. "We're fortunate that there were no crashes, no one was injured. Once the person got to the parking lot and was just kind of swinging the front loader around, a lot of community members called 911 wondering what was going on here."

Fixing the damage will cost at least $40,500, KUTV reported.

It's unclear what sparked the theft and destruction.

Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) August 6, 2022

Salt Lake City Police Department declined to provide additional details. The Utah Attorney General did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Global investment giant Vista Equity Partners has announced plans to acquire automated tax compliance software provider Avalara in an all-cash deal worth $8.4 billion.

Founded in 2004, Seattle-based Avalara works with companies including Zillow, Pinterest and Roku, helping to automate many of the time-consuming processes involved in managing taxes in each market they operate.

Indeed, many governments around the world collect taxes based on where a service is consumed, rather than where the service provider is located -- and keeping on top of which specific service is taxable, and at what rates, is important for running a legally compliant business. Throw into the mix the vast array of variables involved, such as whether a transaction is B2C or B2B or whether a product is digital or physical, and things can get complicated pretty quickly for businesses looking to stay on the right side of local tax laws.

And that is why Avalara provides a funnel into local tax databases, so its customers always have access to up-to-date information spanning sales and use tax, VAT and goods and service tax (GST), excise and more.

Taxing times

The company had raised around $341 million ahead of its 2018 IPO, and like many companies in recent times, Avalara has undergone something of a "correction," with its market cap falling over the past year by roughly 60% to $6 billion last month, though it had bounced back up to more than $8 billion as of last week. Alongside today's acquisition news, Avalara also posted its Q2 financials, where it reported a year-on-year revenue jump of 23%, though its operating loss nearly doubled to $56 million over the same period.

Vista notes that its proposed share purchase price of $93.50 represents a premium of 27% on its closing share price of exactly a month ago -- however, it's worth noting that the price is marginally lower than Avalara's $95 closing price on Friday.

Still, the $8.4 billion price tag is sizeable, and is indicative of the broader appeal that automated tax compliance software holds in the investment sphere -- in the past eight months alone, we've seen German startup Taxdoo raise $64 million, while Ireland's Fonoa last month locked down $60 million.

While the deal is still subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, Vista said that it expects the transaction to close before the end of 2022, after which Avalara will be a privately held company.
Grain at a port in Ukraine. Getty Images

Many Middle Eastern and African nations rely on cheap wheat from Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine stopped the transport of necessary grains and contributed to a food crisis.

On Sunday, a shipment to Lebanon that was part of a war-time deal was delayed.

The first grain ship to leave Ukraine's port en route to Lebanon as part of a wartime deal has been delayed, the Associated Press reported.

The ship carrying the grain was supposed to arrive at around 10 a.m. on Sunday at a port in Tripoli, Lebanon. It is unclear what is causing the delay, and the ship is currently anchored in the Mediterranean Sea near Turkey.

The ship is carrying around 26,000 tons of corn for chicken feed, the AP reported.

Many countries in the Middle East and Africa depend on Ukraine for cheap wheat. As the war in Ukraine prevented the shipment of necessary wheat, prices across the world increased.

Ukraine is considered the world's "breadbasket" and Russia and Ukraine combined account for almost a third of the world's wheat exports.

Russia and Ukraine signed a deal backed by the United Nations on July 22 to allow grain exports from blockaded Black Sea ports, helping to avoid "a food shortage catastrophe for millions worldwide."

The delayed shipment comes as Lebanon deals with significant food insecurity, as food prices rise. The AP reported that Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in modern history, and an estimated 75% of the country's population is living in poverty.

The value of the Lebanese pound has decreased by over 90%. This comes two years after a massive explosion at Beirut's port damaged the country's main grain silos. A section of the silos collapsed last week.

Read the original article on Insider
A photo of 42-year-old Wegayewu Faris and his family.

A family member has organized a GoFundMe for Wegayewu Faris, the 42-year-old Coralville man who drowned in the Iowa River on Friday as he helped rescue a child.

The 8-year-old child who was rescued from the river was released from the University of Iowa Hospitals on Saturday and is said to be "fine," Johnson County sheriff Brad Kunkel confirmed with the Press-Citizen.

Bethel Tewabe, Faris sister-in-law, organized the GoFundMe with a goal of $50,000.

According to the GoFundMe, Faris leaves behind a wife and three children, ages 6, 8 and 12, as well as countless family members and friends located all over the U.S. and back home in Ethiopia.

Faris was at the Iowa River on Friday to take his children fishing, according to the GoFundMe.

Wegayewu took care of everyone around him in any way that he could," Tewabe wrote on the GoFundMe. "He had a very big heart, hardworking hands, a very determined mindset, and a smile that could brighten a dark room.

More: Coralville man drowns in Iowa River while helping rescue 8-year-old child

Faris loved spending time with family and friends, fishing, going on walks and being in nature, according to the GoFundMe.

Tewabe said the family wants to transport Faris to Ethiopia so he can rest at home.

As of Monday afternoon, the GoFundMe has raised over $35,000, with donors leaving messages celebrating Faris and his bravery.

Faris was a custodian at Iowa City High School, principal John Bacon said via a social media post on Saturday.

I have tragic news to share. City High mourns the loss of Wegayewu Faris. Faris was a member of our evening custodial team. A kind, amazing person. He drowned saving the life of a young child. A hero. See article linked. Our thoughts are with his family. https://t.co/BcCAmiWKaV  John Bacon (@JBacon23) August 6, 2022

"He was kind and caring," Bacon said in an email to the Press-Citizen. "He was a friend to everyone. He took great pride in his work and he did an outstanding job at City High. He is a true hero and we will miss him deeply."

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More news: The Old Capitol's dome is shining brighter ahead of students returning to University of Iowa campus

Justin Hoehn, director of media and legislative relations at Kirkwood Community College, said Faris attended the school from 2005-08, taking English Language Learning classes. Faris returned in 2019-20 and earned an automotive technology diploma.

On Friday, Faris' body was recovered at 7:10 p.m., about an hour after law enforcement officials received a call about a possible drowning at River Junction Access in a rural part of the county. Officers who arrived discovered that the child had been rescued, that bystanders performed CPR, and the child was brought to University of Iowa Hospitals.

Officers also learned that one man who came to the child's aid was unaccounted for. They then found Faris in the water.

Witnesses told officers that the child entered the river and began struggling, and Faris went in to try to save him. A kayaker was able to get the child out of the water, but Faris submerged beneath the surface. The kayaker and another person attempted to find Faris but were unable to.

More news: Iowa City TRC suspends Amel Ali as chair but does not remove her; one commissioner resigns

Faris and the child are not related, the sheriff's office said. They were members of separate families who had come to the river to go fishing. Officers are crediting Faris and the kayaker as being instrumental in saving the life of the child.

This incident is under investigation by the Johnson County Sheriffs Office. The Sheriffs Office was assisted at the scene by Johnson County Conservation, Johnson County Emergency Management, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, Hills Fire Department, Riverside Fire Department, Lone Tree Fire Department, and the Johnson County Medical Examiner.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Coralville man who drowned in the Iowa River called a 'true hero'
The Bizzarrini 5300 GTs sex-on-wheels body seems more likely to be found in a mechanics shop than pouncing on backroads or race circuits. But beneath Giorgetto Giugiaros curvaceous sheetmetal lies a secret weapon: remarkable engineering courtesy of the brands namesake, Giotto Bizzarrini.

After a stint at Alfa Romeo, the driver-cum-engineer had worked on the Ferrari 250 GTOone of the most monumental grail cars of the 20th centurybefore conjuring Lamborghinis first V-12, a charismatic engine that was so stout, it served the carmaker for nearly a half-century.

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Once Bizzarrini focused on his own ventures, the fruits of his labor were formidable: the A3/C, a competition version of his 5300 GT. The enterprising Italian was so strapped for cash that instead of hiring a transporter to get his car to the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, he drove it himself from Italy to France. Thanks to its slippery aerodynamics and monstruous 327 cubic-inch Chevrolet engine fed by four Weber carburetors, the low-slung contender achieved the third fastest top speed of 186 mph on the Mulsanne straight, helping it finish a remarkable 1st in class, and 9th overall. The incredible achievement reinforced the Italian carmakers larger-than-life legend, which accompanied slinky form with focused function. You dont win Le Mans by just looking pretty, says Bruce Meyer, who owns the Bizzarrini that won the famous race. Unfortunately, Bizzarrinis frisson of success only lasted until 1969, when the brand folded.

Bizzarrini_5300_GT_Corsa_Revival_3 - Credit: Bizzarrini

Bizzarrini

The marque was revived in 2020 by Pegasus Brands, an international car dealership specializing in elite brands including Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and Koenigsegg. Its first venture is a run of 24 continuation models inspired by chassis 0222, the very car that won its class at Le Mans in 1965 at the hands of Regis Fraissinet and Jean de Mortemart. Like revitalized models from Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar, this redux draws upon original blueprints, 3-D scans, and historical research which includes paint-matching the crimson shade of the original car. Its also built to meet Appendix K FIA regulations for competition, with a period-correct 5.3-liter V-8 that makes appropriately bestial noises. A lightweight composite body over a steel frame is said to produce a feathery curb weight in the neighborhood of 2,711 pounds, with an independent rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes that honor the original. The cars can be specd with a fiberglass body that qualifies them for historic racing, or a carbon fiber setup for a Strada configuration thats road-ready.

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Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival - Credit: Bizzarrini

Bizzarrini

The marque was revived in 2020 by Pegasus Brands, an international car dealership specializing in elite brands including Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and Koenigsegg. Its first venture is a run of 24 continuation models inspired by chassis 0222, the very car that won its class at Le Mans in 1965 at the hands of Regis Fraissinet and Jean de Mortemart. Like revitalized models from Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar, this redux draws upon original blueprints, 3-D scans, and historical research which includes paint-matching the crimson shade of the original car. Its also built to meet Appendix K FIA regulations for competition, with a period-correct 5.3-liter V-8 that makes appropriately bestial noises. A lightweight composite body over a steel frame is said to produce a feathery curb weight in the neighborhood of 2,711 pounds, with an independent rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes that honor the original. The cars can be specd with a fiberglass body that qualifies them for historic racing, or a carbon fiber setup for a Strada configuration thats road-ready.

Now that the first 5300 GT Corsa Revival has been delivered to its first customer, production is underway for the remaining 23 examples. With decades-old styling and a seven-figure price tag, the resuscitated Bizzarrini certainly isnt for everyonewhich explains why the revived carmaker is also working on a modern supercar. But for seekers of classical beauty and brutal speed, few things fit the bill quite like this newly revived Italian icon.

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Donald Trump complained to his most senior aide, then-chief of staff John Kelly, that he wanted the USs top generals including retired military figures to show him absolute, unquestioning loyalty while specifically pointing to Nazi Germany as an example.

In a bizarre exchange described by reporters for The New Yorker and The New York Times in an upcoming book Mr Trump is said to have asked his top aide, who himself was a four-star general in charge of US Southern Command, [W]hy cant you be like the German generals?

A bewildered Mr Kelly reportedly responded, Which generals? to which Mr Trump supposedly shot back, The German generals in World War II.

His chief of staff then allegedly told the president, You do know that they tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off?

But the president in response substituted his own version of history.

No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him, Mr Trump reportedly insisted to his aide.

The excerpts were published on Monday in The New Yorker. The Divider: Trump in the White House, by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, is due to release in September.

Mr Kelly served as chief of staff through the first half of Mr Trumps tumultuous four years in office, joining after the exit of Reince Priebus. He imposed some order on the rowdy group of Trump loyalists in the West Wing, including clashing with Steve Bannon, the ex-Breitbart News chief, and eventually ousting him.

He left the office in early January 2019. Surprisingly, the remarks reported on Monday are not the first approving words the ex-president has been accused of making about Nazi Germany and its leadership in conversations with Mr Kelly in particular. He is said to have told Mr Kelly, "Well, [Adolf] Hitler did a lot of good things" during a 2018 trip to France alongside his top advisers, a statement first reported by Michael Bender of The Wall Street Journal for his own book about the Trump presidency. Mr Trump denied making those remarks through a spokesperson after the books publication.

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The former president had a troubled relationship with top American military brass while in office. He at first appeared to be seeking to align his administration with the views of the US military establishment by staffing a number of top positions in his White House, including his chief of staff position, with retired generals like Mr Kelly and James Mattis.

But by the end of his presidency he had clearly fallen out of favour with those same retired brass (and they with him as well) and was re-embracing the politicians and loyalists who made up much of his inner circle. In June of 2020 he received some of his most withering criticism made by a former member of his administration when Mr Mattis responded to the use of law enforcement officers to clear peaceful protesters from a park outside of the White House so that the president could take part in a photo op.

Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people  does not even pretend to try, Mr Mattis wrote at the time. Instead he tries to divide us.
VIENNA  Indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal are expected to conclude Monday in Vienna, putting the final draft of an agreement in front of negotiators from Washington and Tehran.

Western officials told POLITICO on Monday that they had finished negotiating technical questions that had remained open in the final draft text circulated by the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on July 21. The final draft determines the steps that Iran and the U.S. will have to take to return to full compliance with the original 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The deal rolled back U.S. and European sanctions against Iran in exchange for steps by Iran limiting its nuclear program and an agreement to allow intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nationss nuclear watchdog.

On Monday, The EU will officially circulate the final draft document to participants and will ask the U.S. and Iran to agree on it. If there is agreement, foreign ministers are expected to return to Vienna to formally restore the 2015 nuclear accord.

There is a real chance for an agreement but there are still a number of uncertainties as always, one senior Western official told POLITICO.

A senior EU official on Monday confirmed that the bloc has finalized the draft text in its role as coordinator and facilitator and has introduced solutions to the four technical questions that had remained open.

It is now up to capitals to consider this text. It is the best possible effort. We have negotiated ad nauseam every single aspect," the official said.

The senior EU official confirmed that negotiators will leave Vienna in the next few hours and that the draft text is 25 pages long.

The draft text will not solve the outstanding questions by the IAEA into the past nuclear program, the EU official explained. It is a process between Iran and the Agency. There is no link between the two.

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An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told the official Iranian news agency IRNA on Monday that given the continuation of discussions on some remaining important issues, were not yet at a stage to finalize the text. Iran has presented its constructive views to other party so as to move forward and the result is up to their political decision. We believe #VienneTalks can be closed soon provided that the other party makes an appropriate decision. But we are not there yet.

The EU has been brokering on-again, off-again talks for 16 months between U.S. Special Envoy Robert Malley and his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani.

The last round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran took place in Doha, Qatar, in late June. It ended without a major breakthrough.

Across the last five days, EU diplomats could be seen frantically rushing between two different hotels all located along Viennas historic Ringstrasse, where the American and Iranian delegations are based, carrying folders with documents.

Tehran has refused to talk directly to the U.S. ever since former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement four years ago and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions.

Clandestine nuclear weapons program?

There is still one major sticking point that prevents a breakthrough in the talks despite the draft agreement being finalized by EU negotiators.

Iran has demanded that the UN nuclear watchdog close an investigation into the origins of multiple traces of man-made nuclear material that IAEA inspectors found at various sites in Iran during the past few years. Tehran insists that the nuclear deal can only be restored if this probe by the IAEA is closed once and for all.

The UN agency identified traces of uranium particles based on information uncovered by Israels Mossad in a secret 2018 operation. Israeli intelligence agents stole thousands of documents and CDs from a warehouse in Tehran that provided information on sites where nuclear activity may have taken place in Iran in past decades.

Western officials suspect that the uranium traces discovered by the IAEA are proof of Iran having had a secret nuclear weapons program and having actively worked on developing an atomic weapon until at least 2003.

Tehran continues to maintain that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. But, according to the IAEA, Iran has failed to provide credible and plausible answers into the origin of those uranium particles. This prompted the IAEA Board of Governors to censure Iran at its last meeting in Vienna in June. Western officials have been pressing Iran to provide answers and are not expected to back down from this demand.

One senior European diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, gave one reason why Iran could be stonewalling the IAEA probe: The Iranian regime seems to prefer to protect some individuals involved in clandestine activities 20 years ago instead of freeing its economy and opening up the future for its people.

In search of a solution, Western diplomats involved in the negotiations in Vienna said that over the past five days, parties negotiated a separate political deal with Iran that could help close the probe  provided Iran cooperates.

According to one senior Western official, that deal will see the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors pass a resolution closing the probe into the nuclear material, if Tehran provides answers on the origin of the uranium traces that are deemed credible by the IAEA.

This deal will essentially be an updated version of a similar bargain that had been struck with Iran and negotiated by Britain, France and Germany in March.

Solutions to nuclear questions

Over the past five days, negotiators have also worked out solutions to technical questions that had remained open in the final draft text that will restore the JCPOA.

One of them has to do with the details of the reinstallation of cameras that were used to monitor Tehrans compliance under the JCPOA and that Iran switched off in June in retaliation for the IAEA Board of Governors censure.

Another technical nuclear question is apparently related to the small amount of 60 percent enriched uranium that has been converted and irradiated and that cannot be shipped out of Iran due to high radioactivity. Under the JCPOA, all highly-enriched uranium has to be shipped out of the country.

According to a senior Western official with knowledge of the matter, the final draft text contains possible solutions to both issues.

Iran backing down on delisting for now

Another major hurdle that has held up a final deal for many months involved Irans request to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful branch of the Iranian military, from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization list. President Joe Biden insisted that he would keep the IRGC under sanctions for now.

The terrorist designation was imposed by former President Donald Trump in 2019, in addition to numerous other terrorism and human-rights sanctions on Iranian institutions and individuals that are not related to the nuclear program.

According to a senior EU diplomat, Tehran has agreed to set aside the demand and to discuss the matter in the future in direct talks with Washington.

Iran has also demanded legal guarantees from the U.S. that it will not quit a future nuclear deal. The Biden administration has repeatedly stressed that it will uphold its obligations under the deal but that it cannot provide a guarantee for future administrations.

Negotiators have therefore worked out economic assurances that will provide Iran with the opportunity to profit financially from the deal  even if a new U.S. administration were to withdraw from the pact again. One such assurance that negotiators are working out is a temporary continuation of contracts for companies doing business in Iran.

A renewed agreement would enable Iran to sell its oil freely on global markets and regain access to its frozen assets, worth an estimated $100 billion.

While Iran has been able to sell some of its oil  mostly to China  despite the sanctions, a revived nuclear pact would enable Iran to export about 1 million barrels per day above current exports, according to Henry Rome, a senior analyst with the Eurasia Group.

If oil is trading at USD 100 per barrel, then that's an additional USD 3 billion per month of revenue on top of existing exports, Rome said.
The view of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Albuquerque Police, the FBI, and New Mexico State Police asked the public on Sunday for any tips they might have regarding the recent killings of four Muslim men.

Aftab Hussein, 41, was shot on July 26, Muhammad Aafzaal Hussain, 27, was shot on August 1, and a third victim, described as being in his mid-20s from South Asia, was killed on Friday. Law enforcement officials say the three killings might be connected to the November murder of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, outside of his business. The four men all attended the Islamic Center of New Mexico.

Ahmad Assed, president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told The New York Times there is a "sort of managed panic" among members, who have been asked to use a buddy system when going out in public. "I do watch my back and get in the car," he said. "I'm watching all my surroundings. You don't know whether they're following you from the mosque, if they're actually watching people going in and out of the mosque and following them elsewhere. The pattern is unknown."

Police have said they do not want to refer to the killings as hate crimes, because not enough is known about the motive. Brian Levin, director of California State University San Bernardino's Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, told the Times that anti-Muslim hate crimes in the U.S. have been on the decline, but in 2021, all hate crimes rose by more than 20 percent.

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Russias invasion of Ukraine this year has roiled global energy markets and caused food shortages in some parts of the world. The disruptions could intensify during the winter, with soaring energy costs causing a recession in Europe and weakening the economies of the United States and many other nations. A broader and more devastating conflict remains possible.

A war involving China would be orders of magnitude worse. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis recent visit to Taiwan enraged Chinas communist government, which has launched missiles over the island and conducted threatening military exercises meant to remind the world that China plans to annex Taiwan someday, whether peaceably or by force.

If that involved armed conflict, it would probably cause more damage to the world economy and global markets than any military confrontation since World War II. Unlike Russia or Ukraine, Chinas powerhouse manufacturing sector is deeply linked with economies everywhere, including the United States and Europe. The seas around China and Taiwan are some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Wartime disruption of all that commerce would be devastating. Before Russias invasion of Ukraine, for instance, U.S. trade with Russia was $36 billion per year. Trade with Ukraine was $4 billion per year, for a total of $40 billion in direct trade jeopardized by the war.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen greets military generals at a ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, June 28, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang

U.S. trade with China is $656 billion per year, including imports of consumer products in every American home and components in many goods assembled in the United States. U.S. trade with Taiwan is $114 billion, and that includes some of the worlds most advanced semiconductors. Combined, U.S. trade with China and Taiwan is 10 times U.S. trade between Russia and Ukraine, and it involves products far more crucial to the U.S. economy. The same interdependencies exist between China, Taiwan and most of the worlds advanced economies.

In the event of a war, the economic fallout would be disastrous, Hal Brands and Michael Beckley argue in the new book Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China." They add, A global depression would be all but guaranteed.

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Taiwan broke away from China in 1949, at the end of Chinas civil war, and now functions as an independent democracy. China, however, considers Taiwan a renegade republic, and President Xi Jinping insists that reunification with Taiwan is inevitable. Since Taiwan isnt interested, China would have to coerce reunification.

A major blow to U.S. prosperity

The United States has a deliberately vague policy toward Taiwan, meant to imply that the U.S. military would help defend Taiwan if China attacked, without saying so overtly. President Biden clarified that policy in May, when he said that yes, the United States would defend Taiwan if China invaded. While that would be Taiwans best chance of surviving as an independent democracy, it may also be the worst scenario for the economic catastrophe a war over Taiwan would produce.

The Rand research organization estimates that a war involving China and the United States would slice 5% off the $23 trillion U.S. economy, That would be the biggest blow to American prosperity since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In 2009, amid the Great Recession, U.S. gross domestic product dropped by just 2.6%. The S&P 500 stock index bottomed out in 2009 55% below its prior peak, which might be a mere taste of the losses investors could expect from a U.S.-China war.

China's President Xi Jinping speaks upon his arrival via high-speed rail, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese rule, in Hong Kong, China June 30, 2022. Selim Chtayti/Pool via REUTERS

Chinas $17 trillion economy would suffer a lot more, with its GDP plunging by as much as 25%, according to Rand. As with Russia's economy after the invasion of Ukraine, the damage would likely come from several directions: economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other allied nations, attacks on Chinese infrastructure by Taiwan, the cost of sustaining a costly and perhaps lengthy war, and the decoupling of China from many international systems.

Taiwans relatively small $670 billion economy would probably suffer the most, as the nation fought for its very survival. Ukraine, in a similar existential fight right now, may endure a devastating 45% decline in output this year as it struggles to oust invading Russian forces. In Taiwan, the semiconductor industry is so important that capturing it intact might be a Day One goal of Chinas military, if it were to invade. Its also possible Taiwan and its allies could destroy state-of-the-art fabrication plants, to keep this vital technology out of Chinese hands.

You could make a rational argument that the West would be a whole lot better off having the Taiwanese chip industry be a smoking hole in the ground than being under Chinese control, Stanford University scholar Herbert Lin recently told Yahoo Finances Ben Werschkul.

'Gray Zone' tactics

These scenarios assume the United States does intervene on Taiwans behalf if China mounts a military attack, unleashing a terrifying war between two nuclear-armed nations. There could be other outcomes. For one thing, China may never attack Taiwan militarily, instead choosing gray zone tactics such as cyberwarfare and ongoing military exercises that make it riskier and costlier for other nations to do business with Taiwan. If China took this approach, it might carefully avoid some kind of threshold action that could trigger American involvement.

If there is a shooting war, Americans should not assume theyll end up on the winning side. First, its not 100% clear the U.S. president, whoever he or she is, would be willing to risk thousands of American lives in Asia by committing ships and planes to a war against China on Taiwans behalf. There are ways to defend Taiwan without sending American service members to war, such as providing the kind of hardware and intelligence the United States is now supplying to Ukraine.

If the United States did go to war, victory would hardly be pre-ordained. China has been aggressively building its military for two decades and deliberately crafting a force able to defeat the United States in a war over Taiwan. China would be fighting off its own shores, while American supply lines would stretch over the vast Pacific Ocean.

Taiwans own military is the first line of defense, and its not clear the islands forces are as prepared for war as Chinas may be. One concern is a possible army of Chinese spies embedded in Taiwans national-security apparatus. The vaunted U.S. military could also find itself unprepared. As Brands and Beckley point out, U.S. military power is about to dip, as the Pentagon retires legions of industrial-era warships and bombers. Newer and better combat systems are coming, but not for a while.

Mr. Xi has repeatedly said that the task of liberating Taiwan cannot be passed down from generation to generation, Brands and Beckley wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal. In the mid- and late 2020s, hell have his best chance to accomplish that mission.

Markets have shown no concern over Pelosis visit to Taiwan or Chinas menacing response. The S&P 500 rose the week Pelosi visited Taiwan and China sent missiles flying, as investors interpreted the chest-puffing as posturing. Theres no tangible sign that China is preparing to launch an actual war or that President Xi would be willing to plunge his nation into a maelstrom he himself might not survive.

Thats probably right. But many analysts thought Russian President Vladimir Putin would never risk the wrath of the West by invading Ukraine, and Putin proved them wrong. Theres nothing to worry about until the moment invading forces cross a border. Then theres everything to worry about.

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Aug. 8MEXICO  The Maine State Police arrested a suspect Sunday in connection with a fatal shooting Saturday in Mexico.

Thomas Tellier, 52, of Mexico was arrested in Mexico on a murder charge related to the shooting death of his stepson, Nicholas Trynor, 27, also of Mexico, according to Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

At about 1 p.m. Saturday, police responded to reports of a shooting at 32 Intervale Ave.

Mexico and Rumford police found Trynor dead at the scene, officials said.

Detectives with the state police Major Crimes Unit were called to assist with the investigation. They gathered evidence throughout the night, leading to Tellier's arrest Sunday, according to police.

Tellier was taken to the Oxford County Jail in South Paris. He is expected to be arraigned this week at Oxford County Superior Court, according to Moss.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday slammed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for sending migrants on buses to Democratic-run cities in the U.S., calling Abbott's actions "unimaginable."

Adams made the remarks Sunday as he greeted a bus carrying 14 asylum seekers from Texas border towns at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Their arrival followed 40 others who arrived on Friday.

It is just a small portion of asylum seekers that have been transported from border towns since April, when Abbott began putting migrants on buses to Democrat-run cities after Biden's efforts to end Title 42, a pandemic-related emergency policy that enables border agents to expel migrants quickly.

After welcoming the families to New York City, Adams slammed Abbott for using the families as political pawns.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams greets asylum seekers at Port Authority Bus Terminal / Credit: Official New York City government Twitter

"When you think about this country, a country that has always been open to those who are fleeing persecution and other intolerable conditions, we've always welcomed that," Adams said. "This governor is not doing that in Texas, but we are going to send the right message, the right tone, of being here for these families."

Adams said some of the families on the bus were forced to be there and not allowed to go where they wanted.

"This is horrific when you think about what the governor is doing, the governor of Texas, after months of traveling across the border, placing them on the bus with no direction," Adams said.

In a statement on Friday, Abbott defended Operation Lone Star, claiming it has filled in the "dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border."

"Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to more than 290,700 migrant apprehensions and more than 18,000 criminal arrests, with more than 15,400 felony charges reported," Abbott's statement read. "In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 325.9 million lethal doses throughout the state. Texas has also transported over 6,500 migrants to the nation's capital  and now New York City  since beginning the busing mission in April to provide much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities."

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On Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected a request from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for the National Guard to help receive migrants bused to Washington, D.C.

The Pentagon said that providing the requested support would negatively impact the readiness of the D.C. National Guard and have adverse effects on the guard and its members, a U.S. defense official said in a statement.

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President Donald Trump with high-ranking staff in the background. Gen. Paul Selva, the US's second-highest-ranking general at the time, is third from left. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

During his presidency, Trump wanted to hold a big military parade in the nation's capital.

After attending France's Bastille Day celebration, he said he wanted a parade for July Fourth.

A top general told him it's a move that dictators made, an excerpt from an upcoming book says.

The second-highest-ranking US general at the time told then-President Donald Trump that his idea for a big military parade in Washington, DC, was "what dictators do," a new book says.

Trump, as has been previously reported, crafted the idea for a military parade after witnessing a lavish Bastille Day celebration in Paris in 2017. He wanted to top it with one of his own during the Fourth of July holiday.

Top US generals and officials were less thrilled about the idea, according to an excerpt from a forthcoming book by journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker that was published Monday by The New Yorker.

James Mattis, Trump's defense secretary at the time, said he would "rather swallow acid," and other officials said it would cost millions and damage the roads.

At one White House meeting, when Trump addressed his idea with Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, then the second-highest-ranking general as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Selva suggested the idea was reminiscent of something often seen in dictatorships.

According to the book, when Trump asked Selva what he thought of the parade, Selva said he grew up in Portugal, which "was a dictatorship  and parades were about showing the people who had the guns."

"And in this country, we don't do that," Selva said. "It's not who we are."

Trump then asked Selva whether or not he liked the idea, to which he responded: "No." He added, "It's what dictators do."

The US has held some military parades in Washington, DC, most recently in 1991 after America's victory in the Gulf War. After facing pushback on his plans, Trump held a "Salute to America" event on the Fourth of July in 2019 that prominently featured a military flyover and some static military-vehicle displays but no tanks in the streets.

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Throughout his time in the White House, Trump often expressed admiration for dictators or authoritarians like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping  leaders who hold massive military parades each year. Political scientists who specialize in authoritarianism often said Trump's rhetoric and lack of respect for democratic norms emboldened such leaders.

Fiona Hill, who served as the top Russia expert on the National Security Council under the Trump administration, said in comments to The Daily Beast last year that Trump had a bad case of "autocrat envy."

"He also really liked kings and queens," Hill added of Trump.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Brendan ONeil admits to injuring Black woman in 2020 hit-and-run incident as part of plea deal

A white man in Wisconsin accused of accelerating his vehicle through a crowd, injuring a Black woman and fleeing the scene in 2020 has pled guilty to a felony charge.

Brendan ONeil, 28, on Friday agreed to a plea deal that convicts him of a hit-and-run involving injury  but not a hate crime  with an opportunity to clear the charge from his record. Under the deal ONeil can have his record wiped clean should he complete a first-time offenders program, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

Footage of the incident reportedly shows a black GMC truck driven by ONeil lurch forward toward a mostly-Black crowd standing outside a downtown Madison bar and running into Alize Carter, then 24, leaving her with a fractured hand, abrasions and a concussion after knocking her partially into a nearby intersection, per a criminal complaint reviewed by the outlet.

Brendan ONeil (Credit: Dane County Sheriffs Office)

Other footage from the citys surveillance system shows police using pepper spray to clear the crowd away from the scene as emergency responders tended to Carter. Some witnesses reportedly deemed the polices action excessively aggressive.

In the wake of the collision the then-acting police chief, Vic Wahl, said that crowd members verbally abused officers and intentionally remained in their way as they responded, according to the Journal.

Activist groups in Madison dubbed the hit-and-run, which occurred as Black Lives Matter protests surged nationwide following George Floyds murder, a hate crime. A statement from Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway released after the incident additionally left open the possibility that race was a motivating factor in ONeils actions.

According to the Journal, Wahl sent a report to Rhodes-Conway claiming that the crowd of several hundred people was socializing in the roadway when some began jumping into the bed of ONeills truck, proceeding to dance on it and physically attack the driver.

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The driver was punched in the face and that is when he drove into the crowd, according to Wahls report. The driver was further attacked and continued to drive through the crowd driving over (the) victim.

Chris Van Wagner, ONeils attorney, said that a trial for the case will no longer be necessary following the plea deal, as his record can eventually be cleared and because he has made efforts through his insurer to provide Carter financial compensation, per the outlet.

According to Van Wagner, since the incident, ONeil has moved out of the state after saying he did not feel safe in his Sun Prarie residence following a wave of serious threats on various social media sites lodged against him.

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A toddler died in Houston after an SUV was crushed by a cement mixer truck.

The 22-month-old boy was killed Friday when the truck toppled over the overpass and onto the Ford Expedition transporting him on the Sam Houston Parkway, HCSO Senior Deputy Thomas M. Gilliland says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Four people were in the car when the accident occurred, including the victim and his twin sibling, as well as a 54-year-old driver and 22 year-old female passenger.

The toddler killed in the crash was identified as Nicolas Resendiz in a GoFundMe campaign started by his mother Jennifer Resendiz. She described her late son as "a happy, smart, and nice little boy."

"On Friday afternoon, our family was devastated by an unexpected and unimaginable tragedy. Baby Nicolas Resendiz lost his life in a horrible, freak accident," Jennifer wrote in the caption.

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The cement truck that killed Nicolas was traveling southbound in the outside lane of the parkway when its 36-year-old driver "lost control" of the vehicle, Gilliland says. The truck then spun into the road's outside barrier wall before it fell over onto the Ford below, according to authorities.

The Expedition was traveling in the inside left turn lane and turning east onto Woodforest Boulevard when it was crushed by the cement truck, per the statement.

Nicolas Resendiz Funeral . https://www.gofundme.com/f/nicolas-resendiz-funeral?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer. 22-Month-Old Toddler Dies After Cement Truck Falls Off Texas Bridge and Lands on Familys SUV

GoFundMe

Nicolas was pronounced dead at the scene, Gilliland tells PEOPLE.

HSCO Sheriff Ed Gonzalez was first to report the child's death in a pair of tweets addressing the "tragic incident" on Friday.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Raymond Romo said he saw the accident in real time, and attempted to help the victims afterward, per NBC station KPRC-TV. He claimed the cement truck was hanging from the overpass before falling onto the SUV below.

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"Luckily, I was able to get out one of them. But, I couldn't get out the other," Romo said tearfully as he recalled attempting to help the victims.

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Weather may have played a factor in the accident, said HCSO Sheriff Simon Cheng, according to NBC affiliates WOAI-TV and KPRC-TV.

"The roadway surface was slick based on the information provided to our investigators," he explained, per WOAI-TV. "The driver of [the] cement truck stated that her vehicle started slipping and she wasn't able to control her vehicle."

Investigators said the cement truck driver did not appear to be intoxicated and declined transport to a hospital, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.

As of publication, the GoFundMe campaign for Nicolas' funeral expenses has garnered more than $20,000 in donations.

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In the fundraiser's caption, Jennifer said prayers "are much needed and appreciated" at this time.

"Although our family is still in shock, unable to process the loss of this sweet angel, we know that the days to come will be even more challenging as mom has to make arrangements for his funeral," she wrote on the page.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing, Gilliland says.
The Trump administrations controversial family separation policy at the US-Mexico border may have ended in 2018, but families and children across the US, Mexico, and Central America are still feeling its effects years later.

Over 1,000 families affected by the policy havent been unified, NBC News reported this week.

In 185 cases, the parents who were separated from their children and likely deported havent even been located, The Atlantic reports .

When Joe Biden took office, the president signed an executive order creating a taskforce to find and unite the more than 5,000 families separated under the Trump White House.

The previous administration did not keep records of which families were separated and where various members were sent, so the process often involves a painstaking search for any trace of the divided families. Many of the parents were deported before being unified with their children.

As of early August, Mr Bidens Family Reunification Task Force announced it had reconnected 400 children with their parents, a milestone celebrated by advocates.

We are thrilled for the hundreds of children who will finally be with their parents after all these years, but we are not even halfway through reuniting all the families that remain separated by the Trump administration, Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the ACLU representing separated families, told NBC. "And indeed, we still havent located nearly 200 families. I think the Biden administration would agree that theres a lot of work yet to be done.

The Independent has contacted the Border Patrol for comment.

In July, four parents who were forcibly separated from their families in Arizona sued the federal government , arguing they were given no notice, no information, and no plan for reunification.

According to the lawsuit, one Guatemalan parent, identified as MSE in the complaint, came to the US through Yuma, seeking asylum. They turned themselves into Border Patrol agents, who forcibly separated her from her 14-year-old son for weeks.

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The boy said the incident deeply traumatised him.

Im big now so I try to be strong. But I still feel broken inside, the teen, identified as JM in the suit, said in court documents.

We are taking the Biden administration to court to make sure that these families get the compensation they deserve for the trauma inflicted upon them by the federal government, Tami Goodlette, director of litigation at RAICES, said in a statement to The Arizona Republic . Zero Tolerance was an intentional act of abuse, and it is the current administrations responsibility to rectify the ongoing harms caused to these families.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that if Russia were allowed to bully Ukraine, to invade and take territory without being opposed, then it would be "open season" around the world.

The United States' top diplomat was speaking at a news conference alongside South Africa's foreign minister Naledi Pandor as part of a visit that will also take him to Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

"If we allow a big country to bully a smaller one, to simply invade it and take its territory, then it's going to be open season, not just in Europe but around the world," Blinken said.

Blinken said the United States felt it was important to stand up to Russia because its aggression against Ukraine threatened the foundational principles of the international system.

Russia deployed tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine on Feb. 24, in what it calls a "special military operation" to demilitarise Ukraine and protect Russian speakers there.

Pandor said no one in South Africa supported the war in Ukraine but that the prescripts of international law were not being applied evenly. "We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine, as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine," she said.

South Africa abstained from a United Nations vote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine, and like other African countries has resisted calls to condemn Russia.

Blinken also described comments by China that it would cease cooperation with the United States on dealing with climate change as "punishing the entire world, and especially the developing world and, notably, Africa".

Touching on Kenya's general elections on Tuesday, Blinken said the U.S. expectation was that the vote would take place peacefully, freely and openly.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru and Alexander Winning in Johannesburg; Editing by James Macharia Chege)
Chinese jets have been taking part in drills over the past days

China's military says it is continuing large-scale military drills around Taiwan after its previously announced live fire exercises ended on Sunday.

The Chinese army's Eastern Theatre Command said that it would practice anti-submarine attacks and sea raids.

The earlier four days of exercises were Beijing's response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island.

Taiwan has accused China of using these drills as practice for an invasion of the island.

On Monday Taiwan said Chinese aircraft and ships had not entered its territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (22km; 14 miles) from the coast, during the exercises so far.

The US, along with Australia and Japan, have condemned the drills, saying their objective is to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait - the 180km-wide (110 miles) body of water between the mainland and the island.

Chinese aircraft and ships have repeatedly crossed the median line in the strait during the drills. But Taiwan's defence ministry said on Monday that the median line was a tacit understanding that has been in place since the 1950s and its existence was a "fact".

Washington has also condemned Beijing for breaking off cooperation with the US in a number of areas including climate change in retaliation for Ms Pelosi's visit.

Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that it can claim by force, if necessary.

But Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from China.

Any hint of recognition of this by world leaders, however, enrages China.

The renewed activity around Taiwan comes after Chinese maritime authorities announced that drills would also take place in other locations.

In the Yellow Sea - located between China and the Korean peninsula - new daily military drills were due to start from Saturday until the middle of August, and include live-fire exercises.

In addition, a month-long military operation in one area of the Bohai sea - north of the Yellow Sea - started on Saturday.

Story continues

And on Monday China announced live fire drills off its coast in the South China Sea.

China and Taiwan: The basics

Why do China and Taiwan have poor relations? China sees the self-ruled island as a part of its territory and insists it should be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary

How is Taiwan governed? The island has its own constitution, democratically elected leaders, and about 300,000 active troops in its armed forces
New coronavirus cases increased 5.5% in Oregon in the week ending Sunday as the state added 8,439 cases. The previous week had 8,001 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Oregon ranked 32nd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.

In the latest week, coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 14.2% from the week before, with 781,487 cases reported. With 1.27% of the country's population, Oregon had 1.08% of the country's cases in the past week. Across the country, 13 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Lane County reported 750 cases and seven deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 715 cases and five deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 70,218 cases and 595 deaths.a

Within Oregon, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Jefferson County with 430 cases per 100,000 per week; Crook County with 361; and Douglas County with 323. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Multnomah County, with 1,639 cases; Washington County, with 988 cases; and Lane County.

Weekly case counts rose in 18 counties from the previous week. The largestincreases from the prior week's pace were in Multnomah, Clackamas and Marion counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

a Across Oregon, cases fell in 17 counties, with the largest declines in Washington County, with 988 cases from 1,080 a week earlier; in Polk County, with 153 cases from 191; and in Douglas County, with 358 cases from 382. a

In Oregon, a 110 a people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 79 people were reported dead.

A total of 858,791 people in Oregon have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 8,211 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 92,112,922 people have tested positive and 1,033,556 people have died.

Story continues

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Oregon's COVID-19 hospital admissions staying flat

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Aug. 7. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Last week: 889

The week before that: 882

Four weeks ago: 891

Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the nation:

Last week: 72,801

The week before that: 72,098

Four weeks ago: 67,603

Hospitals in 24 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 24 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 33 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: COVID-19 cases in Lane County, statewide spike again
VASTRA FORLUNDA, Sweden, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glencore International AG (referred to below as "Glencore"), Merafe Resources Limited (referred to below as "Merafe") and the af Jochnick family (collectively referred to below as "Cornerstone Investors") have undertaken to subscribe for preference shares in the event of a new issue of such shares later in the year, as planned by Swedish Stirling AB (publ) (referred to below as "Swedish Stirling" or the "Company"). The subscription undertakings amount to a total of SEK 37 million.

Clean-tech company Swedish Stirling announced earlier this year that it was looking into the conditions for issuing a new carbon-offsetting preference share to finance the production of PWR BLOK for projects in South Africa. The Company have received commitments from the Cornerstone Investors to acquire preference shares totaling SEK 37 million in the event of a new issue of such shares in the Company. The commitments are conditional on the completion of the preference share issue and, in the case of Merafe, exchange control approval from the South African Reserve Bank. The Cornerstone Investors will be prioritized in the allotment of preference shares and in the event of an issue of such shares, receive their allocations in full, pursuant to their respective commitments. The Company will use the subscription undertakings for the financing of the Lion Project operated by the Glencore Merafe joint venture (the "Glencore Merafe JV") prior to use for any other project or purpose.

Swedish Stirling intends to issue a carbon-offsetting preference share that will be unique in its class, in that it combines an attractive annual return with the fact that each preference share also reduces a certain amount of CO 2 annually. This is made possible by the Company intending to retain emission rights generated from the Swedish Stirling facility at the Lion smelter for the first 5 years of the project or until it disposes of the facility and enables investors to participate to the global climate change mitigation efforts by financing the necessary energy transition.

Story continues

"It is a strength to have Glencore, Merafe and the Jochnick family ready as cornerstone investors for a future issue of carbon-offsetting preference shares. Glencore's decision to invest in financing the production of PWR BLOKs for the Lion Project is clear evidence that cooperation between the companies is growing ever stronger. Our relationship with Glencore is currently one of our biggest assets," explains Dennis Andersson, CEO of Swedish Stirling.

On April 28, 2021, Swedish Stirling signed an energy conversion services agreement with Glencore Operations South Africa Proprietary Limited, on behalf of the Glencore Merafe JV, pertaining to the installation and operation of PWR BLOKs totaling 10 MW in capacity at the Glencore Merafe JV's Lion ferrochrome smelter, in South Africa. The agreement includes an option for Glencore to acquire facilities from Swedish Stirling.

If Swedish Stirling's Board of Directors, in consultation with the Company's financial advisors, ABG Sundal Collier and Bryan, Garnier & Co, should decide to issue new preference shares as authorized by the Annual General Meeting of April 21, 2022, such a decision and the full terms and conditions of any such new issue of preference shares will be communicated during the third quarter of this year at the earliest. The prospectus for the new share issue will be published separately.

For further information please contact:

Sven Ljungberg, CCO, Swedish Stirling AB, +46 (0)31 385 88 30 ir@swedishstirling.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/swedish-stirling/r/glencore--merafe-and-the-af-jochnick-family---cornerstone-investors-in-climate-compensating-preferen,c3611129

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Utah distillery High West is set to launch the 2022 version of its Campfire whiskey this month, a summertime transatlantic blend of liquid from the unlikely trio of Utah, Indiana and Scotland. Trust us when we say this tastes much better than the DIY method of mixing together some Jim Beam, Old Overholt and Laphroaig in a glass at home.

High West is located in Park City, Utah, with two facilities making whiskey in the nearby mountains and in the citys Old Town. Indeed, some of this in-house produced rye whiskey is making it into the blend nowadays, although High West has made its name by sourcing barrels of whiskey from other distilleries and creating unique and well-regarded blends like Bourye, Rendezvous Rye and A Midwinter Nights Dram. Campfire was originally inspired by founder David Perkins trip to Islay years ago, when he was served a dessert with peated syrup. This combination of smoky and sweet convinced him that blending bourbon and peated whisky might actually be a good idea, which brings us to the 2022 batch of Campfire.

More from Robb Report

The components, which have changed over the years, consist of whiskeys aged from four to 15 years (the exact percentages are not revealed): straight rye whiskey (95 percent rye, 5 percent malted barley) from MGP in Indiana, straight bourbon (75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, 4 percent malted barley) from MGP, rye whiskey (80 percent rye, 20 percent malted rye) from High West and a blended malt scotch whisky (the source is undisclosed). The whiskey is bottled at 92 proof, and has notes of vanilla, honey, cherry and baking spice on the palate, all backed up by a subtle but noticeable whiff of smoldering campfire smokehence, the name.

Story continues

In conjunction with this new release, High West announced the Protect the West initiative, committing $1 million to causes and groups that are focused on helping to preserve the land in that half of the country which is so heavily impacted by the effects of climate change. An initial donation of $150,000 has been made to three groups: Wildland Firefighter Foundation, Protect Our Winters and American Prairie. So if you get a hankering for something sweet and smoky but are more in the mood for whiskey than barbecued brisket, give Campfire a try and know that youre contributing to a good cause while you sip.

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Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Russian state media said North Korea recently offered to send 100,000 volunteers to aid the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine.

Russian journalist Igor Korotchenko alleged on Russian Channel One last week that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are prepared to come and take part in the conflict in Ukraine and aid Russia. The claim has yet to be verified.

Korotchenko went on to praise North Koreas wealth of experience with counter-battery warfare, adding, If North Korea expresses a desire to meet its international duty to fight against Ukrainian fascism, we should let them.

North Korea currently has the fourth-highest number of active-duty military personnel in the world with nearly 1.3 million, compared to the United States (1,388,100), India (1,455,550) and China (2,185,000).

More from NextShark: Asian Residents Believe They Were Targeted After Man Cuts Brakes of 18 Cars in Washington

North Korea also offered to dispatch workers to help rebuild Ukraine post-war. South Korean newspaper Daily NK reportedly learned that on July 25, North Korean authorities had instructed companies operating in Russia to prepare and send more than a thousand workers to the Donbas region.

Considering that the war isnt over yet, the government is planning to send workers at an appropriate time while monitoring the situation on the ground, a North Korean source told Daily NK. The Workers Party is making eager preparations because it regards the Russian request as a good opportunity to acquire foreign currency.

Meanwhile, North Korea expressed outrage over U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to South Korea as part of her delegation tour in Asia last week, which also included a stop in Taiwan.

More from NextShark: 103-Year-Old Woman Beats Coronavirus in 6 Days in Wuhan

North Korea called Pelosi the worst destroyer of international peace and stability on Saturday, with Jo Yong Sam, director general at the North Korean Foreign Ministrys press and information affairs department, accusing her of stirring up the atmosphere of confrontation with North Korea.

Story continues

It would be a fatal mistake for her to think that she can go scot-free in the Korean Peninsula, Jo said. The U.S. will have to pay dearly for all the sources of trouble spawned by her wherever she went.

During her visit, Pelosi visited the border between the two countries and discussed the isolated nations nuclear program with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo.

More from NextShark: 8 Asian-Owned Business in San Jose Targeted For Vandalism in ONE DAY

Featured Image via Stephan (CC BY-SA 2.0)

More from NextShark: She Had the Biggest Heart: NYC Nurse Killed By Motorcycle While Biking Home
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has asked for assistance from the federal government as buses carrying migrants sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott arrived in the city.

In a tweet on Sunday, Mr Adams said the Texas governor used innocent people as political pawns to manufacture a crisis.

New Yorkers are stepping up to fix it  thats our citys values, he said. But we need the federal governments help  money, technical assistance and more.

In April, Mr Abbott started the Lone Star Operation by sending buses with undocumented migrants arriving in Texas on the southern border to Washington DC.

The governor has said that his efforts, which were widely slammed by critics as a political stunt, would help relieve border communities who find themselves overwhelmed by record-high numbers of illegal crossings while bringing the border crisis to President Bidens doorstep.

Now, Washington DC is having to realise, in a very minimal way, exactly what Texas is having to deal with as a result of the open border policies that the Biden Administration has allowed, Mr Abbott had said in a press statement released shortly after Easter, commending the program for its success in providing relief for Texans.

On Friday, Mr Abbott announced that he has started sending buses to New York after previously denying Mr Adams claims that migrants being sent from Texas were overwhelming the citys homeless shelters.

.@GregAbbott_TX used innocent people as political pawns to manufacture a crisis. New Yorkers are stepping up to fix it  thats our citys values.



But we need the federal governments help  money, technical assistance and more. pic.twitter.com/cOdXrULpcC  Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) August 7, 2022

On Sunday, Mr Adams visited a bus station in New York to greet an arriving bus.

Story continues

This is horrific, when you think about what the governor is doing, he said at the terminal, according to Politico. Some of the families are on the bus that wanted to go to other locations, and they were not allowed to do so. They were forced on the bus.

Our goal is to immediately find out each familys needs and give them the assistance they want.

According to recent estimates, more than 200 buses have arrived in Washington DC since the operation began, with more than 4,000 migrants  costing the Lone Star States taxpayers about $1,400 per passenger, an investigation by NBC 5 in Dallas has found.

Earlier in July, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser also requested the Biden administration to enlist the National Guards help to receive bussed migrants.

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin turned down Ms Bowsers request and said that the move would negatively impact the readiness of the force.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a bid to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), fintech companies, and entrepreneurs, sirar by stc and Fintech Saudi sign an agreement to provide a discounted digital signature service package Under the patronage of his excellency the Governor of Digital Government Authority, Eng. Ahmed bin Mohammed Alsuwaiyan, the cutting-edge cybersecurity company sirar by stc signed an agreement with Fintech Saudi, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology for the Technology sector Mr. Ibrahim Al-Nasser; the Deputy Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission for the Information and Emerging Technologies' sector Mr. Raed Al-Fayez; Deputy Governor For Development and Technology at Saudi Central Bank, Mr. Ziad Al-Yousef; and the Deputy Strategy & International Affairs at Capital Market Authority, Mr. Yazeed AlDemaigi.

sirar by stc and Fintech Saudi sign an agreement to provide a discounted digital signature service package (PRNewsfoto/sirar stc)

The agreement solidifies the integration between the Digital Government Authority and the Saudi Central Bank, to support SMEs, fintech companies and entrepreneurs to boost innovation and diversity of products and services through digital platforms, and increase the contribution of the digital government services to the national economy, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The agreement was signed by the CEO of the cutting-edge cybersecurity company sirar by stc, Eng. Fahad Al-Jutaily, and the designated General Manager of the Fintech Saudi initiative, Mr. Nezar AlHaidar. Under the agreement, sirar by stc will offer a digital signature service package discounted by 60% that will benefit SMEs, fintech companies and entrepreneurs.

This step comes in line with the efforts deployed by the Authority and all stakeholders and aims to improve the regulatory environment for digital services, facilitate business, and strengthen strategic partnerships between government agencies and the private sector, in order to develop the digital ecosystem. The Deputy Governor for Regulation and Digital Trust in the Digital Government Authority, Eng. Faris AlRabadi explained that this agreement aims to promote digital trust services, which contributes to improving the user's experience, ensure that electronic transactions are conducted with high reliability and promote digital transformation in the Kingdom.

The Deputy Governor of the Saudi Central Bank for Development and Technology, Mr. Ziad Al-Yousef, stated that this agreement will contribute to the development of the fintech sector in the Kingdom, facilitate business in the financial sectors, enhance cooperation and coordination, and keep pace with global developments to achieve the aspirations of Saudi Vision 2030. The designated General Manager of the Fintech Saudi initiative, Mr. Nezar Al-Haidar expressed his happiness towards signing this agreement noting that it will support the empowerment of fintech companies by reducing their operating costs. The CEO of sirar by stc confirmed that this agreement comes within the framework of the company's efforts to support and enable the fintech sector in the KSA, which serves the purpose and plans of digital transformation in the Kingdom. It is noteworthy that the digital signature service allows users to digitally sign documents from anywhere at any time, while ensuring reliability, authentication and security.

Contact: arej.mansour@havasme.com, +966592752233

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1874169/sirar_by_stc.jpg

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SOURCE sirar stc
WASHINGTON - An excerpt from the new book "The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021," authored by The New Yorker's Susan B. Glasser and the New York Times' Peter Baker, says former President Donald Trump wanted his national security team to be loyal to him, the way he thought German soldiers were loyal to Adolf Hitler.

"Why can't you be like the German generals?" Trump asked his chief of staff, John Kelly,who asked Trump to which generals he was referring.

"The German generals in World War II," Trump responded. Then Kelly said, "you do know that they tried to kill him three times and almost pulled it off?"

"No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him," Trump responded.

The excerpt, published Monday in the New Yorker, goes on to detail the frustrations of Trump's top military leaders. Here's a look at what else the book reveals about those relationships.

Gen. Mark Milley's condition for his job

When Gen. Mark Milley accepted Trump's offer to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he told Trump he would do whatever Trump asked of him and would back him, but with a condition, according to the book.

"I'll give you an honest answer on everything I can. And you're going to make the decisions, and as long they're legal I'll support it," the excerpt quotes Milley as saying in November 2018.

Why did Trump get frustrated with Milley, Barr and Esper?

Trump became frustrated with Milley and other aides because they would not submit to all he asked them to do.

One particular example is when Milley, Attorney General William Barr and Defense Secretary Mark Esper refused to send in the military as Trump asked to clear Black Lives Matter protesters at Lafayette Square, near the White House in June 2020.

It was then that Trump yelled at his top aides, "You are all losers! And he repeated that, including an expletive the second time.

According to the excerpt, Trump then turned to Milley and asked: "Can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?"

Story continues

Milley on China: Milley: Calls to China in final months of Trump presidency were 'perfectly' within scope of job

In this Sept. 1, 2021, file photo Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington about the end of the war in Afghanistan.

Why Milley almost resigned

Milley drafted several resignation letters, according to the exceprt, after the National Guard violently forced Black Lives Matter protesters out of Lafayette Square park, so the way could be cleared for Trump's photo op holding a Bible in front of a church on June 1, 2020.

Milley drafted different letters to the former president, which were never sent, about why he was stepping down. One in particular was his "preferred version," the excerpt says, in which he accused Trump of doing "irreparable harm to his country.".

In the letter, Miley wrote, "the events of the last couple of weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," the book excerpt reads.

Milley was concerned that Trump was using the military to scare people.

"You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the people  and we are trying to protect the American people," Milley's letter stated.

"I cannot stand by idly by and participate in that attack, verbally or otherwise, on the American people," he wrote, according to the book.

Finally, Milley wrote that Trump was "ruining the international order, and causing significant damage to our country overseas ...," according to the excerpt.

Trump praises Hitler: Donald Trump praised Adolf Hitler while on 2018 European trip, new book alleges

Why did Milley change his mind about resigning?

He later decided he would not resign, so he could stop Trump from starting a war abroad, and ensure the military was not used against American civilians again as a way to keep Trump in power. Ill just fight him," the excerpt has him saying.

Trump's military parade

After returning from a trip to France, which included a Bastille Day celebration including a military parade, Trump wanted a parade of his own.

But, he refused to have any injured veterans in his parade.

"Look, I don't want any wounded guys in the parade," Trump told Kelly, according to the book. "This doesn't look good for me," he was referring to the Bastille Day parade that he went to in France, where there were wounded soldiers.

The book said Kelly was in disbelief about what Trump was telling him, in which he told the former president,

"Those are the heroes," he continued, "In our society, there's only one group of people who are more heroic than they are  and they are buried over in Arlington," the book said.

Baker and Glasser wrote that "Kelly did not mention his own son Robert, a lieutenant killed in action in Afghanistan, was among the dead interred there."

"I don't want them," Trump said. "It doesn't look good for me." And he repeated that sentiment.

When does the book come out?

It will be released on Sept. 20.

President Donald Trump leaves after speaking during a Make America Great Again rally on Nov. 2, 2020, in Fayetteville, NC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wanted his national security team to 'totally loyal' like Nazis
McKayla Lee attends the University of Montana and is the inaugural recipient of the Underscore Indigenous Journalism Fellowship .

Underscore is a nonprofit collaborative reporting team in Portland focused on investigative reporting and Indian Country coverage. It is supported by foundations, corporate sponsors and donor contributions. Follow Underscore on Facebook and Twitter .
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Mr. Tuleja was reinstated by the court's new president, Joanna Przanowska-Tomaszek. She justified her decision by pointing out the "inaction" of the Chamber of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court. The new chamber is supposed to review the decisions of the abolished Disciplinary Chamber, which suspended Mr. Tuleja in November 2019, stripping him of his judicial immunity. Upon reinstating him to work, judge Przanowska-Tomaszek also planned to send Mr. Tuleya on forced leave.

But Mr. Tuleyas victory was short-lived. Waiting for him in court was an order issued Monday by the president of the Court of Appeals in Warsaw. Having administrative oversight over the regional court, he reversed judge Przanowska-Tomaszeks decision. "I revoke the decision as an action inconsistent with a valid and enforceable resolution of the Disciplinary Chamber"- the order reads.

- Not much has changed in my situation. It was to be expected that the Ministry of Justice would come up with something new. This is not an ordinary situation. It looks like some kind of a strange game- Tuleya said after leaving the court.

He reported that at the human resources office he was handed an order to reinstate him and put him on leave. He was then informed that, unfortunately, these were not all the documents, and he was served with an order from the president of the court of appeals. - The president managed to issue it today and even served it on me- Tuleya commented. He announced that he will continue to fight for his return to the bench before the Polish and European courts.

Judicial (in)dependence

The order blocking Mr. Tuleya from returning to work was signed on behalf of Warsaw Court of Appeals President Piotr Schab by Przemysaw Radzik, the courts vice president. Both men are disciplinary officers appointed by the Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro, who is known for harassing independent judges. Both previously headed the Warsaw District Court and prevented Igor Tuleya from ruling against the labor court's order to reinstate him.

REKLAMA

- Perhaps the president of the Regional Court was too scared to take on the responsibility, but it is certainly clear that Ziobro and his people are calling the shots here- comments Judge Gaciarek. - Radzik and Schab are keeping their hands on the pulse and will not allow for any decisions that go against Ziobro's interests. It is unheard of for an officer serving Ziobro to allow such political oversight. This is what political control over the Polish courts looks like- he added.

***

Every day, 400 journalists at Gazeta Wyborcza write verified, fact-checked stories about Polish politics and society, keeping a critical eye on the ruling camps persistent assault on democratic values and the rule of law; the growing cultural tension between religious fundamentalism and human rights; and the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine. Our journalists are on the front lines in 32 Polish cities, reporting from the streets, hospitals, and courtrooms about issues that move public opinion.

REKLAMA

We decided to make our service available to everyone free of charge in order to provide access to high quality journalism for expats and English speakers interested in Polish affairs.

The access to information should be equal for all.
In their first snap analyses, a conservative lawyer and a liberal pundit agree that PM Orbans keynote address was went down well with the Dallas CPAC audience.

In an interview with Magyar Hirlap, conservative constitutional lawyer Zoltan Lomnici Jr writes that the CPAC audience welcomed PM Orbans speech, especially his call for the defense of Judaeo-Christian civilization and for measures to stop illegal migration.



Lomnici notes that the invitation extended to PM Orban to give the keynote speech is a huge recognition of his politics by conservative republicans who share the same values as the Hungarian Prime Minister.



Heti Vilaggazdasags Ivan Laszlo Nagy also thinks that PM Orbans messages resonated well with the CPAC audience. The left-liberal commentator believes that the main themes  lambasting progressive liberalism and George Soros, advocating national sovereignty, the defense of Christian conservative values and advocating family subsidies  sat well with the what he calls the far-right wing of the Republican Party.



Nagy adds that what he sees as PM Orbans rude humour also pleased his listeners.



Pro-government pundit praises PMs Dallas address



A right-wing analyst argues that PM Orban advocates exactly the same values he stood for when he first appeared in politics 33 years ago.



On Mandiner, Milan Constantinovits reads the Prime Ministers address at the CPAC meeting in Dallas (Texas) last Thursday as proof that while Viktor Orban is often accused by his left-wing critics of having abandoned his original beliefs, in reality he has remained a staunch anti-communist throughout his career.



Constantinovits compares Mr Obans speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference to his first televised appearance in 1989 when he urged the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary. In both speeches, he writes, Viktor Orban described communism as the antithesis of democracy. And in both cases, he continues, he warned that communists, rather than disappearing with the fall of their regimes, remain active in public life  as reformers in 1989 and as liberals nowadays.



That consistent stance, Constantinovits concludes, has made the Prime Minister an important international actor, although he represents a small country.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher.

Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

Click here to Share Your Story
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has sent a letter to participants in the Bread of Hungarians charity programme on the occasion of completing the collection of the grain necessary for this years bread to be distributed among nearly 100,000 needy Hungarian children and families.

In his letter, read out by commissioner Zsolt Nyitrai at an event in Hajdunanas, in north-east Hungary, Orban noted the historic drought affecting the country, as well as the war in Ukraine, which he said caused prices to soar.



The prime minister said he was glad Hungarian farmers were doing everything for there to be bread on the table of Hungarian families.





MTI Photo: Tibor Illyes
Three people died and eleven were injured in an accident caused by a human smuggler near Bocsa, in southern Hungary, early on Friday, the Bacs-Kiskun County police said on police.hu.

A man from Georgia wanted to smuggle fifteen people through Hungary in a car and refused to stop for a police road check in Tazlar, trying to flee by driving away.



He did not slow down approaching a junction on road 54 and failed to give way to a vehicle approaching from the right.



Both cars fell in a roadside ditch from the collision and caught fire.



Two of the illegal migrants travelling with the human smuggler died in the fire on the spot and a third died after being taken to hospital.



The driver from Georgia is being investigated for human smuggling and careless driving causing a mass accident.



People Smugglers 'Getting More Aggressive'



Hungary is setting up its new border ranger units because it is seeing more and more people smugglers at its borders who are becoming increasingly aggressive, a state secretary of the interior ministry said on Friday.



Altogether 10% of Hungarys 19,000 prison inmates, or some 2,000 people, are foreign people smugglers, Bence Retvari told public current affairs channel M1, adding that their share was over 20% in the prison in Szeged, in southern Hungary.



Because the handling of people smugglers  most of whom are Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian and Middle Eastern  requires the authorities to perform a range of additional administrative tasks, they cost the budget an extra 4 billion forints (EUR 10.1m) a month, Retvari said.



Illegal migration into Hungary has not slowed despite the war in Ukraine, the state secretary said, adding that more and more people smugglers were reaching the country and becoming increasingly aggressive.



So far this year, a total of 133,000 illegal migrants have tried to enter Hungary, compared with 122,000 all of last year, he said.



The authorities have apprehended 999 people smugglers so far this year, as against 600 by mid-summer 2015 during the first large migration wave, he added.
A truck carrying illegal migrants crashed into a ditch near Ullo, in central Hungary, on Sunday, injuring 20 migrants, Pest County police said on their website.

The migrants claiming to be Indian, Afghan and Pakistani, were taken to hospital, police.hu said. Some 15 suffered serious injuries while five were lightly hurt.



The Hungarian driver, 49, was taken into custody charged with people smuggling, the statement said.



The truck was fleeing from police when it crashed near Ullo.



The truck slammed into several police cars near Cegled before crashing some 40km further on.



MTI Photo: Zoltan Mihadak
What does Zsofi Mautner show to a world famous star chef from the gastronomy of the Hungarian countryside? Fishermans soup and paprika, of course.

Wolfgang Puck is without any doubt a legendary chef. According to the Chinese Morning Post, he occupies the prestigious 6th place on the international list of the 10 richest chefs, with his net worth estimated to 90 million dollars.



He has more than 25 restaurants worldwide. He opened his first European restaurant in Budapest last year, and since then hes been visiting Hungary regularly. During his most recent visit, Zsofi Mautner showed him two special places: a paprika producer and a restaurant where they make arguably the most delicious fishermans soup in the country, by following the simplest recipe.



Puck and Istvan Szanto, his chef of Spago Budapest, could met the owners of Fajszi Paprika Manufacture, thanks to Zsofi. After this years party following the Oscars, Istvan has also prepared Hungarian dishes. Of course he brought the paprika from Hungary, from the Fajszi family who have been producing paprika for four generations now. The chefs were delighted to finally meet the family in person.







"I started to get familiar with Hungarian ingredients when I opened the restaurant in Budapest  said Wolfgang Puck.



"I have many restaurants around the world, I travel a lot, but I live in Los Angeles. If Im not familiar with certain places, or Im too far away from the restaurant  like the one in Istanbul, Dubai, Singapore, Maui or even Budapest  I always trust the kitchen with a local, excellent chef.



They know where to find good ingredients, the best quality products. Istvan showed me this paprika first. The familys work on these 30 hectares is fascinating. They irrigate the lands with the water of the Danube, their expertise and the end result are really impressive, its no wonder that they also win international awards.



"When I had the opportunity to be Wolfgang Pucks tour guide for a day, these two things came to my mind: fishermans soup and paprika  says Zsofi.



"A star chef like him visits a lot of places. On these occasions it is important to show a more authentic part of our culture. On Ersekcsanad fishermans soup is prepared in a cauldron, and it is not by chance that RevCsarda has become a place of pilgrimage for foreign chefs. Hungarian gastronomy has undergone a real transformation in the last 15 years.



We are looking for the place of Hungarian food, how tradition can also be present, but in a modern appearance suitable for the 21st century. If we can meet Wolfgang the next time, I will introduce him to fozelek. These vegetable-based dishes correspond perfectly to the vegetarian, vegan trends of the era, while still being a true traditional element of our countrys gastronomic culture.



Wolfgang Puck always tries to get to know local producers during his Hungarian trips, in addition to the fact that there are a couple of booths he usually visits on the market of Fovam square. Hes already been to Etyek at Laszlo Arpas Ham Master, now it was the Fajszi familys turn, and he promised to return soon, with Tokaj being his next target.



"For me passion is the most important word when Im asked about gastronomy and my profession  says Puck.



"What I look for in everyone is how passionate they are about what they do, what they create. We work in an industry where the most important thing is that the guests are happy. We can only achieve this if our work is also our passion. I looked for this and found this at the paprika producing family and at the inn. This program was a real boost.



Click here to visit Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in Matild Palace Budapest
If youre planning to go for a Mumbai Darshan then this news is definitely for you! The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) bus service recently announced the launch of its another Hop On-Hop Off air-conditioned bus service starting August 8. Currently, with several tourist halts, the BEST has a similar bus service that operates from Gateway of India to Juhu Chowpatty.

The new bus services will run every hour from 9 am till 8 pm from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) at a ticket price of Rs 150. The travellers will be able to commute on other bus services too without worrying about tickets.

For instance, if a traveller buys one ticket at Rs 150 and gets down at one of the tourist halts and finishes Mumbai Darshan in 20-30 mins, then there is no need to wait for another Ho-Ho bus. Instead, the traveller can board the next BEST bus on the same ticket.

Also read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 launched in India: Top 5 things to know - Price, Mileage, Feature and more

The Ho-Ho bus will cover tourist spots like the Museum, Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Babulnath, Pedder Road, Haji Ali, Race Course, Dhobi Ghat, and Rani Baug. The BEST bus service today celebrated its 75th anniversary and took the initiative of running another Ho-Ho bus service to make Mumbai Darshan more fun and convenient for the tourists and people who wish to cover famous spots in Mumbai.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, while speaking during the question hour in Rajya Sabha recently, stated that the mandatory 6 airbags rule in cars will hurt the car buyer's pocket, after questions were raised by some automakers on the price hike in the vehicles once the rule is implemented. Nitin Gadkari said each additional airbag will only cost Rs 800, which is bearable for customers who can afford cars. He said that the government has already made dual front airbags mandatory for all passenger vehicles sold in India.

For the safety of passengers at the rear seats in vehicles that can carry upto 8 people, the government will make 6 airbags rule mandatory by adding side and curtain airbags. This will add 4 more airbags to a vehicle, and as per the Minister, that will increase the cost by only few thousand rupees, that car buyers can afford. The new rule can be implemented as early as October 2022.

Earlier, budget automakers like Maruti Suzuki showed their lack of interest in implementing the proposal, staying that the norm will adversely hit the already shrinking small car market. The company said that the regulation would largely impact the cost-sensitive entry-level car segment -- which has been facing headwinds and witnessing dwindling sales over the last three years -- making it even more difficult for two-wheeler users to upgrade to small cars.

MSI Chairman RC Bhargava said the cost of the entry-level cars has already gone up considerably due to the implementation of various regulatory norms in the past few years, including the BSVI emission regime from April 1 2020.

With prices going up, the sales of small cars have been impacted especially in the non-metro markets across the country, the veteran industry leader noted. He cautioned that with the implementation of the six airbag regulation the prices will further go up leading to further shrinking of the domestic small car industry.

"So, the fear is that due to this (six airbags) the market will become smaller. The car manufacturing sector is important because it is a big creator of employment. When the car sells in the market it creates many jobs -- drivers, maintenance, repairs, accessories etc," Bhargava stated.

He further said: "If the car market does not grow like what has been happening in the last three years it will have an adverse effect on job creation and economic growth." When asked how much the price of cars could go up due to the addition of airbags, Bhargava said: "I am not sure but it could be in the range of Rs 20,000-25,000, which for a small car buyer is a lot of money."

He noted that there were not many countries across the globe, which may have implemented such a regulation. "I think, we will be among the first countries to do that...So we in the industry think that it is not the right time to bring six airbag regulations. We would like the government to reconsider this matter," Bhargava said.

He noted that with a hit on the affordability factor, small car offtake is shrinking in the smaller cities, towns and rural areas while the market for expensive cars in urban centres was going up across the country. MSI is the dominant player in the hatchback segment with a market share of over 70 percent. It sells models like Alto, S-Presso, and Celerio, among others, in the vertical.

(With inputs from PTI)
The much awaited Royal Enfield Hunter 350 motorcycle has been launched for the Indian buyers and like expected, the pricing has been kept as one of the most attractive in the segment. The bike is available in two variants - Metro and Retro, with the Retro variant starting at Rs 1.50 lakh (ex-showroom). The bike gets a number of new features and will compete in the fierce 300-500cc category, already dominated by the Royal Enfield, by offering two 350 cc products - the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Royal Enfield Bullet 350. This is the third offering in the segment and goes up against other new-age rivals like Yezdi, Jawa and Honda. Here are the top five highlights of the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 you need to look out for.

The new bike features a compact design complemented by neo-retro design elements like round headlamps, indicators, and rearview mirrors. Moreover, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has a tear drop-fuel tank featuring a dual-tone paint scheme and a long single-piece seat, adding to its looks. The bike gets an asymmetrical instrument cluster with options like a tripper navigation function.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Features

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is equipped with a halogen headlamp and a semi-digital instrument cluster as standard features. An analog speedometer and a floating LCD are both included in the instrument cluster. A digital odometer, gear position indicator, two trip metres, a trip metre for low fuel, a fuel gauge, an eco indicator, a service reminder, and a clock are all displayed on the setup. The Tripper Navigation system from Royal Enfield will be offered as an addition.

The new Royal Enfield Hunter 350 gets a 349cc, single-cylinder, two-valve, SOHC, air/oil-cooled engine. The motor, which is mated to a five-speed gearbox, produces 20.2 bhp at 6,100 rpm and 27Nm of maximum torque at 4,000 rpm. The maximum speed is listed at 114 kmph.

The hardware on the Royal Enfiled Hunter 350 includes telescopic front forks and six-step preload-adjustable rear springs. The Metro variant's braking system consists of a front 300mm single disc and a rear 270mm rotor. This version also comes with 17-inch alloy wheels covered in tubeless tyres with 110/70 front and 140/70 rear sections. On the Retro variant, however, the 17-inch wire-spoke wheels are fitted with tube-type tyres that have a 100/80-section front and a 120/80-section rear.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Price

Two variations of the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 will be available for buyers, namely Metro and Retro. In addition to the aforementioned variations, the two types can be separated by their different colours. While the Retro model has a single-tone paint scheme, the Metro version has a dual-tone finish. The retro series is priced at Rs 1.50 lakh (ex-showroom), metro rebel series priced Rs 1.69 lakh (ex-showroom) and metro dapper series priced at Rs 1.64 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Mileage

Royal Enfield claims that the new Royal Enfield Hunter 350 gets a claimed fuel efficiency is 36.2 kmpl. This mileage is standard for both the Metro and Retro variants.
PATNA: Amid rumours of fresh conflict with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of all party legislators and parliamentarians on Tuesday to discuss the future course of action. The move comes after the Bihar CM announced that his party will not join the Union Council of Ministers. Kumar had earlier skipped the NITI Aayog meeting on Sunday which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, who addressed a press conference, however, dismissed queries about Kumar's absence at the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the terse remark you should ask the chief minister.

While there has been no official word on the reason behind Kumar's absence, sources close to the chief minister said he has excused himself citing post-Covid-19 debility. Lalan, who was regarded as a frontrunner by some for a ministerial berth from the JD(U) after RCP Singh's resignation, clarified that the party wasn't willing to have any representative in the Union Council of Ministers.

We had decided in 2019, after the Lok Sabha polls, not to join the government at the Centre. We stick to that stand even now, he said. The decision not to join the Union government was taken by our leader Nitish Kumar who was then also the party's national president, said Lalan.

When pointed out that RCP became a minister in 2021, he shot back, You should ask him (RCP) who was the national president at that time. He did not take anybody in the loop while arriving at the decision."

Lalan also sought to make light of the exit, from the party, of RCP Singh, who resigned from the Union Cabinet recently after being denied another Rajya Sabha term. It may be recalled that RCP Singh quit the party on Saturday after the JDU sent him a notice over corruption allegations. Following his resignation, RCP Singh called JDU a sinking ship.

In response, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh hit back saying, The JDU isn't a sinking ship, it's a sailing ship, some people are trying to damage it. Nitish Kumar identified those who were trying to damage it and took steps to mend it.

(With Agency Inputs)
Kolkata: Boycotting films in a free country like India doesn't make sense because cinema as an industry also contributes to nation building, said Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar on Monday. The actor was speaking at a press conference where he was asked to comment on the boycott calls on social media against his upcoming film 'Raksha Bandhan' as well as 'Laal Singh Chaddha', starring Aamir Khan. Both films are set to be released Thursday.

"If you don't feel like watching the movie, then don't. It's a free country and the film is out there, so if someone wants to watch it or not, it's up to them. I would like to tell you, no matter which industry it is, be it the clothing industry, film industry or anything else, all of these help the economy. But doing things like boycotting movies, it doesn't make sense," Akshay told reporters here.

The actor, who was in the city to promote 'Raksha Bandhan', also appealed to people to not indulge in such trends. "We are on the verge of making our country the biggest and the greatest. So I would just request them don't get into it and I would also request you (reporter) don't get into all this. It'll be better for our country only," he added.

Last week, hashtags calling for the boycott of 'Laal Singh Chaddha' were trending on social media. Asked to comment on the social media trends, Aamir had said he was saddened by the boycott calls and urged the audience to not snub his film. Later, similar hashtags against Akshay's 'Raksha Bandhan' also popped up on online platforms.

Directed by Aanand L Rai, the film follows Raju (Akshay), a shop owner who is struggling to get his four younger sisters married. It features Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna and Smrithi Srikanth in the role of Kumar's on-screen sisters.

One of the issues at the centre of the upcoming film is the malpractice of dowry, which the actor said is "unfortunately" still prevalent in society. "In the name of a gift to the groom's household, some parents of a girl call it dowry... My film talks about the problem. It has many elements which are relatable," he said.

Akshay further said he endorses the call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hoist the tricolour at every household from August 13-15. "In the 75th year of our independence, I endorse the call by our honourable PM. Every patriotic Indian should do the same," he added.
New Delhi: Errol Musk, the father of Elon Musk who is the richest man in the world, has addressed the controversy surrounding his love life by denying that he is a serial womaniser or a Lothario.

Humans are "only on earth to reproduce," according to the 76-year-old who has fathered two children with his 36-year-old stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout. Read More: Anand Mahindra depicts parents-child relationship, shares adorable video of orangutan playing and feeding tiger cubs

"I wish I was a Lothario. I think every man would love to be one but I'm not," he told The Mirror. "In my head I've slept with hundreds of women. Occasionally I find a woman that is attracted to me." Read More: Fake Twitter Followers Issue: Elon Musk's BIG CHALLENGE to Parag Agrawal on fake accounts

According to Errol Musk, both he and his son Elon Musk are drawn to smart women. Additionally, he acknowledged admiration for Shivon Zilis of Neuralink, with whom the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX recently had twins.

"Shivon is a girl with an IQ of about 170 or something. I'd say Elon is on the right track there," senior Musk told The Mirror.

He continued by saying that his earlier interview remarks had been misunderstood. This week, the South African engineer made news when he seemed to imply on Australian radio that he wasn't proud of his rich son.

Errol Musk, according to The Mirror, said he genuinely answered "no" to the question of whether he had anticipated Elon Musk's success. "I did not claim to be unproud. The hosts were quite friendly, however they bombarded me with inquiries."

"She first asked whether I was proud of Elon before asking if I anticipated his success. I answered the subsequent question without thinking about the "Are you proud of Elon" statement "added senior Musk.

When questioned by The Mirror if he was proud of his son, Musk responded, "You don't just go around bragging about yourself. One of the seven deadly sins, indeed. Instead, I would say that I am grateful for Elon's accomplishments and that he is doing well."
New Delhi: Ratan Tatas online popularity needs no introduction. On Instagram, the Tata Group Chairman Emeritus has received over 6.6 million views, and users adore his motivational and inspirational postings. We now have a tale about the 84-year-old business magnate that will only increase your appreciation for him.

Aditi Bhosale Walunj, a co-founder of Repos, posted the tale on LinkedIn. It is really worthwhile to read what she said about her initial encounter with Tata. Read More: Elon Musk's dad slept with hundreds of women BUT only

We sent handwritten letters to him, reached out to some right people and waited for 12 hours outside his house & finally when we went back to our room at 10pm we got a call. I was reluctant to answer but when I answered the voice on the other hand said, Hi! Can I speak to Aditi?, a part of the post read. Read More: Anand Mahindra depicts parents-child relationship, shares adorable video of orangutan playing and feeding tiger cubs

Walunj continued by describing the call she received from Tata. The initial encounter between Walunj and her business partner Chetan and Tata is further described in the post. That meeting at 11am went upto 2pm and those 3 hours were sheer mediation for us where he heard our idea, shared his experiences and guided us. Repos is where it is today because of HIM. From TATA motors helping us , to Ratan Tata sir conversations on the phone , to showing him our first Mobile Fuel Station to him giving his insights, to having some amazing conversations over coffee to receiving sirs first token investment in 2019 and to now receiving another round in April 2022, she added.

Over 7,000 people liked the post because it was well-received online. Many people couldn't stop praising Ratan Tata's modesty.
New Delhi: International Cat Day is celebrated on August 8th. It is the day to celebrate the most common and 'purrfect' pets. International Cats day was established by the International fund for animal welfare to appreciate cats, which are always the talk of the town and are the coolest being on this planet. They are someone who makes us laugh with their funny actions and their jolly nature. International cats day also establishes funds for Animal Welfare and for honoring our cute friends.

Some countries have their own Cat's Day that is celebrated on-

Japan: February 22nd

United States: October 29th

Russia: March 1st

6 ways to celebrate International Cat Day-

1. Have an International Cat Day party and invite all your friends and their cats-

Organizing a cat day party can gratify your cats and they can enjoy some tuna cakes and toys with other cats.

2. Buy your cat a collar and tag it with its name-

Gifting your cat a name tag can be fun and precise. It can name your cat with whatever name you want to give them which can identify them easily.

3. Buy your cat a soft toy-

Providing a soft toy to your kitty can be a very innocent and worthy present.

4. Adopt a cat from your local shelter or cat rescue-

Welcoming a cat to your home could be a perfect way to celebrate cat's day.

5. Feed them their favorite food item-

If you love to give sweet little surprises to your cats, then bake some tuna, salmons, and ham for them to make them happy.



6. Gifting some unique gifts to pet lovers-

A thoughtful gift to a cat lover can be customized cat phone covers, kitty-shaped hair clips, books/magazines about cats, and so on.

There are many celebrities who celebrate international cat day like Jacqueline Fernandez, Zareen Khan, Disha Patni, Alia Bhatt, and many more.


Making a grand opening in its northern base, Gartex Texprocess India New Delhi 2022 was inaugurated eminent dignitaries including Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary - Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and Mr Sunil Sethi, Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India. As a high-value business platform, the trade fair hosted 200 plus exhibitors with over 1,000 products and machinery from varied sectors.

Opening doors to innovative product showcases and opportunity to engage with more than 200 companies from garment and textile machinery, fabrics, accessories, and allied industries, the seventh edition of Gartex Texprocess India winds up with the massive success

Addressing the industry post-inauguration, Shri Upendra Prasad Singh (IAS), Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, stated: The Indian government is working towards upscaling size and scale of textile industry through policies such as the mega textile park which is aimed at solving the problem of fragmented value chain as well as size and scale. Sustainability and circularity in the textile ecosystem also needs to be developed. We are also focusing on incentivising textile machine manufacturing to encourage foreign manufacturers to build textile machinery within India.

Also part of the inauguration panel, Shri Hasmukh Patel, Member of Parliament & Textile Consultative Committee acknowledged Gartex Texprocess India as a crucial contributor to the growth vision of the Indian textile and garment industry: The Indian Textile and Garment Industry aspires to augment its exports within the next ten years and a platform like Gartex Texprocess India will play the role of an enabler in this ambitious journey. I am optimistic this exhibition will continue to accentuate the best manufacturing techniques in the industry and empower our local manufacturers to meet international benchmarks of quality and quantity that are required for exports.

A legendary veteran of the Indian fashion industry  Mr Sunil Sethi, Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), who was also part of the inauguration panel, stated: The need of the hour is innovation. The collaboration between textile, garment and screen printing verticals will make Gartex Texprocess India even more successful and help companies showcase their new developments and capabilities before customers.

Following a successful commencement of Gartex Texprocess India New Delhi 2022, the organisers  MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd and Messe Frankfurt India shared a joint statement: Gartex Texprocess India has experienced 42% growth in exhibitor participation in this edition. We would like to extend our utmost gratitude to the Ministry of Textiles for their strong support as well as our partners and supporting associations for their continued co-operation.

Collocated alongside Denim Show, Fabrics & Trims Show and Screen Print India, Gartex Texprocess India New Delhi 2022 displayed over 1,000 products and manufacturing technologies in garment and textile, denim, fabrics and screen printing,

Demonstrated Indias growing prowess in quality denim production, the Denim Show had featured top 25 denim mills bringing their latest denim products at the show, along with top denim manufacturers such as: Jindal Worldwide Ltd, Arvind Ltd, Raymond UCO Denim Ltd, LNJ Denim, Siyaram Silk Mills Ltd, Kanchan Group and my others.

In association with FABEXA, Fabrics & Trims Show has converged around 70 Gujarat-based fabric manufacturers under a special pavilion to demonstrate the regions local expertise in fabric, cotton and natural based fabrics. The exhibition is also set to host over 200 fabrics sourcing representatives during the remaining show days.

The organisers has also hosted an exclusive knowledge forum to impart in-depth insights on interesting industry topics, such as impact of content creation, trends AW 2023, reducing audit fatigue through SLCP, and Fashion Forward  Challenges, strategies and opportunities.

Supported by the Ministry of Textiles as well as chief industry associations and trade bodies like The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), Denim Manufacturers Association (DMA), Maskati Cloth Mahajan, Retailers Association of India (RAI) and the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Gartex Texprocess India New Delhi lends itself to be a highly productive and opportune platform to source the best manufacturing machineries and engage with top industry players throughout its two remaining days.
Tata Motors, India's homegrown automaker, on Sunday, announced to ink a pact for acquiring the Ford India's plant in Sanand, Gujarat. The deal has been inked between the subsidiary of Tata Motors - Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (TPEML) - which specializes in making electric vehicles and Ford India, which announced the exit from the country sometime ago for a sum of Rs 725.7 crore. As part of the deal, Tata Motors will get entire land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant along with machinery and equipment situated therein, the Mumbai-based auto major said in a statement. The deal also includes transfer of all eligible employees, it added.

However, Ford India will continue to operate its power train manufacturing facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the power train manufacturing plant from TPEML on mutually agreed terms, Tata Motors said in a statement. The government of Gujarat, TPEML and FIPL have already executed a tripartite MoU on May 30, 2022 to support all relevant approvals for the above transaction.

Tata Motors said with its manufacturing capacity nearing saturation, the acquisition is timely and a win-win for all stakeholders. The Sanand plant has a manufacturing capacity of 3 lakh units per annum which is scalable to 4.2 lakh units per annum. TPEML will make the necessary investments to reconfigure the plant to adapt to Tata Motors' existing and future vehicle platforms, the automaker said.

The unit is adjacent to the existing manufacturing facility of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited at Sanand, which should help in a smooth transition, it added. The agreement with FIPL signed today is beneficial to all stakeholders and reflects Tata Motors strong aspiration to further strengthen its market position in the passenger vehicles segment and to continue to build on its leadership position in the electric vehicle segment," Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles MD Shailesh Chandra noted.

Ford Motor Company Transformation Officer Steve Armstrong said the announcement marks an important step forward in the company's ongoing business restructuring in India. The company in September last year had announced that it would stop vehicle production at its two plants in the country as part of a restructuring exercise. Both TPEML and FIPL will work together over the next few months to satisfy all the condition precedents and obtain the required regulatory approvals for the closure of the transaction, Tata Motors said.

With PTI inputs
The app that had to be kept in the crowd of thousands of apps in the phone during the Corona period is called 'Aarogya Setu App'. This app was essential to travel by train or plane in Corona seoson. Even just by showing this app, one gets a permit to go to the respective destination, be it office or any other institution. But the app itself became 'DOWN' after the epidemic calmed down a bit. According to news agencies, the Central Government has stopped the 'Data Access and Sharing Protocol' of Aarogya Setu. This means, from now on, no information can be exchanged through this app. Various information related to corona infection was available in this app. Apart from this, the center claimed that it will be known whether there is any corona infected person or not through this app.

Aarogya Setu: The Dead App Now

An app user had to register in this app whether there are symptoms of corona or not, whether you are infected with corona or not. The shutdown of Aarogya Setu's 'Data Access and Sharing Protocol' has raised questions about the future of app users' personal data. Since April 2020, many have expressed concern about the security of the data collected from the app's users. Where did this amount of data go? What is protected at all?

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) sought information from the government through an RTI (Right to Information Act) on the Aarogya Setu app. In that context, the Center has informed that the 'Data Access and Sharing Protocol' of Arogya Setu has been stopped from May 10, 2022. A spokesman for the National Informatics Center (NIC), the maker of Aarogya Setu, said the 'sharing protocol' has been discontinued as it has lost its relevance.

Aarogya Setu: National Health App

The National Informatics Center spokesperson also said that Arogya Setu was a 'contact tracing app'. That is, whether there is an infected person near you or not, it would be known through this app. But as it has no more relevance now, it will be made the National Health App in coming days.

In fact, the Modi government made this app mandatory in all cases after the lockdown during the Corona epidemic. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the government was trying to monitor the people. CERT-IN (Computer Emergency Response Team), the Centre's cyber-attack prevention agency, had also warned about the threat of data theft through the app. After that, the Home Ministry started relaxing the conditions for making the Aarogya Setu app mandatory in all cases.

Even after the epidemic subsided, many people downloaded this app. A total of five lakh people downloaded this app in April and June this year. Last March, 11 lakh people joined the Aarogya Setu app. More than 10 crore people have downloaded this app. Co-win portal was integrated with Aarogya Setu app. So many people used this app to download vaccination certificate. The question is, will the information already provided through this app be protected?
The Government of India is celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mohotsav' on the Diamond Jubilee of Independence. The central government has decided to decorate the historic buildings of the country with tricolor lights on this special occasion. But that rule will not apply in case of Taj Mahal. Due to a special directive of the Supreme Court, no lighting can be done in the Taj Mahal at night. Incidentally, the Taj Mahal was the first monument in India to be illuminated at night for a celebration. Vishal Sharma, editor of Agra's Tourist Welfare Chamber, said, "When the Allied forces won the Second World War about 77 years ago, the Taj Mahal was lit up in various lights." Not only that, special events were organized inside the monument.

According to social activist Vijay Upadhyay, the last time the Taj Mahal was illuminated at night was on 20 March 1997 during a concert by renowned pianist Yanni. The next morning, the Taj Mahal was found to be full of dead insects. After which the Chemical Wing of the Archaeological Survey of India recommended that the Taj Mahal should not be lit at night. Because insects damage the marble of the monument. The ban on lighting at Taj Mahal has not been lifted since then. Although there are many better lighting options available these days.

As part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrita Mohotsav' celebrations, around 3,500 monuments in the country preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India will be visited free of charge between August 5 and 15. This rule will also apply to the Taj Mahal, said Union Culture Minister Gangapuram Kishan Reddy.

Incidentally, as the country is entering its 75th year of independence, the center has planned to celebrate the entire year. 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' is being celebrated on the Diamond Jubilee year of Independence. Celebrations have started as soon as the month of independence falls in August. The Prime Minister himself requested that as part of the Independence Day celebrations, the people of the country should post the tricolor in their social media pictures. In response to his request, the profile pictures of the leaders and ministers of the Center have already been changed. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also has a pic of tricolor on its social media.
New Delhi: Amid speculations of a rift between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP, former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan has taken a dig at the JD(U). He asked the Bihar CM to take on the BJP instead of blaming 'conspiracies'. His comment came after the JD(U) accused Paswan of being involved in a conspiracy to hurt Nitish Kumar's credibility and popularity. At a press conference, Chirag Paswan said that the Bihar Chief Minister faced "greater danger from his close aides" than him. He also alleged that the JD(U) chief had insulted former JD(U) national president RCP Singh, Sharad Yadav and George Fernandes.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar's JD(U) blames Chirag Paswan for its debacle in 2020 Bihar assembly polls; LJP leader hits back

"Never before has one heard of a party accusing its own former national president of corruption. But, this is Nitish Kumar for you," Paswan said as quoted by PTI.

Chirag Paswan also targeted Nitish Kumar for skipping the Niti Ayog meeting on Sunday (Aug 7) and mentioned the state's alleged poor rankings in reports of the apex public policy think tank.

"And when the NITI Aayog met yesterday, our CM refused to attend the meeting. It was an opportunity for him to air the state's demands before the prime minister. In the process, Bihar suffers on account of his arrogance," alleged Paswan.

"What problem did Nitish Kumar have in attending the meeting even if he wants to oppose the BJP? Can he be a more vehement opponent than Mamata Bannerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, both of whom were present," he further said.
New Delhi: The Yogi Adityanath government on Monday (August 8, 2022) announced a Rs 25,000 reward for information on absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi, who is accused of assaulting a woman in Noida's Omaxe society. The Commissionerate of Gautam Buddh Nagar has announced a cash prize to the person who helps with the arrest of Shrikant Tyagi, news agency ANI reported.

The development comes hours after the Uttar Pradesh government officials used a bulldozer to remove encroachment done by Shrikant Tyagi outside his Noida residence. The action was carried out around 9 am on Monday by the Noida Authority to remove the illegal structures outside Tyagi's ground-floor apartment in Grand Omaxe society in the city's Sector 93B.

Tyagi, who claims to be a BJP leader, had reportedly encroached on a portion of the common area of the society in front of his flat by constructing temporary structures using pillars and tiles. He had also planted trees in a park in front of his residence.

He has been booked by the police for assaulting and abusing a woman co-resident of Grand Omaxe who had objected to him planting trees in the common area of the society. Tyagi, as per reports, had claimed that he was well within his rights to do so.

Multiple videos of the episode have surfaced on social media, with one purportedly showing Tyagi hurling expletives and assaulting the woman. He reportedly also used abusive words at her husband.



Watch video (Warning: Abusive language)

Abhiyaan in its full glory !#ShrikantTyagi who is seen abusing & manhandling a women here is the national co-cordinator of the @BJP4India Yuva Kisan Samiti. Shame On You BJP !!



Warning: Abusive Language pic.twitter.com/oDmM15GuwU  (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) August 6, 2022

Tyagi, notably, identifies himself on social media as a national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and national co-coordinator of the Yuva Kisan Samiti of the ruling party. The BJP, however, has distanced itself from him.

"He (Shrikant Tyagi) had come to the party some four-five years ago with Swamy Prasad Maurya, who has now left the BJP. Tyagi was his disciple and not a member of the BJP," saffron party's Noida unit chief Manoj Gupta told news agency PTI.

Woman was drunk, misbehaved with me and my family: Shrikant Tyagi

Shrikant Tyagi has said that the woman had first instigated that spat by misbehaving with him. He also stated that the allegations that he has encroached on society's common area are "incorrect".

"She was drunk and started misbehaving with me and my family. After which I said a few things in rage. Her allegations that I have encroached on society's common area are incorrect. I had paid extra money for the garden area when I bought the ground floor apartment," Tyagi told PTI.

NCW seeks Shrikant Tyagi's arrest for abusing Noida woman

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought the arrest of Shrikant Tyagi and said that panel chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police to ensure a fair and speedy investigation into the matter.

The commission said it has also written to the police to provide protection to the woman.

"NCW has also sought FIR and arrest of the accused for assaulting a woman," the NCW tweeted.

Shrikant Tyagi has been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty).

(With agency inputs)
CHSE Odisha Result 2022: The Council for Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) Odisha will declare the results for the Plus Two Arts stream examination on August 8, 2022. The results for those who took the 12th board test may be found on the CHSE's official website at chseodisha.nic.in. Vocational course results will also be released at the same time as the results for the arts stream. On a different official website, orissaresults.nic.in, you can examine both results.

To access their CHSE Results 2022, students would require their Odisha 12th Arts Roll Numbers. These roll numbers can be found on the candidates' CHSE admit cards, which have already been distributed. Students are advised to keep their admit cards ready. Post the formal declaration in the press meet, CHSE Odisha 12th Arts Results will be made available to the students online via the official websites in the form of digital scorecards.

CHSE 12th Arts Result 2022: How To Download Score Card

Visit the official website- orissaresults.nic.in

Click on Odisha 12th Result 2022 link for Arts stream

Enter registration number and roll number

CHSE 12th Arts stream result will be displayed on the screen

Download HS plus two scorecards, and take a printout for further references.

More than 3 lakh applicants registered for the Odisha Class 12 board exams this year. Most of the pupils are enrolled in the arts program. From April 28 to May 31, 2022, the state's Class 12 board examination was held. Using their registration number and board exam roll number, candidates can view their individual results.










New Delhi: Shrikant Tyagi, a resident of Grand Omaxe building in Noida, has been accused of behaving indecently with another female resident inside the building premises. After a video of the alleged BJP member's misbehaviour went viral on social media, an FIR was lodged against him by the Uttar Pradesh police under the Gangster Act. However, he is absconding at the moment. For the unversed, today, bulldozers were brought to the Noida society and illegal encroachments by Shrikant Tyagi were demolished.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan analysed the significance of the bulldozer action and how they've come to be recognised as a weapon against illegal construction in the country, beginning in Uttar Pradesh.

However, there has always been criticism on bulldozer action as the Opposition often calls it an action taken only on the minorities. When the video of Shrikant Tyagi's indecency went viral, the opposition targeted the BJP and alleged that Tyagi is a BJP worker which is wh action is not being taken against him. But eventually, the BJP did take action against the accused.

According to reports, Shrikant Tyagi has had a history of causing nuisance in the housing society and flouting rules. He had many illegal constructions in the building.

The fact that the Yogi Adityanath government took the action of running a bulldozer over the accused's illegal encroachments, it shows that religion is irrelevant when acting against 'criminals'. In addition, 6 UP policemen have been suspended on charges of negligence in the entire case.

A reward of Rs 25,000 has also been announced on Shrikant Tyagi. The GST team today raided 15 shops of Srikanth in Noida. Shrikant Tyagi, on Monday, filed an application for surrender in surajpur court in Gautam Budh Nagar. But the court has given August 10 as the date for the hearing. Several police teams are conducting continuous raids to arrest Shrikant Tyagi. With this, the six accused who showed dacoity in the Omaxe Society in support of Shrikant Tyagi have been sent to 14 days' judicial custody by the court.
NOIDA: The residents of the Grand Omaxe Housing Society located in sector 93 on Monday hailed 'Bulldozer Baba' after the Noida authority demolished illegal construction at Shrikant Tyagi's residence here. According to media reports, several residents, especially women living in the society were seen cheering and clapping and they also distributed sweets as the Noida Authoritys bulldozers enter the society and started demolishing the illegal construction near Shrikant Tyagi's residence on the ground floor.

"Bulldozer baba ka bulldozer chala hai, hume bahut khushi hai," one of the residents said. Another resident hailed UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for ordering the Noida Authority to take swift action in the case. The residents further claimed that they were extremely annoyed and angry with Tyagis attitude and rude behaviour with a woman.

The reactions came after the Noida administration demolished an illegal construction near the residence of Shrikant Tyagi, who is the main accused in the Grand Omaxe Housing Society fracas which was caught on camera.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Illegal construction at the residence of #ShrikantTyagi, at Grand Omaxe in Noida's Sector 93, demolished by the Noida administration.



Tyagi, in a viral video, was seen abusing and assaulting a woman here in the residential society. pic.twitter.com/xThZ2wF3gS  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 8, 2022

The demolition outside Tyagi's ground-floor apartment in Grand Omaxe Society was carried out around 9 am by the Noida Authority. Tyagi, who claims to be a BJP politician, has been booked by the police for assaulting and abusing a co-resident of Grand Omaxe, who had objected to him planting trees in the common area of the society.

Tyagi, who is absconding at the moment, was seen abusing and assaulting the woman in the residential society after a brawl over the plantation of trees near his apartment on the society premises.

The action was taken after a video showing Tyagi threatening and assaulting the woman resident of the housing complex in Noida's Sector 93 went viral. On Sunday night, some men supporting Tyagi barged into the residential society after which seven of them were arrested and taken for interrogation, said the Noida police.

Seven people who entered the Grand Omaxe Society have been arrested and are being interrogated. It was found that there was negligence from SHO Phase 2, Central Noida Sujeet Upadhyay, who has been suspended, further investigation is underway, said Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh.

He also said that the family has been provided with security. Action will be taken against Tyagi under the Gangster Act and all his illegal property will be identified, Singh added further.

While a manhunt is underway to nab self-proclaimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shrikant Tyagi, his party has distanced itself from him, saying he was never part of the party.

Apart from Tyagi`s wife, the police have detained his brother, driver and manager. "All of them are currently being questioned," informed the official. The matter came to light on Friday when several video clippings of the incident went viral on social media in which the Tyagi could be heard hurling abuses at the woman. The shocking incident evoked a sharp response from the netizens who voiced their support for the woman who was allegedly threatened by the main accused.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ankita Sharma earlier informed that Noida Police registered an FIR under Section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC at the Panchsheel police station soon after the video went viral on social media,

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took cognisance of the matter on Saturday and wrote to Uttar Pradesh DGP in this matter. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma asked the police to provide necessary protection to the victim.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has given a strong response to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's claim on the election symbol of Shiv Sena - a "bow and arrow". Along with that, he also sought 4 weeks from the Election Commission to submit documents to claim the party symbol. Earlier last week, Supreme Court had asked the Election Commission to not take "precipitative action" on Eknath Shinde's claim of being the "real" Shiv Sena as opposed to Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction.

Amid the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde tussle, the Shiv Sena chief has urged Shivsainiks or Sena workers to hold on to the Shiv Sena symbol in an address outside his residence Matoshree.

Also Read: 'My love and respect for Uddhav Thackeray...': Another Shiv Sena leader joins Eknath Shinde faction

He said that it is their (his faction's workers) blood that has the blood of a Shiv Sainik. Thackeray reiterated that the other Sena faction is not close to snatching the Shiv Sena symbol but if someone tried to touch the saffron, he urged workers to 'show them'.

"Forget snatching, the hand that dares to touch the bhagwa should break," Thackeray said.

Meanwhile, on Monday (Aug 8), Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has sought four weeks to submit documents in support of its claim on the election symbol, a party leader said on Monday. Last month, the Election Commission had asked the rival factions of the Shiv Sena, led by Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, to submit documents by August 8.

(With agency inputs)
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Fisheries Minister and Nishad party chief Sanjay Nishad, who has been served a warrant by a Gorakhpur court in connection with a 2015 case connected to an agitation, has said that he is ready to go to jail for the rights of his community. Reacting to the court warrant, the minister said that he was not afraid to go to jail for the sake of his people, but added that he had full faith in the judiciary. "I am ready to go to jail for the rights of my community. I will always raise the issue of the rights of my Nishad community," the minister said in a statement released from Andhra Pradesh where he is currently on a visit.

The minister will return on August 9, a day before he is to appear before the Gorakhpur chief judicial magistrate`s court. "I will appear before the court to present my case on August 10," the minister added in his statement. It is not clear yet whether the warrant is bailable or non bailable (NBW), however, the minister and his lawyer claimed it was bailable. "Our opponents are spreading rumours that the court has issued an order to arrest me," the minister said.

Also read: Yogi's minister 'RUN AWAY' after hearing GUILTY verdict, read what he says in EXCUSE!

His lawyer Surendra Nishad confirmed it was a bailable warrant even as Gorakhpur-based lawyer and Nishad Yuva Vahini`s national president Sushil Sahini claimed the warrant was non-bailable. "I have full faith in the judiciary and on August 10, I am sure that the court will do justice in the 2015 case, in which the then Samajwadi Party (SP) government engaged in barbaric behaviour on Nishads and got fake cases registered," the minister said.

In 2015, an agitation for seeking reservation for Nishad community in government jobs, had turned violent in Sahjanwa locality of Gorakhpur. One person had died in the violence and several others, including many police personnel, had been injured. Cases were subsequently registered against Sanjay Nishad and others.The minister had been charged with inciting the crowd.
ICAI CA Foundation Result 2022: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has released the CA Foundation result date. As per the notice, result will likely be declared on Wednesday, August 10. Candidates will be able to download their scorecards at  icai.org. The result time has not been disclosed by ICAI. The candidate must sign in to the ICAI's official website to view their score. The home page will provide a link to the results. They must enter the numbers on their registration and roll card. On the screen, the outcome will be seen.

Once released, the CA Foundation Results 2022 will be accessible on official website as published by ICAI. As it always does, ICAI will also announce a result date and time prior to the declaration of the results. ALSO READ: AP ICET 2022: APCHSE Results DECLARED

Important Announcement - Results of the ICAI Chartered Accountancy Foundation Examination held in June 2022 are likely to be declared on Wednesday, 10th August 2022. Candidates can check the results on the website https://t.co/TAu5OcT57n

Detailshttps://t.co/lRnJqYJo7C pic.twitter.com/45T22llup3  Institute of Chartered Accountants of India - ICAI (@theicai) August 8, 2022

ICAI CA Results 2022: Heres how to download result

Visit the official site of ICAI on icai.nic.in.

Click on CA Foundation Result 2022 link available on the home page.

Enter the login details and click on submit.

Your result will be displayed on the screen.

Check the result and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

The minimum passing score for the CA Foundation test is 40% on each paper, and the overall pass grade cannot be less than 50%. On the website, icai.nic.in, candidates can download their scorecard for the CA Foundation test.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, known as CISCE, administers the ICSE Class 10 & 12 exams for students across the nation. According to the general survey, ISC & ICSE exams are considered to be one of the most difficult and competitive board exams in India. And hence, all the students across the nation require a strategic study plan and preparation guidelines to swiftly ace the board exam of class 10 & class 12.

ICSE 10th Class Exam Pattern 2023  List of subjects

Groups Subjects Group-I  80% exam + 20% internal assessment History

Civics

Geography

English

Second Language Group-II  80% exam + 20% internal assessment Physics

Chemistry

Biology Mathematics

Economics

Modern foreign language

Classical language

Environmental Science Group-III  50% external exam + 50% internal exam Performing Arts

Computer Applications

Commercial Applications

Economic Applications

Arts

Yoga

Cookery

Physical Education

Fashion Designing

Environmental Applications

Technical Drawing Applications

Home Science

Modern foreign language

Therefore, the students of ICSE Class 10 need study tips for their preparations and here we have formulated the subject-wise preparation tips that they should religiously follow for optimum results in each subject. Its highly recommended for students to thoroughly study and revise each concept to score desired marks in their ICSE Class 10 Board Exams 2023. To help you with that, here are the class 10 ICSE 2023 Exam preparation tips for students to score like a pro.

ICSE Class 10 Preparation Tips 2022

The educationists and academicians across the nation have curated a unique study schedule for ICSE Class 10 students to boost their preparations. As the ICSE Class 10 students you can finish your syllabus in time, and can have a better time frame, preparedness, and confidence to effectively start practicing and revise for your exams. Especially for students, to make the most out of your preparation time, you first need a scheduler. A scheduler is a diary or copy you create where you can have each hour of your day marked along with the concept or subject or topic youre going to study. Each student should create a basic scheduler in which they should categorise the chapters and concepts based on the level of their difficulty, duration, and time they would take to prepare.

1. Schedule Is A Must: So, the foremost tip that every learned one would give you is to have a schedule. With it, you strategically optimize your time and proceed accordingly.

2. Finish Syllabus Before Time: Why is it advised to save at least 2 months before the exam and do all the studies before that. The reason is quite simple, Students need to be calm during exam time, and it doesnt just boost their confidence to have their preparations done before time but will give plenty of time for efficacious revision with sample papers and mock tests.

3. Practice Sample Papers & Mock Tests: Anyone willing to score maximum and be the champion above all, already knows how important sample papers and mock tests are during the exam time. They are meant to provide you with a feel of the exam before the exam.

Practice Every Typology of Questions: Oswaal ICSE ISC Question Banks Class 10 & 12 Book respectively for 2023 Board Exams with Chapter-wise ICSE Previous Years Questions and exam-ready cognitive tools are one of the better fit for that. These books contain mind-maps, mnemonics, quick revision notes and explanatory concept videos via QR Codes

Heres the recommended link for ICSE Question Banks Class 10 Book for 2023 Board Exams: https://bit.ly/3oU6eUb

ISC Question Banks Class 12 Book for 2023 Board Exams: https://bit.ly/3oXGypA

4. Subject-wise ICSE class 10 Preparation Tips

Now, the above-mentioned tips are generic and could be applied by students of any class. But here we are with the subject-wise ICSE class 10 preparation tips for students to leave no stone unturned while preparing.

Mathematics  ICSE Class 10 Preparation Tips

Mathematics needs a deep and thorough understanding of concepts and formulas to get desired results. Above all, practice is a must. Herere the tips you can follow 

1. First schedule everything and put the ones youre more confident about at the first slots then with light ones in the middle and again the difficult ones at the end of the scheduler. Its called Sandwich Technique, and few know about it.

2. Once done, practice rigorously.

English  ICSE Class 10 Preparation Tips

For English, reading newspapers is a must. This might sound mundane, but it works for sure.

For English, you can also take help of previous year question papers and see what type of question are mostly asked and then revise accordingly. By practicing with them, you can get better exam insight and concept clarity.

Physics  ICSE class 10 Preparation Tips

Physics is something many students dislike, and others dont put their best in preparing for it. And the reason is quite simple; Physics could be tiring if you dont put your interest in it. If you prepare half-heartedly for it, you won't get ahead. You need to develop an interest in it.

Make sure to put your heart in it. Try to find the interesting experiments meaningful by attaching them with your own life and see how the following theory works.

Also check for the practical explanation of these theories on YouTube, to get a better understanding.

Chemistry  ICSE class 10 Preparation Tips

1. Study the Periodic Table and learn physical and chemical properties. Also make sure to thoroughly understand Analytical Chemistry.

2. Take help of Mock Test Papers and do a proper exam and see where you lacked. Also, chemistry is something that comes to you once you start revising it every now and then, so dont over-stretch yourself.

Biology  ICSE class 10 Preparation Tips

Students wishing to have a long career in the medical field should religiously study the fundamentals of biology.

1. Practice diagrams and equations every hour between concepts and subjects too.

2. Put the charts and posters of different terminology in your room to be able to see them occasionally.

3. Once the syllabus is done, do it again but with less time given, this will boost your confidence.

(Above mentioned article is consumer connect initiative. This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever)
JEE Advanced 2022 Registration: The Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Bombay will coomence the JEE Advanced 2022 registration process today, August 8, 2022. Candidates can apply for Joint Entrance Examination Advanced, JEE Advanced 2022 online through the official site- jeeadv.ac.in. The JEE Advanced 2022 application process will begin today 4 P M and candidates who have secured rank up to 250,000 in JEE Main Result 2022 will be eligible to apply for the same.

Candidates must notice that the NTA has released the JEE Main Result 2022 today, August 8. Students who appeared in the examination can check their JEE Mains Session 2 result on the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in. Students can also check their JEE Result with the direct link given here

JEE Advanced 2022: Important dates

Commencement of online application process- August 8, 2022

Last date to Apply for JEE Advanced 2022- August 11, 2022

JEE Advanced 2022 Admit Card release date- August 23, 202

JEE Advanced 2022 Exam date- August 28, 2022

ALSO READ- JEE Main 2022: Students demand JEE Mains third attempt, amid session 2 result

Here's how to apply for JEE Advanced 2022

Visit the official site of JEE Advanced on jeeadv.ac.in.

Click on JEE Advanced 2022 link that will be availble soon on the home page.

Enter the login credentials and apply for JEE Advanced by filling in the application form.

Payment of application fees and click on submit.

Download the confirmation page of JEE Advanced application form

JEE Advanced admit cards will be available from August 23 and the exam will be conducted on August 28, 2022 in two shifts. The Paper 1 exam will be conducted from 9 am to 12 noon and Paper 2 will be conducted from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. JEE Advanced 2022 Full Schedule
New Delhi: There is a rising concern to reduce carbon emissions as a measure against climate change across the globe. One of the ways to tackle it is by replacing non-renewable energy sources with renewable energy sources. India, on Monday, took a step towards its clean energy project by passing a Bill encouraging the use of non-fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen. Power Minister R K Singh called the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 - "the bill for the future". The bill was passed by the House despite amendments moved by a few Opposition members as per a PTI report.

What does the Bill mean for clean energy in India?

The Bill includes mandates for industrial companies, units and vessels to be penalised in case they don't comply with fuel consumption norms which are yet to be listed in detail.

"With the passage of time, and in the context of the energy transition with special focus on the promotion of new and renewable energy and National Green Hydrogen Mission, a need has arisen to further amend the said Act to facilitate the achievement of 'Panchamrit' as five nectar elements presented by India in Conference of Parties -26 in Glasgow last year," the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill said.

Promoting renewable energy in the country is also one of the reasons behind this Bill. As the focus is shifted on clean energy, it will be easier to decarbonise the Indian economy and achieve the sustainable development goals.
New Delhi: The much-awaited cabinet expansion of the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra is likely to take place on Tuesday (August 9, 2022) at 11 am at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan, news agency ANI reported. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde will expand his 40-day-old ministry on August 9. Maharashtra Cabinet expansion comes more than a month after Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister of the state.

Maharashtra cabinet expansion likely tomorrow at 11 am at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan: Sources pic.twitter.com/pwFGFdxQo0 August 8, 2022

According to media reports, Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis likely to get the home portfolio. People familiar with the development informed that the cabinet expansion is scheduled at 11 am with 12 to 15 MLAs from the ruling camp being sworn-in at the Central Hall of the legislature. The cabinet currently comprises Shinde and Fadnavis.

A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday's ceremony, scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 12 pm, a close aide of Shinde told PTI. The next round of expansion would take place later, the aide said. The monsoon session of the state legislature has to be held at the earliest, so we decided to induct 12 legislators in the ministry expansion. Some of those taking the oath on Tuesday would be from the Legislative Council, the aide said.

Shinde, who emerged as a surprise choice for the top post after managing to take most of Shiv Sena MLAs with him, will have a difficult task to accommodate all of them in the ministry, sources said. Shinde has made seven visits to New Delhi in the last one month, and with every visit there was talk that the ministry expansion was round the corner.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Maharashtra cabinet of the Eknath Shinde-led government is set to be expanded tomorrow (Aug 9) around 12 pm at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan according to an ANI report. Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar has reacted to the Maharashtra cabinet expansion. "There is a strong possibility that the cabinet will be expanded tomorrow. However, as the Leader of the Opposition, I have not received any official information," he said as quoted by Indian Express.

According to reports, in the first phase, around 15-18 ministers will be sworn in.

"As the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, I have received the letter today. A working advisory committee meeting has been organized tomorrow. I have received this letter to name the opposition parties for that. Therefore, the meeting of this committee is likely to be held tomorrow. Also, through various channels, I have received information about the expansion of the cabinet. However, as the leader of the opposition, I have not received any information officially," said Ajit Pawar.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde will expand his 40-day-old ministry on August 9. Maharashtra Cabinet expansion comes more than a month after Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister of the state.

A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday's ceremony, scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 12 pm, a close aide of Shinde told PTI. The next round of expansion would take place later, the aide said. The monsoon session of the state legislature has to be held at the earliest, so we decided to induct 12 legislators in the ministry expansion. Some of those taking the oath on Tuesday would be from the Legislative Council, the aide said.

Shinde, who emerged as a surprise choice for the top post after managing to take most of Shiv Sena MLAs with him, will have a difficult task to accommodate all of them in the ministry, sources said. Shinde has made seven visits to New Delhi in the last one month, and with every visit there was talk that the ministry expansion was round the corner.

(With agency inputs)
New twist in BJP vs Nitish Kumar cold war. Speculation of change again in Patna! On the one hand, on Sunday evening, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party JDU announced that there will be no representation from their party in the Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet. Within a few hours, Nitish Kumar called Congress president Sonia Gandhi with a bigger surprise. He also asked for time to meet her. According to political sources, political reshuffle has started again in Bihar. Nitish has called a meeting with all the MLAs of the party tomorrow. Similarly, Lalu Prasad's RJD and Congress, the main opposition parties in the state, have separately called their MLAs for the meeting. Nitish's phone call to Sonia Gandhi and the three-party meeting that followed fueled speculation of a shift in state politics.

Even after getting fewer seats than the BJP in the 2020 assembly polls, Nitish's re-emergence as the chief minister was causing problems in the East BJP-JDU alliance. In spite of Nitish's objections, the former national president of JDU, RCP Singh, who was known to be very close to him, became a Union minister. A disgruntled Nitish did not nominate RCP Singh from the Rajya Sabha again. He also hinted to walk the path of investigation on the account of his property. In this situation, RCP attacked Nitish as 'vindictive' after leaving the team on Saturday. According to a section of JDU leaders, RCP has made such comments to provoke BJP leaders. Incidentally, within a few hours of RCP Singh's comments, the national president of JDU and one of the top leaders of the party, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalon, called a press conference and said, "After the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, we decided that we will not join the central government. We stand by that decision. This decision not to join the central government was taken by our party leader Nitish Kumar, who was the party president at that time."

Also Read: 'Nitish Kumar will NEVER...', RCP Singh makes EXPLOSIVE remark against Bihar CM soon after resigning from JDU

What could happen in this situation is now speculation. In 2015, Nitish broke the alliance of BJP and joined hands with Lalu Prasad's party to form the government. Although Lalu's party had more seats, Lalu gave the chief ministership to 'old friend' Nitish. He included his two sons Tejashwi and Teja Pratap as ministers. After two and a half years of that government, Nitish took the hand of BJP again. Also became the chief minister. At that time, RJD leaders called Nitish a 'traitor'. As a result of the 2020 assembly polls, it was seen that Nitish has dropped to number three after losing a large number of seats in the party! Lalu's RJD is currently the largest party in the state assembly. Its leader is Tejashwi Yadav. If the number of seats is calculated, Lalu-Nitish and Congress will form the government easily. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah party will have to oust power in an important state of the Hindi belt. The question arises.

Besides, the question is raised, will the central leaders of BJP accept it? BJP leaders in the state have been 'upset' with Nitish for a long time. Leaders of Nitish's party alleged that the BJP is trying to impose the ideology of the Sangh on the government of Nitish, who is known as 'secular' in national politics. Apart from this, the BJP has been 'bullying' the state administration with the opportunity to have more seats and more members in the cabinet. That is why Nitish has been seen growing close to Lalu's son in the past few months, on the one hand to send a message to the BJP. Similarly, the Chief Minister of Bihar has distanced himself from Modi's party.

In the recent past, Nitish was absent when presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu submitted his nomination. He did not attend the dinner organized in honor of outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind. Nitish was also absent from Draupadi Murmu's presidential swearing-in ceremony. Earlier in July, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called a meeting of chief ministers, but Nitish sent the deputy chief minister instead of attending it himself. He did not attend the Niti Aayog meeting on Sunday. What will happen this time? All eyes are now on Patna on Tuesday.
New Delhi: The Quit India movement was launched by Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi to expel the Britishers from India. The resolution of the Quit India movement was passed on the 8th of August 1942 at the Mumbai session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Gandhiji gave the mantra of 'Do or Die i.e., either we will get the independence or will die trying. He advised government servants not to resign but to declare their allegiance to Congress. He asked soldiers not to leave the army but not to fire on compatriots.

He requested princes to support the masses and accept the sovereignty of the people. Further, he also asked students to leave their studies and participate in the movement if they were confident. There were several factors and events which led to the Quit India movement. Most prominent being the colonial character of British rule, which was despotic, ruthless, discriminatory, and suppressive towards Indians.

Secondly, the Failure of the Cripps Mission to satisfy the aspiration of Indians: When Indians were demanding complete Independence, it proposed dominion status and the formation of a Constituent Assembly after the war. Due to these, it was termed a 'post-dated cheque' by Gandhiji.

Thirdly, Indians had lost faith in the British Raj. Indians supported Britain in the first World War but the British did nothing to remove the suffering of Indians. Therefore, the removal of the British Raj was seen as the only solution.

Also Read: Wit-liners, not one-liners: PM Narendra Modi hails Venkaiah Naidu as Rajya Sabha bids farewell to vice president

The British government was taken aback by such unity among the people. So, the movement saw heavy repression by the British government. Leaders like Gandhiji were arrested to crush the movement.

Despite being unsuccessful in achieving the goal of immediate independence, the movement was highly significant. Firstly, it greatly radicalized the anti-British struggle. Despite violent incidents, the movement was never suspended or called off, it led to a nationalist awakening to new heights as even bureaucracy and soldiers got affected.

Secondly, the British administration got paralyzed in many places and parallel governments were formed like in Balia by Chittu Pandey. It enhanced confidence in Indians that they were capable of governing themselves.

Thirdly, it saw a significant contribution from women. Usha Mehta was associated with the Congress Radio station while Sucheta Kriplani and Aruna Asaf Ali took part in the underground movement.

Fourthly, it was a true pan-India movement as it was the first movement to extend to the native states. It laid the bedrock of India as a nation. This unparalleled heroism by common people instilled confidence in Indians. It also made Britishers realize that it would be difficult to rule Indians against their wish. Several plans like the Wavel plan, Cabinet Mission plan, and Mountbatten plan were proposed as a means to finalize conditions of the British exit from India. Finally, with the Indian Independence Act of 1947, India was declared an independent sovereign nation.
His ward in the Presidency Jail has only one bathroom for convicts and undertrials. But ex-minister Partha Chatterjee is unable to leave the cell due to swollen feet. Slight swelling on the feet has been brought to the attention of the doctors. But the doctors observed Partha's physical condition even on Sunday morning and did not advise him to take him to the jail hospital. According to them, swelling of the legs can be seen because walking has decreased. It is being observed.

According to the jail rules, undertrial and sentenced prisoners have to use the same toilet for bathing. Partha is lodged in cell number two of the Presidency Jail and there is only one toilet for bathing in that ward. He has not bathed there since his arrival at the jail on Friday. He had to walk out of his cell and go to that bathing area. He told the doctors that he could not walk properly on Sunday. So water is placed in a big drum in front of his ward. Taking water from that drum in a plastic mug, the former minister somehow took a bath that day. An extra towel has been given to him.

Also Read: 'Give me bed PLEASE...', Partha Chatterjee urges after spending sleepless night sitting on commode in JAIL

According to jail sources, when Partha came out of the cell for a bath in the afternoon, the inmates of other cells in the ward were locked in their cells. Not only during bath time on this day, but every time Partha is allowed to come out of the ward, the other inmates of the ward are kept locked inside the room. A CCTV camera has been installed in Partha's cell for 24-hour surveillance. He stayed inside the ward from morning to evening except for the time of bathing. There are high profile convicts like Aftab Ansari, Sudipto Sen, Goutam Kundu, Kader Khan and Musa in different cells of that ward. There is also Chhatradhar Mahato and several Maoist undertrials.

According to jail sources, the minister slept almost the whole day. During the doctor's visit, even before the bath, he was asleep. In the morning he was given butter-toasted biscuits. Non-vegetarian meals were provided on Sundays as per jail rules. Partha ate rice, dal, curry and fish broth in the afternoon. He requested to give rice at night too.

Also Read: SSC scam: Partha Chatterjee-Arpita Mukherjee in BIG trouble; after ED, CBI set to take THIS action

According to the Alipur Women's Jail sources, Arpita Mukherjee spent most of the day sleeping there. There too morning food was tea-biscuit butter-toast. Arpita ate rice, dal, curry and fish in the afternoon. She is also kept in a separate cell and strict security is kept at all times as per court orders.
New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women has slammed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his remarks on rapes in the country, saying that the Rajasthan Chief Minister should stop using the language of rapists. The DCW`s note came in wake of the western state chief`s remark where he held the Centre accountable for the law against the rapists and had said that after the law to hang the rape accused came into force, the incidents of murder after rape have increased across the country. The DCW cautioned Gehlot and said that his statements on Nirbhaya were insensitive and hurt the sentiments of rape victims.

"Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot should stop using the language of rapists, the way he made fun of Nirbhaya has hurt the sentiment of rape victims. We struggled a lot to bring the law that rapists of small children be hanged," Chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal told ANI on Sunday. Maliwal also stressed that the minister should implement law stringently in his home state as Rajasthan had numerous rape cases on the fore, adding "Instead of making such useless remarks, it`s the responsibility of CM Ashok Gehlot to implement the law stringently as Rajasthan itself witnesses a lot of rape cases."

During the demonstration by Congress against the Central government over price rise and unemployment on Friday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that after the law to hang the rape accused came into force, the incidents of murder after rape have increased across the country. He further said that "after the Nirbhaya case, the demand to hang the accused gained momentum and after that, the law came into force. Since then, there has been an increase in the cases of murder of women after rape."

Also read: Ashok Gehlot's rape laws remark sparks controversy, BJP seeks Congresss response

"Due to the law on the hanging of culprits after the Nirbhaya case, the incidents of murder after rape have increased. This is a dangerous trend being seen in the country," said Rajasthan CM. Gehlot claimed that the trend of murder after rape has reached an alarming level across the country. "The rapist feels that the victim will become a witness against the accused. In such a situation, the accused finds it right to kill the victim. The reports that are coming from all over the country show a very dangerous trend. The situation in the country is not good," he added.

Last year, senior Karnataka Congress leader and former Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, who made a sexist and unsavoury comment on rape in the state Assembly created uproar in the country, with many demanding his sacking as an MLA and protesting in the state Assembly.Speaking in the Assembly, Kumar had said, "There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That is exactly the position in which you are."

Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav had questioned the death sentence of rapists and said it was unfair to award the death penalty to rapists for their mistakes. "Rape ke liye phaansi dena ghalat hai, ladkon se ghalti ho jaati hai, hum satta mein aaye to kanoon mein badlav karenge (Handing death sentence for rape is not fair... boys make mistakes... there will be changes in the law if we come to power)," Singh had said.

The four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case were hanged to death in Delhi`s Tihar jail on March 20, 2020, bringing down the curtains on the drama surrounding the execution that saw the death warrants cancelled thrice on various grounds.The four convicts, along with two others including Ram Singh and a juvenile, had raped and brutally tortured a 23-year-old paramedic student on a moving bus in south Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012. The victim died a few days later after battling for life at a Singapore hospital. She was earlier admitted to Delhi`s Safdarjung Hospital.The case had created an uproar across the country, especially in Delhi where a large number of people came out on the streets, demanding justice for the victim, who was renamed as `Nirbhaya` or the fearless.
Kolkata: The West Bengal government-controlled state hospital SSKM Medical College and Hospital on Monday denied admission to Trinamool Congress stalwart leader Anubrata Mandal on medical grounds, reported IANS. Mandal is also TMCs Birbhum district wing president. His case was analysed by a seven-member board and they concluded that the TMC leader does not need hospitalisation. Mandal is an accused in the cattle smuggling case and has been summoned for interrogation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI. However, the TMC leader has ignored the summons by the Central probe agency.

"There is no need to admit him. His problems are chronic in nature. There is no need to consider that he is under stress," Saroj Mandal, a member of the seven-member medical board that conducted the medical test told IANS.

According to IANS, the CBI, on Monday morning had sent a communique to Anubrata Mandal asking him to be present at the agency`s Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata after the completion of the medical check-up.

Anubrata Mandal ignores CBIs summons

Meanwhile, Mandal deliberately ignored the e-mails by CBI about his questing in the cattle smuggling case. After his medical check-up, Mandal first reached his residence in Chinar Park on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, and from there, he started for his ancestral residence at Birbhum.

As he was coming out of the SSKM, relatives of some patients who were present at the hospital mocked Mandal, and said: "There goes the cattle thief."

However, neither Mandal nor anyone accompanying him reacted.

Earlier, on August 2, while Partha Chatterjee, named in the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam, was taken to ESI Hospital at Joka in the southern outskirts of Kolkata, a woman who came to the same hospital threw her slipper at him. However, the footwear hurled by the woman did not hit the former minister.

(With inputs from IANS)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed M Venkaiah Naidu's ''wit and one-liners'' as he praised his five-year term as vice president and Rajya Sabha chairman during which the "productivity of the House increased 70 per cent". In his emotional farewell speech for Naidu in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said the outgoing chairman encouraged dialogue and has set standards and a legacy that will continue to guide his successors. Naidu completes his five-year term on August 10.

PM Modi said Naidu was of the opinion that ''disruptions of proceedings beyond a point were contempt of the House.''

He worked on the principle that 'let the government propose, let Opposition oppose, let the house dispose', PM Modi said. "One of the admirable things about Naidu is his passion for Indian languages. This was reflected in how he presided over the House," PM Modi said, adding as chairman he encouraged the use of mother tongue.

On Naidu's famous ''one-liners'', the Prime Minister said "they are wit-liners". "There is both depth and substance in what Naidu says," he said.

Your one-liners are wit-liners. They are win-liners too. It means nothing more needs to be said after those lines. Your every word is heard, preferred and revered and never countered: PM Narendra Modi, in Rajya Sabha, to outgoing Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President pic.twitter.com/kWK7dgwXjY  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2022

PM Modi said he has worked with Naidu closely over the years. "I have also seen him take up different responsibilities and he performed each of them with great dedication." "As our vice president, you devoted a lot of time to youth welfare. A lot of your programmes were focused on Yuva Shakti," he said.

PM Modi said Independence Day this year will be celebrated with the president, vice president, Lok Sabha Speaker and Prime Minister all born in independent India. "And each of them comes from very humble backgrounds."

The PM said that Naidu contributed to the increased productivity of the Rajya Sabha. "Around 70 per cent productivity of Rajya Sabha increased in your tenure and almost 177 Bills either passed or debate were held on them," said the Prime Minister.

Hailing Naidu in his turn, LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, "You had advocated for a national policy for Upper Houses in all major states. You also spoke about consensus on Women Reservation Bill & other issues. I believe Govt will complete the incomplete you're leaving behind."

You had advocated for a national policy for Upper Houses in all major states. You also spoke about consensus on Women Reservation Bill & other issues. I believe Govt will complete the incomplete you're leaving behind: LoP in RS Mallikarjun Kharge to outgoing RS Chairman & VP pic.twitter.com/JjMxbuv2By August 8, 2022

In 2017, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominated M Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India`s 15th vice president. Born on July 1, 1949, the term of Naidu as Vice President ends on August 10, 2022.
Budgam: A `hybrid` terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been arrested by the Indian Army`s 34 RR unit in the Budgam area of Jammu and Kashmir. The accused arrested has been identified as Arshid Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Sangam Budgam. The arrest was made by a joint team of Srinagar Police and 2RR at Lawaypura.

The officials also seized incriminating materials which include 5 pistols, 5 magazines, 50 rounds. Two hand grenades were also recovered from the terrorist.

A Case has been registered at Shalteng Police Station. Earlier on May 1, another `hybrid` terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was arrested by the Indian Army`s 34 RR unit along with Kulgam Police from Kashmir.

According to police, the arrested LeT terrorist was in contact with Pakistan-based terrorists as well as local LeT terrorists and was tasked to execute terror incidents. The hybrid terrorist was also involved in providing shelter, logistics and other support to the terrorists which includes transporting arms and ammunition and explosive material of the terrorists in district Kulgam.

The arrested terrorist has been identified as Yamin Yousaf Bhat, a resident of Kulgam`s Gadihama, said the Kashmir police. Incriminating materials consisting of arms and ammunition including a pistol, one magazine, two hand grenades and 51 (9 mm) pistol rounds have been recovered, stated police.

An FIR has been registered against the said terrorist in Kulgam Police Station under relevant sections of law and further investigation regarding the incident is in progress. The arrest of the Hybrid terrorist is an achievement for Kulgam Police as the said terrorist was well known about the topography of the district and it was easy for him to choose soft targets.

He was also in contact with PoK-based terrorists and was working under their command and guidance. More arrests and recoveries are expected in the instant case, stated the police.
New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is likely to expand his cabinet this week by inducting at least 15 ministers and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to keep the crucial Home portfolio, sources said. Top government sources also said the civic polls in the state, delayed due to the OBC reservation issue being heard by the Supreme Court, are likely to be held in October after getting clarification from the apex court.

Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively on June 30 after the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray due to a rebellion in the Shiv Sena ranks.

The duo have been functioning as a two-member cabinet since then, inviting criticism from opposition leaders, including NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar is leader of the opposition. He will have to say such things. Ajit dada conveniently forgets that when he was in the government there were just five ministers for the first 32 days," Fadnavis told reporters here on Sunday.

The expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet will take place before you can even imagine, Fadnavis said in response to repeated questions from reporters. Sources said the exercise will be carried out before August 15.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Shinde said the functioning of the state government has not been affected in any way due to the delay in the expansion of the council of ministers and that more ministers will be inducted soon.

"The work of the government has not been affected in any way. The decision-making process has not been affected. I and the deputy chief minister have been taking decisions and there is no impact on the working of the government, the chief minister told reporters here.

Fadnavis said the BJP has embarked on a mission to improve its footprint in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by identifying 16 parliamentary constituencies where opposition parties have had a consistent winning streak.

He said these constituencies included those held by Shiv Sena leaders who have now joined the Shinde camp. "Since Shiv Sena and BJP will contest the Lok Sabha elections as a coalition, the BJP will work to ensure the victory of the sitting Lok Sabha members from these constituencies, Fadnavis said.

He said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been given the responsibility to coordinate efforts to better the BJP's performance in Baramati, where the party had polled a good number of votes in the previous elections.

Fadnavis said Sitharaman is likely to tour Baramati in September and travel programmes of other central BJP leaders and Union ministers tasked with responsibilities for Lok Sabha polls will be finalised soon.

In these 16 constituencies, the central BJP will concentrate its energies to better the party's performance, Fadnavis said. Baramati is currently represented by Supriya Sule, the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The seat is considered a bastion of the Pawar family.
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will produce Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who has been arrested in Patra Chawl money laundering case, before a special court in Mumbai on Monday. The court last Thursday extended Raut's ED custody till August 8, while noting the agency had made remarkable progress in the probe into the money laundering case involving the Shiv Sena leader.

The ED had then sought his further custody for eight days, saying it has unearthed a new trail of money. Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, was found to be beneficiary of Rs 1.17 crore of proceeds of crime in addition of Rs 1.06 crore that had come to light earlier, it claimed.

The Shiv Sena leader was arrested on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl (row tenement) in suburban Goregaon.

The documents seized during the probe showed the purchase of properties at Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district by Raut involved substantial cash transactions, the ED had said.

As much as Rs 1.08 crore was found in the bank account of Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut, the probe agency had claimed. The ED on Saturday questioned Varsha Raut for more than nine hours in connection with the case and recorded her statement.

Sanjay Raut, 60, is a close aide of Shiv Sena president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. He has denied any wrongdoing and called the ED case against him "false".
NOIDA: The Noida administration on Monday demolished an illegal construction at the residence of Shrikant Tyagi, who is the main accused in the Grand Omaxe Housing Society fracas in Noida's Sector 93. The demolition outside Tyagi's ground floor apartment in Grand Omaxe Society was carried out around 9 am by the Noida Authority, an official was quoted as saying by PTI.

Tyagi, who claims to be a BJP politician, has been booked by the police for assaulting and abusing a co-resident of Grand Omaxe, who had objected to him planting trees in the common area of the society.

Tyagi, who is absconding at the moment, was seen abusing and assaulting the woman in the residential society after a brawl over the plantation of trees near his apartment on the society premises.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Illegal construction at the residence of #ShrikantTyagi, at Grand Omaxe in Noida's Sector 93, demolished by the Noida administration.



Tyagi, in a viral video, was seen abusing and assaulting a woman here in the residential society. pic.twitter.com/xThZ2wF3gS  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 8, 2022

The action was taken after a video showing Tyagi threatening and assaulting the woman resident of the housing complex in Noida's Sector 93 went viral. On Sunday night, some men supporting Tyagi barged into the residential society after which seven of them were arrested and taken for interrogation, said the Noida police.

Seven people who entered the Grand Omaxe Society have been arrested and are being interrogated. It was found that there was negligence from SHO Phase 2, Central Noida Sujeet Upadhyay, who has been suspended, further investigation is underway, said Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh.

He also said that the family has been provided with security. Action will be taken against Tyagi under the Gangster Act and all his illegal property will be identified, Singh added further.

While a manhunt is underway to nab self-proclaimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shrikant Tyagi, his party has distanced itself from him, saying he was never part of the party.

Apart from Tyagi`s wife, the police have detained his brother, driver and manager. "All of them are currently being questioned," informed the official. The matter came to light on Friday when several video clippings of the incident went viral on social media in which the Tyagi could be heard hurling abuses at the woman. The shocking incident evoked a sharp response from the netizens who voiced their support for the woman who was allegedly threatened by the main accused.

"I live in Grand Omaxe. A man named Shrikant Tyagi, residing on the ground floor, was encroaching the society by planting small and large plants in the common area. When I asked him to remove them, he refused. And when I tried to remove them, he hurled abuses at me, my husband and our kids," the woman said.

In the same video, the residents of the society could also be seen accusing Tyagi of encroaching on the area by planting small and large plants. As per one of the videos of the incident, Tyagi could also be seen pushing and threatening the woman. "Don`t you dare touch my plants otherwise I will see you...," he could be heard saying.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ankita Sharma informed that Noida Police registered an FIR under Section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC at the Panchsheel police station soon after the video went viral on social media,

The officer also assured that the accused would soon be arrested, and punitive legal action will be taken against him. The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday took cognisance of the incident and wrote to Uttar Pradesh DGP in this matter. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma asked the police to provide necessary protection to the victim.
Noida: Amid huge public outcry over the Grand Omaxe Society fracas, the Noida Police have now suspended the Phase 2 police station in charge over alleged negligence while a massive search is underway for the main accused Shrikant Tyagi. Sharing more details, Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh said, In the investigation, it has been found that SHO Phase 2 Central Noida Sujit Upadhyay was negligent in this matter. He has now been suspended. Further investigation is underway.

He also informed that seven people, who had entered the Grand Omaxe Society, have been arrested. They are being questioned and search is on for the main accused Shrikant Tyagi.

Seven people who entered the Grand Omaxe Society have been arrested and are being interrogated. It was found that there was negligence from SHO Phase 2, Central Noida Sujeet Upadhyay, who has been suspended, further investigation is underway: Alok Singh, Noida Police Commissioner pic.twitter.com/s1e6h2eTCm  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 7, 2022

While a manhunt is underway to nab self-proclaimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shrikant Tyagi, who has been accused of outraging a woman`s modesty during an argument over the plantation of palm trees near his apartment at a residential society here, his party has distanced itself from him, saying he was never part of the party.

Tyagi`s social media accounts, however, tell a different tale. On his official Twitter handle, Tyagi presents himself as a devoted party leader having pictures with a range of senior saffron party functionaries. He also posted multiple edited images that had BJP`s logo. Tyagi, however, locked his Twitter account hours after the incident.

"We have seized a total of three cars - one Toyota Fortuner, one Tata Safari and one Honda Civic - that belong to Tyagi," a Noida Police official was quoted as saying by IANS. To trace his location, the police have detained four persons, including Tyagi`s wife. "We have constituted four teams that are working to nab the accused. We have also detained his wife for questioning," the official said.

Apart from Tyagi`s wife, the police have detained his brother, driver and manager. "All of them are currently being questioned," informed the official. The matter came to light on Friday when several video clippings of the incident went viral on social media in which the Tyagi could be heard hurling abuses at the woman. The shocking incident evoked a sharp response from the netizens who voiced their support for the woman who was allegedly threatened by the main accused.

"I live in Grand Omaxe. A man named Shrikant Tyagi, residing on the ground floor, was encroaching the society by planting small and large plants in the common area. When I asked him to remove them, he refused. And when I tried to remove them, he hurled abuses at me, my husband and our kids," the woman said.

In the same video, the residents of the society could also be seen accusing Tyagi of encroaching on the area by planting small and large plants. As per one of the videos of the incident, Tyagi could also be seen pushing and threatening the woman. "Don`t you dare touch my plants otherwise I will see you...," he could be heard saying.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ankita Sharma informed that Noida Police registered an FIR under Section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC at the Panchsheel police station soon after the video went viral on social media,

The officer also assured that the accused would soon be arrested, and punitive legal action will be taken against him. The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday took cognisance of the incident and wrote to Uttar Pradesh DGP in this matter. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma asked the police to provide necessary protection to the victim.

(With Agency Inputs)
New Delhi: Priyanka Chopra is one of the top actresses in the industry today. The global star is very active on social media and often shares pictures and videos with friends and family treating her fans. On Monday morning, the actress shared a glimpse of her perfect weekend featuring Nick Jonas and Malti Marie, their daughter.

PeeCee started with a snap showing her Sunday brunch at beautiful Sona Home New York. In the next picture, Malti's hand can be seen on the table and Priyanka wrote on it, "MM approved" Next, she shared a pic feat. Nick and MM, can be seen posing inside a swimming pool. However, Malti's face is covered with a heart emoji.

The actress also shared a SIZZLING picture of herself by the pool in a gorgeous black and white bikini. In the caption, she wrote, "Sundaze" Fans flooded the comment section with heart-eye and love emojis.

Priyanka and Nick welcomed their first daughter in January this year through surrogacy but have so far not revealed her face.

On the work front, Priyanka has many projects lined up. She will soon make her OTT debut with 'Citadel.' The actress is currently working on the Hollywood film 'Ending Things' along with Anthony Mackie. She will also be seen in 'It's All Coming Back.'

PeeCee will also feature in Farhan Akhtar's Bollywood movie 'Jee Le Zaraa' in which she will share the screen with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif.
New Delhi: Nushrratt Bharuccha recently informed her fans about the intense action sequence she is shooting for her upcoming project in Hyderabad. Now the actress is here with a video capturing major glimpses of her tough action sequence.

Taking to her social media, Nushrratt shared a video where she can be seen performing an intense action scene, and her struggle in doing it. The actress can be seen having a tough time with all the rashes all over her body while she is also seen having fun on the set. She wrote the caption -

"This Friendships Day, trying to be friends with ACTION Hope your Sunday was better than Mine!"

Having collected immense love from the audience for her brilliant performance in content-based films like Chhalaang and Chhorii, Nushrratt's performance in her recent release Janhit Mein Jaari was also immensely loved by the audience while the actress also credited with her potential to pull such a strong subject.

On the work front, Nushrratt will be next seen in Chhorii 2, Selfiee, and Ram Setu.
Good news rail travellers! If you are planning a trip to Jammu and Kashmir anytime soon then this is the news for you. The Indian Railways will soon open the Delhi-Kashmir rail route for the public as the project nears completion. Meanwhile, the railway bridge on the Chenab river in Reasi district on the Baramulla railway line is nearing completion too. The railway track from Katra to Banihal is 111 km, most of which has been completed and the rest is in full swing, a 12.6 km long T-49B tunnel has also been constructed on it.

A total of 37 bridges are to be constructed in the Banihal track, including 26 major bridges and 11 minor bridges; there are also 35 tunnels in Srinagar. The Jammu railway line, which is expected to be completed by 2023, has a 93-km stretch of tunnels across the Himalayas. Out of 110 km from Udhampur to Banihal, 93 km of the track consists of tunnels and a lighting system will also be installed in these tunnels to control the trains.

The stations to be built near these series of tunnels include Reasi, Salal A, Salal B, Daga, Bhasin Didhar, Singaldan, and Sambar. The 111 km railways line from Katra to Banihal is in progress on the difficult kilometer stretch, which spans the Himalayan mountain range. 97 km of this section will consist of tunnels. The rail line has been laid on three sections of 25 km from Udhampur to Katra, 18 km from Banihal to Qazigund and 118 km from Qazigund to Baramulla and trains also run on them.

Also, the world's largest railway bridge on the Chenab river in district Reasi on the Baramulla railway line is in the final stages of completion. After the completion of the steel arch of the bridge, the arch above the deck will also be completed this month. The completion will add a new chapter to the history of Jammu and Kashmir. India will achieve a milestone by constructing the highest railway bridge in the world.

Also read: Indian Railways shares glimpse of Airport-like Bengaluru's railway terminal - Watch Video

The overarch deck will be completed with golden joints later this month. This bridge is located on the upper side of Salal Bandh near Kavari village in the Reasi district. The bridge is the tallest railway bridge in the world and is being constructed by the Northern Railway at an estimated cost of Rs 28,000 crore as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project.

This railway bridge will be 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Named Chenab Bridge, this railway bridge will be 359 meters higher than the water level of the Chenab river and its length will be 1315 meters. The highest railway bridge at the time was located on the Beipanjiang River in Guizhou Province, China, with a height of 275 meters above the water level.

It is a major achievement towards the completion of the 111 km long Katra-Banihal railway section, for which massive Himalayan Hills are being mined.The installation of the arch before the construction of the deck was one of the biggest civil engineering challenges in the recent history of India, with a 5.6-meter span at the top of the bridge being connected at the centre on both sides. Out of the 111 km.

There is 97 km of tunnelling which is more than 85 percent. Tunnelling on this scale has not been done in any other part of the country. About 86 km of tunnelling work has been completed so far. Built on Darya Chenab, the arch of this bridge is capable of withstanding winds of 266 kilometres per hour.

The length of the bridge is 1315 meters. The number of pillars is 17. 28,660 metric tons of steel were used in its construction, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,486 crore. The weight of the installed arch is 10,619 metric tons. The steel used in the structure is suitable for temperatures ranging from minus 10 degrees Celsius to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

Also read: Mumbai Darshan: BEST to launch Ho-Ho AC bus services from today, check ticket prices here

The bridge will have a minimum lifespan of 120 years and will be built for trains at a speed of 100 km. This bridge has the ability to withstand winds of 266 kilometers per hour and withstand blast load and withstand severe earthquakes.The bridge has 93 deck segments, each weighing about 85T, launched simultaneously on reinforced steel arches from both ends, and work is underway on five.

The two ends will eventually be joined with `High Strength Friction Grip` (HSFG) bolts to complete the upper deck of the bridge. The bridge has been constructed by Afcons, a Mumbai-based company. Gary Dhar Raja Gopalan, Deputy Managing Director of African Company said, "The completion of the 359-meter high arch deck above Chenab river will be an extraordinary achievement. I pay tribute to every engineer and worker who has contributed to this unprecedented engineering achievement. This golden joint will be written in golden letters in the history of Indian Railways. All the structural engineering work has been done by Indian engineers making the Chenab Railway Bridge a symbol of self-sufficient India.

Appreciating the role of Northern Railway and Konkan Railway Corporation in finalizing the design of the Chenab Bridge, Giri Dhari further said, "We were assisted in technical issues, approval of drawings, etc. by Northern Railway and Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL) which created local employment."

It should be noted that a train ran for the first time in Kashmir in 2008 after one and a half hundred years of the introduction of the railway system in the subcontinent, which was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Dr. Vali inaugurated this first train service on October 11 by hoisting the green flag. The Banhal to Baramulla beach train is currently running.

The 135 km railway line has 17 stations including Banhal, Halar Shahabad, Qazigund, Sidhura, Anantnag, Bijbahara, Panzgam, Awantipora, Kakapura, Pampore, Srinagar, Budgam, Mazhama, Patan, Humire, Sopore and Baramulla. This rail project under construction at a cost of Rs 27,949 crore covers four sections, Udhampur - Katra, Katra - Banihal, Banihal - Qazigund and Qazigund - Baramulla.

(With inputs from ANI)
JAIPUR: At least three pilgrims died while four others sustained serious injuries in a stampede which broke out in the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan`s Sikar on Monday morning. According to ANI, the stampede was reported at 5.00 AM when a huge crowd of devotees assembled for `darshan` on the occasion of Ekadashi. Devotees had been standing in a queue since late Sunday night and as soon as the doors of the temple opened in the morning, a stampede broke out.

Rajasthan | Three people died, several injured at Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar where a stampede occurred during a monthly fair, earlier this morning. Two injured people referred to a hospital in Jaipur. Police present at the spot. Further details awaited. pic.twitter.com/bgnL9sRr1j  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 8, 2022

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condoled the death of the three devotees and said, "The death of 3 women devotees due to a stampede at Khatu Shyam Ji`s temple in Sikar is very sad and unfortunate. My deepest sympathies are with the bereaved family. May God give them strength to bear this loss and may the departed soul rest in peace. Wishing a speedy recovery to the devotees injured in the stampede."

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot condoles the demise of three devotees in a stampede at Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar



"The demise of three women is unfortunate. My condolences to the bereaved families. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured devotees," he says in a statement pic.twitter.com/4IFejZiEhJ  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 8, 2022

All the three dead were women devotees. The bodies of the deceased have been kept in the mortuary of Khatu Shyamji Hospital where a post-mortem will take place. The injured have been identified as Shivcharan (50), Manohar (40), Indra Devi (55) of Karnal, Anoji (40) of Alwar. Manohar`s condition was critical and was referred to Jaipur.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences over the loss of lives in the stampede at the famous Khatu Shyamji Temple in Rajasthan`s Sikar and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.

"Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest," PM Modi said in a tweet.
New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience.

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Press Release

August 8, 2022 Sponsorship Speech

Senate Resolution No. 77

RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING AND COMMENDING THE RECIPIENTS OF THE OUTSTANDING YOUNG MEN (TOYM) OF THE PHILIPPINES 2021 AWARDS FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

Monday, August 8, 2022 Session Hall, Senate of the Philippines Delivered by THE HONORABLE WIN GATCHALIAN, Senator of the 19th Congress: Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, it is my distinct honor to sponsor Senate Resolution No. 77 to honor the 2021 awardees of The Outstanding Young Men or TOYM. As I sponsor this measure, Mr. President, I cannot help but feel a sense of nostalgia and deep personal pride. More than a decade ago, this representation also received this prestigious recognition when I was still serving as the Mayor of Valenzuela City. And for someone who was recognized as one of the Outstanding Young Men in 2011, the journey comes full circle as I deliver this speech honoring last year's awardees. It is worth noting that several of this august chamber's past and present members received this recognition for their outstanding service rendered to our kababayans. Among our colleagues who received this prestigious recognition are our Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Loren Legarda for Broadcast Journalism, Senator Risa Hontiveros for Peace Advocacy, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano for Government and Public Service, Senator Chiz Escudero for Youth Leadership, and my seatmates Senator Sonny Angara for Government Service and Legislation and Senator JV Ejercito for Government and Public Service. While this recognition is hailed as one of the most prestigious with a reputation for selectiveness on awardees, I believe that receiving this award during these trying times carries a deeper meaning and significance. As we all know, we continue to recover from the most disruptive event of our lifetime: the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic posed unprecedented challenges and disruptions to our daily lives, it also opened up more opportunities for creativity and innovation to rebuild a more resilient, more robust, and a more inclusive society which leaves no Filipinos behind. For me, this is the essence of the theme from the 2021 search: Everyday Leaders Enabling Extraordinary Impact. The 2021 TOYM Awardees show us the best of what the post-pandemic Philippines could be. Their stories reflect the Filipino spirit persevering amidst the challenges we face. For many of us, the pandemic was the darkest time we faced in our lifetime. At the same time, it brought out the best of what our fellow Filipinos could be, and the 2021 TOYM Awardees were among those who shined the brightest to serve as beacons of hope to our country. At this juncture, Mr. President, let me recognize each of the 2021 TOYM Awardees. First, for the field of Social Entrepreneurship, we have coffee entrepreneur and nutrition entrepreneurship pioneer Ariestelo Asilo who co-organized the non-governmental organization Rise Against Hunger. In 2021, he won a grant for his coffee research, which uses Internet of Things technology to benefit 400 coffee farmers in Cavite and Davao. His company Varacco won as one of the 50 United Nations' Best Small Business: Good Food for All, a recognition given at the United Nations Foods Systems Summit 2021. Up next, for the field of Agricultural Entrepreneurship, is Iloisa Romaraog-Diga, the mind behind the app Session Groceries, which connects local farmers and consumers to support local agribusiness, promote a sustainable lifestyle, and educate the local community on the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown food. Aside from connecting farmers to consumers, Session Groceries has also developed a farmers' academy, which allowed the sharing of knowledge and experiences to aid the farmers in meeting quality standards and ensure continued community support. In the field of education, we have Eleazar Abraham Orobia or Abe, head facilitator of Art Workshops for Indigenous People Elementary teachers. Abe focused on artistic research during the pandemic to determine society's conduct towards art and culture in times of crisis. His installations consist of various images from physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel wearing full personal protective equipment as temporary shield in the fight against the pandemic to depictions of small farmers and fishermen, cultural communities suffering from this crisis. These are part of the exhibition titled "Images of Our Nation" at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Gallery. In the field of Environment Marine Conservation, we have Anna Oposa, co-founder of Save Philippine Seas. In 2015, Anna founded the Sea and Earth Advocates or SEA Camp in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. To date, the SEA Camp has trained over 200 youth leaders in the Philippines and Southeast Asia to become leaders in conservation. She also cowrote a workbook entitled An Introduction to Climate Change for Filipino Youth. She helped operationalize the country's first shark and ray sanctuary in Cebu through empowerment and education programs. For the field of Education and Sociology, we have Jayeel Cornelio, Associate Professor and the Director of the Development Studies Program at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is a recipient of two national awards for his scholarship and extensive body of work on religion and social change. He has also been the editor of "Rethinking Filipino Millennials: Alternative Perspectives of a Misunderstood Generation" in 2020 and the lead editor of the "Routledge International Handbook of Religion in Global Society" in 2021.For the field of Science and Technology, we have Maria Yzabell Angel Palma, inventor of the AirDisc Cooling Technologies, which is anticipated to play a pivotal role amid the climate crisis we find ourselves in. Maria Yzabell Angel's main goal is to make these technologies available to everyone. In the field of Medicine and Cardiology, we have Dr. Jaime Alfonso Ahererra, whose research has been used to develop pathways for COVID-19 management at the Philippine General Hospital. He is also known for his work on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which is focused on the timely management of heart attacks and its correlation with adverse outcomes at the Philippine General Hospital. Another awardee in the field of Education is Lou Sabrina Ongkiko, a Master Teacher I at the Culiat Elementary School in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. She led the planning and implementation of her school's learning continuity program for distance learning during the pandemic, and helped ensure its stability through the conduct of Facebook Messenger classes, strengthening learner mapping, and community support. In the field of Digital Journalism, we have Jaemark Tordecilla, the head of digital media for GMA News and Public Affairs. As digital media chief of one of the country's top news organizations, he spearheaded the development of Cover Stories, an award-winning multimedia storytelling platform, as well as the network's Digital Video Laboratory, which has developed and launched a portfolio of original digital newscasts, documentary shows, and podcasts. Lastly, for the field of Science and Medicine, we have Dr. Melvin Sanicas, an internationally recognized Filipino COVID-19 expert, for his tireless work in scientific communication, fighting misinformation and disinformation, advancing the field of vaccinology, and making significant contributions to global public health. A TED Educator, the lessons that Dr. Sanicas developed on tuberculosis, influenza, meningitis, and the coronavirus have been translated into over 24 different languages and viewed by millions. Mr. President, this year's TOYM awardees, just like their predecessors, show us the best of what Filipinos can be. Sa paggawad natin sa kanila ng parangal, binibigyan din natin ng pagkilala ang mga natatanging katangian ng mga Pilipino, lalo na ang kanilang husay at tatag na nag-angat sa ating mga kababayan sa gitna ng krisis. For these reasons, I call on our distinguished colleagues to support the adoption of this resolution. Thank you, Mr. President.
New Delhi: If we analyse all prior launches, Apple will most likely introduce the iPhone 14 series in September 2022. While there are rising concerns about the China-Taiwan relationship, which is impacting Apple's production, a reliable source claims that the iPhone 14 series will arrive earlier than predicted.

According to leaker Max Weinbach, Apple will introduce the new generation of iPhones on September 6, which seems plausible given that most releases occur on a Tuesday and in the second week of September. According to the quoted source, the iPhone 14 series will be on sale on September 16. It was previously reported that the new iPhones would be released on September 13. Apple has not yet officially confirmed the official launch date, but an announcement is likely in the next few days or weeks. Read More: iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 get MASSIVE discounts on Amazon Great Freedom Festival sale, which one to opt for?

According to reports, China is preventing shipments from Taiwan to the Chinese iPhone producer Pegatron. The disagreement is ongoing because the country wants all Taiwanese imports to be labelled "Taiwan, China" or "Chinese Taipei." China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory, hence the goods should bear the country's name rather than just "Taiwan" or "Republic of China." Read More: Garena Free Fire redeem codes for today, 8 August: Check website, steps to redeem

According to Ming-Chi-Kuo, a credible analyst, Apple is outsourcing the production of the iPhone 14 models to India in addition to China. He implies that production in India will not contribute to meeting global demand, but will meet the needs of the Indian market. According to reports, Apple has ordered its suppliers to meet China's criteria as soon as possible.

It is unclear how and when Apple will unveil the iPhone 14 series in the second week of September. Last year, the launch took place on Tuesday, September 14th. It seems likely that the new iPhones will be announced at the same time.

Apple is expected to reveal four products, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. A new iPhone 14 Max model will also be released this year, replacing the small version. The ordinary model is supposed to use last year's A15 chipset, whilst the Pro variants are said to use the new A16 processor. The Pro model is expected to have a 48-megapixel triple back camera setup, while the ordinary model will most likely retain the previous camera setup. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max are likely to use punch-hole displays, although the lower models may retain the broader notched displays seen on previous iPhone generations.

Rumors had said that the iPhone 14 series would cost Rs 10,000 more than the iPhone 13, but a recent report claimed that Apple won't increase the price and that the price will remain the same. Therefore, nothing is certain at this time. For your information, the iPhone 13 had a starting price of Rs 79,990 when it was first released.
Washington: Seth Meyers, the host of the chat show `Late Night with Seth Meyers`, has revealed that this past season David Letterman was still nervous when he was invited as a guest to celebrate the show`s 40th anniversary. According to Deadline, Letterman was the original host of NBC`s 12:30 am talk show, and returned for an interview on the show`s anniversary in February.



Meyers spoke during a Deadline event and said that Letterman still checked in with him during commercial breaks."The funny thing about Letterman is I think he said something along the lines of, `I hope that's all okay,`" Meyers said.



"He is forever a man of great humility but it is shocking to me that I was in a position to tell David Letterman, `Yeah, you`re doing great. Don`t worry, David Letterman, you are on a talk show and you`re doing great," he added.



Having Letterman in the house kept Meyers and his staff in check. "The hardest thing about having David Letterman around is not blowing smoke the whole time because he would hate that," Meyers said.



`Late Night with Seth Meyers` has been nominated this year for Outstanding Variety Talk Series for the first time since Meyers took over in 2014.



As the only 12:30 show nominated in the category, the host credits DVR and online replays with reaching Emmy voters and audiences. The show is also nominated for directing, and its segment `Corrections` is up in the short form content category, as per Deadline.
Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan returned as host of the 14th season of "Kaun Banega Crorepati". The premiere episode -- the 233rd in the quiz-based reality show's history -- was called "Azadi Ke Garv Ka Mahaparv". Big B started the episode by reciting a patriotic poem titled "Hum Un Veeron Ke Vanshaj Hain" as a tribute to the 75th anniversary of India's Independence.

And then Bollywood star Aamir Khan entered the show with the "Rang De Basanti" track playing in the background. He met the audience, shook hands with them, and finally settled down with Col. Mitali Madhumita, the first woman Indian Army officer to receive a gallantry award, for the hot seat round, where he shared some interesting stories.

Big B asked Aamir: "Are you on Twitter?" He replied: "I am on Twitter, thanks to Amitji. When I was shooting for 'Dhoom 3' with Abhishek Bachchan in London, he came over there. One day while we were having a conversation, Amitji asked me why I was not on Twitter and he said, 'Your fans want you to join Twitter.' Because Amitji asked me, I joined Twitter after two or three weeks, but I don't know what to post, so I just keep promoting my friend's movies."

To this, Bachchan jokingly said: "You promote your friend's movies and not our 'KBC'." Pat came Aamir's reply: "KBC ko prachaar ki zarurat kya? (Where is the need to promote 'KBC'?)."
BEIJING: China's defence ministry on Monday defended its shelving of military talks with the United States in protest against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi`s visit to Taipei last week, warning that Washington must bear "serious consequences." Pelosi's visit last week infuriated China, which regards the self-ruled island as its own and responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as well as ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington.

"The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the U.S. side on its initiative, and the U.S. side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this," defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post. "The bottom line cannot be broken, and communication requires sincerity," Wu said.

Four days of unprecedented drills were scheduled to end on Sunday. Chinese authorities have not officially confirmed they have ended, amid fears among some security analysts that the situation in the Taiwan Strait, particularly near the unofficial median line buffer, remains tense.

About 10 warships each from China and Taiwan manoeuvred at close quarters around the line on Sunday, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved with security planning. The island`s defence ministry said Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones had simulated attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react "appropriately".

Also Read: US State Secretary Blinken slams China's 'irresponsible' behaviour post Pelosi's Taiwan visit

China called off formal talks involving theatre-level commands, defence policy coordination and military maritime consultations on Friday as Pelosi left the region.

Pentagon, State Department and White House officials condemned the move, describing it as an irresponsible overreaction. China`s cutting off some of its few communication links with the U.S. military raises the risk of an accidental escalation over Taiwan at a critical moment, according to security analysts and diplomats.

One U.S. official noted that Chinese officials had not responded to calls from senior Pentagon officials amid the tensions last week, but that they did not see this as a formal severing of ties with senior figures, such as U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Asked directly about those reports, defence ministry spokesman Wu said, "China`s relevant countermeasures are a necessary warning to the provocations of the United States and Taiwan, and a legitimate defence of national sovereignty and security".
By Rittul Arya

New Delhi: August 6 marks the 77th anniversary of the tragic incident of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings in 1945, during the end of World War 2. The catastrophic event, which claimed the lives of more than 1,40,000 people and more after years due to radiation effect, still continues to affect the lives of natives, both mentally as well as physically. Hiroshima Day is observed to remember those who got killed and to promote world peace and create awareness against the use of nuclear weapons.

During World War II, the United States had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which winded up the war, but at a horrific cost to the civilians of Japan, marking the advent of the nuclear era. The devastation and fallout were so severe for the citizens, especially children that it annihilated civilian communities.

Why did US bomb Japan?

Years before the bombings, war was at its full fledge, with the Allies, consisting of the US, UK, and most European countries on one hand, and the Axis powers- Italy, Germany, and Japan on the other hand. What triggered the US-Japan confrontation occurred in 1941 when Japan began advancing its fleet into the central and southwest Pacific, which included the US territory in the Philippines.

In the early hours of December 7, 1941, Japan attacked US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour, in the hope to counter the danger of US power. Before this attack, the US was a neutral country and was not participating directly in World War II. But this incident compelled them to step in and led to its formal entry into the war. Though this event did not affect the US Navy by a huge margin, it formally led to the declaration of war against Japan.

In 1945, Italy had already surrendered and the Allies were invading the German capital. In April, Adolf Hitler committed suicide and by May, Germany surrendered, but Japan refused to give up and continued to fight, unabated. The allies were figuring out how to end the war, without causing further casualties. The first plan was to conduct Operation Downfall an attempt to invade the Japanese mainland. However, the operation could not eventuate due to Japans unique geography, which suggested that there was only one predictable entry point, which would kill around three million people.

In July, the Allied called for Japan to surrender, promising to bring prompt and utter destruction if they refused. Japan ignored their warning which led to a combined decision by the US and the UK to drop the secret atomic bomb, called the little boy on one of Japans industrial and military strongholds, Hiroshima. The US officials noted that the bomb would serve as a significant display of power in post-war relations with the Soviet Union.

During the morning hours of August 6, 1945, a bomber plane dropped the 15-kiloton bomb, killing almost 30% of Hiroshimas population instantly. In the following days, the Allies again asked Japan to surrender, warning them of more destruction, but they still did not respond.

On August 9, the Soviet Union surprised Japan by declaring war and invading the Japanese-held city, Manchuria. This shook Japan as they did not expect the Soviet Union to violate their neutrality agreement. The Allies inability to invade Japans only entry point was also questioned by Japan after this deception.

Several hours later, the US dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing nearly 80,000 people. After six days of contemplation, Japan officially announced its unconditional surrender on August 15, ending World War II.

Today, after many decades, the lasting effects of the bombings can still be seen throughout the cities. Despite repairing the physical damage and rebuilding the relationship between the US and Japan, the events continue to weigh heavily in the history of both countries. Over the past 77 years, the moral excuse for dropping nuclear weapons has been widely challenged and debated.
New Delhi: China, on Monday, took a dig at India after Sri Lanka requested the former to defer the docking of a Chinese research vessel at the Hambantota Port. Sri Lanka had asked China to defer the docking of the vessel as India expressed worry that the Chinese-built and leased port of Hambantota will be used by China as a military base according to a Reuters report. The Chinese vessel 'Yuan Wang 5' was supposed to dock from August 11 to 17.

Also Read: Sri Lanka asks China to defer arrival of ship after India objects

For the unversed, the $1.5 billion port is near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, in press briefing, said that "the cooperation between China and Sri Lanka is independently chosen by the two countries and meets common interests. It does not target any third party".

He also said that it was "senseless to pressure Sri Lanka" in reference to security concerns. "Sri Lanka is a sovereign state. It can develop relations with other countries in the light of its own development interests," he further stated.

Speaking indirectly to India, Wenbin concluded by saying, "China urges relevant parties to see China's scientific explorations in a reasonable and sensible way and stop disturbing the normal exchange between China and Sri Lanka."
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping may not have been able to stop Nancy Pelosi`s visit to Taiwan, but he ordered his country's military to rehearse a much more aggressive step: a blockade crucial to taking the island by force, security experts say. China's military planners have long discussed a blockade of Taiwan, but until now most likely saw practising such a move as too provocative, security experts say. But after U.S. House Speaker Pelosi`s visit, China's military for the first time fired missiles over Taipei, flew waves of drones over Taiwan`s offshore islands, sailed warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and surrounded the self-ruled island in what Taiwan's military said amounted to a practice "blockade."

"These first actions in effect changed the status quo of Taiwan`s security," said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

"This gives China's military a new basis from which to push more boundaries in future exercises," he said.

The show of capability and resolve comes from a People's Liberation Army (PLA) that is far more formidable than it was during the "Third Taiwan Strait Crisis" in 1996, the last time it fired missiles near Taiwan.



Also Read: Sri Lanka asks China to defer arrival of ship after India objects



The ability to enforce a blockade would give Beijing leverage to bring Taiwan to the negotiating table during a conflict.

If Taiwan, unwilling to suffer large-scale death and destruction, accepted unification bloodlessly, Xi would secure the biggest prize in his long-term goal of "rejuvenation of the Chinese people".

Although Taiwan`s public, jaded by decades of Beijing`s threats, appeared unfazed, some observers said its military leaders might be worried.

Michael Chang, who managed the 1996 Taiwan missile crisis when he was Secretary General of Taiwan's National Security Council, told local media the drills could be a preview of a Chinese invasion scenario.

The United States and its allies such as Japan condemned the drills. Because they did not want to escalate the situation, they did not directly intervene to halt the blockade rehearsal.

A former Chinese defence official told Reuters that their reaction would be cold comfort to Taiwanese politicians and military leaders.

"Seeing how the U.S. and its allies responded to the drills, how confident can Taiwan leaders be in counting on them to come to the rescue should the PLA attack?" he said. The exercises were scheduled to end on Sunday.

TRICKY TIMING

The episode comes at a sensitive time for Xi, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. Mao founded the People's Republic of China by winning a civil war in 1949, sending the nationalist Kuomintang government to retreat to Taiwan, which has been self-ruled ever since.

Bringing Taiwan into Beijing`s embrace is the key piece of unfinished business that would cement Xi`s stature alongside Mao`s and justify his move in 2018 to abandon term limits.

Despite widespread frustration over a zero-COVID policy that has put the country into the third year of self-imposed isolation and battered the world`s second-largest economy, Xi is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third five-year leadership term at a key Communist Party congress this year.

Domestically, Beijing must balance the outrage it whipped up over Pelosi's visit with the embarrassment of not preventing it, observers said. State media played up the drills with videos and commentary extolling China's advanced military capabilities.

Former Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan said the hype is partly a face-saving effort for Xi, who cannot afford to look weak before the party congress.

"The hard and incontrovertible fact is that for all the bluster, China failed to deter the Pelosi visit. So the CCP has to put up a show in its response," he said.

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

Although China may have edged a step closer to using force on Taiwan, most experts don`t believe a war is imminent.

"Invasion within this decade is far from certain to succeed. Failure would spell the end of Xi Jinping, his dream and possibly the CCP," said Charles Parton, a retired British diplomat.

Xi, who has not spoken publicly about Pelosi's visit but as chairman of the Central Military Commission is effectively the PLA`s commander-in-chief, would be well aware of the risks of action, experts say. "China would`ve hoped that these drills could somehow stop the worrying trend of the U.S., Europe and many other countries becoming more sympathetic to Taiwan, said Li, the security analyst. "So far, that effect remains to be seen.
Press Release

August 8, 2022 Senate proudly honors 2021 TOYM Awardees For their distinguished service and contribution to Philippine society, the Senate of the Philippines congratulated and recognized the Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) 2021 awardees at the plenary session Monday, August 8, 2022. All members present unanimously adopted Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 77, authored by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, taking into consideration SRN 91. All other senators have been made co-authors of the measure. In his sponsorship speech, Gatchalian said there is "a deeper meaning and significance" of being awarded the TOYM during the pandemic, as the recipients, including many others, have gone through "unprecedented challenges and disruptions" to their lives. "The 2021 TOYM Awardees show us the best of what the post-pandemic Philippines could be. Their stories reflect the Filipino spirit persevering amidst the challenges we face. For many of us, the pandemic was the darkest time we faced in our lifetime," Gatchalian, an honoree of the 2011 TOYM Awards, said. "At the same time, it brought out the best of what our fellow Filipinos could be, and the 2021 TOYM Awardees were among those who shined the brightest to serve as beacons of hope to our country," he added. Sen. Sonny Angara, author of SRN 91, who was also a TOYM honoree for 2010, said it is important to honor excellent Filipino youth to help inspire others who wish to follow their footsteps and contribute to the country's progress. "It has become a tradition, through the efforts of the JCI Philippines, for the country to regularly search and recognize its most outstanding individuals. And that's because we believe exemplary and excellent acts deserve due praise and should not go unrecognized. We are what we repeatedly do, after all," Angara said. "We also do this because we want to inspire those among our countrymen, especially the youth, who wish to make a contribution, but do not necessarily know where or how to begin. We wish to dispel their fear to start," he added. Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Bong Revilla, Pia Cayetano and Risa Hontiveros also commended the TOYM recipients. The 2021 TOYM Honorees include: Ariestelo A. Asilo, for Social Entrepreneurship; Iloisa Romaraog-Diga, for Agricultural Entrepreneurship; Eleazar Abraham "Abe" L. Orobia, for Education and Culture; Anna R. Oposa, for Environment and Marine Conservation; Dr. Jayeel S. Cornelio, for Education and Sociology; Maria Yzabell Angel V. Palma, for Science and Technology; Jaime Alfonso M. Aherrera, for Medicine-Cardiology; Lou Sabrina S. Ongkiko, for Education and the Academe; Jaemark S. Tordecilla, for Digital Journalism; and Melvin J. Sanicas, for Science and Medicine. After adopting the measure, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri invited the 2021 TOYM awardees to join the senators to present to them copies of the Senate Resolution. Currently, there are seven members (aside from Gatchalian and Angara) of the Senate who have been awardees of the TOYM for various contributions in nation building. This include Senators Alan Peter Cayetano (2010), JV Ejercito (2007), Chiz Escudero (2005), Risa Hontiveros (2001) and Loren Legarda (1992). The TOYM Awards of the Philippines are traditionally awarded to recognize the outstanding achievement of young Filipino men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 years old, whose selfless dedication, passion and integrity to their respective profession and fields of endeavor made positive and significant contributions to the betterment of the Philippine society and resulted in the advancements in their respective fields. The TOYM Awards was established in 1959 and is an annual project organized by the Junior Chamber International Philippines, together with the TOYM Foundation, Inc. and the Gerry Roxas Foundation, Inc.
?? El Ministerio de Salud informa que aumento a 505 los casos confirmados de #ViruelaDelMono, que corresponden a 12 regiones del Peru, todos los pacientes vienen recibiendo asistencia medica, se registraron 185 altas medicas y se esta realizando la identificacion de contactos. pic.twitter.com/yaHm8aH2ox
El Gobierno del Peru condena la reciente escalada indiscriminada de violencia en Gaza y zonas fronterizas.
Press Release

August 8, 2022 Tulfo: Gov't should have contingency plans for OFWs amid China-Taiwan tensions Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo urged the national government and other concerned agencies to come up with a contingency plan for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) should the tension between the Peoples Republic of China and Taiwan escalates. Tulfo, who is set to lead the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Philippine Overseas Labor & Office (POLO) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should come up with a coordinated plan to ensure the safety of Filipino workers in Taiwan and other neighboring countries. "The tension between China and Taiwan is not something to be taken lightly. Dapat ngayon pa lamang ay gumagawa na ng contingency plan ang DFA, OWWA, at POLO in the event na lumala ang problemang ito. This is the perfect time for government agencies to show their united force by working together for the safety and security of our workers abroad," he said. There are reportedly around 200,000 OFWs in Taiwan. "In my experience of helping OFWs in the past two decades, the government agencies, oftentimes, were very reactive instead of proactive. Kapag nandiyan na ang gulo at problema, yung tipong na-stuck na ang OFWs sa ibang bansa, wala ng pera at makain, tsaka lamang sila kikilos. Hindi dapat ganoon! "Ngayon pa lamang, dapat kumilos na tayo at 'wag nang antaying lumala pa ang sitwasyon bago tayo umaksyon. We should be ready to evacuate OFWs in the event that the current situation escalates into a war," he added. Based on media reports, China conducted a large-scale military drill in six areas surrounding Taiwan Strait after the visit of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on August 2. The Taiwanese government reported some Chinese fighter jets passed through the median lines in the Strait despite firm statements of condemnation by the United States, Japan and the European Union. In preparing for a contingency plan, Tulfo said the concerned government agencies, in coordination with the national government, should consider many factors, including the safety and funding assistance for OFWs. "The situation for OFWs in Taiwan is fraught with too much risk and many Filipino workers are now worried about their future abroad. Una nating kailangang siguraduhin ay ang kaligtasan ng OFWs dahil napakahalaga ng buhay ng bawat isa sa kanila," he said. "The national government should provide enough funding assistance to all Filipino workers to ensure that they can smoothly re-enter the country once they are evacuated," he added. Sen. Tulfo, who is known for championing the rights of OFWs, is also the main anchor of a long existing top-rated radio program "Wanted sa Radyo." Thousands of people flock to his radio show, including present and past OFWs, to seek for his help.
Participo en la hermosa ceremonia de Posesion Presidencial en #Colombia donde @petrogustavo asume el gobierno. Compartimos la alegria del pueblo colombiano y de Latinoamerica toda por la renovacion de su democracia. pic.twitter.com/vBiMbcllej
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian national carrier Fly Arna is in the process of acquiring its second aircraft and seeks to expand its destinations.

In June of this year our airline launched its first commercial flights in two directions  Yerevan-Hurgada and Yerevan-Sharm El-Sheikh. Since these two destinations are especially in demand during the summer season in Armenia, we were very excited to launch the flights to these resort towns, Fly Arna spokesperson Gayane Antonyan said.

Fly Arna received its first flight permits from Egypt. And we decided to enable our compatriots to discover the seaside Egyptian towns with our airline until our team is working on acquiring new destinations, she said.

Asked why Fly Arna chose Hurgada and Sharm El-Sheikh  two destinations served by other airlines in Armenia  instead of launching new directions, Antonyan said: As the new national carrier of Armenia, from the very beginning we had the goal of connecting Armenia with various countries and cities across the world and we are committed to this path. Hurgada and Sharm El-Sheikh are maiden flights. We will not be limited with these destinations and with clear steps we will connect Armenia with all other in-demand directions. Very soon the results of our teams work will be visible.

Getting the flight permit for other countries airspace is a time-consuming process, Antonyan says. When Fly Arna was launched we announced about 4 upcoming destinations, and in addition to the Egyptian destinations the two others were Beirut and Kuwait. We are now negotiating with all stakeholder parties to swiftly acquire the flight permits for Beirut and Kuwait and finalize our preparations for flying in these directions.

Since 2020, all Armenian airlines are barred from entering the EU airspace due to being blacklisted by the EU aviation authorities. We, being a joint enterprise of ANIF and Air Arabia, are closely cooperating with the Armenian civil aviation committee and attempting to introduce its international experience in improving flight standards and aviation safety, the spokesperson said.

Until the fleet is supplemented with the second aircraft, Fly Arna is now flying with its Airbus A320. It is a 174-seat plane. The distance between the seats is 81cm  which gives passengers comfort. Other advantages include for example that our passengers have the chance to choose the food, luggage and seats options, thus balancing comfort and affordable prices, Antonyan said.

Fly Arna offers free SkyTime streaming services for passengers. The streaming service will be expanded together with expanding destinations, by offering videos and information on Armenias history, sightseeing, etc.

Most of the menu is comprised of Armenian-made food and drinks. The pilots and crew also speak Armenian.

One of the frequently asked questions coming from passengers is the meaning of the name Fly Arna. Antonyan said Fly Arna is simply the abbreviation of Armenian National Airlines.

Fly Arna now employs 70 people but plans to expand the team. More than 80% are Armenians.

Both Armenian and foreign maintenance specialists work at Fly Arna.

Passengers have expressed satisfaction over the schedule, with most of the flights scheduled in the mornings. The airline also worked to cut the duration of its Hurgada flight.

Motivated with the excitement and happiness of our passengers, we will work with even greater vigor to expand the geography of our flights and keep the quality of services high. We have no other option than to ensure the success of the national airline and kick off the beginning of a new era of Armenias aviation history.

Anna Grigoryan

Photos by Hayk Manukyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Geghard Vocal Ensemble just recently returned from the prestigious Salzburg Festival in Austria, where it performed Komitas, medieval monodies and spiritual songs by contemporary Armenian composers.

The artistic director of Geghard ensemble, Professor Mher Navoyan told ARMENPRESS that this is the second time they participated in the Salzburg Festival.

This is one of the most prestigious festivals of classical music, he said. If I am not mistaken, we are the first Armenian ensemble to ever take part. This years program had the following principle: one evening  three concerts. The first part was Luigi Nonos works, Tigran Mansurians Requiem was played in the second part, and the third part was dedicated to Komitas, Navoyan said.

As a result of negotiations with the organizers of the festival, it was decided to include also modern spiritual music of Armenia in addition to Komitas Patarag  Yervand Yerkanyan, Daniel Yerajisht, Eduard Hayrapetyan, Davit Halajyan, Vache Sharafyan, Artur Aharonyan.

The concert was concluded with young composer Vahram Sargsyans Luys Zvart.

The ensemble received the invitation by name of Komitas, in other words to perform Komitas.

The time of Komitas is just coming, he is returning once again with very surprising approaches. He is considered to be a phenomenon of a very innovative culture which is very modern in present days as well, Navoyan said.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Changes are expected in the field of regulating environmental impact and expertise. The Ministry of Environment put into circulation a bill on amending the law on environmental impact assessment and expertise (EIA).

The Deputy Minister of Environment Gayane Gabrielyan described the bill as stricter and simplified.

Weve expanded the sectors which must undergo an environmental impact assessment and expertise process. For example the HPPs [hydro-power plants]. If it is exceeding 1 MW power, then the active legislation envisages EIA. The new changes will require EIA for the construction of all types of HPPs. This is very important, because today as a result of the exploitation of HPPs we have a very bad situation in rivers, Gabrielyan said.

It also envisages new liability measures for failure to comply with regulations or violations.

The bill is expected to enter parliament for debates during the autumn sessions.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The air pollution in Yerevan and other cities in Armenia reached concerning levels, the Deputy Minister of Environment Gayane Gabrielyan said at a news conference.

In Yerevan, we have both functioning mines and active construction works, she said. Our biggest problem is the dust and the bad situation with air pollution. You dont have to install equipment to understand the situation. People open up their windows and a short time later their home gets dirty, the cars get dirty faster and so on. These are simple, household indicators. One of the reasons is the construction boom in Yerevan. On one hand its good, investments and jobs, but on the other hand the construction businesses arent maintaining the requirements. We dont need any new laws or changes. The current law envisages the necessary requirements and norms, but the construction workers are ignoring them, Gabrielyan said.

Gabrielyan said it is the inspection agencys job to monitor the situation, but they in turn need huge resources to supervise everyone. She said that the construction businesses themselves must maintain the requirements.

The air pollution levels are high in Gyumri and Vanadzor as well. Overall, Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor now have the worst air pollution in the entire country, already categorized in the red zone.

The main reasons are construction, mining and the open burning of landfills. The open burning of landfills, waste is inadmissible. This is a serious hazard for health. We have a lot of work to do in raising awareness here, she said.
YEREVAN, 8 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 8 August, USD exchange rate up by 0.47 drams to 406.61 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.26 drams to 414.38 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 6.73 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.85 drams to 492.20 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 103.13 drams to 23181.37 drams. Silver price down by 2.37 drams to 262.24 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. As of August 1, the number of tourists visiting Armenia reached 770 thousand, ARMENPRESS reports Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan wrote on his Facebook page. In July alone, the number of tourists was 188,856.

A few days ago, at the press conference held in the press hall of ARMENPRESS, the Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Armenia Sisian Boghosyan stated that the most tourists, about 56 %, come to Armenia from Russia, followed by Iran, Germany, Georgia, USA. He informed that with various tourist products and offers they are trying to activate both the traditional target markets and attract new destinations.

In terms of attracting tourists to Armenia, the Tourism Committee has identified France and the UAE as new source markets.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia has confirmed that the Azerbaijani military breached the ceasefire in the Sotk section of Gegharkunik Province, which led to an Armenian serviceman being wounded.

August 8, 2022, 11:23 Russian peacekeepers accuse Azerbaijan in breaching ceasefire, wounding Armenian serviceman

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 8, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that in the past 24 hours they recorded one incident of ceasefire violation committed by the Azerbaijani military in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers in Gegharkunik provinces Sotk section, which led to one serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces being wounded.

It said that the peacekeeping command, working with the Azeri and Armenian sides, resolved the incident and that violations of the line of contact of the sides were not allowed.
If an internal poll is any indication, U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney is poised to win the Republican nomination in the 24th Congressional District.

Tenney, R-New Hartford, has a 46-point lead, 52% to 6%, over her two GOP opponents, Mario Fratto and George Phillips. More than one-third of voters (36%) are undecided.

The poll was conducted by Robert Blizzard, a pollster at Public Opinion Strategies. The firm surveyed 300 Republican primary voters in the 12-county district, which extends from western New York to the North Country and includes all of Cayuga County. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.66%.

According to a memo from Blizzard that was released by Tenney's campaign, the Republican congresswoman leads among voters who say they are very conservative (60% to Fratto's 8% and 6% for Phillips). She also leads by a wide margin  49 points  with voters who oppose abortion. She is also strong among seniors (a 53-point lead) and gun owners (48-point advantage).

Voters who say they view former President Donald Trump very favorably prefer Tenney by a 58-point margin, 62% to 4% for each Fratto, a Geneva attorney and businessman, and Phillips, a former Broome County legislator.

What has helped Tenney establish a large lead in the primary poll is her popularity in the newly drawn district. She has a 48% favorability rating among GOP voters, with only 8% having a negative view of the congresswoman. Her favorable marks are higher among very conservative primary voters (52%) and voters who oppose abortion (53%).

"Neither Phillips (4% favorable-2% unfavorable) nor Fratto (9% favorable-1% unfavorable) have enough time left to build the necessary positive name ID to be competitive with the popular Tenney," Blizzard wrote in his memo released by Tenney's campaign.

Even before the poll's release, Tenney is considered the front-runner in the 24th district's Republican primary. She has incumbency on her side  she is serving her second nonconsecutive term in Congress  and has more than $1 million in her campaign war chest.

Fratto reported over $228,000 cash on hand in July, with a good chunk of the money coming from his own pocket. Phillips has not been actively campaigning for the seat and did not file a fundraising report.

Tenney believes the poll shows her strength in the new district.

"As voters learn more about my strong conservative record, I am honored that they are backing Team Tenney," she said. "I am grateful for the outpouring of support from all across NY-24 ahead of the Aug. 23 primary. From the North Country to western New York, voters are ready to send proven America First leaders back to Congress to restore and to save our nation and our state.

"Our grassroots team is working harder than ever to spread the word about the Aug. 23 primary and the response from voters continues to be overwhelmingly positive."

The primary election will be held on Aug. 23. Early voting begins Saturday, Aug. 13, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 21.

The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the 24th district seat over Democratic candidate Steven Holden in November. The district has nearly 74,000 more active GOP voters than Democrats. Trump won the district with 59% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election.
Aug. 8, 2007

MENTZ  The town is expected to receive $1.7 million in state funding that will replace the deteriorating Haiti Island bridge, state Sen. Michael Nozzolio announced Tuesday.

The money will come from a transportation account earmarked for bridge rebuilding projects. Mentz wasn't pegged to receive funding until 2011, however Nozzolio worked with the town, Cayuga County Legislature and state Department of Transportation officials to get the money released as soon as possible.

On Saturday I had a very important meeting with the residents of Haiti Island, Nozzolio said by phone. It was very clear that we needed to do a lot and we needed to do it quickly.

On Tuesday night, the Mentz Town Board unanimously approved a request for the county Legislature to accept the emergency funding. A special Legislature meeting is planned for Thursday.

There's been a lot of action since the senator was here, I can tell you that, Town Supervisor Jack O'Neil said to a roomful of mostly Haiti Island residents at the meeting.

The board also awarded a $67,500 contract to Slate Hill Constructors, Warners, to remove the troublesome portion of the Haiti Island bridge.

The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic July 28 after a portion of the bridge's original framework dropped into the Seneca River, essentially blocking the 60 or so residents on the island from water and fuel delivery and limiting emergency services. The bridge has since been reopened to all terrain vehicles.

The board received three bids for the immediate bridge project that will add three tension cables and remove debris, a portion of the original bridge deck and the dangerous overhead truss.

Project engineer Matt Schooley approached a half dozen contractors after the town declared a state of emergency on the island last week. Of those, three were unavailable and Slate Hill was the lowest bidder, Schooley said.

The work should bring the bridge back to its pre-closure 15-ton rating that will support vehicle traffic while the town waits for replacement construction to begin in 2009 at the earliest. Slate Hill should begin its work, which will likely be paid with loans, next week.

It's amazing what can happen, island resident Tom Ralph said. Why hasn't this been happening for the last 17 years?

The Bailey bridge was installed within the shell of the old structure as a temporary fix in 1990, when a snow plow broke through and plunged into the river.

Nozzolio also is waiting for a reply to a letter addressed to Gov. Eliot Spitzer requesting an emergency declaration for the island. An emergency declaration could get the assistance necessary to stabilize the bridge while construction of a replacement begins, he said.

The replacement has been estimated at about $2 million, slightly more than the available money.

We're going to be fighting hard on a couple of fronts, Nozzolio said. First, to work with the town to bring that cost down.
Tesla has signed contracts worth $5 billion with nickel processing Indonesian companies to purchase materials for batteries for its electric vehicles. The announcement was shared by a senior cabinet minister from the country. Indonesia has been trying to get Tesla set up a manufacturing unit in the company as the country is rich in nickel reserves. Tesla chief Elon Musk met President Joko Widodo earlier this year to discuss investment plans in the country.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan shared Tesla signed a five-year contract with nickel processing companies operating out of Morowali in Sulawesi island and the nickel that will be procured will be used in Tesla's lithium batteries. We are still in constant negotiation with Tesla . .. but they have started buying two excellent products from Indonesia," he was quoted as in a Reuters report.

(Also read | Tesla Model Y may become world's best-selling car: CEO Elon Musk)

Indonesia is rich in nickel reserves and wants to establish electric vehicles and batteries industries on its own land and for this, it has also stopped exports of nickel ore to ensure supply for investors. This step attracted investments from South Korean companies like LG and Hyundai as well as big Chinese steel companies. The Indonesian government is also planning to impose an export tax on nickel and nickel-related metals to increase its revenues and encourage domestic production of higher-value products.

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(Also read | Price and specs of Tesla Cybertruck will change, says Elon Musk )

A recent report also stated that multiple environmental groups wrote an open letter to Musk and the EV company's shareholders to stop direct investments in the country for procurement of nickel. The groups wrote about the adverse impact of nickel mining that will impact the nature of the country. They specifically mentioned Wawonii island located in the country's Sulawesi region and how nickel mining in this region will affect the coral reefs.

First Published Date:
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Autoliv, a global automotive safety system supplier, signed an agreement a few days ago to expand its production capacity in its Shanghai factory, according to a post on the company's WeChat account.

Under the agreement, Autoliv will build the second phase of its factory in Jiading district, Shanghai city. Covering a planned area of 40mu (around 26,700 square meters), the new facility will involve a total investment of 350 million yuan ($51.762 million).

Photo credit: Autoliv

Upon completion of the construction, the Jiading factory's second phase will be used to manufacture the products under the company's new project, and boost the digitalization and automation for its airbag production.

The new building works are under the management of Autoliv (Shanghai) Vehicle Safety System Co., Ltd., who owns the biggest airbag factory in China. The company plans to break ground at the second phase of Jiading factory in the first half of 2023 and aims to complete all construction works in 2024.

Starting business in the Chinese market in 1989, Autoliv currently has 14 manufacturing factories and over 9,000 staff members in the country. Its China headquarters is located in Shanghai.
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.

NIO opens five NIO Houses last weekend

Last weekend, NIO opened five NIO Houses at one go, which are located in Hangzhou, Jinan, Foshan, Kunshan, and Nanchong cities, respectively.

Photo credit: NIO

China builds innovation alliance for new-type energy storage industry

On August 8, China's innovation alliance for new-type energy storage industry was formally set up. The alliance was jointly initiated by such entities as China Energy Engineering Corporation, CATL, and Trinasolar.

All-new Mercedes-Benz EQE to hit market at end of August in China

The all-new Mercedes-Benz EQE will hit the Chinese market at the end of August. It will be locally produced by Beijing Benz.

Chengdu Motor Show 2022 to kick off on August 26

The 25th Chengdu Motor Show is to be held between August 26 and September 4.

Geometry G6/M6 to use Huawei's HarmonyOS

The Geometry G6, M6 are about to carry Huawei's HarmonyOS, and may be priced below 200,000 yuan ($29,600), according to the Geely-backed EV maker.

Black Sesame Technologies bags over $500 million in C, C+ rounds

Chinese autonomous driving computing chip supplier Black Sesame Technologies announced the completion of its C+ funding round on August 8th.

Chery Holding export volume exceeds 50,000 units in July

In July, Chery Holding saw its monthly export volume exceed 50,000 vehicles for the first time, setting a fresh record for Chinese indigenous auto brands.

SGMW hits sales milestone of 1 million new energy vehicles

SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), General Motors' joint venture with Chinese partners SAIC Motor and Guangxi Automobile Group, announced today its cumulative new energy vehicle ("NEV") sales had reached 1 million units, becoming the first automaker in the world to hit the milestone.

Geely Automobile July sales jump 24% YoY

In July, China's major automaker, Geely Automobile Holdings Limited (Geely Automobile), sold a total of 122,633 vehicles, jumping 24% from a year earlier.

Baidu greenlighted for China's first-ever commercial driverless Robotaxi service

On August 8th, China's tech giant Baidu was greenlighted to conduct fully autonomous Robotaxi service without drivers or safety operators onboard and charge fares as China's first.

Autoliv inks agreement to build Jiading factory's 2nd phase

Autoliv, a global automotive safety system supplier, signed an agreement a few days ago to expand its production capacity in its Shanghai factory, according to a post on the company's WeChat account.

MAXIEYE closes C1 strategic round to boost R&D, mass production

China's intelligent driving solution provider MAXIEYE announced on August 8th the completion of its C1 strategic financing round.

Faurecia announces appointment of new president for China operation

Faurecia, the company of the Group FORVIA, announced today that Ma Chuan, President of Faurecia Seating in China, will assume the role of President of Faurecia China, effective September 1, 2022.

Geely's ZEEKR releases images of ZEEKR 009 MPV

ZEEKR, the premium electric vehicle ("EV") brand of Geely Holding, released some photos last Friday to show the side profile, rear end, and light clusters of the ZEEKR 009, its yet-to-be-launched all-electric MPV model.

Baidu greenlighted for China's first-ever commercial driverless Robotaxi service

On August 8th, China's tech giant Baidu was greenlighted to conduct fully autonomous Robotaxi service without drivers or safety operators onboard and charge fares as China's first.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 8th, Chinas tech giant Baidu was greenlighted to conduct fully autonomous Robotaxi service without drivers or safety operators onboard and charge fares as Chinas first.

Photo credit: Baidu

The companys Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service is permitted to collect fares for fully crewless Robotaxi rides on open roads in Chongqing and Wuhan.

Photo credit: Baidu

The permits were granted to Baidu by local authorities in Wuhan and Chongqings Yongchuan District. Both cities have been pioneering new approaches to intelligent transportation in recent years, from developing infrastructures to updating new regulations for autonomous vehicles.

The newly issued licenses allow Baidu to provide fully driverless Robotaxi services in designated areas in Wuhan from 9 am to 5 pm, and Chongqing from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, with a fleet of five Apollo 5th-gen Robotaxis in each city. Residents in each city can hail a ride in the 13-square-kilometer area in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone, and the 30-square-kilometer area in Chongqings Yongchuan District.

As the only company granted such permits from two Chinese megacities, Baidu has undergone multiple stages of testing and permission. Its autonomous vehicles started from testing with a safety operator in the driver's seat, to testing with a safety operator in the passenger seat, and finally receiving authorization to operate with no human driver or operator in the vehicle.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese autonomous driving computing chip supplier Black Sesame Technologies announced the completion of its C+ funding round on August 8th.

Photo credit: Black Sesame Technologies

The round was led by Summitview Capital and followed by several other major investment firms such as Chinas Industrial Bank, GF Xinde Investment, Hina Group, and Xin Ding Capital. Upon completion of the C+ round, Black Sesame Technologies has raised over $500 million in the C and C+ rounds combined.

The chip developer said that it would use the proceeds in elevating the R&D of its core technologies and chip products, strengthening commercialization capabilities, as well as accelerating mass production of its autonomous driving chips.

Black Sesame Technologies has established a comprehensive product matrix including proprietary auto-grade image processing ISP and deep neural network accelerator NPU, Huashan series autonomous driving computing chips, Shanhai AI R&D platform, Hanhai autonomous driving middleware, algorithm, and Data Best closed-loop data solution, full-stack autonomous driving solutions, serving automakers in every step of the way to realize commercial application.

In May this year, the company reached a platform-level strategic cooperation with JAC Group, implementing its Huashan-2 A1000 chips onto the automaker's multiple Sehol-branded production models. More models equipped with the chips will be released in succession.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas intelligent driving solution provider MAXIEYE announced on August 8th the completion of its C1 strategic financing round.

Photo credit: MAXIEYE

The round was jointly participated by active players in the automotive chip industry, including Inno Chip, Cedarlake Capital, and Axera. The funds raised will be put towards the R&D of high-level intelligent driving technologies and supply chain reserve for mass production of L2 passenger vehicles or above .

In the future, MAXIEYE and its investors will also coordinate with each other on strategic resources, give full play to the cross-territory cooperation ecosystem, and jointly advance automotive intelligence and mobility development.

Based on the full-fledged platform technology system from sensing to planning and control, MAXIEYE has realized the differentiated and large-scale business application across passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

In the field of passenger cars, the company focuses on two product lines, namely cost-effective L2 products and high-level automotive intelligence products, providing automobile enterprises and consumers with excellent driving solutions and services.

In the field of commercial vehicles, from the regulation-driven safety products to the market-driven smart solutions, the industry is assisted by MAXIEYE to achieve cost reduction and efficiency.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- ZEEKR, the premium electric vehicle ("EV") brand of Geely Holding, released some photos last Friday to show the side profile, rear end, and light clusters of the ZEEKR 009, its yet-to-be-launched all-electric MPV model.

The daytime running light is dubbed the Crease of Light by the automaker.

The side view is characterized by several flat lines, a quasi-floating roof, and multi-spoke wheels, accentuating the essence of sports.

The rear light cluster features the in-vogue design that allows a light strip to run across the vehicle's width. Besides, a slew of tiny vertical light bars make the vehicle look more recognizable.

Positioned as a full-sized MPV model, the ZEEKR 009 measures 5,209mm long, 2,024 wide, and 1,856 tall, with a wheelbase that spans 3,205mm.

The seating layout has not been announced yet.

The automaker said the ZEEKR 009 would have a range of over 700km under an NEDC test cycle.

Riding on Geely's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform, the ZEEKR 009 will take on such models as the DENZA D9, the Buick GL8, and the VOYAH Dreamer.

ZEEKR currently has one production model for sale, the ZEEKR 001. In July, ZEEKR saw the monthly deliveries of the ZEEKR 001 hit a new high of 5,022 units, growing 16.74% from the previous month.

By the end of July 2022, ZEEKR had cumulatively delivered 30,039 vehicles, 24,032 units of which were delivered in the first seven months of this year.
MIAMIAdult indsutry mental health nonprofit Pineapple Support announces that it has partnered with new South Florida-based talent testing provider CLEAR to provide performers who are also members of Pineapple Support with a $10 discount each time they get tested with CLEAR.

"We have learned a lot from talking to performers and lots of people in the industry, says Humberto Buniotto, CEO of CLEAR. There are inefficiencies that can be addressed and the industry has suffered from a lack of options for over a decade. We are a solution built around the needs of performers or talent. By leveraging technology and automation, CLEAR will be able to provide better, faster and more affordable testing options, with seamless delivery of results to performers and sharing with talent agencies and production companies."



Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 5,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.



Im thrilled to work alongside CLEAR on this vital partnership, says Tanit. The physical and emotional health of the performers in our industry has always been our number one priority. Just as we work tirelessly to dismantle any barriers to accessing mental health services, its critical that performers have easy access to STI testing and diagnostic services. I am excited that CLEAR will be expanding options available to performers, and am encouraged by their commitment to our industry.

CLEAR is part of a healthcare group that operates a clinical laboratory in Miami, Florida, utilizing state of the art technology and automation to provide faster and more affordable testing options. Its Miami laboratory location offers a comprehensive set of STI tests including the industry-required PASS STI testing panel, providing performers the ability to get tested seven days a week and receive their results by the next morning.



To participate, performers who are members of Pineapple Support should create a CLEAR account, then email to request their promo code.



For more information on this partnership, visit getclrd.com/win-win-program.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a press conference in Phnom Penh, August 5, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to Taiwan last week has undoubtedly heightened tensions in the China-US ties and cross-Straits relations, as Beijing hit back with strong countermeasures in response to her "reckless and irresponsible" move.

However, analysts said that China's responses, including military drills and sanctions are not just for the purpose of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory. More important, they help to uphold international law and the basic norms governing international relations, which are challenged by US hegemony.

Speaking to international media on Friday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China's position is "legitimate, reasonable and lawful" and its measures are "resolute, strong and proportionate".

"We will firmly safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely deter the US from using Taiwan to contain China, and resolutely shatter the Taiwan authorities' illusion of seeking independence by relying on US support," he said.

"Meanwhile, we are also upholding international law and the basic norms governing international relations, especially the norm of noninterference, the most important international norm, as stipulated in the United Nations Charter."

Wang stressed that if the principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of sovereign states is ignored or abandoned, the world will be dragged back to the law of the jungle, and the United States will become even more unscrupulous in bullying other countries, particularly small and medium-sized countries, from its so-called "position of strength."

"We must not allow such things to happen, and all other countries should stand in unity to stop such things from happening and not allow human civilization to regress," he said.

That is why more than 100 countries have publicly stood up and reaffirmed their firm adherence to the one-China principle and their understanding of and support for China's legitimate position, Wang added.

Historically, Taiwan is part of China. It was separated from the mainland due to the civil war in the 1940s. UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in October 1971, recognized the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China in the United Nations.

In response to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the UN's support for the one-China principle on Wednesday. "We abide by General Assembly resolutions, by the one-China policy, and that is the orientation that we have in everything we do," he said.

China maintains that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, which allows no foreign interference. The one-China principle is the most important political foundation for all countries that would have diplomatic relations with China, including the United States.

In the past four decades and more since China and the US established diplomatic ties, their relations have generally maintained stable development based on the three Sino-US joint communiques, in which the US committed to the principles that "there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China" and it will not develop official ties with the Taiwan region. The one-China principle and the three joint communiques constitute the political foundation of the bilateral ties.

However, in recent years, the US has been distorting, altering, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, has used all means of playing the "Taiwan card" to contain China, and has sought to upgrade exchanges with the island, intensify arms sales to Taiwan and embolden "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.

Mou Lin, a core member of the Cyberspace Strategy Think Tank, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was a blatant violation of Resolution 2758  one of many cases in which the US has trampled on international law in pursuit of its bullying and hegemony.

The US has been advocating "rules-based international order", but what it did has told the world the so-called "rules" are that it can arbitrarily interfere in other countries' internal affairs, topple other countries' governments, impose sanctions on others and plunder other countries' resources, yet during the process it may not be resisted, Mou said.

He called on countries around the world to be fully aware of the nature of US hegemony and work in unity to struggle against it in order to promote world peace and development.

China has criticized the "rules-based international order" claimed by the US and its allies as "house rules" for the purpose of maintaining the so-called "order" led by the US, and it has said that the US always puts its domestic law above international law and pragmatically cherry-picks international rules as it sees fit.

Andrew Korybko, a US political analyst based in Moscow, said that the overarching trend in international relations is that the US-led West has gone rogue and is openly violating principles that have ensured peace and stability for decades.

"This is being done out of desperation to delay America's fading unipolar hegemony, but it carries with it the dangerous consequence of destabilizing the world," Korybko said in an opinion piece published on website of the China Global Television Network.

In a meeting with State Councilor Wang in Cambodia on Friday, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-plus Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said US hegemonic policies run counter to the international consensus and will have no future.

Russia is ready to work with China to uphold international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Lavrov said.




Thousands of egrets have gathered at Yellow River Wetland Park in Pinglu county, Shanxi province since the beginning of this summer, delighting tourists. [Photo by Liu Wenli and Yang Xinzhi/For chinadaily.com.cn]



Thousands of egrets have gathered at the Yellow River Wetland Park in Pinglu county, Shanxi province since the beginning of this summer, delighting tourists.

The county has made great efforts to protect its local ecological environment in recent years, with the number of rare birds breeding here rising each year.
















The Eve of Destruction at the Gage County Fair is an annual tradition that draws large crowds to the fairgrounds and is the highest-attended e
Tronrud joined the local CAP Cadet Program in July 2021, and commutes between Big Timber and Billings for the weekly squadron meetings. Tronrud is 15 years old and is homeschooled in Big Timber by her parents, Leanna and Cory Tronrud. She would like to be an aerial firefighter when she grows up.
A new fourth-grade student textbook published by the Montana Historical Society, "Montana: A History of Our Home," is being offered to rural schools through various grants.

The 96-page textbook offers a quick tour through 13,000 years of Montana history. Students will learn about Montana's 12 tribal nations and seven reservations.

The textbook also offers insight into the immigrants who move to Montana in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the trapping, mining, logging, farming and ranching industries that brought them to Montana.

A grant from the Steele-Reese Foundation will make it so schools more than 40 miles from an urban center (defined as Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula) are eligible to apply for funds to reimburse the cost of purchasing the textbooks. The school will be responsible for shipping costs.

Selected schools will be required to submit receipts showing their purchase to the Montana Historical Society for reimbursement.

To apply, school officials need to complete their applications by midnight on Aug. 31. Applications can be found at bit.ly/3PWhVp2.

MTHS will review applications and announce decision by Sept. 12. If there are more requests that can be fulfilled, MTHS will give preference to small schools to make sure that the most rural schools are served first. A secondary criterion will be how many hours the teacher will dedicate to Montana history.

For more information, contact Kohl at 406-444-4740 or mkohl@mt.gov.
After more than 20 years of talk about it, Park City may finally get approved for a new school this fall.

Following multiple no-votes, most recently last May, Park City Schools will once again run a bond vote for a standalone grades 7-12 school this fall. The new 30-year bond would be for $14,448,000.

The school districts have had a new school planned for nearly two decades, but local homeowners taking the brunt of the cost through tax increases has made any initiative a tough sell for voters. Throughout that time, the district has passed one general fund mill levy for each district, a building reserve levy for roof repairs and a tech levy for each district. Recent years of more and more students has made a bond for a new school a pressing issue.

We have classes that are in closets right now, Park City Schools Superintendent Dan Grabowska said. We dont have space here anymore and looking at class sizes that are coming in, we know its going to continue.

A plot of land for the potential new school was purchased in the early 2000s with the original intention to keep pace with land development and incoming residents at the time. When the growth slowed, so did the need for space and plans have remained dormant until recently.

New discussions began when Grabowska became the superintendent in 2016 and a new school has been put to a vote three separate times ahead of this latest push. Last May, the district held a vote for a $16.745 million dollar bond between the Elementary and the High School Districts. The vote failed by just over 100 votes with 63% of voters casting a ballot.

Grabowska is confident the upcoming vote will yield a different outcome.

100 votes this last time showed that theres strong interest in what were trying to do, he said. So were trying to either switch some votes or get some of that other 35% that didnt vote last time out to support the facility and vote yes for it.

The day after the failed vote, the district began work on a new solution. The main problems the bond looks at related to space are student safety and expanding their agriculture department and gymnasium. The district argues that an additional building would ease past quarantining issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic along with providing greater response options if there were an active shooter on school grounds. Also, with the Park City Panthers on the cusp of becoming a Class B school team, there is concern in accommodating visiting teams and all their fans to their gymnasium, which currently seats around 300.

It says 400 but we havent been able to do that, Grabowska said. So trying to bring in schools like Huntley Project, Shepherd or the other schools in that conference is going to be very difficult.

The current number of students K-12 is estimated at 325 and temporary solutions have come in modular units placed inside and around the school property for additional classrooms. The units have now been utilized for over ten years.

Adjustments made for the newest proposal include reducing the size of the new gym and completely eliminating the visitor locker rooms, weight room, music room and greenhouse. Other adjustments include a warming kitchen for the high school with all meals still cooked at the current building, one paved parking space and total square footage being reduced from 46,000 to 39,985.

These cuts reduced the bond total by over $2 million. Grabowska pointed out the differences in school districts taxable valuations and the challenge it poses for Park City, which is usually considered a bedroom community to Billings.

Theres no industry here, so we dont have a lot to tax, he said. Pipelines are our biggest taxable groupand then it goes to home owners right after that.

On a 30-year bond, the new total cost to taxpayers on a $200,000 home would be $463.05 a year, or $38.59 monthly. The previous bond, over 25 years, would have cost $529.15 annually or $44.10 monthly for the same property, by comparison.

But even with these new adjustments, there are still some reservations from the community. Local homeowner Jerrica Stoffel said many residents are currently living on a fixed income and are leery of any type of tax increase. She added that there are other concerns beyond additional infrastructure that the districts have neglected over the years.

People have problems with the administration of the school and how situations such as bullying and teacher retention are not handled in an appealing way, she said. So they believe that a new school isnt going to solve those types of issues.

Taxpayers opposed to previous bonds have suggested that Park City should send students to nearby larger schools in Laurel or Columbus that have more space and accommodations. Grabowska has argued that this would rob the community of its identity while also shifting their problem onto another schools.

Those two places are already full with kids and then theyd have to build, he said. And if our kids went there and they have to build, our people get taxed and have no say in the matter and they can build whatever they want.

The rise in Park Citys population may also be what gets the bond passed. More people moving in has resulted in older and retired residents selling their properties which subsequently get bought by new families.

Stoffel is among these new home owners who bought a house in Park City last year. She also grew up in Park City and entered its school system in 1999. Now a mother, she knows first-hand the challenges that incoming students face with the current schools.

I will vote in favor [of the new bond] because it is long overdue and my children, as well as all the others in the community, deserve a place to learn that we can all take pride in, she said. The younger students have to eat lunch at 10:40 due to there not being enough room in the lunch room for everyone to eat at the same time. The list goes on and on why something needs to be done.

With the topic of a dedicated high school on the minds of Park City for decades now, the arguments for and against it are well-known by now. A previous study by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicates that increases in school spending lead to substantial increases in home valuations. Along with pointing this out to the local residents, Grabowska wants to be clear that there arent any other options.

There arent any grants, theres no extra state special hidden pot of money or anything else," he said. "Its all based on the say-so of the local taxpayers and thats the way Montana works for schools.
The next step in a Morton County investigation of an assistant prosecutor running for the post of states attorney will give her an opportunity to respond to a complaint that she created a hostile work environment.

States Attorney Allen Koppy placed Assistant States Attorney Gabrielle Goter on administrative leave June 27. The move followed a complaint by an employee on June 7. Goter's attorney says the investigation into that complaint is being mishandled and is politically motivated.

County Human Resources Director Wendy Bent told the Tribune, The complaint in general is a hostile work environment complaint. The remaining contents of the investigation are considered a closed record at the current time.

Goter previously has stated the complaint came as a shock to her and that she would cooperate in the investigation in any way necessary. She and attorney Tom Dickson have not yet filed a response.

We have not seen the complaint, Dickson told the Tribune.

Dickson in an Aug. 3 letter to Bent called the investigation unprofessional and harmful to Goter's reputation. He said it violates time constraints in county policy and "needs to be completed." He also said the probe "smacks of political opportunism at its worst."

"The undeniable fact that this endless investigation is being coordinated with the political rival of Ms. Goter is inappropriate and is a clear conflict of interest," Dickson wrote.

Goter is challenging Koppy in the November election. In the June 14 primary election, Goter garnered 1,517 votes or just more than 53%. Koppy had 1,333 or about 47%, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State's website. The top two candidates in the primary move on to the general election. There was not a third candidate. Koppy in 2018 overcame a primary deficit to beat Goter in the general election.

Koppy was simply following the recommendations of Human Resources and our protocol to initiate the investigation when he placed Goter on administrative leave, Bent said. Koppy has not commented on the matter.

Bent said the process includes investigation of the complaint, and interviews of witnesses and any secondary complainants. If there's an alleged violation of a county rule, policy or standard, the accused has the opportunity to evaluate and respond to the complaint. Officials will then interview additional witnesses and allegations.

County officials are finalizing complaint information and will then seek a response from Goter, Bent said. Officials after further evaluation with an attorney will complete the investigation by substantiating or unsubstantiating each individual allegation in the complaint, she said.

Although this investigation has taken longer than we all hoped, we can assure the complainant, the witnesses and the accused that the process has been and will continue to be thorough, ethical, and law-abiding, Bent said.

Goters administrative leave is not considered disciplinary in nature, Bent said, but is a way to separate an employee from the incident during the investigation.

Austin Gunderson, who served as an assistant prosecutor in the state's attorney's office for 4  years before recently leaving for another job, told the Tribune the work environment in the office was "pretty normal." Doors were always open, and staff frequently turned to Goter for advice on cases and laws.

"She's the smartest and most hard-working attorney I've ever worked with or seen in the courtroom," Gunderson said, adding that no unprofessional conduct came to his attention while he was in the office.

Goter has continued to handle cases since being placed on leave, including the July sentencing hearing of a man who pleaded guilty to murder in the March death of a Mandan man. A judge sentenced Wade Bison, 39, to life in prison with no chance of parole.

Goter led the prosecution team in the August 2021 murder trial of Chad Isaak, who was convicted of the April 2019 shooting and stabbing deaths of four people in Mandan. He received four life sentences with no chance of parole. He died of suicide in late July.
The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: farm aid, free food and more.

Hog help

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased the amount of money for a program to assist hog producers, and begun making payments.

The Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program is part of USDAs Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and addresses gaps in previous assistance for hog producers.

The aid is for farmers who sold hogs through a spot market sale from April 16, 2020, through Sept. 1, 2020 -- the period in which producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the coronavirus pandemic. Applications were accepted until late April.

Officials allocated $50 million to the program initially. USDA's Farm Service Agency expects to issue nearly $63 million in payments.

Mobile food pantry

Trucks carrying fresh vegetables, bakery items and boxed goods will make stops in central and western North Dakota this week.

Food through the Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry is available at no cost to those in need. Scheduled stops are (all times are local):

Wednesday

Killdeer, Dunn County Food Pantry, 215 Central Ave. SE, 10 a.m.

Dodge, Central Avenue, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Mandaree, Water Chief Hall, 105 4th Ave. SW, 3:20-4 p.m.

New Town, Northern Lights Community Center, 710 E. Ave., 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Thursday

Plaza, Cenex, 4165 64th Ave. NW, 9:15-10 a.m.

Carrington, Dakota Central, 630 Fifth St. N., 10-11 a.m.

Linton, St. Anthony Catholic Church, 619 Broadway N., 1 p.m.

New Salem, 700 Ashe Ave., 1-2 p.m.

Steele, Senior Center, 3-4:30 p.m.

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3lkvv80.

Testing and vaccines

A comprehensive list of free public COVID-19 testing offered in North Dakota can be found at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. That site also lists where free at-home test kits are being offered.

People can go to https://www.ndvax.orgor https://bit.ly/3N3IMxb or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them.

County-level COVID-19 risks determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at https://bit.ly/3Clifrq.

Guidance and resources for businesses are at https://bit.ly/3w0DpKj.

General information is at https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
An unseasonably cool weekend is giving way to another warm week in North Dakota.

Bismarck's high temperature on Saturday was 75 degrees; on Sunday it was 72 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Normal highs for this time of year are in the mid-80s.

In some areas the weekend weather bordered on chilly -- Jamestown on Sunday had a high of only 68 degrees, with a low of 50.

"Those (high temps) are about 10 to 15, maybe in some spots 20, degrees below average for this time of year," said James Telken, a weather service meteorologist in Bismarck.

The cool snap followed a week in which much of western and central North Dakota saw near-record heat due to a mass of trapped warm air known as a heat dome that brought widespread high temps in the 90s. Dickinson on Thursday hit 102, breaking a city record that had stood for more than a century. Two days later, the city's high was 65, a drop of 37 degrees.

The weekend cooldown was caused by Canadian air swooping in from the north. Such sudden changes aren't all that unusual, even for August, according to Telken.

"Our entire climate record is an average of extremes," he said.

The change this week is due to warmer air from the west and southerly winds moving in. The forecast for Bismarck-Mandan calls for highs mostly in the 80s.

"Pretty close to 90, but it's not looking like those 100-degree days we had last year," Telken said.

Bismarck last August reached a record for most days in a year at or above 100 degrees -- 15. That was due mainly to the devastating drought that gripped the state in 2021 and caused the weather to have "a hard time cooling down," Telken said.

Drought has relaxed its grip on most of the state this year, though dryness has crept back into the southeastern corner of North Dakota in recent weeks, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a partnership of the National Drought Mitigation Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Weather the rest of this month might be conducive to dryness spreading in the state. The August outlook from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center indicates above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation for western North Dakota.
FARGO  Two small houses are going up on the back half of a lot just off a busy street, not far from downtown Fargo.

These homes are identical in blueprint, theyre 13-by-23, with 12-foot ceilings, theres a loft in each of them, said Grassroots Development President Justin Berg, the man behind this one-of-a-kind construction and research project.

One of the houses is built with a traditional wood frame, fiberglass insulation and covered with shiny white house wrap material.

A second house a few feet away also has a wood frame, but the walls are filled with 12 inches of hempcrete, giving it a brown, textured look inside and out.

The raw material is called hurd. Its the inner woody core of the hemp plant, chipped into small pieces.

The hurd is mixed with a lime binder and water.

And you blend the mixture to a consistency, a nice sort of chicken salad -- is our joke -- consistency, Grassroots Development Sustainability Consultant Sydney Glup said. And we hand-packed, physically hand-packed, this entire house.

They were guided through the process by Bismarck-based Homeland Hempcrete, but the process was easy to learn, Glup said, just a lot of work schlepping buckets of the material, dumping it into forms and packing it so the walls would be even after the forms were removed.

The hempcrete walls need to cure for six weeks before they're covered inside and out with a finish layer of plaster.

These homes might become short-term rentals, but the primary purpose is research.

Were just trying to get that concrete nonbiased research to contribute to the industry so we can troubleshoot and figure out how to do better, Glup said. We want it to be so that anybody who wants a healthier dwelling can afford it.

To collect data, sensors are tucked into the walls of both houses to monitor moisture and air temperature. Energy consumption will also be closely monitored.

This from my knowledge, is the only study of its kind, said Riley Gordon, principal engineer with the Minnesota-based Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, a nonprofit organization partially funded by the state, which helps develop new markets for Minnesota crops.

Were just looking to bring to leverage the opportunity of having these two buildings built side by side, Gordon said. Theyre identical; its perfect for a controlled study.

Gordon is working with a Minneapolis-based Center for Energy and Environment, which will analyze the data collected from each home.

The hempcrete walls dont provide structural support -- 2-by-6 wood studs give the wall strength.

Hemp is touted as a healthier alternative to insulation, reducing mold by creating walls that breathe, providing excellent insulating properties and serving as thermal mass, storing heat. The material also is flame resistant.

But Gordon said theres a need for data to validate some of those claims.

Up until now, a lot of the talk has just been a lot of claims that havent really been backed up by a whole lot of data, he said. So I think this is going to, for good or for worse, provide some answers to questions that Ive heard pretty often about this material. So I think its a very important study, and timely.

The cost of construction is about 25% higher for the hemp house. Thats partly because raw materials are still hard to find and expensive. But Berg also believes this research will show hemp construction can save money long term.

Paying more upfront and getting those savings over time by energy usage, you know, having a biodegradable structure. You start measuring out the materials and its impact and I think thats where were hoping to help shine a light on it, Berg said.

To purchase raw material that met their standards for consistency, Berg said they had to buy the hurd in 400-pound bags from a company in Kansas and ship it to Fargo.

There are at least two new hemp processors starting in Minnesota, and Berg is building a processing facility in Wahpeton that he plans to have operational later this year, but he expects it will take months to fine-tune the processing to turn out a high-quality product.

Berg said theres still a steep learning curve, from farmers who grow the crop to processors turning out raw materials, but hes willing to invest in the belief that hemp will become a sustainable construction alternative.

Its definitely the early days, and I think in 10 years, youll see an industry that has a real impact, he said.

The region will need more hemp processing capacity to bring raw material prices down, and farmers need to be convinced hemp is a viable alternative crop, according to Berg.

He would like to see the federal government do more to encourage hemp production as an alternative crop that could also help combat climate change by storing climate-warming carbon.

You look at something thats going to help sequester carbon in the soil with a deep taproot crop as well as being put into materials that are stored for 100 plus years and continue to sequester carbon, Berg said.

But ultimately, farmers will need a consistent market for the crop, and the construction industry will need to accept hemp as a viable alternative material. Berg hopes this research project on a tiny plot of land in Fargo will help convince more builders and consumers to give hemp a try.
Graham Allison Photo: Courtesy of Allison

Editor's Note:



The strategic competition between China and the US is seeing no signs of easing. Chinese and US leaders held their second phone conversation on September 10. Nonetheless, the US just formed a new security partnership with the UK and Australia and hosted an in-person QUAD summit last week. Both have an apparent target - China. How to evaluate the China policy adopted by Biden? Many hype up war scenarios between the two countries. But realistically speaking, under what conditions would a war occur? Global Times (GT) reporter Wang Wenwen interviewed Graham Allison (Allison), the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the former director of Harvard's Belfer Center and the author of Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?



GT: Does Biden's China policy have consistency? Who dominates the China policy of the Biden administration?



Allison: The rise of China presents the most complex international challenge any American president has ever faced. I applaud the Biden Administration's current search for a conception of this challenge that recognizes that China is simultaneously both a fierce rival and an inescapable partner. To do so, the Administration has had to craft a strategy that passes what F. Scott Fitzgerald defines as the test of a first-class mind. In Fitzgerald's words, it is "to hold two contradictory ideas in one's head at the same time and still function."



On the one hand, Biden understands China is a genuine Thucydidean rival that has the potential to become, as Lee Kuan Yew, once put it, "the biggest player in the history of the world." With four times as many people as the United States, if the Chinese were only one-half as productive as Americans, China would have a GDP twice our size. Thus, to create a correlation of forces that can shape China's behavior, the Biden Administration is determined to attract other nations with heft to sit on our side of the seesaw of power. The new security partnership with the UK and Australia - in addition to deeper engagement with the Quad - is an essential part of this approach.



On the other hand, as a veteran Cold Warrior, Biden knows full well that the United States and China share a small globe on which each faces existential challenges that it cannot defeat by itself. Technology (nuclear weapons) and nature (climate change) have condemned these two great powers to coexist: to find ways to live together in order to avoid dying together. Surviving in this environment requires four Cs: thick communication (to minimize misunderstandings and miscalculations); constraints (on initiatives that could trigger escalation to unwanted conflict); coordination and even cooperation to ensure that third-party provocations or accidents don't drag them into an unwanted war. With the phone call on September 10, Biden again demonstrated both his commitment to establishing thick communication between the US and China, and his desire for China and the US to get beyond the microphone diplomacy of Anchorage to serious, candid conversation about how they can compete as each pursues its interests and values while they simultaneously cooperate to avoid war and ensure a livable environment.



GT: Whether or not a war breaks out between China and the US over Taiwan has different answers from different people. Under what conditions would a war occur? What can be done to prevent a war?



Allison: As Thucydides taught us, in cases in which a rising power like Athens in classical Greece, Germany a hundred years ago, or China today threatens to displace a ruling power like Sparta, Great Britain, or the US, the most frequent outcome is war. In the last 500 years, as shown in my book Destined for War, there have been 16 cases in which a rising power challenged a ruling power, and 12 of those ended in war.



In such Thucydidean rivalries, misperceptions are magnified, miscalculations multiplied, and risks of escalation amplified. Thus, sparks that would have otherwise proven inconsequential or manageable can trigger a vicious cycle of reactions that drag two powers into a catastrophic war neither wanted. We should never forget that the assassination of an Archduke in Sarajevo in June 1914 provided a spark that became a conflagration that burned down most of Europe.



For the US and China today, the most dangerous of these potential hotspots is Taiwan. If Taiwan were to make a decisive move towards independence, and Beijing took that as a provocation to use military force to reunify the island with the mainland, how would the US respond? And if the US should decide to come to the defense of Taiwan, what would the likely outcome of that conflict be? Moreover, if the US were on the verge of defeat in a local war over Taiwan, would it accept defeat, or choose to escalate? And if it did, where could that end?



Obviously this has increasingly been a subject of discussion in both the US and China. Because there are no good answers to any of these questions, the lesson for us all is to recognize the risk and act in advance to prevent crises that could lead to confrontations and conflict that could escalate to catastrophic war. Success in preventing Taiwan becoming the Sarajevo of the 21st century will require extended, thoughtful, candid conversations between Xi and Biden and the governments they lead. The lack of such communication today leaves both nations vulnerable to an accident or incident that could lead to outcomes that would be catastrophic for both nations.
A Toronto man is trying to cash in on the ol' trading-up trend, popularized in 2006 when a man successfully started with a bobby pin and traded it up to a house. But the 48-year-old, whose start item is a packaged stick of string cheese he found in the fridge of a house he moved into, is having separation anxiety now that the offers are rolling in.

After getting no bites for his cheesy offering after he first advertised it on a Canadian website, Angel Domingo went all out, plastering a tongue-in-cheek "FOR TRADE" ad on a billboard. "Accepting ads for one Cheesestring. Marble flavour. Still in original packaging. No lowballs. I know what I have."

Surprisingly, the offers suddenly came "in droves"  some more serious than others.

From HuffPost:

Domingo admitted the string cheese is the "strangest thing" he's ever had to offer, but the billboard, which went live earlier this week, has caused offers to appear in "droves," according to Global News. Some of the offers have included Persian cats, someone's girlfriend and a unique box of Lucky Charms cereal, he told Narcity.  Domingo wouldn't tell the Canadian news outlets how much he paid for the billboard but he's still awaiting the right trade. "I've been telling everybody the same thing when they asked me what I'm looking for.  It's like you'll know when you see it," Domingo said.

A Toronto man rented out a Yonge and Dundas billboard to advertise that his cheese string is up for trade pic.twitter.com/vbV3yp9ayh  6ixBuzzTV (@6ixbuzztv) August 4, 2022
There is no greater blessing, in the eyes of a MAGA cult member, than to be hoodwinked by anyone even remotely connected to their carrot-colored god-emperor. Trump is the master of the sloppy scam, the cheap swindle, the barefaced betrayal. His devotees compete with each other to see who gets fleeced the most by him, or by his two grifting boys Uday and Qusay Trump, or by anyone aligned with the corrupt authoritarian.

Today there is much rejoicing in christofascistland on the news that a pro-Trump apparel company, Lions Not Sheep, was caught removing "Made in China" tags from T-shirts and caps and swapping them with "Made in the U.S." Suckers who bought the ersatz shirts are delighted to have been duped and continue to wear the sacred garments with pride. Examples of the messages on the shirts include "Give violence a chance," "Let's go, Brandon," and a photo with Trump as the Terminator saying, "I'll be back."

Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission, a deep state institution headed by George Soros, announced it was fining Lions Not Sheep $211,335 for switching the labels, a small price to pay for owning the libs.

From Mediaite:
One of Western New York's most penalized nursing homes has been slapped with a nearly $53,000 federal fine after a resident fell to her death from a third-floor window earlier this year.

The fine against Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns in the Town of Tonawanda is tied to an inspection completed Feb. 10, two days after 78-year-old Judith Schrecengost was found dead in the courtyard directly below Room No. 306 at the 2799 Sheridan Drive facility.

Inspectors reached the conclusion that Schrecengost, a great-grandmother who was born and raised in Niagara Falls, got out of a third-floor window that opened wider than it should have because of an improperly installed bolt. Further, investigators pieced together the incident and determined Schrecengost was not seen by staff for several hours before they realized she was missing.

"Inspectors determined that Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns failed to ensure a nursing home area was free from accident hazards and failed to provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents," the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in a statement. "As a result, a citation noting immediate jeopardy to resident health and safety was issued."

Safire spokesperson Michael Balboni did not immediately comment on the fine, which CMS records indicate was processed on July 1 but was not posted online until late last month.

Balboni previously told The Buffalo News that Safire filed a correction plan, which was accepted by the state Health Department, and fixed problems with the windows. The correction plan included installing additional window limiters, as well as educating staff on policies for reporting a potential missing resident and possible accident hazards immediately.

Of the more than 4,800 fines CMS has issued to nursing homes this year, the penalty levied against Safire is the 195th-largest fine but is still well behind this year's largest of about $635,000 sent to an Indianapolis facility.

Details emerge in death of great-grandmother who fell from Tonawanda nursing home window It was a freezing February evening when 78-year-old Judith Schrecengost moved toward a third-floor window at the Town of Tonawanda nursing home where she lived, squeezed through an opening and plummeted to the ground.

New York's Health Department also could issue a fine to Safire for the incident.

"To protect the health and well-being of nursing home residents, the New York State Department of Health will continue to impose serious penalties against providers who fail to comply with regulatory requirements," Health Department spokesperson Jeffrey Hammond said. "The Department's assessment of a potential fine against this facility is ongoing."

From Jan. 1, 2016, through June 13, 2022, Safire received $68,500 in fines from the state Health Department  the 10th-highest amount out of 356 facilities that have been penalized during that time frame, according to a Buffalo News analysis of state data.

The 100-bed nursing home is owned by a downstate group, which purchased the former Sheridan Manor in late 2015 and renamed it Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns. Richard Platschek, Judy Landa, Solomon Abramczyk and Robert Schuck are the key investors in the limited liability companies that own Safire Northtowns and its sister facility, Safire Rehabilitation of Southtowns in Buffalo.

The two Safire facilities have one-star federal ratings, or "much below average," a measurement based on three sources: health inspections, staffing and quality measures.

Safire Northtowns also is in its third month as a candidate for the federal Special Focus Facility program that identifies the country's poorest-performing nursing homes and inspects them twice as often as other facilities in an effort to boost resident care.

If it is selected as a Special Focus Facility, the nursing home would get a full, on-site inspection of all Medicare health and safety requirements every six months that could recommend progressive enforcement until it either improves and graduates from the program or is terminated from Medicare and Medicaid.

Of the country's more than 15,000 nursing homes, around 440 of them are on the candidate list while nearly 90 are in the Special Focus Facility program, according to the most recent list updated July 27.

The program's goal is to address "the worst of the worst of the worst" nursing homes, said Richard J. Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization focused on bolstering quality of care in nursing homes and other residential settings.

While Mollot said he believes the program hasn't been that successful, he noted the Biden administration this year said it will overhaul the Special Focus Facility program to make its requirements tougher and more impactful, thus more quickly improving resident care.

"We have to have a mechanism of oversight and meaningful fines that ensure good resident care," Mollot said, "and that providers are really given effective notice that we won't tolerate substandard care and abuse and neglect."
Plans for a new $200 million marijuana growing and production facility in South Buffalo are back on track.

The project, years in the making, is finally advancing toward the start of construction in as soon as a few weeks, with the first phase possibly opening for business by next summer.

The reason: New York's legalized pot market is gaining clarity, with regulations being finalized, and the first sales are expected in a few months.

That's a big change.

Legalized pot is months away in New York State, but no one is sure how the market will work Local entrepreneurs, along with industry experts, gathered at the University at Buffalo on Thursday for a symposium on the legalized cannabis market. Here are five takeaways.

As recently as last September, the plans for the cannabis complex were up in the air, as efforts to legalize marijuana dragged on and, even after that was approved, the rules governing the cannabis market remained unwritten. So the agency that owns the site of the pot farm last fall gave the project's developer, Zephyr Investors, a two-year extension to close on its purchase as uncertainty swirled.

But now, the legalized market has started to take shape, even if the final rules haven't been adopted. The launch of cannabis sales is expected by the end of the year, and more than 200 cannabis growers already have been licensed by the state. So Zephyr is moving forward again with its plans to create the sprawling pot farm and manufacturing operation in the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.

It already received city planning approval for the project. Now it's seeking $1.3 million in sales and mortgage tax breaks from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, plus an extended  and much more lucrative  property tax reduction that would last for 14 years.

The project still faces hurdles  not the least of which is final implementation of state regulations for legalized recreational marijuana sales. Additionally, Zephyr still needs state authorization to start operations, which isn't guaranteed.

South Buffalo marijuana facility gets green light from city Brad Termini's Zephyr Partners wants to construct a sprawling complex for marijuana cultivation and manufacturing, using 72.4 acres of vacant land in the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park

So in a bid to speed up that process, it's now teaming up with a Canadian real estate firm backed by a major corporation and one of the leading medical cannabis licensees in New York state, which will run the local plant. Backers hope that will make it easier to get a green light from the state, and help the project itself by relying on an experienced manager that has already done it.

Encinitas, Calif.-based Zephyr will build and equip the cannabis cultivation and manufacturing project but will then sublease the entire space to Toronto-based RIV Capital and its subsidiary, Etain LLC, according to an application submitted by Zephyr to the ECIDA. RIV Capital is nearly half owned by a subsidiary of Scotts Miracle-Gro.

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Etain will run the cultivation, manufacturing, packaging and distribution of the cannabis products, which will focus on both recreational and medical marijuana use under state law, the application said.

Based in the Westchester County hamlet of Katonah, Etain is a women-owned firm that is led by a mother and two daughters, who formed it after researching the medicinal benefits of marijuana while their grandmother battled ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. It's one of the original five medical cannabis licensees in the state, and one of 10 approved cannabis operators for the new adult-use program.

The seven-year-old company  which was acquired by RIV in April after putting itself up for sale late last year already operates one cultivation and manufacturing facility in Chestertown and four retail dispensaries in Manhattan, Yonkers, Kingston and Syracuse. It's currently expanding its production facility from 12,000 square feet to 56,000 square feet, according to Zephyr's application.

The state will be converting medicinal licenses to recreational or adult-use. With the new license, Etain expects to be allowed to open four additional dispensaries, and applied in June to the Office of Cannabis Management to add Buffalo to its existing license, Zephyr said.

The agreement advances the plans by Zephyr CEO Brad Termini to create a "high-tech cannabis campus" on 72.4 acres of vacant brownfield land, in the business park that is owned by the Buffalo Urban Development Corp. That property  eight parcels  is under contract to be acquired by Zephyr for $1.9 million, with a closing expected imminently on the first phase, pending ECIDA and other approvals.

Plans ultimately call for the land  which was adjacent to a former steel mill and is polluted with slag fill materials, petroleum and metals  to be remediated through the state's Brownfield Cleanup Program, and then redeveloped into more than 1.375 million square feet of growing and production space.

Initially, the project would start with the $425,000 purchase of 10.8 acres of unimproved land at 310 Ship Canal Parkway  of which only 5.3 acres can be used. That would be followed by construction of a 75,040-square-foot facility for cultivation and manufacturing, with two one-story steel-framed buildings and 72 surface parking spaces.

However, "the long-term plan is to continue expansion at the site as the New York state market matures over time," Zephyr wrote in its application, citing a target of 211,000 square feet with three buildings. Products will include raw cannabis flower, as well as cannabis-based oils, edibles and extracts for adult use. Everything will be grown, manufactured and sold within the state.

The total cost of the first phase is $27.8 million, and is expected to produce 20 new full-time jobs and 34 part-time positions within two years, paying salaries of $30,000 to $150,000. Those jobs will include skilled manufacturing, product development, maintenance, packaging, administration and marketing. The facility is expected to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, once it's fully operational.

Costs include $21.825 million for construction, $3.05 million for infrastructure and $2.5 million for professional fees and other "soft costs." Financing includes a $16 million mortgage, developer equity and brownfield tax credits.

Zephyr is asking the ECIDA for $1.09 million in sales tax breaks, $120,000 in mortgage-recording tax relief, and a non-standard payment-in-lieu-of-tax arrangement on the property. Under the terms of the special 15-year agreement, Zephyr - through its Laborers Way 1 LLC - would pay 20% of regular property taxes for each of the first two years, 30% for the next two years, 40% annually for the next five, and then 50% annually for the last five.

Those payments in turn would be subject to a pre-existing 2005 agreement between BUDC, the city of Buffalo, Erie County and the ECIDA, with half the payments going to the Buffalo Brownfield Redevelopment Fund to pay for infrastructure costs in the park and half going to the city and county.

Zephyr acknowledges that it is "only considering NYS for this expansion project," but insists the ECIDA's help "is necessary for our business operations and expansion within the New York market." The firm said it "analyzed various locations" and concluded that the Buffalo site and potential for tax breaks "was essential in attracting the tenant and current investor stakeholders." Otherwise, it would have to re-evaluate its options and consider other locations.
Its been an award-winning year for the late Lucille Ball.

The Jamestown native, who died in 1989, will enter the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame on Sept. 22 after an eligibility change opened the groups categories to more people in arts and broadcasting.

And on Saturday, Balls Emmy-winning comedy I Love Lucy was awarded the Television Critics Associations (TCA) Heritage Award 71 years after the legendary program premiered on CBS.

The series that originally produced 180 episodes from 1951 to 1957 and continues in reruns today starred Ball, her husband at the time, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley.

The 38th annual TCA Awards were announced Saturday in Los Angeles, where the group consisting of more than 200 professional journalists who cover television for publications across the United States and Canada, had to abandon plans for an in-person semi-annual meeting due to concerns over the latest Covid-19 strain.

The TCA Awards are often a forerunner of the Emmy Awards, but there was one notable exception Saturday.

Mandy Moore, whose performance as matriarch Rebecca Pearson in the final season of NBCs This Is Us was inexplicably ignored by Emmy voters, was honored by critics for individual achievement in drama.

The top winner Saturday, the first-year ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary," is expected to clean up at the Emmys on Sept. 12 as well. It received seven Emmy nominations.

Abbott earned four TCA Awards, including individual achievement in comedy for series creator, producer, writer and star, Quinta Brunson. It also won for outstanding achievement in comedy, outstanding new program and the prestigious program of the year award.

Other notable winners included the Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back for outstanding achievement in news and information; Hulus Dopesick about the opioid epidemic as outstanding movie, miniseries or specials; and HBOs media dynasty hit Succession, as outstanding achievement in drama.

Dopesick earned 14 Emmy nominations and Succession earned 25 Emmy nominations.

Of course, the Emmys contain a lot more categories than the TCA Awards.

Steve Martin and Ted Danson, who both have had award-winning careers over decades in television and film, were honored with the TCAs first tie in awarding its annual career achievement award.

Here is the list of the other TCA award winners:

 Outstanding achievement in reality programming: TIE: The Amazing Race (CBS), Legendary (HBO Max).

 Outstanding achievement in youth programming: The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix).

 Outstanding achievement in variety, talk or sketch: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix).
Prosecutors have dropped a hate crime charge as part of an Amherst man's guilty plea to a misdemeanor in the high-profile case, a move that frustrated the victims family.

Christian McCaffrey, now 21, had been accused of a monthslong campaign of harassing phone calls, text messages and Snapchat messages in 2019 directed against a Jewish acquaintance.

Attorney Mark Sacha has contended his clients sole motivation was his anger that the victim had started dating McCaffrey's ex-girlfriend.

Amherst man, 18, accused of harassing Jewish victim, charged with hate crime Christian McCaffrey engaged in a monthslong campaign of harassment against the unidentified male victim involving phone calls and text messages, prosecutors

"This was a misuse of the hate crime statute," Sacha told The Buffalo News on Monday. McCaffrey has been given assurances that he wont receive a jail sentence as part of his guilty plea to aggravated harassment, Sacha added.

The victim's mother, Penny Myers, said the family is "deeply disappointed" the hate crime charge was dropped and said this was more than a dispute between romantic rivals.

"Nobody threatens to murder someone, and their family, for several months if it's over a girl," said Myers, who previously served as cantor of the region's largest synagogue, Temple Beth Zion, and has since received rabbinical training.

McCaffrey was 18 when he was arrested on a hate crime charge for allegedly harassing and threatening an acquaintance, Hunter Myers, also 18 at the time and an Amherst resident, between August and December 2019.

The criminal complaint and a statement from the victim, obtained by The News, quoted from messages purportedly sent from McCaffrey to the victim.

On Aug. 16, 2019, Hunter Myers told police, McCaffrey sent a text message that read in part: "I'm looking for you and I will get you, don't be scared now."

The victim said he called the number in the message and asked who it was. McCaffrey, Myers said, replied, "You know who this is ... I'm coming for you and I'm after you ... and when I find you it's over for you ... when I get you, you better pray," punctuated by three uses of a racial slur traditionally employed against Black people.

After McCaffrey was arraigned in Amherst Town Court in early 2020, Sacha said he had seen no evidence McCaffrey had targeted the victim because of his religion.

Sacha conceded his client reacted badly to the news that his ex-girlfriend was dating the victim, an acquaintance of McCaffrey, but insisted there was no other motivation for the harassing messages.

I don't want to minimize the conduct, other than to say that it never was a hate crime, Sacha said.

The case against McCaffrey had proceeded slowly following his arrest and his 2020 indictment by a grand jury, in part because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

His trial was set to begin Monday in State Supreme Court on the hate crime count and other charges. Instead, he pleaded guilty on Thursday to a single count of second-degree aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor.

He will be sentenced in October.

There have been many turns and twists to this case, which have not been easy for us to navigate, Penny Myers said. We are deeply disappointed that the charge of hate crime was dropped, as Mr. McCaffrey made explicit references several times to Hunter's Jewish faith when he threatened to murder him and our family over the period of several months.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn had previously said the evidence supported the hate crime charge against McCaffrey.

He declined comment Monday on why prosecutors agreed to drop this count, as part of the guilty plea, because charges remain active against a co-defendant.

Two men arraigned in Amherst hate crime, arson Authorities say Christian R. McCaffrey repeatedly harassed the victim, who is Jewish, over a period of several months late last year.

That case involves a suspected arson at the Myers West Amherst home on Dec. 22, 2019.

No one was hurt in the incident, which caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the dining room of the home. The fire frightened the victims family and unsettled the local Jewish community.

McCaffrey never was charged in the suspected arson.

However, in July 2020, a man identified as McCaffrey's half-brother, Dino A. Bruscia, was charged with using a flare gun to try to set the fire.

Bruscia, who goes by Dean, also is an acquaintance of Hunter Myers, but authorities have not commented on his motive for the suspected arson.

Flynn previously said he didnt charge McCaffrey in the arson because he couldnt prove he was there at the time the fire was set.

The case against Bruscia is set to go to trial next year. He faces up to 15 years in prison and remains released on his own recognizance because the charge doesnt qualify for bail.
A building that has been an eyesore for the Seneca-Babcock neighborhood for more than a decade is finally being taken down.

Demolition began Monday of the Battaglia Demolition structure at 1037 Seneca St. Around 40 truckloads of debris are expected to be removed in the next two weeks.

"The City of Buffalo Department of Permit and Inspections has consistently been working to have this site cleaned, as it's been a blight and a really negative situation for the Seneca-Babcock neighborhood, especially for the folks who live here on Peabody Street," Commissioner Cathy Amdur said.

The building served as a waste transfer site that illegally operated a concrete crusher, according to the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. The New York State Supreme Court ruled against Battaglia Demolition for permit violations and operating the illegal crusher on April 2, 2018. The business was shut down, and the building was abandoned.

The state Attorney General's Office sought more than $20 million in civil penalties from Battaglia Demolition in 2021, according to court papers.

A settlement was agreed to that year which would have included demolition and cleanup of the site, plus a $50,000 fine. The owner, Peter Battaglia Jr., did not sign the agreement, however, the Clean Air Coalition said in a statement.

The possible penalties will now be discussed as part of a settlement conference on Aug. 23.

Battaglia Jr.'s attorney, Jack M. Sanchez, declined to comment on behalf of Battaglia or about any settlement details.

In August 2021, the condition of the Battaglia Demolition site worsened following a fire that left more debris for residents to deal with.

"Battaglia Demolition has stalled at every opportunity from cleaning up this site," Amdur said. "Our building inspectors have worked and worked through the court system to be here today, where this will be cleaned up and taken down to restore some common peace to this neighborhood."

Misael Hernandez, 63, lives on Peabody Street near the site. He said he has seen many unsightly things by the building, from rodents to addicts frequenting the area to garbage. Hernandez notes that dust and concrete from the site gets all over his and his neighbors' houses and lawns.

"We've been fighting with this for over 10 years," Hernandez said. "All that dust used to just blow out and ruin the roof, sidings and windows."

The Department of Permit and Inspection Services eventually brought a case against the property in housing court. In June, Judge Patrick Carney ordered an emergency demolition and cleanup.

The city is paying around $143,000 for the demolition, and Peter Battaglia Jr. will be billed to repay the city, Amdur said.

The south end of the site contains concrete debris that will be addressed in the state's civil suit against Battaglia Demolition, according to Amdur. The Department of Environmental Conservation will handle the cleanup in that area once it gains approval.

Hernandez said he looks forward to the site being cleared out and turned into a spot for recreational activities.

"We're hoping and praying that we get this all solved and flattened out," Hernandez said. "Maybe people can ride a bike or go sit down and have a cookout."
A developer that took the Town of Tonawanda to court in a financial dispute over a warehouse project in the town has won a $1 million verdict in the case.

Zaepfel Development in a 2016 lawsuit accused the town of failing to comply with several contract provisions that covered the company's purchase of a portion of a business park near the I-290. Zaepfel claimed this forced the company to spend hundreds of thousands extra to prepare the site and construct the warehouse, and a six-person jury last week agreed.

"At the end of the day, we couldn't work it out between the parties. So, we asked six of our fellow citizens in Western New York to help us out. They did," said Kevin Burke, one of Zaepfel's attorneys.

Tonawanda plans to appeal the verdict, said Supervisor Joseph Emminger, who deferred to the town's outside counsel, Paul Joyce, for further comment. Joyce declined to speculate on why he thinks the town lost.

"I wasn't in the jury, so I can't tell you what the jury thinks," Joyce said.

This is one of several legal claims stemming from Zaepfel's project on Pirson Parkway. Zaepfel built the facility as a food distribution center for First Source, which abruptly closed it in 2020, when 300 workers lost their jobs.

Zaepfel's dispute with the town dates back to 2014, when it paid $725,000 for 25 acres within a section of town known as the "Mudflats."

It was rechristened as the 70-acre North Youngmann Commerce Park in fall 2015.

By then, Zaepfel was finishing work on the $18.7 million, 310,000-square-foot warehouse and production center for First Source, a maker of private-label and branded candies, snacks and gourmet food.

However, one year later, Zaepfel's owner, James A. Zaepfel, sued the town, claiming breach of contract.

The first point of dispute focused on a Lamar Advertising billboard on the property.

Zaepfel insisted that once it took ownership of the site from the town in November 2014, the town was required to transfer Lamar's lease payments to Zaepfel. Instead, Zaepfel claimed, the town accepted a $21,000 lease payment from Lamar for 2015.

"Please give us a copy of the check that was cashed," Joyce said in response.

Second, Zaepfel said in its complaint, because construction would disturb 7.22 acres of wetlands on the property, Zaepfel and the town were required to create 14.44 acres of replacement wetlands off site, on company-owned property in Genesee County.

The town was supposed to pay for a portion of these costs, and Zaepfel sent the town an invoice for $226,500 in 2016, but never received payment, the company claimed.

"They just gave us a round number and they said, 'This is the value of the wetland and you have to pay us this,'" Joyce said.

Finally, Zaepfel said, the town didn't construct connections from public roads, sewer lines and water lines to the boundary of the development, as required under the contract.

The company sought $60,000 for this claim. However, when the town engineer later said the First Source project required construction of a retention pond, Zaepfel claimed this forced the company to buy an additional 14 acres for $204,000  less a credit for asbestos removal  to ensure it had enough room for the retention pond.

The company later asked for $781,000 to cover the land acquisition and construction costs for the pond, as well as the road and utility tie-ins.

"There was infrastructure on the town's land. There was no obligation to construct any infrastructure on Zaepfel's land," Joyce said.

Burke said agreements of this sort between a developer and a municipality are complicated.

"Sometimes, you know, when a project moves at sort of lightspeed, there's some misunderstandings that happen along the way," he said.

The civil trial in State Supreme Court took place last Monday and Tuesday morning. The attorneys made their closing arguments Wednesday, when the jury deliberated and reached its verdict.

The jury awarded Zaepfel the $781,000 sought for the site improvements, $226,500 for the wetlands mitigation and $15,500 on the billboard claim.

The town is considering its options for an appeal and will wait to see if the judge adjusts the award in any way. The sides also could reach a settlement.

There are other outstanding issues.

The project had received about $5 million in tax breaks, with much of the incentives tied to jobs retained and created by the tenant.

Zaepfel later found a Rochester-based logistics company, Jemko Transport, to take over the lease from First Source, though with just 20 or so workers on site.

This change prompted the Erie County Industrial Development Agency to drastically scale back the terms of the original incentives package, to pay out less money in the remaining years of the agreement, and to claw back $43,000 already paid to Zaepfel.

Zaepfel also sued First Source, claiming the company failed to make a final monthly rent payment following its abrupt departure and contending the company caused substantial damage to the building on its way out.

Zaepfel received a $795,000 default judgment, including interest, but has not yet received any money from First Source, Burke said.

In addition, Zaepfel last month filed a challenge to the property's assessment, seeking to have it reduced from $4.7 million in assessed value to $1.5 million.

Finally, a company called Used Warehouse Equipment has sued Zaepfel for $300,000, saying it had purchased racks of pallets left behind but the developer won't allow the equipment company access to the racks. Burke said the companies are in talks to resolve the claim.
Its one of the most bone-rattling, alignment-wrecking stretches of roadway in Western New York. But thats about to change as the federal government targets potholes and much more on Main Street in Buffalo.

The city's main drag is slated for a major overhaul between Goodell Street and Kensington Avenue that will eliminate existing potholes, add bike lanes and boost walkability as a result of $25 million in new federal funding.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the award on Monday, about a month after joining Mayor Byron W. Brown in Buffalo for a news conference on Main Street. At that time, he pledged efforts to secure money from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, and designated the project as a top priority for Buffalo. After personally lobbying Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the senator announced its successful award on Monday.

Motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and city leaders have complained for years about the deteriorating condition of the city's main artery, especially the 2.5-mile stretch earmarked for attention in the new grant. Many of the problems stemmed from years of heavy construction vehicles working on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and tearing up Main Street. Success in obtaining funds from the highly competitive grant will now result in a "safe, walkable, bikeable street that works for all Buffalonians," Schumer said.

"Now that the Children's Hospital project is complete, and traffic finally brought back to parts of Main, it's time for mid-Main," he said in a Monday phone interview, adding that the principal thoroughfare of the state's second largest city should accommodate its heavy traffic levels without potholes and rough pavement.

"It will look beautiful, too," he said, noting that the project will result in not only physical but also symbolic improvements since Main Street will not impose a "barrier" between the east and west portions of the city.

"We want to bring the city together," he said. "This is an actual 'stone in the ground' reconnection."

The project will:

 Mill and repave the roadway, eliminate potholes and allow for a new, safer traffic design.

 Add new crosswalks and curbs with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps and signal infrastructure.

 Create raised accessible bike lanes with barriers to prevent accidents.

 Improve aesthetics with benches, bike racks, signage, LED lighting and green space.

 Showcase local artists and artisans with commissioned works highlighting Buffalos cultural heritages.

Schumer noted that federal funding through the RAISE program adds to previous versions committing $33 million for the city portion of Route 5, especially in returning cars to portions of Main Street. In addition, $54 million that New York State has committed to the Cars Sharing Main project stem from Schumer's efforts to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs law.

Schumer, Buffalo mayor push for $25 million in federal funds to improve Main Street A new push for $25 million in federal funding to fix Main Street between Goodell Street and the Kensington Expressway aims to put Buffalo in the fast lane to revitalize and connect East Side neighborhoods and link them to downtown.

Schumer, running this year for re-election to a fifth term, pointed to the weekend passage of a historic climate change, tax and health care bill that emerged as a significant victory for Senate Democrats and the Biden administration. He called the 27-hour session beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday the longest vote of his years in Washington, but also "one of the most significant pieces of legislation" of his tenure.

The new program for Buffalo, he said, is "icing on the cake."

"I focus on the specific as well," he said.

Rep. Brian Higgins, also involved in Main Street revitalization efforts over the past several years, praised the project Monday as important for Buffalo's "backbone."

"This infusion of federal funding will strengthen the standing of businesses and neighborhoods all along this stretch, he said in a statement. This $25 million project makes infrastructure investments that better support the needs of drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians while laying the groundwork for future private sector economic investment.

Brown, meanwhile, credited Schumer for the Buffalo project despite his national obligations.

"Senator Schumer has once again proven that that he has never lost focus on Western New York or his commitment to transforming Buffalos Main Street, the mayor said in a statement. This $25 million investment will revitalize Middle Main Street and make it a modern, multimodal gateway that will connect East Buffalo to our downtown core. This is exciting news for the City of Buffalo, the businesses along Main Street, our drivers, pedestrians, bikes, and all who utilize public transit.
West Seneca doesnt have the quaint and historic reputation of an East Aurora or Lewiston.

But theres more to this suburban, bedroom community than meets the eye.

Even though its hard to believe driving through our town, which looks like just a lot of suburban sprawl, we have a lot of history still remaining here in our structures, said town historian James Pace. "Appearances are deceiving. We have a lot of historic buildings in town. Most of them have been altered to the point that you wouldn't know that theyre historic."

The town is considering creating a historic preservation commission, a first step in preserving buildings and allowing the owners of historic landmarks to access tax credits for work on their buildings.

West Seneca is not alone. The Town of Hamburg also is looking into converting its Historic Preservation Advisory Board into a commission. At least 11 municipalities in Erie and Niagara counties have completed the state and federal process to develop and maintain community preservation efforts, which would lead to tax credits for the owners of historic landmarks.

I think part of it is they're seeing other communities are getting some really great benefits as a result of participating in the programs, and they would like their community to be able to have those benefits as well, said Tom Yots, the founder of Preservation Studios, a historic preservation consulting firm in Buffalo.

This is going to take a while, because were starting from scratch," Pace told the West Seneca Town Board. "In this town we had no historic preservation whatsoever. Weve unfortunately lost several historic buildings, a great number of them, over the years.

Once a municipality completes the state and federal process to be certified for historic preservation efforts, it can nominate properties as local landmarks, making them eligible for the state and national historic registers. Once they are on the register, they are eligible for up to 40% tax credits for qualified expenses, such as repairs related to commercial buildings and 20% for residential structures.

These are amazing benefits that will be available to the community, Yots said.

Pace said 50 buildings still stand and are in use in West Seneca that were built by the Ebenezer Society in the 1850s.

Most are unrecognizable because their exterior has changed, Pace said.

Members of the Community of True Inspiration, also known as Ebenezers, were German Lutherans who came to the town in the mid-1840s. They established four hamlets in the town before moving to Iowa in the mid-1850s. Mayer Brothers Cider Mill on Seneca Creek Road was an Ebenezer cider mill and the former Ebenezer general store on Main Street is an apartment building, Pace said.

The West Seneca Town Board will conduct a public hearing at 6 p.m. Aug. 15 on the proposed landmarks preservation law creating a commission.

The first year or two its going to be a lot of work for the commission because nothing has been done, Pace said. Its going to take a while until finally we get a handle on what we have.

If the proposal is approved, commission members would be appointed by the Town Board and supervisor. They are to include a historian, architect or engineer, and real estate professional and have an interest in historic preservation.

Then the town would apply to the State Historic Preservation Office to become certified.

To obtain the status, the town must have historic preservation codes enacted, have a commission and start making an effort to preserve properties. There is an appeals process if a property owner does not agree with the commission on repairs or restorations.

Its really set up to help the owners, not to make it harder for them, Pace said.

The town needs a historic survey to determine where historic structures are located. The commission would determine which buildings should be designated, and the Town Board would make the final decision.

The Village of Hamburg has had a Historic Preservation Commission for years and has a national historic district along Main Street. But the town established a historic preservation advisory committee last year. The committee recommended landmark status for the former Bayview Hotel at Hoover Beach.

Jack Edson, chairman of the advisory committee, said Hamburg started attracting population because of the great farm land and the water.

Much of the great old buildings got replaced before the Depression. All these wooden buildings got knocked down and the-two story brick building got built on their sites, Edson said. Whatever we have that still exists is very valuable.
Xinhua News Agency: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi just wrapped up attending the ASEAN-plus foreign ministers meetings. Whats your comment on the outcomes of these meetings?

Wang Wenbin: From August 4 to August 5, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers Meeting, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting. This is the first time that the ASEAN-plus foreign ministers meetings are held physically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the meetings, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated on Chinas propositions on China-ASEAN cooperation, East Asian cooperation and regional security cooperation and held in-depth exchange of views with other participating countries on strengthening solidarity and cooperation, maintaining security in Asia and promoting recovery and development.

First, the need to uphold ASEAN centrality and practice open regionalism. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out the importance to keep East Asian cooperation in the right direction, uphold the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, adhere to the Asian way, consolidate the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture, strengthen the ASEAN-centered cooperation platform, reject drawing ideological lines, oppose the introduction of bloc confrontation, prevent small exclusive groupings from impacting the regional architecture. The Chinese side also distributed documents such as the Position Paper of the Peoples Republic of China on Supporting ASEAN Centrality in the Evolving Regional Architecture and a list of cooperation initiatives and projects in four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Foreign ministers attending the meetings expressed appreciation for Chinas long-standing support for ASEAN centrality.

Second, the need to deepen post-COVID recovery cooperation. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed that in pursuing regional cooperation, countries should continue to give priority to development and peoples livelihood, and increase input in poverty alleviation and other fields, to better solve the development issue and achieve common development. China supports ASEAN in setting up regional vaccine production and distribution centers and strengthening capacity building in public health. We call for efforts to implement the cooperation initiative on global food security, jointly promote energy security and availability, and ensure a stable energy supply. We call for efforts to support the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, keep the functioning of industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, and build a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and an Asia-Pacific Economic Community. China is willing to arrange a special allocation for RCEP economic and technical cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund. China supports the building of the APT Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies. China will increase financial support for the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve. It is important to expand exchanges and cooperation in digital infrastructure, e-commerce, digital logistics, smart cities and other fields. Countries need to work for the establishment of an APT low-carbon cooperative partnership.

All parties agreed to accelerate regional economic integration, fully implement RCEP, deepen cooperation in public health, digital economy, green development and other fields to achieve low-carbon and sustainable development and better benefit the people of all countries.

Third, the need to uphold regional peace and stability. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that countries should promote common security, attach importance to and show respect for other countries legitimate security concerns, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. All countries should earnestly abide by the UN Charter and international law, jointly maintain the international system with the United Nations at its core, and uphold the international order underpinned by international law, instead of imposing the so-called "rules" of an individual country or a bloc of countries on other states and coercing them into taking sides. China opposes the action of certain major countries to wantonly advance unilateralism, still less will China accept illegal sanctions and acts of suppression.

China has played a constructive role in further promoting the sound and solid development of East Asian cooperation and demonstrated its sense of responsibility as a major country.

During the meetings, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi further elaborated on Chinas stern position on the USs provocation that infringed upon Chinas sovereignty. He stressed that the one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The true guardrails for peaceful coexistence between China and the US are the three China-US joint communiques. Seeking independence by soliciting US support is a dead end and attempts to use Taiwan to contain China are doomed to fail. The US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting Chinas Taiwan region in disregard of Chinas grave concern and firm opposition. The Chinese side absolutely needed to respond resolutely to it. Chinas position is justified, reasonable and lawful; our measures are firm, strong and proportionate; and Chinas military exercises are open, transparent and professional. They are consistent with domestic and international laws, as well as international practices. China is not only firmly safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also upholding the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, particularly non-interference in countries internal affairs, which is the most important international norm enshrined in the UN Charter. That is why more than 100 countries have openly reiterated their firm commitment to the one-China policy and said that they understand and support Chinas legitimate position.

Many foreign ministers at the meeting said that they adhere to the one-China policy and understand and support the necessary measures China has taken to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ASEAN foreign ministers released a statement on the cross-Strait development reiterating ASEAN Member States support for the one-China policy.

Prensa Latina: Right now Cuba is facing one of its worst fires in a few depots. So the Cuban government calls for international help and many countries have answered to that call. Whats Chinas comment about this tragedy? And does China have plans to offer help and aid to the Cuban government in this situation?

Wang Wenbin: China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades and good brothers. We express our sorrow and condolences for the loss of life in the accident and extend sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured. The Red Cross Society of China has decided to offer emergency humanitarian assistance to the Red Cross Society of Cuba. We stand ready to provide the Cuban side with further assistance.

China Review News: Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said recently that Japan strongly condemned Chinas firing of missiles during military drills after they landed in Japans exclusive economic zone (EEZ), adding that theyve noted China doesnt agree to this. He also called it a problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens and has a serious impact on the peace and stability of ... the international community. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: We are firmly against Japans erroneous remarks and groundless accusations. Either legally, politically or morally, Japan is in no position, and has no right to make such remarks on the Taiwan question.

Recently, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has seriously refuted the Japanese sides remarks at the East Asia cooperation foreign ministers meetings. Japan once illegally invaded and occupied Taiwan and kept the island under its colonial rule for as long as five decades. It has killed more than 600,000 of our Taiwan compatriots, plundered local resources there, and forcibly recruited laborers from countries in East Asia and elsewhere, many of whom were tortured to death. The Cairo Declaration jointly issued by China, the US and the UK in 1943 stipulates clearly that all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, shall be restored to China. Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation published in 1945 stipulates that the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out. Later Japan accepted the Potsdam Proclamation and announced unconditional surrender. The China-Japan joint statement signed in 1972 when the two countries normalized their diplomatic relations clearly stipulates that The Government of the Peoples Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the Peoples Republic of China. The Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation. Japan must never forget that part of history and there is a need for Japan to reflect on it from time to time.

Japan has adopted such an assertive tone on the Taiwan question lately. Does it mean Japan has forgotten the commitments it made when signing the China-Japan joint statement? Does it mean Japan intends to subvert the political foundation of China-Japan relations? Does it mean that Japan has the ambition of laying its hands on Chinas Taiwan region again? Does it mean that Japan is ready to use this as a pretext to expand military buildup, forsake its pacifist constitution and stop following the path of peaceful development? The Japanese side needs to give the international community a responsible explanation to all these questions.

As to Japans claim that Chinas military drills have infringed on Japans so-called EEZ, since China and Japan have yet to carry out maritime delimitation in relevant waters, how could areas there be called Japans EEZ? Taiwan is part of Chinas territory. China has conducted normal military drills in waters off its own territory. This move is open, transparent, professional and in line with Chinas domestic law, international law and established international practices. This is both a warning we send to the provocateurs and a legitimate step to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China urges the Japanese side to earnestly reflect upon its history of aggression, fully understand the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question, abide by the principles of the four China-Japan political documents and the commitments it has made, stop echoing the USs negative rhetoric and act, stop following the USs erroneous behavior of containing China using the Taiwan question, and avoid further causing serious harm to bilateral relations.

Bloomberg: Can you help us understand if the drills in the immediate area of Taiwan have ceased as scheduled? Last week you announced some drills in the area. My question is, have they ceased as scheduled or are there ongoing military drills that you can share more details with us?

Wang Wenbin: The Chinese military has issued a notice on that. Let me refer you to that.

AFP: As you mentioned, the Chinese military said today that it will continue to carry out joint exercises around Taiwan. What is the reason for this? Is this part of the countermeasures against Pelosis Taiwan visit? And if so, why were the exercises last week not considered sufficient?

Wang Wenbin: In total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the Chinese side and with the connivance and arrangement of the US government, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi went ahead with the visit to Chinas Taiwan region. This reckless move seriously undermined Chinas sovereignty, seriously interfered in Chinas internal affairs, seriously violated the commitments made by the US side, and seriously jeopardized peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. As State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out, Chinas position is justified, reasonable and lawful; our measures are firm, strong and proportionate; and our military exercises are open, transparent and professional. They are consistent with domestic and international laws, as well as international practices. They are aimed at sending a warning to the perpetrator and punishing the Taiwan independence forces. We will firmly safeguard Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely stop the USs attempt to play the Taiwan card to contain China, and shatter the Taiwan authorities wishful thinking to pursue Taiwan independence by soliciting the support of the US. By doing so, China is also upholding the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, particularly non-interference in countries internal affairs, which is the most important international norm enshrined in the UN Charter.

Anadolu Agency: The drills are mentioned in previous questions. But the Notice to Airmen, NOTAM, which was published for those activities, expired yesterday on August 7, at noon. To continue the exercises seems like a move which is not very consistent with the internationally customary practices. So will NOTAM for those new exercises be declared? Will there be any warning for civilian shipping or air traffic?

Wang Wenbin: Taiwan is part of Chinas territory. Chinas normal military exercises are open, transparent and professional. Relevant authorities have issued notices in a timely manner. They are consistent with domestic and international laws, as well as established international practices. This serves as a message of warning to the provocateurs and is also a legitimate move to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Phoenix TV: On August 5, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa released a joint statement after holding a trilateral strategic dialogue. There is no change in the respective one China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of Australia, Japan, or the United States, they said in the statement. Similar wording was found in the statement released earlier by the G7 foreign ministers and the EU High Representative last week. Whats Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: The one-China principle is an established international consensus and widely accepted basic norm in international relations. It constitutes part of the post-WWII world order and is affirmed in UNGA Resolution 2758. It is the political foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and countries in the world. The UN Secretariat stressed in legal opinions that the United Nations considers Taiwan as a province of China with no separate status. Certain countries have unilaterally added preconditions and provisos to the one-China policy in an attempt to distort, fudge and hollow out their one-China commitment. This is illegal, null and void. China is firmly against this.

The definition of the one-China principle is crystal clear, i.e., there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The applicability of this principle is universal, unconditional and indisputable. All countries having diplomatic relations with China and all Member States of the UN should unconditionally adhere to the one-China principle and follow the guidance of UNGA Resolution 2758. What some individual countries have done is essentially an attempt to misrepresent and distort the one-China principle. This is in effect challenging the basic principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations. This is also a challenge to the post-WWII world order.

A person without credibility has no place in society; and a country that loses its credibility would falter. We urge certain countries to make sure that they read about the history, abide by the commitments they seriously made in black and white and recognize how dangerous and detrimental it is to act in bad faith and to justify the Taiwan independence separatist forces. Attempts to challenge the one-China principle, international rule of law and the international order are bound to be rejected by the international community and get nowhere.

The Hindu: This is a question on the visit of a Chinese ship to Sri Lanka. Reports said Chinas Ambassador to Sri Lanka met with President Wickremesinghe on Saturday. This followed the request from Sri Lanka that China delay the visit of the research vessel Yuan Wang 5. Can you confirm that Sri Lanka made this request to delay the visit and do you also have a response?

Wang Wenbin: I have noted relevant reports and would like to stress two points. First, Sri Lanka is a transportation hub in the Indian Ocean. Scientific research vessels from various countries including China have made port calls in Sri Lanka for replenishment. China always exercises freedom of the high seas in accordance with law and fully respects coastal countries jurisdiction over scientific research activities in waters under their jurisdiction. Second, Sri Lanka is a sovereign country. It has the right to develop relations with other countries based on its development interests. To have normal cooperation is the independent choice made by our two countries. It serves the shared interests of both sides and does not target any third party. It is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called security concerns to pressure Sri Lanka. As Sri Lanka grapples with economic and political difficulties, to grossly interfere in Sri Lankas normal exchange and cooperation with other countries is to exploit its vulnerability, which is morally irresponsible and against the basic norms governing international relations. We urge the relevant parties to see Chinas marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka.

CCTV: About the joint statement on the situation across the Taiwan Strait and the Taiwan question released by the Australian Foreign Minister together with the US Secretary of State and the Japanese Foreign Minister after their trilateral strategic dialogue, how does China see this move by Australia against the background of the current atmosphere of China-Australia relations?

Wang Wenbin: I just stated Chinas position on the statement by the US, Australia and Japan. The Australian side, in disregard of facts, has wantonly criticized Chinas legitimate, justified and lawful measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Australias act violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, grossly interferes in Chinas internal affairs, and undermines regional peace and stability. China firmly opposes it.

In the past few years, China-Australia relations have experienced serious difficulties for reasons caused by the Australian side. The merits of the issues involved are quite clear. Chinas position on developing relations with Australia is consistent and clear. The sound and steady development of China-Australia relations serves the fundamental interests and shared aspirations of the two peoples. We urge the Australian side to develop a clear understanding of the situation, pursue the right course, respect Chinas core interests and major concerns, abide by the one-China principle, observe basic norms governing international relations, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, stop saying or doing the things that undermine regional peace and stability, refrain from echoing or assisting certain countries misguided strategy of using the Taiwan question to contain China, and avoid creating new obstacles for China-Australia ties.

China-Arab TV: Last week, your colleague shared some information about the visit to Xinjiang by diplomats from Islamic countries. Could you give us more on the visit?

Wang Wenbin: From August 1 to August 5, a delegation of diplomatic envoys posted in China from 30 Islamic countries, including Algeria, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, visited the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region upon invitation. The delegation visited Kashgar, Aksu and Urumqi, and they visited mosques, Islamic institutes, grassroot communities, cotton fields and the former sites of vocational education centers, among others. They also visited Uyghur families, talked to local religious figures, toured an exhibition on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization, and saw with their own eyes that people from all ethnic backgrounds live in harmony, their freedom of religious belief are fully protected and breakthroughs have been made in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, which is the true reality in Xinjiang. Members of the delegation commended the Chinese governments approach of putting people at the center and enormous effort and achievement in Xinjiangs economic development and ethnic solidarity. They said that the fruits in Xinjiang taste so sweet, and the life of the people there is just as sweet as the fruits. They said that people in Xinjiang live a happy, free, harmonious and peaceful life, who enjoy freedom of religious belief, and the languages and cultural heritage there are well protected. The envoys said they have full confidence in the future of Xinjiang and hope their countries can share with Xinjiang the opportunities presented by Belt and Road cooperation and have more cooperation in infrastructure construction, modern agricultural development, and education and scientific research with Xinjiang.

Seeing is believing. This is not the first time a foreign delegation to Xinjiang has made such remarks. It is the people of Xinjiang who have the best say in whether the situation of human rights and the freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang is good or not, and the international community also bears witness to this. Since December 2018, more than 2,000 people from various sectors from over 100 countries and regions have visited Xinjiang and seen with their own eyes the social stability, economic prosperity, ethnic harmony and peoples happy life in Xinjiang. At the recent session of the UN Human Rights Council, nearly 100 countries unanimously spoke up in support of the just position of the Chinese government and opposed interference in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

A few Western politicians would rather believe the lies concocted by a handful of individuals than listen to the shared voice of the more than 25 million people in Xinjiang. They would rather be part of the clumsy stunt of a few anti-China forces than face up to Xinjiangs development and progress. We urge these Western politicians to listen more to the just voice of the international community, stop confounding black and white and spreading lies, and stop trying to disrupt Xinjiang or to contain China with Xinjiang-related issues.

Reuters: Whats the agenda for the South Korean Foreign Ministers visit in China? Will he be meeting with the Chinese officials face-to-face? And what does China hope to get out of visit?

Wang Wenbin: Last week, the Chinese side released announcement on the visit by ROK Foreign Minister Park Jin to China upon invitation. During his visit in China, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with him. China will put out timely readouts. Please check back for updates.

Kyodo News: Have the military drills scheduled to conclude at noon of August 7 ended?

Wang Wenbin: You may refer to the information put out by the Chinese military.

Bloomberg: I just want to clarify, did the ASEAN group support China on the recent Taiwan actions? Im asking because Antony Blinken is also citing ASEAN supporting the US position. I wonder if you could clarify a little bit about the ASEAN response specifically on recent Taiwan actions by China?

Wang Wenbin: I am happy to share with you some details in this regard.

The ASEAN foreign ministers released a statement on the cross-Strait development reiterating their commitment to the one-China policy.

The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos released a statement saying the following: The Lao PDR reaffirms its consistent policy of supporting One China Policy and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and opposes any intention aiming at creating a situation for two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. The Lao PDR reiterates its support for the policy of the Government of the Peoples Republic of China on the national reunification by peaceful means.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said the US has recently violated Chinas sovereignty, reneged on its own promise and heightened the tension across the Taiwan Strait, which exposed Washingtons failure to match its words with actions as well as its hegemonic nature. Cambodia supports Chinas effort to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, and respond firmly to the provocative moves of the US.

Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said during talks with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the East Asia cooperation foreign ministers meetings that Singapore has a clear and consistent One China policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence and any unilateral moves to change the status quo.

The Malaysian Prime Ministers Special Envoy to China Tiong King Sing released a statement urging Western nations against practicing double standards, trying to compare Taiwan with Ukraine. On the one hand, they condemn Russias aggression against Ukraine ... but, on the other hand, they intend to interfere in the internal affairs of the Taiwan Strait region, he said. These acts are typical examples of using democracy as a pretext to interfere in and infringe upon other countries sovereignty in violation of basic principles of international law.

In fact, not just ASEAN countries, more than 170 countries in the international community have voiced staunch support for China on the Taiwan question through various means. They form an overwhelming majority versus the US and its few followers.

Global Times: According to reports, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on countries with nuclear weapons to commit to the no first use policy and stressed that it is totally unacceptable to admit the possibility of a nuclear war while attending the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6 in Hiroshima, Japan. This is the first time a UN Secretary-General has made this call, according to a UN official. Whats Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: We applaud Secretary-General Antonio Guterress call for relevant parties to commit to the no first use of nuclear weapons. Since the first day of possession of nuclear weapons, China has advocated for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. We have pledged to no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances and pledged unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China is the only one among the five nuclear weapon states to have made these pledges. We call on the other nuclear weapon states to adopt the same policy so as to jointly safeguard global strategic stability and effectively reduce the risks of a nuclear war.

Reuters: The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines said today in Taipei that the Chinese military drills wont prevent him from visiting friends. Whats Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: Just now I made it clear that Chinas military exercises are open, transparent and professional. They are consistent with domestic and international laws, as well as international practices. They are aimed at sending a warning to the perpetrator and punishing the Taiwan independence forces. The vast majority of countries in the world have expressed their understanding and support.

As to the remarks you mentioned, I want to stress that theres only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. No one can change this fact no matter what pretext or gambit they use. Standing up for the one-China principle is the right thing to do. It has the overwhelming support of the international community and represents the trend of the world. We believe relevant countries will eventually recognize this trend and make a decision that is consistent with where the trend is leading at an early date.

Beijing Youth Daily: A ceremony was held in Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6 to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in his remarks that Japan will endeavor toward a world without nuclear weapons, no matter how narrow, steep, or difficult that path may be and that Japan will be firmly upholding the Three Non-Nuclear Principles toward that end. What is Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports. Conversations about the atomic bombing must not be disconnected from its historical context. The Japanese side mentioned the bombing itself without any deep reflection on the history of aggression. I wonder how the intentional community, including the US, thinks of this.

Japan, as the only country ever hit by a nuclear strike, has long styled itself as a model student in international nuclear disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation, and advocates a world without nuclear weapons. In reality, however, Japan has been sitting comfortably under the USs nuclear umbrella. It opposes and obstructs the USs relinquishing its policy of first use of nuclear weapons. Some Japanese politicians have even clamored for nuclear sharing with the US and claimed that the USs deployment of nuclear weapons in Japan should not be a taboo topic. The Japanese government not only connives at such discussion, but also deleted the formulation of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles in the report submitted to the 10th Review Conference of the NPT. People couldnt help but ask: What is Japans real intention? Can its actions match its words regarding nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation?

We urge Japan, as a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT, to earnestly fulfill its international obligations, strictly abide by its Three Non-Nuclear Principles, not to develop or introduce nuclear weapons and take real actions to contribute to a vision of a world without nuclear weapons.

Beijing Daily: Recent conflicts between Israel and an armed group in Palestine caused mass casualties on the Palestinian side. On August 7, the two sides reached a ceasefire under Egypts mediation. What is Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: The recent conflict between Israel and Palestine has caused many civilian casualties, including children. It is indeed very heartrending. China firmly opposes and condemns all violence targeting civilians. We welcome the ceasefire under Egypts mediation and appreciate the efforts of the Egyptian side. As the situation is still fragile at the moment, we urgent all parties, especially the Israeli side, to exercise restraint, follow relevant UN resolutions, avoid escalating the tension again and safeguard stability of the Palestine-Israel situation.

The underlying reason for the recurrent conflicts between Israel and Palestine is the absence of the implementation of the two-state solution and long denial of the Palestinian peoples legitimate appeal of establishing an independent state. China calls for a more authoritative and more influential international peace conference at a larger scale to work for a lasting and just solution to the question of Palestine on the basis of the two-state solution. China will continue to firmly support the Palestinians in their just cause of restoring their legitimate rights and will continue to make relentless efforts for that.

Bloomberg: On Friday, there was an announcement whereby China listed many different areas where communication between it and the US would either be curtailed or stopped completely. I wonder if you could tell us about what areas will continue to be open for discussion, where lines of communication will remain open between China and the US?

Wang Wenbin: For any dialogue and communication to happen, there needs to be sincerity in the first place. China will continue to make demarches to the US side over Pelosis visit to the Taiwan region. We urge the US to earnestly reflect on and immediately correct its mistakes, stop its connivance at and support for Taiwan independence separatist forces, and stop playing the Taiwan card to contain China. At present, it is particularly important for the US to stop confounding right with wrong and deflecting blame, and stop escalating the situation and aggravating the crisis. The US needs to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques with real actions.

The Paper: Recently, Azerbaijani and Armenian troops exchanged fire multiple times at the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, which claimed one life on the Azerbaijani side and two on the Armenian side, and wounded many. What is Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports. Azerbaijan and Armenia are both friendly cooperation partners of China. We hope both sides can comply with the ceasefire consensus, avoid further escalation of the situation and address tensions and differences through political dialogue.

Reuters: According to Myanmars state media, the Ambassador to China recently passed away. Could you confirm that China is aware of this and is China aware of how he passed away?

Wang Wenbin: What you said is true. Since Ambassador U Myo Thant Pe assumed office in 2019, he had been actively promoting the development of China-Myanmar relations. We expressed our deep grief and regret for his sudden passing and extend our deep condolences and sympathies to his family. China is in close communication with the Myanmar side over the ambassadors passing and will do all we can to provide convenience to the Myanmar side over the follow-up matters.

China Daily: According to reports, a White House spokesperson said on August 6 that Chinas activities in and around the Taiwan Strait are a significant escalation in its efforts to change the status quo and they are provocative and irresponsible. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: The USs mischaracterization of those events does not cover up one obvious fact: it is the US that is seeking to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and causing the situation to escalate; it is the US that has made wanton provocations; and it is the US that has acted irresponsibly.

Since four months ago, China has time and again made clear to the US through multiple channels and at various levels our stern position on Pelosis visit to the Taiwan region. We have been stressing that such a visit would seriously violate the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques and constitute a major escalation of US provocations. We have also made clear that the Chinese side would not sit idly by in the event of such a visit; that the US side must not harbor any illusion or miscalculate on this; and that all consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the US side. China has tried every means and done everything possible to warn about the consequences of such a visit. However, the US has chosen to pursue the wrong course of action in disregard of Chinas dissuasion and warnings. Just as State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, what has happened is single-handedly orchestrated and provoked by the US and the context, cause and course of events are crystal clear. China has taken legitimate countermeasures only after the US made the provocation. Our countermeasures are aimed to uphold Chinas sovereignty and security and consistent with international law and Chinas domestic law. The US has been going down a wrong path which deviates from its commitment to the one-China principle, and yet it accuses China of escalating the situation. This is gangster logic.

I have to point out that Chinas resolute countermeasures against Pelosis visit is not only a necessary step to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also a legitimate move to safeguard the basic norms governing international relations and the international order established after WWII. The one-China principle has been recognized by the UN and the overwhelming majority of countries in the world, and it has become a widely accepted basic norm in international relations and constitutes an important part of the post-WWII world order. To resolutely uphold the one-China principle and firmly reject attempts to fudge and hollow out the one-China policy is to unequivocally uphold the principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs and the principle in international law of respecting countries sovereignty and territorial integrity. For quite some time, in the name of democracy and human rights, the US has wantonly interfered in the internal affairs of developing countries and launched military interventions and aggression against them. That poses the biggest threat to regional and international security. By firmly opposing the USs provocations on the Taiwan question, we are saying no to the USs bullying and highhandedness, protecting cross-Strait peace and regional stability, and upholding international fairness and justice.

Chinas legitimate measures have won broad support from the international community. More than 170 countries in the world have voiced their strong support for China to uphold its sovereignty and the one-China principle. They overwhelmingly outnumber the US and its few supporters. If the US acts wantonly and arbitrarily on the Taiwan question, neither the Chinese people, nor people elsewhere in the world will say yes to this.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Monday that each side is shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling caused a power surge and fire and forced staff to lower output from two reactors, while Ukraine has blamed Russian troops for storing weapons there.

Nuclear experts have warned that more shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which was captured by Russia early in the war, is fraught with danger.

The Kremlin echoed that Monday, claiming that Kyiv was attacking the plant and urging Western powers to force a stop to that.

Shelling of the territory of the nuclear plant by the Ukrainian armed forces is highly dangerous, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Its fraught with catastrophic consequences for vast territories, for the entire Europe.

Ukraine's military intelligence spokesman, Andriy Yusov, countered that Russian forces have planted explosives at the plant to head off an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region. Previously, Ukrainian officials have said Russia is launching attacks from the plant and using Ukrainian workers there as human shields.

Yusov called on Russia to "make a goodwill gesture and hand over control of the plant to an international commission and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), if not to the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, likewise urged that the United Nations, the IAEA and the international community send a delegation to completely demilitarize the territory and provide security guarantees to plant employees and the city where the plant is based, Enerhodar.

The IAEA is the U.N.s nuclear watchdog. Its director-general, Rafael Grossi, told The Associated Press last week that the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia plant is completely out of control, and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to allow experts to visit the complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support for that idea Monday, saying, "any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing.

One expert in nuclear materials at Imperial College London said the reactor at Zaporizhzhia is modern and housed inside a heavily reinforced steel-and-concrete building designed to protect against disasters.

As such, I do not believe there would be a high probably of a breach of the containment building, even if it was accidently struck by an explosive shell, and even less likely the reactor itself could be damaged, said Mark Wenman at the college's Nuclear Energy Futures.

He also said the complex's spent fuel tanks, where the shells reportedly hit, are strong and probably don't contain much spent fuel.

Although it may seem worrying, and any fighting on a nuclear site would be illegal according to international law, the likelihood of a serious nuclear release is still small, he said.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the attack Sunday caused a power surge and smoke, triggering an emergency shutdown. Fire teams extinguished flames, and the plants personnel lowered the output of reactors No. 5 and No. 6 to 500 megawatts, he said.

And the head of the Ukrainian company operating the plant said all but one power line connecting it to Ukraines energy system had been destroyed. Petro Kotin, head of the Ukrainian state corporation Eherhoatom, blamed Russian shelling and said a blackout would be very unsafe for such a nuclear facility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried the shelling and mining of the plant and called it nuclear blackmail. He called for sanctions against Moscows nuclear industry.

As fighting continued on the front lines, the United States on Monday pledged another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine. It would be the biggest delivery yet of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from U.S. Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces.

The latest announcement brings total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $9.1 billion since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24.

Ukraines presidential office said the Russians had shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the previous 24 hours, killing five people. Among the targets, it said, was Nikopol, just across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia plant. Thousands of people were without electricity there.

Russian rockets and artillery also hit across the Sumy region, killing one person, and the Ukrainian governor of the eastern Donetsk region said the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Lyman had emerged as fighting hotspots.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian-controlled areas in the south, officials there said, including the strategic Antonivskiy bridge in the southern city of Kherson. An artery for Russian military supplies, the bridge has been closed in recent weeks because of earlier shelling. Plans to reopen it on Wednesday were now shelved, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration of the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, one of the ships that left Ukraine on Friday under a deal to unblock grain supplies and stave off a global food crisis arrived in Turkey, the first loaded vessel to reach its destination. The Turkey-flagged Polarnet was laden with 12,000 tons of corn.

This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine wont abandon you, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. If Russia sticks to its obligations, the grain corridor will keep maintaining global food security.

Twelve ships have now been authorized to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations  10 outbound and two inbound. Some 322,000 metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports, the bulk of it corn but also sunflower oil and soya.

Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday were expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening for inspection to make sure they are carrying only food.

The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which left Odesa on Aug. 1, hit a snag with delivery, however. It was heading for Lebanon with 26,000 metric tons of corn for chicken feed but the corns buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the cargo, since it was delivered much later than its contract, Ukraine's embassy in Beirut said.

Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Mehmet Guzel in Derince, Turkey, and Andrew Wilks in Istanbul contributed.

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The U.S. deputy secretary of state said Monday the prime minister of the Solomon Islands missed an important opportunity by failing to attend a memorial service to mark the anniversary of a key World War II battle, amid concerns the South Pacific island nation is building closer ties with China.

Wendy Sherman and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy were among dignitaries who attended a dawn service near the capital of Honiara on Sunday to commemorate the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Shermans father, Marine Mal Sherman, and Kennedys father, the late President John F. Kennedy, almost died in fighting on the Solomons. Kennedy had been the commander of a patrol torpedo boat that was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Sherman was wounded during the Guadalcanal campaign, which was the Japanese armys first defeat of WWII.

Local media reported that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who signed a security pact with China this year, appeared to have snubbed the ceremony, a claim his office later denied.

Sherman declined to say whether she considered the prime ministers absence a snub. She said Sogavare will have to answer to his own citizens about why he made the choice that he did, in an apparent reference to the next election.

I said to the prime minister directly that I was so sorry that obviously his schedule did not allow him to come because he missed an important opportunity, Sherman told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

This was a place where international leaders gathered to say that the work with Solomon Islanders, at the time of World War II, was decisive in victory, in ensuring freedom and democracy. And so I really felt sorry for the prime minister because I think he missed an important opportunity, she added.

Sogavare denied a snub, telling the Solomons Star News newspaper in a statement that the government was well represented at all events over three days marking the anniversary at ministerial levels.

The statement said newspaper claims of a snub were misleading and lacked understanding of protocols applied at such events.

The pact with China has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australias northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, the U.S. territory that hosts major military bases.

Both the Solomons and China have denied their pact will lead to a Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific.

Sherman said Sogavare had repeated the assurance during her recent visit that there would be no Chinese base.

This is a situation where we will all watch very carefully to see what happens here. It is quite critical, Sherman said.

In April, a U.S. delegation to Honiara led by Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, warned that the United States would take unspecified action against the Solomons should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

Sogavare accused the U.S. and Australia of threatening and disrespectful behavior.

Chinas growing influence in the Pacific has led the United States to commit to reopening an embassy in Honiara that it closed in 1993. Washington has also committed to opening embassies in Tonga and Kiribati, a Micronesian state that, like the Solomons, recently switched its allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing.

A Solomons ceremony on Monday, a day after the commemoration that Sherman and Kennedy attended, was briefly interrupted when an assailant armed with a pair of scissors attacked a Japanese sailor.

Radio New Zealand reported that the victim was part of a Japanese navy media team and was stabbed in the neck, receiving minor injuries.

The report quoted medics as saying the sailor required stitches but was doing well. Bloody Ridge community chief Wesley Ramo said the suspect was from a neighboring community and was under the influence and mentally unstable.

Also attending the ceremony were Makoto Oniki, Japans state minister of defense, and Peeni Henare, New Zealands defense minister.

The suspect reportedly tackled the sailor to the ground during the attack before locals and U.S. military personnel stepped in and detained him. Police then took him away. The ceremony resumed after a short break.
It shouldnt have been a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Even then, to be confronted with evidence of the nations loose network of violent white supremacists remains disturbing.

Buffalo saw it play out in horrifying fashion three months ago when 10 innocent people, all Black, were murdered, allegedly by a gunman who had posted on fringe social media sites about his hatred for African-Americans. Those sites, which praised the killings, are using them to find and encourage others polluted with the same loathing of people whose skin is a darker shade.

These extremists may be relatively small in numbers, but the internet has allowed them to find each other and radicalize new recruits. That increases their influence, while easy access to military-style weapons raises their threat.

Its not just white supremacists, either, as the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection made plain to anyone not wearing political blinders. The issue is domestic terrorism in all its forms, largely fueled by right-wing extremists.

Indeed, the federal government has reported that domestic terrorism is a greater threat today than the foreign brand. In February testimony, Seth G. Jones, senior vice president of the Center for Strategic & International Studies, told as much to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. The threat from domestic terrorism in the United States is serious and continues to evolve, including the threat to minority populations, he said.

As a Sunday story in The Buffalo News reported, fringe sites such as 4chan and others glorify racist shootings, including the May 14 attack at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo. Their goal is not necessarily to create an army of loyal followers, said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism. The aim, he said, is to radicalize:  to find that one guy on 4chan who will click the link, watch the video, save the manifesto in some folder on his computer. And in a year and a half, when he hits that point where  he feels like theres no other answer, he opens up the PDF, looks up where the gun was from  and goes and makes an order.

Political extremists are hard at work, too. One of the Jan. 6. rioters warned that Americans needed to see what was happening. I felt like I had, you know, like horse blinders on, Stephen Ayres testified last month to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Biggest thing for me is take the blinders off. Make sure you step back and see whats going on, before its too late.

A former leader of the Oath Keepers radical group was even blunter in his warning. Testifying in the same public session as Ayres, Jason Van Tatenhove said violence remains threat: Weve gotten exceedingly lucky that more bloodshed did not happen, because the potential has been there from the start, he said, later adding that I do fear for this next election cycle, because who knows what that might bring? He blamed former President Donald Trump.

The threat plainly includes easy access to guns, which the Buffalo shooting suspect was easily able to obtain, despite evident emotional issues. And the Jan. 6 crowd that surged from Trumps inciting rally to the Capitol was armed, as another witness told the committee.

Some commentators and politicians on the right say the principal need is for better mental health counseling and preventing such people from acquiring weapons. But, citing the Second Amendment, they stop short of controlling access to weapons whose only purpose is mass murder.

The suspect in the Buffalo massacre used that kind of firearm. So did the killer of children in Uvalde, Texas, the suspect in a July mall shooting in Greenwood, Ind., and many others  too many to doubt the need to better restrict access to such weapons. As even the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once observed, the Second Amendment doesnt prohibit all restrictions on firearms.

The fact is, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Improved mental health services obviously are necessary; theres no need to doubt that. But so are stronger laws on access to certain weapons, infiltration of extremist groups and close monitoring of radical websites. Efforts such as the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team proposed by Erie County Sheriff John Garcia and funded by the County Legislature are crucial parts of the puzzle.

All of which is to say that the county, state and country need to heed Ayres warning and take the blinders off. That includes its politicians, candidates and especially voters, including those in the newly redrawn 23rd Congressional District. One of the Republican candidates for that seat, Carl Paladino, saw fit to repost a vile Facebook message that linked the mass killings in Buffalo and Texas to false flag conspiracy theories that claim government involvement in similar tragedies. That primary election will be held on Aug. 23.

  

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.
home-sales-0808

Good Morning!

The toll that rising interest rates are taking across Canadas housing markets became even more apparent this past week as reports from local real estate boards revealed the downturn was deepening from coast to coast.

Prices are sliding fast, and the exuberance that permeated these markets earlier this year is being replaced by fear, wrote RBC assistant chief economist Robert Hogue in a recent note.

In the Toronto and Vancouver areas, the decline in activity is quickly becoming one of the deepest of the past half a century.

Apart from the dive housing took in the early COVID-19 lockdown, home sales in Toronto have fallen to the slowest pace in 13 years, Hogue said.

Meanwhile, inventories are climbing quickly, up 58% from a year ago, and buyers are now managing to get meaningful price concessions from sellers, he said.

Since March the composite MLS Home Price Index has shed $178,000, or 13%, falling to $1.16 million. In July alone prices declined 3.9% or $47,000.

Toronto is not a buyers market yet, according to the sales to new listings ratio, but RBC expects home hunters in the GTA to continue to find better deals, especially in the 905 areas outside of the core where prices soared during the pandemic.

Vancouver, where home sales are down 40% over the past four months, is also experiencing a big chill. July saw an estimated 9% decline.

Home prices have fallen 4.5% since April, or more than $57,000, but RBC thinks the correction here is still in its early stages.

It expects prices to fall more rapidly in coming months, especially in the detached home sector.

The heavy hit to Canadas two most expensive cities was predictable, but signs of the correction are now cropping up in more affordable cities as well.

The downturn may be more contained in other markets but unmistaken nonetheless, wrote Hogue.

Home sales in Montreal this year have been slowing gradually and by July had declined to 17% below pre-pandemic levels. That and a rise in inventories have returned the market to balance, said Hogue.

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Previously this had just slowed the growth in prices, but July could be a turning point, with both single-family homes and condo prices actually declining.

This development took place across the region, suggesting a board-based price correction may be underway, said Hogue.

Even in Calgary, this years real estate star, there are signs the market is softening. Home sales remain at historically high levels, but have calmed since the buying frenzy seen at the beginning of the year.

Higher interest rates are pushing buyers to more affordable options, like condos, and demand for more expensive detached homes is down.

Calgarys composite MLS HPI peaked in May and has slipped lower since, he said.

A speedy rise to interest rates are the reason for the cross-country correction and with rates expected to go even higher (RBC forecasts another 75 basis by the fall) it will only get worse.

We expect the downturn to intensify and spread further as buyers take a wait-and-see approach while ascertaining the impact of higher lending rates, said Hogue.

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THE TEAM BEHIND THE NUMBER Canadians are in a historic, inflationary moment  the likes of which some have never seen in their lifetime. The drumbeat of grim, inflation statistics has been steadily pounding for over a year now, pushing the consumer price index to a high of 8.1% in June. But have you ever wondered who calculates the number and how they do it? The Financial Posts Joe OConnor goes behind the scenes at Statistics Canadas Consumer Price Division and meets economists like Andrew Barclay, above, to get the scoop on the price nerds. Photo by Statistics Canada

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Wayne Eyre, Canadas chief of the defence staff, will hold a media one-on-one call back on the topic of Arctic security and international collaboration following discussions with representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and the United States regarding the evolving security environment in the Arctic, opportunities for enhanced co-operation as well as Canadas Arctic defence capabilities and initiatives

Meeting requested by four members of the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities committee to discuss their request to undertake a study of airport delays and cancellations

Vic Fedeli, Ontario minister of economic development, job creation and trade, will make an announcement

A fireside chat with Katie Keita, Shopify Inc. senior director of investor relations, at the KeyBanc technology leadership forum in Vail, Colorado

Earnings: Barrick Gold, Hudbay Minerals, WSP Global, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, Curaleaf, Hudbay Minerals

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Canadas job numbers Friday surprised economists who had been expecting a gain in employment. Instead the economy shed almost 31,000 positions after losing 43,000 jobs in June. Many saw this as a sign that the economy is cooling, but dont think that will stop the Bank of Canada from hiking rates. For the Bank of Canada, the takeaway will be that while growth is clearly cooling, conditions remain drum-tight and wages are stirring, wrote BMO chief economist Douglas Porter after the data came out Friday. We believe this backdrop is consistent with another rate hike at the September meeting, but of a less aggressive nature than the mega 100 bp move in July. We look for a 50 bp hike at that time.

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The rise in food prices is pushing 10% and more than two in five Canadians say theyve been affected by rising costs.

With inflation impacting the prices of everyday goods, finding ways to save money on your grocery bill is more than welcome.

From planning ahead to buying ugly food, our content partner MoneyWise has six strategies to help you lower your costs the next time you go to the grocery store.

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Todays Posthaste was written by Pamela Heaven (@pamheaven), with additional reporting from The Canadian Press, Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg.

Have a story idea, pitch, embargoed report, or a suggestion for this newsletter? Email us at posthaste@postmedia.com, or hit reply to send us a note.

Listen to Down to Business for in-depth discussions and insights into the latest in Canadian business, available wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the latest episode below:

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Zion Mission Choir

Zion Mission Choir performing

Vancouver, BC, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Vancouver Zion Mission Choir will be performing at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at 7:00pm on August 25th, 2022. It will be a concert to remember, with a cause to match! In partnership with the Coram Deo Foundation, a division of Primacorp Ventures, and the Chung family, the event aims to raise funds to support educational programming for the deafblind community in South Korea.

The Vancouver Zion Mission Choir has been singing for the past 40 years in support of many local and global charitable needs. Dr. Stephanie Chung, the choirs conductor, and her husband Dr. Peter Chung, its president, founded the Coram Deo Foundation together to provide education, scholarships and funding to other charities in order to make an impact in their communities. Coram Deo is a registered Canadian charity that has donated millions of dollars and volunteer hours towards a plethora of humanitarian needs.

In collaboration with Coram Deo, the Vancouver Zion Mission Choir concert will support programming for some of the most underserved people in South Korea, the deafblind community. All proceeds raised from the concert event through ticket sales and donations will go towards a unique educational Healing Program that will offer much-needed support to a community often neglected by mainstream healthcare systems.

While there are some resources available to the deaf community as well as for those suffering from blindness, there has never been a program designed for the deafblind community. Not many people can imagine what it is like not to have access to two out of their five senses. Many of the Healing Program's recipients start out deaf, and then begin to lose their vision as well. Sunggwon Park, a patient in the program, described how isolating it was to lose both senses. "I can't see sign language anymore. Other deaf people made a fool of me, and it was so very frustrating and lonely, Park said.

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Once Park entered the program, he was able to make friends with a volunteer who connected with him through tactile communication. Witnessing the life-changing potential of Coram Deos charity work through the programs recipients is what makes it all worthwhile for the Chung Family. It is remarkable to see how this program impacts those who are in need in such a profound way, Dr. Peter Chung said. When we aim to make an impact in our community through education, it is the changed lives of individuals that bear the fruits of our labour.

The Healing Program will provide education and training to deafblind people so that they are better equipped to navigate daily life. It will also offer a place of community where program participants can connect with others, learn tactile communication, and access resources and assistance. The program will run twice a year for five days, providing one-on-one instruction for deafblind participants and with volunteers providing support services.

The concert aims to raise $100,000, which will support the programs facilities and operations. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a lively evening of music while supporting vulnerable members of the community. Tickets are available by donation through the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts website.

About the Chung Family, Coram Deo, and the Vancouver Zion Mission Choir

Drs. Peter and Stephanie Chung, a prominent Vancouver family, care about providing for underserved communities through education and charity work. Through their registered Canadian charity organization, Coram Deo, they consistently provide humanitarian aid, education, and funding in order to make a positive and lasting impact in their communities.

With origins in South Korea, the Vancouver Zion Mission Choir has been singing for the past 40 years in support of many charitable organizations both locally and globally, raising funds for pressing humanitarian needs.

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CONTACT: Laura Guzman Primacorp Ventures Inc. 604.500.2879 laura.guzman@campus-support.ca




Newcastle is the latest city to announce it will bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

The events organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), previously decided the event cannot be held in the war-torn Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

Newcastle City Council has announced it will join a variety of UK cities including London, Manchester and Glasgow in bidding to host the annual music competition.

NewcastleGateshead Initiative is delivering the bid on behalf of Newcastle City Council, with its destination director Ian Thomas saying: This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to welcome a huge number of international visitors, performers and media to the north east of England and to showcase our world-class culture, rich heritage and vibrant region to the world.

The potential impact of Newcastle hosting Eurovision 2023 is phenomenal. Eurovision will play a significant role in rejuvenating and sustaining our visitor economy, supporting our businesses and creating an even better place for our residents.

The United Kingdom will host #Eurovision 2023!   Everything you need to know here: https://t.co/qQVS3gierN pic.twitter.com/IpHCA2i4U6  Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) July 25, 2022

Weve seen other large events such as the European Professional Rugby Club finals attract 95,000 fans to the region which contributed 24 million to our visitor economy in 2019, and World Transplant Games also in 2019 brought in attendees from over 50 countries which pushed hotel occupancy rates up by 13%, supporting the hospitality supply chain and helping to sustain jobs within the industry.

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Eurovision will be on an even bigger scale, and we welcome this fantastic opportunity to bring this to the region.

Ukraines entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed at this years competition in Turin, Italy.

The UK was given the chance to host Eurovision for the ninth time  more than any other country  after Sam Ryder came second in the competition.

Councillor Alex Hay of Newcastle City Council said: We are delighted to be bidding to host Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine and stand in solidarity with its people.

We are collaborating with partners across the region to help make this a reality for Newcastle, to do Ukraine proud and to embody everything that Eurovision stands for.

According to the BBC  which broadcasts the contest in the UK and will make the selection alongside the EBU  the winner will be chosen in a two-stage process against requirements that assess the citys capacity and capability.

Once all the applications have been received, a shortlist will be announced on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on August 12.

Announcing Londons bid, Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city is ready and willing to step in with a contest that celebrates the people of Ukraine and shows off the very best of Britain.

Sheffield City Council was also among the first to announce a bid, saying on Twitter: Weve told Eurovision wed love to host watch this space.

Leeds City Council said it makes total sense for it to host next year as Leeds is the city of culture for 2023.

Two of Scotlands largest cities, Glasgow and Aberdeen, have also announced they will be vying to host the contest in 2023.

Ukraine will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations  the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, who each get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.

The host city is expected to be announced by the autumn.
Pearl Academy Entrance 2022 : PAF Entrance Test https://career.webindia123.com/career/dates_and_events/entrance/fashion/pearl-academy-of-fashion-entrance-test.htm Details of Pearl Academy Entrance 2022 : PAF Entrance Test 2022-8-8 2022-8-15 https://career.webindia123.com/career/images/exams.png India India Pearl Academy Entrance 2022 : PAF Entrance Test Design

Pearl Academy of Fashion Entrance Test 2022

Pearl Academy Entrance 2022 : PAF Entrance Test Category : Design Admissions 2022 Published : On August 8, 2022 By Webindia123 Editor

Important Dates

August Cycle Last date of application 15th August 2022 Entrance Examination 17th August 2022 Generation of Admit Cards 16th August 2022 Publishing of Results 20th August 2022

Pearl Academy Noida invites applications for the academic year 2022-23.

Courses offered at Pearl Centres

4-Year Under Graduate Pathway

Fashion Design [FD] Communication Design (Graphics/Interaction & Digital) [CD-GID] Fashion Styling & Image Design [FSID] Interior Design [ID] Fashion Media Communication [FMC] Product Design [PD]

3-Year Under Graduate Pathway

Journalism & Mass Media [JMM] Fashion & Lifestyle Business Management [FLBM] Global Luxury Brand Management [GLBM]

1-Year/ 2-Year Post Graduate Pathway

Fashion Design [PGFD] Interior Design & Styling [PGIDS] Fashion Styling & Image Design [PGFSID] Fashion Business (Marketing & Merchandising) [PGFBMM] Luxury Brands [PGLB] Communication Design [PGCD] Fashion Communication [PGFC] Journalism & Mass Media [PGJMM] PR & Events [PDPRE]

2-Year Masters

MA Design (Fashion & Textiles) [MAFT] MA Fashion Marketing [MAFMG]

1-Year Certificate

Fashion Media Make Up [FMM] Fashion Womens Wear [FWW] Professional Photography [PP] Styling for Interiors [SI]

Eligibility Criteria

For 3-Year/4-Year Under Pathway : 10+2, or equivalent with minimum 50% marks.

For 2-Year Post Graduate Diploma programmes : Graduate in any discipline from a recognized university.

For 11 month certificate Programs: 10+2, or equivalent

For 2-Year Masters :

MAFT : A graduate Degree in fashion design or textile design

Or

A graduate diploma in fashion design or textile design with at least 2 years work experience in fashion/textiles industry

Or

Any graduate with 3 years work experience in fashion/textiles industry

MAFMG : Essential : Graduate Degree (or equivalent)

Desirable : Graduation in Fashion Management, Marketing, Retail, Merchandising, Manufacturing or Design Or

At least 3 years fashion business experience

Application Procedure

Candidates applying online are required to apply through the Admissions 2022 Portal (ADMISSIONS 2022) on the official home page of Pearl Website (www.pearlacademy.com)

Candidates appearing in their final examinations can also apply provisionally.

Candidates can apply through the Online mode using either Debit/Credit Card or Demand Draft.

Application fee is to be paid using Credit Card / Debit Card / Demand Draft. Please keep your Credit Card / Debit Card / Demand Draft ready with you before applying. The Demand Draft should be in favour of "Creative Arts Education Society" payable at New Delhi.

Candidates are required to Register Online using a Valid e-mail ID before applying. This email ID should be valid for at least next 1 year.

Candidates are advised to keep the following ready with them before applying online:

Credit / Debit Card/Net Banking/Demand Draft or Cash on counter.

Scanned copy of passport size photograph [The photograph must be a recent passport size color picture, preferably in white background. Photographs with Caps, hats and dark glasses are not acceptable. The image should be in .jpg format only. Size of file should not be more than 1 mb].

Details of educational qualifications (marks / grade / year of passing etc.)

Guidelines for Applying Online using Credit / Debit Card/Net Banking as payment option:

Select choices of Course and Campus (only 1 choice for MA course). Fill up the Online Application form Click on APPLY ONLINE and select Payment by Credit Card / Debit Card/Net banking Click on SAVE and SUBMIT your application  you will be directed to a payment gateway. Application Form Fee: Rs. 1500/- for Indian & Nepali Nationals only (non  refundable) After completion of your Online Application and payment authorization, please SAVE your Online Application and take a print out. An auto-generated confirmation mail will be sent on your Email ID containing the following: Confirmation of successful Online Registration & Payment. Your Online Application Number. In case unsuccessful, you will be asked to apply and fill up the online application form again.

Note: Candidates applying online through Credit / Debit card/Net Banking are not required to send print out of the application form.

Guidelines for Applying Online using Demand Draft/Cash on Counter as payment option:

Select choices of Course and Campus (only 1 choice for MA course). Fill up the Online Application form Enter the Demand Draft details (DD in favor of Creative Arts Education Society) or select cash on counter and click on Submit. Click on APPLY ONLINE and select Payment through Demand Draft/Cash on Counter Click on SAVE and SUBMIT your application. After completion of your Online Application and payment authorization, please SAVE your Online Application and take a print out. An auto-generated confirmation mail will be sent on your Email ID containing the following: Confirmation of successful Online Registration & Payment. Your Online Application Number. In case unsuccessful, you will be asked to apply and fill up the online application form again.

Note: Candidates applying online through Demand Draft/Cash amount of Rs. 2000/- are required to send print out of the application form along with DD/Cash amount.

To check status of form submission

a. Log on to Pearl website (www.pearlacademy.com)

b. Go to apply now

c. Enter User id & Password

i) for online form submission  email id will be your User ID & password created by you

ii) for Offline form submission  Email ID will be your User ID & Password will be sharing on your email id, once form will be submitted at our end.

Candidates can also apply through Offline mode by purchase of Application Kit-2019 from the Pearl Academy campuses and authorized Sales Counters.

Admit cards for Written Test & Personal Interviews for both admission cycles will be available 4 days before the Written Test/Personal Interview. Candidates are required to download Admit Cards from Pearl Website only. Please check Pearl website regularly for updates.

Pearl Academy reserves the right to amend, change or cancel courses including dates of commencement, number of seats, location, programmes, programme content, fee structure etc. with no liability attached to the Academy.

Pearl Academy reserves the right to cancel / add / change any entrance examination center(s) due to administrative reasons. Other centers may also be added and such information, as well as the exact location of the centers, will be notified later.

Pattern of Admission Test

Stage 1:Written Admission Test GPT and DAT

General Proficiency Test (GPT) is administered to judge a candidates proficiency in the English language (comprehension, vocabulary and expression), Language Ability, Logical reasoning, Quantitative ability, Data Interpretation, basic Mathematics, etc.

Design Aptitude Test (DAT) examines candidates aptitude for creativity, drawing, design ability, power of observation and imagination, sensitivity to environment and communication skills.

Applicants have the option of opting for maximum 2 course choices. Applicants opting for a Design course in any of the choices will be required to appear for Design Aptitude Test (DAT).

Stage 2: Personal Interview (including portfolio evaluation / material handling skill test for Design streams).

A candidate is judged on various parameters by a panel as listed below:

Career Focus

Maturity & Confidence

General Awareness, Creative and Lateral Thinking

Ability to Analyze / Logical Reasoning

Intellectual / Creative Ability

Portfolio evaluation

Material Handling Skills (for Design streams)

All candidates are required to undergo a Personal Interview after the Written Admission Test at their respective Entrance Examination centre /Personal Interview centres mentioned on their Admit Card.

All candidates are required to undergo a Personal Interview after the Written Admission Test at their respective Entrance Examination Centre. Candidates appearing for the Written Test in Delhi / NCR, Noida, Jaipur, Mumbai and Chennai centres are required to appear for the Personal Interview at respective Pearl Academy Campuses only.

For MAFT Pathway: Selection is based on personal interview & portfolio evaluation

Please check Pearl website regularly for updates.

Contact Details Address : Pearl Academy

A-21/13, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi 110028 Phone : 011- 49807100 / 101 Fax : Mobile : 081305 66399 E-mail : Website : www.pearlacademy.com

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Curiosity about her lineage led Chippewa Falls author Arlene Ebel Eslinger to track down historical records going back many generations and turn those family accounts into a work of historical fiction that moves through Germany, Russia, the Ukraine and South Dakota.

Eslinger has written a book about her German family who emigrated to Russia  territory that is now a part of Ukraine. Later, the Ebel family made it to South Dakota.

They Refused to Fight is a novel that begins in Germany, where two young boys were sent away from home to give them a chance at a better life in Russia. The boys embarked on a harrowing journey to Russia, where they were promised land, opportunity and freedom from government oppression.

Eslinger said its historical fiction but largely based on records of her family  the Ebels. The novel has elements of historical nonfiction at play, and the characters are based on real people.

There are many stories in there that are true, and I'm hoping you can't tell the difference between the ones that are true and the ones that are not, she said.

The book is about three generations of the Ebel family. They were brought to the Ukraine by Catherine the Great, who had a program to bring Germans over to help the farming process in Russia because they were stagnant. They became very good at what they did, and they created a wealthy farming industry, Eslinger said.

But then things changed. The Russian people didn't like the fact that there were outsiders in their country because the Germans were allowed to keep their own communities, language, religion and education.

The Russian people started to complain that these people (Germans) had a lot more than they did, and that they didn't have to pay taxes and they did. Then there became some strife, Eslinger said. The rest of the aristocracy started to decline, and communism unions started to form. The Germans were in the way, and they decided to eliminate them along with the Jews.

Russia was a mercurial country at the turn of the last century, and instead of embracing what the German farmers accomplished for their country, the Russian people reviled them.

The second generation of the Ebel family was caught up in the revolution between the new communist unions and the old aristocracy. The familys survival was in jeopardy, and they had to find a way to survive.

Then they had to run for their lives, she said. Not much different than what's happening today.

The story is about this growing and successful family who built a home and community in the new land of Russia, only to have it all systematically taken away from them.

They Refused to Fight is a multigenerational story about hope, perseverance and ambition. Questions that run concurrently beneath the topics revolve around immigration, racial and class tension, community and family commitments.

Eslinger said she stumbled upon the story thanks to writings of her uncle  an Ebel in South Dakota. Hed written a book for his family about life in South Dakota, which sparked Eslingers curiosity.

I started researching, and oh my gosh, can you get a lot of research, there's so many places to find this. They're called Germans from Russia. And there is a society in the North Dakota Bismarck College where you can just get as much information as you need, she said.

Eslinger also used ancestry.com and read other people's accounts of their ancestors in the Ukraine.

I knew my great-grandfather's name, but I didn't know anything beyond that. And so I found the ship that he came to the Americas (on) and then from there, I could go back and find who his father was, she said.

And so she began what was the story of a migrating family from Germany, to Russia, and how they built their life there. The family settled near Odessa  Ukraine didnt exist at the time, but they lived in part of the current Ukraine.

Eslinger said the research into this novel has made her feel a strong sense of connection to the Ukraine and the Russian invasion happening there.

I feel like it's personal when I see that Odessa was, you know, getting destroyed and that's like 60 miles from where my family lived, she said. Its given this war a face for me.

Eslinger lives in Chippewa Falls. She is self-published. She got her degree in counseling, is a business owner and spent her career helping people with addictions.

They Refused to Fight is being sold through Country Treasurers, or online through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Walmart or Kindle.
Rusty Volk envisions agriculture education programming being offered in five new buildings that will be constructed at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.

"We are building an ag campus," Volk, the fair's director, said at a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for those buildings. "It will help with the public's understanding of how food is produced. It will help explain how (agriculture) is changing, and where it is going to go."

Volk said the structures will be used frequently, not just during the week-long fair, and that these new buildings are the culmination of plans developed since 2008, when the community purchased the privately-owned fairgrounds.

"I'm so happy we can finally get this started," Volk said. "The youth are going to benefit from this for years. The barns we had really needed to come down."

Construction on the new barns, at a cost of $6.035 million, will begin immediately, with the goal of the buildings being completed by May, ahead of next years fair, which begins July 12. Volk said the project is now at 85% funded in cash-on-hand or pledges.

Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman spoke at the ceremony about the community's decision to make the investment and purchase the fairgrounds.

"This piece of land is extremely valuable to Chippewa Falls," Hoffman said. "I'm excited for the fairgrounds, for Chippewa Falls and for the region. It's a key component to the community. I appreciate all the people and businesses who donated to this."

Jerry Jacobson, Northwestern Bank president, said the ground-breaking ceremony marks a "great day for the agriculture community."

"Really, it's a culmination of what we were looking at when we raised the funds to buy the fair," Jacobson said. "Without Rusty's perseverance, this wouldn't have gotten done."

In 2014, Volk unveiled a plan for a single, 65,000-square-foot building that also had an anticipated $6 million cost.

A feasibility study the fair association conducted over the past two years showed it made more sense to construct several smaller buildings, side by side, instead of one large new building. The plans call for two cattle barns ($1.11 million), a show arena/coliseum ($1.2 million), a small animal barn ($993,207), a restroom & shower building/emergency shelter ($1.35 million) and utilities/infrastructure improvements ($684,195).

Savings of $98,650 are expected in the utilities, for a total of $5,248,220. Again, with the higher construction costs, the board has increased their goal to $6 million, with any leftover money going into paying for repairs to the other existing structures on the fairgrounds.

"We realized we could get this whole project done at one time and save our community a lot of money," Volk said.

In April 2019, the large, century-old red barn collapsed from heavy snow and was razed, and most of the other barns on the grounds have outlived their useful lives.

"There is a time when buildings just can't be repaired anymore, and all you can do is knock them down and start new," Hoffman said.

The Community Foundation of Chippewa County purchased the 56-acre fairgrounds from fair owners Jim Flanagan and Julius "Pinky" Lee for $600,000 in spring 2008 and formed a nonprofit organization to operate it. The fair board hired Volk to operate the grounds later that year. Plans to revamp the grounds, including these new buildings, were developed over time.
Christian Defense Coalition Celebrates Historic First Amendment Victory at the US Capitol

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Christian Defense Coalition

Aug. 8, 2022

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- For the first time in 18 months, permits are being granted for free speech activities on the grounds of the US Capitol.



Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, was told at the end of July by the US Capitol Police, permits would once be given for free speech events at the Capitol.



For 18 months, Rev. Patrick Mahoney and the Christian Defense Coalition were denied permits to hold Good Friday Services, prayer vigils, worship gatherings and other peaceful First Amendment activities on the grounds of the US Capitol.



Sadly, while peaceful permitted First Amendment activities were being prohibited at the US Capitol, other business was going on as usual. For example, members of Congress and their staff were entering and using the Capitol. Vendors, the media and their crews, invited guests, lobbyists, tourists and so many more were also allowed to enter and use the Capitol grounds.



Over the past 18 months, Rev. Mahoney has filed 3 federal lawsuits and has worked passionately to return the "People's House" back to the people.



Rev. Patrick Mahoney statements about this historic First Amendment victory:

"The 'People's House,' as the US Capitol Building is called, must be a place where all Americans are afforded the right to come and peacefully exercise and express their First Amendment Rights. Tragically, those rights and freedoms were being denied and trampled for the past 18 months.



"With this historic victory, free speech and the First Amendment are once again being celebrated and honored on the grounds of the United States Capitol. Our efforts to open the Capitol back up to 'the people,' are a powerful reminder that all Americans must continually be vigilant in ensuring our rights and freedoms are protected.



"The Christian Defense Coalition will continue to passionately engage in the struggle for free speech at the US Capitol."

Rev. Mahoney is being represented by The Center for American Liberty.For more information or interviews contactRev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741

SOURCE Christian Defense Coalition

CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741
The Republican matchup in the Wisconsin governor's race on Tuesday features competing candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence. Democrats are picking a candidate to face two-term GOP Sen. Ron Johnson for control of the closely divided chamber.

Meanwhile, voters in Vermont are choosing a replacement for U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy as the chamber's longest-serving member retires. In Minnesota, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar faces a Democratic primary challenger who helped defeat a voter referendum to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety.

What to watch in Tuesday's primary elections in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut:

Wisconsin

Construction company co-owner Tim Michels has Trumps endorsement in the governor's race and has been spending millions of his own money, touting both the former president's backing and his years working to build his familys business into Wisconsins largest construction company. Michels casts himself as an outsider, although he previously lost a campaign to oust then-U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in 2004 and has long been a prominent GOP donor.

Establishment Republicans including Pence and former Gov. Scott Walker have endorsed former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who along with Walker, survived a 2012 recall effort. She argues she has the experience and knowledge to pursue conservative priorities, including dismantling the bipartisan commission that runs elections.

With Senate control at stake, Democrats will also make their pick to take on Johnson. Democratic support coalesced around Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes late in the race, when his three top rivals dropped out and threw their support to him. He would become the states first Black senator if elected.

Several lesser-known candidates remain in the primary, but Johnson and Republicans have treated Barnes as the nominee, casting him as too liberal for Wisconsin, a state Trump won in 2016 but lost in 2020.

Four Democrats are also running in Wisconsins 3rd Congressional District, a seat that opened up with the retirement of veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind. The district has been trending Republican, and Derrick Van Orden  who narrowly lost to Kind in 2020 and has Trumps endorsement  is running unopposed.

Minnesota

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz faces a little-known opponent as he seeks a second term. His likely challenger is Republican Scott Jensen, a physician and former state lawmaker who has made vaccine skepticism a centerpiece of his campaign and faces token opposition.

Both men have been waging a virtual campaign for months, with Jensen attacking Walz for his management of the pandemic and hammering the governor for rising crime around Minneapolis. Walz has highlighted his own support of abortion rights and suggested that Jensen would be a threat to chip away at the procedures legality in Minnesota.

Crime has emerged as the biggest issue in Rep. Omar's Democratic primary. She faces a challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who opposes the movement to defund the police and last year helped defeat efforts to replace the city's police department. Omar, who supported the referendum, has a substantial money advantage and is expected to benefit from a strong grassroots operation.

The most confusing part of Tuesdays ballot was for the 1st Congressional District seat that was held by U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died earlier this year from cancer. Republican former state Rep. Brad Finstad and Democrat Jeff Ettinger, a former Hormel CEO, are simultaneously competing in primaries to determine the November matchup for the next two-year term representing the southern Minnesota district, as well as a special election to finish the last few months of Hagedorns term.

Connecticut

Its been roughly three decades since Connecticut had a Republican in the U.S. Senate, but the party isn't giving up.

In the GOP primary to take on Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the party has endorsed former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. She's a social moderate who supports abortion rights and certain gun control measures and says she did not vote for Trump in 2020. Klarides contends her experience and positions can persuade voters to oppose Blumenthal, a two-term senator who in May registered a 45% job approval rating, his lowest in a Quinnipiac poll since taking office.

Klarides is being challenged by conservative attorney Peter Lumaj and Republican National Committee member Leora Levy, whom Trump endorsed last week. Both candidates oppose abortion rights and further gun restrictions, and they back Trump's policies.

Vermont

Leahy's upcoming retirement has opened up two seats in Vermont's tiny three-person congressional delegation  and the opportunity for the state to send a woman to represent it in Washington for the first time.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, the state's at-large congressman, quickly launched his Senate bid after Leahy revealed he was stepping down. Leahy, who is president pro tempore of the Senate, has been hospitalized a couple of times over the last two years, including after breaking his hip this summer.

Welch has been endorsed by Sanders and is the odds-on favorite to win the seat in November. He faces two other Democrats in the primary: Isaac Evans-Frantz, an activist, and Dr. Niki Thran, an emergency physician.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan, retired U.S. Army officer Gerald Malloy and investment banker Myers Mermel are competing for the nomination.

The race to replace Welch has yielded Vermonts first wide-open U.S. House campaign since 2006.

Two women, including Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, are the top Democratic candidates in the race. Gray, elected in 2020 in her first political bid, is a lawyer and a former assistant state attorney general.

The winner of the Democratic primary will be the heavy favorite to win the general election in the liberal state. In 2018, Vermont became the last state without female representation in Congress when Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate.

Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison; Doug Glass in Minneapolis; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed to this report.
Hong Kong Police Publish Details of USDT Fraud Case in Effort to Raise Public Awareness of Crypto Scams

Source: iStock/AzriSuratmin

Police in Hong Kong have begun publishing details of crypto fraud cases  in the hope that the public will take valuable lessons from cases that have seen people lose thousands of dollars to crypto villains.

Per Takungpao, the move is part of the Eastern District police forces Operation Shield program  a drive aimed at raising awareness of fraud and fraud prevention. Officers stated that fraud cases are on the rise in Hong Kong, with crypto scams a particularly fast-growing trend.

The police stated that, on average, fraudsters claim a cumulative USD 2.5m per day from Hong Kong-based victims.

The program will see the police publish details of cases in a monthly magazine  and began with the case of an engineer who was allegedly stung by crypto scammers to the tune of almost USD 1m.

The victim, police stated, came to a police station to file a report on July 23 this year, explaining that he had been approached by fellow users of the social media and chat app platform WeChat. These individuals had introduced him to what turned out to be a fraudulent virtual currency investment platform that offered investors high returns.

The bogus platform appears to have been highly sophisticated in nature. The engineer explained that he had opened an account on the platform, as instructed by customer service.

Over the course of 10 days in July, the police explained, the engineer then proceeded to make 28 tether (USDT) deposits to what later turned out to be numerous puppet accounts held by the fraudsters.

At first, the victim seemingly believed that his investments had paid off, as the platforms interface appeared to show that he was making profits. At this point, he was not suspicious, officers continued.

But matters promptly soured when the engineer attempted to quit while he was ahead. He attempted to withdraw his funds, but was promptly asked to pay a huge handling fee.

Soon his so-called investment account was suspended, and the victims funds  reportedly half of his life savings  evaporated into nothing.

Scams involving USDT and other USD-pegged stablecoins have been on the rise in both Hong Kong and Mainland China in recent years.

With Beijing cracking down heavily on crypto in recent years, bitcoin (BTC) markets have become increasingly hard to access  despite relatively high levels of demand for BTC. As such, Mainland-based traders have been increasingly keen to get their hands on USDT and other stablecoins in a bid to buy bitcoin through over-the-counter (OTC) marketplaces. This has led to a rise in USDT-related activity in Hong Kong and other Asian regions, as well as a spike in USDT-themed scams.

____

Learn more:

- Brazilian Cop Charged with Duping 23 Fellow Officers in Crypto Pyramid Scam

- SEC Charges 11 People over USD 300M Crypto 'Pyramid Scheme'



- 'Pig Butchering' Crypto Investment Scams Delivered 'Massive Losses' to Victims

- Top 7 NFT Scams to Look Out For
The Conservative Political Action Conference made it clear over the weekend in Texas whose side its on in the fight against domestic terrorism.

Dean Obeidallah

First, it featured former President Donald Trump as its star speaker. Here is a man who not only was allegedly involved in waging an attempted coup to overturn the 2020 election but who also summoned his supporters to Washington on January 6, 2021, for a wild protest. Then on that fateful day, he inflamed them with his words and directed them to head to the US Capitol to Stop the Steal. And as some of his supporters brutally beat police officers, built gallows while chanting to hang his vice president and broke into the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens win, Trump did nothing for more than three hours to stop the attack. (Trump has denied responsibility for the insurrection.)

CPAC also welcomed as a speaker Viktor Orban, Hungarys autocratic Prime Minister, who a week earlier had given a speech in which he declared that in Europe we do not want to become peoples of mixed race. Those words prompted a longtime Orban aide to resign, slamming his remarks as pure Nazi text.

But the cherry on the sundae was a CPAC panel showcasing Brandon Straka, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the January 6 attack, as part of a larger exhibit designed to elicit sympathy for the Capitol attackers still in prison.

As part of his guilty plea to a misdemeanor, Straka admitted to urging the violent mob to rip a riot shield from a police officer, shouting, Take it! Take it!, The Washington Post reported.

Straka ultimately received 90 days home confinement and three years probation after agreeing to cooperate with law enforcement. But just last week, a federal judge slammed Straka for making public comments inconsistent with his statements to investigators, raising the possibility that he could be charged with lying to federal authorities, NPR reported.

Story continues

Nevertheless, Straka appeared on a CPAC panel with Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, criticizing the House member for not doing more to help protesters who have been arrested in connection with the January 6 riot and eliciting jeers from the audience for the lawmaker, according to Vice News.

In an apparent effort to get into the crowds good graces, according to Vice News and video of the event, Biggs then vowed to start defunding some of these bad agencies, the FBI, the DOJ. Yes, a GOP member of Congress reportedly told the crowd that he would begin to defund the Justice Department and FBI for having the audacity to prosecute January 6 attackers.

Then came the piece de resistance: a headline-grabbing, jaw-dropping exhibit that featured a prison cell that housed a person dressed in an orange jumpsuit, wearing a red Make America Great Again cap. CPAC attendees were invited to put on headsets to listen to actual messages from the January 6 attackers. A CPAC representative told BuzzFeed News that the #Walk Away group founded by Straka ran the booth. In the past, CPAC has reportedly banned a booth from an atheist organization and the Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBT group, as an event sponsor.

On Thursday, an actor played the prisoner, complete with tears as he stood in front of a chalkboard that read, Where is Everyone? But on Friday  in a surreal case of life imitating art  Straka portrayed the prisoner in the cell. Vice News reported that the line to see Straka stretched clear to the back of the exhibit hall.

It wasnt long before right-wing firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene  who has long called the jailed January 6 attackers political prisoners  entered the fake jail cell and led a prayer for those still imprisoned for their role in the January 6 attack.

Lets put politics aside and look at the facts. January 6 was an act of domestic terrorism, as FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress. Just as we would call anyone involved in the far deadlier September 11, 2001, attacks terrorists  we would do the same for anyone who played a role on January 6. For some people, the idea of calling a white American a terrorist is uncomfortable, but theres no place for timidity when the stakes are this high.

Those behind the mock jail cell at CPAC want you to have sympathy for the worst of the January 6 attackers. The overwhelmingly majority of people arrested in connection with the January 6 attack have been granted bail, according to PolitiFact.

Those defendants still in jail deserve to be there because of the severity of crimes with which they have been charged. Among them are members of the Oath Keepers militia and the Proud Boys  some of whom were charged with seditious conspiracy  and others who are accused of brutally beating police officers and other heinous acts. Judges hearing the charges against these suspects have deemed that they pose a threat to the community were they to be released on bail.

Imagine if, about 18 months after a terrorist attack, a booth at a Democratic event attempted to elicit sympathy for those arrested for their role in a deadly strike on our nation! Critics would lash out at Democrats as unpatriotic Americans who support terrorism. And they would be right to do so.

Thats the same revulsion the vile display at CPAC deserves from all of us.

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Anyone driving up northbound U.S. 67 and glancing across the southbound lanes before the Park Hills-Leadington exit might see one business taking financial advantage of summers longer days and hot sun.

The rest of the Parkland might feel drained of energy after spending much time under these relentless rays of sunshine  and drained of money, thanks to constantly-running AC  but Parkland RV at 10 E. Woodlawn in Leadington is harnessing that solar power and seeing an impact on its electric bill, said owner Craig Claney.

Claney and his wife, Patty, already knew a thing or two about RVs when they bought the dealership in 2018, since they owned Big Creek RV Park, a campground in Annapolis. It was there, they became aware of Kansas City-based Artisun Solar.

I used to say, I'm not a tree hugger, but I am. I'm not a California tree hugger, but I worry about the environment, Claney said. Patty and I truly believe, we don't inherit from our ancestors, we borrow from our children. We're constantly trying to come up with ways to better the environment.

Claney said after Artisun Solar made their presentation, it was a very easy decision. Artisun does everything. There are federal grants available. There are Ameren grants available. There's an expedited tax write-off so you don't have to amortize as long.

By the time it was done, (Artisun) said we would see a return on our investment after one year, Claney said. Our accountant said a year and a half. When else do you get your money back in a year and a half?

Claney said all-in, the whole project was $59,000, the installation took about a day and a half, and grant money offset the cost in no small way. The nice thing about the company that we work with, they handled all the grant writing. They handled it all, I didn't do anything, Claney said.

He said the solar panels on the roof generate enough energy to power his four-acre business, with an average $80 electric bill per month. The panels are good for about 30 years, are under a three-year warranty, and produce up to 8500 Watts on the roof of the RV business, which has received credits from Ameren since it produces more than the business needs. That can come in handy in wintertime, Claney said, when the days are shorter. You don't really sell (the extra energy) back to them, you can just get a credit, Claney said.

Claney said one of the most impressive things about their solar experience is when theres no energy bill, an amazing feat, he said, since the RV business requires so much power. Then again, the way the building sits has also added to the solar advantage.

We have compressors running. We have AC running in the summer. We have all the RVs plugged in when we're working on them. We use a lot of power, he said, adding Artisun Solar took usage, bills, and the buildings siting to determine the scope of the solar project.

The biggest thing was, we had a perfect building. Our building is facing south, he said. And that's what you want, they can do it if your buildings facing different directions, but you don't get as much (energy) back.

In addition to amassing energy from the sun and saving dollars, the solar panels have also peaked the curiosity of potential customers.

Its not only made us feel good about what we're doing here, we'll be honest with you, it's also a great sales and marketing pitch, Claney said. People come in all the time asking us, Hey, what did you do? How would you do it?

The passion for solar has soaked into his fleet of RVs, and has made him and Patty think about adding solar energy to their RV park in Annapolis.

Every one of the (RV) units out here, if we can bring them in with solar, they now come in with solar panels. When I first bought the dealership, solar was kind of a hard sell, people just didn't get it. They're looking for it now, he said. And were thinking about adding solar to our RV park. Were about to expand and do a new build soon, well be putting solar on that, too. Given the chance, I'd recommend it to anyone.
Due to an anticipated lack of quorum on Aug. 9 and deadlines looming on some items, the St. Francois County Commission held a public meeting on Aug. 5 to finalize several business issues and will not have a regular session until Aug. 16.

Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Gilliam updated the commission about the case backlog currently in the countys legal system.

It is going down, she said of the backlog. But as of right now, we have 178 jury trials (set). When we started the pandemic we had about 50 to 55. We were out of the courtroom for about a year. On Aug. 23, there are 15 cases scheduled where before, we had four or five. Only one trial can occur, so the rest of them will have to be continued. A lot of these cases are old and need to be taken care of.

The commission approved an extension until the end of the year for four contract employees to handle the case backlog at a cost of $53,000 to be paid out of the general fund and then be reimbursed with ARPA funds as they are available.

Maintenance Supervisor Brian Briley approached the commission, rejecting a bid from Maid in the USA Cleaning Service for the courthouse and courthouse annex. The bid was considered too high in cost.

The commission accepted the report and Human Resources Manager Corey Schrum spoke to the commission about signing a contract with Express Employment Professionals to temporarily fill the janitorial position in lieu of the bid rejection.

We would pay them a weekly invoice based on what the hours are, she said. They take care of everything concerning drug screening, liability, workmans comp and taxes. The pay rate is $12/hour and service rate we would pay would be $18.74/hour.

Briley said he was having trouble getting a response on hiring people.

Ive had two positions posted for a month, and Ive had one applicant. Nobody wants to work for $12/hour, he said.

The commission approved entering a contract with Express Employment Professionals.

Assessor Eric Dugal asked the commission to approve a bid for printing and mailing the assessment letters.

We had two bids, Edward J. Rices bid was for $27,391.53 and Input Technology was for $25,046, he said. It was a little cheaper but their bid was incomplete. We have used Rice in the past and theyve done a good job.

The commission approved the bid from Edward J. Rice Company.

Schrum asked the commission to add the position of Cook II to the wage matrix with a 75-cent raise for a promotion at the five-year employment date. Previously, the commission approved promoting the cook at the jail to the position that didnt exist. The commission approved the addition and back-pay to the cook to the time of the previous approval.

Jail Administrator Jamie Crump asked the commission for approval to apply for a non-matching grant of $25,000 from the Missouri Department of Public Safety to buy mobile data terminals for the road deputys vehicles. The commission approved the request.

They also approved Crump's request for ARPA funding to renovate the food storage area in the jail basement.

It would include a larger freezer, cooler and dry storage, he said. To accomplish that, we had to repurpose the vehicle maintenance area where Buck Copeland currently works on vehicle maintenance. So we will be building a maintenance garage to facilitate the expansion of the food service.

Treasurer Parks Peterson updated the commission on the latest sales tax report. We saw an increase from the past couple of months. We are at a 5.65% increase that I think is fair. I would like to see a 7% increase if we could stay there.

County Clerk Kevin Engler updated the commission on Tuesdays election.

We are closing that out today. The last two days we have been testing machines. We have to test every machine with every possible scenario with 17 different Senate candidates. Every machine, we had to put 500 and some odd ballots. It took two days and today they will audit everything weve done and as of noon we will declare this election done. We ended up at 27.37% of the people voting.

The next St. Francois County Commission meeting will be Aug. 16 at the commission room at the courthouse annex in downtown Farmington.
Poisonous sand blowing in the wind.

Wells running dry.

A dark night sky ruined by constant lights.

These are the things residents in Ste. Genevieve County are worried about as they work to prevent a silica sand mine from moving into their community.

NexGen Mining Inc. plans to mine silica sand, commonly used for fracking, in southeast Missouri once it obtains all of its permits. It was already granted one from the state and needs two more.

The site is just two miles from Hawn State Park and across from some residents homes. Jillian Ditch Anslow, a high school biology teacher, is worried about the health consequences from the mine.

This type of mine doesnt affect just the land thats being minedit affects everybody in the whole county and surrounding areas, she said. It affects our water, our air, my childs development.

Inhaling silica dust can result in silicosis, a type of permanent lung damage that can be fatal. Workers in the mines are most at risk. But theres disagreement between scientific organizations about the risk of simply living close to a mine.

And though neighbors are concerned, Missouri regulations didnt require any study of the potential environmental and public health impacts of the mine before granting its land reclamation permit earlier this summer.

For the mining permit, they just have toprovide company information and show they have the legal right to mine the property, said Larry Lehman, director of the land reclamation program at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

But Clark Bollinger, the companys general manager, promised mitigation measures to prevent dust from blowing away from the mine, according to St. Louis Public Radio.

It certainly wont be a negative impact (on health). I can assure you that, Bollinger said. Theres processes and procedures in place to minimize  certainly the dust, the light pollution and noise pollution.

NexGen did not return a request for comment by The Independent until after the story published Friday, when Bollinger said in a phone call that hes willing to speak with residents about the companys plans.

Ive offered the olive branch to the neighbors. Ill meet with them once a month, talk you know about where were at in the process and our intentions and where were at in the in the project timeline, he said, and no one has reached out to me as of yet.

No environmental study

Neighbors, environmentalists and state park enthusiasts have tried to fight the NexGen mine since the company applied for its land reclamation permit in March.

They flooded the Missouri Department of Natural Resources during the public comment period on the permit, raising concerns about how the mine might affect residents who get their drinking water from wells, native wildlife and visitors to Hawn State Park and other remote conservation areas that are  for now  secluded and peaceful.

We dont know what kind ofresidue coming out of the mine is going to have an impact on streams, said Kim Gordon, president of Friends of Hawn. Weve got some really clear-running streams in that area. Pickle Creek to this day is recognized as one of the cleanest running streams in that region.

One person who wrote to the department said: If there is even a chance of it contaminating our water, using up our water table or affecting anyones health (including the wildlife) why allow it? Why chance it? Theres too much at stake here.

The department noted some of the conservation areas that residents are concerned about  Hawn State Park, Pickle Springs and Horton Farms Conservation Area  lie in a different watershed and should not be affected by runoff. Hickory Canyon is in the same watershed, but a ridgeline between the NexGen site and the canyon should prevent runoff from reaching it.

NexGen is also required to prevent erosion from leaving its property and affecting downstream neighbors.

But in terms of denying the permit because of the public outcry, the department has little flexibility.

Lehman said the statute around land reclamation permits gives state environmental regulators little say in whether to decline permit applications. He said an environmental impact report isnt required.

The Land Reclamation Act, which regulates mining in the state, tries to strike a balance between allowing mining to occur in the state of Missouri and then ensuring that that property is reclaimed, it has some value following when mining is done, Lehman said.

Lehman has also resisted calls for a second public meeting near the site after thunderstorms and a tornado warning kept would-be attendees from getting from St. Louis to Ste. Genevieve County. He noted the department extended the public comment period by two weeks.

There were requests for another follow up meeting but we believe that the meeting met the requirements, Lehman said, and also, we have to understand that once we had that informal public meeting, the clock was ticking for the department to make a decision.

Legal fight

Without much room for state regulators to keep the mine away, the community turned to its county commission.

Commissioners voted to adopt a set of regulations barring mining operations within half of a mile from schools, towns, churches, parks or wells and a quarter of a mile from homes, caves and protected streams. NexGens mine would be too close under the ordinance.

As a result, the county faces a lawsuit from the company, saying that state law preempted the ordinance and that the ordinance effectively created a zoning scheme without approval from the voters. The lawsuit also alleges the county violated the Missouri Sunshine Law by failing to issue proper public notice of its discussions about the ordinance.

Remarkably, the agenda for themeeting at which the ordinance was passed, makes reference only to ordinance with no mention of mining operations whatsoever! the lawsuit says.

NexGens attorney directed requests for comment to a representative from the company who did not return a voicemail.

The county was served with the lawsuit last month and has yet to file an answer.

Meanwhile, Jeffery has filed an appeal of the Department of Natural Resources decision to issue NexGens permit with the states Administrative Hearing Commission, saying regulators failed to properly examine NexGens legal right to the property.

Jefferys appeal says NexGen has already started clearing trees and land, creating a disturbance.

The limited liability company that owns the lease for the land didnt exist when the company filed its application with environmental regulators. An entity by the same name filed with the Missouri Secretary of State in July, but according to an affidavit the registered agent signed, he doesnt have a lease agreement for silica sand mining.

Another similarly-named LLC was registered a few days after Jeffery filed the appeal.

DNR failed to adequately examine, investigate, and review the contents of the permit application and issued (it) anyway, the appeal says. Had DNR done an adequate examinationDNR would have determined that NexGens mine lease agreement was between a nonexistent entity and was void.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter.
Out of all the cities and hamlets across the country, Charlottesville was just listed as one of the two dozen best places to live in the country in Livability.coms Top 100.

But former public housing resident Gloria Beard thinks that ranking is for the wealthy white residents in town, not for people like her.

Beard, who is Black and has lived in Charlottesville since 1974, owns her own home but has seen housing costs rise to unrecognizable numbers. According to a report released by the Charlottesville Association of Realtors last week, the median home cost in the city during the second quarter was $464,000. Across the country, the median home cost is $440,300, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve.

After living in Friendship Court public housing for several years, Beard was able to own her own home in the 10th and Page neighborhood through a city program in 1995 that aimed to help lower income individuals achieve home ownership.

Now Beard feels gentrification pressure after the Dairy Market office, residential and commercial complex was built next to the 10th and Page neighborhood, and taxes and housing prices have skyrocketed.

Beard said she would not be able to afford to rent an apartment in town should she decide to sell and take her equity.

Every year Charlottesville is on a list of best places to live, but its not that way for the poor, the elderly, or people of color, Beard said. If I sold my home, I couldnt afford to live in these apartments here. I dont know where low-income people are supposed to go.

In many ways, the shortage of affordable housing in Charlottesville is the ultimate structural problem. Not only do low-income people struggle to find affordable homes to rent, they are often forever shut out of the wealth-building process that occurs when people can buy their own homes.

After the events of Aug. 11 and 12, 2017, activists and many lower-income Black residents and others wondered: What will it take to honor all peoples dreams of having a home they can afford and feel safe in?

Doors closed for too long

Its a question thats been at the front of City Council campaigns, University of Virginia community committees and housing activist marches and rhetoric since the aftermath of the August 2017 rally.

The event has made city officials more aware of systemic race and equity issues and they pledged to address a legacy of racism-through-zoning, but ran up against decades of unfair housing practices and a shortage of affordable housing.

According to a 2021 report from the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, in urban areas including Charlottesville only 29% of Black households own their own home, compared to 55% of white households. About 31% of Asian and Hispanic households own their own homes.

A 2022 study conducted by the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless found that homelessness rates are up in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, with 41% of the unhoused being Black. Thats more than double the percentage of Black people who live in the area.

The shortage of affordable housing and the lagging home ownership rates for Black people stems from years of restrictive covenants that kept them from buying homes, combined with the razing of neighborhoods such as Vinegar Hill and Gospel Hill during urban renewal in the 1960s and 1970s.

Organizations such as Legal Aid Justice Center have asked the city to make real efforts to eradicate institutional racism by significantly improving the lives of low-income people.

The murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the murder and the attacks in Charlottesville in 2017 sort of laid bare for us as a nation what racism still looks like and feels like in America, said Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward.

Race Forward runs the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, which works with local governments across the country to achieve racial equity.

I have likened the events of 2017 to a bell that continues to reverberate. And it obviously is not as loud now as it was five years ago, but the reverberations are still there, Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook said.

A social awakening

Calls for change led to discussions of equity in government spaces that rarely occurred before. While the concerns were not new to racial justice activists, the events of Unite the Right forced open the eyes of a lot of government officials.

Aug. 12 was really a wake-up call saying, well, actually, weve got a lot of work to do, said Lyle Solla-Yates, chair of the Charlottesville Planning Commission.

The citys comprehensive plan and zoning code update, in process prior to 2017, became part of the effort for finding equity in housing. Solla-Yates said many of the people involved thought it would be a simple, basic revision but Charlottesville residents and officials began to look at housing and land use through the lens of equity.

Immediately after the attack, there were people who were sitting outside on the Downtown Mall, having a lovely meal, like nothing had happened. And there were other people who were super traumatized and really freaked out. Like what does this mean? How do we do better? How do we become better? I was one of those people, Solla-Yates said.

Activists and community members got louder about government boards and commissions not remedying the affordable housing crisis. Solla-Yates recalled City Council and Planning Commission meetings being shut down, and activists holding signs that read there is blood on your hands.

The city hired a consulting firm to review neighborhoods based on equity issues and, five years later, approved a revised Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map in November that includes a specific Affordable Housing Plan.

While it is not a zoning ordinance, the plan is a framework for what zoning should be allowed in the future and is one of the first substantial steps the city has taken to address the equity. There are many more steps to take as the pattern of limiting Black ownership of property goes back more than 100 years.

Historical racism

For most of the 20th Century, Charlottesville was not only segregated by state laws developed to keep the races separate but deed restrictions and bank lending practices that determined where Black people, white people and others could buy property.

Jordy Yager, a researcher with the Jefferson School African American Heritage Centers Mapping Cville project, said racial covenants in Charlottesville can be traced back to early 1890. Racial covenants were a racist practice between a buyer and a home seller that implemented a clause in the deed prohibiting Black families and other minorities from ever living there.

Those clauses are now illegal, but they have not entirely disappeared.

Now we have a lot of other ways to stipulate who can and cant live or do certain things on property. Stipulating things based on residential use or business use, stipulating that certain types of business can be conducted on a place, these are all the zoning laws that are being examined. Those are in essence the same, Yager said.

The comprehensive plan and Future Land Use Map aimed to address the issues. Passed unanimously by the Planning Commission and City Council, FLUM, as it came to be called, was vehemently opposed by many community members who live in single-family home neighborhoods.

The city is undergoing the formal zoning rewrite for the plan, which can make concrete changes, and is collecting input now.

I think [the zoning rewrite] is a real chance to take sweeping action that isnt just addressing the symptoms, but really is creating change. But I think we also know that many homeowners and property owners in Charlottesville, largely wealthy and white, will do all they can to prevent zoning changes in their neighborhood, said Elizabeth Stark, co-chair of the Charlottesville area chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which is researching the impact of evictions and housing affordability in the region.

For months, dozens of people voiced their opposition to the revised Future Land Use Map and zoning rewrite at City Council meetings, and Cville Plans Together representatives said they got thousands of pieces of feedback. Many of those who were vocal were wealthier white homeowners in single family homes.

Zoning is only part of the battle. Affordable apartments and houses need to go up, and rents need to come down, community members and activists say.

Affordable housing has become a key hot topic in the city budget. Snook pointed out the city has put $10 million toward affordable housing in this years budget, and is renovating the Friendship Court public housing complex.

I applaud the people, the activists who showed up every single city council meeting until one in the morning, advocating for more funding, said Elaine Poon, deputy director of advocacy for the Legal Aid Justice Center. Within the first few years after 2017, we hit historic levels of funding for affordable housing, and theres no denying that we started the first city voucher program in Charlottesville. That has been a huge success. Is it enough? No.

Other community members and organizations agree. They question if enough is being done, including maintenance of public housing and creation of affordable housing.

I blame City Council. They could be doing better, Beard said. People dont see it. Because they dont have to live like that, they dont see whats going on.

Beard pointed to a broken elevator at Midway Manor, a public housing complex for elderly and disabled, as an example. It wasnt until residents lobbied City Council and the city manager that the elevator was fixed. It was inoperable from July 2020 till April 2022.

It makes me feel like people just want low-income people to get out, and the elderly as well, Beard said.

Frank Walker, who grew up in the old Vinegar Hill neighborhood and is now a local artist, said he doesnt think any of the citys actions post-August 2017 have helped marginalized people build generational wealth. Home ownership allows people to bequeath their homes to their heirs upon death, allowing wealth accumulation over the decades. Black people have historically lagged far behind white people in this type of wealth-building when they cant afford to buy a home.

How do you accumulate wealth by charging $1,200 to $1,500 for a single bedroom apartment? [Thats] not fair housing. What is that? If white investors come here and build apartment buildings and minorities cant afford to live in them, its not affordable housing, Walker said.

Community members and activists are concerned that tangible affordable housing hasnt actually been built.

What once seemed like a major reckoning with the effects of institutional racism and white privilege, has back slid toward the status quo for Charlottesville white liberal elites, Stark said. I think the lack of affordable housing thats been built in the wake of Unite the Right shows that it was lip service all along.

Poon, of the Legal Aid Justice Center, said she wishes community members and organizations didnt have to continually remind the city of its commitment to affordable housing.

We have to remind them pretty regularly to uphold that [$10 million affordable housing fund] each time budget time comes around, and people kind of hem and haw about what we can afford, despite being one of the richest towns in the region, Poon said.

City takes a few steps

Snook, meanwhile, said one of the substantive changes hes most proud of is the addition of a dedicated staff member to tackle diversity and equity issues. Ashley Reynolds Marshall was hired as Charlottesvilles first ever Deputy City Manager for Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in May 2021.

For local government, equity can look like how we think about snow plows, how we think about public pools and park maintenance. How do we think about curb cuts and sidewalks? How do we think about language? Can anyone come in City Hall and be able to do business easily? Can you physically come in if youre differently abled? If English is your second language, can we still support you? Marshall said.

Glenn Harris said when he works with local governments to be more equitable, he encourages them to focus also on seemingly small changes that can make a big impact.

Its easy to imagine that government is just elected officials, but its also people like your sanitation workers, the people who maintain your local parks. And their understanding and ability to engage with these questions makes a huge difference, because theyre implementing these changes day in and day out, Harris said.

Marshall cited the work and persistence of community members in being vital to the local government making changes.

[We want] to make sure that people have an opportunity now to say what they would like and it may be very similar to what they wanted after 2017. They may have some additional needs, and we want to make sure were not ignoring those additional needs either, Marshall said.
Additional 1,705 new Covid-19 infections reported on Monday

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Monday reported an additional 1,705 Covid-19 infections, raising the country's total tally to over 11 million.















Illustrative photo





According to the ministry's report, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 11,349,223.



On August 8, an additional 9,223 more patients recovered from the disease, raising the number of recoveries in the country to over 9.98 million.



On Monday evening, no deaths from Covid-19 were recorded. The country's total fatalities stood at 43,094, accounting for 0.4 per cent of total infections.



By August 8, the country had injected more than 248 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.



Vietnam is targeting the completion of Covid-19 inoculation for children aged between 5 - 11 in August, as well as the administration of the third shot for those aged 12 - 17, as well as the third and fourth doses to people aged 18 and above as soon as possible.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

With the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. Recently, the European Union and Azerbaijan have been in active dialogue on increasing gas supplies amid the energy crisis in Europe.

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria agreed to supply 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria. However, because the IGB was still under construction, Azerbaijani gas was delivered to Bulgaria via the Kulata-Sidirokastro interconnection point.

The IGB gas pipeline connects to the Greek national gas transmission system in Komotini and the Bulgarian national gas transmission system in Stara Zagora. The pipeline's length is 182 km, with a capacity of up to 3 billion cubic meters per year in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria. The pipeline is designed to increase its capacity up to 5 bcm/y depending on market interest and the capacities of neighboring gas transmission systems.

The opening ceremony of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria was held in Komotini on July 8.

In an exclusive interview with Azernews, ICGB AD Executive Director from the Bulgarian side Teodora Georgieva spoke about IGB's role in changing the energy situation in Bulgaria and the wider region, Azerbaijan's role in guaranteeing uninterrupted gas supplies to Europe, expected volumes of Azerbaijani gas to be pumped via the pipeline, as well as the possibilities of increasing IGB's throughput capacity.

Q: How will the expected full launch of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria change the energy situation in Bulgaria and the wider region?

A: The upcoming commercial launch of IGB will guarantee secure supplies of natural gas from various sources not only for Bulgaria and Greece but also for the entire region of South-Eastern Europe. We will also have the opportunity to supply gas to the Western Balkans with the possibility to ensure supplies to Moldova and Ukraine due to IGBs synergy with the Trans Balkan Pipeline. This project is being developed from the very beginning in synergy with a number of other planned or existing key energy projects such as TAP, TANAP, and the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal, and this makes it an integral part of Europe's overall energy strategy and priorities.

The implementation of this project is of great importance not only from a market point of view but also as an element of national security. The Greece-Bulgaria interconnector is a new route for secure, diversified supplies, and will reshape the energy map of the region. This is even more valid now that we see Europe shifting its energy strategy to an active consistent attempt at eliminating the overall need for Russian natural gas as a pressure factor for all member states. In these challenging times for Ukraine and Europe, IGB becomes even more key  this is one of the EUs top priority energy projects and the first one that is in such a developed state that is so close to commercial launch. Our team expects that upon commissioning both host countries and the wider region will feel IGBs impact on the market quite fast.

Q: How would you assess Azerbaijan, SGC and IGBs role in more or less guaranteeing uninterrupted gas supplies to Europe?

A: IGB is connected to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), allowing for additional quantities of gas from Azerbaijan that arrive in Greek ports to flow to Italy and the wider Southeast Europe (SEE) region. It will also enable the flow of liquefied natural gas to Bulgaria and SEE from Greece's Alexandroupolis LNG terminal, paving the way for potential future LNG imports from the US, Algeria, Qatar, Egypt, and other suppliers. The pipeline is seen as a crucial element of the European Union's plans to give up Russian gas supplies entirely by 2030 and beyond.

The currently booked quantities of Azeri gas  1 bcm/y, are the backbone of the project from the very start and we are very grateful for the constant support of our Azeri partners when it comes to energy security. Azerbaijan is a trusted partner and that has been proven in time. I hope that in the future we would look at opportunities and possibilities to build on the current reserved capacity for Azeri gas, especially after IGB increases its capacity to 5 bcm/y  something we plan on doing together with DESFA in 2024.

Q: What volumes of Azerbaijani gas are expected to be pumped via the IGB?

A: Currently, a total of 1 bcm/y Azeri gas is expected to flow through the IGB pipeline upon commissioning. These quantities have been booked under a long-term contract for 25 years. The contract with Azerbaijan is the backbone of the IGB project and we are hopeful that in the future, after the successful commercial launch of the pipeline, this cooperation can continue and be further expanded. At the moment, the 1 bcm/y is being transported through the already existing energy infrastructure and is delivered temporary at Nea Mesemvria so that Bulgaria can still be able to gain the full benefits of the Azeri contract in these challenging times. For the upcoming heating season, all quantities will be transported through the interconnector  thats the deadline we absolutely cannot afford to miss.

All efforts of ICGB are focused on achieving commercial launch as soon as possible, even prior to the start of the heating season. For this to happen, we need to rely on active, strong, and consistent institutional support in both Bulgaria and Greece. Im hopeful that soon we will be able to announce progress with the procedures for Act 15 and Act 16 of the pipeline.

Q: How would you assess the possibility of increasing IGBs throughput capacity?

A: The maximum technical capacity of the IGB is 5 bcm per year which requires the construction of a gas compressor station at Komotini in Greece, a move which would depend on sufficient commitments from enough interested parties that would book capacity. This was initially planned to be researched as a possible move some years in the future after IGBs launch, but the war in Ukraine changed everything. Now we see that going from 3 bcm/y to 5 bcm/y could bring substantial benefits to all parties in the region  the two host countries that develop the project, countries in the wider region, end consumers, the business, etc. Weve begun active talks with the Greek national operator DESFA to look into the possibility of speeding up those plans and building a compressor station at Komotini much sooner. For now, we think this could be done in the first half of 2024 to match the launch of the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis  this would ensure that the extended capacity of IGB is fully booked. Id say that the energy sector in the region is looking at some exciting things to come and IGB will certainly make an impact in that regard.
They should not be able to get away with this.

Thats what lawyer Roberta Kaplan thought as she watched the news in August 2017 from her New York City home. A Charlottesville rally of neo-Nazis and white supremacists turned violent, then deadly, as racists and anti-Semites, some of them members of armed militias, paraded through the University of Virginia campus and occupied downtown Charlottesville streets.

Heather Heyer, 32, died during the Aug. 12, 2017 Unite the Right rally planned by some of the major players in American extremism. Neo-Nazi James Fields Jr. ran his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heyer and injuring more than a dozen of others, some seriously. In a separate incident, three white men beat a Black man, DeAndre Harris, to the ground with clubs at the entrance to a parking garage in downtown Charlottesville.

The night before, Aug. 11, 2017, hundreds of torch-bearing neo-Nazis and white supremacists tried to intimidate college students, Jewish people and others throughout the community, marching on UVas iconic Lawn and chanting the Jews will not replace us.

After all of it, the president of the United States said there were very good people on both sides. The remark turned into a national scandal.

As people were charged with crimes, Kaplan, who has been called a modern-day legal giant, waited for someone in authority to take action against the organizers of Unite the Right and the torch march. It didnt happen.

Jeff Sessions was the Attorney General, Kaplan recalled in an interview. He certainly didnt have what one would call a strong record on civil rights. So I was very worried. And it turns out, justifiably so. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice that was created to deal with issues like this wasnt going to do anything. And so I thought to myself, somewhat naively I guess, Okay, if the federal government, the DOJ, isnt going to do something here, I guess I will.

In October 2017, Kaplan filed a civil suit against organizers of the Aug. 11-12 events on behalf of several people injured or affected by the rally.

It took four years for the case to get to trial, but in November 2021, a jury found that Unite the Right organizers conspired to provoke violence, not peaceful protest, and said they should pay a civil judgment of more than $25 million.

As the fifth anniversary of the hate-filled marches and racist riot in Charlottesville approaches, the civil case known as Sines v. Kessler remains mired in appeals that have so far kept defendants from paying any of what the jury believed they owed. Millions of dollars in legal fees also remain uncollected.

The lack of resolution shines a light on the inadequacies of the U.S. civil justice system to produce accountability, many believe. Others feel a measure of satisfaction that a message was sent to the bigots that their names are anathema.

While the neo-Nazi white supremacists who planned events in Charlottesville said they did so to protest the citys removal of statues of Confederate heroes Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson from a public park, evidence in the trial showed they hoped to kick off a race war.

The verdict itself was a victory for the plaintiffs, even though the city and the country continue to reel from the mayhem. How that win in the civil trial plays out depends on whom you ask  and what may happen in the future.

Chain reactions

The example set in Charlottesville in 2017 so far has played out in other white supremacist and neo-Nazi violence across the country and even the world. But many of them happened before the 2021 verdict.

If you had told me [in 2017] that after Charlottesville there were going to be a long series of racist shootings and murders, committed by people on the same websites and message groups as the defendants in our case and who were connected to and believed in the same White supremacist ideologies, I honestly dont know if I would have believed you, Kaplan said. But that is absolutely what happened, whether its Buffalo or Pittsburgh or New Zealand.

And by the same token, if you had told me that they would then use very similar tactics and strategies to conspire to overturn the 2020 presidential election, I would have fallen out of my chair. In a lot of ways, what happened in Charlottesville in August 2017 was remarkably prescient in a very depressing way.

In important ways, Sines v. Kesslers success stemmed from a lucky break. Someone obtained dark web messages and posts on a website called Discord that proved the intention of Unite the Right organizers to provoke violence at what was called the battle of Charlottesville. Publication of that correspondence on a site called Unicorn Riot provided evidence of a conspiracy. Then, Discord complied with the plaintiffs request for records.

The Unicorn Riot materials gave us the kind of detail that we needed and used to draft our complaint, Kaplan said. The defendants were not able to succeed on their motions to dismiss as a result. And by the time we got to trial, we had a lot more because Discord complied with our subpoenas.

The effectiveness of the civil lawsuit in healing Charlottesville specifically or deterring similar hate-motivated demonstrations in the future remains unclear.

How you feel depends on how you were affected, said Wes Bellamy, who as a Charlottesville city councilor in 2016 asked about removing the Lee and Jackson statues because they honored defenders of slavery. I started getting phone calls at my home on Thanksgiving Day 2016 where people called me the N-word.

The racist calls started just weeks after Donald Trumps election. Saving the statues of the Rebel generals became a rallying cry for people with ulterior motives.

Since the violence of 2017, and the subsequent removal of the Lee and Jackson statues, Bellamy said he has tried to move on. He felt good that the people who planned Unite the Right faced civil judgments.

For me, them going to court brought some shame, he said. But they will never be accountable until there are criminal charges.

Senior Rabbi Tom Gutherz of Charlottesvilles Congregation Beth Israel welcomed the lawsuit and its outcome.

Many of us were vindicated because we believed that [Unite the Right] organizers came to town with the clear intent to create mayhem, he said. I feel a sense of validation and relief that the jury saw what we saw and understood it.

Yet Gutherz would not say that the suit brought closure to the community.

State Del. Sally Hudson, who represents Charlottesville in the General Assembly agreed. The trial, she said, was most important to the plaintiffs. For the broader Charlottesville community, she said, the need is to repair the long legacy of harm [that existed] before Unite the Right.

Im glad the lawsuit happened, she said. But only so much healing comes from punishing people.

Limitations of a lawsuit

In that sense, the Sines v. Kessler suit never had the capacity to reunite the community or the country.

Kevin Gaines, the Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice at the University of Virginia, believes a significant legal judgment for trying to legitimize hate, racism, white supremacy and anti-Semitism matters. But Gaines pointed to laws proposed in Republican-run states since 2017 that weaponize vigilantes against citizens protesting relics of the countrys racist past and its racist present.

As for Charlottesville, the city donated the Jackson statue to an art museum in Los Angeles that places the Civil War in context rather than placing Southern heroes on pedestals. The Lee statue remains in limbo after a judge allowed a lawsuit that hopes to block melting the statue and recasting it into community art meant to bring people together.

Despite making their case, the plaintiffs victory will be stymied by a Virginia law that limits punitive damages, but at the same time forbids judges from telling jurors about those limits. Given the size of the judgment, jurors in Sines v. Kessler clearly wanted to punish the neo-Nazis and White supremacists. But because no one told them the law restricted them from awarding punitive damages in excess of $350,000, the jury set punitive damages for many defendants above the legal limit.

Had we been able to instruct the jury, I suspect that the jury would have moved more money into pain and suffering, or compensatory damages, rather than punitive damages, Kaplan said.

Ongoing uncertainty about when and how much Unite the Right organizers will actually pay reflects the difficulty Kaplan faces. In addition to judgments, she hopes to collect several million dollars of legal fees that came in putting the four-year-case together, carrying it through discovery, and succeeding in winning at trial.

Right now, the court record in Sines v. Kessler is a document dump of post-trial delaying tactics by the defendants. Multiple plaintiffs have complained that they cannot afford to pay their judgments. Since the jury announced its verdict, one defendant, Christopher Cantwell, who represented himself at trial, has filed more than two dozen requests for extensions, along with multiple explanations of why the verdict against him and others was incorrect. Cantwell hand writes his requests from a federal prison in Marion, Ill., where he is serving time for unrelated crimes.

One of Cantwells most recent letters to U.S. District Judge Norman Moon demonstrated his strategy. Cantwell claimed the jury denied damages to any plaintiff who was not Jewish or homosexual. Therefore, he claimed, the jurors were racially biased against non-Jewish, white heterosexuals.

Like a Nazi torch rally

As the case grinds on, long-time Charlottesville residents remain stunned at what happened in 2017. From his apartment overlooking the University of Virginias famous Lawn, nationally renowned UVa political scientist Larry Sabato witnessed firsthand the march of torch-bearing, neo-Nazi white supremacists through the campus. It was like nothing he had seen in a half-century associated with the school. The march, said Sabato, looked like a Nazi torch rally from the 1930s when people paraded through the streets before Hitler came to power. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. 

Sabato hopes the civil jury verdict showed the defendants and those of their ilk how detested they are around here.

Kaplan thinks most people across the country find the beliefs of the people she sued to be odious. But she never harbored illusions that the lawsuit could reconcile Charlottesvilles history of strained race relations.

I would never presume to think that our case could create or even promote racial reconciliation in Charlottesville, she said.  What I hoped that it would doand I think it hasis provide a sense of peace for the plaintiffs, who I think are not only very proud of what they did, but really formed strong and deep bonds with each other during the case, which they still have. And I think we created a historical record in the documentary evidence and testimony that will continue to exist going forward. Hopefully, in less crazy times, people can look at that record, and there shouldnt be too much dispute about what actually happened and who did what.

On the other hand, Kaplan and Gutherz agree that locals must not fear talking now about what happened Aug. 11 and 12, 2017. Some people are reluctant to do so because they worry such talk may once again cause racists and anti-Semites to target Charlottesville.

I think that not talking about it out of fear of provoking them is definitely not a solution, Kaplan said. I think one solution is talking about it even more. We need to be more vigilant against any and all groups who want to use violence to obtain authoritarian, racist and fascist ends. Id like to be able to say that our trial prevented that from ever happening ever again, at least in Charlottesville. But I dont have a crystal ball that would allow me to predict the future. I do know that the best way to prevent it from happening again is continuing to organize and to shine a light on what the white supremacist movement is, what it does, and what they are willing to do to create what they call a white ethnostate in this country that belongs to all of us.

To this detailed analysis Gutherz added an exclamation point.

Nothing is gained, he said, by avoiding the truth.
A Daily Progress editorial on July 23 attacking Ann McLean, Governor Younkin's new appointee to the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, criticize McLeans stance on secession before the Civil War. She said in a radio interview that the slave-holding states had the right to secede and unite into a separate country. That argument was settled on April 9, 1865, and acknowledged soon thereafter by defeated Confederate General Robert E. Lee who in a letter to former Virginia Governor John Letcher declared that the question of states rights vs. those of the federal government had been decided on the battlefield.

But prior to 1865, there was a spirited debate on the topic, and for good reason. At the Treaty of Paris signing on September 3rd, 1783, establishing peace between England and the United States, each of the thirteen states was declared to be free, sovereign and independent. And while they had banded together to fight for their collective freedom, they were operating under the Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, which also asserted the sovereignty of each state. That document stipulated that "the Union shall be perpetual".

Having won their independence from England, and their unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the colonists were ready to write a new Constitution for their new nation. But after spending so many years under the yoke of tyranny, many were wary of giving up their sovereignty, and during the ratification process some states even went so far as to reserve the right to change their mind.

Another reason the southern States argued the right of secession before the war is because many scholars and statesmen believed they had "acceded" to the Constitution, and if so, then nothing would seem necessary, in order to break it up, but to secede from it.

Secession is a dirty word these days and conjures up memories of Dixie, slavery, segregation, Jim Crow and George Wallace blocking the entrance to Black students at the University of Alabama. But during the antebellum period, it was supported by a surprising number of politicians, especially those aspiring to higher office. In 1848, Abraham Lincoln said "Any people anywhere being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better."

In today's hyper-partisan political environment, a person who advocates for the concept of states rights is labeled a bigot or a racist. This term harkens back to the 50's and early 60's when the South fought tooth and nail to maintain a segregated society. Thankfully, the federal government stepped in and put a stop to it. But states rights are not always a bad thing, and it's curious to me why people in one part of the country would seek to impose their own set of values and traditions on those hundreds, even thousands of miles away. Only a few months ago, the Supreme Court declared Roe vs. Wade unconstitutional, and sent the matter back to the states and their duly elected representatives. In this case, local jurisdiction or states rights might be a good thing, depending on your point of view.

Jack Schewel

Lynchburg
NEW YORK (AP)  David McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose lovingly crafted narratives on subjects ranging from the Brooklyn Bridge to Presidents John Adams and Harry Truman made him among the most popular and influential historians of his time, has died. He was 89.

McCullough died Sunday in Hingham, Massachusetts, according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster.

"David McCullough was a national treasure. His books brought history to life for millions of readers. Through his biographies, he dramatically illustrated the most ennobling parts of the American character," Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said in a statement.

Keep scrolling for a photo gallery from the life of David McCullough

A joyous and tireless student of the past, McCullough dedicated himself to sharing his own passion for history with the general public. He saw himself as an everyman blessed with lifelong curiosity and the chance to take on the subjects he cared most about. His fascination with architecture and construction inspired his early works on the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge, while his admiration for leaders whom he believed were good men drew him to Adams and Truman. In his 70s and 80s, he indulged his affection for Paris with the 2011 release "The Greater Journey" and for aviation with a best-seller on the Wright Brothers that came out in 2015.

Beyond his books, the handsome, white-haired McCullough may have had the most recognizable presence of any historian, his fatherly baritone known to fans of PBS's "The American Experience" and Ken Burns' epic "Civil War" documentary. "Hamilton" author Ron Chernow once called McCullough "both the name and the voice of American history."

A non-academic, McCullough was not loved by all reviewers, who accused him of avoiding the harder truths about his subjects and of placing storytelling above analysis. "McCullough's main weakness is one he shares with Truman: he occasionally fails to wrestle with the moral complexities of policy," Walter Isaacson once wrote in Time magazine. Interviewed in 2001 by The Associated Press, McCullough responded to criticism that he was too soft on Truman and others by saying that "some people not only want their leaders to have feet of clay, but to be all clay."

But even peers who found flaws in his work praised his kindness and generosity. And millions of readers, and the smaller circle of award givers, welcomed him above all others. For years, from a wireless cottage on the grounds of his house on Martha's Vineyard, McCullough completed works on a Royal Standard typewriter that changed minds and shaped the marketplace. He helped raise the reputations of Truman and Adams, and he started a wave of best-sellers about the American Revolution, including McCullough's own "1776."

McCullough received the National Book Award for "The Path Between the Seas," about the building of the Panama Canal; and for "Mornings on Horseback," a biography of Theodore Roosevelt; and Pulitzers for "Truman," in 1992, and for "John Adams" in 2002. "The Great Bridge," a lengthy exploration of the Brooklyn Bridge's construction, was ranked No. 48 on the Modern Library's list of the best 100 nonfiction works of the 20th century and is still widely regarded as the definitive text of the great 19th century project. Upon his 80th birthday, his native Pittsburgh renamed the 16th Street Bridge the "David McCullough Bridge."

McCullough also was a favorite in Washington, D.C. He addressed a joint session of Congress in 1989 and in 2006 received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Politicians frequently claimed to have read his books, especially his biographies of Truman and Adams. Jimmy Carter cited ``A Path Between the Seas" as a factor in pushing for the 1977 treaties which returned control of the Panama Canal to Panama. Barack Obama included McCullough among a gathering of scholars who met at the White House soon after Obama was elected.

The historian was non-partisan for much of his life, but spoke out against Donald Trump in 2016, leading a group of historians that included Burns and Chernow in denouncing the Republican presidential nominee as a "monstrous clown with a monstrous ego." McCullough also had one emphatic cause: education. He worried that Americans knew too little about history and didn't appreciate the sacrifices of the Revolutionary era. He spoke often at campuses and before Congress, once telling a Senate Committee that because of the No Child Left Behind act "history is being put on the back burner or taken off the stove altogether in many or most schools, in favor of math and reading."

McCullough was active in the preservation of historical regions. He opposed the building of a residential tower near the Brooklyn Bridge and was among the historians and authors in the 1990s who criticized the Walt Disney Company's planned Civil War theme park in a region of northern Virginia of particular historical significance.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken went public with that possibility last week, revealing in an unusual announcement that the U.S. had made a "substantial proposal" aimed at securing the release of Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

With her court case concluded and her sentence pronounced, such a deal  assuming one can be reached with the Russians  is Griner's best chance of being freed early.

Though the guilty verdict was seen as a foregone conclusion, the imposition of a sentence her lawyers decried as far longer than average could give the U.S. extra impetus to strike a deal palatable to Russia as soon as possible. And the formal end of the court case could be the opening both sides need to forge a diplomatic resolution, too.

A look at what's at stake:

WHAT DID THE U.S. OFFER?

Blinken did not specify the terms other than to describe the offer as substantial and something that he intended to discuss with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

A person familiar with the situation said that the U.S. offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons to Colombia's former FARC guerrilla army. At the time of his conviction, the group was classified by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization, though that designation was lifted last year.

The officials did wind up speaking by phone last Friday, the highest-level known contact between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine. They are also in Cambodia for meetings involving foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE RUSSIAN RESPONSE?

Minimal, at least in public. Blinken did not provide details after his call with Lavrov about his response. The Russians gave no hint about their interest in the offer, other than a statement chiding the U.S. to pursue the Americans' freedom through "quiet diplomacy, without releases of speculative information."

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Russian government had responded in a "bad faith" manner with an offer that U.S. officials did not regard as serious. She did not elaborate, though CNN reported last week that Moscow also wanted the release of a former colonel from one of its spy agencies who was convicted of murder in Germany last year.

WOULD THERE BE A PRECEDENT FOR A PRISONER SWAP?

In many ways, yes  and a recent one too. In April, Russia traded Marine veteran Trevor Reed, convicted of a physical altercation with police in Moscow, for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot imprisoned for a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Yet that involved a Russian with far less notoriety than Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who once inspired a Hollywood movie and who earned the nickname the "Merchant of Death" over allegations that he supplied weapons used for civil wars in countries around the globe. He has adamantly maintained his innocence.

But there's not much recent precedent for public discussions of prisoner swaps, at least by the U.S. government, before the deal is done and planes are in the air. That's what made Blinken's announcement from the State Department briefing room all the more striking.

On one hand, it seemed intended to communicate to the public that the administration will do whatever it needs to do to bring home wrongfully detained Americans.

But such a public overture also risks weakening the administration's negotiating hand to the extent it makes the U.S. look overly desperate for a deal, or signals to other countries that it is willing to meet potentially unreasonable demands.

SO WILL THE DEAL TAKE PLACE?

It's hard to say, but the contact between Blinken and Lavrov does suggest more progress than has been made before. It also reinforces the idea that the two countries are willing to maintain communication despite extraordinary tensions related to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Griner is the most prominent American detained by a foreign country. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist detained since February when police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at an airport in Moscow. And though some Republicans including former President Donald Trump have expressed opposition to a deal, the conviction and sentence will only ramp up pressure on the administration to reach an agreement that can get her out soon.

"Today's sentencing of Brittney Griner was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn," Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner's agent, tweeted Thursday.

She said getting a deal done for Griner and Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive imprisoned on an espionage conviction he and his family says is baseless, may be difficult but it is "urgent" and the "right thing to do." The U.S. government also regards Whelan as wrongfully convicted.

For their part, Russian authorities have suggested that they regard a conviction as basically a prerequisite for a prisoner swap.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden again urged Russia to release Griner immediately.

"My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible," he said in a statement.
Denver Police chief Paul Pazen, right, speaks with means while commander Matt Clark, with the Major Crimes Department, looks on during press conference about three recent police involved shootings, as seen on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Denver, Colo. (The Denver Gazette)
Paratus, described as a full-service network spanning the African continent and connecting customers internationally, has launched Namibias largest carrier-neutral data centre.

Situated just outside Namibias capital city, Windhoek, the Armada data centre campus boasts a high availability hosted environment, with resilience on each infrastructure level, carrier interconnects and extremely low latency.

The new purpose-built facility will enable businesses to host their ICT infrastructure in a secure and world-class Tier III-equivalent data centre, says Paratus, and has been designed to exact and precise standards, leveraging the latest physical and virtual security and the highest possible uptime. The data centre will also offer businesses a colocation environment with a resilient infrastructure environment that minimizes IT the capital expenditure and operating costs associated with on-premise data storage and management.

Paratus also points out that, as a carrier-neutral data centre, Armada offers users the ISP resilience that a single carrier data centre cannot. Having connections to multiple carriers backed by critical IT Infrastructure means that even if one carrier has an outage, colocation customers connectivity is not interrupted.

The Paratus Armada data centre encourages interconnectivity between multiple telecommunications carriers, allowing multiple service providers to use the facilities and thereby enhance service offerings to colocation clients. This, says Paratus, broadens the appeal of the Armada data centre because it can serve any business  small, medium or enterprise.

Armada also offers an array of add-on services and features such as fully equipped boardrooms, high-quality video conferencing facilities and lightning-fast connections.

Paratus says that the launch of Armada signals Namibias readiness to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Equiano subsea internet cable reached South Africa on Monday. It landed at Melkbosstrand, north of Cape Town, said to be the last stop on its route south for the 12-fibre-pair system.

The Google-owned cable system connects South Africa with Portugal and has landing stations in Namibia and Nigeria. Its also the first cable to connect the remote Atlantic Ocean island of St Helena.

Equiano has a design capacity of 144Tbit/s, making it the highest-capacity internet cable ever to land in Africa. More to the point for the local population, its arrival promises to drive down internet costs in South Africa when it comes online in the coming months.

This was pointed out by telecoms and data centre infrastructure company WIOCC, which said in a statement that Googles state-of-the-art cable will have a direct impact on connectivity throughout the Southern Africa region, resulting in faster internet speeds, reduced internet prices and improved user experience. It also said the cable would extend WIOCC's wholesale offering in South Africa.

WIOCC is a key partner in Equiano, landing the cable in Lagos and owning a full fibre pair on the system. As a fibre pair owner, WIOCCs Equiano capacity is upgradable fully under its own control. WIOCC owns and manages its own submarine line terminating equipment (SLTE), choosing to light and upgrade its capacity exactly as it wishes to meet the needs and demands of its clients.

One obvious use of WIOCCs Equiano capacity is for data centres and, sure enough, WIOCC has said the capacity will be extended into a new facility from WIOCC Group company Open Access Data Centres. The facility is currently undergoing fit-out in Rondebosch, Cape Town, where clients can interconnect with terrestrial infrastructure providers, cloud networks, partners, suppliers and other ecosystem members.

OADC plans three new core data centres in the country and, by next year, over 100 edge data centres.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijan has exported green petroleum coke to China, Azernews reports, citing ADY Container.

According to the information, the exports were carried out within the framework of cooperation between ADY Container container transportation company and Azeraluminium LLC company in the non-ferrous metallurgy sector.

The cargo on the Ganja-Pingyuan route was delivered in 50 40-foot containers.

Wagons with containers going along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route were delivered from the port of Alat to the Kazakh port of Aktau by the Barys feeder vessel, and from there to China through the territory of Kazakhstan, the company said.

Azeraluminium LLC, which plays an important role in the development of the countrys non-oil sector, will supply 30,000 anode blocks this year. To date, 400 containers have been imported from Turkey to Azerbaijan via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway within the framework of cooperation between ADY Container and Azeraluminium. The parties are aimed at further expansion of cooperation.

ADY Container LLC is a fully-fledged subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC with the mission of providing high-quality, dependable freight transportation in the country.

ADY Container LLC, which operates exclusively within Azerbaijan, provides a wide range of services, from multimodal transport to custom brokerage and storage facilities, all of which can be conveniently managed through our online customer portal.
Cuba is a Maleconazo (and this time a raft crisis won't solve the problem) In just two weeks some 30 cities and towns in 13 Cuban provinces have turned out to protest.

In a few hours it will be 28 years since the social uprising in Havana known today as "El Maleconazo." These kinds of spontaneous protests have become a regular phenomenon in Cuba, to the point that it is no longer extraordinary for there to be, every night, especially in towns suffering protracted blackouts, people banging pots and pans and shouting anti-regime slogans.

The kind of event seen on August 5, 1994, long put down by the regime to the euphemistically-dubbed "Special Period," and alleged incitements to emigrate by Washington, are now daily occurrences, without any reference to them in the official media.

The historical circumstances are similar, but not identical: in addition to a serious shortage of food, medicine and basic necessities, today Cuba is suffering the worst blackouts since the 1990s.

Back then Fidel Castro sought to let the pressure cooker vent by allowing everyone who wanted to flee by sea to do so. The micro outbursts in recent weeks are occurring as Cuba is witnessing its greatest exodus in more than half a century, with figures even higher than the Raft Crisis following the Maleconazo, and even its historic predecessor, the Mariel Boatlift.

The protests these days are for multiple reasons, though in most cases they erupt amidst demands for a solution to the blackouts. In addition to this demand there are those of the relatives of 11J prisoners calling for their release, mothers with children who require decent housing, and with them, cries of "Libertad", "Diaz-Canel S.O.B.," and "Abajo la dictatorship" (Down with the dictatorship), connecting recent events with the repudiation of the regime made explicit a year ago in dozens of Cuban cities.

The protests are hard to map today. The demonstration in Los Palacios, Pinar del Rio, on July 14 was followed by protests in more than three dozen cities and towns in at least 13 provinces, according to citizen reports verified by independent media and activists on the ground.

According to the DeFacto verification project by the digital medium El Toque, the first confirmed protest of the current energy crisis took place at the Universidad Ignacio Agramonte de Camaguey, where students shouted a slogan that has been heard elsewhere: "Ponga la corriente, pinga!" (Give us electricity, you prick!)

According to this analysis, since then there have been 25 verified protests, gaining steam with the passing of the days. The nights of August 1 and 2 saw the greatest number of simultaneous demonstrations take place.

DeFacto reported that the day after the protest at the Universidad de Camaguey residents of Manzanillo emerged to demonstrate after more than 12 hours without electricity.

In mid-July the situation of social tension intensified, as dozens of people in Baracoa (Guantanamo) demonstrated on the quay there, on July 15. On the 19th the situation repeated itself in the town of Rosalia-Constancia, in the municipality of Abreus (Cienfuegos), on the 22nd in Colon (Matanzas), in Caibarien (Villa Clara), Reparto Lili, (Sagua la Grande, Villa Clara), and in Jaguey Grande (Matanzas).

On the night of that same day, the offices of the Tapaste Electric Company (Mayabeque) were set on fire by unknown parties.

On the 23rd Granma joined the list, when residents of the La Marina neighborhood, in Campechuela, protested publicly. Then on the 30th there was general unrest that included the Central Australia, in Jaguey Grande; the town of Covadonga, in Aguada de Pasajeros, Cienfuegos (where, according to DeFacto, the Arcoiris MLC store was pelted with rocks); and Bauta, in Artemisa.

The next night Nuevitas, in Camaguey, also took to the streets, and on August 1 it was the Reparto Tulipan and Caunao del Sur, in Cienfuegos; El Tibol, in San Jose de las Lajas, Mayabeque; Mabay, in Bayamo, Granma; Antilla, north of Holguin; Trinidad, in Sancti Spiritus; and Herradura, in Consolacion del Sur, Pinar del Rio.

On August 1, dozens of residents of Vista Hermosa, in Santiago de Cuba, hit the streets to protest, in broad daylight, after suffering constant blackouts, and six relatives of 11J political prisoners demonstrated in front of the Havana Cathedral, demanding the release of their family members.

On Tuesday 2, dozens of women with children shut down transit on part of the National Highway near the El Comodoro camp/shelter, in the Calvario-Fraternidad Popular Council (Arroyo Naranjo, Havana) demanding Miguel Diaz-Canel's presence.

When we add to this the dozens of anti-regime posters appearing in public places all across Cuba, the fires allegedly affecting state entities, plus the dengue epidemic, which continues to spread, the situation has reached unimaginable extremes.

This time, does the regime have an answer when the only solution to this social crisis is to democratize the country and hand over power? Cubans now hold the outcome in their hands... and everything seems to indicate that they have now realized this.
Houston County commissioners approved the countys 2023 Rebuild Alabama transportation plan during their Monday meeting, committing its share of the gas tax revenues to nearly 10 miles of road improvements.

This is $1.1 million in paving; its roughly half of our Rebuild tax money, County Engineer Barkley Kirkland said.

The Rebuild Alabama Act was passed in 2019 and created a new 10-cent gas tax that was implemented in steps from 2019 to 2021. While the state started a grant program for local transportation projects, local governments also receive an annual percentage from gas tax revenues separate from the grant program.

Houston County uses part of its annual County Rebuild Alabama Funds to help cover the payment of a bond used to pay for past Rebuild Alabama road projects. The county sets aside a maximum of one-half of its annual Rebuild Alabama funds to go toward the bond payment, which is $708,607 for the 2023 fiscal year.

Roads in Houston Countys 2023 plan include Enon Road, Fortson Road, National Road, Lynn Jarvis Road, Enterprise Church Road, and West Cook Road with total estimated project costs of nearly $1.7 million.

In some projects, the county will receive assistance from local towns for roads within city limits. The Town of Kinsey has agreed to use some of its Rebuild Alabama funds to cover about $53,375 of the cost associated with work on Lynn Jarvis Road. The Town of Rehobeth has been asked to contribute funds for work on National Road, but approval is pending a vote by the town council. The county is also using federal funds for the project on West Cook Road.

Here is the breakdown of each project:

- Enon Road from Bluff Springs Road to Ashford Road  0.504 miles  will have leveling, resurfacing, and traffic stripe and marking for a total project cost $111,399.48.

- Fortson Road from Fortner Street to Gilmore Road  1.001 miles  will have leveling, triple surface treatment, and traffic stripe and marking for a cost $134,469.67.

- National Road from County Road 203 to South Park Avenue  2.168 miles  will have leveling, resurfacing, traffic stripe and marking for a total project cost of $410,528.40.

- Lynn Jarvis Road from Walden Drive to the end of Houston County maintenance  1.192 miles  will have leveling, triple surface treatment, traffic stripe and marking for a project cost of $175,729.25.

- Enterprise Church Road from Silcox Road to County Road 55 South  2.023 miles  will have leveling, triple surface treatment, and traffic stripe and marking for a cost of $279,023.30.

- West Cook Road from South Park Avenue to Rice Road  3.072 miles  will have leveling resurfacing, and traffic stripe and marking for a project cost of $560,553.
The FBI has transferred 10 antique items stolen by an American man to the Vietnamese Embassy in U.S.

The items, a vase and a set of tools comprising a stone ax and eight bronze pieces, was handed over to the embassy last Friday, according to an online announcement Sunday.

According to the FBI, the items pertain to a 2013-2014 case.

Ten antique items stolen by an American man was handed over to Vietnam by the FBI on August 5, 2022. Photo by Vietnamese Embassy in U.S.

An FBI representative said at the handover the bureau's cultural and art crime investigation team had discovered and seized an extensive collection exceeding 7,000 cultural artifacts illegally held by an American citizen, the largest seizure related to cultural property in the history of the FBI.

Before his recent death, the culprit had expressed his wish to return the artifacts to their communities and countries of origin.

After classifying, storing, and coordinating with experts, the FBI confirmed the 10 items were from Vietnam though it could not estimate their ages.

The items will be transferred to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam and the Vietnam National Museum of History for further study and assessment.
The island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Photo by Pixaybay/Alexandra_Koch

Two Vietnamese men accused of raping a British girl in Spain have returned home, but investigation is set to continue.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Monday statement the men got their passports back as their lawyers will represent them throughout the case. The ministry also confirmed that the men, identified as an actor and a composer, had left Spain for Vietnam.

"The investigation into their conduct will continue. The Vietnamese Embassy in Spain and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to follow the case and coordinate with relevant agencies to handle the incident according to their duties and competence," it said.

Spain's Ultima Hora newspaper reported Sunday the Provincial Court of Palma had decided on Aug.3 to return the passports of two Vietnamese citizens accused of sexually abusing a minor.

On June 28, foreign media said two Vietnamese citizens were arrested on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Spain, for allegedly raping a 17-year-old British girl.

A spokesman of the Mallorca police department told VnExpress on July 1 that two Vietnamese men, 42 and 38 years old, had been arrested over sexual assault allegations. He refused to disclose their identities and occupations.

They appeared in court on June 28 and were granted bail, but their passports were confiscated by authorities.

The British girl testified in court, confirming her previous testimony to the police.

On June 28, she and her family left Mallorca.
An expressway connecting Van Don Economic Zone and Mong Cai Town bordering China will enter service on September 2.

Van Don  Mong Cai Expressway, which will link with the 300-kilometer Hanoi  Ha Long Expressway to become the longest express route in the country, will start operation on the National Day of Sep. 2, authorities of Quang Ninh Province announced.

Covering 80 kilometers (50 miles) with four lanes allowing a maximum speed of 120 kph, the section will shorten travel from Quang Ninh's Van Don Economic Zone to Mong Cai to 50 minutes instead of two hours.

The section will also be the longest interprovincial route in Vietnam. It is part of Hai Phong  Ha Long  Van Don  Mong Cai Expressway that links northern port city Hai Phong with Quang Ninh, home to world-renowned Ha Long Bay.

The entire Van Don  Mong Cai Expressway boasts 32 bridges, some crossing the sea.

Nguyen Tuong Van, Quang Ninhs chairman, has ordered investors and contractors to swiftly assess and report on the project so the section could open on schedule.

Work started on the section in April, 2019 in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode, at the original cost of VND11.2 trillion ($484.76 million).

But in May 2020, the government approved a proposal by Quang Ninh to split the expressway into two different projects: the Van Don  Tien Yen section that stretches 16.8 kilometers and costs more than VND3.65 trillion of the state budget, and the 63.26-kilometer Tien Yen  Mong Cai section built under the PPP format at VND9.11 trillion.

Currently, the Van Don  Tien Yen section is complete while the Tien Yen  Mong Cai section is 95 percent done. The remaining work on the section includes covering the road surface with asphalt, installing sign boards and toll booths, as well as painting the road.
August 7, 2022 | 05:05 pm PT

I often see similarities and resemblances between my native Korea and Vietnam, where I lived for nearly four years, probably due to their similar experiences in modern history.

People in both countries suffered from occupation by colonial powers and then shared the pain of seeing their countries divided by the foreign powers.

But one area where I see a major difference is how people remember the historical events of the past through their collective memory or "social memory."

Though it is nearly 80 years since the end of the second World War, the issue of female sexual slavery during the colonial period and the demand for a sincere apology from the Japanese government remain a hot topic among Koreans.

Koreans count how many sexual slavery victims are still alive (11 as of May 2022) and fear a day when there will be none left.

Many Korean people support the demonstrations organized weekly in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, which have taken place more than 1,500 times since 1992.

On the other hand less than 50 years have passed since the end of the war in Vietnam. More than 4.5 million Vietnamese were exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin, and an estimated one to three million have some form of health issues as a result. But surprisingly, I do not hear much about Agent Orange or its victims while I live in Vietnam.

The case of Agent Orange is often described as "forgotten" in the U.S. and most of the western world, reflecting low public awareness.

Children at Tam Ky Agent Orange Center in the central province of Quang Nam. The young victims run social enterprises that produce incense. Photo by Se Gun Song

As a foreigner, it is difficult to accurately gauge the level of public interest in Vietnam.

I would occasionally see individual Agent Orange victims singing and asking for donations under bridges and other places in Hanoi. However, I had not heard this issue discussed much in the public sphere in Vietnam.

When I surveyed my Vietnamese friends, I was told that the Vietnamese people would never forget though the topic is not discussed much these days.

But why? Why don't the Vietnamese speak up? After starting my research on Agent Orange in Vietnam, I realized that there is a difference that makes any comparison difficult. Agent Orange is an incredibly complicated matter whose developments cut across multifaceted areas between diplomacy, politics, science, and humanitarian work.

Underneath is another layer of factors such as traditional beliefs, identity, shame, social stigma, and community relationships, all entangled, further obscuring the issue.

For an outsider, it is not feasible to comprehend the whole breadth of factors involved.

The Pulitzer-winning Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote that historical events are constantly reinterpreted, recreated and manipulated, thus getting registered in the public psyche differently as time goes on.

For example, Hollywood and Korean film industries produce movies about the Vietnamese war and get large audiences worldwide.

They can make the audiences experience the war differently and form a new version of social memory. Even those individuals who fought in the war changed their views about the event as time passed.

We have seen U.S. veterans return to Vietnam and become friends with former enemies who understood the inevitability of war.

While the VietnamU.S. relationship improved, scientific knowledge about Agent Orange got updated, and international laws on the use of chemicals were strengthened, unfortunately, the issue of Agent Orange and its status has not changed much.

The debates on scientific evidence and legal and moral technicalities we have had for decades continued even as the topic gradually faded from public memory.

There was almost an Agent Orange Movement in Vietnam soon after the 2004 landmark U.S. court decision dismissing legal suits against American Agent Orange manufacturers.

However, the momentum did not last long. It is not easy to maintain interest in a past event in this forward-looking country where economic development for younger generations precedes many other social aspects.

Every year August 10 marks the day the U.S. army first sprayed Agent Orange in 1961.

Though I am not American or Vietnamese, I feel shame and guilt for those victims who endured pain and suffering even after 50 years and the new generation of victims whose links to the war are inconceivable.

While matters such as litigation and justice may take a long time, the humanitarian violation persists if we do not take necessary measures to assist Agent Orange victims and find ways to stop future generations of victims.

This is not just a VietnamU.S. issue, but a matter for every soul without borders.

One of the best things about living in Vietnam is seeing young people everywhere.

While many parts of the world worry about the aging population, this country is full of young people with positive energy.

I am often impressed by the Vietnamese youths' awareness of global issues and how well they are equipped to deal with them. For instance, their knowledge about environmental protection and the level of actions they take in their daily lives are on par with youths in developed countries.

The younger generations in Vietnam are creative and agile and already integrated with the rest of the world.

Agent Orange is one of the worst environmental disasters we have had. Young people in Vietnam can mobilize themselves to bring up the issue, build a global alliance and educate the whole world if grown-ups pave the way for them.

Whenever I meet Agent Orange victims during my work, particularly children, despite my preconceived ideas about people with disabilities, I mostly see smiles and sense a strong impulse to live a life full of joy and happiness.

When I hear their dreams, hopes and difficulties, I quickly realize that they are just like us  individuals whom we cannot just label and stigmatize as victims.

They only need some extra attention and care to stand on their own. Now it is up to us to transform such an impulse of hope into a lasting reminder of peace and human dignity.

*Se Gun Song is director of the Asian Youth and Culture Council in Vietnam. The opinions expressed are his own.
A tourist takes photos on a beach in Co To Island. Photo courtesy of Co To District Culture and Information Office

Authorities in the Co To island district in the northern province of Quang Ninh is set to prohibit visitors from bringing in plastic bags and bottles.

From September 1 they will be required to leave plastic behind before they get on ferries at Van Don Wharf to go to the island, according to the district's portal.

Nguyen Viet Dung, chairman of the district, said the ban would be trialed for a few months before it becomes official.

With the target of turning the island into an eco-tourism destination and make tourism sustainable, authorities have in recent years called on local people to limit the use of plastic products and opt for environment-friendly replacements.

The island district has yet to impose a ban on local residents using plastic products.

Situated around 80 kilometers from the mainland, Co To is famous for its pristine islets and primeval forests and access used to be strictly controlled due to its proximity to the Chinese border.

Cu Lao Cham, or Cham Islands, a protected area treasured for its biosphere near Hoi An in central Vietnam, has prohibited visitors from bringing plastic bags since 2009.
On July 30, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Emir of al-Qaida and one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, was killed by a U.S. drone strike while standing on his balcony in Kabul, Afghanistan.



A long-time associate of Osama bin Laden and his second in command, Zawahiri was a key figure in planning several high-profile terror attacks.



He was bin Ladens number-two man at the time of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, said President Joe Biden.



He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11, one of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2,977 people on American soil. For decades, he was a mastermind behind attacks against Americans, including the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000, which killed 17 American sailors and wounded dozens more. He played a key role . . . in the bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 and wounding over 4,500 others.



After the United States conducted an operation that killed bin Laden in May 2011, Zawahiri took over as leader of al-Qaida.



From hiding, he coordinated al-Qaidas branches and all around the world -- including setting priorities, for providing operational guidance that called for and inspired attacks against U.S. targets. He made videos, including in recent weeks, calling for his followers to attack the United States and our allies.



After relentlessly seeking Zawahiri for years under Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump, our intelligence community located Zawahiri earlier this year. He had moved to downtown Kabul to reunite with members of his immediate family, said President Biden.



And after carefully considering the clear and convincing evidence of his location, President Biden authorized a precision strike that removed Zawahiri from the battlefield once and for all.



This mission was carefully planned and rigorously minimized the risk of harm to other civilians. And one week ago, after being advised that the conditions were optimal, I gave the final approval to go get him, and the mission was a success. None of his family members were hurt, and there were no civilian casualties.



Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more, said President Biden. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer.



And the President stressed, The United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani and Israeli filmmakers are jointly shooting a documentary "The Jews of Oghuz", Azernews reports citing Azertac.

The documentary highlights the history and daily life of Mountain Jews in Azerbaijan's Oghuz District.

Located in northwestern Azerbaijan, Oghuz has been historically one of the main Jewish settlements in Azerbaijan, where Jews and Muslims had lived together harmoniously, sharing holidays and traditions.

While many left the district, still some members of this community remain, with several Jewish-style houses and two synagogues and cemeteries.

The synagogues are named simply the Upper and the Lower due to their location in the town.

The Lower Synagogue was built in 1849 and was the first synagogue in Oghuz, while the Upper Synagogue was built in 1897 and was completely restored in 2006.

The documentary is directed by Rufat Asadov, who is also a screenwriter of the film, and produced by Shaul Siman-Tov, a famous member of the Azerbaijani diaspora living in Israel.

The film is narrated by Rabbi Shmuel Simantov, who has been working tirelessly to deliver Azerbaijan's realities to the world community.

"The Jews of Oghuz" is Rufat Asadov's sixth film about Azerbaijan's Jewish community, including "The Jews of Guba", "The last Jew in the village", "The last Jew in the village. Nine years later", "The Prophet Jeremiah's tears", "If I forget you, Jerusalem".
The United States has called on countries around the world to place sanctions and other penalties on the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah.



The call came on the anniversaries of two heinous Hezbollah attacks. The first, on July 18, 1994, was the bombing of the Jewish community center AMIA (Associacion Mutual Israelita Argentina) in Buenos Aires. The second was the bombing of a bus of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria exactly 18 years later.



The attack on the Jewish community center in Argentina killed 85 people and wounded hundreds more. In Bulgaria, 5 Israelis were killed, along with the Bulgarian bus driver, and 45 Israeli youths were injured.



Both attacks were carried out with the support of Iranian officials. In a statement on the anniversaries, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price noted that the AMIA attack in Buenos Aires was the single deadliest antisemitic attack in more than half a century. He called it a clear example of Irans support for international terrorism.



High level Iranian government officials were directly implicated in the attack, and Hezbollah carried it out at the direction of the Iranian regime, he wrote. While no one responsible has been brought to justice, the United States believes all Argentines deserve to have those responsible held accountable for this despicable and cowardly act.



Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism who was in Argentina on the anniversary of the attack, also reaffirmed U.S. support for those seeking accountability for the horrific actions of that day.



In Bulgaria, two Hezbollah operatives were convicted in absentia in connection with the bus bombing, but because their whereabouts are unknown, justice has yet to be served.



The United States is committed to countering Hezbollah and Irans malign influence, said State Department Spokesperson Price. The funding, training, weapons, and other support Iran provides Hezbollah support complex and heinous terrorist attacks like these.



The callous murder of civilians must not stand, he declared. With our support, more than a dozen countries across Europe, South America, Central America, and the Pacific have issued national level designations, bans, or other restrictions against Hezbollah. We urge more countries to take similar measures, which make it harder for the group and its backers in Tehran to threaten peace and security around the globe.
It has been 18 months since the military coup in Burma. During that time, the Burmese military regime has escalated its violence to consolidate its control over the country, reportedly killing more than 2,100 people, imprisoning tens of thousands more, and committing egregious human rights abuses, including against those in detention. The regime recently committed the heinous act of executing four pro-democracy activists, further escalating its brutality and repression against the people of Burma.

At a recent meeting in Washington, Derek Chollet, the Counselor of the Department of State, pointed out that Burmas military regime has shown a complete unwillingness to negotiate.



Yet beneath this horrific brutality, we see a very insecure and isolated regime -- one that is facing a growing and resilient popular resistance movement. And while the military claims that it can control the country, in reality, the political and economic control remain contested, and the military regime has shown that it is fundamentally incapable of creating stability.



The United States remains determined to restore Burmas path toward an inclusive, multi-party democracy and continues to work with its allies and partners to address the human rights and humanitarian crises caused by the military regimes brutal crackdown.



To that end, the United States, has sanctioned more than 70 individuals, including representatives of the military and others who are responsible for the violence. Weve also sanctioned 27 entities that are tied to the regime, noted Counselor Chollet.



Weve also added numerous military entities . . . to the entity list to ensure they cannot benefit from U.S. exports. Alongside our economic sanctions against the regime, weve provided pro-democracy actors with resources, and weve given emergency assistance to well over 1,000 civil society activists.



Finally, the United States is providing humanitarian aid directly to the people of Burma. In response to the crisis in Burma, the United States has provided more than $434 million in lifesaving humanitarian assistance and nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in COVID-19 related assistance to the people of Burma, stated Counselor Chollet.



The United States will remain focused on supporting the people of Burma in their struggle to put their country back on a path toward democracy. The people of Burma have suffered under their militarys tyranny for far too long, and they deserve our full support.
ELKO  An 11-year-old girl was struck by a motorist in West Wendover who was suspected of impaired driving and jailed on $100,000 bail.

West Wendover Police Department officers were called to Butte Street at 3:52 p.m. Thursday but off-duty officer Tomas Ramirez was already on the scene and was rendering aid to the injured pedestrian.

The police department said Ramirez saw the driver and the vehicle at the scene and advised the driver to remain there.

Police said Colton L. Owen, 32, of West Wendover was driving a Toyota Tacoma west on Butte Street when he struck the girl, causing her to be lifted onto the hood and thrown onto the roadway. Owens vehicle then crashed into a large rock.

The girl was transported to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

Owen was taken to Elko County Jail and booked on charges of driving under the influence resulting in substantial bodily harm, no proof of insurance, failure to decrease speed or use due care, failure to change name or address on drivers license, and resident with nonresident drivers license. His bail was listed at $101,050.

The Wendover Police Department would like to recognize West Wendover Police Officer Tomas Ramirez for his rapid response while he was off duty, police posted on their Facebook page. Officer Ramirez came upon the accident scene and quickly rendered aid to the injured child and subsequently detained the driver. The Wendover Police Department thanks Officer Ramirez for his actions in keeping the community safe.
ELKO  The monsoon finally arrived in Elko last weekend, and the weather service is predicting another stormy week ahead.

Nearly half an inch of rain was measured Friday at Elkos airport, followed by another .18 of an inch on Saturday.

The total of .70 of an inch so far in August still leaves Elko nearly and inch and a half below normal precipitation for the water year that began Oct. 1. The deficit for the calendar year is even greater, at 3 inches.

The forecast calls for a chance of thunderstorms Monday evening through Saturday. The greatest chance of precipitation arrives Wednesday.

No weather advisories had been posted for northeastern Nevada as of mid-morning Monday. A special weather statement was issued in western Nevada for potential heavy rainfall, flash flooding and strong winds.

High temperatures in Elko will begin the week in the lower 90s before falling to the upper 80s Wednesday through Saturday. The average high this time of year is 92 degrees.

Temperatures in July ran above average nearly every day. Overall highs ran 4.9 degrees above normal for the month.
The revenues of the Russian Federation from foreign sales of oil, gas and coal are sky-high, having doubled in the first 100 days of the war in Ukraine, so we can state that the west's energy sanctions regime is not working and requires immediate strengthening, the advisor to the President of Ukraine on economic issues Oleg Ustenko said in an article for the Financial Times.

As reported on the website of the head of the Ukrainian state, Ustenko said that the west has taken so far cover less than 5% of Russia's prewar crude oil exports.

"Exports of seaborne crude, though down since mid-June, remain higher than at the start of the invasion. In large part, that is because it has been legal to import Russian oil into the EU and UK, and will remain so until at least December. Every week, some 10mn to 20mn barrels of crude arrive in Europe from Russian ports as traders turn so-called "phase-outs" into feeding frenzies," Ustenko wrote.

According to him, in what can only be described as a global laundering operation, Russian crude is taken to foreign refineries and then imported into the US as petrol. Once the oil has been refined into other products, it can legally enter the US without breaking sanctions.

According to the adviser, this trade is likely to continue even after a complete embargo comes into effect at the end of this year. "These are hardly the embargoes The failure to impose a genuine embargo on Russian oil and gas is turbocharging Putins revenues and financing war crimes in Ukraine," he said.

According to the adviser to the President of Ukraine, anyone serious about their support for Ukraine must stop funding Putin's regime.

"Business as usual serves only to prolong the war, which has hamstrung the entire global economy. The most effective solution must include a complete and immediate embargo on Russian fossil fuels in Europe and the rapid enactment of G7 proposals for a global price cap on Russian oil," Ustenko said.
Germany supports the provision of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine from the European Union and the creation of a new special program with the International Monetary Fund, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in a conversation with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

"The Federal Republic of Germany supports the provision of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine from the European Union and the creation of a new special program with the International Monetary Fund," the government's press service said following an online conversation between Shmyhal and Lindner.

It is noted that Shmyhal said that last week Ukraine submitted an official proposal to the International Monetary Fund to create a new special IMF program.

"On Friday, a letter was sent to the head of the fund. We expect to receive appropriate assistance from the IMF as early as November-December this year," the head of the Ukrainian government said.

The parties also discussed issues of restoring infrastructure and networks in Ukraine, as well as gas purchases for the autumn-winter period.

In turn, Lindner assured that Germany would help Ukraine receive the next EUR8 billion of macro-financial assistance from the EU as soon as possible and take the lead in this process.

In addition, Germany, according to him, supports the procedures initiated by the Ukrainian government to defer debt payments and efforts towards creating a special program with the IMF.
In the Vinnitsa region, missile arrivals at military facilities were recorded, there are also wcasulaties, the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

"On the evening of August 7, the Russians 'congratulated' the Air Force on their professional holiday. Unfortunately, there are several missiles arriving at military facilities in Vinnytsia region. There are casualties. The type of missiles is being established by the relevant services. The reasons for the failure of the missile warning system are being investigated," according to the report posted on Facebook on Sunday evening.
Second caravan of ships under Grain Initiative with 170,000 tonnes of agrifood leaves Ukrainian ports on Sunday

The second caravan of four vessels under the Istanbul Grain Initiative left Ukrainian ports on Sunday morning, the total tonnage increased to almost 170,000 tonnes, sunflower oil and sunflower seeds appeared in addition to corn.

"The second caravan with Ukrainian food has just left the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk  three ships from Chornomorsk and one more from Odesa. There are almost 170,000 tonnesof agricultural products on board the four bulk carriers Mustafa Necati, Star Helena, Glory and Riva Wind," the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported on Facebook.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said on Twitter that the Riva Wind ship is heading to Iskenderun with 44,000 tonnes of corn, Mustafa Necati  to Italy with 6,000 tonnes of sunflower oil, Star Helena  to China with 45,000 tonnes of sunflower seeds and Glory  to Istanbul with 66,000 tonnes of corn.

"The vessels will be anchored north of Istanbul and will be inspected by the Joint Coordination Center," the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The 1st Azerbaijani CultRural Festival 2022 brought together representatives of creative businesses, Azernews reports.

The large-scale event was organized by the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) in partnership with the Plovdiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) within the project "Create. Industry! Bridging Culture and Creativity of Bulgaria and Azerbaijan" that connected representatives of creative businesses from Bulgaria and Azerbaijan in the fields of handicrafts, design, and fashion, as well as visual and performing arts.

The event started with the welcoming speeches by Deputy Executive Director of AHK Azerbaijan Fabian Zittlau, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko, Bulgarian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolay Yankov, Deputy Head of Mission of German Embassy in Azerbaijan Heiko Schwarz, and co-founder of the Handicraft Baku Jala Najafova.

In their remarks, they stressed the importance of the project in developing synergies between Bulgarian and Azerbaijani creative businesses and establishing new business relations.

Some 1,000 representatives visited this whole-day festival. Around 8 Bulgarian and 59 Azerbaijani creative businesses had great opportunities to present their companies and showcase their hand-made products to Azerbaijani and European counterparts and institutions.

Speaking about CultRural Festival, Rozitsa Binkova-Bineeva, an employee of the only open-air ethnographic museum in Bulgaria told Trend Life that the project contributes to the expansion of cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.

At the festival, the Bulgarian Open-Air Ethnographic Museum showcased samples of traditional crafts.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani artist Sayali Mammadova delighted the festival visitors with eco-bags, hairpins, jewelry, postcards, etc under the brand "Ecofrons" co-founded in 2020 with talented artist Orkhan Garayev. The festival aroused great public interest.
As of 23:00 on Sunday, it is known about the shelling of the Kyivsky district of Kharkiv, there is no information about the victims, Mayor Ihor Terekhov has said.

"So far, it is known for sure about the shelling of the Kyivsky district. The preliminary 'arrival' was at an infrastructure facility. There were at least seven explosions. There is no information about the victims, I hope that there will be none," Terekhov wrote no his Telegram channel.

Earlier, at about 22:20, a threat of artillery fire was announced in the city, and then an air raid. Local telegram channels reported a series of nine-ten explosions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with American actress Jessica Chastain.

"American actress Jessica Chastain is in Ukraine today. For us, such visits by famous people are very valuable. Thanks to this, the world will hear, know and understand the truth about what is happening in our country even more. Thank you for your support!" Zelensky wrote on the Telegram channel on Sunday evening.

Earlier it was reported that Chastain arrived in Kyiv, where she visited the Okhmatdyt children's hospital. In addition, the actress plans to go to Irpin.
Pivdenny seaport starts working within grain corridor, two more ships sent  Ukraine's infrastructure minister

The Pivdenny Maritime Merchandise Port (Odesa region) has joined the work within the framework of the safe sea corridor of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

"Today, the SACURA vessel left the port, then the ARIZONA vessel joined it, which, in turn, left the port of Chornomorsk. Almost 60,000 tonnes of cargo are on board," Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote on his Twitter.

According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, there are 11,000 tonnes of soybeans on board SACURA vessel, it will go to Italy.

There are 48,500 tonnes of corn on board ARIZONA vessel, it will go to Iskenderun (Turkey).
Amnesty International on Sunday apologized for "distress and anger" over their report accusing the Ukrainian military of endangering civilians, Reuters reported.

"Amnesty International deeply regrets the distress and anger that our press release on the Ukrainian military's fighting tactics has caused," it said in an email to Reuters.

"Amnesty Internationals priority in this and in any conflict is ensuring that civilians are protected," the organization said.

"While we fully stand by our findings, we regret the pain caused," Amnesty International said.

In its email on Sunday, Amnesty said it had found Ukrainian forces next to civilian residences in 19 towns and villages it visited, exposing them to risk of incoming Russian fire.

"This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country. We must be very clear: nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations," it said.

On Thursday, the human rights group released a report saying that the presence of Ukrainian troops in residential areas increases the risk to civilians during a Russian invasion.
The POLARNET vessel, which was one of the first to take part in the implementation of the initiative for the safe transportation of grain and food from Ukrainian ports, successfully passed the inspection team in Istanbul and arrived at its final destination in Turkey.

"This first successful experience in the implementation of the grain initiative allows us to be optimistic about the future prospects for transportation. We thank our partners from the UN and Turkey for effectively ensuring the safety of the vessel's traffic and maximum cooperation at all stages of the implementation of the agreements," Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov is quoted on the website of the ministry.

He also thanked the vessel's crew for their readiness to be among the first to use the grain safe corridor, thus opening the way for all other vessels.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the arrival of the NAVI STAR and ROJEN vessels, which left the ports in the same caravan with POLARNET, at the ports of their destination is expected in about one week.
The Russians have begun to openly blackmail the whole world, declaring that they have mined the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (NPP) and are ready to blow it up, Energoatom reported on its Telegram channel on Monday.

"In his statement, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense troops of the Russian armed forces, Major General Valery Vasiliev, who now commands the Zaporizhia NPP garrison, said that "there will be either Russian land or a scorched desert," the company said.

According to Energoatom, it was Vasiliev who announced that the Russian occupiers had mined all the important facilities of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

"As you know, we have mined all the important facilities of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. And we do not hide this from the enemy. We warned them. The enemy knows that the plant will be either Russian or no one's. We are ready for the consequences of this step. And you, warriors - liberators must understand that we have no other way. And if there is the toughest order, we must fulfill it with honor," Vasiliev told his soldiers.

Earlier, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that the agency had confirmed information about the mining of Zaporizhia NPP power units by Russian troops.

Russian invaders on August 6 in the evening again launched a missile attack on the territory of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, as a result of which three radiation monitoring sensors were damaged around the site with the station's dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.

"Consequently, timely detection and response in the event of a deterioration in the radiation situation or leakage of radiation from containers of spent nuclear fuel is not yet possible," Energoatom said.
On Monday morning, the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces shot down four Russian Kalibr missiles, which were launched by the invaders from the Black Sea, the press service of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

"Today, on August 8, at about 10:00, the occupiers fired four Kalibr-type sea-launched cruise missiles from the Black Sea from the southern direction. All targets were shot down by the air defense of the Air Force," the report says.

It notes that one missile was destroyed in Odesa region by the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Pivden air command, and the remaining three were eliminated in the central regions of Ukraine by anti-aircraft missile units of the Center air command.

The Air Force also reports that the day before, the invaders attacked Vinnytsia region with hypersonic air-launched Kh-47M Kinzhal missiles.

"The main carrier of missiles of this type is the MiG-31 fighter jet, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 bombers can also be used. This is the latest type of missile in Russia's service. After being put into service in 2018, only a few dozen of them were produced. Warhead X -47M is 500 kg, the speed of is more than 12,000 km/h," the report says.

It is clarified that after being launched from an aircraft, the missile rises to a great height in the upper atmosphere, and when approaching a target along a ballistic trajectory, it can reach a speed of about 12,000 km/h.

"The performance characteristics of this missile do not allow the existing air defense systems in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to effectively detect and destroy it. Since February 24, 2022, only a few combat uses of this type of missiles have been recorded, which the enemy is trying to use on extremely important targets," the Air Force said.

As reported, missile arrivals at military facilities were recorded in Vinnytsia region on Sunday, as a result of which there were casualties.
Rada website publishes list of sanctions against Russia, which proposed to be introduced for ten years

The Verkhovna Rada has registered a draft resolution approving the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) dated August 5 to impose sanctions against Russia.

Corresponding document No. 7640 dated August 6, 2022 was published on the Verkhovna Rada website. According to the draft card, the document has been sent for consideration by the relevant committee at the moment.

The document provides for the approval of the NSDC decision of August 5, which contains a list of economic restrictions that are imposed against the Russian Federation (the aggressor state) for ten years.

This list includes:

1) a ban on the withdrawal of capital from Ukraine in favor of the Russian Federation, individuals and legal entities established and operating under the laws of the Russian Federation, as well as legal entities, part of which shares are owned by the Russian Federation, Russian companies or citizens of the Russian Federation;

2) suspension of licenses for the use of Ukrainian subsoil to persons associated with the Russian Federation;

3) a ban on participation in the privatization, lease of Ukrainian state property to persons associated with the aggressor state;

4) a ban on public procurement of goods manufactured in Russia, as well as goods, works and services from persons associated with Russia (with the exception of goods, works and services necessary for servicing Russian goods purchased before the imposition of sanctions);

5) a ban on entry into Ukrainian territorial waters and ports for non-military ships under Russian flags or belonging to companies associated with Russia, a ban on flights to Ukraine from the Russian Federation by aircraft associated with Russian companies or registered in the Russian Federation;

6) a ban on the purchase of securities issued by persons associated with the aggressor state;

7) a ban on the issuance of permits, licenses of the National Bank for investment in the Russian Federation; termination of the issuance of cash on cards issued by companies that are associated with the aggressor state;

9) a ban on the transfer of technologies, rights to objects of intellectual property to persons associated with the Russian Federation;

10) a ban on the acquisition of land plots by persons associated with the aggressor state.

At the same time, these restrictions do not apply to citizens of the Russian Federation legally residing in Ukraine and companies established and operating under Ukrainian law by citizens of the Russian Federation legally located in Ukraine.

The mentioned restrictions against the Russian Federation were proposed to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine by the Cabinet of Ministers in March this year.

Thus, the National Security and Defense Council supported order of the Cabinet of Ministers of March 22, 2022 No. 245-r on making proposals for the application of sectoral special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) to the Russian Federation.
Former Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Yezhel was notified of suspicion of high treason for approving the signing of the so-called "Kharkiv agreements", which contributed to the Russian Federation in the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said on Monday.

"The Admiral, who at one time was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Navy and understood all the risks of extending the stay of the Russian Fleet on the territory of Ukraine, agreed on the entire package of documents necessary for the implementation of the Agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the stay of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine dated April 21, 2010, the so-called Kharkiv Agreements," reads the message.

"Because of this, conditions were created for the continuation of the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine for 25 years, which contributed to the build-up of military equipment and personnel of the armed forces of the Russian Federation ... and were subsequently used during the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in 2014 instead of their reduction and withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine in accordance with the terms of the basic Agreements," the SBI stressed.

At the same time, the ministry noted that the draft documents were approved by the minister without even attending the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on April 21, 2010, at which they were discussed, as well as without conducting a mandatory legal examination of the compliance of the draft Agreement with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.

Yezhel is suspected of committing high treason by prior agreement by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The website of the Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine notes that in the same proceedings under the same article of the Criminal Code, former President Viktor Yanukovych and ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov, as well as ex-ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, were notified of suspicion.

As reported, in August 2014, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine notified Yezhel of suspicion as part of the investigation of criminal proceedings concerning the destruction of the logistics of the Ukrainian army. At that time, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Vitaliy Yarema clarified that it was about the period from 2005 to 2013. According to the Prosecutor General, more than 50 criminal proceedings were opened.

In 2016, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine drew up a report on suspicion of Yezhel for improper performance of official duties during the approval in 2011 of the list of military property of the Armed Forces of Ukraine subject to alienation. He is suspected of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or official position entailed grave consequences).

In March of the same year, Yezhel, along with another ex-Minister of Defense of Ukraine Pavlo Lebedev, was put on the wanted list. Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios said that Yezhel had been in one of the medical institutions of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus for a long time, but Belarus said there was no information about the whereabouts of the Ukrainian ex-minister. In 2018, military counterintelligence reported that Yezhel received refugee status in Belarus and lives with his family in Minsk.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has prevented a series of contract killings of representatives of the highest military-political leadership and public figures of Ukraine - the killers of the Russian special services, who planned to kill the Minister of Defense and the head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, have been detained, the SBU reports.

"As a result of a multi-stage special operation, the sabotage and intelligence group of the main directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (better known as the GRU) was neutralized. The criminals were preparing for the physical elimination of the Minister of Defense and the head of the Main Intelligence Agency of our state, as well as a well-known Ukrainian activist," the SBU said on the Telegram channel of the department.

According to the Ukrainian Security Service, for the murder of each of them, the Russian "curators" promised a reward in the amount of $100,000 to $150,000.

The report notes that the hit squad was formed by Russian military intelligence personnel to carry out subversive activities on the territory of Ukraine.

"It includes a resident of temporarily occupied Luhansk, who, as part of the illegal armed formations of the terrorist organization LPR, actively participated in hostilities against the ATO forces in the east. On the instructions of the coordinator from Moscow, it was he who, using his connections among criminal circles, was looking for a killer to commit contract killings," the report says.

The SBU notes that a resident of Kyiv responded to this offer, for $5,000 he agreed to liquidate the Ukrainian military, who, according to the occupiers, is allegedly involved in the physical massacre of Russian prisoners of war.

"This murder should become a test trial before performing the main tasks of the enemy. And for an attempt on the heads of defense departments, liaison decided to personally arrive at the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. Here, together with an accomplice, they had to prepare a plan for liquidation and submit it for approval to their leaders in Russia," the Ukrainian Security Service informs.

According to the report, the lawbreaker masked the routes of movement, so he entered Ukraine through the territory of Belarus, the SBU officers documented his arrival in Volyn region through Domanovo checkpoint and a meeting with an accomplice.

"In order to prevent the commission of particularly serious crimes, counterintelligence officers of the Security Service with the involvement of soldiers of the Center of Special Operations A detained both intruders in Kovel. During the search, the liaison found evidence of criminal acts, as well as a passport of a Russian citizen. Both detainees were notified of suspicion of high treason committed under martial law and premeditated murder. The issue of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention is being resolved," the report says.

Measures to expose crimes were carried out by employees of the Main Directorate of the SBU in Kyiv and Kyiv region together with the units of the SBU of Volyn region, the National Police and with the procedural leadership of Pechersky District prosecutor's office of Kyiv.

In the message of the Prosecutor General's Office posted on the Telegram channel, it is indicated that among the objects for physical liquidation, in addition to the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense, there was also one of the leaders of the National Corps - in the past, the commander of the reconnaissance regiment of the Ukrainian military unit Azov and an adviser to one of the ministers. As it became known to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, its about Serhiy Korotkykh.

"For the murder of each of them, the Russian curators promised a reward of $100,000," the prosecutor's office informs.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has decreed on the reconstruction of roads in Baku's Garadagh District, Azernews reports.

Under the decree, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads has been allocated 5.3 million manats ($3.1 million) for proceeding with the reconstruction of roads in Gizildash, Gobustan, Lokbatan, and Sahil settlements of Garadagh District in accordance with subparagraph 1.26.18 - "Allocating funds envisaged for state capital investments in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022".

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Finance was tasked with providing relevant funds, whereas the Cabinet of Ministers  with resolving issues stemming from the order.
Advisor to head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak declares the possibility of negotiations with the Russian Federation only if it has several important tactical defeats and noted the need for Europe to provide military and financial support to Ukraine to win the war, the website of the head of the Ukrainian state said on Monday.

"Unfortunately, it is impossible to reach an agreement with Russia today. Russia will definitely refuse or try to deceive the contractual parties. It makes full use of its expansionist capabilities and wants to promote the status quo, which is unacceptable for Ukraine. Therefore, we must understand that the negotiation process with Russia is possible only if there are several important tactical defeats," Podoliak said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro.

According to him, world leaders should understand that this war is a war of democracy against authoritarianism, and if Russia wins, it will dominate Europe and also try to encroach on other countries, for example, Poland, the Baltic States, Moldova. "I also tell our partners: if Russia wins, it will remain unpunished for its terrible war crimes, which the whole world has now seen," the adviser to the head of the President's Office added.

On the other hand, according to Podoliak, victory over the Russian Federation will ensure a peaceful future for Europe and countries in other parts of the world without energy, migration or food blackmail and the threat of a new armed conflict.

"Ukrainians are ready to die for freedom and they are dying for it. Europe's task is simply to support us. Give us weapons, give us financial aid, give us the opportunity to win this war! We are ready to give our blood so that people remain free, so that the European Union remains free. Today, the historical configuration of the European Community for the next 50-100 years is being determined," Podoliak summed up.

He also said that currently there are no contacts between Ukraine and the Russian Federation at the military-political level, but there is a dialogue on the exchange of prisoners and bodies of dead soldiers, along humanitarian corridors, as well as negotiations through intermediaries on grain exports.
The Russian invaders intend to deport 104 children from the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region in the near future, the Prosecutor Generals Office (PGO) has already been notified of these facts, said head of the Regional Military Administration Serhiy Haidai.

"The ruscists said that they would kidnap more than 100 of our children. The occupation authorities are trying to deport young Ukrainians to the Russian Federation. Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children's Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, is actively involved in the process of organizing deportation. The telegram page of the abductor of children is full of messages about the family shelter of Ukrainian orphans. The issue of placing Ukrainian orphans in Russian families under the guardianship was discussed by this Maria with the self-proclaimed leaders of DPR and LPR," he wrote on Facebook.

According to Haidai, in the near future, the occupiers plan to illegally take 104 children out of the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region.

"This is also a manifestation of genocide. We are trying to gather as much information about this crime as possible. The Prosecutor Generals Office has already been notified of these facts," the head of the Regional Military Administration stressed.
On Tuesday, August 9, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Launch of social initiatives competition in wartime conditions 'Time to act, Ukraine!" Participants include Director of the charitable foundation MHP - Community Tetiana Volochai; project coordinator at MHP Viktoria Nahirniak; Head of the Department of National Pojects of the charitable foundation MHP - Community Hanna Tarasevych (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Egypt's Foreign Minister and President-Designate of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) Sameh Shoukry asserted on Tuesday the importance of providing climate finance to developing countries, including island countries, to enable them to fulfil their commitments toward the climate.
Seven people died and 13 were injured when a microbus overturned on Ismailia Desert Road. The dead and injured were a family heading to Fayed to spend a day at the beach, the prosecution said in a statement published at Al-Ahram Arabic news gate on Wednesday.
Libyas Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli received on Tuesday the first flight operated by EgyptAir, the country's flag carrier, for the first time in eight years.
A UN-chartered vessel laden with grain set off from Ukraine for Africa on Tuesday following a deal to relieve a global food crisis, the ministry in charge of shipments said.
Alexandria will become the second Egyptian city after Sharm El-Sheikh to ban the highly polluting single-use plastic bags from its beaches as the country takes steps toward a green economy.

The decision is part of the "No to Plastic Bags" initiative, spearheaded by the Environmental Affairs Authority in Alexandria under the patronage of the minister of environment and the governor of Alexandria.

The initiative aims to replace plastic bags with safe alternatives, setting a timetable to prevent the distribution of any free plastic bags or violating standard specifications.

Alexandria - known as the Jewel of the Mediterranean - is the country's second largest city with a population of more than five million and its historic beaches attract millions of Egyptian holiday-makers in summer.

In March, Sharm El-Sheikh, the popular tourist hub on the Red Sea in South Sinai, announced that the city will become completely free of single-use plastic bags as of this June, in parallel with various other measures to turn it into a green city, as part of its preparation to host the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) this November.

The Alexandrian authorities will provide support to plastic bag manufacturers for the production of safe alternatives, promoting various short and long-term technological solutions to manufacture fully biodegradable bags.

Moreover, the initiative will also comprise a campaign to raise awareness about the danger of single-use plastic bags on the environment and public health in the governorate.

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A ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt to end nearly three days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza held throughout the night and into Monday morning.

Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled Gaza while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel in retaliation.

The three-day Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip left 43 Palestinians killed, including 15 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been living inder an Israeli siege since 2007.

Egypt had conducted intense communications with both sides since the outbreak of the fighting to reach a ceasefire agreement.

On Friday, Israel assassinated prominent Islamic Jihad leader Taysir Al-Jaabari in an airstrike on Gaza prompting the group to retaliate.

Israel on Monday said it was partially reopening crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and would fully open them if "calm" was maintained.

In May 2021, Egypt also brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions after a devastating Israeli onslugh on the strip left hundreds killed and injured and destroyed tens of residential and commercial buildings.

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By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Heads of the religious confessions functioning in Azerbaijan took part in the blood donating campaign, Azernews reports.

The campaign is being held in Azerbaijan in connection with Ashura day.

Chairman of the Spiritual Board of Caucasus Muslims Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazada also participated in the blood donating campaign. The campaign is taking place in six mosques and sanctuaries, as well as in eight medical institutions.

Commenting on the issue, Pashazada noted that the participation of heads of the religious confessions in the blood donation campaign once again testifies to the absence of discrimination on religious grounds in Azerbaijan.

"Radicals have committed an act of vandalism against the Azerbaijani embassy. They defiled the Azerbaijani national flag. The abuse of the flag is the abuse of the whole nation. On that day, the leaders of all religious confessions called me, and we made a joint statement," Pashazada said.
US President Joe Biden thanked President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and senior Egyptian officials for their central role in mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza that ended three days of fighting, and expressed his support for investigating reports of civilian casualties.

"I thank President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the senior Egyptian officials who played a central role in this diplomacy, as well as Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and his team for helping to bring these hostilities to an end," Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Sunday.

"The US administration has worked over the past 72 hours with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, and others throughout the region to encourage a swift resolution to the conflict, he added.

The US president said "the reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza."

"My administration supports a timely and thorough investigation into all of these reports," he said, "calling on all parties to fully implement the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza as the fighting subsides."

He also said that his support for "Israels security is long-standing and unwaveringincluding its right to defend itself against attacks."

He added that Israelis and Palestinians "deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy."

Biden also stressed that his administration will remain engaged with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to support this vision and to implement the initiatives launched during his recent visit to Israel and the West Bank to improve the quality of life of Palestinians and Israelis alike.

The ceasefire came into effect on Sunday at 11:30 local time (8:30 GMT) after Egypt conducted intense communications with both sides to contain the escalation.

Fighting between Israel and the Islamic Jihad started in Gaza on Friday after Israel assassinated prominent Islamic Jihad leader Taysir Al-Jaabari in Gaza through airstrikes, ending a year of calm in the enclave, and prompting the group to retaliate.

The Islamic Jihad launched hundreds of rockets against Israeli cities from Gaza in retaliation.

Both Israel and the Islamic Jihad said that they had agreed to the Cairo-brokered ceasefire proposal.

Israel on Monday said it was partially reopening crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and would fully open them if "calm" was maintained.

The three-day Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip left 43 Palestinians dead, including 15 children and four women, and 311 wounded, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been living under an Israeli siege since 2007.

In May 2021, Egypt also brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions after a devastating Israeli onslaught on the strip left hundreds killed and injured and destroyed dozens of residential and commercial buildings.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, commending Egypt's efforts to help restore calm, said spokesman for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres is deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries, including children, from airstrikes in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets toward Israel from population centers in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups, the UN News Center said in a statement on Monday.

Guterres also extends his deepest condolences to the victims of the violence and their loved ones. The hostilities have contributed to a humanitarian emergency. Crossings into Gaza have been closed and power shortages are affecting essential facilities and supplies. Hundreds of buildings and homes have been destroyed or damaged, leaving thousands of Palestinians homeless, the statement said.

The secretary-general called on all sides to observe the ceasefire.

The Egypt-brokered ceasefire came into effect on Sunday at 11:30 PM local time (8:30 GMT) after Cairo conducted intense communications with both sides to contain the escalation.

Three days of Israeli strikes on Gaza left 43 Palestinians killed and hundreds others injured.

On Sunday evening, US President Joe Biden also thanked President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and senior Egyptian officials for their central role in mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.

Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations commitment to the achievement of the two-state solution based on relevant United Nations resolutions, international law, and prior agreements and the importance of restoring a political horizon.

Only a negotiated sustainable political solution will end, once and for all, these devastating cycles of violence and lead to a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike, he said.

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Millions of Shia Muslims - from Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan - were marking the festival of Ashoura on Monday, one of the most emotional occasions in their religious calendar, commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein.

Security forces, particularly in Taliban-run Afghanistan, were on high alert for any violence. In the past, bloody attacks have marred the festival across in the Middle East, as Sunni extremists who view the Shias as heretics seize on the holy day to target large gatherings of mourners.

Shia Muslims were to mark the holy day on Tuesday in Iraq and also in Lebanon, where a major procession that typically shuts down Beirut's biggest suburb. With power split in Lebanon among the country's religious sects, Ashorua presents an opportunity for Lebanon's Shias to show force.

Crowds of mourners were thin in Kabul, where the country's Shias have suffered a wave of brazen attacks by the local Islamic State affiliate, which has tried to undermine the new Taliban government.

Repeated bombings have rattled Afghanistan's ethnic minority Hazara Shias, who previously experienced persecution under the Taliban and fear their new rulers - who seized power a year ago, as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew - will let violence continue against their community.

Shias represent over 10 percent of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein's death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.

Over 1,340 years after Hussein's martyrdom, Baghdad, Tehran, Islamabad and other major capitals in the Middle East are adorned with symbols of Shia piety and repentance: red flags for Hussein's blood, symbolic black funeral tents and black dress for mourning, processions of men and boys expressing fervor in the ritual of chest beating and self-flagellation with chains.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, authorities cut mobile phone services in key cities holding commemorations for fear of militant bombings. Pakistani police were out in force along procession routes. The Taliban shut down roads leading to Shia neighborhoods and mosques in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have encouraged Shias to carry out their devotions. However, they did not designate Ashoura a national holiday this year, as Afghanistan's authorities have in the past. They also banned major processions for fear of violence after a string of bombings targeting Shia-dominated areas.

Despite the threat of attacks, hundreds of frenzied Shiaas turned up on the streets of Kabul to beat their heads and chests in unison. They whipped themselves with knife-edged chains to the point of blood splattering onto the streets.

The Afghan mourners struck a defiant tone.

``Those who want to stop us from commemoration of this day will take their wish to grave with themselves,'' said mourner Habibullah Bashardost, adding that the community had braced itself for more violence.

``Even if these people who are commemorating today are martyred, we have our coming generation to continue this path,'' Bashardost said.

Another participant, Ahmadullah Hussaini, said his presence at the bloodletting ritual under the shadow of targeted attacks delivered a succinct message: ``We are not scared of anything, not even death.''

In Shia powerhouse Iran, thousands of men and women shrouded in black thronged the streets of Tehran. Green plumage, the color of Islam, fluttered in the air. Camels covered with multicolored cloth paraded through the city, evoking how Hussein set out from Mecca with a small band of companions. Iranians pounded their chests in mourning and chanted in unison, while some mourners clad in black wept.

``Somehow, I feel like I must go to mourning, because Imam Hussein was brutally and unfairly treated,'' said Nasrin Bahami, a 65-year-old participant in the Tehran procession. ``I love his pride, his bravery. He is a symbol, a role model.''

The largest Ashoura gathering was set to take place late Monday in the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine. Thousands typically rush toward the shrine to symbolize their desire to answer Hussein's last cries for help in battle.

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Egypt targets the reduction of the annual consumption of single-use plastic bags to 100 bags per capita by 2025 and 50 by 2030, Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad said in a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Sunday.

Fouad reviewed the goals of the national strategy to reduce the negative impact of the massive consumption of plastic bags on health, the environment, economy, and society, a cabinet statement read.

As part of the strategy, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was recently signed to implement the Okeanos Egypt project to produce alternatives to plastics via calcium-carbonate-based technology, dubbed 'Made from Stone'.

The Egyptian environment ministry, the International Company for Petroleum, and Industrial Services (INCOM) and Okeanos International Company signed the MoU.

The strategy, Fouad said, is set to be implemented in cooperation between the ministries of trade and industry, environment, health, international cooperation, local development, tourism, finance, and supply and internal trade.

Egypt has a plastic waste problem, with at least 970,000 tons of plastic waste produced annually, according to media statements in 2018 by the Egyptian Plastic Technology Centre, affiliated to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In June 2019, the Red Sea governorate banned the use of single-use plastic bags in businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, supermarkets, groceries, butchers, fisheries, and pharmacies as well as on safari trips and boats. It also banned the use of plastic knives, cups, dishes, and hooks, allowing only black garbage bags made of plastic.

Following in the footsteps of the Red Sea governorate, South Sinai's Dahab announced in July 2021 banning the use of plastic bags across the city.

Alexandria followed suit in April 2022.

Other campaigns were recently launched in several cities to encourage citizens to reduce the consumption of plastic bags.

Tarek El-Araby, director of the Medical and Electronic Waste Management Project at the Ministry of Environment, said during the meeting on Sunday that measures were being taken to limit the use of single-use plastic bags.

He added that campaigns for raising awareness on the environment have been launched in the Red Sea and other governorates to shed light on the negative impacts of using plastic bags on the land, marine life, and human health.

In 2020, Fouad launched Live Green initiative to spread environmental awareness.

The country is also pressing ahead with efforts to adapt eco-friendly systems in various sectors.

In May, Madbouly announced the launch of the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050 that is built on five pillars, on top of them are achieving sustainable economic growth and low-emissions development in various sectors.

Egypt is also speeding up to complete a series of environmentally friendly projects ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP27, which is slated for November in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

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A draft of the decree was approved by the cabinet in July.

The decree stipulates that Egyptians, foreign residents, and tourists are allowed to take pictures in public places free of charge and without obtaining a permit, using all kinds of analogue and digital photography cameras, personal video cameras, and tripods.

However, the decree prohibits the use of equipment that block public roads, or professional photography equipment, umbrellas, and artificial outdoor lighting gears without a permit.

It also stipulates that photography for personal use is not permitted in the following public places except after obtaining approval from the concerned authorities: lands, edifices and facilities affiliated to the ministries of defence, military production, and interior as well as other sovereign, security, judicial bodies, and parliamentary councils.

The decision also applies to other ministries and governmental premises and facilities.

The decree emphasised that photography for personal use should not be in violation of relevant laws.

Taking or publishing photographs that may damage the countrys image, offend its citizens, or violate public morals is prohibited, so are photographing children and taking and publishing photos of Egyptian citizens without their written consent.

In 2019, the Board of Directors of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (BDSCA) decided to allow the use of mobile phone cameras as well as traditional, digital and video cameras inside museums and archaeological sites without using the camera flash. The decision was meant to promote tourism and motivate local and international producers and production companies to shoot at archaeological sites and museums.

In 2021, incentive regulations were additionally approved by the BDSCA to allow commercial, promotional, and cinematic photography at Egyptian museums and archaeological sites, giving daily, weekly, and monthly photography permits for these services.

Permits for commercial and cinematic filming can be obtained by applying through the Ministry of Tourisms official website which will soon be launched. The website will include regulations in different languages for taking photographs in public areas.

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The government and parliament are very serious about putting an end to the construction offences that had run rampant in recent years, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Monday.





"The state will never tolerate a repetition of the previous construction offences that led to the loss of some of Egypt's most fertile land and were mainly to blame for the proliferation of slum areas and haphazardly built communities," Madbouly said.

Madbouly revealed that "work teams are now everywhere in all governorates and are in charge of tracking down offences and taking immediate action to eliminate them."

Madbouly made the statement at the end of a meeting with Minister of Justice Omar Marawan, Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawi, Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar, and head of parliament's Local Development Committee Ahmed El-Sigini.

"The government has recently been taking a lot of measures to crack down on construction offences and to take the procedures necessary to reach reconciliation on these offences with citizens," PM Madbouly said.

"In this respect, we are making use of the current parliamentary recess to amend the law regulating reconciliation in construction offences to present it to the House of Representatives in its new legislative season  which is scheduled to begin in the first week of October."

Madbouly indicated that "the government is keen for the House's leading MPs to attend all meetings in a bid to reach consensus on the law's articles."

For his part, Minister of Justice Omar Marawan clarified that the ministry is currently amending articles that have caused problems on the ground.

"We have already finalised amending the problematic articles and now there is agreement on the new rules of reconciliation in the amended law," said Marawan, affirming that "preparation of the amended law will be finalised very soon to be at the top of the agenda of the House in its new legislative season."

Egypt's law tackling "reconciliation in construction offences" was passed in April 2019, and has since been amended more than once.

Sources say the new batch of amendments will give more facilities for citizens to "reach reconciliation" with authorities on construction offences. These facilities will expand to include offences that do not present a big risk to the lives of citizens or to the public interest.

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President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi asserted to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Monday, that Egypt is looking forward to renewing the hope of the Palestinian people in achieving peace and obtaining their legitimate rights according to international references.

In a phone call he received from the Israeli Primer Monday evening, El-Sisi asserted that achieving peace imposes the inevitability of ending the violence and repeated escalation.

He added that this would open the door to opportunities and efforts for settlement, stability, and calm in preparing to launch the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, which would change the reality of the entire region.

For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister expressed his deep appreciation for the successful mediation role played by Egypt over the past few days led by El-Sisi, to reach a quick cease-fire, and to stabilize and restore calm in the Gaza Strip, which consolidates Egypt's role as a mainstay for the stability of the Middle East region.

El-Sisi highlighted that Egypt made unremitting and focused efforts to contain the situation on the ground and to prevent the expansion of the confrontation and the increase in military actions.

Furthermore, he asserted the necessity to take immediate steps to improve the living situation in the Gaza Strip to alleviate its deteriorating conditions and speed up the improvement of economic relations with the Palestinian Authority and support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

A ceasefire deal was brokered by Egypt to end nearly three days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza and held throughout the night into Monday morning.

Egypt had conducted intense communications with both sides since the outbreak of the fighting to reach a ceasefire agreement.

On Friday, Israel assassinated prominent Islamic Jihad leader Taysir Al-Jaabari in an airstrike on Gaza prompting the group to retaliate.

Since that day, Israeli aircraft had pummeled Gaza while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel in retaliation.

The three-day Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip left 43 Palestinians killed including 15 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been living under an Israeli siege since 2007.

Israel on Monday said it was partially reopening crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and would fully open them if "calm" was maintained.

The ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and its efforts earned praise from both US President Joe Biden and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

In May 2021, Egypt also brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions after a devastating Israeli onslaught on the strip left hundreds killed and injured and destroyed tens of residential and commercial buildings.

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Israel has agreed to a truce in Gaza, an Egyptian security source said Sunday.

"The Israeli side has accepted," the source said, adding that Cairo was waiting for the Palestinian response, as part of Egyptian mediation efforts three days into renewed conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Since the conflict began on Friday, 31 Palestinians -- including six children -- have been killed, while 275 people have been wounded, said health authorities in Gaza where several buildings were reduced to rubble and militants fired their first rockets at Jerusalem.

The fighting is the worst in Gaza since an 11-day war last year devastated the impoverished coastal territory, home to about 2.3 million Palestinians, and forced Israelis to seek shelter from rockets.

Egypt, a historic broker between Israel and armed groups in Gaza, negotiated the ceasefire that ended an 11-day conflict in May of last year.

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Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza said Sunday they had agreed to a Cairo-brokered ceasefire to end three days of intense conflict with Israel that has left at least 41 Palestinians dead and hundreds injured.

"A short while ago the wording of the Egyptian truce agreement was reached, which contains Egypt's commitment to work towards the release of two prisoners, (Bassem) al-Saadi and (Khalil) Awawdeh," senior Islamic Jihad member Mohammad al-Hindi said in a statement.

Saadi, a senior figure in Islamic Jihad's political wing, was recently arrested in the occupied West Bank, while militant Awawdeh is also in Israeli detention.

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A Cairo-brokered ceasefire between the Israeli and Palestinian sides in the Gaza Strip has come into effect on 11:30 local time (8:30 GMT) as previously announced, according to media reports.

The ceasefire agreement is set to end three days of renewed conflict between Israel and Islamic Jihad in the enclave with Israeli airstrikes claiming the lives of 43 Palestinians, including children.

Israel affirmed in an official statement today that it will stop fighting with the Islamic Jihad in Gaza at 11:30 pm local time. However, it threatened to strike back forcefully in response to any breach of the ceasefire.

Israel also thanked Egypt for its efforts in securing an end to the escalation.

Egypt has intensified contacts with both sides in the enclave to contain the current escalation, an official source said earlier.

Moreover, Egypt is also working to ensure the release of Palestinian captive Khalil Awawdeh and transport him for treatment as well as captive Bassam Al-Saadi, the source added.

Awawdeh, 40, has been arrested by the Israeli authorities in December last year and detained since then without a trial. Awawdeh has been reportedly on a hunger strike for around a month as he remained in jail without charges. Saadi, a senior figure in Islamic Jihad's political wing, was recently arrested in the occupied West Bank.

Fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad started in Gaza on Friday when Israel assassinated prominent Islamic Jihad leader Taysir Al-Jaabari in Gaza through airstrikes, ending a year of calm in the enclave. The Islamic Jihad reportedly launched hundreds of rockets against Israeli cities from Gaza in retaliation.

On Sunday, Israeli officials also claimed to kill Khaled Mansour, a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad in an airstrike in Gaza yesterday.

Both Israel and the Islamic Jihad said that they had agreed to the Cairo-brokered ceasefire proposal.

"A short while ago the wording of the Egyptian truce agreement was reached, which contains Egypt's commitment to work towards the release of two prisoners, Al-Saadi and Awawdeh," senior Islamic Jihad member Mohammad al-Hindi said in a statement.

According to earlier reports, the deal will include Israeli concessions to alleviate the Gaza Strip's fuel shortage. Within this context, Israel said that it will ease the blockade and allow the passage of fuel trucks to the strips power station on Monday.

The ceasefire plans come a day after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt is exerting "big efforts," alongside partners, to restore stability and calm in the Gaza Strip and is contacting the Palestinians and Israelis to ensure that things do not get out of control.

Egypt also announced in a brief statement by the foreign ministry on Friday that it has intensified contact round the clock in an effort to contain the situation in Gaza, achieve calm, and protect lives and properties.

The last major Israeli assault on Gaza was in May 2021, which killed around 250 Palestinians, including women and children, before an Egypt-brokered ceasefire ended hostilities.

The Israeli aggression last year has left the enclave in dire need of reconstruction work after destroying and damaging thousands of housing units and vital facilities and leaving scores of Gazans homeless after 11 days of airstrikes.

Over the past year, Egypt has maintained diplomatic and security contacts with both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to consolidate the ceasefire and pave the way for the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

Egypt has also been carrying out the reconstruction work in the enclave, including building towns that are planned to accommodate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, as El-Sisi pledged $500 million to rebuild Gaza in May 2021.

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By Sabina Mammadli

Turkiye has once again warned Armenia against the inadmissibility of further provocations against Azerbaijan, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

He made the remarks at the XIII Conference of Ambassadors in Ankara.

Further, the minister noted that Turkiye has been and remains on the fair side and stands for justice.

"This was also the case with Karabakh when Turkiye supported the heroic Azerbaijani army," he said.

The minister added that after the 44-day second Karabakh war, Turkiye continues its efforts to ensure peace and stability in the South Caucasus, to form an atmosphere of cooperation.

Moreover, he emphasized that the victory of Azerbaijan in the second Karabakh war created conditions for the start of the peace process in the South Caucasus.

"Both friends and enemies should know that Azerbaijan will never be alone," he said.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh thanked Egypt on Monday for its efforts in mediating a ceasefire and ending the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported.

Shtayyeh made the statement in a Palestinian cabinet meeting held to discuss the three-day Israeli assault on Gaza that left 44 Palestinians dead and hundreds injured.

US President Joe Biden also thanked President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and senior Egyptian officials for their central role in mediating a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Jihad that ended three days of fighting.

The ceasefire came into effect on Sunday at 11:30 PM local time (8:30 GMT) after Egypt conducted intense communications with both sides to contain the escalation.

The meeting also discussed the needs of the strips health and service sector.

Shtayyeh further noted that the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Palestine today, hoping that it will result in providing international protection for the Palestinian people.

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Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Monday in Cairo with his Kazakhstans counterpart Adil Tursunov and discussed means to enhance bilateral relations as well as issues of common interest, the foreign ministry's spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said in a statement

Celebrating thirty years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Shouky expressed honor for the ongoing relationship between both countries.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed the importance of advancing cooperation relations between Egypt and Kazakhstan in various fields, a follow-up to the phone call that took place between the presidents of the two countries in February 2022.

In February, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed in a phone call with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev several regional issues of mutual concern and ways of boosting bilateral ties, especially in the fields of health, agriculture, tourism, and culture

Moreover, Shoukry hailed Kazakhstan's role in inaugurating the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which aims to form a new formula to enhance confidence and ensure security and stability in Asia.

On his part, Tursunov stressed the importance his country attaches to relations with Egypt and the pivotal Egyptian role in the region. He also reviewed preparations for the upcoming CICA Summit chaired by Kazakhstan.

Tursunov has invited the Arab League (AL) to act as an observer at the sixth CICA Summit, which will be held in Kazakhstan in October.

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This came during talks he had on Monday with officials of the National Service Projects Organization (NSPO) and El-Sewedy Electric Company to enhance the local production of all components of the industrial process and train Egyptian cadres in manufacture and maintenance in a bid to generate more jobs and support the national economy.



El-Sisi's instructions came during his meeting with El-Sewedy Electric CEO Ahmed El-Sewedy, Chief Operating Officer at El-Sewedy Electric for Power Systems Projects, and Vice President of El-Sewedy Electric Wael Daoud and in the presence of NSPO Director General Major General Walid Abul-Magd, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.



President El-Sisi ordered to ensure that local products are to be made available in the domestic markets at prices less than their imported counterparts.



The president called for exploring more fields that need industrial localisation, especially those that are related to infrastructure.



The meeting reviewed efforts exerted by NSPO to strengthen the local industry in cooperation with the private sector, especially in the areas related to major national development projects, including modern irrigation systems to reduce import costs.



The meeting also reviewed efforts to boost local manufacturing of components of water control systems and smart farming, particularly those which help in calculating the quantity of water needed by crops, a matter which increases production and rationalises the use of water.



Talks also tackled efforts to localise the manufacture of grain silos within the framework of the National Project of Silos.

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Chad's military government and more than 40 opposition groups signed a deal Monday to launch national peace talks this month, but the main rebel outfit refused to take part.

United Nations and African Union leaders urged the junta and opposition to seize the latest opportunity to stabilise a country considered key to international efforts to stamp out Islamic extremists in the Sahel region.

But after five months of mediation efforts by Qatar, the main rebel Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) announced hours before the ceremony in Doha that it would not join.

And several other armed groups, including the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic, also refused to sign the agreement.

Under the deal, Mahamat Idriss Deby's Transitional Military Council and hundreds of opposition representatives will launch a national peace dialogue in the capital, N'Djamena, on August 20.

Deby, who was in Doha for the signing, took power after his father, long-time president Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in April last year shortly after taking personal charge of a counter-offensive against the rebels.

The dialogue aims to agree the rules for a presidential election that Deby has promised by October.

Chad, one of the world's poorest countries, has endured repeated uprisings and unrest since independence in 1960.

Deby promised a national dialogue and elections within 18 months after seizing power, but the mediation has been fraught since the first day when FACT and other groups walked out of the launch ceremony.

- Ceasefire and protection -

Opposition parties have demanded that Deby preclude himself from the election, but Deby has said this can only be negotiated in N'Djamena.

He has also said his transitional rule could be extended by another 18 months.

In a video message, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the signing was "a key moment for the Chadian people" but that the national dialogue had to be "inclusive" to succeed.

African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said it would be "crucial" for both sides to keep their promises to build trust with the Chadian people.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the accord aimed to establish "a peace to replace the trouble and strife that the country has known for many long years".

But Jerome Tubiana, a French expert on Chadian rebel groups, struck a cautious note. "It is an agreement that will not resolve the issue of armed opposition" to the regime, he said, noting the refusal of the main armed factions to take part.

Forty-three of the 47 groups who remained at the end of the mediation signed the accord to start national talks in N'Djamena on August 20.

Mahamat Zene Cherif, the interim government's foreign minister, acknowledged that there had been "difficult talks" in Doha but said FACT had missed a "historic opportunity" to help the country.

The European Union also urged FACT to rethink.

"The European Union encourages all the political-military groups that have not yet adhered to the agreement to do so. This would allow the launch of a truly inclusive national dialogue," said a European Commission spokesperson.

The accord commits all signatories to a ceasefire, while the government has guaranteed the security of all those who return from abroad to take part in the talks.

FACT had demanded increased safety guarantees and the release of more than 300 of its fighters in government prisons.

FACT leader Mahamat Mahadi Ali told AFP: "War does not resolve anything. We want a peaceful and political resolution, but when we are forced to defend ourselves, we will defend ourselves."

Among the signatories was a veteran rebel leader, Mahamat Nouri, 75, who has been signing tentative peace agreements with Chadian governments since the 1970s.

He told AFP the N'Djamena talks could work if there was "political goodwill" on all sides.

Choua Dazi, another long-standing rebel, told AFP the N'Djamena talks had a "less than 50 percent chance of success" and that he did not expect an election this year.

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Fifteen children were killed and 150 reportedly injured in the Gaza strip, as well as 14 children reportedly injured in Israel. When violence rages, it is children who pay the price. Beyond these figures, there are young lives. Many of them were cut short.



The impact of such escalations is huge, and continues even after a ceasefire is in place, affecting childrens ability to realize their rights and continuing to expose children and families to risks.



For many children, this was the fifth conflict they have lived through in the past 15 years. Many children are already living with the long-term psychological impact of continued exposure to violence.



Due to the lack of fuel, electricity supply in the Gaza Strip has been reduced to only four hours per day, affecting essential, life-saving services. This includes water supply from wells and desalination plants, raising concerns over the availability of safe and clean water. We welcome this mornings shipment of fuel and call for more of these crucial humanitarian deliveries to the Gaza Strip.



UNICEF is on the ground delivering, with partners, emergency health supplies, enough to reach more than 50,000 affected people. We are providing mental health and psychosocial support and working to refer children and families to available protection services where required.

UNICEF is working with partners for all children to go back to school safely at the end of August.



UNICEF once again calls on all parties to reach a long-term political and peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict, for the sake of all children and their future.

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Taiwan will hold live-fire military drills this week simulating a defence of the island against a Chinese invasion, officials said Monday, as Beijing carries out fresh exercises.

China sees Taiwan as part of Chinese territory to be unified.

The island's forces will hold anti-landing exercises in the southernmost county of Pingtung on Tuesday and Thursday, the Taiwanese army said.

"We will practise counter moves against simulated enemy attacks on Taiwan," Lou Woei-jye, spokesman for the Eighth Army Corps, told AFP.

They will include the deployment of hundreds of troops and about 40 howitzer guns, the army said.

Beijing continued joint air and sea drills on Monday after a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei last week.

Lou said the Taiwanese drills were already scheduled and were not being held in response to China's exercises.

Those drills had been expected to draw to a close on Sunday, but China on Monday said they were ongoing.

Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi -- the highest-ranking elected US official to visit Taiwan in decades -- ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defence.

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A late night roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan struck a vehicle carrying members of the Pakistani Taliban group, killing a senior leader and three other militants, several Pakistani officials and militant figures said Monday.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Sunday night killing of Abdul Wali, also widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, in Afghanistan's Paktika province. His death is a heavy blow to the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan group or the TTP.

The TTP blamed Pakistani intelligence agents for the killing, without offering evidence or elaborating.

The three other slain militants included Khurasani's driver and two of his close aides. No one else was in the car at the time of the attack, according to Pakistani officials and the TTP members who spoke to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the attack has not yet been publicly announced.

A statement from the TTP was expected later Monday.

The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan a year ago as the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout.

The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 14 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction of Pakistani military presence in the country's former tribal regions.

Khurasani, a senior TTP leader, split in 2014 to form his own militant group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which later joined the Pakistani Taliban. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2016. Rewards for Justice, the U.S. State Department's counter-terrorism rewards program, offered up to $3 million for information on Khurasani.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is accused of launching multiple attacks against Pakistani forces and religious minorities. The group also claimed responsibility for killing two Pakistani employees of the U.S. Consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar in March 2016.

That same year, it claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore that killed more than 70 people.

The TTP _ an umbrella group of several militant factions _ has also been behind numerous attacks on Pakistani troops and civilians over the last 15 years.

Khurasani was part of the TTP's negotiators who were holding talks with Pakistani officials since May. Three other militants killed in the bombing were identified by security officials and TTP members as Hassan Ali, Mufti Hassan and Hafiz Daulat. It was not immediately known where were they buried.

It was not immediately clear if and how Khurasani's killing would affect about three monthslong cease-fire between TTP and Pakistan's government. The truce was originally announced in May and was later extended for an indefinite period after talks between the Pakistani government and the TTP hosted by the Afghan Taliban in Kabul.

The cease-fire has mostly been holding, raising prospects for progress in the talks between the two sides.

TTP has long fought for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in Pakistan, release of their members from government custody, and a reduction of military presence in Pakistan's former northwestern tribal regions.

Islamabad has demanded that the new Taliban rulers next door prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan. Before the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Islamabad and Kabul often traded blame and accused each other of sheltering militants.

Pakistan now says it has finished the construction of more than 93% of a fence along the border with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border militant attacks.

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Egyptian Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad signed a cooperation agreement with the European Union (EU) to obtain a grant of 4 million euros within the framework of joint and continuous cooperation between the ministry and the EU in the field of environmental protection and in support of the Egyptian industry ahead of UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).

Fouad  who is also the ministerial coordinator and envoy of the COP27  said that the EU grant is a part of the third phase funding of the Environmental Pollution Abatement Project (EPAP) of total budget of 145 billion euros, according to a statement by the ministry

EPAP third phases is currently under implementation and provides a mixture of soft loans and grants to encourage public and private industrial enterprises to invest in pollution abatement technologies.

The minister said that EPAP is among the ministrys largest and most important initiatives that aim to enhance performance of the national industry and achieve compliance with the environmental needs and regulations, in addition to reduce energy and resources consumption to achieve sustainable development ultimately.

She added that the financial grants aimed to transform industrial facilities to the green economy and limit carbon emissions in order to limit the impact of climate change.

The projects second phase started in 2007 and aimed to decrease pollution in project hot spots in order to improve local and global environmental conditions, as Egypt is suffering from various kinds of pollution.

EPAP is implementing in a partnership between the EU and the European Investment Bank (EIB), French Development Agency and Germanys KfW Development Bank.

The statement said that the signing came amid the cooperation framework between Egypts Ministry of Environment and EU regarding field of protecting environment and supporting the Egyptian Industry.

Fouad said that the initiative is offering technical support to serious companies to adapt the environmental regulations, plus introducing soft loans and grants to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) up to 30 percent from the total budget of the companys implemented project.

She added that the EPAP is currently preparing and implementing environmentally friendly and energy efficiency projects of over 200 million euros to transform industry to green economy.

The environment minister asserted that all the different industrial facilities nationwide could benefit from the offered financial grant, noting that participated industrial facilities in EPAP will obtain a number of outcomes including reducing carbon emissions, achieve financial savings, and enhance productivity and competency.

Egypt is paying efforts to limit the impact of climate change and implementing a number of sustainable projects in various fields, as it announced in May the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050.

This comes in line with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inspections to sustainable projects implemented in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh, COP27 host city.

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Egypt is considering plans to list the assets of its Universal Healthcare Insurance System (UHIS) in the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) to diversify its investment portfolio and increase the yields of invested funds, Minister of Finance and UHIS Chairman Mohamed Maait said on Monday.

Egypt plans on listing the assets of its Universal Healthcare Insurance System (UHIS) in the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) to diversify its investment portfolio and increase the yields of invested funds, Minister of Finance and UHIS Chairman Mohamed Maait said on Monday.

The total assets and funds owned by the Universal Healthcare Insurance Authority (UHIA) were valued at EGP 55.6 billion by the end of June, he added.

Maait noted that the revenues of the UHIS since its launch in 2019 until the end of June 2022 recorded EGP 58.5 billion.

The UHIS performance in FY 2021/2022 indicates a positive financial position and reflects its sustainability despite the global economic challenges that are imposing severe pressures on the state budget, Maait explained.

The minister added that the UHIS recorded an annual revenues growth of 43 percent with an increase in investment yields by 74 percent and a 37 percent rise in surplus in FY 2021/2022.

Moreover, the systems investment portfolio posted EGP 50 billion in FY 2021/2022, according to the minister.

Maait asserted that the UHIS offers promising medical investment opportunities, noting that the private sector would extend 50 percent of the systems medical services once the system is fully implemented.

He noted that the UHIS is scheduled for launch within the coming months in other governorates under the first phase to cover South Sinai, Aswan, and Suez. The second phase includes Qena, the Red Sea, and Marsa Matrouh.

The UHIS is expected to cover all governorates by 2030, while the first phase is planned to be completed in six governorates by the end of June 2023.

Meanwhile, Maait stated that the UHIS has provided medical services for EGP 2 billion for the systems beneficiaries since its launch, while the states treasury has given EGP 500 million to the system to cover the subscriptions of those who could not afford the service.

CEO of the UHIS Hossam Sadek said it is safe to invest in the systems funds in the form of deposits, T-bills, and bonds.

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Trade and Industry Minister Nevin Gamea announced on Monday the decision to reconstitute the Egyptian side of the Egyptian-Spanish Business Council, to be headed by Maged El-Menshawy, the chairman of the board of directors of MINAPHARM Pharmaceuticals.

As per a ministerial decree, the term of members representing the Egyptian side in the council is three years. The Egyptian side is obliged to submit a semi-annual report to the trade and industry minister on its activities, efforts, and suggestions to develop economic relations with Spain, the decree said.



The Egyptian concerned authorities, embassies, and commercial offices should assist the council in performing its duties, according to the decision.



Gamea said that the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Spain jumped 29% to reach USD 2.851 billion in 2021 compared with USD 2.211 billion in 2020.



The minister noted that the new members representing the Egyptian side include cadres and experts in economic cooperation with Spain, pointing to high-level visits between both sides in the past period, the last of which was a trip by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Egypt in December 2021.

During his visit and the first by a Spanish PM to Egypt since 2010, Sanchez held meetings with a host of Egyptian officials, including Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

Both leaders discussed increasing trade exchange and Spanish tourism to Egypt. They also agreed to form a joint high committee to boost bilateral relations.

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The Prosecutor-General's Office of Azerbaijan has warned persons spreading fake news on the Azerbaijani army's military operations, Azernews reports.

Citizens of Baku Rustam Ismayilbeyli and Farid Hasanov, citizen of Goranboy district Elmar Mammadov and citizen of Mingachevir district Gulay Eyvazova, who spread fake news, were summoned to the prosecutor's office and familiarized with the relevant legislation.

"The distribution of false information that creates a threat of mass violation of public security and the emergence of socially dangerous consequences is unacceptable in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Information, protection of information," the office said.
Ukrainian forces bombed a strategic bridge over the Dnipro river overnight in the Russian-held city of Kherson, the army announced Monday.

"What a night for the occupiers in the Kherson region. Strikes in the area of the Antonovskiy bridge," regional deputy Sergei Khlan wrote on Facebook.

Southern army command spokeswoman Natalia Gumeniuk confirmed the attack.

"The firing system we have developed in recent days shows results," she said.

"The impact (of the strike) has been considerable for both the Antonovskiy and Kakhovskiy bridges," she told Ukrainian television.

The Antonovskiy bridge is the main land supply link between the city and the south bank of the Dnipro.

It was partly destroyed on July 27, forcing the Russian invaders to rethink supply lines and possibly resort to using pontoons to cross the water.

Pro-Russian authorities also confirmed an attack.

"There was one strike, a construction booth and a cement mixer caught fire. There is damage to the bridge floor, which means we will continue restoring it," deputy head of the Russian-led regional administration, Kirill Stremusov, told RIA Novosti news agency.

"There is no critical damage, the structural elements of the transport crossing were not damaged," he added.

Kherson, capital of the region bearing the same name, lies just a few kilometres from the frontline.

Ukrainian forces in recent weeks have been clawing back territory in the Kherson region, which borders the Crimea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.

Russian forces seized Kherson on March 3, the first major city to fall to Moscow since the start of the invasion on February 24.

Deploying Western-supplied long-range artillery Kyiv's forces have pushed closer to Kherson city, which had a pre-war population of under 300,000 people.

The Russian occupiers are planning to hold a referendum seeking support to annex the Kherson region, a major agricultural area for Ukraine, and the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia region.

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The Kremlin accused Ukrainian forces on Monday of firing on Europe's largest nuclear power plant in occupied Ukraine and warned that the alleged attacks could have "catastrophic consequences".

Kyiv said Moscow was responsible and called for the area to be demilitarised, saying two employees had been wounded in recent attacks.

Fighting continued meanwhile along battle lines stretching across eastern Ukraine, and Russia continued its crackdown on dissent at home.

Each side has blamed the other for the escalation in fighting around the facility in Zaporizhzhia, southeast Ukraine, which was captured by Russian forces early in their invasion, launched in late February.

Recent fighting at the plant has prompted the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to warn of "the very real risk of a nuclear disaster".

Ukraine said that the plant should be cleared of Russian military and called for the establishment of an international security and energy team to oversee the sight.

"What needs to be done is to remove occupying forces from the station and to create a de-militarised zone on the territory of the station," said Petro Kotin, president of Ukraine's nuclear energy company, Energoatom.

"There should be a peacekeeping mission including experts from the IAEA and other security organisations," he added.

"Their presence and initially giving control to them and then to the Ukrainian side would have solved this problem".

'Nuclear terrorism'

Kotin said that Russia had deployed some 500 Russian troops and 50 pieces of hardware including tanks at Zaporizhzhia, echoing earlier claims from Kyiv that Moscow was using the site for military cover.

Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmygal meanwhile accused Russia of "nuclear terrorism," urging the world to "unite now to prevent a catastrophe."

The Kremlin has captured swathes of Ukrainian territory since February, introducing Russian currency and by announcing plans to formally annex the areas by holding votes, including in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The head of its Moscow-installed administration Yevgeny Balitsky said on social media Monday he had signed a decree "on the issue of organising a referendum on the reunification of the Zaporizhzhia region with the Russian Federation".

The plans follow a similar move by Moscow in 2014 after it annexed the Crimean peninsula, a highly controversial vote that has not been recognised by most Western countries.

Although attention was focused on the fallout from fighting at Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces continued shelling across the sprawling eastern frontline.

Among the attacks, Ukraine said that one woman had died and four more were injured in Russian bombardments on Kharkiv region in the north east. It has been under persistent Russian shelling for weeks.

Ukrainian forces in turn said they had bombed a strategic bridge over the Dnipro river overnight in the Russian-held city of Kherson in the south.

Fresh fine for journalist

The authorities in Moscow pursued their crackdown on opposition to the war, handing down a new fine to journalist Marina Ovsyannikova.

Ovsyannikova shot to prominence in March for interrupting a live broadcast to denounce Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

On Monday, her lawyer did not rule out the possibility of her facing another criminal probe.

There was progress on one rare area of compromise between Russian and Ukraine Monday, after the first boat to leave Ukrainian ports under a recent deal Ankara and UN reached its destination in Turkey.

While Kyiv welcomed the news, officials also said there was a delay in the first delivery to leave Ukrainian ports because the buyer had refused delivery, citing a five-month delay in shipment.

Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on social media that a cargo ship carrying grain had departed for the first time from the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi.

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A Moscow court on Monday ordered journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who denounced Russia's intervention in Ukraine, to pay a new fine for discrediting the Russian army.

In March, Ovsyannikova shot to prominence for interrupting a live TV broadcast to denounce Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. Her lawyer did not rule out on Monday the possibility she could face a criminal probe in the future.

Last week, another court ordered the 44-year-old journalist to pay 50,000 rubles (around $800) for discrediting the Russian army.

On Monday, Ovsyannikova, a former editor at state-controlled Channel One, said Moscow's Cheryomushkinsky district court ordered her to pay 40,000 rubles.

Ovsyannikova's lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov told AFP she was fined for a post on Facebook. Two convictions within the space of six months can lead to a criminal case.

In court, Ovsyannikova said she "trolled" the judge but he did not seem to understand her irony.

"America and Europe are to blame for the fact that there is no longer freedom of speech, just courts and fair elections in Russia. And people are put in jail for calling for peace," she said in court, according to her statement on messaging app Telegram.

Ovsyannikova, a mother of two, was briefly detained in July.

Her short detention came several days after she demonstrated alone near the Kremlin, holding up a sign criticising the military intervention in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin.

After sending troops to Ukraine, Moscow adopted laws imposing sentences of up to 15 years in prison for spreading information about the military deemed false by the authorities.

Russian authorities have not announced the opening of any criminal investigation against Ovsyannikova.

In the months following her March protest, Ovsyannikova spent time abroad, working for three months for Germany's Die Welt.

In early July, she announced that she was returning to Russia to settle a dispute over the custody of her two children.

The journalist, who worked for state TV for 19 years, told AFP in a recent interview she had to sell her car to bring in some extra money. Ovsyannikova, who does not currently have a permanent job, works as a freelancer for foreign media.

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The southern Chinese resort city of Sanya imposed a lockdown on Saturday and restricted transport links to try to stem a COVID-19 outbreak that comes as some 80,000 visitors were enjoying its beaches at peak season.

The curbs came into force at 6 a.m. after authorities said the COVID-19 situation was "very severe" and people's movements were being restricted.

Authorities did not say when the measures might be lifted but said tourists wanting to leave the city, which is on Hainan island, would have to show five negative PCR tests over seven days. "We urge the general public and tourists to understand and give their support," authorities said in a statement on the city government's WeChat account.

The city reported 263 COVID-19 cases for Friday, up from 11 two days earlier. Authorities said they had detected the omicron subvariant BA.5.1.3.
Heavy downpours are expected to return to central parts this week but spare the south and Jeju Island. The Korea Meteorological Administration said huge amounts of rainfall are expected until the weekend.

Commuters walk in the rain in Seoul on Monday. /News1

The capital region, Gangwon Province and western parts will see between 100 mm and 300 mm of rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, while Chuncheong and North Gyeongsang provinces will see 30 mm to 80 mm. Parts of North Korea close to the border will suffer more than 300 mm of rain, raising fears of flooding.

Pedestrians struggle in a downpour in Seoul on Monday. /Yonhap

This year's rainy season officially came to a close at the end of July, but typhoons Songda and Trases brought large amounts of hot water vapor to the Korean Peninsula, while dry air flowing down from the north formed another stationary front bringing heavy squalls to certain regions.
President Yoon Suk-yeol returned from his summer break on Monday morning to a dismal 24 percent approval rating, one of the lowest of any Korean president in history.

Yoon spent the vacation at home in southern Seoul and promised to "listen to the will of the people with a more humble attitude" as he returns to work.

He was apparently besieged by advice from elders and ruling party members during his break, who pointed out that his rock-bottom approval rating in recent polls was untenable. But Yoon resisted calls for a sweeping reshuffle and said, "It's not proper to change people simply based on my approval rating just three months after inauguration."

But one ruling party lawmaker said, "The president knows what a 24-percent approval rating means. He is humbly listening to various opinions."
Korean officials will attend a preliminary meeting of the U.S.-led Chip 4 alliance, a semiconductor coalition that also includes Japan and Taiwan to reduce global dependence on China.

But Seoul wants to scupper a clause in the draft rules that would ban exports to China. A presidential office source said Sunday, "We expect to continue to fine-tune the agenda and our level of participation in the preliminary meeting next month."

Chip 4 is the brainchild of U.S. President Joe Biden, who proposed the alliance in March to protect semiconductor supply chains from Chinese caprice.

But Korea is in a bind since China accounted for around 39 percent of its semiconductor exports worth US$50.2 billion last year, taking up over 30 percent of Samsung and SK Hynix's total exports. Yet at the same time the Korean government wants a full role in the Chip 4 alliance so that its position can be reflected when making the rules.

"Taking part in the Chip 4 alliance helps the future of our semiconductor industry too," the government source said. "It is also beneficial to our national interests to cooperate with other semiconductor manufacturing countries and technology holders to maintain our lead and market dominance. But we want to suggest the pact should not exclude or regulate a particular party."

It remains to be seen how the balancing act will pan out.
COVID-19 is spreading faster again in the peak summer holiday season as vacationers pack beaches and resorts without wearing masks. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, daily new cases rose above 100,000 for six days running until Sunday. The weekly increase rate grew from the 10-20 percent range to 40 percent again. Major holiday spots like beaches and water parks are particularly vulnerable. There is no mask mandate for outdoor amusement parks or beaches, but operators are asking visitors to be responsible. The mask mandate is still in effect in restrooms and locker rooms and outdoor performance venues with a capacity of more than 50 seats but it is widely flaunted.

Haeundae Beach in Busan is crowded with vacationers on Sunday. /News1

People in their 20s and 30s now make up the biggest group of new cases. In July, about 260,000 people in their 20s were infected, accounting for the largest percentage of all 1.41 million new cases, followed by about 220,000 30-somethings. Together they took up 33.6 percent of new cases. Many people are reluctant to test for the virus despite symptoms or simply lead a normal life without self-isolating at home even when they test positive. These "hidden" cases could lead to an uncontrollable spread. "I've kept meeting friends because I have no symptoms, except an occasional cough," one 26-year-old office worker said. "I can't understand why patients should self-isolate at home at a time when the cumulative infections have already surpassed 20 million." Chun Eun-mi at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital said, "Many could test positive late this month after they return from holiday."

People wait to get tested for coronavirus in Seoul on Monday. /Newsis

Some forecast daily new cases could begin taking a downward turn this month, but warn that numbers of critically ill patients and deaths could also increase. They stress the need to brace for another surge in infections. Jung Jae-hun at Gachon University's Gil Medical Center said, "A new surge could occur in November due to the potential emergence of a new variant since they now surface every three to six months in major countries." On Monday morning, the tally of new coronavirus infections stood at 55,292.
When asked about Beijing's continued exercises, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters Monday, "I'm not worried but I'm concerned that they're moving as much as they are. But I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are."

China has already conducted four days of intense military exercises in six designated areas surrounding Taiwan, a response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit last week to the island. Pelosi, a longtime critic of China, visited on Aug. 2 to show solidarity and U.S. support for the self-ruled island. China views such visits as an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty.

In a statement, China's defense ministry said the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command would focus on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes near Taiwan. It is not clear how long the drills will last or where they will occur.

China's military extended provocative exercises in the waters and air surrounding Taiwan on Monday, a day after the drills had been scheduled to end.

The Chinese drills involved ballistic missiles that were fired directly over Taiwan, as well as warships, fighter jets, and drones that operated around the island. China previously said those activities would end Sunday, though many observers feared Beijing would attempt to normalize a more aggressive military posture against Taiwan.

Taiwan's foreign ministry late Friday condemned China's decision to extend the exercises, saying Beijing is "still deliberately creating a crisis" and ignoring international calls to halt the drills. At a briefing, Taiwan's defense ministry said Chinese aircraft and ships have not entered Taiwanese territory or airspace during the drills.

However, Chinese ships and warships have repeatedly crossed the median line, a de facto sea border in the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwanese officials. Some of the designated live-fire zones are less than 20 kilometers from Taiwan's coast.

Taiwan's government has stressed that it does not seek an escalation but that its forces will continue to monitor and deter Chinese planes and ships at sea. In recent days, Taiwan's military has released footage showing Taiwanese vessels tracking Chinese ships at a close range.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite the Chinese Communist Party having never ruled the island. A vast majority of Taiwanese, as well as Taiwan's democratically elected government, reject the Chinese claims. Taiwanese distrust toward Beijing is likely to increase because of Beijing's current approach, according to many observers.

The Chinese demonstration of military strength around Taiwan amounts to a "very violent form of communication," said Wen Lii, a resident of Taiwan's Matsu Islands, which lie just 20 kilometers from mainland China. "It only serves to increase the antipathy that Taiwanese people hold toward the government of China," said Lii, who heads the local office of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

In the Matsu Islands, life continues as normal, despite the proximity to the Chinese drills. Restaurants and hotels continue to be busy, Lii said in an interview with VOA. "People don't ignore the fact that China is conducting these live-fire drills, but people don't panic over these drills or let the media discussions affect their lives," he added.

In the capital Taipei, many residents acknowledged they are following the news, even if they were not shocked by it. "They've been making these threats for as long as I can remember," said a Taipei resident in his 20s who was walking in Taipei's busy Ximending shopping district.

He cited a recent French news program in which a Chinese diplomat spoke of the need to "reeducate" Taiwanese residents in the event Taiwan eventually becomes a part of China. "They say we are being brainwashed to believe in these independent ideas. Which is kind of hilarious because we have seen all kinds of atrocities in Hong Kong," said the Taipei resident, who wanted only to be identified as Dave.

China views the Taiwanese government as a separatist force, even though Taiwan's ruling party does not advocate for declaring independence.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war, with the defeated nationalist forces fleeing to Taiwan and setting up a government that later grew into a vibrant democracy. Since then, China's Communist Party has vowed to take Taiwan, using force if necessary.
A sinkhole in Chile has doubled in size, growing large enough to engulf France's Arc de Triomphe and prompting officials to order work to stop at a nearby copper mine.

The sinkhole, which emerged July 30, now stretches 50 meters (160 feet) across and goes down 200 meters (656 feet). Seattle's Space Needle would also comfortably fit in the black pit, as would six Christ the Redeemer statues from Brazil stacked head-to-head, giant arms outstretched.

The National Service of Geology and Mining said late Saturday it is still investigating the gaping hole near the Alcaparrosa mine operated by Canadian company Lundin Mining, about 665 km (413 miles) north of Santiago.

In addition to ordering all work to stop, the geology and mining service said it was starting a "sanctioning process." The agency did not provide details on what that action would involve.
By Trend

The volume of Turkiye's aviation fuel exports to Tajikistan slightly declined in May 2022, Trend reports citing Turkiye's Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).

Turkiye's aviation fuel exports to Tajikistan in May 2022 amounted to 131.6 tons, which is a decrease of 1.7 percent compared to same month of 2021 (134 tons).

However, this figure also decreased by 6.6 percent compared to the April 2022 (141 tons).

Thus, the volume of Tajikistan's aviation fuel imports from Turkiye for the first five months of 2022 amounted to 623.6 tons, which is a decrease of 10.1 percent compared to the same period of 2021 (694 tons).

Meanwhile, the total value of Turkiye's exports to Tajikistan from January through May 2022 reached $50.5 million.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2022 - 19:57 | World, All, Japan

A member of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force suffered a minor injury when he was assaulted Monday at a commemoration service marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara.

The MSDF officer was slashed in the neck after he was approached from behind by a local man and assaulted with what appeared to be a pair of scissors, according to the Japanese Embassy in the Solomon Islands.

U.S. military personnel attending the service quickly detained the assailant, who was later taken into the custody by local police, according to a Radio New Zealand report. The motive was not known.

The officer received stitches from medical personnel on board the MSDF destroyer Kirisame, which was calling at the port of Honiara, and is doing fine, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

The commemoration ceremony hosted by the Solomon Islands government at Bloody Ridge in Honiara was attended by senior officials from the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Makoto Oniki, Japanese senior vice defense minister, was in attendance as was U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy.

The event followed similar ceremonies held by the United States and Japan in Honiara on Sunday to commemorate the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in the 1942 battle for the island of Guadalcanal.

The fierce battle between the U.S. Marines and Imperial Japanese forces spanned about six months and resulted in around 22,000 deaths among Japanese personnel, with many dying of starvation and disease. The Allied forces suffered around 1,600 casualties in the fighting, while thousands more also died of disease.

Related coverage:

Japan, U.S. vow to enhance ties with Solomon Islands amid China clout

Solomon Island aid improves China's image amid security pact concerns

China vows to "firmly" support Solomon Islands in security terms
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2022 - 21:10 | All, Japan

The fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to ripple through Japan a month on, with many returning to the site of the attack Monday to pay their respects and investigators working to unravel the motive of the assailant.

In the western city of Nara, flowers were placed at the traffic island near the train station where Abe was shot at close range during a campaign speech on July 8, with commuters also stopping to offer prayers.

"I cannot find words," a woman in her 50s said, while a man in his 50s praised the former prime minister as a man who changed Japan, criticizing the inadequate security measures at the time of the speech.

The assassination of one of the most powerful politicians in Japan has sent shockwaves across the country, where gun violence is extremely rare.

Nara Mayor Gen Nakagawa said he is searching for the best way possible to commemorate Abe.

"I feel responsible for letting it happen in the city of which I am the mayor," Nakagawa told Kyodo News. "What could I have done to prevent it? I think about it every day."

Nakagawa, who was standing close to Abe, said he is considering re-examining an ongoing redevelopment project in front of Kintetsu Railway Yamato-Saidaiji Station near the site of the slaying. He plans to reach a conclusion in September.

The mayor said many city residents have expressed their desire for a monument or a spot to lay flowers so they can commemorate Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

"This incident will go down as a turning point in history," Nakagawa said. "We want to leave behind something tangible that conveys the challenges this has presented us with."

But others have said they do not want any form of memorial at the scene of the crime as they do not wish to be reminded of the horrific event, according to Nakagawa.

The assailant, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached Abe from behind and fired twice, first from about 7 meters away and again three seconds later from about 5 meters away, according to investigative sources.

Abe's death was confirmed hours later as due to blood loss from gunshot wounds sustained in the attack.

Yamagami has told investigators that he harbors a grudge against the Unification Church that he believes the former prime minister had links with.

The suspect has said his mother's huge donations to the church had ruined his family's finances and that Abe's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped bring the group, founded in 1954 in South Korea, to Japan.

Several of the church's "evangelism manuals" from the 1980s and 1990s obtained by Kyodo News show that it taught followers to conceal the name and doctrine of the religious group when recruiting members.

The Unification Church has denied any involvement in creating the manuals, claiming that they were written by individual members of their own volition, and that it is not aware of their contents or usage.

In addition to elucidating the type of people the church should target, the manuals emphasize "emotional exchanges," teaching followers to contact the potential members regularly and take them to the group's educational facilities so they can "grow as human beings."

The church, now formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, said that Yamagami's mother, who joined around 1991, began participating in events after being introduced to the group by a follower who visited her home.

The Nara District Court has approved the request of prosecutors to continue holding Yamagami in custody until Nov. 29 for a psychiatric evaluation.

Tomoyuki Mizuno, a former judge and professor of criminal law at Hosei University Law School, said Yamagami's careful preparation is indicative of a mental capacity that shows he was responsible for his actions. However, he did question what the accused had sought to achieve by taking out his resentment toward the Unification Church on Abe.

Naotsugu Hirabayashi, a director at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, likened the case to the 2008 murders of a former top health ministry bureaucrat and his wife, in which the assailant had cited revenge against authorities for exterminating his dog as his motive.

The defendant, who also attempted to kill the wife of another chief bureaucrat the following day, was found criminally liable and sentenced to death in that case.

But Hirabayashi said, "In general, if the motive was delusional from the start, then the defendant's responsibility may be diminished even if the crime was premeditated."

Related coverage:

Abe shooter to undergo mental competence exam before indictment

Abe attacker tried to draw attention to church: analysts

Shooter signaled Abe killing in letter to Unification Church critic
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2022 - 21:25 | All, Japan

China on Monday urged Japan to stay true to its commitment to building a world without nuclear weapons, as it expressed doubt about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's pledge to do so on the 77th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Beijing claimed that despite its pledge, the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks in war has been protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella and is opposed to Washington relinquishing the no-first-use policy regarding its nuclear weapons.

"Some (Japanese) politicians even claim to have nuclear sharing with the U.S. side, claiming that the U.S. deployment of nuclear weapons (in Japan) should not be a taboo," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press conference in Beijing.

He maintained that the Japanese government "connived at such discussions" by the politicians, casting doubt on Kishida's fresh vow to nuclear disarmament made Saturday.

Wang also pointed out Japan is "talking about the (atomic) bombing without any deep reflection about the history of aggression," referring to wartime damage inflicted on neighboring countries by Japan's militarism
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2022 - 20:31 | Japan, All

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed their shared "serious concern about growing regional tensions" following China's large-scale military drills near Taiwan, the Japanese government said.

During their meeting in Tokyo, Hayashi and Guterres also agreed on the importance of easing tensions, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, with Beijing having commenced the exercises Thursday in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled democratic island last week.

Pelosi visited Taiwan, defying warnings from China which views the island as a breakaway province that must eventually be brought under Beijing's control, by force if necessary.

Related coverage:

China continues large-scale military drills near Taiwan

Asia-Pacific ministerial meeting exposes rift over Taiwan

Chinese-fired ballistic missiles fall into Japan's EEZ: gov't

The Chinese military said Monday it will continue to conduct drills around Taiwan. It had previously said the drills would take place for four days through Sunday.

Last Thursday, the first day of drills, 11 ballistic missiles were fired near Taiwan, according to its Defense Ministry. Five of them fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Japanese government said, prompting Japan, the United States and Australia to demand China "immediately cease" the drills in a joint statement.

"China has been conducting military activities around Taiwan, and firing ballistic missiles into waters close to Japan, replicating North Korea," Hayashi was quoted by the Japanese Foreign Ministry as saying, referring to Pyongyang's repeated ballistic missile tests since the start of this year.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi canceled a planned bilateral meeting with Hayashi at the last minute on Thursday. The meeting was scheduled in Phnom Penh on the fringes of a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related ministerial meetings.

China cited as the reason for the decision a statement issued by the Group of Seven major developed nations, including Japan, that criticized Beijing's aggressive response to Pelosi's Taiwan visit.

Also mentioning Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began in late February, Hayashi expressed to the U.N. chief his belief that the rules-based international order should be respected, according to the ministry.

The Japanese minister also said Guterres played a key role when the United Nations and Turkey mediated a deal last month between Moscow and Kyiv to resume Ukrainian grain exports.

Other than the security issues, the two pledged to continue cooperating in dealing with challenges such as the global food crisis, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, the ministry said.

During his four-day stay in Japan from Friday, Guterres expressed congratulations to Japan for joining the U.N. Security Council as a nonpermanent member for a two-year term from 2023. He also attended a ceremony on Saturday to mark the 77th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and met Emperor Naruhito who expressed gratitude over the U.N. chief's visit to Hiroshima, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

Later in the day, Hayashi also held phone talks with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna over the Taiwan situation.

Colonna said that France is in solidarity with Japan and expressed serious concern over China's most recent military activities, according to the ministry.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2022 - 19:51 | World, All

China continued Monday its military drills near Taiwan launched in response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island last week, keeping cross-strait tensions high and raising fears it may be seeking to normalize its military pressure in the area.

The large-scale exercises, dubbed by local media as "Taiwan lockdown" drills, have been conducted since Thursday in six locations encircling the self-ruled democratic island. They have involved ballistic missile launches and the crossing of the median line in the Taiwan Strait by Chinese warplanes and naval vessels.

Some of the missiles flew over the island, according to Chinese state-run media. Tokyo lodged a protest with Beijing after five of them fell in Japan's exclusive economic zone on Thursday.

On Monday, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said its drills in waters near Taiwan focus on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes.

Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has been infuriated by Pelosi's visit and claims the dills are "legitimate" steps.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press conference Monday in Beijing that Pelosi's Taiwan visit "gravely interferes with China's internal affairs" and "undermines cross-strait stability and peace."

"China has every reason to make a strong response. Our position is legitimate, reasonable and proportionate," he said, adding the exercises, aimed at punishing the "Taiwan independence forces," are conducted in "our own waters" in "open, transparent and professional" manners in line with the international law.

On Sunday, the military focused on testing joint fire to strike land and long-range aerial targets, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The operation "honed and improved the capabilities to destroy crucial island targets with precision strikes," the agency quoted Zhang Zhi, an air force officer of the Eastern Theater Command, as saying on Sunday.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Sunday a total of 14 Chinese vessels and 66 aircraft were deployed that day, apparently simulating attacks on the island and its ships, with some crossing the median line. Drones also flew over outlying islands, it added.

In addition to increasing military threats, China has also restricted trade between the mainland and Taiwan, and suspended exchanges with the United States in eight areas including dialogue between military commanders and bilateral talks on climate change.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian on Monday defended the suspension of bilateral exchanges, saying Beijing's countermeasures were "necessary warnings" against provocations by the United States and Taiwan, and that maintaining communication requires sincerity.

Related coverage:

Chinese jets, warships cross Taiwan median line after Pelosi visit

Japan, U.S. vow to enhance ties with Solomon Islands amid China clout

FOCUS: Japan to have challenges in ASEAN ties as tensions over Taiwan grow
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2022 - 18:12 | All, Japan

The sisters of a Sri Lankan woman who died last year while being detained at an immigration center in Nagoya filed a complaint Monday with a judicial panel to seek a review of prosecutors' decision not to bring charges in the case.

The move came after the Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office decided in June not to prosecute 13 officers at the facility, including its director at the time, over Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali's death on March 6, 2021.

Wishma, who was detained for overstaying her visa in 2020, died after complaining of ill health including vomiting and stomachaches for around a month.

Related coverage:

Dead Sri Lankan detainee's family to request judicial panel review case

Charges dropped against Japan officials over Sri Lankan woman's death

The sisters, Wayomi, 29, and Poornima, 28, say it was clear that Wishma, who was 33 when she died, would have lived had the officials at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau given her appropriate care.

They asked the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution, an independent panel of citizens tasked with reviewing prosecutors' decisions, to re-evaluate the case, saying the officials should be held criminally responsible.

The prosecutors said they could not make a conclusion on the cause of death or establish a causal relationship between the way she was treated and her death.

They also said they could not accept the claims that the center failed to provide Wishma with appropriate food and health care.

Her death sparked national outrage over her treatment at the time, forcing the government a few months later to drop a bill revising rules on foreigners facing deportation, including asylum seekers.

Wishma arrived in Japan in 2017 as a student, but was taken into custody at the immigration facility in August 2020 for overstaying her visa after an earlier asylum application had been rejected. Her family filed a complaint in November 2021 with prosecutors.
People gather during a rally decrying rising gun violence while urging politicians to take action in Washington, D.C., the United States, June 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

NEW YORK, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Concern about safety has been top of mind of many Philadelphians this summer as the number of homicides in the city reached 322 as of Tuesday, of which 290 were shooting victims, the National Public Radio reported Wednesday.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney affirmed the city is experiencing a gun violence crisis, pointing out that it is a statewide and nationwide problem, the report said.

"If I had a magic wand and could get rid of guns tomorrow, I'd do it," Kenney said, blaming the accessibility of weapons for the continued crime surge.

Because of the gun violence crisis, some community organizations have cancelled their summer events. 
A Yemeni man uses a self-made device to raise his smartphone higher to reach signal towers' coverage on Aug. 6, 2022, as the country's civil war destroyed all signal towers in Midi District in the Yemeni province of Hajjah. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua)



HAJJAH, Yemen, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- After the civil war in Yemen destroyed communication towers, residents in Midi district in the northwestern province of Hajjah have to install small cell phone signal boosters up to 10 meters on wooden poles in order to make phone calls.

And this is how Sultan Jarbhi strengthens his cell phone's signal. After erecting a wooden pole in the yard of his house, the young man put a phone signal booster device in a plastic bag, tied a rope around it, and lifted it high to the top of the pole using a pulley until it picked up the phone network signal.

"This is the only way for us to communicate and share messages and photos with our relatives and friends in other cities. We have endured isolation for more than five years due to the destruction of communication towers during the war," Gerbhi told Xinhua.

Due to the destruction of communication towers, it took a week for Youssef Musa, another citizen in Midi, to learn that his uncle, who lived in the southwest city of Taiz, had passed away.

"I am still very sad about not being able to talk to him when he was unwell, and now I'm worried about my ailing mother who is there. Because of the poor phone signal, I've tried to call her ended up in vain," he said.

The poor telephone service in Taiz and Midi has demonstrated how the civil war in Yemen has affected the lives of its people.

The war in Yemen erupted in late 2014 after the Iranian-backed Houthi group swept and took control of several northern provinces, forcing the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes, displaced 4 million and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

The United Nations is making efforts to end the war in Yemen and reach reconciliation and a political settlement between the warring parties. This year, it enforced a truce in Yemen for the first time on April 2 and was renewed for two months on June 2, and then succeeded in extending it for an additional two months on August 2.

A Yemeni man uses a self-made device to raise his smartphone higher to reach signal towers' coverage on Aug. 6, 2022, as the country's civil war destroyed all signal towers in Midi District in the Yemeni province of Hajjah. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua)

A Yemeni man holds his smartphone to search for signals on Aug. 6, 2022, as the country's civil war destroyed all signal towers in Midi District in the Yemeni province of Hajjah. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua)

A Yemeni man holds his smartphone to search for signals as all signal towers in his district were destroyed by the country's civil war in Midi District, in Hajjah province, Yemen, on Aug. 6, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) 
KABUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Leader of the Taliban-run caretaker government has ordered to ban beggars here from seeking alms on the street, but to offer them jobs or education, the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported on Monday.

The elusive Hibatullah Akhundzada in his order instructed concerned entities in the administration to round up all the beggars on Kabul city streets and find an amicable solution to the problem.

"All the beggars will pass biometric process and the caretakers of fake beggars would be held responsible if he or she returns to begging again," Bakhtar quoted the order as saying.

The leader also said that the government would provide job opportunities for the adult beggars who are skilled in any field and send the children beggars to schools.

The order said that the government would provide monthly allowances to real beggars who are too weak to work.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly 20 million Afghans out of a population of more than 35 million are facing acute food shortage. 
People perform traditional rituals during the Asafotufiami festival in southeastern town of Ada, Ghana, on Aug. 6, 2022. Ghanaians celebrated the traditional Asafotufiami festival with fanfare on Saturday in southeastern town of Ada after a two-year break due to COVID-19. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

People perform traditional rituals during the Asafotufiami festival in southeastern town of Ada, Ghana, on Aug. 6, 2022. Ghanaians celebrated the traditional Asafotufiami festival with fanfare on Saturday in southeastern town of Ada after a two-year break due to COVID-19. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

People perform traditional rituals during the Asafotufiami festival in southeastern town of Ada, Ghana, on Aug. 6, 2022. Ghanaians celebrated the traditional Asafotufiami festival with fanfare on Saturday in southeastern town of Ada after a two-year break due to COVID-19. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

People perform traditional rituals during the Asafotufiami festival in southeastern town of Ada, Ghana, on Aug. 6, 2022. Ghanaians celebrated the traditional Asafotufiami festival with fanfare on Saturday in southeastern town of Ada after a two-year break due to COVID-19. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

People perform traditional rituals during the Asafotufiami festival in southeastern town of Ada, Ghana, on Aug. 6, 2022. Ghanaians celebrated the traditional Asafotufiami festival with fanfare on Saturday in southeastern town of Ada after a two-year break due to COVID-19. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)
By Trend

Azerbaijan has detected 121 new COVID-19 cases, 113 patients have recovered, and one patient has died, Trend reports citing the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.

Up until now, 802,060 people have been infected with coronavirus in the country, 789,147 of them have recovered, and 9,761 people have died. Currently, 3,152 people are under treatment in special hospitals.

To reveal the COVID-19 cases, 2,424 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan over the past day, and a total of 7,072,185 tests have been conducted so far.

A total of three people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan on August 8.

Thus, one citizen was given the second dose of the vaccine, while the remaining two citizens  the third dose and the next doses.

Totally, up until now, 13,829,030 vaccine doses were administered, 5,368,516 citizens received the first dose of the vaccine, 4,858,863 people  the second dose, 3,345,733 people  the third dose and the next doses.

Besides, 255,918 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19.




TONGREN, Aug. 8, 2022 (Xinhua) --The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, or Guizhou golden monkey, is under top-level protection in China and is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Among the three species of golden monkeys endemic to China, the Guizhou golden monkey is the one with the smallest population, the narrowest habitat, and the least ecological information. Mount Fanjingshan in northeast Guizhou is its only habitat.

It takes three to six years for the species to give birth to one, or sometimes two, offspring.

In recent years, thanks to the efforts of the wildlife rescue center in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, the Guizhou golden monkey has given birth to the third generation of cubs through artificial breeding, which is a breakthrough in scientific research and breeding of the Guizhou golden monkey.

Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys are seen with a cub in a wildlife rescue center of Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

A Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is seen with a cub in a wildlife rescue center of Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

A Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is seen with a cub in a wildlife rescue center of Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration on Monday issued an orange alert for mountain torrents in parts of the country.

From 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday, northwestern parts of Shanxi Province and northeastern parts of Shaanxi Province will be prone to mountain torrents, according to the alert jointly issued by the authorities.

The two departments also issued a yellow alert for mountain torrents in northern parts of both Shanxi and Shaanxi in the same period.

Other regions could also experience mountain floods due to heavy precipitation within a short time, they warned.

Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures amid measures to brace for evacuation.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. 
NANJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) continued its joint combat exercises and training as scheduled on Monday in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan Island.

These exercises mainly focused on the joint anti-submarine operations and assaults on sea targets.

The Command's navy deployed several destroyers, frigates, warplanes, and ground-to-ship missile units in a joint anti-submarine operation.

Anti-submarine patrol aircraft, warships, and ship-based anti-submarine helicopters cooperated in exercises. These included submarine searches, simulated assaults, and defense operations. 
BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday published a plan to support the high-quality development of the home furnishing industry, in a bid to give full play to its important role in expanding domestic demand.

The country aims to cultivate 15 high-level home furnishing industry clusters with different characteristics and build 500 smart experience centers by 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

The plan, jointly released by the ministry and other three government departments, also detailed measures to develop green, smart and healthy home furnishing to better fulfill the need for a convenient, safe and cozy environment at home.

Enterprises are encouraged to develop products that are localized to the rural market and that satisfy the demand of older people and children, said the plan. 
Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles being shipped onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Staff work during the shipment of commercial vehicles onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 7, 2022. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles being shipped onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A staff member checks commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 7, 2022. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows commercial vehicles before their shipment onto a ro-ro cargo vessel to depart for Africa at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. By far this year, the export volume of commercial vehicles from Qingdao Port has grown over 90 percent on year-on-year basis. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
HAIKOU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 8,500 people from 18 provinces across China have been organized to help the island province of Hainan in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak, the provincial COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters said Monday.

As of Monday noon, the province has registered 1,042 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 465 asymptomatic infections since confirmed cases were reported in the coastal resort city of Sanya on August 1.

As of 7 a.m. on Monday, Hainan has designated 250 areas as high-risk for COVID-19 and 145 as medium-risk.

The provincial COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters said that the personnel from outside Hainan will participate in epidemiological survey and supervision, nucleic acid sampling, medical treatment, as well as nucleic acid testing.

A team dispatched by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 has arrived in Hainan to work together with municipal and provincial authorities to curb the resurgence.

Meanwhile, equipment capable of detecting 1.15 million tubes of nucleic acid samples per day has already been transported to Hainan. 
Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows twin cubs of giant panda Er Shun at Chongqing Zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Giant panda Er Shun, born in 2007, returned to China in November of 2020 after staying in the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo in Canada since March of 2013. Er Shun gave birth to a pair of twin brothers on July 22, 2022 at the Chongqing Zoo after she had succeeded in natural mating with male panda Qing Qing in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in March this year. The panda twin brothers made their debut at the zoo Monday. (Chongqing Zoo/Handout via Xinhua)

CHONGQING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A giant panda named Ershun gave birth to twin cubs late July at a zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, and they are in good condition at present, the zoo announced Monday.

Ershun mated naturally with a male panda at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in the neighboring province of Sichuan in March, the Chongqing Zoo said.

The cubs weighed 132 grams and 91 grams, respectively, when they were born on July 22. They have reached a weight of 420 grams and 257 grams, respectively, the zoo said.

This was Ershun's second delivery to twins.

Born in August 2007, Ershun lived in Canada's Toronto Zoo and Calgary Zoo as a goodwill envoy between March 2013 and November 2020.

A total of 21 pandas currently live in the Chongqing Zoo, which began breeding giant pandas in the 1960s. 

Photo taken on July 22, 2022 shows giant panda Er Shun at Chongqing Zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Giant panda Er Shun, born in 2007, returned to China in November of 2020 after staying in the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo in Canada since March of 2013. Er Shun gave birth to a pair of twin brothers on July 22, 2022 at the Chongqing Zoo after she had succeeded in natural mating with male panda Qing Qing in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in March this year. The panda twin brothers made their debut at the zoo Monday. (Chongqing Zoo/Handout via Xinhua)

A staff member observes giant panda Er Shun through a monitoring camera at Chongqing Zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 8, 2022. Giant panda Er Shun, born in 2007, returned to China in November of 2020 after staying in the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo in Canada since March of 2013. Er Shun gave birth to a pair of twin brothers on July 22, 2022 at the Chongqing Zoo after she had succeeded in natural mating with male panda Qing Qing in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in March this year. The panda twin brothers made their debut at the zoo Monday. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2022 shows giant panda Er Shun through a monitoring camera at Chongqing Zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Giant panda Er Shun, born in 2007, returned to China in November of 2020 after staying in the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo in Canada since March of 2013. Er Shun gave birth to a pair of twin brothers on July 22, 2022 at the Chongqing Zoo after she had succeeded in natural mating with male panda Qing Qing in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in March this year. The panda twin brothers made their debut at the zoo Monday. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Photo taken on July 22, 2022 shows twin cubs of giant panda Er Shun at Chongqing Zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Giant panda Er Shun, born in 2007, returned to China in November of 2020 after staying in the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo in Canada since March of 2013. Er Shun gave birth to a pair of twin brothers on July 22, 2022 at the Chongqing Zoo after she had succeeded in natural mating with male panda Qing Qing in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in March this year. The panda twin brothers made their debut at the zoo Monday. (Chongqing Zoo/Handout via Xinhua)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (C-R) and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (C-L) attend a joint press conference in Tehran, Iran, on June 25, 2022. (Iranian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)

As a new round of nuclear negotiations to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal is ongoing in Vienna, Iran and the West are wrestling over the "safeguards issue."



TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As a new round of nuclear negotiations to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal is ongoing in Vienna, Iran and the West are wrestling over the "safeguards issue."

IAEA INSISTS ON CLARIFICATION

Under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement and the additional protocol, Iran is obligated to declare its nuclear activities and materials to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, has said on several occasions that Iran failed to cooperate with the watchdog after uranium traces were identified at undeclared sites in Iran.

The agency, along with the United States and Europe, insists that Iran should address their doubts about the background of Iran's nuclear program and urges Tehran to answer the questions about this issue with clarification.

The European parties to the nuclear deal on Friday urged Iran "not to make unrealistic demands outside the scope of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including on IAEA safeguards," according to media reports.

"The text is on the table. There will be no re-opening of negotiations. Iran must now decide to conclude the deal while this is still possible," a European statement was quoted as saying.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), displays a surveillance camera during a press conference in Vienna, Austria, Dec 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)

IRAN AGAINST ACCUSATION

On the other side, Iran has repeatedly noted that the IAEA's reports are "political" and this case should be closed simultaneously with the revival of the JCPOA.

"The safeguards issues have been raised and continued under political pressures, and they should not be used as an excuse to find faults against Iran endlessly," Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Friday, quoting an Iranian diplomat involved in the nuclear negotiations.

Furthermore, following the passage of the anti-Iran resolution in June, Iran decided to begin injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges and disconnected some of the IAEA's cameras monitoring its sites.

On Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about Iran's "continued" cooperation with the IAEA, advising the UN nuclear watchdog completely resolve the remaining safeguards issues "merely through technical channels."

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Tehran, Iran, on June 25, 2022. (Iranian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)

KEY TO POSSIBLE AGREEMENT

A final agreement could be reached "only when safeguards claims were resolved and closed," Mohammad Jamshidi, the political deputy of the President's Office, tweeted on Friday, saying it was the firm position of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, on Wednesday said the JCPOA, which was reached in 2015 but abandoned by Washington in 2018, was supposed to end these accusations against Iran and build trust.

He said Iran will not turn on the UN nuclear watchdog's ultra-Safeguards Agreement cameras until all accusations leveled against the Islamic republic are withdrawn.

However, Western officials have insisted "they wouldn't intervene to close the probe or to set a fixed deadline for the IAEA's work," the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

"The political deal on the safeguards probe is the most difficult issue and the success of the negotiations in Vienna to restore the JCPOA depends on that," Stephanie Liechtenstein, a freelance journalist based in Vienna, tweeted on Saturday.

"It is currently unclear how long the talks in Vienna will last. It is still a very fluid situation," she added. 
BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic power bases accelerates, China's new energy sector is expected to have greater growth potential this year amid efforts to achieve "dual carbon" goals.

In Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the construction of a wind power and photovoltaic base by China Huadian Corporation with a total installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts is progressing in full swing.

The project, which is among the first batch of large-scale wind and photovoltaic power bases greenlighted by the government, is expected to generate 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity while saving consumption of 830,000 tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon emissions of 2.1 million tonnes after completion.

All of the initial batches of such projects have thus far broken ground. The list of the second batch, which includes bases to be built in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Qinghai and Gansu, has been released.

CONSIDERABLE ROOM FOR GROWTH

Experts believe that the promotion of new energy bases will significantly spur the development of the new energy industry.

In the first half of 2022, China's installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power added 12.94 million kilowatts and 30.88 million kilowatts, accounting for 18.7 percent and 44.7 percent of total new capacity, respectively, data from the National Energy Administration showed.

Driven by the country's "dual carbon" goals, the new energy sector has become one of the few industries that features a high utilization rate without generating excess capacity, said Jiang Debin, an expert with the China Electricity Council.

Su Xinyi, an analyst with China Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute, noted that the new energy sector will continue fast expansion in the second half.

China's newly installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power for the entire year is expected to exceed 100 million kilowatts, while the consumption of power produced by the two energy sources is estimated to reach over 12.2 percent of total power consumption, Su said.

EFFICIENT UTILIZATION

In addition to boosting energy supply capacity, companies plan to double down on investments in projects including ultra-high voltage to improve the efficiency of new energy consumption.

The State Grid Corporation of China intends to inject 2.4 trillion yuan (about 354.53 billion U.S. dollars) into the power grid during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period (2021-2025) to advance the building of a new energy consumption system.

China Southern Power Grid plans a fixed-asset investment of 125 billion yuan this year, which partly will be directed to building supporting power grid projects for new energy transmission and pumped-storage hydroelectric projects.

Data from China Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute showed China's new energy sector maintained a high-level utilization efficiency in the first half of this year. As of the end of June, the nationwide utilization rate of wind power stood at 95.8 percent, while that of photovoltaic power was 97.7 percent. 




NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- "We can expect a lot more profitable operation going forward," said a Kenyan official, who highly praised the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Flag raised in Hanoi to mark ASEANs 55th founding anniversary

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a ceremony in Hanoi on August 8 to fly the ASEAN flag in celebration of the blocs 55th founding anniversary (August 8, 1967) and 27th anniversary of Vietnams accession to the regional organisation (July 28, 1995).













The ASEAN flag is hoisted at a ceremony in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

The ceremony was chaired by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, and attended by Ambassadors of ASEAN countries and ASEAN partners, along with local officials.



The annual ASEAN flag hoisting ceremony is held in each ASEAN member state to honour their common values and express the determination to promote solidarity and cooperation.



This years event is of greater significance since the region is working towards the establishment of the ASEAN Community at the end of 2015 and Vietnam is marking its 20th year of ASEAN membership.



The ASEAN flags colours  blue, red, white and yellow  represent the main colours of the member countries flags. It symbolises unity and support for the blocs principles and mission, and represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN.



Addressing the ceremony, Minister Son said the foundation of ASEAN 55 years ago created the precedence for regional countries to realise their aspiration for a peaceful, stable region with sustainable and inclusive development.



ASEAN countries can be proud of what they have achieved so far towards their noble goal, meeting the aspiration of nearly 700 million people in the region, he said.





To successfully realise the target and the ASEAN Vision, the minister said the ASEAN Community should intensify efforts to consolidate the foundation for fast, sustainable and comprehensive post-pandemic recovery.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Bupa Arabia has won a number of regional and international awards as well as topped global rankings in the health insurance, digital innovation, and sustainability fields among others.

The leading health insurer topped Brand Finance's list of the most valuable insurance companies in the Middle East in 2021, a testament to Bupa Arabias efforts in providing innovative healthcare services to millions of people, within the framework of the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance.

Bupa Arabia also topped the insurance companies for Forbes Middle East's annual rankings of the 100 most powerful companies in the region for 2021, which includes the largest, most profitable, and most valuable companies in the Middle East.

Strategy success

Tal Nazer, CEO of Bupa Arabia, said the companys presence in the Forbes Middle East and Brand Finance rankings, acknowledges the success of its strategy of adapting to the needs of the evolving industry, making a difference in healthcare, and most importantly, improving its members health.

Bupa Arabia was also placed 13th on Brand Finance's most valuable brands in Saudi Arabia rankings, six places ahead of its position in the previous year's rankings, driven by a growth in its brand value by 22.7%, increasing it to $618 million (SR2.31 billion).

Remaining in the lead

In other achievements, the International Business magazine named Tal Nazer as the "Best CEO of Insurance Company in 2021," and Bupa Arabia as the "Best Health Insurance Company of 2021.

The health insurer also won the "Best Innovation for a Health Insurance Product" recognition for its Bupa Parents service, and was named the "Best Leading Investor Relations in Insurance" for applying the highest quality standards in customer service and products in 2020, by the US Journal of World Economic Magazine, which enjoys high credibility among decision-makers and influencers in various financial sectors.

Bupa Arabia was also named the Middle East Health Insurance Company at the Middle East Insurance Industry Awards - supervised by Ernst & Young.

Prominent digital initiatives

Bupa Arabia won the "Best Health Insurance Company of 2021" and "Digital Innovation in the Health Insurance Sector" awards at the Golden Shield Awards for Excellence, held on the sidelines of the InsureTek Regional Conference.

Meanwhile, at the 2021 Global Business Outlook Awards, it won the Best Health Insurance Provider Award and Digital Innovation Award in the Insurance Sector for its Tebtom programme.

Nazer said the multiple award wins reflect Bupa Arabias leadership in digital transformation in the insurance sector. The company recently launched the revolutionary Bupa Click service, aiming to provide "integrated healthcare with one touch."

Moreover, Bupa Arabias Tebtom programme provides various innovative healthcare services such as home vaccination for children, doctors consultation (Bupa Doctor), telemedicine and others, while the Rahatkom provides an integrated healthcare experience for members, from the moment they enter the hospital and throughout their time there.

Aspiring work environment

Bupa Arabias achievements and awards not only recognise its excellence in insurance but also in human resources, as it was named the Best Employer in the Middle East by the CIPD as well as won in the "Best Employee Engagement Initiative" category.

In addition, at the Gulf Sustainability Awards, Bupa Arabia won the "Best Practices in the Workplace and Human Resources" award, while at the Global Brand Awards, it won the "Best Mobile Insurance App 2021" award for its innovative Bupa Arabia app.

In the same vein, Bupa Arabia won an award at the LinkedIn Talent Awards Mena. The awards, which are given out by LinkedIn, a global network specialising in professional communication, see intense competition among a wide range of companies, institutions and recruitment destinations in the region.

Nazer said that Bupa's continuous achievements are due to its dedicated team members. "The Covid-19 pandemic has not affected our performance, thanks to the continuous efforts of the team that deserves gratitude and appreciation, and we look forward to continue developing our services, so that we always remain at the forefront, he said.-- TradeArabia News Service




HEFEI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Anhui, a major agricultural province in eastern China, is becoming a scientific and technological innovation hub.

An innovation "valley" will be built in Hefei, capital of Anhui to attract global talents and funds with the help of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).

Dubbed "the Silicon Valley of USTC," it will focus on the transformation of innovative achievements, the incubation of innovative enterprises, and the optimization of innovation mechanisms.

By 2025, the "valley" is expected to gather more than 100,000 high-skilled individuals and 1,000 high-tech enterprises.

Over the past decade, a number of world-class sci-tech breakthroughs have been achieved in Anhui in fields such as quantum technologies, nuclear fusion energy, and artificial intelligence.

Data show that the number of new high-tech enterprises in Anhui has grown to 11,368 in 2021 from 1,742 in 2012, making a significant contribution to the province's economic growth.

Anhui has rolled out a slew of measures to promote the commercialization of scientific findings since 2012, including offering government funds for emerging industries and cultivating technology managers.

Han Dongcheng, a young entrepreneur who started a company named Easpeed on aerial imaging technology, said his company saved millions of yuan in rent last year thanks to local government's favorable policies.

"Anhui needs to accelerate its integration into the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and achieve leapfrog development. The key lies in innovation. We need to further consolidate the foundation of innovation, accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and speed up the cultivation of emerging industries," Han said.

A number of emerging high-tech enterprises and industry clusters, for example, the integrated circuit and new energy vehicle industries, have taken root and sprouted in Anhui, creating great value for the province.





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DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC) has deployed 15 election observation teams to observe Tuesday's general elections in Kenya, the EAC said in a statement late Saturday.

The statement issued by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha said the dispatch of the observation teams was flagged off by the head of the EAC election observation mission, former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Kikwete, who ruled Tanzania from 2005 to 2015, said the observers had undergone training over the past five days to enable them undertake their responsibilities as international observers and as EAC observers.

Kikwete said the 52-strong EAC observer mission drawn from the EAC member states and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) had been deployed in 15 teams that will cover various counties in all the regions across the country.

"The main task for our observers will be to observe ongoing electoral campaigns, observe polling processes on the polling day including results management at the polling stations, and observe tallying, announcement and declaration of results," said Kikwete.

Kikwete said that the mission will prepare a preliminary report on what it had observed during the electoral process.

The EAC member states are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.

Kenya's two major political alliances, Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) headed by sitting Deputy President William Ruto, and Azimio la Umoja (Resolution for Unity) led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with backing from President Uhuru Kenyatta will compete for the top seat in the land during Tuesday's polls. 
Presidential candidate under Azimio La Umoja (Resolution for Unity), Raila Odinga, spoke at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, June 6, 2022. (Photo by John Okoyo/Xinhua)



Some 22.1 million Kenyans will vote on Aug. 9 to elect the country's fifth president, members of the National Assembly, senators, and county governors, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Some 22.1 million Kenyans will vote on Aug. 9 to elect, among others, the country's fifth president, members of the National Assembly, senators, and county governors, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The polling stations across the country will be opened at 6 a.m., local time, Tuesday, and close at 6 p.m. with voting being extended in areas that will not have finished.

Only Kenyans who are 18 years and above are eligible to vote, but one must have registered as a voter to be allowed to cast the ballot.

William Ruto (C), presidential candidate under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, addressed journalists in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Aug. 4, 2022. (Photo by Joy Nabukewa/Xinhua)

Results are expected to start trickling in from Tuesday evening, although the IEBC constitutionally has seven days to officially name the winner.

The constitution stipulates that for one to win the presidential election, a candidate must receive over 50 percent of the total votes cast and at least 25 percent of the votes in at least 24 of the 47 counties.

A runoff is scheduled within 30 days of the first election if no candidate receives more than half of the votes cast in the election and at least 25 percent of the votes cast in 24 counties.

Those to take part in the runoff will be the first and second candidates and the person who receives the most votes in the fresh election is declared elected as president.

A president-elect is sworn in on the 14th day after the date of the declaration of the results of the presidential election. And that is only if the results are not challenged at the Supreme Court or there is no runoff.

Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta will not be eligible to contest as he is constitutionally barred from having served the maximum two terms.

The two leading candidates are veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and sitting Deputy President William Ruto.

The elections are hotly contested, with President Kenyatta backing Odinga. The most recent opinion polls have shown a tight race between Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja (Resolution for Unity) One Kenya Coalition, and Ruto of Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance.

Both candidates have urged their supporters to turn out in large numbers to guarantee a round-one win to avoid a runoff. 
JERUSALEM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Islamic Jihad group appeared to be holding into Monday, in a sign of restoring the calm in the region.

The ceasefire deal, mediated by Cairo, came into effect on Sunday at 11:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT). It followed three days of deadly Israeli airstrikes and barrages of rockets fired by Islamic Jihad militants at cities in southern and central Israel.

On Monday morning, Israel partially reopened crossings into the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid, the Israeli military's liaison to the Palestinians Ghassan Alian said in a statement.

Israeli state-owned Kan TV news reported that Israel also allowed some fuel tanks to enter Gaza, bringing oil to the coastal Palestinian enclave for the first time since Israel closed the crossings last week.

The closure of the crossings caused a fuel shortage that shut down Gaza's sole power plant on Saturday.

At noon, Israel lifted the restrictions that required Israeli residents in the southern areas to remain indoors. "In accordance with the situational assessment, the decision was made to remove all safety restrictions," the army said in a statement.

The train service in the south was resumed and roadblocks in the areas near the Gaza Strip, imposed last week in the wake of the tension, were lifted.

"If the ceasefire is violated, Israel maintains the right to respond strongly," Lior Hayat, head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, warned in a statement issued on Sunday night.

Ran Kochav, the Israeli military's spokesman, told Army Radio that 1,100 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip during the escalation, with 200 landing inside Gaza. The rockets sent residents of southern communities and major cities including Tel Aviv to shelters.

No Israeli fatalities have been reported but one person, a Palestinian man from Hebron who works in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, was lightly-to-moderate injured by a rocket that hit a factory on Saturday and a few people were treated for panic or heart attack caused by the sirens.

In Gaza, at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children and four women, were killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza. At least 360 more were wounded and several buildings were destroyed.

"I hope that in a few days the situation would be normal," Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman with the United Nations aid agency of UNRWA, told Israel's Reshet Bet public radio.

"There were many attacks and fear. Children were killed, and houses were destroyed. The situation was very difficult. An overwhelming majority of people in Gaza blame Israel. People have been under blockade for 15 years. If this negative energy does not have a solution, there will be another round (of violence)," he said.

According to Israel, some of the fatalities were killed by Islamic Jihad's failed attempts to fire rockets at Israel. "More Palestinians had died from cases of rocket misfire by the Islamic Jihad than from IDF (Israel Defense Forces) fire," Kochav said, adding that Israel would investigate the deaths of civilians, including children.

It was the most serious flare-up since the 11-day war between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers in May 2021.

The violence began on Friday when Israel launched an airstrike that killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander and unleashed Operation Breaking Dawn. Israel said that the operation was needed to thwart an attack planned by the Iranian-backed group.

Gaza, home to more than two million people, has been under a crippling blockade since 2007. Under Israel's restrictive policy, only a very limited number of people and goods are allowed in and out of Gaza, causing a chronic shortage of fuel and goods.

Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and controlled them ever since. The Palestinians wish to build their future state in these territories. 
SANYA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sanya, a coastal resort city in south China's Hainan Province, is moving rapidly to stem its latest COVID-19 outbreak with medics, frontline workers and over 4,000 volunteers joining the fight.

From Aug. 1 to 7, Sanya registered 801 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 409 asymptomatic infections, the provincial health commission said on Monday.

A task force was established to resolve issues faced by the city's 80,000-plus stranded tourists, such as travel refunds. The city has also ordered hotels to offer 50 percent discounts for stranded guests.

Medics are working around the clock at nucleic acid testing sites across the city. Wei Dixia, a head nurse at Sanya People's Hospital, said the testing site at her hospital opens 24 hours a day and samples around 4,000 people per day.

The screening process has become more efficient, with results now issued six to eight hours after testing, said Wei.

A total of 33 hotels with over 6,900 rooms have been designated as isolation sites for close and sub-close contacts of COVID-19 cases, according to Ji Duanrong, secretary-general of the Sanya Municipal Government.

On Saturday, Sanya designated 168 areas as high-risk for COVID-19 and 67 as medium-risk. The city has also established a task force to ensure supplies of food and necessities for residents living under closed management, Ji said.

A team dispatched by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 has arrived in Hainan to work together with municipal and provincial authorities to curb the resurgence. 
Firefighters battle a wildfire in Cebreros, Castilla y Leon, Spain, on July 21, 2022. (Junta de Castilla y Leon/Handout via Xinhua)

According to data collected by the Copernicus satellite on Saturday, around 230,000 hectares of land have been burned in wildfires in the driest summer on record in Spain this year.

MADRID, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Over 4,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in seven wildfires that are still burning in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain, according to local firefighting services on Sunday.

At least 2,000 hectares have so far been ravaged by the largest fire close to the city of A Coruna. There have not been any casualties, but the flames have forced the evacuation of 700 people from a campsite in the A Pobra do Caraminal.

The fire in the province of Ourense has burned 600 hectares after starting simultaneously in 10 different places, but has been brought under control.

Most of the fires were thought to be started intentionally, according to local media reports.

Forest firefighters work at a hot area in the province of Zamora, Spain, on June 20, 2022. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

The leader of the main opposition party (PP) Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who is also the former president of the Regional Government of Galicia, called for the "full weight of the law" to be brought on those responsible for the fires.

According to data collected by the Copernicus satellite on Saturday, around 230,000 hectares of land have been burned in wildfires in the driest summer on record in Spain this year.

The central government on Monday approved a new law to help prevent future fires, which includes measures such as increasing all-year-round vigilance and removing undergrowth to prevent flames to spread rapidly.

Photo taken on June 20, 2022 shows trees burnt in a wildfire in the province of Zamora, Spain. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua) 
ULAN BATOR, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg agreed to further enhance ties between the two countries during their talks here on Monday.

Battsetseg said that Mongolia highly appreciates China's neighborhood policy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, welcomes and stands ready to actively participate in the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and speaks highly of China's contribution to maintaining international law and the international order.

China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, demonstrates its responsibility as a major country, and provides strong support to Mongolia and other developing countries in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Battsetseg noted, adding that the Mongolian side sincerely thanks China for this and will always keep it in mind.

Consolidating and developing relations with China as a friendly neighbor is a priority of the Mongolian foreign policy, Battsetseg said.

Mongolia is satisfied with the close high-level exchanges the two countries have maintained, and willing to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen strategic communication, deepen the synergy of development strategies, expand cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, energy, ports, agriculture, law enforcement, green development, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges and cultural engagement, and create more demonstration projects to bring more benefits to people of the two countries, she added.

For his part, Wang said that China and Mongolia are good neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, good friends with mutual trust, and good partners with mutual support.

China always regards China-Mongolia relations as one of the priorities of neighborhood cooperation, he said.

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Mongolia comprehensive strategic partnership has been consolidated and deepened, continuously advancing to new levels, he said.

The two sides joined hands to fight the epidemic by gifting one another with sheep and tea, writing a new chapter of friendship between the two countries, Wang said.

The Chinese side appreciates Mongolia's understanding and support of China's legitimate position, and supports Mongolia in achieving political stability and social harmony, taking a development path suited to its own national conditions, and making strides towards the vision of New Revival Policy, he said.

The two sides will continue the firm support for each other in safeguarding their respective core interests, he said.

Wang said that China is willing to strengthen the synergy of development strategies with Mongolia, especially between the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Prairie Road development strategy, the Global Development Initiative and Mongolia's New Revival Policy, and China's "two-stage" strategic plan and Mongolia's long-term development policy, noting that the two sides should work together to deepen all-round cooperation and help each other to accelerate development and revitalization.

China is ready to continue to provide support to Mongolia in fighting the pandemic until a final victory over the virus, Wang said.

The two sides agreed to strengthen exchanges between their foreign ministries, and hold diplomatic strategic consultations and policy and consular dialogues between the two sides within the year.

The two sides agreed to hold meetings of such mechanisms as the Joint Committee on Economy, Trade, Science and Technology and the Joint Committee on Mine and Connectivity Cooperation, and study and revise the medium- and long-term plans for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, formulate an outline for the development of investment cooperation, steadily promote key projects, and provide a good business environment for companies from the other side.

The two sides also expressed satisfaction with the fact that land ports have been reopened as many as possible, pledging to ensure the safe and stable operation of the ports, and improve the throughput of goods and efficiency of customs clearance.

They will strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to consolidate the public opinion and social foundation for bilateral friendship, and enhance the friendship between the people of two countries. The Chinese side will increase scholarships to Mongolian students and provide maximum convenience for those who return to China to resume in-person classes.

The two sides will actively cooperate to prevent and control desertification and tackle climate change.

China appreciates Mongolia's national campaign to plant 1 billion trees, while China will strive to plant 70 billion trees within 10 years, and the two sides should join hands in building a community of life for man and nature.

The two sides will continue to strengthen communication and coordination within the frameworks of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and others.

Wang said that China supports Mongolia in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs.

After the talks, the two sides signed documents on foreign ministries' cooperation and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents about railway ports, health quarantine and others. 
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council for August, on Monday called on the international community to support Africa in enhancing capacities to secure durable peace in a comprehensive approach.

"The Security Council needs to do some deep thinking in helping Africa achieve lasting peace," Zhang told a Security Council open debate convened by China on the theme "Peace and security in Africa: capacity-building for sustaining peace."

Considering China's own development experience, experience from China-Africa cooperation, and the historical lessons from all over the world, China believes that to help Africa achieve long-term stability, it is imperative to make sustained and increased investments, have long-term thinking, and build a strong foundation for Africa to strengthen its own development capacity and improve its resilience to external shocks, he said.

"In this regard, capacity building is the most crucial part," Zhang noted.

The envoy urged support for African countries in strengthening governance capacity. "To enhance government capacity, we need to maintain the right direction and respect the independently chosen development pathway and social system by their peoples."

There should be no political conditions attached to aid, nor should there be interference in internal affairs of African countries, or to replace the role of local governments, he said.

For post-conflict countries, Zhang emphasized the need to support the newly established governments in exercising state authority, instead of endless criticism and fault-finding, let alone attempt of "democratic transformation" and arbitrary use of sanctions for exerting pressure. 
A Syrian refugee is seen at Zaatari refugee camps, Jordan, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Located in the desert of northeastern Jordan, some 10 km from the border with Syria, the Zaatari camp is the largest Syrian refugee camp in the kingdom, temporarily accommodating more than 80,000 refugees who fled the Syrian war.

A decade after the camp first opened its gates in late July 2012, most camp residents still consider going home a distant dream, though their homes are only miles away from their temporary shelters.

Syrian refugees are seen at Zaatari refugee camps, Jordan, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Ibtisam al-Zoubi, a 34-year-old mother of four from the Syrian city of Daraa, has never expected her life as a refugee would last for 10 years when she sought safety in the camp soon after its opening.

"When I left Syria, I thought it would be only two months at most, so I didn't even bring my youngest daughter's shoes," she told Xinhua.

Al-Zoubi is one of the millions of Syrians who were forced to leave their home after the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011.

A Syrian refugee girl is seen at Zaatari refugee camps, Jordan, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Jordan, which borders Syria, has hosted more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees since 2011. The influx of the refugees has increased the burden on the country's budget, particularly on subsidized commodities and the water, education, health and energy sectors, Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh said in July.

To help the Syrian refugees, the Jordanian government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have set up camps across the kingdom, with the Zaatari camp being the largest.

Upon her arrival at the camp, Al-Zoubi lived in a tent without enough daily necessities, dealing with a number of difficulties such as a lack of water, a sweltering summer, and chilly weather in winter.

She did, however, gained peace and security, which was something more important to her. "It felt like someone saved my child from a well," she burst into tears while recalling her days at the camp.

Syrian refugees are seen at Zaatari refugee camps, Jordan, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Over the past 10 years, the refugee camp has witnessed some changes. Most of the tents were replaced by prefabricated shelters, while schools and hospitals were built.

Mohammad Taher, a UNHCR external relations officer, said the changes in the past 10 years were not worth celebrating because "the Syrian refugee issue is still not comprehensively resolved."

Since the establishment of the refugee camps, the UNHCR regards them as an emergency measure rather than a permanent resettlement sites or solution to refugees' predicament, according to Taher.

Taher said it was important to "find a way for refugees to develop in the long run" as their needs for living a dignified life are on the rise.

The majority of the camp's residents still want to return to Syria in the future, while most of them believe Syria is still not safe at present, according to a survey conducted by the UNHCR among the refugee residents of the camp recently.

"I'm not willing to return to the fear and the horror that I witnessed," said al-Zoubi.

Jordanian analysts believe that the deteriorating economic situation in Syria, which is worsened by U.S. sanctions, is another reason why Syrian refugees are unwilling to go home.

"The U.S. unilateral sanctions played a negative role" in Syria's economic woes, which could last for years, said Saeb Rawashdeh, an Amman-based political analyst at the Jordan Press Foundation. 
ULAN BATOR, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia have reached a wide range of consensuses during the visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Ulan Bator on Sunday and Monday.

When meeting the press together with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh after holding talks here on Monday, Wang said that he has witnessed encouraging changes in Ulan Bator since his last visit two years ago and felt the vitality of the vast grassland.

As a friendly neighbor, China is truly glad to see the rapid progress made by Mongolia and is full of expectations for its development and revitalization, he added.

Wang expounded on the consensuses reached by two sides during his visit.

Both countries believed that in the face of the current complicated and ever-changing international and regional situation, China and Mongolia are closely connected with a shared future so they should be good neighbors more valuable than gold, good brothers sharing weal and woe and good partners striving for common development.

The two sides are willing to deepen the three alignments between the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Prairie Road development strategy, the Global Development Initiative and Mongolia's New Revival Policy, and China's "two-stage" strategic plan and Mongolia's long-term development policy, so as to create three engines for further development of bilateral relations.

Both sides reaffirmed respect for each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firm mutual support on issues regarding each other's core interests.

China supports Mongolia in maintaining stability, focusing on development and exploring a development path in line with its national conditions. China appreciates that Mongolia reaffirms its commitment to the one-China principle and opposes interference in China's internal affairs concerning Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, among others.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation at the border, and facilitate the reopening of ports and connection of railways and highways to the largest possible extent so as to keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded.

The two sides signed a memorandum on cross-border railway transportation at the Gants Mod port, which will play an important role in helping Mongolia expand its opening-up and achieve strong growth.

The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, mining and energy, science and technology, agriculture and animal husbandry, build major demonstration projects in areas including infrastructure and energy, and strive to achieve coordinated development and common prosperity.

China and Mongolia pledged to push ahead with the construction of the Erdeneburen hydropower plant in a coordinated manner and work faster to address the electricity supply for people in western Mongolia.

The two countries voiced their support for the early implementation of livelihood projects including renovating shanty-town areas, and building sewage treatment and meat processing plants.

The two sides will enhance cooperation in afforestation and desertification control. China appreciates Mongolia's plan to plant one billion trees and China has also proposed planting 70 billion trees in the next 10 years. China hopes that the two countries support each other in greening their homeland and safeguarding the green land and blue sky.

China and Mongolia also agreed to continue the cooperation to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and protect lives. They will increase direct flights between the two countries to facilitate personnel exchanges. China supports Mongolian students in returning to China to resume classes at an early date. They agreed to strengthen youth exchanges and sub-national cooperation to consolidate bilateral friendship.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, uphold true multilateralism and open regionalism, push forward the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, so as to jointly promote the development and prosperity of Asia and build a community with a shared future for mankind. 
Bahrain Car Parks Company (Amakin) has seen its net profit for the second quarter of 2022 fall 20% to BD136,000 ($360,875) from BD170,000 in Q2, 2021 largely due to an adverse operating climate.

However, its operating income jumped of 23% to BD546,000 compared to BD444,000 for the same period in 2021.

Basic and diluted earnings per share were at 1.25 fils, compared to 1.55 fils for the same period in 2021. The company reported a total comprehensive income of BD66,000, 7% lower compared to BD71,000 reported for the same period in 2021.

Posts BD300,000 net in H1

As for the company's financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2022, net profit reached BD300,000 compared to BD368,000 reported for the same period last year, a decrease of 19%. Basic and diluted earnings per share were at 2.75 fils, compared to 3.37 fils for the same period in 2021.

The company reported a total comprehensive income of BD249,000, 16% higher compared to BD215,000 reported in the previous year, and a 23% increase in operating income, BD1.1 million compared to BD881,000 for the same period in 2021.

Total equity amounted to BD19.4 million compared to BD19.8 million for the year ended 31 December 2021, which represents a decrease of 2%. The company's assets were at BD20 million, 2% lower compared to BD20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Efforts to innovate

Commenting on the financial results, Chairman of the company, Amin Alarrayed, said: The results for this quarter show Amakins consistent efforts to innovate, explore new avenues, and enrich our consumers' lives with seamless experiences. During the quarter, we were able to demonstrate our capacity to successfully manage the company, despite the adverse operating climate, as shown by a 23% increase in operating income. In recent months, delivering on our strategy has necessitated additional investment as we focus on accelerating our strategy implementation in order to truly become a digital disruptor in the mobility industry. We continue to remain dedicated to our business plan, celebrate our accomplishments, and look forward to accelerating our transformation.

Chief Executive Officer of Amakin, Tariq Ali Aljowder, said: Yet again, we are progressing with our values and expressing them in just about everything we create, from new features that are designed to be more digital and efficient than ever before. This includes the expansion of the payment gateway to more locations, as well as the launch of our mobile application, which improves accessibility, as part of our longstanding commitment to achieve user convenience. As our performance has been consistent with our strategic plan, we are confident in our approach to generating profitable growth, and we will continue to prioritise operational excellence, cutting-edge solutions, and outstanding customer service in order to create long-term value for our shareholders.

Established in October 1981, Amakin, is a public company that has been listed on the Bahrain Bourse since March 2006. The Company operates in the commercial and professional services sector and specialises in parking management and property leasing.-- TradeArabia News Service
AMMAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Located in the desert of northeastern Jordan, some 10 km from the border with Syria, the Zaatari camp is the largest Syrian refugee camp in the kingdom, temporarily accommodating more than 80,000 refugees who fled the Syrian war.

A decade after the camp first opened its gates in late July 2012, most camp residents still consider going home a distant dream, though their homes are only miles away from their temporary shelters.

Ibtisam al-Zoubi, a 34-year-old mother of four from the Syrian city of Daraa, has never expected her life as a refugee would last for 10 years when she sought safety in the camp soon after its opening.

"When I left Syria, I thought it would be only two months at most, so I didn't even bring my youngest daughter's shoes," she told Xinhua.

Al-Zoubi is one of the millions of Syrians who were forced to leave their home after the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011.

Jordan, which borders Syria, has hosted more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees since 2011. The influx of the refugees has increased the burden on the country's budget, particularly on subsidized commodities and the water, education, health and energy sectors, Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh said in July.

To help the Syrian refugees, the Jordanian government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have set up camps across the kingdom, with the Zaatari camp being the largest.

Upon her arrival at the camp, Al-Zoubi lived in a tent without enough daily necessities, dealing with a number of difficulties such as a lack of water, a sweltering summer, and chilly weather in winter.

She did, however, gained peace and security, which was something more important to her. "It felt like someone saved my child from a well," she burst into tears while recalling her days at the camp.

Over the past 10 years, the refugee camp has witnessed some changes. Most of the tents were replaced by prefabricated shelters, while schools and hospitals were built.

Mohammad Taher, a UNHCR external relations officer, said the changes in the past 10 years were not worth celebrating because "the Syrian refugee issue is still not comprehensively resolved."

Since the establishment of the refugee camps, the UNHCR regards them as an emergency measure rather than a permanent resettlement sites or solution to refugees' predicament, according to Taher.

Taher said it was important to "find a way for refugees to develop in the long run" as their needs for living a dignified life are on the rise.

The majority of the camp's residents still want to return to Syria in the future, while most of them believe Syria is still not safe at present, according to a survey conducted by the UNHCR among the refugee residents of the camp recently.

"I'm not willing to return to the fear and the horror that I witnessed," said al-Zoubi.

Jordanian analysts believe that the deteriorating economic situation in Syria, which is worsened by U.S. sanctions, is another reason why Syrian refugees are unwilling to go home.

"The U.S. unilateral sanctions played a negative role" in Syria's economic woes, which could last for years, said Saeb Rawashdeh, an Amman-based political analyst at the Jordan Press Foundation. 
BAMAKO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Four Malian soldiers and two civilians were killed and two Malian soldiers and two civilians were wounded in a terrorist attack in Mali's southeastern town of Tessit, the army said in a statement on Sunday.

"Around 3:00 p.m. (0300 GMT), the units of the Malian Armed Forces in Tessit reacted vigorously against a complex and coordinated attack by the Armed Terrorist Groups," the statement said.

During the fighting, the army killed five terrorists, the statement added. 
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Brunei logged a daily average of 578 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, the health ministry said on Monday.

It said at a weekly briefing that 62,148 antigen rapid test (ART) results were uploaded to the government platform in one week, with 6.4 percent of them being positive.

Currently no hospitalized cases are held in intensive care unit, but five cases are in need of assisted breathing, according to the ministry.

As of Aug. 7, 75.6 percent of Brunei's population have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while 7.8 percent have taken a fourth booster dose.

The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and China's Sinopharm are those administered in the Southeast Asian country. 
TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As a new round of nuclear negotiations to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal is ongoing in Vienna, Iran and the West are wrestling over the "safeguards issue."

IAEA INSISTS ON CLARIFICATION

Under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement and the additional protocol, Iran is obligated to declare its nuclear activities and materials to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, has said on several occasions that Iran failed to cooperate with the watchdog after uranium traces were identified at undeclared sites in Iran.

The agency, along with the United States and Europe, insists that Iran should address their doubts about the background of Iran's nuclear program and urges Tehran to answer the questions about this issue with clarification.

The European parties to the nuclear deal on Friday urged Iran "not to make unrealistic demands outside the scope of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including on IAEA safeguards," according to media reports.

"The text is on the table. There will be no re-opening of negotiations. Iran must now decide to conclude the deal while this is still possible," a European statement was quoted as saying.

IRAN AGAINST ACCUSATION

On the other side, Iran has repeatedly noted that the IAEA's reports are "political" and this case should be closed simultaneously with the revival of the JCPOA.

"The safeguards issues have been raised and continued under political pressures, and they should not be used as an excuse to find faults against Iran endlessly," Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Friday, quoting an Iranian diplomat involved in the nuclear negotiations.

Furthermore, following the passage of the anti-Iran resolution in June, Iran decided to begin injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges and disconnected some of the IAEA's cameras monitoring its sites.

On Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about Iran's "continued" cooperation with the IAEA, advising the UN nuclear watchdog completely resolve the remaining safeguards issues "merely through technical channels."

KEY TO POSSIBLE AGREEMENT

A final agreement could be reached "only when safeguards claims were resolved and closed," Mohammad Jamshidi, the political deputy of the President's Office, tweeted on Friday, saying it was the firm position of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, on Wednesday said the JCPOA, which was reached in 2015 but abandoned by Washington in 2018, was supposed to end these accusations against Iran and build trust.

He said Iran will not turn on the UN nuclear watchdog's ultra-Safeguards Agreement cameras until all accusations leveled against the Islamic republic are withdrawn.

However, Western officials have insisted "they wouldn't intervene to close the probe or to set a fixed deadline for the IAEA's work," the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

"The political deal on the safeguards probe is the most difficult issue and the success of the negotiations in Vienna to restore the JCPOA depends on that," Stephanie Liechtenstein, a freelance journalist based in Vienna, tweeted on Saturday.

"It is currently unclear how long the talks in Vienna will last. It is still a very fluid situation," she added. 
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A passenger aircraft of Vietnam's Bamboo Airways touched down at the Siem Reap International Airport in Cambodia on Sunday evening, marking the airline's first flight from Hanoi to Siem Reap, according to a news release from Cambodia Airports on Monday.

The airline has used a modern Embraer-190 aircraft to operate on this new route, the news release said.

Siem Reap International Airport started witnessing the return of international flights from December 2021 after a 20-month hiatus resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on air travel.

The airport currently accommodates routes from/to Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, and two domestic liaisons.

The new service connecting Hanoi and Siem Reap will be conducive to restoring point to point travel between two of Asia's most appealing cities known for their rich heritage and "douceur de vivre" (sweetness of living), the news release said.

Thach Pierre Hoang, deputy chief commercial officer of Bamboo Airways said this first nonstop Hanoi-Siem Reap flight is the airways' next effort in its journey of expanding international presence.

"We expect our new Vietnam-Cambodia route will fulfill its crucial role as an aviation bridge and make a substantial contribution to the development of both countries in all aspects such as tourism, economy, and culture," he said.

Stephen King, chief commercial officer at Cambodia Airports, the company that operates Cambodia's three international airports, said in this challenging time, it is a breakthrough to welcome a new carrier.

"This is a further sign of the rebuilding of tourism after the successful vaccination campaign led by Cambodian authorities and subsequent reopening of the kingdom's borders," he said.

Located in northwestern Cambodia, Siem Reap province is home to the famed Angkor Archeological Park, which is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination. 
JAKARTA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A pickup van plunged into a 30-meter-deep ravine in the Indonesian province of West Java on Monday morning, killing eight people and injuring nine others, local police said.

The tragic accident took place in Cibeureum village in the province's district of Ciamis. The vehicle was taking residents from the neighboring district of Majalengka to attend a wedding reception in Ciamis, the district police said.

Ciamis police chief Tony Prasetyo Yudhangkoro told local media that six passengers died at the scene and two others died at a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, nine others were still being treated at local hospitals and clinics.

He said that officers were still at the scene salvaging the vehicle. They made a preliminary conclusion that the cause of the accident was a brake malfunction. 
CANBERRA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australian federal Education Minister Jason Clare has called for a meeting with his state and territory counterparts to address a nationwide teacher shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a government modeling, the demand for secondary school teachers in Australia will outstrip supply by more than 4,000 over the next three years.

The education minister has called for a meeting of state and territory education ministers and industry experts together this week to tackle the shortage and work on a plan.

"We have a teacher shortage right across the country," Clare said Monday.

An issues paper released by the Department of Education said on Monday that the shortage is a "systemic issue" exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Declining numbers of new graduate teachers, increasing demand from a growing student population and an ageing teacher and leadership workforce are all contributing to teacher shortages," it said.

"The existing shortages have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with teachers working in a challenging environment and education systems and schools having had to innovate to manage illness and absences."

It identified a lack of opportunities for teachers to be "recognized and remunerated for their expertise."

The higher education sector has proposed having student teachers do more of their training on the job under a paid "degree apprenticeship program" to help address the shortage. 
ULAN BATOR, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Monday.

Asking Wang to convey his sincere greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Khurelsukh said that Mongolia and China share a long history of exchanges, and are permanent friendly neighbors and good friends sharing weal and woe, with no political divergence or unresolved issues.

Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China principle and believes that the issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang are China's internal affairs, he said, noting that this is a consistent policy of the Mongolian side, and it will not change.

He said that Mongolia sincerely admires the great development achievements made by its friendly neighbor under the outstanding leadership of President Xi, and is glad to see that thanks to efforts on both sides, the important consensus reached by the two heads of state has been effectively implemented, and the goal of 10-billion-U.S. dollar bilateral trade volume has been successfully achieved.

The Mongolian side appreciates China's insistence on sharing development opportunities with neighbors, which helps Mongolia achieve common development and win-win cooperation, he said, adding Mongolia is willing to strengthen the synergy of development strategies of the two countries and deepen cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, ports, infrastructure, and desertification prevention and control, so as to elevate the Mongolia-China comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

The Mongolian president said he is looking forward to strengthening the exchanges between the Mongolian People's Party and the Communist Party of China (CPC), and opening a new century of cooperation between the two century-old major parties. He wishes the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC a complete success.

Mongolia highly appreciates China's epidemic prevention and control policy, which not only effectively guarantees the health and well-being of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, but also makes important contributions to the global fight against the pandemic, Khurelsukh said.

He expressed his sincere gratitude to China for overcoming its own difficulties and providing multiple batches of vaccines and anti-epidemic materials to Mongolia.

The Mongolian side speaks highly of China's positive contribution to defending the UN Charter and attaches great importance to the significance of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative in promoting world peace, security and development, in which Mongolia will actively support, participate, deepen synergy with and put into practice, Khurelsukh said.

For his part, Wang conveyed the cordial greetings from President Xi to President Khurelsukh, noting that China and Mongolia are good neighbors that cannot be traded for gold, good brothers who share weal and woe, and good partners who overcome tough times together.

The two sides joined hands to fight the epidemic by gifting one another with sheep and tea, writing a new story of friendship between the two countries, Wang said.

Firmly adhering to the principle of "people first, life first," China is committed to protecting the life and health of the Chinese people, and has contributed to the global fight against COVID-19, which reflects the responsibility of a major country with a large population, Wang said.

China will continue to adhere to the existing policy, coordinate the epidemic prevention and control with socio-economic development, and continue to provide anti-epidemic support according to Mongolia's needs, so as to jointly defeat the epidemic, he said.

The Chinese side will continue to carry out all-round mutually beneficial cooperation with Mongolia under the guidance of President Xi's concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, he added.

China will always be a major country that accommodates the comfort of its neighbors, provides support and assistance to them, and develops together with them, Wang said.

China is willing to cooperate with Mongolia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and, in the direction towards building a community with a shared future, to deepen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Prairie Road development strategy, the Global Development Initiative and Mongolia's New Revival Policy, as well as China's "two-stage" strategic plan and Mongolia's long-term development policy, so as to help Mongolia transform its resources and geographical endowments into development advantages, and better benefit the Mongolian people with the development of China-Mongolia relations, he said.

China appreciates Mongolia's reaffirmation of its firm support for the one-China principle and its opposition to interference in China's internal affairs, Wang said, adding that China also supports Mongolia in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and taking a development path that suits its own national conditions.

Citing a Chinese proverb which goes like "For our friends, we have fine wine. For jackals or wolves, we welcome with shotguns," Wang said the Chinese side is willing to join hands with Mongolia and other developing countries to move forward together, continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, jointly maintain peace and tranquility, build a beautiful homeland, and benefit future generations.

During his visit to Mongolia, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene and Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) Gombojav Zandanshatar met with Wang, respectively.

Also on Monday, Wang held talks with Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg and attended a joint press conference. The two sides signed documents on foreign ministries' cooperation between the two countries and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents about railway ports, health quarantine and others. 
KIEV, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted on Sunday he had discussed the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in southern Ukraine with European Council President Charles Michel.

Ukraine and Russia on Sunday exchanged accusations over a fresh strike on the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is one of the largest atomic power complexes in Europe and generates a quarter of Ukraine's total electricity.

At the talks, Zelensky informed Michel about the situation at the plant, and urged the imposition of sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel in the wake of the attacks.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine's state-run nuclear energy operator Energoatom accused Russian forces of shelling the power plant, saying the latest rocket attacks on Saturday hit the area next to the plant's dry storage facility, where 174 containers with spent nuclear fuel were stored in the open air.

On Sunday, the TASS news agency reported that the administration of Energodar city, which is home to the nuclear power plant, blamed the Ukrainian army for the overnight attacks.

The city said Ukrainian troops launched a strike against the plant using the 220-mm Uragan multiple launch rocket system on Saturday night. The storage facility for spent nuclear fuel was in the affected area.

It added that the submunitions and the rocket engine fell within 400 meters of the operating power unit. 
Australia: In response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Australia's Penny Wong on Monday called for de-escalation of tensions after Beijing accused Beijing of a "finger gesture" to criticize China's military exercises.

Amid ongoing air and sea exercises around Taiwan, which Beijing claims is part of its territory, Wong criticized China for launching ballistic missiles. On Saturday, she joined the United States and Japan in signing a joint statement condemning the firing of missiles into Japan's exclusive economic zones and calling on China to "raise tensions and destabilize the region."

In response to the joint statement, the Chinese embassy in Australia said: "It is completely unacceptable to criticize China's appropriate actions to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state."

According to China, which called the US "the biggest destroyer and destabilizer of peace in the Taiwan Straits and the biggest troubleshooter for regional stability", the embassy accused Australia of obeying US orders.

According to a statement from the embassy, "We ... hope that the Australian side can take the question of Taiwan with caution, not follow the strategy of some countries to control China with Taiwan, and not follow the strategy of some countries in China." Doesn't create trouble and mess - Australia relations."

After Pelosi's visit last week, Wong declined to comment on the state of China-Australia relations. Following the election of a new Australian government in May, Beijing had hinted at a possible reset of relations. During the nine years since the previous administration came to power, relations had reached a new level.

When it comes to easing tensions in the straits, Wong told reporters, "What is most important right now is to bring down the temperature and restore peace."

The entire region is concerned with the prevailing situation and is demanding restoration of stability. "Australia continues to urge restraint and de-escalation, but this is not something Australia is calling for outright."

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkeviks, who was to open a new embassy in Australia's capital, Canberra, backed Wong's call for restraint.

Chinese military assertiveness on Taiwan was compared by Rinkewicz to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The speaker said it is important to realize that China is closely monitoring what is happening in Europe and Ukraine. It is important that we cooperate and convey the same message to people about the need to exercise restraint, refrain from acting irrationally and prevent new regional and global hotspots from arising.

Latvia has urged other countries to follow its lead and cancel all visas for Russian citizens in order to label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi both expressed "serious concerns about escalating regional tensions" following military exercises close to Taiwan on Monday, according to the Japanese government.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, during their meeting in Tokyo, Hayashi and Guterres also agreed on the importance of de-escalating tensions.

The ministry quoted Hayashi as saying, in reference to Pyongyang's repeated ballistic missile tests since earlier this year, "China has been conducting military activities around Taiwan and ballistic missiles in waters close to Japan, mimicking North Korea." The missile is firing."

According to the ministry, Hayashi conveyed his opinion to the UN chief that the rules-based international order should be respected when referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Guterres was in Japan for four days since Friday. On Saturday, he went to a ceremony to mark the 77th anniversary of the US dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Backchannel negotiations between India and Pakistan come to a halt: Report

Beijing conducts anti-submarine and sea assault drills Around Taiwan

Hong Kong will reduce the hotel quarantine period for visitors from other countries
Omans Mahas Industrial City has signed a contract with Hassan Al Qaishi Trading Establishment to set up a 6,000 sq m factory for packaging livestock and poultry feed in the wilayat of Khasab in the Musandam governorate.

Mahas, part of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), will have three main lines for production and packaging of the products.

The project will adopt cutting-edge technology and machinery in the production and packaging processes.

-- TradeArabia News Service
TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over the phone that Iran does not desire to obtain nuclear weapons.

The website of the ministry cited Amir-Abdollahian as saying, "Nuclear weapons have no place in the concept of the Islamic Republic of Iran and are opposed to our policies and values.

He referred to the religious decision of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which forbids the possession and use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, saying that "the supreme leader's fatwa about the use of nuclear weapons is plain for everyone."

He emphasised the need of fully implementing the landmark nuclear disarmament agreement known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He also said that Iran is willing to work with other countries to create a nuclear weapons-free region in the Middle East if necessary.

He said that while Iran has been committed to reaching a "strong and stable agreement," the success of the talks also depends on Washington's "willingness for an agreement," as well as its "necessary flexibility and realism in practise," in regards to the ongoing negotiations in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. In an effort to settle outstanding concerns over the implementation of IAEA safeguards in Iran, Amir-Abdollahian urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refrain from politicising the technical aspects of Iran's nuclear programme.

After a five-month break, a fresh round of negotiations to resurrect the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), started on Thursday in Vienna.

In exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme when it signed the nuclear agreement with world powers in July 2015. Donald Trump, a former US president, forced Washington to leave the accord.

The JCPOA revival negotiations got underway in the Austrian capital in April 2021, but they were put on hold in March 2022 because to political disputes between Tehran and Washington.

shelling damages the power lines at the nuclear plant in Ukraine

Iran reportedly reaffirms demand for removing IRGC from US terror list

Blinken accuses Russia of nuclear 'sabre rattling'
NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani wrote in a letter to shareholders that the company had "entered into a series of partnerships, including equity investments, with local and international corporates with unique technological and execution capabilities, with a strong track record of innovation and a growing number of patents and IPRs across the Green Energy value chain."

To expand its capabilities in new energy, Reliance undertook acquisitions and investments totaling more over Rs 5,500 crore during FY22.

Companies like Ambri in the US, Faradion in the UK, and Lithium Werks in the Netherlands are among Reliance's partners in the energy storage industry.

Similarly, Reliance invested in Germany's NexWafe, which is a pioneer in next-gen technology to manufacture monocrystalline silicon wafers needed in making solar panels. Reliance also acquired promoters' stake in REC Solar -- a global technology leader in solar panel production. Reliance picked up a 40% stake in Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy -- one of the world's leading EPC turnkey contractors in large-scale solar projects.

In order to commercialise hydrogen technology and create a supply chain in cooperation with other Indian stakeholders, Reliance teamed up with US-based Chart Industries to form India H2 Alliance.

Reliance also entered into an agreement with Denmark's Stiesdal A/S for its innovative next-gen electrolyser technology, which has the potential to cut dramatically the cost of producing hydrogen from pure water.

On 5,000 acres in Jamnagar, Reliance began construction on the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex ("DAGEGC"), which will be among the largest integrated renewable energy manufacturing facilities in the world. Reliance also signed an agreement with the Gujarati government to invest a total of Rs. 5.95 lakh crore in green energy.

Apple warns vendors not to use Taiwanese labels to avoid "trade barriers"

Banks cant perennially rely on support credit offtake: RBI Das

Odisha sanctions 11 investment proposals of Rs 2,253cr
ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday said that one of its top commanders, who was responsible for some of the bloodiest strikes in recent memory, was killed in a bombing in Afghanistan.

According to news reports, Abdul Wali Mohmand, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was on the US State Department's wanted list and was offering a reward of up to USD 3 million for information on his state of affairs, reports DPA news agency.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claims that on Sunday in the Pakistani border province of Paktika, Afghanistan, a roadside bomb struck Khorasani's car.

The bombing occurred exactly one week after a US drone strike in Kabul killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and at least two other commanders were also killed.

Although Khorasani is believed to have known al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden, the connection between the explosion and the drone strike wasn't immediately clear.

He once split from TTP and started his own organisation, Jamaat ul Ahrar.

His group was responsible for some of the deadliest assaults in Pakistan, such as the Easter Sunday bombing in Lahore in 2016 that left at least 75 members of the minority Christian community dead.

Taliban gets a vow of economic aid from Russia, Uzbekistan

UN chief urges nuclear powers to uphold their promises as arms race begins again

Israel and Islamic Jihad in Gaza called for cease-fire overnight
ISLAMABAD: Thee United Nations has said, over 120 people have been killed and wounded in Afghanistan in recent days.

The de-facto Taliban government was urged by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement to give minorities more security so they can hold religious celebrations without fear of being attacked. Two consecutive attacks that targeted Shia Muslims in the western portion of Kabul city on Friday and Saturday were blamed on the extremist militia group Islamic State.

Unconfirmed allegations of an attack in Kabul city for the third day in a row surfaced on Sunday.

According to Kabul News, a local station, the most recent explosion in Chandawol, another Shia neighbourhood west of Kabul, was directed towards a bus carrying passengers. The latest attacks occurred as Shia Muslims, a minority religion in the nation, were getting ready for Ashura, which honours the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's great-grandson.

Islamic State has carried out a number of violent attacks, primarily focusing on religious minority groups, after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Due to decreased income, currency shortages, and increased food prices, the Taliban victory pushed Afghanistan from a humanitarian crisis to a disaster, leaving millions of Afghans with extreme food insecurity.

Taliban gets a vow of economic aid from Russia, Uzbekistan

Israel vows to intensify its bombarding as the death toll in Gaza rises

The UK's training of fast jet pilots is in crisis
* This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. (Adds quote)

MOSCOW, Aug 8 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday there was no basis for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents at the moment.

In response to a question about Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's offers to broker peace talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy could meet only after negotiators from both sides had "done their homework".

Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have been stalled for months, with each side blaming the other for a lack of progress.

"The Ukrainian delegation has gone off the radar, there is no negotiation process now," Peskov said on Monday.

"As for a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelenskiy, it is possible only after all the homework has been done by the delegations. This is missing, so there are no necessary prerequisites for the meeting," he added. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Facts & Factors

LONDON, United Kingdom, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Facts and Factors has published a new research report titled Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis Report By Product Type (Cardiac Markers Test and Analyzers), By End User (Research Laboratories, Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Diagnostic Laboratories and Others), and By Region- Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data and Forecast 2022  2028 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market size & share was approximately USD 1,319.4 million in 2021. The market is expected to grow above a CAGR of 5.50% and is anticipated to reach over USD 1,819.25 million by 2028.

The report analyses the Cardiac POC Testing Devices markets drivers and restraints, as well as the impact they have on-demand throughout the projection period. In addition, the report examines global opportunities in the global Cardiac POC Testing Devices market.

Report Overview:

POC (point of care) devices are mostly used for medical diagnostic tests. These tests are performed at a convenient time and location for patient care. Cardiac POC testing is a diagnostic procedure for the heart that is performed at the patient's point of care or very close by. In addition, POC testing is a blood diagnostic procedure used to find cholesterol and blood clotting issues. Cardiac POCT considerably reduces the time needed to retrieve reports and data.

These cardiac POC devices help patients save significant time by shipping medical samples to labs and waiting for long periods for findings. Owing to the rise in demand for Cardiac POC Testing Devices, the global Cardiac POC Testing Devices market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.50% during the forecast period.

Get a Free Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights with Table of Content, Research Methodology, and Graphs - https://www.fnfresearch.com/sample/cardiac-poc-testing-devices-market



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(A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.)

Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following:

Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2022 updated report.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis is included in the package

About 215+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request

Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2022

Includes Tables and figures have been updated

The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Facts and Factors research methodology

(Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.)

Market Dynamics

Growth Drivers

Increasing cardiovascular disorders are likely to pave the way for global market growth

Rising government spending on the construction of healthcare infrastructure to enable advanced healthcare facilities is a crucial factor accelerating market growth. Other important factors driving the cardiac point of care testing market include growing numbers of cardiac patients, changing lifestyle patterns, an increase in infectious diseases, and rapid economic growth in emerging economies. In addition, the cardiac point-of-care testing kits market will see new growth potential during the anticipated period due to the rising technology developments and modernization in the healthcare industry.

Restraints

High costs of POC devices may hamper the global market growth

However, strict government regulations concerning product approval, rising costs for point-of-care testing equipment, product recalls, and industry resistance to changing the status quo are the main factors, among others, that will restrain market growth and pose additional challenges to the development of the cardiac point-of-care testing kits market over the course of the forecast period.

Directly Purchase a copy of the report with TOC @ https://www.fnfresearch.com/buynow/su/cardiac-poc-testing-devices-market



Key Offerings:

Market Size, Trends, & Forecast by Revenue | 20222028

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by Product Type, End User, and Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2021 USD 1,319.4 Million Projected Market Size in 2028 USD 1,819.25 Million CAGR Growth Rate 5.50% CAGR Base Year 2021 Forecast Years 2022-2028 Key Market Players Abbott Laboratories, Roche Diagnostics, Nexus -Dx, Lifesign LLC BG Medicine Inc., Siemens Healthneers, Medtronic Inc., and Others Key Segment By Product Type, End User, and Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options

Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Cardiac POC Testing Devices industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Cardiac POC Testing Devices Industry?

What segments does the Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market sample report and company profiles?

Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market: COVID-19 Impact Analysis

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the production and distribution of cardiac POC testing equipment was significantly impeded. In addition, the decline in testing for cardiovascular disease that came about as a direct result of the activities undertaken in relation to COVID-19 had a detrimental impact, notably in the year 2020, on the market for POC testing equipment for cardiac conditions. As a result of the allocation of healthcare resources to COVID-19 patients, there is a delay in the diagnosis of cardiovascular illnesses, which has a negative impact on the market. In addition, the market for cardiac POC testing devices has been hampered because of lockdowns that have been enforced by the government, disruptions in the supply chain, and trade bans.

Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fnfresearch.com/inquiry/cardiac-poc-testing-devices-market



Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market: Segmentation Analysis

The Global Cardiac POC Testing DevicesMarket is segregated based on product type, end-user, and region. Based on product type, the market is divided into Cardiac Markers Test and Analyzers. Among these, the Analyzerssegment dominated the market in 2021. Based on end-user, the market is divided into Research Laboratories, Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Diagnostic Laboratories and Others. Over the forecast period, the Hospitals segment is expected to develop at the fastest rate in 2021.

Regional Dominance:

North America is expected to dominate the Global Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market in 2021. The highly developed healthcare infrastructure, incredibly favorable reimbursement standards, and the existence of a number of key industry players all contribute to the rapid rise of the North American regional market. However, over the forecast period, the Asia Pacific regional market is expected to grow at a significant rate in 2021.

The Asia Pacific region is also steadily growing due to increased awareness of cardiac diagnosis and treatment and rising healthcare expenditure. In addition, expansion in government investments in the construction of healthcare infrastructure and the launch of novel products by leading market participants are also driving the market growth.

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(We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.)

Competitive Players

The report contains qualitative and quantitative research on the global cardiac POC testing devices Market, as well as detailed insights and development strategies employed by the leading competitors. The report also provides an in-depth analysis of the market's main competitors, as well as information on their competitiveness. The research also identifies and analyses important business strategies used by these main market players, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), affiliations, collaborations, and contracts.

Some of the main players in the global cardiac POC testing devices market include

Abbott Laboratories

Roche Diagnostics

Nexus -Dx

Lifesign LLC BG Medicine Inc.

Siemens Healthneers

Medtronic Inc.

Recent Industry Developments:

In April 2021, Roche disclosed five new intended uses for two essential cardiac biomarkers based on Elecsys technology: high sensitive cardiac troponin T (cTnT-hs) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide test (NT-proBNP). These clinical biomarkers aid in the diagnosis of heart attacks and the effective management of heart failure.

In May 2019, Medtronic, a market leader in the global cardiac POC testing equipment market, announced the launch of the TelescopeTM Guide Extension Catheter. This newly created catheter will be used to provide more access and support to the distal lesions. In addition, these extension catheters will aid in delivering coronary balloons, stents, and other types of interventional devices during the angioplasty process, restoring blood flow through the peripheral and coronary arteries.

Browse the full Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis Report By Product Type (Cardiac Markers Test and Analyzers), By End User (Research Laboratories, Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Diagnostic Laboratories and Others), and By Region- Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data and Forecast 2022  2028 Report at https://www.fnfresearch.com/cardiac-poc-testing-devices-market



The global Cardiac POC Testing Devices market is segmented as follows:

By Product Type

Cardiac Markers Test

Analyzers

By End User

Research Laboratories

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Diagnostic Laboratories

Others

By Region

North America The U.S. Canada

Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India Southeast Asia Rest of Southeast Asia

The Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



Key Insights from Primary Research

As per the analysis, the Cardiac POC Testing Devices market is likely to grow above a CAGR of around 5.50% between 2022 and 2028.

The Cardiac POC Testing Devices market size was worth around US$ 1,319.4 million in 2021 and is estimated to hit approximately US$ 1,819.25 million by 2028 . Due to a variety of driving factors, the market is predicted to rise at a significant rate.

Based on product type, the analyzer segment will dominate the market in 2021.

In the year 2021, the Hospitals section is expected to grow at the fastest rate over the course of the forecast period, based on application segment

North America will dominate the Global Cardiac POC Testing Devices market in 2021.

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Since you rolled out of bed, how many times have you checked the price of bitcoin? How often have you checked your portfolio? How many podcasts, articles, YouTube videos, Reddit posts or Twitter threads have you devoured to learn about whether the bear markets bottom is in?

If the answer is greater than zero, you might be doing it wrong.

To mentally be able to survive, you need to tune it out, says Scott Melker, aka The Wolf of All Streets. Hes telling you to ignore the price, the trading and the obsessive checking of your phone at three in the morning. None of that is productive in a bear market. Its literally just giving you an excuse to make a poor emotional decision.

Other quick tips for surviving Crypto Winter:

Go running. Or swimming. Or hit the gym. Just do something physical

Health is the real wealth, period, says Dovey Wan, founder of Primitive Ventures. The bear market is a great time to focus on self-improvement and get your body and mindset ready for the next run.

Then you can go one step further and do the following 

Break up with your portfolio tracking app

Dan Clarke, a crypto consultant based in Singapore, says that during the bull run, he was hyper plugged in, spending time on exotic trades and centralized yield farming.

Then came the bear market. To preserve his sanity, Clarke put a halt to his trading and motorcycled across Indonesia, eventually moving to Bali for a quieter and more relaxed life.

Perhaps most important, Clarke deleted his portfolio tracking app. He would go cold turkey, as its depressing and deflating to get constant reminders of how much you are down from your portfolio all-time high.

Read more: Dollar Cost Averaging: Build Crypto Wealth on a Budget

Avoid the chop

Seasoned traders consider the current market conditions to be choppy, the bleakest environment for newbie traders. Or any trader, for that matter. Its bad for both short and long biases, says Melker. He explains that when the price gets to the top of a certain range, the shorts get liquidated, and then when the price tumbles back to the bottom, the longs get liquidated. Rinse and repeat. Its benefiting no one.

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In other words, unless youre somehow cranking out consistent winners, maybe quit with the intraday trading.

For Gods sake, avoid leveraged trading

As did Welker, Wan points out that prices tend to range in a bear market. She says that the ranges can lead to especially low EVs (expected values) for leveraged trades. From the stats, we know most retail [traders] with leverage are just ending up in a net loss over time."

A better option?

If inclined to invest, stick to dollar cost averaging.

Most financial experts  in both crypto and traditional finance  endorse the concept of dollar cost averaging, which is essentially the logic behind automatic payments into a 401(k) plan. Its a way to passively and automatically invest without stress. And in a bear market, dollar cost averaging can be your hero.

Dollar cost averaging is price agnostic and market agnostic, says Melker, adding that it takes advantage of the tendency of markets  over the long run  to climb. Short-term trends are hard to predict. No one knows whether the price will go up or down in the next five minutes. But the next five or 15 years? The more you zoom out, the more its almost guaranteed that the price will eventually rise, which has been the case with effectively any meaningful market in history, says Melker.

Read more: In Crypto Winter, Jesse Powells Pirate-King Leadership Style Might Be the New Normal

Theres no guarantee that the price of bitcoin will eventually go up, of course  and this is not financial advice. But the point is that, if your thesis is that bitcoin is a good long-term investment, to stop dollar cost averaging now when the price is down defeats the entire purpose, Melker says.

If (*if*) you believe in the long-term future and price appreciation of bitcoin, youre scooping it up on the cheap. Enjoy. (Obligatory disclaimer: I am not dollar cost averaging and scooping up bitcoin because Im a writer whos just trying to pay the bills, but I do own some bitcoin.)

Research

I love bear markets, Elizabeth Stark, the driving force behind Lightning Labs, once told me. Its a great time to build. Its less distracting.

Waves of crypto entrepreneurs and developers have said something similar, eager for the chance to actually do the work of building cool stuff as opposed to getting swept up in the euphoria of a price bubble.

Melker suggests that even if theyre not exactly building a crypto startup, investors can leverage the same mindset. He says this is the ideal time to remove the FOMO and the concern about price and the urge to flip from one coin to another. Instead, dive deeper into research. Which projects have a vibrant developer community? Whos actually building something meaningful? How active is their GitHub? This is the time to research those questions, says Melker, to put your head down and figure out where you want to allocate funds.

On a related note  as for bitcoin itself?

Go even deeper

The key is to invest in what you know. You should own things you know a lot about, says Cory Klippsten, founder of Swan Bitcoin, a bitcoin-only exchange. The price of bitcoin is volatile. Everyone knows that. If you just bought some bitcoin with the fuzzy hope that the price will go up, that volatility can cause heartburn.

Read more: The Case for Investing in Bitcoin During Crypto Winter

But if youve truly done your homework? You can really only weather these storms with a sense of calm and stoicism if you actually believe in the reasons you hold it, says Klippsten. If you can actually contrast [bitcoin] with other forms of money and other asset forms, and actually believe in the strength of what bitcoin is and where its going, then it becomes easy.

Take comfort in the misfortune of others

Melker points out that unlike the crypto bear market of 2018, at the moment, U.S. equities and especially tech stocks are stuck in reverse and that everyone, everywhere, is feeling the burn.

Or, if this advice strikes you as cynical, simply think of it as: Know that youre not alone.

Focus on relationships

Hug your kids and kiss your wife, says Melker. Or your husband or boyfriend or girlfriend or buddy. The point is to remember that people-action is more important than price-action. (Especially when the price is down.)
Abercrombie & Fitch will unveil a new retail concept this week  The Getaway  inspired by the sentiments felt before the start of a long weekend.

Although the stores will still be called Abercrombie & Fitch, the design is intended to replicate a chic hotel lobby, and the merchandise mix is curated to appeal to the varied needs of a 25- to 35-year-old customer.

More from WWD

The first two stores will open outside Milan in the Il Centro Shopping Center, and at Los Angeles Del Amo Fashion Center. They will be approximately 4,500 square feet and carry mens and womenswear.

We want to make every day feel like the start of a long weekend and offer an assortment that meets those needs, said Carey Krug, senior vice president and head of marketing for the New Albany, Ohio-based retailer.

So the mix will include apparel and accessories appropriate for working out, wearing to the office, heading for drinks after 5 p.m. or to a friends wedding. The assortment will address all activities in the life of the customer for their weekend itinerary, Krug said, and will include pieces from the companys Best Dressed Guest wedding-skewed assortment and Your Personal Best activewear collection.

This is the concept of Getaway and were bringing it to life in a physical experience, Krug said.

The stores will feature elevated fixtures and furnishings, wood accent walls and distinct spaces dedicated to each of the categories.

We translated our customers mindset into a real-world immersive experience, said Joanna Ewing, group vice president and head of creative for A&F. Their love for our denim manifested in a dedicated denim studio. The fitting rooms have been optimized with customizable lighting and chic design elements. Their affinity for travel is captured in the stores hotel lobby-like vibe, complete with a check-in desk. The entire design of these new stores is the unique getaway mindset of our customers brought to life in a way that communicates elevated ease, which is exactly what Abercrombie represents.

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The assortment is targeted to a Millennial as well as a Zillennial, which Krug said is a word we made up to describe a shopper who is out in the workforce and living on their own. Someone in their mid-20s is our sweet spot, she said.

The stores will be marketed though the companys social channels, including TikTok, where it has a strong presence, Krug added.

A&F has more than 300 stores globally in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. The locations of the first two Getaway stores were chosen because the company was able to find the right real estate opportunities and they also represented cities where the brand has a highly penetrated digital experience, Krug said.

She said if the concept is successful, the company will open a slate of others around the country and world. She declined to provide a projected number or a timetable, saying the public company is in a quiet period in advance of the release of its second-quarter results on Aug. 25.

Were going to see how the customer reacts, but were very optimistic, she said. Abercrombies young Millennial and Zillennial customers continue to utilize our stores for a variety of needs  whether its discovering new products and trends, picking up online orders, connecting with friends virtually or IRL, figuring out their best fit, or simply enjoying the brand experience. Everything from the flow and design elements to the functionality of the spaces was architected to reflect our customers ideal experience, whether theyre visiting for a transformative, curated shopping experience or utilizing the stores omni-hub capabilities.

Over the past four years, A&F has worked to restructure its retail footprint, opening smaller, neighborhood stores and enhancing its online presence. At the companys investors day conference in June, management laid out its goals to reach $4.1 billion to $4.3 billion in revenues and an operating margin of at least 8 percent by the end of 2025, compared to last years $3.7 billion in revenues, and operating margin of 1.2 percent in the red in the first quarter of this year. In addition, it is targeting $5 billion in annual sales and compounded annual sales growth of 3 to 5 percent by the end of fiscal 2025.
Corporate Knights named Bell the top telecom company in the world and #4 in Canada overall on the Best 50 Corporate Citizens list

Science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

Bell recognized for its ESG performance in corporate responsibility and environmental standards (CNW Group/Bell Canada)

MONTREAL, Aug. 8, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell announced today that it has been recognized for its corporate responsibility, and that it has achieved an important milestone for its greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy, furthering its commitment to the highest ESG standards.

Corporate Knights has named Bell the top telecom company in the world, and #4 company in Canada overall, on the Best 50 Corporate Citizens list. The annual Corporate Knights ranking evaluates 332 of the largest Canadian companies on a set of 24 environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators to single out the Best 50 that Corporate Knights considers "the vanguard of corporate sustainability leadership in Canada."

In addition, Bell is pleased to announce that its science-based targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), confirming the company's alignment with the most ambitious temperature goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5C.

"We are proud to build on our environmental leadership by setting science-based targets, positioning us as a corporate leader in the transition to the low-carbon economy. We're committed to building a sustainable future and contributing to a better world. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our operations, we are continuing to take action to help fight climate change and improve our energy performance."

- Mirko Bibic, President and CEO BCE Inc. and Bell Canada

Addressing climate change

Bell's leadership on environmental issues includes a wide range of innovative programs to reduce environmental impacts throughout our operations. We demonstrate our commitment to energy management and reducing the carbon footprint of our network, in line with our strategic imperative to help create a sustainable future, with projects and innovations such as:

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Reducing fuel consumption through ongoing fleet modernization and electrification;

Collaborating on innovative solar-powered systems that reduce our reliance on diesel generators, in partnership with the University of Sherbrooke's Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) and its Nanotechnologies and Nanosystems Laboratory (LN2), as well as with Saint-Augustin Canada Electric;

Optimizing facility and equipment heating and cooling to reduce electricity usage;

Implementing other renewable energy projects across Canada, including 10 sites with solar panels in the Atlantic region,12 wind and solar power equipped cell sites across Ontario and 10 photovoltaic and diesel hybrid power systems in the Northwest Territories.

Bell and Universite de Sherbrooke worked on initiatives that include using solar energy to minimize generator use in remote locations (CNW Group/Bell Canada)

In addition, Bell's next-generation telecommunications technologies (including cloud services, virtualization, teleconferencing and videoconferencing) are major contributors to the fight against climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of governments and businesses across the country. Rapid advances in Internet of Things (IoT) services powered by Bell's networks are enabling the optimization of asset and fleet management, as well as smart buildings, smart cities, smart operations and smart fieldwork applications, all enabling customers to reduce their GHG emissions.

Science Based Targets initiative

The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature to mobilize companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets and boost their competitive advantage in the transition to the low-carbon economy. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies' targets.

Science-based targets are emissions reduction targets in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Bell has set the following science-based targets1:

Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 57% by 2030 from a 2020 base year;

Reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from capital goods, fuel-and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting, downstream transportation and distribution, use of sold products, end-of-life treatment of sold products, franchises and investments 42% within the same timeframe;

Reach 64% of our suppliers by spend, covering purchased goods and services, having science-based targets by 2026.

Leading in environmental, social and governance performance

Bell's ESG strategy creates social and environmental benefits by helping to build a better world, better communities and better workplace. Our approach includes enhancing our environmental leadership, creating a workplace focused on diversity, equality and inclusion, and employee well-being, leading in mental health through Bell Let's Talk and demonstrating best-in-class governance.

In 2022, Bell achieved ISO 50001 certification of its energy management system for a third consecutive year, after becoming the first communications company in North America to achieve that designation for our Energy Management System. Bell announced its goal to have carbon neutral operations starting in 2025 and have been recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year.

More information about Bell's environmental track record is available in its Corporate Responsibility Report , which outlines the benefits we deliver to our customers, team and communities, including our Bell for Better investments in mental health, environmental and workplace leadership that make Bell a top corporate citizen. Bell's ESG commitment is also highlighted in the BCE 2021 Annual Report to shareholders, available at BCE.ca.

_____________________ 1 Our science based targets may need to be adjusted in the future because the SBTi requires that targets be recalculated (following the most recent applicable SBTi criteria and recommendations) at a minimum every five years, or more often if significant changes occur (e.g. business acquisitions/divestitures).

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet, media and business communication services throughout the country. Founded in Montreal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities with a commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Media inquiries

Jacqueline Michelis

jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca

@Bell_News

Investor inquiries

Richard Bengian

richard.bengian@bell.ca

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements, including statements relating to our environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives including, without limitation, our goal to have carbon neutral operations starting in 2025 and to achieve our science-based targets for GHG emissions reduction, our business objectives, plans and strategic priorities, and other statements that are not historical facts. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events, and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our ESG objectives, and the benefits expected to result therefrom, are subject to risks and, accordingly, there can be no assurance that our ESG objectives will be completed or that the benefits expected to result therefrom will be realized. In addition, forward-looking statements for periods beyond 2022 involve longer-term assumptions and estimates than forward-looking statements for 2022 and are consequently subject to greater uncertainty. In particular, our GHG emissions reduction targets are based on a number of assumptions including, without limitation, the following principal assumptions: implementation of various corporate and business initiatives to reduce our electricity and fuel consumption, as well as reduce other direct and indirect GHG emissions enablers; no new corporate initiatives, business acquisitions or technologies that would materially increase our anticipated levels of GHG emissions; our ability to purchase sufficient credible carbon credits and renewable energy certificates to offset or further reduce our GHG emissions, if and when required; no negative impact on the calculation of our GHG emissions from refinements in or modifications to international standards or the methodology we use for the calculation of such GHG emissions; no required changes to our science-based targets pursuant to the SBTi methodology that would make the achievement of our updated science-based targets more onerous; and sufficient supplier engagement and collaboration in setting their own science-based targets and sufficient collaboration with partners in reducing their own GHG emissions. For additional information on assumptions and risks underlying certain of our forward-looking statements made in this news release, please consult BCE Inc.'s (BCE) 2021 Annual MD&A dated March 3, 2022, BCE's 2022 First Quarter MD&A dated May 4, 2022, BCE's 2022 Second Quarter MD&A dated August 3, 2022 and BCE's news release dated August 4, 2022 announcing its financial results for the second quarter of 2022, filed by BCE with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at Sedar.com) and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available at SEC.gov). These documents are also available at BCE.ca.

SOURCE Bell Canada

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A high-ranking employee at off-shore, crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX has pleaded guilty for violating a U.S. federal anti-money laundering law, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced Monday.

Gregory Dwyer, who formerly served as BitMEXs head of business development, pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act for "failing to establish, implement and maintain an anti-money laundering program at BitMEX.

The U.S. Attorney previously secured judgments against the firm's three co-founders, Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed. Prosecutors have said that the lack of know-your-customer (KYC) requirements at BitMEX allowed the company to thrive as a hotbed for criminal activity, including money laundering and sanctions evasion.

Todays plea reflects that employees with management authority at cryptocurrency exchanges, no less than the founders of such exchanges, cannot willfully disregard their obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release.

Two years ago, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Department of Justice and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) slapped BitMex with civil and criminal charges after the firm allowed U.S. residents to trade crypto derivatives on its platform without being registered in the states or having substandard KYC practices. Although the agencies later settled with BitMEX for $100 million last summer, the charges resulted in a change of leadership at the exchange.

According to the plea agreements terms, Dwyer agreed to pay a $150,000 fine. The maximum penalty for his crime is five years in prison.

UPDATE (Aug. 8, 2022, 22:50 UTC): Changes headline to add detail.
i-PRO, a global leader in professional security solutions for surveillance along with its regional distributor Panasonic in the Middle East and Africa region, has announced the addition of AI to its PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras. This will revamp of the entire PTZ range, adding a total of 35 new cameras.

The new PTZ range was introduced at the launch event recently held in Dubai and attended by 90 dealers, contractors and integrators.

Delivering on its mission of AI-ification of the security industry, i-PRO has added its first AI-enabled PTZ cameras to the S-Series. The cameras include a powerful built-in AI processor enabling advanced automatic tracking to make operators lives much easier. The cameras, equipped with the highest levels of cybersecurity, can run two different Deep Learning AI applications at the edge of the network, reducing load and server infrastructure costs. Thanks to i-PROs open platform AI strategy, the Software Developer ,000it (SD,000) can also be used to integrate 3rd party specialist applications.

For the first time, i-PRO has also added PTZ cameras to its U-Series, its cost-effective range for the most price-sensitive installations. This addition is further evidence of i-PROs commitment to listening to market demands and being fast and flexible in responding to needs.

Launching the new line-up of Camera regionally, Hidetoshi Kaneko  Director, System Solutions & Communications Division, PMMAF said: At PMMAF i-PRO, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that provide applications beyond visual security management. AI applications such as automatic detection and deep learning feature assists in efficient decision-making in a fast-changing environment. With third-party video management software compatibility, we are giving customers peace of mind and flexibility they need.

Smarter, faster and cybersecure

The new S-Series PTZ cameras are designed to make operators lives easier with smarter, smoother and simpler operation. They deliver improved image quality, especially in low lighting, with the latest image sensors and lenses to improve accuracy and prevent false alarms.

The powerful onboard Ambarella AI processor supports advanced auto-tracking which can assist operators by automatically detecting, zooming in on, and tracking people, vehicles, and bicycles, as well as the unique attributes of detected objects such as colour and type. Security operators will also notice faster PTZ response times during preset operation and improvements in auto-focus in manual operation, ensuring the operator has access to consistently sharp images.

Available in 2MP and 5MP resolutions and offering 21x-40x zoom ratios in indoor and outdoor settings, the S-Series PTZ cameras come in a wide range of options such as smoke dome, salt resistant, and black models. With IP66/IP67 protection against dust and water and IK10 impact resistance, the outdoor S-Series PTZs are built to withstand challenging outdoor environments and can operate effectively in any temperatures.

Cost effective yet still cyber secure

The new U-Series PTZ camera is the smaller brother to the S-Series, designed for projects that do not require AI functionality but still need the core benefits of i-PROs quality, reliability and cybersecurity.

The cameras offer customers a cost effective, easy install and cybersecure PTZ with leading image quality even in low lighting situations. Available in 2MP resolutions with 3.1x-21x zoom ratios in indoor and outdoor settings. The new U-Series PTZ outdoor models meet IP66 and IK10 impact resistance standards.

Core quality, design and cyber security

The PTZ cameras in both Series benefit from a new modern design in a smaller form factor that is similar in size to many dome cameras. This convenient size along with outstanding low light performance means the cameras can be conveniently installed in almost any position and still produce high-quality images and accuracy of object detection to reduce false alarms. Both camera line-ups have also achieved the highest level of cybersecurity for peace of mind with FIPS 140-2 level 3 certification.

Today i-PRO has taken another important step towards becoming the next generation partner for the security industry, said Gerard Figols, i-PRO EMEA President. We are making security operators lives easier by delivering the markets first PTZ with an AI open platform, on the edge, with the highest levels of cybersecurity. At the same time, were taking innovation into our cost-effective U-Series range to give the market access to the same powerful hardware  all as the wider industry struggles with product availability and price increases.-- TradeArabia News Service
BUCHAREST, Romania, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) and Depozitarul Central continue the digital transformation efforts by launching the Investors Enrollment Platform with the help of its partners, Aurachain and eVOTE. Through this platform, following an identification procedure for individuals, user accounts are created, enabling investors to participate online and vote electronically at the General Shareholders Meetings organized by the companies listed on BVB. This new digital solution was created by Aurachain, a low-code development platform that helps businesses to rapidly digitize their operational processes. As part of the project, eVOTE provides the first online and physical participation solution for the General Shareholders Meetings, introduced in Romania more than two years ago and currently used by over 20 companies listed on BVB.

Investors enrollment platform

In a first phase, the Investors Enrollment online platform is available from any Internet-connected desktop or laptop using the Google Chrome web browser through the following link https://www.roclear.ro/Inrolare-Investitori or directly from Depozitarul Central's homepage at https://www.depozitarulcentral.ro. The user account is created through a facial identification process or using a digital signature for holders of certified digital certificates. The solution will enable listed company shareholders to benefit easier from the services of capital market institutions, using a user account and a single point of contact. By using their login credentials, investors can participate online and vote electronically at the General Shareholders Meetings conducted by companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange that use the eVOTE Platform and where the investors own shares.

The partnership between BVB, Depozitarul Central, and eVOTE will improve the operational efficiency of publicly traded companies by lowering the administrative workload and costs associated with conducting the General Shareholders Meetings. At the same time, companies' shareholders that use the eVOTE Platform will be able to vote much more rapidly, with a single click, and to participate in such meetings from anywhere as long as they are internet-connected.

The Investors Enrollment Platform can be used in the future for various purposes, such as facilitating some services for investors, including online access to additional services offered by Depozitarul Central - for example, obtaining account statements.

"The pandemic episode we went through launched one of the most interesting challenges: accelerated digitalization in all fields. Depozitarul Central has always invested massively and sustainably in automation and digitalization to ensure high-quality services, but above all, to provide solutions for our customers' benefit and comfort. The launch of the Investors Enrollment Platform, with access to the eVOTE electronic voting service, is a natural step in the development, optimization and modernization of the services offered to the partners of Depozitarul Central. This platform will be improved and completed with all the facilities an investor needs, depending on the opportunities we will identify. We are happy to be able to offer, together with Bucharest Stock Exchange, this very important and useful service for all actors involved in the Romanian capital market," said Silvia Buicanescu, Depozitarul Central CEO.

"It is obvious that we can no longer talk about the capital market without referring to digitalization. The project that is now operational, the Investors Enrollment Platform, developed with Aurachain partners and colleagues from Depozitarul Central, represents a step forward in simplifying the access to the capital market for investors. As the first step, the platform will digitize the process of investor participation in the General Shareholders Meetings of companies listed at the stock exchange and the voting process, carried out through eVOTE - the online system for participating in the General Shareholders Meetings. Subsequently, the benefits of the platform will be extended to the development of other digital services for investors. Bucharest Stock Exchange has always searched to identify technological solutions that facilitate investors' and issuers' access to the capital market, and the launch of this platform surely contributes to that goal," said Adrian Tanase, Bucharest Stock Exchange CEO.

"The collaboration between eVOTE and BVB through Depozitarul Central as the first utility service of the Investors Enrollment Platform represents a significant step in the direction of the development of the capital market in Romania by digitizing the services offered to shareholders of listed companies. Starting today, shareholders will have a simplified method of participating in the general meetings and will be able to vote much more quickly on the points that define the future of the companies in which they invest. Through eVOTE, both companies and their shareholders are assured that the votes cast are counted and calculated accordingly. This transformation of the way of participation and voting brings the technology of the years 2022 to the process of a GSM and creates fundamental premises for the application of transparency and good corporate governance specific to companies listed on the BVB. During the busiest time of year for BVB-listed companies, January through May 2022, on the eVOTE Platform there were organized 50 General Shareholders Meetings, 37 of which were annual. All events were live-streamed, with no lag between the virtual and physical environments," said Mihai Chisu, Governance Partners CEO, the company that manages the eVOTE Platform.

"Digitalization and process automation have been shown to notably improve operational efficiency, and we now see that this might have a considerable impact on Romania's capital market. Bucharest Stock Exchange and Depozitarul Central have maximized the possibilities of the low-code Aurachain platform to develop the Investors Enrollment Platform significantly faster than traditional development methods would have allowed. Bucharest Stock Exchange will continue to benefit from the advantages of our platform through the real-time visibility of the entire process, the high level of security, as well as the ability to quickly make changes and improvements to meet the needs of the market," said Adela Wiener, Aurachain CEO.

About Bucharest Stock Exchange

Bucharest Stock Exchange runs markets for shares, bonds and other instruments, through regulated platforms and alternative systems, and provides a wide range of services to participants of financial markets. Bucharest Stock Exchange is a public company, listed on its own market since 2010.

The cumulative market capitalization of all companies listed on Bucharest Stock Exchange (local and international) exceeds EUR 42.2bn, and the cumulative value of bond issues listed on the BVB amounts to EUR 17.2bn.

Romania has become increasingly visible internationally and has been present, since June 20th, with 12 companies in the Russell FTSE index dedicated to emerging markets. The 12 companies are: Banca Transilvania, Nuclearelectrica, OMV Petrom, TeraPlast, One United Properties, MedLife, Transport Trade Services, Purcari Wineries, Conpet, IMPACT Developer & Contractor, Sphera Franchise Group, and Aquila.

For more information on Bucharest Stock Exchange, please refer to www.bvb.ro

About Depozitarul Central - Romanian Central Securities Depository

Depozitarul Central provides central maintenance of securities accounts services, clearing settlement services for financial instruments traded on different trading venues, cross-border settlement services through links established with other CSDs, securities borrowing and lending operations. It also provides notary services (initial recording of securities in book-entry system), standardized corporate event processing and other services for issuers and holders of financial instruments.

Depozitarul Central is a share holding company, member of the Bucharest Stock Exchange group and carries out its activity according to the provisions of CSDR (Regulation (EU) no. 909/2014.

For more information on Depozitarul Central, please refer to www.depozitarulcentral.ro

About Aurachain

Aurachain empowers organizations to rapidly build digital process applications through a powerful low-code platform. Streamlined workflows and exceptional interfaces directly capture the expertise of subject matter experts, business analysts, and professional developers to deliver real business value from day one. Enterprise organizations and governments alike use Aurachain to reduce development timelines, optimize business operations, and accelerate innovation.

The Aurachain platform is owned by Aurachain AG, a Swiss company with local offices in Europe (Switzerland, UK, Romania), the Middle East (Dubai) and USA (California).

For more information on the Aurachain low-code platform, please refer to www.aurachain.ch or watch this video presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjhQxkwEQOc

Follow on LinkedIn for more updates from Aurachain.

About eVote

eVOTE is a complete solution for carrying General Shareholders Meetings. It includes all the options to participate in the meeting by mail, online, or in person, and integrates all the votes into a single platform that is user-friendly for shareholders and companies and last but not least is secure data protection wise. Developed by Governance Partners, a company founded in 2018 by the union of capital markets and IT specialists, eVOTE is the first application that aims to modernize through technology the way investors interact with the major institutions of the capital market for a simpler and more efficient coordination.

For more information on the eVOTE platform, please refer to www.evote.ro

For additional information:

Irina Pocovnicu, CMO, Aurachain, Irina.pocovnicu@aurachain.ch, +40 729 218 570

Bianca Dascalu, Marketing and Communication, Bucharest Stock Exchange, bianca.dascalu@bvb.ro

Diana Predescu, Public Relations and Marketing, Depozitarul Central, publicrelations@depozitarulcentral.ro

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873981/BVB_Investors_Enrollment_Platform.jpg

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SOURCE Bucharest Stock Exchange; Aurachain
Notable results in all three zones of the deposit (East Zone, Pit Norte, and Pit Sul) Including: FSA-241: 71m at 2.50 g/t Au from 113m; FSA-249: 25m at 3.23 g/t Au from 55m; FSA-223: 29m at 2.36 g/t Au from 186m; FSA-243: 32m at 2.60 g/t Au from 85m; and FSA-251: 6m at 4.52 g/t Au from 29m.

Drill Program on track to deliver an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in support of the ongoing Feasibility Study.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV: CERT) (OTCQX: CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce further assay results from its ongoing infill drill program at the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte do Carmo Project located in Tocantins State, Brazil ("MDC"). The infill drill program commenced in Q4 2021 with the aim to upgrade the resources into Measured and Indicated categories to support the ongoing Feasibility Study. The 2022 development program is on track to deliver the Feasibility Study during Q1 2023.

The Company is currently reporting assay results from 18 drill holes, totaling 3,809m (see Tables 1 & 2) completed from April to June 2022. As of August 2, 2022, a total of 117 drill holes, totaling 28,864 m, have been completed as part of the 2022 program. Total completed holes include 102 holes at Serra Alta (infill, condemnation, and partial extensions); and 15 holes in the satellite exploration areas namely, Gogo de Onca and Capitao.

Drill Hole Highlights (All composites are reported as true thickness):

Serra Alta (Infill)

FSA-241

71m at 2.50 g/t Au from 113m Including 6.5m at 17.28 g/t Au from 119m



FSA-249

25m at 3.23 g/t Au from 55m Including 2m at 19.76 g/t Au from 78m



FSA-243

32m at 2.60 g/t Au from 85m Including 4m at 11.27 g/t Au from 85m Including 5m at 6.75 g/t Au from 104m



FSA-242

48m at 1.35 g/t Au from 163 Including 2m at 4.92 g/t Au from 186m



FSA-223

29m at 2.36 g/t Au from 186m, Including 4m at 15.30 g/t Au from 202m



FSA-248

2m at 25.96 g/t Au from 333m

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FSA-226

41m at 2.25 g/t Au from 140m Including 2m at 17.25 g/t Au from 170m



FSA-251

6m at 4.52 g/t Au from 29m

The Company currently has 5 drill rigs on site actively drilling, with 4 rigs focused on infill and one actively drilling at Gogo de Onca.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Co-Chairman commented "As we near completion of our infill drilling campaign we are now confident that we will deliver a solid upgraded resource at Serra Alta, which will provide a base for the ongoing Feasibility due to be completed during Q1 2023. In addition, the ongoing regional drilling and other exploration activities continues to highlight the strong potential to grow the total resources on the Monte do Carmo property."

Serra Alta Infill

The main objective of the 18 infill drill holes reported today is to convert inferred blocks within the current open pit constrained resource estimate (Micon, 2021) into the Indicated category, closing the distance between holes informing blocks in the model. Holes reported today include, 8 collared in the East Zone, 6 in Pit Norte and 4 in Pit Sul (see Figure 1 for drill hole locations, and Figure 2 for cross sections of highlighted holes).

Drill holes FSA-223, FSA-225, FSA-236, FSA-241, FSA-242, FSA-245, FSA-248, FSA-256 were collared in the East Zone. Main high-grade domains were intercepted with varying grade reconciliation with respect to the existing model. The best reported intercept in the east zone corresponds to holes FSA-223 and FSA-241 collared in the northern and central segments of East Zone respectively. Hole FSA-223 is located close to the current northern edge of the resource. Hole FSA-241 is exceptional as it includes a relevant thick and continuous interval in a relatively deeper zone where the original model only considered dismembered narrower discrete zones. The main intercept is defined by 71m at 2.50 g/t Au from 113m, including 6.5m at 17.28 g/t Au from 119m.

Drill holes FSA-226, FSA-229, FSA-230, FSA-243, FSA-247 and FSA-249 were collared in Pit Norte. The highlights in this zone are holes FSA-243 and FSA-249. The former intercepted a well-endowed area in the immediate footwall of the granite volcanic contact. Assays in hole FSA-243 returned 32m at 2.60 g/t Au from 85m, including 4m at 11.27 g/t Au from 85m and 5m at 6.75 g/t Au from 104m. Hole FSA-249 was drilled in section with FSA-241 intercepted 25m at 3.23 g/t Au from 55m confirming downdip continuity.

Drill holes FSA-251 and FSA-253 were collared in Pit Sul. Most relevant results are included in hole FSA-251 which crossed 6m at 4.52 g/t Au from 29m confirming the previous outline of the shallow high-grade mineralization that will conceptually be part of the early phases of mining.





Figure 1. Reported and Ongoing Drill Hole Locations

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_002full.jpg





Figure 2. Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_004full.jpg





Figure 2.1 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_005full.jpg





Figure 2.2 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_007full.jpg





Figure 2.3 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (East Zone)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_010full.jpg





Figure 2.4 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Norte)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.4, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_008full.jpg





Figure 2.5 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Norte)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.5, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_009full.jpg





Figure 2.6 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Norte)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.6, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_012full.jpg





Figure 2.7 Select Highlighted Cross Sections of Reported Holes* (Pit Sul)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2.7, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/133086_f955cbba744f0963_014full.jpg

Note: Scale vary by section

Table 1. Drill Hole Composites

Sector DDH From To LENGTH (m) True Width (m) Au (g/t)















East Zone FSA-223 and 162.60 165.79 3.19 3.19 0.73 FSA-223 and 185.65 214.46 28.81 28.81 2.36 FSA-223 includes 201.47 205.26 3.79 3.79 15.30 FSA-223 and 236.40 239.56 3.16 3.16 0.67 FSA-223 and 246.72 247.65 0.93 0.93 0.99 FSA-223 and 254.05 255.20 1.15 1.15 0.55 FSA-223 and 288.75 291.18 2.43 2.43 0.75 FSA-223 and 295.30 297.30 2.00 2.00 1.23 FSA-223 and 303.00 304.08 1.08 1.08 0.36 FSA-223 and 311.30 318.49 7.19 7.19 1.03 FSA-223 includes 316.37 317.44 1.07 1.07 2.40 FSA-223 and 333.05 345.00 11.95 11.95 0.54 FSA-223 includes 337.35 338.44 1.09 1.09 2.35 FSA-223 and 348.27 349.37 1.10 1.10 0.70 FSA-223 and 358.55 359.55 1.00 1.00 0.70 FSA-223 and 367.26 368.19 0.93 0.93 0.78 FSA-223 and 377.50 378.58 1.08 1.08 0.80 FSA-223 and 382.95 424.48 41.53 41.53 1.11 FSA-223 includes 389.45 390.27 0.82 0.82 6.80 FSA-223 includes 410.24 411.35 1.11 1.11 11.10 FSA-223 and 427.83 428.90 1.07 1.07 0.83 FSA-225 and 81.07 82.10 1.03 1.03 0.45 FSA-225 and 106.57 115.09 8.52 8.52 0.51 FSA-225 includes 109.69 110.83 1.14 1.14 2.51 FSA-225 and 120.39 122.59 2.20 2.20 0.59 FSA-225 and 160.53 161.54 1.01 1.01 0.82 FSA-225 and 175.50 195.62 20.12 20.12 0.80 FSA-225 includes 190.31 192.37 2.06 2.06 3.99 FSA-225 and 198.71 199.88 1.17 1.17 0.78 FSA-236 and 82.34 83.37 1.03 1.03 0.36 FSA-236 and 86.69 87.70 1.01 1.01 0.50 FSA-236 and 105.65 107.43 1.78 1.78 2.56 FSA-236 and 128.20 129.20 1.00 1.00 0.32 FSA-236 and 132.58 133.54 0.96 0.96 0.68 FSA-236 and 137.70 138.84 1.14 1.14 0.33 FSA-236 and 146.33 150.75 4.42 4.42 0.38 FSA-236 and 153.93 154.96 1.03 1.03 0.43 FSA-236 and 191.95 193.04 1.09 1.09 5.15 FSA-236 and 198.40 199.45 1.05 1.05 0.61 FSA-236 and 207.80 211.00 3.20 3.20 0.33 FSA-236 and 219.40 228.20 8.80 8.80 2.28 FSA-236 includes 221.30 222.30 1.00 1.00 16.45 FSA-236 and 233.25 234.25 1.00 1.00 1.01 FSA-236 and 245.50 246.74 1.24 1.24 0.69 FSA-236 and 254.35 255.41 1.06 1.06 0.31 FSA-236 and 308.20 310.16 1.96 1.96 0.59 FSA-242 and 132.73 134.86 2.13 1.79 1.40 FSA-242 and 149.97 151.98 2.01 1.69 0.72 FSA-242 and 157.38 159.59 2.21 1.85 0.93 FSA-242 and 162.80 219.44 56.64 47.51 1.35 FSA-242 includes 185.83 187.91 2.08 1.74 4.92 FSA-242 includes 215.23 217.28 2.05 1.72 4.64 FSA-248 and 289.10 291.16 2.06 1.87 0.74 FSA-248 and 307.23 313.60 6.37 5.79 1.58 FSA-248 includes 312.50 313.60 1.10 1.00 5.21 FSA-248 and 323.97 326.07 2.10 1.91 1.93 FSA-248 and 333.25 335.35 2.10 1.91 25.96 FSA-248 and 343.92 356.85 12.93 11.75 0.91 FSA-248 and 361.60 379.30 17.70 16.09 0.78 FSA-248 and 385.63 387.72 2.09 1.90 0.49 FSA-248 and 415.71 422.48 6.77 6.15 1.68 FSA-241 and 4.82 29.10 24.28 22.47 1.11 FSA-241 includes 19.38 25.76 6.38 5.91 2.34 FSA-241 and 36.04 37.19 1.15 1.06 0.44 FSA-241 and 49.69 50.74 1.05 0.97 2.21 FSA-241 and 58.27 63.66 5.39 4.99 1.48 FSA-241 and 79.77 88.58 8.81 8.15 0.22 FSA-241 and 94.75 96.78 2.03 1.88 0.45 FSA-241 and 112.53 189.43 76.90 71.18 2.50 FSA-241 includes 118.80 125.85 7.05 6.53 17.28 FSA-241 includes 137.72 138.77 1.05 0.97 11.95 FSA-241 includes 187.19 189.43 2.24 2.07 11.28 FSA-241 and 196.56 197.58 1.02 0.94 1.08 FSA-241 and 217.95 221.09 3.14 2.91 0.51 FSA-241 and 240.23 244.38 4.15 3.84 0.82 FSA-241 and 250.91 252.01 1.10 1.02 0.36 FSA-245 and 2.65 13.22 10.57 10.57 0.70 FSA-245 and 50.07 51.20 1.13 1.13 0.44 FSA-245 and 65.32 71.70 6.38 6.38 0.48 FSA-245 and 78.17 81.44 3.27 3.27 0.81 FSA-245 includes 80.32 81.44 1.12 1.12 1.59 FSA-245 and 86.80 90.02 3.22 3.22 0.32 FSA-245 and 121.33 130.78 9.45 9.45 0.75 FSA-245 includes 122.40 124.17 1.77 1.77 2.42 FSA-256 and 5.21 6.44 1.23 1.23 0.36 FSA-256 and 58.17 60.32 2.15 2.15 0.62 FSA-256 and 126.40 127.54 1.14 1.14 0.47 FSA-256 and 137.22 138.22 1.00 1.00 0.47 FSA-256 and 155.34 156.24 0.90 0.90 1.19 FSA-256 and 181.77 182.84 1.07 1.07 0.31 Pit Norte FSA-226 and 8.35 12.35 4.00 3.81 0.34 FSA-226 and 22.03 23.06 1.03 0.98 0.60 FSA-226 and 26.97 69.65 42.68 40.61 1.43 FSA-226 includes 28.03 29.11 1.08 1.03 7.08 FSA-226 includes 31.23 36.86 5.63 5.36 2.17 FSA-226 includes 59.00 62.85 3.85 3.66 2.80 FSA-226 and 103.26 104.36 1.10 1.05 1.81 FSA-229 and 70.50 71.60 1.10 1.10 0.98 FSA-230 and 10.29 17.84 7.55 7.05 1.06 FSA-230 and 42.04 55.15 13.11 12.24 2.19 FSA-230 includes 42.04 43.18 1.14 1.06 12.65 FSA-230 and 61.55 81.12 19.57 18.26 0.50 FSA-243 and 67.46 68.46 1.00 0.93 0.30 FSA-243 and 69.52 70.70 1.18 1.09 0.38 FSA-243 and 73.75 74.89 1.14 1.06 0.67 FSA-243 and 85.44 120.05 34.61 32.06 2.60 FSA-243 includes 85.44 89.50 4.06 3.76 11.27 FSA-243 includes 103.74 108.88 5.14 4.76 6.75 FSA-247 and 0.00 16.41 16.41 15.13 0.88 FSA-247 includes 5.88 8.88 3.00 2.77 1.93 FSA-247 and 24.50 28.59 4.09 3.77 1.62 FSA-247 and 31.63 32.73 1.10 1.01 1.47 FSA-247 and 36.21 44.25 8.04 7.41 0.38 FSA-247 and 52.21 62.19 9.98 9.20 1.65 FSA-247 includes 52.21 53.22 1.01 0.93 5.72 FSA-247 includes 59.83 60.97 1.14 1.05 8.61 FSA-247 and 69.34 70.46 1.12 1.03 5.64 FSA-249 and 0.22 1.85 1.63 1.57 0.37 FSA-249 and 8.35 15.73 7.38 7.12 1.78 FSA-249 includes 12.85 13.78 0.93 0.90 5.26 FSA-249 and 19.97 21.11 1.14 1.10 0.71 FSA-249 and 36.35 42.02 5.67 5.47 0.91 FSA-249 includes 39.70 40.95 1.25 1.21 3.65 FSA-249 and 43.20 44.32 1.12 1.08 0.43 FSA-249 and 55.27 81.35 26.08 25.15 3.23 FSA-249 includes 65.73 67.90 2.17 2.09 4.13 FSA-249 includes 70.08 71.08 1.00 0.96 13.50 FSA-249 includes 77.87 80.09 2.22 2.14 19.76 FSA-249 and 89.69 90.72 1.03 0.99 1.48 FSA-249 and 107.66 117.63 9.97 9.62 3.73 FSA-249 includes 115.57 117.63 2.06 1.99 14.33 Pit Sul FSA-251 and 8.37 10.52 2.15 1.43 0.52 FSA-251 and 14.86 15.86 1.00 0.67 1.60 FSA-251 and 28.52 37.80 9.28 6.18 4.52 FSA-251 includes 33.72 35.75 2.03 1.35 17.32 FSA-251 and 45.22 46.25 1.03 0.69 0.41 FSA-251 and 50.41 74.45 24.04 16.02 1.52 FSA-251 includes 50.41 51.45 1.04 0.69 6.41 FSA-251 includes 59.23 60.23 1.00 0.67 5.79 FSA-251 includes 71.24 73.40 2.16 1.44 8.18 FSA-251 and 86.23 93.55 7.32 4.88 2.56 FSA-251 includes 86.23 87.30 1.07 0.71 10.90 FSA-251 and 99.00 100.00 1.00 0.67 0.30 FSA-251 and 104.00 109.15 5.15 3.43 0.83 FSA-253 and 81.25 83.30 2.05 1.40 1.69 FSA-253 and 87.55 88.60 1.05 0.72 0.34 FSA-244 and 7.92 9.15 1.23 1.23 0.38 FSA-244 and 14.23 16.27 2.04 2.04 1.08 FSA-244 and 27.73 54.82 27.09 27.09 1.33 FSA-244 includes 30.98 33.14 2.16 2.16 10.63 FSA-244 and 62.45 63.56 1.11 1.11 0.94 FSA-244 and 67.95 82.00 14.05 14.05 1.41 FSA-244 includes 77.95 82.00 4.05 4.05 4.58 FSA-244 and 123.02 124.02 1.00 1.00 0.39 FSA-244 and 130.00 133.15 3.15 3.15 0.51 FSA-255 and 95.65 99.70 4.05 2.06 0.51

Table 2. Drill Hole locations

Sector Hole number UTM N

m UTM E

m Elevation

m Depth

m Azimuth Dip East Zone FSA-223 8810544 820676 661 444.1 106 -44 East Zone FSA-225 8810504 820501 570 250.8 98 -21 East Zone FSA-236 8810479 820471 567 331.3 98 -19 East Zone FSA-241 8810372 820568 552 289.1 121 -47 East Zone FSA-242 8810498 820618 668 268.4 127 -56 East Zone FSA-245 8810415 820581 555 255.4 112 -33 East Zone FSA-248 8810437 820778 663 480.8 98 -55 East Zone FSA-256 8810416 820580 555 202.3 100 -46 Pit Norte FSA-226 8810101 820381 449 136.3 112 -47 Pit Norte FSA-229 8809950 820304 446 110.2 111 -49 Pit Norte FSA-230 8810094 820354 446 134.8 104 -56 Pit Norte FSA-243 8809986 820477 477 147.7 121 -38 Pit Norte FSA-247 8809983 820454 467 76.0 121 -44 Pit Norte FSA-249 8810016 820431 464 141.3 116 -33 Pit Sul FSA-244 8809654 820375 495 206.9 104 -18 Pit Sul FSA-251 8809652 820374 494 110.2 130 -20 Pit Sul FSA-253 8809679 820444 561 112.7 142 -71 Pit Sul FSA-255 8809678 820444 561 110.8 158 -60

*Collar coordinates by GNSS TP-20 UTM Coordinates, Datum: SAD69 / zone 22S.

*Azimuth Set by compass

*Dip and drill hole trajectory by DEVIFLEX Devico

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Analytical work was carried out by ALS international lab (ALS). MDC send half core samples for sample preparation to the lab. The facilities of the prep lab are located in Goiania, Brazil 835 km from the MDC project and alternatively in Belo Horizonte, Brazil 1,110 Km from the MDC project. MDC sends out samples to ALS international labs (ALS) with the prep lab located in Goiania or alternatively in Belo Horizonte. ALS lab sends the prepared aliquots for analytical assay to their lab in Lima, Peru where the prepared samples are systematically analyzed for gold (ppm) by fire assay (Au-AA24) or gold (ppm) by metallic screen (Au-SCR24). Randomly the ICP (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) is done for trace elements in 4 acids (hydrofluoric, perchloric, nitric and hydrochloric) digestion (ME-MS-61). ALS has routine quality control procedures which ensure that every batch of samples includes three sample repeats and at least two commercial standards and one blank. Cerrado uses standard QA/QC procedures, inserting reference standards and blanks for the drilling program. The Reference material used are from CDN Resource Laboratories Ltd., ITAK (Instituto de Tecnologia August Kekule Ltda. and OREAS).

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Gelcich, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Co Chairman

Tel: +1-647-796-0023

mbrennan@cerradogold.com

David Ball

Vice President, Corporate Development

Tel.: +1-647-796-0068

dball@cerradogold.com

About Cerrado

Cerrado is a Toronto based gold production, development and exploration company focused on gold projects in the Americas. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina and the highly prospective development project, Monte Do Carmo located in Tocantins State, Brazil.

At Minera Don Nicolas, Cerrado is maximising asset value through further operation optimization and continued production growth. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package.

At Monte Do Carmo, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit through Feasibility and production. The Serra Alta deposit Indicated Resources of 541 kozs of contained gold and Inferred Resources of 780 kozs of contained gold. The Preliminary Economic Assessment demonstrates robust economics as well as the potential to be one of the industry's lowest cost producers. Cerrado also holds an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 ha land package at Monte Do Carmo.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (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 discusses 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.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to continuing progress of the Feasibility Study and infill drilling at MDC. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133086
EnsembleIQ

Industry Innovators Amazon, Foxtrot, Instacart, Kroger and More to Keynote Three-Day Event Oct. 18-20 in Chicago

CHICAGO, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnsembleIQ s Path to Purchase Institute , which serves the needs of brand manufacturers, retailers, agencies and solution providers in the commerce marketing industry, today announces its new flagship event P2PI LIVE & Expo (previously known as P2PX), bringing together 900-plus commerce marketing executives, brands and retailers for thought leadership, education and networking Oct. 18-20 at the Hilton Chicago. Register here .



Attendees will spend three days alongside leading CPG brands and retailers who will share their insights and strategies for evolving, adapting and succeeding in the next generation of omnicommerce. The event offers a robust conference lineup and networking opportunities crafted to inspire, educate and cultivate new connections with the top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

P2PI LIVE & Expo will deliver unmatched educational and networking experiences to reinvigorate our industry for this next generation of commerce," said Eric Savitch, vice president and brand director of the Path to Purchase Institute. "As marketers evolve to keep pace with shifting shopper behavior, the event provides a great opportunity for the industry to reconnect and recalibrate strategies going into 2023 and beyond.

Highlights of the flagship event experience will include:

Keynote speakers from innovative retailers, including Amazon , Foxtrot , Instacart and Kroger , among others;

Curated conference sessions with focused topic areas, including dedicated sessions for the BevAlc category and retail media;

The unveiling of P2PIs OmniShopper Awards and Women of Excellence 2022 winners;

An expo area showcasing the most innovative solution providers in commerce marketing  as well as a special section for the latest in P-O-P and in-store experience, including the winning displays from the 2022 PAVE X Frito-Lay Student Design Challenge;

The PAVE Bash @ P2PI LIVE to celebrate the Institutes 20 th Anniversary while raising funds to benefit educational and student aid programs that support the future of in-store experience;

One-on-one meetings focused on retail media to match CPG brands with solution providers during P2PIs CONNECT program on Oct. 20; and

Networking breaks and other opportunities for reconnecting with industry colleagues.



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View the agenda here .

Registration is now open at P2PILiveExpo.com . For more details, contact Eric Savitch at esavitch@ensembleiq.com .

Follow #P2PILIVE on social or the Path to Purchase Institute on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and YouTube .

About the Path to Purchase Institute

The Path to Purchase Institute is a global member community serving the needs of brand manufacturers, retailers, agencies and the entire ecosystem of solution providers in the commerce marketing industry.

About EnsembleIQ

EnsembleIQ is the premier resource of actionable insights and connections powering business growth throughout the path to purchase. We help retail, consumer goods, healthcare and hospitality professionals make informed decisions and gain a competitive advantage. EnsembleIQ delivers the most trusted business intelligence from leading industry experts, creative marketing solutions and impactful event experiences that connect best-in-class suppliers and service providers with our vibrant business-building communities. To learn more about EnsembleIQ, visit ensembleiq.com .

Media Contact

Jessie Dowd

Editorial Director

Path to Purchase Institute and Retail Leader

jdowd@ensembleiq.com




NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The global single-use bioreactors market size was worth around USD 3,274.10 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about USD 10,123.61 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 20.70 percent over the forecast period.

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Single-Use Bioreactors Market: Overview

Single-use bioreactors (SUBs), also known as disposable bioreactors, use disposable bags instead of stainless steel or glass culture vessels. It is flexible, easy to install, and requires fewer utility requirements such as steam and water. It also reduces labor costs, minimizes the risk of cross-contamination, and eliminates cleaning process and verification issues. As a result, a wide range of applications can be found in contract research organizations (CROs) and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) around the world. Overall, disposable bioreactors are suitable for the production of bio pharmacy due to their high operational efficiency. Recently, the endless efforts of companies to promote their products have proved to be very progressive. You can see working on the instant sensor system, design, agitation mechanism & film technology of disposable bioreactors. Increased acceptance of SUBs among small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups, reduced automation complexity, ease of cultivating marine organisms, reduced energy & water consumption, growth of the biopharmaceutical market, technological advances in SUBs, and increased R & D in biopharmaceuticals are factors driving drive growth market.

Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/single-use-bioreactors-market

Our Free Sample Report Includes:

2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis

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Includes an Updated List of tables & figures

Updated Report Includes Top Market Players with their Business Strategy, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Zion Market Research methodology

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Key Industry Insights & Findings of the Single-Use Bioreactors Market Reports:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Single-Use Bioreactors Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 20.70 % (2022-2028).

Through the primary research, it was established that the Single-Use Bioreactors Market was valued at approximately USD 3274.10 million in 2021 and is projected to reach roughly USD 10123.6 million by 2028.

The pharmacy industry invests an average of six times more R & D in sales than other manufacturing industries. In 2018, bio pharmacy companies invested (estimated) US $ 102 billion in R & D (Source: PhRMA).

The sensors used in the SUB must be compatible with the existing SUB platform and manage the system without compromising the sterility of the material.

Emerging markets such as China, India, and Indonesia offer significant growth opportunities due to the high growth of their respective pharmaceutical and biopharmacy sectors due to less stringent regulatory guidelines, cheaper labor, and more skilled labor.

In 2018, Wuxi Biologics partnered with ABEC to install a 4,000L custom single-run disposable bioreactor at a new commercial production facility in Wuxi, China.

The expansion of the region's manufacturing capacity is complementing the market's growth. For example, in September 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility for disposable bioprocessing products.

Zion Market Research published the latest report titled "Single-Use Bioreactors Market by Product [Single-use Bioreactor Systems, Single-use Media Bags, Single-use Filtration Assemblies, and Other Products (Single-use vessels, tubing and connectors, samplers, and probes/sensor, and others)], by Type [Stirred-tank SUBs, Wave-induced SUBs, Bubble-column SUBs, and Other SUBs (Hybrid bioreactors and SUBs with vertically perforated discs)], by Type of Cell [Mammalian Cells, Bacterial Cells, Yeast Cells, and Other Cells (Insect and plant cells)], by Molecule Type [Monoclonal Antibodies, Vaccines, Gene-modified cells, Stem Cells, and Other Molecules (Recombinant proteins including growth factors & interferons, antisense, RNA interference and others)], by Application (Research and Development (R&D), Process Development, and Bioproduction), by End User (Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Companies, by CROs & CMOs (Academic & Research Institutes), and By Region-Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data and Forecasts 2022  2028." into their research database.

Industry Dynamics:

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: Growth Drivers

Increasing biopharmaceutical R&D help to drive the market growth.

The susceptibility of the elderly population group to various diseases along with the growing elderly population is driving the demand for bio pharmacies worldwide. In anticipation of this demand, global companies are focusing on biopharmaceutical R & D and manufacturing to develop products and scale production. The pharmacy industry invests an average of six times more R & D in sales than other manufacturing industries. In 2018, bio pharmacy companies invested (estimated) US $ 102 billion in R & D (Source: PhRMA). Disposable technology is an integral part of the bio pharmacy manufacturing process. They account for the majority of small and medium-sized bio pharmacy production, especially in clinical trials and R & D. Due to the advantages of disposable systems over traditional bio-manufacturing techniques, their adoption in biopharmaceutical research and development is increasing. Therefore, increased R & D spending is seen as a positive indicator of global single-use bioreactors market growth.

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: Restraints

Need for improved single-use sensors to hamper the market expansion.

Reliable, accurate, and cost-effective sensor availability that meets SUB needs is one of the key challenges in the market. The sensors used in the SUB must be compatible with the existing SUB platform and manage the system without compromising the sterility of the material. Traditionally, the sensor was installed in the SUB system, but this method reduced the quality of the final product. Ideally, the sensor and SUB are shipped as a unit, and the sensor is pre-installed on the SUB to ensure sterilization of the container and sensor. However, due to leaching and extractability issues, the quality of available sensors does not meet GMP standards. This creates challenges when using SUBs, but there is room for improvement in this market segment. But with development of more accurate and individual process sensors for various parameters (pH value, temperature, flow measurement, product quality), it can then be incorporated into a bioprocess workflow.

Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/single-use-bioreactors-market

Global Single-Use Bioreactors Market: Opportunities

Emerging markets show opportunities for the global single-use bioreactors market growth.

Emerging markets such as China, India, and Indonesia offer significant growth opportunities due to the high growth of their respective pharmaceutical and biopharmacy sectors due to less stringent regulatory guidelines, cheaper labor, and more skilled labor. Due to their cost advantage and skilled workforce, these countries have become hubs for bioprocess outsourcing. Developing countries show that disposable systems are growing fast. For example, many of China's new bioprocessing plants are expected to be built to meet both domestic demand and the desire to become a biopharmacy exporter. Chinese biopharmacy companies have also found that Chinese CMOs are more likely to accept the adoption of disposable technology than domestic biopharmaceutical developers/manufacturers. In 2018, Wuxi Biologics partnered with ABEC to install a 4,000L custom single-run disposable bioreactor at a new commercial production facility in Wuxi, China.

Global Single-Use Bioreactors Market: Segmentation

The global single-use bioreactors market is segregated on the basis of product, type, type of cell, molecule type, application, end user, and region.

By product, the market is divided into single-use bioreactor systems, single-use media bags, single-use filtration assemblies, and other products (single-use vessels, tubing and connectors, samplers, probes/sensors, and others). Among these, the single-use bioreactor systems segment dominates the market because single-use bioreactor systems offer benefits such as reduced capital investment, operating costs, and environmental footprint, facilitating the acceptance of these systems in bio pharmacy applications.

By type, the market is classified into stirred-tank SUBs, wave-induced SUBs, bubble-column SUBs, and Other SUBs (Hybrid bioreactors and SUBs with vertically perforated discs). Over the forecast period, the stirred-tank SUBs segment is expected to develop at the fastest rate due to the high demand for culturing aerobic microbial cultures and agitated SUBs. The agitation tank SUB promotes greater oxygen transfer and reduces engineering challenges such as heat removal, mass transfer, and faster agitation speeds.

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List of Key Players in Single-Use Bioreactors Market:

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Danaher Corporation

Merck KGaA

Getinge AB

Eppendorf AG

CESCO Bioengineering

Cellexus

PBS Biotech Inc.

Distek Inc.

ABEC

Able Corporation & Biott Corporation

G&G Technologies Inc.

Solida Biotech GmBH

Stobbe Pharma

Celltainer Biotech BV

Meissner Filtration Products Inc.

bbi-biotech GmBH

ENDEL ENGIE (France)

OmniBRx biotechnologies

New Horizon Biotechnology Inc.

Satake Chemical Equipment Mfg.Ltd.

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

GPC Bio

Cell culture company

Aptus bioreactors.

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Single-Use Bioreactors Market?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Single-Use Bioreactors Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Single-Use Bioreactors Market Industry?

What segments does the Single-Use Bioreactors Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Single-Use Bioreactors Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 3274.10 Million Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 10123.6 Million Growth Rate CAGR of almost 20.70 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016  2021 Forecast Years 2022  2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, And By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher Corporation, Merck KGaA, Getinge AB, Eppendorf AG, CESCO Bioengineering, Cellexus, PBS Biotech Inc., Distek Inc., ABEC, Able Corporation & Biott Corporation, G&G Technologies Inc., Solida Biotech GmBH, Stobbe Pharma, Celltainer Biotech BV, Meissner Filtration Products Inc., bbi-biotech GmBH, ENDEL ENGIE (France), OmniBRx biotechnologies, New Horizon Biotechnology Inc., Satake Chemical Equipment Mfg., Ltd., Sartorius Stedim Biotech, GPC Bio, Cell culture company, and Aptus bioreactors. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/2693

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Recent Developments

In July 2021, BioCentriq and Pall Corporation collaborated in the clinical production of Zolgensma. This is an FDA-approved gene therapy using the iCELLis fixed-bed bioreactor.

In February 2021, Wuxi Biologics launched a 36,000 liter bio production line with nine 4,000 liter disposable bioreactors.

Regional Dominance:

The development of the manufacturing industry will help to grow North America region.

During the forecast period, North America is likely to dominate the global single-use bioreactors market. The expansion of the region's manufacturing capacity is complementing the market's growth. For example, in September 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility for disposable bioprocessing products. The addition of the Nashville facility has expanded the global network of SUT manufacturing facilities. The presence of an established bio pharmacy industry and the presence of key players operating in the North American market.

Global Single-Use Bioreactors Market is segmented as follows:

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By Product Outlook (2022-2028)

Single-use Bioreactor Systems

Single-use Media Bags

Single-use Filtration Assemblies

Other Products (Single-use vessels, tubing and connectors, samplers, and probes/sensor, and others)

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By Type Outlook (2022-2028)

Stirred-tank SUBs

Wave-induced SUBs

Bubble-column SUBs

Other SUBs (Hybrid bioreactors and SUBs with vertically perforated discs)

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By Type of Cell Outlook (2022-2028)

Mammalian Cells

Bacterial Cells

Yeast Cells

Other Cells (Insect and plant cells)

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By Molecular type Outlook (2022-2028)

Monoclonal Antibodies

Vaccines

Gene-modified cells

Stem Cells

Other Molecules (Recombinant proteins including growth factors & interferons, antisense, RNA interference, and others)

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By Application Outlook (2022-2028)

Research and Development (R&D)

Process Development

Bioproduction

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By End User Outlook (2022-2028)

Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Companies

CROs & CMOs

Academic Research Institutes

Single-Use Bioreactors Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Press Release For Single-Use Bioreactors Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-single-use-bioreactors-market

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SOURCE Zion Market Research
Addressing common risk factors for chronic disease will help improve health and quality of life

DARTMOUTH, NS, Aug. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Physical activity helps improve your health, well-being and quality of life. Being active is one healthy behaviour that can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. It is important that everyone living in Canada, especially those who face social and economic challenges, are given support to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours to address risk factors of chronic diseases.

Today, Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, alongside Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth  Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, announced an investment of more than $1.7M for three organizations to support projects that focus on increasing physical activity and healthy eating among seniors, as well as in low-income neighbourhoods, and school communities, across Canada. This investment will support:

The Canadian Red Cross Society with $1M for its Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing project that will focus on connecting vulnerable seniors, who are either experiencing are at risk of social isolation, to community based supports and services. The purpose of the project is to build a national network for knowledge sharing, training and collaboration related to risk factors for chronic diseases, specifically unhealthy eating and physical inactivity.

ParticipACTION with over $434,000 for their ParticiPARKs project focusing on physical inactivity. The project aims to engage communities in low-income neighbourhoods in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan in the design of free and accessible designated physical activity areas to encourage physical activity in nature.

Physical and Health Education Canada with over $296,000 to engage children and youth and use existing infrastructure and community assets to identify and address the factors that are contributing to health inequities as well as to help school communities. These activities will take place in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec and improve the physical activity of students through a re-designed ReBOOT Schools program, which are designed to get participants engaged and excited about participating in physical activity

Quotes

"The Government of Canada continues to take important steps to improve the health and quality of life of everyone living in Canada. Through these projects, seniors, students and individuals living in economically challenged neighbourhoods across Canada will have access to information, tools and resources that will benefit their overall health and well-being and reduce their risk of developing chronic disease."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

Minister of Health

"Today's funding announcement demonstrates that the Government of Canada is committed to support community-based initiatives that aim to improve the health and quality of life of everyone living in Canada. Helping individuals, especially those who face additional challenges, to become more active and eat healthier can help them achieve better health outcomes."

Adam van Koeverden

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

"Our Government understands the importance of partnering with community organizations that are working hard to strengthen our communities. Together, we can ensure that everyone in Canada has the tools they need to live a healthier, more active life."

Darren Fisher

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour

Quick Facts

Research shows that 44% of adults in Canada live with at least one chronic disease, such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer or diabetes.

Obesity rates have been slowly increasing over the last 20 years for both male and female youth, and physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption have been decreasing.

Funding announced today is being distributed through the Public Health Agency of Canada's Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund (HCCF) which supports projects that aim to lower Canadians' risk of chronic disease by tackling common modifiable risk factors, namely unhealthy eating, smoking and physical inactivity.

Associated Links

Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

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As GrandView's fleet grows, opportunities to provide free flights to cancer patients will accelerate

BALTIMORE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GrandView Aviation, a leading private aviation charter operator earlier this year partnered with Corporate Angel Network (CAN) to provide free flights to cancer patients (and family members and caregivers) who need to travel to and from treatment. Every week, GrandView gives CAN access to empty leg flights that arise in hopes to match a flight with a patient's treatment travel needs.

GrandView Aviation helped transport nine-year-old cancer patient, Guy, home from his treatment in NYC as part of partnership with Corporate Angel Network

Corporate Angel Network (CAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help cancer patients access the best treatment centers in the United States by arranging free travel on corporate aircraft. Business jet travel makes it possible for patients, especially those in locations with minimal airline access, to travel to specialized medical centers. Whether a patient is traveling for surgery, clinical trial, or a second opinion, CAN aims to reduce a patient's physical, emotional and financial stress by providing a seat on a corporate flight. Over the past 40 years, CAN has transported more than 66,000 patients.

"We are so pleased to be able to fly 9-year-old patient, Guy, his 13-year old brother and their father home from treatment in New York City," said Jessie Naor, GrandView Aviation President. "When we found out Guy loved LEGO, we gave him a set to enjoy assembling during the trip. We are honored to join many other corporations who support Corporate Angel Network's mission to help cancer patients access treatment through the use of business jets and look forward to providing many more patient trips in the future."

GrandView is also a Bronze Sponsor at CAN's Fund an Angel Reception on Wednesday, October 19, as part of National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition NBAA-BACE in Orlando, FL. Donations received from sponsors and silent auction contributors help ensure patients have access to the care they urgently need while raising awareness for CAN's mission.

Story continues

About GrandView Aviation

GrandView Aviation is a private aviation charter operation serving VIP clients and medical transplant transport missions. The company's fleet of Phenom 300 private charter jets and Sikorsky helicopter gives access to departure points across the United States from the company's 10 bases in Baltimore/DC, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Reno and Teterboro. GrandView Aviation is a FAA Part 135 certificated aircraft operator and carries the elite Wyvern Wingman safety rating. The company was recently acquired by Global Medical Response (GMR) and operates under AirMed International, part of the GMR family. For more information about GrandView Aviation, please visit www.flygv.com. For information about GMR, visit www.GlobalMedicalResponse.com.

About Corporate Angel Network (CAN)

Corporate Angel Network (CAN) helps cancer patients access the best treatment available by arranging free travel on corporate aircraft. Business jet travel makes it possible for patients, especially those in locations with minimal airline access, to travel to specialized treatment centers. For more information about Corporate Angel Network, please contact Courtney Easton at ceaston@corpangelnetwork.org.

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SOURCE GrandView Aviation
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 8, 2022 / Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Friedland and President Eric Finlayson are pleased to announce that Ivanhoe Electric's subsidiary, Cordoba Minerals Corp. (TSXV:CDB)(OTCQB:CDBMF), has reported initial diamond drilling results from its ongoing drilling program at the San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project in Colombia. Ivanhoe Electric owns a 63.27% interest in Cordoba Minerals with the San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project itself being owned 100% by Cordoba Minerals.

Highlights:

6,385 meters (24 diamond drill holes) of the initial 25,000-meter in-fill drilling program have been completed within the Alacran Deposit.

Significant assays returned to date include (see Table 1 for full drill results): ACD087 - 61 meters with 0.99% copper, 0.35 g/t gold and 5.17 g/t silver or 1.17% copper equivalent (CuEq 1 ). ACD097 - 53 meters with 0.70% copper, 0.70 g/t gold and 6.18 g/t silver or 1.11% CuEq 1 .

Mineralized intersections correlate closely with Cordoba Minerals' previously disclosed Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) Mineral Resource block model.

Multiple late-mineral gold-copper veins, known as Carbonate Base Metal (CBM) veins, have been intersected within drill holes and are superimposed upon high-grade zones of earlier carbonate replacement copper-gold mineralization.

"We are excited to see the initial in-fill drill holes supporting the higher grade domains in the resource model for the Alacran Deposit. The fact that these domains also host multiple CBM veins brings Cordoba one step closer to understanding the relationship between the CBM and carbonate replacement events," commented Sarah Armstrong-Montoya, President and CEO of Cordoba.

"Results indicate a shared feeder system for the mineralizing fluids and point towards excellent exploration potential to depth, including for a porphyry copper-gold source."

Initial drill results show strong correlation with Cordoba's previously announced PFS resource block model

Cordoba commenced an initial 25,000-meter in-fill drill program in May 2022, which is part of the 40,000-meter in-fill drilling campaign planned by it to update its previously disclosed mineral resource and mine plan at Alacran. This initial drill program focuses on the northern and central areas within the Alacran Deposit which hosts high-grade mineralized zones with considerable widths (Figure 1).

Cordoba reports that a total of 6,385 meters in 24 diamond drill holes of the initial drill program have been completed to date. The initial drill assays confirm not only the wide higher grade domains of chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite copper-gold carbonate replacement mineralization within the mineral resource block model but also the presence of multiple late-mineral CBM veins (Figures 2 to 5).

CBM veins offer significant upside potential for contained gold in the Alacran Deposit

CBM veins are a style of structurally-controlled gold, silver and base metal mineralization found in association with porphyry intrusions. Spectacularly large and high-grade examples include the Porgera gold deposit in Papua New Guinea and the Buritica deposit in Colombia.

The average grade of the CBM veins identified within Alacran Deposit is unknown. Bonanza grade gold was previously reported by Cordoba in January 2017 in drill hole ACD036 (see Table 2), which returned 0.90 meters of 4,440 g/t gold, 10.25% copper, 24.70% zinc and 347 g/t silver (Figure 6).

In-fill drill holes ACD087, ACD097, ACD114 and ACD115 during the current campaign have intersected en-echelon CBM veins overprinting earlier chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite copper-gold carbonate replacement mineralization. The predominance of arsenopyrite with minor pyrite and sphalerite in the CBM veins, coupled with the pervasive chlorite-white mica alteration and carbonate gangue, is diagnostic of an intermediate sulfidation epithermal event. There is significant potential for these veins to extend to depth, potentially towards a causative porphyry intrusion.

It is difficult to currently assess how much gold these CBM veins may contain within the Alacran Deposit. However, given the clear presence of coarse-grained gold, as demonstrated in drill hole ACD036, it is likely that there is a significant nugget-effect at play. Should that be substantiated it provides the potential for an increase in contained gold that is not reflected in the current mineral resource statement of Cordoba.

Table 1: 2022 Alacran Deposit initial drill program results. The 1 meter intercept from ACD097 with 10.1 g/t gold is a CBM vein.

Drill Hole From

(m) To

(m) Interval2 (m) Cu

(%) Au

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) CuEq1 (%) ACD087 89.77 204.50 114.73 0.71 0.26 4.13 0.84 Including 110.76 171.90 61.14 0.99 0.35 5.17 1.16 Including 230.65 243.60 12.95 0.56 0.21 3.43 0.67 ACD097 10.40 238.00 227.60 0.41 0.27 2.83 0.57 Including 11.90 54.90 43.00 0.73 0.12 3.04 0.77 Including 104.00 105.00 1.00 0.51 10.10 6.04 6.63 Including 105.00 157.95 52.95 0.70 0.70 6.18 1.11 Including 171.13 196.80 25.67 0.38 0.13 3.10 0.45 ACD089ext No significant results ACD114 Assays pending ACD115 Assays pending 1 Copper equivalent ("CuEq") is calculated using the formula CuEq=((Copper%*Copper recovery)+100*((gold grade*gold recovery)/31.10305)/((copper%*copper price)*2204.62)+100*((silver grade*silver recovery)/31.10305)/((copper%*copper price)*2204.62) using the following assumptions: Metal prices of US$3.25/lb copper, US$1,600.00/oz gold, and US$20.00/oz silver, copper recovery of 92.5% (fresh and transition zone only), gold recovery of 78.1% and silver recovery of 62.9%. 2 Intervals are reported as core length only. True widths are estimated to be between 75% and 100% of the core length.

Figure 1: Location map of drill holes intersecting CBM veins within the Alacran Deposit.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Monday, August 8, 2022, Press release picture

Figure 2: Cross section A - A' of ACD087 demonstrating the strong correlation with the PFS block model.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Monday, August 8, 2022, Press release picture

Figure 3: Cross section B - B' of ACD097 demonstrating the strong correlation with the PFS block model.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Monday, August 8, 2022, Press release picture

Figure 4: 2022 drill hole ACD114 intersected 0.2 meter of CBM mineralization from approximately 152 meters downhole.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Monday, August 8, 2022, Press release picture

Figure 5: 2022 drill hole ACD115 intersected 0.6 meter of CBM mineralization from approximately 44 meters downhole.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Monday, August 8, 2022, Press release picture

Figure 6: 2017 drill hole ACD036, which returned 0.90 meters of 4,440 g/t gold, 10.25% copper, 24.70% zinc and 347 g/t silver from approximately 112 meters downhole.

Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Monday, August 8, 2022, Press release picture

Table 2: Alacran Deposit drill results reported in January 2017.

HoleID From To Interval %CuEq

capped* %Cu

capped* Au (g/t)

capped* Au (g/t)

uncapped Ag

(g/t) %Zn Cut-off (CuEq) ACD036 2 16 14 0.34 0.22 0.16 0.16 0.89 0.01 0.3% ACD036 46 182 136 1.38 1.00 0.56 10.93 0.50 0.3% ACD036 including 78 124 46 2.68 1.94 1.17 24.74 1.25 1.0% ACD036 including 86 108 22 3.28 2.58 0.93 0.93 26.55 0.43 2.0% ACD036 including 112 117 5 4.94 3.65 3.50 800.90 88.63 8.60 2.0% ACD036 224 242 18 0.51 0.28 0.30 0.30 1.09 0.01 0.3%

*Intercepts calculated using a:

0.3% CuEq cut-off with 6m maximum internal dilution and a 6m minimum width.

1.0% CuEq cut-off uses 4m maximum internal dilution and 4m minimum width.

2.0% CuEq cut-off uses 2m maximum internal dilution and 2m minimum width.

The "includes" & "and" intercepts are found within the preceding intercept, and represent higher grade portions therein.

True width intervals of the mineralization are interpreted as being between 90-100% true widths from oriented diamond drill core and sectional interpretation.

Copper equivalent calculations assume a US$2.50/lb copper price and a US$1300/Oz gold price.

For intercept calculations: sample assays of copper, gold and copper equivalent are all capped to 10% Cu, 10 g/t Au, and 10% CuEq.

Qualified Person

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Mark Gibson, P.Geo.. Mr. Gibson is a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 and Regulation S-K, Subpart 1300 promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Gibson is the Chief Operating Officer of Cordoba Minerals and of Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Cordoba Minerals' majority shareholder, and is not considered independent.

Cordoba has filed a Canadian NI 43-101 technical report for the San Matias Project, titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Prefeasibility Study, San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project, Colombia" and with an effective date of August 3, 2021 ("San Matias Technical Report"). The San Matias Technical Report was filed on Cordoba's profile on SEDAR at https://www.sedar.com/.

Cordoba has disclosed that it utilizes a comprehensive industry-standard QA/QC program. PQ and HQ diamond drill core is sawn lengthwise in two halves, and one half is sampled and shipped to a sample preparation laboratory. The other half of the core is stored in a secure facility for future assay verification. All samples are prepared at ALS Minerals Laboratory in Medellin, Colombia, and assayed at ALS Minerals Laboratory in Vancouver, Canada. ALS Minerals operates in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025. Gold is determined by 50 g fire assay with an AAS finish. An initial multi-element suite comprising copper, molybdenum, silver and additional elements is analyzed by four-acid digest with an ICP-ES or ICP-MS finish. All samples with copper values over 2000 ppm are re-assayed by a method for higher grades, which also uses a four-acid digest with an ICP-ES finish. Certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates are inserted into the sample stream to monitor laboratory performance.

Cordoba Minerals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration, development and acquisition of copper and gold projects. Cordoba is developing its 100%-owned San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project, which includes the Alacran Deposit and satellite deposits at Montiel East, Montiel West and Costa Azul, located in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. Cordoba also holds a 51% interest in the Perseverance Copper Project in Arizona, USA, which it is exploring through a Joint Venture and Earn-In Agreement.

About Ivanhoe Electric

Ivanhoe Electric is an American technology and mineral exploration company that is re-inventing mining for the electrification of everything by combining advanced mineral exploration technologies, renewable energy storage solutions and electric metals projects predominantly located in the United States. Ivanhoe Electric uses its Typhoon transmitter, an accurate and powerful geophysical survey system, together with advanced data analytics provided by its subsidiary, Computational Geosciences, to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as well as to potentially discover deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. Through its controlling interest in VRB Energy, Ivanhoe Electric also develops and manufactures advanced grid-scale vanadium redox battery storage systems. Finally, through advancing its portfolio of electric metals projects located primarily in the United States, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as projects in Montana, Oregon and North Carolina, Ivanhoe Electric is also well positioned to support American supply chain independence by delivering the critical metals necessary for electrification of the economy.

Information contact

Investors

Evan Young +1-604-689-8765

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable U.S. and Canadian securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Such statements include without limitation statements regarding exploration that will lead to the discovery of additional mineralization; results of the current exploration; mineralization potential of CBM veins identified; that ongoing exploration will lead to a potential discovery; and the potential for an increase in contained gold that is not reflected in the current mineral resource statement of Cordoba.

This news release also contains references to estimates of mineral resources. The estimation of mineral resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the company's projects, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Mineral resource estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in the price of gold, silver, copper or other minerals; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates and/or changes in mine plans; (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licences; and (vii) changes in law or regulation.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management, including those provided to it by the management of Cordoba Minerals. Such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including changes in the prices of gold, copper or silver or other metals that Ivanhoe Electric or Cordoba Minerals is exploring for; the results of exploration activities and/or the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations; the significant risk and hazards associated with any future mining operations; political and other risks associated with operating in Colombia as well as in foreign jurisdictions; changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; and the impact of political, economic and other uncertainties associated with operating in foreign countries, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economy. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements described in Ivanhoe Electric's registration statement on Form S-1, as amended, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and base PREP prospectus filed with Canadian securities commissions.

No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved by Ivanhoe Electric or Cordoba Minerals. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Ivanhoe Electric cautions you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable securities laws, Ivanhoe Electric does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release, and Ivanhoe Electric expressly disclaims any requirement to do so.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc.





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SINGAPORE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Klaytn, the leading Layer-1 blockchain in Asia, has announced its selection of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to host and operate its Blockchain Research Center (BRC) Program. The announcement was unveiled at Korea Blockchain Week by Dr Sangmin Seo, Representative Director, Klaytn Foundation during his 8 August keynote "The Technology Layer for Tomorrow's Metaverse".

Klaytn Spearheads Worlds Largest Blockchain Research Center Program in Collaboration with Top-Ranking Universities NUS and KAIST.

BRC is a virtual research institute that aims to advance cutting-edge research for blockchain technology, deepen blockchain capabilities, and support industry growth. With a US$20m funding commitment from Klaytn over the next four years, BRC is to date the world's largest blockchain research center program in terms of known funding size.

With day-to-day operations run by a global research team, headed by KAIST and NUS researchers as Directors, BRC will operate in an open-source manner, where research conducted will be publicly disclosed as research papers or open-source software. External researchers will also be able to participate in ongoing research projects or submit their own proposals. The BRC will share knowledge and research results through community outreach efforts - from conferences to workshops - to carry forward Klaytn's vision to contribute to the blockchain community.

Dr Sangmin Seo, Representative Director, Klaytn Foundation, said, "In line with Klaytn's vision to be the bridge from Web2.0 to Web3.0, bridging the latest findings in blockchain between the research community and industry leaders is key for successful real-world applications in DeFi or the metaverse. Through our BRC program, in collaboration with leading minds from KAIST and NUS, we are delighted to take the next step in bringing our vision to life."

As part of the selection process, interested research institutes and consortiums were required to submit a proposal, outlining the intended operation model and organizational structure for BRC, detailed plans on research and outreach activities, as well as the suggestion evaluation model to measure BRC's progress.

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7 proposals from 62 research institutes from 11 countries were received. Through a three-round selection process, proposals were evaluated and scored by the Klaytn Governance Council and third party experts based on their operational competence, as well as research execution and community engagement plans. With the highest score, the research consortium from KAIST and NUS was selected to lead BRC operations.

Dr Neo Yiu, Head of Technology Advocacy at Klaytn Foundation, said, "We look forward to seeing the Blockchain Research Center develop novel research capabilities for blockchains, foster global collaboration, and expand Klaytn's research contribution back to the web3 community and blockchain/distributed ledger technology (DLT) industry."

According to Coindesk's 2021 University Rankings for Blockchain , NUS and KAIST are among the top 30 out of 230 universities worldwide, ranking in 1st and 26th places respectively. Overall, NUS clinched the top ranking due to its multiple blockchain research centers, societies, partnerships, and conferences, as well as its masters program in digital financial technology.



The KAIST/NUS research consortium is led by Dr Min Suk Kang, Assistant Professor, School of Computing, KAIST and Dr Prateek Saxena, Associate Professor, School of Computing, NUS, both of whom hold extensive blockchain research experience. They will work closely with an international team of principal investigators from six other universities - UC Berkeley, Princeton University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northern Arizona University, Yonsei University, and Carnegie Mellon University  to conduct BRC's research and outreach activities.



Dr Saxena said, "The BRC will deepen the research foundations of blockchain designs and applications. Together with Klaytn, we are delighted to be collectively creating an international platform for impactful research and to advance the global discourse on blockchains. We are excited that researchers from 8 leading international universities have come together towards this shared purpose, creating a unique initiative in the blockchain space."

Dr Kang said, "Our world-class blockchain researchers at the Blockchain Research Center will contribute to the seven pillars of blockchain research: consensus, privacy, network, smart contracts, DeFi, economics/ethics, and metaverse. To further the mass adoption of blockchain technology, the cross-pollination of ideas is key. Through the BRC, we look forward to fostering research and industry collaborations with like-minded participants around the world."

More information about the Blockchain Research Center can be found here.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Kimberley Kok

Corporate Communications Manager, Klaytn Foundation

+65 9189 4648

kimberley.kok@klaytn.foundation

About Klaytn Foundation

Klaytn Foundation is an entity established in Singapore for the decentralization and growth of the Klaytn network. It is responsible for the stable operation of the Klaytn network and various implementations for the development of the Klaytn ecosystem.

For more information, please click here .

About Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea. It was established in 1971 by the Korean government to educate scientists and engineers committed to industrialization and economic growth in Korea. Since then, KAIST and its graduates have been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. On the heels of its phenomenal growth over the past 50 years, KAIST has been recognised as the most innovative University in Asia (2016-2018) and Top-4 Young Universities in the World (2019). At KAIST, five colleges, seven schools, 13 graduate schools, and 27 departments offer a breadth of highly-regarded degree programs as well as interdisciplinary majors.

KAIST is leading innovation by identifying pressing global problems and taking on challenges to address those issues. Currently, there are 152 research institutes and centers at KAIST. Cutting-edge research covering a broad base from AI to sustainability are translating their inventions to address pressing issues around the globe. KAIST has committed to a wide range of science and technology R&D projects since its foundation. KAIST has become an R&D powerhouse in Korea, operating 340 million USD research funds (both from government and industry) in 2020.

Accelerating the journey from idea to impact, KAIST has been the cradle of startups in Korea. KAIST has produced the first generation of venture startup pioneers, beginning in the 1980s. From the 1990s, KAIST alumni have taken the helm, leading the IT industry in Korea and beyond. As of 2019, 1,892 KAIST alumni companies have been founded with their net worth more than 20 billion USD.

For more information, please visit here .

About National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 16 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established our NUS Overseas Colleges programme in more than 15 cities around the world.

Our multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in our faculties, 30 university- level research institutes, research centres of excellence and corporate labs focus on themes that include energy; environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems; Asian studies; and Smart Nation capabilities such as artificial intelligence, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.

For more information on NUS, please visit here.

Cision

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SOURCE Klaytn Foundation
North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 8, 2022) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") announces that the Government of Fiji has granted an extension of the Tuvatu Mining Lease (SML 62) for an additional 10 year term renewable on Feb. 28, 2035.

SML 62 is the Company's cornerstone permit enabling Lion One to build mining and milling operations at Tuvatu, forming part of its 100% owned, high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located 24km from Fiji's International Airport in Nadi.

In an official ceremony attended by over 300 dignitaries at Tuvatu yesterday, Lion One CEO Walter Berukoff thanked Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Mineral Resource Department, and Lion One's Chief Operating Patrick Hickey, commenting, "I am proud to say that it is with great elation that the Government of Fiji has renewed our special mining lease for the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project for another ten years. This lease extension sends a clear message to the world that Fiji continues to be open to public markets which can access critical capital to enable responsible mining projects to be built. Responsible mining will enhance the local socio-economic conditions for all Fijians. To date, we have invested over $140 million into the local economy."

The development of Tuvatu is guided by Lion One Chief Operating Officer Patrick Hickey, an accomplished engineer with extensive executive-level experience in mine building roles for companies such as Newmont Mining Corporation and Kinross Gold Corp. across Africa, Asia, and North America. Mr. Hickey leads a management team of nine and staff that includes some of the most skilled and experienced exploration and underground mining experts in the South Pacific. Under Mr. Hickey's leadership, the Company has ramped up its mining development activities at Tuvatu. There are six active drill rigs, an Exploration decline measuring over one kilometre in length, and a fully operational on-site analytical sampling laboratory at production levels threefold from earlier this year.

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Mr. Hickey commented, "We very pleased to have been granted this extension after the rigorous assessment process that factored not only the geological and economic potential of Tuvatu, but our environmental risk management strategy, and local landowners and community relationships. This milestone demonstrates the tremendous support the Fiji Government has for both Lion One and its mining industry as we continue our commitment to the communities that we operate in to provide direct employment opportunities and peripheral economic stimulus."

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One's flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One's CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.





Photo 1: Patrick Hickey and Walter Berukoff at Tuvatu ceremony

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Figure 1: Tuvatu Project area

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Qualified Person

In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), Patrick Hickey, P. Eng., Lion One's Chief Operating Officer, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and is responsible for the content of this news release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Lion One Metals Limited

"Walter Berukoff"

Chairman and CEO

For further information

Contact Investor Relations

Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250

Email: info@liononemetals.com

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider

accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133123
Fortune Business Insights

Key Prominent Players Covered in the Liquid Biofuels Market are ADM, POET, Enerkem, Renewable Biofuels Inc, Renewable Energy Group, CropEnergies AG, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Algenol, Emami Agrotech Limited, Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, Eniven Group, BIO OILS ENERGY, Gevo, Pacific Ethanol, Butamax Advanced Biofuels.

Pune, India, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global liquid biofuels market size was valued at USD 116.00 billion in 2019. The market is forecast to rise USD 219.97 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period 2021-2027. Fortune Business Insights has mentioned these insights in the latest research report, titled, Liquid Biofuels Market, 2021-2027. According to the analysis, surging vehicular pollution levels across the globe is expected to feed the growth of this market. The market is driven by the increase in the demand for biofuels owing to their environmental sustainability and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Industry Developments:

May 2020: Canada-based BC Hemp Corporation announced its plans to construct a biofuel plant in Prince George, British Columbia for an estimated value of USD 2 billion. Employing close to 2500 people, the plant will be utilized for producing industrial-grade ethanol from hemp stock.

February 2020: Italy-based NextChem joined forces with US-based Saola Energy to produce renewable diesel from residual fats and vegetable oils. Saola will employ its hydro-treatment and isomerization technologies to produce renewable diesel, while NextChem will provide clients engineering, construction, and training services under the partnership.





Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/liquid-biofuels-market-103294





Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2020-2027 Forecast Period 2020 TO 2027 CAGR 8.4% 2027 Value Projection USD 219.97 Billion Base Year 2019 Market Size in 2019 USD 116.00 Billion Historical Data for 2016-2018 No. of Pages 2026 Segments covered Type, Feedstock, Process, Application, Region Growth Drivers Substitution of Conventional Fuels with Biofuels to Propel Market Growth Biofuel Promotion and Renewable Energy Targets to Augment the Market Growth





COVID-19 Impact

In-Depth Qualitative COVID 19 Outbreak Impact Analysis Include Identification and Investigation of The Following Aspects:

Falling Ethanol Prices amid COVID-19 Pandemic to Retard Market Growth

The outbreak of the COVID-19 contagion has threatened to cause long-term damage on many industries. One of them is the transport industry, which is experiencing sharp decline in demand. The trickle-down effect is being witnessed in an even steeper fall in biofuel prices, especially ethanol prices.

According to a study conducted by Purdue University, the average monthly price of ethanol fell from $1.32/gallon in December 2019 to $0.82/gallon in March 2020 due to rapid decline in demand for transport services. Reduced profit margins of ethanol producers have slowed down production of ethanol, which is expected to further cripple the Liquid Biofuels market growth during 2020.

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To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/liquid-biofuels-market-103294





Segments:

Product Type, Feedstock, Process, Application, and Region are studied:

In terms of Product Type, the market is segregated into ethanol and biodiesel

Based on Feedstock, the market is segmented into Sugar Crops, Starch Crops, Vegetable Oils, Animal Fats, and Others

By Process the market is divided into Fermentation, Transesterification, and Others

On the basis of applications, the market is categorized into Transportation, Power Generation, and Heat

With respect to geography, the market covers North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world.

Liquid Biofuels Market Drivers:

Substitution of Conventional Fuels with Biofuels to Propel Market Growth

Shortage of conventional fuels such as oil & natural gas and environmental degradation caused by them are major global problems. Production and use of renewable energy resources are likely to help overcome these problems. Biofuels are majorly used as substitutes of petroleum-based fuels for transport, and they are considered as a part of important strategies to improve fuel security, mitigate climate change, and support infrastructure development.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ethanol produces around 48% less carbon dioxide than conventional gasoline. Moreover, biodiesel releases only 25% of the amount of CO2 that conventional diesel releases, making it a much more attractive option from the standpoint of the environment. Aviation is one of the major consumers of energy in the transport industry. In 2018, aviation biofuel production was about 15 million liters. To date, more than 150,000 flights have used biofuels. Thus, several benefits associated with these new-age fuels are furthering the Liquid Biofuels market growth.



Regional Insights:



Increasing Production of Biofuels in the US to Accelerate Market Growth in North America



With North America accounting for 45% of the global biofuel production, the region is well-positioned to dominate the Liquid Biofuels market share in the foreseeable future. The US is largest producer of ethanol worldwide, having produced 15.8 billion gallons of ethanol in 2019 alone. In 2019, the regions market size stood at USD 42.96 billion.

Latin America is expected to emerge as the second most dominant region in the market, supported by surging ethanol production in Brazil. Besides this, Argentina is also aggressively expanding its renewable energy sector, which bodes well for this market. Europe being the largest producer and consumer of biodiesel in the world is expected to offer several lucrative opportunities for players in this market.

Competitive Landscape

Production Capacity Elevation Measures to be Implemented by Market Players

Competition in the Liquid Biofuels market is characterized by the variety of strategies implemented by the players to consolidate their position in this market. Prominent among these are the measures adopted by these companies to enhance their production capabilities to meet the rising demand for biofuels around the world.

Exhaust from motor vehicles is one of the biggest contributors of air pollution in the world. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that on-road automobiles cause 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the country. The European Parliament has also stated that 72% of the EUs carbon emissions come from road transport. To address the issues surrounding escalating air pollution levels, Liquid Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel have emerged as the most viable and feasible substitutes to conventional fossil fuels such as petrol. Governments around the world are actively promoting the adoption of biofuels for transport activities as the carbon-based fuels carry heavy environmental as well as human health costs. Liquid biofuel can be used in various applications such as transportation fuel, heating fuel, and electricity generation fuel. Liquid biofuels have been considered as an alternative solution for petroleum-based fuels, which are considered unsustainable and expensive.





Quick Buy - Liquid Biofuels Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/103294

Report Coverage:

The report has been prepared painstakingly through qualitative and quantitative analysis, emphasizing industry landscape, trends and market dynamics. The use of top-down and bottom-up approaches further validates the authenticity of the research report. Efforts have also been taken to boost primary and secondary research. The report also provides a birds-eye-view on global and regional market size, share, and volume.

List of Key Players Profiled in the Liquid Biofuels Market Report:

Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC (U.S.)

Gevo, Inc. (U.S.)

Eniven Group (Slovakia)

Emami Agrotech Limited (India)

Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. (U.S.)

Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (U.S.)

Enerkem (Canada)

ADM (U.S.)

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (U.S.)

BIO OILS ENERGY (Spain)

Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited (Thailand)

Algenol (U.S.)

CropEnergies AG (Germany)

Renewable Biofuels Inc. (U.S.)

POET (U.S.)





Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/liquid-biofuels-market-103294





Market Segmentation:

By Type

Ethanol

Biodiesel

By Feedstock

Sugar Crops

Starch Crops

Vegetable Oils

Animal Fats

Others

By Process

Fermentation

Transesterification

Others

By Application

Transportation

Power Generation

Heat

By Region

North America (U.S., and Canada)

Europe (UK, Germany, France, Netherland, Poland, Spain, and Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa (South Africa, and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)

Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Industry SWOT Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis

Qualitative Analysis  Impact of COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Liquid Biofuels Market Steps Taken by the Government to Overcome the Impact Key Developments in the Industry in Response to COVID-19 Potential Opportunities and Challenges due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Liquid Biofuel Market Analysis (USD Billion) (Billion Liters), Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Type Ethanol Biodiesel Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Feedstock Sugar Crops Starch Crops Vegetable Oils Animal Fats Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Process Fermentation Transesterification Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Transportation Power Generation Heat Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America







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Amid devastating floods in Assam, a misinformation campaign targeted at the Muslims has tried to give a new connotation to the calamity.

Basil Islam | TwoCircles.net

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NEW DELHI  Floods and landslides on the Brahmaputra basins in north-eastern state of Assam continue to be devastating, with the death toll reaching 197. Since June 21, more than 44 villages went underwater, and 210 hectares of farmland have been damaged. Around 2.7 lakh people have been evacuated and moved to relief camps. Amidst the disaster, a misinformation campaign targeted at the Muslims has tried to give a new connotation to the calamity. The flooding at Silchar has been termed as part of the flood jihad.

The breach happened in a Muslim-majority area called Bethukandi  and it was one of several contributing factors to heavy floods in Silchar, which is majority Hindu. The state administration has been raising and reinforcing embankments in different basins to control the water flow and use it for agricultural purposes. Following the incident, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the unprecedented flooding of Silchar was man-made. Subsequently, the police arrested four people  Kabul Khan, Mithu Hussain Laskar, Nazir Hussian Laskar and Ripon Khan and charged them with the destruction of public property. They were released after serving 15 days due to a lack of evidence. However, social media went frenzy after the arrests, claiming that it was a terrorist attack by pointing out the Muslim names. According to Google Trends, flood jihad searches hit a five-year peak in July.

This heavy amount of misinformation and targeting happened while the police insisted the media not spread rumours on flood jihad. We have not even heard of the word flood jihad in our investigation. These narratives are very dangerous as they have the power to harm the peaceful fabric of Silchars society. I urge media houses to refrain from giving this a communal angle. No community has ever intentionally damaged government property in this manner to aggravate communal tension, Silchar SP Ramandeep Kaur told media.

Muslim men live in fear

Though acquitted from the charges by the police, Muslim men picked up in the case continue to live in fear of getting attacked. My family and I are still afraid to leave the house. My children have been skipping school. If I must leave the house, I sometimes wear a helmet to hide my face. I am afraid of being lynched by an angry mob. I was accused of flood jihad because I am a Muslim. This is false. Those who are spreading this are doing something very wrong, Nazir Hussain Laskar told BBC.

Basil Islam is an independent journalist and researcher based in South India. He tweets at @baasiie
(Bloomberg) -- Mexico, the worlds largest beer exporter, should stop making the drink in the north of the country as the region faces severe water shortages, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Citizens in drought-plagued Monterrey, the countrys industrial heartland where beermakers like Heineken NV have facilities, have suffered from water scarcity for months as dams emptied out. Lopez Obrador said the government will support companies that want to produce beer in the south or southeast.

This is not to say we wont produce any more beer, its to say that we wont produce beer in the north -- thats over, Lopez Obrador said at a daily press conference. If they want to keep producing beer, increasing production, then all the support for the south or southeast.

Read More: Taps Run Dry: Heat and Severe Drought Ravage Monterrey, Mexico

Alongside Heineken, Mexican beer giant Grupo Modelo, controlled by AB InBev, the worlds largest brewer, has facilities in the north. Lopez Obrador cited the case of Constellation Brands as an example of what policy for one of Mexicos main industries should look like. The company had planned a beer plant in the border city of Mexicali, but in 2020 Lopez Obrador ordered that the project be stopped over water issues after a consultation with local citizens.

The company has since said it would build in the southeastern state of Veracruz. However, nine months after that announcement the company still hadnt built anything on the site, as it still awaits permits, El Financiero newspaper reported last week.

In late July, Heineken offered to give up 20% of the rights it holds to water in Monterrey, and to donate a well, while the city deals with the crisis. Lopez Obrador had earlier called on beer companies to help out.

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The companies produce household names in the beer industry. Grupo Modelo owns the Corona, Modelo Especial and Pacifico brands, among others, while Heineken produces the Dos Equis, Tecate and Bohemia brands, among others. Imported beer makes up close to 18% of the all beer consumed in the US, according to the Beer Institute, which works with the US Department of Commerce to track beer volumes in the US.

Mexico provided 76% of all the beer imported by the US last year, according to Commerce Department figures cited by the Beer Institute.

You cant give permits in places where theres no water, said Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO. So, were going to intervene and thats what the state is for.

Heineken, Grupo Modelo and Constellation rands didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Mexicos presidency didnt respond to a comment request seeking to expand on Lopez Obradors remarks.

While the pandemic has snared supply of beer, demand has also shot up in Mexico with beer sellers running out of popular bottles. The price of Victoria and Corona beers, both made by Grupo Modelo, went up 24% from late May to early June.

Read More: Culprit in Mexico Beer Shortage Isnt Just Supply. Its Demand

Heineken Mexico said in June that it would invest 1.8 billion pesos ($89 millon) in a can-making plant in Meoqui, Chihuahua, near the US-Mexico border, due to growing demand. Its unclear if Lopez Obradors announcement will affect those plans.

(Adds context from sixth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
(This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Moscow Exchange will cut the maximum amount of dollars it will accept as collateral to underwrite transactions, it said on Monday, as Russia is seeks to reduce its dependence on currencies of countries that have imposed sanctions on it.

Russian authorities have voiced concerns about individual and corporate holdings of dollars and other currencies that it terms "unfriendly", calling for their conversion into alternatives.

The Moscow Exchange - the country's largest bourse - said it will from Aug 15 halve the proportion of dollars in the collateral that users of its platform provide to carry out transactions to 25% from 50%.

De-dollarisation in Russia has gained pace since Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. The sanctions have impaired Moscow's access to international economic and global trading systems.

The central bank said on Monday it planned to differentiate the cost of foreign currency loans for legal entities and their investments in debt securities depending on whether they were denominated in currencies of friendly or unfriendly countries.

(Reporting by Reuters)
The Process Packages Market is poised to experience spend growth of more than USD 95.23 Billion at a CAGR of over 6.03%.

The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SpendEdge's reports now include an in-depth complimentary analysis of the COVID-19 impact on procurement and the latest market data to help your company overcome sourcing challenges. Our Process Packages Market procurement intelligence report offers actionable procurement intelligence insights, sourcing strategies, and action plans to mitigate risks arising out of the current pandemic situation. The insights offered by our reports will help procurement professionals streamline supply chain operations and gain insights into the best procurement practices to mitigate losses.

Process Packages Market

https://spendedge.com/sample-report/process-packages-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Read the 120-page research report with TOC and LOE on "Process Packages Market  Procurement Intelligence Report, Pricing Outlook in Geographies that include APAC, North America, South America, and MEA, and insights into best practices to optimize procurement spend."

Insights into the Market Price Trends

Suppliers in this market have moderate bargaining power owing to moderate pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants.

Buyers can benchmark their preferred pricing models for Process Packages Market, Procurement, Management with the wider industry information and identify the cost-saving potential.

Insights to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their Process Packages Market requirements. This procurement report answers the following questions:

Am I engaging with the right suppliers?

Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers?

Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for?

What are the Process Packages Market category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx?

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https://spendedge.com/sample-report/process-packages-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Insights into strategies that will help buyers optimize their category management practices. The report answers the following questions:

What should be my strategic procurement objectives, activities, and enablers for the Process Packages Market category?

What negotiation levers can I pull for cost-saving?

What are Process Packages Market procurement best practices I should be promoting in my supply chain?

Some of the top Process Packages Market suppliers enlisted in this report

This Process Packages Market procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

ABB

Emerson Electric

Endress+Hauser Group Services

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

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PsyBio is continuing to increase its psycho-targeted patent portfolio, executing on its strategic priorities of innovation, development, and technology optimization

PsyBio now has twenty patent applications in total

OXFORD, Ohio and DENVER, Aug. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. (TSXV: PSYB) (OTCQB: PSYBF) ("PsyBio" or the "Company"), an intellectual property driven biotechnology company focused upon discovery and development of novel, bespoke, psycho-targeted therapeutics to potentially improve mental and neurological health, today is announcing the filing of additional international patent applications in Europe, Africa, and Asia. This brings PsyBio's total number of patent application submissions to twenty, making it one of the most robust portfolios in the sector.

PsyBio Logo (CNW Group/PsyBio Therapeutics Corp.)

"Biosynthetic tryptamine production allows the development of psycho-targeted molecules as novel therapeutic candidates, with the goal to potentially help improve human health," stated Michael Spigarelli, MD, PhD, MBA, PsyBio's Chief Medical Officer. "Our IP strategy fosters the developmental processes and will allow us to develop these molecules as smoothly and rapidly as possible. Global patent submissions further expand PsyBio's IP portfolio and support our ongoing plans for growth."

The patent applications submitted comprise advancements concerning production methodology, host strains and processes of production that support and allow PsyBio's novel production methodology to be globally protected. These filings demonstrate the Company's commitment to value creation, while also promoting scientific and methodologic advancements in the field.

"PsyBio is dedicated to leading the development of psycho-targeted therapeutic candidates in our vision to potentially improve mental and neurological health," stated Evan Levine, PsyBio's Chief Executive Officer. "With these additional patent submissions, PsyBio continues to demonstrate its leadership in the biosynthetic development field by prioritizing intellectual property protection, which is necessary for us to achieve our business objectives and important for our current and future investors."

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About PsyBio Therapeutics Corp.

PsyBio Therapeutics is an intellectual property driven biotechnology company developing new, bespoke, psycho-targeted therapeutics to potentially improve mental and neurological health. The team has extensive experience in drug discovery based on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering as well as clinical and regulatory expertise progressing drugs through human studies and regulatory protocols. Research and development is currently ongoing for naturally occurring psychoactive tryptamines originally discovered in different varieties of hallucinogenic mushrooms, other tryptamines and phenethylamines and combinations thereof. The Company utilizes a bio-medicinal chemistry approach to therapeutic development, in which psychoactive compounds can be utilized as a template upon which to develop precursors and analogs, both naturally and non-naturally occurring.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses 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 information. Forward looking-statements in this press release include statements regarding: the ability of PsyBio to develop novel formulations to potentially treat neurologic and psychologic conditions and other disorders; the ability of PsyBio to build and protect its intellectual property portfolio of novel drug candidates; the ability of PsyBio to launch clinical trials; the ability to achieve cost competitive synthesis with reduced environmental impact over current production methods; and the ability of PsyBio to move target candidates into scaled commercial manufacturing and regulatory application.

In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions, including that: PsyBio will be successful in protecting its intellectual property; PsyBio will be successful in discovering new valuable target molecules; PsyBio will file one or more investigational new drug applications with the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"); PsyBio will be successful in obtaining all necessary approvals for clinical trials; PsyBio will be successful in launching clinical trials; the results of preclinical safety and efficacy testing will be favourable; PsyBio's technology will be safe and effective; a confirmed signal will be identified in PsyBio's selected indications; and that drug development involves long lead times, is very expensive and involves many variables of uncertainty. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. 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 information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: compliance with extensive government regulations; domestic and foreign laws and regulations adversely affecting PsyBio's business and results of operations; decreases in the prevailing process for psilocybin and nutraceutical products in the markets in which PsyBio operates; the impact of COVID-19; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

PsyBio makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about PsyBio's proposed products. The FDA or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding psilocybin and other next generation psychoactive compounds. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin and other psychoactive compounds can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Vigorous scientific research and clinical trials are needed. PsyBio has not conducted clinical trials for the use of its intellectual property. Any references to quality, consistency, efficacy and safety of potential products do not imply that PsyBio verified such in clinical trials or that PsyBio will complete such trials. If PsyBio cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on the PsyBio's performance and operations.

The TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE PsyBio Therapeutics Corp.

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Qualcomm to spend $4.2 billion more on chips from GlobalFoundries FILE PHOTO: A Qualcomm sign is pictured at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai

(Reuters) -Qualcomm agreed to buy an additional $4.2 billion in semiconductor chips from GlobalFoundries's New York factory, bringing its total commitment to $7.4 billion in purchases through 2028, according to a filing released Monday.

The announcement expands on a prior $3.2 billion purchasing agreement between the two companies and will produce chips for use in 5G transceivers, Wi-Fi, automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.

U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm, which specializes in mobile phone chips, was one of GlobalFoundries' first customers to sign a long-term agreement in 2021, covering multiple geographies and technologies, according to a press release published by the firms.

GlobalFoundries Chief Executive Thomas Caulfield said in a statement that having Qualcomm as a long-term customer of its upstate New York factory would help, along with federal and state funding, to expand the company's U.S. manufacturing footprint.

The U.S. Senate last month passed sweeping legislation to subsidise the domestic semiconductor industry, providing about $52 billion in government subsidies for semiconductor production and an investment tax credit for chip plants estimated to be worth $24 billion.

"With major new federal incentives for microchip manufacturing in the United States, I look forward to many more announcements like this to come," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The European Union has also eased funding rules for innovative semiconductor plants to boost its chip industry and cut dependence on U.S. and Asian suppliers.

Intel and GlobalFoundries have announced expansion plans on both continents to benefit from the subsidies, with GlobalFoundries partnering with STMicroelectronics to build a $5.7 billion semiconductor factory in France.

The announcement came as the heads of GlobalFoundries, Applied Materials and carmakers Ford Motor and General Motors Co were set to meet at a closed-door summit with U.S. government officials on Monday to discuss administration plans to invest in semiconductors. [L1N2ZK0W4]

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GlobalFoundries is the world's third-largest foundry by revenue behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, but ranks second when stripping out Samsung's foundry business that makes chips for other elements of the South Korean firm.

The company, which is majority owned by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co, raised $2.6 billion in an initial public offering last year on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington D.C. and Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David Evans)
RJC Engineers

New Board of Directors and Executive Implemented

RJC Engineers Board of Directors and Executive

RJC Engineers new Board of Directors and Executive. Left to right: Terry Bergen, Mike Moffatt, Chris Davis, Michael Blackman, Bryan Colvin, John Kooymans, Jeff Rabinovitch, Roger Steers, Joette Decore, Bill Gladu.

TORONTO, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prominent Canadian engineering firm, RJC Engineers (RJC), announces the latest change in its leadership as the firm prepares to mark its 75th anniversary. RJC has implemented a new governance structure to strengthen RJCs legacy of bringing engineering excellence to industry and clients across Canada. The new structure includes a Board of Directors and dedicated Executive.



RJC has supported our people, clients, and communities for almost 75 years. We have an impressive history and a strong vision for the future said Jeff Rabinovitch, Board Chair. I am pleased to announce this new Governance structure, which will benefit not only RJC, but the industry and clients that we serve. Our elected board members and executive are critical to our ongoing success to steer the growth and strategic direction of the firm as we continue to be a leader of creativity and excellence in our industry.

The new governance structure focuses the firms resources, priorities, and programs to deliver on its strategic plan. The firm wide five-year strategic plan ignites a path forward to an even stronger RJC.

This governance structure and our strategic plan capture the collective strength of RJC to build upon our legacy as industry thought leaders and trusted advisors shares Rabinovitch. We are future focused and have the right people and leadership in place to benefit our people and our clients.

The Board of Directors is:

All Board members are Principals whose leadership, business acumen, and big picture thinking make them a strong team to set firm direction and provide oversight. Board Chair Jeff Rabinovitch brings almost three decades of industry and leadership experience.

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The Executive is:

Joette Decore, Executive Principal in Edmonton

Mike Moffatt, Executive Principal in Toronto

Roger Steers, Executive Principal in Vancouver and Surrey



Mike Moffatt and Roger Steers bring a wealth of industry knowledge, experience, and trust to the Executive. Accomplished executive and management consultant Joette Decore joins RJC as Executive Principal, bringing experience in corporate transformations, strategy and planning, human resources and corporate governance.

RJC is a national, employee owned engineering firm that celebrates creative thinking, prompt service, and technical excellence in the design and maintenance of structures. RJC provides structural engineering, structural restoration, building science, parking facility design, structural glass engineering, and building energy modelling services. RJC has over 650 people collaborating from 14 locations coast-to-coast across Canada.

Bringing the best of RJC to every project for over seven decades, the firm integrates ingenuity and practicality to create success for their clients and their projects. RJC has worked on landmark buildings across Canada.

About RJC Engineers

RJC Engineers (RJC) is a national, employee owned engineering firm that celebrates creative thinking, prompt service, and technical excellence in the design and maintenance of structures. Bringing the best of RJC to every project for over seven decades, they integrate ingenuity and practicality to create success for their clients and their projects. RJC provides structural engineering, structural restoration, building science, parking facility design, structural glass engineering, and building energy modelling services. RJC locations, leadership, projects, services, and contact information can be found at www.rjc.ca.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d7a62bb7-0c4a-4a0c-b906-163a8558fceb

CONTACT: Media Contact: Tanya Kennedy Flood Marketing and Communications Leaders tkennedyflood@rjc.ca 403.390.1341 www.rjc.ca




(Bloomberg) -- Shipping in the Taiwan Strait began to return to normal on Monday, though Chinas announcement of a new military exercise near the island signaled that risks remain for the industry.

Most Read from Bloomberg

More than 40 vessels have transited through a China military drill zone south of Taiwans main port since Saturday, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The latest ship positions show four of the total six zones being traversed.

Shipping in the Taiwan Strait, a key route for supply chains and commodities, has faced uncertainty and delays since Beijing began its most provocative military drills in decades in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan last week.

Some shipowners barred their vessels from transiting the strait, while others navigated around the drill zones. Vessels had also been hesitant about approaching the major port of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, seeking to avoid the large drill zone located just offshore.

The military exercises were scheduled to be completed on Sunday, but Chinas military said it conducted antisubmarine and naval strike exercises in the air and sea space near Taiwan Island on Monday. It didnt specify where the drill was being held or whether it was part of the exercises around Taiwan over the previous four days.

The Taiwanese Defense Ministry separately said it had detected Chinese warplanes and warships around the island Monday. But China has so far not published any new navigational warnings for live-fire exercises near Taiwan.

Given that there have been no further notices issued for the area, shipping companies will resume their voyages through the six exercise zones, given the need for fuel efficiency, said Ridzwan Rahmat, principal defense analyst at Janes.

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Shippers on Monday said operations were progressing normally, with maritime and air travel resuming their original routes. The financial penalties for not delivering cargoes to customers on time may be too costly to avoid the strait, said shipping experts.

The value of these cargoes is very large, so its no surprise that merchant ships are sailing and discharging per schedule to minimize any claims, said Toby Copson, global head of trading and advisory at Trident LNG. While its a concern, current rhetoric doesnt justify a hard pivot to extreme measures yet. I dont think China wants an accident either.

The supertanker Barakah, laden with crude oil from the Middle East, was moored off Kaohsiung on Monday after last week diverting to the Sha Lung port at the northern end of the island, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Crude tanker Ghinah is also en route to Kaohsiung after changing its route to Sha Lung.

Two liquefied natural gas vessels also arrived at ports in Taiwan on Monday after idling off the coast for a few days, according to the data.

China also publicized drills in other areas along its coast, though those were well outside the Taiwan Strait. The drills include live-weapon firing from Aug. 6-15 in the southern part of the Yellow Sea separating the mainland from the Korean Peninsula -- a frequent area for exercises.

The Maritime Safety Administration also said military exercises will take place in parts of the Bohai Sea in the north for a month from Aug. 8, and warned ships to avoid entering the area. Drills were also held in that region around this time last year.

The Taiwan Strait is an important international shipping lane, said Ridzwan. On the other hand, the military drills around the Bohai and Yellow Seas do not have similar impact, as the routes that pass through these areas are mostly feeder vessel routes for Chinese ports.

(Updates with industry comments in seventh and last paragraphs.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Accretive acquisition will enable Stratasys to offer more full solutions to customers and accelerate next-generation materials development for manufacturing with partners

Stratasys will expand its differentiated materials offering in stereolithography, DLP, and powders, supported by a broad IP portfolio

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. & REHOVOT, Israel, August 08, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, announced today it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the additive manufacturing materials business of Covestro AG (DAX: 1COV). The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive upon closing. It will include R&D facilities and activities, global development and sales teams across Europe, the U.S. and China, a portfolio of approximately 60 additive manufacturing materials, and an extensive IP portfolio comprised of hundreds of patents and patents pending. The purchase price is approximately 43 million euros, plus additional inventory, less certain liabilities. In addition, there is a potential earnout of up to 37 million euros, subject to the achievement of various performance metrics.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005184/en/

Covestro's additive manufacturing business includes one of the world's most recognized and trusted brands in photopolymers - Somos. The automotive grill shown here on a Stratasys Neo800 stereolithography system was 3D-printed with clear Somos WaterShed CX 11122. (Photo: Business Wire)

Covestro has been a key part of Stratasys third-party materials ecosystem, and the acquisition will benefit customers using multiple Stratasys 3D printing platforms, including its Origin P3, Neo stereolithography, and H350 printers. Stratasys is already a distributor of Covestros Somos resins and they are already available for Neo and Origin One 3D printers.

"Innovative materials are the fuel of additive manufacturing and translate directly into the ability to create new use cases for 3D printing, particularly in the production of end-use parts like dental aligners and automotive components," said Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. "The acquisition of Covestros highly regarded Additive Manufacturing business positions us to further grow adoption of our newest technologies. We will now have the ability to accelerate cutting-edge developments in 3D printing materials, and advance our strategy of providing the best and most complete polymer 3D printing portfolio in the industry."

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The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2023, and the transaction is subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The majority of employees of the acquired entity will continue to be based in Geleen, Netherlands and Elgin, Ill.

About Stratasys

Stratasys is leading the global shift to additive manufacturing with innovative 3D printing solutions for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare. Through smart and connected 3D printers, polymer materials, a software ecosystem, and parts on demand, Stratasys solutions deliver competitive advantages at every stage in the product value chain. The worlds leading organizations turn to Stratasys to transform product design, bring agility to manufacturing and supply chains, and improve patient care.

To learn more about Stratasys, visit www.stratasys.com, the Stratasys blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Stratasys reserves the right to utilize any of the foregoing social media platforms, including the companys websites, to share material, non-public information pursuant to the SECs Regulation FD. To the extent necessary and mandated by applicable law, Stratasys will also include such information in its public disclosure filings.

Stratasys, FDM, P3, Origin, Origin One, SAF, and Neo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and Stratasys assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these non-Stratasys products.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release regarding Stratasyss intentions with respect to the proposed transaction are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the anticipated completion of the combination of MakerBot and Ultimaker, the financial position and prospects of the new combined company, and the desktop 3D printing market. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those projected. There can be no assurance that Stratasys will be able to complete the transaction on the anticipated terms, or at all. Important factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, among other things, risks and uncertainties related to market conditions, satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the transaction and the risk factors and other matters referred to under "Risk Factors", and generally in Stratasys Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on February 24, 2022, and in other reports that Stratasys furnishes to or files with the SEC from time to time, including, most recently, the report of foreign private issuer on Form 6-K reporting Stratasys results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, furnished to the SEC on August 3, 2022. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in Stratasys SEC reports, which are designed to advise interested parties of the risks and other factors that may affect its business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date, and Stratasys disclaims any intent or obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement except as required by law.

Attention editors, if you publish reader-contact information, please use:

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Contacts

Media Contacts

Stratasys Corporate & North America

Heather Morris

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+1 612-875-2751

Investor Relations

Yonah Lloyd

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+972-74-745-4919

Europe, Middle East, & Africa

Jonathan Wake / Miguel Afonso,

Incus Media

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Brazil, Central America and South America

Erica Massini

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+55 (11) 2626-9229

Israel

Rosa Coblens

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+852-9189-7273

Asia

Kalyani Dwivedi

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+91 80 6746 2606
DENVER, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RMAX), parent company of RE/MAX, one of the world's leading franchisors of real estate brokerage services, and Motto Mortgage, the first and only national mortgage brokerage franchise brand in the U.S., has appointed Susie Winders as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary.

Winders, who joined the Company more than 13 years ago, served most recently as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel for RE/MAX, LLC, managing the Legal department's litigation teams and overseeing aspects of the compliance program. In her new role, Winders will work collaboratively with leadership to support the Company's growth initiatives and lead the Legal and Contracts departments, which oversee corporate governance and compliance, trademark and advertising, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, contracts and licensing, litigation, privacy and employment matters. She is the first woman to hold the position.

"Susie is a highly accomplished attorney whose leadership, expertise and contributions have had a sizable, positive impact on the Company," said Steve Joyce, RE/MAX Holdings Chief Executive Officer. "Her experience both at RE/MAX and in her previous positions make her highly qualified for this new role. She is the right person to drive the Company's legal and compliance functions as we dive into exciting new strategic initiatives."

Prior to joining RE/MAX in 2009, Winders served as an attorney with Sherman and Howard. Before that, she was an Associate at the international law firm Jones Day. She has also earned a Certified Information Privacy Professional designation. Winders attended Northwestern University in Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and her Juris Doctorate, graduating magna cum laude. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Denver-based non-profit, Anchor Center for Blind Children  a nationally recognized, private nonprofit agency providing early education and intervention services for children birth to five years old who are blind or visually impaired.

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About RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.

RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RMAX) is one of the world's leading franchisors in the real estate industry, franchising real estate brokerages globally under the RE/MAX brand, and mortgage brokerages within the U.S. under the Motto Mortgage brand. 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. Now with more than 140,000 agents in almost 9,000 offices and a presence in more than 110 countries and territories, nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by total residential transaction sides. Dedicated to innovation and change in the real estate industry, RE/MAX launched Motto Franchising, LLC, a ground-breaking mortgage brokerage franchisor, in 2016. Motto Mortgage has grown to over 200 offices across almost 40 states.

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Former President Trump asked his then-White House chief of staff John Kelly why he couldnt be like the German generals loyal to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, according to an upcoming book.

In an excerpt from The Divider: Trump in The White House, by New York Times writer Peter Baker and The New Yorkers Susan Glasser, the authors depict the former president glorifying Nazi generals loyalty and lamenting that his own military didnt match that obedience.

You fing generals, why cant you be like the German generals? Trump asked Kelly, according to the books authors. When Kelly countered that Nazi generals had tried to kill their leader, the former president insisted that they had been unflaggingly loyal.

The excerpt, published in The New Yorker, follows former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley as he assumes the position against caution from Kelly and former Defense Secretary James Mattis.

The authors reveal a resignation letter that Milley wrote in June 2020 upon realizing Trump was doing great and irreparable harm to the U.S. and politicizing the military, following the now-infamous photo op of Trump and his advisers in Lafayette Square, shortly after Black Lives Matter protesters had been tear-gassed in order to clear the area.

Milley never sent the letter, but reportedly decided instead to fight the former president from the inside.

According to the new excerpt, the former chairman feared that Trumps Hitler-like embrace of his own lies about the election would lead him to seek a Reichstag moment,  referring to Hitlers 1933 power grab, wherein he capitalized on a fire in the parliament building to stoke fears and seize control of the country.

Milley reportedly worried that Trump would intentionally cause a conflict  at home or abroad  to justify preventing the transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election.

In the draft resignation letter shared in the excerpt, Milley wrote that Trump was undoing the work of those who fought in the world wars.

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And lastly it is my deeply held belief that youre ruining the international order, and causing significant damage to our country overseas  That generation, like every generation, has fought against that, has fought against fascism, has fought against Nazism, has fought against extremism, Milley allegedly wrote to Trump.

Its now obvious to me that you dont understand that world order. You dont understand what the war was all about. In fact, you subscribe to many of the principles that we fought against.

The Divider: Trump in The White House is slated for publication in September.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.


Masjid Khaja Mahmood in Hyderabad was demolished amid heavy police presence. After protests by residents and Muslim leaders, the the mosque will be constructed at the same site.

Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net

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New Delhi  Masjid Khaja Mahmood demolished by the municipal authorities at Shamsabad in Hyderabad on August 2 has stoked a major controversy, with one Muslim leader claiming that it was the sixth mosque demolished in the state in the last six years.

Masjid Khaja Mahmood was demolished amid heavy police presence. Soon after the demolition, the local Muslim residents and leaders held a strong protest and demanded that the mosque be constructed at the same site.

According to Majilis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader Amjedullah Khan, who reached the spot soon after learning about the demolition, a court case was underway after a local resident filed a petition in the local court contesting the legality of the mosque. Sir, may I know the reasons for the demolition of Masjid-e-Khaja Mahmood in Green Avenue Colony by @mcshamshabad in which five times prayers were being performed daily since last two years, Khan later tweeted tagging the Ranga Reddy district collector and Shamshabad municipality.

Khan said that the TRS government headed by KCR has been following in the footsteps of the BJPs Yogi government. He alleged since the TRS party came to power in 2014, six Masjids were demolished in Telangana.

Masjid-e-Khaja-Mehmood was constructed three years ago after the residents purchased 15 acres of land and got due permission from the Shamshad Gram Panchayat. However, a resident, whose house is beside the mosque, complained to the Shamshad Municipal authorities about the construction of the mosque.

The residents told TwoCircles.net that the case was still in court and the municipal authorities, by demolishing the Masjid had hurt the religious sentiments.

Khalida Parveen, a social activist told TwoCircles.net that the municipal authorities came in the dead of the night around 3 a.m, bolted other neighborhoods, and demolished the mosque. In the morning the residents were shocked to see the mosque razed to the ground.

She said that on the next morning many people assembled outside the premises of the demolished mosque and held a massive protest demonstration against the authorities. She said the residents were demanding that the mosque be reconstructed at the same place.

On Friday, Kausar Mohiuddin, a member of the Telengana Assembly, along with leaders of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) accompanied by locals offered Friday prayers at the site of the mosque.

Prior to the congregational prayers, leaders of the Congress, Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), Tehreek Muslimeem Shabban, and other groups were unofficially kept under house arrest by the Hyderabad police.

After the prayers, Mohiuddin addressed the faithful and said that the government allowed the reconstruction of the mosque. He claimed that AIMIM President and Member Parliament from Hyderabad, Assaduddin Owaisi had written a representation to the state government after which the government permitted the reconstruction of the mosque.

AIMIMs local leaders also staged a sit-in at the municipal office. They demanded action against the officials responsible for the demolition and immediate reconstruction of the mosque.

Police arrested the protesters who were led by AIMIM in charge of Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency, Mirza Rahmath Baig.

Police took 11 people into preventive custody, reports said. They were later released.

Committee to oversee legality of the case

Following strong protests by the local residents, the Municipal Administration department formed a three-member committee that visited the site of the mosque. After the visit of the committee members, Mohiuddin said the government will not create hurdles in the reconstruction of the mosque.

During the committees visit to the site, the management of the mosque handed over all documents relating to the approval for the construction of the mosque to the officials.

Khan also questioned the silence of Muslim organizations and politicians on the issue.

Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He covers politics and human rights. He tweets at @MohammadRaafi
U.S. judge weighs Ben & Jerry's claims against owner over Israeli business FILE PHOTO: A Ben & Jerry's ice-cream delivery truck is seen at their factory in Be'er Tuvia, Israel

By Jessica DiNapoli and Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Monday appeared skeptical that Ben & Jerry's deserved an immediate injunction against its parent Unilever Plc to restrict the marketing of its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which Ben & Jerry's said was against its values.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter said at a court hearing in Manhattan that he was unsure Ben & Jerry's had shown it faced "imminent harm" following Unilever's June 29 sale of the ice cream maker's Israeli business to local licensee Avi Zinger.

The unusual dispute shows the challenges Unilever faces as it encourages its brands, which number more than 400, to have social missions that the company says help drive sales.

Ben & Jerry's independent directors sued Unilever on July 5, nearly a year after the maker of Half Baked and Cherry Garcia faced a backlash by deciding to end sales in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories because it was "inconsistent" with its values.Although the lawsuit also sought to stop the sale altogether, Monday's hearing focused on whether Ben & Jerry's deserved a temporary injunction barring Zinger from selling new or rebranded products, using its English language trademarks.

Ben & Jerry's lawyer Shahmeer Halepota said in court that Zinger could produce new products with the "exact opposite stance," causing consumer confusion.

"Instead of Peace Pops, you could make 'Tank Pops,'" Halepota said, and shoppers would see both walking down a grocery store aisle.

The judge did not immediately rule, but told a Ben & Jerry's lawyer: "I don't hear anything saying that there is anything imminent. It doesn't seem ... anything's going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

He did not say when he would rule.

When Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000, it let the brand's board retain primary responsibility to oversee the ice cream maker's social mission. Ben & Jerry's board said the sale to Zinger undermined its right to do that. The two Unilever appointees dissented.

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"This is an American institution that for the last 40 years has built its credibility on this authenticity of social mission," Halepota said.

Unilever, in contrast, has said it retained the right to make operational decisions for Ben & Jerry's, and that the sale could not be undone because it has irrevocably closed.

"There is just no reason to believe ... that the continued sale of ice cream could cause irreparable harm," Unilever's lawyer David Marriott said.

Ben & Jerry's sales topped 1 billion euros (US $1.02 billion) for the first time last year.

Jeff Furman, who helped build the business and served on Ben & Jerry's board for about 40 years, said the company hadn't sued Unilever before, but once considered it after finding quality issues in the ice cream, which were later resolved.

"We have our fingers in - that's part of the job - to be vigilant and concerned about everything," he said.

Last week, Ben & Jerry's said Unilever had frozen compensation for the independent directors. [L1N2ZF1OZ]

Before Monday's hearing, two weeks of mediation to reach an out-of-court settlement broke down.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; editing by Grant McCool)
Nina Otero-Warren Quarter

Fourth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program

Washington, DC, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Mint (Mint) will begin shipping the fourth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program on August 15. These circulating quarters honoring Nina Otero-Warren are manufactured at the Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver. Coins featuring remaining AWQ honorees will begin shipping later this year and through 2025.

The fourth coin in our American Women Quarters Program honors Nina Otero-Warren, a courageous advocate for women, children, and Hispanic and Native American communities, said Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. This quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments by Nina Otero-Warren who overcame challenges and obstacles she faced during her lifetime.

As a leader in the suffrage movement, Otero-Warren emphasized the necessity of using the Spanish language to reach Hispanic women. She was also the first female superintendent of Santa Fe, New Mexico public schools. Her remarkable accomplishments include convincing predominantly male power brokers to support changes in favor of New Mexican women; advocating for passage of the 19th Amendment; and advocating for children by raising standards for New Mexico public schools.

The reverse (tails) design of the Nina Otero-Warren quarter depicts her on the left, flanked by three individual Yucca flowersNew Mexicos state flower. The inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, QUARTER DOLLAR, E PLURIBUS UNUM, NINA OTERO-WARREN, and VOTO PARA LA MUJER, the Spanish counterpart for the suffragist slogan Votes for Women. It was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designer Chris Costello and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Artist Craig A. Campbell.

The obverse (heads) depicts a portrait of George Washington originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser to mark George Washingtons 200th birthday. Though her work was a recommended design for the 1932 quarter, then-Treasury Secretary Mellon ultimately selected the familiar John Flanagan design. Of Fraser, Director Gibson said, I am proud that the new obverse design of George Washington is by one of the most prolific female sculptors of the early 20th century. Laura Gardin Frasers work is lauded in both numismatic and artistic circles. Ninety years after she intended for it to do so, her obverse design has fittingly taken its place on the quarter.

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Inscriptions are LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 2022. The obverse design is common to all quarters issued in the series.

Authorized by Public Law 116-330, the American Women Quarters Program features coins with reverse (tails) designs emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of American women. Begun in 2022 and continuing through 2025, the Mint is issuing five quarters in each of these years. The ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse group of individuals honored through this program reflects a wide range of accomplishments and fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The fifth and final honoree in 2022 is Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, who achieved international success despite racism and discrimination.



This quarter dollar design composes a portrait of Nina Otero-Warren, a powerful inscription, and a cluster of Yucca blossoms, the State flower of New Mexico, said AIP Designer Chris Costello. It recognizes Otero-Warrens influence as a New Mexico politician, educator, and womens suffragist in support of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The inscription VOTO PARA LA MUJER (Votes for Women) is a nod to Warrens belief that the use of Spanish was critical in the New Mexico suffrage movement. The Art Deco typography reflects Americas progressive mood during the early 20th century. The portrait conveys Otero-Warrens quiet confidence, patience, and determination while advancing her human rights agenda as a Spanish American woman in spite of the prevailing barriers confronting women in America. The design immortalizes a very courageous woman and is meant to inspire and inform all Americans of her impact on the Nation.

Please consult with your local banks regarding availability of AWQ Program quarters honoring Nina Otero-Warren in late August and early September.

View images of the Nina Otero-Warren quarter here.

Numismatic Products

We invite you to learn more and enroll in the American Women Quarters Program today. Limited quantities will be produced, so sign up to ensure you receive a complete collection of American Women Quarters Program numismatic products.

About the United States Mint

Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nations sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Visit https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/american-women-quarters for information about the American Women Quarters Program.

Visit https://www.usmint.gov/about for information about the United States Mint.

Visit and subscribe to the United States Mints YouTube channel to view videos about the United States Mint.

Subscribe to United States Mint electronic product notifications, news releases, public statements, and the monthly educational newsletter, Lessons That Make Cents .

Sign up for RSS Feeds from the United States Mint and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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United States Mint  Connecting America through Coins

Attachment

CONTACT: Office of Corporate Communications United States Mint inquiries@usmint.treas.gov




NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The " Dark Fiber Market in Malaysia by Type and Service - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 " report by Technavio expects the market size to grow by USD 105.46 million between 2020 and 2025. The market observed a YOY growth of 5.97% in 2021 and the growth momentum is expected to accelerate at a CAGR of 10.85% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of recent developments, new product launches, major revenue-generating segments, and market behavior across geographies. Download Sample PDF Report Here

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Dark Fiber Market in Malaysia by Type and Service - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

The market is concentrated and highly competitive. There are a limited number of vendors that provide dark fiber services in Malaysia. The market is in the nascent stage and will grow rapidly during the forecast period. As there are significant growth opportunities in this market, the competition is expected to intensify along with technological innovations, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions. Partnerships and acquisition strategies allow companies to achieve economies of scale and expand to different geographic regions.

Technavio identifies AT and T Inc., Colt Technology Services Group Ltd., Fiberail Sdn Bhd, MSA Resources Sdn Bhd, SEAX GLOBAL PTE. Ltd., Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, TIME dotCom Bhd, and Touch Group Holdings Sdn Bhd as dominant players in the market. Although the increasing data traffic, increase in data center investments in Malaysia, and the growing preference for colocation data centers will offer immense growth opportunities, the high initial and leasing investments, issues related to optical fiber deployment and accidental breakage, and the risks associated with IRU contracts will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Request Sample PDF Report Here

The dark fiber market in Malaysia is segmented as below:

Type

The multi-mode segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2021. The increasing adoption of fiber to the premises (FTTP) and fiber to the cabin (FTTC) is driving the growth of the segment.

Service

By service, the long-haul services segment generated the maximum revenue in 2021. The segment is driven by the advantages of using long-haul services such as higher bandwidth, compact size, and lightweight. The market growth in the segment will be significant during the forecast period.

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our dark fiber market in Malaysia report covers the following areas:

Dark Fiber Market in Malaysia 2021-2025: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the dark fiber market in Malaysia. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the dark fiber market in Malaysia are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Dark Fiber Market in Malaysia 2021-2025: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025

Detailed information on factors that will assist dark fiber market growth in Malaysia during the next five years

Estimation of the dark fiber market size in Malaysia and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the dark fiber market in Malaysia

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of dark fiber market vendors in Malaysia

Related Reports:

Dark Fiber Market in Malaysia: Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 10.85% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 105.46 million Market structure Concentrated YoY growth (%) 5.97 Performing market contribution Malaysia at 100% Key consumer countries Malaysia Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AT and T Inc., Colt Technology Services Group Ltd., Fiberail Sdn Bhd, MSA Resources Sdn Bhd, SEAX GLOBAL PTE. Ltd., Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, TIME dotCom Bhd, and Touch Group Holdings Sdn Bhd Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

2.2 Value chain analysis

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2020

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

5 Market Segmentation by Type

5.1 Market segments

5.2 Comparison by Type

5.3 Multi-mode - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

5.4 Single-mode - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

5.5 Market opportunity by Type

6 Market Segmentation by Service

6.1 Market segments

6.2 Comparison by Service

6.3 Long-haul services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

6.4 Short-haul services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

6.5 Colocation facilities services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

6.6 Market opportunity by Service

7 Customer landscape

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Vendor landscape

9.2 Landscape disruption

9.3 Competitive Landscape

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

10.3 AT and T Inc.

10.4 Colt Technology Services Group Ltd.

10.5 Fiberail Sdn Bhd

10.6 MSA Resources Sdn Bhd

10.7 SEAX GLOBAL PTE. Ltd.

10.8 Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd

10.9 Telekom Malaysia Berhad

10.10 TIME dotCom Bhd

10.11 Touch Group Holdings Sdn Bhd

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

11.3 Research methodology

11.4 List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio)

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SOURCE Technavio
BEIJING, Aug. 7, 2022 /CNW/ -- The 2022 Taihu Bay Future Healthcare Conference held Thursday in Wuxi City in east China's Jiangsu Province witnessed the launch of Wuxi Intellectual Property Protection Center with 52 biomedical projects contracted, involving a total of more than 30 billion yuan investment.

Photo shows 2022 Taihu Bay Future Healthcare Conference site

Biomedical industry is an important part of Wuxi's modern industrial system construction during the 14th Five-Year Plan(2021-2025) period. Its scale topped 140 billion yuan in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent, making Wuxi among the top 20 prefecture-level cities listed in China Biomedical Industry Barometer in 2021.

Besides the property protection center, six biomedical industrial parks were licensed and three biomedical public platforms were inaugurated at the conference, which are expected to inject impetus to the development of Wuxi's biomedical industry.

The city will strengthen and expand its industrial chain to build a 200-billion-yuan modern biomedical industrial cluster, said Du Xiaogang, Secretary of the Wuxi Municipal Party Committee of CPC.

The biomedical industry started early in Wuxi. With good foundation, it has developed a relatively comp industry chain covering chemical raw medicine production, preparation production, and pharmaceutical service outsourcing, and gathered 1,278 biomedical companies such as AstraZeneca and WuXi Biologics AppTech, showing strong clustering effect.

Aiming at building a world-class biomedical industry highland with distinctive characteristics, Wuxi not only issued a special policy tailored for the development of biomedical industrial parks, but also established a special fund for modern biomedical industry to reward breakthrough in the forward-looking technologies and innovation research. In 2021, Wuxi funded more than 32 million yuan for the science and technology development of 43 biomedical projects.

Multiple fund agreements were signed at the conference, including a biomedical fund of 5 billion yuan jointly established by Guolian Group, AstraZeneca, and China International Capital Corporation Limited.

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Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/329376.html

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SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road

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The Stafford Education Association is requesting that the school division make restitution payments to staff following Fridays convocation event, during which 80 individuals required medical treatment due to soaring temperatures.

The association released a statement from its executive board on its Twitter page Monday afternoon, requesting that the division pay $200 in restitution to all full-time employees and $100 to all part-time employees by Dec. 1.

The SEA is also requesting that leave be forgiven for employees who did not attend the convocation and those who must take time off due to continuing adverse health issues, and that medically fragile employees be given the ability to opt out of similar events without having to use leave.

In addition, the association is asking for a thorough explanation of what the plans [for the event] were, what factors influenced the failure of these plans, and what will be done to prevent recurrence.

The 2022 convocation event was held Friday at Virginia Credit Union Stadium beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Approximately 4,300 staff members gathered for the event, according to a statement released by the school division Friday afternoon.

The event included performances by bands from all five county high schools and a combined JROTC color guard, followed by a professional development address by speaker and former employee Hamish Brewer.

However, a call was made to stop the program immediately once temperatures began to rise to unmanageable levels at 11 a.m., according to the schools statement.

Eight attendees were transferred to local hospitals to be treated for heat-related illness and there were 80 more medical contacts, according to the statement.

None of the students present required medical attention.

The division said it made accommodations for staff members with medical and heat fragilities and provided 12,000 bottles of water.

As temperatures rose, additional water was purchased and brought to the stadium, school officials said.

The division said the goal of the convocation was to launch the new five-year strategic plan, Elevate Stafford. The event also collected donations for the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, amounting to 1,401 meals for families in the community, according to the statement.

The SEA said that while it heartily recognize[s] the positive intent of the Convocation event, Fridays events are some of the most unfortunate we have experienced as an association.

Though staff expressed concerns regarding the predicted high temperatures, these concerns were dismissed, the SEAs statement continued. As a result, the health and safety of over 4,000 Stafford educators was jeopardized. Many staff suffered heat related illnesses, and many incurred medical, food, and/or transportation expenses.
Tanya Ison was in tears after learning that an elderly man with a severe leg wound had to sit outside a clinic for seven hours, waiting for a ride.

The man has Medicaid, which has a benefit designed to provide himand almost 4,000 elderly recipients in the Fredericksburg areawith transportation to and from medical appointments for issues such as wound care, cancer treatment or dialysis. The man had been told by the transportation company that arranged his ride that the driver was on the way to get him, Ison said.

So, he went outside in the heat and waited. And waited.

He saw other vans picking up clients and eventually called Angel Rides, Isons company. She contacted the Medicaid brokerthe company that arranges rides between Medicaid recipients and transportation providersand got permission to do the second leg of the trip. The Angel Rides dispatcher dropped what she was doing to get him.

By the time we got there, it was pointless for him to have gone to wound care because his wound was leaking, probably as a result of being in the heat, she said. It was absolutely ridiculous.

Ison, who has owned Angel Rides with her husband Stewart since 2018, was so distraught by hearing yet another story about an elderly person waiting hours for a ride, she vented on Facebook, then contacted the newspaper.

She believes there should be a higher standard of care in her industry and stricter fines for companies that leave clients waiting at a doctors officeor dont pick them at all from their homes or long-term care facilities.

This is not a package youre delivering to the airport, these are people, she said. This could be your mom, your dad.

Robin Williams, the transportation coordinator at Fredericksburg Health and Rehab, has made several formal complaints about the tardiness of transportation providers. Shes also taken matters into her own hands after two companies repeatedly brought back clients well into the eveninghours after appointments ended.

I dont allow them to come to the building anymore, she said, adding that while there are companies that provide exceptional service, others seems to have a different motivation. Its all about the money for some of them. They have no regard for the elderly.

PERFECT STORM?

Medicaid uses state and federal funds to cover health care costs for low-income people. Virginia expanded its Medicaid program in 2019 to another 500,000 eligible adults, according to the Department of Medical Assistance Services, or DMAS.

Of more than 2 million Virginians enrolled in Medicaid as of this month, 85,343 people are seniors who may qualify for transportation benefits. The benefits also are available to disabled people of any age.

The transportation problems may have worsened since the expansion put more people on the books and the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the workforce, creating what Kevin Dillard describes as the perfect storm. Hes the president of LifeCare Medical Transports, which handles patients in stretchers who need more serious care, not those in wheelchairs going to medical appointments.

But LifeCare has been contacted in a pinch by Medicaid brokers when someone was stranded because a transportation provider didnt finish the job. Dillard tends to think its more of a communication problem, that dispatchers arent notified a patient is ready or information isnt passed along to drivers.

Of course, everybody is working to prevent something like that, Dillard said. The last thing we would want is have an elderly person sit and wait at a doctors appointment or dialysis. Theyre frail and they need to get back.

Some of the providers who work with DMAS to provide transportation have indicated they do at times face challenges finding applicants to fulfill staffing needs, Christina Nuckols, DMAS spokesperson, stated in an email. She said her department recently has used varied options, such as taxis or other transportation networks, to fill the needs. Brokers who work with transportation companies also move providers between region to ensure network coverage, she said.

Nuckols also said DMAS takes service complaints seriously and performs a thorough investigation in each case. Providers have an hour to pick up clients after patients notify their insurance that theyre ready, Ison said, and those who miss that deadline can be fined $100.

Maybe first time, its $100, then maybe it should be $500, then maybe $1,000, Ison suggested. Maybe if theres a harsher punishment, people will stop doing it.

HAPPENING FOR YEARS

Pat Holland, director of Healthy Generations Area Agency on Aging, said the lack of timeliness isnt a new issue. Its been happening to Medicaid recipients for years.

Its something that needs to be looked at, absolutely, Holland said. But its been going on so long that people have put it in their rearview mirror. None of us knows what to do.

Healthy Generations has vans to take people to medical appointments, grocery stores and even social outings. But the agency also gets federal funding, and Holland said it would be double-dipping of sorts if Healthy Generations transported Medicaid patients who already have federal benefits to cover their rides.

Plus, she said there are plenty of low-income seniors in need of assistance who dont qualify for Medicaid.

If we take that person on one of our trips, then that takes the spot of somebody who has no other way of getting there, Holland said.

Ison at Angel Rides suspects that some transportation companies are overbooking to compensate for the low reimbursements from Medicaid.

It is pretty piddly, she said.

Medicaid programs are implemented by different insurance providers and some in the Fredericksburg area may pay as little as $32 for a trip to and from the doctors office, Ison said. Thats compared to the $75 her company charges, within Fredericksburg, to people who pay out of pocket.

Individuals make up about 40% of Angel Rides business, Ison said. Shes learned to negotiate with Medicaid brokers on reimbursement, given the astronomical expenses a company like hers faces. She pays $8,000 to $12,000 a year for automobile insurance on each of the 12 vehicles, plus labor costs of about $15 an hour and gas, which has averaged more than $4 a gallon recently.

THATS PRETTY BAD

Joseph Moore of Kingdom First Transportation in Stafford County shares Isons mindset that customers, especially elderly people who have worked hard all their lives, deserve better.

His wife works at an area long-term facility and has seen for herself the way patients who leave the home for appointments end up being stuck for two or three hours, waiting on a driver. Sometimes, shes repeatedly called the Medicaid brokers to get the person picked up, and when no transport arrives, she contacts her husband.

Even though hes not paid for the trip, Moore said he and his wife cant stand for older patients to be treated that way.

Veronica and Kenneth Witherspoon, who own Bright Day Transit Services in Stafford, also have heard horror stories, he said. One that stands out pertains to an elderly woman from New Jersey who clearly was a tough cookie, not prone to being emotional, she said.

The woman had been left at a dialysis treatment center so long, the place had closed and nurses were getting ready to fold up her wheelchair and drive her home. The elderly woman was sitting there in tears, Veronica Witherspoon said, and later told others that her rear-end hurt from being in the wheelchair so long.

As if that wasnt bad enough, the woman had to wait, again, while the van picked up someone else and then stopped for gas.

It took forever to get back to the nursing home, Veronica Witherspoon said, and by then, she was exhausted and upset and tired. Thats pretty bad.
Police in Iran have arrested an Afghan national suspected of stabbing 10 people to death following a dispute over land, domestic media reported on August 8.

Rahman Jalali, deputy governor of Iran's southeastern Kerman Province, told state media that the unidentified man was arrested on suspicion of killing six Afghans and four Iranians in Rafsanjan on August 7 over personal differences.

Jalali said eight people were wounded in the attack.

The state broadcaster said the suspect was reportedly "mentally unstable."

Some reports suggested that the man had attempted to commit suicide before his arrest.

Iran has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades.

With reporting by AP and IRNA
Three Pakistani soldiers have been killed and seven people injured in an explosion in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district.

A military officer told Radio Mashaal on condition of anonymity that a military convoy was heading to Bannu city from Miran Shah, headquarters of North Waziristan, when it was hit by a blast in the Patasi Ada area.

The injured included three soldiers and four civilians who were traveling in the convoy in the district bordering Afghanistan. It is still not clear whether the blast was a suicide attack or a roadside bomb, and no group has claimed responsibility.

The blast struck the military convoy just hours after three top commanders of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group also known as the Pakistani Taliban, were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside land mine in Afghanistan.

The incidents come as Pakistani authorities are in contact with the TTP's leadership to discuss a peace agreement. A truce has been in place between the TTP and the Pakistani military for the past two months.
Three people are confirmed dead, including an El Paso County sheriff's deputy, after a shooting Sunday in Security-Widefield, Colorado Springs police announced Monday.

Andrew Peery, a SWAT officer with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, was killed after responding to a shooting. Peery is survived by his wife and two children.

On Sunday just after 5 p.m., a 911 call was transferred from Fort Carson to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Communications Center. The caller reported a shooting in the 500 block of Ponderosa Drive.

Two deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and one Fountain police officer responded and were fired upon as they arrived. The alleged shooter, identified as 33-year-old John Paz, struck Deputy Peery, seriously wounding him.

"One of the EPSO deputies, 39-year-old Andrew Peery, was struck and gravely injured," police said in a news release Monday. "Deputies were able to return fire and, once additional personnel arrived, they immediately began lifesaving measures on Deputy Peery."

Despite these efforts, police say Peery died of his injuries.

While at the scene, deputies and officers located a deceased adult female in the front yard of a residence in the 500 block of Ponderosa Drive. After obtaining and executing a search warrant, CSPD's Tactical Enforcement Unit found Paz dead inside as the result of a reported self-inflicted gunshot wound, Colorado Springs police said.

The Air Force Academy confirmed Monday that Paz was currently employed at the 94th Flying Training Squadron at the academy's airfield.

Dean Miller, academy spokesman, said the suspect had worked as a squadron aviation resource management technician since Dec. 5.

The El Paso County Coroner's Office will determine the official cause of death for all three people. Peery and the adult female's deaths are being investigated as homicides committed by Paz.

"The EPSO deputy identified as having fired their weapon has been placed on administrative leave per their department policies," police said. "No Fountain Police Department or CSPD officers fired a weapon during this incident."

"He was a kind soul," Scott Stone, a friend of Peery's, told Gazette news partner KKTV. "He was a mans man, he made sure that we were  that the guys on his team were always taken care of. He would have given the shirt off his back to his fellow officers."

Stone, a former El Paso County deputy who was injured in the line of duty during a 2018 shooting that claimed the life of Deputy Micah Flick, spoke of what this loss meant to their law enforcement family.

"Its one of the worst feelings in the pit of your stomach," he said to KKTV. "Its a gut-wrenching thing. You feel for his family, you feel for his kids. Its going to be a long healing process."

Fellow officers lined the streets Sunday night to show their respects during a procession from the hospital.

"My thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of Deputy Peery and all our neighbors in law enforcement who put their lives at risk to serve others," said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in a statement released after the news broke.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez released a statement.

"Finding the right words to describe the tragedy that took place yesterday is impossible," he said. "To families grieving the loss of a loved one this morning, please accept my heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Colorado Springs Police Department."

Vasquez said many of the people involved in this case, from the residents who called for help to the first responders on the scene, were left "incredibly shaken."

Representative Doug Lamborn also joined in, saying "we will always stand with the #ThinBlueLine" on Twitter.

"With a heavy heart, I join all of (Colorado) in mourning (El Paso County Sheriff's deputy) Andrew Peery's tragic death," Lamborn said on Twitter. "The six-year veteran made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty."

Lamborn asked people to join in prayer for Peery's family, law enforcement officers and their families.

Services for Peery have not been announced.

The Colorado Springs Police Department will be the lead investigative agency. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call CSPD at 719-444-7000. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 719-634-7867 or 800-222-8477.
Colorados state court administrator  the highest civilian position in the Judicial Department  last year falsely claimed judicial discipline officials failed to reveal they had admonished a district court judge of misbehavior before the judge was admitted to a senior judge program, the states discipline commission said in a letter filed Monday with legislators.
Andrew Peery, a decorated SWAT operator and deputy at the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, was killed Sunday evening while responding to a shooting in Security-Widefield.
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Police lights flashed with lightning, and sirens wailed as thunder rumbled. While no tears were visibly shed by officers located at Memorial Hospital, the rain falling more than set the mood.

Andrew Peery, a decorated SWAT operator and deputy at the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, was killed Sunday evening while responding to a shooting in Security-Widefield.

Peery was one of several officers called to respond to the shooting, which happened in the 500 block of Ponderosa Drive.

"Two of our deputies, alongside a Fountain police officer arrived on scene almost simultaneously," Sheriff Bill Elder said at a press conference Sunday night. "As soon as they arrived, they were immediately met with gunfire."

The shooting caused a shelter in place near Widefield High School just before 6 p.m.

Despite life-saving efforts rendered by deputies that arrived on scene, Deputy Peery was killed in the gunfire. He is survived by his wife and two children.

"Andrew was a highly decorated SWAT operator for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office," Elder said.

Peery was with the sheriff's office since 2016, Elder said.

A procession took place just before 9 p.m. from UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central to Nevada Avenue, then to the sheriff's office on Vermijo Avenue. The sheriff's office asked residents to line up on the street and hold up flags for the fallen deputy's family.

My thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of Deputy Peery and all our neighbors in law enforcement who put their lives at risk to serve others, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said.

Authorities were looking for John Paz in connection to the shooting. Gazette news partner KKTV reported early Monday morning that Paz was found dead, although authorities had not said how he died.

Those who may have known of Paz's whereabouts were asked to call 911 or the Sheriff's Office dispatch center at 390-5555.

The Colorado Springs Police Department became the lead investigative agency for the shooting. It declared the scene secure just after 10:30 p.m. and said there was no further threat to the public.

This is a developing story and will be updated with more information.
FILE PHOTO: Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare attends a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 9, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Representations of virtual currency bitcoin are seen through broken glass in this illustration taken, June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi's flight to Taiwan on a US Government owned Boeing 737-700, call-sign SPAR 19, was the most tracked flight in history.

Most of the population my age and older do not realize or can even fathom that any aircraft in the world, at any moment, whether on the ground or in the air, can be tracked on a radar screen seen on a Smartphone through GPS in real time.

There are literally dozens of APPS for tracking flights and ships and trains and even our cars,(so-called "applications" for us dust bunny brained elderly folk), and all told, nearly 20 million people, apparently with too much time on their hands, watched the progress of the Speaker's flight.

What I found to be interesting and also quite morbid and gruesome and abhorrent, was that a good chunk of the 20 million followers tracking that flight, were also tracking the Las Vegas betting odds with regard to whether China was going to allow that plane to actually land, or would they blow it and her and any prospect of the continuation of life on Earth, out of the sky.

In fact the betting odds spiked wildly after a Chinese Communist Party official with ties to China's Peoples' Liberation Army, tweeted (apologies to my parents who think I have lost it and am talking now about birds) that if Pelosi's plane had a military escort, it would be a fair-game military target.

Politics and ideology aside, let's throw the Left-Side "Company Line" and any Right-Side targeted responses currently proliferating the "Talking-Head" performance and rendition of the Pelosi Show into the ditch and take a look, a very close look, at a world where we, by our own choices, do business with enemies of democracy and freedom every single day.

Since I started this whole thing by talking about tracking the Speaker's flight to Taiwan, let's talk some about the aircraft itself.

Boeing Aircraft Corporation relies, no, absolutely survives on selling aircraft to China. Twenty-five percent of annual Boeing sales revenues come from China, not to mention upgrades and repair parts necessary to keep the existing China Boeing fleet in the air.

Those revenues have not existed since 2019. Why?

As Nancy Pelosi was landing in that US Government owned Boeing 737-700 jetliner in Taiwan, simultaneously, Boeing stock was registering a 4-percent drop, and issuing a press release stating, " 737 MAX deliveries to China remain blocked by COVID-19 and a geopolitical overhang of simmering trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies."

So, I guess that even aviation behemoth Boeing does not seem to be able to come up with a public reason for financial difficulties other than the worn-out excuses of COVID and trade tensions with China.

Correspondent and analogous financial challenges as seen throughout the US and global economies are fueled, quickened and catalyzed not by COVID or intra ideologic combat that weaponizes trade.

It is, however created and nurtured by the obtuse and witless absence of consistent leadership, not only in the United States, but throughout the governments of the globe.

There are 2 billion spectators, the combined everyday peoples of the United States and those of China hanging on the outcome of a duel between our government and theirs.

There are another 6 Billion souls checking with the Las Vegas bookmakers to see which way to bet.

As I sit here and think of my grandkids, and yours, I am haunted by my first thoughts and visions when I read of the accounts of saber-rattling and outright threats being served and volleyed between the US and China, lobbed up by the Speaker's Taiwan Visit;

First; Joe Biden in the Oval Office asking, "Who told her she could go!?!"

Second, Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, on the phone with his bookie, "NO! I said I want $100 Million, with the odds, on Xi Jinping ordering her shot down, AND with one of Putin's MIGS"

God Help Us All ..
Re: Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, the gypsy moth was us [ #permalink

Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, the gypsy moth was used by a French scientist in an attempt at developing a strong strain of silk-producing insects, crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.

attempt at

WRONG:- "Attempt at" is not as idiomatic as "Attempt to"



Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, a French scientist

WRONG:- Incorrect Placement of modifier make it seem that "A French scientist was imported"



gypsy moths

gypsy moth

attempt at

importing

Attempt at

Importing

sivasanjeev wrote:

Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, the gypsy moth was used by a French scientist in an attempt at developing a strong strain of silk-producing insects, crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.



A. Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, the gypsy moth was used by a French scientist in an attempt at developing a strong strain of silk-producing insects, crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.

B. Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, a French scientist was attempting to develop a strong strain of silk-producing insects by crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.

C. To cross gypsy moths with adult silkworms, in attempting the development of a strong strain of silk-producing insects, a French scientist in 1869 imported the gypsy moth into Massachusetts from Europe.

D. The gypsy moth was imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869 by a French scientist attempting to develop a strong strain of silk-producing insects by crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.

E. In an attempt at the development of a strong strain of silk-producing insects, a French scientist, importing the gypsy moth from Europe into Massachusetts in 1869 in order to cross gypsy moths and adult silkworms.

Posting an answer without an explanation is "GOD COMPLEX". The world doesn't need any more gods. Please explain you answers properly .

FINAL GOODBYE :- 17th SEPTEMBER 2016. .. 16 March 2017 - I am back but for all purposes please consider me semi-retired. Signature Read More

A. Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, the gypsy moth was used by a French scientist in andeveloping a strong strain of silk-producing insects, crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.B.was attempting to develop a strong strain of silk-producing insects by crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.C. To crosswith adult silkworms, in attempting the development of a strong strain of silk-producing insects, a French scientist in 1869 imported theinto Massachusetts from Europe.WRONG:- Awkward and wordy with repetition of "gypsy moth". "in attempting" is not elegant.D. The gypsy moth was imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869 by a French scientist attempting to develop a strong strain of silk-producing insects by crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.CORRECT:- Perfect. Correct modifiers. correct meaning and composition.E. In anthe development of a strong strain of silk-producing insects, a French scientist,the gypsy moth from Europe into Massachusetts in 1869 in order to cross gypsy moths and adult silkworms.[/quote]WRONG:- "" is a awkward/wrong modifier "Attempt to" is better. "" is the wrong tense._________________
Principal Lesa Shelton couldnt wait for students to begin pouring into Woodberry Hills Elementary School on Monday morning.

It was the first day of school and almost time for students to once again enter classrooms across Danville.

At 7:40, were going to open those doors, Shelton said just a few minutes before it was time to let the kids in. That is when the real excitement will begin.

In front of the school off Aududon Drive, cars ferrying children lined up in the schools parking lot waiting for the doors to open. Once students were allowed to enter the building, school officials welcomed them back with high-fives and enthusiastic greetings.

School buses pulled up at the side of the school building in a separate parking lot, dropping off students who then entered the halls through a side door.

Danville police officers also greeted students at Woodberry and other city schools as part of a Back 2 Back initiative. The partnership with Danville Public Schools is to show students that police officers have their back during the school year.

Officers handed out pens, stickers and notebooks to any student who wanted one.

We plan to continue to build relationships with our students throughout the remainder of the school year and summer, said Jennifer Bowles, spokesperson for the Danville Police Department.

A rebranding of the Youth Community Engagement Units partnership with city schools, the Back 2 Back initiative will also include a fashion show, meeting students for lunch conversation, and more, Bowles said.

For the first year since the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools 389 students, 21 teachers and additional support staff and the rest of schools are not required to wear masks, Shelton pointed out.

Masks are optional, she said, adding that it will be nice to see childrens smiles once again.

Were glad were at a point where we dont have to have them [masks], she added.

There are more than 5,700 students enrolled in the school system.

Shelton said she anticipates a much better academic year in 2022-23.

There are teacher vacancies in the school district and in school systems across the nation, but all positions at Woodberry are filled, Shelton said.

There are currently eight teacher vacancies in Danville Public Schools, said district spokesperson Lanie Davis.

Those vacancies are being filled by direct office staff, Davis said.

But the most important goal at Woodberry is to make sure the children feel welcome and emotionally safe and secure, she said.

After all students had entered the building and the parking lots were cleared of school buses and parents waiting vehicles, Shelton said there were very few hiccups.

Shelton said she will meet with officials and staff to review how the first day of school went and to address any issues.
GREENSBORO  A young local gospel artist and two other musicians have joined the list of performers for the N.C. Folk Festival.

Caleb Serrano will perform at the free, outdoor multicultural festival, to be held Sept. 9 to 11 in center city.

Caleb, Colombian musician Kiko Villamizar and Venezuelan harpist Larry Bellorin were the three artists announced Monday in a festival news release.

Each of these performers share elements of their cultural or faith-based identities through music, and exemplify the kinds of diverse creative expressions and traditions we seek to honor and celebrate each year on our stages, Amy Grossmann, festival president and chief executive officer, said in the news release.

The three join 17 other musical and dance performers previously announced for the festival, a three-day event featuring groups representing a diverse array of cultural traditions from around the world on multiple stages.

Festivalgoers will find continuous music and dance performances, regional and ethnic foods, crafts, a makers marketplace and festival merchandise.

Caleb, now 10, began his gospel career began when a video of him singing at a church event went viral on social media.

He has made numerous appearances on several television shows and networks, including Steve Harveys Little Big Shots, the Harry Connick Jr. show Harry and the TCT Networks The 700 Club.

He has shared the stage and toured with some of todays greatest gospel stars and legends including Kirk Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Travis Greene, Pastor John P. Kee and Tamela Mann.

Villamizar was born in Miami to Colombian parents and spent his childhood between his hometown and a small coffee farm owned by family members on the outskirts of Medellin, Colombia.

As a young adult he studied jazz and traveled as a street performer across the United States before settling permanently in Austin, Texas. He immersed himself in performing and promoting traditional Colombian music with special focus on the Afro-Caribbean roots of cumbia  a rhythmic music and dance with roots in Colombia.

Today, Villamizar is an educator and performer who has dedicated his life to promoting traditional Colombian music blended with contemporary sounds.

Community partner and collaborator Texas Folklife has helped the festival with the presentation of Villamizar.

Bellorin, who now lives in North Carolina, grew up in Punta de Mata in the state of Monagas, Venezuela.

His first instrument was the four-string cuatro, a guitar-like instrument with Spanish roots that is central to Venezuelan identity.

After meeting internationally acclaimed Venezuelan harpist, Urbino Ruiz, Bellorin began studying the llanera harp  an instrument and style of playing that is native to the northern part of South America.

Bellorins career accompanying musical luminaries in Venezuela was interrupted in 2012 with the civil and social unrest of his home country. He moved his family to the United States, seeking work and political asylum.

Bellorin has established his presence across North Carolina as a solo performer and through his musical partnership with renowned N.C. musician, Joe Troop of Che Apalache.

The three join these previously announced performers:

Sam Bush (bluegrass/newgrass)

Karan Casey (Irish music and song)

QWANQWA (music of Ethiopia and East Africa)

Michael Winograd & The Honorable Mentshn (Jewish klezmer)

Kaleta & Super Yamba Band (Afrobeat from West Africa)

Big Bang Boom (family pop/rock)

Jeff Little Trio (Blue Ridge piano)

Symphony Unbound featuring Dori Freeman and the Winston-Salem Symphony String Quintet (Appalachian music and song w/string quintet)

Futurebirds (indie rock)

Black Opry Revue featuring Joy Clark, Autumn Nicholas, Tae Lewis, Chris Pierce, and Aaron Vance (country)

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet (Cajun)

The Rumble (Mardi Gras Indian funk from New Orleans)

The Secret Agency (family soul and hip-hop)

Soultriii (soul, R&B)

Last week, the festival announced the top three public vote-getters in its Not Your Average Folk Contest. They will perform during the festival: Anna Vtipil of Raleigh, The Zinc Kings of Greensboro and the Travis Williams Group from Pfafftown.

To learn more about the artists, visit ncfolkfestival.com/lineup.
GREENSBORO  Police say a teenager died after a shooting Sunday and two other people were hospitalized.

Officers responded at 6:11 p.m. to the 800 block of Dillard Street, where the shooting was reported. The two surviving victims  Demiko Morgan, 22, and Chauntora McMillan, 27  were taken to Moses Cone Hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, according to a news release from the Greensboro Police Department.

An update issued by police this morning said the deceased was 17 years old and that his death is being investigated as a homicide. His name was not released.

Additional details were not available.

Authorities ask anyone with information to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Residents can also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.com to submit a web tip. All tips to Crime Stoppers are completely anonymous.
GREENSBORO  Dogs are now allowed back on interior trails at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.

On Saturday, the temporary, three-month restriction of dogs on the interior park trails was lifted, park officials announced Monday in a news release.

Dogs temporarily banned from interior trails at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Park officials say too many dogs are running off leash and too many dog owners aren't cleaning up after their pets.

Over the past three months, new trash cans have been installed along the inner trails to help visitors properly dispose of pet waste and new signage was installed to inform visitors about pet laws and rules within the park.

During the restriction park staff monitored conditions on the trails. While some tickets were issued, there was a dramatic decrease in litter in the way of pet waste bags, as well as dogs being off leash.

During the restriction, park staff were able to educate visitors on the importance of the site, how to responsibly recreate and how recreation can be compatible with the reason for the existence of the park, Aaron LaRocca, park superintendent, said in the news release.

Park managers always try to strike the balance between recreational uses and stewardship of the natural and cultural resources that are preserved in national parks, LaRocca added.

Even though the temporary restriction has been lifted, it is important to remember that all pets must always be on a 6-foot leash, and all pet waste must be properly disposed of in the provided trash cans, the park said in the release. Failing to follow these rules can result in fines.

The park will continue to use an adaptive management approach if pet waste and off leash dogs continue to negatively impact visitors and resource management.

Park rangers want to remind visitors that Guilford Courthouse National Military Park has a B.A.R.K. Ranger program where you can receive a bandana for your pet.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by the visitor center and ask the park ranger for an information card, then take your furry friend on a walk around the park following the rules of B.A.R.K.
New coronavirus cases reported to the state have reached their highest numbers since the winter, but those figures still dont reflect the level of coronavirus being found in wastewater.

UNC microbiologist Rachel Noble has been working on coronavirus testing in wastewater since early 2020. Her lab collaborates with the state Department of Health and Human Services and wastewater utilities to build the surveillance framework.

Earlier this year, the state elevated the measurement of wastewater to one of the major factors necessary to track the spread of the respiratory disease. About 25 wastewater utilities now collect and test for coronavirus concentration out of North Carolinas over 100 sewage systems. Nobles lab has been testing the majority of the wastewater samples and providing data for the state. Testing wastewater for viruses and pathogens is designed to reflect the full extent of community disease. Infected people, even those showing mild or no symptoms, shed the virus into wastewater, which is sampled for the lab to analyze.

The COVID-19 wastewater surveillance originally served to detect outbreaks before clinical results. As testing and reporting decline due to a lack of funding or the publics fatigue with hiding from COVID-19, wastewater monitoring may become what people can use to determine daily risk levels.

Not everybody can look at a graph and understand whats going on. We need a way to interpret it for the public so they can understand the risk to their everyday lives, Noble said.

DHHS continues to record and report positive COVID-19 tests while acknowledging that the number does not reflect the full extent of disease spreading in the community. But using case numbers underestimates the transmission. Adding wastewater as a metric helps, but that still can have gaps in the reporting data.

The missing infections take many forms, including the prevalence of at-home tests that are not reported to DHHS. Tourists can also contribute to the gap. They may shed the virus when they are visiting but not become ill or test positive until they return home.

Cities with airports like Charlotte and Raleigh, where passengers come in and out, may also shed the virus thats not always reflected in case reports.

DHHS data shows that the recent surge largely has been caused by the omicron subvariant BA.5. The variant has a very strong transmission ability that breaks through the vaccines and boosters protection.

Regardless of the severity of coronavirus symptoms, when a person uses water and flushes it down the toilet, the viral material travels to the wastewater treatment plant. Wastewater utilities collect untreated sewage for 24 hours, which would accurately capture the communitys daily activities. Nobles lab can finish counting the COVID-19 particles usually in less than a day after receiving the wastewater samples. Researchers can also use this testing to detect many more future pathogens, including the yet emerging COVID-19 variants and the recent spread of monkeypox.

We are capable of monitoring monkeypox and weve been asked by the state to do the testing, Noble said.

Nobles lab receives tons of bottles filled with dirty water every week from over 20 wastewater treatment plants across the state. Each bottle represents a population that ranges from a few thousand in Beaufort up to hundreds of thousands in one of Raleighs plants.

Of late, Nobles team has worked intensely at their Morehead City lab to test and analyze wastewater for 80 weeks in a row.

Noble said wastewater surveillance will be more valuable in areas where medical facilities are scarce. Her team has increased the number of plant locations in the past years to include more rural regions and she hopes to continue expanding the service of wastewater surveillance.
The Matt Staff Road fire 12 miles east of Helena remained at 1,587 acres and is 84% contained as of Sunday afternoon, according to officials with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservations County Assist Team.

We dont call it contained until weve been all the way around it and are 100% sure its stopped and isnt moving anywhere, said David Hamilton, the teams incident commander.

During a media tour of the fire site Sunday, Hamilton said the wind eased up and stopped blowing so hard on Friday afternoon, which gave firefighters an opportunity to make progress fighting the blaze.

Members of the County Assist Team showed where the fire has burned since Thursday during the tour. On Sunday, firefighters could be seen on the crests of hills attending to remaining hot spots. They were helped by pieces of equipment called "skidgeons," which look like giant tractors. They're usually used for logging, said Wyatt Frampton, the DNRC's public information officer. But for fires, they carry water.

The charred land ranged across a valley and some hills. Some bigger logs and stumps were still smoking in the blackened area. But most of the Ponderosa pine trees in the valley between the hills remained standing. Hamilton said a fire is good for the trees, which have fire resistant ability and have evolved to handle them. Fire retardant was easy to spot, and the blackened area ended as it approached a pinkish-orangish border on all sides.

Frampton said the fire was human-caused, but the exact cause remains under investigation by law enforcement. Officials said earlier that some of the firefighting attempts may have covered exact details about what sparked the blaze. According to Frampton, around 75% of fires in Montana last year were human-caused.

As of Aug. 7, estimated expenses from the fire tallied $2.4 million.

The fire started Thursday afternoon very close to Spokane Creek Road, just off U.S. Highway 12 near state Highway 284, and quickly spread. It originally burned grassland, then crested the ridge between East Helena and Canyon Ferry Reservoir and began to burn brush.

All evacuations that resulted from the blaze on Thursday were lifted at 8 p.m. Friday, officials said. The fire hasnt destroyed any primary structures. It destroyed two old farm structures, but Hamilton said its unclear whether they were truly buildings or more akin to piles of wood.

On Friday, fire retardant lines were dropped a couple hundred yards from the fires edge, and Hamilton said the retardant did its job.

This fires a good representation of retardant lines holding the fire from spreading, Hamilton said.

Some scooper planes brought water from Canyon Ferry Reservoir, aiding the efforts to fight the blaze. The fire was approaching the lake, and Hamilton said having the lake close by, along with the ground conditions, made this an ideal method for fighting the fire.

Frampton said these factors combined with rainy and humid weather on Saturday night, which helped to contain the fire.

Still, a drone in the area caused some issues as the air crew was doing its job on Friday morning. The team had to temporarily suspend its activities dropping retardant when the drone came through the area.

That incident is still under investigation, according to Frampton. He said its a felony to interfere with firefighting aircraft.

Hamilton said rural and volunteer fire units  like the ones that initially responded to the Matt Staff Road fire  are hugely important in the DNRCs firefighting efforts. Broadwater County Rural Fire District, East Gate Fire Department, East Valley Fire Department, Helena Fire Department, Townsend Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-Lakes Fire Department, West Valley Fire Department and York Fire Department all responded quickly when the fire started on Thursday.

The wind was blowing just enough that we couldnt get ahead of it, Hamilton said.

Frampton said its important to note that even though its been a wet spring in Montana, that doesnt mean the state wont have a fire season. It just means it could be a late fire season. He said people should recognize this and recreate responsibly.

For status updates on the Matt Staff Road fire, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8309/. And, for more information about how to stay safe during fire season and steps you can take to recreate responsibly, visit https://www.mtfireinfo.org/.
Daniel Larson described the Madison River as Montanas most loved river.

Die-hard fans of the Big Hole, the Yellowstone, the Smith, the Bitterroot and a host of other scenic and fishable rivers might disagree.

But Larsons observation seems accurate if you measure love by usage.

For years now, both commercial outfitters and recreational anglers floating the river have expressed concerns that the Madison is being loved to death. There are fears that familiarity breeds descent in angler experience.

Bozeman and Gallatin County keep growing. Yellowstone National Park visitation set a record in 2021, before this years flooding, and some of those visitors want to fish the upper Madison River.

Larson spoke Aug. 4 during a work session of the Fish and Wildlife Commission. He has been a member of the Madison River Work Group, which has focused since September on providing recommendations to the commission about managing commercial and non-commercial use of the Madison River.

Larson added that the 800-pound gorilla in the room was non-commercial use.

The Work Groups recommendations in May called for developing a daily Madison River Float Permit for recreational floaters as a way to initially gather data about river use and to eventually help manage that use. There would be a small fee for the permit to help offset costs of the reservation system.

For commercial users, the work group recommended capping the number of river trips for an outfitter at the number of trips he or she reported for 2019 or 2020, whichever was highest.

Why would outfitters agree to a cap?

Larson said commercial interests have concerns about the quality of the fishing experience and about the fishery itself.

Work Group Chairman KC Walsh, who is also a Fish and Wildlife Commission member, said 25% of the fish in one stretch of the river show evidence of hook scarring, the likely result, he said, of anglers using treble hooks or performing catch-and-release with poor technique.

Work group member Brian McGeehan, an outfitter, said he and others routinely turn down trips during the peak season because of the limited availability of guides.

In June, Fish and Wildlife Commissioners voted to move forward with a process slated to include analysis of the costs and potential legal snags of the recommended changes, as well as public input.

Public scoping meetings are scheduled to begin in early September, with details to follow.

Some critics of the Madison River Work Groups composition and recommendations have observed that the groups makeup is unduly outfitter friendly and that management of non-commercial use could be a step toward unfairly restricting recreational float access to the river.

Concern has been expressed too that restrictions on public use could reflect an income disparity between wealthy outfitter clients and working class Montanans.

As designated by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, the 12-member Madison River Work Groups makeup was to include three commercial outfitters with current recreational use permits on the river. And that happened, with members Mike Bias, McGeehan and Mac Minard filling those slots.

Yet three other members have or once had close ties to outfitting and guiding on the river. Larson of the Madison Valley Ranch, an Orvis endorsed lodge, told commissioners Wednesday that he works with outfitters. John Sampson, an owner of the Madison Double R, once worked as a fishing guide and the lodges website notes that float trips are certainly a main focus at Madison Double R. Finally, member Allison Treloar has been married to fishing guide Mike Treloar.

The Work Groups recommendations for commercial use advise keeping the Special River Permit system, which is a cooperative agreement between Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. There would be no limit on the granting of such permits to new river service providers.

A separate Madison River Use Permit could cap the total annual commercial trips by a Special River Permit holder based on the number of trips reported in 2019 or 2020.

Anglers who are clients of a permitted outfitter would not need a separate float permit.

Public scoping meetings for the Work Groups recommendations are due to begin in early September, with the first meeting tentatively set for September 6 in Bozeman. Details about time, place and additional meetings will follow.
For the last 35 years Ive been covering what we call the salmon wars in the Pacific Northwest, writing so many stories about salmon heading toward extinction that Ive lost count.

The decline occurred year by year while we spent $18 billion on whats politely called mitigation. That meant building fish passages around dams without fish ladders or snatching fish from warming rivers and trucking them around dams before they died. Nothing has ever worked.

The truth is that some dams must be removed if salmon are to have a prayer of leaving the ocean and swimming up rivers to spawn.

Now, finally, there is a sign of hope for the fish even as Snake River salmon in the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington remain close to extinction.

Theres hope because the Biden administration has been in settlement talks with legal plaintiffs the state of Oregon, the Nez Perce tribe, and sporting, fishing and environmental groups. They have sued the federal government five times over its failed attempts to save salmon under the Endangered Species Act, and each time the government has lost.

Meanwhile, spring chinook, sockeye and steelhead trended toward extinction in the Snake River watershed, which includes their best remaining habitat in the lower 48 states.

In 1997, my newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, wrote a series of editorials calling for breaching the four lower Snake dams in Washington to restore salmon abundance. The editorials urged paying for the impacts on dam removal on power supply, grain transportation and irrigation as a more effective and cheaper fix than continuing failed policies. The federal government chose to spend $18 billion on those failed policies.

But now, the Biden administration and others recognize that restoring our rivers is an issue of tribal justice as well as the only real solution. For far too long, say biologists Rick Williams of Idaho and Jim Lichatowich of Oregon, we have treated salmon as an industrial commodity. Our reliance on hatcheries while we continue to fragment and destroy habitat has been at the root of the fishs struggles.

But if we remove the chief obstacles that block the fish from their cool, high elevation-habitat, the biologists say, these wild, adaptable fish will recover themselves. Because of our long reliance on substitute nature, weve almost lost faith in salmon to reproduce itself in quality habitat, Williams says.

It has taken decades, but much of the public has come to understand the folly of our industrial fixes for salmon. In the May Republican primary, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson won reelection by a landslide after introducing a plan to breach the four dams to save salmon and make impacted communities whole. His losing opponent opposed breaching the dams.

More significant, Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who has long resisted any salmon recovery plan that included removing the four dams, joined with Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in endorsing a study of how to replace the services provided by the dams.

The study showed that breaching the four dams was the most promising approach to salmon recovery, though it would require spending from $10.3 billion to $27.2 billion to replace the electricity from the dams hydropower, plus grain shipping and irrigation.

Murray is the most powerful Northwestern senator in Congress. But she will need the rest of the Democratic delegation to join her if she is going to turn the tide.

Most of all, Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell and Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio will need to join Murray, Simpson, Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and outgoing Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, if legislation is going to pass this year.

The resilience of the wild Snake salmon and the quality of the high-elevation spawning habitat has led biologists to predict the fish will reverse the 40-year extinction trend if the four dams are removed. This might just be the year that rivers and salmon are set free, ending the salmon wars. Heres hoping.
DECATUR  The race to find new ambulance services for the city of Decatur is in its final stage, with a decision expected within a week.

The search for new companies to provide emergency medical coverage has been narrowed down to four: RuralMed EMS, Lakeside EMS, Echo Response EMS and Abbott/AMR EMS.

Representatives from these companies took questions at a public hearing Monday about their ability to meet the needs of the Decatur area and far beyond: current provider Decatur Ambulance Service serves a sprawling range reaching into Shelby, Christian and Piatt counties as well as all over Macon County.

We are pleased with the responses and information we received at Mondays administrative hearing, said City Manager Scot Wrighton. Following some final discussions, the city will issue licenses and facilitate a smooth transition as soon as possible.

Hospital Sisters Health System, which runs DAS, said it wants to pull the plug on the existing service by Sept. 1, after citing rising costs and staffing problems.

Deputy City Manager Jon Kindseth told the Herald & Review that the decision on the new providers should be known within the next week or so.

Its likely to be more than one company getting the contract because the city, which gets to make the final decision, has said previously that it doesnt want to be limited to one provider. And based on the proposals submitted by the companies bidding for contracts, Kindseth said it will take more than one of them to fulfill the requirements of Decatur and the wider service area.

I think the city kind of suspected that none of the companies seemed to have the ability immediately to be able to serve the entire need we have, which is somewhere between six and eight ALS units (Advanced Life Support ambulances) around the clock, added Kindseth.

Members of a working group advising the city met Tuesday to discuss the finalists with the city administration. The working group has members drawn from the Decatur Fire Department, HSHS St. Marys Hospital and Decatur Memorial Hospital, Crossing Healthcare and the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center.
Tho Xuan Airport terminal construction to be fast-tracked

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) have proposed quickening the pace of construction of Tho Xuan Airport Terminal 2 in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa.



The Thanh Hoa provincial project would cost some VND2.12 trillion to expand Tho Xuan Airport in the 2022-2025 period, including Terminal 2s construction. Once completed, Terminal 2 could serve five million passengers a year.





Tho Xuan Airport



The airports Terminal 1 is expected to surpass its design capacity of 1.2 million passengers per year by the end of this year.



The expansion plans are also part of the national airport development planning for 2021-2030 submitted by the Ministry of Transport to the government. However, the planning has not yet been approved.



According to the CAAV, the Ministry of Transport could allow Terminal 2s investment procedures to go ahead so the project can swiftly proceed once planning is approved.



Tho Xuan Airport has been used for civil aviation activities since February 2013. The airport serviced 671,000 passengers in the first five months of this year.


Sherrell M. Rivera, 32, conducted multiple Google searches on her cell phone about the liquid uses of the drug and its side effects, including a search of whether the addictive substance would "slow breathing," according to the prosecution's summary of evidence.
Northeast State Community College has a familiar face as its new president.

The Tennessee Board of Regents held a special meeting Monday where the board voted unanimously, to appoint Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Jeff McCord as the new president of Northeast State Community College.

The Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings presented Commissioner Jeff McCord to the board as the finalist for consideration to be the next president of Northeast State Community College.

"I am very pleased to recommend to you, Dr. Jeff McCord, as the next president of the community college," Tydings said.

McCord, who has a Doctorate of Education from the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga, a Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University, and a Bachelor of Science and Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, was selected president of Northeast State Community College out of a pool of 58 applicants from around the country.

McCord has served as the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development since 2019. Prior to holding his current position, McCord was Northeast State Community College's vice-president of economic and workforce development for seven years.

McCord, who will take the reins of Northeast State Community College September 30, thanked the Tennessee Board of Regents for putting its trust in him. He said he looks forward to returning to the region to work at Northeast State Community College.

"Thanks to the chancellor for the recommendation and to the board for having the faith and confidence in me to go serve alongside the folks at Northeast State as they serve the region. It's no secret for the folks that I know in Nashville how special I think Northeast Tennessee is and central to that is Northeast State," McCord said. "There's tremendous potential in our region, and I truly believe that the region's counting on Northeast State to help it realize that potential. So, I'm humbled. I'm honored."

McCord replaces Dr. Bethany Bullock, who stepped down as president of Northeast State Community College in March.
Do you prefer Cracker Barrel or Whole Foods? Your answer to that question might reveal more than you realize. In 2011, David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report wondered if the 2012 election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney could come down to Cracker Barrel patrons versus Whole Foods shoppers. He noted that in the 2008 election, Obama won 81% of the counties with a Whole Foods but only 36% of those with a Cracker Barrel. It may seem like a strange association. Why would those who prefer fried chicken and fritters vote differently from those who prefer organic kale and kimchi?

Whole Foods and Cracker Barrels appeal to different clienteles. Cracker Barrel shows deference for tradition, offering a rustic family-dining experience centered on American southern cooking. Whole Foods, conversely, offers possibilities for upending convention and exploring culturally diverse cuisine. Cracker Barrel is for stuffy conservatives, not for people like me, some may conclude. Whole Foods is for liberal coastal elites, others may conclude, not for people like me.

As shown by Bill Bishop in his book The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart first published in 2008, Americans have increasingly segregated themselves geographically in accordance with lifestyle preferences. Rather than opposites attracting, we prefer to be by others who are like us. We may not consciously move to a neighborhood because those who live in a particular area share our political preferences. But we tend to cluster around others who we feel most comfortable with, which tends to be those who value and want the same things as we do. Liberals tend to live near one another in neighborhoods with Whole Foods, while conservatives tend to cluster in counties with Cracker Barrels.

States in the U.S. are commonly characterized as being blue or red. But this glosses over fundamental intrastate differences, particularly those between rural and urban areas. Within states, blue and red, are pockets of conservative and liberal enclaves. Larger, more densely populated diverse cities tend to be more liberal than smaller, more homogenous towns. Still, there is political segregation at a further residential micro-level. Within the city of Hickory, for example, there is wide variation in aggregate political orientations across neighborhoods.

The New York Times has an interactive webpage that allows for exploring the political diversity (or lack thereof) of neighborhoods across the country (the site can be found by searching the phrase do I live in a political bubble online). The page provides information on how Republican or Democratic an area is around an inputted street address using data on voter registration, demographics, and election results.

In general, the greater Hickory area is considerably more conservative than liberal. According to the Catawba County government website, Republicans outnumber Democrats in the county by more than 2:1 (43.5% of registered voters are Republican, 20% Democrat, 36.1% unaffiliated). Where I live in Viewmont, according to the NYT interactive webpage, 63% of my neighbors are Republicans or lean that way.

In the downtown area, though, the percentages flip. In the area surrounding the Station and the post office, 63% (the average between the two locations, 64 and 62%, respectively) are Democrats or lean that way. In the area surrounding Lenoir-Rhyne University, a majority (55%) are on the Democratic/liberal side.

There are a few places in Hickory that are relatively politically diverse. In proximity to the Highland Recreation Center, for example, approximately 45% are Democrats, 50% are Republicans, and 5% are independents. In proximity to the CVS in Viewmont, 49% are Democrats, 46% are Republicans, and 5% are independents. But there are also places that are highly segregated. Around the Ridgeview Recreation Center and Ridgeview Library, only 11% of residents are Republicans. Moving farther out of Hickory, only 22% of those who live near the Bethlehem library are Democrats.

Political sorting in Hickory (and elsewhere) is partly a result of racial segregation. Ridgeview is described on the Hickory governments website as a neighborhood that historically has been, and continues to be  predominantly African American. There is a strong association in the United States between African Americans and the Democratic Party. Predominantly white, rural areas, tend to be Republican in orientation.

But even in the absence of racial differences, there would still be political sorting. Those who developed the NYT interactive sorting website note that there are areas such as Cedar Grove and Upper Montclair in New Jersey where though the racial makeup of the neighborhoods are similar, the communities are sorted politically.

With sorting has come the breakdown of broad-based organizations. For example, in The Big Sort, Bishop notes a contrast between the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an association for conservative state legislators, and its less ideological predecessor. Rather than bringing together diverse groups of individuals, organizations today are more likely to be associations of those who think and act similarly.

Churches have not been immune to this dynamic. In 2020, a church in Hickory conducted a survey of its members on questions related to politics, race, and the pandemic. The results indicated that while 55.7% of church members identified as conservative and 37.1 Republican, only 3.6 identified as liberal and 5.7% as Democratic. A third identified as being Trump supporters while a mere 5% identified as being Biden supporters.

Assuming that we have become more politically sorted (as the data has shown), what are the consequences? Social psychological research has shown that mixed company moderates; like-minded company polarizes, as Bishop has put it. Partisans become more extreme when grouped with those who are like-minded. Similarly, those who are racially prejudiced become more so when grouped together with those that have similar beliefs. Sorting makes it more likely that individuals, and consequently the groups that they are part of, will be more extreme. We have become more sorted not only physically but also psychologically. This makes it less likely that we will work together in pursuit of common goals.

There is not a Whole Foods within 30 miles of Hickory. Conversely, there is a Cracker Barrel in Hickory and three others within 30 miles. This is a Cracker Barrel town. For those who stick to Whole Foods, maybe it is time to give Cracker Barrel a try. Though you may feel a bit out of place, we should all at least be able to find some comfort in a plate of waffles, fried chicken, and potatoes with all the fixins.
Q: My parents will be moving closer to me soon, and Im trying to help them downsize. Do you have tips for approaching the de-cluttering conversation?  RS

Answer: When approaching the subject of de-cluttering and downsizing, it will most likely require patience and sensitivity.

Remember, all of the clutter that you see is the material representation of a life full of memories. Phrasing your questions about what to keep in yes or no questions, rather than open-ended discussions, may help your parents make practical decisions about what they do and do not need. It is also important to keep in mind that most things  especially damaged, inexpensive, or outdated items  can be replaced, especially if you think it will ease the stress on everyone and make the transition to a new home less complicated.

While the stress of downsizing in a move can easily cause a sense of urgency, setting long-term goals and tackling one thing at a time will be most effective. Think about dedicating a couple hours to the clutter, then coming back to it the next day or week. However, this doesnt mean you should put off sorting an item because no one can decide whether to keep it. Dont leave the option for a maybe pile; instead, question your parents about how often they use the item. Something that hasnt been picked up in the last few years probably wont be needed in the future. Unless they are particularly attached to an item for sentimental reasons, the items they use the most should come before the more expensive or aesthetically appealing ones.

If you are having trouble deciding where to start, you can look for multiples of the same item that your parents will most likely not need. Kitchenware, clothing, and tools tend to accumulate over the years, so downsizing will require a realistic look at the amount of these items that will fit in the new space. Whole collections can also be downsized by picking out one or two to represent this part of their life, taking photos of them to remember, or giving them away to relatives or close friends that will appreciate and take care of them. Encourage them to take pride in these things, rather than trying to convince them that they are no longer necessary. Remember to listen to your parents. Asking them for the stories behind some of the clutter they have kept around will help both of you gain a better understanding about the necessity of the object.

Q: I am doing the best that I can to care for mom at home, but sometimes I wonder if there are adjustments that I can make in our routines that will make things easier for me as a caregiver. Where can I find tips and strategies to help?  JD

Answer: You are not alone! Caregivers often find themselves in uncharted territory with more questions than answers. The first step is to recognize the need for support, practical tips and self-care. It may be helpful to seek out a support group with others who understand what you are going through and share ideas and resources. One local resource is Trellis Supportive Care. They offer monthly Caregiver Confidence workshops that are free of charge and open to anyone in the community.

Being a primary caregiver for a loved-one can be challenging, even for people with professional caregiving experience. Having an opportunity to build confidence through practical education and hands-on training can make a big difference. Caregiver Confidence workshops teach participants about organizing medical information, home safety, fall prevention, nutrition, and caring for yourself. There are actual drills for learning about safe transfers in and out of bed/chair, preventing bed sores, managing incontinence, and much more. Additionally, there is a lab set up that resembles a real home-like setting so participating caregivers can practice what they are learning.

The workshops are presented in two sessions on the third and fourth Wednesday of each month from 9 a.m. until noon, at the Trellis Supportive Care campus in Winston-Salem, 101 Hospice Lane. Part 1 covers Tips and Tricks. Part 2 focuses on Skills and Drills. Participants may choose to attend both sessions or pick one session to attend based on their availability and needs.

Trellis Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations, Virginia White, shared that, Caregiver Confidence was designed to help caregivers at the beginning of the journey right up through the more physically demanding times. We are pleased to offer this to anyone in the community, free of charge, regardless of your connection to Trellis Supportive Care. We know its a challenging time in so many ways, and if we can give a little extra support by providing helpful tips and techniques, its all part of our mission in providing supportive care.

Caregiver Confidence workshops are interactive and facilitated by a nurse educator who will take time to answer participant questions. Additionally, a complimentary lunch is provided after the workshops to give participants an opportunity to connect with other caregivers.

To learn more about Caregiver Confidence workshops or to register, please call 336-768-3972 or visit TrellisSupport.org.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  A South Dakota government ethics board on Wednesday pressed forward with its investigation of two complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem, resisting an effort from the Republican governor to see them dismissed and extending the time it has to examine the allegations.

Noem, a potential 2024 White House contender, is under scrutiny from the state's Government Accountability Board for allegations that she misused the powers of her office by interfering in her daughters application for a real estate appraiser license and flying on state-owned airplanes to political events. She has denied any wrongdoing.

As attorney general, Jason Ravnsborg last year filed the complaints against Noem. Ravnsborg, a fellow Republican, was removed from office through impeachment in June for his conduct surrounding an unrelated car crash in which he killed a pedestrian. He has continued to bring the complaints as a private citizen.

After meeting in a closed-door executive session for roughly one hour, the board's three retired judges who are evaluating the complaints voted unanimously to deny the governor's requests to dismiss the complaints. They then voted to give themselves a 60-day extension for further investigation" to evaluate the merits of the complaints.

Ravnsborg said he was pleased the board had continued with its investigation, adding that the people of South Dakota deserve to know the truth of these two matters."

Noem's office said it would be a violation of state law to comment on the board's actions, referring to a statute that holds the board's files are confidential unless the board decides to hold a contested case hearing.

The governor's requests to the board, as well as the presence of an attorney for Noem for the first time, showed a willingness to take action to see the allegations dismissed. The board has broad powers, and if it decides the complaints have merit, could refer them for criminal investigation, subpoena evidence and witnesses or eventually hold a contested case hearing.

The Government Accountability Board has taken steps to insulate itself from conflicts of interest while it takes up an issue that involves the state's most powerful political figures. Noem's appointee to the board, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson, recused himself from evaluating the complaints. The board's attorney, Katie Mallery, was recused from advising the board because she works in the attorney general's office.

If the board decides laws may have been violated, state law calls for it to refer a criminal investigation to the Division of Criminal Investigation. That would put the investigation under the oversight of the interim attorney general, Mark Vargo, who was appointed by Noem after Ravnsborg was removed. The board could also choose to subpoena witnesses or hold a contested case hearing if it instead finds possible misconduct rather than criminality.

Vargo said in a statement, Decisions regarding recusal, either of DCI or the office in general, will be made when the issue squarely presents itself, not in advance of a possible, hypothetical situation.

It's not always the case that a prosecutor should recuse themselves from an investigation into someone who appointed them, said Kathleen Clark, a law professor who specializes in government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis. But, she said, the timing of Vargo's appointment  while the board's investigation was already underway  added an additional reason for recusal.

It seems to me that failure to recuse would undermine the credibility of any decision in Noems favor, particularly because she appointed this attorney general after this investigation already started, Clark said.

Noem has also forged a political partnership with the likely next attorney general, Republican Marty Jackley, with the pair exchanging endorsements earlier this year.

Ravnsborg showed an increasing willingness to bring the complaints against Noem after they fell out over his fatal car crash and she pushed hard for his impeachment.

Ravnsborg's first complaint came after The Associated Press reported that the governor took a hands-on role in a state agency soon after it had moved to deny her daughter, Kassidy Peters, an appraiser license in 2020. A Republican-controlled legislative committee concluded that Peters' application received special treatment, but did not say whether Noems actions were appropriate.

The director of the Appraisal Certification Program, Sherry Bren, was pressured to retire soon after Peters received her license and eventually received a $200,000 settlement from the state to withdraw an age discrimination complaint.

The former attorney generals other complaint was sparked after news website Raw Story found that Noem in 2019 used a state airplane to travel to events hosted by political organizations including the National Rifle Association and the Republican Jewish Coalition. South Dakota law bars state airplanes from being used for anything other than state business.

Noem has said she was traveling to the events as an ambassador for the state.
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A group determined to get the so-called fairness ordinance  the broad update to city code including protections for sexual orientation and gender identity  on the November ballot turned in more than 11,000 signatures Monday morning.

Thats nearly 20% more than the 8,846 they needed, though signatures must be verified by the Lancaster County Election Commissioner.

Kay Siebler, among those leading the effort, said they had more than 100 volunteers who stood outside the Department of Motor Vehicles, went to farmers markets and music venues and battled 100-degree temperatures to collect the signatures.

It is an amazing group of volunteers who are not going to go away, Siebler said. Its been a phenomenal process to see the heart and soul of the community through the volunteers.

The grassroots effort  called Let Lincoln Vote  started its petition drive in June, the latest effort to get additional protections in city code. The decision by organizers  many of whom have been fighting for protections for sexual orientation and gender identity for decades  to launch a ballot initiative was a surprise to many.

They made the decision after the City Council in February passed an ordinance with essentially the same expanded protections and then, following a successful referendum by opponents, rescinded it.

If the election commissioner verifies there are a sufficient number of signatures, the petitions go back to the City Clerk and the council again faces a choice: Put the ordinance in place or pass a resolution putting it on the ballot.

The timeline to get the issue on the November ballot is short: Election Commissioner Dave Shively said he needs a resolution from the council in hand by Sept. 1. And hes already verifying signatures on three statewide ballot issues  medical marijuana, minimum wage and voter ID.

Siebler said organizers believe about 10% of the signatures will either be duplicates or people who live outside Lincoln, but are reassured by the 20% margin they've turned in. She said they will no longer circulate petitions, but if there are people who want to sign, she asked they contact organizers through the groups website, LetLincolnVote.com.

The city ordinance in question is Title 11, the part of city code that covers equal protections in housing, employment and public accommodation overseen by the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights.

While the flashpoint has been expanding protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity  and the focus of opponents led by the Nebraska Family Alliance  the ordinance passed by the council, and the one put forward as part of the ballot initiative are significantly broader.

Both would update language and reorganize the section to clarify the process of the city Commission on Human Rights, add active military veterans as a protected class and update and strengthen disability protections.

Early on, a division within the ranks of supporters became evident.

Before the council passed the ordinance  some transgender advocates warned that they would be targeted by opponents and that supporters werent adequately prepared to launch a campaign to counteract their well-organized efforts should the issue go to a public vote. Those arguments took on more momentum after a transgender advocate died by suicide.

And they ultimately succeeded in convincing the council, by a narrow vote, to rescind the ordinance it had just passed.

Siebler and others believe Lincoln voters will pass the fairness ordinance, which they explained to those they approached with petitions would include disability and military protections, as well as those for sexual orientation and gender identity.

Vicki Depenbusch, who was at City Hall on Monday morning, said she circulated petitions because shes been fighting for protections for her 23-year-old son Jacob, who has autism, since he was a toddler.

She said she learned she had to fight for him when he was in school, and now that hes an adult, employment and housing are an issue. The updated ordinance would help, she said.

What this does is it puts it on a local level. If something comes up we don't need to go to federal court, she said. As a parent you do all you can do for your kids future, but this isnt something we can do. This is something our community needs to do.

Marie Barrett, who spent 20 years in the Navy, is African American, has a disability and a son with a disability, said she circulated petitions because she falls under several of the areas protected.

Ive always believed everyone, no matter what affiliation you have, should have the same rights afforded them, she said. She said she has a disability that people cant see, and shes had to fight for her rights. And having protections for active military and veterans at the local level is important.

Amos Sobotka, a transgender man who helped circulate petitions, said he was ecstatic to see the petition signatures keep rolling in.

Siebler said circulators had to do a lot of educating and they quickly pivoted away from calling it the fairness ordinance to the anti-discrimination initiative.

Barbara DiBernard, a retired University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor who has fought for such protections for decades both at the city level and at UNL, said those who worked to get a fairness ordinance passed 10 years ago, and then again this year, feel they did everything right, meeting with city leaders and attending meetings, and its time.

Concerns of the transgender community do matter, she said, and no one wants people to get hurt, just as no one wanted anyone to get hurt during the Civil Rights movement. But even now, she said, conservative leaders are chipping away at the Supreme Court decision that said the definition of sex includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

Young trans people are not protected, she said. I also think we need to keep our message focused. We need to say, where is the hate, where is the danger coming from? Its not from municipal code.
It's been a long and sometimes rocky journey for Susana Valladares and her mother, Rosario Zavaleta, in opening their O Street restaurant.

The transition from a popular food truck to a brick-and-mortar eatery can be deemed nothing short of a success story  another example of the American Dream coming to fruition  but it didn't come without heartache, pain and its share of fear.

Valladares thinks back to that night in 2019 when she stood inside the familys red chrome-plated food truck and wondered if anyone outside could see the fear in her eyes, or the man holding her at gunpoint.

Valladares had just shut off all the lights and signs that signaled were open, so it was strange when a man approached the truck just after 1 a.m.

She had already cleaned up and shut off her stoves; she felt bad turning away a customer.

A few seconds later, she realized he wasnt a customer, but rather a distraction from the other man at the back door.

For years, Valladares had enjoyed working at her mothers food truck. As an immigrant, she liked that she and her mother had a passion that provided their family with a stable income.

It gave her a sense of peace because, unlike many other immigrants, they didnt have to work at meatpacking plants or other manual labor jobs.

As business owners, she thought, they wouldn't be taken advantage of or paid poorly for their work.

That summer night, Valladares felt she had been taken advantage of, that the robbers had seen immigrants as "an easy target," she says.

They opened Rosari's Kitchen in 2010. The mother and daughter had migrated a decade earlier from Olocuilta, El Salvador  the "pupusa capital"  where the most popular Salvadoran dish was created.

Although their family initially arrived in California in 2001, they didn't stay long. Zavaleta hoped to start her own business when she arrived in the U.S., but California's living expenses made it nearly impossible, she says.

With her sister living in Nebraska, Zavaleta and her family moved to Lincoln in 2006 and started their business shortly after.

They began serving tacos, tortas and pupusas with curtidoSalvadoran cabbage slaw.

They were well-received in the community, and were often hired to cater several community events and stations outside of local businesses.

For nearly five years until last December, they could be found outside of Jiffy Lube on 33rd and O streets. There, they'd help bring new customers to Jiffy Lube as they waited for their orders.

Oftentimes, the two businesses partnered with each other offering discounts at one business for purchasing from the other.

That's where Valladares says their business grew; being on a busy street like O Street drew more customers in but also brought them issues.

With limited parking at Jiffy Lube, customers began parking at the neighboring business, Tornado Car Wash. Although Zavaleta and Valladares advised their customers to park elsewhere, the issue continued and they no longer felt welcomed by their neighbors.

For months last fall, they would be greeted every day with dumpsters placed in front of their entrance that Valladares believes were placed by the owners of the car wash.

Being stationed outside of Jiffy Lube soon became a hostile environment for them, Valladares says. They eventually felt they had no choice but to leave.

For months they received Facebook messages and phone calls from loyal customers asking where they had gone. For five months, they stationed themselves at Valladares' driveway

"We never wanted to go through something like that again. Being pushed out isn't a good feeling, we wanted something we could call ours," Valladares said.

With the help of Speedway Properties, Zavaleta says they're on track to open their restaurant this fall.

Their new brick-and-mortar restaurant will be located at the former Re Rides location at 2600 O St. where their food truck is currently stationed.

After being robbed in 2019, Valladares said they thought about walking away from the business, but it's overcoming adversities like those they've faced that keep them going, she says.

"We came to this country to better ourselves, and I don't think we'll ever let a little adversity get in the way of our dreams for Rosari's Kitchen," Zavaleta said.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP)  The white father and son who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood each received a second life prison sentence Monday  for committing federal hate crimes, months after getting their first for murder  at a hearing that brought a close to more than two years of criminal proceedings.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood handed down the sentences against Travis McMichael, 36, and his father, Greg McMichael, 66, reiterating the gravity of the February 2020 killing that shattered their Brunswick community. William Roddie Bryan, 52, who recorded cellphone video of the slaying, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

A young man is dead. Ahmaud Arbery will be forever 25. And what happened, a jury found, happened because hes Black, Wood said.

The McMichaels were previously sentenced to life without parole in state court for Arberys murder and had asked the judge to divert them to a federal prison to serve their sentences, saying they were worried about their safety in the state prison system. Bryan had sought to serve his federal sentence first. Wood declined all three requests.

The sentences imposed Monday brought an end to the second trial against the men responsible for Arberys slaying, which along with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky fueled a wave of protests across the country against the killings of unarmed Black people.

The Justice Departments prosecution of this case and the courts sentences today make clear that hate crimes have no place in our country, and that the Department will be unrelenting in our efforts to hold accountable those who perpetrate them, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a news release. Protecting civil rights and combatting white supremacist violence was a founding purpose of the Justice Department, and one that we will continue to pursue with the urgency it demands.

In February, a federal jury convicted the McMichaels and Bryan of violating Arberys civil rights, concluding they targeted him because of his race. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.

The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan, a neighbor, joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun. The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar, but investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.

Im very thankful, Arberys mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told reporters outside the courthouse after all three sentences had been imposed. Its been a long fight. Im so thankful God gave us the strength to continue to fight.

The hearings marked the first time the men involved in the deadly chase expressed any remorse to Arberys family. Only Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots, chose to remain silent when given a chance to speak in court.

Greg McMichael told Arbery's family their loss was beyond description.

Im sure my words mean very little to you, but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen, he said. There was no malice in my heart or my sons heart that day.

Bryan said he was sorry.

I never intended any harm to him, and I never would have played any role in what happened if I knew then what I know now," Bryan said.

In giving Bryan a lower sentence, Wood noted he had not brought a gun to the pursuit of Arbery and preserved his cellphone video, which was crucial to the prosecutions.

Travis McMichael's attorney, Amy Lee Copeland, said a lighter sentence would be more consistent with what similarly charged defendants have received in other cases, noting that the officer who killed Floyd in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin, got 21 years in prison for violating Floyds civil rights, though he was not charged with targeting Floyd because of his race.

Greg McMichael's attorney, A.J. Balbo, also cited the Chauvin sentence as well as his client's age and health problems, which he said include a stroke and depression.

During the February hate crimes trial, prosecutors fortified their case that Arberys killing was motivated by racism by showing the jury roughly two dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racist slurs and made disparaging comments about Black people.

Prosecutor Christopher Perras said the trial evidence proved "what so many people felt in their hearts when they watched the video of Ahmauds tragic and unnecessary death: This would have never happened if he had been white.

A state Superior Court judge imposed life sentences for the McMichaels and Bryan in January for Arbery's murder, with both McMichaels denied any chance of parole. All three defendants have remained jailed in coastal Glynn County, in the custody of U.S. marshals, while awaiting sentencing after their federal convictions.

Because they were first charged and convicted of murder in a state court, they will be turned over to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their life terms in a state prison.

Copeland argued unsuccessfully for Travis McMichael to remain in federal custody, saying he has received hundreds of threats that he will be killed soon after arriving at state prison and that his photo has been circulated there on illegal phones.

I am concerned your honor that my client effectively faces a back door death penalty," she said, adding that retribution and revenge were not sentencing factors, even for a defendant who is publicly reviled.

Arberys father, Marcus Arbery Sr., said Travis McMichael had shown his son no mercy and deserved to rot" in state prison.

You killed him because he was a Black man and you hate Black people," he said. You deserve no mercy.
Nebraskas law restricting abortion after 20 weeks will remain unchanged  at least for now.

On Monday, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he wont call state lawmakers back to Lincoln, a step many expected would happen after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision in June, putting the issue in the hands of states.

In a statement, Ricketts said Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers informed him only 30 senators had signaled support for a special session aimed at enacting new legislation that restricts abortion after 12 weeks  not the total ban debated by the Legislature earlier this year.

That level of support would fall short of the 33 votes needed under the Legislatures current rules to break an anticipated filibuster.

For this reason, I will not be calling a special session, Ricketts said, adding it was deeply saddening that lawmakers wouldnt meet to consider what he called a measured, reasonable proposal to ban abortion after 12 weeks.

The announcement was applauded by groups that support keeping abortion accessible to Nebraskans, including Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska, the ACLU of Nebraska, the Womens Fund of Omaha, and I Be Black Girl.

It is alarming that many state senators are apparently ready to deny Nebraskans the right to make decisions about their own health, lives and future, said Scout Richters, senior legal and policy counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska. At the same time, we are encouraged to see more proof that they do not have the votes.

The Nebraska Catholic Conference, meanwhile, said without a legislative change, the 20-week ban currently in statutes makes Nebraskas law one of the most permissive and extreme in the world.

Sadly, the abortion extremism of a small number of senators will result in further suffering and loss of preborn human life in Nebraska, said Marion Miner, the conferences associate director of pro-life and family policy. Only 10% of countries worldwide allow abortions after 15 weeks.

Without a special session, Nebraskas abortion restrictions will remain unchanged  at least for several more months  even after the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruled there was no constitutional right to seek an abortion.

More than a dozen largely Republican-controlled states with so-called trigger laws on the books enacted complete or near-complete abortion bans after the Dobbs decision went into effect, while Indiana became the first to pass a ban in the weeks since.

Nebraska was not one of them, however. A bill (LB933) introduced by Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston enacting a ban on all abortions if Roe should be overturned fell two votes short of breaking a filibuster late in the 60-day session earlier this year.

Hilgers, in a phone interview after Ricketts announcement Monday, said he began discussions about whether or not to call a special session in May after the Dobbs decision was leaked.

Those conversations continued in the weeks following as the Lincoln senator, a Republican who will be sworn in as attorney general in January, tried to find 33 senators who could overcome a filibuster.

What Hilgers eventually settled on was lowering Nebraskas existing ban on abortions after 20 weeks to 12 weeks, a clean, simple way to get legislation over the finish line this year.

I wanted to give the governor a sense of what would attract the most support, he said.

No bill was drafted, according to Hilgers, but he said the intent was to not have any impact on access to in vitro fertilization, services to treat ectopic pregnancies or access to contraception.

In his letter to Ricketts, the speaker also said reducing the number of weeks from 20 to 12 would also not add criminal penalties for pregnant women who seek an abortion or for the health care professionals who provide them.

A majority of state senators would support further restrictions on abortion in Nebraska than currently exist in statute, Hilgers wrote to the governor.

But the proposal still failed to muster a filibuster-proof majority in Nebraskas one-house legislative body.

Two senators who voted in support of LB933  Omaha Sen. Robert Hilkemann and Sen. John Stinner of Gering  were not among the list of supporters included in Hilgers letter.

Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth, who replaced the late Sen. Rich Pahls, who was not present during the vote on LB933, was listed among the supporters. As was Norfolk Sen. Robert Dover, who was selected by Ricketts to replace Mike Flood, the author of Nebraskas current abortion law. Flood was elected to Congress earlier this summer.

While Hilgers and others sought to find agreement on a bill to bring during a special session, opponents to abortion restrictions put their focus on direct action, said Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt, who led the fight against the proposed trigger legislation on the floor this year.

Backers of abortion rights contacted physicians to ask them to oppose any legislation that might be introduced in a special session, Hunt said, and pressured the Nebraska Medical Association and other lobbyists "to stay out of the issue.

Its been about keeping the pressure on every single day, Hunt said. I made it clear that whoever ended up authoring the bill, even if it came from the lobby and not from any elected officials office, was just as responsible for an abortion ban.

Hunt, who is running for a second term in the Legislature, said her message reverberated with Nebraskans of all political stripes, even those who often find themselves on the opposite side of issues from her.

For the first time, I had outreach from conservative men and women who, no matter what their personal feelings are, know its not right for politicians to come between a doctor and a patient and make this decision for them, she said.

Then, last week, Hunt said voters in Kansas put Nebraska lawmakers on notice.

Driven by high turnout in a statewide primary, Kansas voters kept in place an amendment protecting the right to an abortion in the Sunflower states constitution on a landslide 59%-41% vote.

My colleagues saw what happened in Kansas, Hunt said. They saw that conservative women, especially, would abandon conservative candidates over this issue.

Hilgers differed in his interpretation of the abortion amendments outcome, saying the results of the referendum in Kansas or legislative action in Indiana did not play any part in the decision to call or not call a special session in Nebraska.

Theres not a senator I spoke to who changed their mind based on anything that happened in Kansas, or anything else, he said. I think we would have had 30 senators before, and 30 after.

With the prospects of a special session in 2022 dashed, attention now turns to the November election.

In addition to shaping the 108th Legislature ahead of its 90-day session scheduled to begin in early January  new senators could comprise as much as one-third of the body  Nebraskans will also choose a new governor.

Republican Jim Pillen, a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from Columbus, has taken a solidly anti-abortion stance in his gubernatorial campaign, while Democrat Carol Blood has opposed abortion restrictions as a state senator from Bellevue.

Both those who applauded and lamented the decision not to call a special session indicated they believe maintaining access to or restricting abortion further will be a driving force for voters.

Ricketts, who has backed Pillen, said Hilgers letter shows that elections have consequences, and urged voters to look at which senators supported calling a special session to narrow abortion restrictions further and which did not.

Where senators stand Speaker Mike Hilgers of Lincoln sent Gov. Pete Ricketts a letter with the names of 30 senators who said they would support greater restrictions on abortion in Nebraska. They were: Ray Aguilar, Grand Island; Joni Albrecht, Thurston; John Arch, La Vista; Bruce Bostelman, Brainard; Tom Brandt, Plymouth; Tom Brewer, Gordon; Tom Briese, Albion; Rob Clements, Elmwood; Myron Dorn, Adams; Robert Dover, Norfolk; Steve Erdman, Bayard; Curt Friesen, Henderson; Suzanne Geist, Lincoln; Tim Gragert, Creighton; Steve Halloran, Hastings; Mike Hilgers, Lincoln; Ben Hansen, Blair; Dan Hughes, Venango; Mike Jacobson, North Platte; Kathleen Kauth, Omaha; Mark Kolterman, Seward; Brett Lindstrom, Omaha; Lou Ann Linehan, Elkhorn, John Lowe, Kearney; Mike McDonnell, Omaha; Mike Moser, Columbus; Dave Murman, Glenvil; Rita Sanders, Bellevue; Julie Slama, Sterling; Matt Williams, Gothenburg. Senators who did not sign the letter: Carol Blood, Bellevue; Eliot Bostar, Lincoln; John Cavanaugh, Omaha; Machaela Cavanaugh, Omaha; Jen Day, Omaha; Wendy DeBoer, Bennington; Matt Hansen, Lincoln; Robert Hilkemann, Omaha; Megan Hunt, Omaha; Steve Lathrop, Omaha; John McCollister, Omaha; Terrell McKinney, Omaha; Adam Morfeld, Lincoln; Patty Pansing Brooks, Lincoln; John Stinner, Gering; Tony Vargas, Omaha; Lynne Walz, Fremont; Justin Wayne, Omaha; Anna Wishart, Lincoln.

Hunt said while Monday marked a small win for backers of abortion rights, the fight isnt over. The Legislature could look dramatically different next year, with several moderate Republicans being term-limited out of office.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said poll after poll has shown a majority of Nebraskans support abortion rights, and said voters have a chance to show their support on Nov. 8.

Voters have an opportunity to defend legal access to abortion at the polls this November by electing more Democrats to the Legislature, Congress and the governors office, Kleeb said in a statement.

Hilgers said voters who support enacting tighter restrictions on abortion will see they need a few votes to get a filibuster-proof majority, while those in the other camp will see an opportunity to continue blocking legislation.

The question of abortion animates voters, theres no doubt about that, he said.
OMAHA -- The controversial proposal to build an RV and airboat park along the Platte River may still have life.

Brad Brown, who builds high-end homes in the Omaha area, will attempt next week to convince the Valley City Council to greenlight his plan to turn approximately 92 acres along the river into an RV park.

Brown's proposal, which was rejected by the Valley Planning Commission in June, goes before the City Council Tuesday.

In a text message Wednesday, Brown said he and his team have fine-tuned their proposal.

"Over the past 6 weeks, we have worked hard to listen to the concerns of our neighbors and revise our development plan consistent with the Douglas County Comprehensive Development Plan for floodways (the river side of the levee)," he wrote. "We further researched and revised our development plan to be substantially similar to the recreational and camping areas created by the Papio-River Natural Resource District."

Brown declined to say what changes he is making, saying that as a courtesy to the Valley City Council, he wanted to present his updated plan to them first.

Opponents fear he could receive a favorable vote. The result, they say, would be to bring noise, congestion and declining property values to their river getaway.

"It is my understanding that the City Council is considering overturning the decision of the planning commission," said Rich Tesar, who owns property nearby and is an elected board member of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. "We're told our property values could go down 25 to 30%. And there is a lot of concern about the airboat noise  it will be like living next to an airport."

Airboats are a type of boat designed to travel across shallow water. They are propelled forward by an industrial-sized fan that is powered by an automotive or jet engine. Passengers and pilots must wear ear protection when riding in them.

The Platte River Resort, as it would be called, would have space for about 290 RVs and 15 to 20 airboats, based on available information.

The park would be located along .75 miles of riverfront property where West Maple dead-ends at the Platte River. The site is immediately downriver from the residential area known as Sokol Camp.

Opponents also say the proposal will increase flood risk and could run afoul of federal regulations that restrict building in the path of flooding. That's because the RV park would be in the floodway, the area along a river that is most heavily regulated.

Domina Law Group, in a letter to the Valley City Council, argues that the development could lead to the community losing access to federal flood insurance and incurring significant related costs. Domina represents Curtis Acres Homeowners Association.

Brown has said his plan is the highest and best use of land given that no permanent housing can be built in a floodway.

Promotional literature describes the park as Nebraska's premier RV resort. Brown has said he would require users to sign six-month rental agreements at $1,000 a month, with a $4,000 down payment. The camp would only be open April 1 to Oct. 31, to avoid that time of the year when ice jam flooding occurs on the river.

At the June planning meeting, Brown described the RV park as an economic development tool that would draw visitors to the Valley area to eat and shop.

Opponents have lawyered up, circulated petitions and posted signs opposing the park. A number of wealthy Omaha families own property in the area.

The four-person Valley City Council is scheduled to vote on the issue at its Aug. 9 meeting. Should the council deadlock, the mayor will cast the tie-breaking vote. Valley's council members did not return requests for comment.

Mayor Cindy Grove said she hasn't formed an opinion on the development.

"There are a lot of things outstanding," she said of the problems cited by the Planning Commission. "The developer is working to address those items."
The phone and internet company Frontier Communications came to an agreement with the state of Wisconsin to improve its broadband service  the latest assurance from the company that its slow internet speeds and potentially dangerous phone outages are being modernized.

Reached following an investigation into the companys advertising of internet speeds by the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the deal includes a $15 million commitment by Frontier to improve its DSL internet infrastructure in Wisconsin over the next four years and a payment of $90,000 to the state.

Wisconsin consumers deserve honest advertising and reliable services related to their internet speeds and telephone services, said Randy Romanski, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, in a press release.

This agreement ensures these improved practices for Wisconsinites, as well as upgrades to communications infrastructure so future consumers have better access to the high-quality products they pay for.

The agreement requires Frontier to improve its disclosure practices regarding internet speeds when installing new service for customers and requires the company provide opt-out opportunities for consumers who do not receive the advertised internet speed purchased, the press release said.

It also requires improvements in Frontiers advertising of telephone service and its handling of service outages in Wisconsin, the press release said.

The deal mandates semi-annual reporting by Frontier to the state detailing the improvements and expenditures made on its internet infrastructure, said DATCP spokesman Caleb Kulich in an email to The Badger Project.

The state will thus be able to track Frontiers fulfillment of this commitment, and can bring an action in court for Frontiers failure to honor this commitment should that be the case, he added.

In an email to The Badger Project, Frontier spokesperson Chrissy Murray noted that the issues identified by the state investigation are related to its DSL service, also known as digital subscriber line, a way of connecting to the internet over a phone network, not its fiber optic cable systems.

The settlement with the state of Wisconsin stipulates that Frontier has admitted no wrongdoing, cooperated with the state and resolved the state of Wisconsins concerns related to our DSL services, Murray wrote. We settled the investigation in good faith to put it behind us so we could focus on our business  thats in the best interest of all our customers.

As of February, Frontier had about 137,000 subscribers to phone or internet services in Wisconsin, Kulich said. Much of their customer base is in rural parts of the state.

Frontier declared bankruptcy in 2020. Since 2015, it has received more than $2 billion in federal funds to upgrade its internet service across the country, according to the FCC. More than $215 million of those dollars were intended for internet projects in Wisconsin.

Frontier emerged from bankruptcy in 2021 and said in a press release it would upgrade millions of its internet accounts across the country to modern, fiber optic cables from the old and slow copper phone wire.

Also in 2021, Wisconsin, five other states and the Federal Trade Commission sued Frontier on the basis that the company hadnt delivered the internet speeds it advertised.

The federal court in California dismissed claims brought by Wisconsin and other states, saying they lacked jurisdiction, but allowed the FTC and the state of California to proceed with their case. The parties settled in May, with Frontier agreeing to pay nearly $9 million to customers and make upgrades. The state of Wisconsin conducted its own investigation, resulting in the recently announced agreement.

Barry Orton, a telecommunications professor emeritus with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and fierce critic of Frontier, said the payment of $90,000 is insignificant compared to the level of the damages to Frontiers customers.

Frontier now promises to improve the speed and quality of its broadband service, about which it has continually lied, Orton wrote in an email. Frontier now also pledges to improve the reliability of its wireline telephone service, especially to elderly and medically fragile customers, even after Frontier deliberately allowed its existing copper-wire facilities to deteriorate, forcing most of its customers to its more profitable wireless services.

Will Frontier fulfill these promises to improve service? he asked. I remain skeptical, but I hope Im wrong.

Murray responded to the criticism by touting the companys recent rollout of broadband service to what it says are more than 77,000 rural locations throughout Wisconsin using federal funding.

It is easy for third parties to be critical of the services Frontier is providing, she said, but they often fail to understand the challenges and costs of providing this critical infrastructure to customers in the most rural, underserved areas of the state where other telecommunications providers have intentionally elected to not provide Internet or telephone service.
RACINE  When she was growing up, Alicia Evelena loved getting her nails done at the salon. She always noticed how the women getting their nails done would talk to nail artists about anything and everything. Evelena noticed how these women talked with one another and how close the bonds were. Through those experiences, she learned that helping people feel good by looking good was her calling in life.

That has led her to open Beautifully Inspired Aesthetics, 422 Main St.

Immediately after graduating Horlick High School early in January of 2019, Evelena enrolled in The Salon Professional Academy of Kenosha that February, completing the courses and becoming a licensed aesthetician in 11 months, finishing that December with 600 credit hours.

Around the time of her graduation, Evelena would make house calls, exclusively providing lash extensions. Then the pandemic hit, and Evelena stopped making house calls and worked full time at Ulta Beauty in Mount Pleasant. By the time COVID restrictions began loosening in summer 2020, Evelena didnt want to be stuck behind a register much longer. She started her house calls again.

I started building up my clientele again, posting on social media here and there, Evelena said. Of course in the beginning it was really slow, people were scared for me to come into their homes and be there with my stuff. It was definitely understandable. I needed to figure out what I could do so I could have a place and have my clients come to me.

After doing some research, Evelena found what would become the original Beautifully Inspired Aesthetics location. The original location was an upstairs suite that accommodated Evelena at the time, but eventually, she moved to a different suite in the same building with a big window.

It was great for me. It was my little introduction to life on Main Street, Evelena said, noting the benefits of having a big window out front. Still having the address, it was nice to look out the window and see everything.

Upon speaking with her landlord after being upstairs for about a year, she signed the lease for the downstairs suite, a much bigger space that could encourage business growth. With more room in the storefront, Evelena is now able to move on to her next goal: teaching.

Appointments Right now, Beautifully Inspired Aesthetics is almost exclusively appointment only. Walk-in times are occasionally offered, and info on them can be found using social media. The salon, 422 Main St., is closed Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, open from noon-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Call 262-583-0115 to make an appointment.

Back in the classroom

Being a licensed esthetician, Evelena can teach other professionals the different services she has expertise in, but she wanted to make sure she was teaching people the right way. She heard the Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness offered an instructors program for licensed professionals. Her alma mater, TSPA, offered a program as well, so Evelena made a decision.

I wanted to see where I wanted to go to, evaluate things, look more into it. It took me a couple of months, Evelena said about picking the right school. I wanted to make sure I have it down before I started teaching people. With teaching people, its my name but its also the business name as well. I didnt want to give people bad information or teach them bad skills or anything like that.

Last week, Evelena graduated from Avedas instructor program and is ready to teach out of her storefront. Evelena says the experience is exciting as much as it it nerve racking. Currently, Evelena is also working as a substitute instructor at Aveda, an experience she says introduces her to new faces in the beauty world and lets her see what they have and havent been taught, allowing her to fill those gaps.

Many ways

Beautifully Inspired Aesthetics staff is comprised of Evelena and Becky Lopez, another licensed aesthetician from TSPA that joined Evelena last April.

The salon offers lash extensions, such as volume and mega volume, as well as brow tinting and lamination. It also offers full body waxing and Brazilian waxing, with bra waxing coming soon. For Facials, Evelena and Lopez use Dermalogica, the industry standard for skincare that they both worked with at TSPA.

The face is not the only part of the body getting love. Facials are also available for rear ends and pregnant womens bellies. The pregnant belly treatment helps exfoliate baby bumps and ensures womens skin can return to normal after birth.

One thing that Evelena would like to expand in her business is to eventually do permanent makeup.

The life ahead

One thing that has always stuck out to Evelena is people always bringing up her youth and the progress she has made.

They say You have the rest of your life ahead of you, but I know right after high school people want to live the college life and party it up and things like that, Evelena said. But being able to go to beauty school, thats college. Thats furthering your education ... Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I know everyone says that, but it really, really is true.
Margaret Benton has held many roles since she moved to Wisconsin nearly 20 years ago.

With eight children  two living at home and others who live close to her house in Sun Prairie  Benton, 48, juggles motherhood with three jobs. She works as a cashier at T.J. Maxx, a bistro hostess at the East Madison Marriott Hotel and a social services specialist at Tellurian Behavioral Health.

Benton is also a student. After one more semester at Madison Area Technical College, she will have a liberal arts degree in human services with a minor in sociology.

And theres another role shes had to play that shes never been ashamed to admit: FoodShare recipient.

Benton is among the 951,000 individuals in the state who used FoodShare, Wisconsins food assistance program for low-income people, in 2021. When her FoodShare benefits fall short, Benton has used pantries to further stretch her familys food supply.

Benton does not hesitate to ask charities and the government for help with this basic necessity  and she encourages others in need to use the help without feeling ashamed.

I just never suffered from that (stigma) as an individual. Because I feel that this is my job as a parent to feed my kids, Benton said.

Before the pandemic hit, 1 in 12 Wisconsinites were food insecure  meaning they couldnt or were uncertain they could get the food they needed. Food insecurity is linked to children struggling more in school, worse health outcomes in all age groups and greater stress on families, according to the Wisconsin Food Security Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

And the number of food-insecure Wisconsinites has likely increased as the impact of pandemic-related relief initiatives has begun to fade. The number of annual users of the state-federal FoodShare program grew by more than 100,000 from 2019 to 2021. Researchers arent certain about the long-term fallout, but national estimates suggest food insecurity during the early months of the pandemic was greater than any point in the last quarter-century.

Beyond Hunger is a new Wisconsin Watch series covering the challenges faced by many Wisconsinites in a state that exports three times as much food as it consumes. The series examines the history of food assistance, why Wisconsin residents lack easy access to government programs and explores efforts to curb food waste and reduce scarcity in the states food deserts.

The series also will explore a variety of solutions in the state, ranging from grow-your-own efforts, pandemic-related provisions that provided extra benefits, free school meals for all students and other policies.

Anti-hunger advocates and people using pandemic programs had hoped the changes would stick  but some of the provisions have already expired. In their absence, long-term and patchwork remedies endure, including stores on wheels, subsidies to bring grocery stores to food deserts and recovery programs that collect edible food headed for the dumpster for distribution to people in need.

Meanwhile, government funding for Wisconsins FoodShare program is the highest its been in a decade. That has sparked concerns from legislative Republicans that the state is spending too much and possibly disincentivizing work at a time when Wisconsin is grappling with a shortage of labor.

Wisconsins system: No room for error

Wisconsin Food Security Project coordinator Judi Bartfeld said food security rests on four central pillars: financial security; vibrant, affordable food systems; robust federal nutrition and assistance programs; and strong safety nets provided by emergency or charitable food networks.

Food insecurity is a bigger concept than just hunger, Bartfeld said.

Its really a continuum, she said. At the one end, you have people who are anxious and uncertain about whether theyre going to get the food they need, whether they can put food on the table. At the extreme end of the spectrum, you have households that are not feeding their kids for a whole day.

Hunger is not evenly distributed  especially in Wisconsin. While households in the state report less food insecurity on average, about 1 in 5 children live in food-insecure households in Wisconsin, which is higher than the national average.

At 32.6%, food insecurity for black households in Wisconsin is nearly five times the rate of white households  and double the rate of the national average  making it one of the largest disparities in the country. Barfeld described the disparity as quite stunning.

Other factors can compound the problem, including location. According to 2015 numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 10% of Wisconsinites live in regions meeting the characteristics of a food desert. These are low-income or rural areas where people dont have easy access to groceries. Lack of transportation can further intensify the challenges of living in a food desert.

Wisconsin Watch found the system of state-federal food assistance has stringent income requirements and frequent income reporting requirements that make maintaining benefits difficult for many recipients.

Being on FoodShare, there are a lot of limits. Theres embarrassment. Theres always a mindset of (its) not enough, Benton said.

Today, 18% of those who qualify for the federal-state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dont participate, with particularly low rates of participation among the working poor.

Rebecca McAtee, who formerly ran Wisconsins FoodShare program, said she would be challenged to fill out the application and keep up with income reporting requirements. The system, she added, can be extremely punitive.

If they (a recipient) make a mistake  that gets deducted from that persons future benefits, McAtee explained. Theres no room for error.

FoodShare recipient Elizabeth Blume of Madison said she once lost all of her benefits after earning $6 above the eligibility limit one month.

Said Benton: Theres lots of roadblocks that will keep you from being successful. I want to get off FoodShare, but you keep telling me I cant make more money. How does this work?

FoodShare has expanded benefits and worked to reduce stigma over the years, but lawmakers in Wisconsin continued to add new requirements and restrictions  until the pandemic hit.

Pandemic sparks measurable increase in food security

As the number of economic threats grew during the first few months of the pandemic, the federal and state governments responded with a slew of policies to alleviate food insecurity as more people used assistance and emergency relief programs for the first time.

FoodShare eased several restrictions and boosted the amount of benefits families could obtain, giving all eligible families the highest benefit allotment possible  up to $459 a month for a family of two earning up to $34,800 a year  and suspending work requirements that had applied to some childless adults. The pandemic also prompted the federal government to waive income eligibility requirements for school meals. That allowed all school districts in Wisconsin to offer free meals.

Other policy innovations like stimulus checks, greater access to unemployment insurance, eviction moratoriums and child tax credits supported financial stability. Overall, Bartfeld said the robust policy response to the pandemic led to measurable increases in food security  and its changing the way some people think about fighting hunger.

By really going all in on trying to combat risk, we were able to actually move the needle and prevent some of the hardships that might have happened, Bartfeld said.

A 2021 analysis conducted by the White Houses Council of Economic Advisers found the implementation of federal income support systems early during the pandemic correlated with improvements in food security  and now that some of those supports have lapsed, hunger rates are climbing once again.

Free lunch becomes political

But making these changes permanent fixtures of the food assistance system is an uphill battle. With the state unemployment rate at historic lows, Wisconsin Republicans want to bring back the work eligibility requirements for FoodShare.

And while free school meals have garnered statewide support, the well-publicized pushback against free meals in Waukesha highlights the complicated nature of food-related politics.

Food is an apolitical thing. Feeding kids is an apolitical thing, said Dave Dringenburg, a parent of two children in the Waukesha School District. Theres no real reason why it needed to become what it was.

At the most basic level, experts and advocates say the pandemic heightened awareness of the conditions food-insecure Wisconsinites experience. As many people lost their jobs, took pay cuts or stayed home to watch kids and other family members, Feeding America estimates that statewide, 40% of people relying on its emergency food assistance network did so for the first time during the pandemic.

For Benton, some of the gut-wrenching worry about where she was going to get food no longer weighs on her mind like it did when her children were young. She is more financially stable and receives just $23 a month in FoodShare benefits for her 16-year-old daughter. But she continues to save canned goods because she never know(s) what might happen.

I guess someone who is in a different position or a different living standard wont quite understand it.

University of Wisconsin-Madison students Rachel Clark, Maddie Bergstrom, Joe States, Sam Watson, Lauryn Azu, Charlie Hildebrand, Maiah ORourke, Joey Prestley, Lydia Slattery and Riley Sumner contributed to this report.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

This article first appeared on WisconsinWatch.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
MINNEAPOLIS  On the night war came, it felt like time stopped. Dr. Yakov "Jacob" Gradinar, who emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 2007, couldn't keep his eyes off the news: Bombs, then more bombs. He called his parents in the western Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia. They told him bombs hit Lviv, only 120 miles away.

Gradinar pleaded with his parents and four siblings to leave. But no: "This," they told him, "is ours."

Amid hopelessness, Gradinar prayed: How to help from half a world away? In time, an answer would come to the former orthopedic surgeon in Ukraine, now a prosthetic limb specialist in Minneapolis.

That same February night, Maxym Shevchenko, a 23-year-old Ukrainian Army commander, was also stunned. He was stationed in eastern Ukraine, near the Donbas region coveted by Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Shevchenko had dismissed Putin's saber-rattling  until Russian missiles flew overhead. One exploded next to him, severing his left shin.

Shevchenko lay on the ground, thinking of his parents, and his sister, and the girl he planned to marry. He realized his left leg was gone. For a moment, he didn't care if he lived or died.

Then he saw an army friend. The friend bent down and lifted him up.

'I should stand, and I should live'

Nearly half a year later, on a pleasant July evening, Shevchenko sat outside a coffee shop in downtown Minneapolis. Four more Ukrainian soldiers were with him. Of the five, four had lost one leg; a fifth had lost both. Nearby stood Gradinar, the 46-year-old prosthetist at Limb Lab who, along with others in Minnesota's Ukrainian community, have secured donations, cajoled American and Ukrainian leaders, burst through months of red tape, and figured how to get these men here and make their bodies whole.

These five are the first; soon will be more. Last week, a 9-year-old boy arrived, missing an arm. On Saturday: an 11-year-old boy missing a leg. Later this month: an older Ukrainian couple from Bucha, site of the war's most horrific massacre by Russian troops, the husband missing a leg.

And then, hopefully, more. Gradinar has a list of nearly 400 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in need of prosthetics, who had found online Prosthetics for Ukrainians, the organization he founded with Yury Aroshidze, a 28-year-old Belarusian living in the Twin Cities.

As people sipped coffee and wine nearby, the soldiers smoked cigarettes and marveled at their new limbs. The man who lost both legs stood from his wheelchair with the aid of his wife, and he walked  gingerly, slowly, but remarkably, considering he'd been fitted for prostheses two days before.

Shevchenko spoke of when he lay on the ground, leg newly gone, debating whether to live or die. At that moment, he couldn't have known his upcoming journey: Months in a Ukrainian hospital, then rehab, then a flight to Minnesota. In his horrific beginning to a horrific war, he couldn't see the future. Shevchenko only saw his army buddy, lifting him up.

"And I realized, 'I should stand, and I should live,'" he said through a translator.

Keeping up the fight

The war in Ukraine has upended the world. A nation devastated. Millions of Ukrainians displaced in Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II. A global food crisis. Skyrocketing energy costs. A Western coalition reinvigorated through a war where lines couldn't be more clear: the West versus Russia, democracy versus authoritarianism, good versus evil.

Against the odds, Ukraine continues to fight. A war many had expected to last just days stretches on. And with it, mind-numbing casualty figures.

Estimates vary widely, as Ukraine and Russia tightly guard casualty statistics. More than 11,000 Ukrainian combatants and civilians have been killed so far, although that estimate based on data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project is considered conservative; the United Nations estimates more than 12,000 total casualties just among civilians, and the Ukrainian government says 100 to 200 soldiers die daily. Recent U.S. intelligence estimates say 75,000 Russian casualties.

Gradinar focuses on a more manageable tally: the 395 Ukrainians who've applied for his prosthetics.

Like the 9-year-old who arrived Wednesday  he lost his arm when a rocket killed his father and stepbrother. He's the same age as Gradinar's youngest children, twins.

Gradinar pulled up the boy's passport. He pointed to his birth year: 2013.

"That's what shocks you, when you look at that," he said.

A common goal

The war quickly galvanized Minnesota's Ukrainian American population, about 16,000 strong. Some formed Stand With Ukraine MN, which sends money, medical aid, food and clothing to Ukraine while engaging in advocacy and holding fundraisers, including a dinner on Sunday with the soldiers.

Mykola Sarazhynskyy, who came from Ukraine for college and now lives in Plymouth and works in marketing, has been horrified at the invasion. "It feels like Mongol Tatars in the 1200s," he said, "just hordes of tribes, moving in and pretty much killing what they see."

Worried about his mother and sister in Ukraine, he figured he had two choices: Go fight, or help from here. He helped from here, and he has become a key connector and fundraiser in Minnesota's Ukrainian community. They've all found each other: Sarazhynskyy, Gradinar, Aroshidze, more.

The work helps them process survivor's guilt. Their help has been all-encompassing: They sent body armor, tactical medicine supplies such as tourniquets and blood-clotting medications, and negative pressure wound therapy devices to help amputees heal. The prosthetics project has gone viral in Ukraine with social media posts from a Ukrainian comedian, Viktor Hevko, who is close with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"At times it seems like things happen serendipitously, where people connect very quickly over the same goal," Sarazhynskyy said.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  On a recent, scorching afternoon in Albuquerque, off-road vehicles cruised up and down a stretch of dry riverbed where normally the Rio Grande flows. The drivers weren't thrill-seekers, but biologists hoping to save as many endangered fish as they could before the sun turned shrinking pools of water into dust.

For the first time in four decades, America's fifth-longest river went dry in Albuquerque last week. Habitat for the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow  a shimmery, pinky-sized native fish  went with it. Although summer storms have made the river wet again, experts warn the drying this far north is a sign of an increasingly fragile water supply, and that current conservation measures may not be enough to save the minnow and still provide water to nearby farms, backyards and parks.

The minnow inhabits only about 7% of its historic range and has withstood a century of habitat loss as the nearly 1,900 mile-long river was dammed, diverted and channeled from Colorado to New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. In 1994, the U.S. government listed it as endangered. Scientists, water managers and environmental groups have worked to keep the fish alive  as required by the Endangered Species Act  but the efforts haven't kept pace with demand for water and climate change.

Years of drought, scorching temperatures and an unpredictable monsoon season are zapping what's left of its habitat, leaving officials with little recourse but to hope for rain.

They're adapted for a lot of conditions but not to figure this out, said Thomas Archdeacon, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in charge of a program to rescue the fish. When you have flow one day and no flow the next for miles, they dont know how to get out of that.

When parts of the river dry out, officials use hand nets and seines to pull fish from warm puddles and relocate them to still-flowing sections of the river. The minnow's survival rate after being rescued is slim  just over 5%  due to the stress of warm, stagnant water and being forcibly relocated.

Still, leaving the fish in the pools is a certain death sentence, said Archdeacon. He and the other biologists drove over miles of dried riverbed to where the water picked up again  at the outflow of a sewage treatment plant. Only a handful of the 400 rescued fish would survive, with their best chance swimming through treated sewage.

Over the years, the government has bred and released large numbers of silvery minnows, but for the species to recover, it always comes down to habitat, officials say.

And few options remain to get significantly more water into the river.

Climate change is coming at us so fast right now that its outstripping those tools that we developed over the last few decades, said John Fleck, a water policy researcher at the University of New Mexico.

Historically, one way to send more water into the river has been to release it from upstream reservoirs. But this year, New Mexico has been unable to store extra water because of a downstream debt it owes Texas as part of a compact. Deep into the driest period the West has seen in 1,200 years, the river wasn't replenished by rainstorms that came in June.

The timing and the placement of the storms weren't in the right place to keep the river flowing, said Dave Dubois, New Mexico's state climatologist.

To keep more water in the Rio Grande, the state and irrigation districts are offering to pay farmers to leave fields unplanted, but so far, few have opted in. In New Mexico, small-scale farming is the norm and many farmers water their fields with centuries-old earthen canals that run through their backyards, maintaining the land for cultural reasons, too.

By fallowing their fields, farmers would help save water for the minnow and alleviate the debt to Texas. But officials say that in one key district on the river, only 5% of land was left fallow this year.

We need more people to do it, said Jason Casuga, chief engineer for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. But the program is just in its second year, and farmers want to grow crops, Casuga said.

For the past four years, Ron Moya has farmed about 50 acres of hay and produce near Albuquerque. A retired engineer, Moya said he answered a calling to work the same land that generations of his family had cultivated before him. Last year, Moya left 10 acres of his plot unplanted in exchange for several thousand dollars, but said he wouldnt do it this year  even though he was offered more money  because he wanted the moisture to keep the soil on his farm alive. Moya is skeptical that fallowing alone will achieve much.

Theres people whose livelihood depends on growing their hay. Thats what they know. Can you imagine the whole valley being fallowed? That just seems silly, he said.

Nor is there much water to squeeze out of New Mexico's biggest city, Albuquerque. Like other Western metropoles, the city of roughly 563,000 has dramatically cut its per-capita water use, from about 250 gallons per day in 1994 to to 119 gallons in 2019, according to data provided by the city's water utility. Albuquerque also uses groundwater and water from the Colorado River.

According to Mike Hamman, New Mexico's state water engineer, the low hanging fruit has already been picked in Albuquerque, so now it gets a little harder."
WASHINGTON  Jill Biden barnstormed the country during her debut year as first lady as if on a one-woman mission to help her husband's administration tackle the problem of the moment: getting people vaccinated and boosted against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

New headwinds blowing in year two  President Joe Biden's low standing with the public and November elections that could put Republicans back in control of Congress  have set her on a fresh mission: working to help elect Democrats who can help her husband.

She's making no secret of her frustration with Washington.

"Joe truly believes in working with Congress and getting things done, but obviously the Republicans are pulling together and they're not budging. They are not budging," the first lady said at one of four fundraisers she headlined in the past month.

"Who would think that AR-15s make any sense for anything? Who doesn't believe in the need to deal with climate change?" she said at a July fundraiser in Nantucket, Massachusetts, referencing Republican opposition to the president's call for an assault weapons ban and more spending on climate change.

With school out for the summer, the teacher-first lady was free to travel again in her role as the president's chief surrogate, highlighting administration accomplishments and showing a more political side while testing possible fall campaign messages before audiences big and small.

She put a voice to the urgency she and the president feel over unfinished aspects of his agenda.

After accompanying him to the scene of deadly mass shootings at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the first lady  a community college professor  urged audiences to demand tougher gun laws from Congress.

"We need to fight, now, for the lives of our children and for the safety of our schools," she told the National PTA Convention in June, shortly after they visited Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 pupils and two teachers were killed by a man firing an AR-15-style gun.

Congress represents "the will of the people," she said, "and that's why we need the people to speak up. Parents and teachers. All of us."

And she turned the Supreme Court's decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion into an argument for sending more Democrats to Congress come November. President Biden has promised to sign a bill enshrining the right to an abortion in federal law, but there isn't enough support for it in Congress, where Democrats have slim majorities.

"All of us have a teacher voice for when things go off the rails, and now is the time to use it," she said in Boston.

In Nantucket, the first lady defended her spouse of 45 years, saying "he's just had so many things thrown his way" that weren't expected, including the abortion ruling and Russia's war against Ukraine.

"He had so many hopes and plans for things he wanted to do, but every time you turned around, he had to address the problems of the moment," she told a group of about two dozen donors.

Tammy Vigil, a Boston University communications professor, said it is typical for a first lady to defend the president and, for that reason, complaints about Republican opposition sound better coming from her than from President Biden. He would risk undermining his authority and appear "whiny" if he were to sound off about GOP roadblocks more often than he has, she said.

"If it's going to be said, she's the better person to say it," said Vigil, who wrote a book about former first ladies Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.

Jill Biden's summer has been busy  and uncharacteristically bumpy at times.

She went on a pair of solo foreign trips in May, traveling to Romania and Slovakia in eastern Europe to meet Ukrainian refugees. The trip included an unannounced detour into western Ukraine to meet first lady Olena Zelenska. She also traveled through Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica.

But by June, she had upset AIDS activists by hosting a White House event to unveil a postage stamp honoring first lady Nancy Reagan. Activists noted the Reagans' indifference toward gays and lesbians at the start of the AIDS crisis, which exploded during Ronald Reagan's presidency.

Last month, she was forced to apologize, through a spokesperson, for offending Latinos by describing their diversity as "distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio."

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists tweeted in response: "We are not tacos."

The first lady was also heckled last month on her way into a Connecticut ice cream parlor. A man in the sidewalk crowd shouted, "Your husband is the worst president we ever had" and "You owe us gas money." A new CNN poll recorded her favorability rating at a low 34%, though only 29% have an unfavorable opinion of her. An additional 28% said they have no opinion of the first lady and 9% said they hadn't heard enough of her.

Jill Biden, 71, is the first first lady to work outside of the White House. She is expected to resume teaching in September at Northern Virginia Community College and juggle those demands with campaigning.

So far this year, she's done seven fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee. "Jill Biden is one of the Democratic Party's most important surrogates because she drives excitement from grassroots supporters across the country," Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison said.

Robert Watson, a history professor at Lynn University, said modern first ladies have become effective fundraisers in their own right, popular with the party faithful, especially women. He said it would be surprising not to see more of Jill Biden in the runup to the Nov. 8 elections.

"She is a strong defender," said Watson, who studies the presidency. "Nobody's interested in asking about her holiday cookie recipe."
CHARLESTON, S.C.  The old, brick house in Charleston stands out from its gentrified neighbors in several ways: Its 14,000 square feet, built to accommodate around 30 people, and was constructed 90 years ago to provide shelter for pregnant girls.

It still does just that. Pregnant teenagers with few options, often escaping dangerous living situations, come here to stay, give birth at a nearby hospital, and then return to the home to learn how to raise an infant. In recent years, these girls have been as young as 12. They are often victims of sexual abuse.

The building is a vestige of a different era, and the nonprofit homes mission harks back to an earlier time, too, when sex outside marriage was more stigmatized and access to birth control and abortion were hard to come by. Charleston has changed in dramatic ways this past century, but the house run by the Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina essentially serves the same purpose  one that may prove increasingly necessary in the post-Roe v. Wade South.

Across the region, the recent Supreme Court ruling on abortion could lead to higher numbers of pregnancies among teenagers and may very well affect the demand for maternity homes like the one in Charleston.

Relatively few such maternity homes remain in the United States. As contraception and abortion became widely available during the second half of the 20th century, the demand for these homes declined alongside the teen birth rate, said Ann Fessler, who wrote the 2006 book The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade.

In South Carolina alone, more than 3,800 girls ages 10 to 17 gave birth in 1990, according to records kept by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. By 2020, that number had dropped to 784.

But that downward trend will likely reverse in the wake of the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision in June. Hundreds of girls and women under age 20 received abortions in South Carolina in 2020. It stands to reason the number of infants born to teenage mothers in the state will grow if the procedure becomes illegal  a decision under consideration by the South Carolina Legislature.

The Supreme Court ruling raises many questions. Cheryl ODonnell, executive director of the Florence Crittenton organization in Charleston, doesnt yet have answers. Do we anticipate a surge in the number of people seeking our assistance? asked ODonnell. And who do we think are going to be the people seeking our assistance?

In South Carolina, we are the only maternity group home that serves young women under the age of 18, she added. When you start looking at minors, were the only resource for them, and we serve the entire state. But obviously, we are only one building.

These days, the house isnt usually full. It can accommodate 31 clients, but on a recent afternoon in Charleston, ODonnell said only eight teenagers were living under the Florence Crittenton roof  girls ranging in age from 15 to 18. An 18-year-old living there, she said, was soon expecting her second child.

In Greenville County, South Carolina, the St. Clares Home, run by the Roman Catholic Church, can house up to six women and their infants. But its not currently full, either.

Nevertheless, both maternity homes are making plans to expand residential services to other parts of the state.

There are women out there  lots of women  who are not able to support themselves or their children, said Valerie Baronkin, executive director of St. Clares Home. We are there to be able to help those moms.

These homes may be outliers now, but maternity homes used to be much more common. At the high point, there were about 200 maternity homes across the country, said Fessler.

The vast majority of them were run by three organizations: Florence Crittenton, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. And they mostly served white women. In fact, following World War II, when these homes proliferated, relatively few offered any services for Black teenagers.

The Charleston home traces its roots to 1897 when a group of volunteers opened their homes to single, pregnant women and mothers in need. The St. Margaret Street location, which opened in 1932, was modeled after the first Florence Crittenton home in New York City. That facility was founded in 1883 by Charles Crittenton, a businessman and evangelist who named it after his daughter who died of scarlet fever at age 4. It was established to serve fallen women and wayward girls.

Times have obviously changed since then. Thats why Fessler, for one, doesnt anticipate the demand for these homes will grow dramatically even as some states move to outlaw abortion.

In the 50s, 60s and early 70s, the shame associated with single pregnancy was intense, Fessler said. Women and girls were hidden away so no one knew they were pregnant  and so they could give birth, surrender their child, and then return home with a cover story about taking care of a sick aunt. It was largely a middle-class white phenomenon.

That isnt the case anymore. Today, 70% of the young women who move into the Florence Crittenton house in Charleston are Black. They typically arent seeking refuge from stigma, and they rarely give their babies up for adoption. In fact, since ODonnell arrived three years ago, that hasnt happened once, she said.

More often  like Amauree Goss, who was 18 and pregnant when she came to live at Florence Crittenton  these teenagers simply need a safe place to stay.

At the time, she had been living with her father in Charleston but wasnt receiving much support from him. Goss was attending high school and working part time, walking so much between home and work and school that she nearly went into preterm labor. Thats when a former foster parent recommended the Florence Crittenton home.

It was perfect timing, said Goss, now 21. I almost lost my son.

She gave birth and left the maternity home when her son was 2 months old. The Florence Crittenton home in Charleston allows mothers to stay with their infants up to two years after the birth of their children.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifelines 988 phone number, which launched July 16, was designed as a universal mental health support tool for callers at any time anywhere.

But the U.S. is a patchwork of resources for crisis assistance, so what comes next isnt universal. The level of support that 988 callers receive depends on their ZIP code.

In particular, rural Americans, who die by suicide at a far higher rate than residents of urban areas, often have trouble accessing mental health services. While 988 can connect them to a call center close to home, they could end up being directed to far-away resources.

The new system is supposed to give people an alternative to 911, yet callers from rural areas who are experiencing a mental health crisis may still be met by law enforcement personnel, rather than mental health specialists.

More than 150 million people in the U.S.  most from rural or partially rural communities  live in places designated as mental health professional shortage areas by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. That means their communities dont have enough mental health providers  usually psychiatrists  to serve the population.

The Biden administration distributed about $105 million to states to help increase local crisis call center staffing for the new 988 system. But states are responsible for filling any gaps in the continuum of care that callers rely on if they need more than a phone conversation. States also shoulder most of the responsibility for staffing and funding their 988 call centers once the federal funding runs dry.

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which runs the existing 800-273-8255 lifeline that 988 expands upon, has said that a state that launches a successful 988 program will ensure callers have a mental health professional to talk to, a mobile crisis team to respond to them, and a place to go  such as a short-term residential crisis stabilization facility  that offers diagnosis and treatment. The federal agency also intends for 988 to reduce reliance on law enforcement, expand access to mental health care and relieve pressure on emergency rooms.

Those objectives may not play out equally in all states or communities.

If a call center has no mobile crisis team to dispatch, you dont have the stabilization, then youre basically going from the call center  if they cant meet your needs  to the emergency room, said Dr. Brian Hepburn, executive director of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. The group developed model 988 legislation for states that emphasizes the need for consistent services regardless of caller location.

For the new call system to be consistent, you really need that full continuum of care, Hepburn said. The expectation isnt that its available now. The expectation is, he said, your state would eventually get you there.

But as 988 launched, most states had not passed legislation to fill gaps in mental health care.

In South Dakota, which has the eighth-highest suicide rate among states, health officials said responding to mental health crises in rural counties will be a challenge. So they plan to incorporate volunteer emergency medical services and fire department personnel into the emergency response to 988 calls on the ground. More than two-thirds of South Dakotans live in a mental health professional shortage area.

The state has only one professional mobile crisis team that responds to emergencies in person, according to South Dakota Department of Social Services Cabinet Secretary Laurie Gill. The mobile response team is located in South Dakotas largest city, Sioux Falls, and serves the southeastern corner of the state.

Some of our communities have virtual mobile crisis teams, said Janet Kittams, CEO of Helpline Center, the South Dakota nonprofit that will answer the states 988 calls. Some of our communities have co-responder models. Some of our communities will do direct response with law enforcement. So it really does vary quite a bit across the state.

Sioux Falls is also home to one of the states two short-term crisis facilities. The other is more than 300 miles away, in Rapid City. South Dakota also has 11 community mental health centers that assess patients and provide outpatient treatment. Those centers also use law enforcement agencies to respond to mental health crises.

Sometimes, yes, you will have to drive a couple hours to get to a community mental health center, but sometimes not, Kittams said. Generally speaking, people who live in the rural parts of South Dakota very much understand that they potentially are going to have to drive to a resource, because thats probably true in the other aspects of their life, not just for mental health care, but for other types of care or resources that they need.

Just next door to South Dakota, Iowa entered the 988 era with a more robust mobile crisis response system  at least on paper, said Peggy Huppert, executive director of the Iowa chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Eighty-seven of the states 99 counties have a mobile crisis provider, but most Iowans live in a mental health professional shortage area.

The remaining 12 counties  all rural  rely on law enforcement and emergency medical technicians, Huppert said.

We still have a long way to go with properly training all first responders, especially law enforcement, because law enforcement are trained to come to a scene and take control of the scene, she said. People who are in a behavioral health crisis, who are perhaps psychotic, sometimes theyre hearing voices, theyre hallucinating, theyre in an altered state. They are not prone to obeying commands. Thats where things often go sideways.

Despite the 988 preparations in Iowa and South Dakota, neither states legislature has funded the system long term. In the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, Congress gave states the authority to cover 988 expenses by adding a surcharge to cellphone service, but most have not done so. Only 13 states have enacted 988 legislation, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
KEARNEY  Dr. Ray Wards vast knowledge of soils in Nebraska and elsewhere coupled with his expert analytical ability is testament to the hard work and dedication that he and his wife Jolene tirelessly demonstrated when founding Ward Laboratories.

It was a journey of discovery, can-do, academic diligence and observational common sense that led the Wards to eventually pursue a lab of their own 40 years ago.

On Friday, family, friends and business colleagues joined to celebrate Ward Laboratories 40th anniversary and the 85th birthday of its founder, Ray Ward. An estimated 300 guests were expected for the celebration, which included food, speakers and tours of the laboratories.

Ward HistoryRay Ward grew up on a farm near Western, a farm town of about 350 in southeast Nebraska. The location still attracts visitors passionate about agriculture and soil health from across the state, nation and world. Wards status as a leader in laboratory testing, analysis and common-sense consultation was achieved after gaining firsthand experience on the farm as well as degrees from both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and South Dakota State University.

Dr. Dwayne Beck and I were the only two PhDs under the direction of Paul Carson at SDSU, Ward recalled, highlighting his educational achievements that included bachelors and masters degrees in soil science from UNL in 1959 and 1961, followed by a doctorate in plant science from SDSU in 1972.

Ward initially headed to work for the Soil Conservation Service, but plans changed abruptly.

I got a job with SCS and then had to take a physical. I found out I was color blind, said Ward about the day before he graduated. SCS declined to hire him, so he went to work for a construction company in Geneva paving streets in 1959.

Ward was encouraged by his adviser, R.A. Olson, to enter graduate school, where he worked on zinc/phosphorus interactions for his thesis. After achieving his masters degree in soils, he managed SDSUs soil testing lab. Then, after he attended the North Central Soil Testing Work Group in Chicago and met doctorate World War II veteran soil scientists, he decided he wanted to earn a doctorate.

From there, Ward was off to Redfield, S.D., where Duane Acker hired him to start the James Valley Research and Extension Center, a 200-acre irrigated research farm.

The next step was a call from Dr. Marty Matlock at Oklahoma State University, who asked Ward if he would serve as an Extension soil specialist in Oklahoma. Later, the Medford Oklahoma Coop asked if he would start a soil testing lab for them.

Ward told Medford he would provide tests within a week turnaround.

Wards deep interest in service motivated him to serve farmers and ranchers. Wanting to reach farmers even more directly, Ward worked with OSU to begin a five-week program of soil fertility workshops across Oklahoma.

We taught farmers how to take soil samples, and then we analyzed them and made recommendations, he said.

Ward wanted to work for a commercial lab: I was disgusted with labs recommending way too much fertilizer. Then ServiTech called, and we moved to Dodge City, Kansas, in 1977. They wanted me to help start a lab there.

I was told I would get 60,000 samples a year, Ward recalled. We got a few samples from coops but not very many. Then I contacted Harold Henry from Farmland Industries, a large coop in Kansas City.

Ward said Henry introduced him to agronomy fertilizer salesmen from across the state. That is when I traveled all over Kansas trying to educate people on soil sampling. That is how I learned to do the sales work.

The connections were building, and Wards reputation for honesty and timeliness was gaining attention. Then Ed Curry of Curry Seed met Ward at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at an irrigation convention where he was speaking. Curry wanted Ward to put a lab in at Elk Point, South Dakota.

My wife, Jolene, and I talked about it driving home from the convention. Then Mark Kottmeyer of Kearney contacted me and asked if I had ever thought of starting my own lab.

Kottmeyer introduced Ward to contractor Jerry Schmidt.

I told Jerry I wanted to start a lab, but I needed a building, and he said he would build a building, Ward said.

That was in February 1983. Jolene and Ward moved to Kearney that year. They had big dreams, but the farm crisis hit and slowed the building progress.

It was a very tough time, Ward said. The couple didnt quit. Instead of a new building, they started Ward Laboratories in a three-bay garage in November 1983.

Ward, Jolene and one employee began by testing 2,200 soil samples. They moved to a 3,500-square-foot lab in 1984. The Wards had one full-time employee and added one half-time staffer.

In 1984, we ran 16,000 samples. So, we survived. We tried to achieve a one-day turnaround on everything. It was all about providing service to the people, Ward said.

Ron Bielenberg, the banker, came out to visit us in 1988, Ward said. He said he thought we could cash flow $1,000 a month if we built our own building. We started making plans and went to 6,000 square feet and moved out here in January 1989.

The Wards expanded by 9,200 square feet in 2000. A second expansion increased the labs to 36,000 square feet. The business has 50 full-time employees.

In 2021, Ward Labs tested 447,000 soil, feed, plant, water and manure samples. They have hosted thousands of visitors to the lab through the years and at the Ward family farm outside Western, Wards hometown.

Forty years later, the soil health movement is catching momentum. Ward said todays farmers and ranchers need to think about the people who will farm the land in the future.

The really important things for farmers to do are to slow soil erosion and use water as efficiently as possible. The most important thing we can do is save the soil for future generations, he said.
Island Oasis manager Diane Miller grew up in a swimming pool, basically.

Thirty seasons later, Grand Island Parks & Recreation celebrated her service to the water park  and the community.

When growing up, Miller had an idyllic small town lifestyle.

We could ride our bikes or walk to the swimming pool, or our folks would drop us off, Miller recalled. I was a pool rat  thats what we call them. I just love to swim; I love water.

Eventually Miller became a junior lifeguard (Now they dont even offer it), then a senior lifeguard, on to becoming a water safety instructor.

Since 1983, Miller has worked for Grand Island Parks & Recreation, starting as a lifeguard.

She said years later, then-Grand Island Parks & Recreation Director Steve Paustian tossed a couple tickets to Florida on a desk in front of Miller.

Miller was going to be the new pool manager.

Why me? Miller asked Paustian.

Youre the girl for the job, Miller said to her. I like your people skills.

Miller didnt even have to apply. Yes, there had been applicants, but none seemed to fit as well as Miller, she said Paustian told her.

As for the tickets?

Paustian wanted Miller to accompany him to Florida to look at ideas for a Grand Island water park.

At the time, Miller was still teaching at Grand Island Public Schools.

Hed already okayed (the trip) with my school principal to fly to Florida, she said. It was during the school year. We went down to Cape Coral to look at their waterpark; they also had a community funded waterpark.

They snapped pictures at Cape Coral, Florida, of everything  pool features, signage

Then we put our heads together.

I thought, well, I guess Im gonna do this, Miller said.

It was the beginning of an eventful 30 years in the water.

It was the blind leading the blind, she said. We didnt know. We thought we went to Cape Coral for a tutorial.

But nothing could prepare Miller and her Grand Island Parks & Recreation family for the overwhelming success. She remembers Island Oasis reaching its 2,000-person capacity every day opening week.

Miller has never forgotten the water parks particulars, she said.

Oasis is my baby. Im very picky  how its cleaned and what things are done to it.

She also has high standards for her staff, the majority being local high school students. Once in a while they fall a little short of Millers expectations, she indicated  including when it comes to restroom cleaning duties.

Theres clean, she explained, Then theres Diane Clean.

If the job wasnt up to snuff, shed let the employee know and offer a tutorial.

If you didnt clean it good enough, Id clean it. Im pretty picky.

But I love my staff.

Ive had terrific kids, good staff to work with. Im not doing this alone. Ive had good people.

For a time a rumor circulated only teachers kids could get jobs at Island Oasis. Its not entirely untrue, Miller said unapologetically.

A lot of them I hand-picked. I knew they were good kids. They were going to work for me and they were going to show up every day.

Over the years, staffing has sometimes been a struggle, Miller said, and gets very attached to her kids.

They call me mom. she said proudly. But its not about managing the pool. Its about our relationships with people.

Her kids laughed at her, she said, because she seemed to know everyone  or made a connection with them.

People from California have dove into Island Oasis.

Oh, you heard about our wonderful beach? Miller says to out-of-state guests.

I just kind of play around. I tried to have a conversation with everybody that comes in, and when theyre leaving, I say thanks for coming.

Besides out-of-state swimmers and the generations of Island Oasis pool rats, Miller has a few mermaids, too.

Oh, the ladies  the Vintage Mermaids! Theres three or four ladies that come in and we call them the Vintage Mermaids. They come in every weekday if its nice. Theyre just delightful women.

When the pool was open from noon to midnight, mermaids seemed to be in short supply, Miller remembers.

We got a lot of riffraff in late at night. We got a lot of drunks.

Since then, there have been schedule adjustments, staff shifts and maintenance. Miller wants more change in Island Oasiss future.

I want to see improvements made. Im glad that theyre trying to get something new designed here because they need another attraction. Im all for them fixing it up more.

However, in todays waterpark world, improvements and maintenance dont come cheap, she explained.

Its hard, because were not making the money we used to make. Pools cost a lot of money: chemicals, shipping charges and just paying staff.

After 30 years with Grand Island Parks & Recreation, the Waterpark Queen, as her coworkers call her, will hang up her crown.

This is my last year at the waterpark. I have some health issues. Im tired, I dont have the stamina and I dont feel I can do the job I used to do  and thats not fair.

After a little time off from manager duties, the former pool rat will be back to splashing, this time not as The Waterpark Queen.

Having a good experience as a as a waterpark doesnt necessarily mean the facilities are great  I mean, they are here  but having personal connections and being welcoming in a pool thats maybe not as nice as Island Oasis Is that a bigger factor than the facility?

Having a welcoming, personal atmosphere if far, more important, her work has indicated, but dont expect Miller to be out of the welcoming water for long. This time around, shes trading her Waterpark Queen crown for a fish tail.

Shes been invited to swim among the Vintage Mermaids.
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A UW-La Crosse program that gives students real-world, hands-on learning experiences while helping area organizations has received national recognition.

UW-Ls Community Engaged Learning Program has received the 2022 AASCU Excellence and Innovation Award for Civic Learning and Community Engagement. The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AASCU) gives the award to cite the outstanding results and potential of a program to influence and serve as a model for other institutions. AASCU is a Washington, D.C., based higher education association of 400 public colleges, universities and systems nationwide.

Programs recognized have top-level administrative support, connect with an institutions mission and strategic plan and contribute to significant institutional improvements or programming, along with being grounded in research and incorporating best practices. Community engaged courses require a minimum of 15 hours of work with a community partner and include at least one class learning outcome connected to job skills that employers nationwide have identified as critical to workforce success.

The UW-L program has gained momentum since being introduced to faculty before the fall 2021 semester. In its first five months, 19 course sections received the Community Engaged Learning designation, allowing 315 students to assist with about 36 businesses, nonprofits or civic organizations. Nearly 85% of the partnerships were in La Crosse County.

The primary intent of the program is to give students real-world experience to help them grow their skills while making them more marketable to future employers, says Lisa Klein, UW-L Community Engagement coordinator. Community service is an added benefit.

The program gives students real opportunities to apply their learning that also meets the needs of our wonderful community, says Klein. Through these experiences, UW-L instructors work to help students recognize the job skills they are developing and how to market those skills to their future employers.

UW-L Provost Betsy Morgan agrees the program is critical to building strong relationships between students and La Crosse organizations. And, she notes, it aligns perfectly with increasing community engagement, which is part of the universitys strategic plan.

I have been very impressed with the work the committee and Lisa have done to develop a process with integrity that serves students and the community, notes Morgan. It is exciting to see the acknowledgment of the work that was crystalized due to UWLs strategic planning process.

UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow credits the Community Engagement Councils work and Kleins leadership for the Community Engaged Learning programs quick success.

Its remarkable to think that Lisa Klein has only been in her role here at UWL for under three yearsand now we are winning a prestigious national award for community engagement, notes Gow. This is a clear testament to Lisas outstanding leadership skills.

Early successful, hands-on learning experiences through community engagement partnerships have included conducting and analyzing surveys for La Crosses Womens Fund to better understand the most pressing economic, social and health needs of area residents. UWL students have also helped YMCA mental health advocates correspond with Spanish-speakers needing services, along with assisting Downtown Mainstreet with acquiring grants for art initiatives.

See more about the programs impact at www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/taking-it-to-the-streets

Get the details about UWLs community engagement at www.uwlax.edu/community

Learn about additional ways UWL provides community service and experiential learning at www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/community-engaged-fellowships/
New to the Greater La Crosse area, the Community Engaged Fellowships initiative is funded by longtime La Crosse educators Ron and Jane Rada. The initiative funds three year-long fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students to experience what is best described as a closely mentored internship. The purpose is to promote community engagement and support philanthropy. Two of this years fellows are with WisCorps; the other is Gretta Kraus with La Crosse Community Foundation.

What are you studying, and what kind of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

Going into my senior year, I am currently pursuing a B.A in both psychology and Spanish with a double minor in social justice and sociology. I love to learn, and I wish I could add so many more majors and minors! Once I am graduated at the end of spring in 2023, I hope to continue my work in nonprofits and community foundations.

All my educational focuses have an emphasis on people, whether it be studying their behavior or the language they speak. I want to continue making an impact on populations in need because every community deserves to have people dedicated to funding and serving them in whichever way that community sees fit. I hope I can be a part of a team that does just that, no matter what community or city I find myself in after graduation.

Whats the most valuable thing youve learned so far in the fellowship?

Since starting the fellowship earlier this summer, I have really learned the importance and value of giving. Prior to being at La Crosse Community Foundation, I had some knowledge of nonprofits around the city and fundraising events that happen on or off campus. However, I had no idea the true extent of nonprofits and generous donors until my work here.

There are so many people that give monetary donations, big or small, that make such a huge difference in the community and the nonprofits that work hard to make La Crosse a better place. It is so uplifting and heartwarming to know there are numerous people in this community who want to see La Crosse be the best it can be for everyone who lives here. If I hadnt started working at the community foundation, I would have never known about this world of giving right here in La Crosse.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

One thing I have always loved to do is read. Unfortunately, throughout college, I have been better at buying books than actually reading them, but this summer, I have dedicated a lot of time to reading all the books that accumulated on my selves.

My favorite genre is nonfiction because I love to learn about other perspectives and subjects that I dont know much about. I also love to read memoirs and personal essay accounts of peoples real lives. Some of my current favorite authors are Angela Davis and bell hooks. When Im not reading, I enjoy spending time with my friends at the movies or playing video games together!
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants took effect late Sunday in a bid to end nearly three days of violence that killed dozens of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis.

The flare-up was the worst fighting between Israel and Gaza militant groups since Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war last year, and adds to the destruction and misery that have plagued blockaded Gaza for years.

The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire took effect at 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT; 4:30 p.m. EDT). Israeli strikes and militant rockets continued in the minutes leading up to the beginning of the truce, and Israel said it would respond strongly if the cease-fire was violated.

Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza since Friday, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel in response.

Forty-three Palestinians were killed over three days, including 15 children and four women, and 311 were injured, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Israel said some of the dead were killed by misfired rockets.

Gazas ruling Hamas group remained on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and undoing economic understandings with Israel, including Israeli work permits for thousands of Gaza residents, that bolster its control.

Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on a leader of the Islamic Jihad, and followed up on Saturday with another targeted strike on a second prominent leader.

The second Islamic Jihad commander, Khaled Mansour, was killed in an airstrike on an apartment building in the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza late Saturday, which also killed two other militants and five civilians.

Mansour, the Islamic Jihad commander for southern Gaza, was in the apartment of a member of the group when the missile struck, flattening the three-story building and badly damaging nearby houses.

Suddenly, without warning, the house next to us was bombed and everything became black and dusty with smoke in the blink of an eye, said Wissam Jouda, who lives next to the targeted building.

Ahmed al-Qaissi, another neighbor, said his wife and son were among the wounded, suffering shrapnel injuries. To make way for rescue workers, al-Qaissi agreed to have part of his house demolished.

During the funeral for Mansour, Israeli air strikes hit what the military said were suspected rocket launch posts. Smoke could be seen from the strikes as thumps from their explosions rattled Gaza. Israeli airstrikes and rocket fire followed for hours as sirens wailed in central Israel. As the sunset call to prayer sounded in Gaza, sirens wailed as far north as Tel Aviv.

Israel said some of the deaths during this round were caused by errant rocket fire, including one incident in the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza in which six Palestinians were killed Saturday. On Sunday, a projectile hit a home in the same area of Jebaliya, killing two men. Palestinians held Israel responsible, while Israel said it was investigating whether the area was struck by an errant rocket.

Israel's Defense Ministry said mortars fired from Gaza hit the Erez border crossing into Israel, used by thousands of Gazans daily. The mortars damaged the roof and shrapnel hit the hall's entrance, the ministry said. The crossing has been closed amid the fighting.

The Rafah strike was the deadliest so far in the current round of fighting, which was initiated by Israel on Friday with the targeted killing of Islamic Jihad's commander for northern Gaza.

Israel said it took action against the militant group because of concrete threats of an imminent attack, but has not provided details. Caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who is an experienced diplomat but untested in overseeing a war, unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job.

In a statement Sunday, Lapid said the military would continue to strike targets in Gaza in a pinpoint and responsible way in order to reduce to a minimum the harm to noncombatants. Lapid said the strike that killed Mansour was an extraordinary achievement.

The operation will continue as long as necessary, Lapid said.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he welcomed the cease-fire between Israel and Gaza-based militants.

Over these last 72-hours, the United States has worked with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, and others throughout the region to encourage a swift resolution to the conflict, he said in a statement.

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday on the violence. China, which holds the council presidency this month, scheduled the session in response to a request from the United Arab Emirates, which represents Arab nations on the council, as well as China, France, Ireland and Norway.

We underscore our commitment to do all we can towards ending the ongoing escalation, ensuring the safety and security of the civilian population, and following-up on the Palestinian prisoners file, said U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, in a statement.

The Israeli army said militants in Gaza fired about 580 rockets toward Israel. The army said its air defenses had intercepted many of them, with two of those shot down being fired toward Jerusalem. Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas.

Israel estimates its airstrikes killed about 15 militants.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is known about its arsenal. Both groups call for Israel's destruction, but have different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the demands of governing.

Hamas had a strong incentive to avoid another war. Last years Israel-Hamas war, one of four major conflicts and several smaller battles over the last 15 years, exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territorys 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

Over the past year, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based on trading calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years ago. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza laborers, and has held out the prospect of granting another 2,000 permits.

In a sign of the broad immediate impact on the Gaza population, the territory's lone power plant ground to a halt at noon Saturday due to lack of fuel. Israel has kept its crossing points into Gaza closed since Tuesday. With the new disruption, Gazans could use only four hours of electricity a day, increasing their reliance on private generators and deepening the territorys chronic power crisis amid peak summer heat.

Jerusalem is typically a flashpoint during periods of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza. On Sunday, hundreds of Jews, including firebrand ultra-nationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir, visited a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The visit, under heavy police protection, ended without incident, police said.

Such demonstrative visits by Israeli hard-liners seeking to underscore Israeli claims of sovereignty over contested Jerusalem have sparked violence in the past. The holy site sits on the fault line of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is central to rival narratives of Palestinians and Israeli Jews.

In Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank, Israeli security forces said they detained 19 people on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic Jihad during overnight raids.

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed.
China announced Monday it would continue to carry out major military exercises in areas around Taiwan.

Several rounds of air and sea exercises were launched by Chinas military last week. The exercises followed a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They were expected to end on Sunday.

But Chinas Eastern Theater Command announced on social media Monday it had ordered more military exercises, or drills, in areas surrounding Taiwan. The new exercises were to center on anti-submarine drills and other sea military operations.

So far, the drills have included missile strikes, warplane exercises and ship movements around the Taiwan Strait. The strait separates China from the island of Taiwan. Chinese military officials have said the exercises were being held to show opposition to Pelosis visit.

China considers Taiwan a rebel territory. Chinese officials have said the government plans to one day reclaim the territory and may use force to do so. Taiwan rejects Beijings territorial claims.

The United States has observed what it called a one-China policy for many years. Under the policy, the U.S. recognizes the Chinese government in Beijing. But the U.S. keeps informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan.

China has repeatedly criticized Pelosis visit to Taiwan. It has also ignored calls by the U.S. to calm tensions caused by the military exercises.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China would continue to take measures to safeguard Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned the continuing exercises as an attempt by China to increase tensions. A ministry statement called on China to stop the drills and "pull back from the edge."

"In the face of military intimidation created by China, Taiwan will not be afraid nor back down the statement said.

Taiwans defense ministry said Sunday it had identified a total of 66 aircraft and 14 warships taking part in the naval and air exercises. The island has put its own military on alert and deployed ships and planes to watch Chinese military movements.

Taiwans official Central News Agency reported the countrys army would carry out live-fire artillery drills as a reaction to the Chinese exercises. Those drills were expected to take place Tuesday and Thursday in Taiwans southern Pingtung county.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday that he was not worried about the immediate safety of Taiwan. But he did express concern about China's ongoing actions in the area.

"I'm concerned they are moving as much as they are," Biden told reporters in Delaware. "But I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are."

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters and The Associated Press reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

sovereignty  n. the power of a country to control its own government

integrity  n. honesty and the ability to do or know what is morally right

intimidate  v. to intentionally frighten, especially with threats

alert  n. a warning issued to deal with a possibly dangerous situation

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Researchers say they have discovered evidence of the oldest dark matter ever observed in the universe.

Dark matter remains mysterious. Scientists believe the material makes up more than one quarter of the universe. But it cannot be directly seen or felt.

Astronomers have theorized that dark matter exists because of gravitys observed effects on galaxies. They believe dark matter provides a kind of protective barrier that prevents galaxies from coming apart.

Scientists report in a new study that they used satellite and telescope equipment to collect data that led them to observe dark matter as it existed 12 billion years ago. That is not long after the Big Bang, which is believed to have happened about 13.8 billion years ago. The Big Bang is the explosion that many scientists believe created the universe.

The research team was led by scientists from Japans Nagoya University. It also included researchers from the University of Tokyo, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and Americas Princeton University.

When spacecraft, telescopes and other equipment observe distant galaxies, they are seeing them as they existed in the past. This is because of the amount of time it takes for light to travel. So in some cases, the observations involve events that happened millions or billions of years ago.

Since dark matter does not give off light, it is very difficult to observe. To do so, scientists look at how the material reacts to gravitational forces.

One method for this is called gravitational lensing. This involves observing how the gravity of large collections of galaxies bend and distort the light of more distant galaxies that sit behind the galaxy group, the American space agency NASA explains.

While gravitational lensing is one way to measure amounts of dark matter, the method is more difficult when trying to observe the material in the most distant parts of the universe. The farther the galaxy, the more difficult it is to observe bending and distortion of light.

So the researchers involved in the new study used another method to observe distant dark matter. They decided to use a different source for background light. This source is known as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The CMB is leftover radiation from the Big Bang and serves as the main source of information about the early universe.

The team first used data from observations made by an instrument called the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey, which operates at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. With this data, the researchers said they were able to identify 1.5 million galaxies seen by faintly observed light from 12 billion years ago.

Then, the scientists used another method to search for dark matter even further away. They used cosmic microwaves observed by the European Space Agencys Plank satellite to measure how dark matter around distant galaxies distorted the microwaves.

Yuichi Harikane is an assistant professor at the University of Tokyos Institute for Cosmic Ray Research. He helped lead the research, recently published in Physical Review Letters.

Most researchers use background source galaxies to measure dark matter distribution from the present to eight billion years ago, Harikane said in a statement. He added that using the more distant CMB as a background source made the new dark matter discovery possible. For the first time, we were measuring dark matter from almost the earliest moments of the universe.

University of Tokyo professor Masami Ouchi led many of the new observations. He said that the idea to look for dark matter in distant galaxies was completely new before the team began the project. Look at dark matter around distant galaxies? It was a crazy idea. No one realized we could do this, Ouchi said.

Nagoya University professor Hironao Miyatake said he was happy the researchers were able to open a new window into such a distant time. "Twelve billion years ago, things were very different. You see more galaxies that are in the process of formation than at the present. The first galaxy clusters are starting to form as well, Miyatake said.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the University of Tokyo, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Nagoya University and Princeton University.

Quiz - Scientists Find Evidence of Oldest Dark Matter in Universe Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

bend  v. to become curved, or to make something become curved

distort  v. to change the shape, sound or appearance of something

source  n. the place where something comes from or starts at

faint  adj. not strong or clear

distribute  v. to give out or spread something

cluster  n. a collection of stars or galaxies that appear close together in the sky and are gravitationally linked.

________________________________________________________________________

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Americans born between 1984 and 1992 are known as Millennials because they grew up around the year 2000.

A new study has found that, as this age group entered their 30s, most were not living very far from where they lived as children.

The study found that 90 percent of them lived less than 800 kilometers from where they grew up.

Researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University completed the study. They found that, by the time millennials turn 26, 80 percent had moved less than 160 kilometers from where they grew up.

The information in the study came from the most recent 10-year-census, tax information and a survey.

White and Asian young adults were more likely to have moved far away compared to Black and Hispanic adults. The children of families with higher earnings were also more likely to have moved far away from where they grew up.

The report found that the chosen new home for millennials who did move away was related to race. For example, Black adults who moved away from home mostly centered on Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; and Washington, D.C.

Young white people often went to New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Denver, Colorado.

Young Asians who left home often went to New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco. For Hispanics, New York and Los Angeles were popular. So was Phoenix, Arizona.

The study also showed that some cities do an especially good job of holding onto their young people. For example, about 75 percent of young people who grew up in Chicago stayed there.

The research described a New Great Migration for young Black people who came from wealthier families. A high number of them were likely to move away from home. However, they were likely to move to the large cities of the southern U.S. That is different from the original Great Migration of the first half of the 1900s, which saw Black people move from the southern U.S. to the north.

The study of millennial movement is supported by other studies showing less movement in general in the U.S.

About 70 years ago, studies showed about 20 percent of Americans moved each year. Now, that number is only 8.4 percent.

A recent report from the Pew Research Center also found that 25 percent of young adults are living in multi-generational households. That is up from 9 percent 50 years ago.

The recent Harvard study noted that, in general, people said their move was not completely related to getting a better-paying job.

But for some, money did make a difference.

Andrew Waldholtz is 35 years old. He grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Today, he lives over 1,500 kilometers away in St. Louis, Missouri. That makes him unlike many others in his age group. He went to college in Washington, D.C., moved back to Virginia Beach for a time and then went to law school in Ohio.

He said the move to Missouri was a good one because it is not a costly place to live. He has family members there, as well.

After having trouble finding a job when he was younger, it was important for him to find a place where there would be good work.

All of us need a job to pay our bills, Waldholtz said. That factor has to be the most important factor.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report from the Associated Press.

________________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

census  n. the official process of counting the number of people in a country, city, or town and collecting information about them

survey  n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

factor  n. something that helps produce or influence a result : one of the things that cause something to happen

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Eric Martinez (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)) & Kevin Tobia (Georgetown University Law Center; Georgetown University - Department of Philosophy) have posted What Do Law Professors Believe about Law and the Legal Academy? An Empirical Inquiry on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

Legal theorists seek to persuade other jurists of certain theories: Textualism or purposivism; formalism or realism; natural law theory or positivism; prison reform or abolition; universal or particular human rights? Despite voluminous literature about these debates, tremendous uncertainty remains about which views experts endorse. This Article presents the first-ever empirical study of American law professors about legal theory questions. A novel dataset of over six hundred law professors reveals expert consensus and dissensus about dozens of longstanding legal theory debates.

Law professors also debate questions about the nature of the legal academy. Descriptively, which subjects (e.g. constitutional law) and methods (e.g. law & economics) are most central within the legal academy today? And prescriptively, should todays legal academy prioritize additional areas (e.g. legislation) or methods (e.g. critical race theory)? There is great interest in these questions but no empirical dataset of experts views; this results in uncertainty about which views experts endorse. This Articles empirical study also clarifies these questions, documenting law professors evaluation of over one-hundred areas of law.

The legal theory and legal academy findings support implications for legal scholarship, education, and practice. Clearly, debates about law and the legal academys evolution should not be settled by a survey. Nevertheless, insofar as law professors are experts about these issues, it is instructive to discover and carefully examine what views those experts hold, so as to help determine which views are most likely to be true and how the legal academy ought to develop.

Illuminating.
A ticketed event bringing together breeders, farmers, chefs, bakers and beverage makers, will celebrate the benefits of participatory classic plant breeding for flavor and organic production.

Farm to Flavor, from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 21 at Garver Feed Mill, is being put on by the Culinary Breeding Network, Seed to Kitchen Collaborative and Artisan Grain Collaborative to provide an opportunity for researchers, growers and food lovers to play a role in guiding the development of new crop varieties.

The evening of conversation, learning, and tasting will have a special emphasis on culinary grains including wheat, rye, oats, barley and corn.

Guests will include Abra Berens, chef and author of Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes, and Beth Dooley, a James Beard Award-winning food writer who has authored and co-authored more than a dozen books celebrating the bounty of Americas Northern Heartland, including The Perennial Kitchen: Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future.

At this event, the curtain is pulled back, Lane Selman, Culinary Breeding Network executive director, said in a news release. Attendees are introduced to the wizards making critical decisions before our farmers plant their seeds. Its a unique chance to meet the plant breeders creating flavorful varieties for organic farmers.

Tickets are $35 and available at farmtoflavor2022.bpt.me.

This event is organized by the University of Wisconsin, Oregon State University, Artisan Grain Collaborative and Cornell University.

For more information on participating chefs, distillers, brewers and breeders, visit culinarybreedingnetwork.com/events-1.
Michael Gableman has turned on Speaker Robin Vos, who has paid the former state Supreme Court Justice more than $100,000 in taxpayer dollars to to lead the one-party review of the 2020 presidential election, claiming in a new robocall endorsing the speaker's primary challenger that Vos "never wanted a real investigation."

Gableman's endorsement of Adam Steen, who is challenging Vos in Tuesday's primary, was first mentioned by former President Donald Trump, who has also backed Steen, in a Waukesha County rally on Friday in support of Trump-endorsed candidates, including gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels.

While Vos, R-Rochester, launched the GOP-ordered review into the state's 2020 presidential election at Trump's behest, the former president's opinion of Vos has soured due to the speaker's refusal to entertain Trump's calls to decertify the election, which is impossible under state law or the U.S. Constitution.

Gableman, whose election review has so far failed to show any evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was "surprised" by Trump's remarks on Friday.

Gableman laid out his endorsement in a robocall posted on Rumble.com over the weekend.

"Robin Vos never wanted a real investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin and everything that my office and I have been able to do to expose all the corruption that took place has been in spite of Robin and not because if him," Gableman said in the ad, which was paid for by Steen's campaign.

"Please join President Trump and me, Mike Gableman, in supporting Adam Steen for state representative," the former justice adds.

Here's why the 2020 election will never be 'decertified' There is no provision under the law or the Constitution by which the government can wipe out millions of citizens' votes.

Vos, the state's longest serving Assembly speaker and one of the most influential Republicans in the state, has fallen out of favor with Trump for not supporting his repeated calls to back the legally impossible decertification of the 2020 election. As a result, Trump has repeatedly referred to Vos as a "RINO," which means "Republican in name only."

"Justice Gableman knows overturning the election is both unconstitutional and impossible," Vos said in a statement. "His attempts to lie to voters and gain favor with Adam Steen are sad and show how desperate he is to remain relevant."

Vos hired Gableman last summer at a cost of $676,000 after pressure from Trump, though legal fees and other court costs have pushed the price tag to more than $1.1 million  all of which will ultimately fall on taxpayers. Gableman was paid $11,000 per month for 10 months. Vos earlier this year paused Gableman's probe to allow time for pending lawsuits related to the review to play out in court and halved Gableman's monthly salary from to $5,500.

While Trump has spoken highly of the investigation, Gableman himself reversed his position on decertification just weeks after proposing it. In releasing an interim report of his inquiry on March 1, Gableman told state lawmakers they should "take a very hard look" at decertifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. But just two weeks later, on March 16, the former justice concluded that decertification was a "practical impossibility."

"While decertification of the 2020 presidential election is theoretically possible, it is unprecedented and raises numerous substantial constitutional issues that would be difficult to resolve," Gableman wrote in the March 16 memo. "Thus, the legal obstacles to its accomplishment render such an outcome a practical impossibility."

Steen, who has also been endorsed by Trump and has spoken in favor of decertifying the election, announced plans to hold a campaign event Monday afternoon in Burlington that will include a "Vos tossing slingshot contest," in which participants will launch a "puppet representation of Robin Vos" using a bungie slingshot. Gableman is listed as a special guest for the event.

"Adam Steen, his campaign team, and campaign volunteers, do not condone violence," according to a disclaimer on the event release. "The real Robin Vos will not be used in this contest, rather, we will be using a puppet representation of Robin Vos."

A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump by about 21,000 votes in the state's 2020 presidential election. Only 24 people out of nearly 3.3 million who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud in Wisconsin. Nonpartisan attorneys, experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Vos, have said decertification of 20-month-old election would be illegal and unconstitutional.

Even so, the topic of decertification has become a major talking point leading up to Tuesday's primary, where gubernatorial candidates Michels, the millionaire co-owner of Brownsville-based construction company Michels Corp., and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch are running in a tight race for the chance to face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November.

Michels last week said "everything will be on the table" when asked if he would consider decertifying the election, marking a shift from his comments a week earlier that decertification was "not a priority."

Kleefisch has described the 2020 election as "rigged," but has said decertification is impossible. State Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, is also running for governor on a campaign largely focused on his ongoing efforts to "reclaim" the state's 10 Electoral College votes delivered for Biden.
As Wisconsin's longest-serving Assembly speaker, Republican Robin Vos has presided over efforts to restrict abortions, weaken unions, expand gun rights and push back against COVID-19 mandates. Despite that, he's facing a primary challenger who claims he's not conservative enough.

The challenger's argument: Vos should do more to respond to former President Donald Trump's unfounded allegations of fraud in the 2020 election.

Primary challengers like the one facing Vos on Tuesday have been successfully targeting incumbent state lawmakers across the country, and Republicans are taking the brunt of it.

With more than half the state legislative primaries concluded, Republican incumbents this year have been losing at nearly twice the average rate of the past decade, according to data compiled for The Associated Press by the election tracking organization Ballotpedia. The primary loss rate for Democratic state lawmakers is similar to previous elections.

The Republican losses continued to mount Tuesday, as Trump-endorsed candidates ousted incumbent state senators in Arizona and Michigan and a conservative challenger beat the assistant majority leader of the Missouri Senate. Though not technically an incumbent, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers also lost a bid for state Senate after being criticized for refusing to help Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

In many cases, Republican lawmakers are being defeated by challengers portraying themselves as more conservative on election integrity, transgender policies, school instruction and other hot-button issues.

We have a far-right faction that is very dissatisfied with whats happening on the left. So if you are not rabidly a fanatic that just punches every button, then youre going to have an issue, said Arkansas state Rep. Craig Christiansen, who lost in a Republican primary earlier this year.

Though Christiansen considers himself very conservative, he drew multiple challengers and failed to advance to a runoff. That came after he voted against overriding Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's veto of legislation making Arkansas the first state banning gender-confirming treatments for those younger than 18. Christiansen said he considered the legislation unconstitutional, because it lacked an exception for youths already undergoing such treatments.

Vos, who has served as Wisconsin Assembly speaker since 2013, has taken sharp criticism for not pursuing a resolution decertifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory in the state. Trump endorsed his Republican challenger, Adam Steen, saying that Vos refused to do anything to right the wrongs that were done in the 2020 election.

Under pressure from Trump, Vos hired former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman last year to investigate the election. Gableman said decertifying the election was a practical impossibility.

Steen said he decided to challenge Vos because he failed to pass legislation outlawing absentee ballot drop boxes ahead of the 2020 election and hasnt pushed for tougher consequences for voter fraud, among other things.

Conservatism as a whole has been lethargic, Steen said. We lack vision, and I think that vision is coming back.

Vos said Steen is running on hyperbole. He said Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, poses the real obstacle to conservatives. Evers, for example, vetoed Republican bills that would have made it harder to vote absentee.

"If we dont get a Republican governor, (Steen) would have less success than I had, Vos said.

Vos is one of nine GOP Wisconsin lawmakers facing primaries. Though the challengers face an uphill fight, they could push the already conservative Legislature even further right if they notch a few victories. That would mark a significant shift in a state that plays a crucial role in national elections.

Twenty-seven states had held legislative primaries or conventions before Tuesday. In those, at least 110 Republican incumbents and 33 Democrats had been defeated. The Republican loss rate of 7.1% far exceeds the Democratic rate of 2.8%. It also significantly exceeds the 3.6% average Republican incumbent loss rate over the previous decade in those states, as well as the 4.4% Republican loss rate in those states during the last redistricting election cycle in 2012.

Idaho voters have led the way in ousting Republican incumbents, defeating 18 GOP lawmakers  or 30% of those who sought reelection  even while choosing GOP Gov. Brad Little over a Trump-backed challenger who claimed he wasn't conservative enough. The losers included three lawmakers representing Kootenai County in northern Idaho, where a local Republican committee recommended conservative challengers against some incumbents after a lengthy vetting process.

People have kind of had it, and theyre willing to get up and vote," said Brent Regan, chair of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.

In Iowa, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed primary opponents to four GOP state House members who hadn't supported her plan to provide taxpayer-funded scholarships for students to attend private schools. All four incumbents lost, including House Education Committee Chairman Dustin Hite.

Even in some Democratic-dominated states, Republican primary voters have ousted incumbents deemed not conservative enough.

Illinois state Rep. David Welter, one of nine Republican lawmakers booted from the chamber in February for ignoring COVID-19 protocols to wear masks, lost his primary in June to a challenger who claimed Welter wasn't Republican enough. Challenger Jed Davis criticized Welter's votes for the Equal Rights Amendment and a construction bill containing a gas tax hike, among other things.

Davis also derided Welter's connections to U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who became a GOP outcast after voting to impeach Trump and participating in the Democratic-led House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Welter once worked for Kinzinger's campaign and received $32,500 in contributions since 2021 from committees associated with Kinzinger.

People pegged me as more of a moderate," Welter said. "Im now going to be replaced by somebody who is really, really far to the extreme on the right.

Welter believes redistricting after the 2020 census also played a role in his defeat by shifting the voters he represented.

In states where partisan officials controlled redistricting, such as Illinois, the maps enacted for the 2022 elections often contained "more and more extreme partisan gerrymanders, according to a recent analysis by political scientists and data experts.

When legislative districts tilt further right or left, incumbents are more likely to face challengers, and candidates who take more extreme positions are more likely to win, according to an analysis in a forthcoming book by Saint Louis University political scientist Steven Rogers.

Wisconsin's state legislative districts had some of the largest pro-Republican tilts among all states during the past decade and underwent only minor changes before this year's election.

Most of the challengers there are likely to lose, said University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political scientist Anthony Chergosky. But they still could leave their mark by forcing incumbents further right to please the GOP base that votes in primaries.

We are just experiencing a real scramble for power within the Republican Party right now, he said. President Trump is really flexing his muscles in directing activists in the party against people like Robin Vos. Anyone in a position of authority in the Republican Party is a target.

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri
Power was fully restored to UW Hospital Saturday evening after a malfunction to one of the buildings electrical transformers caused the emergency department to divert patients for more than five hours while power to critical infrastructure and equipment ran on a backup generator.

The cause of the power outage at University Hospital was related to one of the buildings electrical transformers. It was resolved within hours and the hospital is back on normal utility power, UW Health spokesperson Emily Kumlien said in a statement Sunday.

Around 1 p.m. Saturday, an electrical transformer at the Madison hospital malfunctioned. The transformer shut off power in the hospital and hospital staff had to begin diverting patients from the emergency room.

Power to critical infrastructure and equipment was immediately restored through a backup generator system, UW Health said in a statement Saturday. The backup system meant the hospital was never without power, UW Health spokesperson Gian Galassi told the Wisconsin State Journal on Saturday.

Still, the hospitals emergency department was placed on full patient diversion until around 6:15 p.m. Saturday evening, according to UW Health. The hospital said the diversion was put in place out of an abundance of caution.

Kumlien did not provide specifics Sunday regarding the cause of the electrical transformer malfunction.
Wisconsin, which has received its first $6 million in opioid settlement payments expected to total more than $500 million over many years, plans to spend much of the initial money boosting the distribution of fentanyl testing strips and the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, or Narcan.

Other priorities for $31 million in settlement funds expected this year include expanding addiction treatment centers, supporting Native American tribes hit hard by opioid deaths, paying for residential treatment stays and increasing substance use prevention education in K-12 schools, according to a state Department of Health Services plan before the Legislatures budget committee. The panel has until Aug. 16 to weigh in.

The plan identifies key areas where additional funding is needed to enhance our efforts to help people all across Wisconsin with opioid use disorder and to prevent future misuse, overdoses and deaths, DHS Secretary Karen Timberlake said in a media briefing Monday.

Wisconsin had a record 1,415 opioid overdose deaths last year, according to a preliminary total as of Monday that likely will increase before the tally is finalized in November, DHS spokesperson Jennifer Miller said. Thats up from the previous record of 1,227 deaths in 2020, which was 32% more than any previous year.

Dane County had a record 139 opioid deaths last year, according to the preliminary figures, up from its previous record of 123 in 2020. An overdose activity alert Wednesday by Public Health Madison and Dane County reported seven suspected overdoses, involving at least two deaths, in a 24-hour period last Monday and Tuesday.

Health officials attribute the surge in opioid deaths, which has been seen nationally, to stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and a rise in the use of multiple drugs at one time. Fentanyl is now present throughout the entire drug supply and is often found in cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and even marijuana, officials say.

The state received $6 million late last month and anticipates seeing a total of $31 million this year from a nationwide agreement with Johnson & Johnson and three opioid distributors that should bring more than $420 million to Wisconsin over 18 years. Seventy percent of the funds will go to local governments, with 30% to be spent by DHS.

State Attorney General Josh Kaul said proposed agreements with Teva and Allergan, lawsuits involving Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and potential cases with other companies should bring Wisconsins total opioid settlement funds to more than $500 million.

We need to keep investing in programs that can help us fight this epidemic, Kaul said. Its critical that we hold these opioid companies accountable.

The DHS plan for the first $6 million calls for spending $2 million on fentanyl testing strips, which were legalized in the state in March. The single-use strips of paper can be dipped into water containing a small sample from a pill, powder or injectable drug. Lines on the strips show the presence of fentanyl. The goal is to help drug users make informed decisions, such as using less of a drug or with someone else instead of alone.

Some $3 million will be spent on increasing the availability of Narcan beyond 100 community agencies now in a state program. The program has distributed 65,000 doses of the drug, saving more than 3,200 lives in the past three years, according to DHS.

Another $1 million will go to programs addressing root causes of substance abuse, such as housing and trauma recovery services.

Plans for spending the rest of the $31 million this year include $11 million for helping to build or expand centers for treatment and other services and $6 million for tribal nations. The opioid death rate among Native Americans and Blacks is nearly double the state average.
RUPERT  Shippers are running low on fresh Idaho potatoes statewide and it will take careful planning over the next few weeks to make sure fresh spuds remain on grocery store shelves nationwide.

On Monday, Sun Valley Potatoes in Rupert received its first crop of the harvest season. The farmer-owned co-op had been out of potatoes for two weeks.

Its an unusual situation.

This isnt the norm, Sun Valley Potatoes CEO Brian Jones said. We usually run through the year.

The shortage of potatoes is a result of last years lackluster harvest. Despite potato acreage in Idaho jumping to 315,000 acres in 2021, from 300,000 in 2020, unusually hot weather at the wrong time of year dropped yields and crop quality.

We had some really hot weather early and it didnt cool off at night so it kept stress on the plant, said Shawn Boyle, president of the Idaho Grower Shipper Association. In normal summers, temperatures drop enough to reduce the stress on potato plants, to allow them to regroup.

The result was too many misshapen, bruised potatoes that had to be sorted out. They werent good enough to go into the sacks of potatoes, Boyle said.

Until this years crop is harvested and new shipments begin, shippers are under the gun to keep supply chain issues to a minimum, he said, although he predicted that there wont be noticeable disruptions.

How potatoes could help the high-tech industry New research from Idaho National Laboratory suggests that potato wastewater might serve well as a low-cost food source for a special bacterium that could be used to recycle high-tech devices.

Hungry restaurant patrons are still going to find french fries at restaurants, and there will still be potatoes in grocery stores, he said.

Consumers might not notice anything, Boyle said, but internally we will have to work hard to manage the food supply chain and keep people happy.

As far as the 2022 potato crop, potato acreage is down 8%, to about 290,000 acres, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. But better growing conditions should increase yields, Boyle said.

From test digs that weve done, and better weather in general, we are optimistic that we will have a much better crop, Boyle said.

In a few weeks the potatoes are going to be coming out of the ground, and theyll be beautiful, he said.

Jones, of Sun Valley potatoes, echoed that sentiment. Of the new crop dug in Glenns Ferry that he received Monday, they are good-looking potatoes, he said. They arent huge but have good middles.

Sixty to 70 potatoes were filling a 50-pound box.

Acreage is always going to fluctuate, Boyle said, explaining that 2022 numbers still hover in the normal range. And acreage isnt the best indicator of crop size.

The best indicators are yields and pack-out, he said.

Oakley farmer Randy Hardy said the percentage drop in acreage this year was a bit surprising, although a slight drop was expected. Farmers, facing a low-water year, planted more grain instead of potatoes, which require lots of water to grow, he said.

Harvest might be delayed to allow potatoes to bulk up after cool spring weather slowed growth. At one point the crop looked to be two weeks behind, but recent hot weather might have helped reduce that time period, Hardy said.

The crop looks really good, he said, they just need some size.

Hardy, who has been growing potatoes for 50 years, doesnt predict a huge bumper crop but solid numbers this year.

While he has faced higher fertilizer and fuel costs, along with higher prices for parts, higher prices should compensate for most of it.

Processors contracting with growers expected a drop in acreage and bumped up prices.

They were willing to move prices up because they knew they would have to compete for (the crop), he said.

The new crop will be coming out soon. And farmers are ready for a busy harvest season.

The Idaho Grower Shippers Association has its 94th annual convention Aug. 24-26 in Sun Valley, which will give growers, shippers and processors a chance to connect with each other and learn more about the industry, Boyle said.

But once the convention ends, he said farmers will start harvesting and will work like crazy.
The sentencing this week of a Greenleaf man who was arrested with bullets labeled with threats against Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, among others, shows how dangerous, hyperbolic rhetoric is causing some on the far right to become radicalized extremists.

Erik K. Ehrlin, 33, was sentenced to 6 years in prison by a federal judge in Boise. He pleaded guilty to counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and assault on a federal officer in January.

Prosecutors said Ehrlin, whom U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit aptly called a radicalized extremist, discussed mass violence; wrote avowing his loyalty to a right-wing extremist ideology; threatened federal agents; declared himself sovereign from federal jurisdiction; and was found with four firearms, tactical gear, heavy-duty zip ties, duct tape, rubber gloves, a balaclava face mask, high-capacity magazines, a bag of ammunition, and bullets with the words Die McLean written on them, as well as expletives before the words feds and BLM.

This is the result of the vitriolic political discourse we have today, in which you vilify, demonize and threaten those with whom you disagree.

Weve seen for too long the far right use hyperbole and end-of-the-world rhetoric to talk about leftists, statists, globalists, Marxists and socialists.

The Democrats are trying to destroy America.

Democrats are trying to create a socialist state.

The left is indoctrinating kids, sexualizing them in school. Theyre taking homosexuality and trying to shove it down our throats.

Such hyperbolic rhetoric hit a crescendo during the coronavirus pandemic, as the far right ludicrously equated mask mandates and contact tracing with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed.

And it gained its massive momentum, of course, under professional hate purveyor Donald Trump, whose many transgressions include declining to condemn white supremacists, telling the Proud Boys to stand by and letting the violent mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, know, We love you.

Unfortunately, some people, like Ehrlin, fall for all of this problematic rhetoric and become radicalized.

Remember pizzagate, a conspiracy that Hillary Clinton and Democrats were running a child sex-trafficking ring out of a Washington pizzeria that led to a vigilante gunman showing up at the restaurant with an assault rifle and opening fire?

Those words, historically reserved for the late-night far-right shock jocks like Michael Savage, have now trickled into our everyday politics and coarsening discourse.

In Ehrlins case, he could disagree with McLeans policies about clean energy, homelessness, affordable housing or the Boise City Councils declaration about not enforcing an abortion ban.

But it is way too far with threats of violence.

And Ehrlin doesnt even live in Boise. He lives in Greenleaf, in Canyon County. The mayor of Boise has no effect on Ehrlins life.

But McLean has been incessantly attacked from Day One by far-right groups all over the Treasure Valley, such as the Idaho Liberty Dogs and the Idaho Freedom Foundation, including an ugly  and ultimately unsuccessful  campaign to have her recalled from office.

Remember the attack ads against Ada County Commissioner Diana Lachiondo, a Democrat who lost to far-right Republican Ryan Davidson two years ago?

The ads, posted by political action committee Conservative Citizens for Thoughtful Growth, called Lachiondo dangerous, radical, extreme, for her crazy green policies and radical social agenda.

The PAC eventually took the ads down over safety concerns for Lachiondo.

Its one thing to disagree on a policy position. Its quite another to foment hate, vitriol and threats of violence.

The new chairperson of the Idaho Republican Party, Dorothy Moon, vowed to act with civility  and then turned around and used violent rhetoric when talking about the other side of the aisle.

We have to make sure with the Democrats coming at us with full force that we have our barriers up, our guns loaded and ready to keep this state free, Moon said after she was elected party chair.

Confrontational politics has devolved into something undemocratic and ugly.

People in leadership positions, like Moon, need to recognize the effect their words can have on their followers.

The locked-and-loaded rhetoric of the Republican convention was disturbing and incendiary. Whether intended or not, those words have the power to radicalize people, and this radicalization gives agency to extremists who feel empowered to show up armed at someones front door, threaten public officials or write their name on a bullet casing.

We can disagree about policy, but we must not let those disagreements incite violence.

Fortunately, Ehrlin was caught, prosecuted and sentenced.

But how many others like him are out there?
BURLEY  A jury trial set to begin next week for a former Mini-Cassia jailer accused of sexually touching an inmate through a jail cell door slot was moved to December.

During a Monday hearing in Cassia County District Court, the jury trial for Paul Raymond Afeaki was set at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 7. A pretrial conference was scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 28.

Afeaki was charged in July 2021 for having sexual contact with an adult female inmate who was incarcerated from March 9 to May 20, 2021, according to court records.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Afeaki was a Minidoka County deputy and part-time deputy at the jail. He now lives in Utah.

Officials began an investigation after three yellow sticky notes were found in the womans cell. One of the notes contained explicit sexual wording. Recorded calls between the two were also found, which showed they were having a relationship.

The woman told investigators that she was arrested in Ada County and Afeaki transported her to Cassia County. She said he gave her brownies and took her to McDonalds and gave her his phone number, which is against jail policy, records said.

She said Afeaki brought her toilet paper and left the jail doors slot, called a bean slot, open so they could pass notes.

I feel so stupid because this whole time I thought I was something special, the woman said.

In one note, Afeaki asked her to perform a sexual act and she agreed to remove most of her clothing and allow him to touch her through the door.

I didnt want him to touch me but I didnt want to lose his attention either, she told police.

After she was transferred to another jail, Afeaki and the woman continued their relationship over the phone.

The woman said she broke off the relationship after someone sent her a picture of him with his wife, whom Afeaki told her was his ex-wife.

The woman told police she trusted him because he was law enforcement.

Police asked the woman to call Afeaki again so they could record the conversation and the call became sexually graphic.

Afeaki knew the conversation was being recorded but said he did not care.
How angry are some Republicans at what they see as betrayal by a centrist Democrat? Angry enough to betray sick military veterans, apparently. Thats the only rational explanation for last weeks sudden about-face by two-dozen Senate Republicans, including Missouris Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, who opposed legislation they previously supported to make it easier for cancer-stricken veterans to get help from the government.

Facing ferocious public pushback, Blunt, Hawley and the other GOP senators who about-faced last week quickly about-faced again this week, resuming their previous support for the measure and passing it Tuesday. But this shouldnt be mistaken for an alls-well-that-ends-well story. What the episode reveals about the partisan insolence and general dysfunction infecting one of Americas two major political parties is beyond disturbing.

At issue was the Pact Act, a long-sought measure to streamline the process of getting federal health care benefits to millions of veterans sickened by toxins released by burn pits for chemical and biological refuse and other sources. It relieves vets of the burden of proving the cause-and-effect of their illnesses in order to obtain coverage. The cost of less than $30 billion a year is the least America can do for those who have served and fallen ill while militarily deployed abroad.

Most of the Senate thought so when the measure passed overwhelmingly with strong bipartisan support in June. When the bill returned to the Senate for a procedural revote last week, it appeared headed for easy reapproval. Instead, 25 Republican senators who had previously supported it voted against overcoming a filibuster, effectively stalling the measure.

Republicans claimed it was because the bill was written in a way that could usher in hundreds of millions of dollars in unrelated spending  a claim the bills supporters deny. If that really was the sticking point, why did those 25 Republicans support it in the first place?

As it happens, their reversal last week came just hours after top Democrats announced a deal with centrist Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, to approve a health care, climate and tax package that Manchin had previously opposed. Republicans were livid at what they considered a double-cross by their favorite Democrat. Republicans sudden reversal of their previous support for the veterans bill had an icy sheen of vengeance.

Theres something amusing about the notion that the fact-averse, norm-breaking, democracy-threatening GOP of the Trump era is feeling aggrieved that a key Democrat decided (for once) to support a Democratic priority of helping veterans.

But theres nothing funny about a party thats so all-consumed with digging ideological trenches and meting out partisan payback that it would betray sickened veterans to do it. Subsequently scurrying to pass the bill only because of a well-deserved backlash doesnt hide, but spotlights, how indefensible this game was.
Idaho legislators will have to restock their constitutional defense fundthat is, the states money pot for private-practice appellate specialists in the Boise Barin short order. Idahos abortion laws clearly will cost Idaho taxpayers a lot of money over the years to come.

As a part of that, many of the specifics of the coming abortion regime in Idaho, the details that go beyond pro-life and pro-choice political catch phrases, soon are likely to undergo close examination. The picture that emerges will not be pretty.

One of the scenes from that review played out last week, as the Idaho Supreme Courts procedural hearing (they havent figured out yet even how to litigate all the abortion law issues, much less sift through the legal merits) tried to work through what one of the justices called with understatement a bit of a maze.

The Biden Administrations legal case filed on Tuesday against the state of Idaho, which was separate from that, may be an indicator too, as a hint of things to come. It was not, as some people may think, a sweeping attacka lawsuit challenging Idahos pro-life law, Governor Brad Little said. His response, that The U.S. Justice Departments interference with Idahos pro-life law is another example of Biden overreaching yet again, was simply a pro forma political statement, not a meaningful riposte on the substance.

To back up: The Idaho law allows a prosecutor to file criminal charges and obtain the arrest of a physician shown to have performed an abortion, without concern for the medical or other facts, with little definition of procedures, tools or medications or patient conditions or exactly what might be considered an abortion procedure. At trial, the physician could offer a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or if an act of rape or incest was reported to a public agency (and the physician had documentation), but specifics are absent here too. There is no defense for protecting the health of the patient, even in a medical emergency. As large numbers of cases in other states have demonstrated, many doctors, fearful of losing their licenses or maybe prison time, wont give pregnant patients the care they ordinarily would. Patients are likely to die as a result.

The Department of Justice statement described it this way: The complaint seeks a declaratory judgment that  18-622 [one of the abortion laws] conflicts with, and is preempted by, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) in situations where an abortion is necessary stabilizing treatment for an emergency medical condition. The United States also seeks an order permanently enjoining the Idaho law to the extent it conflicts with EMTALA.

More simply, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said: Federal law is clear: patients have the right to stabilizing hospital emergency room care no matter where they live. Women should not have to be near death to get care. The Department of Health and Human Services will continue its work with the Department of Justice to enforce federal law protecting access to health care, including abortions.

Idahos newly-minted Democratic attorney general candidate, Tom Arkoosh, needed only one sentence: In many circumstances Idahos statute would require doctors to violate their professional oaths, trapping them between prosecution for saving lives or allowing their patients to die, in violation of federal law.

That is what the federal Department of Justice is suing over  as it should  and what the state of Idaho is spending large amounts of specially-contracted attorneys fees to defend: A law requiring doctors to violate their oaths and act against the health and interests of their patients, which runs counter to the requirements under which federal money can be used.

That is this law Idaho taxpayers will be spending millions of dollars to support.

And this is only one of the many significant criticisms of the pile of abortion laws Idaho has accumulatedthere have been a whole lot of them, some of them contradicting each otherover the last few decades, most or all of which surely eventually will be challenged now that so many are expected to actually have real-world effect.

The hefty appropriations bill, for the states legal defense costs to be borne by Idaho taxpayers, probably will pop up early in the next legislative session.
A Bassett man, diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), died Saturday while incarcerated in the new Henry County jail, and the family is blaming negligence by the sheriffs office for his death.

The records were already removed from the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System on Monday, but on Sunday they showed Bradley Steven Hensley, 42, had been charged with petit larceny and possession of burglary tools and was jailed in the Henry County Adult Detention Center.

A release from the Henry County sheriffs office on Sunday said Hensley told deputies on Saturday that he was having difficulty breathing and those deputies immediately summonsed [sic] the Wellpath medical staff on duty. The release did not make clear what time Hensley registered his complaint, but at approximately 7:33 a.m. the deputies found Hensley lying in his bed, and in medical duress.

Hensley became unconscious and unresponsive, and deputies began CPR until the medical staff arrived and then an automated external defibrillator was used to try and revive Hensley, the release said.

Three minutes after life-saving measures had begun, the 911 Communications Center was notified, and Henry County Public Safety arrived 9 minutes after the call was made. Hensley was transported to Sovah Health-Martinsville, where he was pronounced dead, the release stated.

Sheriff [Lane] Perry came to my business with five or six deputies and told me my son was dead, said Brad Hensleys father, Bobby Hensley. He wouldnt answer any of my questions even though I kept asking.

When he wouldnt tell me anything, I told him to get off my property. He may not answer for me, but one day... it might not be in the next month or the next year, but one day hell have to answer before a federal court judge.

CAH is an hereditary disorder of the adrenal glands, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says. The adrenal glands produce cortisol and regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, among other things.

Bobby and Robin Hensley do not have CAH, but both their son and daughter were born with it.

They told us the odds were like winning the lottery, Hensley said.

Robin Hensley said both Brad and his sister, Jill, developed a severe form of salt-wasting, a common condition of adults with CAH in which the adrenal glands make too little aldosterone, causing the body to be unable to retain enough sodium or salt. Untreated, the NIH says, death may occur.

The Hensleys said their children have been in medical distress multiple times before and without emergency treatment at a hospital, they would not have survived.

His cellmate said he [Brad] was coughing up blood, Robin Hensley said. Theyve got traffic cops running that jail. The girl at the front desk never could tell me anything.

Robin Hensley provided a hand-written list she got from her cellphone showing 18 phone calls she made to the Henry County Jail asking about her son over a four-day period.

She listed nine calls from her son from the jail over a three-day period and five calls from a Lt. Jessee with the Henry County Jail all on Aug. 5, the day before Brad Hensley died.

If they had taken him to the hospital hed be alive, said Bobby Hensley. I told Jessee, You are my final attempt. My son s life is in your hands.

The release from the Sheriffs Office said Hensley made the staff aware of his medical history when he was processed in on Aug. 2 and based on that information he was placed under direct supervision and regularly monitored by the Wellpath medical staff, and was under constant video surveillance.

Sheriff Lane Perry said Monday afternoon that a new jail with a new method of medical care had put him and his department in a new spot.

I havent talked to Wellpath and they are the medical provider. Its their records, Perry said. What I do know is he came into the adult center through Intake and was specifically placed in a cell with direct supervision so he could be monitored. I do know that a program was begun and he was placed in a cell and monitored extensively up to the point when the medical emergency happened.

Perry said the contract for medical services with Wellpath began with the opening of the new jail on March 25.

So we partnered with Wellpath to be the medical provider and this is the very first incident, said Perry. They are a nationwide company with a presence in Virginia.

Perry had no local contact information for Wellpath. The Bulletin reached out to Wellpath at the press contact provided on their website, but did not immediately receive a response.

The Medical Examiner in Roanoke has the body and as of Monday afternoon had not determined a cause of death. Perry said his investigators found no evidence of foul play.

Our sympathy goes to the family, said Perry. No one wants to see this.

Bobby Hensley said he would never get over his sons passing.

They might as well have put a bullet in his head. At least then he wouldnt have suffered, said Bobby Hensley. They killed him, and Im going to be mad over this for the rest of my life.
The sheriff of a North Carolina mountain county said he will stock all public schools with AR-15 rifles this year so deputies have quick access to a more high-powered firearm in case of a mass shooter.

Every day you turn on the TV and somebodys been shot, somebodys been stabbed, somebodys been murdered, raped, Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwell said when he announced the initiative in a five-minute Facebook video in June.

We live in western North Carolina, a rural county, but weve got to be prepared even in our rural counties for the enemy when he tries to come in and destroy our children.

Marshall, the county seat, is about 150 miles northwest of Charlotte.

The sheriffs initiative gained national media attention on Friday after Asheville news outlets reported on the AR-15s, including that county school officials were ready to welcome the firearms.

School officials met as recently as July 26 with law enforcement officials about updated safety measures for the 2022-23 school year, schools Superintendent Will Hoffman told the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Firearms to be stored securely, sheriff says

On Facebook in June, Harwell said county commissioners pledged to purchase strong, durable gun safes so these weapons can be secured in an undisclosed location at each school.

County residents privately donated money for the rifles, optics and accessories, the sheriff said.

A UNC Chapel Hill education professor who has studied school safety and student well-being for decades questions the AR-15 initiative, Asheville station WLOS reported Friday.

Its called hardening of the schools, professor Dorothy Espelage told the station. Whats going to happen is were going to have accidents with these guns. Just the presence of an SRO increases violence in the schools.

Why is it that they have to have these AR-15s? Espelage asked. It doesnt make any sense.

Thugs on playground

On Facebook, Sheriff Harwell vowed to exhaust every resource weve got to ensure that our kids are safe, that when they go to school they can learn ... and they can go the playground and play, and not worry about some thug whos going to come out onto the playground and open up on them with some type of AR-15, shotgun, pistol, whatever.

A deputy armed only with a handgun isnt going to stop these animals, the sheriff said on Facebook.
A benefit dinner to help Emily Page Gibbs with her struggle against lupus exceeded the expectations of the organizers.

A benefit dinner was held Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church of Marions Fellowship Hall.

In July 2020, Emily Gibbs was diagnosed with a severe case of lupus. It is an autoimmune disease that can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.

It happens when the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body. Symptoms vary but can include fatigue, joint pain, rash and fever. These can periodically get worse with flare-ups and then improve. There is no cure for lupus but treatments can focus on improving the quality of life for the patient by controlling symptoms and minimizing flare-ups. Gibbs struggle with lupus has resulted in mounting medical expenses, according to online sources. Her cousin Honnalee Gibbs said the turnout for the dinner went beyond what she and other organizers expected.

The benefit was a total success, Honnalee Gibbs told The McDowell News. We were so amazed at how many people came out to help support our Em, but mostly thankful. We had great team of family and close friends so everything went smoothly.

She added that she and other organizers had not done anything like this before so they were just winging it. But they had lots of help from caring folks.

We cant thank our volunteers enough for all the hard work they put in and time, said Honnalee Gibbs. With a goal of selling 400 meals, we exceeded it! Our family cannot thank every person enough for coming and eating and also all of those who donated in some way, cooked, baked, served and bought tickets.

She added some of the local businesses who helped this possible were Food Lion, Countryside Barbeque, Crabby Abbys, J. Hartmans, Luisas Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, Eddies Pizza & Pasta and Mike Hollifield at West Court Food Center. The donations from Go Grocery were more than appreciated and organizers cant thank them enough for the help and generosity. Also, thanks to family of Emily for the event shirts and a shout-out to Meredith Byrd and Sharon Short of Clayton, Georgia.

Also, a huge thanks to the First Presbyterian Church for allowing us to have this event, said Honnalee Gibbs. They were more than accommodating. Our small town can do big things. Im proud to call it home. Please pray for our Emily! And all others who fight this battle everyday. #fightlikeem.
The signing of a peace agreement between the Senegalese state and rebels in Casamance is an important step towards ending the nearly 40-year conflict in the southern region of Senegal, a mediator has commented.

This is an important step towards definitive peace. For nearly four years, the MFDC (the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance) has said it would lay down its arms but had never signed a peace deal with Senegal, former minister Robert Sagna, head of the Groupe de reflexion pour la paix en Casamance (GRPC), a mediator in the crisis in Casamance, told iradio (private).

The agreement was signed in Guinea Bissau by an emissary of Senegalese President Macky Sall and a rebel military faction led by Cesar Atoute Badiate, who pledged to lay down arms and work for the return of peace in the region, which is the scene of an armed rebellion led by the MFDC.

The contents of the deal, signed following mediation by Guinea-Bissaus President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who is also the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), were not disclosed.

Rebel leader Badiate was sentenced in absentia in June in Ziguinchor, the main city in Casamance, to life imprisonment for murder and armed insurrection in connection with the January 2018 massacre of 14 men in the region.

Casamance, separated from northern Senegal by the Gambia, has been the scene of an old conflict since independence fighters went underground with rudimentary weapons after the repression of an MFDC march in December 1982.

The conflict, which claimed thousands of lives and devastated the economy, continued unabated. The Senegalese army has been conducting operations against rebel bases since February.
Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara announced on Saturday that he had pardoned his predecessor and former rival Laurent Gbagbo, who was handed a 20-year prison sentence in his country following the 2010-2011 post-election crisis.

In a bid to strengthen social cohesion, I have signed a decree granting a presidential pardon to Mr Laurent Gbagbo, Ouattara said in a speech on the 62nd anniversary of the countrys independence.

The head of state also announced that he had requested that his accounts be unfrozen and his arrears of life annuities paid.

President Ouattara announced that he had also signed a decree granting conditional release to two former figures of the military and security apparatus of the Laurent Gbagbo regime, convicted for their role in the 2010-2011 crisis.

These are Rear Admiral Vagba Faussignaux, former head of the Navy, and Major Jean-Noel Abehi, former head of the armored squadron of the gendarmerie at the Agban camp in Abidjan.

Laurent Gbagbo, 77, definitively acquitted in March 2021 of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he had been transferred at the end of 2011, returned to his country in June 2021.

Although he has never been bothered since his return, he was still facing a 20-year prison sentence in Cote dIvoire for the robbery of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) during the 2010-2011 crisis.
Five members of the Sudanese security forces were killed in an ambush by an illegal armed group in the Darfur region, the Sudanese police said in a statement.

A security forces unit comprising members of the army, police and support forces was the target of a cowardly attack by an illegal group in central Darfur state, the statement said without identifying the group.

The attack left five people dead, including a police inspector, it said, without specifying how many were injured. No information was given on possible casualties among the attackers.

Sudan has been in turmoil since last Octobers coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Durban. Fighting between various ethnic factions has resumed, creating a new cycle of violence, particularly in the most remote areas.

The state of West Darfur, an arid region bordering Chad, has been the scene of deadly violence in recent months.

In April, more than 200 people were killed in clashes between Arab communities and the Massalit minority in the Krink region. According to the UN, more than 125,000 people were displaced during the violence.

A month earlier, fighting between the Fallata, an African ethnic minority, and the Arab Rizeigat community in South Darfur left at least 45 people dead.
Image of a biopsy of a diseased kidney, showing scarring and injuries to the tube-like structures. Credit: Dr Ashish Verma

A steroid hormone called aldosterone is linked to an increased risk of kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published in the European Heart Journal today. The risk of CKD worsening and developing into end-stage kidney disease was independent of whether or not patients had diabetes.

The findings are important because they suggest that aldosterone plays a role in the progression not only of CKD but also heart and blood vessel problems, and that an existing drug that targets the action of aldosterone may help to prevent CKD getting worse.

Aldosterone is a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. Its main role is to regulate salt and water in the body, and so it plays a central role in controlling blood pressure. Too much of it can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Ashish Verma, assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine (U.S.), said, "Recent randomized controlled trials have shown that a drug called finerenone is effective in delaying CKD progression and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes. However, the role of aldosterone in this process was not directly investigated and levels of the hormone were not measured."

Finerenone targets the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). When this receptor is activated by aldosterone, elevated levels of the hormone lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

"Since excessive levels of aldosterone is very common, yet mostly unrecognized, we hypothesized that one reason why finerenone was effective in lowering the risk of CKD progression was that it was treating unrecognized high concentrations of the hormone," said Dr. Verma.

Dr. Verma and his colleagues investigated the associations between aldosterone concentrations in the blood and kidney disease progression among 3,680 participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study, which ran in seven clinics in the US between 2003 and 2008. The participants were aged between 21 and 74 years old.

They focused on CKD progression, which was defined as a 50% decline in the ability of the kidneys to filter blood through the glomerular blood vessels, known as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), or end-stage kidney disease, whichever occurred first. They followed the patients for an average (median) of nearly ten years. During this time CKD progression occurred in 1,412 (38%) of the participants.

They found that higher aldosterone concentrations were associated with lower eGFR, lower levels of potassium in the blood and higher potassium and protein concentrations in urine.

After adjusting for factors that could affect the results, such as medications, other medical conditions, age, race, height and weight, they found that each doubling of aldosterone concentrations in the blood was linked to an 11% increased risk of CKD progression. Patients with concentrations in the top 25% of the group had a 45% increased risk compared to the 25% of patients with the lowest aldosterone concentrations. The risk was similar regardless of whether or not patients also had diabetes.

Image of a biopsy of a diseased kidney, showing scarring and injuries to the tube-like structures. Credit: Dr Ashish Verma

Dr. Verma said, "These findings are important as they suggest that higher concentrations of aldosterone may play a role in CKD progression and cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD. This study provides evidence for the mechanism by which mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists could delay CKD progression and supports investigating their value in patients without diabetes."

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has approved the use of finerenone for patients with CKD and diabetes. Now a randomized controlled clinical trial is investigating the efficacy and safety of finerenone in non-diabetic CKD patients. "This trial will play an important role in answering the question, whether MR antagonist therapy will be useful in delaying CKD progression in patients with CKD and without diabetes," said Dr. Verma.

Professor George Bakris, of the University of Chicago Medicine, U.S., who was not involved in the research but was involved in the randomized controlled trials of finerenone in diabetic patients, has written an editorial to accompany the study, also published today. "Taken together, these studies suggest that aldosterone levels need to be assessed in all patients at risk for and/or in the presence of cardiorenal disease, especially if they have central obesity and/or resistant hypertension. We now have relatively safe and better-tolerated agents than traditional steroidal agents that can and should be used to reduce cardiorenal risk in these groups of patients," he writes.

Limitations of the study include: 1) there were no measurements of a protein called albumin in urine, or of another protein, renin, in blood samples; this could indicate whether or not high levels of aldosterone were dependent on renin, which is released by the kidneys and also plays a role in blood pressure; 2) aldosterone levels were only measured once at the beginning of the study; 3) data on the duration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use, which could affect aldosterone levels, were not available; and 4) the study is observational and cannot show that aldosterone causes CKD progression, only that it is associated with it.

In 2017, CKD affected 9.1% of the population worldwide, 697.5 million cases.

Co-authors of the study were Anand Vaidya from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Sonu Subudhi from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and Sushrut S. Waikar from Boston University School of Medicine.

Explore further Serum aldosterone in patients with heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction

More information: Ashish Verma et al, Aldosterone in chronic kidney disease and renal outcomes, European Heart Journal (2022). Ashish Verma et al, Aldosterone in chronic kidney disease and renal outcomes,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac352 George L. Bakris, Aldosterone excess and cardiorenal risk: more common than appreciated, European Heart Journal. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac410 Journal information: European Heart Journal
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

People with disability and their caregivers experienced profound impact and systemic neglect during and after the 2017 Northern Rivers floods, with many still unable to access stable housing, and at relatively high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) six months later, finds a University of Sydney study.

Published in BMJ Open, researchers surveyed and documented the experiences of more than 250 people either with disability or caregivers affected by the 2017 Northern Rivers flood event.

The study is one of the few Australian studies reporting on how people living with disability and caregivers are affected by disasters. The findings could help inform recovery efforts for the 2022 Eastern Australia floods.

Analysis found the flood event compounded existing physical and mental health issues and people with disability and caregivers were more severely affected by the flood event.

People with disability and their caregivers were twice as likely to have their homes flooded, as housing in flood prone areas is generally more affordable.

They were also four times more likely to be displaced, with a lack of access to safe long or short- term housing for more than six months.

Six months after the flood, many people with disability or caregivers were either highly distressed or twice or three times the odds of probable PTSD.

"The severity and frequency of floods are likely to increaseattention to the public health consequences of extreme weather events is urgently needed, especially for people with disability and caregivers," said lead author Dr. Jodie Bailie from the University of Sydney Center for Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health.

"The study identified multiple accessibility and public health issues which still persistpreventing vulnerable people from receiving the support they need.

"Caregivers play a vital role in providing support for people with disability and yet their experiences during disasters and its impact have received very limited attention."

The Disability Royal Commission has heard concerns that people with disability are being overlooked or left behind in emergencies and are at much greater risk of neglect during emergencies. Submissions called for the need for people with disability to be included across all levels of emergency planning and response. The Commission is ongoing.

The researchers say there is a risk of history repeating itself among flood affected communities from the 2022 Eastern Australia floods.

"Floods expose and exacerbate existing social inequalities for people with disability and caregivers. We must ensure people with disability are included at all stages, including preparedness, response and recovery," said Dr. Bailie.

Widespread barriers to accessing support

The study also revealed people with disability and caregivers often felt they were left to fend for themselves during and after the flood event. This included access to financial disaster relief, healthcare or social services. Long-term isolation and disruption to usual support networks also contributed to long-term mental health impacts and distress.

One of the greatest challenges was how evacuation information was issued, often failing to take into account the needs of people with disability.

One participant said deaf people were given oral directions that were not accompanied by sign language, and some reported not being able to hear warning sirens. These communication barriers affected how quickly people responded to the need to evacuate.

A lack of affordable accommodation for displaced people with disability and caregivers, which resulted in them living in unsafe accommodation which often had mold or structural damage.

"Nobody should be left behind during emergencies and disasters," said co-author Associate Professor Michelle Villeneuve.

"This study shows more than ever, people with disability and caregivers need to be equal partners when designing impactful policy and resources that truly benefit them. Only then can real development and change occur."

Associate Professor Villeneuve leads "Collaborating 4 Inclusion," a research team dedicated to disability inclusive disaster risk reduction in Australia. The research brings emergency personnel together with people with disability, caregivers and support services to design inclusive tools that are helping to shape emergency responses.

The team also monitors the update of these tools in practice and measures the impact on the health and well-being of people with disability and caregivers during disasters.

Caregivers NSW CEO, Elena Katrakis, supports Professor Villeneuve's advocacy for more inclusive disaster responses: "The recent severe flooding in northern NSW has again highlighted the particular challenges experienced by people with disability and their caregivers,"

"This research provides important evidence of the need for additional and ongoing support for people with disability and their caregivers affected by severe weather events. Caregivers NSW is pleased to be a part of this critical work."

Explore further Homeless and looking for help: Why people with disability and their caregivers fare worse after floods

More information: Jodie Bailie et al, Exposure to risk and experiences of river flooding for people with disability and carers in rural Australia: a cross-sectional survey, BMJ Open (2022). Journal information: BMJ Open Jodie Bailie et al, Exposure to risk and experiences of river flooding for people with disability and carers in rural Australia: a cross-sectional survey,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056210
Professor Rachael Murray, of the University of Nottingham, U.K. Credit: Rachael Murray

Patients with lung cancer who attended a lung cancer screening event and who then participated in a personalized smoking cessation study achieved smoking abstinence rates of more than 30 percent, according to research presented today at the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer 2022 in Vienna.

Many participants who undergo lung cancer screening continue to smoke and while screening offers a teachable moment for smoking cessation, there is little data to demonstrate what approach to smoking cessation is most effective.

To test the effectiveness of a personalized approach, United Kingdom-based researchers developed the Yorkshire Enhanced Stop Smoking (YESS) trial, which offered stop smoking support on an opt-out basis to all eligible smokers attending a lung health check event, which included low-dose CT screening.

The YESS trial is a double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing an enhanced, personalized smoking cessation support program that includes a booklet containing CT images of the participants' own heart and lungs, annotated where appropriate to highlight emphysema or coronary artery calcification with accompanying explanatory text, and scripted behavioral support delivered by a trained smoking cessation practitioner, with continued standard best practice.

The primary outcome is seven-day point prevalent (self-reported) carbon monoxide validated cessation three-months after the lung health check event and two-months after recruitment into the YESS trial. Secondary outcomes include carbon monoxide validated cessation at four weeks and 12 months, and self-reported cessation at four weeks, three months and 12 months following the event.

During a lung health check event, 2150 people who reported a history of smoking were offered the opportunity to see a smoking cessation professional. Of these, 1905 (88.6 %) accepted the referral and 1609 accepted ongoing support. The seven-day validated abstinence rate in those accepting support was 16.5% as measured four weeks after the lung health check event (12,4 % of all eligible smokers). Of those who attended the lung health check event, 1003 smokers participated in the YESS trial (mean age 65 years, 50% male, 96% White, 39.1% in the lowest deprivation quintile) and 52.5% of these patients were allocated to the intervention group.

Validated seven-day abstinence rates were 33.6% in the intervention group, 30.0% in the control group (unadjusted OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.90-1.54) at 3-months post-LHC and 29.2% and 28.6% (unadjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.78-1.36) at 12-months post-LHC. Subgroup analyses indicated a significant gender interaction at 3- and 12-months (p=0.002 and p=0.001 respectively), with the intervention effective in females (3-months abstinence rates among female participants were 33.9% in the intervention vs. 23.1% in the control, unadjusted OR 1.70, 95%CI 1.15-2.53). There was no significant effect of booklet content (presence/absence of emphysema or CAC) on quit rates.

"The presence of a co-located stop smoking service and offer of immediate, opt-out delivery of behavioral and pharmacological support for quitting results in a high uptake by people who smoke and attended a lung screening event," said Professor Rachael Murray, of the University of Nottingham, U.K. "Quit rates were considerably higher three-months after the lung health check regardless of adding the personalized intervention, reinforcing the need for continued support."

Explore further Cytisine may prove a safe and effective smoking cessation therapy

Provided by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
Michelle Flandez stands in her home with her two-month-old son Inti Perez, woh is diagnosed with microcephaly linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on Dec. 16, 2016. Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, such as zika, dengue, hantavirus, cholera and even anthrax, according to a new study released Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File

Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, including malaria, hantavirus, cholera and anthrax, a study says.

Researchers looked through the medical literature of established cases of illnesses and found that 218 out of the known 375 human infectious diseases, or 58%, seemed to be made worse by one of 10 types of extreme weather connected to climate change, according to a study in Monday's journal Nature Climate Change.

The study mapped out 1,006 pathways from the climate hazards to sick people. In some cases, downpours and flooding sicken people through disease-carrying mosquitos, rats and deer. There are warming oceans and heat waves that taint seafood and other things we eat and droughts that bring bats carrying viral infections to people.

Doctors, going back to Hippocrates, have long connected disease to weather, but this study shows how widespread the influence of climate is on human health.

"If climate is changing, the risk of these diseases are changing," said study co-author Dr. Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Doctors, such as Patz, said they need to think of the diseases as symptoms of a sick Earth.

A man walks past a house abandoned after it was inundated by water due to the rising sea level in Sidogemah, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 8, 2021. Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, such as malaria, hantavirus, cholera and even anthrax, according to a new study released Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File

"The findings of this study are terrifying and illustrate well the enormous consequences of climate change on human pathogens," said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an Emory University infectious disease specialist, who was not part of the study. "Those of us in infectious diseases and microbiology need to make climate change one of our priorities, and we need to all work together to prevent what will be without doubt a catastrophe as a result of climate change."

In addition to looking at infectious diseases, the researchers expanded their search to look at all type of human illnesses, including non-infectious sicknesses such as asthma, allergies and even animal bites to see how many maladies they could connect to climate hazards in some way, including infectious diseases. They found a total of 286 unique sicknesses and of those 223 of them seemed to be worsened by climate hazards, nine were diminished by climate hazards and 54 had cases of both aggravated and minimized, the study found.

The new study doesn't do the calculations to attribute specific disease changes, odds or magnitude to climate change, but finds cases where extreme weather was a likely factor among many.

Study lead author Camilo Mora, a climate data analyst at the University of Hawaii, said what is important to note is that the study isn't about predicting future cases.

"There is no speculation here whatsoever," Mora said. "These are things that have already happened."

One example Mora knows firsthand. About five years ago, Mora's home in rural Colombia was floodedfor the first time in his memory water was in his living room, creating an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoesand Mora contracted Chikungunya, a nasty virus spread by mosquito bites. And even though he survived, he still feels joint pain years later.

Dry, cracked land is visible in The Boca reservoir that supplies water to the northern city of Monterrey during a drought in Santiago, Mexico, July 9, 2022. Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, such as malaria, hantavirus, cholera and even anthrax, according to a new study released Monday, Aug. 8. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File

Sometimes climate change acts in odd ways. Mora includes the 2016 case in Siberia when a decades-old reindeer carcass, dead from anthrax, was unearthed when the permafrost thawed from warming. A child touched it, got anthrax and started an outbreak.

Mora originally wanted to search medical cases to see how COVID-19 intersected with climate hazards, if at all. He found cases where extreme weather both exacerbated and diminished chances of COVID-19. In some cases, extreme heat in poor areas had people congregate together to cool off and get exposed to the disease, but in other situations, heavy downpours reduced COVID spread because people stayed home and indoors, away from others.

Longtime climate and public health expert Kristie Ebi at the University of Washington cautioned that she had concerns with how the conclusions were drawn and some of the methods in the study. It is an established fact that the burning of coal, oil and natural gas has led to more frequent and intense extreme weather, and research has shown that weather patterns are associated with many health issues, she said.

"However, correlation is not causation," Ebi said in an email. "The authors did not discuss the extent to which the climate hazards reviewed changed over the time period of the study and the extent to which any changes have been attributed to climate change."

A worker fumigates a neighborhood with anti-mosquito fog to control dengue fever in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Feb. 1, 2022. Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, such as zika, dengue, hantavirus, cholera and even anthrax, according to a new study released Monday, Aug. 8. Credit: AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara, File

But Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard School of Public Health, Emory's del Rio and three other outside experts said the study is a good warning about climate and health for now and the future. Especially as global warming and habitat loss push animals and their diseases closer to humans, Bernstein said.

"This study underscores how climate change may load the dice to favor unwelcome infectious surprises," Bernstein said in an email. "But of course it only reports on what we already know and what's yet unknown about pathogens may be yet more compelling about how preventing further climate change may prevent future disasters like COVID-19."

Explore further More than half of human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change

More information: Camilo Mora et al, Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change, Nature Climate Change (2022). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Camilo Mora et al, Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01426-1

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A study presented today at the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer 2022 in Vienna disclosed the clinical-relevant intertumoral heterogeneity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) driven by MET exon 14 skipping.

MET exon 14 skipping, as a rare driver for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), can be successfully targeted by MET specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) like savolitinib, tepotinib, and capmatinib. Recent clinical trials of MET selective TKIs displayed encouraging clinical efficacy but nearly half of NSCLC patients with MET exon 14 skipping did not benefit from MET-TKI treatment, which indicated biological heterogeneity in NSCLCs driven by METex14 skipping.

To examine this further, Dr. Yuchen Han, Shanghai Chest Hospital, China, aimed to disclose the intertumoral heterogeneity of METex14 skipping positive NSCLCs at the functional level.

To accomplish this, Dr. Han and her colleagues examined 126 formalin fixed, paraffin embedded specimens from NSCLC patients with METex14 skipping from the Department of Pathology at Shanghai Chest Hospital from April 2017 to December 2020. All samples were subjected to targeted RNA sequencing using a panel consisting of 2660 onco-immunology genes. Functional enrichment of each sample was evaluated by single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and pathway-level unsupervised clustering was conducted to identify molecular subtypes in METex14 skipping positive patients. Subtype-specific pathways, tumor microenvironment, and clinic-pathological features were further analyzed.

Four molecular subtypes were established, including subtype A (33.3%), subtype B (15.1%), subtype C (14.3%), and subtype D (37.3%).

Subtype A was significantly associated with more aggressive clinical characteristics (more advanced stage, larger tumor size, and higher percentage of invasive morphology) and numerically shorter disease-free survival (P=0.057). Subtype A was characterized as activation of MET signaling and immune-suppressive microenvironment, such as up-regulation of PTK2, cell motility, glycolysis, hypoxia, and epithelial and mesenchymal transition (EMT), higher infiltration of Treg cells.

Subtype B was associated with Fatty acid metabolism as well as response to oxidative stress.

Subtype C was categorized as immune activation phenotype which also displayed higher infiltration of Tcells and macrophages as well as a higher level of MHC II signatures.

Subtype D displayed "bypass" activation of oncogenic pathways like WNT, MAPK, NOTCH, and ERBB signaling pathways.

"This study disclosed the clinical-relevant intertumoral heterogeneity of NSCLCs driven by MET exon 14 skipping. Based on the molecular subtyping, subtype A was more sensitive to MET-TKIs, while subtype D was putatively resistant to MET-TKIs," said Dr. Han. "Of note, subtype C might be more vulnerable to immunotherapy."

Explore further Targeted drug found effective in patients who have lung cancer with certain mutations

Provided by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

In 2016, a policy passed in the City of Cleveland to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21. Today, the legislationknown as Tobacco 21is in effect and, according to research by Case Western Reserve University's Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN), is already creating a healthier future for Clevelanders.

Led by Erika Trapl, director of the PRCHN and associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, the researchers conducted a study looking at tobacco rates in high school students from 2013 to 2019 to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy. The study used data collected from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a survey given every other year to middle and high schoolers in Cuyahoga County to track risky behaviors and potential protective factors over time.

PRCHN was uniquely positioned to conduct the study as the center's work was instrumental in helping push Cleveland's Tobacco 21 legislation forward. In fact, Trapl chaired the committee that brought the legislation forward to city council in 2015 and was lead author on the study published in JAMA Network Open.

"I hope we recognize that policy can be a strong lever for public health," she said. "And in this case, this policy was developed (by) and came from the community."

To better understand the impact of the legislation and the study's findings, we sat down with Trapl to discuss her team's work.

Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did this study come about and what made your team want to look into the impact of the legislation?

Being part of the committee, we were on the front end of this, we needed to figure out how to evaluate this because no other city that has adopted this policy has been able to figure out how it works, if it works or what impact it has.

We already collected data and we used our YRBS data to inform city council about youth tobacco use and why we think there's an imperative to protect youth, so the best way to show impact is to keep using that data and look at change over time to see if rates are coming down that we might be able to attribute at least partially to the policy.

It felt important to be able to use the data that we had to inform our community about how impactful that policy was and see if we still needed to do more and also celebrate the success of that.

What do you think these results will show about the future health of Clevelanders and youth, more specifically?

Cleveland continues to look at how to strengthen that policy because, even though we have state and federal policy, what's really important with policy is enforcement. And the state and the federal government don't have the resources to enforce this policy across the over 500 tobacco retailers in the city of Cleveland. So we continue to look at ways to reinforce this locally.

But with the success that we've seen in the decline in tobacco use among kids, what that really translates into is fewer adult smokers in the city of Cleveland in the future and a reduction in tobacco-related disparities in disease.

We hope that some of the impact of tobacco on those diseases is lessened because we have reduced the number of kids who start. One of the reasons Tobacco 21 is really important is because very few adult smokers begin smoking after the age of 21. Most smokers start early during adolescence, and the adolescent brain is more sensitive to becoming dependent on nicotine, so the addiction starts much more quickly for kids. That's why we see over 90% of adult smokers are people who started when they were teenagers and just could not quit and continued smoking.

The hope is that, if we're reducing initiation and use right now among kids and driving that down as far as we can, then we're reducing the number of adults smokers that we have in the community and driving down the cost of those diseases in our community.

Because it's something that is so future-driven, was this policy hard to sell?

No, because we really saw this as a way to protect our kids and invest in our children and our community. The other thing that our data allows us to do is say there are this many fewer thousands of children using tobacco in our Cleveland high schools in 2021 than there were in 2015 before we passed that legislation. We can actually equate it to the number of kids who did not start smoking, who are not currently smoking.

What's it like seeing this data after having played such an important role in Cleveland's legislation passing?

As scientists, we all hope to see the impact of the work that we do and usually in policy, it takes a bit of time. This has been incredibly rewarding, not just for me and my team at [PRCHN] but also for all the partners that we've worked with on this legislation since 2013. Our goal was to have a positive impact and protect the health of the children who live in the city of Cleveland. And amazingly right within just four years, really we saw it, even within two years of this policy, we saw fewer kids smoking.

That's a big deal. And it's a big deal, not just to celebrate that success, but to realize, we can take that energy and bring it to the next policy and to the next issue that we need to address to improve the health of kids in Cleveland and Cleveland residents.

Do you have any plans to expand upon this research at all?

Yes, and no. I'm curious to see what the state and federal impact is, and I hope it remains the same and certainly my team aims to continue to monitor tobacco use. We will likely shift our focus to the pending legislation on the ban of all flavored tobacco products, because that is pending nationally with the US Food and Drug Administration Center for tobacco products. They proposed a rule a couple of months ago to ban menthol cigarettes, which would have a huge impact within the African American adult communityparticularly here in Clevelandbut also to ban flavored cigars, which are the most common of any tobacco product among all youth in the city of Cleveland.

Our work is moving now into flavors as really the next avenue to reduce youth initiation. We hope to encourage local adoption of flavor policy.

What do you think the impact of your findings will be?

Locally, I hope it reassures those of us in Cleveland who are involved in policy change that we can make policy change, that policy change can be impactful and we can see that change on actual people's lives.

The second would be recognizing that we can develop equitable policies that can and should protect us from predatory companies.

Explore further Bans on flavored e-cigarettes could see some vapers return to smoking cigarettes

More information: Erika Trapl et al, Evaluation of Restrictions on Tobacco Sales to Youth Younger Than 21 Years in Cleveland, Ohio, Area, JAMA Network Open (2022). Journal information: JAMA Network Open Erika Trapl et al, Evaluation of Restrictions on Tobacco Sales to Youth Younger Than 21 Years in Cleveland, Ohio, Area,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.22987
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Younger patients with lung cancer are significantly more likely than older patients to be diagnosed with later stages of disease, illustrating the need to develop strategies to increase the early detection of lung cancer among younger patients who are currently ineligible for lung cancer screening. The research was presented today at the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer 2022 in Vienna, Austria.

Lung cancer screening guidelines in the U.S. are established to screen high-risk adults over age 50, rendering younger adults ineligible for screening and potentially leading to large disparities in the stage of lung cancer diagnosed between younger and older patients. During the last decade, patients over age 50 experienced a significant shift to earlier stages of disease identified, likely due to the onset of lung cancer screening in the U.S. In contrast, there have been minimal improvements in the early diagnosis of young patients with lung cancer.

To explore this issue, Ms. Alexandra Potter, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and colleagues examined data from patients aged 20-79 in the United States Cancer Statistics database and National Cancer Database (NCDB) diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Ms. Potter's research team found that from 2010-2018, there were an estimated 1,328, 5,682, and 39,323 lung cancer cases diagnosed among individuals aged 20-29, 30-39, and 40-49 in the United States, respectively. Over 75% of patients aged 20-29 were diagnosed with stage IV disease compared to only 40% of patients aged 70-79. The percentage of lung cancers diagnosed at stage IV among younger patients under age 50 years did not change from 2010 vs. 2018, while the percentage of lung cancers diagnosed at stage IV among patients > 50 years significantly decreased during this time period. The researchers observed a shift towards earlier stages of disease among patients aged 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79, while no stage shift was observed among patients aged 20-29, 30-39, or 40-49.

"In this national analysis, we found that younger patients with lung cancer are significantly more likely than older patients to be diagnosed with later stages of disease," said Ms. Potter. These findings illustrate the need to develop strategies to increase the early detection of lung cancer among younger patients who are currently ineligible for lung cancer screening."

Ms. Potter noted that during the last decade, patients over age 50 experienced a significant shift to earlier stages of disease identified, likely due to the onset of lung cancer screening in the U.S. In contrast, there have been minimal improvements in the early diagnosis of young patients with lung cancer.

Provided by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
Dr. Elizabeth Rutkowski. Credit: Augusta University

Fatigue and headache were the most common symptoms reported by individuals an average of more than four months out from having COVID-19, investigators report.

Muscle aches, cough, changes in smell and taste, fever, chills and nasal congestion were next in the long line of lingering symptoms.

"Our results support the growing evidence that there are chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms following COVID-19 infections," Medical College of Georgia investigators write in the journal Brain, Behavior, & Immunity.

"There are a lot of symptoms that we did not know early on in the pandemic what to make of them, but now it's clear there is a long COVID syndrome and that a lot of people are affected," says Dr. Elizabeth Rutkowski, MCG neurologist and the study's corresponding author.

The published study reports on preliminary findings from the first visit of the first 200 patients enrolled in the COVID-19 Neurological and Molecular Prospective Cohort Study in Georgia, or CONGA, who were recruited on average about 125 days after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.

CONGA was established at MCG early in the pandemic in 2020 to examine the severity and longevity of neurological problems and began enrolling participants in March 2020 with the ultimate goal of recruiting 500 over five years.

Eighty percent of the first 200 participants reported neurological symptoms with fatigue, the most common symptom, reported by 68.5%, and headache close behind at 66.5%. Just over half reported changes in smell (54.5%) and taste (54%) and nearly half the participants (47%) met the criteria for mild cognitive impairment, with 30% demonstrating impaired vocabulary and 32% having impaired working memory.

Twenty-one percent reported confusion, and hypertension was the most common medical condition reported by participants in addition to their bout with COVID-19.

No participants reported having a stroke, weakness or inability to control muscles involved with speaking, and coordination problems were some of the less frequently reported symptoms.

Twenty-five percent met the criteria for depression, and diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea and a history of depression were associated with those who met the criteria. Anemia and a history of depression were associated with the 18% who met the objective criteria for anxiety.

While the findings to date are not surprising and are consistent with what other investigators are finding, Rutkowski says the fact that symptoms reported by participants often didn't match what objective testing indicated, was surprising. And, it was bidirectional.

For example, the majority of participants reported taste and smell changes, but objective testing of both these senses did not always line up with what they reported. In fact, a higher percentage of those who did not report the changes actually had evidence of impaired function based on objective measures, the investigators write. While the reasons are not certain, part of the discrepancy may be a change in the quality of their taste and smell rather than pure impaired ability, Rutkowski says.

"They eat a chicken sandwich and it tastes like smoke or candles or some weird other thing but our taste strips are trying to depict specific tastes like salty and sweet," Rutkowski says. Others, for example, may rely on these senses more, even when they are preparing the food, and may be apt to notice even a slight change, she says.

Either way, their data and others suggest a persistent loss of taste and smell following COVID-19, Rutkowski and her colleagues write.

Many earlier reports have been based on these kinds of self-reports, and the discrepancies they are finding indicate that approach may not reflect objective dysfunction, the investigators write.

On the other hand, cognitive testing may overestimate impairment in disadvantaged populations, they report.

The first enrollees were largely female, 35.5% were male. They were an average of 44.6 years old, nearly 40% were Black and 7% had been hospitalized because of COVID-19. Black participants were generally disproportionately affected, the investigators say.

Seventy-five percent of Black participants and 23.4% of white participants met criteria for mild cognitive impairment. The findings likely indicate that cognitive tests assess different ethnic groups differently. And, socioeconomic, psychosocial (issues like family problems, depression and sexual abuse) and physical health factors generally may disproportionately affect Black individuals, the investigators write. It also could mean that cognitive testing may overestimate clinical impairment in disadvantaged populations, they write.

Black and Hispanic individuals are considered twice as likely to be hospitalized by COVID-19 and ethnic and racial minorities are more likely to live in areas with higher rates of infection. Genetics also is a likely factor for their increased risk for increased impact from COVID, much like being at higher risk for hypertension and heart disease early and more severely in life.

A focus of CONGA is to try to better understand how increased risk and effects from COVID-19 impact Blacks, who comprise about 33% of the state's population.

A reason fatigue appears to be such a major factor among those who had COVID-19 is potentially because of levels of inflammation, the body's natural response to an infection, remain elevated in some individuals. For example, blood samples taken at the initial visit and again on follow up showed some inflammatory markers were up and stayed up in some individuals.

These findings and others indicate that even though the antibodies to the virus itself may wain, persistent inflammation is contributing to some of the symptoms like fatigue, she says. She notes patients with conditions like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, both considered autoimmune conditions that consequently also have high levels of inflammation, also include fatigue as a top symptom.

"They have body fatigue where they feel short of breath, they go to get the dishes done and they are feeling palpitations, they immediately have to sit down and they feel muscle soreness like they just ran a mile or more," Rutkowski says.

"There is probably some degree of neurologic fatigue as well because patients also have brain fog, they say it hurts to think, to read even a single email and that their brain is just wiped out," she says. Some studies have even shown shrinkage of brain volume as a result of even mild to moderate disease.

These multisystem, ongoing concerns are why some health care facilities have established long COVID clinics where physicians with expertise in the myriad of problems they are experiencing gather to see each patient.

CONGA participants who reported more symptoms and problems tended to have depression and anxiety.

Problems like these as well as mild cognitive impairment and even impaired vocabulary may also reflect the long-term isolation COVID-19 produced for many individuals, Rutkowski says.

"You are not doing what you would normally do, like hanging out with your friends, the things that bring most people joy," Rutkowski says. "On top of that, you may be dealing with physical ailments, lost friends and family members and loss of your job."

For CONGA, participants self-report symptoms and answer questions about their general state of health like whether they smoked, drank alcohol, exercised, and any known preexisting medical conditions. But they also receive an extensive neurological exam that looks at fundamentals like mental status, reflexes and motor function. They also take established tests to assess cognitive function with results being age adjusted. They also do at-home extensive testing where they are asked to identify odors and the ability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, salty, brothy or no taste. They also have blood analysis done to look for indicators of lingering infection like those inflammatory markers and oxidative stress.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are observed in the acute phase of infection, but there is a need for accurate characterization of how symptoms evolve over time, the investigators write.

And particularly for some individuals, symptoms definitely linger. Even some previously high-functioning individuals, who normally worked 80 hours a week and exercised daily, may find themselves only able to function about an hour a day and be in the bed the remainder, Rutkowski says.

The investigators are searching for answers to why and how, and while Rutkowski says she cannot yet answer all their questions, she can tell them with certainty that they are not alone or "crazy."

One of the best things everyone can do moving forward is to remain diligent about avoiding infection, including getting vaccinated or boosted to help protect your brain and body from long COVID symptoms and help protect others from infection, Rutkowski says. There is evidence that the more times you are infected, the higher the risk of ongoing problems.

Rutkowski notes that their study findings may be somewhat biased toward high percentages of ongoing symptoms because the study likely is attracting a high percentage of individuals with concerns about ongoing problems.

SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have first infected people in late 2019 and is a member of the larger group of coronaviruses, which have been a source of upper respiratory tract infections, like the common cold, in people for years.

At least part of the reason SARS-CoV-2 is believed to have such a wide-ranging impact is that the virus is known to attach to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, or ACE2, which is pervasive in the body. ACE2 has a key role in functions like regulating blood pressure and inflammation. It's found on neurons, cells lining the nose, mouth, lungs and blood vessels, as well as the heart, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. The virus attaches directly to the ACE2 receptor on the surface of cells, which functions much like a door to let the virus inside.

Experience and study since COVID-19 started both indicate immediate neurological impact can include loss of taste and smell, brain infection, headaches and, less commonly, seizures, stroke and damage or death of nerves. As time has passed, there is increasing evidence that problems like loss of taste and smell, can become chronic, as well as problems like brain fog, extreme fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia, the investigators write. Persistent conditions including these and others are now referenced as "long COVID."

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More information: Alex K. Chen et al, Neuropsychiatric sequelae of long COVID-19: Pilot results from the COVID-19 neurological and molecular prospective cohort study in Georgia, USA, Brain, Behavior, & ImmunityHealth (2022). Alex K. Chen et al, Neuropsychiatric sequelae of long COVID-19: Pilot results from the COVID-19 neurological and molecular prospective cohort study in Georgia, USA,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100491
Dr. Mariano Provencio, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Spain. Credit: Dr. Mariano Provencio, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Spain

In the initial NADIM trial, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy was shown to be highly effective in patients with resectable stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. Today, the researchers from the NADIM trial present new data that supports the conclusions of the initial NADIM trial.

To develop additional data to follow up on NADIM, Dr. Mariano Provencio, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Spain and colleagues at several Spanish medical sites, created NADIM II (NCT03838159), an open-label, randomized, two-arm, phase II, multi-center clinical trial sponsored by the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP).

NADIM II enrolled patients with resectable clinical stage IIIA (per AJCC 7th edition) NSCLC, ECOG PS 0-1, and no known EGFR/ALK alterations were randomized to receive nivolumab 360mg + paclitaxel 200mg/m2 + carboplatin for three cycles every 21 days (+/- 3 days) as neoadjuvant treatment followed by surgery, or paclitaxel 200mg/m2 + carboplatin for three cycles every 21 days (+/- 3 days) followed by surgery.

Patients with R0 resection confirmed by pathological evaluation-initiated adjuvant administration of nivolumab (480 mg Q4W) within the third to eighth week (+ 7 days) from surgery and for six months. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) and progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and biomarker analysis are secondary endpoints of the trial.

Median follow-up time was 21.9 months (95%CI: 18.7-23.3). At the time of data cutoff (March 2021), progression-free survival at 24 months was 67.3% (95%CI: 55.5-81.6) for patients treated with nivolumab plus chemotherapy versus 52.6% (95%CI: 36.8- 75.2) for patients treated with chemotherapy (hazard ratio: 0.56; 95%CI: 0.28-1.15; P= 0.117).

Overall survival at 24 months was 85.3% (95%CI: 75.7-96.1) with nivolumab plus chemotherapy versus 64.8% (95%CI: 47.4-86.4) with chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95%CI, 0.14-0.93; P=0.003). In the experimental arm, PDL1 expression (1%) significantly identified patients with improve PFS (HR: 0.26; 95%CI: 0.08-0.77; P = 0.015). Pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 36.2% in the experimental arm versus 6.8% in the control arm (P = 0.007). None of the patients showing a pCR has progressed or deceased (P LogRank <0.001 and P LogRank= 0.013 for PFS and OS, respectively).

"NADIM II demonstrates that the efficacy of nivolumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with resectable stage IIIA NSCLC is supported by survival data," said Dr. Provencio. "The benefit is especially observed in patients with tumors with positive PD-L1 expression and in those patients achieving pCR."

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Provided by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
Stanford undergraduate Julia Simon collects wastewater from the Codiga Resource Recovery Center on the Stanford campus for analysis. Credit: Harry Gregory

Researchers at Stanford University and Emory University have launched a nationwide initiative to monitor monkeypox, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases in communities by measuring viral genetic material in wastewater. The effort will also provide health officials and the public with free, high-quality data, which is critical to informing public health decision making. The initiative is already producing data, including the first detections of monkeypox DNA in wastewater in the United States.

This new, Stanford-led effort, called WastewaterSCAN, significantly expands access to the analytical approach and public reporting developed by the scientists and 11 Northern California communities through the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN) that launched in November 2020. Beginning with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, SCAN has provided frequent information that is comparable over time and from place to place about the community levels of COVID-19, its variants, monkeypox, influenza A, and RSV to help shape public health responses to those infections.

The scientists leading WastewaterSCAN (Twitter: @WastewaterSCAN) were the first to report detections of genetic markers of the monkeypox virus in wastewater in the United States, which thus far are the only reported detections from wastewater monitoring. They began testing for monkeypox viral DNA at the 11 locations in Northern California on June 19, had the first two positive detections in plants serving parts of San Francisco the next day, and have found monkeypox viral DNA in wastewater from 10 sites.

As of today, 38 treatment plants in eight states are receiving monkeypox results from WastewaterSCAN and SCAN in addition to results for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 and its BA.4 and BA.5 variants, influenza A and RSV. In all, the team has detected monkeypox DNA in wastewater in 22 locations.

"Because it's population-based and unbiased by access to clinical testing, wastewater helps us understand infectious disease trends in a community. We've seen how valuable this can be as individual testing practices for SARS-CoV-2 have changed," said Alexandria Boehm, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. "Genetic material of the pathogens we monitor has been documented in excretions from infected people that end up in the wastewater treatment system."

The scientists at Stanford and Emory are working with Verily Life Sciences, which collaborates to optimize methods for high throughput, test samples, and produce data in its lab, and with local wastewater and public health officials to produce actionable data about COVID-19 and other pathogens. Communities in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas are participating thus far. The analytical approach does not measure infectious viruses in wastewater, but instead detects short pieces of the viral genomes.

"We need to rethink our paradigm for tracking infectious disease and anticipating new threats," said Marlene Wolfe, assistant professor of environmental health at Emory University and co-principal investigator for WastewaterSCAN. "We take the same sample of wastewater solids that we're already collectingit's less than half a gram that represents up to millions of people in a communityand do a slightly different test for the next variant or the next pathogen."

Bradley White, lead scientist on Verily's public health efforts, including wastewater testing, said that providing rapid turnaround of sample results is critical to helping public health officials understand the community spread of these viruses, enabling more effective mitigation and treatment. "Together with Stanford and Emory scientists, we have created shareable, open-access protocols that enable knowledge transfer between academic, industrial, and government labsand helps unlock a life-saving, new approach for viral disease surveillance," he said.

WastewaterSCAN is also partnering with the National League of Cities to support a cohort of 50 of its member cities as they implement wastewater monitoring and work to improve public health based on its results.

"As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, community leaders play a critically important role in proactively managing health crisesand this public health emergency is no different," said NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony. "This partnership's work to expand access to wastewater monitoring tools will help cities, towns, and villages across the country lead their response efforts to the monkeypox outbreak equipped with data and a network of support."

Wastewater plants in participating communities sample three times a week and are provided with materials to ship the containers to Verily's lab for analysis including detection of viral genetic material with PCR-based technology. The results are made available on a public website within 48 hours of the samples' arrival.

The materials and shipping are free to the communities, and stipends are available to defray some labor costs for sampling. WastewaterSCAN's national expansion was made possible thanks to support from the Sergey Brin Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. WastewaterSCAN aims to demonstrate the value of a national sentinel system using wastewater to inform public health measures and to support the establishment of publicly funded, durable public health infrastructure to prepare for future pandemics.

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The protocol used to screen and detect lung cancer in the NELSON Trial is more sensitive than the protocol used in the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial, particularly for early-stage cancers, according to research reported today at the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer 2022 in Vienna.

The Dutch-Belgian lung cancer screening trial (Nederlands-Leuvens Longkanker Screenings Onderzoek [NELSON]) demonstrated a reduction in lung cancer mortality of 24% for screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT), compared to the 20% found in the National Lung Screening Trial.

The NELSON and NLST differed in study population and trial design. Specifically, in contrast to the NLST, the NELSON trial employed a nodule management protocol that incorporated nodule volume and quantified volume growth as opposed to nodule diameter.

"We evaluated how the difference in nodule management protocols affected the CT sensitivity across stage and histology in the trials," said Koen de Nijs, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In cancer screening, sensitivity is the ability of a screening method to detect cancer while it is still in the pre-clinical phase.

Mr. De Nijs and colleagues from the NELSON consortium employed the MISCAN-Lung model, previously used to evaluate the results of the NLST, to evaluate the outcomes of the NELSON trial. The model was used to reproduce lung cancer incidence and mortality by method of detection (clinical or screen-detected), sex, histology and stage.

"We evaluated the potential differences in CT sensitivity by stage and histology, after accounting for the characteristics of the study population, trial design and lung cancer epidemiology in each trial," he reported. For both trials, de Nijs considered a screening result a true positive when lung cancer was detected through the screening CT and related follow-up procedures.

Furthermore, previous research has shown that the protocol used in NELSON also had improved specificity. Nodule management protocols based on volumetry are therefore likely to increase the benefits of lung cancer screening, while reducing unnecessary follow-up procedures.

Mr. de Nijs found that the sensitivity in NELSON was estimated to be higher across all stages compared with the NLST. In particular, CT sensitivity was considerably higher for early-stage adenocarcinoma (for stage 1A, 73% in NELSON over 57% in the NLST, for stage 1B, 90% in NELSON vs 64% in the NLST) and stage 2 squamous cell carcinoma (75% in NELSON over 39% in the NLST).

"Model-based comparison of the NELSON and NLST suggests that the differences in screening effectiveness may be explained by differences in the nodule management protocols," said Mr. de Nijs. "The protocol used in NELSON was more sensitive than the protocol used in the NLST, particularly for early-stage cancers. Furthermore, the protocol used in NELSON also had improved specificity."

Mr. de Nijs reported that nodule management protocols based on volumetry are likely to increase the benefits of lung cancer screening, while reducing unnecessary follow-up procedures.

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Provided by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Did evil scientists intentionally release monkeypox?

Fourteen percent of respondents to a survey by University of Pennsylvania researchers think so. Another 10% think the virus was intentionally spread to "deflect attention from the failures of the Biden administration," and 5% said getting a COVID-19 vaccine increases their chance of contracting monkeypox.

Many more survey respondents said they weren't sure if these conspiracy theories were truebut they also couldn't flatly dismiss them.

The findings by scientists at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania point to a worrying trend: People are increasingly aware of monkeypox, but they're also bombarded with misinformationand don't always know how to distinguish fact from fiction.

That so many people are confused also represents an opportunity for public health messaging, says Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Center.

"The people who are unsure are people who are amenable to persuasion," said Jamieson.

The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania has been tracking misinformation as it relates to disease going back years. So when a global monkeypox outbreak led to cases growing rapidly in the U.S., their researchers set out to survey Americans on what they know about the virusand what bad information they've heardwith the goal of helping guide outreach campaigns.

Unlike COVID-19, monkeypox is not a new disease, but it is new to many Americans.

It has been circulating in areas in Western Africa since the 1970s. In the spring, an outbreak of monkeypox cases began to appear in countries worldwide, especially among men who have sex with men. The virus is considered less contagious than COVID-19. It can spread through direct contact with lesions, as well as through activities like kissing that involve contact with respiratory secretions and by touching objects or fabric used by someone with monkeypox, such as bedding and sex toys, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms include fever and lesions, blemishes, or rashes. The type of monkeypox that is circulating in the U.S. has a low fatality rate, and no one so far has died here from the disease. But it can be extremely painful and requires isolation potentially for weeks until all lesions heal.

Nearly 6,000 monkeypox cases have been documented in the U.S., with 82 known cases in Philadelphia as of August 1. There is widespread acknowledgment that the official case count is an undercount.

There is a vaccine for monkeypox, but there's also a national shortage of it, which has led to criticism by local LGBTQ leaders.

In a nationally representative survey of 1,580 people in mid-July, Annenberg researchers found about half did not know which is more infectiousmonkeypox or COVID-19. Only a third knew that there is a vaccine. But the outbreak is on some people's minds. One in five said they worried they'd contract monkeypox within the next three months.

"The public is concerned," said Jamieson.

People are also "gaining knowledge quickly," she said, but there's more work to do in getting people accurate information.

"We know that acceptance of sound information, of sound science, can increase the likelihood that people engage in appropriate protective behaviors and minimize the likelihood of transmission and infection of a result," Jamieson said.

When Jamieson sees widespread uncertainty about public health issues, it signals to her that accurate information is available, but either it isn't reaching people or there is too much misinformation causing confusion. In these instances, it's important to find the right messengerand often that is not the big public health agencies.

"A general rule is if you can find a health care provider that is caring for an individual, that's probably the best person to convey the information," Jamieson said.

Philly's LGBTQ network has rushed to offer monkeypox information and services amid slow public health response

Increasingly, public health communicators are finding trusted community voices can play a valuable roleeven if they don't have a background in health care. For example, during COVID-19, she said, some clergy proved to be incredibly effective messengers. "It's a matter of who is trusted in the community at high risk."

Jamieson said that there is already evidence that misinformation and conspiracy theories are taking root in the monkeypox discourse. Many are repurposed false claims about COVID-19: There's the conspiracy theory that 5G cellular networks cause disease. Another tall tale that became popular during the pandemic is that nefarious scientists are intentionally releasing viruses.

These false ideas have been "available in the culture," Jamieson says, and now are being applied to monkeypox.

While a relatively small portion of survey respondents were fully committed to conspiracy theories, a larger portion of respondents were undecided. About 30% said they weren't sure if monkeypox was intentionally spread, and 34% said they didn't know if the virus was bioengineered in a lab. Another 21% couldn't rule out the possibility that monkeypox is spread through 5G cellular networks.

Jamieson says that the focus of public health messaging should be on this share that is unsurethey are the ones who didn't make up their mind yet so they are persuadable.

"It means [people] are susceptible to good information, but they're also susceptible to bad information," Jamieson said.

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Psychology must take concrete steps to expose and mitigate the impacts of systemic and structural factors that affect physical and mental health, according to a new report from the American Psychological Association.

There is overwhelming evidence that environmental, social and behavioral factorsall areas of psychology's expertisecontribute to health disparities and lead to differences in quality of life, access to treatment, quality of care and overall health outcomes.

Structural racism, which influences the circumstances in which people live and work and is intensified by political, economic and social influences, is a key driver of health inequities, according to a report from APA's Presidential Task Force on Psychology and Health Equity.

The report was accepted Thursday by APA's governing Council of Representatives by a vote of 1610, with two abstentions, at its meeting in Minneapolis, which coincided with APA2022, the organization's annual convention.

The task force report lays out a roadmap for actions by APA, psychologists and others to address health inequities in education and training, research, publications and professional practice. Task force members were appointed by APA Past President Jennifer F. Kelly, Ph.D.

"Health inequities are not inevitable; they are systemic and avoidable," the report authors wrote. "These factors include racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination; chronic stress, adverse or traumatic early childhood events; exposure to violence, including institutional violence; crowded housing conditions, greater exposure to environmental hazards, and lack of health insurance or underinsurance; and other social determinants of health that differ systematically by population."

"Psychology can make a huge contribution to advancing health equity," Kelly said in releasing the report. "The task force has made bold and concrete recommendations for all of psychology, from reaching, recruiting and mentoring students of color in becoming psychologists, to advocating for creative payment models to bring effective mental health and medical care to underserved communities, to rethinking how we conduct and publish our science."

The report recommends developing strategies to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the psychology workforce to better address the mental health needs of communities of colornoting that more than 80% currently identify as white. It also calls for creating outreach and recruitment programs aiding communities of color, implementing more flexible training programs to support students with multiple life demands, and promoting culturally relevant methods and principles for health equity research in all psychology programs.

Other task force recommendations include:

Advocating for greater federal and private research funding about health equity.

Adopting new language and practices for academic journals to reduce bias and ensure consistent reporting of demographic characteristics.

Increasing the representation of scholars from underrepresented backgrounds on APA journal and publication boards.

Developing continuing education courses that include training objectives related to health equity.

Developing professional practice guidelines focusing on social determinants of health and addressing treatment barriers and service delivery challenges.

Identifying and promoting practice innovations to improve the way that mental health services are provided to diverse populations and communities, including incorporating psychologist practices into community settings.

Expanding access to care through mobile apps, telehealth and other emerging technologies.

The report builds upon the Task Force's Resolution on Advancing Equity in Psychology, which was unanimously approved by the APA Council of Representatives in 2021.

Explore further The role of behavioral medicine in addressing climate change-related health inequities
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A cohort study found that reinfection rates are low after successful hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in people who inject drugs (PWID), suggesting a benefit of treatment in this population. Risk for reinfection was highest in the first 24 weeks after treatment completion and among people with ongoing injecting drug use, and especially among those who shared needles. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications are safe and effective for people receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and people with recent injecting drug use. However, there are concerns that HCV reinfection may reduce the benefits of cure among people who inject drugs (PWID) and compromise HCV elimination efforts.

Researchers from the Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia studied 286 participants from the CO-STAR trial who were receiving opioid agonist therapy to evaluate the rate of HCV reinfection for 3 years after successful treatment with antivirals. Patients were followed every 6 months for up to 3 years. During that time, 10 participants had a total of 11 reinfections, or a reinfection rate of 1.7 per 100 person-years. Six of those reinfections occurred within 24 weeks of completing treatment. Reinfection rates were higher among participants who had injected drugs or those who engaged in needle or syringe sharing within the previous 24 weeks. The authors suggest that based on their findings, this 24-week period is important for optimizing treatment of opioid use disorder and for providing access to syringe programs that have documented benefits for preventing HCV transmission and reinfection.

According to the authors, individual- and population-level strategies for HCV elimination among PWIDs should include efforts to address, prevent, and manage HCV reinfection. They add that at an individual level, an assessment of HCV reinfection risk should be done before initiating DAA therapy, and at a population level, efforts to reduce primary and reinfection incidences require the appropriate provision of health care with universal access to programs for persons with both HCV infection and injection drug use.

More information: Jason Grebley et al, Reinfection and Risk Behaviors After Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Persons Receiving Opioid Agonist Therapy, Annals of Internal Medicine (2022). www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4119 Journal information: Annals of Internal Medicine Jason Grebley et al, Reinfection and Risk Behaviors After Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Persons Receiving Opioid Agonist Therapy,(2022). DOI: 10.7326/M21-4119
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A revised approach to how emergency services respond to patients in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) could help to save lives, according to new research.

In 2021 a total of 127,967 casualties and 1,560 deaths were caused by MVCs in England. Of these, more than 7,000 patients needed to be assisted to leave their vehicle, in a process known as extrication. This often involves trained Fire and Rescue personnel using the "Jaws of Life" (a hydraulic apparatus) and other similar tools to pry apart the wreckage, in order to free people trapped inside. During this process, patients may remain in their vehicle for an average of 30 minutes while slow, careful movements are used, in an attempt to avoid potential spinal injuries.

However, according to new research, this approach of "movement minimization" is in fact rather outdated and could be causing more harm to patients.

In a recent series of studies utilizing the Trauma Audit Research Network (TARN) database, Professor Tim Nutbeam, Honorary Professor at the University of Plymouth and Emergency Medicine Consultant at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, suggested together with colleagues that spinal cord injuries after MVCs are actually quite rare, only affecting around 0.7% of all extrications. The benefit of current methods used for extrication may therefore be outweighed by the additional time taken to perform these maneuvers, and for the 99.3% of patients who do not have a spinal injury, spending unnecessary time trapped in a car is linked to increased mortality rates due to other time-critical injuries.

Now, Nutbeam has continued his research to evaluate the effectiveness of extrication methods used for people trapped after being involved in a MVC. Working in collaboration with colleagues across a number of organizations including the National Fire Chiefs Council, the team utilized novel motion tracking technology to compare cervical and lumbar spine movement, recreating MVC situations with healthy volunteers.

With inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors attached to each major segment of the body, the team were able to establish that using cervical collars, both whilst casualties remain in their car and during self-extraction (when they exit the vehicle with minimal or no assistance), can help to minimize spinal movements and therefore will stop an unstable fracture from causing secondary avoidable cord damage.

The early results from this series of studies also show that casualties who are able to climb out of the wreckage themselves are more likely to be able to lessen their spinal movement, thus also reducing the potential for spinal injury.

Nutbeam, who is also lead doctor with the Devon Air Ambulance, said: "Firefighters have been trained in the approach of absolute 'movement minimization' since the 1980s, having been told that just 1mm of movement could turn someone into a wheelchair user. So understandably, crews will often disassemble a car around a patient to avoid any movement of their neck. But prioritizing this can actually cause more harm to those trapped, due to the length of time taken. I wanted to research into this as I'd noticed a disconnect between concerns about spinal movement and the number of people dying in their vehicles or shortly after extrication. It felt important to investigate."

As part of his work, Nutbeam conducted a Delphi study to gain a consensus opinion across subject experts of the multidisciplinary guidance needed for extrication. A new set of principles are now recommended, including that self or minimally assisted extrication should be the standard first line approach for patients who are conscious and likely to be able to stand without assistance, and minimizing entrapment time should be the goal for all patients.

He added: "Currently only 3% of U.K. fire and rescue services use self-extrication on a regular basis, so we hope this new guidance will help to change that, both nationally and internationally too. We hope in taking an updated evidence-based approach we can improve patient outcomes, make better use of resources from all emergency services and reduce the impact of accidents on other road users."

Sally Lines, CEO of the Road Safety Trust said: "We are thrilled that, through our funding, Tim Nutbeam and colleagues have been able to identify how historical extrication techniques used in motor vehicle collisions can be improved. This research will reduce both deaths and disabilities and help us achieve our vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on U.K. roads. We look forward to the practical application of this research being used by emergency services."

Published in BMJ Open and the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, the results of Nutbeam's research are now being widely shared. The United Kingdom Rescue Organization have adopted the new principles for their Extrication Challenge in September 2022 after which the new guidance will be translated into National Operational Guidance for Fire and Rescue Services.

Explore further Researchers discover neural plastic changes that improve functional recovery after cervical spinal cord injury

More information: Tim Nutbeam et al, Do entrapment, injuries, outcomes and potential for self-extrication vary with age? A pre-specified analysis of the UK trauma registry (TARN), Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine (2022). Tim Nutbeam et al, Do entrapment, injuries, outcomes and potential for self-extrication vary with age? A pre-specified analysis of the UK trauma registry (TARN),(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s13049-021-00989-w Tim Nutbeam et al, Sex-disaggregated analysis of the injury patterns, outcome data and trapped status of major trauma patients injured in motor vehicle collisions: a prespecified analysis of the UK trauma registry (TARN), BMJ Open (2022). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061076 Tim Nutbeam et al, A comparison of the demographics, injury patterns and outcome data for patients injured in motor vehicle collisions who are trapped compared to those patients who are not trapped, Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine (2021). DOI: 10.1186/s13049-020-00818-6 Journal information: BMJ Open
Women who are their own bosses might have healthier hearts to show for it, a new study suggests.

The study, of more than 4,600 working U.S. women, found that those who were self-employed typically got more exercise and were less likely to be obese or have high blood pressure or diabetes  major risk factors for heart disease.

The findings do not prove that self-employment leads to better health, experts said. But they do raise the question of whether certain aspects of self-employment can do a woman's heart good, said senior researcher Dr. Kimberly Narain.

That kind of work structure, she said, may allow women more freedom in shaping their workdaysto, for instance, fit in some exercise.

And while not all women can or want to be their own boss, Narain said it may be possible for employers to apply some positive elements of self-employment to the traditional workplace.

Flexibility in the daily schedule would be one example, according to Narain, a physician with the University of California, Los Angeles Women's Health Center.

"Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, which is something a lot of people are not aware of," she said.

And along with the traditional risk factors for heart disease, there are also "non-traditional" contributors, Narain saidsuch as depression and chronic stress.

Given how much time people spend on the job, she said, it's important to understand how the work environment can support people in leading a healthy lifestyle.

"I'm interested in thinking about how we can change structures," Narain said, "rather than telling women to change."

The findings, published recently in the journal BMC Women's Health, are based on a 2016 health survey of U.S. adults. It included 4,624 women who were employed: 16% were self-employed, while the rest said they worked for someone else.

In general, self-employed women were more physically active: 80% said they exercised at least twice a week, compared with 72% of other women. They were also less likely to be obese (32% vs. 41%), or have high blood pressure (19% vs. 28%) or diabetes (11.5% vs. 14%).

It's difficult, though, to answer the chicken-and-egg question, said Yana Rodgers, faculty director of the Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.

Women who are able to freelance or be entrepreneurs are likely to be more affluent or have advantages that other women may not, said Rodgers, who was not involved in the study.

Narain's team accounted for the differences that they could, including education level and marital status. They also factored in access to health care: Health insurance is expensive, and some self-employed women might forgo it, Narain said.

That means they may not have conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes diagnosed. It also means that self-employment might not be a realistic option for women who already have chronic health issues or less financial stability.

It turned out that self-employed women in the study were, in fact, more likely to be uninsured: 9% were, vs 5% of other women. But that did not account for the differences in their health.

Self-employed women were still 30% to 43% less likely to have high blood pressure or diabetes, and were 68% more likely to be exercising at least twice a week.

The researchers were not able to account for household income, however, and Rodgers said she thinks that could be a key factor. When the family income is high and stable, women may be in a better place to launch their own business.

Even if that is the case, though, Rodgers agreed that self-employment may well have health-supporting perks: Women who are their own bosses may work a lot, but they also probably have more autonomy over when and where they work.

"I think employers should pay attention to findings like these," Rodgers said. "They could consider opportunities for more autonomy and flexibility in scheduling."

Even fairly simple shifts, she addedlike "walk-and-talk" meetings, instead of the traditional sit-down versioncould help employees fit more exercise into the day.

Some employers, Narain noted, might think that rigid schedules serve the bottom line. But if employees are more stressed, less satisfied or less healthy, she said, that may not be the case.

Explore further There are more hybrid self-employed entrepreneurs in Germany than previously assumed

More information: Sedina Dzodzomenyo et al, Exploring the relationship between self-employment and women's cardiovascular health, BMC Women's Health (2022). Sedina Dzodzomenyo et al, Exploring the relationship between self-employment and women's cardiovascular health,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01893-w The American Heart Association has more on workplace health.

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In California and across the country, more people are likely to die from lung cancer than any other cancer, the American Lung Association states in an August press release, as wildfire season is in full swing.

The organization estimated that more than 17,000 people in California will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022 and more than 9,600 will die from the disease.

It added that most people are not concerned about getting lung cancer. According to a survey, only 40% of Americans are worried that they may get the disease.

Generally, lung cancer can be caused by smoking tobacco, genetics, second hand smoke, radon and asbestos exposure and air pollution, according to the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Albert Rizzo, the American Lung Association's chief medical officer, explains the state of lung cancer in California:

Are lung cancer and wildfire smoke related?

It's not clear yet if wildfires are directly related to California's lung cancer rate, said Rizzo, who is also a pulmonary physician in Delaware.

But certainly, wildfire smoke is known to contribute to poor air quality and air pollution with particle matter, Rizzo said.

Wildfires increases the amount of PM 2.5fine inhalable particlesin the lungs, he said, and is known for causing lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and increasing the risk of problems for people with chronic lung disease.

A recent study from McGill University in Canada found that people who've been exposed to wildfires have a higher chance of lung cancer and brain tumors.

According to the study, those that live near the site of wildfires, within about 31 miles , for more than 10 years have a 10% higher chance of brain tumors and 4.9% higher chance of lung cancer, compared to people living further from these areas.

How to protect your lungs during wildfire season

Wildfire smoke can travel hundred and thousands of miles, Rizzo said, so stay updated with your local air quality report.

You can use the U.S. Air Quality Index to check air quality data using your ZIP code online.

If you're not under an evacuation order during a wildfire, stay indoors and try to protect the air in your home by keeping the doors, windows and fireplace dampers shut, he said.

Other ways you can protect yourself, Rizzo said, include:

Use the air conditioner to circulate clean air in the home

Keep your windows up if you're driving in a car

Monitor your symptoms and call your physician if needed. Signs that you're having trouble with oxygen levels due to wildfire exposure include burning eyes, coughing, shortness of breath and lightheadedness.

You should also be cautious with younger children, he said, because they're more susceptible to the smoke since their lungs are smaller.

Signs of lung cancer

According to the cancer association, most lung cancers don't show symptoms until it's spread, but some individuals with early lung cancer may have symptoms.

Some signs include: persistent or worsening cough, coughing up blood or rust-colored phlegm, chest pain, weight loss, tiredness and infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, that keep reappearing.

The cancer society states that if you see your doctor when you first notice symptoms, you might be able to get your cancer diagnosed early, which will allow for more effective treatment.

Rizzo recommended people who are at a higher risk of lung cancer50 to 80 years old, heavy smokers and still smoking within the last 15 yearsget screened for a low dose CAT scan. He said these scans can find lung cancer before it causes any symptoms.

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Today, we commemorate all those who lost their lives in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We pay tribute to the dignity, courage and resilience of those who survived. We also recall the other victims and survivors of thousands of nuclear tests that occurred in the second half of the 20th century." "Seventy-seven years after the utter destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world is facing heightened nuclear danger. Russia has threatened use of nuclear weapons in the conduct of its war of aggression against Ukraine. Russias nuclear rhetoric, as well as its reckless military actions in and near civilian nuclear facilities, are wholly unacceptable. The risks posed by these actions serve as an urgent reminder that the lack of progress on nuclear disarmament undermines global security.""Despite the current difficult context, it is vital that countries meeting in the framework of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York, agree concrete actions on nuclear disarmament, including urgent action to reduce nuclear risks.""We can delay no longer. These indiscriminate weapons, which threaten the safety of humanity and our planet, must be put beyond use. Ireland is ready to work with all states to progress this goal. Notes to Editors

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force in 1970. It is the main international mechanism for controlling the spread of nuclear weapons, and contains the only multilateral commitment to nuclear disarmament in the text of a treaty by the five nuclear-weapon States - the US, UK, France, Russia and China. The Treaty has its origins in a number of resolutions presented by Ireland to the General Assembly from 1958  1961.

This month, representatives of 191 governments including Ireland, meet in New York to review the Treatys implementation and chart the course for the way forward.

This week, Minister Hildegarde Naughton delivered Irelands national statement to the NPT Review Conference.

Hiroshima Day will be marked on Saturday 6 August with an annual ceremony organised by civil society in Merrion Square, Dublin.

ENDS

Press Office

6 August 2022
MONDAY, Aug. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Cat owners should not feed their pets certain lots of Darwin's Natural Pet Products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

Some lots of the raw cat food tested positive for salmonella and were associated with illness in three kittens, the agency said in a news release.

Salmonella can cause illness and death in both humans and animals and is especially risky for those who are very young, very old or have weak immune systems. Symptoms of infection with this bacterium include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA alert is for two lots of the products.

The first is Darwin's Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, Lot 9116, with a manufacturing date of May 2. The other is Darwin's Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Turkey Recipe for Cats, Lot 9121, manufactured on May 4.

These products are sold inside white and clear plastic packages with blue and green labeling. They each weigh 2 pounds and have four separate units. They are sold and stored frozen, so many may still be in consumers' freezers.

Consumers can find the lot code on the front lower left unit of the package, the FDA said.

Throw away any products that have these lot numbers. If you can't be sure of the lot code, throw those products away. Do not put them where wildlife can access them.

Before issuing the warning, the FDA collected and analyzed unopened samples of products from the two lots after three kittens from a single household developed diarrhea. A stool sample from one of the kittens tested positive for salmonella. A fourth kitten did not eat the food and did not become sick.

In doing genetic sequencing of the salmonella in the two products, the FDA found the turkey product contained Salmonella typhimurium, while the chicken product contained Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella Kentucky.

The FDA is involved in the investigation because pets who are sick with salmonella can pass the bacteria to their human companions, even if they don't appear ill, the agency said. In past cases, humans and animals have gotten sick from exposure to salmonella-contaminated pet foods.

Some people who have salmonella will need to be hospitalized, though most recover without treatment. Pets do not always have symptoms when infected, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite and decreased activity level. Pets can shed the bacteria in their feces, even if they don't appear sick, the FDA said.

These products are manufactured by Arrow Reliance Inc. The company does business as Darwin's Natural Pet Products, selling the pet foods online to consumers.

Although the FDA has recommended Arrow Reliance Inc. voluntarily recall these products and notify the public, the company has not, the agency said.

If you have had these products in your home, clean any refrigerators or freezers where the product was stored. Clean and disinfect all bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with.

Clean up the pet's feces in places where people or other animals may become exposed. To prevent spread from an infected animal, it's particularly important to clean up the animal's feces in yards or parks where people or other animals may become exposed, in addition to cleaning items in the home.

After handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces, it is important to thoroughly wash your hands, the FDA said.

If you are showing signs of salmonella infection, contact your health care provider. If your pet is showing signs, contact your veterinarian.

Veterinarians can have pets tested for salmonella through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet is from a household where someone is infected with salmonella.

Report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your states FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on salmonella.

SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, Aug. 5, 2022

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The North Carolina School for the Deaf held a stakeholder meeting Thursday in Morganton to unveil the schools new strategic plan, update stakeholders on campus infrastructure projects and field questions about possible upcoming state legislation.

School Director Mark Patrick began the meeting by reviewing the schools new strategic plan which went into effect Aug. 1. The plan will guide the school through the 2024-25 school year and updates vision, mission and belief statements as well as setting four goals with actionable objectives to help the school reach them. According to the plan, the four goals are:

Enhance external communication efforts to increase understanding, awareness and encouragement within the broader community.

Provide rigorous academic experiences in a learning environment that prepares students for success.

Improve the future success of NCSD students.

Build a unified, confident, qualified team.

Patrick told stakeholders he plans to devote significant time and effort to building relationships within the 46 counties the school serves.

I wanted to make sure that our team really knew and understood how important it is to get information out into the community, not only to Burke County, but all 46 counties that we serve, he said. We are experiencing a tremendous number of retirements across the state. Relationships I developed when I was here as an EC Director, theyre almost all gone.

Patrick said the turnover makes communication with the schools systems NCSD serves more important than ever.

There are so many new special education teachers in deaf and hard of hearing that have moved into North Carolina, he said. Some, I have learned recently, dont even know that NCSD is even here in the state, so there are no referrals because they dont know.

Patrick said he plans to go to superintendent meetings and exceptional children director meetings throughout the region to inform school leaders about the school and what it offers.

Patrick also said another major focus for the school in the next few years will be improving the future success of NCSD students.

Many of our students are not having successful post-graduation outcomes, he said. So, we are really going to have to back up and get intense with our ability to make sure that all of our students are either going to school or going to work.

Finally, Patrick praised the faculty and staff NCSD has assembled and committed to continuing to build the best possible team for the schools students.

Our biggest struggle right now is finding deaf staff, he said. We need positive role models for (students).

Director of Facilities Steve Watts updated stakeholders on current and planned campus infrastructure projects. The school has seven fully funded projects in various stages of completion, totaling $10.1 million in expenditures. According to Watts, the projects are focused on updating old infrastructure that has not been remodeled or replaced in decades and making the school safer and more secure.

Some of the pipes on this campus were vintage 1920s, Watts said. We never had a water test on this campus that did anything but pass, but you get in your head how many of these old pipes are going to make it? Some of them are pushing 100 years old.

Watts said every underground pipe on campus has been replaced as of two weeks ago. He also said several other projects are in various stage of completion to remodel buildings, repair water and termite damage, replace roofs, update security equipment and replace exterior lighting.

Finally, Patrick fielded questions about Senate Bill 593, a bill recently passed by the General Assembly but vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper. The bill would have wrested control of the school from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and created an independent board of directors to direct the schools affairs, particularly the admissions process.

According to Patrick, this would have lowered some barriers families of deaf and hard of hearing students face when trying to get into NCSD, but created several administrative challenges as the school transitioned to an independently run institution.

Patrick said he is not aware of any plans by the legislature to attempt to override the veto.

I asked at the state level just yesterday and nobody has heard any discussions about it, he said.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate on July 26.
A judge reduced bail for a man accused of fatally shooting another man during a botched bounty hunt in Butte and on Monday ordered his release from jail after a real-estate bond was posted.

But the Montana Department of Corrections had a hold on 33-year-old Nicholas John Jaeger for allegedly violating probation in a previous case and it was possible he would go from jail in Butte to the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.

He was still in jail as of late Monday afternoon.

Defense attorney David Maldonado had asked that bail for Jaeger be reduced from $250,000 to $100,000. On Aug. 1, over objections from prosecutors, District Judge Robert Whelan granted the request.

A real estate bond to cover the $100,000 bail was posted the next day and in a document registered with the court Monday, Whelan approved it. Details on what real estate was involved in lieu of cash bail were sealed from public view.

Jaeger and bondsman Jay Steven Hubber were each charged with deliberate homicide following an incident on Dec. 19. They were trying to apprehend a bail jumper inside the Butte home of 42-year-old William Harris, but Harris was shot and killed.

Hubber quickly posted $250,000 bond but Jaeger was unable to do that and remained behind bars. Both have pleaded not guilty.

In court motions and during a hearing before Whelan on July 14, Maldonado argued that Jaeger had strong family and employment ties to Butte and would pose no danger if released.

Jaegers father said during the hearing that his son had a place to stay, would work at his fathers business and would make all court appearances as required. Jaegers entire family lives in Butte, Whelan was told.

The judge cited such factors in his reduction order.

Upon consideration of the statutory factors and the defendants circumstances and local ties, the Court finds that he has strong reasons to remain in the community and to appear for all proceedings in this case, Whelan wrote. The Court also believes that any flight concerns can be adequately addressed by a reduced bond and subjecting the defendant to GPS monitoring.

Bond agencies will often post bail if a jailed defendant or someone on his or her behalf pays the agency 10% of the amount upfront. Under that general scenario in this case, it would be $25,000.

Prosecutors argued that $250,000 was justified given the severity of the offense and said Jaeger was in violation of probation conditions tied to a previous conviction when the shooting occurred. Thus the DOC hold, which they noted.

According to prosecutors, Hubber and Jaeger barged into Harris house on South Main Street unannounced. Hubber is a bondsman who was trying to nab alleged bail-jumper David Sandoval, and Jaeger, who has a felony stalking conviction, joined him to assist.

Hubber tased Sandoval and they began wrestling, according to witness accounts, but there were several others inside the house too, including Harris. At some point, prosecutors say, Jaeger grabbed a gun from Hubber and shot Harris.

According to Sandoval and another man, as Harris stepped forward to intervene, Jaeger grabbed Hubbers gun and fired at least two shots at Harris.

Jaeger told police that Harris possibly had a pair of scissors in one hand and was threatening to kick him in the face, and when he jumped toward him, he fired two rounds. In the charging documents, Jaeger was the only one who said Harris might have been armed with anything.

The cases are still pending.
Located at the border of two working-class neighborhoods, Centerville and Walkerville, Trinity Methodist was known as the miners church in Buttes heyday, to distinguish it from Mountain View Methodist, which was the mine owners church.

The Trinity Methodist congregation was established in 1889, evolving from the Centerville Methodist Episcopal Church, and their new 500-seat church was dedicated March 15, 1896. The brick structure displays the simple architectural lines common in small church construction at the time. The building cost $4,000, including something quite remarkable for the mid-1890s: Electric lights. The lighting was donated by Lee Mantle, U.S. Senator from Montana from 1895 to 1899. Mantle was a native of England who served in the Montana Territorial Legislature and was Mayor of Butte before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and he also established the Daily Inter Mountain Newspaper in Butte.

The original stained-glass windows in Trinity Methodist were donated by M.J. Connell, a prominent Butte storekeeper. The Connell store, site of Buttes first elevator, was on the northwest corner of Granite and Main, across the corner from Hennesseys, and his home with its mansard roof still stands at Granite and Idaho, across the street from the W.A. Clark mansion.

Original carpeting was provided by the Brownfield-Canty Carpet Company, which also sold furniture, stoves, and household goods at its store at 48-54 West Park, the site of the parking garage today. President James Canty lived at 825 West Park Street.

Trinity Church was erected by and for the Protestant Cornish residents of Centerville and Walkerville. Catholics in those neighborhoods attended St. Lawrence OToole, just an eighth of a mile up Main Street from Trinity. The 11th annual Montana state Methodist Episcopal conference was held at Trinity in 1897.

Most of the stained-glass windows in Trinity Methodist are dedicated, with honorees named in the glass itself. The names were usually added at times later than the original church and windows, with some as recent as 1955. The stained glass is not signed but most of it is the opalescent variety, which would have likely been manufactured by one of the principal stained-glass manufacturers in the east.

New York artist John LaFarge, the most important competitor to Louis Tiffany, patented opalescent glass in 1880. While it cannot be proven that the glass in Trinity Methodist was made by LaFarge, his company did make stained glass for two other Trinity Churches, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Buffalo, New York. Connell was certainly wealthy enough to afford the pricey stained-glass LaFarge made.

Trinity Church served a shrinking congregation until it closed in 2015.
By Shawn Touney | Aug 8, 2022

Pictured from left to right: Mr. David Black, Dr. Kimberly Bellah, Mr. John Martin, past president of KAAE, and Dr. Brian Parr.

MURRAY, Ky.  Murray State Universitys agricultural education program has been named the top postsecondary agricultural education program in Kentucky by the Kentucky Association of Agricultural Educators (KAAE), and has also been named by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) as one of four national finalists for the Outstanding Postsecondary Agricultural Education award.

Housed within the Hutson School of Agriculture, the Murray State agricultural education program offers teacher certification in agricultural education, as well as options to earn a bachelors degree, masters degree, Educational Specialist degree, and Agricultural Education Leadership doctoral degree. There are typically around 100 students enrolled in the agricultural education program at any given time.

The programs mission is broad, ranging from preparing agriculture teachers for the classroom, to hosting FFA activities, to Collegiate FFA and Alpha Tau Alpha participation, to providing online graduate education for high school agriculture teachers.

A very important part of Murray States agricultural education program is the Racer Academy dual credit classes offered to high school agriculture students all across Kentucky. There are more than 500 high school students statewide who are enrolled in Racer Academy each semester. Many of these high school students matriculate into various academic programs at Murray State including agricultural education.

The agricultural education program hosts four statewide career development events at Murray State each year for high school FFA members, one at the state fair, and coordinates multiple events at the state FFA convention each year. This not only serves as good experience for college students preparing to be high school agriculture teachers, it gives high school students more opportunities to participate in competitions.

The program also coordinates a regional FFA STARS program, which selects approximately 50 high school FFA members and invites them to attend an elite student program on campus. Murray State agricultural education students also participate in state and national Teach Ag Campaign efforts, connecting them with the profession well before they have their own classrooms to lead.

In addition to the overall award, several Murray State alumni and students also received individual awards. Murray State alumnus J.T. Payne, 19, 21, is a Teacher Turn the Key award winner, while another Racer alumnus, Steve Keown, 84, is an Indiana Teacher Mentor award winner. James Kash, recipient of the Early Career Teacher award, is currently in Murray State agricultures graduate program.

Said Dr. Tony Brannon, dean of the Murray State Hutson School of Agriculture: Our Murray State University agricultural education program has established a long and proud tradition since it began in 1967. Agricultural education is the backbone of our highly successful Hutson School of Agriculture. We are proud of both our people and our program. As a previous graduate of this program, I have studied under, taught with, and/or hired every one of the people who have been involved in this program. From charter faculty member Dr. Eldon Heathcott to present leader Dr. Kim Bellah, we have a proud leadership legacy of people who have provided faculty guidance. In addition to our overall award, we are also proud of these current and all past individual award winners. The people who have gone through this program have impacted a broad network of exponentially impactful teachers of agriculture and agricultural professionals. Next, I am proud of our program. Our program has a broad mission that ranges from preparing teachers in the classroom and for student teaching, to hosting FFA contests and service activities, to providing statewide leadership, to collegiate FFA participation, to providing statewide dual credit opportunities through Racer Academy, to providing online graduate education for secondary teachers across Kentucky as well as many other states. We are so proud of our people and our program, and for this well deserved state and national recognition.

The KAAE is the professional organization for individuals involved in school-based agricultural education at any level. To support its members, KAAE advocates for agricultural education, provides professional development opportunities, and works to recruit and retain educators in the profession. KAAE is part of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE , which has more than 9,000 members nationwide.

For more information on Murray State Universitys Hutson School of Agriculture, please visit https://bit.ly/3bzCHvR, email msu.ag@murraystate.edu or call 270-809-3328.
As Iowa grapples with a dramatic increase in overdose deaths involving fentanyl, some experts and activists say the best-proven solutions are currently criminalized in the state.

Advocates of harm reduction  a set of strategies to reduce the negative effects of ongoing drug use  say Iowas laws are counterproductive to the goal of lowering overdose deaths and getting people with substance use disorders into treatment.

Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller threw his voice into the discussion last month when he called on the Iowa Legislature to legalize fentanyl test strips, which can test drugs for fentanyl, and expand access to naloxone, a medication that can reduce the effects of a drug overdose.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used in medical settings, often for the treatment of severe pain. It can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine, meaning it takes a much smaller amount to cause an overdose. The presence of illicit fentanyl, and its involvement in opioid overdoses, has shot up in Iowa in recent years, leading officials to search for solutions to the trend.

Allowing for testing would be a welcome policy change, according to Andrea Weber, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa. Weber said legalizing testing strips was low-hanging fruit and would allow drug users who werent trying to take fentanyl avoid consuming deadly amounts.

Fentanyl test strips are currently classified as paraphernalia under Iowa law, which carries a simple misdemeanor charge, punishable by a fine of up to $855 and 30 days in jail.

Debra Krause, director of the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition, said fentanyl test strips were not enough to solve the opioid crisis. She said she wanted to see broader deployment of naloxone, a more robust good Samaritan law and syringe service programs.

Im always going to be for the legalization of fentanyl test strips; its just not going to solve the opiate crisis, she said. Weve been talking to the attorney general and (Iowa Department of Public Health) for literally five years, and we have the science. Harm reduction has the science and the evidence-based research.

Syringe service programs, also known as needle exchanges, are programs that provide clean needles to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. According to the Foundation for AIDS Research, syringe service programs are legal by state or local law in 39 states. They are illegal in Iowa.

Weber said the programs provided more than just clean syringes for drug users. They often offer counseling, evaluations for substance use treatment and testing for common bloodborne infections.

Why fentanyl is being talked about now

Officials are sounding the alarm now, in part, because the state has seen a dramatic increase in overdose deaths that involved fentanyl and in fentanyl seizures by law enforcement.

Iowa has one of the lowest drug overdose rates in the country, but the rate has been increasing, mostly because of opioids  deaths went up 34% between 2019 and 2021, according to the governors office. Fentanyl was involved in 83% of the states 258 opioid deaths last year, and drug overdose deaths increased 120% among Iowans under 25 in the past two years.

Fentanyl is often found in illicit pills that are sold on the black market and disguised as real pharmaceutical drugs like OxyContin and Xanax, officials said. Its also mixed into whats being sold as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Pills containing fentanyl are not coming from legitimate pharmacies, but pressed by criminal organizations to look like pharmaceutical drugs. The fentanyl being found in illicit pills and substances is made in clandestine labs, Weber said, which means the potency and purity can vary widely.

According to data provided by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, officials seized more than 7 kilograms of fentanyl by itself in 127 cases last year. In hundreds of other cases, officials found fentanyl in mixtures with heroin or other drugs. Its an extraordinary increase from 2018, when the weight of fentanyl alone found by law enforcement was only about 10 grams in 34 different cases.

Legislative landscape

Legislation has been proposed in previous years to set up needle exchanges similar to what exists in other states, but none have garnered enough support to get to a floor vote.

A Senate bill sponsored by 10 Democrats was proposed last year, but it didnt reach a subcommittee meeting. A similar bill creating a pilot program in the House last year did not get to a subcommittee.

In an emailed statement, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said a law around fentanyl testing kits was worth consideration, but he didnt commit support for them. He noted that needle exchanges have not received enough support to advance.

Iowa House Republicans spokesperson Melissa Deatsch said the caucus was using the time between sessions to learn more about what could be done to curb the rising overdose rates in Iowa.

Gov. Kim Reynolds spokesperson, Alex Murphy, didnt say whether Reynolds would support measures to legalize test strips or set up syringe service programs, but he pointed to her work to raise awareness of the deaths as well as her signing a 2016 law that allowed pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a prescription.

Reynolds also has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to include information about fentanyl in an awareness ad campaign targeting youth.

Murphy and Whitver also cast blame on the Biden administrations policies around the southern border that they said allowed for the influx of drugs brought in from Mexico.

This is due in large part from failed policies of the Biden administration to not secure our southern borders, Murphy said.
Holidays are hard for Patty Thorington. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays  gathering with family just reminds her that her son isn't there.

July 27 was supposed to be Robert Mitchell's golden birthday, and to celebrate, his nieces took a sign depicting a picture of him and the phrase "happy birthday, Bobby" on the Channel Cat Water Taxi. Thorington said that it helped them feel close to their uncle on what was supposed to be his special day.

"It's hard for them, the girls, they miss their Uncle Bobby a lot," said Thorington, voice cracking. "They decorate his grave quite a bit for every little occasion they can."

It's been almost four years since Mitchell and a passenger were stopped at the Menard's parking lot on North Brady Street by Scott County Deputy Greg Hill for a faulty brake light. According to a report from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, over the course of the stop, which occurred at 1:08 a.m. Oct. 23, 2018, Hill learned that Mitchell had a suspended driver's license and an extraditable warrant out in Indiana. Deputy Meghann Messmore was also on the scene.

Hill attempted to arrest Mitchell, and a struggle ensued, with Mitchell still in the car. Mitchell drove the car back and forth as the deputy clung to the car. Hill then shot Mitchell who drove off and was found later in the Kwik Shop parking lot near Division Street and Kimberly Road.

Mitchell died 17 hours later from his wounds.

Thorington spent as much time as she was allowed with Mitchell in the hospital before he died. Seeing her son in a hospital bed, one bullet wound in his torso and another in his arm, was one of the most horrifying things she'd ever seen.

"[A Davenport police officer] told me to try not to go in there a lot because if something bad were to happen, I don't want to remember Bobby like that  I want to remember how he was," Thorington said. "I should have followed that a little better, because I have terrible images in my mind of the scene of that night."

After filing a $5 million wrongful death suit with attorney David O'Brien against Hill and Scott County last year, the Davenport mother has decided to speak out against the defense's methods, which she said stretch the truth  specifically, a video submitted as evidence that she described as a cartoon.

The defense has submitted an interlocutory appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, and created a video from dash cam footage of the incident that O'Brien said animated the scene to look different from what really happened. He said the county spent $66,000 on the video.

If the interlocutory appeal is denied, trial is set for May 2023. The appeal could delay trial proceedings if accepted.

"I know Patty believed that her fellow citizens in Scott County should know what the county is doing to try to cover up its wrongful conduct, including spending lots of money, more than the average annual salary for its citizens, to create a cartoon that does not accurately depict what happened," O'Brien said.

Ian Russell is an attorney from the firm Lane & Waterman who, along with The Sotos Law Firm, represents Hill and Scott County. He said he was not in the position to confirm or comment on the cost of the video analysis, and was unable at the time to show the video.

"The dangerous and fast-moving conditions created by Mr. Mitchell put multiple deputies in danger," Russell said in a statement. "Video evidence of the incident will be presented to the jury in a format that will allow the jury to see the full story in a clear and understandable way."

Mitchell was far from a perfect person, Thorington said. He'd gotten into trouble before and had struggles. But he loved his family fiercely and would help anyone in need, to his own detriment if necessary.

One of the last holidays Mitchell spent with his nieces was Valentine's Day, Thorington said. He took them to get their faces painted. Thorington has a photo of them together hanging on her wall. He'd gotten some Slim Jim's from the food bank he volunteered at, and gave them to the girls as presents for the holiday.

Now they leave Slim Jims on his grave.

"He was a really loving, caring person, and he deserved to be in trouble  I would tell him, 'You deserve to go to jail, Bobby. You did wrong. You deserve to go to jail," Thorington said. "But he did not deserve to be murdered."
Eskom has submitted a tariff restructuring application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, proposing sweeping changes to the calculations used to determine its approved electricity prices.

This comes after the utility conducted an updated cost-of-supply (CTS) study, which showed that the current approach, in place since 2012, was not resulting in cost-reflective revenue collection.

Eskom advanced three primary reasons why an overhaul of the current tariff structure was necessary.

Firstly, the different tariff rates no longer reflect the different services being provided  that is, they are not aligned with energy, network and retail costs  because of the application of average price increases, Eskom said.

In addition, the imminent unbundling of Eskom divisions required that the charges were more reflective of the costs per division.

The utility said that applying average increases to rates meant there was no link between the charges raised and the Nersa-approved cost per division, only that the overall sum of all charges recover the approved Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD) revenue decision.

Finally, the energy industry was evolving, and tariff structures needed to evolve to protect all customer interests and to ensure adequate recovery of Nersa-approved revenue, the utility argued.

Eskom provided a summary of the costs and revenue under its current and proposed tariff structuring in the table below.

Eskom expects the changes will lead to an overall slight decline in revenue of R2 million  which is a relatively flat decrease considering an overall revenue of roughly R247.8 billion.

On average, the utility has calculated that revenue from residential tariffs would decrease slightly by 0.81%  a reduction of R131 million.

The most significant increases Eskom has proposed are for the tariffs charged for public lighting, which make up a minute fraction of its overall revenue.

For municipalities, Eskom calculated its costs in generating electricity for public lighting is R62 million more than the revenue it collects.

To compensate for this, the new tariff would allow for collecting 30.28% more revenue for public lighting from municipalities.

Public lighting for non-municipal areas have also seen a shortfall of R11 million, which is why Eskom wants to collect around 33.19% more revenue.

Goodbye Inclining Block Tariff  Hello high capacity charges

One of the potential major changes for residential users is the scrapping of the Inclining Block Tariff (IBT), which charges higher rates for higher monthly consumption.

Eskom said the IBT structure had proven unpopular and was difficult for customers to understand, resulting in perverse behaviour when purchasing at the high block rates.

It also argued the assumption that low-income or multi-family dwellings were low consumers was not necessarily true.

Multiple dwellings may also be supplied from a single electricity supply point. An IBT structure has a significant impact on these customers, Eskom said.

In addition, there are more affluent customers, for example, with holiday homes. that unfairly benefit from the inclining block rate.

For the revised Homelight tariff, which is typically reserved for low-usage single-phase residential dwellings, churches, schools, halls, clinics, old-age homes or similar customers in urban areas, Eskom would continue to subsidise costs.

These users would pay roughly the same rates for lower energy usage, while consumption from 700kWh and upwards would be cheaper than under the current tariff structure, as shown in the graphs below.

But the picture will be very different for Homepower users.

Eskom said the use of IBTs also greatly incentivised higher-consumption customers to use alternative energy sources and energy efficiency, resulting in a real revenue loss not commensurate with a real cost reduction.

The reduction in consumption by these customers because of the switch to alternative energy sources such as PV results in subsidies being unfairly distributed, Eskom stated.

These customers, mostly affluent, who then reduce consumption, are subsidised by those without PV.

To resolve this, Eskom has proposed introducing a single energy charge (c/kWh), an ancillary service charge (c/kWh), a network demand charge (c/kWh) and a R/day service and administration charge for Homepower users.

These were previously proposed by Eskom in its 2020/2021 retail tariff plan and effectively meant that Homepower users would be charged substantially more per month even when using no electricity.

For example, a Homepower 1 user would pay R938 instead of R218 without using a single kilowatt-hour of electricity.

The overall differences between Eskoms current and proposed Homepower tariffs are shown in the graphs below.

Despite these additions, Eskom said its Homepower tariff would work out to be roughly 4% cheaper on average.

According to Eskom, the average customer on the Homepower 1 tariff structure currently has a bill of R2,857 per month, but will pay roughly R2,571 on the new tariff, a reduction of 10%.

The average Homepower 3 user will also be paying 3% less, whereas Homepower 2 and Homepower Bulk users will be paying 5% and 3% more, on average.

The current and revised monthly bills for Homepower customers are shown in the table below.

Although the increase in capacity charges will negatively impact solar users who make little use of Eskoms grid throughout the month, Eskom is also proposing a new time-of-use tariff called Homeflex that could be to their benefit.

That includes a net-billing rate that provides compensation for excess energy exported into the grid.

Eskom said this tariff would be mandatory for customers with small-scale embedded generation with the approved postpaid smart meter device and voluntary for residential customers without self-generation.

Eskom wants Nersa to consider the implementation of the new tariff structure for electricity prices from 1 April 2023.

The regulator will make a decision on Eskoms proposal following the standard public consultation process.
Google has landed its Equiano undersea cable at Telkoms facility in Melkbosstrand, WIOCC has announced.

WIOCC owns one of Equianos 12 terabit-per-second (Tbps) fibre pairs and was Googles landing partner in Lagos, Nigeria.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies is another already-announced Equiano fibre pair owner.

The South African landing comes a month after the cable arrived in Swakopmund, Namibia.

Equiano landed in Namibia at the beginning of July  three months after it came ashore in Nigeria.

Our investment in Equiano continues our long-standing policy of making strategic investments in subsea cables, said WIOCC Group CEO Chris Wood.

We own almost a third of the >10Tbps EASSy system, which extends from South Africa along Africas eastern coastline to Djibouti and Port Sudan, he said.

We deliver more capacity than any other carrier on the WACS system, which links South Africa to western Europe and lands in many countries along the west coast of Africa; and we are a member of the 2Africa cable, which will bring another high-capacity connectivity option to Africa during 2023/24.

The 2Africa cable is a Facebook-led consortium that includes China Mobile, MTN, Orange, Vodafone, and WIOCC.

Wood said that as an Equiano fibre pair owner, WIOCCs capacity is under its control and upgradeable.

WIOCC owns and manages submarine line terminating equipment for the cable, choosing to light and upgrade its capacity as it wishes.

Wood said they invested several billion rands to enhance their national infrastructure.

He explained that WIOCC has a 16Tbps-ready national network, scaled for circuits up to 100Gbps.

Submarine Networks reported in April 2020 that Google had selected Telkom as its landing partner in South Africa.

The landing station is operated by Openserve, Telkoms wholesale and networks division.

Openserve will legally and structurally separate from Telkom on 1 September 2022, after functionally separating the organisation from the rest of the company on 13 October 2015.

Openserve operates Telkoms over 160,000km national fibre network, and its old copper telephone lines.

Its Melkbosstrand cable landing station houses the SAT3/WASC and SAFE submarine cable systems.

SAT2 was housed at the same facility and decommissioned in 2013.

According to the report, Equiano follows the old SAT2 cable route to Melkbosstrands beach.

Now read: Openserve to separate from Telkom
National Farmers Market Week, first proclaimed in 2021 by the Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, is a significant step toward recognizing the importance of farmers markets in the American food system.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farmers markets allow farmers to increase overall production, hire more employees, reduce food waste by selling imperfect produce, and diversify the crops they grow.

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This year the official celebration is Aug. 713, but as you know we keep the produce party in the parking lot going all year long. The theme for the Napa Farmers Market in 2022 is Farmers markets dont just happen."

At the heart of every farmers market are the small farmers dedicating their lives to cultivating crops. I talked to Joey Pader, owner of Soda Canyon Farm, about what inspired him to become a vegetable farmer in the heart of wine country.

Growing up with a green thumb and starting with succulents, Pader did not realize there was a way to make a living doing small-scale farming until he did some research online and decided to give it a shot. Soda Canyon Farm joined the Napa Farmers Market for a short season in 2020 before experiencing a setback due to problems with his water well. Thankfully he was able to return in late 2021 and this year will complete a full Saturday season at the market.

There are so few vegetable farmers in the Napa Valley, I want to do my part to increase access to locally grown food, Pader said. I think the community in Napa is very special, they are extremely supportive of my farm.

The market helps my farm by keeping the stall fees I pay to participate at a reasonable rate, he added. We have a mutually beneficial relationship. This year the customer numbers have been phenomenal. The Napa Farmers Market makes it easy for me to connect with our community every week.

The best way to connect with Joey and Soda Canyon Farm is to stop by his Saturday stall and peruse his arugula, basil, beets, carrots, chives, kale, lettuce mixes, lettuce heads, spinach, Hakurei Turnips, green onions, and peppers. He doesnt have a website yet, but you can follow him on Instagram at @soda_canyon_farm.

Although its summertime, sometimes nothing sounds better than a comforting bowl of soup. Try this recipe featuring Augusts harvest of the month veggie, summer squash, paired with ever-popular sweet corn.

This recipe is adapted from EatFresh.org, an online recipe and nutrition resource developed for CalFresh eligible individuals and families, and an excellent tool for anyone interested in eating healthier on a budget.

Squash and Corn Pasta Soup

Serves 6

3 cups chicken broth

4 zucchini or summer squash, small diced

1/2 onion small, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

4 cups corn, about 5 ears

10 ounces whole grain angel hair pasta, broken into 2 or 3-inch pieces

8 ounces tomato sauce

Olive oil

Coat bottom on large skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Add broken pasta and mix well to coat. Toast pasta over medium heat, stirring and turning constantly until golden. Pasta will burn easily.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat chicken broth to boiling. Add zucchini or squash, onion and garlic. Cook, covered, until zucchini or squash is soft.

Stir in corn and remove from heat.

Carefully stir toasted spaghetti into saucepan with vegetables; add tomato sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until spaghetti is tender. To serve, ladle into shallow bowls.
American Canyon Police arrested a man Saturday afternoon after a vehicle pursuit and crash  but not before a police dog bit another man, the department reported.

At about 2 p.m., officers detained James Timothy Spencer, 48, after he crashed his car at Highway 29 and Mini Drive in Vallejo near the American Canyon city line, police said in a news release.

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Police took a patrol dog to the scene due to Spencers noncompliance while being detained, but the dog passed by Spencers car and instead bit a bystander on both hands, according to the department.

The bystander, a 19-year-old Solano County man, had been soliciting money from the center median of the intersection, police said. He was taken by ambulance to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center with minor injuries and released later Saturday.

An investigation into the dog bite is underway, police reported.
After a two-year hiatus, an annual celebration of the bonds between local pets and their human friends returned to Napa on Sunday.

Hundreds of people, most of them accompanied by their dogs, took to downtown streets for Napa Humanes 11th annual Walk for Animals, the latest local gathering to emerge from lengthy curbs on mass events. The 1.4-mile stroll through the city center and along the Napa River from the Oxbow Commons  a major fundraiser for Napa Humanes animal welfare efforts for more than a decade  had been replaced in 2020 and 2021 by online events due to state and county crowd-size restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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About 350 people  many joined by their canine companions, sometimes clad in playful costumes  took part in Sunday mornings stroll, according to Napa Humanes executive director Wendi Piscia.

Under a cloudy sky that gave way unusually early to morning sun, dogs and owners set off from the Commons on a leisurely route over the First Street bridge, then down the Harry T. Price Riverwalk and finally back into the Oxbow.

Following the procession was a pet-themed festival at the Commons with animal contests, a photo booth and dog-training demonstrations. Also featured at the gathering were pets being offered for adoption by the Napa County Animal Shelter and Ripple Effect Animal Project, the humane society's partners in the event.

Napa Humane is aiming to raise $80,000 from this years Walk for Animals, compared to the $100,000 it garnered for its previous in-person festival in August 2019.

Proceeds from the Walk for Animals will fund the spaying and neutering of pets, of which Napa Humane performs about 5,000 procedures a year to help reduce the number of homeless kittens and puppies in the community. Other programs funded by Napa Humane include vaccinations, implanting of tracking microchips in pets, and animal welfare education.

Donations to Napa Humane in connection with the Walk for Animals will continue to be accepted through Aug. 31 online at napahumane.org, or by email or in-person drop-off at Napa Humane, 3265 California Blvd., Napa, CA 94558.

For more information, visit Napa Humane at napahumane.org.
According to information published by Tass on August 8, 2022, the Leningrad naval base of the Russian Navy will be reinforced with Bastion coastal missile systems that will be able to keep at gunpoint the entire Gulf of Finland, part of the Baltic Sea, Estonia and the coast of Finland in the wake of Finlands decision to join NATO.

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Bastion coastal missile system (Picture source: Tass)

However, Russias Defense Ministry did not specify when the missile systems would go on combat duty. Bastion systems are equipped with Onyx (SS-N-26 Strobile) supersonic precision-guided missiles, which will soon be upgraded, the Izvestiya newspaper writes.

Coastal defender

The Bastion systems missiles can hit targets at a distance of 600 km (373 mi). Thus, they will be able to reach Finland. The coastal missile systems will be able to keep at gunpoint the coast of this country [Finland], the entire Gulf of Finland, part of the Baltic Sea, and Estonia, the article reads. Therefore, it will be possible to keep under control the Baltic region and part of Scandinavia, which is extremely relevant in the wake of Finlands decision to join NATO.

However, tensions in the Baltic region continued growing. NATO rotational air groups were constantly sent to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for patrolling along the Russian borders, the Izvestiya says.

At a briefing for military attaches in December 2021, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said that during the year, NATO member states made more than 1,200 aircraft sorties and over 50 warship sorties for maritime reconnaissance in the Baltic maritime zone, thus violating the provisions of the Rome Declaration signed in 2002, which laid the foundation for the work of the Russia-NATO Council. In response, Russia has to actively strengthen the coastal forces of the fleet and coastal missile and artillery troops and rearm them with the latest systems.

After the advanced coastal missile systems assume combat duty in the Leningrad Region, the flight range of the latest missiles to potential targets will increase significantly. These missiles could be directed both from the air and from ships or submarines.

Due to a special radar homing head, Onyx missiles are highly accurate and can destroy not only ships, but also land targets. The Leningrad naval base has previously received Bal (SSC-6 Sennight) complexes equipped with Kh-35 (AS-20 Kayak) low-signature high-precision cruise missiles.

In addition to ground targets, the Bastion can eliminate both single ships and amphibious assault formations, convoys, aircraft carrier strike groups operating near the coasts covered by the system.

Bastion systems have been successfully used more than once during exercises of the Russian Armed Forces. In June, the complexes successfully defended the coast of the Primorye Territory from an attack delivered by a simulated enemy from the sea.

During the maneuvers, the crews moved to fight positions, quickly deployed the launchers of the complex, and performed a simulated missile launch against the enemy naval formation.

The strike notionally destroyed all the targets. In 2020, Bastion systems showed high efficiency during drills in the Arctic, where they practiced destroying an adversary group of warships and protecting navigation in the Northern Sea Route.

Onyx cruise missile

The Bastion system is armed with the Onyx cruise missile, which also makes part of the P-800 anti-ship complex. Its development began in 1982 and it was made operational in 2002. Surface ships and submarines are armed with the complex. For example, the Project 885 multipurpose lead submarine Severodvinsk is a carrier of these missiles.

The export version of the missile (known as Yakhont) has a maximum firing range of 300 km (186 mi) and a maximum speed of 2.5 Mach at a high altitude. Its conventional warhead weighs 250 kg.

The Russian-Indian BrahMos missile has been developed on the basis of the Onyx. On August 1, the CEO of the Russia-India Joint Venture BrahMos Aerospace Atul Rane told TASS that the flight trials of the BrahMos missile with an extended flight range would begin soon.

The original version of the Onyx missile is planned to be upgraded as well. It was reported in 2019 that Russias NPO Mashinostroeniya had developed the Onyx-M sea-launched cruise missile with a maximum firing range of 800 km (497 mi) and increased accuracy against sea and land targets. At the same time, the Onyx-M variant features increased jam resistance and can carry a nuclear warhead.

The original version of the missile is being actively used during the special military operation in Ukraine. It was reported in June that Onyx missiles had hit hangars with Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drones at the Shkolny airfield near Odessa.

 Copyright 2021 TASS Navy Recognition. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
According to information published by the U.S. DoD on August 8, 2022, the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) enters port in Tallinn, Estonia for a scheduled port visit.

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Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship is a dock landing ship of the United States Navy. Introduced to fleet service in 1985, this class of ship features a large well deck for the transport of United States Marine Corps (USMC) vehicles and a large flight deck for the landing of helicopters or V-22 Ospreys.

The well deck was designed to hold four LCAC hovercraft, five if the vehicle ramp is raised, for landing Marines. Recent deployments have instead filled the well deck with a combination of LCU(s), AAVs, Tanks, LARCs, and other USMC vehicles and gear.

The Whidbey Island class of the ship also uniquely benefits from multiple cranes and a shallow draft that further make it ideal for participating in amphibious operations.

As of 2009, all ships of the class are scheduled to undergo a midlife upgrade over the next five years to ensure that they remain in service through to 2038.

The ships will be upgraded each year through 2013, and the last ship will be modernized in 2014. Ships homeported on the East Coast will undergo upgrades at Metro Machine Corp., while those on the West Coast will receive upgrades at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego.

Major elements of the upgrade package include diesel engine improvements, fuel, and maintenance savings systems, engineering control systems, increased air conditioning and chill water capacity, and replacement of air compressors. The ships also replaced steam systems with all-electric functionality that will decrease maintenance effort and expense.

The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship is powered by four 4 Colt Industries 16-cylinder diesel engines which provide 33,000 shp. (25,000 kW) to two shafts. The ship can reach a top speed of 20 knots. (37 km/h; 23 mph).

The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship is armed with two 25 mm Mk 38 automatic cannons, two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS Close-In Weapon Systems mounts two Rolling Airframe Missile, and six .50 caliber M2HB machine guns.
Nikkei: Apple in talks to manufacture Apple Watch and MacBook in Vietnam

Chery to release new flagship crossover Tiggo 9

FT: Risk of Eiffel Tower collapse due to rust will persist until 2030

Apple Inc. to introduce iPhone 14 on September 7

Cambodia accuses American billionaire of buying stolen sculptures

Suren Petrosyan: Aghavno systematically surrendered

UK inflation hits new 40-year high in July

What is reason for restrained US reaction to reports about Turkey's purchase of second regiment of S-400?

Germany warns gas will run out in less than three months if Russia completely cuts off supplies

Rescuer: Site is difficult, there are large structures, we try to cross sections piece by piece

Thames Water bans customers from using hoses for irrigation

Search operations at Surmalu shopping center ceased until morning

Most polluted cities revealed

Investor pessimism in Germany has worsened even more in August

Electricity prices in Europe continue to rise steadily

NATO to increase its peacekeeping forces in Kosovo in case of escalation of tensions with Serbia

OPEC Secretary General: Organization is not involved in gas and oil prices rise

Estonia to ban Russian citizens who received visa in third EU country from entering Estonia

Goldman Sachs: Europe's chances of recession are now twice as high as US

NEWS.am BREAKING on Yerevan market blast: 16 people killed, 1 person still missing

French MFA expresses solidarity with Armenia over Surmalu tragedy

Philippines ready to support US in case of war with China

Mayor of Venice looking for two 'pushy idiots' who raced Grand Canal

Mishustin and Pashinyan discuss cooperation in trade and economic sphere

Velayati says China is strategic ally of Iran

Norway will provide military aid to Ukraine

Garo Paylan appeals to Ankara Prosecutor's Office

Mourning liturgy for victims of explosion and fire at Surmalu will be held in Armenia

Iran to develop cooperation with Pakistan

UN Secretary General arrives in Lviv

Explosions and fires in at least 17 locations in southern Thailand

Lithuanian FM calls for cancellation of tourist Schengen visas for Russians

Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan sign agreement on international transit corridor

Management of Surmalu shopping center expresses condolences in connection with explosion

Wildberries denies information about leakage of customer data

1 injured in explosion has been discharged, and four citizens are currently undergoing treatment

Armenia Investigative Committee asks to hand over unused fireworks obtained from Surmalu market to police

Iranian Foreign Ministry aims to expand regional transit routes

Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia

Eurozone GDP is up in second quarter

Charles Michel expresses his condolences in connection with Surmalu explosion

Israeli President welcomes Turkey's decision to restore diplomatic relations

Turkey decides to restore diplomatic relations with Israel

Five injured in explosion are being treated at medical centers

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Kazakhstan President sends condolence message to Armenia PM

Armenia has new consul general in Russias Rostov-on-Don

No bombs found at Gyumri international airport, railway station

3 men who strangled Yerevan woman, 47, to death are arrested

People continue bringing flowers, toys nearby tragic Yerevan explosion site

Book of condolences opened at all Armenia diplomatic missions abroad

Bomb threat made at Gyumri international airport, railway station

Russian embassy upset by reports about Russia organizations participation in Yerevan market tragedy

Armenia ex-deputy PM Avinyan visits Yerevan market blast site

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Artsakh also declares mourning

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China's defense ministry has defended its shelving of military talks with the United States in protest against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last week, warning that Washington must bear "serious consequences," Reuters reported.

"The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the U.S. side on its own initiative, and the U.S. side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this," defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.

One U.S. official noted that Chinese officials had not responded to calls from senior Pentagon officials amid the tensions last week, but that they did not see this as a formal severing of ties with senior figures, such as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Asked directly about those reports, defense ministry spokesman Wu said, "China's relevant counter-measures are a necessary warning to the provocations of the United States and Taiwan, and a legitimate defense of national sovereignty and security."
U.S. mistaken on Taiwan question in 3 aspects: Chinese FM

Xinhua) 08:05, August 08, 2022

DHAKA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday during his visit to Bangladesh that the United States is mistaken in three aspects regarding a reckless tour to China's Taiwan region by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

He made the remarks in response to the latest situation and the quibbling of the U.S. side.

Firstly, Wang said, the U.S. side grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, adding that despite China's repeated notifications and warnings, the United States went on its own way, and arranged for the third-ranking U.S. government official to make the so-called "visit" to China's Taiwan region.

It must be understood that Taiwan is not a part of the United States, but a part of Chinese territory, and the U.S. side has made a public commitment about this, said Wang, adding that the U.S. side's action is therefore a serious infringement on China's sovereignty.

Secondly, the United States connived at and supported the "Taiwan independence" forces, he said, noting that any country must safeguard national unity and never allows separatist elements to behave recklessly.

Wang said the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the Taiwan region has included the pursuit of "independence" in its party platform, and in recent years it has tried every possible means to seek incremental "Taiwan independence" and create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives openly backed it up, siding with the separatist forces against the Chinese people, he added.

Thirdly, it deliberately sabotaged peace across the Taiwan Strait. The United States, as known to all, always creates a problem first and then uses it to achieve its own strategic end, Wang said.

He noted that there are signs showing that the United States, by orchestrating Pelosi's reckless tour to Taiwan, is trying to repeat its old tricks.

Washington is taking the opportunity to build up its military deployment in the region, which deserves high vigilance and resolute boycott from all sides, Wang warned.

He said China's firm stance, as well as its justified, reasonable, lawful, necessary, open and proportionate countermeasures are aimed at safeguarding China's sacred sovereignty and territorial integrity, preventing the U.S. attempt from "using Taiwan to contain China," crushing the Taiwan authorities' illusion of "seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda," and earnestly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability.

Wang emphasized that the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs is the "golden rule" for the development of state-to-state relations and the "magic tool" for developing countries to protect their sovereignty and security.

Wang said China appreciates the understanding and support for China's position by various countries, adding that as unilateral bullying acts happen from time to time, the international community should reach an even clearer consensus and make an even louder voice so as to jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and international law, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all developing countries.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Assyrian Simmele Massacre Still Not Recognized By Iraq

Maryam Shmoil, an Assyrian in Iraq, visits the site of the 1933 Simmele Massacre of Assyrians by Iraq. ( AINA) (AINA) -- August 7th is Assyrian Martyrs Day and it is commemorated everywhere in the world by Assyrians. Martyrs are honored and acknowledged by government officials in various countries. Monuments now exist in the United States and in Europe, and solemn ceremonies are held everywhere Assyrians reside. Based on the August, 1933 massacres in and around the village of Simmele in the Assyrian heartland in Iraq, Assyrian Martyrs Day has become the subject of art, literature, and politics.

Yet something remains missing.

In the land where they were massacred, the martyrs of Simmele, whose bones are scattered in the town in shallow graves, have no memorial, no museum and no plaque to honor their memory. The Iraqi government, having recognized various atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein's regime against the Shi'ites and Kurds, has yet to acknowledge that a horrible massacre of over 3,000 Assyrians took place.

In 1933, the Iraqi army, led by an ex-Ottoman officer, Bakir Sidqi, acting on orders from Hikmay Sulayman, the Iraqi Kingdom's Interior Minister, attacked the innocent Assyrians residing in and around the town of Simmele and over 60 Assyrian villages. The Assyrians had surrendered their arms, sought peace with the Iraqi government, and pledged their loyalty to the Iraqi flag. In return, in an act more treacherous than any in recorded history, the Iraqi army machine-gunned and bayonetted innocent men, women and children because they were Assyrian. As if to display the ultimate revenge on the refugees, priests were murdered, and young girls raped. Their leadership had been exiled and dispersed, and their armed fighters too distant to rescue their vulnerable people. Having suffered the devastations of the First World War because of their alliance with Britain, the Assyrians were ultimately rewarded with British betrayal of its commitment to their cause. Britain sought to whitewash the horrors of the massacre and silence Assyrian voices because of its deep interests in Iraqi oil and its Anglo-Iraqi treaty.

Recently, Maryam Shmoil, an Assyrian activist, paid homage to the bones of the martyrs of Simmele by lighting a candle in their honor. Having visited there before, she felt particularly hopeless this year. Over 89 years after the massacre, the Iraqi government, along with the Kurdistan Regional Government, have failed to officially recognize the massacre. Sadly, Assyrian representatives from the plethora of the parties that exist in Iraq, have done little to honor the hallowed grounds where the martyrs remain.

Still, a glimmer of hope has emerged in the Assyrian homeland. In a sermon in the town of Simmele, his Holiness Mar Awa III, the recently consecrated Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, announced that a monument to honor the martyrs will be erected. In his sermon, Patriarch Awa called on Assyrians everywhere to honor the martyrs by recalling and recognizing them and their sacrifice. "We have two goals," he stated. "First, we must not forget our past. As it is said, he who does not recall the past will repeat its errors. This is not to say that we must live in the past, but to learn from it. We must know our past as a nation. Second, we must know our path for the future so that this ancient nation, which is native to this blessed land, obtains its rights, its place and its dignity."

From Simmele, Mar Awa called on the Assyrians to struggle, in fully unity, for their rights without regard to denomination, tribalism, or party and announced that soon, before the next Martyrs Day, a monument would finally honor the martyrs of Simmele.
At a recent closed-door meeting with the heads of the agency's counterterrorism center, the CIA made it clear that fighting al-Qaeda and other extremist groups will remain a priority, but the agency's money and resources will increasingly be diverted to fighting China.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said that while the US will continue to pursue terrorists, the top priority is to better understand and counter Beijing.

A year after the war in Afghanistan ended, President Joe Biden and top national security officials are talking less about the fight against terrorism and more about the political, economic and military threats posed by both China and Russia. There has been a quiet turn in the intelligence services that is moving hundreds of officers to China-focused positions, including those with a history of terrorism work.

The last week clearly shows that the US has to deal with both at the same time. Days after Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, China held a large-scale military exercise and threatened to cut ties with the US over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

The US has long been alarmed by China's growing political and economic ambitions.

Intelligence officials have said they need more information about China, including after they were unable to definitively determine the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proponents of the Biden administration's approach point out that the US was able to track down and kill al-Zawahiri, a testament to its ability to counter threats in Afghanistan from abroad. Critics say that the fact that al-Zawahiri lived in Kabul under the apparent protection of the Taliban indicates a resurgence of extremist groups that America is unable to counter.

The shift in priorities is supported by many former intelligence officers and lawmakers from both parties, who say it is overdue.

Congress pushed the CIA and other intelligence agencies to make China a top priority. The channeling of resources to China has required cutbacks in other areas, including counter-terrorism. Specific figures were not available because intelligence budgets are classified.

In particular, lawmakers want more information about China's development of advanced technologies. Under President Xi Jinping, China has invested trillions of dollars in quantum science, artificial intelligence and other technologies that are likely to change the way future wars are fought and the structure of the economy.

Last year, the CIA announced that it would create two new centers - one for China and one for new technologies - to centralize and improve intelligence gathering on these issues. The CIA is also trying to recruit native Chinese speakers and reduce security check wait times to recruit new people faster.

At the agency, many officers learn Chinese and move into new China-focused positions, though not all of these positions require language training.
Poland does not intend to share gas with EU neighbors. No one can force us to ration gas or take any other restrictive measures, said Minister of Climate and Environment

According to her, Poland will not agree to regulate gas in the event of a crisis in the European Union.

Energy security is the exclusive competence of states, and we will never agree to transfer it to the European level. No one can force us to regulate gas or take other restrictive actions. Moreover, we do not want to make decisions about restrictions in other countries, she said.

Infrastructure and gas pipelines and gas are the property of our state, and only we can decide how we use it, for whose needs and how we provide it. Nobody will arrest our gas, she added.

Asked if the EU would be able to order Germany's neighbors to supply it with gas, she replied that it was very unlikely.

Of course, if there are countries in the EU that have the appropriate capabilities and infrastructure, they can always support their neighbors on the basis of a bilateral agreement, she said.

She added that she could not imagine a situation in which Brussels imposes an obligation on us to help.
In the past, a US-Chinese war over Taiwan seemed a real possibility, but no more than that. Today, a growing number of experts believe that a US-China conflict is not only possible, but likely, the Financial Times writes.

"On our current course some kind of military confrontation between the US and China over the coming decade now looks more likely than not," says James Crabtree, Asia director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Senior Western officials are too cautious to say so publicly, but many share Crabtree's pessimism privately. US thinking began to lean this way in 2021, when Admiral Phil Davidson, the retiring US commander in the Indo-Pacific, told Congress that he saw a clear threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan in the next six years.

The Chinese government's rhetoric is decidedly nationalistic and bellicose. Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the United States, reacted to Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan last week by tweeting a video of the People's Liberation Army during an exercise, with rockets going off, explosions, sirens and soldiers singing. The message was clear and without subtlety.

The fear of impending war has been fueled by changes in China, the United States, and Taiwan itself.

Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, Beijing's foreign policy has become markedly more aggressive. China has built military bases in the South China Sea, and Chinese troops have killed Indian soldiers in clashes in the Himalayas. China's relentless military build-up means that it now has more warships than America.

Unlike his predecessors, who seemed ready to wait for a possible "reunification" with Taiwan, Xi called the issue a historic mission that "cannot be passed down from generation to generation." Popular expectations were so high that some Chinese nationalists seemed disappointed that the People's Liberation Army did not shoot down Pelosi's plane.

Attitudes in the US have also changed. The one issue on which there seems to be cross-party agreement in Washington is that China is becoming an increasingly dangerous rival that must be confronted. The Trump era tariffs on Chinese goods were supported by the Biden administration. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have expanded their ties to Taiwan.

Biden has stated three times that the United States would fight to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, a departure from the official US policy of "strategic ambiguity." His officials' insistence that their boss misspoke has become less and less convincing each time.

Biden's repeated suggestion that the U.S. would start a war over Taiwan stands in stark contrast to his clear statement before Russia invaded Ukraine that America would not get directly involved in military action. This reflects a widespread belief in Washington that, for strategic and ideological reasons, the fate of Taiwan will be determined by the balance of power in the 21st century.

Tensions might not have reached boiling point, however, had it not been for changes in Taiwan itself. In 2016 and again in 2020, the island elected President Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, traditionally considered independent. Although Tsai has avoided formal steps toward independence, it is clear that Taiwan's younger generation increasingly sees their future separated from the mainland.

China's use of force would be a tragedy not only for Taiwan, but for mainland China itself. It would lead to mass casualties on all sides, a permanent alienation between Taiwanese and mainlanders, and a global economic collapse that would endanger decades of Chinese growth. Above all, it would risk direct conflict with the United States and World War III.

But just because an invasion of Taiwan would be reckless and immoral does not mean it will never happen. As the war in Ukraine shows, nationalism, authoritarianism and discontent, and American power can be a powerful and dangerous combination. Reflecting on the conflict over Taiwan, Beijing and Washington feel obliged to speak out and act decisively. Each side hopes that the other is bluffing. It remains to be hoped that they are both right.
A new livestock complex will be built in the Tashir community of Armenias Lori Province in the near future. There is a "time capsule"in one of the cornerstones of the complex with a message for future generations:On August 5, 2022, the foundation was laid for a new initiative to develop Armenia's economy, which will enable future generations to be provided with quality products and safe food.

This complex will differ from other farms operating in Armeniaboth in terms of its size, approach to work, and the latest technologies to be used. Pedigreed cows and pigs will be bred, and high quality dairy and meat products will be produced there.

For the construction of this new complex and the development of the complete production cycle, the Eurasian Development Bank will provide 25 million US dollars to Yeremyan Projects.

A memorandum of cooperation has already been signed between the Government of Armenia, Eurasian Development Bank, and Yeremyan Farm.

The success of the Jermuk cattle-breeding farm of Yeremyan Projects contributed to the implementation of this project. Founded in 2019, this farm breeds purebred Holstein, Fleckvieh, Angus, and Jersey cows with high-quality genetics imported from Europe, and all the necessary conditions for their living, feeding, and reproduction are provided.

This farm uses automatic water supply devices, automatic manure removal devices, ventilation system, resting rubber mattresses for cows, and automatic scrapers.

In order to obtain high-quality milk, animals need quality feed, and the latter is also produced by Yeremyan Projects. In Armavir Province, the company grows grain crops, which are then transported to the feed mill in Aralez community of Ararat Province, where they get a properly balanced combined feed from a mixture of wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, and sunflower husks in appropriate proportions.

The livestock complex to be built in the Tashir community of Lori Province will occupy an area of 29 hectares and will include farms for dairy cows and sows with a number of innovative solutions and automated systems, a slaughterhouse, land for growing fodder crops, own feed mill and fodder mixture storage.

"The cattle-breeding farm is designed for 1,200 dairy cattle, which means it is designed for 2,400 heads. We expect to receive more than 30 tons of milk per day," Davit Yeremyan, Director General of Yeremyan Projects company, told Armenian and foreign journalists.

The cattle-breeding farm will have three buildings, two of which are intended for dairy cows, the otherfor meat animals. There will also be a nursery and a section for animals with problems. The complex will be fully equipped with automatic systems, including an automatic manure removal system through which manure will be transferred from the barns through pipes to special wells for later use for soil fertilization.

The milking process will be automated, as in the Jermuk farm, and the milk will be transported to the Yerevan factory by using special vehicles with a capacity of 30 tonsand by observing all safety rules.

As for the piggery, it is designed for 580 sows. It will be possible to obtain more than 700 tons of local high-quality meat from the skin of 16,500 pigs annually. Canadian purebred pigsLandrace, Yorkshire, Durocimported from Europe will be kept and bred here.

The animal husbandry complex will also have a slaughterhouse equipped with modern equipment, where it will be possible to carry out the safe slaughter in accordance with all sanitary and hygienic conditions, store the meat in proper conditions, and transport it to the factory for further processing.

"This project requires an investment of 32 million [US] dollars, as the factory will also be reorganized, new facilities will be built to process dairy products," said Davit Yeremyan.

According to him, the products of both existing and future farms of the company are designed to meet domestic demand, not for export because there is a lack of quality dairy products in Armenia now.

According to Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan, this is one of the biggest projects in livestock breeding in Armenia, and it will have a great impact on the development of the agricultural sector.

"The project is quite large, worth several tens of millions of dollars, and is one of the largest projects in the livestock sector of Armenia. The government is trying to increase the productivity of both agriculture and the general economy, and this can be done in agriculture only through large farms and large projects. This project of today will have a great impact in terms of increasing agricultural productivity, increasing the quality of agricultural products, as well as setting a new benchmark in agricultural standards," said Kerobyan.

The chairman of the Management Board of the Eurasian Development Bank, Nikolai Podguzov, in his turn noted that this is one of the several projects of the bank being implemented in Armenia, and it will have a significant economic and social impact, will contribute to the creation of new jobs and the development of rural settlementswhere 36% of the population of Armenia lives. Moreover, Podguzov hopes that the track-record of this project will be applicable in other countries in the future.

"The topic of food, animal husbandry development, dairy products processing is something that can be applied in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan as well; these are the countries where we are actively working. We can apply the developments of the Yeremyan company in other countries as well," said the chairman of the Management Board of the Eurasian Development Bank.
Azerbaijan has developed a project to turn Surb Hambardzum Church in Berdzor into a mosque, Hovik Avanesov, head of Stepanakert University's Center for Caucasian Studies, told NEWS.am.

He said the Azerbaijani organization Public Association for Monument Protection also published a photo of the project. According to the project, the domes and the bell tower will be dismantled and two minarets will be attached instead. "The project was approved by the order of Azerbaijani President Aliyev. Aliyev gave such an order when he was on another illegal visit to the occupied Hadrut region. Their main goal is to eliminate the Armenian cultural heritage in all the occupied Armenian settlements. Churches and institutions of cultural value built in the period of independence, which cannot be albanized, are turned into a mosque or other structures by Aliyev's order," the head of the Center said. Hovik Avanesov highlighted that this is a clear war crime.

"Given the fact that under all international conventions, the destruction or transformation of such heritage into other structures is considered not only cultural genocide, but also a war crime. A similar fate threatens the chapel in Aghavno, and all the historical and cultural heritage that remains in the occupied territories," Avanesov noted. According to Hovik Avanesyan, the only way to stop this process carried out by Azerbaijan is to appeal to international structures. "The way out is for serious international messages to be applied, or perhaps through negotiations, Russian peacekeepers to set up an observation point here to prevent the church from being turned into a mosque or destroyed."

The church was built 1996-98.
The residents of Aghavno and Berdzor settlements of Artsakh, who were given time by the Artsakh authorities to leave their homes by August 25, are packing their belongings these days, but so far no family has left the settlements.

Many have not yet decided where they will move, whether they will move to Artsakh or settle in Armenia. A total of 204 residents will be evacuated from Aghavno; 174 remain in Berdzor, where 2,000 residents lived before the war. Sus village will also come under Azerbaijani control, but there are no residents there now. The residents of Berdzor and Aghavno cannot reconcile themselves to the idea of leaving their homes built by their own hands to the enemy.

"The intention to move to Armenia or to move to Artsakh is mixed, at the moment people do not know what to do, any decision can be changed. The situation is unresolved like everyone else, I haven't thought about it yet, I don't have time, I will make a decision in a calmer state," Berdzor Mayor Narek Aleksanyan told NEWS.am.

A few days ago, Artsakh's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Hayk Khanumyan informed residents that they must liberate Aghavno and Berdzor by August 25. According to the minister, residents will be resettled in housing before they can buy an apartment in Artsakh and Armenia.

"If they are resettled, they will receive a certificate to buy a house, and before receiving the certificate, they will receive rent reimbursement," the minister said.

According to the Berdzor mayor, the Armenian government allocates up to 8 million drams to buy an apartment in Yerevan, 10 million drams in the marzes and 12 million drams in Artsakh.
The embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon announced the rejection of the Lebanese customer from the grain, which is coming from Odessa on the dry cargo ship Razoni, the first vessel to leave the Ukrainian port after the food deal reached in Istanbul.

Lebanese Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamiya informed on Sunday that the Razoni dry cargo ship, sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone with Ukrainian grain on board, has changed its route and appears to be waiting for instructions on a new destination.

"According to the information of the shipper the final buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the cargo due to delay of delivery terms (more than 5 months). So the shipper is now looking for another consignee. It can either be in Lebanon or other country," the Ukrainian diplomatic mission wrote on Twitter.

According to the message, the carrier is considering alternative buyers, including outside Lebanon.
Colombia's first leftist leader stresses unity, peace

Colombia's first leftist leader stresses unity, peace

Gustavo Petro on Sunday became Colombia's first leftist president, pledging to unite the polarised country in the fight against inequality and climate change and achieve peace with leftist rebels and crime gangs.



Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group, was sworn in by Senate President Roy Barreras in Bogota's Bolivar Plaza on Sunday afternoon, watched by some 100,000 invitees including Spanish King Felipe VI, at least nine Latin American presidents and other Colombians invited by Petro.



"I do not want two countries, just as I do not want two societies. I want a strong, just and united Colombia," an emotional Petro said in his inauguration speech. "The challenges and tests that we have as a nation demand a period of unity and basic consensus."



Petro has promised to revive scuppered peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels and apply a 2016 peace deal to ex-members of the FARC guerrillas who reject it.



His foreign minister has said the government will hold dialogue with gangs and potentially give members reduced sentences in exchange for information about drug trafficking.



Armed groups should accept that deal, Petro said.



"We call on all those who are armed to leave their arms in the haze of the past. To accept legal benefits in exchange for peace, in exchange for the definitive non-repetition of violence," Petro told the cheering crowd gathered under a bright Andean sun.



He also called for a new international strategy to fight drug trafficking, saying the US-led war on drugs has failed.



"It is time for a new international convention that accepts that the war on drugs has failed, that it has left a million dead Latin Americans during 40 years and that it leaves 70,000 North Americans dead by overdose each year. The war on drugs strengthened mafias and weakened states," he said.



Climate change must be fought internationally, but especially by countries which emit the most greenhouse gases, Petro added, saying Colombia would transition to an economy without coal or oil.



A US$5.8 billion tax reform, which would raise duties on high earners to fund social programs, will be proposed to congress on Monday by the new Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo.



Petro, a 62-year-old former senator, has also said a top priority is to fight hunger in the country of 50 million, where nearly half the population lives at some level of poverty.



Petro has also pledged free public university education and healthcare changes, and constructed a broad congressional coalition of leftist and centrist parties to pass his platform.



Promises of pension reform and a halt to new oil development have caused investor jitters despite the appointment of Ocampo, a long-time official.



New Vice President Francia Marquez, an environmental activist and former housekeeper, is the first Afro-Colombian woman to hold her post.



Thousands of supporters celebrated in Bogota and at large screens set up in public places around the country.



"I didn't believe I would live to see this finally happen," said Nelson Molina, a 56-year-old plumber who was sporting a Petro T-shirt and hat. "I know we won't change from one day to the next, this is just the beginning." (Reuters)
The value of counterfeit notes detected in the banking system has reduced from Rs 43.47 crores in 2016-17 to Rs 8.26 crores in 2021-22 -- a decline of around 80 per cent, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed Lok Sabha on Monday. Chaudhary said this in reply to a question on whether the value of fake Indian currency notes has gone up since demonetisation in 2016. As per the report of the agencies, there have been instances where it has been found that the fake currency has been smuggled from neighbouring countries, the minister said. "While notes seized by different law enforcement agencies have gone up, there is a discernable trend of reduction in the number of counterfeit notes detected in the banking system," he said. Further, the number of counterfeit banknotes has come down from Rs. 7.62 lakh pieces in 2016-17 to Rs. 2.08 lakh in 2020-21. The number of counterfeit banknotes has come down, the minister said, because of the decision of the government to cancel the legal tender status of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination currency notes on November 8, 2016. The decision of demonetisation had several objectives including curbing of circulation of fake Indian currency notes (FICN). To counter the smuggling of fake notes, a joint task force is functioning between India and Bangladesh for building trust and cooperation for the exchange of information and analysis of smugglers of FICN. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian and Bangladesh to prevent and counter the smuggling and circulation of fake currency notes. In addition, training programmes are conducted for the police officials of Nepal and Bangladesh to sensitise them about smuggling or counterfeiting of Indian currency, the minister replied. (ANI)
New Delhi, August 8 (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered 100 cases involving 132 firms relating to Ponzi schemes in the last three and half years -- since 2019, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched 87 money laundering inquiries in such cases during the period, the Centre informed Lok Sabha on Monday. As per definition, a Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. From 2019 to June 30, 2022, the CBI arrested 21 persons in its investigation of 100 First Information Reports lodged while probing Ponzi schemes, and the ED nabbed eight accused under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Sharing inputs in the Lok Sabha while replying to queries of five MPs, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the government and enforcement agencies have taken action against those running unauthorised schemes. Citing information received from enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies, the Minister said "CBI has registered 100 cases relating to Ponzi Schemes during the years 2019 to 2022 (up to 30.06.2022), involving 132 companies/ firms. 21 persons have been arrested by CBI in this regard." "ED has investigated 87 cases related to Ponzi Schemes under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) during the last 3 years and the current year. Eight persons have been arrested by ED in this regard." Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has informed that it has been assigned investigation by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) into the affairs of nine cases (five in 2019-20, one in 2020-21, and three in 2021-22) involving 85 companies (36 in 2019-20, 16 in 2020-21, and 33 in 2021-22) during the last three years, which were allegedly engaged in fraudulent chit fund, Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) or Ponzi activities, said the Minister. "No arrest has been made in this regard by SFIO." The Sachet portal of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which is the online platform for State Level Coordination Committees (SLCC) and facilitates the public to lodge complaints of financial frauds, the Minister said, received 1,540 complaints related to non-repayment of deposits and money collected for various kinds of Investment Schemes (964 in 2020-21, and 576 in 2021-22). Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has passed final Orders against 29 unregistered Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) entities during the last four years (12 in 2018-19, 10 in 2019-20, 5 in 2020-21 and 2 in 2021-22), said the MoS. In order to tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking schemes which dupe people of their hard-earned savings, the Minister said the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019 was enacted by the Central government among various of its steps to protect the interests of people. The Act contains comprehensive provisions in this regard prohibiting promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any Unregulated Deposit Scheme, and provisions for severe punishment and heavy pecuniary fines to act as a deterrent. The MoS said 29 states and Union Territories (UTs) have passed Protection of Interest of Depositors (PID) Acts for taking action against entities collecting money from the public illegally. State Level Coordination Committees (SLCCs), which are joint forums of financial sector regulators, state government officials and law enforcement agencies to facilitate information sharing and coordinated action against the illegal mobilization of funds from the public, were reconstituted in states and UTs in April 2014, with the Chief Secretary of the state and UT as the Chair, said the Minister. The RBI launched a public awareness campaign in 2017 to educate the public about various banking issues, including cautionary messages against falling prey to unsolicited and fictitious offers received through emails, SMSes, and phone calls. RBI alerts the public against such offers through press releases and multimedia messages on TV and online. Through RBI's online portal SACHET (https://sachet.rbi.org.in), which was initially launched on August 4, 2016, the public is cautioned against fraudulent schemes and entities. From the portal, members of the public can obtain information regarding entities that are allowed to accept deposits, whether the entity is registered with any regulator, lodge complaints and also share information regarding illegal acceptance of deposits by unscrupulous entities. Recognising the need to develop standardized content to meet the requirements of the general audience for financial awareness on important banking aspects, RBI has developed Financial Awareness Messages (FAME), with target group-specific content for five target groups like entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups(SHFs), farmers, school children, senior citizens. The content inter alia spreads awareness on Ponzi schemes and scams among the general audience. SEBI is empowered to regulate Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) under Section 11AA of the SEBI Act, 1992. Further, since investors invest in various Mutual Fund schemes, which in turn invest in securities of various companies, SEBI's Mutual Fund Regulation, 1996 specifies various investment restrictions including single issuer limit, sectoral limit, group exposure limit etc. keeping in view the interest of investors. Besides, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) conducts investor awareness programs to educate the general public to learn from the websites of various Ministries the information published regarding the persons involved in the scheme before making any investment. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], August 8 (ANI/PNN): Money Mileage, a new-age money management platform, has received funding from Startup India through AIC-SMUTBI (Atal Incubation Center - Sikkim Manipal University Technology Business Incubation). As more newbie investors enter the investment space, Money Mileage aims to simplify finance, investment, and money management with its innovative platform. The company cherishes a vision to provide best-in-class money management solutions and high-quality financial planning advice to the Indian youth using AI/ML. Furthermore, looking at the youth's growing dependence on credit cards and BNPL services, Money Mileage envisions promoting the correct way of spending money by educating and creating savings discipline. Four zealous entrepreneurs co-founded money Mileage - Kashish Chhabra, Mayank Sharma, Anchit Seth, and Abhimanyu Sharma - to offer Indian customers a smart financial assistant. Kashish Chhabra is an MBA in finance and has worked with various US-based companies, managing money through Robo-advisors for US clients. Mayank Sharma has an MBA in Finance/Analytics and has extensive experience in Strategy, Product, and Technology in Top Indian IT firms. Anchit Seth, on the other hand, is an M.Tech with experience building robust tech architecture for Indian unicorns. And Abhimanyu Sharma is an MBA in Marketing who has worked with top ed-tech startups as a sales and marketing professional. These four are on a mission to help India's youth with financial planning and investment management, leveraging new-age technologies coupled with AI/ML. As a result, Money Mileage is backed by strong international research and data-driven methodologies to emerge as a one-stop comprehensive financial solution. At Money Mileage, customers can access SMART Milestones - personally curated baskets that help them achieve financial independence by investing an amount as low as Rs. 200. Using SMART Save, they can also save money efficiently for short-term goals like vehicles, gadgets, or holidays. Money Mileage is also planning to introduce its Robo-Advisor so that investors can RoboFi for their investment and financial planning. Powered by AI, the platform will provide advice across different financial products like Stocks, MF, ETF, Gold, Insurance, etc., to diversify its customers' investments and help them achieve their financial goals. Sharing the company's vision, Kashish Chhabra says, "Over the past few years, India's investment sector has undergone a significant transformation. An increasing number of youngsters directly invest in investment vehicles like MFs and stocks. In this scenario, Money Mileage seeks to empower budding investors with the right financial assistance at the right time. The platform aims to minimize investment risk and create a financially stable generation of Indian youth through personalised finance and money management solutions. Moreover, it wants to make people aware of the need to build a stable financial future through reliable and informed financial advice." Money Mileage is available on both iOS and Android platforms. As investors beyond metros are showcasing interest in making sound financial investments, Money Mileage looks like a fantastic way to maximize your wealth in the best possible way for any future goals. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
New Delhi [India], August 8 (ANI/PNN): Inflector India Private Limited is promoter of Radiant heat barrier technology in India. Inflector India has launched solar shades and heat barrier blinds for windows product line that is a unique, energy saving product that acts as a solar filtering, reflective thermal shade. It stabilizes the indoor temperature by reflecting or absorbing solar heat and blocking up to 92 per cent UV while allowing natural light and providing a safer, more comfortable environment. The comfortable room temperature requires lesser air conditioning and hence significantly reduces the energy bills. The Inflector is a solar heat barrier designed by NASA, which was first used in 1960 in the spacesuits of astronauts during the Apollo missing. The Inflector's use started in the 1990s. Inflectors are in use in more than 60 countries today. Inflector India Private Limited holds distribution licence for Inflector technology for several countries including India. Inflector India has taken on InFlector as the new product that takes pride in its energy efficient qualities and unique make. Inflector India Co-Founder Sandeep Choudhary is a save Earth activist and his works towards environment conservation has been recognized on several national and International platforms. Choudhary's Biggest Mission to save earth has found major synergies with Inflector capabilities in the field of Environmental Solutions and Energy efficiency. "Research has shown that 75% of the solar heat comes through the window. The Inflector is installed at the window and it reduces the heat coming through it by 70-80% and thus it reduces the carbon footprints, during winter the Inflector can be reversed and it help in keeping the indoors warm by absorbing sunlight. Again, energy use can be curbed, which means lower carbon emissions," Sandeep Choudhary shared. Inflectors made by Inflector India can be used for as long as 25 years. Sandeep Choudhary said that to encourage the wider adoption of Inflectors in the country, they are making them available at a significantly lower cost than in other countries. Save Earth Activist Sandeep Choudhary has recently been honored with the prestigious Zee National Achiever's Award 2022 and recognized him as "Social Change Maker". Choudhary has a strong background in technology and real estate, left his fin-tech startup BankSathi Technologies, a VC-funded USD 50 Million company, for this world's biggest mission to save our planet Earth. Sandeep Choudhary's path-breaking achievements as an entrepreneur and thoughtful initiatives as a save Earth activist have been recognized by the government and several national and international agencies. In the year 2016, he was invited as a delegate with honourable Prime Minister Narender Modi Ji on his Japan delegation. Earlier this year, he was conferred an honorary doctorate degree from the American University. He has been felicitated with India's Biggest Shaksheeyat Awards by Honourable Governor of Odisha. On World Environment Day, he was honoured with the Global Business Achievers Award in Delhi. The Zee Media Group gave him the Rising Star Award for his meteoric rise as an entrepreneur. Another notable award won by him is the Best Technology Entrepreneur Award by CNBC Awaaz. Sandeep Choudhary explains more use case of Inflector product and how it reduces the energy utilization. "Global warming is a real threat to the planet and us, and all of us need to contribute in every small and big way to find a solution to the challenge," added Sandeep Choudhary. More info on Inflector and booking information is available on official website - https://inflectorindia.com This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
The company's EBIDTA for the first quarter of 2022-23 stood at Rs 291 crore. The company's profit before tax stood at Rs 57 crore for the quarter under review.

Commenting on the results, Raghupati Singhania, JK Tyre's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), said, "JK Tyre has achieved its highest ever sales at Rs 3,650 crore, a 39 per cent increase over the corresponding quarter."

"There has been a healthy pickup in demand both for passenger as also commercial tyres, both in the replacement and original equipment markets. The Company continued its focus on differentiated product offerings and driving premiumisation. Furthermore, exports have performed well," Singhania said in a statement.

Raw material and other input costs witnessed an ongoing uptrend, thus impacting margins. The company has undertaken multiple price revisions though not to the full extent and will pursue further opportunities.

Cavendish Industries Ltd and JK Tornel, Mexico, subsidiaries of the company have contributed to the overall growth of the company.

Singhania further added "We are quite optimistic on India's growth story and demand outlook in automobile and tyre industry, despite global fears of slowdown, geopolitical disturbances and supply chain constraints. We believe domestic consumption and healthy infrastructural spends will drive the growth in the near future." (ANI)
The Australian actor Paul Eenhoorn, best known for his critically acclaimed cameo appearances in the indie blockbusters "This Is Martin Bonner" and "Land Ho!", has passed away. He was 73. According to The Hollywood Reporter, as per his wife Stephanie, Eenhoorn passed away on Monday in his sleep at home in Tacoma, Washington, following what appears to have been a heart attack. Later that day, he was scheduled to begin production in Seattle with the Silver brothers, directors Kahlil and Shogi. Eenhoorn played the lead detective in the contentious documentary "Zoo" (2007) about a man who passed away after having anal sex with a horse after relocating to the United States and the Seattle region in 1999. The movie had its Sundance premiere and was shown during the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. In "Warrior's End" (2009), he played the role of Kael, commanding a squad of mediaeval soldiers. In the "Company of Women" (2015), he played an ageing academic who is shown around the city one night by a well-dressed ladies' man (Shogi Silver, who also wrote the film that was helmed by his brother). In the 2013 Chad Hartigan film "This Is Martin Bonner", Eenhoorn played the title role, a recluse who relocates to Reno, Nevada, works as an outreach counsellor at a prison and adopts a recently released inmate (Richmond Arquette) as his own. In a 2014 interview, Eenhoorn recalled, "At the time I shot that, I was pretty much depressed. I don't know if it was a performance or just me being me on the day." As David Rooney noted in his THR review from Sundance, "Eenhoorn conveys a whole complicated history without actually saying a lot, hinting that Martin's patience and inner fortitude may have been hard won." Eenhoorn followed up that performance with a strong performance as the former brother-in-law of a retired surgeon (Earl Lynn Nelson) in the endearing adventure comedy "Land Ho!" (2014) as the two travel across Iceland. That film had its world premiere at Sundance as well before Sony Pictures Classics bought it. Many thanks to "Land Ho!", "Martin Bonner", and Eenhoor won back-to-back years' worth of the prestigious John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards. Paul Marinus Eenhoorn, who was born on November 16, 1948, went to Perth's Paul Blackburn South High School and Murdoch University before pursuing acting training at the Mount Lawley Academy of Performing Arts and The Actors Center. He revealed to IndieWire in 2013 that "I've been on television since I was about 17. I had opportunities, one major opportunity I blew in my 20s. Once I started down this pathway, it was a case of not letting anyone stop me. Not my wife, not my family. It was getting too late to give it a small percentage. I had to give it one hundred per cent", as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. "Max Rules" (2004), "Keep Your Day Job", "Superstar" (2009), "Coffka" (2009), "Half Empty" (2011), "Rogue Saints" (2011), "Beautiful Brit Baker" (2012), and "Monarch City" were among the movies that Eenhoorn had worked on (2022). In the video game "Half-Life 2", he also served as the inspiration for Dr Arne Magnusson, the White Forest's leader. (ANI)
On Monday, Vijay took a stroll down memory lane and shared BTS pictures with his co-stars Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Roshan Mathew and director Jasmeet K. Reen.

Alongside the pictures, he penned a sweet note for all of them for making him learn important aspects of acting.

"Darlings is made with a lot of love and efforts of some of the most incredible creative minds and stalwarts. I was surrounded by people I learn from and aspire from. The best team one can ask for. Here's the proof," he wrote.

Vijay also shared a picture with the film's co-producer none other than Shah Rukh Khan.

Reacting to the post, a netizen commented, "I absolutely loved it. You were amazing as always."

"What a performance sir. Loved it," another one wrote.

"You were phenomenal in the movie! Hoping to see you do more roles that really showcase your talent. Hope this is just the beginning," a social media user commented.

Helmed by debutant Jasmeet K Reen, Darlings is a dark comedy centred around the marriage of Alia and Vijay. The story is a powerful take on domestic abuse and revolves around Alia Bhatt's retaliation after facing abuse at the hands of her husband Humza (Vijay).

In the upcoming months, Vijay, who has previously worked in 'She' and 'Gully Boy'. will be seen in Devotion of Suspect X with Kareena Kapoor Khan, Dahaad with Sonakshi Sinha, Mirzapur 3 and Sumit Saxena's untitled project. (ANI)
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam on Sunday caught Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sabin Pal Das red-handed while accepting a bribe from a complainant. A complaint was received at the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam alleging that the Assistant Sub-Inspector of police Sabin Pal Das had demanded a bribe for favourably mitigating the pending cases of the complainant lodged at Matia police station. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam for legal action and an FIR was lodged based on the complaint. After the complaint, a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, laid a trap, as per procedure, at the Matia police station and caught ASI Sabin Pal Das red-handed after he accepted the bribe from the complainant. The tainted bribe money was recovered from ASI Sabin Pal Das and seized, maintaining all formalities in the presence of independent witnesses. A case vide ACB P.S Case no -25/2022 U/S 7(a) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (as amended in 2018) has been registered against ASI Sabin Pal Das of Matia police station. Further legal actions are underway. Earlier in July in another case, Assam police arrested two government officials for taking bribes. The arrested government officials were identified as Barasha Borah Bordoloi, Superintendent of Excise of Morigaon district and Nabojyoti Sarma, Head Teacher of Phatika Chuwa LP School in Dibrugarh district. Rajib Saikia, CPRO of Assam police said that a complaint was received at the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam to the effect that Barasha Borah Bordoloi, Superintendent of Excise, Morigaon had demanded a sum of Rs one lakh as a bribe from the complainant for converting his bar license from IMFL 'ON' to IMFL 'OFF'. Both officials demanded money and the complainants were informed about this by the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption of Assam police. The teams of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption laid trap and caught them red handed in two separate ops today. "Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Superintendent of Police, Morigaon, who in turn took up the matter with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for taking needful legal action. Accordingly, a trap was laid today near the office chamber of the accused officer situated in the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Morigaon jointly by a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti- Corruption, Assam and Morigaon District Police. Barasha Borah Bordoloi was caught red handed immediately after she accepted bribe of Rs 20,000 from the complainant in her office chamber at 11-50 am. The tainted bribe money was seized from the possession of Barasha Borah Bordoloi in the presence of independent witnesses. An additional amount of Rs 20000 has also been recovered from the bag of the public servant in her office chamber soon after trap operation," Rajib Saikia said. He further said that a case has been registered in ACB police station on July 29 vide ACB P.S case no - 19/2022 u/s 7(a) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against Barasha Borah Bordoloi. (ANI)
The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Sunday said that they have arrested the kingpin of an interstate gang of Mewat-based extortionists, who used to make obscene videos of their victims and blackmail them. DCP Jasmeet Singh said that Saddam Hussain, who was carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head, and other members of the gang, have extorted money from more than 50 persons in Delhi during the last six months. The gang used the extortion money transferred to the bank accounts of poor and illiterate people, after paying them some amount. According to the DCP, Inspector Ishwar Singh and Satvinder, supervised by ACP Attar Singh, got the tip off about the accused following which he was held. "Hussain was wanted in a case of online extortion, blackmailing and criminal intimidation of a person through social media... He was declared proclaimed offender by the trial court. Hussain with other members of the gang demanded Rs 20 lakh from an advocate in Delhi," he said. Hussain disclosed that he, along with his associates, had demanded the money from an advocate after luring and then trapping him in their dragnet by making his indecent online video to blackmail him, otherwise they threatened to upload the video on social media platforms or send it to his family members. The DCP said that the modus operandi of the gang members was pose as females to lure the gullible persons by sending friend requests to them through Facebook and other social media platforms and start chatting with them. "After chatting for a few days and winning the confidence of their prospective victims, members of the gang used to make incriminating online vulgar videos of these gullible persons by luring them to indulge in indecent acts by prompting them with provoking postures," the police said. The accused used to extortion money from their targets by threatening them to make these videos viral, and getting their victims to send money into the proxy bank accounts provided by them. Hussain revealed that his role in gang was to shoot indecent videos of their victims with the help of his aides Ijazul, Amjad Khan and others. --IANS atk/vd ( 376 Words) 2022-08-07-21:34:01 (IANS)
The West Bengal CID, which had sent a team to Assam last week, has summoned a Guwahati-based businessman to Kolkata on Monday in connection with the probe into the Jharkhand MLA cash seizure case, an Assam Police official said. The Assam Police official said that the West Bengal CID, a team of which visited various places in Guwahati last week, has pasted the summons notice at the premises of businessman Ashok Dhanuka's house here. According to media reports, Dhanuka and his son Ghanshyam Dhanuka are supposed to be close to a top political family of ruling BJP in Assam. According to the official, the Bengal CID team has asked Ashok Dhanuka to appear in Bengal CID headquarters Bhavani Bhavan at 10 a.m. on Monday. A source claimed that the CID team in Guwahati had gone to Dhanuka's house on Saturday to serve the notice but failed to meet the businessman as the house was guarded by the Assam Police. The Bengal CID team came to Guwahati to collect CCTV footage and other evidence regarding the arrest of three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand. They collected CCTV footages from the Gopinath Bordoloi International airport in Guwahati and a hotel. On July 30 evening, the three Congress MLAs of Jharkhand -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari -- were nabbed by the police at Howrah's Panchla, with huge amount of cash in their vehicle. The MLAs told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the wholesale market at Burrabazar in central Kolkata to distribute in their constituencies on the occasion of the World Tribal Day. The MLAs and two of their associates, arrested with them, including the driver, have been remanded to CID custody till August 10. The Congress suspended three MLAs accusing them of conspiracy to topple the state government even a the matter rocked politics in Bengal, Assam, and Jharkhand. --IANS sc/vd ( 329 Words) 2022-08-07-22:34:03 (IANS)
The Trinamool Congress has asked the West Bengal General Secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh not to speak to the media about Partha Chatterjee for 14 days. The move came in wake of the recent remarks by Ghosh against sacked TMC Minister and suspended party leader Partha Chatterjee. The party has instructed Ghosh to refrain from commenting on Chatterjee. Ghosh on July 28 had urged his party to sack West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and also remove him from all party posts following allegations of his role in a massive school jobs scam. "Partha Chatterjee should be removed from the ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement is considered wrong, the party has every right to remove me from all posts," the state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said in a tweet. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday had arrested Chatterjee in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board recruitment scam. The ED also claimed to have seized a huge amount of cash in the case. Partha Chatterjee, who is the current minister for industries and commerce of West Bengal, was formerly the state's education minister. He was holding charge when the alleged illegal appointments were made in government-run and aided schools by West Bengal School Service Commision (WBSSC). Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials also claimed to have recovered cash amounting to approximately Rs 29 crore from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of the West Bengal Minister. The total cash recovered in the case is learnt to be higher. Besides cash a number of other incriminating documents, records, details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold has also been recovered from various premises of the individuals linked to the scam. (ANI)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday asked the Centre to address the challenges of cooperative federalism. In his address at the seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he demanded that legislation on subjects in the concurrent list should be initiated only after adequate consultations with the state governments and that Central government should desist from legislation on items on the state list. Vijayan also sought urgent initiatives from the Centre to enhance necessary legal remedies in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment on eco-sensitive zones, as this was necessary to alleviate the hardships of the marginalised section of people living in the affected areas. He also drew the attention of the Council to the issue of GST and demanded the review of imposition of GST on essential items and continuing the compensation to the states for another five years. The Chief Minister also said that Kerala was in the forefront of the decentralisation initiatives where all the functions in the Constitution's 11th and 12th Schedules have been devolved to the local self-government, and that this important achievement needs to be addressed while distributing the consolidated funds to the state. He also said that the central share of assistance under PMAY Urban and Rural needs to be revised considering the upward cost of construction materials. Vijayan said that to move towards more eco-friendly transport system and alleviate accidents, the state seeks support from the centre for early clearance of the state's pending rail and air traffic proposals. He said that Kerala has a 590 km coastal belt and that it was vulnerable to soil erosion, especially during extreme rainfall, and thus requires technological and financial support. Noting that the Centre has reduced the quota of kerosene or the state recently and this has affected the fishermen folk badly, he sought that the allotment be reinstated. This was the first meeting of NITI Aayog after the new Vice Chairperson Suman Berry and CEO Parameswaran Ayyar assumed office. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari were also present, along with other Chief Ministers. --IANS aal/vd ( 386 Words) 2022-08-07-23:18:02 (IANS)
The Mumbai Police have taken three fraudsters who were recently arrested by the economic offence wing (EOW) of Odisha crime branch on transit remand, in connection with an illegal loan app scam case, officials said on Sunday. The accused have been identified as Nitin Mallik of Delhi, Rakshith, and Sushanth of Karnataka. The officials of VP Road police station in Mumbai have taken Nitin on remand while the SDJM Court here on Saturday allowed the West Region Cyber Police Station, BKC Bandra, to take Rakshith and Sushanth on remand, an EOW official said. On July 13, the EOW of Odisha police had arrested Mallik from Hari Nagar police station area of New Delhi while Rakshith and Sushanth were held from Karnataka on June 10. The accused were the directors of different illegal shell companies. The shell companies were used to transfer money from the bank accounts attached with the fake loan apps to the accounts of Chinese nationals through different channels, an official said. The official also said the shell companies of Rakshith and Sushanth were used to make threatening and humiliating calls and send obscene messages to victim persons who had availed loans through illegal loan apps and their contacts through a call centre from Bangalore. Similarly, Mallik with the connivance of 'Chinese masterminds' used to purchase and run virtual phone numbers of different service providers to be used for running and facilitating the lending and recovery through different loan apps. Nitin Mallik was in direct and regular touch with at least three Chinese nationals and used to get a huge salary for this job, the EOW officials claimed. --IANS bbm/pgh ( 286 Words) 2022-08-07-23:28:03 (IANS)
A 'hybrid' terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been arrested by the Indian Army's 34 RR unit in the Budgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday. The accused arrested has been identified as Arshid Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Sangam Budgam. The arrests were made by a joint team of Srinagar Police and 2RR at Lawaypura. The officials also seized incriminating materials which include 5 pistols, 5 magazines, 50 rounds. Two hand grenades were also recovered from the terrorist. A Case has been registered at Shalteng Police Station. Earlier on May 1, another 'hybrid' terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was arrested by the Indian Army's 34 RR unit along with Kulgam Police from Kashmir. According to police, the arrested LeT terrorist was in contact with Pakistan-based terrorists as well as local LeT terrorists and was tasked to execute terror incidents. The hybrid terrorist was also involved in providing shelter, logistics and other support to the terrorists which includes transporting arms and ammunition and explosive material of the terrorists in district Kulgam. The arrested terrorist has been identified as Yamin Yousaf Bhat, a resident of Kulgam's Gadihama, said the Kashmir police. Incriminating materials consisting of arms and ammunition including a pistol, one magazine, two hand grenades and 51 (9 mm) pistol rounds have been recovered, stated police. An FIR has been registered against the said terrorist in Kulgam Police Station under relevant sections of law and further investigation regarding the incident is in progress. The arrest of the Hybrid terrorist is an achievement for Kulgam Police as the said terrorist was well known about the topography of the district and it was easy for him to choose soft targets. He was also in contact with PoK based terrorists and was working under their command and guidance. More arrests and recoveries are expected in the instant case, stated the police. (ANI)
The visit comes on the heels of the expulsion of Shiv Sena's Nanded district chief Umesh Munde and several other leaders for indulging in "anti-party activities". Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray had on Sunday sacked Munde and others.

Shinde was in the national capital on Sunday to participate in the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In June, Shinde and several other Shiv Sena leaders had rebelled against the party leadership, leading to the fall of the 31-month-old Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which comprised the Sena, NCP and Congress.

Following this, on June 30, Shinde, who led a revolt against Shiv Sena took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Days after, Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra stating that Eknath Shinde, who led the rebellion with party MLAs to bring down the MVA government had "backstabbed" him.

Earlier on July 22, a notice was served to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction wherein the Election Commission had stated that Eknath Shinde and some other persons have sought to be recognised as the 'real' Shiv Sena and are claiming right over the election symbol, the application said. The Commission had sought the Thackeray camp's response by August 8.

On August 4, the Supreme Court said it may decide on August 8 whether to refer some issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis to a five-judge Constitution bench.

A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli also asked the Election Commission of India not to decide the application filed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp for recognition as the 'real Shiv Sena' party and allotment of the bow and arrow symbol to it. (ANI)
At least three people were killed and several were injured at a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar early on Monday morning during the monthly fair. Two injured have been shifted to a hospital in Jaipur. The three deceased were women. Police have reached the spot and are exercising crowd control. A stampede took place at around 5 am at the entrance of the temple. Today, the 11th day of the lunar calendar is considered auspicious for darshan of Khatu Shyam Ji who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The temple is considered to be one of the most important pilgrim destinations in Rajasthan and sees huge crowds. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his grief. "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest," the PM tweeted. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede and wished a speedy recovery of the injured. Taking to Twitter, Gehlot wrote "The death of three women devotees due to a stampede in Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar is very sad and unfortunate. My deepest sympathies are with the bereaved family, may God give them strength to bear this loss and may the departed soul rest in peace." "Wishing a speedy recovery to the devotees injured in the stampede," he said in a subsequent tweet. Further details are awaited. Meanwhile earlier in April this year, three people were injured in a stampede-like situation at the ticket counters at the Tirumala shrine in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati. Also, In January this year 12 people died in a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed his condolences over the loss of lives in the stampede at the famous Khatu Shyamji Temple in Rajasthan's Sikar and wished a speedy recovery of those injured in the incident. At least three women died and several were injured at a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar when the temple's entrance doors were opened early on Monday during a monthly fair. "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest," PM Modi said in a tweet. Two injured people were been shifted to a hospital in Jaipur. Police rushed to the sport to control the crowd. Two of the injured have been shifted to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur for treatment. Several other injured were discharged after treatment at a PHC outside the temple. The stampede took place at around 5 am at the entrance of the temple. Today, the 11th day of the lunar calendar is considered auspicious for the darshan of Khatu Shyam Ji who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The temple is considered to be one of the most important pilgrim destinations in Rajasthan and sees huge crowds. Soon after the incident was reported, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede and wished a speedy recovery of the injured. Taking to Twitter, Gehlot wrote "The death of three women devotees due to a stampede in Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar is very sad and unfortunate. My deepest sympathies are with the bereaved family, may God give them strength to bear this loss and may the departed soul rest in peace." "Wishing a speedy recovery to the devotees injured in the stampede," he said in a subsequent tweet. Further details are awaited. (ANI)
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has been secretly testing Super, a live-streaming platform modelled after Twitch, according to a Business Insider report. As per Mashable, Meta had reached out to influencers to test the platform, and they gave the publication information and a complete deck of slides that the business has been using to pitch the service to creators. Super has only been used by a hundred creators so far. A Meta representative said in a statement given to Business Insider that Super is a totally distinct product and not a part of its other platforms, like Facebook or Instagram. The public can access Super's website. The website's footer states that the service is provided "by NPE Team from Meta." The developer team at Meta known as NPE works on the release of new applications. There don't seem to be any additional references to Meta on Super's website besides that footer. Super has been discussed in news reports before. In contrast to how it was described in a Bloomberg report from 2020, the product is very different today. Super was promoted at the time as a "Cameo-inspired tool" that would enable Facetime-style calling between famous people and their fans. Some features, like the ability to take selfies with creators, do appear to have been carried over. The platform appears to have changed course to become more of a Twitch rival for live streaming, though. According to the pitch deck, Super will give creators a similar opportunity to monetize their streams as Twitch does. Viewers can donate to their favourite creator and purchase supplemental content through tiered subscriptions. For the time being, the creator keeps all of their earnings. The pitch deck also features a sponsorship programme where companies can pay to have their marketing materials heavily integrated into a creator's Super stream. Creators wouldn't need a lot of technical or graphic design expertise to set up a well-designed Livestream because Super appears to have integrated specific video layouts directly into its product. Additionally, there are pre-built features like trivia and giveaway modules that enable creators to quickly incorporate those activities into a stream. Some influencers have received payments of up to USD3,000 to test out Super for 30 minutes. According to another source who spoke with the outlet, there were also "paid incentives based on the performance of the live stream." It's interesting to note that Super and Meta's other products, like Instagram and Facebook, don't seem to be integrated. On Super's website, users only have the choice to "Sign in with Google" after clicking "Login." Surprisingly, TikTok is the only other platform mentioned in the website's FAQ. In the section where Super explains how to simulcast your stream to TikTok Live, the viral video platform is mentioned, Mashable confirmed. Super is currently in the early stages of testing, as reported by Meta. If and when it will be made available to the general public is unknown. Currently, creators can register with an email address and ask to be given early access to the platform. (ANI)
The court directed the police to present Nishad before the court by August 10.

The case dates back seven years ago. On June 7, 2015, there was an agitation in Kasarwal area of Sahjanwan where protestors demanded 5 per cent reservation for the Nishad community in government jobs. Agitators sat on the railway track and as the protest escalated police resorted to lathi-charged in which one person was killed.

It was alleged that the person was killed by police firing and the agitation turned violent and during this several vehicles were torched.

Following this, police filed a case against several people including Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad under sections related to rioting, sabotage, arson and other offences.

Now the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Minister Sanjay Nishad in this case.

Advocate Surendra Kumar Nishad, the counsel of the Minister said, "This is not a non-bailable warrant issued against Nishad but it is a bailable one. This thing about the warrant that is going on are baseless rumours."

Notably, Sanjay Nishad's party is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Nishad Party forged an alliance with BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sanjay Nishad was made a Cabinet minister after the BJP formed government in the state. (ANI)
Following claims by Rajasthan MP Ranjeeta Koli that she was attacked by the mining mafia, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lambasted the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan saying that the law and order situation had deteriorated and elements like the Popular Front of India (PFI) were being patronised by the chief minister. Speaking to media persons, BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore said, "The rise of elements like PFI in Rajasthan has the blessings of the chief minister." Rathore said that under Congress rule Rajasthan had earned the dubious distinction of being the state with the largest number of rape cases in the country. Union Minister Arjun Meghwal said the law and order situation in Rajasthan had worsened and the state was being ruled by the mining mafia. "There is lawlessness in Rajasthan, mining mafia is ruling the state. They had the guts to attack our sitting MP Ranjeeta Koli. This is not the first, but the fourth such attack on her. Law and order situation in Rajasthan is deteriorating. Crimes against Dalits and women are on the rise," said Meghwal. BJP MP from Rajasthan's Dausa Jaskaur Meena moved a zero hour notice in the Lok Sabha to raise the matter of the alleged attack on Ranjeeta Koli in Bharatpur. "Our MP Ranjeeta Koli, a Dalit girl, was elected to power. They cannot swallow this. Rajasthan cannot stop crime against women and chief minister gives statements in favour of criminals. Our MP's life is in threat. I have given zero hour notice and will take up this matter in the House," said BJP MP Meena. BJP MP from Rajasthan Ranjeeta Koli on Monday went on a sit-in protest in Bharatpur against illegal mining and claimed that her car was attacked by the mining mafia on Sunday in an attempt to kill her. Koli said she was returning from Delhi on Sunday night and on her way to Bharatpur, she noticed a large number of overloaded trucks. The BJP MP said when she attempted to stop the trucks she was attacked while stones were pelted on her car. The Bharatpur MP claimed that she along with her security personnel ran into the nearby fields to seva themselves. She claimed that the mafia kept chasing them and later on the arrival of the villagers, the mafia ran away with the truck after hitting the MP's car. Following the incident, the BJP MP sat on a dharna today alleging police was not paying attention and taking action against the mining mafia. "I saw about 150 trucks that were overloaded. I tried to stop them but they fled. They thought I was in the car and thus they pelted stones and damaged my car. I could have been killed. This is an attack on me but I will not be scared," Koli said. Later, Police reached the spot and spoke to Koli. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) RS Kaviya said: "The MP at night told us that she was on her way from Delhi when she spotted overloaded trucks. She tried to stop them. While 2-3 trucks stopped, others escaped. She also stated that while escaping they pelted her car with stones and attacked her." Meanwhile, Bharatpur District Magistrate Alok Ranjan reached the site where BJP MP was sitting on a dharna along with her party workers. "She is sitting on a dharna alleging overloaded trucks pelted stones at her. We came here, asked her to give a complaint and she agreed. She alleged that she did not get an immediate response from nearby chowkis, which has been brought to the notice of senior police officials," said Ranjan. Pertinent to mention, in November last, MP Ranjeeta Koli had claimed that some unidentified persons opened fire and pelted stones outside her residence in Bharatpur district. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection to Times Now anchor Navika Kumar from any coercive action in connection with the FIRs and complaints registered against her in several states over remarks made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma about Prophet Muhammed during a debate aired by the channel. A bench comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli also issued notices to state governments on a plea by Kumar, who sought quashing of multiple FIRs lodged against her over the remarks made in the debate that she had anchored on May 26. "Issue notice. Returnable within two weeks. Meanwhile, as an interim measure, no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner pursuant to the impugned FIRs/complaints or future FIRs/complaints which may be registered with respect to the broadcast of May 26," the bench said in its order. At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Kumar told the bench that a debate was happening on the Gyanvapi Mosque and Kumar even tried to "douse the fire". Rohatgi also sought a stay on the investigation into the FIRs, which the bench declined saying no such order can be passed without hearing the states. "In the particular debate, the anchor had said nothing. The debate was about the Gyanvapi Mosque and suddenly one said something and then another retorted. The petitioner had doused the fire. The lady who had said something is facing flak from several FIRs. I have not said anything but now I face five or six FIRs in Kolkata alone," Rohatgi said while representing Kumar. He further apprised the bench that the first case was registered in Delhi and sought clubbing of the other cases with the Delhi FIR. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy appearing for the state of West Bengal contended that the first FIR was registered in Kolkata and the FIR in Delhi was not related to the concerned broadcast. The apex court was hearing Kumar's plea seeking quashing of criminal proceedings initiated against her in several states. In her plea, Kumar has sought that either the FIRs against her should be quashed, or they be clubbed together and transferred to Delhi. The apex court on July 19 provided interim relief to Nupur Sharma and directed that no coercive steps be taken against her in the multiple FIRs registered against her in several states over her remarks on Prophet Mohammed during the television debate. (ANI)
As many as 80 per cent of students who opted for Campus Placements during 2021-22 have received job offers during placement 2021-22, the premier institute said in a statement on Monday.

The job offers included 45 international offers from 14 companies including Glean, Micron Technologies, Honda R&D, Cohesity, Da Vinci Derivatives, Accenture Japan, Hilabs Inc, Quantbox Research, MediaTek, Money Forward, Rubrik, Termgrid and Uber.

Further, 131 start-ups made as many as 199 offers during this Phases and II of campus placement, besides all the 61 MBA Students were also placed this season, leading to 100 per cent placement for the Department of Management Studies.

The average salary received by students during campus placements for 2021-22 is Rs 21.48 Lakh per annum. The highest salary offered was USD 250,000.

Around 380 companies during the placements made offers to the students.

In addition, 231 pre-placement offers were also received from students' summer internships, the statement added.

"Placements reflect a quantifiable outcome of the value-addition to students at an academic institution. We are thrilled that our students have done exceptionally well in the 2021-22 placements that have led to record-high job offers," Prof. C. S. Shankar Ram, outgoing Advisor (Placement), IIT Madras said.

"On behalf of IIT Madras, I thank our recruiters for this successful season and hope that they continue to engage with us for Placements and other activities. I thank our institute placement team and administration for their unstinted support and efforts."

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an 'Institute of National Importance. (ANI)
Lashing out at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his remarks on the rape law, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday said the Congress leader's statement is an attack on the country's women and will instigate people with ulterior motives. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "It seems that the arrogance of power has overtaken Congress Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot Ji. As a result, he is making such remarks against daughters. Gehlot Ji has made Rajasthan a jungle raj. The appeasement politics resulted in beheading. But he does not care about it." "Gehlot is giving the message that through anarchism, he will stay in power in Rajasthan. There cannot be more shameful than the way he made statements about daughters. It is an attack on Indian culture and women. This kind of statement increases the morale of those people who do misdeeds against women," added the Minister. Gehlot on Friday said that after the law to hang the rape accused came into force, incidents of murder after rape have increased across the country. The Chief Minister made this statement in Delhi during the demonstration by Congress against the Central government over price rise and unemployment. He further said that "after the Nirbhaya case, the demand to hang the accused gained momentum and after that, the law came into force. Since then, there has been an increase in the cases of murder of women after rape." "Due to the law on the hanging of culprits after the Nirbhaya case, the incidents of murder after rape have increased. This is a dangerous trend being seen in the country," said Rajasthan CM.Gehlot claimed that the trend of murder after rape has reached an alarming level across the country. "The rapist feels that the victim will become a witness against the accused. In such a situation, the accused finds it right to kill the victim. The reports that are coming from all over the country show a very dangerous trend. The situation in the country is not good," he added. (ANI)
An appeal has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Allahabad High Court which had dismissed a PIL that sought the appointment of a committee/commission under a judge to study the nature of the structure found in the Gyanvapi Mosque, Varanasi. The appeal filed by seven devotees sought direction to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to ascertain the nature of the structure found on the Gyanvapi campus. The Allahabad High Court had on July 19 dismissed their plea seeking the appointment of a committee/commission headed by a judge of the High Court or supreme court (sitting/retired) to study the nature of the structure found in the Gyanvapi Mosque. The PIL moved before the High Court sought direction to a committee to ascertain whether a Shivalinga, as claimed by the Hindus, had been found inside the mosque or if it is a fountain as claimed by Muslims. The appeal in the top court stated that the Allahadbad High Court had erred in dismissing the plea. After the emergence of the disputed structure inside the mosque, it was the duty of ASI to go on the spot to ascertain the nature of the structure, however, since the same was not done, the petitioners had moved the High Court, said the appeal. It added that the High Court, without seeking response from the respondents and relying upon some loose documents submitted by the State government, dismissed the petition on merits. The apex court is also seized of an appeal filed by the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi that manages the Gyanvapi mosque, challenging an order of Allahabad High Court permitting a court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque to which Hindus and Muslims have laid claim for right to worship. On May 20, the Supreme Court had ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from civil judge to the District Judge, Varanasi. It had ordered that its interim order passed on May 17 -- to protect the area where the Shivling was found and access to Muslims for namaz -- shall continue in operation till maintainability of the suit is decided and thereafter for eight weeks to enable parties to pursue legal remedies. It had said that District Judge should decide the maintainability of the civil suit in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath on priority as sought by Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi. (ANI)
Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the gold smuggling case, on Monday, alleged that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan helped the UAE consulate in facilitating the escape of a terrorist. On July 4, 2017, the UAE national was caught by the CISF Cochin airport authorities with a Thuraya satellite phone that is banned in India. Swapna claimed that she got a call from the UAE Consulate officials to speak to the Chief Minister over the matter. "On that day, I got a telephone call from the UAE Consulate officials (in the state capital city) asking me to speak to Vijayan on this case. So I called his secretary M. Sivasankar and informed him about it and he said, he will speak to Vijayan. In 5-10 minutes, I got a call from Sivasankar asking me to send an official to the police station to get a written affidavit. I was asked to give a similar affidavit to the Consulate and I did the same with the concern and consent from Shivasankar," said Swapna. Swapna claimed that the police released the accused after he filed the affidavit and no further investigation occurred regarding this matter. Swapna further claimed that the Egypt-born UAE national landed in Kerala on June 30th and Central Industrial Security Force caught him on July 4th. "The National Investigation Agency tampered with the pieces of evidence and even destroyed some of them," she added. According to Swapna, "The CM supports every illegal terrorist activity for the sake of his daughter's interests." "First, he said he doesn't know me, then he said he has seen me, and later, he said I came with the UAE Consulate officials here to his house. Please ask him to break his silence and speak about all that I have raised. I will in the coming days again come out with more revelations against the Chief Minister," said Swapna. Suresh also took a dig at the media, saying, "the next time you meet Vijayan, how much he has misused his office." On July 5, 2020, 30 kilograms of 24-carat gold worth Rs 14.82 crore was seized by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. M Sivasankar, the principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, was suspended and removed from the post after a preliminary inquiry confirmed that he had links with Swapna Suresh, one of the accused in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe. On June 30, 2020, acting on an anonymous tip, the Customs officials at Trivandrum International Airport detained diplomatic baggage from Dubai on suspicion of smuggling. Since the bag came under diplomatic immunity, opening it without following procedures was not possible, especially since a call claiming to be from the secretary of the consulate general of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram asked the Customs to release the baggage. July 5, 2020, the bag was opened in the presence of a senior officer from the high commissioner's office in Delhi and the consulate official whose name was on the baggage, to reveal the smuggled gold which weighed around 30 kg. The gold was concealed in baggage consisting of bathroom equipment. Further investigation about the call led the initial inquiry to Swapna Suresh, an ex-UAE consulate employee and state IT, department consultant. The Indian officials said that it was the first time in history that such a large-scale smuggling attempt happened under the name of a foreign nation's diplomatic office. (ANI)
On the occasion of World Biofuel Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the 2nd generation (2G) Ethanol Plant in Panipat, Haryana to the nation on August 10, 2022, at 4:30 pm via video conferencing, said a press release on Monday. The dedication of the plant is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country. This is in line with the Prime Minister's constant endeavour to transform the energy sector into being more affordable, accessible, efficient and sustainable, added the press release. The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over Rs. 900 crore by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and is located close to the Panipat Refinery. Based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology, the project will turn a new chapter in India's waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around 3 crore litres of Ethanol annually. Creating an end-use for the agri-crop residue would empower farmers and provide an additional income generation opportunity for them. The Project will provide direct employment to people involved in the plant operation and indirect employment will be generated in the supply chain for rice straw cutting, handling, storage, etc. The project will have zero liquid discharge. Through the reduction in the burning of rice straw (parali), the project will contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, which can be understood as equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars annually on the country's roads. (ANI)
In the backdrop of the suicide of Mandeep Kaur in New York, AAP Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and handed over a representation to demand justice for the Indian woman. In the representation, the Rajya Sabha MP said that the entire nation was shocked and devastated to hear last week about the unfortunate demise of Mandeep Kaur. "I urge your good offices to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and her family's demands regarding bringing her body back to India are met immediately," he stated. "I would also urge your good offices to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice in India for the abuse that continued throughout this truly heart-wrenching saga of abuse," he said. The Rajya Sabha MP met the Foriegn Minister at his office in Parliament House. "I urge the Ministry to take urgent steps to prevent re-occurrence and provide means to Indian women living abroad to escape cycles of violence and abuse by perpetrators of such crimes," it added. Kaur, who was tortured at the hands of her husband, allegedly committed suicide on August 3 after she posted an online video where she spoke about years of domestic abuse by her husband Ranjotveer Singh Sandhu and it sparked outrage across India and abroad. The Indian consulate in New York City has expressed grief over her demise. "We are deeply saddened by the death of Mandeep Kaur in Queens, New York under most tragic circumstances. We are in touch with the US authorities at the Federal and local levels as well as the community. We stand ready to render all assistance," it had tweeted. Before ending her life, Kaur released a heart-rending video, narrating the excruciatingly painful details of the torture she faced at the hands of her husband following which a massive storm took over social media. (ANI)
Janata Dal-United MP Dinesh Chandra Yadav denied speculation of a tussle between JD-U and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting and the resignation of RCP Singh from JD-U. While talking to ANI, Chandra said, "To speculate that there's some tussle (between JDU & BJP) just because CM Nitish Kumar didn't attend NITI Aayog meeting isn't appropriate. Many CMs didn't attend meetings. He has regularly attended the meetings, but this time Deputy CM was sent there." "Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been holding meetings with MLAs and MPs every 2-4 months, earlier questions were never raised but why are questions being raised now? The meeting has been called & we all will attend it," he added. On being asked whether Maharashtra's political crisis will occur in Bihar as well, he said, "there must have been some talk of RCP Singh not getting a Rajya Sabha ticket earlier and later resigned." "Now, RCP Singh has resigned, and he withdrew from the party, because of this there will be an earthquake in JDU, there is no such possibility as people come and go," he added. On being asked about Nitish Kumar calling a key meeting of JD(U) MPs, and MLAs, Chandra said, "Nitish Kumar has called a meeting, now people are feeling what will happen, and what will not happen. From time to time, in two months, four months, he has a meeting with MLAs and also has a meeting with MPs, at first there is no question but this time everyone is discussing what is the matter, why the meeting has been called, the Chief Minister can hold a meeting with the MPs of the party and if he has called a meeting, then everyone will go. Earlier on Sunday, Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while RCP Singh announced his exit from the party after the party sought a reply on corruption allegations on Saturday. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked to usher in politics of performance in a scenario where politics of nepotism used to be the dominant practice, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday at a book launch event here. At the launch of a book: 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery', Shah said "Modi @ 20 means whatever Modi ji did to strengthen the democracy of this country for 20 years, from the time Modi ji became the Chief Minister of Gujarat (to the present)." "As soon as Modi ji took over as the Prime Minister of the country, he worked to find solutions to country's problems and successfully established the country's pride in the whole world, that saga is Modi @ 20," Shah added. He further said, "I have been working with Modi ji for a long time. Many a times I have seen Modi ji come out of the worst of times and staying hopeful even in adversity" Lauding the Prime Minister's leadership skills, he said that PM Modi does not worry about anything except the goal, apart from the country, the pride and well-being of the country, thus he is an ideal leader. PM Modi has worked to strengthen the roots of democracy in the country, he stated. "The politics of the country was afflicted by three factors. Because of nepotism, no matter how much capacity someone had, he never got a chance. Due to appeasement, a gap started to arise between many sections of society. Due to corruption, the economy of the society and the campaigns for social welfare were becoming hollow," he stated. "In these 20 years, Modi ji has done the work of ending nepotism from within democracy. Modi Ji has done the work of bringing politics of equality, politics of results and politics of performance in place of nepotism," he further stated. It may be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 20 years in 2021 as the head of government from becoming Chief Minister to Prime Minister of India. First, he became Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 and remained in that post till he became the Prime Minister of India in 2014 and was re-elected in 2019. Published by Rupa Publications India, the book is written by eminent intellectuals and writers like Nandan Nilekani, Sudha Murty, Sadguru, P.V. Sindhu, Amish Tripathi among others, the statement added. The book is an anthology of chapters written by eminent writers elaborating and depicting the fundamental transformation that the country has gone through under the leadership of Narendra Modi as the head of the government in the last 20 years.The book also elaborates on Modi's model of governance which has touched the lives of a cross-section of the people of the society. (ANI)
Simultaneously, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has convened a meeting on Tuesday at 11 am to discuss political developments in Bihar.

Earlier on Monday, the Congress party also convened a meeting of its legislature party in Bihar to contemplate the evolving political scenario in the state.

The rumours of a possible spilt between JD-U and BJP escalated after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting.

While talking to the mediapersons in Patna, JD-U National President Lalan Singh said, "I read in the newspapers that RCP Singh has said that he was told by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that his name had been approved for ministership."

"He claimed to have taken oath after informing the CM. But this only confirms what we have been accusing RCP Singh of," the JD-U national president added.

"Our charge is that RCP Singh became a minister as per his own free will. He has dropped the name of Shah. Does Shah belong to our party? Can the BJP decide which JD-U leader will become a minister," Lalan questioned.

Earlier on Sunday, Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while RCP Singh announced his exit from the party after JD-U sought a reply on corruption allegations against him on Saturday. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi bid farewell to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday and called his term 'inspiring, encouraging, rewarding' for future generations. Addressing the farewell ceremony of Vice President Venkaiah Nadu at the Parliament Library Building Monday evening, PM Modi said, "Venkaiah ji's life is a huge legacy for us. Whatever we have learned with him, let us carry on. Efforts have been made to take forward the love that he has for various languages just like the way he tried to promote his mother tongue." Modi said that one element of unhappiness that Naidu felt while getting elected as the vice president was that he would have to resign from his party, the BJP, due to constitutional requirements. "But I feel that Venkaiah ji will surely cover up his absence of 5 years. His work of inspiring, encouraging and rewarding all veteran members will continue," said PM Modi. "M Venkaiah Naidu might have been the first Chairman who knew how to make the House more capable and take out its best for the country, to make Parliamentary committees more productive and outcome-oriented, with an aim to improve. We should ensure that his advice is always utilised," said PM Modi. Recalling the initial days of COVID-19 pandemic's advent in the country, PM Modi said, "It was very difficult for him (Naidu) to sit still. I used to say that lockdown would be a big punishment for him... but he made use of time... hardly any worker would be there who didn't get a call from him, during lockdown. He kept asking about their well-being and providing help if needed." In July 2017, M Venkaiah Naidu, the then vice presidential candidate of the BJP-led ruling coalition, quit the government and his party, calling it a "painful" task. "Now I do not belong to any party," the veteran politician had said. Earlier, in his farewell speech in Rajya Sabha, Naidu said, "The day PM told me that I was being selected to become the Vice President of India, I was in tears, I didn't ask for it. Party had given the mandate, I obliged and resigned from the party. Tears were because I had to leave the party." "I did my best to maintain... the House. I tried to accommodate and give opportunities to all sides - South, North, East, West, North-East. Each one of you has been given time," he added. The outgoing RS Chairman further said, "We, the Upper House, have a greater responsibility. The entire world is watching India; India is on the move. I appeal to Rajya Sabha MPs to maintain decency, dignity and decorum so that the image and respect of the House is maintained." Outgoing Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Monday stated, "I tell all sides, respect democracy" as IUML MP Abdul Wahab urged him to tell the Bharatiya Janata Party to ensure a democratic atmosphere in India. "We are not enemies, we are rivals. We must work hard to outshine others in competition but not run down others. My wish is that Parliament functions well... I'm thankful and moved by your love and affection," said M Venkaiah Naidu, in his last remarks as the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President. The Monsoon session of Parliament ended on Monday four days ahead of schedule. Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned sine die on the day. The session, which started on July 18, was scheduled to conclude on August 12. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, while adjourning the house sine die four days ahead of schedule, said that detailed statistics pertaining to the session will be circulated during the course by the Rajya Sabha secretariat. The tenure of Naidu will end on August 10. My wish is that Parliament functions well... I'm thankful and moved by your love and affection," he added. Lauding the power of speech of the vice President, PM Modi in Rajya Sabha said, "The one-liners of Venkaiah Naidu ji are famous. They are wit-liners. His command over the languages has always been great." "There is both depth and substance in what Venkaiah ji says," said the Prime Minister while initiating the farewell speech to honour the Vice President in the Upper House. Naidu demits office on Wednesday and his successor Jagdeep Dhankhar will take the oath of office on August 11. (ANI)
"NIA filed Charge-Sheet before the NIA Special Court, Kolkata against one accused person in NIA case no RC 12/2022/NIA/DLI which pertains to the recovery of explosives, firearms and ammunition from property under Jagaddal PS, Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, West Bengal," stated the press release.

The accused had been identified as Namit Singh. NIA filed charges against him under sections 4 and 5 of Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and section 25 (1B) of Arms Act, 1959.

Investigations have revealed that Namit Singh, was stockpiling explosive substances, firearms and ammunition with the intention to endanger human life in contravention of provisions of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and the Arms act, 1959.

"The case was initially registered as FIR No.178/22 dated March 12, 2022, at PS Jagaddal, Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, West Bengal and re-registered by NIA on April 8, 2022," further stated the press release.

Further investigations in the case are in progress. (ANI)
Five Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament in the monsoon session of Parliament which concluded on Monday ahead of schedule with the session seeing repeated adjournments on various issues due to opposition protests on a range of issues including price rise. The Lok Sabha passed seven bills and six legislations were introduced in the House. Four bills were passed in Rajya Sabha. The government withdrew the Data Protection Bill, 2019 and has decided to come up with comprehensive legislation. The two Houses were adjourned sine die on Monday, four days before the scheduled end of the session. In his valedictory remarks, outgoing Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said more than 47 Hours were lost due to interruptions, "which is a sad reflection on the functioning of the Upper House of Parliament". The two Houses had 16 sittings over 22 days since the session commenced on July 18. The session saw the election of a new President and Vice President. The Lok Sabha met for 44 hours and twenty-nine minutes during the session. The Lok Sabha passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022, the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021, the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021, the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022 The Rajya Sabha passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022, the National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021, the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022 The opposition forced several adjournments in the House over its demand for an immediate debate on price rise and withdrawal of GST on some items of daily use. Congress also protested the ED searches in the National Herald case accusing the government of misusing central agencies. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remarks on President Droupadi Murmu, for which he later apologised, also caused disruptions in the two Houses. Rajya Sabha met for over 35 hours during the session. The debate on price rise took place after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recovered from COVID-19. She replied to the debate in the two Houses and rubbished allegations of Congress. The short-duration discussion on price rise lasted for more than four hours in Rajya Sabha and 33 members participated. Rajya Sabha members on Monday accorded a warm farewell to Venkaiah Naidu whose term is ending on August 10. In his valedictory remarks, Naidu said the session was characterized by regular and continuous disruptions, "which deprived Members of the opportunity to discuss matters of urgent public importance and seek the accountability of the Executive through questions" "Out of the 235 Starred Questions admitted, only 61 could be answered orally and Question Hour could not be taken up on seven days. Only 25 matters could be raised by Members with the permission of the Chair and only 60 Special Mentions could be made, during the entire session," he said. . "Only four Government Bills were considered and passed during the Session. 27 Private Members' Bills were also introduced and only 1 Private Member's Bill regarding 'Right to Health' could be partly discussed during the entire Session. No Private Members' Resolutions could be taken up," he added. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal and leaders of various parties and groups and members for offering their good wishes on completion of his tenure as the Chairman. Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw moved the motion for withdrawal of the Data Protection Bill in Lok Sabha last week. "The Data Protection Bill 2021 as reported by the Joint Committee may be withdrawn," he said. The House adopted the motion. The minister later said that Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament and 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem. The 2019 bill sought to bring a strong and robust data protection framework for India and to set up an Authority for protecting personal data and empowering the citizens' with rights relating to their personal data ensuring their fundamental right to "privacy and protection of personal data". The bill was sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament which gave its report on December 16, 2021. Members of both the Houses of Parliament gave a farewell to the outgoing President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in the Central Hall of Parliament House on 23 July 2022. (ANI)
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday slammed former union minister Kapil Sibal over his controversial comment on the Supreme Court and the judiciary. While talking to ANI, Rijiju said, "Statement made by Kapil Sibal is in line with his existing mindset. For Congress and like-minded people, Courts/constitutional authorities must favour them or work as per their interest, or else they start attacking constitutional authorities themselves." "It is sad that prominent leaders and parties are criticising constitutional authorities & agencies. These agencies are absolutely autonomous," the Law Minister added. Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and senior advocate, Kapil Sibal, in an event, had expressed his displeasure over some of the recent judgements passed by the Supreme Court saying he has "no hope left" in the institution. "If you think you will get relief from Supreme Court, you are hugely mistaken. And I am saying this after completing 50 years of practising in the Supreme Court," Sibal said. His remarks, however, triggered a furore. Criticising Senior Advocate Sibal's statements, All India Bar Association Chairman Adish Aggarwala told ANI that Kapil Sibal lamenting that he has lost hope in the Indian judiciary is "contemptuous". "Court decides cases by applying facts presented before them, they hold allegiance to the constitution of India. He's a senior and seasoned advocate," AIBA Chairman added. While, Delhi-based two lawyers Vineet Jindal and Shashank Shekhar Jha have written letters to Attorney General of India KK Venugopal, seeking his approval for a contempt case against Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for his recent controversial remark against the Supreme Court of India. Advocate Vineet Jindal on Monday filed a request letter to the Attorney General for consent to proceeding with Criminal Contempt of Court against Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, allegedly "for scandalizing the Indian Judiciary & disgracing its dignity." Jindal stated that statements Kapil Sibal's statements have directly made allegations with the intent to disgrace and scandalize the sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India. The statements by Kapil Sibal have scandalized the judgments passed by the Supreme Court judges and accused them of being corrupt. If this kind of precedent were allowed, political leaders would start making reckless allegations against the judges of the highest Court of our country and this trend would soon lead to the failure of an independent judiciary system. Through his statement, he has dishonoured the Judges of the Supreme court who are the guardians of the whole legal system and disgraced and jeopardized the integrity of the entire judicial system. This kind of statement would affect the masses by growing a sense of mistrust and concern among the public about the fall in the standards of the judicial system. Jindal through its letter seeks consent under section 15 (1) (b) of the contempt of courts Act 1971, read with rule 3 of the rules to regulate the procedure for the contempt of the Supreme court 1975 to initiate criminal contempt against Kapil Sibal. However Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha in its application sent to Attorney General, stated that Senior Kapil Sibal has categorically insulted the Supreme Court, the Judges of the Supreme Court, undermining the authority of the Supreme Court as well as labelling serious charges against the Chief Justice of Indian and other Justices of the Supreme Court. Advocate Shekhar, in his speech, Kapil Sibal raised doubt on the independence of the Supreme Court and undermined the dignity with a malafide intention to malign the image of the Supreme Court. Kindly grant me permission to bring a contempt petition against the Contemnor u/s 15(1)(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 r/w Rule 3 of the Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of the Supreme Court, 1975, stated the plea moved by Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha. (ANI)
A district education official in Gujarat has instructed school managements to ensure that students of Class IX to XII, who have availed benefits of state or Central government programmes/policies, to write postcards showing gratitude to the respective governments. Patan district education officer (DEO) Jayram Joshi told IANS, "I am part of the system and I am only following the instructions given to me. At a district level officers' meeting, the district rural development agency's director suggested that we should ask students to write gratitude letters addressed to the Chief Minister and Prime Minister. So, I have issued a letter asking students to do so." In the letter, the DEO stated, "The students of Class IX to XII of your schools are being extended the benefits of various government programmes and policies. So, they should write a gratitude letter addressed to the Chief Minister and Prime Minister of India. You have to ensure that all the students write the letter, which should reach the DEO's office by August 12." The letter has not gone down well with the Youth Congress which will stage a protest at the DEO's office. Youth Congress leader Vishwanathsinh Vaghela said, "The officer should not forget that it is public money from which the students got benefits, and not from the ruling party's account." The Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarti Parishad (ABVP) is also not convinced with the letter from the DEO's office. ABVP's state secretary Yuti Gajre said, "The DEO should not have issued such an instruction. The officer should give explanation for issuing such a letter." --IANS haresh/arm ( 277 Words) 2022-08-08-19:32:04 (IANS)
The arrested persons have been identified as Hamidullah alias Raju Gaji alias Muffakir and Md Sahadat Hussain alias Abidullah.

They were found to be involved in propagating the ideology of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and motivating the youth to carry out jihad against India.

"Both were held in Bhopal in the case relating to the arrest of six active cadres of JMB, including three illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, from Aishbagh," the NIA said.

The case was initially registered on March 14, and was re-registered by the NIA on April 5.

Earlier, seven accused had been arrested in the case.

Raju Gaji and Sahadat Hussain are highly radicalised individuals who were involved in propagating jihad by posting hateful and incriminating materials online on various social media groups to radicalise others, the NIA said.

They were close associates of earlier arrested accused persons in the case and were found using encrypted apps to communicate with their associates in India and Bangladesh.

--IANS atk/sks

( 191 Words)

2022-08-08-19:46:05 (IANS)
With an aim to integrate a gender equity curriculum into the syllabus for students across government schools in the state of Odisha, the Department of School and Mass Education, Odisha on Monday announced its partnership with Breakthrough and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia. "The curriculum, designed by the NGO Breakthrough, uses interactive classroom discussions to encourage adolescent boys and girls to reflect on culturally embedded gender norms, roles, and discriminatory practices to transform their gender attitudes, aspirations, and behaviors," read a statement. Through this partnership, the curriculum will be integrated into the Social Studies syllabus for adolescent boys and girls from grades 6 to 10 in over 18,000 middle and 5,000 secondary schools in Odisha by August 2022. The curriculum was first evaluated by J-PAL South Asia in 314 government schools in Haryana and was found to shift the gender attitudes and behaviours of both boys and girls and lead students to enact more gender-equitable behaviours. The curriculum has since been introduced in multiple states in India, including Punjab where it is currently reaching 600,000 students annually in government schools across the state. "In Odisha, Breakthrough will work with the Department of School and Mass Education to contextualize and integrate the curriculum into the syllabus, train teachers and key departmental personnel, and conduct gender sensitization workshops with principals across 23,000 state-run schools. The program will also leverage the Digital Infrastructure for School Education (DIKSHA), the Government of India's open-access education technology platform, to train teachers, receive feedback from them, and engage parents in the sensitization process as well," the statement added. J-PAL South Asia will conduct independent monitoring activities to ensure that the programme is achieving its objectives and to generate insights for sustained, high-quality government implementation of the syllabus. The implementation of the Gender Equity Programme will significantly help in achieving the state's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 and 5- namely, quality education and gender equality. The expected outcomes of the programme include positive gender attitudes and behaviours by both boys and girls, adolescents practising gender equitable behaviours, teachers' involvement to build a gender equitable school, parents valuing their daughters and invest in their education, girls having choices for their education and work participation, retention of girls in schools for more number of years leading to a reduction in girls' drop out, increase in the age of marriage and age of first childbirth, improved sex ratio and increased labour force participation by women. Samir Ranjan Dash, Minister, School and Mass Education, said: "Gender equality is very important. We are taking it very seriously." Bishnupada Sethi, Principal Secretary, School and Mass Education Department, Government of Odisha, said, "The inclusion of gender dimension in the school curriculum is a very notable step for Odisha. Despite the gains and progress India has made in gender equality, there are issues that continue to remain unaddressed even today. The representation of women, for example, is not significant and interventions such as this programme can bring about positive changes in the way we look at gender issues. And schools are the best places to start these conversations." Sohini Bhattacharya, CEO, Breakthrough, said that the organization was honoured to partner with the government to bring about systemic and lasting change in gender behaviors. "Breakthrough, over the last 22 years has been working towards making violence and discrimination against women and girls unacceptable. We know that gender perceptions get formed at a young age and therefore, we need to ensure that children, especially those between the ages of 10-15 have access to the right information related to gender equality, legal rights, and healthy gender behaviors. The Gender Equity program aims to achieve this and has played a significant role in promoting gender-equitable behavior among school children," said Bhattacharya. This program is a part of an ongoing partnership between the Government of Odisha and J-PAL South Asia, wherein since 2019, J-PAL South Asia has worked with state departments to facilitate rigorous, policy-relevant research and the scale-up of successful programs. The programme is supported by the Global Innovation Fund as well as J-PAL South Asia and Veddis Foundation's recently launched Alliance for Scaling Policy Impact through Research and Evidence (ASPIRE), which seeks to accelerate the adoption of anti-poverty policies rooted in scientific evidence and data. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu School Education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has drawn criticism after an ICU ambulance was made to wait near a bridge at Kumbakonam for his convoy to pass after a video of the incident went viral. The minister was, on Saturday, was travelling in a convoy of 15 vehicles and a policewoman stopped the ambulance till it passed. As per the video that went viral, even after the siren of the ambulance was blowing, police did not allow it to moved until all the vehicles in the minister's convoy passed through. BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy has called on the Minister to tender his resignation and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to tender an unconditional apology to the people of Tamil Nadu and the country. He also sought stringent action must be taken against the erring officers. --IANS aal/vd ( 155 Words) 2022-08-08-20:32:02 (IANS)
Mere verbal assurances would not work and the agitation against the multi-crore teacher recruitment scam in West bengal will continue till the deserving candidates receive appointment letters, Education Minister Bratya Basu was told on Monday. "The education minister has given us an assurance on this count. We are hopeful that the state government will fulfil its promises. However, our agitation on the open streets has crossed 500 days. Our peaceful agitation will continue till the time each of the candidates who were deprived of jobs despite qualifying in the merit list is provided the appointment letter. The number of such candidates will be around 600," the leader of the agitators' delegation, S. Shahidullah, said after the meeting. During the meeting, Bratya Basu said that the state government has assured the agitators that their demand will be "sympathetically viewed". "However, accommodating so many candidates would require creation of additional posts. That would need clearance from the state finance department and then the state cabinet. The entire process would consume some time," he said. This is the second such meeting on this issue. The first initiative on holding talks with the agitators was undertaken by Trinamool Congress national general secretary and party MP, Abhishek Banerjee on July 29. The state education minister had also attended that meeting. In that meeting too, the delegates had sent a clear message that talks might continue but the agitation will be withdrawn only after the appointment matter for the candidates are settled. --IANS src/pgh ( 261 Words) 2022-08-08-20:54:03 (IANS)
A 17-year-old girl, hailing from Surat in Gujarat, has been allegedly gang-raped by two men near the New Delhi Railway Station here, a police officer said on Monday. The accused, identified as Hardeep Nagar (21) and Rahul (20), both working as hawkers (water bottle sellers), were arrested by the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) Harendra Kumar Singh said the girl had gone to Chandigarh, along with her family, for some rituals and lived there from July 18-25 where she met one person named Deepak, a resident of Gonda (Uttar Pradesh). "The girl, who was accompanied by her family then returned to Gujarat, and Deepak also travelled with them," DCP Singh told IANS. On August 4, the girl then left home along with Deepak to go to the latter's village in Uttar Pradesh and subsequently boarded a train on August 5 and reached Lucknow, the next day on August 6. "From there, they hired a taxi and reached Deepak's village and returned the same night and boarded a train for New Delhi, from where they were supposed to catch a train for Gujarat," the senior official said. In Delhi, the duo missed the train -- Jamnagar Express, and subsequently, an argument took place between them, and Deepak left the girl alone at the railway station. After some time, the girl started searching for Deepak in the station premises. While she was on Central Foot Over Bridge, the two accused hawkers Hardeep Nagar and Rahul met her and the girl requested them for making a call at her home. "They made her talk to her brother on mobile phone, who asked them to help her catch a train. They told her that the train will be available from some other station. They took her to some bushes along the track near Tilak Bridge, where both raped her," the DCP said. After committing the crime, the accused duo brought the victim back to Ajmeri Gate side in the early hours of August 8 where Deepak met them and began quarrelling with him. "A patrolling staff spotted this and enquired about the matter and subsequently brought all of them to the police station where the whole incident was unearthed," the senior official said. Accordingly, the police registered a case under section 376D of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act and subsequently arrested both the accused." "The complainant and both the accused have been medically examined. The forensics team has also visited the place of crime," the official added. --IANS uj/pgh ( 432 Words) 2022-08-08-21:14:01 (IANS)
A "guest worker", a term coined by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for migrant workers working in the state, was on Monday arrested by the Chennai police for murdering a 68-year-old woman retired government employee in Thiruvananthapuram and dumping her body in the well of her house. The Kerala Police had informed the Tamil Nadu Police about the murder, saying chances are high of migrant worker Adam Ali, who hails from West Bengal, to escape to Chennai. Acting on the complaint of the husband, the Kerala Police had first taken into custody a group of guest workers who lived close by the deceased woman's house. On further investigation, they got vital information about Adam Ali as well as visuals of Ali carrying the woman's body towards the well. Ali, after committing the crime on Sunday, boarded a train to Chennai, and Chennai police, having been alerted, were on the lookout for him and arrested him as soon as he landed in the city. A team of Kerala Police officials has already left for Chennai to take his custody. --IANS sg/vd ( 192 Words) 2022-08-08-21:22:03 (IANS)
He said this while addressing the 75th anniversary of an Odia daily newspaper in Cuttack.

Justifying his statement, he said Droupadi Murmu, born in a poor tribal family of the state, is now the "Mahamahim Rashtrapati".

"Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and MoS Bishweswar Tudu are also from Odisha," he said.

"Odisha had never got such high representation since independence," Shah said.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government in association with the Odisha government is making all efforts for the development of the state, he said.

The Home Minister said there is immeasurable potential for development in Odisha as the state has long coastline, business tradition, work force and mineral resources.

Addressing the event, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the role of media in a democratic society can hardly be overemphasised.

"It should endeavour to uphold our great cultural heritage and moral values and promote national integration and communal harmony. Media should discharge its duty without any fear or favour," Patnaik said.

"Media runs on the basis of people's trust. It is therefore expected that the media should prioritise the real issues of people rather than politics," he said.

"Whether it is print or electronic or social media, it is the duty of every media house to maintain dignity and keep the secular principles in mind," he added.

--IANS bbm/pgh

( 272 Words)

2022-08-08-21:28:02 (IANS)
The Karnataka Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association (RUPSA) has requested Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman to consider restructuring of loans availed by private unaided schools in the state during Covid pandemic. "For 2 years, private schools have been struggling to balance their financial commitments. Public statements given by politicians and Education Department officials to gain brownie points have further jeopardised our situation," RUPSA President Lokesh Talikatte said in the letter sent to the Union Finance Ministry. "The aftermath of this is that private schools are not able to receive fees dues from the parents. Thus we are not able to repay our loan installments and service interest on loans. Our dues are piling up and we are in debt trap," he added. Adding insult to injury, expenses like increased electric bills, building tax, and fire safety expenses have further aggravated the situation, he said. "In the past two and half years, around two and a half thousand schools have either closed or are at the verge of closing. If the situation continues, many more private schools will close and thousands of employees depending on these schools will be jobless," Talikatte warned. "Therefore, in this critical situation, we need your (Sitharaman) intervention. Please order for restructuring of loans availed by private schools from nationalised banks, scheduled banks, NBFCs, co-operative banks etc. We need a moratorium of one year at least. Your favorable decision in this regard will be immensely helpful in uplifting the education system. We request you to consider our request at the earliest," he said. Talikatte said that the pandemic has shattered the economic situation of many sectors in the world, and the worst affected is the education sector because the children have not only lost their two and half years learning but also have gone under depression. This is very difficult to deal with and compensate for, he noted. He contended that private unaided schools are shouldering the responsibilities of the state government in improving the education system. "Madam, our contribution is, though not more but definitely equivalent to government efforts," he said. --IANS mka/vd ( 359 Words) 2022-08-08-21:48:02 (IANS)
As Israel's "Operation Breaking Dawn" entered its third day on Sunday, with dozens of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets hit so far in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Army, to which Jihad responded by firing a barrage of rockets, casualties remain relatively low and the big question is whether Hamas, which is an organization much bigger and stronger than Jihad, will join the fray and the situation will escalate into a war. Following several days of tension on Israel's border with Gaza, Israel's Defense Forces, acting on Shin Bet (security services) information about imminent attacks by the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad, launched a pre-emptive strike on Friday in which Taysir al-Jabari, Jihad's top leader in northern Gaza was killed. An Israeli missile hit the Palestine Tower apartment building, burying al-Jabari under the rubble. Jihad reacted by firing more than 450 rockets at nearby Israeli towns, the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome Defense System. so far, Islamic Jihad's rockets have not caused major casualties or damage. Late on Saturday, Islamic Jihad leader in Southern Gaza Khaled Mansour was killed in another Israeli air strike, "neutralizing," as Oded Basiok, head of Israel's army operations directorate said, "the senior leadership of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza." On the Palestinian side the casualties as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, were 31 Palestinians, including six children and four women, while another 260 people were injured. The UN has also reported that at least 31 families have been left homeless. On the Israeli side, there were no deaths from the rockets fired by the Islamic Jihad, but several Israeli citizens were treated for injuries, most of them minor. Thousands of Israelis rushed to bomb shelters or sheltered in safe rooms to avoid the rockets. Scores of fires broke out in areas where the rockets fell. Israeli aircraft and tanks targeted and destroyed five rocket launchers, as well as six weapon production workshops, several Islamic Jihad observation posts, and tunnels dug by the militant group in order to launch attacks on Israel. Furthermore, Israel has arrested 20 members of Islamic Jihad who were active outside of Gaza, in Hebron, Ramallah, and other areas of the West Bank. Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political chief, blamed Israel for the current conflict and stressed that Israel bears full responsibility for the fighting. It is notable, however, that he did not threaten retaliation against Israel, and in telephone calls with Egyptian mediators he asked for their intervention to end hostilities. The UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territory Francesca Albanez has said Israel's attacks on Gaza are not only "illegal but irresponsible", calling for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Undoubtedly, the current strikes in Gaza and the rockets fired by Islamic Jihad against Israeli towns, represent the first security crisis for Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid who took office just five weeks ago. As Lapid has no military experience, he is attacked by supporters of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli right-wingers as too soft and feeble. If the conflict does not escalate, the damage remains limited and the fighting ends, Lapid's popularity will increase and will improve his chances in the forthcoming general elections in Israel next November. On the contrary, if the fighting continues for weeks, he will be branded as an inexperienced civilian who should leave things to tested and experienced leaders, such as Netanyahu. The Islamic Jihad organization is aligned with Hamas, but often acts independently. Both are regarded as terrorist organizations by the majority of Western countries. In November 2019, following the assassination of Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Baha Abu al-Ata, Jihad fired more than 400 rockets against Israeli towns near Gaza, the majority of which were intercepted. As Israel carried out several strikes against Gaza, 34 Palestinians were killed. Hamas did not join the conflict at that time. So far Hamas, the larger militant group that rules Gaza, apart from a verbal condemnation of the Israeli strikes, refrained from taking part in the hostilities. The organization apparently wants to avoid a repetition of its 11-day conflict with Israel in May 2021 that resulted in the loss of 250 Palestinian and 13 Israeli lives, destroyed a large part of the infrastructure in Gaza, and forced countless Israelis to rush to bomb shelters. Hamas, which rules the isolated Gaza, has not been able to replace the infrastructure destroyed last year and as donations from oil-rich Arab countries have almost entirely dried out, most of the enclave's inhabitants live in abject poverty and at least half of its population is unemployed. Moreover, the electricity authority of Gaza has announced that the only power plant operating in the enclave would shut down at noon on Sunday due to a diesel shortage resulting from the closure of the crossings to the Strip over the past week. So, unless the death toll in the current conflict between PIJ and Israel rises to unacceptable levels, Hamas will most probably refrain from striking Israel. Haaretz journalist Zvi Bar El points out that so far, "Israel has not damaged civilian infrastructure or Hamas bases and weapons manufacturing facilities. It has not threatened to kill its leaders, and it continues to convey messages through Egypt that the group is not on its list of targets." One ray of hope appeared on Sunday afternoon as Al Jazeera reported that a ceasefire in Gaza is set to take place on Sunday at 1700 GMT according to Islamic Jihad sources and Egypt's mediation team. (ANI)
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said as many as 51 people were killed in Gaza during the most recent round of fighting between Israel and Gaza-based militants, including 24 from the Jihad terror group. According to the military, 16 people uninvolved in the hostilities were killed by Gazan rockets which fell short. The military believes that the figures are estimates, the Times of Israel reported. The report said that another 11 people who were not affiliated with terror groups were killed, according to the IDF. With this, a total of 27 Gazan civilians, including a number of children were killed in the fighting, the Times of Israel reported quoting the Israeli Defence Forces. IDF spokesman Ran Kochav said that the military believes it killed 24 terrorists from the Islamic Jihad terror group. "More Palestinians were killed by the failed firing by Islamic Jihad than by the firing of the IDF...Lessons will be learnt" Kochav said, in the wake of the killing of the 11 people not directly involved in the fighting," the Times of Israel reported. The IDF launched an operation "Breaking Dawn" against the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and carried out missile strikes, initially killing 10 people and injuring over 50 on Friday, which ended with a ceasefire last night. The military said that approximately 1,100 rockets were fired toward Israel by terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Approximately 200 rockets fell short of their targets and landed in the Gaza Strip, it added. The IDF carried out strikes on approximately 170 targets linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including senior officials and activists of the terror group. The Islamic Jihad organization is aligned with Hamas, but often acts independently. Both are regarded as terrorist organizations by the majority of Western countries. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency closed-door meeting today to discuss the latest escalation between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, as airstrikes were carried out across the Gaza Strip under Israel's operation Breaking Dawn against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. During the Monday meeting, Security Council members will discuss "the current developments and ways to support international efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace," a senior United Arab Emirates official said. Earlier in a statement, Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office of Israel informed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip on August 5. "The goal of this operation is the elimination of a concrete threat against the citizens of Israel and the civilians living adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as the targeting of terrorists and their sponsors. The IDF is acting in operational coordination with the ISA and intelligence bodies," the statement said. Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel. "Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: we will find you." "The security forces will act against Islamic Jihad terrorists to eliminate the threat they pose to the citizens of Israel," he added. Adding to what Lapid said, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated the goal is to protect the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel and they will not allow anyone to threaten or harm the citizens of Israel. "Whoever tries to do so - will get hurt." (ANI)
Nepal, a landlocked country of some 29 million people, is located between two giant economies China and India. Due to its strategic location, Beijing has been consistently endeavouring to expand its influence in the Himalayan nation. In May 2017, Nepal and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (or BRI) under the leadership of the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The bilateral agreement was believed to bring rapid infrastructural development to the country. However, no tangible project was pursued. Five years have passed since the signing of the BRI, and not a single project has been finalised. Observers say Beijing aims to exploit Nepal's territory to further its expansionist designs. In early 2019, Nepal proposed nine different projects to be constructed under the Belt and Road Initiative. These included a feasibility study of the Trans-Himalayan Railway connectivity, an extension of a 400 KV electricity transmission line, the setting up of a technical university in Nepal, and the construction of new roads, tunnels and hydroelectricity dams. The rising concerns over financing and transparency have kept these projects in limbo. China however has been relentless in its indirect tactics of making inroads. A number of Chinese nationals, which many believe could be the state agents of China have set up their businesses in the capital city of Kathmandu and they are reportedly engaged in unlawful activities. There is a rapid surge in criminal networks, frauds, illegal trade and wildlife smuggling by the Chinese in Nepal. This not only poses a law and order problem to Nepal but a security threat to neighbouring India as both countries share a 1,087 miles-long porous border. A senior journalist in Kathmandu, Manoj Joshi said, "These sort of incidents which has incurred in certain interval of time with transformation in the mode and means of carrying out the criminal activities not only have become a headache for Nepal Police but also has increased potentiality that it would turn Nepal into fertile land for Chinese nationals to plot, plan and execute their plans." China's growing political and economic influence in Nepal has also agonised the United States. In a bid to counter Beijing's designs in the Himalayan Nation, the United States and Nepal signed a new Development Objective Agreement in May, this year. The United States, through the US Agency for International Development, will provide USD 659 million over the five-year period to support Nepal's goal of graduating to a middle-income country. Although Nepal enjoys good relations with China, the United States and India and has maintained its implicit policy of leveraging the competitiveness of major economies, it now finds itself walking a tightrope where it has an expansionist China on one side and friendly India and the US on the other. (ANI)
A top Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, with a USD 3 million American bounty on his head, has been reportedly killed in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan. Omar Khalid Khorasani, a former journalist and poet, who studied at several madrasas in Pakistan's Karachi was killed in a vehicle carrying senior TTP commanders, with a mysterious explosive device. A vehicle with Khalid Khorasani, aka Abdul Wali Mohmand, and other TTP leaders, was targeted in Bermal district of Paktika province, The Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing Afghan officials and local sources. Citing anonymous sources, the Pakistani publication said the TTP leaders were travelling in the Birmal district of Paktika "for consultation" when their vehicle hit a roadside mine on August 7. The US government has a reward of up to USD 3 million for information on Abdul Wali Mohmand. "Wali is the leader of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), a militant faction affiliated with Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Under Wali's leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in Punjab Province, Pakistan and has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks throughout Pakistan," said Rewards for Justice (RFJ), US Department of State's premier national security rewards programme. "Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Wali was born in Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. He is a former journalist and poet and studied at several madrasas in Karachi, Pakistan," RFJ added. Earlier today, another top TTP leader Abdul Rashid, who belonged to Bajaur tribal district, was also killed in a landmine blast in Kunar province. The ongoing peace talks between the TTP and Pakistan government reached a stalemate as the outlawed group refused to give in on its demand for the reversal of the merger of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Despite a series of meetings between the two sides in recent weeks to break the impasse, there has also been a stalemate over the issue of TTP laying down arms in case of a peace deal, The Express Tribune reported. Talks between the two sides began in October 2021 to seek a political solution to the issue. The talks that were held at the request of the Afghan Taliban led to a one-month ceasefire in November. However, the truce could not last long as differences emerged soon. The report said that TTP has yet to confirm the targeted killings of its top commanders. This would reportedly undermine the Afghan Taliban-brokered peace talks between the Pakistan government and the outlawed group. (ANI)
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday extended his congratulatory wishes to newly-elected Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The 14th Dalai Lama in his letter to Dhankhar wrote, "Today, the international community is becoming ever more aware of the leadership role that India can play in contributing to the peace and development of all humanity. With your long and rich experience of public service, I am sure you will be able to serve this great nation and its people with success." The Tibetan spiritual leader said that India is the land of 'ahimsa' and 'karuna', ideas that can contribute much to the flourishing of humanity. He expressed his commitment to moving forward to create awareness of this treasure. "Over the years, India has taken great strides in many fields, especially in science and technology. As someone who has lived here for most of my life, I consider myself very much part of Indian society. It is auspicious that you are taking up this position on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's independence." "Mahatma Gandhi made the principle of non-violence spread across the world, and leaders from Dr Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela turned to 'ahimsa' to try to address long-standing differences and social problems. For my part, in addition to applying this principle wherever possible, I am deeply committed to trying to create greater awareness of this treasure, together with the power of compassion, among my Indian brothers and sisters and across the world," he added. Dalai Lama praised the traditional techniques of mental training in India, which include Yoga and meditation and said that they can benefit all human beings now and in future. "I am proud to say that ancient India is the source of an understanding of the mind and emotions - as well as of its traditional techniques of mental training, such as meditation and yoga - that can be of benefit to all human beings, both now and in the future. "I believe that it is most important to incorporate the study of India's ancient knowledge into modern educational systems, purely from a secular and academic perspective." "India is uniquely well-positioned to combine these two essential bodies of knowledge. I am aware that such initiatives have begun in several states, and I very much hope that they will grow across the nation," he added. Dhankhar won the election by 346 votes after defeating Opposition candidate Margaret Alva. He got 528 votes against opposition candidate Margaret Alva who secured 182 votes. The next Vice-President of the country will take the oath of office on August 11, a day after the term of the incumbent Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu ends. (ANI)
The paranoid Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its authoritarian Chairman Xi Jinping reacted furiously to the historic Taiwan visit of Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) shuffled naval and air assets, and angrily fired ballistic missiles and rockets into the sea to vent its wrath. Taiwan recalled its armed forces, putting them on alert soon after they had completed annual Han Kuang war games. Some are already calling this the "Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis". Notably, at least four ballistic missiles flew over or past northern Taiwan. The authorities did not sound air raid warnings, though the populace was expecting such an eventuality. One Taiwanese citizen told ANI that he was worried. "China has never been that aggressive before. After they taste blood, they sure would like to know what the meat tastes like," he fretted. He added, "There's a bit of tension. Also, TV programs and the news are running the topic all day long." Nonetheless, he said, "For average people, life is moving on." Taiwanese netizens remained defiant, and some went so far as to claim that any imagery revealed by China was fake. Most Chinese would never have heard of the American politician before, but the name "Pelosi" has now become a sensitive topic in China. Such was the alarm that owners of the Pelosi Italian fashion outlet in China were covering up the shop name to prevent becoming a target of protestors. Those Chinese netizens calling for calm tended to be drowned out by the nationalistic fervor. Indeed, the following comment can be viewed as a moderate voice: "China has been a wise country since ancient times, and attacking Taiwan without sending any troops is the correct choice ... In short, Chinese should not question the decisions made by the government. Our aim was never war, but the reunification of the motherland. Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is not the end, but the beginning." Another began calmly but then advocated unquestioning fealty to the CCP: "All Chinese people want to start a war, but nobody is talking about the consequences of fighting a war. Our government is not an incompetent one. It's a government with a clean mind. We should trust them. If it tells the country to start a war, then fight; if not to fight, then defend." One China Daily, one reader enthused, "We witnessed the return of Hong Kong, the return of Macau. We too will witness the reunification of Taiwan." Yet social media brings out the worst too. One photo circulating online showed a Chinese car that had sign-written on the back this offensive comment: "Recover Taiwan. Gang rape Tsai Ing-wen." Other misogynist comments against Taiwanese women were common. This kind of nationalistic hubris is rampant in China, with Xi and the CCP firing up people with undiluted visions of Chinese supremacy. Chinese officials were little better. What about the Chinese Ambassador to France, for instance? Lu Shaye discussed CCP plans for Taiwan after "reunification" (i.e. military conquest). Lu declared that re-education programs would be necessary for the "effectively indoctrinated and intoxicated" Taiwanese public. He added, "It must be re-educated to eliminate separatist thought and secessionist theory". The CCP is already busy formulating a Taiwanese version of "one country, two systems", drawing lessons from Hong Kong's subjugation. China's military reaction to Pelosi's overnight stay in Taiwan was robust yet calculated. The scale and extent of the joint exercise was greater than hitherto seen, and it was controlled by the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA. This is one of the military's five commands, and the one responsible for the theater facing Taiwan. The Chinese exercise kicked off on 4 August, with the Eastern Theater Command specifying seven exclusion zones surrounding Taiwan as restricted areas for ships, aircraft and missiles to execute live firing. These zones pretty much encircled the island nation, but at the same time they revealed the key areas where China might intimidate and blockade Taiwan again in the future. PLA actions, as outlined below, telegraphed China's operational approach to isolating Taiwan. The PLA exercise echoed an "invasion" scenario, and four distinct phases were discernible. In one sense, while this was worrisome to Taiwan, it could prove a treasure trove for the Taiwanese, Japanese and American militaries, since it exposed what PLA strategy and tactics might be in a real shooting war. Indeed, the US military was out in force to suck up all manner of intelligence and to glean valuable insights into the PLA's thinking and capacity. For instance, on 5 August the USA fielded at least one RC-135S, one RC-135V, three P-8As, one E-3G and one U-2S aircraft. These were supported by six KC-135 air-to-air tankers. In phase one, the PLA crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, while in phase two the PLA moved to open waters east of Taiwan to "target" important military bases in Hualien and Taitung. Such eastern facilities, which include large underground aircraft bases, have been used as fallback positions for the Taiwanese military since the 1980s. In addition, Chinese warships, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles took up a posture to prevent US strike groups and assets from Japan or elsewhere from interfering in the PLA exercise. This is what experts call anti-access/area denial operations. The PLA conducted these first two phases on the opening day of the exercise. China also fired an unknown number of PHL-16 long-range artillery rockets from Pingtan in Fujian, plus approximately 11 ballistic missiles (likely DF-15B and DF-16 short-range ballistic missiles) from brigades of the PLA Rocket Force's 61 Base. The units involved were 613 Brigade at Shangrao, 616 Brigade at Ganzhou and 617 Brigade at Jinhua, and their missiles splashed down in the designated exclusion zones. Moving on to phase three, the PLA intended to seal the entrance to Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, and control maritime traffic in and out of the South China Sea. The final phase saw the PLA "encircle" Taiwanese military bases in Kaohsiung, and it used naval vessels to create a blockade of Taiwan. Spotted, and monitored by Taiwanese navy and coast guard vessels not too far beyond the territorial waters of eastern Taiwan, were Chinese destroyers, frigates and corvettes. No aircraft carriers were involved. In the air, the PLA Air Force and PLA Navy proved equally provocative. An average of 60+ aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in large formations from day one of the exercise. Fighters were accompanied by airborne early warning and electronic warfare aircraft. The PLAN might be the largest navy in the world, but this does not automatically equate to an innate ability to coordinate and sustain numerous vessels at sea. The coming days and weeks will thus enable an assessment of the sustainability of PLA operations, particularly naval ones. As well as testing the "jointness" of the Eastern Theater Command, air-sea integration was another important facet, as were the inclusion of electronic warfare and space-based capabilities. Careful observation by the USA and allies may well have identified weaknesses or gaps that can be exploited in the future. There have been recent tense incidents between Chinese and foreign aircraft and vessels. For example, Australia complained of an unsafe interception of a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft over the South China Sea in May. China has already established a baseline for unsafe practices, and this lowers the threshold for accidental incidents that could quickly escalate in such episodes as China's latest antics against Taiwan. Hu Xijin, the former editor of the Chinese tabloid Global Times, joyously tweeted, "The PLA has announced six exercise areas around Taiwan island, the closest being only 9 nautical miles from the island, and the waterways of Taiwan's main ports will be blocked during the drills. This is what Pelosi's visit has brought to Taiwan." China is belligerent enough to blockade Taiwan, but just imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and someone attempted to do the same to China! Beijing would likely begin shooting. This merely shows how unacceptable China's behavior has become. Its default position is to throw its weight around militarily, which is a very dangerous practice. On the other hand, Taiwan exercised restraint, with its Ministry of National Defense (MND) commenting: "ROC Armed Forces are operating as usual and monitor our surroundings in response to irrational activities from PRC, aiming for changing the status quo & destabilizing the region's security. We seek no escalation, but we don't stand down when it comes to our security and sovereignty." In the lead-up to and during the exercise, China displayed nearly the full range of deterrence activities. These included: unveiling/highlighting advanced weapons (through video releases), enhancing combat readiness (as announced by the MND on 3 August), conducting military exercises (via the Eastern Theater Command), boosting the disposition of military units (units were relocated closer to Taiwan), information attacks (innumerable cyberattacks against Taiwan) and restrictive operations exclusion zones around Taiwan). Rod Lee, an analyst with the US Air Force's China Aerospace Studies Institute, commented: "In short, what we're seeing is aggressive textbook deterrence activities, as the PLA discusses in the 2020 Science of Military Strategy. But we also haven't seen the PLA exercise the full range of peacetime deterrence options (yet). Within the military realm, the PLA still has options to expand the scope of deterrence operations horizontally (beyond the Eastern Theater) or vertically (creating an atmosphere of war, demonstrative strikes or other activities they've already conducted but on a larger scale)." Unfortunately, China is certainly not acting like the responsible global power it pretends to be. It suspended 2,066 types of imports from Taiwan, amounting to 64% of all products. Then Beijing said on 5 August that it would cancel military phone calls with the USA, as well as defense meetings and cooperation on anti-drug efforts. Furthermore, it would no longer take part in talks on maritime safety or climate change. This only illustrates how China has never considered confidence- and security-building mechanisms as a proper means of crisis management. These boycotts show that such measures are simply expendable bargaining chips designed for it to up the ante. In a time of crisis, when such mechanisms are needed more than ever before, China simply suspends them like a spoilt child. Even the Kuomintang political party in Taiwan has sharply criticized Beijing. It warned, "We strongly denounce the continued harassment of our air defense identification zone and the median line in the Taiwan Strait. The Beijing authority's excessive military actions have significantly disrupted regional peace and stability as well as civil aviation and maritime traffic." China, through its bullying, is ironically promoting resistance and bipartisanship within Taiwan, with local elections less than four months away. China is being careful not to stumble into any accidental conflict. Xi does not want a war with Taiwan to distract from his re-enthronement for a third term, but he has sent a clear warning to Taiwan and the USA to dissuade any similar high-level Western political visits in the future. Remember, too, that Xi cannot unilaterally change the status quo established with the USA in 1979, for that could push the USA into changing its One-China policy. It must be noted that China and the USA are both largely playing to domestic audiences, with neither leader wishing to appear weak. Yet how will the USA react to what China has just done? And how will a credible red line be reestablished, or is it indeed too late for that already? In many respects, China has just set a precedent. It bodes ill if China, every time it senses a slight or insult, blockades and bullies democratic Taiwan. Pelosi's visit presented Xi with a golden opportunity to stamp his authority on the CCP, on China, on Asia, and he has done so. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday and assured him that the next consignment of Indian humanitarian assistance will reach the conflict-ravaged country soon. The two ministers discussed recent developments in Ukraine and their global repercussions. "Appreciated the conversation today with FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine. Discussed recent developments in the conflict and its continuing global repercussions. Assured that the next consignment of Indian humanitarian assistance will be reaching very soon," Jaishankar tweeted. Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, India has consistently called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the violence. India has called upon both sides to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, and also expressed its support for all diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Indian Embassy in Ukraine was temporarily relocated to Warsaw on March 13. With effect from May 17, Indian Embassy in Ukraine has restored full operation albeit with reduced strength in consonance with the requirement. Back in May, India handed over 7,725 kg of humanitarian aid comprising essential medicines and medical equipment to Ukraine. "The newly appointed Ambassador of India to Ukraine Harsh Kumar Jain handed over 7,725 kg of humanitarian aid comprising essential medicines and medical equipment to H.E Oleksii Yaremenko, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine, in-charge of Humanitarian Aid and EU Integration," the Indian Embassy in Kyiv earlier said in a tweet. India sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine on March 1. As per MEA sources, the consignment comprised two tonnes of humanitarian aid including tents, blankets, surgical gloves, protective eye gear, water storage tanks, sleeping mats, tarpaulin and medicines and other relief material. India's second tranche of humanitarian aid to Ukraine was sent to Romania by an IAF flight. It was handed over to Romanian authorities or onward transmission to Ukraine. In March, India provided 90 tons of relief material to Ukraine and India focuses on supplying more medicines to Ukraine. (ANI)
In yet another incident of a border clash at the disputed Durand line, Taliban-led forces and Pakistani soldiers exchanged gunfire in the Dangam district in Afghanistan's Kunar province. Afghanistan's TOLO news reported that clashes took place on Sunday and continued until 10 pm. Both sides used light as well as heavy weapons. Taliban official Najibullah Hanif said that the attempt by Pakistani soldiers to build military facilities on the side of the Durand Line is what sparked the clashes., After the clash, Pakistani forces fired mortar shells in the Dangam area. Hanif said that both sides are now trying to resolve the issue. The ties between Taliban-led Afghanistan and Pakistan have been frosty of late and matters have been exacerbated by recent border tensions. Last month, a number of videos emerged from border standoff in Balochistan and Nimroz provinces of the two countries. Earlier, the Taliban-appointed Defence Minister said that Afghanistan will not allow any other country to act aggressively against its interests. The refusal to accept the status of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan by the Taliban regime has clearly shown the cracks in the relationship between the two countries. During his visit to the Durand Line in Paktia province, Mawalwi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said the Taliban wants good ties with all neighbouring countries and expects the same from them. Regional analysts believe that Pakistan has committed a strategic blunder in thinking that the Taliban, which the country helped in fighting a US-backed Afghanistan for over two decades, will fulfil Islamabad's wishes. The Taliban have so far not shown any signs of acceding to these wishes. Rather, on several occasions, they have rejected Pakistan's demands, including the one to recognise the Durand Line. 'Borders' that have remained porous for centuries have suddenly been shut down, dividing clans and families, according to Toronto-based think tank International Forum For Rights And Security (IFFRAS). "The enormous harms that have been suffered by the Pashtun community have engendered a deep distrust of the Pakistani state in the minds of Pashtuns on either side of the Durand Line," IFFRAS said. (ANI)
India and the US commenced a military exercise named "Ex Vajra Prahar 2022" in Himachal Pradesh's Bakloh on Monday to improve interoperability between the Special Forces of both nations. The joint exercise by the Special Forces of both the countries is conducted alternatively between India and the United States to share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics. "The 13th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise "Ex Vajra Prahar 2022" commenced at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh (HP) today," the Indian Army said in a press release. The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of US Special Forces and the Indian Army contingent is formed by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis of SFTS. The Vajra Prahar series of joint exercises aims to share best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics as also to improve inter-operability between the Special Forces of both Nations. This annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the United States. The 12th edition was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October 2021. During the course of the next 21 days, teams of both armies would jointly train, plan and execute a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, Air Borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain. This joint exercise is a significant step in strengthening the traditional bond of friendship between the special forces of both Nations as well as improve bilateral defence cooperation between India and the USA. Bilateral military exercises and defence exchanges are an important facet of deepening bilateral defence cooperation between friendly countries. During such events, the armies of participating nations jointly train, plan and execute a series of operations for neutralisation of threats of varied nature with a common aim of countering threats of international terrorism through mutual training and jointness. (ANI)
Foreign investors in Pakistan are facing a tough time as Baloch separatists who have been targeting Chinese assets till now have also threatened a Canadian company which is set to invest in Islamabad. The Pakistan government has signed a deal with Canadian gold giant Barrick Gold which is expected to invest in Balochistan like China. Barrick Gold is poised to mine an area known as Reko Diq in the Chagai district of Balochistan Province, home to one of the world's largest undeveloped deposits of copper and gold. The company has already found itself in the sights of Baloch separatists. A recent example of it is July's blast at a security checkpoint in Gwadar. According to Nikkei Asia, a team of senior officials from the Canadian company visited Gwadar in the last week of July. The tour preceded the explosion in the same night at a security checkpoint in Gwadar. However, the blast by Baloch insurgents was low-intensity. After a legal dispute and years of out-of-court negotiations, Barrick and the Pakistani government reached an agreement to move forward in March, Nikkei Asia reported. Immediately, an umbrella organization of four Baloch insurgent groups called BRAS issued a warning to the company to either stay away from Balochistan's mineral resources or prepare for deadly attacks. BRAS includes the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department. Barrick Gold has 16 operating mines in 13 countries. It plans to invest USD 7 billion in Reko Diq over the next five years and will have a 30-year mining lease with an option to extend. Recently in a video, Allah Nazar, the reclusive leader of another BRAS member, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) issued a threat to Barrick, saying that foreigners should not be investing in Balochistan or exploiting its resources for Pakistan's benefit. Notably, Baloch insurgents also apposed Chinese activity in the region. In April, a suicide bombing by a Baloch separatist at the Confucius Institute of Karachi University killed four people, including three Chinese staff members and a Pakistani driver. "We've seen in recent months how Baloch insurgents have expanded their activities, that they clearly have the capacities to target their enemies, and that they won't back down," Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, told Nikkei Asia. The Baloch have been fighting for their rights for many decades. The Pakistani security forces, in retaliation, have been targeting political activists, intellectuals and students. There has been a rise in the number of killings, enforced disappearances and torture by the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps. (ANI)
Notably, Thant Pe is the fourth foreign envoy to have died in China in the past year.

Ambassador U Myo Thant Pe was last seen meeting a local official in the Yunnan province on Saturday, according to local media reports.

The Myanmar ambassador was appointed in 2019 and stayed in his post after the Myanmar junta seized power in February 2021.

Other foreign envoys to have died in the past year included German ambassador Jan Hecker, Ukraine ambassador Serhiy Kamyshev and Philippines ambassador Jose Santiago Chito Sta.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry today expressed grief over the sudden passing away of U Myo Thant Pe.

"We deeply mourn the sudden death of Myanmar Ambassador to China U Myo Thant Pe and express deep sympathy to his family," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a press conference.

"China maintains close communication with Myanmar and will do its best to facilitate Myanmar's handling of follow-up issues," Wang added. (ANI)
US President Joe Biden on Monday said that he is "not worried" but "concerned" about Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, as he expressed concern over the scope of the drills. "I'm not worried, but I'm concerned that they're moving as much as they are," Biden said while interacting with reporters today. "But I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are," he added. Biden's remarks come a week after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to the self-governed island, over which China claims sovereignty. China is conducting a number of military exercises in the wake of Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan which angered the Asian powerhouse. Earlier in the day, the Chinese military said it will continue drills near Taiwan focused on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes, according to the state media. This comes as the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is conducting joint drills in at least six areas around the island from August 4 to 7. China is irked with the US over Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which occurred last week despite warnings from Beijing. Beijing claims Taiwan as a "breakaway province," and sees visits to the island by foreign officials and dignitaries as a provocation, and a violation of the "one-China" policy. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has appealed for international support for the self-governed island. The President said that the government and military are closely monitoring the situation. "Our government and military are closely monitoring China's military exercises and information warfare operations, ready to respond as necessary. I call on the international community to support democratic Taiwan and halt any escalation of the regional security situation," the Taiwanese President tweeted. A number of countries, including the United States, Australia and Japan, have condemned China's launch of ballistic missiles and urged China to immediately cease the military exercises. They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. (ANI)
In a defiant message in the face of the Chinese military threat, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Monday said China cannot dictate to the self-ruled island who they should welcome and who they should not. In an interview with CNN, Joseph Wu said China's threat is "more serious than ever," but the island will stand firm to protect its freedom and democracy. "China has always been threatening Taiwan for years and it's getting more serious in the last few years," Wu said. "Whether Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan or not, the Chinese military threat against Taiwan has always been there and that is the fact that we need to deal with." "(China) cannot dictate to Taiwan that we should not welcome anyone who likes to come and show support for Taiwan," said Wu. Taiwan last week welcomed the visit of the US Congressional delegation, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and said this visit "once again emphasizes the rock-solid US commitment to Taiwan." This high-stakes visit marked the first visit by a US House Speaker in 25 years since Newt Gingrich came to Taiwan in April 1997. It was also Speaker Pelosi's first trip to Taiwan in over two decades. In the wake of Pelosi's trip, China started conducting a number of military exercises near Taiwan which Beijing regards as its breakaway province. More than 100 Chinese warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in the live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the last few days. Multiple Chinese planes and ships were detected around Taiwan Strait, simulating an attack on its main island. Wu said that he worries that China may really launch a war against Taiwan. "But what it is doing right now is trying to scare us and the best way to deal with it (is) to show to China that we are not scared." Last week, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) started conducting joint drills in at least six areas around the island, which was slated to end on Sunday. But the Chinese military today said it will continue drills near Taiwan focused on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes. Taiwan's Foreign Minister said he is not sure whether the leadership in Beijing "have made up their mind" to use force to take Taiwan. "The important thing for us is that we need to be prepared," he said in the CNN interview. "We want to defend the freedom and democracy that we enjoy over here. Nobody can take that away from us." (ANI)
Sri Lanka on Monday confirmed that it has communicated to China to defer the visit of Chinese vessel Yuang Wang 5 to Hambantota port. In a statement, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5 was scheduled to dock at Chinese-leased Hambantota port on August 11 for refuelling and leave on August 17. "The Ministry has communicated to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Colombo to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port," it read. The Foreign Ministry further stated it wishes to reaffirm the enduring friendship and excellent relations between Sri Lanka and China which remain on a solid foundation, as reiterated most recently by the two Foreign Ministers Ali Sabry and Wang Yi at a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh on August 4. "At this first meeting between the two Foreign Ministers, Minister Sabry referred to Sri Lanka's firm commitment to the one-China policy which has been a consistent principle in the country's foreign policy," the statement read further. Meanwhile, reacting to the media reports over the vessel, the Chinese foreign ministry said that Beijing "always exercises freedom of the high seas in accordance with law and fully respects coastal countries' jurisdiction over scientific research activities in waters under their jurisdiction." China also urged "relevant parties" to see its marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka. "It is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called "security concerns" to pressure Sri Lanka," it said. India had expressed its security concerns over the docking of the vessel at Hambantota as it was shown as a research vessel while the spy ship can map the ocean bed which is critical to anti-submarine operations of the Chinese Navy. Designated as a research and survey vessel, Yuan Wang 5 was built in 2007 and has a carrying capacity of 11,000 tonnes. During this significant visit to the key Sri Lankan port, it could conduct satellite research in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean region, prompting security concerns for India. Hambantota port, located around 250 kms from Colombo was built with high-interest Chinese loans. The Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debt they had taken from China following which the port was handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease. (ANI)
Pakistan is bartering and bargaining information about High-Value Targets as the country has its own domestic compulsions like financial challenges or pressure from anti-terrorism watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF), media reports said. Last week, a US drone targeted Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and as per the reports the intel about the FBI most wanted terrorist was provided by Pakistan. However, it is not for nothing. There lie Pakistan's hopes that in times of need US will come to the aid of the nation which is in a deep mess when it comes to its economy. Zawahiri's killing is another reminder that just like the killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Pakistan had provided close support to the United States this time as well. Pakistan is known for a "walk-in" selling information proposal about High-Value Targets but one thing is quite clear whenever it has done so, it has always bartered and bargained, reported Islam Khabar. According to the media portal, Pakistan adopts this kind of tactic mostly under two scenarios. First is if Pakistan is trapped in an economic crisis or if they have pressure from FATF. The second scenario is when they know that the 'target' in demand is redundant and obsolete for them. The only word which can be used for this kind of help to US on the basis of its own self-interests is essentially double-dealing. Pakistan has played out this tactic several times. The country has done this even to escape international pressure like in the case of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when it held the masterminds of the attack, only to be released later. However, it must be pointed out that this Pakistani duplicity apparently threatens regional stability. This kind of attitude only exposes that Islamabad is nurturing some of the most wanted terrorists and shielding them from those who demand justice, even as these terrorists persist in their activities. The world must be cautious of its approach toward Pakistan to avoid breeding of more terrorists like Laden and Zawahiri. On July 31, 2022, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US airstrike in Kabul. He was living in a safehouse owned by a top aide of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Affairs minister of the Taliban regime. Another point of suspicion is the meeting between Chief of Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Director of Central Intelligence Agency, William J Burns. Pakistan is anxious about the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in October 2022, and is desperate to get out of the grey list. Its economy is in the doldrums. Islamabad is desperate for support from America and remains in its good books. And it is no happen stance that soon after the killing of Zawahiri, on August 2, 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to release the seventh and eighth tranches of a USD 6 billion loan to Pakistan.[5] While the al-Qaeda helped Pakistan to promote its geopolitical interests, its continued presence in the Af-Pak theatre had become a liability for Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Similar has been the case with Afghan Taliban. (ANI)
Nearly 30 Stark County area schools will be updating their security equipment and installing more safety features this year with new grant money from the state.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week that $46.9 million would be split among 1,183 Ohio schools as part of the latest round of funding through the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant program.

The grants equal the amount requested by each school building up to $50,000. Funds could be used to cover expenses associated with physical security enhancements such as security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems and exterior lighting.

"Helping schools pay for important security improvements is just one component of our comprehensive school safety approach that also supports the mental wellbeing of our kids and the work of local law enforcement to prevent crime," DeWine said during his announcement of the grant.

Gov. Mike DeWine is flanked by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, right, Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Township, and others as he speaks at a press conference about school safety on June 13.

More on safety in Stark County schoolsStark schools weigh arming staff

This is the states second allocation under the safety grant program. Roughly $5 million was distributed during the first round in 2021. No Stark County schools were included in the first allocation.

Safety grants for Stark area school districts

Infogram

Stark schools look to upgrade security cameras

Stark County area schools collectively received just over $1 million through the latest allocation of the grant. Thirteen schools received the maximum allocation of $50,000.

A survey of the local schools that received funds shows that most plan to purchase additional security cameras or will upgrade their existing cameras.

Besides additional security cameras, Osnaburg plans to add a mass notification system called Alertus to better communicate with families during crisis situations.

Superintendent Kevin Finefrock said the district also plans to use its $100,000 grant to establish a command center where the school resource officer can monitor district security cameras. The grant money also will be used to upgrade the malware software for some faculty and staff computers and to upgrade network switches to support the new cameras.

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Were grateful for the opportunity and for the funds to be available, Finefrock said. Any time you can take steps forward for school safety, thats a positive thing and a win for our community.

The Louisville City School District plans to buy additional security cameras and use the remainder of the grant to install cement pillars in front of each of its schools to protect the buildings from vehicle intrusions.

Sandy Valley Local Schools is using its money for cameras, a new visitor identification program and new Halo sensors that can detect loud noises and alert administrators.

We have newer buildings and our schools are so soundproof anymore that a lot of times you cant hear whats happening at the other end of the hallway, said Superintendent David Fischer, who added that the sensors also can alert administrators about vaping and cigarette smoke. You hope in practical terms that its never used.

The new visitor ID program will allow the district to perform a background check by scanning the visitors identification card. The system also will print a visitors badge. Visitors still will need to first identify themselves at the outside door of the building and wait for an office employee to unlock the doors for them to enter.

Tuslaw will use its funds to update and add security cameras, upgrade the server for the cameras and update its exterior security locking systems throughout the district.

Northwest will upgrade its security cameras, purchase backup batteries to support its system in case of a blackout and to upgrade its antivirus software.

See the full list of the Ohio schools that received a safety grant here: Ohio K-12 Safety Grant Program

Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @kweirREP

Ohio's K-12 School Safety Grant Program Distribution

Canton City Schools

Crenshaw Middle School: $5,069

Hartford Middle School: $5,069

Lehman Middle School: $5,069

Dalton Local Schools

Dalton High School: $50,000

Green Local Schools

Green High: $39,126

Green Intermediate: $9,915

Green Middle School: $42,315

Green Primary: $23,388

Louisville City Schools

Louisville Elementary: $28,964

Louisville High School: $30,009

Louisville Middle School: $23,719

North Nimishillen Elementary: $20,134

Massillon City Schools

Washington High School: $50,000

Northwest Local Schools

Northwest High School: $50,000

Northwest Middle School: $30,000

Northwest Primary: $50,000

W.S. Stinson Elementary: $50,000

Osnaburg Local Schools

East Canton Elementary: $50,000

East Canton High School: $50,000

Sandy Valley Local Schools

Sandy Valley Elementary: $24,983

Sandy Valley High School: $50,000

Tuslaw Local Schools

Tuslaw Elementary: $50,000

Tuslaw High School: $50,000

Tuslaw Middle School: $50,000

West Branch Local Schools

West Branch Early Learning Center: $49,618

West Branch High School: $50,000

West Branch Intermediate School: $43,140

West Branch Middle School: $50,000

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio K-12 Safety Grant funds security fixes for 28 Stark area schools
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

As of March, the average monthly Social Security benefit is $1,618.29 for an individual, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Doubling up for a couple, that's $3,236.58.

Not a bad haul, if it's supplementing other income or padding a nice, big nest egg. If Social Security is all you're living on, however, you're going to have to pick your retirement city very carefully to stretch those dollars to their absolute limit -- particularly on the notoriously expensive West Coast, which, for the purposes of this study, includes Alaska.

See: How Biden Is Impacting Social Security in 2022

Learn: 10 Reasons You Should Claim Social Security Early

To determine the best places for couples to live on the West Coast on only their combined Social Security checks, GOBankingRates used cost-of-living data from Sperling's Best Places. The ranking also includes ApartmentList data on the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, as well as each city's livability score, sourced from AreaVibes.

Each city was then given a combined score -- which represents a summation of all those factors -- with lower scores being better. The list is ranked in order of the worst score to the best.

Read on to learn about the West Coast spots that are most welcoming to retirees living on Social Security.

jared ropelato / Shutterstock.com

Vallejo, California

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,607

Vallejo has a lousy livability score of 56 -- livability scores are calculated by algorithms that factor in dozens of variables like proximity to amenities, crime and schools. The cost-of-living index is a high 131.3, with 100 representing the national average. The average one-bedroom apartment will run you $1,607 per month, the highest on this list.

Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com

Riverside, California

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,508

At 133.1, Riverside's cost-of-living index is even higher than even Vallejo's -- a full one-third more than the national average. The town's livability score is an unimpressive 59, mostly because of its relatively high crime rate. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,508, one of the three highest on the list.

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Small Business Spotlight 2022: Nominate Your Favorite Small Biz

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Seattle

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,596

Moving up the coast to Washington is Seattle, a pricey city where the average one-bedroom costs $1,596. That contributes to a bruising 172.3 cost-of-living index -- the highest on this list, by far -- which means that daily living in Seattle is 72.3% more expensive than the national average. All in all, its livability score is an underwhelming 65 thanks to high crime rates, high housing costs and, of course, a high cost of living.

Manny Chavez / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Sacramento, California

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,432

The capital city of California, Sacramento has a below-average livability score of 62, mostly because of its crime statistics and relatively high prices. The cost-of-living index there is 118.2, making the city nearly 20% costlier to live in than the national average. The typical renter will shell out $1,432 for a one-bedroom.

JMcQ / Shutterstock.com

Anchorage, Alaska

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,176

In Anchorage, crime and real estate prices are high even by Alaska standards, both of which contribute to the city's drab livability score of 60. Although the average one-bedroom there costs $1,176 per month, one of the least expensive on this list, Anchorage residents still struggle with a rough cost-of-living index of 123.5.

Spondylolithesis / Getty Images

Napa, California

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,522

Known for its legendary vineyards, daily life in Napa is nearly as pricey as its wine -- the cost-of-living index is 162.1, second only to Seattle. With an average monthly rent of $1,522, it's one of only four cities on this list where the typical one-bedroom costs more than $1,500. Overall, its livability score is a middling 70.

Kyle Sprague / Shutterstock.com

Portland, Oregon

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,344

The cost of living in Portland is 30.8% higher than the national average. Although its $1,344 average rent makes it one of just five cities on this list where a one-bedroom goes for less than $1,400, its very high crime rate contributes to a dreary livability score of 65.

DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com

Fresno, California

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,025

Just two cities on this list are less expensive than Fresno, which boasts a forgiving cost-of-living index of 102.6. With an average monthly rent of $1,025.00, a one-bedroom is cheaper in just thee other cities. Unfortunately, high crime contributes to a subpar livability score of 58.

Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock.com

Bremerton, Washington

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,440

Bremerton comes up with an average livability score of 70. With a cost-of-living index of 108.9 and an average rent of $1,440 for a one-bedroom, it's certainly one of the more affordable cities to make the cut.

GarysFRP / Getty Images

Eugene, Oregon

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $928

With a cost-of-living index of 105.3, Eugene is even more affordable than Bremerton. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it's one of only three cities on the list with a three-figure monthly rent -- $928 per month, to be exact, which makes it the cheapest on the entire list. Thanks to its high crime rate, however, Eugene earns a meh livability score of 65.

John T Callery / Shutterstock.com

Olympia, Washington

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,436

The capital city of Washington has a cost-of-living index of 106.1, which puts it on the lower side of this list. Olympia's livability score is 74 -- the highest of any city profiled here -- and a $1,436 average monthly rent.

benedek / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Spokane, Washington

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $947

Just one city on this list is cheaper to live in than the national average -- Spokane, whose cost-of-living index is an impressive 92.3. Although the city's paltry livability score of 67 leaves plenty to be desired, its $947 monthly rent makes it the No. 2 least expensive place to rent an apartment.

Shutterstock.com

Salem, Oregon

2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $979

With a cost-of-living index of 101.8, Salem is less expensive to live in than any city on this list except for Spokane. One of just three cities with a sub-$1,000 average rent, a one-bedroom goes for just $979 per month. That's all good news, despite Salem's low livability score of 69.

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best places for a couple to live on the West Coast on only their combined Social Security checks based on the (1) average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,618.29, sourced from the Social Security Administration, and doubled ($3,236.58); (2) the overall cost of living in each city, sourced from Sperling's Best Places; (3) average 2022 rent for a one-bedroom apartment as sourced from ApartmentList; and (4) livability scores sourced from AreaVibes. Factors (2) through (4) were scored and combined, with the lowest score being the best. Factor (4) was weighted double in final calculations. All data was collected and is up to date as of April 22, 2022.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 13 Best Places on the West Coast for Couples To Live on Only a Social Security Check
A 16-year-old was critically wounded in a shooting early Monday in South Miami-Dade, police said.

Miami-Dade police said they were called around 1 a.m. to 10625 SW 171st St. in West Perrine after receiving a ShotSpotter alert, a system that notifies officers to gunfire in an area.

Officers learned that a 16-year-old boy was shot. He was taken by family members to Jackson South Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition, according to Miami-Dade police.

Police said family members and witnesses arent cooperating with the investigation.

Drive-by shootings in the area have wounded 11 people in the past two weeks.

No other information was immediately available in the latest shooting.

Anyone with information that can help detectives with the investigation should call police.

This article will be updated.
An 80-year-old Washington state woman was permanently banned from her local YMCA pool after demanding that a transgender employee leave the womens locker room, she told local media.

"I saw a man in a womans bathing suit watching maybe four or five little girls pulling down their suits in order to use the toilet," Port Townsend resident Julie Jaman recalled of the July incident to Seattle radio show host Dori Monson on Friday. "I asked if he had a penis and he said it was none of my business. I told that man to get out right now."

The incident occurred on July 26 at the Mountain View pool, which is a City of Port Townsend facility operated by the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, according to local news outlet Port Townsend Free Press.

Jaman said that she was alerted to the trans employee being in the womens locker room while she was showering and "heard a mans voice."

JUDGE BLOCKS BIDEN ADMIN'S TRANSGENDER SCHOOL BATHROOM RULE, ATHLETES

Transgender rights activist waves a transgender flag at a rally in Washington Square Park in New York, U.S., May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Demetrius Freeman Swimmers are seen at Jean Bouin swimming pool in Nice June 2, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard REUTERS/Demetrius Freeman and REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

She told Monson that she alerted a pool staffer to the incident and was stunned when the staff member told her she was "being discriminatory," and "was banned from the pool forever." The staffer also allegedly said the police would be called, according to Jamans radio interview.

"She didnt ask me what the problem was, if I was okay, nothing about me," Jaman told Monson. "Its as if she was just waiting to pounce on me. It was just stunning."

The Port Townsend Police Department told Fox News Digital that no official police report was filed, but the department provided an incident report on the matter.

The incident report details that Jaman "had an emotional response to a strange male being in the bathroom" near young girls, and is hoping to not be "trespassed" from the pool, according to a phone call an officer had with Jaman. The report also noted a phone call from the YMCA detailing that Jaman was reportedly in the facilitys locker room "screaming" at an employee and "refusing to leave."

Erin Hawkins, the marketing & communications manager for the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, told Fox News Digital that the permanent pool ban followed a build-up of incidents where Jaman violated the facilitys code of conduct. She said the permanent suspension was not solely due to the singular incident in the women's locker room last month.

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"Julie Jaman was permanently suspended from the Mountain View Pool due to her repeatedly violating our Code of Conduct, specifically, using disrespectful words or gestures toward YMCA staff or others; abusive, harassing and/or obscene language or gestures toward YMCA staff or others," Hawkins said in comment to Fox News Digital on Monday.

LAURA INGRAHAM: HORMONE BLOCKERS AND TRANS SURGERY FOR MINORS IS THE BIDEN ADMIN'S VERSION OF 'NORMAL'

Jaman told Monson that she was suspended from the facility despite having "a great relationship with swimmers in the pool."

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 24: L.G.B.T. activists and their supporters rally in support of transgender people on the steps of New York City Hall. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Jaman told local media that she had been a member of the pool facility for 35 years and has lived in Port Townsend for about 40 years. She has voted for Democrats during her life, she told the local outlet, and considers herself an "XX woman," referring to her chromosomes.

She added to the Port Townsend Free Press that she recoiled at being naked and showering in a room with a person born male. She added that the "momma bear in me" came out when she saw the individual near the young girls in the bathroom.

DEMOCRAT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SAYS HER PARTY 'CANCELED' HER OVER VIEW ON TRANSGENDER ISSUES

Jaman added that she also spoke with the CEO of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, Wendy Bart, and said that she told Bart there should be warnings that the bathrooms were also used by trans individuals.

"I told her there were no signs posted to give women warning," Jaman told Monson. "She said there were Pride posters posted all over and she assumed that was adequate to inform women what to expect." Bart also said, "we take pride and everyone is welcome," according to Jamans description of the conversation.

"Thats fine with me, except that they do not provide alternatives for women who choose not to be undressing in front of men," Jaman continued in the radio interview. "Our pool is a very old pool. We just have two shower rooms, dressing rooms, one for men, one for women."

Jaman has since held a protest outside the pool facility and was joined by supporters, the Port Townsend Free Press reported. Trans activists also ran a counter-protest.
Cincinnati police investigate the scene early Sunday of a shooting outside a bar that left nine people wounded. (Liz Dufour / Cincinnati Enquirer)

At least nine people were wounded  none critically  in a shooting outside a Cincinnati bar early Sunday, police said.

The shooting took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside Mr. Pitifuls bar in the Ohio citys Over-the-Rhine district, a popular nightlife area. Most of the victims suffered wounds to the lower halves of their bodies, Lt. Col. Mike John of the Cincinnati Police Department told reporters.

John said at a news conference Sunday that eight men and one woman ranging in age from 23 to 47 were wounded. All nine people were treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and released, hospital spokesperson Heather Chura told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

A police officer fired one round at a suspect who fled the scene, but it was unclear if that person was hit, something John called a little unusual." More shots were fired after that person fled, so police believe at least two people were shooting, he said.

What I can tell you is that the individual that he fired at was actively shooting a firearm at that time, John said. The suspect fled the scene. John said there was no question" that the officer's immediate response saved lives.

Police said a fight broke out between two groups, and officers saw at least two people involved brandishing firearms and shooting at each other, the Enquirer reported.

John said police used what he called two bang balls  a percussion instrument with a very loud noise  to disperse a crowd they said had gathered around officers trying to provide aid to the wounded.

Another shooting in the neighboring Central Business District left two wounded, but police said it wasn't related.

Mayor Aftab Pureval called the gunfire completely and totally unacceptable."

The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture," Pureval said, lauding officers for a quick response that likely saved many more from injury and prevented the loss of life."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Senates approval of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on Sunday marks the first time the body has ever passed any significant measures to address climate change.

The IRA contains $369 billion in spending over 10 years to subsidize the deployment of clean energy and electric vehicles, and it includes other measures to combat climate change, such as a fee on methane leaked in oil and gas drilling. Overall, it is expected to help the U.S. reach a 40% reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming from 2005 levels by 2030.

Although that falls short of President Bidens goal of cutting those emissions by 50%, it nonetheless thrilled longtime leaders on climate change, who just 10 days earlier were apoplectic when it appeared the Senate would pass no climate change legislation at all.

Its been a long time coming, but the Senate has finally advanced transformative climate legislation, former Vice President Al Gore, who kick-started the climate movement with his 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, tweeted.

Former Vice President Al Gore at a news conference during the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. (Phil Noble/Reuters)

While many climate activists have harshly criticized Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., for successfully demanding concessions to fossil fuel producers  such as increased oil and gas drilling on federal land  Gore praised him. Thank you to Senators [Chuck] Schumer and Manchin and to every Senator who fought to ensure that climate action was a priority in this bill, he tweeted.

It's been a long time coming, but the Senate has finally advanced transformative climate legislation. Thank you to Senators Schumer and Manchin and to every Senator who fought to ensure that climate action was a priority in this bill. Now to the House and to the President's desk!  Al Gore (@algore) August 7, 2022

While pledging to keep pushing for more action in the future, the Senates leading climate hawks rejoiced.

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We did it, tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. We passed the biggest climate bill that any country has ever passed. It is the reason I came to the Senate.

We did it. We passed the biggest climate bill that any country has ever passed. It is the reason I came to the Senate. The fight goes on, but for the first time, the American government is taking action that is equal to this moment.  Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) August 7, 2022

He also told the New York Times Lisa Friedman, Now I can look my kids in the eye and say were really doing something about climate.

For the last 12 years, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has given a weekly address on climate change when the Senate is in session. He recently gave his 285th speech on the subject.

Weve packed a lot into this historic legislation, and I look forward to spending the coming weeks and months talking with Rhode Islanders about how the bill will lower their energy and health care bills and create millions of jobs, Whitehouse said in a statement. Im also very proud to have shaped the major climate components of the bill, which is expected to double to triple the rate of historical emissions reductions. While theres still much more to do to lead the planet to safety in the race against climate change, this is by far the biggest step the United States has ever taken to lower emissions. It is good reason for hope.

In 2009, when he was in the House of Representatives, now-Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., co-authored a bill that would have capped and gradually reduced the carbon emissions that are the leading cause of climate change. The bill, known as Waxman-Markey, passed the House but died in the Senate. Markey has remained a leading legislator on climate change since he moved into the upper chamber.

Twelve years ago, I watched my landmark climate legislation pass in the House and die in the Senate, Markey said in a statement on Sunday. Today, powered by a movement that never once wavered in the struggle for a livable future, I joined my Democratic colleagues in passing a bill that makes historic investments in climate justice and delivers the resources we need to have a fighting chance at a livable planet.

As I know all too well  doing nothing is a political option, but its not a planetary option. The Inflation Reduction Act is far from everything we wanted to achieve, but its the start of what we need.

Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a news conference to reintroduce the Green New Deal at the U.S. Capitol in April 2021. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Before Waxman-Markey failed, then-President Barack Obama had tried unsuccessfully to help shepherd it through the Senate. On Sunday, Obama celebrated in a pair of tweets that his former vice president accomplished what he couldnt.

Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, peoples bills will get smaller, their lives will get longer, and well have a real shot at avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, Obama wrote.

The Inflation Reduction Act that just passed the Senate is a major accomplishment. Not only will it reduce inflation and lower the cost of prescription drugs  it also happens to be the most consequential piece of climate legislation in American history. https://t.co/w3s3E8rGoZ  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 8, 2022

Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, peoples bills will get smaller, their lives will get longer, and well have a real shot at avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Thats something Democrats everywhere can and should be proud of.  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 8, 2022

Veteran environmental activist Bill McKibben did temper his elation with acknowledgment of the concessions to Manchin. McKibben wrote The End of Nature, one of the first popular books about climate change, published in 1989, and he co-founded the climate change advocacy group 350.org in 2007.

34 years and 40 days ago, Jim Hansen broke the news of global warming to the U.S. Senate, wrote McKibben in a tweet, referring to the legendary 1988 congressional testimony in which Hansen, then director of NASAs Institute for Space Studies, stated that the Earth had clearly warmed and that with 99 percent confidence it was caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Finally, today, they act[.] Its late, its deeply compromised, and its also a great victory for all who have fought so long and hard.

34 years and 40 days ago, Jim Hansen broke the news of global warming to the U.S. Senate.



Finally, today, they act



It's late, it's deeply compromised, and it's also a great victory for all who have fought so long and hard.

Such thanks to all of you, and on to the next battles  Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) August 7, 2022

Celebrities who have been outspoken activists on climate change also chimed in. Mark Ruffalo may be best known for playing the Hulk in Marvel movies, but he is also a leading activist opposing extracting natural gas and oil through fracking.

As we are living through record heat, fires, floods, droughts, & climate anxiety, we can take a breath. A solid beginning. It will create meaningful jobs, bring manufacturing back to the USA, & begin to address climate change significantly, he tweeted.

Good news. As we are living through record heat, fires, floods, droughts, & climate anxiety, we can take a breath. A solid beginning. It will create meaningful jobs, bring manufacturing back to the USA, & begin to address climate change significantly.https://t.co/WEN8vOJ6SD  Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 8, 2022

Thank you Senate Democrats and House members. Thank you President Biden. We would not be here had the CPC not insisted we move the Presidents agenda from a promise to legislative text that passed the House, while keeping up the pressure to address these urgent crises.  Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 8, 2022

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a multibillionaire, made climate change one of his signature issues as mayor and in his private philanthropy. On Monday he praised the bill and noted it would be a boon to local governments attempting to deal with climate change.

We're one step closer to the largest federal investment to combat climate change. Cities & states are ready to implement the bills funding, which will increase clean power, lower energy prices, create jobs, & protect health. The House should move quickly to pass the final bill.  Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) August 8, 2022

Leading climate scientists also cheered the news while already looking ahead to the possibility of further action in the future. Michael Mann, the director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, tweeted that the IRA Puts us on path to meeting our obligation to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, re-establishing American leadership on climate & paving the way to global climate action. He followed up in response to critics who fretted that scientists were too celebratory of a bill that wont, in and of itself, avert catastrophic climate change, to argue that it is a first step.

U.S. Senate has now passed landmark climate legislation!



Puts us on path to meeting our obligation to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, re-establishing American leadership on climate & paving the way to global climate action.



Now onto the U.S. House and President Biden.  Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 7, 2022

"It's not the end of the journey--only the beginning.

But it is a good day, and let us all celebrate that a bit!" https://t.co/xAroUQAvmd  Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 8, 2022

Katharine Hayhoe, who serves as chief scientist of the Nature Conservancy and a professor at Texas Tech, told Yahoo News that the bills passage would have global reverberations.

This is huge, Hayhoe said on Monday. The United States is historically responsible for 25% of global carbon emissions and its influence outside its borders on technology, on policy, is enormous.

Hayhoe acknowledged that the emission reductions would fall short of the U.S.s pledges in previous global climate agreements, but said its a step in the right direction.

I particularly applaud the inclusive nature of the solutions, she added. Of course, theres clean energy and theres solar and wind and battery manufacturing, and tax credits, but theres also funds to support climate-smart regenerative agriculture, to support restoring and conserving forest ecosystems and coastal habitats  and to support low-income communities who bear a disproportionate impact from climate change.

Michael Bloomberg at a panel at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid in 2019. (Sergio Perez/Reuters)

There were, however, some detractors. Adam McKay, the director of the blockbuster film Dont Look Up, a thinly veiled climate change parable, criticized the bill as a greatest hits of everything wrong with USA.

IMO this bill is a greatest hits of everything wrong with USA.

-Black hole of destruction that is the GOP

- Behind the scenes tanking for $ that typifies Dems

- Cheerleading horse race coverage from media.  Adam McKay (@GhostPanther) August 7, 2022

When this is the reaction to a bill, call me crazy, but I have some questions.



Maybe the bill is decent. I truly hope it is.



But there are carve outs to big oil in the bill that worry me.https://t.co/julIiGVelr  Adam McKay (@GhostPanther) August 8, 2022

Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab, gave the bill a mixed review in a Twitter thread running down its pros and cons.

1. The deal earmarks $369 billion over 10 years for climate and energy measures. If passed, this will be far more than congress has ever done on climate. But... it will be the ONLY thing congress has ever done on climate, so that's not even a low bar, it's no bar at all.  Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman) July 29, 2022

1. The deal earmarks $369 billion over 10 years for climate and energy measures. If passed, this will be far more than congress has ever done on climate. But... it will be the ONLY thing congress has ever done on climate, so that's not even a low bar, it's no bar at all.  Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman) July 29, 2022

7. If the fossil fuel industry likes something, it's probably great for fossil fuels, which means it's probably terrible for our climate and collective future of life on Earth. Darren Woods, the CEO of Exxon:https://t.co/mffquk5cWf pic.twitter.com/YPtokGo5mw  Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman) July 29, 2022

The same dichotomy could be seen between mainstream environmental advocacy groups, which exulted in the bills passage, and some farther-left organizations that are particularly focused on opposing fossil fuel development.

This is a historic moment for climate action, and a turning point in American climate policy, said Evergreen Action executive director Jamal Raad. Today, the Senate passed the largest climate investment in history  by far. This is the end of a decades-long road to pass a climate bill, but its only the beginning of the road towards achieving the greenhouse gas pollution reductions that science demands and building a better future for us all.

Raad went on to acknowledge that painful compromises were made. Greenpeace USA, on the other hand, focused mainly on those concessions.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes much needed investment in renewable energy, and a down payment on the union jobs we need to propel a green economy, Greenpeace USA co-executive director Ebony Twilley Martin said. But it is also a slap in the face to the frontline communities, grassroots groups, and activists that made this legislation possible. The IRA is packed with giveaways to the fossil fuel executives who are destroying our planet.

While Greenpeace did not join its major counterparts such as the Sierra Club in urging swift passage of the IRA, it did not call for rejecting it either, instead asking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to do everything in his power to kill a side deal he made to secure Manchins support, in which the Senate will later take up separate legislation to streamline the process for obtaining permits for energy development projects.

Still, those views represented a minority opinion. Most people who have been working on climate change for decades seemed to agree with Hayhoe, who said they should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and Whitehouse, who told the Times Friedman: Its a bit of a dream come true. But, he hastened to add, "Of course, its only the first chapter of the dream.

_____

Global temperatures are on the rise and have been for decades. Step inside the data and see the magnitude of climate change.
Before Amanda Todd died in 2012, she uploaded a video describing the bullying she had suffered

A Dutch man accused of harassing a Canadian girl who later took her own life has been found guilty of multiple charges by a court in British Columbia.

The charges against Aydin Coban, 44, included extortion, child luring, child pornography and harassment.

Amanda Todd, who was then 15, posted a video in 2012 in which she detailed how a man had tormented her online.

It was watched millions of times on YouTube and sparked a national debate about online bullying.

Ms Todd took her own life just five weeks after uploading the video and shortly after explicit photos were leaked online.

Coban was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Dutch court in 2017 for blackmailing and harassing dozens of young women on the internet, some as far away as Britain, Canada and the United States.

He was later extradited to Canada where he faced the additional charges related to making and distributing child pornography, extortion and harassment. He is not, however, charged with Ms Todd's death.

Coban will serve his sentence - which will be decided at a later hearing - in the Netherlands.

In court following the verdict on Saturday, Ms Todd's mother, Carol, told journalists that she believed the court had sent a strong message that "sextortion" has consequences even across international boundaries.

"This day has been the best day since Amanda was born," she told Vancouver's CityNews. "This day, Amanda's voice really shone through."

Over the course of a seven week trial that included dozens of witnesses, prosecutors argued that Ms Todd, who lived with her father in British Columbia, was pursued for years by Coban through 22 fake social media accounts. This harassment included requests to perform sex acts online and threats to send explicit photos to her family and friends if she refused.

Coban's lawyer did not present any evidence in his defence.

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Prosecutors said Ms Todd expressed on Facebook that a man had been blackmailing her for years. The harassment, they said, began just before she turned 13 in November 2009.

Her mother testified that her daughter was scared because of the messages she was receiving online, and the teenager's distress grew with each incident.

In the widely-circulated YouTube video she posted before her death, Ms Todd said she was lured by a stranger online to expose herself on a webcam. She was then bullied by peers after the photos were published on Facebook and sent to people she knew.

"If I could say a message to Amanda, it would be that we always believed you," her mother told CBC outside the courtroom. "This is her moment."
A registered nurse was arrested for allegedly firing several gunshots into her neighbors apartment over piano noise in Arcadia, California.

Pin Hsin Lin, who had been teaching piano lessons in her Sunset Boulevard apartment in Arcadia for nearly three years, was getting ready for a lesson when a bullet that was fired through her ceiling barely missed her.

Lin had initially heard loud bangs around noon on Aug. 1, which she assumed was her upstairs neighbor slamming doors. Lin realized the sounds were gunshots when the fourth loud noise came with a bullet through her ceiling, which struck a lamp on her piano.

Suddenly, theres a straight bullet, Lin told ABC 7. When I saw the hole, I was like, This is a real gunshot! So I called police immediately.

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Lin also found another bullet hole in a cabinet in her kitchen. The bullet, which was fired while she was preparing food at noon, was stopped by a rice cooker on a top shelf. She believes her 39-year-old neighbor, Kathryn Pugh, was targeting her rather than aimlessly shooting through the floor.

Police said they found Pugh intoxicated and in possession of two legally registered guns in her apartment. She was arrested and charged with two counts of felony for discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling.

We discovered she shot two rounds through a downstairs apartment unit, Arcadia police Sgt. Ryan Mulhall reportedly said. We found a bottle of tequila inside her house, and she was exhibiting signs and symptoms of being drunk.

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It appears both the victim and suspect have an ongoing dispute over apartment-related issues, police told Fox 11 in a statement. It appears they were fired intentionally.

Pugh, who moved in last year, had been complaining about the noise of her downstairs neighbor, according to Lin. Pugh is reportedly a Los Angeles registered nurse who was honored with a Daisy Award at Huntington Health in 2019. The award recognizes excellence in clinical skills, caring and compassion.

Story continues

There were two more shots discovered through Pughs window and wall, according to the police. The bullets struck two other apartments, but there were no reported injuries.

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Pughs bail was initially set at $250,000 before it was raised to $500,000. However, she was deemed a danger to the community by Judge Terry Lee Smerling, who then ordered her to be held without bail despite Pugh not having a criminal record.

To us, thats absolutely tragic, Karla Sarabia, Pughs attorney, told ABC 7. Conceivably until she goes to trial, so that could take months and in a serious case like this, maybe even longer. Shes going to lose her job, shes going to lose her apartment, shes going to lose her livelihood.

She has no priors, shes a responsible person, she went to Berkeley, she got a scholarship, she got a 4.0 (grade point average), Pughs mother Marie also told ABC 7. She is one of the best people ever put on this Earth.

Lin does not feel the same way. She believes Pugh will seek revenge if she returns to the apartment above her.

Pughs next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 16.

Featured Image via ABC 7 / @huntingtonnews
Aug. 7Under the beating sun, country music floated in the air as a young woman wove purple ribbons into a horse's mane at the Blue Ridge Riding Club in Boonsboro. Another horse had purple glitter sprinkled on its back.

And next to a dirt arena, where riders and their horses dashed around barrels, was a stack of purple barrels with "#Love4Jami" in hot pink painted across it.

Dozens of people flocked to Boonsboro on Sunday for Chasin Cans 4 Cornell, a benefit barrel racing event put on by the Maryland International Barrel Racing Association to raise money for Jami Cornell, a Monrovia barrel racer who was run over by a vehicle in July and sustained severe injuries.

Barrel racing is a sport on horseback  traditionally an event only for women riders, according to the website of the International Barrel Racing Association  where the rider and their horse is supposed to complete a winding path around three barrels. The person with the fastest time wins.

Cornell is one of the fastest riders, if not the fastest rider, in her division, Sherry Olden said. Olden is the director of the Maryland IBRA, and one of the organizers of the benefit.

Purple is one of Jami's competition colors, which was why it was so prominent at the benefit.

But Cornell wasn't on a horse Sunday; Cornell was left with severe injuries on July 14 after she was struck by a vehicle allegedly being driven by Chelsea Kendall, 38, of Union Bridge. The alleged incident occurred in Union Bridge.

According to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Kendall had fled the scene, but was arrested and charged with one count each of first- and second-degree assault and charges relating to fleeing a scene after hurting someone.

Kendall's next court date is Aug. 26, records who.

After the incident, Cornell had emergency brain surgery. As of Friday, she couldn't speak or move the left side of her body, her mother Fran Cornell said in an interview. She also has issues with swallowing and moving some of the left side of her face, she said.

Story continues

"She's going to have a long recovery," Fran said. "She's going to need physical therapy, a lot of it."

All of the proceeds from the benefit are going to Jami's medical expenses, Fran said. Insurance won't cover Jami's treatment, which was something that shocked her.

And it shocked a lot of people who know the Cornell family. Within three weeks, people had an event organized with donated items for a silent auction, tie-dyed shirts in purple, pink and teal to sell and money ready, all for Jami.

There was also a 50/50 raffle, with half the prize money going to the winner and the other half going to Jami.

"When we all heard what happened, it was a no brainer," Paula Stapleton, one of Jami's sponsors, said. "Phones started ringing, people just started talking and it was like 'What are we gonna do?'"

Stapleton and her daughter run The Wicked Pony, a tack and western wear store.

Mary Beth Davis, a long-time friend of Jami's, rode one of Jami's former horses, Dash, at the benefit. She traveled all the way from Fairfield, Pennsylvania, with the goal of raising a lot of money for Jami.

"Jami is a great rider, she's super spunky, and just a real firecracker," Davis said.

Levi Leach, 49, came from York Springs, Pennsylvania to support Jami. She's known Jami for about 20 years, she said, and Jami sometimes refers to Leach as her mentor.

Leach emphasized how the turn out at the benefit was indicative of how the barrel racing community isn't just a team but a family.

"What this whole thing is here, it's a family," Leach said. "There's people that don't even know Jami that still are supporting her because what happened to her should have never have. That's what this community does."

And Jami was the perfect embodiment of support, a group of Jami's friends said. Leach, along with Chelsea Magaha, Samantha King and Morgan Whitacre sought refuge from the sun under a tent as they shared stories about Jami.

One of the women grabbed a tissue for Leach from a nearby stand.

During a division competition, the women recalled, Jami had won a new saddle, but since she had won one before, she gave it to another girl who needed a new saddle. She was always willing to give, King said.

"It was a brand-spanking-new saddle, never been on a horse. I had three horses that I had to run and only one saddle and she was like 'Take it,'" Whitacre said.

At another competition, Jami was leading with one of the fastest times and was still cheering on girls to beat her. That is what true sportsmanship is, Leach said.

Denise Bost, 66, rode one of Jami's current horses, Finn, at the benefit. She was amazed by how many people showed up for her friend.

"She was always the most supportive person. No matter who you are, she will support you," Bost said.

Allison Kraynak, 27, rode Jami's horse, Sue, at the benefit as well. Jami was the person who got Kraynak into barrel racing in the first place, she said. Receiving Jami's blessing to ride Sue left was a big honor, she said.

Tears threatened to fall as she remembered how Jami lent her gear and let her sleep in her trailer at competitions when she first started out. She was comforted by all the people who came for Jami.

"I was really excited for this event because Jami would like, give the shirt off her back to anyone who needs it," Kraynak said.

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel
Bath & Body Works will leave Sikes Senter for a new location at the Quail Creek Crossing shopping center on Lawrence Road, according to the Quail Creek Crossing property manager.

Andy Lee, property manager at Quail Creek Crossing, confirmed the move Monday.

"They're one of the top sales per square foot here in town, but there's nobody left in the mall," Lee said.

Social media posts implied the company was staying in Sikes Senter but opening a second store. The company had not answered inquiries from the Times Record News as of Tuesday and a manager at the local store said she could not comment.

Lee said construction will probably start in the next two weeks with an opening likely in October. He said Bath & Body Works will have a little more space than in its present site at the mall.

"We're going to split the old Dress Barn space in half and move them over there next to Five Below," he said.

Bath & Body Works, headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, has more than 1,900 stores worldwide. The stores are popular for fragrances and body care products.

Sikes Senter was purchased in February by Kohan Retail Investment Group, a New York company that specialized in buying distressed malls.

Dillard's Department Store, an anchor store since the mall opened in 1974, confirmed in May it was getting out. Old Navy, another mall stalwart, announced its move to Quail Creek Crossing in August 2021 before Sikes Senter changed hands.

While Sikes Senter loses large retailers, Lee said Quail Creek Crossing is thriving, with only a few vacant store fronts.

"Hopefully, we'll get that thing completely filled up by Christmas," he said.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Bath & Body Works to open in Quail Creek Crossing.
The Big Red Bus will return to the University of Central Florida campus Monday.

Members of the community can donate blood at the OneBlood bus, which will be parked outside of the UCF Police Department from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Donors will receive the following:

- A $20 eGift card.

- A first responder tee shirt.

- A wellness check-up, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.

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Making an appointment is encouraged.

Click here for more information.

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Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Hundreds took to the social media page of Lawrence Kansas Police Department to express their gratitude for the capture of a shooting suspect.

The police department posted on their social media confirming the capture of Stephen Marlow, who is suspected of shooting and killing four people in a Butler Township neighborhood.

More than 200 comments are below the post, all sharing a similar sentiment  thank you.

>> RELATED: Lawrence PD: We are extremely proud of our officers work; Butler Twp. shooting suspect in custody

Vandalia Mayor Richard Herbst also commented on the post.

Thank you to the Lawrence Kansas PD! Our community has been turned upside down the last few days and your officers has help calm many fears. Thanks again for your heroism, we will be forever grateful and never forget, Herbst wrote.

>> Vandalia-Butler High School students gather to remember 15 year old victim of shooting

Many claimed to be members of the Butler Township community and said they feel safe again.

Lawrence Police, after two days of worry, our Aviator community can now rest without fear and begin to grieve those we have lost. Thank you! one commenter wrote.

Thank you!!! We can all breathe again from our little town, another commenter wrote.

The Vandalia-Butler community will be holding a prayer event Aug. 8 at the Butler High School parking lot at 5 p.m. to honor the four victims of the shooting.
With just two days until the start of school, there are still thousands of teacher and support staff vacancies across Florida.

In Brevard County, after two years of uncertainties and disruptions, the district is regaining its momentum.

Brevard Public Schools students return to the classroom on Wednesday.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

In these last few days before the start of class, the district continues to register students and is making sure there will be staff there to greet them.

Channel 9 spoke with Brevard Public School Superintendent Mark Mullins about the upcoming school year.

Its kind of a combination of all things, and were just having to work through it, Mullins said. We were definitely hit hard with enrollment two years ago. This is really the first full school year after the pandemic. We made some considerable gains this last school year. Were showing again that our enrollment will grow again this year.

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So far, 22,000 students have requested transportation to school, thats 4,000 more students than last year.

The district is still hiring bus drivers.

If youre watching the growth that is happening in Brevard County - I know across the state, but particularly in Brevard County with the expansion of the space industry and all the supporting industries, for that, I am cautiously optimistic, Mullins added.

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There are currently 143 classroom openings down from 194 positions and there are 181 support openings down from 294 vacancies.

Channel 9 has learned that about 50-60 positions were filled during recent job fairs.

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The district is also working to create new pathways to becoming a certified teacher in the classroom in addition to some other initiatives.

A big push this year is both community and parent engagement in our schools and for our kids. I would encourage our community to take advantage of these opportunities, Mullins said.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Foreign trade bolsters China's economic outlook with steadily growing momentum

Xinhua) 08:05, August 08, 2022

* China's foreign trade saw double-digit growth in the first seven months of 2022 amid policy support and a boost from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreements.

* China's foreign trade of goods jumped 10.4 percent year on year to 23.6 trillion yuan (about 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars) during the first seven months of the year, official data showed.

* The foreign trade growth continued the upward trend that began in May, making positive contributions to stabilizing the macroeconomic market, according to Li Kuiwen, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs.

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade saw double-digit growth in the first seven months of 2022 amid policy support and a boost from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreements.

During the January-July period, the country's foreign trade of goods jumped 10.4 percent year on year to 23.6 trillion yuan (about 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars), official data showed Sunday.

Exports rose 14.7 percent year on year to 13.37 trillion yuan, while imports increased 5.3 percent from a year ago to 10.23 trillion yuan, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

In July alone, foreign trade jumped 16.6 percent from a year ago, with the Yangtze River Delta region seeing rapid growth of 25.7 percent, according to GAC spokesperson Li Kuiwen.

Aerial photo taken on June 23, 2022 shows a cargo train, which marks the 10,000th trip made by China-Europe freight trains operated by the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing), waiting for departure at Tuanjie Village Central Railway Station in Chongqing, southwest China. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

SWIFT AND STEADY

During the period, China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States expanded 13.2 percent, 8.9 percent and 11.8 percent from a year ago, respectively.

From January to July, China's trade with Belt and Road countries soared 19.8 percent year on year, and its trade with other RCEP members rose 7.5 percent.

Private enterprises posted strong performances, with their imports and exports growing 15.3 percent year on year in the seven months, accounting for 50 percent of the country's overall trade volume.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products expanded 10.1 percent to account for 56.6 percent of the total, while exports of labor-intensive products increased 15.2 percent, the data showed.

Aerial photo taken on June 9, 2022 shows a container terminal in Qingdao Port, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Yu Fangping/Xinhua)

RCEP A KEY BOOSTER

In July, trade with RCEP partners reached 1.17 trillion yuan, soaring 18.8 percent year on year and boosting China's overall foreign trade growth by 5.6 percentage points, Li said.

The RCEP agreement -- the world's largest free trade deal between 10 ASEAN member states plus China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- came into force on the first day of 2022, and Chinese foreign trade enterprises have since benefited from various trading dividends.

The RCEP framework has further deepened regional economic connectivity as well as trade and investment cooperation, and it has provided new drivers for regional economic recovery and development, Li said.

The countries under the framework account for roughly 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product and population. Over 90 percent of trade in goods among approved member states will gradually become tariff-free.

A worker arranges durians at a durian processing factory in the Chanthaburi province, Thailand, May 5, 2022. This year, after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into force in January, Thailand's durian sales to China have been further boosted. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

RESILIENT AND ATTRACTIVE

With a slew of measures to stabilize foreign trade and investment having paid off, China's foreign trade of goods and the amount of foreign capital actually used both posted marked growth in the first half of the year.

The foreign trade growth continued the upward trend that began in May, making positive contributions to stabilizing the macroeconomic market, Li said.

China's gross domestic product expanded 2.5 percent year on year in the first half of 2022, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 17.4 percent year on year to 723.31 billion yuan in the first half of the year.

Staff members work at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, east China, June 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

The country's high-tech industries saw a rapid FDI increase of 33.6 percent in the first half of 2022. Foreign investment in high-tech manufacturing rose 31.1 percent, and that in the high-tech services sector jumped 34.4 percent.

According to a June report from the European Chamber of Commerce in China in partnership with the Mercator Institute for China Studies, many European companies are optimistic about China's huge market potential and the rapid commercial application of China's R&D achievements, and will increase their R&D spending in China this year.

Next, China will further boost exports, expand imports and promote the introduction of technology and foreign investment, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee that analyzed the current economic situation and arranged economic work for the second half of the year.

Efforts should be made to enhance the stability and international competitiveness of industrial and supply chains, and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation should also be promoted, the meeting said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
BURNET, Texas  The second stop during a July day trip to Burnet County was this handsome county seat that, on the face of it, has taken full advantage of the numerous fine stone quarries in the region.

Before that, I had visited Marble Falls, the largest town in the county, where I was drawn to a local history museum in an 1891 school building; the story of a pioneering woman mayor; an old-fashioned diner that serves famous pies and has been around for more than 90 years; a legacy flock of faithful, more than 120 years old, that plans a Black history museum; and a small cave with a murderous past.

Burnet, during my short stay, appeared a bit less oriented to the tourist trade than Marble Falls, perhaps because it does not sit right above a lake. Its historic downtown nevertheless looks spiffy and welcoming.

Like most Texas county seats, Burnet sits in the middle of the county. And its granite-faced, art-deco courthouse, along with allied agencies and businesses, is right in the middle of the town.

The original settlement came together in the late 1840s when a federal military fort was established in the Hamilton Creek Valley  which had served as part of a prominent Native American trail  to discourage Comanche raids. At first, the settlement was called Hamilton, or Hamilton Valley, after landowner John Hamilton, also namesake for the creek.

More:A short but intense visit to historical Burnet, Texas

In 1858, the village of 35 residents petitioned to change the name  another Hamilton already existed about 70 miles to the north. It became a wool distribution center when, in 1882, the Austin and Northwestern Railway reached Burnet via Bertram. Originally a narrow-gauge line because of the tight curves in the rugged Hill Country, it was converted to standard gauge in 1891.

Burnet remained a market town during the 20th century in part because it sits at the intersection of two main highways, U.S. 281 and Texas 29. Area parks, lakes, caverns and hunting leases have helped augment the town's economy and culture as it moved into the 21st century. The pandemic only increased the popularity of Hill Country cabins as remote getaways.

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So says Blair Manning, the whip-sharp tourism and marketing director for Burnet County. Manning not only oversees short-term leases in the county's unincorporated areas; she has raised the visibility of regional tourist magnets from her roll-top desk at the newly renovated Burnet County Old Jail, which was reborn as a visitors center in April with a ceremonial "chain cutting."

Burnet County Old Jail worth a short visit

Quite a few Texas counties have preserved decommissioned county jails, usually not far from their courthouses. Some were designed to look like medieval dungeons. History buffs have turned a few of them into museums.

Yet few are as curiously authentic as the 1884 Burnet County Old Jail, decommissioned in 1982 and reopened earlier this year.

County Judge James Oakley took on the jail rebirth as a personal project. When I visited, he happened to be meeting with constituents there, and he told me about the careful building process, executed by county maintenance staff, that preserved, for instance, prisoner scratchings on the walls, as well as enlargements that make it an inviting, if a bit spooky events venue.

On the first floor, find a woven metal "drunk tank," manufactured in St. Louis, which held perpetrators of minor offenses, along with artifacts from the building's active years as a lockup, including a sign that announces visiting hours between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., plus the warning: "Do Not Talk to Prisoners Through the Bars."

Oakley recalls that, during his childhood, his mother habitually walked him close to the jail on their way to the nearby Baptist church. Through the bars, prisoners beseeched favors from the passersby. Oakley assumed that his mother meant the route as a moral admonition for his future.

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Robert Brewer serves as tour guide at the jail. In costume, he playfully stood guard over the "drunk tank," where repeat offenders often let themselves in, slept off their stupors and then stayed for breakfast. A sheriff's log displayed nearby reveals that public intoxication and DWI were the most common crimes.

A memorial statue of Sheriff Wallace W. Riddell stands in front of the jail. Riddell, born in 1899, served as Burnet County Sheriff from 1939 to 1978. At that time of his death, he was the longest serving sheriff in Texas. His family lived in comfortable quarters inside the jailhouse. The family's two bedrooms are now outfitted with appropriate vintage furniture and decor.

A living source of historical background during the jail revival project was Vonnie Riddell Fox, 95, daughter of the long-tenured sheriff.

"She remembers how it was all set up," Brewer says. "The children slept in four beds in each corner of this room; the parents in the other."

One can only imagine what went on in the solitary confinement cells dedicated to more serious criminals, which stand at a good distance from a small women's cell and other ancillary rooms.

Fort Croghan's short days on the frontier

I didn't know what to expect to find at Fort Croghan, located on the south side of Texas 29 about one half mile west of U.S. 281. I missed the entrance twice.

As one enters the grounds, a utilitarian building to the right houses a museum run by the Burnet County Heritage Society. Deeper into the grounds, stone and wooden structures stand ceremoniously around a rectilinear open space.

Two of those buildings above Hamilton Creek date from the fort's short time as a frontier outpost, 1849 to 1853, part of the federal military's initial string of barrier forts that included Worth, Graham, Gates, Lincoln, Inge, McIntosh, Duncan and Camp San Elizario.

One of those oak-and-stone buildings served as a lookout on the west side of Post Mountain, which rises to the south of the fort. It was later transported to current site. The role of the other early fort structure, also small, was unclear to me.

More:The historical miracles of Marble Falls, Texas

In his entertaining and trustworthy memoir, "The Evolution of a State: Recollections of Old Texas Days," Noah Smithwick, the fort's armorer, remembered that Henry McCulloch had maintained a camp of rangers near this spot, and that the fort "consisted of the usual log cabins, enclosed by a stout stockade, and was manned by one company of cavalry and one of infantry."

The fort was named in honor of Col. George Croghan and was previously located three miles down the creek. It became the headquarters for the Second Dragoons in 1853, but only few straggling guards remained until 1855 when it was abandoned.

Currently collected and neatly laid out on the grounds are a country schoolhouse, farm structures, store rooms and tools, all transported from around the county.

The best outfitted stone cabin was built by Logan Vandeveer (1815-1855) for his daughter on Hamilton Creek. Vandeveer was wounded at the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. He sold beef to federal troops at Fort Croghan.

By 1853, the frontier had moved west and some federal forces headed to Fort Mason, others to San Antonio. What remained of Fort Croghan was used intermittently for defense by Burnet settlers, but also as residences. By 1940, according to the Handbook of Texas Online, all that remained were foundations.

So little of the original material remains, it's hard to get a sense of what went on here. Still, it's worth a stop.

That utilitarian building up front, also operated by the heritage society, is packed with fascinating artifacts from the county's past, which two volunteers gamely explained.

A facsimile edition of Noah Smithwick's "The Evolution of a State: Recollections of Old Texas Days," which tells mostly of the pioneer's days during the Republic of Texas and early statehood. A valued blacksmith, his last Texas home was at Mormon Mill in Burnet County.

Bursts of published Burnet County history

As J. Frank Dobie once wrote: Smithwick's "The Evolution of a State" is the "best of all books dealing with life in early Texas."

A blacksmith by trade, Smithwick was an inventor, frontiersman and astute businessman who wrote about his times at San Felipe de Washington and Fort Coleman, near Austin, and beyond. He's a terrific storyteller, a fair judge of character with a fairly open mind.

I had forgotten how much of Smithwick's amusing book is devoted to the earliest days of Burnet.

"As was the case in every settlement, as soon as practicable, a school was instituted, the promoters of the enterprise in Burnet securing the services of one W.H. Dixon, graduate of Oxford University, as teacher," Smithwick writes. "Under the efficient guidance of Professor Dixon, the school attained high rank among the educational institutions of the western country and became an important factor in the growth of the town.

"There, in a little one-room log house, the young idea was taught to shoot straight toward Oxford, Greek, Latin and the higher mathematics sitting in the same room with the little tot with his pictured primer. As in most schools of that day, elocution was assigned a high place, and embryo Websters and Adamses and Bentons harangued the school and its visitors at frequent intervals."

More:What history tells us about devastating Texas droughts

Smithwick wrote about the petty corruption, minor feuds and dashed ambitions at Fort Croghan. He hunted bears, rounded up wild cattle and entertained visitors from the rest of Texas in his modest digs. He got to know fellow inventor Gail Borden (18011874) of condensed milk fame, and Captain Jesse Burnam (17921883), active during the Texas Revolution, who had retired to Burnet County near Double Horn.

Smithwick describes weddings, rousing camp meetings and roving orators. He grew particularly close to a group of breakaway polygamist Mormons whose previous mills had been washed out near Austin (Mormon Springs below Mount Bonnell) and Fredericksburg (Zodiac on the Pedernales River). They had set up a mill on Hamilton Creek south of Burnet, which came with its own flooding problems.

Smithwick delighted in finding ways to improve the mill and he eventually purchased it from the Mormons. He opened a store in what was called Morman Mill Colony, then later moved to the Double Horn settlement a few miles down the Colorado River from Marble Falls, before leaving for California at the start of the Civil War.

In advance of my day trip, I enjoyed a short book, "Front Page News from Burnet, 1929-1939" by John Hallowell. Hallowell's is a year-by-year account of news stories that appeared in the Burnet Bulletin during that decade.

While the local fallout from the 1930s drought and the Great Depression are ever present in this book, the Bulletin newspaper cheered the arrival of the big highways, the labor by the Civilian Conservation Corps on Longhorn Caverns, and the back-breaking work on Buchanan Dam, which, to my surprise, was started by a private utility company, then abandoned in the mid-1930s. Congressman James "Buck" Buchanan, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations from 1933 to 1937, came up with the federal money to rescue the project, which was taken over by the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Lyndon Baines Johnson succeeded Buchanan as U.S. representative and he helped shepherd the larger Highland Lakes project to its completion.

In addition to these two books, I'm fond of the slim volumes of community history put out by Arcadia Press. If you are familiar with this valuable series, they are laid out on similar templates and focus on historical images accompanied by chunks of local history.

Two for your Texas history collection regarding Burnet County: "Marble Falls" by Jane Knapik and Amanda Rose, and "Burnet" by Carole A. Goble. Although it take less than an hour to read each of the books in this history series, they turn into invaluable reference works.

Michael Barnes writes about the people, places, culture and history of Austin and Texas. He can be reached at mbarnes@statesman.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Burnet: A spooky jail, rekindled Texas fort and vanished Mormon mills
By Andrew Mills

DOHA (Reuters) -More than 30 rebel and opposition factions signed a peace pact with Chad's transitional authorities on Monday, agreeing to join broader talks after years of turmoil - though the most powerful insurgent group refused to take part.

Delegates meeting in Doha broke into applause after the rebels agreed to cease fire and participate in a national dialogue that Chad's leader has said could pave the way to elections in the central African country.

But the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) - a Libya-based group that threatened to march on the capital last year - quickly rejected the deal, saying negotiators had not listened to its demands, including for the release of prisoners.

The rejection by FACT and at least eight other rebel factions cast a pall over celebrations of the agreement which was hammered out after months of talks in Qatar's capital.

The interim military government is headed by Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power last year after his father - longtime ruler Idriss Deby - was killed while visiting troops fighting FACT and other rebels in the north.

Initially, the Transitional Military Council said it would oversee an 18-month transition to democratic rule, but it has shown little sign of organising elections as that deadline has neared.

'FRATRICIDAL WARS'

Mahamat Zene Cherif, the interim military government's foreign minister, said he believed the agreement would lead to sustainable peace.

"Most of the armed groups signed this agreement and they will take part in the national dialogue. And this national, inclusive dialogue is a forum for all Chadian people," he told reporters in Doha.

He said the interim government was currently holding about 400 FACT prisoners and would not release them without guarantees that they would not rejoin the fighting.

At a roadside food stand in Chad's capital N'Djamena on Monday, some customers were reassured by fighters' willingness to disarm, but others feared the pact would not stop the fighting.

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"We have witnessed several peace agreements that ended in fratricidal wars between the different signatory parties," patron Marius Golbe said over breakfast.

"I will only believe in this Doha agreement when the armed groups lay down their arms and are demobilized."

The senior Deby spent much of his three decades in power fending off rebellions that sought his ouster. Rebels, including FACT, accused Deby and his allies of repressive rule, extrajudicial killings, and rigging elections - accusations he denied.

(Reporting by Andrew Mills; Additional Reporting by Mahamat Ramadane; Writing by Alexander Cornwell and Cooper Inveen; Editing by Toby Chopra, Bradley Perrett and Andrew Heavens)
The Daily Beast

via GoFundMeIn the wake of the Highland Park Fourth of July parade mass shooting, the story of 8-year-old Cooper Roberts survival was embraced by many following updates on the boys recovery.And more than a month after the massacre, Roberts is long out of intensive carebut his family says he is now in constant pain and hopeless, sad, and angry at the realization he is paralyzed.In a sobering and gut-wrenching statement released Tuesday, the Roberts family said they want people to see the u
(This Aug 7 story corrects quote from Chinese foreign ministry in par 30 to 'waters off its own territory' not 'in our own waters')

By Sarah Wu and Martin Quin Pollard

TAIPEI (Reuters) - China announced new military drills around Taiwan on Monday, eliciting concern from U.S. President Joe Biden, a day after the scheduled end of Beijing's largest exercises to protest last week's visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China's Eastern Theatre Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations - confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would keep pressure on Taiwan's defences.

Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned the move, saying China, which claims the self-governed island as its own, was deliberately creating crises. It demanded Beijing stop its military actions and "pull back from the edge".

"In the face of military intimidation created by China, Taiwan will not be afraid nor back down, and will more firmly defend its sovereignty, national security, and free and democratic way of life," the ministry said in a statement.

Biden, in his first public comments on the issue since Pelosi's visit, said he was not worried about Taiwan but was concerned about China's actions in the region.

"I'm concerned they are moving as much as they are," Biden told reporters in Delaware. "But I don't think they're going to do anything more than they are."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later condemned China's drills.

"We've been condemning them since they started escalating," Jean-Pierre said. "They are provocative, irresponsible and raise the risk of miscalculation. And that's what he - the president - was referring to."

VISIT ANGERS CHINA

Pelosi's visit infuriated China, which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, and ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington, including theatre military talks and on climate change.

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Counter narcotics cooperation on illicit fentanyl trafficking was among the channels Beijing suspended, a move the head of U.S. drug control policy Rahul Gupta on Monday called "unacceptable".

The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected 39 Chinese air force planes and 13 navy ships in and around the Taiwan Strait on Monday. Twenty-one Chinese air force planes had entered Taiwan's air defence zone, including fighter jets that crossed the median line in the northern part of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned of the potential for miscalculation over tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

"Around us, a storm is gathering. U.S.-China relations are worsening, with intractable issues, deep suspicions, and limited engagement," Lee said in a televised address.

U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, however, told a briefing that the United States still believed it was unlikely China would try retake Taiwan militarily in the next few years, despite its actions in the past week.

Kahl said the U.S. military would continue to carry out passages through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks.

The Benfold destroyer sailed through the waterway separating China and Taiwan on July 19, and the U.S. military has been conducting such transits about once a month.

'DEEPLY TOUCHED'

Shortly before the latest drills were announced, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, telling him she was moved by his determination to visit despite China's military pressure.

"Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. These statements have deeply touched us," Tsai said at a welcome ceremony for Gonsalves in Taipei.

The Caribbean country is one of only around a dozen nations to have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not China.

It was unclear if Tsai had invited Gonsalves before or after Pelosi's visit. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it doesn't disclose internal planning or communications between governments.

Beyond the firing of 11 short-range ballistic missiles during the four earlier days of exercises, Chinese warships, fighter jets and drones manoeuvred extensively around the island.

Shortly before those drills ended on Sunday, about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan manoeuvred at close quarters around the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved with security planning.

A Chinese state television commentator said late on Sunday that the Chinese military would now conduct "regular" drills on the Taiwan side of the line.

MILITARY TALKS SHELVED

In Taipei, defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters that Taiwan's armed forces had "calmly" handled the Chinese drills. Earlier, the ministry had said the drills had used warships, aircraft and drones to simulate attacks on the island and its navy.

China's designated no-fly zones, and crossings of the median line, have "compressed" Taiwan's training space and will affect the normal operation of international flights and air routes in the future, the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China was conducting normal military exercises "in waters off its own territory" in an open, transparent and professional way, adding that Taiwan was part of China.

China's defence ministry meanwhile maintained its diplomatic pressure on the United States, defending its shelving of some military-to-military talks.

"The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the U.S. side on its own initiative, and the U.S. side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this," defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.

"The bottom line cannot be broken, and communication requires sincerity," Wu said.

(Reporting Sarah Wu in Taipei and Martin Pollard in Beijing; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Dover, Delaware, Idrees Ali in Washington, and Beijing newsroom; Writing by Greg Torode and Michael Martina; Editing by Nick Macfie, Peter Graff and Grant McCool)
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The heads of chipmakers GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials and carmakers Ford Motor and General Motors Co were to meet at a closed-door summit with U.S. government officials on Monday to discuss administration plans to invest in semiconductors.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will sign legislation to subsidize the U.S. semiconductor industry and boost efforts to make the United States more competitive with China. The bill provides $52 billion in subsidies for chip manufacturing and research. It also includes an investment tax credit for chip plants estimated to be worth $24 billion.

GlobalFoundries CEO Thomas Caulfield said in a statement the chips legislation "protects U.S. economic, supply chain and national security by accelerating semiconductor manufacturing on American soil."

The legislation aims to alleviate a persistent shortage that has affected supplies of goods from cars and weapons to washing machines and video games. Thousands of cars and trucks remain parked in southeast Michigan awaiting chips as the shortage continues to impact automakers.

The companies said the summit would bring them together with government officials to "discuss how these public investments can accelerate semiconductor and emerging technology manufacturing, support the electrification of automobiles with a ready supply of chips, including feature-rich chips, and strengthen the United States economy, supply chains, and national security."

White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition William LaPlante and National Security Council official Tarun Chhabra were among officials due to attend.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement "a reliable domestic supply of chips, including legacy semiconductors needed in the automotive and defense industries, will keep American manufacturing lines humming."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Peter Graff)
By Eduardo Baptista

BEIJING (Reuters) - From a Chinese soy sauce maker to an Asia-focused asset manager, companies in China are rushing to distance themselves from geopolitical tensions over Taiwan following last week's visit to the island by a high-profile U.S. official.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, and the visit by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei last week - in defiance of Beijing's warnings - has sparked a wave of Chinese nationalism and huge military drills.

Chinese social media users have targeted companies and celebrities they see as unpatriotic or supportive of Taiwan's independence with strong criticism - such as candy brand Snickers, whose owner apologised last week for a product launch that was seen as suggesting Taiwan is a country.

On Saturday, Foshan Haitian Flavoring and Food Co Ltd, China's largest soy sauce maker by sales, issued a lengthy apology, saying it had fired an unidentified employee who attracted social media attention with a private post that celebrated Pelosi's visit.

"The inappropriate content published seriously goes against Haitian's culture, does not match with Haitian's values, and has hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, producing a negative societal influence," the company said on its Weibo account, promising it would manage its employees better.

Another business, Asia-focused asset manager Matthews International Capital Management, issued a clarification on Monday after it was described by Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao as being founded by Pelosi's husband, saying such allegations were "factually incorrect".

It said on its website that it was founded by Paul Matthews, not Paul Pelosi, and also did not have any current ownership or business ties with William Hambrecht, who is a friend and political supporter of Pelosi, contrary to media reports.

"We take the recent misreporting and false statements about our firm very seriously and are working with media outlets to take prompt corrective action," Matthews, whose main owners include Paul Matthews, Mark Headley, Mizuho Financial Group Inc and Royal Bank of Canada, said on Monday.

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In a separate case, Taiwanese chip maker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC), distanced itself from its founder Robert Tsao, who last week pledged to donate NT$3 billion (US$100 million) to help Taiwan bolster its defences, after his comments were pilloried by Chinese social media users.

In a statement, UMC said: "Mr Tsao retired from UMC more than 10 years ago. He has nothing to do with UMC."

Chinese state media have issued warnings, saying that companies should consider their access to the world's second largest economy with respect to the Taiwan situation and Pelosi, who has, along with her immediate family, been sanctioned by China after her visit.

"It can be expected that if any ties of interest with China can be found in the business activities of Pelosi and her immediate family members, they will definitely be cut off," state-backed Global Times newspaper said in an editorial over the weekend.

China's military announced fresh military drills on Monday in the seas and airspace around Taiwan - a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises, confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would continue to maintain pressure on Taiwan's defences.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista, Samuel Shen, Sarah Wu; Editing by Brenda Goh and Mark Potter)
Authorities say all 10 people found dead after an early morning fire in northeastern Pennsylvania last week died of smoke inhalation.

The Luzerne County coroners office said autopsies were completed Saturday and Sunday on the victims of the Friday blaze in Nescopeck.

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A ruling on the manner of death for all 10 is pending the results of the state police investigation.

RELATED >> Pennsylvania blaze kills firefighters 10 relatives, including 3 children

Positive identification of the victims is pending review of medical records, dental records and DNA if required.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Police said seven adults ranging from late teens to age 79 were killed along with children aged 5, 6 and 7.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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ITVX will launch with Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce series 'A Spy Among Friends'. (ITV)

A star-studded line-up of dramas featuring Damian Lewis, Vicky McClure and David Tennant is set to launch new streaming service ITVX this autumn.

The platform will combine BritBox and ITV Hub on a range of different subscription tiers, some free and some paid for, and will debut ITV series up to nine months before they air on linear channels.

Read more: Which is the best streaming platform?

ITVX has pulled together an impressive line-up of stars for the 35 flagship shows that will launch the service this autumn, including Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce for an adaptation of the Ben Macintyre book A Spy Among Friends.

ITVX launches in the autumn. (ITV)

Lewis (Homeland, Wolf Hall) and Pearce (Mare of Easttown, Neighbours) star in the dramatisation of the true story about Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends.

Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history whose deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence.

ITVX viewers can also look forward to Without Sin, which stars Line of Duty's McClure as a grieving mother who starts to meet with the man in prison for her 14-year-old daughter's murder.

Read more: I'm A Celebrity officially returning to Australia

David Tennant (Doctor Who) stars as former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in Litvinenko alongside Mark Bonnar, tracking the Met Police investigation into his slow death from polonium poisoning in November 2006 which began while he was still alive.

Vicky McClure will star in Without Sin. (Getty Images for MCH STUDIO)

Other highlights include high-stakes family drama Riches, teen mental health drama Tell Me Everything, Plebs: Barbarian Invasion which is a feature-length version of the sitcom, Stephen Fry-narrated nature documentary A Year On Planet Earth, and reality series Lost in Paradise which sees contestants party hopping across Greeces Aegean Islands.

ITVX will offer free content that includes series later to air on linear channels and catch-up TV, as well as exclusive paid-for content replacing BritBox UK.

Watch: Damian Lewis pays tribute to his late wife Helen McCrory
By Catarina Demony

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's border agency SEF has faced criticism for delays in issuing post-Brexit ID cards to thousands of British nationals in the country, putting the spotlight on a structural problem that has affected various other migrant communities for years.

Nearly 35,000 British nationals called Portugal their home in 2019, the year before Britain left the European Union (EU), and, as part of the withdrawal agreement, their rights were to be safeguarded.

They were told by SEF to exchange their EU residence permits for biometric ID cards, but the vast majority have not received those cards and were only given a temporary document and a QR code, which campaign groups claim are not widely recognised.

Tig James, co-president of British in Portugal, said without the card people have struggled to access healthcare, exchange their driving licence, get jobs and some have even been threatened with refusal of entry into Portugal because other EU nations do not accept the temporary document.

James said SEF officials have cited staff shortages, holiday periods, COVID-19 and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees to justify the three-year delay.

"The seriousness (of not having the card)... cannot be underestimated, it has paralysed and damaged UK nationals... emotionally, physically and financially," James said.

In a statement SEF said the temporary document and the QR code guaranteed access to health and social services and would be accepted until the card was issued. It said other European countries were aware of it.

The issuing of the cards started in February on the islands of Azores and Madeira, where fewer than 1,500 British people live, and SEF said it would start the process in the seaside municipality of Cascais, near Lisbon, this month.

SEF did not reply to a question on how many cards have been issued so far.

For years the SEF has been accused of being too slow and inefficient, with the organisation Diaspora, which mostly supports migrants from Brazil and the African continent, saying on average people wait two to three years to get an appointment.

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Helena Schmitz, from Diaspora, said the waiting time brought "insecurity and instability" to migrants' lives, who often have to work precarious jobs and fear filing discrimination complaints due to lack of ID documents.

"It is much deeper than simply not having a residence permit," Schmitz told Reuters, adding that "privileged groups" often have more access to SEF because they can pay for lawyers to take care of the process.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Inti Landauro and Alex Richardson)
EXCLUSIVE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hitting the campaign trail this month to headline Turning Point Actions "Unite and Win" rallies in support of Trump-endorsed candidates.

DeSantis will travel to New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio this month in support of GOP candidates, including Ohio Republican candidate for Senate JD Vance, Pennsylvania's GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Arizona Republican candidate for Senate Blake Masters and GOP nominee for governor Kari Lake.

Turning Point Action is hosting, and organizing the rallies with DeSantis in an effort to "unite" the Republican Party.

"Gov. DeSantis is Americas governor and one of the most popular leaders in America," Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point Action, told Fox News. "He has become the model for a new conservative movement that is willing to stand on principle and to actually fight on behalf of the values of his voters."

Kirk added: "That he is willing to throw the full weight of his support behind Kari, Blake, and JD tells you everything you need to know about these incredible candidates who I endorse and support 100%."

TRUMP'S SWAY OVER GOP STILL STRONG AS HIS ENDORSED CANDIDATES WIN KEY PRIMARIES TUESDAY

Kirk said he believes Lake "will be the Ron DeSantis of the West, and Blake and JD will help break apart the uni-party consensus in Washington D.C., to stop the endless wars, the runaway spending and put an end to the cocktail party Republicans who seem to be good at one thing only  betraying their voters."

"Doug Mastriano has become a true champion of the grassroots in Pennsylvania and Rep. Yvette Herrell is poised to hold her critical seat in New Mexico's 2nd congressional district," Kirk continued.

Charlie Kirk speaks at Politicon on Oct. 20, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images)

Kirk added: "DeSantis has the unique ability to unite conservatives around these candidates, and Turning Point Action is honored to host and organize these rallies on their behalf."

DeSantis, on Aug. 14, will travel to Roswell, New Mexico for a rally in support of Rep. Yvette Herrell, who is running for the state's 2nd congressional district, and Mark Ronchetti, the state's GOP gubernatorial nominee.

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Former President Donald Trump and Kari Lake speak during a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Arizona, on Jan. 15, 2022. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Also on Aug. 14, DeSantis will travel to Phoenix, Ariz. to rally support for Lake and Masters.

"What Gov. DeSantis has done in Florida has been the gold standard of bold conservative governance in America," Lake, who won her primary last week, told Fox News. "Im excited to work with him when Im governor, Im honored to call him an ally and I cant wait for him to join me in taking the message and vision of our America First campaign out to the masses."

BLAKE MASTERS WINS ARIZONA'S REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE SHOWDOWN

Lake told Fox News that, "as an added bonus," she "cannot wait to watch the media heads explode when their two favorite people to lie about join forces next."

Former President Donald Trump stands with Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters at a "Save America" rally on July 22, 2022, in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Lake, a former TV news anchor, won the Republican nomination for governor last week. Lake will now face off in November with Democrat Katie Hobbs, who is currently the secretary of state of Arizona.

TRUMP-BACKED KARI LAKE WINS ARIZONA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY

Masters also was victorious in winning the GOP nomination in Arizona for U.S. Senate. Masters will now face off in November's midterm elections with Kelly, a former astronaut, whom the GOP views as one of the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbents running for re-election this year.

"Thanks to Mark Kelly, Arizonans have none of the basics  a secure border, safe streets, functioning economy, or schools that actually teach our kids," Masters said. "By contrast, look at everything Gov. Ron DeSantis has done for Floridians to keep their state strong, safe, and free of the woke mob."

He added: "Defeating Mark Kelly in November is the key to doing the same in Arizona."

Lake and Masters were both endorsed by former President Trump, who held a rally in Arizona last month before the primaries.

TRUMP-BACKED JD VANCE WINS TUMULTUOUS SENATE GOP PRIMARY SHOWDOWN IN OHIO

On Aug. 19, DeSantis will headline a rally in Pittsburgh, Penn. for Trump-endorsed GOP candidate for Pennsylvania governor, Doug Mastriano, who currently is a Pennsylvania state senator.

Later that day, DeSantis will hold a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, for Vance, a venture capitalist and best-selling author who landed former President Trump's endorsement in Ohios crowded GOP primary race in May.

"Ohioans are sick of Joe Biden and Tim Ryans betrayal: they raised taxes on the working and middle class, ruined the U.S. economy, and are forcing their far-left wokeness on the rest of us," Vance told Fox News. "When Im in the Senate, I will fight to make our state and our country more prosperous, more safe and more free. I look forward to having Governor DeSantis in the Buckeye State to rally Ohioans to a red wave in November."

Vance will face off in November against longtime Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
A search is underway for a northern California teenager who disappeared after a party on Saturday.

Sixteen-year-old Kiely Rodni was last seen shortly after midnight on 6 August near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, the Placer County Sheriffs Office said.

The teenager was at a party with more than 100 teenagers and young adults. Because her vehicle, a silver 2013 Honda CRV, is missing and her phone has been out of service since the party, authorities are treating the incident as a possible abduction, CBS reported.

Kielys friend, Sami Smith, who was also at the party, told the outlet that Kiely was not planning to drive back home.

I know that she wasnt in the right mindset or state to drive. And if she were to have driven, she wouldnt have made it far, Sami told CBS. So my concern is that somebody might have offered to drive her home and then didnt take her home.

Kiely is described as white, 57 tall, and 115 pounds with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She has numerous piercings and jewelry, including a nose ring, and was last seen wearing green Dickies pants and a black tank top.

Her mother, Lindsay Rodni, appealed to the public to come forward in a video shared on a Placer County Sheriffs Offices Facebook post.

We just want her home. We are so scared. We miss her so much and love her so much. If you see this, please just come home. I want nothing more than to hug you, Ms Rodni said.

If you know where she is or know anything about where she might be, please come forward. Were not looking to arrest anybody or get anybody in trouble we just want to see our daughter home.

Police sent search crews on Sunday to canvass the area near where Kiley went missing. Another meet-up is scheduled on Monday from 10am to 11am PDT, at the Truckee Recreation center to form search parties and hand out more flyers, Ms Rodni shared on a Facebook post.

She said no leads on the case have been found as of Monday morning.

Police is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to finding Kiely. Friends of the teenager have also started a GoFundMe to increase the reward. More than $6,000 have been raised.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Stephanie Frykberg at (530) 392-5609 or call the anonymous tip line at (530) 581-6320.
BOSTON (AP) 

Bostons buttoned-up South Station doesnt typically conjure images of fold-up beach chairs, straw hats and rolling Yeti coolers. But on weekend mornings during the summer, that is what youll see.

Instead of frenzied passengers running to catch a train to another East Coast city, today's throng of delighted vacationers awaited the CapeFlyer, a weekend passenger train to Cape Cod. It runs during the 15 weekends of summer  up until Labor Day  from Boston to Hyannis with a handful of stops in between.

I recently dragged my two young children on a CapeFlyer adventure. It happened to be the week of history-making heat waves around the world. That Sunday, Boston broke a record.

Tourists like Ken McKeel, 56, from Goldsboro, North Carolina, had the same idea. He was there with his family, looking to beat the heat and see the Cape's world-renowned beaches. The reason they took the train: cost.

On Sundays, you can get a same-day, round-trip ticket for half price, or $20.

My kids have grown up going to Cape beaches, and never turn down a chance to play in the Atlantic or eat at one of the many seafood shacks. Plus, getting out of metro Bostons hot and steamy atmosphere wasnt a hard sell, despite the early departure time of 7:45 a.m. I also promised them ice cream, one of the Cape Cod food groups.

When we arrived at South Station terminal, situated smack in downtown Boston, the scene was akin to an airport in Cancun or any other tropical beach destination: folks eagerly awaiting sun, surf or maybe a frozen cocktail with a view.

Taking a train to Cape Cod makes sense. If youve ever gone there by car on a summer weekend, you know the biggest drawback is traffic.

The only two ways to drive to the hook-shaped peninsula are the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. Both built in the 1930s, the bridges are not meant to accommodate todays level of traffic. So, the wait to cross one can take hours.

The atmosphere on board the CapeFlyer is as relaxed as a beach vacation. Theres a bar car serving wine, beer and mixed drinks, and plenty of riders were sipping a rose or a beer while admiring the scenery.

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I would compare the CapeFlyer to the ferries, in that the minute you step on any of them, youre on vacation, said Kim Foley MacKinnon, a Boston-based travel writer who wrote the book 100 Things to Do on Cape Cod and the Islands Before You Die.

Its the first step to relaxation, she said. Thats the vibe.

Patrons have under three hours to enjoy their trip. But the CapeFlyer offers one ride to the Cape and one ride out each day. If you miss it, youll be stuck looking for another way to get home.

Once the train crosses into Cape Cod, by way of the Railroad Bridge, it's a slower trip. The train can run only about 30 mph because of the Capes older rail infrastructure, according to Thomas Cahir, administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, which runs the train together with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

This is far from a complaint, though. It just means there's more time to sit back and enjoy the trip.

Before the pandemic, about 15,000 passengers took the CapeFlyer, Cahir said. Ridership has been slow to come back but is steadily growing. In 2021, some 6,000 passengers took the train. This year, Cahir expects to exceed that number.

Riders arrive in Hyannis, the commercial hub of the Cape. Its home to the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum and the place to catch a ferry to Marthas Vineyard or Nantucket. There are whale watching tours, deep sea fishing excursions, and boat tours that offer a view of the famous Kennedy Compound, where JFK launched his 1960 Presidential campaign. If Hyannis isnt your speed, you can take a bus to the other 14 beach towns. They're all relatively close and worth a visit.

Its hard to miss on the Cape because there are so many choices, and each town has its own flavor, said Jeffrey Heth, who publishes the Guidebook of Cape Cod along with his wife, Mary.

Jack Boland, 23, and Niall McMahon, 22, both from Dublin, Ireland, were taking the CapeFlyer as part of a post-college trip across America.

They were drawn to the Cape for its beaches, fishing culture and JFK history. They stayed the weekend in Hyannis.

We didnt have a car so we made it work, Boland said.

The CapeFlyer is certainly cheaper than renting a car, and the eco-friendly aspect of public transportation also appeals to younger travelers.

Jordan Cornwell, 27, was visiting from Orlando, Florida. She took the Friday night CapeFlyer with two friends. They stayed the weekend before heading back to Boston on the train Sunday evening.

On the trip down, Cornwell and her friends saw two little boys catch a fish off the train platform at one of the stops.

The whole train was clapping, Cornwell said. There were some really friendly people on the train and everyone was chatting.

The CapeFlyer came in during sunset and that was really pretty, she said.

When asked if shed ride it again: Most definitely.

-

The CapeFlyer runs through Labor Day.
Ecuador-based producer Daniela Fuentes Moncada of Epopeya is introducing the introspective queer feature, Nusta, as part of three regional films on her development slate at Locarnos Producers Lab, an Open Doors initiative spotlighting Latin America and Caribbean talent.

Epopeya teams Moncada with founder Maria de los Angeles Palacio.

More from Variety

Underscoring the projects industry pulling power, co-producing the project are Director Papu Corotto at Argentinas HAIN Cine (Esteros) alongside Lady Vinces(Checoslovaquia) and Silvia Arellano (En Medio Del Laberinto) of PerusCasa Aguaflorida.

The pair bring poignant narratives to life, with Moncada previously backing La Mala Noche directed by Gabriela Calvache, a raw portrait of human trafficking that premiered at SXSW and was selected by festivals worldwide, receiving 15 awards and nominations. Epopeya produces animation, documentary and fiction with a focus on forward-thinking narratives.

We believe we have a powerful tool to transform the world one viewer at a time, thats why we produce films which showcase diversity and become an opportunity to develop new talents. Our audience is the one that allows art to stimulate their lives and reflect on the purpose of community, Moncada opined.

Written and directed by Ecuadors Christian Rojas (Chigualo), Nusta delves into the complexities of coming out to a less than hospitable community.

The film follows Kallpa, a 12-year-old indigenous boy from the Ecuadorian highlands, as he slowly realizes his urge to transition. In tandem with community winter solstice celebrations of Inti Raymi, Kallpa must navigate those desires around seemingly closed and prejudiced minds and abuse to honor self-truth and inner peace.

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Kallpas desire to become a woman reflects my experience and desire to recognize and show my homosexuality and the necessary and courageous daily realization that there is nothing wrong with being who you are, said Rojas, who founded Oso Rojo Films to focus on LGBTQ film projects and gender rights.

He went on: Nusta explores Kallpas gender transition, from instinct, the body, and sexual abuse, but above all, reflecting on indigenous roots.

In 2021, the film won the Punto Genero section at Ventana Surs Latin American industry market in Buenos Aires after picking up the market award at the co-production meetings of Chiles Bio Bio Lab event.

The principal cast includes Ecuadors Camilo Burneo as protagonist Kallpa/Nusta in his first feature effort after appearing in Rojas short film Phuyu. Activist and Peruvian theater actress Pamela Mendoza will play Toa, while Romel Vargas, who recently starred in the Bolivian short film, Ubermensch, by Pablo Bustamante, has been cast as Nebraska. Peruvian actor, plastic artist and playwright Amiel Cayo (Samichay) will also star.

Nusta is a very intimate film, born from the need to make visible the reality that certain minorities live in our country, Latin America, and the world, Moncada stated.

Rojas added, The real warriors are those who fight every day, every defeat will be a victory tomorrow. Thats what being Nusta in the indigenous worldview is.

Daniela Fuentes Moncada - Credit: Credit: Popeya SA

Credit: Popeya SA

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Jack Dorsey on September 5, 2018. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey tweeted "end the CCP" after China rolled out strict COVID-19 measures.

China requires citizens to download an app displaying green, yellow, or red colors depending on their health.

CNN found that the government was already using the surveillance method for other means.

Jack Dorsey isn't a fan of the Chinese Communist Party.

On Saturday, Twitter's co-founder and former CEO voiced his apparent support for the ending of the Chinese Communist Party after the nation implemented stricter COVID-19 policies.

Dorsey retweeted an early June post from a Beijing-based CNN reporter detailing China's stringent measures that she had to follow, which includes constant testing and a mandatory health app that authorities can track people through. In the video, the CNN reporter said that "this surveillance will stay long after Covid is gone."

"End the CCP," tweeted Dorsey in response.

Dorsey did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

As CBS News reported, the health app decides where you can go and if you're allowed to go there  a green light means a user is COVID-free and can enter public places. Yellow means there is danger of infection, and red indicates that a person needs to isolate or quarantine.

CNN previously reported that the government was already using the app for means other than mere contact tracing  residents in the Chinese province of Henan saw their health codes turn from green to red in mid-June after staging a protest outside a bank that had frozen their deposits.

The CCP has a long history of surveillance of its citizens, a practice that has especially spiked since 2020 when the pandemic hit. Chinese officials were using sophisticated technology like facial recognition cameras and flying drones to make sure people were wearing masks that March.

The government also appears to have implemented a similar health app that displays green, yellow, and red colors indicating infection levels in early March 2020. The software used data from citizens' Alibaba accounts to estimate their health and then shared it with law enforcement.

Experts told Insider's Alexandra Ma at the time that China could maintain this kind of mass data collection even after COVID-19 is less of a public health crisis.

Read the original article on Business Insider
K-pop boy group Enhypen reached a new milestone after landing on the No. 6 spot on the Billboard 200 with their mini-album Manifesto: Day 1.

Their third mini-album dropped last month and was led by the title track Future Perfect (Pass the MIC).

The recent milestone is the groups first top 10 entry on the Billboard 200 chart and fourth overall following April 2021s Border: Carnival, October 2021s Dimension: Dilemma and Januarys Dimension: Answer, all of which landed on the top 20 of the chart.

Manifesto: Day 1 reached record-breaking sales with over 1.2 million copies sold in just one week, making the K-pop group the first in history to have two albums reach a million sales in the quickest amount of time since their debut.

More from NextShark: BTS' Jin has surprise Billboard hit with viral 'Super Tuna' song, V breaks two Instagram world records

On Oct. 2, Enhypen will embark on their Manifesto world tour, first heading to six cities across America, starting in Anaheim, California. They will also make their KCON LA 2022 in-person debut later this month alongside other superstar acts such as Ateez, Itzy, Kep1er, Lightsum, Loona, Nmixx, P1Harmony, StayC, Stray Kids, TO1 and Queendom Season 2 winner WJSN.

Featured Image via BELIFT LAB

More from NextShark: 'Blackpink: The Movie' is coming to Disney+

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Dont Wait' to listen: Super Junior returns with comeback

Tony Leung is so legendary that Marvel boss was left 'speechless' after meeting him on set of 'Shang-Chi'
EUROPEAN PRAVDA  MONDAY, 8 AUGUST 2022, 10:58

Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar has said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin to encourage him to implement "certain agreements".

He said this in an interview with the publication RBC-Ukraine, European Pravda reports.

"We can say that Erdogan influences Putin in a certain way and has levers of influence in order not to force, but to encourage him to implement certain agreements," the diplomat said.

He stressed that "none of the European leaders has achieved what Erdogan has achieved," referring to progress on the grain agreement.

"Therefore, those mediation or facilitation efforts and negotiations in specific areas, and grain, and perhaps some other attempts to find common ground  this is also thanks to active Turkish diplomacy," Bodnar said.

At the same time, he stressed that Turkey, first and foremost, is defending its interests and "implementing them in the way that it can".

The ambassador acknowledged that Turkey, from the very beginning of the war, is probably one of the few that is making every effort to help Ukraine and in some way push Russia to conclude peace.

"But in their understanding, the end of the war is the end of hostilities. We are telling the Turkish side that we need the withdrawal of Russian troops, and this is the main prerequisite for later political discussions or negotiations with the aggressor country," Vasyl Bodnar said.

According to Bloomberg sources, Moscow is considering the Turkish President as a potential mediator in peace negotiations with Ukraine.

As reported, Ankara hopes that the agreement on lifting the blockades on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea will bring closer agreements on ending the war in Ukraine.

See also: Istanbul as "Minsk": what Russia will get from the West in the "grain agreement" and beyond.

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A former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Sunday said he is optimistic about winning Brittney Griners release after the WNBA star was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on a drug conviction.

Bill Richardson told ABCs This Week he believes Griner will be released alongside former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan in a two-for-two prisoner swap with Russia.

Im optimistic, Richardson said. I think shes going to be freed. I think she has the right strategy of contrition, a good legal team. Theres going to be a prisoner swap, though. And I think it will be two-for-two involving Paul Whelan. We cant forget him. Hes an American Marine wrongfully detained, too.

Basketball star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan should hopefully be released from Russia as part of a "two-for-two" prisoner swap, former U.S. Amb. to the U.N. Bill Richardson tells @GStephanopoulos.



"My view is optimistic. https://t.co/qPCLGN1UQMpic.twitter.com/BaqMqrveGj  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 8, 2022

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month the U.S. made a substantial offer to Russia in exchange for Griner and Whelan in a surprise announcement. The offer reportedly involved exchanging the two Americans for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

On Friday, Lavrov told reporters Russia was prepared to discuss the prisoner exchange deal, but warned the U.S. against making public statements about negotiations.

If the Americans again try to engage in public diplomacy and make loud statements about their intention to take certain steps, its their business, I would even say their problem, Lavrov said, according to The Associated Press. The Americans often have trouble observing agreements on calm and professional work.

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Richardson, who told ABCs George Stephanopoulos he serves as a catalyst for the negotiations between the U.S. and Russia by holding talks with each side, said he would have taken a different approach to communicate the offer. Richardson and Lavrov served as U.N. ambassadors around the same time.

I wouldnt have gone public as much as they did on the Bout for Griner and Whelan, Richardson said. But it was done. Sometimes when negotiations are not working, you want to throw a little bit of a bomb, and I think thats what they did.

Richardson declined to get drawn into questions over why another American detainee in Russia, educator Marc Fogel, is not part of the swap negotiations, saying all of these that are wrongfully detained need to come home.

The former ambassador also addressed claims that prisoner exchange deals could backfire in encouraging more U.S. adversaries to detain Americans. He said there is no data to support this argument.

As unpleasant as [prisoner exchanges] are, we have to bring American hostages home, especially those wrongfully detained, especially those that have served in our military, Richardson said.

Former U.S. Amb. to the U.N. Bill Richardson tells @GStephanopoulos that prisoner exchanges are unpleasant but necessary.



We have to bring American hostages home, especially those wrongfully detained, especially those that have served in our military. https://t.co/0omWr5Ztrspic.twitter.com/Z6CM6XY5dP  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 8, 2022

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Tokata Iron Eyes has denied that she is being abused or groomed by Ezra Miller.

The 18-year-old indigenous activist told Insider that allegations her life was in danger were a disgusting and irresponsible smear campaign against The Flash actor.

Ms Iron Eyes parents Sarah Jumping Eagle and Chase Iron Eyes have accused Miller of using violence and drugs to maintain a cult-like grip over their daughter.

They accuse the actor of grooming her from the age of 12 after getting to know the family during the Standing Rock pipeline protests in 2016.

In court documents, they allege Miller confiscated her phone and left her with bruises, and are pursuing a protective order to force the actor to cease all contact.

Theyre on a downward spiral right now, Mr Iron Eyes told The Independent last month. Ive seen this type of trainwreck before, I know where it ends.

Ms Iron Eyes, who is non-binary and also uses the name Gibson, has denied many of her parents claims in posts to her Instagram account.

The most recent post from 7 July states: There are countless missing and murdered indigenous peoples, I am not one them.

Tokata Iron Eyes was a prominent environmental activist prior to her involvement with Ezra Miller (Courtesy of Sara Jumping Eagle)

Sara Jumping Eagle and Chase Iron Eyes say their daughter is being controlled by Ezra Miller (Courtesy of Sara Jumping Eagle)

Ezra Miller in an arrest photo from Hawaii in April (AP)

In texts to Insider, she said Ezra Miller had often done the right thing and stood in protection of others.

She said she had microdosed LSD at Millers Vermont farm in January but denied she had been incapacitated through chronic drug use as her parents allege in court documents and in an interview with The Independent.

Miller, 29, has been linked to a series of disturbing incidents involving firearms, drugs and allegations of violence in recent months.

Ms Iron Eyes confirmed reports that Miller had started wearing a bullet proof vest as he travels around the US.

She told Insider the vest was a fashionable safety measure in response to actual attacks and received death threats.
The popular Oak Ridge Farmers Market in the parking lot adjacent to Historic Jackson Square on Saturdays is one of the things that makes living in Oak Ridge enjoyable. The 2020 U.S. Census figures show that Oak Ridge's population grew by 7.1% or 2,072 residents since the 2010 Census for a total population of 31,402.

East Tennessee FARM joins markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week this week. Giveaways are planned for both the Oak Ridge Farmers Market at Historic Jackson Square and the Clinton market.

On Thursday, Aug. 11, the Clinton Market will have FARM grocery bags, cookies and lemonade, according to a news release.

On Saturday, Aug. 13, the Oak Ridge Farmers Market will open with free shopping bags, live music and the first 100 customers will get a free ice cream cone.

The East Tennessee FARM began in 1975 and is the oldest operating Farmers Market in the state of Tennessee and currently hosts 73 farmers selling a wide variety of products at three markets (Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Ebenezer in Knoxville), including fresh sweet corn, peppers, and several varieties of tomatoes.

"Our market also hosts food vendors each with a unique product, such as pimento cheese, hummus, Dutch Cookies and English Toffee. Artisan vendors bring their unique products, all hand made to add to the unique flavor of our market," the release stated.

This year, farming has been difficult with the increase in fuel cost of fuel and fertilizer. But the farmers are persistent and believe in their mission to provide healthy food for the community, the release stated, adding that the community has remained loyal, which FARM appreciates.

President Kathy Burke Mihalczo is always quick to remind everyone that the most important part of the farmers market is the farmers. All leftover produce is gathered each week and donated to the Society of St. Andrew, which in turn delivers it to the food pantries for those in need.

East Tennessee FARM is dedicated to helping everyone purchase heathy foods for their tables. This year is has hosted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is funded by the Department of Agriculture and the Double Up Food Bucks Program (DUFB), which matches dollar for dollar up to $20 for additional funds. This program has been made possible by an American Diabetes Association Grant.

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In the midst of a global pandemic, farmers markets  like all other small businesses  must be innovative to continue operations for the farmers and communities that depend on them. Farmers markets foster direct relationships between community members and farmers which can work to create a more fair and sustainable food system. Farmers markets are a hub for connection and collective action around shared values.

Don Sobczak and Naranza Blount show off honey they have for sale at the Oak Ridge Farmers' Market.

National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition, a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building. This year, the campaign is centered around the essential role that farmers market operators play in our local food systems and in developing resilience in communities as hubs for local economies and connection.

Farmers markets are abundant sources of food, connection and resilience in our communities across the country, but they dont just happen on their own. said Ben Feldman, Farmers Market Coalition Executive Director. Behind the scenes of every successful farmers market is a dedicated person or team working to make the market thrive. These farmers market operators are experts who need community and financial support to run their markets and resources specifically designed for their needs. Throughout National Farmers Market Week 2022, we will be highlighting the vital work of farmers market operators across the nation. Join us!

For further information, visit www.easttnfarmmarkets.com or email at info@easttnfarmmarkets.com.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Farmers Market Week: Celebrating in Oak Ridge, Clinton
A former Raleigh school leader was found not guilty Monday of aiding in the sexual abuse of a middle school student by a former teacher.

Nancy Errichetti, the former head of the Montessori School of Raleigh, cried as jurors returned the verdict late Monday. She had been accused of knowing about a teachers past incidents of abuse but not doing anything to prevent it from happening to another student.

Errichetti, 59, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor. She was arrested in 2018 at the school by Raleigh police, The News & Observer previously reported.

She had initially been charged with a felony of aiding and abetting taking indecent liberties with a child, but a judge removed this charge on Friday. The trial began July 27.

Errichetti could have faced a two-year sentence.

The jury went into deliberations Monday afternoon after closing arguments. The 12 jurors deliberated for about two hours and 45 minutes before rendering the unanimous verdict.

Closing arguments

Prosecutors argued Errichetti knew about Nicholas Conlon Smiths inappropriate behavior with young girls while he taught at Montessori School, but failed to take action, resulting in the abuse of another student in 2016.

Both victims of the abuse were sisters and students of the school.

Smith, 41, a former math teacher at the school, was arrested and charged in 2017 with 17 counts of statutory rape or sex offense and four counts of sex offense.

He pleaded guilty in August 2020 to 11 felony sex offenses, including statutory rape, a sex act with a student and the sexual exploitation of a minor, The N&O previously reported. He is serving 25 years and testified during the trial. He must serve a minimum of 17 years of his sentence.

Errichetti became head of the school in 2012. Assistant District Attorney Melanie Shekita argued that she was aware of the complaints of the inappropriate behavior in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

For an hour, Shekita argued that not only did Errichetti know about the abuse but even promoted Smith and let him continue taking overnight trips with students.

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Shekita said Errichetti, having known about the behavior, could have prevented the abuse of the victims younger sister. She said the former head of school had the power to take action against Smith years earlier but chose not to.

She asked the jury to find Errichetti guilty of the charges.

Who protects us from our protectors? Shekita asked the jury. Who protects the children?

Errichettis defense attorney, Eileen Hurley, argued Monday that the former school leader did not know about the abuse. If she had known, Hurley said, she would have acted and would have done more than just fire Smith. She also spent an hour on her closing argument.

Hurley contended that Errichetti tried to take action but did not have enough evidence or information on the matter. She said Errichetti was the first person to confront Smith about the complaints when she learned of them and set guidelines for Smith about spending time with students.

Why are we here? Were here because they want someone to blame. Because everybodys upset that that creep, Nick Smith, did what he did, Hurley said.

Hurley also disputed that Errichetti knew about the abuse in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

This is not a criminal case with criminal intent, Hurley said. This is a woman who did everything she could.

Errichetti no longer works at the school.

After the verdict was read by the clerk of court, Errichetti was greeted by supporters and Hurley, who shared hugs and tears. Supporters for the two victims in the case silently left the courtroom along with Shekita through the back of the courtroom.

Neither party commented on the verdict.

Staff writer Virginia Bridges contributed to this report.
The FBI executed a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago estate of former President Donald Trump on Monday as part of an investigation into the alleged mishandling of White House records, including potentially classified material, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The Florida raid, which one of the people said took hours, resulted in the seizure of paper records, according to one person familiar with the development, who also noted that Trump attorney Christina Bobb was present during the search. It was a historic step by the Justice Department and FBI to investigate the residence of a former president, who is battling an increasingly complex thicket of legal threats. No former president  particularly one who is openly considering another bid for the Oval Office  has faced such a public law enforcement action, which immediately led to calls among his allies for recriminations and even the elimination of federal law enforcement agencies.

They even broke into my safe, Trump himself said in a lengthy statement decrying the FBI search and comparing it to Watergate. Trump, who was the first to confirm the FBI action, said in a statement that his resort was under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.

After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate, Trump said.



The former president was not present at Mar-a-Lago. Instead, he was at Trump Tower in New York City, according to a person familiar with the situation. His son Eric Trump informed him of the raid.

The FBI and the U.S. attorneys offices in Washington didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Spokespeople at Justice Department headquarters in Washington declined to comment. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Secret Service and the Palm Beach Police Department deferred comment to the FBI. Two sources familiar with the matter said top Biden White House officials were not given advance notice of the raid, which could potentially alter the course of both the upcoming midterms and an eventual Trump-Biden rematch in 2024.

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Though the investigation of Trumps handling of presidential records has been percolating for months, it has largely remained in the background while the Jan. 6 select committee built a case that Trump committed crimes to disrupt the transition of power after his defeat in the 2020 election. The National Archives and Records Administration had confirmed in February that it had sought to recover 15 boxes of records from Mar-a-Lago that it deemed improperly removed, including some marked as classified national security information. The Archives confirmed at the time that it had been in touch with the Justice Department about the recovered documents. At the time, the Archives said it had had ongoing communications with Trumps team about recovering missing presidential records.



The Archives also indicated that it was working to recover un-archived social media messages and that it had evidence that Trump tore up and destroyed some papers, not all of which were recovered. The Archives also confirmed in December that it was reviewing whether Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows had properly stored records from his personal phone and email accounts.

That investigation has also become an increasingly public threat to Trump, with some of his top allies and former White House officials facing grand jury subpoenas and FBI searches. Earlier in the day, the Justice Department defended its decision to seize the cellphone of John Eastman, the attorney who helped devise Trumps strategy to seize a second term he didnt win.

Federal investigators have pursued evidence that Trumps administration mishandled presidential records and even removed some boxes to Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort.



An executed search warrant would require the signoff of a federal judge or magistrate, who would issue the warrant based upon evidence of a potential crime.

The law enforcement moves at Trumps residence came as lawyers and other observers have been bracing for action this month in politically sensitive Justice Department investigations as prosecutors approach a traditional quiet period for such probes in the lead-up to elections.

Meridith McGraw and Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
Fetty Wap - Credit: zz/John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Photo

Fetty Wap was arrested in New Jersey Monday, Aug. 8, for allegedly threatening to kill someone, in violation of the conditions of his pre-trial release in connection to his federal drug case.

Prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York confirmed the arrest and shared some details about the alleged call that took place in Dec. 2021. The rapper  real name Willie Junior Maxwell  allegedly called another individual on FaceTime, threatened to kill them, called him a rat, and brandished what appeared to be a firearm during the call.

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According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by Rolling Stone, a recording of the FaceTime call was turned in to the government.

During this video, the defendant is shown holding a gun and pointing it toward the defendant, states the affidavit. The defendant then says to John Doe Imma kill you and everybody you with, which he then repeats one more time.

In light of this new allegation, Magistrate Judge Steven Locke revoked Maxwells $500,000 bond during a Monday Central Islip Federal Court hearing.

A lawyer for Maxwell did not immediately return Rolling Stones request for comment.

Maxwell was arrested by FBI agents on federal drug charges during Rolling Loud New York last October. He was one of six people charged with conspiring to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms of controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, across New Jersey and Long Island starting in 2019.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and several days after his arrest, he was released on $500,000 secured bond. At the end of November 2021, Maxwell agreed to a two-month delay in his case amid plea negotiations. While there have been few public developments in Maxwells case since then, two of his co-defendants  Robert Leonardi and Anthony Cyntje  pleaded guilty to the charges against them in June 2022.

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A water-carrying helicopter flies over the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Cuba. (Ramon Espinosa / Associated Press)

A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread Monday after flames enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle to fight the massive blaze.

At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facilitys eight tanks on Friday night. A second tank caught fire on Saturday, triggering several explosions at the facility, which plays a key part in Cuba's electric system.

The risk we had announced happened, and the blaze of the second tank compromised the third one, said Mario Sabines, governor of the western province of Matanzas, where the facility is located.

Firefighters had sprayed water on the remaining tanks over the weekend to cool them and try to stop the fire from spreading.

The governments of Mexico and Venezuela have sent special teams to help extinguish the fire, with water cannons, planes and helicopters fighting the fire from several directions as military constructions specialists erected barriers to contain oil spills. Local officials warned residents to use face masks or stay indoors given the billowing smoke enveloping the region that can be seen from the capital of Havana, more than 65 miles away. Officials have warned that the cloud contains sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances.

The majority of those injured were treated for burns and smoke inhalation, and five of them remain in critical condition. A total of 24 remain hospitalized. Over the weekend, authorities found the body of one firefighter as relatives of those still missing gathered at a hotel to await news about their loved ones.

Sabines and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said it was impossible to search for missing firefighters given the roiling temperatures.

The blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in the city of Matanzas prompted officials to evacuate more than 4,900 people, most of them from the nearby Dubrocq neighborhood. The facilitys eight huge tanks hold oil used to generate electricity, although it wasnt clear how much fuel has been lost as a result of the flames. The first tank that caught fire was at 50% capacity and contained nearly 883,000 cubic feet of fuel. The second tank was full.

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Jorge Pinon, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas, said officials should inspect the walls of tanks that aren't on fire to ensure they weren't affected. He also warned that the government must be careful before bringing the system back online once the fire is extinguished.

If not, there'll be another catastrophe," he said. "Unfortunately, this is going to take time.

Pinon noted that the facility receives Cuban crude oil  operating an oil pipeline that crosses the center of the country  to be transferred via small tankers to the thermoelectric plants that produce electricity. It is also the unloading and transshipment center for imported crude oil, fuel oil and diesel, with Cuba producing only half of the fuel required to keep its economy afloat.

The blaze comes as Cuba struggles through a deep economic crisis and faces frequent power outages amid a sweltering summer, issues that helped unleashed unprecedented anti-government protests last year. Officials have not provided a preliminary estimate of damages.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southeast Ukraine, in territory under Russian military control, on Sunday. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via the Associated Press)

Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Monday that each side is shelling a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling caused a power surge and fire and forced staff to lower output from two reactors, while Ukraine has blamed Russian troops for storing weapons there.

Nuclear experts have warned that more shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station  Europe's largest, captured by Russia early in the war  is fraught with danger.

The Kremlin echoed that Monday, claiming that Kyiv was attacking the plant and urging Western powers to force a stop to that.

Shelling of the territory of the nuclear plant by the Ukrainian armed forces is highly dangerous, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Its fraught with catastrophic consequences for vast territories, for the entire Europe.

Ukraine's military intelligence spokesman, Andriy Yusov, countered that Russian forces have planted explosives at the plant to head off an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region. Previously, Ukrainian officials have said Russia is launching attacks from the plant and using Ukrainian workers there as human shields.

Yusov called on Russia to "make a goodwill gesture and hand over control of the plant to an international commission and the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], if not to the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, likewise urged that the United Nations, the IAEA and the international community send a delegation to completely demilitarize the territory and provide security guarantees to plant employees and the city where the plant is based, Enerhodar.

He accused Russia of nuclear terrorism.

The IAEA is the U.N.s nuclear watchdog. Its director-general, Rafael Grossi, told the Associated Press last week that the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia plant is completely out of control, and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to allow experts to visit the complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support for that idea Monday, saying, "any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing.

One expert in nuclear materials at Imperial College London said the reactor at Zaporizhzhia is modern and housed inside a heavily reinforced steel-and-concrete building designed to protect against disasters.

As such, I do not believe there would be a high probability of a breach of the containment building, even if it was accidently struck by an explosive shell, and even less likely the reactor itself could be damaged, said Mark Wenman at the college's Nuclear Energy Futures.

He also said the complex's spent fuel tanks, where the shells reportedly hit, are strong and probably don't contain much spent fuel.

Although it may seem worrying, and any fighting on a nuclear site would be illegal according to international law, the likelihood of a serious nuclear release is still small, he said.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the attack Sunday caused a power surge and smoke, triggering an emergency shutdown. Fire teams extinguished flames, and the plants personnel lowered the output of reactors No. 5 and No. 6 to 500 megawatts, he said.

The head of the Ukrainian company operating the plant said all but one power line connecting it to Ukraines energy system had been destroyed. Petro Kotin, head of the Ukrainian state corporation Eherhoatom, blamed Russian shelling and said a blackout would be very unsafe for such a nuclear facility.

As fighting continued on the front lines of the war, the United States on Monday pledged another $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine. It would be the biggest delivery yet of rockets, ammunition and other arms straight from U.S. Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces.

The latest announcement brings total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $9.1 billion since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24.

Ukraines presidential office said the Russians had shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the previous 24 hours, killing five people. Among the targets, it said, was Nikopol, a city just across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Gas pipelines, plumbing and power lines were no longer functioning there, leaving thousands of people without electricity.

Russian rockets and artillery also hit eight municipalities in the northern Sumy region on Monday, killing one person, authorities there said.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian-controlled areas in the south, officials there said, including the strategic Antonivskiy bridge in the southern city of Kherson. An artery for Russian military supplies, the bridge has been closed in recent weeks because of earlier shelling. Plans to reopen it on Wednesday were now shelved, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration of the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, one of the ships that left Ukraine on Friday under a deal to unblock grain supplies and stave off a global food crisis arrived in Turkey, the first loaded vessel to reach its destination. The Turkey-flagged Polarnet, laden with 12,000 tons of corn, docked at the port of Derince.

This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine wont abandon you, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. If Russia sticks to its obligations, the grain corridor will keep maintaining global food security.

Twelve ships have now been authorized to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations  10 outbound and two inbound. Some 322,000 metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports, the bulk of it corn but also sunflower oil and soya.

Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday were expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening for inspection Tuesday to make sure they are carrying only food items.

The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which left Odesa on Aug. 1, hit a snag with delivery, however. It was heading for Lebanon with 26,000 metric tons of corn for chicken feed, but the corns buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the cargo, since it was delivered so much later than its contract, Ukraine's embassy in Beirut said.

Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Mehmet Guzel in Derince, Turkey, and Andrew Wilks in Istanbul contributed.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea foreign minister Park Jin is set for his first visit to China on Monday as President Yoon Suk-yeol's government seeks to reassure Beijing about their relationship despite stronger ties with the United States and tensions over Taiwan.

Park is scheduled for a three-day stay in the eastern port city of Qingdao, during which he will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Park is the first high-level official to travel to China since Yoon took office in May.

His trip comes after Beijing expressed outrage over U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week. China claims the self-governed island as its own.

Yoon faced criticism from lawmakers - some from his ruling party - for not meeting with Pelosi. Yoon, who was on vacation, held a phone call with her instead. His office said that the decision was made in consideration of national interests, and that there was no pressure from Beijing.

Stakes are high for Park's visit, as Seoul walks a fine line between its alliance with the United States and with China, South Korea's top trade partner, amid their intensifying rivalry.

Park has said his trip would be a chance to reduce misunderstandings and boost cooperation in areas including trade, health and environment.

"By actively promoting strategic high-level communication, we can have better understanding of each other, reduce unnecessary misunderstanding and expand common interests," he said at a news conference.

Park noted that when he met Wang at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting last month in Thailand, he said South Korea's strengthening U.S. alliance and participation in a U.S.-backed economic forum for Asia, which Beijing said was designed to decouple https://www.reuters.com/world/beijing-says-us-backed-asia-plan-seeks-decouple-countries-china-2022-05-25 countries from its economy, was not meant to "neglect or set aside" China ties.

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Both sides also face a potential flare-up over the THAAD U.S. missile defence system stationed in South Korea, as well as Seoul's possible participation in a U.S.-led chip alliance involving Taiwan and Japan, which China opposes.

Yoon vowed to purchase and deploy another THAAD battery, and abandon his predecessor's promise in 2017 to China of the so-called "Three Nos"  no additional THAAD deployments, no participation in a U.S.-led global missile shield, and no creation of a trilateral military alliance involving Japan.

China argues the system's powerful radar could peer into its airspace, and relations suffered a setback after China sharply cut trade and cultural imports.

Beijing's foreign ministry has been calling for Seoul to keep the promise, but Park told a recent parliamentary questioning that the "Three Nos" are not an official pledge or agreement.

The Yonhap news agency reported on Monday that South Korea has decided to attend a preliminary meeting for the chip pact, dubbed "Chip 4," citing an unnamed senior presidential official.

Yoon said his government is looking into the issue in light of national interests, and the foreign ministry said no decision has been made.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Gabby Petitos family have filed a $50m wrongful death lawsuit against police in Moab, Utah accusing them of negligence that led to the v-loggers death.

The lawsuit accuses the police department, three Moab police officers and 10 other unnamed individuals of negligent failure in an investigation into an alleged assault by Brian Laundrie of the 22-year-old a few weeks before her death.

The suit has been filed by attorneys for Joseph and Tara Petito and Nichole and Jim Schmidt.

They say Ms Petitos death was caused by their wrongful acts or neglect.

Breaking: more to come
Gabby Petito talking to Moab City Police Department, Utah, on August 12 2021. Moab City Police Department

Gabby Petito's family is moving to file a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Utah's Moab Police Department.

They plan to file the suit over the department's handling of a domestic incident between Petito and Brian Laundrie.

Petito was killed last year during a cross-country road trip with Laundrie, who later died by suicide.

The family of Gabby Petito is moving to file a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Utah's Moab Police Department over its handling of a domestic incident involving the travel vlogger and her fiance Brian Laundrie shortly before she was killed last year.

Attorneys representing Petito's family filed a notice of claim against the department on Monday, they announced.

Laundrie "murdered [Petito] shortly after the Moab City Police Department failed to adequately respond to reports and evidence of domestic violence between Brian and Gabby," the notice of claim states.

"While the full evidence has not yet been made public, when it is released, it will clearly show that if the officers had been properly trained and followed the law, Gabby would still be alive today," lawyer James McConkie said in a statement announcing that the notice of claim was filed.

McConkie, speaking during a press conference in which Petito's family virtually attended, added, "We believe these officers were negligent and their negligence contributed to the cause of Gabby's death."

The Moab Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider. A spokesperson for the city of Moab told Insider it does "not comment on pending litigation."

Petito's body was discovered at a remote campsite in Wyoming on September 19, 2021 weeks after Moab officers responded to an incident with the 22-year-old woman and Laundrie on August 12, 2021 as the pair was on a cross-country road trip.

Officers with the Moab Police Department responded to the incident involving the couple near Arches National Park shortly before Petito's communication with her family stopped.

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The couple told police that they got into an argument in Moab that resulted in Petito slapping Laundrie, a police report and officer body-camera footage released by the Moab Police Department showed.

But in a 911 call about the same incident, a witness was heard telling dispatchers with the Grand County Sheriff's Office that he saw a man "slapping the girl."

Body-camera footage also showed a crying and distraught Petito telling Moab officers that Laundrie grabbed her face and her arm during their argument.

Lawyers for Petito's family say that a photo that has not been released to the public shows "a close-up view of Gabby's face where blood is smeared on her cheek and left eye, revealing the violent nature of Brian's attack."

Moab officers ultimately determined the incident was a "mental health crisis" and recommended that Laundrie and Petito spend the night apart.

Gabby Petito and fiance Brian Laundrie Courtesy of the Schmidt and Petito family

An independent report commissioned by the city of Moab, Utah, later found that officers who responded to the incident made "several unintentional mistakes that stemmed from the fact that officers failed to cite Ms. Petito for domestic violence," the city said.

The report said the case report compiled by police categorized the incident as "disorderly conduct," when actually it should have been labeled as "domestic violence related."

"Just because Gabby was determined to be the predominant aggressor as it related to this incident, doesn't mean she was the long-term predominant aggressor in this relationship," Captain Brandon Ratcliffe of the Price City Police Department concluded in the report.

He added, "It's very likely Gabby was a long-term victim of domestic violence, whether that be physically, mentally, and/or emotionally."

Brian Stewart, one of the lead attorneys representing Petito's family in the case, said in a statement, "Due to lack of training and access to critical domestic violence resources, the officers failed to properly investigate the reported domestic assault and, thus failed to fully appreciate or respond to Gabby's life-threatening situation."

Petito's mom, Nichole Schmidt, said during Monday's press conference that watching the police body-camera footage of the Moab incident was "very painful" for her.

"I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her," an emotional Schmidt said of her daughter.

Petito, who went missing in late August, died of "blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation," a coroner ruled.

Laundrie, 23, claimed responsibility for Petito's death in a notebook before he died by suicide, the FBI said earlier this year. His remains were found last October at a Florida nature preserve as police were searching for him.

Read the original article on Insider
Michigans attorney general called for a special prosecutor to probe allegations her Donald Trump-backed opponent led an effort that gained unauthorized access to voting equipment during a hunt for false claims of election fraud after the former president lost the 2020 election.

Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) issued the request Friday after a monthlong investigation by Michigan State Police into potential breaches of voting machines in several counties. The probe began in February amid reports some Trump supporters had convinced clerks to give them access to the machines used in 2020 in an effort to prove voter fraud that cost Trump the 2020 race. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the former presidents claims have been disproven time and time again.

The investigation, Nessels office said, unexpectedly led to lawyer Matthew DePerno, who officials claim orchestrated a coordinated plan to gain access to voting tabulators.

DePerno is the presumptive Republican nominee in the race and has earned the fierce support of Trump.

When this investigation began there was not a conflict of interest, the petition, first published Sunday by Politico, reads. However, during the course of the investigation, facts were developed that DePerno was one of the prime instigators of the conspiracy.

Former President Donald Trump endorses Matthew DePerno (R), who is running for the Michigan Republican party's nomination for state attorney general, during a rally on April 2, 2022, near Washington, Michigan. (Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump endorses Matthew DePerno (R), who is running for the Michigan Republican party's nomination for state attorney general, during a rally on April 2, 2022, near Washington, Michigan. (Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images)

The petition adds investigators found voting tabulators had been taken to hotels and Airbnbs as part of the plan, broken into and tested. The investigation found DePerno was present at a hotel room during one of the testings.

Nessel requested the independent probe because her office said it had a conflict of interest as she is currently running for reelection against DePerno.

Reuters, citing court filings and public records, also reported Sunday that DePerno examined a vote tabulator in Richfield Township.

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The prosecutor, if named, would determine whether the state should file criminal charges against DePerno and eight other associates who allegedly took part in the scheme. Its a felony in Michigan to seek or provide unauthorized access to voting equipment, Reuters notes.

Tyson Shepard, DePernos campaign manager, discounted the call for an investigation to the The Detroit News, saying Nessel had a history of targeting and persecuting her political enemies.

Dana Nessel knows she is losing this race, Shepard told the publication. She is desperate to win this election at all costs and is now targeting DePerno, her political opponent. Her actions are unethical and will further demonstrate to the voters that she is unfit for office.

Statement from DePerno for Michigan Campaign on Dana Nessel's Political Witch Hunt pic.twitter.com/XGuOZK7Rlt  Matthew DePerno for Michigan AG (@deperno4mi) August 8, 2022

Others named in the investigation include state Rep. Daire Rendon (R) and the Sheriff of Barry County, Michigan, Dar Leaf.

Trump, still the major endorsement in GOP primaries, has touted DePerno as his unequivocal choice to be Michigans top law enforcement official. DePerno was a major figure in the state after Trump lost the 2020 election, leading a lawsuit to challenge the results in Michigans Antrim County that ultimately gave Trump false fodder that there were issues with voting machines.

Hes going to make sure that you are going to have law and order and fair elections, Trump said earlier this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas. Thats an important race.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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The New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord.

New Hampshire lawmakers will return to the State House Sept. 15 to decide whether to override Gov. Chris Sununus eight vetoes  just two days after the states Sept. 13 primaries.

House Speaker Sherman Packard announced the date in a message in the New Hampshire Houses weekly calendar.

The special session, known as veto day, is traditionally held in September every year. This years session carries more significance than usual: Lawmakers are planning to pass last-minute legislation to distribute $100 fuel assistance payments to New Hampshire residents, a $60 million state-funded proposal put forward by Gov. Chris Sununu in June.

The timing of the veto day means that some senators and representatives could participate despite losing their primaries two days before.

Sununu vetoed seven House bills and one Senate bill this year, including two redistricting bills, House Bill 52 and Senate Bill 200, to redraw the lines around the states two congressional seats. House and Senate Republicans attempted to rearrange the districts to make one lean heavily toward Republican voters and another lean heavily toward Democratic voters; Sununu rejected that approach, arguing both should stay competitive. The New Hampshire Supreme Court has since redrawn the districts itself.

Among the other bills Sununu vetoed are House Bill 275, which would limit the governors powers over declaring a state of emergency; House Bill 319, which would require public college and university students to pass a civics test; House Bill 1022, which would permit pharmacists to distribute ivermectin using a standing order; House Bill 1131, which would override schools ability to pass mask mandates; House Bill 1454, which would require stricter measures to separate landfills from bodies of water; and House Bill 1625, which would repeal the buffer zone prohibition that prevents protesters from standing within a certain distance of reproductive health facilities.

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In order for a veto to be overridden, the bill must return to the chamber it originated in and lawmakers in that chamber must vote to override the veto with a two-thirds majority. If the vote is less than two-thirds, the veto is sustained. If the veto is overridden by that chamber, it moves to the opposite chamber, which must also override the veto by two-thirds.

Veto overrides, which require bipartisan agreement that the governors decision was wrong, are not common. But advocates for the stricter landfill siting bill, HB 1454, say they may have a shot. That bill passed the Senate 16-8, a veto-proof majority, and passed the House on a voice vote.

In order to approve the fuel assistance legislation, which is being introduced outside of the spring legislative calendar, lawmakers in both chambers will need to suspend the rules with a two-thirds vote. At that point, a bill may be introduced and must pass with a majority in both chambers.

A spokeswoman for the House speakers office said Friday that the final version of the fuel assistance bill has not been drafted yet. The spokeswoman, Jennifer Tramp, said that leadership would be gathering in the coming weeks to finalize the bill.

This story was originally published in New Hampshire Bulletin.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: New Hampshire House, Senate 'veto day' set for Sept. 15
Germany leader Olaf Scholz stands next to a gas turbine ((c) Copyright 2022, dpa (www.dpa.de). Alle Rechte vorbehalten)

German backing for the sanctions imposed on Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine is not waning, even despite a looming energy crisis for the crisis in the shape of rising bills and potential rationing, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday.

Berlin has long been reliant on Russian gas, with some 55 per cent consumed by Germany imported from Moscow before the start of the war. Since the invasion, Berlin has scrambled to import energy from elsewhere, including deals with Norway and Gulf gas giant, Qatar.

Despite this, the country should prepare for difficult months ahead, the Chancellors spokesperson said on Monday. Many German homes are still reliant on Russian gas, meaning it could be a very long winter for ordinary citizens.

However, Germanys leader said it would not affect the countrys support for Kyiv.

It is clear that we stand firmly on the side of Ukraine and we stand behind the sanctions that we agreed together with the European Union and the international community, added the spokesperson.

Also, on Monday, Berlin ruled out any approval for the shelved Nord Stream 2 pipeline. This was a project to double gas capacity from Russia to Germany. Construction of the pipeline was completed last year, ut suspended in the final days before the invasion.

To emphasise support for Ukraine, which has been questioned in some quarters, and led to some fractious moments between Berlin and Kyiv, it was announced on Monday that the first three German Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems had been delivered to the war torn country.

The air defence systems, which are operated by three-person crews and can hit targets at up to four kilometres (2.5 miles), are one of various pieces of Western military kit being supplied to Ukraine to help it fend off the Russian advance.

Meanwhile it was announced on Monday that local officials with Scholzs party had rejected a bid to expel former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder over his close ties to Russia.

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An arbitration committee of the centre-left Social Democrats branch in Hannover, where Schroeder lives, considered 17 applications from party members for proceedings against him.

Schroeders longstanding connections to the Russian energy sector and refusal to distance himself fully from President Vladimir Putin after Russia invaded Ukraine have left his political standing in tatters.

However, the SPD committee determined his actions dont constitute a breach of the partys rules.

Schroeder, who served as chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and was the Social Democrats leader from 1999 to 2004, has shown no signs of heeding calls from senior party figures to tone down his rhetoric on Russia or leave the party of his own accord.

That has come with political consequences within Germany.

In May, German lawmakers agreed to shut down Schroeders taxpayer-funded office, and he gave up the title of honorary citizen of Hannover, preempting a likely decision by city officials.

Schroeder has shrugged off the pressure and continued to maintain his ties with Putin. He most recently met with the Russian leader on a visit to Moscow in late July.
Aug. 8Several local agencies are on the scene of a Hazmat situation on the 32 South Hyde Park Blvd.

First responders were called Monday morning for a report that a tanker containing sodium was heating up.

Units from the Niagara Falls Fire Department, Niagara Falls Are Reserve Station and Niagara County Hazmat have responded and were applying foam to the tanker.

Officials from the Niagara County Health Department and state DEC are said to be enroute as well.

At this time, there has been no call for evacuations.

This is a developing story and will be updated when we have more information.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for season 2 episode 9 of P-Valley.

Tina Snow came through drippin' on P-Valley.

Megan Thee Stallion finally made her guest appearance in season 2 episode 9, titled "Snow." The Houston-born superstar played beloved rapper Tina Snow, who shows up at the Pynk  in a white fur and a diamond-studded outfit, no less  thanks to J. Alphonse Nicholson's Lil Murda. Tina had a blast at the Chucalissa staple and dropped some incredible bars before chaos ensued.

Lil Murda calls Tina as a surprise for Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), who is re-opening her strip club again after announcing their new tour on social media. The high-profile guest gets the full Pynk experience, including having a charged verbal sparring match with Uncle Clifford herself and getting Lil Murda to "drive the boat."

P-Valley

Kyle Kaplan/Starz

The main event comes when the rap duo hits the stage to perform "Get It on the Floor."

"To have Tina Snow and Lil' Murda both on the Pynk's stage was truly a dream come true," show creator Katori Hall tells EW. Joining the pair is Roulette, Whisper, and Lil Murda's other partner-in-crime, Miss Mississippi (Shannon Thornton), who gives what she intends to be her final performance as she prepares to leave her abusive husband. Everyone is having an absolute blast until a fight breaks out between Lil Murda's crew and a rival gang.

P-Valley has wanted to include Megan from the beginning. After stars Nicco Annan and Brandee Evans appeared in one of her videos, they informed Hall that the superstar was a fan of the show, which was music to her ears. "As soon as season 2 was greenlit, I started writing a role for a famous female rapper who was working with DJ Neva Scared and wanted a feature on her new song of a new upcoming southern rapper," Hall says. "I was praying that Megan was gonna be able to step into that role," she shares. Hall calls Megan being on set "one of the most fun days" the cast and crew had.

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"What's most beautiful is how humble and hard-working she is. She came in uber prepared for her scenes and the performance so, of course, this queen slayed. I was just in awe of her," Hall says about having Megan on set as Tina.

P-Valley

Kyle Kaplan/Starz DJ Neva Scared (Brandon Gilpin), Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), and Big Bone (Miracle Watts) at the Pynk

Tina's performance also doubles for a powerful homecoming for the characters of P-Valley. The last time Miss Mississippi and Lil Murda shared the stage was the infamous Murda Night in season 1, an event that Uncle Clifford references when telling Murda she doesn't want a repeat. Since then, both Mississippi and Murda rode the success of that evening  chaos aside  to their own tour earlier in season 2, which took them away from the Pynk. Now, they are both back, again preparing for the next stage of their lives: Murda on tour with Tina, and Mississippi taking her kids away from a dangerous situation.

Snow is understandably swiftly hitting the road after a wild night at the Pynk, but the rest of P-Valley's characters aren't done just yet. The episode ends with "to be continued," which tees up an explosive finale. Two big questions going into the finale: Did Autumn Night back the right mayoral candidate? And did Mississippi successfully escape from Derrick (Jordan Cox)?

P-Valley's season finale airs Sunday Aug. 14 on Starz.

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TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras is considering moving its embassy in Israel back to Tel Aviv, a year after moving it to Jerusalem, according to the Honduran foreign ministry.

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, a conservative who considered himself a close Washington ally, moved Honduras's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2021.

The United States had moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, reversing decades of U.S. policy.

Hernandez was extradited to the United States earlier this year on charges of drug trafficking.

His successor, leftist Xiomara Castro, took office in January.

"The issue of moving the embassy to Tel Aviv has already been discussed with President (Castro) and is a topic of interest to her, as well as maintaining a balanced relationship with the other Arab countries and Israel," Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said in a statement.

Israel, which annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem after capturing it in the 1967 Middle East war, considers all of Jerusalem its capital, while most countries consider east Jerusalem to be occupied territory. The United States, Honduras, Guatemala and Kosovo are the only countries with embassies in Jerusalem; other countries have them in Tel Aviv.

Reina discussed the issue in a meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Sunday in Bogota, where they were visiting for the inauguration ceremony of Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The decision to return the embassy to Tel Aviv could be made "with the aim of returning respect for the norms of international law demanded by the United Nations," Reina said in the statement.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Peter Graff)
Summer in the UK usually means one thing: heatwaves.

British summertime is long-awaited after our lengthy cold winters, and yet we never seem to be properly prepared for the inevitable heatwave.

As the climate crisis continues to push global temperatures up, experts have warned that the UK will continue to experience longer, more intense heatwaves during the summer months.

But how hot does it need to be before workers should be sent home by their employers?

Heres everything you need to know:

The guidance on workplace temperatures

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure that the temperature in the workplace is reasonable, as outlined by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Not only do they have a responsibility to maintain a suitable temperature for their employees, but its also their duty to ensure that the air is clean and fresh.

While there isnt a maximum temperature for the workplace as laid out by the government, efforts have been made in the past to put one into place.

In 2006, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) released a briefing that highlighted the temperatures that it believes should be maintained in various workplaces as a matter of health and safety.

The TUC stated that it believes a maximum temperature of 30C should be set by employers, with a maximum of 27C put into place for those doing strenuous work.

The TUC added that employers should still aim to keep temperatures below 24C and note if employees express discomfort over the temperature.

The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers recommends a working temperature of 13C for those undertaking heavy work in factories; 16C for those doing light work in factories; 18C for those working in hospital wards and shops; and 20C for those working in offices and dining rooms.

The government has stated its recommended minimum temperatures for employees, with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommending a minimum temperature of 16C for workers and 13C for those carrying out manual work under its Approved Code of Practice.

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Despite the fact that a maximum temperature in the workplace hasnt become legalised in the UK, there are measures that employees can utilise if theyre of the opinion that their workplace has become too hot to handle.

What to do if your workplace is too hot

The government recommends that employees speak to their bosses if the temperature in their workplace is uncomfortable.

According to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), employers should carry out a risk assessment for the health and safety of their workers in order to determine whether the workplace is a safe environment in which to work.

The HSE states that employers must take six factors into account when assessing whether their workplace is a safe.

These factors are: air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity, humidity, what clothing they wear and the average rate at which they work.

The HSE has created a thermal comfort checklist, which it recommends employers ask employees to fill out in order to determine whether they're experiencing thermal discomfort.

If a worker ticks two or more of the "yes" options on the checklist, then they could be at risk of thermal discomfort.

In this case, employers may need to carry out a more detailed risk assessment of the workplace.

It is ultimately up to the employer to decide whether the circumstances arent suitable for work.

However, it also depends on what kind of environment you work in.

If working outdoors, its the employers responsibility to introduce rest breaks for their workers and encourage them to hydrate regularly.

Furthermore, for those who typically wear business clothes to work, adopting a more casual dress code could prove essential for the overall wellbeing of employees.

What is Section 44 and how can you use it?

In circumstances where you think that you and your colleagues are in imminent danger, you may be able to turn to Section 44 of the Employment Act 1996.

The act states: In circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work.

It continues: In circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from the danger.

The first course of action is to raise any concerns with your employer or union, but Section 44 protects employees who wish to leave the workplace if they feel there are in imminent danger.

Here are some measures that employees can put into place to keep workplaces as cool as possible:

Insulate exposed pipes that can become hot.

Shade windows.

Move workstations away from areas that are exposed to the sun or frequently become hot.

Provide air conditioning or fans for employees.

Provide thermometers so that workers can keep an eye on the temperature.

Rotate workers if certain individuals are forced to cope with uncomfortable temperatures for prolonged periods of time.

For all the latest news on the UK weather, click here.
A British defense think tank identified 450 unique microelectronic components in Russian military equipment left in Ukraine that appeared to be manufactured by U.S., European and East Asian companies.

In partnership with Reuters, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) released a report on Monday detailing inspections of 27 Russian weapons systems and pieces of military equipment expended or lost since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the group said the majority of the apparent Western components were manufactured by U.S. companies.

The preponderance of foreign-made components inside these systems reveals that Russias war machine is heavily reliant on imports of sophisticated microelectronics to operate effectively, the group said in its report.

This is despite persistent efforts by the Russian government to replace imports  in all aspects of its economy, including the military sector  with domestically produced materials in order to withstand international sanctions, it continued.

Russia has been fighting Ukrainian forces for more than five months after invading the country on Feb. 24. After failing to quickly take the capital city of Kyiv, Moscow refocused its efforts on the countrys industrial heartland in the east, known as the Donbas region, with no end to the conflict in sight.

RUSI said 317 of the 450 identified Western components appear to be from U.S. companies, while components from Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, China, South Korea, the U.K. and Austria were also present.

The think tank cautioned it is possible the components are counterfeits of Western brands but indicated that wasnt likely.

Russias well-documented historical dependence on Western technology, and the critical role that some of the components play in the effective operation of the systems in which they were found, has led the research team to assume that the components are likely genuine, the group said.

RUSIs report states 56 U.S. companies manufactured the vast majority of the components, and more than 200 of them appear to have been manufactured by just 10 companies. Texas Instruments was the most frequent U.S. brand, accounting for 51 of the components.

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The Hill has reached out to Texas Instruments for comment.

Of the 450 identified components, RUSI indicated 18 percent were assigned an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN), which would have required a government license for export to Russia even before Moscow invaded Crimea in 2014.

Others would have fallen under an EAR99 classification, RUSI said, which would not have required a license prior to Russias invasion in February.

The presence of a large number of EAR99- and some ECCN-classified items in Russian military equipment suggests that these components were either purchased by military equipment manufacturers from distributors in Russia, that they were procured under fake end-user certificates or that they were diverted for military applications at a later point, the think tank said in its report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Test tubes labeled "monkeypox virus positive." REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

I live in Australia but have been in London for the past four months.

I didn't want to get monkeypox nor did I want to bring it back home with me, so I got vaccinated.

I was determined to get an appointment, but it wasn't easy.

In a small, windowless room in the heart of bustling London, I squinted briefly. I felt a tiny scratch on my arm. For the next three days, a dull ache postponed arms day at the gym.

These were but minuscule inconveniences. The main side effects of my recent inoculation were gratitude and relief.

Even though I'm aware I'm an early adopter, I feel like saying I've finally had my vaccine for monkeypox, a transmittable virus with unpleasant symptoms similar to, but less than severe than, smallpox, and a fatality rate of up to 6%.

My exasperation is because of how tricky it was to get that needle in me. There were hoops, and I jumped. Post-COVID, I've realized I'm the antithesis of an anti-vaxxer. I'm vaccine obsessed.

Most cases in Australia, where I've lived for the past 10 years, fulfill three consistent criteria: international travelers, people aged 21 to 40, and men who have sex with men, according to the NSW health website.

All three categories describe me: I'm 39, gay, and, in September, will be returning to Sydney after a four-month stint in London.

Not only did I not want to get infected myself, I didn't want to risk bringing the virus back to my community in Sydney. But getting the shot wasn't easy.

It's what everyone is talking about in London's gay scene

At clinics, Sharpie-scrawled signs saying "monkeypox vaccine" covered official National Health Service signs. Reports of four-hour waits and people getting turned away at walk-ins initially deterred me.

Then it rapidly started looking more serious. In London's gay scene and in queer chat groups, it's all anyone's talking about.

I struggled to find somewhere to get a vaccine  first, those walk-ins started becoming appointment-only, then all those appointments got snapped up.

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Courtesy of Gary Nunn

A friend sent me a QR code for an NHS booking system: gold dust. When I hadn't heard back in 36 hours, panic set in. Friends stopped going out as much. The World Health Organization urged gay men to sleep with fewer men.

In the interim period before the NHS replied  10 days later  I was frenzied, determined to get this vaccine after seeing that 98% of people with monkeypox are gay or bisexual men.

I called 56 Dean Street, a well-known gay men's sexual-health clinic. A recorded voicemail said they were too overwhelmed to book new monkeypox-vaccine appointments. My concern grew.

Finally, I marched to the clinic myself. Staff sensed my desperation, and I got an appointment.

My community knows the urgency of getting vaccinated

Some travelers returning from European summer holidays  especially British dual citizens like me  will have tried to get their vaccine abroad. Some have looked to countries like the UK as if an effective, well-managed vaccine rollout is in full swing here.

The overstretched NHS cannot meet the huge demand from gay men who are, largely, taking the risk very seriously, acting early to protect themselves, and mobilizing to help others. AIDS taught us to prioritize health and community above everything.

But we can't assume returned British travelers like me or tourists will have necessarily gotten the vaccine.

I've read about money being poured into communications to the gay community on apps like Grindr. My community knows the urgency of protecting our health. Within an hour of posting I'd had my vaccine, DMs with questions started pouring in, and my Messenger inbox was full.

Money's needed for vaccines, not awareness.

While I was frantically searching for a vaccine, I noticed something else: People who'd normally hug and kiss me hello have been more restrained in greeting me. Some blame COVID; I suspect that 98% statistic has a lot to do with it.

Another dangerous dual virus is spreading in London, one that, if we're not all responsible, could take hold in cities around the globe: panic and stigma.

Gary Nunn is a freelance journalist and author. Twitter: @garynunn1

Read the original article on Insider
As thousands of students arrive at Indiana University's Bloomington campus, there's some unfinished business from last spring's semester. For the past several months, thousands of graduate workers have been locked in a stalemate with IU's administration. The issue? Recognition of a student labor union.

With another strike vote scheduled for September, here's what to know about the graduate student labor dispute at IU.

What are student academic appointees? How many are there at Indiana University's Bloomington campus?

There are approximately 10,000 graduate students on IU's Bloomington campus. While many graduate students subsidize their tuition and living expenses through outside employment, fellowships or loans, about 2,500 graduate students work as student academic appointees (SAAs). SAAs work for the university and are compensated through a stipend. Depending on their department and position, they also may receive departmental grants and tuition remission.

The latest:IU Bloomington grad workers will be paid more, charged less

SAAs, or graduate workers, fill positions such as associate instructors, research assistants and faculty assistants. Their work is typically related to their area of study with specific responsibilities depending on their contract.

Graduate workers also receive health and dental insurance coverage if they work at least 15 hours per week. Since they are classified as students, graduate workers are limited to less than 20 hours per week and their position is term-limited with most lasting a single academic year or semester.

Why do IU graduate workers want to unionize?

The Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition currently lists about 1,800 graduate workers as members. The coalition has requested an end to mandatory fees, equity for international students, a wage increase to meet the cost of living in Bloomington, annual raises and fair benefits.

Graduate students have been required to pay fees for things like technology and transportation services. International students also pay an additional $714 per year in International Student Fees. Graduate students have argued these fees should be waived.

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Ryan Webster listens to a speaker with other supporters of the graduate workers strike at the Sample Gates on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

Early this month, Provost Rahul Shrivastav announced mandatory and course-related fees are now covered by the university.

While graduate workers have a pre-existing grievance procedure through IU, the IGWC has requested a separate grievance procedure maintained by the labor union. According to IGWC, a union-based grievance procedure gives more leverage to graduate workers and promotes accountability.

How long has the labor dispute been happening at Bloomington's campus?

Graduate worker unrest has manifested at different points over several years, and the current, organized effort, spearheaded by the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition, began in 2017.

More:Indiana University interim provost rejects graduate labor union request

The most drastic moves by graduate workers occurred within the past year or so. In March 2021, hundreds of students marched through campus, requesting mandatory fees be waived for those who work at the university. In a letter, Lauren Robel, then provost, rejected the demand, noting all students pay these fees and graduate workers are first and foremost students. In the summer of 2021, the IGWC affiliated with the United Electrical Workers, a national union representing thousands of workers in public and private sectors.

Coalition members went on a labor strike for four weeks near the end of the spring semester, threatening to not submit grades or proctor exams for undergraduate classes. The strike was suspended in early May.

What has been the IU administration's response to the labor dispute?

Provost Shrivastav launched a specialized task force focused on bettering the graduate student experience.

The task force, which currently has committees on financial support and health and wellness, is expected to make immediate and long-term recommendations. The task force's committees comprise faculty and graduate student representatives.

In late July, Shrivastav shared the first slate of recommendations, some of which he and President Pamela Whitten have agreed to implement for fall.

Rahul Shrivastav started his new role as provost for Indiana University's Bloomington campus in late January.

Per the task force's recommendation, IU Bloomington now covers mandatory graduate student fees of $1,435 currently paid by all SAAs, in addition to covering course-specific fees for their programs.

IU Bloomington also increased the minimum campus stipend for graduate workers to $22,000, alongside a mandatory review process of SAA stipends every two years. IU administrators said this pay increase moves IU Bloomington from the bottom of Big Ten universities in average graduate stipends to the top half. The dean of the IU Bloomington Graduate School will regularly analyze stipends to ensure that IU Bloomington's rates remain in the top half of the Big Ten.

Can the graduate worker labor dispute impact IU's undergraduates?

Graduate workers who fill in as instructors of record are responsible for teaching an entire class on their own. Some assist faculty members by recording student grades and proctoring final exams. If these workers were to go on strike again in fall, it could affect undergraduates. For example, during the spring semester strike, many faculty were worried about how grades would be submitted.

The IU administration has asked faculty members to have contingency plans in case another labor strike occurs. Faculty members involved in the American Association of University Professors' Bloomington chapter voiced opposition and urged faculty not to make these contingency plans.

What have IU faculty said in response to the labor dispute?

In May, almost 2,000 faculty members weighed in on the graduate student labor dispute in the first emergency faculty council meeting since 2005. In two resolutions that overwhelmingly passed, faculty members supported graduate labor union recognition and asked for no retaliation against those who were involved in the spring strike.

When the board of trustees reaffirmed its anti-union stance, a letter signed by nearly 300 Bloomington IU faculty members criticized how the recently appointed senior administration has handled the graduate worker labor dispute.

New trustee:Indiana University trustee wants grad worker labor dispute resolved 'without a union'

While the board of trustees have said the channels of shared governance are the best communication route, faculty noted resolutions it has passed, which extended support of a graduate worker union, affirm the idea of shared governance. Faculty say their sentiments were ignored, leading to a "breakdown" of these channels.

In the board of trustees' May 31 letter, the trustees noted any graduate worker, staff or tenured faculty member who does not uphold their work-related responsibilities will be subject to consequences outlined in various policies.

How many universities in the Big Ten Academic Alliance are unionized?

Five out of the 14 universities in the Big Ten Academic Alliance have recognized graduate student labor unions, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rutgers University and University of Iowa. At some universities, such as Northwestern University, graduate workers have organized but have not been recognized by the administration.

What's next?

The IU graduate workers strike is currently suspended, but the IGWC will host a vote on Sept. 25 on whether to resume. The trustees have warned of "consequences" related to disrupting campus operations, such as non-reappointment of graduate workers or immediate termination from their position. However, many IGWC representatives have been vocal about continuing the labor strike.

Contact Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com or @RachelSmithNews on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Why Indiana University-Bloomington grad students might strike again
Nurse Ashleigh Feiring gives Kimberly Ceus an ultrasound Aug. 1 at Camelback Family Planning in Phoenix. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

2:59 p.m. Aug. 8, 2022: An earlier version of this post identified Dr. Gabrielle Goodrich as an OB-GYN. Her last name is Goodrick and she is a family physician.



Fifteen women, one man and a baby cooing in a stroller were already lined up outside Camelback Family Planning when it opened on a recent summer morning.

By 7:30 a.m., it was 95 degrees. Monsoon season summoned an oppressive humidity. Mosquitoes hovered, eager to feed.

People kept showing up and waiting outside  sometimes for hours  to seek an appointment at the only abortion clinic in Arizona still offering surgical procedures up to 23 weeks and six days of pregnancy.

Women line up outside Camelback Family Planning on Aug. 1 for a chance at an appointment. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The clinic  run by a crew of defiant women who don't suffer fools and have a penchant for breaking into spontaneous dance  has become a haven in the post-Roe United States. It's a last resort for desperate and pregnant people who desire abortions but wont or cant travel out of state, because they dont have time, child care or money.

Many abortion clinics nationwide stopped providing services after the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 issued the Dobbs decision, which, by overturning Roe vs. Wade, eliminated 50 years of federal protections for abortion care. In Arizona, the move has wrought confusion because the states laws are vague on whether abortions are outlawed.

Most of the state's abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood of Arizona, erred on the side of caution, halting all abortion care. Some providers are duking it out in court. Many are paralyzed, fearful of legal repercussions. Most wait for further clarity.

But the all-woman crew at Camelback Family Planning, northeast of downtown Phoenix, refuses to be intimidated. They show up to the clinic, crank up the music and carry on.

They say their mission is simple.

"We set women free all day long," says nurse Rose Lopez-McKinnon, 63. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

We set women free all day long, said Rose Lopez-McKinnon, a 63-year-old registered nurse.

Those without appointments start lining up as early as 6 a.m. Usually, the slots for the day are filled by 8 a.m., when the office opens. Signs posted on the front door read: No masks. No service.

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The women are called into the clinic three at a time. Many are with partners, a friend or a child; some are alone. Inside, it looks like a regular doctors office: magazines on a side table and a childrens corner with an abacus-like toy.

But theres also something of a feminist flair.

The first thing patients see is a large poster of Shepard Faireys "Mujer Fatale," featuring a mysterious masked woman. At the check-in counter they are greeted with the words WE PERSIST emblazoned on bullet-resistant glass separating the office and the waiting room. A painting of pink, green and yellow uteri strung on a clothesline hangs on a pale-yellow wall. Condoms in gold packaging are up for grabs in a white bowl near the scheduling desk.

Beyond the waiting room and past the security doors is a team of women. Nurses, technicians and office staff are led by Dr. Gabrielle Goodrick, a no-nonsense 57-year-old family physician with purple scrubs, salt-and-pepper locks and turquoise glasses.

Dr. Gabrielle Goodrick leads the all-woman team at Camelback Family Planning clinic in Phoenix. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The office is understaffed, and the women are close. They range in age from their 20s to their 60s. Some are salty, others sweet, but all are empathetic toward the desperate patients who want to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

The women in the front office tend to be younger. They play DJ, choosing 90s grunge girl music, contemporary bachata or even the calming and ethereal score to an obscure 1980 Italian horror film.

On a recent morning, Guennia Pinedo took payments and scheduled patients for abortions more than 24 hours after their consent.

Cheyenne, 23, who didnt want to give her last name, checked in patients, stretching out her arms like Gumby to file paperwork while answering calls from people who tended to ask the same questions.

Are you open? Is abortion still legal here?

Yes, we are. Yes, it is, Cheyenne tells the callers.

Goodrick started the clinic in 1999. About seven years later, she bought her current location, six miles down the road. She expanded to the adjacent suite in April.

The clinic is a standard doctor's office that charges $660 and up for medical and surgical abortions. Patients who can't afford the full fee are given information on how to apply to various funds. Patients are typically in a rough patch in their life  but not always. Many have children.

For Goodrick, continuing abortion care in a state where many have stopped felt like the right thing to do.

"We are giving them their life back," said the mother of two adult children. "Parenthood is not for the faint of heart. It can be romanticized in Hollywood ... the joy of motherhood and babies. But what if you're not capable of taking care of yourself? It's not something you can impose on someone."

The day Roe fell, Camelback and other clinics in Arizona stopped providing abortions for about two weeks. On July 11, a federal judge issued an injunction stopping the enforcement of a 2021 Arizona statute  commonly called the personhood law that grants human rights to fetuses, stating that the law was too vague.

Arizona also has a ban dating to the 1800s that had been blocked by the courts since the 1973 Roe decision. Pima County, which includes Tucson, filed an injunction to stop the law that same year. It has never been lifted, meaning the injunction remains in effect some 50 years later.

In March, the Arizona Legislature passed a ban on all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The law takes effect Sept. 24.

Goodrick, who has provided abortion care since 1995, said she thought long and hard about whether she should continue providing that service at the clinic.

She resumed abortions. At first she was nervous, but as the days and weeks wore on, the feeling subsided.

They havent come for me yet, she said. But what are they going to do? It would be hard for them to say Im doing anything wrong based on an 1864 territorial law that has an injunction.

A smattering of Arizona clinics still offer medical abortions, which don't require surgery or anesthesia. There is at least one other clinic in Pima County offering surgical abortions up to 14 weeks and six days of pregnancy.

Still, there is a lot of misinformation and fear.

Yolanda, a 32-year-old who didnt want to give her last name, was among the first patients that Monday morning at Camelback. She was seven weeks and five days pregnant when she discovered that her intrauterine device had failed.

Yolanda, 32, was among the first patients one Monday morning at the clinic. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

A busy mom with a full-time job, she doesnt keep tabs on the news and had no idea that the nations highest court had gutted Roe. She has five children at home, ages 3 to 14, and doesn't want more. She simply can't afford it.

I have a [Nissan] Pathfinder. Seven people fit in that. I wouldnt be able to fit another child in there, Yolanda thought. Id have to buy another car. I dont even think they make a car that would fit another child.

The day she found out she was pregnant, she went to a clinic where they removed her IUD and performed an ultrasound. It was early in the pregnancy, and she thought she'd have a medical abortion.

An Arizona clinic had referred Yolanda to its sister location in Las Vegas. Nevada doesnt have the abortion restrictions that have popped up in other states since the Dobbs decision.

A day before she was to fly out, she learned about Camelback Family Planning.

Minutes before her procedure, Yolanda teared up in the waiting room. She was upset with politicians"  how they had just delayed the inevitable, allowing the embryo to grow inside her. She felt bad for having an abortion. She doesnt want her family or friends to know about it. But she reasoned that it was the only way.

We are barely getting by. We have two car payments. We have insurance payments," she said. "Then we have to buy groceries for five freaking kids, and they eat a lot.

Her procedure took a few minutes. Her mother picked her up, having been told only that it was a medical appointment. Her husband scheduled a vasectomy for later that week.

Later that morning, Cheyenne and Pinedo sipped coffee and took stock of the day ahead.

There were 15 surgical abortions and five medical abortions scheduled. Twenty people had lined up outside for their first intake; theyd give their consent for an abortion that would be scheduled for a later day.

Inside the office, a television displayed surveillance camera angles. On this day, there werent any protesters. But staffers remained vigilant, especially for one elderly man with a long, white beard whom they call Bad Santa. One day, they said, he chased a patient in the parking lot.

A poster with mugshots of 39 antiabortion protesters  mostly men  who have been arrested throughout the country decorates one office wall. The staff call it "the wall of shame." The office workers said they are directed to shred everything, even mostly blank pieces of paper with no patient information, because protesters rummage through the garbage.

Between patients, Cheyenne told Pinedo about something her boyfriend had said.

Hey, if things get bad, I think we should talk about me getting a vasectomy, he told Cheyenne.

Youre such a good boyfriend, she replied. I love you.

The ladies laughed.

Nurse Rose Lopez-McKinnon, 63, left, speaks about Roe vs. Wade before leaving Camelback Family Planning clinic. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

While the world outside has grown uncertain, the camaraderie at the clinic has grown stronger. They argue sometimes, Lopez-McKinnon said, but they look out for one another.

Did you ever see 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'? We are the Island of Misfit Toys. Were all just a little bit weird, and thats OK, she said. Thats what's nice about this healthcare environment. We all come together for a mission: to save women.

After lunch, a client named Virginia got called up for a consultation. The 28-year-old, who didn't want to give her surname, had just gotten out of a sober living facility.

Shed been clean for nearly four months after using fentanyl for years. Her life, she said, is back on track. She has a 5-year-old daughter; a baby would surely derail her progress.

Oh, my God. I cant do this right now, is what she thought when she discovered she was about four weeks pregnant, she said. She knew about the Dobbs decision and thought she might have to go to California.

A friend she met in rehab had traveled to El Cajon for an abortion. Virginia, with nails painted a glittery red, said she nearly relapsed before she found out about Camelback.

Lopez-McKinnon took down her information. She congratulated Virginia for staying sober. She urged her to get on some sort of birth control.

Nurse Rose Lopez-McKinnon speaks to Virginia, 28, at the clinic on Aug. 1. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

I want you to clearly understand after we do this abortion, she said, that there must be no sex before you get that IUD. ... Because you can get pregnant in a hot second after this.

Nearly every exam room displays fliers urging patients to register to vote: Text 'Vote Camelback' to 34444.

Sometimes Lopez-McKinnon takes it further.

Make sure you vote. Are you registered? Because that piece of goo has more rights than you do, she'll say, pointing to an ultrasound.

By 3 p.m., the women seemed to be losing steam. Cheyenne and Pinedo were the only ones working the office; normally there are at least four women on duty. Goodrick said shed like to hire more office staff and nurses, but a nursing shortage and uncertainty over the states abortion laws are making it hard to do so.

On Aug. 19, a Pima County Superior Court judge is scheduled to hear a case on whether the abortion ban implemented in the 1860s and codified into the state constitution in 1901 can again become law in 2022. The Civil War-era law provides one exception: to save the life of the mother. It would send abortion providers to jail.

It could all be over in two weeks, Goodrick said as she faxed paperwork to reactivate her medical licenses in blue states  California, New Mexico and Colorado  just in case.

Kimberly Ceus, left, schedules an abortion Aug. 1 at Camelback Family Planning in Phoenix. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

It was near the end of the day when Kimberly Ceus, a college student, was called in. The 29-year-old, who wore selenite crystal around her neck to "repel bad energy," was second to last in line. Shed gone home to wait until her afternoon appointment.

Ceus was very early in her pregnancy, about three weeks.

Shes a single mother to a 7-year-old girl and doesnt want more children. After she gave birth, she wanted to get a tubal ligation, she said, but doctors refused to do it.

Youre too young, one doctor told her.

Youre going to want more in the future," another said.

A nurse at Camelback handed her a flier with a list of doctors who are willing to perform tubal ligations.

Ceus said her boyfriend had told her he was infertile. She broke up with him, she said, because he treated her poorly and she discovered hed been unfaithful.

Kimberly Ceus in the waiting room at Camelback Family Planning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

I would never bring a child into this, she thought. Look at that man. I would have to deal with him for 18 years. No thanks.

Lopez-McKinnon doesnt hold much hope. She believes this generation of women is too complacent and not willing to go to battle for other women and the rights her generation fought for. She believes they are too self-centered and distracted.

Recently, a girl asked about her Ruth Bader Ginsburg pin.

"Is that your mother?" the girl asked about the image of the late Supreme Court justice.

The nurse shook her head.

Goodrick is more hopeful.

Regardless of what happens, she and a fellow doctor plan to open a clinic in Indio. Its about a four-hour drive from Camelback Family Planning. She plans to call it Desert Crossing.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Associated Press

Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and backers of universal school vouchers took a victory lap Tuesday over legislation the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted in June giving the state the nation's most expansive voucher system, and he also used the time to attack backers of public schools who are trying to block the measure at the ballot. Ducey touted the signature bill he signed in July that gives all Arizona parents the ability to take state money that would go to their local public school and instead use it for private school tuition or other education costs. The governor had a ceremonial signing at a central Phoenix Christian school that already gets large benefits from the state's tax credit donation programs and existing school voucher program.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has opened a theft case within the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, a copy of the search warrant obtained by The Star shows.

On Wednesday, the KBI served a search warrant on the UG in connection with allegations made against certain personnel within the local government, the agency said in a statement Wednesday.

The warrant was signed Wednesday morning and targeted areas of City Hall used by the finance and IT departments.

The warrant asked for records from Jan. 1, 2021, to the present including bank statements, documents related to purchasing card accounts, expense vouchers, and emails from the UGs chief financial officer and the accounting fiscal officer.

It also asked for the UGs policies on government purchasing cards.

No one appears to have been charged with a crime as of Sunday afternoon, according to court records. A UG spokeswoman did not immediately respond to an email and phone call seeking comment.

The KBI said the warrant was served Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation initiated after the Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office received information, reviewed it, and determined an investigation was warranted.

The news release said the KBI started its investigation June 23.

Unified Government spokeswoman Krystal McFeders said in an email Wednesday that the mayors and county administrators offices were fully cooperating with investigators. She said the UG was otherwise unable to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Consulting firm Robert Bobb Group, which was hired by the UG on April 7 to conduct an assessment of the governments financial department, said there was significant use of purchasing cards. A presentation at a full commission meeting July 28 by the firm said that $4.4 million had been spent in 2022 with 363 active purchasing cards.

The presentation revealed that the UGs purchasing card policies and procedures are often not followed and have not been updated since 2007.

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The assessment, however, did not reveal or allege any illegal activities. It recommended an in-depth, external audit of purchasing card usage. It said that card holders and individuals who approve unauthorized purchases should be held accountable.

The use of the p-cards is not unusual in government, said Robert Bobb, one of the three individuals who conducted the assessment. Your policy, it doesnt mean that employees are out to do something wrong. But it does mean that if there is abuse of those cards, and its proven, then the employee should be terminated.
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP)  Kevin Harvick got his groove back, fittingly at one of his favorite tracks.

Harvick ended a 65- race winless drought that lasted nearly two years with his sixth victory at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.

Good timing, for sure," he said.

Harvicks win shakes up the playoff race with just three races remaining in the regular season, leaving little time for drivers to earn a spot in the 16-car postseason, and gives a boost for a veteran that entered the weekend No. 17 in points.

Everybody that doubted us doesnt know us, he said.

NASCAR has had 15 different Cup winners this season. If there are two new winners over the last three races, a driver with one win will be eliminated from the 16-car playoff with a tiebreaker based on points. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are top-10 drivers in points, but they have not finished first to put their postseason positioning in peril.

Harvick's No. 4 Ford pulled away from Bubba Wallace and the rest the field following a restart with 35 laps to go at the FireKeepers Casino 400. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver took advantage of clean air, helping him coast to his 59th victory, including five wins since 2018 on the two-mile oval in the Irish Hills region of southern Michigan.

Harvick had not won since claiming a NASCAR Cup Series postseason race on Sept. 19, 2020, at Bristol Motor Speedway.

It's been a while," he acknowledged. Michigan has been a great place for us."

Wallace finished second in his No. 23 Toyota  2.9 seconds behind Harvick  followed by Denny Hamlin in his No. 11 Toyota.

Seconds not good enough for the playoffs," said Wallace, who needs to win one of the final three regular-season races to earn a spot in the postseason.

Austin Cindric, who won the Daytona 500 for his first career victory, started the day No. 15 in points and finished last in the 37-car race after his No. 2 Ford hit the wall head-on in a nine-car crash that knocked Kyle Busch out of the competition.

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It was a complete mess, he said.

BUBBA BUMPED

Wallace won his first career pole Saturday, becoming the only driver to break 190 mph in the Next Gen car during qualifying this season and went even faster early in the race after a 90-minute rain delay.

Wallace, driving for 23XI Racing formed by Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin in 2020, stayed out front until he made a pit stop after 21 laps  two shy of his career high  and the decision that cost him track position due to a crash soon thereafter that included one-fourth of the field.

Wallace blamed himself for letting Harvick pull away after the last pivotal restart.

Ill wear this one on my heart for a while," he said, choking back tears. I failed everybody."

BUSCHS BAD DAY

Busch had another frustrating day, getting knocked out of the race on lap 25 due to the multi-car crash following a restart that also ended Cindric's day.

I cant buy a break right now, said Busch, who was the favorite to win the race, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Busch has failed to finish in the top 10 in eight straight races, the longest streak of the two-time champions career, and he does not have a contract for next year. Three days before racing at Michigan, he and his wife and their two young children escaped the Mall of America in Minnesota after shots were fired.

ODDS AND ENDS

Austin Hill made his Cup debut for Richard Childress Racing and finished 18th. ... Kurt Busch missed his third straight race with concussion-like symptoms. Ty Gibbs, the 19-year-old grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, filled in and was a Cup career-high 10th in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. ... Cole Custers No. 41 Ford had its front left tire engulfed in flames, ending his day midway through the race a week after Chris Bueschers No. 17 Ford caught fire. ... Bueschers paint job featured the LeBron James Family Foundation. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is a minority owner with Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of Roush Fenway Keselowski, which hosted James Bromsey III, a sixth-grade student at his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio.

UP NEXT

NASCAR shifts to Richmond Raceway in Virginia, one of the last three races of the regular season. Hamlin won at Richmond in April.

___

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
News that a company called Steel Dynamics will take over whats left of Braidy Industries and abandon the proposed Ashland aluminum plant is likely the end of this five-year debacle. Whether its a fork in the road for how we think about hope and economic development is for us to decide.

It was clear from the beginning that the deal was shady. Founder Craig Bouchard, who now says he's building a railroad to outer space, had a long history of making big promises that never materialized. The idea itself was too good to be true: one outsider with a $15 million state handout would revitalize a local steel industry ravaged by globalization.

There is a need to ask questions after a scam this spectacular. Why did so many fall for Braidy, ride the wave of optimism around it, or quietly go along despite doubts?

Kentucky jilted? Steelmaker says it will build aluminum plant in Southeast

A sign for the area designated as the future home of the Braidy Atlas aluminum mill near one of the Ashland Community and Technical College locations in Ashland, Kentucky. Nov. 26, 2019

One big reason is that the story weve been told for decades  that prosperity must come from anywhere but here  is deeply entrenched. As Dee Davis of the Daily Yonder said recently of rural places, We pretty much bet on everything but ourselves.

As coal, tobacco and manufacturing declined across Kentucky, political leaders used public dollars to build industrial parks with the promise they would attract jobs. They now sit largely empty. Kentucky recently created tax breaks to lure the now-collapsing cryptocurrency mining industry with assertions it will be the next new thing. Out-of-state con artists have been advancing a rural jobs bill in the legislature that would give them $50 million with no requirement they actually create Kentucky jobs with the money.

And harmful policy decisions have been sold with assurances they will attract companies to the state or cause more people to move here. Thats been the narrative for everything from right-to-work legislation, which research shows lowers wages without creating jobs, to cutting income taxes, which benefits millionaires while slashing funds for schools and health care.

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False promises like these have us betting against ourselves while helping politicians through the next election and lining the pockets of corporate interests. They leave us waiting for prosperity to come knocking on our door. And they delay a reckoning with the real facts while distracting from what it takes to build an economy that works for all.

More:Auto supplier to build $37.5 million facility in Kentucky, creating hundreds of jobs

Decades of policy decisions at multiple levels of government have rigged the economy against workers, resulting in plant shutdowns, stagnant wages, degraded public services and family budgets strained by the costs of health care, housing and more. Meanwhile the wealthiest 1% have gobbled up more and more of the nations income and wealth.

The days of a single breadwinner with a family-supporting job are mostly behind us. Policies have deliberately weakened the unions that bravely won that prosperity, and many of those jobs have been offshored or automated away. While occasional good news like the Hardin County battery plants are welcome relief, we cant expect enough such projects to fall in our laps.

The end of the Braidy mirage is a chance to see the way forward more clearly, to find that the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

If we learn from this failure, new priorities might come into view.

Rather than waiting for jobs that will may never appear, we can make the ones we have now better through unionization and a much higher minimum wage. Rather than hoping the market will one day find us, we can demand our government invest directly now in new public jobs that meet pressing community needs, from land restoration to health improvement. Rather than giving more away to the powerful few, we can redirect public resources to cutting the costs burdening families  from child care to prescription drugs to higher education.

Its when we finally look to each other that the real solutions begin to emerge.

Jason Bailey is executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, www.kypolicy.org.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Lets learn from Braidy, and seek more answers from each other
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Authorities in Macau instructed residents to conduct at least two days of COVID-19 tests after a person who travelled from the Chinese special administrative region to neighbouring city Zhuhai was found to have been infected with the virus.

The move comes days after Macau started to unwind stringent anti-COVID rules, including the resumption of travel to Zhuhai without quarantine from Aug. 3.

The Macau government said in a statement on Sunday that all of the city's 700,000 residents should take rapid antigen tests on Sunday and Monday and upload the results to a government website.

Thousands of residents living near Macau's border to Zhuhai and the Taipa district, which sits alongside the city's Las Vegas-style Cotai strip, must do official nucleic acid tests, the government said.

Authorities have also sealed up the infected person's apartment building and the supermarket where the person worked.

Macau reopened public services and entertainment facilities and allowed the resumption of in-restaurant dining on Aug. 2.

The former Portuguese colony has reported around 1,800 infections since mid-June when it was hit with its worst coronavirus outbreak that forced the closure of casinos and locked down most of the city.

More than 90% of Macau's residents are fully vaccinated against COVID but authorities have closely followed China's zero-COVID mandate which seeks to curb all outbreaks at almost any cost, contrary to much of the rest of the world which is already adjusting to living with the virus.

(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
A man was charged with driving while intoxicated and a slew of other offenses after police say he crashed into a downtown Ithaca building on Sunday night.

No injuries were reported following the crash.

According to the Ithaca Police Department, officers responded to a report of a vehicle hitting a building in the 200 block of East Green Street shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday, August 7.

After an on-scene investigation, it was determined that the driver was intoxicated, police said.

IPD reported that the driver initially resisted arrest but was then taken into custody and processed at the IPD Headquarters. He was later released to a sober third party.

The driver was charged with the following offenses:

Driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor

resisting arrest, misdemeanor

multiple vehicle and traffic law violations

IPD officers report only minor damage was caused to the East Green Street building.

Tompkins County: Man flees burglary, jumps on moving tractor trailer

For subscribers: In the Town of Danby, residents are at odds over a proposed noise law

Climate:Finger Lakes, Western NY counties under drought watch

Follow Kate Collins on Twitter: @kcollins213. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Man arrested after crashing into Ithaca building
Aug. 8POTTSVILLE  DocHouse LLC, a medical marijuana facility in Norwegian Twp., has invested $500,000 on a new filtration system to contain an odor that residents have described as pervasive and overwhelming.

Over the past year, Norwegian Twp. residents on Chamberlaine Avenue, Saint Clair Avenue and nearby streets noticed a frequent smell of cannabis emanating from the facility.

Describing the smell as "noxious," Dale Verchick, who lives on Chamberlaine Avenue, said it affected her and her neighbors' quality of life, limiting the time they could spend outside.

"We're a close neighborhood," Verchick said Wednesday. "We're all close friends. We like to just hang out on the street, and we just feel like we haven't been able to do that because of this issue."

Norwegian Twp. Supervisor David George said the odor had been emitted because the facility lacked a proper filtration system for the exhaust.

George Reppy, a DocHouse representative, made the announcement about the filtration system at a recent township supervisors meeting, according to Supervisor Thomas Dallago.

"I'm glad they addressed the problem," Dallago said.

A spokesperson from DocHouse's parent company, Ayr Wellness, confirmed that the issue has been remedied.

"We evaluated our facilities, including our HVAC, and made updates," said the spokesperson, who didn't want to be named. "We always strive to be a good neighbor and appreciate the support we've received from the community."

Since the new filtration system was installed last month, Dallago said, the Norwegian Twp. supervisors have not received any more complaints about the odor.

Verchick said she and her family started noticing the odor last year, mistaking it at first for that of a skunk. The odor was noticeable in every area of her home, including her bedroom, and persisted throughout the day.

"It was awful when it first started," she said.

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Her neighbor, Glynn Jenkins, agreed that the smell was a problem for those in the neighborhood.

"Everybody I talked to said that they could smell it," he said Wednesday. "It's not only affecting our street, it's also affecting the next township (East Norwegian Twp.)."

In the summer, the smell was most potent from late afternoon through "the wee hours of the morning," Verchick said.

With the new system now in place, George hopes the problem is solved and residents will have no further cause for concern.

"They are making moves to eliminate the problem, so we're happy about that," George said.

Verchick, who hasn't noticed the odor since Wednesday, is happy the facility has taken measures to contain the spread of the odor.

"It feels like the issue has been resolved," she said. "Hopefully, it stays that way. We'll see as time goes on."

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Matt Gaetz is urging Rep. Jim Jordan to run for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives if Republicans win back the majority this November.

Gaetz, R-Fla., said the Ohio Republican is not only trusted by the conservative grassroots, but could also unite the disparate factions within the House GOP.

"For my money, the best person to be speaker of the House would be Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio," Gaetz said during an interview with Fox News Digital at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas. "Our base trusts him. He's the hardest working, most talented member."

GAETZ HAMMERS FORMER GOP COLLEAGUE-TURNED-DISNEY LOBBYIST IN TENSE EXCHANGE

Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, is a conservative stalwart within the House GOP. A one-time chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Jordan was a top opponent of the Republican leadership under Speaker John Boehner during the early 2010s.

After the 2018 elections, Jordan ran for House minority leader against then-GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy of California. McCarthy won the race by a large margin.

Since the contest, the GOP conference has shifted to the right under McCarthy's leadership. At the same time, McCarthy has worked to bring Jordan into the leadership fold as an adviser.

Rep. Jim Jordan speaks to the press in the Rayburn House Office building in Washington, June 4, 2021. Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Jordan has stated previously that he would back McCarthy if Republicans retook the majority, and his office did not comment on Gaetz's CPAC comments to Fox News Digital.

Despite Jordan's support, Gaetz said he was unsold on McCarthy as speaker of the House.

"A question that I have gotten consistently at CPAC is, Can we trust Kevin McCarthy to be in the battle with us and not be a valet for the lobbyists and special interests?" he said. "I still think that's an open question."

HOUSE GOP LEADER MCCARTHY MEETS WITH CAUCUS ON 'COMMITMENT TO AMERICA' MIDTERM STRATEGY

McCarthy, who has raised more than $100 million for GOP efforts to retake the House, is the heavy favorite for the speakership. The Californian has a strong base of support among mainline conservatives as well as moderate Republicans, who often make up the difference between having a majority or minority.

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McCarthy's office did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Gaetz has previously floated the idea of former President Donald Trump being elected speaker, noting that the role does not officially require the presiding officer to be a member of the House.

"I did offer to President Trump the concept of the speakership and he had little interest in it," said Gaetz. "I think he's interested in a different job in our federal government, not speaker of the House."

Regardless of who winds up with the speaker's gavel, Gaetz said Republicans need a vision for how to govern when in the majority.

"I think we should convert every committee in the Congress to an oversight committee," he argued. "This is not time to hold hands in the warm spring rain with the Democrats and figure out if we can pass a spending bill or an infrastructure bill."

"If we don't fulfill those commitments to our voters, then we'll be wiped out in the subsequent elections. And this will all have been for naught," he added. "So I'm here to make sure we have a fighting spirit in the Republican Party, and that we deliver on those wins."

McCarthy, for his part, appears to agree. The minority leader told Fox News earlier this year that if Republicans win the majority they will push a robust agenda focusing on oversight and accountability.

"We have worked together with all the members in the Congress for last year and a half  talking with every committee to have oversight," McCarthy told Fox News' Sean Hannity.

"To hold this administration accountable, to hold [cabinet] secretaries accountable of how they are spending [taxpayer] money," he continued.
Going through high school can be scary and stressful and adding not having easy access to personal hygiene products can make it more difficult.

Mental health counselor Valencia Jones and new media artist Diana Teeters have come together with the Social Therapy Project to create personal hygiene bags for Huntington High School students called "Be Blessed Bags" and they need your help.

"We're trying to raise $1,000 to create these bags that have toiletry items, hygiene and personal hygiene products that impoverished high school kids may not have," explained Teeters. "The goal is to have 25 female and 25 male bags put together."

File photo

The bags will include full sizes of toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, soap, a toothbrush, razors, chap stick, hand sanitizer and female bags will include pads.

"For high schoolers, some of their parents don't have the money for these things," said Jones. "They can go to school and not feel good about themselves and therefor not do good at school and then even get bullied. We kind of take things for granted that people have all these things and that's not a big deal, when it is a big deal for some."

More: How does the tampon shortage impact Northwest Louisiana?

School counselors at Huntington High School will carefully and discreetly choose students with help from the teachers. Those students will come by at the end of their day to meet in private with the counselors and Jones to receive their bags.

These bags will be given out to students on Friday, August 26 and any leftover bags or items will be taken to downtown Shreveport to hand out to the homeless.

To donate items for the bags, they can be dropped off at the back entrance to the Highland Center located at 520 Olive St. in Shreveport from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

To donate money to fill the bags, visit the "Be Blessed Bags for Impoverish High Schoolers" GoFundMe page at gofundme.com.

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport GoFundMe needs help supplying high schoolers with hygiene bags
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) on Friday requested a special prosecutor investigate her opponents alleged involvement in a group that gained unauthorized access to voting machines.

Politico published a petition from Nessels office calling for the special prosecutor after her investigation into the alleged scheme found ties to Matthew DePerno, the presumptive Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general, who is endorsed by former President Trump.

When this investigation began there was not a conflict of interest, the petition states. However, during the course of the investigation, facts were developed that DePerno was one of the prime instigators of the conspiracy.

The Hill has reached out to Nessels office and the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, the group that received the petition, for comment.

Nessels investigation began after a request in February from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who said she received reports that at least one unnamed third party was able to gain inappropriate access to voting machines in Richfield Township and Roscommon County.

Reuters on Sunday first publicly revealed DePernos alleged ties in Nessels investigation, and Politico moments later reported on her offices request for a special prosecutor.

Reuters cited court documents alleging DePerno led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting machines in Richfield Township.

In its petition, Nessels office said the special prosecutor should review charges like willfully damaging a voting machine and fraudulent access to a computer system.

Trump in September endorsed DePerno, who is a vocal supporter of the former presidents unfounded claims of election fraud.

Tyson Shepard, DePernos campaign manager, in a statement called Nessels actions unethical.

Dana Nessel has a history of targeting and persecuting her political enemies, Shepard said.

At the same time she has refused to prosecute any crime involving Democrats including the deaths resulting from the nursing home COVID scandal, he added.

Republican state lawmakers have grilled Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmers (D) administration for her executive order early in the pandemic that placed seniors recovering from COVID-19 in dedicated isolation wings in nursing homes, arguing the policy led to more deaths.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In the United States, its estimated that one in four women and one in ten men will experience sexual or physical violence or stalking from an intimate partner  meaning a current or former spouse or dating partner  in their lifetime.

Whats unknown is how many of those instances include reproductive coercion or control, a form of intimate partner violence where someone controls their partners access to birth control, forces them to get pregnant or controls the outcome of a pregnancy.

When Missouri banned abortions on June 24, it raised concerns for survivors of IPV and the advocates who work with them.

More: Missouri bans abortion with 'trigger law' after U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

Reproductive coercion and reproductive abuse is an all-too-common form of intimate partner sexual assault, said Matthew Huffman, chief public affairs officer for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. People are really, really concerned about the full weight of what this will mean for sexual assault and incest survivors.

It can add another layer of trauma for some survivors of rape and abuse.

Limiting or removing survivors privacy and autonomy further traumatizes survivors of rape and abuse by removing their ability to make choices for themselves, MOCADSV said in a press release shortly after the ban took effect.

Kai Sutton is a survivor of an abusive relationship. At a community rally on June 24, she shared that in the past she had been forced to have an abortion.

For her, the ban felt like a violation of not just her own autonomy, but the autonomy of others, too.

You should have the choice to do what you want, and you shouldnt ever be forced. And the fact that there are people out here in abusive relationships who are feeling forced to terminate a pregnancy because of their abusers manipulation and power control, it is just toxic at the highest level, Sutton said. However, with the new laws where (abortion) is not an option for people, it's taking away a personal choice, and no one should ever have their right to choose anything for themselves to be controlled by another person.

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More: Springfield has a domestic violence problem. So why are police seeing fewer reports?

If you or someone you know needs help in a domestic violence situation, they can call Springfield's Harmony House hotline at 417-864-7233, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How will Missouri's abortion ban affect abuse survivors?
A New Orleans mother stands accused of killing her four-year-old daughter and attacking her two-year-old son after she posted a short video on Instagram in which she had blood dripping down her chest.

Janee Pedescleaux, 31, was taken into custody on Sunday on charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Ms Pedescleaux allegedly stabbed her daughter to death and tried to do the same to her son, according to NOLA.

Police arrived at the home in the Florida area of New Orleans in Louisiana after 11am on Sunday. At that time, the children had already been taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.

On Sunday afternoon, the boy was in critical condition. The daughter, named by family friends as Paris Roberts, died at the hospital.

NOLA reported that investigators think that Ms Pedescleaux is the woman in a video shared on the social media platform earlier that same day.

The video has been deleted. In the footage, Ms Pedescleaux looks at the camera wearing a bonnet and a blood-stained tank top.

Im done, she says in the video, appearing to be emotional. My children are dead. Im done. Im done with life.

Its all Jermaines fault, she said, according to WWL.

Legal filings reveal that Ms Pedescleaux and the childrens father, Jermaine Roberts, were engaged in a custody battle.

Mr Roberts sued Ms Pedescleaux in Orleans Parish court in April. He was seeking joint custody so that he would be allowed to see the kids on the weekend.

He said in legal filings that Ms Pedescleaux wasnt allowing him to see the kids, adding that she was not stable or providing a healthy environment for the kids, according to NOLA.

A hearing was scheduled to take place later in August.
Cobie Smulders as Robin and Neil Patrick Harris as Barney in season six of "How I Met Your Mother." Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

Neil Patrick Harris spoke to GQ about playing Barney Stinson in "How I Met Your Mother."

Harris said Barney's evolution was "mostly" due to his real-life "talent crush" on Cobie Smulders.

"I started flirting with her as much as I could on camera," he said.

Neil Patrick Harris said that his real-life adoration for "How I Met Your Mother" costar Cobie Smulders contributed to his character Barney Stinson's storyline in the hit sitcom.

"I think Barney's evolution mostly came about from my falling in love with Cobie Smulders," Harris said while discussing his career in a new video for GQ.

Harris told the publication that he didn't fit into the initial description of the character and he was skeptical of "HIMYM" because of the "terrible" title.

"Who names a show, 'How I Met Your Mother?' There's not even any rhyming to it," he said. "Like, a bunch of basic words put together as a sentence. It's not a title, but I digress."

From left: Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, and Cobie Smulders sitting at a table in season eight, episode four of "How I Met Your Mother." Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images

The series  costarring Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, and Alyson Hannigan  ran for nine seasons between 2005 and 2014. Harris portrayed Barney, a womanizer with a penchant for wearing suits at all times.

Over the course of the show, architect Ted Mosby (Radnor) told two children how he met their mother, through a series of long-winded stories about his life as a single, optimistic guy living in NYC with his friends.

"HIMYM" also featured plenty of celebrity cameos, from Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears to Harris' real-life husband, David Burtka.

The series premiere established that Smulders' character, a TV journalist named Robin Scherbatsky, wasn't the titular mother, despite her and Ted's flirtations in the episode. Instead, she was referred to as "aunt Robin."

Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, and Cobie Smulders in the series premiere of "How I Met Your Mother." Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

Harris told GQ that he used that to his advantage as the show continued.

"I was like, wait a second. She's so talented and hot and funny and Canadian already," he said of Smulders. "That's four stars. She's just amazing. So I started flirting with her as much as I could on camera and that Barney could do all of that."

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"I kind of like had a talent crush on Cobie Smulders," Harris added.

As "HIMYM" progressed, Barney slowly shed his playboy persona and developed romantic feelings for Robin.

"They sort of saw our chemistry change," Harris said. "And then that shifted Barney into being more single-minded and really honoring the notion of changing who he is and changing his ways as much as he was able."

Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders in season eight of "How I Met Your Mother." Ron P. Jaffe/CBS via Getty Images

Barney proposed to Robin in season eight and they got married in season nine.

But part one of the series finale revealed that Barney and Robin got divorced after three years of marriage. At the end of the finale, Robin ended up with Ted.

"I meet a lot of straight frat kinda guys at bars that are super stoked that I'm the guy who played Barney Stinson and some of them tell me that they're not gay, but that they would fool around with me," Harris told GQ. "That doesn't happen nearly enough, the follow through, do you know what I'm saying? But I'm flattered by the ida of it, by the notion of it."

Read the original article on Insider
TRENTON  A man serving 20 years in state prison for shooting a pair of security guards at a crowded Ladies Night event in Willingboro has a chance at a reduced sentence, thanks to an appellate court decision that denied him a new trial.

Former Trenton resident Brandon M. Washington, now 37, is an inmate at Northern State Prison in Newark. The security guards recovered from their wounds.

Police and court records state the incident took place at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4914 on Feb. 16, 2017.

More:Heres why iconic ice cream brand Jack & Jill is leaving Burlington County

More:Fed up with trash problems, Delran mayor asks county to consider collection service

The appellate ruling, issued on August 4, does not say the original sentence is not fair or suggest an alternative. However, it notes, a judge is expected to explain in detail their reasoning for consecutive sentences.

The Burlington County Prosecutors Office declined on Friday to comment on the ruling.

Defense attorney Robin Kay Lord did not immediately respond on Friday to a request for comment.

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.

Records show Washington was convicted on two counts of second-degree passion provocation attempted murder.

The trial judge sentenced him in April 2019 to consecutively serve 10 years in prison on each count. Washington also must serve at least 85 percent of each term to become eligible for parole.

Leading up to the shooting, witnesses said at the trial, a security guard had forced Washington outside after the two had a physical altercation. Washington had been told to leave but refused. Witnesses said the guard immediately returned inside the post, where more than 150 people were gathered

Witnesses said Washington reentered within seconds, took a pistol from his waistband, and opened fire.

Mark Peterson, then 67, a VFW member working security that night, was shot in the right arm.

William Matthews, then 56, also working security, was shot in the left hand and in the head. It was Matthews who forced Washington out of the building, according to testimony.

Police said they did not find Washington at the scene. He was arrested on Feb. 21, 2017 at a home in Willingboro. The pistol used in the shootings was not recovered.

This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Man convicted in Willingboro VFW 'Ladies Night' wins court appeal
Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

View our latest analysis for Noxopharm

Does Noxopharm Have A Long Cash Runway?

A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. When Noxopharm last reported its balance sheet in December 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$17m. In the last year, its cash burn was AU$14m. So it had a cash runway of approximately 14 months from December 2021. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Is Noxopharm's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

In the last year, Noxopharm did book revenue of AU$6.0m, but its revenue from operations was less, at just AU$484k. Given how low that operating leverage is, we think it's too early to put much weight on the revenue growth, so we'll focus on how the cash burn is changing, instead. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 22%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but investors should be mindful of the fact that will shorten the cash runway. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Noxopharm due to its lack of significant operating revenues. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

How Hard Would It Be For Noxopharm To Raise More Cash For Growth?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Noxopharm shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$70m, Noxopharm's AU$14m in cash burn equates to about 20% of its market value. That's fairly notable cash burn, so if the company had to sell shares to cover the cost of another year's operations, shareholders would suffer some costly dilution.

Is Noxopharm's Cash Burn A Worry?

Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Noxopharm's cash runway was relatively promising. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 2 warning signs for Noxopharm that you should be aware of before investing.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



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.

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ISLAMABAD (AP)  A late night roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan struck a vehicle carrying members of the Pakistani Taliban group, killing a senior leader and three other militants, several Pakistani officials and militant figures said Monday.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Sunday night killing of Abdul Wali, also widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, in Afghanistan's Paktika province. His death is a heavy blow to the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan group or the TTP.

The TTP blamed Pakistani intelligence agents for the killing, without offering evidence or elaborating.

The three other slain militants included Khurasani's driver and two of his close aides. No one else was in the car at the time of the attack, according to Pakistani officials and the TTP members who spoke to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the attack has not yet been publicly announced.

A statement from the TTP was expected later Monday.

The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan a year ago as the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout.

The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 14 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction of Pakistani military presence in the countrys former tribal regions.

Khurasani, a senior TTP leader, split in 2014 to form his own militant group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which later joined the Pakistani Taliban. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2016. Rewards for Justice, the U.S. State Department's counter-terrorism rewards program, offered up to $3 million for information on Khurasani.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is accused of launching multiple attacks against Pakistani forces and religious minorities. The group also claimed responsibility for killing two Pakistani employees of the U.S. Consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar in March 2016.

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That same year, it claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore that killed more than 70 people.

The TTP  an umbrella group of several militant factions  has also been behind numerous attacks on Pakistani troops and civilians over the last 15 years.

Khurasani was part of the TTP's negotiators who were holding talks with Pakistani officials since May. Three other militants killed in the bombing were identified by security officials and TTP members as Hassan Ali, Mufti Hassan and Hafiz Daulat. It was not immediately known where were they buried.

It was not immediately clear if and how Khurasani's killing would affect about three monthslong cease-fire between TTP and Pakistan's government. The truce was originally announced in May and was later extended for an indefinite period after talks between the Pakistani government and the TTP hosted by the Afghan Taliban in Kabul.

The cease-fire has mostly been holding, raising prospects for progress in the talks between the two sides.

TTP has long fought for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in Pakistan, release of their members from government custody, and a reduction of military presence in Pakistan's former northwestern tribal regions.

The Pakistani Taliban became more infamous across the world for their 2012 shooting of Malala Yousafzai in Swat Valley. She was just 15 years old at the time and had enraged the Taliban with her campaign for girls education. Two years later, Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The TTPs more large-scale claims of responsibility include the horrific 2014 attack on a Pakistani armys public school in Peshawar that killed 147  mostly children, some as young as five years old.

Islamabad has demanded that the new Taliban rulers in Afghanistan prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan. Before the Taliban takeover next door, Islamabad and Kabul had often traded blame and accused each other of sheltering militants.

Pakistan now says it has finished the construction of more than 93% of a fence along the border with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border militant attacks.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.
A toothbrush is one personal care item that you should definitely replace on a regular basis. Why? Because your mouth is home to some 700 species of microbes, or germs like bacteria and fungus, which amounts to roughly six billion different bacteria. In fact, your oral microbiome is the second largest and most diverse after your gut microbiome. And like the microbial makeup of your gut, some types of bacteria that live in your mouth are the good guys, taking care of business when it comes to digestion, cleanliness, fresh breath, and more (counterintuitive, but true!). But some other bacteria aren't quite so helpful, and your toothbrush can easily get loaded with millions of germs.

You want to be hygienic without being unnecessarily wastefulso how often should you really swap out for a new toothbrush? We asked dentists how long you can go before replacing a used toothbrush, how to tell if it's time to toss yours, and if there's anything you can do in between to keep those bristles clean.

Bamboo Wood Toothbrushes Repetition Pattern

Mirage C/Getty Images

RELATED: Here's the Right Way to Floss That'll Make Your Next Trip to the Dentist More Pleasant

How often should you replace your toothbrush?

Three to four months for manual toothbrushes.

The American Dental Association recommends replacing your manual toothbrush every three to four monthsbut not stretching it past six months. "People should replace their toothbrush at a minimum of every six months," confirms LaQuia A. Walker Vinson, DDS, MPH, a board-certified specialist in pediatric dentistry. Your toothbrush quite literally brushes bacteria off of your teeth, and any germs can stick around even after you've rinsed off post-brush. Plus, worn out toothbrushes don't remove plaque well, so you'll want to swap it regularly in order to give your teeth and gums the good cleanings they deserve.

One to two months for electric toothbrushes.

Electric toothbrush heads, on the other hand, may need to be replaced even sooner. "With electric toothbrushes, the time is typically shorter, about one to two months," says Thomas McCarthy, DDS. "Electric toothbrushes vibrate at high speeds and the brush heads don't last as long as standard toothbrushes."

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ASAP if you've been sick.

Dr. Vinson does say, however, if you've been sick with a cold, flu, or other virus or infection, it's important to toss your toothbrush and grab a new one right away once you've recoveredeven if you're nowhere near the three-to-four-month mark.

RELATED: Should You Brush Your Teeth Before or After Breakfast?

Other Signs You Need to Replace Your Toothbrush

Depending on the type of toothbrush you have, it may give you some telltale signs that it's overdue for replacement. "If the bristles start to bend and curve up, it is definitely time," Dr. Vinson says. According to a 2013 study, bristle flaring actually makes your toothbrush less effective after 40 days of consistent use.

Some brushes are made with specific technology to signal that they've past their prime. "Many toothbrushes have built-in indicators that change over time from colored to white to tell you it is time for them to be replaced," Dr. Vinson adds.

Other signs that you need to replace your toothbrush include any discoloration and bristles that are falling out, frayed, or losing stiffness. "The act of brushing weakens the bristles of the toothbrush. After the bristles start to flare, they no longer come in contact with the tooth [in the correct position," Dr. McCarthy explains.

RELATED: The 5 Best Dentist-Approved Ways to Get Whiter Teeth

Can you wash or disinfect your toothbrush in the meantimeor to make it last longer?

Washing or disinfecting your toothbrush won't necessarily make it last longer, since the bristles will still get worn down no matter how clean you keep it. But it can help keep it clean while in use. For everyday maintenance, "the best step is to run it under hot water before and after use," says London-based dentist Parneet Sehmi, BDS, MJDF, RCS. "This helps soften the bristles and release food particles and trapped toothpaste."

To disinfect your toothbrush, Dr. Sehmi suggests filling a small cup with an antibacterial mouthwash and soaking your toothbrush inside, stirring it in the solution for about 30 seconds.

More Toothbrush Care Tips:

There are a few good ways to care for your toothbrush that can help it work more effectively (though you'll still want to replace it regularly).

The CDC recommends letting your toothbrush air-dry after each use (bacteria like wet environments), and to store it in an upright position.

Never share toothbrushes.

If more than one brush is stored in the same holder, space them apart so they don't touch each other.

Avoid storing toothbrushes in closed containers, which can easily cause bacteria to grow.

But the best way to care for toothbrushes is to replace them every three to four months!

RELATED: You're Probably Brushing Your Teeth WrongTry These Dentist-Approved Tips for a Better Smile
James Gunn and Nigella Lawson are among the stars who have paid tribute to Grease icon Olivia Newton-John, after the actor died aged 73 from cancer.

Newton-John  best known for her role as the sweet, kind Sandy in the hit 1978 musical  died this morning (8 August) at her home in Southern California, according to her official Facebook page. Read live updates on the story here.

Many stars, including Newton-Johns Grease co-star John Travolta, have reacted to the news.

Really sad to hear about the passing of Olivia Newton-John, posted Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. My first real crush as a kid. I loved Grease & her music & I coincidentally also bought & lived in for a while the wonderful home she built in Malibu. May she Rest In Peace.

Chef Nigella Lawson posted: Her memory is already a blessing.

Coda star Marlee Matlin wrote: I am SO saddened at the news of the passing of Olivia Newton-John. I remember being so star struck when I met her at my first Hollywood gathering for Paramount. She was the sweetest and brightest light and I loved getting to know her on Its My Party. RIP dear, sweet Olivia.

Communitys Yvette Nicole Brown tweeted: Olivia Newton-John has died. Thats it. Im done guys. Heartbroken doesnt even BEGIN to cover it. I ADORED her. I hate this so much. She was only 73. What is going on?!

We have lost a great, iconic artist in Olivia Newton John, gone too soon from us at age 73. I trust she is now in the great Xanadu beyond. Know that we are forever hopelessly devoted to you, Olivia. Rest in song and mirth.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 8, 2022

Olivia Newton John so completely dominated the charts and Top Of The Pops when I was a kid, it felt like she WAS pop music. And yes, Xanadu is still a stone cold classic song. RIP x pic.twitter.com/VFfQenPcOM  edgarwright (@edgarwright) August 8, 2022

i am absolutely rocked to hear about the passing legendary olivia newton john. thank you for inspiring my childhood alongside many other young girls.may an icon rest beautifully xx pic.twitter.com/GJXfi1CIfq  childish hambino (@taylorhickson) August 8, 2022

There are some people you never meet but when theyre gone you still feel the loss personally.

Olivia Newton John is one of those people. RIP pic.twitter.com/tpvSph6kLK  Ken Olin (@kenolin1) August 8, 2022

Newton-John is survived by her husband John Easterling, daughter Chloe Lattanzi, sister Sarah Newton-John and brother Toby Newton-John.
Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Associated British Foods plc (LON:ABF) as an investment opportunity 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. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Associated British Foods

The Method

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. 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 need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK838.9m UK895.7m UK827.5m UK895.5m UK905.4m UK914.9m UK924.2m UK933.3m UK942.4m UK951.4m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x8 Analyst x7 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 1.1% Est @ 1.05% Est @ 1.01% Est @ 0.99% Est @ 0.97% Est @ 0.96% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 4.8% UK800 UK815 UK719 UK742 UK716 UK690 UK666 UK641 UK618 UK595

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK7.0b

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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 4.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK951m (1 + 0.9%)  (4.8% 0.9%) = UK25b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK25b ( 1 + 4.8%)10= UK16b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is UK23b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK16.5, the company appears quite undervalued at a 42% discount to where the stock price trades currently. 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

The Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual 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 Associated British Foods 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 4.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Associated British Foods, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should consider:

Risks: As an example, we've found 1 warning sign for Associated British Foods that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does ABF'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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



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.

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CHICAGO -- After a 29-year-old Pakistani Muslim woman was shot and killed last month, in an apparent murder-suicide by her soon-to-be ex-husband, her death sparked countless conversations and reflection within the South Asian and Muslim communities about how cultural stigma, particularly surrounding divorce, can unfairly burden women.

Sania Khan was open about her ongoing divorce proceedings on her TikTok page where she has thousands of followers and nearly 400,000 likes on her posts. She shared several videos about her struggles in an effort to bring awareness to a taboo topic and uplift women and their voices, friends of Khans said. She was not only vocal online about how her pending divorce weighed heavily on her but also the added blame and shame coming from people within the communities she identified with.

Instagram accounts such as womanistan, faces of Pakistan, unsweetened and unfiltered and more, all with tens of thousands of followers, each spoke of Khans story and how generations of problematic perspectives have only perpetuated cultures that sometimes deny the realities of this world, such as mental health, marital troubles and divorce.

To my Southasian queens, a reminder that you dont have to settle in marriage or love, Khan wrote in one of her videos. The person you marry is the person you sleep next to every single night. Please dont take that lightly. Sleeping next to you is a honor. Is that man truly deserving of you or does he just look good on paper?

Khan was killed in her Gold Coast apartment July 18 apparently by Raheel Ahmad, 36, who she had married in Fulton County, Georgia, on June 19, 2021, according to police and court records. They moved to Chicago together soon after.

Ahmad, who was born in Pakistan, and Khan, who is of Pakistani descent, had been together for about five years prior to getting married, said Mehru Sheikh, a friend of Khans who was the maid of honor in their wedding. The couple met online, Sheikh said.

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But on Jan. 20, Khan and her husband separated, and Khan filed for divorce in February, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was still pending at the time of their deaths.

Sheikh said Khan wondered whether she should post about her divorce on social media because of the backlash she knew shed receive, but ultimately thought it was important to be vulnerable and allow people to see themselves reflected in her.

We as a society are willing to sacrifice women time and time again just to uphold some culture norms, and she was not about it, Sheikh said. After careful consideration going back and forth, she finally decided that she owed it to herself and other women of color to speak out because she felt like it was a personal responsibility for her to speak out and let other women who are in the same situation know that this is something that happens. Not everything is roses and rainbows.

Domestic violence advocates who work primarily within the South Asian and Muslim communities said that the extra societal and cultural expectations can deter or silence a person from speaking up about abuse or other relationship problems, even though the sentiment isnt reflective of the communities as a whole.

Neha Gill is executive director of Apna Ghar, which translates from Urdu and Hindi to Our Home, a local nonprofit that provides a 24-hour crisis line, emergency shelter, counseling and more to those experiencing gender violence. Though Apna Ghar works with people from all backgrounds, Gill said over 95% of the clients are women and about 40% are South Asian.

I think the missing link between our work and what needs to be done is having leaders and people within the community that are really working toward helping those mindsets change and not just upholding the same stuff, said Gill. People have come here from South Asia, for example, and, oftentimes, theyre holding on to certain aspects of the culture more because they feel like thats the tradition back home.

She said many times people tend to leave it to the next generation to make change, but the reality is that Khan was supposed to be part of that future.

These are people who are young and who grew up here but still did not have the family and community support in the way that she should have had, Gill said.

Many domestic violence cases are about power, Gill said, and many domestic violence-related homicides occur when the person thats causing the harm feels like they are losing control. In wake of Khans death, the worry, she said, is that survivors of domestic violence or abuse will stay silent in fear of a similar outcome.

Theres nothing more Khan could have done, Gill said, noting Khans bravery to speak up. She encouraged anyone else dealing with trauma to do the same in order to feel safe.

Apna Ghars confidential 24-hour crisis support service can be reached by phone at 773-334-4663, by text at 773-899-1041 or by email at help@apnaghar.org.

Police found Khan dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the hallway of her apartment in the 200 block of East Ohio Street about 4:30 p.m. last Monday. Ahmad was also found in the apartment unresponsive, and was later pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to a police report.

The Cook County medical examiners office ruled Khans death a homicide and Ahmads death a suicide.

Earlier that Monday, Ahmads family had reported him missing out of Alpharetta, Georgia  where he was from  and police in Alpharetta had Chicago police conduct a well-being check at Khans Gold Coast address, according to the missing persons report. Ahmad was last seen by his family on Sunday afternoon.

According to the police report, Ahmad was found unresponsive with a Glock 9 mm in his hand, and a suicide note was also found in the apartment. Officers on scene learned Ahmad had been depressed and traveled to Chicago to see Khan to try to salvage the marriage, the report said.

Khan, a photographer, was born in the U.S. and spent parts of her early life around the East Coast in New Jersey and Philadelphia before settling with her family and spending much of her life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sheikh said Khan was supposed to move back to Chattanooga, and her apartment in Chicago was almost all packed up.

She was really looking forward to that, said Sidra Naseer, a childhood friend of Khans. She wanted to go back home and be closer to her support circles but also because she had a huge photography basis there.

Sheikh and Naseer both attended Khans funeral service in Chattanooga. Naseer said there were 200 to 300 people at the funeral in person and another 300 or so watching from around the world via Google Meets and other livestreams.

Friends of Khans organized a memorial hike at Falling Water Falls because she loved nature, being outdoors and hiking, Naseer said. Khans high school in Chattanooga hosted a balloon release and memorial.

Naseer described Khan as the heart and pulse of the friend group and one of the most creative people

Her laughter and her smile literally lit up the world, she said.

Naseer said Khans parents are no longer together, and her relationship with both parents was always a little bit on the rocky side, but at the end of the day, Khan loved her loved ones.

She has two younger siblings, Naseer said, and was very close with her moms side of the family. She had been estranged from her father since last year, Naseer said.

Shes somebody who never, despite how much life has put her through, never really had any ill-intent toward anyone, Naseer said. She was always positive.

Sheikh said she met Khan about three years ago in Dallas when both were working as flight attendants. Khan was Sheikhs wedding photographer.

Her heart stands out most to me, Sheikh said. She was willing to do anything and everything for people that she loved, like over and over and over.

Khan spoke about her love for travel on her photography website, which is why she was a flight attendant for about a year and a half before taking on photography full time. She also said on her website her favorite layover was always Chicago.

Khan also worked as a social worker for about four years and spent time as a substitute teacher, mental health technician and more. But photography was always her passion.

She became alive with a camera, Sheikh said. It was really, really magical.

Sheikh said Khans rawness online created a community of other South Asian women who saw themselves in her.

In one TikTok video, Khan wrote South Asian culture is so mentally draining. Sitting in a coffee shop getting lectured by family members after my TikTok went viral. Women are always expected to stay silent. Its what keeps us in messed-up situations in the first place. Im done with this mentality.

Sheikh recalled the numerous times Khan would share with her the online messages she received from strangers, saying they resonated with what she was going through and thanking her for speaking up.

Aliza Kazmi, co-executive director of the national nonprofit Heart, reflected on Khans courage to be vocal about the double injustice she was facing.

Its really heartbreaking and leaves me speechless, honestly, hearing that she was even in this situation, Kazmi said. Not only was she dealing with ending her marriage because of unfortunate circumstances, but then after she left her husband she faced other layers of abuse with the judgment and the shaming from people in the community.

Heart is a Muslim-centered anti-violence and reproductive justice organization that offers education, training, advocacy and more.

For Heart, Kazmi said the guiding light when it comes to ourselves and others is to have mercy and compassion, which comes from Islamic teachings. Mercy and compassion, Kazmi said, are what would have helped Khan out of her situation.

She also said the double-sided coin of being Muslim and South Asian is that these communities already face racism from the outside and still have to combat various cultural stigmas from within, like patriarchy, toxic masculinity and misogyny.

Its all really invalid and should be actively combated because its not reflective of our true religious and cultural values, Kazmi said. If were not willing to acknowledge that we have these problems then, of course, were not going to actually do the work to unpack these inherent beliefs and well continue to think its OK for us to ignore the issues and take no action.

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(Chicago Tribunes Rosemary Sobol contributed.)

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We booked a tree-house villa at Saratoga Springs. Megan duBois

I've visited Disney World frequently for 25 years, and I recently stayed at its Treehouse Villas.

The accommodations are located in Saratoga Springs Resort, and we booked with Vacation Club points.

I stayed in the woodsy villa with 5 other people, and we thought it was great for big groups.

As a frequent Disney World visitor, I'm always looking for new places to stay.

The villa is tucked away in the trees. Megan duBois

I've booked luxurious Disney resorts like the Grand Floridian and the Riviera, and I was afraid I was running out of options for new accommodation experiences.

That was until my family booked a tree-house villa at Saratoga Springs Resort, for my birthday using our Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points.

The villa costs about $1,000 a night, so we saved a lot of money using our DVC points since we pay an annual fee for a set number of points we can use across the Disney World property.

For three nights (one weekday night and two weekend nights), the villa cost us 139 points. For reference, a regular room at Saratoga Springs costs closer to 10 points (or $450) a night.

The Treehouse Villas are secluded in a wooded area separate from the main resort.

We were able to make our way around the resort pretty easily. Megan duBois

I tried to do online check-in, but my family and I didn't receive a text. We were able to go to the Carriage House lobby building at Saratoga Springs to chat with an employee, and to our surprise, our room was ready early, around 1:00 p.m.

To get into the Treehouse Villa area, we had to drive a short distance away from the main resort to an unmanned gate and press a button for someone to let us in for the first time.

Upon driving in, I was surprised at how lush the area was with trees. It really felt like being out in the woods.

Finding our assigned tree house was challenging at first, but we made it there without too much trouble.

The location is great if you have a car.

The resort grounds were beautiful. Megan duBois

I loved that the tree houses were in a wooded area near Saratoga Springs but still felt like a whole different hotel.

The one downfall to the location is transportation. To get to the theme parks without a personal vehicle, you have to take an internal shuttle to the main resort area, then transfer to a park bus.

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Because we had a car, we were able to just drive ourselves around. But there was only one parking spot available per tree house.

For a villa that sleeps up to nine people, that can be a big challenge. But luckily, ours was located near the pool, which had additional parking.

There's also a dock where you can catch the boat to Disney Springs. The boat drops off and picks up guests near Rainforest Cafe. If you don't have a car, I think the boats were pretty quick and reliable.

Our villa was cute and perfectly themed for the outdoors.

There were lots of wooden details. Megan duBois

Our Treehouse Villa was clean and cozy, with a partial pool view and plenty of trees surrounding the structure.

The entryway to the tree house had river-rock-style tile, which opened up to a massive living room, dining area, and kitchen.

The common space had floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the trees.

There was a place for everyone to eat.

The table was a decent size. Megan duBois

The dining area had a large table that seated six people, and there were three additional bar chairs at the kitchen counter.

We found everything we needed in the kitchen.

There's a full kitchen in the villa. Megan duBois

The kitchen was well-equipped with a full-sized refrigerator, oven, microwave, sink, dishwasher, and coffee maker.

There were also plenty of plates, cups, silverware, pots, and pans for all of our cooking needs.

Unlike the more traditional hotels at Disney World, the Treehouse Villas are meant to be like vacation homes where you cook many of your meals.

We were able to cook breakfast all three mornings we were there. Lunch was mostly snacks that we brought from home, but we went to Wine Bar George (my favorite restaurant at Disney World) one day via the Disney Springs boat.

My family also cooked dinner two out of three nights. The other night we went to Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a fancy night out.

We also cooked and ate some of our meals outside.

We were able to cook on the grill outside. Megan duBois

The villa comes with a charcoal grill, where we cooked dinner one night.

My dad made cheeseburgers, and they were perfect for a casual dinner.

We could socialize and sleep in the living room.

The couches pulled out into beds. Megan duBois

The living room was spacious with a large couch and cozy chair, both of which pulled out into beds.

There was also a second chair, but it didn't transform into a sleeping space.

The TV in the living room was big, and we watched plenty of Mickey Mouse cartoons in our pajamas each morning.

One bedroom had a bunk bed.

I think the bedroom is meant for kids. Megan duBois

The first bedroom was likely meant to be a kids' room because it had a bunk bed.

There was also a TV, a large closet, a set of drawers, and a small set of shelves.

The second bedroom had a queen bed.

There are three different bedrooms in the villa. Megan duBois

Down the hallway was the second bedroom, which had a queen-sized bed, a set of drawers, and a small closet.

There was also a large TV in the room.

The hall bathroom was spacious enough.

There's one bathroom in the hallway and another in the main bedroom. Megan duBois

In the hallway with the first two rooms was a bathroom, which had a single vanity, a toilet, and a combination shower/tub.

Tubs are hard to find at newer Disney hotels, where glass-encased showers are the trend, but we appreciated it because we were traveling with a 2-year-old.

The hallway was also where the full-sized washer and dryer were located. We used it often since we played in the pool and went to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park one day.

The main bedroom was the most spacious.

All the bedrooms had their own TVs. Megan duBois

On the other side of the Treehouse Villa was the main bedroom, which had a queen-sized bed, a TV, a desk, a set of drawers, and a huge bathroom.

The main bathroom also had a combination shower/tub.

The bathtub was really nice. Megan duBois

The bathroom attached to the main bedroom had a single vanity, a toilet closet, and a unique shower set up.

The shower had a glass door, and a river-rock-style tile, but also included a large whirlpool tub inside.

We spent a lot of time on the deck.

The deck was very spacious. Megan duBois

Since the villas are up on pedestals, there was a flight of stairs that led up to the actual building and the attached deck.

We spent a lot of time out on the deck, which had a small table and four outside chairs. It was a great staging area for tongs, a spatula, and trays for food when we grilled.

The deck overlooked the woods. But it wasn't super quiet in the morning and afternoon because our tree house was close to a bus stop.

The pool was nice but nothing special.

We didn't have much of a problem with crowds at the pool. Megan duBois

The pool at the Treehouse Villas was nice. When we went it wasn't crowded, but it filled up when people returned from the theme parks in the late afternoon.

There was also a hot tub  which seemed to be the popular spot each night  and plenty of loungers and tables.

There's no slide or lifeguard at the pool, which may be a dealbreaker for some guests with kids. But Treehouse Villa guests can also use the pools at Saratoga Springs, which offer those amenities.

It was a great way to spend a weekend at Disney World.

The experience was very different from other Disney resorts. Megan duBois

My parents, two best friends, and a 2-year-old loved our time at the Treehouse Villas.

The overall vibe and amenities  undesirable parking situation aside  made it a birthday weekend well spent.

I definitely plan on staying here again knowing how fun it was. Plus, it was a great value it was since we used our DVC points.

Read the original article on Insider
Patreon is no longer available in the Russian Federation

Read also: Why international companies sell business assets in Russia to local managers

In particular, the Russian authorities have accused Grammarly of spreading "unreliable socially significant information under the guise of authentic messages."

Read also: Ukraine's Digital Ministry invites global IT companies to conduct digital lend-lease for Ukraine

On Grammarlys website, a page with a statement about the suspension of its work in Russia and Belarus has been blocked, but since its websites use the https protocol, the entire resource is not available in Russia.

Grammarly suspended services in Russia and Belarus on March 4. Since then, when trying to access our services from those countries, users were redirected to a webpage that included Grammarlys statement about the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and encouraged people to rely only on credible sources to stay informed about the war. On August 6, Roskomnadzor blocked access to this webpage.

Read also: McDonalds, Coca-Cola and the great corporate exodus. List of companies leaving Russia

The U.S. fund-raising platform Patreon in March decided to continue cooperation with Russian content makers even in the face of U.S. government sanctions.

Roskomnadzor (the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media), as well as monitoring and censoring Russias domestic media, is used by the dictatorship to block Russians access to certain websites and Internet resources.

Help NV continue reporting on the Russian invasion



Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Roger Waters is defending dubbing Joe Biden a war criminal, accusing the president of fueling the fire in the Ukraine.

That is a huge crime, the Pink Floyd co-founder said in an interview that aired Saturday on CNNs Smerconish.

During his latest solo concert tour, the 78-year-old rocker includes an image of Biden in a montage of war criminals, with the message Just getting started over the 46th presidents face.

Speaking with host Michael Smerconish, Waters wondered aloud why the United States wouldnt encourage Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war thats killing we dont know how many Ukrainians and Russians.

Biden has authorized more than $8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine over the course of 17 packages following Russias invasion, which began in February, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

Smerconish pushed back on the remarks from Waters, leading to several heated exchanges between the two.

But youre blaming the party that got invaded, come on. Youve got it reversed. [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is at fault, Smerconish said at one point.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February after previously invading in 2014 and annexing the region of Crimea. Putin and Russian media have offered the false narrative to justify the invasion that it was necessary to denazify Ukraines leadership, despite the fact that Zelensky himself is Jewish.

Russia has since received international criticism for an indiscriminate bombing campaign that has hit civilian areas in Ukraine hard. Russian soldiers have also been accused of war crimes.

The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution condemning the invasion and calling for Russia to remove its troops.

But Waters defended Russia in the contentious discussion with Smerconish.

Any war, when did it start? What you need to do is look at the history and you can say it started on this day. You can say it started in 2008, Waters said.

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This war is basically about the action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border, which they promised they wouldnt do when [former Soviet leader Mikhail] Gorbachev negotiated the withdraw of the USSR from the whole of Eastern Europe.

NATO has taken on the Baltic states and other countries in Eastern Europe once dominated by the Soviet Union as members since the fall of Soviet rule. Ukraine had pressed for NATO membership, another spark in the conflict with Russia, though it was not actually close to becoming a NATO member at the time of the invasion.

Asked by Smerconish about the U.S.s role as liberators, Waters harkened back to the Iraq War to exclaim, You have no role as liberators! What are you talking about?

Smerconish and Waters also tangled in a discussion about China, Taiwan and human rights.

After the CNN host described the Chinese as encircling Taiwan, Waters said, Theyre not encircling Taiwan  Taiwan is part of China.

Thats been absolutely accepted by the whole of the international community since 1948, Waters continued. And if you dont know that, youre not reading enough.

Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, but Taiwan has been governed separate from the mainland in the decades since the end of the Chinese Civil War. Beijing has been on a decades-long campaign to pressure other countries to not recognize Taiwan or risk being cut off from China economically.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) just made a controversial trip to Taiwan that angered Beijing and unsettled the Biden administration.

Youre believing your sides propaganda, Waters told Smerconish about Taiwan and China.

When Smerconish said China was at the top of the list of human rights offenders, Waters replied, The Chinese didnt invade Iraq and kill a million people in 2003.

England-born Waters has long been outspoken about his political views. Hes been a fierce critic of former President Trump, referring to him as a tyrant and a mass murderer.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
George, right, and Carolyn Spaulding hold an old family photo showing their son, Brian, in Portland, Ore., on July 20. (Craig Mitchelldyer / Associated Press)

Five years after Brian Spauldings parents found him fatally shot in the home he shared with roommates, his slaying remains a mystery that seems increasingly unlikely to be solved as Portland, Ore., police confront a spike in killings and more than 100 officer vacancies.

The detective assigned to investigate the death of Spaulding  a chiropractic assistant who didnt do drugs, wasnt in a gang and lived close to the house where he was born  left in 2020 in a wave of retirements and the detective assigned to it now is swamped with fresh cases after Portlands homicide rate surged 207% since 2019.

To us, its not a cold case, said George Spaulding, who has his sons signature tattooed on his arm. Were not dissatisfied with the Police Bureau because I think theyre doing the best they can. They are just overwhelmed. Its insane.

From Philadelphia to Portland to Los Angeles, killings and gun violence are rising at the same time officers worn out by the pandemic and disillusioned over the calls to divest from policing that followed George Floyds murder are quitting or retiring faster than they can be replaced.

Departments are scrambling to recruit in a tight labor market and also rethinking what services they can provide and what role police should play in their communities. Many have shifted veteran officers to patrol, breaking up specialized teams built over decades in order to keep up with 911 calls.

Were getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them, said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Eric Gripp, whose department has been rotating employees from specialty units for short assignments to increase patrols. This isnt just an issue in Philadelphia. Departments all over are down and recruitment has been difficult.

Los Angeles, which is down more than 650 officers from its pre-pandemic staffing level, shuttered its animal cruelty unit; downsized its human trafficking, narcotics and gun details; reduced its homeless outreach teams by 80%. Seattle recently announced $2 million in hiring bonuses and benefits to lure recruits amid a critical officer shortage that has hampered the investigation of serious crimes.

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The pinch has led some cities to experiment to reduce strain on patrol officers.

Portland recently added unarmed public support specialists to take reports on things like vehicle break-ins and bike thefts, and in San Diego, licensed psychiatric clinicians go to mental health calls with officers.

For me, I wonder what the profession is going to be 20 years from now if were having these challenges on a nationwide scale. Are we going to be able to recruit enough people to serve our cities? asked Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell, whose force has lost 237 sworn officers through retirements or resignations since 2020.

Portland logged a record 89 homicides last year  roughly three times its historical average  and is on pace to top that this year after already tallying more than 50. A report completed for the city last month by the California Partnership for Safe Communities found it had the largest homicide rate increase among similarly sized cities and 75% of homicides in 2020 were by gun. The city has seen nearly 800 shootings this year.

That follows a national trend. While nonviolent crime decreased during the pandemic, the murder rate increased nearly 30% in 2020 and the rate of assaults went up 10%, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Its unclear whats driving the surge, but COVID-19 created huge social disruption and upended government and community support systems. Gun sales also spiked during the pandemic.

Experts say widely cited theories that violent crime is worse in places that changed policing tactics in the wake of protests over Floyds murder dont bear out. Violent crime has increased in red and blue communities alike, regardless of their approach.

The problem is you see cities where they didnt do any of those things where crime also went up and youll see rural areas where crime also went up as well, said Ben Struhl, executive director of the Crime and Justice Policy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

Theres a lot of evidence that something bigger is going on than the social justice protests that happened, and its probably more than one thing, said Struhl, whose center has worked with Baltimore, Philadelphia and Oakland to reduce gun violence.

In Portland, gun violence once largely limited to historically marginalized neighborhoods has spread to the downtown core and more affluent areas. Last month, an Uber driver was seriously wounded and his passenger killed in an unsolved shooting.

Jeremiah King, who is transitioning out of homelessness, was shot while trying to protect a friend who was being attacked just a short walk from the citys business district.

He turned around and pulled a pistol out and I didnt see it. I didnt feel anything at first but 10 seconds later I could hardly breathe, King said as he sat on a street after three nights in the hospital. I thought I was going to pass away.

After King's shooting, three more people were injured and two killed by gunfire in the same area over a four-day span.

To address the violence, Portlands police chief broke up specialized units to bolster patrol numbers and moved detectives from assault, cold case and gun violence units to create a third eight-person homicide squad. That effectively stopped investigations into about 300 unsolved slayings going back decades, although Lovell says those investigations will resume when staffing levels return.

Still, Brian Spauldings parents now must consider the possibility that one day no one will be assigned to his case. Their son, who would be 41 now, was a free spirit whose interests included jiu jitsu, home-brewed beer and heavy metal  although he also was a sustaining member of the local classical radio station.

Brians mother sees a twisted silver lining in the violence on Portlands streets.

I keep thinking that with all of the gun violence thats going on, they might be able to get a gun that matches the gun that killed Brian, said Carolyn Spaulding, as she clutched a teddy bear made of scraps from his high school graduation quilt.

That gun violence has also spread outside Portland, to the suburban city of Gresham, Ore.

Gresham Police Chief Travis Gullberg has seen 16 officers leave in his 10 months on the job and all of his detectives are handling homicide investigations as gun violence soars.

Conversations around police reform are important work and its an opportunity for us to better serve our community  but that said, as you transition to any of those new programs  which takes a while sometimes  you still have to be providing the basic services, Gullberg said.

For now, eight officers patrol a city of 115,000 people on a typical evening shift and must constantly make decisions about how to deploy limited resources.

On a recent night, Sgt. Travis Garrison spotted a car with no plates driving erratically. The driver appeared high, probably on methamphetamine, and the passenger was almost comatose, with bloody track marks on his arm.

The driver had a suspended license, but the vehicle wasnt stolen and no one had an outstanding warrant. Garrison warned the driver to leave the car and find a ride home, and then headed to his next call. It would have taken hours to complete the testing necessary to prove the drivers meth use, Garrison said, and with officers depleted, the traffic stop wasnt a priority.

Right now, because of the spike in violent crime, were only able to investigate murders, child abuse and sex crimes, he said. Were triaging.

But what law enforcement says is a staffing crisis could actually be a case of misdirected resources, said Christy Lopez, co-director of Georgetown Law Schools Center for Innovations in Community Safety.

And in some departments, police have sworn in new recruits this year, although the numbers aren't keeping up with attrition, they say.

You really cant take it at face value when a department says you need more police officers. You need to look at a staffing audit: What are your police officers doing? What are they unable to do? It might mean that you actually need another Boys & Girls Club, not more officers, she said.

Understaffed departments sometimes shift detectives to patrol because of political pressure, but research shows solving violent crime depresses crime rates more effectively than putting rank-and-file officers on the street, Lopez said.

There may be some places where we need more police, but Im fairly convinced from the evidence that Ive seen over the decades that that cant be the answer everywhere.

Some have celebrated the downsizing, including homeless advocates in Los Angeles, where 4 out of 5 homeless outreach teams were disbanded.

Police should be nowhere around outreach. You cant be the provider of services as well as the jailer, said Pete White, the founder and executive director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network. My hope ... is that those resources that go to the Police Department are actually pointed towards real solutions.

Still many others are fed up with a perceived lack of action by police.

In Philadelphia, where the department is down 550 officers from pre-pandemic staffing and 860 more are on medical leave or restricted duty, City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez said there are more than 30,000 complaints about abandoned cars awaiting police action. One of the worst areas is in her district, where the cars block sidewalks and make the narrower streets impassable.

Officers normally assigned to a unit dealing with neighborhood issues have been shifted to the city center and violent hot spots around Philadelphia, where the homicide rate reached a record high last year.

The abandoned cars bring trash in the areas, then you know other crimes, quality of life issues, drug dealing, shootings, killings, said Kimberly Washington, executive director of the Frankford Community Development Corp. This starts to look like the place where this can all go down because no one cares.

Royal Harris knows what that's like.

Growing up in Portlands gang territory in the 1990s, his brother, two first cousins, two second cousins and numerous friends were shot to death  and many of those cases remain unsolved.

Harris supports the temporary shutdown of the citys cold case unit if it means police can close fresh cases, even though it takes resources from solving his own loved ones slayings.

Under the current climate, somebodys going to feel cheated and we have to be honest with that. The question is, who do we cheat? he said. These hard decisions [have] to be made to stop this.

Lauer reported from Philadelphia and Dazio from Los Angeles. AP video journalist Eugene Garcia in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The death of a prisoner at Lansing Correctional Facility is being investigated as a homicide, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Fred Patterson III, 56, was killed Sunday at the eastern Kansas prison, according to the department.

The apparent cause of death is homicide, KDOC said in a news release Sunday evening. The department said the results of an independent autopsy are pending.

Patterson entered Lansing on May 22 after violating parole, according to the release. He was incarcerated after being convicted in 2012 in Douglas County of one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child older than 14 and younger than 16, and one county of aggravated indecent liberties with a child younger than 14.

As is standard, the prisoners death is under investigation by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, according to the release. No other information was immediately available.

Since the pandemic began, the prison has experienced an ongoing staffing shortage, which the Kansas Organization of State Employees has blamed in part for additional violence against correctional officers and prisoners in the last several months.
A new prosecutor has been assigned to consider retrying three former Georgia sheriffs deputies accused of killing a man walking down a rural road when they shocked him with stun guns during a 2017 arrest.

Local news outlets report that Columbus-based District Attorney Stacey Jackson was assigned to the case after the district attorney where the death occurred stepped aside.

A judge declared mistrials in October 2021 after Washington County jurors deadlocked in deliberations over the guilt of Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The three were accused of murder, involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless conduct in the July 2017 death of 58-year-old Eurie Martin.

Martins family and friends have been lobbying for another trial.

Its been agonizing. Just waiting and seeing who is going to take this case. Is it going to be tried, right? We want a fair trial, and we want the murderers behind bars, Barbara Evans, Martins sister, told WMAZ-TV.

Deputies tried to arrest Martin, who had a history of schizophrenia, after a resident of the hamlet of Deepstep called 911 to report him as suspicious after he approached the person and asked for a drink of water. Martin was walking 30 miles (50 kilometers) on a hot day to see his relatives for his birthday.

Martin was Black, while all three of the now-fired deputies are white.

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Prosecutors argued Copeland, Howell and Scott had no reason to detain Martin. They pointed to video evidence they said showed the deputies were unreasonably aggressive, as well as testimony from some witnesses. The deputies shocked him with stun guns repeatedly for up to 90 seconds, handcuffed Martin and minutes later found that he had no pulse, video showed.

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Defense attorneys, though, said Martin had illegally walked in the road, littered when he dropped a soft drink can, and took an aggressive stance and obstructed an officer when he didnt obey the commands of the deputies. They also argued that the stun gun didnt cause Martins death, which meant officers were not assaulting him with a deadly weapon, a key underlying element of one of the murder charges.

District Attorney Tripp Fitzner recused himself after the mistrial, claiming a conflict, and asked for another prosecutor to be named.

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Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, said Jacksons office is equipped to take on this type of case.

This case does have some notoriety to it. It does have some serious implications. You want to give it to someone who has the experience  and can handle this case, Skandalakis said.

Jackson will decide whether to retry the men or not. He could also seek new charges. For now, he hasnt made a decision.

I havent received the file yet, Jackson told the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus. I got the order last week.

For now, the former deputies remain under indictment and are free on bail.
Protesters accuse a local nonprofit of misusing money meant to help minorities and refugees.

The controversy has now cost two CEOs their jobs in less than a week.

The protesters gathered outside the Center for Pan-Asian Community Services, or CPACS.

The nonprofit had two CEOs.

One was fired.

The other says she retired. Thats the one these protesters say squandered money and mistreated staff.

They lined up along Shallowford Road, chanting and waving signs Monday.

This year, the nonprofits board of directors hired the Krevolin & Horst law firm to conduct an investigation into concerns over mismanagement of money.

It found that former co-CEO Chaiwon Kim, who founded the nonprofit, was leasing four buildings that she and her husband own to CPACS.

It also found that she used more than $400,000 of CPACS money for capital improvements to those buildings.

Last Thursday, the board fired her co-CEO, Dr. Jung Ha Kim.

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She told Channel 2s Bryan Mims that she was let go for speaking up against these alleged abuses.

The staff is trying to protect not only CPACS as an organization, but as a community for minorities and refugees, Jung Ha Kim said.

The investigation found that Chaiwon Kim used federal funding to buy cars. It also found she hired family members and gave them substantial salary increases.

(Its) not only unfair to an underappreciated staff, but the fact that people are working here and she took the credit. And she used and abused the funding that they had from taxpayer money that she used for her own personal profit. That speaks painfully and deeply to all of us, Jung Ha Kim said.

Mims reached Chaiwon Kim on the phone Monday. She dismissed these as accusations and allegations and referred him to the board chairperson for any comment.

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Now, employees are calling for all the board of directors to step down.

Mims called the chair of the board of directors, Aisah Gayle, several times Monday, but his messages were not returned.

Mims also spoke with another board member, Michelle Him Ferreyra, who told him that Jung Ha Kim was fired because she had made decisions without the boards approval.

The organization has hired an interim CEO.

IN OTHER NEWS:
The fine related to PwCs 2017 audit of BT and was confined to its Italian operations. Photo: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

Big four accounting firm PwC has been fined 1.8m ($2.2m) after failing to properly scrutinise the accounts of telecoms company BT (BT-A.L) and failing to present sufficient or solid audit evidence.

The fine from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) stems from a 513m fraud claim discovered during its audit of the telco's Italian operations in 2017.

Britain's accounting watchdog also fined audit partner Richard Hughes 42,000.

It said the "respondents" failed to treat debt adjustments with the "necessary professional scepticism".

The regulator, said: "The respondents did not approach the audit of BTs treatment of the debt adjustments with the necessary professional scepticism and they failed to adequately document their audit work across the entirety of the BT Italy adjustments."

According to the FRC, PwC and Hughes admitted breaching the rules in relation to the audit of adjustments disclosed by BT in its accounts for the year to the end of March 2017, which were made after the Italian fraud was uncovered.

In addition to the fines, both PwC and Hughes were issued with severe reprimands by the FRC. The penalties were reduced from 2.5m for PwC and 60,000 for Hughes after they held their hands up to the failure in proceedings.

"The sanctions imposed in this case, where certain elements of the adjustments following a fraud were not subject to the required level of professional scepticism, underscore this message and will serve as a timely reminder to the profession," Claudia Mortimore, deputy executive counsel at the FRC, said in a statement.

Read more: UK dirty money register to flush out dubious property purchases

A PwC spokesperson said: "The FRCs finding relates to a narrow element of the audit and the regulator has not found that the 2017 financial statements for BT were misstated, or that the sum of the BT Italy adjustments was wrong."

"We have made significant investment in strengthening audit quality in recent years, which has been recognised in improved quality inspection results."

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It comes after Boston-based global management consultancy Bain & Co was banned from tendering for UK government contracts for three years following its role in a corruption scandal involving South Africa's national tax offices.

PwC was the largest accountancy firm in the UK in 2020 with revenue of 3.5bn, of which 754m was for auditing services.

Shares in BT were up 0.9% in afternoon trade in London on Monday.

Watch: What are SPACs?
Former President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is seeking to delay a Tuesday appearance before a Georgia special grand jury investigating 2020 election interference after Giuliani's lawyer said his client had not been cleared for air travel because of a recent heart procedure.

Giuliani's "emergency" request, filed with a local Atlanta judge, immediately drew a challenge from Fulton County prosecutors leading the investigation who included an Aug. 1 photograph of the witness and friend enjoying some down time in New Hampshire.

Prosecutors asked that Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney force Giuliani's appearance, saying that if the Trump lawyer was indeed unable to fly, they would pay his bus or train fare to Atlanta.

"We do not consent to change the date," Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten told Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, in an email.

Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and Donald Trumps attorney.

Georgia election investigation heats up: Giuliani, Eastman facing dates with grand jury

Giuliani: Judge orders Rudy Giuliani to testify before Georgia grand jury investigating Donald Trump

McBurney has set a Tuesday hearing for Giuliani's request.

Giuliani is one of several high-profile Trump associates, including campaign attorney John Eastman and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who are facing looming dates with the grand jury.

In Giuliani's case, Fulton County officials have outlined multiple areas of inquiry.

The former New York mayor, suspended from practicing law in New York and Washington, D.C., for his election-fraud allegations, Giuliani had made wide-ranging claims that voting systems altered Georgia ballots, while ignoring a hand-count audit that confirmed President Joe Biden's victory in the state.

Giuliani also asserted that about 65,000 underage voters, more than 2,500 felons and 800 dead people voted in the state. All of those claims have been debunked by the Georgia secretary of state, which found no underage voters, only 74 potential felony voters, and only two votes that may have been improperly cast in the name of dead voters.

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Chapman School of Law professor John Eastman testifies on Capitol Hill in 2017. Eastman was also a former lawyer for former President Donald Trump.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis: Remember Trumps call to find votes in Georgia? Meet Fani Willis, the DA who could charge him

According to court documents seeking Giuliani's grand jury appearance, Fulton County authorities are highlighting the Trump lawyer's Dec. 3, 2020, appearance before the Georgia State Senate in which he offered a video recording of election workers at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, purporting to show suitcases of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.

Within 24 hours of the state Senate hearing, the video had been discredited by the secretary of state's office, concluding "no voter fraud of any kind had taken place."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump lawyer Giuliani wants to delay Georgia grand jury appearance
(Reuters) - Russia's central bank announced steps on Monday aimed at preventing investors from "unfriendly" countries from taking advantage of plans to allow those from "friendly" nations to resume trading on the Moscow stock market.

The Moscow Exchange said on Friday it would allow clients from "friendly" jurisdictions - or those that have not imposed sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine - to start trading after an almost six-month hiatus.

But it later said this would apply only to the derivatives market, not the main stock market, and did not say when the wider access would be permitted.

Analysts said the delay was partly due to concerns that investors from the European Union, United States and Britain - which are currently banned from trading in Moscow - might be able to use the resumption of trading by "friendly" nations as a back-door to offload any Russian stocks they still hold.

The central bank said on Monday it was blocking Russian depositories and registrars from executing transactions with securities received from foreign counterparts - including from "friendly" countries - for six months.

The regulator said it had seen brokers offering the option to purchase securities from non-residents in foreign jurisdictions and then transfer the assets to a Russian depository - a move which it described as risky and with "no guarantee of obtaining the expected financial result".

Western sanctions have severely restricted Russians' access to global stock markets, while countermeasures from Moscow have also blocked most foreigners from buying and selling Russian shares.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Potter)
Political scientist Mykola Davydiuk

Read also: Why international companies sell business assets in Russia to local managers

Russian oligarchs feel really comfortable here (they own property in Ukraine), they give us advice from Dubai or London on how to fight, he said.

Read also: Patreon, Grammarly platforms blocked in Russia

They shouldnt feel comfortable. They should pay billions of dollars: not to distribute hundreds of millions of bribes around Kyiv, but billions of dollars of their assets should go into the budget so that we dont have any holes! Our country has been destroyed! They have to pay for it! And we stand against each other. This is the worst thing.

As an example, Davydiuk said that Russian companies have a stake in the ownership of Kyivs Ocean Plaza mall, which may open on Aug. 11.

Read also: Russia plans show trial for Mariupol defenders

And there are many such assets throughout the country, the political scientist said.

(Odesa), Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kyiv. There are many assets in Lviv. There is a factory in Lviv owned by (Vitaly) Churkin! Churkin is dead, but his factories still exist! How do you like it? In Lviv! Super patriotic city.

Read also: UK mulling seizure of Russian assets to give to Ukraine

Russians feel more comfortable here than in Europe, than anywhere else in the world. Ukraine is the quietest haven for Russian capital. Because we protect them from their own missiles with our heads.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Aug. 6 formed a working group to create and implement a mechanism to compensate Ukraine for damages caused by the aggression of the terrorist country, Russia. It was headed by chief of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak.

Read also: Ireland freezes more than EUR 1.7 billion worth of Russian assets

Earlier Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had already confiscated Russian assets worth UAH 28 billion ($765.7 million).

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The date of the fake vote has not yet been set by the occupiers

The decision was made during an illegal council meeting in occupied Melitopol.

Read also: Preparing to hold sham referendums, Russia kidnaps and tortures Melitopol locals

All present raised their hands unanimously, the message said, describing the simulated voting.

The date for the sham poll has not yet been chosen at this time, however.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov denied Moscow was behind any referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories, suggesting instead that locals are responsible for setting those up.

Read also: Peskov suggests Zelensky could end Russias war on Ukraine by ordering surrender

Were not the ones holding the referendum; we need to be clear whom (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy is addressing in this announcement, Peskov told Russian news media, commenting on Zelenskyys warning that sham referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine would scuttle any potential Kyiv-Moscow talks.

In fact, in 2014, at the beginning of its war and invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin organized sham referendums in Ukraines Crimea and the Russian occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.



Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Moscow court on Monday ordered journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who denounced Russia's intervention in Ukraine, to pay a new fine for discrediting the Russian army.

In March, Ovsyannikova shot to prominence for interrupting a live TV broadcast to denounce Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. Her lawyer did not rule out on Monday the possibility she could face a criminal probe in the future.

Last week, another court ordered the 44-year-old journalist to pay 50,000 rubles (around $800) for discrediting the Russian army.

On Monday, Ovsyannikova, a former editor at state-controlled Channel One, said Moscow's Cheryomushkinsky district court ordered her to pay 40,000 rubles.

Ovsyannikova's lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov told AFP she was fined for a post on Facebook. Two convictions within the space of six months can lead to a criminal case.

In court, Ovsyannikova said she "trolled" the judge but he did not seem to understand her irony.

"America and Europe are to blame for the fact that there is no longer freedom of speech, just courts and fair elections in Russia. And people are put in jail for calling for peace," she said in court, according to her statement on messaging app Telegram.

Ovsyannikova, a mother of two, was briefly detained in July.

Her short detention came several days after she demonstrated alone near the Kremlin, holding up a sign criticising the military intervention in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin.

After sending troops to Ukraine, Moscow adopted laws imposing sentences of up to 15 years in prison for spreading information about the military deemed false by the authorities.

Russian authorities have not announced the opening of any criminal investigation against Ovsyannikova.

In the months following her March protest, Ovsyannikova spent time abroad, working for three months for Germany's Die Welt.

In early July, she announced that she was returning to Russia to settle a dispute over the custody of her two children.

The journalist, who worked for state TV for 19 years, told AFP in a recent interview she had to sell her car to bring in some extra money. Ovsyannikova, who does not currently have a permanent job, works as a freelancer for foreign media.

bur/kjm
YEVHEN KIZILOV  MONDAY, 8 AUGUST 2022, 20:00

Kharkiv's Thermal Power Plant-3, which provides heat for about a third of the city, has been damaged in a Russian attack.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on the national 24-hour newscast, quoted by Ukrinform

Direct quote: "We are working to restore critical infrastructure as the enemy strikes. Recently the occupiers damaged Thermal Power Plant-3 in Kharkiv. This is a major enterprise that provides almost a third of Kharkiv with heating and hot water."

Details: Syniehubov said the oblast authorities would ask the government to restore the city's critical infrastructure as much as possible and get it ready for the winter heating period.

Previously: Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, reported that Russian forces had attacked one of the city's infrastructure facilities on 7 August. He did not specify which one.

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Phlebotomist April Aymong prepares a sample to be sent for COVID-19 testing at Salem Health Laboratory in Salem, Oregon on July 12.

Illinois reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 30,762 new cases. That's down 13% from the previous week's tally of 35,371 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Illinois ranked 20th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 14.2% from the week before, with 781,487 cases reported. With 3.81% of the country's population, Illinois had 3.94% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 13 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Sangamon County reported 700 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 706 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 65,887 cases and 410 deaths.

Logan County reported 77 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 58 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 11,074 cases and 93 deaths.

Menard County reported 37 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 37 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,001 cases and 23 deaths.

Macoupin County reported 129 cases and minus one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 120 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 14,170 cases and 143 deaths.

Christian County reported 157 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 137 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 11,443 cases and 114 deaths.

Montgomery County reported 77 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 100 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 10,658 cases and 105 deaths.

a Across Illinois, cases fell in 68 counties, with the best declines in Cook County, with 11,438 cases from 13,394 a week earlier; in Kane County, with 1,251 cases from 1,771; and in DuPage County, with 2,368 cases from 2,814. a

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>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus casesa

Within Illinois, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Calhoun County with 654 cases per 100,000 per week; Saline County with 575; and Christian County with 486. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Cook County, with 11,438 cases; DuPage County, with 2,368 cases; and Lake County, with 1,809. Weekly case counts rose in 32 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Kendall, Whiteside and Fulton counties.

In Illinois, a 84 a people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 70 people were reported dead.

A total of 3,594,415 people in Illinois have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 38,966 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 92,112,922 people have tested positive and 1,033,556 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Illinois's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Aug. 7. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Last week: 3,448

The week before that: 3,330

Four weeks ago: 3,169

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Last week: 72,801

The week before that: 72,098

Four weeks ago: 67,603

Hospitals in 24 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 24 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 33 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Sangamon County reported 700 additional COVID-19 cases this week
It's easy to match the overall market return by buying an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. For example, the Benchmark Holdings plc (LON:BMK) share price is down 26% in the last year. That falls noticeably short of the market decline of around 3.1%. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 16% in the last three years. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 8.2% in thirty days.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

Check out our latest analysis for Benchmark Holdings

Given that Benchmark Holdings didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last twelve months, Benchmark Holdings increased its revenue by 33%. That's definitely a respectable growth rate. Meanwhile, the share price is down 26% over twelve months, which is disappointing given the progress made. You might even wonder if the share price was previously over-hyped. However, that's in the past now, and it's the future that matters most.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

This free interactive report on Benchmark Holdings' balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Benchmark Holdings shareholders are down 26% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 3.1%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 3% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Benchmark Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Benchmark Holdings , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



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.

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WEYMOUTH  Joseph Mullins family got a small sense of closure in 1998, when a judge sentenced the man convicted of raping and killing his 17-year-old sister to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

But that could change after a Massachusetts Superior Court judge's recent ruling that says it's unconstitutional to automatically sentence people younger than 21 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

I was shocked, but I wasnt surprised to hear about this ruling, said Joseph Mullin, brother of 1993 murder victim Jennifer Mullin. I dont think its right in any way, and I dont think it should be up to a parole board.

Jennifer Mullin was murdered in 1993.

What happened to Jennifer Mullin?

Jennifer Mullin was 17 years old when her body was found frozen and half-buried on a wooded lot in Rockland on Jan. 30, 1993. Her clothes were disheveled and torn, and the Weymouth teen had been strangled with her own belt after an acquaintance gave her a ride after a party. She never made it home.

Investigators focused on that acquaintance, William Jewett Jr., of Weymouth, but needed the evidence to make an arrest. After a long investigation and two-year grand jury proceeding, Jewett was arrested in October 1997.

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A jury found Jewett guilty of first degree murder and rape in a 1998 trial. He was sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole. He was younger than 21 at the time of the crime.

In 2003, Jewett sought a new trial, but the state Supreme Judicial Court denied his request and upheld his convictions. Jewett took his appeal to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, but was unsuccessful.

A brother speaks out

Joseph Mullin was an 18-year-old college freshman when his sister was murdered. Now, he works as a deputy public defender at the El Paso County Public Defender's Office in Texas.

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The Mullin family, including parents Marion and John, and Joseph and Jennifer.

I get that people have rights and they do need to be protected, but you can't go around murdering people in cold blood and get away with it  said Mullin. I've thought about my sister every single day for my entire life.

Mullin said his mother died more than a year ago, but she and his father, a retired Weymouth firefighter, never got over the loss of his sister.

"My dad has the biggest heart, and he lost his daughter," Mullin said.

John Mullin holding his daughter Jennifer Mullin, who was murdered in 1993 at the age of 17.

How did this happen?

A decade ago, the state prohibited judges from sentencing defendants under 18 to life without parole. But state law still required life sentences without parole for those who were between 18 and 20 when they committed first-degree murder.

The state Supreme Judicial Court recently asked Judge Robert Ullmann to review the latest neuroscience on brain development in those younger than 21, and to look at two cases involving teenagers sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Ullmann said mandatory life prison terms for adults younger than 21 constitute cruel or unusual punishment.

'A game-changer for Weymouth students': New Chapman Middle School set to open in September

Based on four experts, Ullmann said the brains of 18- to 20-year-olds are not fully developed, so they tend to be more prone to risk taking, more susceptible to peer influence and are less able to control their impulses.

He said those convicted of first-degree murder while between the ages of 18 and 20 should receive life sentences and serve at least 15 years in prison before potentially becoming eligible for parole.

"The Court's holding does not in any way excuse acts of violence by 18- through 20-year-olds," he wrote in his decision. "...Others, depending on the facts, may be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, but only if that sentence is warranted."

'It spread extremely quickly': Hingham officials say wind contributed to devastating fire

If the Massachusetts high court affirms Ullmann's ruling, Jewett and about 200 other inmates could potentially have the right to be re-sentenced or become eligible for parole.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement that Jewett has not filed a motion asking the Superior Court to revisit his sentencing, and Ullmann's ruling is not binding on the rest of the state.

"If and when we receive a motion in this case, we will consult with the family of the victim and proceed with our duties in a responsible, thoughtful and measured way," he said in the statement. "We will seek to do justice, taking into account the viciousness of this crime, a horrific rape and murder of a teenager, the loss to her family and the community of that young life, and will do so in a court of law.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Court ruling could free killer of Weymouth 17-year-old Jennifer Mullin
By Chen Lin

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday warned of the scope for miscalculations over tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which he said were unlikely to ease soon amid deep suspicion and limited engagement between the United States and China.

In a televised address ahead of the city-state's national day on Tuesday, Lee said Singapore would be buffeted by that intense rivalry and tension in the region, which should prepare for a future less peaceful and stable than now.

"Around us, a storm is gathering. U.S.-China relations are worsening, with intractable issues, deep suspicions, and limited engagement," Lee said.

"This is unlikely to improve anytime soon. Furthermore, miscalculations or mishaps can easily make things much worse."

Lee said economic challenges were more immediate and that Singapore's outlook has "clouded considerably", adding that the government will roll out more measures in coming months to help people cope with rising prices.

Singapore's inflation has reached more than a decade-high in recent months, and its central bank tightened its monetary policy on July 14 in an off-cycle move to cope with the cost pressure.

The city-state has earlier announced support package for mainly lower-income groups to help mitigate increased living costs from inflation and rising energy prices.

"The world is not likely to return anytime soon to the low inflation levels and interest rates that we have enjoyed in recent decades," he said, adding the country of 5.5 million people must plan far ahead and transform industry, upgrade skills and raise productivity.

(Reporting by Chen Lin; Editing by Martin Petty)
Christine and Kody Brown. TLC; TLC

"I'm gonna leave Kody," Christine Brown declares in the "Sister Wives" season 17 trailer.

She says "Robyn's more important" to Kody in a confessional interview.

Kody's other wives appear upset by Christine's choice during the season, which premieres on Sept. 11.

Christine and Kody Brown's marriage will officially end during season 17, based on the trailer released on Monday.

In a clip of a conversation between the estranged pair at the beginning of the trailer Christine, 50, tells Kody, 53, "It's been heartbreaking being your wife for years."

In a solo confessional interview, Christine tells producers, "I feel like to Kody, Robyn's more important." Kody's third wife feels like her husband has been enforcing a hierarchy among his wives for many years and his fourth wife, Robyn, is at the top.

"I agreed to be a sister wife, but I agreed to be an equal wife," Christine says in a confessional interview clip later in the trailer.

"I have decided to leave, I'm gonna leave Kody," Christine declares during a conversation in the trailer, though viewers can't see who she's talking to.

The former spouses originally announced their split to the world via Instagram posts in November of 2021.

Christine became Kody's third spiritual wife when the former couple married in a religious ceremony that was not recognized by law in March of 1994. They have six children together: Aspyn, 27, Mykelti, 26, Paedon, 24, Gwendlyn, 20, Ysabel, 19, and Truely, 12.

Fans of TLC's reality show "Sister Wives" know that Christine has continually struggled with Kody's courtship and eventual marriage to Robyn since season one of the show, which began filming around August 2009 and aired its first episode in the fall of 2010.

On top of continually struggling with needing more attention from Kody in their relationship, in recent years there was tension between the former spouses because of where the family lived.

During season two of the show, Kody moved his four wives and 18 children out of Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada, because they were being investigated in Utah after going public with their polygamous lifestyle. In recent seasons of the show, the Brown family has lived in Flaggstaff, Arizona, where they plan to build houses on a large piece of property.

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Kody Brown and Christine Brown from "Sister Wives." Gabe Ginsberg / Contributor / Getty Images

But Christine wanted to move back to Utah since polygamy was decriminalized there in 2020, as reported by the New York Times. Also in 2020, Kody's strict rules relating to COVID-19 put a strain between him and multiple wives, including Christine.

The Brown's isolated during COVID, with each of the children that still lived at home staying with their biological mothers. But Kody would only visit houses that followed his very strict rules which included disinfecting mail and groceries before bringing them inside, changing clothes after going out, and not traveling or visiting adult children or other wives.

As seen on "Sister Wives," season 16, Christine broke some of these rules to visit Janelle and her kids, travel to the east coast so her daughter Ysabel could get scoliosis surgery, and visit her adult children.

Kody and his first wife Meri have been estranged for many years, so this meant that Kody was only visiting Robyn and her kids for most of the pandemic.

"I'm not ready for Christine to leave," Robyn, who spiritually married Kody in May of 2010, said in the trailer for the new season.

Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Kody Brown, Christine Brown and Robyn Brown Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

"I would never do anything to this family to hurt it," Robyn adds later in a confessional interview. "I just wish that people could see that."

As for Kody, he can be seen screaming in frustration during a meeting with Christine and his wives in the trailer for the new season. He tells her that she has "never tried" to have a good relationship with "other people" in the family.

He adds that Christine's decision to leave is a "knife in the kidneys" after all of the "sacrifices that I made to love you."

Season 17 of "Sister Wives" premieres on TLC at 10 p.m. ET.

Read the original article on Insider
A four-month joint investigation that involved the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Secret Service, the ATF and the Marshall County District Attorney's Office resulted in search at an Albertville pawn shop and the arrests of six people, according to Sheriff Phil Sims.

The search at Joe's Pawn Shop on U.S. Highway 431 in Guntersville Thursday led to the discovery of multiple items believed to be stolen  some still in the original new packaging from Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Target stores. Loss prevention personnel at those stores assisted in the investigation into the buying and selling of stolen property.

Property valued at $42,000 was seized and 263 guns were recovered, along with a variety of gun accessories. Investigators seized $88,000 in cash.

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Those arrested were:

Joe Cephus Campbell III, Albertville, Receiving Stolen Property 1st; bond set at $225,000.

Wandarine Campbell, Albertville, Receiving Stolen Property 1st; bond was set at $50,000 bond.

Santo Felix Andres, Albertville, Receiving Stolen Property 1st; bond was set at $50,000.

John Calton Eller, Boaz, Receiving Stolen Property 1st; bond was set at $50,000.

Zachary Mathew Shake, Albertville, Receiving Stolen Property 1st; bond was se at $50,000.

Dylan Wayne Green, Albertville, Receiving Stolen Property 1st; bond was set at $50,000

I want to commend my investigators and special agents with the Secret Service and ATF for their hard work and many hours they put into this investigation," Sims said. "Only by working together can we achieve cases like this. An operation that dealt with buying and selling of stolen property has been shut down in this county, and that is a big deal. 

Anyone who has pawned property with Joes Pawn Shop will need "to get with a representative of theirs about retrieving those items," the sheriff said.

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Because of the volume of pawn tickets and receipts, it will take time to examine those to determine if any other property may be stolen or not, Sims explained.

"We ask the public to be patient as this is still an ongoing investigation," he said, which may result in more state and federal charges.

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Marshall County pawn shop raided, property seized, six people charged
By Waruna Cudah Nimal Karunatilake

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka said on Monday it had asked China to defer the planned visit of a Chinese ship to the island country after initially approving its arrival this week, yielding to diplomatic pressure from neighbour India to keep the military vessel out.

The Yuan Wang 5 was due to arrive on Thursday at the Chinese-built and leased Hambantota port in Sri Lanka's south for five days for replenishment. It is currently sailing in the east Indian Ocean, according to Refinitiv Eikon.

Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of Chinas latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. The Pentagon says Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the Peoples Liberation Army.

New Delhi fears its bigger and more powerful rival China will use Hambantota as a military base in India's backyard. The $1.5 billion port is near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said that on July 12 it had approved the ship's arrival for this month.

"Subsequently in light of the need for further consultations, the ministry has communicated to the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Colombo to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port," the ministry said in a statement.

India said late last month it was monitoring the planned visit of the ship, adding that New Delhi would protect its security and economic interests. India also lodged a verbal protest with the Sri Lankan government.

Asked about the controversy over the ship, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing that China's relations with Sri Lanka were "not targeted at third parties".

Relations between India and China have been strained since armed clashes on their Himalayan border two years ago killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Both China and India have tried to expand their influence in Sri Lanka, which is facing its worst economic crisis in its independent history, though India has provided more help to it this year than any other nation.

(Additonal reporting by Martin Pollard in Beijing; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by David Gregorio)
Reuters

(Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved bluebird bio's gene therapy for patients with a rare disorder requiring regular blood transfusions, and the drugmaker priced it at a record $2.8 million. The approval sent the company's shares 8% higher and is for the treatment of beta-thalassemia, which causes an oxygen shortage in the body and often leads to liver and heart issues. The sickest patients, estimated to be up to 1,500 in the United States, need blood transfusions every two to five weeks.
Reuters

ROMEThere is perhaps no more mysterious and hotly debated cold case in Italy than the 1983 disappearance of 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi.

Was the daughter of a Vatican employee nabbed as a sex slave for priests? Was she taken by Turkish terrorists in exchange for the man who shot Pope John Paul II? Was she buried in a mobsters tomb or a Vatican cemetery? Or was she taken by the son of a gangster in exchange for a Suzuki 1100 motorbike, as the latest confession in the case would have conspiracy theorists believe.

Salvatore Sarnataro, a convicted gang member tied to the Band of Magliana of whom the mobster Enrico De Pedis in the Opus Dei church was a one-time leader, says his son Marco kidnapped Orlandi in exchange for the bike. Sarnataro made the astonishing confession in 2008, though it has only now been made public for reasons not entirely clear. Upon hearing from Sarnataro, police corroborated the few photos from the area on the day Orlandi disappeared, and say several could be the gangsters son.

The Band of Magliana was angry with the Vatican after the Vatican-linked Banco Ambrosiano collapsed in a debacle that lost the criminal group a lot of cash and led to the death of the chairman Roberto Calvi, who was found hanging with bricks in his pocket from Blackfriars Bridge in London in 1982.

Is Missing Teen Emanuela Orlandi a Vatican Sex Slave?

De Pedis reportedly gave the command to nab the girl and Sarnataro says his son and two others did just that and took her to the artificial lake in Romes leafy EUR district. There they handed her to another boss who took her away.

I later learned that my son, for this courtesy, had a Suzuki 1100 motorcycle as a gift, Sarnataro said, according to transcripts published in La Republica newspaper.

Sarnataro says his son was tasked with tailing the teen in the days before she was nabbed, coming so close to her as to even touch her hand on one occasion, which lines up with testimony from Orlandis friend who described a creep following them around the week the girl disappeared.

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Orlandi was last seen alive on June 22, 1983, near Piazza Navona where she had finished her flute lesson inside the SantApollinare Church run by the super secretive Catholic sect Opus Dei. Some witnesses say they saw her get into a green BMW.

Others say she got on the city bus and was chatting up a red-haired lady who was trying to convince her to sell Avon cosmetics door-t0-door.

Her family, who lived inside the highly protective walls of Vatican City, received countless calls and tipsincluding several from the group tied to Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk who was in prison for shooting Pope John Paul II in 1981. But none led them to their beloved daughter.

Two tombs have been exhumed in the search for her bodyone belonging to a mobster inside the Opus Dei church and the other belonging to two princess sisters in the German church inside Vatican City. Plenty of bones were found in the mobsters tombbut none belonged to Orlandi. There were no bones at all in the German tombnot even the princesses.

Still, the latest tip is promising and ties together several of the conspiracy theories floating around, including the mobsters tomb, the green BMW, and location where she was last seen. All thats still missing, of course, is the girl.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Beijing  China carried out fresh military drills around Taiwan Monday, Beijing said, defying calls to end its largest-ever exercises encircling the island in the wake of a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi  the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in decades.

The visit, which Beijing warned against for weeks, prompted China to tear up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defense. It has also deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade and ultimate invasion of the self-ruled democratic island that China claims as its territory. Those drills had been expected to draw to a close on Sunday, but China said Monday they were still ongoing. "The eastern theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued to carry out practical joint exercises and training in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island," the military said.

A Chinese military jet flies over Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan, in Fujian province, August 6, 2022. / Credit: HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty

The exercises, the PLA's Eastern Command said, were "focusing on organizing joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations." Taipei condemned Beijing for extending the drills. "China's provocation and aggression have harmed the status quo of the Taiwan Strait and raised tensions in the region," the island's foreign ministry said in a statement. Beijing was also set to carry out live-fire drills on Monday in parts of the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Taiwan has remained defiant throughout the Chinese drills. Its military said it would hold anti-landing exercises in Taiwan's south on Tuesday and Thursday.

A Taiwanese military vessel patrols near the east coast in Yilan county on August 7, 2022. / Credit: SAM YEH/AFP/Getty

"We will practice counter moves against simulated enemy attacks on Taiwan," Lou Woei-jye, spokesman for Taiwan's Eighth Army Corps, told AFP. They will include the deployment of hundreds of troops and about 40 howitzer guns, the military said. Taiwan has insisted that no Chinese planes or ships have entered Taiwan's territorial waters during the drills. But to show how close it came to Taiwan's shores, the Chinese military released a video of an air force pilot filming the island's coastline and mountains from his cockpit.

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The Eastern Command also shared a photo it said was of a warship on patrol with Taiwan's shoreline visible in the background. Ballistic missiles were fired over Taiwan's capital during the exercises last week, according to Chinese state media.

The scale and intensity of China's drills  as well as its withdrawal from key talks on climate and defense  have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Washington is "determined to act responsibly" to avoid a major global crisis. But Beijing on Monday defended its behavior as a "firm, forceful and appropriate" response to what it considers American provocation. "(We) are only issuing a warning to the perpetrators," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said during a regular briefing, promising China would "firmly smash the Taiwan authorities' illusion of gaining independence through the U.S." "We urge the U.S. to do some earnest reflection, and immediately correct its mistakes," he said.

Speaking to CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday in Washington, Taiwan's top representative to the U.S., Bi-khim Hsiao, said it was not her island nor the U.S. doing the threatening.

"We have been living under the threat from China for decades," she told moderator Margaret Brennan. "We cannot let their ongoing threats define our desire to make friends internationally. If you have a kid being bullied at school, you don't say you don't go to school. You try to find a way to deal with the bully, and that's exactly what Taiwan is doing, and working on making our society stronger and more resilient, fortifying our defenses so, so that we have means of managing risks. The risks are not posed by Taiwan, nor are they posed by the United States. The risks are posed by Beijing." Experts say the drills have revealed an increasingly emboldened Chinese military capable of carrying out a grueling blockade of the island and obstructing any U.S. forces that might try to come to Taiwan's aid. "In some areas, the PLA might even surpass U.S. capabilities," Grant Newsham, a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and a former U.S. Navy officer, told AFP. "If the battle is confined to the area right around Taiwan, today's Chinese navy is a dangerous opponent  and if the Americans and Japanese do not intervene for some reason, things would be difficult for Taiwan."

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A North Texas man accused of shooting his two daughters inside a taxi in 2008 told a jury Monday that he ran away from the cab the night they were killed because he thought someone was following him and planned to hurt him.

Yaser Said is on trial in Dallas in the deaths of his daughters, 17-year-old Sarah and 18-year-old Amina Said. Prosecutors allege Yaser Said shot Sarah nine times and shot Amina twice inside a taxi near an Irving hotel on the night of Jan. 1, 2008. After the shooting, Said was on the FBIs 10 Most Wanted list, but eluded arrest for 12 years, authorities said.

Some family members testified the girls were victims of honor killings because their father thought they had brought shame to the family. The girls were dating people who were not Muslim, and the girls mother, Patricia Owens, testified last week that Yaser Said had threatened their daughters.





Monday marked the fifth day of the trial, which is being held in Criminal District Court No. 7 in Dallas. State prosecutors rested their case in the trial at about 11 a.m. Monday. At about 2:30 p.m., the court broke for the day and will resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. with closing arguments before the jury begins deliberating.

Said began testifying in his defense Monday afternoon. He spoke in Arabic, which an interpreter translated to English.

You can watch a video of the trial here:

Yasser Said testifies

Said answered questions from defense attorney Joseph Patton and prosecuting attorney Lauren Black through a translator.

When Patton asked Said if he killed his daughters, he said, For sure, did not.

According to Said, he was in the taxi with his daughters that night and on the way to dinner. He said he thought someone was following him and he stopped the car at a bus station near Highway 114 and Riverside Drive. He said he thought the people following them were his daughters friends, or they were people coming to assassinate me. He told his daughters they could take the taxi, he said, and got out of the car.

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I was thinking someone sent them after me to harm me, and not my girls, Said said.

Said said he got out of the car and ran into a wooded area. He walked to a Waffle House, where he learned his daughters had been killed, Said said.

He said if he could go back, he would not make the same decision to run because this was a very stupid decision to make.

On cross-examination, Black pointed out that Said spoke to his then-wife  the girls mother  on the phone that night and did not mention he thought someone was following him. She also questioned why he left his handgun in the taxi if he felt he was in danger and why he didnt use his phone to call for help. She pressed Said on the logic of leaving his daughters in a car if they could have been in danger.

Did you love your daughters? Black asked.

Certainly, he answered through his translator. And my trips with them, my vacations with them, the hundreds of tapes I have of them and with them certainly prove it.

You didnt show up to their funerals, Black said in reply.

Yes, because of the unfair and hateful media coverage at that time, he said.

In opening statements, Black said Said was controlling, possessive and violent toward the girls. She asked Said about accusations from his ex-wife that he was abusive. He denied there was any violence in the familys home.

When questioned about why he hid from law enforcement for 12 years, Said said he did not believe he would get a fair trial if he was arrested because of prejudiced media coverage of his case.

Hidden room

Said hid inside a secret room of his familys house in Justin to elude arrest, according to FBI agents testimony Monday.

The FBI had previously been tipped off about Saids whereabouts in 2017, but he disappeared again until August 2020, according to FBI testimony. The FBI knew Said had family members who lived in North Texas in cities that included Euless, Bedford, Haltom City and Southlake, an FBI agent testified Friday. Financial records tipped authorities off that the Said family had a home in Justin.

The FBI started surveillance of the Said family and tracked Saids son and one of his brothers to a house in Justin that the Said family was leasing, FBI agent Randall White testified Monday. One night, FBI investigators saw the shadow of a figure walk across the house. Authorities also picked up a trash bag that Saids family members had dumped in Southlake, as if trying to hide its contents, White said. When authorities opened the bag, they found food, cigarette butts and other trash.

On Aug. 26, 2020, a SWAT team set up around the house and set flash bangs off in the back yard to dissuade Said from escaping that way. Said surrendered to the SWAT team, and was arrested.

When agents searched the home, they found bags of concrete and evidence of a construction project inside, White said. Photos of the inside and outside of the Justin home were shown to the courtroom Monday. The first set of photos showed a single-story white home. A photo of the back exterior of the house showed a covered patio, the walls of which were made up of half concrete and half white lattice.

Inside the home, investigators found a cut-out into the wall that was hidden by a plank of plywood, White said. He described this as the entrance to a hidden room that was built into the house. Inside the room, investigators found signs someone had been living there.

In photos shown in court, a TV, couch and personal items filled the small space. The rest of the house looked well-lived in, White said. A fridge was stocked with food and the homes two bedrooms had suitcases filled with clothes and blanket-covered beds. Photos showed a cluttered house in a state of disarray, with broken furniture and trash scattered throughout.

Agents did not say how long they believe Said lived in the house.

States argument

Yaser Said has sent several letters to the judge in Dallas proclaiming his innocence, according to WFAA-TV.

In one letter he wrote, I was not happy about my kids dating activity. But, I did not do the killings or any plan to hurt them, WFAA reported.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. If convicted, Said will be automatically sentenced to life without parole.

Said pleaded not guilty on Tuesday on the first day of testimony in his trial.

His son and brother have been sentenced to prison for hiding him.

This week, defense attorneys have argued that Yaser Said was targeted as a suspect because he is a Muslim and that evidence indicated the investigation was botched. On Friday, Saids defense attorney continued to raise doubts about the investigation, questioning a former Irving police detective on seeking other suspects in the killings.

Retired Irving Detective Joe Henning testified that the girls boyfriends, who went to Irving police shortly after the deadly shooting on Jan. 1, 2008, were not suspects, even though Yaser Saids son told police that they needed to be interviewed.

Defense attorneys also have noted that there were no fingerprints, no weapon, and no bloody clothes or footprints found in the investigation.

On Christmas Day in 2007, the girls and their mother fled the familys Lewisville home because they feared Yaser Said, Owens testified last week. But she and the girls returned back to their home by Jan. 1, 2008.

That night, Yaser Said told his wife he was taking the girls out to dinner, but he didnt invite her, she said. A few hours later, the girls died from multiple gunshot wounds as they sat in Saids taxi near the Omni Mandalay Hotel.

Staff writers Harriet Ramos and Domingo Ramirez Jr. contributed to this story, which contains information from the Star-Telegrams archives.
With no street or statue to remember Yugoslavia's late strongman Josip Broz Tito, a new tour in the Croatian capital Zagreb is hoping to trace the leader's complicated legacy in a city where he remains divisive.

Adored by some and hated by others, Tito remains a polarising figure four decades after his death across the former Yugoslav republics, including Croatia, where he helped usher in prosperity and authoritarianism alike.

The tour's curator Danijela Matijevic said the idea for the project came in 2017, after authorities in Zagreb stripped Tito's name from a prominent square.

The move was the latest in a string of measures over the years aimed at ridding the country of its Yugoslav past, removing plaques and monuments along with renaming streets and squares.

But for Matijevic, history still matters.

"Tito was definitely one of the 20th century's political giants," Matijevic said.

- Walk with Tito -

The "Walk with Tito" tour, launched last year, takes people to eight sites in downtown Zagreb linked to the Croatian-born leader and the anti-fascist movement he founded at the start of World War II, commonly known as the Partisans.

It stops at the square once named after Tito, the main railway station where Croatia's pro-Nazi regime deported people to concentration camps, and a passage named after two sisters who were resistance heroes.

The tour does not indulge in sugar-coating the past as it explores Tito's successes along with his share of failures.

The late leader is known for charting a middle road for the socialist federation he founded, siding neither with the United States nor the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

"Tito had good relations with the West but did not neglect good ties with the East either, positioning Yugoslavia somewhere between and benefiting from both," said Zagreb-based historian Hrvoje Klasic.

The move kept Yugoslavia out of the Cold War's chaos and made it the most prosperous communist country.

But there was also repression and simmering nationalism that exploded after his death, leading to the bloody dissolution of Yugoslavia which sparked a series of wars and killed around 130,000 people in the 1990s.

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Following the conflicts and Croatia's independence, Tito and Yugoslavia have been largely disregarded, deemed an aberration in the country's past.

But for Matijevic, Tito and his legacy are also personal -- two of her grandparents fought with his Partisans during World War II.

During a two-year stint in Germany, Matijevic was inspired by how the country had grappled with its past, and this helped lay the groundwork for the Tito tour project.

"(I was) amazed how Germans handled their turbulent 20th century history," Matijevic said.

- 'Our history' -

The guide's attempt to delve into Croatia's past has not been entirely smooth.

Since starting the tours, Matijevic has been targeted with abuse on social media and has also been threatened with outright violence, in a case being investigated by authorities.

In December, right-wing politician Igor Peternel also slammed the Zagreb tourist board for including information about the tour in its brochures, lambasting the body for "promoting Tito and Yugoslavia".

"It is absolutely unacceptable... an ideological provocation and shame," said Peternel, a member of the capital's city council.

But many who have taken the tour found it worthwhile.

Economist Vedrana Basic said she was pleased "to learn something new", adding that it was rare to "hear much about Tito in Zagreb" these days.

Tanja Simic, a retired journalist from the capital, agreed.

"We should capitalise on our history in a touristic sense regardless what one may think about some of its parts", Simic said.

ljv/ds/lcm/ach
In June, Tokata Iron Eyes's parents obtained a temporary protection order demanding Ezra Miller stay away from their daughter. Tokata denies any abuse. Courtesy of Sara Jumping Eagle

Tokata Iron Eyes told Insider the "Flash" actor Ezra Miller never groomed or abused her.

She spoke to Insider as part of an investigation detailing new allegations that Miller ran a cult in Iceland and is traveling the US with guns.

Tokata's parents say Miller left bruises on their daughter's body, restricted her phone access, and verbally abused her.

Tokata Iron Eyes says 29-year-old "Flash" actor Ezra Miller never groomed or abused her.

Iron Eyes, an 18-year-old Lakota activist, spoke out about the allegations for the first time as part of Insider's investigation into Miller. Tokata's parents, Chase Iron Eyes and Sara Jumping Eagle, say Miller has been "grooming" their daughter since she was 12. They said that this past year, Miller left bruises on Tokata's arms and cheeks, restricted access to her phone, and verbally abused her. In June, Tokata's parents obtained a temporary protection order demanding Miller stay away from their child.

In text messages to Insider, Tokata said that these allegations were "a disgusting and irresponsible smear campaign" against Miller, and that Miller "in multiple cases has done the right thing and stood in protection of others."

In the past six months, Miller has been driving around the US wearing body armor and carrying at least one gun, paranoid about being followed by the FBI and the KKK. Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP

Miller has known Tokata since she was 12, when they traveled to North Dakota to support the fight against the Dakota Access pipeline in 2016. Over the next six years, Miller kept in touch with the young activist, promising to help her music career and sometimes stopping by her home out of the blue, her parents said. Over time, they said, Miller's interest in their daughter intensified.

In December 2021, Tokata and Miller went to stay with a family friend in South Dakota. During this visit, a member of the family friend's household said she saw Tokata and Miller having sex on a bed outside. Tokata told Insider this was "so very false."

Later that month, Miller returned to the Vermont farm with Tokata in tow. On January 29, Miller and their house guests called Tokata's parents to tell them Tokata was incapacitated after having taken LSD four days prior.

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Iron Eyes and Jumping Eagle flew to Vermont the next day. They said they found Tokata "out of it" and "incoherent," screaming so relentlessly that she lost her voice for several days. She had bruises on her arms and left cheek, they said, and she didn't have her phone or ID. Another person at the farm told Tokata's parents that the bruising occurred when Miller pinned Tokata to the ground and screamed at her for failing to respond to a question, the protection order said.

Tokata told Insider she took "a microdose" of LSD and that the bruises were a result of self-harm following a close friend's death. She added that some of the bruises may have occurred when her parents "violently dragged" her out of Miller's house. (Jumping Eagle said Tokata was not "dragged" at any point.)

Oliver Ignatius, a longtime music collaborator of Miller's, said he witnessed what he described as Miller's "verbally abusive" treatment of the 18-year-old in both Hawaii and Vermont. In Hawaii in March, the actor confiscated Tokata's phone "for her safety" and pressured her to change her name to Gibson, Ignatius said. Tokata told Insider she goes by both Tokata and Gibson and came up with Gibson herself.

At the Vermont farm in May, Miller again hid Tokata's phone from her and at one point screamed obscenities at her for wearing makeup, Ignatius said. He recalled Miller saying: "What the fuck are you doing? Putting on this fucking clown paint?"

Tokata said she was never screamed at. "That was queer dialogue about a badly applied rouge on my part, which I appreciated," she said. "I think the fact that a catty comment made by a queer person about makeup being considered abuse is actually quite homophobic rhetoric."

Over the past six months, Miller has been driving around the US carrying at least one gun and wearing a bulletproof vest, paranoid about being followed by the FBI and the Ku Klux Klan, people told Insider. Tokata said the vest was "a fashionable safety measure in response to actual attacks and received death threats."

Tokata's mother said she and her husband have been motivated to sound the alarm about Miller, who they say has a pattern of targeting and grooming vulnerable young people.

"Our primary concern is the safety of our daughter," Jumping Eagle said. "We want other people to be warned."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Brian Ellsworth and Sarah N. Lynch

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump said FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday and broke into his safe in what his son acknowledged was part of an investigation into Trump's removal of official presidential records from the White House to his Florida resort.

The unprecedented search of a former president's home would mark a significant escalation into the records investigation, which is one of several probes Trump is facing from his time in office and in private business.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment on the search, which Trump in a statement called a raid and said involved a "large group of FBI agents." The FBI's headquarters in Washington and its field office in Miami both declined comment.

Eric Trump, one of the former president's adult children, told Fox News the search concerned boxes of documents that Trump brought with him from the White House, and that his father has been cooperating with the National Archives on the matter for months.

A source familiar with the matter also confirmed to Reuters the raid appeared to be tied to Trump's removal of classified records from the White House.

Trump said the estate "is currently under siege, raided, and occupied." He did not say why the raid took place.

"After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate," Trump said, adding: "They even broke into my safe!"

Trump was not present at the time as he was in New York on Monday, Fox News Digital reported, publishing a photo of Trump that a Fox reporter said showed him leaving Trump Tower.

Trump, who has made his club in Palm Beach his home since leaving the White House in January 2021, has generally spent summers at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, because Mar-a-Lago typically closes for the summer.

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A federal law called the U.S. Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties.

Any search of a private residence would have to be approved by a judge, after the investigating law-enforcement agency demonstrated probable cause that a search was justified.

It almost certainly would also be approved by FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and his boss, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by Trump's successor and political rival, President Joe Biden.

Democratic supporters of Biden have criticized Garland for being overly cautious in investigating Trump over his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. A White House official said Biden was not given advance notice of the search and referred queries to the Justice Department.

"Make no mistake, the attorney general had to authorize this," said Phillip Halpern, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in public corruption cases, adding that Wray and a host of prosecutors would also be involved.

"This is as big a deal as you can have, and ... every single person in the chain would have had to sign off on this," Halpern said.

Trump supporters have accused the Democrats of weaponizing the federal bureaucracy to target Trump, even as Biden has attempted to distance himself from the Justice Department.

MISSING RECORDS

In February, Archivist David Ferriero told U.S. House lawmakers that the National Archives and Records Administration had been in communication with Trump throughout 2021 about the return of 15 boxes of records. He eventually returned them in January 2022.

At the time, the National Archives was still conducting an inventory, but noted some of the boxes contained items "marked as classified national security information."

Trump previously confirmed that he had agreed to return certain records to the Archives, calling it "an ordinary and routine process." He also claimed the Archives "did not 'find' anything."

The Justice Department launched an early-stage investigation into Trump's removal of records to the Florida estate, a source familiar with the matter said in April.

Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, said he only removed mementos that he was legally authorized to take.

"Look, my father-in-law as anybody knows who's been around him a lot loves to save things like newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, photographs, documents that he had every authority to take from the White House," Lara Trump told Fox News.

Several dozen Trump supporters gathered near Mar-a-Lago, which is steps from the ocean, and where several men stood guard next to a dark sport utility vehicle. Police cars parked in the street, lights flashing, as officers directed traffic and kept onlookers from the gates.

Trump supporters honked their horns and played music from their cars as some waved Trump flags or American flags.

"It's another unjust thing like the made up impeachment hoaxes," said Jim Whelan, 59, who works in advertising. He held a large sign reading, "Fake News is CNN."

Trump supporters apparently were expecting him to arrive, as one officer announced on a megaphone: "Trump is not returning to Mar-a-Lago tonight. His trip has been canceled."

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington and Brian Ellsworth in Palm Beach; Additional reporting by Eric and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Daniel Trotta and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Mary Milliken, Leslie Adler and Michael Perry)
Images obtained for an upcoming book on the Trump presidency appear to show torn documents floating in toilets  backing up reports that Donald Trump tried to destroy presidential paperwork by flushing it away.

The photos, shared by Axios and journalist Maggie Haberman, show torn fragments of handwritten documents floating in two separate toilets, one in the White House and the other in an unspecified location visited by Mr Trump on an overseas trip.

If proven to show what Ms Habermans sources claim, the photos would provide further evidence that Mr Trump destroyed or attempted to destroy presidential records that he may have been legally required to preserve.

Alongside tales of the president clogging White House toilets with paperwork, previous reports have included stories that Mr Trump would habitually tear up paperwork after meetings, leaving the fragments for aides to tape back together so that they could be sent to the National Archives as mandated by the Presidential Records Act.

It has even been claimed by former aide Omarosa Maginault Newman that on one occasion, the then-president literally chewed up a sensitive document to avoid it becoming public.

At around the same time as these alarming stories emerged earlier this year, it transpired that Mr Trump had taken multiple boxes of documents  some of them classified  to his resort at Mar-a-Lago in Florida instead of submitting them for official preservation.

The news resulted in a subpoena from Department of Justice prosecutors seeking to establish whether the records act had been violated.

NEW IN AXIOS: Trump denied flushing documents as president, as I learned during reporting last year for CONFIDENCE MAN. A Trump White House source recently provided PHOTOS of paper with Trumps handwriting in two different toilets via @mikeallen https://t.co/wv6rrupO1n  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 8, 2022

Mr Trump is not the only person in his White House whose handling of documents and communications has come under legal scrutiny.

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His daughter Ivanka, who served in an official capacity as an adviser, communicated with other adminstration staff using a private email server; his sometime trade adviser Peter Navarro, who played a key role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election, is currently being sued by the Justice Department for emails sent and received on a ProtonMail server.

Prosecutors argue he is wrongfully retaining presidential records that are the property of the United States, and which constitute part of the permanent historical record of the prior administration.

Also in the frame is Mr Trumps last chief of staff, Mark Meadows, whom 6 January select committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson says she saw burning documents in a White House fireplace after a meeting with a Republican congressman.

Mr Trump and his associates cavalier handling of records sits at odds with his and his partys long persecution of Hillary Clinton for using a private email server during her time as Secretary of State.
Two annual Native American events celebrating the harvest will take place in August: The Green Corn Festival in Washington and Schemitzun in Mashantucket.

Green Corn Festival

The 17th annual Green Corn Festival, presented by the Institute for American Indian Studies, is Aug. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at Riverwalk Pavilion, 11A School St. in Washington.

Among the entertainment for the day are flutist Allan Madahbee of the Ojibwe tribe, the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Meeches of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, the Quahog Bay Drum Group led by Devin Wixon of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Nation and a professional Native American storyteller. Dancing will be at 1 and 3 p.m. Also offered are childrens activities and vendors selling arts and crafts.

Yapopup, the Indigenous Soul Food Truck owned by Pueblo Chef Ryan Rainbird Taylor of New Mexicos Ohkay Owingeh tribe, will offer traditional Native American dishes. GV Bites will sell Colombian fusion food and Polar Sweets Ice Cream will sell desserts.

Admission to the festival is $15, $12 seniors, $10 children and IAIS members, free for members children. Preregister at iaismuseum.org. The event will be held rain or shine.

Schemitzun

Schemitzun: Feast of Green Corn and Dance, a celebration of the harvest when participants give thanks to the Creator for our rich heritage while honoring our ancestors, warriors, veterans and elders, will be Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Mashantucket Pequot Cultural Grounds, 2 Matts Path in Mashantucket.

The weekend will include exhibitions of traditional and contemporary tribal dance, drum and live music, Native American-made crafts, and a re-creation of a 17th-century Eastern Woodland village with demos of fire-pit cooking, wampum and fishnet making, loom beadwork and basketry. Native American chefs will prepare chowders, fish, wild game, seasonal fruit beverages, Indian tacos, burgers, fry bread and desserts.

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Among the drum groups are the Wild Band of Comanches from Oklahoma and the Wiconzani of Connecticut.

A weekend pass is $15, one-day admission is $10, one-day admission for seniors and ages 6 to 12 is $8, children 5 and younger are free.

There is no on-site parking. An event shuttle departs every 30 minutes from the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center (handicapped only), and three Foxwoods Resort Casino parking areas: the Fox Tower Hotel Lop, the Grand Pequot Tower Hotel Loop and the Great Cedar Hotel Bus Loop.

For more information, visit schemitzun.com

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
By Jessica DiNapoli and Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Monday appeared skeptical that Ben & Jerry's deserved an immediate injunction against its parent Unilever Plc to restrict the marketing of its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which Ben & Jerry's said was against its values.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter said at a court hearing in Manhattan that he was unsure Ben & Jerry's had shown it faced "imminent harm" following Unilever's June 29 sale of the ice cream maker's Israeli business to local licensee Avi Zinger.

The unusual dispute shows the challenges Unilever faces as it encourages its brands, which number more than 400, to have social missions that the company says help drive sales.

Ben & Jerry's independent directors sued Unilever on July 5, nearly a year after the maker of Half Baked and Cherry Garcia faced a backlash by deciding to end sales in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories because it was "inconsistent" with its values.Although the lawsuit also sought to stop the sale altogether, Monday's hearing focused on whether Ben & Jerry's deserved a temporary injunction barring Zinger from selling new or rebranded products, using its English language trademarks.

Ben & Jerry's lawyer Shahmeer Halepota said in court that Zinger could produce new products with the "exact opposite stance," causing consumer confusion.

"Instead of Peace Pops, you could make 'Tank Pops,'" Halepota said, and shoppers would see both walking down a grocery store aisle.

The judge did not immediately rule, but told a Ben & Jerry's lawyer: "I don't hear anything saying that there is anything imminent. It doesn't seem ... anything's going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

He did not say when he would rule.

When Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000, it let the brand's board retain primary responsibility to oversee the ice cream maker's social mission. Ben & Jerry's board said the sale to Zinger undermined its right to do that. The two Unilever appointees dissented.

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"This is an American institution that for the last 40 years has built its credibility on this authenticity of social mission," Halepota said.

Unilever, in contrast, has said it retained the right to make operational decisions for Ben & Jerry's, and that the sale could not be undone because it has irrevocably closed.

"There is just no reason to believe ... that the continued sale of ice cream could cause irreparable harm," Unilever's lawyer David Marriott said.

Ben & Jerry's sales topped 1 billion euros (US $1.02 billion) for the first time last year.

Jeff Furman, who helped build the business and served on Ben & Jerry's board for about 40 years, said the company hadn't sued Unilever before, but once considered it after finding quality issues in the ice cream, which were later resolved.

"We have our fingers in - that's part of the job - to be vigilant and concerned about everything," he said.

Last week, Ben & Jerry's said Unilever had frozen compensation for the independent directors. [L1N2ZF1OZ]

Before Monday's hearing, two weeks of mediation to reach an out-of-court settlement broke down.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; editing by Grant McCool)
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  MONDAY, 8 AUGUST 2022, 07:11

On the night of 7 August, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the points of temporary deployment of Russian troops at industrial facilities in Melitopol [a city in southern Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia Oblast which has been occupied by Russia  ed.] using HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System).

Source: Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, on Telegram

Quote from Fedorov: "Last night, high-precision HIMARS rockets struck the points of temporary deployment of the Russian occupying forces at industrial facilities in several of Melitopols districts, causing fire damage.

Early reports indicate that a large amount of [Russian] military equipment has been destroyed. Over 100 Russian soldiers who were spending the night in temporary barracks [at those sites] received their tickets to Iosif Kobzons concert [i.e., were killed; Iosif Kobzon was a Russian singer who has become a symbol of an outdated Soviet aesthetic; he died in 2018 - ed.]; their parents are already selecting the make and colour of their Lada cars [referring to an interview with a grieving mother and father who proudly bought a new Lada car with the "coffin money" given to them after their son was killed in Ukraine. The interview was broadcast on Russia-1 as part of a propaganda package on how the Kremlin helps families of dead soldiers  ed.]."

Details: Fedorov said that Russian forces had transferred a significant portion of their air defence systems from Melitopol to Kherson last week.

The mayor added that last night was the most productive one for the Ukrainian troops in the region; Russian air defence systems are no longer capable of withstanding the Ukrainian HIMARS attacks.

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He believes that this creates favourable grounds for a successful counteroffensive on the Melitopol front.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda!






By Yann Tessier

LE POULIGUEN, France (Reuters) - Through blistering heatwaves and drought that have parched the French countryside in recent weeks, one group has emerged a reluctant winner: salt farmers in the northwestern region of Guerande.

Guerande's snow-white Fleur de Sel (flower of salt), which crystallizes on the water's surface, is one of the finer salts on world markets, retailing in the United States at over $100 a kilogram.

As temperatures climbed in recent months and almost inexistent rainfall turbo-charged salt water evaporation in the region, production has soared.

"We're heading towards record production," said producer Francois Durand, who has worked on the salt marshes for more than 20 years.

Sea salt production over the last 10 years had averaged around 1.3 tonnes per salt pan but this year the yield was nearly double at 2.5 tonnes, he said.

He acknowledged that makes him one of the few short-term winners of climate change whilst parts of the country deal with wildfires and water shortages.

"You could say that, yes. Unfortunately," he continued. "It's clear it's good for us."

In a region better known for its variable Atlantic weather, more than 40 days of uninterrupted sunshine and light winds has meant scant rest for those who work the salt flats, said worker Audrey Loyer.

It is back-breaking labour: Under the baking sun, the workers wheel barrows along the narrow mud walls that separate each pan, scraping the sea salt from the bottom of the flats using methods and tools that have barely changed in more than four centuries. No machinery is allowed in the harvesting process.

"The workers are tired," said Mathilde Bergier, a salt producer who runs a local shop. "There hasnt been enough rain on the flats to justify a break."

Bergier also worries that the intensive pace made necessary by this summer's endless sun is unsustainable, concerned that the fragile mud structures in which the seawater evaporates might not survive such rigorous work year after year.

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When the sun finally sets on this years record-breaking season, the regions salt producers may wonder what to do with all the salt if uninterrupted hot weather becomes the norm. Several farmers told Reuters they now had reserves to cover the next couple of years.

"Some have already stopped working this season," Bergier said.

(Reporting by Yann Tessier; Editing by Richard Lough and Susan Fenton)
WASHINGTON  SpaceLink, a space communications company, said it agreed to work with the U.S. Army to help articulate the services plan for a tactical network that can help distribute data and imagery more quickly.

The cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Center, which SpaceLink announced Monday, allows the organizations to share facilities, intellectual property and expertise to elevate solutions for both the warfighter and industry, the McLean, Virginia-based company said in a statement. There is no funding connected to the agreement.

While the work isnt tied to a specific Army program, it comes as the service is making plans for a Tactical Space Layer that would enable it to use overhead imagery to target beyond-line-of-sight threats. The Army has been partnering with commercial companies and other military services to conduct experiments and prototyping efforts aimed at reducing the amount of time it takes to collect and deliver satellite data to a weapon system.

SpaceLink is investing internal funds to develop a satellite relay system that will reside in medium Earth orbit  between 1,243 and 22,236 miles above planets surface  and use laser communications for faster and more secure data transfer. Anthony Colucci, the companys chief strategy and commercial officer, told C4ISRNET in an interview that SpaceLink is in the ready-for-production phase and plans to launch its first constellation of four satellites by the end of 2024.

Colucci said the company views the agreement as a sign the U.S. government understands the value its system will bring once on orbit. Although its constellation isnt operational, SpaceLink will provide modeling and simulation tools that the Army can use to better understand how the capability could fit into its architecture.

It can take hours, and sometimes even days, between the time somebody says, I need certain data, I need an impact of whats going on, until they have that data back, Colucci said. With our system, it can be minutes to even seconds. So, you can imagine the tactical importance.

After its first satellites arrive on orbit in 2024, SpaceLink plans to launch new capabilities every two years, increasing processing speed and capacity with each iteration.

Colucci said the company has discussed its plans with the Space Force, Space Development Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit, providing studies and white papers to show how the system could improve data delivery times. He said he expects additional partnerships to be formalized soon but declined to provide details.
(Getty Images)

Not everyone you dislike is a war criminal. This should go without saying, but apparently Roger Waters  co-founder of the legendary rock band Pink Floyd but most known to younger audiences as the man who wanted Madonna to boycott Eurovision when it was held in Israel and who thinks he is more important than Drake and the Weeknd  needs to have it repeated.

Waters recently included a picture of Joe Biden in a list of war criminals featured in his This Is Not A Drill live show. In an interview with CNNs Michael Smerconish, the presenter pushed back on the inclusion while the rock star stuck to his guns, accusing Biden of fueling the fire in the Ukraine and insisting that it was a huge crime. The US, Waters insisted, should encourage Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war.

I agree that the war in Ukraine is horrific and horrendous. Yet Waters seems to think that it is Joe Bidens or Volodymyr Zelenskys fault. His use of the article the in front of Ukraine also suggests that he doesnt believe it is a legitimate country (the Soviets used to call it the Ukraine rather than Ukraine to diminish any claims to sovereignty the Ukrainian people may have made). Rather than laying the blame squarely at the feed of Vladimir Putin  the man who actually ordered the Russian invasion of a sovereign state  Waters wants to posture against perceived western imperialism. Hes criticized Donald Trump before, in similarly strong terms. Its clear he wants to make a point about how the US treats other countries.

I dont disagree with Waters that America has a lot to answer for in the world. Weve meddled in Ukrainian internal affairs too, most notably in the 2014 Euromaidan revolution, aiding a coup as weve done all too many times. And then, of course, there was Vietnam. And Iraq. And Afghanistan. Im not here to argue America and the west are innocents. We have plenty of blood on our hands.

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And yet, for all our faults, we did not invade Ukraine. Putin did. We are not the bad guys here. Neither is Zelensky. The Ukrainian people, fighting for the sovereignty of their country which has been invaded by a hostile and brutal foreign oppressor, are the heroes of our story. Asking them to negotiate an end to the hostilities is like celebrating Chamberlain declaring peace in our time. It might make you feel good, but its all a lie. There can be no peace when your neighbor is determined to destroy you.

I protested against the Iraq War because no matter how evil I personally found Saddam Hussein I did not see a justification for invading a sovereign state which had not attacked us. The most conservative estimate of Iraqi civilian casualties of our war is over 180,000. The true total is much higher. None of them should have died. I thought it in 2002 and I still believe that in 2022.

I wonder if Waters would have encouraged the Iraqi people in 2003 to negotiate with us, the invading and occupying force? Would he have said, Sure, give up your oil or part of your territory if it means ending the war? Because thats what Putin wants: Ukrainian territory. We know this because hes told us; hes already taken Crimea, and now he wants the Donbas.

As reprehensible as Americas imperial wars of the 20th and 21st century were, they were not wars of conquest. There was never any serious talk nor motivation of incorporating Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan into the American empire. Nation-building and forcing our way of life on sovereign states might be a form of imperialism, but the idea was that eventually the United States military would leave those countries.

Putin, on the other hand, doesnt intend to go anywhere. He is determined to reclaim the old Soviet empire, spreading autocracy and oligarchic economics while hes at it. In doing so, he not only threatens the peace which has mostly held in Europe since the end of the Second World War, but he threatens the existing global order of sovereign nation-states.

That in itself is very dangerous. The postwar order has, despite its flaws, proven remarkably stable and extremely conducive to peace. That is because, largely, we accept that wars of conquest are no longer acceptable. Instead, we try to resolve our differences diplomatically. The danger in Ukraine, I fear, is that if Putin succeeds in retaking any more territory lost to Ukrainian independence  he already illegally annexed Crimea  that he could be emboldened elsewhere.

Im not alone in this fear; theres a reason Finland and Sweden want to join NATO. Imagine, too, if other nations then began emulating Putin. China is already saber-rattling over Taiwan (this doesnt bother Waters, apparently, because he said at the same time as making his Ukraine comments that Taiwan is part of China.) Argentina wants the Falklands. Pakistan and India have a longstanding border dispute over Kashmir. Suddenly, the international order looks much more imperiled than it was six months ago.

None of this means I want the United States to be further involved than it already is in the conflict in Ukraine. Russia is a nuclear power and I do not believe Putin is afraid of using nukes the way past leaders have been. There is no coming back from a nuclear holocaust, and we cant pretend otherwise.

Joe Biden is thus in the unenviable position of squaring that circle. He must figure out how to support the democratically elected government of Ukraine while opposing autocratic Russias war of conquest. The consequences of a victory for Putin  even at the negotiating table  could very well include the curtailment of democracy, the promotion of autocracy, and the end of a global order which has promoted a historic and unprecedented era of world peace for the better part of the past century.

Ending a war in which tens if not hundreds of thousands of innocent people are suffering and dying is a noble goal. I respect Waters desire for a cessation of hostilities. I even share it. At the end of the day, this war  like all bourgeois wars  is a war against the working class. It is not one that Ukraine started, though, and because of that Ukraine must be allowed to fight and win or lose on their own terms.

If its all the same to Roger Waters, then, Ill continue to take my lead from the Ukrainian people and not a rockstar-turned-pundit. I hope Joe Biden and the rest of the world will, too. Slava Ukraini!